The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #33 with Brendan Schaub
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:51
World Cup banter and Boulder’s “soccer guy” culture shock
Joe opens by roasting the room for watching soccer, and Brendan reveals his partial English roots and genuine World Cup enthusiasm. The conversation pivots into Joe’s experience in Boulder, where the local vibe and intense soccer fandom felt performative and off-putting to him.
- 0:51 – 2:22
Colorado sports recruiting, outdoor lifestyles, and why Boulder feels different
They continue the Boulder/Colorado thread, contrasting outdoorsy culture with sports-obsessed schools in the South. Brendan argues Boulder’s culture makes it harder to recruit certain athletes, while Joe counters with the appeal of nature and friendly people.
- 2:22 – 3:48
Bears in hot tubs: Colorado wildlife returns and suburban animal encounters
Joe shifts into wildlife news: wolves and grizzlies potentially returning to Colorado, plus black bears wandering into LA neighborhoods. From there, they spiral into why bears end up in hot tubs and what that implies about human behavior.
- 3:48 – 7:54
Bear and mountain lion attack talk: what to do (and why advice is messy)
They watch a viral bear encounter clip and discuss the worst possible human reactions, like running. The conversation expands to mountain lion attacks, tiger incidents, and how inconsistent animal behavior makes simple “rules” unreliable.
- 7:54 – 11:00
Training theory: water workouts, explosiveness, and the end of ‘bro science’
The topic pivots to athletic training—pool workouts (GSP-style), joint-friendly conditioning, and tradeoffs in explosiveness. They reflect on how modern strength & conditioning has become more evidence-driven and less dominated by old-school gym myths.
- 11:00 – 14:04
Firas Zahabi’s ‘never be sore’ philosophy and fight-camp workload management
Joe recounts Firas Zahabi’s idea that training shouldn’t leave you sore and should be distributed across the day. Brendan pushes back slightly, arguing MMA requires careful juggling of multiple high-intensity disciplines without overtraining.
- 14:04 – 18:42
Gymnastics, body types, and the ‘stunts your growth’ myth
They riff on gymnastics physiques and whether the sport affects height, pulling up stats and discussing early specialization. The conversation blends joking social commentary with a real point: athletes self-select into sports that fit their bodies.
- 18:42 – 21:47
Chuck vs Tito and the ‘older legends’ fight economy
Talk turns to Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz and whether these fights should happen at all. Brendan frames it as a money and legacy problem—legends shouldn’t need to fight late for financial reasons—while Joe explores autonomy and motivation.
- 21:47 – 29:24
Steroids, TRT Vitor, Jon Jones testing, and micro-dosing realities
They dive deep into PEDs: why certain athletes respond dramatically (Vitor on TRT), what “legal” use means, and how testing windows can be gamed. Joe breaks down the Jon Jones test timeline and they discuss micro-dosing and sports hypocrisy.
- 29:24 – 33:56
USADA controversies: Barnett, Tim Means, JDS, and the problem of public vindication
The conversation shifts from PED theory to process: how USADA investigations and reversals can derail careers. They argue that when fighters are cleared, promotion and regulators should publicize vindication as loudly as the initial ‘flagged’ news.
- 33:56 – 39:20
MMA judging: 10-8 rounds, draws, and why the 10-point must system feels broken
They analyze scoring through the lens of Whittaker vs Romero and broader judging inconsistencies. Joe argues for more draws and clearer distinctions between dominant rounds, while Brendan critiques how judges undervalue complex ground threats.
- 39:20 – 1:02:14
Fight breakdowns and matchmaking excitement: Holloway–Ortega, DC–Stipe, Lewis–Ngannou
They preview major fights with a focus on style matchups and storylines: Ortega’s elite jiu-jitsu threats vs Holloway’s distance and volume, plus the heavyweight clashes on the card. Brendan makes specific predictions (including Lewis using takedowns) and Joe argues DC is being underrated.
- 1:02:14 – 1:17:28
Vegas, Disney acrobat robots, CGI stunts, and superhero movie rabbit holes
A comedy-club/Vegas crowds discussion morphs into tech paranoia and movie production talk. They react to Disney’s flipping robots, how CGI replaces stunt work, and then bounce through Wolverine/Marvel logic, reboots, and actor body transformations.
- 1:17:28 – 2:53:56
Cars, trust funds, and raising kids with hardship: sports vs martial arts and elite coaching
They pivot into car-nerd talk (BMW M3s, Porsches, power-to-weight) before landing on wealth as a developmental handicap. From there, they debate how to raise resilient kids—arguing for sports and especially martial arts—then highlight Rener Gracie’s coaching, business savvy, and Ortega’s origin story.
