Adam Carolla Show

Episode: Deontay Wilder On Fighting With No Rules & Possibly Joining UFC
Date: January 21, 2026

Episode Overview

In this energetic episode, Adam Carolla welcomes heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder, nutritionist Kim Bright, and co-host Alicia Krause for a lively and wide-ranging discussion. The show moves from boxing insights and Wilder's legacy to trends in combat sports and personal stories, then shifts to cutting-edge health advice on microplastics and gut health, and finally dives into news and hot takes on societal issues. Throughout, Adam’s trademark wit and unfiltered take keeps things entertaining and candid.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Deontay Wilder on Boxing, Legacy, and the Future

• Physical Attributes & Legacy

  • Adam admires Deontay’s unique build (6’7”, long reach), comparing him to Tommy Hearns and explaining how leverage and whip-like motion translate to knockout power (03:03–04:18).
  • Wilder reflects on having the highest knockout percentage in heavyweight history and the psychological impact that has on both himself and opponents (04:18).

    “God have truly blessed me with power for sure. And sometimes… I get scared of myself when I’m in there…to hit a guy and to know what I feel inside of my fist from his face is like—a crazy feeling.” (Deontay Wilder, 04:18)

• Appearance vs. Reality in Boxing

  • Adam discusses how real-life champions don’t always “look the part,” citing the contrast between Wilder, Fury, and Joshua (05:54).

• Anthony Joshua & the "Missed Fight"

  • Wilder discusses rumors about Joshua’s possible retirement after a tragic accident and the emotional toll such events take (07:30).
  • The two lament the lost opportunity of a Wilder vs. Joshua fight and discuss the intricacies and frustrations behind why it never happened, including contractual issues and “truths” behind closed doors (09:32–11:19).

    “Every time I talk about that situation, it’s just so draining to me… a fight that...could or may not never happen.” (Wilder, 10:27)

• Heavyweight Division: Should There Be a Super Heavyweight?

  • Adam raises the idea of a super heavyweight class to accommodate ever-larger fighters. Wilder responds firmly against it, explaining the beauty and challenge of the traditional heavyweight division and criticizing the proliferation of belts and weight classes (12:21–15:59).

    “There should be one champion, one face, one name, and that’s it… It makes it more interesting… The heavyweight division is a special division. That’s why everybody can’t rumble in that jungle.” (Wilder, 13:42)

• Retirement & Future Plans

  • Wilder sees his career’s end as "a feeling," and won’t commit to a timeline, predicting anywhere from 1 to 10 years more (16:51).
  • Teases a fight announcement coming within the week with a press conference to follow (49:20–50:03).

2. Combat Sports Crossovers & the Future of Fighting

• UFC and Hybrid Fights

  • Adam asks if Wilder has considered UFC; Wilder expresses fascination with learning new forms of combat like jiu-jitsu and judo (19:14–20:40).

    “Actually, I would love to enter the UFC… I'm fascinated by the training aspect of it...I'm a warrior, and I would love to learn the art and the styles.” (Wilder, 19:20)

  • Both discuss the blurring lines in combat sports, with “no more rules,” unique hybrid matchups (boxing+MMA+grappling) and crossover potential (21:58–23:09).

    “Now there’s no real rules. Somebody could say, look, Deontay Wilder could fight Jon Jones in a fight where there was striking and feet, but no wrestling…there’s really no rules anymore. There’s just sort of, would people pay to see it?” (Adam, 20:44)

3. Wilder’s Personal Story: Motivation, Upbringing, and Character

• Early Sports and Switch to Boxing

  • Wilder played quarterback and pitcher before turning to boxing at age 21—not for fame but out of necessity, to support his daughter born with spina bifida (24:15–24:48; 24:48–27:57).

    “I started boxing because I needed money for my daughter…I knew nothing about boxing, only I knew about the Olympics, Muhammad Ali, and stuff like that…But when I walked into that building [gym], I heard those heavenly bells ringing in my ears.” (Wilder, 24:48–27:57)

• Nature of Fighters & Mindset

  • Adam and Deontay agree that true fighters are rare; most people avoid getting hit, but the “1%” want to hit back (27:57–28:57).

• Early Gym Days & Belief

  • Deontay's initial goal was simply to be a “journeysman” (journeyman) to earn money, before realizing his unique gifts; even his first coach underestimated him (28:57–30:37).

• Family, Faith, and Values

  • Wilder shares about growing up poor but loved, being a pastor’s kid, learning life lessons from his father—who at one point raised him and his siblings alone (33:29–36:46).
  • On traditional parenting: Adam and Wilder agree on the importance of complementary parental roles and the unique benefits of having both a mother and a father (37:23–38:30).

• On Family, Success, and Entitlement

  • Both men candidly discuss family expectations, the pitfalls of sudden wealth, and the irony that “the people you help most often resent you most.” Wilder says he’s supported his family since age 12 but learned the importance of boundaries (39:20–45:31).

    “The people I’ve done the most for on this planet hate me the most… And the people I’ve done the least for cherish me the most…It’s never enough.” (Adam, 42:35)

• Importance of Fatherhood

  • Wilder, a proud father of seven (hoping for more), is deeply involved in his children’s lives and emphasizes that time, not money, is what matters to kids (47:20–48:53).

    “I love being at home, providing my energy and my space and my time…kids don’t care about your money…that time with them is the most valuable thing.” (Wilder, 47:20)

4. Health & Nutrition Deep Dive with Kim Bright

Microplastics, Pollution, and Endocrine Disruption

• Danger of Microplastics

  • Adam and Kim discuss studies showing a dramatic rise in microplastic pollution, linking it to breast cancer, falling testosterone and sperm counts, and general decline in reproductive health (57:22–60:12).
  • Americans inhale on average 68,000 microplastic particles daily; microplastics are in water, food, and clothing (60:12).

    “Plastics in our brains. I mean, we’ve got an equivalent of a spoon’s worth of microplastic in our brains.” (Kim Bright, 61:53)

• Root Causes of Health Trends

  • Microplastics are endocrine disruptors, mimicking estrogen and lowering testosterone (63:40).

Kimchi: The Superfood Solution

• Kimchi as a Remedy

  • A specific bacterium from kimchi (bacillus pumilus) has been found to degrade BPA, a toxic plastic chemical, and aid in excreting microplastics from the body (64:57).
  • Kimchi delivers over 900 unique probiotic strains—far surpassing sauerkraut and pickles. It supports gut health, the immune system, and even slows cellular aging (67:27–67:42).

• Other Benefits of Kimchi

  • Weight loss, heart health, blood sugar regulation, and improved skin and hair are all linked to regular consumption (72:52–74:15).
  • Kim references supporting studies and the existence of a kimchi museum in South Korea.

• Accessibility Solutions

  • Many Americans struggle with kimchi’s taste, smell, and sodium content, so Kim has developed kimchi in capsule form, maintaining the superfood’s health benefits (84:10–86:25).

    “There’s so many people out there that this is not what fits their taste buds and their smellers. So we came up with an idea…Let’s put all these benefits of kimchi in something convenient that people will take every day… We managed to put the kimchi in and keep all of its benefits in convenient capsules.” (Kim Bright, 84:10)

5. News Roundtable: Society, Crime, and Culture

Notable News Segments

• Attack Crows Trained to Target MAGA Hats (91:54–99:48)

  • Adam muses about the practicality and absurdity of a man training crows to attack political opponents, riffing on the state of activism and animal intelligence.

• Hijacking MLK Day to Promote Palestinian Causes (99:11–104:17)

  • The hosts debate how various groups co-opt social causes, linking it to a broader trend of performative activism and tribalism.

• Seattle Mayor Refusing to Investigate Somali Daycare Fraud (105:05–113:27)

  • The roundtable criticizes the politicization of city governance and the reluctance of officials to pursue fraud for fear of being accused of targeting immigrant communities.

    “She’s fighting Trump, not running Seattle. And that’s what we’re dealing with…” (Adam, 111:33)

• Societal Gender Roles and Political Participation (113:27–124:48)

  • Spirited exchange about the changing nature of women’s participation at the societal front lines, male/female aggression, college culture, and the consequences of upending traditional roles.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• “God have truly blessed me with the power for sure. Sometimes I get scared of myself when I’m in there…what I feel inside my fist from his face…a crazy feeling…”
  — Deontay Wilder (04:18)

• “Should there be a super heavyweight division?”
  — Adam Carolla (12:21)

• “There should be one champion, one face, one name, and that’s it… The heavyweight division is already consist of small and big guys… The heavyweight division is a special, special, special division. And that’s why everybody can’t rumble in that jungle.”
  — Deontay Wilder (13:42)

• "If you punch most people, they just won't want to be punched again. But a boxer gets punched and thinks, I'm going to knock you out."
  — Adam Carolla (27:57)

• “I've been taking care of my [family] since I was 12 with my brothers, even giving my mom money at 12 years old…But you know, I've helped my entire family out over and over.”
  — Deontay Wilder (39:20)

• “The people I’ve done the most for on this planet hate me the most… And the people I’ve done the least for cherish me the most…It’s never enough.”
  — Adam Carolla (42:35)

• “I love being at home, providing my energy and my space and my time…kids don’t care about your money…that time with them is the most valuable thing.”
  — Deontay Wilder (47:20)

• “Plastics in our brains. I mean, we’ve got an equivalent of a spoon’s worth of microplastic in our brains.”
  — Kim Bright (61:53)

• “Kimchi is the king because it has these unique 900 [probiotic strains], nothing else touches it.”
  — Kim Bright (67:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Deontay Wilder Interview & Boxing Discussion — 02:17–50:24
• Kim Bright: Microplastics & Kimchi Health Benefits — 54:34–89:57
• News Roundtable (Alicia Krause, Adam, Kim) — 91:29–126:00

Tone & Style

Adam’s unfiltered humor and directness, Wilder’s grounded self-awareness and spiritual gratitude, Kim Bright’s enthusiastic authority on health—plus Alicia’s sharp, news-driven commentary—all contribute to a show that’s irreverent, candid, and information-packed, often pivoting from serious to hilarious within moments.

Summary Takeaway

This episode melds the spectacle of heavyweight boxing with genuine personal journeys and hard-hitting commentary on culture, health, and society. Deontay Wilder gives an inside look at the fight game, his faith, and the burdens of success. Kim Bright offers practical advice on defending against the onslaught of modern toxins. Adam and Alicia provide relentless, sometimes controversial but always thought-provoking, analysis on current social trends. It’s a rollercoaster of wisdom, laughs, and the signature “Carolla” take on life.