Straight Outta The Lair with Flex Lewis
7x Mr. Olympia 212 Champion Flex Lewis presents Straight Outta The Lair, the podcast that aims to bring you vital information for your life's ambitions, providing valuable insight from interviews of the many many different faces that walk through our doors at The Dragon's Lair Las Vegas and a few from the man himself.
Straight Outta The Lair with Flex Lewis
Fighting Last-Minute | Dan Ige & Eric Nicksick | Straight Outta The Lair Podcast
What happens when a fighter gets an urgent call mid-massage to save a fight card on just four hours' notice? That's precisely the situation Dan Ige found himself in, and his story is nothing short of heroic. In this episode, Dan opens up about the urgent call that turned his day upside down and his immediate decision to step into the octagon. He shares the whirlwind of emotions he experienced and his unwavering readiness that exemplifies the essence of staying prepared for any challenge.
Trust and calmness are critical when facing high-pressure situations, especially in the world of professional fighting. We dive into the nuanced relationship between Dan and his corner, shedding light on the humor and strategic relaxation techniques that keep the team focused during intense moments. This heartfelt conversation also touches on the gratitude and perspective gained from these experiences, where even potential defeat is met with appreciation for the opportunity to compete on the grand stage.
The episode rounds out with reflections on elite training, post-fight insights, and the inspiration drawn from legendary athletes and military training. From the rigorous Navy SEAL-inspired sessions to absorbing lessons from Tom Brady and Kobe Bryant, listeners will learn about the universal mentality required to achieve excellence. We also discuss the evolving goals of athletes, the importance of reassessing motivations, and the supportive gym community that keeps fighters grounded. Join us for this in-depth exploration of what it takes to push past limits and embrace the relentless pursuit of greatness.
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----- Content -----
00:00:00 - Intro
00:10:57 - Corner Synergy and Fight Preparation
00:16:57 - Post Fight Reflection and Team Dedication
00:28:11 - Elite Training and Inspirational Role Models
00:36:11 - Learning From Elite Coaches and Athletes
00:43:11 - Mentorship and Maintaining Focus in MMA
00:49:39 - Adapting Goals in Combat Sports
00:57:37 - Fighters Reflect on Training and Victories
01:03:17 - Urgent Fight Call and Team Support
straight out the lab, flex and rock rock. When it comes to guys who say they stay ready, it doesn't come any bigger and better than our guest today.
Speaker 2:You don't got to get ready if you stay ready. My man right here, my man right here. They were ready.
Speaker 1:Both Eric Nixick and the main man who saved the 303 card, Donny Gay. Welcome to the show, guys.
Speaker 3:Thank you guys for having us. Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Be nice in the building.
Speaker 1:Listen, you are the man. I mean. I can't even go through my feed without seeing a Dan Ige clip right now. You are on fire right now, and rightly so. My friend, you have all the flowers. 303, my friend, I was at home watching this. The next thing you know, john Anik announces Dan Ige stepping in for Brian Ortega on four hours notice. That was legendary, unbelievable my friend.
Speaker 1:As a friend, as a fan, I mean listen, bro, there's nothing bigger than having the opportunity and stepping up to the plate, and you've done that, thank, you, thank you. And am I right in saying when you had the call or the messages, you were having a massage?
Speaker 2:Just take it through this, dave. Yeah, I want to hear about the call or the messages you were having a massage, just take us through this, Dave. Yeah, I want to hear about the call and who called.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I want to know all this. Let's get back to that day.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I mean, okay, let's just wake up Saturday morning, right, it's kind of the end of the week. I had a hard week of training. I'm getting ready for a fight in three weeks. So I'm kind of tapering down. Saturdays I usually have about you know one good session, you know one hard session in the morning. So I go and get a, get a workout in. We do like a sick of Saturday where we just go push hard for 15 minutes, kind of like a fight. And then I did some heat acclimation. So I'm riding in a um, call it a heat tent, whatever you want 104 degrees. I'm riding on the bike 30 minutes jumping the sauna. Now I'm just at this point.
Speaker 3:I'm thinking recovery, right, get ready for Monday. You know I usually rest on Sunday. I don't do anything, maybe a walk with the family, um, but I'm just thinking recovery. So I'm home, I call my massage therapist. She comes by, she works on my kids, so she worked on on BAM, on max, and I'd hop on the table 3 pm or so. You know, no word from the. No calls, nothing. You know, I'm getting ready. I'm probably gonna order. I ordered the pay-per-view already, just so my wife doesn't have to finagle with the, with the apps and um. So I'm on the table hour and a half like deep tissue. Like I. I would never get a deep tissue massage before a fight too, but I'm getting massage. They got spa music on like I'm zenned out dude, um. So about an hour 15 and I'm I'm already flipped over on my back getting ready for that happy ending and and you still got a happy ending.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we'll get there.
Speaker 3:So my wife comes upstairs and she's like hey, ali's blowing up my phone, ali Abdelaziz, and he doesn't even manage me, right? I have a good relationship with Ali, I work with Ali a lot, we talk a lot. But he's blowing up my phone and it's saying like SOS siren emojis. I'm like what is it?
Speaker 3:Dude, probably wants like a bank invoice or something. I was like he could wait. And uh, then she's like my, my mom's calling, my mom's calling said ollie's calling her, he's calling savannah. I'm like dude, why is all the? Why are all these people calling? So I grabbed my phone. I opened up my call log. I had about 10 missed calls from ali, from hunter. Hunter campbell was the first person to call me and he probably called me right around 3, 55 pm, 4 pm, but I missed the call right. And as I'm going through all these missed calls, all he calls again. So I'm on the table laying there like didn't even finish my massage yet. I answered the phone. I was like hey, what's going on?
Speaker 3:and he's like hey brother, did you, did you? Did you talk to anybody?
Speaker 1:I'm like, no like I'm getting a massage.
Speaker 3:What's going on, um? How come you're blowing up my phone? He's like um, or take us out. I'm like all right, like, what do you want me to do about it?
Speaker 1:I don't, I don't give a fuck, so he's trying to get this happy ending yeah he's like brother, do you want to fight, diego?
Speaker 3:so I'm thinking like next week, yeah next week or for my, I had like three or four opponents pull out or july 20th, so that could have been the main event yeah, I'm still not really a good main event, right yeah?
Speaker 3:yeah. So that's what I was thinking. I'm like, yeah, sure, let's go. He's like, no, no, no, brother, tonight, tonight I'm like for real, like for real, for this this has never been done. So I'm like kind of nervous and excited and I just say, yeah, let's like, let's fucking go, let's go. I don't even think it can happen, right, because it's never the way it was yesterday yeah, how does this even work?
Speaker 3:he's like okay, call you back, I'll call you back. So I call e. I was like, bro, we might be fighting diego. He's like what? Or he's like okay, call you back, I'll call you back. So I call E. I was like, bro, we might be fighting Diego. He's like what? Or he's like okay, cool, I'm like tonight.
Speaker 2:He's like what I'm like. Whose car are we taking?
Speaker 3:Dude. Yeah, exactly, I'm like Ali's calling me again. I'm like E, I'll call you back. And then Ali gonna happen pack your bags. I'm like, fuck, all right, so I get off the table. I'm butt ass naked. Um, I was like, okay, close your eyes, tell, tell the chick. I run downstairs. I'm like starting to grab shit. I don't even know what to grab, right. I'm like just, I don't know what to do, you know. So I was like, fuck, I need a cup and a mouthpiece. And I didn't have my cup, so I call e. I was like, bro, grab my cup. This fight's happening, I think. So all he calls me back.
Speaker 3:He's like what's your weight? I'm like, uh, probably 164, 165, usually what I weigh about three weeks out, um. So he said, okay, cool, perfect. Um, he calls me, he hangs up. So I'm getting all my stuff together.
Speaker 3:I start hydrating, right, because I was like, fuck, if I'm gonna fight and four or three hours from now, I better be hydrated. I better get a meal in. I didn't have like anything in the fridge. I just grab a yogurt, some granola, some honey. I made a shot of espresso. I'm just pounding right now and I'm nervous. I'm excited, right, and Ali calls me.
Speaker 3:He's like, bro, you're going to get a contract in your email and like, just keep, keep checking, you're gonna get a contract. So I go, I'm refreshing my email like every five minutes. Meanwhile I'm calling e. He's like who do you want in your corner? I'm like, uh, I don't know. He's like what about kai? I was like done, call kai. So he calls kai. He's like hey, dan's fighting tonight, blah, blah. He's like who else do you want? I call gif. Um, who's my other coach? He he's corners me. All my fights called him like five times. He doesn't answer. I was like all right, ship sailed. He was getting his massage and happy ending 100, 100, um. So he's like what about strickland? I'm like dude, perfect, perfect guy for the job. So paul strickland was he awesome yeah, he was awesome to have.
Speaker 3:He's probably the most nervous guy out of all of us 100.
Speaker 4:Where was strickland?
Speaker 1:oh, I don't know, right he was having lunch, uh, with his girl. Well, when he took the call, what was he?
Speaker 4:like oh, I just said I go the same thing. I called him, didn't answer, sent him a text. Fucking sos emergency calls back and he goes what? Everything good, like he goes. Am I in trouble, legit? He's like am I in trouble, what I do? Who is there a warrant out for my arrest?
Speaker 4:now, and I was like I was like no, he gave, he gave fighting tonight. And he goes who? And I said Diego Lopez, I go. He wants you in the corner. He goes what time do you need me there, I said. I said we'll get there. We don't need you there right away. You can come around 7 if you want he goes. All right, tell him to let me in through the back gate. I'll be on my bike. I'm like cool, strictly, I'm pulling in on his bike.
Speaker 2:In flip flops.
Speaker 1:So you arranged everybody.
Speaker 3:So I arranged everyone. Boom, I get the contract. They hooked me up, they gave me good numbers, so I get the bout agreement. I'm looking at it. I don't look at the weight, I just look at the numbers. I'm like it's good, boom, sign it. I didn't know it actually had a weight class, so we go there. Um, and, by the way, this all had to get approved by the commission and then the commission had to get it signed off by the governor of nevada, so this had to.
Speaker 1:There was a lot of dude it was a lot of red tape.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it was wild, so that that text you saw on the screen, that was all you know. I'm sure that had to get. That was sent for a purpose, right? You know, ali, I'm talking to ollie and hunter. They're like, we need the statement from you. You know, you're ready, you're fucking in great shape, let's go. You know. So I sent that text. Ollie shows up to the house, he shows up to the house. I'm like, dude, I'm fucking driving. Please give me your keys ollie because I don't want to get car sick.
Speaker 3:He calls kai kamaki's like be at silverado ranch, las vegas boulevard in 15 minutes. Be at the shell station. We're gonna pick you up. Do this like a fucking. It was like a movie, this is like fuck it sounds like the tone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, who's car?
Speaker 3:yeah, who's car? Yeah, exactly, exactly. So we go pick up kai. Pull up to the t-mobile. They had a vip entrance. Uh, parking spot for me. Walk in, they take me to the back room.
Speaker 2:All this like vip, fucking mark walberg um is that when we saw you walking in the stadium? Yeah, yeah, that was dope the shot of you guys walking in was dope.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was. It was our sick. He was owning that fucking moment. Dude.
Speaker 2:I was like yeah it was awesome, it was a moment look at my guy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I just. I mean, you walk in confidence, right, just like dude. This is it. This is my time to become a legend. That's's all I thought, you know, from the beginning. When they called me, I was like this has never been done, dude, this is an opportunity. It's not a money grabs one thing, but this is more than money. This is something more than money can buy.
Speaker 2:That's what you're doing it for yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and then, like you guys said, definition of stay ready, people will talk about it, people will negotiate themselves out of opportunity. Be like I want five million dollars. They'll be like go fuck yourself. You know, this was more than money and um I earned that legendary status.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I went to the back room. They they're like official um, step on the official scale. They had the commission. I was like fuck, oh, I actually gotta weigh in, so I go. I was like, hold on, I'm going to take a piss. Take a piss, come back, boom 164.5,. Thank God, because I don't know if had I been over 165,. What happens? Does the fight happen? But we made weight go back. Get wrapped up and it's fucking go time.
Speaker 2:It's pretty wild too, because you've got to give Diego some credit too, because this dude made weight right the day before as well.
Speaker 1:Three times yeah.
Speaker 4:Technically made three different weight classes. Three weight classes Wow 145, 155, and 165.
Speaker 1:So that whole fight.
Speaker 2:Both of you guys Was bananas, yeah, bananas, absolutely crazy.
Speaker 3:No, I credit this kid, because this fight wouldn't have happened without him 99.9% of fighters are not taking that fight especially they didn't train for you.
Speaker 4:He has no prep for you. Nope, dan's just a stylistically not I mean, he is a bad matchup for a lot of guys. Um, and look, we're not like calling these guys out by any means, but that name we've. We've asked to fight him numerous times and on their end they're like eh, not really the fight.
Speaker 2:No, no, and on a full camp. I would love to see that run back because, I thought you were nullifying him on the feet really well. Like your stand-up game, you were controlling.
Speaker 1:You know he had a little bit of control time on the ground, but I mean it was a really good fight yeah, considering, you know fights of old and going in, you know you've got a date set, the mentality of that focus date and then the week and the nerves and everything that goes into it. On the media thing, do you think not having that played a part?
Speaker 3:I think a little bit. That's why I had to constantly remind myself. I'm like dude number one there's no game plan at this point, because we don't have time to sit and watch tape. And I mean, I've seen him fight, so we kind of understand the basics of his game, but I don't have time to sit there and figure out details and look for tendencies. I'm like dude, I'm gonna go out there and trust him the last 15, 20 years of my training and let all that take over and just be in the moment. And you know, even he was like, right before I walked out, he's like hey, take a moment, take it all in, take your time, dude, this is fucking, this is awesome, dude, this is what we live for.
Speaker 3:And, um, that stuck with me as I walked out. I took it all in fucking lights in my eyes, like it was crazy. It was like I was at a rave or something and and um, I just had to constantly remind myself anytime I felt any type of stress or like tenseness, of like man, all right, just let it go, have fun, have fun. Even at the end I was like, yeah, I probably lost, you know, on the scorecards, but the way I finished. I was like I could be bummed right now, or I could just just smile, just smile and be fucking grateful for this moment, because again, I became a legend overnight, I mean literally within hours. I got paid. I got to pay my, I got to take care of my team. Um, he texted me yesterday. I got to pay him. He's like, dude, you paid me more than you made on your third ufc win, like it was a fucking.
Speaker 2:That's a blessing dude straight up blessing man yeah, yeah, yeah, and you were ready for it which? Is which is, which is incredible. One thing I'd like to say is, you know, like E in the corner, you know, I mean, obviously you had to feel this stress too. Now you gotta, you gotta fight tonight that you weren't prepared for, like what is? What do you do to prep for that and what do you get him? What do you do to to get him ready?
Speaker 4:um, well, I mean him and I, I think, are very connected. Our, our synergy is spot on to where we can read each other's mannerisms, our body language. Like I can tell if he walks in the room if he's upset or something's wrong and vice versa, like he's he walks in the room, sometimes like oh, we're gonna have a hard fucking practice today just by telling you know one another with the way they read our body language. In that particular fight, like I always kind of I'm almost too relaxed, right, because anytime he looks over at me I want him to feel a sense of calmness and I look at coach and then my nerves get calm and then I'm over here just fucking cracking jokes and giggling.
Speaker 2:I think you do it really well because you're able to stay calm in moments and you're able to fire guys up in moments 100%, and I think there's a buildup to it.
Speaker 4:Right, I like to try to look at us as coaches as like the conductor to an orchestra, like I'll try to have a buildup as that. Maybe even the fight goes on, or maybe that particular round. But right then, and there, like you know, going into round round two, like I looked at him was like what are you doing, bro?
Speaker 4:You're getting a massage and just to cut the tense of the situation, the gravity of the situation, where he kind of giggled and like yeah, I was getting a freaking massage, you know, and like whatever and we've done that before and every guy is a little different, right like I'm sure talking to him.
Speaker 2:He's like really taking everything in. You're sitting there talking to sean and it's like a brick wall sometimes, as I see from an outsider.
Speaker 4:Right, yeah and I'll do that sometimes too, just for me, like almost to kind of lighten the mood. And then, you know, it's almost like a psychological thing too. It's like you're gonna take your the mind off of the situation, the gravity of the situation, and then kind of like ease your way back into this. And we got some good reads. You know, after the first round I I'd really really trust kai kamaka and what he sees, and I I and sean had a lot of good reads, so you have two really good guys in the corner. Um, and then eddie baracco credit to him. Like he gave me a list of stuff when I was in the car, like on the way there, eddie sent me a thing in notes like here's I'm gonna break down tape while you guys are driving, because it was a fiasco yeah, and it was like I called the guys that you trust the most and and get the best information that you can.
Speaker 4:And then we diagnosed what we saw in the first round and then try to implement that going in round two and round three. But I mean, dude, that was our 20th pro fight together. You know we've done this shit before. It's all about you and I talk about this all the time. It's like gaining reps, and the reps that him and I have had, the amount of fights we've had, the amount of corner time that we've had together, dude, it didn't matter, we could have done that any day of the week, it wouldn't matter.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you guys have been in the trenches multiple times and for you, that's got to be that feeling of of complete trust in his guidance and all the team right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's got to be, it's got to be uplifting oh, 100, and like I mean him and I know each other so well, it's like anything. He's yelling I. I hear everything.
Speaker 1:I was so in the moment he's like same side head kick, boom and land it. Oh fuck, he's on my back eric's like my bad dude no, it's good, like I was just stoked it landed. I think it was another round. That would be in a completely different fight yeah, I was really.
Speaker 3:I mean, range is a sometimes it's a hard thing to find within a fight. And round one was kind of I was like all right, he's dangerous, I'm just gonna within a fight. And round one was kind of I was like, all right, he's dangerous, I'm just going to keep you know, stay composed. Round two I started feeling that my range, finding my range, landing my shots Got taken down with that head kick. But I knew I had my range. So going into round three I was still confident there and I was like, okay, now I can start putting you know the pace on this guy. And I was like, okay, now I can start putting the pace on this guy. And I remember hitting in round three I hit him with something.
Speaker 1:Right hand.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I hit him with the right hand and the whole entire fight his eyes were on me. He was focused. I hit him with that right hand. He took his eyes off me, walked back, looked up at the clock and I was like, oh, he's fucking done, dude. I got him His spirit. I felt his spirit diminish and I was like I just gotta go. I gotta keep pushing the pace. Anytime he would counter with something. I just I didn't give him respect.
Speaker 2:Great pressure. No, it was really good pressure yeah no respect there.
Speaker 3:He tried to take me down, shuck him off, reverse off the cage, get back up, and now it's been a few days. So I'm starting to go in my head like fuck, I could have stood up right there and just the ifs and what ifs. But hey, it's done, it's in the books, it's in the past and here we are.
Speaker 4:Yeah, same with me, especially calling for the same side high. You guys got to understand like as his coach, but like a guy that makes me better in areas of coaching. That makes me better in areas of coaching. We'll spend time in the off season out of camp and we'll break down possible fights. So if, if he doesn't have a fight, he'll text me on Sunday or he'll tell me like, hey, what if we fought? Um, you know so-and-so, and then so Sunday I'll watch like a fight or two and then Monday we'll go into a training session pretending like this is our, this is our matchup to work on things.
Speaker 4:Furthermore, he always, will always try and find, find, try to find ways to improve on our skill set, offensively and or defensively, and one of those things has been his head kicks. So in my mind I'm like, okay, diego and his team just crammed in whatever fights they could to watch of dan and not one piece of information is going to show dan throwing the same side head kick, not one piece of information. So when dan drop stepped and drifted into southpaw and then we had the barrier to where we work this so many times, where we set a trap into the, into the containment of the barrier. I'm like, oh, there it is.
Speaker 4:And, dude, my eyes got big and I'm like this is it this is the movie scene right here, because we giggle all the time in pads, sweep the leg. He's like what if I knock somebody out with the same side head kick? I'm going to fucking lose my mind and dude. The whole scenario ran through my head of like in this half a second going. He's going to knock him out with this head kick and he threw it and fucking damn it landed.
Speaker 3:Well, I want to say, like I don't want you to ever feel that guilt, because it was the perfect read. It was the perfect read and it landed perfectly. That dude's just got a fucking granite block head, yeah, and he caught the kick, but he caught it kick so it's like but he caught it with his head like literally caught.
Speaker 4:Like you're never taught to ever catch a kick like this, like you want to block the kick. This dude like had his hands like this and like scooped the kick off of his forehead. So I mean credit to that kid. Yeah, yeah it did. It did land. And I was like I looked right at kai in the corner right when he fucking I I was like I just fucked us dude. And Kai's like no, he didn't. No, he didn't. Like we're fine, we're fine. And like Kai's like talking me back into the into the fight because I was like I just fucked us.
Speaker 4:Oh man jersey brother, jersey brother.
Speaker 1:Well, the fight, obviously, you know, didn't fall in your favor, but I think you are the winner. I think everybody who was there in, in that audience, I think, was like over 18 000 people, close to 19 000 people, soaked out on uh, people's champ. Everybody, everybody was texting me, everybody was going ballistics, sending me all kinds of reels and stuff, as if I hadn't seen it already. Yeah, let's talk about what happened after you walked back to the dressing room happened after you walked back to the dressing room.
Speaker 3:So we walked back um go to the medical tent. They checked me out, my legs hurting a little bit. Right, he fucking he did hit me with some nasty leg kicks. Um, I used to believe calf kicks don't work.
Speaker 3:They fuck, they work dude, they work yeah my leg was hurting, so we get checked out. You know little glue on the nose and uh, then they're like hey, they want to do media, which they never do. Um, after a loss, usually no one wants to talk to you. They're like media boom, espn. Megan, olivi and eric was like I mean, you were there but my body started like shaking, like convulsing, and I don't know if I was cold or just the adrenaline dump, but like it's because you don't. I was not mentally prepared for all this to happen, but my body was shaking in the back. Then we go in the back in the locker room. Hey, more more meaty wants to talk to you. I'm like, dude, I just need to, I need to chill for a moment. So we went back to the locker room, chilled and we didn't have any plans. Like we ended up, just we got a driver. They have any plans.
Speaker 2:Like we ended up, just we got a driver, they took us home and eric and I had like a little glass of whiskey ended up at the rhino.
Speaker 3:We actually kept saying it yeah eric's like let's go to the rhino. We end up uh yeah, we're just at the house, have a glass of whiskey and said good night and respect what a day a day.
Speaker 4:Yeah, dude what a whirlwind when we got to the house. That's when it all hit me of just the week compiled up and I'm like all right, dude, I'm ready to pass the fuck out.
Speaker 4:It's been a hell of a month for you, man. Yeah, it was a lot, it was busy and that was just really the icing on the cake. Roman took the fight on short notice. He had a six-day notice fight to fight Anthony Smith, you know, he looked great. And then the week before that we had Sadabusi, who had a last-minute replacement the day of his fight in Salt Lake. So, dude, I mean within the month we had so many guys from June to the end of the month that fought On Strickland, strickland and Puna, and Cody Stammen and all these Kai fought the night before.
Speaker 4:So Kai fought in Sioux Falls lands, goes home, drops off his bags, gets a phone call from me and then pulls up, like when you saw the video of Kai jumping in the car he had just gotten home and just flips his shades up with his huge black eye, which is so gangster and that's legit, legit me, like that's how the conversation went down. I said meet me on the corner of silver water ranch and babita, 30 minutes, bring your gear back. He didn't say like he goes, like like you know he goes, what do I need? I said bring your gear bag. And then I hung up. He texts me. He's like what's going on. I go I think dan's fighting, I don't know yet who or what, whatever just be in the corner he's like I'll see you there. Like that's how that went down, like it just made me feel so good knowing, like our group, our guys, off the drop of the hat yeah they dropped everything that they had going on and we're like love it.
Speaker 4:See you there bud it's a testament.
Speaker 2:It's a testament to how you're pushing the team as well and, like you know something I saw you say yesterday it's like we're we train to get in the pool and drown people. That's how we're training and pushing ourselves right. So guys are ready to go at all times and it's just a testament of that. You know, just this last week even right yeah, I mean, that's always been our mentality.
Speaker 4:We've talked about that numerous times about you know you don't have the luxury of staying on the side of the shore. You have to be willing to get in the water. You know you have to be willing to get in the water. But drown, proof yourself. And knowing that I could take this guy down to the depths, because we do it every day in our practice and we, we vocalize it, we tell our, we tell each other, I'm going to try to kill our training partners, because if we don't give them the best look, then other people are going to try to kill us, right, like if like dudes walking in off the street into the gym trying to fight.
Speaker 2:That doesn't work out well for a lot of people. Let's talk about greenlighting. Some guys coming in the gym Got it. We got to talk about this because we were talking about it earlier and he's like does that really happen all the time? I'm like, bro, it happens all the time. You got to ask him about it. So tell us about greenlighting dudes in the gym.
Speaker 3:Well, you kind of. I mean, I'm not really the green light guy, but we use puny pagoa. He's like our go-to guy, he's a 125er, but this, this dude's a killer and anytime someone comes in the gym with that wants to fight someone, we we sick puny on him because he's just the young blood coming up and, um, you know, I've had my green light days coming up as a, you know, as an amateur and a pro, but I'm usually pretty'm a good train. I call myself a good training partner and I don't train with a. I usually don't train with randoms and I always look at sparring too like false data, cause I can't really ever, you know, I don't want to put a guy's lights out, like I don't get to just knock someone out and go home, like if I hurt someone, we got to stand back up and keep fighting and finish out the round. So we just call pooney. Pooney puts it on him and, uh, it's.
Speaker 2:It's nice when it's pooney because he's he is. He seems a little nicer than than strickland, right, because I've seen strickland put the screws on a couple guys.
Speaker 4:Yeah it just depends on the situation, like on how this green light takes place. You know, so, um, certain certain guys are going to get it. Uh, so the green light has evolved over the years. So Jay Heron and Mike Powell and those guys were the executioners back in the days of street couture and they were trying to put your lights out, right.
Speaker 4:And now the funny thing is like, jay Heron in his wise old age is now the voice of reason. He's like guys, no, can't film it, don't knock them out to the head. He's like guys, no, can't film it, don't knock him out to the head. We're like what?
Speaker 2:No touching of the hair or the face.
Speaker 3:What Jay Gentleman's KO.
Speaker 4:Gentleman's KO, as we call it now, and you can rip as hard as you want to the body or the legs, and that's why we usually use Poonie or Kobe Fair, because Kobe's a different stylistic matchup. Nightmare for dudes, cause they'll take you down, and to me, there's nothing worse in the world than not being able to get another fucking human being off of you and this dude just holding you down, holding you down and beating the shit out of you. So, sean, sean has gotten to the point now where it's like, all right, we'll send Poonie in for the body shots and this, and then kobe will take you down and beat the crap out of you and then sean will go instagram live kobe's the 125, smacking you up, glenn yeah, kobe's the 125 strickland yeah, so you know a lot of this stuff.
Speaker 4:Like people have to understand if you're new to the gym and you're coming into the gym, this isn't like we're not. We're not trying to hurt anybody, but there's people that will show up to the gym and be like fuck that guy, I'll smoke that dude. Or they're talking shit on instagram or twitter.
Speaker 4:Or even worse is if you disrespect the front desk, ladies if you're disrespectful to the front desk ladies and they come back and be like yo, this dude was a dick and he was talking to his shit or saying this is that like, all right, I'll have, I want my nazi scalps and I want my scalps, I want my Nazi scalps and I want my scalps, I want my scalps, and then I'll cash out dudes for body shot KOs no shit.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I'll cash out fucking Poonie. When Chris Curtis was not in the UFC, Chris Curtis used to love to get the cash apps I'd cash out Chris Curtis all the time.
Speaker 2:Did Strickland get the cash app for this Mitch Aguilar yesterday?
Speaker 4:No, and people need to understand like mitch and sean are actually friends, like they've trained together before they're friends. Mitch has pro fights um. The whole banter that started this thing off with with sean and the navy seals was more like sean and mitch joking around back and forth right and then sean goes on his and was like I'll beat any navy Navy SEAL. So that brought the whole community Navy SEAL community in on this thing when it really was about more like Sean and Mitch and dude credit to this guy Mitch. He shows up and takes a five round ass beating.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I saw some video and, yeah, he definitely looked.
Speaker 4:Hey, man the dude. That dude at any point could have quit and said, all right man, all right, you got me. And that dude took it. I mean, sean wasn't trying to put his lights out, sean was chopping his legs hard and hitting his body shots hard and Sean's like I don't want to hurt him, I don't want to, like, give this guy brain damage, you know, because they are friends. Yeah, and man hats off to Mitch because he took that 25-minute ass whooping like a man.
Speaker 3:I watched it and I was like okay, I got to do an interview. I went back, did an interview. I came back.
Speaker 4:He's still beating his ass Beating his ass, beating his ass, bro. So I mean credit to Mitch. We don't joke about this. But, like, we take our training very seriously and we are, I would say, a lot of that inspiration comes from Dan's dad. Dan's dad is a Navy SEAL and we look at our training in the same capacity of okay, obviously we're not going into things for life and death, but what can we learn from in the way that these men train and operate and how can we be better amongst ourselves in our training? So you know, with Tim Ige and I have friends that are in the community as well I use those guys as resources on how we can become better and because of that training. Those are the reasons why he's able to pick up the phone and take four-hour phone calls of going yeah, I can fight. I can fight tonight and I firmly believe it's because of the way we train.
Speaker 3:What did my dad?
Speaker 4:call it Time-sensitive information. I can fight tonight and I firmly believe it's because of the way we train. What did my dad call it time sensitive information?
Speaker 2:who's going to carry the logs? Not even well, tell us. I already know. Let's get into this. Why do you guys hate on David Goggins, bro? What's the deal? I don't hate on him at all.
Speaker 4:I don't hate on Goggins. I think Goggins has a role and has a purpose and he inspires a lot of people to do great things. I don't hate on Goggins. I think Goggins has a role and has a purpose and he inspires a lot of people to do great things. Definitely there's no hate for me on that. I hear guys within the community that don't like Goggins because of things that they did with him on deployments.
Speaker 2:Gay stuff.
Speaker 4:I wish, but I mean I wasn't there gay stuff, but I mean I wasn't there, you know, and and I would never my my opinion about somebody would never be levied on on what somebody says, right, like if so, I hate j-rock, well, hold on, I don't know j-rock, I've never met him. Why would I, why wouldn't?
Speaker 2:I he's really cool. Yeah, he's a really cool guy, you know.
Speaker 4:but I think within the community a lot of people misunderstand when Goggins went on Rogan and was kind of bashing on the SEAL teams or green team testing and not getting on DevGuru and things like that, it's because of this, this and this. Well, guys that I know within the community are like no, he's a skilled, he's very skilled in all the things that he did. We just didn't like him. We didn't want to be around the guy for six months at a time.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's intense.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's maybe part of the reason why that he didn't get selected. I don't know, I wasn't there.
Speaker 2:I like listening to his stuff. You know like I'm a military guy, so when I hear him he just reminds me of these dudes the drill instructors, yeah. But obviously your dad being a Navy SEAL and having some of these back-end stories like you have probably a little bit of a different perspective.
Speaker 3:A little bit. I mean, dude, I try to my dad doesn't tell me much. Actually it's funny because last year in June when I fought, I linked up with my dad, hadn't seen him in years and Eric was the one. He's like, dude, you should just sit down and have a couple beers with your dad and, you know, ask him, be like, give me, tell me some stories you know to tell my grandkids. So we're, we're smashing some Jameson and I'm like, hey, dad, you know you got any stories I could tell Bam.
Speaker 1:Give me some more stories.
Speaker 3:You know, he's a he's like maybe in a couple of years he's still, he's still in.
Speaker 4:Yeah, he's still working.
Speaker 3:I mean, what do you want to know? You know there's. It's like I've been on dozens of missions, like, yeah, you kill people, like, but what is it? He's like, just put it this way, I've been places you're not supposed to be and it's pretty much as secretive as that. He's very loyal to the core and I think that's where, like, maybe Goggins or guys like that get a lot of hate because they're leveraging the seal community. Yeah, the trident. It's like dude, I had a solar guy come to my house the other day and he's like trying to sell me solar. He's like, and I was wearing a c4 foundation shirt, he's like, oh, dude, I'm a seal, look at, look at my trident, and and then he's trying to leverage. He's like, man, you know, I got integrity because how many times I went to fucking afghanistan. I'm like cool, I respect you, but I don't want to fucking buy solar. So, please, you know.
Speaker 2:So I respect we get the fuck off my porch.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, I'll call sean strickland but I mean we, we learn so like we have to have people to look up to too. Right and and tier one operators are the, the pinnacle 100.
Speaker 2:They're the highest performing operations unit in any military force in the world so so it from from where we are.
Speaker 4:And I look at like this like why does? Why did joe mazula call us in the off season right from the from the boston celtics? We're not basketball guys, we don't know shit about that stuff, but he, he's like I can learn some of these things from what these guys are doing in a different demographic. Same thing goes for us. It's like who are the elite? Elite in what they do? That's why him and I hit it off the first time we ever met. It's like he's an elite at what he does, you don't think?
Speaker 4:I tell him all the time, yeah but I, I, I can learn from him, from what he does. And it doesn't have to apply to bodybuilding, it could just be applied to work ethic.
Speaker 1:It could be applied to my family mindset exactly this is why we're all in this room. We all have that same commonality, same moral compass, but yet we're, all you know, different lanes.
Speaker 2:100, 100, yeah I like to surround myself with gentlemen like yourselves, right, because that's what pushes me right to to, to do great things. It's inspiring to see what he's done. Inspiring see what what you do. Inspiring see what you do right. So, like that's, all I want to surround myself with is that kind of energy 100.
Speaker 4:You know, you know it's that. It's that saying, it's like if you're running track, you're going to run track and everybody's running fast, we're all going to try to keep up with one another. You know, and and that's the honest to god truth like why I even got into mma because you and I were in the bar industry for however long, yeah, and, and we had to separate that because it's like, if you fall into that hole, it's like when you get off of work, what are you gonna do? Oh, I'm gonna go drink, I'm gonna gamble, I'm gonna smoke cigarette, whatever, I don't know, yeah, and, and that's what you fall into. But when I got into mma, it was like everybody was doing healthy things and training hard, positive, positive and I'm like, okay, this is what I want my life to become and that's who I surrounded myself with positive addiction exactly eric, you mentioned your relationship with the boston celtics coach joe mazula how did that come about?
Speaker 4:so, um, dan, and we had a practice uh, this is during summer league last?
Speaker 4:yeah, it was last saturday um, I get a call from dr Duncan over the UFC PI and he said, hey, do you mind if I share your contact to Joe Mazzulla? And I like one of those like where I kind of like, wait, joe Mazzulla from the Celtics. He's like yeah, and I was like fuck, yeah, dude, no problem. So then I get a text from from Joe and it said hey, I'm in town from here to here. Um, would love to be able to just sit down and meet up and just pick your brain on some things. And I was like you say it, bro, anytime. You call it out and I go. I would suggest, if you want to come in, to come into sparring, to come watch the guy spar, and he goes, I'll be there.
Speaker 4:So I show up, walk in the office. Sam Cassell is sitting in the front lobby. I this Sam Cassell is sitting in the front lobby. I'm a big Florida State guy and Sam Cassell is a Florida State alum. I'm like shit, sam Cassell. So I start chopping up with him. Joe Mazzulla shows up, he hangs out with us for basically all of pro practice and we're cornering rounds like we would at sparring. I introduce him to Dan, to Brad, to Boston Salmon, to a bunch of the boys on the team I think coach gif was there. You know, these are all like boston fans as well, um, celtic fans. And then he's like if you have any time, can you, you know, hang out with us in the office.
Speaker 4:So the three of us, I think four of us, we sat in the office for like an hour hours dude yeah, yeah and just dude, we just talked and and talked about you know, know what's it like running a team the way that we have, and how does coaching work within the corner? How do you delegate time for the other guys? How do you grab attention? You know all the right questions. A true coach is coach. A true coach is coach. But what I really was inspired by was this man was going to find any way possible to become better yeah he.
Speaker 4:He felt like he let his team down the last um in the playoffs. They lost in the easter conference finals and a lot of that blame was put on coach joe. And he's like, dude, I don't give a fuck what it takes, I'm gonna find ways to become a better coach, a better, better person, a better human being. You know he's, he's a, he's a man of faith. Um, the dude works his ass off in any, every capacity that I've ever seen and we really hit it off. And I told him before he left. I'm like this is still like, I understand how busy you are, but I go, bro, my phone will always be on, like if you need something, call me, whatever.
Speaker 4:But I wanted to make a conscious effort to stay in contact with him during the season. So, bro, I'd shoot him a text like once a week hey, checking in on how are you. He would shoot me a text after a fight Yo don't fight. That was great, how so? And so Anytime I asked him a question about how he's doing, he would always respond back to like something about dan or brad or one of the boys on the team. Never really, really respond about the basketball stuff. It was like, dude, that fight with strickland was sick you know, because he's a, he's an mma guy.
Speaker 4:He's a big fan, you know. So, um, it was very organic. And then, you know, we facetimed with him on monday. Yeah, it was his birthday and we talked.
Speaker 3:I saw him at the fight yeah, third round. I looked up, I was like what's up, coach? I'm like yeah. And I was like, oh shit, head back in the game, get back yeah, he was sitting right behind us in the blue corner.
Speaker 4:So when roman fought I got on the on the apron. Uh, you know they're announcing the guys. I looked back, I saw coach joe, I gave roman his water and then I hopped off and ran back to give Joe and his wife a hug and say what's up, because I knew that there wasn't a chance. You know, I may be only going to see him for this brief amount of time, so I knew, when Anthony Smith was walking out and Roman was taken care of, I had like maybe a minute to spend with Coach Joe. So that's.
Speaker 3:You know, it was important to be able to give him a hug what's crazy that that first day when, when you introduced us, like, I mean, I don't, I don't really follow any other sports other than fighting and, um, sam cassell was there, I didn't know sam cassell, joe mizzou, I thought sam cassell was the head coach.
Speaker 3:I thought that was joe mizzou and I'm like I thought I was talking to mizzou for over an hour, had no clue it was him and I was like I thought he was just like an intern. I was like dude, this he's freaking this guy's smart dude, he wants to learn. He was picking my brain just asking, like about the mental coaching adjustments, uh, camps, and I was like I like this guy?
Speaker 2:who's this guy? Keep at it, this is the head coach. I'm like what, yeah you, keep at it, you'll make it someday. No, he, he's young man.
Speaker 4:And I think that's where you have to give him credit is like your team is going to follow your lead on things like that. Like look, I didn't fight professionally, but I give my team everything, every piece of resource that I have. So they see, like, okay, he's studying, he's training, he's working, he's doing all these things. Like, okay, he's studying, he's training, he's working, he's doing all these things. Okay, he might not have been a pro fighter, but he's doing his fucking best to be the best coach for us. Right, and that's what I saw from Joe right away when I gravitated to is this dude's going to spare no expense. He's going to leave no fucking leaf unturned, like this, you know exactly no crumbs behind. And that's what I respect about the guy. And and I will I was never a Boston Celtics fan. I'm a Joe Missoula fan through and through. So wherever that dude goes, he's going to be my guy for forever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a good point. Like you know the cross, how the sports, and it's the mentality that's the same right, like, as you know, prepping for a show, like your mental game, you know, and you can take things from other athletes, right, other people who have pushed themselves past their limits, right, and so all those kind of connect in that way. I've noticed that and obviously sports with fighting, you know bodybuilding and other you got guys in there. Utilize Kobe Bryant as an example the Mamba mentality that transfers into every single sport or even your business or your life, right, that's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Sorry, but my mentality when I was living in Florida I surrounded myself with fighters. As you know, I had back then. It was Spong, yeah, spong. He caught me up the other day. Obviously my boy Rumble Johnson. Who else was there during that? Rashad Evans? Um, obviously my boy rumble johnson. Um, who else is there doing that? Rashad evans? Um, there was a multitude of different salvages. Who? Even? Usman just came out of college to join what was um jacko? Yeah, that's what it was back then, jacko, and that was henry black zillions I was there doing for all that time.
Speaker 1:I was down for the black zillions until I met eric we're down with them too. Yeah, yeah, he's my guy. I remember that time there was, it was black zillions versus.
Speaker 4:I was down for the Black Sillians until I met Eric. Of course we're down with him too. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Henry's my guy. I remember that time it was Black Sillians versus ATT and I had to choose my hat wisely.
Speaker 1:And then my brother ended up going and being the strength and conditioning coach for ATT, so that was a fun time. To be truthfully honest, but that was for me as the Mr Olympia at the time. I, the Mr Olympia at the time, I loved being around fighters because that mentality was something I wasn't used to and I used to hone in that knowledge, just like Coach Joe and you. Having that conversation, it's like what can I learn from fighters that I've already kind of already know in my space, but what can I learn from these guys in a different space that I can put into my daily step? Is there any sports that I know? You kind of said you don't follow much sport, but is any athletes then that you kind of look at and go, man, I I'd love, I love what he does and and uh, not that I try to want to be like him, but I want to take characteristics from that athlete honestly, a little bit of everything.
Speaker 3:Like I, I don't hone in and watch a lot of sports, but you know you got like the mama mentality. I listen to a lot of like, even like the. Have you ever heard of the inner game of tennis?
Speaker 3:no, these guys are so like I'll study the, the mind just of these tennis players, high level tennis players, because you have to be in the moment, right, you got a fucking ball coming out, you back and 103, yeah, it's going so fast, and like you're not thinking it's being the moment. Listen to the sound of the ball spinning. You know the the pound off the racket. You know the squeaking of the courts. Like this is very in the moment type of sport. So I, I study that, you know just like the psychology of it. And then obviously you got like the mindset, like a you know mama mentality. Like I, I love it.
Speaker 3:You know a guy like tom brady, who has never I, I look at the goats, right, bodybuilder, my man over here, flex Lewis. Like I, I just try to study the goats and take little bits and pieces of information. And how can I apply it? How can I apply it to me without changing who I am? Because I did that too and I learned by mistake, by, like you know, I'll talk to someone like kamaru usman or or uh kabib, but so hudo, and they all have these different philosophies and I'm like trying to like force it and I'm like trying to be this guy, this guy, this guy, I'm like dude, I can't. I, I can't take all these little bits and pieces because they don't like, they don't collaborate together. It doesn't work, you know. So how can I just form my mind and then truly believe in what I have and and who I am? And I think over the years, that's where I've really gotten better at, just, you know, believing in myself and not saying don't listen to anyone, but believe in myself, believe in my team and kind of fuck everyone you know fuck
Speaker 1:everyone's opinion you know, I want to ask you the same question, coach what about? Yourself.
Speaker 4:As far as athletes go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, coaches athletes. Obviously, you mentioned Joel.
Speaker 4:I think, coming from a football background, I've always followed Nick Saban. The ones that have had a lasting effect on me are always going to be my dad and my uncle, because of firsthand acquaintances of these are the things that they've taught me or instilled in me. And then you know, athlete wise yeah, I think you got to look at like guys like Tom Brady, michael Jordan, kobe Bryant, and, again, like what Dan's saying to me, it was more about understanding the work ethic. What made them tick? Okay, guys at the highest level. I'm going to use you for an example. You've won how many in a row? 21. Okay, how does that motivation stay the same? And this is what, to me, made the greats the best.
Speaker 4:The elite was they weren't okay with getting caught up. They weren't okay with somebody catching up to them, so they always found ways to evolve or become better in areas that may be okay. Um, lebron, my free throw shooting can be better. So what do I spend more time on the offseason doing? Developing that they're not trying to get caught, they're trying to lap the next guy or the next group of guys coming, coming up, and that, to me, like the tom're trying to lap the next guy or the next group of guys coming up and that to me, like the Tom Brady's of the world, it's like, yeah, I'm the goat, but if I let my guard down, then people are going to catch up to me. So this work ethic and all these things that I've done is here right now, but now this next group of crop of guys are going to try to catch me. So I actually got to double my workload. I'm going to wake up earlier, I'm going to get better, just because of that mentality of like no way do I want to get caught.
Speaker 4:So I think when it comes for us for MMA, we started finding other ways of details to coach. Right, like we corner different because of the reps that we have. I speak my language is different in the corner because of what the judges might hear me say. Right, it's not just X's and O's. We prep for things in the room of like, hey, when we get up off of these grappling situations, we're going to shadow box in between these rounds. Oh, that's just cardio. No, it's not cardio.
Speaker 4:What I'm trying to do is build body language. So the moment we get up off the ground, you see my guys bounce right and they're like oh fuck, this guy looks like he's in shape and he's ready to go. We're all tired, everybody's tired in the room, but what message are we delivering? Are we giving off? So there's so many areas that we can coach that I think people overlook that.
Speaker 4:I feel me personally, that I feel I have an edge on because I try to stay open-minded and find areas of improvement and then, furthermore, man, talk to the people around you. Like you, I have great resources. I have Randy Couture, one of the best mentors and resources in the world, that I'll pick up the phone and I can call and just have an honest, open conversation and he'll tell me things like hey, don't forget about x, y and z, because all of us get tunnel vision and we we our sights set on the target, but when you, when you're a sniper, you always have your spotter yeah you got the guy sitting next to you looking at the overall landscape of things.
Speaker 4:So having those resources are important. Set of eyes, second set of eyes you know him and I, bro, and we we do this all the time. It's a checks and balances. A. What do you think I can be better in? Or if I need an actual resource to tell me something, I'm going to go to Dan, or I'm going to go to you or I'm going to go to you. A was I wrong in this situation? There's a saying that says I love you too much to leave you the way that you are. A lot of your friends will just tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. So surround yourself with motherfuckers that will be like yo bro.
Speaker 2:Call you out on your shit. Call you out on your shit.
Speaker 4:Hey man, come to church yeah my guy.
Speaker 2:He got me in, he got me in the church. I invited Flex too. Yeah, you did.
Speaker 1:You did. I got Dan's barber chasing me all the time, every Sunday too. Oh boy Dan, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Where you at Flex, knocking out guys, knocking out guys, you're going to walk in.
Speaker 4:We're going to start like burning.
Speaker 2:Knocking out guys on Saturday, blessing guys on Sunday.
Speaker 1:That's some crazy stuff, but not that shit. But it kind of threw me off then, intrigued with what he was saying, and it kind of made me think about fighters on the path to stardom. Okay, how, as a coach, you know when you get these guys in, they're all coming in different levels, right, maybe you've got somebody that's just, you know, been with you for a number of years and now he has that fight. The next thing he skyrocketed, all eyes on him. You know, look at Dan.
Speaker 1:Right, obviously we know Dan, it's not his persona, but if another fighter had that opportunity and it goes to his head, as a coach, what kind of things do you do? Preventative measures, to kind of be like, hey, listen, you're getting caught up in the sauce because we can name names who have won belts and you know we're up at 5 am running for that. And when they get it, it's like you, you're invited to nightclubs, you're getting paid to do this, you're doing that, and they're all distractions Getting laid. Yeah, how to your point, how, as a coach, do you able to kind of get that guy back down to level, to be like, hey, listen, we've got a job to do, don't get caught up in all this extracurricular stuff.
Speaker 4:Well, what are your goals? What was your purpose of getting into this sport? And we reinvent our goals, or reestablish goals, all the time, and a lot of that to me, like, if you're, let's use Conor McGregor for an example, right, I think he's a great example. His motivation was to be two-time champ, or one of the best to ever do it, but then, when your motivation starts, to change because pajamas waking up in them silk pajamas you start waking up in silk pajamas.
Speaker 4:Well, what do I? What am I doing this for? So? So your goals have to be reassessed. And maybe it's not to be the greatest in the world, maybe it's you know, I want to make more money, or I want to do this, I want to do that. I think you have to be honest with yourself as an athlete and even as a coach. It's like motives change. Your motives are going to change, so those goals have to be reassessed time and time again. To where? Yeah, when we first started, our goals are still very similar to where we're at today.
Speaker 4:He's not, he's not moved by money. That's not what he's moved by. His successes are a byproduct now, or the money's a byproduct of his successes. I said it wrong, right? So, like, that climb is is still there, that drive is still there. You know, we, we haven't had gold wrapped around our waist, although that is always going to be in our sights and what we want to accomplish, right?
Speaker 4:So when certain guys come in and you can see their, their celebrity and this, the other side of that man is, I feel, like the room, the gym, is its own entity. The guys in the room, the team, they'll, they'll bring your ass right back down pretty freaking quick, you know, because sean strickland come in the room and he's a celebrity bro. He's a celebrity not in the gym, not in our room. Like you don't give a fuck if he's late, late it's yes sir, no sir, I'm on his ass just as like I wouldn't be anybody else. So I think, treating people the same, but understanding their motives and what their goals are and those things are always changing, no matter what. But at the end of the day, man, I'm pushing for greatness with my guys and if those motives change, I'm probably out the door, jayrock, um, well, no, it's a, it's a good point.
Speaker 2:I mean, and, and you know, obviously, francis, right, one of your fighters, um, just went through some you know personal tragedy and obviously you know, really crazy tough time. You know, I, I see you guys are back training again, you know, and you're, you know this has got to be, uh, you know, something that's just incredibly hard for him. And getting him back in there now into the ring, and you know, what do you guys have planned? Are you, are you trying to get him back moving again, or what's that?
Speaker 4:look like, honestly, that that was kind of just the situation I wanted the most was just to get him back in the room, yeah, and and I just I want him to heal, that's all you know. And and I think, like we said earlier, the gym is its own entity, it's its own like fountain of youth, if you will. And seeing him walk in the room and seeing the reception that he got from the guys and the team and then seeing his smile on his face again and how he feels, that's just one little baby step towards healing. And like last on Monday, on Monday he came in and he said you know, it's been a rough week and he's going to have that. He's going to have those rough weeks and he goes. And I know why. Because what did he do on Saturday and Sunday? He probably sat around or didn't have a whole lot going on.
Speaker 4:So, knowing Francis as well as I do, like during covid, he was depressed a lot and that's when he kind of became part of the family because we would just have him come to the house and spend time with us. So he, here he is with this, this loss in his life, and he's sitting around at home doesn't have a little lot going on saturday and sunday. That's when, probably, the depression hits. Monday he comes in and he has a great practice and then now throughout the rest of the week he's around the boys, around the team. He has a sense of purpose. You know he's getting the job done and you know whether he decides to fight ever again. Um, it's going to be completely up to him. But being in the room and training is a step in the right direction, not only to fight again but to heal that heart, yeah, just just his mental mindset, just to get in there and be around the boys.
Speaker 4:That's right Be around the family.
Speaker 2:Wolfpack.
Speaker 1:How long is he going to be on it?
Speaker 4:Eric. He'll be here until the end of July and then I think he has to go back home due to his visa obligations. And then, you know, depending on what he wants to do, we're going to sit down and kind of figure out, you know, is he going to come back home, Is he going to try to do a training camp, Are we going to fight, when are we going to fight? And then all those things. You know we'll have to figure that out.
Speaker 1:He's got so much options too 100% He'll be back to boxing or back, you know, in the MMA world.
Speaker 2:I'd still love to see him come back and fight Jon Jones.
Speaker 1:I think everybody does, everybody but that John Jones list is adding up now with, you know, aspinall Pereira, you know there's so many names being thrown in the mix. I think John Jones will never be able to retire.
Speaker 1:And when he does they're like there's going to be another guy, and I know that feeling too. As soon as you retire, all these guys come out and call you out and talking about what's next? What do you want next? I hear Dana White saying that, you know. I hear Dana White saying that if these guys wanted to fight in the Sphere, is that something you want Dan.
Speaker 3:A hundred percent. I think that Sphere is going to be insane.
Speaker 2:I've never been there. Can't wait for that thing. It's incredible.
Speaker 3:It looks sick, dude. I mean the amount of eyeballs, too, that are going to be on that. That's the biggest reason I want to go on there and fight. Biggest event of the year, right. Biggest event of the year, right. Biggest event of the year, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's going to be hard to top 303.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, the circumstances of that is insane, but the Sphere is going to be incredible.
Speaker 2:Earn that spot at the Sphere right. I think I saw Dana was on, like you know what. Let's put both these guys on at the Sphere for that fight which earns your spot dude, it's great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I mean, I believe Dana's a man of his word.
Speaker 1:I even tweeted today I'm fine, Ryan.
Speaker 2:Garcia at the Sphere, let's get it going. We heard it here first, guys, is that?
Speaker 1:something you're interested in doing. What is that? The fight between yourself and Ryan Garcia? Would that be something you're interested in doing?
Speaker 3:Or any crossover right, dude. I mean, I'm all about it, dude, whatever brings, shoot. He's going to put money in my pockets. But if he wants to come to the UFC we're about the same weight class he could take all the. What do you take, osterine?
Speaker 1:Osterine. I love how he looks at me when fucking he said that.
Speaker 4:What did he take? Fuck, I don't fucking know.
Speaker 1:But Dan, that's got to be kind of now with all the eyes on you there. But, dan, that's got to be kind of now with all the eyes on you. There's the celebrity fights and everybody's calling each other out.
Speaker 3:Has anybody called you out? No, I don't think I've ever been called out Like really, you know. Oh, brito, oh, besides Brito.
Speaker 2:What the fuck.
Speaker 3:Danny.
Speaker 2:If you could fight anybody and I mean like a celebrity, another fighter from the past be dead or alive, who would you fight at the sphere? No, anybody, just like in the backyard in the anywhere right like like four hours, one person, four like three hours I'd love to fight this dude like maybe it's bruce lee, I don't know right for you, but there's two, both dead in life alex yeah, dead in a life, volkanovsky, volkanovsky hesky.
Speaker 3:He's one of the goats, I mean, last year he was pound for pound, number one. He had a few KO losses, but, dude, he's still one of the best in the world and that's what I want.
Speaker 2:I was going to say you and BJ Penn would toss it up.
Speaker 3:Real nice, the couple of.
Speaker 2:Hawaiian boys.
Speaker 3:I don't want to do that to my wife.
Speaker 1:He's trying to stir the pot with all the Hawaiians. Listen, Dan, I think you know. Suffice to say, man, we had this conversation actually at Xtreme, when my daughter was in jiu-jitsu and you had just finished practice and I'd seen you, probably the first time I'd seen you for a while. Yeah, I said bro you're looking great and obviously this guy no, bro, you're looking great and obviously this guy.
Speaker 2:No, you're looking great, but done, I'm gonna put on tricep.
Speaker 1:But thank you very much, mr nice guy over here and he said one arm, one arm. She's like um, obviously I've got the fight coming up, and this is a couple of weeks ago, yeah. And I said, bro, you look ready, he goes flex. I'm always ready and suffice to say. A lot of people have said that to me. You know I'm always ready and suffice to say. A lot of people have said that to me. You know I'm always ready. You know you heard it more than me in that world of fighting. But you truly lived up to that, my friend. And when I seen you walking out, as I said in the beginning of the episode, man, I was sitting on the couch, I think my son was sitting on my lap. He went flying. I was, oh my God, goosebumps on my arm. I was like I'll pick him up. I went ballistic. And then that text popped up.
Speaker 1:This is something I didn't talk about in the episode and I looked at the time of the text. It was 4 pm and it was like 6.30 when I was watching the fight and you guys about 6.30, 7 o'clock when you were walking in, walking in.
Speaker 2:yeah, he was looking down with his happy ending.
Speaker 1:It's like unbelievable man that mindset shift from being totally in Zen to then being in the octagon 19,000 people screaming your name at the end. And that speech at the end, man got me fucking riled up Four hours. Give us the soundbite bro, let's go.
Speaker 3:I can't do it. Eight weeks, six weeks, four weeks, weeks, four weeks four hours doesn't matter. Oh dude, I was, I was pumped up, man it's uh, it's truly a blessing from god and this, this whole thing, this whole training camp, has been a true test of my faith losing how many opponents and just believing, you know, there's something better in store. There's something better in store, and I didn't know what it was till I woke up on that table and was saying you're fine tonight. So yeah, man Sick.
Speaker 1:Well, if you weren't on the Don E Gay train before? Oh shit, get on on it, it's gone, there we go. I was going to rip my shirt off there, but Taya said I can't move.
Speaker 3:Did you get one?
Speaker 1:of those for me, bro. I I went to the store and bought it like a good friend. I'm dropping new merch right now. It's live. Yeah, that's the thing, and and I want to and want to push and promote you guys. So, on that note, what have you got going on?
Speaker 3:uh, we got two shirts. Right now I got a third one coming out. If you go to shop danny gaycom, it's got the eight weeks, six weeks, four hours, doesn't matter, it's got the eight weeks, six weeks, four hours, doesn't matter. It's got the font on there. And it's got me walking in in my house slippers, holding my coffee walking into the arena. Yeah, just some merch for the fans. Love it.
Speaker 2:Burn the boats. Let's talk about it.
Speaker 1:My man to the left here. You just started up an epic podcast. My friend, I want to give you the flowers to that. Let's talk about that. I want to give you the flowers to that.
Speaker 4:Well, let's talk about that. Thankful for you because you gave me a little space to do it. You know, in the lair, yeah, I mean honestly, we kind of we just kind of started on the heels of just these epic stories like this, like these experiences that we have with these fighters, meeting great people within the industry, great friends and more, just kind of inspired by like how you and I sit down and chop these stuff up. And these stories, I think, need to be told the behind the scenes. You know the fans are predicated to seeing a lot of what happens in the cage, but what leads up to those things? So you know, unfortunately we filmed one here, dan and I, last week or two weeks ago and that's going to be a little bit outdated, so we're're gonna have to film another one again. But there's a lot of good information on on for the fans to understand dan and myself and how we got to be where we're at today.
Speaker 4:You know that was our 20th pro fight together, but there's a lot of history in between those fights. Like you know, we had the moment yesterday. You know he pays me this huge amount of money and and we're walking and I just give him this big old hug. It's like man eight years. We've crammed so many great memories in together in this time and then we have so many more to go. So that's what kind of the podcast is predicated on is just these adventures, together, spending some time with some great friends. I love you. I love you, dad.
Speaker 2:I love you Dad.
Speaker 4:Winning some some great friends and I love you, I love your dad and going out, you know, winning some big fights and doing some fun shit, you know. So we've got a lot of good stories and I I just want the fans to kind of hear a lot of fighter stories, a lot of other stories too.
Speaker 1:I watched the the first episode congratulations. And it's not just fighting right? I just want to clarify.
Speaker 4:There's a lot of different yeah, and you know, like I didn't want to get into like breakdown of like, oh, this week we have so-and-so. Yes, of course, if there's a big fight coming up, people want to know what my thoughts are on breaking down Jon Jones versus Aspinall or whatever it may be. We'll break some stuff down. But, moreover, what I would love to do is be able to say, hey, dan, come sit down. We're going to talk about Mursad Bektik camp and that's it. We're going to talk about mersad beck to camp, and that's it. And we're going to talk about the corner. We're going to talk about this, and you know some of the stuff that we've been through. And brad tavarez I've been with brad for 15 years now, you know. So brad's going to sit down on the couch and we're going to rap and we're going to talk about some. You know fun road trip stuff. And you know ray cefo when it's like having ray in the room. So I wonder the name dude, what's that I love?
Speaker 4:the name. Yeah, the name's great Versus Us you know Versus Us.
Speaker 1:I love it, and that's what it was this weekend, right, yep.
Speaker 2:It sure was.
Speaker 1:It's the fucking team and I said it is a movie and it reminds me so much like a spinoff from the town.
Speaker 3:That's the movie, right?
Speaker 1:It's like my car to yours Is yeah, and that's what Eric Wright, calling these people up, it's like be there at this time, at this venue, at this part.
Speaker 2:It's like a high school fight, like when we used to fight in high school like yo. Meet me here, meet me here, and then we're going to go stomp these dudes out.
Speaker 1:Put on Tupac. Not much information, just players time. Something's kicking off.
Speaker 4:And that was it right. I just love how much credit the team gets for that, because it was like here's Kai Kamaka, fresh off of a win, pfl, fresh off the plane, ali, doing such a great job behind the scenes making this happen. You got Sean Strickland, you got Eddie Baracco who's watching tape and putting this down. A lot of things had to come together really to make this whole thing work. Even Jeff Mullen calling me, he's like can your guy fight right now? Is this even possible? I'm like fuck, yeah, it's possible. I was like if there's anybody in the world that can do it, it's this dude right here and I go. I would never put my fighter in harm's way. I would never put my fighter in harm's way. And I'm telling you right now, when dan called this wasn't hey, what do you think this was?
Speaker 4:yo, we're going and I'm like fucking, let's go, dude, let's ride, let's ride.
Speaker 1:Don any parting words for the fun.
Speaker 3:That's funds, that's your camera, right there, my friend no, I just want to say thank you guys so much. I love you all and, uh, thank you flex. Thank you, jay rock e. You know I love you. I appreciate you guys.
Speaker 1:Well, guys, what an episode. And fresh off 303,. I mean, listen, he's still fucking smoldering, right, he's so fucking hot right now.
Speaker 3:What's happening tonight? My scrap code yeah, we'll keep that off camera.
Speaker 1:But anyway, that's straight over there. Flex and Rock Eric Nixick on the man of the hour, my man Don Eagay. We are out.
