JRE MMA Show #167 with Cory Sandhagen

Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. The Joe. Rogan Experience. Train by day. Joe. Rogan podcast by night. All day. Good to see you, brother. Good to see. you, too. We were talking about golf and. uh Jamie, who's a full-blown addict. What's up? What's up? Feel like everyone is now. So, you're. saying Gage's fully hooked? Oh, fully. hooked. It's crazy. He uh Yeah. I don't.

know. Do you know what Fanatics Fest is? No. So, Fanatics Fest is I was just at. it on Sunday, but it's just like it's. like kind of kind of like Comic-Con but. for athletes. And Gachi got to do like. the Fanatics game, which is like a. celebrity thing where it's like 50 pro. athletes do it, 50 normal people, and. they compete in a bunch of sports or. whatever. He said he won because he was. good at golf. So, the [ __ ] guy won a. Ferrari cuz he got second place. Tom. Brady got first. He got a million. dollars and then like a normal like.

nonprofessional athlete got third place. Got like 200k. Whoa. Ferrari. Yeah, dude. Golf got him. Holy [ __ ] Golf got. him for this [ __ ] Ferrari. I think he. took Holy [ __ ] Yeah. So he's So that. kind of just enforced his addiction more. than Damn, he's that good. Yeah, he's. pretty good. I mean, for I don't know. [ __ ] about golf, but from what Daniel. told me, DC told me that he started off. and he was just kind of okay, but over. the time between the Holloway fight and. his fight with Phys, he didn't do.

anything but play golf for a year. He. played like 260 days in a row. And he. said his handicap just kept getting. better and better and better and better. He said the next time he played him, he's like, "Holy [ __ ] he's really good. now." Sounds about right. Yeah. Makes. sense, though. He's a psycho. You know, he is a psych. Yeah. completely. dedicated to something and he's single. He's going to Yeah, he's going to excel. If that guy gets his mind on something, he's going to excel. Yeah, he's a he's a. unique dude for sure. I've really liked. cuz obviously, you know, I started. working with Whitman not too long ago.

Um I really enjoyed getting to know like. that crew like Trevor Gate. Trevor's a. unique guy. Yeah, he Yeah, all of those. guys are pretty unique in their own way. He makes the best [ __ ] MMA gloves. that have ever been made and the UFC. should have bought them out a long time. ago. I think he wanted some crazy amount. of money or something. I think it was. like some nutty deal. Mhm. Unfortunate. I know. You know, they should have just. licensed it. They should have just made. some sort of a deal like you we'll sell. the gloves, you make the money. Yeah. Let's just get the athletes the best.

gloves bought. They're so much better. They're way better. Yeah. The foam in. them is really good. Uh I think the. shape is better. The protection of your. hands is better. Yeah, Trevor's one of. those guys where uh I'm kind of similar. too. Like most things aren't stimulating. enough. Like TV kind of playing on my. phone isn't really super stimulating to. me. So like he's always like doing. something. So he's always like making. [ __ ] but he'd be when I would go into. Onyx, he'd just be in the back like with. this smile like working on the gloves.

like every single morning that he's. there. And uh the style that they have. is real cool. People keep asking me when. they're going to come out with them, and. I think he's getting pretty close. So, I. just really wish that him and the UFC. could make a deal. I know. Cuz they try. they spent so much time and money to. develop those new gloves, and then they. threw them out. Yeah. I hate that, too. I like the new ones. Did you? I have. really thin like my hands aren't massive. like some of these guys. Um, the old. ones are better for like if you have. like a really thick hand, the old ones. are way better. But I have a thin hand, dude. And those things used to fit me.

like perfectly. Cuz the old ones when. you when I would make a fist, they would. stick out like this much. But the new. ones, they would be like perfect. So I. can make a fist and not have this like. really awkward big space right there. But what is the what's the issue with. the new gloves? Like what did they not. like about them? I uh I honestly don't. know. I think some people were just. complaining probably because they were. just guys with thicker hands. Cuz that's. what it would come down to. There was no. other reason that it was. I mean, the. leather was different and stuff, but I. mean, how important is that? It can't be.

that important. And I think the whole. idea was it was easier to close your. hand, so it was gonna eliminate some of. the eye pokes. They were a little bit. curved, but honestly, I mean, maybe. I. mean, even if you bring it down like 10. percentages, I guess that's saving 10%. of people's eyes, but yeah. Um, but I. mean it honestly I don't think it was. like significant enough to be like, "Oh, no one's going to poke me in the eyes. when they're wearing these things.". Well, I think the Whitman gloves would. cover that because they're much more. curved. Those ones were curved. Yeah. I.

mean, your hand is in a permanent. position like this. So, for you to do. that, it's an effort. Yeah. Which when. do you do that? You only do that when. you're blocking things or, you know, maybe, you know, when you're sliding an. arm under like to get a choke or. something like that. But I don't think. they were specific significantly. bulkier. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not I'm not too. sure honestly. I don't really recall. wearing I think that that was a while. ago when they were doing all that. So I. kind of don't recall super close what. the curved ones how how impactful it.

would have been on grappling. I think. the idea of the new gloves was that PE. there weren't as many knockouts which. also doesn't totally make sense. That. doesn't make any sense to me. No. They. they probably ran a number that was from. like all of the years of the UFC and. then maybe just when they started using. the new ones instead of like just last. year, how many knockouts? I don't think. they would do that. No. No. I think but. there were a lot of people complaining. said that they weren't hard as hard as. the old gloves. Like I should have. brought you some. Yeah. Yeah. I mean.

gave me some of his and I was like these. are the best gloves ever. Yeah, for. sure. Just [ __ ] Hey, man. Work it. out. I know. They're good to train in. too. like uh like you can actually feel. like you could hit the person and not be. like sorry, you know, because that's a. pain in the ass when you always have to. when you get like a stiff pair of gloves. and then you have to hit someone and. you're just like sorry man, I know that. you but with these ones you can fire. away, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That. how important is that? And like having. training partners that are that are.

conscientious and that aren't going to. [ __ ] blast you like the the miles. that guys take off of the clock when. they're training is so big. Yeah, it's. big. I think I don't I mean we spar I. spar pretty hard still. I know that like. not a lot of people are crazy about. that, but you don't get hit a lot. though. That's true. That's the thing is. you're slick. Yeah, that's true. Like. for a guy who's just like a [ __ ] face. first, you know? Yeah. You know, that's. there's there's styles that enhance. longevity and you have a style that. enhances longevity cuz not only do you.

not get hit a lot, but you're also like. you're a puzzle, you know? You're not. it's not like, oh, here he comes. It's. like where where what's going on here? You know, there's a lot of thinking that. a guy has to do when they're. interacting. You know, you have so much. so many faints and so many stance. switches. Definitely. It's such a smart. style, man. I love watching you fight. because it's like it's so you can see. that the the fighter if they don't and. and by the way, they're probably not. used to training with somebody like you. because there's not a lot of guys like. you. You could see how there's all these.

adjustments that they have to make on. the fly that makes you think. Yeah. I. mean, uh, I always really looked up to. all of the defensive guys that I would. watch. Like, I know that in boxing, defensive, just winning the defensive battle is a. big piece in boxing. And the judges. almost even score a little bit for it. But in MMA, it's just all like only. offense scores, right? So that's not. really the way that I grew up thinking. was good martial arts really cuz my some. of my favorite guys were Mayweather,

Pernell Whitaker, Nito Daire, like all. of these really awesome like movers that. did a phenomenal job at protecting. themselves and but now man people I feel. like even more so now people want more. blood and more offense like the casuals. Yeah. Yeah. That that [ __ ] drives me. nuts. It does, man. It just drives me. nuts. and and catering to the casuals. Like, [ __ ] off. Like, whenever someone. like booze and then they separate people. or stand people up, I go crazy. What are. you doing? [ __ ] the crowd. I think.

grappling is really hard to understand. unless you've done it. Like, striking is. easy to understand. Like, okay, that guy. hit the [ __ ] out of that guy more than. the other guy hit him, right? Grappling. is like it's a whole it's like super. propriioceptive, you know? Like a lot of. what's going on in grappling isn't. it's like hidden to the eye, you know. what I mean? It's where am I sitting my. weight? Where am I doing this? And um. and yeah, so it kind of just people just.

don't think it's cool. But when you. understand grappling like it's amazing. to watch. Yes. You know, like Amarab for. example, who's obviously a guy that I. watch a ton. It's amazing. Yeah. Like he. does such a good job with like the. little nuancy things in wrestling that's. just like Yeah. that. But it's hard to. appreciate unless you really understand. it. Well, it's hard to judge, too, which. is a real problem cuz there's judges. that don't train and never have trained, which is to me [ __ ] crazy. I know. That's like judging a Chinese spelling.

bee and you don't speak Chinese. Like, who knows who's [ __ ] winning here? I. know it. They don't understand it. They. understand when someone's on top. Oh, he's on top. I know. But, you know, there's so many like near submission. attempts that I think should count like. like I always go to the AA Arman Sukian. fight cuz I think Olive won that fight. cuz Olivea came close to finishing him. twice and Sarukian stayed on top and he. had a lot of control and it was a very. close fight. But I think those [ __ ].

moments where a guy is like at nine, you. know, if 10 is checkmate, he's at nine. twice, that's big, man. that you don't. want to be there. That guy got you. there. He's got a [ __ ] locked in. triangle. Yeah, you got out of it, but. still that that's big, man. That should. count. And damage leading up to a KO or. that doesn't lead to a K.O is very. significant in the scorecards, but a. submission that doesn't lead up to a. submission doesn't count. And I don't. understand that. You can't just count.

damage. You have to count like near. falls or near near subs. I agree. Yeah. I mean, if you if you want to take for. example too, like even like a me and a. TJ fight, like TJ was limping out of. that cage and I was kind of, you know, like, oh, cool. You know, and I don't. think that that should count for. everything. But like you're saying, like. the reason that he was limping out of. that cage is because I popped his knee. really bad, you know, like he had to. spend the next 18 months making his knee. better so that he could fight again. And. I was able to fight, you know, pretty.

shortly afterwards. So, yeah, there's. got to be something to that. like if you. pop someone's [ __ ] really bad, it it. should count just as much as a knockdown. or something like that. What do you. think about the idea of uh like 108. rounds for like things that are known, not just like, okay, this person won by. a mile, but it's like in kickboxing they. do if you get knocked down in a round, it's automatically a 108 round. You like. that for M&A or No, I do. But if a guy. is tuning you up for like the entire. round and you clip him and drop him and.

he gets back up and he's still okay, I. don't think that's a 108 round. I think. I think MMA should be a completely. different scoring system than the. 10-point must system because I think the. 10 we just stole this boxing system. which is a great system for boxing. because you only have two weapons and. you only have your hands. You don't even. have elbows, right? So, think about all. the different factors in MMA and we're. limited to 10 points. To me, that seems. silly. I think it should probably be 10. points for each aspect of the sport.

Like, okay, who who landed more kicks, who landed more punches, who and then. calculate all that [ __ ] up together, you. know, who had more takedowns, who who. landed damage from the top. Add all it. should be a comprehensive system. And I. think there should be more than three. judges, you know, when you know when you. have a split decision and like some of. them are so crazy, you know, you see. like a five round split decision and. it's they gave like four judges or three. two out of the three judges rather give.

like three out of five rounds and the. other person gives them the whole five. rounds. Like this is too much. variability. There's too much weirdness. to it. And and if you're a fighter, especially in MMA, because of the win. bonus, which also drives me crazy, I. think you if you had three more judges, so if you have six judges, six judges. would balance it out. Six good judges. So the ones that [ __ ] up and make. mistakes, they'll be canceled out by the. better judges. We could do like a.

submission or knockout only league. That'd be pretty cool cuz then you'd. definitely know who was winning that. one. What would you think about a no. time limit? Yeah, no. No time limit, submission or knockout only. That would. be wild. That'd be pretty sick, actually. You could probably sanction. that. Old school UFC. Yeah. Yeah. I. mean, it's UFC 1. Yeah. It wouldn't. really pay off for me, though. I need. weight classes in order for me to. [ __ ] for my career to be good. Yeah. Weight classes, sure, but but no time. limit within the weight classes. Yeah, that'd be sweet. That would be pretty. that would be pretty wild. Yeah, that'd.

be pretty wild because, you know, you. know, like two guys are facing off each. other like and they know like there's no. rescue every five minutes. Yeah. And and. you go into it knowing you're either. getting knocked down or submitted or. you're doing that to the other person. Oh, that would be real. But again, the. casuals would have a hard time with it. because it would probably be a much more. moderate pace or or you unless someone. just tries to go for it right off the. bat. Yeah. And that could be a strategy. Sure. I mean, it does work. It's like. there's so many fights where did you see.

the the past the Azerbaian fight? Uh I. didn't watch those ones. No, I watched. Curtis's fight and a guy named. Muhammad's fight on my team, but no, I. didn't watch the other ones. There was. uh who was it? Uh Ma and the other guy. from Azerbaijan. See if you can find his. name. Salakov. [ __ ] I I hadn't seen him. fight before. What weight class was it? Um I think it was 45. Yeah. No, it was lightweight. Yeah. Sodikov and Nicholas Moda. Nazim Sodikov.

and Nicholas Ma. [ __ ] crazy fight, man. It was so good that Dana White gave. him double bonuses. Oh, nice. Sweet. But. Mot landed a 75 punch combination. Like, I'm not kidding, man. He landed. like And then Sodakov came back and. stopped him. Oh [ __ ] It was wild. Like. a wild fight. Like a fight like that. where two guys just f and Mot like. basically emptied out the tank, but. Sodakov had fantastic defense. just kept. covering and moving and just getting.

bombed on to the body and to the head, but he kept it looked like it was. getting close to stop and all he comes. back and you see Mo's taking these big. deep breaths and woo it was wild. Yeah, when that strategy works, it works. But. when it doesn't, yeah, you're in some. [ __ ] That's the problem. The the blit. sprint and very few guys, you know, we. were talking about Gachi and golf and I. was saying that I'm scared of golf and. you you know, you were like, I don't. have time for golf. There's the thing. that happens with golf is it takes so. much time and it's so addictive that.

it's going to take away time from other. stuff no matter what you do. And when. you look at a guy like I always point to. Morab because the day after he beat. Shawn the first fight DC went to his. house to to go talk to him and he was. out running the day after. Like that's a. guy that does not stop and that extreme. physicality and that extreme endurance. because he is just constantly working. that means something that counts. If you. take months off, you take you know like. like this was the thing that I was.

thinking about with Jon Jones. Jon Jones. said he need needed six months to. prepare for Aspenol if he's going to. fight Aspenol. So they were trying to. make a deal and then he decided to. retire. But it's six months because he's. not training like at all. like he just. doesn't train. Like in between fights, just doesn't train. Yeah. Which to me, he used to do that a lot when he was. younger, too, which is I always thought. was crazy. That is crazy to me. I always. saw guys do that like when I was in my. 20s and like I would watch these really. big fighters just not train unless it.

was a training camp time. I'd be like, "Fuck that. I'm never being that way.". Um I don't know, man. That's that's like. a really weird one to me, but I don't. want to bash it too bad because I do. know a lot of guys that do do that. But. look at John. greatest of all time. It's. like, how did he do that? I really. talented. I don't know how that works. Like, I want it to make sense in my head. that like the harder you work, the more. [ __ ] you'll get from it, you know? Which. is like true to an extent, but then you. have like these weird outlier guys that. maybe have something more figured out. than me that I don't have figured out or.

whatever. But I mean, that to me is like. completely unacceptable in my head. Like. I I I think that um I really hate when. people say that they want to be. something and then they don't do any of. the actions to like actually do that. thing that they're saying that they want. to be, right? So I don't get to walk. around being like, "Yeah, I'm going to. be a world champion. I I want to be a. world champ." And then not do any of the. [ __ ] actions, you know? Like then I'm. just a stupid person, you know? Well, I. think John is just so [ __ ] talented. that he could pull that off. Yeah.

That's the outlier. It's like he was. just so good. He was so good. He just he. just he could do it. He could he could. party and still [ __ ] guys up like what. he said to Cormier at the press. conference for the second fight. I beat. you when I was on co. Okay, I know. I. saw that video the other day. This episode is brought to you by Better. Help. Sometimes it can feel like you're. carrying the weight of the world on your. shoulders. And for guys especially, it. can feel like you have to carry that. burden on your own. There's a lot of.

stigma around men being the provider to. keep it all together by themselves. But. that's not good for you, your family, or. anyone. Did you know that 6 million men. suffer from depression every year in the. US? And it often goes undiagnosed. because of these stigmas. Real strength. isn't bottling things up inside, though. It's admitting to your faults and doing. something to better yourself. So, go. talk to someone, a friend, your partner, family, a therapist. Therapy is an. excellent tool everyone should utilize.

It's a great way to learn more positive. coping skills like how to manage stress. and help you live a more balanced and. fulfilling life. BetterHelp is a great. place to start that conversation. Judging by the millions of reviews and. the 4.9 rating in the app store, it's. helped many people across the globe. As. the largest online therapy provider in. the world, BetterHelp can provide access. to mental health professionals with a. diverse variety of expertise. Talk it.

out with BetterHelp. Our listeners get. 10% off their first month at. betterhelp.com/jre. That's betterhp.com/jre. This is the thing. When guys are that. talented, there's so much like they're. playing with their food essentially. until you know like like I always point. to with John the first Gustiffson fight. which by all accounts he didn't train. Oh really? Yeah. By all accounts like.

barely trained for that fight. Barely. trained just partying. Yeah. And beat. Gustiffson and pulled it off in the last. rounds which was really crazy but then. comes back in the second fight and is. like okay [ __ ] now we're. trained. and just destroys them. Just. runs right through them. Which god does. he worship? Yeah, I know. Right. Start. going to that church. Well, I think it's. just talent, man. And it's also. genetics. Like both of his brothers are. super athletes. Yeah. You know, he's. just a phenomenal specimen. And then.

he's got a great mind for fighting. His. his it's you can't discount his in cage. IQ cuz it's [ __ ] phenomenal. I do. think two people have different wired. brains too where some people need like. cool down time in order for them to. Yeah. I don't know, man. I I really I. don't know how it works. I spent a lot. of time thinking about it. I don't Yeah. I'm more on the other end where it's. like I'm going to give every inch of. myself to this thing, you know, in hopes. that I get it one day. But then I know a. lot of guys, man, a lot of guys that are.

really successful that are just like, nah, man. I need my like off time. But. that to me is really uncomfortable. But. I kind of got a little bit I don't like. chilling, you know, like me and my wife. were just in Maui a couple weeks ago. It's like the first vacation for 7 days. I ever taken like since I was a kid. probably. Did you get stir crazy? I got. a little stir crazy. I kind of liked it. though. Like a piece of me liked just. completely being like, "Oh, my home my. like life doesn't exist back there." So. I liked it a little bit in that, but I I.

didn't like the feeling of being. completely like turning my nervous. system off completely. That was like. weird to me. I like being like a little. stressed or having something going a. little bit all the time. It kind of just. makes me feel like alive or something. I. don't know. But I didn't really like. that feeling. I was kind of ready to. come. I like didn't like that. I liked. it too. It'd be like if I started. playing golf and I was like, "Oh [ __ ]. this is fun." And then I got to like do. that more and more. I don't really want. to get addicted to relaxing either. Well, the golf thing is a six-hour plus.

thing every day. when you're a guy like. Jamie, you know, you're whack like. Jaime's got a simulator out there, so. he's whacking balls every day. It it. gets you. It gets in your blood. But the. thing about like relaxing, one thing. that I do like about vacations is that. at the end I'm ready to go to work. Like. when I when I'm done, when the when it's. like day, if I'm on an 8 day vacation, it's day seven, I'm like, I can't. [ __ ] wait to get back to work. I. can't wait to get [ __ ] going. I don't. get that. You know, when I was out. there, I was like, I could stay here.

forever. I was like, I'll stay. I was. like, [ __ ] home. I was like, we can we. afford this? I was like, let's just stay. here. Isn't that the It's a weird thing. about momentum, right? Like when you're. training really hard all the time, you. have this like constant momentum in your. head of improvement. You're like you're. you're on the path. You're you're in the. process, you know, and you're feeling. that. And when that gets disrupted, when. guys get injured and they have to come. back or they get sick and they have to. come back, there's like you got to like. rebuild that momentum.

and get it going again. So it's like a. part of your mind you wake up like time. to go, you know? I'm pretty familiar. with like the process of like having to. kick back into camp, you know, and I do. realize that it takes me about two weeks. to get like, all right, this is my. normal life again, you know, which is. why I really like training camp and I. really like fighting more than real life. is what I say just because it's like. organized. I know what I'm doing. I. don't got to think about stuff. I'm not.

traveling places. People like traveling. I hate traveling. It makes me feel like. my life is moving on fast forward, which. I don't really like. I like feeling I. feel most alive when I'm in a routine. and I have time to myself and I can sit. and kind of reflect and all of that. [ __ ] But um but yeah, I uh What is the. difference between your training like. regular training and then training once. you get into camp? How much like what is. a normal day when you're not in camp for. you? Uh it's all the exact same. I'm. just less competitive when I'm outside.

of camp. Um, and I won't if I if I'm. like beat to [ __ ] dead tired, I'll miss. a practice. But that's really the only. time that I'll miss practice. In camp, I. won't miss. Um, unless I have like a two. week rule where if I'm like dragging. really bad, I'll make myself go for. another week and a half, two weeks until. I'm like, okay, I I I do actually need a. rest, you know? And then so I'll do that. in camp. Um, but yeah, I uh but outside of camp is.

pretty much the exact same. I've been. traveling a a lot which I really don't. like doing. Um, just because again like. I I don't really feel like I'm alive. I. feel like I'm like fast forwarding. through a bunch of stuff. Um, but it's. been like useful stuff like seeing. family and then like me and my wife. going on our honeymoon or whatever. So, it's like normal life [ __ ] that I guess. I got to check in and do every once in a. while. But if it were up to me, it would. just be like training camp life all of. the time, just cuz it's easier. It's way. easier. It's fun. It's easy. I go to the.

gym. I do my hard workouts. I'm. competitive as [ __ ] I get to get that. out of me. And then I just hang with my. friends for an hour afterwards. When you. say you're less competitive when you're. just normal training, like is that. conscious? Like, do you decide to be. less competitive? And why do you do. that? Uh, I do that because I can't I. think that um if I'm too competitive, I. won't work on stuff. Like it like uh a. lot of camp for me is getting better at. stuff. And then the last four weeks is. figuring out how to win. It's not like I.

think that practicing winning is just as. important as being able to practice a. certain skill. So a lot of my camps will. be developing those skills. But then. like the last four or five weeks, it's. just I need to focus on winning each. round regardless of who it's against or. whatever. I'm not like practicing a. certain technique or doing anything like. that. It's just winwin win. Just doing. whatever it takes to win that round. Exactly. Yeah. Because that's an. important skill to build. And when. you're less competitive, when you're. just training and you're not in camp, you'll try things. You be a little more.

playful, try to like sort stuff, try new. new skills. And I'm definitely not. sparring hard as [ __ ] like I do in camp, too. Um, like I won't do that outside of. camp unless I got a guy that's been. giving me a bunch of rounds in my camps. and he has a fight coming up and and. then I'll like gear up to give him a. good one, you know? But, uh, no, outside. camp comp like just less competitive. I. don't show up as early and get my mind. right before when I'm in camp. Every. single sparring session that I do, I try. to put myself in the locker room while.

I'm warming up. Um, I think that that's. like I've had a lot of success doing. that. Um, just making my body make good. decisions when I'm in a super elevated. highintensity state is something you got. to practice, too. I definitely won't do. that outside of camp because that's a. lot of energy. So, you visualize the. walk out, you visualize like stepping. into the octagon, all that. uh. essentially um it's not as so I don't do. as much of. um I more so go off a feel a little bit.

more now where I'll be like okay I need. to do this today because I know that I. really don't want to do it um or I'll be. like okay this day for whatever reason. I'm really distracted I'll do a little. bit more visualization mindful stuff or. whatever because every day is different. in sparring um as you know where some. days you're good to go right off of the. bat and then other days you're dragging. it's those days at your dragging that I. make sure that I'm like those ones I'll. be like okay [ __ ] visualize because. your body doesn't want to do this right. now and I'll put myself in that state.

twice a week which is um has helped a. lot a lot a lot I know for a while you. were organizing your whole camp right. are you still doing that no I don't do. that anymore that has actually been like. a super significant piece in one my life. getting a lot better and then two I. think that like it I think it's going to. transfer over really well into my next. few fights. Um, for a really long time, for a lot of reasons, I was like really. micromanagy over my own my stuff. Uh, I.

don't like when people do things for me. Like I I kind of like live in a way. where everything is my responsibility. and if I [ __ ] up, it was like on me. regardless of what happens, which is. like a fine way to be, but also it's not. like crazy realistic either. Um, but. that's just kind of the way that I am, just the way that I grew up. like it was. kind of like take care of me type of. thing, you know, and if I'm messing. stuff up, it's on me. Um, so I I was. like that for a really long time. It was. actually after the Umar fight where I. realized how in the way I got of myself.

in that fight. How so? Um, overdoing it. Um, from insecurity a little bit. Um, over like that was my first camp with. Trevor too. And Trevor's a phenomenal. coach. I've known him for a lot of. years. He has a lot of champions. There's no like there's no reason to. doubt any of what he has going on or my. other coach Carrington Banks or anyone. really. But because I kind of have this. mindset on life or did used to have this.

mindset on life where it was, "Hey man, like manage everything like make sure. everyone's doing their work like blah. blah blah." Like after that Umar fight, I really got into. uh I was like, "All right, [ __ ] it, guys." Like I messed that one up. I felt. like because I was trying to be too. micromanagy over this thing. I started. getting outside of myself. You guys take. over. And the reason that I did that. wasn't necessarily because I lost. It's. because I'm coaching a couple. professionals now. And coaching a. professional is different than coaching. an amateur. Um it's like a it feels like.

a lot more responsibility. And I. realized what was happening when I would. try to help these couple guys that I was. trying to help is that they they are too. close to it. The same way that I'm sure. you get too close to your art as well. Like in comedy, you're too close to it. sometimes where you don't really you. can't see things from a perspective that. is like true and real because you're so. locked into what it is that you're. doing. I really big time realized that. that was a thing in my other guys. So. when I would try to help them and they'd.

be like, "Hey man, like I don't like. they'd kind of get a little bit. argumentative," I'd be like, "You could. keep doing that, but I'm I'm a thousand%. sure that I'm right about this, you. know, but do your own thing." And I. started to realize like, "Oh, [ __ ]. That's what I do all the time." Like, I. got to I was like, "Fuck, dude. I got to. stop being argumentative and just shut. the [ __ ] up and listen if I really trust. these guys." And so I started doing that. big time, man. And it made my It changed. so much stuff for me. I forgot who you. fight fought your last fight. Uh, I. fought Figgy last. That's right. Figgy. blew his knee out. Yeah. So that's.

essentially the same position that you. got in with TJ, right? 5050. And what. that that's like you're So this is all. Ryan Hall stuff, right? Yep. And so. you're putting him in a position where. if he doesn't know what you're doing and. he tries to get out of it, he's going to. blow his knee. Yep. Essentially, I I I. like 50/50 a lot because one, I get to. learn it from the guy who essentially. invented it and is the best at it in the. world. The only guys that I feel like. can beat me at 50/50 are guys that train. at 50/50. Um, and so it's kind of like.

what it feels like 50/50 the position. and just kind of leg locks in general if. you really know how to do them in MMA. Um, are a spot that you can pull people. into and have them be completely lost. Um, because they have to think, what do. I do now? And you're already moving. It's super niche, too. Like. understanding the position is super. niche. It's like judo almost a little. bit in wrestling where it's like, "Okay, cool. If this guy's going to just. wrestle with me, great. But if this guy.

has good throws, that changes a lot of. the way that I have to do things. I can. pull people into these really niche. spots um where I where I know that I'm. going to win them. Um so 50/50 is one of. those. It's kind of like what jiu-jitsu. used to be a little bit before people. have started to understand jiu-jitsu, but now people fully understand. jiu-jitsu, so you don't really get to. like catch people in guillotines or. whatever. But 50/50 and a lot of the leg. locks and a lot of stuff that Ryan. teaches me and does is so niche that. like you would need an absolute expert.

to understand it. And I like get the. fortune of having that. Yeah, that's. awesome. He's so [ __ ] smart, too. That dude is just like his analysis of. jiu-jitsu and the way he's broken down. different positions. It's it's really. exciting to watch. Is he fighting? I. know he's had like nine surgeries. Crazy, right? It's like closer to a. thousand. But uh but uh but yeah, he I. mean he's doing good. He says he wants. to fight again. I I hope that he does. Why is he having all these surgeries? Like what's going on? I think it's uh. just one of those things where like you.

let one thing go and then another thing. breaks and then another thing breaks and. you kind of like are taping yourself. back together and then one day you wake. up and you're like, "Shit, I gotta like. take care of this." How many What are. the surgeries that he had? Um I'm not. sure specifically. like you name it, he's probably had it. Um like I've never heard of anybody. having that many surgeries. There's a. couple knee ones, a couple shoulder. ones. Um honestly, I quit asking after a. certain point. Um but yeah, I think that. he's kind of coming back. Ryan more than.

anything. I'm like a super conceptual. thinker. Like I don't really like. details. Like I don't remember names of. stuff. 19. Yeah. General anesthesist. First of all, that is so bad for you. I know that is. really bad. So bad for you to go under. general 19. Can you go back up there? What it says there? It says tearing his. ACL the following years and many. surgeries. Jiu-Jitsu specialist wasn't. out of the woods just yet. That is so. crazy. Okay, so he had to fix a planter. plate. So that's his foot. Uh got got.

fallen on again. Had to have a. tightroppe surgery. The one that Pat. Mahomes got and a lot of other people. have had. I don't know what that one is. Do you know what that is? Tightroppe. surgery. No, no idea. ACL got infected. had to have a couple of septic uh septic. arthritis. W the tight rope was actually. allergic to the hardware they put in me. some. Oh my god. So he had to have that. redone. Boy came to injuries he said. completely bulletproof for 15 years. until his training camp for Taporia. where he tore his hip right before the.

fight. Tightroppe is uh used to. stabilize ankle. Oh wow. That is crazy. He said more than half the surgeries of. ones where Oops, we screwed up. Let's do. that again. Had six elbow surgeries and. five knee surgeries. Holy [ __ ]. Holy [ __ ] Yeah, I don't like taking any. type of medication ever. So, that would. probably really bother me having to be. under that much. It would probably. really [ __ ] me up. Hotels in Vegas may.

be booked solid this weekend, but. there's one vacancy left to be filled at. UFC 317. A new lightweight champ will be. crowned. Grab your own crown at. DraftKings Sportsbook, the official. sports betting partner of the UFC. Taporia takes on Olivea to fill the. vacant men's lightweight title. And. Allesandre Pantoia defends his flyweight. belt against Kai Cara France in the. co-main event. Who are you taking? First.

time betting on UFC at DraftKings? Just. pick something simple like a fighter to. win and make your pick. It's that easy. And if you're new to DraftKings, check. this out. New customers who bet five. bucks will get $150 in bonus bets. instantly. Download the DraftKings. Sportsbook app now and use the code. Rogan. That's code Rogan for new. customers to get $150 in bonus bets. instantly when you bet just five bucks. Only on DraftKings. The crown is yours.

Gambling problem? Call 1800 gambler in. New York? Call 8778 hopey or text hope. and y467-369. In Connecticut, help is available for. problem gambling. Call 888-789777. or visit ccpg.org. Please play. responsibly on behalf of Bootill Casino. and Resort in Kansas. 21 and over. Agent. eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets. expire 168 hours after issuance. For. additional terms and responsible gaming. resources, see dkg.co/audio.

General anesthesia is very bad. I know. It's kind of scary, dude. It's [ __ ]. scary. I've only had a couple surgery. How many surgeries have you had? Like. under the knife, like had to go under. Um, three knee surgeries under the. knife. Uh, I think those are the only general. anesthesia ones that I've had. It's kind. of I get really I've only had to do it. for my elbow uh when I tore my tricep. You tore that [ __ ] off the bone, right? Yeah, it was pretty [ __ ] up. But you.

still won the fight. I did still win the. fight. That one that was like a whole. [ __ ] thing though. Um I I got bcitis. in that elbow because I got a bunch of. loose floating bones and [ __ ] in there. So then it just swelled up really bad. And every time I've gotten berscitis, I've gotten really bad staff infections. in in it. Yeah. Cuz I mean, you got to. think it's just like sitting pulled Oh. yeah. fluid in your body and then when. you're still in the gym training and it. gets like in your bloodstream or. whatever, it just like it's like a swamp. and then it just Wasn't that what. happened to Ben Ascrin? Wasn't it a. staff infection that turned into a.

pneumonia? Oh, really? I don't know. I. read. Is he doing okay? I never He's not. doing okay, man. He needs a lung. transplant. Oh, [ __ ] Yeah, he had I. think they call it necrotic pneumonia. So, essentially, it was rotting holes in. his lung tissue. And so they had to put. him on a ventilator and apparently one. of his lungs is just gone and they have. to replace it which is that's so crazy. because then you have to be on. medication for your entire life because.

your body wants to reject the lung. because it's not your lung. So you have. to take these imunosuppressant. So now. your immune system is severely. suppressed because you have to take. imunosuppressant drugs in order to have. this. Like I have a friend who had a. heart transplant and he's all [ __ ] up. because of it. You know, it's just like. you're always worried about getting sick. cuz your immune system is very. compromised. Damn. That's going to. change his life. Oh my god. I mean, he's. still in in a medicallyinduced coma, I. believe. I think he's he's out of the. coma now. Like, he looks at people and.

he can kind of talk a little bit, but I. mean, this is all going on for many, many weeks now. Mhm. Yeah. And I think. what happened was he was feeling like. [ __ ] and he didn't know how bad it was. and he went to a Bitcoin conference, you. know, he traveled, did and then it got. real bad and then he realized, oh, this. is serious. So, it was a staff kind of. inside of his lung. Can you see if you. can find that if it was it started with. a staff infection? That sounds like it. would really hurt. Cool. Staff. infections by themselves hurt really. bad. I couldn't imagine having it in.

your lungs where you're breathing into. I don't think enough people pay. attention to staff. I mean, how many. guys like fight and they're on. antibiotics? It happens all the time. Morab, like when when Morab fought Umar, apparently he had staff on his shin and. he was on antibiotics when he fought. So, dude, the type of antibiotic that I. was on, I forget the name of it, unfortunately, but the reason I tore my. tricep was because that antibiotic made. my ligaments super shitty pretty much, which because dude, like I should never. tear my tricep. I'm pretty sure it.

happened when he was camoring me. dude, that shouldn't happen, you know, like. maybe something else, but definitely not. tearing my tricep, right? Uh so that's. when it happened. And then I was like, yo, what the [ __ ] is that about? Like. that shouldn't happen. And then when I. read into it a little bit, they told me. that that specific antibiotic, it. doesn't mess with your respiratory. stuff, like your conditioning as much, but it makes your ligaments just really. not good. Oh, that's terrible. I know. I. know. And then you have to fight. Yeah.

Which is crazy. I know. Last camp I. didn't get one, dude. I was so happy. I. didn't get sick. How many times have you. had staff? Uh, not too many times, but. man, so this time with my elbow against. Font, I got it really bad. I was on one. round of antibiotics for seven days or. something and then it came back. immediately. So then I was on it for two. more weeks and then I got off it the. week before the fight. So I was. essentially on it for like a month, which which sucks. And then uh and then. against Umar, I got it really bad in my.

knee. Like super bad where uh. I'm not a crazy anxious person, dude, but I finally got to like experience. what it was like to have a panic attack. because I was in Virginia training, got. it. I was like, "Something's up with my. knee." It hurt really bad. Um couldn't. put weight on my leg. This was probably. like a month before the fight, maybe. maybe a little bit before that, 5 weeks. or so. I got a really bad knee. infection. Um, I started taking the. antibiotics, but they told me like, "Hey. man, if this doesn't get better, like if.

you start taking these antibiotics and. tomorrow it's not better, we need you to. cut it. Come in. We're going to cut your. knee open and clean it cuz that's how. they take care of it." And I was like, "Sure." I was like, "I'm not coming back. here, you know, like I'm going to take. these antibiotics because otherwise you. can't fight." Then I can't fight. So, uh, yeah. So that was a shitty. situation, but um just pretty much. really bad. Maybe three times. Three. times. Yeah, three times. Maybe like. pretty bad. Yeah, it's such a scary.

thing cuz it [ __ ] kills people. Yeah, it does. Staff gets it gets systemic. Gets in your bloodstream and you can. die, dude. That's why I think I freaked. out really bad with my knee is because I. remember laying in bed and being like. I called my wife and just set the phone. next. I was like, "Hey, like until you. get home, like can you just be on the. phone cuz I'm kind of afraid I'm about. to die a little bit." Yeah, it was. really It got like really scary there. Was it swollen? Was it So, it's an. external.

It was super swollen. Yeah, it was super. swollen. It No, no, no, it wasn't an. abrasion one. It was like inside of my. So, it was internal. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. So, that really wasn't good. But I. remember every time I've taken. antibiotics with a staff infection, my. experience has been that it gets really. painful and a lot worse for like the. first few hours when the antibiotics. kick in and start killing it and then it. starts to get better. But the first. couple of hours is like kind of scary. So when I first started taking the. antibiotics, that's when I called my. wife cuz I don't take a lot of medicine.

Like if I take a ibuprofen, I will feel. that [ __ ] working through my entire. body. Um, and yeah, so I like took the. antibiotics and I started to feel it. through my body and I was like, "This is. scary." And I was like, "Hey, like to. get home, let's uh be on the phone cuz. I'm afraid I'm about to pass out and die. here." That's [ __ ] terrifying. But I. didn't want to go to the dock and then. get cut open and not be able to fight. cuz that fight had already got cancelled. and [ __ ] So I was like, "Yeah, I know. We're always put in tough spots." I. know. But it's like sometimes you just.

got to do that. Sometimes you have to. cancel a fight. And I know nobody likes. to hear that, but I know it's so. different than boxing. Boxing, you get. so few fight cancellations, you know, it's much less. But when you're. wrestling, when you're grappling, you're. you're constantly getting kicked and. punched and you're [ __ ] you're doing. so many different things. The odds of. you getting injured are so much higher. I know Gordon got staff for a [ __ ]. year. Like that's why his stomach is all.

[ __ ] up. Gordon Ryan was on. antibiotics for a year. And his internal. gut bacteria, his flora is just torched. Damn. He's just a mess. Damn. He can't. keep food down. He has this like. constant fight orflight reaction in his. body where he wants to vomit all the. time. And he's going through training. camps and beating everybody in grappling. matches against the best in the world. That's how good he is. Like with staff. for 12 years or excuse me, 12 months. And then on top of that, this lingering. stomach thing because of that that no.

doctor seems to figure out. They can't. fix it. He's gone to like every f. they've given him a bunch of different. [ __ ] He's tried peptides and this and. that and you get a little bit of. improvement. He starts training hard. again. Comes back. Yeah. There's. probably some like old lady in the. Amazon jungle that knows how to cure. that [ __ ] I told like just eat this. stupid. I told him try like a 7-day. fast. Try something nutty like that. But. or like a only avocados diet. I mean, it's got to be There's got to be.

something. There's got to be something. But I would think like a fast where you. just have to like you just completely. let your gut reset. Yeah. I mean, I. don't know. Do you do those? No. No. Yeah. I've done a day. Yeah. I've never. done like the long one. Dana just did a. long one. He did like three days. He. said it was awesome. Said by the end of. it, you feel [ __ ] amazing. Yeah. I. did the three-day one and then I was. like, "Fuck, dude. I was just hungry for. three days. What the [ __ ] I don't feel. like a superhero at all. Yeah. I don't. know. I don't know. I mean, maybe it's. variable. Maybe the one thing that I'm.

really big on uh is I like won't [ __ ]. like um I'm really in touch with what's. going on usually with uh like my body. and stuff. I'm really big on I I don't. know why it doesn't get talked about. more, but like digestive like things. that mess up my digestive system, I. don't mess around with at all kind of. stuff like bread, pizzas, too much. cheese, stuff like that. Like um bread's. [ __ ] terrible for you. It is, dude. Every time I eat pizza, I like can't. [ __ ] the next day. It's not It's not. even pizza. It's American pizza. It's. our wheat. Our wheat is poisoned. It.

really is. It's sprayed with folic acid. and it's [ __ ] all the nutrients are. pulled out of it. There's glyphosate in. the wheat. It's like that's what's. really going on. It's also a. re-engineered wheat, so it's got more. gluten. It's more complex gluten. So, it's got a higher yield per acre. So, your body's like, "What is this?" Causes. all this inflammation. When I go to. Italy, I eat pizza over there. I eat a. whole pizza. I feel great. Oh, really? You could [ __ ] nice the next day. You. feel great. I never have a problem. [ __ ] But I do feel bloated. Like I.

get my gut swells. Like I'll eat a giant bowl of spaghetti. or something like that and then I look. like I'm pregnant. It's horrible. Ter I. feel so tired just like I got shot with. a tranquilizer dart. Like but I'm so. dumb. I keep going back to I know, dude. It's hard not to, dude. You're just like. surely this will work this time. It's. just It's so delicious. Just like I see. a plate of lasagna, I'm like, "Fuck it. We're going in," you know? But I know. what I'm getting into when I do it. I. know. I don't I I actually don't get. like that anymore. I have like a weird.

relationship with food now where that. [ __ ] is just fuel to me kind of. Yeah. When I'm like low in weight, I get. cravings, but right now when I'm like. just kind of good, not hungry, not like. overdoing it and stuff. I don't really. feel like I get too many cravings. Do. you have a nutritionist or anything like. that? Uh I use a nutritionist inside my. camps. Yeah, she's great. Uh her What's. an average meal for you? Um, I wish that I like actually gave a [ __ ]. so I could follow and actually be more. helpful. There's two things I really. don't care about. It's strength and. conditioning and nutrition. I'm like. just like tell me I like don't explain.

it to me. Just make it Yeah, just tell. me what to do and I'll just do that. thing. Um, but it's actually a lot more. food than what you'd think and I can. lose a lot of weight when when she has. me do it she do it. Um, trying to think. what it is. It's more so a lot of carbs. more towards the end of the day. um like. before cuz I really don't sleep good. usually when I'm really training a lot. My nervous system is like not ever down. So at night I usually won't sleep well. So I'll eat like a big bowl of oatmeal.

at night. Everyone is kind of different. What I will say though that I would big. time recommend to fighters and stuff is. after hard workouts drinking dextrose or. Gatorade with like some electrolytes if. you have multiple workouts in a day. That's a giant gamecher. M um like cuz. there's a little bit of a window from my. understanding. I don't really know how. this [ __ ] works, but there's a little. bit of a window where it's like 45 like. 20 to 45 minutes after you're done. working where your body will just take.

sugar and put it back into your muscles. And so I'll drink a shitload of sugar. after like really hard workouts, like. really hard sparring sessions, like 50. 60 grams of sugar, which is insane. But. but not when you're training that hard. Yeah. Not when you're training that. hard. Floyd Mayweather drinks soda. Yeah. He drinks like he'll drink a. Coca-Cola after training and it's. probably good for it's probably good for. you when you're training that hard like. it's not like you know people say oh. soda's bad for you. Well sure if you're. just drinking soda but if you're [ __ ].

running marathons or something crazy. like that or you doing something like. really exhausting it's really good for. you right after a workout. Yeah, definitely. especially if you have. multiple workouts. Like that's that's. one big thing that she does that I added. in um in the morning. It's still it's. like a pretty balanced thing though. It's like not like no fat, no carbs. It's like nothing like that. It's like a. pretty balanced it's a lot of protein. Um what's the sources of protein? Uh I. drink a lot of protein shakes. Um I get. it uh I'm like a part owner in this.

company called Vegan. So I just get like. a shitload of protein for free pretty. much pe protein. So, it's vegan protein. It's vegan protein. The other ones kind. of mess up my stomach a little bit. Like. the just the ones that are made out of. uh. um like milk and Oh, like whey whey. makes you fart like crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Those ones. Yeah. I'm If I drink if I. take something, I almost immediately. know if it's going to mess with my. digestive system and I can't be having. that while I'm like rolling around with. dudes and [ __ ] I know. There's certain.

protein bars like uh Peteria has this. great protein bar called David. They're. [ __ ] so delicious. But whenever I eat. one, I have to like go outside cuz my. farts are so bad. I didn't want to be in. the house. What is it? The fiber or the. protein? I don't know what's in them. They're delicious. It's low calorie, high protein. I think it's like a small. bar. It's like 30 grams of protein. But. whatever it is, it just make your body's. just like, "Fuck this. What is this?". It's just I I generally think that. anything that does that to you can't be. ideal. It just can't be good for you.

So, I'd rather just eat a piece of steak. or something like that. That's like. better for you. Yeah. Um outside, but I. also have different cravings in camp, too. Like outside of camp, I'll I'll do. a little bit like more fruits and stuff. like that instead of a bunch of rice or. potatoes or whatever. You don't have. fruits when you're in camp? I still do, but it's not as much as you'd think. Like, it's like maybe a cup cup or two a. day. Um I'll do that. It's not a ton of. vegetables, but it's like specific ve. vegetables because I've been getting a.

lot of staff. It's like ones that. counteract like staff stuff. She's Do. you like take fermented stuff like. kimchi and things along those lines? Uh. that's a piece of it. Um fermented stuff. is good. It's like a decent amount of. garlic stuff like turmeric stuff that. garlic apparently there was a study that. was done with garlic with like external. staff infections and it's as effective. or more effective than antibiotics. Yeah, I believe that. Yeah, garlic. [ __ ] kills everything. There's a. reason why like a lot of people use it.

in their food. A lot of cultures use it. in their food. It's to prevent food. poisoning. So, dude, when I got when I. got that uh the knee infection staff, I. was like, "All right, I'm just going to. try to kill this with a bunch of. garlic." And dude, I was taking like 10. or 15 Dude, I was taking like 10 or 15. garlic pills, like the high potency. ones. Dude, after about two days of. that, I [ __ ] out every single piece of. [ __ ] inside my body that ever existed. The ones that were up in the attic just. chilling, bro. All of it came out. I was.

like, "Oh, a little hack there." You. know? So, maybe you don't have to fast. for 3 days. You could just [ __ ] eat a. bunch of garlic and [ __ ] everything out. Why did you go with the pills and not. the cloves? Just cuz it's more. convenient. Like just eating garlic. cloves. Yeah, eating garlic cloves. I. don't know. I don't know if I would do. that. I eat garlic cloves sometimes. Yeah. You cook them? No, I just eat them. raw. Okay. Cuz it it it it feels like. it's doing something. Like if I'm not. feeling good, I'll eat garlic. Um I'll. eat like raw cloves, like three or four.

cloves, and you your body's like, "Whoa." Oh, really? Yeah. They don't. give you indigestion and stuff. A little. bit maybe, but it really what it does is. like it's it feels like you just took a. drug. It feels like you took a medicine. Really? Yeah. All right. How many you. eat? Four. Three. Four. Four. I'll try. that. Some fat cloves. Just chew them. down. They taste nasty. Okay. Like while. you're eating it. I feel like I've tried. that. Yeah, I've tried that. Yeah. But I mean, I think there's something to. like ancient medicine. Like people have. been taking garlic. I mean, obviously it.

has something to do with taste. Thousand-y old onion and garlic eye. remedy kills MRSA. Thousand years old. Whoa. Look at that cool. Is that the. recipe right there? Look at that cool language. What is that. language? It's Anglo-Saxon manuscript. Whoa. Look how wild that language is. People used to draw some old English, I. guess. Wow. I guess you probably read. it. So astonished to find an almost. completely wiped out uh methasylin. resistant stafocal. How do you say that? Staf stafalocalus.

Yeah, I always try to say that. Stafacilus. Stafac stafylocus. orius, otherwise known as MRSA. Their. findings were presented in National. Microbiology Conference. The remedy was. found in Ball's leechbook, an old. English manuscript containing. instructions on various treatments held. in the British Library. Ain't that wild, man? Like there's stuff that works that. like people have been doing for. thousands of years, but people dismiss. it as being voodoo, you know? You know. what else is a cool one, too? Is like a.

tip. Do you cramp up a lot ever? No, I. take a lot of electrolytes. Okay. I used. to I used to, but then I really I drink. Element like every day basically. Um my. PT a long time ago recommended that cuz. I used to cramp up a lot if spicy food I. guess makes you not cramp up as much. Oh. really? Yeah. So like about 10 years ago. when he told me that. Now I love spicy. food and I don't really need to force. myself to eat it. But when he first told. me that um I started eating a bunch of. spicy stuff and I stopped cramping up as.

much. Maybe that's why I don't cramp up. I I I eat a lot of spicy food. Yeah, that that might be why because uh they. have these little things that the UFC. gives us too called hot shots where if. you're cutting weight, you're supposed. to drink it and it's pretty much just. cinnamon and cayenne um and like some. other stuff. Yeah. And it's supposed to. stop you from cramping. It works though. No kidding. I wonder what the mechanism. is of that. That's interesting. Yeah. Yeah. I I love hot sauce, so I I have my. own like kind of hot sauce. Like Senior. Luga made like a little line of three. hot sauces for me. But how do spicy.

foods prevent cramping? Okay, science is. simple. If your neurons are too busy. firing off to your mouth, they won't. have time to bother cramping up your. muscles. What? That sounds pretend. Wow, that's crazy. That sounds pretend. Dr. McKinnon, just trick them. Trick your. body. Look over here. Found that spicy. drinks help prevent these short bursts. of muscle cramps. He teamed up with a. biotech company to produce a product. that can be sold online and found on the. shelves at select stores. Hot shot.

There it is. A drinkable shot mixed with. ginger and cinnamon. Iron Man champ. Craig Alexander is an avid user of the. supplement along with several other Rio. Olympic runners. Interesting. It works, dude. Cuz the second I started doing. that, I stopped cramping up. I still get. one every once in a while. It's not like. a 100% thing, but it works. Yeah. Yeah. Muscle cramps must be brutal when you're. cutting weight, right? Because you're. draining your body of basically. everything. Yeah. Um Yeah. I don't My. weight cuts I'm pretty like I kind of. got down to a science a little bit. But.

I don't really cramp super bad. How much. do you cut? Like a week before I try to. be like 16 to 18 lbs heavy over. Um, and. then I'll lose that last bit that week. But I'll walk around if I'm really fat. like on vacation and [ __ ] Not giving a. just not caring. I'll be about 162 when. I'm training good and like all of that. I'll be about 157 158 and then I just. got to lose until I'm about 52 51 the. week before. And then that week I lose. the week. Is it calorie restriction in.

the beginning and then water restriction. or like how do you do it? It's a decent. So 10 days away I start loading up on. water. Uh like the rule of thumb is. however many pounds you got to lose, that's how many pounds of water you'll. drink that day. So if I have 16 to lose, I'll have to drink two gallons of water. Also, don't take any of my advice if. you're listening to cuz I don't really. [ __ ] know. I know that like water. [ __ ] can get really scary. So I don't. you know like people chugging distilled. water have like killed themselves and. stuff. Yeah, distilled water. Is that. what you drink? No. No. No. That's not. good for you. Yeah. Um but yeah, 10 days.

away I start loading up on the water and. then on the Tuesday, so we weigh in. Friday, so however many days before that. is. On Tuesday, you'll do the uh cut the. sodium and then that pretty much you. lose a lot when you're chugging that. much water and cut sodium. So I would. say on Tuesday a lot of it is water and. then it's kind of up to me how crazy I. want to go with food. I'm obviously not. eating like super huge meals that week, but I don't let myself get too hungry. I'm pretty good about a lot of stuff.

where now I can kind of be like if I go. to bed like at like an eight amount of. hunger instead of like a seven, I'll. know almost exactly how much I'll lose. the next day, which is like kind of. cool. How much of a performance hit do. you think you have? I mean, obviously. you're in phenomenal condition, but how. much of a hit do you think you have in. dehydrating yourself 24 hours before a. fight? Um, yeah, good. I think it. depends on how much water you lose, too. Um, I think just off the top of my head,

maybe. 15 or 20 15 or 20%. Maybe. So, what do. what would you think about if the UFC. instituted more weight classes and they. eliminated weight cuts? Like what what. if they said like because it is for some. guys it is the most dangerous part of. the fight because some guys go hard. Some guys are losing 26 30 pounds within. a couple of days and they just look like. hell. Yeah. I think that the way to. solve that because one's tried doing.

that with like the rehydration test and. everyone that I talked to that's like. been involved with that has been like, "Dude, I could cheat that easy." Oh, really? Yeah. Um but how do they cheat. it? Uh, I mean there's just like if you. know that you're going to get like. hydrate tested at a certain time, I'm. sure that they probably just drink most. of their water during that time or. something like that. But then your. weight would be higher, right? Uh, yeah, your weight would have to be higher. But. I don't know that they like test you. Yeah. Yeah. I guess I I don't really.

know honestly, but um I mean if they're. going to test you when you're do they. test you like, hey, your weight has to. be this and then your height. I think. that they just go in and they're like, "Hey, how yellow is your piss?" type of. thing, you know? I'm pretty sure that. that's what it might be. If it's like. more scientific, then cool. But if it. might just be like, "Hey, it's got to be. more scientific because sometimes my. piss is pretty yellow." It just meant I. drank a lot of vitamins, right? You know, I think it's there there's.

like a an actual test where they test. the the levels. I think that if you. added in more weight classes that would. handle a lot of it. I'd probably just do. 140. Would you if that would that be. ideal for you? That'd be pretty ideal. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like the UFC should. have more weight classes and I've said. this for a long time. I I just think. this there's some gaps that are crazy. Like the 85 205 gap is nuts. 20 pounds. is nuts. That's crazy. That's nut. That's three weight classes at least in. between fights. Like that's or in.

between classes rather. That's nuts. I. just don't understand that. Yeah. If you. I mean I think that the way that old. sports kind of do things, they do things. for a reason. So like boxing and. wrestling, they all have like it's every. seven pounds or whatever it is. The UFC. is like, "Oh, too many champions that. way. It's too confusing." I'm like, "What are you talking what? It's one UFC. champion per weight class." Yeah. You'd. have more champions and then you could. also have more champion versus champion. fights for because it wouldn't be like. Ilia going up 10 pounds is not too.

crazy. But Alex, when he went from 85 to. 205, that was pretty crazy. That's a big. ass jump, man. Obviously, he could do it. cuz he's one of the craziest weight. cutters of all time. He was fighting 85. and weighing in at 226 the day of the. What? Really? Oh, yeah. When he fought. out of he was 226 when he got into the. cage. Is that 41 lbs or 31 lbs of 41. lbs? So, after 36 hours, he put on that. 41 lbs. Yeah. Holy [ __ ] dude. Holy. [ __ ] dude. That's crazy. But he's also.

giant. He's an enormous guy. He's like a. lot of body mass. And apparently it's. easier to cut weight like Yoel Romero. style. Like when you're that muscular. cuz most of the muscle's water, which is. kind of counterintuitive. You think like. a fat guy would you could be able to. lose more weight, but no, it's actually. to dry out the big muscular guys can. lose more weight. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. I have a theory, too, like the. more ripped you are, the easier it is to. sweat, too. Cuz if your muscle is like. muscle then fat then skin and you got to. like it's got to travel through the fat.

This is how I [ __ ] think there's no. evidence of any of that because there. are some fatsos that sweat but I don't. know sometimes I'm like I can just see. who's going to be a good sweater and. who's not. But that's probably me just. being Yeah. I don't know if there's any. science to that. Makes sense in your head though. Kind. of. It makes sense in your head. I kind. of see what you're saying. I kind of see. what you're saying. But you could also, I guess, make argument that fat makes. you warmer too and maybe that sweats it. out too. Yeah. But I don't think that.

there would be a problem with doing. multiple weight classes because then you. would just have like what you do in. boxing where you just have like a ton of. you have like one dude with like eight. belts, right? That would be cool. Like. look at Pacquiao. Yeah. He just keeps. going up in weight classes and Yeah. I. think that it'd just be better for the. athletes and I think it'd be better for. the sport in general. you're still going. to have like incredible fights because. the level of competition particularly at. the lowest weight classes is so high. right now. Like I think your weight. class, featherweight and lightweight are.

the most competitive weight classes in. the sport. And there's almost too many. top contenders where guys are forced to. take fights that maybe you really. shouldn't take that fight because you're. kind of in title contention and then a. you lose a close decision. [ __ ] now. you're back to the drawing board. Now. you got to fight this guy. Oh, you got. injured in camp. [ __ ] you lose to that. guy, too. Now you're set back when you. could have been a champion. Yeah. You. know, it's there's a lot of like. weirdness going on with possibilities. and, you know, just luck, bad luck, and.

good luck. Bad luck and good luck. Timing I think is a big thing. Um, like. I think that I'm pretty I was even. saying this before the Figuredo fight. I. was like, "Watch, like if I go out and. finish Figgy, which not a lot of people. are able to do, the timing of everything. is going to be perfect for me because. there will be no one else." And that's. and that's me also, you know, coming off. of a loss from Umar just a year ago, which anytime you lose is kind of. devastating. You're like, "Oh, it'll. never happen for me, you know, but then. it's like, oh, wait, no, if I just if.

this thing gets timed out right, you. know, like it could work out." So, a lot. of this is it was a competitive close. fight. Yeah, I know. I [ __ ] that up. Super. What did you think went wrong? Like when you say [ __ ] it up more than. anything. Okay. It was It was like a. It's never just one thing. It's always. like things get compiled and then they. exponentially get worse. One big thing. was I knew I was fighting in the Middle. East and I wasn't going to get like a. nod um if it was a close fight. And Umar. is a defensive guy and I'm a defensive. guy and I knew that it would be there.

was potential for rounds to be really. close. My game plan wasn't going to be. to take him down. So, anytime you're. going to be like, hey, like I'm. committing to striking, there is a. little bit of a level of roll in the. dice because one, striking matches in a. fiveminute round are really hard to like. hammer down and be like, I won this. round against really high level guys. Um, that's my opinion. I thought that I. would be able to stuff most of the. shots. I was like, okay, most of this. thing is going to be done striking. I.

need to have like big moments in order. for me to feel like I'm really winning. these rounds so that there can be no. argument that I'm losing. And if we just. are point scoring each other, which. Umar's good at and I'm good at, I'm kind. of rolling the dice a little bit and. kind of leaving it into the hands of who. God knows who the judges are, you know? So, a piece of it was I didn't want to. lose another close split decision. Like. a lot of my losses or a couple of my. losses are just close split decisions. and I'm like, "Fuck it, man. I'm not I'd. rather just go for it than lose, you. know?" But that pulled me out of my game.

plan um and just the way that I. typically fight. Like I'm not the guy. that hunts for knockouts, you know? I'm. just not that guy. And so I just got. pulled out of my strategy. I got really. frustrated in the fight um by it not. working, like me not being able to have. really big moments. And now looking. back, I'm just like, man, what were you. thinking? Like just go out, fight like. how you do, and you'll do awesome. What. do you think specifically like you would. have done different in exchanges? Um, I. would have fought him the exact same way.

that I would have fought the first. round. Like that entire fight, I was. being really defensive and just looking. for one big shot. In the first round, I. didn't fight like that. The first round, I was cool with point scoring. I was. like, "Okay, this guy's going to wrestle. me. Let's see how good he is at. wrestling and if I can hang." Once I was. like, "Oh, okay, cool. Like, I can. hang." Then I just started going for big. shots, which is just like not a good way. to beat a really high level guy. It's. kind of a lazy game plan, honestly. like. um if the plan isn't to completely.

outclass the person and win in every. area and be good enough to do so in my. opinion that's just like not an. expression of the highest level of. martial arts that's a little bit lazy. you know and I was I was a little bit. lazy in maybe my approach to that which. maybe lazy isn't the right word but um I. could have done a lot better at just. trusting myself more being more. confident in my ability to just be like. no like I'll I'll beat him everywhere. you You know, looking for the big shots. is always such a trap. Until it's not.

Until it's not. And you look real cool. when it happens. Oh my goodness. And we. all like looking cool. Yeah. You land. the big ones. And you've landed a lot of. the big ones. I mean, you've had so many. of those moments like the Frankie Edgar. fight or, you know, there's been quite. the Marlon Marise fight. That was a wild. one. That was a great one. That was. probably like my happiest moment maybe. ever in life just because I had just. come off the most embarrassing loss ever. against Sterling and they were like, "Hey, you want to fight the number one. guy?" in Abu Dhabi during co and I was. like and that was like kind of back when. Marlin was still a really scary guy.

He's kind of been on a skid since then. but back then he was real scary and I. was like I don't know if you guys are. setting me up for Marlin to knock me the. [ __ ] out or how this is like what the. thinking behind me fighting the number. one contender is but I was like yeah. cool like if you guys are going to give. me that shot I'll take it for sure. And. then when I finished it I was just like. yes. And you finished him with a wheel. kick. Yeah. I during COVID was practicing in my. basement with my wife like every day. Isn't that stupid? I was like, why? I. was like, man, you should have asked me.

for a cut. No, because it's a thing. where you know if you you don't expect. it from a guy who doesn't really throw a. lot of them, you know, and so like you. see his foot turn, you're like, "What's. going on here?" And before you know it, it's too late. Yeah. And that heel is. headed towards your dome. Yeah. People. that are good at those too, um, it's a. problem. Oh, yeah. Like that doesn't. need to land anywhere specific for it to. like rattle your brain enough to knock. you down. Oh, it's a terrifying trick. It has so much power. Yeah. If there was. one thing I I would not want to get hit.

with, it would be that. My uh during my. taekwond do days, uh I I used to feel. like I was always going to be fine. Like. I'd be I was like I felt like, you know, I was young. I was 19. I felt. invulnerable and I was really good. And. I fought in the nationals in California. And I hit this kid with a wheel kick and. he never got up and he was snoring like. out face plant out cold taken off in a. stretcher taken to the hospital. And I.

never felt the same about fighting again. cuz I was always scared that that could. happen to me then cuz I was like doing. this for nothing. There was no money. I. was doing this for nothing. I had no. health insurance. I was poor and I was. like what am I doing? Like this is like. I could have easily got hit by that same. kick. But I was better than him and I. landed. But there's guys that are better. than me and if they hit me like that. face down snor I mean it was my heel. hurt for days. I was limping the next. day. My knee hurt after the Frankie. fight. Yeah. Oh really? Yeah it hurt.

That was such a good knee though. Yeah. it was. Yeah. But I kind of felt a. similar way where I I don't know. I. guess you kind of just get used to that. where you're just like But you're a. professional. That's your sport. That's. your your living. This is what you do. For me I was a young kid doing this. thing that I was really good at. and it. just gave me like some sense of purpose. and then I was like what the [ __ ] man. So how how like uh so you didn't have. like big aspiring dreams to be like a. taekwond do champ or anything? I had. dreams to be an Olympic uh the Olympic.

to win go to the Olympics but was that. like a realistic dream? Yes. Yeah. You. were that good? Yeah, I was that good. I. had won national tournaments and I I'd. beaten guys that had been in like high. ranking and I I had a very close. decision that I thought I should have. won the year that the taekwond do made. it into the Olympics against the. national champion. Cool. So I was good. and I was really young so I was getting. better all the time. But then I started. kickboxing and when I started training. in kickboxing, I realized that taekwondo.

is kind of [ __ ] cuz my hands sucked. and I would spar with kickboxers and I. was getting like cornered in the ropes. and I just I didn't have the skills and. I was like, "Oh, this is like I have. this distorted perception of my ability. to fight based on my ability to fight in. taekwond do." I was really good at that. But then when I started boxing and. kickboxing, I was like this is like that. piece that's missing in Taekwondo. without the face punching. It it. nullifies so much of what Taekwondo is. good at. Yeah. But then when I learned.

that stuff, I realized like, oh, but I. have a massive advantage with my legs. because they have to close the distance. with me and I can do things they can't. do. like regular kickboxers. I was. amazed at how many of them were just. kind of boxers who learned a few shitty. kicks and they would stand on the. outside and they would take a step. forward and I just blast them and they. just had no idea what to do. Like a. really hard kicker. And then I started. doing Muay Thai and I was like [ __ ] leg. kicks. And so I went from American. kickboxing above the waist to Muay Thai.

I was like there's too much to learn. Yeah. And then I was doing comedy at the. same time. So I just quit fighting. Yeah. I was like, I I got to get out. before I get hurt. When did you start. grappling? When I was 30. Cool. Yeah, I. started grappling right at I guess I was. 29. It was right after the first UFC. Did you uh like wrestle at all or. anything? Yeah, I wrestled in high. school, but only one year. Um because I. was doing taekwondo at the same time and. I had to pick one and I I did a a year. of both and then I was like the problem. with this is like I would rather kick.

someone and knock them unconscious. It was so to just quack and hear the. whole crowd go silent was the wildest. thing and watch someone cry. I [ __ ]. loved it. It was my favorite thing in. life and I was like wrestling is cool. Like it's good to know. It's good to be. able to pin people. But there was no UFC. back then. So it's like everything you. were doing was just like you had to find. a thing and get really good at it. But. the disillusionment of going from. taekwondo to boxing and kickboxing and.

then to Muay Thai and then jiu-jitsu. So. when I started doing jiu-jitsu, I was. like, "Oh my god, I'm [ __ ] completely. helpless." So I had this thing in my. head, well at least I know I know how to. leg kick. I know how to box now. I know. how to fight. Oh my god, I'm tapping out. constantly. And so then I was like, [ __ ] I got to learn how to do. jiu-jitsu. Yeah, but it was this thing. where, you know, I feel real fortunate. to have grown up in a time where no one. knew what was the best style and then. see the UFC emerge in 93 and then watch.

this incredible transformation of. martial arts where martial arts advances. more in 10, 20 years than it had the. last 30,000 years. It was incredible to. watch. Yeah. Yeah. I'm glad that they. did it, man, because that's such a cool. question is whose martial arts is the. best martial arts? No one knew, man. It. was all and we were all delusional. I. was so delusional. Like I remember I. used to do uh Taekwondo with a friend of. mine. We we were uh kickboxing at the. time and we were doing at this gym where. these judo guys were and I was like, "Look at these idiots. This stupid judo.

that's useless." Meanwhile, I had no. idea if those guys got a hold of me. I. was [ __ ] helpless. Yeah, cuz the judo. guys will slam you on your head, dude. Rolling with judo guys. Like I remember. I rolled with Carl Parisian once. I was. like he's like a chimpanzee. Like he was. so strong. Like it didn't make any. sense. We were roughly the same size and. he was just ragdolling me around. I was. like there's something to throwing. bodies all the time. You know, you're. taking if you're 180 lb guy, you're. throwing 180 lb person over and over and.

over again. And your whole core is just. [ __ ] primed for that. Boom. Yeah. And. their balance and their ability to. adjust your weight and use it against. you. Watching it in the Olympics is. awesome cuz they'll they'll like spear. their own heads. Oh yeah, that's crazy. That is crazy. I like watching that. [ __ ] That's like I'm like some [ __ ]. up necks, too. Yeah. Oh, you'd have to, dude. Like the way that they land on. Yeah. They have to. So many of those. guys like you see them later in their. career. They got like one small arm. because their [ __ ] nerves are all.

shut off in their neck and then fused. discs and they're just like, I did a. good job. I had a [ __ ] great career. You can't even walk, man. It's nuts. Every taekwond do guy I know has like. one super strong oblique and they're. like shaped like this and well, you got. to learn how to kick from both sides. That's so important. That's one thing. that I really admire about your style. because I think that there's there's. going to be a time where that is just. ubiquitous where everybody switches. because there's so many guys that are. just like, "Oh, he's a southpaw. Oh, he.

fights orthodox." It's like, man, that's. just leaving too much to predictability. Yeah. I think about striking like a. dance dance revolution game where uh. like uh cuz you're making all the reads. with your eyes. It's like left arm's. coming at me, move like right leg, whatever. Uh it's not like grappling. where grappling we get to interact with. each other and feel each other and move. each other that way. And I can pretty. much sometimes do it with my eyes. closed, right? Striking is done mostly. with our eyes. So, we have to do like. these dance dance dance revolutiony.

like, okay, react to everything that. we're seeing. So, if I'm just switching. my stance and now you have to like read. the sentence backwards. Exactly. It gets. really hard, you know, and um especially. if you're just as good with both sides. Yes. Yes. And I would say that if you're. starting, you don't need to be like. super stellar at both, but just have a. couple good attacks to do from your. other stance and then just like build. off of there or whatever. I got I. started switching stances. One because I. really liked watching Nanito Daire um. who wouldn't like fully switch but he.

would have like kind of steps like that. that where I was like oh cool and then. also I dislocated my elbow really bad. about like a week and a half into. training just landed on it posted. dislocated it and so I could only or. that was my left arm so I could only use. my right arm. So, for like six months, I. just went lefty and only used my right. arm um as like my lead hand. And that's. how I got really good at it. Yeah. Just. forcing yourself to just constantly be. in that position because everybody wants. to be in the position where they're the. most strong, especially if you're trying.

to be competitive in sparring, right? That's why it's what's so important. about like the Gracies always talk about. keeping things playful, like learning. how to like not don't try to win. You're. trying to develop your skills and to be. able to switch. I think like TJ in his. prime like when TJ fought Hennon Barrow. that fight to me was one of the best. championship performances that I ever. saw. I agree because nobody thought TJ. was going to win that fight. Hen Barrow. was thought to be the number one pound. for it was him and Aldo would people. make the argument who's the best? Hen.

was I think he was undefeated or maybe. had one loss like early his career. He. was an animal at the time. Animal. animal. Animal and TJ pieced him up and. it was like he was sparring. He looks so. in the zone and relaxed and he was. constantly switching stances and. footwork and angles. Yeah, they uh. Dwayne flew me out for that fight cuz. that's when they were training at Alpha. Male to be TJ's sparring partner for one. of those fights. I'm almost positive it. was that one. And I remember the whole. time I was like, "This isn't going to go.

good for TJ." You know, because Bar was. just that guy at the time that everyone. was afraid of. And then when I watched. it, I was like, "Oh [ __ ] that [ __ ]. really works good." I uh I used to train. in the Netherlands a little bit too with. Andy Sour and those guys. Oh, really? Yeah. So, that was really cool. But. there's it's like traditional like you. stand in one stance like this how we do. [ __ ] here, you know? And I was like. switching stances. I was probably like. the the gay guy at the gym a little bit, you know, like being kind of flamboyant. and like show offy. And uh so so I.

remember going with some of Sour's good. guys and just good guys that we would. spar with and I wouldn't really get hit. that much and I was like, "Oh [ __ ] this. like actually works." Like this isn't. just some like fufu whatever stuff, you. know? It's crazy that Dwayne developed. that style, but he didn't fight that. way. Yeah. That's what's crazy. Yeah. Like Dwayne had like more of a. traditional, you know, he's boss rootin. inspired style and then he realizes like. you know the best way to fight is. actually to constantly be ch and then he.

develops this system and you know. Dwayne's like super focused. I know you. know this but for people who don't know. Dwayne has like a notebook like [ __ ]. just filled with notes and it's all like. he's got systems. Yeah. It's not like. what Adosana likes to call button. smashing when you're playing a game like. No, no, it's it's very systematic. And. TJ, I think in that Hen Barrow fight was. the greatest expression of what Dwayne. teaches. Yep. Yep. Yeah, that was a. super amazing fight. Um, yeah, just. switching. I mean, just simple little.

stuff, you know, like um it's a lot of. striking is just like how coordinated. you are. Like that's like a big piece of. striking. And then can I just overwhelm. you with information? Like that's like a. strategy to run, you know? Some some. people choose like, "Okay, I'm willing. to take a few to like land my big one.". You know, that's like a okay strategy. It works for guys like Ilia and stuff. Um but Ilia is not that easy to hit. That That's true, too. He has like a way. good guard. He rolls with stuff like the. Josh Emtt fight. Yeah. You know, he like.

takes the he like slides away from stuff. and these big bombs are coming his way. He's doing like the highest form like. intellectually he's doing that style at. its highest expression with the strategy. of I'm about to knock you the [ __ ] out. which shouldn't be everyone's strategy. you know. Well, you have to have that. that touch of death. Yeah, that's true. And he's got that god-given power. His. power is [ __ ] crazy, man. It is. crazy. Uh Trevor's actually helped me. understand why it works really good. Um. so, okay. So, uh not to get crazy.

technical with it. I guess technical. Let's get in there. All right. Cool. Um, so squared and bladed stances, when. you're in a squared stance, you can move. really good left to right. That was most. of my career was being like, I'm I came. from a basketball background. I know. that I'm very quick and agile and I can. move left, right, really good. Um, if I. just keep my hands up, whatever, it'll. be fine probably, you know. So, a lot of. squared stance stuff is I'm just going. to cut left, right, overwhelm this.

person with all of my weapons and. angles, and always constantly make them. move off of the things I'm doing and not. the other way around. That's good, but. it's really hard to uh like get a ton of. leverage in anything that you're doing. when you're standing square. Like I. can't like if I'm going to throw a ball, I don't throw a ball like this, right? I. throw a ball like this. Right. You have. your shoulder behind the other shoulder. Yeah. Um, so squared stance is super. good for being agile, moving left, right, and overwhelming people with the.

amount of attacks that you could throw. at them because also if I'm standing. square, all of my weapons are really. available for me to throw. Like it. doesn't take like this is faster than. this and just cuz it's like 6 in closer. or whatever. In a bladed stance, you get. a fuckload of leverage because if you. watch Ilia, he's always standing like. he's about to throw a javelin. And. that's pretty much what he's doing is. just like, and this is kind of like the. science of boxing a little bit, like I. said, that Trevor helped me with. So, I'm a lot more bladed now than I was.

because now we're trying to get like. some serious leverage on stuff because. five round fights, moving the entire. time, fighting these really good. wrestlers, it can get to the point where. it's like it just gets quirky and just. like a little [ __ ] looking, you know, and like I don't really want to like tap. people to victory, you know? Right. Um, for a long time I would compensate in. being like, "All right, but I'll but. I'll have wheel kicks, knees, and. elbows." And that like took me a decent. amount of ways, too, where it's like, "Cool, now I can finish guys like that.". Also, um, but these bladed stances where.

you can make a shitload of leverage with. them are really cool. I think finding a. balance between the two is really. awesome. Elia is like only, and that's. just my expression of my martial arts. I. want to be like the jack of all trades, guys, and be able to be like, "Oh, you're that style. I'll just archetype. you in this style. But Elia is like. always ready to throw a javelin and he's. really good at closing space with his. lead leg. Like uh he'll like jab, hook, and really creep his lead leg near and. then just bomb a right hand because he.

is a shorter guy, but he never seems. like he's having that much of an issue. getting super inside. Well, it's going. to be interesting seeing him at 55. That. would be interesting. Much bigger guys. Like think about Mauricio Rufi. 55 and he moves good and has leverage. and he's [ __ ] gigantic. Like what how. tall is Rofy? I mean he's got to be 6'1, maybe 6'2 and he's 55 and he's not thin. I mean he's lean but he's not like. scrawny. He's got muscle. He's [ __ ].

huge for 55. There's some 55 and Ilia as. powerful as he is. He's not that big. Mhm. And it's going to be interesting to. see cuz because of this 10 lb 10 lb is. just like it's a lot of weight, man. You. know, it's like when you're dealing with. 155 lb person, it's a significant. percentage of your body weight. Especially when everyone's cutting like. 30 lbs. I don't know what roof he cuts, but when I see him walking around, he. looks like he's 190 lb. You know, like. Islam. Islam's [ __ ] huge. He's big,

dude. When I interview him in the cage. afterwards, I'm always like, "How how. are you 155? How I know how he's thick. as [ __ ] He's got a giant back. Yeah. And when he gets a hold of guys, it's. like he's just got this leverage, this. grappling squeeze that it's I remember. when he fought Drew Dober and like when. he got Dober down to the ground, I was. like, that's a wrap. It's a wrap. As. soon as he gets on top and then he. starts clamping down and squeezing and. guys are just like Olive was tapping.

like the moment it was on, he was like, "Fuck this." Yeah. A lot of those really. good grappler guys, they're strong. definitely, but they're really strong at. closing up all of the space. Like I can. if you let me get an under hook, like I. could feel pretty strong. Like even if. you're much bigger than me, I'll like. make you take a couple steps back, which. really shouldn't happen. But if I just. close up all of the space, which I think. is a big component of being a really. good grappler, is being able to be like, "Nope, that's my space. You don't get. that. This, you know, and you're not. going to get inside of mine." I can feel.

strong as [ __ ] you know. Um, and yeah, those types of guys, they're just so. used to being so compact and never. letting anyone get inside their arms or. wherever it is that they need to get. that it's just it's like impossible to. feel like you can move them. I feel like. there's two types of being strong in. grappling. There's being strong in like. I don't let you move me and then there's. strong in I get to move you really good. And the good good guys get to do both. Like if I can grab you and move you.

really easy, I'll feel really strong. if. you grab me and I feel like a rock, I'm. I'll feel really strong. Um, and I think. that some people do both of those really. well and then some people do one or the. other really well. Um, but those types. of guys like the Islams, they do both. really good. Yeah. And he's also his. striking has leveled up significantly. Like his striking is much much better. than it was when he was younger. Was. he's just he's a threat everywhere. Like. when he knocked out Vulk with that high. kick. Yeah. Granted, crazy. But granted,

if I was in Vog's corner, I would say, "No, you're not taking you've been. [ __ ] drinking beer and eating. kebabs." Like, there's no way you're. taking this fight on 10 days notice. I. don't care how confident you are. I. don't care how much you like fighting. That's a crazy thing. I don't care how. much money they're paying you because. you look at the slide that his career. took, right? He arguably won that first. fight with Islam. Very close fight. Loses a decision. Or was it a draw? Uh, it was a decision. [ __ ] Was it a draw? That's actually a good question. I think.

he lost. I think he lost. I think he. lost, too. Yeah. Either way, Islam keeps. the title. Was it a draw? Why do I think. it was a draw? Maybe one judge had it a. draw. Maybe it was something like that. Um, so super close fight with the. pound-for-pound best fighter in the. world. 10 pounds up. Everybody's like, "Vog might be the best pound-for-pound. fighter in the world." And then he takes. that fight on 10 days notice, gets head. kicked, and then he comes into the fight. with Taporia, what, four months later or. something like that, compromised. Clearly, you got head kicked, shin to. the dome, stopped, unconscious, and then.

you've got to fight the scariest [ __ ]. boxer in the division, and you get. knocked out, you know. So, then this big. slide, and then he comes back full year. off, and you see against Diego Lopez. Looks like the Vulk of old. Looks like. he's back. Well, I would like to seen. that Vulk versus Ilia. Yeah, that would. have been an exciting fight. First one. was a decision. Second one was a Yeah. KO. Okay. So, it was a decision. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like the casuals like.

to exist in a world where oh no, if. you're a if you're a better fighter, then you're just a better fighter. But. it's like, no, man. Like, if I have. three months to train versus two weeks. to train, like difference. That's giant. difference. Giant like giant. I don't do. Z. This isn't a Zen. What is it? I just. don't want It's like uh I just started. taking them. They're called They're like. They have 50 milligrams of caffeine in. them. They're called NZ. Oh, yeah. I've. taken those. Those are good. I like. those. I like those. Um they're uh brain. stimulants. Yeah. Yeah. I got a one that.

I got that I bought called Alpha. That's. pretty good. Although I did kind of get. a little annoyed that they ripped off. Alpha Brain. It's a It's You know, I. like these. These are great, too. These. gummies. These Alpha Brain gummies are. [ __ ] awesome. Um Yeah. I don't do. caffeine anymore. That's like one thing. that I stopped. Well, I do like this. amount of caffeine. I do like 50. How. many milligrams is that? Just 50. Okay. Small cup of coffee. Yeah. You know. what's crazy is uh so um I didn't drink. like a lot of caffeine or whatever. I. would drink like a coffee in the morning. like normal people. But dude, what I.

learned is cuz once I stopped, I. immediately had way way more energy. Or. maybe not immediately, but like 10 days, two weeks afterwards. And you know what. I looked up, bro, is that I already have. like low iron. But I noticed or I looked. up coffee gets in the way of iron. absorption. Really? I Yeah. You have low iron. Do. you eat red meat? Uh, yeah. I eat a lot. of It's like a genetic thing. My mom has. super low. I think it's like a ginger. thing. I got like a [ __ ] Yeah, we're.

just born. Caffeine can inhibit iron. absorption primarily due to the presence. of tannins and other polyphenols in. coffee. Dude, I swear this has changed. me big time. So now I do the mud water. stuff where I drink all the mud water. I. like matcha still, so I'll still do like. 50 milligrams in the morning. But dude, the coffee I stopped and I immediately. started feeling way better. And I don't. know how many people don't know this, but this is a thing, bro. I'm a coffee. junkie. I know a real problem. It tastes. good. I still drink decaf sometimes cuz.

I really like the taste of it. I take. days off of these things. Like these are. Breakers Lucy's. These are nicotine. Um. I like them when I do podcasts. I like. them before I do standup. But I take. days off because I was like, "Boy, am I. addicted to these things? I'm [ __ ]. sucking on these things all day But I. took a couple days off like, "No, I feel. I feel fine." But I've taken days off. coffee and I'm like, "Yeah." Yeah. Yeah. It takes like a week or so. [ __ ]. falling asleep in the morning just like. Yeah. I I honestly don't think everyone. would have the same experience I did. I. think it's because of the iron thing.

That makes a lot of sense, man. Yeah. Drinking coffee and other caffeinated. beverages with a meal associated with 39. to 90% reduction in iron absorption. Dude, it was crazy. Yeah. And so I So. this how so, bro, this is how I found. out. It wasn't like I was seeking this. It was I take a iron supplement in the. morning usually because I have a little. bit of low iron. And when I stop. drinking coffee, one of the signs that. you you are you're taking too much iron. is that you'll get like a iron metallic. taste in your mouth. And so about 2. weeks afterwards or whenever I started.

tasting that taste in my mouth and I. looked it up and that's what it was. So. I stopped taking the iron supplement. because I was actually absorbing the. iron from my food and [ __ ] Wow. Isn't. that crazy? That is crazy. [ __ ] I'm. gonna have to try it. Yeah, it it was it. was kind of rough though. Oh, yeah. I. bet. Yeah, it was rough. It It was like. um I quit everything at that time just. cuz I was like getting like my body was. getting anxious. My mind is pretty much. like stupid the whole time to life, but. my body will get really uh I'll just.

like notice different [ __ ] I'll just. like be more tired or anxious or. whatever, you know? Well, you're so in. tune. Yeah. You know, a fighter is. probably out of all the professional. sports, I think a fighter probably is. the most in tune with their body because. there's so like the consequences of not. being in tune are so grave. Like there's. it's so different than any other sport. Definitely. There's a lot of ways to get. hurt and we have to watch what we. actually eat. Most sports you don't. really have to do that. It's just right. Um like we're super like food the.

relationship with food for a fighter is. way way different than I think almost. everyone else on the planet. You know, when you like out of never cared about. his nutrition, never took care of some. people until he got older. Yeah. And. then he got older, he realized like, hey, I've got to really [ __ ] do. everything. I know, dude. I used to I. used to be able to just down a Chipotle. burrito with all the hot sauce on it and. then just train afterwards like it was. nothing. And now I can't do that, which. kind of sucks. Yeah, that's also youth. god to be. When you're really young, you.

can get away with anything. You really. can, dude. I used to just be hung over. rolling in and just I'd fight hard. It's. crazy how much you can get away with. when you're young. Yeah. But it's like. the the other thing is like hard. training for long prolonged periods, years and years and years. You get all. these little micro injuries, the little. things, things start slowing down. You're just demanding so much of your. body. If you're not taking care of your. nutrition, it's like, are you serious. about this or not? Like what are you.

doing? You were [ __ ] 6 hours in the. gym and then you're eating pizza. That's. crazy. I see people [ __ ] up their weight. cuts all the time just cuz after they. cut weight they want to eat like an. [ __ ] And I'm like, what are you. doing, dude? You literally did for 8. weeks you were the most disciplined. person in the world and now you're. eating cake the night before the fight. You're an idiot. So dumb. So dumb eating. cake the night before a fight. It's so. cra I famous. Well, he said he only did. it twice, but he was and they made it. seem like in the countdown shows that he. did it a lot. He would drink wine while. he was weight cutting. Yeah. The whole.

time I was watching that, I was like, "He doesn't do that every time." You're. absolutely. I was like, "Come on. This. is like media stuff." You know, I was. like, "You're not convincing me that he. does that." You know, he did it twice, he said. And he said, but I was like, "What am I doing?" Sounds fun. Bet you. got drunk as [ __ ] off of one glass of. wine, which is probably pretty awesome. And you were probably It probably tasted. so good, too, being that dehydrated. And. then you're dehydrating yourself more. because of the wine. So, it probably. aids a little bit in the water cut. because it does dehydrate you. Yeah. But. then that hangover when you got no water.

in your body. Yeah. I don't [ __ ] with. hangovers anymore, dude. That's why I. stopped drinking. I stopped drinking. Um. I guess it's like close to four months. ago. Mhm. And I used to have days where. I would get, you know, I'd work at the. club, do stand up, have a couple drinks, and then the next day I'd be working out. going, "Oh, what did I feel?" I was. like, "That's just life. Just deal with. it. Drink your electrolytes, get through. it." I have no days like that now. That's nuts. Like even if like last. night I only had like five hours sleep.

Um but I worked out this morning. I feel. [ __ ] great. Like I'm all the bad days. have gone away. It's kind of like I'm. like you [ __ ] You've been poisoning. yourself for decades. That's how I feel. too. I'm like so now I'll still go out. and like do social [ __ ] and just not. drink. I'm like this is just as fun you. idiot. I was like you could have just. been doing this the whole time. I know. That's the thing is like I thought you. missed like I remember Boss Rutin. telling me that that I quit drinking and. have just as much fun. I'm like right. Yeah. Just as much fun. But it's true.

It's like you you're you're having fun. because you're with fun people. Yeah. And you're just having laughs. You don't. have to be drunk to have fun. Yeah. You. know, unless you were me in college. Oh, yeah. Yeah. A little bit. I think that. part I think a big piece of me thinking. drinking was fun is because I would just. do really stupid crazy [ __ ] and so would. my friends and then we'd just talk about. it the next day like, "Hey, that was so. stupid and crazy." You know? But now. that I don't do any of that stuff, I'm. like, "This isn't fun anymore." Yeah. And as a professional athlete too, you. realize like this is just not good for.

you. Yeah. It's punishing yourself. Yeah. At this age, unfortunately, they. told me my whole life it was gonna. happen and now it's happening. Well, it's just becoming wiser, too. You know, that's why like I when you see that Jon. Jones thing, I'm so sure you saw the. police cam. Did you see that? Uh I did. recently. I didn't know if it was old or. the new one. Uh like this week. Yeah, that's a new one. He's drunk on the. phone talking to the cops and you're. like, "Oh, no." Yeah. I don't know the. details of it. Was he driving the car?

Who knows? She The girl in the car said. he was driving. The car was wrecked and. John was gone and she ratted him out. Jon Jones did it and then John's on the. phone with the cops and apparently. allegedly threatened the cops when he. was on the phone, which is not good. Yeah. Not good. And he's already got a. history of running from accidents. Yeah. Yeah. I hope he gets whatever that is. I. hope that he figures it out, you know. Yeah, I hope so, too. But, you know, it. is what it is. Yeah. Some people Yeah, they like riding the lightning, bro. He.

liked riding that lightning. Yeah. And I. think that's one of the things that made. him so good, too, cuz he was so wild. He. was just a wild dude. Yeah. You know, he. just genuinely didn't give a [ __ ] and. really had this ultimate confidence and. so skillful and so smart. But. eventually, you know, one more one more. drink. and then your body is just like not what. it used to be. Yeah. And Aspenol is a. [ __ ] beast, man. Yeah. I know there's. a lot of questions. Never been out of.

the first round. A lot of questions, but. never been out of the first round. because he [ __ ] everybody up in the. first round. Like that's a factor. Yeah. You know, yeah, I really wanted to see. that fight, but also at the same time I. kind of I appreciate it. I I forget. which interview it was recently, but. John was pretty honest in it. He was. like, "Look, man, like I don't want to. fight upand cominging tough guys." He. was like, "I want to fight guys with. seasoned champions that have names." And. I was like, that could also be. interpreted as you don't really want to.

fight kind of the best guys that there. are right now. You want to fight like a. certain category of fighter who you're. comfortable fighting, but you don't want. to fight the guys that are tough and. that are saying that you're going to. win. And that's okay. But that's. essentially how I interpreted what he. was saying in different words, which I. appreciated the honesty. Well, it's also. money fights, right? Yeah. Because I. think he's wrong because I think Aspenol. is a star. I I really do. Yeah, I do. too. I And I don't I think he's saying. who is he? He's not no one. Aspenol is a.

star. When I get when people ask. questions to me all the time, like. casuals on the street, is Jon Jones. going to fight Tom Aspenol? It's. constant. That's like the constant. question to me. The real fight would. have been Jon Jones versus Francis. That's the real fight. If I like clearly. I'm not responsible for making decisions. because I would have made a lot of. different decisions and I would have. like Francis let's talk let's work this. out. That guy's a star. Francis is the.

[ __ ] scariest heavyweight of all. time. That's a star, you know? Like that. guy as the heavyweight champion is so. [ __ ] marketable. He puts people into. orbit. Yeah. You know, he flatlined. Stipe, he flatlined Alistar, he flatlin. people, he's [ __ ] terrifying. Like, that's the heavyweight champion. And for. that guy to walk away from the belt and. then almost beat Tyson Fury and then get. knocked out by Anthony Joshua and then. to come back and destroy that dude in.

PFL, what's his name again? Um, that big tall Brazilian dude that he. ground and pounded into unconsciousness. Ferrer. Ferrer. That's right. Oh, okay. That That guy's a Oh, yeah. Yeah. That. guy was He Oh, yeah. Yeah. Jacked guy. Yeah. And he's the guy that KO'ed Ryan. Bader in the first round. He looks. phenomenal. He's terrifying. And Francis. just destroyed him. Like that's the guy. That's the guy. Like, and everybody. knows that's the guy. Like, that's the. fight that that's the big fight. It's a.

shame when that [ __ ] happens in the. sport, dude. It's the worst. I hate it. I hate it. I see it happen all of the. time. And I I can't help but think a lot. of it is like hopefully it's just maybe. money, business stuff, but I really I. think that some of it is ego. And that's. kind of what I try to drift drift like. just drift away from. Yeah. Um my. philosophy on winning the belt has. always been if I can't beat whoever it. is, if it's like a number 10 ranked Umar. or if it's a number two ranked whoever,

if I can't beat that person, then I. don't deserve the belt and I don't think. that I should get it. like uh I'm it. clearly doesn't represent what it. represents if it doesn't mean that I. beat all the best guys on the way to. doing so, right? Um not everyone really. has that philosophy and I get it because. once you start involving money and then. money is taking care of your family, which is what you know is kind of an. excuse to be greedy sometimes for. people. Uh it just kind of it's just. never really been my philosophy. And I. think that it's kind of a shame when.

that stuff happens because in my head. we're doing two things. We're seeing who. the best fighter in the world is and. we're getting people to watch so that. the fans can appreciate something that I. find to be the most loved thing in my. life next to my wife, you know? So, um I. don't know. I think it's a shame when. that [ __ ] happens, especially when it's. like a uh an ego thing. But also at the. same time, I don't really think that. that's too much of what Jon Jones is. doing. I'm more speaking in terms of.

what I kind of see in other people. I. think Jon Jones also has to have some. level of awareness around Tom's a young. guy and we age, you know, we age and. that's okay. John's not a natural. heavyweight either. That too. I mean, John still could make 205. Yeah. Yeah. He Yeah. Even in his heavyweight fight, he looked like a little soft. Yeah. A. little soft. And like 240 and a little. soft is I mean, think about how much. Pereira cuts, right? He could cut that.

weight. Like he could still make 205 and. might still be the champ at 205. Yeah. You know, which is kind of wild. And Tom. Aspenol ain't making 20. That guy is. [ __ ] huge. Yeah. Anduo is not making. 205. Francis would cut to get to 265. natural. Sure. Which is just bananas. Yeah, he's a [ __ ] hulking man. Yeah, he's a scary dude. How do people get. that big? Genetics, man. Is that what it. is? Genetics. Yeah. I mean, that's just. pure genetics. If I was that big, I'm. playing a different sport, bro. Playing.

hockey, hockey, or [ __ ] baseball or. something. Or football. But the brain. damage you get in football is. significantly more probably than the. brain brain damage you get in fighting. You like hockey? I do. I like watching. hockeyy's pretty cool. Yeah. I like I. like hockey culture. I don't really. understand the game because there's too. much going on right now or like when. it's happening it just like looks like a. chaotic mess sometimes to me. But I. recently started watching it because the. dude from the ABS I'm getting I've been. like seeing him at the gym a little bit.

He's been training a guy named Nathan. McKinnon who's like one of the better. guys in the league right now. I've kind. of been paying a little bit of attention. because me and him will chat sometimes. But dude, hockey culture is cool. like. when they score, they smile and cheer. for a half of a second and then they're. all just like stone cold killers back. again, which I really appreciate about. sports because I feel like a lot of. sports have become. like like all of the top players are. like really superstar like flamboyanty. Like the thing about hockey is it's.

never been as popular as football. I. know. It's always been the steps the. steps on. It's like not quite the same, not in the same like they don't they. don't reach the same. You have a few. Gretzkies, you know, Bobby or you have a. few guys that become national. celebrities, but for the most part. there's not like a whole ton of them. that everybody the general public knows. about. So because of that, they're. probably a little more dedicated, a. little more humble, a little more on the. grind. They're cool. They're cool to me.

I really like that sport. It's very. athletic sport, man. the [ __ ] amount. of energy that those guys expend. I. mean, the speed with constantly. sprinting on ice, you know, and. maneuvering and gliding around those. blades. It's incredible to watch. You. like any other sports? I like soccer. I. like watching soccer. You know, when I. really enjoyed soccer, when I went to. see a live match, I was like, "Oh." And. then I was I was talking to my friend Ed. who's one of the owners of the Austin. club here, and he was explaining to me.

like, "This is the reason why it never. becomes popular in America. They don't. take commercial breaks. There's no time for a commercial break. The [ __ ] clock is always running. Oh, I never noticed that. And these guys, these guys have legs. They're like. [ __ ] quarter horses. They have these. [ __ ] huge legs and they're just. running constantly. They're constantly. sprinting. They have to be in insane. shape. Yeah. You know, it's like as like. someone who's appreciates athletic. performance, like this is a crazy sport. Like a really demanding sport. How many. miles do you think they run every game?

I don't know, man. probably at least. four or five has to be. They're. constantly running. It's like seven to. nine usually. Seven to nine miles every. game. That's bananas. And they're not jogging. Yeah. They're [ __ ] sprinting 7 to N. miles, which is when I did that time in. uh the Netherlands that I was talking. about. I grew up playing soccer a little. bit, too. But I only did it until like. people stopped thinking it was cool and. then I like switched switch sports. I. was like, "Dude, when you're growing up, bro, all of the the goal is just to not.

be called gay.". And soccer didn't do that for you, you. know? That's so true. But, uh, true, dude. It's just your entire existence as. a kid is to not be made fun of and. called gay. Yeah. You were a dork if you. played soccer. Yeah. But, uh, oh, dude, when I went to the Netherlands and I. watched some of those kids play, I was. like, "Oh, this is soccer in Europe.". because they were like 10, 11, 12 year. old kids, just freaks, dude. And like. crazy athletic. You could just tell that.

that's like what they do with their. entire lives. And I was like, "Thank god. I didn't choose that sport cuz I just. wouldn't be anywhere." Well, you'd have. to go overseas. Yeah. And then the. competitiveness of the the soccer over. there or the football, what they call. it, over there is so much higher than in. America. You probably it would probably. be a long adjustment to reach their. level. Have you ever been to a game uh. where there's all of the SWAT people and. [ __ ] because the hooligans and stuff? No, I've only been to the Austin games. It's pretty chill. I went to one in. Serbia where they had more SWAT police.

officers than there were people in the. actual stand. Dude, it was wild. I was. like, dude, Serbia is more developed. than this, man. Like, people were. climbing on stuff, throwing smoke bombs. onto the field. I was like, bro, this. can't be Serbian basketball. Uh yeah, they're good at basketball. We played. some clips of basketball games in Serbia. and you see the crowd in Serbia. They go. hard. I know. They the the cheering is. like it gives you goosebumps like holy. [ __ ] man. These are warlike people and.

they're they're they're putting that. kind of [ __ ] that same energy to. basketball. You're like, boy, when those. guys come over here, everyone's [ __ ]. And you're kind of seeing that now. There's a bunch of Serbian players have. made their way to the United States and. those guys are [ __ ] badass. Yeah. They're ready to fight the entire time. probably. And they're scary hard dudes, man. You know, which is like really. interesting to see this influx of like. guys from Russia, Dagistan, Chetchna, like some of these guys that are making.

their way into the UFC now. Like these. are [ __ ] hard dudes, man. You know, it's really interesting. Really. interesting. Georgia. Yeah, it's it's. really cool actually. I I mean I really. appreciate it, man. I think that MMA and. martial arts just in general is such a. fantastic thing for the world. Um and. this to me has brought so many people. together kind of like I didn't follow I. didn't know what Dagistan was or. Azeraijan was or anything like that when. I it was 2014 so uh you know WKA the.

organization I did their national. tournament and if you win you get to go. do the world tournament for them in. Italy. So I got to do that and one and. when I was out there a lot of the. competitors were from all over the world. and there was a place called Azure that. I didn't know how to pronounce at all. and they were whooping guys asses dude. like bad like uh spinning hook kicks. like all kinds of crazy [ __ ] and I was. like damn I hope I don't fight one of. those guys but uh the entire time I was.

like the second these guys start getting. into the UFC and stuff They're gonna. wreck a lot of Americans, you know. Yeah. Um but I really like that like um. just the UFC in general has done a good. job in my opinion because they're really. the only globalized or one of the only. super globalized where people from all. over the world are fighting each other. Kind of. I don't know man. It kind of. feels like it brings everyone together. or at least for me like I could feel. like I could walk into another country. and have something something super in.

common with someone which is just like a. cool feeling you I think another thing. that's really cool about it is when. someone is elite, no one cares what. country they from. They just love that. guy, you know? It's like if if Adisagna. gets in there, no one cares he's from. New Zealand. Everybody gets pumped. If. Pereira gets in there, it's Alex. Pereira's fighting. You don't say USA. No, they're just [ __ ] psyched to see. Alex Pereira. Yeah. You know, so it's. it's it's really great in that regard. that you can become a true international. superstar and you're embraced. essentially by all the nations.

Definitely by America. I think that. that's a big American culture thing, too. Sure. Like we're we don't really. care where people are from as much. Think about the Russians that are over. here. They don't no one cares. No one's. like, "Oh, Russians, [ __ ] you." You. know? They're like, "Oh, that guy's. badass." You know? Yeah. I wonder if. it'd be the same in those other. countries. I don't think so. Yeah. I bet. not. Russia definitely doesn't think I'm. as cool as I think they're cool. If I. went over to Russia, I'd be like [ __ ]. super worried they'd poison my food, you. know? Like some crazy Russian like, "Fuck him. [ __ ] this guy." You know, and.

[ __ ] throw something in your tea. Who. knows? You know, like they're [ __ ]. they're they're hardcore. It's like. America embraces, but we're a melting. pot, right? That's the difference. between this country and all the other. countries is that we are consistent. entirely of immigrants. At one point in. time, everyone, unless you're Native. American, everyone was an immigrant. Yeah. So, it's like we kind of accept. that people come from different parts of. the world. Yeah. About 300 years ago, we. were all like, "Let's go to this party.". I know. [ __ ] party over there, man. We could do whatever we want over there.

I got to do all this [ __ ] that we. got going on here. It's kind of nutty in. that regard. And you know, and boy, it's. worked out. Yeah. In a lot of ways. Yeah. I I I'm not really like a I try. not to be like too identified with. anything or whatever or like be too. nationalist, but every time I think of. like just how lucky we are to be from. here, dude. It's pretty cool. It's. pretty amazing. It It is. It's. Especially when you see stuff like. that's going on with Israel and Iran and. all of that stuff. It's kind of like. God, man. Thank God. In the UK, people.

are getting arrested for Facebook posts, are they? Yeah. Thousands of They still. use Facebook. [ __ ] users. What the [ __ ] they doing using Facebook? That's how you know it's a political. thing. It's all those old people. Old. people. Old people on Facebook. All my. old friends from high school, like my. old friends that I was friends with when. I was like really young, they are. they're on Facebook. Yeah. Old dudes. love Facebook. My mom and dad are on. Facebook. They argue about politics on. Facebook. Like [ __ ] miss me with that. [ __ ] Yeah, they post about which. neighbors. Yeah, I know. I got zero time.

for any of that stupidity. But this, you. know, this thing that we've done over. here is allowing people to express. themselves. Whether you agree or. disagree, that is just so gigantic. And. what they're squashing a lot of that in. other countries and that scares the [ __ ]. out of me. That's what I was really. scared about in this last election. because because I'm friends with Elon, I. knew what was going on in Twitter behind. the scenes. I knew how the government.

was stepping in and silencing posts. I'm. like, this is [ __ ] dangerous, man. Because if they they get a real grip on. social media and you no longer can. protest about things and express. yourself about things, including a lot. of things that happened to be true like. during the COVID crisis, you people were. getting their accounts banned for. posting factual information. Yeah. That. that was scary to me cuz that's very. very unamerican. You have to be okay. with that for all the good and the bad. that comes with it. Like you just have.

to you have to be okay with people. saying things you don't like. It's going. to come with a lot of good and a lot of. bad, but you have to be okay with it. because when it's your turn at plate, like you're going to want to be you're. going to want to have your opinion. respected, too. 100%. And that's what. people have to realize when it's so easy. when like especially in this country, all tech is primarily left and they have. a very strong ideology, this very. progressive left-wing ideology, which is. like all over the tech world. And when. they were in control and they were.

silencing things, I think the attitude. was this is good because we're right and. we need to stop these fascists or. whatever you want to call them, you. know. And but the problem is then what. if the [ __ ] right gets in place and. they use the same rules that you used on. them. Now we don't have a country. anymore. Now we're [ __ ] Now we're. just like every other dictatorship. I don't really know how you solve it. I've kind of thought about like how to. like get to a place where there can be. world peace and all of that stuff. I I. don't know. I think that a lot of. people, I know you've talked about it a. lot, they get really attached to the.

egos and the identities that exist. inside them and then they see the world. from only that perspective. That's why I. think that like a lot of the old. religions and the old like echoed. through time ways of being are to, you. know, destroy your ego, eliminate. yourself, be like this watcher of your. thoughts and all of that stuff. And then. start to identify with the watcher of. what you think that you really are. And. then once you spend enough time doing. that, you'll spend enough time realizing. that everyone else has that watcher.

inside them. And that maybe they don't. realize it yet, but they're still really. connected to their egos that are really. just a bunch of ideas that were. indoctrinated to them based off of our. environment or who we grew up with and. all of that stuff. And then you can. start to love people a little bit more. And absolutely, it's it's kind of a. shame that uh I I just know that that's. not super big in the West, that idea. Um, just it's kind of an eastern. philosophy, you know, like be be like we. just meditate here. Like that's just. such a like a [ __ ] ass way to think.

about doing it. Like that's what you're. doing is you're settling into being able. to watch what you think you really are. and be like, "Hey, if I don't want to be. that anymore, I don't have to be that. Or if I if that doesn't serve me. anymore, I don't have to be that." This. is one thing that I walk through a lot. of my guys with in fighting is it's like. you want to not be scared of something, don't desire anything. And don't be. anything if you don't want to be scared. because fighting fearless is a really. big thing. I think that I do a really. good job of performing really well.

because I'm not scared of a lot of. things because I don't have a ton of. egos inside of my brain as much anymore. I of course do cuz we all have to. But. uh but yeah, once you start spending a. lot of time with that watcher, you'll I. think that that's kind of why it always. ends on the idea of love being the. answer is because once you spend time. disconnecting from what we think we are, it can you always end up in the spot. where it's like, oh, that person's that. they just haven't figured it out yet. either. And I love them for that still. And that acceptance and love is.

empowering both to you and to them. Whereas like hate of other people, I. mean it might motivate you in some way, but it's also crippling. You know what. is that old expression that uh anger. is the is the emotion that poisons the. vessel that holds it. You know, this is. you're you're wasting energy. You're. wasting life and you're you're wasting. your potential because you're you're. thinking only in terms of negative all. the time and negative is never. constructive. Yeah. You don't have to.

you don't have to think like that to be. successful or to be competitive or in. any way. You you can be empty. There's. Yeah, there's a lot of energies in life. that will serve you, I think, up to a. certain point um that just will stop. serving you because it's just not it's. not a fuel that you can sustain for long. enough, you know. Did you develop this. philosophy from reading? Did you were. you taught it like how did you Fuckload. of mushrooms. No, I'm just kidding. Not. a ton. Are you kidding? Not a ton. No, I. think that's the answer. When you were.

asking me what's what's the answer to. world peace, it might be that it might. be because I mean that definitely rips. you out of your body and [ __ ] scares. the [ __ ] out of you sometimes. But. humbles you. Yeah, it does. Um yeah. Um. no, it it was it's a lot of reading. It's a lot of like I've been fascinated. by religion my entire life. I was raised. um pretty not like crazy, not like. religious in like a dogmatic way, but. religious in like a hey, think about. these things type of way by my parents, which I'm really grateful because I I. developed a super healthy understanding.

of those types of ideas where they. didn't feel like they were something I. was latched on to as much as they were. things to be explored. And so it kind of. started when I was really young. I just. been fascinated by the idea of God like. in church when they're like, "Hey, you're going to burn in hell forever if. you don't agree with this." That became. number one priority from that day on, dude. I was like, "Hell?" Once I could. understand hell and forever, I was like,

"That's okay." I was like, "Oh, okay. So, nothing else matters in life. Like, we got to figure this out right now.". Um, so that kind of took me on like a. really religious thing. And then after I. lost my first fight. That was my big. first experience with facing an ego that. I didn't have control over. When What. was your first loss? Uh it was against a. guy named Jamal Emmers who's actually in. the UFC now, but it it was pretty much. just I [ __ ] the bed and choked. Um I. would have got signed to the UFC and I. just choked and lost. And um I was.

supposed to in my head and based off of. what everyone around me was telling me I. was supposed to be this like super big. prospect guy blah blah blah after I lost. I had to face that maybe that's not what. I am. When you say choked like what. about your performance do you think went. wrong? I just didn't show up like the. way I mean I was 5-0. I was still really. new to the you know being a professional. and being able to perform under high. stakes. If I would have won, I I think I. for sure would have gotten signed to the. UFC just because I had been training. with TJ. My word was around them a lot.

It was went back to when you didn't have. to get signed by the contender or. anything. They just would call you up on. a day, but you kind of had to have a. little bit of an in or be doing really. well or something. So, um yeah. So, that. was like my first big experience with. that. I spent about that entire summer. um as much as I could in the mountains. I didn't even really train cuz I didn't. even know if that's something that I. wanted to continue doing just cuz losing. hurt my heart so bad. How did you lose? Uh just a decision, dude. It wasn't even. like gnarly. It was just like afterwards.

I was like, "But I was supposed to win.". Like what the [ __ ] It's like someone. [ __ ] up here, man. It's like I was. supposed to win that. Uh and so it was. just like, oh, so maybe this universe. doesn't revolve around me and like my. ideas and who I think I am and all of. that stuff. And then so spent a lot of. time in nature, read a lot of books like. power and now a lot of Buddhist stuff, a. lot of ticknanhan stuff, a lot of um. just spirituality books, but just the.

overarching idea of separating yourself. from your thoughts and your body and all. of that stuff. And just whether it's in. our imagination or not, cuz I'm still. not fully bought into any of that stuff. Like I don't have any beliefs is what I. say now. Um, but I'm willing to. entertain a lot of stuff and I want to. believe something really bad because it. would make life a lot easier to like. navigate through. I feel exactly the. same way. Dude, it'd be so much easier. if I've always said, "Someone come up. with a great cult." Yeah. Come up with a. really great cult. I'll join. I'll come. up with one. If you [ __ ] like have.

like a really benevolent leader that. really is an actual real guru and they. it makes sense and no one's [ __ ]. everybody. I was going to say, are we. allowing everyone to have sex with each. other? No. Well, it's not usually the. leader. It's usually the leader gets to. [ __ ] everybody. The leader gets to [ __ ]. everybody and he wants your money. Yeah. Yeah. But if that could be avoided, but. it would just make things easier, but it. really wouldn't, right? You're better. off without a real belief system, but. sort of entertaining a lot of belief. systems. I kind of land on this idea of.

so I've been trying to write a comic. book for the last couple years. Really? Yeah. I know writing is a little gay or. whatever, but that's where I spend a lot. of money. Gay? Yeah. It's gay to some. people, but it's like poetry. Yeah. Yeah, they're gay. If you're afraid of. writing, you're gay. Um, so I, uh, I. spend a lot of time writing. It's like. what I do with my free time instead of. golfing. Uh, but, um, like what kind of. right? Like, how do you write? Uh, well, for the last couple years, it's been. trying to write a pretty in-depth comic. book, which has been really fun. Are you.

a comic book fan? Uh, I'm a comic book. fan, but honestly, dude, how it happened. is I was like, I wanted to come up with. this really cool story. I'm just an idea. machine. Like, I just think of ideas all. day. Like, I don't have many hobbies. I. think it's super fun just me hanging out. with me inside my head all day. Um, so I. uh yeah, I came up with this really cool. idea which is essentially like a bunch. of ideas from a bunch of religions that. I really like and then putting them into. a story. And the story is.

um Okay, we got some time for me to. explain this. Sure. Okay. I think it's. pretty interesting. Um, but I haven't. really like broken it down from start to. finish really. But I got into writing. just because I wanted to make this story. of mine. Oh, that's what you asked me. Is am I into comic books? I tried. writing a sentence like it started out. in the August 5th of 20 and I was like, "Fuck this dude. We're doing a comic. I. can't write sentences." I was like, and.

I read good books, so I like know what a. good sentence is. And I was like, "Oh, no, that's going to take way too long. We're doing only dialogue and pictures.". And so, uh, that's why I started doing. comic books. Although, I do really like. comic books, too. Um, but yeah, so it's. kind of this, uh, it's like a. compilation of a lot of ideas that I. like about religion inside of, um, this. world that exists today. I actually put, um, a conversation between you and Dun. Duncan Trussell in it. I'm not I'm not.

going to do anything with the comic. book. So, it's really fun like to know. that I just have fun doing it. Like I'm. not You don't plan on publishing it? Uh. maybe, but I think honestly to it would. take like another 2, three years for it. to be super solid enough for me to want. to put out there. Um but there's a. dialogue between you and Duncan. Trussell. I really love Duncan Trussell. He's like one of my favorite people of. all time. I got to meet him at the. Comedy Works in Denver pretty recently. Oh, he's the best. Yeah, he's really. cool. I love that guy. Yeah. Um, but. pretty much it takes place where this. guy uh goes to the garden of Eden that's.

being protected by these uh tribes. people and inside of the garden of Eden. are these trees called khal where when. you eat the fruit of them or you eat the. crystals of them you get teleported to a. place where the sixth lives and the. sixth is like the god of our universe. Um the world takes place in uh densities. which are pretty much our chakras. So. there's seven of them. The first.

density, second density, third density. which is what we are as humans. The. fourth are aliens. Um where like we're. humans that have merged with the. technologies that we've created. It. takes place about 20 or 30 years in the. future where AI is um a real like actual. [ __ ] player in the game, you know. Um, fourth is aliens. Fifth is like. psychedelic creatures slash angels slash. all of that stuff. Sixth is the gods of.

the universe. Seventh is the all. It's. just like love. It's everything. And so. it's a heavy comic book, man. Yeah, it's. pretty in-depth, dude. I mean, it's not. like simple [ __ ] It's not like [ __ ]. some guy goes and saves the world. It's. like a pretty The lore of it is pretty. cool, I think. So you go through each. density, our souls do um for billions. and trillions and however whatever p. whatever's past trillions um of. lifetimes and you spend time in those. densities learning what it is to learn.

in those densities. So right now in the. third density because it's the power. chakra of life, what we're trying to do. is discover that the positive path of. love is what we're really shooting for. instead of the negative one. And what. that means is the positive path is um. in we're doing things in service of. others instead of in service of self. So. we're choosing love of others over love. of self because love isn't like an.

emotion in the book. It's like a. structural building of the world where. everything is love. It's this all. It's. this it's not like Disney [ __ ] It's. like a structural way of building the. universe. So choosing to be in love of. others is what we're doing. But Earth is. in its late third density getting ready. to move into its fourth density. And. this scientist who uh interacts with. this tribe takes a seed from the Khali. and grows them and makes it so that the.

entire world can take this fruit and. then interact with God. and then what it. would be like in in this world today if. we were actually able to sit in front of. God and ask God questions. And that's. kind of the basis of the book. Wow. It's. pretty cool. Yeah, there's a lot. Are. you doing the illustrations? No, I call. the guy about doing the illustr. when I got Yeah, which we're pretty. close. I I [ __ ] around with AI a lot, too. But we're pretty close to um.

uh I think getting there with like some. apps where you have consistent. characters because it's hard to do stuff. because you can't make the character. super consistent. But I think we're like. a year or two away from being able to. probably not even a year or two away. Yeah, maybe not. I think we're in this. very bizarre stage right now where I I. don't think people realize what's coming. and I think it's going to hit us like a. [ __ ] freight train. So, I know. everyone has like a thousand sto there's. like a thousand stories about AI taking. over and all of this stuff in my book. Sorry, this is okay. Yeah. Yeah. Okay,

cool. Um I just know it's long and. sometimes I lose track of time. Okay, cool. Um the AI uh in this story is the. way that we get moved into the fourth. density. And the way that we get moved. into the fourth density is when we merge. with the nanotechnology that merges with. like the AI supercomputer called. oblivion, which is pretty much just a. hive mind. Once we all get merged with. that, we either based off of our.

polarity or our like frequency or. whatever that tells us if we're positive. or negative. If we go negative, then we. pretty much just extinguish each other. because all we care about is love for. self and we like kill each other. It. doesn't say exactly how, but you can use. your imagination. And in the positive. way, we move together in this hive mind. into being aliens essentially where we. live millions and trillions of lifetimes. as aliens until we can enter into the. fifth, which then we become psychedelic.

creatures and all of that stuff uh or. angels or whatever. And that's like a. non-physical realm at that point. But uh. but yeah, that's pretty much the idea. behind the whole book. It might be. actually what really does happen. It's. it's kind of like a positive spin-off of. it. Well, best case scenario is we. evolve and we merge with AI and we. evolve and it's better for everybody and. we we become something superior to what. we are now. Worst case scenario is we.

become irrelevant because they don't. need us anymore. We're we're outdated. I. still think it will still have to be. partly us because it was created by us. Like in like a parallel universe where. we are not like say we're [ __ ] lizard. people in another universe, we see. things differently. Our priorities and. values are different. We would make a. completely different set of AI. Like. there's no way that AI is just this. thing that isn't connected to humans in. some way. So hopefully it's connected to.

the good parts of us as humans, which is. like compassion, love, caring for each. other, and not like a lizard reptilian, right? Like, hey, let's just we got to. maximize and capitalism and all of that. stuff. You know what I mean? So, um, that's a lot of what the book is about, too, is it's just about like, hey, maybe. it won't be so bad. Like, maybe this. thing will have more human traits than. or maybe we're more awesome than what we. what we actually think, you I think the. hive mind thing is promising because and.

I have a feeling that that's where we're. headed. I have a feeling that if with. either some wearable or some sort of. technology with an implant where we no. longer require language to communicate. with each other and we essentially have. instantaneous access to everyone all the. time. And the thing that people are. going to have to deal with is that. there's going to be no more secrets. There'll be no more lies. There'll be. it's going to be impossible to deceive. everyone's going to know exactly what's. going on in your soul, like how you. interface with the world itself. That's.

cool. I think that's probably where. we're headed. I think if we don't, we're. gonna we're going to become obsolete. I. think it's one of two things. Either we. become obsolete and AI becomes a new. digital form of life that's far more. intelligent, far more capable than we. are, and then it makes better and better. versions of itself until it makes God. Mhm. Or we merge and we we just. transcend whatever this state of being. these primitive territorial apes with.

very sophisticated weapons. We become. something something different. If I did. have beliefs, I would like to believe. that it is going towards a god or. something or there is like some point to. all of the like hard times that we have. in life and we're actually progressing. whether it be through many lifetimes or. in other universes or dimensions or. whatever. And something inside of us. that isn't human but is maybe a watcher. or something is progressing towards. something great and loving and more. beautiful than what we got going on here.

on Earth. Um and uh if if that is true, then AI will probably be pretty awesome. Yeah. You know, if that is true. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's best case scenario, right? I think we're it's also very. strange that we are in this position. It's very strange that we are living our. lives at this unbelievable unique moment. in history where things are going to. change in this undeniably radical way. Unless something happens, unless we blow. ourselves up or we get hit by an.

asteroid, it's going to happen. And it's. going to happen probably within the next. 10 years. Like 10 years from now, we're. going to be looking back. Remember the. old days of 2025 when you didn't know. what was coming? I know. You know, I I. want to be like, "Hey, you're. overexaggerating that." But dude, if you. think about the world 5 years ago, it. was completely different. Completely. just the invention of AI. Just the last. few years. Yeah. Just the last few. years. We're all like bunker down in our. house and [ __ ] 5 years ago. Even the. UFC 5 years ago was crazy. Like life.

like I only get to view life through the. lens of my like job and my love which is. through fighting which is cool cuz it. like helps me understand the macro. picture a little bit better. But yeah. man I mean like even just 5 years ago. how different the UFC was like life is. going to be really weird in 10 years. Yeah it's the whole world is going to be. really weird. And you know, one of the. things that always freaks me out about. Elon in Neurolink is one of the. statements that he said, "You're going. to be able to talk without using words.".

Mhm. I don't know how that would work. Well, the hive mind. Yeah. We're going. to be able to interact with each other. But do but do we just feel each other's. feelings then? Probably. Yeah. Yeah. Or. that would be good maybe. Yeah, that. would be good. If it's like if I don't. have like a filter of feeling something, my brain making it into words and then. spitting it out and it was just I have. this feeling and you feel that thing, that might be a really great thing. I've. often thought about the parallels of. religion with what's currently going on. And one of them being like Christ was.

born of a virgin mother, right? So. Christ was born without sex and emerged. Like what else is born without a without. a mother? Wow. AI. AI is born without a. mother. AI Christ is going to come back. AI is coming. Another one is the Tower. of Babel, right? Whoa. Did you come up. with that? Yeah. That's [ __ ] awesome, right? It seems like it. That's awesome, right? If you if you think that God is. going to return, well, wouldn't it be. Yeah, it's that completely makes sense.

That's awesome. The other one is the. Tower of Babel, right? So we if we all. have a universal language and we are. working on this [ __ ] tower to get. closer to God stairway to God and it's. do it right and you you make it there do. it wrong and it becomes completely. chaotic and divided and you're scattered. across the the world with a a thousand. different [ __ ] languages and nobody. can communicate with each other so. nobody understand each other and it's. just chaos which is what happened to the.

human race. If we develop a universal. language and if this universal language. is transmitted through whether it's this. implant or wearable some sort of an. interface with technology then we bypass. we bypass this primitive state of you. know chaotic tribal monkeys and we. become something superior. Yep. That's. awesome. Yeah. The Tower of Babel was. initially in my story because I've loved. that idea for a really long time. Which. is essentially it's just like a symbol. for like, hey, if we all work together, we can actually do this thing, which is.

kind of uh the main idea that I got from. it. Yeah, dude. That's a that's a cool. ass idea about AI. I'm going to put that. in my book. I'm going steal that idea. Yeah. Because if you think about it, what what what is AI going to be? Well, if super intelligence gets achieved and. then you're attaching that to quantum. computing, right? Quantum computing. right now is only able to just like do. integers and you know do do equations.

But what if quantum computing and AI. merge? Then you've got some insane. amount of computational power attached. to an insane intelligence that is going. to make better and better versions of. itself. Well, if you scale that up. exponentially, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, a. thousand years. If you keep going, you. get a god. Yeah. I mean, imagine I mean, quantum imagine, too. I mean, who knows? Like, if we want to go real sci-fi with. the idea like quantum particles.

communicate to each other, so maybe. they'll be able to communicate with the. ones that are in other dimensions. And. that's how we're able to communicate. with other dimensions or whatever. Well, that's the freakiest concept about. quantum computing when they said that. the way it works is so confusing and. it's so powerful that they think it. might be evidence of the multiverse. Yeah. Now, I talked to to Roman Yolski. who's a a scientist who talks about the. dangers of AI and he thought that that. was all nonsense. Mhm. He might be. right, but there's a lot of scientists.

that believe that it's correct and that. this is why quantum computing is so. powerful. Because Mark Andre said this. and it's the [ __ ] craziest quote ever. that quantum computing it can solve an. equation that if you converted the. entire universe like every molecule, every atom of the universe into a. supercomput, it would take so long for. the universe as a supercomputer to solve. this this problem that the universe. would die of heat death before it solved.

it. And quantum computing can solve it. in minutes. Yeah, I've seen that. Instagram reel. Like, what the [ __ ] does. that mean? Essentially, what we would be. doing, um, I bet you when they were. trying to invent electricity, they. didn't know that it would be this. And. maybe that's what we're in the middle. of, except like times a thousand billion. where it's like, oh, because I always. think I'm like, we got we're only. looking through the lens of the future. through all of the inventions that we. have now. What if we invented something.

that was like electricity or quantum. computing or quantum communication or. like if you can change things at a. quantum level? Like maybe I can turn. this thing into the hardest steel metal. in the entire world. Um and then that. just completely changes the board game. that we're even playing. Like we're not. even playing the same board game. anymore, right? So it's like I don't. know. But anytime anyone says nothing's. possible, I'm like, "You sure?" Cuz if. we just change the board game, [ __ ] can.

get pretty crazy. You can't say. nothing's possible because everything. that we have today is impossible 200. years ago. Yeah. You're a sorcerer if. you go back to the 1400s and show them. an iPhone. You know, like this none of. none of it makes any sense. The fact. that you could FaceTime someone in New. Zealand right now, that's bananas. All. that stuff is [ __ ] completely insane. and it's real and it's happening right. now. And the other thing about AI being. if artificial super intelligence creates. something that we can't even imagine.

like we're just dealing with this. framework this structure that's so. antiquated because it's all been created. by humans. If you get something that's a. thousand 10,000 times more intelligent. than us and it's going to have solutions. to things that we can't even comprehend. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's freaky [ __ ]. Could get real weird. You know, one of. the things that always weirded me out. about these stories about uh UFO. encounters and in particular the the Bob. Lazar story is that when he was working. on back engineering these crafts that.

were supposedly from somewhere else, one. of the things that he said is there's no. controls. Mhm. There's no controls in. this thing. like they they don't know. what is happening between these beings. and this craft that they power it, but. they're probably completely connected to. this thing. They're pro like what you're. seeing with those those little grays is. probably us in the future. That's. probably what every primate eventually. becomes once it integrates with. technology. It would be really cool if.

that's like you said what the religions. were talking about, too. Like to me the. science [ __ ] is all cool and stuff but I. also like the idea of like intertwining. like science modern ideas with really. traditional ideas. It would be super. cool if it was something where it's like. hey like once we reach this certain of. technological advancement there is a. spiritual religious side to the thing. that we also make discoveries in too. Mhm. That would be cool. It would be. cool to have a belief. Yeah. If you got.

well, you know, if if artificial super. intelligence does become live, it all. belief systems are going to get thrown. into the wood chipper. We're not going. to know what the [ __ ] is what unless it. tells us. Yeah. I mean, yeah. But I have. a feeling that a lot of these stories, like these ancient religious stories, they're based on truth. It's just truth. that was a spoken word thing by people. who really couldn't even read because. they they were illiterate. and that they. had these tales that were they're told. for a thousand years before anybody. wrote them down. They're writing them. down in these ancient languages that.

even when you take those ancient. languages and you try to translate into. like modern English, a lot is lost in. the the translation. But I think there's. something to all of it. And there's. something they're trying they they don't. they're not telling stories for no. reason. I think they're telling these. stories because they're trying to. document something. And I just don't. think we get a full picture of it. But. there's so much truth in those stories. and there's so many lessons in those. stories that that are applicable and. that resonate today. I think it'd be.

foolish to dismiss them. Definitely. Um. I mean Carl Young harps on that a lot. with the collective unconscious stuff. Do you know Joseph Campbell? Do you. follow that guy? I love Joseph Campbell. Oh, he's amazing. I got super into. Joseph Campbell around that time when I. was kind of um you know doing the whole. figuring myself out part after losing. But I mean the idea that there's pretty. much a blueprint to all of the stories. that are across civilization is crazy.

It's like the pyramids being everywhere. Like we it's just naturally ingrained to. us for stories to be like superhero gets. called to action, finds a guy, beats. monster, beats mega big monster, returns. back home. Like that's like the. blueprint to a lot of stories. And I. think it just goes underneath the rug. because we're just so used to all of the. stories being like that. Um I've messed. around, like I said, like I spend a lot. of time in my head. Um I don't really.

like talk a ton. And I kind of just but. I've done the whole like hero's journey. thing in my head during the Joseph. Campbell time. I can share it with you. It's kind of fun. Sure. Okay. Um uh I. just come up with stories and [ __ ] in my. head. But anyway, so I did my own hero's. journey during that time when I was. trying to eliminate all of the egos. inside of me. And the easiest way to. identify one of your egos is to ask. yourself, what is it that you feel like. you desire? You know, that's why I think.

in Buddhist philosophy and all of that. stuff, it's always like let go of. attachments, let go of your desires, and. that will lead like just good [ __ ] will. happen if you do that. And I was like, okay, cool. I'll buy into that a little. bit. So, I tried to identify all of. these egos that were inside of me. I. even went as far as naming all of them. and giving them characteristics and. personalities. Like when I would notice. an angry person inside of me, I would. just name it Samson, give it a tiger's. face, and like uh just treat it as a. completely separate imagin imaginative.

piece of my psyche that I no longer. wanted to be attached with anymore. Um. which is uh an idea that I came up with. myself at the time, but it's a old idea. There's a really good book called Taming. Your Gremlins if anyone wants to look. into that idea more. Um that guy does a. really good job of doing that. So. anyways, I started going through like my. hero's journey. and um I spend a lot of time like. meditating a decent amount but not just. like normal meditating like [ __ ]. around in my own head type of meditating.

and just seeing what type of unconscious. things are kind of below the surface of. my everyday like Corey me. And so I'm. walking myself through like okay what is. this? What are all of these things. inside me or what are these desires that. are inside me? I would name him. I would. turn him into a monster and I would kill. the monster. And then at the at the very. end of this story and I'm like crying. during this process when I was doing it. or whatever in the hero's journey a lot.

of the time you have a mentor like a. Yoda. Um you have this thing that kind. of guides you through how to defeat all. these monsters, all of it. So I get to. the end of my story and one part that. they never really bring up in heroic. stories is the return back home. um. which is a really big deal like you've. just eliminated all of this stuff and. now you got to return back home. So I'm. getting ready to return back home and my. mentor at the time because I did grow up. really religious. Um it was Jesus at the. time were like Jesus was my homie at the.

time you know he was like this guy and. so we get done defeating all of these. monsters and I'm we're sitting at the. cliff and it's like okay time to go home. and he's like hey man like you got one. more monster to defeat and I was like. well what is it? And he was like me. And. I was like, "What are you talking. about?" And he was like, "Man, like I'm. the last thing that you're attached to. Like, in order for you to continue on, I'm the thing that you got to defeat.". And I was like, "Well, what does that. mean, dude? Like, I'm not about to stab. you, bro." You know? And he was like,

"You have to push me." And I was like, "Push you off the cliff?" He was like, "You have to let go of me the same way. that you let go of all of your other. desires and fears and things inside of. you, too, if you really want to do it.". And so I'm like balling crying because. that's that was like a big like that was. a big thing. So I do it and Jesus falls. but then he grows wings, flies away and. says to me, um, now you can be like me. and then just flies off into the the. whatever and then I return back home.

And I just remember that being a really. big moment for me in my I don't like to. use the word spiritual because it sounds. stupid. Um, but that was like a big deal. for me in my development as a person. because it really like made me. understand and they weren't things that. I was planning out. They were just. unconscious things that were hitting me. like over and over and over again. I. found that through hypnosis and through. like trying to see what's underneath. things. You can't talk to it. You can't. tell it what to do. You can't control.

your unconscious. You just have to watch. what's underneath there. So it was just. like a thing where it's like now I get. to be like you was like a really cool. thing that just like popped into my head. and I was like well [ __ ] that's cool. That is cool. Yeah. I do a lot of crazy. [ __ ] inside of my own head. I guess. probably makes me sound maybe a little. bit weird but that's kind of weird's. good. That's me. Yeah. Weird is good. What was it like returning to fighting. after this? Like trying to find yourself. period. Yeah. Um, I remember I was. folding laundry and they asked me to.

fight this guy, uh, Tahinho Gaval on. four weeks notice for LFA and Tahinho. Gaval is a [ __ ] savage at the time. Um, still still I think is doing pretty. well, but literally every YouTube video. I could find of him was just knocking. people out. He was like 6 and0 or. something and just murdering people. Brazilian guy. And I was like, I don't. think that was a good idea. Like I just. lost. I don't really want to lose again. And I remember going back and forth with. myself big time. And as I was folding.

laundry, I kind of got hit with another. bit of uh wisdom that came from. wherever, not for myself, came from. wherever. And in this bit of wisdom, it. told me, man, I gave you this life for. for you to make it up yourself. Quit. asking me to make decisions for you. And. so I was like, all right, [ __ ] it. I'll. do it. You know, um I'll do it. And a. big piece of me going through that whole. thing and what I learned a lot about it. was.

uh love of fighting isn't really love of. anything I don't think is like Disney. [ __ ] It's like a mega commitment to. something that you want to achieve and. it works like a marriage more like a. marriage less than like a romantic like. hey this is a fling like it's like hey. man I might not like you every day you. know but I'm going to commit myself to. you and I'm going to do this thing and. it helped me really wrap my head around. what kind of true love is because I feel. like that's what true love is and if you. want to love this sport and you want to.

say you love this sport you got to love. it on the months days it might last. years that you really don't like it and. just trust that on the other end of it. is like a good experience. There's a. payoff. Yeah. It's a process. Yeah. So, how was the fight? It was good. I. knocked him out in the first round. [ __ ] crushed it. Wasn't scared at all. going in. Really? Oh, yeah. I don't get. scared much like when I'm actually. fighting in that mode of like fight or. flight, but I've already chosen fight. like I'm good, you know? I don't really.

get too scared going into fights hardly. ever. I I get scared leading up to. things, but in the actual fight itself, like I'm I'm the goddamn Incredible. Hulk, you know? You can't convince me. otherwise in those moments. Well, I. remember one time we talked and you said. that you'd made this adjustment in your. head from trying to fight and win to. really trying to hurt people. Do you are. you still on that same No, no, not as. much. Um I got a little bit older. Uh. one I think is a contributor to it. two.

is that wasn't a fuel that I could hold. on to for super long. Um, it was like. angry fuel doesn't really like work. It's not super sustainable. Um, I also. found too that being that way got. distracting to me being able to do what. I was trying to do. Um, so any thought. can be distracting when you're fighting. as you know it like even like silly ones. or whatever. But if I'm being too aggro. and too I got to hurt this guy, I got to. hurt this guy. That was good for me to.

learn because I got to learn the all of. the different aspects of what it means. to be a fighter. Before that, I was. really zen, peaceful, like whatever. happens happens. I'm going to do my. best, you know? And then I went way on. the other side of the spectrum where. it's like I'm [ __ ] killing people and. that's what I'm doing now. Um to now. kind of somewhere a little bit in. between where um for me now all of it is. about focus and doing the correct thing. at the correct time. I think that where. I am today as a fighter is very focused.

on just exactly what I said where what. do I need to do right now in order to. win and I don't make it angry I don't. make it motivated by anything else it's. just no this is like a laser focused in. doing the right thing and uh that's what. I found recently has been the most. helpful thing just this zen state of. just existing in whatever whatever comes. whatever you're supposed to be doing You. do that kind of, but I know where I'm. supposed to be now a little bit too,

like intensity-wise. Before I feel like. I I got like some like superpower that I. like didn't really know how to control. very much. Now I feel like I I have. harnessed it and I know how to control. it a lot better to where it's like, okay, a 10 is too much. Like right now, we got to be a seven. We're in the. locker room. We're about to walk out. let's let's maybe be be at a eight or a. nine right now and and we'll be there. for the fight instead of just 10 hurt. the guy or you know Michael Jordan had a. really good quote where it was either. Michael or Kobe but he was they said.

they never play a game at more than 80%. And I think that that's kind of a cool. way to look at it and that doesn't mean. your effort. I think it means your. intensity level. You can't think at a. 10. Sometimes it gets distracting to. burn all of that like angry energy. It's. just it's just not sustainable, you. know? So, so you're in a position right. now where you're next in line. And when. you look at my Rob, he presents so many.

unique challenges like this is a he's a. there's a few guys that are very. skillful, but they also have unique. physicality, and that's Morab. So, like. when when you see that fight, first of. all, have they given you a date? Uh, they haven't. There I think it's I mean. that stuff takes a little bit. They told. me November, December is when I'm. looking Square Garden. Yeah, maybe. Which I was a little bit against too. because I hate the New York State tax. thing, but uh but also at the same time,

I was in New York recently and I was. like, ah [ __ ] it'd be cool to win it in. one of the like iconic place to win. If. you won the world title in Madison. Square Garden, that means a lot. Yeah, it would mean a lot. There's something. about Madison Square Garden. Like when. you're in the building, you're like, man, a lot of [ __ ] has gone down in this. building. It's huge. It kind of feels. like a gladiator. It's cuz it's just. huge. Like the floor part is huge, you. know? It just feels different. I did. stand up there and just being there and.

walking out to this enormous crowd in. Mass Square Garden. I was like, whoa, cool. This is the [ __ ] garden. center. of it. Yeah. In the round. Oh, you did. it. Oh, so you were like looking in 360. degrees. Did you like that? That's my. favorite way because it's oddly. intimate. So even though there's 16,000. people, the people on this side are. seeing the people laugh on this side and. everyone's seeing everyone laugh and. you're just walking around in a circle. Oh, cool. It's It's oddly intimate for. 16,000 people. It's my favorite way to.

do arenas. I was always really curious. because I've seen standups like that and. I I was like I wonder if that's. distracting for them to have to Yeah. It's the most fun. It's I I thought it. would be distracting too because I've. done arenas where you're on stage facing. the crowd and it feels oddly impersonal. It's like you're just doing a show for. this massive amount of people. It's fun. but that I kind of preferred clubs but a. giant arena in the round seems like a. giant club. It really does. It's like.

but there's some there's a lot of like. doing it in Boston was huge because like. I did the TD Garden because that was. like where I grew up and that's where I. started doing standup but there's. something about Madison Square Garden. for fights where when you go there it's. like there's an extra tingle in the air. like woo boys we're at the garden cool. you know so you fighting Morab at the. garden would be [ __ ] insane. Yeah. it'd be crazy. Um, yeah. When you think. about him, um, what do you think about. this matchup? Like, how do you approach.

it? I think he has some, um, obviously. really good physical traits that make. him like his conditioning is a. superpower that other people don't get. to have and that's unique to him and. he's made a way to weaponize that in a. really smart way. Um, every time I like kind of too. technically break down things, I feel. like I'm trying to be really convincing. instead of uh, you know, just believing. in it, which has always kind of been a. big problem of mine in the past. Has.

always been I need evidence in order to. believe in something, which kind of just. and like with that in in like fighting. for a world champion. What am I going to. just walk in and be like, well, I've. been a world champion before so I could. do it now. Like I don't get that luxury. of doing that to be a world champion. So. recently I've had this realization of. belief in self that Trevor and. Carrington Banks have both helped. instill in me big time. Um where I feel. like approaching Morab is going to be.

unique in its own but I don't need to. tailor what it is that I'm doing too. much to Morab. I've really bought into. this idea where if I can go out and be. the best martial artist that there is in. all areas, be able to wrestle with him, be able to strike with him, be able to. grapple with him, if I can go out and. trust and be that, I can do it. Um, against Umar, I did not. as good of a job with that. I treated.

him like I had to change in order for me. to be able to beat him. Against Morab, I'm not going to do that. I think Morab. also has this narrative buzz around him. where he's an unbeatable. um force of freak of nature who has. conditioning out of whatever. And while. that is true to an extent, that doesn't. mean anything to the fact that the guy. can't be beaten. Um, if I look at myself. as a fighter and break myself down. technically, I would say I'm I'm.

somewhere between Umar and Shawn in the. task that he'll have in front of him. I. think I know that I wrestle a lot better. than Shawn does. Um, although Shawn does. have really good takedown defense, his. process of getting up is just like uh a. little dated and pretty slow. Like. you're going to lose some minutes doing. it the way that Ali does it. Um, I think. that I get up super good. Being tall and. lanky, it's really hard to not let short. little guys get underneath you. Like, that shit's going to happen. Especially. if they're springy and fast in our.

weight class, like they're going to. You. just have to be able to pop right back. up immediately, which I know that I can. do because I fought Umar, who's easily. one of the best wrestlers in the UFC, and I was able to do that whenever I. wanted. Um, so that brings me a lot of. confidence about that. So, I get to. fight Morab with a lot of confidence. going into it about that. Um, on the. striking end of things, I'm obviously, I. think, a way better striker than Morab. is, even though he does make his [ __ ]. work the way that he makes his [ __ ]. work. Um, but I'm honestly not going to.

read too much into it, man. I'm going to. keep worrying about getting better every. single day, um, all the way leading up. to the fight, and I'm going to make. Morab deal with me instead of me having. to deal with Morab. Do you have to do. anything different to deal with that. endurance? I mean, man, I I feel like I try to go. in as every time I feel like there is a. uh there's like a unique thing that you. need to big time prepare for. Um I go in.

shape as best as I physically humanly am. capable of in every single fight that I. go into as long as I'm not hurt or on. antibiotics and and [ __ ] like that. Um. so I already do that kind of so I'm not. going to kind of overthink that piece. Uh, I might run a little bit more. I. hear Morab runs, so maybe I'll run a. little bit more. Uh, um, but no, outside. that, I'll I'll make sure that my legs. are really conditioned. Um, that was a. big one going against Umar, I'll. obviously make sure that I'm conditioned. enough to be able to get my ass back up.

every single time, which is its own spe. like wrestling conditioning is a much. different type of conditioning than. striking. Um, so just make sure that I'm. fully wrestling conditioned for that. fight. And then one of the harder pieces. for people in the sport is to wrestle. then be able to strike like how they. normally do. Um so just being uh just. being conditioned to do that too. Well, I'm pumped for it. I can't wait to. watch. I think you're one of the more. exciting guys in the sport and one of.

the more interesting guys in the sport. I love listening to your thought. process. Very cool. Cool. Thanks. So, thanks for being here, man. Appreciate. you very much. And uh again, I can't. wait. Cool. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks, Joe. Thank you. Thanks for. everything. Yeah, pleasure. All right. Bye, everybody. [Music]. [Applause]. [Music].