The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #16 with Brendan Schaub
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:35
Joey Diaz tweet backlash, MMA media clicks, and “where the line is”
Joe and Brendan react to a controversy sparked by Joey Diaz’s crude comments about a UFC fighter, debating whether MMA outlets are legitimately reporting news or just chasing clicks. They also explore how humor lands differently depending on perspective, especially for the person being joked about.
- •Why MMA sites covered the tweet and how “outrage” drives traffic
- •Brendan’s defense: Joey is a comedian, not a journalist or UFC employee
- •Joe’s counterpoint: consider how it feels to be the subject of the joke
- •Audience split: most laugh vs. a minority offended, and why that matters
- 1:35 – 4:56
Joey’s texting era and the upcoming Joey Diaz + Yoel Romero podcast chaos
The conversation shifts from the controversy to Joey Diaz as a personality—now texting more—and the potential madness of having Joey on with Yoel Romero. Joe and Brendan speculate on language barriers, translation, and why Joey’s instincts make him uniquely entertaining.
- •Joey texting Joe before posting controversial tweets
- •Why Joey “knows what’s entertaining” better than most people
- •Anticipating the Joey Diaz + Yoel Romero episode dynamic
- •How Joey’s presence changes the energy of any conversation
- 4:56 – 7:36
Great offstage entertainers: Bryan Callen, club dynamics, and the Improv stage layout rant
Joe and Brendan praise Bryan Callen’s ability to dominate a room socially, then pivot into comedy-club talk. Joe goes on a detailed rant about the Improv’s stage setup—especially the piano—and how venue design can hurt a show.
- •Callen vs. Joey: offstage vs. onstage strengths
- •Callen’s recent set and “murdered” showcase talk
- •Why the Improv’s piano and stage sightlines frustrate Joe
- •How comedy venues evolve (and what should be copied from the Comedy Store)
- 7:36 – 12:41
Shaq as a DJ, Russell Peters’ real turntable skills, and what even counts as a ‘DJ’
A tangent about celebrities DJing turns into a serious (and funny) discussion of DJ culture and gatekeeping. Joe explains Russell Peters’ passion for old-school vinyl technique and contrasts it with laptop-based EDM performance.
- •Shaq DJing and Bryan’s Shaq-rap deep cut
- •Russell Peters’ legitimacy: scratching, mixing, old-school hip-hop ties
- •Debate: turntables vs. laptop sets—different art forms or mislabeling?
- •Why audiences want different experiences (club EDM vs. technical scratching)
- 12:41 – 16:21
Extreme lifting videos and the CrossFit danger debate (high reps, bad form, big risks)
Watching strength-sport clips leads to injury horror stories and a broader argument about CrossFit-style programming. Joe references Steve Maxwell’s critique: certain explosive lifts aren’t designed for high-rep fatigue, where technique breaks down and consequences can be catastrophic.
- •Deadlift blood-spray clip and other lifting fails (bars bending, squat mishaps)
- •Injury stories: “blown out” squats and a CrossFit paralysis incident
- •Steve Maxwell’s view: power cleans/presses should be low-rep strength work
- •How competition pressure pushes athletes into risky form breakdown
- 16:21 – 21:36
Training alternatives: yoga, fake martial arts jokes, and buying home cardio equipment
Brendan talks about a hectic schedule disrupting training, prompting discussion about mixing routines and staying consistent. They riff on Taekwondo/Aikido “McDojo” humor, then get practical about Peloton vs. assault/echo bikes and building a home setup.
- •Why variety helps when you’re bored or too busy for the gym
- •Taekwondo/Aikido jokes and what still makes them decent workouts
- •Peloton’s class ecosystem vs. Rogue Echo/assault bike brutality
- •Tabata and rower intervals as efficient conditioning staples
- 21:36 – 26:40
Fasted cardio, too much coffee, keto fallout, and the mental game of consistency
Joe and Brendan get into fasted cardio and the psychological reward of doing hard things when you don’t want to. Brendan admits his extreme coffee + fasting habits backfired, leading to meds and dietary changes, while Joe emphasizes momentum and recovery signals.
- •Fasted cardio as habit-building and discipline training
- •Brendan’s 12–16 cups of coffee + fasting routine and the consequences
- •How to tell laziness vs. true fatigue; rest days as a mental challenge
- •Resting heart rate as an overtraining indicator (Steve Maxwell tip)
- 26:40 – 31:59
Sauna vs. steam science, arena cold floors, and brutal Brazil/Abu Dhabi heat stories
Heat therapy talk turns into a breakdown of sauna benefits (heat shock proteins) versus steam rooms and why dry heat can go hotter. They also discuss how fight venues built over ice create freezing conditions for fighters, plus travel stories from Brazil and Abu Dhabi events.
- •Rhonda Patrick’s sauna vs. steam room evidence gap
- •Dry heat temps (190–200°F) vs. steam discomfort thresholds
- •Hockey arenas: ice underneath affects fighter performance and stiffness
- •Brazil/Abu Dhabi: humidity, bugs, open-air venues, and broadcast booth misery
- 31:59 – 35:33
Barefoot running, plantar fasciitis fears, and the disgusting callus-cutting video
A discussion about barefoot/minimalist running and foot strengthening spirals into plantar fasciitis warnings and adaptation timelines. Jamie pulls up a grotesque clip of a man cutting massive calluses while a dog eats them, derailing the room into horrified laughter.
- •Minimalist shoes: benefits vs. injury risk and ramp-up necessity
- •Plantar fasciitis stories (shots/injections) and cautionary examples
- •Barefoot walking as “freedom” vs. modern footwear as protective tech
- •Callus-cutting clip: how the internet finds the worst possible videos
- 35:33 – 49:08
Brian Ortega’s rise, Holloway matchup talk, and what makes Ortega’s guillotine special
They pivot hard back to MMA: Brendan describes knowing Ortega “before he became Ortega,” and the emotional whiplash of picking against friends. Joe and Brendan analyze Ortega’s submission mechanics, evolving striking, and the tactical questions against Max Holloway (including Holloway’s foot injury timeline).
- •Why we mentally freeze people at earlier versions of themselves (fighters & classmates)
- •Ortega’s guillotine variations and “finality” when he locks something up
- •How Ortega earned fear/respect after the Frankie Edgar finish
- •Holloway vs. Ortega: size parity, style clash, and injury/recovery concerns
- 49:08 – 1:02:35
Cyborg dominance, thin 145 roster problems, and the Amanda Nunes super-fight argument
Women’s MMA takes center stage: they break down Cyborg’s destructive power, the lack of true 145ers, and why some matchups feel unfair. They revisit Gina Carano vs. Cyborg footage, discuss PED “caveats,” and debate whether Nunes has the tools (and durability) to challenge Cyborg.
- •The risk of debuting in a UFC title fight vs. Cyborg on short notice
- •145-pound division depth issues and the Megan Anderson visa holdup
- •Rewatching Cyborg vs. Gina Carano and what it reveals about both
- •Why Nunes is technically elite—but Cyborg’s power changes the equation
- 1:02:35 – 1:06:36
Steroids, ‘let them juice’ jokes, and how striking styles translate from kickboxing to MMA
A broader PED/testing discussion branches into Bellator/Rizin nostalgia and the idea that some organizations effectively look away. Joe then uses Cro Cop as a case study: explosive, single-shot striking can translate better to MMA than highly technical kickboxing styles because takedown threats alter stance and rhythm.
- •USADA vs. non-USADA promotions and why fans romanticize “old days”
- •Cro Cop’s style: explosive entries vs. technical kickboxing pacing
- •Why takedown threat changes striking posture and defensive priorities
- •Comparisons: Randleman KO, Wonderboy/Woodley, and small-glove dynamics
- 1:06:36 – 1:34:15
Mega-cards, fantasy matchmaking (Jones–Lesnar), Canelo meat tests, and judging reform proposals
They build dream UFC cards (Stipe–DC, Jones–Lesnar, Ortega–Holloway, Cyborg–Nunes) while riffing on money fights and spectacle. From boxing (Canelo/Triple G, clenbuterol-in-meat claims) they pivot to combat-sports judging: incompetent scoring, financial consequences for fighters, and concrete ideas like expert remote judges with replay/stat access and larger panels.
- •Why Jones–Lesnar is both risky and massively lucrative
- •Canelo’s clenbuterol explanation and the economics of keeping big fights on
- •Bad decisions in MMA/boxing and the same judges crossing sports
- •Reform ideas: expert judges, no crowd/commentary, replays/stats, bigger panels (even 10)
- 1:34:15 – 2:06:46
Fight-week chatter: Ferguson–Khabib anxiety, UFC 222 reactions, and sparring KO cautionary tale
They run through upcoming and recent fights, especially the fear of Ferguson–Khabib falling apart yet again. They also discuss UFC 222 moments (including the Lombard late-shot controversy), and close on training culture—condemning hard sparring that ends in unnecessary knockouts posted online.
- •Why Ferguson–Khabib ‘has to happen’ and the constant injury paranoia
- •UFC 222 notes: Hernandez KO, Lombard’s after-the-bell foul and appeals
- •CB Dollaway’s elevator injury story and how lawsuits intersect with fighting
- •Hard sparring gone wrong: K-1/Takeru KO clip as a ‘what not to do’ example
