The Joe Rogan Experience

JRE MMA Show #49 with Miriam Nakamoto

Joe is joined by World Champion Muay Thai and MMA fighter Miriam Nakamoto.

Joe RoganhostMiriam NakamotoguestGuest (unidentified third person)guest

Nov 28, 20182h 13mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

World Champion Miriam Nakamoto On Pain, Comebacks, And Fighting Truths

Miriam Nakamoto, a multiple-time Muay Thai world champion, joins Joe Rogan to discuss the physical and psychological costs of high-level fighting, including four knee surgeries, concussions, and life after injury.
They break down striking and grappling mechanics, stylistic differences between Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, and MMA, and how elite fighters like Petrosyan, Cyborg, Valentina, and Demetrious Johnson think and move.
Nakamoto opens up about weight gain, depression, losing her athletic identity, and how teaching Rock Steady Boxing to people with Parkinson’s helped repair her sense of self and purpose.
The conversation also tackles judging failures, rule changes (eye pokes, gloves), mental toughness, and Nakamoto’s desire to return to competition now from a more mature, balanced, and self-aware place.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Grappling often destroys joints more than striking does.

Nakamoto’s four knee surgeries came not from years of Muay Thai but from MMA grappling motions (guard work, swiveling, wrestling entries), illustrating how jiu-jitsu and wrestling can be far harsher on knees than kicking.

Ibuprofen and quick fixes can create hidden long-term problems.

They discuss heavy ibuprofen use causing gut disruption and systemic inflammation, where the drug both masks and perpetuates pain, underscoring the need for cautious, sparing use of anti-inflammatories.

Glove and rules design strongly shape fighter behavior and safety.

Rogan argues that open, flat MMA gloves plus lenient penalties encourage eye pokes and groin shots; curved gloves (like old Pride) and automatic point deductions would likely reduce fouls and eye damage.

Elite striking comes from systems and drilling, not just creativity.

Fighters like Rob Kaman and Giorgio Petrosyan succeed because they use structured systems—programmed counters, layered reactions, and endless drilling—rather than relying only on athleticism or “just being tough.”

Mental toughness is trainable and often forged through pain.

Nakamoto rejects the idea that you either have grit or you don’t, arguing that mental strength was built through injuries, losses, and hard choices—and that people can consciously cultivate it after failing under pressure.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Muay Thai has never loved me back.

— Miriam Nakamoto

I don’t fight for participation awards. ‘I’m a UFC fighter’ is like a participation medal.

— Miriam Nakamoto

Fighting was my therapy. Training was my steps.

— Miriam Nakamoto

There’s a right way to fight and a wrong way to fight. Don’t fight the way that pleases the crowd—fight the way your skills demand.

— Joe Rogan

Most fighters don’t look at what they do with the gravity it deserves. You could kill somebody.

— Miriam Nakamoto

Chronic injuries, surgeries, and the physical toll of fighting (knees, ribs, elbows, neck)Technical analysis of striking styles in Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, and MMAJudging, rules, and equipment issues in combat sports (eye pokes, nut shots, gloves)Psychology of fighters: identity, motivation, trauma, and the need to prove oneselfNakamoto’s career arc: world titles, failed UFC run, injuries, and attempted comebackRole of coaching, training methods, and cross-training in jiu-jitsu and wrestlingRedemption, healing, and purpose through teaching (Rock Steady Boxing, Parkinson’s patients)

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