Abel Trujillo Must Transform Himself into a Demon in Order to Conquer One

Fighters, as a rule, are an unusual bunch. You must be a little off-center in order to willingly participate in a sport where you are repeatedly punched, kicked and choked. They do not all come from the wrong side of the tracks; mixed martial arts has its fair share of normal athletes. But it also has its share of men and women who grew up enveloped on a haze of violence, whether in the home or on the streets or at school.

Abel Trujillo will tell you that he used to have an anger management problem. And you believe it when he tells you this, because he stares directly at you, unblinking, and you instantly recognize the truth in his words.

"I had anger problems. Mixed martial arts helped me conquer that, but I can still channel it. And come fight time, I have to channel it," Trujillo told Bleacher Report. "I'm not a nice fighter. I don't touch gloves. I don't hug. Even at weigh-ins, I'm up in his face. I'm going to be in a fight. "

Mixed martial arts helped him figure out how to control those emotions, but the emotions haven't totally vanished. He still needs the anger when he fights, because he is a violent fighter by nature. He eschews the notion of competition; he is not looking for the win, but rather for the kill.

USA TODAY Sports

"With the violence, ya'll see the physical part. But it's all mental. I'm coming in there with the worst intentions possible. I want to hurt him. I'm not really worried about winning," Trujillo said. "I feel like if I hurt him as bad as possible, I am going to win the fight. So I don't really focus on winning. I just want to hurt him as badly as possible."

The violence and anger have been pent up inside Trujillo since last February. He hasn't stepped in the Octagon since a brutal knockout of Jamie Varner garnered Trujillo Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night honors at UFC 169. Since then, Trujillo has endured repeated false stops and starts, preparing for bouts that never materialized.

But now he is here, in Las Vegas, preparing to face The Ultimate Fighter alum Tony Ferguson on Saturday night. Trujillo said he likes the matchup because he feels like it's a good test of his skills.

"That's what I look forward to," he said. "I don't want no boring life, man."

Trujillo's style is aggressive. He seemingly goes from meek to ferocious at the drop of a hat.

It is a style that lends itself to exciting fights, but Trujillo said that exciting fights are just the side effect. The real goal, he said, is conquering the demon in front of him. Whether he is referring to his own internal anger or to the physical opponent in front of him, I do not know. What I do know is that I believe Trujillo when he says he isn't competing in an athletic endeavor; he is fighting for his life.

"I feel like every fight is like conquering a demon. To conquer that demon, I have to transform myself into a demon. It feels like an accomplishment to conquer a demon," he concluded. "This is life or death. Seriously. I have to protect myself, and I have to hurt him."