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.
- •Jamie is out sick; Redban helps keep the show running
- •Mikey estimates he’s had COVID 2–3 times, confirmed twice by tests
- •Delta variant was the worst: severe weakness and breathing issues
- •Recovery took months to feel fully normal again
- 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.
- •Mikey couldn’t lift arms/legs and struggled to walk during Delta
- •He suspects pushing workouts early may have contributed
- •Mikey used water/sauna rather than medications during illness
- •Joe advocates vitamins and monoclonal antibodies when available
- •Vaccination didn’t prevent Mikey from getting very sick
- 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.
- •Moved to Singapore to train at Evolve and work with ONE
- •Chatri’s martial-arts philosophy strongly influenced the decision
- •Mikey enjoys learning cultures and is studying Indonesian
- •Singapore’s location makes regional travel (Indonesia/Malaysia) easy
- 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.
- •Fluency came from years of immersion around Brazilian teammates
- •Heavy use of Google Translate + native corrections built competence
- •He learned regional slang through nonstop messaging and conversation
- •Humorous “spy” routine: speaking Portuguese to refs, then getting caught
- 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.
- •ONE’s multi-discipline cards expose fans to grappling and striking
- •Mikey is scheduled to fight for ONE’s first jiu-jitsu belt (Sept 30)
- •ONE’s U.S. distribution via Amazon Prime expands the audience
- •Elite talent signings (grapplers and strikers) differentiate ONE
- 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.
- •Back take was drilled repeatedly the week of the match
- •Mikey sometimes drills all day to find an answer to a position
- •He views jiu-jitsu as a technical, intelligent discipline—not brutish
- •Training focus: refine details until responses become automatic
- 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.
- •Method: observe resistance, replicate the defense, then counter it
- •Reverse engineering leads to new pathways and discoveries
- •Mikey Lock concept: neck placement replaces armpit-style control
- •Creative breakthroughs often happen subconsciously during training
- 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.
- •Mikey trained Muay Thai as a kid and still enjoys striking
- •Brain damage risk is the biggest barrier to MMA plans
- •Pro grappling platforms and instructionals created real careers
- •Mikey had a law school scholarship but stayed in jiu-jitsu instead
- 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.
- •21 years of training shaped unusual mobility and joint positions
- •Appendix removal was urgent; Chatri identified it quickly
- •Recovery window: hard training projected for mid/late August
- •Mikey still drills and does cardio carefully to maintain fitness
- 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.
- •For years he trained mostly in a garage setting in Vegas
- •Prefers hobbyist energy over competitor “job-like” vibes
- •He teaches partners how to stop his attacks, forcing adaptation
- •Claims the method builds a customizable, high-volume learning loop
- 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.
- •Endurance cardio trains the mind to silence the “stop” voice
- •He avoids weights to prevent reliance on strength over mechanics
- •ONE hydration testing changes weight-class strategy vs. U.S. cuts
- •Training with same-size partners reduces impact and injuries
- 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.
- •OMAD arose from years of dieting/weight-cutting and binge cycles
- •He prefers not training with food in his stomach; eats big at night
- •Primary protein source is cheese; meat reduced near competitions
- •Claims best Worlds performance came while using this diet
- •Shares a drastic cut: 35 pounds in ~2 weeks and immediate post-weigh-in matches
- 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.
- •Infrared sauna nightly routine vs. hotter dry sauna protocols
- •Joe cites Finnish sauna research and heat-shock protein theories
- •Float tank explained: darkness, silence, high Epsom salt concentration
- •Mikey prefers light jogging as active recovery over lying down
- •Discussion of weight-cut suffering and stress inoculation effects
- 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.
- •Strategy vs Imanari: concede leg access to create passing/back-taking paths
- •Technical rationale: fulcrum height, hip control, and ankle-lock expertise
- •Mikey calls Imanari a foundational leg-lock influence for the sport
- •Potential end-of-year grappling match with Mighty Mouse
- •September 30 belt fight (vs Kleber Souza) and ONE’s push for finishes
- 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.
- •Guard pulling as efficient sport strategy vs. striking-based realities
- •Combat jiu-jitsu adds slaps/palm strikes and changes technique choices
- •Mikey’s hobbies: hiking (Gold Strike), climbing, language learning
- •He’s introverted and feels anxiety competing, but uses discomfort as fuel
- •Wrap-up: Instagram handle and reminders for ONE events
