JRE MMA Show #164 with Israel Adesanya
Narrator, Israel Adesanya (guest), Joe Rogan (host), Narrator, Narrator
In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, featuring Narrator and Israel Adesanya, JRE MMA Show #164 with Israel Adesanya explores israel Adesanya on legacy, fighting freedom, fame, and real danger Israel Adesanya joins Joe Rogan for a long-form conversation about his MMA journey, financial struggles, loyalty to his team, and how his fightwear brand Engage emerged from a moment when he was nearly broke. They dive deep into fighter expression and economics: customized shorts, the loss of sponsors, uniform rules, weight cutting, glove design, judging, stand-ups, and how rule sets distort what “real fighting” looks like. Adesanya reflects on his rivalry with Alex Pereira, regaining and losing the title, the mental burden of championship status, and why he now wants to fight primarily for fun, legacy moments, and a long-sought submission finish. The discussion branches into recovery tech, stem cells, COVID policy, media manipulation, conspiracies, fame, boundaries with fans, future retirement plans, and how he’s trying to remain himself under an intense public spotlight.
Israel Adesanya on legacy, fighting freedom, fame, and real danger
Israel Adesanya joins Joe Rogan for a long-form conversation about his MMA journey, financial struggles, loyalty to his team, and how his fightwear brand Engage emerged from a moment when he was nearly broke. They dive deep into fighter expression and economics: customized shorts, the loss of sponsors, uniform rules, weight cutting, glove design, judging, stand-ups, and how rule sets distort what “real fighting” looks like. Adesanya reflects on his rivalry with Alex Pereira, regaining and losing the title, the mental burden of championship status, and why he now wants to fight primarily for fun, legacy moments, and a long-sought submission finish. The discussion branches into recovery tech, stem cells, COVID policy, media manipulation, conspiracies, fame, boundaries with fans, future retirement plans, and how he’s trying to remain himself under an intense public spotlight.
Key Takeaways
Loyalty and long-term relationships can become real business opportunities.
Adesanya’s fightwear brand Engage exists because its founder financially helped him when he was nearly broke in China; years later, Izzy and Volkanovski helped build the brand and now own part of it, turning early loyalty into shared equity.
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Uniform deals reduced fighter earnings and individuality, and a hybrid model is possible.
Both Izzy and Joe argue fighters lost significant income when shorts sponsors disappeared; they suggest vetted, approved sponsors plus more custom shorts as a way to blend professionalism with self-expression and better pay.
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Activity and momentum are critical to building a champion’s brand.
Izzy credits his and Alex Pereira’s frequent fighting schedules for keeping their names in front of fans, driving momentum, and rapidly elevating their status and “stock” within the UFC.
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Rule sets and equipment design distort what “real fighting” looks like.
They critique stand-ups from dominant positions, 12–6 elbow rules, upkick restrictions, and current glove/finger designs, arguing these choices favor strikers, encourage referee influence, and deviate from effective real-world techniques.
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Longevity at the top requires evolving training, recovery, and lifestyle.
Adesanya talks about finally hiring a chef, adjusting breakfast and weight cuts, exploring recovery tools like hyperbaric chambers and stem cells, and testing his output metrics to maintain high pace and health as he ages.
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Mental framing after losses determines whether a career stalls or grows.
Izzy views his losses (Pereira, Jan, Strickland, DDP) as narrative fuel and technical feedback rather than identity threats, refusing endless rematches and choosing new challenges while staying clear he’s already accomplished more than enough.
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Fame demands strict boundaries to protect energy and safety.
He describes moving to a gated home after fans showed up at his door, refusing photos at inappropriate times, defusing a street provocation without violence, and learning not to be emotionally “held hostage” by every fan interaction.
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Notable Quotes
“You can beat me one time, two times, three times… but I just knew this guy’s not gonna beat me this time.”
— Israel Adesanya (on finally beating Alex Pereira)
“We’re not just fighters, we’re artists. Let us express ourselves.”
— Israel Adesanya (on custom shorts and fighter individuality)
“I’m not fighting for anyone else. I’ve only got so much left in this game.”
— Israel Adesanya
“The referee’s job is to instruct a fighter to do anything other than follow the rules.”
— Joe Rogan (critiquing stand-ups and ‘more action’ pressure)
“If this game or money was going to change me, it would’ve done it a lot of zeros ago.”
— Israel Adesanya
Questions Answered in This Episode
How would the sport change if the UFC adopted Trevor Wittman-style curved gloves and covered fingers to drastically reduce eye pokes?
Israel Adesanya joins Joe Rogan for a long-form conversation about his MMA journey, financial struggles, loyalty to his team, and how his fightwear brand Engage emerged from a moment when he was nearly broke. ...
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What specific rule changes (stand-ups, upkicks, soccer kicks, 12–6 elbows) would most improve MMA as a ‘pure’ test of fighting effectiveness?
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How can promotions fairly reintroduce shorts sponsorships so fighters earn more without turning broadcasts into visual clutter?
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In what ways does being a long-reigning champion actually limit a fighter’s creativity or risk-taking compared to chasing fights without the belt?
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What practical boundaries should rising fighters set with fans and media early on to avoid burnout, resentment, or dangerous confrontations later?
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Transcript Preview
(drumming music plays) Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience.
Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. (rock music plays) What's up?
Bro, what's up?
What's up with that?
What's up? Good to see you, my friend.
Long time no see.
What is the chain?
The chain.
What does that, what does that stand for?
Uh, Engage. This is, uh, my fightwear brand. Ashbel Castro started this.
Oh.
Um, he was one of the... I'll say this. He was, um, one of the only guys who fucked with me before I really, like, blew up. So when I was fighting in China and I lost to Alex, they stopped giving me fights. And I had, I think at the time, I was the highest paid foreign fighter in China at the time. Probably not now anymore. But then they stopped giving me fights and I was like, "Look, I have seven more fights on my contract. Can I at least just get three? I just need three." 'Cause money was running out, you know, the money I had saved up. And then, yeah, I was down to my last one day, like $500. And Eugene was holding pads for me because he saw something was up and I just said, "Bro, I'm, I'm about to be broke," this and that, rah-da-rah-da-rah. And he said, "Don't worry. Just leave it with me." I get home, uh, I think I was on, I was on the toilet and he just goes, "Check your bank account." And I'm sitting there just like (sighs) . I start crying and I call him. He's like, "No, don't thank me. Thank Ash," who started Engage. And I call Ash, I'm taking a shit and I'm just like, "Thank you."
(laughs)
(laughs) Thank you so much. Like, honestly just in tears 'cause you know, I mean, I've been there. Like, nothing and had everything and nothing again. So for me, yeah, he's always been a guy that's been in my corner. And me and Alex Volkanovski now, we, you know, we've helped raised the brand so we own part of the company. So yeah, I like to rep the set.
Oh, that's cool.
Yeah.
Nice. Nice.
And I think we, Engage also was last final three when they had the whole Reebok fiasco. It was, uh, Venom, Engage and someone else. I can't remember who else. So we didn't get the, the gig, but it would've been nice, though.
Oh, the UFC gig?
Yeah.
Yeah. Engage Fight Kits for the fighters, but now it's Venom Fight Kits. Yeah, the whole fight kit thing is weird. I really-
(murmurs approval)
... preferred it when fighters could have sponsors.
Condom Depot on the back of your shorts.
I don't like that.
(laughs)
I mean they should probably-
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