Blaine Thomas, right, strikes his opponent in a match. Photo from Facebook

Blaine Thomas, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, shows pride in his heritage every time he steps into the fighting cage.

Thomas, 24, is a mixed martial arts competitor. He says the Lumbee flag he brings into the ring motivates him.

The flag of the Lumbee Tribe. Image from Alternative History

“It’s like carrying a whole nation on your back, you don’t want to make them look bad, you want to make them look good,” Thomas told The Laurinburg Exchange. “That’s a heavy amount of weight on my shoulders and it definitely gives me the motivation to work harder."

Thomas has a big fight scheduled August 22 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

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