Khabib on Lex Fridman: Why Grappling Is Mental Destruction

1. 0:00 – 1:18

   Training with Khabib Nurmagomedov

   1. SPSpeaker0:00

      All right, we're training with Khabib today, one of the greatest fighters of all time, a great human being. It's honestly unbelievable that I have the honor to be able to train with these guys today. I trained with the team yesterday as well. Feel a bit beat up. I, uh, actually, before this, texted George, GSP, asking if he has any advice. I told him I'm training with Khabib. He said, uh, "If you die, you die." Uh, thank you very much for that advice, George. I love you, brother. You can tell on these mats, it has been champion, after champion, after champion. You can feel the history. I'm gonna do a podcast with Khabib tomorrow, so this is epic. I'm, uh, I'm the luckiest kid in the world, so... All right, now we're gonna get back to training. Let's go.

   2. SPSpeaker0:45

      Yes, yes. How are you, my friend?

   3. SPSpeaker0:47

      Hey.

   4. SPSpeaker0:48

      How you doing? [laughing] This is my brother, Khabib. He is my friend.

   5. SPSpeaker0:54

      Hey there, brother. I was like, "Is that Lex Fridman?" Nice to meet you.

   6. SPSpeaker0:58

      Wait?

   7. SPSpeaker0:58

      Yes.

   8. SPSpeaker0:59

      Uh-

   9. SPSpeaker1:00

      Brother, tomorrow, training with him.

   10. SPSpeaker1:03

       Got it.

   11. SPSpeaker1:03

       Eight morning. Hey, same energy. [laughing]

   12. SPSpeaker1:04

       [laughing] He's always got a smile.

   13. SPSpeaker1:07

       ...

2. 1:18 – 9:11

   Lex training with Khabib - Round 1

   1. SPSpeaker1:18

      You got some of the greatest of all time on the mat right now. You got Alex, Khabib, Amanda.

   2. SPSpeaker1:22

      Talking, he's gonna win. Just be quiet and go to the mats.

   3. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov1:26

      Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk. [feet stomping] Go on the wall. On the wall. Ready? Ready. Go! [feet stomping] Walking. Go, go, go, go, go, go. Don't go, don't go, don't go. [feet stomping] Go, go, go, go. You touch wrong leg.

   4. SPSpeaker2:16

      That?

   5. SPSpeaker2:17

      Which leg do I need to touch? Help me. [laughing]

   6. SPSpeaker2:21

      [laughing]

   7. SPSpeaker2:22

      That's cheating.

   8. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov2:25

      So, so-

   9. SPSpeaker2:26

      He try, [laughing] he tried to run like- He tried to run like nothing. I hold his legs. [laughing]

   10. SPSpeaker2:35

       This is not gonna end well. [feet stomping] This is heavy. Let's call it.

   11. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov2:57

       Don't tell, mate.

   12. SPSpeaker2:58

       [laughing]

   13. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov3:00

       Hold on, man. [feet stomping]

   14. SPSpeaker3:42

       I can't do it either. [feet stomping] This right here, this pressure is fucking insane.

   15. SPSpeaker5:03

       Let me know if you try.

   16. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov5:04

       If you don't give your brother, he gonna go and do the podcast. He say, "You give me submission." [laughing]

   17. SPSpeaker5:15

       [coughing]

   18. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov5:17

       ... [feet stomping]

   19. SPSpeaker5:29

       Huh?

   20. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov5:37

       ...

   21. LFLex Fridman6:06

       ... And you know, what is this? Yes or no? Mmm? I feel like a white belt. [laughing]

   22. LFLex Fridman6:33

       What's your jiu-jitsu? White belt, right?

   23. LFLex Fridman6:35

       Yeah, white belt.

   24. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov6:37

       Jiu-jitsu, sambo.

   25. LFLex Fridman6:39

       Jiu-jitsu. [laughing]

   26. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov6:41

       Good point.

   27. LFLex Fridman6:42

       Good point.

   28. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov6:42

       Sambo, they have belt.

   29. LFLex Fridman6:44

       Yeah, must have a school.

   30. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov6:45

       They have b- no, no belt, no belt.
3. 9:11 – 9:45

   Khabib vs Glover Teixeira

   1. LFLex Fridman9:11

      with Khabib.

   2. SPSpeaker9:12

      Teach me some wrestle.

   3. LFLex Fridman9:14

      Anything.

   4. SPSpeaker9:15

      Huh?

   5. LFLex Fridman9:15

      I'm here.

   6. SPSpeaker9:16

      All right. Oh, take a photo! [laughing]

   7. LFLex Fridman9:20

      Legend.

   8. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov9:21

      Try.

   9. LFLex Fridman9:22

      Oh.

   10. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov9:23

       Try.

   11. LFLex Fridman9:23

       I try. [laughing]

   12. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov9:25

       It's okay, go.

   13. LFLex Fridman9:35

       Okay, guys, finish, finish. [laughing] No, no, finish. Keep going, keep going.

   14. SPSpeaker9:43

       [laughing] It's very good

4. 9:45 – 18:09

   Lex training with Khabib - Round 2

   1. SPSpeaker9:46

      to see you. [clapping]

   2. LFLex Fridman9:52

      Thank you.

   3. SPSpeaker9:53

      Thank you. Thanks for go again.

   4. LFLex Fridman10:03

      That's got to. [laughing] That's for a champ. [whistle blowing] Wrong leg. You did the wrong leg.

   5. LFLex Fridman10:11

      Now we're beginning. Hey, this go up, okay?

   6. SPSpeaker10:18

      Try, try. Nice. Be careful.

   7. LFLex Fridman11:16

      Let's go. [panting] Let's go, Mitch. Let's go, Mitch.

   8. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:04

      Alex, you're fucking standing wrong. You're looking me.

   9. LFLex Fridman12:07

      Go on.

   10. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:08

       It's not a-

   11. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:15

       ... You understand?

   12. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:16

       Yeah.

   13. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:17

       Squeeze with legs. Now, for example, you move, move. Don't go down.

   14. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:27

       It's all this.

   15. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:28

       Yeah.

   16. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:28

       Yeah. Nothing here.

   17. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov12:36

       That's it. Let's go. Let's go, bro. Push up. You sure? Push up, push up. No, don't pull. Here, escape a leg. You understand? Understand. And I pull. Boom, boom. And you just go there. Or this one, but this one is better. But sometime when I wanna put... Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just stay here. Just stay. Just stay. I don't need to do nothing. You have to, you have to spend your energy to get up. You understand? You have to. Why I have to force? Understand? I make you work. I make you work. [laughing] I give you- Hard work, hard work. You come by me, so stay with grappling. You come somewhere.

   18. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov14:35

       Now I understand why people run. Hey, guys, let's go. Oh, there he is again! Get your right arm over around his waist. Get your right arm-

   19. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov15:11

       Oh.

   20. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov15:14

       Hey, I need this done. I need you to understand-

   21. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov16:09

       ... Move, move, move, move. Marty, move. Move, move, move, move, move, Marty, move. Move. Because he gonna run, and he gonna hit. You grapple like wrestling match. This is not grappling. Look this, look this. Oh, oh, no! Look, look, look. Be careful, be careful there. Make video. Be careful, son. Yeah. Hey, be careful. Okay, stop. You grapple like wrestling. It's not wrestling. You're not giving your back all the time. You agree? You're not grappling. Ask how much- It does not matter. No, it doesn't matter. You give your back, you give your back-

   22. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov17:10

       So much pressure. [laughing]

   23. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov17:12

       I never given my back. I never given my back. You agree or no, understand? Agree or no? You cannot do this. I didn't give him my back. You gave him his back.

   24. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov17:22

       In my eyes, I go crying.

   25. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov17:29

       You cannot-

   26. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov17:29

       You can't tell, but the pressure in the hips is insane.

   27. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov17:31

       You're killing this here. I've been-

   28. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov17:34

       He's singing, too.

   29. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov17:39

       Hip, hip, hip. You understand? Hip, hip. Watch it, watch it, watch it. Watch it. Hey, Marty, move! Move, move, move. Hey, move.

   30. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov18:03

       He works for yours.
5. 18:09 – 22:07

   Khabib training philosophy

   1. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov18:09

      He gonna give you same position. You know, I want him feel pressure, because I play, he play. Yeah, yeah. He can play with anybody, anytime. But I go-

   2. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov18:20

      ... I want show him little bit, uh, like pressure, you understand? Pressure. Uh, scramble after scramble, scramble after scramble, and I put him in my position there.

   3. LFLex Fridman18:30

      But you know what interesting? Many guys stop. You do never stop. You keep going.

   4. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov18:34

      [laughing]

   5. LFLex Fridman18:34

      You're not brother, you, you're real one.

   6. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov18:37

      But, but, but he feel, he feel, he feels-

   7. LFLex Fridman18:39

      I feel, uh, psychologically chewed up right now. [laughing]

   8. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov18:42

      Yeah.

   9. LFLex Fridman18:44

      [laughing] All my life with you, all my life I feel psychologically, I can't want to give up. [laughing] He don't give you a tap. He don't tap you. He keep going. Sometime you tap, and he say, "Start."

   10. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov18:56

       Mental smash. Mental smash.

   11. LFLex Fridman18:58

       Has anyone ever done that to you, the last time?

   12. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:01

       Izme no.

   13. LFLex Fridman19:02

       Maybe when you were a kid?

   14. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:05

       [exhaling] You know, since when I was, uh, 18, 19, I was, I wa- I always was against, uh, high-level guys.

   15. LFLex Fridman19:13

       Yeah.

   16. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:14

       Because in my gym, I have, uh, always high-level guys with who I grew up.

   17. LFLex Fridman19:18

       Brother-

   18. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:19

       But the ground game-

   19. LFLex Fridman19:19

       So they're always-

   20. LFLex Fridman19:20

       Brother, I learned 12 years.

   21. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:22

       Ground game.

   22. LFLex Fridman19:22

       This is true. I never see somebody passes guard or tap.

   23. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:26

       Sometimes, sometimes in gym, I just come, change clothes. Sometimes we go one and a half hour non-stop. One twenty, one ten, one hour, one and a half hour, more than one hour, non-stop. Maybe changing four or five opponents. Ten, 15 minute, another guy. Ten, 15 minute, another guy.

   24. LFLex Fridman19:45

       You keep going.

   25. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:45

       I keep going.

   26. LFLex Fridman19:47

       Wow!

   27. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:47

       I, I used to it, like, long time, long time.

   28. LFLex Fridman19:50

       And what happens to you mentally then?

   29. KNKhabib Nurmagomedov19:52

       Mentally, in my mind, I was, like, thinking how, how somebody can make me tired, make me tired?

   30. LFLex Fridman19:58

       Oh, so you wanted to go on-

Episode duration: 22:08