JRE MMA Show #13 with Rose Namajunas & Pat Barry

1. 0:09 – 2:10

   Comfort over image: shaved head, harem pants, and feeling safe

   1. JRJoe Rogan0:09

      And we're live.

   2. RNRose Namajunas0:11

      (laughs)

   3. JRJoe Rogan0:11

      What's up?

   4. RNRose Namajunas0:12

      Oh, nothing. What's up, man?

   5. JRJoe Rogan0:13

      Thanks for doing this. Appreciate it.

   6. RNRose Namajunas0:14

      Yeah. Thanks for having me.

   7. JRJoe Rogan0:16

      I like how you're dressed. Very casual, look like-

   8. RNRose Namajunas0:18

      Yeah.

   9. JRJoe Rogan0:18

      ... you're like-

   10. RNRose Namajunas0:19

       It's all about comfort these days.

   11. JRJoe Rogan0:20

       ... like, part, like, monk-like.

   12. RNRose Namajunas0:22

       (laughs)

   13. JRJoe Rogan0:22

       There's like a lot of monk-like to what you got.

   14. RNRose Namajunas0:24

       Yeah.

   15. JRJoe Rogan0:24

       The shaved head and the wooden beads and the whole deal.

   16. RNRose Namajunas0:27

       Yeah, yeah.

   17. JRJoe Rogan0:27

       You know?

   18. RNRose Namajunas0:28

       I mean, I kinda decided that, like, I, ever since cutting my hair that, uh, I don't know, I'm just gonna do away with n- like not being, like not being comfortable in any area. So heels, um, you're gonna have to pay me to do that. (laughs)

   19. JRJoe Rogan0:43

       Really?

   20. RNRose Namajunas0:44

       Yeah. I don't know. It's just, uh, I'm not a big fan of heels 'cause I can't run away in them. (laughs)

   21. JRJoe Rogan0:49

       That's a good point.

   22. RNRose Namajunas0:49

       Yeah.

   23. JRJoe Rogan0:49

       I think that's why they made them.

   24. RNRose Namajunas0:51

       Yeah. (laughs)

   25. JRJoe Rogan0:51

       I mean, it only makes sense. Like, girls wearing tight skirts-

   26. RNRose Namajunas0:54

       Yeah.

   27. JRJoe Rogan0:54

       ... where y- your legs are constricted, right?

   28. RNRose Namajunas0:56

       Yeah.

   29. JRJoe Rogan0:56

       Or tight dresses that go down to your knees especially.

   30. RNRose Namajunas0:59

       Yeah.
2. 2:10 – 5:19

   Rituals, placebo, and Rose’s post-fight speech philosophy

   1. JRJoe Rogan2:10

      And what are the wooden beads about?

   2. RNRose Namajunas2:11

      So this is, um, this is a g- I got it from a friend, uh, Cassie Rob, who's also a fighter. She's my teammate, um, back at home, and she, uh, she gave it to me leading up to the fight with Joanna, and, uh, just for some strength and courage. So I think this is supposed to, like, give you, like, some type of confidence or whatever.

   3. JRJoe Rogan2:30

      Hmm.

   4. RNRose Namajunas2:31

      Yeah. It's just like an energy bead. I don't know if it really ... Like, I mean, I guess it works, but, you know?

   5. JRJoe Rogan2:36

      If you believe it works, it works.

   6. RNRose Namajunas2:37

      Exactly.

   7. JRJoe Rogan2:38

      That's one of those things.

   8. RNRose Namajunas2:38

      Yeah, that's kind of how I always feel about everything.

   9. JRJoe Rogan2:39

      It's like a placebo effect, right?

   10. RNRose Namajunas2:41

       Yeah.

   11. JRJoe Rogan2:42

       I gotta tell you that your victory speech after you beat Joanna was my all-time favorite.

   12. RNRose Namajunas2:48

       Yeah.

   13. JRJoe Rogan2:48

       Because it wasn't even just about you or about the fight. It wasn't about anything. It was just-

   14. RNRose Namajunas2:54

       Yeah.

   15. JRJoe Rogan2:54

       ... you expressing yourself. Pat, what are you doing over there? You all right? Checking out this, uh- Okay. (laughs)

   16. RNRose Namajunas2:59

       (laughs)

   17. JRJoe Rogan2:59

       ... little tassel. (laughs)

   18. RNRose Namajunas3:01

       (laughs) Yeah, no. Uh, I just think that, um, uh ...

   19. JRJoe Rogan3:06

       It was an awesome-

   20. RNRose Namajunas3:06

       Yeah.

   21. JRJoe Rogan3:07

       ... victory speech. It was really amazing.

   22. RNRose Namajunas3:09

       Thank you.

   23. JRJoe Rogan3:09

       It was, uh, you were, you know, you were just spilling your heart out and it was in your, your moment to shine.

   24. RNRose Namajunas3:17

       Mm-hmm.

   25. JRJoe Rogan3:17

       And in your moment to shine, you, you didn't make it about you.

   26. RNRose Namajunas3:21

       I think I fight better that way, you know? When I'm, I'm, I'm, you know ... It, it's always about me, like, throughout the training camp. Like, everybody, like my coaches and teammates, they're always, you know, helping me and it, it's just, it gets to be a bit much sometimes, you know? And I wanna, um, I wanna help other people. Um, it, it fills my spiritual cup more. Um, you know?

   27. JRJoe Rogan3:39

       Your spiritual cup?

   28. RNRose Namajunas3:40

       Yeah. Um, I think that, you know, I've, uh ... You know, if you c- if, if your hand's closed to, to give, you know, you can't be open to receive kind of thing. And, um, I think that, um, the more that I can give to people, the more that I can get myself, you know? And I think that, um, you know, just like plants and animals, the way, you know, if you look at nature, everything is a symbiotic relationship. And I think that, um, humans can be the same way.

   29. JRJoe Rogan4:04

       That's an interesting way of looking at things. Have you always looked at things like that?

   30. RNRose Namajunas4:08

       No. Uh, uh, I shouldn't say n- not always, but, uh, I always was a, a person that, you know, wanted to be outside, wanted to be in nature. I grew up in a, like, urban jungle in Milwaukee and just concrete everywhere, you know? No place to go outside except for, you know, just playing in the alleys and stuff. But, uh, um, my, my lineage is from Lithuania where they're, like, very in tune with nature and they're pagans and, like, slash Christian. And, uh, so they really, you know, just, just my whole family, you know, they come from living off the land and stuff like that. And so that's always been something I wanted to do. Um, and I was just put in a situation, you know, just to, you know, try and do martial arts and trying to, like, uh, you know, I guess control my emotions and stuff, just living in this, you know, chaotic environment that I grew up in. And, um, nature is where I felt the most peace at. So that's always something that I connected with. And then the more that I kind of, uh, focus on nature and, uh, animals and stuff like that, I noticed that, you know, there's a ... I don't know. I try to live my life the same way.

3. 5:19 – 6:16

   Anti-trash talk mindset: balancing authenticity with promotion

   1. JRJoe Rogan5:19

      Well, it's just interesting leading up to that fight too, that you are kind of like the antidote to a lot of the things that people are getting annoyed at in MMA.

   2. RNRose Namajunas5:25

      Yeah.

   3. JRJoe Rogan5:25

      All the trash talking and all the negativity-

   4. RNRose Namajunas5:28

      Yeah.

   5. JRJoe Rogan5:28

      ... and all the, like, fighting at press conferences.

   6. RNRose Namajunas5:31

      (laughs)

   7. JRJoe Rogan5:31

      And you just shut all that shit down with Joanna. Like-

   8. RNRose Namajunas5:35

      I mean, there needs to be balance, you know? It's like, I mean, I, I like entertainment, you know? I'm not, I, I, you know, I should talk sometimes too, you know? (laughs)

   9. JRJoe Rogan5:43

      Right.

   10. RNRose Namajunas5:43

       But, uh, I, I ... There just has to be a balance, you know? And it has to be honest too. Like, if you really feel this way about somebody, like, if you're really upset with this person, yeah, say how you feel. But, like, don't just go out of your way just to be entertaining 'cause you think it's gonna be funny or something, or you think it's just gonna be, like ... It's not genuine, you know?

   11. JRJoe Rogan6:01

       Right.

   12. RNRose Namajunas6:01

       Yeah.

   13. JRJoe Rogan6:02

       Right. But it was just the way you handled yourself, like, 'cause her whole thing is talking shit.

   14. RNRose Namajunas6:07

       Yeah.

   15. JRJoe Rogan6:07

       Her whole thing is scaring people, "I'm the boogeywoman, coming to get you."

   16. RNRose Namajunas6:10

       (laughs) Yeah.

   17. JRJoe Rogan6:10

       You know, all that stuff. And you were just dead-faced. And I think-

   18. RNRose Namajunas6:13

       Yeah.

   19. JRJoe Rogan6:14

       ... that fucked her head up.

   20. RNRose Namajunas6:15

       I think so.

   21. JRJoe Rogan6:15

       I really do.

4. 6:16 – 8:10

   Staying calm under pressure: the elephant analogy and the Lord’s Prayer

   1. RNRose Namajunas6:16

      Uh, you ever see that video of like the ... What was that video? Like the-

   2. JRJoe Rogan6:19

      How to humble a bully. How to humble a bully.

   3. RNRose Namajunas6:20

      Oh, not, not that one. The one you just showed me earlier. It was like, it was this dude, like standing in front of a elephant.

   4. JRJoe Rogan6:25

      Oh, yeah.

   5. RNRose Namajunas6:25

      And he, like started-

   6. JRJoe Rogan6:26

      There's a guy-

   7. RNRose Namajunas6:26

      ... charging at him.

   8. JRJoe Rogan6:27

      ... getting tr-

   9. RNRose Namajunas6:27

      And then he was, like, calm, you know?

   10. JRJoe Rogan6:29

       That guy got lucky.

   11. RNRose Namajunas6:29

       And he just stood there. Yeah. (laughs)

   12. JRJoe Rogan6:31

       (laughs) That guy got lucky.

   13. RNRose Namajunas6:32

       Very, like, yeah-

   14. JRJoe Rogan6:32

       He got lucky that elephant-

   15. RNRose Namajunas6:33

       I don't know how crazy he was.

   16. JRJoe Rogan6:33

       ... really didn't wanna trample him. Yeah. We just watched it. Uh, an elephant is coming through the ... And he's like ... Yeah, I've seen that. Run, run, run, run, run. Yeah. And the guy just stands there in one spot and it stops. That guy got lucky.

   17. RNRose Namajunas6:42

       But yeah, I think there's just-

   18. JRJoe Rogan6:42

       Don't try that at home kids. (laughs)

   19. RNRose Namajunas6:44

       No. Yeah, no, uh ... (laughs) Yeah, not advertising that at all, but-

   20. JRJoe Rogan6:47

       But that's a different thing, obviously, because you're talking about an animal.

   21. RNRose Namajunas6:49

       Right. Right. Um, but it just ... I think it's a good analogy to, to draw from, like, Joanna's energy. She was very, like, chaotic and very, um, in my face and very threatening.

   22. JRJoe Rogan6:59

       Intimidating. Yeah.

   23. RNRose Namajunas7:01

       Yeah. And like ... Yeah, don't go out of your way to stand in front of a elephant that's running at you. Like, the ... Don't put yourself in that position, but I, I had to be there. That's my job, you know?

   24. JRJoe Rogan7:10

       Right.

   25. RNRose Namajunas7:10

       So, um, so when you're in those situations where you, like ... You don't know what to do, you know, you just stay calm.

   26. JRJoe Rogan7:15

       Yeah. Well, you didn't just stay calm, you stayed eerily calm.

   27. RNRose Namajunas7:19

       Mm-hmm.

   28. JRJoe Rogan7:19

       And y- you were, like, reciting the Lord's Prayer.

   29. RNRose Namajunas7:21

       (laughs) Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan7:21

       When I asked you that, I was like, "Whoa." I was like, "What are you saying over there?" And you're like, "I'm reciting the Lord's Prayer." I'm like, "Whoa."
5. 8:10 – 13:09

   NYC fight-week anxiety: delays, crowds, and near-miss events

   1. RNRose Namajunas8:10

      And then, and then, and then, and then we have ... Uh, we've, we've had a ... In that fight, we had a, we had a few, like, kind of ... I don't want to say magical moments, but say for instance, uh, we bring Mishka with us everywhere we go, um-

   2. JRJoe Rogan8:22

      Your dog.

   3. RNRose Namajunas8:23

      Yeah. Our flight was delayed three hour- four hours, and when we landed, we landed, like, a few hours after that truck drove through the park and killed all the people in New York, which was right by our hotel. Which, if we would've been there on time, we would've filled- signed the posters and then been outside at a park, walking Mishka. So, I mean, just little things, like, like that. Like, we would've been outside maybe at that spot and had been witness to that thing going on. Or at least would have heard it or something, you know?

   4. JRJoe Rogan8:50

      Right.

   5. RNRose Namajunas8:51

      And that would've affected me, you know. And, um, it-

   6. JRJoe Rogan8:53

      The, the Antifa march?

   7. RNRose Namajunas8:55

      Yeah, and there was just all this stuff about, you know, like, people are gonna be protesting and stuff like that. And they even, like ... The day of the fight... And I just get a lot of anxiety over that stuff. I get anxiety over, like, big crowds of people and it's like ... You know, these people are crazy. (laughs)

   8. JRJoe Rogan9:08

      Yeah.

   9. RNRose Namajunas9:08

      Um, you know, and it, it's, uh ... Yeah, I just ... I, I wasn't even just thinking about the fight with Joanna. It was more than that, you know? It was like what ev- what ... All her energy re- represented to me, like, all my past. Like, um, just negative people that-

   10. JRJoe Rogan9:24

       Mm-hmm.

   11. RNRose Namajunas9:24

       You know, uh, you know, wanna, wanna strike fear into your heart, you know?

   12. JRJoe Rogan9:28

       Right.

   13. RNRose Namajunas9:29

       And, um, I wasn't gonna let that happen, even though I was scared. (laughs) But, you know, I just, uh ... I wasn't gonna stop doing what I was doing just because of that.

   14. JRJoe Rogan9:35

       But you were, like, eerily focused. Like one time-

   15. RNRose Namajunas9:38

       Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan9:38

       ... she stuck her fist in your face and touched your face. You didn't even move.

   17. RNRose Namajunas9:41

       Yeah, 'cause I know she needed a reaction from me.

   18. JRJoe Rogan9:44

       Yeah.

   19. RNRose Namajunas9:44

       You know? It's just like ... Um, it's just like with anybody, you know?

   20. JRJoe Rogan9:47

       That's, um-

   21. RNRose Namajunas9:47

       If you don't give energy to something negative, you don't feed the fire, you know?

   22. JRJoe Rogan9:52

       Yeah, that's gotta be a mind fuck for her though, right?

   23. RNRose Namajunas9:54

       Right. (laughs)

   24. JRJoe Rogan9:54

       Because she's so used to people reacting to her and headbutting b- you know, going head-to-head with her and trying to show her ... And you just stayed calm.

   25. RNRose Namajunas10:03

       Yeah, 'cause I mean, you know, it's, it's, uh ... Either you really ... I mean, it's either one of two things. Either you really dislike me enough to, like, you know, put your hands on me outside of the competition, or it's fake. You know, or it's a character, or you're just doing this for a show.

   26. JRJoe Rogan10:21

       Right.

   27. RNRose Namajunas10:21

       You know, it's either one of the two, and I just don't think she's really a bad person. I just think that, you know, she was put in this position and maybe she ... You know, that's what she felt like she had to do.

   28. JRJoe Rogan10:29

       Well, I wrote something about, uh, the Volkan Oezdemir, uh, Daniel Cormier fight the other day, that what Oezdemir was trying to do, and what Cormier was trying to do, is like, they're trying to sow seeds of doubt. That you're trying to-

   29. RNRose Namajunas10:41

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan10:41

       There's a real issue with someone that's about to fight where you're about to compete and it's this crazy nerve-racking thing, and the unknown is always there. You don't know what's gonna happen.
6. 13:09 – 16:57

   Fight-day routines: shakeout sessions, weight cut, and what she eats

   1. RNRose Namajunas13:09

      It ended up being nothing, like, seriously I was like, uh... We were getting ready, like, we had done our morning shake out, you know. Uh, and then- What's a morning shake out? So, like, uh, the day of the fight, we always like to, um, we always like to, like... First thing we do when we get up is just shake it out. Like, 'cause you, all your nerves and stuff, like, all your, like, nervous energy is inside of you the day of the fight and you just wanna... You don't wanna go to the arena the first time breaking a sweat or getting that heavy breathing, you know? Because, uh-

   2. PBPat Barry13:36

      So, a workout before going to the arena?

   3. RNRose Namajunas13:38

      Yeah. Basically. So what kind of workout do you do? Uh, just like light mitt work or... ? Uh, actually, we, we blow it out hard. Yeah. Like, we just get it out, you know. Like, like- Really? ... you know when you first start running or something or you do a workout and you're just, like, breathing heavy. Like, you get your first, like, heavy wind out? Yeah. That's, like, you just blow right through it. And then- So what kind of stuff do you do? Just hit pads, like, intense, you know, just whatever I'm... Actually, it is, like, you go off of a feel, you know. Mm-hmm. Whatever you're feeling. Like some days, uh, when I fought Ticha, I was, uh, like, kinda sick and anti... Like, on antibiotics 'cause I, like, got the red tide or something, so I, like- (coughs) And I barely slept and, like... So I didn't... Our shake out was not very long. Like, it was like, "Okay, I gotta save my energy to get to the arena." So we barely even did one. But, like, for this one, um, the shake out was pretty normal, you know. It, uh, we just hit pads.

   4. PBPat Barry14:27

      Hit, hit pads for about seven minutes and then she shadow boxed real hard.

   5. RNRose Namajunas14:31

      Yeah.

   6. PBPat Barry14:31

      Real hard for, like, five minutes and then there was-

   7. RNRose Namajunas14:33

      Maybe we might do a little bit of grappling or something like that, but yeah.

   8. PBPat Barry14:36

      And then it was just, it was just-

   9. RNRose Namajunas14:37

      And then we go to the-

   10. PBPat Barry14:37

       ... set.

   11. RNRose Namajunas14:37

       And then, you know, go take a nap, like, you know, uh, get in a shower, you know, kinda visualize and just, like, lay down. Not even take a nap, but just, like, close your eyes and just like sleep. Mm-hmm. Do you always eat the same thing on the day of a fight? I barely even eat on a fight day. Like, I... The way I cut weight is I'll do, like, uh, the day before I'll do... I mean, I don't really have to cut that much weight, so, so... But, like, I'll do, like, a juice fast. Like, I'll, for one day I'll just drink fluids, um, and then the next day I'll sit in a hot shower and then just sweat it out. Um, 'cause I don't like to... I, I don't like to, um, dehydrate myself too much.

   12. PBPat Barry15:12

       (laughs)

   13. RNRose Namajunas15:12

       Like, I'd rather have fluids and no food than, than lots of food in my stomach and no fluids. Right.

   14. PBPat Barry15:16

       And she's talking about sweating out two pounds.

   15. RNRose Namajunas15:18

       I know, shut up. No, like, five pounds. Last time (laughs) .

   16. PBPat Barry15:21

       (laughs)

   17. RNRose Namajunas15:21

       I'm getting bigger now. Uh, this fight was... I think I was, like, 125, 130. I can't remember. I think, like, the week of the fight I was, like, 127, and, like, by the time weight cuts started I was, like, 125-ish. So you're cutting 10 pounds. Or 120.

   18. PBPat Barry15:37

       She was one, she was 119-

   19. RNRose Namajunas15:38

       Dang, I can't remember.

   20. PBPat Barry15:39

       ... 119-

   21. RNRose Namajunas15:39

       I don't even know.

   22. PBPat Barry15:40

       ... uh, when we started the weight cut. She... Rose walks around, lately, lately because of, uh, just the, just the growth in size, lately she's been walking around 125, 127.

   23. RNRose Namajunas15:50

       Yeah.

   24. PBPat Barry15:50

       But, uh, every, every fight it'll... Like, the day before weigh-in she's 118, 119.

   25. RNRose Namajunas15:53

       Yeah, by fight week I'm, like, 120. Yeah.

   26. PBPat Barry15:57

       Yeah.

   27. RNRose Namajunas15:57

       But, um-

   28. PBPat Barry15:58

       Talking about going to saunas and-

   29. RNRose Namajunas15:59

       And now-

   30. PBPat Barry15:59

       Like, "Oh, man, what are we gonna do to get this one off?" It's like, man-
7. 16:57 – 20:04

   Homemade diet, kombucha, and a ‘from scratch’ worldview

   1. RNRose Namajunas16:57

      ... like relaxed, you know. What kind of diet do you follow normally? Uh, I try and make everything homemade as possible, so that's, like, kinda my thing. You know, I'm never, like... I'm never anti-anything. I don't like to be, like... I mean, except for lots of sugar and obviously, like, things that are, like, obviously bad for you. Um, I like to... Yeah, I like to make everything from scratch as much as possible. So you cook? And the more... Yeah. Um-

   2. PBPat Barry17:20

      Delish.

   3. RNRose Namajunas17:20

      ... the more, like, the more, uh, process that something takes in order to make it from scratch, I think the less you should eat it. You know. Mm-hmm. Like, if, like, something like bread. You know, if you do it from scratch, like, make your own, uh, starter culture and, like, you, um... That takes, like, a week by itself. And you have to add more flour and water to it, like, over time, that takes another two weeks. So, like, you shouldn't be eating bread every day, you know. So it takes a lot of work. But, like, say, you know, if you have, like, a garden, you got tomatoes, which, you know, we grew the last camp, uh, you know, you could just eat those real easy 'cause you just pick it and eat it. So you make your own bread too? Um, I, I tried once and it was, it was all right, but (laughs) - (laughs) ... I had to work on it a little bit more. But that's, like, my goal, you know.

   4. PBPat Barry18:03

      Right.

   5. RNRose Namajunas18:03

      It's, like, to try and make everything from scratch. And, like- That's interesting.

   6. PBPat Barry18:06

      She makes her own kombucha.

   7. RNRose Namajunas18:07

      Oh, yeah.

   8. PBPat Barry18:08

      Do you?

   9. RNRose Namajunas18:08

      By the way. This is pretty good. Like, normally I don't, I don't, like... Uh, I, I would, um, use this brand to, like, make my own. GT's? Yeah. Yeah. I like to do, like- Strong. ... the starter SCOBY or whatever. Right. Yeah. But, um- I did that before, but s- Usually I don't like them just, like, by the... But this one's pretty good. Yeah, GT's is my favorite. They're, th- Mm-hmm. You have to have a driver's license to purchase that. You have to be over 21. Really? Yeah, because it's got more than one half of 1% alcohol by volume, so- Oh, okay. Which is so stu- You... It's impossible to get drunk off of it. I mean- Yeah. ... it's just got a very marginal amou- Because of the fermentation, there's a marginal amount of natural alcohol in it. Yeah. So you have... But that's the good ones. Yeah. The other s- other ones that you can buy in any store, those are watered down. Yeah, they're just, like... Yeah. They don't even have, like, the SCOBY in them. Yeah. I like, I like making it myself though 'cause it... I think it tastes a lot better. Like, I'll use green tea instead of black tea and- Mm-hmm. ... um, I'll, like, add ginger and stuff like that to it. Mm-hmm. Cool. Yeah. Yeah, I did that for a while. I just get tired of it. Like- I know, yeah. ... having big bowls laying around with giant slimy things. (laughs) Little science experiments, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But it's fun. It's fun to do. But I, I was doing that in the '90s. Yeah. Like, way, way back in the day. Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah, I got one from Andy Dick. Yeah. Andy Dick gave me-

   10. JRJoe Rogan19:14

       Like, he was-

   11. RNRose Namajunas19:15

       (laughs)

   12. JRJoe Rogan19:15

       ... he was making it in his house, I was like-

   13. RNRose Namajunas19:16

       That's funny.

   14. JRJoe Rogan19:16

       ... "What are you making?" And he gave me some. I was like, "This is actually pretty good."

   15. RNRose Namajunas19:19

       Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan19:20

       You know?

   17. RNRose Namajunas19:20

       Yeah. I don't know. So, so yeah, like, dietwi- I mean, I try not to be too scientifical on stuff.

   18. JRJoe Rogan19:25

       Mm-hmm.

   19. RNRose Namajunas19:25

       But, um, you know, uh, whatever, like, whatever feel good, like, whatever makes you feel good I think is what you should eat. Um, and-

   20. JRJoe Rogan19:34

       So you don't, like-

   21. RNRose Namajunas19:34

       ... I don't like sweets or anything like that. I don't really... I grew up, you know, my mom was Lithuanian, like, sh- uh, my parents were actually, like, Lithuanian refugees that came. I'm first generation American, and we grew up, like, eating sauerkraut and potatoes, and, you know, just real Eastern European type stuff, you know? So I never really, I never really liked candy or anything like that, so I've always just been... It's been a, like a lifestyle for me, and never like a, a, a thing that I'm on this diet that I have to do and... You know what I mean?

   22. JRJoe Rogan20:02

       Right, right.

   23. RNRose Namajunas20:03

       Mm-hmm.

8. 20:04 – 24:30

   Origins in martial arts: Taekwondo, stick fighting, and finding a career path

   1. JRJoe Rogan20:04

      Now how did you get involved in martial arts?

   2. RNRose Namajunas20:07

      Uh, my stepdad put, uh, uh, put my, me and my brother in Taekwondo, like, from a young age. And then from there, uh, you know, it was just such a positive thing for me, just 'cause, like, it kept us out of trouble. It, you know, it taught me how to defend myself, gave me confidence, things like that. Um, and then we also, like, watched a lot of Dragon Ball Z growing up, so, like-

   3. JRJoe Rogan20:26

      (laughs)

   4. RNRose Namajunas20:26

      ... we thought we were, like, you know, badasses or whatever (laughs) , and we thought we could power up and stuff. So, (laughs) it was a fun thing for... like, as kids, and then we kind- it kind of just evolved into more of, like, a, you know, real life application. And, um, you know, people used to make fun of us, like, you know, for doing that. But we als- also used to get in, like, little fights on, like, in our neighborhoods and stuff. And, um, you know, my love for martial arts grew from that, and then I just wanted to try every martial art, you know? It's like, you know, the, like, like, uh, flavors of ice cream, you know? You just want to try all of it, so.

   5. JRJoe Rogan20:59

      Sure.

   6. RNRose Namajunas20:59

      So I tried, um, uh, karate after that. Then, uh, that's where I got introduced to jiu-jitsu for the first time, like real basic, you know, positional things. And then, um, you know, weapons and stuff. Uh-

   7. JRJoe Rogan21:13

      Stick fighting?

   8. RNRose Namajunas21:14

      Yeah, I did stick fighting for a while. That was pretty fun. (laughs)

   9. JRJoe Rogan21:16

      Tomahawk?

   10. RNRose Namajunas21:17

       Yeah. Uh, with, like... You get, like, the head cage on-

   11. JRJoe Rogan21:20

       Oh, okay.

   12. RNRose Namajunas21:20

       ... and you just, like, whack each other and shit. (laughs) Yeah, it was fun. Um, and then, uh, pankration, and then after that once I got into high school I was doing a lot of sports and stuff, like cross-country, basketball, track, everything. Like, I just try to be as active as possible, try and stay busy, 'cause-

   13. JRJoe Rogan21:36

       Wrestling?

   14. RNRose Namajunas21:37

       Yeah, I did a little, like, one season of wrestling as a senior, and then, uh, you know, I, I came to... I did kickboxing and I met Pat at Duke Rufus' gym in Milwaukee, and then that's kind of where... You know, I saw guys like him, Anthony Pettis, all those dudes, like, doing it as a profession, so I was like, "I mean, I could do that as a profession too," you know?

   15. JRJoe Rogan21:55

       Wow, and how old were you at the time?

   16. RNRose Namajunas21:57

       Mm. So I first walked into Duke's gym, I was, I think I was, like, 14, and then I left 'cause I had, like, other obligations and, like, you know, stopped training for a while. But I was, you know, still doing other sports and stuff. And I came back, you know, when I was, like, 17.

   17. JRJoe Rogan22:12

       So you were really thinking at that time, like, maybe this would be something you could do for a career?

   18. RNRose Namajunas22:18

       Um, you know, not for sure, but, like, definitely, like, I saw... Uh, I was always gonna be involved in martial arts no matter what.

   19. JRJoe Rogan22:25

       Right.

   20. RNRose Namajunas22:25

       So, like, as a hobby, this is-

   21. JRJoe Rogan22:27

       Did you have another thing that you were thinking of doing before that, though?

   22. RNRose Namajunas22:29

       Mm-hmm.

   23. JRJoe Rogan22:29

       Like, when you were thinking about your future?

   24. RNRose Namajunas22:32

       Yeah, I mean, I, I knew that I had to do something for money, so, like-

   25. JRJoe Rogan22:35

       Right.

   26. RNRose Namajunas22:35

       ... I tried a semester of college and realized it's, like, this is just like high school but I'm paying for it. Like, this is stupid. (laughs) So I stopped going. Um, I really liked, um, English, and so I thought maybe I could go into that, or, like, uh... My stepdad tried to push me into computers and I was like, "This is stupid." Like, I'm good at it, but I just... really doesn't excite me at all. And, um, so... (laughs) You're like, "That tassel."

   27. JRJoe Rogan23:00

       If she wasn't, uh, doing martial arts right now, she'd be- should I not be touching this? I don't know. 'Cause- Okay, all right, cool. Is, is there a problem? I was just looking over there. You're just weird over there- Look- ... m- making a lot of motion. I'm hanging this out, man. Uh, I think Rose would have been farming. Farming?

   28. RNRose Namajunas23:12

       Yeah, so, like, my, um... Yeah, that's always been, like, my thing is, like, uh, you know, when they ask us what we wanna be when we grow up, is I always said, "I wanna be a farmer."

   29. JRJoe Rogan23:22

       Really?

   30. RNRose Namajunas23:22

       Like, ever since I was a kindergartner.
9. 24:30 – 30:15

   Becoming champion and preparing for the rematch: camp as a mental project

   1. JRJoe Rogan24:30

      What does it feel like to be the champ now? 'Cause that's a crazy-

   2. RNRose Namajunas24:33

      (laughs)

   3. JRJoe Rogan24:34

      ... that's a crazy thing. It's a crazy thing that happened.

   4. RNRose Namajunas24:36

      Yeah.

   5. JRJoe Rogan24:36

      The fight was insane. And if people thought you were gonna win, they probably thought you'd win by submission or maybe by-

   6. RNRose Namajunas24:42

      Right.

   7. JRJoe Rogan24:42

      ... decision. But when you cracked her in the first round and dropped her and put her away, and then DC starts screaming, "Thug Rose!"

   8. RNRose Namajunas24:51

      (laughs)

   9. JRJoe Rogan24:51

      "Thug Rose!"

   10. RNRose Namajunas24:52

       Yeah.

   11. JRJoe Rogan24:52

       That was, like, one of my favorite times commentating with DC too, because-

   12. RNRose Namajunas24:56

       Yeah.

   13. JRJoe Rogan24:56

       ... he just was overcome with emotion, just couldn't help it.

   14. RNRose Namajunas25:00

       Yeah. Um, I don't know, man. It's like... Somebody asked me, like, "What's different since you've been champ?" And I'm like, "Really, I'm just sitting here trying to figure out what's different." You know? Like, obviously you're- I'm sitting here talking to you. Like, that's cool. But, um-

   15. JRJoe Rogan25:13

       I would've talked to you before.

   16. RNRose Namajunas25:15

       Yeah, I mean... (laughs) It's-

   17. JRJoe Rogan25:16

       But it's kinda cool to talk-

   18. RNRose Namajunas25:17

       It does... Yeah.

   19. JRJoe Rogan25:17

       ... to you now that this crazy-

   20. RNRose Namajunas25:18

       Yeah.

   21. JRJoe Rogan25:18

       ... thing happened.

   22. RNRose Namajunas25:19

       Right, right. Um, so, yeah. I mean, things are different, you know. Like, I definitely notice more, more people, uh, recognizing me and stuff like that.

   23. JRJoe Rogan25:28

       Well, you have a very unique look too, with your shaved head and-

   24. RNRose Namajunas25:30

       Yeah, I can't hide. Don't worry. (laughs)

   25. JRJoe Rogan25:32

       (laughs)

   26. RNRose Namajunas25:32

       You'd have to wear wigs to go to the movies, right?

   27. JRJoe Rogan25:34

       Right, right. Yeah.

   28. PBPat Barry25:35

       And you guys are gonna fight again in April.

   29. RNRose Namajunas25:37

       Uh-huh.

   30. PBPat Barry25:38

       Back in New York.
10. 30:15 – 36:29

    Mental edges and training tools: ice baths, piano, reaction drills, and running

    1. RNRose Namajunas30:15

       Like, even, um, another... Like he was saying, the mentality of this last training camp, it wasn't just like, uh, you know, "Okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna journal," which I do, you know, journal a lot. Or I'll, like... You know, like we talk about just doing, like, a float tank or something like that. Like, those little mental exercises are great, but also, like, um-

    2. PBPat Barry30:32

       Whoo.

    3. RNRose Namajunas30:32

       ... uh, working on creativity. What's up?

    4. PBPat Barry30:34

       I was about to say, I, I just, I was just doing the number of ice baths you took.

    5. RNRose Namajunas30:37

       Oh, yeah. I did a lot-

    6. PBPat Barry30:38

       (laughs)

    7. RNRose Namajunas30:38

       ... of ice baths. Ice b-... Yeah. Ugh.

    8. PBPat Barry30:40

       Every day.

    9. RNRose Namajunas30:40

       The last one was the worst.

    10. PBPat Barry30:42

        Every day.

    11. RNRose Namajunas30:42

        Like, that's a... I, uh, the last-

    12. PBPat Barry30:44

        Every day, every day. But, like, every day to a point where it actually became challenging for me to get the water colder 'cause I was like, "This is ridiculous."

    13. RNRose Namajunas30:51

        (laughs) Yeah.

    14. PBPat Barry30:51

        How she can get in and within under... Now it's gotten to a point now it's been under 25 seconds. Like, the... You know, when you first get in, it's like ha, ha, ha, ha, boom.

    15. JRJoe Rogan30:57

        Right.

    16. PBPat Barry30:58

        Like, it's under 20 seconds.

    17. RNRose Namajunas30:59

        The last-

    18. PBPat Barry30:59

        Under 20 seconds and she's just stone-faced. It's just amazing.

    19. RNRose Namajunas31:02

        Yeah.

    20. JRJoe Rogan31:02

        Mm-hmm.

    21. RNRose Namajunas31:03

        The last one that I did, like, it was hurting so bad I was, like, crying. Like, I never had ice baths where I started crying, like, 'cause it hurt so bad. But anyway, like... Yeah, so that and then on t-

    22. JRJoe Rogan31:13

        Do you find a lot of benefit from that?

    23. RNRose Namajunas31:15

        Yeah.

    24. JRJoe Rogan31:15

        Yeah?

    25. RNRose Namajunas31:16

        I do. Like, I, I mean, the...Yeah.

    26. JRJoe Rogan31:20

        Reduction of inflammation?

    27. RNRose Namajunas31:21

        Mm-hmm, yeah. And then just like mental- mentally and emotionally too.

    28. JRJoe Rogan31:25

        Right.

    29. RNRose Namajunas31:25

        Um, you know, 'cause it's like why is this so scary but it hurts, you know?

    30. JRJoe Rogan31:29

        Yeah.
11. 36:29 – 1:01:02

    Coaching ecosystem: small ‘fight handling’ team, training partners, and coach fit

    1. JRJoe Rogan36:29

       Now who organizes your training camp? Does Trevor do it or do you guys all do it together, or...

    2. RNRose Namajunas36:33

       It's ... Yeah, we're all, uh ... We're all like a team. That's the key to our little circle is like always having team meetings, everybody being on the same page. We're not going from one gym to the other to like-

    3. JRJoe Rogan36:43

       Right.

    4. RNRose Namajunas36:43

       ... you know, where this coach don't know really what I'm doing or what I just did with this other coach. Like, we're all really good friends and we all-

    5. PBPat Barry36:50

       And- and it's just four of us.

    6. RNRose Namajunas36:51

       ... grow together.

    7. JRJoe Rogan36:52

       Mm-hmm.

    8. PBPat Barry36:52

       It's just four of us.

    9. JRJoe Rogan36:53

       Right.

    10. PBPat Barry36:53

        Trevor, Tony, Rose, me.

    11. RNRose Namajunas36:55

        Yeah.

    12. PBPat Barry36:55

        Now we have teammates but the- the core circle is just four people.

    13. JRJoe Rogan36:58

        Right, the people that are in-

    14. RNRose Namajunas37:00

        Yeah.

    15. JRJoe Rogan37:00

        ... charge of how the- the camp goes.

    16. RNRose Namajunas37:02

        Yeah.

    17. JRJoe Rogan37:02

        Yeah.

    18. RNRose Namajunas37:02

        Like fight handling is what we like to call it.

    19. PBPat Barry37:04

        Yeah.

    20. RNRose Namajunas37:04

        'Cause it's like, I mean, you don't see Floyd Mayweather going to a boxing l- like class, you know?

    21. JRJoe Rogan37:08

        How long has Valentina Shevchenko been in Denver now?

    22. PBPat Barry37:10

        (laughs)

    23. RNRose Namajunas37:11

        Uh, she's not ... She went back to Texas, um, but she g- ... What was it? Last year in January was it? Last year?

    24. PBPat Barry37:18

        It was like the- the ... Almost all of 2017.

    25. JRJoe Rogan37:20

        That is a phenomenal training partner to have.

    26. RNRose Namajunas37:22

        Yeah.

    27. PBPat Barry37:22

        Man, that was- that was- that was such-

    28. RNRose Namajunas37:24

        That was rough (laughs) .

    29. PBPat Barry37:24

        That was such the-

    30. RNRose Namajunas37:25

        It was fun though.
12. 1:01:02 – 1:01:47

    Purpose, intuition, and fight-week mind games: from ‘ghosting Joanna’ to future plans

    1. JRJoe Rogan1:01:02

       Now, when you look at your future and you say, "I'm the champ now"-

    2. RNRose Namajunas1:01:06

       Mm-hmm.

    3. JRJoe Rogan1:01:07

       ... do you have a roadmap that you have, like, "I wanna retire in 10 years. I wanna get this, I wanna accomplish these things." Do you have-

    4. RNRose Namajunas1:01:15

       Yeah.

    5. JRJoe Rogan1:01:15

       ... anything like that? Or you just playing it by ear?

    6. RNRose Namajunas1:01:16

       I'm like, yeah, like I- I like to have a plan and then if things change and, you know, that's fine, you know, you kinda have to be able to adapt. Um, I plan on not fighting longer than five years from now.

    7. JRJoe Rogan1:01:29

       Really?

    8. RNRose Namajunas1:01:30

       Yeah.

    9. JRJoe Rogan1:01:30

       How old are you now?

    10. RNRose Namajunas1:01:31

        25.

    11. JRJoe Rogan1:01:32

        So 30, that's a wrap?

    12. RNRose Namajunas1:01:33

        Yeah. I don't want to fight in my 30s. I mean, I could, you know, by the time that comes around, like, like time flies. Like I could be-

    13. JRJoe Rogan1:01:39

        (laughs)

    14. RNRose Namajunas1:01:39

        ... 30 years old and be like, "Fuck that. I'm getting some more fights."

    15. PBPat Barry1:01:42

        Seven more fights, dawg. One more. Just- (laughs)

    16. RNRose Namajunas1:01:43

        Yeah. I don't know. Yeah.

    17. JRJoe Rogan1:01:43

        Well, it's also, you have the potential to be a fucking huge star.

Episode duration: 1:38:55