With Jim Norton out for the day, friend of the show Phoenix Carnevale steps on up as a guest co-host for Monday’s episode of …
[Applause] but his story just heartbreaking blows my mind and he’s here to be an inspiration to young folk where I just knew I was better than this man everywhere I said that [Applause] Jo USA [Applause] Baby welcome to UFC un Builder please tell me that’s on video I’ve never been happier I’m made for a podcast we’re dangerous listen to me we’re out of [Music] here welcome to UFC unfiltered hey guys Phoenix car of Valley how are you first of all how are you I’m good I’m so happy to be with you Matt my co-host we’re gonna catch up today and uh coach Peno Cruz how are you my friend I’m good how you guys doing man and I know I seem so unprofessional let’s tell everybody behind the scenes I literally just jumped on board everybody was here but me I feel like I’m late I am late by two minutes right you’re not late is America I’m sorry coach coach will you could appreciate this I was coming from my school I was I was teaching good people to become dangerous isn’t that worth it don’t wor man you’re on Brazilian time you’re good I am on Brazilian time now now before we get into you know any of your pupils Champions non-champions I want to know about you now coach Cruz you were a fighter yourself before you became a coach yes I was as I was tell me about that and and I’m assuming Brazil you grew up yeah here too so I grew up I was born and raised in s Paulo Brazil I’m a third degree black Bell BJJ under George Mako Patino yes and I’m a second degree black Bell in Judo under polish coach Mario link the guy who started Jiu-Jitsu in Poland too and I’ve been doing striking for like 25 years because we were a Sho Boog affiliation in Brazil too so that’s where I learn B the beginning of my striking now people might just know your you’re jiu-jitsu instructor um uh uh they call him I know him as makako because I’m an old school guy Mako mean what does Mako mean monkey in Portuguese he’s monkey but uh that was his fighting nickname correct yes and it’s uh it’s it’s what is it it’s a Jorge patino what is it his last name patino yes Jorge patino now listen I you might be you’re you a little you’re younger than me my friend I’m sure but you’re like yes no coach no but but uh when I was coming up there was a famous rivalry between makako and Hy and Gracie and they would street fight they’d fight any time they seen each other did you know about that oh I grew up under the atmosphere actually through the whole thing you know what I mean Me growing up on the team because I used to train there since I was very little so they put in our minds you can lose to anybody cannot lose to a gra like was like real like was fun because the Rivalry actually brought the sport level of a sport up in s Paulo but yeah I did I did grew up into that funny thing throughout my late years of my career I actually was coached by Daniel Gracie so cross the r yeah oh Daniel’s a very good friend of mine oh what a small world oh that’s great so when you grew up in in Brazil is it one of those not typical stories but it is pretty typical of martial arts you get involved with it because you got messed with it messed with that bullied or is it be because of other um reasons you got into martial art actually you know I mean I grew up on a very like mainly environment me and my cousin they used do cap watch V movies no that mainly stuff B Dam Char anager so I moved to this neighborhood in s Pao when I was I started Judah when I was three because everybody do Jud when they’re little in Brazil then I did for a few years I stopped then through all my things I moved to this neighborhood they had a gym two blocks from my house I went to check it out and I stayed there it was a affiliation from makak and then I’ve been never off day he’s like us Matt he’s really into like all the martial arts movies films you know what I mean like you go train with with C with Coach Cruz and there’s like some type of 80s movie music in the background every once in a while you know what I mean so it’s it’s a he’s he’s nerdy like us oh I love that who was your favorite out of those 80s type movies vanam Sagal and I’ll say vanam at first because you know kickboxer Blood Sport are legendary movies and then after that Bruce Lee and everybody else right but then them for sure now do they say they say never meet your Heroes did you ever meet not yet maybe one day not yet maybe one day maybe one day oh man listen I met I know a guy that was um in an 80s movie and I’m not gonna say his name because I don’t want to embarrass him but boy he holds on to that 80s movie and I seen him at a ComicCon recently and he’s over there and I don’t know man he don’t resemble that dude no more and it’s like I don’t know Van Dam’s a little different because he had a really big career but it’s weird with those one hit wonder guys when they have that thing and you see him at those Comic Cons I love those Comic Cons that’s a whole other level of being a geek though uh coach right right right so go Phoenix guys just sprinkling some questions to coach I mean coach your last fight was in 2017 when did you know like okay I’m going to stop fighting now and I’m going to transition I into being in people’s Corners actually my last fight in America was 2017 2019 I did my last fight before pandemic but when I fought there I was already coaching like helping with Alex Ken V Glory because even though BJJ was where I basically started but since I was trained on a on a gym four Strikers we were all like basically a shoter box Academy striking School in s po so then from there I I still train boxing too because when I reached the purple bell level J so I already knew that I wanted to fight M May because we had so many killers at the gym so I started preparing my striking but I met Alex around 29 2016 and then 2018 I was in his first corner at glory and then I cornered him throughout his glory career so was kind of like doing both of the same time then after the pandemic came and these guys start blowing up out of proportion famous so I had to focus more on the coaching aspects was that hard for you to let it go to like let the fighting part of it go yes but you know I don’t say that I’m fully retire said I’m taking some time I’m maybe doing some box next year or something like that I’m 37 got to stay maybe heavyweight got to steal a little more juice you know I mean to squeeze I’m just we’re now taking a break it’s like the older brother got to take care of the younger brothers you know yeah that’s a feeling that’s a feel so it’s a really in deep Camp you know it’s got you it’s got globa toera so like there’s a lot of people working with Alex how how who Maneuvers what how do you kind of mix and match who does what and who tells them what well Glover is the big papa there you know what I mean can’t have nobody more experienced than him through all glor was me Alex you know I mean more doing the whole thing but it’s basically Glover and then I’m there we basically have a team that we not even like to label who does who we don’t have Eagles you just say they were big Brotherhood that one focus on the other whenever each other have a fight coming up but Glover is a big papa there ah listen water seeks its own level any friend of globa you know he’s got to be a good person GL is one of the most warmest dudes even when he had the title like he’d be like at like a cage Fury or somewhere in the locker room with his cap on it’s like yo this the heavyweight jamp just chilling like he’s such a nice and he’s always giving hugs I he’s such a lovable guy you know what a great guy have as like a leader you know Glover is the ultimate guy next door that’s so he’s such a great guy so you live in Connecticut now I actually no i i i b z no because my jimm is z Harrison next New York in Jersey then during the pandemic I bought a cabin in the pon I stay kind of back and forth and then certain days of the week a couple two three days I go to Glover’s gym and some days they come to my gym or for example we train in the nature some sometimes like Wednesday they came to my cabin in the Pok we train by a waterfall so we kind of like on that loop around the tri States man see that Poconos don’t sleep on the pocos the pocos is nice when I like to disappear disappear with the wifey to get away from the kids we’ll go up to that Pok know it’s beautiful man oh it’s beautiful right here’s a fact you might not know but uh Peno Cruz is actually also my coach no I did not know that I like find things out on the on the spot you know shoot Phoenix I didn’t know that is that is that recent it’s recent once I moved to Jersey I I found him and we totally hit it off because he’s a martial arts nerd and what I love about PLO is that he likes all martial arts so he’ll steal a little bit from this style or that style and like put it all together you know what I mean and and knowing that I’m both Orthodox and South ball as a switch it’s really fun working with him so it it’s help helped me step up my game quite a bit and I just learned so much and then him and I will sit on the mat and have super nerdy conversations about UFC events and and uh you know I’m just happy he’s here to talk to you too oh man coach Cruz that’s so great I told you what seeks its own level Phoenix I’m happy you guys found each other so you could uh you know just further your knowledge you are a martial arts nerd you’re also a regular nerd what do you like coach Cruz besides like me and Phoenix were into like comic book movies and some geeky stuff like that what do you like I I could tell nature already what are some of your hobbies you like besides martial arts I like some some some ComicCon style stuff too everybody’s a little gota be a little bit of a geek in this world right yes I like regular stuff man you know I like I read some books here and there I like the nature I like you know what I mean America right some guns here and there like Grill can be Brazilian I like to grill with the friends some barbecue so basically stuff man I’m a simple guy a dude me too that’s the best way keep it simple you enjoy your training stuff you’d probably do like if you weren’t doing anything you’d be doing this anyway right you got a million if you had millions of dollars coach you’re probably gonna be doing similar stuff don’t you think right right bro life stays the same no matter what it’s so great you already now it doesn’t mean it’s not exciting I mean now coming up Madison Square God Garden you know you got Alex beera you know it’s quite a challenge it’s interesting this yie Braska he’s very I mean they’re gonna say he’s unorthodox I don’t know is he or is it just that that ponytail kind of hypnotizes you but tell I respect guy because you know he is like we’re speaking right now he’s also real martial artist he’s into all that samurai Japanese stuff I am too you know cuz people don’t know s Pao different than Rio the level of training is a little bit different because there’s a lot of Japanese there the biggest Japanese migration in the world so that’s why Judah is so strong in some and the train a little more military yeah that’s wild oh that’s interesting very interesting I know you always about you know in Rio with with the Gracies and Jiu-Jitsu don’t really hear about the the Judo background coming Apollo okay go ahead yeah but yeah so he’s a real martial artist I respect that you know he leave the samurai code he’s very unorthodox like we can all see you know what I mean it’s hard to predict a guy like that because he don’t fights on a pattern right like you see this guy have a boxing St gu people say they he have a karate St but he kind of have his own thing going on and same with Pereira too because Alex is a guy I when I was with him through his glory career what made the difference was he basically got a little bit of his boxing style and then combine with some Dutch kickboxing kind of create his own thing like Mach back in the day takes some time to people start figuring out yeah and I was thinking about that too because stylistically right these are two what everybody would say high level Strikers that’s what you’re going to hear typically but do you think they just keep it on the feed or do you think like the opportunity to mix it up so they can both showcase those grappling skills I mean we still haven’t gotten to see what Alex can do on the ground and I know you’re always telling me that he’s much better on the ground Than People realize well like this last fight he was able to show a little more right when black hovic took him down the way that he got off the back and everything look throughout the camp that I’ve been Alex not been with Alex for maybe 20 fights or more since Glory kick boxing days I think this would be one of the best games i’ ever seen him perform so I’m excited about that and he’s ready for the fight you know what I mean wherever the fight goes if he stand up if it’s ground if it’s whatever he’s ready for that you know so I think it’s stylistically I believe that’s going to be a fun I’m like a Chinese movie style fighting of standup fighting but it’s going to be like a nice thing but he at least on his end he’s ready for anything 100% now this goes now I said the producer sent a a pick over of uh uh Alex Perera in a jacket and saying how how tough he is there he is he’s still getting used to the cold in Connecticut there it is there a picture of him with a scarf on and uh you know a lot of times when Brazilians come over whether it be sa Paulo or or Rio they like the they they’re if not in LA or or the West Coast they’re in Florida you know what I mean what very I’m not a lot go to someplace like New York New Jersey Connecticut how is that what made is it just because glovera was here or is it like you know what no for all of us on my side I move up here because makako moved first and then I moved with him in 2008 he opened his gym but you know we’re from s paalo there’s no beach in s one hour away so like city city it’s like s paal New York’s the same Glover came from a place there’s also no beach he’s from the country so in Brazil so that’s why he kind of pick con because more a lowkey lifestyle was still having stuff and then because of me and I in Glo Alex you know what I mean no was before like cornering and everything he decided to move up here it looks like a Banana Republic ad it’s all like stylish with the with the uh scarf on and he looks good because that’s a to his sister is also a fighter who’s fought in MMA recently fought in the LFA when do you anticipate her getting into the UFC well we are working her a little bit you know what I mean maybe a few more fights his he’s into that groove on that transition from because people don’t know but she was once ranked number one of the word in kickboxing she got to fight for the glory title she fought Tiffany V which was basic 10 years undefeated and she only eight fights April fights she already fall for the belt so she’s getting more mature on her own career but I assume by next year hopefully he will be enough a few wins I wonder if it’s like well no I think there was a few brothers and sister teams in the UFC I just can’t think of them right now but I know there’s at least one yeah I I I don’t remember but this to yeah se’s Glory I used should call them double trouble double trouble that that sounds like a 80s kung fu movie right those 8s well listen hey coach Cruz we could talk to you all day we want to say good luck with that upcoming fight it’s so exciting November 11th um you know Madison Square Garden does that alone is that does that mean anything special to you Madison Square G with all that fight history there I mean shoot 100% you know uh not only through the history of the venue with other Fighters but the history the venue Alex because he made his UFC debut 2,000 years ago on November at medon Square Garden he became the middleweight champion last year at meton Square Garden now he had the chance to become not only light heavyweight champion but also people don’t take this for granted but is will be the only guy in history that won two divisions in the two major combat Sports so because I think overing back in the days won dream and K1 but he never never won the UFC belt Alex will be the he’s already is the first guy who crossed Championship through both sports but now he’ll be cementing that but because in kickbox he was middleweight like heavyweight champ now middleweight like heavyweight champion MMA in the UFC so that’s have definitely a special taste for us mat Square Garden have that little Mystic behind yeah it’s crazy because it it feels like Alex just came on to the scene so quickly like it’s probably one of the fastest Rises I’ve seen in in MMA but see the thing is we people say that there’s a very Chinese saying that bamboo Bamboo trees they stay eight eight years under the ground and then in one year they sparkle up 20 feet he already came to the UFC as a mature fighter he was actually a double Champion kickboxing was the best in the world so he did his journey outside but when he jumped in he was already it’s not that he was fast tracked the man was ready seen three fights he became the UFC champion well listen he came and he came correct and you’re a big part of that coach so congratulations before we let you go tell us give us a plug to your school CA shoot man if I’m in the neighborhood I’d like to drop in 100% man my school called Cruz MMA is in Harrison which next to nework Because by the PATH train is in Jersey you know Jersey we don’t pump the gas we pumped the fist so we got good energy there anytime you want guys want to drop in you got coach Cruz over there and a beautiful staff you got pero in and out too almost every week there so place to go Cru ma if you guys want to follow up Cru ma official on Instagram so great so great all right Hey listen thanks and we want you back on again and hang out with us again this was fun just let me know brother you got it coach so nice to meet you yes sir bye coach see you this week thank you guys bye bye [Music] bye [Music] hey Fenix I’m loving that you’re you’re back to being on the mat you know what I mean I remember you were find you were trying to find a home the last we you did I did I did I do mostly my standup with PLO but um you know i’ listen if I don’t train I lose my mind I’m like a pedigree dog if I don’t if I don’t get out and run or get out and exercise I start ripping the house apart I could just get cranky so just to get in in some training is like it’s the thing that levels me out yeah listen I need my training I like like I said I I literally walked in the door today went right up give my wife a kiss my kids came you know because I I saw my wife this morning but my kids I don’t see him because I leave when they’re sleeping because I do that 7 a.m. class A few days a week so I teach that so I leave early I leave early because I like to get situated you know and uh so you know I get I leave and I do that and on Mondays a lot of times I I stick around I do that noon class also it I feel almost like I’m going back in time 20 years when I owned my first school when I would be living at the school where I’d wake up teach because in between the first and second class A lot of times Phoenix I take a nice little nap I got a little thing that up there so it’s like I don’t know it kind of reminiscent of when I’m a kid you know what mean not a kid a kid compared to now so and it’s dude you know why because it’s just so much fun I just have a good time and you like lived in your first gym too didn’t you oh 100% yeah remember yeah yeah opened it up I was having a I was between Apartments so I’m like you know what let me while I’m looking let me just have a place for a couple of months that couple of months ended up being a couple years but hey man it’s all part of the journey soon we’re going to be having Joe feifer on crazy interesting life and an athlete and just just like Killer Instincts one of the nastiest hooks left hooks you’ll see in the business um he is a real talent I mean now does he have a family now is he married I don’t know I don’t know his situation I know that like he comes from an extremely crazy broken home he had a documentary that’s recently coming out uh he’s he’s a fascinating character he’s very open about his childhood struggles doesn’t necessarily want to be a role model per se like he talks about that quite a bit but I mean you are when you came from absolutely nothing and then you w up being a guy that Dana White says if you want to get in the UFC act like Joe pyer like that’s like a quote that he has now because he said that on the contender Series so he’s definitely like one of those people that you know you look at that literally had nothing was homeless like s Francis andano um you know had absolutely nothing and like is just fighting is rising him to the absolute top oh he oh he was down and out you’re saying home he was like homeless he you know had like super childhood troubles a coach took him in there’s a documentary coming out all about this like he was like on him he’s got his own documentary coming out yeah yeah he’s physically abused by his parents like it’s it’s a like real crazy story all well listen Joe feifer is three and0 in the UFC and so far all three is by uh finishes two Knockouts and a submission so he’s well-rounded he’s in the waiting room let’s bring in Joe Fifer Let’s Get To Know Joe Fifer and then me and you gonna catch up after about what the heck you’re into lately what you’re watching did you ever watch Dune yes I did did you like it thought it was really loud I know that sounds like I’m 86 years old but it was very loud there’s a great fight scene in it there’s a great collie scene in it I liked hold on did I just pronounce his name wrong tell me before you get on I don’t embarrass myself leave knower like P like pie in the sky Piper I thought I said Piper and do you hear us Piper I can hear you I didn’t hear what you said I didn’t hear what you said yeah dude because he he he he puts it in like uh big big uh print hi F I go man that’s my accient I thought I said that Joe nice to meet you bro nice to meet you Matt now now and this is Phoenix canaval my co-host what’s up in case you thought J did did you interview me one time for CES probably yes I did oh yeah it would have been my second Pro File I feel like I remember your face yeah yeah you’re a badass nasty beautiful left hook by the way thank you thank you dude he Joe things are going great for you man as far I mean listen three and0 in the UFC is not easy I mean you didn’t seem like you had that UFC Jitters I mean all finishes two by KO TKO and the other and and the other one by the last one by submission which was which was just beautifully brutal I mean I wanna I want to hear about your journey dude I’ve heard about you coming from a a very very um you know violent household I mean you could tell me better than you know could you let me know a little bit about you your background yeah man I mean I so first and foremost I started mixed martial arts primarily jiujitsu was my Foundation at four and a half years old my dad was born in Kenington Philadelphia so he had always had like boxing ties to the city always would go up there and train W up meeting a guy named Steve heg who owned Fight Factory which is where Eddie Alvarez started out of but before that he got that gym we were all out of a school called uh body arts and that’s where Steve P was my dad Eddie Alvarez was 19 years old I was like 5 years old um so that’s where I started uh in my MMA experience Jiu-Jitsu introduction and uh when Eddie was like ah I’m just gonna try this I’m a street fighter let me see if I like it then you know as first place got a knockout so as my dad started to learn I started to learn um obviously with without an option to to choose I was forced into it and you know I’m not regretful of it whatsoever but uh it was a very abusive way to learn um with the way my dad was and uh you know um all of us kids receiving brutal punishment from him physically uh verbally you know my mom was quite involved as well but more or less on the verbal end and uh yeah I mean I had a rough background whatnot I had to leave and run away from home so I didn’t kill him and he didn’t kill me type of deal and uh or I didn’t you know hurt myself so um yeah I left home to 16 years old and I never abandoned Jiu-Jitsu or or MMA throughout this process and throughout all these years though well that’s great because you could have just put that in a connection with the abuse with you know oh this is like you could have just been like that could have just reminded you of your father like you know what I mean because you got what is it about the training that you enjoyed because it sounds like it was a rough learning environment like a couple examples of just you know I I used to think I had a learning disability because when you’re told that you know quite frankly like you’re you’re this and blah blah blah I mean every single day uh and I couldn’t get a move or I didn’t get it fast enough you get slapped or if you go out and compete like I used to do uh if I won I beat a tomato can with the were the Ws chosen uh and then if I lost I was I was representing his name terribly and I was a disgrace and I’ll never be but uh janitor sleeping fors and cleaning toilet bowls so uh or you know you get your ass whooped because you didn’t listen and how dare you disrespect me and embarrass me and all you know it was always about his image and uh you know as I got older it became this thing where as I started to train with other people or as I went I was homeschooled until 8th grade um you know as I started to see that this wasn’t normal um and this is not how you’re supposed to treat kids you know especially ones that you say you love and whatnot you know I understood the premise of what he was trying to do Harden me and build me to be you know a fighter but at the same time he also tried to take that away from me and say that I was never going to fight under his household he’ll never want me to fight he wanted me to go to school and it’s like with what Foundation brother like we were homeschooled you didn’t teach us an ounce of homeschool like so it just I was kind of one of those kids that was left emotionally to figure out emotions and uh you know got beat in the process and getting kick stomped uh and you know beat up most of the most of your life makes it very difficult to learn things in a receptive way um but yeah you know uh I don’t remember what the question was but started out very dysfunctional I got you what I’m sorry Phoenix was there any influences that stepped in that were positive for you because it seemed you got your together Joe so I mean what helped you get there yeah I mean the positive role model was just being in the gym and looking forward to seeing adults you know I I didn’t click with kids so when I was in eth grade and I finally went to high school uh and got out of middle school and went over to high school like I was the oddball wow like I I didn’t socialize normally I was a weird kid you know and that that’s just B basically the the way that I can say is weird and um and weird in a way that I didn’t understand I was so intense as a child like talking about fighting people and this I’m gonna be a fighter I’m gonna be in the UFC and like kids didn’t understand that um and they didn’t you know I feel like I was ahead of it because of what I was going through I was ahead of you know goal achievements wise you know like I I knew my direction I wanted to fight I had already made it up in my mind it was was a dream it was a a love and I guess I basically built my uh I built my emotional uh stability and confidence through being accepted at a gym because even though my dad was abusive when I would go to the gym they were all receptive of me I was the youngest kid in there scrapping with grown men at 13 years old heel hooking dudes like legitimately heel hooking purple belts and brown belts that were you know like 160 170 couldn’t deal with do it to the other guys but as a 13-year-old like I was a strong dude so uh yeah I mean going to the gym was my positive role model and obviously people like Sam War Pizza who I just had in my corner recently um you know he gave me a big portion of his time uh when he was coming up he was 13 and three I believe professionally fought in delor you know didn’t continue his career but Eddie Alvarez was always a great role model uh very very active in my life so can I ask you about Eddie Alvarez and this is gonna be this is gonna be crazy Joe you were there for Eddie’s first fight I was not there but I like I was around okay it was in Jersey and I think it was at some kind of Sports plex that they had fights and then you go through another area and it’s like a it was a ring it was a ring cage yeah a ring cage and it was in like a place where it’s not a Chuck-E-Cheese but there’s like rides and do you know it kind yeah it was kind of like a gymnasium almost yes hey how about how about this guys funny story Joe small world we had this guy on our team we called him Guido I’m going to tell you his real they we call him voido typical typical Long Island guy not this kind of Long Island guy not a guy you like to have a beer with more of that tough guy you know a guy I always said like if I he don’t trade with me now but I’m like yo if I met this guy under any other circumstances I’d want to smack him okay so he’s that typical Long Island tough guy he wanted to fight how about this all right we’ll get a guy with no fights also dude it was any Alvarez so we get this Long Island kind of want to be tough guy he fights Eddie Alvarez dude and and listen to Guido’s PO he wasn’t a but it’s Eddie Alvarez at the time we didn’t know he gave Eddie like I think one punch then it was a oh then he awoken a beast that he’s that still Mur so yeah that’s so funny so I’m like holy crap there’s a chance you could have been there but that I mean this was literally 20 plus years ago 20 years ago literally crazy talk about like emotional intelligence and positivity I interviewed Eddie like a couple years ago and he told me like he journals like he writes letters to himself like positive letters to himself to like make himself like feel better I was like that’s fascinating it’s so he was he was one of the the the people in my life that told me to have a goal board a vision board you know write write down that number you want on a check write down the goals it doesn’t have to be be a huge goal or years in the making type goal but write the goals down and have a new vision board and once that board’s done erase that and then start another one to your point though yeah and I and it’s funny because you know I always say this I kind of feel bad for guys because it’s we’ve been in this Society where you have to be like super tough and then if you are soft then you’re like super soft but guys like you and Eddie have found that middle ground you have this level of emotional intelligence where you’re like very self-aware and um I think I was so impressed with you Joe because you had this quote that says anger doesn’t work as motivation can you explain what that means and how that helps you as a fighter yeah I mean yeah absolutely it’s that was one of my most important lessons because it was when I lost my first legitimate professional fight uh and I lost to Jonathan potty a guy who I still talk to today and and you know not to disrespect his record but he’s he hasn’t had uh the best trajectory for his career and I was dominating the fight and everything but it was one of those things where I knew wasn’t mentally I I was I’ve always struggled with like suicide and like Health you know like uh just just Health um mental health things and um you know I was particularly struggling in this fight and no excuse you know he beat me but I used to fight out of anger because I always wanted to prove my dad wrong like telling me I’d be at a janitor or sweeping floors or you know a lot of other negative things that I don’t need to say but you know uh it was something that I was like I’m going to show him I’m going to show him I’m going to show him so I used to go out there and you watch my early fights I used to just bring it to dudes and I mean like anger punch just like elus edav style like I used to just run out there boom boom boom boom and i’ get the wins but at a certain level that starts to die down you can’t you can’t approach skilled men with that type of aggression um you know you’ll get caught yourself so uh that fight I went out there and and for the first time it wasn’t angry and I had no idea what I was fighting for when that emotion wasn’t there I was like holy I’m lost and it’s not that deep like anger is isn’t that deep so that’s why you can’t that’s why I said that because I don’t think anger is Everlasting it’s only a phase it’s only in a moment it’s only when you think about it it’s not it’s not the real reason and if you are angry it’s because you’re hurt it’s not because you’re angry you’re you’re you’re actually hurt and you don’t know how to deal with it so that’s what that’s what you act on so um yeah I mean I changed my perspective I forgave my parents I forgave my dad especially because you know he was the most damaging and I figured out why I was fighting and who I am as a person and how strong I am and how weak I am at the same time and letting go to anger letting go of anger can really humble you and show you how for you actually are Joe that that’s that’s really I’m telling you very insightful now Joe you’re 20 you’re 27 years old yeah you’re you’re single married I’ve been dating a girl for four years now this is what I’m gonna this is what I’m going to say just based on just our conversation right here I could tell I not only do you got your together just you’re very insightful from all the you’ve been through a lot of people that been through something that you’ve been through they’ll take one of two paths they either repeat the cycle of abuse or they break off and they go look I I could tell Joe if you have a family one day you’re not gonna you’re definitely not gonna be like that I could tell you’re gonna be the exact opposite even more so so there’s people what is it what is it that makes you what you you know listen you chose you did the right thing and you had everything up against you where it’s easier to do the wrong thing and you could blame the way you were treated to treat people that way but you’re not you you you you you’re you seem like a really good guy so what is it what is it that made you choose the right path I don’t know what defines a good human being but what defines a good human being to me first and foremost of that question is I would like to say I’m a good guy and I think I’m a good guy because I don’t vandalize people people I don’t steal I don’t go out of my way to hurt somebody else and make them feel like they’re not good or not a good human being like I don’t go out of my way to destroy someone else’s life um and and I think that’s that’s what a good person is I get back I help my teammates I help my friends uh I’m a very loving and I’m a very sensitive person um but I also can differentiate who I should give emotion to like if somebody that I’m fighting says some about me I really don’t care um I will get angry and I’ll I’ll I’ll talk like I don’t like the person I’m fighting anyway so I’ll engage in that but you know the the true effect behind their words mean nothing to me so um uh sorry I I have a my my heat sto working in my house so I actually have somebody check in this thermostat yeah let him in let him in you can do whatever on to interview I’m sorry so you can do whatever the the you’re now on UFC on filter there heater guy thermostat doesn’t turn on at work at all I got you sorry guys um yeah I can differentiate you know what actually matters but um yeah I mean I think I I realized throughout my childhood my dad always had an excuse of blaming his father because all past four generations have kind of amounted to nothing as far as college education uh career I mean I know my grandfather did well um you know and he always worked hard but my dad was kind of the opposite he always was putting the blame on somebody as to why he went through this or why this happened or his back surgery or this and that and it was he had an excuse for why he was always failing and I’m not going to allow myself that you know sometimes the harsh reality is just sometimes you lose and uh you know you can do everything right but that sometime it’s whatever and I’m also a religious person you know I’m a Christian and um whatever God has in store for me is is what I have to face and if that’s a loss as much as I don’t want to accept it um you know I know I’m strong enough to face it and come back so I just think I just think it’s I learned this from not wanting to be like my dad and despising who he is as a person for the amount of excuses he’s provided to be a human being it’s interesting like um I heard that you had a documentary coming out yeah and I’ve been searching for it where where can I find it when is it coming out like what are the details about this yeah so I I I’m my management group is Vayner Sports um and I have an investment group that I signed with uh which is called disruptive um disruptive sport group and it’s it’s headed by Alex Davis who is a very successful businessman um very very very successful and uh you know he’s got the connections to take this documentary to the next level and apparently we have a pending deal um going on that I’m super excited about and that’s why it hasn’t been released yet because Hollywood strike and you know timing of things and uh legal uh you know legal I guess agreements and just trying to make sure that everything is in my favor and and makes sense and you know so uh currently we have something on the table we have a few options on the table I think we’re kind of narrowing it down and uh I’m super excited for it to be released um nothing has signed pen to paper yet but you know I’m very hopeful that in the next couple weeks that will be no longer the case okay definitely let us you guys let us know I love stuff like that yeah you’ll probably put that all over your your social media and stuff when it is awesome it’s gonna be a huge deal listen it’s not gonna be a huge deal just because it’s releasing but it’s going to be a huge deal because of how many people I think will meet through whatever out uh you know Network that we choose to go with and uh you know obviously it’ll be life-changing um financially for me as well where I can really you know you only get to sell your story once type of deal and I want my story not to be a sympathy card but a uh relatability you know I’m this is very common what I’ve gone through it’s very uh unfortunately it’s very common and it’s very it’s very beatable and that’s that’s what I want that’s why I scream the things that I scream sometimes it’s corny and you know emotions take over and sometimes I don’t know why I say what I say but you know the message behind it is just to be an inspiration to break the cycle well this will make Matt happy because you do come out to the Rocky music wonderful thank you what is that what is that Phoenix he walks out I don’t know if you’ve done it recently but don’t you walk out to the Rocky music being that you’re from Philly and everything yeah so uh honestly Rocky 4 was one of my favorite movies growing up um I love the like the uphill climb story of Rocky going against and avenging pretty much his friend’s death um and against another country and uh I I thought that was pretty cool and I always liked when he was reflecting on life it was when I’m a big car guy so you know he’s driving an old school uh lamorghini and the Montage yeah he’s driving through the tunnel he’s just you know going through all APO Creed died and whatnot and that song the easy way out uh was the song that I walked out to for Miami I change it every time but uh this time I came out to Donald Trump by Mac Miller just you know rip Mac and uh you know the election let’s go you know okay so I have to ask you this question since you’re a car Enthusiast right what is your fantasy like 100% dream car that you know once you win a title like is the car you’re gonna get what’s the fence that’s the brand new Dodge Viper ACR with the big Wing uh yellow and black stripe one of my dream cards one of my favorites can’t wait to have it can’t wait to get it I’m also promised it Alex Davis some G to say it because he said when I win a belt me one so you know I really want to win the belt just because the belt I want the car I’m a car guy I want a I want to buy a house too you know so that’s that’s what I’m hoping to do soon I want to buy a house I want to have a garage and that’s like my therapy you know put on some tunes work with my hands and you know enjoy the that I love outside of fighting as well ah so great Hey listen before we let you go Joe tell us you’re so exciting three and 0 in the UFC all finishes give us a name we want to see you fight again man entertaining as heck tell me who we looking for brother I want so he’s already fighting and I’m actually going to be cornering this man Brendan Allen yes PA CRA PA Craig that’s right yeah I really do want to fight Paul Craig there’s something about him I just don’t like his face I don’t know what it is I I’m one of them guys that’s like I I am judgmental and I just I don’t like the whole painting your face going forehead to forehead with people I don’t like that like don’t touch me or I’m a headbutt the you so I just I don’t know I I don’t like him I think he’s a shitty fighter uh and he’s got good Jiu-Jitsu don’t get me wrong so I shouldn’t say shitty fighter like I I I do respect him as much as I don’t like him I respect him he’s tough but I think he’s you know I mean this I don’t mean it respectfully like it is what it is like Gerald meart to me is a fighter and I said that beforehand I said it after you know he’s good out yeah yeah he’s a good dude but I always said like he’s like the best worst middleweight and I think Paul Craig is kind of a step up from that because he’s bigger but he’s also like the best worst middleweight so and he’s got a ranking you know what I mean so I do think Brendan Allen’s gonna walk over him and I want to be there and I kind of want the beef you know what I mean I want I want the I want the problems with him and uh yeah I mean I think it’s a good fight for me he’s a big dude he’s got a big name and let me get some of that name let me get some of that hype but uh and if not him Andre mun and if not him we’ll see how rol of Vieira does I’d love to fight him too dude what about Bo nickel I don’t think they’re gonna give me him um but make no mistake I not some punk middleweight that can’t wrestle so bring that I’ll sleep your ass like I I’m not I’m not one of these guys that you’re gonna intimidate you know do the star down or oh you’re NCAA this is MMA and I know MMA I know it better than anybody else so you were battling a ton of injuries and stuff like that too so how have you been feeling and when do you predict like we’ll be uh get back in their date yeah so this is why I’m excited for the Paul Craig and the rolha viea fight because I’m GNA fight next year I’m not fighting this year I don’t care what anybody says like I know my body I know my health Dana White and Hunter Campbell said that they were gonna you know get stem cells for me so yeah I’m waiting on that currently I do need it I had a SLAP tear in my in my labor I want to make sure that’s healed up I also think I fractured my hand during the the last Camp I had staff I had infection so my body was through a lot I was I had staff two weeks in two spots I had it on my forearm and on my bicep two weeks I fought du and I was on antibiotics and whatnot so I was you know I was in bad shape leading into this fight even mentally um so yeah I’m gonna take a I I did my job you know I did my job I’m 27 I won a bonus and I’m gonna relax a little bit I I wanna I want to enjoy the holiday for once and uh I don’t need to rush my career I’m in a good spot um I know that that’s not what a lot of people like they want you to be active active active but I’m a bigger body I can’t cut the weight that fast and uh I think I’m more injury prone when I turn around too fast well hey man what Dennis bazooki coming up too baby I love that kid oh a bazooka yeah yeah man I was just with them last night over at law MMA uh you got Dennis bazooka we have nazim fighting Nas and uh also Matt Steamroller so MSG is gonna be insane yeah I was gonna be there but I’ll be out in Arizona unfortunately but I I was happy I wanted to see my I wanted to see Dennis fight man I’ve always been pulling for him since I won my contract oh so it’s so great he’s such a good kid he’s a good kid and he never cut any Corners he always he was in class just did his time and never tried to try to you know try to yeah just just showed up he would drive to from to Staten Island to Long Island and uh I’m so happy for his success and Joe I’m very happy for your s to your for hold on I’m stuttering I’m very happy for your success and uh you’ve been through a lot but you really seem like a great guy you’re a fantastic fighter and please come back on on again with us man this was great Joe yeah allow me on whenever man I’m not I’m not I I don’t like these guys that are all I’m too busy like this is my life I don’t do anything else I if I’m not doing this I’m playing video games or lifting weights and working on cars wait wait wait wait one second please what video games Call of Duty baby war zone dog I love it I love it listen if you get a chance you get another bonus whatever it is get the VR the Oculus Quest too I live in that goddamn thing population one and I just got a game last night sorry what are you playing on that I play It’s the Oculus Quest too even though I’m gonna get the new one is it called that yes yeah the it’s the portable one uh Oculus Quest and I bring it when I travel dude I’m a nerd I talked about it when I was on Rogan uh I play population one it’s a shooter you get in the squads and it’s so oh so fun I was playing last night with Kevin Casey he’s a Jiu-Jitsu guy you know Kevin but anyway so much fun but I listen we’re gonna save all this geek for the next time but yeah I love the video games Joe Piper man congrats on everything dude thank you bro thank you I appreciate it thanks Matt all right we’ll talk great seeing you Joe [Music] peace hey man what listen I guess what that guy’s GNA do all right for himself oh hell yeah such emotional intelligence and just like the freedom to talk about it that like just shows that shows a lot remind paig freedom but Brandon Allen versus Paul Craig fight is coming up that is November 18th at the Apex it’s a middleweight fight and it’s cool because I love Brandon Allen he was in the LFA he was an LFA Champion Paul Craig you know moved to Middle wa in July I think and it paid off for him uh who did he be oh it was Muno he actually Tio M Muno so that’s a fun fight um I don’t know that’s one that I’m looking forward to listen Happ I’ll tell you what a fun show what have you been do up to Phoenix tell me tell me what you’ve been up to I was working on those voiceovers for the pop culture inspiration for this product called hatch which is like the Sleep device like when you can’t sleep at night and you wake up in the morning you want some inspiration you click on my channel and I’m like what can you learn from Batman what can you learn from Ferris Beer’s day off so I just finished 30 voiceovers about all things pop culture and that was fun I’ve heard I’ve heard a few and I like them a lot you send them to me and I enjoy them tell now where could somebody listen I want somebody to be able to get that and listen to your work where could they listen to that well they’re on the hatch so if you buy the hatch too it’s on that but eventually maybe we’ll throw them up on a podcast or something like that so you just got to follow me on social media for all your pop culture MMA and nerdy that’s what I’m here for what what is your social media it’s just my first and last name that’s it Phoenix Carnival Phoenix Carnaval yep that’s so great all right Phoenix Phoenix I’m waiting for you to still visit me you know and uh I know i’ gotta make that happen my wife’s my wife’s got a you know she’s training like a beast my my girls my my my my three daughters my 14-year-old’s competing a lot it’s fun my the other day my my 14-year-old did three hours of wrest so I got to ask you a question how has your relationship changed like since you know an started training and like now you guys can Vibe on um on Jiu-Jitsu and and kickbox and all that stuff it’s funny you said that because when I started dating my wife she was 100% Adrian now she’s more like ltha from Vikings she’s so uh you know she it’s it’s it’s you know you either grow together or you grow apart and um the fact that my wife’s interests are all combat sport related does not hurt our relationship at all it actually helps it where now that she was she you know you I told the story before she never even did a sport in high school but she started doing kickboxing to lose weight between our three daughters next thing you know she’s taking a fight now she’s three and0 as an amateur kickboxer and she you know she’s 40 now and she’s still actually competing you know and she might even take one MMA fight who knows she’s thinking about it so you know now she’s a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu and she she really started to to really go deep into jiujitsu starting with the women’s class now then going to the c-ad class and me and her now could roll We Roll for like sometimes 45 minutes to an hour at a clip you know you know what Jiu-Jitsu if if you if a person knows Us by the time they they blue Bel and they know they don’t have to have all the answers but they have an answer for you you take their back they know how to get out at least one or two ways you mount them they have several ways out you get crossy they get on top so if they know these these different way escapes so only so many ways to hold somebody in then you could you could flow roll with them you can get them in bad positions they escape they attack you you get out so we trained for a long we trained for a long time so now she’s jumping in Jiu-Jitsu competitions and she’s doing well so it’s fun dude so I’ll tell you Phoenix to answer your question um it’s it just it just strengthens the relationship you know you know why because as she get get older now she’s you know we’re both a little bit older like she could be she could have got into Zumba I’m not on it but then I’m my Academy and she’s got to be over at the Zumba or I’m at the Academy she’s in the Pilates no she’s at my school if I’m here she’s in the she’s hitting you know she’s either doing the kickboxing or Jiu-Jitsu so it’s a it’s a strong it’s a it’s a positive thing you know yeah I just think it’s cool that you if you have to watch a fight for work she’ll sit there and be like oh I really liked how he got out of that submission or you know oh watch this trans like it just gives you something to Vibe on that’s great and that’s oh that’s fantastic but even more so you know what I do like I said earlier is all I do is go I’m a you know I’m a hermit man I don’t go no Phoenix I went to Comic Con that was fun I can tell you that that was a blast but uh you know I go to my house I go to my school my school’s very it’s just people I like if I don’t like somebody I get them right the out of there so I teach good people to be dangerous and my fact that you know I make it such a good time there with Good Vibes and the fact that my family hangs out there all the time it’s just a positive thing where was I going with that that was it that was it get to see your family more because you never leave the house or go to the gym that is it what do you watching anything new on Netflix or PR I’m kind of disappointed with Loki I’m like what the f is going on I’m so confused I didn’t even get into it because a lot of my kids weren’t into the last one only my I loved the first season I’m wearing a Loki shirt right now it is cool no I I liked it I got to I got to get back into that but um I recommend for the holiday season people watch whoie Halloween with Adam Sandler if you like any of his work especially his earlier work I love him you will love it it’s just goofy and fun and uh rest in peace Ray Leota uh also um what was I going to say I’m watch I went back into a Sci-Fi show called The expanse and we had Wesley chaam on and W Wesley JM he he’s in the expanse he plays Amos who’s like my favorite character who’s a borderline psychopath who makes the right decisions uh it’s um yeah what a what a what a that shows I’ll tell you right now there’s some like politics in it and stuff with Mars and Yad y but uh the action in it and the character work the characters in it it’s fun well here’s my bucket list for you and UFC unfiltered okay I’ve been on the show maybe 15 times now and I just I want one thing yes Scott Atkins sorry Scott Atkins Scott Atkins he’s a well-known martial artist and stunt guy he was in Doctor Strange he was in the last John Wick he’s just he’s a God in martial arts and film and TV and we would totally nerd out with him Matt so we need to get Scott Atkins on the show he also has a podcast called The Art of action where he interviews all the old school Marti Arts guys and um give your friend the plug give your friend the plugs I think I’m going to like this too what is Scott Atkins uh podcast it’s called The Art of action and he interviews everybody keano Reeves like all of these great stunt coordinators and stunt guys and martial artist you’re were saying he interviews Keanu Reeves yeah Wick he plays the fat guy in John he’s not a fat guy he’s a hot British guy but he plays the fat guy in the movie movie listen I love him once you told me that he interv he interviewed uh Keana Reeves you could tell him that I am available anyway listen Phoenix thank you so much what a fun time uh please come back again you don’t have to wait for Jimmy bird to be out spreading his comedy you can come back anytime you want we miss you up around here and come visit me in Long Island soon at Sarah BJJ I will see you guys later all right goodbye Everyone by unfiltered out I will never say that again I like it thank you budddy [Music]