Fighter Health Podcast

On February 22, 2026, after eight rounds of her scheduled 10-round 140 pound title defense against Edith Soledad Matthysse, Samantha Worthington was on course to improve her record to 13-0 and potentially set up a lucrative clash with Katie Taylor. But then the evening took a sudden and dramatic turn. In this special episode, Worthington talks about her life, her career, her faith, and the night that changed everything. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Josh Dubin is the Executive Director of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Cardozo Law and was the first-ever Innocence Ambassador Advisor for The Innocence Project. He is also an accomplished, exerienced, and highly regarded legal adviser to a number of boxers past and present, including Lennox Lewis, Andre Ward, and Shakur Stevvenson. In this episode, he talks about his involvement in boxing, how he feels watching his boxers compete, the changes sweeping through the industry, and how fighters can best protect themselves and their careers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Randy Couture is one of the most celebrated and accomplished mixed martial artists in history. He is a three-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and interim UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He is the first fighter in history to win a UFC championship in two different divisions, is tied for the most wins in UFC Heavyweight Championship bouts, had the most title reigns in the UFC, and was the fourth member of the UFC Hall of Fame.Since retiring, he has appeared in more than 70 movies and counting, including The Expendables franchise. He also remains a passionate advocate for the rights of pro fighters, and in this episode he shows he is unafraid to challenge and upset those in the industry whom he believes don't have fighters' interests at heart. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Dave “Scooter” Honig is perhaps the best-known celebrity fitness trainer in the business, having physically transformed the likes of LL Cool J, Hugh Jackman, and Leonardo DiCaprio. He has also long worked with professional boxers, including most recently 140-pound titlist Richardson Hitchins. In this episode, he shares some of his techniques and tips and offers advice to boxers on how to maximize their fitness and health. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Philadelphia-based trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards is one of the most insightful voices in boxing today, and in this episode he talks to us about boxers who love training to be as punishing as possible, rules that need to be standarized across the sport, dealing with defeat, the complex relationship between fighter and trainer, fight week routines, and so much more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Famed as much for his mental fortitude as for his boxing skill and career longevity, Bernard Hopkins is one of the greatest boxers ever to compete professionally. He made a record 20 successful defenses of his middleweight crown before jumping up in weight, at age 41, to capture light-heavyweight gold. Now a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, Hopkins is passionate about fighter welfare, and in this episode he shares his thoughts on how boxers should take care of themselves; about training and diet, weight classes and weigh-ins; and the importance of looking out for athletes who put their lives on the line for others’ entertainment. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Jim Lampley is not just a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame; he is one of the most recognizable faces and voices in the sport. After calling HBO fights for three decades, he recently published his autobiography, and in this episode he discusses his formative years, the influence of his mother, the various stages in what he calls a “uniquely lucky” life in sports broadcasting, watching Mike Tyson destroy Jesse Ferguson’s nose, the unexpected friendship between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, the value of silence, what makes boxers special, and what the sport should be doing better to protect its most important participants: the fighters themselves. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Apologies for our prolonged absence. Blame it on the distractions of summer. But we're back with a new slate of interviews lined up, and we begin with one of the best-known and most influential voices in the sport: New Jersey boxing commissioner Larry Hazzard.Larry was a Golden Gloves champion as an amateur boxer, became a referee in 1978 and was appointed to head the New Jersey athletic commission in 1985 - a task he has fulfilled, apart from a brief break earlier this century, ever since.In this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, Larry reveals the most difficult fight he refereed and the most unexpected situations he's had to deal with as the third man in the ring. He also talks about, among other things, the importance of health and safety, whether boxing needs a national commission, and whether the Muhammad Ali Act has been successful. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Dr. Rudy Mondragón is an Assistant Professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He was formerly a UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at the University of California, Los Angeles. He brings a different perspective to boxing, examining the inequities in the sport’s labor market and drawing parallels with agricultural workers. In this podcast, he discusses his work to inprove fighter pay, encourage financial planning, and establish protections for retired and injured boxers. It is a fascinating and important topic, and it makes for a terrific episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Alan D. Rogol, MD, Ph. D is Professor Emeritus (Pediatrics and Pharmacology) at the University of Virginia and an expert in the human endocrine system. In this fascinating conversation, he leads us through the basics of the endocrine system and how various PEDs and other substances affect it. He also discusses the tricky issue of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs), and when to treat them with suspicion. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Marc Ratner is probably the best-known regulator in combat sports. From 1992 to 2006, he was executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, after which he became senior vice president for regulatory affairs for Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). In this rare interview, he shares memories of events such as The Fan Man and the Bite Fight, discusses the challenges with such issues as weigh-ins and fighter health, talks about the growth in female fighters in both boxing and MMA, and much more. It's a rare and illuminating conversation with one of the most respected people in the business This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Bruce Trampler has been the chief matchmaker for Top Rank for 45 years, and has also seen boxing from just about every angle: as an amateur boxer, a trainer, a cut man, a referee, a manager, and a judge. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010.In this episode, he explains the art of matching boxers strategically but carefully, about what he looks for in a young boxer, and about how the boxing business has changed. He also talks candidly about the dangers of the sport, about the art of trying to gently persuade boxers to move toward the exit, and even the emotionally shattering experience of having a boxer die in his arms. It's a compelling conversation with one of the sport's smartest and most experienced observers This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

How do referees prepare for fights? How do they know when to stop a fight and when to let it play out? What are judges looking for when they score a bout? What do inspectors do? What do officials wish fans and media understood better?Referees, judges, and inspectors aree vital elements in making boxing fair and safe, but their work is frequently little understood or maligned. Kenny Bayless and Robert Hoyle have been inspectors, judges, and referees in Nevada and in this episode they share their knowledge and thoughts and share stories from inside the ropes: from battling Mike Tyson after he bit Evander Holyfield's ear to being booed after stopping a fight only for the defeated boxer to pass away several days later. It's an absorbing episode you won't want to miss. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

When an athlete tests positive for a banned substance and claims it was the result of a contaninated supplement, eyes generally roll. But while it can simply be an effort to deflect blame and responsibility, contaminated supplements are a real issue and a genuine problem. In this episode, Oliver Catlin - president and co-founder with his late father Don of the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) - explains how supplements can be contaminated, what athletes can do to protect themselves against testing positive because of supplements they have consumed,and how BSCG's Certified Drug Free labeling helps to steer athletes and others toward trusted products. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

In 2003, Taylor E. Hooton, a 17-year old high school student from Plano, TX, took his own life as a result of using anabolic steroids. His family established the Taylor Hooton Foundation to educate youth and adult influencers on the dangers of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone (HGH), dietary supplements, and other Appearance and Performance Enhancing Substances. In this episode, Taylor's brother, Don Hooton Jr., talks about Taylor and his life, the foundation's work, and the challenges of keeping performance enhacing drugs away from high schoolers in a social media age. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Professional prizefighters are, by definition, among the bravest people on Earth. Simply doing their job carries a not inconsiderable risk of death or acute and/or chronic brain damage. But that doesn't mean that they can't be, like the rest of us, bundles of insecurity and mental health issues. Those issues can put a fighter at greater danger - for example, because of a fear of retiring and facing an unknown, anonymous future. And they can be harder to address because of the blows that fighters take to their heads, which can exacerbate existing mental health problems and increase new ones. In this episode, Dr. Carlos Alarid, a psychologist with UC San Diego, and Dr. David Conant-Norville, a psychiatric consultant to the US Anti-Doping Authority (USADA), discuss the need for, and challenges surrounding, mental health awareness and treatment in boxing. They also discuss what fighters can do for their own mental health - from getting enough sleep to surrounding themselves with a supportive inner circle. It’s a fascinating look at a side of the sport that arguably does not receive the attention it deserves. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

NOTE: This episode was previously posted with an editing error. We have re-edited and re-uploaded it.This episode's guest is Dr. Daniel Eichner, President and Director of the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Utah, one of just two World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA)-accredited labs in the United States. Having previously served with both the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), Dr. Eichner brings a wealth of experience to the subject of testing for and combating the use of performance-enhancing drugs.In this interview, Dr. Eichner discusses how samples are collected and tested, how PEDs are produced and distributed and by whom, which PEDs are particularly prevalent, and more. Call us biased, but we found it a fascinating explanation of the sample testing process and the ongoing battle against dopers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Tim Bradley, who won world titles at 140 and 147 pounds and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023, has long been one of the most open and honest people in the sport. In this episode, he talks about what he misses about being in the ring (spoiler alert: pretty much nothing), about the post-concussion symptoms he suffered following a fight with Ruslan Provodnikov, and about being at peace with what the future may hold in terms of his health. He also discusses sparring, diet, finances, being a commentator for ESPN, and resisting PEDs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

The podcast returns after a break for the holidays with a brand new episode. Joining us are Drs. Nitin Sethi and Michael Schwartz, who help oversee fighter safety in New York and Connecticut, respectively. They talk about licensing fighters, when to stop fights, testing for PEDs, and their biggest concerns for fighter safety and welfare. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

In this episode, we're joined by John Hornewer, veteran lawyer and adviser to multiple champions including Chris Byrd, Roy Jones, Lennox Lewis, and Wladimir Klitschko, among many others.John talks about the many things that go into looking out for a fighter, from contracts and purses to confirming the ring is the agreed size. It's a great conversation with someone who is well-known in boxing circles but who does his best to yield the fame and spotlight to his clients. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

Andy Foster has graduated from being an MMA fighter in Georgia to the Executive Director of the California State Athletic Commission. In this episode of the podcast, he discusses how California approves fights, licenses - and unlicenses - fighters, overseesdrug testing, and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com

In the very first episode of The Fighter Health Podcast, VADA's Dr. Margaret Goodman addresses some of the myths and misconceptions about VADA and what it does and doesn't do. She describes the process of testing fighters for PEDs, what VADA tests for, and what happens when an athlete provides a positive sample. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fighterhealthpodcast.substack.com