The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #38 with Gaston Bolanos & Kirian Fitzgibbons
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:41
Bolanos’ three-sport juggling act (MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing)
Joe opens by highlighting how rare it is for Gaston Bolanos to compete at a high level across MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing simultaneously. They immediately get into the mental challenge of switching rule-sets and avoiding habits that are legal in one sport but illegal in another.
- 0:41 – 2:00
Spinning strikes, broken arms, and the fine print of kickboxing rules
The conversation turns technical: why spinning back fists can break arms when they collide with foreheads, and how glove size changes risk. Kirian explains what parts of the glove/hand are legal in different kickboxing organizations and why hammer-fist-like contact can be a foul.
- 2:00 – 3:00
Schilling vs Sato controversy and how emotion derails fighters
They revisit the Joe Schilling knockout controversy (legal vs illegal strike interpretation) and use it to segue into how emotion and recklessness amplify danger. Joe and Kirian connect it to other emotionally charged rivalries where fighters abandon discipline.
- 3:00 – 6:30
Cody Garbrandt vs TJ Dillashaw: game plan vs ‘seeing red’
Joe, Gaston, and Kirian break down Cody vs TJ with a focus on how Cody’s anger altered his mechanics and timing. They discuss the intended strategy (kicks, composure, wrestling) versus what happened under pressure in the rematch setting.
- 6:30 – 8:16
Lion Fight feud: parents, trash talk, illegal elbow drama, and ‘bad blood’
Kirian and Gaston recount the Lion Fight tensions with an opposing camp and how outside pressure (including parents) escalated hostility. The story expands into how an illegal elbow DQ involving Gaston’s teammate fueled resentment and made Gaston fight emotionally.
- 8:16 – 16:11
From hating Eddie Abasolo to calling him the team’s ‘glue’
They describe how Gaston initially hated Eddie due to past team conflicts, then gradually came to respect him as a humble training partner. Kirian tells the turning point story: Eddie’s injury, abandonment by his old team, and his unexpected ‘ice cream peace offering’ at CSA.
- 16:11 – 23:18
Kirian becomes Gaston’s guardian: the Korea Worlds debut vs a returning champion
Kirian and Gaston explain how their relationship formed through international competition, including an extreme amateur debut scenario at the IFMA Worlds. Gaston fights a highly experienced returning champion, surprises everyone, and gains Kirian’s trust and long-term mentorship.
- 23:18 – 30:05
Why Muay Thai struggles in US media (and what promotions got right/wrong)
Joe presses why Muay Thai never broke through in mainstream American viewership despite being highly dynamic. Kirian lays out structural problems: money, inconsistent promotion, TV distribution issues, and how MMA found its perfect storm while Muay Thai hasn’t—yet.
- 30:05 – 38:24
Training with Team Alpha Male: sparring looks, stance switching, and TJ-style movement
Joe asks what Gaston saw while helping Cody at Alpha Male and how coaches structured sparring. Gaston explains he was brought in to provide specific looks—switches, movement, head kicks—and they discuss stance-switching as a modern elite skillset.
- 38:24 – 54:49
Mindset and recovery after a tough Bellator loss: grounding visualization and staying ‘assassin-calm’
Gaston explains how personal turmoil (divorce) affected him in a prior MMA loss and how he rebuilt his mental game. He describes a pre-fight grounding visualization (tree roots through hands/feet) and using visualization to ‘pre-live’ knockouts and key moments.
- 54:49 – 1:04:23
Weight cutting, hydration testing, and safer rehydration protocols
They dig into the dangers of extreme weight cuts and compare policy ideas like ONE’s hydration tests and California’s limits. Kirian and Gaston discuss practical rehydration methods (salt, honey, chia, timing) and how poor cutting once contributed to Gaston being KO’d.
- 1:04:23 – 1:22:10
Regenerative medicine and rehab extremes: exosomes, ACLs, and Gaston’s ‘missing MCL’ story
Joe shares dramatic results from exosome injections for a meniscus tear and expands into the future of tissue repair. Gaston then describes a severe MCL injury—torn completely off the bone—yet returning quickly through aggressive PT and recovery work, shocking even sports doctors.
- 1:22:10 – 1:35:54
CSA’s gym model and Kirian’s coaching philosophy: hustle, community, and not charging pro fighters
Kirian explains how CSA scaled from a tiny facility to a massive multi-program gym by mixing fighters with everyday members and building a stable business model. He details his unusual ethics—never taking money from pro fighters—and how his past in dignitary protection shaped his desire to help people.
- 1:35:54 – 2:29:07
Shin conditioning, calf kicks, and why striking styles don’t always translate to MMA
The discussion closes on practical striking: why fighters abandon effective leg kicks, how shin conditioning should be progressive, and why calf kicks are fight-changing but culturally ‘dirty’ in traditional Muay Thai. They also touch on why elite Muay Thai/kickboxing success doesn’t automatically carry over to MMA due to pace, gloves, and takedown threats.
