Jimmy Smith

Date: 2013-01-21 | Duration: 2h 49m

Episode Overview

MMA veteran Jimmy Smith joins Joe for a three-hour conversation about fighting, combat sports business, and the sport's evolution. Smith — a skilled lightweight who competed across multiple organizations — discusses weight cutting and how it depletes fighters before the cage, the legendary power of Dan Henderson in grappling, and UFC vs. Bellator business dynamics. They debate the wrestling-dominant style and how to theoretically beat it, analyze Vanderlei Silva and Shogun's friendship (and their bet over a pit bull fight), discuss primate behavior, and reflect on what dinosaurs roaming the streets would mean for human survival. Sponsored by Ting wireless, with Joe previewing an upcoming episode about a hero doing relief work in Fukushima radiation zones.

About Jimmy Smith

Jimmy Smith is a renowned mixed martial arts commentator and analyst, celebrated for his insightful breakdowns of fights and fighters. With an extensive background in combat sports, Smith has worked with major organizations like Bellator MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he has earned acclaim for his deep understanding of the sport and ability to articulate complex strategies to fans. Known for his charismatic presence and sharp intellect, he has become a respected voice in the MMA community, often sharing his expertise on major platforms, including the Joe Rogan Experience. In episode #10008, Smith provides an insider's perspective on recent and upcoming fights, making him an invaluable resource for any MMA enthusiast.

Key Moments

– MMA Weight Cutting and Fighter Safety
– Dan Henderson Power and Grappling
– UFC vs. Bellator Business Model
– Wrestling-Dominant Style and Counterpunching
– Vanderlei Silva and Shogun Friendship
0:00:00 – Powerful Jimmy Smith — abrupt entrance
0:20:41 – Depleted fighters — weight cuts destroy performance
0:38:42 – Dan Henderson grappling — redonkulous strength
1:17:20 – UFC brand value — built over time, deserves respect
1:35:32 – Vanderlei and Shogun's pit bull bet
2:10:31 – Chimps tearing apart a monkey — first time ever filmed

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 Joe Rogan Podcast, check it out! The Joe Rogan Experience. Train by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night, all day! Powerful Jimmy Smith. Whoa, you just abruptly, you got crazy today. The super AIDS he caught in Vegas this weekend. It's affecting his mind. It's already affecting his work performance. Starting point is 00:00:23 Settle. There's maybe, how many of us on the planet Earth, dudes who do what we do? We were saying five if you're generous. Yeah. Five or six if you're generous. If you're generous. Yeah, if you're generous. Yeah, there's like you, me. Starting point is 00:00:36 Shavalo. Yeah, of course. Mauro. Pat Miletic. Yeah. There's a very small, I mean, Frank Shamrock. It's like how many guys? Stefan Bonner does it. Starting point is 00:00:46 He does it well. Kenny does a good job. There's not that many people doing that. It's a strange gig, isn't it? It's weird and I'm sure you get the same thing, what I try and tell a lot of people. I had a lot of fighters with outstanding careers. We're seeing the retirement of the second generation of MMA. Not the founders in a hoist. The second generation is starting to break down and retire, Starting point is 00:01:08 and I've had guys literally coming up to me going, how did you get this gig? Right. Because if you think about it, how the fuck did we get this job? In a sense, it's crazy, but there are very few that actually do it. Very few. Yeah, there's so few. For folks who don't know, Jimmy does the commentary for Bellator, Starting point is 00:01:25 which is the second biggest promotion in the United States. They're on Spike TV now. They've actually taken the position that the UFC had and just had the first fight. So you've been around a long-ass time, man. You've been doing commentary for Bellator for how long now? Bellator 3, M1 for six years I've been doing this. I did bellator for how long now bellator three and one for three six years i've been doing this i did m1 before before bellat...

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Frequently asked about this episode

Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #315?

Jimmy Smith was the guest on JRE #315. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #315?

On Joe Rogan Experience #315 with Jimmy Smith, topics include MMA Weight Cutting and Fighter Safety, Dan Henderson Power and Grappling, UFC vs. Bellator Business Model, and Wrestling-Dominant Style and Counterpunching.

Where can I read the transcript for JRE #315?

The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #315 with Jimmy Smith is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.