MMA Fighting - On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC Vegas 59

Episode Date: August 7, 2022

Jamahal Hill is knocking on the door of a light heavyweight title shot with his third straight knockout victory, an impressive finish of veteran Thiago Santos in Saturday’s main event, but how much more work has to be done and who should he fight next to get one step closer to his goal of UFC gold? On an all-new episode of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Alexander K. Lee and special guest host Jed Meshew discuss what is next for Hill after picking up a huge win at UFC Vegas 58. In addition, future matchups are discussed for Geoff Neal following arguably the best performance of his career against welterweight stalwart Vicente Luque, The Ultimate Fighter 30 winners Mohammed Usman and Juliana Miller, up-and-coming heavyweight contender Serghei Spivac, and blue chip lightweight prospect Terrance McKinney. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Alexander K. Lee: @alexanderklee Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI 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 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 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. Roscoe 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. Welcome to the Vox Media Podcast Network. Welcome to the latest edition of On to the next one. UFC Vegas 59 slash the Ilthman Fighter 30 finale. No, this is not Mike Heck who usually handles the introduction guys and is the host of our two-man show. It is I, Alexander K. Lee.

Mike is battling an illness. He's been out and about all week who was in Savannah, Georgia, doing some coverage with, you know, getting interviews with Jorge Mazvedal, ahead of ICON FC. So hopefully, guys, please everyone, say a little prayer for Mike. Hopefully he'll, he's back up and at him soon.

He was feeling a bit ill. He still did the post-fight show on Saturday night. So if you guys, you guys probably couldn't even tell that he was under the weather. But Sunday, you know, needs a bit of time to rest. The good news is you guys get a special treat. Talking about Savannah, Georgia, we have Georgia's favorite son. Jed Mishu is here.

Savannah's favorite son. Savannah's favorite son, in fact. Jed Mishu. Jed Mishu is here to help me. He jumped in really at the last minute, guys. So he's going to provide picks. He's going to provide commentary on your picks. Because you guys sent in a lot.

There was a lot of listener traffic. So thank you guys for all the DMs and everything. So I won't be able to read everything. I don't think, but there's a lot of consensus picks, too, so we can kind of comment on those. Jed, if you accidentally book someone that is like they've already been booked or anything like that, don't worry. Again, you're on short notice here. I'm pretty sure I haven't done it. Okay.

I'm pretty sure that all of my choices are covered. You know, it's not my first ot now. Okay. I stepped in for you once upon a time, I think. For me? Maybe I stepped in for Mike. I've, maybe I stepped in for Mike. I've done one ot no before at least.

Yeah. So not my first rodeo. It is my second rodeo. Your second rodeo. You know what the clown is there for. You know what the clown is there for. You know why the bull is coming out of there. You know what the horns and all the sounds mean.

You know how the scoring works. Yeah. Unlike your first rodeo where it's just, oh, my God, what is happening? There's just wild animals all around. So, you know, I think I've got it this time. Jed, what did you think of Saturday's card? Give me a quick, give me a quick, you know. It was better than I thought it would be, you know.

Of course. Like we all trashed and I just got done listening to the post show. Great work as always, guys. And I think we all sort of agreed that that card was bad on paper. It was bad on paper. And I don't regret anything. I know you addressed it on the show. I had several people hit me up in social media saying, oh, apology.

I'm like, I don't. Because let me tell you, it was a perfectly fine card. But it's one of those cards where you're not going to remember this card two weeks down the line. Whereas if you would spend time with your family, you'd probably remember that. You know, that might be something significant for you. Still, way more entertaining, 10 finishes and 10 fights. I will also say, not for nothing, I would have felt a lot differently about this card had you told me going into it

that is a 10-fight fight card. We lost a couple immediately before. That certainly changes how good the card is, especially in my estimation. And then, yeah, even if you check my topology picks, I predicted a ton of finishes in this card. I thought that that would sort of be what we get. But, you know, the other end of it, too, that everybody, nobody's talking about. And we don't need to harp on it because that's not the purpose of this show.

But everybody's like, ooh, you guys deserve a word apology. I need to see an apology. Well, you know, there's a downside. There's a very real downside to having a bunch of first round finishes. That thing moved so slow last night because there was just a 20-minute interlude. after every fight where you got a video package and like, I'm not trying to yuck anybody's yum. If you guys love that and you're sitting at home and like this was also,

I get to get to see Rashad Evans at the desk a much more or whatever, then great. I am glad you enjoyed it. But it was literally to a point where, especially because I wasn't working last night, I was just, you know, having a bevy, enjoying it by myself, maybe with a friend or two. I would just turn on the fight. Oh, we got our first round finished. Cool.

I'm good for 30. can come back to this in 30 minutes. I'm going to go pop over, watch something else for a little while. So, but still, all in all, a lot of fun outcomes, a lot of great highlights. And the main event, far exceeded my expectations for it. Tiago Santos got fun again. Who knew? Who knew it could be done? You challenged him. You challenged him, Jed. You challenged him. You know, I thought that if there was a man who could do it, it would be Jamal Hill. And he did. I mean, don't get me wrong, Tiago Santos really tried hard. He tried very hard to not be fun.

Too hard, maybe. Oh, oh, you mean he tried to not be fun previously? Oh, to not be fun. I mean, he certainly tried too hard, but like that was my big, the only criticism I had for our post show is the talk of Tiago Santos having a good game plan. He had a horrific game plan, guys. Like, sure, maybe it's better. Maybe he got knocked out in the fourth round instead of earlier.

But, like, that was only going to go one way. He's not a wrestler And you saw it Because every time he scored a takedown He just stood up He didn't Habib scored take down and control He exerted an infinite amount of energy To put a butt on the mat

And then Jamal Hill just Push his head away And stands back up Like that was only gonna go one way So I thought it was an awful game plan But in the end You know Jamal Hill cheated and he got the dub

And that's all that matters A couple times Tiago Santos Had more trouble like recovering from those takedowns, like successful takedowns, than Jamal Hill did. Like he would take,

I think it was in the second round. He took him down once, and then as you said, Jamal Hill just kind of stood up. And like, Tehagos took like an extra beat kind of like down on his knees. He was not a successful take down.

He was kind of just like, just give me a second. Not like, you know, not like setting up another like takedown. He was like, give me a second. I didn't get a second to recover here. And I'm like, oh, he's got bad knees. And we know he has bad knees.

Yeah. So that can't be easy. Right. It's all exhausting Like anybody who's ever trained I'm here to tell you I've wrestled in high school I've trained jiu jitsu I've trained Like wrestling is is all

They say I said it on that thing Wrestling is the worst part of it It's the most physically exhausting And that's damn true It is substantially more tiring To try and take somebody down than it is To defend takedowns And especially like

Where that balance shifts is if you score the takedowns That is very mentally defeating You know Whereas Habib gets the takedown then on top of you and then he's going to work. That is both tiring and it is a mentally defeating. Ah, I fought really hard for this thing and failed.

But if you just stand right back up, you're not mentally defeated. And then Tiago Santos has to go, dude, I got to go do this again. Okay. It's just, it's way, way more difficult, way, way more tiring. I thought it was an awful game plan when instead he could have just come out brawling and see what happens. He won.

He won two rounds and a couple of scorecards, but anyway. Yeah, in a three-round fight, I agree. It's actually a good game plan. It's true. He could have stolen one in a three-round fight, yeah. Yeah, he could have eased, like, there's the whole world the difference. I would have said, hey, that's really good. He's shortening the fight time.

He's making, he's condensing this to very, like, that is a very smart tactical approach. But he was never going to have the gas to do that for 25 minutes, and in the end, he didn't. And that's sort of just how it went. this show tied the modern record for 100% finish rate. The last card was UFC Fight Night Rockhold versus Michael Bisming, which was 11 for 11. I think that was back in 2014. Shout us to Michael Carroll. Well, I mean the percentage, percentage.

I mean, it tied a percentage. But yeah. But yes, only the second time in modern UFC history, I'm sure if people go out to UFC 1, 2, and 3. Well, they didn't have decisions back then, so all those fights had to end and finishes. But shoutouts, Michael Carroll at MJC, flipped a script on Twitter. one of our great statisticians in this business. Oh, yeah. Dude always has six stats.

So we talked about Tiago Santos a bit. Let's talk about the winner. Jamal Hill. Jed, what's next? Big win. He's going to be, I think, likely in our top, well, he might not crack the top 10, probably as high, like lowest number 11. I think he'll at least be number 11 in the global rankings.

Because people have to keep in mind, he's also competing as like Cory Anderson, Vadim Nemcov, people in the Belator Light Heavyweight Division and around the world. You're a two-division man Reiner de Ritter Could be in there someday, we don't know But he'll be He'll move up He came in number 14

He'll move up in our rankings But who's he fighting next jet To move up even further So this was I think This was both very simple And very difficult Because I know who I want him to fight next

We talked about it beforehand I think on BTL I thought what you should have done Is come in and say To just make a sick promo on Jan Blavich and try and cut his way to the top because he's not going to get to fight up. At least not in the UFC rankings. Just everybody is either booked, not going to fight him or half of them are like broken.

So to me, I think there are two answers. I think who he's going to fight is Volcanoos demure, but that's not the fight I care about. I want him to fight the winner of Dustin Jacoby-Kale Roundtree because Jacoby, I think in the UFC rankings is a top 15 guy Roundtree. I'm not sure is ranked or not, but the winner of that fight in the UFC's rankings is certainly going to have a top 15, maybe even sneak into a top 10 ranking sort of there. And with everybody above Jamal Hill occupied, he's going to have to fight back. And sure, he could fight back against Volcan Ozedemir, which makes a lot of sense given the Ozedemir. Just beat Paul Craig, who obviously has to win over Jamal Hill. I would just rather see either Dustin Jacoby or Cleo Roundtree are going to win by knockout,

And then I want to see those two dudes Chuck Mitz with Jamal Hill because that is an absolutely sick fight. So that's where I'm picking because it's a way more fun fight than the Volcanozdemar fight, but I do kind of think it's going to end up being Ozedemir. As you mentioned, Dustin Jacoby is 14 in the UFC rankings, and he has a prominent fighter also receiving votes a FARV in our rankings appearing on three ballots, so very, very close to being ranked, but not quite there. If he goes and beats Cluel Rauntry, he's going to be ranked. in our rankings for sure.

It's hard for me to say. He'll be like an eight fight win streak or something. Isn't it dumb? Yeah, but for me it's like I need him to beat someone upwards, which is probably where, which is why I went where I did with my, my picks. I know for you, he won't be, but I think the rest of us will put him and he will make his way into the rankings. I will keep him out just like I kept Chris Curtis out of the middleweight rankings.

I will keep him out. You're doing God's work. I keep better. Listen, quality of competition matters a lot to me. And Jekyllis being some good guys, but I don't, I don't, I don't. I don't know, enough to get past Paul Craig. Paul Craig's holding down our number 15 spot right now. As I said, Jamal Hill.

Well, you know, I don't know what's going to happen to Tiago Santos now. There may be a spot for the taking. There may be a spot for the taking. I don't know if I have Tiago Santos ranked, but if I do, it's got to be very low. And he will no longer be ranked after this, even though, like we said, his best performance in some time. He looked good. Yeah, his best performance since he hurt Glover de Cher in their fight. But, you know, he didn't win.

So I went with Magamana Goliath. you might think that's too quick, Jed, but in a previous show, I had already called my shot. Ancolaev's last fight, I said, I said he will, I didn't just say he'll get the winner of this fight.

I had called. He will fight Jamal Hill after Jamal Hill beats Tiogo Santo. So I have to stick with that. I can't go away from it. Yeah, I've had a whole plan here. And also,

it just kind of, again, and I said this one, I made the Ankolaev pick. It's like, it just sucks for Ankiyaf because it somehow still feels like he hasn't done enough. Winning nine straight fights in the UFC somehow isn't enough.

And yet if you ask most fans, they'll kind of like agree. Like they'll just be like, yeah, I don't know why he's not jumping off the page. Again, some of those performances weren't that exciting, which hurts him. Now there's this, again, this win over Anthony Smith, which I thought was pretty convincing. But because there was an injury involved, now a lot of people are going to say, oh, you know, what was going to happen? I'm like, pretty sure we knew it was going to happen. It was going to end in a TKO anyway. But again, again, there's just a little bit of a cloud over it.

So he has to fight again. I think he fights. So here's my question. What does that mean for the light heavyweight title picture? specifically for Ian Blahevich, because it seems like the inertia now is for Yerabra to rematch over Tashka to rematch Klova Tashara. Yes.

The fight that I'm okay with, Ian is trying to fight it because the reason I would not have, I would not say Uncle Ayiv is I just assume Ankolyev and Blahev are going to be fighting in a number one contender fight, probably on the undercard of the Yeri Glover fight, which that and that's sort of where I'm at. But if you're going Uncleayev to, to Jamal Hill, which I'm honestly on the merit.

It's totally okay, especially if that is a number one contender fight. I'm even more okay with it. But just where does that leave Yan Blovic? I do wonder if Jan can wait. It's probably not the best plan. I mean for a title fight? For the Prohashka to share a winner. Do you, if they did, if they do this, though, if they do Ancalae of Jamal Hill and Jan waits,

do you think Jan is still in front of the Ancalae of Hill? It would all... My big thing is, I'm okay with Uncle I of having to fight one more to get a title fight. Ten in a row, granted, I want to be extremely clear. Nobody other than John Jones has ever done that in the UFC's light heavyweight division. Nobody is one, nine in a row. Ten in a row is only extending that. But based on how it's shaken out who he's been,

I understand the need or impulse for him to fight one more. but him fighting two more or fighting Jamal Hill and then having to wait six, eight months, that is a lot tougher of a pill for me to swallow. That's, welcome to the UFC, pal. I mean, that is,

they don't, you're going to take your medicine and you're going to like it. You know what I mean? But yeah, it does feel weird to say, I don't know who Jan Blahovic is going to fight next. I'm trying to, let me,

let me do a quick search back what I said after the Rockage fight for Blahovic. Well, I assume after that we just thought he was going to get the title fight because it looked like he wasn't going to rematch Glover. Oh, did you? No, I for some reason said he's going to fight Anthony Smith after he loses to Ankelyat. That's obviously not going to happen now because Anthony Smith is injured. So it's not. I would actually like that a lot better. If I'm being honest, I don't feel like Jan Bahavich deserves to be in the title conversation.

And I would say Ankelaiath deserves a title shot more than Yon does, which is why. Ankelyiv deserves a title shot more than anybody. Whether, there's that deserves work again, though. Well, Deserve does have nothing to do with it. You're right. And Mike has had the strength to send in picks. His heart was broken, I know, because he wanted... What a hero.

Yeah. He wanted Jacoby to fight Dominic Reyes so badly after Jacobi's last one. He said, this is the guy. This is the guy to welcome Reyes back. And then, as we've talked about, Jacoby is fighting Khalil Roundtree. That fights off the table. So now Mike is saying Dominic Reyes and Jamal Hill, which I think also makes a lot of sense. I mean, it makes sense.

just, it's really unfortunate that we're just killing Dominic Graus. It's like that's what that feels like. I mean, he's going to have to fight someone when he comes. It's, I, I, it's not going to be an easy fight, no matter who he goes. Let him go back. It doesn't have to be an easy fight. It doesn't have to be Jamal Hill

is a tough fight. I know, I wish it was listen, I wish the world. I could Dominic face fight Volcanozimir. Let him do that. Again, Vulcanusir's like a much. Oostomir's fighting Krilov, so they're booked. Oh, I forgot they already booked that. Yeah, he's booked. So. Johnny Walker.

Jamal Hill is going to fight the winner of that fight. Did he beat up to you? Did he beat, oh, yeah, yeah. I saw that as an option too. But the problem is he'll have to wait a bit because that's October, I think. I think that's the October pay-per-view. So it's a bit of a wait. If you're Jamal Hill, you probably want to get back in there.

But he's a smart guy too. Yeah, you're right. I think now that he's... Maybe they can run it back with Paul Craig. I saw that as an option as well. It's not, for me, it's not far enough away in the past. But if you're Jamal Hill, you probably want that one back. You probably think it's a way to fight.

Jamal Hill wants that one back. Can we just, I just want to note this, just has nothing really to do with this, but I feel like someone needs to say it. Okay. Paul Craig. Uh-huh. Paul Craig is now solely responsible for the not the two most fun light heavyweight prospects in years. Yep. Not having pretty much undefeated records.

He's a big, he's a big Scottish wrench. In fights he was going. Yeah, just a big Scottish wrench in the, because like, you talk about the uncle. Hill fight, like that fight's a great fight and we're going to see it someday 100%. Think about booking that fight right now if both of them had just not lost to Paul Craig, especially the way Uncle Alive did in the literal last second of the fight. And Hill was winning the fight until he just wasn't. Like, think about what that fight looks like because that's like that's the kind of number

one contender fight we salivate over to undefeated hot shot prospects. coming in there duking it out for the chance to fight Yuri Prajska for the belt. Like that is the stuff legends are made of. And Paul Craig, big Scottish ruiner of fun. Your big Scottish lug. He's kind of created a little bit of a, not too much of a jam at light heavyweight because of those two wins. Again, Ankelyev has done enough since then. Thankfully that it's not, it doesn't, you know, it doesn't matter anymore.

I'm sure everyone has Ankeliov ranked way ahead of Paul Craig. But this next fight we're going to talk about Jed. Jeff Neal versus Vicente Lucay, this really screwed up my rankings. Okay, so we'll talk about that in a second. First, I'll throw out my pick. I'm so sorry for you. I want to see if we're all on the same page of this, Jed, because Mike and I do a thing where if we have the same pick, it hasn't happened too often since we implemented this, much like

you and Conner's Wolfpack. What was it? Wolfpack Wager. Wolfpack Wager. Yeah, Wolfpack Wager. I think we're going to be friends forever here. We're going to be friends forever? Okay.

I think so. All right. Should you do it at the end of the count of three? Or is that make it too awkward If we're wrong? No. Mike and I had the same. Mike and I had the same pick.

I feel like this is when we talked before we filmed. Some of these seem so obvious. You're right. It's one, two, three, and go. Okay. Not go one, three, one, three. Okay. We already screwed it up.

Gilbert Burns, everybody. Gilbert Burns is... Friends forever. That counts. Oh, wow, triple friends forever. That's exciting. Yeah, this is... I'm just,

tight-knit bond. Tight-knit bond of friendship. Explain what this is going to happen. Jeff Neal called for it. I mean, Lucke and Burns, training partners, Burns,

not booked. Lucke was very highly ranked in the UFC's rankings. Let me pull that up and look at it right now. I think he was his top six. Burns is four. Really?

This win for Neil is going to bump him probably to replace Lucke at six. Something in there. And it just makes way too much sense. Gilbert Burns is not going to say no to anybody. And there's not a ton of obvious opponents for Gilbert Burns outside of it, right? With, I mean, maybe Colby Covington, but Colby Covington's obviously got his extracurricular stuff that's going on right now.

Leon Edwards fighting for the title, Chmai of, you know, all of that. So I think it just makes way too much sense. Now, I've got to do a little bit of Rikings talk here, a little bit. I don't want to turn this to a Ranking's show. I think this will be easier for you because I think, again, you can sort of, you're going to, You can sort of extrapolate, like, after seeing Jeff Neal, how he handled Lucke on, you know, on Saturday. How, like, who could he beat, like, in your rankings, right? So for me, it's better still.

It's way easier for me because Luke A lot in my rankings. I have a 12. So this is not a big change for me. Okay. You have him at 12. I'm looking at your rankings personally. Yeah, you're okay. I don't think you'll have any, like, weird contradictions.

So for me, it's, it's weird for me. Well, it's weird for me because, so he, you don't have Neil Magny, I think. right nor do i no magni jeff neal and neil magni are both just outside there in my top 20 but like how do we reconcile this because magni pretty convincingly beat neil um not that long ago this would have been last year this was in may of last year so about you whatever 12 sorry 14 months something like that um that's not a long time like it's it almost feels harsh so here's the cluster biff i've got going on and 170 in that area-ish. I have,

this is what I've decided on. Magni at 13, Kieza at 12, Kesa beat Magni. I have Sean Brady in there. I know you have him higher, so this is easier for you. It's not,

he's not part of that cluster. Vicente, Lucke, and then Jeff Neal, because Luque beat Keesa, but then Jeff Neal beat Luke just now. But then it goes,

and then it loops around, though, because Magny beat Neil. So now I'm got this. You've got the rock paper scissors. I've got a whole mess. Yeah, yeah. So I decided, though, that Neil was convincing

enough that I'm like, you know what, he's convincing, and his overall record, pretty strong. So I'm like, I'm kind of okay with just giving him Luke A's spot. It's just the easiest way to sort this out because, yeah. That's how I always just sort it in those situations, mostly with whoever won more recently, that yeah, you have to. That moves to the top of the wheel, just because part of my view is that part of rankings, the rankings are obviously incredibly subjective and don't have a lot to do, don't really have much bearing on anything. But so for, so for me, I largely view them as a snapshot of a moment

in time so people can look and just sort of have an idea of like, okay, here's where maybe this isn't exactly where everybody lines up perfectly, but like here's teared out where people are, et cetera. And I want to reward people who have recently done well because that matters, that feels more of the moment. So that's sort of how I solve it. But I don't have these issues because Luca is going to maybe hang on to the 15 spot this year this month for me. It won't affect our rankings. This is more of my personal rankings, which are just UFC, because in our rankings, which includes all promotions, several of those names I mentioned.

Yeah, several of those names I mentioned I do not have in my, yeah, all promotions rankings. But so that was more of a UFC only issue. So I guess, fortunately for the purpose of the site, it won't matter. But so do you think you'll have him, obviously if he's going to bump Lucke down? So are you just going to bump everyone else down one? Is this the end of Logan Storley in your rankings for now? Or do you bump out Kiyza? Do you bump Kesa all the way out?

It may be the end of Vicente Luce. He may just drop out just because it's questionable because of the win over Kiyasa. So I haven't figured it out. Yeah, we'll cross that bridge. We've been too much time thinking about it. We have weeks. We have weeks. We have weeks to do that. Yeah.

You also know the way I do my rankings is who I would project in a fight tomorrow. and I got to say that fight made me reconsider where Lucke is as a as a Walterweight competitor and do no fault of his own but I picked Neil going into that fight and I sort of said at the time

you know I think this fight is pretty close to 50-50 but Lucke's just got a lot more lot more wear on the tires you know it's not an old man but he's been fighting for 13 something years and and hard fighting too you know it's not like Vicente

Lucke had easy wins. He fought a ton of absolute killers and got hurt in a lot of those fights. And he's just been pulling it out against Jeff Neal obviously couldn't. It does make me think you guys said it on the post show. And I totally agreed. I think it was you that said it. Maybe it feels harsh because very recently he was one fight away from a title fight or whatever. But I kind of think Vicente Lucke is now just in the fun fight category.

You just pick fun ones for him because that's whatever miles he's got. left we should be having fun with because he's one of the most fun fighters we've had in a long time. I feel if we don't get like Lucay, Robbie Lawler, something went horribly wrong. You know what I mean? I feel like that has to happen in this timeline before it's all said and done, right? Ooh. Oh, I hope that wasn't your wild part.

I hope I didn't step in your wild card, Vic. I apologize. It wasn't. Though, Lucke may be my wild card selection, but I didn't have Lawler in there, but I love that fight. Okay. Jed, let's get to the meat of this pot. Let's get to what the people came for.

Oh, to the important stuff. The Ultimate Fighter 30 finale final fights. I have a feeling we might be, we might be like together on at least one of these. Just because one of them seemed really obvious. At least I know a lot of listeners agreed as well. But all right, we'll start with Mohamed. I'm interested. We'll start with Moly's.

Because mine are, I'll be honest. I want to tell the listeners, this is the pretty esoteric. This is the one that I had the toughest time with right here. But it's an open, it's an open field. You can think like anything. Well, I know. but this isn't my bag. You guys are much more

to match makers and stuff. Like I'm just like, ooh, I don't care. Just throw them in there. Let's see what happens unless it's guys who are jockeying for title positions.

If you're outside of the rankings or near the rankings, which both of these winners are, I don't care, just mash bodies together until cream rises to the top. But I do think, that sounded so filthy.

Okay, yeah. Anyway, moving past that, I do think, that for this first one, I might, we might, I might have picked one that seems obvious, so then maybe we can have another friend's forever. First, let me ask, I need a little no-betsbarred preview here. Did, did Moe Usman and Zach Paga blow off any of your parlays, as it did, my theoretical, my theoretical parlay, because I don't bet, I don't bet, obviously.

But if I did, I would be furious. Moesman did. and I got to say I had immediate regrets because as we talked on No Bet Spard, bet powga, basically because weeks and weeks ago you told me to just bet against Moosman. Most of it. Unprovoked. I want to be clear listeners. I apologize.

He reached out to me and was like, I don't know. If he's in the finals and whoever he's facing, just bet against him. He's awful. Listen, hold on. That's not the words that you. All right. Listen, listen. I might have paraphrase.

I've already apologized. in the post-fight show, I will apologize again for anyone who listened, who listened to my advice that was, that was shared by you on the most recent episode of No Bet Spard. Sure was. I picked both ultimate fighter finales wrong. I get it. I'm supposed to be the ultimate fighter guy. I should be good at these. I don't know what went wrong.

I still on paper stand by these picks somewhat. I think Mo Usman did not look good in that first round. I'm sorry, Zach Puega, it wasn't like a dominant first round, but I think pretty clear 10-9. I think one of the judges gave it to Moe Usman, though, so maybe I'm remembering it wrong. I thought Paga looked pretty good. I wasn't seeing much from Ozman. A little inside baseball here. We were having a little discussion on our Slack about who were the, what is the biggest gap between,

a discussion started by me, by the way. Biggest gap and talent between brothers and the UFC. I was obviously taking some search. It was incredible. We were having this discussion. We don't need to name all the names. We don't need to name all the names. We were having this discussion right as Moe Usman obliterates.

Smoked him with a beautifully timed counter. just a gorgeous counter. So I applaud us to people for the wrong picks. I applauded us to Moe Usman for all the slander because I've interviewed Mo. Moe's a super nice guy. I'm really, really happy for him. I'm not confident of slander.

So here's the thing. I was very critical. I've been very critical of his performances on the Ultimate Fighter and even on the PFL, his NFL fight. But I assume that you're correct because this is what I was going to say. I immediately regretted having Power Gain a Parlay. Because I did not watch a second of the Ultimel

the ultimate fight of this season. I relied entirely on you. And everything you said, I think is still true. I'm not confident that Mooseman is good. But I tweeted out last night because I felt a sinking, sinking feeling as soon as the commentary team was like, you know, Pauga says that Mooseman is, he's just an awful fighter. All it, like, he's just, he's just athletic and powerful, but he has no technique. And I was like, oh, this dude's about to get erect.

I forgot, Jed. Because it doesn't matter. Our favorite thing we always talk about about heavy weights. If you're a plus athlete at heavyweight, you're a threat. If you're a plus athlete, if you are athletic and powerful, especially at heavyweight, it super doesn't matter if you're technical. Derek Lewis, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for and think is a much better fighter than people give him credit for most of his career.

He didn't win because of the little technical things he did, right? Have you ever seen that man stand up after he gets taken down? He just stands up. He does not do any kind of. kind of tech he's just like he's a very good athlete he's a very good athlete he's a super good athlete people look at him and go like how he's kind of a big like he's kind of he's not like super muscular he's a really good athlete unbelievable one of the better athletes in the entire sport agree and that's all that matters like and that i mean that's exactly what we saw there like that counter left

not a big shot not a big swing just a little chopping like just a little baby check left hook essentially that put him down and it was just like oh yeah he's just athletic and powerful And, like, he knows how to do very, very basic stuff like that. And he saw a window and his body reacted and ping, on the button, done. And the hammer fist, who. And I was just like, oh, like, of course, this guy's admitting that he's not as good an athlete. He's obviously going to lose. Whether our pre-fight analysis was correct or not about Mohamed Usman's skills, he was good enough.

He was certainly good enough to win the ultimate fighter. So congratulations to him. A great moment with him in Kamaru, the first brothers ever to win. to win? Did he get a bonus? Did he get a bonus? He did. I would assume so. There was three absolutely three performance bonuses. Poor Sergei Spivak didn't get one despite begging for it, which always works, of course, and Corr-McKana did not get one either for the first Von Flew by a woman in U.S. history. You should never beg for the money. It's never, that works. I don't know why it literally never does. I don't know why teams haven't taught their fighters not to beg for the money because

It's like, it just doesn't look good in anyway. It works with Connor McGregor one time. Yeah, 50 G's baby, yeah. If you ask for it afterwards, they all, like they, it feels like they make a point of not giving you the money. Like, yeah. Which also makes sense because it makes them actively look bad to have fighters begging for money. So, I don't know. Jed, Jed, we got to.

He's not the one he got screwed. McKenna got screwed. Big time. Okay. Like, why three? Why not even do an even number four? Jed, we got to make some picks here. Mike said Josh Prezian, a lot of listeners did too.

I said the Martin Boudai versus Lukash Breschke loser. That's going. I'm very specific with this. That's next week, UFC San Diego. I don't know what you came up with for Mo. Oh, I took the low-hanging fruit. Give me ham sandwich. Give me hamdi up double hop.

Of double hop, sure. Just caught. Just won, yeah. Literally just fought brand new to the heavyweight, very raw. I mean, I picked it because he's basically the same as Usman. Like, there's a reason to think he could be good. Usman has the last name Usman and hyperathletic Hamdi, Olympian, but super raw.

You know, Hamdi's with the whole George Mosphidal squad. I don't know if he trains with them, but I just know he, like, fought with ICON, and so Mossvedol is super high on him. Yeah. And then there's the classic ATT versus Henry Hooft, etc. camp from thing. Like, it just, I don't know, it seemed very obvious to me.

I like, yeah. You need two big old athletic dudes. There's so many ways you can go, and I think that's the right. And I like Hamdi, too. So it's not even, it's not like, oh, this is someone Usman run over. It's like, it's like, this is two guys new to the heavyweight division. Let's see what we have. Maybe more Uzman knocks them out.

To do more athleticism and talent than skill at this point. And so just, just see what happens. Now, arguably, the more impressive of the two, Julianna Miller, from the Ultimate Fighter finale. She won the Women's Flyweight tournament with a late TKO finish of Brogan Walker, in a fight that Miller pretty much dominated.

I mean, and just not to harp again on the pre-fight analysis stuff, I'm still pretty confident that Walker is like the better, more well-rounded fighter, like she's a better striker and all that. But she had maybe one of the most confusing game plans I've seen. Now, with respect to Walker and her team, Walker knows more about actual fighting than I ever

will, of course, you guys know this, her team as well. It was confusing to see her repeatedly, to have a little bit of success in the feet, and then clinch up and then have Miller literally just pretty much fall on top of her every time, like right into Mount or half, into her half guard. Jed, again, you certainly know more funny about actual fighting than I do. You've trained, you've trained quite a bit. What was, what the hell was that? It was historically bad fight IQ.

This is the one I'm, I'm more upset with. Because, like, I get the Powga Usman thing from your side, but, and again, I didn't watch stuff, so I don't know if this just didn't manifest itself on the season. But when I came to you and was like, who should I bet here? Like, what should I do? I was like, I kind of feel like Juliana Miller. She's way younger. She obviously has, like, one very good skill. And I usually just want to bet on talent to rise to the occasion as it improves.

And you were like, nah, Brogan Walker, I very much believe in her experience. I think she's better strike her and she's more experienced it's a little too much too soon to John Miller and then Brogan Walker was not experienced she did all

She is experienced I don't know why I mean by definition she is but like you expect experience to manifest itself in wise decision making or at least not

catastrophic decision making because she was winning on the fee like you are absolutely correct and in that in the first round I can understand doing it like

you get to clinch and it sort of happens, and you're just in there fighting, and it happens. But then you take that as a lesson, and you go back and go, man, I almost lost that. Okay. And your corner tells you, we need to set the range and get the hands going. And you come out in the second round, you're doing that. And then you clinch. Like, what are you doing?

Why are you doing it this time? You're winning. You are punching her in the face, and now you're losing again. And then the third time. It's just, I don't know what was going on. Maybe her brain just was having a brain. fart but it was tough tough showing a fight IQ

for sure it was a tough tough finale for Brogan Walker she was Julian was literally jet falling onto on top of her just just just just just just oh you're clinching me I'm just gonna lean forward on my weight and I'm gonna hook a leg and just fall on top of you and get on top position and

Brogan Walker went to a UD with Aaron Blanchfield not that long ago she beat Renhammaverick a long time ago four years ago I mean that was a while ago. But like, Aaron Blanchfield, I have Aaron Bransfield in my top 10 in like the division. And she just couldn't figure out how not to give Juliana Miller exactly the fight she wanted. Let's give Julianna Miller all the credit.

Miller looked great. Yeah, took advantage of all the situations. She entered with reputation being a very strong grappler, great striking, great aggressive instincts and got, and went for that finish, you know, and got one for the finish. And got herself really close to getting in the first round. two. Yeah. I think if there were 20, 20 more seconds,

she's getting the sub in the first round. She's great. What was the second round with the choke? I think it was the second round, right? Was that the second round? Round two. No, no.

I went the, didn't she have an arm triangle at the end of round one? Oh, maybe. So there's like all three rounds. So the first, both two rounds, she was just tuning her up and she just kept getting into the thing.

It was super weird. It was a real showcase. It's a real showcase for Julianna Miller for being out. So good for her again. Congratulations to Julianna Miller. And the DX Cross Shop. I'm sorry. I approve.

I approve. I know I know I can be inconsistent with like saying when it's okay for people to celebrate. And I like the crotch chop. I like the Patty Pimblit quasi tea bagging. I'm sorry, I approve of this stuff. I think it's okay. You know, Brogan Walker and her team, I'm sure they could have a different opinion of it. But I appreciate a good crotch chopping, DX crotch chopping.

More importantly, who do you approve of her fighting next? Okay. Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I just picked a name out of a hat here, basically. Was that name Victoria Leonardo? no that's a fine one was it henna go no no though that actually might make more sense who was this name i pick i pick i pick courtney casey i would also accept i also would accept luana carolina uh

corney casey so much more experienced and if we've seen how how big an experience what a difference it makes in these fights jay well one to to steal jamal hell's line you got to stop talking about experience you never experience anything like me okay juliana miller That's exactly something she would say to. Yeah. Courtney Casey and Lana Carolina were very specific choices. The Lana Carolina because she can't really grapple at all. No.

And so that gives me a great chance to do that. And Courtney Casey is the one that I would choose if I were doing it because Courtney Casey is a good athlete. But also Courtney Casey has been known to have really bad fight IQ. And so while she probably should win a fight on the merits there, she is also someone who would. would go for a tie-up and a head and arm toss and then is playing a grappling game with Miller. And, you know, I just, I don't think there's any wrong way to go here just because the tough, it feels like that with either the tough ones. But Courtney Casey isn't close to the rankings, really. She's top 25-ish.

If that, I do not have her. I do not have her in my touch. I don't even know if she's at. She's holding down the 30 spot in my personal UFC-only rankings. Six and nine in the UFC across two weight divisions. So she's fought at, she's fought at straw weight and flyweight. She's a flyweight now. 10 and 10 overall pro record, 500 fighter coming off a loss.

It's not crazy. You kind of shocked me. She's supposed to be a better fighter. Absolutely. Because I have always thought that Courtney Casey has the talent to do more, but her fight IQ has kept her from doing more. Yeah. So that's what I was like, I don't know, Julianna Miller just beat somebody with bad fat. I was going to say, run it back.

I was going to say, I thought Brogan Walker was a much better fighter than Julianne Miller, too. And I'll say at least on Saturday, she was not definitively. Anyway, so yes, I went with Victoria Leonardo, as a lot of others did in the picks, listener picks. Mike went with the Hannah Goldie. But yeah, it's anywhere kind of in that cluster. But that's ambitious.

I think of the four names we just mentioned, I actually think Carolina is maybe the most likely. I think Carolina probably is the most. I want to be clear, that was of me choosing what I'd like to see is the Casey. I don't think the UFC books Casey. I think Carolina actually is very, very possible. Okay. I like it. I like it.

She's coming off a loss. I don't think they view Carolina as anything more than a card filler. And I think that they would eat. They can feel confident that Miller will win that fight and can build Miller. Sergei Spivak. Someone, I thought Sikai could pull the upset here. I thought that he could have his take down defense would hold up. It did not, Jen.

His take down defense did not hold up. Spivak is a friggin animal. Not even a little bit. Not even a little bit. Not even a little. If that doesn't just take down defense, it's like, he's a good grappler. I thought, like, okay, he'll be able to, like, at least get, like, get taken down, but get out of trouble. Sakai has historically been okay at defending takedowns.

He gave up, like, six on seven attempts or something done. Spivak is really good. Spirback is really good. I wonder, so, again, Mike and I had another Friends Forever Moment. This is the first time we've had, like, two Friends Forever Moments, and he's not even on the show. I think you'll be with us. I don't. This one was the hardest person for me to pick, actually.

One, two, three, three, Chris Dachus. Oh, no, I went to Eric Lewis. Okay, it's good that you didn't do it. We didn't try to do the synchronization. Yeah, I didn't think we were going to be aligned. I briefly thought about Chris Dachis, and I don't hate that fight. I don't know.

I was just trying to fight. This one was really tough because I think there's no wrong way to eat this or he's either, really. Like, part of me would love a Romanov Spivak grappler's delight. I know Romanov is scheduled to face Marchant-Taburo, but I think we all assume he's going to beat Marchant-Tabura. but I don't know. I think Spivak is going to crack into the UFC's top 15 this month. And I guess Chris Dawkes probably is.

That's probably what's going to happen if we're being honest. Like that does seem like that's the fight they're going to make. You do have me thinking, though, because let's be honest, Derek Lewis has been used recently as the young heavyweight up-and-comer litmus test. I was exactly my thought. Right. Chris Dawkins did not pass it. Sergei Pavlovich did.

Tai Tai Tai Tai Taui Vasa did. Where would Sergey Spivak? fit in that hierarchy? I am curious to know, and Derek Lose has been used for that purposes lately here. Was it exactly my thought? And it's like Spivak is going to try and take Lewis down. And he can. Lewis has been taken down.

But that's a much more advantageous fight for Derek Lewis, I think, to not. If Spivak is stuck on the feed with him, Lewis is probably just going to clobber him. So it's back to a fight that he's had a lot of success with, you know, the Curtis Blades, etc. Like he at least knows the rules of that fight as opposed to maybe he just comes out and gets clobbered like Pavlager's it or etc. I would love to see it. I think you guys are right on Dawkins. I think that probably is what happens. Yeah, that's more of a, yeah, that's more of a, yeah, what I think will happen.

I'm not sure where Mike was going from. But that's more of like a, yeah, putting myself in the actual matchmaker's shoes. But yeah, I do like the idea of as we talked about before the Derek Lewis, FU jitsu get up style. I'd love to tell us to be like, especially if it's a five-rounder. Five rounder? Yeah. Spivak scores a takedown. Derek Lewis is just like, no, I'm standing up now.

What are you going to do about it? And that's something Sakai could not do. Sikai, a fine, skilled fighter, not something I would describe as a plus athlete. No, no. He is like, Sakai is exactly the middle of heavyweight athleticism. He is not a bad heavyweight athlete, but he is the minimum threshold to be a top 20 heavyweight. Like that's any lower than him and you really can't be a top 20 heavyweight from an athletic standpoint. But he is not, he is by no means plus.

Now the young man who was given an opportunity to open the main card after a couple of fights fell through. Terrence McKinney. Jed, are you excited about picking a fight for this guy? I want to hear, I want to hear what you got first for T-Rex. T-Rex-Z, whatever. This is a magic wand pick because I don't think they'll do it. but we talked about it in the Slack afterwards. McKinney called for it.

I like the Patty Pimbleau fight. I think that fight makes a ton of sense. It does. I think the fight be super fun. I have been very down on Patty Pimlet. I will admit his most recent performance hasn't made me completely reevaluate him, but it makes me think that he's better than I was maybe giving him credit for. And while McKinney is a better athlete,

and I certainly think has a lot of an opportunity to succeed more in that fight. I would favor him in that fight. McKinney is super raw. Patty is a tough guy. He is going to bite down the mouthpiece and go to war. And I think it's just a really fun matching up of prospects. And if we're not going to do Patty Pimbleau versus Tony Ferguson, which I honestly am pretty in for.

But I know Mike is very against that particular fight. If we're not going to do it, I think you do a whole lot worse. I have a backup, you know, as well. But I would do the Patty Pimbleau fight. I'm so boring. I didn't go in that direction. But I do like it. And let me be clear.

I am very much of the camp that I don't care if Patty Pimbleau loses. Because it's weird. I hear people giving him both ways. I'm also not sure it matters if he does. I doesn't. But people who are sort of detractors of how of his career are kind of saying like, oh, he needs to stay undefeated. And like, does he? Like, it helps.

It's cool. It's cool. It racks up four, straight, five and no start. It definitely helps. It helps a lot. But if he lost a guy like McKinney, I don't think it would hurt him that much. I think he is famous enough. That's the thing.

That was my exact thought is that if he loses to McKinney, it's a much more palatable loss. And I think we all think McKinney has at least the raw materials to be some sort of a star to get interest because he's done it well. So if he does win, get him a little springboard off, Patty, maybe get him build him a little bit bigger. So that's why I like the fight. Again, I went in a boring direction.

This is a fight happening next week. at Leonardo Santos versus Jared Gordon. I think the winner of that would be fun. It'd be interesting because... It's a fun, yeah, it'd be fun. I'm still kind of bringing McKinney along slowly. I don't know why. Like maybe the dober thing,

maybe recalibrate my expectations. Though I did say in the Post-Fite show, I expect McKinney to be challenging for a UFC title by 2024. So I don't know. But that's a long ways away. I want to see him face some more matchups with against guys

that are sort of in his range, rankings-wise, different styles. Leonardo Santos would be a very interesting challenge for him. He's also almost old enough to be, to be Terence McKinney's father. He's very old. 42 years young, I should say. I'm sorry.

Leonardo Santos is very young and vital still. But that would be a definitely interesting challenge. And Mike went with one Mr. Alexander Hernandez, which I also like. Those are all fine. I mean, this is, again, no wrong way to eat this. Lightweight is awesome. You pick anybody in the neighborhood. My other one, the other choice that I had that I really think the fight would be great is, and it's another old guy.

You know, you went for Leonardo Santos. Give me, Carlos Diego Ferreira. How do you feel about that one? Oh. He was supposed to fight at 277. I know he got injured. I don't know what that injury is, so I don't know how long he's anticipated to be out. But I kind of really like that.

fight if outside of what it all means, it just seems like a really fun fight to me. There's a lot of good directions you can go with McKinney. I don't mind Diego Paeta at all. I think it's a winnable fight. I think it's a fight that if he loses it, again, just kind of gives us a gauge of like, oh, okay, so he couldn't quite get past the Drew Dovers, couldn't quite get past the Diego Paedas. Again, only 27 years old, just getting into his athletic prime. Then you can sort of recalibrate.

But for now, though, man, if any of you got that win, it'd be huge. be, again, Diego Pajetta, or as Mike suggested, Alexander Hernandez, or as I suggested, like Leonardo Santos type. It'd be interesting. Boarding for flight 246 to Toronto is delayed 50 minutes. Ugh, what? Sounds like Ojo time. Play Ojo? Great idea.

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Unwrap holiday magic at Holt Renfrew with gifts that say I know you. From festive and cozy fashion to Lux, beauty and fragrance sets, our special selection has something for every style and price point. Visit our Holtz holiday shop and store or online at Holtrenfrew.com. Jed, wildcard time. No wrong way. Wildcard time. Do you want to go first? Do you want me to go first?

I want you to go first because I've picked two different fighters. with wild cards and I don't want us to double up so okay let me make sure I got Mike's pick here I said I wrote down I took the notes I took my Mike no the idea okay uh I will lead off then I will lead off first and maybe I'll let I'll let you go second and I'll let not exist Mike go last I really wanted to make something happen for myra Brenno Silva her outpouring of emotion afterwards really touched my heart you could tell she was I mean I think just winning was exciting. I think she liked winning. But just the whole situation was kind of frustrating.

With some help. One was some help. There was no tap. There was no tap. One very attentive judge was on the ball. One out of three judges, that's all took. And she is officially a winner by first round submission. 77 seconds. And listen, we've all been those scenarios. We're like, ah, it's kind of overwhelming and like, oh, it's so confusing. What happened? Like, why am I being accused of something? It happens. So she got emotional.

And I think she deserves mention on this show. I hope being mentioned on this show can help her get her through this difficult time. So I'm actually giving her a pretty big fight. She's now 2-0 at Bantan Wait, I believe. She moved up from 125 and is now 2-0 in this new division. I assume she plans to stay here. You are correct. Wu Yanan, Stephanie Egger.

Those are her wins. Let's step it up. Let's step it up. She's been the UFC for a bit. For her eighth, I want to say her eighth. Oh, seventh fight, excuse me. I want the Sarah McMahon, Aspen Ladd winner. They fight September 17th.

The winner. The winner. The winor. Yes. Listen, McMahon is at that stage where I got it. She can't be picky with fights. I mean, I think she's still a really high level women's band and weight. But she's up there in age.

I think her job is to face these younger challengers and see what they're made of. And should Ladd win, Ladd still has a lot of rehab to do career-wise. As far as from the lofty peak of like her cracking the top 10, people saying she was so close to a title shot. but she's well away now, and she's not above fighting someone like Mayor of Brenno Silva. So I don't mind her fighting either of those ladies, whoever wins on September 17th. Okay.

I should have known you would pick a fight like that. So I'm going to, from our wild card, I wanted to do Vicente Lucque, but we kind of already talked about it. The Cente Leuke Michelle Paheo would be dope, but that's just my heart pick. I'm going to instead go, Mikhail Oleg Sejic

Because dude returned to middle weight We're not here to pretend that Sam Alvi is a tremendous fighter But Oleg Sejic I mean Really interesting career Because his UFC run

Has all been at light heavyweight And he beat some good dudes Lost to Dustin and Kobe Jimmy crew Some of the really bigger Better guys But I think in middleweight he can really make some noise And I want to see it and Chris Curtis, action man, coming off not a really fun fight, if we're being honest,

like not his best effort against Jackermanston. These two dudes, just let him get in there and get after it because Chris Curtis is hell of fun. And Olook, Sajic, he throws the kitchen sink right out of the gate. That fight would be awesome. Give me that directly into my veins. Yeah, that got thrown out there, and I loved it. Popped out right away. I'm not surprised.

Yeah, I loved it. I will say I kind of want Chris Curtis to return to 170 But again if you're Chris Curtis You're probably not feeling like you're like that Jack Hermanson's fight I think he should You're like it doesn't mean he can't compete 185 And also Yeah he did not lose that fight because of size

He was smaller though He was noticeably smaller He was smaller but that's not why he lost Because his game plan wasn't very good And Jack Hermanson fought a very tactical fight And I'm sure he feels the same way And Oleg Cajic is need of an he's not a huge middle way Like, let's just be honest.

He was, even though he's coming from my heavyweight, he's not that big. And I just think that fight would be awesome, and I just want to see him chuck him. I'm into it. If Chris Curtis wants to give it one more go, 185, that would, you know what? That would be a really good test. If he loses that fight, then it's like, okay, now let's reconsider it back to 170. If he loses that fight, he just has to drop to 170. Yeah.

I'm sure he doesn't want. I'm sure he'd rather, I'm sure he's been enjoying not cutting weight for the last, you know, year or so, however long he's been up with the UFC. I'm sure he's really enjoyed 185 because, again, cutting weight is stupid. Mike's wanted, just jumped right into the Brian Battle thing and said, Brian Battle, Ian Machado, Gary. It's a good callout. Let's make it happen. Wait, he did call out. Yes, he did.

He did. Gary and Brian Barbarina, right? He did call out, right? He did he call out Gary. Gary was the one he led with. Yeah. He was like Gary or Duck and me. I don't love the Gary callout just because Gary coming off a loss and like such an emphatic loss.

Wait, did he? Wait, no, I've got that wrong. Sorry, no, no. He won. He won. My hand up. Hand up. That was on me.

Okay, no worries. We'll fix it post. I actually don't. I don't, no, no, no, I'm just going to let that be. That's fine. I'm, uh, look, this isn't my back. I'm stepping in on short notice. Yeah, exactly.

I told you. I'm amazed it took you this long to make any sort of flub. What a run you were on. Yeah, I'm all right with the and Gary, but that still might be a bit much. I love the Brian Battle one. Even though his callout, they spell their names differently is like wrong. I still think that it's fun to have people with the same name fight. He was all over the place.

with his, his, I tripled my, some of the $10, I tripled my winnings, I got $75. I'm like, okay, I don't know how you got there, but, you know, maybe there's a part of the story that got, cut out. You can say. All right.

Anyway, yes, but Brian Bell, very impressive, by the way, in his first fight at Welter. I was saying on previous show, like, oh, he looked a little drained at the, at the winds. And you know what? Maybe the way in process is a struggle, but once he got in that cage, a very nice finish. I think it is his struggle, but he did not struggle in cage for that.

for sure. And Sato, pretty tough to knock. That was only a second knockout loss, I believe. So not an easy guy to put away like that. And especially with maybe one of the best knockouts of the year. So good stuff, Brian Battle. All right, Jed. Now, you got to sit tight here.

All right. So we got our check-the-tape segment here. I got to give out some love for people picking fights previously. We have a listener at Marcus McGahey, who names the shows. He called this one the, oh, bother edition. Poo Bear referenced. Shoutouts to Brian Battle. So everyone can share in the announcement of Volcan Uzziar v. Nikita Krillov, U.C. 280,

Izzy versus Alex Perreira. We all knew that should happen. We all assumed it was going to happen. It looks like it is going to happen now. UFC 281 November 12th. And Dustin Porrier, Michael Chandler, being targeted, being targeted, this is not official, but the gears are certainly in motion of Porre and Chandler to settle whatever weird creditors they seem to have. That's also UFC

281. And Matt Schnell and Matthias Nicolao, December 3rd. Really, really big flyweight bout. I'm so looking forward to that one. It's really far ahead. Schnell has had many, many fights fall apart in the past. Hopefully, that does not happen in this case. I really want to see him

fight Nicolao. And man, if he beats him, we're talking top 10 flyweight Matt Schnell. So that's December 3rd. And I do want to say, I was so close. Myself and one of our regular listeners, Seamus Law were so close. We both said,

Anja Arlowski should fight the winner of a recent bout between Marcos Higero, Delima, and Blago Ivanov. He is fighting one of those guys, but he's fighting the loser of that fight. He's fighting DeLima.

He's fighting Pazal on October 29th. So I was so close. So close to nailing a pick. Seamus will get him next time. Now, the listener picks, guys. We got a lot, and I thought I was going to have more time, but I was blessed.

again to have a guest host today. So thankfully, you guys got to listen to Jed and not just me reading over picks. I'm sure you would have loved to hear your own picks, but I will try to get some here. Standard disclaimer guys, I'm going to focus. You're only going to get a point if somehow you're the only person to pick a fight.

I know very hard to do. You may have just made mistakes. People, weight classes. Did these guys fight already? Is it a notable injury? We know they're not coming back, where they're released. Have they already been booked? is it a teammate you messed up with, etc?

Please pay attention to these things. And most importantly, you picked this might be do-do. And we don't want to read it. A couple of things, Jed, I got to go in on people here. We had a lot of Michael Alexey-Chuk light-heavyweight matchups. He's on middle-weight now. He's a middle-weight. That is straight-D-D-D-K.

That is straight-D-D-D-D-D. No addendum, no exceptions. That's do-do, guys. If I'm wrong and he takes his next fight at Light Heavyweight for some reason, on a full notice, on full. If you take a short notice fight, I see it happening. If he takes a full notice fight at Leight Heavyweight,

I apologize, I will clean up the doo-doo myself. But right now, everyone, and this is several people, you know who you are, I'm not naming names, who gave him a light-heavy matchup. Do-Doo. Same, a couple of people, Maida Buenos Selva versus Alexis Davis. Alexis Davis is not in the UFC roster.

All right, we reported that on MMAfighting.com back in February. And you guys are expected to read literally every article on M.AFighting.com, especially if they involve Jake Paul. So I'm very disappointed. It's a really good website. It's a great website. Some people are saying it's the best website in the entire world.

Of all time. Some people are saying. It's the goat website. All right, Jed. So we'll have a lot of consensus picks, a lot of agreement here. Jamal Hill versus Anthony Smith was out there with the injury. That's a bit weird. What were your thoughts on Neil?

I think Smith isn't fighting for like eight months at the minimum. I don't know. So that's a terrible fight. I don't know. What do you think about Jeff Neal versus Arachmanab? Oh, I don't It's fine My

I guess I guess because Neil's going to move up I'm actually okay with that That fight I guess the question is how Exciting how excited all we about Jeff Neal as a contender You know Because if he's fighting backwards

Against Rockmanon That Rockmanov's going to win that fight So that's moving Rockmanov up Is it backwards though I mean in the UFC's rankings Neil's almost certainly just going to... We don't care about those rankings, baby? I mean, I care about them for match banking standpoints because that's what the UFC is going to continue to do so.

The UFC acknowledges no rankings, not even their own. The UFC does whatever the hell they want. They don't care about rankings. We have shop caught at number eight. Jeff Neal was a far about one dollar. I think I have Chavkat at like four. Yeah. I might have three.

We don't care about the USC rankings, especially on this show in this house, in this economy, we don't care about the U.S. In this economy, we don't care about the U.C. rankings, okay? So that would be a fight ahead for Jeff Neal as far as working as. I don't hate the fight. I still think the Burns fight is better, but I have no real issues if you want to do the Shavkat fight. Sure.

Mo Usman versus William Knight. I mean, I think we set it with it. Pick a body. It does not matter to me. Just pick a random heavyweight that's not like a top 20 dude. I think that's totally fine. That feels honestly like, more of a step up in competition for him, but sure.

I'll say for Mosman, people also like Mosman, Parker Porter, Mosman, Justin Tafa, for Juliana Miller, Mandy Baum, Jasmine, Jazz DeVizius, Victoria Leonardo. It was probably the most popular one I saw, so I'm in step with the listeners on that one. Sergei Spivak, Christakis, everyone liked that one. Sergei versus Pavlovich, Sergei on Sergei, loser obviously changed their name to the spelling of their opponent. What do you think of that? I would love that.

I considered that for exactly that reason, but that is certainly Pavlovich fighting backwards. Yeah. And he's going to have to fight a little bit backwards, but that's a pretty big step back for him in the rankings, which I didn't go for it. McKinney, a lot of choice for him, too. One of them, which kind of surprised me. But I did see it. More than two people sent this to me. So, Dracar close.

That feels unfair. You'd like that one? No, that was one of the first ones I looked at. just because Close just fought and the timelines will match up. But I ultimately decided, as you said, feels a little unfair to Close. Close is – close did get that big win. And that's how I ended up with Diego Faheya as my other one, because Fahia was originally supposed to fight close at 277.

And I was like, eh, Fahia is on three-fight losing streak. He's a little older. We can just kind of build them up. But I like the fight on the fight as itself, but with the narrative around it, I think I'm with you. it's a little unfair to close. Aluc Seychic. I liked a lot of these.

Kyle Dacus, Punisoriano, things are both good. Corey McKenna, one jumped out from me that a lot of people mentioned, but I'm going to give

a special hat tip for people for reminding me that this was a rematch. Jonathan Hots and Thomas Collins both said, McKenna versus Demopolis, Vanessa Domopolis 2. I did not remember

they had fought in the contender series back in 2020, and McKenna won by UD. I assume that's how McKenna got her her U.S. I did not remember that fight happened. Neither did I. I don't know.

Shut us. I don't know. A lot of contenders years. I don't. I don't, M.A fans are so... I don't think I like that fight though. No?

I don't think so. Not a fan. Demopolis is doing... They're both kind of newish and young and on the rise. I don't... I'm never a fan of matching, like, potential rising people up this soon, especially rematching them this soon.

Like, that's just... Did you see, uh, did you see Demopolis and the sumo wrestler? I featured didn't miss fit. I know that's a sore spot since we broke up. We broke up. We did. We did.

We did you see that. I can't believe you bringing this up in front of all the guys. On the air. On the air. I'm making a show of it. I apologize. Did you see her with the Simo wrestling? I did, but I don't want to talk about this thing that hurts me so much.

But okay? I really. You just went ahead and did it. You just went ahead and talked to all about it. I didn't even warn you. I didn't even warn you it was coming. All right. Let's move on.

I apologize for that. Let's move on to the listener picks. I love to shout out our first-timers. Thomas Baxter, first-timer. First-time submitter from Ottawa, Ontario, my fellow Ontario, Ontario. I've been thinking about starting to submit for a while now, so here's a try. Also, I wasn't sure if I should justify my picks.

Anyway, so they wrote out some stuff. I want to read what they had to say about Hill, Jamal Hill versus Jan Blahovic. What makes the most sense, in my opinion, I'm happy Santos broke his three-fight, boring streak, though. deserves some credit, sure. They want Shavkat.

They said, great win for Neal. He's earned the right to get finished by Shavkat. Oh, that's a little backhanded. That's a little... I mean, that's just what Shavkat does, though. He's really good. Spivak versus Jaiyelton Almeida after Jailton dog walks. Shamele Abdurakimov.

Yikes. Thomas Baxter, very aggressive with these picks. I kind of like it. I don't hate that pick. I honestly don't hate that fight. I don't think it's bad at all. Kevin Perry, I want to read their thoughts on Hill and Jamal Hill, Jamal Hill, Alexander Rockich. Again, another matching up with an injured guy.

I don't know why. I know Rock is out until 2023, but the top of 2 of 5 probably has Yuri Glover coming up. I think Ankleves ahead of Hill, gets yawn. So it's either waiting for Rockich or taking the winner of Uzdimir Krilov, I guess. Maybe Dominic Reyes, but that seems mean to Dom. You kind of mentioned that yet. So I think, unfortunately, Hill has to wait for Rockich to heal up. Do you think that's a possibility?

He'll fights Rockich early 2023 if everything goes well for Rockich. I mean, it's okay. That probably, I just think he's going to want to fight again sooner. But if he's okay with waiting and Rockich's timeline is, you know, first quarter of 20203, that's a totally reasonable fight. MMA heads is with me, Moosman versus Buda Breseski winner. And they're with you on the Giuliana Miller, Luana Carolina winners, so there's some good picks there.

Stephen, just Stephen, I want to be what they had to say about McKinney and Alexander Hernandez. I'd say Patty Pindlet for Diana Belbita's challenge. Did you see this? No, I have no idea. There was a sort of cutesy, I think, Twitter exchange. Diana Belbita, I think, says something about

like if you beat up Patty Pimblit, we can hang out, something like that. And McKinney responded. So that is what Steve is referring to here. But then Steve reminded me, Patty has a date with Elkakuey. That's right. I don't even know Jed, why we matchmake for Patty Pimel. We all know he's going to end up fighting Tony Ferguson. I was just trying to stand in for your best friend.

And I know that Mike absolutely hates that fight. He's not a fan. He hates it. He hates it more than I dislike Michael Chandler. Well, Daniel, that's saying something. I'm saying a lot. He did a great interview with Damon this week. I think you might want to check that out.

It's something to free to kick back, relax, put on some Michael Chandler. You know, I talked to Damon about it. I got the download so I don't have to watch. You all should because it's on MNayfighting.com. It's a phenomenal website. Daniel Edwards talking about the Paddy McKinney fight. It says Patty McKinney should be next as Patty's a talented but flawed fighter. Strikehold Iron is hot.

Either guy could lose and it's a win-win for the UFC. I agree. See? People are positive people. I'm with them. I think that fight makes a ton of sense. You can headline a fight night card with that fight. This is actually good for you because we have different,

we're going to have different perspective on this because I'm watching in Canada. You're watching ESPN in the U.S. Carlos Torres Buckley Casettis says, I have to comment the amount of commercials on last night's card was effing bananas. We kind of talked about, yeah, but I don't know what the commercial rate was for you guys. I think we see some of the walkouts, maybe some of the walkouts you guys don't up on TSN.

I don't think I saw, I don't remember seeing any of the walkouts. Yeah, I don't know how brutal that was in your end. I mean, it's just, some of that's how the cake is baked. Like, it's just baked into it because if you're going to have a time block and you're essentially, they essentially block out 30-ish minutes per fight. And so if you get early stoppages, you're just going to have a lot more space to fill, but it was really, really tough. Yeah, and it was really tough pacing.

There's a reason these cards go as long. reason they don't just like pace up the cards and go like oh well we don't show this like yeah guys they want commercial time this is you're trying to put those commercials in that's why the show's go out it's unfortunate you know but all right let me go to my email i got no emails last week about what was the last week's card 277 pay-per-view no emails what was the last week's card it was a pay-per-view yeah no emails listen there's so many cards uh our our pal Casey carpenter thanks for all the good work would like to know what mike thought about icon and uh if we get another event out here. I'm assuming they'll run in Georgia again. That's just a complete guess on

my part. Jed, I hope you would go sometime if I'd icon came back. Oh, yeah. Oh, so from talking to Mike Heck, it appears that they have said they will be coming back to Savannah at some point in time, which makes sense. It's, especially because the Florida-based thing. It's pretty, pretty convenient, and apparently had a good, they had a good experience, so. Cases said that they could not go on Friday. So sorry, Casey, hopefully next time. But, um, Throwing out, Neil, speaking of Icon, this is like a magic wand pick. I would love to see this fight.

There's almost 0% chance to happen. Neil versus Jorge Mosvital. Yeah, that won't ever happen, but it would be a fun fight. Tyler Burrell, this is their thought on Jamal Hill Angalab. I think Ankalaz win over Smith was too underwhelming

for him to get an immediate title shot, and I think it would be a good number one contenders-type matchup. Yeah, that's kind of where I'm coming from, too. Like, it's just, it's tough. And they asked about Jeff Neal versus Kevin Holland. I think the styles matchup here well. It'd make for a really fun fight.

headline of fight night. Not sure if they're friends. I know they both train in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I do not think they are friends. They have fought previously, which doesn't mean they can't be friends, but they have fought previously. January 2017,

Holland beat Neil. So I wonder if... Did this listener know that they had fought previously? Or does that... It does not sound like... No, I don't want to listen. I don't... This was out...

When it's outside the UFC, it's a little bit harder. I don't want to blame them if they didn't know about... I didn't know. I've contender series. I didn't know about Demanders. and McKenna. So I cannot throw stone.

So that to me is acceptable. It was a very long. It's a lifetime ago. Lifetime ago. If you would like to lay the hammer down, Jed, by all means, go ahead. But I'm kind of okay with it. That's not my show, so I would be laying the hammer down. Very kind of you.

Tristan Gordet, I just want to read. I'd say last night was a fun card. I think everyone knew the card wasn't great on paper, but it just shows, even though the card meant all good in paper, it doesn't mean that it can't deliver. It's the reason why M.A. is so great, why I tune into every fight card. You just don't know what could happen.

So kudos to all the fighters for all the finages. That's fine. Positive, positive thoughts. And from them, I liked that Buenos Silva versus Josian Nunes. And Romolo Reyes, thank you for sending an email. I'm back with more matchups. Shouldn't have any doo-do. We'll be the judge of that.

Oh, okay. Romello says, thank you all for inspiring me to pursue a job in MMA. I just started writing recently. I've been in a rough spot lately. Watching y'all, this includes, you know, this is talking about Otno, but I think this includes no-bet-bet-exploads. barred, your fine preview work, your fine post-fight show work, all that stuff, Jen. That's all of us.

Watching y'all has not only helped with that, but inspired me to try something I never thought I'd be good at. Thanks again for keeping up the amazing work. Y'all are killing it. First off, Ramelle, let me say, feel free to send me a writing sample if you have time. There's something you're really proud of and you want something to go look at it. I warn you, I'm very harsh, but you have my email. Send me something sometime.

We can talk about it. And also, congrats just on doing it, man, because that's the only way. That's the only way to get into it. You just do it. MMA is still a very young, it's still a very young field. Obviously, it's bigger than ever. It is, it is mainstream. But compared to a lot of the major sports, the barrier for entry is, I would say, is a little

bit lower. Not to say the quality of the talent is lower, but just the amount of people that are, you know, working to get you, it's a smaller field. It's a smaller field of people. So if you're going for it, hey, why not you? You might say, oh, how can I be Arrow-Hawani? How can I be Mike Heck? How can I be Jed Michoud?

And it's like, once upon a time, Jed Mishue wasn't Jed Mishu. You know? Jed Mishu put himself out there. Jim and Shu got on that grind. And now here he is. It had to be somebody. Why not Jimyshu? Why not me?

Why not you? Why not me? Why not today? So, Ramella, hopefully someday we are, we are, I'm having you as a guest host on not know or something like that and we're just laughing about this. And even if it doesn't work out that way, enjoy writing about something that you love, whether it's professionally or for fun. I hope you have a great time on this journey.

And again, reach out to me if you need any advice, happy to share. Reach out to, I don't know, we can read out to Jed as well, but he can be a harsh Master. I'll give you I'll give my advice to anyone especially to this gentleman because it's the same advice. I've given this to a lot of people who have reached out to me and asked or come across me. My two pieces of advice are the big one is just do what makes you happy. And this extends far beyond just kind of this field. But the way I got to where I am is mostly luck. I guess I'm just being honest. But I make the content I want to see. and because it's the only way to do it.

Because if you're trying to write for somebody else or do something for somebody else, it's just not going to work, you're not going to have the same spirit and heart in it, and that is going to come across to everybody else that is in taking what you're producing. And it's twofold. If I get fired tomorrow, knock on what that doesn't happen, love them if I'm a great website. If I get fired tomorrow or whatever,

this no longer can become a career path for me. I would be tremendously sad because I love my job. I truly do. But I will know that I did what worked for me. And that's like that that's really just kind of it because as AK said, the barrier to entry is lower. But you're going to face a lot of rejection. It's really, really, really difficult. And so and when you get here, people are not.

They're just not going to love it. Like whatever you're doing, a ton of people are going to hate it. You're going to catch a ton of crap for it. And that's fine because as long as you are happy with what you've done, that's all that's ever mattered to me. And I think that that produces the best work. And it certainly has made me feel the best about what I've done. And so that is what I always tell people in general.

Just do what is making you happy. And then even if you don't get to maybe where you'd hope to be, you can still be really comfortable with what you did because it was what was true to you. that is very that is 100% authentic and I tell you you you stand by your words because as someone who has edited your work and collaborated with you yep I can tell people this man does not compromise this man he is not he is not lying when he says he does things his way I have been I've experienced it firsthand I've talked to my therapist about it yeah you do what does does things his way do what's in your heart and then if if it lands then great then you've you put yourself in to the best possible position. And you've produced your best work. If it doesn't land, you can at least be comfortable knowing that I did it.

I did it my way. So good luck to everyone out there who's trying to get to this business. Again, you're going to have a great time. I sure you're going to have a great time doing it. It's incredibly fun. It's so fun. It's so fun. All right, I got a ton of Twitter.

So guys, I'm sorry, I cannot read all these. Let me see how I can get here in the next few minutes. A new guy, the combat guy. Thank you, longtime. I'm a longtime giving picks, Hill and Goliath. So he's saying both guys are won away. That would make sense. If that's the title shot Eliminator, sign me up for it.

Neil versus Burns, Neil deserves that performance. Usman versus Hamdi, Abdel Wahha. There you go. Friends Forever. Miller, Victoria Leonardo. Let's go. Alexeiq, Armin Petrogyne, Battle versus Andre Fialio. I like that.

McKenna versus Sam Hughes and Maeda Buenos Silva versus Penny Kianzan. I'm amazed no one else met through that. I went out there. I think there's someone else mentioned. Yeah, that kind of makes some sense. Thanks for all the work y'all do. Also, McKinney versus Patty, MSG, and then do the Tony fight at Patty KS.

W. I love everything about that, except I'm very confident Patty will not fight in Mansford Garden. He does not like the New York taxes. He has said this multiple, multiple times. So probably not. He's been extremely clear that he will not fight in New York. He don't like the tax man. He don't like that.

It would have to be some exorbitant amount where the amount of tax that's taken doesn't matter. And the UFC, he's not at that level yet where they would shout that out. Yeah. Terrence Leverett, again, Neil versus Shavcott. If Shavkat wins, he then changes his name to Shavkat Neil to Me, Rachmanov. I mean, a couple of Neil wins there. Yes, and then he mentioned, yes, from Neil to Neil, which I forgot. I was like, oh, right, Neil to Neil to Neil.

Okay. I've got to skip ahead here. Sorry, everyone. Our pal Nicklinville, an aspiring med student out in the great state of Michigan, said, got to think, he raised a good point. Got to think the M. Makas and a card where every single fight had to finish, we didn't have another injury stoppage. the Duke of Diagnoses will take the night off,

have a good one at Prince of Positivity. So, yeah, it's kind of, like, honestly, that main event had all the makings of, like, someone's going to suffer a freak injury. Like, Teogosan, it's 38 years old. And the fun was so sloppy. And both his knees are blown. Like, at any point in time,

you could have just reblown one of them. I thought, again, we talked about the takedowns, like his struggling. I thought at one point he just wasn't going to get out. Like, he was just going to back, no. No, no moss moment. All right. let me run through here.

Cody Hartman, McKinney versus Ferguson. Sure, sure. I like Pimbleau a lot better for that fight. Four Corner Sports, NY,

Ball versus Barbarina, hashtag Brian on Brian. McKinney Gritzmacher. Yes, I like that. Julianna Miller versus, this would be, Julianna Miller

versus Jillian Robertson, Maria Agabova, loser. That's happening September 17th. Okay. Stephen Brighter. Oh, how do you like this one,

Jed? Mohamette, win, win-lose-or draw he's fighting jay collier September 10th no matter what happens mo isman Chris Barnett beast boy I mean it's fine I mean if

I think if if Barnett loses it makes a lot more sense I think Barnett wins it just feels like Barnett Barnett's really fun and I'm not saying Usman can't win that fight but Usman is still so raw so new let him face somebody who

he will have a real good chance of beating or is at least on a commiserate level of experience. Hayes with 3rd has a interesting pick for Neil. He says Neil looked like he's leveled up with his performance. For his next fight I'll go with Leon Edwards if he loses

to Usman. I respect the Gilbert Burns call it and wouldn't hate in that fight but I feel like they'll give Burns to another prospect. So Neil Leon, if Leon loses to Camaro? I don't hate it. I don't want to tip my hand here. I am dangerously close to talking myself into Leon Edwards upsetting Kamar Usman. Oh boy.

Oh boy. Dangerously close to talking myself into that upset. So two weeks, do not miss that episode of No Best Barre. Do not miss that episode of No Best Barre. Do not miss that episode. It's a little teaser, but I am. I want to see you can drag Connor down with you. I've been leaning that way for a while now, and it's, I'm not there yet, but give me another two weeks to stew on this, and I may be calling for another episode of the century.

Speaking of the beloved Connor Berks, we actually have a Connor B who now contributes picks that not Connor Berks, Connor B from New Zealand. Might be Conner's burner. Maybe. Well, he says it's from New Zealand, so I hope that's true. I hope that's true. And they throw him off the scent.

Jamal Hill versus Craig, too. Big fan of Craig. Just think he'll want to and probably can get the one back. Also, there's not much left ahead. That makes sense in my opinion. So I like the logic there. Just a few more. My goodness, you guys are so anime fans are so good

they're so good uh barry o'reilly battle versus ian yam chateau garry good call up both guys very early in their careers after knock it like that

gary will have to be respectful about battles power also i think sato trains at killcliffe so uh he can get some revenge i'm machado gary can get some revenge for his boy um i always like those storylines oh look satechik versus cheiti and jukwani i kind of like that

if we're not doing Chris Curtis I'm very okay with that our man in Italy Francesco the man who started all the Pimblet Pimlet Tony Bergen's talk

is now throwing on this one Brian Battle versus Robbie Lawler That's probably more likely to be possible but I don't I don't want Robbie Lawler to be the stepping stone

for new prospects I know that's horrible I want Robbie Loll I would way rather have I'm not even all that in on Robbie Lola versus Luka but that's much more

aligned with the fights I want for Robbie Lawler. All right. Last two messages I'm going to read here. James McDonald, loyal listener, loyal listener, loyal picker. McKenna versus Carolina Colvacavikovic. I hadn't even thought of that. I actually like it. Olok Seych versus Dusko Todorovich.

And he wants one more fight for Sam Alvey. Jed. Oh, God. Why? It's a catchweight bout. Sam Alvi versus Hasbullah. Jed, give me the opening line. I mean, I'm going to say,

that Albi is still a favorite in that one, just from the size disparity, but it's probably pretty close because of the number of people who will ironically put $5 on Hasbola. All right, and I got one, I got this long message from someone named Benjamin Benson

from Copenhagen, Denmark, a loyal listener, they sent a huge, huge, I'm not going to read all this message, Benjamin, I apologize. I mean, I read it, Benjamin myself, I'm not going to read it on there. It is so long.

This would take me. at least two whole minutes to read if I read it in its entirety and if I read it at my like normally super fast talking speaking. I hope it's just him talking about Marco Madsen. It's no I don't think Marco Madsen gets mentioned which is just super disappointing. So I'm quite excited. It's my first time chiming in. I'll be in Amsterdam for an international Batchata festival on Fight Night. I'm propelled I'm propelled to submit my picks beforehand so they pick before the winners actually happen. MMA is in fact not very far from Latin dancing the way you need hip control balance, economical use of muscles, isolated muscle control, etc., etc.

An example, a fellow Bacchata dancer I know was a renowned kickboxer, sparred with the Pettus brothers, and so on, and he agrees. Okay. So he felt they need to put someone on blast for some reason. I'm not going to read all this, but some of it pertains to you. So this is why I'm reading it. All right. So this is stuff about Mike being to New England biased.

I mean, we can all agree on that. That's not an unfair criticism at all. We all know that Mike should never talk about New England athletes again. Nobody cares about that stuff. why is Mike so unashamedly I got to start again Why is Mike so unashamedly in awe Of everything Jed says and does

My toes crins like the roots of a 500-year oak When he drops his jaw every time Jed opens his mouth I love Jed's I love Jed's hillbilly antics But when his stances and takes Become crude and straight out dumb Mike should rise from fifth grade level behavior and stand on his on his own better uh do you want to trust there's

more to you do you want to address that part first i mean sure first uh definitely not a hillbilly you wouldn't call me country that's fine hillbilly i mean i guess it's fine he's from he's from denmark he doesn't really know the distinction between hillbilly versus just like yes this is you're from the you're from the u.s so everyone in the last hillbilly yeah we're all hillbillies but there are distinctions between what those various things are, especially in the South. Mike's in awe of me, I don't think that's true, but if it is true, it's because I'm awesome. So, you know, I guess that's what it is. That's easily explained.

That's not going to change. I'm also not confident that the roots of an oak cringe, but that was very vivid wordplay. I respect that. Well, he said his toes cringe. I don't think toes cringe either. I think it's even, like, curled up anyway. Curl. although toe curling is not confident that's the visual he wants to go with

though maybe that's something different in Denmark because let's move on toe curling is not a bad thing let's move on from let's move on jet also has a fondness for fighters hailing from either the Midwest or Dagestan true I don't know which the Midwest I don't I genuinely I'm going to say name one name one name one I don't know which though less obnoxious than Michael Biss being openly favoring American and British fighters is just a conundron to me. I want to hear him admit that he was, oh, it's relating to Justin Gitchie. Okay, I guess.

I want to hear him admit that he was blatantly wrong in picking Gatji over Olivera, something he never admitted on air. I think you kind of covered that. I definitely admitted that after Oliverer killed him. And I can't wait to see, I can't wait to see Jed's face when Oliverer finishes off McAchev, which he probably will do off of his feet as he is a much, much better striker. Why is no one mentioning that? I mean, I've talked about this on last week's hot tweets.

Actually, maybe it was this week's. I don't remember. We're all kind of blurs together. I don't need to go. This is not the show for it, so it won't dive too deep into it. If Olivera beats Markachev will be a tremendous win, and I will no longer be able to speak any ill of Oliver. Not that I have.

I've just picked him to lose. I am not confident he is a much better striker, though I think that he is a better striker than Islamar Machachov. He's certainly a more varied striker. You have to look at it as a whole thing because part of what makes Oliver a really good striker is his ground game because he can kick freely knowing that he doesn't care if you take him down.

That's not going to be an effective strategy against his Zamakachev, who will be like, thank you for the leg. I will now take you down. And then Oliver will play off his back. I just truly don't think the striking is going to matter because I think both men will be happy to fight this in the realm of the grappling. And as I said in hot tweets and as I've been saying for years,

I don't think that's a really good idea for Charles Oliver. Like, I don't, I don't, and maybe I'm wrong. And maybe he pulls those up a triangle or whatever. And if that's the case, I will come and say hand up, because I definitely said that after the Gaichi fight. Like, hand up, I was wrong. Olivera put the boots to Justin Gaichie. He got hurt, but he did put the boots to him in the end.

I just don't think he can play off the back because, again, and this sounds mean, I think his guard is less dangerous than people act like it is. Because lots of people have been in his guard. Benjamin is ready to, Benjamin, I hope you're listening to this because he, this is the takes you came for, my friend. You came at him. He's got more takes for you. I got an infinite number, buddy. If you want more, and if I'm wrong, I'll be wrong. I don't have any interest in Midwest fire.

So I just love Justin Gachy. Sure. But I don't, but yes, I would openly say that I think Dagestan, because I don't think that's a me thing. I think that's the most people in MMA who are deep into it are like, oh. They're very good. The Dagestani knuckle gang cartel, they're real good at the whole fistfighting thing. It rolls deep. It rolls deep.

I can't believe we're still three paper views away from that fight. Like you're talking about it. I'm like, oh, man, I'm like, oh, 278, 279. That's a long time away. I actually got off mostly on skate. He made fun. Benjamin here made fun of my picks. They said they suck and they bet on the opposite of them,

which is actually really good advice. You should do that. My picks are terrible. And also get a girlfriend for me. So I'm like, okay, that kind of hurt. But fair enough. That feels like a personal attack. It was extremely personal.

Yeah. Like you come at me for my cakes or whatever. I don't care. Jose and Casey also got it. Anyway, I don't want to read all that. Damon left out. Benjamin, no life advice for Damon? Who could be mad at Damon?

Anyway, Benjamin. Thank you for the very long message. with I love you all, best wishes. So thank you. We love you too, buddy. We love you too. Thank you. Shout us to everyone in Denmark and Copenhagen. And if you need me, Damien, if you, or if you need me to explain the difference between a hillbilly and a hick and somebody who's just a little bit country, you know, we can do it. Well, I was going to say, uh, thank you again, Benjamin for that super long message. There's no topping that. We got to, we got to end on that. Uh, Jed, where can people

reach you if they want to send you fight picks or general, are your DMs open? Are you a DMs or open, man? I think they're technically open, but I check them once every like six months or something. Okay, well, people can tag. I think it's better if people tag you. Like, you know, you can tag, you can tag Jed on Twitter. Be a man. Tag, be a man or be a woman. Tag him in public at Jed K. Mishu. Or be a non-binary. We be a non-binary. Yes, whatever. Sorry. I be a, be a stand-up person and tag. Be a stand-up person and tag Jed publicly at Jed Kmishu on Twitter. Yeah, go for it. That is absolutely correct. Send in, keep sending in those picks and comments. I try to get to as many of the can every week. At Alexander K.K. Lee on Twitter.

At Alexander KK. Lee on Instagram at... Not as. I messed up. Alex. Dot Lee at espionation.com on email. Hit me on all fronts, guys. I will respond. Jedworth, thank you for joining me next week. ESPN.

ESPN. I'm really crushing it without... Without that mic here. This is not what you do. This is not what I do. You're doing a great buddy. UFC San Diego at the Pichanga Arena in San Diego, California, headline by Marlon Vera versus Dominic Cruz.

It looks like we've got, I want to see if ESPN has a schedule for this yet. But yes, we do have Dominic Cruz, Marlon Vera, and the headliner. I look forward to the no-bets barred breakdown because I honestly am not sure I'm pretty sure I'm picking Vera but man there's you know there's that I still think there's that Dominic Cruz magic that is that is really tough to deal with so I'm kind of excited I don't know what your initial read is on that one Jed I have never liked Dominic Cruz and it taints my ability to it taints my ability to judge his fights accurately but I'm for sure picking Mollingeraro who I think is awesome and Dominic Cruz is old and

probably not all that good. Wow. Okay. Just put it out there. Anyway, so. I hated him forever. I've hated, I've never understood him.

He is, he's the exact kind of fighter. I can't. I will never learn how to appreciate me. We're trying to end on a high note. We're trying to end on a high note. Look, Marlon Vera is dope.

There we go. Marlon vera is super dope. That's like to. And so is the, what looks to be the culminate event now. I don't know how finalized this lineup is, but this is according the ESPN schedule. So the penultimate fight,

I don't know if I consider this like, main event, Colman. Nate Landver and David Onama. There's no comane on this card. Two fighters making their debut, Jasmine, Jasmine Yorigi and Yasmin Lucindo.

Yasmin on Yasmin, I mean, again, someone has to change their name. Whoever wins has to, whoever wins gets to keep their name. The other person has to change it. Devin Clark versus Azamat Mirzakanov, Cynthia Kalbio versus Nina Nunes, Bruno Silva versus Gerald Mirchirt.

That's the main card. and then on the prelims, Angela Hill, taking on Lupi Godinez, Martin Bouda, Lucas Brezeski, Galbra Benitez, Charlie Antevereaux, O'Day Osborne versus Tyson Nam, Yussev's Zalal versus Dimon Blakshier, and Ariani Lipski versus Priscilla Kachrera, which got moved from this card, and hopefully Priscilla Katrera gets two paychecks

from both this card and next weekend. So that is what we are looking at. I don't think there's anything else, any late editions. Jason Witt, Josh Quinlan, I think, will not be taking place on that card. They really have to sort out that whatever the Susada situation is. They originally thought it would just get bumped back a week, but I don't think that is going to happen. So there's your lineup, Jed.

Again, I cannot thank you enough. You did some outstanding work. Do you have any final, a final ought-no thoughts related to matchmaking or anything? No. You guys do great. I'm happy to have stepped in for Mike. Mike get better. Yes.

Because this is hard. This is way more. I don't have to step in again because it's tough. You did an amazing job. Stop it. You did an amazing job. Mike, hopefully, we'll be back next week, guys. And thank you always for listening to On to the next one, the podcast.