Ride Home Rants
Ride Home Rants
From Takedowns to Triumphs: Wrestling, Business, and Finding Your Path
Chris "The Grit" Droege invites us into the fascinating intersection between combat sports, entrepreneurship, and personal growth in this compelling conversation that transcends the typical fighter interview.
From the wrestling mats of Youngstown to the MMA cages of Cleveland, Chris shares how wrestling shaped not just his fighting style, but his entire approach to life. "Nobody's gonna care about you as much as you are," he explains, detailing how the individual responsibility inherent in wrestling transferred directly to his business mindset.
Rather than following a traditional career path despite holding two master's degrees, Chris launched his own painting company to create the flexibility needed for his fighting career. This strategic decision removed the financial pressure that plagues many fighters, allowing him to approach MMA "purely for the love and just try to be the best in the world." His perspective on creating parallel paths—one for stability and another for passion—offers a blueprint anyone can apply to their creative pursuits.
The disciplined mindset Chris developed through wrestling permeates everything from his training methodology to his business approach. He draws a brilliant parallel between paying dues in combat sports and other fields: "You don't sign up for the high school football team to make a million dollars. You're doing it for the experience, for the love of the sport." This refreshing perspective counters our instant-gratification culture with timeless wisdom about mastery requiring investment before rewards.
Whether you're a fight fan, entrepreneur, or simply someone striving to align your passions with sustainable success, Chris's insights will reshape how you approach your own journey. Check out his upc
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Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. This is, as always, your host, mike Bonham. I got a great guest for us today. He's coming to us again from Upgraded Industries Gym up in Cleveland Ohio, and that is Chris. The Grit Draggy joins the show.
Speaker 2:Chris, thanks for joining brother, no worries, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Hey, not a problem at all. Hey, so for any of my listeners out there that may not know of you, we do have a pretty big following up there in Cleveland. You know, tell them where you're from, you know how you grew up and everything like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure, so I'm from Northeast Ohio, I'm from Youngstown about an hour and 20 or so from the Cleveland area, about an hour and 20 or so from like the cleveland area and yeah, man, not not too like much to report on. I mean, I just got into wrestling and shit when I was in middle school and then stuck with it, came to lake erie college which is up here, wrestled here and then right towards the end of my career I got in contact with like a couple mma gyms in the area and like just started working out with guys getting them ready for their fights and that's how I got linked up with upgraded. I was working with dj and tony getting them ready for some fights and then they were like well, when you're done wrestling in college, you should just fight out of here. And I was like cool, and then I just been there ever since. Man.
Speaker 1:Not a bad way to get into it, for sure. So you wrestled. Did you do any other sports when you were growing up?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I ran track for a little bit, but like, wrestling is just the one thing that like really took my attention and it's like, once you really start getting in the thick of it, you you're training more than just like the season. You know what I mean. It's like wrestling seasons in the winter, and then freestyle and greco, which is like the olympic styles, that happens during the spring. So then I was like, well, that's more important to me than track, and then like, yeah, then you just find yourself doing like summer tournaments, tournaments in the fall, and it just becomes an all-year thing.
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, I definitely understand that um grew up, uh, a, a swimmer. Yeah, I definitely understand that, grew up a swimmer. And it's another winter sport when you're in school, but there's always a spring season, there's always summer seasons and everything like that. Fall is really the only time that we kind of have off. I did play a little bit of football in high school in the fall, mainly just to stay in shape for my swim season, and you know it was. It's one of those sports that I feel like, like wrestling, it doesn't get the recognition that it deserves, except for when the Olympics come around. But you know, I've always had a respect for wrestlers, especially watching MMA and growing up as a combat sports fan. I don't think that the actual, like the Greco, roman and all that wrestling gets the recognition that it deserves. You kind of have that same feeling.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean for sure. Like, even if you're in, like the sport itself, like now freestyle and greco is getting way more popular. But even when I was in high school, like I really didn't hear about it until like the end of my freshman year, and all these guys were like, yeah, we're gonna do this, like practice is coming up, and I was just like, oh, whatever. And I went there and it was like completely different and like even like the word around, like all the best kids in the state would do it, and like, obviously, like Ohio is like premier for wrestling, like we're for sure one of the better states. So, like I don't know, I just was. I noticed that like, okay, all the best guys are doing this, like I should probably be doing this too.
Speaker 2:But even when I was in high school, like people weren like, like they just I don't know, it wasn't as popular and like people would still be like, oh well, that's not what we do during the season, so it's like I'm not gonna waste my time doing it, but just like anything else, man, if you look at it as like cross training, it's like one, it's just more time doing something and two, it makes you use your body a completely different way. So now I think guys are getting more hip to it. Like I'm coaching at the college that I wrestled at and like we had club practice this morning, which is like for freestyle and greco and um, there's way more guys doing it now than like when I was in college. Like a lot of my college teammates were like nah, I never I never wrestled freestyle in Greco. Like I'm not gonna start now and it's like whatever man.
Speaker 2:But now we got a bunch of guys who are just they like it and it's like just more ingrained in the culture. So I think I don't know. I think like overall it's just getting like more like notor, more like notoriety, and like people are really understanding it better and have accepted the fact that, like if you want to continue wrestling at a really high level, you got to at least get in with freestyle. And it's like if you want to be the best in the world, like that's your only option. The world's in Olympics are only freestyle and Greco.
Speaker 1:It's not like like folk style in America. Right, yeah, I've noticed that. Do you think that with the rise of the UFC and mixed martial arts, that that helped with the freestyle? Because you hear Bruce Buffer announcing a lot with the guys and a lot of them nowadays I'm hearing he's a freestyle fighter, he's a freestyle, he's Greg and Roman. I hear a lot of those now coming up into the UFC and mixed martial arts. Do you think maybe Dana White has new something and that it's helping that sport kind of take off a little bit more?
Speaker 2:I wouldn't say like I don't know, kind of take off a little bit more. I wouldn't say like I don't know that freestyle, like if somebody's saying they're a freestyle fighter, that's not like freestyle wrestling, it's like a completely different, that's more of like a mix of things. Like it's just like MMA I don't know, um, but for sure like guys doing good in wrestling and MMA is making it more popular. And then obviously in the US we're the only ones that do folk style, but like that's getting more people into it and then inherently more people from folk style are getting into freestyle. And then I mean I would imagine it's having the same effect across the world. Like there's got to be kids, like in russia and australia and stuff, like watching the ufc and like I want to do that the best guys are wrestlers. I should probably start wrestling and like it's just naturally growing the sport, which is great man, that's what we want. Like I don't want to just grow in america, I want it to grow everywhere.
Speaker 1:I absolutely wanted that to be worldwide for sure. So, besides, you know the mixed martial arts space. Do you do anything outside of that for work other than you know? Like you said, you coach at the at the college you went to. Is there anything else that you do for like a day job? Because I know with fighters, kind of like being a comedian, it's not like a set nine to five, like you don't have like consistent I don't want to say consistent work, but you know what I mean. There could be a month or two in between fights for you guys.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, I mean one. I'm still an amateur, so I can't even get paid. So it's like I'm just doing this for purely experience and getting ready to go pro, which I'm going to be doing here soon. Okay, but even then, like at the lower level of like your regional pro scene, like you're not making all that much money, man, like maybe like a couple thousand for a fight, like making weight and winning, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like that's really nothing but, yeah, work-wise, for the last three years I've been running my own painting company. So I just I worked for, uh, one of who the guy was my college coach originally. He stepped down and just took a like was painting full-time with his business. I did that in the summers around you know, school and stuff. And then I just was getting like a lot of side jobs, just like people's, you know, like parents or whatever around here, like I just need this, done this, painted this. And then it just like grew to the point where I was like I could probably just do this on my own. And so I just took a leap of faith.
Speaker 2:Like I graduated, like I got two master's degrees from school, but I wanted to do something that's flexible with my time. Like if I had a nine to five, I wouldn't be able to train the same way I do, I wouldn't be able to coach. So I was like whatever, I'm just gonna go all in with this and just do my own thing. And it's been great. Man like I, I'm understanding how to run a business. I really understand, like how money works, how taxes work, like I'm gaining a lot like in experience in that way. And then, like I mean I set my own schedule. Like if I want to work more, I will, if I don't, then I don't.
Speaker 2:And it's cool, man, like you know, I mean it's it's not like I'm living this life of luxury, but like I got a truck, I got a house, like like I'm not worried about you know, like not like in college, when you're like trying to figure out where your next meal is going to be, when you're next time you're going to get money in your pocket, like I don't worry about those things anymore and you know it's given me. It takes a lot of pressure off the idea of like I have to go pro and I got to do this to make money and I got to win this fight to have money. It's like I can do this purely for the love and just try to be the best in the world, without having that added bit of pressure of like where's money coming in? Or or working a job? I don't like. It's like I don't know, man, it's ideal. And it's like if you can't find a situation that's ideal for you, gotta kind of gotta just make one, you know no, yeah, I agree with that wholeheartedly.
Speaker 1:You know I am, you know, 13 years into comedy and I'm still considered an up and comer. So like that it's, it takes a lot and, like you saying, at the low levels of being a professional it's not a lot of money. Same thing with comedy. You know, I do have a day job that I that I have to go to Takes a good bit of my time. I do have a day job that I have to go to. It takes a good bit of my time. But at the same sense, you had that confidence to take that leap of faith to be your own boss. So kudos to you for being able to do that. There's not a lot of people that have that drive. Do you think MMA and wrestling kind of gave you that mindset to be able to take that leap of faith?
Speaker 2:100 man. Like wrestling is interesting in the fact that it is like a team sport, but it's not in the same regard like it is a team sport because you're practicing with your teammates, you have coaches, like you know, in a dual sense it is a team sport like you're watching your teammates, like there's a team score and stuff, but the stuff that really counts it's not like like nationals isn't really like there is, there's a team scoring to it, but it's like really it's focused on you, like your focus is winning a national title, winning matches, winning a state title. You know, like mma is the same way. Like it's really not a team sport. Like obviously, like I have a team and I have coaches and stuff, but it's not the same. Like it's not like college, where you have like a structured, like every single person is doing this right now, right, so a lot of it falls on you to like make sure you're getting ample amount of like your striking work, your conditioning, your grappling, your wrestling, and wrestling is kind of the same way. It's like you can only do so much in practice. And then it's like if you want to be elite, you gotta. You gotta do stuff on your own man and you gotta have that drive if you want to get better. Nobody's gonna care about you as much as you are. You know like and I wasn't like a really like like, especially when I got to college like I wasn't one of the guys who was highly recruited, like I was one of the guys they like overlooked. And if you want to set yourself up to win like, they're not going to go out of their way for the guys that they don't think are going to do good, they're focused on the guys who are eating up the most scholarship money. So it's like I had to take a lot on my own, like stay after practice, set up extra workouts, and you know like always doing stuff on my own, and it's like eventually you just get better and better and then people are willing to work with you more. But you still got to have that drive of like I'm taking care of me, like no life is like that man, nobody's gonna take care of you. You know what I mean? You could, you could have it made. You could be born into a millionaire family, but you could still have a horrible life, like if you don't take care of yourself and you don't have like, like, a drive and a focus. So it's just like that. That's just how I've always felt. Like I, no matter what situation I'm in, I feel like I have the faith to pull myself out and just continually like improve my situation. So that's why I wasn't like I wasn't scared to like start my own business because, like I mean, I was already dealing.
Speaker 2:Be here all day telling you some stories of me and my teammates living in a house together, like struggling just to put money together to get food. And it's like when I was done with school. It's like, because you can't work during wrestling season, it's like really hard to do that, and wrestling season is most of the college year. It's like I didn't have money. So it's like any money was profit to me. So I was just like fuck it, I'm just gonna hustle as much as I can. Like the more money that's in my pocket, the less I gotta worry. All this falls on me. So it's like, whether I make like a thousand dollars today, I make zero dollars today, it falls on me, man. So it's like, yeah, that that probably did come from wrestling, because it's like I've just been used to that and it's like I don't know. That's that's what I think like really improves the quality of your life, man, like hustling and having faith that things can get better if you just put the time into it 100 percent.
Speaker 1:Um, we actually just talked with Luke Freshour on here. He has a similar mindset. Do you work with Luke?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's my boxing coach.
Speaker 1:I figured he said he works with a bunch of the guys, especially a lot of the wrestlers there Similar mindset to you, because we talked about it with him on his show. And you know, I grew up with a martial arts and a taekwondo background and it helps me to this day in comedy because it though it is, like you said, like wrestling, a team sport, uh, when you're in there with your teammates and you're in the gym and you're working out, but at the end of the day, when you get into the ring or anything, it's just you in there and you have to make it work for yourself. And that's kind of the way I've. I've leaned into my comedy career and trying to grow that because at the end of the day, I'm I'm not signed by a label, I'm not, uh, I don't have an agent, I don't have a manager, it's just me. So if I don't have that many shows coming up, that's on me, because I'm the one getting the shows, so I'm the one dealing with my own paycheck for that. I love that attitude. I I do because I've I've had a bad loss in Taekwondo Me and Luke talked about it on on that show and it kind of turned me away from from martial arts and the mixed martial arts and the fighting combat sports realm, but having that on like a national stage.
Speaker 1:Now if I bomb on stage it's like alright, well, I mean, I've been knocked out in front of thousands of people. If somebody doesn't like my joke, who gives a shit? It gives me that mindset to just keep moving forward. Because I look back at it now and it's like, yeah, I probably should have stuck with Taekwondo and stuck that out in the combat sports room. I was really good at it up until that one loss.
Speaker 2:I had 29 fights and I was 28 and one and I was good.
Speaker 1:And I lost on the 29th fight and that was the last fight for me. So you know I have that mindset. But when I was in Taekwondo I was also that last fight. I was 14 or 15 years old. So you know I was a young, cocky kid and you know it struck my ego at that age, as a teenager, and you know, if I was doing it now, yeah, it's a bad loss, we'll shake it off and we'll move on, but you know it is what it is and it molded me into how I pursue my comedy career. It is what it is. It molded me into how I pursue my comedy career. Like you know, if I could go 28 and one as as a fighter, who's to stop me from making it as a national headlining comedian? You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:That's, that's the always the end goal and that's the you're right. It's the same idea as trying to chase a championship, as it is to chase that, that career path, and I love that attitude career path and I love that attitude in people. I love seeing that in people and I'm always rooting for those people because I've been an underdog my entire life and I love rooting for the underdogs. I don't know about you, if you, if you notice that's like you said. You weren't highly recruited in in college and you made it work for you and now you coming up about to be professional. I know you're going to be professional. I almost just want to call you professional. I can see it in you, even through zoom, that you'll be a professional fighter.
Speaker 1:All right, we'll put this in here we're. We're getting started again here with uh, chris the grit. Uh, we um had a few power outages here in ohio, but uh, we're getting back to it. We were just talking about how fighting and combat sports have shaped us and our careers and pathways. After that, we'll keep rolling here with everything. I don't know what was recorded and what's not. We'll hear that in the playback afterwards. So, chris, you were brought to us by Tony, the Latin Assassin Tordelisi, other than training with him, how you were brought to us by Tony, the Latin assassin toward Lisi. So, other than training with him, how do you know, tony?
Speaker 2:I mean, that was really how I met him was just training, like, like I said at the beginning, it was one of the alumni at Lake Erie was like yeah, man, I started training jujitsu, you should come check it out and there's some fighters that you should work with, like if you want to get into like mma, and I was like all right, cool, and I go up to upgrade it. And the owner, dj, and tony, were like both getting ready for fights and so I was just like all right, cool, start working with them wrestling a couple times a week. And then they were like yeah, you should just come to sparring, you know. I was like all right, cool, like, and then, yeah, and then I don't know man, like from that, like dj is my head coach, but like tony now, because he's retired like he had just retired after this last fight like yeah, he's taken like a, like a coaching role, and it's like I don't know man, it's just like he was one of the guys, just kind of a coaching role, and it's like I don't know man, it's just like he was one of the guys that just kind of took me under his wing.
Speaker 2:It's like he was really the only guy fighting out of upgraded when I got there, him and DJ, and then just we've gotten more fighters just from you know, just the team growing and stuff. But like that's how I know Tony, it's like I, I, every day he's in there, like I, every day he's in there, like I train with him, like we were just training yesterday morning, like he has no reason to go through the stuff that I'm doing anymore. You know what I mean, because he's done, but he's just like, yeah, he's just there to help push me, man. It's like so as kind of like my older brother, like yeah, I love talking to Tony.
Speaker 1:When we had him on the show I actually got to see his last fight at Mountaineer. I was actually at that fight, okay, you probably saw me in the corner then I was going fucking nuts okay, you were that guy, then okay, I know exactly, because a lot of the fighters that we've had on were at Tony's last fight and it was everyone in his corner.
Speaker 2:So far we've had on the show so far we've had you that we've had on the show so far.
Speaker 1:We've had you. Now We've had Tony, billy Friedson, luke Freshour we're all on the have been on the show so far, so you're kind of the last one and we actually have a recording scheduled with DJ, so we're just rolling right through your guys' show.
Speaker 2:So we're just rolling right through your catch and it was cool because it's like my one of Tony's fights. I want to say it was like his third or fourth fight. Like they I was still in college and they were just like, hey, man, like do you want to come down and corner Tony?
Speaker 2:I'm like sure, like, and I just, you know, like I hadn't had any fights yet, like I was just still in college and I was just like yeah, man like I can definitely tell you what to do on the wrestling side of things and like I'm I was like hip to grappling at that time, but it's like I didn't and I was watching fighting a lot. I was like, yeah, whatever, like I want to experience this. I want to see what it's like. I don't want it to be the first. I want to experience this. I want to see what it's like. I don't want it to be the first time I ever experienced MMA.
Speaker 2:Like when I'm stepping in there Right, yeah, man, it's, it's been cool and it was, it was super cool. Like when Tony asked me like cause we, everybody knew that was going to be his last fight Like the word kind of got out towards the beginning of camp and then at the end it was just like confirmed. Like he was like, yeah, for sure, this is the last one I'm doing and it was just sick. When he was like, yeah, I want you to be in my corner, I was like cool man, like I'm there right.
Speaker 1:It's always good to have that boat of confidence when somebody was like, hey, I want you there you know, like I like it.
Speaker 2:I do this like even now, like it's you know coaching, like I'm not the head coach, I'm just an assistant.
Speaker 2:But it's like it's cool to me when guys come out of their way at the tournament and they're like yo man, I want you in my corner and it's like some it's great.
Speaker 2:And then sometimes it's like I like being there, man, like I like supporting people and I always felt like like, especially when I was in college, I always felt like like I needed to lean on my coaches and I felt like if they were there in my corner, it's like I trusted them 100 and I. I still feel that way. Like there's things that the outside perspective can see and, as long as you have a good relationship with them, it's like you know how to like take in what they're trying to tell you and you got to trust that they're seeing things that you're not and just you know, go with it. That's why I thought it was cool, because it's like Tony and I have a good relationship and we train so much together. It's like I can tell what situations he's in and try to give him the best possible feedback I can in the midst of a fight.
Speaker 1:Right, absolutely. I mean, you know him better than anybody being in the corner and training with him for sure. So I've asked every other guy out of your gym this question, so you're not off the hook for this either. But you know, what type of background do you think gives MMA fighters the best chance to be the most well-rounded coming into the sport?
Speaker 2:I mean obviously, like I want to say wrestling, I mean I don't know, man, I would say like the best situation possible you could have would be like growing up with some kind of like something like karate and taekwondo and wrestling.
Speaker 2:And the reason I'm saying that is like striking is inherently, I I think, easier to learn.
Speaker 2:But like it's easier I hear so many people say it, like I just heard Ilya Teporia on Joe Rogan's podcast say that like it's easier for a grappler to start learning wrestling or I mean I take that for like a grappler to learn striking than it is for a striker to learn grappling Right. I don't know if that's true, like maybe, maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But the one thing I will say is like people who have been doing like traditional martial arts since they were kids, they have this like crazy dexterity of their legs and like if fighting at a high level is like understanding range and control, taekwondo kind of gives you that best ability because it's so kick heavy, yeah, and like I mean karate to an extent is depending on what kind of karate you're coming up with. But yeah, I would say like ideally it would be like a mix of that and wrestling. But I think, like I think, you just get put ahead if you do any kind of martial art. Young, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can confirm the dexterity when it comes to Taekwondo. Like I said, to be able at my gym to even get your black belt, you had to be able to do a perfect split and hold it. Like they weren't like just get into a split. They made you get up on a bag and put a heel on each bag and then they just separated it away and to be.
Speaker 1:It was. It's intense and you know, as, as a teenager, that's, you know, not fun to try to learn that dexterity and that flexibility, but, um, it helps for sure. I mean even me now, 36 years old, you know I still have a little bit of that flexibility. I mean not as much as I did back then, but you know, getting older, um, it still helps out with, you know, movement in that and it's a very kick-heavy, uh, martial art um, but it taught me at a very young age because I I grew very quickly.
Speaker 1:I wasn't supposed to exceed 5'9". I'm 6'5". The doctor was a little off, so it helped me with coordination, with that aspect. But it also taught me a defensive style of fighting. It was more self-defense than just being able to, as people say, kick the shit out of fighting. It was more self-defense than just being able to, as people say, kick the shit out of somebody. But it taught me how to use my legs because I'm all legs to keep people at distance and keep them away from me. I didn't even have to throw a kick, even if I just lifted my leg. They knew how long my legs were and they were trying to stay at that distance. So I can definitely agree with that. For sure, with Taekwondo I'm a little biased because I have a black belt in Taekwondo, but it's. I can't disagree with that because I've lived it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, I mean I'm always trying to listen to the highest level guys. What are they doing? Obviously, joe Rogan's podcast is like he's always having UFC fighters on there and 1FC fighters and Bellator guys and all this. It's like I listen to his. And then recently I've been listening to Jake Shields' podcast a lot and I mean, yeah, man, it's like you'd be a fool not to listen to the things that they have to say. And that's just like. I mean that's just one of the things that I'm trying to absorb is like, what are the best guys doing? Like, if they're doing it, I'm definitely not above them. Like I should be doing the same things they're doing If they're focusing on this. I'm going to try that out. I do it all the time. I try to bring it to my training all the time, the mentality of all right, this guy's doing this. I'm going to try this. I think maybe that helps from wrestling.
Speaker 2:Wrestling is a very mental sport. It's different than any other kind of martial art in that way. I mean, shit, I didn't even think of it as a martial art really when I was doing it. You think about it as a sport, but anything else that's remotely like it is considered a martial art, like jiu-jitsu, grappling, yeah, so judo, I mean it's like all those things are looked at as martial arts. Wrestling, for whatever reason, isn't, but I think that's something that it really gives you is just like this, like drive and like also this ability to like digest things in a different way and like really like commit to using it. Like other, I just feel like other martial arts just don't give you that same level of discipline. In that regard, you know what I mean. Wrestling isn't about bowing in and like saying yes, sir, to your master, your sensei and stuff which they're totally like there's totally legitimate reasons for that and like I respect martial arts for giving especially kids and teenagers, like a discipline yeah but like wrestling isn't like that.
Speaker 2:It gives you discipline of like like I gotta make weight. Like I gotta get this fucking weight off, man. Like it's not just gonna fall off. Like I gotta go for a run, I gotta go to the sauna. I gotta get this fucking weight off, man. Like it's not just gonna fall off. Like I gotta go for a run, I gotta go to the sauna, I gotta get an extra drill in. I gotta eat less, drink less. Like that's the kind of discipline it gives you and it's like, all right, you got this whole summer until next season. Like what are you gonna do at this time? It's easy to feel motivated, but to have the discipline to be like every single day you're waking up with this goal and you're chasing it down, wrestling instills that in you, man. So I don't know.
Speaker 1:No, I got a big respect for wrestlers, just with what they go through especially with the weight cuts and everything like that, and having to make weight of what they go through, especially with the weight cuts and everything like that and having to make weight. It's insane to me thinking how you can do that and the different ways that they cut weight and everything like that. It's impressive to me. You didn't mention one thing, though, about Joe Rogan and listening to him, and I don't know why more people aren't listening to him more. With martial arts, he taught George St Pierre his spinning back kick, and not a lot of people know that A champion fighter went to Joe Rogan on how to improve one of his strikes, and the dude knows what he's talking about.
Speaker 2:He's actually a very skilled martial artist and like nobody gives him the credit for that because they all know him as the fear factor guy or the commentator, like fear factor was a thing when I was a kid, but like I I mean I wasn't really watching it like I was young, but like still, like he, like he has a black belt in taekwondo and he has a black belt under eddie bravo, who's one of the most respected like jiu-jitsu guys and from that lineage, both, like both Eddie Bravo and Joe Rogan are under John Jock Machado, who is, like he's part of that Gracie family. He was like grew up with the Gracies and he's one of the most respected grapplers in the world and it's like if they give you the nod like that's, that's saying a lot man right, like I don't know, I listen, I was like fuck, like if he's, I see his videos. I watched a video of him and eddie bravo talking to hicks and gracie, who is like widely known as, like the arguably the, the best Gracie I don't know there's, for there's something to be said for like, uh, henzo, gracie and Hoyler, but regardless, like he's the pinnacle of jiu-jitsu and he was a really big name in the early 2000s of MMA and it was just like a side video after their podcast of just going over grappling exchanges and this and that, and it's like, like that information is out there. Man, like you gotta just you, you gotta watch it. Like all the all the best people in every field do studying. Why would MMA be any different? Why would wrestling be any different? Like I try to tell those guys I just told him this week at practice I'm like, hey, man, like you know as much as like me and the other coaches can show you. Like you got to work on stuff on your own. If you're having trouble with this position, look it up, type it into youtube. There's a million videos. My college coaches were huge about that. Like, watch videos. Find a wrestler you like, find somebody who has a similar style as you figure out what they do. Watch a technique breakdown of what they do. So I do that all the time.
Speaker 2:Like I'm watching fights. Like obviously it's great to watch fights while they're live, but I like watching them and watching them like replaying them. You know what I mean. One of the guys I've been grateful enough to be able to train with is Christian Lee. He's the 170 and 185-pound champ of 1FC. I've been brought out to be part of his camp and his younger brother's camp, who's now in 1 fc um four times now and like christian is an unbelievable athlete man like and watching his fights back and then like even like the fights that I've like the camps I've been a part of watching his fights and like thinking about what we were doing in the room and then what he was doing in these fights, it's like, yeah, like that makes sense.
Speaker 2:We sit there and break down film like this guy's a two division world champ, like he probably knows everything right, he's not. He's not like. He's not like closed-minded. The fact of like hey, there's stuff that I can be working on, so everybody else has got to work on it. I was on the treadmill this week when Billy was putting me through conditioning and in our long conditioning session where it's just like a steady state thing, I'm watching fights, I watched GSP and Carlos Condit and right after that, when I was warming up doing my shadow boxing, I'm like, all right, I'm just just gonna try some stuff that gsp was doing, like some of the footwork stuff, some of the ways that he was setting things up. And then then I watched a little technique video and I'm like, okay, I'm gonna put it, I'm gonna try this out and spawn, and it's like that's what the best people in the world are doing, and I want to be the best in the world. It's a pretty easy equation. I just got to do what they're doing 100 like if.
Speaker 1:If they've made it here, what's stopping me from watching what they did to make it there?
Speaker 2:exactly, and it's no different than what you're doing right now with comedy 100. I just listened to shane gillis talk about what you were talking about like yeah, there's not, there's not money in. Like like starting out in comedy no, there's not. He was talking about like he was stoked when he got paid 50 bucks one time, like 50 bucks is nothing man like, but that recognition of like okay, I can get paid for this.
Speaker 2:Now it's a matter of doing more of these shows and more of these shows, and it's just the more you put yourself out there, just like competitions the more you do, the better you're gonna get. It's time on the mat, time on the stage, time dedicated to your craft. It's like that's what makes you better and that's what gets you closer to where you want to be. You know what I mean 100.
Speaker 1:I. I still do open mic nights for no pay. It's the way for me to test out new jokes. I still get excited. Oh, this show pays 100 bucks. Fuck, yeah, I'm getting paid to do what I want to do. You know what I mean? That's the mindset of a comedian. We'll take those at the early stages, those shit pay jobs and gigs to get the recognition because the word of mouth.
Speaker 1:I went up to Sanford, michigan, for a show. It was five and a half hour drive for me and the pay was one hundred and fifty bucks. Yeah, I spent more in gas in my truck to get there, but now there's more people from Michigan and I keep seeing people when I check the stats on the podcast. More people from Michigan are listening and I have to equate that to the time. I went to Sanford Michigan on a whim. Just be like hey, they want to book me, fuck it, it's 150 bucks, I'm getting paid it. I'm probably going to lose money on the, on the trip up and back with the gas, but it's, it's exposure and that's what we're looking for in in our field for sure. I mean.
Speaker 2:I mean it's like, obviously, like you need some level of money, right? Like, obviously I'm not going to sit here and say like, oh, you got to just do everything. But if it was really about the money, you wouldn't be doing it. No, you know what I mean. I wouldn't be if it was really about the money right now. If I was really about all my entire day is wake up, digits, digits, putting more money in my pocket. I wouldn't be painting and I wouldn't be fighting. I would use these degrees that I have and get a job sitting in a cubicle bitching somebody out, you know, wearing a suit and tie. But it's not about that. That's not the life I want to live. Like no sure. Like I, I'm grateful beyond grateful to god that I have the things that I do have, and it's it's not a lot, but I'm grateful for not having to worry about those things and being able to chase my passion right now. Man, you know what I mean. Like it's not it I told.
Speaker 2:I said at the beginning of the podcast when you're amateur, you're not getting paid, you're doing it just. You're doing it for the love of it, man, or just because you want to scrap. There's plenty of guys who probably have no ambition of being a pro. They just want to get in a fight. Hey, man, this is what this sport's here for. It's like everybody can have different goals. It's like if it was about the money, you wouldn't be doing it 100%. So I don't know. Man, I respect that a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think I got paid. For the first two or three years that I was doing comedy it was all open mic nights, just finding anywhere where there was a stage and a microphone just to go and make a room full of people laugh. I mean, yeah, I didn't get't get paid. I think the first two years I was doing comedy they knew that first paid show and that just accelerates you like I want to keep doing this. I want to keep doing this to make money think about it like you.
Speaker 2:You would be ignorant. Any person would be ignorant to assume that their first time they deserve to get compensation for it financially your compensation is the experience.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you can't see that, if you can't see that you're getting paid in experience, like then you have already missed the point. Man, yep, I, I, mma, mma is no different. Sports are no different. It's like you don't sign up for the high school football team to make a million dollars. You're doing it for the experience, for the love of the sport and just to do it. If you commit your time and your athleticism and all this, yeah, you could get to a big college, get an NIL deal, go to the NFL, like, yeah, that's where the money comes in. But that ain't, from the start, right. Why would any other craft be like that? A hundred percent.
Speaker 1:And you know, I, I come from a, uh, very old school, traditional Italian family. My, you know, grandfather was a steel worker, my dad was a steel worker, Uh, so very blue collar. And you know, trying to explain to just like that, that old school mentality, you know, starting out in comedy like, oh well, what did you get paid? I'm getting paid in experience. I'm getting paid in stage time. I'm getting paid in people hearing my jokes and liking my jokes. That is going to pay off down the road. I might not be getting paid today, tomorrow or a month from now or even a year from now, but I not be getting paid today, tomorrow or a month from now or even a year from now, but I will be getting paid for this. It's just I gotta pay my dues.
Speaker 1:That's a great analogy that you put there. It's like high school sports. You're not playing high school football or high school wrestling, or even me, high school swimming, because you're getting paid to do it. You're doing it because you love the sport and you're getting experience and you're making yourself better so that maybe one day yeah, you can, you know, make some money off of it. And that's honestly the best analogy I've heard and it equates to both of our professions and I love that for sure. I never even thought of it that way and that's that's a great mindset. To that for sure. I never even thought of it that way. That's a great mindset to have for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man.
Speaker 1:And Chris, hell, I feel like I could talk to you all day, but we are running down here near the end of the episode here. I do want to get this last segment in here before we end and for anybody who has listened to the show before. It is the Fast Fitty Five. Five random questions from the wonderful manager of the podcast, johnny Fitty Falcone. For those of you who have not heard or are new listeners to the show, this is kind of a rapid-fire question to answer. They have nothing to do with what we've been talking about for the better part of this about 45 minutes to an hour now. So, chris, like I said, the rapid fire, but you can elaborate if you feel you need to. So, chris, like I said, the rapid fire, but you can elaborate if you feel you need to. So if you are ready, we'll get started with the Fast 55.
Speaker 2:Come on, man, I'm game, I'm sure.
Speaker 1:Question number one Is the number 38 or the number 47 a worst football number to wear?
Speaker 2:Shit. I don't really know anything about football, so I would say they both suck. If you're not one, you're not it.
Speaker 1:I love that answer Question number two have you ever been skydiving?
Speaker 2:Nah hell.
Speaker 1:no, yeah, fuck that. I'm so terrified of heights. Fuck that. Question number three what's your favorite sports movie?
Speaker 2:Damn, that's a good one. I don't know if I can be quick about that. Warrior is a good one. I don't know if I can be quick about that. Warrior is a great movie. Miracle is that the one about the hockey? Oh yeah, that's a great movie. I mean Rocky Dude, I don't know, there's so many good ones. Even sports. I've never played Angels in the Outfield, I never played baseball, but I like that movie man.
Speaker 1:There's so many good sports movies. I feel like he cheated you with that question. There's no right answer to that question.
Speaker 2:There's no right answer to that. I'll just say all of them, all of the above.
Speaker 1:I got you All right.
Speaker 2:Question number four what's the best meat to get from the deli Dude? I don't know, man, I don't really get deli meat. I would say like from the butcher. You got to get a steak and the butcher is right next to there and if I'm feeling bougie, I'll get a ribeye. Right that cut, that's my cut of steak 100 a ribeye. Not many people know, or maybe they do, I don't know. But if you get like, if you look at the chuck roast, you can. You can find the part of the chuck that's right next to the ribeye. They they're touching on the cow and you can find part of the chuck is like, will look exactly like a ribeye. You just cut it off from the other side and the chuck roast usually comes like this big. You cut it in half. You got two steaks Way cheaper than ribeye.
Speaker 2:I just gave out the secret to the people.
Speaker 1:You just dropped a knowledge bomb on everybody for that one.
Speaker 2:Not every chuck roast is going to have that. I don't know what it is. I'm not like a butcher, like the cap or whatever, but it'll look like a ribeye is right next to it. Basically, they make two steaks out of it. There's a Denver steak which almost looks like a New York strip without a fat cap, and then there's a part that looks like a ribeye. You got to look.
Speaker 1:When you go to Costco or whatever next, look, I'm 100% going to be looking. Next time I go to the butcher, there's no chance I'm not looking.
Speaker 2:I mean, dude, we're talking about 13 bucks a pound versus, like, less than five bucks a pound. It's easy math, 100%. I'm a mathematician, but that's easy math, easy math.
Speaker 1:And question number five. Here is orange juice overrated or underrated.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I think it's probably underrated. I think you drink it a lot when you're a kid and you stop drinking it so much as an adult. And I had some before training today and I felt great. Those carbs, maybe the vitamins too, I don't know. I like it. I don't think you should make a habit of drinking a gallon of it a day. I'm not a nutritionist, neither Gotcha.
Speaker 1:Well, that was the Fast Fitty Five. He comes up with some of the craziest questions for this segment. It's hysterical. Every time we run this segment at the end of every show. It's just the way his mind works. He sends these to me all day. Every day I get texts from Johnny and it's all these questions. And it's not important. It's just the way his mind works and he has to get them out. So now we get them out on the show every week.
Speaker 2:Well, he's got some answers, At least my answers. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Those are great answers. I'm not going to lie to you, those were phenomenal answers. But, chris, I do give every, every guest this opportunity at the end of every show. Um, I'm going to give you about a minute. If there's anything you want to get out there, whether it's an upcoming fight for either you or somebody that you're training with, or for the gym, or even if it's just a positive message, I'm going to give you about a minute.
Speaker 2:The floor is yours yeah, man, I'll say, first I do have a fight. I have a 185 pound title fight for bcm on june 21st. That's going to be down in Millersburg, Ohio. And then you know, I just want to say, shout out to my team. I know you said Billy has already been on here, Tony, Luke and DJ's coming on. Those are my coaches. So I'm I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in without them.
Speaker 2:And then the only other thing I can say is like I'm a man of faith and I'm by no means am I pushing this on anybody, but it's like if you want to find real purpose in your life, look, look for Jesus man and just follow the word, read the gospels and see it, Even if you don't believe, there's things in there and Psalms and Proverbs that are just great wisdom for humans just to live by, and that's I mean. People have been struggling with the same things we've been struggling with this entire human history. So if you're struggling with something, open it up and just read it, Check it out, Check the word out.
Speaker 1:That is great. I love helping people promote anything that they got going on with the show, but I love it when there's a good message at the end of the show and guests have a good message. So thank you for that. That was great for sure. But that is going to do it for this week's episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. I want to thank my guest, Chris the grit dredging, for joining the show. I think I just butchered your name again, man.
Speaker 2:I apologize.
Speaker 1:Dreggy.
Speaker 2:I knew I was going to. It's all good. It's all good.
Speaker 1:I got you, but thank you for joining. But, as always, if you enjoyed the show, be a friend, tell a friend. If you didn't tell them anyways, they might like it just because you didn't. That's going to do it for me and I.
