CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:29
Show kickoff, missing Jamie, and COVID talk begins
Joe opens with some behind-the-scenes chatter about the recording setup and Jamie being out sick. The conversation quickly pivots into Mikey’s experiences catching COVID multiple times and how hard Delta hit him despite elite fitness.
- 0:29 – 2:46
Delta’s lingering effects, training through illness, and treatment choices
Mikey describes intense post-viral fatigue and muscle weakness, including feeling “decomposing.” Joe questions whether training through early symptoms worsened outcomes and discusses treatment options and antibodies.
- 2:46 – 4:01
Relocating to Singapore: Evolve gym, ONE Championship, and cultural immersion
Mikey explains why he moved to Singapore to train at Evolve and align with Chatri Sityodtong’s vision for martial arts. He describes adapting to life in Asia, frequent travel in the region, and learning Indonesian.
- 4:01 – 7:35
Learning Portuguese via Google Translate (and tournament “undercover” stories)
Mikey details how he became fluent in Portuguese without formal instruction—mainly through constant use of Google Translate and daily conversation with Brazilians. He shares funny stories about pretending to be Brazilian at tournaments to influence referee interactions.
- 7:35 – 10:25
Committing long-term to ONE: belts, Amazon Prime, and showcasing pure styles
They discuss ONE Championship’s approach—stacking striking, MMA, and pure grappling on the same card—and how that expands jiu-jitsu viewership. Mikey previews his upcoming ONE title fight and explains why he believes ONE is the future platform for the sport.
- 10:25 – 12:54
Breaking down Mikey’s back take and his 12-hour drilling mindset
Joe highlights Mikey’s slick back take and reputation for extreme training volume. Mikey explains his obsession with solving positional “puzzles” through repetition, high-resistance drilling, and systematic problem solving.
- 12:54 – 16:33
Reverse-engineering technique and inventing the “Mikey Lock”
Mikey explains how he finds solutions by defending his own moves to discover their strengths, then neutralizing them mechanically. He describes the origin and mechanics of the Mikey Lock—using the neck as a “pit” to apply leg-lock pressure in a novel way.
- 16:33 – 20:39
MMA curiosity, why grappling-only careers are now viable, and the law school pivot
Joe asks whether Mikey would ever do MMA; Mikey cites love for Muay Thai but concern about brain damage. They discuss how modern pro grappling (ONE, WNO, instructionals) lets athletes avoid MMA as the only payday, and Mikey reveals he turned down law school due to jiu-jitsu income and opportunity.
- 20:39 – 23:49
Flexibility, appendix emergency, and adjusting training during recovery
Joe marvels at Mikey’s extreme hip/ankle flexibility and how early-life training shaped his body. Mikey recounts a sudden appendicitis episode in Singapore—nearly fatal without quick surgery—and explains he’s temporarily doing lighter training while rebuilding for competition.
- 23:49 – 29:33
Garage training with hobbyists: building reactions, controlling variables, and coaching yourself
Mikey describes an unconventional approach: training primarily with hobbyists and local black belts rather than a single elite competition room. He argues hobbyists bring better energy, and he designs training by teaching partners specific counters so he can iteratively solve problems.
- 29:33 – 44:17
Cardio as mental training, avoiding weights, and smart size-matching to prevent injuries
Mikey explains long-distance running and Airdyne work as a tool to quiet negative internal dialogue and improve competitive composure. He avoids weights to keep technique primary, discusses competing across weight classes, and explains why he trains with smaller partners to reduce injury risk and support volume.
- 44:17 – 56:41
Pizza-and-pasta OMAD: fasting, performance, protein from cheese, and weight-cut stories
Mikey details his highly unusual one-meal-a-day routine: fasting all day, then eating massive amounts of homemade pizza, pasta, and açaí at night. They explore sustainability, energy, protein sources, quality of ingredients, and extreme weight-cut experiences—highlighting the contrast between brutal dehydration cuts and effortless cuts under his newer routine.
- 56:41 – 1:31:59
Recovery tools: infrared vs dry sauna, float tank, and active recovery running
They compare infrared sauna comfort to the evidence base for hotter dry saunas and discuss potential longevity and cardiovascular benefits. Joe describes float tanks and Epsom salts for recovery; Mikey discusses active recovery (easy runs around ~130 bpm) as a way to restore his nervous system better than total rest.
- 1:31:59 – 1:43:22
Imanari match strategy, ankle-lock mechanics, and future opponents (Mighty Mouse & title bout)
Mikey breaks down his tactical plan against Imanari—inviting leg entanglements to advance position—and explains why he felt safe from the finish based on fulcrum/hip control and deep knowledge of straight ankle locks. They preview a potential grappling match with Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and outline Mikey’s September title fight details and ONE’s rule incentives for action.
- 1:43:22 – 2:03:12
Guard pulling, combat jiu-jitsu, hobbies, mindset, and closing plugs
They debate guard pulling’s stigma, noting the difference between sport efficiency and strike-enabled contexts, and discuss combat jiu-jitsu as a revealing middle ground. Mikey shares hobbies (hiking, climbing, languages), competition anxiety, and his purpose-driven goals of impacting others through teaching before the episode wraps with social links and event reminders.
