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Mark Coleman | From Addiction to UFC Hall of Famer... Here's How He Did It | #153 — Transcript

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0:00You know, one morning I woke up with
0:01that hangover, puking and this and that
0:04and and I I reached in the damn fridge
0:07and I grabbed a beer like it's 7:00 a.m.
0:10>> Mhm.
0:11>> And it was it was
0:13big mistake because it immediately just
0:16took the hangover away and put me right
0:18back to the feeling I wanted to have.
0:22>> [music]
0:29[singing]
0:34>> Yo, yo, yo, it's your boy, it's Phil Wam
0:35Bam Inamino, baby. It's another Wam Bam
0:37Wednesday. You know the show about
0:39ordinary people who've done
0:40extraordinary things. And as always,
0:42baby, first subscribe. Hit that little
0:44button down below. It costs you nothing,
0:47a little bit of effort. Today's show, I
0:49got a real treat for you, baby. When we
0:52talk about extraordinary,
0:55there's nobody in this world, on this
0:57planet, that can actually fulfill some
0:59of the things that this man has done. I
1:01mean, if you're an addict and you're
1:02wondering if you can beat it, this guy
1:04did. If you had problems in your
1:06relationships and you were a single dad
1:08and you're wondering if you can do it,
1:10this guy did. If you're a wrestler and
1:12you're wondering, "Hey, can I make it to
1:13the Olympics?" THIS GUY DID. THAT'S
1:16RIGHT. AND IF YOU'RE A FIGHTER AND YOU
1:18WANT TO BE A FIGHTER and say, "Hey, can
1:19I be the the champion? NOT JUST A PRIDE
1:22CHAMPION, but a UFC heavyweight champion
1:24of THE WORLD?" THIS MAN HAS DONE IT.
1:27WELCOME TO THE SHOW TODAY, Mark "The
1:28Hammer" Coleman is in the house, baby.
1:30>> Hey, thank you, man.
1:32>> How are you, man? I'm so glad to have
1:33you here today.
1:34>> I'm great. I like the name of the
1:35podcast.
1:36I never wanted anything to do with being
1:38ordinary.
1:39>> That's right, you're not. You're
1:40definitely not ordinary, man. And you
1:41know what, we're going to get right into
1:43it because obviously when you fought and
1:44the things that you've done in your
1:45life, let's just start right along.
1:47Growing up as a as a young kid and
1:49everything, wrestling was your way of
1:51life. Like that was like eating
1:53breakfast, wasn't it? At 5 years old,
1:54you said you were wrestling.
1:55>> in general, man. Like as a 5-year-old
1:57kid, I knew I was a shy kid, man, and I
2:00I figured out real early that size
2:02matters.
2:03>> Mhm.
2:04>> And I didn't like getting picked on at
2:05all. I didn't really get picked on, but
2:07anything at all, I I knew I just had to
2:09get bigger, stronger, and faster. And I
2:11lived by that my whole life, and I still
2:13do. But, I wanted to be the greatest
2:15athlete in the world. I wanted to be a
2:18Major League Baseball player, NFL
2:19football player, and Olympic champion.
2:22And the toughest guy in the world.
2:24>> Toughest guy
2:25>> of it. There was no sport, but that
2:27meant the world to me growing up. Losing
2:28a street fight would have been It would
2:30have been the worst thing that could
2:31ever happen to me.
2:32>> Now, were you a bully? Did you get in a
2:33lot of fights growing up as a kid?
2:34>> No.
2:35>> No, not at all. So, you were So,
2:36fighting wasn't a way of life. It was
2:38just something that you just wanted to
2:40do.
2:40>> Uh something I wanted to do, but
2:41something I needed [clears throat] to
2:43have in my back pocket cuz losing a
2:45fight anywhere would would have been a
2:47nightmare, and um I prepared for it my
2:50whole life.
2:50>> Yeah. That's crazy. Now, talking about
2:52wrestling, I'm back in the day,
2:53wrestling wasn't a sport that was always
2:55respected. You know, back in the day
2:57they used to make fun of wrestlers
2:58wearing a singlet, you know, two men
2:59rolling around on a mat, you know? You
3:01know, back in the day, you know
3:02>> Yeah, I do know.
3:03>> How did you overcome through Yeah, how
3:05did you overcome that to the point where
3:07not only did you do it, but you went
3:08Division I, O H
3:10>> I O
3:10>> There he is, man. You went there,
3:12wrestled there as well. Um talk a little
3:14bit about your journey as an actual
3:16Division I wrestler in college.
3:19>> Yeah, wrestling didn't get any respect.
3:20Heck, no. It never did until right about
3:23now.
3:24>> Yeah.
3:24>> I got in the UFC, and and people were
3:27saying, "Wrestling, it's not even a
3:28martial art."
3:30>> Right.
3:30>> I just just watch. Just watch, dum-dum.
3:34But, uh
3:35you know, and
3:36uh yeah, wrestling made me made me who I
3:39am today.
3:40>> Yeah.
3:40>> Um toughest toughest and greatest sport
3:43in the world. Lowest on the totem pole,
3:45no money, no fame, no nothing. You did
3:48it all for your personal satisfaction.
3:51>> That's right.
3:52>> But, we always wanted more. We knew all
3:54us wrestlers, we knew we were the
3:55toughest guys in the world.
3:57>> Right. It's so funny because today's
3:58day, and I don't care whether it's in
4:00business or whether it's sports, if you
4:02got a wrestler, you know that they're
4:04disciplined. You know how they're going
4:06to operate. They're going to show up.
4:07Because that is a sport, it's
4:08one-on-one. There's nobody to blame. You
4:10can't blame the quarterback. You You
4:12can't blame the guy the right tackle.
4:13You know what I'm saying? You can't
4:14blame somebody else. It's just you and
4:16them. So you got to take on all the
4:18responsibility and discipline. But with
4:20the weight cuts and everything else,
4:21it's it's it's a it's a hard thing. But
4:23wrath now, wrath's coming out, you know,
4:25the wrestling these these days. Now all
4:27of a sudden it's a big sport. And now
4:28you see everybody now wants to get in
4:30it. A lot of these fighters are are
4:32getting into the wrestling stuff. What
4:33do you What do you think about that?
4:34>> Everybody wants that cauliflower ear.
4:36It's sexy now.
4:38But uh
4:39>> You know what? It's so funny you say
4:40that cuz I literally literally just had
4:42somebody send me an image the of
4:45somebody that actually got an a
4:46cauliflower ear on purpose. Like went to
4:48the doctor to get a cauliflower ear. So
4:50he could look like an MMA fighter.
4:52>> That's
4:53>> Isn't that crazy?
4:54>> It's pretty cool, but crazy.
4:55>> I'm sitting there going to myself, I
4:57don't think he would have had to pay for
4:58that. He should have just gotten a ring
4:59with a couple guys, couple sparring
5:00sessions and it would have happened, you
5:02know?
5:03>> [laughter]
5:03>> Just just the the greatest sport in the
5:05world by far. Discipline is number one.
5:09There's so much discipline needed to be
5:10a wrestler, but at the same time
5:12confidence is everything in this world,
5:14I found out. And that's what wrestling
5:17will give any any small kid boy or girl,
5:20and that's the beauty of it. Wrestling's
5:22women's wrestling is climbing, it's
5:25getting so popular. You know,
5:27it's cool to look like a little wrestler
5:30now for women. That's the bodies they
5:32want now.
5:33>> Right. We'll call them athletic. We'll
5:34call them athletic. Yeah, them athletic
5:36bodies.
5:37>> [laughter]
5:38>> Some of them other ones, those
5:39cross-gender ones, what do you think of
5:40that?
5:41>> I don't think too much about it.
5:42>> You know, do you think that's fair? You
5:44think it's when they when they're
5:45cross-gendering and saying they they
5:47were a female and all of a sudden
5:49they're male or female.
5:50>> was fair to compete?
5:51>> and now Yeah, to compete. They were male
5:52and all of a sudden they're female.
5:54>> Exactly.
5:54>> Can I cuss here?
5:55>> Yeah, you can do what you want.
5:56>> No, man. That's just garbage, man.
5:59>> Yeah.
5:59>> Beat it.
6:00>> [laughter]
6:01>> But
6:02>> It's happening, [ __ ] [clears throat]
6:03>> It's happening.
6:04It's happening in sports.
6:06You know.
6:07>> It is sad. It is sad. But it's like
6:09people don't like who they are. They
6:11want to be somebody else.
6:12>> okay. Go ahead and do that [ __ ] I
6:14guess. But you ain't going to get to
6:15compete.
6:16>> Yeah.
6:16>> It's not fair to some girl.
6:17[clears throat]
6:18>> Right.
6:18>> turd
6:19>> [laughter]
6:20>> What about a girl wrestling a guy?
6:22>> That's what I'm talking about. I mean
6:24uh uh uh uh uh
6:24>> girl, though. She's she's really good,
6:26you know.
6:27>> What what what's it going to hurt, man?
6:29She's going to She's going to win some
6:31of them, but it's just going to make her
6:32tougher.
6:33>> Yeah.
6:33>> Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that at
6:34all. Why?
6:35>> No, I'm just just curious about the the
6:37thought process there. Because there's
6:38not too many sports that you really
6:40would allow a woman compete against a
6:41guy. Like MMA, you can't really do that.
6:43Jiu-jitsu, maybe. Because you're rolling
6:45around just tapping them out, you know.
6:47They're not taking punches and blows and
6:48everything. But obviously, there's
6:50really nothing for a man to win. Either
6:53either way they lose in my mind. You
6:55know what I'm saying? If you take on
6:56that fight or you take on that match.
6:57>> It's just a challenge for a man to do
6:59it. And guess what? Uh it could be a
7:01life-changer if you lose. I've seen a
7:03lot of little young kids lose to a girl.
7:05And
7:06>> Yeah.
7:06>> And it throws them for a loop for I
7:08don't know how long it does. You got to
7:09pull it together and accept it. But they
7:11would be That would have been a
7:14life-ender for me losing to a girl. I
7:17would have just
7:18devastated me, man.
7:20>> That would
7:20>> Yeah, let's just give up home run to a
7:22girl in baseball once.
7:24>> You did? Pitching?
7:25>> My My dad was a coach. He came out and
7:28took me out.
7:29>> Yeah. He said, "I'll get the bench."
7:31>> [laughter]
7:33>> He took out Did you lose the game?
7:35>> Yeah.
7:35>> You did because of the home run?
7:37>> I don't know. We lost.
7:39Probably I didn't help.
7:40>> That sucks.
7:41>> [laughter]
7:42>> So, you know, obviously went to Ohio.
7:44Being in Ohio
7:45>> Miami Ohio first for 3 years. I didn't
7:47get recruited out of high school. I went
7:49to a real small high school. I was
7:50all-state in football, state in
7:52baseball, multiple state champion in
7:54wrestling, and uh I didn't even get
7:56recruited in wrestling. Uh just small
7:59schools, and Miami of Ohio was the only
8:01ones that offered me a scholarship. We
8:02were poor, had five kids, so I had to
8:04take it, but I went there for one
8:06reason, just to get out.
8:08>> Mhm.
8:09>> So, I went there, and it was probably a
8:10blessing in disguise cuz I was just all
8:13in to get out of that school. So, the
8:16partying was very, very minimum.
8:18>> Yeah. You didn't party in college as
8:19much as you did afterwards.
8:21>> Hell no. I was for 27 years I was pretty
8:24loyal to what I was You know, I I
8:26sometimes I wasn't totally clean, but
8:28no, it was
8:29most of the time clean and sober going
8:31for that Olympic dream, man.
8:33>> Yeah. So, being an an Olympic wrestler,
8:35that had to been crazy.
8:37Walk me through that day when you
8:39realized you were accepted and you
8:41>> accepted. You got to win it.
8:43>> Right. But once you win it and you won
8:44it and you're like, "Okay, now I now I'm
8:46representing the USA."
8:48>> That's like the first world couple are,
8:50you know, winning state was huge. I
8:51couldn't wow. And then you go on to
8:53college, and I'm going to win a few of
8:54those national titles, but that's one of
8:56the hardest things to really do is be a
8:58national champion in wrestling. It's
9:00different than being an Olympian and all
9:02that cuz you got to go through a whole
9:039-month season. It's the hardest grind
9:07you could ever imagine. You got to try
9:09to avoid the injuries this and that. You
9:11got to pull it together at the end after
9:13all that season and and beat a lot of
9:15guys on a on a huge stage. That was That
9:19was the first time I was like, "Wow, I
9:20can't you know, I I did it." But then
9:23you got to just keep setting more goals,
9:24and then yeah, making the Olympic team
9:27was way higher not way higher, but
9:30higher than winning a national title.
9:32And yeah, yeah, I kind of I celebrated
9:35pretty hard after that one, man.
9:36>> Yeah, I bet. I mean, hey, you
9:37representing the USA. Which Which mean,
9:39you know, in fact, we just watched the
9:41white card, you know, fight the other
9:43night. What do you think of the fights?
9:44You know, the White House Yeah, the
9:45White House foot card.
9:46>> Man, it was just seemed scripted. It was
9:49so cool, man. Jesus.
9:51>> You wonder about that.
9:52>> Every fight ending I was a dream dream
9:56night. It'd be hard to ever top that.
9:59>> Now Now, one fight went to the decision.
10:01Not one went to the cards. And Dana
10:03always says, man, don't ever let it go
10:04to the cards, right? So, you wanted to
10:06go to that. You know, you came in
10:07through fighting in a different era.
10:09Let's go back. You mean, you coming up
10:11into the UFC
10:12>> I was there. There was no way I was I I
10:15don't like to be called just uh What do
10:17you call the beginning guys?
10:18>> The The wannabes? The what?
10:20>> No, the guy the early guys that
10:22>> The early Oh, you you you talking about
10:24the the the history, the the earlier
10:26guys, the guys that
10:28>> What are we labeled? What
10:29>> The pioneers.
10:30>> I ain't just a pioneer, man. I made it
10:32all the way to 109, man. I was 44 years
10:34old. It was important to me to last a
10:36long time cuz I didn't want to be called
10:38he was just in the early days.
10:39>> Oh, right, right. No, what I'm saying is
10:42in the earlier days when you was first
10:43started, there was no money. There was
10:45There wasn't the money and the fame that
10:47they have now.
10:48>> people say no money, but I got 75K, bro.
10:51And as a poor wrestler, that was a lot
10:53of money to me. So, it wasn't no money.
10:56>> How did you survive those days and those
10:58times? That That's what I was get I was
11:00trying to get at. Meaning because the
11:02types of contracts because
11:04>> 75K
11:05>> Right, which is great. Which is great
11:06when you're training yourself and you're
11:08able to do that.
11:08>> 3 months. That's a pretty damn good
11:10year.
11:10>> Yeah, that's great. That's That's That's
11:12super. So, that was all you need.
11:13>> Unless you spend it like I did.
11:15>> [laughter]
11:17>> What did you spend it on most?
11:18>> I don't know. I ate a lot of sushi,
11:20brother. I ate out every night.
11:22>> Yeah.
11:22>> Spent a lot. Took the family out and
11:24it's easy to spend.
11:26>> Yeah, yeah. That's the That's the key.
11:27People that are making a lot of money,
11:29too, also understand that, you know,
11:30they don't get all that money. There is
11:32an IRS. Taxes get half of that money a
11:35lot of times.
11:35>> Found out about that too.
11:36>> that's a that's a that's a big thing
11:38that athletes get hit with that people
11:40don't realize like, "Oh, you made 10
11:41million." Well, you maybe took home six.
11:43You know, which is still great. Don't
11:44get me wrong.
11:45>> Yeah, but it was we didn't have that
11:47problem when we fought in Japan. That
11:48was pretty pretty amazing.
11:50>> Yeah. So, let's talk about your fighting
11:52days. Getting into the UFC.
11:54>> I went to the RIZIN FF
11:55Friday night. I was there.
11:57>> Oh, yeah?
11:57>> Did you see it?
11:58>> No, I did not see it Friday night.
11:59>> about it?
12:00>> No, I sure didn't.
12:01>> Well, hell, big riot broke out after the
12:03main event.
12:03>> yeah, I didn't see that. I didn't see
12:04that. I didn't see the riot. I That's
12:05right.
12:06Kamaru, right?
12:07>> Kamaru and Dillon Danis, but uh I was in
12:09Danis's corner.
12:11>> Yeah.
12:11>> I was just We were in the same locker
12:13room. I cornered uh Lance Palmer and he
12:15was in there and yeah, I He only had
12:16like one corner man.
12:18>> Yeah.
12:18>> And I was concerned about the whole
12:20thing, you know, I said, "Do you want me
12:22to come in with you?" Although I love
12:24Kamaru,
12:25>> Yeah.
12:25>> but so I jumped in his corner. Next
12:27thing you know, damn, it was all on. And
12:31>> Got wild.
12:31>> them Russians they they kind of had a
12:33plan. I'm pretty sure something was
12:35going to go down and they were going to
12:36get there first because like six dudes
12:39got there real fast. And I got there way
12:42late, but I didn't even I decided I
12:45didn't even get I got pretty close. I
12:47seen Danis get kicked in the face from
12:48about 5 ft like three, four times. And
12:51uh
12:51>> Really?
12:51>> the old Mark Coleman I don't like I
12:53don't like maiming and [ __ ] like that.
12:55Like fair fairness, you know what I
12:56mean? But
12:56>> Sure.
12:57>> I wanted to do something, but just for
12:59the first time in my life thank god I
13:01wasn't drinking. I don't drink anymore
13:03cuz I would have got right in there.
13:05>> on that. Congrats on that.
13:06>> I just stayed I got I had the camera
13:08out. I filmed the whole thing, man.
13:09>> Yeah, that's crazy. That is wild. Let's
13:11get more and more wild.
13:12>> nobody I'm I'm glad Danis didn't get
13:15hurt cuz I don't like see people get
13:17maimed.
13:17>> What kind of publicity that you They
13:18doing it for the publicity publicity or
13:20do they get fined for that as well? Like
13:21do they get in trouble for that or is it
13:23okay? Is RIZIN FF doing anything about
13:25it? Why did they do that? No, I'm saying
13:27is RAF RAF doing anything about it? Do
13:30Do Do will they face fines and stuff
13:31like that for that? You know?
13:33>> Or they don't care. They just wild
13:35I heard what the comms I got paid and my
13:38jaw dropped.
13:40>> Really?
13:40>> I'm thinking about doing it.
13:42>> What do you get paid?
13:43>> Uh
13:43>> What do you get?
13:44>> Like a half [ __ ] million.
13:46>> Really? To wrestle?
13:47>> Half [ __ ] million to wrestle.
13:49>> Yeah.
13:50You got to go.
13:51>> I thought you know
13:53I thought it was a
13:54>> Right. [laughter]
13:56That money.
13:57>> I think I'm going to see if they'll sign
13:59me up, man.
13:59>> Who Who you wrestle?
14:01>> Kurt Angle, baby.
14:02>> that'd be the one.
14:03>> I already asked him.
14:04>> There you go. There you go. That would
14:06be a good one.
14:07>> He He said there's no way he can't do
14:09it.
14:09>> Kurt won't do it?
14:10>> Oh, he's just He's really kind of beat
14:12up, man. He went He went through crazy
14:15hell in that WWE, man. He put his body
14:18on the line for multiple years. His
14:21matches, they were incredible. He is a
14:24Hall of Famer in that sport as well.
14:26>> People don't realize. And you did a
14:27little bit of that.
14:28>> I did a lot of it. Five years.
14:29>> five years in that
14:30>> Over in Japan, you know. I loved every
14:32second of it.
14:33>> bit about that. Everybody talks about
14:34Oh, it's fake. It's fake. Gravity's
14:36real, isn't it?
14:37>> Fake is Fake is the Fake is the dumbest
14:39word in the world.
14:40You know, it's predetermined
14:42entertainment.
14:43>> That's right.
14:43>> And
14:44what do you mean by fake? They're not
14:45punching each other in the face? Well,
14:47obviously, but they do miss. They do
14:50punch and they do land and that high
14:52risk coming off the top ropes and that
14:54[ __ ] Hey, Kurt Angle got beat up way
14:57worse than pro wrestling that he did in
14:59real wrestling. And real wrestling is
15:01one of the toughest sports in the world,
15:02but No, WWE pro wrestling, dangerous,
15:06boy. Very dangerous.
15:08>> Who do you think is the top wrestler
15:09right now out there in RAF? Like who's
15:11somebody that you really like that kid's
15:13good?
15:13>> So many of them, but they're just what
15:16we Yeah, I went there and that's the
15:17beauty of it, man. High high level
15:20wrestling is enter entertaining, man.
15:22It's exciting to the average person, but
15:25wrestling gets the bad name because
15:28it can be boring. And if you don't know
15:30what's going on out there, it can look
15:32like two guys just hugging each other a
15:34little bit, but
15:36high level these guys
15:38blows my mind cuz I get pretty bored at
15:40wrestling matches. I can't watch this
15:42average wrestling, you know what I mean?
15:43I can't just watch it, but that stuff is
15:46exciting and there's action all the time
15:48if if they can get everybody to wrestle
15:50like that and
15:51keep moving up, but
15:52>> Well, it sounds like they're paying them
15:53well, so there there's a lot of people
15:54watching it.
15:55>> wouldn't say
15:55>> A lot of people watching it.
15:56>> Well, I know, but
15:58they got to be getting paid pretty good
15:59and I'm just I'm just so happy for this
16:01sport. There was 10,000 people in the
16:03arena, man.
16:04>> That's great. That's
16:04>> I just can't believe it, but you know,
16:06that's what I wanted back in your city
16:08too, man. I promoted wrestling every
16:10chance I got that mic in my hand.
16:12>> Yeah.
16:12>> You can't wrestle, you can't fight.
16:14>> Right.
16:14>> And it's the greatest sport in the world
16:16and and now we're finally getting our
16:18cuz you know, you got a karate school on
16:20every corner of the street and we were
16:23just disgusted. We knew that stuff was
16:25garbage. I mean, it ain't garbage if
16:27you're just doing karate with each
16:29other, but in the real world it ain't
16:31happening. And but they're getting all
16:33the money in all these schools.
16:35>> Yeah.
16:35>> So, my first guy was Moty Hornstein, a
16:38karate world champion.
16:39>> Oh, yeah.
16:40>> Yeah, a little nervous right when we got
16:42in there like, "Oh, man, what I get that
16:44crane kick?" And he did try that. He
16:46tried that [ __ ]
16:47>> He tried that [ __ ]
16:48>> Yeah, a little bit, kind of.
16:49>> I just stopped it.
16:50>> He didn't jump up and flick it like The
16:52Man [laughter] did.
16:53No, I just went under and just just went
16:55underneath and shot. Took him down, but
16:58yeah, it was
16:59>> When you jiu-jitsu got first introduced
17:00to you, what was that like? Because
17:02being a wrestler and now I'm obviously a
17:03former wrestler as well, but you know,
17:05getting into jiu-jitsu where people like
17:07playing off your back was way different,
17:09opposite of wrestling. Wrestling you
17:10don't want to be on your back. When
17:11jiu-jitsu that's was a safe spot for
17:13them. How was your transition with all
17:15that?
17:15>> Relatively easy and I think it is for
17:17all wrestlers cuz it's it's very
17:20similar.
17:21It's just wrestling, but take away the
17:23rules, man. A wrestler knows how to
17:25crank and break an arm and all that
17:27[ __ ] We're just you just get penalized
17:29and lose the match.
17:30It's just a easy easy transformation for
17:33these guys. They they can, you know,
17:36take 6 some years to become a black
17:37belt. No, it don't. Not for a damn
17:40wrestler. They can they can mop it up in
17:43in a couple years easy. So,
17:45>> [clears throat]
17:45>> but I I respected it, but but I had to
17:48promote wrestling because I wasn't
17:50loving all the attention Royce Gracie
17:53and jiu-jitsu was getting. It's just
17:55stealing wrestling's thunder, so I
17:57couldn't wait to get in there and to
17:59show everybody how you can really
18:01diffuse jiu-jitsu. You know how you do
18:03it? You take the [ __ ] down.
18:06And you
18:07slam the head butt right in his face,
18:10baby. There ain't no answer for that.
18:12>> How many whacks you got on that head,
18:14boy? You know what? They were all head
18:15butts. That was you That was your
18:16signature move.
18:17>> It don't hurt yourself at all, man.
18:20My hard head into your soft face, man. I
18:22win [laughter] every time.
18:24Don't that hurt? And like, [ __ ] you
18:26know, you feel it, man, but
18:27>> Well, you not only did did you
18:29incorporate the head butt, but you were
18:30the man of the ground and pound. I mean,
18:32that you were the one that created all
18:34that.
18:34>> have trademarked the phrase. I made it
18:37up.
18:38>> Yeah, there you go.
18:39>> They just would have They would have
18:40called it something else.
18:41>> Yeah, they probably would have changed
18:42it, but but still at the end of the day
18:44everybody knows. Everybody knows that's
18:46where where it came from.
18:47>> Go to Amazon today and purchase Money
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18:50everybody, especially younger kids. Kids
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19:05A M A Z O N Amazon
19:08>> Getting back to like we're fighting with
19:10no rules. Now all of a sudden there's
19:12rules and stuff. How do you like Like if
19:14you could go back and fight with no
19:15rules versus what they have today,
19:17what what what do you think is better?
19:19>> Every rule you
19:20>> I mean, I know it's better for health
19:21reasons, but what but as a fighter, what
19:24what do you want to be?
19:25>> It's it's better for the sport and and
19:27views and the safety, yeah, but it every
19:30rule they added completely changed the
19:33sport. When they put head took away head
19:35butts, well, that completely changed
19:38>> How do you do things?
19:38>> The whole the whole fight pattern.
19:40You know, the elbows on the ground, you
19:42take those away over Japan. It it your
19:45defense on the body knees and kicks to
19:47the ground, they shouldn't be allowed.
19:50That completely changes how you defend
19:52and and get up and and stuff like that.
19:54So, every rule you add softens it up a
19:57little bit. I I I think kicks and you
19:59know, knees to the head should be legal.
20:01You just got to You got to protect
20:03yourself.
20:04>> If you could have fight one opponent
20:05from today's heavyweight division, who
20:06would it be?
20:07>> Jones.
20:08>> Yeah?
20:08>> Jon Jones.
20:09>> Jon Jones? Why Jon Jones?
20:11>> He's the goat, man. He's the best ever.
20:14And
20:15and he did it partying his whole [ __ ]
20:18career. That's what makes him a
20:20a goat. I drank my whole [ __ ] career.
20:22I I only win
20:24I only won when I put the bottle down
20:27for 3 4 months.
20:29>> Yeah.
20:29>> But uh
20:30that guy could party and still win, so
20:33um
20:34But we go way back to UFC 100. We were
20:36both in UFC 100. I was 44, he was like
20:3921.
20:40>> Yeah.
20:40>> And uh
20:42he
20:43he come up to me. I didn't even say "Are
20:45you you going to work out tonight?" It
20:47was Wednesday.
20:48That's the That's the last decent hard
20:51workout you had before the fights.
20:52>> Uh-huh.
20:53>> I didn't really know. I said, "Well, I'm
20:54going to Yeah, I'm going to work out at
20:557:00." I said, "Come on down if you
20:57want."
20:58And he showed up.
21:00>> Yeah.
21:00>> And uh
21:02there's about 20 people in the room, so
21:04I
21:05I can't lie. I can't [ __ ]
21:07>> Mhm. I don't have to [ __ ] cuz I I
21:10ragged out him in my opinion, man.
21:12I said, "Look, Jones, we're fighting on
21:15Saturday. Ain't no striking here. We're
21:17just going to do some MMA wrestling."
21:19Okay, so so
21:21John Danaher was in there. Georges Maybe
21:24Georges was even there St-Pierre. I
21:25can't remember.
21:26I proceeded I I took him down at least
21:3010 to 12 times in a 12 by a 15 20 minute
21:34span. I hate to admit it, but cuz I
21:36don't give up takedowns. He got one on
21:38me. That was enough to kind of ruin that
21:41practice, but no, I I ragged out him and
21:44and he's getting a little embarrassed.
21:46And then all of a sudden we're up and
21:49we're [snorts]
21:50starting to come together for another
21:52go. And all of a sudden he does a
21:54spinning elbow and he he [ __ ] stops
21:58it like right about here.
22:00I said, "What the [ __ ] you doing?" I go,
22:03"What the [ __ ] dude?" I said, "Practice
22:05is over." And I said we walked away, but
22:08after that after that warm-up, I knew I
22:11was winning UFC 100 against Stephan
22:13Bonnar. So I felt I had a great training
22:16camp and when I put it together, I don't
22:18care about 44 or not, you know, I still
22:21had it. But I was having a lot of hip
22:23hip My hips were starting to really
22:25catch up on these arthritis. A lot of
22:27pain, but just get a little therapy, I
22:28could have kept going, but you know,
22:30eventually had to get it replaced. I
22:32didn't need to. My doctor kind of lied
22:35to me and told me I had to have it done.
22:37And
22:38pissed me off when I found out, you
22:40know, so
22:42>> How's it feel today? Obviously you got a
22:44hip replacement.
22:45>> Well, I've had a multiple multiple hip
22:47replacements. Two years ago I had them
22:49like seven years ago, both of them
22:51replaced and then
22:53couple issues where they had to redo it,
22:55but two years ago I I got sober and then
22:58I started training again and then I
23:00started really training again and I
23:02popped that thing out, man. I popped
23:03that [ __ ] out. That's the most You
23:05can't imagine the pain on that, but so I
23:07had to get it replaced. And then I went
23:09through
23:101 year of about every I get it replaced
23:13in about a month and a half of recovery.
23:17I'd just wake up and the whole thing
23:18would be throbbing. It was infected.
23:21So, six times in 1 year I had to get
23:24that [ __ ] replaced.
23:25>> Damn.
23:25>> That was 2 years ago. Now, I got about a
23:28year since it has since I got it figured
23:31out the infection finally, but 1 year
23:33without any any problems, so I feel
23:36[ __ ] amazing. My hips are
23:38>> Yeah.
23:38>> There's no pain. I don't have any pain
23:40in the whole body. Now, when I say that,
23:42I'm talking mild colon pain. I got a
23:44little bit of pain everywhere, but
23:47I'm so
23:47>> You're a [ __ ] monster, man.
23:49>> blessed, man. Well, just 12 years I
23:51didn't work out one time, man. I was 300
23:53lb. The whole body.
23:55>> Really? 300?
23:56>> It was sick. It was disgusting.
23:58>> any pictures of you at 300? I can't
23:59imagine you at 300. You got to send me
24:01the pictures. I got to pop them up.
24:02>> It's nasty. I got to pop them up on the
24:04podcast.
24:05I I can't believe it.
24:07I went to hell like that, but that's
24:09what That's what drinking did to me.
24:10>> what But it's amazing that you got You
24:12see, that's what I'm saying about the
24:13discipline and the mindset that you have
24:15that most people don't have.
24:16>> bro. So,
24:17>> Yeah.
24:18>> So, so I struck a deal with Liver King.
24:20He said, "You scratch my back, I scratch
24:22yours." I didn't know what it meant. I
24:23just checked out of rehab, trying to get
24:25my life back together. He said that to
24:28me. I didn't know what it meant, but I
24:29didn't ask no questions. He said,
24:31"Transform back into the Hammer. You
24:33scratch my back, I scratch yours." I
24:35said, "Okay." And then I got a Venmo for
24:385 Gs.
24:40>> Yeah.
24:40>> And [clears throat]
24:41>> Wow.
24:42>> Okay. And I got that every month for for
24:45about a year, but
24:46I took it as, "Okay, he told me to
24:48transform back." Basically, I'm getting
24:50paid to [ __ ] train.
24:52>> There you go.
24:53>> And then, next thing you know, so the
24:55first day, 1 hour, I went for a walk.
24:57>> Right.
24:58>> Jesus Christ, this going to be a
24:59journey, but
25:01I didn't miss 1 day. I still have it.
25:03The only 2 days I haven't worked out in
25:05the last 3 and 1/2 years was the 2 days
25:07I was in the hospital from the house
25:09fire.
25:09>> Right.
25:10>> And I when I woke up, I told them I got
25:12to get out of here. I I got [ __ ] to do,
25:13but
25:14>> That's awesome.
25:14>> It just became and it still is to this
25:17day
25:18it's my new high, man. It's my new drug.
25:21And
25:22next thing you know, I'm up to 3 hours,
25:264 hours
25:27within within a couple weeks, 5 hours, 6
25:30hours every day.
25:318 hours. It just kept going up with it.
25:34>> Walking for 8 hours or something?
25:35>> Not just walking. I just started adding
25:36[ __ ] you know, walking and I called it
25:38advanced walking. Just walking at first
25:40and then walking. I walk on my toes,
25:43walk on my heels, backwards, sideways,
25:44hills. And I started then I started
25:47adding yoga, then I started adding a lot
25:49of stretching, then I added the weight
25:51training, then I'm in the gym hitting
25:52the bags, I'm in the gym sparring. I
25:55just And next thing you know, I'm I'm up
25:58to I'm averaging 8 hours every day
26:00nonstop, no breaks at all. And then 10
26:03and 12. And then 15, I'm averaging 15
26:07hours a day for 2, 3 months.
26:09>> Yeah.
26:09>> And one day I did
26:10>> You want to fight again, probably.
26:11>> Hell yeah, I did.
26:12>> [laughter]
26:13>> [ __ ] yeah.
26:14>> Feeling good at that.
26:14>> Yeah, but I did a 19-hour day one day,
26:17man. Just nonstop 19. I crawled to that
26:20bed. I was up the next morning at 6:00
26:23a.m. and and started again. You You're
26:25so damn sore, you can hardly move, but
26:28I'm addicted to that soreness now, man.
26:30I have to be sore to feel like I did
26:34something, you know what I mean? Cuz I
26:35wasted so much time.
26:38Wasted so many years just doing nothing,
26:41drinking, sulking. So, I got to I got to
26:44make up for it. So, now I cut back now,
26:47so [clears throat] but I'm still every
26:49day at at 8 hours of exercise, at least.
26:53>> Hi, I'm Phil Benemino, CEO and founder
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29:06>> Let's talk about the drinking stuff.
29:08When did that start hitting your life?
29:09When did you realize that, okay, I got
29:11to make a change. This is affecting who
29:14I am. This is a This is not good. This
29:16is not a road that I need to be going
29:18down. When was that day that it just
29:19finally smacked you in the mouth and
29:20said, okay, I'm today's the day I'm
29:22going to I I got to make a change.
29:23>> Five years ago, I was
29:26in my last fight, 2010, and then I was
29:29lost, depressed. A lot of fighters just
29:31lost. What am I going to do now?
29:33Miserable, depressed, hip replacement.
29:36This And I I drank my whole career.
29:39But I put the bottle down sometimes to
29:41prepare for a fight. When I did, I won.
29:44>> What was your drinking choice?
29:45>> Um
29:46I'll just
29:48uh uh beer.
29:48>> Beer?
29:49>> Yeah, beer. But, you know, I I have
29:51Trust me, I drank plenty of whiskey and
29:52that [ __ ] but
29:54it's just too hard. The hangovers and
29:56all that [ __ ] But, but then
29:59it just kept getting And I was in a
30:01toxic relationship,
30:03got her pregnant. I got a 10-year-old,
30:05so I got a
30:06child at when I'm 50, and uh
30:09>> Mhm.
30:09>> It was just everything added up. Just
30:12And it got to the point where I had It
30:14got to the point where I had to have
30:16alcohol to function. I couldn't function
30:19without it. And it just kept climbing
30:21and climbing. And then, next thing you
30:23know, one morning I woke up with that
30:25hangover, [clears throat] puking and
30:27this and that. And And I I reached in
30:29the damn fridge, and I grabbed a beer
30:32like it's 7:00 a.m.
30:34>> Mhm.
30:35>> And it was It was
30:37a big mistake because it immediately
30:39just took the hangover away and put me
30:42right back to the feeling I wanted to
30:44have.
30:45And when I when I found that out, it
30:47became basically around the clock
30:5024-hour session. I mean, I was I was
30:53trying to
30:55just minimize. It got to the point where
30:58I I would drink just enough to get me
31:01through to to the next hour or whatever.
31:04So, I wasn't I wasn't trying to die. I
31:06wasn't trying to kill myself. I knew
31:09someday I was going to come back from
31:10this and recover. I just wasn't ready
31:13and I didn't know how to go about doing
31:15it and I needed it to to function. And
31:18then
31:19I cut myself off from everybody. That's
31:21what
31:22you seclude yourself. I secluded myself.
31:26>> [snorts]
31:26>> I was just staying in an extended stay
31:28hotel for over a year.
31:31>> Really? A year?
31:32>> A dump. It was the Jerry Springer hotel,
31:35man. It was There was cops flying over
31:37top of it helicopters a couple times a
31:39week. Literally. Not exaggerating.
31:42>> You must have been depressed.
31:43>> I felt
31:44>> I mean, well I mean,
31:45>> Well, I
31:46I was, but I didn't even realize it. You
31:49know what I mean? I thought I was just
31:50fine.
31:51>> You're masking everything.
31:52>> I was fine. This at this [ __ ] hotel.
31:55>> You were good there.
31:55>> And yeah, sitting there and I just got a
31:58kick out of it even. It's just Yeah,
31:59that's how bad I was. But I knew it
32:02wasn't going to end like that cuz I am
32:04going to come back. I just wasn't ready.
32:07I mean, nobody came in that room for a
32:09year. Not even the maids, nothing. I
32:12>> Wow.
32:13>> I I didn't let nobody in and so you can
32:15imagine.
32:16>> Yeah, you must have been like a caveman.
32:18>> It was 10 times worse than a caveman. It
32:20was It was the most disgusting picture
32:23you could ever imagine. There was no
32:25trash cans needed in the room because
32:27the whole room was a trash can. It was
32:31and I didn't shower and shave for a
32:33long, long time. Kind of gave up, but I
32:36wasn't quitting. I gave up and accepted
32:39it, but
32:41one day
32:42you know, I heard a knock on the door.
32:44Somebody who the [ __ ] knocking on my
32:46door, you know, nobody came there. So I
32:48opened the door and it was
32:49my best friend Wes Sims.
32:51>> Mhm.
32:52>> I remember
32:53I just opened the door. Didn't even say
32:55anything, just turned around, walked
32:56back in, lay back down in my bed, and he
33:00I remember what he really said, but I
33:02fell asleep and and then [snorts] uh
33:05So next morning or whatever, 10 hours
33:07later there's another knock on my door.
33:10I didn't I didn't even remember him
33:11being there the night before. I opened
33:13the door, it was Wes. He came back and
33:15he walked in and I sat down at the end
33:17of the bed. And
33:19he was he was stymied, you know, it's
33:22hard to stymie Wes Sims. He's he's he's
33:24an organized man, this and that, but he
33:26walked in and he just was looking at me
33:28like shaking his head. I could tell he
33:30didn't know what to say. I was wondering
33:31what he's going to say here cuz I wasn't
33:34in no denial, man. I knew I had a major
33:36problem.
33:37>> Mhm.
33:38>> I wasn't in denial. He looked at me and
33:39said, "You know, what are you doing,
33:41man? What are you doing? Trying to kill
33:43yourself?" I said, "Hell no, I'm not
33:44trying to kill myself. I said, "I'm
33:46going to get through this. I just don't
33:48know what the [ __ ] to do, you know, I
33:50don't know how to go about it." And he
33:52said, he said, "Well, I got a rehab
33:54center ready to check you in today." I
33:57said, "No [ __ ] way. Not today. I'm
34:00I'm not ready cuz I'm on alcohol and
34:02benzodiazepines. I thought I was on the
34:04safe drugs. I didn't want to die, so I
34:06was minimizing my alcohol, but it turns
34:09out to be alcohol's number one deadliest
34:11drug there is out there. And then
34:13benzos, they're the only two drugs that
34:15you can't go cold turkey coming off them
34:18cuz you can die.
34:19>> Right.
34:20>> And I found that out and but I had found
34:22I said, "No, Wes, I'm not going there,
34:23man. I'm I'm not dying." And so he was
34:26stymied, man. He's like that was he
34:29thought he had the answer. But I said,
34:31"No. I'm not doing that." But then I
34:33came up with the answer as an addict. I
34:36came up with the answer cuz I wanted to
34:37get off the booze, but I wasn't ready.
34:40The withdrawals are brutal. I wasn't
34:42ready to go through that pain. And then
34:45I said, "Well, you know what? I said
34:47let's call an ambulance." Cuz if I go to
34:49the hospital, I knew they would give me
34:51pain meds.
34:52And I was going to
34:54use the pain meds
34:56to get through the one week of
34:58withdrawal addiction from alcohol. Then
35:00I was going to go from there. That's
35:02just about exactly what happened. I got
35:04in there, got on the meds. It was one
35:06brutal brutal [ __ ] week. I was laying
35:09there
35:10just death. And you know, I remember
35:14you think you were going to die at the
35:15time? When you were going through it?
35:16No. [ __ ] no, man. I'm not
35:18I'm not going to die.
35:20I'm not going to die.
35:22>> Wes is a hell of a friend, man. He saved
35:23your life.
35:24>> Well, yeah. Well, he helped save my
35:26life. I saved my life. Only I can save
35:28my life.
35:30He got me going, but
35:32well, it was
35:33it was a
35:35a good good friend who felt like he owed
35:38me because I took him under my wing when
35:40he was an 18-year-old kid.
35:42And
35:43cuz
35:44he his wife and girlfriend was getting
35:47tired of this guy always helping me out.
35:49You know what I mean? Wes was always
35:50helping me out. So he's getting tired of
35:52his causing him problems. But so we
35:54checked into the hospital and I'm in
35:56there. It was hard and brutal. But I
35:58remember the doctor coming up like third
36:00day in there. He said, "Mark." And me
36:03and my head [ __ ] a beard out to here.
36:05I mean this I looked 90 years old.
36:08300 lbs. He looked at me. He said,
36:11"Mark." He said,
36:13"You got to take a damn shower cuz you
36:15stink." And I was like, "Fuck, [sighs]
36:18man." I wasn't even embarrassed.
36:19[clears throat]
36:19I just didn't even want to get up to
36:21take a shower, you know? But uh
36:23>> When did you feel like, "Okay, now I got
36:26this [ __ ] beat, you know, and I'm going
36:28to transform into this man that you are
36:30today again,
36:31>> You never got it beat. That's the first
36:33thing you got to tell yourself cuz it's
36:35one day at a time.
36:37It's always going to be on your mind.
36:38>> Yeah.
36:39>> And one slip, it could happen quick. One
36:41slip and you you be drug right back into
36:44the mess. But
36:46so I I made it through the week
36:48and Wes, time to check out of the
36:50hospital. I said, you know, give me a
36:52ride back to my parents' house, Wes. All
36:54right, we'll go back there, you know.
36:56Went back to the parents' house. I gave
36:58myself a haircut, this and that.
37:01So so we got about 8:00 at night that
37:03night, 7:00 6:00 and I go
37:05Wes says, well, we got to head back to
37:07Columbus here pretty soon. Rehab. I
37:10said, [clears throat]
37:11No, no, I'm not going today. I'm going
37:13to hang out with my parents for a couple
37:15days and I'll check in.
37:17And thank God he looked at me and said,
37:19"You're going today." I didn't didn't
37:22put up any fight.
37:23>> Mhm.
37:24>> That was the best decision I've made in
37:26my life. So,
37:28I checked in and now I'm living with
37:30eight guys, eight eight recovering
37:33alcoholics. It's a humbling humbling
37:36experience, but I knew immediately on
37:39that that's right where I belong.
37:41And then I fell in love with the place.
37:44At first I was in there a little kid
37:45kind of goofing off,
37:47playing around, not paying attention at
37:49the meetings and stuff. But then a
37:51couple weeks into it and I
37:53>> [snorts]
37:53>> just all of a sudden just became
37:55absorbed and I wanted
37:58I wanted to learn all about this
38:00disease. And then [clears throat]
38:03next thing you know, I'm in there for 5
38:05months. They don't keep people for 5
38:08months. They keep you here for 2 months.
38:10But next thing you know, I'm still in
38:12there. I looked up at my two lady
38:14therapists cuz I told them early on I
38:16said,
38:17I said I'm going to You guys are going
38:19to get rather frustrated with me in
38:20here. And they looked back at me there.
38:22No, Mark.
38:24You're the one that's going to get
38:25frustrated.
38:28I didn't get frustrated. It's like
38:30[snorts] It's like one of the only times
38:31in my life that I I shut up and I
38:34listened and I learned everything about
38:37the disease.
38:39But then
38:40at 5 months
38:42uh
38:43you know, I'm ready to get the hell out
38:45of there. And I've been in there way too
38:47long already, but they wanted to make
38:48sure cuz I was a big name client.
38:51>> Mhm.
38:51>> They wanted to make sure I had it, but
38:54I went in there and said, "Hey, ladies,
38:55it's time for me to go.
38:57I know you love me, but I'm out of
39:00here." And they're like, "Well, we're
39:01getting there." I go, "No, we're there.
39:04I'm out." [clears throat] And then I was
39:05out.
39:07It was It was
39:09It was crazy cuz uh it was scary. I'm
39:12free. I'm out. And then it's all I did
39:14is see alcohol signs everywhere. Drive
39:17by a store and just think It just like
39:20was like uh
39:21>> [clears throat]
39:22>> the devil. I was terrified. I would walk
39:25into a convenience store, and I'd just
39:27feel the alcohol signs over there.
39:30I stayed away, but uh
39:33I didn't [snorts] want to drink, but it
39:35just always on your mind.
39:36>> Sure.
39:37>> And then
39:38it got better and better, and it's it's
39:41an unbelievable life now. I was a shy
39:43kid. I I couldn't look nobody in the
39:46eye. I couldn't even talk to people. And
39:48then [clears throat] I I I you know, I
39:49asked God to take away this obsession,
39:52and he did. And he took away my fear.
39:55So, I feared life. Feared everything.
39:59I wasn't
40:00>> [snorts]
40:01>> I wasn't afraid to get in cage and
40:03fight, but I feared life.
40:06>> Mhm.
40:06>> But then everything was just lifted, and
40:09now I have no fear. I'm not shy anymore
40:12cuz I'm like, "What am I going to do?"
40:14Everyone's like, "What are you going to
40:15do sober?" Cuz I did everything drunk.
40:18And I found out you can do everything
40:20sober. And I can't believe I'm crazier
40:23now than when I was a drunk. And I'm I'm
40:27It's It's amazing, man. I love life. I
40:31love every day.
40:32>> It's great, man. It's great to hear
40:33that, and thanks for sharing that with
40:34us. And I know it's not easy, but trust
40:37me, there's a lot of people battling
40:38this today. You know what I mean? And
40:39they don't know how to go about it. So,
40:42you know, just hearing your story is
40:43obviously so inspiring
40:45and inspiring, but even more so, all the
40:47things that it's led you to be able to
40:49do even since then. I mean, think about
40:51I mean, hero. I mean, we talk about a
40:54hero, we talk about somebody that
40:55rescues somebody. What better being a
40:58hero than going and rescuing your mom
41:00and dad?
41:01>> Let's bring you to that night.
41:02>> Your house is on fire, and you literally
41:05go and save your mom and dad. You risk
41:07your own life. You talk about you're not
41:10fearful anymore. It gave you the
41:12strength to go in there into a blazing
41:14fire to save your mom and dad.
41:16>> You see, God puts people in the right
41:18positions for the right reasons. And
41:19you're one of those people, Mark.
41:21>> I know.
41:21>> You know, you're you're a warrior in so
41:24many ways, bro.
41:25>> He could have took me many times.
41:26>> That's what I'm saying. Like, you looked
41:27death right in the right in the eyes.
41:28>> to wait until I found him. Yeah. And
41:31then I got work to do for him. So, thank
41:33God he had plans for me.
41:36>> Yeah.
41:36>> But, I wouldn't been at that house if I
41:38if I wouldn't got sober. And
41:40hypothetically, let's say I wouldn't
41:42have been at that house if I was
41:43drinking. Well, we all would have died.
41:45>> Mhm.
41:46>> None of [clears throat] it
41:47None of it would have happened if I
41:48hadn't got sober.
41:50But, it it it also wouldn't have
41:52happened if I didn't start exercising
41:54again. Luckily, I had been a year and a
41:57half into my crazy training regime, cuz
42:01I needed every bit of it, cuz
42:06>> [snorts]
42:07>> I was in there a long time.
42:09Over 10 minutes, probably. And I still
42:12have no clue.
42:14I took in so much smoke, the firemen
42:16don't understand either.
42:18I didn't cover nothing up. I mean, I
42:20took in
42:21I I didn't
42:23I just don't know how
42:25I was on my feet.
42:26>> Mhm.
42:27>> And
42:28>> [snorts]
42:28>> there's only one answer.
42:30>> Yeah.
42:31>> Absolutely.
42:31>> It's yeah, cuz he guided me.
42:35At the end, he really guided me.
42:38And you know, towards the end, I was
42:40trying to find my dog. I went back here.
42:44But
42:45I just had a hip replacement, my fifth
42:48one of the year, 3 weeks earlier. So,
42:49I'm supposed to be on a walker.
42:52Remember, I got to get him. I went back.
42:55I got down on my knees. I swiped
42:57underneath the bed cuz I I he had to be
43:00under the bed. Can't see. I mean, I'm
43:02just feeling. I jumped to the end of the
43:04bed and I swipe again and keep No, no,
43:07he's got to be on the third side.
43:09>> [snorts]
43:09>> So, I went to get up
43:11and I fell into the bed trying to get
43:13up.
43:14I'm like
43:16I got to get up. I got to get him. But
43:18then when I stood up,
43:20I took in a real big one and I fell onto
43:22the bed and then it hit me.
43:26And I I panicked a little bit. I said,
43:28"Oh my god, it's too late."
43:31And I I thought, "I'm not going to get
43:33out."
43:34And I had to leave my dog and
43:37that's where God really guided me.
43:39>> Mhm.
43:40>> [clears throat]
43:40>> And I seen I seen the light.
43:43And I had to go open the garage door. I
43:45had to go through the garage with the
43:47And I
43:48if I would have stayed probably even
43:50There's only one way out. This is way.
43:53So,
43:54probably if I would have stayed even 10
43:56more seconds or 30 more seconds
43:59cuz when I when I opened the garage
44:01door, I got to get through the garage
44:02now to get outside. You know, the flames
44:05were crossing my path.
44:07>> Mhm.
44:07>> And I'm not trying to be dramatic. I got
44:10through it okay, but I wouldn't have got
44:12through it another minute. And that's
44:13the only way out, so
44:17>> [snorts]
44:17>> And then when I did finally get outside,
44:20it was just like
44:22jubilation. Oh my god, I'm not hurt. I
44:25didn't think I was hurt.
44:27>> Mhm.
44:27>> I'm not permanently hurt. And I'm like,
44:29oh my god, you know, just but I'm
44:31coughing so hard. And I turn around and
44:34the house is gone. And I'm thinking
44:36about my dogs, so it's just the mind is
44:38crazy. And I look over here and see my
44:40mom and dad standing over here.
44:42You know, I go talk to them for a
44:44second.
44:45And then finally the fire department
44:46comes.
44:48And [snorts] they they get up there and
44:49I'm like, come on. I had I had to show
44:51where my dogs at, you know.
44:54But I look at the house and where my
44:55dogs at, it's burning. But I'm like,
44:58come on.
44:59And then I remember the firemen saying,
45:02"No, Mark. You're going this way." Out
45:05towards the ambulance. So
45:08So now [clears throat] I find myself,
45:09you know, it's pretty long driveway, so
45:11I'm just walking to the ambulance by
45:13myself. And now I'm just sitting there
45:15just thinking, "What It ain't a
45:17nightmare, Mark. It's just really
45:19happened."
45:20And
45:21I get out to the ambulance. I get up in
45:24there.
45:25And I remember saying, you know, "Hurry
45:26up. Hurry up. I'm fine.
45:29I got to get back out there."
45:31And then
45:32>> [clears throat]
45:32>> I didn't pass out or nothing, but I
45:34don't remember anything from this point
45:35on. I guess they drove me to the local
45:37hospital. We got in there, and they
45:40looked at me, and they realized they
45:42didn't have the equipment for this job.
45:45They life-flighted me to another
45:47hospital. I was [clears throat] awake
45:48the whole time, but I don't remember any
45:50of this. I guess I was telling everybody
45:52I'm going to be fine. You know, I got to
45:54the other hospital, and
45:56you know, the nurses
45:58were talking to my daughters now. They
46:00got to the hospital. My daughter's a
46:02nurse.
46:03They were they were telling my daughter
46:06they think he's going to be fine. He's
46:07talking, you know, this and that, but
46:10you know, my daughter
46:12she knew uh
46:14that's just me being a tough guy. And
46:16then
46:17when they got down in the
46:19they never seen so much black [ __ ] on a
46:22lung ever. It was just bad.
46:24[clears throat]
46:25But they had this machine. Sometimes it
46:27works, sometimes it don't. It's sort of
46:29a miracle. Okay, man.
46:31So I went down in there. They were able
46:32to blast
46:34like a water blaster pretty much. They
46:36got 95% of that black [ __ ] off
46:40and out. Otherwise it would have been a
46:43lifetime recovery.
46:45>> Right.
46:45>> But uh um
46:47So then so I'm [clears throat]
46:49um induced sedation fighting for my life
46:53now. And
46:55uh
46:56I remember being under, but I can hear.
47:00I remember my my two daughters were
47:02there.
47:04I remember I can hear them talking to
47:06me.
47:07>> [snorts]
47:07>> And then
47:09they put a little song up to my
47:11ear like fear is a liar.
47:13Fear is a liar. It was my favorite song.
47:16>> Oh, yeah.
47:17>> And
47:18>> [snorts]
47:18>> I was laying there
47:20trying to fight trying to fight it.
47:22Don't let my tears
47:24I remember you know, one got out. One
47:27tear dropped down. I'm like, oh, I'm so
47:29pissed. I don't want my daughter to see
47:30me crying, but uh
47:32but uh
47:34stopped it at that, but then when I woke
47:35up they were asking me if I remember
47:37anything. I'm like, yeah, I remember. I
47:39remember
47:40>> [snorts]
47:40>> cuz the first thing I did was write dog.
47:43Did dog make it?
47:45They said he's
47:46he's out in the woods, you know.
47:49I knew what to do, boy.
47:51But uh
47:52so when I woke up they're like, do you
47:54remember remember talking to us? I said,
47:56yeah. They're like, "No, you don't." I
47:58go, and I told them about the teardrop.
48:01That was a big moment, but then
48:03when they finally cut back all the
48:05medicine, pulled the tubes out of my
48:07throat, cuz I was fighting. I was
48:09winning.
48:09>> Mhm.
48:10>> So, they cut it off. So, I remember
48:13waking up.
48:14>> Wow.
48:15>> [sighs and gasps]
48:16>> You better be alive, man.
48:17>> I just uh
48:19I'm thinking, all right, I'm going to
48:20have to deal with this house fire, my
48:22family, but then
48:24when they told me
48:25>> [snorts]
48:26>> the whole freaking world's praying for
48:28me.
48:29>> [gasps]
48:30[snorts]
48:30>> I [laughter] couldn't believe it.
48:32I just couldn't believe that people
48:34cared, were praying, [clears throat]
48:36and
48:37uh that would save me. And then I got to
48:40I've said it many times, but my fans
48:43have come to my rescue many times, but
48:46that's why I always treat every one of
48:49them
48:49with kindness. So, [snorts]
48:51I love them and
48:53appreciate them because of fans.
48:56I don't have to work 9:00 to 5:00.
48:58>> Mhm.
48:58>> Because
48:59>> Yeah.
48:59>> you know. So, but just uh and then the
49:02emotions when I woke up, it was just all
49:04over the place, like happy, sad, mean,
49:07angry, just uncontrollable.
49:10And then
49:12and [ __ ] man. And
49:14it's it's it's been amazing ever since.
49:16I was back in the gym on Monday.
49:18>> [clears throat]
49:19[laughter]
49:20>> Cuz you're a savage, boy. You're a
49:22savage. You're going to die a savage.
49:24You're a savage.
49:25>> man, Brown Brown said, "I [ __ ] knew
49:28you'd be here."
49:29>> Yeah.
49:30>> So,
49:30>> [laughter]
49:31>> Well, you know what, Mark? You've had a
49:32lot of fights. You fought in the UFC,
49:34you fought Pride, you fought in your for
49:36your life, you fought addiction and
49:38stuff. Well, what is the hardest fight
49:41that you would say of all things that
49:42you've went through?
49:43>> Well, it's got to be addiction.
49:45>> Yeah. I mean
49:46>> What else is there?
49:47>> Yeah. I mean
49:48>> I can't think of anything else. You
49:49know, like
49:50>> you know, you lost your dog. You you had
49:51a lot of losses, man. You you did a lot
49:53of fighting, man, you had to deal with.
49:54You know, so
49:55>> nothing.
49:56>> No, [clears throat] addiction is tough.
49:57>> no, no.
49:58I'm not here, man, today in
50:01uh
50:025 years.
50:04Can't
50:05Can't believe how fast it went, but
50:08>> 5 years sober.
50:09>> Yeah.
50:10>> God bless, bro. That's awesome. That's a
50:12celebration.
50:13>> It's been the greatest 5 years of my
50:14life, every day.
50:15>> Dude, you look at I'm not going to lie.
50:17I follow you, man. I follow you all the
50:18time. I watch your journey. And I love
50:20it, man. It's inspiring.
50:22>> almost every day at some point
50:23throughout the day, don't matter I'm not
50:24even doing nothing special about it. I
50:26feel like, "Wow, man, this is the
50:27greatest day of my life."
50:29>> Yeah.
50:29But that's what [clears throat] it You
50:30appreciate it. And that's the whole
50:32thing. You appreciate waking up. You
50:33appreciate the sunlight. You appreciate
50:35other people.
50:37>> things.
50:37>> You know, that's what I'm saying. Like
50:38having purpose. You know what I'm
50:40saying? Just knowing that you have a
50:41purpose and and just one person that can
50:44make a difference cuz they're watching
50:45you.
50:45>> It's just It's so cool now because
50:49I got so many ways. Cuz now, you know,
50:51you get sober, you you you start
50:54realizing it's about giving and giving
50:56back.
50:57>> Mhm.
50:57>> And and
50:59God's made it easy for me to be able to
51:01give cuz with with with my fans and all
51:04that all
51:05>> Sure.
51:05>> All as I got to do is be nice to this
51:07person for spending time with everybody
51:10and I could just make that guy's day and
51:13maybe even many say my year, you know. I
51:16like [clears throat] making people
51:17happy. And just easy for me to be able
51:21to do this and now on this sobriety
51:23level
51:25I'm here to help people get sober and I
51:27don't I don't recover in silence like
51:30most people.
51:30>> Mhm.
51:31>> I recover out loud.
51:33>> Yeah.
51:33>> So I can help other people not suffer.
51:37So I'm not ashamed at all.
51:39>> And you shouldn't be. And you shouldn't
51:40be, man. I'm thankful and I know there's
51:43millions of viewers out there that are
51:44thankful, too. And and you know, because
51:47nobody's judging. Okay? You [snorts] can
51:49judge I I know, but I'm just saying like
51:51nobody it's it's about the journey and
51:53what it takes. You show that it can can
51:56happen. You can make a change no matter
51:57how old you are, no matter what
51:59situation you're in, you can make a
52:01change. Believe in God, believe in
52:03yourself, as you said. You did it. You
52:05did all the work. You know what I'm
52:07saying? And it wasn't easy. You could
52:09easily said, "Fuck it, I'm not doing
52:10it." But you did the work. At the end of
52:12the day, you did the work. And you had a
52:13you had a you had a uh a lot of friends
52:16and people that were around there
52:17helping you, but at the end of the day,
52:18it was you that did it. So, anybody out
52:20there you mean they can do it. They just
52:23got to put their mind into that into
52:24that phase. And you've proven that. And
52:26dude, I think you're better now than you
52:28than you were 5 years ago when you
52:30weren't in supply you know what I mean?
52:31>> What the [ __ ] you mean? I was a [ __ ]
52:33bum.
52:34>> I know, but I'm saying I'm saying even
52:37even your even when in your in your
52:38times when you were working when you
52:40were where you were fighter, you know
52:41what I'm saying? When you were fighting
52:42you were drunk and stuff.
52:44>> man. I didn't like myself at all. I
52:45never liked myself. Really?
52:47>> No, I didn't didn't I hated myself
52:49really.
52:50>> Wow. Okay.
52:51>> So, I didn't like that guy.
52:53>> Really?
52:54>> But
52:55>> Well, that's good. You like the guy in
52:56the mirror now?
52:57>> Hell yes.
52:57>> That's important cuz that's important.
52:59>> Number one.
53:00>> That's important. Listen, I got some
53:02rapid fire questions I always do this
53:04part of the show here. So, I'm going to
53:06ask you some rapid questions. Boom, real
53:08quick. Give me some quick quick answers.
53:10All right?
53:11Greatest fighter of all time?
53:13>> There's [clears throat] I mean there's I
53:14might throw I got I throw Fedor out
53:16there, but
53:17>> Okay.
53:17>> you know.
53:18>> We'll take it. Toughest opponent?
53:19>> Toughest?
53:21Well, I fought 10 world champions, but
53:23the toughest is Don "The Predator" Frye.
53:25>> Yeah.
53:27>> You got to you got to kill him. I would
53:29have had to kill him, man. [laughter]
53:31But I gee, I could throw a lot of names
53:33in that toughest.
53:34>> Sure. Hardest puncher?
53:36>> I honestly didn't get hit that hard too
53:38many times, but uh
53:39Fedor
53:41Fedor seemed to punch pretty damn hard.
53:43His punches come from all different
53:44angles, but Fedor, maybe Cro Cop.
53:47>> Not sure. Favorite UFC memory?
53:49>> Don Frye fight.
53:51>> Yeah. Okay. One thing fans don't know
53:53about you?
53:54>> I'm a super softy.
53:56>> All right.
53:57UFC or RFA?
53:59>> [ __ ] UFC, bro. But it's close.
54:01>> One person you want to wrestle in RFA?
54:03You already answered this one, actually.
54:05>> Kurt Angle, let's go, buddy.
54:07>> That's what he said.
54:07>> Let's do it. [laughter]
54:09>> One thing I Best advice you've ever
54:11received?
54:12>> Get sober, man. That's it. Just get
54:14sober, I guess.
54:15>> There you go. That that that definitely
54:17helps. All right, man. When your
54:18grandchildren
54:20tell people who Mark Coleman was, what
54:22do you hope they say?
54:24>> Just a good, caring guy.
54:26And a guy that
54:28would never quit.
54:29>> What if a young fighter walked up to you
54:31right now and said, "Mark, give me one
54:33lesson that'll help me become a
54:35champion."
54:36What would you tell them?
54:37>> It's impossible to overtrain, so do
54:40more. And you better master the art of
54:44wrestling.
54:45>> Mhm.
54:46>> If you [clears throat] can't wrestle,
54:47you can't fight. So, you have to have
54:49that
54:50first. And everybody used to complain,
54:53like, "This wrestling's taking over,
54:55blah blah blah." And I said, "Well, just
54:57[ __ ] relax. In about 10 years, when
55:00everybody wakes up,
55:02when everybody knows how to wrestle,
55:04these takedowns won't happen. It's easy
55:07to stop a takedown, but everybody got to
55:09learn how to stop the takedown, and then
55:11we get what we get. We get the standing
55:14fight that everybody wants to see.
55:15>> Right.
55:16>> But now,
55:17hey hey uh
55:20the ground and pound, that's the that's
55:22the game plan for champions to become
55:25champions. If you look at a lot of them,
55:27they they use the wrestling cuz
55:30you can't beat wrestling, man. But uh
55:33and
55:34like like uh Khabib, uh Makhachev, you
55:38know, these guys. You know,
55:42I I like to see them pick up the action
55:45a little more on the ground, but that's
55:47the blueprint for becoming a champion.
55:49Is it is is that strategy. So, you want
55:52to please the fans,
55:54but you want to please your bank account
55:56as well.
55:57>> Right. [laughter]
55:58I hear that. And and it's important to
56:00do know what to do with that bank
56:01account. You know, that's what a lot of
56:03lot of problems that people people have,
56:05right?
56:06>> Yeah.
56:07>> You got to You got to have that money
56:08management. You can get my book on
56:10Amazon, Money Management for Beginners,
56:12as well. So, very, very important. Go
56:14ahead and plug that right up in there
56:15and stuff. But, Mark, listen, being a
56:18Hall of Famer, you've done so many
56:20wonderful things. I can't thank you
56:21enough, obviously, for all you've done
56:23for not just the sport of MMA, for
56:26wrestling, for for being athletic, but
56:28just for a human being, man. Thanks for
56:30being the man that you are, sharing your
56:31story, sharing what you were, what
56:34you've become, and how you can get
56:35there. And And it means a lot. Anything
56:37else you want to say to the viewers
56:38before before we close the show?
56:40>> Just set your goals high out there,
56:42people.
56:43If it ain't If it ain't hard,
56:46is it really worth doing? So, you know,
56:49work your ass off,
56:51set your goals, and and go get it, man.
56:54Just quit. Get up off the couch. Quit
56:57being lazy. Change your diet. Exercise.
57:01Health is wealth. You lose your health,
57:03nothing else matters. What I found out.
57:06That's why I'm so happy. I'm healthy.
57:08And And I've been unhealthy before. And
57:11that's That's most most important.
57:14>> have it, folks. You heard it from the
57:15Hall of Famer, the champ himself. And
57:17I'm telling you, one of the baddest man
57:19on the planet. Mark Coleman just said,
57:22"Health is your wealth, baby." And as
57:24your boy Wan Bang always says, remember,
57:26if your life was a movie, would it be
57:27worth watching? And if the answer's no,
57:30stop being ordinary and start being
57:32extraordinary. Till next Wednesday,
57:33baby. Stay positive and keep testing
57:36negative.
57:38>> [music]
57:46[music]

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