The undefeated lightweight had just won his second professional fight, both of which came via finish. And the San Diego county resident was heading out with a carful of friends for a weekend of fun in Las Vegas.
Kozola’s buddies got on his case to come up with a nickname, figuring that every fighter has one, so he started Googling MMA nicknames on his phone.
“Thunderbeast came up, and it was so bad I laughed and said it out loud,” the Team Quest fighter said. “And of course all weekend long, my friends called me that. They just kept calling me ‘Thunderbeast.