Richard Thurston (born January 6, 1973) is an American musician, songwriter and mixed martial artist. Thurston was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Florida in his late teens. He notably performed in such hardcore and metalcore bands as Timescape Zero, Culture, Blood Has Been Shed, Until the End, Diecast, Terror, Walls of Jericho and As Friends Rust. He has lived in and performed with bands from Florida, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Michigan and Ohio, the latter of which has been his home since 1997.Thurston is a multi-instrumentalist musician and vocalist, having performed guitar, bass and drums in addition to vocals in several of his bands. He has also been straight-edge and vegan since the early 1990s, participating in several bands that vocalized those beliefs and ethics.Thurston began training as a mixed martial artist in 2003. During his inaugural amateur fight on November 5, 2004, he dislocated his elbow while against opponent Joshua Blanchard. In November 2006, Thurston became a professional fighter.