MMA Fighting - HOAM | What's Next For Islam Makhachev If He Beats Alexander Volkanovski Again?

Episode Date: October 20, 2023

Islam Makhachev could hold two wins over one of the best fighters on the planet in the same year when he faces featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 on Saturday. With the current lightweight titleholder teasing a move to 170, should he be victorious against Volkanovski again, is that the best course of action? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck attempts to answer that question, along with defending the welterweight move should Makhachev choose to do so, but under one condition. Additionally, listener questions include Khamzat Chimaev's return against Kamaru Usman, which fighter outside of the top-two fights needs an impressive performance most, the UFC debut of Shara Magomedov, Muhammad Mokaev vs. Tim Elliott, if the main and co-main eventers will end their careers as top-20 all-time fighters, and more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Support for this show comes from the Audible Original, the downloaded two, ghosts in the machine. The Earth only has a few days left. Rosco Cudulian and the rest of the Phoenix colony have to re-upload their minds into the quantum computer, but a new threat has arisen that could destroy their stored consciousness forever. Listen to Oscar winner Brendan Fraser reprise his role as Rosco Cudulian in this follow-up to the Audible Original Blockbuster. The Downloaded, it's a thought-provoking sci-fi journey where identity, memory, and morality collide. Robert J. Sawyer does it again with this much-anticipated sequel that leaves you asking, What are you willing to lose to save the ones you love?

The Downloaded 2. Ghosts in the Machine. Available now, only from Audible. Support for this show comes from the Audible original The Downloaded 2. Ghosts in the Machine. The Earth only has a few days left. Rosco Cudullian and the rest of the Phoenix colony have to re-upload their minds into the quantum computer, but a new threat has arisen that could destroy their stored consciousness forever.

Listen to Oscar winner Brendan Fraser reprised his role as Rosco Cudulian in this follow-up to the audible original blockbuster, the downloaded. It's a thought-provoking sci-fi journey where identity, memory, and morality collide. Robert J. Sawyer does it again with this much-anticipated sequel that leaves you asking, what are you willing to lose to save the ones you love?

The downloaded two, Ghosts in the Machine, available now, only from Audible. The Vox Media Podcast Network. The 20th, 2023, and it is indeed a heck of a morning. We are live on the MMA Fighting Twitter space and you hear the show,

and it's a entirety shortly thereafter on the MMA Fighting Podcasting Network. Hello there! I am Mike Hack. Very excited. Why? Because it's UFC 294 Eve, everybody. We are on the eve of early day MMA. We look forward to this stuff. Love the early day MMA. We get two very intriguing fights at the top of UFC 294. We got Islamakov v. Alexander Volkanowski, too. We got Hamzaa Tchamaev, who looks like a freaking bohemath at a hundred hundred thousand. 185 pounds fighting Kamara Uspen we got Magamette Ankle live Johnny Walker high stakes fight there at 205 a lot of other fun fights a lot of intriguing matchups a lot of prospects there's going to be a lot of squash matches on this card as well and what's crazy about this episode of the program the day before you have c294 the wayans are done the real

way ins done real quick it's over before I woke up this morning, which I was very excited about. Everybody made weight that are in the big time fights. We did have two weight misses, but all the fights that were on the books, at least as of right now, will go on as scheduled. So the weight misses were, let's see, Mike Breeden missed by three and a half pounds, and Victoria, due to cold. who, when asked yesterday who I thought were locks to win on Saturday,

Dutakova was probably at the top of my list. I still feel that way. She missed by 0.6 pounds. 20% goes to Jinyu Fry. But everybody else on weight, we already had the ceremonial weigh-ins. We heard from Volcanowski and Mokachev who said nothing of note. And we did not hear from Kamar Uzman or Homsatsamayef at all, which I thought was kind of surprising.

but all systems go for tomorrow. We will have the watch party tomorrow, 1.45 p.m. Eastern, so you can join us for that, whether you're ordering the pay-per-view or not. And we're actually doing something we have never done before in the aftermath of a pay-per-view event. We're going to try it out for all you youngsters out there, for all you hip-hip kids out there,

for all you TikTokers out there. I'm actually going to be going to be going live on the NBA fighting TikTok right after UFC 294, right after. So we're going to do a little reaction. You'll get my immediate thoughts on everything. And I have no idea how TikTok really works. So we're just going to wing it. And we're going to have a good time because there's got to be the press conference. We'll obviously cover that because Jose's there.

And usually those press conference live streams take forever. and we just want to get into the reactions. We just want to get into what happened. So I'm going to do that right there on the TikTok page. And then we'll have the post-fight show and all that fun stuff. So it's going to be a busy weekend. We can talk UFC 294. We can talk about everything that happened today.

Plus, it is also free for all Friday so we can get into whatever the hell you want. So let's go. We will begin with the PGA Puts. Hello, PGA Puts. You're muted. Hey, Mike, Jack of a morning. How you doing? Good. How are you? Good, thanks. I wanted to talk about the 155 pound division here. If Islam Makachev wins on Saturday, do you think the likelihood is that we see him and Justin Gachie at UFC 300? And also following up on that in the same division, a big Armand Syruquian fan.

I know he has a fight upcoming with B'Neil Darius. If he wins that, what do you think his ceiling is in terms of his next opponent? And is he a guy that potentially needs to continue winning impressively, such as maybe Ancolaev in order to get the big time shot? I'll obviously get off here and listen. Appreciate all your time and have a heck of a weekend. Thanks, man. I appreciate the questions.

I'll start with I'll start with the Islam stuff it should be Justin Gagee next it should be just engage you next but we don't know we don't know if Mokachev is going to go up to 170 which I've talked about this a million times and I talked about this on BTL yesterday as well

I have no issue if Mokachev wants to go to 170 after this fight Machchiff goes in there and beats Volkanowski and says I'm going to Welterweight I want to fight for the Welterweight title I'm fine with it under one condition that he vacates the lightweight title. And I don't see why that's a problem for anybody to do. Do you think anybody cares that you have,

do you think anyone who's won a second belt? Like it is, it doesn't mean as much if you don't have the other belt. Like, it's same frigging thing. And most people's eyes, if you vacate the title to go up and fight for another title, people are still going to consider you like the uncrown champion anyways.

So if Mockachev wants to go up to 170, fine, but vacate the 155 pound title and let this division move forward. If he chooses not to do that, it should be Justin Gachie. Will it happen at UFC 300? Not really sure because I kind of feel like they might just reserve that spot for the Connor Chandler fight. And I don't think they're going to put Mokachev and Gachi on the same card. Maybe they will. I don't know. But Gachie should be next without a doubt.

Armid Sarukian, there are talks about the Benil Derrush contest. There are folks who have already reported that that fight is happening December 2nd. I am told that is not the case as of right now. There were talks about that fight actually headlining that card. but now if you saw the reports yesterday, there are talks about Dan Hooker versus Bobby Green headlining that card in Austin. And if you're asking me which one as of right now

is the frontrunner between those two fights to headline that event, it's Dan Hooker versus Bobby Green. Not done, but there is smoke to that report that Hooker and Bobby Green are going to headline that card. If I'm Armored, Sarukin and Badil Daryush, I ain't fight in December 2nd anymore. If that's on a made event, then what are we doing here? That is a way more, no offense to Dan Hooker and Bobby Green, because those guys are super

fun to watch. And Bobby Green deserves big opportunities. He could get that Mazadol rub and push right now. It's very possible. But the more intriguing fight by a mile is Sarukian versus Dan. There are you. That fight is really interesting to me. So if you're not, if you're like that fight just being thrown into a fight night featured bout just doesn't do it for me.

Now you want to do it December 16th? Cool. You want to do it in Toronto? Cool. I, fine. Maybe it does happen December 2nd. But I saw the reports that that fight was happening December 2nd. We reached out to multiple people.

We were told it's not done. We're told it's not done. In fact, when we talked about this fight a couple of weeks ago, nothing has changed. Nothing has changed. Because Darius went on Luke Thomas's live chat and said that it was going to be December 16th. I told you guys it was being discussed possibly to headline December 2nd. Nothing has changed.

So, but that is the fight to make. 1,000 percent. And I really hope it happens because I want to see it. And the winner of that fight should get a big. one. The winner of that fight should get a big one. I don't know who it's going to be, but Lightweight's the best division in the sport. It's not even a conversation to me. It's the best division in the sport. The problem is we're just, it's the same names. They're just squatting. And it's so frustrating. It's so frustrating when we have guys like Sarukyan, Gamrod, all these

up-and-comers, and they're not getting chances. Drives me now. but it is what it is. But, dude, I still want to see Saruk in Makachev, too. That's the, that I eventually want to get to that point. J-MAC, hello. Not going through. Try again, J-MAC, pop out and then pop back in

if you want to get back in here. J-Sat, hello. And Kalaya, who else do you think needs impressive performance at U.S. 294? And also, who do you got winning the NBA championship this year? That'd be all.

Thanks. Oh, man. I mean, I'm going to just be a homer and say the Celtics. I think they have a really good chance this year. I actually have, I'm more excited for the beginning of the NBA season this year that I have been in a long time. I think they got the right guys to make a run. Do I, do I, would I bet money that they win at all? Probably not, but I feel good about it. I feel good about it.

I feel like they can get it done. It's a good question. Who needs to just go and show. out tomorrow that really needs it. I mean, I think it's pretty clear. It's Muhammad Baha'iath to me. I think he needs to kind of get back into the good graces of fans. Like, I think so people see so much potential in this kid and no, I don't know if

anyone's been higher on him than I have been. I mean, I was ready to crowd him a two division champion after he debuted because I I followed his amateur career very closely. I knew how incredibly talented he was, and he's only 21, 22 years old. He's got another decade of athleticism to grow into. So he's not even close to a finished product, and he's already that talented. He's got Tim Elliott. This is tremendous booking.

This outside of, like, the short notice changes. In the ink alive, Johnny Walker was just the no-brainer here, because the UFC set that fight up for a reason. I'll get into that in a moment. It's probably Mikhail. He needs to go out there. And if he doesn't go out, he just needs to be more fun.

He needs to find the killer instinct. He just hasn't had it. Yeah, you go to Tapology, and you go to Wikipedia, and you see finishes on his record. But he ain't blowing the doors off of people. He's like a minus 900 favorite in all these fights. And he's squeaking by.

I love this fight. I really do. Tim Elliott doesn't give a shit who Muhammad Bukai if is. He's going to go in there and fight his ass off. And he's going to force Mohamed McAyev to be fun, I think. So I really like this fight. But he needs to have a, he needs to, he needs to show up. He needs to show up.

But Ankelaif needs a great performance more than maybe anybody on this entire car tomorrow. And I'm not talking like going out there and just winning. three rounds. I'm talking about he needs to go out there and murk Johnny Walker if he wants any chance to fight for the belt next year. Because right now, this fight

matters in some respects because Jamal Hill is going to get the winner of the title fight. He's going to get Pahrashka or Pereira. And personally, I'm cool with that even no matter what happens in this fight

tomorrow. But let's just say something pops up, Jamal Hill ain't going to be ready till September, October or something of next year, maybe the knee doesn't heal up the way he thought it would. It's an important fight.

But man, Magamette Ankle, I think Ankleife is the best light heavyweight in the UFC right now. But he's just not fun to watch. He can be. He's just not fun to watch right now. And that has hurt him. That has hurt him a ton.

So it is imperative that he goes out there and shows out tomorrow. And honestly, it's imperative for Johnny Walker to do the same. Because that performance against Anthony Smith lift a bad taste in people's mouths. Two guys who can be exciting, who haven't been very exciting lately, it's a big spot for both guys. But outside of that fight, it's Mahav. Let's see if we can get J-Mac in here. J-Mack, do we have you?

Yes, you have me. So Mike, I'll just looking at the MMA fighting schedule. And for UFC, I think it's 295 or six, it's the one with John Jones, not 295. It still has Derek Brunson versus Roman Delizze as the scheduled under the undercard. I know that Brunson's fighting in the PFL, so I'm just wondering, did DeL get a substitute fight? and if he did, who is it? And that's it. Appreciate it.

Delise is fighting, just not at MSG. He's fighting December 2nd, and he's fighting Jared Kennedy. So it's probably a better fight for him. Like, he gets more from beating. Obviously, it's a way bigger opportunity. Like, Derek Brunson is obviously a name, and people know who he is, but he just hasn't been the same guy in a long time. So Brunson to the PFL

And now Deleuze fights Jared Canaanere December 2nd in Austin And a fight that means a whole hell of a lot more Than the Derek Brunson fight did He goes Roman Deleese goes out there And beats Jared Canaanere He is in play He ain't getting like it's not a win

That's good enough to get him a title shot He's still gonna have to win One probably two more But boy does the line get a little bit shorter for him if he beats Jared Cannonier. We'll see what happens. I haven't looked at the 295 lineup in a minute. Obviously, we got the main event.

We got the co-main event. There is no better one-two punch this year, in my opinion, than that. Jones, Steepay, Yuri, Alex Pereira, are you kidding me? That's just ridiculous. Just Gondrage, McKenzie Dern, Pat Sabatini, Diego Lopez, Maffervola, Benoit Santini. Chef's kiss right there.

Josh Van, Van, Kevin Borjas, Matt Chanel, Steve Erseg, that fight is just going to be absolute chaos. Jared Gordon, Mark Madsen. That could be really fun or really boring. Matush Rubechki versus Nerula Aliyev. That is going to be an absolute banger. Dennis Bejuchka versus Jamal Emmerz, Sattikov versus Slava Claus, Tabit the Ritchie, Lupi Gaudinez, Kyeongho Kang versus John Castaneda.

That is, what, 12 fights? 13, 13 fights. That's going to be your lineup right there. That's going to be the card. And that one-two punch is tremendous. Boarding for flight 246 to Toronto is delayed 50 minutes. What? Sounds like Ojo time.

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Just two questions. one's the NBA and one's UCUC 2994. So my NBA question is, how do I send this? All right, so which player, in your opinion, has the most to really prove and show out this season in order to beat some of the narratives that they have, you know, acquired over the last few seasons, you know, regarding their situation or even in terms of, you know, what they have, actually succeeded in attaining within their time of the league. And my question of 294 is regarding Hamzat Shaman Kamara Ustman,

do you think, like, based on some of the open workouts we have seen that Hamzat's wrestling could really neutralize Usman, the way Usman managed to do that to Taram Woodley or RDA in the past? And if that's not the case, what what change do you reckon hamza can land the upper cut up a car on usman within the fight that's what i've have a great day thanks man so to me and look i'm i'm playing homer again here to me this is this is the jason tatum show this guy has his moments he's a clutch playoff player at times gassed out in the playoffs the last two seasons.

He is just crumbled in a lot of respects. And look, I'm not saying this to take a shot at him. It's a long season. All those games, then you have to play those playoff games, and you're just running your ass. Like, it is a lot. But the greats can get through it. The greats have that second and third gear.

And Tatum, I think you get to gear two, but I haven't really seen him get to gear three, when they really need him. Like he did not show up at all for that heat series. And the cell, I don't care what you tell me. The heat is not as good as the Celtics. They're not.

They weren't. On paper, they weren't. But they just wanted it more. They were in better shape. They were ready to go. And they kicked their ass. That one hurt. And Tatum was a big part of that.

It's a big year for him. This is a big year for him. year for him because people see how good he is but he's got to go the whole he's got to go all the way he's got to end zone to end zone i have to see it i have to see it he's the guy he's the dude to me that has the most of proven my eyes i'm such a my of kamz kamzschemi of kamas i mean look i'm obviously intrigued by the fight incredibly intrigued and people have been asking me over and over again we've talked about it on the show do i feel like that the change to 2994 has made the card better than it was before.

And I say no. But I don't think it's, but it certainly hasn't gotten worse, which in my opinion is a huge win for the UFC. Because how many times this has this happened? How many times do we lose a massive fight and then lose another massive fight? And we get shit instead.

Like just go back to December. Go back to December. We were supposed to get Yuri Perashka, Gloverichichshir 2 in the main event. And that card on paper, even with that fight, like that fight was carrying it. But still, it was the fight of the year. One of the best fights ever.

Maybe the most fun title fight of all time. And we were going to get the rematch. And then Yuri gets hurt. And then Glover is like, nah, dude, I'll fight in Brazil, but I ain't fighting anybody else on that card. So we get the Belhovic Ankylaia fight, which wasn't horrible, but it wasn't. great and then we got a co-made event of the UFC's like tent pole pay-per-view event with patty pimblit and

Jared Gordon and I'm not saying this to dog Patty or dog Jared Gordon I love Jared Gordon Patty is an up-and-coming star I get it but Patty is not a pay-per-view co-main eventer he's just like that was just bad like the event was bad it was just all bad it was not good and then we get Volk and then we get Usman in there. That's huge. That's huge. I don't think it's better,

but it's certainly not worse. And that's a huge win for the UFC. Having said that, this fight between Shemayev and Usman is intriguing. If Usman can stay on his feet and box with Hamzaa Shemayev, he's got a chance to win. He does.

He can win. He could possibly finish Hamzaa Shemayev. We've seen Homsat Shemayev. Hamzaa get cracked. We've seen Gilbairds hurt him. And if Usman lands something real clean on him, he could do it. But at any point in this fight, at least in my eyes, if Hamzaa Shemayev takes Kamara Usman down and he gets on top of Kamar Usman, he is going to absolutely annihilate Kamara Usman.

He's going to kill him. And it's going to be bad. And I know Kamara is great takedown defense. That's awesome. He can have great takedown defense. And if he could use that takedown defense to stay on his feet, tremendous. He might have a chance to win. He might have a good night.

But if Shemaiv gets him down and gets on top of him, he is going to annihilate Kamar Usman. So I don't think that it's a neutralization thing at all. I think if Shemaiv takes Uzman down, he is going to absolutely destroy him. because Ousman ain't getting up and it's going to be a rough night with that guy on top of you.

I don't know if you guys saw the ceremonial way in face off. Shamiyaf looks absolutely gigantic. And Oostin looked good on the scale. 184.5. Shamiah made weight. But boy, when they rehydrated, Shamiah looks like a light heavyweight. And Ousman doesn't.

So, Osten's best chance to me is that I like I'm so excited for this fight because I think Usman's going to play this very smart and I think his best chance to win is get or get got just go in there and unload on the man unload the clip force Hamzaa Shamaif to get uncomfortable force him into a war if you try to have a technical fight with Hamzaa Shama if he going to kill you so don't do it put him in a position where he has to fight outside of his comfort zone. And Ousman is just powerful and technical enough to land something big and get him out of there.

But if this turns into a wrestling thing and they're exchanging against the fence and it's a clinch battle, Hamza is going to kill him. So I'm intrigued to see what kind of game plan Ousman comes up with. We were talking about BTL, like what the most shocking result would be. Imagine if Uspen like submits Hamzaat. Like that I would be stunned if that happens. That would be a stunning result. Usen, not such a Maya, if I'm not going to be surprised at all. I'll react in like a whoa.

I can't believe that just happened. Like just even if Hamzvah goes up there, Ether's Kamar Usman. Like I'm still going to have the same reaction. Like, man, cannot believe that just happened. But I'm interested. I'm interested. I like to cost to fight better though.

because I want to see if Shamiya can muscle around Costa. I think he's going to have an easier time with Oospin in that respect, but Ousband is still a very dangerous man. I'm in. I'm in. But there's a very rare word that Hamza absolutely annihilates him tomorrow. Cole, go ahead. Good morning, Mike.

Happy Friday. Yesterday, my buddy was asking me, is this one of the most stack cards of the year? And while I, like, laughed at him, I, like, and I don't agree with that. I actually, like, thought about it. And I have a true or false question for you. The top two fights of this card, one day will we be able to look back on this card and say that this card was headlined by four of the top 20 greatest fighters of all time? that's what I like I think this card is like highlighted by the top by four of the top 20 of all

time so what do you think about that hot tape I mean two are definitely there Volcan Ousman are definitely top 20 all time for sure I think Machachette like Machachev could probably get there he might even be there I have to like actually go through the entire list but Vulcan Ousman are clear his day there Markochev could probably just be outside of the 20 because this sport is new but I mean top 20 ever

I mean that's a lot that's a lot it is very possible I don't know it's tough that's a tough question I'll say man it's a great question all four of them because I think Hamzaat's going to get there

So I think you're going to have three. If Mokachev loses tomorrow, he's not going to make the list probably ever. That's a bad loss for this type of conversation. Not in like the overall annals of the history of the sport. But in terms of like who's the 20 best fighters of all time, if Mokachev loses tomorrow, he ain't on the list and probably never gets there. But Volk, if he loses, it's going to be there forever. Like, Volk is one of the 20 best fighters you've ever seen.

It's just, it's there. He's that good. He's that good. I'll say yes. I'm going true because I think Makachov's going to win. However, do I have it here? I have two bets on this fight and neither of them are on Islam. Even though I think Islam's going to win.

I just can't ignore the value. I cannot ignore the value on Bolkanowski here. I can't do it. Four core sports. Go ahead. There you go. You got your header for the podcast. Islamakenev, a top 20 fighter of all time.

But I was watching Embedage, and I was very surprised. Well, I shouldn't be so surprised. But I was surprised how strong what's the goal Hamza looks at this weight. The way that he was able to pick up Daniel Kornier effortlessly was just pretty outstanding because I was like, wow, like, if he's able to just pick up and slam what's the old Ustman, it's a good night right there because Ustman struggled with Leon, and I know Leon just tripped them. And I'm pretty sure, you know, Leon probably distributed his weight, and that's Old Lake City card. you know, to the point where Uspan, you know, had to just ride it out until the ending of round one. But if Shamaa is able to do that, I mean, I could just see that the second that he brings him down, is then the fight will be determined on whether Hamza wants to finish the fight on the floor,

or he wants to just, you know, just punish him. I could just see that Hamza just wants to get in there and just, you know, get out and just finish him early, just to, you know, make a statement. and then lastly, I saw Tim Elliott ended up, I think you guys ended up putting it out there as well, that Tim Elliott put out the fact that he believes Muhammad Mahayev didn't make weight. I have a feeling, did these guys have like any type of banter

against one another in the past? Just because I feel like they're not, you know, it seems like the main has some type of history. Although, what's the cause? I know a lot of people on Ateno has, put it out there, their picks in the past for Mahia versus Tim Elliott as a

future bout. But really interested in that fight and then the curtain jerker. I don't know too much about him. I mean, the guy looks like he's chiseled in stone, but the other, Magamato,

do you believe that fight will go to the distance? All right, that's all I got to say. Thanks. Do I believe that fight will go the distance? No, Bruce is tough man. He's a tough bastard, so I think, I don't think it's going to the cards. I think Magamatov getting in that spot, fighting in front of that crowd, being in that octagon. I think he's going to be ready to go.

I think it's going to be fun, but Magamatov's a bad man. Bad man. Elliot McClynev, like, I don't know if there's, like, history there. I mean, there's, like, just the sort of back and forth. banter on social media. That's kind of how this all started. Omakayev's done that with everybody. I feel like he has tweeted and talk trash about every single fighter in the division at this point. So I love that fight. I think it's like I said, this is perfect matchmaking.

Even after McCoyev's debut, when he just absolutely lamped Cody Durden, I picked Elliot then. That was the one I wanted. And that Cody Dirt, and that Cody Durdon win has aged really well, like really, really well,

because Cody Durdon has looked pretty damn good since. That win has aged tremendously gracefully. And I almost feel like, I almost feel like they've just kind of, they've slowed, and the UFC's pretty decent at building prospects. They ain't great. I think Bellator is probably the best at it,

although they've made some mistakes along the way as well. But, like, I feel like McHiaf could have just got pushed even quicker. We could have made this fight, like, with Elliott's second fight. We definitely, or in McHiaf's second fight in the UFC, could have definitely done that. But I think the UFC was just like, look, we got to pull the trigger on this. We got to see what this kid's made up. We got to go. We got to go.

And now we get this fight. And this is perfect. If he goes out there and just ice as Tim Elliott, just push him even higher. Let's go. Give him, definitely give him a top 10 guy after this. you could go as high as you want, but I love this fight a lot. I think we're going to see what he's made of.

We are going to see what McConnell and Mahayev is made of tomorrow. Because Tim Elie is going to be in that man's face all night long. So I love that fight. Love that fight. And I'm with you. I'm with you on the Shemaya thing. He takes Usman down and Usman is on his back.

He's done. Like, he is done. But Usman has a really good takedown defense. so we'll see if he can avoid it. Panda. Go ahead. I met Mike. How are you? Good. I will be short and I will be sweet. We are one and two technically riding you

because I took Edson Barbosa last week as well, very sharp of you. With that being said, what are we taking this week? Lastly, I went a little crazy yesterday. I said three belts and you're right, okay? Humzot is not going to make heavy weight. He just isn't going to do it. John Jones would ragdollum.

No, he won't see 170 either ever again because it just physically is impossible for his body to make it. So yes, I would like to walk back my take, Mike. But he will. He will wear two belts. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't, especially if Magamette Ankaliev or maybe even Juri Pahashka wins the belt, whoever it is who has it, when they have it,

I think Humsat, Raghdalsam. Have a Friday, Mike. I think Mike. I think Anka Lai is a tough, really tough matchup for Hams out. Honestly, I kind of like don't even want to. to see that fight because I think he would make, there's a very good chance. Angolife just makes Hamza up boring. Just completely, there's a chance like he completely slows him down.

And I don't know. Look, there's, Hamza Chabayev could get iced by Kamar Russo tomorrow. Like, this is very possible. And then all this goes away for the foreseeable future. So, yeah, three belts, kind of crazy talk. But not on the question, though. Again, if you saw Shabai of the Cerebony Awayans, he's a monster. By the time that this fight starts, he's going to have 20 pounds on Kamara Rusman.

He is going to be well over 200 pounds. He's going to be about 210, maybe even more. He's a giant. So, there you go. Where are my bets? Where are my bets? I will share them with you. And you guys can rate me however you want.

want. Here's what I got. Bade me if you must. I won last week, but mostly because Logan Paul, Dylan, Dennis actually took place. And I just went all in on it. And it paid off wonderfully. I have Algin of Volcanowski plus 225. I have Algin of Volcanowski small sprinkle inside the distance at plus 500. I have Hamzaa Shamaif inside the distance at minus 115. I have Ikram Alaskaroff inside the distance at minus 250. Mouin Gafferoff, plus 170, Mohamed Yaya, plus 140. Yaya versus Peak, over one and a half,

minus 105. Dathaniel Wood by decision, plus 115. Mike Breeden, Jubilee, fight goes the distance at plus 120. And then I have three parlayes. I have Dutikova, Basharat, Alaskarov, minus 164.

I have Dutakova, Ankyov, Alaskaroff, minus three and a half points at minus 115. And I have Makachev, Volk over one and a half rounds, Alaskarov versus Alves, under two and a half and Basharat, Henry over one and a half at minus 122. That's what I got. That's what I got. Now, could I add more to that possibly? But that's, I actually feel, I feel pretty good about that slate. the Volk ones I'm going to be sweating out a little bit obviously

hums out inside the distance I'll be sweating out a little bit but I love I think the parliolet I think all three of those parlors are going to hit I feel pretty good about those if I'm out of Scaref loses then uh that's gonna be a tough tough day for your boy if itgram somehow loses that fight but yeah that's where I'm at fade feel free to fade I don't hate you for it I'm definitely not a sharp I just go for value I'm a value guy.

And I see value in a lot of those things. So that's a rat. I can't bet, I just can't bet Machachev at that price. I think he's going to win, but I can't bet him at that price. But Volka at plus 225. Volk inside the distance at plus 500, I think there's some juice there. It's very small sprinkle on ITD, but Volka plus 225, there's a lot of value there.

there is a lot of value there in my opinion so we shall see what happens gc obviously we'll have his bets as well he will be on the watch party jedd will join us for the co-main events and then new york rick will join us as well for the main event on the watch party 1.45 p.m. eastern uber's picking me up at 4.30 tomorrow morning and then off to new york first thing in the morning all right i think we're going to wrap up here. Thank you all for another fun week. We will have a preview show for UFC 294.

Be myself, the wise wordsmith, Shaheen Al-Shadi, and my best friend, A.K. Lee, 1 p.m. Easter. Join us for that. It's going to be a good time. And then tomorrow, which is very busy day. People's pre-fight show going down,

I believe what time is that shit going down? 1130? I think it's 11.30 a.m. Easter? Oh, maybe 9.30. I don't know. I'll find it. Hang on. I want to make sure you guys have all the right information. Where are you? Come on now.

Let's see. Probably like 9.15 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. People's Free Fight Show. I will not be a part of that because I'll still be traveling, but it'll be Jed tagging in, him and Casey, and then we'll do the post-fight show. And again, we'll have a live reaction on the MA-fighting TikTok. I will hop on and just react to what we just saw for a little bit. So I can probably answer some questions there as well as we await the press conference come to an end.

And then we do the post-fight show. So let's go, everybody. Buckle up. UFC 294 tomorrow in Abu Dhabi. Should be fun. And we appreciate you. Happy Friday. Have a great rest of your day.

always have a heck of a morning. Everybody. Into the Vox Media Podcast Network. Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line. But first, there, the last one. Enjoy a Coca-Cola for a pause that refreshes.