Joe sits down with pilot, MMA referee, and corporate health and wellness advocate, Mark Smith. Smith served as an Air Force F-16 fighter pilot, with tours at NASA, the White House, and the elite flying group the Thunderbirds. The two discuss Mark’s career as a MMA referee, Air Force aircrafts, history of space exploration, MMA fight injuries, and much more.
Should you listen?
This episode is perfect for fans who are interested in hearing about what it takes to be a MMA referee, how refs make decisions, MMA fights and injuries, etc. If MMA conversation doesn’t interest you, it may be worth hearing about Mark’s fascinating professional background.
More from Mark Smith:
Show Notes: Thunderbirds, Aircrafts, Space, MMA
4:30 - Mark can neither confirm or deny he worked at Area 51. Mark does confirm he spent time flying for the Thunderbirds, flying in and out of Nellis Air Force Base.
8:00 - Video: F-35 Air Craft - known for its insane maneuverability 📼
12:30 - G Suit - Suit to designed to counter the effects of high level acceleration force
17:00 - 1988 air show crash in Italy
20:00 - Costs for f-22 and f-35
23:00 - Space Force - Newly formed branch of the military
25:00 - Images of Nasa control room
27:00 - Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space
28:00 - Star City, Russia - HQ for the soviet space program
43:30 - Former NYT reporter, Alex Berenson claims there is very little evidence masks are effective
47:00 - Herb Dean’s MMA referee school
62:00 - UFC is now using instant replay to take an extra look at instant replay
81:00 - Dana White and the UFC led the way on how to put on sporting events during the Covid pandemic
142:00 - Video: Thunderbird ejection at mountain home 📼 🥊
144:00 - Flight simulators in the Air Force
MMA Fights and Fighters Mentioned
45:30 - Fight: UFC 68: Randy Couture vs Tim Silvia for the title 🥊
51:00 - Kevin Holland's ridiculous knock out of Jacare Souza with a punch from the bottom 🥊
52:00 - Travis Lutter – Jiu-Jitsu trainer
54:00 - Charles Oliveira puts Tony Ferguson in an arm bar – Arm was hyper extended and fight not called
57:00 - Video: Brawl in the octagon after fight 📼 🥊
59:00 - Sakuraba breaks Gracie’s arm and Gracie said it was the worst pain he ever felt 🥊
72:00 - Retired boxer: Gerald McClellan – Blind and partially deaf from a severe brain injury, which he suffered in his final fight in 1995 🥊
76:00 - Fight: Andrei Arlovski vs Travis Browne – One of the best 1 round heavy weight fights of all time 🥊
93:30 - Video: Travis Brown vs Andrei Arlovski fight 📼 🥊
102:00 - Mike Powell MMA fighting bio
105:00 - Upcoming fight: Blakovich vs Adesanya fight 🥊
107:00 - Upcoming fight: Usman vs Burns fight 🥊
120:30 - Video: Von Flue choke hold highlights 📼 🥊
124:00 - Video: Cory Hill leg break 📼 🥊
Content / Products Mentioned:
5:00 - Book: Red Eagles: America’s Secret MiGs 🕮
24:00 - Movie: Hidden Figures 🎥
Outline:
0:00 - Refereeing – when to call a fight and the factors that go into the decision
4:30 - Current and future space exploration, Mark’s time in the Thunderbirds
44:00 - Behind the scenes look at what goes into officiating an MMA fight
100:00 - What MMA training is like during Covid pandemic
104:00 - Upcoming MMA fights
112:00 - Ref protocols to keep fighters safe
120:00 - Opinions on chokes that make fighters pass out and kicks
135:00 - Mark’s education and diverse professional background/story
141:00 - What it takes to prepare for Thunderbird shows
145:00 - Mark describing flight positions what it’s like flying w/ Thunderbirds
156:00 - Different jets Mark has piloted
159:00 - Mark’s work with NASA and the White House