My Hardest Fight Was After Retirement...| TJ Dillashaw | #2062
7/12/202637 min
What does it really take to become a UFC champion, lose everything, and build a new life outside the cage? In this episode of Digital Social Hour, Sean Kelly sits down with TJ Dillashaw to discuss his legendary UFC career, the highs and lows of competing at the highest level, life after retirement, entrepreneurship, recovery, nutrition, discipline, and what separates elite athletes from everyone else. TJ opens up about the moments that shaped his career, including the biggest lessons he learned inside the Octagon, the injuries that forced him to rethink his future, and the mindset that helped him transition from world champion to successful entrepreneur. He also shares why discipline matters more than motivation, how fighters can extend their careers, and why recovery and nutrition have become his new obsession. The conversation dives into performance optimization, building businesses after professional sports, balancing family life, the realities of competition, and the mistakes many athletes make once their careers end. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 02:18 Becoming a UFC Champion 08:46 Learning From Failure 15:27 The Biggest UFC Regret 22:11 Fighting Through Injuries 30:34 Life After Retirement 38:06 Building a Business 45:51 The Truth About Nutrition 53:20 Champion Mindset 59:42 Final Advice WHAT YOU’LL LEARN 🥊 TJ Dillashaw reflects on his UFC career 💪 The mindset behind becoming a world champion ⚡ Why discipline beats motivation every time 🧠 Recovering from injuries and setbacks 📈 Building a successful business after fighting 🔥 Lessons that apply far beyond the Octagon 🎙️ APPLY OR CONNECT 👉 Interested in being a guest? Apply here: https://www.digitalsocialhour.com/apply 📩 Business Inquiries & Sponsorships sean@digitalsocialhour.com 👤 GUEST TJ Dillashaw: https://www.instagram.com/tjdillashaw/ https://wildsocietynutrition.com/ 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-social-hour/id1676846015 🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Jn7LXarRlI8Hc0GtTn759 📸 Follow the Host Sean Kelly on Instagram: @seanmikekelly ⚠️ DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed by guests on Digital Social Hour are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Sean Kelly, or the Digital Social Hour team. The host and producers are not responsible for statements, claims, or opinions shared by guests during the show. This content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to do their own research and consult qualified professionals when appropriate. While we aim to share accurate and reliable information, no guarantees are made regarding completeness or accuracy. 🔥 Stay tuned for more conversations with creators, founders, and innovators shaping the digital world. SEO KEYWORDS TJ Dillashaw, TJ Dillashaw interview, TJ Dillashaw podcast, Sean Kelly, Digital Social Hour, UFC, UFC champion, MMA, mixed martial arts, UFC podcast, combat sports, UFC interview. Visit Our Website at https://digital-social-hour.simplecast.com/ Presented by https://podgo.io/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTJ Dillashaw· Guest0:00
You're chasing that adrenaline, you're chasing that rush, you're chasing that high, and fighting is the biggest high in the world. Something I miss a lot.
Sean Kelly· Host0:06
Yeah.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest0:07
Walking out of that tunnel in front of millions of people watching on TV, it's just so energetic, you know, and something you can never replace. I, I miss that. I miss that a lot. I was part of, uh, was it Neon?
Sean Kelly· Host0:17
Yeah.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest0:17
I mean, his stream, and we got the SWAT team called on us. We were at a UFC gym, and I was like running him through some like drills and working out and sparring with him a little bit, just doing stage.
Sean Kelly· Host0:26
Yeah.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest0:27
And then the cops all show up, and he's like, "What's going on?" He's like...
Sean Kelly· Host0:29
[camera clicks] All right, guys, got TJ Dillashaw here in town. He's got a big fight this week, one of his fighters.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest0:41
Yes.
Sean Kelly· Host0:42
Thanks for coming on, man.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest0:42
Yeah, of course. Yeah, Josh Emmett's, uh, fighting on Saturday the 14th. He's a main event. Super excited for him to get back into the win column and, uh, show everything we've been working on.
Sean Kelly· Host0:51
Nice.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest0:51
Yeah.
Sean Kelly· Host0:51
Brought some fun products, too.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest0:53
I did, man. Since retirement, my life has led into entrepreneurship. Um, something that was like a big part of my career was nutrition and supplementation. I was sponsored by countless brands that post about products that I didn't actually believe in.
Sean Kelly· Host1:05
Yeah.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest1:05
And I always felt a little guilty about it, that like my fan base and my followers think that I'm becoming a world champion off products that actually aren't really good for you.
Sean Kelly· Host1:12
[laughs] Mm. Yeah.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest1:13
And it made me feel bad, you know?
Sean Kelly· Host1:14
I feel that.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest1:14
And so when I retired, I felt like I wanted to get into... And that's why we've launched into the natural sector, is I built a very clean ingredient facts panel with all of our protein powders, our Caveman Eats, our RTD launching next week. It's clean and actually good for you.
Sean Kelly· Host1:28
Yeah.
TJ Dillashaw· Guest1:28
We went straight to market into Sprouts,