Latest / Caught on the Mike... / Justin Weaver- Magnum MMA

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Justin Weaver- Magnum MMA · Caught on the Mike...

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Disclaimer, the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_02: They represent listener discretion is advised.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a very special week of episodes of Dynasty Combat Sports Week with the talk on the mic at May 3rd, 2025 event at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, Dynasty Combat Sports Green Brawl.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_02: A jam-act event full of exciting fights, so I decided to jump act a bunch of great episodes.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: For the third episode of the week, I get the pleasure of speaking with longtime MMA veteran Justin Weaver.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_02: Justin just recently opened up his own gym, Magnum MMA, based out of Harney, Nebraska, and gets to share the card with his son, who is also wrestling in the match of the night at the event.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Caught on the Mickey.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_02: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Caught on the Mic.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: This week is Dynasty Combat Sports Week with Caught on the Mic in preparation for May 3rd, 2025, Pinnacle Bank Arena Spring Brawl.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: And my next guest is on that card.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_02: He is doing a 170-pound welterweight match against Wahoo MMA's Sean Lindgren.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_02: Justin Weaver.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for joining me on the show today.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for having me, man.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, dude, I gotta tell you, this is a funny story.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sure you already know this, but your wife, a few months back, messages me on Instagram and she says, I have a really good guest for your podcast if you're ever interested.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: She goes, I really liked your episode with hope, and so on and so on.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, hell yeah, let's do it.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: So I've been excited to have you on, man.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's been a long time coming.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, she's always uh yeah, she's always looking out for me that aspect.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm kind of uh, you know, I've had a lot of people tell me, you know, you should do a podcast, you should do I've heard stand-up and shit like that before.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just kind of a goofball, you know.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um I uh you know, looking back at it, I was kind of uh like one of the Vine or TikTok people before it was a thing.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was just before the time, you know, uh when Snapchat was still just 10 second clips, that's all you could do, you know.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean I was just piecing shit together.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: I mean it was just me bored at work.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: So um but yeah, it's uh I I think I finally kind of realized it myself.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm probably uh, you know, uh uh a unique or a good personality, I guess, to have on stuff like this.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh got some crazy stories and stuff throughout the throughout the years uh doing this.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: So uh yeah, it's always fun to kind of do this kind of stuff.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_02: Well, let's kind of let's kind of get into it.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_02: Let's talk about your entry into MMA.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: You wrestled in college.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um so let's talk about your origin story.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: How did it all start for you?
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: So um, yeah, I wrestled in college.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I went to Hastys College.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I went there in 07.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: It was actually the first year, it was their inaugural year to have for having wrestling.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that was one of the things that kind of uh influenced my decision on where to go.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: I was looking at Fort Hayes State, um, UNK, uh Shattern State, stuff like that.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um UNK would have been a walk-on kind of thing, you know.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what I would have done there.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, some scholarships elsewhere, but uh Hastings being close to home, and I just thought that was kind of a cool, cool thing, you know, uh the first year of wrestling, all that good stuff, kind of a cool thing to get into, be a part of.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I wrestled there.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um I actually wanted to get into the military right out of high school, like my senior year.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And my mom, of course, like most moms would probably be, was uh, you know, 100% against that idea, which understandable, you know, in 06, 0506, that was still probably uh you know pretty hot and heavy in the shit.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I could see not wanting your son to go off into that.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um uh I I I I kind of flip her shit because I think um what did change your mind was probably those uh Hastings college Hastiest college bills coming in uh for tuition and stuff.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: So that was probably a little bit of an eye-opener.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, maybe worth it.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: You might come back with a little trauma, but hey, you know, it's a better$80,000 in debt.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the trauma either way, I guess, lose lose.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I actually got into uh I I joined the military, I went to the National Guard side uh after my freshman year.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um that was probably my first taste of actually um martial arts, you know, other than other than wrestling, which I guess you would consider a martial art, but uh was combatives um in the military.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And since then uh I've learned how um and and no no disrespect to anyone that has gone past level one or you know, anyone that any anything like that in the military still, because uh, you know, I love the military.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: But uh I it's really an eye-opener on how basic level you learned in the military, uh you know, which of course they only have like a week to really put you through that part of it.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um but yeah, knowing what I know now, even shit when I was like a just a junk white belt with just throttle pretty much anyone with the with those skills we learned in the military.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, that was kind of my first taste of jujitsu, you know.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'd say, you know, it really kind of correlates to giujitsu because you're using the the collar and stuff on the uniform for chokes and stuff like that.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, some of the stuff probably doesn't transition well because you're you know trying to kill with you know, there's stuff you use to crush the windpipe, stuff like that.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: But for the most part, it was very similar.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um I come back, you know, and it's funny because before that I didn't really I wasn't real big into lifting weights and stuff like that either.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then coming back from basic training and AIT and stuff, I mean you don't do a whole lot of like weightlifting.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um I did get some passes when I was in AIT to like go to the gym and stuff when I was further along in my training.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but still not like it's not like I was meathead mode, you know.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but I came back and everyone was like, geez, beefcake, you know, and I was like, I just did fucking push-ups for like nine months.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know, you know.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: You learned how to manage your body weight.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and the the wheels started kind of turning like, oh shit, like I have fair, you know, they say genetics aren't everything, but obviously they do help, right?
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: So it kind of registered in my head, like, oh shit, like I can actually put on muscle fairly well, you know.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: So that was kind of the beginning of my um just uh weightlifting and weight training journey, too, as well.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um started getting into it, but yeah, I uh continued to wrestle.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um I started at 141 my freshman year.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh when I came back from AIT, uh I think my coach kind of jokingly obviously was like, oh, you know, I'm 141 this season, you know?
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I think I was walking at like 170, 175, and I was like, yeah, kick rocks.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, so I think I did try it for one tournament actually.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: And if I remember, I I cramped up so damn bad that after the first match, I scratched the rest of the tournament and I was like, never again.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: We're going 49 at the very least.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, I I continued to wrestle.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I uh kind of went down the road of you know majoring more in um, you know, women and uh alcohol and all that fun stuff and not so much accounting and business like I was supposed to be.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um so eventually I didn't I didn't finish at Hasis College.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um uh kind of a funny story.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't think about it at the time, but I was uh essentially homeless, I guess you you would say.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: I had a really good buddy on the wrestling team that uh his roommate left like halfway through the first semester at about the same time I decided to stop going to school.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: But so he had an extra bed in his room.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: He left his meal card, he left his key fob, he left all that.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean I didn't think about it at the time as being kind of like a hobo just fucking, you know, hanging out in the dorms, but really that's I mean, I was just I was living at college, but I wasn't going to college, so I got all the perks on the side, but but anyway, I wrapped up college and uh I was working at Menard's there in Hastings, um, where I worked with Tower Robinson, who's also on the card.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Shout out to Tower there.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: He's uh he's gonna be the bare knuckle fight on there.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um I guess when you're that ugly, you don't got a whole lot to lose, but uh, you know, I'm I'm too damn pretty for that bare knuckle stuff, you know, obviously.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: But um he's uh, you know, we were working and he introduced me to Cody Land.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um wish he was on this card.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we've had a lot of good, good times, good fights together.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um but yeah, that's that's kind of how I got thrown into the mix was Cody talked me into at the time I was just lifting weights.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'd been done wrestling completely because I was kind of wrestling unattached and stuff, even though I wasn't you know enrolled and everything.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I missed I missed competing, you know what I mean?
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: I just missed like lifting weights is cool.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: I like fitness and shit like that, but I I I'm competitive, you know.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, he kind of smooth talked me into uh just hey, you should come into hard knocks here, you know.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, Chad Obermiller, Obi, um, Cody Land, Robert Rojas is around in those times.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, although he shortly after, or around that same time, moved up to Lincoln, but I ended up catching up with him when I moved up there too and trained with him still.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, yeah, he talked me into coming in there.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: And um honestly, uh to this day, like I I love those guys.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like uh, you know, those are like brothers to me there at Hard Knox.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: And uh Hard Knox is a good name for it.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um a lot of guys come and go, you know, within a couple days, a lot of times, in that gym.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um there wasn't uh not that they were completely unstructured, it just wasn't, you know, like what you're gonna see probably in your you know your big big name gyms and stuff like that.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: You know, an hour here, we're doing this, this, this.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: We showed up and um, you know, we showed some technique and stuff like that.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: We hit some pads and and we beat the shit out of each other.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and yeah, it was hard knocks.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: It it it earned the name.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I was not good.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: I was not good at all.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, the the one thing I thought I was good at, grappling, uh, I got my ass kicked there too, because they knew jujitsu and I didn't.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, I was big enough and had enough wrestling experience I could like hold my own, I guess, if you want to call it that.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: But uh by no means there were not a lot of nights.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: There were no nights when I went home thinking, ah yeah, this is the this is the thing for me, you know, other than the fact that I love doing it.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know, maybe that's just something about my intelligence, but I just, you know, it was exciting.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: I loved doing it, you know.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: I got my ass kicked.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: Probably the like one small win I had one time was Cody actually choked me out in practice one night.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think I went out, and uh, it was either later that night or the next day, I don't recall completely, but uh, you know, I I don't really have uh an extensive striking background, uh, even now, but then especially like I didn't like to fight in high school, you know, parties, nothing like that.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, but I come up out of something and I threw a right hand and caught Cody clean.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I wasn't very good at that time of like like light sparring either, because I didn't really know what I was doing, so everything was just kind of out of fear.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but I clocked him good and it scared the shit out of me.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't know what happened because he dropped to the ground and he just started gushing what was like, I guess it was his sinuses they say it'll happen, but I hit him and it like knocked something, and it like it wasn't blood.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: He just started like gushing clear fluid out of his mouth and nose.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Oh I hit him and dropped him, and he said he like he said it kind of like put him out and then he dropped, and I just remember seeing shit like coming draining out, and I was like, Oh fuck, I killed my friend.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Like I was like, oh no, what did I do?
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Like, oh big stupid meathead, like what are you doing?
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: And uh that was like the one clean shot I ever remember landing when I was in the gym, man.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, but yeah, like I don't even know if it was I don't even know if it was three months in.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: They were like, Yeah, I think you're I think you're ready.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, this is what ready is, like, get my ass beat every single day.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: I haven't won a minute in this place, you know.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm like, all right, cool.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you guys are right, I'm ready.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: So they took me to South Dakota and got me my first fight, and I was uh I was hooked ever since, you know.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_02: One thing that I kind of find a commonality whenever I'm talking with anybody that's in the MMA industry is that sense of camaraderie, even rivals, even rivals, like two guys will go into the octagon, they'll absolutely hate each other, the fight's over, and then 10 minutes later they're best friends.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't think that there is another sport out there to where there's such a strong synergy between the fans, commentators, um, fighters, you know, ring personnel, everybody along those lines.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody is in the muck together.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: And I that's something that I absolutely love.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: And that's kind of an undercurrent and an underlying theme anytime I talk to a fighter such as yourself.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, it's cool because yeah, like you said, there's not a lot of other sports like that, you know what I mean?
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: And it's I always kind of relate it to that.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, this is just my mentality too, I guess.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like, um it's it sounds messed up when I say it, but like it kind of goes back to like, I mean, obviously there's you know, exceptions and rules to this, but the way things work in like the military or this is kind of messed up if you look at it wrong, but but prison and stuff, right?
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: There's respect.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason there's respect is you know, you go in some of those places, you know, say prison, right?
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: You go in there and you and you get fucked up or you get jumped or whatever, you cower, uh, you're gonna get picked on the whole time you're in there, right?
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: You square up, you know, you don't let someone take your blankets, you don't let someone take your chow, and you get fucked up.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: But but you stood up for yourself, right?
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now you now you have real respect, right?
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there's gonna be some assholes that still mess with you, right?
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Because there's assholes, people are assholes.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: It happens, yeah.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: But but the fact that you you stood up and you you had the courage to to stand up for yourself, you know, and you you went toe to toe to someone with someone, you know, whether you come out on top or not, it's the same as in a cage.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you can talk all that smack.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: We can sit there and type back and forth on the keyword, keyboard, we can bark back and forth with that fencing between us, you know, our chains are keeping us this far apart.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh as soon as you take those chains off, it's time to put your money where your mouth is.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, you can give up, you can quit, you know, which which is another reason I'm I'm not I'm not huge into the trash talking before fights.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: Just because A I'm I don't know, I'll talk a little shit playfully, but um, I guess I'm just not I don't know.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: I respect everyone, whether I like them or not.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: And then also uh part of it is probably I'll admit I'm a little afraid to look stupid.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: And uh you know, you see those videos of just people just talking mad shit and then they get clowned and you're like, what the fuck?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Come on, guy.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I never want to be on that highlight reel, you know.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: That that when talking shit goes wrong, highlight, you know.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know what's funny is it seems like the industry at large is kind of starting to move away from that.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, you know, um when I sit and I'm doing commentary for Dynasty and I'm talking to my co-host Caleb, he he asked me, he goes, you know, you have a lot of people on your show from everybody ranging from musicians to actors, but a lot of MMA fighters, why do you focus so much on MMA?
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_02: And my big thing is like I love breaking the stereotype because what MMA is now versus what it was, say, 20 some years ago, it's like two totally different sports.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_02: And a lot of that is that respect element.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: Sure, there's the Connor McGregor era, everybody's talking shit non-stop, but I mean there's not gonna be another Connor McGregor, so why try?
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_02: Like, why not be respectful?
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_02: Why not give notoriety and respect to the sport that it has worked so hard to deserve?
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: And it's yeah, like I said, there's yeah, you have your characters out there, and McGregor could pull it off.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: He just had that, you know, he had that swag about him.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: He had that it was fun.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: The way he did it was fun, you know what I mean?
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Tail Sunden, he's another one.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yes! And his I felt like was very respectful too.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: He didn't ever that I can remember, Chale didn't never really like swear.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: He didn't, you know, it was it was classy and funny the way he did it, you know.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Right because it wasn't just insult style.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: You he was very witty, you know, and that's another thing too that I is talking about stereotypes, you know.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: I think everyone thinks, you know, most martial artists, you know, because we get in there and we punch each other in the head or jujitsu or whatever, like it's just a brutal, a brutal thing.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: No, that's it's human chess, you know?
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's chess with bigger consequences, you know.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta make you know, split second decisions, you know, timing, and and and of course a lot of it is you know, repetition, whether it's wrestling, jujitsu, striking.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: You want to do it so repetitively that you don't have to think.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: But that's just in those moments, you know, where you're in the fire.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: You know, outside of that, I'm watching his footwork.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm watching, you know, I'm watching tape, I'm watching his footwork, I'm watching how he reacts when I faint.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's it's a very intellectual thing.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just two guys in there just brawling, you know.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I think a lot of people that you know are either casual fans or or just don't take a step back and look at it that way, or they've never been involved in it.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think once you're involved in the sport, you definitely realize that.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, or if you don't, you might not get very far because you have to realize that it's it's a it's a thinking game, you know.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of strategy to it.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I feel like that's another stereotype that it's it's kind of nice for people to see that oh, these guys, you know, they have more than three or four brain cells left in them, you know, at least for now.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_02: So your wife says that you have a rather humorous story about your first amateur MMA fight.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_02: Let's hear it.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's uh so sorry.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um uh yeah, humorous, uh crazy, scary.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um so as I mentioned, they took me up to South Dakota for those first fights, right?
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: Now, back at this time, I never truly see myself as like an OG in the sport, but I mean, I guess I still got in it fairly early, right?
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: Especially around here.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: So we used to go up to South Dakota.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um and this would have been in the very, very early days of well, it wasn't dynasty, it was still disorderly conduct.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: Disorderly conduct, yeah.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: And Tri-State was still around at the time.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they were just about out within the next year or two, I believe.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway, we went up to South Dakota.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, they told me I was ready.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't think so, but hey, you know, so here we go, you know, seven-hour drive, eight hour hour drive, whatever it is, right?
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now at this point in my career, I was walking around because I fought at 155.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I was walking probably I'd say 185, maybe, maybe 190, somewhere in there.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Not well, most would think that's still really big, but not as big as I uh got towards the end of my lightweight days.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'd cut from above 200.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um but anyway, we go up there, you know.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: I make weight.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was a s God damn, I can't remember it's been so long.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think it no, it was a it was a day before.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: Because I remember there's pictures of us in the bar afterwards, you know, slamming Pedialite and stuff.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um so it was a night before one, so I had plenty of time to make to to hydrate back up.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: But so I make way to 55.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think on the way up there or prior, you know, they had one opponent in mind.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, cool.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: I don't care.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: I know nothing about this, doesn't really matter to me.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I just know I'm insane and I'm about to crawl in a cage and lock the door and fight someone.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: This is I don't even know why I'm doing this.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I weigh in, we have our shenanigans, you know, we're joking around, playing around.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: Next day rolls around, you know, kind of I have no routine.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, this is my first fight.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're kind of dicking around all morning, you know, we get a roll in, whatever, go hit some pads, get closer to the fight.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, between on the way up there and when they finally like decided who my opponent was gonna be, I think it changed three to five times.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now what they what they landed on now keep in mind at this point in time in South Dakota, it was not sanctioned, right?
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: So yes, we had our blood work done and we did all that stuff.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: It was not necessary.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: And also there was there was another fight I had up there where I lost, kind of a a really stupid law, silly, like I got caught in a guillotine, got into opposite side control like I should, uh, should have, and probably could have never finished me from there, but I panicked, you know, not it was just he was real lanky, was still kind of tight.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: I panicked anyway.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: But later that night, they came and asked me, hey, you know, you didn't really take any damage, you want to fight again.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: And that was a common thing up there.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: You could fight two or three times in a night, no big deal.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, big size difference, didn't matter, right?
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: So anyway, they finally get me matched up with this guy.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an athletic, you know, college wrestler.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: I look it, you know, I look like an athlete.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm real cut up, you know, lean, 155.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: At that time, I think we were still into the big fucking.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: GTL shit, you know, so I look I'm all tanned up, you know, probably shaved and shit for that and uh looking all pretty.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: But they match me up with this kid, and I mean, no disrespect to him.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: God, hopefully he's still around.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: I really hope.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: But not around the fighting scene.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I hope he's still alive.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: But uh this I know he was native, so I hope no one takes offense to it.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know, keep in mind I'm not racist, I'm not I'm not opposed to anyone, it's just my humor, right?
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: So, but this kid looked like I mean, he, you know, walk went on a beer run off the res and he walked around at about 150, 155 pounds.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: Why anyone would match us two up, I have no idea.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: It looked like there was a clear 20 to 30 pound difference between the two of us.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: It looked like the drunk dumbass in the bar who fails to see the ears and goes and picks a fight with some dude 40 pounds bigger than him who's a college wrestler.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's what this fight looked like.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the funny part is I'm shitting my pants.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so scared.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm terrified.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: Even like everyone else can see how bad of a matchup this is, and I'm shitting myself.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, oh God, like what do I do?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: What am I doing?
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: Why am I doing this?
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so we're we got weighed in, you know, night before, whatever, we're getting ready.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: We're in line to the dock, and this kid is behind me, like one or two people behind me.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: I had already found out who I was fighting.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: I picked him out, you know, identified him.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_00: Apparently he hadn't figured it out yet.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: He's talking to the guy directly behind me in line, and he says, What weight are you?
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: And he's like, Oh, uh, 170 or something.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: And he's like, Oh, I thought you were 155, like we're we're fighting or whatever.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: And he's like, What's your name?
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: And he said his name, and he's like, No, dude, I'm I'm fighting this guy.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: And he's like, Oh, you're not weaver?
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I kind of like ears, you know, perk up and I was like, No, that's me, dude.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, we're fighting.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, I'm weaver.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: In the kid's face, like he just looks at me and he's like, You're a weaver?
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, yeah.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, 155.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, yeah.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: Weighed in last night.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: I said I was 55 on the dot.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: Because back then I was kind of like, I really did it out of spite because everyone talks so much shit about how big I was that I wouldn't I wouldn't use the three pounds sometimes just to prove a point.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I'm like, yeah, 155, like, you know?
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: And he's like, Oh, okay.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: And just dead silent from the rest of the time in that line, like 10 minutes or stand at that line.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_00: Still, I don't pick up on these signs.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm still shitting my pants.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, why am I doing this?
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: We'll go get kicked out by the doc.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_00: Cool, everything's everything's kosher.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: I was like the third fight, maybe on the card, something like that, real early.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway, so we get in there.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_00: Cage door locks, right?
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, fuck.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_00: No turning back now, you know.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: Here it goes.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: Why am I doing this?
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: But usually to this day, that's about the time though.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm always nervous.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: I always say if I don't have nerves, that's bad.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: But so the nerves kind of go away.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, well, one way out of this bitch, you know.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: You know, either I'm getting my hand raised or I'm not, but someone's getting beat up, you know.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, we go out to touch gloves.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: About halfway across the cage, you know, because we're kind of doing our little trot out there, he drops to more of like a sprint and tries to fly knee me on the glove touch.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: So, I mean, luckily, because Obi always warned us not to even touch gloves because people would do shit like that.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I was, you know, hesitant anyway, plus I'm terrified.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: So as he does this, I drop down, and this is the best I can recollect because uh Greg Chapeski, Greg Chapleski, if you ever hear this, you son of a bitch, I'm still a little bitter that you did not do your one job.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_00: I had one buddy that was supposed to record this fight, and he fucking dropped the ball.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: But so dude comes running at me.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: I change my level, he tries to fly knee.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: I best I can assume is it just missed, you know, and I'm sure it was sloppy anyway.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: But I come up from underneath him, I remember taking his legs out.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: I assume he kind of flipped over me, whatever.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: I scramble over to him, uh, kind of take his back.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_00: He goes to stand up, and I have a two-on-one, you know, I've got it seat belted to his stomach.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_00: Stands up.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_00: At that moment, I realize like this dude has zero grappling experience.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: There is zero weight down, like his hips, no pressure, just stand straight up.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_00: Take that, and the fact that I'm big as shit for 55 and strong, and all the adrenaline going through my body, I'm sure I could have thrown a heavy weight over my head right now.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so what I thought happened was just like a nice little return, you know?
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: No, they're like, no, dude, this was like five-point, like I mean, yeah, I full launched.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I launched this kid, and uh, you know, since I have that left arm trapped, unfortunately for him, his face breaks his fall, right?
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: So, and I mean, oh man, fuck you, Greg.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so I imagine this is like a picture perfect suplex, right?
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: Belly to back, straight on his head, okay.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: Or talking like, I mean, this is Olympic trial type shit, and I didn't get it, right?
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_00: So, but I take him over my head, slam his face on the mat.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we're at this point, we're right by.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: I remember, I mean, I'm against the cage with OB in my corner.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_00: I think he was out on the slam.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I get my left arm pulled out of there, out of that seat belt, right?
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_00: Because it's underneath him.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: I pull my left arm out, and I always tell everyone, I said, I probably never to this day, I don't think I've hit anyone as hard as I probably hit this kid because of all the fear and adrenaline.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, it was just I mean, see, just got silver back, terrified version of me, just everything I have in my body is just thrown into these left hands on his face.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I probably landed three to five of those with everything I had in my body.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: And uh by the third or fourth one, I heard Obi start saying, and he might have been saying it before then, but that's when the uh shit's starting to clear up.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I hear him yelling, he's out, he's out, ref he's out.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_00: About the same time I remember him yelling that, I remember thinking, like, and I've never I haven't been in like a lot of fights or anything like that, you know what I mean?
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_00: But it just felt different.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: Something felt off, like hitting the way his body was reacting or lack, you know, lack thereof or of a reaction, right?
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: It just something felt weird.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: And now I realize it was kind of like hitting a dead body, right?
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: Because he was out cold.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_00: But so between him saying that and me just kind of like having that eerie feeling of like the way his body wasn't reacting, I was I started to lighten up.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_00: I say that I can imagine they were probably still pretty hard because it just went from like fear for my life strikes to like toned it down a little.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_00: So they're probably still pretty hard, but right, but I think I got probably another five to seven of those off, and then finally the ref come in and you know and shoved me off.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, but he came too, and we go back to the center of the cage, and you know, they say whatever they say, raise my hand, cool.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think I gave the kid a hug.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we walk out of the cage going our separate ways.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I don't know exactly how long it was, I don't remember now, but you know, a few matches down the road or whatever, a few fights.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was Obi that came up to me and said, Hey, don't feel bad.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, don't feel bad.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_00: And he's like, they just they just took that kid out on a stretcher.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, you know, I think Obi's fucking with me.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, what it I was like, what do you mean?
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, he's like, do you like don't feel bad?
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, what do you mean don't feel bad?
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like I, you know, I was like, we got in the caves to fight.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: We know what we're gonna- I was like, what happened?
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: Well, he he collapsed going into the locker room.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: And uh like I think he started like convulsing or something, and they ended up taking him out on a stretcher.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, oh shit, you know, and they're like, you didn't?
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, no, I like I hope he's alright.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like I don't I don't feel bad.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like I feel bad for him.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like I hope he's okay.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: I don't like feel like I did something wrong.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, shit, you know, hope he's good, you know, you know, whatever.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I go on with my night, you know.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a little concerned, but I'm still enjoying my, you know, my my high there.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're drinking whatever and uh enjoying.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_00: We had a few more guys on that fight card.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think this might have been the one where Nate Morrow head kicked some dude in the bed.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_00: At the time, Nate was like 15 years old.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_00: He head kicked some like 36-year-old dude and knocked him out.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: But um, so we're having a you know, we're having a good old time later in the night.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: Again, someone comes to me, hey man, they just life flighted this dude to Pierre.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, what the fuck's going on, you know?
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: And they're like, well, um he's unresponsive.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: He, you know, he's got really bad swelling to his brain and this and that, and uh, you know, like he's he's just it's not good.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, what the fuck?
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and I'm still kind of like, it doesn't seem real, you know.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, someone's messing with me.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: And they're like, you know, again, don't feel bad, don't feel I'm like, I don't feel bad.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_00: Like, that's but like, is this dude gonna be okay?
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is this this isn't normal, right?
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like, this isn't this isn't supposed to happen like this, you know.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: This is my first fight ever.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, no, yeah, we'll we'll keep you posted, whatever.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, so we end up driving back to South Dakota, and I did I did stay in touch with his family.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: My dad said that he actually ran into his cousin or sister or something at some point that night, and they were like, some people were like kind of talking shit, like mad at me, I guess, you know, because they're like, Oh, that wasn't fair, and da-da-da-da-da.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_00: And they're like, and my dad kind of interjected, and he's like, Hey, like, that's my son.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, Trust me, he's he's a good guy.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like, he, you know, he was just as scared as the other guy was being in there.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like, it's he didn't choose the matchup, that's who they put him in there with, you know.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, but yeah, I guess she was all mad, which rightfully so.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: Your cousin or brother or whatever is like potentially dying.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure you're pretty worked up about it.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um but you know, he's like, you know, he's he's just as concerned as you are, you know, he's not an asshole.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: And uh but no, I kind of kept in touch.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think a few months, I think, because I if I remember right, it was either three weeks or three months.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was like God wasn't months, was it?
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_00: It was at least three weeks.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think it was months, but it could have been.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_00: That's been a long time now.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_00: But it was for at least three weeks, he was in a coma.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: But so the reason they put that he was in a coma is that it was medically induced, though.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: Because the brain swelling off.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_00: You know, they take the pressure off.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, keeps your blood pressure down and all that good stuff.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_00: So they drill a hole, you know, relieve the pressure, put you in a coma to make sure all your blood pressure is down, all that good stuff.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then the last, the last I really heard, you know, I was talking to, I think it was his cousin, uh, one of his male cousins of his.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I was kind of keeping in touch through Facebook or something like that.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_00: And um he said that, you know, he was awake, he came out of it, um, he was basically in therapy, kind of like someone having a stroke, right?
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_00: His whole, I want to say it was his right side, probably because most of the trauma was on the left side of the brain.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, his whole right side like wasn't wasn't working right, but he he was making progress from what I heard.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like they didn't they weren't very confident that it was gonna be like a full recovery, but but he was gonna recover, you know, he's gonna be able to walk and shit like that.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, definitely not getting back in the cage anytime soon, which I'd imagine he wouldn't with that happened your first time either.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_00: But but yeah, he uh it was kind of like I said, kind of a crazy, funny, scary, like just uh wild like for your first fight, like especially for like like a guy like me.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't like to fight to this day, dude.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_00: I you pay me, okay?
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: You pay me.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not you know, I always get them damn jokes when I started like a new job or not even a new job, just all the time at work.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, oh I don't want to fight this guy.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, good bro.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to fight.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_00: Shit hurts.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've had I've had fights last 40 seconds and I'm sore for the next three days, man.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't want to fight, you know, unless there's money on the line or you know, I can bag some hot chick from Canada because she sees my fights, I don't want to do it, you know.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: And you never know.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that kid could have had some sort of pre-existing condition that could have influenced that as well.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean I think that's that's another one of those avenues where the sport has evolved so much that they try and check medicals try and check that as much as possible.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: Megan said a few years ago, I know she mentioned it, I think they do like CAT scans in Canada as part of like their physical, which is a good idea.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, as long as you know, healthcare here, which their free healthcare up there is, yeah, take that with a grain of salt because it's kind of a joke.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_00: But um, if it does cover like stuff like that, then that's an amazing idea.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_00: But on the amateur side of it, you're not gonna get these kids to freaking get a cascade, you know what I mean?
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_00: But it is a great idea, though.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_00: I I do like that concept because to go in there with some sort of underlying condition or you know, any sort of, you know, maybe you've been in a lot of fights, and that it should now, it should be something I believe is a pro, especially maybe after so many fights, or you know, maybe uh uh maybe a doctor's recommendation or something, depending on the fight.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_00: Because you know, you've seen some fights where you're like, dude, how are these guys ever gonna fight again?
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like that that second round was CTE, like all over, you know.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I do feel like maybe occasionally it should be something that you know, and again, there's the money and and stuff like that, but I I don't know how they would go about that.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's a whole nother connection.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's that's an entirely different ball.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: But it but it is something that's it's it's definitely concerning, you know, the the stuff we put our bodies and our brains through, especially.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: Not so much body.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, body, you can be beat up and get along, but your brain, man, you only got one of those.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_00: You don't get to re-heal that, you know.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_00: So it is something to look after.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_02: Let's kind of move forward.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_02: And let's we've we've spent some time looking in the rearview mirror.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_02: Let's look through the windshield and let's talk about this bout that you have on May 3rd.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you're fighting Sean Lindren.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_02: What do you know about your opponent?
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_00: Not a ton.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I know he he uh has or coaches his own gym, you know, kind of a deal.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_00: Kind of kind of the same situation I'm in, really, right?
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um I do know he cross-trains a little bit.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um I've actually sorry, Sean, or anyone I'm gonna, you know, I won't I won't throw any names under the bus, but I've had you know people hit me up, you know.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_00: I've been around a while.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um I feel like I'm probably pretty respected in the MA community.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I've had people hit me up that either I've coached or trained with before or or just people that like me, I guess.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_00: And oh hey, you know, I saw I saw you guys you're supposed to be fighting the other day, like you know, and they they don't talk any shit or like give away any secrets or anything, but they're just like, oh, this is what I thought of as grappling, you know, kind of a deal, or this is what I thought of as striking.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, shit like that.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_00: And um so it's kind of cool that uh, you know, if people actually hit me up and you know, like I said, they're not giving anything big away that's gonna be a game changer, but it's just kind of cool that people are, you know, thinking of me, I guess.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_00: But um, so I know he cross-strings a little bit here and there.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I know he's got a taekwondo background, I believe.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um I won't poke too much fun at that, but I you know, everyone always pokes fun at taekwondo, and well, karate, my wife has a karate background, so obviously I uh I I flip her a lot of shit too, and then I get front kicked in the face.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_00: But um I gotta make sure I'm far enough away when I talk my shit.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_00: So uh, you know, I might talk my shit, but I realize it's it is a valuable skill.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, it's all in good fun.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um kind of like me talking about butt scooters, but I know they can rip my ankle off.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_00: So but uh but yeah, he's got a taekwondo background, I believe.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um I don't know how long back or anything that was.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_00: I just know that's kind of where he got his start.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um he's a little long on the teeth like me.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think quite as old, but young uh early 30s, I believe, 32, something like that.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um he uh he doesn't have as much experience.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um he's got what seven fights now, I think, or maybe eight.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh so I don't know.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_00: I guess the one thing I've heard as far as you know weapons to look out for is just I I have heard he has a gas tank, right?
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean that's that's just been a big thing I've been working on.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, with my my time off and stuff like that, and obviously I like to I like to lift and you know, be just a big meathead of a man between my fights sometimes.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, obviously that uh it's not the same as cardio by any means.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_00: So uh especially when you you know you get 10 years into a marriage, I you know, I gotta work on my cardio.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm just gonna talk shit because she's peeking her head in the door, but well, um but yeah, I gotta work on my cardio in the gym.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_00: So that was one thing that I started to pick up, you know.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um I mean, once I knew I had a fight, and then obviously when you hear like, hey, this guy's got a gas tank, you kind of, you know, you really prioritize that.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_00: So I will say I did see his first pro fight with Josh Trebian, who I was supposed to fight at one point in time.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and uh not not in a disrespectful way, you know.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, I'm not big and talking shit.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_00: I just I watched it and I thought to myself, I assume, you know, because I've been there, it's a big jump from three minute rounds to five minute rounds.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: So uh I didn't I don't feel like I saw the uh the gas tank, you know, really shine there.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_00: But like I said, that's a big jump, you know, and it's hard to adjust, even sparring.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's different, you know, the the emotions, the energy, you know, just the adrenaline, all that, you can't replicate that, right?
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_00: So you get in a you know a barn burner of a three-round fight that are five minutes, you know, that's you find out a lot about yourself, you know.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I did notice they got a little gassed out.
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, grappling didn't look super great.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, like I said, keep it respectful.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I don't I'm not gonna say they're trash or anything like that.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: I probably look, you know, not my best when I'm gassed out as well.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_00: So um, yeah, I watched that fight, you know.
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_00: I I like to just kind of watching it, picking it apart a little bit.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, just kind of working on the cardio.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, he doesn't have anything I, you know, I'm getting older.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I deal with injuries, you know, I just got some stuff worked on.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I've, you know, in the recent years, I've been a little more choosing with my fights, right?
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_00: It used to be you call me on a Wednesday, I'll show up Friday to weigh in and fight.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, but I also have a big boy job and a family now, too, so I can't really afford to uh you know.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that dad life will kind of influence things a little bit, won't it?
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I realize, you know, even uh even a nice little bonus or you know, check for fighting, sometimes it's not not worth it, right?
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, so I always kind of evaluate everyone, and he, you know, not to say he's not good or he doesn't have any dangerous weapons, he just um from what I see there's nothing I'm super afraid of, right?
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing that I'm like, ah fuck, like if I get caught in that or you know, I take this, you know, this flying freaking whatever, you know, and uh that's done dealing, you know, I'm not gonna go to work for a month.
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_00: So um I just I think it's gonna be a good fight.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: I really do think it's a good matchup.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think um skill-wise, we're pretty matched up.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, he's I'd say the the one thing I have is experience, you know.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_00: I've got a lot of experience on him.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_00: He's not a young guy, he's just not as versed in the cage, you know.
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um I don't know that he's had I don't know that he's been tested um very well in there, you know what I mean?
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_00: And and again, nothing against any of his opponents.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's just um yeah, I haven't seen anyone really really put it to him and make him, you know, dig deep, you know.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_00: So him and Trebian had a nice fight or a nice 15-minute match, a nice 15-minute fight, but but yeah, I've uh I've yet to really see him, unless I've missed one, you know, or or can't think of one.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I wanna I want to see how he does when you take him into deep waters, you know.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_00: He you know, maybe I get him on the ground, maul him for four minutes, you know.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_00: How are you gonna react, you know?
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_00: I've been mauled by the likes of Grant Dawson and Bueno Carmo and you know, fat shit tower.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh Tower Robinson, uh No Neck.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_00: Old no neck himself.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, you know, I've been around a while.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I've I've taken my lumps, I've had some good fights, didn't always come out on top, right?
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_00: But it but it it taught me a lot about myself.
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, if nothing else, um win or lose, hopefully we both become better fighters out of this.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_02: I love that, man.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_02: And that gives us a lot to look forward to on May 3rd at Dynasty Combat Sports Spring Brawl at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I mentioned the dad life thing, and I think we would be remiss not to mention another fighter on the card on May 3rd.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_02: Your son is gonna be in a wrestling match.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about that for just a second.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so stoked, man.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so stoked.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm more excited for that than my fight.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like, yeah, I've never like I've posted on social media a couple times.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_00: I've never uh fucking man.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, dude.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_00: Dude, there's allergies in my house, bro.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh um, I'm proud of him, dude.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's um my son uh he he hasn't he hasn't been dealt the best cards, right?
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_00: He uh he has some disabilities.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: uh growing up just with his um development right his his body development um core motor motor skills you know motor functions all that good stuff um so to see to see him get this opportunity um you gotta edit this out uh uh to see him get this opportunity is it's uh it's awesome it's bittersweet um and to be able to share the card with him is really cool uh it's man I don't know I just I don't I don't know how to put into words how how blessed I feel and how excited I am to watch him you know and I've talked to him about it over and over you know I've told him you know no matter no matter what happens dude this is an opportunity that most people don't get right at your dad's age okay to fight at the pinnacle in front of thousands of people man you're you're a little boy you're eight years old so no matter what happens I promise you everyone at because he he keeps hearing you know his little buddies at school or you know they're his friends too but just you know boys being boys shit talking yeah talking shit oh we heard horse chief's you know the favorite and da da da and we're like fuck I don't know or he said what did he say one day was everyone's going to watch horse chief or something like that I was like bro I don't know how to say this without saying error being sounding arrogant but your dad's been doing this a while you're you're kind of I don't want this to get to your head but you you're you're a big deal without knowing you're a big deal dude like this has been a long like there's a lot of people that are pretty fucking stoked about this man I said there's no one's coming to see one kid more than the other if anything there's more people there to see you than me and you know no matter what happens like I said no one in that arena is gonna give a shit no one next year next month no one's gonna remember who won that match yeah but they are gonna remember that Ronan the Barbarian Weaver walked down that walkway and got in that cage and had a badass wrestling match with another badass 8 year old or nine or however it is you know but but you got in there and you scrapped with one of the other better kids in the state and no matter what your little buddies say just ask them how their performance went at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in the cage.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yes you know you're uh you're something special dude you you didn't start with you're not the most athletic kid in the world you've worked your ass off for the last three years that kid couldn't stand on a shit you're not he couldn't lift his right foot off the ground without falling over like and we're not talking trying to stand on one foot for like 30 seconds we're talking as soon as his foot came off the ground sack of potatoes so he's he's come so far and he's such a hard worker and he's such a competitive little dude man oh and his you know that used to be kind of his downfall was his composure right and even that in the last year and a half two years has come so far and yeah I'm just so proud of the little duke like he's just man he'll uh he'll be he'll be at least twice the fighter I ever was if he keeps it up he's he's something else that okay so one dusty eyed dad bro to another dusty eyed dad bro i i'm i'm going through the same thing myself to a certain degree um i was in the music business for so many years you know i've i've released seven albums i've played with every single one of my most favorite bands i just never broke through right and and it's one of those days I eventually had to be honest with myself and say okay this probably isn't the path for me but I've got so many kick ass stories as a result of it I have an 18 year old daughter well she's about to turn 18 senior in high school she is 10 times the musician I ever was she sang the national anthem for state wrestling she does she's done the anthem a couple times for dynasty she is like singing in her own band I sit back and I listen to her and I'm like she has every bit of talent I never was without even trying and I have that moment that you're having right now every time I get the pleasure of seeing her perform so when I say I get what you're feeling right at this moment brother I get what you're feeling right at the moment 110% it's an amazing thing for you yeah it's awesome like just to yeah like I said just I want him to have everything I didn't you know all the opportunities and not in a way where you want to spoil your kid obviously right but I want him to I want to make him available I I want him to be able to succeed right you know we go to whether he was good or not we've been going to national tournaments you know Rocky Mountain Nationals uh Cosmic Clash you know stuff like that because and that's the shit you remember when you get older right me and Megan always talk about that you can get I mean I remember getting like a like a Furby and a Game Boy right when I was a kid.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_00: Those are like the you know big things with my Pokemon and shit.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 49:15
  SPEAKER_00: Other than that I don't remember any gifts I got man.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_00: I remember my dad taking to the IMAX theater every time he got to see me on the weekends.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_00: I remember going to you know Six Flags I remember taking a trip to like my grandma and grandpa right you remember events, memories, shit like that, you know experiences.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_00: So just as a family it's just fun to do that shit you know and he'll always he still talks about going to Denver um like it's cute the the little shit they put they fill out like a thing at school that's like this is my favorite you know season this is da da da dude for like two years in a row it was just talking about how he going to Denver and doing all these fun things in Denver when he was out there for cosmic clash you know go to the uh I think it's like the children's museum of science and aquarium and we went to that urban air you know yeah we want to visit Meowwolf out there.
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if you ever heard of that.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yes my wife and my stepdaughters got to go like two summers ago but I I ended up so I'm I'm divorced and remarried.
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_02: So I've got two kids that live in in Omaha and I had some stuff going on with my my kids that I couldn't make the trip but I saw the pictures and I was like shit yeah it's amazing so amazing yeah we want to go so bummed I missed that one.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah we're hoping we get a catch just for uh we had a rough year um financially and stuff so we actually didn't go out to cosmic clash this last September but so this year we're kind of on the we're on the bounce back right everything's kind of falling in place with the gym uh you know I had I recently I kind of moved away from one gym and we were kind of in limbo and stuff for a while and um just uh just conflict of coaching styles really you know nothing personal or anything like that um but you know and now it's it's been a good year you know everything's kind of falling together you know they always say you know all your cliche sh cliche stuff you know days or the night as darkest before the dawn and you know sometimes good stuff has to fall apart for better stuff to come there you know but I mean it's true or at least in this situation it seemed like it for me you know I've been through a lot of shit this last year.
• 51:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um honestly this fight would have come up six nine months ago well they offered me some actually and I wouldn't take them I just wasn't in a good spot mentally physically financially garbage right but all the pieces have fallen together in the last few months and it's just it's man it's it's exciting it's it's a good thing you know things coming together for me personally um coaching um and kind of running a gym and stuff like that and uh you know things for me and my wife things for my kids like wrestling just opportunities um you know finances every everything's coming together and it's it's uh it's really looking to be a good year after it's a good bounce back after a hell of a dark phase so no better story than the comeback story and I think that's the perfect high note to kind of wrap this up with this is my favorite question to ask every single guest that has been on the show and since we have been talking in such a positive spin the past couple minutes I think this is a good time to ask this question and that is what's Justin Weaver's advice for making the world a better place tomorrow than what it is today from your point of view man in short remember the golden rule right everyone learned that as a kid treat everyone as if you want or as you would want to be treated right but to extend on a little bit we just had this conversation the other day um I had it with uh I'm gonna go off a little bit here but I had it with the man that I was just um communicating with this last weekend we are looking at an well we've found a new spot I am opening up kind of my own my own gym my own MMA team whatever you want to call it right never thought I'd be saying that but um and honestly it did it just kind of fell into my lap and there's a lot of connections and backstory behind it and it's kind of cool how it all came together.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_00: This man once had the same vision that I have you know in the Carney area with all the talent you know there's such a wealth of talent with the wrestlers and stuff around there.
• 53:16
  SPEAKER_00: And he has the same vision I do to to enable people to train and experience this awesome crazy lifestyle of jujitsu and MMA and all this stuff but I also realize you know people come from you know lesser circumstances you know like me I I grew up poor shit I'm still not rich but I'm doing all right you know I make I do all right for myself um you know college kids college is rough you know just times in general right now it's tough out there you know so I want to have a spot for people to be able to train for 20 30 bucks a month you know what and if you can't for some reason scrape that up I'm not shaking you down keep showing up keep showing up just wipe the mats you know help out just keep showing up keep on keeping on right um where I was going with that is you know all this stuff kind of fell into place it fell in my lap and I always tell my wife like I I'm always she thinks I'm probably too generous sometimes and maybe she's right sometimes you know I've probably been burned before but I truly believe that if I can if I can do it without you know putting my my family in in harm or you know behind financially and stuff like that I'm gonna give you the shirt off my back in any situation.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_00: No key bumping the damn dogs um you know in any situation I'm the kind of guy that's gonna try to give you the shirt off my back.
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna help you out if I can right and and and lots of times life I feel like that has come back around and you know you know I've always said I you know I always I used to look at it the wrong way you know God I can't catch a break.
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_00: Every time I get ahead I get shit on.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know I'm all this shit's always happening to me.
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_00: But then I've I look at the flip side and there's been times where I'm on the verge of you know losing my car or you know getting my lights turned off or my cell phone turned off and some person who just happened to kind of come into my life you know whether it's a parent of a friend or a random stranger or you know a sponsor or something has always saved my ass in the nick of time.
• 55:22
  SPEAKER_00: And that can't be a coincidence that many times.
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's always happening.
• 55:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's whether you choose to look at the bright side or the dark side of things.
• 55:30
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah I might always feel like I was catching some unlucky breaks.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_00: Shit it's probably because of the decisions I was making you know what I mean but I gotta look at the fact that I'm always catching that lucky break.
• 55:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm always something's always saving my ass from going under, getting pulled under the water and I I truly feel like it's just karma.
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know it's the universe working its working its wonders you know I'm I'm always trying to be positive you know whether I'm down or not I'm trying to be funny I'm trying to be upbeat I want other people to laugh.
• 56:01
  SPEAKER_00: I don't care if I'm you know a little down in the dumps you if I can make you laugh that makes me feel a little bit better right so I'm always trying to stay positive.
• 56:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm always trying to help people out you know like I said I'll I'll throw my shirt down to get you over the puddle right I'll I'll give you the shirt off my back and I just stay positive and uh have faith that it's gonna come around you know what goes around comes around you know that good karma's gonna come around and it's gonna save my ass again one of these days.
• 56:29
  SPEAKER_00: So you know be good to people.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_02: Try to look at everything with a positive outlook um you know and uh good old wise man Joe Dirt says just just keep on keeping on you know yes dig it dude I tell you what man there have been so many times in this session of us recording and having this great conversation where I was kind of thinking about my next question and you had already answered it in that fold.
• 56:57
  SPEAKER_02: It's like I love having these conversations with people that share a similar mindset.
• 57:02
  SPEAKER_02: I am 110% of that belief that karma is real.
• 57:08
  SPEAKER_02: I don't I don't judge anybody based on what their structure of faith is what their structure of process of belief is but I do believe that karma is 110% real.
• 57:20
  SPEAKER_02: What you put out in the world is what you get back full fully fully Justin I've had such a pleasure having a conversation with you man.
• 57:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yes it was a blast I mean anytime man if you ever won't have me back shit oh dude I would love to have a guy on here someday yeah absolutely well I can't wait to see you at the fights make sure you say hi high five and a hug brother uh glad to know you thanks for doing the show the world is a much better place with you in it my friend yes sir we'll see you in a few weeks thank you once again I'd like to thank my friend Justin Weaver for joining me on the podcast today make sure you follow his new school at magnum MMA on Instagram and give Justin himself a follow on Instagram at magnum155.
• 58:10
  SPEAKER_02: While you are being generous with those follows make sure you're following Dynasty Combat Sports as well as Caught on the mic on all your social media platforms you can also visit me www.caughtonthe.com I am looking to build my subscriptions on YouTube so make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel I definitely appreciate it.
• 58:40
  SPEAKER_01: This has been Caught on the mic with Michael Clark I'm Michael Clark until next time thank you