Bad boy rapper DMX is refusing to train in preparation for his debut as a mixed martial arts fighter, insisting it "wouldn't be fair" to his opponent.

The hip-hop star, real name Earl Simmons, is set to take on rising actor Eric Martinez in a celebrity Alabama Pride MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) event in December. DMX's representative recently admitted the star had been "working out really hard" and "eating right" in the run-up to the bout - but the rapper insists he's not stepping into the ring to practice his fighting skills until the event itself.

Instead, DMX will be relying on his street fighting experience from his youth.
He says, "We got a phone call, you know, asking if I wanted to participate in it. Yeah, why not? ...I figured I could do it. I'm just going to walk in as it is... It wouldn't be fair if I trained. I can fight for real though, so it is what it is."

And the rapper is contemplating making his entrance into the ring to his own music: "More than likely I'll pick one of my own songs, (like) What's My Name."

DMX served jail time in Arizona earlier this year on charges of drug possession, animal cruelty and theft, and escaped another lengthy prison spell in June after he was sentenced to 18 months probation for verbally threatening a guard while behind bars.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)