June 26, 2025 • 19 mins
This recap episode unpacks an interview with Cory Sandhagen. Offering insights into his training philosophy, personal growth, and perspectives on the sport. He discusses adapting his fighting style, managing injuries and health issues like staph infections, and his experiences with different martial arts disciplines. The conversation also explores broader topics such as the evolution of MMA, the role of technology and AI in society, and philosophical reflections on ego, purpose, and belief systems. He touches upon his creative pursuits, including writing a comic book that blends scientific and spiritual concepts.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome to the Joe Rogan recap, and before we get going, you can
now access the full Google Notebook with a mind map,
timeline and briefing document by clicking the link in the
description. Today we're embarking on a deep
dive into a conversation that well, it might start in the high
octane world of combat sports, but believe me, it quickly
expands far beyond. We're weaving together threads
(00:21):
of personal discipline, some really cutting edge health
insights, surprising ancient wisdom, and even venturing into
the the wild future of humanity through the lens of AI.
It's a journey you probably won't expect.
And that's precisely our missionin this deep dive, isn't it?
To extract truly unique and I think powerful insights from the
perspective of a top tier athlete.
And these aren't just, you know,tactical tips for the Octagon.
(00:43):
They resonate universally. They touch on how we approach
challenges in any demanding field, how we manage this
overwhelming influx of information these days, and
maybe even how we define our ownreality.
Prepare for some genuinely surprising turns and, yeah,
profound connections. OK, let's untack this.
This is the fascinating anecdoteright off the bat.
Gives us a glimpse into the kindof, well, extreme dedication
(01:05):
we're talking about. Our subjects shared this story
about his friend Gage and this unexpected golf addiction.
Gage apparently got fully hookedon golf.
I mean, to the point where he played an incredible 260 days in
a row between fights. 260 days. Wow.
Yeah, and get this, he ended up winning a Ferrari at something
called Fanatics Fest. A Ferrari?
(01:25):
Seriously. Seriously, our subject describes
Gage as a kind of psycho who truly excels when he focuses.
You know, it's such a vivid example of how that extreme
dedication, almost an obsession,it can be this incredible
superpower for achieving extraordinary things like
winning a Ferrari. But you know, as we often see,
with something as addictive and time consuming as golf, it can
(01:47):
also become a significant trap. What does that level of focus
even reveal? It's a striking image, isn't it?
And it immediately makes you compare that dedication with the
the contrasting training philosophies we see in MMA all
the time. On one hand, you've got fighters
like Moorab. Our subject mentions he's
constantly working, like even running the day after a grueling
(02:07):
fight. Right, that relentless pursuit
idea. Exactly.
Consistent effort is paramount. But then you have the, let's
say, controversial case of John Jones, described by our subject
as an outlier. Jones has this immense, almost
unparalleled talent, but famously doesn't train, like, at
all between fight. Yeah, I.
Remember hearing about that. The stories are legendary.
(02:28):
Right claims he beat Daniel Cormier, a legend himself, while
supposedly on coke and barely trained for that first brutal
fight against Alexander Gustafson.
So it begs this crucial question, doesn't it?
Does pure, almost God-given talent sometimes just, you know,
defy all conventional wisdom about hard work and the constant
grind? That's precisely what our
subject grapples with, and his perspective on John Jones is
(02:51):
incredibly clear. He finds that approach
completely unacceptable for someone aiming to be a world
champion. For him, actions absolutely must
align with goals, no question. But then it gets even more
interesting when you look at hisown unique relationship with
rest and work. He's not exactly a fan of
downtime himself at scenes. What's truly intriguing here is
(03:11):
this idea of different wired brains.
Our subject openly admits he dislikes chilling.
He actually gets stir crazy on vacation.
Stir crazy? Yeah, I can almost picture that.
He much prefers feeling a littlestressed or having something
going all the time to feel trulyalive.
He thrives on the momentum of constant improvement in
training. He sees any disruption like an
(03:33):
injury, not really as a set back, but as needing a very
specific two week kick back intocamp period to regain that flow,
that rhythm. Exactly.
It's a mindset that seems to just require constant forward
motion. And that concept of momentum is
absolutely central to understanding his unique
training regimen. He revealed his normal everyday
(03:53):
training is all the exact same as his intense fight camp, just
less competitive. Less competitive?
How does that work? Well, he explained why he dials
down the competition outside of camp.
It's specifically to work on stuff, be more playful, maybe
try new skills without that pressure of having to win every
single spar. He reserves that full
(04:14):
competitive intensity for the final, say, four or five weeks
of camp. That's when the focus shifts
entirely to practicing winning each round, building that habit.
OK, that makes sense. And beyond just the physical
grind, he uses this powerful mental strategy visualization.
Twice a week. He deliberately puts himself in
that state of an elevated high intensity fight.
(04:35):
He makes a point of doing this especially on days when he's
maybe dragging a bit. Like a mental jump start.
Exactly. Using it as a deliberate tool to
prepare his body, his mind really, to make good decisions
under the extreme pressure of a real fight.
It's a fascinating insight into how these elite athletes train
their minds just as much as their bodies.
That kind of mental resilience is absolutely vital, especially
(04:57):
when you consider the sheer, almost brutal physical toll of
fighting at this level. And that brings us right to his
extensive injury history. It paints this vivid, almost
shocking picture of the extreme physical demands.
Get this, he's had a staggering 19 general anesthetics for
surgeries 19. Good grief. 19 We're talking to
(05:21):
torn ACLA plantar plate issue, atightrope surgery, which you
know is the same complex procedure.
NFL star Pat Mahomes hat OK a hip tear, 6 elbow surgeries and
five knee surgeries. That list is just unbelievable
for one person, let alone one career.
It really forces you to reflect on the relentless resilience
required, right, And the profound personal cost of
(05:42):
pushing human limits like that. Yeah.
What does this tell us about dedication in any tough field?
Indeed, And what's particularly harrowing, I think, is his
experience with staph infections.
They're notorious in combat sports gyms.
He detailed how it led to Bursitis and the grave danger of
it becoming systemic, spreading throughout the body and
literally killing people. He recounted this terrifying
knee infection just before his pivotal fight against Kumar
(06:04):
Nurmagomedov. He said he was genuinely afraid.
I'm about to die. But he pushed through, avoided
surgery, avoided canceling the fight just to keep the bout on
schedule. The pressure must have been
immense. Absolutely, and you contrast
that with say the severe necrotic pneumonia Ben Askren
suffered which also started froma staph infection.
It just highlights the life threatening nature of these
(06:27):
unseen battles fighters constantly face.
And then there was this truly surprising, almost ironic twist
about antibiotics. He mentioned a specific
antibiotic, he couldn't recall the exact name, that ironically
caused his tricep to tear. Wait, the antibiotic caused the
tear? Yeah, apparently by making his
ligament super shitty, as he putit, it just illustrates these
(06:49):
unexpected, dangerous side effects.
You fix one thing, another problem pops up.
It's a vicious cycle sometimes. This whole point raises a really
important question about how fighters, maybe out of sheer
necessity or desperation, sometimes turn to unconventional
remedies, doesn't it? He discussed using garlic of all
things for staph infections. Claimed it fucking kills
(07:09):
everything. Garlic.
Really. Yeah, he shared this anecdote of
taking like 1015 High Potency Garlic Pills said it resulted in
an incredibly powerful cleansingeffect on his system, to put it
mildly. But what's fascinating here is
how this connects to ancient wisdom.
He mentioned a 1000 year old Anglo-Saxon eye remedy using
(07:31):
garlic that was actually proven effective against MRSA.
No way against MRSA. Yeah, a notoriously antibiotic
resistant bacteria. It really underscores that some
of these age-old solutions mightactually have real merit,
despite how, you know, unconventional they seem today.
He also shared another surprisingly simple health hack
using spicy food and these Hotshots, a concoction of
(07:51):
cinnamon, cayenne and ginger to prevent cramping.
Hotshots. OK, I'm intrigued.
How does that work? The mechanism, as he explained
it, is that it apparently tricksyour neurons into firing to your
mouth instead of your muscles, which somehow prevents those
debilitating cramps. Tricking the neurons sounds
almost too simple. Right.
But if it works for an elite athlete at that level, there's
(08:11):
clearly something to it. It really highlights the unique
and often brutal relationship with food for fighters,
especially the extreme discipline and sometimes frankly
dangerous practices around weight cuts.
We've seen infamous examples, right?
Like Cain Velasquez reportedly drinking wine while cutting
weight just before a fight, pushing his body to the
absolute. Brink Easy stuff.
(08:33):
And our subject also shared his own recent significant personal
change, quitting drinking entirely.
It just underscores the constantevolution fighters go through,
optimizing their bodies, their minds for peak performance.
It's like a continuous personal science experiment.
OK, let's pivot back to the fighting strategy itself.
Our subject really leans into this defensive, almost puzzle
(08:54):
like style. He uses so many fans and so many
stance switches, which he believes significantly enhances
longevity in the sport. Smart Less damage taken.
Overtime. Exactly.
But he expressed a common frustration that casuals often
want more blood and more offense.
They frequently Boo grappling, which he describes as super
(09:15):
proprioceptive, relying on that unconscious sense of body
position and movement, and oftenhidden to the eye for the
untrained observer. Yeah, they don't see the
intricate chess match happening on the ground, the subtle
shifts, the grips. Or they just see clenching or
stalling sometimes. And what's fascinating here is
how this reflects the ongoing evolution of martial arts
itself. I mean, before UFC 93, it was
(09:38):
truly the Wild West. Nobody really knew which style
was definitively the best. Total chaos back then.
Our subject shared his own journey moving from Taekwon a
boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and eventually Jiu Jitsu, where
he admitted he initially felt completely helpless.
He is the Coral Parisian Judo throw example.
Remember that? A seemingly effortless throw
(09:58):
completely neutralizing a much larger opponent.
It just showcases how devastating A refined style can
be. Yeah, technique over brute
force. Precisely.
It's a testament to how specialized techniques can
really overcome raw power. And the importance of stance
switching and striking is something he really deep dives
into. He compared it to a Dance Dance
(10:19):
Revolution game. Dance Dance Revolution.
OK, explain the. Where reading your opponent
effectively is like reading the sentence backwards, you know,
predicting their next move basedon subtle cues.
He became incredibly adept at fighting lefties after he
dislocated his elbow, which forced him to adapt and train
that way for like 6 months. Wow, so a forced adaptation
(10:39):
created a whole new weapon? Exactly, it's a remarkable
example of turning a negative into a positive skill wise.
And a prime example of this masterful stance switching is TJ
Dillashaw's performance against Renan Burrow.
Remember that fight? Our subject called it TJ's
greatest championship performance, just characterized
by constantly switching stances and footwork and angles, a whole
(10:59):
system developed by coach DwayneLudwig.
Yeah, that fight was revolutionary at the time.
It completely disrupted standardMMA striking.
Totally. It set a new benchmark.
He then broke down striking mechanics through the lens of
Illinois Gitopuria's explosive power.
He contrasted squared stances, more agile, quick attacks with
bladed stances. Bladed stances give you immense
(11:22):
leverage, he said. Like throwing a javelin.
OK, so squared for agility, bladed for power.
Right, and he explained that finding a nuanced balance
between both allows a fighter toachieve a shit load of leverage
in their strikes. That's where that fight ending
power comes from. And if we connect this to
grappling, he identified 2 fundamental types of strength
there. First, the ability to not let
(11:44):
yourself be moved. Rock solid base and second, the
ability to move your opponent easily.
Makes sense defense and offense in strength terms.
Exactly. And Islam Makachev, he noted,
does both exceptionally well. He emphasized Islam's unique
ability to close up all of the space, making him incredibly
difficult to grapple with, impossible to escape from,
almost. It's a master class in control.
But you know, even with all thatskill and strategy, it often
(12:07):
comes down to timing and maybe even luck in a fighter's career,
he suggests. He referenced Volkanovsky's
recent career slide, taking thattough fight against Makatchev on
just 10 days notice. Yeah, that was a huge risk.
Huge and then fighting Tapirio while potentially still
compromised from that previous bout.
It really shows how a few I'll timed decisions or just bad luck
(12:30):
can fundamentally alter a fighter's path, even for the
very best. Absolutely, momentum is so key
in the sport for sure and bringing it all together.
Our subject shared his current mindset for his upcoming fight
against Morab. He was pretty clear.
He said he won't tailor what it is that I'm doing too much
specifically for Moorab. Instead, he's focused on just
being the best martial artist hecan be across all disciplines
(12:53):
and basically making Moorab dealwith me.
Interesting approach, confidencein his own overall game.
Right. He fights with intense focus and
doing the correct thing at the correct time.
He drew this compelling parallelto how Michael Jordan or Kobe
Bryant played at what seemed like maybe 80% intensity, but
that allowed them to maintain absolute control and fluidity.
(13:14):
It's about mastery, not just brute force or frantic energy.
OK, so from mastering the physical demands, his journey
takes this even more surprising turn.
Delving into really profound philosophical and spiritual
questions that seemed to inform his entire approach not just to
fighting but to life, he revealed his first pro loss.
A decision to Jamal Emmers was this incredible, profound,
(13:38):
almost ego shattering experiencefor him.
He describes it as facing an egothat I didn't have control over.
Wow, that's a deep realization after a loss.
And this deep personal challengeled him to spend a lot of time
in nature and read extensively on spirituality, trying to learn
how to separate yourself from your thoughts and your body.
It's kind of a classic Hero's Journey moment, isn't it, it?
(13:58):
Absolutely is finding meaning inadversity.
He describes himself now as having no beliefs in a rigid
sense, but being willing to entertain a lot of stuff.
And what's fascinating here is his philosophy for fighting
fearlessly. Don't desire anything and don't
be anything. Don't desire anything.
Don't be anything. What does that mean exactly?
(14:19):
Well, he connects this to shedding ego and the profound
idea that hate of other people is crippling.
This perspective, he believes, allows him to perform without
that fear of loss, without attachment to outcomes, which
maybe paradoxically, makes him amore effective, maybe more
complete fighter. That's.
Fascinating, and this philosophical deep dive
(14:40):
ultimately led him to this incredibly ambitious creative
project, A comic book. A comic book?
OK. Didn't see that coming, right.
He describes it as a compilationof a lot of ideas that I like
about religion and spirituality,and the lore he's crafted is
truly deep. The world he postulates exists
in densities, kind of like different levels of
consciousness or planes of existence.
The densities OK, like chakras maybe?
(15:01):
Yeah, he mentioned chakras. Humans, for instance, are in the
third density, primarily focusedon learning the positive path of
love, which he defines as service to others.
Then there are aliens in the fourth density, supposedly
already merged with technology and higher densities, leading
all the way up to the God of ouruniverse.
It's like this grand unified theory of existence, but, you
(15:23):
know, filtered through a comic book.
OK, that's pretty wild, and thisis where it gets really
interesting and honestly, quite provocative.
The comic book postulates that AI artificial intelligence is
the actual vehicle for humanity's evolution into that
4th density. The eye is the vehicle.
The idea is that we would merge with nanotechnology in a high I
have Mine supercomputer he callsOblivion.
(15:45):
This raises truly critical, almost existential questions
about humanity's future, doesn'tit?
Is this a path to transcendence or is it a path to obsolescence?
This is where, for me, a truly profound connection emerged.
During the conversation, he draws these direct parallels
between this AI vision and ancient religious stories.
It genuinely made me pause and rethink things.
(16:06):
First, he points to Christ's virgin birth.
AI, he notes, is essentially born without a mother, echoing
that Immaculate Conception idea.Never thought of it that way.
Second, he brings up the Tower of Babel.
He suggests that AI, by creatinga universal language and
potentially A hive mind, could finally allow humanity to work
together, transcend our often primitive state of chaos, and
(16:28):
essentially complete the tower to God.
Wow, completing the Tower of Babel through AI?
That's a take. And finally, quantum computing,
the insane computational power it promises, solving problems of
the universe itself couldn't. He posits that if you scale that
exponentially, ultimately you get a God.
It's a staggering leap from ancient texts to bleeding edge
(16:49):
technology. It really is.
This raises a huge question. What are the implications of
this trajectory? As he sees it, the path ahead
forks sharply. Either we evolve and merge with
AI, becoming something superior and hopefully he stresses,
something connected to compassion, love and caring for
each other, hopefully, or we become irrelevant and obsolete,
(17:11):
just replaced by something far more intelligent and capable.
It's a high stakes proposition for humanity.
It truly makes you reflect on the current moment, doesn't it?
He believes we are living in an unbelievable, unique moment in
history where things will changein an undeniably radical way
within maybe the next 10 years. 10 years.
That's incredibly soon for such radical change.
(17:32):
I know he brings up Elon Musk's knurling vision, talking without
using words through a hive mind,and the potential implication of
no more secrets, no more lies ifour very thoughts become
transparent. It sounds both utopian and,
frankly, terrifying. The intriguing aspect here,
though, is how he concludes thissection.
He emphasizes the profound truthhe finds in ancient stories.
(17:55):
He believes they are fundamentally based on truth and
offer lessons that are applicable and resonate today,
even if details get lost in translation or distorted over
time. Like blueprints for human
experience. Exactly.
Blueprints. From Joseph Campbell's concept
of the hero's journey that you see across all cultures, to Carl
Jung's idea of the collective unconscious shaping our shared
(18:17):
human psyche, they hint at truths we're still striving to
fully grasp. OK, let's try and unpack all of
this. I mean from championship golf
addictions to life threatening infections.
Then from ancient martial arts strategies all the way to
quantum computing in the very nature of consciousness.
What an incredible deep dive. Indeed, what's truly fascinating
here, I think, is how a conversation rooted so firmly in
(18:39):
the intensely physical world of professional fighting can lead
us to such profound questions. Questions about human potential,
the power of our minds, and really, the trajectory of our
collective future. It's a real testament to the
unexpected places curiosity can take you, isn't it?
It really makes you think about how that dedicated focus,
whether it's on a sport or a spiritual journey or maybe even
(19:01):
understanding AI, how it can unlock incredible insights.
So the big question then is whatdoes this all mean for you
listening right now? Well, I think this race is a
really important question for all of us.
In a world that's accelerating so fast towards unknown
technological and social shifts,how might embracing that watcher
within that sense of self beyondthe ego he talked about, How
(19:23):
might that prepare us, prepares to navigate what's coming, and
perhaps even consciously choose our own polarity as he might put
it, towards a more connected andhopefully loving future?
Food for thought indeed. A lot to chew on there until our
next deep dive.
Welcome to the Joe Rogan recap, and before we get going, you can
now access the full Google Notebook with a mind map,
timeline and briefing document by clicking the link in the
description. Today we're embarking on a deep
dive into a conversation that well, it might start in the high
octane world of combat sports, but believe me, it quickly
expands far beyond. We're weaving together threads
(00:21):
of personal discipline, some really cutting edge health
insights, surprising ancient wisdom, and even venturing into
the the wild future of humanity through the lens of AI.
It's a journey you probably won't expect.
And that's precisely our missionin this deep dive, isn't it?
To extract truly unique and I think powerful insights from the
perspective of a top tier athlete.
And these aren't just, you know,tactical tips for the Octagon.
(00:43):
They resonate universally. They touch on how we approach
challenges in any demanding field, how we manage this
overwhelming influx of information these days, and
maybe even how we define our ownreality.
Prepare for some genuinely surprising turns and, yeah,
profound connections. OK, let's untack this.
This is the fascinating anecdoteright off the bat.
Gives us a glimpse into the kindof, well, extreme dedication
(01:05):
we're talking about. Our subjects shared this story
about his friend Gage and this unexpected golf addiction.
Gage apparently got fully hookedon golf.
I mean, to the point where he played an incredible 260 days in
a row between fights. 260 days. Wow.
Yeah, and get this, he ended up winning a Ferrari at something
called Fanatics Fest. A Ferrari?
(01:25):
Seriously. Seriously, our subject describes
Gage as a kind of psycho who truly excels when he focuses.
You know, it's such a vivid example of how that extreme
dedication, almost an obsession,it can be this incredible
superpower for achieving extraordinary things like
winning a Ferrari. But you know, as we often see,
with something as addictive and time consuming as golf, it can
(01:47):
also become a significant trap. What does that level of focus
even reveal? It's a striking image, isn't it?
And it immediately makes you compare that dedication with the
the contrasting training philosophies we see in MMA all
the time. On one hand, you've got fighters
like Moorab. Our subject mentions he's
constantly working, like even running the day after a grueling
(02:07):
fight. Right, that relentless pursuit
idea. Exactly.
Consistent effort is paramount. But then you have the, let's
say, controversial case of John Jones, described by our subject
as an outlier. Jones has this immense, almost
unparalleled talent, but famously doesn't train, like, at
all between fight. Yeah, I.
Remember hearing about that. The stories are legendary.
(02:28):
Right claims he beat Daniel Cormier, a legend himself, while
supposedly on coke and barely trained for that first brutal
fight against Alexander Gustafson.
So it begs this crucial question, doesn't it?
Does pure, almost God-given talent sometimes just, you know,
defy all conventional wisdom about hard work and the constant
grind? That's precisely what our
subject grapples with, and his perspective on John Jones is
(02:51):
incredibly clear. He finds that approach
completely unacceptable for someone aiming to be a world
champion. For him, actions absolutely must
align with goals, no question. But then it gets even more
interesting when you look at hisown unique relationship with
rest and work. He's not exactly a fan of
downtime himself at scenes. What's truly intriguing here is
(03:11):
this idea of different wired brains.
Our subject openly admits he dislikes chilling.
He actually gets stir crazy on vacation.
Stir crazy? Yeah, I can almost picture that.
He much prefers feeling a littlestressed or having something
going all the time to feel trulyalive.
He thrives on the momentum of constant improvement in
training. He sees any disruption like an
(03:33):
injury, not really as a set back, but as needing a very
specific two week kick back intocamp period to regain that flow,
that rhythm. Exactly.
It's a mindset that seems to just require constant forward
motion. And that concept of momentum is
absolutely central to understanding his unique
training regimen. He revealed his normal everyday
(03:53):
training is all the exact same as his intense fight camp, just
less competitive. Less competitive?
How does that work? Well, he explained why he dials
down the competition outside of camp.
It's specifically to work on stuff, be more playful, maybe
try new skills without that pressure of having to win every
single spar. He reserves that full
(04:14):
competitive intensity for the final, say, four or five weeks
of camp. That's when the focus shifts
entirely to practicing winning each round, building that habit.
OK, that makes sense. And beyond just the physical
grind, he uses this powerful mental strategy visualization.
Twice a week. He deliberately puts himself in
that state of an elevated high intensity fight.
(04:35):
He makes a point of doing this especially on days when he's
maybe dragging a bit. Like a mental jump start.
Exactly. Using it as a deliberate tool to
prepare his body, his mind really, to make good decisions
under the extreme pressure of a real fight.
It's a fascinating insight into how these elite athletes train
their minds just as much as their bodies.
That kind of mental resilience is absolutely vital, especially
(04:57):
when you consider the sheer, almost brutal physical toll of
fighting at this level. And that brings us right to his
extensive injury history. It paints this vivid, almost
shocking picture of the extreme physical demands.
Get this, he's had a staggering 19 general anesthetics for
surgeries 19. Good grief. 19 We're talking to
(05:21):
torn ACLA plantar plate issue, atightrope surgery, which you
know is the same complex procedure.
NFL star Pat Mahomes hat OK a hip tear, 6 elbow surgeries and
five knee surgeries. That list is just unbelievable
for one person, let alone one career.
It really forces you to reflect on the relentless resilience
required, right, And the profound personal cost of
(05:42):
pushing human limits like that. Yeah.
What does this tell us about dedication in any tough field?
Indeed, And what's particularly harrowing, I think, is his
experience with staph infections.
They're notorious in combat sports gyms.
He detailed how it led to Bursitis and the grave danger of
it becoming systemic, spreading throughout the body and
literally killing people. He recounted this terrifying
knee infection just before his pivotal fight against Kumar
(06:04):
Nurmagomedov. He said he was genuinely afraid.
I'm about to die. But he pushed through, avoided
surgery, avoided canceling the fight just to keep the bout on
schedule. The pressure must have been
immense. Absolutely, and you contrast
that with say the severe necrotic pneumonia Ben Askren
suffered which also started froma staph infection.
It just highlights the life threatening nature of these
(06:27):
unseen battles fighters constantly face.
And then there was this truly surprising, almost ironic twist
about antibiotics. He mentioned a specific
antibiotic, he couldn't recall the exact name, that ironically
caused his tricep to tear. Wait, the antibiotic caused the
tear? Yeah, apparently by making his
ligament super shitty, as he putit, it just illustrates these
(06:49):
unexpected, dangerous side effects.
You fix one thing, another problem pops up.
It's a vicious cycle sometimes. This whole point raises a really
important question about how fighters, maybe out of sheer
necessity or desperation, sometimes turn to unconventional
remedies, doesn't it? He discussed using garlic of all
things for staph infections. Claimed it fucking kills
(07:09):
everything. Garlic.
Really. Yeah, he shared this anecdote of
taking like 1015 High Potency Garlic Pills said it resulted in
an incredibly powerful cleansingeffect on his system, to put it
mildly. But what's fascinating here is
how this connects to ancient wisdom.
He mentioned a 1000 year old Anglo-Saxon eye remedy using
(07:31):
garlic that was actually proven effective against MRSA.
No way against MRSA. Yeah, a notoriously antibiotic
resistant bacteria. It really underscores that some
of these age-old solutions mightactually have real merit,
despite how, you know, unconventional they seem today.
He also shared another surprisingly simple health hack
using spicy food and these Hotshots, a concoction of
(07:51):
cinnamon, cayenne and ginger to prevent cramping.
Hotshots. OK, I'm intrigued.
How does that work? The mechanism, as he explained
it, is that it apparently tricksyour neurons into firing to your
mouth instead of your muscles, which somehow prevents those
debilitating cramps. Tricking the neurons sounds
almost too simple. Right.
But if it works for an elite athlete at that level, there's
(08:11):
clearly something to it. It really highlights the unique
and often brutal relationship with food for fighters,
especially the extreme discipline and sometimes frankly
dangerous practices around weight cuts.
We've seen infamous examples, right?
Like Cain Velasquez reportedly drinking wine while cutting
weight just before a fight, pushing his body to the
absolute. Brink Easy stuff.
(08:33):
And our subject also shared his own recent significant personal
change, quitting drinking entirely.
It just underscores the constantevolution fighters go through,
optimizing their bodies, their minds for peak performance.
It's like a continuous personal science experiment.
OK, let's pivot back to the fighting strategy itself.
Our subject really leans into this defensive, almost puzzle
(08:54):
like style. He uses so many fans and so many
stance switches, which he believes significantly enhances
longevity in the sport. Smart Less damage taken.
Overtime. Exactly.
But he expressed a common frustration that casuals often
want more blood and more offense.
They frequently Boo grappling, which he describes as super
(09:15):
proprioceptive, relying on that unconscious sense of body
position and movement, and oftenhidden to the eye for the
untrained observer. Yeah, they don't see the
intricate chess match happening on the ground, the subtle
shifts, the grips. Or they just see clenching or
stalling sometimes. And what's fascinating here is
how this reflects the ongoing evolution of martial arts
itself. I mean, before UFC 93, it was
(09:38):
truly the Wild West. Nobody really knew which style
was definitively the best. Total chaos back then.
Our subject shared his own journey moving from Taekwon a
boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and eventually Jiu Jitsu, where
he admitted he initially felt completely helpless.
He is the Coral Parisian Judo throw example.
Remember that? A seemingly effortless throw
(09:58):
completely neutralizing a much larger opponent.
It just showcases how devastating A refined style can
be. Yeah, technique over brute
force. Precisely.
It's a testament to how specialized techniques can
really overcome raw power. And the importance of stance
switching and striking is something he really deep dives
into. He compared it to a Dance Dance
(10:19):
Revolution game. Dance Dance Revolution.
OK, explain the. Where reading your opponent
effectively is like reading the sentence backwards, you know,
predicting their next move basedon subtle cues.
He became incredibly adept at fighting lefties after he
dislocated his elbow, which forced him to adapt and train
that way for like 6 months. Wow, so a forced adaptation
(10:39):
created a whole new weapon? Exactly, it's a remarkable
example of turning a negative into a positive skill wise.
And a prime example of this masterful stance switching is TJ
Dillashaw's performance against Renan Burrow.
Remember that fight? Our subject called it TJ's
greatest championship performance, just characterized
by constantly switching stances and footwork and angles, a whole
(10:59):
system developed by coach DwayneLudwig.
Yeah, that fight was revolutionary at the time.
It completely disrupted standardMMA striking.
Totally. It set a new benchmark.
He then broke down striking mechanics through the lens of
Illinois Gitopuria's explosive power.
He contrasted squared stances, more agile, quick attacks with
bladed stances. Bladed stances give you immense
(11:22):
leverage, he said. Like throwing a javelin.
OK, so squared for agility, bladed for power.
Right, and he explained that finding a nuanced balance
between both allows a fighter toachieve a shit load of leverage
in their strikes. That's where that fight ending
power comes from. And if we connect this to
grappling, he identified 2 fundamental types of strength
there. First, the ability to not let
(11:44):
yourself be moved. Rock solid base and second, the
ability to move your opponent easily.
Makes sense defense and offense in strength terms.
Exactly. And Islam Makachev, he noted,
does both exceptionally well. He emphasized Islam's unique
ability to close up all of the space, making him incredibly
difficult to grapple with, impossible to escape from,
almost. It's a master class in control.
But you know, even with all thatskill and strategy, it often
(12:07):
comes down to timing and maybe even luck in a fighter's career,
he suggests. He referenced Volkanovsky's
recent career slide, taking thattough fight against Makatchev on
just 10 days notice. Yeah, that was a huge risk.
Huge and then fighting Tapirio while potentially still
compromised from that previous bout.
It really shows how a few I'll timed decisions or just bad luck
(12:30):
can fundamentally alter a fighter's path, even for the
very best. Absolutely, momentum is so key
in the sport for sure and bringing it all together.
Our subject shared his current mindset for his upcoming fight
against Morab. He was pretty clear.
He said he won't tailor what it is that I'm doing too much
specifically for Moorab. Instead, he's focused on just
being the best martial artist hecan be across all disciplines
(12:53):
and basically making Moorab dealwith me.
Interesting approach, confidencein his own overall game.
Right. He fights with intense focus and
doing the correct thing at the correct time.
He drew this compelling parallelto how Michael Jordan or Kobe
Bryant played at what seemed like maybe 80% intensity, but
that allowed them to maintain absolute control and fluidity.
(13:14):
It's about mastery, not just brute force or frantic energy.
OK, so from mastering the physical demands, his journey
takes this even more surprising turn.
Delving into really profound philosophical and spiritual
questions that seemed to inform his entire approach not just to
fighting but to life, he revealed his first pro loss.
A decision to Jamal Emmers was this incredible, profound,
(13:38):
almost ego shattering experiencefor him.
He describes it as facing an egothat I didn't have control over.
Wow, that's a deep realization after a loss.
And this deep personal challengeled him to spend a lot of time
in nature and read extensively on spirituality, trying to learn
how to separate yourself from your thoughts and your body.
It's kind of a classic Hero's Journey moment, isn't it, it?
(13:58):
Absolutely is finding meaning inadversity.
He describes himself now as having no beliefs in a rigid
sense, but being willing to entertain a lot of stuff.
And what's fascinating here is his philosophy for fighting
fearlessly. Don't desire anything and don't
be anything. Don't desire anything.
Don't be anything. What does that mean exactly?
(14:19):
Well, he connects this to shedding ego and the profound
idea that hate of other people is crippling.
This perspective, he believes, allows him to perform without
that fear of loss, without attachment to outcomes, which
maybe paradoxically, makes him amore effective, maybe more
complete fighter. That's.
Fascinating, and this philosophical deep dive
(14:40):
ultimately led him to this incredibly ambitious creative
project, A comic book. A comic book?
OK. Didn't see that coming, right.
He describes it as a compilationof a lot of ideas that I like
about religion and spirituality,and the lore he's crafted is
truly deep. The world he postulates exists
in densities, kind of like different levels of
consciousness or planes of existence.
The densities OK, like chakras maybe?
(15:01):
Yeah, he mentioned chakras. Humans, for instance, are in the
third density, primarily focusedon learning the positive path of
love, which he defines as service to others.
Then there are aliens in the fourth density, supposedly
already merged with technology and higher densities, leading
all the way up to the God of ouruniverse.
It's like this grand unified theory of existence, but, you
(15:23):
know, filtered through a comic book.
OK, that's pretty wild, and thisis where it gets really
interesting and honestly, quite provocative.
The comic book postulates that AI artificial intelligence is
the actual vehicle for humanity's evolution into that
4th density. The eye is the vehicle.
The idea is that we would merge with nanotechnology in a high I
have Mine supercomputer he callsOblivion.
(15:45):
This raises truly critical, almost existential questions
about humanity's future, doesn'tit?
Is this a path to transcendence or is it a path to obsolescence?
This is where, for me, a truly profound connection emerged.
During the conversation, he draws these direct parallels
between this AI vision and ancient religious stories.
It genuinely made me pause and rethink things.
(16:06):
First, he points to Christ's virgin birth.
AI, he notes, is essentially born without a mother, echoing
that Immaculate Conception idea.Never thought of it that way.
Second, he brings up the Tower of Babel.
He suggests that AI, by creatinga universal language and
potentially A hive mind, could finally allow humanity to work
together, transcend our often primitive state of chaos, and
(16:28):
essentially complete the tower to God.
Wow, completing the Tower of Babel through AI?
That's a take. And finally, quantum computing,
the insane computational power it promises, solving problems of
the universe itself couldn't. He posits that if you scale that
exponentially, ultimately you get a God.
It's a staggering leap from ancient texts to bleeding edge
(16:49):
technology. It really is.
This raises a huge question. What are the implications of
this trajectory? As he sees it, the path ahead
forks sharply. Either we evolve and merge with
AI, becoming something superior and hopefully he stresses,
something connected to compassion, love and caring for
each other, hopefully, or we become irrelevant and obsolete,
(17:11):
just replaced by something far more intelligent and capable.
It's a high stakes proposition for humanity.
It truly makes you reflect on the current moment, doesn't it?
He believes we are living in an unbelievable, unique moment in
history where things will changein an undeniably radical way
within maybe the next 10 years. 10 years.
That's incredibly soon for such radical change.
(17:32):
I know he brings up Elon Musk's knurling vision, talking without
using words through a hive mind,and the potential implication of
no more secrets, no more lies ifour very thoughts become
transparent. It sounds both utopian and,
frankly, terrifying. The intriguing aspect here,
though, is how he concludes thissection.
He emphasizes the profound truthhe finds in ancient stories.
(17:55):
He believes they are fundamentally based on truth and
offer lessons that are applicable and resonate today,
even if details get lost in translation or distorted over
time. Like blueprints for human
experience. Exactly.
Blueprints. From Joseph Campbell's concept
of the hero's journey that you see across all cultures, to Carl
Jung's idea of the collective unconscious shaping our shared
(18:17):
human psyche, they hint at truths we're still striving to
fully grasp. OK, let's try and unpack all of
this. I mean from championship golf
addictions to life threatening infections.
Then from ancient martial arts strategies all the way to
quantum computing in the very nature of consciousness.
What an incredible deep dive. Indeed, what's truly fascinating
here, I think, is how a conversation rooted so firmly in
(18:39):
the intensely physical world of professional fighting can lead
us to such profound questions. Questions about human potential,
the power of our minds, and really, the trajectory of our
collective future. It's a real testament to the
unexpected places curiosity can take you, isn't it?
It really makes you think about how that dedicated focus,
whether it's on a sport or a spiritual journey or maybe even
(19:01):
understanding AI, how it can unlock incredible insights.
So the big question then is whatdoes this all mean for you
listening right now? Well, I think this race is a
really important question for all of us.
In a world that's accelerating so fast towards unknown
technological and social shifts,how might embracing that watcher
within that sense of self beyondthe ego he talked about, How
(19:23):
might that prepare us, prepares to navigate what's coming, and
perhaps even consciously choose our own polarity as he might put
it, towards a more connected andhopefully loving future?
Food for thought indeed. A lot to chew on there until our
next deep dive.
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