Joe Rogan Experience #1591 - Jordan Burroughs

1. 0:00 – 15:00

   (drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast,…

   1. JBJordan Burroughs0:00

      (drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast, check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience.

   2. JRJoe Rogan0:06

      Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night. All day. (rock music) Jordan, pleasure to meet you, man.

   3. JBJordan Burroughs0:15

      Yeah, good to meet you, bro.

   4. JRJoe Rogan0:16

      Really, uh, really a pleasure to meet you.

   5. JBJordan Burroughs0:17

      It's good to be here.

   6. JRJoe Rogan0:17

      I'm a, I'm a big fan. I, I think what you're doing... First of all, I think it's amazing that no one's talked you into doing MMA. (smacks lips) It's incredible.

   7. JBJordan Burroughs0:24

      I've been close.

   8. JRJoe Rogan0:25

      (laughs) How close?

   9. JBJordan Burroughs0:25

      But, uh, mostly, the lady outside, my wife, Lauren-

   10. JRJoe Rogan0:28

       Really?

   11. JBJordan Burroughs0:28

       ... is the one that's talked me out of it.

   12. JRJoe Rogan0:30

       Really?

   13. JBJordan Burroughs0:30

       Yeah, bro. Like, when I graduated from college in 2011, University of Nebraska, wrestling was still on the brink of... It was in e- in its infancy of marketing and branding and really making it a professional career. So MMA was the new kid on the block, and it was growing and expanding, and we had a lot of our guys transitioning in, Henry Cejudo, Ben Askren, Daniel Cormier. And so I really thought about it. I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna wrestle in the Olympics in London 2012, win the gold, and then I'm gonna make the transition to MMA. I'll be 25 years old, I'll have plenty of time." And then I met Lauren.

   14. JRJoe Rogan1:05

       Aw. (laughs)

   15. JBJordan Burroughs1:05

       And she's like, "Listen, you're doing well in the sport. Stay here. You're comfortable." It's just a different... It's a different sport, MMA, in comparison to wrestling, but it's a good thing.

   16. JRJoe Rogan1:14

       It i- it is a different sport, and it a- also has a lot more head trauma, and there's a lot of things to consider.

   17. JBJordan Burroughs1:21

       100%.

   18. JRJoe Rogan1:22

       You know?

   19. JBJordan Burroughs1:22

       That's what I think about all the time. I s- why I s- (laughs) listen, I think about going to MMA until I see a guy like "Platinum" Mike Perry get his whole thing split-

   20. JRJoe Rogan1:32

       (clears throat)

   21. JBJordan Burroughs1:32

       ... nose crooked.

   22. JRJoe Rogan1:32

       Yeah.

   23. JBJordan Burroughs1:32

       I'm like, "Eh, I'm good." It's... Like, in wrestling, you lose, you get taken down, pushed out. You know, you get pinned. In fighting, you lose, you get something broken, choked out, tap. You know, it's unconscious. It's a very, very different sport. Wrestling, it's much ea-... It's a... You score as many points as possible wi- doing the least damage as possible.

   24. JRJoe Rogan1:53

       W-

   25. JBJordan Burroughs1:53

       And MMA, I feel like it's, it's different.

   26. JRJoe Rogan1:55

       It's a shame that there's not more attention put on the professional... Like,, eh, like, at one point in time, professional wrestling was actual wrestling.

   27. JBJordan Burroughs2:05

       Yeah, yeah.

   28. JRJoe Rogan2:06

       It wasn't like WWE Entertainment. It was professional wrestling, and it was done-

   29. JBJordan Burroughs2:11

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan2:11

       ... for prom-... Why can't they do that? I know they tried to do that a few years back.
2. 15:00 – 30:00

   (laughs) …

   1. JBJordan Burroughs15:00

      large percentage of the competitors at the Olympic Games, it's a long shot for them to get on the podium. They're going with the expectation like, "Hey, listen, I'm representing my home country with pride. I am going to a country that I've never been before. Hopefully I can be on TV. My family will be watching me back home." The opening ceremonies is the best experience for them, 'cause they get to be in a full packed arena around all the athletes that they've seen on TV, but they know that realistically they're not gonna win. So when that McDonald's is open 24 hours-

   2. JRJoe Rogan15:31

      (laughs)

   3. JBJordan Burroughs15:31

      ... they're like, "Let's go, bro. We're going here."

   4. JRJoe Rogan15:33

      Do they have to pay for it?

   5. JBJordan Burroughs15:35

      Free.

   6. JRJoe Rogan15:35

      Oh, that's good.

   7. JBJordan Burroughs15:36

      Everything's free.

   8. JRJoe Rogan15:36

      That's good.

   9. JBJordan Burroughs15:37

      So it's, it's, uh, it's an interesting perspective being in the Olympic Village. It's, it's a cool spot.

   10. JRJoe Rogan15:43

       It's gotta be a wild experience to be there. It must feel surreal.

   11. JBJordan Burroughs15:46

       It's wild, bro. It's, it's wild. So they're really strict with the way that they administer athletes and, and people to get in. You have to have a guest list if you wanna bring anyone in. They have to be approved seven days in advance. So let's say my wife, I'm like, "Hey, I want my wife to come into the Olympic Village, check out our living space, check out the free McDonald's." Then I have to put her on the list seven days in advance, and it has to be approved by the USOPC and then also, you know, the IOC.

   12. JRJoe Rogan16:12

       Wow.

   13. JBJordan Burroughs16:13

       And so it's, it's a, it's a very (laughs) listen- So the Brazilian athlete from the '26 team up there- ... they're, they're, bro, they're not playing, dog. I'm telling you. I'm telling you, Joe. Like, they get it. After he was done. They get it in. After he was done. And he's like-

   14. JRJoe Rogan16:24

       Oh, after he was done?

   15. JBJordan Burroughs16:25

       Yeah, yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan16:25

       Well, that makes sense. Well, he's picking out-

   17. JBJordan Burroughs16:27

       He's taking that all, he's taking that home with him. He's put, he's putting that all in his suitcase. He's gonna go start a-

   18. JRJoe Rogan16:31

       (laughs)

   19. JBJordan Burroughs16:31

       (laughs) ... little, uh, little McDonald's of his own when he gets back to the crib. But it's, uh... So when you get in the village, you have to... It's almost like going through TSA at an airport. You gotta show them your badge. They scan it. You gotta get all of your bags checked and make sure that you're good to go, you don't have any, you know, thing lethal in your bags. You get inside, and it's literally like an apartment complex, huge apartment complex. Look at the line, bro. Crazy.

   20. JRJoe Rogan16:55

       Look at that. Lot- McDonald's is the most popular restaurant. That's crazy.

   21. JBJordan Burroughs17:00

       I'm telling you. They're... Listen-

   22. JRJoe Rogan17:01

       That's a crazy line. (laughs)

   23. JBJordan Burroughs17:01

       And they're not, they're not, they're not getting salads-

   24. JRJoe Rogan17:04

       (laughs)

   25. JBJordan Burroughs17:04

       ... and chicken selects.

   26. JRJoe Rogan17:05

       No, no.

   27. JBJordan Burroughs17:06

       You know, they're getting-

   28. JRJoe Rogan17:06

       They're getting burgers.

   29. JBJordan Burroughs17:07

       ... cheeseburgers and McChickens and...

   30. NANarrator17:11

       Usain Bolt.
3. 30:00 – 45:00

   That's true. …

   1. JRJoe Rogan30:00

   2. JBJordan Burroughs30:00

      That's true.

   3. JRJoe Rogan30:00

      In my opinion.

   4. JBJordan Burroughs30:01

      But it took-

   5. JRJoe Rogan30:01

      The most important skillset is wrestling.

   6. JBJordan Burroughs30:01

      ... it took Reneri a decade, bro.

   7. JRJoe Rogan30:03

      It did, but Reneri-

   8. JBJordan Burroughs30:03

      I don't have that type of ti- ... I'm 30, I'm 32.

   9. JRJoe Rogan30:06

      ... didn't dedicate himself the same way in the beginning.

   10. JBJordan Burroughs30:08

       Yeah.

   11. JRJoe Rogan30:08

       Reneri turned a corner somewhere in the UFC, like-

   12. JBJordan Burroughs30:10

       Well, he wasn't seeing the fruit.

   13. JRJoe Rogan30:12

       Yeah.

   14. JBJordan Burroughs30:12

       Like it's, it's hard to turn the corner when you don't see the fruit.

   15. JRJoe Rogan30:14

       Yes. Yes.

   16. JBJordan Burroughs30:14

       When you start to see celebrities sitting ringside. You got Halle Berry here.

   17. JRJoe Rogan30:17

       (laughs)

   18. JBJordan Burroughs30:18

       Matt McConaughey here. And then you see those, those payouts, you're like, "Damn, let me get my stuff together. Let me get right."

   19. JRJoe Rogan30:24

       Well, he also got really good at marketing and talking shit.

   20. JBJordan Burroughs30:27

       Yeah, yeah.

   21. JRJoe Rogan30:27

       And, you know-

   22. JBJordan Burroughs30:28

       The cringe king. (laughs)

   23. JRJoe Rogan30:29

       (laughs)

   24. JBJordan Burroughs30:30

       No, I respect him. He's a good dude.

   25. JRJoe Rogan30:31

       But also undeniably good as a fighter. And so, when ... The last half of his career when he became like super dedicated, I mean, he was crushing people.

   26. JBJordan Burroughs30:40

       Yeah.

   27. JRJoe Rogan30:40

       Crushing people with standup.

   28. JBJordan Burroughs30:42

       Do you think he's done?

   29. JRJoe Rogan30:43

       I don't think so.

   30. JBJordan Burroughs30:44

       ... he could be back.
4. 45:00 – 1:00:00

   Hm. …

   1. JBJordan Burroughs45:00

      my body moving, taking a couple of shots, maybe do a couple of sprints, ride the bike for a little bit, just to make sure that I'm on point when it is go time, that I'm not just sitting around all day accumulating all this weight-

   2. JRJoe Rogan45:11

      Hm.

   3. JBJordan Burroughs45:11

      ... and now all of the sudden I'm 10, 12 pounds heavier than I was eight hours ago, and I gotta be ready to go out and compete. So-

   4. JRJoe Rogan45:17

      I can't believe you have to wrestle-

   5. JBJordan Burroughs45:18

      There's a balance.

   6. JRJoe Rogan45:19

      Oh.

   7. JBJordan Burroughs45:19

      There's a balance there. I don't know how the guys do it in MMA, bro. Like, you're 15, 20 pounds heavier than you were the day before.

   8. JRJoe Rogan45:26

      Yeah.

   9. JBJordan Burroughs45:26

      How can you even be ideal-

   10. JRJoe Rogan45:29

       It's not ideal.

   11. JBJordan Burroughs45:29

       ... in, in terms of your movement? Like-

   12. JRJoe Rogan45:30

       It's not, it's not ideal.

   13. JBJordan Burroughs45:31

       I feel like I'd be weighed down.

   14. JRJoe Rogan45:32

       Well, I mean, I f- I feel like there's guys that are getting away from that now, and a lot of guys are trying to just do what you were just saying-

   15. JBJordan Burroughs45:37

       Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan45:37

       ... get to about six pounds and cut that, and then, it's the day before, and they perform better that way.

   17. JBJordan Burroughs45:42

       Yeah.

   18. JRJoe Rogan45:43

       But the, the real concern is against elite grapplers, like someone who's really bigger than you and stronger than you, and they take you down. But I'm just thinking, I can't believe that you have to wrestle all those matches in a day and then train afterwards to cut weight that night.

   19. JBJordan Burroughs45:57

       Yeah, yeah, you gotta cut again.

   20. JRJoe Rogan45:58

       And then don't eat.

   21. JBJordan Burroughs45:59

       So if the U- me, yes, listen, if the UFC has a tournament and, right, McGregor's wrestling Cerrone on Saturday night-

   22. JRJoe Rogan46:05

       Yeah.

   23. JBJordan Burroughs46:05

       ... and then, or fighting Cerrone Saturday night, then he's gotta fight, you know, Gaethje Sunday, he's gonna make weight on Saturday morning before the fight, and then he's gonna make weight again on Sunday before the fight. Because you gotta rehydrate, like-

   24. JRJoe Rogan46:18

       Yeah.

   25. JBJordan Burroughs46:18

       ... you gotta, when ... You're not thinking about w- weigh-ins tomorrow. You're thinking about the day, you gotta weigh-

   26. JRJoe Rogan46:22

       Why do they make them weigh in, uh, twice?

   27. JBJordan Burroughs46:24

       'Cause they wanna stop guys from cutting too much weight.

   28. JRJoe Rogan46:26

       Oh.

   29. JBJordan Burroughs46:26

       Like you've, you've seen it.

   30. JRJoe Rogan46:27

       Yeah.
5. 1:00:00 – 1:06:58

   (laughs) …

   1. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:00

      bad idea.

   2. JRJoe Rogan1:00:01

      (laughs)

   3. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:01

      That was a bad... I'm an idiot, bro.

   4. JRJoe Rogan1:00:02

      (laughs)

   5. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:03

      Like, I almost cost this man a lot of money-

   6. JRJoe Rogan1:00:05

      Right? Yeah.

   7. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:05

      ... just because, you know, I was being stupid.

   8. JRJoe Rogan1:00:07

      Yeah.

   9. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:07

      So, it was, uh... Yeah, we're good.

   10. JRJoe Rogan1:00:10

       Well, he, it worked out okay.

   11. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:12

       Yeah, yeah. He-

   12. JRJoe Rogan1:00:12

       Yeah.

   13. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:12

       He survived.

   14. JRJoe Rogan1:00:13

       But that, the shot that he la- that, uh, Masvidal landed on him was horrific.

   15. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:18

       And that's why-

   16. JRJoe Rogan1:00:19

       Yeah.

   17. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:19

       ... I still wrestle. (laughs)

   18. JRJoe Rogan1:00:20

       Yeah. (laughs) Well, uh, if you've done no striking at all, I'd think your, you're made a good choice.

   19. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:27

       Yeah, bro, it's, it's different.

   20. JRJoe Rogan1:00:28

       Yeah.

   21. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:29

       And I think... You know, it's funny, I got... I took a shot the other day in practice right into someone's knee. Bam! And I was like, "Maybe that's what a punch feels like." And I'm like, "If I can take that shot from a knee to the face shooting at full speed, I can take a punch." I don't know.

   22. JRJoe Rogan1:00:44

       Hm, sure.

   23. JBJordan Burroughs1:00:44

       Maybe it's, maybe it's just a little ego, right? It's, uh, like a little ego where I'm like, "I wanna see what I'm made of. I've never fought. I know I'm tough." I'm gritty, I'm mentally tough. I can do this. Um, but again, like, I don't feel like I have anything to prove. I've gotta kinda step back into, like, this spiritual sense of contentment. Like, I've done plenty, God has me where he wants me, and I've done so much to elevate the profile of the sport of wrestling. I don't have to make this transition. Like, yes, it would be great, it'd be glamorous, I'd have celebrities ringside, I'd get a big purse and all this cool stuff, I'd have you calling my fight. But would it be...... true to what I really believe in, who I really wanna be and desire for myself? Or would it just be a cash grab and, you know, this futile pursuit-

   24. JRJoe Rogan1:01:31

       Mm-hmm.

   25. JBJordan Burroughs1:01:31

       ... of something that is not meant for me, bro? Like, if you go into anything without a spirit of contentment and true purpose, it's always going to be a futile purs- or, or p- pursuit. So if like, for me, I'm like, "Is it really worth it? Do I really wanna be in here?" When they lock that gate behind me, am I gonna be like, "This is what I wanted."

   26. JRJoe Rogan1:01:51

       What the fuck am I doing?

   27. JBJordan Burroughs1:01:51

       Or am I gonna be like, "What am I doing here?"

   28. JRJoe Rogan1:01:53

       Right. Right.

   29. JBJordan Burroughs1:01:54

       You know what I mean? Like, you got raging fans at the bar, like, "Yeah, kill him. Kick his ass, bro." Um, so it's, it's ... Just's a different vibe. Um, I'm thankful for where I'm at. It's a good place.

   30. JRJoe Rogan1:02:05

       Well, that's beautiful. That's perfect, man. You don't need to make any other decisions, then. Let's ... Listen.

Episode duration: 3:02:48