Please don’t disrespect the training out Navy SEALs do. Tony ferguson May be able to do all the physical stuff but when live bullets are firing, good luck lol
@@hewesy7265 Yes, but that was basically a publicity stunt by one of the major political parties, that put famous sportsmen on its list. You see, the parliamentary elections here work slightly strangely, where every party nominates a list of its candidates for parliament, and depending on the percentage of voters, they win seats, and the seats are filled with the matching number of people on the list, top down. Well, Cro Cop was close enough to the top to win a seat.
@@DanijelTurina973 fair enough. In the UK each MP has to win their seats by their constituents voting for them. There is no proportional representation type systems here.
DatingMatis156 Japan first off, and who would he have fought over in the states? The heavyweight division in Pride was MILES ahead of the hw division in the UFC.
Short answer: while the skills in MMA would certainly be USEFUL to the SEALs, it's not the end-all-be-all. Being a good physical fighter doesn't necessarily mean that you have the grit or wit to be a SEAL. Not all SEALs are necessarily the best fighters. There's overlap, but not enough for a conclusive predictor either way.
@@goprojoe7449 ye its two different job, Mike bisping had a great story in podcast how Carlos Condit ktfo a seal in sparring coz he wanted to sparr hard :D
I think, one important thing is missed here...mma fighter is doing what he's doing for himself, in the TEAMS you are training and working and playing as TEAM. Can a MMA fighter work in a team, as a team and be a selfless teammate?
It would be like asking if a tennis player would be a great SEAL. On the highest level soccer players are probably more athletic than just about all MMA fighters because martial arts are such a huge community with numerous little tournaments, competitions, weight classes, gender classes and rules. Since the 90's MMA has been glamorized greatly to become the new gold standard of college bro masculinity but ever since humans stopped being apes we started using weapons to fight and this is still reflected in the olympics where fencing is the only combat sport without weight classes. In sports like MMA there is no real danger and nothing really important at stake except your own ego and entertaining other people if you're a professional. As soon as you get hurt a bit, first class medical aid will be by your side while in combat you could literally be decapitated in a flash. The intelligence and nerves required of elite soldiers is different. Fake tough guys in martial arts sometimes start to believe their own hype and think they have real power over people like the "X Machine" who never saw action but succesfully beat up his girlfriend and soon tried to commit suicide in prison despite being served shelter and free meals in addition to medical care; none of which exists automatically in combat. This is where you kind of see the difference between people thriving in a pet environment and people surviving in a hellish one. For a SEAL who has seen combat the prison would be like vacation but for a fake tough guy used to doing well in a specific sport it can get overwhelming very quickly once he realizes he cannot choke out the bars of his cell and anyone can just sucker punch him into tomorrow from behind if he starts to act hard.
Injury-prone: check. Afraid of heights: check. Hate the cold: check. Uncomfortable in the water: check. Can't memorize a lot of stuff: check. Jocko has confirmed that I wouldn't survive an hour as a SEAL.
Essentially: MMA Fighters are amazing athletes, but may not always fit the many different traits/tolerances required by the SEALS whether it be heights, cold, swimming, or the mental toughness in the worst of conditions. SEALS may be diversely skilled operators with an unprecedented level of toughness, but they may not always be athletic enough, explosive enough, or possess the dexterity required of a competitive fighter. There are classes of both groups that may fit the bill for the other group, but they bring different skills and talents to the table.
Fear of heights, this is something i only have improved recently but i could never be in special forces because of this. MMA is interesting and fun though. It's like i always use that shame to do some difficult and intense things in everyday life... like seeking absolution for myself.
@@elasolezito I can empathize with this. Fear of heights paralyzed me from performing for a long time. Even rollercoasters would be tough. Eventually pushed through the phobia to an extent. Using that fear as a way to push harder in other aspects of life is for sure great way to seek redemption/absolution. Keep killing it brother!
I love how humble and down to earth Echo is. Jocko is fantastic and I love listening to him, but he can be intense, and I think that it takes a certain type of person to vibe with him - someone humble and who won’t be intimidated, and would be just as driven and intelligent. You guys make a perfect team and your content is great. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with the world.
hearing the injury prone hits my heart like a knife. I was in the SF of my country. My meniscus just teared during an exercise. From that more knee problems came up. Ruined my knees for life. Got kicked out of SF just because of injury. To this day I have more broken bones, and health issues than most people. Still can't properly run to this day.
Every gym has the guy that's insanely talented but can't handle the training and will never make it past the amateurs cause he just doesn't listen to anything...
i think yes, for the most part, because it comes down to mentality. in my humble opinion (mad respect for both professions) if they applied the same focused, disciplined mindset to mma/seal training, the large majority could be successful in either. i would like to add one point not discussed: teamwork. fighting is a one on one competition where as military operations are largely team based, and i could also see that being a dividing factor on both sides.
Lol. As a lifeguard for many years in highschool and college, I can tell you that there is a non-trivial percentage of adult dudes that, while being tough as nails on land, turn into whimpering 7 yr old girls when they get in water over their head. It isn't just about dedication to training.
@Mikeyy12 C.Lennz Kennedy wasn't a SEAL But he served in special forces and the national guard. So he would be considered by most people an exceptional soldier.
@Mikeyy12 C.Lennz kennedy was never a seal he is army green beret. Very big difference in role and areas of operation but i get the point u were trying to make
@rockn roll "Bullying peasants" you watch too much TV. As someone who's been face to face with those "Peasants", I can tell you that they are very dangerous and do horrible things to innocent people. I guess the world should just stand by and let it happen. While we're at it let's just walk by people rapping, murdering and kidnapping people here at home and just do nothing.
@rockn roll I never said going into Iraq was a good idea. I was against it from the start but what's done is done. Bush put us in a real bind doing that but I can tell you us soldiers were definitely not over there "Bullying peasants." Also, Sadams dumb ass was the one in Kuwait, "Bullying peasants." And if he just got out of there when told, we wouldnt have ended up there in the first place. That being said we should have just stayed away after DS and let it be.
Jocko answered this in a different way in another podcast when he said he wasn't great at everything in BUDS. His message is that it's better to be well-rounded rather than one dimensional.
I used to be a hotshot firefighter. It's not like being an Elite Seal by any means, however, it was still a physically demanding job that few could make. I would always wonder how my physical conditioning would have helped me in boxing or MMA. I had many scraps growing up and felt like a good fighter. Unfortunately, I never tried it. Listening to Jockos answer, really made a lot of sense. I would have probably fell into the " highly impulsive " category lol.
This is why we love Jocko. The realest and most honest dude around. I have trained with SEALs before (MMA) and they are of course impressive physically and mentally, BUT you just cannot magically replace years of training in a fight sport / Martial art. I think its safe to say that pretty much anyone who has made it through SEAL training has the discipline, the mental and physical ability to study and become proficient at something like BJJ - but this doesn't mean they're ever going to be professional level fighters - and on the flip, I'd say most MMA fighters could never make it through SEAL training (most men period) because of the mental stress, the fear and the difficulties it places on people. Its one thing to have the ability (god given) to be a boxer and take a punch, its another to have the mental power to withstand hours /days/ months of grueling training, remaining alert and calm enough to survive and persevere.
Having trained MMA, I can see that I know exactly what I’m training for. I wouldn’t be able to tell that in the SEALs. Sure, you train for combat and survival, but that’s not specific at all. It’s random and a big variable. In MMA, I train to beat an opponent of similar size to mine, the biggest variable being their technique. I have a clear goal of what I’m dealing with, but as a SEAL, I’d have to put faith into something I can’t quite see. That’s a big difference.
I know and train with a ranked MMA fighter (no, I’m not a serious fighter - just love the workouts)... I’m currently training for an Ironman and when I mentioned it to this fighter, he said he’d never do something that crazy. The fact is, he loves fighting and is damn good at it, but it doesn’t necessarily transfer over. They’re not at all the same, other than specific determination. Good interview
they say you're more likely to make it through seal training if you're responsible for the death of a loved one when you were a kid..... my cousin was abandoned by his dad when he was 2. that motivated him to make it through buds.... it was a chance for him to prove himself to himself and to the world.... he thought there was something wrong with him.... the seal instructors invited him to quit many times but he persevered to the end and now he's free from the doubt! Good for you nicholas where ever you are now!
If an MMA fighter became a seal, realistically would he have time to continue to train and strengthen his martial art skills? And potentially fight again?
Just a guess to train Martial arts to be able to stand at a professional level I would assume he probably wouldn’t be that sloppy because you’d always do some physical training eat healthy and do other things to keep your focus and yourself in top form and some martial arts as stated in the video but as good as before probably not much worse probably not for example Jon Jones became a Navy seal he would probably still be a beast but would he be the best in the division if he came back to training camp fought after a 6 month period he might win against the average MMA fighter but not against the top dogs in the division if he fought straight after Navy seal training I guess he’d just do fine not great not horrible either might smack some people because he still Jon Jones
This feels like a question in the mindset of picking one thing to get you there. Go train for the thing of your dreams, and find a mentor. Don’t get caught up in the circles that join a bunch of hardcore things to “get them ready”. Like Jocko said, it is only 1 small piece of the whole picture. Get in the pool, exercise your mind, find a mentor, etc. You will never be 100% “ready”, and don’t need to be for moving into a job, or up in it.
If we're talking about athletes in general I would say it's more the ones that were overlooked or told they weren't good enough their whole lives, but spent their life trying to prove people wrong and eventually make something of themselves and are also unselfish and willing to help in any way possible.
I really don’t understand how so many people think just because someone is an MMA fighter that they could be a SEAL or even an infantryman or that there’s even some type of comparison. There’s so much more that goes into being in the military, not just hand to hand fighting which is all you do in MMA. Excellent responses by these two.
Dear Jocko, there is a story you might find interesting and maybe even worthy of podcast: No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War by Hiroo Onoda. Thank you for all the good and inspirational work that you do. Greetings from Poland.
Being someone who’s done both (not a SEAL, but been in the army)... I agree with the intellectual and regimental part which not all fighters might be able to adapt to
I think he brings it up more so with the implication that these guys sign up for the eigerous training, but it's kind of what may seem like small things, which break them. Imagine some MMA looking SEAL candidate at BUD/S, looking like he's got what it takes in every way shape or form, all Gung ho and ready to be SEAL Team 6 or something... Only to get stuck at the top of that cargo net and have to go home. I think he brings that up because it's weird to think about or consider.
Yea, I can imagine how obscure it must be, to hear about your brother/cousin/friend coming back from BUD/S, like "The cargo net? Are you fucking kidding me?" Case in point, my grandfather's brother, he aced through SEAL training back in the 70s (I want to say BUD/S but I don't know if it was still UDT back then) at the top of his class. However, once underwater in the pool, with the gear on at dive school and he developed a case of vertigo, where he couldn't discern up from down. Definitely one of the more tragic stories coming from that side of the family, being as his father was a retired Navy BM1 and my grandfather went to Vietnam as a Marine. I also knew a guy in my command, who was a guy the term "Cock Diesel" would apply to. Cool guy but you'd think he'd breeze through BUD/S as he trained two years for it and was rather bright, as well. He ended up coming back rather soon. Why? The sit-ups in the surf. Apparently, it was too much like being waterboarded by his brothers and something in his mind switched on, like "Nope nope, nopidity nope nope" and he wasn't having it. Talked to another guy who was in his class and supposedly, he had a bit of a freak out. All in all, I think these two cases are perfect examples as to why Jocko would bring that up.
I love this its true its the person and their ability not what you are training in everyone has their strengths and weaknesses you must figure out what it is and become better at your level and your strengths great vid
Admittedly, hearing that question, my knee jerk response would be "No." Going off of my own experience, having worked security in Vegas, every time we had an MMA fighter on the team, it's like he was begging to fight people. There were no hints of diplomacy, reason or strategy, just raw antagonism. It was so bad (Much less common) that one of the places I worked, as soon as the head guy would see "Fighter" on a resume or it'd come up in the interview, that applicant was immediately tanked.
@Mikeyy12 C.Lennz Yes... That's because it was. Hence my use of terms like "My knee jerk reaction" and not anything definitive. Or "From my own experience" instead of painting the brush that there isn't even a few who aren't. I'm sure there are, look at Tim Kennedy. He seems able to hold himself together. However, when it's such a common occurance that if any of us were going to get into a fight that night, it being the MMA guy (Regardless if he's the new guy or one who just hasn't been urged to move on yet), is a large elephant to try and ignore. Hence why the head of security had to stop hiring them. Seriously, if any of us got into a fight on any given night, it was always the MMA guy who was on our crew that night. ALWAYS. Sure, there were some of us who also got into fights over time... But you couldn't count on it. It was maybe a one to three times each, at the most, over the course of a year... And it was usually explainable. Whereas every MMA guy who worked with us, was in a fight every time. Just seeing him (Whichever "Him" doesn't matter, as it was true for all of them) on the crew that night, none of would even bother taking bets against him getting into a fight. Due to it being a fool's errand. Now, whether they take security jobs to get in some practice while getting paid, or there's something in their heads which makes them drastically and aggressively antogonistic towards others, hence why theyre cage fighters, I couldn't tell you. Alas, this is what I've seen with my own eyes... Where these guys exhibit traits which would not be good attributes of a Navy SEAL. Now, before one goes off that I wouldn't know shit about what would make a good SEAL, one of the problems all of them had, was a forceful rejection of being told what to do. Among other things (Like constantly making excuses for their fuck ups), though I'd think that one alone would be a problem. Now, maybe these things make one an amazing MMA fighter and I'll concede to that probably being the case... But a Special Forces level operator? Come on.
@@FTIGroup Are there? In any case, pretty sure being a team player is a major part of not only getting through BUD/S, but also in being a SEAL. A team player... These guys were not.
If I can take my own case, Jocko is 100% correct. In my day I was an elite level endurance athlete, a good powerlifter and pretty decent boxer and martial artist. I would have failed the first few tests when it comes to water, cold and heights - full stop.
This. I've swam in pools, rivers & off beaches all my life but I swam in deep water properly for the first time when I worked on a fishing boat. Had to dive under the boat to pull a rope off the prop shaft in bull shark water. With the huge gaping dark open space under you & the immense boat hull above you it's like claustrophobia & vertigo at the same time. It's a whole different business than most people ever encounter. I adjusted & got on with it pretty quickly but I can completely imagine how it might be too much for some people, particularly if swimming as a whole is something new or novel to them.
I’m an MMA fighter and I’m honestly willing to admit I would probably be one of the people you’re referring to crying like a child in some deep water lol
@@InnuendoXP you're a braver man than I. The sight of that yawning blackness in deep water utterly terrifies me. And in bull shark territory with a boat full of fish? HELLLLLL NO hahahaha
Hey Jocko or another Navy seal I have a question. In training before you ever get sent out into a mission do they have some sort of training if you get captured by the enemy? To prepare you for tourcher? If your not Jocko or a Navy seal I don't want your comment so keep it to yourself bc I don't care what you've seen or heard I want someone who's been through it to answer. Thank you for you service and God bless you and your family. Much love and respect.
It's also a different kind of fight. A sealm goes on a mission, he doesn't know who's the enemy, he doesn't know if the enemy is expecting him. But a seal can always call for back-up, and in some case, retreat. A MMA fighter, knows his opponent , he knows his tactics, he knows that his opponent is expecting him. But a MMA fighter can't retreat (you normally just tap out before getting unconscious so it's not retreating), he can't call for backup it's one on one, and there's no way out. It's comparing apple with oranges.
Agreed! Like the guy that decided to ask Jocko, the guy that wrote “Extreme Ownership”, about discipline and how he didn’t have any because his parents didn’t teach him! What response did he really expect?
comparing mma fighters to seals is like comparing bottle corks to a stove top. MMA fighting is one specific skill, being s seal is a multitude of different stuff. The comparison is inconclusive. The likelihood of an MMA fighter transitioning successfully into a seal is not more conclusive than the ability of an accountant to transition into a seal.
@@johnrecaptcha4504 Ok, a bit over the top. MMA fighters would definitely have a higher chance to become a SEAL than accountants lol. Most are very well disciplined and physically fit.
the answer is probably no. at the end of the day, higher level people have very little in the way of what one might call "reward". There is never someone clapping for you, let alone a crowd. There's never a fun series of press conferences where you get to talk shit. There's never a chance to negotiate for more money because this op is more dangerous than previous ops, or even because it's the most dangerous op. In fact, after your superbowl, more than likely no one will ever know it happened. And you might have ten of them. At the end, people most certainly had to die. MMA fighters have rules. No testicles. No head butts. No this or that. The real answer is sure an MMA fighter can be a higher level operator as easily as a fucking waiter or a juggler or a rodeo clown or a nerd scholar or soft ass middle class suburban water polo player.
Were the physical requirements not as high as they are for the Navy Seals I might concur. But they are very high and being an MMA fighter means you have a level of physical conditioning light years ahead of your average waiter. Your point is valid in general but you overdid it at the end. The physical bar is high both for MMA and Seals, not so for academics or waiters.
Fabio Q bro. I named those types because those are types that I KNOW who are operators. You know how many mma fighters I knew who then went to school? Fuckin zero
Much more nuanced then I would have thought. Bravo. Much better than the Special Forces guy who said every SF soldier was basically equivalent to an Olympic athlete.
To be either of them takes nearly one's entire substance. I was a pretend boxer, and all those moments that you could quit, or give up, but didn't, definitely lended to the mental strength to make it through NDSTC (dive school). The hardest part by far for any MMA going to Seals would be remembering and passing all those milestones that get people dropped from training. You're given a short set of instructions, with severe consequences, and they yell at you while you try to keep it all together, trying to remember and perform exactly what you're asked immediately. You have to be way more intelligent to be in these programs than most people understand.
I'm going to say no. only because I personally know 4 people that do MMA and their resume is trash and they are literally unemployable & MMA is easy money if you become professional.
On our 16 week basic trainning in New Zealand we had a national champion MMA fighter for whatever his weight was and he could easily outrun everyone and could do more press ups than 3 other people combined on testing days and he lasted about a month then left because he didnt like the stress and discipline of just day to day military life. other plenty fit people just didn't like being wet and cold.
Bryan Stann, former WEC light heavyweight champion, has been a SEAL for 9 years. There are several fighters who were policemen or soldiers. Paulo Thiago was a member of BOPE, the best urban combat team in the world, for example.
Dagestanis are like the chechens. Born into war and train their whole life and are the hardest soldiers out there. Russian spetsnaz got torn up by chechens, Turks, saa, everyone can’t fight the chechens or dagestanis in the caucuses they just don’t have the whole life of training
Frankie Cal, name a single olympic freestyle wrestling champion that can even hope to successfully hit a target with the world’s most wanted terrorists...they’re two different things.
That would be me. I cannot stand cold weather. I was Army infantry but I certainly hated the cold. Not a big fan of going underwater scuba diving either. I do great on land in warmer weather.
