"I should be at the bottom of a ditch somewhere” - Cody Gibson @TheRenegade559

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hello, and welcome to the Gets Defense podcast with your host, Brizzy. Today's guest is a fighter in the bantamweight division called Cody Gibson. Now, this episode, in a weird way, maybe in a weird way. I don't know. We'll find out. It means a lot to me. When we were talking about putting this podcast together, this is one of the people that had super high up on my list that I wanted to get on here and have a deep conversation with, just because we've got some things, as you'll see, we've got in common. And I really wanted to just kind of spend that time to speak about these things in detail. This is kind of the forefront of this whole podcast for me. It's to have that opportunity to sit down to speak to individuals that I find genuinely interesting, and I probably wouldn't have the opportunity to speak to them in this way otherwise. So, look, if you're new here or if you've been here before and you haven't done so already, hit, like, follow, subscribe, and let's get right into it. Enjoy. I've got some weird questions to start off with, and you might be a bit weirded out by them, but we'll see your reaction. We'll see how it goes. [00:01:08] Speaker B: Okay. [00:01:10] Speaker A: I know it's an important time of the year for you. What we really want to know, or what I really want to know is, after all the hard work and the analyst work you've been putting in recently with the pen and paper out I've seen on your story, was it yesterday? The day before? How's the. How's the first NFL draft looking? [00:01:25] Speaker B: I got an a plus on my draft grade. [00:01:28] Speaker A: Okay. [00:01:29] Speaker B: And so I don't like that because that gives me too much hope. I like to go in with, like, low expectations. Like, oh, I'm gonna. I'm gonna bomb this year, you know? And then, like, if I go, like, 500, I'm, like, happy. I must have done something right because I got a good grade on the draft thing. Yeah. Last year, was I the worst year I've had, like, as far as, like, paying attention to it and, like, staying up on the waiver wire and, like, because it does take a little bit of work and effort, you know? [00:02:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:01] Speaker B: And I just was so, like, preoccupied last year that I just didn't really. I mean, I set my lineup, but I wasn't, like, it wasn't, like, super diligent. And so this year, I told myself, I'm gonna try to put in a little more effort because my little brother's won twice in a row and he just brags like crazy. So I can't have that happening anymore. [00:02:20] Speaker A: I can't let go away with it. Yeah, I love that. And you're, you're a Raiders fan, right? Is that, am I right in thinking that? [00:02:27] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, it's. I grew up all the Oakland teams back in the day, the A's and the Raiders, and those are my teams. [00:02:37] Speaker A: So as like a dummy to NFL, obviously, we've got soccer over here. The only, like, kind of american style sport that I really watch is MMA and UFC and the big brand of UFC. So how would it fit? So say, obviously you're a Raiders fan, so when you're looking for the draft, how does that then fit in with, like, Raiders? Are you biased towards Raiders potential Raiders players and stuff like that, or how does that work? [00:03:00] Speaker B: I try not to. I try to pick up somebody from the Raiders just so I have somebody, even if they're on my bench, but, and I think I did, I think I got a wide receiver who's just going to sit on my bench. But I know guys that do that and it never turns out well for them when they draft, they're like a Packers fan and they draft, like five guys from the packers. So, yeah, I try not to let my, my personal bias get in the way of my draft picks. So, yeah, we set up as part. [00:03:28] Speaker A: Of the channel for, like, the kind of fans and viewers to get along. We did like a bet, like a fight picks kind of version, and I dropped out of that about six weeks in. I just, I couldn't keep up with them, so I was like, I can't bothered anymore. You guys are too far ahead of it. I've had enough. So I'm similar to you in that way. [00:03:43] Speaker B: I know guys that have, like, they're on like two or three different leagues they're playing in, and I'm just like, dude, how do you have time for that? You know? Like, I've done two at one in one year, one time, and I was like, never again. Because then you just like, cause then you end up cheering for a defense on one end for one league, and then you're cheering for a wide receiver to score on the other side of it. And so you're, like, conflicted and then you're just like, well, I don't know what I'm rooting for anymore. [00:04:11] Speaker A: Yeah, I need to. What? JK, he's quite a fan. I think he's a fan of the Chiefs. So he, like, watches quite a bit. But me, myself, I just. Yeah, I find it. I find it quite a slow paced sport because you stop all the time. [00:04:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:24] Speaker A: Don't you? And then you change. Like, the whole team can change and you're doing something else. And I'm just there, like, I don't quite understand what's happening. [00:04:30] Speaker B: My, my next door neighbors from Australia, and he's really been getting me into not only, you know, european football, but also rugby. He'll have me go into, like, rugby games at 06:00 a.m. with him or going to watch it at a bar or something. He's like, yeah, we're going at 06:00 a.m. so I'll sometimes tag along with him and listen to the black shirts. Played the South Africans in, like, the championship last year. He invited me to go with him to watch that game. And his buddy was from South Africa and he was from Australia, so he was. They were, like, chirping back and forth the whole time. I was just having a good time. I don't understand that sport either. I'm like, why are they all hugging in a circle? But it is a cool. It's fun to watch. I have fun. [00:05:19] Speaker A: Yeah, rugby's great. And we always have, like, if people start comparing the two over here, obviously, over here, we're very biased towards rugby, saying that the guys are a bit tougher because of obviously no pads and stuff and just smash on into each other. [00:05:32] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. They're just, I mean, but they also don't have this big weapon on their head, this metal thing to ram into each other, you know, so it's almost like bare knuckle boxing. You kind of. I've heard guys that bare knuckle box, like, you have to be careful of your sock shot selection and, like, you know, because if you hit a dude on the top of the temple. [00:05:50] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:05:51] Speaker B: It might hurt you worse than it hurts him, you know, break your hand. And so I wonder if rugby's a little bit more like that. Like, they're a little more diligent about where they're hitting and not just. I don't know. Those guys are crazy, though. [00:06:03] Speaker A: Yeah. I've heard some crazy stories, ones that I probably can't say on here because it'll get taken down, but, yeah, some crazy ones. Moving on slightly. I wanted to. I wanted to test kind of, like some. Some of the early years for, like, you professionally, and I was looking into, is it fat Albert's pizza company? Yeah. In the Albert, what I wanted to ask was, like, when you're fighting at places like that compared to the UFC. What's that kind of. Can you compare that? Cause I've never been to, like, the fat Alberts. I've been to the UFC when it's been in the UK, but I've never been to, like, the fat Alberts. Local kind of. How is it as a fighter? [00:06:36] Speaker B: Small scene. I hate it. Honestly. I hate going to, like, amateur fights. We always got guys fighting, and they're always. Everyone always is like, hey, are you gonna go to the fights? And I'm always like, nah, just because the crowd is dicey and there's a lot of guys in the crowd who are tough guys, and it's just not my scene. The regional scene? The smaller regional scene. Yeah, it can be. I remember fighting on a native american casino. We have a ton of indian casinos around here. [00:07:09] Speaker A: Mm hmm. [00:07:10] Speaker B: That's where, back in the day, that's where all the fights were at. We're always at the casinos. And my first fight ever was that one. And the guy who was fighting right before me, Washington, literally dressed in jean shorts and was smoking a cigarette right before he walked out. And I remember, like, sitting there in the back. I was, like, 19. I was, like, a sophomore in college. And I remember taking, like, questioning my life choices a little bit because I was like, what am I getting myself into, man? [00:07:42] Speaker A: Think you're going to end up like that guy? [00:07:44] Speaker B: Yeah. Or just. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. I think they were giving me $500, so I was pretty excited at 19 about that. [00:07:51] Speaker A: Yeah, 100%. Um, speaking of kind of, like, those kind of weird experiences and looking at stuff and reflecting on it, the other thing I saw which really made me laugh was there. Is it. I'm gonna butcher the name, probably. But the. The pizza kebab advert where you're, like, in your gear with your gloves on, and you're, like, sat there with a knife and fork. What was that about? [00:08:12] Speaker B: Well, there was this company. There was a little restaurant across the street from my apartment at the time, or me and my wife had got an apartment when we moved back to the valley, and she would always go there for lunch, and I had never had mediterranean food, and so she ended up getting me hooked on it. And I was eating there all the time, like, getting their salads okay to make, you know, I'm dieting for fights and stuff, so I was always like, man, their salads are good. I'm just going to eat there. But it was kind of pricey, especially at the age I was and the amount of money I didn't have. And anyway, long story short, I ended up becoming friends with the guys who owned it, and they ended up sponsoring me for several years. They would just load up a gift card, and they would say, when the gift card runs, when the gift card runs out, let us know, and then we'll load it up again for you. So I ate there, like, every day. They ended up opening a bigger restaurant downtown with a bar and everything, and they've been doing really well. But, yeah, they're still my buddies, my friends, and they're just a local restaurant, and they had me do an ad for them where I was in, like, my teaching outfit for one picture. Yeah, it was something along the lines, like, work hard, play harder, or something. I don't know. But, yeah, it was. It was their vision, so, yeah, yeah. [00:09:33] Speaker A: It gave me a good chuckle. I saw that, and I was like, I'm definitely gonna speak to you about that, because that's. That's funny. Yeah, it was good. Now, obviously going a little bit deeper. Now, obviously, we've spoke about this previously, and I just want to go back to it kind of right to the beginning for yourself, because we've got something kind of in common. Like I said, we just spoke about, but obviously, you've had quite a long journey going from early days in mma to now. But I wanted to take it really, right back to the start, obviously, being a huge part of your story. And that's when I first messaged you, was to kind of, like, reach out and ask you for some advice, which you. You replied to, and I was really appreciative of it. So I just wanted to talk about kind of how do you think that affected you growing up, and do you think part of that led you into kind of what you do today? So, I guess to start off with, as someone that experienced it, is, did you. Did you always know that you were adopted, or did you find out later on in life? [00:10:34] Speaker B: That was one thing my adopted parents made sure was that we. I mean, we were two and three years old. You know, there was some cognition. We were human beings when we were adopted that could speak. And so maybe that was a part of it. Maybe if I was a newborn, it would have been different. I just thought it was the right call to make, because had I found out at 15 or 20 years old, I feel like that would be a mind trip, you know? [00:11:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:11:02] Speaker B: And so it was good to always know. This was my story. Uh, it's different than the other kids in my class or whatever, but it is what it is. See, I was. I think that was a good thing, you know, to know from the time I was all my. From as far back as I can. [00:11:19] Speaker A: Remember, because I. Yeah, I had it grown up with people, especially, like, teachers at school, kind of, like, sympathetic for you, but actually, they don't realize how. You don't realize how lucky you are. Like, it's such a different perspective, but, yeah. Do you think. Do you think that part of your life shaped you to become kind of who you are today? And that's not just as a MMA fighter, but obviously as a family man with your own wife and kids now, do you think that's changed the way that you look at stuff? [00:11:48] Speaker B: Yeah, I think being adopted gives you perspective on, I think, gratitude. You know, like, people don't realize, like, if it hadn't happened, where would I likely have been right now in my life? And, like, growing, how would I have grown up? What would that have led me to? And I'm pretty certain it wouldn't have been good things for me. You know, I have an addictive personality. It's very easy for me to get sucked into things and become just obsessed with them, addicted to them. And so, you know, you put me in the wrong environment. At eight years old, ten years old, twelve years old, 15 years old, I don't think I would have, you know, been able to do well in those environments, you know? And so, yeah, I definitely think I've always had, like, a sense of, like, I'm lucky to even be here. I'm not even supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to have done any of these things that I'm doing or have attempted to do or anything. You know, it's like I should be at the bottom of a ditch somewhere, you know? And so the fact that I'm not, I think it makes me at least feel like I want to utilize these opportunities to the maximum. Like, I want to pursue whatever I'm going to pursue with everything I have because, well, who the hell cares? I'm not even supposed to be here anyway. Like, I'm just lucky to even be here. So I might as well go all out with whatever I'm doing because, you know, I'm lucky to even have a shot at whatever it is I'm shooting for, you know? I don't know. That just kind of. I think it has framed my mind that way, which is a good thing, I think, for me. I know we talked about that, like, motivation and things like that. Before, but, yeah, I guess I just have a sense of, like, gratitude that I have the people in my life that I have that raised me, my parents raised me, and what I gained from that experience, that I wouldn't have gained. And so, yeah, just. Just trying to, you know, all of their sacrifices and the things that they did for me, I'm trying not to go to waste with it, you know, like, utilize it and use it to grow. And that's kind of my thought. I don't know how you are, but that's kind of where I come from. [00:14:06] Speaker A: Yeah, it's like. It's like. It's like I've recorded something and I'm listening to myself. Yeah. I think the one thing that I struggle to do, though, myself, is sit back and reflect. I don't know how you. How you are with that. Like, kind of from a perspective of, like, so as a child, I was particularly naughty, and now I'm, like, doing okay. We'll say I'm doing okay and working hard. Now I've got my own family and stuff like that. But I thought. And everyone's always saying to me, like, oh, you're doing so well. But I can never. It never sinks in for me. I just. I don't know if I'm just always looking forward because I don't like to look back, if that makes sense. I don't know. [00:14:45] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm right there with you guys. You work, like, I could only look at it in the context of, like, the, like, fighting. Like, you work really hard for to win a fight, and then you put in all this effort and time and energy and everything you got for weeks and weeks and weeks and years and years and years, really. And then after it's over, like, I'm already thinking the next thing, because I'm like, okay. Like, the. The thrill of victory is never as gratifying as I think it should be, or. I don't know. There's always just the next thing. Okay, well, because that was good. We did what we said we're gonna do. We won or whatever, and then you're always, like, automatically moving on what's next. [00:15:26] Speaker A: Yeah. That leads well into, like, the. One of the questions that I wanted to ask you, and it's talk about that journey of your MMA career, because obviously, everyone probably who follows you and has heard of you and looked into you a bit, obviously knows the story, obviously getting into tough and being a veteran. So you made it back into the UFC. You hit some bumps in the road. I mean, like, if you call out and mentions about aljermain Sterling, like, come on. Like, shit, man. Why'd you have to give me him? Like, look who he is today. Obviously you hit some bumps in the road and then you're out the other side. And then in 2017, I think it was, you quit the sport, didn't you? For about a year, a year and a half. What was, like, what was going through your head at that time where you went? Right, that's it. I'm done. I've had enough. [00:16:10] Speaker B: It wasn't that I had had enough. I just, when I got cut from the UFC, and then within a year of being, I started teaching full time. Right after I got cut, actually, before I even got cut, I had already accepted a job, so I was going to the classroom anyway. [00:16:25] Speaker A: Okay. [00:16:25] Speaker B: And then it worked out. I mean, it didn't work out. I obviously would have wished they hadn't cut me, but when they did, I was like, well, I'm glad I took a job this year, you know? [00:16:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:16:37] Speaker B: And so I just told myself when I got cut that I would go back to the smaller shows, and I'm either gonna win out, I'm gonna go on another run, three, four, five fights, however many it takes to get back to the UFC. But if I lose in that process, then I'm just gonna be done doing it, because my wife was having, we were having a baby. I think we, I think we'd just had a baby. [00:16:58] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:17:00] Speaker B: And our first. And so I was just like, it wasn't really fair if I'm not going to make a good amount of money doing this to the amount I knew, the amount of time and energy it takes to train and prepare yourself. And so to me, in my mind, I was like, it's just not fair to my wife. It's not fair to my family if I'm being selfish. And I going to work all day and then, you know, going to the gym for hours and hours after work and, and so that was what I decided to do. And I told myself that from the get go. And then, so when I lost, I went gone up a weight class. I was trying to do the double champ thing for the promotion I was fighting for. [00:17:36] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:17:37] Speaker B: I was actually winning the fight. And then I got caught in a submission. Actually hurt my shoulder, too. And I think that was a part of, like, I just kind of froze in there and got submitted. And anyways, my last, like, submission loss, and right there in the cage afterwards, I just was like, yeah, I'm retiring. Thanks for all the good times, you know, peace out. I'm done. And that's what I thought. And I truly, on that night, in that moment, felt like I was happy or, you know, I'm fine with it. It is what it is. And then, yeah, it's just, you know, I didn't. I went. I started coaching. I went back into coaching right after that, was coaching high school wrestling, and was keeping myself busy with the coaching, and. But as soon as the wrestling season ended, I just started finding myself trying to fill that void with, okay, I'm gonna go back to jiu jitsu a couple times a week. And then, man, I miss my old boxing coach. Let's go see him here and there. And then by the time you stop and look at it, you're like, damn, I've been training, like, every day. I'm like, I might as well just fight if I'm gonna keep doing this, you know? So that's what kind of brought me back. And my wife was like, you're not done fighting. And so he started back up, and then, yeah, we ended up. I had one fight after that, and then just to kind of get my feet wet again, and then it was for the LFA, and then. And then after that, I thought, okay, I'm going all in. And I moved my whole family about 3 hours west of where we were at. So now I'm at the coast for a better training opportunities and to live at the coast. So it wasn't all about training, but it was a part of it. And then Covid hit, so then I was like, that wasn't great. And then. So it's just been a wild ride, you know, like, the years have flown by, and then you look back, and you're just like, damn. So much time has passed and so many. So many phases of your career that you go through where it looks like it's. It's dire, you know, you're like, oh, I might be done fighting, you know, or, I am done fighting. And then something always draws me back to it, though. And I've been since I moved about four years ago is when I just said, I'm gonna. I'm going, you know, all in again. And I've been staying busy ever since. [00:19:52] Speaker A: So at that time, were you thinking back to the UFC, or did you have other kind of plans? What was. Where was your head at in terms of, like, the UFC as a promotion? [00:20:02] Speaker B: I mean, I think as I got older, it became less and less realistic to me. When I was. When I moved to the Central coast and Covid started ending and they started opening up fights again, and I started getting busy fighting again. You know, I thought, maybe I'll get back if, you know, I'm fighting big name guys. I'm fighting Ray Borg and John Dotson and some pretty big names from Cisco Rivera, guys that are all top ten guys at one point or another. And so I thought maybe. And then, but then I think, yeah, it was just, I remember when I got the call for tough, I was really in a position where I was like, questioning whether I should just be done doing it because even though I was coming off a win, I was like, if the UFC is not going to sign me because I'm too old for them, like, what am I actually? What am I doing this for? You know? Like, I have nothing to prove. And so I was really at a place where I was kind of sick and tired of fighting on the smaller shows for less, for, you know, not very much money. And it's not even about the money for me. Fighting has never really been about the money, but it's, it's like, if you're gonna put in, make this many sacrifices and your family's gonna make this many sacrifices, you want it to be worth their while, you know? And it was to the point where I was like, I fought Francisco Rivera for a title fight, for a promotion down in LA and won the fight. And then I was just kind of remember thinking, man, I don't know, like, I don't want to keep doing this in this setting, you know, and so, man, things, life is crazy how it works out and, you know, you get a text about the ultimate fighter and then that was a whirlwind experience and then, and here we are a couple years later and getting ready for my, I guess, 4th, 4th on this new deal. [00:21:55] Speaker A: So, yeah, you touched on as well. And I want to ask about it. Coaching and obviously how much you enjoy coaching kids and giving the kids the opportunity, especially with, like, some of the environments that kids can be in and grow up in. I always wondered, would you, would you rather coach your kids to winning a UFC title or would you rather win it yourself? [00:22:19] Speaker B: Oh, that's a good, that's a good one. I actually had another coach, a kid to win a wrestling state title, not the UFC. [00:22:26] Speaker A: That's for you. [00:22:27] Speaker B: Right? A lot of people assume I'm gonna get my daughters or my son into fighting and I'm like, I really, unless they just like, took to it and they wanted to, I'm gonna support them in whatever they wanna do, but I don't really have any interest. I want my son and I want my daughters to learn some self defense and, you know, have some skills. But my son, I probably will introduce him to the sport of wrestling, for sure. [00:22:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:54] Speaker B: And try to get him involved with that. But if it was something he wasn't into, I would be okay with that. But for fighting, I don't know. I don't really have any interest in my kids fighting as far as, like. And even I just don't. Like. I don't know. I think you have to be real with people and honest with people about what this sport is when they get into. Involved in it and what the sacrifices you're giving are, because I think when you're 20 years old or 18 years old, you don't really see life like that. You don't see the future like that. You don't take into account the future. But I think you sit down and tell someone, like, hey, just letting you know you're going to have lifelong health issues as a result of the sport. If you stay in it long enough, like, you're gonna have injuries that are gonna be with you forever. You're gonna have head traumas. You're gonna have. It's good. It's a lifestyle that's lonely sometimes. You know, it's not. You know, it's not as glamorous as people think. It's grinding and day after day, making yourself do things that you don't always want to do and your body doesn't feel like it wants to do. So I don't know. I think I just, like, anyone I coached would, and that's the thing. I don't. I see a lot of kids, and they're dipping their foot in MMA like they're doing, oh, I'm going to train after work every day for an hour. [00:24:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:10] Speaker B: You know? And it's like, to me, like, I don't. That maybe that's why I don't like to go to a lot of the amateur fights, too. It's like I want to see someone who's like, yeah, I'm all in. Like, I'm living over there on the gym floor, like, because this is all I want to do 24 hours a day. And it's all I think about. That's the kid that's gonna go somewhere. [00:24:32] Speaker A: Mm hmm. [00:24:35] Speaker B: I don't know. I don't know if I. If I want any of my students or my own children fighting unless they. Unless it was just like, me like that. It's. It's. It's in you, you know? [00:24:48] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you're right. I love. I love that point about sacrifices and fighting is obviously. And what you've got to put in to succeed is intense, physically, mentally, emotionally, not just for you as well, but for everyone around you. And I was thinking, like, when you're now looking up for fights, so you're going to have to train in camp. You're going to do that. Obviously, at the end of, after your last fight, you went on holiday with the kids and with the family. But when you have that time for, like, unwinding and winding down, like, can you paint me a picture of what your perfect day off was? I was thinking in my head, I was there listening to, is it, is it Merle Haggard and sipping a foggers classic roast? [00:25:31] Speaker B: Yeah, that's about it. [00:25:33] Speaker A: What is your go to? You like a bit of fishing as well, right? [00:25:36] Speaker B: I like to fish when I get the chances to, which isn't enough, but I like. Yeah, usually if I have a day, like a good day or like a post fight day, I like a cigar. I like a cigar. [00:25:50] Speaker A: Okay. [00:25:52] Speaker B: I like scotch is my drink of choice. So like some scotch cigar on a lake? Yeah. Maybe a little fishing would be nice, too. Yeah, that's. That's about it. That's about as good as it gets to me. [00:26:07] Speaker A: Can you, can you drink scotch and fish at the same time or does the scotch take over? [00:26:11] Speaker B: I'm not very good fishermen to begin with. [00:26:14] Speaker A: So anyway, November 2, obviously you're booked, seemingly creeping closer and closer. You said at the start that obviously you've got, you've finished with work now. You've got ten weeks now. Is it nine weeks? Ten weeks now. But how's it looking at the moment? Are you nice and relaxed and ready to go or what is it? Because obviously you're coming off a win with some momentum. I mean, it was first round. What is it, first round submission. I was running around the kitchen because I had the phone on the side. I was like, and also, how are you approaching this fight? It's interesting because last time you changed it up a bit, didn't you, in the preparation and sacrifice? Was that the first time you stopped working, took a break on the lead up to it? Was that the first time or not? [00:27:00] Speaker B: I mean, other than when it lined up, like, because it was in the summer or something. [00:27:04] Speaker A: Okay, yeah. On the holidays? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:27:07] Speaker B: Like, sometimes I would try to line fights up so they would be in the summer, so it would give me time to do a full training camp. But I, yeah, that last fight was the first time I just took the time off work to focus on the training camp because the fight before that with Miles Johns, I tried to do it a balancing act of teaching and training for a UFC fight. And, I mean, I think it was doable. It was just a lot on my wife and my family and I wasn't getting enough recovery and stuff because I was constantly training at 05:00 a.m. you know, 04:00 p.m. to seven or 08:00 p.m. and then like, just your whole day was so packed and then you don't, you know, your goes home and sleep for 5 hours and do it again. And, you know, it just was getting, and it was a lot of my family, so that's why I chose to take the time off. And this time around, I had some time off, some family leave because we had a baby, so I had kind of saved that family leave. So I thought, I'll do it whenever I get a fight, I'll take that family leave and be able to focus on training and be with my son more. So, yeah. [00:28:12] Speaker A: Did you, did you notice, did you notice the difference between the two, between that being able to obviously have that more relaxed time, fit your schedule in a more sensible manner, should we call it, because working two jobs almost at the same time, that's got to be tough. [00:28:26] Speaker B: Yeah. I think for me, whenever I'm able to just put all my energy and focus on training camp, everything from my diethyde, my in, my nutrition, to my sleep and recovery and having, you know, the ability for me to, like, have the time to show up at the gym a little bit early to do some stretching and mobility, especially as I get older, you know, it's just becoming more and more important, all the recovery stuff. So when I'm trying to balance teaching and training, even though I can get the amount of hours I need to be in the gym in, I can, I don't have the time for a lot of the recovery that I feel is becoming more and more necessary for me just so on my daily, just so when I show up to the gym for a workout, I'm feeling good enough to put in a maximum effort. If I'm bent over and sore and stiff and yeah, I'm going to still get through the workout, but it's not going to be as good as if I was able to come in 45 minutes early and roll out and really get myself ready for this and then push myself. So it's just little things like that, really, for me. And then just being able to focus. I mean, the fight's the only thing I have to think about other than being a dad and, you know, some of those responsibilities and a husband. I mean, it's really just the fight that's in front of me. So I like it like that because I just able to hone in on it and make sure that all my t's are dotted and I's or t's are crossed and I's are dotted. [00:29:54] Speaker A: Yeah, I do that as well when I get them muddled. I was really off topic, but I, once upon a time I was in this, like, shared accommodation and I don't know, I can't remember what happened. Some guy had taken the mick out of me or something. And then I used to have, like, a bit of a mumble. I used to mumble quite a lot. I was like, I didn't announce. He ate my words. That's tough for me to say. And he was taking the mic and I went, I just come straight off the top. I was like, I get my mers waddled up and he was just dying laughing at me. I was just like, no, that's not just happened. One question I was thinking, because writing out questions for this is really different because we've kind of positioned this podcast for, like, not just for fighters, but also for, like, content creators. We want to look at, like, behind the scenes stuff and kind of. So it's really, really diverse. And I was thinking, like, if I could sit down and ask you, like, one question, what would it, what would it be? And I was like, I was, I'm an RN. And then I thought with your experience and where you've been, obviously, from having the first run, going through what you went through, packing it in, going again. Now you're back in the UFC after, like, an amazing run in tough. If you could sit down with your younger self, the version that, like, first joined the UFC, what would you say to them? Would you give them some advice or anything like that? Because I think there's a lot of people that potentially could listen to this which are, like, dreaming of being in the UFC one day. As a guy that's done it the hard way. It'd be really interesting to see here what you would tell yourself. [00:31:23] Speaker B: Yeah, I think one of my biggest regrets, and I'll admit it, it's probably a regret. People like to say, I don't have any regrets, but it's like, no, I regret doing this. I wish I would have gone left when I went right or I would, you know, whatever, but I always try to be sensible about fighting. And, like, I never. There were several times where I was like, maybe I should move to Sacramento and train at team alpha male, or maybe I should move to Vegas and train at one of their big. A big gym out there or San Jose with Aka when they were kind of big. And I never took the leap, you know, I always. And there were some things that were positive that came out of that I have really good relationships with coaches that I had or that I started with that I still have good relationships with and training partners and stuff. But, you know, I think that I was just. There was some fear baked into that decision to, like, I'm gonna play it safe. I'm gonna stick near to home. I'm gonna pursue. And this was, I mean, a lot of this you could view in different contexts because you could be like, these are all really good decisions. I'm gonna keep going to school. I'm gonna get a teaching credential while I'm fighting. No, things I was pursuing outside of fighting because I just was afraid to just say, I'm gonna just go after this. And so I wish I would have. I wish I would have been 22 or whatever and been like, I'm just going to pursue this 100%, and I'm going to live on top ramen for a while, for a few years here, a few years more, because I was most of college already, but I wish I would have and I didn't. And maybe my path would have been different, better, maybe it would have been worse. I don't know. You know? But I think that, like, we were kind of talking about earlier, if this is what you want to do, then it needs to be. You have to understand that it is all. You're all you were going to be about. You have to be obsessed with it, you know? Like, this has to be your obsession because there's guys out there all across this country, all across this world, you know that. You know, I see him in Vegas. I'm like, this kid's from Israel. You know, like, there's a kid from Israel there, and he's just living on the mats, you know, and, like, there's these different people from all over the world, and they're just, this is everything I got right here is how this goes. And they're three, and they're still a ways away from even getting an opportunity in the UFC, you know? And so you. Once you see that and you know that that exists, I think that you gotta. At 20 years old, 21. That's got to be the mentality. That decision has got to be made. Like, I'm either going all in on this or I'm not gonna do it, you know? And I feel like I kind of always had. I mean, I was training constantly, but I always, you know, I was working, and you gotta work, you gotta make money, you know? So, I mean, maybe I'm being hard on myself, but I don't know. I don't know if any of that makes sense, but that's just kind of what I was thinking. [00:34:24] Speaker A: No. Yeah, I think there's a lot of weight to that. When I. When I have, like, days or I struggle to get motivated, I am that cheesy guy that sometimes watches a motivational video on YouTube just to kind of get me amped up. And they always, like, one of the common themes they always say is you got to be willing to, like, sacrifice everything. Like, some things that you wouldn't be comfortable sacrificing. You've got to sacrifice. And sometimes, yeah, that is what you've got to put in. I think you're right, because you're quite, you know, Josh Emmett quite well, right? And he did that, didn't he? He was, like, kind of local, regional, and then. And then he made the jump to alpha male. Right? [00:34:58] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, he was a little more fortunate, the fact that he's born and raised in Sacramento, so it was kind of an easier fit for him. He had a great gym. Right. We're in his hometown, but, I mean, Josh didn't get started in fighting until he was pretty old, you know? Yeah, he used to come to my fights when I was in college. I was already fighting, and there's a picture of him at one of my fights just before he even had his first pro fight. He's just there hanging out, drinking beers. My buddies, like, really? Yeah. Yeah. [00:35:31] Speaker A: Wow. [00:35:34] Speaker B: I'm going to see him this weekend, actually. I'm going up to Sacramento. [00:35:37] Speaker A: Nice. Yeah. That man's got some. Some scary power, doesn't he, for the size of that. But Jesus Christ, the way he just knocks people out, it scares the hell out of me. [00:35:47] Speaker B: He is a freak athlete. Yeah, he always has been a freak athlete. Like, the kind of guy could just, like they do standing backflips and, like, just has ridiculous power. And he's also a workhorse. He works his ass off, and he's a super humble guy. So, yeah, Josh has got a lot of respect and love for that guy. [00:36:07] Speaker A: We've had some breakdown shows, and we joked about the fact that he doesn't need any technique because he's so powerful. He doesn't get to show the technique. He just knocks him out so early on, and then he just went on a run to top five, didn't he? Just from absolutely starching people. [00:36:23] Speaker B: Yeah, he just explodes forward. Those big, loopy overhand rights. Yeah. [00:36:28] Speaker A: And then they're on the floor. Sparked. Anyway, now that you're, now that you're back in the UFC, coming off of a submission win, um, you start to build momentum, and I think, like, everyone loves quite a good, like, comeback story, and you're, like, right on the path for producing, like a. I think quite a special one. But what is your, what is your plan for, like, so. I know it's. And it's. It's a tough one to ask answer. I know, but let's say, like, the next year, is there any specific, if you set yourself any, like, goals or, uh. I know you've spoken about some dream fights in terms of fighting like cub, Swanson and stuff like that, but that's just specifically individually for you. What have you got your eyes on? [00:37:07] Speaker B: I just. I try to just, you know, one fight at a time. You know, this is what's in front of me. This is the hill to climb and to conquer, and we'll see where it goes. You know, I would like to. Obviously, I think the UFC has been giving me fun fights with guys that are guys that like to fight, you know? And so we'll see. I'm, you know, I'm here to test myself and see how high. How good I am and who's better than me and who I'm better than. Those are the questions I'm trying to get answered. So, you know, I think just. I try to just focus on one at a time. I don't know what happens, you know, for me, I don't know how much I think about, like, okay, well, is there any way you could ever fight for a title or be a champion? I don't know. You know, my age, you look at things, you're like, I don't know if that's conceivable. I know crazier things have happened in the sport. You know, they always, like, the sport is insane, so never say never. But that's not really been my focus. It's like, I think for me, I've just been. I've been sacrificing for so long, and my family's been sacrificing, especially my family, my wife, that I'm like, I want to make it worth our while, like, worth our time, you know? Like, I want to be able to use fighting as a way to put my family in a position that is better than we would have otherwise been in. And not that, like, you know, we're living on breadcrumbs. My wife and I both, you know, are stable and have careers and everything, but, yeah, just putting ourselves on a better footing. And if I could use fighting to do that, you know, that would be a feather in my cap. And, like, okay, it was all worth it because in the end, it helped us put our kids through school, or it helped us put the down payment on that house or whatever that it is. That doesn't really matter. But that's where my mind is now. It's like, I want to get wins, obviously. I want to stick around for a few years here, and I want to get bonuses. I was pissed off I didn't get the bonus last time. I was pissed off because there were every fight before. Mine was a freaking complete. [00:39:17] Speaker A: It was decisions, weren't they? [00:39:18] Speaker B: I think they were not only just decisions, but they were, like, not good decisions. They were like nothing burgers, you know, like, yeah. And then I was like. And then I didn't even think about it. And then after my fight, I was like, oh, damn. That was the first finish of the whole night. I was like, I'm definitely getting a bonus. [00:39:33] Speaker A: Yeah, first round, the lot. [00:39:35] Speaker B: Yeah, I did. Every fight after mine was a knockout, and already I was pissed about that. So now I got to go. And now this next fight in Canada, they're, like, stacking this card. There's a bunch of savages on it that always get bonuses. So I'm like, man, I'm going to have to do something special, pretty much. [00:39:54] Speaker A: That's probably. That's probably filled all my questions.