CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 4:37
Wallet phone cases, man purses, and the courage to wear a fanny pack
Joe and Rashad kick off with playful roasting about Rashad’s thick wallet-phone case and the evolution from man purse to fanny pack talk. They riff on masculinity, bag “status,” and how different carry styles get judged socially.
- •Rashad’s overstuffed wallet phone case vs Joe’s minimalist Ridge wallet approach
- •The social stigma around men carrying one-strap bags vs backpacks
- •Fanny packs as a statement of confidence and practicality
- •Humor about fashion “cowardice” and wearing the pack the “right” way
- 4:37 – 6:21
Spirulina, going fully vegan, and how diet shifts mood and mindset
Rashad introduces his green spirulina drink and explains his move to a strict vegan diet. Joe contrasts it with his carnivore/meat-heavy eating and they discuss how diet can change aggression, energy, and mental state.
- •Rashad’s daily spirulina/greens routine and why he relies on it
- •Rashad’s timeline: nearly two years fully vegan (no fish, no animal products)
- •Joe’s claim that heavy meat consumption increases aggression
- •The idea that diet affects mental/spiritual state as much as physical health
- 6:21 – 14:49
Mushroom ceremonies, ego death, and losing the taste for meat
Rashad describes a deep mushroom ceremony and an “ego death” experience that reframed how he thought about eating animals. A sudden realization—tied to smell and the idea of ‘dead flesh’—led to an immediate aversion to meat.
- •Rashad’s ‘knowingness’ moment during a long mushroom ceremony
- •The message: “If you want life, eat life” and its impact on food choices
- •How one intense trip can permanently shift preferences and habits
- •Joe and Rashad compare perspectives on meaning-making from psychedelic experiences
- 14:49 – 23:57
ACL surgeries, losing explosiveness, and the mental cost of injuries
The conversation pivots to Rashad’s late-career physical decline—especially knee damage—and how it affected his confidence. They break down ACL surgeries, graft types, rehab realities, and the psychological spiral of not feeling elite anymore.
- •Two ACL surgeries, meniscus damage, and loss of leg ‘bounce’/explosion
- •Patellar tendon graft vs cadaver graft; cadaver failure after ~1 year
- •Training injury risk culture at top gyms and the cost of ‘regular classes’
- •Identity shock: transitioning from being ‘that guy’ to feeling less elite
- 23:57 – 28:58
From personal transformation to psychedelic research: Unlimited Sciences & Johns Hopkins
Rashad explains how he connected with Denver organizers and joined Unlimited Sciences to support real-world psilocybin data collection. They discuss Denver’s decriminalization push, privacy protections, and how large-scale surveys can guide clinical research.
- •Del Jolly’s role in Denver decriminalization and Rashad’s involvement
- •Unlimited Sciences partnering with Johns Hopkins for real-world data
- •HIPAA-protected questionnaires and why anonymity matters
- •Using observational data to steer future clinical trials and applications
- 28:58 – 40:16
Terence McKenna, the Stoned Ape Theory, and mushrooms in ancient culture
Joe outlines Terence McKenna’s controversial ‘Stoned Ape’ theory and connects it to cattle worship, early civilization myths, and psychedelic sacraments. Rashad adds why mushroom experiences can feel ‘ancient’ and ineffable.
- •Stoned Ape Theory: psilocybin as a catalyst for brain expansion and evolution
- •Connections to climate change, grasslands, cattle following, and dung mushrooms
- •Soma and possible psychedelic roots of ancient religious practices
- •Why transformative trips are hard to describe but feel profound and primordial
- 40:16 – 44:53
Ego, consciousness, and fighting after inner peace: does calm kill the killer instinct?
They explore how psychedelics change ego attachment and how that affects competitive drive. Rashad describes training with less emotional ‘hangover,’ while Joe questions whether elite performance requires obsessive intensity and pain from mistakes.
- •Rashad’s post-psychedelic shift: less ego attachment, faster emotional recovery
- •Joe’s analogy: comedians and fighters stewing over errors for days
- •‘Blissful ignorance’ vs experience-driven hesitation in high-level fighting
- •Jon Jones early-career fearlessness as an example of creative freedom
- 44:53 – 56:57
Jon Jones vs Dominick Reyes: scoring controversy, judging standards, and what “winning” means
Joe and Rashad dissect the Reyes vs Jones title fight, focusing on round-by-round scoring, judging inconsistencies, and why championship rounds feel decisive. They broaden into systemic judging problems and the difference between point-fighting and ‘to the death’ logic.
- •Debate over rounds 1–3 (especially round 3) and a judge’s 4–1 card
- •Examples of other controversial decisions and how judges misread grappling control
- •Argument that late rounds and momentum should matter more
- •Jones’ durability, pressure, and championship mindset as the differentiator
- 56:57 – 1:07:48
Coaching innovation and fighter cultures: Mark Henry’s “code” system and Dagestani work ethic
Rashad details Mark Henry’s unique coaching method—personalized codes for combinations—and how it can ‘remote control’ fighters in sparring. They also discuss the intensity and creativity of Dagestani training culture and standout talents like Zabit and Kattar.
- •Mark Henry’s personalized code-language for strikes, combos, and movement
- •The tradeoff: powerful guidance vs over-dependence on the coach’s calls
- •Living/training with Dagestani fighters: discipline, prayer, and nonstop work
- •Breakdowns of Zabit’s creativity and Kattar’s pressure/conditioning edge
- 1:07:48 – 1:15:56
Modernizing MMA training gear: Onyx, Trevor Wittman’s glove designs, and reducing gym injuries
Rashad explains the mission behind Onyx and why MMA gear shouldn’t be borrowed from boxing/kickboxing templates. They examine Wittman’s design process, glove curvature, hand safety, and why improving training equipment could reduce injury rates.
- •The ‘equipment gap’ in MMA and lack of integrity in glove weights/safety
- •Wittman learning to sew and prototyping in his basement
- •Curved glove design to prevent forced hand-opening and reduce hand injuries
- •Goal: reduce the high percentage of injuries happening in training (not fights)
- 1:15:56 – 1:26:16
Blackzilians vs ATT, super-camp economics, and the chaos of early MMA training
They revisit the Blackzilians experiment—building a full-service camp—and why it was difficult to sustain financially and culturally. The discussion expands to gym rivalries, coach egos, and the brutal conditioning mentality of earlier eras.
- •Blackzilians’ ‘everything under one roof’ vision and why it’s expensive to maintain
- •Financial strain and expectations placed on backers and leadership
- •ATT and Dan Lambert as the blueprint for modern super-camps
- •Old-school conditioning extremes and the injury risk of “grit-first” training
- 1:26:16 – 1:32:24
Early striking roots, iconic knockouts, and Rashad’s mom as a corner critic
Rashad talks about his early boxing and Tang Soo Do background and how it shaped his kicking ability. He relives the Sean Salmon head-kick and the Chuck Liddell knockout, including the media disrespect he felt and his mom’s blunt reactions to follow-up shots.
- •Rashad’s early striking: boxing + Tang Soo Do (ages ~13–16)
- •Sean Salmon head-kick and why he didn’t kick even more often
- •Chuck Liddell KO: prediction from Wink and the fight’s career implications
- •Humor: Rashad’s mom quoting Rogan and calling ground-and-pound ‘dirty’
- 1:32:24 – 1:44:34
From TUF heavyweight to a leaner body: vegan performance, fasting, and whole-food fueling
They discuss Rashad winning The Ultimate Fighter at heavyweight and how different his body is now. Rashad outlines intermittent fasting, fruit/veg-heavy meals, functional mushroom tinctures, and how endurance and recovery improved—plus why many ‘vegan’ diets fail in practice.
- •Rashad’s current weight and how physique standards have shifted in MMA
- •Intermittent fasting (16-hour window) and a typical day of meals
- •Functional mushrooms (cordyceps/lion’s mane), spirulina, greens, and beets
- •Old diet: heavy red meat, sugar, alcohol; new diet reduces mass and boosts recovery
- 1:44:34 – 1:53:39
Awareness vs performative ‘woke’: yoga, mental balance, and guru pitfalls
Joe and Rashad parse what it means to be truly ‘aware’ without turning it into a coercive identity. Joe explains why hot yoga works for him as a mental reset, and they discuss Kundalini claims, the dangers of guru worship, and the value of consistent practice.
- •Distinguishing personal awareness from performative, controlling ‘wokeness’
- •Joe’s case for hot yoga as meditation under pressure and mental cleansing
- •Kundalini yoga’s reputation for inducing psychedelic-like states
- •Guru power dynamics (Bikram controversy) vs separating practice from personality
- 1:53:39 – 2:24:58
DMT visions, mentoring fighters, visualization training, and life after championship identity
They swap experiences about N,N-DMT vs 5-MeO-DMT, including Rashad’s snake-being visions and Joe’s ‘jesters’ message about ego. The talk closes with Rashad’s approach to helping younger fighters, his visualization methods, current analyst work, and his desire to focus on service and healing.
- •Differences between 5-MeO (ego dissolution) and N,N-DMT (visions)
- •Rashad’s visions and Joe’s ‘jesters’ lesson about taking life less seriously
- •Rashad mentoring fighters: mindset, work ethic, and avoiding delusion
- •Visualization routines, pre-fight nerves, and the ‘nipple twist’ ritual
- •Current work: analysis, Onyx, Unlimited Sciences; choosing purpose after fighting
