Video: UFC Fighter Nate Quarry Talks About Being Raised As One Of Jehovah's Witnesses

UFC middleweight Nate "The Rock" Quarry, is one of the most successful fighters of recent history in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

He was also raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  He left the organization, which he later referred to as a cult, at the age of 24.  As you can see in this July 2011 interview, Quarry has no problem talking about his prior life:

"The way that I was raised, I wasn’t allowed to live my life. I didn’t have a childhood. My youth was being in a cult. Being told I was worthless. Every mistake I made, I wasn’t just a kid making a mistake, I was an embarrassment. No friends. Menial labor jobs. Remember those cool parties you went to in high school? I don’t. I remember going to church three times a week, studying for church on the off days. Going to school. Having to get decent grades or there was hell to pay.

My junior and senior year I worked as a janitor at nights and weekends. Then summer between junior and senior year I worked my night and weekend job as well as a full time job as a house painter.

I had lived my entire life being told what to do. Who to be. What movies I could and couldn’t watch. What people I could and could not talk to. I wasn’t allowed to talk to my own sister because she left the church. No contact at all. Teachers in school hated me because of my religion. One teacher in particular had a child the same age as me in grade school and encouraged him to pick on me. I was spit on, called names.

So, at 24 I was at a party and I saw a UFC on TV. I remember thinking to myself, I am miserable. I hate my life. I’m going to live my life for the first time and do what I want to do. So, I started training and the cult excommunicated me."

Quarry was recently interviewed for an upcoming documentary called 'Truth Be Told'.  In it, he candidly speaks of the effect that his disfellowshipping had on his life.  

It's really scary how much I can relate to what he is saying.  Sadly, I still have the anger.  There is a deep seeded rage that I have been harboring for years, that I can't seem to get rid of.

In the fight that Quarry was referring to, where he lost due to no longer feeling that rage, he suffered so much facial trauma that he later required 13 screws and a titanium mesh to reconstruct is face.  Ouch.  He is currently contemplating retirement.

You can see more excerpts from 'Truth Be Told' here.

Thanks to Zeke for the tip.