This Past Weekend - E485 Israel Adesanya

Episode Date: February 27, 2024

Israel Adesanya is a mixed-martial artist and former 2-time Middleweight champion of the UFC. He is originally from Lagos, Nigeria and currently lives in New Zealand.  Theo heads to New Zealand for a special episode of This Past Weekend, chatting with former UFC champion Israel Adesanya. They talk about his time off from fighting, his thoughts on the current state of the UFC, why he wants a rematch against Sean Strickland, dealing with rowdy fans in public, why you’re never too old to emote, and more.  ------------------------------------------------ Tour Dates! https://theovon.com/tour New Merch: https://www.theovonstore.com ------------------------------------------------- Sponsored By: Celsius: Go to the Celsius Amazon store to check out all of their flavors. #CELSIUSBrandPartner #CELSIUSLiveFit  https://amzn.to/3HbAtPJ  PrizePicks: Download the Prize Picks app and use CODE: THEO. Prize Picks will match your deposit up to $100.  Shopify: Go to http://shopify.com/theo to sign up for a $1-per-month free trial. Tommy John: Go to http://tommyjohn.com/theo to get 20% off your first order.  DoorDash: Sign up for DashPass today, only on DoorDash, and use code THEO24 to get up to 50% off a $10 value when you spend $12 or more after you sign up. ------------------------------------------------- Music: “Shine” by Bishop Gunn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3A_coTcUek ------------------------------------------------ Submit your funny videos, TikToks, questions and topics you'd like to hear on the podcast to: [e-mail] Hit the Hotline: [phone] Video Hotline for Theo Upload here: https://www.theovon.com/fan-upload Send mail to: This Past Weekend 1906 Glen Echo Rd PO Box #159359 Nashville, TN 37215 ------------------------------------------------ Find Theo: Website: https://theovon.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/theovon Facebook: https://facebook.com/theovon Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thispastweekend Twitter: https://twitter.com/theovon YouTube: https://youtube.com/theovon Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheoVonClips Shorts Channel: https://bit.ly/3ClUj8z ------------------------------------------------ Producer: Zach https://www.instagram.com/zachdpowers Producer: Nick https://www.instagram.com/realnickdavis/ Producer: Colin https://instagram.com/colin_reiner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Door dashers, they are amongst us. They are the ninjas of food delivery. And if you want more from delivery, you can get it with the dash pass by Door Dash. That's right. The dash pass is the most affordable way to get anything in your area delivered to your door, helping you save money and time with every Door Dash order

with zero dollar delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders, DashPass makes it easy to save on restaurants, groceries, retail items and all your local favorites that deliver on DoorDash. DashPass pays for itself in two orders on average, making delivery even more worth it get more from delivery for less Sign up for DashPass today only on DoorDash use code Theo24 and get 50% off up to a $10 value When you spend $12 or more after signing up for DashPass Subject to change terms apply Today's guest brings us to New Zealand and we're happy to be here

and he is he is a fighter a kickboxer a artist he it's fascinating to watch him experience the world he's a damn human van Gogh of some type of sorts he's had one of the greatest runs as a UFC champion. I'm just grateful to spend time with him today. Mr. Israel at Asanyah. I'll sit and tell you my story Shine on me And I will find a song I'll be singing

Yeah, brother, cheers. Good to have a look. Yeah, he's about it healthy eight I'm an eight. You're pretty you're you're I mean they don't have a lot of like Well, let's don't fucking go down that road man. I can't call another fighter handsome. Yeah, you can look into I like the hair if I could Mullet I definitely do it like for season really. Yeah, fuck yeah. Well, they need someone, and I don't want to say who, but someone of certain culture would be neat to see the Jerry Curl, really. Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to have Jerry Curls when I was younger.

It was a thing maybe in the late 90s, early 2000s, but then it's not good for your scalp. Really? Yeah, all the chemicals in there. Also, the last time I did it, I burnt my scalp. Oh, damn, really? I left it on too long, so then I was like, right, we're done with that.

But also, it's not good for your scalp, for your hair, because my hair is meant to be, as you say, nappy, like, texturized, you know, so having to burn it out to straighten it and then put perm and all that stuff is not good. Oh, you gotta do that, so it's like you gotta straighten it and then perm it all that stuff is not. Oh, you got to do that. So it's like you got to straighten it and then so the relaxer straightens it. And then you can put the Jerry curl in there and then makes it curly.

But yeah, I never had it long. I had it short, but still, I mean, a mother would be nice though. Yeah. They'll be a real cool fighter. I mean, who Miguel Torres Ricky Simone, Ricky Simone. Yeah, he's got a nice one. A lot of guys at the gym. Oh, well, who else? Or or tega has did he have one?

He's had locks like nice Arnold Allen did he have Trying to think a lot of Kiwi guys like my guy toes him up a lot of the guys and a lot of them women in this country You'll see a grandma with a hatchet in this You're not wrong. To be honest, bro. You'll see a grandma with a hatchet in this hat. Like this is real. It's standard. Yeah.

But it would be awesome on some of the highlight videos just to see the fucking whee. Whip when you hit someone. Bang. Or if you're getting hit. That's one thing I'm grateful for is like, because I know it looks worse sometimes when you have a long hand, you get hit.

And maybe even if you roll with the shot, the crowd goes, oh. Yeah. And then you're like, hand, you get hit. And maybe even if you roll with the shot, the crowd goes, oh! Yeah. And then you're like, fuck, they thought that. Bro, that whizzed past me. But it looked like you got hit because of the. Dude, that's what's interesting about you. You're that intricate to detail

that you wanna even man it. Like, you wanna have a say so in how you even get hit. If that makes any sense. Like, how does that look to people? You're such an entertainer. It's like I even want to make that look as perfect as I can. It's possible, yeah.

I try not to get hit, but if I'm gonna get hit, I'll be hit by the best. A lot of them, and they're always iconic moments, but still, the game is hit and don't get hit, so I can preserve my my noggin yeah yeah my brain want to keep this intact so I can keep doing this and I don't have to talk to you don't want that yeah it's kind of crazy like reporters will totally look over that a guy can't even speak just to be like hey

how do you feel about this? I mean, that's why Joe shot to him. He stopped interviewing guys after they've been knocked out cause. Oh, really? Yeah. He said that I think it was after one of the over him after the over him fight and over him to the famous meme or sayings as I clearly felt a tap. Cause he had steeper in the guillotine, and he thought he tapped,

but again, he just got rocked, so, you know, your brain's not really all there. I've been knocked out before, like cold ones, shot to Perrera. Yeah. Perrera, is that what he's saying? Yeah. Perrera, Alexxpoitam Perrera.

Oh, he's really, I feel like you probably admire him. I return to favor. Yeah, of course. Look, people think I'm not an aider, man. I'm a guy who, we're all in this game together, right? We're all trying to better our lives for our family and generations and all that. And he's achieved it.

In the beginning, when he first came to the UFC, Grant said he didn't have the run that I had. He got to the spot he got because he already beat me in kickboxing. And I don't wanna hop on too much about this, like I'm, but I wanna give you the history. For those who don't know, I'll give you for the, yeah, cause I'm sure new people will be watching this.

So they understand it was literally three nil. Oh, two and no, two and no, two and no. So technically the first fight I thought I won, you know, anyone who watched it, he edge that out and they gave it to him and I was like, what? Okay, cool who watched it, he edged that out and they gave it to him. And I was like, what? Okay, cool. Second fight, we go to Brazil.

Think Sao Paulo. Beautiful. Oh, and I was there on Caneval. Oh man. I was cutting weight, so I couldn't be outside. But I tell you what, I'll never forget this. I go downstairs from the hotel when I get to Sao Paulo because you have to get like a plug that works, you know,

a converter. And then my phone was on 1%. So I left it in my room. I go downstairs and I'll never forget it. I see this guy and two girls. And then one of them kind of looked back to see what was behind her and smiled and just had the most beautiful ratio,

astatits I've ever seen in my life. And I remember thinking like, fuck, I wish I could capture this moment, but I just, right there, I just, right there. So, but I think there were hookers though, cause he was getting the hook. It was probably like 2 a.m. we landed or something. So he was getting some for to go.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I had to get something to go. But yeah, that was beautiful just right there. Anyway, back to the fight. So I fight Alex and then. Oh, especially getting eaten in a couple days. Oh man, you know what I'm saying? I'm hungry, hungry.

But yeah, I get to the fight, doing work, beating them and then catches me. Cause I rocked him in the second round. And in the third round, he just came back, rallied up and just caught me, flatline me. And that's the only time I've ever been knocked out. And was that the kickboxing? Yeah, kickboxing.

And then, yeah, when I came, I came two hours and I remember like, they were rushing me trying to put oxygen mask on me. I was like, I don't need that, hold up. And they tried to take me out on the stretcher as well. And I was like, chill champ. Like, it's not that deep. But then I walked to the back and I remember me and you just

walk silently to the back to this white space and just kind of like, huh, what do you hit me with? He goes left hook. He straight away just told me left hook. So you're handing come back fast enough. I was like, huh. But again, in that, that time from being knocked out to that moment, having a mic in my face and then, so how do you feel about this fight?

That wouldn't be ideal. So I'm glad Joe stopped doing that. Just so the guys don't have to embarrass themselves or say something that they might regret later on. Yeah. Yeah, I never, I didn't even think about how crazy that is that they even do that. It's almost like, like kind of like when you have to do that dizzy bat game, you know where you spin your head? In my gym, we have this drill

that we haven't done in a while actually, but the dizzy bat game, and then you do it 10 times, then you get up and you have to hit the pads. Just in case you never know in a fight where you might get rocked and then you have to keep your, keep your composure. So yeah, dizzy bat game, and then, you know, most times it's like you have to run straight,

but this one you have to right there, one, two, ba-ba, one, two, three, and you're just, but again, that's what it's like when you get rock sometimes and you're just like, oh shit, you have to keep your composure. Oh, that's interesting. It's an old school drill that the League of Boys, Balmora League of Boys had, so Eugene's done it a few times,

but I might bring it back for some fun. Actually, I might do it for some content. That'd be a good idea. It's interesting, I feel like it'd be fascinating, I've never seen that. You ever train? Yeah, I've trained, but I'm just a one-stripe white belt. Oh, I might do it for some content. That'd be a good idea. I feel like it'd be fascinating. I've never seen that. You ever train? Yeah, I've trained, but I'm just a one-stripe white belt. Oh, I see. Nice.

But there's still some possibility. Oh, you can still, these levels. Yeah. You can stay there. Three stripes, imagine that. Fuck, you be a badass. Oh, fuck. Somebody up outside of the Jimmy John's.

Yeah, you can be three stripes. Dude, I watched the documentary, man. It was really cool. Thank you. It was really interesting for you to just like share about like It felt like what it's like to to like Not only kind of to be to have some of your history But then also to like the pressures of how things change once you achieve Pressures of how things change once you achieve your dreams and your goals, and then how some of that feels like it doesn't really fulfill maybe what you thought it was gonna do.

Yeah. Like I could relate to that at a time, man. I'm sure. Wait, when did you kinda like blow up? What age would you say? I would say like five years ago, I think work started getting busier for me probably. Maybe not years ago you to be yeah, I'm glad I didn't find Fame at a young age like say 25 year old Izzy with everything that I have now bad idea

Hey, Theo bad idea as that sets a story for later on but um, yeah, I'm glad I found fame later on, but still, you know, they say, be careful what you wish for. And I don't regret anything. I'm ready, I prepared for this life, but it's still surprising. Yeah, there's levels. There's all these variables you don't expect. And I've kind of set myself up now to the point where,

okay, I've expressed enough, like how I've, example, what's one, after the UFC 243 in Melbourne, I defended my belt against Whitaker. Against Whitaker, so I defended my belt the first time I like to put it. And then going to the airport, I remember just thinking in the car like, fuck, cause I was kind of just, it was so much stimulus.

Cause I just did what I did. And still to this date, the highest attendance in UFC history is 57,127 people. And all these, everywhere I went, you know, it was just crazy. Even the week, fight week, I went down the strip, just walked alone, just because I was like, let me enjoy this while I can. You know, because I didn't know how long

I would have that for. I can still do it now, but because I have boundaries now, I didn't have that for a long time. But what I did on the way to the airport, going back to NZ, I just put out a thing on my story or a tweet just saying, look, if you see me at the airport, just approach me cautiously. You don't have to come yelling.

Cause for me, I was like, oh my God. I'm so happy. It's very scary. Sometimes you think you're on fire. The bit in the movie where I didn't even plan it and they just kind of like drove by it. And I'm like, at this. It's crazy, it's very scary. Sometimes you think you're on fire. The bit in the movie where I didn't even plan it and they just kind of like drove by and I'm like, what the fuck? Oh yeah.

They raised my adrenaline up and then they came to my door and that's why I moved houses cause people would just come to my door and oh my God. And this is like 9 PM at night. I'm like, yo, and I had to boundary line. Let me borrow some quiche. Yeah. Stop.

A guy's trying to sell me a watch once. Oh, that's perfect. Yeah, and then I was like, hold up, and I went upstairs, came back down, and I was like, I already got this watch, bro. It was a G-shirt, like a black and gold one, classic. But then, for me, I just boundaries. I had to learn boundaries for myself.

Yeah, cause you burn out. Yeah, it burns you. After I do any kind of media stuff for anything with fans, my people just know. My friends, my security burn out. Yeah, it burns you. After I do any kind of media stuff for anything with fans, my people just know, my friends, my security, they just know, okay, I just go to my room and I just regroup or replenish my social battery, if you will.

And I'm sure you've had to deal with this as well. Yeah, I didn't know that I had to do that. When it, like about two and a half years ago, things were going well, you know, I was like being able to sell tickets and stuff and just like, you work so hard for it, know and I didn't know like I would go meet every fan after I didn't know I felt like I was I could never do enough to make people think that I was enough you got this morning they'll never there's

never enough because you give them an inch or take a mile I haven't stopped signing these guys who just come camp at the fighter hotel. I don't even stay at the fighter hotel anymore. I always get my own space now just because I remember like, oh, can you sign this please? And then they'd have like a stack of shit. Oh, totally.

And then, you know, I didn't want to be the bad guy. So I'd sign everything. But it got to a point where I'm like, hang on, that's not just for you, you're selling that. And you'll just be honest. But again, don't take the piss and have like 20 fucking gloves for me to sign. I'm like, yo, no, no, no, no.

You signed this to my daughter. You signed this to my grandson. Oh my god. When they use their kids, I don't like it when they use their kids as a Trojan horse. They come with the kid. I'm like, do you want to take a picture? Because sometimes the kid will be like, the fuck's this guy? I'm like, do you want to take a picture? mind. Do you want to take a picture? Cause sometimes the kid will be like, the fuck's this guy?

Do you want to take a picture? Or does your dad want to take a picture? Cause if he just said, oh bro, I'm a big fan, you know, can't take a picture, that's cool. But again, it's just boundaries, boundaries and respect. Like I just came back from the gym. I actually go to a public gym once in a while now. Cause after the last lockdown, again,

I come out into the world and people are all locked down. They're excited, the energy was always just, boop, boop, boop, and I just didn't know how to deal with it because again, I'm human. And I'd get really anxious and sometimes a little bit short with my fuse. Oh, me too for sure. Bro, what the fuck, like, come on,

yeah, let's take a photo, but chill. And then I realized now I gotta fix this. So I went to a public gym just cause I was like, immerse myself in people. And again, I'd have to tell people, nah, not right now, I'm working. So that was my way of learning the reps of saying no. You have to learn how to say no.

Cause if you don't say no, they'll just take, they'll take. And they'll hold you hostage with the conversation as well. Yeah, I don't like that. Oh, they're like, we face now my stepmother's dying. You know, we face now like, look. She don't like that. Although like we FaceTime my stepmother's dying, you know. She don't want to see me. What am I gonna do? Tell us some jokes. And then I get on there and she's like oh no. And the lady is like what the fuck. She doesn't give a fuck. She doesn't give a bigger problem. She's trying to die. Yeah, she's trying. Yeah, she's trying to like hide whatever bad stuff is left in her home before God comes and gets her.

And now she has to like, pretend that we can talk. But no, I just found it to be fascinating because I thought that once I got to a certain part of success, maybe, or if enough people knew me, I thought everything inside of me would be cool. And it, bro, when it wasn't, it, I mean, it knocked me out. Cause I was like, if this doesn't fix whatever's going on inside of me, then I don't know what else could fix it, you know? It's never external.

It's always here. Internal. So I had to learn that from watching other people like example, Rashad Evans, when he won the belt UFC 92, he said, he thought it would be different, but nah, it didn't feel any different. He just felt meh, kinda like, okay, I've done it. And I felt the same way.

So when I won the belt, I was like, did it feel different? I was like, I still feel the same, cause I always felt like I was the best. I always said, this is just a fancy tiara. It comes with me, just keep winning. So I never chased a belt ever. I've never chased a belt.

I've never even identified myself on my bio or to people as, unless for a promo, I said UFC middleweight champion, but apart from that, nah, I just, I know who I am. So it never, I don't, the belt doesn't make me, I make the belt. I'm still with me. Look how many people are calling me out, I don't, the belt doesn't make me, I make the belt. I'm still with me, look how many people are calling me out and I'm not even the champion currently. It's, I'm Israel Disloyal.

I feel like my name has transcended the belt itself. I don't need the belt to show I'm a champion because how you carry yourself is, is what makes you a champion. Yeah. But I'm still learning though, constantly, every day. You know, that's what I got from the documentary too. It was cool, man. It was inspiring. It was got from the documentary too. It was cool, man.

It was inspiring. It was inspiring. I appreciate that. It really was, man. Cause a lot of that I could relate to too. Like I remember like when I was growing up, I just wanted to be singing. I remember you saying that at one point.

And it was like, for some reason, I just, I was like, I'm going to make people see me. And I don't even know what it meant or anything. It was just, it was like a, like a lighthouse that was inside of me. Did you believe me? I don't even know what it meant or anything it was just it was like a like a lighthouse that was inside of me I just got like I wasn't a bully I just didn't get any attention now this haircut you're like the same size just give me your lunch buddy look I was feared in a lot of softball circles because of my haircut. They're like, this guy is dangerous. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This guy. Yeah. This fella. But no, I think I just did. I think I just felt like I didn't want anything to define me except for me. Yeah. That was like, it was like, and I don't even know where it came from, but it was like, I didn't want to attach myself to anything.

I wanted to walk to school and not take the bus. I didn't want anybody determining. The only way you were gonna learn about me was through me. Wow. That was it. There was nobody else you could add. There was, it was all, especially my voice, it was the only thing that I had that was mine.

Yeah. And so it was like, I'm gonna use this. Are you an only child? No, I got three siblings, but I think I felt like a only human probably. Oh wow. I felt like an only human probably oh well I felt like an only human a lot of like solitude growing up yeah just a lot of like lack of connection like with family just like felt like I was in my own world yeah just working freelance it felt like we the oldest or not got an older brother older brother yeah middle yeah middle but we

had like a lot of just like addiction and people you just wasn't like a no connection so I felt like I'm sentenced into this family, but there's no real family here. Yeah, you guys didn't have dinner at the table. None of that. No, we just had fights. It was always like fighting and a lot of violence. And it was like, it just didn't feel like anything.

So I felt like I'm never going to let anything define me again. Yeah. You know, not like God got me one time with where I'm born, you know, like he got me there. But after this. Where's this from, where you from? I'm from Louisiana. I was gonna say, same as DC.

Yeah, Cormier. Cormier and Dustin Poirier. Poirier and who else is from there? Alan JoBan is from down there now. I know Alan JoBan. He's real Cajun. He's another, he's a handsome fighter. God.

Good looking, he's a model actually. He's the model for Calvin Klein. Dude, if you... And then he's modeling against Calvin Qatar. You know? Pick a path. If I were that good looking, I don't think I would have gotten the rank. I mean, what did Ali say?

It's a pretty one you got to watch out for. Because you try... I mean, I used to do fashion week when I was younger, but I think it's just cuz I'm one of the only black guys out here so it was just yeah I thought there would be because there's more morey people here out of you already yeah you got it and there's um the island as well like the Samoans and Tongans yes big fellas oh yeah there's some people you can't get around them

You gotta yeah, I had to go around the block. Yeah, get around one guy getting the orbit Now but um, there was um, who else yeah, there's not a lot of like I guess what most of the universe would probably consider black Yeah, facts. Wow, even when I first moved to New Zealand I was in a little town called Rotorua. And yeah, one of the only black families there. And you would have seen in the documentary. Yeah, I saw it. Definitely.

Even when I went back to the creek I used to play at. Oh, you saw all those kids? They were like, Whoa! And I'm like, yeah, bro, I used to play on this creek because my house was literally right there. And I'm surprised it's still there. It was beautiful.

But again, one of the only black kids, so didn't understand so they'd pick on me but my way of getting around that was dancing dance was my well got my like street cred yeah oh it was incredible man watching the documentary was cool like because one thing I learned a lot is that just you're such an inner you like to be an entertainer huh yeah you just love it I love it it's fun yeah because I'm I think for me early on it was just to it. I love it. It's fun. Yeah, because I think for me, early on, it was just to get people to like me. Yeah.

That's back in Nigeria, or when I lived in Ghana for a brief, it was just my way of expressing myself. But when I moved to this country, and I realized I danced better than everybody in my school, I was like, OK, that's my thing. So then I kept on. And I tried to make people like me just so I could fit in. But again, not everyone's gonna like you, and I didn't understand how to deal with that

when I was 13, 14, 12. You know? Like, man. Especially if nobody's telling you how to deal with it. I'm trying to do that now with the young guys. The young guys around me. I try and tell them, like, because I try and be honest with them.

This is where I'm at in my career. This is when I was your age, I was here, and I give it to them raw. Like, let them know the truth without sugarcoating it. And then they appreciate that, because then they can take from, they'll make their own mistakes, you know? What they can take from my mistakes

and try not to make the same mistakes, or dumb mistakes that I've made. Yeah. Yeah, I think when I was a kid, I wish somebody just would have given me a little more information about what was going on. I was making up all my own rules in my head, and so then I created this own universe and checks and balances, you know?

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Yum. Get more from delivery for less. Sign up for DashPass today only on DoorDash. Use code Theo24 and get 50% off of to a $10 value when you spend $12 or more after signing up for DashPass. Subject to change, terms apply. Yeah, that's how I lived. Yeah, like what was it like in Nigeria? Do you have any memories of it kind of?

Heaps, yeah. Nigeria, I grew up, I was born and raised in Lagos City and my family was quite well off. And when I say this, people normally think like, oh, it was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. I was. But I still had to do chores. This is why sometimes people try and help me iron my clothes.

I'm like, no, I got it. Because my dad would be like, boy, come on, come on, iron my shirt. Like, you know, for work and all that kind of stuff. I did the dishes. I swept the compounds, you know, clean up the kennel, the dog kennel. So I just cause my parents were rich,

doesn't mean I didn't have to work. I had to earn my keep. And yeah, I learned hard work from them as well. Even moving to New Zealand, when my mom became a nurse or she was in nursing school, my dad would let her sleep and her cleaning job. Me and him would go to the bank and clean around 4 a.m. This is in Rotorua, the town I was talking about.

Around 4 a.m., go and help her clean, just so she can get enough sleep to go to school the next day. Well, that's nice. That sounds like a thoughtful guy, huh? Yeah, my dad's the best. My dad is a real G. He's one of the coolest gangsters. I know and I'm not talking street gangster. He's just a mathematical

Word contract type like business gangster, you know, I've said this before look You know resting Pete peace to Habib's dad. He was in his corner and fighting Michael Jordan has his dad on the court. So is Steph Curry a lot of other dads as well in football But my dad helps me off the court and I've said this again I'll say it again and again The UFC knows what I got paid or what I get paid But they don't know what I'm worth and that's thanks to my dad Oh, yeah, because my dad is a chartered accountant by by by trade and he just knew how to flip my money for me.

Because every time I came back from China, every time I had, I think I came back, when I lived there, I came back with six figures, or five figures, high five figures, and then he tried to help me invest in, I was like, I don't wanna have a house, he has too much responsibility, because I was young and dumb,

and I went broke again. So I realized every time I don't listen to this guy, I go broke, I should start listening to him. So as soon as I go in the UFC, I was every time I don't listen to this guy, I go broke. I should start listening to him. So as soon as I go in the UFC, I was like, right, what do I do? First thing we did by my first house. And then now we've just gone crazy.

But again, that's thanks to my dad. But who else would you rather have in your corner than has the best interest? If without him, I would have been ripped off so many times, man. Because people, it's just in their nature. They take advantage. They see like, oh, this guy's not really paying attention.

Oh, he didn't, he just signed that contract. He didn't even rip. Shit. So I don't sign shit without my pops looking at it and then giving me the green, green light. Like, yeah, it's cool. Boom. Cause you have to send it back with highlighted bits.

Amen that. That's what? In perpetuity. No, we can't have that. Amen that. But, but, but. Yeah, it can't have that amend that but but but yeah It's interesting because sometimes you'll feel like you trust somebody else more than you would trust your own like Ken or family You know in there. Yeah, it's weird. I don't know why that is. I don't know if you grew up with them

We're familiar with them. Yeah, you want to branch out you like I can do this myself. Yeah, it's probably a silly What other like what was their traditions that you missed about Nigeria because I mean mean, it's to somebody, it sounds fascinating to a lot of people. You know, there's a lot of, see like even now Afro beats has taken over the globe with our sound. I think we created Afro beats and that's mainstream now. Dancers that we do the way that we dress, but again, I love my people, I love my culture. It's just the government, like the greedy motherfuckers, the old ancient dudes that are still running the country, still finding ways to just rip people off,

imbecile money, all that kind of stuff. It happens worldwide, but it happens really bad in Nigeria. And then they're just kind of selling the country to different entities and whatnot. But in time, the young generation, the guys now who have grown up with the internet, they're the ones who are seeing the bullshit and I guess changing it.

Yeah. UFC was saying that they might do their first start a fight center in Africa. That has to be, does that feel kind of cool to you? Do you feel any connection to that? 100% I feel humbly. Bro, that's crazy. Humbly, I feel like guys like myself, Kamaru and Francis,

even before Sokodjou paved the way for them to do that. And now Drickus Du Plessis, he's an African champion. I would never ever take that away from him, even though he tried to do that and now drickers to Plessy. He's an African champion I would never ever take that away from him even though he tried to do that from us But um, yeah, so we're paving the way for the next generation and I think I'm not even think I know said this once We grasp this MMA shit once we grasp it because I've seen the talent out there. I Don't look at me. I'm scrawny. I'm the I keep saying I'm the run of my people you look at guys like Kamaru and Francis

There's so many of them just walking around just rocking the streets bricklaying Mechanics, you see them. They just brawl like as fuck working at a pet shop. Could you honestly? Bunny you like man you you must out. You should be a fighter. But like, there's so many of them over there, and they don't even have the best nutrition. Sometimes they don't have the best of, you know, what we have. So it's going to change the game. And now that they can see that's happened, now there's four African champions that have come from the country

or the continent of Africa. Sorry. It's crazy. It's crazy. Exactly. Because the level of inspiration of like some kid lay and he sees the fight, he gets off of his brother's phone,

he's watching or something, and then he lays in his bed and the electricity in his body. I get the messages all the time. Fucking like, this could happen to me. Like something could happen to me. They see that we've done it. So it's like the four minute mile, we've unlocked that in your brain, it's possible.

Even me, when I told my parents I wanted to fight, they don't know. Yeah, we just left the country. Yeah, me, when I told my parents I wanted to fight, they were like, what the fuck, no, like. Yeah, we just left the country. Yeah, so it's like, why do you want to fight? No, no, no, no, because it was, my parents thought it was beneath me. They wanted me to do something that was more prestigious like being like my dad is an accountant or a lawyer

or a doctor, but my grades weren't, they weren't shit. You had fighter's grades. Yeah, you had fighter's grades. Yeah, I was that guy, so I was not cut out for that. Even though I wanted to- That's like Fourier, man. Yeah. He's like, I got eighth grade.

He's like, actually I did it twice though. So I was like, well, I guess that kinda counts. I did form three twice. Well, some classes I had to repeat. But again, that's it, I wasn't cut out for it. My brain was always just wired differently. Whenever, I might be dyslexic, I wasn't cut out for it. My brain was always just wired differently. Whenever, I might be dyslexic, I don't know. I've never really looked into diagnosing myself

with anything because I feel, I don't want it to limit me. So I just, but I know the way I read words sometimes, like it's, even when I read a book sometimes, I won't get the whole thing, so I have to go back and read. That's why I love audiobooks and podcasts so I can just listen and do other stuff. But reading is a little bit weird to me.

But yeah, I lost my train of thought. Who were just talking about the inspiration for the kids? I mean, just like the fact that some kid could like. Oh yeah, they wanted me to be something prestigious. But nah, I'm a dreamer. I'm a daydreamer. I could sit there and I still do emotes as a 34 year old. I'll just be at the gym and you'll see me emoting

while my head is somewhere else. Oh yeah, same man, I think sometimes yeah. I got late to the emote game I think somehow and a lot of the fucking shit's still dropping off sometimes. I'll just do make my own ones up and I, yeah. I'm a creative person and I feel like it's just how you express yourself. This game is this game of life it's a game of life it's dangerous game of life if you make it but feel like you can play the game how

you want to play the game this is your avatar this is your character you can customize this however you want regardless of what anyone else thinks you know as long as you're not hurting anyone unless it's signed on the contract but just doing you That's the best way New Zealand's kind of interesting like that. I think there's a lot of interesting characters here Oh, yeah, I'll take you down K road. It's just up the up the street somewhere cut a mean road Yes Over here we've seen some people you got a guy

It could be, it could be. Because there's some street over here, we've seen some people, you gotta go out and just go up like this. You can't tell if he's on like math or yoga. No, both, it's crazy on KRO. It's not too bad, like in the daytime, now you get some crazies, yeah, you get some. I've almost been, what was one?

A guy tried to stab me with a stapler. This is outside the Sky Tower. I finished, this was probably like six, seven years ago and he was getting cheeky or something. He said, stay here. Yeah, I heard you might leave. Yeah, try to stay with me. I was like, the fuck?

Like a state, first of all, you're homeless. Where'd you get a stapler from? Like what was he gonna do? Like hit me with a stapler, but yeah, people are crazy though. Yeah, drugs are making you do weird things. Yeah, I feel lucky. I mean, I went down that road, but I'm not down anymore. That's good.

Um, yeah, if they, well, what's interesting too, I think for Africa is say if they, um, if you start to get organized fighting in a place, right? And it's real organized. It almost takes the value off of the bullshit fighting people are doing for no reason You know I'm saying streets right it starts to be like I'm if you're a street fighter You almost feel like I'm dumb out here because that's where at least the you know

It starts to change where the focus of it is so I could see that being super helpful to like just curb a lot of that That type of violence and stuff that they have I think even even me It's been a long time since anyone has tried me in the streets because now I'm kind of Known but before that when I was only known in Auckland you get people who just you know, they drunk I'm drunk on the night out. They think oh this guy. Oh, yeah, you're tough guy. You're that kickboxer guy But I'm just like bro. I'm not gonna whip your ass for free. I get paid for this shit But I'm just like bro, I'm not gonna whip your ass for free. I get paid for this shit Yeah, I'm not nah, why would I ask for free like it's even now my knockouts in the UFC you get a bonus 50k

And I get paid crazy money to fight But I'm not what I do that for free and also if I if I hurt someone it's assault with a deadly weapon Because I'm a trained professional. So I don't want to put that's why I have to, people think I have security for me. No, it's for people, it's for the public. Cause sometimes people will try and get a reaction out of you and I'm a very patient guy as I've said, and sometimes no. Oh yeah. So I'm glad I have them to be like, right,

let's change the situation so that way I don't get in trouble for. Yeah, I've had a couple of instances where it's like I needed a security person because my perspective wasn't good. No, like people that have come up and to start filming you and they're fucking with you though. And they're trying to get a reaction, right? Yep. And I like, yeah, one time I like, I don't even wanna talk about it too much

cause then people are gonna start doing it more. But yeah, it was, I'm just glad. Yeah, I'm glad it just ended. Cause it could've got bad, cause then you get heated and next thing you know. Human being, you're a man, you got testosterone and the song tries to punk you, you're like, oh, the fuck are you?

Yeah. Allegedly, allegedly. Might've slapped a couple people. Yeah. Allegedly, cause, okay, example, I hate when they do this, man. Like I'm walking through a crowd and a guy just, let's go, champ. I don't know where, just slaps me on the back like four times. What the fuck, I was like, bro, it's kind of like when Will Smith did, he did that. He did it, what's it called, Chris Rock, not like that, but he did it to this reporter one time

where he backhanded him, like, cause the guy tried to, like, he was messing with him, tried to kiss him, he was like, what the fuck, man, like, you know, like. Some of this is a reaction, what are you gonna do? Yeah, I think, well, I mean, they say what, hit first, or if you get, what do you call it,

wait till you get hit, or if they fuck with you, but I'm like, nah, I'm not, like, Chosun, I can't let you get close. I can't let, once you break that barrier, that range, and you seem like a threat, I have to defend myself. Yeah, and your instincts are so tuned to that shit that you gotta trust your instincts as well. My friends don't scare me anymore.

It was funny at first, but they don't scare me anymore. Jump scares, cause I don't like them. Oh, you mean jumping out from behind a ship? No, when they try and scare me, I'm very quick. Oh yeah? Yeah, but luckily I'm controlled with what I do, but I can just turn around and pop. Yeah. Some kung fu shit.

I know. Oh shit, yeah. Yeah, watching you like it feels like you're watching like a fucking violent drawing or something, you know? Damn, I like that. Interesting. No, good attitude, dude. Violent drawing. You were at, you know? Damn, I like that. Interesting. Good address, dude. Violent drawing.

You were at, you know, the one, I think my first fight you ever saw was me versus Gastelum. Yup, it was amazing. I got to meet your brother. You guys walked by on the hallway. Yeah, that's right. And I got to meet David, man. And it was,

Was that when my face was all lumpy? Like a potato. Bro, that was an insane fight. Classic. One of the best fights in history of mankind. It was unbelievable. Yeah, that fight, I think, was, and then that was also Poirier and Holloway

were on that card. Oh yeah, they fuckin' set it up for the core main event. God. So then for us to have to do that, the main event. Wow. So cool. Yeah. If there's a fight in Africa, like the first first card is that something that you I'm come on is

Yes, definitely hundred percent. It should have happened a long time ago But again so many red tapes to get over dude. It would be like the thriller and Manila remember that. Yeah, bro I mean, it's good we're going Africa. Yeah People gonna be outside just Honestly, I already see I've seen it Yeah. Who by yeah. People gonna be outside fucking just. I mean, people can be inside. Honestly, I've seen it. I've seen this. I've said this many times,

but the shower is the most honest place on the planet. I feel, I can just be, I'm in my birthday suit and I have the element of water running over me. So it helps me just create all this white space and I can just go in my head and just create. And I've seen, I've predicted, I've manifested, I've made things happen in there that come to fruition and I've seen it so many times when I get to South Africa

or Morocco or Nigeria, wherever it is, the event is when I get there and my people see me, it's just, it's mob city, it becomes, it's like that when I went last month to Nigeria at the airport, there was just, it was insane. The police officer says the street thugs, the area boys were doing for one night like they all just Even the people like in the commas are fucking Now I love I love the love I get out there man. I love the love I get out the energy that would be crazy

Do you and would that probably be verse DDP for the belt you think? Drickers? Yeah, definitely There's some things that were meant to happen They summoned me they summoned me. I'm sure this is out there now. You just had some stuff But they summoned me they summoned me for 300 and I was like, yep, let's roll But their side didn't want it. So I was like, well, fucking, I'm just going to keep. Who, DDP side? Yeah, they didn't want it.

But you know, they just fought Strickland. So maybe he had a little bit of niggly injuries and stuff. But hey, we all got little, you know, niggles and whatnot. So yeah. But I've fought injured for the last how many fights. So that's why I took time off just to let my body heal. And it has healed. And yeah, I'm sure there'll be more injuries.

It just happens through training. Like what we do for work. I can't even imagine. It just constantly, there's always something, your finger, your toe, your back, your legs, or whatever it might be, your ankle. Yeah, I heard my neck go, it is looking for something. Yeah, out here?

Yeah, I was just kind of looking like that and I was like It is looking for something. Yeah. Yeah. Well out here. Yeah I was just kind of looking like that. I was like, oh fuck Something got me be like that man. Well, you're 43. I forget. Yeah, it's crazy. Man. You train at all. What do you do? Right? Yep, I do yoga. I'm nice about 12 miles a week. Yeah, I'm doing pretty good man Nice because on stage I want to be able to show as much as I can Made it. Yeah, it's real important, uh, because I like to move. And also, when you move, sometimes a new thought can come into your head because you hit a motion and that's what keeps me inspired.

That's all dancing. That's what, that's what happened. That's how you freestyle. Wow. Next movement, it just leads to the next movement and it can create new thought. That's beautiful the way you put that. I didn't realize it was like that for you as well. Yes, sometimes I'll be like, oh man,

if I just hit that and then it's almost like if you use your instrument, it will use you kind of in a way. And you know, sometimes I feel that. Like a sword. Yeah. What about like, yeah, Demetrius Johnson was talking about to beat DDP you would need,

you need to brush up on your ground game. Oh, for me? Yeah. Yeah, I got some. I got a little some. Do you prefer to fight guys where it's more like, cause some people like to fight up top, like Porre is like that, he likes to,

and it's fun to watch him there, you know? And some of the fight towards on the ground, honestly, respect 100%, but they can be a little less exciting. Yeah, especially for the fans, because they've been there since five hours, six hours, drinking, and they just like, God, stand them on ref. I enjoy grappling.

I enjoy it. I love it. But no one's being able to keep me in that position. That's the thing in how many UFC fighters, and people think, oh, he's about to get exposed in this fight. It's like, I'm the press him with no, Yon. But he didn't do anything. He just used his weight, he didn't try and finish me.

He didn't really try and beat me up to the last like eight seconds. But yeah, he just wanted to win the round. So he kept me there, he used his weight. And I wasn't really used to that at the time. So. It's a good point. Yeah, Costa couldn't catch.

Yeah, a lot of the guys, they can't catch you. So you can't say, hey, this guy doesn't like to go to the ground. It's like well if you can't get him the ground He shouldn't lay down there meet a guy down there. I'm not gonna butt scoot. Come on buddy I'm gonna get you know I'm great on the feet. So I like to keep the fight standing, but I do enjoy the clinch. I enjoy the clinch I enjoy I enjoy the ground as well, but in the gym it's different than in a fight and I'm getting more comfortable on the ground in the gym which makes me even better in the fight.

But yeah, just no one's being able to take me and keep me there to see anything. Yeah, yeah, that shouldn't be like, yeah, that's not a fault of yours. It's interesting, sometimes you'll just hear a lead, yeah, you'll hear a lead and you'll be like, yeah, that's right. Yeah, not as I mean, fake news. It happens all the time.

They just throw something out there. I hope it sticks and everyone latches onto it. And then that can just be clicks, views, attention that turns to money for them. Is that the same in New Zealand? You feel like, yeah, everywhere worldwide. Now everyone got these. So everyone just thinks like you people just run up on you, start filming. Like so I tried to get a randomly,

oh I was about to go fishing, so I was filling up the skis, and then a guy's waiting me and watching me, I was like, you wanna take a pic? Okay, let's get, step away from the gas pump, because this says no phone, we took a pic, and then he goes, oh hold on, hold on, hold on, no. So, I was like, what are you doing?

I'm not like a random pop-up interview. We think you are TMZ. I wonder what may, like in our society, I guess we just see that more, cause you see like younger people do it without even thinking that it's weird. Entitlement, it's entitlement. And I've had people even say like, oh, but you're famous.

I'm like, no, I'm an human being. Like, no, just cause, look, I've always said this fuck fame, but you're famous. I'm like, no, I'm a human being. Like, no. Yeah. Just cause, look, I've always said this, fuck fame, but I like the perks. If I had known what fame would have brought, I would have just rather been rich. You know, I only wanted to get famous so I could be rich.

So I can have money, so I can do whatever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to, the life I live right now. So, but the fame was not what I expected and I'm grateful for it, but at the same times, I had to learn how to adapt to the newfound fame when it came. Oh, it's heartbreaking, some of it. Yeah, wow.

I mean, people don't want to hear that. I know it's like people don't want to hear that. A party you disappears that you didn't even realize was about to leave and I didn't even get to write everything down that I knew about that guy. Yeah. And that's the shit that Sonaz makes me kind of bump like, I don't know, I'm not trying to sound like self pity or anything.

But there's a be vulnerable. Yeah, there's a cost to everything. You know, and there's a part of me. It's like, man, I don't even I wish I remembered a little bit more what I was like, because I really liked myself then. And then now it's like a different self. You almost have to learn about a new self. Yeah, you have to make peace with your new life.

Yes, that's the thing. Yeah, make peace with your new life. This is it now, this is my life now. I think I did that about two years ago, because okay, I used to love grocery shopping. I'd have my headphones in, and I'd just be blah, blah. Just listen to a podcast or music and chat. Macro or maybe? Yeah, you know, sliding listen to a podcast or music and chat. Mac or more maybe.

Yeah, you know, sliding around on the cart. That was fun. I don't do that anymore, you know, cause the grocery store, you know, you just get every step, go can I get a photo and then becomes a meet and greet and I'm like, no boundaries. I've had that before where people just around me

and my boy Matt was like, bro, you're just like a toy that pass around. Cause people were just like, oh, my turn, my turn, my turn. And some of them wouldn't even know anything about fighting. That's the worst. And then they just wanna. Who are you? My husband said something. Oh my God.

The worst is when, especially when bitches trying like, who are you? I'm like, it's all good. Don't worry about it. No, but like. Oh, that kills me. Who are you? And I'm like, baby, who are you? I don't know who you are either.

It's mutual. They do it on purpose to blow with you. But they think it does, but I'm like, bitch, I are you? I don't know who you are either. It's mutual. They do it on purpose to blow with you. But they think it does, but I'm like, bitch, I don't give a fuck. Like, who are you? I'm like, well, who are you? And I actually enjoy meeting people for the first time because it's rare for me these days.

So when I meet someone and they're like, oh, I'm sorry, I don't know you. It's okay, I'm Israel. What's your name? Oh, nice to meet you. And I can actually meet them without them having a preconceived notion of who they think I am from TV or YouTube or my promos or anything like that.

They can actually meet me from me, face value, right? So I enjoy that, but people think I, because of how they would be if they were in my position, they think I'm gonna be like, everybody knows me. No matter where I go, I still introduce myself. Cause it's just rude if you don't. It's weird when people don't. But no, I agree.

One of the things that I miss, I used to love meeting people. It was one of my favorite things to do. Cause it was like a brand new show. You got a new chance to feel a certain way with somebody. You could brighten their day. You could have, the world was, all the options were there. And then the fact that that's not the case sometimes now,

it's a blessing. I'm not saying that, but it is a bummer sometimes. Cause I miss that thing like, oh, here's a new space I get to play in. You could make things up, it was just fun. I love that. I said new people or new countries whenever I go there, I was just fun. I love that. I said, new people, or new countries whenever I go there. I was just in Switzerland.

And I met a couple of new people, but I was there for some work. And yeah, new culture, new food. Even the weather was muggy, but I loved it. I was like, I'm experiencing what it's like to be in Switzerland when it's cold. And I saw the sun out of three days. I saw the sun once. The guy who even brought me there was like, yeah, last time I saw the sun was

like two weeks ago. You know, it's different out there, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the the the vibe and just meeting new people. It's like this world's too big, man. Like we can't all just be in our own little bubble. Yeah, it's so important to get out, man. Even coming here was interesting coming to New Zealand's first time. Yeah Seeing what it's like. It's I had no idea what it's gonna be like. Yeah people are like, we don't have any y'all

We don't have any oh snakes, you know, yeah, we don't nothing dangerous. I'm not the not the not these kinds Well, there's some snakes in the streets. Oh like you don't have a fucking ozone layer either. Oh, my god You got here. How are you? Oh, like you don't have a fucking ozone layer either. Bro, my God. I'm telling you. When you got here, how black were you? I was black. I was black. Yeah, I swear. But because I've been here.

I think I just like, maybe light skin now, semi light skin. In two days, people are going to start calling me Nelly. No, but for me, I went fishing the other day. No, this is this one the other week. So I thought, you know what? I'm black, I'm protected by men, by God, amen ordained. But um, yeah, for me, I don't need sunblock, but I put on my tattoos just to kind of protect them. But then my skin started peeling the next

day, like my shoulders, because the life jacket was on me. So my shoulders were peeling my neck, my face. And I was like, what the fuck is this? And then someone told me, oh, your sunburn. And I was like, why? And I was like, Oh, that's right. Because was like, what the fuck is this? And then someone told me, oh, your sunburned. And I was like, what? And I was like, oh, that's right. Because in Nigeria, or in the continent of Africa, we have an ozone layer. They don't have that here. So when I get hit by the sun here, it's, yeah.

It's like, God's not even wearing a condom out here. Actress raw. It's like, my God. Raw dogging you, the sun is. It's unbelievable. It's really crazy. You're like. Have you been to any beaches here yet?

We're going to Maru to maybe Waikaku. Oh, Waikiki Island. Waikiki Island. Okay, you enjoy it there. There's some nice beaches there. Yeah, people are like, you gotta get out. We just got in. People are like, you gotta leave, you gotta get out.

You need to go to Higashima. It's just like everybody wants you to leave. It's like we just got here. There's some fun stuff in Auckland. Auckland's fun. I like the city because. Yeah, what makes you stay here? Cause you know.

My gym. Really? Definitely. My gym, 100% I would have been fucked off by now. Like gone. So I'm just gypsy and traveling around, but my gym keeps me here because they're my people and they're the ones that got me to where I'm at.

So that's loyalty. And yeah. That's huge. You got a great guys over there. Dan Hooker's there. Yeah. I love Dan. Is he cool guy? He's the best. He's the huge. You got a great guys over there. They have hookers there. Yeah, I love that. Is he cool guy? He's the best.

He's the best. Oh, he seems so entertaining. Yeah, he's he's an asshole, but he's the best. Carl France. Yeah. So many guys I'm sure that I don't know. I don't know a lot of the new ones coming up as well. Like Carlos is now in the UFC.

Kevin's in the UFC. Even Tyson Pedro's training with us now. Tyson will be coming tonight to see the show Yeah, so I can't wait for that. How was last night? I was the show was good. Yeah. Yeah, I thought it was good. It was kind of scary because you don't know You territory say yeah, and you don't know you you be telling a story like oh shit They don't have this business about the river. There's a relate. Yeah, so now you've gone six minutes into her story Yeah, I think give up be like a senior citizen about the reference. There's a relate. Yeah. So now you've gone six minutes in for a story. Yeah.

You just have to give up. You're like a senior citizen or something. I get the references sometimes when I, like maybe even Eddie Murphy, DeLarys, there was a few references I didn't understand when I watched it the first time. Cause I was like, I didn't, you know, I didn't live in America.

So I didn't know what he was talking about. But yeah, you get older. So you understand like, ah, yeah, that's that. That's that shit he was talking about. Have you ever looked back at your buttocks? That rear carriage, baby, that wagon and thought, Hey, I deserve better. If not, then you should this year introduce yourself and your behind to the best with Tommy John's, super soft soft underwear lounge wear and pajamas

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if not I would have been gone out of being gypsy and around but also my family's here. I got siblings in Australia as well. They had gypsy and around round, but I think that Jim keeps me here. And I like the fact that New Zealand's not too grandiose in a sense. Like Auckland's not so big where it's going to take me, unless it's traffic, it's going to take me like an hour and something to get across town, you know? Yeah, I don't like that. And Sydney or certain Australian territories, it takes you an hour and a half to go from here to here. I'm like That's enough for me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I think this is a it's a super unique place

I'll say this it's one of the most unique places that I've been I wish I was gonna get to travel around the country more I'm gonna come back and do it again in South Island next time. That's what everybody says Yeah, I wish I would have asked anybody. Yeah, South Island. But it's great though. Everybody's been super nice. It's interesting what people think of what life means here. It's kind of interesting.

It's a bit more compared to the maybe where you're from laid back. They don't take themselves as serious, you know? And I think it allows for a lot more peace probably in their own world. And a lot of individuality here. And that's one thing I could see, like, cause you were like a hyper individual, it seems like.

So I could see, it'd be like, oh, this makes sense. Why is this is a very- This what it cultivated me in a sense because I was trying to fit in, but I wasn't meant to fit in. I don't even sound like I'm from here. Because I was influenced by TV and all that kind of stuff. But individuality here, or individualism,

you still get that crabs in the bucket mentality. People would try and do that. Oh, people don't want you being fancy here. They don't want you getting braces here. Nah, man. It's like, hey, bro, don't you want to be the fucking mayor man? They want you to be, like, they'll try to support you.

I think it's worldwide, but it's a weird thing with Australia and New Zealand. I can't remember what the history is, but you downplaying your achievement. Yeah. A lot of humility. Yeah, but that's not real humility, though. That's bullshit. That's like saying, like, you don't want to seem bigger

than yourself. Like, if I know I'm the man, I'm going to say I'm the fucking man. Like, I know who I am because I'm treated, you know, wherever I go. But they don't like you saying that outwardly here because it's not humble. But I'm like, nah, that's not, that's being fake because I'm not really expressing how I feel. Like example, one of the national teams

will win something crazy. Like the World Cup or whatever, they get on the mic and it's like, oh yeah, no, we did all right. Yeah, we just want to thank the Lord Jesus for, I'm like, bro, say how you feel, say it with your chest. Like, fucking did it. Yeah, like, you know what, like, I want people to express, and I'm like, bro, say how you feel. Say it with your chest. Like, fucking did it. Yeah, like, you know what? Like, I want people to express.

And I've said this already. There was a viral video that went when I won this sports medal of the year in New Zealand Award. And I gave the speech and it went viral for a while. But it wasn't going to change the culture. But I'm just staying the fact. I was like, being humble is when Dan Hooker punches me in the face. That's real humility, right? Because then I have to address, like, being humble is when Dan Hooker punches me in the face.

That's real humility. Because then I have to address, OK, how do I deal with that? When Carlos kicks me in the leg, that's real humility. But me trying to be confident. Yeah, but me trying to be subservient to make other people feel better about themselves. Put it this way, even recently. It's interesting.

It's like you don't want to be serving it to your own spirit. Yeah. I don't. Because I do myself a disservice. Right. Yeah. So for me, even recently, I realized,

how do I put this without seeing it? Something pompous. I realized I've lived the peasant life, if you put it this way. I've, my last job was September 4th, 2013. Next day I moved to China. I planned for months to make that happen. I failed three times before it actually happened.

I've lived that life. I've lived for the weekend, all that kind of stuff. But then the bigger I got, I still fell into that trap where I didn't want to seem like I was too cool. You know? Oh yeah, I get afraid a lot of times of being proud of him. It's a weird thing, I'm almost being proud of yourself anyway. You should be.

You don't want people to know you're proud of yourself. Yeah, but I didn't want to seem like I'm too cool, so I still try and relate to the commoners, if you will. Like when I'm out, I'm at a bar on my side. Yeah, and I am normal. And you are, and you are. But I can still walk around the street, but I just know, I when I'm out, you know, I'm coming out of the ball on my side. Yeah, and I am normal. And you are, and you are. But I can still walk around the street, but I just know, I know I'm the shit,

but I know I ain't shit. That's like a good balance to have. It's always fluctuating. I know I'm the shit, and sometimes I ain't shit. So it's a good balance to have. I think it's a good balance for anybody. It is. And yeah, you're right.

I think the society here, maybe they have a different approach to some of that, but, and maybe some of that needs to evolve. You know, but yeah, I think it's okay to, you're just learning about your own spirit and how do I navigate this? No one gave me a book of being like, this is how you, now you're famous. Here's what you do.

Nah, even me sometimes, I might not be in the mood. I might be having a shit day the day my cat died I was having a really shit day and a guy at the gas station again was like oh my god bro bro hold up hold up bro at a son yeah bro can you talk my I'm like bro my cat just died this morning I don't really I'm not it is like oh good G I'm like and I'm bad and I was like give me the phone and then I grabbed the phone I was talking to him I was like, and I feel bad. And I was like, give me the phone. And then I grabbed the phone and I was talking to him. I was like, wait, hang on.

I'm pumping gas. Like fuck, go away. I was like, bro. And then I'm a bad guy forever. And then that's the only story they have about me. But again, I'm comfortable with that now. When people have a bad story about me, I'm like, they probably deserved it.

Because when people bring manners and respect, I reflect that back. And they get more out of me. I stick around with them. And even if I'm in a rush, I reflect that back. And they get more out of me. I stick around with them and even if I'm in a rush, I still try and make people feel seen. I still wanna make them feel like we connected. You know, just even for a brief moment,

like, bro, I'm not doing photos right now, I'm in a rush, but I love you, I love you, I love you. And I just move. But again, I'll try and connect with them and let them know, I really appreciate you. I think it's the best that you can do, man. I really do. I'm human. Yeah, I'll try and connect with them and let them know, I really appreciate you. I think it's the best that you can do, man. I really do. I'm human.

Yeah, I'm human. And it's a crazy thing that you don't learn how to be. And there's so many nice parts about it, but there's parts about it that are, especially nowadays with the viralness of things, you can't ever go back, you know? And so then it's, anyway, we're gonna start to sound like a couple of psychic back. We can't ever go back, you know, and so then it's um anyway, we're gonna start to sound like a couple

Talking about yeah, but it's interesting but the thing is it's relatable To you and me it's relatable because you you live this life as well And I don't get to talk about this with most people that's a good point man Like my friends they can understand cuz they see it, you know, but most people don't get it Yeah, they'll never get it because they're not in this position. Yeah, I've been afraid to like I've been afraid sometimes to get like like I have a nice home. You know, I've been afraid to like even go look sometimes like a real like fancy home or something or maybe they had a little bit more space or a garage or I could put two cars or something.

You know, like you can only put one in your garage now. Yeah, really? So I just like because I think there's a big part of me that humble. Well, it's like, I don't know who would I be yeah, I don't know how I Who I am if I'm in this if you have an extra space for the car. Yeah, I think it's like I just I know I it's So much of my life. I've been able to like Like manage what's going on and it's gotten a little bit tougher for sure over the past few years. But I'm like, if I had another element,

then will I even know? Like am I gonna get further away from like- No, you'll be fine. Myself, I guess. Knowing who you are, you'll be fine. You'll be able to handle having a nicer house. It's just, things are easier, you know? But money would have changed me,

if it was gonna change me, it would have changed me years ago. Probably about four years ago, it would have changed me, if it was gonna change me, it would have changed me years ago. Probably about four years ago, it would have changed me, if money was gonna change me. You get to a certain point when you make so many M's and you just like, it doesn't really matter cause you're already, as long as I can put a full tank of gas in, I don't even check the price of gas. I just put a full tank and that's when I know I'm good.

Like I'm good. Like I'm good. Cause I remember the days when I'd be like, yo, can I get $10 on number five please? Thank you. I remember those days. I did that. I was me, even $5, just $5 on number five please. Thank you very much.

Appreciate that. But now I could just go, fill, boom, I didn't even gotta go inside. I used my card. Bang, that's when I know I'm comfortable. And as long as I can do that, I'm good. Anything else is just bonuses. You know, it's just bonuses.

Like I said, I would rather be rich than famous, but I do appreciate the fame because it brought me this life. So I'm grateful. When you're a good entertainer and that's one of the interesting things to see too, it's like, it's a blessing and it's like, one of the cool things about being a good entertainer is sometimes God will even move this entertainer

along so more people can see him. You know, it's like I was interviewing this guy, Billy Strings a couple of weeks ago, this guitarist, and he grew up in Michigan, like in it, just like drugging, like big drug culture, like people all around him dying, you know, opioids, everything. And he has a big, a tough time with like people

coming to see him and paying tickets to see and stuff. And I was like, but dude, you don't know like the guy who's cleaning up after your show. He might be listening to your music that's making him keeping his fucking day. You know, it's like sometimes God uses all of us as like candles, I feel like it's. Well vessels, we can all be used at any moment.

Any given moment. I felt that. You need another water? I'm good for now. I'm good for now. Yeah. Now you're a guy, you're great on the mic. So you've definitely been a vessel, you know, at times. Yeah. I think that was how I actually became a fan of you. Wasn't just your comedy. It was, it was, it was one clip.

If you probably scroll up to our first conversation, I would, I would have sent it to you. It was something of you being vulnerable on the mic. And I think you even got teary and I was just, I related to what you said and I was just like, and that's when I DM'd you and I was like, oh, this guy follows me so I followed you back and then talk like, bro, I really appreciate you

being this vulnerable. I can't remember what it was, but I felt that. I felt that. I think even Burke Christ, the same thing, he was talking to Tom and talking about His daughters and something how he feels like he's not doing enough and what yeah, and I was just like that shit hits me bro I'm a softy man. Oh, yeah, I'm a softy. I'm like I'm hard as fuck cuz look what I did for a job. I am a softy like my heart strings sometimes some something would just hit me

I'm a softy, like, oh, my heart's strange. Sometimes something will just hit me and I'm just like, yeah. Oh, I see two people hug at an airport and I just start fucking. Oh, you know, yeah. Or somebody waiting with flowers for somebody to come. I'm like, oh. Yeah, they're fucking.

Those moments, man, yeah. I'm crying in the handicaps. All of the people are like, what's going on? No, it's interesting, man. Well, I don't think I started to evolve. Like I got into recovery from drugs and alcohol like probably six years ago. And that's when I started for the first time in my life.

Before that, I'd been kind of a- Was it bad, bad? It wasn't crazy bad, but it was getting like a little bit. You were just living your life. Yeah, but it was like, I didn't, I wanted to have some cocaine sometimes. So I got afraid to have a beer because I was worried I would have cocaine.

One leads to the other. Yeah. And I never had a drinking problem, but I was just, if I do have a beer, then if somebody has cocaine, I'm done. Yeah. Even me right now, like, so I lost my license because of this DUI.

Oh, you had a DUI? Yeah, I know. First one. But it was a silly mistake. I had dinner, two cocktails. It's out now. But then there was some reports. I couldn't speak about it then because there was still It's out now. But then there was some reports.

I couldn't speak about it then because there was still an ongoing court case, but then there was reports coming out saying he was two times over the legal limit and all this. And it's no excuse. I just, if I'm going to go out, out, yeah, I have people to drive for me. But this was just dinner, two cocktails. So I was.07 over the legal limit. And everyone else that they've had this and they've had their licensee,

they were like, how come you weren't in court? All I got was a fine and they did, and I'm like, yeah, but you're not me. This New Zealand media finally got me, so they wanted to, they wanted to parade him, but I handled it well. And shout out to the judge for being kind and thoughtful and could see this is just a silly mistake

that this guy can learn from. He's done more good than, and this is just a silly mistake that this guy can learn from. He's done more good than and this doesn't take away from that. So I'm grateful for that. But even me at the moment, I haven't drank since fuck last year. Oh, really? Yeah. I just look, I went, I had this procedure done with stem cells last year. And then I was like, you know what? I want my body to heal properly. So I just kind of stained. Yeah, keep all the negative toxins out.

Exactly. And I started, I have one of my boys who's a chef for 13 years, he works for me now. He, fuck, every day I eat is a culinary experience. One of the best investments I've made in the last four years. Really? I love it. Oh my God, fuck buying all that kind of shit.

Like get a chef. It's the best. If you love food and you can afford it, get a chef. Holy shit. It's the best. Every day is a case of ideas and everything. His phrase, I can cook anything. Oh my God.

He can cook anything. So for me, I would have something. I would have bought a fish at night. I think we're going to have horse maybe sometime in two weeks. I want to try some horse tacos. Bro, they got reindeer in damn Sweden. Yeah, I was in a restaurant They pull up with the fucking our dear bro. I live in China. I didn't question too many things I ate there, but I ate some things I eat some I know I've eaten donkey. I don't have dog a cat. I can't remember. I've eaten pigeons In alligator. Oh yeah.

My buddy just got a read on some penguin meat. Ooh, damn, penguin. What would that be like? Cause it's fluffy feathers and then it's, I guess, insulation and then meat. Would it be lean? Nah, they're fat, they're fat, they're blubber. They'd be a little bit of marbling.

Yeah, quite nice. They're quite nice. Kind of a marble chicken. Yeah, ooh, it's a bird. Yeah, it might be a marble chicken, like a steak chicken. Yeah. Or do you have to cook it medium rare, or do you have to cook it all the way through?

I don't know, I hope it's headless though. The head looks too cute. That's the thing, I think their PR is so cute. You're like, happy feet. Yeah, yeah, you're like, damn, people. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, happy feet. Yeah, they're the damn French Bulldogs of the North, you know?

Actual. They kind of look like them without the face. Yes, and maybe, I don't know, but I got to email them back. So when you do look at, like, so you've had some time off and stuff, when you, was it, like, did you want to recalibrate what you, because you've gotten to achieve your dreams, right? And there's something. Over and over and over and over again.

Yeah, like, I mean, it's unprecedented, you know, like you've mastered what you set out to do. So then it's interesting, because now you're a master who is, who's already achieved everything you can achieve. In the game, but there's still more that I want to do for myself. Right, that's one, right?

I guess I'm wondering like, how does that, how do you start to separate those two? And what is that even, you know, like? I haven't mastered the game yet. I'm still learning every day. Even right now, we're working again on my jab, because I'm changing it up now, because there's so much footage on me,

people can watch the smart coaches and they can kind of game plan. Like my question mark was fucking everyone up early on. Got to like maybe after the rubber whittaker fight maybe the Romero fight no cost to fight actually cost to avoid it that what he he didn't fall he fell for a different kick but um so from that fight people kind of like know the question marks coming so they're all scared of it my jab was vicious it still is but i'm just bringing it back i'm tuning tuning it up again. So it's constant evolution, constant learning every time. And my grappling as well, I want to show it off.

I do want to show it off in the cage. I did a little bit in my fight with Alex in New York, a little bit, but um. You want to more. You want to. So you still got things you want to do. Fuck yeah. Oh wow.

Fuck the belt and all that. It's more about highlights. Yeah. For me, I'm a highlight guy. Yeah, I know. That's what's interesting. It's like, that's what I was wondering. I was like, does he miss some of the trash talking

and just the fucking, you know, like when it's raw, when it's honest, yeah, like me and Costa, it was good because I didn't like the guy. He didn't like me. There are chinos. Is that his name? Boa, China. Boa, I didn't.

Boa, China. Whatever. He, yeah. So again, like he's a guy that when I fought him, and again, I had a lackluster performance against Romero because he didn't want to engage. So people were like, oh, fuck him. And it was, I have the most exciting title fight

in history and the most boring title fight in history. I do it all. But after that fight, people were talking shit like, oh, this and that, right, right, right. He's a boring fighter and it's weird. I see it now, they just forget, they forget. And I'm like, I gave you so much classics. So quick people forget, man.

Yeah, but then for me, when that fight came about, I didn't like him and he reminded me of every joker I have. Oh yeah, right, he's saying that in the dark. He was very, you know, good looking. Oh yeah. just very muscular. Conditioner. Yeah, oh, bro, they got, and he was talking so much to everyone,

and then the streets was like, he went three rounds with Romero. He went three rounds with Romero, like yeah, I went five rounds with Romero, and he's like, boy, you didn't do shit. Fuck you, I can't watch this, watch this. So when I fought him, I remember, I just, I was dialed in, bro.

I was dialed in. I remember watching that. After the show, we went to a bar, I was dialed in, bro. I was dialed in. I remember watching that. After the show, we went to a bar, I think we were in Indiana somewhere. We were in the Apex, oh not the Apex, I'm the fight island, that was the fight island. And yeah, I took him out, I took him for a ride. I took him for duty as well.

Nah, he didn't touch me once, apart from in the leg. He's looking at you, too. I did. I'm seeing that. Yeah, and he just approved 100%. Well, it's also in some cultures, it's more. It's dominance.

It's more appropriate too. Yeah, but I mean, like for me, I just felt it was the most dominant thing I could do to him because he was in that position. Yeah, in Brazil, being engaged is like two guys dancing. Yeah, or just dancing. High five, you know. Oh, so that was high fives that'll last a long time.

Look at the technique, look at the squat on the man. Oh, that's crazy. Man. You're still in there. Raw dog, damn. It was good. Oh, it's like a heartbreak. It was a good time.

I enjoyed it. No regrets. What did you think of his fight with Whitaker? It's a good fight. I liked it. I liked his jab in that fight. I was like, OK, he came back. But man, that earned him the first round

when you rocked him with the wheel kick. Yeah. Woo, did not expect that. And then, again, at the him the first round. When you rocked him with the wheel kick, yeah, who did not expect that. And then again, at the end of the round, so he got saved by the bell, came back, and Whitaker just outguts them. He just outguts them. I thought it was close.

I thought maybe Costa might have won. I felt he might have won. But then when he gave it to Whitaker, I was like, huh, okay, well, it wasn't a robbery, but I thought Costa probably had it. But yeah, he was good. He looked good in that fight. He's he wasn't the same after this Everyone keeps telling me that you ruin that man. Really you think that? Ah I don't think after that fight. He wasn't the same. He was on a run. He had this

I'll tell you this you look at the fight look at the first round the way he looked at me and they look at the second round when he's like You look at the first round the way he looked at me and they look at the second round when he's like Like you see his face the demeanor changed. I love those moments you take this solo way You just know like this guy knows he doesn't want to be locked in here with me And it's like during a video game, but their controllers gone. Yeah, bad dream for him bad dream for him So it's like yeah, I like that moment that moment. But yeah, I like the guy. He's funny. I think he's entertainer. He's got a Twitter.

He's got a secret juice and all that. It's fun. There's so many. That's one of the things I was wondering, do you miss sometimes, just in the past year, being an offer? So like, do you miss some of the entertainment? Like, because there's been a lot of great,

like the trash talking and everything is that kind of like, you know, like, like Strickland's so ridiculous. Like him and MGK arguing like that shit is, it's hilarious though. Do you laugh at some of it? Like, it's just so- I didn't really pay attention to it. I was like, oh, Strickland, I mean, Strickland,

you put them in public, it's a different story. Yeah. Yeah, he's always got something to say, man. Yeah. Is that a fight that you feel like you wanna go, like- Oh, 100. Yeah. Yeah, he's always got something to say man. Yeah. Um Is that a fight that you feel like you want to go like 100% yeah 100% come on man. I don't know I don't know what like if guys get like um, that's it. They like I care about going in bit revisiting that not because of the fight But just because you care not care So for me when Pereira beat me he beat me the first time I went to Brazil he beat me knocked me out

So for me, when Pereira beat me, he beat me the first time. I went to Brazil, he beat me, knocked me out. And I didn't chase it. I was like, you know what, I'm done with kickboxing. And then he said he got motivated cause he saw me talking about him and then decided I'm gonna go MMA and chase this guy. And he did. And then got to the UFC, they fast tracked them.

He got to me. They did fast track him. Yeah, I mean, it is what it is. I don't blame them. It was a fuck, look at what we have now. We have classics. So he beat me in almost similar fashion in the way I was beating his ass.

And then in the last round, he just had that spirit and just something behind him, some kind of shini gami. He just came and just beat me. And I was just like, fuck, again, how is this guy? And then I let it go and then I just knew this is the last one, like after this, I'm done with this guy, but I have to get him now. I have to get him now.

And in that moment when I got it done, I got it done, it took me six years. And then I went after his kids too. I was like, yeah, where you at? Cause I'm a petty motherfucker. Sometimes you wanna, you know, just let the lineage know what's up? Of course not, like cause- Cause you don't want their kid fighting your kid at school or something. Yeah, nah. Sometimes you want to just let the lineage know what's up? Of course not.

Because you don't want their kid fighting your kid at school or something. Yeah, I won't even go to the same school. But the fact is, I have to teach these kids a lesson because of what they did prior. And this took me what, six years to accomplish. It was trickling. They wouldn't take me that long.

Let me just get through DDP first. Let me handle it. I look to the next fight. Never. I look ahead like a little peak at the future, but I don't try and focus on it. And I just know the Strickland fight will come back around. And I'm in a good place now, health-wise, mentally. And I know exactly what happened in that fight

that just wasn't for me. He's a great fighter. He's also a good champion. What a reign. I mean, he did what he did. Strictly? Yeah. But I mean, like he did what he did.

Everybody can beat me up, so I should laugh at him. No, but I mean, like he did what he did. Look, even the way he beat me, it was spectacular. It was his moment. It was his moment. Like, you know, like sometimes Dave Chappelle said something in this Dreamer special. He said, oh, how did he put it?

Hold up, I got, I haven't saved here. I have did he put it? Hold up, I have it saved here. I have it saved here. Give me two seconds, I'll play it right now. In five, four, three, two, one. And that's the trick to life. You have to be wise enough to know when you were living in your dream and you have to be wise enough to know when you were living in your dream. And you have to be humble enough to accept when you are in someone else's.

They said that in his new special, I think, Dreamer. And I felt that. And I was like, yeah, because look, life is a game. I would use this inocle of player one and even people sometimes think, oh, he's so narcissistic, he thinks he's player one. I'm like, don't you? Are you a bot?

Like, everyone can grab the controller and play the fucking game, but most people don't. Most people, I'm sure you see it, most people just go through life just on the programming. They just go with the flow, whatever. It. They just go with the flow, whatever. It's good to go with the flow, but whose flow are you going with? Oh yeah.

So for me, I had to like pause and question everything. And I realized that was his night. That was his night. He was just, he just fought the perfect fight. No matter what, I made no excuses. I gave it to him, but again, like I say, I'm a patient motherfucker. I take my time, I gave it to him. But again, like I say, I'm a patient motherfucker. I take my time, I reassess, and yeah,

I go for what I want, you know? Yeah. But you still feel a real fire for it. Oh yeah, of course, yeah. I mean, even the way, look, I had bars ready, but I just, the way he reacted when DDP mentioned some of his stuff, his trauma, I was like, ah, yeah, that let me know something.

Again, even, look, that moment you guys had was beautiful. I'll say that, that was beautiful. I'd never seen him like that. After the fight, he's crying because he's so in, like, what the fuck, I just, I clocked it. And I was like, as a jerk, I was like, hey, you're crying like a bitch. He kind of laughed, I was like, come here, coming in whatever but then when it was talking with you and then you guys kind of go really vulnerable

I was like man no kitchen after you know go through that. Yeah, it's heartbreaking. Yeah, it was heartbreaking to even see that But again look I'm a human being I can connect with people on the human level, but doesn't mean I'm not gonna get you Look, I even said this about silver look just cuz I'm a fan doesn't mean I'm not gonna get you. I'm not gonna die. Look, I even said this about Silva. Look, just cause I'm a fan, doesn't mean you can't catch these hands. You know, Silva was my Michael Jordan of this fucking game.

And I was just like, I thought I would never fight him. And then the opportunity presented itself. And I was just, I had this trip planned for Amsterdam, France, all this kind of stuff. And then the opportunity came and I was just thinking, like, I gotta do it. I have to do it. And I did it.

And it was a beautiful fight, beautiful wait. So like, I wish he stopped after that. I wish maybe he moved to boxing after that. Cause even he said to me in the case, like I passed the baton to you. And then I just kind of like blessed me all these words and I'm there like, like just cry, you know, for me.

Cause that was never meant to happen. Oh, fuck it was never meant to happen, but it happened. And I even have it framed in my house. We're fighting on this chess piece, like a chess board. Cause that's what the fight was. And I hit him with that Rock Lee stance from Naruto and he's standing there like Garra. It just looks so cool.

Like that fight was electric. It was beautiful. Just a masterful way to play the game from two Tidruzu masters, if you will. Yeah, there's a composer element to you that I think is really interesting because it's like, and that's why I wonder about like, yeah, does he still love, like what does he want to do with fighting just because there's just

a lot of options in life yeah and sometimes creativity can you know flow and just you know you can decide like I've you know what I want to fucking you know be an actor do I want to you know I'll act I've already like turned on a few roles a few high-profile roles because I wanted to make sure I focused on fighting. That's the one thing I wanted to focus on was fighting. I don't ever want to get sidetracked and look at something else. Yeah, because I know what I can focus on.

And then if I do, then things can get squirrely. So I'd rather not, but I'm... Yeah dude, if you were like a fighter pilot or something. You're so sick. Or if you were like in a war, like in a war movie. Yeah, but I won't say it, I won't say it. I'll say it after this. But yeah, I'm definitely gonna have,

I already got ties in Hollywood, like people wanna work with me, which is cool. And I do my own stunts. I mean, save money. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? See, I like what you're thinking. Yeah, save money. I do my own stunts.

You don't have to get a stunt double. But also, I'll have my own production company, and I will, like, maybe make some characters, like some anime, or just have weird ideas, bro. Like, sometimes, I don't know how to write a screenplay, but I'll get someone who can. I can just vomit words at them, and they can just put it in a way that's digestible for

TV or Netflix or, you know, a crunchy role or whatever. Yes, stylebender studios. I mean, stylebender is such a great. It's like the greatest moniker, honestly, in a lot of way, because there's just so many. You don't even know what it is, but you know what it is. Yeah, I got it from even to just drop the live action, the Avatar series, the last airbender just dropped yesterday. Oh, yes, I'm going to watch it tonight.

But for me, when I was watching that, I love that show. I grew up on that show. So for me, I got the name because I felt in this realm, I want to master all the elements of martial arts and realize my destiny as the Avatar. And I felt like I was the one. So I have, and I'm still doing it. And now, you know, the middleweight division needs me again.

So it's all about the story you're telling yourself. That signal. Yeah, exactly. What story are you telling yourself? This is the life we live and most people don't. They just kind of go with the flow. You're so true. And cause that shapes your perspective.

And then you're, that's the huge ingredient that I think so many people that have that I didn't realize for years. Yeah. Is that perspective? Cause. Even me now at six months without driving, I'm like, oh well, I'm saving gas for six months.

And then while I'm not driving, I'm busy doing other shit, making shit happen. So I just flip it around in my head so that way it's more tolerable. Was it when you got to walk out with like Fury, what was that fight you guys walked out with? Oh, in Ghanu, yeah, aw, bro. What was that like, bro?

It was like three kings back together kind of. That was beautiful, that was a moment. I'll tell you one thing, I'm very laid back, like contrary to popular belief, I'm very laid back, but for me, I wish I dressed a little nicer for that walkout. It still look good, we still had our moment, but like I kind of wore, it's a chic, like low key, like,

just it was too low key for the moment, the look. There's other outfits I've worn that I'm like, I could have still worn my slides and like have that moment, like it was beautiful, like, you know, three kings, but regardless, we just looked epic walking together. And Francis, just the doneness that he is, just his story itself is bananas.

Like if you know his history, you've listened to it on JRE and whatnot. The way he's come up now and now he's doing this, when people said he wouldn't do this. Making crazy money, crazy money. So I'm happy for him, even Mike Tyson right there. It was a moment, bro. It was a moment for, just for history.

I love that. These are moments for life. I would It was a moment, bro. It was a moment for just for history. I love that. These are moments for life. I would never forget these moments, man. Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, it just, it's almost like you could never even understand what's going on. You know, yeah, that's so cool. See, Kamaru was dressed with that.

I kind of had a similar outfit that I was in mind, but then I was like, nah, it's his moment, Francis. So I kind of wanted to chill. I think that was fair. You pay homage to him, you're like, I'm like, nah, it's his moment, Francis. So I kind of wanted to chill. I think that was fair. You pay homage to him, you're like, I'm gonna dress down. This is about looking at him.

Yeah, but then I still think like, for moments like that, next time, Israel, don't be so, again, another moment where I was like, I shied away from shining. But again, regardless if I was dressed with a fucking headdress or whatever, he would have shined in that moment, because it's his moment.

So I just wanted to make it about him. That's why, this like fights like this do you get tempted when you see these guys fighting like Jake Paul's mom and stuff like that like fighting like Kid Leroy or whatever like there's always a shit on Like the the boxers that everyone wants to box now. Yeah, there's always like a care bear fighting Like sneak over something like every week there's somebody's like fighting drawing of somebody's grandparents. It's good for the sport. I think it's good for boxing because look, look what it's done for. But also shot to his X and I see Turkey, the guy that organized all this. He has

lit a fire in the combat sports world. In a sense that bra, they've been sitting on how much money of oil money, like just crazy amounts, just disposable income, like cost and even the ad, there was an ad for, I don't know what's that called, Fury and Usik and they had all these mainstream Hollywood actors and actresses in it. And I'm like,

cause they just have the money, huh? Just here, but that's good for the game. Cause now they forced Vegas, you know, everywhere else to like raise the bar. So it's good. Composition is good. Yeah, this ad insane. Look at the production.

And this is an ad for a boxing fight. Wow. Yeah. And they pulled out, but you know, the fight will still happen later in the year. I think they've rescheduled, but like this is that Clint Eastwood. Yeah That's what I'm saying Jesus for an advert and he's not cheap. No, no for that not for acting but um Yeah, wow, so you're saying that they have all this money like it like it's just like they're doing with live golf Where they're like, yeah, so that they bought that as well.

So for me, I've been invited now three times to Saudi Arabia and each time I went back, it just felt like it was more, they were doing more with the next seven years, eight years is going to be bigger than Dubai, I think, or like the UAE or match them for like tourism. Because now they just even lifted the alcohol ban. They had, yeah, they had, I think it was in the last year or this year they lifted the alcohol ban. You can drink there now.

Now, I haven't been back since you can, but apparently you can. That's gonna change everything. It will, it will invite more people through and then there's more buildings going up every time I go over there. So yeah. Are you impressed by it over there?

Fuck yeah, I am very impressed. Also one thing I'm the culture. I like the culture over there. They've preserved their culture still even as the the landscape moves into the 21st century. A little bit more and vice the world into the even in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They still you see the cultures heavily present there and I respect that. I love seeing that when you go to a place. So it's not too I guess

Westernized, you know, like I agree make that McDonald's or whatever or that kind of stuff You still see Essences of their culture everywhere, which is good and I feel like over there. They've done that heavily In 70 Saudi Arabia to our first alcohol sales in 70 years dividing opinion Yeah, I'm in on it a little bit the news that Saudi Arabia will allow Go down a little the news that Saudi Arabia will allow its first alcohol shop has citizens and foreigners alike Mulling one question. Is this a minor policy tweak or a major upheaval? Sources familiar with the preparations for the store just closed details of the plan on Wednesday

Located in the capital's diplomatic quarter the store. It looks like one store will be accessible only to non-Muslim diplomats. What's a diplomat? That's, that's, that's I don't know, I'm not really political enough to know what that is. But all it takes is one. That's a Trojan horse. I mean, kind of like in medical marijuana.

That was the gateway. Now, now it's going to be a bunch of people just doing fireball on camels. I love fireballs. I was doing fireball. What's your drink of choice when you drink? When I drank, I liked beer, I think. And I like sometimes like a dang, like a pina colada

or sometimes like a Captain Morgan and Coke. Like some. I'm a sweet tooth guy, but my standard is bourbon and Coke. But I like a sweet cocktail. I love a sweet cocktail. It's just, look, Bear, my dad used to distribute goodness all over West Africa when I was a kid. What do you mean he would distribute?

Like he was part of a group that would, so he helped. Trucks, trucks all over West Africa. Wow. Yeah, cargos. And we had so much in the house. And one time I was like, maybe six or seven, I was like, can I taste that? He's like, yeah, cargoes. And we had so much in the house. And one time I was like, maybe six or seven, I was like, can I taste that? He's like, yeah, sure.

I mean, I had to taste something. And I did not touch alcohol from that point till one time. I think I was 18, maybe a little bit heartbroken, and then hanging out with my boys. And you know, I just have, I found Woodstock, Brebern and Coke. And then when I first got drunk, it was at this park with my boys,

I realized why, this is why that girl outside the party's crying, this is why that guy wants to fight everyone, this is why that guy wants to, cause it opened my eyes to understand what being drunk was like, but yeah. It's so interesting, man, cause one thing that's interesting, I think about you, man, and this is a judgment,

but you are yourself, but you also are able to watch yourself be yourself. And some people, it's something that we all need more of. Self-awareness. We have to find ways to get it, because I think it used to be the crux of a human being. Like, you had a relationship with yourself that was evolving constantly.

Like, you know, a lot of the greats, like Marcus Aurelius and stuff, not only would they learn something, but then they would sit there with what they learned and develop a relationship with it. You know, like, what have I learned here? What does this mean to me? What am I getting from this?

What is this serving me? Do I need to let go of this? Right. I'm constantly questioning even things that I've been told. I think, I think just living life and, okay, example, when I was young, Sunday school, I remember, you know, you learned about God made the world in seven days

and this and that, right? I don't believe, yeah. For me, I remember asking the question to my Sunday school teacher, was like, if God made the world, who made God? And then, no answer. Just kind of like, what?

And then I asked my parents, asked the housemaids, my aunties. And then eventually, one of my aunties was like, if you keep asking that question, you go mad. And then I kind of thought like, he's been there, I don't think they understand. I don't think he's more focused on the stand was really going on.

So it made me question, you know, what they tell me and over time through life, I've had moments when I've done stuff and I'm just like, why did I do that? Why did I feel that way? And then again, I call it like, you identified a monster that you can kill it. So once I identify the feeling of, you know,

maybe envy or anger or sadness, I'm like, why am I feeling this way? And I can backwards engineer it or something. So go go into that a little bit because I think that's important, man, because I think a lot of people deal with that. So say if somebody's kind of going through that, like what, like, what kind of process are you kind of talking about? Okay.

So example, if, um, say, okay, it's, it takes a skill to be happy for someone. And I've noticed this because when I was younger and growing up in NZ, the culture kind of caught me a little bit where if someone's doing well, you know, it might, it might look like, ah, cause I noticed myself, one of my friends, old friend, I noticed myself like distancing myself away from him because he was doing so well.

And then I realized I was like, wait, hang on. So I had to kind of, cause I was like, this my boy. I was like, why am I feeling this way? Why am I feeling like I'm jealous of him when he's not doing anything to me? And I've seen people do it to me as well. The bigger I got, it kept on getting people will start, oh, it must be nice type, type shit, you know? Like, oh, and then you see them start to me as well. The bigger I got, it kept on getting people who start, oh, must be nice type shit, you know?

Yeah. Like, oh, and then you see them start to treat me differently. So for me, I noticed myself starting to treat him differently and distance myself from him. So I pulled the brakes, sat with it for a few weeks, probably, and just kind of identified, like, why I should be happy for him? And it takes a skill to learn that,

and then becomes your second nature over time once he becomes like reps, reps, reps, reps. Because to learn to be a hater was just natural in the environment I was in. So I had to learn, nah, that's not the way I want to be. So you can unlearn behaviors as well. Even as I get older, things, things, even women, I have to unlearn certain behaviors

and be like, okay, yeah, you have to know, like this is maybe approaching the being more honest or be more communicative and all that kind of stuff you have to unlearn unlearn and constantly learn new ways of being um when you uh When you look at the ufc today like who really kind of um Excites you like other guys you're like, oh, this is fun. I like this storyline like um Are you able to get a different look at it, being away from it a little bit? Like, do you have?

Yeah. Thing is, before the UFC, I watched everything. I would watch all the embeddeds, all the countdowns, all the shows they have on the UFC websites. I would watch everything, but then, even when I was in it I was watching everything but then over time I'm starting to understand sometimes the way maybe Nate and Nick Diaz feel because you've you've done so much for this game you've put so much

in this game and then you still feel sometimes disrespected and then you're just like man fuck this shit like fuck this game but I've because I don't remember the last time I watched the countdown and I remember the last time I watched I don't even watch the embeddits anymore. I've kind of like It's played out to me in a way But I was watching it when I was coming up and that helped me a lot because when I got to the UFC it was a I just knew what to expect. I was like, oh, yeah, I've seen this before. Oh, I see Yeah, because at that point, you're also surveying the stage so you know, I know where the camera's here,

I know where to look up right there. This is why I have these moments, man. This people think it's all like. Not a chance. Nah, I have these moments because again, the shower, I operate there, not just no. Example, the speech I get after I knock down Alex, I remember being in the shower,

visualizing, winning in Miami and just like, because I put myself, I immersed myself because of my imagination in that moment. And I remember feeling so happy. And in that moment, I was just like, I just, fuck, I just want everyone to feel how happy I am. And that's all I wanted to say. And then the rest came vessel. I was just like, blah, blah, blah, blah.

And I just said what I said and people fuck with it. And it became this moment and I'm glad I became that moment because people still to this day, there's that man, you made me feel so happy. I remember that speech and this and that. And when I speak from the heart, I feel it hits people. Cause I'm trying to connect.

We're all human beings no matter what. When you speak from the heart, I feel it hits people because I'm trying to connect. We're all human beings, no matter what. When you speak from the heart, I can touch people. I don't know if it's, my mom says it's a gift, but my mom's supposed to say that. But, I, I, I, I, with reps even one of my my boys is uh I was one I was a groomsman at this wedding. I didn't write shit for the speech I just spoke from the heart and I was like man. I killed that shit

and Yeah, it's you know, it's a skill in a way, but at the same time might be a gift But who knows we're all gifted Practice with it. You got in practice over years after fights after tight fights in China I just said whatever I wanted 40 reps of it even watch I'm gonna go back man That's the thing I cuz people actually they like they make a joke of it not my time in China But I'm grateful for those times man like China

man Adventures Like unicycles and stuff? Like what are you talking about? Talking like adventures. Fuck, I don't, this is a worldwide internet thing. But adventures, like say, just after fight. Okay, so me and my teammates, Blood Diamond,

we kind of had each other's back in China. He's a Zimbabwean guy. And so we'd be living, at one point we were in Henan province, Zhengzhou, and we were just outside the city at this camp. That was our base. After a fight, we'll come back to the camp, you know, wherever we are. I traveled so many places in China,

some places I can't even pronounce, I don't even know, I forgot. I'd go straight from the hotel, fight, fight, hotel airport, fight hotel airport. But then we'll get back to our base and then we'll take a weekend away just to go to the city, which is like 40, 30 minute drive. Boom, get a hotel, go out there and they they like foreigners in their clubs because it looks like the club is more popping. So we just get given free boost black label, Johnny Walker, you know, sit down and have a time. Some things I can never say on the camera,

but we had some good fun in China. Oh, the hotels over there, the, the, the, the, ooh, the massages, all that. It was, it was a good time. But I, again, I fought, I was there for maybe 10 months I fought about 24 25 times one of those months I fought Every weekend to have four fights that month and I had two knockouts But I was fighting constantly and it just elevated me because it's reps. I'm fighting

You know, I'm training with these guys and they spot hard over there the Chinese you ever leave They spot hard and sometimes, well back then, they were still in the mindset like to train your chin, you have to... So it did stand in. Yeah, which is not really the smartest thing. Well, the Russians do... What's that clip with?

Do you have that clip with the Russian? Have you seen this kind of stuff? Yeah, the Russians. It's like a... Sambo? Yeah, it's like instead of fiber, they use this thing. Oh, no, it's gonna hurt himself

No, oh, what the fuck what in the Kamasutra? Punishment that's gotta be punishment that's torture now. This is training for this is what it makes them stronger They're trying to separate the man from self. Jesus, it kind of looks fun. Well, at the same time, shadow anymore. Rip the solar plot. Wait, what is that training for? I need to know the Russian fitness training method.

Pravelo is still used in mini boxing gyms today to increase strength and punching power. Can you look it up to. I'm okay. I'm trying to even see what the physics is. How would you so? Why do you have to restrain yourself? I don't understand. to increase strength and punching power. Can you look it up too? Okay, I'm trying to even see what the physics is. How would you, so one, do you have to restrain yourself? I don't understand.

Well, I guess if you let yourself sag, if you have to pull on all the ropes and like hold your core. Yeah, like Samson just, ah, I see. Maybe that's something? Yeah, I have to ask my strength coach because even that's why I have someone who's smarter than me. I wouldn't ask anybody about that because I don't think I wanna see. That looks like some torture. He might be like, that's a good idea. Let's smarter than me. I wouldn't ask anybody about that. I don't think I want to see.

That looks like some torture. He might be like, that's a good idea. Let's add that to your regimen. I don't want to see Gene setting that up for you. Is that your coach, Gene? No, Eugene, yeah. He's my... And he goes by Eugene.

Yeah, Eugene, yeah. Yeah, sorry. No, he's good. I just call him there. A lot of names. We call each other a lot of names. Yeah, yes. Well, you guys have a long relationship.

From below machine builds strength, mobility, the old fast, am I stretching out? Yeah, let me see a little bit more of that. I'm intrigued. I'm straight. Because you could just tie, like there was a torture method back in the medieval times where you can like tie a guy to this horse and this upper body to this horse.

And then they just like hit the horse and then they separate. So maybe that could be an old school version, but that was a way to kill people, torture them. Yeah. It works to stretch and strengthen the internal framework of joints, tendons and ligaments, as well as improve mental clarity and ability to work under stress by stretching all the connective tissues and removing knots. The fascia.

Okay. Pravelo practice increases blood flow to the entire body. I bet it's definitely. I mean, if it's, you know, the Russians are pretty good at sport. So yeah. And what do you do? It looks like your wife's man at you. I thought I was about to get 10 lashes or something.

Nick, man. It was damn. It kind of looks fun. That's Eddie. I'm crazy. So I like crazy shit. So while I wasn't fighting I I

Took up other things like okay September. I feel like when you're not fighting. I feel like you're in Zelda Breath of the Wild I that's what it's like. I think honestly like man I'm not playing the game literally. Yeah, I know but you're in the in the like I can do anything like I'm Got money. I've got a passport, fucking go anywhere. But for me, I took up things like golf, golf's my new favorite pastime in a way, because I like it, because it's soft,

it's a bit more slow paced. People say, oh, what about tennis or something? I'm like, mm-mm, something soft, something that's chill. Because my life is chaos when I'm in the gym. Murder is trying to kill me all the time, working out cardio, strength. So then when I'm on the golf course, I mean, I'm not trying to even flex,

but I got pretty good. Girl, I want to see it. I can't believe it. I got pretty good in about how many months? Let me say, I got pretty good. I'll send you guys this clip as well. I got pretty good in about five send you guys this clip as well. I got pretty good in about five months So this is me now

Not bad look at the hips on them. It's clean, bro. Yeah We're having like the last one. This is my my final one. I was like, you know what? There's a lot of great golfers from your country. Yeah from Nigeria. Oh, no, New Zealand. Oh, yeah See, I sent that shit to the moon. I sent that shit to the moon. I was like, yeah, and look again emotes. It's how I live my life Because when you're a kid you be doing shit like this and then I'm a power ranger when I was a kid. I was a ninja turtle. I was action man Like you can be anyone you want. I was a bus boy for Halloween. I was like shit I was like yeah a bus boy. I was like hopeful like yeah

Like we had a lot of like Low hopes in our area. I didn't really have the costume But in my mind I was I was legit a power ranger. I was always black ranger either him or the red ranger That's fair, but yeah For what was I saying before before I go on this tender of golf? Yeah, so I like golf just cuz it's something different And who do you play with? Golf yeah, you just go by yourself. Oh my homies all go to the driving range But like last time was a Slava Joe Hopkins and my boy Matt and this other guy Jackson. I believe some local guys

Yeah, my friends are nice Slava and Joe are fighters as well Joe Hopkins and my boy Matt and this other guy, Jackson, I believe. Yeah. Some local guys? Yeah, my friends. Oh, nice. Slava and Joe are fighters as well. Joe still fights. Slava is just a big time businessman now, but he just likes to, you know, hit the golf sticks once in a while. It's fun.

Yeah. You golf? Oh, yeah, I like to golf. I'm not good at it, but I do like to do it. Yeah, I would say I'm coachable. I'm very, very coachable because I'm the guy like the details. Because at first I used to do it. Yeah, I I would say I'm coachable I'm very very coachable because I'm the guy like the details because at first I used to do this I Was this guy? So I would like yeah, and then I'll strike it down and then it wasn't until

This this guy was named Darrell I believe out South Auckland at the airport There's a golf a driving range over there. He told me like I've watched your videos mate See the way you we set up your kicks, you know Da da da da da da and he explained to me and show me my hip-faint and said like that's the way and then from then I Got to this where it's like From there ah Get that in there. So once he's told me that you can fix the frame. Sorry, once he told me that, then I was like, ping.

And that's the day I started sending it. I was like, ooh, I'm getting this shit now. But now it's about learning what face of the club I want to hit with so I can determine which way the ball goes if I wanted to go a bit to the right or to the left. Because right now it goes to the right at least. 60, 65% of the time. Well, yeah, that's what I'm doing.

Yeah, I'm constantly, and I'm like, OK, maybe change the club face. So the details of it intrigues me. And again, it's slow pace, and it just gets in my brain. So I suck my teeth into that. Last year, I went skydiving. First time. First time.

Did it in Abu Dhabi. and that was dope. It was fucking sick No way who'd you go with other fighters or no? Devon Haney was there actually he did it after me. Yeah the boxer and then um, yeah, dude That's crazy. It's fun like something you've never been no I wanted and you only have to do it seven more times like I can go by myself So there's a place bad idea. No, I have to do it seven more times so I can go by myself. So there's a place. That's a bad idea. No, I'm gonna do it. You are? Oh, bro.

So even, okay, bro, this is me, man. I'm already even, I've got a motorcycle riding lesson on Saturdays, because, and again, my mom's a nurse, so she's already told me no, no, because she's seen the worst. Yeah, a lot of the organ donors have come from motorcyclists. That's what I've heard.

You could do pink slips with Strickland if you guys But you somebody would get a ride of fight him. Yeah, I ride a fight him. Yeah do what we do the man dance I want to do a man dance, but um, yeah So for me skydiving motorcycle riding I might get into that unless I get talked out of it But um, yeah, something that just gets me going. That's why for me, I know when I'm done with this game, at least every few months, I need to do something that'll make me feel

like I'm about to die. Like something scary, something that makes me go, fuck, like this is happening, this is legit, this is real shit, I could die in this. Why is that so important, you think, to people? I think for me, I'm an adrenaline junkie. Really? Yeah I'm an adrenaline junkie. I've accepted that about myself and I

think you just I Even Alex spoke about it after his Islam fight where you said like, you know, just sitting around like you know You need to do something you need to do something and I felt that a lot. And I felt that. A lot of fighters felt that. So for me, that's why I say, giving me free time with what I have now can be a bad idea, but I'm glad that I'm older now. A lot wiser. A lot wiser now. I'm surprised I don't have any babies out there.

What did I know of? Maybe in China, but we'll wait another. We'll see. We'll see. But like, no, I've just, I've lived a life, Theo. I've made some dumb decisions, you know? I've been places, I've been places, some scary stories, some good times, and some bad ones,

but no regrets, cause it all led me to these moments and the lessons I've learned from them, priceless and stories. I'm sure you got some stories as well. Oh yeah, some I gotta keep to myself. She just won't say, for me, because I've never really expressed this. Maybe after I'm done fighting,

I'll make like another doc or a docu-series and then I'll go deeper. Or a memoir even. A book, yeah. I mean, guess who in the fucking right that? Co-write that with me. Cause even while I was in the UFC, man, fuck. I was just, I went through my own ups and downs,

but I'm glad they weren't caught by the media. Because then one thing is like, sometimes if someone goes through something, you want to go through it alone without the world watching you. Cause there's already like a magnifying glass on your life. You know, everyone's watching you, waiting for you to fail or something like that.

People take their own lives because they can't handle what the media does. And the media has no accountability. The media has no... A lot of people living our lives, they would have definitely on our lives themselves, unsubscribe from life, because it's a lot.

And I've been there before where I'm just like, fuck, this is too much. And I just been there before where I'm just like, fuck, this is too much. And I find myself going on my shell, I'll just become a crab and I just whoop. And then I just, I wouldn't really wanna. You don't trust the world then? I don't trust the world. Nah, I feel like I gotta protect myself.

So I become a turtle, Ninja Turtle. But then. Little less Ninja, a little more turtle. Yeah, it's more turtle, yeah. Less Ninja, more turtle. Inner Ninja, yeah. Oh, man, for me, it's just about learning, learning how to come out of that.

And that's where you've seen in the, in the doco, talking to Janet, who's my, she doesn't like to call herself a therapist. She calls herself a possibility manager. Bro, she's impressive. I was actually gonna ask you for her information, which is crazy. She's here.

She's a, she might be, I think she might be in, she retired and just travels the country now in a caravan Seeing her grandkids. Wow. That's her life. So she's already set herself up She's left that life behind of the nine of five or one none. So she just Lives her life. Yes, the best questions. It felt like yeah, that's what it is People think therapy is this thing where this motherfucker don't know shit about me But they don't need to, that's why you talk. And it's like dating in a sense.

You kind of go to try different people. 100%, so many times people go see the first therapist and they stay with them for years. It's like, are you changing? Are you evolving? It's nobody's fault if you're not, but you gotta put yourself into some boiling water. Because you wanna see what the fuck flavors are in you,

bro, you gotta figure it out. And if you get the wrong person, they can see, like a therapist can sit there and be like, ah, this chick with blue hair, chaching, and then just keep him for two years and just keep making money off them. A great therapist or someone who- He bad-skin you about Billy Eilish all the time

and shit when you come in. But like a great one was one that would, kind of like a doctor. A doctor shouldn't keep you sick constantly. She trying to help you. Like, okay, Jenna, last time I saw her would have been over a year now. I talked to her maybe about two months ago,

briefly through texts when things were getting rocky. But thing is she's given me so many tools that I can use that when things get a little, because I'm human and life be, yeah, bro, life be lifeing, so then I have the tools I can use to help me. But then someone who just kinda keeps you in that suffering phase and they can milk off you

is not someone you wanna be with. So shop around, find the right person that can kinda want the best for you and then you see, am I getting something out of this? Once you're not getting anything out of it, pull back. I'm sure there's something that's gonna happen. Life is always lifeing. Something's gonna happen that'll rock my world

and then boom, Jenna, are you free? Can I talk to you? Boom, yeah, that's it. But yeah, at the moment I haven't seen her because I've just been awesome. I've just been living my life and I've had my ups and downs, but again, she's given me the tools to use

that could help me bring myself back to balance and that's what you want. No bro I think it's just so important because you don't hear that part about therapy you just hear like go see a therapist people like this didn't work I'm not doing it anymore. Bullshit. Bullshit. There's somebody that works. You talked to the documentary about and we'll get out of here in a minute man. You talked to the documentary about doing.

How long has it been? See time flies when you're having fun. Wait? Probably a couple hours, huh? 82 hours, an hour 50. No way. Fuck off. We barely even got, man, you wait till I retire.

We'll do this again, we'll talk about some shit. Damn. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha I don't know, because one thing I like is your perspective on things. You just, oh, the clips fucking. There's, I think, even the Instagram page, the OVON clips, that censor group chat a lot, and I just crack up like, you just saved the most out the gate shit. I didn't even think of that. Yeah, I don't know. Nah, it's you. It's your perspective.

And that's the beautiful thing of it. You're able to express it so people can follow the way your mind works. Yeah. I mean, it's cool to see. Thanks man. Yeah, I like to, I don't know. I was just always like, I just wanted to find a way to be myself. Whatever that even means.

It was just like, man, I authentically be yourself. Yeah. And what do you, who even am I? And I just had no idea. I didn't know what I, I'd built this kind of of thing I don't even know what I was doing for so long. Life's crazy bro. It is especially the life we live. I'm grateful but it is crazy. All of it's fucking unbelievable that we're just you know loud animals you know like what if you were in the woods and you saw a bear like on his computer, something like this bear is. Yogi? Yeah, you buy this. This bear is mentally unwelcoming, you know?

But it's like, it's just weird being in society, but what about ayahuasca? Do you ever try it? You talked about it. So that's on the list. It's definitely on the, I like the segue. It's like, whoops. You gotta get it, man.

It's so fascinating. Have you been? Yeah. Damn. I just went a couple of weeks ago. Did you go to the jungle or you found a guy that can actually do it properly? Cause for me, I've heard like, cause of the popularity now,

there's a lot of shamans who aren't really shamans that they just, oh, come sit down in a circle with us, kumbaya and then give you the drug and all the plant medicine. And then, you know, you don't medicine, and then you might get the trip, but you don't really get the benefits from the shaman to guide you through that, the purging and all that kind of stuff.

But it's been on my list, but the reason I haven't done it yet, and I told even my Tyson this, was because you probably haven't watched Avatar, but that's the best way I can explain it. I've seen it. It's about the air blues or whatever. Blues or whatever. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, in James Cameron's avatar. I'm thinking the cartoon. Okay, I gotta watch this. Oh, there we go. So, yeah, this avatar, yeah, the show.

But I'm a big fan. That's one of my favorite animates. But the guess to a point where this guy doesn't know how to firebend anymore because he became friends with this little kid, Ang. So for me, I felt like if I go to the jungle and then I realize a lot of my shit, and I actualize myself and I come out of, you know,

clarity and I'm just like, will it affect my fighting? That's the thing, because I fight. I mean, you've seen this in the doco. I got chips in the dip, you know? I'm very, I have some to prove, you know? I gotta prove something, you know? So for me, it's not always that other people is to myself, to my younger self,

because I used to get fucked with a lot. So as a way of like, let, I became strong so no one could fuck with me. So no one could, you know, I'm fortified in myself and I'm like, yeah, you can't fuck with me. And I can, and that's why I'm able to be vulnerable about all this kind of stuff. Cause I'm like, you can't beat my ass.

That's all good. Right. I'm safe enough now. You know what that's interesting, man? I can relate to that. It was like, once I got like, I always just felt like people judge me so much because I was poor where I lived, how I got to school, what we drove, how we were,

you know? And it just like, I was just like, I just wanna, I wanna be able to be in control. And like, and that younger kid, like now, like that kid that was all bummed out, like now I can still notice when he's upset about something. It comes up. Right, but as an adult, I can be like,

hey, it's cool, right, I got you, right? Cause if right I got you right because if I sit here and cry if I sit here and cry with him then I'm making him suffer two times exactly oh that's so good you put that the kid inside the because sometimes someone would do something okay I'll say this all in Switzerland right and then we're in this like thing. The setting, classroom setting. And I went to go get a coffee, came back, and this lady had moved my stuff. They put me in the front of the class, she moved my stuff. And I was like, what are you, oh, I just, she kind of like made it. She's like, I wanted some girl time where I was like, oh, that's cool. I'd prefer the back of the class anyway. but then I sat there and for the first

15, 10 minutes of the lecture, I remember just feeling rage. I'm like, who the fuck's this bitch? If you wanna sit with her, get her to move. Well, you have to move my stuff. And again, it's this old white lady and then move my stuff and it just felt like, it just took me back to that moment. Like just young, easy and I could feel myself boiling. So I just kinda calm him down. Like, it's okay, it's that moment. Like just young, easy, and I could feel myself boiling.

So I just kind of calm him down. Like, it's okay. It's all right. You're fine. You're safe. And then focus on what I was doing. But then that was just recent. That was like two weeks ago.

And again, people can do something that triggers you. Triggered. And then. But you gotta notice where that trigger is because it's not a task. I'll get so angry. And then afterwards I'll be like, oh my, what was I so?

That wasn't even, whatever happened had nothing. It's old shit. I know. It's old shit that we've just, I gotta get to rip press to put down. And that's what Iowas did. That shit turns that old shit into a champagne, bro. Yeah, champagne.

Bubbling up, bro. It comes, yeah. It is a party, man. I've been to some trips like example before the Miami Peretify I was micro dosing and I micro dose a little bit on psilocybin and I went on some journeys within myself and I just sit on my couch, watch the lights and just listen to this kind of like low five music and just question everything even

deeper. Like who am I? Why am I this? Why do I feel this way? And then speak to my younger self. But tapping into that is key. Because if you can make him feel safe, you're able to go through life easier

because you'll be surprised how many moments that just erases. Even like I said, my people pleasing thing. I know how to identify it when it comes up now. And I just did it. I did it straight away. Even me, like people, I told you, I don't live like the commoners anymore because I realized I've lived that life because when I'd be at a bar, like, hey, can I get 30

fireballs, you know, shots? Why? And then people start to hang around me because they know I'll be shouting drinks and whatnot. And then I get to the point where I'm just like, the next day I wake up I'm like, why did I ever let those guys around me? Oh, I didn't like those people. But then boundaries.

When I'm drunk, I'm like a Labrador. I just think everyone's my friend. Yeah. I'm the opposite of, some people drink bourbon and they think like, oh, they call it fighting beer. I'm like, hell no, that's the last thing I want to do. I want to hug people. I want to high-five. Yeah, I'm super nice Super flirty being your mouth. Yeah, why not? You know like a golden retriever just friendly where everyone so that's what I become when I'm drunk, but yeah for me

I just realized you know what? Boundaries for me boundaries so just realized, you know what? Boundaries, for me, boundaries. So that way I don't have to, I don't have to be liked. I don't need to prove to you that I'm down, that I'm just another dude. Cause sometimes I feel like I have to do that to people, but I'm like, if you can't handle who I am, fuck, bounce.

I don't have to prove to you that I'm cool. No, I can relate to you. I was like, nah, I've lived your life. You've never lived mine. Right, right. I don't have to constantly adjust. Reassure you, reassure you. Yes, I don't have to constantly adjust

every moment of my life to reassure every single person that I come in contact with. That I'm the same as them. Yeah, that's what that humble shit is when they talk about in New Zealand when it's like, oh, he's humble. It's like, oh, some people I see them like Not that they're not humbled. I just know that they're different off-camera or they're different when other people aren't

Are around. Yeah, but when they're in the public they want to You know be relatable and that's cool. But I'm like, nah, bro, you're not They already they relate to you because of your story Like they relate to you because of what you've done in your field, you know? And they fuck with it on some level. So you don't have to constantly bring yourself down to their level. Just stay where you are and connect with them.

That's one thing I learned as well. I don't have to raise, cause when people come yelling at me now, back in the day I'd have to like, hey, what's up man? Even if I'm off, you know, like, get it. But now I just watch wrestling or whatever, my father or something.

Talk to Mike, dead, aren't you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But like, for me, it's like, nah, if I'm at a three and you come at me at a seven or a 10, I'm gonna keep it a three. Hey, what's up, man? How you doing? Or even, I'm like, chill, bro.

What's up? How you doing, man? You good? And I can bring them back to my level of chill. Oh my God, I'm such a big fan. I'm like, that's cool. Come here, give me a hug. Give me a hug. And I love those moments, man, when people are really genuine. Ah, it fills my heart.

I know, huh? Because you want to be genuine too. And so it's tough because people don't know where you're at sometimes because it's been a unique experience. And yeah, I think it's been a unique experience. And yeah, I think it's a learning curve. It's a learning curve for both people, you know? And yeah, life's such a learning curve, man. And I'm glad it is,

because it would get fucking boring, you know? We'll keep learning. I'm still learning, even to this day, like I said, two weeks ago that happened in Switzerland, and I said, okay, calm down, young Izzy, calm down. It's okay. But then there's gonna be something else that comes through, something else that comes through.

Great, shit, good, bad, beautiful, ugly, smiles and frowns, whatever it is, I'm going through it all. And right now I'm just taking my time. That's all I can, I'm taking my time with everything. Cause if I, I don't know if you feel this way sometimes, if I try and think, cause you know, you got too many things to deal with you know you like it can get overwhelming. Yeah So I'm okay. Okay. That's too much and I just have to like write let me think what can I handle?

I can handle this right now and just prioritize what I do. Yeah Still learning though Adalting yeah, it's interesting. I'm glad that God or the gods that are out there let us adult that they let us Experience and evolve and learn and this is pretty masterful what has been created out of life is pretty it's unbelievable It's like a it's It's definitely I look for the best Zelda's probably yeah I'll say I've only played one of it I never clocked it not even close but like you know link. That's the main character, right?

Yeah, did you play a lot when you were a kid? Yeah, I played it when I was a kid and then Breath of the Wild came out and I played that on DS switch Yeah, so that's the one I have Breath of the Wild and they just came out the new one Oh, yeah, and it's cool too, but Breath of the Wild is still cool. So you could step with that one too Yeah, no, I still got that one But right now I just started playing um Hell Divers, it's a great game hell divers. Holy shit It's like it's like it's like Halo hell divers too It's like Halo, but and I never even played a lot play Call of Duty

But it's just so you you go liberate these planets or these worlds from these robots or these aliens But it's just the way the gameplay The the you play with your friends online. It or these aliens, but it's just the way the gameplay, the you play with your friends online. It's yeah, it's keeping me out of trouble, put it that way. Yeah, oh, it's important, dude. Knowing when to get in trouble or not. I mean, I like a little bit of trouble once in a while, but at the same time, I'd rather not,

cause it always finds me somehow. It's a challenge. It's a way that, like you say, God would just put this problem in front of you, so that way, oh, this is what I have to learn from this situation. Learn this, if I don't learn it, guess what? It comes back again.

It always does, it'll come back again, and I'm like, fuck, I thought I learned last time. Years, a decade, you'll be doing the same thing. And Trouble's always, it's always GIF rap too. Trouble's not like, Trouble's not like, fucking, hey, I'm Trouble, Trouble's like looks cool. Some Trouble's in my sass. Yeah.

They got that Ruppa don't, you're like, oh shit. Here we go. Trouble got, yeah. Got the hippies. Yeah, but I've learned though, that's the thing. Even younger guys and I try and teach them, just don't think of your dick, just. Yeah.

You gotta use this. And yeah, many, many, many mistakes have been made, but many great, great connections have been made as well. So, yeah, I thank God for it all, but I still try and tell the young guys that, watch me, I just teach them just don't do this. Yeah, cause there is some like, you're like, fuck, I learned such the hard way.

Like I have gotta tell somebody. Oh yeah. Some of this is not even like you're preaching if people you're like a lover God don't do this I'll let somebody know then that's not even another one is like because I'm not married but I don't even know if I want to I didn't really want to but I know that'll happen. Maybe yeah one day you'll do it Yeah, it'll be married anything. I'm not married, but I would like to be married But I have a tough time with doing commitment. Yeah, I'm in my selfish era right now. I feel like this, these next few years,

I'm definitely on the back end of my career. So, and I said, I was the most active champion, me and Volkanovsky, the most active champions. It's crazy, I'm gonna show you that. And bro, most people get the belt, right now Drick has got the belt, he kinda wants to chill. They wanna hold the belt for a little bit,

look nice, you know what I'm saying? I was like, who am I fighting next? Cool, put that guy on, who am I fighting next? Cause you risk it every fucking time, every fucking time. That's how I have so many defenses. Cause I'll be like, who am I fighting next? Boom, let's go. But for me, everything I have to do right now

is going towards this. Bro, I only just started having breakfast. Oh, but context. I used to wake up and just go straight to the gym, workout like two workouts back to back and then have breakfast around one. I'm 34 now, you know, almost 35. I know my body's different. I have to put the right fuels in my body. I was 34 now, you know, almost 35. I know my body's different.

I have to put the right fuels in my body. I was living off Uber Eats, bro. Like just- Really? Yeah, man. I was- Training for fights off Uber Eats. Yeah, that was out, because of skills.

I was so- Off a damn taquita? Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like Carl's Jr., Indian food, anything. Chinese- You were defeating other men on Carl, fuel my Carl's Jr.? Yeah, anything. Burger King. Indian food anything Chinese eating other other Men on Carl fuel my Carl's Jr. Yeah anything Burger King like McDonald's only when I'm drunk because I didn't really like the quality But um yeah, it's gone. Yeah, it's like paper. It's yeah, like oh man I had a big Mac one time did not sit well with me and I was like yep

So only when I'm drunk I'd have McDonald's, Yeah, if a brother can't have a burger in this, it's insane, what are you doing there? Bro, I've had over 100 fights. So I didn't really think like the way I ate would affect my skills, but again, it does at a certain point, because when I was younger, bro, when I was 26, 25, I'd be out, you know, I'd be getting home around, say,

four, trying to get some pussy. Yeah. And from there, you know, you sleep around getting home around, say, four, trying to get some pussy. Yeah. And from there, you know, you sleep around six, six, 30, then you have to wake up at 10 to go spot 11, get punched in the head, hung over. And it's like, I could do it and just kick ass. But then the older you get, you can't do it. Your body doesn't metabolize. I'll call the same.

Oh, it's that's what I'm saying. Now I'm like, how did I do that? Yeah. I don't fucking want. How, I'll call the same. Oh, that's what I'm saying. Now I'm like, how did I do that? That was fucking wild. How did I do that? No. So then, now it's about, like I said, putting the right fuel in my body.

Like I said, I've got my boy, Matt, who cooks for me now. Every day is a fucking cuisine. And I feel better as well, my body. I could feel my skin. You all ever had that? Lamb, we got more sheep than people in New Zealand. Really? Yeah, I think. Five to one. Well, a lot of people are sheep, but. Yeah, there's some people in New Zealand. Really? Yeah, I think.

You're 5 to 1. Well, a lot of people are sheep, but. Yeah, there's some people are definitely sheep. But it's a furry hind in the area. You can see them. They got mullets in the back as well. Same, same. If the world ends, what's your strategy?

What's your plan? Well, right now I'm building. Also having a bunker in there, allegedly, maybe. I shouldn't have said that, fuck, it's all right. But yeah, I just feel, I mean, you saw that movie, The Leave the World Behind. Yeah, that's possible, very possible. What if the internet shuts down, who knows?

Yeah, you wake up and the phone doesn't work. They've shut down all New Zealand's connection to the world. Or you have two calls left, what are you doing, where do you go? Oh, I call my dad, first person, call my dad. Yeah, you wake up and the phone doesn't work. They've shut down all New Zealand's connection to the world. Or you have two calls left, what are you doing? Where do you go? Oh, I call my dad, first person call my dad. And I'd probably go, yeah, drive down to Wanganui. But thing is, funny enough during lockdown,

people were doing that when they made the call or like you get the alert, lockdown starts at midnight tonight, some fucking purge type shit. People were getting out of Auckland, people were going down to the abatches at midnight tonight, some fucking purge type shit. People were getting out of Auckland, people were going down to the abatches if they could, people were trying to see what their family, and some people, these guys got caught going to Hamilton, which is about 45 minutes away from Auckland.

Or maybe an hour away, they went over through some farm roads just to get KFC in Hamilton. Yeah, just to get KFC in Hamilton and bring it back. I think there were gang members as well. I swear to God. Yeah, yeah. Look at this up. Looking for KFC.

They were looking for KFC during lockdown in New Zealand. Yeah, look at Kiwi, MS13. MS13, yeah. I can't remember which gangs it was, but we don't have no Soranios out here. Oh, really? No, no, no, no, no, no Mexican gangs, but um, yeah, you know, they're prevalent Hamilton KFC

No, down lock down. I just want to start. Yeah, right there. Yeah, it'd be there Men caught yeah, there it is Yeah, man, we got that. That's their lunch right there for the next three days. It just, at least there's no crime in this country. If this is a bad deal. Yeah, this is like, oh, we got you now. If a couple of wings and a breast.

Yeah. You see, the police have made a bizarre arrest after a pair of alleged gang associates were caught trying to enter Auckland with a boot full of KFC chicken. Sell that shit on the low. And... And...

And... And... And... Are you not allowed to bring it in? Nah, you couldn't leave the Auckland district. So they left to go get KFC and bring it back. Here come storm hunters, huh? Actual.

So everything was shut down. The lockdown was bizarre, man. Did you guys, where were you living? I moved to Tennessee during the lockdown and it was wide open. It was us. You could dance. That's why everyone moved to Texas as well. Yeah.

Texas changed everything. That's why the comedy scene moved over there once. Joe and the mothership and the main place. And there's a good energy there now of like possibility and new and like people are excited there man. I love watching Kill Tony because dude. It's so good I used to watch it back in the day. I was just talking about you. I see ice ice ice to watch it No, I used to listen to it at my old job. You should listen to it and roast battle And then when I saw Tony in Texas one time, he's like, yeah, man

He'd like, yeah man. And he was telling me how it's going up. And I was like, all right, I'll have a look. So now I watched on YouTube and I got my flatmate hooked and now we've just been watching it. Like the whole Hans Kim, Rick D.S. thing just took it to a new level.

Rick D.S. has got some fucking cajonas on him, man. I don't know where. The guy just like, stop protecting him. I want his spot. And I just, I saw it about two weeks ago where the light cut out and he came out and then was flipping him off. Fuck, yeah.

He just, he just, Rick Diaz appeared after the New Year show. He just, the next week, the lights cut out and then came back on and then Hans Kim is doing a set on stage and then Rick Diaz is right there just flipping them off. It's like a soap opera. It is. Yeah, it's got a storyline.

It's got a storyline to it now. It's so amazing, bro, to go there and watch. I'm gonna go one day. Like, definitely. I know Sean O'Malley went and then he did the New Year show, but then at some point I would go to Austin, Texas and I go to Kilton, and I just want to sit there. I don't even got to talk.

I'll just sit there, answer questions, and just watch the chaos ensue, just live in front of me. It's so crazy, and they got the blind guy, that you're like, what's he doing? Oh yeah, what's his name? And he's playing, is it Bones? No, I don't know. The blind guy that hates gays?

What's his name? I can't remember his name now, oh my God. Fuck, I know his name, it's gonna come to me. I hate, they got Chris Rogers, the painter there painting the whole time. They got, the crazy part is you get one minute, which is impossible. It would almost be like, hey, be the best UFC fighter in one minute

You gotta be throwing hope Now but then they roast the guy that's the woman if they suck and if they are obnoxious Then you can see Tony is like oh, I got a good good alive one. Hey, you can just pop pop pop pop roast the motherfucker They do the other day that I was tuned in on YouTube. It was streaming live. They had 81,000 people watching. Damn, live. That's worldwide, bro.

Unbelievable. I mean, the concept itself is wild, but they're now to do it in the arena. And then they've had these main characters now, like the regulars, like Hans Kim and David Lucas. Yeah. And now Cam Newton. Oh, Cam Patterson.

Oh, Pat, fuck. Racist. Cam Patterson. Yeah. But yeah, even he's funny. He's hilarious, dude. I want to have him come on here sometimes. Where are you based right now?

I'm based in Tennessee and Los Angeles. In LA, I see. You go back. How often do you spend between both? A tour, probably six months. And the the rest I do like four months in Tennessee Road dog two months in LA so what wears next after this you're going Australia, right? We're going Australia. Yeah, we got like Atlanta, New Orleans, New Orleans We're gonna put a show up at Iowa sometime soon. Yeah, so a lot of great places still to go perform man

It's been awesome, man. World's a big place man, man. I know. We want to go to South Africa. We want to go perform there. Wait till the UFC goes there. Yeah. Yeah, wait. That's a good idea. Yeah, like the UFC is definitely going to go there. And when it does, I'll be right there, too.

I think, well, what you perform tonight? I think I'm going to be my first time seeing you live. Oh, yeah. Done. Well, we better go get ready, too. I've only seen you on Netflix, but yeah, I can't wait. Oh, this will hopefully be better I think or David enjoyed my brother enjoyed that last night. He did. Yeah. Fuck yeah. That's okay. It was dope

Yeah, so I can't wait that's a bit of a gang. Yeah Easy Is he thanks so much man. I don't think there's anything else to say right now. I wait till I retire then we talk all right We'll get deep deal, bro. I appreciate it, man. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for your time, man. And thank you for documenting too. Thanks for being vulnerable. I really respect that, especially when people

in opposition don't have to fake the funk. You can just be honest about what's really going on. So I appreciate that. And that's good for everyone else to see. We're human. Yeah, we're trying our best to be human. That's for sure, man. I'm adulting.

I don't even know how did we get here? How do I? I know. I'm like, am I cemented? I have an adult. I don't even know how did we get here? How do I? I know. I'm like, am I cemented? I have houses now. I know. It's crazy. I'm like, I'm doing all right.

I know. Even Rogan told me one time, he's like, sometimes it's scary because I'll pull into my house and I'm in the garage and I'll feel like somebody's going to come in right after me and just take it all the way. Damn. He said sometimes I have this thought. That keeps you hungry though. It's a thing that just happens to people. Yeah. But Israel, thank you so much. Thank you Theo Von Rancang.

Gang, baby. We'll see you in Africa, baby. Praise, baby. Throw it up. I'm just floating on the breeze And I feel I'm falling like these leaves I must be cornerstone Oh, but when I reach that ground I'll share this peace of mind I found I can feel it in my bones But it's gonna take