JRE MMA Show #164 with Israel Adesanya

Narrator 0:00 (drumming music plays) Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience.

Israel Adesanya 0:06 Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. (rock music plays) What's up?

Joe Rogan 0:13 Bro, what's up?

Israel Adesanya 0:13 What's up with that?

Joe Rogan 0:14 What's up? Good to see you, my friend.

Israel Adesanya 0:15 Long time no see.

Joe Rogan 0:15 What is the chain?

Israel Adesanya 0:16 The chain.

Joe Rogan 0:16 What does that, what does that stand for?

Israel Adesanya 0:18 Uh, Engage. This is, uh, my fightwear brand. Ashbel Castro started this.

Joe Rogan 0:21 Oh.

Israel Adesanya 0:22 Um, he was one of the... I'll say this. He was, um, one of the only guys who fucked with me before I really, like, blew up. So when I was fighting in China and I lost to Alex, they stopped giving me fights. And I had, I think at the time, I was the highest paid foreign fighter in China at the time. Probably not now anymore. But then they stopped giving me fights and I was like, "Look, I have seven more fights on my contract. Can I at least just get three? I just need three." 'Cause money was running out, you know, the money I had saved up. And then, yeah, I was down to my last one day, like $500. And Eugene was holding pads for me because he saw something was up and I just said, "Bro, I'm, I'm about to be broke," this and that, rah-da-rah-da-rah. And he said, "Don't worry. Just leave it with me." I get home, uh, I think I was on, I was on the toilet and he just goes, "Check your bank account." And I'm sitting there just like (sighs) . I start crying and I call him. He's like, "No, don't thank me. Thank Ash," who started Engage. And I call Ash, I'm taking a shit and I'm just like, "Thank you."

Joe Rogan 1:21 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 1:21 (laughs) Thank you so much. Like, honestly just in tears 'cause you know, I mean, I've been there. Like, nothing and had everything and nothing again. So for me, yeah, he's always been a guy that's been in my corner. And me and Alex Volkanovski now, we, you know, we've helped raised the brand so we own part of the company. So yeah, I like to rep the set.

Joe Rogan 1:40 Oh, that's cool.

Israel Adesanya 1:40 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:40 Nice. Nice.

Israel Adesanya 1:41 And I think we, Engage also was last final three when they had the whole Reebok fiasco. It was, uh, Venom, Engage and someone else. I can't remember who else. So we didn't get the, the gig, but it would've been nice, though.

Joe Rogan 1:55 Oh, the UFC gig?

Israel Adesanya 1:56 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:56 Yeah. Engage Fight Kits for the fighters, but now it's Venom Fight Kits. Yeah, the whole fight kit thing is weird. I really-

Israel Adesanya 2:03 (murmurs approval)

Joe Rogan 2:03 ... preferred it when fighters could have sponsors.

Israel Adesanya 2:06 Condom Depot on the back of your shorts.

Joe Rogan 2:07 I don't like that.

Israel Adesanya 2:08 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 2:08 I mean they should probably-

Israel Adesanya 2:09 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 2:09 ... have some discretion.

Israel Adesanya 2:11 (laughs) I did like it, though, and I do like the fact now, like, uh, the last fight I had, uh, Hunter hit me up way before any Gold Gloves or anything. He says, "Izzy, we're gonna do this for certain fighters. What design would you like on your shorts?" And I was like, "Bet." And I hit up Curtis, who works with Engage, does a lot of the designs, and I told him what I wanted and then he just did some custom stuff and I sent a few to Hunter and then boom, I got my shorts, the lightning, and I quite like that. I like expression. That's one thing I do miss about boxing or kickboxing, is the expression on the Mongkon-

Joe Rogan 2:43 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 2:44 ... the armbands, the shorts. Like, uh, Jonathan Haggerty, like, he has cool shorts with golden, like, bows on the side.

Joe Rogan 2:50 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 2:51 I like that. It's cool.

Joe Rogan 2:52 I do, too.

Israel Adesanya 2:52 Yeah, it's expression.

Joe Rogan 2:53 I don't like everybody has to wear the same shit.

Israel Adesanya 2:56 I think maybe the UFC at the time, they wanted to be taken seriously in a sense, so we had to, like professional sports, but nah, I think we're all different independent contractors and we have different styles, so I'm glad now they've brought out, for certain fighters, like O'Malley and his pink shorts, Bryce Mitchell's camo shorts.

Joe Rogan 3:15 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 3:16 You know, let us express ourselves. We're artists.

Joe Rogan 3:17 I like that, but I wish fighters had the ability to advertise.

Israel Adesanya 3:21 Oh, big time, yeah.

Joe Rogan 3:22 That's-

Israel Adesanya 3:22 Greatly.

Joe Rogan 3:23 That's big. Sponsors on your shorts is a lot of money.

Israel Adesanya 3:25 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 3:25 Like, Schaub was making more money from the sponsors than he was from his fight purse.

Israel Adesanya 3:29 Yeah, I agree. And there's a way to bring it back, I'm sure, but even now, 'cause they've got some, you get, you get some kickbacks, but it's better if you can just plaster Condom Depot and get $100 grand-

Joe Rogan 3:39 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 3:39 ... on the back of your shorts. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 3:41 (laughs) How much does Condom Depot-

Israel Adesanya 3:42 I don't even know.

Joe Rogan 3:43 ... pay people?

Israel Adesanya 3:43 But I used to think it was funny and the fact that it was on the-

Joe Rogan 3:45 It was funny.

Israel Adesanya 3:45 ... on the, on the, on the back of the shorts. So I'm like, "That's-"

Joe Rogan 3:47 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 3:48 "... placement advertising."

Joe Rogan 3:50 I just feel like-

Israel Adesanya 3:50 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 3:50 ... you know, if they, they didn't like some 'cause it didn't represent the sport, what, like Condom Depot, like, then just fucking-

Israel Adesanya 3:58 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 3:58 ... you know, have a list of ones that you agree to.

Israel Adesanya 4:00 That's actually a good idea, like say approved sponsors. Like, okay-

Joe Rogan 4:04 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 4:04 ... these guys. Or maybe they go through a check first.

Joe Rogan 4:06 Right.

Israel Adesanya 4:06 You wanna maybe advertise on a fighter's shorts, you have to go through this rigorous check. What's your company, you know, what do you guys sell?

Joe Rogan 4:13 Right.

Israel Adesanya 4:14 Rah-da-rah-da-rah and then, yeah, plaster it on the shorts, get some money, 'cause-

Joe Rogan 4:17 But I do like it when boxers wear cool shorts.

Israel Adesanya 4:20 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 4:20 You know, they wear whatever the fuck they want. Like-

Israel Adesanya 4:21 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 4:22 ... I loved it when Melvin Manhoef would wear those, uh-

Israel Adesanya 4:24 Oh, the gladiator ones.

Joe Rogan 4:25 ... like gladiator skirt. (laughs) Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 4:26 Yeah. Yeah, he was a badass.

Joe Rogan 4:27 Oh, god.

Israel Adesanya 4:27 I like tassels, though. That's me w- wearing my shorts, I always liked tassels 'cause when you kick-

Joe Rogan 4:31 Mm. Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 4:31 ... the way they shimmer, the way they look, and it just, yeah, makes for cool pics.

Joe Rogan 4:35 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 4:35 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 4:36 There's a, that being, that's just one of the things about the UFC.

Israel Adesanya 4:39 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 4:40 It just, they, they want everything to be uniform.

Israel Adesanya 4:42 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 4:42 And organized.

Israel Adesanya 4:43 But again, like, now at the, at, for certain fighters, they're changing it, which is good, but hopefully that trickles down.

Joe Rogan 4:48 I don't feel like anybody should be wearing shorts in grappling. I feel like the, the-

Israel Adesanya 4:53 Tights.

Joe Rogan 4:53 ... temptation for gr- Yeah, tights. Temptation for grabbing is just too much.

Israel Adesanya 4:57 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 4:57 And it does happen.

Israel Adesanya 4:58 Yeah, I've seen it. It's, it happened to me even with, uh, what's his name? Brunson in the, in the-

Joe Rogan 5:02 Yep.

Israel Adesanya 5:02 ... Brunson, he grabbed my tights and I was like-

Joe Rogan 5:04 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 5:04 ... "Yo, that's two times you've done it now." So it is tempting, but I think tights would be the best way to fight. But again, some guys like, have cool shorts and if the, if it, if that's their style, that's their style 'cause some people-

Joe Rogan 5:16 Right.

Israel Adesanya 5:16 ... I guess maybe their body type, maybe they got no ass. They don't wanna be... (laughs)

Joe Rogan 5:21 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 5:21 Well, I got some back there, but like-

Joe Rogan 5:23 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 5:23 ... I don't know, a guy like, I won't drop no names, but like, you know, wearing tights, you look like a fucking-

Joe Rogan 5:28 Right.

Israel Adesanya 5:28 ... a stick (laughs) or something, yeah.

Joe Rogan 5:29 Yeah, you look a little flat.

Israel Adesanya 5:30 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 5:31 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 5:31 That's what it is, though.

Joe Rogan 5:33 Yeah, it is-

Israel Adesanya 5:33 Mmm.

Joe Rogan 5:33 ... what it is. I mean, there's a lot of room for expression.

Israel Adesanya 5:36 Mmm.

Joe Rogan 5:37 It's, it's interesting to watch, like, all the different styles that people promote themselves as well.

Israel Adesanya 5:42 Mmm.

Joe Rogan 5:42 You know, like there's so many different ways now and then there's guys like Alex who, you know, he doesn't even speak English-

Israel Adesanya 5:48 Mmm.

Joe Rogan 5:48 ... and he's risen to the top just based on performance.

Israel Adesanya 5:51 But even the fact that he doesn't speak English, that's also his super power, just Kshama.

Joe Rogan 5:56 Right. (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 5:58 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 5:58 What do you think about that fight-

Israel Adesanya 5:59 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 5:59 ... this week, guy?

Israel Adesanya 5:59 I can't wait. I just did the breakdown for it. We're about to drop it on YouTube now. I am picking, in this fight-... Alex, 'cause I just think the momentum behind him right now is so big. He's just got momentum. Look, I was the most active champion in UFC history, and I think lex- next to Alex Volkanovski as well. He was right up there with me, or if not more than me. I think Alex now is on his way to being the most active champ in UFC history, 'cause he's already saved, this year I think, two or three cards alone. He's, like, stepped in, be like-

Joe Rogan 6:32 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 6:32 ... yeah, I'm Sharma. Just does a jump scene.

Joe Rogan 6:34 And he fights fucked up. He fights injured.

Israel Adesanya 6:37 Mm.

Joe Rogan 6:37 Apparently his-

Israel Adesanya 6:38 Oh, really?

Joe Rogan 6:38 ... knee was really fucked up in the first Jiri Prochazka fight.

Israel Adesanya 6:41 Oh, wow.

Joe Rogan 6:42 You know when he stopped Jiri and then he sa- he did, like, a forward roll off of Jiri?

Israel Adesanya 6:47 Yeah, yeah.

Joe Rogan 6:47 He said he did that because he didn't trust standing on his right knee.

Israel Adesanya 6:50 Oh, wow, momentum.

Joe Rogan 6:52 Yeah, his knee was fucked up, so-

Israel Adesanya 6:53 Sure.

Joe Rogan 6:53 ... he didn't, like, it was fucked up in training camp and so when he stepped off of him, he just decided to-

Israel Adesanya 6:59 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 6:59 ... roll forward instead of putting weight on his right knee.

Israel Adesanya 7:02 That's smart. That's some parkour shit.

Joe Rogan 7:03 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 7:03 But again, it's, that's, that's what you have to do. You, look, when you get in the UFC, this is what I did as well, he did it the, the right way, fight as much as possible. Fight as much as possible so you can be in people's faces so they can see-

Joe Rogan 7:16 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 7:16 ... that guy just fought. That guy just fought, oh, I just saw him fight last month. And you fight as much as you can and you get that momentum behind you, and then you become champion, you're that guy, and then again, you just, that momentum constantly.

Joe Rogan 7:28 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 7:28 You're in people's faces, you're getting posted here, here, and that's how you build a stock up. So I've done that and he's doing it the right way as well. And I think if he keeps going, bro, I hope he retires never getting defeated by anyone ever again.

Joe Rogan 7:40 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 7:40 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 7:40 Just you. (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 7:42 Hey, and look-

Joe Rogan 7:42 And the way you did it too, oh my God, that was one of the greatest celebrations of all time.

Israel Adesanya 7:46 Yeah, uh, it just, look, it's, it's, it's the story behind it. No matter what-

Joe Rogan 7:50 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 7:50 ... it's just the history, 'cause David even mentioned to me, my brother said, like, "You know you're the only one that can actually stand with that guy." Like, no one's lasted more than two rounds or even a round with him. And I thought about it during the breakdown, like, yeah, you're right, and it's 'cause I knew him. I have fought that guy so many times. And regardless of what happened, I lost three times and I finally won one, it was just the fact that I knew I could beat him. Every time I fought him, I was just like, uh, I was, I was beating him, and then he just catches me.

Joe Rogan 8:18 I thought you won the first one.

Israel Adesanya 8:19 I felt so too, but then that's, you know, the Chinese judges-

Joe Rogan 8:23 That's the kickboxing-

Israel Adesanya 8:23 Yeah, yeah.

Joe Rogan 8:23 ... the kickboxing fight.

Israel Adesanya 8:25 They gave it to him, and then the second fight in Brazil under the same company, then he gets me, but again, I was besting him. Had him on skates.

Joe Rogan 8:32 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 8:33 He was fucking... and then he, bro, his spirit. You know what Jerry said about the whole juju thing?

Joe Rogan 8:38 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 8:38 Like, th- that's real. That's real.

Joe Rogan 8:40 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 8:40 So the la- the last time I fought him in Miami, look, he beats me. This is what I hate when people say, "Oh, is scared? He scared?" It's like, bro, I ain't scared of shit. The guy beat me in the biggest, uh, arena on the planet, Madison Square Garden, same way as the last time we beat me in Brazil in his hometown. I was beating his ass, had him hurt in the end of the first round, all that shit, took him down, and then he gets me in the last round. It's his spirit. His, whatever, like, ancestors or there's people that are praying for him, 'cause I got prayer warriors as well. My mum and dad be fasting and they have people, like, in the spirit mem- pr- praying for me. But, like, the way he carries himself, something about him just, he knows how to recover well. So I just knew I could get him, I could get him, and then after that he knocks me out in the biggest arena in the world and I'm just like, (clicks tongue) "Let's do that shit again, Dana."

Joe Rogan 9:27 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 9:27 'Cause I just knew, I was like-

Joe Rogan 9:28 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 9:28 ... "I can get him." And then that camp, I was so... I went to a different place, and that was when I kinda mentioned I, I microdosed a little bit, or macrodosed a lot. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 9:41 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 9:41 And, like, I always say this, the shower is the most interesting place on the planet, I feel, 'cause you have the element of water running over your body, stripped naked in your bare essentials. You kinda have this, if it's a white shower, you get like a void white space, I can create a lot in there. I can make a lot of things happen. And yeah, one time after one of my showers I just wrote this thing on my mirror 'cause I just had this premonition, like, this is where I get it done. Like, there's no way. You could beat me one time, you could beat me two times, you might beat me three times. But I was like, "Nah, this guy's not gonna beat me this time." And I just knew I had to get this done. And the way it happened as well, 'cause first round I think I won and second round I was winning, but then that fucking leg kick, bro. You know what it is? You look at his foot. You look at this bit of his foot.

Joe Rogan 10:30 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 10:30 It's like a hammer. You know, like a, like the, like the back of a hammer-

Joe Rogan 10:34 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 10:34 ... or a hammer like a ball pe- it is, 'cause that's what he kicks you with as well. So he doesn't have to, excuse me, he doesn't have to turn the hip over.

Joe Rogan 10:41 Right.

Israel Adesanya 10:41 And then when he hits you with that, even, 'cause he's bone density, long legs, and he hits you with that, you just feel it, like, ooh, that's bad. And it's, it's a different feeling 'cause I've been kicked by kickboxers all my life on the thigh, on the calf as well. But when he hits you with that bit, it's just a surface area, it's so small, but it tra- it, it travels and transfers through your whole calf and you're like, "Oh, I can't put weight on this."

Joe Rogan 11:04 It's so interesting too how he keeps his body completely square.

Israel Adesanya 11:08 Whoa.

Joe Rogan 11:08 And he doesn't even really turn the hips.

Israel Adesanya 11:10 Yeah, that's the thing.

Joe Rogan 11:10 And so it's so sneaky.

Israel Adesanya 11:12 He doesn't have to because he's got so much bone density, so much whip from that little... (whistles)

Joe Rogan 11:17 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 11:17 And yeah, it's dangerous, and I think that's gonna be a problem this weekend for, uh, Khalil. But I don't know why Chael says he, he... Did you hear about what Chael said?

Joe Rogan 11:28 Yeah, Chael said he thinks Khalil's gonna knock him out.

Israel Adesanya 11:31 That's possible, but I just don't think he's... it's possible, but I don't think he's gonna get it done 'cause all it takes is one. From either side, but I just think Pereira right now has just got that momentum behind him and the frame, 'cause he's gonna just avoid the shots Khalil's throwing 'cause he just got the long frame.

Joe Rogan 11:49 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 11:49 He'll get out, right out the way. And I don't think Khalil has the reach to mess with him like that, so he might have to get inside, but, uh, yeah. We'll see. This is why paper can't fight paper, they have to get in there and fight.

Joe Rogan 11:59 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 11:59 So we'll find out.

Joe Rogan 12:00 It's very interesting-

Israel Adesanya 12:02 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 12:02 ... 'cause Khalil's so fast and Khalil's-

Israel Adesanya 12:04 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 12:04 ... had experience with high-level kickboxers when he knocked out Gokhan Saki.

Israel Adesanya 12:07 Mm.

Joe Rogan 12:07 That was a big one.

Israel Adesanya 12:08 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 12:08 You know, that was a big one. And that was, like, early on where everybody was like, "Oh, shit. Gokhan Saki-"

Israel Adesanya 12:12 Gokhan's finally in.

Joe Rogan 12:13 "... is finally in the UFC." And then-

Israel Adesanya 12:14 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 12:14 ... boom, Khalil just takes him out.

Israel Adesanya 12:16 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 12:16 Khalil's fast. He hits-

Israel Adesanya 12:18 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 12:18 ... fucking hard and he throws like that, th- the thing that he did with Lionheart, he throws that-

Israel Adesanya 12:22 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 12:22 ... off-speed shit sometimes. He'll, he'll-

Israel Adesanya 12:25 Bop.

Joe Rogan 12:25 ... give you a little of this-

Israel Adesanya 12:26 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 12:26 ... bang, and then he jolts in on you. That-

Israel Adesanya 12:28 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 12:28 ... off-speed uppercut was nasty.

Israel Adesanya 12:30 It's the looks. It's like-

Joe Rogan 12:31 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 12:32 ... I'm here. I'm almost Prince Naseem-esque, but different.

Joe Rogan 12:34 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 12:35 Just, like, looking, looking, bang. But again, he's just violent. Like, when he smells blood, he just goes in.

Joe Rogan 12:40 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 12:40 Like I said (laughs) , he beats you like he- i- you owe him money or something.

Joe Rogan 12:43 Yeah. Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 12:44 He's on you. And-

Joe Rogan 12:45 He's on you.

Israel Adesanya 12:46 Yeah, very violent. But again, I think Khalil, for him to win this fight, he just has to believe in himself. And that sounds real cheesy, but believe in himself. Also, he's a southpaw. I didn't-

Joe Rogan 12:55 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 12:55 ... think about that.

Joe Rogan 12:56 Right.

Israel Adesanya 12:57 I actually forgot about that 'til David mentioned it before. But he's a southpaw, so... But I'm sure Alex and his team know how to deal with it. But I understand how Alex deals with southpaws as well 'cause I can fight him both ways and I know what he... When he, when you give him that front leg and he knows he can get it, he gets more confident. But if you're a southpaw, he finds other ways to keep you at bay 'til he can get that leg.

Joe Rogan 13:17 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 13:17 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 13:18 It's gonna be interesting to see-

Israel Adesanya 13:20 I know.

Joe Rogan 13:20 ... like, right away how Khalil deals with the distance-

Israel Adesanya 13:23 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 13:23 ... and how Alex deals with the speed. 'Cause the thing is, like, Alex can be hit, you know? And Bruno Silva tagged him a few times. You took him out. I think the 85 thing was-

Israel Adesanya 13:35 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 13:36 ... the d- I think the drain for him to make 85 was insanity.

Israel Adesanya 13:38 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 13:39 I think it was insan- he's so-

Israel Adesanya 13:40 He still can.

Joe Rogan 13:40 ... fucking big.

Israel Adesanya 13:41 He's, he's still, he's, he still can.

Joe Rogan 13:42 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 13:42 But look, it only works until you get knocked out and it's like, all right, bet, let's go to 205. And I said, "Look, all these 185ers should thank me, man."

Joe Rogan 13:50 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 13:50 They, honestly, I tell... Thank me-

Joe Rogan 13:52 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 13:52 ...'cause h- a lot of the top guys didn't have to fight him. He fought... Okay, who did he fight?

Joe Rogan 13:57 Strickland.

Israel Adesanya 13:58 S- Strickland, that was one of the only top guys he fought, beat him, and then he, I think he got a shot at me next pretty much. But yeah, fucking Rob, Dricus, all them, 'cause f- it's not about just fighting him. Getting ready to fight him is a different thing, but I had to do it fucking four times, so I understand. I have a different-

Joe Rogan 14:14 (laughs) What's-

Israel Adesanya 14:14 ... history with it.

Joe Rogan 14:14 ... different about getting ready to fight him?

Israel Adesanya 14:17 For me, getting ready to fight him, you just know you're gonna be in for a war. You know it's not gonna be a easy fight. Same for him. He knows when he has to fight me and it's like, "Fuck, it's not a easy fight." 'Cause he knows what I can do to him. But for me as well, I was just like, "Fuck. Okay, let's go again." And again, it's not like... 'Cause it, I feel that way with certain people, but with him, it's just a different feeling, I guess, 'cause he beat me. That's another thing 'cause it... And I was like, "Man, I gotta fucking face this demon again. All right, bet, let's face my demons." And then I get myself up to fight him. But it's, it's just getting ready to fight him is just the, the hurdle. I think maybe just 'cause of the history, that's why for me I felt that way, 'cause of the history. 'Cause to fight someone who's beaten you multiple times is like... And you know you can beat them. In your heart, you just know, but a- again, that's the beauty of this story.

Joe Rogan 14:58 Right, you had come so close a couple of times.

Israel Adesanya 15:01 Every time, so-

Joe Rogan 15:01 And then even in the first fight in the UFC-

Israel Adesanya 15:03 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 15:03 ... so close at the end of that first round. Like, you had him. If there was 30 seconds left in the fight-

Israel Adesanya 15:08 10.

Joe Rogan 15:08 ... or in the round. Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 15:09 10 seconds left. But again, that's the beauty of the story 'cause then he waited till the fifth round, or it got-

Joe Rogan 15:13 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 15:13 ... to the fifth round. He's just like, did his fucking juju whatever thing and then fucking... He just had this energy and he came at me and then my leg was compromised from the leg kick 'cause my, uh, the peroneal nerve or whatever-

Joe Rogan 15:26 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 15:26 ... and I couldn't do anything, so yeah. But look, I love that story for myself and I'm happy and people still go, "Oh, we knew the third one." I'm like, "Look, I do it again, I, I fucking knock him out. Well, oh, no. Okay, now it's three, two." We got a best out of seven.

Joe Rogan 15:40 Right, right, right.

Israel Adesanya 15:40 I'm not fighting for anyone else. I only have so much left in this game. I'm not gonna spend this game fighting-

Joe Rogan 15:45 One guy-

Israel Adesanya 15:45 ... exactly.

Joe Rogan 15:46 ... over and over and over again.

Israel Adesanya 15:47 Ah, I go, I, I don't know how long left, but I just know I'm definitely on the other side of my career, so I wanna get these fights out the way. And now I'm not champ anymore in the UFC, so I just get... I'm in this situation where what do I do? I know I wanna fight though 'cause I took 11 months off and I let my body heal and all that and I felt great, so now I wanna get back to being active. Not as active as I was in the beginning maybe, but I wanna be active. And I still feel great from the last camp. Did some testing about three weeks ago, find out where we were at. I was about where I was before this last fight four weeks out, so I was like, "Okay, cool. We're still good. Let's build off that." So yeah, I wanna fight again.

Joe Rogan 16:27 How much of an effect did taking 11 months off have?

Israel Adesanya 16:30 I think it was more good than bad. I know some people say ring rust or this and that, and I'm like, "Nah." I felt good in there. I felt good in there. And it was only when I watched the fight back, I saw a couple of mistakes I made, even on the feet, where I was like, "Ooh, don't do that again." Just with my foot work, my exits. Even David said, "You had sloppy exits." I was like, "Yeah, my bad." But, um, yeah, that and then the moment at the end when I slipped and I, just a lapse in judgment when I was just letting him know, it was me tripping. Those kind of moments, maybe if I was as active it w- it wouldn't have happened, but who knows? We'll never know. But I am happy with how I performed. I was happy with the shape I came in. I came in really good shape. And, uh, what's his name? Bill, this guy, he did the numbers for me, he said, "This is the most active I've been in any fight by far in my UFC career." He crunched the numbers up and said, uh, my strike per minute rate or whatever. All you nerds figure it out. You can do your own.

Joe Rogan 17:31 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 17:31 But yeah, he, Bill is smart. He's this guy who helps in out, me now with my strength. He, uh, yeah, did the numbers and said, "This is the most active you were." So we can do some things different. Um, put a little bit more gas in the tank, things like that, and then just stay active like that. It was good. And I had fun in there. I had fun just exchanging, yeah.

Joe Rogan 17:50 I wanted to ask you about that, like the-

Israel Adesanya 17:51 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 17:51 ... gas in the tank thing 'cause this is, uh, there's a philosophy that Marv Marinovich and Nick Curson, some of these guys have.

Israel Adesanya 17:58 BJ Penn's coaches?

Joe Rogan 17:59 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 17:59 I remember them.

Joe Rogan 17:59 So what they wanted BJ to do when BJ was in his prime, essentially the, the camp was-... entirely based around strength and conditioning. So it was all conditioning to give you this insane gas tank.

Israel Adesanya 18:13 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 18:13 Their philosophy is, you know how to fight, you've been fighting your whole life. You're not gonna get better at fighting in six weeks, but what you can get is insane cardio, if you only concentrate on that.

Israel Adesanya 18:24 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 18:24 And it, they don't... The- their thought process is, that is the most important thing.

Israel Adesanya 18:29 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 18:29 That is the thing that fails you the most in fights. That's the thing that keeps you from hitting the gas, keeps you from doing the things you wanna do, keeps you from being able to scramble out of positions.

Israel Adesanya 18:38 Keeps you...

Joe Rogan 18:39 But if you can, instead of all this fight-specific training, like, put that aside and just give yourself the most fucking insane gas tank humanly possible and then fight-

Israel Adesanya 18:50 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 18:51 ... and then the margins, the things, the times when you're going to need it... Like, your skill level is already elite world championship skill level. It's not gonna deteriorate because your cardio gets better in six to eight weeks.

Israel Adesanya 19:02 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 19:02 But what you can do is give yourself this insane-

Israel Adesanya 19:05 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 19:05 ... base of cardio, so in those moments when you need to hit the gas, you can.

Israel Adesanya 19:10 Yeah. Uh, I-

Joe Rogan 19:11 And that's what they did for BJ, when BJ was at his best.

Israel Adesanya 19:13 Yeah. I think the best I saw BJ, from watching him, especially live, he was training with them, UFC 107.

Joe Rogan 19:19 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 19:19 I think Diego Sanchez. He looked like-

Joe Rogan 19:22 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 19:22 ... a demon in that fight.

Joe Rogan 19:23 Exactly. He... Unbelievable-

Israel Adesanya 19:25 Demon.

Joe Rogan 19:25 ... gas tank and-

Israel Adesanya 19:26 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 19:26 ... insane confidence to keep getting up.

Israel Adesanya 19:27 Even his shape, like he has fucking abs, all that.

Joe Rogan 19:29 Yep.

Israel Adesanya 19:29 I agree. Definitely, um, you can always sharpen the tools, you know, keep it sharp, but again, you... For when you're in a camp, it's just about getting fit. And yeah, there's some things we can tweak, so that way we can keep the output. 'Cause when you get fatigued is when you lose your m- your m- your lapse in judgment. You could... Your reflexes as well, things like that just have to like go down.

Joe Rogan 19:50 Were you feeling fatigued in the last round with Dricus?

Israel Adesanya 19:53 No. I didn't... I don't think so. There was one point in the third round when me and him, we really put it on, and we kinda had this like low-key agreement, like, "Okay. You're fucked, I'm fucked. Let's chill for a little bit." (laughs)

Joe Rogan 20:05 "Let's slow down a little bit." (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 20:07 And then, I think, round four, I came out like, "Cool. Bam, bam, bam." And I did that sprawl on him. But again, he's so stubborn, 'cause I sprawled on him, like I literally... He shot, I sprawled, and my hips hit the back of his head into the mat. It might have rocked him, I don't know. And then, um, what's his name, Mark Goddard's like, "Get up." And he's on one knee, and the... And then when he... He was like, "Get up." And he finally decided to get up slowly, and I tried to attack him. He just threw. But not to try and hit me. He just threw just to stop my momentum, you know, stop me from coming at him. And yeah, he's a guy that... Just strong will, strong will. Like, yeah. I can respect that.

Joe Rogan 20:46 Physically strong too.

Israel Adesanya 20:47 Yeah. Not as strong as I thought he would be, p- probably 'cause I felt strong as well, like I packed on some, some muscle for that fight, like...

Joe Rogan 20:53 Preparing for those kinda grueling exchanges?

Israel Adesanya 20:55 Yeah. But even just for me, myself, I just wanted to feel strong. So, um, me and my boy AB, we, yeah, put on some muscle for that fight, and then having Matt actually making good food for me for the first time ever, 'cause I got this far off just whatever I wanted to eat, you know, Uber Eats,

Narrator 21:11 Yeah, we were-

Israel Adesanya 21:11 ... like that.

Joe Rogan 21:11 ... talking about that when we went to Terry Black's Barbecue-

Israel Adesanya 21:14 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 21:14 ... today.

Israel Adesanya 21:15 Yeah, but-

Joe Rogan 21:16 It's just the worst thing to eat right before-

Israel Adesanya 21:17 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 21:17 ... a podcast, you're like, "Ugh."

Israel Adesanya 21:18 'Cause I got the coffee now, I'm like-

Joe Rogan 21:19 We're fucking pigged out.

Israel Adesanya 21:19 ... "Yeah, let's go."

Joe Rogan 21:20 We're pigged out.

Israel Adesanya 21:21 But honestly, for me, having those kinda... 'Cause I'm not 23 anymore, I'm 24.

Joe Rogan 21:27 Right.

Israel Adesanya 21:28 My body doesn't metabolize food in, you know, the way it used to, so I have to, I had to think about it like, "Israel, be smart. Uh, understand your body's getting older." No, I don't feel old though, that's the thing. When I was younger, I thought, "34, I'm done with this game, then I'm like, I'm old." But that was when I was 24. But now-

Joe Rogan 21:50 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 21:50 ... that I'm here I'm like, "Uh, could still squeeze a lot out of this. Could still squeeze a lot out of this." So we are. And the whole thing-

Joe Rogan 21:57 Have you ever used hyperbaric chamber?

Israel Adesanya 22:00 Nah. Not... Yeah, we don't... I don't know if we have that in Auckland-

Joe Rogan 22:03 Dude-

Israel Adesanya 22:03 ... Probably do.

Joe Rogan 22:03 ... I did a, a whole series, when I first moved to Austin I did the whole series, 'cause there's this protocol. I think, uh, it was an Israeli study that they did-

Israel Adesanya 22:11 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 22:11 ... where they showed that it lengthens telomeres. You do like 60 sessions over 90 days and you know when they measure your biological age by the length of your telomeres, it puts 20 years on you, like it, it, it decreases your age of your telomeres by 20 years.

Israel Adesanya 22:27 Is telomere like the D- DNA strand or something?

Joe Rogan 22:30 It's a, well, it's... Yeah. Uh, we- I would ex-... I don't wanna fuck this up, so what-

Israel Adesanya 22:34 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 22:34 ... exactly are telomeres?

Israel Adesanya 22:35 Layman terms.

Joe Rogan 22:36 But, uh, the way you measure someone's biological age is the length of the telomeres. And through things like NMN, um...

Israel Adesanya 22:43 Oh yeah, that thing, yeah.

Joe Rogan 22:44 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 22:45 I got it right, yeah. Smart.

Joe Rogan 22:46 There it is. Telomeres are protein and DNA structures at the ends of the chromosomes that perform several important functions, including protecting DNA, promote pr- uh, preserving chromosomal integrity. Telomeres help, help maintain the structure integrity of DNA during replication.

Israel Adesanya 23:01 It's the bit at the ends, right?

Joe Rogan 23:02 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 23:03 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 23:03 And as you get older, they get shorter.

Israel Adesanya 23:04 Smaller, yeah.

Joe Rogan 23:04 And they get weaker, and, you know, so that's where-

Israel Adesanya 23:06 I don't even know how I know this. I think it's just a real... I saw somewhere.

Joe Rogan 23:09 NAD shot, when people get NAD, uh, infusions, that helps that as well.

Israel Adesanya 23:13 I've been seeing that lately.

Joe Rogan 23:14 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 23:15 Like Bieber-

Joe Rogan 23:16 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 23:16 ... the Kardashians getting 'em.

Joe Rogan 23:17 Mm-hmm. I get those.

Israel Adesanya 23:18 Yeah?

Joe Rogan 23:19 Yeah, but real-

Israel Adesanya 23:20 With, um, Briggs?

Joe Rogan 23:21 Uh, you can do it, definitely do it with Brigham, um-

Israel Adesanya 23:23 Okay.

Joe Rogan 23:23 ... I- I use another company.

Israel Adesanya 23:24 I see, I see.

Joe Rogan 23:25 But there's lot of companies that do it.

Israel Adesanya 23:26 Okay.

Joe Rogan 23:27 But you-

Israel Adesanya 23:28 Is it USADA approved, or is it one of them things?

Joe Rogan 23:29 Yes. Yes, USADA approved.

Israel Adesanya 23:30 Okay.

Joe Rogan 23:31 Do not worry about that.

Israel Adesanya 23:31 I'll see, I'll see you later on Briggs.

Joe Rogan 23:32 Yeah, the-

Israel Adesanya 23:33 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 23:33 But the, the thing that does it just as well, maybe even better is hyperbaric chambers.

Israel Adesanya 23:37 Okay.

Joe Rogan 23:37 And so hyperbaric chambers, you elevate it up to two, uh, o- two, uh, it's like, uh, two atmospheres, so t- twice our atmosphere, and then you have oxygen, you wear an oxygen mask.

Israel Adesanya 23:50 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 23:50 And you sit in it for an hour and a half.

Israel Adesanya 23:51 Okay.

Joe Rogan 23:51 And dude, you come out of that and you're just like, "Woo." Like, "What the fuck is going on?" Like how often do you do it-

Israel Adesanya 23:57 How often do you do it? Every day for six weeks?

Joe Rogan 23:58 I've been doing it a lot lately.

Israel Adesanya 24:00 Okay.

Joe Rogan 24:00 'Cause I got one at the house.

Israel Adesanya 24:01 Ah.

Joe Rogan 24:01 So I've been doing it quite a bit.

Israel Adesanya 24:03 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 24:03 Um, but it's, uh, just a completely different way of recovering. I know... Uh, I found out about it, uh-... for recovery when Urijah Faber fought Jose Aldo.

Israel Adesanya 24:12 The leg?

Joe Rogan 24:13 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 24:13 Ah.

Joe Rogan 24:13 His leg was fucking brutalized. And he-

Israel Adesanya 24:15 I remember.

Joe Rogan 24:16 I saw Urijah was, Urijah was always ahead of the game, and he was, uh, using hyperbaric chambers to help him recover.

Israel Adesanya 24:22 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 24:22 And so then I started looking into it, and then I found out about this Israeli study, and then I started seeing all the different ways that hyperbaric chambers can increase your recovery. And, you know, TJ Dillashaw did a lot of that as well, I think.

Israel Adesanya 24:34 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 24:34 But it, it makes a, a big impact. They always do it, like, when you go down to CPI in Mexico-

Israel Adesanya 24:39 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 24:39 ... when they do stem cells, they give people hyperbaric chamber, uh, treatments as well.

Israel Adesanya 24:43 Okay. I'll have to look into that. So if I wanted to do it, I'd maybe do it, say, like, what, twice a week or something, or once a week, just to-

Joe Rogan 24:50 Yeah, something like that.

Israel Adesanya 24:51 And how lo- how long does the effect last for?

Joe Rogan 24:54 That's a good question.

Israel Adesanya 24:54 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 24:55 I mean, uh, probably depends on the individual.

Israel Adesanya 24:57 All right, sure.

Joe Rogan 24:57 But it just makes, uh, when anytime I have something wrong with me-

Israel Adesanya 25:00 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 25:00 ... I get in there, I just feel f- just better, and-

Israel Adesanya 25:02 I bet you someone knows if they have one in Auckland now, they'll definitely hit me up and be like, "Hey."

Joe Rogan 25:06 I bet they do.

Israel Adesanya 25:07 Uh, yeah, I'd like to try that.

Joe Rogan 25:09 Yeah, I bet Auckland has it.

Israel Adesanya 25:10 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 25:10 It's time-consuming.

Israel Adesanya 25:11 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 25:11 You know, the whole experience is two hours 'cause it has to get up to pressure, and then it has to decompress.

Israel Adesanya 25:16 I see.

Joe Rogan 25:16 And you're in there for 90 minutes.

Israel Adesanya 25:18 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 25:18 So it's like 15 minutes getting up to pressure and then 15 minutes of decompressing at the very end.

Israel Adesanya 25:23 Bet, bet.

Joe Rogan 25:24 But, uh, that's, that's a great way to recover as well.

Israel Adesanya 25:27 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 25:27 And there's, uh, uh, I feel like every, especially as you get older, every edge you can get, sauna, cold plunge, hyperbaric-

Israel Adesanya 25:35 Ice baths, all that.

Joe Rogan 25:35 ... everything.

Israel Adesanya 25:35 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 25:36 Every edge you can get-

Israel Adesanya 25:37 Red light therapy.

Joe Rogan 25:37 Yup, yup, yup.

Israel Adesanya 25:38 All that. That's where I'm at now. That's where I was this last camp, and I feel like even the one before that and the one before that, uh, I just remember thinking, like, "How can I..." It was actually Eugene who said, "How can you make this camp better?" And I'll always find something to do to make this camp better the next one, so that's, like, the last three camps. So this one, I took it s- with the whole having breakfast, having a chef help me actually cook.

Joe Rogan 25:59 That was crazy that you used to train with no breakfast.

Israel Adesanya 26:01 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 26:01 That's so crazy.

Israel Adesanya 26:02 So that was my way, I guess. Then I found out about intermittent fasting, and I realized, "Oh, I've been doing that shit for years."

Joe Rogan 26:08 Right.

Israel Adesanya 26:08 Like, I was just doing it by, I guess, laziness or accident. But it actually helps, though. Like, wake up, have two eggs, or maybe he'll make sometimes, like, something with chia seed, but normally eggs and a bacon piece or something. And then-

Joe Rogan 26:22 She needs something.

Israel Adesanya 26:23 Yeah, something just to get the fuel.

Joe Rogan 26:25 You need something.

Israel Adesanya 26:25 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 26:25 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 26:25 And even Jordie, uh, from Fight Dietician, he, he told me, yeah, you should definitely be having breakfast, 'cause he thought, like, you're crazy, training the way you do train. And some of my morning sessions as well will be grueling, and then I'll go have breakfast. But I enjoyed it that way 'cause I felt, like, more... One thing is when I fight, fight day, my body doesn't wanna eat. He'll make me, like, a nice plate of something delicious, and my body's just like, "Nah." Every... So fight day, I still try and eat something, maybe at least an egg 'cause he'll have pancakes, eggs, whatever, bacon, uh, an egg, and then a little bit of bacon, but my body just doesn't wanna eat 'cause it's just-

Joe Rogan 27:00 Yeah, but do you think if you force yourself to eat, that would be a good thing?

Israel Adesanya 27:03 Nah.

Joe Rogan 27:03 No?

Israel Adesanya 27:04 So I just, yeah, I think DC said the same thing as well one time. He said he likes to fight hungry, so that way, he gets that edge. And I feel that way when it's fight day. But when it comes to training now, I definitely like to have breakfast. I like the way it feels. I can, like now, I've done it for a few months. I understand the, the benefits of a, of a healthy breakfast before you have a grueling training session.

Joe Rogan 27:23 Yeah, it just gives you more gas.

Israel Adesanya 27:24 Yeah, more energy.

Joe Rogan 27:25 Aljo said that when he fought Petr Yan-

Israel Adesanya 27:27 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 27:27 ... that he didn't eat.

Israel Adesanya 27:28 First or second one?

Joe Rogan 27:29 First.

Israel Adesanya 27:30 Okay.

Joe Rogan 27:30 And he said he felt like shit. He's like, I felt-

Israel Adesanya 27:31 Oh, the, the day of the fight?

Joe Rogan 27:33 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 27:33 Oh, wow.

Joe Rogan 27:33 He said, uh, d- d- you know, I think the time of the fight got pushed back.

Israel Adesanya 27:37 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 27:37 I forget exactly what the reasoning was or he just forgot to eat or he just wasn't feeling it because, uh, uh, the anxiety, fighting for the title, you know, the whole deal.

Israel Adesanya 27:45 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 27:46 And he just felt it in the fight.

Israel Adesanya 27:48 True, yeah.

Joe Rogan 27:48 He just was wearing... And especially with a guy like Aljo, who cut so much weight.

Israel Adesanya 27:52 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 27:52 You know, Aljo is so-

Israel Adesanya 27:53 He's a big boy.

Joe Rogan 27:54 ... uh, he was so big for 35.

Israel Adesanya 27:55 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 27:56 I remember running into him. He was, like, 176 pounds.

Israel Adesanya 27:58 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 27:58 I was like, "What the fuck?"

Israel Adesanya 27:59 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 27:59 "How are you gonna make 135? You're so big."

Israel Adesanya 28:01 He looks good at 145 at UFC 300.

Joe Rogan 28:04 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 28:04 He, yeah-

Joe Rogan 28:04 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 28:04 I'm looking forward.

Joe Rogan 28:05 I was su- I was bummed out that that Molsvaer-Eloise fight-

Israel Adesanya 28:08 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 28:08 ... fell out because, uh, that-

Israel Adesanya 28:10 It's about to be this weekend, right?

Joe Rogan 28:10 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 28:11 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 28:11 That's a very int- I thought, uh, Aljo is strong at 145.

Israel Adesanya 28:15 Why did that fight fall out? What happened?

Joe Rogan 28:17 Aljo got injured.

Israel Adesanya 28:18 Oh, see, seeing, okay.

Joe Rogan 28:19 Yeah, he got injured, and he thought he'd be able to work through it but couldn't.

Israel Adesanya 28:22 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 28:22 And there's, you know, there's a point of diminishing returns with these weight-cutting dudes.

Israel Adesanya 28:26 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 28:26 Where, uh, and I think, you know, there'll be-

Israel Adesanya 28:29 There'll be something, like, they've got the whole thing at, uh, ONE with the hydration clause.

Joe Rogan 28:33 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 28:33 But the thing is, no matter what, people are always gonna try and find a way.

Joe Rogan 28:36 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 28:36 They're always gonna try and find a way to sneak past the hydration test or something that they could use to pass it, but I don't know how that works. I don't know how they test for it. It's never happened to me. But weight cutting, uh, even when I started, uh, fighting, people used to tell me, "Go down to, uh, uh, what are you? 170 for you guys."

Joe Rogan 28:51 Oh my God.

Israel Adesanya 28:52 Hell no.

Joe Rogan 28:52 How the fuck can you make 170?

Israel Adesanya 28:54 Back when I was skinny, before, like, I got really brolic, I was maybe, I could make maybe 80 kgs. That's close to 170, 'cause 170 is 77 kgs. But the lowest I ever got to was 80 as a, as a kickboxer. That was it.

Joe Rogan 29:06 (exhales)

Israel Adesanya 29:07 Yeah, 170, I'd die. I'd, I wouldn't even... 'Cause I've seen some of these weight cuts where gu- like, God dang, girls-

Joe Rogan 29:13 Like Khamzat.

Israel Adesanya 29:14 Oh, bro.

Joe Rogan 29:14 Like when Khamzat would make 170.

Israel Adesanya 29:16 Or even Cyborg.

Joe Rogan 29:17 Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Israel Adesanya 29:17 You see her when she was in the, in the bath, in the tub crying and shaking?

Joe Rogan 29:21 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 29:21 And Oliveira when they go, um, and they huddle around him. It's, uh, when you, when you cut weight though, I'll say this thing. For me, when I cut weight, it's a spiritual experience sometimes. It's a weird experience 'cause I've, not just me, I've seen fighters who have not get delirious but start saying things that you wouldn't, they wouldn't normally say.

Joe Rogan 29:42 Hmm.

Israel Adesanya 29:42 Not even in a bad way, but just the way they talk.

Joe Rogan 29:44 'Cause you're close to death.

Israel Adesanya 29:45 Yeah. (laughs) You see the light.

Joe Rogan 29:47 Yeah, man. It's like-

Israel Adesanya 29:48 You start saying some shit.

Joe Rogan 29:48 ... you really are close to death.

Israel Adesanya 29:49 Yeah. Uh.

Joe Rogan 29:50 I mean, it sounds ridiculous to say that. And-

Israel Adesanya 29:52 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 29:52 ... uh, for someone who doesn't understand what fighters are going through-

Israel Adesanya 29:54 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 29:55 ... you go, oh, you're being hyperbolic, but not really.

Israel Adesanya 29:57 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 29:58 Not really. You really are close to death. If you keep going-

Israel Adesanya 30:00 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 30:00 ... for a few more hours, you'll die.

Israel Adesanya 30:02 Yeah, especially the, I mean, uh, like, I've seen, uh, my weight cuts are normally pretty tame, not as bad, 'cause, uh, I think I'm perfect for 185. But the ones that I've seen guys lose a lot of weight the day of and I see them how they are-... and even when they go to the scale, you see their face just-

Joe Rogan 30:19 Yeah, you never look too-

Israel Adesanya 30:20 Gone.

Joe Rogan 30:20 ... des- destroyed.

Israel Adesanya 30:21 No. I always come in underweight as well. I always come in-

Joe Rogan 30:23 What do you w- what do you normally weigh like the week of a fight?

Israel Adesanya 30:26 Week of a fight? Mm. If I get to the fight location, say, (inhales deeply) uh, if they went to weigh me, if I'm say 198, like-

Joe Rogan 30:38 Oh, that's not that bad.

Israel Adesanya 30:39 ... 200. Yeah. Th- that's easy for me.

Joe Rogan 30:40 That's not that bad.

Israel Adesanya 30:40 I'm like, "Cool." That's normally what I'm at and then-

Joe Rogan 30:42 That's just a few hard sauna sessions.

Israel Adesanya 30:44 Yeah. But even though just the water loading-

Joe Rogan 30:46 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 30:46 ... and then it's like my body knows. It's weird how my body does it, eh. My body's just like... It just knows, "Okay, we're getting on the plane. Cool."

Joe Rogan 30:53 You've done it before.

Israel Adesanya 30:54 It just knows.

Joe Rogan 30:54 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 30:54 It's just like muscle memory.

Joe Rogan 30:56 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 30:56 And I get to the fight location, my body's like, "Cool, we're doing this." And then the weight just starts to go (nose blowing) .

Joe Rogan 31:02 Did you notice a difference when they didn't allow IVs versus when they did allow IVs?

Israel Adesanya 31:07 I never used it.

Joe Rogan 31:08 You never used it?

Israel Adesanya 31:08 I never use IVs, that's the thing. So-

Joe Rogan 31:11 So you never cut weight enough where you were so depleted that you needed to get those bags on you?

Israel Adesanya 31:14 No. Fuck, I would have liked to, but... (laughs)

Joe Rogan 31:17 (laughs) They say that's-

Israel Adesanya 31:18 But, uh-

Joe Rogan 31:18 ... the best way to rehydrate the brain.

Israel Adesanya 31:20 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 31:21 Is-

Israel Adesanya 31:21 Because it takes how many hours if you do it orally?

Joe Rogan 31:24 It takes a long time.

Israel Adesanya 31:24 Yeah. To get-

Joe Rogan 31:25 And which is-

Israel Adesanya 31:25 ... the brain, and that's the-

Joe Rogan 31:26 Affects your chin. Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 31:27 ... you're trying to protect is your fucking-

Joe Rogan 31:29 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 31:29 ... noggin slushing around in your cranium.

Joe Rogan 31:31 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 31:31 Yeah. 'Cause, uh... Wait, what is it? Cerebral fluid, it's made of... It's, it's... Well, I'm guessing a lot of water, right?

Joe Rogan 31:37 There's a lot of water in there.

Israel Adesanya 31:39 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 31:39 Yeah. And the, the rehydration of the brain apparently is the slowest because the blood-brain barrier.

Israel Adesanya 31:43 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 31:43 That's the slowest. You know, your, your bodies, your muscles-

Israel Adesanya 31:47 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 31:47 ... rehydrate fairly quickly.

Israel Adesanya 31:48 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 31:49 But still, uh, it just never makes sense to me that a person is like literally on the verge of death 24 hours before a cage fight.

Israel Adesanya 31:56 Let's go battle to the death, and then you get head kicked in the fucking chin and (imitates explosion) . Yeah.

Joe Rogan 32:02 You know?

Israel Adesanya 32:02 I don't th- I mean, look, I do love this game and I think weight cuts is always gonna be a part of it right now. But who knows? Like, 'cause even now we have height differentials, like are we gonna start discriminating against that?

Joe Rogan 32:13 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 32:13 Like, "Okay, we only have height classes." Is that the next-

Joe Rogan 32:16 No. That doesn't make any sense 'cause you-

Israel Adesanya 32:17 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 32:17 ... got guys like DC that, you know, even though he was not even barely six feet tall-

Israel Adesanya 32:22 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 32:22 ... was a heavyweight champion-

Israel Adesanya 32:23 Exactly.

Joe Rogan 32:23 ... but he's a tank.

Israel Adesanya 32:24 Yeah. He's a strong boy.

Joe Rogan 32:24 And uses the wrestling skills. I think that the way to do it really is to have more weight classes. I think when you have the big gaps, like 85 to 205 is 20 pounds.

Israel Adesanya 32:35 (farts)

Joe Rogan 32:35 That's crazy. That's such a big ass gap. And then, you know, 205, if you wanna start fighting heavyweight, and then you're dealing with guys like Francis who's a natural 265-

Israel Adesanya 32:46 Uh-huh.

Joe Rogan 32:46 ... that's such a gap.

Israel Adesanya 32:47 They should have the ones in between. Okay. Let me take it-

Joe Rogan 32:50 10 pounds.

Israel Adesanya 32:50 ... 1- 165, 170, 175, 180, like that.

Joe Rogan 32:55 They could do that, but I think that's maybe a little too much. I think-

Israel Adesanya 32:57 Oh.

Joe Rogan 32:57 ... 10 pounds.

Israel Adesanya 32:58 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 32:59 10 pounds is reasonable.

Israel Adesanya 33:00 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 33:00 All the way up the board.

Israel Adesanya 33:01 175, 165.

Joe Rogan 33:02 25, 35, 45-

Israel Adesanya 33:03 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 33:03 ... 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 205, and then maybe 225, and then heavyweight.

Israel Adesanya 33:09 Super heavyweight. Yeah.

Joe Rogan 33:10 Yeah. You have more chan- th- the whole thing of 265-

Israel Adesanya 33:12 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 33:13 ... being the limit for heavyweight to me is crazy too.

Israel Adesanya 33:14 Silly 'cause there's bigger boys out there.

Joe Rogan 33:15 Right.

Israel Adesanya 33:16 Mark Hunt used to cut down to 265.

Joe Rogan 33:19 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 33:19 You know?

Joe Rogan 33:19 It's crazy.

Israel Adesanya 33:20 Even Francis did as well. Yeah. If they did, I mean, they can just... I think they talked about doing it. They talked about doing it recently. Uh, maybe last year, I think. They talked about adding more weight classes, but then I never heard anything about it again.

Joe Rogan 33:33 I know California was flirting with it.

Israel Adesanya 33:35 Okay. Maybe that's what I saw.

Joe Rogan 33:36 Uh, they, they should have it everywhere. There's too many, too many gaps-

Israel Adesanya 33:39 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 33:39 ... that are too wide. Like there's too many tweeners.

Israel Adesanya 33:42 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 33:42 You know, too many-

Israel Adesanya 33:43 Uh-

Joe Rogan 33:43 ... guys that are too small to fight at 170 but-

Israel Adesanya 33:45 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 33:46 ... they really can't make 55 healthy.

Israel Adesanya 33:47 Mm. At least they took this shit out.

Joe Rogan 33:50 Yeah. They took-

Israel Adesanya 33:51 Finally.

Joe Rogan 33:51 Finally.

Israel Adesanya 33:51 Yeah. If you take it-

Joe Rogan 33:52 Finally.

Israel Adesanya 33:53 Well, who pa- look, I, I always thought that th- that's like a group chat, (laughs) like decision, just say, "Yo, this is a dumb rule. Let's take it out." Boom. But why does it take so long? Is it 'cause the commission all over the United States or whatever have to get together or something?

Joe Rogan 34:08 I don't know. I don't understand how it tak-

Israel Adesanya 34:09 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:09 That seems like a common sense rule. And especially anybody who understands the power-

Israel Adesanya 34:14 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:14 ... of elbows.

Israel Adesanya 34:15 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:15 Like this is not the most powerful elbow.

Israel Adesanya 34:17 No.

Joe Rogan 34:17 It's just not.

Israel Adesanya 34:18 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:18 And so to, to deny that and to say that somehow or another that can't be blocked, well, that's crazy 'cause-

Israel Adesanya 34:24 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:24 ... you could do that just as easy as you can do that.

Israel Adesanya 34:27 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:27 You can block that elbow.

Israel Adesanya 34:28 Facts.

Joe Rogan 34:29 Yeah. It doesn't... None of it makes any sense. There's a bunch of things that are unrealistic in my opinion. One of them is, uh, not being able to upkick from a downward position when a guy is on top of you.

Israel Adesanya 34:39 Ooh.

Joe Rogan 34:39 So if a guy is on top of you and you're on your back-

Israel Adesanya 34:42 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:43 ... and the guy has a knee down, you can't upkick. That's e-

Israel Adesanya 34:45 Oh, yeah. That's silly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:46 Silly.

Israel Adesanya 34:46 I get what you mean.

Joe Rogan 34:47 That's silly. That doesn't make any sense. I think-

Israel Adesanya 34:49 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:49 ... you should be able to upkick-

Israel Adesanya 34:50 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 34:50 ... when you are flat on your back and he's on his knees.

Israel Adesanya 34:52 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 34:53 You should... 'Cause that's a real technique.

Israel Adesanya 34:54 If you have rubber guard, like, or flexible hips or whatever, you can just bring your leg and boom.

Joe Rogan 34:59 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 34:59 I think Anderson did that to someone. Who did he do that to? Uh... Oh. Was it, no... Um, what's his name? Yushin Okami, I think. Yushin Okami. And he got-

Joe Rogan 35:08 Did he?

Israel Adesanya 35:08 Yeah. He got disqualified and not in the UFC.

Joe Rogan 35:10 Oh. Was that-

Israel Adesanya 35:11 He did.

Joe Rogan 35:11 ... in Rumble in the Rock?

Israel Adesanya 35:12 Rumble. The yellow cage.

Joe Rogan 35:13 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 35:13 Yeah. So that, that was a good knockout.

Joe Rogan 35:15 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 35:16 But then they-

Joe Rogan 35:16 Right.

Israel Adesanya 35:17 ... they disqualified him.

Joe Rogan 35:18 They disqualified him.

Israel Adesanya 35:18 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 35:18 Yeah. That technique-

Israel Adesanya 35:19 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 35:19 ... like if you are in a guy's guard-

Israel Adesanya 35:22 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 35:22 ... and that guy can elbow you in the face, punch you in the face, why can't he kick you in the face? He should be able to lean back and upkick you. And it would make-

Israel Adesanya 35:30 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 35:30 ... the guard way more effective.

Israel Adesanya 35:31 Dangerous.

Joe Rogan 35:32 And it's also more real... Here it is right here.

Israel Adesanya 35:34 This one. Yeah. Boom.

Joe Rogan 35:35 Boom. Oh, shit.

Israel Adesanya 35:36 Good. That was a good knockout.

Joe Rogan 35:36 That's a beautiful knockout. That-

Israel Adesanya 35:37 That's-

Joe Rogan 35:37 ... should be 100% legal.

Israel Adesanya 35:40 Look at the hip dexterity.

Joe Rogan 35:41 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 35:41 Look at it, like the way he just brought that back. Boom.

Joe Rogan 35:44 Boom.

Israel Adesanya 35:44 That's-

Joe Rogan 35:45 Like an axe kick.

Israel Adesanya 35:45 That's a good... Yeah.

Joe Rogan 35:46 Like an axe kick from the outside.

Israel Adesanya 35:48 I thi- Yeah. You know what? You're right.

Joe Rogan 35:49 That's 100% a good technique.

Israel Adesanya 35:51 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 35:52 It should be legal and you should be avoiding that if you're on top.

Israel Adesanya 35:55 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 35:56 Top is an advantageous position.

Israel Adesanya 35:57 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 35:57 Anything the guy that can do on bottom that is real for like a real fight should be allowed.

Israel Adesanya 36:02 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 36:02 It's not like you're cemented in this position.

Israel Adesanya 36:05 No.

Joe Rogan 36:05 Like the idea of like not allowing soccer kicks to a downed opponent.

Israel Adesanya 36:08 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 36:09 What I think about that is the cage.... I think if you're pressed up against a cage, if someone could stomp you or soccer kick you, there's no way to move.

Israel Adesanya 36:16 Yeah, true.

Joe Rogan 36:16 But if you're in an open space, and there's place to move, all those things should be legal because all those things-

Israel Adesanya 36:21 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 36:21 ... are real techniques.

Israel Adesanya 36:22 Facts.

Joe Rogan 36:22 But especially if a guy's on top of you. If a guy's on top of you, on his knees, in your guard, and you could get a leg back and stomp-

Israel Adesanya 36:29 Boom.

Joe Rogan 36:29 ... him in the face, that's good.

Israel Adesanya 36:31 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 36:31 That's a real technique.

Israel Adesanya 36:33 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 36:33 That should be 100% legal.

Israel Adesanya 36:35 The one I like, soccer kicks is just, it just looks cool. But again, if you have someone pinned against a cage and they even kneeing them-

Joe Rogan 36:42 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 36:43 ... and w- was it one they go, "Okay."

Joe Rogan 36:45 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 36:45 Yeah, then the-

Joe Rogan 36:46 They allow it. Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 36:46 What, I don't even know what the, what the discretion of the referee is to allow it.

Joe Rogan 36:50 I think it's if they're pinned against the cage.

Israel Adesanya 36:53 Then he doesn't allow it.

Joe Rogan 36:54 Exactly.

Israel Adesanya 36:54 Okay.

Joe Rogan 36:55 Which makes sense.

Israel Adesanya 36:55 But if you're in the open space, then it's like, right-

Joe Rogan 36:56 Right, if you're in open space.

Israel Adesanya 36:57 ... well, the soccer kicks go...

Joe Rogan 36:58 Did you ever see the one where Roger Huerta fought in one and got the, one of the worst soccer kick KOs ever?

Israel Adesanya 37:04 Maybe, bro. I forgot about-

Joe Rogan 37:04 Some, he fought some big Brazilian cat, and this dude soccer kicked him, and it was like, oh my God.

Israel Adesanya 37:10 Like, in the open space?

Joe Rogan 37:11 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 37:11 Oh, yeah.

Joe Rogan 37:12 He had him rocked already.

Israel Adesanya 37:13 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 37:14 And then he's down like this, and this dude just leaned-

Israel Adesanya 37:16 I think the thing as well is the-

Joe Rogan 37:17 ... back.

Israel Adesanya 37:17 ... is the, the look of it for, I guess, the people who aren't really hardcore fans. If they see that, they're like, "Ew," and then it goes back to human cockfighting. Eh.

Joe Rogan 37:26 Okay. But if that's true, how about Aranee Aldana, when she fought at the Sphere, her whole face is cut open.

Israel Adesanya 37:32 Ah, that was crazy.

Joe Rogan 37:33 Insane. They didn't stop the fight.

Israel Adesanya 37:35 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 37:35 And import-

Israel Adesanya 37:36 Tough, though.

Joe Rogan 37:37 So tough.

Israel Adesanya 37:37 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 37:38 But he, so here's the Roger Huerta one.

Israel Adesanya 37:40 Oh, no.

Joe Rogan 37:41 So Roger's hurt, and Roger shouldn't have been fighting at 170 anyway, and watch this.

Israel Adesanya 37:45 Oh, no.

Joe Rogan 37:46 Boom.

Israel Adesanya 37:46 Oh, yeah.

Joe Rogan 37:47 I mean, that one could-

Israel Adesanya 37:48 I have seen this. Yep.

Joe Rogan 37:49 Bro, that one-

Israel Adesanya 37:50 I didn't know that was Roger.

Joe Rogan 37:51 ... can fucking kill you.

Israel Adesanya 37:52 Damn.

Joe Rogan 37:52 That one can kill you. I mean, that dude had everything in that kick.

Israel Adesanya 37:55 Yeah. He even held it for a little bit, like, let me line it up.

Joe Rogan 37:57 Mm-hmm. Just really line it up.

Israel Adesanya 37:59 Full fucking go.

Joe Rogan 38:00 Ooh.

Israel Adesanya 38:00 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 38:01 That's a rough one.

Israel Adesanya 38:02 That is bad. That is bad.

Joe Rogan 38:03 That, that's a rough one. But that's a real technique.

Israel Adesanya 38:06 Legal.

Joe Rogan 38:07 Yeah. I mean, it's-

Israel Adesanya 38:07 You could do it in real life.

Joe Rogan 38:08 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 38:09 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 38:09 That's the point. It's the sport of fighting.

Israel Adesanya 38:11 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 38:11 And if it's the sport of fighting and you can't upkick a guy when you're in your guard 'cause-

Israel Adesanya 38:15 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 38:15 ... his knee's on the ground, that's ridiculous.

Israel Adesanya 38:17 Yeah. Even the one you, you've actually... Was it maybe you at the Sphere? You mentioned it with the Merab fight. They stood them up somewhere at the end, and I was thinking like, "Yeah, why they stand them up?"

Joe Rogan 38:27 Made no sense.

Israel Adesanya 38:28 Yeah. You know, is that, it was that the-

Joe Rogan 38:30 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 38:30 Yeah. I think so, yeah.

Joe Rogan 38:31 I think Herb was alluding to they want more action.

Israel Adesanya 38:36 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 38:37 Uh, I don't know if he's getting pressure from someone to have more action. But one of the things that Herb said was if someone wants it, uh, I think he was alluding to, like, some specific officials and executives, whoever.

Israel Adesanya 38:51 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 38:51 He's like, "If they want it to look different, I wish they would tell me." Because, like, this is-

Israel Adesanya 38:55 Oh, wait. Is Herb saying this to you?

Joe Rogan 38:56 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 38:56 Oh, really?

Joe Rogan 38:56 No, no, no, not to me.

Israel Adesanya 38:57 Oh.

Joe Rogan 38:57 He said it in an interview when he was being criticized for trying to get people to work and trying to stand people up.

Israel Adesanya 39:03 So let me get this straight. He's saying maybe some officials or someone would be alluding...

Joe Rogan 39:07 He's alluding to the fact that they want it to look a specific way.

Israel Adesanya 39:11 Ah, I think I-

Joe Rogan 39:13 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 39:13 ... pick up what you're putting down.

Joe Rogan 39:14 You see if you can find his statement on it, because it was interesting the way he phrased it. The way he phrased it seemed-

Israel Adesanya 39:20 Like cryptic.

Joe Rogan 39:21 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 39:22 Ah, okay.

Joe Rogan 39:22 You know, it was-

Israel Adesanya 39:23 He's li- he's trying not to put someone under the bus, but he's saying like, "Look, maybe someone's saying to him that..."

Joe Rogan 39:29 Exactly.

Israel Adesanya 39:30 Yeah, I mean-

Joe Rogan 39:30 And I think they are because he's al- he's always like, "Let's work. Let's work."

Israel Adesanya 39:33 Yeah, that was weird.

Joe Rogan 39:33 Sometimes when it doesn't even make any sense.

Israel Adesanya 39:34 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 39:34 Like, they're working. Like...

Israel Adesanya 39:35 I know, I saw, I remember, and I was like, "Yeah, he's- he's on top. He just got him down." He's actually trying to, you know, beat him up.

Joe Rogan 39:41 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 39:42 You know, Sean was defending well, but still saying... Ah, true. That'll be interesting, though. That would, that's, that's... When I say interesting, that's like shady.

Joe Rogan 39:52 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 39:53 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 39:53 Yeah, it's shady.

Israel Adesanya 39:54 It's shady.

Joe Rogan 39:54 But it's what we were talking about at, at lunch today, too.

Israel Adesanya 39:56 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 39:57 Is that there's certain fighters they want to win-

Israel Adesanya 39:59 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 39:59 ... because those fighters are more exciting.

Israel Adesanya 40:01 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 40:02 And I'm a purist. I feel like there should be no standups.

Israel Adesanya 40:05 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 40:06 Unless it is a violation, unless someone does something illegal-

Israel Adesanya 40:08 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 40:08 ... there should be no standups. I think if s- if a guy could take you down-

Israel Adesanya 40:11 Yeah, and hold you down.

Joe Rogan 40:11 ... like Merab does, and just beat you up and you can't do shit, and even if the audience is booing, that's the fight.

Israel Adesanya 40:17 Tough shit, yeah.

Joe Rogan 40:17 If Sean wants to get up, he's gotta get up. I don't think-

Israel Adesanya 40:20 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 40:20 ... it should be you can just hold them on and you're full guard and the referee-

Israel Adesanya 40:23 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 40:23 ... just stands you up.

Israel Adesanya 40:24 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 40:24 'Cause that's such an advantage for the striker.

Israel Adesanya 40:26 Yeah. Oh, big time.

Joe Rogan 40:27 To be standing up again.

Israel Adesanya 40:28 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 40:28 And you already have an advantage of every round start standing up.

Israel Adesanya 40:31 Yeah. And then you work so hard to get someone to the ground, and then they go, "Okay, stand up."

Joe Rogan 40:35 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 40:35 I'm trying to think. Have I ever been in the position that they made me stand up? Nah, not on top. Uh, but even on the bottom, I always get up. I find a way. That's- that's the ego thing, 'cause again, look, I had to kill that to- to really be great at this game 'cause I knew for a fact I couldn't beat some nerds in pajamas.

Joe Rogan 40:55 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 40:55 So that was, that was, for me, my, "Okay, humble yourself and learn how to grapple."

Joe Rogan 41:01 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 41:01 And then I sucked at first, and I got better. I never have shown too much of my grappling skills 'cause they never really put me in a position to- to show as much as I need to. So for me, I'm just like, "Cool, I'll just fucking do a Derrick Lewis." Stand up, get up, and just beat them up as much as I can. But yeah, fuck. That is, that is suspect, though, if someone is... I actually wanna watch that. I'll watch it later on during the night.

Joe Rogan 41:22 Let's see what, let's see what the statement is.

Israel Adesanya 41:24 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 41:24 Did you find it?

Narrator 41:25 I, so far, I've only found that, like, Luke Thomas made a video and he said Herb called him after he made the video.

Joe Rogan 41:30 Interesting. He might have said something about that.

Israel Adesanya 41:30 Luke Thomas, who's that again?

Joe Rogan 41:32 Luke Thomas, the, the journalist.

Israel Adesanya 41:34 Okay.

Joe Rogan 41:34 MMA journalist.

Israel Adesanya 41:36 Mm-hmm.

Narrator 41:36 He said he spoke for a third... I'm like, I'm reading the cri- closed caption 'cause I can't listen to it. He said those instances... Here, I'll just play this, I guess.

Israel Adesanya 41:42 Mm-hmm.

Narrator 41:42 This might be it. I don't know if you saw Herb say it yet.

Israel Adesanya 41:44 Oh, Luke. Oh, my bad.

Narrator 41:45 ... of Herb. Ultimately, his opini- but not limited to, those instances where he had called for more work from Merab. What I cannot do today is speak on behalf of Herb. Ultimately, his opinions and beliefs are his own, and they are his to tell whenever he elects to do so. What I can do is speak on behalf of my views. No-

42:05 Yeah, that might not be what it was.

Israel Adesanya 42:07 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 42:07 That's not it. There was, there was an article where they had interviewed him and-

Israel Adesanya 42:11 Oh, get a statement from himself?

Joe Rogan 42:12 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 42:13 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 42:13 It was a statement from Herb himself, and he was saying, "If someone wants the fights to look different, I wish they would tell me."

Israel Adesanya 42:19 Damn, that's suspect.

Narrator 42:21 Oh, here it is.

Joe Rogan 42:21 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 42:21 That's a very-

Joe Rogan 42:21 You found it?

Israel Adesanya 42:23 That's a way-

Joe Rogan 42:23 Okay.

Israel Adesanya 42:23 ... that, the way, again, that's cryptic.

Joe Rogan 42:25 Cryptic.

Israel Adesanya 42:25 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 42:25 That means they're, they're, they're telling you, "I want more action."

Israel Adesanya 42:28 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 42:28 Okay, here he goes. "I've seen on social media people have spoken about me call, um, calling the fighters for more action."

Israel Adesanya 42:35 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 42:35 "Uh, that's what I've always done. I can tell you what I tell fighters during the, the rules briefing. I tell them any time I'm going to interfere or any intervention, I'm going to talk to you first, like if I'm going to stand you up, what I'm gonna say first is I'm gonna say, 'Let's work.' I usually clap at what I'm expecting, uh, from him is not busy... if what I'm, and what I'm expecting from him is not busy work, I specify I'm looking for effort to finish the fight. So either you posture to where you could set up fight-ending attacks, or advance your position, effort to advance."

Israel Adesanya 43:06 (clicks tongue)

Joe Rogan 43:06 "Because it's not as easy as just passing the guard, but effort to pass, effort to advance your position, effort to bring the fight to finish, that rule was put in place, uh, standing fighters up to make our sport look the way we want it to look." But he said something else.

Israel Adesanya 43:20 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 43:21 There was more.

Israel Adesanya 43:22 Find a bit where if he goes, "As a referee..." Blah, blah, blah, blah. But I mean if that's what he said, I, I, I trust your, you know, your, your recollection of it, but if that's what it said-

Joe Rogan 43:31 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 43:31 ... that's still very suspect, in that you don't want to get this, this game... This is one thing about the UFC, it's as real as it gets, or MMA itself. This is what it is. But if, if you have that happening, then that's starting to seem a little bit like, you know... Not to take away, like it's the WWE or anything.

Joe Rogan 43:48 (sighs) It's not that, but you are influencing the course of a fight-

Israel Adesanya 43:51 Of course.

Joe Rogan 43:51 ... where a guy has control, and where a fighter-

Israel Adesanya 43:54 And the referee is the guy officiating the fight. So if he's-

Joe Rogan 43:56 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 43:56 ... getting word from someone-

Joe Rogan 43:58 Right.

Israel Adesanya 43:58 The way he said that, "someone," that's, yeah.

Joe Rogan 44:01 He, I think he was saying, "If someone wants me to d- if they want the fight to look different, I wish they would tell me."

Israel Adesanya 44:06 But that's what I'm saying, when he says-

Joe Rogan 44:07 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 44:07 ... someone, it's like, who is he? Who's that someone?

Joe Rogan 44:09 I don't think the referee's job is to instruct a fighter to do anything other than follow the rules.

Israel Adesanya 44:16 Facts.

Joe Rogan 44:16 And if you can hold a guy down, I feel... (clicks tongue) I'm the worst with this-

Israel Adesanya 44:19 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 44:19 ... because I think you should start in the same position you ended the last round.

Israel Adesanya 44:23 Ooh.

Joe Rogan 44:23 'Cause I think it's one fight.

Israel Adesanya 44:24 Ooh.

Joe Rogan 44:25 I think it's one fight, it's not five fights. So if a van- an advantage for the striker is always standing up.

Israel Adesanya 44:30 Feet, yeah.

Joe Rogan 44:30 So if a guy gets you down, has your back, and the round ends-

Israel Adesanya 44:33 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 44:34 ... I think he should have the exact same position in the exact same place on the octagon floor when the next round starts, 'cause he earned that position and you didn't earn the stand-up.

Israel Adesanya 44:43 Fair.

Joe Rogan 44:43 So if you're standing up, standing up for a guy like you is a giant advantage.

Israel Adesanya 44:47 Yeah, I'm like, I'm biased. I would be like, "Nah, fuck that." (laughs)

Joe Rogan 44:49 Yeah, of course. Well, also the audience would be bi-

Israel Adesanya 44:52 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 44:52 The audience would be like, "Shut the fuck up, Brogan."

Israel Adesanya 44:54 Yeah. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 44:54 You know, you fucking pussy, you don't shoot.

Israel Adesanya 44:56 But again, it, it does, it does make sense, like when it comes to pure fighting. 'Cause even, bro, even what... Pride had 10-minute rounds the first round.

Joe Rogan 45:03 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 45:03 You go, that's cool. I'm saying, look, some things, like I'm glad this they've taken out the way, but again, bring back tournaments just for one night. Let's see who's a real, like who's a real badass.

Joe Rogan 45:15 Ooh.

Israel Adesanya 45:15 Like...

Joe Rogan 45:15 Yeah, that would be crazy.

Israel Adesanya 45:16 I've done it kickboxing, I've never done it in MMA. I've done it in boxing, but I might bring back a tournament. So like, let's see who's really, who's really about this, because when-

Joe Rogan 45:23 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 45:23 ... you have to fight, get the adrenaline dump, then you go back and sit down, sit down for ages, and then eventually have to warm up again.

Joe Rogan 45:31 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 45:31 I remember, and I've done it a few times. I've won a few of them, but, uh, it's, it, it shows (clicks tongue) this.

Joe Rogan 45:37 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 45:38 Like this, you know what I mean?

Joe Rogan 45:38 Well, it's also built in drama over the evening where people-

Israel Adesanya 45:41 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 45:41 ... watch a guy fight once and now he's gonna fight a second time, and that was always wild about the early days of the UFC.

Israel Adesanya 45:48 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 45:48 Watching those tournaments.

Israel Adesanya 45:50 And Pride as well.

Joe Rogan 45:51 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 45:51 They did that a lot.

Joe Rogan 45:52 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 45:52 But yeah, that'd be fun. I'd do anything for like, uh...

Joe Rogan 45:55 What would it be?

Israel Adesanya 45:55 Oh, they did it once though.

Joe Rogan 45:56 Glory did it. Remember Last Man Standing?

Israel Adesanya 45:58 Yeah, they did it.

Joe Rogan 45:58 That was crazy. They fought three times in a night.

Israel Adesanya 46:00 Yeah, but the, the UFC did it, the, the, the UFC did it once with the flyweight, the inaugural flyweight title, and I think it was Mighty Mouse and Ian McCall in the, in, in the final. Nah, (clicks tongue) no, I got it wrong. They fucked up the decision, 'cause if, it was meant to be a draw and they'd have one more round in Sydney, I think.

Joe Rogan 46:18 Hmm.

Israel Adesanya 46:19 Yeah, and then they were meant to, but then they gave, uh, they fucked up the decision, 'cause, but that would be crazy though. They go like, "Okay, cool. The judges have it this, that. It's a draw, we're going to one more round."

Joe Rogan 46:29 Right.

Israel Adesanya 46:29 After a crazy fight like that, that would have had the whole place just go boom.

Joe Rogan 46:32 Well, that's what Glory does.

Israel Adesanya 46:33 Yeah, okay.

Joe Rogan 46:33 You know, "One more round."

Israel Adesanya 46:35 Ah, I've seen the same thing.

Joe Rogan 46:36 And then you see the look on the guy's face, like, "Oh, fuck."

Israel Adesanya 46:38 Ah, shit. Yeah, I've had that too.

Joe Rogan 46:40 (exhales)

Israel Adesanya 46:40 But that's where this comes in.

Joe Rogan 46:41 Yeah. Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 46:42 The demeanor you have to just like, "Cool, let's go. Get back in the corner."

Joe Rogan 46:46 That's... Is that one of the most difficult things to like change your mindset in mid-fight, like if something throws you off?

Israel Adesanya 46:52 Mm-hmm. Mid-fight, ooh...

Joe Rogan 46:54 Do you, do you remember with the r- what I'm bringing up specifically is do you remember Tim Kennedy and Yoel Romero?

Israel Adesanya 46:58 Oh, when, "Get up, get up."

Joe Rogan 47:00 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 47:00 Yeah, stool gate, stool gate.

Joe Rogan 47:02 So Tim Kennedy-

Israel Adesanya 47:02 Yeah, yeah.

Joe Rogan 47:03 Yes, Tim Kennedy had Yoel Romero-

Israel Adesanya 47:04 Badly hurt.

Joe Rogan 47:05 ... fucked up, fucked up. And then they put Yoel on the stool, they threw ice on the floor, they fucking... And he kept sitting on the stool. And Big John's telling him to stand up and he's still sitting down, and Tim Kennedy's walking around going, "What the fuck? This fight should be stopped."

Israel Adesanya 47:18 The fight's over.

Joe Rogan 47:19 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 47:19 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 47:19 And the fight should have been stopped.

Israel Adesanya 47:21 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 47:21 But then Yoel got up and then he stopped him afterwards.

Israel Adesanya 47:24 Yeah, knocked him out.

Joe Rogan 47:24 But he had like a good solid 35 seconds extra recovery time.

Israel Adesanya 47:28 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 47:29 Which when you're hurt is huge.

Israel Adesanya 47:31 Huge, yeah.

Joe Rogan 47:32 And I think-

Israel Adesanya 47:32 Ice on the floor as well.

Joe Rogan 47:33 Tim said it fucked with his head and it, it was his mental weakness that he didn't... He thought... He was angry, "They're robbing me. This is bullshit."

Israel Adesanya 47:40 Wow.

Joe Rogan 47:40 "I had him. I should have won. The fight should have been..." We... The, the round started, the minute was up, it should have been... I could have got on him and I could have finished him."

Israel Adesanya 47:48 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 47:49 And so in his head he lost focus.

Israel Adesanya 47:51 Ah, it does happen. Like I said, even with me pointing at the ground in that moment, any small lapse in judgment you, uh, you just need 30 minutes or 25 minutes of focus. So in that point, yeah, I can see, well, how that would get to him. Yeah, that would get to him 'cause you're like, "What the fuck? They about to screw me out of this one."

Joe Rogan 48:08 Exactly, and they did.

Israel Adesanya 48:09 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 48:09 And so then he's got to fight again while he's going, "Motherfucker, this should have already been over."

Israel Adesanya 48:13 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 48:13 So instead of concentrating completely on being in the present in the fight-

Israel Adesanya 48:17 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 48:17 ... you're thinking, "I got fucked."

Israel Adesanya 48:18 Even Anderson, Anderson versus Bisping, when Anderson thought he won and was on the cage celebrating.

Joe Rogan 48:22 Right. Right.

Israel Adesanya 48:22 And then if, I think it was Herb or whoever-

Joe Rogan 48:24 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 48:24 ... would be like, "Yo, get, get down here." This and that, rah, rah, rah. Then you have to be like-

Joe Rogan 48:27 Which could have been over if Anderson just followed up with one or two more shots, that would have been it.

Israel Adesanya 48:32 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 48:32 It's like we were talking about Jalin Turner-

Israel Adesanya 48:33 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 48:34 ... and Renato Moricono.

Israel Adesanya 48:35 Right.

Joe Rogan 48:35 He drops him, has him fucked up, and then walks away like it's a KO.

Israel Adesanya 48:38 I literally went like, 'cause I was front...I went to 300. I'm such a fan. I was there from the first fight, that's why I like to wear that as a badge of honor. I'm like, "Yeah, I was there." And I watched that and I was just like, "Why?"

Joe Rogan 48:51 Right.

Israel Adesanya 48:51 He had eight more seconds, he could've just done something-

Joe Rogan 48:53 Right.

Israel Adesanya 48:53 ... and taken him out, but-

Joe Rogan 48:54 And Nattò is fucked up, too. He was hurt bad.

Israel Adesanya 48:56 Yeah. Yeah, but-

Joe Rogan 48:57 And Jaylin can crack.

Israel Adesanya 48:59 He's tough.

Joe Rogan 49:00 Oh, he's so big for 55-

Israel Adesanya 49:01 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 49:01 ... and so long.

Israel Adesanya 49:02 I think he's also really talented as well. He's fast.

Joe Rogan 49:05 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 49:05 He's, uh, smooth. Like when he fought Dan, I, y- you heard that shit-

Joe Rogan 49:10 Yes.

Israel Adesanya 49:10 Bro, that kick, when I heard that, and Dan grabbed his waist, and then Dan had his neck at the end of the round as well. I lost my voice in that one.

Joe Rogan 49:17 That's the one where Dan broke his arm, right?

Israel Adesanya 49:19 Yeah, just a scratch.

Joe Rogan 49:20 And he kept fighting. (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 49:20 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 49:21 Dan's a savage.

Israel Adesanya 49:22 Trust me-

Joe Rogan 49:23 I love watching him come back-

Israel Adesanya 49:25 Uh.

Joe Rogan 49:25 ... into the top five now.

Israel Adesanya 49:26 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 49:26 I love it, I love that he did that.

Israel Adesanya 49:28 I love-

Joe Rogan 49:28 I love it.

Israel Adesanya 49:28 ... I love who he is as a person 'cause look, Dan, he's, I see him every day most days, and he's a guy that you don't know what to expect. Like, outta nowhere, boom, he just customize himself with all these tattoos.

Joe Rogan 49:41 Yeah, crazy.

Israel Adesanya 49:42 I was like, "That's badass."

Joe Rogan 49:43 Yeah, he just covered himself.

Israel Adesanya 49:45 Like, now, I think he's in Spain 'cause do you know Oscar W- you know Oscar Willis?

Joe Rogan 49:47 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 49:48 The, um, Mac Life reporter. He's fighting bare knuckle this weekend, I believe, or maybe next weekend in Spain, but Dan's gonna go there and corner him. I'm like, "Fucking-"

Joe Rogan 49:59 Bare knuckle boxing or MMA?

Israel Adesanya 50:00 No, boxing.

Joe Rogan 50:01 Mm.

Israel Adesanya 50:01 I, l- that's not for me. I can fight, like if I have to get into a fight, whatever, sure, but like for me, (sighs) I'd rather not. I'll pass on that. But that's the kinda shit that Dan loves. Dan's like, "Yeah, let's do that shit." He wants to do that shit.

Joe Rogan 50:15 Really?

Israel Adesanya 50:15 He wants to be like... Yeah, he-

Joe Rogan 50:17 Well-

Israel Adesanya 50:17 He just loves fighting.

Joe Rogan 50:18 ... Masvidal's got that whole MMA league where it's all bare knuckle-

Israel Adesanya 50:21 Bare knuckle MMA.

Joe Rogan 50:22 ... MMA.

Israel Adesanya 50:22 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 50:22 Which I like.

Israel Adesanya 50:23 I saw.

Joe Rogan 50:23 'Cause I, it doesn't make sense to me that you don't cover your shins or your knees-

Israel Adesanya 50:26 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 50:26 ... or your elbows, but you do cover your knuckles.

Israel Adesanya 50:28 I just don't like the knuckles 'cause you see, again, m- this knuckle's still there.

Joe Rogan 50:31 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 50:31 This can cause more damage, like s- like cuts.

Joe Rogan 50:35 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 50:36 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 50:36 Oh, yeah.

Israel Adesanya 50:36 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 50:37 Oh, yeah.

Israel Adesanya 50:37 It can.

Joe Rogan 50:37 Slices you open.

Israel Adesanya 50:38 Exactly.

Joe Rogan 50:38 Guys get sliced up.

Israel Adesanya 50:40 So if I, uh, if gloves, I, I guess they protect, not really pr- like, I don't, the new gloves as well, I think I've only fought once in the new gloves now. I might give it a, a, maybe one or two more, but I'm like, the old gloves just, they didn't really protect, the wraps protect your hands, but the old gloves, they felt like rubber, like tire rubber, and I think they were just dangerous. Like, dangerous to hit with. If you hit someone with those, it's like bang. These new gloves, they feel like a little bit of, um, memory foam.

Joe Rogan 51:12 A little softer?

Israel Adesanya 51:13 Softer. And I don't know about this whole curve thing. They don't really curve. I can still do that and then-

Joe Rogan 51:17 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 51:18 I try not to do that. I'm a, you know, whatever, but still, this, uh, I'll, I'll wait and see, see how-

Joe Rogan 51:23 Bro, listen, man. The best gloves for sure are Trevor Wittman's.

Israel Adesanya 51:28 Yeah?

Joe Rogan 51:28 The best gloves. He made the best gloves. They're the best MMA gloves-

Israel Adesanya 51:31 I've never seen them.

Joe Rogan 51:32 ... of all time.

Israel Adesanya 51:32 Yeah. I've, I've got s-

Joe Rogan 51:33 See if you can pull them up.

Israel Adesanya 51:33 The Onyx? Is that the Onyx one?

Joe Rogan 51:35 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 51:35 Yeah, I've, I've-

Joe Rogan 51:36 They are-

Israel Adesanya 51:36 ... I've got the big ones, but I've never ever had-

Joe Rogan 51:38 ... the best MMA gloves.

Israel Adesanya 51:39 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 51:39 They curve, so it's curved so your hand is in this position.

Israel Adesanya 51:43 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 51:43 So if you wanna do this, you have to open-

Israel Adesanya 51:44 Flex.

Joe Rogan 51:45 ... them up. But it's still, you can do that for grappling.

Israel Adesanya 51:47 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 51:47 It's all the same.

Israel Adesanya 51:47 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 51:48 But they're in a curved position, and I think that would avoid so many eye pokes.

Israel Adesanya 51:52 So many injuries.

Joe Rogan 51:52 So many eye-

Israel Adesanya 51:53 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 51:53 You haven't really been eye poked too many times.

Israel Adesanya 51:56 Nah. Only time was in training, really bad one was in training. But nah, not, not in a fight. Nah. I avoid that as much as I can.

Joe Rogan 52:04 I have another thought on that.

Israel Adesanya 52:05 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 52:05 Tell me what you think of this.

Israel Adesanya 52:06 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 52:06 I feel like they should cover the fingers.

Israel Adesanya 52:07 How?

Joe Rogan 52:08 I feel like why are the... With like a mitt.

Israel Adesanya 52:10 Oh, I see what you mean.

Joe Rogan 52:10 That goes over the top with like a round surface.

Israel Adesanya 52:13 Like a boxing mitt. Like a little something soft.

Joe Rogan 52:13 Yeah, like, like those little bag glove mitts.

Israel Adesanya 52:15 Ah.

Joe Rogan 52:16 Like, that's Trevor Wittman's.

Israel Adesanya 52:17 Okay.

Joe Rogan 52:18 That's the Onyx gloves.

Israel Adesanya 52:19 I see.

Joe Rogan 52:19 Those, those are the best gloves. Trevor Wittman's a fucking genius, man.

Israel Adesanya 52:22 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 52:22 He makes incredible gear.

Israel Adesanya 52:24 Has he ever brought this idea to the UFC or?

Joe Rogan 52:26 Yeah, they were in negotiation, but I think Trevor went crazy and wanted like some-

Israel Adesanya 52:30 Oh, no.

Joe Rogan 52:30 ... ungodly amount of money.

Israel Adesanya 52:32 Damn.

Joe Rogan 52:32 He wanted something cr- according to Dana.

Israel Adesanya 52:34 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 52:34 At least that's his version of it.

Israel Adesanya 52:35 Okay, two-sided side of the story.

Joe Rogan 52:37 I've been talking to Dana. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Israel Adesanya 52:38 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 52:38 But he had, but re- regardless of all that, he makes the best gloves. They're the best MMA gloves of all time.

Israel Adesanya 52:45 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 52:45 By bar, bar none, they're the best.

Israel Adesanya 52:46 Yeah, I've got the big ones, but I'll tr- I'll hit him up, see if I can get those ones just to try them out. But yeah.

Joe Rogan 52:50 It's also the best foam. Like, he uses the most high-tech foams, the most-

Israel Adesanya 52:54 Okay.

Joe Rogan 52:54 ... expensive foam. Like, everythi- and he makes them all by hand. Like, Trevor stitches them together.

Israel Adesanya 52:58 Yeah, I've seen him, yeah, I've seen him stitch things. Like, he's-

Joe Rogan 53:00 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 53:00 ... he's, uh, he's passionate about it. But, um, yeah these new ones, um, so far, uh, fighting with them, I still prefer the, the old ones. But-

Joe Rogan 53:08 You think they're more damaging.

Israel Adesanya 53:09 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 53:10 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 53:11 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 53:12 (laughs)

Israel Adesanya 53:12 They are. They feel-

Joe Rogan 53:13 Yeah, like I get it.

Israel Adesanya 53:15 I, I don't like to get hit, so maybe that's why I'm biased with it. But when I hit someone with those, I feel it causes more damage.

Joe Rogan 53:21 Mm.

Israel Adesanya 53:22 And I, I mean, I can cause damage. I caused some damage on DDP with those ones, but I still wanna try them maybe one more time just to feel, feel them. But yeah.

Joe Rogan 53:30 They felt different?

Israel Adesanya 53:31 Yeah, felt different. You can tell, I can definitely tell.

Joe Rogan 53:32 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 53:32 Even the wraps, when I put, when I was, uh, squeezing my wraps into them. I was like, "Okay." Just took a while, but I still got in, but I'm like, "All right, cool. Grab." I like to test the grip strength, make sure I can hold someone, but yeah, uh, we'll see.

Joe Rogan 53:47 I don't know why the fingers have to be exposed, 'cause you never do this. There's no reason.

Israel Adesanya 53:51 Tr- oh, nah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Joe Rogan 53:52 There's never, no reason to have the fingers ever in this position. Every time you grip, you're gripping like this.

Israel Adesanya 53:57 Like that, yeah.

Joe Rogan 53:58 Or you're gripping like this.

Israel Adesanya 53:59 Also, it would prevent joint manipulation.

Joe Rogan 54:02 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 54:02 Yeah, small joint manipulation, if you had like, it's almost like a webbing.

Joe Rogan 54:06 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 54:06 It just covers that.

Joe Rogan 54:07 Why can't you just have a thin piece of leather that goes over the fingers, and then something that's curved around the top?

Israel Adesanya 54:13 Like you said, like those bag mitts with the thumb out.

Joe Rogan 54:15 Yes. So it, even if you do get poked in the eye, you're getting poked by a large thing-

Israel Adesanya 54:20 And not a digit.

Joe Rogan 54:20 ... instead of a finger.

Israel Adesanya 54:21 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 54:21 It goes all the way into your eye.

Israel Adesanya 54:23 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 54:23 And fingernails.

Israel Adesanya 54:24 Yeah, yeah, true.

Joe Rogan 54:24 You know, so the nails would be covered.

Israel Adesanya 54:26 Uh-huh.

Joe Rogan 54:26 Which is, even if you trim your fucking nails, that's still a hard surface that can scratch the shit out of your cornea.

Israel Adesanya 54:31 Yeah. And you got toes. I've seen people get kicked in the eye-

Joe Rogan 54:33 Oh.

Israel Adesanya 54:33 ... even in training.

Joe Rogan 54:34 Oh, man.

Israel Adesanya 54:34 And infected the eye as well.

Joe Rogan 54:36 Oh, yeah, man.

Israel Adesanya 54:37 Yeah, I've seen that.

Joe Rogan 54:38 Well-

Israel Adesanya 54:38 Toenails. But nah, I mean, that makes sense. Uh, I mean, uh, it just, I think people are scared of change.

Joe Rogan 54:45 Right.

Israel Adesanya 54:45 Even with these new gloves, it's, I think, is maybe a ... That's why I'm trying to be like, "Let me give it one more shot." I'm not a, I'm not gonna say I'm against them.

Joe Rogan 54:51 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 54:51 I just feel, eh. The other gloves were just, they had that thing on them.

Joe Rogan 54:57 Well, Mike-

Israel Adesanya 54:57 That rubber tire.

Joe Rogan 54:57 ... Winkeljohn, you know, he lost an eye.

Israel Adesanya 54:59 Oh, that's why he wears the shades.

Joe Rogan 55:01 Exactly.

Israel Adesanya 55:01 Yeah, he did, he did.

Joe Rogan 55:02 From holding pads from somebody. So he was holding pads and someone missed and caught his eye with their toenail.

Israel Adesanya 55:07 Yeah. I'd do that too if, if that happened to me. PTSD.

Joe Rogan 55:10 Yeah. Fuck, man.

Israel Adesanya 55:11 And other things.

Joe Rogan 55:11 I think for like everybody should wear goggles if you're holding-

Israel Adesanya 55:13 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 55:13 ... mitts. Just the possibility. Just that we know that it happened to one of the top trainers in the sport.

Israel Adesanya 55:17 Yeah. And it's not just a freak accident 'cause-

Joe Rogan 55:19 Right.

Israel Adesanya 55:19 ... even just grappling, I try and keep my nails l- like, m- trim, just 'cause I don't wanna ... I've done it before by accident on someone and I've caused ... I think I caught a tie and then they did something and then whoo.

Joe Rogan 55:31 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 55:32 And I go it, well, not on me, on them. It's happened to me as well, but I felt bad when I did it on the person, I had their skin in my nails and I was like, "Yeah, my bad."

Joe Rogan 55:38 Ugh.

Israel Adesanya 55:38 So then again, yeah. Cut your nails. But still, that's not a bad idea. I would fuck with that.

Joe Rogan 55:44 I feel like it wouldn't affect the grappling at all.

Israel Adesanya 55:47 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 55:47 Uh, and it definitely would help eye pokes-

Israel Adesanya 55:49 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 55:49 ... which are the biggest problem. Eye pokes are a giant problem, man.

Israel Adesanya 55:53 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 55:53 So many guys have gotten eye surgery now. I mean, Belal's had three eye surgeries.

Israel Adesanya 55:57 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 55:57 And remember when he got poked-

Israel Adesanya 55:58 Oh, wait, he did.

Joe Rogan 55:59 ... real bad against Leon?

Israel Adesanya 55:59 Oh no, the Leon one. Yeah, that's right.

Joe Rogan 56:01 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 56:02 Yeah. Fuck, yeah. I can imagine. Yeah, you can ma- you could change the culture.

Joe Rogan 56:05 I feel like it should be done and-

Israel Adesanya 56:07 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 56:07 ... 'cause I don't think it's bad.

Israel Adesanya 56:08 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 56:08 I don't, I don't, I don't see any negative to covering the fingers and I see only positives.

Israel Adesanya 56:12 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 56:12 And I don't think it would do, uh, it's just a real simple. Piece of leather here-

Israel Adesanya 56:16 No, I get you.

Joe Rogan 56:17 ... covers over the tips of the fingers.

Israel Adesanya 56:17 I get what you're saying.

Joe Rogan 56:18 Measure the fighter's hands, you know, 'cause some guys have very long fingers-

Israel Adesanya 56:21 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 56:21 ... some guys have short fingers. Measure the fighter's hands, build a custom glove.

Israel Adesanya 56:25 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 56:25 That's not hard to do.

Israel Adesanya 56:26 Same thing like having glove size. I'm sure-

Joe Rogan 56:27 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 56:27 ... someone will make it now. Oh, someone's made that before?

Joe Rogan 56:30 I don't think so.

Israel Adesanya 56:30 Yeah? Well.

Joe Rogan 56:31 I don't, I don't know of anybody that's made that, but that's-

Israel Adesanya 56:33 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 56:33 That should be the way they do it because that would eliminate a enormous, uh, number of eye pokes.

Israel Adesanya 56:38 That's a money-making scheme right now. If someone decides to make that and then put it out there as a prototype, be like, "Look, this actually works."

Joe Rogan 56:43 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 56:43 Train with them and then they go, "I'm patenting that." Boom.

Joe Rogan 56:45 But the UFC doesn't listen to me-

Israel Adesanya 56:47 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 56:47 ... 'cause I, 'cause I have all kinds-

Israel Adesanya 56:48 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 56:48 ... of crazy ideas. I'm like, "Get rid of weight cutting."

Israel Adesanya 56:50 But, yeah.

Joe Rogan 56:50 "Add more weight classes."

Israel Adesanya 56:52 No stand-ups.

Joe Rogan 56:53 "Change the gloves. No stand-ups."

Israel Adesanya 56:53 That's, yeah, yeah.

Joe Rogan 56:54 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 56:55 Ah, fair enough.

Joe Rogan 56:55 Because also like, I'm not interested in making the fight more exciting.

Israel Adesanya 56:59 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 57:00 I'm making, I want, I'm interested in-

Israel Adesanya 57:01 For the best.

Joe Rogan 57:02 ... what's the best.

Israel Adesanya 57:03 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 57:03 What, what actually works. I'm a purist.

Israel Adesanya 57:04 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 57:04 I wanna see what, what is the actual effective technique. Like, there's som- sometimes, like, when you see in jujitsu tournaments where guys are doing something, like they're in a 50/50 position, I'm like-

Israel Adesanya 57:13 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 57:14 ... this guy could punch you in the face, kick you in the face so easy. This is not a good m- self-defense position.

Israel Adesanya 57:20 Yep.

Joe Rogan 57:20 And you see it in MMA-

Israel Adesanya 57:21 Or the leg lock stuff.

Joe Rogan 57:22 ... where guys are accustomed to doing that and they're, they're, they're literally face down, holding onto an ankle and the dude just boom, boom.

Israel Adesanya 57:29 One of my boys, uh, Nate, uh, Nate Law, he just fought in, uh, his, I think third pro fight. The guy had a leg lock and Nate posted the, this quote from Cho Sun and after the fight about if a guy is holding onto your leg, just posture up and punch him in the face.

Joe Rogan 57:46 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 57:46 And that's what Nate did and won the fight. So yeah. I mean, the whole leg lock game, uh, I know, I know some stuff with X guard and whatnot, but I don't really fuck with it too much 'cause I get scared 'cause the commitment when I hold onto someone's leg.

Joe Rogan 57:58 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 57:58 And then you're just exposed. Unless I'm like a Craig Jones type who I just know-

Joe Rogan 58:02 As a wizard.

Israel Adesanya 58:02 Yeah. He's-

Joe Rogan 58:03 The thing about leg locks is you have so little time to react.

Israel Adesanya 58:06 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 58:06 If you don't tap, h- if you ... There's a, such a brief, uh, especially like an inside heel hook, there's such a brief amount of time you have before your shit is just blown to-

Israel Adesanya 58:15 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 58:15 ... smitherines.

Israel Adesanya 58:16 It's like, it's just fine, this is fine, this is fine. Pop.

Joe Rogan 58:18 Plop.

Israel Adesanya 58:18 And it's gone. Yeah.

Joe Rogan 58:19 Rips apart and then you're fucked-

Israel Adesanya 58:20 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 58:20 ... for nine months.

Israel Adesanya 58:21 Even me if I'm rolling with people, if I don't trust that person or if I just feel like, oh, I'll just go, yeah, cool. Tap. 'Cause-

Joe Rogan 58:27 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 58:28 ... ego's not worth it. I don't-

Joe Rogan 58:29 It's not.

Israel Adesanya 58:29 ... try and hold onto shit like that.

Joe Rogan 58:30 Especially the leg locks.

Israel Adesanya 58:31 Yeah, yeah.

Joe Rogan 58:31 Do, do you have a hard time like that with like people trying to get a name for themselves training with you?

Israel Adesanya 58:36 Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Rogan 58:37 Of course.

Israel Adesanya 58:37 So that's for me, look, uh, it's not even ... If I go to a new gym, I pick and choose who I go with and it's not like an ego thing 'cause I don't wanna get my ass whooped. It's just like, I don't know you well enough that-

Joe Rogan 58:48 Right.

Israel Adesanya 58:48 And sometimes you see people with, they, they salivate like, "Oh, this is my chance."

Joe Rogan 58:52 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 58:52 "This is my-"

Joe Rogan 58:52 Right.

Israel Adesanya 58:53 "I got my shot now."

Joe Rogan 58:54 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 58:54 Even now sometimes and, and, and grappling with some people in the jujitsu class, they'll just, lower belts, they'll be like, "Can I?" I'm like, "I'm good. Thank you."

Joe Rogan 59:04 You know what I don't like?

Israel Adesanya 59:04 What? Yeah.

Joe Rogan 59:04 When I see a dude sitting out around and waiting-

Israel Adesanya 59:07 Ah.

Joe Rogan 59:07 ... while you're exhausted and then they go, "Do you wanna go?"

Israel Adesanya 59:10 Right.

Joe Rogan 59:10 It's like, "Bitch, I watched you." I'll call them out. "I watched you just sit down."

Israel Adesanya 59:13 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 59:14 "For 10 fucking minutes."

Israel Adesanya 59:15 Yeah. Oh, you get that as well, too.

Joe Rogan 59:16 "Why didn't you just jump in?"

Israel Adesanya 59:17 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 59:18 "Why weren't you just rolling right now?"

Israel Adesanya 59:19 Facts. Facts.

Joe Rogan 59:19 "You wanna roll fresh?"

Israel Adesanya 59:20 Yeah. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 59:21 "Is that what this is?"

Israel Adesanya 59:22 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 59:22 And you like call them out on it, you see the look in their face.

Israel Adesanya 59:24 Oh, shit. Yeah.

Joe Rogan 59:25 Like, "No, no, man."

Israel Adesanya 59:25 I just go, "Nah, I'm good. Thank you." And I'll get someone that I actually trust 'cause yeah.

Joe Rogan 59:29 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 59:29 It's not, it's just, I, I, and I f- I know the feeling as well 'cause I'm sure, uh, that someone will tap me or do something or I'll just let go and then it's like that. I know when it's real and it's generally like, "Good job." And I know the one when it's just like, they like, "Yeah, I'm gonna tell-"

Joe Rogan 59:44 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 59:44 "... everyone about this."

Joe Rogan 59:44 Can't wait.

Israel Adesanya 59:45 I'm gonna tell-

Joe Rogan 59:45 To get online.

Israel Adesanya 59:46 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 59:47 Yeah.

Israel Adesanya 59:47 And I'm like, "Ugh, here we go." But again, that's the thing when I talk about ego, and I had to kill that before I started training grappling 'cause it was just, I sucked.

Joe Rogan 59:55 Right.

Israel Adesanya 59:55 You know? Like, nah, I get taps. One thing I definitely will get is a submission in the UFC before I'm done. I will ge- I will choke someone out, like a guillotine or redneck it. I like guillotines. But I've, uh, it's learning how to find the sweet spot for me. The sweet spot when I get it. And when I get it, it's not ... Even a bulldog choke, I get really good at those. Somehow I can find the spot and I just ... 'Cause I got the frame for it.

Joe Rogan 1:00:19 Mm-hmm.

Israel Adesanya 1:00:20 The best person at our gym, Dan, Hangman, that's his shit. He grabs your neck, you're going like, it's like, yep. Find a way out. You can't? Cool. Tap. But yeah, I like using guillotines though, especially on, on wrestlers 'cause, yeah, it just lets them know, okay, this is always a threat.This is always a threat. But again, it's something I've been working on. But eventually, before I retire, you'll definitely see me get a submission.

Joe Rogan 1:00:43 Well, it's interesting because you're a specialist. You know, you're one of those guys who, like, you didn't come in with a full-

Israel Adesanya 1:00:49 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:00:50 ... MMA experience. You didn't start as an amateur MMA fighter.

Israel Adesanya 1:00:53 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:00:53 You were a kickboxer. And so you had... I remember when you and I first started talking online, when I reached out to you on Instagram-

Israel Adesanya 1:00:58 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:00:59 ... and you were like, "Uh, I'm gonna wait a little while."

Israel Adesanya 1:01:01 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:01:01 "I'm gonna just do this right."

Israel Adesanya 1:01:02 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:01:03 Which is, I thought, was very intelligent-

Israel Adesanya 1:01:04 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:01:04 ...'cause you could've just jumped in like many guys do, and then they get... UFC throws you in with a wrestler-

Israel Adesanya 1:01:09 Facts. Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:01:09 ... you get exposed, and now you're so far behind the curve, it takes a long time to build up your confidence and your momentum again-

Israel Adesanya 1:01:16 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:01:16 ... because you got smothered in your first fight.

Israel Adesanya 1:01:18 Yeah. That was 2015, I believe.

Joe Rogan 1:01:20 Hmm.

Israel Adesanya 1:01:20 I even sent a DM to Dana saying, "Just give me one shot. Just get me to the cage. I'll do the rest." And look, I, I, I would've, but I'm glad I took my time, and it was, it was good for me just to fight different people from Ukraine, China, uh, what else? Brazil, all different types of places, and then experience different styles. And that way I felt confident enough when I got to the UFC. My first fight, shout out Rob Wilkinson, good guy, good friend of mine now, and yeah, he tried to take me down constantly, and I was able to withstand that because of the work we did. And Andrei, Andrei Poblet, my wrestling coach, a lot of drills, just drills, wall work constantly, uh, getting a-

Joe Rogan 1:02:00 What year did you start that? What year did you start grappling training?

Israel Adesanya 1:02:03 I started in 2010, but I was meant to go into MMA straightaway, but there was just so many kickboxing fights, and I kept on getting kickboxing fights, that it was just too... Also, I like fighting kickboxing,