Max Griffin: Fighting Spirit, UFC Stories, and Mental Strength
🎙️ From underground fights in warehouses to sharing the Octagon with legends—Sacramento’s own UFC welterweight Max “Pain” Griffin joins Unquestionable The Podcast to talk about the grind, the glory, and the lessons learned along the way.
In this episode, we dive into:
🥋 Growing up in Sacramento and finding discipline through martial arts
🥊 Underground smokers, Bellator title shots, and finally getting the UFC call
🔥 The highs and lows of fighting Colby Covington on McGregor vs. Diaz II
💡 Mental toughness, mindfulness, and the power of being present
🤝 Squashing beef with Team Alpha Male and finding strength in unity
🌍 Fighting in Mexico City, legendary brawls, and career-defining moments
🧠 Why growth, discipline, and mindset matter more than talent in the fight game
It’s a raw look at the fight life—equal parts inspiration, grit, and wisdom from nearly two decades inside the cage.
Timestamps:
- 00:09 – The Power of Control
- 04:30 – A Fighter’s Journey Begins
- 13:11 – The Turning Point: From Defeat to Determination
- 21:59 – Transition to the UFC
- 34:26 – The Evolution of Fighting
- 43:06 – The Rise of UFC Fighters
- 48:25 – The Importance of Teamwork in Fighting
- 58:55 – The Power of Being Present
- 01:02:35 – Exploring Astral Projection and Its Impact
- 01:11:53 – Experiencing the Unknown
- 01:18:46 – Being True to Yourself
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#UnquestionableThePodcast #MaxGriffin #UFC #MMA #Sacramento #FightGame #Discipline #MentalStrength #TeamAlphaMale #Mindfulness #UndergroundFights
Transcript
Dude, I fought legends beat legends, bro.
Speaker A:I mean, you always want to win, right?
Speaker A:But you can't control everything.
Speaker A:Only you could control yourself, man.
Speaker A:You can control what you do.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:You, like, people stress themselves out trying to control something that's impossible to control, but once you know that, you can't control anything else other than what you do, what you think about how you respond to shit.
Speaker A:There's a lot of fucking power in that.
Speaker B:Welcome back to this week's episode of Unquestionable, the podcast.
Speaker B:We got a very special guest, none other than the Sacramento UFC fighter Max Payne Griffin.
Speaker B:Bro, how you doing?
Speaker A:I'm good, I'm good.
Speaker A:Thanks for having me on.
Speaker B:No, thanks for coming, bro.
Speaker B:Appreciate you coming all the way out here.
Speaker B:We know we're a little bit out the way.
Speaker A:It wasn't too far.
Speaker A:The whole 47 minute drive closer than I thought.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, we appreciate you coming out.
Speaker A:For real, for sure.
Speaker B:No, definitely, bro.
Speaker B:Well, to start it off, we want to get into a little bit of your backstory, you know, tell us where you're from, you know what you do, and, you know, what made you who you are.
Speaker A:Let's unpack this.
Speaker A:Let's see here.
Speaker A:I was born in Santa Barbara, Moved to Sacramento when I was four.
Speaker A:Did martial arts when I was a kid, like six days a week.
Speaker A:Yeah, when my dad took me, When I was 13, my dad left.
Speaker A:He said, peace.
Speaker A:So I was a man of the house.
Speaker A:Two younger brothers.
Speaker A:My mom worked all the time.
Speaker A:She worked.
Speaker A:You know, she was always gone working.
Speaker A:So I was doing my thing, got in trouble, you know, was running around.
Speaker A:I was always a good person, though.
Speaker A:Just kind of doing, you know, hanging out with the wrong people, but not even wrong people, you know, my cousins, it's funny, when I got older, they were like, nigga, we didn't have dads either, you know, so we, you know, we're.
Speaker A:We're good now, but, you know, got in trouble.
Speaker A:I got out of it.
Speaker A:Got out of it.
Speaker A:Got saved.
Speaker A:Got saved by God.
Speaker A:Was in numerous positions when a red light or a few seconds, I'd be dead.
Speaker A:I'd be in prison forever or worse.
Speaker A:So escape that.
Speaker A:When I was 21, I went to reggae on the river.
Speaker A:So humble.
Speaker A:It's a dope ass festival.
Speaker A:Big ass reggae?
Speaker A:Yeah, hella dope.
Speaker A:We did security out there.
Speaker A:It was fun with the crew.
Speaker A:And one, like every night or when we did security, we walked the beaches, and there's so many tents, thousands of tens.
Speaker A:Like, how y' all doing?
Speaker A:Blah Blah, blah.
Speaker A:Everyone out there so nice.
Speaker A:Give you their shirt off their backs.
Speaker A:But they'd give you every time.
Speaker A:Here's a mushroom pizza, here's this, here's that.
Speaker A:So at the end of the night, we'd have a. I could cuss on here.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Have a big, like, garbage bag of.
Speaker A:We'd start with, like a little bag and then you get more stuff.
Speaker A:You have another bag.
Speaker A:And we'd all meet at the end and like, what y' all get?
Speaker A:You know my buddy.
Speaker A:This is you as a security guard.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Stuff from like.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:People are so nice.
Speaker A:People are so nice.
Speaker A:They're like, oh, you're here.
Speaker B:You know the party too.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker A:Enjoy the party.
Speaker A:So one of the nights I was out there, my buddy, these guys were going to usc.
Speaker A:They're like, man, we're going back to USC with a four foot bong.
Speaker A:No, like, we can't take it back with us.
Speaker A:You want it?
Speaker A:So, yeah, gave it to us.
Speaker A:My buddy Tevin, shout out to Tiff, he hits this bong, bro.
Speaker A:It was so long, someone else had to light it for you.
Speaker A:So he hits his bong, clears it, looks at us and then just hits the deck, bro.
Speaker A:Falls over the chair.
Speaker A:He wakes up on the ground.
Speaker A:We bust a laughing, dying.
Speaker A:Dying, bro.
Speaker A:So funny as he's dying.
Speaker A:Yeah, a good review.
Speaker A:Yeah, he cleared it, though.
Speaker A:Shout out to him.
Speaker B:But that's crazy.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, bro, he passed out.
Speaker A:You know, we call it the Crow cop.
Speaker A:The Merko Crocodile cop.
Speaker A:Was a fighter back in the day.
Speaker A:Used to kick people in the head.
Speaker A:Yeah, From Croatia or whatever.
Speaker A:But that night, bro, we're out there, I hear a voice, it's like, you're gonna start fighting when you get back.
Speaker A:And I was like, like what?
Speaker A:I mean, we were all up and he's like, you're gonna start fighting when he hit back.
Speaker A:So I told the homies, like, yo, I'm gonna start fighting when I get back.
Speaker A:And they're like, what?
Speaker A:Hell yeah.
Speaker A:And I did, you know, that weekend I went to Rhythm and Ribs.
Speaker A:It's a rib festival.
Speaker A:That was at the baseball that Rayleigh Field and Sack.
Speaker A:Okay, cool.
Speaker A:It was like in the parking lot, but I. I love food.
Speaker A:And it was a ribs festival.
Speaker A:So we were out there.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I see one of my old boxing coaches.
Speaker A:It was just seen him and then started training and then started going over there and I started going to.
Speaker A:I really wanted to take it serious.
Speaker A:And I went to my coach when I was A kid.
Speaker A:Dave Marinoble.
Speaker A:Shout out.
Speaker A:Dave Marinoble.
Speaker A:He's my coach still.
Speaker A:He suffered from als now, still train with them, but he was a world kickboxing champion when I was a kid.
Speaker A:So when I wanted to fight, I went back.
Speaker A:He had his own gym now.
Speaker A:Went to his gym, I was bigger.
Speaker A:I was 237, bro.
Speaker A:Yeah, big right now I'm like 189.
Speaker A:I think I was today.
Speaker A:But big boy, he's like, max, is that you?
Speaker A:You know, and never left, man.
Speaker A:That's when I was 21.
Speaker A:It's been 19 years and I mean, I went to the ranks as an amateur, started fighting locally.
Speaker A:Just kept building, kept building, getting better, got a bunch of amateur titles.
Speaker A:When I first started fighting, MMA was illegal in California.
Speaker A:So we were like doing underground fights and smokers fights.
Speaker A:We'd go and like, who's your, you know, who you got?
Speaker A:You know, and you just fade like a warehouse and shit.
Speaker A:Yeah, he's like, it was fun, man.
Speaker B:That's like some movie straight up.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:We had to get our experience.
Speaker A:Yeah, they'd weigh you, they'd write your name on your, or write your weight on your shoulder, you know, and they'd match you up, how much experience you got and you'd.
Speaker A:You chunk them, you know, that's crazy.
Speaker A:I had to travel to different states to like have my fights and went to Oregon.
Speaker A:My first fight was in Oregon.
Speaker A:Springfield, Oregon, that was probably the most racist place.
Speaker A:Probably the most racist some place, Louisiana, pretty racist.
Speaker A:But Oregon was not a game nigger and shit.
Speaker A:When I was fighting, yeah, I fought this dude, Jeremiah for his last name.
Speaker A:Jeremy Hunter, that's his name.
Speaker A:He had two fights, two one punch knockouts.
Speaker A:They set me up with him.
Speaker A:My coach was always like, set him up with the best guy.
Speaker A:Who, like, who's your best guy?
Speaker A:I always fought the best guy.
Speaker A:Like they always had me fight the best guy.
Speaker A:A lot of guys fight cans, tomato cans, guys that suck.
Speaker A:That like you could just do anything do you know, just terrible guys.
Speaker A:I luckily said, trust me, son, you fight the best guys you can.
Speaker A:You'll be set up.
Speaker A:You'll be able to fight anyone in the world.
Speaker A:So I started off like that, but went up to Oregon, remember we have to cut weight.
Speaker A:So I was wearing a sauna suit and this little ass Toyota sitting sideways in the back.
Speaker A:Like the little thing goes down.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, yeah, bro.
Speaker A:Such a long shitty drive up to Oregon.
Speaker B:Already dying now you're cramped in a.
Speaker A:Little corner, cramped up.
Speaker A:That's crazy.
Speaker A:But knocked that out in like 20 seconds or something like that.
Speaker A:And you're like, nigga, let's think of that.
Speaker A:I went on and that fool up him up, you know, and there you go.
Speaker A:That was like, this is what I'm gonna do, you know?
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Was that what you're like, this is like, I could do this for real.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, that was one of them.
Speaker A:I've had numerous.
Speaker A:I've had numerous of those another time.
Speaker A:So that was an amateur.
Speaker A:I mean, I've.
Speaker A:Amateur.
Speaker A:You're not getting paid.
Speaker A:You're like just kind of getting your feet wet and.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Fighting, you know, newer guys.
Speaker A:And you're newer as well.
Speaker A:Getting.
Speaker A:Getting your grounds going.
Speaker A:Skin your resume up.
Speaker A:Yeah, like, getting that experience.
Speaker A:This is important because amateur shit doesn't matter.
Speaker A:Pro matters.
Speaker A:Pros, your shit's like, you can't change it.
Speaker A:It's like written in blood, you know?
Speaker A:But I've had a lot of those moments where I guess I would say the moment that was like, this is.
Speaker A:This is.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:I was.
Speaker A:I want to say three zero.
Speaker A:Yeah, three zero.
Speaker A:That's a pro.
Speaker A:I fought this guy, Jamie Hara.
Speaker A:Shout out to Jamie Hara.
Speaker A:He's ended up training with the Matthew, one of my coaches, for Jiu Jitsu.
Speaker A:But bad tattoos all over his face.
Speaker A:His whole body, like, slugged.
Speaker A:Hate on his neck.
Speaker A:Looks scary, man.
Speaker A:He had like 50 fights.
Speaker A:Knocked everyone out, choked everyone out.
Speaker A:Like vicious.
Speaker A:Fighting on Bellator at this time and just having these maniac.
Speaker A:And I was 3 0.
Speaker A:I was fighting him for the title.
Speaker A:And it was West Coast Fighting Championship, one of the biggest pro shows out here.
Speaker A:It's gone now, but it was pumping, dude.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:It was all that.
Speaker A:But the commission, so the athletic commission there, they got their hands in all the pro shit.
Speaker A:They get their money, you know, it's like the government of fighting.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But you're like, Max is only 3 0.
Speaker A:Like, we can't fight this guy.
Speaker A:He has 50 fights.
Speaker A:And Brandon.
Speaker A:Brandon Ware, the promoter was like, he has more experience than that.
Speaker A:He's a martial arts.
Speaker A:He was young.
Speaker A:He's had amateur fights.
Speaker A:Amateur champion.
Speaker A:You're like, jamie better not fuck him up.
Speaker A:Like, it'll make him look bad.
Speaker A:Like, don't make us look bad.
Speaker A:And they set that fight up.
Speaker A:I think it was in Placerville or something like that.
Speaker A:He had so many people and intimidating guy.
Speaker A:But yeah, I knocked him out and like 40 seconds and.
Speaker A:And it was like, that was it.
Speaker A:That was like, who is this?
Speaker A:Everyone's like, this this motherfucker's bad, you know?
Speaker A:You know, bad dude.
Speaker A:To beat him, you know, in that situation with all that pressure, that was kind of like my launching washing point, you know?
Speaker B:No, that's awesome.
Speaker A:But I mean, so many fights, man.
Speaker A:I went to Ultimate Fighter after that.
Speaker B:Yeah, I wanted to ask about that experience.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, it was trippy.
Speaker A:Tough.
Speaker A:16, man.
Speaker A:Ultimate fighter 16.
Speaker A:The coaches were Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson.
Speaker A:That was a big moment because, you know, I had a few fights and they came and did a commercial on me, and it was on Spike TV.
Speaker A:There was 32 fighters.
Speaker A:They did four commercials.
Speaker A:They did a commercial on me, so they thought I was gonna do some.
Speaker A:But I lost, man.
Speaker A:I lost.
Speaker A:I was.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:The guy up avoided all his submissions and it was just trying to finish him.
Speaker A:I was gun and pounding him, just trying to fucking smash his face in.
Speaker A:And he puts a triangle choke on me at like the end of the third round.
Speaker A:He was a henzo Gracie brown belt at that time.
Speaker A:Matt Secor, good dude, great grappling.
Speaker A:But he fucking.
Speaker A:I lost.
Speaker A:I remember Dana.
Speaker A:Dana White was like, before, he's like, don't be the guy on that van going home.
Speaker A:And I remember I was that guy going home.
Speaker A:I remember just sitting there just like, man, because I, you know, it's tough, man.
Speaker A:You think you're gonna make it and.
Speaker A:And like, you know, you're in these situations.
Speaker A:I remember they were playing the music in the back and like, you know, it was just like, terrible.
Speaker A:I had to lie to people because you can't tell people you're going on TV show.
Speaker A:You had to be.
Speaker A:I said I was going to Brazil to do some jiu jitsu, you know, I'll be gone a couple months and blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:But I remember just losing, man.
Speaker A:It was like one of my lowest moments, man.
Speaker A:I just felt terrible, embarrassed.
Speaker A:On tv, millions of people seen.
Speaker A:But I mean, more than that, more for me, you know, like, I thought this was it and this is like my moment.
Speaker A:The break into the.
Speaker A:And, you know, be a star and make it my life.
Speaker A:And remember having to call home, like, man, coming back, it.
Speaker A:Everybody didn't want to go, like, really go outside and people to see me, you know, it's like, chilling.
Speaker A:I didn't want to just be out and about.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, what the.
Speaker A:I thought you're in Brazil, you know.
Speaker A:And then, like, the commercials came out, so people know I was on there.
Speaker B:Then they start asking.
Speaker A:It was shitty, man.
Speaker A:It was shitty.
Speaker A:But we always have a choice, man.
Speaker A:You have a Choice.
Speaker A:Every second we have a choice.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And instead of, like, letting it, like, define me and letting it, like, crush me, I've seen so many people in the game in these 20 years, fucking longer than that, just get crushed.
Speaker A:People that you lost the wrong fight or something bad happened, and how many people came and go and, like, it's not really what happens to you, it's fucking how you, like, respond to the shit.
Speaker A:So I lose, but I remember, like, being on the mat, remember my toes on the mat.
Speaker A:I remember being in the UFC cage.
Speaker A:I remember, like, they came to the commercial on me, like they thought I was gonna do some.
Speaker A:They believed in me.
Speaker A:So I was like, I use that pain, the fucking.
Speaker A:On a rampage, man.
Speaker B:That's what I was gonna say.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's what I was gonna say.
Speaker B:It probably.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's painful, but it.
Speaker B:Probably being so close also fueled you.
Speaker B:Like, I was in arm's reach of my goal.
Speaker A:Like, I'm gonna get that.
Speaker B:Like, I can do it again.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:So I used that pain, man, and went out there and went on, like, I think a seven fight winning streak.
Speaker A:Everybody up.
Speaker A:Just.
Speaker A:Just a terror.
Speaker A:He was hungry.
Speaker A:Just a terror.
Speaker A:But it was, you know, I.
Speaker A:You gotta use that, man.
Speaker A:You got to use it.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:You got to use it or it's gonna eat you.
Speaker A:You gotta take the losses, ruin you, man.
Speaker A:Turn them into something.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Otherwise you get ruined.
Speaker A:You'll just be sitting there.
Speaker A:It's too easy.
Speaker A:It's too easy to, like, let that spiral and just compound and just, you know, give it up and, you know, should have, would have, could have.
Speaker A:Yeah, this happens too much.
Speaker A:But I use that.
Speaker A:And I mean, then I've been in more fights that, you know, almost made.
Speaker A:I lost, like, split decisions that were so close.
Speaker A:You know, I didn't make it.
Speaker A:And then I. I fought this guy, David Mitchell.
Speaker A:It was a King of Sacramento fight.
Speaker A:He was in the ufc.
Speaker A:I didn't even hear about him until he was out the ufc, but he.
Speaker A:He came to west coast and then he waxed everybody.
Speaker A:He, like, beat heavyweights, he beat middleweights.
Speaker A:He'd be everyone, like, choked everyone out.
Speaker A:He was a great grappler.
Speaker A:He won like, tennis, like this wax everybody, man.
Speaker A:And he's like, Max Griffin, you.
Speaker A:You're scared.
Speaker A:And at this time, I was already had all the belts at west coast, so I was going like, Tachi palace.
Speaker A:Had the belt there different.
Speaker A:I was like.
Speaker A:Because to be in the ufc, you got to, like, be the best where you're at.
Speaker A:And then you got to, like, you gotta be the best, and people got to want to see you fight, like, from your region or whatever.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:At minimum, your region.
Speaker A:You know what I like, and then it expands.
Speaker A:But then I was like, this.
Speaker A:I mean, beat this up.
Speaker A:And I was telling them I could beat him.
Speaker A:Like, I know I could beat that.
Speaker A:And then we fought.
Speaker A:It was the biggest fight of west coast, man.
Speaker A:And it was King of Sacramento fight.
Speaker A:I fought him.
Speaker A:It was a McClusan sack is at McClellan Air Force Base.
Speaker A:They used to, like, rent out those hangars.
Speaker A:It was pretty fucking dope, man.
Speaker A:And they were packed.
Speaker A:So many talented, like, probably like 30 UFC dudes probably came out of West Coast.
Speaker A:Josh Hemmond, Andre Feely.
Speaker A:I mean, so many guys, man.
Speaker A:But yeah, we fought.
Speaker A:And like, I drop him probably like 10 seconds in.
Speaker A:Damn.
Speaker A:He gets a.
Speaker A:Drop him again.
Speaker A:Gets.
Speaker A:I faint and finish them.
Speaker A:And it was bananas in there, bro.
Speaker A:Bananas, Bananas.
Speaker A:Crazy.
Speaker A:There's so many fights in the crowd.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because at this time, at this time, he was Team Alpha Male, and I was Mary Nobles.
Speaker A:And like, back then, Team Alpha Male was like, yeah, I'm with them now.
Speaker A:But it's funny.
Speaker A:Team Alpha Male back then was like the big.
Speaker A:The big group, and we were like the underdogs with, like, smaller teams.
Speaker A:And I was like, I could beat that motherfucker.
Speaker A:So it was like us versus them.
Speaker A:Like, all the sag, you know, like everyone else, and then the Team Alpha Male.
Speaker A:So it was like, hella fights in the crowd, bro.
Speaker A:After my barber popped up, bloody face outside of the cage.
Speaker A:She's fading.
Speaker A:Hell, the fades in the crowd, like, you.
Speaker A:You know.
Speaker A:You know.
Speaker A:Yeah, there's hella adrenaline.
Speaker A:And, like, your boy's fighting, you know, like, if he's fighting, you're gonna do.
Speaker A:You're gonna do something.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:And then somebody's like, him.
Speaker A:You're like, you.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like, especially when fools are really fading.
Speaker A:Like, it just puts you in a.
Speaker B:Like, clenched up.
Speaker A:Yeah, it puts you in a vibe.
Speaker A:But it's funny after that, man, if I win that fight.
Speaker A:And UFC is interesting, man.
Speaker A:We were communicating with the matchmakers and stuff, and always like, okay, beat this guy.
Speaker A:And I beat him.
Speaker A:Okay, beat this guy.
Speaker A:Was signing, and I beat him.
Speaker A:They can't be jumped through all these hoops.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, and I was jumping through all the hoops.
Speaker A:Dinner.
Speaker A:And then I want to say it was.
Speaker A:When was that?
Speaker A:I found January.
Speaker A:So, yeah, like, six months.
Speaker A:Six months is gone.
Speaker A:I'm still training.
Speaker A:I'm like, not signed.
Speaker A:And I'm like, this.
Speaker A:You know, I beat it.
Speaker A:They're trying to offer me these other fights, and, like, I was already the man, like, and I did everything I had to do.
Speaker A:I didn't want to, like, give someone else a chance to, like, take my shine or, like, up my trajectory.
Speaker A:So I was like, you know, I. I had all the belts.
Speaker A:I was.
Speaker A:I did all my shit, like, and nothing more to prove, you know, I was like, I'm.
Speaker A:And no disrespect to anyone that's just being local, but I didn't want to be local guy.
Speaker A:Like, I wanted to make it my life.
Speaker A:I don't want to just be.
Speaker A:You want to get out there?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I just don't want to be fighting here, you know?
Speaker A:And you already did what you could here, huh?
Speaker A:Or was there more to do here?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:So you do what you could, and you just want to go global at this point?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I was like, you know what?
Speaker A:You know, I'm done, literally.
Speaker A:Listen, the day I said I was done, bro, I told my girl, like, I'm done.
Speaker A:Like, whatever I, like, put my mind to do, it's.
Speaker A:It's successful.
Speaker A:So, like, oh, I put my life into that.
Speaker A:I'm like, I'll do something else.
Speaker A:Put my life into something else and figure that out.
Speaker A:In that day, bro.
Speaker A:I. I remember going down the stairs and going to the gym and being like, this is it.
Speaker A:We're, like, doing takedowns and stuff back and forth.
Speaker A:I get taken down.
Speaker A:My elbow hits the ground weird, but I get up.
Speaker A:It's like, ah.
Speaker A:I, like, look in the hole, and it's like, my coach's mirror.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Was like, you're okay.
Speaker A:You're okay.
Speaker A:I just arm up and, like, squirts like a squirt gun.
Speaker A:I hit the mat so hard, my bone, like, shished.
Speaker A:A bob, like, through my arm, like, through my skin.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Like, hard as.
Speaker A:I was a little mad with, like, concrete underneath.
Speaker A:I mean, I must have felt just right or wrong.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But I remember, like, he's like, you're good.
Speaker A:I'm like, good.
Speaker A:Shout out to madman.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I go in my bag, bro, and I, you know, I get a rag or whatever, hold it on there, get my phone, and I see a text.
Speaker A:It's from.
Speaker A:It says, who's your manager from the ufc?
Speaker A:It's like, who's your manager?
Speaker A:And I was like, yeah.
Speaker A:It was like, sean Shelby, ufc.
Speaker A:Who's your manager?
Speaker A:I was like, you know, takes my manager to give him My manager's number.
Speaker A:My manager calls me.
Speaker A:Dave Hirschbein.
Speaker A:Shout out to Dave Hirschbein.
Speaker A:He's like, we're in, motherfucker.
Speaker A:We're fucking in.
Speaker A:We're fucking in.
Speaker A:Hell, yeah.
Speaker A:You know that day, bro, that I gave it up?
Speaker A:The day that I was like, the same day that I was like, I'm done with this.
Speaker A:It happened that night, bro.
Speaker A:So, yeah, two weeks later, I fight Colby Covington on UFC 202, which is Conor McGregor versus Nate Diaz, part two in Vegas.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Crazy.
Speaker A:Biggest cards ever.
Speaker B:Massive.
Speaker A:It's like, top three cards ever still.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Bananas, bro.
Speaker A:That experience was just the whole experience.
Speaker A:I'm a fan, right?
Speaker A:Yeah, I'm a fan.
Speaker A:So being there and flying up there and, like, seeing Connor walking around and all that.
Speaker A:My bad.
Speaker B:It's all good.
Speaker A:But, like, seeing Conor, I'm, like, holding his shorts, like, in the equipment room.
Speaker A:Nate's walking around with, like, 50 dudes, and I'm signing posters.
Speaker A:Rumble Johnson.
Speaker A:Rest in peace to him.
Speaker A:He's talking about his dogs and how he has, like, these papers.
Speaker A:This is like, before there's, like, companion animals kind of.
Speaker A:He's like, I got the papers.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker B:Hooking people support.
Speaker A:Yeah, you can take your dogs anywhere.
Speaker A:It's like, right when that first started.
Speaker B:I did that just so I didn't have to pay pet rent.
Speaker A:Smart.
Speaker A:I remember, like, have my boy, like, take a picture.
Speaker A:Take a picture.
Speaker A:You know, take a picture.
Speaker A:I'm like, point.
Speaker A:I'm taking picture.
Speaker A:I'm like.
Speaker A:But it was such, like a. I was such a fan, you know, versus, like, a fighter, per se.
Speaker A:I mean, I fight, but I'm like, this is the ufc.
Speaker A:Like, I'm really here.
Speaker A:It seems, like, fake.
Speaker A:Like, it seemed, like, surreal, man.
Speaker A:And I fight.
Speaker A:I fight Colby.
Speaker A:I do pretty good.
Speaker A:I do the best against them that anyone's did up until a couple years ago.
Speaker A:He got up a little bit, but before that, I almost kimored him.
Speaker A:I dropped him.
Speaker A:Like, he ended up tkoing me in the third round.
Speaker A:He didn't hit hard.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:I was just pinned.
Speaker A:He had me pinned up against the cage.
Speaker A:I was stuck, you know?
Speaker A:He just hit me.
Speaker A:And I lose today.
Speaker A:Stop it.
Speaker A:And I remember, like, it was like, a bird's eye view.
Speaker A:Like, I don't know if I left my body or fucking one, but I remember, like, seeing, like, a bird's eye view and, like, time kind of stopped.
Speaker A:It was this weird thing, and then I lose or whatever.
Speaker A:And then we had so many people come out, right?
Speaker A:Friends and all this shit.
Speaker A:Like, you don't want to go fucking party.
Speaker A:Like, I just lost.
Speaker A:Like, I want to, but the.
Speaker A:The.
Speaker A:You have to.
Speaker A:You know, it was still a big moment.
Speaker A:My guys spent.
Speaker A:JP.
Speaker A:They spent 15 racks at this at excess for a club for me, for my name on the fucking thing.
Speaker A:And fucking Max.
Speaker A:All the girls had a fucking letter.
Speaker A:All these bottles, bro, I had to go.
Speaker A:Like, they all came to support me.
Speaker A:I had to go show face.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I went.
Speaker A:We had a good time.
Speaker A:But, like, that part sucks about it.
Speaker A:Like, you don't want to party when you lose, you know, but is you.
Speaker A:It's part of the game.
Speaker A:Like, it's just part of the.
Speaker A:You want to go hide or go, like, not go party.
Speaker A:I did that, and it is what it is.
Speaker A:But when I went back home, man, I remember being in my apartment and you get these like.
Speaker A:Like, magazines kind of from, like, the fights.
Speaker A:But, like, I remember looking at myself in the magazine and looking at my gloves.
Speaker A:I'm like, am I in the ufc?
Speaker A:It was such, like, a surreal.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Experience.
Speaker A:And I had to go.
Speaker A:I set on a psychologist, Dr. Bregman.
Speaker A:Man, Alex.
Speaker A:I was, like, crazy, or so I don't know.
Speaker A:It was hard to explain.
Speaker A:Like, my mind was like.
Speaker A:I was, like, confused.
Speaker A:Like, did I fight?
Speaker A:But then you dealt yourself.
Speaker A:You're like, am I good enough?
Speaker A:Is it too much?
Speaker A:Like, you know, you get.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You make the jump right to, like, a bigger thing.
Speaker A:And, yeah, they still.
Speaker A:The NFL is hella fast.
Speaker A:You get the NFL.
Speaker A:It's like, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:You know, from college, when you go to high school, to college, when you go to, you know, middle school, to call it.
Speaker A:Or high school, you know, there's always a.
Speaker B:The next level.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's different.
Speaker A:So I was thinking, like, am I good enough?
Speaker A:Is it the right.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:So I saw Dr. Begman.
Speaker A:They were like, you weren't present.
Speaker A:You know, I described how I felt about the whole thing, and they're like, you weren't present.
Speaker A:And I thought I was, but I was trying to take pictures.
Speaker A:I was trying to look at Nate, look at Connor, look at.
Speaker A:You know, like, that's not being present.
Speaker A:That's doing all this other.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So they had me wash a plate for, like, 10 minutes a day and just focus on the plate.
Speaker A:And then when you wash the plate, your mind will go.
Speaker A:You feel it like an octopus.
Speaker A:The balloons.
Speaker A:Like a balloon floating away.
Speaker A:Like, you.
Speaker A:What's for dinner?
Speaker A:What's that girl's name?
Speaker A:What the.
Speaker A:What is, like, your mind Will go, man.
Speaker A:When you're trying to focus, like, our subconscious, like, run us.
Speaker B:So I feel like I get like.
Speaker A:That, like reading a book.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'll be reading a book and then I'll.
Speaker A:What the.
Speaker A:I just read.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But I'll start thinking about something.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's weird.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You read the whole.
Speaker A:Yeah, exactly that.
Speaker A:Exactly that.
Speaker A:But you could train that.
Speaker A:You could train to control that.
Speaker A:So I watched a play and at first it was just like, my mind's just like, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And then like a few weeks go by and it's like the lines on the plate, you know what.
Speaker A:How many circles am I doing?
Speaker A:It got real, like, dialed in.
Speaker A:And then I fought.
Speaker A:Hit me up again.
Speaker A:Release it.
Speaker A:Pretty soon they wanted me to fight in Mexico City against the guy who won the Latin Ultimate Fighter.
Speaker A:The winner.
Speaker A:He's a Latin Ultimate Fighter winner.
Speaker A:So he was good, really good.
Speaker A:In Mexico on, like, maybe a month's notice, maybe less.
Speaker A:But the elevation there is hella high.
Speaker A:People don't know.
Speaker A:So I got a tent.
Speaker A:I slept in my bed.
Speaker A:Like a tent, like a oxygen tent.
Speaker A:Like a.
Speaker A:So I was able to, like, crank it up and just trying to get acclimated before I went there.
Speaker A:But go to Mexico City.
Speaker A:It's crazy, right?
Speaker A:When, like, Trump was getting elected back in the day.
Speaker A:So they're.
Speaker A:I had my flag, American flag.
Speaker A:You're like, he's pouring beer on me in the tunnel.
Speaker A:Hated me.
Speaker A:There's something about when they hate you that I love.
Speaker A:Like, I'm, I'm like, it's cool.
Speaker A:Finding a home where it's like lovey dovey and they love you, but when they hate you, I, I fought so many, like, hometown guys, home country guys.
Speaker A:Like, I'm the guy fighting the guy, underdog, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I remember being in that tunnel, man, just, just, just lock it in and using it.
Speaker A:And I go out there and knock that out and it's like for 45 seconds or something like that.
Speaker A:And that was such a big moment for me to be against all odds in another country and be the guy that's supposed to beat me.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And that was like, this is why I'm here.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:That moment for me was like, I'd be on me sitting here right now.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:So, like, it was, it was a big moment, but it was like, this is why I'm here.
Speaker A:That was so good for my soul and, like, my mind to, like, know, like, that's why they signed me.
Speaker A:Not like losing the Time before, it's like, that's what they saw.
Speaker A:And to be able to do that and take it, take that guy out, man, was monumental, man.
Speaker A: And, I mean, that was: Speaker A:Damn.
Speaker A:Yeah, man.
Speaker A:So that's dope.
Speaker A:It's eight years later.
Speaker A:You don't see many.
Speaker B:You don't even see many people, like, last super long in the ufc, so that's something to.
Speaker B:To really celebrate.
Speaker B:And I want to ask you, like, what do you credit that to?
Speaker B:What do you credit.
Speaker B:You know, you're.
Speaker B:You're really able to stay around and fight at the best level for years.
Speaker B:What do you credit that to?
Speaker A:I would say growth.
Speaker A:My ability to grow in my discipline, but growth I have.
Speaker A:I have pillars and, like, my core values that I've developed over the years.
Speaker A:But looking back, really, is being able to grow, man, and.
Speaker A:And wanting to learn and just giving it your all, man.
Speaker A:Like, the belief in myself, like, chasing the hard.
Speaker A:Like, not so many people, like, don't like doing the hardship, man.
Speaker A:They don't like doing the stuff that's fucking challenging.
Speaker A:Like, that's where everything is, man.
Speaker A:That's where everything you wanted.
Speaker A:That's where everything is.
Speaker A:The easy shit.
Speaker A:Easy shit's fucking nothing.
Speaker A:But when you.
Speaker A:You stick around and you.
Speaker A:You're fucking pushing a fucking rock uphill, man, like, that's.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:Because it's a lot easier to go downhill than it is uphill, I'll tell you that.
Speaker A:You go downhill fucking quick by going uphill.
Speaker A:Just a little more.
Speaker A:A little more and a little more, but super resilient.
Speaker A:And you just gotta believe, man.
Speaker A:You can't stop.
Speaker A:You gotta keep going, man.
Speaker A:I mean, I'd say growth, discipline, God, the energies.
Speaker A:But it's hard, man.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's hard.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's so hard.
Speaker A:Like, I wouldn't recommend this life to anyone.
Speaker A:It's a cold game, bro.
Speaker A:The UFC and fighting is cold, bro.
Speaker A:You lose a fight, they'll cut you.
Speaker A:You can win a fight.
Speaker A:They catch you, you could win a fight, and you.
Speaker A:They say you lose.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:It's like some judge, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:I've had so many of those, bro.
Speaker A:I've.
Speaker A:Dude, I fought legends, beat legends, bro.
Speaker A:Won some big fights.
Speaker A:But it's like.
Speaker A:I mean, you always want to win, right?
Speaker A:But you can't control everything.
Speaker A:Only you could control yourself, man.
Speaker A:You can control what you do.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:Anything outside of that, you can't control it.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:You can't.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And you got to know that I mean, you.
Speaker A:You, like, people stress their.
Speaker A:Themselves out trying to control something that's impossible to control, but once you know that, you can't control anything else other than what you do, what you think about what.
Speaker A:How you respond to.
Speaker A:There's a lot of power in that.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, for sure.
Speaker A:You know, but, man, this.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:This fight, world's.
Speaker A:I mean, I've.
Speaker A:Like, I've said I've been fighting, so I've been training, you know.
Speaker A:Third.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:Long, dude.
Speaker A:It's not four, but I did take a break.
Speaker A:But I've been fighting for 21 years or 19 years.
Speaker A:I'll be 40 this year.
Speaker A:I'll be 40 and November.
Speaker A:But 19 years of fighting.
Speaker A:How many people I've seen come and go.
Speaker A:People, I thought, we're gonna make it.
Speaker A:People in the gym that were there, here, there, lost a fight.
Speaker A:You gotta be disciplined, man.
Speaker A:Like, talent gets you so far.
Speaker A:Talent gets you so far.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:The hard work gets you the rest of the.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You got guys that aren't talented, that are disciplined.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'm awesome.
Speaker A:Bad man.
Speaker A:They'll.
Speaker A:They'll create.
Speaker A:They'll be.
Speaker A:They'll.
Speaker A:They'll.
Speaker A:They'll create their.
Speaker A:You know, create.
Speaker A:Create themselves.
Speaker A:Forge themselves.
Speaker A:You know, a lot of the times, the guys that are really good, just.
Speaker A:They're lazy, man.
Speaker A:You know, people that, like, get to them and had, like, easy lives and just got super lucky with.
Speaker A:They're lazy, you know, but so a dog that's gonna keep coming.
Speaker A:You can't lose, man.
Speaker A:If you don't stop, you won't never lose.
Speaker B:Nobody will stop you.
Speaker A:Yeah, you'll get up again.
Speaker B:You're the only one that can stop you.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, for real.
Speaker A:Then you get up again.
Speaker A:But the guy that.
Speaker A:They're done, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah, don't be that guy.
Speaker B:No, I'm talking about.
Speaker B:Talking about how long you've been in the ufc.
Speaker B:How have you seen it change?
Speaker B:Honestly, like, we've seen it in front of our eyes change a lot.
Speaker A:Like, it's like wrestling now.
Speaker A:It's, like, theatrical now.
Speaker A:You know, it's way more entertainment now.
Speaker A:I mean, we first started it was on Spike, but Now, I mean, ESPN, which is fucking dope, you know, fighting ESPN or watching SportsCenter and still watch it, but it's a lot.
Speaker A:Everyone's so fucking good now.
Speaker A:Like, back in the day, it was really one dimensional.
Speaker A:And even before me, you know, you.
Speaker A:You'd have guys at.
Speaker A:Could only box or could only do jiu jitsu.
Speaker A:I can know, like, hoist Gracie would before know any new grappling was he'd choke all these big out, you know, I just had no clue, like, on what to do.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But now it's like, everyone's so good, but you get good by, like, going to the fire.
Speaker A:My wrestling got good because on one of my amateur fights, I fought this guy that just wrestled me, held me down, and I lost because he held me, didn't hit me, he didn't punch me, just held me.
Speaker A:I busted his whole up, but he held me.
Speaker A:I couldn't wrestle yet.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:The thing about the Ultimate Fighter, if I would have made it, I would.
Speaker A:I wouldn't be here because I would have lost.
Speaker A:My wrestling grappling wasn't there yet.
Speaker A:I was too, like, green to be in the ufc, you know, now.
Speaker A:So when you learn.
Speaker A:So then I had to work on my wrestling defense and learn what the.
Speaker A:How to stop takedowns.
Speaker A:And then once you learn the defense, then you can learn how to offense.
Speaker A:You're like, okay, what do I need to do to get him down?
Speaker A:You know?
Speaker A:So by learning good defense, you learn how to have good offense, you learn how to beat that.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:If you have good defense, you're like, oh, all you gotta do is stop this and stop that.
Speaker A:Then don't let him do that.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So I find that learning, like, both sides of the coin could fucking help the fuck out, you know?
Speaker A:But it's crazy.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's way more theatrical now, you know, There's a lot more money in it now.
Speaker A:And now WME IMG owns it, which is like, Disney.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:William Morris.
Speaker A:It's like the corporate now, you know, it's corporate and big corporate movie stars.
Speaker A:I remember when we.
Speaker A: When I got signed in: Speaker A:They flew us out the Las Vegas.
Speaker A:They rented out a whole hotel for us.
Speaker A:They ripped out the carpets, said UFC in the carpet, and had it all private.
Speaker A:It was like a pony show.
Speaker A:Like, this is how much money we have.
Speaker A:This is how cool we are.
Speaker A:Yeah, it was dope.
Speaker A:Don't get me wrong.
Speaker A:Don't get me wrong.
Speaker A:Like, it was fun to be there.
Speaker B:He's like, they impressed me.
Speaker A:I was impressed.
Speaker A:They had.
Speaker A:Bro, Kobe spoke to us.
Speaker A:They're like, dude, Michael Strahan, that's the guy off Shark Tank.
Speaker B:Okay, okay.
Speaker A:But, like, they, like, brought all these stars that, like, talk to us.
Speaker A:And, like, it was.
Speaker A:It was a dope thing.
Speaker A:They had, like, carnivals for it, like, every Night.
Speaker A:They had like a van, that carnival for us.
Speaker A:Open bars.
Speaker A:We didn't know that they're open bars.
Speaker A:We're trying to get drinks and there's no way to pay.
Speaker A:We're like, how do you pay?
Speaker A:They're like, you don't pay.
Speaker A:We're like.
Speaker A:All the fighters were like, What?
Speaker B:Actually got three more already, so we did exactly.
Speaker A:We did 500 of a belligerent, drunk.
Speaker A:UFC fighters was crazy.
Speaker A:Yeah, crazy.
Speaker B:They're a lot of energy.
Speaker A:Snoop Dogg did a concert for us, Like a private concert.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:It was lit, bro.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:He passed.
Speaker A:So back in the day, we couldn't smoke like we were still.
Speaker A:Test us for weed or whatever.
Speaker A:But he passes fucking blunt out there to the crowd.
Speaker A:Everyone's all looking because there's hella camera crew on us too.
Speaker A:Everyone's all looking at each other.
Speaker A:And then they.
Speaker A:We fucking swarm it.
Speaker A:They get the blood passing the tass and the blood route.
Speaker A:Everyone's hitting it.
Speaker B:Who is the first arm?
Speaker A:Caitlin Chukagian.
Speaker A:Pass it to me.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:I just remember her name because she is the person who passes to me.
Speaker A:But yeah, she passes to me.
Speaker A:I pass it to someone.
Speaker A:Like, that was fun, but drunk.
Speaker A:My.
Speaker A:We set up fights there.
Speaker A:Mike Perry.
Speaker A:Shout out to Mike Perry the homie.
Speaker A:Platinum Perry.
Speaker A:He's gangsta and he's doing bare knuckle.
Speaker A:He's a man right now.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, he's.
Speaker B:He's dominating over there.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:But me and him, we're still boys.
Speaker A:We've been through our highs and lows, but we were drunk together playing cornhole.
Speaker A:I think I beat him in cornhole.
Speaker A:And we're all drunk and.
Speaker A:And then we went to Sean Shelby, who's a matchmaker, and we're like, we need to fight.
Speaker A:Me and him are gonna fight.
Speaker A:We need to fight, you know?
Speaker A:And then we set it up.
Speaker A:My.
Speaker A:We got the mic, I got the Mike Perry fight.
Speaker A:Fought him in Orlando.
Speaker A:He's from Orlando.
Speaker A:I was underdog, I think, plus 600 or something.
Speaker A:Yeah, dude, I have so many good fight stories, man.
Speaker A:But yeah, me and him fought in Orlando on Fox.
Speaker A:Like Simpsons Fox.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I beat him.
Speaker A:Beating with bloody pulp.
Speaker A:Dropped him, beat him up.
Speaker A:It was a good fight.
Speaker A:It's crazy, man.
Speaker A:Sometimes you fight guys you like.
Speaker A:You fight guys you hate.
Speaker A:Some guys talk, some guys don't.
Speaker A:Some guys don't speak English.
Speaker A:It's a.
Speaker A:Then you can't talk.
Speaker A:I found this Asian dude or Chinese dude song.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:Man.
Speaker A:And he didn't talk the whole time, right?
Speaker A:I mean, he didn't say a word.
Speaker A:I didn't know.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And he's saying something.
Speaker A:It's just like, I was in the bear.
Speaker A:I was in the back, bro.
Speaker A:Because, like, we're warming up and there's always, like, a tv, so we could, like, watch the fights and see, like, what's next and.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, and I'm walking out, or I'm.
Speaker A:I'm on deck, Max, you're on deck.
Speaker A:I remember looking at TV and Megan Olivy.
Speaker A:Shout out to Megan Olivy.
Speaker A:She's had a baby.
Speaker A:She's like a little announcer jig.
Speaker A:But she's, like, silent.
Speaker A:Says that he's gonna knock Max out in the first round easily.
Speaker A:I was like, that.
Speaker A:Say some about me.
Speaker A:And I knocked him out again.
Speaker A:That funny about that, though.
Speaker A:So he took, like, tears off.
Speaker A:I mean, I slept him.
Speaker A:I. I hit him so hard, he bounced off the cage and then was flat for, like, five minutes, probably.
Speaker A:Flat, like, damn.
Speaker A:Like, dead, you know?
Speaker A:But he took, like, two years off.
Speaker A:Oh.
Speaker A:And I haven't seen him since, Right?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then so I go to game fit.
Speaker A:Sack.
Speaker A:Shout out to Game fit.
Speaker A:Shout out to Lamb.
Speaker A:My strength and conditioning program coaches a bunch of football.
Speaker A:All these pro guys.
Speaker A:Bad.
Speaker A:The best SNC on the planet.
Speaker A:I'm watching on Instagram a story.
Speaker A:I'm like, is that song he did that was at my gym, bro.
Speaker A:He was there training.
Speaker A:I'm like, what the.
Speaker A:And I haven't seen him in years.
Speaker A:Two years.
Speaker A:I haven't seen him.
Speaker A:And we were never cool.
Speaker A:We never took shook hands, talk like.
Speaker A:And then it.
Speaker A:I hit up Lamb, my coach.
Speaker A:I'm like.
Speaker A:He's like, you training my enemy.
Speaker A:You trained.
Speaker B:You training the office.
Speaker A:I couldn't recognize him.
Speaker A:He's like.
Speaker A:He's like.
Speaker A:He didn't say anything.
Speaker B:It's 10 years.
Speaker A:He didn't say anything.
Speaker A:Oh, Max knocked me out, you know, he didn't say nothing like that.
Speaker B:I don't expect him to.
Speaker A:But how you gonna do that?
Speaker A:How you gonna go to my place?
Speaker A:We don't even say anything to me.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Kind of weird, but, like, you know, go to my private gym, my coach, and not even say anything.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Talking about other.
Speaker B:Other UFC fighters who are some of, like, the best friends you've made throughout your career and also who are some of the, you know, rising newcomers that you.
Speaker B:That are exciting to watch, man.
Speaker A:I say shout out to Fluffy.
Speaker A:Fluffy.
Speaker A:Fluffy.
Speaker A:Anthony Hernandez, bro.
Speaker A:He's a goon.
Speaker A:I've been with him since he was 15.
Speaker A:He came to the gym and he's been under my wing for.
Speaker A:Yeah, he's under my wing then.
Speaker A:Now he's hugging.
Speaker A:He has his own wings.
Speaker A:Animal.
Speaker A:He's, I want to say number eight middleweight in the world.
Speaker A:He's fighting Roman.
Speaker A:Delete Day August 9th main event UFC.
Speaker A:He's a savage.
Speaker A:Y' all gotta get him on the show.
Speaker B:No, definitely.
Speaker A:He's from Dunnigan, from Woodland.
Speaker A:He's a real Mexican.
Speaker A:He's dog, man.
Speaker A:He's a dog.
Speaker A:Yeah, but Anthony, yeah, shout out to Anthony.
Speaker A:But I mean, so many.
Speaker A:There's so many, like, there's so many UFC guys and so many teammates of mine as, like I said, like used to beef with alpha male for years.
Speaker A:I mean, I thought, like, I defended my belt against like all the alpha male guys, like locally before.
Speaker A:So there was always like, punk, you know.
Speaker A:Mm.
Speaker A:But then I was gonna fight this guy, Cowboy Oliveira.
Speaker A:Alex Oliveira, crazy Brazilian, he's pretty good.
Speaker A:But I was gonna fight him and they alpha male had a guy named Slava, Slava Boruchev, he's in UFC right now.
Speaker A:Slava Claus.
Speaker A:He's good.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:So like, yeah, we get a guy for you to spar.
Speaker A:So I sparred this guy.
Speaker A:Great rounds, mind you.
Speaker A:Great fucking high level fucking kickboxing rounds.
Speaker A:And then we're done.
Speaker A:He's like, oh, he's a seven time world champion.
Speaker A:Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:I'm like, y', all, I see y', all, I see y' all trying to get me.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker A:But after that it was like that, like united us.
Speaker A:Like, they're like, you know, you're really not that bad.
Speaker A:People talking about you, but, you know, you're, you're stand up guy and blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:It's not true what they say about you.
Speaker A:And that's kind of how it usually is, you know, But I like merged Sacramento.
Speaker A:Like after that happened, my manager, we started cross training by manager Dave Hirschbein.
Speaker A:Linked up with Uriah Faber.
Speaker A:He runs that.
Speaker A:He's a general shout out to Uriah.
Speaker A:But they linked up and then Hirschbine, like started managing all their guys and then I started cross training.
Speaker A:I like squash the beef, you know.
Speaker A:We were beefing for 10 years our long, you know, forever, and then we squashed it.
Speaker A:And now, now I'm over there, you know, and yeah, it's great, man.
Speaker A:It's like it really.
Speaker A:But there's so many guys.
Speaker A:Josh Hammond.
Speaker A:I mean, there's so many guys over there.
Speaker A:So many Great coaches.
Speaker A:It's amazing.
Speaker A:But it was like, it was necessary.
Speaker A:Like, instead of fighting all the time, like, have peace, man.
Speaker A:I mean, fight if you have to, but to me, it's like, don't fight for nothing, you know?
Speaker A:Don't fight for something, for, like, why are we fighting?
Speaker A:You know, it's like at the end of the day, it's like it doesn't benefit anyone.
Speaker A:I mean.
Speaker A:I mean, the world wants us to fight.
Speaker A:The government wants us all to fight and be divided.
Speaker A:But we're strong together, man.
Speaker B:No, definitely.
Speaker B:And they, like you said, they put out some dogs.
Speaker B:I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker B:Since I was a little kid, Team Alpha Male been putting out dogs.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:All those guys, man.
Speaker A:So many good guys and good coaches.
Speaker A:Shout out to my coach.
Speaker A:Coach Joey, Danny Castillo.
Speaker A:I mean, there's Cody.
Speaker A:I mean, there's so many guys over there.
Speaker A:It's like a Rolodex Legends, man.
Speaker A:Clay Guida.
Speaker A:Shout out to Guida.
Speaker A:He's just doing donuts in a Lambo with Josh.
Speaker A:Emmett.
Speaker A:They're like on some rally car tour, driving around Arizona right now.
Speaker A:It's a cool thing.
Speaker A:It's a cool.
Speaker A:It's kind.
Speaker A:It's not kinda.
Speaker A:It's a really cool life that I have because I am a fight fan, but I feel like I don't work.
Speaker A:Like, yes, I work, but my work is training.
Speaker A:You know, I fight twice a year, so it's like, that's not really your work.
Speaker A:The work is what you do every day, you know?
Speaker A:So I'm training hard.
Speaker A:I go to multiple gyms.
Speaker A:Shout out the gym.
Speaker A:Shout out to MMA Gold.
Speaker A:Yeah, my teams, man, I have three teams.
Speaker A:I'm one of the guys that kind of bounces around, you know, I do three days at Marinobles, three days alpha male, three days at sending, you know, with the Grapple boys.
Speaker A:We have a thing where what we found.
Speaker A:Because people.
Speaker A:People get weird about, like, like, I'm only gonna train over here.
Speaker A:Like, that's fine, that's cool.
Speaker A:But you're missing opportunities, like, to train with guys that are close to you, that are really fucking good, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah, like, like, like, if I didn't go reach out to Slava and train with Slava, I wouldn't.
Speaker A:It wouldn't.
Speaker A:I mean, something else may happen to draw me to Alpha Male, but now I have all the coaches, the team, the resources, like, and then, then they're learning from me.
Speaker A:It's like team camaraderie.
Speaker A:Like, yeah, people, like, you have to learn, man.
Speaker A:People think they know Everything, no one does.
Speaker A:So you gotta like keep fucking learning, man.
Speaker A:If you don't learn, and if you don't learn, you get left.
Speaker A:You don't change and evolve.
Speaker A:You have to constantly evolve.
Speaker A:Like if you're just doing the same, like you're stagnant, bro, Stagnant.
Speaker A:You have to learn and be more efficient.
Speaker A:Like, so I'm, I'm trained.
Speaker A:I train so hard every day, but also I recover hard.
Speaker A:Like when we were younger, we used to fight to the death, you know, Fight to the death.
Speaker A:It's like, we're not getting paid now.
Speaker A:I'm like, we're not getting paid for that.
Speaker A:I'm not gonna fight this to the death.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:When I have a fight in a month, you know what I mean?
Speaker A:And you get hurt, you can't fight.
Speaker A:And then what?
Speaker A:Oh, you can't fight.
Speaker A:Then you're now six months.
Speaker A:Then it's, it's.
Speaker A:So now we have a great group of guys.
Speaker A:We have a thing called the Grapple Boys.
Speaker A:Shout out the Grapple Boys.
Speaker A:We kind of made our own thing.
Speaker A:Like, I'm probably the only one that's not a black belt and be in Brazilian bjj.
Speaker A:There's on my brown belt and other black belts, but everyone's like a gym owner.
Speaker A:Shout out to Elliot.
Speaker A:Ryan Loader, the homie.
Speaker A:All American 1 Ultimate Fighter.
Speaker A:We got him.
Speaker A:We have my other guy, Sean.
Speaker A:The Sean's in Old Grove American Grappling Academy.
Speaker A:So like, they're all like gym owners that are like, badass.
Speaker A:I'm like the littlest dude.
Speaker A:I'm the littlest in there.
Speaker A:They're all big, big behemoths, you know.
Speaker A:But we'll link up on our own three days a week and we'll roll and we'll do positions and we'll grapple hard.
Speaker A:But you like, but we're safe.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:What I find is like intention, man.
Speaker A:Like intentions of people.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:I could tell when someone's trying to hurt me or someone's trying to me up.
Speaker A:Like, it's usually like newer guys with egos, like, I don't spar with really new dudes.
Speaker A:I spar with high level guys that are like, they're just trying to beat you, not hurt you.
Speaker A:There's a difference between a guy that's gonna try to fucking blow your knee out or, or fucking wrench.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:We have in your ankle lock and they.
Speaker A:If I make a lock, I'm be like, you know, have you there.
Speaker A:I'm not gonna crank it.
Speaker A:Like, it's these newer guys, remember a newer guy then got brought in.
Speaker A:The grapple boys.
Speaker A:One of the guys, Gibron brought this guy.
Speaker A:They're like, yeah, you know, I think he's.
Speaker A:He's ready to hang out or, you know, jump in with us or whatever.
Speaker A:This fool's fish hooking us.
Speaker A:Cheating.
Speaker A:Like, cheating when we're grappling.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Like, I picked him up.
Speaker A:I was.
Speaker A:I had him, like, on my shoulder, like, gonna double.
Speaker A:Like, he was already up.
Speaker A:I'm like, I'm not gonna slam this fool.
Speaker A:I, like, gently put him down.
Speaker A:He tries to guillotine me hella hard.
Speaker A:I'm like, slam that.
Speaker A:You know, like, if I have you up, like, feeding the air.
Speaker A:Yeah, we're training.
Speaker A:I'm not gonna slam the out of you.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'm gonna, like, put you down and we'll continue.
Speaker A:No, I'm not.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:I'm not gonna try to hurt you.
Speaker A:Basically, this tried to jump the gilly and try to, like, neck crank me and like that.
Speaker A:I remember I slammed the.
Speaker A:Out of him on the ground.
Speaker A:And Elliot looked.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:He's so good, but he's so calm.
Speaker A:He's like.
Speaker A:He reminds me of Superman, like, when he has a suit on still, you know, he's just like.
Speaker A:Like, you wouldn't know.
Speaker A:He's like a killer, you know?
Speaker A:But I slammed them.
Speaker A:I talked to Elliot after about.
Speaker A:He's like, max, I looked at you and I was like, you know, what's he doing?
Speaker A:Then he was like, you know, he knows what he's doing.
Speaker A:He deserved that, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But on the thread, we're like, I'm like, that fool.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Everyone else, like, he fish hooked me.
Speaker A:He did this.
Speaker A:He fucking.
Speaker A:He's never been back, you know what I mean?
Speaker A:But, like, you can't.
Speaker A:Like, I've been beat so much like, like, like, like, like emotionally in this, this.
Speaker A:In this game, bro.
Speaker A:It's like I've been ran over and squashed and, like, there's no ego anymore.
Speaker A:I don't have ego.
Speaker A:It's like, I've been so embarrassed.
Speaker A:I, like, I don't give a.
Speaker A:Like, I can't remember.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So for me, it's like we're trying to get better, and it's intense.
Speaker A:We could feel this, you know?
Speaker A:So, yeah, you train with guys and you surround yourself with guys that have, like, like, mind, like, they want you to succeed.
Speaker A:You'll be with people around you that, like, get jealous.
Speaker A:You, like, he made it.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:He won that fight.
Speaker A:Oh, he Got the bonus.
Speaker A:He had another hundred grand.
Speaker A:They come under.
Speaker A:You'll be happy.
Speaker A:You gotta be happy for your homies.
Speaker A:You know, you gotta be happy for success.
Speaker A:Like, that's.
Speaker A:You want everyone to bubble.
Speaker A:Like, there's people that don't want that.
Speaker A:You know, there's people, a lot of people, that don't.
Speaker A:Like, they act cool, but they're like, he has a big house.
Speaker A:He has a nice car.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, I watched a video, and I think it was Mike Epps, and he said something about that my success isn't a portrayal, isn't a projection of your failure.
Speaker B:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:It's not like I can succeed and you.
Speaker B:You can still succeed as well, type thing, but people will take that as a projection of their failure, and they'll.
Speaker A:Project internal thing that they need to.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:You need to do more.
Speaker B:You know, don't look in the mirror.
Speaker A:And see, you know, Comparison, man.
Speaker A:Comparison's a bad thing.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Comparison is a thief of all.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm doing a new stuff with Micah.
Speaker A:Shout out to Micah.
Speaker A:He's one of my new mental performance coaches in the ufc.
Speaker A:And I do this.
Speaker A:I do these resets.
Speaker A:He's like, put these little stickers up around your house.
Speaker A:My stickers.
Speaker A:You know, and at first, I didn't do it.
Speaker A:Like, I didn't do it yet.
Speaker A:I talked to him.
Speaker A:He's like, I didn't do it yet.
Speaker A:You know, do it.
Speaker A:Trust me, I did.
Speaker A:But it, like, makes you reset.
Speaker A:Like, you look at it and, like.
Speaker A:Because we're always thinking our subconscious for always.
Speaker A:Always.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Yeah, always.
Speaker A:And it gives you, like, a.
Speaker A:Like, what are you thinking about?
Speaker A:Is it negative?
Speaker A:You know, Is it like.
Speaker A:It's like a radio station, okay?
Speaker A:Like, there's so many different frequencies in this room, you can't even see it.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:I mean, if you turn the fucking dial, you get this.
Speaker A:You get them.
Speaker A:But, like, even.
Speaker A:Even this, what we could see, we can see, like, 3% of light.
Speaker A:Like, we can't see infrared.
Speaker A:We can't see radio waves.
Speaker A:We can't see gamma rays.
Speaker A:We can see.
Speaker A:You know, I said uv, red light.
Speaker A:We can't.
Speaker A:We can't see.
Speaker A:Like, there's so much energy and.
Speaker A:But you're doing these resets.
Speaker A:I see the thing, and I'm like, what am I thinking about?
Speaker A:But comparison is one of those.
Speaker A:Am I trying to compare myself to someone?
Speaker A:Like, what do they have?
Speaker A:It's not good.
Speaker A:Like you said, you know, it's not good, but you need to know like, you got to be accountable, man.
Speaker A:You got to know what you're thinking about and get reps thinking positively.
Speaker A:At least just even knowing.
Speaker A:It's like a pulse check.
Speaker A:What am I thinking right now?
Speaker A:So they're like in my house, in my refrigerator, on my fridge, you know, and it's like, oh, what am I thinking about?
Speaker A:But you gotta get experience.
Speaker A:Reps are experienced.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And the more experience you have dealing with something, the easier you could just do it.
Speaker A:So really we need to be in the present if you're thinking of in the future.
Speaker A:You have anxiety if you think about the past.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You're depressed.
Speaker A:So you gotta think now.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:No, you know, you gotta.
Speaker A:It's in the present.
Speaker A:But it's always now.
Speaker B:No, for sure.
Speaker A:Always now.
Speaker A:It's now now.
Speaker A:And it's now now and now again.
Speaker A:Like it's always now.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And when you get lost, like you said, either in front of now or behind now, that's where.
Speaker B:Where all those thoughts come in.
Speaker A:For sure, dude.
Speaker A:For sure, for sure.
Speaker A:No, yeah, for sure.
Speaker A:Like that's.
Speaker A:So if you could remind yourself to be present, buy this little sticker.
Speaker A:I have little post it notes.
Speaker A:It's the same color as these.
Speaker A:Like the exact same color.
Speaker A:And it's just like a little pulse check.
Speaker A:Like, okay, you know, okay, rib myself away.
Speaker A:Everything's fine in the moment.
Speaker A:Everything.
Speaker A:Everything.
Speaker A:But it's, it's, it's, you know, it's.
Speaker A:It's the news, it's.
Speaker A:Everything did the world.
Speaker A:It's chaos.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It could be.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:I mean, they want it to be.
Speaker B:Right, but it also could be good if you frame your mind.
Speaker A:It's up to us.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Intentionally move.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's.
Speaker A:No one controls us.
Speaker A:Yeah, they want to control us, but it's.
Speaker A:People don't want to be by themselves.
Speaker A:People don't want to.
Speaker A:They're always trying to do something.
Speaker A:They're always trying to do something.
Speaker A:Be by yourself.
Speaker B:I think it starts with being honest with yourself because like they think people control them because they're not realizing that they're just exactly.
Speaker B:Negatively controlling themselves.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's like be honest with yourself.
Speaker A:You did.
Speaker B:You did.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You put yourself in that position or you were thinking this way and it's like, be honest with yourself.
Speaker B:Where can you, you know, find more peace or happiness in what you're doing on a daily basis?
Speaker B:And oftentimes it's things like that.
Speaker B:Be present or find the happiness in the little things you're doing or remind yourself what you're grateful for every day.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, like just the small little things that you can remember.
Speaker A:Gratitude Journal.
Speaker A:It sounds, you know, stupid or woo woo.
Speaker A:But I'm all about the woo woo.
Speaker A:Oh yeah.
Speaker A:That's where everything is.
Speaker A:That's where.
Speaker A:But like, it's just, it's crazy, man.
Speaker A:Just being present is so cuz.
Speaker A:Like to be in the flow state, right.
Speaker A:You gotta be present.
Speaker A:There's no time in the flow state.
Speaker A:No time.
Speaker A:And the flow state is like when we're doing stuff, but it's also like when we're hanging out, having fun.
Speaker A:Time flies.
Speaker A:Like it's time to go.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You weren't thinking about the time.
Speaker A:You weren't like, oh, what time is it now?
Speaker A:What time is it now?
Speaker A:But when you like part of being in the zone is there's no time.
Speaker A:There's no time.
Speaker A:Time doesn't exist.
Speaker A:Like that's why shit's like slow mo and shit's.
Speaker A:But you have to, you have to make that happen.
Speaker A:But that starts with yourself.
Speaker A:And it starts with like yourself, man.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:You got to be present.
Speaker A:Even just sitting by yourself.
Speaker A:Like I meditate, I do all that, you know, but it's even.
Speaker A:You don't have to like be, be like in a dark room.
Speaker A:And I mean, you can.
Speaker A:And that does, you know, that is another thing.
Speaker A:But being mindful, being present is so powerful, man.
Speaker A:So powerful.
Speaker A:Everyone's trying to distract you.
Speaker A:Everything, everything.
Speaker A:But you can sit by yourself.
Speaker A:Like that's where peace is, man.
Speaker A:And then you could get used to that.
Speaker A:Then you'll have more peace and you get reps on that.
Speaker A:Then your body's like, you know, it's good, man.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Less cortisol, less stress.
Speaker A:Stress is a killer, man.
Speaker B:Oh yeah.
Speaker B:And especially in what you do, that flow state is mandatory.
Speaker B:You, you can't go into a fight thinking about what you were doing yesterday or what you're doing tomorrow.
Speaker B:You have to be in that moment or you can literally die.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:I think people don't sometimes realize that.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's amazing to see it in real time because it's like, it makes sense how you're able to get there because you're even making that mental work.
Speaker A:Every day for sure.
Speaker A:But even like driving, like I, I do it, I'm gonna lie, text and drive and.
Speaker A:But like not all the time, you know.
Speaker A:And I try to be my present man.
Speaker A:That's like the power is being present.
Speaker A:I took a shower today and so like kind of like the plate Thing.
Speaker A:My new.
Speaker A:My guy, Micah, he's like, take a shower and just think about the shower.
Speaker A:Just think about the soap, Think about the smell.
Speaker A:Think about washing your hand.
Speaker A:Think about washing your shit.
Speaker A:You know, same thing.
Speaker A:Like the plate, bro.
Speaker A:It's like, I'm thinking about kicking Chris Curtis in the head for real today.
Speaker A:I'm like, you know, took more toe stabs, you know, I'm just thinking.
Speaker A:I'm, like, trying to bring it back.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But, like, try it.
Speaker A:Try it, man.
Speaker A:Try it.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:But you have to practice it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You have to intentionally be present, you know, like the shower thing.
Speaker A:So now.
Speaker A:But if you're thinking on this.
Speaker A:Oh, you're.
Speaker A:You're really locking in on what you're doing when there's so much else going on.
Speaker A:But then you could do it everywhere.
Speaker A:You could.
Speaker A:Like, like, our power is limitless.
Speaker A:It's unlimited.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:We just have to be present.
Speaker A:It's all inside, bro.
Speaker A:We're souls in a.
Speaker A:Like a biological body.
Speaker A:Like, we're.
Speaker A:We are.
Speaker A:Our consciousness is a.
Speaker A:It's eternal, bro.
Speaker A:And does its thing like you.
Speaker A:We're powerful.
Speaker A:We could do.
Speaker A:We could soul travel, bro.
Speaker A:I've been working on that.
Speaker A:I don't know if y' all know what that is.
Speaker A:The astral projection.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Break down a little bit, though.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker B:Isn't that, like, literally where you practice on, like.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Out of body experience someone.
Speaker A:Yeah, you could do it.
Speaker A:Like, I'm.
Speaker A:I'm still working on it.
Speaker A:It's like past meditation.
Speaker A:Like, meditation is like.
Speaker A:It's good.
Speaker A:It Zends you out.
Speaker A:You're calm.
Speaker A:And then you could maneuver.
Speaker A:Because if, like.
Speaker A:Like when.
Speaker A:Like when you're mad and your brain turns off, like, for, like, consequence and stuff, that's why you can't get mad in the fight.
Speaker A:Like, you get mad.
Speaker A:You don't think the right.
Speaker A:Like, you have to be calm.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:With any situation that people.
Speaker A:You and they throw some just in your house.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You know, and you do shit you regret.
Speaker A:People do shit they regret when they're pissed.
Speaker A:If you've seen that.
Speaker A:That picture, it's like a wolf jumping off a cliff.
Speaker A:Like, jump.
Speaker A:Like biting a.
Speaker A:Look.
Speaker A:Biting like a bird or something like that.
Speaker A:Like, who really lost?
Speaker A:Who won that?
Speaker A:You know, the wolf that jumped off the cliff is dead now because it lost its anger.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Or.
Speaker A:But yeah, the astral projection.
Speaker A:This is interesting stuff.
Speaker A:There's good books.
Speaker A:There's a book called Adventures Outside the Body by William Pullman.
Speaker A:I started Getting into that.
Speaker A:I listen to Joe Rogan a lot, shout out to Joe the homie.
Speaker A:But I heard a thing on.
Speaker A:I forgot what the guy's name was.
Speaker A:But he had a guy on there that was like a remote viewer.
Speaker A:That's same.
Speaker A:There was this guy that can go like.
Speaker A:Like, look at in other rooms, like, without being like, sitting here.
Speaker A:And he'd tell you what's in that room, okay?
Speaker A:And they're like, full, okay.
Speaker A:And they started testing it.
Speaker A:He started doing it, okay.
Speaker A:And then like, the government got them and they started testing them.
Speaker A:CIA and like, they had this, like, box had, like a magnet outside and, like, metal, like, all these different ways to like, protect, like, energy from going into it.
Speaker A:He was able to sit there and go another room and go into that little boxing and read what was in the box or whatever.
Speaker A:So I'm listening to this.
Speaker A:I'm like, oh, like, there's no coincidences.
Speaker A:Everything's like, supposed to happen.
Speaker A:So they did that.
Speaker A:And he's like.
Speaker A:Then they, like, put something in the safe.
Speaker A:My ears are getting hot.
Speaker A:I like it.
Speaker A:So then they put these numbers in the safe.
Speaker A:You could look all this up.
Speaker A:And then he went in this, sat in the room, looked in the safe, and told him was in the save what codes?
Speaker A:And then you're like, what the.
Speaker A:How the is this happening?
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:And then started getting deeper and deeper and doing more and more, you know?
Speaker A:And then they started, like, he.
Speaker A:He'd go in, like, different, like, countries.
Speaker A:Like, like they.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:They would give my coordinates on a map and have them go like 300, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:And he'd go and tell you what the was there.
Speaker A:I swear to God that's true.
Speaker A:And then, like, hearing this was like.
Speaker A:It jogged my memory back to like, oh, all this because my dad used to do this, bro.
Speaker A:That's why you left.
Speaker A:That's why he left us.
Speaker A:I figured it out.
Speaker A:He used to study this religion back in the day called Eckankar.
Speaker A:And they soul travel.
Speaker A:Like, they teach you how to do it, but it's through meditation.
Speaker A:And then you do a certain.
Speaker A:And you could leave.
Speaker A:And I was thinking, my dad used to sit in his room, bro.
Speaker A:In his.
Speaker A:My dad six.
Speaker A:Six black.
Speaker A:As black as your fucking shirt.
Speaker A:Sorry, dad.
Speaker A:But he'd fucking.
Speaker A:He'd be in his tighty whities, bro.
Speaker A:I remember he'd walk around the house, all my friends there, and I'm like, hella tall, right?
Speaker A:Like, balls are like eye height high.
Speaker B:Come on, man.
Speaker A:Yeah, I remember him, like, being in his Room meditating, though.
Speaker A:He play his piano and be in his room meditating for.
Speaker A:That's all I remember, like, him doing it when I was younger, you know, he was meditating, you know, as I got older, right now I'm like, that's what he was doing.
Speaker A:But it's found soul travel.
Speaker A:So basically, I remember what he used to do.
Speaker A:He got kind of crazy from it because he did it so much that he didn't give a.
Speaker A:About us, you know, really.
Speaker A:He could go, go, look at this.
Speaker A:Go look at that.
Speaker A:Like, leave.
Speaker A:And you're like a little, like a eye.
Speaker A:Like a sh.
Speaker A:Like little soul.
Speaker A:This Anywhere you want to go.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So as I was hearing this guy on the Joe Rogan thing, it all, like, kind of connected to me.
Speaker A:I'm like, I guess I'm gonna do this again.
Speaker A:I was like, I'm gonna start exploring this again.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, And I did.
Speaker A:So then I.
Speaker A:This was pretty recent.
Speaker A:This is probably last six months I've been on it.
Speaker A:But yeah, reading into it and learning how to do it.
Speaker A:But it's crazy, man.
Speaker A:It's another.
Speaker A:But he.
Speaker A:But so my dad got like, crazy, like, like he didn't give a like about his family, bro.
Speaker A:Like, he just do that.
Speaker A:If you could.
Speaker A:I mean, not.
Speaker A:You could go.
Speaker A:You could fly, you could.
Speaker A:Like a bird.
Speaker A:Like, shh.
Speaker A:But even faster, you know, it's like wherever you think it's like you're there.
Speaker A:Like the speed of light, you know.
Speaker B:Mental teleportation.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Really.
Speaker A:Really.
Speaker A:Really.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker A:He got kind of crazy, which I, I, I'd probably be crazy too, if that.
Speaker A:If you could just.
Speaker A:He was in his room every day, bro, for years.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Sitting like this in his underwear.
Speaker A:He was doing something.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:So looking back, he got.
Speaker A:He got regular.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:I think, I think he started getting in trouble out there because there's different dimensions, there's different entities, there's different powers.
Speaker A:Like, it's not like, just safe out there.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, it's wild, man.
Speaker A:It's the wild west.
Speaker A:But when I got older, he told, you know, he had to kind of settle back down and kind of come back.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think he got in trouble out there and stuff and then came back.
Speaker A:But like, I need to be my family.
Speaker A:I need the.
Speaker A:I had fun for 20 years.
Speaker A:However the long he was doing it.
Speaker A:But yeah, now he's like, regular now.
Speaker A:Told me about it.
Speaker A:Said some crazy.
Speaker A:He said he.
Speaker A:Yeah, he said crazy experiences, but hearing it from Other people and reading more about it and seeing the science of it and hearing the proof for the CIA and just these different, like, real proof of it.
Speaker A:There's real proof of it.
Speaker A:You just have to.
Speaker A:You just got to put in the work, man.
Speaker A:And does your dad, like, does he still practice it to this day like that at all?
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:He wrote a book about it.
Speaker A:He even had, like, a following.
Speaker A:He had, like.
Speaker A:He had, like, a religion.
Speaker A:He had, like.
Speaker A:He had people, like, he had people doing the.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker A:I've reached out recently.
Speaker A:He let me get part of his books.
Speaker A:I was like, so now I'm back in.
Speaker A:I'm like, let me, you know, see.
Speaker A:Read that book you got.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:But he's up on game, man.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker A:He even turned the light off in my room, bro.
Speaker A:I swear to God, he turned the light.
Speaker A:When I was a teenager, he turned the light off my room.
Speaker A:He was, like, in la, and we're in the room and the light turned off.
Speaker A:I think I called him.
Speaker A:He called me, but he did it, you know.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker B:That's a trip.
Speaker A:That's a trip.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You see that light turn off, but it's nuts, man.
Speaker A:So, like.
Speaker A:But just knowing, like, what is possible and stuff.
Speaker A:There's no limit, man.
Speaker A:There's no limit.
Speaker A:So now I'm.
Speaker A:I've been working on that.
Speaker A:Seeing is believing too, you know?
Speaker A:So it's like you've seen it firsthand that you know for sure.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And so I had an experience, and it connected me to the book that I was reading.
Speaker A:So I'd say I was an adult.
Speaker A:It's my apartments.
Speaker A:Maybe eight years ago, I got home.
Speaker A:Lights were stolen in my room.
Speaker A:I lay down.
Speaker A:I'm not asleep yet.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:I lay in my bed.
Speaker A:And then I'm laying there.
Speaker A:And then I, like, I hear, like, a little kid laughing.
Speaker A:Like, I'm like, what the.
Speaker A:And then, like, I feel like, a little tug.
Speaker A:I'm, like, tripping.
Speaker A:I'm like.
Speaker A:My eyes are closed.
Speaker A:I'm like, what the is happening?
Speaker A:And then I, like, hear, like, a Loki laughing again.
Speaker A:I'm like.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:It was weird.
Speaker A:I'm like.
Speaker A:And I, like, felt my body, like, lifting off the bed, bro.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:And like, I was still conscious.
Speaker A:Like, I was.
Speaker A:I wasn't asleep.
Speaker A:And I just, like, felt myself, like, lifting up, bro.
Speaker A:I don't know if it feels like a physical body or, like, my spirit or whatever.
Speaker A:I don't know, but I was, like, going into my mind I'm like, play cool.
Speaker A:Play cool.
Speaker A:And I was like, playing it cool.
Speaker A:Like, just go with it, right?
Speaker A:You know, I was going.
Speaker A:And then, like, fire got pretty high.
Speaker A:Maybe like four by three feet, I guess.
Speaker A:Probably just my spirit, my soul, you know, But I was going.
Speaker A:My consciousness, and I was going, and I was like, on my back.
Speaker A:And then, like, I started, like, fucking turning.
Speaker A:Like, it, like, rolled me over.
Speaker A:And then I freaked the fuck out.
Speaker A:Like, I was going, and then it was like, I was probably like.
Speaker A:Like that far.
Speaker A:And I fucking like, freak the out.
Speaker A:And then I was on the bed.
Speaker A:Like, what the.
Speaker A:I got out of the bed, called my girl.
Speaker A:Like, what the.
Speaker A:I was shook.
Speaker A:Shook, bro.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Caught up.
Speaker A:Called my girl.
Speaker A:Come over.
Speaker A:Am I going to sleep tripping?
Speaker A:I was an adult.
Speaker A:I was like 30 or something, you know.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker A:So I was like, they didn't.
Speaker A:Didn't know I was asleep yet or.
Speaker A:So I had that experience, right?
Speaker A:And then I'm reading this new book that I've read that eventually even the body.
Speaker A:And he's describing different ways.
Speaker A:Leave your body.
Speaker A:You could roll out or sit up.
Speaker A:All this different.
Speaker A:And he mentions.
Speaker A:He's like, you know, this one's part of the book, bro.
Speaker A:I swear to God, it's like you hear, like.
Speaker A:You'll hear like a kid laughing.
Speaker A:Because I guess we have guides and different people and helping us.
Speaker A:Not people, but.
Speaker A:But different guys and stuff.
Speaker A:But it said you'll hear.
Speaker A:You hear like, kids laughing, and you feel the tug and then you feel yourself raised.
Speaker A:It was exactly what happened to me.
Speaker A:Like, exactly.
Speaker A:Like, to a fucking T. Like, I wrote that part, you know, Exactly.
Speaker A:So I was just like, I'm fucking almost there, you know, Or I was almost there on my own, you know, on accident, really.
Speaker A:But when I.
Speaker A:When that shit did happen, I called my dad that next day and he started laughing.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:Before I even, like, told him.
Speaker A:He's actually more like a.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Like a weird, like, kind of laugh, you know?
Speaker A:And he knew.
Speaker A:He knew I was trying to do it or.
Speaker A:Honey, I was scared to.
Speaker A:You know, I can't be scared.
Speaker A:So I almost did on accident in that book.
Speaker A:Like, that was exactly, like.
Speaker A:With the kid laughing.
Speaker A:That and then the tug that was like.
Speaker A:And then it says, you lift.
Speaker A:And so I was going, yeah, but I got scared.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:If.
Speaker A:If you think about, like, anything or, like, like your bed or, like.
Speaker A:So the book's cool because he starts doing it and then it's like a journal.
Speaker A:He teach you how to do or.
Speaker A:He tells his experience how he starts doing.
Speaker A:He does it, like, on accident when he's a kid.
Speaker A:He starts doing it, I believe.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And then he starts, like, testing.
Speaker A:He, like, puts, like, a pencil on the desk.
Speaker A:There's different dimensions.
Speaker A:It's like this one that looks like this, like, exactly like this, but you just can't, like, touch it and.
Speaker A:But, like, the same.
Speaker A:It's just like one dimension further.
Speaker A:But he, like, do tests.
Speaker A:He put, like, a pencil on the edge and see if he could wake up and touch it.
Speaker A:And, like, it wouldn't work.
Speaker A:So, like, he tried.
Speaker A:He got, like, stuck in the ceiling one time.
Speaker A:And anytime you think about, like, your body or you go back, like I thought.
Speaker A:It's your thought.
Speaker A:Door.
Speaker A:You're the door.
Speaker A:This.
Speaker A:That he said one time.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:He was doing it, and then there was some, like, reading this book.
Speaker A:Like, it.
Speaker A:So, like, you read his.
Speaker A:He does it for years.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:It's like years of just his journaling.
Speaker A:Oh, I did this.
Speaker A:I went here.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:And one of the things was he was sitting up or chilling, and then he said some other dude was, like, reading his journal.
Speaker A:Some other.
Speaker A:In his.
Speaker A:Like, some other was, like, in his.
Speaker A:You know.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker A:Yeah, he was like, hey, the guy ran off.
Speaker A:And then he.
Speaker A:He, like, woke up.
Speaker A:And, like.
Speaker A:So it's cool.
Speaker A:It's really cool, too, because.
Speaker B:Sounds kind of scary, too.
Speaker B:You don't really know what all is out there.
Speaker A:Like, dude, this is.
Speaker A:Versus the physical world is like.
Speaker A:Like the heaviest.
Speaker A:We're all energy, bro.
Speaker A:This is all energy.
Speaker A:Molecules, atoms.
Speaker A:Like, it's all energy.
Speaker A:Like, if you've done DNP or any like that, it's all.
Speaker A:But this in general, this is everything's energy.
Speaker A:Everything.
Speaker A:Everything.
Speaker A:All.
Speaker A:Everything is.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, so, like, it's a trip.
Speaker A:So that.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's what I'm working on now.
Speaker A:I'm working on.
Speaker A:The physical is cool, but everyone's trying to keep us in the physical.
Speaker A:All this, like, all the chaos, all the.
Speaker A:It's all.
Speaker A:They keep us physical, man, like, inside.
Speaker A:And, like, that's who we are, man.
Speaker A:So I'm trying to, like, blast off and really work it.
Speaker A:I'm trying to work it not just for me, but just.
Speaker A:I feel like if I could get to that.
Speaker A:That higher of a level, like, I could do more for the world and, like, imagine what you could do, man.
Speaker A:Limitless.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm about to be in my room, my underwear.
Speaker B:Every day.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's great.
Speaker A:I won't leave my family, though.
Speaker A:You?
Speaker B:Nah, bro.
Speaker B:But before we wrap it up, thank you again for coming out all this way for us.
Speaker B:I wanted to ask you, bro, before we end every episode, we ask every guest, is there a piece of advice or something that stuck with you through your career that maybe somebody who's watching on our side or your side could use to be better?
Speaker A:This episode, they get a little crazy, little spacey.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You never know where it's gonna go.
Speaker B:That's unquestionable for you, man.
Speaker B:Every.
Speaker B:Every episode, we talk about anything, bro.
Speaker A:You'll never know any and everything.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, I would say I have a couple things.
Speaker A:I'd say authenticity is so important.
Speaker A:Everyone's trying to be someone else, you know, everyone's trying to be cool or be.
Speaker A:Be this or be that.
Speaker A:Be yourself.
Speaker A:You know, just be yourself.
Speaker A:Be the.
Speaker A:Out of yourself.
Speaker A:Like I used to be.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:What's the UFC one?
Speaker A:They want to be like this.
Speaker A:I'm gonna be like that.
Speaker A:These fans, I want to piss them off.
Speaker A:I don't want to make them out.
Speaker A:You can't make everybody happy.
Speaker A:It's impossible.
Speaker A:There's too many people.
Speaker A:There's always some that's not gonna like what you said.
Speaker A:There's people that just argue for no reason.
Speaker A:Just, you know, people online that.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, people talk to me some.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You have cte.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:Because I said something on a post like, you're tough, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Talking to me like, okay, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah, idiot.
Speaker B:On a blank Instagram account named cgxy333.
Speaker A:You know?
Speaker A:But, like, be yourself.
Speaker A:Like, I feel like there's honor in that, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:People.
Speaker A:People always.
Speaker A:People don't know who the they are, you know, People don't know who the they are because they're always.
Speaker A:They're.
Speaker A:They're so.
Speaker A:They're so scattered, man.
Speaker A:They're so scattered.
Speaker A:Or you're spreading themselves too thin.
Speaker A:Like, less is more.
Speaker A:Less is more sometimes, man.
Speaker B:No, definitely.
Speaker A:But be authentic.
Speaker A:That shit's the realest you can be, man.
Speaker A:Being true to yourself.
Speaker A:Like, you can sleep at night.
Speaker A:You can look in the mirror.
Speaker A:Don't look in the mirror.
Speaker A:And, you know, if you think you're a piece of.
Speaker A:Change it.
Speaker A:You know, if there's stuff that you can change, you can always change.
Speaker A:It's a choice.
Speaker A:Like, our thoughts, you know?
Speaker A:It's a choice, like, if you're not happy with what you're doing or your situation, change it.
Speaker A:And don't think.
Speaker A:You can't.
Speaker A:You can, like, you can, you gotta believe.
Speaker A:But people are so stuck and it's like they don't wanna.
Speaker A:They don't want to think outside the box.
Speaker A:They don't want to go on a limb.
Speaker A:They don't want to take a risk in some job for their whole life.
Speaker A:And they think they like it.
Speaker A:You don't like it.
Speaker A:Like, be happy, man.
Speaker A:Like, life's too short, man.
Speaker A:I mean, this life, this life's short.
Speaker A:I mean, whatever happens next is up to you, but whatever you believe.
Speaker A:But be yourself.
Speaker A:Be good to people.
Speaker A:But like, you gotta take care of yourself.
Speaker A:People are always trying to please everyone else.
Speaker A:Please yourself first.
Speaker B:No, if you can't take care of yourself, you can't take care of yourself.
Speaker A:Yeah, love yourself, you can't love.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And people think that being selfish is a.
Speaker A:Is bad.
Speaker A:I don't think it is.
Speaker A:It could be if.
Speaker A:If you look at it that way, I'm someone's real greedy or something.
Speaker A:But I mean, you gotta take care of yourself.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:That's selfish.
Speaker A:You gotta like.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, selfish.
Speaker A:Selfish is a good thing.
Speaker A:The.
Speaker A:The world makes selfish scenes.
Speaker A:You're so selfish, you know, like, you gotta take care of yourself.
Speaker A:You can be the best for you.
Speaker A:Then you can take care of your family, your friends, your loved ones, you know, and ask for help.
Speaker A:You know, people have so much pride.
Speaker A:People have so much pride and ego and, you know, you don't know everything either.
Speaker A:You know, if you don't know.
Speaker A:I don't know everything, but I'll find out.
Speaker A:I'll ask.
Speaker B:Use your resources to find out.
Speaker B:We have unlimited resources.
Speaker A:Yeah, don't be scared to raise your hand.
Speaker A:Like everyone's like, like thinking you're not supposed to know everything.
Speaker A:You're not, you're not.
Speaker A:So don't act like it.
Speaker A:And they're like, oh, if I don't know, I'll find out.
Speaker A:I know people.
Speaker A:I could answer.
Speaker A:I know who I can call like 100.
Speaker A:Not a doctor.
Speaker A:I'll ask.
Speaker A:You know, unless someone.
Speaker A:Something, you know.
Speaker B:Yeah, that stops a lot of people in their tracks too.
Speaker B:Stops them from going forward, because they don't.
Speaker B:They don't even know what to do next.
Speaker A:But they don't even want to look.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker B:There's unlimited resources.
Speaker B:Go on.
Speaker B:Chat GBT now.
Speaker A:Yeah, easy.
Speaker A:Everyone get Chad GPT.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's that easy, bro.
Speaker B:If you want to know how to do something, set up a business or anything, they will give you step by step.
Speaker B:You could even tell them, hey, explain it to me like a kindergartner in 10 steps, and they will, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Just find it.
Speaker A:Yeah, but don't be scared.
Speaker A:Like, don't be.
Speaker A:No, don't think you're embarrassed.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And people always, like, they're trying to impress everyone.
Speaker A:They're trying to impress you.
Speaker A:Don't give a.
Speaker A:About them, you know, Trying to be cool to these people.
Speaker A:I don't even give a.
Speaker A:They know who the.
Speaker A:You are, and you're.
Speaker A:They won't even think about you as they walk by you.
Speaker A:And you're trying to impress them like that, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:They're so caught up in their own.
Speaker B:They're not even noticing the cool.
Speaker A:They don't give a.
Speaker A:Like, for real.
Speaker B:And everybody looking at me, though.
Speaker B:No, but that person probably saw you, but they didn't think nothing of it.
Speaker B:They probably just kept going on with their life.
Speaker B:The same way you look at somebody and be like, just keep going on with your life.
Speaker A:Like, you know, but they, like, made their identity.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Trying to, like, prove themselves to people who don't give a.
Speaker A:About them.
Speaker A:That's why you have to be really into yourself and, like, be present, man.
Speaker A:Be present.
Speaker A:You guys be in the moment.
Speaker A:Be good to each other.
Speaker B:Definitely.
Speaker B:Bro, you've dropped unlimited gems.
Speaker B:We're gonna have a hell of this one, honestly.
Speaker A:Clips, baby.
Speaker B:Honestly.
Speaker B:No, but let the people know where to find you.
Speaker B:Let us know what to look forward to, how we could support you in the future, and all of that, for sure.
Speaker A:I have merch on maxpaintstore.com My website is max payne griffin.com.
Speaker A:my Instagram is Max Payne Griffin.
Speaker A:I want to say the same on Twitter.
Speaker A:X, whatever they call it now, all the social media handles.
Speaker A:I'm going to.
Speaker A:I'm gonna start getting into the card games again.
Speaker A:The card games, sports cards.
Speaker A:Start running those again.
Speaker A:Team, no jobs.
Speaker A:I'm going out to Chicago this weekend, this week for Nationals.
Speaker A:But, yeah, we got a lot of pumping, man.
Speaker A:We got a lot of coming.
Speaker A:But, yeah, I. I would say the socials is my best way.
Speaker A:I put a lot of on there, mainly Instagram.
Speaker A:I'm pretty crazy, but I'm cool, too, you know, I'm here to learn, here.
Speaker B:To help, and you got funny posts.
Speaker A:I try, man.
Speaker B:No, bro, we.
Speaker B:We, like I said, can't appreciate you enough for coming.
Speaker B:We got to do this again, bro.
Speaker B:I wanted to ask more about cards.
Speaker B:There's a lot of things I wanted to ask more about, you know, so definitely we got to do this again.
Speaker A:If you're ever willing it's only 47.
Speaker B:Minutes away and we could even come to you.
Speaker B:Like I said, all this is.
Speaker B:Is mobile.
Speaker B:If we.
Speaker B:If we could set up at a gym or something.
Speaker B:Let's.
Speaker B:Yeah, whatever works.
Speaker B:Done.
Speaker B:And yeah, let's.
Speaker B:Let's get another one.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:We only talk like.
Speaker B:No, exactly.
Speaker B:I have so many more questions.
Speaker B:Barely even touched.
