The Zac Clark Show - UFC Veteran Jared Gordon: 10 Years Sober, Overdose, Fatherhood, and the Fight After the Cage

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

Jared “Flash” Gordon is a UFC veteran known for his grit, longevity in the sport, and a career that defied the odds — not just in the cage, but in life. Before he became a professional fighter, Jared survived 13 treatment centers, 8 arrests,  and a felony case in Florida where he was facing 25-to-life. In 2015, he overdosed and woke up in a hospital bed, finally ready to change his life forever. Now, nearly a decade into a successful UFC career and 10 years sober, Jared talks to Zac about the fight that didn’t stop when the drugs did. They explore emotional sobriety, identity pressure in professional sports, and the exhausting cycle of comparison — especially when no amount of wins or recognition ever feels like enough.The episode also covers the grounding force of community and meetings, and the shift in priorities that came with becoming a father. They talk about Jared's continued work to face childhood trauma and how healing is a lifelong journey. Through it all, Jared remains committed to recovery — the only thing that has ever given him stability, connection, and a chance at freedom of mind.This is an honest, human conversation about ambition, self-worth, fatherhood, trauma, and staying committed when the world keeps moving the goalpost.Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclarkIf you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: [phone] releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery

All right, welcome back to the Zach Clark show. Today's guest needs, you know, a little introduction, I mean, at least for me, because I've been looking at this guy for some, from inspiration. I just love his story and what he's done. He's a UFC fighter. Jared Flash Gordon, what's up? Welcome to the show. What's going on, man?

Thanks for having me. Of course. So, bro, 10 years, December, is that, is that, do I read that correctly or? Yeah. 10 years, December 27th. Got it a couple days. Yeah, I'm an August guy. It's the best, right?

This life, sobriety, I mean. Yeah, I mean, if I wasn't, I mean, I'd be dead, so. Yeah. Yeah, no, we were talking before we jumped on. I was, I had Jimmy Drago on, who's also a fighter, and, and we said the same I mean, I was the Ivy heroin user, you know, and I got into your story. And obviously, with the fentanyl right now, I know I wouldn't be here, you know? Yeah, it's just impossible, I think, to survive.

You know, with heroin, it's almost like, it's like nostalgic when I think about it or talk about it now with other guys that were actual heroin addicts, not like fentanyl users. Right. And it's like, you knew what you were getting. you weren't if you had a habit the chances of you dying were very slim you know right unless you just did way too much or got a really really strong bag but i mean if you had a really if you had a real if you were like a real junkie like you weren't gonna overdose so like i knew when i was buying heroin that like what i was getting now it's just a crap shoot you have no idea yeah no dude i mean i was i agree with you i mean i so i got i got clean in 11 2011 and i was

shooting probably like the last year before that and it was like a science project i had it dialed in you know and uh i was down in kensington this week doing some service i don't know if you know about kensington but it's a large kind of open air i know all about it yeah and so there's there's not even any heroin left down there there's not even fentanyl left i mean they're all doing xylazine and crazy other i mean there's this new drug that's i mean it's nuts man i'm so grateful to be out of there yeah they ruined they ruined it in the sense i mean you know what i mean like i don't mean to like romanticize it but like heroin is i could taste it right now you know yeah that bitter taste

And like, these kids now, like they don't even, they'll never, like I said, I don't want to romanticize it, but like you'll never have the, uh, the honor to be real heroin. It was like, it was, I don't know. It sounds messed up, but I think, no, it's not messed up. I mean, like that taste in the back of your throat. I get it, dude. I mean, like, and, and not only that, but then they're also out there buying drugs that they think is, uh, you know, an ecstasy or.

whatever it is and it's laced with fentanyl and they're overdosing and they weren't even trying to do opioids you know like it's the whole game is screwed up um so you get it yes it's messed up so what what tell me this shit like why you know man you got a lot going on for you you're a pro fighter you know you're you're you've done a lot with your life like why have you chosen to be so open your sobriety what what what led you to that choice because there's a lot of pro athletes that you know I know that aren't as outspoken and uh I always appreciate it I think it was just what was taught to me in order to keep it you got to give it away but also at least lately for me it's not about even, like, oh, don't do drugs.

Like, obviously that's, if you're using or drinking, like, that's the first step is to get sober. But, like, how about just, like, don't be, like, you don't have to be miserable. You don't have to be depressed, suicidal, anxious. I think it's more than just, like, you don't have to be, like, Like, for me, like, I feel like pretty far removed from the drink and the drug. Yeah. But I do still struggle greatly with my thinking.

You know, like I'll always have a thinking problem, you know? And that gets me in trouble. And comparison. just being distracted constantly by outside influences and things and social media and, you know, being in the UFC, like, has given me everything that I've wanted and thought I needed, but it's also taken away so much of my piece. Right. I get that.

I got to UFC. Like, everything's going to be good. That's not the case. Right. And I think that's probably true for all athletes, like guys that make it to the NFL or NHL, MLB, you know, these big leagues, like, although they are being compensated way better than most fighters, so that does add a layer of peace and serenity, I guess,

because you're not in need and you're not worrying about finances and, you know, all the things that people worry about. But it just doesn't give you fulfillment. Like, I thought, like, fighting and, like, getting... Like, I remember before I got into U.S.C., I was like, I just want to have one U.S.C. fight at least. I just want to be able to say that I thought, one U.S.C. I don't care if I lose. And then you get to U.S.C. and you're like, oh, I need to go in a...

Like, I need to win. I have to go on a winning streak. And then you get to... I've been in U.S.C. for almost nine years, and... I'm like, I feel like I've failed as an athlete because I'm not the champion or I'm not the top five guy or whatever the case may be. So it's all an illusion, you know, and there's so much distraction and, you know, the way the UFC is or the way all athletics are, it's all about, it's a show, you know, it's entertainment. and that takes everything away from, like, really what martial arts is, which is discipline and self-respect and, you know, all this stuff.

And it just doesn't, it hasn't given me fulfillment. I've had a lot of highs in this sport, you know, winning, getting further along, getting new contracts, you know, saying that I'm a UFC veteran. Like, that's all great. And it's an accomplishment. Yeah. But it hasn't. hasn't given me any peace at all like it's just takes away for me like it's just a distraction

from what really matters which is me as a man as a husband as a father as a son as a brother as a friend and unfortunately it's all smoke and mirrors you know do you think do you think fighting chose you or you chose fighting? Look, I played baseball growing up, and I always said, like, I was decent at baseball, but I don't know that I loved baseball, you know, like, and I've talked to other people who are really good at sports, they don't necessarily love it. Yeah, that's definitely valid, but I think for me, honestly, I can't really answer that question, man.

Yeah. Because when I graduated high school, I started training, I was 17, I was going down the wrong path. I found martial arts. I had my first amateur fight. I fell in love with it. And I thought, like, this was it. Like, I found my it. I found my passion, my thing, and it is my passion.

I love martial arts and training. I love pushing myself to the limit and finding purpose in that. But I kind of went towards it. I guess it kind of found me in a sense. But I think, like, my story and the way it all turned out with my addiction, getting sober, it was definitely, like, a way for me to inspire and help others. And that's really what it's all about for me is, and that's where I do find fulfillment is helping others and sharing my story.

being you know like a light for people that are sick and suffering so i guess it found me i guess you could say it found me but i can't i don't know it's hard to answer that question it's a good question though yeah i mean i don't know man i think about it all the time i mean i my stories i ended up on a fucking reality television show back in 2020 and like how does that happen dude i don't The Bachelorette, you know, and it was the middle of COVID. My sister put my thing in, and I ended up on this show. And coming out of that, like, you know, I told my story in a very public way for the first time. And shit just got crazy people reaching out, people, you know, DM in me, wanting me to come speak places.

And that's really like the root of this podcast and, you know, everything that that I do in my life is to try and get the message of hope out there into the world. So, you know, that's what's filling your cup. And this is some type of platform to a higher purpose, you know? I think it's definitely, I think we're definitely similar in that way for sure. Like my, my, my, uh, career has mirrored my life. Where it was always like a struggle and hard and ups and downs and lots of obstacles and, failures over and over and over and setbacks and injuries and this and that and that's like been my life it's always it's never been so i don't know like if you know god wanted me like he obviously

i mean as of right now he obviously didn't want me to become champion you know that's that's you know to be said i guess anything could happen but i guess it was to do what you're doing and inspire and give hope. So I hope one day that, like, because, you know, the competitor in me and the athlete in me, like I said this to my friends recently, like I feel like I've been a less than mediocre UFC fighter.

And it's really hard for me to get past that and like understand that I've done a lot of good things and cool things. And I've, you know, I've been in UFC for a long time. Most people, you know, don't make it past their first. a few years in the UFC. I think the average UFC career is like two years. So, but like,

I still haven't matured enough to get to the point where I'm like, yeah, like, this was great. God loves me. And this is my, this was my journey. It was to help others. Sometimes I'm just like, I don't want it. Like, can someone help me?

I relate to that. I relate to that so much. Yeah. I mean, I was going to ask. you that like like one I could go down the God road all day because I see you talking a lot about like giving it over to God and and what does that like really mean right for someone in recovery and then the other thing is just like for me I get DMs and messages and notes all day people reaching out for help and there are moments where I'm just like yo I'm over here like I don't know

and people just assume you're really busy and so you don't got time for them and then your phone don't ring i don't know yeah i could definitely uh relate to that you know um you know we're all human though right so like we all want our own unfortunately like applause and you know recognition makes us feel good when really it doesn't doesn't really build you up spiritually so i don't i'm trying to get past that i've been struggling lately though like a lot of weird things have happened these last few weeks and months and uh i'm just kind of like in this point of my life and sobriety where i'm like i don't know like what the hell is happening so um well you're coming up on 10 years 10 years dude that's just like i think that's just numbers or no numbers that's a long time you know and that's a milestone

so yeah and like you know i'm happy that i've gone this far obviously and i'm proud of myself but uh you know i don't know if you could maybe you could relate to this like once you step away from from the needle for a long time you're like all right now what you know like okay like i'm sober big like cool i'm not shooting drugs anymore like you don't have to clap for me anymore right yeah you could look at me for inspiration for newcomers and stuff and yeah i have to stay sober and keep working my program but then like i think as a just as human like I'm like all right now what like yeah I got to USC I've done a lot of cool things and I'm like what's next um so I guess I'll have to wait and see and figure that out or maybe

I just have to you know grow wiser or something um so I'm trying to I'm trying to figure it out it's tough I'm sure it'll be something having to do with helping people dude so you you are you you're involved in the recovery community down there like you stay in the middle of this thing Yeah, so I'm partnered with Diamond Recovery, which is... Oh, isn't that who Jersey Jerry, don't they do that? Is that the same? Yeah, yeah. There's stand-up people and centers.

They do a great job. But yeah, I mean, I'm in the rooms. I have all my friends are sober. That's what's up. Everyone that I know is sober. Everyone that I, you know, hang out with and confide in are sober people. yeah i'm very heavy and i'm i'm in all sorts of fellowship programs i don't just do a i do other fellowships as well yeah so i'm definitely involved and it's part it's huge

it's like the only thing that without the fellowship i don't know where i'd be or i'd definitely i'd probably have relapse and you know been dead by now so it's a huge part of my life it's the backbone to my to my existence basically yeah you're speaking my language i mean I know some other people that do it other ways and I just I don't know that that like and more power to you like if you don't need to go to meetings and you can find it through other avenues good for you I just no I know anyone that stays over without meetings or without the fellowships yeah I don't know I mean there's some other some other stuff going on but for me that's where I keep my my backside planted you know I have to um so dude just to give the listeners like a little I can't assume that everyone knows who you are, knows your story. Like, I don't need the whole A to Z, but give me like a taste. Give me one story that's going to, like, qualify you for your seat or the time when maybe you knew this thing was a little, a little bit more than just like some recreational drug

usage. Oh, man. I started swore to pot when I was nine. Yeah. You know, it was right after, I started swore with pot right after. I was sexually assaulted as a kid when I was eight years old. Like two months later, I turned nine, and like a month after that, I started smoking pot. At the time I was like 11, I was smoking pot every day, drinking.

By the time I was 13, I had my first line of cocaine, you know, Xanax, Kalina, you know, all those, the benzos, ecstasy, you know, the whole thing. And then when I was like 17, 18, I found opiates, you know, I started off. You know, Perkocet and Vicodin, turn to Oxycontin, which turned to me IVing pills, you know, Deloitte, Oxy's, whatever I could put in a needle. And then I found heroin or I finally broke, you know, like, all right, I need something stronger. I finally broke, went to the heroin, which was like a stigma, you know, like, oh, I'm going to be heroin, you know, I'm shooting oxy all day.

Isn't that crazy I think people fail to realize that OxyContin is basically just legal heroin I mean like in some way, shape, or form, right? I mean, when you talk about stigma. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, and then I turn, you know, IV drug user, IV Coke, heroin crack,

I shot meth, I shot everything, I shot ecstasy, MDMA, whatever I could put in a needle. Dude, I was shooting Suboxone. I was shooting Suboxone at one point. That's a boxin. Yeah. Worst feeling ever. Oh.

I didn't have a good experience shooting Suboxone. You know, I shot Cadamia. I've done it all. And, you know, I was in and out of treatments. I went to 13 treatment centers. I've been to therapeutic community. I've done TCs, therapeutic communities. I did six months into T.C.

I did. I've been in homeless shelters, crisis centers, multiple psych wards, hospital stays you know panhandling homeless stealing doing whatever I could get by robbing drug dealer you know the whole the whole gambit jail I got I got arrested

eight times I was facing 25 to life in Florida for a home invasion robbery felony battery I beat the case and God I'd still be in jail and then

December Christmas Eve December or 2015 I overdosed I woke up in the hospital on the 26th dope sick I left Walked out walked out Wicked out IV ripped IVs out of my arms Got high one more time

Naturally because I was dope sick And I went to detox that night I went to Flushing Hospital In Queens In Queens Unbelievable They had a detox there.

It was disgusting, but it was actually a great place because, like, they gave you good drugs, you know, methadone, and they gave you some valumes and some, you know, muscle relaxers. Yeah, it made you feel like a little okay. You feel good. Yeah. It was warm and ate good, like the food wasn't good, but like it was better than what I was eating. And then they sent me to Creedmoor, which is like a state run. Yep. on the Grand Central

by Alley, Pond Park Road. It's actually a psych ward, but they have a substance abuse facility on like their compound. I was there for like 45 days. And at the time, my

sponsor was like, or the guy that was helping me, he eventually became my sponsor. I still talk to him like constantly taught my my buddy Tommy. He was like, man, you got to give it to God, you know, give it to God. Not Tommy Blue Eyes in Queens, no, no way. Yep.

That was my sponsor, bro. The best, the best. I know Tommy from work. I know Tommy. So when I moved to New York City, I moved into a sober house in Brooklyn, and Tommy was running around kind of working there. Yeah, um. Cobra companion stuff.

What's that? He does like sober companion. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So he was like one of the guys at the house. And like I immediately. was drawn to him and his accent and just the way he looked you in the eye and I was like four months sober

living in Brooklyn I knew nobody and he showed me the way early on so that's awesome he was pivotal in my sobriety like he was my first sponsor unbelievable the first time I did the steps was with Tommy my dad's known Tommy for like 30 plus years

yep so I've known him for a long time Tommy we lived in the same neighborhood in the story of Queens he lived a few blocks from me Yeah, there's great meetings. I mean, like, he took, I mean, like, I was there. I was in it with, I mean, like, I was basically just following his footsteps for the first three months because I didn't know shit. Yeah, dude. Small world.

Yeah, so Tommy got me. He came to my last fight, man. He's so, it comes to all my fights. That's awesome. Yeah. That makes me so happy, man. And that was it, man. I'm like, all right, turn it over to God.

So I just started praying and it just worked out and just listened. I took suggestions, went to meetings, did the steps. And I've stayed sober ever since. Once I decided to hand it over and listen and actually put in a little work, it worked, you know, so. Yeah, I don't want to, I don't want to, I mean, like, look, you mentioned something there at eight years old. Something obviously happened to you, a traumatic event, you know, we all have probably some form of trauma. Do you think, like, because there's a lot of conversation going around, like, you know, are you born a drug addict or a substance, you know, like, or, like, how do you think about that, obviously? moment and your life after it.

I mean, I just wanted to bury it, you know? Yeah, yeah. And I found drugs was like the first, one of the first things I found to, you know, stuff those feelings. And that's what I did for until I was 27, from 9 to 27. I stuffed those feelings with drugs and alcohol every day. I didn't stop using. I had like some stints of abstinence and then I would relapse but from like nine to I think the first time I got sober I was 23 I went away to Samaritan Village it was a therapeutic community I was away for six months yeah yeah yeah

stayed sober for like 20 months or clean for 20 months I had shoulder surgery I relapsed I used for a few months I got like a year clean I had a year clean I had had another surgery. I relapsed. So, like, I used every day except those periods of abstinence. So, yeah, like, that was my way of making, you know, I just didn't want to feel my feelings. I didn't want to have to, you know, think about it. Yeah. Yeah, whatever. And also, I enjoyed getting hot. I enjoyed using and partying. At first, you know, where I was just partying, 17, 16, 18. And then once you start shooting drugs, it kind of turns into, you're not really partying anymore. You're just. No. No, I was not, I was not hanging out with other people shooting drugs. Yes. I mean, I hung out with people shooting drugs, but once I started shooting coke and crack, like, I was alone in a bathroom, you know? Right. for hours but yeah i mean that was my way of you know getting rid of getting rid of the thoughts and then you know you get sober and then all those feelings come back and now you're now you have

to figure it out sober and that's the hardest part for me and have you done the work have you done the work in sobriety around some of the trauma stuff or have you just kind of rely on like some work yeah i'm actually doing a workshop at november 30th i'm going to arizona for this trauma workshop yeah my wife thinks i definitely have untreated trauma from that experience as a kid because you know i've confronted it but i haven't fully dealt with it for sure i spoke about it multiple therapists multiple but i haven't really done actual work i guess so i'm going away for for seven days yeah these programs work i mean i know some of the places in arizona i went to tennessee there's a place down there called on site you know like same shit just like yeah yeah yeah

i mean it works i mean like i don't know yeah i'm going to the meadows yeah the meadows yeah it's a great spot. So I mean, I don't know if it's a fighter in you or you're just like a somewhat evolved or healed human, but there is like this just matter of fact nature about you and your sobriety. What do you? I mean, it's just not dramatic, right? Is that kind of the deal for you? I mean, like, it's just I sit here and talk to you. I'm like, this guy's clearly just like very clear in the way he needs to live. I mean, that's not how it feels for me. That's not how it feels for I mean, I know what I have to do and what I shouldn't do, that's for sure. Sometimes those lines get blurred, and I make mistakes for sure.

And, you know, I might act out or, you know, I definitely wallow and pity. But I also think that has a lot to do with my fighting. You know, I'm a big sore loser. If I lose a fight or something bad happens, like, I'm like, why the, you know, F God, why is this happening? instead of saying like if not me then who else i say like why me right instead of saying like okay like i'm the one to bear this burden or this assignment and i'm gonna wear and i'm gonna truck through it i'm like i'll pity myself for a while and then i'm like all right i'll stand up and get through it but i do wallow and pity sometimes for a little too long which is one of my

character defects, bro. One of my worst character defects is being a sore loser and throwing pity parties. It usually has to do with fighting or something related to my career. No, I mean, I saw there was a couple, there was a couple fights here that didn't like, you know, not the, whatever. There's a lot of weird things in my career. Didn't go your way. Didn't go your way. Yeah, like, you know, weird things, robberies that I clearly won in fights.

and you know this is the uc so like those wins go a long way for your career um it's not like you're just like oh get back like these it matters a lot um you know injuries head like head busting fights no contests um my last fight the day before the fight i got ran over by a car yeah you still fought and i sprained my acl and mcel and i still fought i end up losing and it was you know clear as day out, you know, like, the court, my Cub Swanson, the guy cornered against me, you know, legendary U.S.C. fighter. Yeah, yeah. Right after this fight in the cage came up to me and it was like, you were injured, huh?

And I'm like, I was like, yeah, I guess it was that obvious. And, you know, I look back and I'm like, man, I'm too stupid. Maybe I should have pulled out or I'm too tough for my own. And then, you know, I go into a whole pity party because I'm like, I thought this was my time, make a, you know, breakout performance. I was coming off a big win. and now I go one step forward, two steps back, and it's just like, that's life, though.

I know that's life. No matter what career I was decided to do, like I would have ups and downs. But yeah, so that is, you know, I need God to relieve me of my burden with wanting to be ahead you know so yeah i mean that's i'm addicted to winning i get that i'm addicted to winning and i'm addicted to being successful yeah i want to get further in life

um so it's just tough especially when it's like over and over and over and over again it's not like it's like once in a while it's like a constant uh obstacle in the way but i know the obstacle is the way but i'm sick of dealing with the obstacle. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I mean, there's a part of me that's just learning to accept that piece of me and like leaning into the, you know, like I like to win. And it's not even about money.

It's just like, okay. And can I channel that for some good? I'll be curious to see what your relationship is to fighting after you go do some work. You know, like not to freak you out, but. No, I hope it helps me, man. My relationship with fighting is not a healthy one. Yeah. Because I'm a competitor, you know?

I think it's normal for every competitor. But I know, like, when I, normally I get, you know, you're down the line and I'm like, ah, this is why. But I got to get there. And the hardest part is getting there. But I know it'll come and I'll figure it out and I'll look back and say, Oh, it all happened for a reason. So, like, I just have to have faith and, you know, just keep moving forward, which is what I've always done.

Do you feel emotion? Like, when you had your kid, did you feel emotion? Like, do you feel like, yeah, you get there? But that's, like, the biggest thing for me right now is my daughter. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ten months old, she's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. Unbelievable. She's the cutest kid ever.

and like when I look at her and she's like looking at me I'm like this is what it's all about you know and nothing else matters besides her so it is helping me like get through things because it's like it's not about me anymore you know it's not about me at all anymore it's about her so it does help me get through it all but yeah i'm sure there's some generational stuff there too that you're looking forward to kind

of breaking and and starting new patterns i mean you you have a lot of power in that which is you know i don't know if you realize that or not but that's cool no 100% yeah i mean on my on my wife's side and my side um she was saying me the other day like we need to break this yeah that's awesome for for our daughter like we can't let her grow up the way we grew up because both of our families were broken so um you know i think there's a lot more awareness now for stuff like that where our parents generation was kind of just like they just let it happen you know um i don't know that's how it seems to me did you meet her you met her in sobriety no i've known my wife since first grade no no shit no shit

yeah so we met each other when we were like six so she's like ride or die I mean she's been through it oh yeah I can't even begin to explain to the shit that I put her through um yeah I've known her since first grade

we went to school together until we were like 13 I moved to Queens I was living in Long Island in Nassau she moved to Florida and then we met each other we remet when we were 18 we graduated and she was going to Rutgers for gymnastics she was a D1 gymnast and I saw her at a house party started talking started dating fell in love and then I dragged

her through the mud with my addiction we broke up for like five years we got back together and when we were I got sober I got two of C I had like three years sober we got back together we started talking dating we got engaged a few months later and we got got married when we were 33. So, yeah, I've known her for, like, 31 years. No shit. It's fucking ridiculous. Yeah.

Yeah, we still go through it. But we have a daughter now together, which is insane. And, yeah, so. I mean, she's definitely right or die, though. Yeah, I mean, like anything's possible. right I mean that's why like I'm around a lot of newcomers you know I run I run a treatment program and and they come in and they're like what am I doing about my relation like you know they have all the questions and it's like

dude just just hang in there bro just stay sober like you can whatever you want to do you're going to be able to do that's it that's it yeah like she wouldn't have got back together with me if I wasn't sober so yeah but you know I got through but yeah we together we deal with a lot bro like she's a business owner she owns two businesses um our parents she deals with all my issues um she's like the backbone she's a woman of god um so i i try to follow god along with hers as well as she does what does that look like for you like is that church or i mean like obviously like in the room Yeah, good.

We're in a marriage group, pray together. Nice. We've read the, you know, we've read, we've read the Bible, sometimes more often than others. And she is like, never waivers in her faith, where I'm like all over the place. It's really hard for me to just be like, God's got my back, no matter. what in the lows and the highs so but i'm trying to you know make my faith stronger it's tough man you know like i think every christian um struggles with their faith yeah their hope in god and the future and this and that and all the things that humans you know you know

struggle over so yeah more talent i mean the whole thing dude i can go to i can go to some dark ass places if i let myself you know um but i don't know so i i'm 41 like i feel like something for me happened with god spiritual like when i just like as i get older i and part of it's just i just i just don't care as much like i just don't give a shit what people you know kind of thing but i always still want to win that's my problem yeah so you're getting it. Yeah, dude. Before I let you go, dude, give me a couple minutes just on the, like, the mental health, like the, the mental health landscape in UFC substance. Like, is it, is it wild or is it not what we would expect? Is there resources? Do they do a good job? Like, I imagine it's got some crazy. I mean, it's pretty. So we're actually doing something right now, but UFC does Ken and will, if you ask for, give you, resources for things like that, whether sports

psychology, if you need a therapist, if you need help with whatever it may be, they could definitely help you out. And they will. Brain health, all sorts of resources. Are they completely outspoken about it? Not necessarily. But there's definitely resources, and they do help with that. We're actually doing something right now

called Fight Story, which I'm sure is what you're alluding to. But I partnered up. I'm on the board of directors with Angela Lee and my buddy Mike Bayer. Angela was a one-fc champion. Her brother was a one-fc champion, or it might still be, I forget.

Her parents were both martial arts and their youngest sister, Victoria, was also in the one-fc. She was undefeated as a pro-fighter, and she tried. tragically took her own life when she was 18. The stresses of filling her sisters and brother's shoes, at least that was my perspective.

The stresses of fighting, cutting weight, winning, losing is what I guess drove her to unfortunately commit suicide. So Angela retired from fighting and started something called Fight Story, which was a way for fighters to tell their journey with, fighting in mental health and she decided that she wanted to make something called a mental fight kit which is a platform we're developing it right now a platform where combat athletes can go on and get mental health resources for anything from sports psychology to anxiety depression suicidal thoughts like if you have any sort of like a

real emergency, you can get help through this platform, breathing meditations, all sorts of exercises, modules. We're creating it right now. The UFC came on as a corporate sponsor of ours. We just teamed up with the Meadows and Karen. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I went to Karen and I'm an alum of their program and so that's why I went to rehab. Okay, they came. came on as a corporate sponsor as well. And we're developing a platform where people can go on and fighters, combat athletes can go on and get help

because, you know, it's in martial arts and wrestling, jiu-jitsu, it's like, be tough, be strong, you're a man or a woman. This is fighting, like just get up and go train and do your thing and that's it. But people are struggling, obviously, mentally, physically, nutritionally, whatever it may be. So we're trying to expand and give resources to people that can't afford it also because things like this are expensive. If you want a sports psychologist, if you want nutritional support, it costs thousands and thousands of dollars.

So we're doing it so that it could be free for fighters. And that's why the UFC, I think, jumped on right away because they were like, this is great. great and they want it to be part of it and that's why the meadows and Karen which are huge obviously yeah these are joining with us we're looking for anyone that is we think a good partner for us to have long-lasting a relationship where we can support the community the fight community and help people so that's that's that's kind of the landscape of of mental health in this space. People don't really talk about it, especially men,

but it's definitely obviously needed in all sports, the NFL and I mean, granted, like I said earlier, you know, probably way easier when you're injured on the sidelines, but you're still making a few million dollars a year. But when you're a fighter and you're on the sidelines, you make zero dollars. So it's, you know, it's way harder. and that weighs on you mentally, physically.

So, yeah, we're trying to make the future better for others. Good on you, man. If I can help out in any way, I mean, I'll send you some information just about the stuff I'm involved in. And it's, I mean, this is, I've been working in behavioral health care for 14 years. I mean, obviously, Karen saved my life. I sat on their board for many, many years. And so, you know, kudos to you for that. You know, a couple things came up for me right there.

It's like, one, this whole idea. around, like, your compensation being directly related to your performance. It's like, I always think about in the NFL, like, when a guy gets a sack and then there's a flag, what people don't realize, like, if that sack gets taken away from him, that's like, that's a million dollars or shut. There's, there's money directly tied to that outcome of that one play, you know? And same shit with you, like, the wins and the losses. Like, do you, are you, like, have you been able to make a living in the UFC, see, right? It's just you got, yeah, yeah, yeah.

When you're in the U.C. this long, you're able to make a living. Yeah. Yeah. That's my main source of income. Yeah. It's fighting. Yeah. Like you said, like, if I don't fight, I don't get paid.

If I don't win, I don't get the second half of my check. And then if I, you know, lose, like, what's next? Like, if you win, you get pushed up. These are just going to die. What's going on? No, the computer's going to die. I'm just telling the team in the room. Sorry, bro.

It's all right. So, yeah, I mean, every win goes a long way, but, you know, that's why also you have to build your brand as an athlete, and hopefully you can get other partnerships, sponsorships, deals, salaries, where you're making supplemental income. So luckily, I've been able to do that, and, yeah, I've done pretty well for myself. So, yes, USC has given me all the things that I want to need, materialistically, worldly. but you know it still tears a little hole in my heart well dude i love what you're doing i'm here to support anything i can i mean like this is my whole life this recovery thing i love the tommy blue eyes connection i mean that's legendary i mean it's just no surprise though right like of course we both know tommy and uh i'm rooting for you dude i mean like i root for all our people in

our community like i get it i so much of what you said today i resonate with So where can people find you all over the socials and what's the Instagram? Jarrett Flash Gordon. Yeah. J. Flash Gordon, M.MA on X. Yeah. Jarrr Flash Gordon on Facebook, I guess. Yeah.

Yep. Anything else before. And your wife's what? My website. Jarrett Flashgordon.com. Jared Flashgordon.com. That's it, yeah. Anything else before we cut you loose?

That's it, bro. Thanks for having me. Dude, thanks for having you. Is overshooters? Is that a nod to shooting too much drugs? Or is that, am I reading that wrong? I forget where I got this. What do you mind says it to me?

But I don't really know what the company is. I don't know. I didn't know if you were that prideful. All right, dude. Well, good luck. We'll stay in touch. I'll hit you up. Thank you.