CHAPTERS
- 0:02 – 2:58
Austin plans and Cody’s mindset after the skid
Joe welcomes Cody and immediately hints at Garbrandt possibly moving to Austin. They pivot into Cody’s emotional and mental reset after a difficult losing streak and what it felt like to claw back to form.
- •Cody considers relocating to Austin and why Texas appeals to him
- •Joe frames the three-fight skid as emotionally brutal to watch
- •Cody describes feeling like a different person compared to that period
- •Dealing with internet criticism and pressure while raising a young child
- 2:58 – 5:34
Rebuilding with Mark Henry: “codes,” structure, and safety-first coaching
Cody explains why he trained in New Jersey with Mark Henry and how Henry’s famously detailed “codes” system changed his preparation. The emphasis shifts from flashy offense to defensive responsibility and longevity.
- •Mark Henry’s obsessive planning: dozens of fight-specific “codes” and drills
- •Cross-pollination of styles from training partners like Zabit and Frankie Edgar
- •Henry’s stated priority: winning, but getting fighters home to family safely
- •Cody’s renewed focus on defense, positioning, and post-combination responsibility
- 5:34 – 9:00
Defense as the foundation: parallels to jiu-jitsu and training from bad positions
Joe connects Cody’s striking defense improvements to core grappling principles from Rickson Gracie and Danaher’s teams. Cody describes how simulation training and starting in horrible positions builds real fight readiness.
- •Defense-first philosophy in elite jiu-jitsu and how it maps to striking
- •Training “bad positions” to remove panic and improve escapes
- •Chris Holdsworth’s role in grim, fight-simulated rounds
- •Cody reframing aggression: controlled offense built on safety
- 9:00 – 10:48
Breaking down the Assunção KO: feints, timing, and the walk-off moment
They analyze Cody’s comeback knockout over Raphael Assunção in detail. Cody explains the feinting strategy, cage awareness, stance reads, and the exact timing that produced the highlight finish.
- •Staying disciplined with feints even when Assunção didn’t initially bite
- •Using the cage for distance reference and timing the counter
- •The psychological setup behind dropping hands and waiting for the trigger
- •Why KO’ing an extremely durable opponent felt like a career pivot
- 10:48 – 14:45
Kidney infection scare: hidden cellulitis/staph and systemic risk in camp
Cody recounts a severe health crisis that derailed his schedule: an undetected leg infection that became a kidney infection. The conversation highlights how hard training can amplify illness and how dangerous staph can be.
- •Leg pain mistaken for bruising; infection with no obvious cut
- •Urinating blood, swollen lymph nodes, hospitalization and IV penicillin
- •Doctors, blood cultures, uncertainty about the cause, and systemic danger
- •Joe’s warning: staph can go unnoticed in gyms and become life-threatening
- 14:45 – 15:57
Back injury and regenerative medicine: rehab, PT, and stem-cell talk
They shift to Cody’s injuries and recovery tools, including Regenokine and ongoing mobility/PT work. Joe expands into regenerative medicine trends like stem cells for disc issues and sciatica relief.
- •Annular disc tear and sciatic nerve symptoms affecting performance
- •Regenokine experience, shelf-life effects, and long-term maintenance
- •Daily PT/mobility as non-negotiable for elite training
- •Stem cells from bone marrow or umbilical cord as emerging options
- 15:57 – 24:18
Visualization, “slight edge,” and leaving comfort zones to reignite hunger
Cody details how he used visualization from childhood wrestling through becoming UFC champion—then stopped doing it during turbulent years. He explains his return to structured goal-setting, discomfort training, and motivation tied to fatherhood.
- •Early manifestation habits: writing goals and imagining state titles
- •“Slight edge” idea: small daily discomforts that separate elites
- •Going to New Jersey as deliberate discomfort (winter, new partners, away from son)
- •Structured goals across life categories: athletic, financial, spiritual, family
- 24:18 – 31:00
TJ Dillashaw rivalry: emotions, mental readiness, and the PED shadow
Joe and Cody revisit the Dillashaw fights as a case study in emotional overinvestment. Cody argues he wasn’t mentally right then, discusses TJ’s EPO suspension, and frames a future rematch as unfinished business.
- •How personal history and anger can sabotage strategy
- •Cody’s claim: he lost at a time when his mindset and preparation slipped
- •TJ’s EPO ban and how public scrutiny changes post-ban expectations
- •Cody’s renewed hunger and “five-year increments” approach to career planning
- 31:00 – 31:56
Fighter pay realities, judging risk, and why camps beat up the body
The discussion moves to compensation structure and how judging and win bonuses affect fighters’ livelihoods. Cody explains how often he trained injured and how rare it was to exit a fight unscathed.
- •Win bonuses and bad judging can cost half a paycheck
- •The reality: fighters can’t “run it back next week” due to recovery time
- •Cody’s pattern of fight injuries and the relief of a clean post-fight week
- •COVID-era disruptions to momentum and scheduling
- 31:56 – 56:02
COVID ordeal: vertigo, pneumonia, months-long positivity, and blood clots
Cody gives a detailed account of a brutal, prolonged COVID case that started with vertigo and included pneumonia and extended positive tests. He later developed blood clots and required blood thinners, underlining how training through illness can backfire.
- •First symptom: vertigo during grappling, initially misdiagnosed as concussion
- •Pneumonia treatment, repeated PCR positives for months, and slow recovery
- •Returning too hard led to a torn vein and multiple blood clots in the arm
- •Blood thinners, repeated ultrasounds, and lessons about monitoring health data
- 56:02 – 1:17:49
Training evolution: cycling cardio, back-saving strength work, and recovery tools
They explore how cycling built elite endurance and mental toughness, while also creating new back-management needs. Joe and Cody discuss specialized equipment and methods—Reverse Hyper, belt squats, decompression devices, yoga, cupping, and dry needling.
- •Cycling as solo suffering that builds confidence and aerobic depth
- •Adapting S&C to protect the back: single-leg work, belt squat/Pit Shark
- •Reverse Hyper and Teeter decompression device as daily back maintenance
- •Recovery stack: PT, hydration, stretching, cupping, and cautious use of dry needling
- 1:17:49 – 2:02:45
What’s next: Aldo callout, 125 vs 135 options, and the sport’s shifting meta
Cody outlines his preferred next fight (Jose Aldo) while staying open to a flyweight title opportunity. They close by talking evolving tactics like calf kicks, stance switching, sparring less, glove design issues, and broader MMA landscape changes.
- •Cody targets Aldo for legacy, style matchup, and staying active (April/May)
- •Openness to Figueiredo/Moreno at 125 while still valuing 135’s depth
- •Modern meta: calf kicks, stance switching, and smarter/limited sparring
- •Gear and safety: Wittman’s Onyx gloves, eye pokes, and UFC glove critique
