Israel Adesanya: Becoming World Champion Was The Lowest Day Of My Life

[0] The interim UFD medalweight champion.

[1] Oh shit.

[2] I know when it's all said and done when I'm dead, my name will be remembered in history.

[3] Why does that matter?

[4] Guys like us, we're not meant to fit and we're meant to stand out.

[5] But I've felt it.

[6] It's addicting.

[7] I need to do something that's going to just tame the beast.

[8] If not, it's going to seep in other ways.

[9] I wouldn't want it to in my life.

[10] Are you happy?

[11] I think 2013 was my great depression.

[12] I wasn't able to fight, and then I just felt like I don't deserve it.

[13] This world, one thing I've seen, they'll build you up and then tear you down.

[14] People naturally just want to see you fail.

[15] I had to take a hard look at myself and I put that pressure on myself like, watch this.

[16] I don't feel like I have anything to hide.

[17] I put things out there that I probably shouldn't sometimes.

[18] But that's my way of being vulnerable when I'm just like, this is me. So without further ado, I'm Stephen Bartlett and this is the diary of a CEO.

[19] I hope nobody's listening.

[20] But if you are, then please keep this to yourself.

[21] Yes.

[22] Thank you for being here.

[23] Massive inspiration for me in so many ways.

[24] And I've watched your rise over the years with inspiration and admiration for so many reasons.

[25] Reason number one, we have a, I guess, a shared heritage in the fact that we're both from...

[26] I'm half Nigerian, you're Nigerian as well.

[27] Yes, sir.

[28] And your story, as I read it, it sounded so bizarrely like my story in so many ways.

[29] And then the other, I mean, I could...

[30] There's an exhaustive list of reasons why you've inspired me personally.

[31] But then seeing what you've done with yourself as a brand, as a marketeer again inspired me in a completely different way and I'll never forget and I played it for my girlfriend last night your entrance against Robert Whittaker the first time the first time and I'm like this guy is breaking the rules yeah the entrance um for me that was uh I felt like that was my way of staying away from the fight in the way because I know that night Robert was just like stewing over the fight yeah he was sleeping he wouldn't no not he He wasn't sleeping.

[32] I'm sure he was just worried about the fight, thinking about the fight, just thinking about.

[33] But for me, I was literally, I fell asleep with my phone in my hand, watching my rehearsals for that entrance, like, this is going to look sick.

[34] Replay.

[35] Probably replayed it like 60 times the night before.

[36] And I fell asleep with my phone in my hand, watching that, just the rehearsals.

[37] So it was like, there was no paralysis over analysis.

[38] I was just like focused on how sick that was going to look.

[39] And it was fun for me. It was my way of authentically expressing myself.

[40] with my roots and dancing and just being creative so when it was time to show out you know i showed out you know and it was my show this time like you know um when robert and kelvin gaslam's fight fell out the morning of the fight before two three four um that was in that was in melbourne yeah roderlever i mean at melbourne as well i want to do an interest and then dana was like uh not not can't have it this is that right or blah so when it was two four three i was like look this is my show.

[41] I'm doing this entrance.

[42] I don't give a fuck what you think.

[43] And yeah, I made sure I did it and look how it turned out.

[44] It was iconic.

[45] And you realize though, because when I, I remember I must have been 3 a .m. here when I was watching that, I'm thinking this guy's put more pressure on himself that he didn't need to put on himself.

[46] He has to win now.

[47] Exactly.

[48] I love that.

[49] I like to gamble.

[50] But I like to gamble at the highest level.

[51] I I feel like whenever I get that win over that and I, it just, it just feels that much better.

[52] And I feel like, I don't know, you just, ah, there's a feeling.

[53] I don't know how to describe it, but it's just because, you know, people are watching that if it's like, like, especially those who don't like me, like, fucking hope this cunt gets dropped.

[54] Oh, this guy gets knocked the fuck out.

[55] You know, thinks he's the man walking out, dancing, all that shit.

[56] So, you know, people naturally just want to see you fail.

[57] They're like, this guy thinks he's that good.

[58] that was 57 ,1127 people in attendance and I put that pressure on myself like, watch this and yeah for me there's something special about just overcoming that that just gives me that rush Speaking of entrances then, you were born in Nigeria as I said I'm half Nigerian and then you moved to New Zealand What was the reason why your parents decided to take you out of Nigeria and move you to another country?

[59] I think it was initially better recognised testiary education because you know i mean when i'm in new zealind i sometimes i'll be you know talking to a cab driver you find out that he was a medical doctor back in sri lanka back in india and then moved over to you know nz or the western world for a quote -unquote better life and their their qualifications aren't recognized in the western world you know but they're a surgeon or something crazy back home so then they're forced to take these um i guess million jobs or start up a new business and yeah they wanted us to have better recognized tertiary education yeah worked out all right for me but you were really smart anyway in Nigeria when you got when you got to New Zealand you were smarter than the class I remember you said that they thought you were like I was in form one and I remember like it was we're doing two times table and I was just like yeah I knew the song of my head finished and I remember when I felt everyone was like And I'm the runt of our people, trust me. Like, I'm not the smartest, you know, kid in the class back in Nigeria.

[60] So when that happened, I was just like, what's up with these kids?

[61] Like, this is easy.

[62] This is light work.

[63] I did form one actually three times.

[64] So I did it first time when I was 10 years old in Nigeria, Bell's boarding school.

[65] And then when I moved to Ghana for about a year and a bit, I had to do, no, about, yeah, a year and a bit, I had to do primary six and then form one again.

[66] And then when I moved to New Zealand, I had to do.

[67] do form one again.

[68] Then I skipped form two and then went straight to form three because it was I just kept, they were like, oh, he's too young.

[69] You know, he can't.

[70] And each country was like, oh, he's too young to be in form one.

[71] So yeah.

[72] But I wasn't like, I wasn't the most academically gifted kid.

[73] I'm smart, but I'm smart in different ways.

[74] Yeah.

[75] When I was reading about your story, the other part that really resonated with me was we came from Botswana and we moved to a place called Plymouth in Devon and Cornwall, which is like a farmland.

[76] It's like if you go four hours into the end of the country that way, where it's all cows and fields and all white people.

[77] Yeah.

[78] That's where we moved.

[79] And we're the only black family.

[80] My mom's Nigerian.

[81] Yeah.

[82] And that process of trying to figure out why I was different to my classmates and why we were poorer and all these kinds of.

[83] I always said, I was like, I never realized I was black until I left Nigeria.

[84] Yeah.

[85] And it's not that I didn't know my skin tone.

[86] It was just like I never knew like it was a problem.

[87] You know, I never knew like.

[88] Like, people would, you know, I guess, discriminated against me because of my skin tone.

[89] And it was weird for me. It was really weird for me to kind of like, almost like another type of culture shock.

[90] Like, the one I used was an example was this kid who kept on writing by my house in the weekend from school.

[91] And we were just like hurl insults, you know, at me at my house.

[92] In my house, in the weekend.

[93] He took time out of his fucking day on a Saturday and then go back to your country, blackenies.

[94] And then drive by again and say, oh, you blackness.

[95] I was like, did I do something to this kid?

[96] I know his name even.

[97] I never remember his name, not his last name, but I was just like, what did I do to this kid to like, did I do something?

[98] And then that Monday, was it like Monday or Tuesday the following week, he pulls up to me and says like, what a black boy.

[99] And I was having a bad day already.

[100] And this is after like lunchtime, when it was about to end.

[101] And he pushed me. And I remember just wailing on him.

[102] Just threw him to his K block, beat his ass, threw his B block, beat his ass.

[103] And I just, I was crying the whole time.

[104] just beating them up.

[105] And I wasn't a fighter back then, but I was just fed up and pissed off.

[106] Like, who the fuck is this kid?

[107] Like, first of all, you harassed me all weekend.

[108] And then at school, you're harassing me. Yeah, he never did that again after that.

[109] Yeah.

[110] What was your relationship like with your race at that point?

[111] Because I, I got to be honest, I started, like, relaxing my hair.

[112] And I started, I did.

[113] And I was trying to, I was trying to be white.

[114] I was trying to be fit in.

[115] Like, there was the point, even, like, I started to try and talk, like, the Kiwi kids.

[116] I tried to, like, use the same slang.

[117] I still do.

[118] But like, just because I'm part of the culture, but like I really try to like fit in, fit in.

[119] And I don't want you mean about relax.

[120] I was relaxing my hair because I thought it was cool.

[121] You know, it wasn't because I was trying to fit in.

[122] But there was bits and pieces where I was just like, man, because everyone just wants to belong, you know, especially as kids.

[123] You know, you just want to be part of a tribal fit in.

[124] But then, yeah, when it took me a while to realize that I wasn't meant to fit in, like guys like us, we're not meant to fit in.

[125] We're meant to stand out.

[126] So eventually I had to kind of stand.

[127] it took me a while to kind of learn how to stand 10 toes deep in my own light but yeah I was there at one point you know trying to fit in and trying to make sure almost like even during lunchtime if I wanted to go to the tuck shop right I would take the long way I would like a rat or mouse I would scurry along the edges of the school so I don't get fuck with and it would take longer twice as long three times as long but at least I didn't have to just walk through and get fuck with you know on the way to the talk shop or something because I spent most of my time in the library during lunch times I think in form three yeah just because it's safe in the library What do you mean by getting fucked with What would happen if you walk directly to the tuck shop?

[128] I know, so am I just throw an apple at you Or, you know, something stupid Like some of my run up behind you in town Down trial you, you know Or trip you or just chase you try and beat you up for fun And the kids are stupid, you know I was in a boy school as well So you know it's all these boys with I don't know, like all just pent up emotions and unresolved trauma and don't know what to do with the newfound hormones and there's just like, who, who, who, who, who, who, like little chimps.

[129] And yeah, see, that's how I know.

[130] Yeah, definitely.

[131] So it's like, yeah, we didn't know.

[132] For me, it's just, yeah, as an adult now, I look at it.

[133] I'm just like, man, we didn't know what the fuck we were doing.

[134] Like, who let us, like, who let us outside?

[135] You know, but.

[136] But it's all part of the learning experience, I feel.

[137] It's all part of growing pains.

[138] Like, I know when I have kids, I know exactly what I'm going to tell them how to handle themselves, if you know what I mean.

[139] What are you going to tell them?

[140] Well, one of the ones is hit hard, hit first, to be honest.

[141] Like, this whole thing, I remember, like, you know, oh, don't, don't hit them first.

[142] You know, like, if they touch you, then you.

[143] I'm like, nah, fuck all that.

[144] Because the first punch matters.

[145] The first punch matters.

[146] So if someone like, you know, is talking to me and pushing me around, pushing me around, smack them.

[147] Like, they'll learn first, like, first hand, like, okay, don't fuck with that kid.

[148] Even if you might win, at least he's not going to be a, like, make it not easy for them to fuck with you.

[149] You know what I mean?

[150] So that's one thing I'm definitely going to teach my kids.

[151] It's like, just make sure you're unfuckable with, yeah.

[152] When I look back at my earliest and, you know, having studied a bit of childhood psychology, I realized how, like, formative and important, early years are.

[153] And we're basically as adults like living out the stories we told ourselves about ourselves as kids and seeking validation from all the things that invalidated from.

[154] Like childhood traumas and whatnot.

[155] Yeah.

[156] What was left behind as you became an adult?

[157] A lot.

[158] Talk to me about that.

[159] One thing, I can't want to go deep.

[160] Definitely being a kid that moved from Nigeria to New Zealand, right, and trying to fit in, I ended up being a people pleaser as a kid.

[161] I didn't realize that because I'm trying to fit in.

[162] I'm trying to please everyone.

[163] And then you, don't realize how that follows you into adult life.

[164] So there was times, and it's still, once in a while, you'd be surprised.

[165] It raises its ugly head, but I'm able to identify that monster now.

[166] And I'm just like, right, I know what that is.

[167] Boom.

[168] And I kill it straight away.

[169] So I've learned that over years, though.

[170] But then that people pleases are still a part of me, you know, because it was a way of surviving.

[171] You know, I'll just make sure these guys, oh, cool.

[172] Don't fuck with me. You know, and I just kind of appease them.

[173] Yeah, that's one thing definitely that was the result of just, I guess.

[174] trying to fit in it's just people pleasing and it's not it's not the best way to live it's not the best way to live because you can't make everyone happy and someone's always going to find something wrong with what you're doing or how you're living or whatever so yeah it took me a long time but eventually I got to the point where I just don't I really don't care what anyone else thinks apart from those who I give a fuck about I care what they think but anyone else who is not really I guess I don't have any emotional attachment to fuck them like Bernie max said fuck them yeah and when you say people pleasing to be to be to be to be specific in the examples of you being a people pleaser do you mean on social media or like to the public even before social media or do you mean no no before social media this is when I was a kid like in high school people pleasing as in the sense of like you know um someone asks you to do something you might not want to do it but you'll do it just because you just sure you want to fit in because that guy you know he you know I guess he's one of the first 15 jocks who played rugby or whatever and you just like oh you know you know you're just like oh you You know, I'll do what he says just because you want to get that.

[175] It's almost like clout or social currency.

[176] You know what I mean?

[177] So, yeah, things like that.

[178] But, yeah, it took me a long time, like I said, to learn and realize those things.

[179] This is a lot of self -reflection.

[180] Years of self -reflection and realizing because a lot of people don't even realize they're running on old, you know, childhood trauma like a lot of everyone is.

[181] So you have to find a way to sit down and just access that with yourself through therapy is one of the best.

[182] ways and then you just work you it's like reverse engineering like what does that come from you know why am i like that why am i why do i have that attitude why do i think like that and then yeah you and your therapist kind of work that back and realize you know where that comes from as i was reading through your story and you know you sit here is this unbelievable ufc champion and then as i read through your story there's all these little subtle hints of what almost sounds a bit like imposter syndrome at certain times like this guy not believing that he's deserving of what he's achieved And it really sits in contradiction to the guy that did that backflip coming out against Robert Wittaker.

[183] So I'm like, where did that come from?

[184] Tell me about that.

[185] I think some of just same thing, trauma, childhood trauma, some of that stuff.

[186] I've dealt with it very well now to the point where it's like there was times.

[187] I used an example when I think I was speaking of Forbes not long ago.

[188] And we dive into this a little bit.

[189] So when I beat Rob Wright, I wanted my gifts to myself.

[190] I bought myself from McLean 720S.

[191] Nice.

[192] And I, the first day I got it, I remember I drove to the gym.

[193] This is that peak, you know, time at the gym, maybe 6, 5 .30 p .m. or whatever.

[194] And I didn't park it at the front of the gym.

[195] I parked it at the back of the gym.

[196] And I showed some of my teammates, like my close, close actual teammates.

[197] Not to people that go to the gym.

[198] Because sometimes a lot of people like to be like, oh, Ms. Rose teammates.

[199] Like, no, you just go to the same.

[200] same gym as me. Doesn't mean we're teammates.

[201] So I parked it at the back of the gym.

[202] And then after my teammates finished working, I was like, yo, come check this out.

[203] And I showed them.

[204] And I was like, like, fuck, look at this shit.

[205] Like, because they know how the work I put in.

[206] I work hard.

[207] But then I'm like, man, I'm not the, I'm not the best student in the gym.

[208] So imagine if I can do this, imagine what they can do.

[209] So I kind of just, just to share the, share my joy.

[210] And then, you know, unfortunately, especially in New Zealand, there's this tall poppy syndrome and is that green light monster and i've been that kid so it's easy for me to recognize it on other people when you've when you've had it with yourself um so someone said something you know i must be nice and then started to hear rumblings of i know it happens uh you for me it was the same thing i was just like man i didn't expect that from someone that i cared about to to have that kind of rhetoric like uh and then i heard like you know maybe you know like other people, they're more deserving people.

[211] What?

[212] I know.

[213] Yeah.

[214] And they kind of just piss me up.

[215] There's more deserving people.

[216] Yeah.

[217] At the gym because they work harder than me. Right, right, right.

[218] And like I said, if I wanted to flex, I would have parked it in the front of the gym.

[219] Like, you know, look at my new whip.

[220] And just to like flex and just show off or whatever.

[221] But now I parked in the back of the gym where only like seven people saw it.

[222] And there's seven people that I really give a fuck about.

[223] And I wanted them to see like, look at this shit.

[224] Like, fuck.

[225] If I can do this, imagine what you can do.

[226] So when I heard that.

[227] I didn't drive it for a week I just felt shit driving it I remember driving at home and I just felt like shit I just parked it in the garage and I just left it there for a week I didn't drive it because I felt I let those words from that person I gave a fuck about seeping to me and then it sat with me and then I just felt like oh yeah I mean I don't deserve it you know other people work harder than me at the gym this and that right right but then it took like I said about a week over that week because I mean it was a fucking sick car I literally didn't drive it for a week and got to the point that I realized during that week that towards the end like well that's subjective if they don't think I deserve it that's their own opinion that's subjective that's what they believe I don't have to believe that and like you said that is that that imposter syndrome things I had to creep in but I was like look maybe they don't think I deserve it but one thing no one can ever take away from me is that I earned it every fucking thing I have I earned it and I earned this fucking whip and I have a right to drive this thing and flex and once I got over that hurdle in my head boom I was in that bitch and I was whipping it around but yeah is like that and the pasta syndrome thing crept in when I heard that from and it was through the grapevine as well but man I was from someone I really like I was like man why would he say that I just I just I just and people learn this is over that's a long time ago you know it's what it's something it said more about them than it does about me you know what I mean it says more about them than it does about me so I shouldn't have let that affect me at all but I did because I gave a fuck with that person thought because they're a close person to me and unfortunately sometimes it's the ones close to you that will hurt you with that, yeah.

[228] There's something really remarkably sort of liberating and amazing to hear a UFC champion talking about imposter syndrome because it really does feel like it feels like there's, and I know this is an obvious misconception it really doesn't feel like someone with your swag and confidence could feel those things.

[229] You talk there about therapy as well and when you spoke to Joe Rogan about therapy and about after your UFC debut, that swell you went through.

[230] I read about this in my book because I got really compelled by this really bizarre thing that happened in my life when my company joined the stock market and I'm sat in my room in Manchester in it.

[231] It's where 300 million and I'm figuring out how much money that means I've got and it feeling like the worst day of my life.

[232] And then when I, you know, heard you talking a little bit about how you felt after your UFC fight, hiding in the toilet when people are pestering you to ask you questions and that annoying dude sitting down next to you when you've tried that right yeah after my UFC debut uh the after party it was a after the fight it's always like i said i get pulled in so many different directions and it's just like it was my first time in the UFC so i was my first time experiencing all that and it's like coffee it's a stimulant coffee's a stimulant so after a UFC debut and you shot like the way i did you know i i stole the show i came in there and i stole the show and it was just like cameras this oh we need you to interview this but oh come talk to this person talk to this and then I didn't get time to myself until I got back home and when I was back home and I was in my own house and finally away from all the noise and it's just like whew and then I remember it's like coffee you drink coffee or you got the coffee high and then you crash so it's literally that like just lack of the stimulant and I just crashed and I was like why am I sad I just found myself being really sad.

[233] And I remember, it's probably on my old phone, me documenting my recovery.

[234] Because I was like video diaries, that is.

[235] I was like, why am I sad?

[236] Like, I made six figures in my UFC debut.

[237] That's including the bonus as well.

[238] And I'm just like, there's no need to be sad.

[239] I fucking kill that shit.

[240] And that's when I started to kind of like take therapy seriously.

[241] Because I was like, okay, this is not.

[242] I'm not going to be one of these bad statistics, you know, that you hear about in the in entertainment.

[243] So, yeah, I, um.

[244] I had to, I guess, take a hard look at myself, but then therapy help with that because then you find the right person who can kind of help you, I guess, figure you out.

[245] And all they do is just actually the right questions and then show you, I guess, yourself.

[246] Yeah.

[247] Can you, because I heard you say that you picked up tools from therapy that helps you sort of navigate all of that attention in this new position you were in.

[248] What were the tools?

[249] Oh, so it wasn't until I fought Brunton that I was able to go back home and just kind of like, I keep saying it's like I came back from prison What do you call it?

[250] Like we've back into society Regular life normally You know It was until life That was my fourth UFC fight But then each fight after that Same thing I'd go back home And I just like Have this crash And I have to realize Okay This is something that I can't have Happen constantly Because it's not healthy A tool I can say that helped me Um One of the ones That helped with Charlemagne's book At the time shook once anxiety playing tricks on me i read that during the i finished reading that actually during the um brunson fight that fight week i finished reading that and that i got a lot of gems from that book but from therapy one from therapy from my own experience is talking to myself the self -talk because you have we all have a negative self -talk but looking in the mirror and talking to yourself you know speaking to yourself like you would to someone you're giving advice to because when you look in the mirror you humanize yourself and i'll start to like you know you just have a conversation with myself, even like gee myself up if I want to bring myself up, things like that.

[251] So that's a tool that I feel like is really on the radio.

[252] It looks crazy, you know, standing in front of the mirror and talking to yourself.

[253] But it's a really powerful tool if you know how to use the right.

[254] Fighters don't talk much about their mental health.

[255] I think Whitaker did the other day and you kind of thanked him and applauded him for doing that for being vulnerable.

[256] Yeah, I mean, I put him in a dark place after that first fight.

[257] And I understand because guess what, he was trying to do the same thing to me. A guy respect is Tyson Fury Because he spoke about that, you know, to ends And how dark he went He went to like the depths of hell in his own head And then he's risen above it And he says like he battles with every day I feel like look There's your spectrum of physical health This is super healthy, super ill If you do not look after yourself And your physical health You're going to get physically ill Same way if you don't look after your mental health you're going to get mentally ill so i feel like if you're it's like someone saying like you know i don't go to therapy fuck all that shit no no it's like well do you take vitamins do you go to the hospital it's not something to be you know shy like uh you whatever from it's i feel like you should look after your mental health the same way you look after your physical health so once i learn how powerful that was i'm always on top of it i slip up obviously because i'm human and i get ill But, yeah, I always make sure I'm on point, though.

[258] Was that your hardest moment with your mental health after that UFC debut in your recollection?

[259] Not my hardest.

[260] I think 2013 was my great depression.

[261] There was a time in 2013 that life was just like spiraling bad.

[262] It's early 2013.

[263] I remember at the time my girl left me. The business I was working with was.

[264] failing work with shit um i had my job broken in 2012 and i wasn't able to fight so i really had no like not purpose but like something that i was looking forward to you know there was a time during that 2013 there was a time where i was walking milly home one time and i remember this is when i was really broke and i remember just looking in this dairy or like this corner store and i was just like i wish i could just go in there and be like look just give me the money you have I don't want to hurt you but just give me and I remember just like it was a fleeting thought and I was like man and that made me empathize with people I was like this is why some of them do it they just have no other choice obviously I'm not going to do it because I'm not an idiot but I realize like this is why some people do what they do because they have no choice they just want to eat I was lucky enough that no matter how bad it got I always have my parents supporting me if I hit my dad and dad can you please just loan me 100 bucks can you just give me 200 bucks they would always support me and i never went to them often but whenever i near to they were always there for me so i never had to go to that point where i was and i would never anywhere because i'm not stupid you you refer to that moment as your your great depression yeah 2013 what got you out of that great depression to be honest once i had my fight so then i fought in june i believe that year finally after six or seven months because i had to take time off after the surgery fighting and then then I realized my purpose again like okay I know what I want to do so I didn't fight for a long time because it was yeah it was just really it was dark times not you know something you're passionate about something you what I moved to Auckland to do and it got taken away from me so then I wasn't able to do what I wanted to do and then once I got it back it just kind of re -instated to myself like I know who I'm I know who the fuck I am so yeah there's something really sort of telling about that that your lowest moment was when you'd lost so much, you'd lost connection in terms of your girlfriend, and you'd lost orientation and purpose and something to aim for in your life.

[265] Yeah.

[266] And you see that in young men.

[267] I mean, the single biggest killer of men in this country under 45 is themselves.

[268] Yeah.

[269] It's mad.

[270] And it's like, how do we get young men to have a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives in the modern world?

[271] How do we get that back into them?

[272] And it's funnily enough, I go to the gym around the corner.

[273] I could go to some poshium.

[274] I go to the gym like down there.

[275] In the end, it's like 15 pounds a month.

[276] And it's all black and Asian young men.

[277] And when I'm in the gym, I'm looking around and I'm sat there thinking, like, because now I'm on the Dragon's Den that they come up to me sometimes.

[278] But before that, I was thinking, like, probably the best thing I could do to help with suicide rates in this country, other than having these kind of conversations, it's like, put loads of fucking gyms in this country.

[279] Yeah, oh, yeah.

[280] You know what I mean?

[281] 100%.

[282] I feel like we're talking about earlier about young men, kids, especially when they become adolescents, and they don't know what to do with all this new hormones.

[283] They're just filling up their bodies and stuff like that, they need an outlet.

[284] Even for me, I've said after this game's done, after I'm done with this fighting shit, when I have a family, at least a couple of times a year, I need to do something that's going to feel like I'm about to die.

[285] I feel like I just need to do something that's just going to just, I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

[286] So I need to do something that's going to just like tame the beast.

[287] If not, I just feel like it's going to seep in other ways I wouldn't want it to in my life, you know?

[288] So I need to find a way to tame the beast.

[289] And I feel like this does.

[290] Marshal arts, what is there's a quote?

[291] Make savage of the body and civilize the mind.

[292] Something like that.

[293] You know what I mean?

[294] Especially as young men, honestly, like, they want to like, you know, sometimes people want to kind of like discredit athleticism or, you know, working out or you're just a jock or this and that.

[295] I hate jocks.

[296] I was never a jock in school.

[297] So I have a really, really special place in my heart for them.

[298] But, yeah, for me, I just feel like, just being able to own your masculinity in a way that's not toxic, man, I'm not talking toxic masculinity or just being able to just like work out and a place where you can be a man and just like throw weights around or like I love rolling with my boys.

[299] Like there's some, I love lifting.

[300] Even during lockdown, I was lifting a lot, but there's something to be said when I have a guy like my teammate Brad Riddell or Carlos or Blood Diamond, you know, on my back trying to choke me out and then, you know, three, two, one, go.

[301] And I have to fight.

[302] the choke something primal about that that just activates this part of my brain that i'm just like fuck it's just yeah it gets me going do you do worry about that when when all is said and done like you're you're you're gonna have these crazy moments of having like 60 000 people in this arena and coming out doing these like i'm ready for it yeah and then i'm ready for the high of that the adrenaline high of that when that's all when you're you know when you're done with this game you said you know when you lose the love of the game or whatever it is do you do you do you Do you ponder what that moment would be like for you?

[303] A little bit, but I'm ready for it in a sense that I'm not attached to this.

[304] I know I'm more than fighting.

[305] Fighting, there's more to life than fighting.

[306] So I'm not like one of these guys who is attached.

[307] Like, you know, I don't even know where my belt is right now, to be honest.

[308] I really don't know.

[309] I'm not attached to it.

[310] I know I'm the fucking champ.

[311] I know who I am.

[312] And I'm a champ without the belt.

[313] It's just a fancy tiara.

[314] I've said that from the jump.

[315] But I'm not attached to it to the sense that it's my identity.

[316] that this is all I am.

[317] So when it's all said and done, and I'm, you know, I'm not the UFC Middlewood champ anymore.

[318] I'm retired.

[319] I'm not going to be like, who am I?

[320] I know who I am without the belt.

[321] So that's the, that's the blessing in that.

[322] But a lot of people don't, a lot of people are like, you see them walk around with the belt constantly and they just stay attached to that.

[323] Like, that's who they are.

[324] So when it's gone and it's set and done, that's why a lot of people who are supposed to be retired still end up talking to the media and finding their way to get their name in the, you know, in the spotlight because they're addicted to that.

[325] It's addicting.

[326] Trust me. I've been there.

[327] I've felt it.

[328] It's addicting.

[329] Attention.

[330] That's the social currency now.

[331] Attention.

[332] Even at the highest level, fame, clout.

[333] This is all.

[334] These are tangible things.

[335] I've seen it.

[336] I've seen what it does to people, man. Funny story.

[337] I saw this, when I was in New York, I fought Brunson, right?

[338] That week, I saw this YouTube video of a guy in Times Square in New York.

[339] He was there regular.

[340] easy, you know, just walking around didn't get bothered.

[341] And then he went there at nighttime, hired an entourage, hired camera people and dressed apart, that clip.

[342] I saw that clip.

[343] And people were like standing to like, who's this guy?

[344] Fake famous dude.

[345] Exactly.

[346] Fake famous guy.

[347] And they're like, oh, and then the camera guy would ask him, so how do you know David and someone would be like, oh, I heard his last album.

[348] I was pretty good.

[349] I heard a single on the radio or I saw him in spite him.

[350] People would just lie through their teeth, you know, and just say whatever.

[351] they think he is.

[352] And it's like, you know, you obviously don't know the guy.

[353] You can just say, oh, I don't know who he is, you know, and I've had that.

[354] So when that day, I'm sorry, that week in New York, I was doing a shoot for my brand engage in Times Square.

[355] I had Jeff and like three other cameras on me. So there's like four cameras on me. And he sees people starting to gather around like, oh, who's this guy?

[356] And then some people recognize me, they start taking pictures.

[357] And then before I knew it, and I started finding people who didn't even know me. Yeah.

[358] And they're just like, I just want to take a picture.

[359] Have you ever had something come up to?

[360] I had this when we went to the podcast awards.

[361] And they go, hi, who are you?

[362] And I go, oh, dragon from dragons.

[363] Then they go, bro.

[364] Okay.

[365] Oh, man. The worst one I remember was, um, I've used this story a few times, but I was at this bar in Auckland.

[366] And there was a table of like four dudes and two chicks.

[367] And I could tell one of the chick was like the center of attention.

[368] So when I came in and the guys were just like, no fucking way.

[369] Stopping.

[370] What the fuck?

[371] Oh, just showing me love and all that.

[372] And I could see, I could feel her energy and I could see her from the corner of my eye just like.

[373] And then she came up, she was like, excuse me, but who are you?

[374] I was just like, oh, don't worry, baby, it's all good.

[375] I was talking to one of the guys taking photos.

[376] And then she came back again trying to talk to me. I was just like, and then she came force for this time.

[377] It was like, excuse me, why is everyone giving a fuck?

[378] Who are you?

[379] I don't know who you are.

[380] And I was like, baby, I don't know who you are.

[381] And I just fired her off.

[382] I was like, I don't care you don't know who I am, you know?

[383] but like the fact that she wanted to let me know that she didn't know who I was like it was gonna hurt my feelings and I was just like baby I don't know who you are and I remember her face just like her she's not used to being treated like exactly so I'm like I don't care I forget who I am all the time you know but the fact that she thought like it would actually hurt my feelings for her no no I'm like who the fuck are you you know how have you made sense with all this this noise when you walk through places fuck the noise But the fact, the fame, like, what's your relationship with it?

[384] I was thinking about this the other night and I was talking to one of my friends and I was thinking, for me, it's kind of just this thing that's happening outside of me and I'm observing it like a spectator.

[385] I like that.

[386] I like that perspective.

[387] You know what I mean?

[388] There's no book on this shit.

[389] So I've always said like, fuck the fame, but I love the perks.

[390] I love the perks of fame, but I just, I don't like being famous.

[391] You know what I mean?

[392] Have you seen Free Brittany?

[393] Yeah.

[394] Brother, there was a bit in that, that was one of my, like, I was getting anxiety.

[395] watching the first half of that there was a bit she was driving and then she ran through these red lights and the guys were like look at her she's crazy i'm like yeah because you're fucking chasing her you're chasing her she's trying to get the fuck away from you and you're calling her crazy man that whole thing just the way she when she was trying to buy gas and everyone was just on her uh i haven't cringed thinking about it because i'm just like i would hate i would have i would hate to be in that position man especially like to be with your family are your family doing that to you that's crazy but yeah um fame it's not it's not no one's supposed to be famous it's not a thing especially where all these gadgets now we're not supposed to have these we're not supposed to have um people who don't do shit with their lives have such a loud voice in droves being able to tell us because back in the day i saw this quote on instagram um yes uh maybe last week or this week about like you know back in the day before social media you only heard from doers you heard from people who are actually doing shit you rarely heard from complainers but now complainers are the ones you hear from the most because they finally have a voice and they can be anonymous and hide behind their their anonymity so yeah they're the ones who have the big the big voice now and the doers are just doing so people start to eventually believe the complainers and so weird paradox shift now in this DNA so like I said you have to be able to sift through the noise and I have my ways of doing that and I guess you'd also only hear if you go back even further from people in your tribe exactly we're only supposed that we're only supposed to have like certain amount of people we associate with as as the human animal but then like social media and the connectivity we have now just made us connected to the whole world made the world a small place that you can just even confirmation bias that's another thing we have to be careful about like and I make sure because I follow certain people on Instagram that I don't necessarily agree with.

[396] But I follow them just to like hear the other side.

[397] I want to know.

[398] Amen.

[399] Just to like, because I don't want to be surrounded by yes, man. Or people like, oh, I only follow, you know, this because this tells me what I need to know, what I want to hear.

[400] Exactly.

[401] Yeah, yeah.

[402] So, I follow certain people just because I'm like, oh, they make me feel a certain way.

[403] But I'm like, they're not wrong though, you know?

[404] And it's just different ideas.

[405] It's not wrong or right.

[406] So it's different ideologies.

[407] But I'm just like, you know what?

[408] I'll tap into that just so I can at least be aware of the other side what they're thinking.

[409] Yeah.

[410] And that kind of brings me to what I heard you say about Rogan when you defended him because Rogan's one of those people for me as well.

[411] Like I can listen to his shows and his podcast and stuff.

[412] And I don't have to agree with everything.

[413] Of course.

[414] But there's a diverse.

[415] Yeah.

[416] I don't have to agree with his guests.

[417] That's what it means.

[418] But there's a diversity of opinion.

[419] Yeah.

[420] So I can, and I feel like people these days, as we've all observed, they don't want to hear anything outside of their own it's either left or right and it's the other side is wrong and if there's nothing in the middle and if you say one thing that represents the other side like they just come from you in a box right away but that's the thing i'm like the this whole fucking situation we have with COVID now and what we're doing in society as a strange times man because people adjust the human animal is weird it's a weird fucking species because individually we can be smart but when we're in droves just this dummies just a bunch of dummies sometimes i'm like how can a smart person have this idea about this when you know what's really happening you really it's like you if you really step away from it like you said just remove yourself in a situation and look at it from a third person as i'm observer you just watch it and just be like i know what that is but then somehow the smartest people i've i know sometimes just have the weirdest way of looking at the world and I try not to hold it against them because I'm like I know you you're a smart person but maybe the way you were brought up or your own childhood trauma again can kind of skew the way you look at the world so I never hold it against them I just kind of like it's not personal it's not about me it's about them so just observe but yeah it's weird man very weird very strange and they're just I guess trying to fit in too they're trying to be part of a tribe oh yeah exactly tribe yeah so it's like more mentality even with um I remember when Andrew Schultz said recently he's like on one of his podcasts he said he regrets getting the vaccine and yeah he said he wishes he never did what's like people i find this really strange to people like people don't want to get duped people don't want to get dup people hate feeling like they got had and if people if someone felt like oh you know they they got dup they kind of want to get people into their tribe so they can they can you know we've got you on our side i'm i don't care what side you're on I literally don't care whether you want to do this or you do that.

[421] All I care about is how you treat people, how you treat the people around you, the people you interact with.

[422] But nah, this day and age, like, I find people asking me the strangest questions, like, and then they'll base their, how they treat you based on that response.

[423] Like, are you vaccinated?

[424] That was one of the weirdest one.

[425] I was like, why do you care?

[426] Yeah.

[427] What does that do for you?

[428] Well, we need to decide who you are from that one decision.

[429] We want to know what box to put you in.

[430] It's like, why?

[431] So I like to fuck with people and just like, Maybe I am, maybe I'm not.

[432] We'll find out.

[433] But then they're just like, no, but we need to know.

[434] Yeah, who side are you on?

[435] Exactly.

[436] I'm like, why do you care?

[437] Yeah.

[438] And this is the thing with division as well.

[439] I've said, like, divide and conquer.

[440] That's the easiest way to break a, you know, a nation or a group of people, just divide them and separate them, make them think that one is on the other side and this and that and make them fight amongst each other.

[441] That's how they've done it for years, for centuries, the oligarchs or the Illuminati.

[442] whatever you want to call it they divide and conquer this is how they get it done so why do you think like they're not doing that right now in so many different ways so many different ways i i consider myself to be someone that sits in the middle so like sometimes i don't i don't i don't i don't i don't so you know Nigerian parents my dad used to have CNN or BBC on the telly all the fucking time constantly just on repeat but i just don't watch the news i literally don't listen to it um you know in new zealand we used to have um like an update with this whole COVID shit on Mondays, I believe, around 5 p .m. I never once was like on a Monday, like, ooh.

[443] Yeah, got to guess.

[444] Oh, fuck.

[445] But everyone else is just like, oh, has they made the announcement?

[446] I'm just like, I get the new secondhand.

[447] I'm like, what do they say?

[448] Oh, cool.

[449] I will allow to.

[450] Because I just, the rules don't apply to me. That's how I feel.

[451] I just, I really, and I assess my ego talking.

[452] I'm not talking the rules of the law.

[453] I'm just talking like, no matter what they say.

[454] I can do or I can't do like example we were locked down for three months last year in August during that time those things weren't allowed to do like train I trained allegedly yeah but I found ways like I just felt like the rules that applied to me because I mean in the beginning of the pandemic trust me I was scared I was I didn't know what this fucking shit where it felt like the purge but then eventually after all the bullshit after a year and two years, I kind of like, okay, like everyone else, we just knew what was going on.

[455] There's some kind of other, I guess, agenda behind it that we have no fucking idea about.

[456] I'm not going to act like I fucking know.

[457] But I just know that this doesn't make sense to me. It does not make sense to me that I don't want to get too deep into all that shit.

[458] But like literally doesn't make sense to me. The common sense was just not commoning.

[459] It was not common enough.

[460] So I was like, okay, this is, there's something going on here that I'm not fucking with.

[461] But I'm going to live my life the best way.

[462] I know how, in the lines of what I can, allegedly.

[463] I hear you.

[464] When you said at the start about the Kotwill, you said, you know, you just wanted to be authentically yourself.

[465] And this kind of links to what we're saying now.

[466] When I, when I was, I joined BBC One as a dragon, I started thinking about how I defend myself from the inevitability of being cancelled, either for the people that I speak to here.

[467] Yeah.

[468] And one of the ways that I kind of concluded with my team was, well, if I am always myself and I don't ever try and convince the press that I'm a good guy.

[469] Bro, this is where, this is the, this is the trap that a guy like John Joseph fell into because he was always like the pastor's son.

[470] He was always like, you know, after a fight, I want to thank Jesus.

[471] You know, I want to be sponsored by Nike and, you know, all kids, you know, I want to be someone kids look up to.

[472] I want to be a good role model.

[473] Right, right, rah, blah, fuck them kids.

[474] Fuck all that shit.

[475] You know what I mean?

[476] I'm like, bro, people try to say that, oh, you know what my kid looks up to you.

[477] I'm like, raise your own.

[478] damn kids.

[479] Where's your own damn kids?

[480] You know?

[481] Like one thing, after my UFC debut, some guy, so at my after party, I had this shirt, right, said, good cunt from Engage, classic, soulless, still big seller.

[482] And some guy was, all straight up.

[483] It was the beautiful shirt.

[484] And also it was like a play on the famous designer brand, GC.

[485] Like, yeah, so we, we sold those.

[486] We still sell them heaps.

[487] But this guy came up to me and he was interviewing me at my own after party.

[488] And I could see he was trying to set me up.

[489] So then he's like, oh, so what do you, yeah, so what do you think a t -shirt like that sends?

[490] What kind of messages are sent?

[491] I'm like, what do you mean?

[492] And he thought he fucked with the wrong one, this one.

[493] So he's like, what do you think that kind of shirt sends as a message to say, for example, a young kid who looks up to you?

[494] And I was just like, oh, really?

[495] Oh, so what does that kid look up to me for?

[496] It's like, for being in your position as a war, a fighter, right?

[497] Yes.

[498] So that kid just saw what I did about a few hours ago when I beat.

[499] the fuck out of that guy.

[500] And he saw where I was taking it.

[501] But he's just like, no, no, no, no. I was like, stay there.

[502] And I could see him trying to find a way out of that.

[503] So that kid just watched me beat this fucking guy to a pulp in his own blood as he spat blood at me and I beat him in his own blood till the referee dragged me off him.

[504] Yeah?

[505] Oh, really.

[506] So what do you think is doing more damage to the kid is, is me doing that and the kid?

[507] And the kid looking up to me for that or me wearing a shirt that just says, good, cunt.

[508] it's this whole fucking culture of like stupid language games you can say that word and that's a bad word and this and that so and then I can't remember how I flamed him but I flamed him there was a bit of an audience as well I flamed them badly he never released the interview obviously because he had no like to stand on but he thought he had me but he didn't realize he fucked with the wrong one and I just told him I was like I think me doing my job does more damage to the kid for watching than me wearing a shirt that says good cunt you know what i mean and i hate that the fact that we're playing these because even when i do so i don't do new zealand media anymore because they're too fucking stupid for me and too like i did this morning show one time and i was talking i said brother about something asses oh that's a swear jar swear jar i'm like what the fuck this is high school i'm like i'm an adult i know you i've seen you at fucking possibly social club drunk off your face i know what you're doing the bathroom you know what i mean so i'm just like don't try to act like you're holier than now now and like oh you put that in the swear jar It's like this we're, what game are we playing?

[509] You're playing this stupid game that's like, oh, we can say these words, but you can't say these words.

[510] Like, you're an adult.

[511] When the cameras go off, I know how to fuck you speak.

[512] I know how you talk, you know?

[513] And it's like, why we're pretending we don't speak the way we do because of what?

[514] Because we're on TV.

[515] It's just, it boggles me sometimes.

[516] And I start to like, what game are we playing?

[517] It's like, it's so stupid.

[518] As adults, we're adults.

[519] Like, we talk.

[520] This is language.

[521] We curse.

[522] We swear.

[523] But then when the TV comes on, oh, you want to be proper and, you know, you must be, you know, prestigious and speak.

[524] I'm like, nah, fuck all that shit, man. Like, let's speak the way we normally speak and be authentically ourselves.

[525] So that's like, Charlemagne says something and say, speak your truth so no one can use your truth against you.

[526] Amen.

[527] Amen.

[528] Bro, like, trust me. Like, I'm able to get away with a lot of things I get away with because I never said I'm a saint.

[529] I know myself.

[530] I am a fucking demon sometimes.

[531] Trust.

[532] There's no good people.

[533] there's no bad people people are just capable of great good and great evil you know what I mean but I just try to do more good than bad but I've done some bad things in my time because I'm human being you know what I mean so when people try and I guess put you in a box like oh he's a good guy or he's this I'm like there's no good people there's no bad people we're just people and we're capable of great good and great evil that's it amen yeah I in my head when you were saying that and you look at me in the eyes and I'm I've been the demon sometimes yeah I just had this image of We're Nigerians, so I really know that's the thing.

[534] So when I start this podcast, I know I was going to be on BBC 1 at 9 p .m. on this very prestigious show, I was like, by the way, I used to shoplift pizzas to feed myself when I was broke.

[535] I did this, I did this, I did this.

[536] And you can almost...

[537] Exactly, right?

[538] And you could almost, in my head when you said that I could...

[539] I was imagining the press here just packing up their suitcases and fucking off and being like, we can't use him.

[540] Bro, trust me. We can't use this guy because he's not tried to...

[541] He's not trying to tell us that he's something...

[542] He's not built this big hill of moral perfection.

[543] And so we got to go find, you know, we've got to go find some enough.

[544] They can't fuck with me because, you know why?

[545] If, like, there's a reason I've stayed off TMZ.

[546] I've never been on TMZ, knock on wood, never will for the wrong reasons.

[547] But, I mean, one day if something happens, I just happen to be on TMZ for the wrong reason.

[548] I'd be like, whoopsie, my bad.

[549] I made a mistake.

[550] But guess what?

[551] I never told you I was perfect.

[552] Exactly.

[553] I'm normal.

[554] I'm human being.

[555] And so I'm just like, that, that's my power is being vulnerable with my faults.

[556] you know, I'm not going to say I've done this, I've done that, but I just know I'm not, I'm not perfect.

[557] I'm a human being.

[558] I make mistakes and it's okay to make mistakes.

[559] The difference between me and some people is that I actually learn from my mistakes and I don't make the same mistakes over and over and over again in the public eye like some people.

[560] John Jones.

[561] That's one.

[562] That's a classic example, obviously, the same fucking mistake.

[563] We had a guest come on this podcast in December and she said that she was making the point about everyone.

[564] having the same 24 hours in the day.

[565] This was kind of the quote she used.

[566] And it became the number one story in this country for three days.

[567] It trended number one on Twitter.

[568] It was on hundreds of newspaper articles written about it because I think maybe her brand is one that is trying to be a role model.

[569] So she was the number one trending topic in our country for three days.

[570] Where was the story?

[571] That she said everyone has the same 24 hours in the day.

[572] Oh.

[573] Right, exactly.

[574] So I came out and said, by the way, loads of my guests say that all the time, why you're attacking it.

[575] And then my next press event, right, I wore a shirt that said 24 hours on it.

[576] Everyone clapped.

[577] I didn't get cancelled.

[578] And I said, am I canceled?

[579] I wore a shirt and all the paps are there.

[580] 24 hours.

[581] I said 24 hours in the shirt.

[582] And this is what I'm, this is my, that was my attempt again to say, by the way, I'm not perfect.

[583] And if you want to cancel me, please do it now so I can get them with my life.

[584] Yeah.

[585] And I'm still waiting.

[586] They've tried.

[587] They've tried me. They keep trying me. I'm just like, look, it's hard to cancel someone when they're actually, don't give a fuck.

[588] And they're being themselves.

[589] I'm like, I fight people for money.

[590] That's what I do for a job.

[591] I beat people up for a shitload of money.

[592] If you really want to take my political views or my moral views in the consideration and say this and that, right, right, right, right.

[593] That's on you.

[594] I'm like, this is, I'm not, I never said I'm a saints.

[595] I'm not a fucking politician.

[596] I don't, everyone, I don't feel like I have anything to hide.

[597] Like I said, I put everything, not everything, but, like, I said, I put everything, not everything, but, like, I put things out there that I probably shouldn't sometimes.

[598] But that's my way of being vulnerable to the point where I'm just like, this is me. Take it or leave it.

[599] But I feel like me doing that attracts the people who can relate, who can resonate.

[600] And I feel like they gravitate towards me. You don't talk about your relationships, your romantic relationships.

[601] Never.

[602] I keep that way.

[603] Is it because of protecting the person or?

[604] Look, this world, one thing I've seen is they'll build you up, right?

[605] They'll build you up and then tear you down.

[606] Like a free Britney, Miley Cyrus.

[607] Harris, Justin Bieber, all these people I've seen that happen so many times.

[608] So, and also this world just takes.

[609] They just take, take.

[610] When I have kids, you'll never know, the world will never know their face.

[611] I'm even contemplating if I still give them my last name because I don't want to put that pressure on them.

[612] Because even my siblings, sometimes they hate it as well where it's like, you know, oh, this is, this is Dave, this is Israel's brother.

[613] Or this is Deborah, this is Israel's sister or Stalbana's sister.

[614] And they're like, oh, my name's Deborah, you know.

[615] Like, I don't want to put that on them.

[616] Same thing with my relationships.

[617] That's certain things I protect because I value them so I keep them safe because the world will just try to take, take, take.

[618] And that's one thing everyone wants to like, know, what's he doing?

[619] Who is he with?

[620] Apparently, I'm gay as well because of my nails and my pearl necklaces and all that stuff.

[621] So I'm just like, let them talk.

[622] It's fun.

[623] But have you found it difficult because of the success and the meteoric role?

[624] and the money and the increased attention to navigate being good in that department and also your obsession with becoming the man you are today which did feel like an obsession when I was reading about your story sleeping in the gym.

[625] Like how does one do that and also balance out having...

[626] That's a regular.

[627] I'm a human being and I have feelings, you know, so I'm an empath as well.

[628] Are you?

[629] Yeah, I'm born on the cusp.

[630] So I'm like, I say, I'm a cancer leo, I'm hard and soft.

[631] like a semi -tube, you know.

[632] Intrava, extravary.

[633] Exactly, my guy.

[634] So a lot of people don't realize that about myself.

[635] Like, when it's time to like go in my crab hole, I just find my way.

[636] I'm like, right, leave me on this.

[637] I love my friends because my close friends, I can, we can do this for hours and just yawn and talk shit and make fun of each other and just show each other love.

[638] But then we can spend the next three hours just sit in the same room, being on my phone or watching TV or listen to a podcast and not say a damn word and just enjoy each other's space.

[639] I love that.

[640] I love that feeling.

[641] But yeah, I'm a person who feels a lot.

[642] So I like to protect that.

[643] I like to keep that really guarded because, like I said, the world will take that away from you, man. And I feel like people ruin things, people, especially like this is not supposed to happen.

[644] The world I'm being under a microscope and everyone watching what I'm doing.

[645] So certain things I just have, I feel like I just have to really protect because I, you know, I don't want the world to take that away from me because they just take, take.

[646] My cat died, maybe two years ago.

[647] The morning she died, right?

[648] I was, I think I was filling gas up in the afternoon.

[649] And some guy came up while I'm filling gas and goes, brother, bro, can you talk to my cousin real quick?

[650] He's a big fan.

[651] I'm just like, man, bro, my cat just died this morning, man. I'm not really knowing the mood.

[652] And I remember the look on his face just like, oh, all good, whatever.

[653] I was like, give me the phone.

[654] I said, hello?

[655] And this is as I'm filling gas actively.

[656] And I was like, hold up, bro, no phones.

[657] Like, what if I spontaneously could, but they don't care.

[658] They just want to have their moment.

[659] They want to take.

[660] They want to take.

[661] So that's why if I'm having dinner with my family, if I'm on a date, if I'm in the intimate moment, people start to like, bro, I don't want to be that guy.

[662] But I'm like, but you're being that guy.

[663] You say you don't want to be that guy, but you're being that guy.

[664] So when people say, I'm not a racist, I've got.

[665] Yeah.

[666] Oh, yeah, bro.

[667] It's like, I hate to be that guy, but I'm like, well, you're being that guy.

[668] You hate to be that guy, boy, you're doing it right now.

[669] And it's like, I'll be having lunch with you.

[670] And within 10 minutes, we'll get stopped probably like six times with you.

[671] I'm probably, if we're at lunch in London, we'll probably not even have a chance to talk.

[672] But they don't care.

[673] They just want to get their picture and put on their fucking social media with fucking 20 followers.

[674] It's like, oh, look, I'm at their chap boy, like whatever.

[675] I'm just like, no, let me have my moment.

[676] And I'm, and I've learned this.

[677] Okay, my experience with this.

[678] And I always bring this up whenever I see him on TV or hair's rap, most deaf.

[679] I see Most Deaf in common in Auckland Airport.

[680] And they're having a conversation by the bad carousel.

[681] And I want to fight in Adelaide.

[682] And I'm coming back home.

[683] I have my trophy.

[684] And I was like, yo, I want to get a picture.

[685] And I pull up to him.

[686] I'm like, hey, what's up most deaf?

[687] Big fan.

[688] He's like, hey, brother, just no photos today.

[689] Man, I was just like, yeah, all good.

[690] Nowhere's easy.

[691] Now, remember, I was a bit sad, but I understood.

[692] I understood because they were in the middle of a conversation, actively talking.

[693] I should have had the etiquette to realize, like, just they're talking, leave them alone.

[694] But this is a thing.

[695] No one, I feel like it's learned behavior as well.

[696] That's one thing that because everyone thinks they're your biggest fan.

[697] It's the same rhetoric.

[698] I know the lines they're going to say each time.

[699] But like, it's a learned behavior.

[700] I don't know.

[701] I think it's maybe from TV or Disney or whatever.

[702] People feel like when you meet someone, you really, you're a fan of you yell at them to let them know how much of a fan you are and you show them by just shaking and da -da -da -da -da.

[703] I honestly think it's learned behavior because sometimes I'm like, there's no need for all this.

[704] I'll be at like a three.

[705] I'm chilling at a two or three at a park.

[706] And so, no fucking way.

[707] Oh my God.

[708] And I'm just like, Okay, after the Whitaker fight, the first one, I remember after that whole, the fight, after the after party on the way back to New Zealand, I remember at the airport, I put out a story just saying like, look, if you see me at the airport or traveling, just approach me lightly because if you come at me with all this energy, I'll walk away.

[709] I put that on my story just because I was like, I'll walk away because my capacity to deal with high energy right now was just, how are you feeling?

[710] I was just drained.

[711] I was drained.

[712] So I was just like, I just want to go home and chill.

[713] So I remember at the airport, I just, before I went to the airport, I just put that out there on the story just to be like, look, don't come at me with all this shit because there's too much for me to deal with right now.

[714] So if you come at me, just like, hey, what's up, bro, a big fan.

[715] Can I take a photo?

[716] That's cool.

[717] And I remember that fight week, the week before the fight.

[718] light week I realized, I had an epiphany, I realized I don't have to match everyone's energy because that was a problem.

[719] I used to like, if you're a fan, you meet me. Then I feel, hey, even if I met it, like I said, my catchers died, then I'd have to like raise my level up.

[720] Hey, what's up, bro.

[721] Hey, do the whole song and dance and all that shit.

[722] I'm like, nah, I don't have to match everyone's energy.

[723] Because guess what?

[724] Heart pill to swallow.

[725] I'm not excited to meet you as much as you are to meet me. It's just a hard pill to swallow.

[726] and it's just my everyday life I'm not excited to meet you as you are to meet me and that's okay because this is my life this is how I deal with things so once I kind of like go over that hump I was like I don't have to match everyone's energy so if someone comes to me at a 10 I don't have to raise my level up I can just chilling I'm listening to a podcast I can just pause and be like hey what's up man how you doing and if they feel like that's a shit interaction cool that's their prerogative I don't care but if I'm if you made me last night I remember fucking I'm in the streets in London last night I'm showing love to everyone I'm dancing I'm talking to people I'm Mr. I'm Mr. area boy But that's a time and place I'm taking pictures and all that kind of stuff There's a time and place If you catch me in the right time and place Fuck y 'all show you love But I hate when people get entitled And think they just I want to take I want to take So that's why I keep Yeah And you keep your boys and the people You came up with close right Tell me about the importance of that As you've risen to this place you know, to keep the day ones around you and stuff like that.

[727] I mean, you'll know this.

[728] It's lonely at the top, you know, but it's not if you bring the right people with you, the people that came up with you, the people that, you know, love you for you.

[729] You know, the people that know you from before you had money, before you were famous, you know, so I like to have them around to keep me grounded, to keep me grounded and just make sure I'm solid because they knew me before any of this shit happens.

[730] And, you know, it's hard because sometimes, you, I have fallen into the trap of having people who just agree with me. Yes, man. You know?

[731] And even my boy chance.

[732] I'm glad, like, I have him around because sometimes I'm crazy.

[733] I don't always have the best ideas.

[734] And I'll have an idea.

[735] He'll be like, nah.

[736] But okay, cool.

[737] I just needed someone to tell me no. But I'll put it out there.

[738] Boy, if he's like, nah, we're not doing that.

[739] I'm like, okay, cool.

[740] Because then it just helps me. But if I had people around me who's like, okay, sure.

[741] Then eventually it just makes me more power.

[742] awful and I just like to think like, oh yeah, you know, I'm the shit.

[743] I can say whatever I want.

[744] And that's not healthy, man. I don't think that's healthy for the ego, you know?

[745] Yeah.

[746] Well, I just like having people like that around me because I feel like, yeah, they keep me grounded and just remind me where I come from, you know?

[747] And there's so many stories, man. Each of my friends in my group chat, I've known each of them over 10 years, but well over 10 years, man. And we all have stories we can kind of share from back in the day that just, just remind me where I come from.

[748] Yeah.

[749] And the other thing that happens is when you reach the heights you've reached and your profession is, we talked about it then, you have this other, this other attention, which is from women that might want you for the wrong reasons.

[750] Oh, yeah.

[751] My mom always warns me about this.

[752] I have a baby by me. Yeah.

[753] My mom's trying to tell me, like, you know, I wouldn't I ain't go to settle down.

[754] We were able to find a nice Nigerian girl just set her down.

[755] Yeah.

[756] She wants me to be with a Nigerian woman.

[757] Yeah.

[758] I don't settle.

[759] Yeah.

[760] I don't settle.

[761] I don't don't settle so for me that's something i guess you just have to take it by case by case basis yeah case by case basis because you do find people who just some people play the long game put it that way I've had people play the long game with me even recently it's just like yeah you know they there's love there and all that kind of stuff but they play a long game because they see the value and it's not just what you it's just what you bring to the table and they get entitled you know and I feel like that's that's not the way you want to be when you have someone you know that's that you're romantically in love with or involved with as like you don't want to be competing with them or have them feel entitled to what you have i'm like yo you just got here i've been made it the fuck you're talking about what do you bring to the table i bought the fucking table what values are you looking for do you look for in that kind of person kind i just like someone who's caring who gives a fuck who really cares like and who wants nothing from me that's the thing It's hard to find someone who needs nothing.

[762] Even for me, I don't even celebrate my birthday and I'm hard to buy gifts for because I'm not really a material.

[763] I love material things, obviously, but...

[764] Nice much.

[765] Yeah, thank you.

[766] I'm sure, you know.

[767] We work.

[768] Now, but yeah, like, I'm not a material person, but I do like material things.

[769] But it's hard to buy gifts for me because I found this as well with my rich friends when I was coming up.

[770] It was hard to buy gifts for them when someone, they're able to buy whatever they want.

[771] So, but in that and that, I just look for someone who's caring, someone who really gives a fuck.

[772] That's the main thing.

[773] You give a fuck about me. Yeah.

[774] And you're going to have a family one day?

[775] Of course.

[776] That's definitely one of my main goals after this.

[777] I don't want to be that dad that's like, you know, I wake up, see my kids for like 30 minutes before I go to work.

[778] And then when I finish work, I see them like for hour, hour and a half maybe while I'm tired.

[779] No. I'm going to make sure I'm there from the ages of zero to five.

[780] five or six i'm gonna be like what do you want to do today like literally what do you want to and i feel honestly fuck school i don't know why we still even have this whole fucking this outdated concept of school to just build workers because we know what the fuck school was made for why we're pretending we know school was created to create workers do you still know i don't what the fuck is x no fucking idea bro i'm still waiting still i'm like when have i in my life as an adult knowing what the fuck fuck x is no fucking idea a lot of useless information going passed on to me in school and i sucked at school because i was shit at memorizing same i didn't really learn anything dropouts as we do drop out my man school doesn't teach you much honestly teaches you the basics i understand math yes english comprehension all that kind of stuff but when you come to like social studies and algebra and calculus i'm like are you going to use those in the real world so fuck school my plan is right.

[781] When I have kids, I'm going to have a tutor that's going to teach them from the age at home from the time like say maybe 9 a .m. to midday or 1 p .m. and they'll have an hour of homework and the rest of the day we'll just go on adventures doing shit.

[782] But then they're going to do gymnastics compulsory because I want to make sure they know their body, the foundation of athleticism, gymnastics, and jiu -jitsu.

[783] So that way, they're involved with other kids and not socially awkward.

[784] You don't want to raise some fucking bumkins who, you know, don't have any social skills.

[785] But, yeah, I want to make sure that they have those kind of skills by interacting with other kids through gymnastics or through jiu -jitsu or other, like, activities.

[786] And they'll do that every day or whatever day of days of the week it is.

[787] But school, going there, clocking in, sitting down, washing the table.

[788] teacher write some shit on the board and write, right, right, right.

[789] No one's teaching.

[790] It was literally, some of these people just there to catch a paycheck, and I've seen it.

[791] I was in school.

[792] You just see them there, oh, I don't write the shit on the board, whatever.

[793] Copy this.

[794] Copy this.

[795] Copy this.

[796] I didn't even know what, because we were doing these, when I was in high school, NCAA credits.

[797] And I remember just like towards the end of the year, what's all this credits, credits, credits, not to repeat the whole year.

[798] But I didn't know what I was like credit.

[799] What's all this credit?

[800] What's all this credit shit?

[801] Credit, credit, credit.

[802] I did not care.

[803] I didn't understand.

[804] I just didn't fathom it.

[805] But then eventually when I go to grasp of it, I was like, oh, this sucks.

[806] It's a shit system.

[807] And then they'll give you the D. And then you'll feel like you're a D as a human.

[808] You identify with the D. One of the worst ones I remember was in boarding school in Nigeria.

[809] I was bottom three in the class.

[810] And of course, they have to announce it, the bottom three.

[811] And you have to stand in front of the school.

[812] They announce it.

[813] And I'm just like, these are the bottom three of the class.

[814] I understand it.

[815] With your head down.

[816] Yep.

[817] That's us.

[818] That's, yeah, we're the ones.

[819] I was the lowest, yes.

[820] Thank you.

[821] Okay, now go on to take your seats.

[822] Okay, yes, thank you.

[823] Oh, the worst, man. And it's just humiliating, but it's like, I don't know if it's meant to motivate you or what, but I didn't do shit.

[824] And like I said, a lot of people start, like, if I see that now, we've been like, young people, they decide to tie this self -worth.

[825] I have a friend in med school who literally, like, when it gets crunch time, they're just like, I need to get these grades.

[826] I need to get their grades up.

[827] And they just identify them.

[828] So if I don't get this, I'm useless.

[829] This is it.

[830] I failed.

[831] I'm like, you're 23.

[832] Calm the fuck down.

[833] It's not that deep.

[834] It is, obviously, it's your career.

[835] But I'm like, there's more of life.

[836] There's way more of life than this than just this idea of who you think you are.

[837] Because when I was fucking 18, I thought I was going to be married and have kids at 23.

[838] Point was I wrong.

[839] I'm like, I don't fuck.

[840] Who let me buy a house now?

[841] I'm like, why?

[842] I don't know.

[843] Who let me do that?

[844] I shouldn't.

[845] You should never give me these niggas money.

[846] First of all.

[847] I don't think they gave it to you Yeah, I took all that I'm a bankroll Yeah, like Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking back then I thought like this I thought I knew what I wanted When I was 18, I was like I'm gonna have kids When I'm 23, 24 Fucking hell Jeez In To Fiakwa What when you look forward At your, you've I mean, you've reached the top of your game Mm -hmm How do you keep yourself You know What is the thing that's driving you Now, what is the thing you're aiming for now?

[848] What's that North Star that's getting you out of bed?

[849] Is it legacy?

[850] People talk about legacy.

[851] Legacy, yeah, big thing.

[852] That's what it is.

[853] For me, it's definitely the legacy I want to live.

[854] Why does that matter?

[855] I think I want to be immortal.

[856] I don't know if it's my ego or I'm selfish or what it is.

[857] But I just know, look, I dissonia.

[858] The prefix idea is royalty where we're from.

[859] You know, I did from the Yorobite tribe.

[860] You know that's some royal blood tied to it.

[861] I dis on you.

[862] But now worldwide, the name I dis on you.

[863] It's synonymous for greatness.

[864] Whatever.

[865] It's synonymous for greatness.

[866] And I'm going to make sure that is, I'm going to make sure if you have that name I disown.

[867] You're proud to be like, yep, I'm tied to that bloodline.

[868] I understand because I don't know.

[869] I don't know what it is.

[870] Isn't my ego?

[871] Why is it that fucking King Tut wanted to be buried in his tomb with all his gold?

[872] Even though he's not going to be there to...

[873] Exactly.

[874] Enjoy it.

[875] I don't know.

[876] I don't know.

[877] But I know when it's all said and done, when I'm dead, my name will be remembered in history.

[878] What's that Troy line?

[879] And that's why I know I will remember your name or whatever it was.

[880] But, like, I want to make sure that my name would be remembered and revered throughout history as one of the best in this game.

[881] But also just as a person, I just, just a, just a G .C., just a good cunt.

[882] Just a happy dude who was enjoying life and just, I don't know, making shit happen.

[883] But it's more about the feeling, though.

[884] I want people to remember my name and just remember the feeling I gave them.

[885] You know what I mean?

[886] Like those who are alive to, or not alive, or around to watch Jordan's reign in the NBA.

[887] I mean, I'm sure when they hear Jordan, they can just remember, I remember that time I was at that game.

[888] Or I remember that time I watched that game live.

[889] And they remember the feeling.

[890] I want those, like, when they remember my name to be like, I was there, two, four, three.

[891] I remember how I was in the arena when he won that feeling.

[892] I want, I want, I want, people forget what you say or what you do, but they never.

[893] forget how you make them feel.

[894] So it's the feeling I want to make sure they remember.

[895] Yeah.

[896] When people reach the top of their game, they start becoming philanthropists.

[897] We see this when people get billions.

[898] Because they can't seem to get the buzz or the feeling anymore from from business or successful money or Lamborghinis or Yacht.

[899] So they start like helping other people, right?

[900] I'm getting there.

[901] You're getting to the point where you're starting to feel that the greatest service you can do is like for others.

[902] Because when you're talking about your legacy there, it's actually sounds like the feeling that's philanthropy.

[903] It's like, I want to leave this feeling with other people so that they feel you know inspired or whatever yeah um i'm doing the same things well i'm setting my people up the people in my circle i'm not handing anything out to them but just with opportunities you know and also experiences i'm giving them experiences to inspire them um but yeah there's things that i do behind the scenes that i don't necessarily i don't know like i'm not one of these guys i don't do it for the likes i do it for love and i feel like there's a bar from jz the best form of giving is anonymous to anonymous So there's ways I just I drop gems Like Shaq I love the way Shaq does it But he does it quite over at least Like you want a bike Yeah Ask your mom if you have a bike You got these shoes How many do you want You know like It does like just drop gems everywhere It makes people happy Because it feels good To make people feel good Even though that is selfish In its sense Because I'm getting I'm getting something I'm getting good Feels out of it But still I'm making someone feel good I'd rather that But I'm not doing it to be like Yeah Hey man And then, you know, I know you're hungry and I just bought you this meal because I really want to show love to you, man. Yeah, exactly.

[904] And upload it to the ground and then.

[905] Fuck yeah.

[906] And I don't do that.

[907] Like, there's things I've done.

[908] Even Tim will tell you after this.

[909] I mean, even for this fight, there was someone that I, I think last year he went through some stuff that I heard about on the media.

[910] And I was just like, fuck, I went through that shit as well.

[911] And then this fight, I brought him out and I showed him a good time.

[912] Yeah, he and his mom.

[913] And I put them up, got them tickets, and just made sure they, yeah, they were looked after.

[914] I made him backstage and just gave them a few words of encouragement.

[915] And I don't need to bring it up because it's like, yeah, yeah, okay, hey, yeah, it's fine.

[916] That's some shit.

[917] But yeah, well, Tim will tell you about it.

[918] When you walked in the song playing, do you remember the song playing?

[919] Hold up.

[920] Oh, Victory, La. Oh, no, that was a Nipsey.

[921] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[922] Which one?

[923] It was from Victory Laap, though.

[924] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[925] Double up.

[926] Double up.

[927] Yeah, all.

[928] Yeah, all.

[929] Yeah, every time.

[930] That song gets me every time when it gets into the chorus, I live up behind where you let me. Oh, it gets me, man. Every single time, I don't know why about something about that track, it just gets me in my field.

[931] I even think about it and I get goosebumps.

[932] Double up's the track, man. When I saw you pre -fight playing that song in that hotel room crying.

[933] Yeah.

[934] And then I saw you in the stands another time crying.

[935] Yeah.

[936] I guess that was the evidence that you are a bit of an empath.

[937] You did feel.

[938] I feel.

[939] The last one was that was when I watched my boy Blood Diamond jump on the scale to weigh in.

[940] And I get really emotional.

[941] Fight weeks like my wedding week.

[942] I feel.

[943] This is why I dread getting married because I don't, the guest list, I'm just like, I don't even fucking know who I want to, like, invite because people are going to be like, oh, you do invite me to get ready.

[944] I don't.

[945] That's why I don't celebrate my birthday.

[946] Because it's like a few times a year, there's a whole week that everything's about me. So I don't need another special day that it's about me. So that's why I'm also dreading, like I said, my wedding day or my birthday.

[947] Fossed fun.

[948] Exactly.

[949] So I really don't celebrate my birthday, to be honest.

[950] Like, every day is my birthday.

[951] I don't do whatever fuck I want, you know?

[952] I don't buy gifts for people on their birthday.

[953] I just buy them if I see something that.

[954] I think she'll like that.

[955] I think he'll value that.

[956] I'll just buy it just because I'm like, or give them the experience just because I thought they'll value that.

[957] But I know you're not missing Valentine's Day, though.

[958] Oh, nah.

[959] Valentine's Day.

[960] I have a special traditional Valentine's Day that I used to do but I don't really play around with it anymore.

[961] I just used to like mad memes on my page and just just, it's funny.

[962] It was just a way, the first time I did it was in 2014.

[963] Yes, I believe 2014 Valentine's Day, I was fighting.

[964] And throughout the day I was waiting for the fight.

[965] I was just bored.

[966] It's before stories on Instagram.

[967] So I just put up like 80 posts that day.

[968] Just like, yeah, I know.

[969] People going mad at me. People were really entertained.

[970] But I didn't care.

[971] I was just in that fight mode so I was just like fucking put in a post about bands just memes and just making just making fun of Valentine's Day but fuck good times good good time before I was I guess super famous one of our guests you said you're going up to Manchester on the weekend one of our guest Patrice Everis Manchester United Football legend do you know the guy no I see I don't football the bug didn't catch me yeah yeah didn't catch me as a sports didn't really catch me as a kid because I was unathletic funny enough Yeah, I know.

[972] I was never really athletic kid.

[973] Yeah.

[974] Mad.

[975] I mean, when Patrice came here, he's from, his family from Africa originally, moved to France, played for the French football team.

[976] He became this legend, maybe the greatest Manchester United wing back in our history.

[977] He wrote a question in the diary.

[978] We always get our guests to write questions in the diary.

[979] Yes, I heard about this.

[980] This is all I knew about this podcast.

[981] I was like, okay, apparently there's a question.

[982] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[983] There's a question at the end.

[984] But in fact, I'm going to read you the question that's been left for you by, I don't actually read it until I look at it, but Patrice asked a question, which I thought was really profound, because I remember being asked this question one day, and it really puzzled me. It's such a simple question.

[985] So I'm going to ask you the question.

[986] Okay.

[987] Are you happy?

[988] Right now, yes.

[989] Yes, I'm very happy.

[990] Why do you say right now?

[991] Because it's not lasting, it's fleeting.

[992] That's one thing I've also learned as well is, well, you can't enjoy the sunshine without a little rain, and everything is temporary.

[993] everything everything's forever changing so even right now i'm happy i'm enjoying life i love where i'm at i love who i'm around i love who i'm with you know i i know it's not it's not lasting because guess what something's going to happen that's going to shake that up because back in the day whenever this is happening i'm just like a few good days things are too nice where's the thing that's going to fuck me up but now i'm just like this is nice and I'll just sit in it and I'll just enjoy it I enjoy the happiness and I enjoy what I'm doing and enjoy where I'm at and then when the bad thing comes I'm like ah there it is it's okay this is going to pass as well this too shall pass so when I say yeah I'm happy right now I'm happy very happy are you good at defending that happiness because the amount of you even described it when you came off after your debut the amount of people that are going to want to talk to you and do an interview in Israel Israel are you good at saying no no better I'm better at it now I never used to be.

[994] This is where I was talking about the people pleaser thing back in the day.

[995] And this is why this year, one of my things is I don't get fucked up around people I don't like.

[996] I don't know.

[997] Because I realize when I get drunk, I'm too nice.

[998] I'm a friendly drunk.

[999] I'm like a fucking golden retriever when I'm drunk or black Labrador.

[1000] I'm just like, hey.

[1001] And not everyone's your friend.

[1002] Not everyone wants the best for you.

[1003] But they'll just take advantage and try and like, you know, I just let my boundaries get crossed too many times.

[1004] you know and I let people get too close maybe like too then the next day I'm just like what the fuck that I let that person you know ah fuck I wish I'd said no to that you know then I start to like eat at me for the next few days so yeah I'm getting it's practice it's constantly evolving but I know how to say no no I just say and I don't have to explain myself I literally just say no because when you're explaining yourself you're losing I learned that from chill sudden I remember when I used to listen to his podcast.

[1005] He said something really profound.

[1006] Like, when you're explaining yourself, you're losing.

[1007] So I don't explain myself.

[1008] I just say no. And if that's, like, someone like, can I get a photo?

[1009] Can I'm like, I'm busy.

[1010] Oh, please?

[1011] I'm like, no. Because it's like, first of all, you see I'm having, I'm on a date right now.

[1012] And I said, no. Or I'm walking with someone right now having an intimate moment.

[1013] And you're disturbing my peace.

[1014] So I say no. And if you try and like, push, push.

[1015] Okay, no. And something like, oh, fuck.

[1016] You know, they'll say something stupid.

[1017] Or, well, fucking rubble smash you anyway.

[1018] or whoever your next opponent is, I was like, okay.

[1019] Then I just let them, you know, this is why they take a photo with you.

[1020] But if they, sometimes at a restaurant, like, if I say no to someone because I'm having lunch or I'm on a date or whatever, and then they come up to me and it's like, I'm busy right now, man, if they leave me alone on my way out, if I see that person and they were and they were nice and respectful, I'd be like, yo, you have your phone on you?

[1021] Then we take a photo.

[1022] Because I'm like, thanks for being respectful.

[1023] Because sometimes I can understand people's judgment goes out the way.

[1024] when to see a celebrity apparently and I felt this way like I said that you just don't realize your etiquette and it's just so when that happens I don't hold it against them I'm like it's learned behavior like I said so then I'll yeah I'll take my time out of my out of my day and just say what's up afterwards but if they like you know oh please please I'm like bro you're not respecting my boundaries you didn't respect my no I need my know to be respected I said no why because I fucking said so that's it I didn't explain myself to you?

[1025] Who the fuck are you?

[1026] I don't know you from a bar of soap.

[1027] And again, you're more excited to meet me than I am to meet you.

[1028] In the core of your being, do you realize that you're a star?

[1029] Yeah, I always knew so.

[1030] I knew I wasn't going to be regular.

[1031] I just knew like I was going to be great at something.

[1032] I didn't know what it was, but I knew I was going to be great at something.

[1033] I just knew, even when I was working my last job, I just, I'm grateful for it because they showed me what I didn't want in life.

[1034] I just knew.

[1035] This isn't for me. And what is that?

[1036] Is that self -belief that gets you there?

[1037] Or is that, is it you believing that you're going to be great that got you there?

[1038] Or is it because you were innately destined to be great?

[1039] I'm trying to figure out if it's something that one.

[1040] What came first?

[1041] A chicken or the egg.

[1042] Yeah.

[1043] There's levels.

[1044] There's people like us.

[1045] We're crazy in the sense that we believe to be.

[1046] It's almost delusional sometimes.

[1047] Yes.

[1048] Like, what's the one?

[1049] I've heard this quote on the JRE before.

[1050] It's like greatness and madness.

[1051] are next door neighbors and they just borrow each other sugar once in a while you know what I mean?

[1052] So there's a point like I've used this story of me when I drive this beat up Honda and I'd shift the gear stick and I'd just do this.

[1053] You do this.

[1054] I literally was madness I was me preparing for having a sports car paddle shifts so I'd shift the three boom gear four boom and when I dropped down you know same thing just like I was getting ready I was I was this is bro I can manage manifest like a motherfucker.

[1055] Do you believe in it in the metaphysical, like, sense you believe?

[1056] 100%.

[1057] 100%.

[1058] Everything comes from the imagination.

[1059] Everything comes from it.

[1060] Like before this microphone was a microphone, someone somehow thought about it.

[1061] How can I speak into something that would amplify my voice and blah, blah, blah, blah.

[1062] And then this came out of it.

[1063] And it's evolved over the years where everything comes from the imagination.

[1064] So the power of the mind, people don't understand.

[1065] understand.

[1066] We still don't understand.

[1067] I still don't understand how powerful it is.

[1068] I'm still learning, but I know one thing is I can make things happen.

[1069] I can go into levels.

[1070] I just can't tell the world, but there's levels that, like, I've manifested things that I'm just like, I still shocked myself.

[1071] Like, how the fuck did I make that happen?

[1072] And this is not even to do a fighting.

[1073] This is to do my personal life.

[1074] And I'm like, I made that happen.

[1075] And this is through this like manifesting subconsciously as well, just years of something and just manifesting, manifesting.

[1076] And boom, it's right there.

[1077] I'm just like, I'm just like, like shit I really made that happen it's scary man it's scary for me to even think about i reflect on that and almost if you're like getting in your car in the morning when you get in the car in the morning you set the sat nav but then you've also got to drive you've also got to go to training yeah if you just set the sat nav where you're going to be sitting in the car sitting in the fucking car so you can sit there and make all these dreams and manifest but you have to work and what happens if you just drive work if you drive and with no sat nav you don't know where you're going you're lost you know what i mean you have no direction so for me i felt like both of them together when you when you really when you have the vision and you're able to manifest but then you also put the work in magic happens man magic that's where the magic is but a lot of people never get there unfortunately a lot of people we're blessed that we can dream we're blessed that we can dream that's one thing i've realized because a lot of people even from the impoverished parts of london will be will be lucky to have my old job you know from where i'm from from Nigeria a lot of people will be blessed to have my old job and they'll be like yo this is i have a great job i can send money back home this and that but yeah i just had bigger dreams i just knew what i wanted so i feel like i'm spoiled that i can i can dream the way i i do and i can manifest the way i do so i never take it for granted and i realize the position i mean i'm privileged i'm very privileged i read a quote about about immigrants specifically from niger and it said our parents role was to try and figure out survival.

[1078] And we're here sat blessed with the task of self -actualization, which is like figuring out meaning.

[1079] And they said, what a beautiful thing that is.

[1080] Yeah.

[1081] They're just trying to survive or find a way the next way to thrive.

[1082] And to educate you.

[1083] And see like, what's meaning and purpose and happiness.

[1084] That's why I feel like even today, the way the world is, like the problems that we have, especially with all this divisiveness and whatnot.

[1085] I'm like, you guys are really having your real problems.

[1086] Like when people in New Zealand starts to complain about some stuff, I'm like, you guys are really worried about this it's like because there's no real problem the police I'm trying to kill the people constantly you know the government isn't well they are fucking the people over but not the same way as you know Nigerians are being fucked by their government for so long so it's like you're really having you real problems it's like they find things to to fight about now like now we're arguing about genders you know this kind of stuff and it's like because there's no really they're looking for problems they're creating problems look if there was some real shit going on like there's there was like another war world war three apparently coming soon stay tuned stay tuned yeah if that was happening or aliens invaded do you think anyone will give a fuck about any of that shit?

[1087] Fuck no no way we're worried about some real shit happening you know so yeah I feel like people just start to create problems because we don't we need we need struggle we need struggle in our lives that's the thing most out there who's the head of google and he changed my life as something he said about that he said um um unhappiness is when your expectations of how life is supposed to be going go and met so it explains why a billion when his steak comes and it's not perfectly cooked, he will be fucking furious because his expectation was here.

[1088] And if it goes unmet, the delta is unhappiness.

[1089] And if you go to where I was from in Botswana, getting a bowl of rice, expectation is, I'm not going to eat today.

[1090] Bowl of rice, the delta is happiness.

[1091] And it's the same thing you're talking about with people, you know, their problems are relative to their expectations of life, right?

[1092] The last question.

[1093] This one was written for you in the diary by our previous guest.

[1094] What question do you believe, based on the subject matter of the conversation we've had today, would have been interesting to ask you that people don't usually ask you?

[1095] I mean, you touched on a few things that normally don't even talk about, like, relationships and kids a little bit and stuff that I really hold guarded, but I have some funny ones in my head, but I'm going to talk about those.

[1096] Go for those ones.

[1097] let me see um i think diving into my my personal life a little bit anything that has to do with like family relationships or you know like i say yeah family that i'm gonna have uh i'm glad people don't though because like i said i like to just keep those things guarded but yeah and i think people kind of get my love life's not for sale my family's not for sale those kind of things like I say I won't I won't sell for the consumption of people to watch I'm not the Kardashians you know I ain't Kanye West I ain't putting all my business out there yeah so for me yeah I keep those things guarded so I think people kind of respect that I understand that so they don't push too much you get like a little bit here every now and then but not nothing too much yeah I hear thank you for your time today so honestly yeah this was tremendous man like yeah you're a killer in so many ways but we didn't even get to talk about the marketing and the branding side of things Oh, that's levels.

[1098] There's ways I mean, I did computer graphic design in college, and I felt like some of the stuff I learned there really helped me with my social media when it comes to making my own highlights when I was coming up, you know, posting.

[1099] All the anime stuff as well, bro.

[1100] Yeah, but that's just me being a big kid.

[1101] Your authentic self as well.

[1102] Exactly.

[1103] Authentic expression of self.

[1104] If you put it out there, those who appreciate will gravitate.

[1105] Fuck, I like that.

[1106] That's a bar.

[1107] A t -shirt.

[1108] Yeah, that's a bar.

[1109] Those who appreciate will gravitate.

[1110] I'm going to keep that.

[1111] That's dope.

[1112] You can start to add to your t -shirt collection.

[1113] But listen, thank you so much for your time for your grace, your humility and your openness as well.

[1114] I appreciate it.

[1115] Likewise, my man. And I'm going to look into you a little bit more.

[1116] Okay.

[1117] This is the thing, whenever I like to meet new people and learn about them.

[1118] So hearing your story, I'm just like, man, that's still, like 700 million at 27.

[1119] I didn't get all of it, but yeah.

[1120] Oh, great.

[1121] Perfect.

[1122] Thank you.

[1123] Thank you.

[1124] Thank you.

[1125] Thank you.

[1126] Thank you.

[1127] Thank you.

[1128] Thank you.

[1129] Oh