My Mom's Basement - FRIDAY BONUS EPISODE 23 - JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ & MEGAN OLIVI RETURN!

Episode Date: February 28, 2020

Robbie is joined by friends Joseph Benavidez and Megan Olivi to discuss Joe’s upcoming championship fight (tomorrow), the support system around him, Parasite’s win at the Oscars, the greatest championship victories in all of movies, and more.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/mymomsbasement

Hey My Mom's Basement listeners, you can find our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, and Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. You got a title fight, like a for real title fight. For real title fight, real fist fight. It's happening. Does it feel like it's happening? Does it feel different? Um, yeah. I mean, every fight's exciting, honestly. I mean, you've heard it a million times, like, oh, this is the biggest fight of my life. Every fight's the biggest fight. And I truly believe that. Like, the last fight felt as big as that fight could be at that time.

But this just happens to be a little bigger. You know, the accomplishment at the end of it, the main event, everything that goes into it. So, yeah, it feels great. But it just feels, you know, it's not too much about just the title in general. You know, the feeling is bigger and it feels greater, but there's not like an object really attached to it. That's just a great accomplishment I think I get to pursue and have been pursuing. Do you think that's the nature of fighting? Just the factor of it feeling so big, every fight feeling like the biggest fight of your life?

That's the thing, is you're always in there it is i mean that that is the fight game you know you're as good as your last fight you know that's what you put everything into at that moment you know you got to have a short memory in the sport whether it's a win or a loss so if you won the last fight you can't you know really lay your accolades on that if you lost the last fight you can't you know really lay your accolades on that if you lost the last fight you can't like bog yourself down with that so the next one i'll like you always got to forget about the last one and my last one was great but this is bigger and the one after that you know will feel just the same so but it feels like a great fight week like i'm in new york i'm talking with you a legend talk to another legend.

I was on the Kelly Ripa show, dude. Yeah, that was crazy, huh? Teaching Ryan Seacrest some moves? Dude, he's a squirrely little guy, I'm telling you. Yeah, he did a headstand on my guillotine. I was like, are you making up an escape? And I'm going to look like I can't tap out Ryan Seacrest right now? Hitting different streets. Oh, yeah, he's making you look bad.

So that feels good, but it's like, this is how it's supposed to be you know what i mean you see everyone else do this you know you see big names big everyone do this and was like i belong here with kelly rippa and ryan seacrest and robbie fox at barstool sports walking through the place so yeah it just feels good but like it feels i look at everything as an adventure. Like me and my wife are going on an adventure in life. Whether it's on a vacation, we're like, oh, it's going to be a good adventure. This is another adventure. And this is a great start to the adventure.

It fills me with just joy and gratitude. It feels like people are trying to join you on this adventure too because if you look at the comments of every UFC Instagram post about this fight, whenever they're posting the poster for it, anything. It's fighters. It's media members. It's fans. Let's go, Joe. Joe, this is finally your time.

Everyone's behind you. This is like – seriously, I'm not just like blowing smoke up your ass. Everyone is behind you. So I know you're too humble to say why. Megan, why do you think that's the case? You are so right. He is too humble to say why. And he doesn't look at himself that way.

I think Joe handles himself just like everybody else. Like he doesn't have an arrogance about him. He doesn't like carry this weight of, did you guys see my last fight? Like he goes and eats lunch in the cafeteria at the UFC every day after training. He's like schmoozing the salad lady, getting that. And he's talking over here and the cleaning crew are all his friends. Joe treats every single person he comes across exactly the same with respect and kindness. And I think his fellow fighters and everybody who gets to interact with him, they recognize that because not a lot of people do that.

And they might be – you know, sometimes you'll be with somebody and they'll be great to you, but then you kind of see him treat the waiter poorly. And you're like, oh, that is not Joseph. He treats everybody so kindly and so well that I think he just immediately connects with everybody because he's open too. Like he's willing to share his story, his highs and his lows with people. And you don't really get to see that that often. So, yeah, he's loved. I think that's definitely the case. Are you going to watch this fight?

We know that you've had a history. We've talked about it on the podcast, being very nervous for his fights. Yeah, so I will watch it because he asked me to be out there and I think it's important that I am out there so when he wins, I can, you know, give him a big hug and kiss. So the last fight... Are you mentally preparing yourself right now?

Yeah, no, yeah. I have a bunch of religious jewelry on. Yeah, I've been saying Novenas nonstop. Oh my God, that's the most Italian thing in the world. My mom and my sister have like a necklace that they wear. My sister would wear it for like – Two necklaces and a bracelet that I'm just like – For tests she took in college.

Yeah. Yeah. No. So I'll be out there. The last fight I think I actually was octagon side for, for Joseph, was his fight against Formiga, his first one in Brazil. Which is how many years ago now? Six or seven.

I sort of saw the Tim Elliott finish live out. I was actually standing with Jake Ellenberger at the time and I was like I wasn't watching. The foot tap? Yeah, I was like, is he winning? He's like, yeah, he's about to win. And then he did the Jail Constrictor. Yeah, but I, so every time I have watched, it's turned out beautifully.

It's just a good sign. Sometimes when I have to work, it's easier for me to just not watch Yeah so you're not Working the car this Saturday I'm not No I'll probably

Once he wins I'll probably Do the digital interview Like for UFC.com I was going to say Do you want to do that? Yeah It's like the greatest joy

That I can have Career wise There's nothing That even compares To being able to Interview your husband After he wins What does that look like

Right before We see the camera hit record? Like, are you guys, like, joking around until it's, like, recorded? He always is, like, let's make out. It's true. It's true. Yeah, but no. I always want to, you know, make somebody uncomfortable around us.

It'd be hysterical. I think especially the fans that don't know that you guys are together would be so, like, what in the world is happening right now? But you know what I would say is it's actually funny because we are like laughing there's like so much joy everything and it's still a happy interview because even if we weren't married like i'd be happy and i think megan you know radiates that as well but i mean like she is so good at her job for this reason like she clicks on and, I forget she's my wife. And all of a sudden she's asking about the fight.

I'm like, wait, like, compliment me or something. She literally is like, well, I didn't get to finish it. And, you know, I'm just like, and she's just like, what, not good enough? It's just so, like, right away, it just, like, that goes away. You know, and I always just want to be like are those leftovers still in the fridge or say something but she is just like directly and i'm like oh okay and then it goes right back to it so i understand at this like right when we go is like oh okay this is how it goes i never want people to take that away from us because we both love doing it so much so i feel

like if i favor him too much or i'm like too like you're my husband you know it's like working from home like you're actually compensating more exactly exactly um you have a lot of new responsibilities since the last time we talked or at least last time we talked they had just started happening yeah with the ESPN stuff where you're doing story time with Megan Olivia all over the arena every time I go to an event now you're running you're sprinting yeah oh my gosh you saw me in New York, like literally sprinting at 45 seconds. Yeah. So what's that been like? You know what? It is so cool. There is nothing like doing a broadcast,

especially for a big pay-per-view in the new way that the UFC and ESPN have done. It is phenomenal. It's fun. I feel like people get a little bit more insight into the fighters, which everybody deserves. The fans deserve it. The fighters deserve to have, even if it is just 30 seconds of a little bit of a different story told about them. We're showing our production capabilities as a company, which, I mean, exceed far and beyond. Crazy shots, crane shots, one shot. What most people are doing. 1917 and all.

Are you getting top of the octagon? Yeah. Yeah. That one? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I said the only thing about that, I was like, it would be great if she jumped off like Habib afterwards. That was the big ending of the skit. It was like, boom, and Megan jumped off the cage.

When we were rehearsing that, they didn't know where I was going to be, so they started me at the bottom of the steps, and they're like, go up one step. And I was like, how about three? And then I just went on the top, and they were like, that looks cool. I was like, yeah, we're doing this one. Because I just, you know, it's fun and different. I want them to get as crazy as possible. I want you like walking out in a Reebok hoodie for one, just like walking and talking. The thing is, is like I'll do anything.

Like they have so many unique ideas. Like, yeah, our production crew, like Zach, Lappy, and Mike, they have such crazy ideas. I'm like, let's do it. Like, can I come down from the rafters? Can I be like weirdly hanging from a place? Like, I don't care. Let's do it. So we've talked about her nervousness.

Do you ever get nervous before a fight? You know, it's like a fine line of like nerves and excitement and focus. You know, I mean, you're getting into a fight with another guy. You put every single thing, you know, that you're getting into a fight with another guy you put every single thing you know that you could into it so you know when there's that much riding on it there is going to be some nerves but it's just about finding the fine line of controlling them and keeping the focus and for me i'm excited like i get excited i get like happy so when do the nerves come for you is it is it weeks leading up or is it like fight night do you feel nerves fight night

like there'll be just there's always like flashes of nerves like sometimes you just you can be sitting there and you just literally can feel or like try to imagine you know what it's going to feel like and you pop up out of your off the couch no matter what you're doing or pop up at dinner you know and there's those kind of nerves that are like far out from the fight but they just happen and then there's the ones directly leading into the fight those are the ones that are like, they are just, they're more excitement and focus. Like jitters, would you say? More than nerves? Almost, yeah, yeah.

So, yeah, I mean, it's weird. You'll rarely tell me. Like, once in a while, every, man, like six or seven fights, he'll be like, i actually have like a tiny bit of nerves walking out to the octagon hey because i'll say goodbye to him behind the curtain and he's just smiling and kind of dancing and like doing his thing trying to make you feel better right i don't know he's good he's just it does make me feel better because i'm like listen if he's not nervous i'll have his nerves like it's fine but fighting so hard i just the thing is it's like i'm like i know this is gonna be hard like i'm fighting another guy this could be the hardest 25 minutes of my

life i'm like why am i gonna make anything else hard right now did you get more nervous early on in your career when you were first starting out or was it has it always been the same thing it's been pretty similar wow that's crazy it's been very similar um throughout everything you know um fight to fight you know i've been able to just kind of like attain that you're like fucking cool hand luke just just the coolest guy in the world you get nervous for the most nerve-wracking thing on the entire planet nope not really yeah dancing dancing your way through it yeah the sahudo thing does it bum you out at all that you're not fighting sahudo thing does it bum you out at all that you're not fighting sahudo you know you don't care at all not at all because you know go i beat the

guy yeah you know talk that shit champ he should be yeah you know he should be i mean this is the thing like the goal is always the fight for a title It wasn't to fight a guy that I beat already. True. Like, the goal was to fight a title. So, however that comes, like, this is, you know, new challenge, new everything, new this. New blood in the division. A lot of that. Fun matchup. Yeah, that's just the best way I can say it is, like, the goal is to fight the title.

It's never like, I have to fight this guy. Why do I have to fight him? He really has to fight me. I'm the last loss on his record. But, you know, he didn't want to do that. He hasn't mentioned it. That's his thing to live with. He's comfortable with it.

He might not be whatever he moved on for whatever reason. But it was never my intention was to win the world title and be the best, right? Not to fight a guy that I already beat before. It's so exciting that that's going to happen on Saturday. He's going to win the world title and be the best, right? Not to fight a guy that I already beat before. It's so exciting that that's going to happen on Saturday. He's going to win the world title on Saturday. It's going to be crazy. I'm going to be there. Megan will be there, of course.

I wish we had, like, all matching jumpsuits or something. You know that picture that Team Diaz put out before the Pettis fight where they were like, Nick Diaz army is here. And it was, like, intimidating. We need something like that. Yeah. I mean, who's more intimidating, you and I, Robbie? Facts. Yeah. Between the two of us, we walk into an arena and it's like intimidating we need something like that yeah yeah i mean who's more intimidating you and i robbie facts yeah between the two of us we walk into arena people are like you better better make sure that they're separated from the rest of the fighters because there could

be issues here all right let's talk about some fun stuff now let's talk about movies oh i know you did a podcast with mma fighting talking oscars but now we're post oscars beautiful let's talk about it okay what were your main takeaways obviously parasite the bong hive went wild i was a big parasite fan myself i was a parasite fan as well i think it is the greatest um deserving of best picture of the year greatest overhyped movie oh really ever still look saying it is worthy of best picture and an amazing year for film like a lot of people and i can't even think are saying this was one of the best years for movies of the decade and i'm like i'm trying to think of a better one and there were some amazing movies this year and so it's funny you can still say that was the best movie of the year,

but somehow still just overhyped. Yeah. You know what I mean? I was in on it. No, I loved it. I loved it. Oh, yeah. He saw it the second day in the theater.

I saw it the second day in the theater, and maybe that had something to do with it. Like I knew it was going to be good. Yeah. And then I watch it, and I'm like, that was really cool and good. And then it starts getting like overly cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It became a cool thing to like.

And then I'm just kind of like, there was a while where I was like, do people just like the foreign appeal to it? And they think it's like this and that. They like the poster with the black strips. Yeah, and I was like, look, the name Parasite, amazing. The fact that it's foreign, amazing. So I think people were drawn to it maybe for that reason. But then I was like, no, because you put that movie in any regard with any director, any actors, like it's an amazing movie and deserving. So, you know, yeah, I think once I saw, you know, the director and the screenplay going that way, I kind of felt it was going to go that way.

You know, the hard thing for me is like it's the first foreign picture to ever win Best Picture. But it's like by that statement, you say that's the best foreign picture ever. No foreign picture was ever good enough before. So that's what I mean by kind of overhyped. That is interesting. I hadn't thought about it like that. Life is Beautiful. Great foreign movie. Before that, it probably should but that is interesting. I hadn't thought about it like that. Life is beautiful. Yeah.

For a movie. Yeah. For that, I probably should have won best picture. Yeah. There's a ton, right? Yeah. You could say that, but it's like none of those were worthy, but this one is so. But at the end of the day, yeah.

If it was your call, what do you, what do you put in best picture? Well, that's the thing is like, I'm actually saying like, that was probably the best picture of the year. I'm just saying it. Yeah. Like, it's hard to be the greatest. You're saying, is it like one probably the best picture of the year. I'm just saying it. Yeah. Like it's hard to be the greatest. You're saying is it like one of the greatest movies of all time. It's hard to be greatest and overhyped at the same time.

I was actually pulling for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I know you were crazy about that one. Yeah, I was. I was pulling for it. I really liked it too. And I just thought actually the Academy might love it because it's such a love story to movies and Hollywood and like movies overcoming everything and like forgetting about terrors and horrors of the world for like while you're in a theater, like the experience of it. And I just thought maybe they'd go for that. Obviously, you want Tarantino.

I want Tarantino to do something to get that. So, yeah, I mean, that was good. Other than that, what else was I excited and disappointed about? Well, okay, biggest disappointment of the Oscars was that Honeyland did not win Best Documentary. Oh, I saw both of you guys were posting and tweeting about this. I haven't seen it. Amazing. So good.

You have to watch it on a screen. But here's a question for you. Okay. Bugs, I can't do. I can't look at bugs in movies. Isn't it about bees and stuff? There is bees, but it's not about bees. It's not gorgeously filmed.

It's not like close-up shots of creepy crawlers? No, no, no, no. It's close-up shots of a hive and stuff, but you do not have bees. Bees don't really... It's more like cockroaches and shit. It's a hive. It's beautiful. It's all through love of bees.

It's on Netflix, right? It's on hulu hulu okay bro this is a documentary that competes artistically character set with any movie and the oscars even nominated it for best foreign film and a documentary never crosses over and competes with film i mean it didn't win documentary or foreign film but like the fact that it got a nomination along with film is amazing that was great i actually loved jojo rabbit oh i love jojo it was loved it incredible the way it ripped your heart out you're laughing the whole movie and then it ripped yeah i didn't know that was gonna happen it was just bawling oh me too the kids, the set design, and such like a – obviously a harsh reality of what it was.

Like the beauty they tried to make it look. Totally. And the softness they took. Taika Waititi, hysterical. He's a legend. I love him. He was amazing. I absolutely love him.

I was so happy he won the Oscar too. He had such a good speech with the indigenous people. And then he went out afterwards and they were like, what can we do do to help out and he was like go tell apple their keyboards suck i'm trying to write screenplays on it and i don't like the bounce of their keys that's awesome yeah he is one of a kind i always loved his stuff before that too um like the quirkiness and stuff but it this one was just harnessed so perfectly with the content. His movies always had that heart, that humor, and a little bit of the sadness. But this one was just harnessed so perfectly.

It was heightened. Everything was heightened in this one. I loved the kid's friend too, JoJo's friend. The two of them on the red carpet. Two of them on the red carpet was the greatest thing ever. Amazing. They need to be in more movies together so we have more moments like that. The Stranger Things kids, same thing with that.

All right, here's a question for you. That was that kid's first acting. Which one, JoJo or the other one? JoJo, Roman Griffin Davis. That's really crazy. I didn't know that. Amazing. Here's another question.

Best championship win in movie history. Best championship win in movie history? Yeah, in your opinion. What does the best championship win? What do you mean, like best picture? No, no, no, no, no. Like, I'm talking Rocky beating someone for a championship. Yeah, Raging Bull, yeah.

Raging Bull. Doesn't even have to be fighting. Miracle on ice. Miracle. 1980 Olympics. Is that my final? That is a really interesting question. Because sports movies, you know what i mean like i feel like generally

there's so you you do the rocky ending with a sports movie you lose but you win is that like like my favorite sports movies like raging bull where it shows a whole nother side you know obviously there's glory on the way there but they also show aftermath rocky i mean even that one like there's glory, you know, through it. But, like, the first one, you're like, wait, he lost? You know what I mean? You know which one comes to mind, oddly, that's weird? And, like, I'm a big believer in, like, whatever comes to mind.

It's just kind of a thing. But it was another thing that was just, when I thought about sports movies, it was different, was, like, the cool runnings. Oh, yeah, the Jamaican bobsled team. That was just like funny. That is so random. Yeah. I just always thought of that one.

Great movie. Great movie. It's on Disney Plus now. Yeah. Yeah. You got to go back. Yeah. I don't know.

Don't they lose, though? I think they lose. They crash their sled and they have to carry it. I think they crash and then they carry the sled past the finish line. But like they get there and like all the – That's just the moment I think about. Yeah, and it's like a really good movie. Did they win the World Series in 61, the end of 61?

I can't remember. I think so. Okay. That's a good one. Yeah. Yeah. You know what's funny is I never – I don't – it's a good question because I don't look at movies like that. Like how did that happen?

Like I look at so many other little things. Yeah. I don't look at like – Like the more narratively thing. What is a – what are a few that come to mind with big championship win sports movies in it that I could – Miracle is the one that comes to mind for me the hockey movie i've never seen that and then what i know i mean i obviously know what it's that one's on disney plus two you guys have to watch miracle her brooks the greatest speech ever given okay um there's probably some football movies with the issue with me is i'm

not a big football guy so i haven't seen a ton of football movies remember the titans do they win i don't know yeah i don't remember if they won either because i was friday night lights do they win that's the thing is i don't i don't remember like i remember they're good movies i don't remember i typically remember like if i think about a sports movie i imagine like they won after true because like that is the thing like they went through something and then they won yeah that's a sports movie so i'm just kind like. Now that I'm running through the list in my head, though, I feel like all of them lose. I remember one that was actually just like stood out to me because the ones that stand out to me are the ones that don't follow that formula.

Yeah. Sometimes from a movie perspective. True. You know, now I'm trying to think of something else. Why? Oh, Creed's got some good ones. Creed 2? Love.

Creed 2's got a good one. When Rocky wins are great. Like, I mean, even just. Just the simple Rocky over Drago and Thor is amazing. When he does come back and beat Apollo Creed and 2 is amazing. So those are wins. Clubber Lang in 3 is good.

And those are my favorite movies. Rocky 1 is probably my favorite movie. That makes sense. What a cool movie to is probably my favorite movie that makes right rocky what a cool movie to have is your favorite movie as a fighter that's so cool you're the coolest guy i know but no because actually that i'm like it's so predictable that rocky one is but it's like it's just it's just a i'm a character guy yeah you know and you want to watch movies to like relate and stuff to them so but that and raging bull are a tie honestly because

it's the duality in raging bull it's that you have to see it it's on netflix all right it's on netflix that's an excuse i'll watch raging bull you guys have to watch miracle yeah okay that's that's the trade off homework for each other after the fight of course i don't want you distracted you know it's another glorious moment i think it's funny randomly is on silver linings playbook when they get a five on the dance contest and like everyone celebrates and they're just like what is everyone happy for but like that was their win yeah you know what i mean yeah like that was glorious in a way and it was dance is dance or it might be true it's it's little ways um i think that's it yeah i'm excited for the fight

i cannot wait to be there i'm gonna be on press row, heart beating out of my chest, probably doing more cardio than you. When do you get down to it? So I fly in on Friday afternoon. I'll be there at like 2 p.m., and then I fly out on Sunday. Great. But I'm excited. We're going to go into Virginia with no gold and leave with some gold. It's going to be beautiful.

Team Ben Olivas. Can't wait. Everyone will be behind you. Thanks for joining the show. Appreciate it, man. Love you, Robby.