00:00 What it do, YouTube? We are back with

00:01 another banger, man. We interviewed some

00:03 freaking legends at IBJJF Worlds in Long

00:05 Beach, the biggest jiu-jitsu tournament

00:08 that we could possibly go to where

00:10 people from all over the world fly to

00:12 Long Beach and just scrap. To support

00:14 the channel, leave a like and comment

00:16 your favorite person that we interviewed

00:17 down below. It helps me, supports me,

00:19 and if you guys mess with it, we'll be

00:21 back next year and do it all over again

00:23 and better. All right, so hope you guys

00:25 uh freaking enjoy this one. Let's get

00:27 it.

00:27 >> All right, guys. We're here with the

00:29 legend himself, Mega Ton Diaz. I'm very

00:31 curious to know like what this

00:33 tournament means to you. We're here at

00:34 the Worlds. Happens every year. And it

00:36 feels like you're you're the most

00:38 accomplished uh competitor when it comes

00:40 to compete very often. Like I want to

00:42 know what it means uh for you this

00:44 tournament. Uh you know this in my

00:46 personal opinion is the the biggest

00:49 event of um you know our sport right

00:52 kind of thing world the pyramid this

00:55 where it is is very traditional you know

00:58 since uh be coming to United States this

01:01 is the place and everybody want step on

01:04 this mats here you know what I mean so

01:07 um I think you know for me I'm the guy

01:10 been competing uh out the world

01:12 championship since 1996 six beside one

01:16 because I missed one point and a half to

01:19 make the the point. So I have actually I

01:22 have 29 world championships competing in

01:26 Brazil and here. So for me um be part of

01:31 this event is a very something very

01:33 special.

01:34 >> How has jiu-jitsu changed over time

01:36 after all the years of competing? How

01:37 has the style of jiu-jitsu changed?

01:40 >> I don't think you know changed too much.

01:42 You know what I mean? kind of thing, you

01:43 know. I think, you know, um, you know,

01:46 the new generation always like I I I

01:49 like I really like to say um the new

01:52 techniques is always based on the old

01:55 techniques, right? Kind of thing. So, no

01:57 have one exist without the other. I

02:01 think the new style, the new techniques,

02:04 it's just a little bit of salt and

02:06 pepper on the old techniques.

02:08 >> Like classic. So with you competing for

02:10 so long, what are the keys for you to

02:12 stay healthy during all these years?

02:14 >> Oh man, you know, you know, try to uh

02:18 train is smart, right? Kind of thing,

02:20 right? Um train is train competes

02:22 compete and you need to understand there

02:25 um um I'm very happy to uh know have you

02:30 know um that bad injury, you know, I

02:33 mean where, you know, I can't do you

02:36 know what I like to do. But uh I think

02:39 you know any not just jiu-jitsu but I

02:42 think any physical uh sport eventually

02:46 you go have some kind of injuries right

02:49 but you need to you know to learn to

02:53 deal with your injuries. injuries, you

02:56 know, prevent you to do things. Then you

02:58 need to do what you need to do, surgery,

03:00 whatever it is, but some injuries just,

03:04 you know, a a matter of do a

03:06 physotherapy, get, you know, healthy

03:08 back again and back in training. Um, in

03:12 my age, you know, we have like what is

03:14 like say chronic like injury and never

03:17 go away, right? And these new guys for

03:20 sure the the the way they train the the

03:22 way they compete they for sure have some

03:25 kind of injury. But like what what I

03:28 like to say I say hey man nobody there

03:31 is 100%. Everybody have a knee problem,

03:34 shoulder problem, a neck problem, back

03:37 problem. So everybody is equal in the

03:40 end of the day. Everybody is equal.

03:42 >> Well thank you. It was a pleasure

03:43 talking to a legend like yourself and my

03:45 man. I appreciate the opportunity. Thank

03:48 you so much. Thank you so much. All

03:49 right. Here with the boy Victor Hugo.

03:51 How you doing today, man?

03:52 >> I'm doing great, man. Watching the

03:53 finals. Finals are looking good. You

03:54 know, some exciting matches. I had a one

03:56 athlete qualify for a semi-finals. So,

03:58 yeah, it's be cool.

03:59 >> Awesome. So, growing up, what did this

04:00 tournament mean to you? Like, wow. You

04:02 know, trying to have it as a goal.

04:04 >> I think whenever you start liking, you

04:05 know, competing, I start competing in

04:07 the ghee. It's everything, right? You're

04:08 a kid watching this finals. I grew up

04:10 watching this tournament. I remember I

04:12 remember 2016, I was a purple belt. I

04:13 was here watching the black belt finals

04:15 and 2023 I was, you know, making an

04:17 absolute final. So, yeah, it's been a

04:20 it's been everything, you know, for a

04:21 while. Uh, eventually I had new goals,

04:24 so that's what kept me away from it for

04:25 a few years, but being here today makes

04:27 me want to come back and compete maybe

04:29 next year.

04:29 >> Are you you really open to it?

04:31 >> Yeah. Yeah, I'm thinking about it. Just

04:32 like that. I respect the tournament so

04:33 much. They want to give a really good

04:35 preparation. I don't want to just put my

04:36 name up and show up. I want to actually

04:38 show up at my best. Well, what what I

04:39 noticed here is like the Brazilian

04:41 culture really just embraces the the

04:43 competition, you know. I feel like with

04:44 other maybe organizations that we don't

04:46 really get that. Why Why do you think

04:48 that is?

04:48 >> It's like I said, for a lot of us as we

04:50 start competing in Brazil, we dream to

04:52 compete here one day, right? And then I

04:54 came here, I did it, I won, and then

04:56 eventually I had new goals. But when you

04:58 start, that's all you hear about. That's

05:00 where a lot of the techniques that

05:01 people are practicing, you're learning,

05:02 you're trying to watch what they're

05:03 doing. You kind of grow up to eventually

05:05 step here one day. So I think that's

05:07 that's the kind of the Brazilian coach

05:08 as far as as far as it goes in jiu-jitsu

05:10 in Brazil. I think has been changing

05:12 more with the no gear but still the same

05:13 that's the roots you know

05:14 >> besides the worlds like if you do

05:16 compete again next year what do you feel

05:17 like next for you?

05:18 >> Uh if I if I do this I do worlds I'll

05:21 definitely do more gear before as I said

05:23 the preparation is really serious you

05:25 know it's like those guys are doing a

05:26 matches they come with the strategy

05:28 super ready so I can't I I I believe I'm

05:30 good at jiujitsu but I'm not that good

05:31 that I can just show up and beat

05:32 everybody.

05:33 prepare, you know, I would have to do a

05:35 few terms before and show up to compete.

05:37 But other than that, next year, you

05:39 know, like I think I have a lot this

05:41 year still, so still focusing this year.

05:43 ADC is a I'm going to have a really

05:44 tough bracket, so eyes on that. Now,

05:46 >> uh, how do you feel getting ready for

05:48 ADC?

05:48 >> Uh, preparation has started, you know, I

05:50 feel good. Uh, I had a good few matches

05:53 back in February. Uh, I want to get more

05:55 competition toC, but yeah, everything's

05:57 good so far. I want to get, you know,

05:59 more more more timing for sure and make

06:02 sure I have, you know, everything I need

06:03 to compete in Poland for as many matches

06:06 that they need me in order to be the

06:07 double champ.

06:08 >> Last question. What what can you uh say

06:10 to help uh younger competitors get ready

06:12 for the nerves? Like what helps you?

06:14 >> Uh just be, you know, be satisfied in

06:16 preparation. You know, you sign up for

06:17 tournament, you have a window of time to

06:19 be prepar, give your best during the

06:20 preparation. As you show up, just do

06:22 what you did in your training. You know,

06:24 don't think so far like as far as like

06:26 results goes. Think about the process.

06:27 train. You You did your best. Show up.

06:30 Do what you didn't train. If you didn't

06:31 work, go back, work on what didn't work,

06:33 and then stack that. Over time, you win.

06:36 >> Awesome. Thank you, Victor. It was a

06:37 pleasure. Thank you.

06:38 >> Thank you.

06:39 >> All right. We're here with Mr. Nolan

06:40 Stewart, a very active competitor. Um,

06:43 how are you doing today, man?

06:44 >> Doing pretty good. Pretty good.

06:46 >> Can't complain.

06:46 >> No.

06:47 >> You're out here yesterday competing. How

06:48 How does it feel stepping out there on

06:50 the mats out here in the on the biggest

06:51 stage?

06:52 Uh, I mean kind of kind of feel like a

06:56 modern day gladiator almost, you know,

06:58 with all the crowd and competing at the

07:01 highest level. It's pretty cool.

07:02 >> As a kid, did you did was this a goal to

07:04 be out here and compete like a

07:06 gladiator?

07:06 >> Yeah, it was always the goal. I knew

07:08 that I loved the sport since I was a

07:09 little kid. So, yeah, I always knew that

07:11 I'd be here one day.

07:12 >> And growing up, did you play lots of

07:14 sports or were you very competitive as a

07:16 kid?

07:16 >> I did soccer for a little bit. Only did

07:18 it cuz I was Brazilian. I wasn't very

07:20 good. I was kind of mean. I'd get red

07:21 cards all the time.

07:22 >> Okay.

07:22 >> I' I'd punch the kids and so you can't

07:25 do that in soccer. So then uh my grandpa

07:28 was a valu fighter in Brazil. Always

07:30 told my mom to put me in jiu-jitsu. Then

07:32 my mom moved to Brea and then we moved

07:35 right across the street from Brait, my

07:37 gym. So it was pretty cool. Then I I

07:39 eventually started and loved it. Fell in

07:41 love with it. I like the the fighting

07:43 part of it.

07:44 >> Are you interested in MMA as well?

07:46 >> I don't I love jiu-jitsu. I I like MMA.

07:48 I love jiu-jitsu. So I don't know. Maybe

07:50 it can be. It's a possible it's a

07:52 possibility in the future, but I don't

07:54 know. As of now, I'm focusing on

07:55 jiu-jitsu.

07:56 >> What's the biggest difference that

07:58 separates the highest level of

07:59 competitors from like, you know, people

08:00 who compete now and now and then?

08:03 >> I mean, there's not it's not a big

08:05 difference, you know, differences are

08:07 small. Uh little tiny things. It's just

08:09 like who holds better position like

08:12 that. That's the the most basic things

08:14 are what are what uh separate know world

08:19 class champions from second places. So I

08:22 don't know mentality too. Is all mental,

08:25 you know. So

08:27 it's a bunch of tiny little things that

08:29 separate it. It's nothing. It's not a

08:30 huge difference. If my mind's correct,

08:32 my mind's good. I'm the best in the

08:34 world every time. So it's just kind of

08:36 getting in the correct mindset.

08:38 >> What do you feel was different at the

08:40 crown? What was your mindset like when

08:42 you competed against Adam?

08:43 >> Yeah, my mindset was really good for

08:44 that tournament. It kind of showed in my

08:45 performance, right? Um, we studied Adam

08:48 for probably about 2 years leading up to

08:50 our first match together, which was the

08:53 finals of the crown. Um, yeah, I just I

08:56 I went in with blood in my eyes, just

08:58 ready to go, kill or be killed. So, I

09:00 had a good mindset for that tournament.

09:02 >> Awesome. Thank you. Thank you, Nolan. I

09:03 feel like you got a good introspection

09:04 of, you know, how you are as a

09:06 competitor and I hope to see you at next

09:08 year.

09:08 >> Thank you.

09:09 >> Thank Thank you, man. appreciate it.

09:10 >> We're here with the UFC champion,

09:12 Mackenzie Dur, out here, the World

09:13 Championships out here in Long Beach.

09:14 What does this tournament mean to you?

09:17 >> Um, I mean, this tournament is so

09:19 important to me just because it's like

09:20 where I started my career. It's where

09:22 like kind of took off my whole life, you

09:25 know, and everything I've accomplished.

09:27 So, I was only able to get into the UFC

09:28 with everything I accomplished at in

09:30 jiu-jitsu in the world championship. So,

09:31 I mean, it was just a lot of time and

09:33 years dedicating to the sport. Um, my

09:36 dad's a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt,

09:38 like multiple champ, has many titles in

09:42 Pan-Americans, Master Worlds, Europeans.

09:44 So, um, it's it's definitely like a part

09:46 of my lifestyle.

09:47 >> When did you make the switch from

09:48 jiu-jitsu to MMA?

09:50 >> I made the switch in 2017.

09:53 Um, so like I had just won like all the

09:56 major tournaments at Blackp like world

09:57 championships and then you know I just

10:01 wanted to like find a way that I can

10:02 help spread jiu-jitsu more like to

10:04 people who don't train jiu-jitsu to like

10:06 regular people who maybe are just

10:07 watching like on a Saturday night TV.

10:10 >> Yeah. How would you describe jiu-jitsu

10:12 to someone who doesn't or doesn't really

10:13 know about the sport?

10:15 >> Oh, I mean I usually say like it's like

10:18 wrestling with submissions, you know,

10:20 and um I mean it's martial arts. It's a

10:23 lifestyle. Uh it's like a chess game, so

10:26 it's very there's a lot of technique and

10:28 strategy behind it, but um yeah, I mean

10:31 it's the gentle heart, so it's not

10:32 really that whole, you know, in MMA,

10:34 we're kind of like you have to have that

10:35 impact and you got to be like nice and

10:38 strong and like tough, but jiu-jitsu

10:39 kind of go with the leverage and you

10:41 kind of use their strength against them.

10:42 So, it's a little bit, it's a gentle

10:44 heart, for sure.

10:45 >> One question I did have is how do you

10:47 balance the the feminine energy and the

10:49 masculine energy? you know, being a

10:51 fighter, I feel like it's a very

10:52 intense, aggressive thing. How

10:54 personally, how are you able to divide

10:55 the two?

10:56 >> Um, I mean, I think most of the women,

10:58 we have a little bit of aggression

10:59 inside of us, but, you know, sometimes

11:02 we they can't pull it out of them, you

11:04 know. So, sometimes a lot a lot of the

11:05 women, they're a lot stronger and they

11:07 can do a lot more than they actually

11:10 know, you know, their true potential,

11:11 you know. So, it's just I mean, I grew

11:13 up having my dad being my instructor and

11:15 just teaching me and training with me

11:17 the whole time. Um, but yeah, I mean, I

11:21 think it's a good balance when you can

11:22 kind of I think the gentle jiu-jitsu

11:24 really helps that cuz like I said, you

11:26 don't need to be like all strong and

11:28 masculine and full of muscles to do good

11:30 at the sport, you know? You can be like

11:31 flexible and um agile and things like

11:34 that. So, um I think it's just be able

11:36 to find that balance and be able to have

11:38 aggression. I kind of put in my mindset

11:39 like when I'm competing the competition

11:41 really helps me to bring out that

11:42 aggression. uh just like kind of you you

11:44 you want to do whatever you can to win,

11:46 but I think just the competition mindset

11:49 behind all types of martial arts. Uh

11:51 just you kind of got to put that in like

11:53 kill be killed or kill or be killed, you

11:55 know? And um I just think like hey,

11:56 they're going to take the food off my

11:58 daughter's plate and I can't let that

11:59 happen, you know? So I'm I'm going that

12:02 moment and that helps me get that that

12:04 more like masculine aggressive energy to

12:06 try and win the fight and you know be a

12:08 dog out there.

12:09 >> Nice. You definitely are a dog. Uh, one

12:11 thing that I've noticed is you like

12:12 playing a lot of poker tournaments. What

12:14 do you enjoy most about being out there

12:15 and playing playing poker?

12:17 >> Yeah, poker helped me so much. I think

12:19 especially like to get my like my

12:21 threeight winning streak that took me to

12:23 my belt. I've always been like a very

12:24 emotional fighter. I think a lot of the

12:26 younger fighters are emotions, you know,

12:28 but um, you know, it's something that my

12:30 coaches have always been trying to get

12:31 me like, hey, control your emotion,

12:32 control your emotion. I train something

12:34 the whole fight camp and then like the

12:35 first punch I like forget about the

12:37 whole strategy and then I just like you

12:39 know goes like red and I I get into the

12:41 motion. Um and and poker really helped

12:44 me to be able to like stay competitive

12:45 kind of start start to see like high

12:47 risk low reward and see different set

12:50 things up without being physical you

12:51 know so I was able to control that in my

12:54 mind and still in a competitive aspect

12:56 and then I was able to transfer that

12:57 into fighting.

12:58 >> Well I think that's very great. I think

13:00 poker is one of those things where you

13:01 have to be very strategic in the way you

13:03 play your cards and you know being a UFC

13:05 champ I think it's awesome that she

13:07 plays poker as well. So um yeah

13:08 >> play poker too

13:09 >> I now and then not not at a serious

13:11 level but you know I mean just having

13:13 fun but I enjoy the the strategy of it.

13:15 I feel like it's good.

13:16 >> Yeah it is.

13:16 >> So I want to thank Mackenzie being out

13:18 here. She's the champ. You know she's uh

13:20 hopefully ready to defend her title

13:22 soon. Um so I'm just uh it's an honor to

13:25 be able to talk to you. So, is there any

13:27 messages that you, you know, have to the

13:28 women out there who train jiu-jitsu or

13:30 martial arts? Is there something that

13:31 you want to, you know, share?

13:32 >> Um, I mean, I just say like stay

13:34 consistent, you know, the sky's is the

13:36 limit. Have like big dreams. Um, don't

13:39 let anyone tell you like you can or

13:40 cannot do, you know, just kind of trust

13:42 your instincts and um push through it,

13:45 you know. It is like it's a roller

13:46 coaster ride, you know, but you make it

13:48 to the top and whatever your goals are,

13:50 you know, if it's to be a competitor or

13:51 just like to become a black belt or to

13:53 open a gym or whatever to maybe to go to

13:56 MMA but or moms, you know, whatever it

13:58 is, you know, or if you do it with your

14:00 husbands. Um, just stay true to true to

14:04 yourself and go big and yeah, have high

14:07 dreams.

14:08 >> Go big or go home. Thank you, Mackenzie.

14:09 Appreciate it.

14:10 >> Appreciate it. Thank you.

14:11 >> All right, guys. We're here with Gme

14:13 Cipriano coming all the way from Brazil.

14:15 So, how was the flight to the US?

14:18 >> It was amazing. It's my my fifth fifth

14:22 time here in USA. I'm super happy, super

14:25 glad to be here in the predomin.

14:33 It is what it is. I'm going to be better

14:35 next year for sure.

14:37 >> How old were you when you started

14:38 training uh jiu-jitsu? I started when I

14:40 was uh 12 years old. Wow.

14:42 >> Yes. I said 12 years old is uh 15 years

14:47 doing jiu-jitsu.

14:48 >> I I'm very curious about the culture in

14:50 Brazil. Is it like something that a lot

14:51 of people do out there in Brazil? It's

14:53 like do you is it the cool thing to do

14:55 if you train jiu-jitsu?

14:56 >> Yes. Over there is is really famous

14:59 jiujitsu.

15:00 Uh every corner if you go, you're going

15:02 to find a gym to train. It's a really

15:04 popular jiu-jitsu. It's is getting

15:06 better day by day. I'm super happy to be

15:09 Brazilian and a jiujitsu fighter, too.

15:12 >> Yeah. Are you excited for the World Cup?

15:14 >> Yes, for sure. Are we going to we're

15:16 going to cheer for Brazil?

15:17 >> Sure. Neymar's back. He did get hurt,

15:18 but was it was it did It would seem like

15:20 it was pretty pretty big big news that

15:22 Neymar's back there.

15:23 >> Yeah, Neymar is a good guy. I like him,

15:25 but I think uh he cry a little, right?

15:28 >> A little bit.

15:28 >> A little. Just a little. Right.

15:29 >> A little bit. Uh what's something that

15:31 you recommend for people who visit

15:32 Brazil for the first time?

15:34 >> Okay. The beaches. It's amazing. There's

15:36 a lot of place to go. Um the culture

15:40 northeast of Brazil is really beautiful

15:42 too. I love it. Hifiquara.

15:47 Uh there's a lot of beaches in in south

15:49 of Brazil too. It's very well. So go

15:52 there. Carnival. It's amazing. Yeah.

15:55 >> What's your favorite food from from

15:56 Brazil?

15:57 >> From Brazil. I like fijuada.

16:00 >> What's that?

16:00 >> Fijuada is a beans with a rice and a and

16:03 tomato. It's amazing. Beans, rice,

16:06 tomato, sausage, meat. The barbecue

16:09 there is very is very good too. I love

16:11 it.

16:12 >> Food here.

16:12 >> Pana.

16:13 >> What? What are your favorite pa? Yeah, I

16:16 love pic. Pa is amazing. Shout out

16:17 picana. Um,

16:19 >> so what's a what's a favorite food that

16:22 you like here in the US that you don't

16:23 have in Brazil?

16:24 >> Uh,

16:25 it's hard to say that, bro. But

16:27 >> the pizzas here is good. Hh.

16:30 >> But the Indian burger is amazing. After

16:32 tournament, it's a really good one,

16:34 right? Did you try it?

16:35 >> Yeah, of course.

16:36 >> Yeah, it's nice.

16:37 >> All right. Thank you. Thank you, Gary. I

16:38 appreciate it so much. See you next

16:40 year. Come back. Get some wins.

16:42 >> I have a I have a family and friends

16:44 here in in USA. Love you guys. Thank you

16:47 so much.

16:48 >> Instagram. Thank you. Thank you. That

16:49 was awesome.

16:50 >> Did you like it?

16:51 >> Yeah, you did great.

16:52 >> It's natural. Not the rug.