The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #88 with Frankie Edgar
CHAPTERS
- 0:01 – 0:40
Frankie joins the show, plugs his podcast, and sets up the next career move
Joe welcomes Frankie Edgar and they quickly jump into what Frankie’s been up to, including launching his own podcast. The conversation pivots to Frankie’s immediate fighting future after the Korean Zombie bout.
- 0:40 – 1:22
Dropping to bantamweight: walk-around weight, weight cuts, and Marlon Moraes’ size
Frankie explains his plan to go down to 135 and discusses how manageable his recent cut felt at featherweight. Joe compares his frame to larger 135ers like Marlon Moraes and breaks down how some fighters carry muscle.
- 1:22 – 5:22
Referees, stoppages, and the hidden reality of memory loss in wars
They revisit Frankie’s legendary durability—especially the Gray Maynard fights—and how officiating standards have changed. Frankie describes fights he barely remembers, the mental fog of heavy damage, and how stoppages can be both necessary and frustrating.
- 5:22 – 8:19
Champ at 155 without cutting: career hindsight and the BJ Penn rivalry
Joe and Frankie reflect on how unusual it was for Frankie to win the lightweight belt without cutting weight. They revisit the BJ Penn fights and what it meant to prove completeness—especially surviving BJ’s world-class grappling threats.
- 8:19 – 10:14
Street fights, BJ’s Hawaii brawl, and why real-life violence is unpredictable
A clip of BJ Penn’s street altercation leads into a broader talk about how even elite fighters can get caught off guard outside sport rules. Joe and Frankie discuss how a single fall or weapon escalation can turn a fight into tragedy and prison time.
- 10:14 – 14:37
Heavyweight “freaks”: Brock, Ngannou, and the rise of elite big-athlete skill
They shift into awe-filled analysis of heavyweight outliers—Brock Lesnar’s genetic absurdity and Francis Ngannou’s raw power. The discussion expands into modern athlete development, where even huge fighters move with speed and polish.
- 14:37 – 17:04
Today’s fighters are more complete: retirement criteria and adjusting training with age
Joe asks what’s different about the next generation, and Frankie points to early polish and all-around skill. Frankie shares his personal rules for when to retire and explains how he’s reduced sparring volume to preserve longevity.
- 17:04 – 22:26
Building a Jersey powerhouse: Mark Henry’s camp, Dagestan visitors, and why teams travel
They dig into why Frankie’s New Jersey base became a destination camp for international talent like Zabit. The conversation covers Dagestan’s wrestling dominance, training culture, and how “camp isolation” and coaching perspectives draw fighters abroad.
- 22:26 – 24:10
Contracts, finishing in the UFC, and the business pull of ONE/other promotions
Frankie discusses being late-career with only one fight left on his contract, and Joe notes examples like Mighty Mouse moving to ONE. Frankie admits money matters, but emphasizes wanting to end his career in the UFC if the terms make sense.
- 24:10 – 28:07
Aldo, leg kicks, and how styles (and bodies) change over time
A discussion of Aldo’s dominance turns into a technical mystery: why Aldo largely stopped throwing the brutal leg kicks that once defined him. They speculate about injuries, aging hips, and the tradeoffs fighters make as careers progress.
- 28:07 – 37:54
Regenerative medicine, stem cells, neck stenosis, and why insurance resists innovation
They go deep on joint wear, neck stenosis symptoms, and regenerative options like stem cells and Regenokine. Joe argues the future is promising but expensive, and both criticize the healthcare/insurance incentives that favor surgery over prevention.
- 37:54 – 48:13
Yoga, MMA scheduling, and why no-gi matters for fighters
Training talk turns practical: hot yoga as both conditioning and meditation, and the constant tradeoff of time across striking, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu. Frankie explains his weekly structure, long commutes in New Jersey, and why Ricardo Almeida pushed him away from gi training during MMA focus.
- 48:13 – 1:01:54
Early MMA days: tiny gyms, learning to strike, and New Jersey fight culture
Frankie recounts starting MMA around the first Ultimate Fighter era, when facilities were small and systems were less developed. He explains transitioning from pure wrestling to integrated striking and reminisces about early opponents—including Jim Miller—plus Jersey’s rough-and-ready fighting reputation.
- 1:01:54 – 1:12:50
Lyme disease at home: his wife’s long battle, misdiagnosis, and bioweapon conspiracies
A personal turn: Frankie shares that his wife has struggled with Lyme disease for years and details intensive treatment approaches. Joe expands into broader concerns—misdiagnosis, neurological symptoms, Morgellons links, and even congressional interest in historical tick-based bioweapon research.
- 1:12:50 – 1:21:13
Fight takes and media outrage: Conor vs Cowboy, “quitting” accusations, and technique evolution
They react to public commentary claiming Cowboy ‘quit’ against McGregor, pushing back with technical explanations—shoulder strikes, broken nose, head kick, and follow-up shots. The broader theme becomes how new techniques spread once someone proves them effective (front kicks, calf kicks, clinch strikes).
- 1:21:13 – 1:32:18
Walkout music, hip-hop legends, and the weird future of holograms and “new” dead artists
A lighter segment: they bond over Frankie’s Biggie walkout and debate rap’s all-time greats. The talk expands into Tupac/Biggie tragedy, hologram performances, and how technology is enabling posthumous releases and reconstructed voices.
- 1:32:18 – 1:42:09
Tony vs Khabib hype, fighter “characters,” and the business incentives behind matchups
They bounce through modern MMA promotion: forced personas, what works (Conor, Colby), and what feels fake. Joe highlights how the UFC’s money fights can overshadow the most compelling sporting matchups—especially his obsession with Khabib vs Tony.
- 1:42:09 – 2:11:07
Injuries and tough careers: blown ACL stories, stem-cell timelines, and Frankie’s brutal sports-hernia surgery
They close on the cost of fighting—ACL-less careers, knee replacements, and the slow payoff of stem cells. Frankie tells a vivid story about a core muscle injury (often called a sports hernia), the intense surgery and recovery, and the surprising speed of returning to training.
