00:00:00.000Hey everybody, if you want to support our program and you feel as if the work we are doing is important, and as you listen, hopefully you're learning something and it motivates you to further action and you ask yourself, how can I get more people to listen to this?
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00:01:00.000We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives, and we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country.
00:01:58.000You know, some people, they get jealous.
00:02:00.000You know, they want to follow that trend.
00:02:02.000They see that, you know, the numbers that it's doing, you know, and that call with the president on fight night, I had 10 million viewers on the ESPN page, so they can't deny me.
00:02:52.000And so how long do they give you a heads up before you?
00:02:55.000So I know very little about fighting, to be honest, but I'm fascinated in high performers and how people dedicate themselves to excellence.
00:04:02.000Like I go into hibernation like a bear.
00:04:04.000It's just all I'm focused on is eating, sleeping, and training.
00:04:07.000That's the only thing that matters to me is being the best I can be on that date.
00:04:11.000So, you know, I put everything on hold, you know, girlfriends, you know, family.
00:04:15.000It's just, it's all consumed on winning that fight because, you know, I want to, you know, we're sending a message to the people right now, you know, and I want to stand up for all the conservatives out there.
00:04:26.000And I want to show these people that they don't have to be afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
00:04:31.000So you look at yourself as also an ambassador, a fighter for the country in this ring.
00:04:39.000I take pride and joy in going into the octagon every time I step in there and having a ton of people behind me that support me, you know, the silent majority, 70 million plus.
00:04:47.000So I put those people on my back and, you know, I go into that octagon and I think, hey, it's kill or be killed.
00:04:53.000And I'm going to go out on my shield for these people because, you know, they don't have that platform, that opportunity to do what I do.
00:04:59.000So you're about to probably enter into one of those eight to 12 week hibernations.
00:05:03.000So what does a day look like when you're just you're grinding?
00:05:07.000When I'm grinding, usually I'll wake up, have some breakfast, then I'll go to the gym.
00:05:17.000I stay away from, you know, too much sodium because when you're cutting weight, you don't want to have too much sodium because it retains the water.
00:05:23.000So you can't cut the weight and lose the weight easily.
00:05:26.000So it's a low sodium, low carb, high protein diet.
00:05:30.000So it's tough, you know, but you know, that's, that's what you can put in your body like a high octane motor and you can get a lot out like a high octane motor.
00:05:38.000So so you you do your breakfast, you go to training in the morning.
00:05:43.000That looks like the first training in the morning is usually about two hours.
00:05:45.000I'll do one hour kickboxing, one hour jiu-jitsu, and then I'll take a little break, go get lunch, take a nap, and then I'll come back and I'll do about two hours of strength and conditioning.
00:05:55.000And that's when you really get beat up.
00:05:57.000Yeah, and that's when really the wear and tear starts to set in.
00:06:01.000The mind starts to doubt yourself a little bit.
00:06:03.000Like, oh, your body, you know, it's a little tired.
00:06:28.000And it gives me a chance to kind of recharge my mind, recharge my body, and then get ready for Monday to put a hard six days in.
00:06:35.000How big is your team that's doing this?
00:06:38.000So before I used to have a huge team, but now since I went Republican and started supporting Trump, you're saving money on your team, I guess, right?
00:06:46.000Yeah, I'm saving a lot more money now, but it's also a lot more expensive going out because I got to fly coaches and got to fly trainers in.
00:06:54.000So I'm getting a lot more out of myself.
00:06:56.000It's not about a team and trying to get the most out of a team.
00:06:58.000It's about getting the most out of me and how can we be the best we can be at Colby Covington Incorporated.
00:07:03.000So, you know, it's been amazing to have my own team and not have to worry about anybody else telling me what I can say, what I can do, and who I can be.
00:07:12.000So you go through the hibernation, and the next thing you know, you're 10 days out from a fight.
00:07:27.000So the mental preparation, Charlie, I start to really start to visualize every little step, like the day I arrive at fight week, the day I step on the scale, the day I'm getting off the charter bus to walk into the arena.
00:07:41.000The feels, the adrenaline, the emotions that it is when you walk into an arena and you hear all these screaming fans and you see all the cameras that are in your face and you're getting ready to go to battle, you know?
00:07:52.000So that's when I really start thinking about every step, like up until literally I walk into the octagon and I'm shaking the guy's hand, which I don't shake the guy's hand because we're there to fight, you know?
00:08:02.000But up until that second, until we fight, you know, it's, I'm visualizing every second, you know, what, what, what, what, how I'm feeling when I walk in, what I'm eating, like, what am I thinking?
00:08:12.000And just all the little steps until you go to war.
00:08:15.000So you get there for a whole week ahead of time and it builds up.
00:08:17.000You start to drive through town and you see big posters with your face on it.
00:08:22.000How do you, how do you stay focused on the fight?
00:08:24.000They say the greatest fighters are the ones that are able to just kind of tune out all the pizzazz, right?
00:08:41.000How have you been able to stay focused despite all of that?
00:08:44.000Yeah, I think, you know, I just, like you said, you know, I try not to think about it too much.
00:08:49.000I try and take a step back and think about the kid that was five years old that had these dreams to be the best in the world and to do great things and be one of the greats, you know, in sports history.
00:09:00.000So I think about that little kid that was inspired and motivated and wanted to accomplish all these things.
00:09:06.000And then I feel like I'm here and I'm in that zone that time now.
00:09:12.000But, you know, I got to go get the most out of myself.
00:09:15.000And I don't want to worry about all the extracurricular stuff on the side.
00:09:19.000I just want to worry about taking care of business.
00:09:21.000So the thing I'm super curious about, fight day, what does your day look like?
00:09:26.000That day must be the longest day of the year.
00:09:28.000It feels like, honestly, like a minute is like two.
00:09:40.000And you just got done doing like the weight cut.
00:09:42.000So, you know, you just lost 20 pounds and you're completely depleted.
00:09:46.000You took all the salts out of your body.
00:09:48.000You're dehydrated because you're pretty much water loading.
00:09:51.000And then you take all the water and the weight off you and you just completely dehydrate.
00:09:55.000And you weigh in the day before the fight.
00:09:56.000You do weigh in the day before the fight.
00:09:58.000So you got 24 hours to rehydrate and then you fight.
00:10:01.000So like that whole process is like you're rehydrating, you're trying to put the right nutrients in, but you can't put them in too quick because if you put them in too quick, your stomach and your system's not going to take it and you're going to throw up.
00:10:11.000So do you have a nutritionist that comes with you that helps monitor all that?
00:10:51.000Do you just say, like, let's get this day over with as quickly as possible?
00:10:55.000Usually when I wake up, I'll have like a bunch of carbs, like some pancakes, because I've been depleting myself low carbs for a couple of weeks.
00:11:01.000So I'll have some pancakes, you know, have some eggs, some turkey sausage, some healthy stuff.
00:11:06.000And then it's just, it's just visualizing, watching a little bit of tapes to see, you know, what areas a guy's good in and to see what his strengths are and to see what his weaknesses is.
00:11:14.000And then it's just really just, you know, just being by myself, just making sure it's just my thoughts and my feelings and my emotions.
00:11:22.000I don't want to hear what anybody else has to say.
00:11:24.000I just, I want to be selfish in that moment.
00:11:26.000And that's probably a mean thing to say because I like to be selfless most of the time.
00:11:31.000But when it comes down to a fight and you're going to step into the octagon and all the repercussions that can happen and they got stretchers waiting for the guys that's going to lose because he's probably going to go to the hospital, that makes me be a little bit more selfish and self-centered in that moment of the day of the fight and just being relaxed and calm and not really thinking about anything.
00:11:50.000So you start to see the clock, it's noon, it's one o'clock, it's two o'clock, it's three o'clock, all of a sudden knock on your hotel door, Colby, 45 minutes till we roll.
00:12:33.000Yeah, you probably understand it more than anybody.
00:12:35.000During this turning point USA event, I'm sure a lot of people have hit your phone up.
00:12:39.000So asking for favors, asking for this.
00:12:41.000You need to be in the right headspace.
00:12:43.000You have to have the right mental fortitude to know what you're going to, what direction you're going to go with your narratives all weekend.
00:12:49.000So that's why it's important to shut out all the outside distractions and just focus on what you have ahead of you.
00:13:53.000How do you not all of a sudden, and fighting is different than any other sport?
00:13:58.000You know, basketball, when you're playing basketball, you can have all the jitters and everything, but after a couple plays and this timeout, you kind of get your breath.
00:14:05.000Fighting, you got a short window, right?
00:14:07.000If you have, if all of a sudden, if you do one position wrong, you're done, especially in the very brutal type of fighting that you do.
00:14:16.000How all of a sudden do you not allow yourself to get too excited?
00:14:18.000Because that's something that could happen, right?
00:14:21.000A lot of these guys, they have adrenaline dumps.
00:14:23.000They get so excited for the fight that they get in the fight and then they have no energy because they wasted all their energy and they were so excited and they had an adrenaline dump.
00:14:32.000They wasted all those motions before the fight and they get in the fight.
00:14:35.000They have no energy to throw any punches because they're just, they're so drained from it all.
00:14:39.000So, you know, what I've learned to see is that, you know, you can play, you can play basketball, you can play football, you can play baseball.
00:14:49.000So, you know, you have to take it very serious.
00:14:51.000And on fight day, I really take a step back and just make sure I guard my energy because I'm a big, you know, I'm a big believer in energy and having positive and good energy around you is what uplifts you and makes you do great things.
00:15:06.000So, you know, I protect my energy on fight day.
00:15:39.000Like the second round of my last fight, I was fighting the former champion, one of the greatest fighters in the history of the UFC, a guy named Tyrone Woodley.
00:15:45.000And at the end of the second round, the first round, I put a high pace on him, a lot of volume of my punches, a lot of kicks to the body, just wearing him down methodically, strategically.
00:15:55.000Second round, took him down, really just beating on him, just cutting him open.
00:15:59.000And then at the end of the second round, when it goes ding, ding, and the buzzer went off to go back to our corners, I looked at him and I saw the way he got up.
00:16:07.000And you know, when someone's confident and like they're walking around, they're feeling good.
00:16:10.000And you know, when someone's just like defeated and they're just done.
00:17:08.000There's no way that, you know, I just, you know, made a buttload of money and did something that I loved and was able to stand up for the people in the back that don't have a voice or a platform right now.
00:17:31.000Yeah, it's there's something about losing.
00:17:33.000Like I've learned a lot in my life from when I was younger, when I lost, and that's been very valuable in my success today was, you know, taking a lot of knowledge from my losses.
00:17:45.000But it always hurts a lot more to lose than it feels good to win.
00:17:49.000Talk about one loss that really motivated you.
00:17:53.000Yeah, one last that really motivated me was, you know, my last fight or two fights ago when I fought for the world title.
00:18:01.000You know, I just think that the stack, the deck was stacked against me, you know, being who I am and who I support and which side I stand on.
00:18:10.000You know, they definitely stacked against the deck against me.
00:18:14.000And, you know, it was definitely a rigged fight, just like our election.
00:18:17.000So it hurts, you know, it hurts to lose to someone you know you're better than, you know, and, you know, I didn't get the most out of myself that night.
00:18:25.000There was a lot of problems that went into the fight, you know, before the fight, diet-wise, putting my trust into people, outsiders that I don't even know who they are to do my diet.
00:18:34.000You know, you don't know who's handling your food and what they're doing to your food.
00:18:37.000And then, and then in the fight, you know, the ref calling multiple fake fouls that aren't even there.
00:18:43.000You know, I kicked the guy in the liver and he was about to quit.
00:18:45.000He put it, he put his stomach down like he was going to quit.
00:19:32.000You become addicted to like that high, that high of winning, that high of the roller coaster of emotions that go into fight week and fighting in the octagon.
00:19:40.000So, you know, I was done with my last fight and I was ready to go the next week.
00:20:05.000And so what's amazing about your sport is it really, there's no pretending.
00:20:12.000I mean, there is, you know, refs that can interfere and all that, but the moving average of a career, you really find out who's willing to put in the work.
00:20:21.000So let me ask you, it gets described as a physical sport.
00:21:00.000You're doing, you know, you're doing something you love, something that's enjoyable.
00:21:03.000So, you know, I go back to those, I reminisce of those memories and all these different things in my life.
00:21:09.000And it makes me realize that it's not as hard as I think it is.
00:21:12.000And if I change my mindset and just be a little positive, that it's going to be a lot easier.
00:21:16.000And then I can dig deep and get more out of myself that way.
00:21:20.000And so there's been many times, I'm sure, when you dig deep, as you just mentioned, you ever can you talk about a fight where you really had to fight hurt?
00:21:28.000Like a rib broke, or you know, because what's unbelievable about what you, what I mean, you have sometimes, I mean, there's real, I mean, not even injuries.
00:21:37.000There's just like life-altering, you know, that's true.
00:21:58.000He was a long champion of the UFC, I think four or five-time champion, put on some of the most exciting fights in the history of the UFC sport.
00:22:05.000And, you know, I get to get matched up against him.
00:22:48.000Weight-wise for cutting weight and just the final preps, you know, feeling sharp, you know, with your strategy and your punches and the way you're going to go into the fight.
00:22:56.000And this is where talking about going into the mental and how physical versus mental fighting is.
00:23:02.000This was all mental because, you know, all I could do is run every day and just visualize in the fight and not even know if I'm going to get to the fight because when you get to the fight and you go to Wayne's, you have to pass a commission test.
00:24:36.000You know, I just try not to focus on those things.
00:24:39.000I just try and focus on what I have control of.
00:24:41.000I don't have control of other people's feelings and their opinions.
00:24:45.000And we know in America, everybody has a different opinion.
00:24:48.000And, you know, we know that the right side, you know, yeah, we're not going to hate you for having a different opinion than us.
00:24:53.000We're going to respect your opinion, but it's different from the left because the left just thinks if you have a different opinion, you're the worst person in the world and you're just an evil person.
00:25:21.000They called the UFC and Dana White and were trying to get me canceled.
00:25:24.000The cancel culture was coming after me.
00:25:26.000And this is a sponsor that I'm not even sponsored by.
00:25:28.000And they're sponsoring the company and the advertisement in the cage, but you don't sponsor me individually.
00:25:34.000They're trying to get me canceled and cut for the UFC just for going on camera and speaking with the president and wearing a Keep America Great hat.
00:26:05.000Dude, I love fighting more than I love living.
00:26:08.000I asked for a reason, though, because some people on the left and the political correct, they're trying to cancel the whole idea of fighting.
00:27:11.000Just like when I call out LeBron James for being a hypocrite and having a double standard, I tell them, hey, man, if you really think what you think, and you want to put targets on police officers' backs, the same police officers that are giving you and your family private security every day, you want to put these targets on their backs, then, you know, we can do something about it.
00:28:09.000And it's awesome in a variety of different ways, from the sponsorships to the focus, but also it's just kind of unapologetic commitment to masculinity.
00:28:41.000And as we just went through, I mean, the amount of mental discipline you have to go through is extraordinary.
00:28:48.000And you know, your competitors are going through that too, right?
00:28:52.000And you know, and this is really important for people to hear, that every day, if someone's training right now, being like, I'm going to beat Kobe Covington.
00:28:58.000Because soon as you start to win, right?
00:29:00.000And you get to be the best in the world, you create an obsessive class where all of a sudden other people want to come after you and other people want to do that.
00:29:08.000And staying focused and staying determined is just exactly how you're going to stay on top.
00:29:17.000Well, I mean, look, I love talking to other high performers because there's so much similarity.
00:29:22.000There's so much overlap because the same, to a lesser extent, you know, what we do on these campuses, you know, when we do these really big events or when I do a really big debate, it's not dissimilar to you on a big fight.
00:29:36.000Again, it's not in front of 30 million people, but it could be.
00:29:39.000And, you know, when we host the president of the United States, I got to get everything right.
00:29:43.000And I got to visualize the logistics, the intro.
00:30:11.000And when other people are obsessed about taking you down, you know you're in the right place, but then you just have to commit yourself to working harder than them.
00:30:17.000Because you know, there's very few people that actually truly have the work ethic.
00:30:23.000They say they do, but then you're actually able to see when it all kind of comes to fruition.
00:30:38.000And it's inspiring to get to talk to you and see your message that you're providing for the next generation of Republicans and conservatives because you're changing the values and morals of every American.
00:30:52.000I am a huge fan of yours, and you're a hero in a variety of different ways because you haven't backed down on any of this politics stuff.
00:30:58.000And my ask of you is: please don't stop because we need like a singular conservative athlete, like just one.
00:31:05.000And, you know, especially a really good one, right?
00:31:08.000I think we have like a third baseman on the Cincinnati Reds or something, but like we have you, okay, who's winning championships and is terrific.
00:31:16.000And you're really an inspiration to our kids because you're literally fighting and you are standing up for this.
00:31:22.000And you say, got a problem with it, then come give me your best shot.
00:31:25.000And you look at yourself as a freedom fighter, which is totally extraordinary.
00:31:29.000We're both fighting in just different ways.
00:31:32.000We just got different fights, you know?
00:31:34.000And there's a reason I had to get into that fight is because I was sick of seeing all the political vessel that sports has come for leftist ideologies.
00:31:42.000You know, it's just they're just trying to shove these woke thoughts down your throat, and they're not hearing two sides to the field, two sides to the story.
00:31:49.000So, you know, that's why I'm proud to be there.
00:31:52.000And I'm not going to stop fighting, Charlie.
00:32:06.000If you want to get involved with Turning Point USA, the nation's largest student organization fighting for freedom and liberty on campuses across the country, go to tpusa.com, where we play offense with a sense of urgency to win America's culture war.
00:32:18.000Get engaged, get involved so that we can push back against the leftist indoctrination happening in our country.
00:32:24.000Email us your questions as always, freedom at charliekirk.com.
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00:32:33.000And please listen to our sister episode.