CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:24
Welcome + Rogan’s pitch: Chandler vs UFC’s best
Joe and Michael kick off with friendly banter before Rogan immediately frames the big theme: he wants Chandler in the UFC against the deepest talent pool. Chandler sets the tone by emphasizing confidence, momentum, and feeling like he’s “firing on all cylinders.”
- •Rogan opens with the long-standing goal: get Chandler to the UFC
- •Discussion of Bellator talent vs “best guys in the world” argument
- •Chandler’s current mindset: high confidence and peak form
- •How elite fighters must believe they’re the best
- 1:24 – 6:32
Confidence, setbacks, and what three straight losses taught Chandler
Chandler explains the darkest stretch of his career—three losses in a row—and how it forced him to confront mental habits, not physical preparation. He describes the difference between working hard in training and maintaining a healthy self-image and confidence under pressure.
- •Breakdown of the Alvarez split decision, injury issues, and Will Brooks fights
- •How lapses in confidence compounded after losses
- •Taking “extreme ownership” of mental state and self-image
- •Why mental training is as important as physical training
- 6:32 – 9:16
Building belief: visualization, self-image, and avoiding self-sabotage
The conversation turns to how athletes sabotage themselves when their internal self-image doesn’t match success. Rogan brings up Chael Sonnen’s Anderson Silva loss as a case study; Chandler connects it to his own college wrestling experiences and mindset evolution.
- •Self-sabotage when success feels ‘undeserved’
- •Chael Sonnen/Anderson Silva example and the ‘triangle’ moment
- •Chandler’s college wrestling losses as mental lessons
- •Mental rehearsal as a skill that must be practiced
- 9:16 – 15:13
Books and tools: ‘Mind Gym,’ mental highlight reels, and balance vs ego
Chandler credits specific mental-performance reading and exercises for rebuilding confidence. He outlines the ‘mental highlight reel’ technique—replaying past peak moments—to create a durable, realistic confidence that avoids both insecurity and narcissism.
- •Key resources: ‘Mind Gym’ (Gary Mack) and ‘How Champions Think’
- •How to build and refresh a personal mental highlight reel
- •Importance of acknowledging wins without becoming delusional
- •Using past ‘flow state’ moments to reinforce belief
- 15:13 – 19:53
Recreating flow state: journaling, coaching feedback, and smart training
Chandler explains how he captures the conditions that produce great performances—writing things down, discussing sessions with coaches, and building repeatable habits. He also details how changing camps and training partners helped him refine what actually works for him.
- •Training journals and noting pre-practice routines
- •Talking through success to prevent it being ‘swept under the rug’
- •Relocating camps to find the best coaching/partners
- •Training smarter: treat practice like experiments with results
- 19:53 – 23:57
688 days without a win: pressure, perfectionism, and fighting frequency
Chandler describes the psychological grind of going 688 days without a win and how MMA’s long gaps between fights amplify doubt. He explains how perfectionism in training became a mental trap—and why he shifted to pursuing ‘success, not perfection.’
- •The unique cruelty of long layoffs in MMA vs other sports
- •Media/fan negativity and financial insecurity after losses
- •How obsessing over tiny ‘losses’ in sparring crushed confidence
- •Reframing: focus on big-picture success instead of perfection
- 23:57 – 32:16
Skillset strategy: 90% self-development, 10% opponent prep
Rogan and Chandler discuss how elite fighters build a ‘project plan’ for their overall game. Chandler argues most camp time should sharpen core weapons and identity, with only a small portion devoted to opponent-specific tweaks.
- •Chandler’s camp philosophy: systems and fundamentals first
- •Lessons from the Eddie Alvarez rematch (cutting off cage, feints)
- •Dangers of ‘out-training yourself’ with too much complexity
- •Why basics + proficiency + violence beats fancy variety
- 32:16 – 36:03
Bad judging and why MMA scoring still fails fighters
They shift to systemic issues in MMA: judging quality, inconsistent scoring, and how close decisions can change careers. Rogan argues the sport needs structural reform—more qualified judges and more of them—to reduce randomness.
- •Perception-based scoring errors and inexperienced judging panels
- •Financial impact: win/show bonuses and career leverage
- •Why three judges is too few; case for larger expert panels
- •Comparing judging complexity in boxing vs MMA
- 36:03 – 39:26
Weight classes, weight cutting, and measuring the ‘real’ body
Rogan proposes more frequent weight classes (every ~10 lbs) and criticizes large gaps like 185 to 205. Chandler adds nuance about body composition, DEXA scans, and how athletes manage weight beyond just the scale.
- •Argument for a 165-lb division and tighter class spacing
- •Examples of tough cuts and missed weight (Khabib, Kevin Lee)
- •Body composition vs ‘walk-around weight’
- •DEXA scans: tracking fat, muscle, and bone density trends
- 39:26 – 47:32
Strength & conditioning: building power and ‘bulletproofing’ the body
Chandler outlines his strength philosophy and why he believes it has reduced major injuries. He describes pairing heavy strength movements with explosive plyometrics to convert strength + speed into fight power.
- •Cam Hanes workout story and functional conditioning emphasis
- •Power formula: strength + speed = power (contrast sets/supersets)
- •Med-ball work, jumps, plyometric push-ups, trap bar pulls
- •How strength training may support durability and injury resistance
- 47:32 – 1:05:32
Visualization in practice: triggers, cage memories, and scary fight moments
Chandler goes deep on how he schedules visualization and how sensory triggers—especially smell—can transport him back to fight night. They also revisit extreme in-fight moments, including Chandler passing out between rounds and the freak nerve injury that stopped a title fight.
- •Scheduling short visualization sessions (5 minutes can be enough)
- •Smell as a performance trigger; wanting a piece of cage canvas
- •Shift from ‘hating’ fight-night feelings to feeling at home in the cage
- •Benson Henderson fight: near-blackout/pass-out between rounds
- •Title loss via rolled ankle/pinched nerve and the fear of nerve damage
- 1:05:32 – 1:15:18
From brawler to veteran: toughness, confidence, and the Gaethje comparison
Rogan uses Justin Gaethje to discuss the cost of chaos-based styles and how quickly damage accumulates. Chandler relates it to his early career—winning by sheer will—then evolving into a more composed, skill-led approach once his confidence caught up to his tools.
- •Gaethje’s damage-heavy UFC run and his ‘five fights left’ comment
- •Style vs longevity: chaos always exists, but craft extends careers
- •Chandler’s evolution from ‘vessel of violence’ to composed veteran
- •Why confidence in skill (not just toughness) changes fight decisions
- 1:15:18 – 1:24:57
Promotions, branding, and the ‘best vs best’ problem (UFC, Bellator, boxing)
Rogan returns to the central tension: great fighters exist outside the UFC, but public perception treats UFC as the default top league. They compare MMA’s promotion split to boxing’s title fragmentation and discuss why Bellator struggles to capture mainstream imagination.
- •Rogan’s repeated pitch: Chandler’s prime years and UFC opportunity
- •Rory MacDonald and the reality of elite talent outside UFC
- •Fedor/UFC negotiations as a lesson in timing and leverage
- •Why boxing fans follow fighters more than sanctioning bodies
- •Branding debate: ‘UFC’ clarity vs ‘Bellator’ name recognition
- 1:24:57 – 1:36:42
Rules and arenas: cage vs open space, plus bizarre combat-sport experiments
They brainstorm how fighting would change without a cage—more ‘pure’ takedowns, harder wall-walk escapes, and different strategy. The conversation veers into wild alternative formats like X-Arm and the evolving ‘Karate Combat’ style events.
- •How the cage alters takedowns, escapes, and positional control
- •Idea: large open arena with boundary rules like wrestling
- •Cage drawbacks: visibility, posts, cuts from metal fencing
- •X-Arm as an example of dangerously ‘creative’ formats
- •Karate Combat rules (limited ground strikes) and viability challenges
- 1:36:42 – 1:49:59
Leg locks, Danis trash talk, social media noise, and training reality
Rogan and Chandler discuss the modern leg-lock game entering MMA and why it’s difficult to train safely. They also cover Chandler’s public jabs at Dillon Danis, how fighters use narratives for attention, and the toxicity of online commentary after fights.
- •Leg locks’ rise (Danaher influence) and MMA adaptation
- •Why heel hooks/toe holds are hard to practice without injuries
- •Chandler’s own close calls and quick tapping in training scenarios
- •Calling out Dillon Danis: hype, mimicry of Conor, and promotion
- •Avoiding Twitter mentions and armchair ‘you should’ve finished him’ criticism
- 1:49:59 – 2:02:19
Nutrition, recovery routines, and launching Training Camp Nashville
Chandler details his ‘embrace the monotony’ approach to diet and supplements during camp, then outlines recovery priorities like soft tissue work and mobility tools. He closes with the story and mission behind opening his Nashville gym—built literally by his father—and the full-service vision for training, yoga, and recovery under one roof.
- •Camp diet: portioned meals (chicken/beef + broccoli), delayed gratification
- •Supplements: fish oil, BCAAs, whey isolate, vitamins, turmeric/ginger for inflammation
- •Recovery stack: roller/lacrosse ball, massage/ART, selective use of cryo/ice
- •Training Camp Nashville: concept, classes (fitness/MMA/youth wrestling), recovery services
- •Personal meaning: father built the gym; goal is community impact and development
