JRE MMA Show #165 with Jiri Prochazka

1. 0:00 – 15:00

   (drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast,…

   1. JPJiří Procházka0:00

      (drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast, check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience. (drumbeats)

   2. JRJoe Rogan0:06

      Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. (rock music) Great to have you in, man.

   3. JPJiří Procházka0:13

      Yeah, great to be here. Yeah.

   4. JRJoe Rogan0:14

      How you feeling? You must be feeling fantastic.

   5. JPJiří Procházka0:17

      Uh, many things, uh, were successful, so even if I, like, was a little bit, uh, had a flu, uh, many things-

   6. JRJoe Rogan0:29

      You had the flu before that fight?

   7. JPJiří Procházka0:30

      Mm-hmm. Yeah, for one, one week, like, five, five days, five day- five days before fight week, I was in, uh, uh, like... How to say that? Uh, uh, heat, like body is warm.

   8. JRJoe Rogan0:43

      Fever?

   9. JPJiří Procházka0:44

      Fever. Fever. Yeah, fever.

   10. JRJoe Rogan0:46

       Yeah.

   11. JPJiří Procházka0:46

       So, (laughs) yeah.

   12. JRJoe Rogan0:47

       That's crazy.

   13. JPJiří Procházka0:48

       That was, that was, yeah. That was something what I- But every time, maybe I'm little bit glad for that, because I'm every time trying to push my preparation too much-

   14. JRJoe Rogan1:01

       Mm-hmm.

   15. JPJiří Procházka1:01

       ... that I am every time, like, hurt myself or, or I'm overtrained.

   16. JRJoe Rogan1:07

       Right.

   17. JPJiří Procházka1:07

       So, so that's why I'm maybe, maybe just a little bit glad for that.

   18. JRJoe Rogan1:12

       Y- That's interesting, right? Like, it's, it's so hard, because you wanna prepare so hard, you, you're so disciplined, so driven, but you can do yourself a disservice. You can go too far, and then you don't recover enough, and then you go into the fight a little compromised.

   19. JPJiří Procházka1:28

       Yep. That's right.

   20. JRJoe Rogan1:29

       Yeah, we've seen that many times with fighters-

   21. JPJiří Procházka1:31

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan1:31

       ... who just get so enthusiastic about their training.

   23. JPJiří Procházka1:33

       Yeah. I- 'Cause I feel like self-confidence, and still, there is something what you can do better, yeah? Every day.

   24. JRJoe Rogan1:45

       Mm-hmm.

   25. JPJiří Procházka1:45

       And that's my idea of, of the training, life, life idea, to, to, to go better every day, 1% better, 1% better.

   26. JRJoe Rogan1:54

       Mm-hmm.

   27. JPJiří Procházka1:54

       Even if you don't, if you can't train, you can sit in a meditation and visualize how you train, how the, how this body's working.

   28. JRJoe Rogan2:05

       Mm-hmm.

   29. JPJiří Procházka2:06

       But sometimes, is the most, uh, biggest, like, the biggest thing what you can do is just-

   30. JRJoe Rogan2:17

       Rest.
2. 15:00 – 30:00

   Right. The, the interesting…

   1. JPJiří Procházka15:00

      top five guys. Yeah.

   2. JRJoe Rogan15:01

      Right. The, the interesting thing about the light heavyweight division is, um, there's, there's only about five really exciting contenders, four or five really exci- it's... there's not a deep pool of fighters that would be, you know, very interesting to see you fight.

   3. JPJiří Procházka15:18

      That's right, because there is a... like I said today, there's a few guys who really have the taste, have the drive-

   4. JRJoe Rogan15:30

      Mm-hmm.

   5. JPJiří Procházka15:31

      ... to, to go to the top. I wanna go to the top. I wanna take it. I have the... I feel the energy of the crown and I can take it.

   6. JRJoe Rogan15:39

      Mm-hmm.

   7. JPJiří Procházka15:40

      So... And, uh, that's why (laughs) , that's why I'm, I'm, I'm doing that. That's why I'm still talking about that to be there, because I really feel that, that I can be the top. And one thing what I needed is that I had to be stable. Stable to... not just get to the top and back and out, but to go to the top and know how, how it is to be there. Know to, uh, to, to keep the... all these weights on the top.

   8. JRJoe Rogan16:24

      Mm-hmm.

   9. JPJiří Procházka16:24

      What it... what the... what there is, yeah.

   10. JRJoe Rogan16:26

       Yeah. Defending the title is more difficult even than, than getting the title. And then it's improving while you're champion.

   11. JPJiří Procházka16:35

       That's right, that's right.

   12. JRJoe Rogan16:36

       You know they say that... Daniel Cormier always says that every champion improves, like, significantly once they become champion because you have the confidence of being champion. And it's just, how long can you maintain the kind of energy that's required to constantly get better?

   13. JPJiří Procházka16:50

       Exactly.

   14. JRJoe Rogan16:51

       'Cause it's not just about maintaining, right? It's about constantly improving, so constant an- analysis of all your movements-

   15. JPJiří Procházka16:58

       Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan16:58

       ... and, and what you're doing right-

   17. JPJiří Procházka16:59

       Yeah.

   18. JRJoe Rogan16:59

       ... and what you... mistakes that were made-

   19. JPJiří Procházka17:01

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan17:02

       ... and what the thought process was before the mistake and how to eliminate that.

   21. JPJiří Procházka17:05

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan17:06

       Yeah.

   23. JPJiří Procházka17:06

       This is, this is something what, what is... like I said, the style of Japanese, they, they call that kaizen.

   24. JRJoe Rogan17:14

       Yes.

   25. JPJiří Procházka17:15

       Kaizen. Like, daily improvements.

   26. JRJoe Rogan17:17

       Mm-hmm.

   27. JPJiří Procházka17:17

       Small improvements, daily recognizing what's bad, what's good.

   28. JRJoe Rogan17:20

       Mm-hmm.

   29. JPJiří Procházka17:21

       And, uh, sometimes it is... like I feel, I feel like it's, uh, like, like a sick... like, to be obs- too much obsess in that.

   30. JRJoe Rogan17:28

       Yeah.
3. 30:00 – 45:00

   Survive. …

   1. JPJiří Procházka30:00

      uh-

   2. JRJoe Rogan30:00

      Survive.

   3. JPJiří Procházka30:01

      ... survive, survive, survive. And this is the n- this is the nature, what is in us.

   4. JRJoe Rogan30:06

      Mm-hmm.

   5. JPJiří Procházka30:07

      So this is... And as deeper you can go in this, uncomfortable, uh, environment, and all these things-... that deep you can, uh, understand the life and, like, be a philosopher a- about that, like-

   6. JRJoe Rogan30:27

      Hmm.

   7. JPJiří Procházka30:27

      ... understa- understand more deeply and, I don't know how to say it, yeah.

   8. JRJoe Rogan30:32

      No, you're saying it right.

   9. JPJiří Procházka30:33

      It's a-

   10. JRJoe Rogan30:33

       Yeah, I, I understand what you're saying, yeah.

   11. JPJiří Procházka30:34

       So that's why. So I was inspired by the Masutatsu Oyama, and then that's why I decide after the second fight with Alex, I need to go to Japan. To Japan, to the places, to make a black belt from Kyokushinkai karate and really feel, um, all these things like a realist, realist. Not just think about, uh, how it can be, how, how is this style can be, but to live that.

   12. JRJoe Rogan31:06

       Hmm.

   13. JPJiří Procházka31:07

       That's it.

   14. JRJoe Rogan31:08

       (sighs)

   15. JPJiří Procházka31:08

       Because I like, like to take an inspiration and take it and go there. Uh, fight that, fight that guy, uh, live that ex- experience, yeah? This is it. This is-

   16. JRJoe Rogan31:22

       Yeah.

   17. JPJiří Procházka31:23

       Yeah.

   18. JRJoe Rogan31:23

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   19. NANarrator32:11

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   20. JRJoe Rogan32:40

       Well, you're v- obviously very physically talented, but I think one of the things that does separate you from other fighters is this mindset that you've cultivated and that you embrace, and I think th- I think-

   21. JPJiří Procházka32:52

       It's the only way.

   22. JRJoe Rogan32:52

       ... it's also l- something fascinating about the fact that you do do it outside. I think that scares people. (laughs)

   23. JPJiří Procházka32:59

       Yeah.

   24. JRJoe Rogan32:59

       I think there's something about e- the fact-

   25. JPJiří Procházka33:00

       Yeah.

   26. JRJoe Rogan33:00

       ... that you like to be fighting in nature and p- punching trees, like, it's some-

   27. JPJiří Procházka33:04

       Because, because I'm coming, like, from, from, uh, from a, from one village where was there a lot of, like, good guys, (sighs) but everybody, we a- we were, um, we are still, like, really crazy. When we are celebrating it's all the time about... Right now, we are trying to slow down to, to show others like we are an adults, like, we, we know we are the mans, but still it's about, like, the showing the, the strength.

   28. JRJoe Rogan33:34

       Yeah.

   29. JPJiří Procházka33:35

       How, what to, what to destroy, how to, how to punch other guy-

   30. JRJoe Rogan33:41

       (laughs)
4. 45:00 – 1:00:00

   Mm-hmm. …

   1. JPJiří Procházka45:00

      to keeping, uh, yourself and the control is going from. Sometimes it's going from the fear to be not hit, sometimes it's going from to be careful for the take-downs and ... But I wanna be, like, fearless in that, like, to stay behind, uh, stay before the opponent and have no, no fear. No ... You can go as close you wanna ca- as close you want and try to hit me, and you will not hit me because I'm here, and I, and I feel you. I'm ... I got you.

   2. JRJoe Rogan45:34

      Mm-hmm.

   3. JPJiří Procházka45:34

      So, I can't explain it, and I don't wanna explain it. I wanna show that in a fight, so, uh-

   4. JRJoe Rogan45:39

      Right.

   5. JPJiří Procházka45:39

      ... so-

   6. JRJoe Rogan45:40

      I know what you're saying. When you, um ... One of the things that we were talking about, Daniel and I were talking about when we were doing the commentary, was your head movement was so good. It was, it was different than before. It was like at another level. Like, wha- what i- what specifically had you do, had you done to prepare that made your head movement so much better?

   7. JPJiří Procházka46:00

      I have, uh, like, long time I'm wo- working on that. Like, since my, mm ... Before I stepped in the UF- no, since my title fight in, uh ... I really ex- I really, uh, exactly know what's, what's, when I ex- started to work on, especially on that because I realized that this is my game. This is really what's me. And, uh, it was around the title fight with, uh, with King Mo Law in Rizin, so that was a s- title, uh, title fight in Rizin. And it's about the, the feeling the opponent, the feel the opponent but not be, uh ... But to not be, uh, how to say? Fu- do not let the f- this feeling to, to, to, to push you in some way.

   8. JRJoe Rogan46:58

      Mm-hmm.

   9. JPJiří Procházka46:58

      You know? Understand? To, to feel the space, but still be calm, be unshakeable and, uh, you can feel the, the, then you can feel the, uh, the space around you, the everything. And whatever will move right now, you will react for that, and, and, uh, naturally, because you will feel the, the, these, all these things like yours- l- li- like yourself. Like, everything is you.

   10. JRJoe Rogan47:32

       Mm-hmm.

   11. JPJiří Procházka47:32

       And then, then you can step to the level I'm everywhere because there is no different between me, this, this thing, this thing, the opponent, but still-

   12. JRJoe Rogan47:43

       Right.

   13. JPJiří Procházka47:43

       ... but still ... And that's sometimes why I need to be, uh, why I need to be a little bit hit to feel the aggression back to the fight. That was, that was before the, before the UFC, and I need- I was needed to (slaps leg) to get hit because I need to ... Because I felt him, felt the, felt the movement, felt the right, right movement. Everything was right, but I a- I also needed to be more aggressive to wants it to go through the opponent.

   14. JRJoe Rogan48:17

       Yes.

   15. JPJiří Procházka48:17

       Yeah, because I was too, how to say, too nice, too nice f- for them-

   16. JRJoe Rogan48:22

       Right.

   17. JPJiří Procházka48:22

       ... to just, just, just show them I can sleep and I can move everything. You can't, you don't, you can't hit me, but it, this is not the fight. The fight is to answer to g- to catch him in the, in the right moment.

   18. JRJoe Rogan48:35

       Yeah.

   19. JPJiří Procházka48:36

       So-... so yes, to be here and now, to be, like I said, to be everything, but still to not be, oh, pushed by this feeling, like, to be, to be so nice, not too much aggressive, but something in the middle, still control that. It's all about control.

   20. JRJoe Rogan48:59

       Balance.

   21. JPJiří Procházka49:00

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan49:00

       I like what you said, like, that there's no difference between you and your opponent. Like, you're not even th- You're just in this flow-

   23. JPJiří Procházka49:08

       Yeah.

   24. JRJoe Rogan49:08

       ... of movement and life.

   25. JPJiří Procházka49:10

       Yeah.

   26. JRJoe Rogan49:11

       And this thing you're, you're choosing to do-

   27. JPJiří Procházka49:14

       Yeah.

   28. JRJoe Rogan49:14

       ... there's no difference between you and them. You're not, you don't even exist.

   29. JPJiří Procházka49:17

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan49:17

       You're just a part of it all.
5. 1:00:00 – 1:15:00

   That wa- was, that…

   1. JRJoe Rogan1:00:00

      hanging out with him?

   2. JPJiří Procházka1:00:00

      That wa- was, that was cool. That's something what, what, what I like to, to do with my opponents, whoever won or lo- you, you win, you lose, whatever. Yeah.

   3. JRJoe Rogan1:00:12

      Mm-hmm. That's great.

   4. JPJiří Procházka1:00:13

      Yeah.

   5. JRJoe Rogan1:00:14

      It was just, it's always nice to see. There's one thing that people really do love about a great fight is afterwards when the guys hug.

   6. JPJiří Procházka1:00:20

      Yeah, but still, still, I don't like to, to speak about opponent in some way, in some bad way before the fight.

   7. JRJoe Rogan1:00:32

      Right.

   8. JPJiří Procházka1:00:32

      And after fight, change it. Like-

   9. JRJoe Rogan1:00:36

      Right.

   10. JPJiří Procházka1:00:36

       ... it does not exist. It-

   11. JRJoe Rogan1:00:37

       Right.

   12. JPJiří Procházka1:00:37

       And right now, we are the friends and everything good, man. Please.

   13. JRJoe Rogan1:00:43

       Yeah.

   14. JPJiří Procházka1:00:43

       Let's be honest. You talk shit about me-

   15. JRJoe Rogan1:00:46

       (laughs) Yeah.

   16. JPJiří Procházka1:00:46

       Talk shit about me. All right, okay, so-... you are the motherfucker, but doesn't matter. Let's drink together. You are who you are. I am who I am. Let's drink together. But stay, stay honest-

   17. JRJoe Rogan1:00:58

       Right.

   18. JPJiří Procházka1:00:59

       ... man.

   19. JRJoe Rogan1:00:59

       Keep that energy.

   20. JPJiří Procházka1:01:00

       Man.

   21. JRJoe Rogan1:01:01

       Yeah. Yeah.

   22. JPJiří Procházka1:01:02

       Because that's, uh, that's why I, I like to keep same word, same attitude-

   23. JRJoe Rogan1:01:09

       Yes.

   24. JPJiří Procházka1:01:09

       ... before the fight, in the preparation, and after the fight, in the fight, after the fight. All the time, like, the same. That's me.

   25. JRJoe Rogan1:01:19

       Yeah.

   26. JPJiří Procházka1:01:19

       And I want to show me, not me before and me after.

   27. JRJoe Rogan1:01:25

       Right. There's a lot of guys just for the sake of promotion, they talk a lot of shit, and they're just trying to stir things up and make the fight more exciting by insulting people, insulting their families. Yeah, and it gets, it gets very ugly. And I think the audience turns on them over that. And one of the things that's shown with, uh, your success and your popularity and guys like Alex is that you don't even have to speak English. Like, it doesn't matter if you kick a- I mean, if, it doesn't matter, you could talk all the shit you want, get everything hyped up. What really matters is how you perform inside the octagon. When you perform inside the octagon, like Alex has, like you have, it doesn't... There's no need for shit talking. It's you, you, people love you, and they love you just by the style of your fighting, and you're expressing-

   28. JPJiří Procházka1:02:15

       That's right.

   29. JRJoe Rogan1:02:15

       ... your soul inside that cage, like who you are as a man-

   30. JPJiří Procházka1:02:19

       Yeah.
6. 1:15:00 – 1:26:43

   Yeah. …

   1. JRJoe Rogan1:15:00

   2. JPJiří Procházka1:15:00

      Yeah.

   3. JRJoe Rogan1:15:00

      ... and flabby-

   4. JPJiří Procházka1:15:01

      Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

   5. JRJoe Rogan1:15:01

      ... because they didn't have any testosterone anymore.

   6. JPJiří Procházka1:15:03

      It's, it's, it's... Yeah.

   7. JRJoe Rogan1:15:03

      Because they'd fucked up their endocrine systems.

   8. JPJiří Procházka1:15:04

      Yeah, yeah.

   9. JRJoe Rogan1:15:06

      Instead of allowing that, they brought in USADA, and USADA started randomly testing, and a lot of people fell off. Great champions fell off.

   10. JPJiří Procházka1:15:15

       Yeah.

   11. JRJoe Rogan1:15:15

       Guys like Vitor Belfort-

   12. JPJiří Procházka1:15:16

       That's right, yeah, yeah.

   13. JRJoe Rogan1:15:16

       ... fell off.

   14. JPJiří Procházka1:15:17

       Yeah, yeah.

   15. JRJoe Rogan1:15:17

       Great, great fighters-

   16. JPJiří Procházka1:15:18

       Yeah, yeah, I know.

   17. JRJoe Rogan1:15:19

       ... who, when they were using, were-

   18. JPJiří Procházka1:15:20

       Yeah.

   19. JRJoe Rogan1:15:20

       ... unbelievably good, but then as soon as they had it be natural... Okay, so we realize that we're gonna have to sacrifice some fighters for that. This is the same approach that should be made with weight cutting. Weight cutting should not exist. It's terrible for you. It's unnecessary. It's not necessary.

   20. JPJiří Procházka1:15:38

       Mm.

   21. JRJoe Rogan1:15:38

       It's just sanction cheating that we've done forever. If you're telling me that Alex Pereira, when he fought I- i- Israel Adesanya-

   22. JPJiří Procházka1:15:46

       Yeah.

   23. JRJoe Rogan1:15:47

       ... he weighed 185-

   24. JPJiří Procházka1:15:48

       Yeah. (laughs)

   25. JRJoe Rogan1:15:49

       ... one day and 226 the next day. That's crazy.

   26. JPJiří Procházka1:15:54

       Yeah, that's crazy, yeah.

   27. JRJoe Rogan1:15:54

       It's crazy.

   28. JPJiří Procházka1:15:56

       Yeah, and that's maybe-

   29. JRJoe Rogan1:15:57

       And it's not a slight against Alex-

   30. JPJiří Procházka1:15:58

       ... d- dangerous, yeah.

Episode duration: 2:08:04