Brad Katona | Winning The Ultimate Fighter Twice, Team Conor McGregor & SBG Ireland | Energized Show

Summary

What is up and welcome to The Energized Show! On this episode SBG Ireland's Brad Katona joins us to discuss Winning The Ultimate Fighter Twice, Team McGregor Vs Team Chandler & more MMA craic. Like, Comment, Subscribe & Hit the notification bell for more Energized Shows!…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

[Music] en sh up the Irish time okay what's going on guys and welcome to a brand new episode of energized brought to you by Forest D Stout Ross are you intoxicated or something introduce the guest man today we have the one and only tough champ champ he is the Diva it's Brad Superman Katona Brad how you doing B oh I'm doing pretty good as you can probably imagine uh yeah I'm I'm I'm pretty happy I'm pretty satisfied and just uh it feels good to be on it feels really uh it feels good to be home in in the UFC congratulations Brad congratulations for the people tuning in they've seen us go through 12 weeks of backing yourself T McGregor and also like team Ireland and for your you to come out with to win in Boston was unbelievable to see wasn't it Ross yeah it was absolutely incredible uh I think we called it from day one we thought you were going to be the hardest man to beat in there um and it it proved at the end of the day Brad tell us this what was it like to do The Ultimate Fighter experience for a second time oh it was rough it was rough for sure so the first time I did The Ultimate Fighter I was like man that was so cool I'm so so glad I did it but I never want to do it again like that was very clear awesome experience crazy waking up the the cameras are on you you have to put on your microphone you're on a reality Series this is cool this is so alien is it's not real life the second time between the notice I got for it the fact that it was at bantamweight the fact that if I messed up any step of the way that was my UFC dream done cut like that's that's that's it if I got injured if I lost if I didn't make weight if if anything happened that would prevent me from fighting and winning that was the UFC dream gone even after the show if I didn't win the finale that's it most likely that was it and so the pressure of all that made it very difficult and that's not even counting all the other stresses that that were in The Ultimate Fighter house yeah absolutely like it looks like it's one of the hardest competition to win just based on the fact that like you're away from your family and friends obviously one of the biggest talking points this season was you being on team Chandler to start with and we can't we can't ignore that was that did that make things more difficult and also I suppose this time your spbg team was there but they just weren't in your corner how strange was that it was it was very strange you know before getting on I guess before the team selections I felt at least between John and I we were we were speaking and saying ah you know there's a good chance I'm on team Chandler what might that look like and it kind of troubleshoot some things but it was a lot more difficult than I thought and I think a lot of that came down to uh expectations versus reality you know as soon as I was on team Cher the very first thing chanler said is man I'm really glad I have you veterans because you know exactly what you need so then it came as a shock to me when I suffered a cut and training and couldn't wrestle and I'm going to the coach hey coach this is what I need and then I met resistance you know that was that was very difficult because then also pulled me as an outsider of the team Not only was I the team McGregor guy so when everyone's in the van you know talking crap about Conor I'm like man like you guys are so off base you don't you're just a bunch of you're just so big bitter like and you're just attacking something because it makes you feel good uh so I was an outsider there and then I'm an outsider in training and then I'm the one pushing to to get the resources the other team had hey team McGregor is cutting weight at the performance Institute I want to cut weight at the performance Institute why because it's a multi-million dollar facility that's available to us why wouldn't we want to do that instead I'm getting told no I want to watch video because we're sitting down watching full of our teammates video why don't we just take the whole practice watch everybody's video not just Brad dona's video watch everybody's video no you're not fighting right away so it was stuff like that where I kept on meeting resistance and then even after the show Channer went on and and and kept attacking me and I I was I was like are you serious man like is this is this something personal what what what's going on uh so it it was very difficult you know during the show I would have to say team chanler changed his tune after the first three days and he started giving me more things that I wanted not everything but you know it started bending uh in some ways and I I really appreciate that a lot of the coaches helped out and maybe picked up the slack there and again I have to say I do appreciate that because you didn't have to do it and that was one of the reasons why I was successful but it felt mighty good to go and switch teams and have you know coach Kavanaugh behind me it was one of the biggest weights lifted off my shoulders having Owen Rody Tristan kendi my nutritionist he dialed in my second weight cut and you could see the difference just in energy in appearance in everything in my second fight versus the first and that's having just fought 10 days prior you know so um it was good to be on team McGregor when I finally went to team McGregor and be be reunited with my team yeah I think one of the most evident Parts was uh with the sort of like you could see the Splinter in the group was when co uh Cody Gibson decided to go back to high school and try and tell you you had no friends H I thought that was like one of the most pathetic things no one here likes you Brad I was like I was like Jesus that is one of the most pathetic things I've ever heard also like Brad like from ever talking to you like you seem like one of the most inoffensive people ever like you me like like I can't understand him someone would actually be offended by you uh like you seem like just super nois guy at all times and like we've met Kae a few times as well and she so nice I'm like I'm like they seem like the ultimate noise couple like I don't understand how someone's actually getting offended by this guy and then Chandler just sat there and like just let that back and forth happen and didn't say a word I thought that was actually a bit weakness on Chandler's point of view he should have showed more leadership there and stepped in just went Cody just give it a rest yeah it was It Was Fear oozing out of them that's what it was they weren't necessarily super confident in the timber fight I guess at least I I I assume Chandler wasn't you know maybe he was going ah this is nothing but hopefully gain you know it might throw Brad off and you know then Timmer successful for Cody I don't think he wanted to fight me I think there was a path to Victory if he fought Timmer you know I I did think there was he could maybe hurt him on the feet that's how he wins that fight against me I don't honestly know how Cody Gibson wins wins that fight and I know it's after the fight so it's very easy to say that but going into it we really didn't besides me making a massive blunder I didn't think he wins that fight now what's interesting about that clip is that was about an hour before leaving for the semi-finals so I was just about to fight Timmer and he does that which I think made it all the less classy like if that was a couple days prior cool cool whatever talk your but we are literally about to get on a bus to get sent to the biggest fight of Our Lives and now you're doing it yeah it see it seems like it seems like jealousy Brad but like obviously we don't know well you know but we don't know exactly what was going on in the house but it just seemed a bit like oh look Brad's after getting his way now he's now back in his team SBG team McGregor um like and they're just they coaching with chander it just came across his jealousy to be honest I I I think there was some things I did in the house that bothered them and it was because it was showing them exactly what they're not doing was it the Poetry Brad it it it was it was like it's it's my game you know like that that's pretty pretty much it between the Poetry you know Katie how can you not be jealous um no man really like it I I I I think if you look in the house I came prepared you know I brought stuff that was going to be creature covers like you my own you know blanket uh pillow my my food skill cutting boards knife stuff that these small little things that are going to bother let's say irritate you in The Ultimate Fighter house from having done it there was those things not only that but I actually had the let's say the confidence to talk to my coach and be like this is what I need you know this is what I want to do I want to watch the video I want to use the performance and suit everybody else is you know being quiet and I'm going why why aren't we you know advocating for our needs and I wasn't just advocating for my needs I was advocating for everybody saying hey we should use this we should use that why like why don't we have why don't we have this um you know then you look at being in the house I knew exactly what to be eating when to be eating it uh weighing my food the supplementation and everybody else is just kind of winging it you know like a week from a fight they're having these giant stakes and then their weight's high and then you know they have to cut their hair off and all all like like all this stuff is stuff that I'm like I'm dialed in yeah and I had to be dialed in because again I had about nine days noticeable this they had six to eight weeks I had to be dialed in and even if I didn't have to be I would be dialed in I felt like that just you you add up all those small little gains if you will and that's starts messing with you psychologically that's a reminder of something you're not doing and the opposition is and I felt like that was one reason why maybe you know Cody started targeting me because I I was the biggest threat not only in my abilities but look at what I'm doing I'm I'm doing EV every box is checked Russ you can only imagine how much they dislike Brad Moore if he brought the last winning trophy of the open to the house and just left it there in the house left on the bedside Locker yeah just how you know uh yeah brother you know what that I I think that gives slightly more Credence to why maybe they thought you were Diva that you had your all your own stuff but again like you've been there and you've done it before so therefore you knew what you needed and at the end of the day I think a lot of times I think it's something with like I don't know but like the Americans they're like team China or Team America yeah as opposed to like I'm actually here for team Brad gona and that's all that really matters cuz at the end of the day when you get the UFC you're no longer any team you're yourself um I think that's where the others missed the step and where you gained a step and I think when Connor coached against your royya before I think that's the first thing he said to them he goes team Europe this is he goes you're here for yourself and that's the that's the uh idea of the game the idea of the game is get to the final and win and it looks like that's the approach you took Brad yeah like in in some ways I think we just met like we literally just met so we're going to know each other for four weeks that was how long filming was and after that point there's a good chance I'm never going to talk to any of you again never going to train with any of you again so why are we pretending like this is team Channel because after the first fights we're all going to be having to fight each other and that's exact what happened so should I be buddying up to to Timmer and being by like best friends with him you know if that makes you happy and relaxed sure but when my existence seems to irk almost every single one of you oh I'm not going to be the one to to be making sure that you know you know like it's there's only so much I I I I can do there you know when we're wait to G Timmer every single morning for him to make his Cofe waiting 5 10 minutes for him yet I'm late once and it's an issue I waited for that guy every single freaking morning on De Chandler but you don't hear about it you know and make good TV Brad yeah that wasn't good TV and guess what we're doing nothing like it's not like oh you want to come back and you know scroll on on your phone or watch a TV show or anything we have none of it you know so what sit back and and spend in the house like I wasn't even in a rush to get to the gym or get back home from the gym because everything was was the same like you have time time to spare uh it was just why are we playing this whole team first like it's it's it's not well not a team I didn't even know who you were you didn't know who I was now with that said am I going to be a good teammate Absolutely I'll be the best teammate I can did I injure anybody absolutely not again not attacking Timmer but he clashed heads with Jason Knight and cut him I never did that yet he's a better teammate than me because he's not going to rock the boat I think I think in all life what I need I think in all life if you're not actually challenging the people around you and challenging yourself then then what are you doing H so like it's great that you have that those traits uh Brad I have to ask you this you're one of the few people ever in tough history who have had three different coaches you've had Conor McGregor Michael Chandler and Daniel Cormier I want you to rank them in order who was the best to worst okay so I I think we know exactly the answer it would it would be Conor DC Chandler uh the team that Conor brought again I can only assume it's out of his pocket and now we could say wow he has so much money and and all that that doesn't change what he did he brought in I believe the best coaches in in the board you know John Owen Sergey he brought in Tristan kendi the nutritionist he brought in the fast do and the fast crew he brought in a a like massage Sports therapist for his team he brought in a chef for the refuel meals and then you have Connor also taking some practices like how is that not Elite that is as that's exactly what you need to be well not necessarily to be successful but that is checking again every ball that is putting everything in your favor and again I don't think the UFC picked up that bill Conor picked up that bill you know and again we can argue you know he he has a ton of money but that doesn't change the fact of what he did he set that up you know yeah of course Daniel Kier after that was a very good coach very good coach brought in a great team as well brought in nutritionists brought in uh really gave us whatever we could possibly need I remember him bringing us to their house for a pool worko just to break up the monotony of being in The Ultimate Fighter gym every day he took a lot of the human aspect into account and then again team chanler I don't I don't think that uh did a horrible job did I wish they had a nutritionist absolutely do like there's these other things besides training that mattered should we have pushed to use more of the performance Institute and maybe a little bit more enjoyment and that and that sounds weird but for example everything that DC did to break us out of the routine uh you know it goes a long way when you're in this pressure cooker so team Channer brought in great coaches they were you know you have Robert D you have Jason Stout yeah we had Bob cook Ryan Bader you know there's a lot of great guys he brought in um Sean Sano and that that was nice so it's not like he did a bad job it seemed like he did care a lot um but there's levels to this game and I I think uh you look at the Formula 1 team Conor brought in you know we felt like the the race cars we are if one of us go to w we all go to war that that's it as you described yourself a Ferrari I think it was the show uh bra but tell tell us this obviously UFC 292 in Boston you f Cody Gibson you're arch nemesis in the finale obviously like this is very sort of short notice announced to the world but when did you know about it and how did that sort of come about I think I found out about the fight date itself six weeks out like confirmation there's rumors popping up that it was UFC 292 I thought it would be for some reason I was like man it's probably going to be August 26 that that's why I had I I I had it in my head because I thought you know it's never on a pay-per-view they're going to finish the last episode on Tuesday I think the 15th so maybe not that weekend but the following weekend there'll be some time there's a Singapore card they have had two cards at the same time before especially when one is at a a strange time you know so that's what I thought that was where my money was on so I had to let's say pull back my training camp by a week which for anybody who knows me was probably a good thing so I had six weeks notice but I knew about Cody Gibson since you know March so uh that was the thing that mattered the most the fight date really we could lay in most the ground work and do a little peek and then put on a world class performance was was it hard keeping your tongue on that knowing who you're fing in the finale it's it's tough like it certainly is difficult because you leave the show so excited but you can't say anything and then you're getting ready and people like what are you getting ready for I'm going well let's you know I should be getting ready for the finale because they bring on a lot of guys from the show and you're doing that and then you win the semi-final fight and you still can't say who you know and then they didn't announce the fight so I can't even say when and so it's all very secretive with with your coaches and and you're starting to do this barring then the UFC crew come down so people know but you still can't say so it's it's nice now and and and even if I could say it doesn't really matter at that point because again everything's on the line in that Finale Fight you once again push all your chips in into the table so it doesn't matter what you had done it matters what you're going to be doing so it's it's almost you couldn't really enjoy it until until now and I am enjoying it me and Barry nearly had a full on argument over that over UFC 292 I was like I was like they are fighting on that that's where the finale is I go I've seen it reported like and he was like he was like man it's like it's Tuesday and like the fight's not announced yet he's like he's like they can't be fighting in a week's time and I was like I was like and then I was convinced it wasn't happen then it was announced I was like I was like oh my God I was like well first of all brilliant cuz like another excuse to stay up till 6:00 a.m. uh which is great so uh no it was br and obviously you got the job done not only the only fighter in UFC history to win The Ultimate Fighter twice you've also done it in two different weight classes Brad tell us how much does that actually mean to you because obviously you'll go down history that'll probably never ever be uh achieved by anyone else yeah I I I certainly doubt her ever be achieved by anybody else I think it's cool really I think it's cool what I'm most excited about is having let's say a unique achievement like that but then it be tied to a great fight that people will want to rewatch yeah because let's say it was even a fast stoppage or you know it's it's okay you know like I take it like listen I didn't want to do 15 minutes I I I'd certainly take that fast stoppage but I don't think he would have that uh replayability you know like people wouldn't be watching it maybe again or really have the same desire but you hear hey you know it was a fantastic fight at least that's what I'm being told it's not a self-proclaimed fantastic fight I think was a good fight uh it was okay like it was all right like I think it makes it all that more special it makes it all that much uh like like people might actually watch it and it's like oh that's that's if they didn't know oh that's a cool fact that this is the only time this guy that anybody's ever won it twice and just so happens to be in two different weight classes and I think hey again super cool it's a unique achievement and maybe when I'm 60 years old I'm rocking in my you know in my rocking chair outside on on that deck going a back my day I used to fight UFC you know uh I I I can really really appreciate it right now I go Ah that's cool but my eyes on that title like I want to be picturing I'm picturing myself lifting up that belt you know that's that's what all this is for certainly the trophies ah that look cool on a trophy case when I'm when I'm all done but right now it's we're in this to be the best so as much as I am as much as that is cool a lot of the piece that comes with that is that UFC contract I'm back home I I'm now I can now continue my dream and and and that's I wish it was more like Harrah type of feeling like energizing feeling but really right now is that deep breath out and a little bit of calm for the first time in what I feel is almost four years now I love it BR Brad just before before you wrap up the ultimate fighter part of the show do you think you may come back and try and win it a third time in a different weight class I hope not I hope not you know maybe lightweight would be really enjoyable I could be the one barbecuing the steaks every night and and enjoying it but if it was flyweight like guys guys we don't want to kill you we've seen we've seen those OBS when you take off the shirt of phantom weight we don't need to see Floy weight Brad Brad we can go heavyweight baby we can do it all yeah yeah but like obviously after that win everyone arm was tuned in obviously in Gary got the win on the same card as well and um and even yesterday it was announced kefir Crosby is now sign with the UFC as well like where are you sort of like Dan and white was talking about there is the potential of USC doubl in 2024 like when you're looking at the landscape of your career next like because you have the the world at your feet or in your hands uh what way you looking at like competing next Brad there's a big big pay-per-view in December that I that I'm hearing rumors of and and maybe that's a possibility I don't know because quite frankly we're less than a week removed John's given me very strict orders to relax so I'm trying to relax but at the same time part of me is going okay what is next you know maybe that's just because I'm an ad and I just got my high and now I need I need a bigger High you know and maybe that's the problem so um I am trying to soak this in yeah you know slightly uh but December is interesting I know there's rumors of maybe something like a UFC Canada as well early you know 2024 I guess uh UFC Dublin again what is my oyster you know like it's these are good problems to be talking about it all depends on dates opportunities all that some of this is out of my hands I could go man I want to fight December they go no you're not fighting December you know like that that that could very well be the dialogue is it time to start that dialogue right now probably not um but I am healthy and I am ready to go and again I am an addict so that's uh let's maybe chase the dragon a little more we obviously like BR Brad's obviously going to be on Conor versus chander card isn't he yeah we want to see the the Manitoba merer get in there and do his thing again H Brad my question is how fast you want to break that top 15 like I could see you in there and like getting your hand rais with like a Pedro Munos who's like ranked 10 at the moment you know Ricky SM I can see you beating those guys right away is that the sort of Benchmark you want to set for yourself I'm sure you don't want to be hanging around uh on ranked for too long I'll certainly skip the queue if I can you know like no nobody's going to complain about that I feel like I could be fighting for the title tomorrow and and and we're on that level that's where I've been living this entire time in the UFC out of the UFC and thankfully I have the coaches that I do who have been treating me as like the world champion that that we know I can be you are you're the Brave World Champion yeah the lineal the lineal Brave Champion but you know we weren't bringing in that that UFC money even you know yet they still treated me like what I what how I needed to be treated so I can succeed you know in in let's say 18 months and fight for the belt and be successful you know I I really have to thank them for that because there was again a lot of reasons not to you know uh but they did and and I really much appreciate that so if we can skip the queue absolutely let let's skip ahead and start that March and uh again good problems to be having if I do need to fight out to the top 15 first and then maybe there's a there's a we can jump jump in then fantastic you know a lot of this is outside of my control unfortunately but what I can control and I know it's clich is what I do every single day so I'm going to get back to work with my coaches and and what's I guess I hope you can feel it off me is the excitement to get back with them and start start working on things because I feel especially in my striking Dave Dave roach and I we created such a solid foundation after my Hamza cedi fight in in Brave when I captured the belt we really disassembled my entire striking game and started building it from the base up and now that we have such a solid foundation we're going to be actually accelerating in Improvement we're not just going to be moving linearly we're going to be accelerating we're going to be improving exponentially and I'm really excited to show it I think you can see it from the Timmer fight to the Cody Gibson fight from when I defended my belt in in Brave against scams at Mega Med off just the jumps in that striking game in the nastiness in the elbows and with the knees and how I'm causing damage I believe Cody left with a broken orra bone I don't have confirmation on it but that's the damage I'm trying to inflict and that's what the fans want and I I'm I'm happy to give it to them we definitely saw that in the in each week we were saying geez Brad's really come on a lot like that so we definitely saw it but uh yeah that was vicious Brad that's a vicious way to end the show the the Winnipeg winner yeah I'm I'm actually afraid to See You Again Brad after this but uh no Brad from following you the whole way through the 12 weeks then seeing you there win like as well we were in twitch with John and everyone in the team being like congratulations like um even Katie as well it was H it was actually it was beautiful to see and uh not only you did it for yourself your friends and family but you did it as well for Irish MMA as well so we absolutely loved it didn't we Ross yeah we did it it was a great season to follow um you were the star of the show Brad we love watching it and uh thanks for giving us so much entertainment and well done on win um like we said cred history the first ever tough champ champ the only ever tough champ champ never to be done again two different weight classes bra Katon he's coming for that top 15 and then he's coming for that belt and we're behind you all way a very own Superman and potentially a heavyweight off we'll see we'll talk about chis and Teddy can get there yeah if there's a will there's a way and and and if trist wants to put me on that heavyweight plan I it's it's not GNA be pretty it's not GNA be pretty but it's gonna be delicious you know uh just why I have you guys I I want to thank you guys for the for the support you know I I I said the the first time we did The Ultimate Fighter it was it was very much for me but this time it's it's for everybody else it's for them it's for my family it's for Katie it's for my coaches it's for the guys who have stuck behind me it was very easy when to to have fans and to have support when you know you're you're in the UFC and you're successful but when you get released and you're literally fighting in the middle of nowhere sometimes in enemy territory and and nobody hears about it to have the support behind me it's uh it's been it's been such a journey and I just I just appreciate it because nobody nobody had to stick by me yet they did and I I appreciate you guys I appreciate all of viand support I I appreciate everything I have and I I I don't say that lightly I don't take anything for granted it's just I'm just I'm just Greatful I'm just grateful to represent the people who who matter there you have it arland's own you made the the the fight oish poster that we had H for UFC 292 so uh we're claiming you and no one else I I'll take it I'll take it I'll take all the love yeah before we wrap things up Brad that was beautiful but anything else to say before we wrap things up to wrap up tough no no I think uh I I I think we put the stamp on top I'm I'm done with it now unless I'm coming back as a coach I I I don't want to be in that house uh again so so thanks again guys no worries BR thanks million for coming on um for those you are watching home make sure to like share smash that subscribe button and as always stay en energize sh up the Irish been ssing you guys a couple of times I've seen a couple of Clips I think you done some interviews with Dylan Mor and that I saw so keep going keep up the good work guys