Joe Rogan Experience #1532 - Mike Tyson

1. 0:00 – 15:00

   (drumming music) Joe Rogan podcast,…

   1. MTMike Tyson0:00

      (drumming music) Joe Rogan podcast, check it out.

   2. JRJoe Rogan0:04

      The Joe Rogan Experience. Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. (rock music) So a friend of mine who's a giant boxing fan, he sends me this text message. He goes, "Dude, check this shit out." And it's you training with Rafael Cordeiro. And I remember looking at it going, "Oh, shit. What happened?" What happened? Because the last time you were in here, you were talking about how you didn't want to work out-

   3. MTMike Tyson0:30

      Yeah.

   4. JRJoe Rogan0:31

      ... because it would ignite the ego.

   5. MTMike Tyson0:33

      Hey, let's talk about that too.

   6. JRJoe Rogan0:35

      (laughs)

   7. MTMike Tyson0:36

      So, um, I was discussing with my wife something about me being overweight. You know, when you have to, you have... Sometimes want to complain to your wife but you want to take it out on her in some-

   8. JRJoe Rogan0:45

      Right.

   9. MTMike Tyson0:45

      ... kind of perspective. And she said, "Well, why don't you just get on the, um, treadmill for 15 minutes a day?" I said, "Ah." She said, "Just 15 minutes." So it went from 15 minutes a day to two hours a day.

   10. JRJoe Rogan0:57

       (laughs)

   11. MTMike Tyson0:57

       And, um-

   12. JRJoe Rogan0:59

       That's what you were worried about.

   13. MTMike Tyson1:01

       Yeah, exactly. Um, but I was complaining about my weight and so, um, I don't know. I guess I tried on some clothing and it was disastrous. And so I was worried about my weight, and she told me the 15 minute route and it went two hours a day. And, um, I just started losing weight. And then, um, somebody... 'Cause my brother-in-law said, "Hey, Mike, man, I know you're not gonna win, but somebody said would you fight this guy for like 40 million or 30 million bucks?" I said, "Man, get the f-" I went, "Whoa." I said, "Ho." Then something went ding.

   14. JRJoe Rogan1:32

       (laughs)

   15. MTMike Tyson1:32

       I was just getting ready to get the fuck... I said, "Whoa." And I said, like, "Well, who would they like me to fight?" And he said, "One minute." And he called. Then it's Bob Sapp. I said okay. And so I'm saying to myself, "Well, I know Bob." And I said, "Ho." 'Cause I know Bob is big and strong. I said, "Ho, one minute. How would they like me to fight him? Can I fight him under the markers of Queensberry Rules?" And he said, "One minute, Mike." He asked the guy. The guy said yes. I said, "I'll fight him." Right? And so-

   16. JRJoe Rogan1:59

       So it was Bob Sapp was the first one that was brought up?

   17. MTMike Tyson2:02

       Yeah, and so on from... (gasps)

   18. JRJoe Rogan2:03

       For people who don't know Bob Sapp, Bob Sapp was a giant fighter in PRIDE.

   19. MTMike Tyson2:07

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan2:07

       At one time he was like 375 pounds.

   21. MTMike Tyson2:09

       And solid muscle.

   22. JRJoe Rogan2:09

       He was fighting all the kickboxers. Solid muscle.

   23. MTMike Tyson2:12

       And, um-

   24. JRJoe Rogan2:12

       With abs.

   25. MTMike Tyson2:13

       It's incredible, right? And, um, it went from him to somebody else, then another guy, then the MMA, then this guy, and then somehow, no, some other fighters, Evander, then it went from... Who else? There was another heavyweight champ. It was just a bunch of guys up here they fight, and next thing you know, it came down to Roy. I said how did this... And I'm like I don't know what the hell's going on. And then he signed the contract, I signed the contract. Next thing you know I'm in the gym again and it's disastrous. (laughs)

   26. JRJoe Rogan2:40

       (laughs)

   27. MTMike Tyson2:40

       I'm trying to get in this shape. I'm saying to Mike, "Did I really do this shit?"

   28. JRJoe Rogan2:44

       (laughs)

   29. MTMike Tyson2:44

       Whoa. (clapping)

   30. JRJoe Rogan2:46

       (laughs)
2. 15:00 – 30:00

   Well, it's certainly a,…

   1. MTMike Tyson15:00

      it was Shannon and some other guys from, um, MMA and then Roy turned out to be the right guy. I guess we did a survey and Roy popped up the winner-

   2. JRJoe Rogan15:11

      Well, it's certainly a, a giant name.

   3. MTMike Tyson15:13

      ... on, on the Holyfield, on top of Holyfield, won it at.

   4. JRJoe Rogan15:15

      Yeah, yeah, Holyfield would be a great one too, but it's, uh, just having a guy like that that has that big name, that is also an all-time great, and that also wants to do it too, and to get the public excited. I mean, I think it's a perfect fight to get the public excited.

   5. MTMike Tyson15:26

      Exactly.

   6. JRJoe Rogan15:28

      So, do you think that once you fight Roy that that'll be it? Or do you think this is just going to be the beginning of this new chapter in your life?

   7. MTMike Tyson15:36

      I, I believe this is just going to be, be the beginning and whatever happens, happens in life. This is pretty interesting being on here talking to you and knowing that, um, the extent of the wavelength of people are gonna hear this stuff is pretty interesting because this is now, this is true. It's really going on, it's no longer in my head and I'm stroking it. It's real. And it's like, "Wow."

   8. JRJoe Rogan15:57

      Yeah, it's wow.

   9. MTMike Tyson15:58

      Yeah.

   10. JRJoe Rogan15:58

       I, yeah, I can't wait, man. I want to be there. I want to see it.

   11. MTMike Tyson16:01

       Hey, um, down the street here (laughs) .

   12. JRJoe Rogan16:04

       (laughs) I'll come back.

   13. MTMike Tyson16:05

       At the Digni- Digni- now I forgot the name of... the Dignity Center?

   14. JRJoe Rogan16:08

       Mm-hmm. That's where it's gonna be?

   15. MTMike Tyson16:09

       Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan16:10

       Yeah. And is it gonna be an audience? It can't be an audience yet, right?

   17. MTMike Tyson16:12

       I don't believe audience. I believe only like, I don't know, what, what, what I'm gonna say? Entourage?

   18. JRJoe Rogan16:17

       Right.

   19. MTMike Tyson16:17

       They call it-

   20. JRJoe Rogan16:18

       Small amount of people.

   21. MTMike Tyson16:18

       ... our groups. Yeah, our family fight group.

   22. JRJoe Rogan16:21

       And this is gonna be eight rounds?

   23. MTMike Tyson16:22

       I believe so, yeah.

   24. JRJoe Rogan16:24

       Yeah. So how did, how did you arrive on eight rounds?

   25. MTMike Tyson16:26

       Hey, listen, um, beats the hell out of me. I wanted to do the exhibition, I wanted to help the people. I said, "Why the hell you gotta fuck around about it?" Now I'm getting in condition and we're gonna do this stuff.

   26. JRJoe Rogan16:37

       Well, eight rounds gives you enough time to work. Gives people enough time to get excited about it.

   27. MTMike Tyson16:42

       Yeah.

   28. JRJoe Rogan16:42

       Um, when, when you think about, uh, an eight round fight, um, do you, do you feel... see, see yourself moving into 10 rounds and 12 rounds in the future? And how-

   29. MTMike Tyson16:50

       Um, we don't know what the future holds, but we're looking forward to just having fun and doing it for, um, a purpose or reason.

   30. JRJoe Rogan16:58

       'Cause people were talking about you literally fighting for the title again.
3. 30:00 – 45:00

   Oh, man. …

   1. JRJoe Rogan30:00

      it, he's just all fucked up just like me.

   2. MTMike Tyson30:02

      Oh, man.

   3. JRJoe Rogan30:02

      Yeah.

   4. MTMike Tyson30:02

      But if I'm drunk, I'm gonna blow their brain (laughs) out of my head!

   5. JRJoe Rogan30:05

      (laughs)

   6. MTMike Tyson30:08

      (laughs) Oh, God.

   7. JRJoe Rogan30:08

      Yeah, but the, the, the fighting thing, the, that, the, to feed that, that experience is a ... It's a different experience. And it's, it's, it's gotta be so hard for a world championship fighter of your caliber to exist with, like, regular, normal, boring life. You know, when you're training and you, you're ramping yourself up for a big fight, and then you have that big fight, and you, you know, you knock out Spinks in front of the whole world. And you, you, you're walking around the ring, and you're on the cover of every magazine, that ... The highs of that, the accomplishment, the training, and then the competing itself is the ... The experience is so alien to most people, that when you walk around with regular folks in regular life, it's gotta, it's, uh, gotta be hard to exist.

   8. MTMike Tyson30:55

      No, it's not. It's just that, um, you have to know who you can be at certain times of your life. No one knows who they are. 'Cause if you knew, if you knew who you were right now, you'd be really limited.

   9. JRJoe Rogan31:07

      Mm-hmm.

   10. MTMike Tyson31:07

       You know, 'cause life is about change. You're gonna be to- ... Then five years from now, you'd be a different person, won't be this person.

   11. JRJoe Rogan31:12

       Right.

   12. MTMike Tyson31:12

       So we're gonna, we're gonna have to have, uh, develop some kind of emotional intelligence, and just learn to gr- ... As time goes on, grasp what's ever going on, and just form with it. As it change, you change with it. 'Cause it's very difficult when times change, to change with the times.

   13. JRJoe Rogan31:29

       Right.

   14. MTMike Tyson31:30

       And you have to be conscious of that. And the times is not the people around you. The time is the development and time you have left on this planet that you have to develop who you are.

   15. JRJoe Rogan31:41

       How difficult is it to make that change, though, to become a different person other than a world championship fighter? Like, when you decided to stop, was it difficult?

   16. MTMike Tyson31:49

       Well, time will make you that person.

   17. JRJoe Rogan31:51

       Time will.

   18. MTMike Tyson31:52

       Yeah. Time will make you that person. What is time? I don't know.

   19. JRJoe Rogan31:55

       Right. But time has also made you that person again now, though.

   20. MTMike Tyson31:59

       (sighs)

   21. JRJoe Rogan31:59

       Now, now it's reignited. Now new time has come, and now you're training again.

   22. MTMike Tyson32:05

       Exactly. But I think this is done mostly for my health, for my, uh, mortality more than anything. Subconsciously, I think, that's what th- ... What's the reason why I did it, just to get healthy.

   23. JRJoe Rogan32:17

       To get in shape, to be healthy.

   24. MTMike Tyson32:18

       Yeah. And then this stuff goes on, then this, and then I meet a doctor that say, "Hey, you know, you should do this and this. And you should try, um, stem cell. I'm like, "You never tried stem cell-..." But this is what really got me interested in this stuff. I saw ... I interviewed, which I'd like to do you as well, on my podcast. If you, if you're licensed to do it, is your contact won't let you do it.

   25. JRJoe Rogan32:39

       Oh, yeah, for sure.

   26. MTMike Tyson32:40

       So, um, I had the opportunity to, um, talk to Ken Shamrock.

   27. JRJoe Rogan32:47

       Okay.

   28. MTMike Tyson32:47

       And so he came in, and I looked at him. I said, "What?" He looked incredible. I said, "What the fuck? Hey, what are you doing right now?"

   29. JRJoe Rogan32:52

       (laughs)

   30. MTMike Tyson32:52

       "Why you look like that?"
4. 45:00 – 1:00:00

   Right, right. …

   1. MTMike Tyson45:00

      wasn't listening. (laughs)

   2. JRJoe Rogan45:01

      Right, right.

   3. MTMike Tyson45:01

      And so I had to, like you said, I had to develop that relationship. And the second time I sparred, that was bet- that was so much better, yeah.

   4. JRJoe Rogan45:09

      Yeah.

   5. MTMike Tyson45:10

      I wasn't rushing and trying to hurt nobody, kill nobody. I was just trying to-

   6. JRJoe Rogan45:13

      Get working.

   7. MTMike Tyson45:14

      ... accomplish stuff. Yeah.

   8. JRJoe Rogan45:15

      Yeah, just get working.

   9. MTMike Tyson45:16

      Yeah.

   10. JRJoe Rogan45:16

       And how often are you sparring a week?

   11. MTMike Tyson45:18

       Um, when I go back to sparring, I like sparring every day.

   12. JRJoe Rogan45:22

       Really? Every day?

   13. MTMike Tyson45:23

       I do, yeah.

   14. JRJoe Rogan45:23

       Yeah?

   15. MTMike Tyson45:23

       Because the more you do it, the better it is.

   16. JRJoe Rogan45:25

       Right, the more your timing is-

   17. MTMike Tyson45:26

       Yeah.

   18. JRJoe Rogan45:26

       ... the better you feel. What are your thoughts on, like, some people think that you can spar too much, then you leave too much in the gym 'cause you get hit too much in, in camp?

   19. MTMike Tyson45:34

       Well, that's the whole thing you learn in camp, not to get hit.

   20. JRJoe Rogan45:37

       Mm-hmm.

   21. MTMike Tyson45:37

       That's the art of boxing, learning not to get hit in a fight, and you have to do that-

   22. JRJoe Rogan45:41

       Right.

   23. MTMike Tyson45:41

       ... by trying to get hit in the gym-

   24. JRJoe Rogan45:43

       Yeah.

   25. MTMike Tyson45:43

       ... real seriously and avoiding that. And then it turns out in the fight... So you shouldn't be in the gym saying, "I've been hit too much," because you shouldn't get hit 'cause that should be the objective of fighting, not to get hit as much as you believe you are.

   26. JRJoe Rogan45:57

       What do you say to a fighter that sees themselves getting hit too much, though, in sparring? Do you, do you tell them to take some time off, or do you say-

   27. MTMike Tyson46:04

       You know, know what I say? I try to teach them how not to a- to avoid those punches, and if he doesn't, I don't really wanna have much to do with somebody 'cause I don't wanna be involved with somebody getting hit and getting hurt-

   28. JRJoe Rogan46:16

       Right.

   29. MTMike Tyson46:16

       ... and stuff like that.

   30. JRJoe Rogan46:18

       Well, I know you were doing a lot of, uh, coaching of, uh, just even little s- small sessions with different fighters, and-
5. 1:00:00 – 1:09:11

   Yes. …

   1. MTMike Tyson1:00:00

      why? You remember when I used to do those rolls on my head?

   2. JRJoe Rogan1:00:03

      Yes.

   3. MTMike Tyson1:00:04

      The football roll?

   4. JRJoe Rogan1:00:04

      Yes. Yeah, bridges.

   5. MTMike Tyson1:00:06

      Oh, they, they destroyed me in the head.

   6. JRJoe Rogan1:00:07

      They destroy your neck. Yeah.

   7. MTMike Tyson1:00:07

      I would do them... This is interesting. I would do them for three minutes, then stop a minute, do them for three minutes. So I'd do it for five or six rounds, eight rounds.... and as time went on, they just beat me up and that thing.

   8. JRJoe Rogan1:00:16

      That gave you a crazy fucking neck though, man.

   9. MTMike Tyson1:00:19

      Yeah. Uh, um, 20 inches.

   10. JRJoe Rogan1:00:20

       Your neck used to start ... Your neck used to start at your temples and just go straight down.

   11. MTMike Tyson1:00:24

       You need a-

   12. JRJoe Rogan1:00:24

       It's huge.

   13. MTMike Tyson1:00:24

       For fighting, you need a good neck.

   14. JRJoe Rogan1:00:26

       Are you doing anything to strengthen your neck now?

   15. MTMike Tyson1:00:28

       Yes, I have the weight stuff.

   16. JRJoe Rogan1:00:29

       Mm-hmm.

   17. MTMike Tyson1:00:30

       Just put this here.

   18. JRJoe Rogan1:00:30

       You ever use the iron neck? Do you ever, you know that device?

   19. MTMike Tyson1:00:32

       Tell me about that. No.

   20. JRJoe Rogan1:00:33

       It's a Halo. I'll give you one. I have one in the back. I- i- it's a Halo, you put it on, you pump it up, it fits around your head, and then it's got a bungee cord on it. So you back up like this, the bungee cord's 50 pounds, and then you do these.

   21. MTMike Tyson1:00:44

       (laughs)

   22. JRJoe Rogan1:00:46

       And because it doesn't do this with your neck, it doesn't put pressure on the discs, so it doesn't move the discs in an unnatural way with weight.

   23. MTMike Tyson1:00:53

       Oh, this way?

   24. JRJoe Rogan1:00:54

       Yeah, because you can do all these different exercises on it, but it doesn't ever bend your discs, so it strengthens the neck without doing damage to your discs.

   25. MTMike Tyson1:01:04

       That sounds interesting.

   26. JRJoe Rogan1:01:05

       It's ... Yeah, I'll give you one. I'll give you one.

   27. MTMike Tyson1:01:06

       You know what? I have ... I have ... Oh, I would love that.

   28. JRJoe Rogan1:01:08

       Yeah.

   29. MTMike Tyson1:01:08

       Thank you. I really appreciate it. I have, um ... What's the name? I have a, um, a treadmill that, um, you have to put on some shorts first and then you zip your... It's like a-

   30. JRJoe Rogan1:01:19

       Oh, in the water?

Episode duration: 2:04:11