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Cuban wrestling standout Michel Batista turns to MMA, wants to face Daniel Cormier again

The story of Cubans emigrating to the United States, leaving everything behind in search of a better future, is not an uncommon one even if each one can be unique in their own way. Michel Batista's story is part of that long, difficult transition.

Without knowing any English, Batista defected to the U.S. and moved to Johnson City, Mo. where he lived with Yban Yunior Valdez, a family friend. There, Batista worked an ordinary job moving and organizing pallets in a warehouse. But unlike most Cubans, Batista defected to the United States after wrestling at the 2014 Pan American Championship in Mexico City, Mexico.