Made In Chaos with Ryan Curtis

Ryan Curtis
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

Made In Chaos is a podcast about resilience, mental toughness, and rebuilding your life after everything collapses. Hosted by former MMA fighter Ryan Curtis, who survived a catastrophic training accident that left him paralysed from the neck down, this show explores what it really takes to recover - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Each episode digs into adversity, discipline, identity, trauma, growth, recovery, and personal development, sharing lessons that help you create lasting change and a stronger future.

  1. 3h ago

    Why Do So Many Working-Class Young Men End Up in Prison? - Bob Cullen

    He Went From Addiction, Violence and a Seven-and-a-Half Year Prison Sentence to Studying the Very Behaviour That Destroyed His Life. Bob Cullen on Violence, Class and Whether People Can Really Change. Bob Cullen grew up in Blanchardstown as, by his own account, a shy and sensitive kid — and became a violent, addicted young man who ended up serving over seven years in prison. What makes his story extraordinary is what he did next: he studied criminology from his cell, and is now finishing a master's, trying to understand exactly what turns an ordinary child into a violent criminal. Ryan — who shares a lot of common ground with Bob — sits down for a genuinely thought-provoking, at times challenging conversation that pushes back on both sides. What we get into: What actually turns an ordinary kid into a violent criminalWhy Bob believes violence is a "pathogen" you catch through proximityMasculinity, patriarchy, and how young men build status when they have nothingWhy he argues the harsher a system punishes, the more crime it createsThe difference between explaining your actions and excusing themSystemic vs street crime: why a bike shed can cost more than people go to prison for stealingWhy the same few postcodes fill every prison in the countryAddiction, two suicide attempts, and the moment he decided to stopPrison abolition — what it actually means, and the pushback he getsDelusional self-confidence, luck, and the doors that have to openRoutine, discipline, neurodivergence, and how structure saved himThe one lesson he learned the hard way: the love you need has to come from youRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis If anything in this episode affects you, support is available in Ireland. Samaritans are free, 24/7, on 116 123. Pieta (suicide and self-harm support) is on 1800 247 247, or text HELP to 51444. The HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline is on 1800 459 459. 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  2. Sep 2

    Paul Hughes: The Steroid Problem in MMA Is Worse Than You Think

    Doctors Told Him He Might Never Fight Again. Now He's One of the Best Fighters Ireland Has Ever Produced. Paul Hughes on Injuries, the Usman Fights, PEDs and the Real Cost of Winning. Paul Hughes is one of the biggest names in Irish MMA — a former Cage Warriors world champion who's twice gone five rounds with Usman Nurmagomedov for a world title, and beaten some of the best fighters on the planet. But the road here nearly ended before it started: multiple hand fractures early in his career had doctors telling him he might have to retire. Ryan — who's trained alongside Paul at Fight Academy Ireland — sits down with him for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about belief, sacrifice, and the parts of the fight game nobody sees. What we get into: Where his almost abnormal competitiveness actually comes fromThe brutal reality of cutting weight, and why it's the hardest part of the sportDelusional self-belief, "proof," and how confidence is really builtFour hand fractures, surgery, and two years out at 19 — and what got him throughThe "filter": why every level weeds more people out, and how he uses that mindsetWhy "success is just who's willing to suffer more" — and the real cost of winningThe two Usman fights, and how good Usman Nurmagomedov actually isThe untold story: fighting the second Usman fight on a badly broken bodyWhy he views MMA as "kill or be killed" in the cage, and pure respect afterFighter pay, fighter welfare, and why so many leave the sport with nothingThe PED problem in MMA, out-of-competition testing, and why he's speaking outWhy he chose PFL over the UFC — and has no regretsWhat he wants to do when fighting's overRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  3. Aug 26

    How To Reprogram An Addicted Brain Through Hypnosis & Neuroplasticity - Angela Carney

    She Was Sober for 16 Years. Then She Lost It All, and at 53 Rebuilt Her Brain From Scratch. Angela Carney on Hypnosis, Addiction and the Subconscious Mind. Angela Carney got sober in her early thirties and stayed sober for 16 years while building a successful business from nothing. Then her mother died, the pressure mounted, and a "harmless" habit reopened a door she thought was closed for good. What followed was years of cross-addiction, the loss of her business, and a rock-bottom moment at 53 where she sat down and Googled four words: "Can I fix my brain?" What she found, neuroplasticity, the theta brainwave state, and the power of the subconscious mind, became the foundation of her recovery and her work today as a hypnotherapist helping others beat addiction. Ryan sits down with Angela for a genuinely fascinating conversation about how the mind actually works. What we get into: How someone relapses after 16 years sober and what "cross-addiction" really meansWhy your dopamine system never forgets, and how addiction hijacks the reward pathwayThe conscious mind is 5% of you your subconscious runs the other 95%Why you can consciously want to stop and still be unable toNeuroplasticity: why your brain can change at any age, not just before 25The theta brainwave state, and how the first 7 years quietly shape your whole lifeThe night Angela felt overwhelming joy in the middle of withdrawal, and what it taught herWhy advertising is a form of legal hypnosis, from Pringles to NikeWhy the subconscious doesn't hear the word "don't", and how to talk to it insteadSelf-pity versus self-compassion, "mood hoovers," and training your brain toward the positiveRyan's own visualisation story after his accident, and where it overlaps with Angela'sHer message to anyone who's tried to stop ten times and thinks this is just who they areRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis If anything in this episode affects you, support is available in Ireland. The HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline is free and confidential on 1800 459 459, and Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123. 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

    How To Reprogram An Addicted Brain Through Hypnosis & Neuroplasticity - Angela Carney

  4. Aug 19

    He Built a Property Empire Without Owning a Single Property - Adam McEnroe

    He Grew Up in the Flats Obsessed With Money. Now He Runs 55 Properties Across Four Countries — Without Owning a Single One. Adam McEnroe grew up in Dolphin's Barn, obsessed with money from the age of four — selling toys off the step, hustling card games, always looking for the next way up. What he didn't have was anyone around him who'd built real success, or the belief that someone from his area could. This episode is the story of how he built one anyway. Ryan sits down with Adam for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about money, mindset, business and the reality behind the highlight reel. What we get into: Growing up money-obsessed in the flats, and what poverty really looked likeWhy "the poorer the area, the bigger the brand" — and the trap of going broke to look richThe boss and mentor who gave him one-on-one business lessons and changed everythingHow he discovered the rent-to-rent Airbnb model everyone laughed atThe day he found out he was having a son and his mam had cancer — and why it lit the fireBuilding the business from Dubai, the early losses, and getting scammed out of thousandsAirbnb and the housing crisis: genuine cause or easy scapegoat?Why he believes most people buy houses for the wrong reasonsThe reality of business nobody sees: the losses, the pressure, the day-to-day grindEndurance, hardship and why not everyone is cut out for businessTaking accountability, ego, and what religion taught him about handling hard timesRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  5. Aug 12

    Chats in the Flats Creator Richie Power on Showing the Real Working-Class Dublin

    People Are Quick to Judge the Flats. Very Few Ever Stop to Listen. Richie Power Is Changing That. Richie Power grew up in the Liberties and created Chats in the Flats — the Instagram page showcasing a side of working-class Dublin that rarely makes the headlines: the humour, the talent, the grief, the pride and the sense of community behind the concrete. In a media landscape built on clicks and the worst-case story, Richie set out to show the everyday people instead. Ryan sits down with him for a warm, wide-ranging conversation about community, identity, the power of the mind and the Dublin we're at risk of losing. What we get into: Growing up in the Liberties and only realising later how different it wasWhy he built Chats in the Flats one authentic take at a time, against the hook-and-chop grain of social mediaHow the local credit union helped him get it off the groundWhy the media only seems to notice the flats when something bad happensThe accent as identity — and why he'll pronounce his words but never change how he speaksOld Dublin, and the fear that we're losing it block by blockWhy he keeps his focus local — self, family, community — before anything elseThe doctor's throwaway comment that changed how Richie's guest on the show, Ryan, thinks about the mind foreverHis late mother's words: "Let yesterday's news get you through this journey. Don't let this journey ruin yesterday's news"Why being Irish, and being proud of where you're from, is a kind of superpowerRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis | and Chats in the Flats on Instagram 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  6. Aug 5

    One of Ireland's Best ADHD Therapists on Anxiety, Overthinking & the Emotional Mind - Enda Murphy

    Why Do You Keep Repeating the Same Patterns Even When You Desperately Want to Change? One of Ireland's Best-Known CBT Therapists Explains. Most people think their problems are stress, anger, anxiety, bad habits or overthinking. But what if a lot of the chaos in your life is coming from patterns you don't even realise you're repeating? Enda Murphy is a psychotherapist, author and one of Ireland's best-known CBT therapists. He's spent decades helping people understand the emotional mind — why we react the way we do, why we avoid uncomfortable feelings, why we sabotage ourselves, and why so many people get stuck in the same cycles even when they want out. Ryan sits down with Enda for a genuinely eye-opening conversation about how the mind actually works. What we get into: Why the way you describe yourself is almost never who you really areADHD, neurodivergence, and why Enda calls it a difference, not a disorderHow the emotional mind works, and why your feelings aren't factsWhy you keep repeating patterns you consciously hateThe real reason people avoid uncomfortable feelingsWhy trying to force happiness often backfiresWhat anxiety actually is, and how to relate to it differentlyHow to actually break a cycle instead of white-knuckling itWhy self-awareness is the starting point for real changePractical ways to interrupt the patterns running your lifeRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis This conversation is for information and reflection, not a substitute for professional support. If you're struggling, help is available in Ireland — Samaritans are free, 24/7, on 116 123, or text About It on 50808. 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  7. Jul 29

    A Working-Class Poet on Masculinity, the Manosphere & What a Man Actually Is - Emmet O'Brien

    A Working-Class Poet Who Can Perform for Thousands But Struggles to Say How He Feels. Emmett O'Brien on Grief, Masculinity & Finding a Voice. Emmett O'Brien is a poet, actor and storyteller from Cabra who's built a reputation for putting into words what so many people feel but never quite know how to say. He started writing at 13, after a 14-year-old friend was killed in a hit-and-run and a counsellor suggested he find a way to express it. What began as rap became spoken word, and it's carried him from ten people in a basement to stages across the world. Ryan sits down with Emmett for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about creativity, class, masculinity and mental health. What we get into: Growing up in Cabra and why he was the "outlandish" kidStarting to write at 13 to deal with the death of his friendHow rap became spoken word, and the artists who shaped himThe working-class accent as identity, and being paid to write but not to speakWhy he can perform for thousands but can't talk about his own feelingsThe one-man play about hitting rock bottom that nobody knew was about himGrief, his ma's passing, and the moment his emotions finally opened upMasculinity, the manosphere, and what a man actually isWhy it's good men capable of violence, who choose not to use it, who matterImposter syndrome, Damien Dempsey, Kelly Harrington and self-doubtCalculated luck, the 10,000 hours, and why sacrifice is the whole gameSurrounding yourself with genuine people, not yes-menRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis If anything in this episode resonates with you, support is available in Ireland. Samaritans are free and available 24/7 on 116 123, and Text About It can be reached by texting 50808. 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar, Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

  8. Jul 22

    Why You Can’t Buy a House & What The Housing Crisis In Ireland Is Really About - Ray Cooke

    He Built One of Ireland's Best-Known Estate Agencies, Lost Almost Everything in the Crash, and Came Back. Ray Cooke on Housing, Money & Sacrifice. Whether you're trying to buy your first home, stuck renting, investing, or you're just convinced the whole system is broken, you have an opinion on the housing market. Ray Cooke has watched it all from the inside. He built one of Ireland's most recognisable estate agency brands, survived the 2008 crash when he couldn't afford to feed himself, and has seen firsthand how policy, interest rates and supply shape thousands of lives. Ryan sits down with Ray for an honest, no-spin conversation that goes well beyond house prices. What we get into: Growing up in Rathcoole, dyslexia, and why hard work became his "superpower"Working in the pub at 11 and the money habit that shaped everythingSetting up his business in 2005, then watching the 2008 crash nearly destroy itViewing one house 82 times before it sold, and living on beans on toastThe bank manager who ripped up his business plan three times and saved himWhy 2008 won't happen again, and how lending has completely changedThe truth about estate agents, ghost bidding and why they get so much abuseWhether the housing crisis is really the agents' fault, or the government'sHis honest, blunt take on sacrifice, saving and getting on the ladderWhat he'd change first if he woke up as housing ministerHow to build wealth starting with 20 grandThe biggest money mistake ordinary people make without realisingRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing. Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis 🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

See All (39)

Trailer

About

Made In Chaos is a podcast about resilience, mental toughness, and rebuilding your life after everything collapses. Hosted by former MMA fighter Ryan Curtis, who survived a catastrophic training accident that left him paralysed from the neck down, this show explores what it really takes to recover - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Each episode digs into adversity, discipline, identity, trauma, growth, recovery, and personal development, sharing lessons that help you create lasting change and a stronger future.

Information