Urijah Faber Reveals His Secret Struggle... | DSH #1963

Episode of Digital Social Hour · May 13, 2026 · 51 min

UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber tells Sean Kelly about early MMA, Team Alpha Male, his businesses, longevity and blood work, wrestling, and fatherhood.

Summary

Urijah Faber joined Sean Kelly in Las Vegas after coaching Song Yadong in a close loss to Sean O'Malley. Faber described Team Alpha Male's international roster and history, and explained that a college wrestling experience at UC Davis taught him to focus only on what he could control, which he said let him move past losses. He recalled starting in MMA when the sport was illegal in California, fighting on Indian casinos for $200 to show and $200 to win, and said he started businesses mainly to finance his fighting.

Faber outlined his business ventures, including the RollBot grappling dummy, Nine Rivers Distillery in Longyan, China, Hammer & Nails grooming franchises in Northern California, gyms and real estate. He discussed Sacramento's strengths and California's homelessness problem, and credited his mother's natural-health upbringing for his longevity. He promoted Hundred Health, a blood-testing concierge service built by his friend Tyler Smith, described a genetic heart-health concern, and said he had never taken testosterone and advised young men to delay TRT.

The conversation also covered Faber's continued competition in Real American Freestyle wrestling, his view that wrestling programs are undervalued and often cut, the Cal Baptist University wrestling program, AI tools, vaccination choices, fearlessness, and building a family-like support environment for fighters. Kelly shared his own experience of being bullied and his early e-commerce business.

Chapters

0:26
Song vs. O'Malley and Team Alpha Male
Faber discusses coaching Song Yadong against Sean O'Malley and the global roster of Team Alpha Male.
2:42
The simplicity and business of fighting
Faber reflects on the evolution of MMA techniques and old-time boxing matches.
5:14
No regrets and handling losses
Faber explains taking short-notice title fights and learning at UC Davis to focus only on what he could control.
9:04
Fighting for $200 and early businesses
Faber recounts early MMA pay, fighting on Indian casinos, and starting businesses to fund his career.
16:18
Robots, distilleries and franchises
Faber describes RollBot, his Chinese distillery, Hammer & Nails franchises, and admiration for UFC leadership.
18:56
Sacramento and California
Faber praises Sacramento while criticizing homelessness and governance in California.
22:30
Longevity, blood work and natural health
Faber discusses Hundred Health, family heart issues, and his mother's holistic upbringing.
30:46
Still competing and the state of wrestling
Faber talks about Real American Freestyle, his upcoming match with Henry Cejudo, and cuts to college wrestling programs.
34:25
Testosterone, steroids and AI
Faber discusses his testosterone levels, performance-enhancing drugs in MMA, TRT advice, and using AI tools.
40:34
Vaccines, fear and parenting
Faber describes his approach to his children's vaccinations and his lack of fear.
42:53
Building a healthy fight team
Faber explains creating a family-like support system for fighters and why champions need it.
45:11
Bullying, schools and entrepreneurship
Kelly shares his bullying experience and first business while Faber discusses alternative schools.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Urijah Faber
Faber believes Song Yadong won his close fight against Sean O'Malley.
“A lot of people thought he won, and obviously O'Malley's a beast, and he did a great job as well. It was too close for comfort, but I thought we got the W”
Listen from 0:49 · Song Yadong vs. Sean O'Malley
Urijah Faber
Faber says Team Alpha Male has had about 110 UFC-caliber fighters historically and about 20 active now.
“throughout history, we've had probably, you know, 110 UFC-caliber fighters on the team. I think now probably active, maybe 20”
Listen from 1:32 · Team Alpha Male
Urijah Faber
Faber argues that what separates top fighters is mentality, and much supposedly new technique existed in old books.
“the common stuff is is the mentality and the guys that are at the highest level. It's it's it's all in the mind”
Listen from 3:47 · Ultimate Fighting Championship
Urijah Faber
Faber recounts that after a college wrestling season of narrow losses he resolved to be affected only by what he could control.
“i'm only going to worry about the things that i can control i'm only going to let the things that i can control affect me”
Listen from 7:23
Urijah Faber
Faber describes starting when MMA was illegal in California, with no weight class for him and no women in the sport.
“I started when it was illegal in California. I mean, literally, the only fights happening were on any casinos. There was no weight class for me”
Listen from 9:13 · Ultimate Fighting Championship
Urijah Faber
Faber says he began doing business mainly as a means to keep fighting.
“that's why I started doing business was just... to find a means to be able to fight”
Listen from 11:56 · Entrepreneurship
Urijah Faber
Faber says homelessness throughout California is out of control though he does not know the solution.
“The homelessness all throughout California is way out of control. I mean, you know, I don't know what the solution is to that per se, but there's got to be one”
Listen from 21:14 · Homelessness
Urijah Faber
Faber says blood testing revealed poor heart-health markers he attributes to genetics despite his fitness.
“i'm a great a great athlete you know stay in good shape and my numbers and my results in the heart were just like terrible really which is just genetic”
Listen from 27:38 · Hundred Health
Urijah Faber
Faber argues wrestling programs are the first to be cut at colleges, citing Title IX and Cal Baptist University.
“Like, at colleges and whatnot, we're always the first programs to get kiboshed”
Listen from 32:03 · College wrestling program cuts
Urijah Faber
Faber reports that at 46 he has never used testosterone and his free testosterone matched that of a 26-year-old.
“But the free testosterone for me was, like, off the chart. So I had free testosterone of, like, a 26-year-old”
Listen from 34:55 · Testosterone replacement therapy
Urijah Faber
Faber says he later learned many fighters cheated, especially before USADA, and some drugs like EPO remain undetectable.
“especially before USADA was in. Apparently, people were doing all sorts of stuff. And then there's stuff after USADA like EPO and stuff that they can't track”
Listen from 36:41 · Performance-enhancing drugs in mixed martial arts
Linked moment · 37:16Skip to 37:16 using a listen link in the info box.
Urijah Faber
Faber advises young men to postpone supplemental testosterone because once started it is lifelong.
“once you start implementing a supplemental testosterone, and maybe, I probably will once I get to a point where I need it”
Listen from 37:16 · Testosterone replacement therapy
Sean Kelly
Kelly says he uses several AI models to cross-check answers, prefers Claude, and considers ChatGPT the worst currently.
“My favorite is Claude. Manus and ChatGPT is like the worst these days”
Listen from 38:50
Urijah Faber
Faber recounts that a DTaP printout he obtained advised waiting, which made him question whether doctors read such materials.
“But they had never read it, and I read it, and it was telling us not to do it until she was two on the thing”
Listen from 42:09 · Vaccination schedules
Urijah Faber
Faber says a strong support system is something he has consistently seen in champions.
“a strong support system has been something that I've seen in champions throughout my time”
Listen from 43:58 · Team Alpha Male
Sean Kelly
Kelly argues bullying is worse for today's children because social media makes it constant.
“now I feel like it's way worse for kids cause they're getting bullied on social media too. So it's 24 seven now”
Listen from 47:58 · Bullying

People

In the conversation

Sean KellyHost of the Digital Social Hour podcast
Urijah FaberAmerican retired mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer and founder of Team Alpha Male

Discussed

Song YadongChinese UFC bantamweight fighter coached by Faber
Sean O'MalleyAmerican UFC bantamweight fighter
Dana WhitePresident and CEO of the UFC
Tyler SmithEntrepreneur who sold SkySlope to Fidelity and founded Hundred Health
Dominick CruzFormer UFC bantamweight champion
Henry CejudoFormer UFC champion and Olympic wrestler, Faber's upcoming RAF opponent
Miesha TateFormer UFC champion who trained with Team Alpha Male
Mark MuñozFormer UFC fighter coaching Cal Baptist wrestling
Yinka DaviesPediatric gastroenterologist behind a probiotic Faber uses

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From the publisher

What does it really take to survive at the top of the fight game for decades? Urijah Faber sits down with Sean Kelly in Las Vegas for a raw conversation about fighting, business, fatherhood, health, fear, and what it takes to build a life after the cage. From coaching Song Yadong through a razor-close fight with Sean O’Malley to building Team Alpha Male into one of the most respected fight teams in MMA, Urijah breaks down the mindset that kept him in the game longer than most fighters ever last. He talks about the early days of MMA when fights paid $200, the sport was still illegal in California, and there were no real opportunities for lighter fighters. He also shares how he built businesses while fighting, why losses never broke him, and why focusing only on what you can control is the real key to longevity. This episode also goes deep into health, longevity, fatherhood, natural medicine, testosterone, peptides, AI, entrepreneurship, bullying, and why fear has never been something Urijah lets control him. Urijah Faber proves why he’s not just a UFC Hall of Famer — he’s a fighter, founder, coach, dad, and lifelong builder. ⏱️ Chapters 0:00 Lessons From Losses 2:42 The Business Of Fighting 5:15 No Regrets In The Cage 9:04 Fighting For $200 16:19 Robots, Distilleries, And Franchises 23:35 Longevity And Blood Work 30:45 Still Competing At 46 40:28 Raising Kids Without Fear 43:00 Building A Healthy Fight Team 49:42 What’s Next For Urijah Faber 🧠 What You’ll Learn 🥊 Why Urijah Faber believes mindset is the real separator in fighting 🧠 How he learned to stop letting wins and losses control his emotions 💰 Why he started businesses just so he could afford to keep fighting 🔥 What the early MMA scene was really like before the sport exploded 🏆 How Team Alpha Male became a global fight team with UFC-level talent 👨‍👧‍👦 Why fatherhood changed Urijah’s priorities more than anything else 🧬 How he thinks about blood work, longevity, testosterone, and natural health 🤼 W…

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Sports·Wrestling·Health & Fitness