MMA Fighting - Coffee Talk: UFC 246 Edition

Episode Date: January 20, 2020

After UFC 246, MMA Fighting's José Youngs, Peter Carroll, Esther Lin, and Casey Leydon break down the top storylines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. MMIFighting.com and we have wrapped up UFC 246. We're all very tired because we're working so hard. So what's a good remedy? Are you tired if you're too tired? Good question. But I'll tell you what. I'm in the move for some coffee.

How about you guys? What is? Sunday? I'm in a coffee. I'm in a move for coffee and talking. Well, I've just got the show for that, would you believe? Walking the coffee and talking If you can somehow shorten that, I don't know.

We need to plunge this talking cough. Alright, here we go. Power up, team. Wait, wait, wait, I want the girl. Your ham is hell as that. Wonder twin powers, activate. Right now. So what are we drinking Esther then?

We are drinking Stump Town Founders Blends. Ooh, one of my faves. Baves. Lovely. All right. And you, what is this? This is some, some, in your hand? Swolemore shit.

Oh. Sorry, out milk creamer. Very nice. I'm usually a full milk kind of going, but I'm willing to expand it here. All you people from the new world. I like my coffee is so black. There's an event horizon. I actually prefer black coffee with sugar, but for the purposes of not drinking too much of.

You're going to have to pour this in a month. You want to, you want me to pour that fee? Do you trust me with that? No, but we have, this is a trust building. Tony Robbins was in the building this week, so I have to learn how to trust. Was he actually at the fight, yeah? Oh, yeah, I have a picture of him in O'Connor. He's a big lad.

Yeah, there we go. Yes. A big lad. Yeah, so I mean. A lad. Is he a mad lad? No, he's fairly, hey, don't hit my crystal. It's pretty conservative, I don't think.

I don't like anyone, if people haven't noticed. You know all that crystals right out. Yeah. Of course they notice. But what's going on here? Do you do you cheers coffee? Yeah, let's try it. Cheers, cheers.

Yeah? What are we cheering? I don't know. I did it twice, did you know. We did it, yeah. So the Boston Red Sox. Houston Astros. But yeah, so I guess the big thing

everyone's talking about today is the return of Connor McGregor. And is he back in the good graces of the MMA community and the international fan base? I mean, it seems like that. I'm not going to lie. He came in and he beats Soroni and we all expect him to beat him. But it feels like everything's different today. Even in Ireland, I feel like this win has really transformed what he means to the people.

Well, I can't answer for international. Because I live about 45 minutes flight away in Phoenix. But in America, it didn't really feel like his stock as a fighter and his celebrity fell much. It was basically like out of sight, out of mind. Like, since he wasn't fighting, he wasn't. relevant but as soon as the fight got announced I had a lot of people asking me questions but again I'm not I've never been

to Ireland so I don't know how I couldn't answer that question you'd have it better well I think I think really what we're asking does winning erase everything that's happened outside the cage yeah yeah he lost against Habib he lost against Floyd big what everyone's losers we think we've kind of

accepted this he lost it he lost a two undefeated fighters too yeah so yeah he lost two better fighters yeah but him being winning last night in spectacular fashion does it erase

punching old men alleged yeah and everything throwing things to buses like is that all just what he won so

yeah like what are we why what changed I think I think the fact that he was so out of control and all of these

things kept coming up like the the bar incident and the guy's phone, even scaling the cage at Bellator with Goddard and all that. I think he just seemed so out of control. I forgot about that. He's wearing a bear costume. Yeah. He's wearing a bear costume during that.

But there was also the incident in Dansk where he, you know, there was some type of a homophobic slur backstage. I think the camera caught him. But there was a lot of things. And it just seemed like he was completely unhinged. So I think the fact that he showed up this week, he was pretty conservative compared to his usual self. Seemed like he had his had his, like, you know, stuff together. and then he went in and won. I think that kind of, as far as people are concerned,

it looks like he has a hold of himself again, at least. You know what I mean? Like, and that's better than what was happening. I think, I think that's what it is. But that's why this was just absolutely brilliant matchmaking. Oh, yeah, I agree. Just a brilliant matchmaking by the UFC. And Cowboys Serony just played the perfect role.

It was just perfect for him, the timing of everything, to have this big name fighter, a guy that you could, Cell has most heckignog has most this most that most of this and statistically yeah it looks like a very legitimate fight but you look at his record was been knocked out three times in the last six months yeah hard to look past um badly broken nose only in June of last year um then because I got blown up yeah but broken

nose that all is part of the whole facial breaking um then going basically straight back into camp again by Justin Gachie, we know how that went, then what takes a couple weeks off, goes straight back into camp again, fights last night. And two those were a lightweight too. Yeah,

so two big weight cuts, two hellacious beatings, and as soon as one shoulder hits the face, what did you get from the Gerewhipyce of the cage? So what did you feel like from Cowboy? Like, I mean, you've covered so many of his fights. Did you know what's anything in his demeanor when he came out, first of all, or anything like that? But it was way too far away.

I was, like, looking down the cage. No, I didn't actually really notice anything, although he had this back to me, and I didn't actually watch his walkout as closely because I was trying to get, like, a big wide shot of the arena. But because it was a Connor fight. It wasn't a cowboy fight. Right. Yeah, that's what I mean. But I was just getting a wide shot of the arena and all the kind of stuff.

So I didn't actually watch him walk in, but he seemed fine. What I would say is that he did take a lot more than one shoulder strike to the face, but it was pretty apparent right away within like two or three shots. I was like, oh, this is going to be done soon. And especially when Cowboy missed that head kick, you were like, ooh. Like, he just looked completely out of so. Yeah, he was completely out of sorts already by that point. So you're like, this is going to end pretty soon.

And all I could really think was, yeah, he's been knocked out three times in the last six months. what was it five times in 18 months um these aren't good stats but at the same time you want to like actually the thing I wanted to bring up most of all was when

Casey and I were talking about this fight and a lot of people were bringing up how Connor was like polite all week and this and that and how that was playing right into Saroni because he's better when he's you know no he's better when he's nice to someone with someone who wants to brawl with him Connor played all week

like he was gonna brawl with him like yeah we're gonna have an or not but he would let Cowboys say we're gonna have exciting war that's gonna be this and that Connor never had an intention of having war Forrest punch like to load it up on the left line and he won't

his intention was completely to end that in the first minute. Didn't Connor say in like this week said I wouldn't mind the spike going longer He said he wants rounds under his belt Yeah that's a lie And we fell for that.

I think even the previous show, we're like, ooh, this fight might go a little long. It might be a good war. And like, in that, huh? Calvin had said he expected to finish in the fourth or fifth round, but then at the press comments, Connor was like, I don't know about that now. He's like, I feel like a cool bit already.

That seems, to me, it seems like a really good game planning all week, or mental game, you know. That's what people were saying, like, is this like mental thing, whatever, is it just being nice? And I was like, it is a mental game because he basically tricked Cowboy into thinking that he was going to have a fun fight with him. And that was not at all.

That did not look for him. That is not at all what Connor's intention was. Like Connor being the, probably the first two and a half minutes, first round, Connor is, I think, the best fighter in the world. Yeah. Oh, yeah. The first, like 100% going against a notoriously, notoriously slow fighter, slow starter. Soroni.

And then you get and Seroni said that, we're going to have like a little filling out. entertain the fans before we really get into it. Yeah. Jeez, that was, that was just brilliant, brilliant mind games by Connor. Yeah. Yeah. Is there anything to be said for the fact that we've never really seen him throw those shoulder strikes, you know, like, we've never seen him.

He doesn't throw a lot of head kicks. He used to encays warriors, like I remember against Mendezzi, he might have thrown a few head kicks, but is there anything to be said that we've seen a few new wrinkles in his game here, do you think or no? I don't think, I don't think at all. I think, I think any other top welterweight that you're not going to knocking him out shoulder strikes. It's not all of a sudden he has like a secret weapon they can pull out of his bad

Yeah. Also, Benton Henderson's stolen those before. Yeah, I've seen a lot of players stole those. Yeah. But have you ever seen a lot of people throw them to that extent? Because it felt like after three at O's surrounding was back and open and the head kick came. No, because normally they do it right up against the cage and I think you can kind of just like,

uh, a ceremony just wasn't, I just wasn't expecting it. And then, and most guys, most guys don't get knocked out two previous times six months before that Anna had a broken face. The second they separated, I could already see, like, sort of space is already swollen. Connor hurt a broken nose. He made a broken nose more broken. Yeah. He, there was a lot of damage on his face.

Actually, I noticed that at the end of the, the fight when they're standing there to get the official decision, and the cowboy's still holding the kind of monster energy. I'm like, can this guy be any better for the company? Like, I mean, can not take a second for yourself there, you know? It was just strange, I thought, like the whole scene there at the very end, you know? But it does feel like, from an Irish point of view, I guess the flag became the symbol of Connor McGregor in America. He was always draped in the Troy color and stuff.

And that's our national identity. So I guess when he started acting so poorly, people felt as though it was having a negative effect on the Irish identity. But the fact that he's come in here and he's been well-behaved all week and he gets a resounding victory. And you got to remember, the people are tuning into Connemn-Regger fights in Ireland are not MMA fans. They're just, they're tuning in to see their going to fight.

So I feel like it's changed. Not everybody, but not by a long shot, but the people who say were casual fans that were traveling to these events that were, you know, just there for the Connor stuff, I feel like he has gained a lot of ground back on them, just over and just over and just based on that. And that doesn't mean everybody in Ireland,

that's just the people who are interested or slowly interested in MMA. Okay. I, would, um, are people very upset about the, oh,

yeah, life outside? Yeah. In Ireland? Because that would say here, people are fairly forgiving. Oh, well, like, I think it matters. Because we're not, we're not, well, everyone's Irish, but not really Irish, you know,

like, so like, when you tell us these things, like, you know, he really hurt the national pride, you know, like, it's like, no, he represents Ireland and he's doing these things. Yeah. But to us over here, we're like, that's funny. Yeah. It doesn't have the same emotion. I don't want to say funny. Well, I mean, as far as like, oh, the Irish fans are, you know, they're not like behind

their guy. Like, what doesn't matter? Like, it doesn't affect me as a fan. I found, like, you know, like, yeah, when he wasn't fighting, they weren't behind their guy. But even, like, people who were like, oh, I don't care who wins this fight. When the fight started, they were suddenly like, it's like something inside them. You know, like a primal thing kicks in where, like, you have, like. We push that guy up as, like, this is the, you know, this is what it is to be Irish.

So I feel like that's something that's going to be hard to separate from him. And there's people that absolutely don't want him to be that guy. But certainly the people who tuned in to see the fight last night, I feel like, he's gained some ground back well i mean did he ever lose grounds you know like in terms of like this like we were talking about the uh the wayans and stuff and you're like yeah maybe it isn't like mandez and alo but it's still bigger than anything else you know it still felt bigger than any actually it still felt bigger than pretty much any john jones fight maybe outside of john dc outside of john dc i mean it Connor is still leaps of bounds ahead of in popularity and why than any other ufee fighter

just by himself he doesn't need an opponent the opponent's bonus well in terms of in terms of losing any ground you brought up brought up that he doesn't kind of doesn't get in the credit for having the perfect nickname yeah it's so good perfect it was always perfect it was always it was always notorious of course he was always gonna be a his always gonna be larger than his persona in the cave or whatever so do you think what do you think of how he handled the win then last night he immediately got down to his knees he you know he was really quiet and then he when he did the flag he was very quiet

He hugged Cowboys' grandmother. He hugged. She kind of went up to him. Well, she pointed at her and then she was like, come here! And then they were like, we were talking about earlier this week. All the time he had these big call to actions for Ireland. And so it would kind of hit home and people would be like, you know, they'd swell with National Breyd. Yeah.

He actually didn't do much that at all this week until he won. And then he went full on St. Patrick. You know what I mean? Like he was, he didn't stop at the post-fight press conference. He did. And he needed to do that. He took some time to speak to RTE, the national broadcaster afterwards. Yeah.

And I think that's important. I think he stopped doing that for a while and he lost touch with the people at home and I think that needs to be done. And, you know, this, of course, there's still other things that need to be resolved before he's going to be fully accepted back. But, you know, I think that was a really good first step back into, you know, gaining back the trust of the people, really. I have a question. Does he need the trust of the people to make money? No. Yeah, I was about to say that too.

I think it means something to him. It's very patriotic. It might mean something to him. I don't think it affects his bank account at all. No. Because that and that's what makes them such a great prize fighter. Just like Floyd, as many people that pay that $60 to watch them win, there's an equal amount of people that pay that $60 to watch them lose.

And that's where I think the great prize fighters do, John Jones, you either pay to watch them win or you pay to watch them lose. I think it's Ronda. Ronda is the same way. You know, you pay to watch your lose. You pay to watch your win. Conner's the same way he said he didn't lose anything as far as like Notarity only adds to that

Banking out yeah yeah it's also like it's good that they come out right and like we're not taught Like it's new news like there's new stories here like it's not like where nothing has happened He's not fought and all we have is these controversies like I mean From the brand point of view of McGregor that was perfect because now we're talking Masbidal Habib all these different things he all these different quotes he gave you know He's made lots of news. Out of one fight, it's... At 40 seconds.

Yeah, so many people are talking about so many different things. Abed, Masvedal, you know, what's going to happen? So I think really strong from his brand point of view, right? Mm-hmm. I mean, we got more questions off of the 40-second win than going in. I felt like when the last coffee talk we had, we were like, Connor wins he's going to fight Horhead. That seems to be the...

I mean, you were in the same boat. Now there's still like... There's five people he could fight. Yeah, I still think... but I'll have. That's the biggest fight they can make. So next fight. So what's thanks for Connor?

Yeah, I think that's a great fight to make. It should be horror, especially if this report of Kamar Uzman having being injured again. And I don't hate the idea of Connor versus Jorge for an intro title. That sucks. Okay.

Connor versus Jorge for the inaugural 165 belt. Oh, shit, that's a good idea. Yeah, I actually think that the BMS title... This is the perfect time. This is the PMS title is essentially the 165 belt anyway. Yeah, yeah, okay. Just make it the 165 belt. dude like that makes it just be i don't need to love that as well Connor would love to be involved

in a new the birth of a new division okay okay this yeah this is me yeah this is my yeah i'm not need a cut wait just show up as like i mean making you all of this all it is like all it is like who's you're gonna fight next like i'm still moyles away from going connor walks in there and he's going to starch masvada he's going to go in and start to eat like I mean, I still think it's a huge leap to go from Soroni to one of those guys. Well, you mean, at the end of the day, still, he beat a very, very unranked welterweight. Yeah. He beat a very shop-worn lightweight at Welchewa.

Yeah. It was a hydrated lightweight flight. And that's how, that's how Dana sold it. Yeah. There's two lightweights who aren't kind of weight. He beat a 54 over today. That's what you're saying at the press comments. But then, of course, afterwards, Dana's like, you look.

great at water weight. They know, you look great at lightweight. Actually. But it is, you know, we were talking about this year today. Like the vintage McGregor was always going after the biggest fish. And Seroni just isn't the biggest fish.

And maybe that's why people didn't. It didn't feel as though there was too much skin in the game this time. You always rooted for him because he seemed like an underdog. Yeah. Against Beweather or against Aldo, all that stuff.

It's Alvara, Eddie. And then she doesn't seem like he was Yeah He was always trying to conquer new worlds Right Against cowboy It just seemed like he was picking on an old man

Well yeah Coming into this fight week I said this fight week Felt similar to Mayweather versus Guerrera Guerrero Yeah

Who was a very Top-level fighter But it was really just a fight To kind of keep Mayweather's bank account full And to keep his name out there Yeah And that's what this kind of felt like too

Yeah Yeah it's I mean, the thing was, right, if he had gone in on and lost his own, he would have been detrimental. You know? Like, can you imagine that? It would have been the war's loss. It would have been bad for everyone involved outside of capital.

I couldn't imagine it happening. No, but I was never saying that ahead of the Mayweather for you. I was never saying that. Yeah. Like losing to Habib who's no one's being, losing to Mayweather, who's no one has been, even losing to Aldo, the greatest feather, whatever, losing Eddie Alvers, who at the time people were saying was one of,

if not the greatest light, whatever. I was like, yeah, you lost the best. Yeah, it would have been fine. You just beat the guy who know the narrative has never won a big fight. Yeah. Which case you was not, did not agree with. He did not agree with. Yeah, yeah.

Now, he's being softball. He just doesn't, he's actually having been top balls, but any, any name, like in any high level. At a high level. But is it good? Is it good for the sport to have McGregor back winning, creating storylines? Is it definitely good for the UFC?

see his wallet, right? It's definitely good for his wallet, but is it good for everything? Like, I mean, there was a situation then when he had two toilets where it felt like everything got held up. He didn't fight, you know? Like, I mean, he kind of, yeah, his presence in the, in the multiple divisions actually held up progress. Yeah. In terms of moving people up and down the ranks and finding new contenders and things like that. It also set a precedent that champions could sit out for bigger fights. Right. And set a precedent that you could cut in line if you were just louder. You know,

or what it can make money. Yeah. Yeah. So. I personally don't think it's good for the sport. It's good for bank accounts. Yeah.

It's not good for the, it's not good for a high level competition. Like if, you just pour coffee at yourself? So excited. Casey is so just baffled by this notion

of money fighting that he's just formed. But it's, yeah, so what you mean. I don't think there's any more in there. Oh,

this sucks. You need. I mean, it's, it's, it's, this is the worst day in case. Yeah. You mean, it's like, bad for the sport in terms of, um, it could hold up a lot of things. It could maybe obscure people who deserve things because he'd get it before. Do you think Aldo would be getting a shot against Henry Sehudo of Connor hadn't done all that, like cut making, skipping the line, big thing? Basically, you can come up.

Losers get title shots. Right. You think he invented that? No, like, do you think Aldo would have had gone to fight Sehudo? Like this whole double weight thing and everything. Connor started all that. Like, BISB sat out for a year and a half,

almost a year and a half waiting for GSP. And that held up the division like crazy. Yeah. And that's because Connor set that precedent like, hey, I'm gonna, that's why he makes fighters like Max Holloway. He's like, I'll just fight whoever.

Kind of like down there, like the rare breed in MMA. Max is like, I could go up to lightweight and have a champ versus champ fight or I could rematch Connor. He's like, no, I'll fight. I was Andrew Volcanowski.

I'll fight Brian Ortega. And off John Jones fighting, Tiago Santos and Dominic Reyes. seems like a weird thing nowadays. Like fighting, actually fighting number one contenders, feels weird now. So his presence,

basically, Nullofo is the meritocracy element of the sport. I mean, that's the kind of joke I kept saying, like, oh, great winning by Connor. I guess he's going to fight Gagie next. You know, well.

Everyone knows, of course that's not going to happen. Of course he'll never fight Gae. Because that, because that, like, if we say it's good for the sport, those are good for the sport, they're like, oh, cool,

now we can have the best fight the best for, you know, for the number one contest. That would be good for the sport. It's not good for bank accounts. It's better for business. Not go for the sport. I understand.

I still, I'm on the fence about this, but like, I don't, I don't think Connor actually creates MMA fans. I don't think he makes the sport bigger. No, they're Connor fans. They're Connor fans. Yeah. There are exceptions because I do know a lot of people that they became Conner fans. And then when he became this, like, this character, they were like, well, I actually

realize they like M.A. So they stick around, but. He's introduced so many people in Europe to MMA, I think. I don't know. Maybe, I think it is different. I think it is different in Europe. Yeah. Especially as far as making the sport bigger, but I think over here.

Well, I think that's why they're keeping on, like, not in Ireland, but like the U.S. is for that big Mexican star to, like, make, like, they might not, they don't know enough by MMA, but if they get a person that they can latch onto, then they can learn about the sport. He just, I know I keep on time, but, I mean, it did kind of overshadowed the whole event, right? Like, I mean, it seemed like that's all it was about getting Connor back to winning ways, right? Like, we got the exact result that everyone wanted pretty much. I didn't really care what the end result was.

It was just if Connor winning would create more story length. This was like, it was a perfect game for the UFC promotional-wise this week. Perfect game. Like, good. And then even Connor was like in the post-way press conference, I don't know, or I can't remember it was the press conference with the interview. He's like, I just beat the guy with the most head kick knockouts with a head kick. he's like that was another thing he added he added to himself he's like I just head kicked Cowboys Seroni who has head kicked more people in UFC history like yeah to me that's

equivalent to a championship and I was like oh this is another thing you're gonna get to your to your repertoire yeah and he's like I have more than a left hand I have a left shoulder too I was like yeah this is just more things that are gonna be brought up it's yeah like I mean what like are you know you seem a little are you not like over joyed as an Irish man right now? Like, like, oh my God. He is an ethical journalist who watches things unbiased to say it. No, it feels like, I think it's cool.

What's your reaction video when he won, man? Oh, God. You like, jumped in a pot of gold, right? That's how worse. He's like, 50 points against. Yeah, we're going to release that video. So I'm saying the devil is dead, the devil is dead. But, yeah, I think that was just what had to happen.

Like, I said it from the get-go. He has to be on his best behavior. He has to put his best foot forward. But, like, look, if something happens now and there's another incident that he hit in the guy or anything like that, everything goes to shit. Like, you know, he has to be squeaky clean from here on it. But why?

What do you mean? Because you could go to jail. Okay, outside of the jail thing. That's a, I would think, like, that's pretty important. But he's not in jail. He's not in jail. What if he can't enter the country? He's not.

Then what happened in Moscow? No, all of a sudden, like, well, some of the paper views of Moscow. What are you talking about? I don't, I, like, he's got, like, what, $50,000 billion? He's like, they don't go to, who's ever gone to jail that much money? I think he's viewing it as if Connor does something else and it goes to hell, all the Irish people are going to hate him again. And, like, it's not, he's not, he's not, I, like, I know what Horace,

that people are saying about the Irish people. He said, he said it about me. I made the, I made the video. and then he was saying it was a mad narrative. But how many Irish people did you meet apart from me this week? You? No, like I'm not. They didn't travel.

They didn't travel, right? Yeah, the other journalists. That was not bullshit. Like, that was not a fabricated storyline. ESPN wrote a story about it. The national broadcast wrote a story about it. I mean, it was pretty evident. But I feel like they needed the win.

They needed to create some time momentum to compel them to go again. And that's why I feel like he's gotten off to a good step there. but and I know it means something to him. Obviously, why would you say, you know, it was, it was a trash storyline if it was true, you know? So that's what you mean. Yeah. If he, like, kick someone's cat, it's going to be like,

oh, that wouldn't go down well, yeah. Say it so upset. If you're more hard as bank account, you kick a cat, you beat Maslow. You're out, sir. You're out, sir. Yeah. Yeah.

I don't know that cat. But that's not just Connor. And it's not just down the night, like Tiger Woods, toys and Fury. There was endless amount of sports stars that have hit hard times and then as soon as they get a big win again

It's like, you know, Tyson Fury with homophobic slurries He had an issue with a drug test I believe that was all sorted out though But these were two bad things He had the Deonté Wilder fight and it was gone And now in fairness, I felt The difference between Toys and Fury and Connor was

Fury went on this long PR room Remember he was appearing on every show in the world And explain to people how he changed How his behaviour wasn't great And how he's, you know, trying to do his best from there on. We only re-saw that in the last week before Connors' Boy. Now, he still did it, but it was just more of a concerted effort I felt from Fury. But look, it's obviously won a lot of people back again anyway. Yeah.

And I think, at least in terms of American sports fans, I don't think that they need a huge apology tour. I think just a couple of other days will work. Very small country. It's like an all, it's like a small town. So everything is just going around constantly. You know what I mean? Like, there's so many. story song, which BS as well. It's very hard to tell what's true and what's not. And some people just want to believe the worst of people as well.

You know what I mean? Like it's just the way it is. But I'm sorry. I was going to say, I was really surprised that on, you know, when we were doing all these scrums and everything this week, that might as well have better numbers than that. Does that change, do you believe, on the back of this? Like, is Connor back to being the

like the, no? No, but I think a better number but there were just so many there were so many cameras it was just like yeah a lot of that has to do I think partially with the fact that Connor was so calm this week people wanted to see what kind of crazy thing he would do and then he didn't do

anything crazy so they tuned out I still watch on Saturday but there's no need they got to see his group by spoon I feel like there was so much Connor content this week like in general and then so Mazu's all just kind of appearing was like oh this is a surprise yeah like you know like It was more like a... We didn't remember this week.

We expected anything from Mazbada. Yeah. And all of a sudden, we got two interviews, both drastically different in tone, but they were both great interviews. Yeah. The Mazvedal thing, like, do you feel as though that will be a tough one for fans to the sort of what sort of defense they're on if those two did put? It's like, like, like, remember they support?

Yeah, yeah. No, no, no, no. And that's why the fight is going to be gigantic because it's clearly, like, you want this guy, you want that guy. And it's not going to be, it's not going to be too much in between. and this is going to be the old car because like you he's already started talking now that was going to eye out here you know

you know whatever I thought that was pretty like it was that real fierce slagin like it was like you know what I mean like he's like he's like a he's like a woman at home watching the soaps that's what we that's what women in Ireland wear when they're watching soaps and stuff and it's just like you know when you could feel like as soon as he starts

winning he gets funnier as well you know what I was like oh yeah you know what I mean it's like coming out yeah yeah yeah it must have been a big pressure off the shoulder it's like boy Like, like, I just think, those photos you got of him going to the ground looking relief. He looked, he looked relieved. He did.

He's gotten very religious, like, he's referencing God all of it. Yeah, you're not wrong. No one asked him about that this week. No surprise. Like, I mean, way, like, like, I don't know, like, I'd never notice that about the guy before. Yeah. Like, John Kavana has always been a very kind of, you know, anti-God and stuff like that. Yeah.

You know, so. Yeah, and I'd never, I'd never heard of kind of disagree with him. You know what I mean? But, you know, maybe, maybe that's. something that he had to find to get himself back on track or whatever. I don't know, but I do notice that he's referencing God a lot, right?

Yeah, you know, a lot of, I think that that has a lot to do with trying to stay sober. You need that kind of, I don't know. A guiding force. Yeah, to believe that there's, just believe that there's something outside of yourself that's responsible for you.

Yeah, did have Tony Robbins there. Yeah. Is he religious, is he? I don't know. I don't know. He's tall. I know he's tall. I didn't know he was

I didn't know he was a big old thing until he walked into the Park MGM for the way-ins I didn't like I knew he of his existence but then you walked in and people freaked out who is he? Fall into their knees and all.

I don't even know who this is. Yeah. I think the like in terms of right the Habib fire or Masvedal like Masvidal like although I think I'd favor Masbid al now

it's in Conner's wheelhouses does it make if you're Conner's coach who would you prefer him before? Nate, well, John Kavanaugh has been saying

the Nate Tril's you forever. Oh yeah, but forget about that. I'm talking about Mazbidal B, Habib. Like, who would you ratify? I feel like it's only going to be as a coach.

Yeah. Mazabah. Yeah, same here. I don't think John Kavanaugh wants to go through another Habib build up. No. I think anyone outside of Dinawa

wants to go through another Habib Habib. Are we, are we just, are we done of Giji? Are we just done of him? Oh, you know, they're not going to do it.

But, But, but, like, has the drones who cover the sport? Are we just like, we don't care? If your question, if the question is, if you're, it's not going to be aging. Do we just not care? Are we over? Oh, no, I didn't say that. I'm not saying that.

It's just not going to happen. Yeah. Like, Dana, what is not? Like, he's the last person that's possibly going to be put into this point. He didn't mention, Dana didn't mention his name. Oh, I think a lot of it. Only that they have to get on the same page. Of the things that were said to Connor, boy gaichi on Twitter and stuff like that.

I think that's what really. So then who does Gaichie fight? Forier? rematch? He just has to fight guys He has to buy top dudes until he loses. Winner of Felder?

I never get the fight. He's basically fighting title fight, title fight level competition and eventually he'll lose like he did before. What a time for Tony Ferguson Trowspanter and the works here.

You know what I mean? Like this is a guy that has history of Connor too, the whole paradigm situation and stuff like that and then for him to go in there like I know we know it's a very close fight

for most people's point of view, Habib, is this, you know, undefeated destroyer, which he is, but if Tony went in and won then, I mean, is he, is he, is he, the gentleman's conversation? I mean, yeah, if Tony goes in and wins, Connor gets that fight. That'd be tasty, wouldn't they? Because then, I mean,

then, because the one thing I noticed online last night after the win was a lot of people were like, I am, I do not want to see Connor Habibu too. Yeah. Because there's nothing in his fight. against cowboy that would show that any of that would play out differently.

So no one wants to see that. Well, on the post-fight show you know the narrative is going to be pushed as Conner's refocused. Yeah.

Like, oh, it's a new Connor that didn't fight Habib which I don't think he beats Habib they fight 10 times Habib wins 10 times. Yeah. I think that's...

So you went 11 times. Like he knocks him out and then his head bounces and wakes up and he knocks him out again? This, this type of stuff, the original McGregor that of marriage, he used to love that.

He used to love when people didn't think he's going to win. And now it seems to really annoy him. Now it seems to really annoy him on people. I like that part, Connor. I like that. I'll show you. Yeah, yeah. And I want to see.

Like, I picked all the beat him. He did. I was like, oh. Yeah. Shut my mouth. All right. I bet daddy. But that was the fun part, right?

And then he seems to get like annoyed if he doesn't think he's going to. Well, I mean, after a while, you'd be like, why does everyone still doubt me? Roxanne's not like that. Well, Roxanne's, uh, Roxanne's comment was like, it is statistically proven that of all 40 something of my fights, I have in favor, once. Once. And I won.

And I won. And then I asked her who was. She was, I think it was this person. I don't know. I actually remember. It was an invictive. And that was the one fight that she was very proud of because that was our first TKO victory. She finished her elbows on the ground.

Yeah. But it was an overmatched opponent, yeah. That was, um, I felt like that they pulled Macy Barber on there. That was a huge. Are we moving on to the people's main event? The real story But it was just saying Obviously Connor brings so many new eyes

And it was a huge spot for Macy to be in But holy shit It would not go according to plan there But it kind of went exactly how I thought it was going to go I just thought that Macy I thought Roxanne was going to finish her Yeah I mean she could have if Roxanne You saw Roxanne's tweet about how

She never heard her to attack that I thought like she was going to like cut her open And then just like get a rear naked joke when Macy's like, what's happening? And then she just takes advantage of a mistake. Well, and that's the problem with Roxy, that she's a martial artist. And she's like, well, it's this competition. I'm here to win.

I'm already winning the fight. Why do I have to hurt her more? The fight's already won. Yeah. Which actually brings me back to the, I want to know why Macy's corner didn't throw in the towel when it was clear that her knees her. Did you watch the broadcast? Have you seen the broadcast of that knee check yet?

The doctor literally says, oh, she has a partial. ACL tear. That's just ridiculous. Like, those were words that left the doctor's mouth. So, like, at that point, if you were her corner, wouldn't you throw in the towel

because you're like, partial is better than a full tear. First of all, you can't, the doctor did not know that. That's true. You can't know that. But the corner knew her knee was blown. And there was zero chance

that blown knee because maybe she fell down like three times, like just from like little shock. Even if they wanted to wait because she fell again, you know, I'm then, you know, I'm then thrown in. Yeah, she's gone. Yeah. Like, Roxanne just scored a basic takedown and Macy Barbers screamed in pain.

Yeah, I'm just like getting a trip. I feel like it was a look, it's not only that she lost the fight. The way everything went down, it didn't share her in glory. I remember the, the co-man coming out, we were trying to sort her face out in between rounds. She's like, get away from me or something like that. Don't touch me or something. And I was like... It's the first time she's been...

I know, I know. Well, I'm just saying it happened and it didn't look good. There's a... There's like a video was like someone like... Um, you can see. Like I went back and watched some of the highlights of that fight. And, like, Roxanne's on top, like, kind of, like, trying to get a better position. And Macy's kind of, like, stuck like this.

And she looks at the canvas and there's just blood. It just goes like, oh, crap. And, like, to her own blood and that, like, gets back into the fight. Like, she mouths something to, like, she looks down her eyes or she's like, whoa, that's my blood. It's got to be a huge learning girl for her. And look, she's so talented. She's so young. It's going to be the making of her possibly.

Yeah, no, I feel like so many great fighters have early losses. But to me, this isn't an early loss. This is she's potentially out for a year. Yeah. But that's what I was saying about the whole corner thing is like a full tear versus a partial tear. Yeah. Particle tear, you're after like three months. Conner blew his knee out in his second fight.

No, no. But he didn't blow it out like Macy blew it out. I interviewed Connor after my show out. He was walking normally. A slight limp at best. He was out. He was still out for a year. Yeah, he still for a year.

That's what I'm saying. We also have a nice. Yeah. card. He also won the fight. Yeah, it is 11. Yeah, and, well, Max blew it, that's, Max messed up his ankle on that fight too. Yeah, Max is also short-nosed. Yeah. Well, who? Who is Connor supposed to find that? Um, Ogle, wasn't that? Yeah, wow. Yeah, but imagine, like, that fight went standing, he kept falling on his knee, kept buckling, and they're like, ah, you can win this fight still. Sugar Sean, like when he got hurt, but then we didn't get

to see if he was going to come back. That was spoiled, yeah, because then he got suspended. I just, oh, I was just, like, I just couldn't believe what the corner was doing. And actually in the moment I was so caught up with like, oh my God, Roxy's going to just this giant underdog, betting-wise, not not, if you actually know the game, it's ridiculous. It was wild. But the betting language, that's all just fans. Minus a thousand.

That's mental. Yeah, you just can't, yeah, somebody who's been steadily improving in every single bout and who beat Antonina Shepchenko, how you can't, you can't just be like, oh, yeah, this process is definitely, The only people she loses to in the UFC are people that miss weight. Jennifer Meyer. Do you know what a celebrate? She was a judge, uh, Jennifer Maya, like, and she takes these fights and then she comes

up short and, uh, I don't know if anyone saw, but on the live stream for the official lanes, Macy's weighing in. And I was saying like, yeah, she's at 125, but she did not look good on the scale in Boston and she took a lot of time to come. And then when she got on, I can't remember she needed the hoop or not, but she did not look great up there. Same thing in this time she got on the skin and we were like, oh, that looks like a rough cut to 125 or 126.

She makes it and Roxanne is like hugging her team that her opponent made weight. And then I can't remember who told me, but it was one of the other reporters definitely wasn't you. One of the other reporters was like, one of the other reporters was like, yeah, I heard like when we were like doing interviews with like

fighters that if Macy had missed weight, Roxanne was not going to take the fight. No, what I was going to say is oh, he saw her celebrate it. I was like, Yeah. I wasn't trying to claim that one. Jesus, Christ. I gotta stop with this, Jose, all right? When I think of official land, I just turned to a mean individual, apparently.

I just hope that Nacey when she does get her MRI, that it was, I really hope it's just a partial tear, and it wasn't like a partial tear, then she winds up tearing everything. Weird thing that the doc checked on her in between rounds, huh? Well, it's weird that you would check on her, decide that it's torn, and then be like, Yeah, you can't keep fighting. But like, what if...

You can't tell us torn. But no, but even then. But like, what... But like, what if someone has a really bad injury and be like, yeah, just keep going? But then, like, what if Roxanne had no idea her knee was injured? And she wasn't this nice fight. I can't believe that she'd be in a time.

And then all of a sudden, like, John Jones was fighting Tiago Santos. And he's like, I didn't even know his knees were injured. And he... Chagosan was fighting on two blown knees. And you know John Jones is one of those guys that'll target an injured limb. As he should. Or, like, when Korean zombie dislocated his shoulder. And all of a sudden, Jose Al was just like,

whipping these head kicks at that that arm then he collapses like it's one of those fighters they have no idea that macy barber's hurt and all of a sudden they're like oh hey her knee's blown out i'm gonna kick the crap out of it yeah so that it was just weird to me even roxan was like yeah i didn't even understand what's going she's like i knew she hurt her knee but i've never seen that before one of the biggest stories that should be getting even more traction this is this is that the emily media really dropped the ball on this one absolutely this was the story of the week. A crystal-powered victory from Brian Keller. He was in need of a crystal. Okay. That's a little bit of an understanding. Where was Brian Keller? I actually have a question.

Oh, did we violate journalistic ethics? I'm starting to, I'm starting to think about it. I'm giving him a crystal. Absolutely. Usada, every every other thing's like, Vada, Wada, I think, I think we have to leave it to Jose to explain what happen here. Well, Brian Kelleher, former... Time. Give a timeline. Former co-host of the A-side, Brian Kelleher, is a proud number of Team Crystal as PITC is showing everyone with his

rock pirate. Jessica, a long time, listening to the show always does the keys to Crystal Cues to Victory. She actually sent us crystals that are laid out nicely on the coffee table. The Crystal Queen. The Crystal Queen, Jessica. And lately, a lot

of other UFC fighters are like Molly McCann. It was like, oh, I want crystals. Dariusino's retweeting her. Dan Hardy's getting in on this. And Brian Callagher was always like interested in it. He had like a little crystal hanging from his thing. And he tweeted at me like a week or so ago saying, hey, get me a crystal necklace for my fight aware.

And I was like, I didn't think anything of it. And then at the official wands, he hits the scale and is immediately like, where's my crystal, man? And I was like, oh, man. So I like, McGuire at a crystal necklace, sent him a message. And I was like, hey, I got you your necklace. Comes down, I give him his necklace. Like, one hour later, he gets bumped to the paper for your main card. That's true.

And then he walks out on the stage for the ceremonial way in. What is around his neck? The crystal we gave him. What? Calm down now. Okay? That's not true to conclusions. That only is it around his neck.

He takes his shirt off to weigh in. And he shows it. And he lists the crystal up. And I'm just like, and me and Pete's you're like, single tier. Me and Petez, you're like, this is the craziest thing we've ever seen in the life. This is nuts. And we're like, this is cool. A little bit of week.

I know with me. I was so excited. Yeah, right? Pizzi all of a sudden and forgot like, wait, Conner's fighting? What? There was another fight. I flew here. What did I fly here for?

And then all of a sudden, he's on the pay-per-view main card of a Connor pay-per-view, and he gets a first-round submission win. and a bonus and then he comes back and he go and you were in the scrum and he was like it's all thanks to you guys and you're Crystal

we were like this is insane it's true that is absolutely and then while the fight is happening people are blowing us up on Twitter

about this Crystal thing Crystal starr Mike Keller tweets a video being like Team Crystal he's like

tagging us in the thing we're like what a world what a time to be If you look at the rest of the card, every fighter that didn't have a crystal, they all lost. They all ever lost. And then we wake up this morning, and one of the biggest stars in the UFC at this current moment, Jorge Mazbital.

Re-tweets is like quote- tweeting Brian Kelloggar saying, like, you killed a man, hashtag the resurrection. I'm just like, this is the most insane time. Then we have a revelation to make here. We thought we thought we gave Brian Keller some hoirate. It turns there. We didn't. And wait until you here. So we were like, oh no, did we sabotage?

And turns out we gave him a tiger's side. I'm going to read to you what this is. And this is directly from the personal name. From Jessica. Get it from, get eye contact. This is directly from Jessica. I contacted there. So which one do you think?

Where's my mic? Where's my camera? What's my camera? So what we thought we gave Brian Keller Kerr, Brian Keller, Pyreight. We actually gave him Tiger's eye, which PeeZ is holding up right here. And I was like, what did the crystal actually actually help him and then we read the description that Jessica sent us.

The Queen. The Queen. We're going to read all this now. Okay, okay, wait, hold on. Cue in the music. Keep Tiger's Eye as a stone of luck and good fortune to attract a steady flow of money to the home. It is ideal for entrepreneurs and those setting out in business for the first time. Use as a support, uh, use as a support stone for determination and to overcome fear during exams, competitions, public performances,

selling one's creations in the marketplace or presenting ideas in important meetings. Protection from the negative intentions of others sharpens the senses, helps one pay attention to details. It also reduces anxiety caused by feelings of isolation or inadequacy and helps overcome discouragement. And he was coming into this contest on a two-file losing streak. He was tweeting how rough the weight cut was.

We saw him and he goes that, when he came down to get his neck, he goes, that weight cut was not fun. He came in like usually, when he hits a certain, like, he's like eight days out. I usually weigh this. I was like five pounds heavier. He was a terrible weight cut. He was on a two-fight losing streak.

Wins. Gets that steady flow of income with that 50K bonus. Gets up to the main card. Fights like two, three fights to four connor. I mean, I don't want to say it was the crystal, but it was definitely the crystal. That was 100% the crystal. Yeah, come on.

I would say maybe 40% Brian, 95% Tiger's eye. A hundred percent Tiger's eyes. Ryan was there. I mean, if I'm really on his money, send that check to tiguerye.com. As far as I know, he is going to invest the 50,000 in Tigers like. That's what he's held. That would probably not be smart. That would be a good idea.

That is a good investment. That is a really solid investment. Ryan Keller buys $50,000 worth of tigers on the next day he became a billionaire. Yeah. So, uh, Connor versus Brian Keller. I think I think it's a fight to make. How much tigers are you need to make that fight? happen.

Imagine Connor started using Tiger's life. That's a scary thought, guys. Shut it down. Shut it down. I'm overwhelmed. And one of the other narratives coming out of this fight is that

Connor became one of the... He kept saying he was like the first fighter or people were between all first fighter to get knockouts in three-way classes. And of course... Jose has to check that out. I'm like, that doesn't seem right.

Turns out Captain Crystal himself. Jared Kenanier has knockouts in heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight. So. Canineer v. Connor. Canadaer versus Connor. I mean, it's just the fight to make Vitor Belfar who also did the. And you said Pettus as well.

Well, Pettist is too, but he had a submission winner by the way. I don't think he ever got a knockout. So he has stopped. Cristles are knockouts. Crissos are knockouts. Submission. Oh, it was a submission. What is it?

Cambridge is Smith. First one of the shoes, the cow bitch. Jeez. And you know what? You know, I love Israel, Asanaia. He is a brilliant man for ducking canoneer. He is Doug and Canaaner. He knows he's powerful.

He knows that he. He knows that he is always that, yeah. He's the, what do we call him? The prime minister of Pyrite. We've been trying to think the new names all day. The Crystal Chancellor. Yeah. We're going to be working on this a lot.

The Viceroy of Rocks. This is it. I hope Brian doesn't want. We're going to take two weeks to just take names for Triton there. I'm going to fly overseas for the actual mineral cake. I did, I didn't want to share with you for Christmas. I received some crystals. Oh, my God.

What? Oh my God. Look at the size of the next crystal. Oh. Oh. I can we, can. I can feel it's aura. Oh my God.

What kind of crystals are there? Can we touch? Not already. This looks like the crystals from Superman. That could be quartz. That could be quartz. That Marlon Brando as, as Gerald. It's not gorets.

Don't I try and channel its energy? That one's supposed to be for healing. I feel better. Oh, God, I feel good. I feel bad that I forgot already. What's this for healing? God, I feel better. To good health, yeah.

Yeah. To good health, yeah. Whoa! I was to share them with you because they were quite impressive and I thought that they were... In the hands of the wrong verse and dangerous too. Oh, so dangerous. You need to be able to harness the energy of the crystal. This is just...

We covered the silliest sport. You know, you know... Yeah, our MMA was silly to begin with. And then we just added crystals. Well, you know, we just see everybody in the comments saying, please talk more about crystals. Yeah. We just want to... We're reading your comments.

Don't worry, guys. Your pro-crystal comments... We see them. We see them. Unrelated to crystals, did you not see it? Unrelated to crystals. Get out. This is important.

Go sick of you all we done. Unrelated to crystals. You used to be the mind. I am. You're set off crystals. Ultimate fighting crystals. That's where we're here. Ultimate fighting crystals.

Did you get a bunch of finger paint tweets? Yes. I got to the paper. That's up, man. All of a sudden, like my, it was in the middle of a scrum, whatever, and my phone just starts to vibrate. I thought someone was calling me. So I look and it's just like, finger paint, I'm like, oh, I guess the paper few starting.

I mean, you can make finger paint the anthem of the crystal fighter. Yeah, I mean. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, that goes like, say. Yeah, I guess so. That was a strong, you know, I don't really know where we can go from here because, first of all, I'm all jacked up on crystals.

You know what I mean? Like, I'm like, out of my face on crystals like Brian Keller was, you know what I'm saying? Crystles out of the face. He was out of mind on crystals in that fight. I mean, I'm just glad. who sat iron checking for it yet because my god tiger's right up to his eyeballs I'm gonna feel bad when he pops for crystals

he lost another one to crystals got the fighting rise and when they allow all crystals well I think that's everything I think we put a nice little bow on the event at least we tried to anyway but um so thank you everybody who tuned in to us this week and from Esther Lynn Jose Young's E. Casey Lloyden

I'm myself, Pizzie Carroll We love his loads Can I have a crystal please? Jesus And we hope you'll tune in soon at UFC 247 Or another event sometimes in you There'll be a Bellator, yeah Next week you're a Bellator then

Disregard what I said See you then Sing us out Fing a Pate What you think What did something is Fing up to Pee! Fing a PIN Fing a PIN

But that's up the PIN They're gonna win the waa What's up like this Y'all are fucking nuts They're gonna love all that crystal talk I'm gonna edit the comment part out