Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth - 1520: B.J. Penn

Episode Date: March 29, 2021

In this episode Sal, Adam & Justin speak with MMA Superstar B.J. Penn. What made him choose fighting as a career? (1:33) Is there a fighting culture in Hawaii? (3:58) How before desire and dedication there is love. (5:26) Did he become a different person when he stepped into the cage? (6:29) How the antidote for anxiety is confidence. (8:30) His stand-out fighting moments. (10:55) Why every workout is working your confidence. (12:50) Enemies to friends. (14:11) Who hit him the hardest in a fight? (15:33) The master of training and overtraining. (16:20) Working out for your mental health. (17:50) The importance of knowing when to hang it up. (21:25) Who were the best jujutsu practitioners he rolled with? (22:15) How would 25-year-old BJ Penn do in the UFC today? (23:40) Losing your identity after your fighting career is over. (25:00) The history of RVCA. (26:48) BJ Penn x UFC Gyms. (28:29) BJ Penn, the King of Hawaii. (29:33) In hihttp://jonnybones/s own words, how the infamous bar fight came about. (30:25) Who are his favorite fighters to watch? (32:45) Building the ultimate fighter. (35:16) Featured Guest/People Mentioned BJ Penn (@bjpenn)  Instagram BJ Penn Website José Aldo Junior (@josealdojunioroficial)  Instagram Matt Hughes (@matthughes9x)  Instagram Jens Pulver (@jens_pulver)  Instagram Chuck Liddell (@chuckliddell)  Instagram Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz1999)  Instagram Mike Bisping (@mikebisping)  Instagram Jason Parillo (@parilloboxing)  Instagram Khabib Nurmagomedov (@khabib_nurmagomedov)  Instagram Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic)  Instagram BONY (@jonnybones)  Instagram Related Links/Products Mentioned Available for Pre-Order TODAY! – The Resistance Training Revolution – Book by Sal Di Stefano March Specials: Get in Shape for Summer! MAPS HIIT, MAPS Spilt, and the Bikini Bundle all half off! – Promo code “SPRINGBREAK” at checkout Free Fight: BJ Penn vs Matt Hughes | UFC 46, 2004 | UFC RVCA - Wikipedia BJ Penn Knocked Out In Hawaii Street Fight, New Video Shows | TMZ Sports Gym & Fitness | MMA Training | UFC GYM Mind Pump Podcast – YouTube Mind Pump Free Resources

If you want to pump your body and expand your mind, there's only one place to go. MIND, MIND, MIND, MIND, MIND, MIND, with your hosts. Salta Stefano, Adam Schaefer, and Justin Andrews. You just found the world's number one fitness health and entertainment podcast. This is Mind Pump. Alright, in today's episode, we have a special guest. This is actually somebody that I've followed for a very, very long time. BJ Penn, one of the best mixed martial arts fighters of all time.

It's a great episode. We have a lot of fun. By the way, you can find them on Instagram at BJ Penn. You can also check out his website shop BJ Penn dot com. This episode is brought to you by the book, The Resistance Training Revolution. I wrote this book. It's coming out soon, you can pre-order it.

Now in this book, I talk all about why resistance training is the best form of exercise for most people. You can go check it out at theresistancetrainingrevolution.com. Also, we have three days left for our current promotion. This one's going crazy, people are loving it. We have two programs that are 50% off and a bundle that's 50% off. Here they are.

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Question I have for you BJ is because when you read about fighters and I followed you for a long time huge fan And when you read about fighters Typically they had there's like this kind of stereotype, like they grew up in a bad home, you know, bad family life, grew up on, you know, bad neighborhood, and that's why they chose that a fight. Your story's a little different, right? How did you grow up and then what made you decide, because you're one of the most, in my opinion,

natural fighters, in the sense that you could tell, you love fighting, how did you grow up and then what made you choose to fight as a career? I was born in Honolulu. I was born on that island when I was three. My mother moved us to the big island in Tahilo and grew up over there. Went to Hilo High School. And I was just kind of like fighting.

Thought it was cool. I would ask my uncle, like, oh, who's that, they would play Rocky Ball. I'd be like, who's the toughest guy here? Is it you? Is it this guy? And I was just, yeah, I was always into it. And love the wrestling.

I loved Rocky Ball Boy. I loved Hulk Hogan. I loved all that WF. I loved all that stuff., I loved all that stuff. And, you know, I just, I got into Jiu Jitsu kind of, some guy moved on, on my road. And he did a couple of Jiu Jitsu lessons with how greasy. And then he saw, he saw his kids walking around the road, walking on from school and stuff. And he asked my dad, he was like, hey, have your kids come down

and I'll work out, do Jiu Jitsu with us and stuff. And I was like, hey, can I have your kids come down and I'll work out, do you jitsu with us and stuff? And I was like, oh, it's a waste of my time. I'm already the toughest guy in the world. That's where, you know. So you already had that attitude? Yeah, I was already, I was already always, you know, thinking I was tough. I was still a small kid, 16 or 17.

And then my dad was like, just go down one time so this guy stops asking me. But my dad was a judo black belt, so he was kinda like glad that I was asking, but he was just like, you know what, you don't wanna do it, just go down one time or tell the guy you don't like it. And then I went down and wrestled around

with the guy at the rec center over there. And I was like, he choked me out and he I'm locked man. I was like, you know this is, cause I saw UFC and stuff that I didn't care. You know, I was just kind of more into boxing and different things. And I just kind of thought, man, with this, I could kick everybody's butt in the middle.

You know, it's funny. So I have a friend that I went to high school with and he grew up in Hawaii and he used to tell me about the the fighting culture in Hawaii where he'd say like oh yeah if you have a problem with with somebody you could just fight it out and people will let you fight and whoever wins there's respect there and nobody's trying to shoot each other or whatever is that true is there like a is there like a a fighting kind of honor culture there and did that contribute to, I guess, the way you fight?

Yeah, as soon as the fight would break out, always in high school, everybody would start yelling, one on one, one on one, like, no jumping in, you know, just, and people would fight and stuff. And then when UFC came in, all that just kind of changed everything, right? Everybody started choking each other and all kinds of stuff. But do you remember your very first fight as a kid?

Do you remember the very first one you got into? You know, it was I went to my uncle came to my hall of fame. And I made sure to put him at the beginning. And I said, I needed to talk about my uncle there because it was he's the one who told me he said, go get your toys back right now. So he's so he's back. How old were you? How were you? Oh, I was just a little kid. Yeah, I was just 5 or 6 and you say go get your toys back

I go oh, but he bit me and he goes well, then you know what to do Get your toys back, but now I'm right here. I'm assuming you got your toys back I'm assuming you got your toys back. You got them back. All right. Now, when you did jujitsu, you were the prodigy, right? You were the phenom. You entered into jujitsu, and at the time, no American had won a major jujitsu tournament, and you did it and you trained in...

I think in three years or something like that, like, were you just a natural when you first started training, or were you just obsessed with with it and so you studied it all the time? You know, I didn't know. I didn't realize. I didn't know what I was going to be when I grew up. I didn't know if I was going to be hanging down at the beach drinking beer like my older brother or what kind of things I'll be doing. So, you know, when I got into Jiu Jitsu, I just, I just, it was just something fun. I think before desire before desire before dedication it just starts with love and and I just love what I was doing and I always wanted to be a tough guy I loved watching Hulk Hogan Rocky Balboa all those things and Just wanted to you know wanted to be somebody and people asked me how you got into fighting and I'm like

Well, I wanted to be on TV, but I couldn't sing I couldn't do anything This is the best thing I could do. Wow, it worked out for you. Yeah, so when you were training, and when you did some of those first tournaments in Brazil, how did they react to this American that was kicking everybody's ass? Were they cool about it or were they very, were they me?

You know what? I came from a good, I had a good gym, a good team behind me. It was Andre Petaneras, that's where Jose Aldo and Leo Santos and Shaolin and many other great jujitsu athletes come out of that school. Yeah, you know what? I think it was a good thing that I had a big group of people behind me while I was there and a bunch of Brazilians.

They were pretty nice. They're especially the group that I was from, they always supported me, always helped me out. And everybody was always pretty nice and pretty respectful, actually. One memory I have of one of your fights that I'll never get out of my head. And I think it, because I almost feel like

there's some fighters that are, you know, they're fighters and then there's fighters that are like, whether they get paid or not, this is what they're supposed to do. And there's something, I don't remember who you fought, I can't remember off the top of my head, but at the end you won, and you lick the blood off of your, you know what I'm talking about?

You lick the blood off of your, the other guy's blood off your own glove, and you were like, and I'm like, this guy, if this was a thousand years ago, you'd just be in the, he lives for this. Yeah, if it was a thousand years ago, you'd be in the Colosseum. That's this is what you were meant to do.

Did you know this about yourself that when you get enough, how do you feel when you get in these fights? Do you become a different person? I always say no that wasn't me doing that, but no, I always, we always make a joke. There it is, I guess that was me. That was the reason. You know, we always would make different jokes, because that's what they were doing. The old Hawaiian days, we would hear the stories that the sacrifices would be long-legged fish. So they call them long-legged fish.

But yeah, I'll be just... That's when you just... You're intense, you'll be just, that's when you just your intense you're into it, right? You're just in the moment right now. Now, were you were you were you ever scared? Did you ever enter a fight scared? Yeah, for sure, you're scared and nervous, but with I was talking to Adam a few times and then and adult for anxiety is confidence. You never got to worry about it. Anxiety wants you to start being confident and you know just kind of remind yourself about what's going to happen. You can sit there all day but no amount of anxiety is going to help anything. Just know what you're going to do whether you're walking into a fight or walking into a business meeting or walking into it anything.

I imagine though it's's gotta be like anything else where some things you have a lot more confidence and others like are there times, can you recall like certain fighters that you were like ultra confident about, like maybe because of their style or maybe whatever and then other guys were, you were like, fuck, this is gonna challenge everything I got at me.

Yeah, I'm more nervous sometimes when, when you're, um, overlooking the guy or not thinking about like, when you're nervous and I cry, like, oh, I'm about to fight Matt Hughes and I'm actually in the back kind of tearing a little because I could get sent to the hospital or something. And then when you're not as worried as that, and then you're just kind of going out and then somebody, because anybody can kick your butt, right? At any moment, you know, anything can happen. So I think it's the ones you worry about the most is the best for you.

Yeah. And then when you get in there, right, like, you know, there's always that kind of first, especially with a very experienced fighter like you, there's always like that first minute of like posturing and feeling each other out. What's going through your brain in that time in that moment? Yeah, like I call it sometimes people say like, how is it when you're walking to the cage? I'm like, there's turbulence, but just like in airplane, you're not gonna stand up and start screaming. There's turbulence, but yeah, you go, you kind of want to just get it on, get it going.

Kind of even, it's the same thing as even when you're a kid and you're standing there on the soccer field and they're like, come on, start the game already. It kind of all feels the same. I guess you could say your first amateur fight could be this same feeling as your world championship fight. I mean, there's different stakes on the line, but nobody wants to get their butt kicked. And the worst thing about fighting is, right? I mean, there's different sports.

I mean, a big wave could smash you and this and that, but the worst part is that guy's gonna go around and tell everybody kick your ass. Yeah. Now, you've had so many great moments and fights. I wanna know which ones, what stands, which ones stand out the most like for you? Geez, for sure, it's that first time I won the,

I would say it's the first time I ever fought in the octagon, my first time walking in because I wasn't just some street punk or just some troublemaker, thought he could fight, I actually put, when they're and did it, put it on the line, and then when I beat Matt Hughes, the first time I won the belt. I think that was the last time.

That's when I think my prime was 25 years old and that's when I just really loved it, loved the whole thing. I mean, your education is based on your appetite and that's when I really enjoyed what I was doing. What was the most challenging fight for you? Was it also that? I think it's always comes back to that, it's yourself, is why and how you're feeling that day and how you're walking, because you have all these

grand dreams of, okay, I'm gonna do this fight with this guy on this day and I'm gonna feel so great when I get there, I'll be so ready, but when you get there, like I didn't feel as good as I thought I was gonna feel right now. Right. So it's kind of just psyching yourself up and keep your minute getting into it.

But all the guys are tough and all the guys, everybody feels the same strength. It doesn't matter what weight class or because everybody's just going at it, going after it. And I have heard sometimes that even in the weigh-ins, you can kind of look into your opponent and you can see fear or you could see a bit hesitancy there. Did you ever have moments of that where like, oh man, I got this, I have this over them. Oh, 100% all the time.

You should be able to, if you're the real champion and you're in touch with yourself, you should be able to have him feel your presence the whole time, you're anywhere near him. He can just know you're there and have to, because you can just feel it. That's how strong you're always at whole time, you're anywhere near him, he can just know you're there and have to, because you can just feel it. That's how strong you're always at that time, you know? I saw in one of your, I guess, training montages,

you did something that later I see other fighters do, but I think you're the first one that I saw do this. I don't know, I don't under water with the stone. Yeah, I'm sure you didn't invent this, but yeah, but I saw you were running under water holding like a the stone. Yeah, I'm sure you didn't invent this, but yeah. But I saw you were running underwater holding like a big stone. What is that for? I'm assuming you're holding your breath and you're building stamina.

Like what was that for? You know what's good about that one is because we sit out there in the middle of the ocean and run the rock. So when you do it, there was actually a pretty heavy rock. So by the time you pick it up, a lot of your anaerobic starts to go already, you're ready for your muscle start burning. So then you start running and your black to gasset filling up and then kind of going up to the top and just staying out there, staying calm and then just keep going. It's a fun workout.

Yeah, it looks brutal. I would imagine it trains like you did not panic because you can't breathe, lack the gassets, you got to stay calm while you're working out. So it's probably... Gotta be a similar feeling as being choked out, right? Maybe. I would think I was talking about it the other day, every workout, whether you're doing chest or running or boxing or everything, every workout is working your confidence. That's what you're actually really working, right? Your confidence to do that motion, that nervous system motion or whatever it is. And I think that's just one more thing to

work your confidence. How often did you fight somebody that you really wanted to punch in the fucking face? She's, you know, even even if you're a nice guy, you're a nice guy. If I didn't want to punch them, then I'd try to make up some reason. You know, to're a nice guy. If I didn't want to punch him, then I'd try to make up some reason. I'd try to get something to get into it. There's gotta be guys though. There's gotta be guys that there's gotta,

and all the fights you've had, there's gotta be some that you were really looking forward to punch him in. No, there is, but there's all kinds of walks of life. There's like people who are assholes and no matter how much time they get their butt kicked, they're still the same guy, so you gotta respect them to your life man. You know what, you're just true.

You're a romantic asser. You're a true punk, yeah. You know, it doesn't change them. Not a lot authentic. How about favorite people? Are there other athletes that you've become really good friends with through the fight game? Yeah, I would say Matt Hughes, Jen's Paul,

I've got tons, Chuck LaDale, I would say Matt Hughes, Jen's Paul, I got tons chocolate, Dell, T-Doratis, Michael Biss being, I mean, the list goes on and on forever. Oh, that's interesting. So I didn't know that you just... Jo Stevens and yeah, bunch. So a lot of guys you fought in being good friends. Yeah, I guess you share things. I know even sometimes in your kid you get into it with somebody and later on in high school, You guys are friends later or whatever, you know. Yeah, you guys share a moment in time that just you two share.

So a lot of respect there. Who hit you the hardest? Who punched you the hardest? The hardest. She's, you know, I think it's had to be matter, matter George, both when they told you on the ground and they started elbowing. I remember one time when Elb, It had to be matter, matter George, both when they told you on the ground and they started elbowing.

I remember one time when Elb with Fat Matt, he was the second time after beating him and I kept running my mouth, talking in the media and this and that. And when he finally got me on the ground and he stood up and he threw his elbow down and it just missed me, hit the ground and I thought, oh my God, this guy was to kill me for all this stuff I've been seeing. Man, he, yeah, there's some, those two, like, as far as, if I ever got concussions or anything, it was from those guys. Yeah, man.

It was from them. What about when you're training for fights? Whether things that you were the mistakes that you made, I would imagine I know a lot of people I've trained or worked with, some of the biggest mistakes is that they over-trained, they over-do it, getting ready. Did you ever encounter any challenges like that, getting ready for a fight? Oh man, I was a master of overt training and a master of under-training, trying to figure out which one is right and it just went so long. I mean, when I first started training like right before the Jiu Jitsu World Championships,

I was there when CrossFit was, when they made the CrossFit in Santa Cruz, great glassman, and he just had that little area right on the side. It was in Claudio Franco's Jiu Jitsu gym. They actually made a workout for it, it was called like, Fight Gone Bad or something like that. I even had to, like,

I remember that I trained at Claudio, that's where I got, that's right. Did you do that? Yeah, yeah, so, so I'm fight gone bad. And then I remember I had to, I had to write something for him because somebody tried to take the fight gone bad workout and he was like, no, we made it.

This and that, I had to write a letter for him for court or something, but it is amazing watching, watching how big that went. But as far as the training, yeah, overtraining because what would happen as a kid is you have so much energy and then you're like, you got your own routine already from the Jiu Jitsu day. So I got what I do.

Then I meet Frank Sharmark, and I'll be like, okay, let me add your routine to my life. I need to do my routine to look here. Okay, let me add, now I got three routines in one, and I'm overtraining every day, you know. That's gotta be with the. Now I've got three routines in one and I'm over training every day. That's got to be with the hardest thing. Speaking of that, I mean, you must have seen quite the evolution of the sport in general, over the years and the way that they now train.

What would you say were some of the biggest epiphanies they've found in training and preparing fighters for their fights. And you know what? I don't know. Really, honestly, an honest question. I don't know how much further along they are. Like, I know their techniques are because they can kick all of our butts now. But I'm sure they're still making the same mistakes, I think. I think that's a tough one. And different trainers. And I mean, when you, I was talking about it the other day because I get a chance to look from the side and I saw some people trying to put together a fight camp in Costa Mesa and I thought, what a big cluster F this whole thing is. Now, now that you're getting ready for a fight, which should be the most relaxed, now you're

bringing 10 people who don't know each other and trying to make them all work together and do all these things, you know, and and it's right, it's a big cluster Fuck you right you think about it, right? How would anybody manage that right? It seems like you like they're trying to have their athletes learn a way too many things at once instead of really highlighting their strengths Do you think that that's something that you know you've seen too? Yes, I have I have I've seen that a lot. And I, one coach, I always hang out with Jason Peralo. He talks about that because I could be like telling a fight. I'm not a coach, right? I don't have any Jiu Jitsu world champions. I don't have any UFC champions. I really coaches much.

I love to be a training partner and train with people in the gym though. I love that stuff. But, you know, I kind of watch him and watch different coaches and it's like, true, you gotta see what they start doing good while they're sparring and then you start going, okay, that, do that again, do that because if I go jump up and go, okay, now start punching him now, start, you know, that's not what they do. That's not what they do. That's not what they do. They do their own thing. It's interesting. Do you still train a lot in the G? I do, I do train in the G, because I think it's great. Almost like juggling for your brain

to like grow brain cells type thing, because there's only like so many moves without the G, but there's thousands of moves with the G. So, makes you slow down too. Yeah, it's awesome, it's awesome. But now at this age and being involved with the UFC gyms in everything, what really clicked to me was,

we're in Honolulu at one of the gyms and a woman, older woman comes up to me and goes, hey, thank you for having this gym here. And I go, no, thank you for being here. And she goes, no, I really want to thank you because I gave back my anti-depression medicine. And that's when it hit me that, because this was only working out, was only for fighting for me, my whole life.

I've only thought about trying to fight with people that I want to work out. And then I realized, no, that's for your mental health. That's what this thing is, it's all about your mental health. You're in there, you're working your physical, but this is, that's the whole thing. That's why you never want to stop Yeah, and because I look at this today, I'm like It's easy for me to go. Oh, I did this for the last 20 years I don't want to do this. I want to do something else

But no, it's for my mental health get back in there and go do it for fun Feel a lot better later get my endorphins get everything smiling I can actually walk around the gym and see people who just got there and see people who have the natural high. Like they're almost drunk. Where they are, they're having such a good time talking after the workout. I can totally see that difference.

The people who just walked in are still in there trying to get out of that depression and all the other people are laughing, jumping up and down, joking around. So true. Talking about stopping. How hard was it for you to hang it up? Yeah, it is hard.

I mean, you always think about it. Because I've just been hanging out at the Ruka gym and I've just been giving out their young fighters fits and working out with them and stuff. You know what I mean? And you're just like, but you know, it's about your hunger. It's about who wants it the most. And that's all, it doesn't matter who's the best.

It's about who wants it the most. And then that's when you got to know that your kids are more important or this is more important and other things. And then you just realize like, well, that's right. My kids, taking my kids to Disneyland is more important than then walking around with My ankle count work because I broke my leg last night in the fight or whatever I'm some a big Jiu Jitsu fan and I trained for years and so I wanted I wanted to ask you because I consider you one of the best Jitsu guys in MMA but also just pure Jiu Jitsu

Phenomenal who are some of the best Jitsu guys you've rolled with and who had the easiest time? Or who did you find could tap you out? Cause there's some guys out there that are just, you hear legends, right? Your story's about them. Yeah, so the, of course, Health Grace, he helped teach me,

he was amazing, unbelievable. Just, he's just a, just a, I kind of emulated my style after his, like when I first get into the UFC and just be ready to fight it, kind of emulated after my teacher at the time was half-gracy. And then I went to work out with his cousin one day who's Higgin Machado, and he really impressed me.

It was unbelievable. He was huge, but he just didn't use any power. Just used all technique and just tapped me out like a baby, played around with me. And I remember when I got older one time, I was fighting Hanzo Gracie, and so I had Alan Gohaz come down and hang out. So I did a training where I was like,

okay, I'll use this Olympic restaurant and you and I'll go back and forth. And during that training, Alan Gohaz tapped me out three times. So the next day I said, no, just me and you. And then he tapped me out three times. So the next day I said, no, just me and you. And then he tapped me out three times again and I go, not master, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you. Oh, that's awesome. It's so awesome. But yeah, he's still around. I always still see him, but there's always, there's always new people coming up. I just can't imagine how good the people are now. Now watching the prime fighters now going,

how do you think a prime BJ would do? How do you think 20 you said 25 year old BJ how do you think 25 year old BJ would do today in in the UFC? Yeah, I would I would make sure to learn everything I need to know to beat these guys. I would crush these guys. What are the things things you think you would add or would you change anything? You know, Jason Peralo, my old coach, he was talking to a Russian thing yesterday and they're talking about that all the Russians were upset because he was saying that I'm the greatest lightweight, not Kabeeb and this. And now he was talking to them and then I was on the side and saying he was

he heard me say and that's why I didn't know who he was talking to. I'm like 25 year old BJ panel killer killed these guys. I stand by why he's only got the 155 not the 172. We all know why then then I find out it's live over there. I'm like oh you know but but it is what it is right? I mean But it is what it is, right? I mean, if he could get the 170, why would it be, why would it be, go get it if he could? Why would it be loose and if he could? I think we all know why. Now a lot of fighters and a lot of athletes,

in general, after they stop their sport, they start to lose their identity, they sometimes go through depression, trying to find themselves again. Did you experience any of that? You know what, as far as identity, I think I'm much more well known today, I think because the sport's growing so big, so more people know who I am, or now, because of the television and stuff. But the identity that I lost was, what do I do?

You know, what do I do? No camp. What do I do in this time? And trying to put everything together, put all the pieces together from, right? Because I would go, just hang out for a few months and then I'd go to fight camp for two or three months. And I had my year always set for the last 20 years. So now sitting around, I do miss certain things

and I try to figure out how to replace them with different things. I mean, that stuff is real. Are you pouring yourself into any other athletes or are you kind of like, what does your training look like these days as well? Now I just trained for my mental health and because I love it and I feel good in there,

you know, feel good sparring out with the other kids, but I try to put other things like now, doing these other thoughts and stuff with the UFC gym and my kids and just try to put other things in those areas. How old are your kids? 12 and nine are they Jiu-Jitsu? I'm trying to get them into Jiu-Jitsu. So They they like it here and there but yeah, yeah, but it's kind of a it's not too bad of a thing for me because I've been around

Jiu-Jitsu so much it's not bad if they want to be at the soccer field or somewhere else You know because I've been around that so long, but, you know, I guess. Hey, PJ, I want you to school me on the history of Ruka. Okay. I know that you're very close to them. I believe that you're a big part of what helped blow them up because before that, before you, I didn't know of Ruka. Obviously everybody rocks RBCA now.

So do I school me on the history of that and how that happened with you. Okay, so Ruka, this guy, Pat Tenori, his name is Pat Tenori and he had a partner. His name was Kona and he's a professional surfer from the Big Island of Hawaii. So Pat saw me doing Jiu Jitsu at the Bren event center down here in Santa Clara. He thought I was Filipino, but then,

so all that time he thought I was Filipino but my then, so all that time, he thought I was Filipino, but my dad's Irish and my mom's half native Hawaiian half Korean. And so, but he thought I was Filipino and then kind of had a connection. He just kept, he talked to me a few times and then he gave me a shirt actually that the back then, it said, jujitsu, we fight. It wasn't Ruka yet or what and then he kind of made Ruka in his garage and it just kind of got bigger and he just made the coolest clothes you know just the coolest art and the different things and he just had a great idea and here we are together and he was one of the first guys of the any brands or whatever who kind of like did a sponsorship thing and kind of stuck it out because

other brands were like tap out and all the different brands but he was like a real brand that was kind of out there like a quick silver type thing right and and he really supported this part and he's a jujitsu black belt under Alan Gohaz and yeah so so now can you share like what is your are you still a sponsored athlete through them or do you have some sort of a partnership or stake in the company at all? No, still a sponsored athlete to them. Okay. That's awesome. That's a good deal. Now, talk about you and UFC gyms.

I know you have some gyms in Hawaii. How did that all get started? How did you end up working with them and starting some gyms out there? Yes, so Dana Lorenzo came to us and talked to us about that they were going to do UFC gyms. And from day one I was on board, I thought it was a great idea. I wanted to be involved and we jumped in right away. And it took a little while about a year maybe and then we started moving on construction. Adam came down and gave me a sledgehammer myself and let me smash the place down.

Right? We did that. Yeah, and then it was the place where we put the gym is a legendary nightclub place that I used to frequent all the time. So it just was perfect at the gym. This was called Pipeline. Yeah, it was called Pipeline. It was called Pipeline. And a nice little transition that's actually the gym now. That's great. That's wild. And now, I know Hawaiians are very proud of their heritage. You're like a, I know you're a celebrity anywhere, but are you like a king over there?

You must be like the biggest, you know, when you go over, how do the people, how big deal of it? Yeah, how are people with you in your, where you're from? Oh, everybody's very nice. Everybody's always very, always have nice things to say and just, it's good, it's good to see everybody and it's good because where I am in Hilo, it's not really that many people, so we always say where everybody's famous in Hilo because we're all always out the window,

all of us, right? Waving at other people. But yeah, on the main island, the city, the island with the city, Honolulu, it is it's good to go over there and see everybody and be an inspiration in whatever I can or do whatever I can. Well speaking of people being nice, and everybody is nice, and I would being inspiration, and whatever I can, or do whatever I can. Speaking of people being nice,

and everybody is nice, and I would be mad at myself if I didn't hear your full side of the story because I don't think you commented much on it, but they're not that long ago, you got into a bar fight, and you could tell in the video that you were wanting nothing to do with it, and then end up whooping the guys ass afterwards. I wanna know how that all transpired.

Like how did that happen? Where were you at? Yeah. What was going through your head? Yeah, I don't know why. The guy was my friends was sleeping in my house for weeks before that. But he was sleeping at your house?

Yeah, we all know each other. Oh, you know the dude. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know each other. And, you know, you know the dude. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know each other. Um, and then I don't know if he got mad. He got jealous. I don't know if Girls are giving me too much attention in the place or what? Just starts talking shit after I mean, I'm sure there was drinking involved, right? Yeah, yeah, and then yeah Just I don't know. I don't think he thought he obviously didn't think it through because the last person of the world, right?

He's got to know he's got to know your skill set. You can I can tell in that this short clip that I've seen, you can tell you're like you can tell you don't want nothing to do. Like you're not you don't want to put the guy down. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it just it's sad because he always wants to like be my friend now or whatever right But it's better. We keep each other's distance because he he actually after that he went to the police and tried to put Restraining the beach and they're just like what you attacked him

You know me wow, why is that does that happen often? You know being a professional fighter who's well-known? Is that happen often that people want to test you? Yeah, try to mess with you or is it more or do you get more respect? Because of it. Yeah, no, no, you get a lot of it. Everybody's nice. Everybody's nice. Just yeah Just everyone's well a drunk friend wants to fight you. That's all. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's so crazy to me. So are you still based that a Hawaii? Yes, I am. Yeah, yeah, so you not, you're never gonna move out of there. You know, we were talking about maybe doing some different things or stay up in California to work with the UFC gym for a little bit out of the year.

Because actually my kids are up here right now with their mother, their mother's married to someone else. So they're up here with that family. So be nice to me to be around and I just want to be around with my kids hiring. Now, BG, are you are you following the UFC closely? Do you watch all the UFC fights and you know all the fighters that are fighting right now? Or do you kind of like whatever?

You know, my favorite ones that I know and and I like and I want to see the big fights and stuff. But I can't it's so big now this sport. I just I can't I can't keep up. That's how I felt. I was I was a huge, back away from me. Back when you were fighting, it was like, how often do we have a UFC fight? It was like once every few months. Yeah, once every three months, right?

Yeah, so it was, you could follow almost every fighter. Where now, I mean, I, there's so many names I don't even know. So who are your favorite people to watch right now? My favorite to watch right now. Who's, who's in in but the last fight was Adesanya right yeah. No all of the champs I always I maybe not the bottom guys I don't know but I always know who the champs are at the top. So it's steep here. Who's who's in the 205 now? Is it steep here? Yeah it's that guy who just beat out his son. Yeah, um, yeah, I'm block away.

Oh, right, right, right. But the last fight I got really excited about was John Jones versus Daniel Cormier, because that was like the two top guys, right? The two best guys and then John Jones won that one, but she's that's a couple of years now, time flies. Yeah, yeah. Any, now you're also a fan of boxing. Did you have any, any favorite boxers throughout history that you used to like?

Yeah, man. I remember when I was a kid. My favorite fight is Evander Holyfield in Riddick Bull 2. I remember that so it was a great Fiberidick Bull beat him the first one and then he came and he beat Riddick Bull back the second one. I loved boxing out. I liked Evander Holyfield. My Tyson of course. All the guys, he up Gerald Mc my Tyson of course all the guys Yep Gerald McLean or all the different boxes. I remember who you say is our chavés Oh, those guys I remember them any styles that you would try to because you were also an exceptional I mean your hands were exceptional in the octagon as well. Did you read any boxers that you would emulate? I would try to

Do things that I saw Ivan the Holyfield do I try to do things all all the guys anybody I could pick about Aaron prior I would always watch that guy for boxing she's just yeah I would try to relate as much as I could to MMA and just kind of like because it's all right there right it's what do you think here what do you believe is true. And yeah, I try to emulate there because they always overburtled the round. They just wanted to beat people up. Okay, I just want to beat people up. So many MMA fighters today, I feel like they have so many disciplines now underneath them. If you were to build like the ultimate fighter,

like what would be the three disciplines that you would make sure they trained in? She's well, oh yeah, right, because you got judo, now there's all of that. Yeah, because before we always used to just think jujitsu, wrestling and mui tie or kickboxing, but then now there's judo. There's so many now.

And then everybody forgot about the spinning kicks and then people started using them and knocking everybody out. Right. She's, I don't know. I try to tell people when they say, I wanna get involved with the sport, I say, well, what do you love the most?

Do you like boxing? Do you like, what do you mean? I go, do you like boxing? Do you like grappling? You like wrestling? What do you like? And when they tell me and then I tell them, go as far as you can in that.

And then after, yeah, first, the boxing, maybe try to go to the Olympics or do whatever, or Jiu Jitsu, try to go, see how far you can go in Jiu Jitsu tournaments or whatever. And then later on, try to add all that stuff in. And still till today, because people ask me about Jiu Jitsu. And I tell them, no, it's not all all, you can't just have Jiu Jitsu anymore to be a UFC champion for offense.

It won't work, but I still believe that Jiu Jitsu is still the best self-defense because you're not supposed to be fighting, you're supposed to be running. And if they do catch you and grab you, and then you can protect yourself from Jiu Jitsu and choke them out or Bombard them and get up and run away again. So I still think Jiu Jitsu is a great is the best self-defense form I agree. Well, I mean, I feel like we saw that when the I mean before U.S.

He became really popular and it was underground style versus style and we saw graces You you mean they were they were beating up dudes twice their size. Right. Well, I know for me, it's the one full contact martial art. So like, you know, boxing is full contact, kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, jujitsu. Jujitsu is the one where you see a lot of times, small guys, big guys.

If I'm not mistaken, it's probably the only one that has absolute categories where there's no weight class and oftentimes the winners like you know like 160 pound guy 170 pound guy you don't see that with boxing You know you get a big boxer against a small box a small box you can be good big boxer might kill him right? Jitsu not so much or you don't see that just even in today's UFC with like a bee being a wrestler and then Usman being a wrestler He just kind of already thinks like, well, maybe I can't beat him because in wrestling you don't think about that as much Right and Jiu Jitsu we were always used to having the absolute division

Yeah, you do your weight class You see how you did and just for fun you'd go jump in the absolute division So I think we're always used to that You know and Jiu Jitsu is made so the small man can beat up the big. Absolutely. You ever roll with some of the legends, like Hixin. You ever roll with Hixin?

I never got to roll with Hixin. Because I was out there and then I fought with Hanzo and different things. So they probably like, no, we can't fight with Hixin. So but can come out and hang out with all friends, but as far as the training goes. What about Mark Seller Garcia? You ever roll with it? I've neveregar? See, I never know.

Oh man, I would have loved to see that man. He was the all-came after. Yeah. I'm a cello and all the guys. Excellent man. Well, I'll tell you, I've been watching you since forever and it's been honored to have you in the studio. I'm happy to hear you doing what you're doing with UFC Jim so you can just take your

energy and direct it towards helping people. Great partnership. Yeah, great partnership, improve their fitness and health and so thanks for coming on man. Oh, thank you guys for having me. Awesome. Thank you. Awesome. Look, you can go to MindPumpFree.com and download all of our guides. They cost nothing. So we got a bunch of them for free. You can also find all of us in social media, Instagram. You can find Justin at MindPump Justin. You can find me at MindPump Sal and Adam at MindPump Adam. Thank you find Justin at Mind Pump Justin, you can find me at Mind Pump Sal and Adam at Mind Pump Adam. Thank you for listening to Mind Pump. If your goal is to build and shape your body, dramatically improve your health and energy and maximize your overall performance, check out our discounted

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