UFC commentator Joe Rogan is renowned for his popular podcast, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience.’ As one of the biggest podcasts in the world, JRE features guests ranging from billionaires like Elon Musk to competitors from the UFC.
One such recent guest was former UFC light heavyweight champ, Rashad Evans. He appeared on JRE MMA Show episode 90 in February 2020. Rashad Evans was known as one of the best competitors in the UFC during his prime. With wins over legendary figures like Stephan Bonnar, Chuck Liddell, Chael Sonnen, and Quinton Jackson, Evans was a formidable force in the octagon.
During the podcast, Evans revealed a surprising technique he used before matches – nipple twisting. However, Evans acknowledged that just being in the best physical shape was not enough for a successful bout. The mental aspect also played a crucial role.
The two discussed a variety of subjects on the podcast, but they also brought up an intriguing topic. Even though his last UFC match was in June 2018, fans may recall one of Rashad’s eccentricities prior to the start of his matches. Evans used to twist his nipples towards the camera when he was being introduced to the audience.
Evans recalled his match against Quinton Jackson in 2010 at UFC 114, where he revealed that he was feeling hurt before the match. To prepare mentally, he focused on training his mind to overcome adversity in the match. He would imagine himself in tough spots and try to find solutions.
Rashad said: “I’d get so nervous that I’d be like ‘Oh my god! I just don’t wanna freeze out there.’ I just don’t wanna freeze you know. That’s part of the reason why I started twisting my nipples.”
“Like I’d go out there and I’d twist my n**ples before the fight and that was just to kind of do something stupid and silly. But then It would allow me to just kind of relax. I’m like I’m not gonna embarrass myself any worse than that.”
Surprisingly, Evans was not the only competitor to use this technique. As discussed during the podcast, former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre also employed the same twisting technique during his career.