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.
- •England advances on penalty kicks; Brendan explains why he cares
- •Brendan claims he’s a “blue belt” in soccer (World Cup-only fan)
- •Joe describes Boulder’s hyper-liberal culture and “unnaturally happy” sports fans
- •Comedy riffing on stereotypes and why certain scenes can make sports annoying
- 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.
- •Boulder’s identity vs. traditional sports-centric college towns
- •Recruiting challenges and how culture affects athlete interest
- •Southern schools treating athletes like celebrities (exaggerated comedic examples)
- •Debate: does a low-sports-pressure environment help or hurt athletes?
- 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.
- •Reintroduction and sightings of wolves/grizzlies in Colorado; credibility and video evidence
- •Black bears showing up in suburban areas (Pasadena) and weird news footage
- •Hot tubs as “water sources” to bears (and why chlorine is bad)
- •Comedic detour into how common hot-tub sex is
- 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.
- •Reaction critique: running triggers chase instincts; get loud vs. play dead
- •Seattle mountain lion attack story and the limits of “use your bike as a shield” advice
- •Why animal encounters depend on context (cubs, territory, temperament)
- •Mocking simplistic self-defense tips like “punch it in the nose”
- 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.
- •GSP’s long pool sessions and why fighters try water-based conditioning
- •Coach perspective: too much sand/water work may reduce explosiveness
- •Shift from bro science (egg whites, miracle supplements) to informed coaching
- •Consensus principles: plyometrics, smart volume, balancing MMA disciplines
- 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.
- •Firas’ concept: avoid pushing past limits; spread volume (e.g., chin-ups) across the day
- •Recovery vs. intensity debate—especially for MMA fighters
- •Examples from Bisping and GSP using sport-specific pace as conditioning
- •How strength work, sparring, and wrestling must be coordinated in camp
- 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.
- •Typical gymnast height ranges and why elite performers skew shorter/stockier
- •Debunking “gymnastics/lifting stunts growth” as mostly myth/uncertain science
- •Pressure of precision sports: one routine, one moment, no margin for error
- •Joe’s take on why he teases whatever someone likes (friendly roasting)
- 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.
- •Schaub: sadness that pioneers may fight for money; better lifetime compensation
- •Rogan: if they truly want to compete, where’s the line in stopping them?
- •Age and health risks, especially repeated head trauma
- •Speculation on motivation differences: Tito’s business success vs Chuck’s situation
- 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.
- •Vitor’s dramatic TRT-era physique changes and why some bodies ‘love’ it
- •Jon Jones test details: negative → minuscule positive → negative again
- •Micro-dosing examples (testosterone gummies in baseball) and short detection windows
- •Debate: if everyone used the same drugs, would rankings change?
- 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.
- •Josh Barnett’s case: long delay, lost career time, and lack of compensation
- •“Flagged” vs “guilty” optics and how reputations get permanently damaged
- •Junior dos Santos diuretic flag and why the clearance message doesn’t travel as far
- •Rogan’s call for stronger public announcements when fighters are exonerated
- 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.
- •Whittaker–Romero scoring dispute; argument for 10-8s and draws
- •Street-fight intuition vs round-based sport scoring logic
- •Judges missing the danger of elite guard work (Ortega/ground threats example)
- •Proposal: make the scoring scale reflect reality (10-7/clearer criteria)
- 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.
- •Why Ortega’s submissions and finishing ability create constant danger
- •Max’s distance control and pace as the key strategic obstacle for Ortega
- •Lewis–Ngannou: expectation subversion (possible wrestling/ground-and-pound)
- •DC–Stipe: wrestling/boxing dynamics, DC’s IQ, and the underdog narrative
- 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.
- •Why Vegas audiences feel ‘distracted’ (too many competing attractions)
- •Disney’s acrobatic robots and the slippery slope to military applications
- •How CGI face-mapping changes stunt performance and actor presence
- •Superhero franchise churn: Spider-Man reboots, Hulk casting, and “movie logic” debates
- 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.
- •Performance car obsession: lightweight handling, Porsche 911 design continuity
- •Trust funds as a ‘life handicap’ and the psychological cost of unearned security
- •Parenting for resilience: pressure, public failure, teamwork, and martial arts humility
- •Rener Gracie’s instruction style, Gracie University, and Ortega’s rise under mentorship
