The Joe Rogan Experience #2414 – Brian Simpson
Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Joe Rogan
Guest: Brian Simpson
Episode Overview
This episode features comedian Brian Simpson in a wide-ranging and highly entertaining conversation with Joe Rogan. The pair delve deeply into the worlds of combat sports, comedy industry dynamics, American history, political corruption, and even fast food. With their characteristic humor and candidness, Joe and Brian break down issues of athletic discipline, the realities of meritocracy in comedy, the legacy of systemic racism, political scandals, cult psychology, and the challenges of healthy living and modern diets. True to form, nearly every discussion is peppered with memorable quips, firsthand stories, and insightful observations.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Combat Sports: Dagestan Dominance and the Discipline Divide
Timestamps: 00:14 – 05:31
- Discussion starts with a breakdown of Islam Makhachev’s dominance in the UFC, moving up in weight and still dominating.
- Joe Rogan: Praises Dagestani fighters, emphasizing their intense lifestyle of discipline, constant training, and minimal distractions:
"They're super religious. There's no gambling. There's no drinking. There's no partying. There's just training. Just training and training with a bunch of fucking animals." (02:02)
- Brian jokes about sending his hypothetical son to Dagestan for discipline.
- Joe and Brian compare the wrestling-driven work ethic of Dagestani fighters to Westerners.
- Memorable moment: Joe explains how much wrestling culture prepares fighters for suffering, both mentally and physically.
2. Deep Dive on Weight Cutting and Wrestling Culture
Timestamps: 05:31 – 10:10
- Brian shares high school wrestling stories, the intense suffering involved, and eating disorders from weight management.
- Joe explains that dramatic calorie burning isn't as easy as people think, sharing an anecdote of a man trying to run off a massive meal:
"It took him, like a marathon, like 30 hours of running to burn off 10,000 calories." (08:28)
- Both agree that diet is the key to real weight loss—not exercise.
3. Self-Discipline, Motivation, and David Goggins
Timestamps: 10:13 – 14:10
- Brian and Joe riff on how hard self-coaching is, especially when you're your own boss and employee.
- Discussion of the extreme lifestyle (and heart problems) of David Goggins:
"He finished the race, went to the hospital, recovered in the hospital, went back to the exact spot where he stopped and completed the race and then did like 100 push ups at this finish line." (13:23)
- Goggins’ relentless nature is compared to Dagestani fighters: all about levels of discipline.
4. Combat Sambo & MMA Greats: A Brief History Lesson
Timestamps: 14:10 – 21:16
- Joe details the origins of Russian Sambo, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s elite coaching, and Fedor Emelianenko’s influence.
- Breakdown on heavyweight MMA legacies, championship defenses, and misconceptions about fighter legacies after losses.
- Quote:
"People forget how good they were when they were in their prime." (17:36)
5. High-Altitude Training & Performance
Timestamps: 21:16 – 25:30
- Analysis of Cain Velasquez’s loss in Mexico City due to not acclimating to the altitude.
- Joe discusses sleeping high, training low:
"The move is sleep at high elevation but train at low elevation... the recovery is where you want your body to be adapting." (24:42)
6. Behind the Scenes: Comedy Industry and Meritocracy
Timestamps: 26:01 – 37:57
- Conversation turns to comedy gatekeepers, diversity pressures, and how fame and ‘taste making’ have shifted due to social media.
- Brian praises Adam Eget's eye for talent.
- Joe argues comedy is one of the last true meritocracies:
"You can't cheat. Unless you're stealing." (34:21)
- Both discuss how working around “killers” improves a comic’s craft.
7. Comedy as Community: Staying Sharp
Timestamps: 36:59 – 39:41
- Brian reflects on the value of community and proximity to top-tier comedians for personal growth.
8. Virality, Pop Culture, and Being “Old”
Timestamps: 39:41 – 44:48
- Jokes about missing pop culture fads like "Baby Shark", viral toys, and being out of the loop with younger generations.
- Discussion about the financial realities for creators behind massive YouTube hits.
9. Furries, Kinks, and the Psychology of Fetish
Timestamps: 45:33 – 58:56
- Extended, humorous deep dive into furry culture, brony culture, free bleeding, and how kinks and social identities emerge.
- Brian and Joe share personal and secondhand stories about encountering these subcultures.
- Memorable quote:
"If you want me to take you seriously, you gotta be able to take some teasing." (53:47)
- Discusses “imprinting” and the possible genetic vs environmental development of fetishes.
10. Political Scandals, Conspiracies, and the Systems of Power
Timestamps: 62:53 – 76:30
- Examination of government infiltration of radical groups, the Epstein files, and Congress’s vote to release information.
- Skepticism about government and elite transparency.
- Brian Simpson:
“If you can't draw the line at kid fucking, you probably should stop talking in public.” (70:35)
11. Royal Drama & Institutional Hypocrisy
Timestamps: 71:28 – 75:35
- Discussion pivots to Prince Andrew’s exit from royal family and Jeffrey Epstein connections.
- Reflection on the perverse protections of powerful people.
12. American Violence: Waco, Ruby Ridge, and the Tulsa Massacre
Timestamps: 87:05 – 106:22
- Deep dive into government overreach at Waco and Ruby Ridge—explaining tragic outcomes and lessons.
- Powerful discussion of the Tulsa Massacre—historical context, race relations, and the slow process of acknowledgment and recovery for Black Wall Street.
"Even still to this day, they're not allowed to teach about it in schools." (104:26)
13. Oklahoma History & Comanche Legend
Timestamps: 106:34 – 110:04
- Joe tells the story of Cynthia Ann Parker and the last of the Comanches, and the violent settlement of Oklahoma.
14. Wealth Taxes, Government Bloat, and Charities
Timestamps: 110:04 – 118:46
- Brian and Joe debate proposed wealth taxes, misuse of public funds, and the bloat and corruption of charitable organizations.
- Brian shares his own experience with shelter management, confirming that “most charities are scams” at the administrative level.
15. University Administration and Political Wealth
Timestamps: 119:24 – 126:17
- Talk about the administrative bloat in universities, senator salaries vs. net worth, and the legal loopholes used by elites.
16. Food, Cheat Meals, and Local Dining
Timestamps: 126:17 – 133:46
- Brian and Joe trade stories about favorite restaurants, cheat meals, and regional differences in fast food (especially in Texas).
- Joe Rogan:
"When I'm in New York, all bets are off. All that diet shit's out the window. I'm eating for fun." (128:53)
Notable Quotes
-
On discipline and Dagestan:
"I'm just dropping him as soon as he hit puberty. I'm dropping him off in Dagestan."
– Brian Simpson (01:46) -
On meritocracy in comedy:
"Comedy is one of the only things where it's a genuine meritocracy."
– Joe Rogan (34:18) -
On kinks:
"I'm telling you, bro, come on. They're gonna throw hoofs immediately."
– Brian Simpson (re: bronies defending themselves, 53:51) -
On the Epstein list:
"I don't have a favorite politician… There's nobody… I don't give these [politicians] money. There's no politician that I love more than I love my country or my principles..."
– Brian Simpson (70:06 etc.) -
On government bloat:
"They spent $24 billion on the homeless crisis and it got worse."
– Joe Rogan (113:46) -
On historical violence:
"But Tulsa was Black Wall Street... a prosperous, wealthy black community... a riot one night, and they burned it all down."
– Brian Simpson (99:00)
Memorable & Humorous Moments
- Brian’s deadpan about creating a David Goggins app that just insults you every morning. (10:49)
- Extended riffing on furries, brony conventions, and “free bleeding” as either genuine or 4chan-originated satirical movements. (45:33–59:55)
- Joe recalling discovering a furry convention by accident and asking a hotel clerk, “what the fuck is going on?” (50:16)
- Riffing on cults, specifically David Koresh’s musical ambitions and his manipulative teachings. (82:18–84:26)
- Brian’s “I hope [comedy's meritocracy] stays true because it's the only thing I'm good at.” (35:26)
- Both explain the all-consuming nature of good food and cheat meals, especially in NYC or at Daidui in Austin. (129:09–130:55)
For Reference: Major Segment Timestamps
- [00:14] UFC talk: Islam Makhachev, Dagestan discipline
- [05:31] Brian's wrestling and weight cutting experiences
- [10:13] Motivation, David Goggins, suffering for progress
- [14:10] MMA history: Sambo, Khabib's father, Fedor, title defenses
- [21:16] High altitude training, adaptation science
- [26:01] Behind the curtain: comedy gatekeeping, Adam Eget
- [34:07] Meritocracy in comedy, hack comics, joke thieves
- [44:48] Virality, Baby Shark, trends, pop culture gaps
- [45:33] Furries, kink psychology, “imprinting”
- [62:53] Political conspiracies, FBI informants, Epstein files
- [71:28] Prince Andrew, Epstein scandal, royal family hypocrisy
- [87:05] Waco, Ruby Ridge, government violence
- [98:17] Tulsa Massacre, Black Wall Street, American racism
- [110:04] Wealth tax proposal, charity bloat
- [119:24] College admin, political stock-trading, the Pelosi tracker
- [126:17] Food rants, cheat meals in NYC and Austin
Tone & Style
- Casual, direct, humorous, with a mixture of playful roasting and serious reflection.
- Brian’s dry wit pairs well with Joe’s probing, detailed questioning.
- Both mix in personal anecdotes, cultural critique, and rants on bureaucracy and corruption.
This episode is rich with both laughs and profound social commentary, making it essential listening for fans of unfiltered, long-form conversation.
