JRE MMA Show #113 with Chad Mendes

Episode Summary

Main Topics Discussed

• Chad Mendes's Post-MMA Retirement Life: Mendes shares his experiences transitioning from active fighting, including dealing with a brief depression and channeling his intense energy into growing businesses and brands.
• Fighter Longevity & Physicality: Rogan and Mendes discuss the careers of legendary fighters like Randy Couture (starting late), Dan Henderson (extreme density and toughness), and Bernard Hopkins (fighting into his 50s).
• Fighter Pay & UFC Business Model: A critical discussion on fighter compensation, sparked by a recent co-main event winner's emotional reaction to receiving a bonus. They explore the balance between being the "best fighter" and an "entertaining" fighter who draws audiences.
• Weight Cutting in Combat Sports: Extensive conversation about the dangers and counterproductivity of extreme weight cutting, its impact on performance and career longevity, with TJ Dillashaw's struggles at 125 lbs and Mendes's own past experiences highlighted. Rogan proposes more weight classes as a solution.
• Extreme Discipline in Athletics: Mention of ultra-endurance athletes like Cam Hanes and David Goggins, focusing on their incredible mental fortitude and physical adaptation to extreme challenges, including Goggins's notoriously damaged feet.
• Chad Mendes's Return to Combat: Mendes officially announces his return to professional fighting, not in MMA, but in bare-knuckle boxing, detailing his motivations, upcoming fight, weight class (155 lbs), and the format (five two-minute rounds).

Key Insights & Memorable Moments

• Mendes struggled with a sense of purpose after retiring from MMA, having wrestled and fought since age five, highlighting the identity crisis many athletes face.
• Joe Rogan describes extreme weight cutting as "sanctioned cheating" due to fighters only hitting their weight class for a brief moment before rehydrating to a much heavier fighting weight.
• The discussion on fighter pay emphasizes that in prize fighting, "the best fighter doesn't put the most asses in the seats," using Demetrious Johnson as an example of an elite fighter who didn't move the needle commercially as much as others.
• Mendes recounts a critical error in his weight cut for the Frankie Edgar fight, believing it significantly impacted his chin and led to a quicker knockout.
• Rogan's vivid description of Dan Henderson's body being "like mahogany" or "petrified wood" due to his incredible physical density and toughness.
• The vivid imagery of David Goggins's "disgusting" and "destroyed" feet from ultra-running, underscoring the extreme toll of his discipline.
• Mendes's strategic decision to fight at 155 lbs in bare-knuckle boxing with two-minute rounds aligns with his explosive fighting style, aiming to "knock someone's head off" quickly without needing to pace.

Notable Quotes or Revelations

• Chad Mendes on retirement: "I'm actually more busy now not fighting... I almost felt like I jumped into a little bit of a depression there for like a couple weeks after cuz I had like no sense of doing."
• Joe Rogan on fighter identity post-career: "It's one of the most difficult things for a fighter is the stopping fighting but you don't know what to do with all this intense energy... for a lot of Fighters it's like their whole identity."
• Joe Rogan on weight cutting: "I'm fully against weight cutting in MMA period... I think it's sanction cheating."
• Joe Rogan on fighter pay vs. entertainment: "The best fighter doesn't put the most asses in the seats and that's what this game is all about it's a weird sport right it's like it's prize fighting but it's also entertainment."
• Chad Mendes's announcement: "I just signed a big contract bro! I'm coming back to fighting... I'm coming back to boxing man! I want to try something different... I think we're going to throw some bare knuckle in there bro."
• Chad Mendes on bare-knuckle round length: "I'm a explosive athlete obviously I think this I'm pretty much built for this style of fighting... it's a quick round I don't have to pace myself... I can just get in there and knock someone's head off."

Overall Themes

• The Evolving Identity of Athletes: The podcast deeply explores the psychological and practical challenges athletes face after retiring from a career that defined them, and the necessity of finding new outlets for their drive and energy.
• The Business vs. Sport Dichotomy: A recurring theme is the tension between the pure athletic competition and the entertainment business aspects of combat sports, particularly concerning fighter compensation and the choices fighters make to maximize their careers.
• Health and Longevity in Combat Sports: The episode critically examines practices like extreme weight cutting and their detrimental effects, advocating for changes that prioritize fighter health and extend careers, while also marveling at the exceptional longevity of some rare athletes.
• Relentless Pursuit of Challenge: Whether it's Chad Mendes seeking a new competitive arena in bare-knuckle boxing or the extreme feats of ultra-endurance athletes, the underlying theme is the human drive to constantly push boundaries and test limits.