The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #15 with Brendan Schaub
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:58
Live show teases & Joey Diaz as Yoel Romero translator
Brendan hints at doing a live show with Joey Diaz in New York, but stays vague on details. Joe pivots into a plan for a podcast featuring Yoel Romero, with Diaz helping translate if Romero switches into Spanish.
- •Brendan teases a Diaz live show in NYC but won’t confirm venue/details
- •Joe describes an upcoming podcast with Joey Diaz and Yoel Romero
- •Idea: Diaz translating/clarifying in Spanish if things get confusing
- •Romero’s post-fight intensity and “I love you” energy gets discussed
- 0:58 – 2:06
Romero’s intensity, ‘Stoolgate,’ and fight corner gamesmanship
They riff on how terrifying Romero is: calm until sudden explosion. This leads into the Tim Kennedy fight controversy and broader discussion of corner tactics and ‘dirty’ but common fight-night tricks.
- •Romero’s calm-to-explosion switch is framed as uniquely scary
- •Discussion of Romero’s behavior after knocking out Rockhold
- •Tim Kennedy fight and ‘Stoolgate’ as an example of gamesmanship
- •Historical boxing parallel: Angelo Dundee cutting the glove vs Henry Cooper
- •Ethics vs reality: corners exploiting rules to buy time
- 2:06 – 4:05
Matt Brown’s ‘died and came back’ story & training in Cuba
Joe recounts his recent podcast with Matt Brown, including Brown’s near-death experience and unbreakable mindset. They then dive into Brown’s unusual decision to spend weeks training in Cuba—boxing and wrestling with Cuban athletes.
- •Matt Brown’s intensity and reputation for not beating himself
- •Brown and Court McGee as fighters with ‘crossed-over’ mentality
- •Brown returning to fight Carlos Condit
- •Six-week Cuba camp: living with Cuban fighters, sparring boxers, wrestling
- •Why veterans still chase marginal gains late in their careers
- 4:05 – 5:24
What elite grappling strength feels like (Maia, Shields, Askren)
The conversation shifts into the lived experience of high-level jiu-jitsu and wrestling strength—how it differs from gym strength. Demian Maia’s constricting style becomes the centerpiece, with comparisons to Shields, Askren, and others.
- •How Demian Maia ‘closes’ like a snake and drowns opponents
- •Rogan’s ‘chimp strength’ analogy for elite grapplers
- •Ben Askren-style strength vs CrossFit-visible strength
- •Maia dominating strong strikers like Condit and Magny
- •Why grappling pressure is hard to understand until you feel it
- 5:24 – 7:02
RDA at 170, Whittaker praise, and fixing weight cutting with hydration testing
Joe and Brendan react to Rafael dos Anjos looking stronger and healthier at welterweight, surprising them against Neil Magny. They connect this to Robert Whittaker’s success after moving up and propose hydration-based weigh-ins (ONE FC style) to reduce dangerous cuts.
- •RDA’s performance at 170: more power, speed, aggression
- •They expected Magny to be more competitive given reach/cardio/footwork
- •Whittaker framed as ‘almost perfect’ build and skill balance
- •ONE FC hydration testing cited as a better model
- •Weight cutting seen as warping divisions and fighter performance
- 7:02 – 10:24
Ben Askren’s marketability problem & why ‘best vs best’ matters
Brendan argues Askren could beat elite UFC talent and is a missed opportunity, while Joe agrees he’s underappreciated. They debate promotion vs purist matchmaking and the entertainment value of brawls versus technical longevity.
- •Askren praised as unbeaten, articulate, and uniquely dominant
- •‘Haven’t been punched in the face in three years’ as a selling point
- •Joe distinguishes sport integrity from pure spectacle matchmaking
- •Examples of crowd-pleasing wars (Rivera–Lineker) vs longevity costs
- •Max Holloway’s ‘point to the floor’ moment as authentic fighter identity
- 10:24 – 15:06
Luke Rockhold’s swagger, camp changes, and Romero stoppage debate
They unpack Rockhold’s skill ceiling versus recent performances, focusing on lost swagger and tactical choices against Romero. The discussion includes coaching environment differences, Rockhold’s vulnerability to left hands, and whether the stoppage timing was fair in real time.
- •Rockhold as potentially the most complete middleweight (in Schaub’s view)
- •Swagger/confidence framed as a performance multiplier
- •Rockhold’s left-side vulnerability (Bisping KO; Romero sequence)
- •Branch fight used as a ‘should’ve been easier’ reference point
- •Referee/stoppage nuance: real-time uncertainty vs hindsight
- 15:06 – 20:00
Frankie Edgar’s durability, concussions, and Brian Ortega’s submission danger
Joe highlights Frankie Edgar’s unbelievable recoveries (especially vs Gray Maynard), while Brendan recounts Edgar downplaying concussion signs. They then pivot to Brian Ortega’s elite jiu-jitsu, especially his triangles and guillotines, and why Ortega is uniquely dangerous even if taken down is hard.
- •Frankie’s ‘zombie’ comebacks and never-being-finished stat
- •Brendan’s interview anecdote: ‘not concussed because I didn’t throw up’
- •Ortega’s neck attacks and high-level squeeze/positioning
- •Training environment: teaching at Gracie Academy as a technique accelerator
- •Matchup tension: Edgar’s speed/wrestling vs Ortega’s size and submissions
- 20:00 – 23:16
Khabib vs Tony: pressure wrestling vs chaos jiu-jitsu from the back
They describe Khabib’s freight-train pressure and psychological toll on opponents, then frame Tony Ferguson as the rare stylistic counter. The key debate is how judging and optics might treat Tony’s offense from guard, and how five rounds could change the fight dynamic.
- •Khabib’s chain takedowns and ‘you’re never getting up’ grind
- •Tony’s scramble ability, elbows, and world-class D’Arce setups
- •Schaub: ‘Tony gets taken down’—fight starts on the ground
- •Cardio/late-round questions for Khabib vs Tony’s late surges
- •Judging concern: valuing damage/sub threats from bottom position
- 23:16 – 32:13
Stipe vs DC as a true heavyweight superfight (and the Jon Jones shadow)
Brendan calls Stipe–DC a legitimate superfight and they analyze DC’s wrestling leverage versus Stipe’s size and knockout ability. Jon Jones’ dominance over DC becomes a recurring reference point, including discussion of Jones’ talent, turmoil, and PED controversy narratives.
- •DC undefeated at heavyweight; Stipe as proven HW finisher
- •Size/reach mismatch: DC ~5'11" vs Stipe ~6'4"
- •Stipe’s résumé: Werdum, Overeem, JDS, Hunt, Arlovski
- •Jones framed as a ‘wizard’ whose presence reframes everyone’s greatness
- •Rogan addresses claims about his UFC commentary and Jones’ tainted supplement theory
- 32:13 – 1:00:26
Heavyweight ecosystem: Francis’ wrestling gaps, Blaydes vs Hunt, and Cain’s endless storm
They argue about Francis Ngannou’s wrestling defense and how elite grapplers could exploit him. The talk expands to Curtis Blaydes’ smart wrestling choices against Mark Hunt, and then to Cain Velasquez’s famously relentless pace as the model for inescapable pressure.
- •Schaub ‘off the Francis train’: wrestling defense and technique critique
- •Blaydes praised for surviving Hunt’s power and using doubles wisely
- •Matchmaking debate: what’s ‘smart’ for legends like Mark Hunt vs contenders
- •Cain’s pace described as a storm that ‘never goes away’ (Javier Mendez quote)
- •Heavyweight division depth issues and constant reshuffling of top names
- 1:00:26 – 1:10:13
MMA circus hypotheticals: Sage, CM Punk, Floyd in MMA, and absurd betting odds
The show turns comedic as they mock promotional pushes (Sage Northcutt) and debate CM Punk’s UFC jump as irresponsible. They spiral into wild crossover talk—Floyd in MMA, Floyd vs CM Punk—alongside incredulous reactions to posted betting odds and how money drives ‘spectacle’ fights.
- •Schaub jokes about being ‘forced’ to watch certain promoted fighters
- •Rogan explains why CM Punk skipping amateur development was a bad idea
- •Floyd-in-MMA scenario: Conor’s kicks/takedowns make odds laughable
- •They react to supposedly real odds and joke about ‘easiest money’ bets
- •Money as the driver: why Floyd might consider MMA for massive paydays
- 1:10:13 – 1:13:32
Legendary kicks: Pedro Rizzo, Barboza, and heavyweight leg-kick rarity
They reminisce about terrifying leg-kick power, with Rogan describing Pedro Rizzo as the hardest bag-kicker he’s ever seen. The discussion compares modern kickers like Barboza and Overeem and why heavyweights who kick at that elite level are rare.
- •Rizzo’s leg-kick power described as uniquely frightening
- •Pad-holding clip reaction: the kicker sends a holder flying
- •Barboza’s dexterity and rare double leg-kick stoppages
- •Overeem cited as a heavyweight with serious kicking chops (historically)
- •Why heavyweight striking styles often de-emphasize high-level kicking
- 1:13:32 – 1:37:17
Woodley’s next move: RDA vs Nate Diaz, promotion politics, and distraction vs focus
They close by analyzing Tyron Woodley’s career positioning after low-action matchups (Maia and Wonderboy) and his need for a fan-pleasing fight. The discussion includes Dana White tensions, the realities of negotiating power, and the tradeoff between building media ventures and staying locked in for elite competition.
- •RDA–Woodley framed as the fight; Diaz–Woodley as money/superfight logic
- •Why Woodley’s style vs Maia/Wonderboy produced unpopular optics
- •Dana–Woodley conflict: public calling-each-other-liars seen as damaging
- •Rashad Evans’ warning: business disputes drain fight focus
- •Woodley’s diversification (UFC Tonight/TMZ/YouTube ‘Champ Life’) vs distraction risk
- 1:37:17 – 2:50:17
Flat Earth, confirmation bias, Bigfoot skepticism, and Gigantopithecus lore
The conversation veers into belief systems: flat earth fundraising, simulation talk, and Joe’s warning about confirmation bias. Rogan recounts his former Bigfoot belief, what he learned meeting ‘experts,’ and the scientific hook—Gigantopithecus and migration lore that may have seeded Sasquatch folklore.
- •Flat earth project mocked; Rogan pivots to epistemology and bias
- •Advice: don’t ‘hang yourself’ on ideas—seek disconfirming evidence
- •Rogan’s Bigfoot phase and Pacific Northwest trip with ‘experts’
- •Misidentification theory: black bears walking upright in dense forests
- •Gigantopithecus as the ‘real animal’ that makes Bigfoot folklore feel plausible
