EVERY SPOKEN WORD
150 min read · 30,106 words- 0:00 – 2:13
Setting the stage: short-notice title shot vs Glover in Brazil
- NANarrator
(drum beat plays) Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience.
Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night. All day. (rock music plays)
- JRJoe Rogan
We're up. What's up, champ?
- JHJamahal Hill
What's going on, brother?
- JRJoe Rogan
Pleasure to do this. Pleasure to have you in here, man.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, thank you for having me, man. I appreciate it.
- JRJoe Rogan
That was a phenomenal performance in Brazil against Glover Teixeira in his hometown. Last minute, like, I mean, how much time did you have to prep for that?
- JHJamahal Hill
Uh, I had about six weeks.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, you did have six weeks.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, six weeks.
- JRJoe Rogan
But it was-
- JHJamahal Hill
Well-
- JRJoe Rogan
... bla- but you knew that it was a three ... it was supposed to be three rounds, and then they changed it to the title for five rounds, right?
- JHJamahal Hill
No.
- JRJoe Rogan
No. So, they-
- JHJamahal Hill
It was-
- JRJoe Rogan
... they-
- JHJamahal Hill
It was the title right away.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, that was right after Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz.
- JHJamahal Hill
Right, right.
- JRJoe Rogan
So, right from there-
- JHJamahal Hill
Like, they legitimately called me while they were still ...
- JRJoe Rogan
Wow.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, while they were still in the cage.
- JRJoe Rogan
If you wanted a full camp for a five-round fight, though, what would you, what would you prefer? Like, how much time do you really need?
- JHJamahal Hill
Uh, I'd prefer maybe, uh, like, eight weeks. Eight to about eight to 10 weeks.
- JRJoe Rogan
So, slightly abbreviated, but t- your per- f- performance was phenomenal, man. I mean, it was ... it was amazing.
- JHJamahal Hill
Thank you.
- JRJoe Rogan
To see you pick apart Glover like that, and to do so well on the ground too, I mean, tha- that was a big victory.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, I mean, uh, a lot of people thought that I couldn't do it. I kind of ... no, I couldn't ... well, that was just a general assumption, was that I couldn't, I couldn't grapple on the ground and things like that when that's definitely-
- 2:13 – 3:33
Proving the doubters wrong: grappling, kicks, and complete MMA
- JRJoe Rogan
What did it feel like when they strapped that thing around your waist?
- JHJamahal Hill
Man, it's just ... It's a hard thing to describe. It was just like, like, almost like unreal, like almost like living, like almost like, like in a dream, like-
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
... one of the dreams that I've had. You know, and it was just like ... I don't know. It was just crazy, just the weight of everything that I did and been through and everything was just ... It was a lot.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, it seemed like a lot. I mean, it's a lot for everybody. I mean, that's a moment that very few human beings will ever achieve. There y- there's, there's it right now.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, that was ... He ... Like, that's when he told me that he was about to retire.
- JRJoe Rogan
I mean, it's-
- JHJamahal Hill
And ...
- JRJoe Rogan
... amazing how long that dude has hung in there.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
He was the Boogeyman for six years, you know. For six years, Glover lived in Brazil-
- JHJamahal Hill
Right.
- JRJoe Rogan
... and he couldn't get a visa. And this was like e- in the early days, like when Chuck Liddell was the UFC light heavyweight champion. That's how far back Glover goes.
- JHJamahal Hill
Right. I heard something about like he went, he went pro in 2001? 2000?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah. Crazy, right? Crazy.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, that's wild.
- JRJoe Rogan
22 years later, and then-
- JHJamahal Hill
And still fighting for the world championship.
- JRJoe Rogan
And, you know, having ... That fight with Jiri Prochazka where he lost the title, I mean, that was a crazy close fight-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... until he got caught in that choke. He was ahead.
- JHJamahal Hill
I think he was.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, he was ahead in that fight.
- JHJamahal Hill
I believe he was.
- 3:33 – 9:12
Glover’s legacy and Jiri’s "I’m coming" moment
- JRJoe Rogan
That video that you made-
- JHJamahal Hill
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
... to Jiri was hilarious. We played it on the podcast. (laughs)
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, man. You can't, you can't let it slide, but like-
- JRJoe Rogan
"That's what she said." (laughs)
- JHJamahal Hill
"That's what she said." That was the first thing that came to my head whenever he said it. (laughs) "I'm coming" (laughs) Now, for ... Now, I can't-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JHJamahal Hill
Like, bro, it's, it's ... He's ruined the, he's ruined the phrase for me now-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JHJamahal Hill
... 'cause now I can't say it at all, no matter what. Somebody can call me and be like, "Oh, I'm coming." Like, goddamn.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs) I'm coming.
- JHJamahal Hill
Like, just ...
- JRJoe Rogan
He's an odd duck.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
That dude's an odd duck. He's strange. He's very-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... very different. Do you see-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... like when he was fighting Glover, and Glover was beating him up? He was like, "Good job, good job."
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, like, tapping him on the ... Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
I thought it ... It was like, well, you can't do that, man. It looks like-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, it looks like-
- JRJoe Rogan
... you're tapping.
- JHJamahal Hill
... he's tapping.
- JRJoe Rogan
Like, what are you doing? He's like, "Good job, good job."
- JHJamahal Hill
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's, but he's saying "good job" and I, I think it ... Was, was it Marc Goddard who was the referee? I think it was Marc Goddard. Whoever it was was warning him. It was like, "Hey, don't fucking slapping him and say good job. You can't do that." Just-
- JHJamahal Hill
Right.
- JRJoe Rogan
... what a weird thing to do. Guy's on top of you, raining blows down you, like, "Good job, good job."
- JHJamahal Hill
Right.
- 9:12 – 9:25
Jiri vacates the belt, shoulder damage, and the business/legacy debate
- JRJoe Rogan
Did you think he's next? Have they had any conversations with you about who, who's gonna be your first title defense?
- JHJamahal Hill
Uh...
- JRJoe Rogan
As the champion of the fucking world? Woo!
- JHJamahal Hill
Sounds good, yo.
- JRJoe Rogan
Sounds good, right?
- JHJamahal Hill
Sounds real fucking good, yo.
- JRJoe Rogan
And you earned the fuck out of that too.
- 9:25 – 19:15
Fight breakdown: Glover’s toughness, hill’s setups, and takedown defense
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, man. It was, uh... Yeah, bro, Glover was, Glover was tough, man. Like-
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, he's so tough.
- JHJamahal Hill
Like, like, y'all said that, right? I think we need to put a little bit more emphasis on it, because like, it's not just that he's tough. He's tough, he's tough, and while he's being tough, he's still fighting intelligently.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm.
- JHJamahal Hill
You get what I'm saying?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
So like, for, for not one second did I hit him with something and it was like, "Oh, shit." And like, "Oh, I don't wanna get hit with whatever's next."
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JHJamahal Hill
Cover up. Like, you know what I mean? Like that, that, that one like-
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
... "Oh, I need to, I need to find," like protection type.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JHJamahal Hill
He never did that.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know? And I was just like crazy, 'cause it was one sequence, like I think it was like in the third where I hit him with right hand, right hand, elbow, left hand.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
It's like, at no point was he like, "Oh, shit. I need to cover up."
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JHJamahal Hill
Or anything, 'cause like, I mean, I finished you at that point.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JHJamahal Hill
But it's like, bro...
- JRJoe Rogan
That was in the ground and pound sequence.
- JHJamahal Hill
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, when you're on top of him.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
You, that was so close. A lot of referees would've stopped it. A lot of referees would've stopped it there.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
I mean, you were dropping bombs on him, but yeah, he kept moving, kept moving. He kept trying to-
- JHJamahal Hill
K-
- JRJoe Rogan
... he's, there's no quit button to that dude.
- 19:15 – 20:41
After the belt: celebration night, Brazil experience, and BJJ roots
- JRJoe Rogan
What was your experience like in Brazil? Did you like it there?
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah. Yeah, I actually, I actually had a great time.
- JRJoe Rogan
Beautiful, right?
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, it was beautiful.
- JRJoe Rogan
Nice fucking people.
- JHJamahal Hill
Nice people. Great weather. Beautiful sights.
- JRJoe Rogan
Great food.
- JHJamahal Hill
Great food.
- JRJoe Rogan
Beautiful sites, yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
Beautiful sights.
- JRJoe Rogan
All kinds of sites, right?
- JHJamahal Hill
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JHJamahal Hill
Different kinds of sites there.
- JRJoe Rogan
Makes y- makes you, makes you look at sites a little different, you know? Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah. Like, "Wow, there's some genetics down here."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JHJamahal Hill
No. What? That's crazy.
- JRJoe Rogan
You know?
- JHJamahal Hill
Beautiful.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah. Beautiful.
- JHJamahal Hill
Beautiful.
- JRJoe Rogan
Beautiful. Great people, man. It's-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's a w- a wild place to be, too, because when you think about, you know, Brazil and the UFC and jujitsu, it's a- all from there. I mean, without Brazil, the UFC would not be what it is. I mean-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... who knows if it would have ever even happened, or if it happened way, way later. And if it wasn't for Rorion Gracie, it wasn't for the Gracie family, and wasn't for Brazilian jujitsu, we wouldn't be here.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, nah, man.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's crazy.
- JHJamahal Hill
Crazy.
- 20:41 – 27:20
Origin story: discovering UFC, early fights, and learning through inspiration
- JRJoe Rogan
When did you... What was the first UFC that you saw? How old were you?
- JHJamahal Hill
The first UFC I saw was the Anderson Silva verse Forrest Griffin. I think I was like 19.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, wow.
- JHJamahal Hill
I, I was 18. I was 18. Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
That was a good one to see 'cause Anderson was a wizard back then.
- JHJamahal Hill
Man, that-
- JRJoe Rogan
He was a wizard.
- JHJamahal Hill
That's what got me, that's what got me hooked. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's what really, that's really what, what started the path towards-
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
... towards all of this, because like... So, I've been in a lot of fights growing up, right? So like, I'm like... Growing up, I've been in a lot... I've been in a different... I've fought big, small, short, fast, all, like all these dudes, right? And, um, sitting there watching that and seeing what he did to him, it was like, (clicks tongue) "Okay. Can I do that?" (laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JHJamahal Hill
And if I... And right now, while I, while I can't do that, I definitely don't wanna run into somebody that can do that.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right, right.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know what I'm saying? (laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
Right. Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
I was like, I, I think I should probably become one of those guys that can do that.
- JRJoe Rogan
You know, when people talk about GOATs, you know, and I do think Jon Jones is a, a great argument for the greatest of all time (clears throat) just based on his record. But I feel like there's moments in guys' careers, and those moments kinda get diluted when you see later performances that aren't as good, maybe when they're older. (clears throat) But when Anderson was in his prime, uh, I, he was a magician. There was something about him, man. He, he was like uns- he had this unstoppable aura. He was so at peace and so calm, and he would smile at guys.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
And you knew he was fucking them up.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
He was fucking everybody up, and it wa- it was the way he was doing it. He was doing it like it was magic. You know, when- when he knocked out Forrest-
- JHJamahal Hill
Impressive.
- JRJoe Rogan
... it was like the... Forrest didn't have a chance in the world of hitting him.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
He was just waiting for the spot, ba-bink. Moving backwards.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, man. That was... It was... (laughs) I never seen anything like it, just the whoop whoop.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
Then, bang.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah. When he was on, when he was at his best, like the Vitor Belfort fight, during those times in his prime, man, he... Like, when he first got into the UFC, when he lit up Ch- Chris Leben, I was like, "Oh, boy, everybody's fucked. Everybody in this division is fucked." And it was just-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- 27:20 – 42:33
Building a complete style: mixing martial arts, belief, and weight classes
- JRJoe Rogan
Did you ... You started your training with just MMA. Is that the first training-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... you'd ever done?
- JHJamahal Hill
Well, we had-
- JRJoe Rogan
Did you have done any karate or anything when you were younger?
- JHJamahal Hill
When I was a kid, I did Taekwondo. I did like s- a little Taekwondo whenever I was a kid. But most of it was just like, like stuff my dad showed me, like, you know what I mean? Just about like how to, how to, how, how to hold tight and how to roll with punches and things like that. And then, uh, like my uncles, like my uncle showed me things. Like I was always into martial arts, you know. So, um, my brother, the, uh, that I, uh, that passed away before I, uh, before I, before I went pro, he, he was into martial arts like I was. You know, so like, you know, he would, he would, he would hear some things and he was really smart, you know. So he'd hear some things, he's see some techniques that he showed me, and we'd just kind of dialogue about things. You know, then like, you know, you had like movies like The Matrix and stuff like that. So like, you obviously like ... Obviously the stuff wasn't real, right? But like you s- ... But even in, even in like some of that like, they, they mimic certain real martial arts.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know, like Wing Chun is a real thing, maybe not like the most effective thing, but parts of it are effective.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know, and that's kind of like our thing. Like all right, what parts of what martial arts are effective? So we was already like essentially kind of in ... playing with martial arts without even like really like knowing.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know, so, um, it was just an interest though.
- JRJoe Rogan
Tony Ferguson uses Wing Chun. You see, he does a lot of Wing Chun dummies.
- JHJamahal Hill
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
You know, he de- he practices with the dummy, but you see it in fights sometimes, like he'll catch, he'll catch a wrist and use an elbow or he'll catch a wrist and come with a punch.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's ... It is something to it.
- JHJamahal Hill
I mean, there's some. There's certain parts of every martial art that can be effective.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know?
- JRJoe Rogan
As long as you combine them with the stuff that we know is effective.
- JHJamahal Hill
Right.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
Right. They're just some that are more effective, like boxing-
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
... wrestling, kickboxing.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know? Um, but if you can have strong fundamentals in those and then be able to sprinkle in some of the things, like some people do it, that's why, that's why you get the crazy spinning attacks from some dudes and things.
- JRJoe Rogan
Like the, like Yair Rodriguez-
- JHJamahal Hill
It's just different-
- 42:33 – 55:14
Lessons from adversity: Paul Craig armbar, MMA math, and dangerous matchups
- JRJoe Rogan
Um, when you look back at fights, like, that, that you had in the Octagon and you learned from, does any fight, like, where you, like, made a big leap, does any fight, like, stand out for you?
- JHJamahal Hill
Um-
- JRJoe Rogan
Like, what about the Paul Craig fight?
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah. Well, the Paul Craig fight, honestly, the, the thing that came from that is realization that you're not better than the, you're not better than the game. You're not invincible. Respect, you know what I mean, respect the craft and respect what you're doing. 'Cause that's what that was in that fight. It was, I don't, it was basically, "I don't care what you do, regardless, and I'm not worried about nothing. All I gotta do is show up and I'll win."
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm.
- JHJamahal Hill
That's really how I felt. I felt like all I had to do was show up and I was gonna win. And I paid for that, you know. Um, I went, I, like, he didn't, he didn't pull me down. I went down with him willingly, you know, with him already having my arm locked and everything like that. Then I'm like, "All right, watch this. Start working the legs, start..." But that was the one way he had to win.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
And I gave it to him. And-
- JRJoe Rogan
He's, he's so dangerous off his back, too. It's such a different level-
- JHJamahal Hill
Ye-
- JRJoe Rogan
... off his back. But-
- JHJamahal Hill
I, I understand that, but that's the thing, though. I didn't care. I didn't-
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JHJamahal Hill
... respect that at all.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right, right.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know what I'm saying? And that's what, that was what the lesson was for me to learn there. Take from that, respect the game. Give ev- treat everybody like they're the absolute best in the world at what they do at, at everything.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's a good guy to learn from, too, because his level on the ground is above and beyond most people's.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Above and beyond.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
His level off his back... I mean, he tapped out Goliath with like one second to go.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
I mean, he's something special off his back. If you... That guy is one of the best grapplers at 205 in the world.
- JHJamahal Hill
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's so fucking good. Like, I think Paul Craig could... He, I think if he dedicated himself, he could be a world champion at legit, like straight grappling.
- JHJamahal Hill
Oh, yeah. 1000, 1000%.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's that good, he's that good. When he locks cro- triangles on people, you're like, "Oh, shit."
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah. W-
- JRJoe Rogan
"It's a triangle." I mean, it's dangerous.
- JHJamahal Hill
When he locked onto my arm, he was strong as shit.
- 55:14 – 1:34:06
Title defense landscape, injuries, and UFC rules (gloves, referees, stand-ups)
- JRJoe Rogan
When you look at, like, the, the landscape in the light heavyweight division, like, what fights are intriguing for you right now?
- JHJamahal Hill
Like ... Intriguing in what way, right?
- JRJoe Rogan
Intriguing like, uh, "This-"
- JHJamahal Hill
'Cause, like, I wanna-
- JRJoe Rogan
"... this is the guy I wanna get in there with."
- JHJamahal Hill
All right. Well, that w- in that way, like, pretty much ev- pretty much everybody at the top present different challenges. You know?
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
Everybody's their own different challenge. Like, uh, I think Blachowicz would be a good, uh, good striking and mix-up challenge. Uh, Magomed's a good, um, he's a good, he's a good mix-up challenge, but I think he's gonna come more of a heavier wrestling type, um, type thing. Yuri's a striking challenge, so that'd be fun. A f- a flowing striking challenge at that-
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
... 'cause he just flows.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know, and I'm good, I'm good with flowing. I like to be creative and do things and flow too.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's so herky-jerky. It's a very unusual way he moves.
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's like, everything's like his hands are down, he's switching stances. He's like-
- JHJamahal Hill
Yeah, he's doing that, but I understand that, though.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
I understand that movement. I understand that, that type of, that type of fighting. You know, just trying to be loose to be fast.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
To be fast. Be, it's like water. Be the, be water.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
And the whole thing, like, be water, he's just trying to flow and crash. You know, just be f- loose, loose, loose, and then bang! Crash and hit.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know? That's, that's essentially the da- same thing that I'm doing. You know? Um, it's just, I'm a little more technical. You know, I try to stay a little more tight and I try to, uh, I try to keep more options open for myself.
- JRJoe Rogan
Hmm.
- JHJamahal Hill
You know what I mean? If that makes sense.
- JRJoe Rogan
So has the UFC given you some sort of a timeline on when your first defense would be?
- JHJamahal Hill
Hmm, no. There's, I think it's kinda hard for them to do that at the time, right?
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JHJamahal Hill
Just because Yuri's hurt. Magomed and Yan fought to a draw, so they don't f- like, they don't even... I don't really see them giving the title shot to one over the other. Um, Rakic is still hurt, I believe. Uh, you got, you got Smith, who, uh, who hurt his leg, and, well, technically, uh, kind of lost.
Episode duration: 2:55:58
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Transcript of episode 1YES-G0fATk
