NO QUIT GRIT - Don Frye, UFC Legendary Champion Fighter
Unbreakable: Don Frye
Hear the incredible story of Don Frye, MMA legend and UFC champion, on the Lead I.T. Podcast and learn how he pushed through seemingly impossible challenges, both in the ring and in life.
Don's career was marked by intense fights and even more intense setbacks.
From broken bones to personal struggles, he faced adversity head-on with a relentless spirit.
How did he maintain his mental toughness in the face of such challenges? Listen to the full episode to learn how Don's mindset can inspire you to overcome any obstacle.
You'll Also Discover:
How to Cultivate Unbreakable Grit.
A Strategy for Mental Toughness.
Why Mindset Matters in Adversity.
A Step to Overcoming Setbacks.
The Unexpected Key to Resilience.
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What's one challenge you've overcome with a "no quit" attitude?
Share your story in the comments below!
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This episode is brought to you by Covenant Technologies: https://cov-technologies.com/
and Cybertrust Network: https://cybertrustnetwork.com/
Transcript
Ufc, it's one on one and there's nobody to blame.
Speaker A:And the Takayama fight?
Speaker A:Most people would have quit after being punched in the head so many times.
Speaker A:You ended up actually winning.
Speaker A:And so many people are so close to success, but when they get close and it gets really tough, they quit just before they succeed.
Speaker B:You realize how strong the human spirit is, what it can overcome.
Speaker B:I went in there knowing might get beat up, but I'm not gonna die.
Speaker B:I'm gonna die to just keep after it.
Speaker B:There's no reason to quit.
Speaker A:Welcome to Lead it, where the greatest minds in technology and security share their hard earned lessons, insights, and stories.
Speaker A:These are the transformation champions in tech.
Speaker A:You'll discover the keys to success for leading innovation, growth, and change within your organization.
Speaker A:This podcast is powered by Covenant Technologies and Cybertrust Network, providing the best cybersecurity and IT solutions for your business.
Speaker A:Here's your host, CEO Casey Marquette.
Speaker A:Let's go.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Hello, everyone.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the Lead it podcast.
Speaker A:Today we have a very, very special guest, a man who embodies grit, resilience, and the kind of leadership that isn't just taught in books.
Speaker A:Joining us is none other than Don the Predator Fry.
Speaker A:Don is an icon in the world of mixed martial arts and an absolute savage.
Speaker A:Not only was he on one of the pioneers in the ufc, but his relentless style and raw determination also set a new standard in the sport beyond his fighting skills.
Speaker A:Don's career spans multiple disciplines, from professional wrestling to acting, and he's built a reputation for his no nonsense approach to life and leadership.
Speaker A:In today's episode, we're going to dive into Don's journey.
Speaker A:I am so excited about this show and I have such respect for this warrior.
Speaker A:Trust me, you don't want to miss a second.
Speaker A:So without further ado, let's welcome Don Fry to the Lead it podcast.
Speaker A:Welcome, Don.
Speaker B:Thanks, Casey.
Speaker B:How you doing, partner?
Speaker A:I'm doing great, sir, thank you.
Speaker B:That introduction you gave me, you got me excited to listen to what I got to say.
Speaker A:I absolutely have such respect for you.
Speaker A:Watching your fights, I mean, just.
Speaker A:Just the thing I love about UFC is it's one on one and team sports, you can blame teammates, but one on one, there's nobody to blame.
Speaker A:Just what you've done is amazing.
Speaker A:So my first question, Don is around, and I don't know if I'm saying his name right, but the.
Speaker A:The Takayama fight.
Speaker A:So I've watched it many times and I know, I know most people would have quit after being punched in the head, so Many times you ended up actually winning, or what I call succeeding.
Speaker A:And so many people are so close to success, but when they get close and it gets really tough, they quit just before they succeed.
Speaker A:Can you tell me about your mental state when that was happening and how you kept pushing, pushing through?
Speaker B:Well, you know, like we were discussing earlier, I would used to be a firefighter, and I did that for about, heck, six years, six, seven years, I think.
Speaker B:And you used to be a, you're a former police officer, so you, you see stuff out on the street.
Speaker B:You see stuff on the street which you can't explain, you take home, or you try and leave there at work, but you realize what, how strong the human spirit is and how successful human spirit can be and what it can overcome.
Speaker B:And it's amazing.
Speaker B:And I, I went in there knowing, hell, I might get beat up, but I'm not gonna die, so.
Speaker B:Not gonna die.
Speaker B:Just keep after it.
Speaker B:There's no reason to quit.
Speaker A:Yeah, that was, I mean, it's one of my favorite fights to ever watch.
Speaker A:And I, you guys just both kept hitting each other over and over and over and no quit.
Speaker A:So it's just an amazing show of just tenacity and grit like I've never seen before, honestly.
Speaker A:It was amazing.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Yeah, that guy was amazing.
Speaker B:He, he made that, he made that fight.
Speaker B:Originally, my opponent was supposed to be Mark Goldman.
Speaker B:Over my get my rematch for the one fight I'd lost.
Speaker B:I think I was 15 and one at that fight.
Speaker B:And so I, I trained my, Went off to Hawaii and trained my butt off for two or three weeks.
Speaker B:The final two or three weeks, you generally tell you it takes about six to eight weeks for a camp.
Speaker B:It takes, it takes six weeks to get in shape to train.
Speaker B:So you're looking at anywhere for a 10 to 12 week period.
Speaker B:Like I said, you got to get in shape to train, because when you're training, it's 24 hours a day.
Speaker B:You hear this.
Speaker B:I eat, sleep and drink the sport.
Speaker B:That's literally what you're doing.
Speaker B:And I mean, everything, everything.
Speaker B:You're consumed with that or.
Speaker B:I was, I was consumed there with my opponent being Mark Coleman.
Speaker B:And after he beat me in UFC 10, I watched that fight every day for years.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:Then I trained, I was obsessed.
Speaker B:I trained hard for that fight.
Speaker B:And then Mark got hurt and it got replaced by Yoshihiro Takayama.
Speaker B:And he stepped in there and I tell you, we had that fight.
Speaker B:He stole my soul.
Speaker B:He just stole my soul.
Speaker B:I should have quit after that fight.
Speaker B:That was it.
Speaker B:But you after you M.
Speaker B:Well, I got my hand raised like.
Speaker B:Like in a sham.
Speaker B:The Shamrock fight, I got my hand raised in that.
Speaker B:But both them.
Speaker B:Both those fights just took.
Speaker B:Did a lot out of me.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:And where I should have walked away after the Yoshi hero fight, Tama and I can imagine.
Speaker B:But I did.
Speaker B:Like I said, the greed.
Speaker B:The greed got the better part of me.
Speaker B:I wanted to take care of my family.
Speaker B:I still felt like I had the ability to.
Speaker B:And end up screwing the pooch in the long run.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's something you said that resonates with me though, Don, is.
Speaker A:I think it was Bill Belichick.
Speaker A:But the people that are really successful in whatever they do, they're obsessed.
Speaker A:That's all they do.
Speaker A:It's all they think about.
Speaker A:They wake up, they go to bed and Sounds like you're obsessed.
Speaker A:And one other thing is I, I read.
Speaker A:I, I hope Mark Coleman's okay.
Speaker A:I know he got the fire and he.
Speaker A:I, I heard he was in pretty bad shape, but I think he's recovered for the most part.
Speaker A:I don't know if you heard about that.
Speaker B:Yeah, he has that guy right there.
Speaker B:Mark Coleman was born to be a hero.
Speaker B:He was born to be a hero.
Speaker B:A.
Speaker B:I mean, he was on two Olympic wrestling teams.
Speaker B:He won.
Speaker B:He beat the hell out of me, won my title, and then he won the heavyweight title.
Speaker B:I think he was the second one.
Speaker B:Dan Severn was the first.
Speaker B:Then he defeated Dan for the title, and then he went on to win the Pride heavyweight tournament, which was fantastic.
Speaker B:And then he saved his parents in the battle of a burning house.
Speaker B:I mean, that to be redundant.
Speaker B:That guy was born to be a hero.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:Don, the next question is around overcoming adversity.
Speaker A:So in fighting, as in leadership, adversity is inevitable.
Speaker A:Can you share a moment in your career where you had to overcome a major challenge and how did you get through it and what did you learn?
Speaker B:Oh, heck, yeah.
Speaker B:Like I said, I.
Speaker B:I had that situation Mark Coleman in UFC 10.
Speaker B:But I woke up that morning sick, and I got sicker as the day went on.
Speaker B:And then I had the two, two, two fights, which I did completely wrong.
Speaker B:My first fight, I screwed up.
Speaker B:Didn't listen to my corner man, Steve Owen, and did my own thing.
Speaker B:And it cost me, cost me the whole show because I wore myself out.
Speaker B:And I was so impressed with Don the Predator Fry that I didn't want to attack the guy's head, and I just attacked his ribs.
Speaker B:And I should have went after his head, and ended it quickly.
Speaker B:And then Brian Johnston in the second fight, Brian almost did me in.
Speaker B:He hit me a couple of times and kneed me a couple of times.
Speaker B:And I thought to myself, I can't take any much more of this.
Speaker B:Then.
Speaker B:Then the little voice in my head said, shut up.
Speaker B:Shut up.
Speaker B:Because like with.
Speaker B:In fighting, when a fighter starts complaining, he's out of the fight.
Speaker B:You see, See, it happened to Mike Tyson.
Speaker B:See, it happened to Mike Tyson in the Holyfield fight, a couple other fights, and.
Speaker B:And Tyson was invincible, excluding this last crap, this money grab he just did, right?
Speaker B:But, yeah, like I said, I had that fight against Johnson, and I said, can't take much more of this.
Speaker B:I said, shut up.
Speaker B: And then I had: Speaker B:I came back into fighting from pro wrestling, and the guy was gouging my eyes out, and Gilbert Eibel.
Speaker B:And when the referee stopped the fight, went in the corner and he says, are you okay?
Speaker B:And I said, I can't see.
Speaker B:I can't see.
Speaker B:And then.
Speaker B:Lois, shut up, shut up.
Speaker B:You're starting to complain, right?
Speaker B:So I said, I'm okay into it.
Speaker B:And he's trying to take my eyeballs home as a souvenir.
Speaker B:And then, heck.
Speaker B:And then the Shamrock fight.
Speaker B:Ken.
Speaker B:Ken got a hold of me, broke both my ankles.
Speaker B:God dang, this hurts.
Speaker B:Shut up, dummy.
Speaker B:Get back into the fight.
Speaker B:That's all you gotta do.
Speaker B:You gotta.
Speaker B:You can't listen to that bad voice, you know, you've got to succeed.
Speaker B:You got to tell that voice, shut up.
Speaker B:Get out of my life.
Speaker B:You know, I have.
Speaker B:I have this goal.
Speaker B:I had this goal.
Speaker B:I had the determination to reach it, and that's what you got to have, discipline.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker B:That's what I lacked.
Speaker A:You know, Don, I mean, Joe Rogan talks about that as well.
Speaker A:Like, we all have that little.
Speaker A:That little voice.
Speaker A:And even in business, right, like, oh, I'm afraid I'm gonna fail.
Speaker A:This might not work out.
Speaker A:And usually fear doesn't come come true.
Speaker A:And to your point, what's your goal?
Speaker A:And just move right forward, that goal.
Speaker A:Totally get it.
Speaker A:I mean, I'm not.
Speaker A:Not at your level.
Speaker A:Of course.
Speaker B:The only way you truly feel is by not trying.
Speaker B:You've.
Speaker B:You've failed already.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:You've met.
Speaker B:You've manifested it by not trying.
Speaker A:Love it, love it, love it.
Speaker B:Failure.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Next one, Don.
Speaker A:Mindset for success.
Speaker A:So, obviously, the mental game is huge in the ufc.
Speaker A:How did you prepare mentally before big fight?
Speaker A:And what parallels do you See in how leaders prepare for big challenges or decisions.
Speaker B:Well, you answered your question.
Speaker B:Preparation.
Speaker B:It's all in the preparation.
Speaker B:You know, I first realized when I was in high school, I was supposed to take a test and I didn't prepare for it.
Speaker B:So I broke out in the sweat.
Speaker B:And it continued to happen throughout my life.
Speaker B:And I didn't prepare.
Speaker B:Prepare for something.
Speaker B:I would, I would bring out a little sweat.
Speaker B:And went through that in college sports as a collegiate wrestler at Arizona State University and ended up breaking my neck in a ATV accident.
Speaker B:And I didn't know it.
Speaker B:I just thought I banged up my shoulder and I didn't find out for 20 years that I had broken my neck.
Speaker B:And that's when I broke it a second time.
Speaker B:Yeah, broke it the second time and he fused it.
Speaker B:And the doctor came in the next morning and says, when was the first time you broke your neck?
Speaker B:What?
Speaker B:And then I started putting everything back together, the signs and symptoms of what happened to me in college.
Speaker B:And so then I rehabilitated everything in college and went off to the 88 Olympic trials, Southwestern Olympic trials, they have Southwest, West, Northwest, Southeast, east, center and Midwest.
Speaker B:And I won, I won that.
Speaker B:Won them both in Greco Roman and freestyle.
Speaker B:And then I went off to the national tournament and I didn't prepare for it and I got my ass handed to me and I deserve deservedly so.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker B:Same thing happened in college.
Speaker B:At college I would just show up for practice and then go out and hit the bar and chase women.
Speaker B:I was, I was already celebrating without being successful.
Speaker B:You know, I just, I just wanted to party.
Speaker B:And so I cheated.
Speaker B:I cheated coach Bobby Douglas out of a scholarship for three years, you know, four years.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So I guess, I mean, that was probably very risky to have a broken neck in the UFC and you didn't even know it.
Speaker A:I mean, I'm assuming the wrong, the wrong move or landing on your head.
Speaker B:No, no, no, I broke it.
Speaker B:No, I broke it in college.
Speaker B:I didn't know it.
Speaker B:And then, then I rehabbed it for a year and then went back into wrestling.
Speaker B:Okay, so you got it.
Speaker B:Got it, yes, yes.
Speaker B:Because after college I did a year and a half pro boxing, which helped me out with my stand up alert, taught me my standup was.
Speaker B:And then, then I got in sports all together and I started working and I went to horse.
Speaker B:I went to, I went to.
Speaker B:I wanted to be a fireman.
Speaker B:So this is back when you had a phone book.
Speaker B:So I went through the phone book in Arizona and called every city up looking to See if they were hiring.
Speaker B:They said, no.
Speaker B:So then I called up Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Speaker B:They said, yeah, we're about to hire, you know, So I went over there, I tested, and I got hired.
Speaker B:And I was there for a year.
Speaker B:And it was a fantastic.
Speaker B:It's beautiful.
Speaker B:If you've never been to Santa Fe, you gotta go.
Speaker A:I have not.
Speaker B:Gorgeous.
Speaker B:And, oh, you gotta make the trip, man.
Speaker B:You gotta make sure.
Speaker B:And I couldn't afford to live there, though, because during the interview, they saw you make this much a year, which devil's down to this much a month, this much a week.
Speaker B:This is this much an hour.
Speaker B:So it's $4 an hour.
Speaker B: And this is back in: Speaker B:They gotta be lying to see if I'm just here for the money.
Speaker B:So, yeah, that's fine.
Speaker B:I want to be a fireman.
Speaker B:I got there, got my first check.
Speaker B:My wife was working.
Speaker B:I was working two jobs and we just couldn't afford to live there.
Speaker B:And then I.
Speaker B:I packed her up, moved her back to my parents house in Hereford, Arizona, and I went off to Oklahoma horseshoeing school.
Speaker B:And so I learned how to be a farrier.
Speaker B:I got that done.
Speaker B:Then I came back and became a reserve firefighter with Fry Fire Department.
Speaker B:No relation.
Speaker A:Oh, wow.
Speaker B:Fry's F R Y.
Speaker B:Mine's.
Speaker B:Yeah, mine's F R Y E.
Speaker B:And then my.
Speaker B:My uncle from Texas says, well, they could have been, because we would either add or drop the E depending on what law was looking for us, you know.
Speaker B:And so then I got hired by Busy Fire.
Speaker B:I was doing as fire full time, Bisbee Fire, as reserve with Fry Fire.
Speaker B:And I was shooting horses.
Speaker B:So I was working seven days a week and wasn't getting along with my wife.
Speaker B:So I started taking up judo, you know, like, oh, I got five extra hours.
Speaker B:I better fill them up, you know.
Speaker B:Five hours.
Speaker B:Five extra hours in a week.
Speaker B:So I filled it up with judo.
Speaker B:And then we were sitting at the fire station one night, saw Dan severn competing in UFC 4 and 5.
Speaker B:Or was he.
Speaker B:I think, yeah, 4 and 5.
Speaker B:Then I said, I got up the phone and say, dan, this is Don Fry.
Speaker B:Remember me?
Speaker B:He said, yeah, boy, what are you up to?
Speaker B:I says, well, I'm playing horseshoer and fireman down in Arizona.
Speaker B:I says, can you get me in on this OC thing?
Speaker B:He said, sure.
Speaker B:So he got me some fights across country.
Speaker B:I'm still waiting on a paycheck.
Speaker A:What a story.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:And so Santa Fe, I've never been to Don.
Speaker A:Have you ever, you know, where I love.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I've got a camper and I've traveled around the country.
Speaker A:Have you ever been to Utah, like Zion and Bryce Canyon?
Speaker A:Gorgeous?
Speaker B:No, sir, I never have.
Speaker B:You know, never have.
Speaker B:I would love to go seeing photos.
Speaker A:Beautiful areas.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Okay, next question is just around losses and setbacks.
Speaker A:So, obviously, losses are part of fighting and leadership.
Speaker A:How did you handle setbacks, and what advice would you give leaders on learning from the few from failure?
Speaker B:I would say my setbacks were my own creation.
Speaker B:Oh.
Speaker B:And I got injured a lot.
Speaker B:UFC 96 was the only time.
Speaker B:96 was the only time I was not injured.
Speaker B:After that, you know, I went to Antonio Noki and Masa Saito and Brad Reagan's.
Speaker B: to: Speaker B:I broke.
Speaker B:Broke my back, bro.
Speaker B:That's when I broke my neck the second time and injured my back.
Speaker B:And I can't believe.
Speaker B:I can't remember if I broke my back doing the pro wrestling or doing the fighting.
Speaker B:It must have been the pro wrestling.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:But, you know, when your neck's injured, all the other.
Speaker B:All the other injuries, you.
Speaker B:You don't take notice of, you know, but once it fixes, they fix that.
Speaker B:The big thing on your back or your.
Speaker B:Or your neck, then you start noticing the shoulders and the elbows and the hand and everything, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah, but I mean, when you get a big injury.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Concentrate is on that.
Speaker B:When I was fighting, I always.
Speaker B:The best I ever was when I came back into fighting was 75%.
Speaker B:I fought as bad as probably 20%, you know.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:That's just not smart.
Speaker B:Not smart at all.
Speaker A:Well, and mentally, was it hard to try at 20%?
Speaker A:Was it hard to try to convince yourself that you could win?
Speaker B:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker B:You know.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I told myself, hey, I'm the great Don Fry on the Predator.
Speaker B:Otoko Juku, the man of men.
Speaker B:Huh?
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I can do this, no problem.
Speaker B:But, you know, when I.
Speaker B:Every fight I lost, I knew I was going to lose because I did not have the preparation necessary to win.
Speaker B:So I went in there.
Speaker B:Went in there knowing I was going to get my ass kicked, but I needed that paycheck anyway, so I went in there for the.
Speaker B:For the paycheck.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:No, I get that.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So, Don, through some of these dark periods, I know with your health and maybe personal life, you've pushed through.
Speaker A:Clearly, you're talking to me and you've kept moving forward when, when things were maybe at your lowest.
Speaker A:Can you just talk about that and the mindset and how you've been able to get through all those tough times?
Speaker B:You know, that one original statement.
Speaker B:I knew I wasn't going to die.
Speaker B:Oh, it wasn't going to kill me then.
Speaker B:What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I guess, because we.
Speaker B:My ex wife started a divorce and then I went in for a surgery.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I was going down the road in California, a tire blow up, bounced me against the guardrail twice, then pitched me into the median going about, you know, 75 miles an hour and ended up breaking my back then because they had already fused it.
Speaker B: And May: Speaker B:And then, then I think around 12 or 13, I had that accident.
Speaker B:Bounced me off the guardrail twice, pitched me into the median.
Speaker B:I got out, I guess I came to and got up and the door was jammed so I had to go out, turn around and go out the side door, passenger door, and I look up and there's already a CHP patrolman there with his bubble guns going, that son of a shot my tire.
Speaker B:Out he gets, he gets out.
Speaker B:You all right, boy?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Don't shoot anymore.
Speaker B:Don't shoot anymore.
Speaker B:Yeah, I ended up breaking my back again.
Speaker B:Broke the rods and I walked around on it for two, two and a half years.
Speaker B:You know, I knew my back hurt, but I didn't know why.
Speaker B:That's how dumb I am.
Speaker B:Never thought about going to hospital and so finally went to the hospital, saw a doctor over in Cedar Sinai, Dr.
Speaker B:Goldstein, and he said, well, took an X ray, he said, well, there's the problem there, dumbass.
Speaker B:You broke the rods, broken the rods on it.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:You're too tough, man.
Speaker B:You're too tough, man.
Speaker B:I'm just stuck on stupid.
Speaker B:And then a 11 hour surgery to pull the rods out, put in new ones and, and then they took three hours to scrape away the scar tissue I had developed from the rod, you know, scratched on the inside of my back.
Speaker B:And then I was out.
Speaker B:I was recovering.
Speaker B:About day four, you know, they sent me home and I complained about a headache and so they gave me a CAT scan and you know, I had a stroke, a hemorrhagic stroke.
Speaker B:So they put me in a coma for a month and then to heal it and I caught pneumonia and septis.
Speaker B:I had a, had a bad run while I was in a coma and I guess I beat up a couple orderlies.
Speaker B:And once you get out of the coma, they Wake you up, It's a couple of months rehab in the hospital, and then you go home and you continue the rehab.
Speaker B:But this.
Speaker B:This was at the beginning, or about a fifth of the way through my divorce.
Speaker B:My ex wife already started the divorce stuff, had the stroke, it was in the coma come out, and she still wanted a divorce more so than ever since I didn't die and get leave.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Dog, I love talking to you, man.
Speaker B:Huh?
Speaker B:She ended up.
Speaker B:She ended up taking it all in divorce.
Speaker B:Anyways, it was up to her.
Speaker B:She left me naked and in the street, you know.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:God.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:I love this.
Speaker A:So through all.
Speaker A:I mean, seem like you broke your back a thousand times, your neck, like, oh, this is.
Speaker A:It's funny.
Speaker A:But it's also.
Speaker A:I have mad respect for you.
Speaker A:You're such a tough guy.
Speaker A:Like, honestly, like, what?
Speaker A:Mental?
Speaker B:Like, let me tell you the worst part of it.
Speaker B:The worst part of it was laying there for two months on my back with nothing to think about but my freaking divorce.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Because general divorce and work.
Speaker B:You can go work, do something.
Speaker B:Occupy.
Speaker B:Occupy your mind.
Speaker B:My mind was just boom, boom, boom.
Speaker B:And that drove me the worst.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker A:Oh, man, I could see that.
Speaker A:I know when I have my mind and it's focusing on things, bad things, just like that sounds like you.
Speaker A:I try to keep myself very busy doing things, so I don't think about it.
Speaker A:So that must have been really difficult, right?
Speaker A:Really difficult.
Speaker B:Oh, I mean.
Speaker B:Oh, it was.
Speaker B:I mean, something like that.
Speaker B:You'll even do dishes.
Speaker B:I hate doing dishes.
Speaker B:You know, I had a dishwasher when I was in the fifth grade.
Speaker B:Oh, I hate them now.
Speaker B:They'll do anything you can to keep your mind off of going through a divorce.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So, Don, you paved the way for many fighters who came after you.
Speaker A:Clearly, I absolutely love it.
Speaker A:But how do you view your legacy?
Speaker A:And what advice would you give to leaders who want to leave a lasting impact on their organizations, just like you have it in the ufc?
Speaker B:Thank you, sir.
Speaker B:I never, never did think about legacy.
Speaker A:Oh, you have.
Speaker B:It never occurred to me.
Speaker B:Never.
Speaker A:I've watched your fight so many times, and I just love your grit.
Speaker A:Like the no quit.
Speaker A:It's unbelievable.
Speaker A:Honestly, it's unbelievable to watch somebody with that much grit and tenacity and no quit attitude.
Speaker A:Like, it's awesome.
Speaker A:It is awesome to watch.
Speaker B:Thank you, man.
Speaker B:And give me a big head.
Speaker A:It's deserved.
Speaker A:Seriously.
Speaker A:Not many people will do it.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:Do what you did.
Speaker A:So, Don, what's next for you?
Speaker A:Like, what message do you want to leave for your fans, future generations?
Speaker A:And then, you know, the, like, I'm about to turn 50 and I've been thinking about what's my mission for the rest of my life?
Speaker A:What do I want to do?
Speaker A:What, what's that for you?
Speaker A:Like, what do you, what are you thinking?
Speaker B:You know, partner, sounds kind of ridiculous, but I'm thinking about running for office.
Speaker B:I really am.
Speaker B:Because, you know, after everything we witnessed, the success of the first Trump, first Trump administration, and then the failure of Biden and then President Trump coming back again, you know, I'm thinking there's a guy down there, Juan Siskamani is a rhino, you know, Republican name only.
Speaker B:And I know he's going to, he's a McCainite, so I know he's going to drag on President Trump's policies.
Speaker B:So I'm thinking about throwing my hat in the ring and trying to take this guy's position.
Speaker A:I love that, Don.
Speaker A:And listen, Democrat, Republican, all that aside, I would absolutely support you.
Speaker A:Just because someone that has the grit, the drive, somebody that's been able to do what you've done.
Speaker A:And I just know this because I've hired hundreds, thousands of people and people that are driven and have determination, they will figure it out.
Speaker A:And you're that guy.
Speaker A:I mean, without a doubt.
Speaker A:I mean, just by watching you in the ring, that does translate, like that kind of grit and drive.
Speaker A:So I would absolutely support that.
Speaker A:And as a matter of fact, when we're done here, I'd like to talk about how we could maybe help you do that.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker A:I would like to.
Speaker A:Not that we have a huge influence, but I would love to talk about that.
Speaker B:Well, I got everything but the money, so.
Speaker A:Well, let's talk about that.
Speaker A:I mean.
Speaker B:So, Don, fantastic.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:Before we wrap, is there anything else you want to tell the audience or just chat about before we wrap the show?
Speaker B:Yeah, this T shirt here, getting naked.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And nobody freaks out, gets offended by it.
Speaker B:A former Navy SEAL over in Hawaii, this is his company, Get Naked Nutrition, and it's.
Speaker B:Oh, crap, I'm trying to.
Speaker B:I can't remember, you know, it's a marijuana based product, but it's not thc.
Speaker B:It's a medicinal part of it.
Speaker B:So he has CBD products, a cream, you know, to put on your joints or muscles, a little stick that you're rubbing in pills, you know, pills for dogs, cats, you know, so he's a hell of a guy.
Speaker B:And the Get Naked thing is that in World War II, getting ready for the D Day invasion, they sent what are now Navy seals there, the scout scouts and intruders, I guess, recon.
Speaker B:And so they would.
Speaker B:They would dive off the boat with nothing but a pair of shorts, a knife, and a mask, and then they would swim into the shore and do some recon, you know, on everything for the.
Speaker B:For the invading troops.
Speaker B:And so that's, that's the get naked thing.
Speaker B:Just a pair of shorts and a knife and a mask.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:And we're huge supporters of the military here, so I love that you're promoting that, especially for a former Navy seal.
Speaker A:That's really cool.
Speaker A:Well, Don, let's wrap here.
Speaker A:I want to talk to you after the show, but I have more questions.
Speaker A:But it seems like a great point to conclude, and I just cannot say enough.
Speaker A:And I mean this, like, talking to you.
Speaker A:I would rather talk to you than, and I mean this, than the President of the United States.
Speaker A:And that's just me, personally, I love watching the ufc.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I love.
Speaker A:This is the truth.
Speaker A:Just people that go into the ring one on one, the.
Speaker A:The bravery to do that and get beat up in front of millions of people.
Speaker A:Like, just to me, it's.
Speaker A:I have so much respect for those people.
Speaker A:And so you're one of them.
Speaker A:And watching your fights, it's just been a real privilege to talk to you, Don.
Speaker A:I'm going to be talking to you after this show, but thank you for coming on, my friend, and for the audience out there, thank you for listening.
Speaker B:Well, thank you guys very much.
Speaker B:Let me steal a couple more seconds here.
Speaker B:Every fight I lost, I've lost because of me.
Speaker B:It wasn't my corner or my trainers, they were great.
Speaker B:They did everything proper.
Speaker B:I got in there and about, you know, all my fights, all my fights, because all my losses, except for the first Coleman loss, was caused taking pain medication, you know, during the fight.
Speaker B:So due to drugs, you know, so I failed.
Speaker B:I failed them.
Speaker B:They didn't fail me.
Speaker B:I've seen fighters get failed by their cornermen, by the strategy.
Speaker B:That wasn't a case with me.
Speaker B:I failed.
Speaker B:And that's on me.
Speaker A:You know what I'll say before we end?
Speaker A:I think there's a great book called 100 Success Principles.
Speaker A:A gentleman by the name of Jack Canfield wrote the book.
Speaker A:But the number one success principle he says in this book, is no matter what's not working out in your life, look in the mirror first.
Speaker A:So that's why you were great.
Speaker A:You weren't blaming others when you lost.
Speaker A:You're blaming yourself.
Speaker A:And if people would just do that they would be much more successful.
Speaker A:So that's clearly what you don.
Speaker A:It's been a privilege.
Speaker A:Thank you, sir.
Speaker A:Thanks to the audience out there.
Speaker A:Have a great day, everyone.
Speaker A:Thanks for listening to Lead it.
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