MMA Fighting - The 2024 MMA Draft! | Which 35 Fighters Do You Build A Promotion Around?

Episode Date: April 24, 2024

With the 2024 NFL Draft set to take place this week, it's once again time for the MMA Fighting team to don the hats of the premier combat sports promotions in the world and select the 35 fighters they would most want to have on roster to build a promotion around. Listen as Jed Meshew guides the action and the staff drafts seven fighters to their respective organizations: the UFC, PFL/Bellator, ONE Championship, BKFC, and newcomer KSW. Other promoters include Shaun Al-Shatti, Mike Heck, Damon Martin, and Alexander K. Lee. Who will be the first overall pick? And which drafter is best set up for the next five years? Tune in to find out. Follow Jed Meshew @JedKMeshew Follow Shaun Al-Shatti @ShaunAlShatti Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Alexander K. Lee @AlexanderKLee Follow Damon Martin @DamonMartin 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-by 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. Does it ever feel like you're a marketing professional just... Speaking into the void. But with LinkedIn ads, you can know you're reaching. the right decision makers, a network of 130 million of them, in fact. You can even target buyers by job title, industry, company, seniority, skills, and did I say job title? See how you can avoid

the void and reach the right buyers with LinkedIn ads. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a free $250 credit for the next one. Get started at LinkedIn.com slash campaign. Terms and conditions apply. The Vox Media Podcast Network. What's up y'all? It's the greatest week of the year that is right. This is the M.M.A Fighting Podcast Network. I am Jed Mishu, and it is Draft Week, everybody. Our favorite week of the year, the NFL draft goes down Thursday night in Detroit, Michigan, and for the last two years to coincide with the NFL draft, we have embarked on the greatest journey in mixed martial arts, the MMA draft, where five MMA fighting writers get together, and we just draft dudes. We just draft our favorite MMA fighters around the promotions that

exist in the world. And so we're doing it again. We're just same rules as last year. If you haven't checked out last year, we'll put links into it. You can go check all that. But it's going to be a fun ride. But without further ado, the people joining me on this ride, they're as excited as I am. Shaheen Alshaddy, Mike Heck, Damon Martin, and Alexander Keelea fellas.

This is the best week of the year. It's technically, I know it's MMA draft, but since it is NFL draft week, I just got to throw out a hoodee for my being a little. Nation, you know, got to celebrate my team this week and get ready for the job. So I watch so much draft coverage of the NFL. I'm like, I feel like I know every college player that's ever played college football at this point. So I'm ready to switch gears into MMA drafting.

Do you know every MMA fighter who's ever played MMA though? Because that's going to be critical for today's exercise. We don't play MMA. We fight MMAJ. We don't play anything around here. It's true. Don't play boxing. I'm so excited.

How are you guys feeling? Because I'm always so excited. I'm so excited. I'm so deeply excited. This is my favorite time of the air. Two-time champ, just saying, two-time champ, y'all catch up. Gotta get to this level. Oh, look, do we want to get into this right now, Sheen?

Because yes, at the end of this exercise, there'll be a post on the website. We'll throw up a poll. You can vote on who you think drafted the best team. And yes, two years in a row, Sheen al-Shadhi is one. Say it again. Say it again. I'm just saying it's like doing the poll is like, like giving draft night grades.

Sure, maybe the Lions draft night, you know, last year was a C plus. And then it turns out actually those dudes they drafted are ballers. Your team on fight night sounded great. John Jones, Hamzaa Chimae of Leon Edwards, Charles O'Olavera. Here's the problem. Stars. John Jones didn't fight. Charles Olaver lost a bunch.

No, no, no, no, no, no. You're framing this wrong. Colby Covington lost. You're framing it all wrong. When we create this exercise, we create parallel dimensions. We create alternate universes in which those dudes are now under my control. I did not, John Jones fought twice in my world. Charles Oliveira won three times in my world, and one of them was the greatest fight you've ever seen.

He won with a buggy choke, Jed. He peruvian necktide. I don't remember this. You didn't see it? I don't remember. I didn't see it. Who are you convincing John Jones to fight? He fought a fat sumo guy.

He fought a fat sumbo guy we found on the street. it was so fun. You would have loved it. You would have absolutely loved it. Except for the problem is he's scared. No, no, no. He's too scared to fight the fat sumo guy. We know he's scared.

It is who he is. Chicken. I'm just saying, you personally, you would have loved it. Also, fan vote. Come on. We're crying about fan vote.

I love the fan. I think you have a combined 5% in two years. Sir, hold on. I am one of the fastest scoring promoters in the business. I went from 2% to 5% in the gym job. I doubled my support. Doubled.

Look, sport killer. We understand you don't like the fan sport killer. We understand. Not these ones. Mike, how are you feeling about this year's draft? Are you ready? Because last year, you had a tough run last year. You had the UFC in 2023.

And it's, it is always the hardest promotion to succeed with per the rules of this exercise this year. Switched up. You've gone from the worst promotion to, I would say the most fun promotion. I had BKFC last year. You've got them this year. How are you feeling about this switch up? this is exactly what I needed to go to BKFC because after winning overall in 2022, I think most would say once the year actually played out.

I got a little too cute in 2023. I overthought some things. I was offered the first trade in the history of the draft. Undervalued myself at a big way. Shaheen Al-Shadi just crushed me in multiple ways during the draft, not only stealing my lead commentator, but just throwing out a trade at the best time and then fleecing me with value because I didn't know what I was doing. So Shaheen definitely won last year on draft day because he was just brilliant throughout the entire thing.

I think that's ridiculous. I still think I won on draft day. I had Connor McGregor, Justin Gage, Max Holloway, Dustin Portier. Like that right there is all I needed. Sure, Connor didn't fight. Let's not think about Connor not fighting because he was in the news a bunch. In the long term, though, I won the draft last year. When you look at my draft, which is very true.

I'm just saying, in Ghanu, Adasol. O'Malley, Shafkat, Nimcoff and Topori. That top six was by far the best of the bunch. I didn't win on the vote. But in terms of talent, what ended up being for the year, I definitely won.

And Logan Paul, if we put the vote up now, one of the, Logan Paul, one of the breakout stars that's not bad. I'm hearing a lot of people in this podcast claim victory.

I'm hearing a lot of Fugazi belts being drawn around, thrown around. It's pretty weird. There's one, Victor. Let's move on. I mean,

we can move on because you are no long. You're no longer in charge of one championship. Last year you had won one championship. And you ran that organization so well that it's on the verge of bankruptcy. And there are reports that by the end of this year, it will no longer exist. And so they had to pull in last year's true winner, me, myself and I, to take over one championship. And Chatri call is like, hey, Jed, we need some help.

We're in financial struggles. And we think you're the guy to dig us out of this whole Shaheen put us into. So I'm going to take over one championship. As we've already established, Mike has moved on to BKFC. AK, who will be the first pick in our draft, has a new team. We'll talk about that in a moment. Damon has the short straw. Damon's got UFC this year.

It's always tough to be the UFC. I mean, you're so far ahead. You have nowhere to go but backwards. So we'll see how well you can defend that position, Damon. And Shaheen, you've been elevated. You dug one championship into, you know, into bankruptcy. and we're like, hey, let's get rid of you as a promotion. And now they're going to ask you to do it to PFLO.

They've decided that this is the future of it. We saw you kill Bellator slash Showtime MMA before. So now they're bringing you back in to do this. And then AK will kick our draft off with the new edition, folks, because as I just mentioned, Belator kind of doesn't exist anymore. It's sort of around. It's weird. We've lumped in PFL and Bellator as one promotion because that is,

functionally what they are, even if they're operating separately. AK actually killed it. And so for the third- AK actually killed it. Like, it's dead because of AK's- I made it better. I made it better. You, you returned it to Bellator from Showtime and that was just the end of it.

It died at that moment. And look how much money it got bought for. I mean, or- or- Acquired for- stock options. This is one of its best point. Monopoly dollars.

Listen, I got a look up for me. I can look up for me. That's all I'm saying. All right. God bless the fire. I got to look up for me. You know it's a bad sign when a multi-billion dollar organization gets rid of you for nothing. Like they are like, please take this from us.

Please just take this from us. We don't want it anymore in our books. Take it. Let us just say that. Let us just say that last year, AK took Jake Paul with his second overall pick. I thought he was going to fight never made. I thought he was going to fight never may.

To be, to be fair, I think that's what PFL actually did. We've seen how that's worked out for them. too so you know just done that out there new ownership baby well this year a this year i doubt i k's doing it because for the third year in a row we are now having to pick a new team uh the first year we did this eagle fc was the fifth squad in the grouping obviously they kind of fell apart after that one year and then last year we lost bellator so we're adding in the new one and ak i hope you don't kill this one because it is the darling child of hardcore m ms fans the world over speaking of course about ks you know, the spiritual successor to pride.

Sir. Sir, that is confrontatia Stukvalchi to you, all right? Chich to all my Polish supporters. Thank you for trusting me with this national institution of yours. I assure you I will shepherd it into another. It's already an incredible company. I will just shepherd it further along into further greatness. I am so excited.

How many times did you practice that? I hope that you go heavy Polish. on your drafting. I don't think I nailed it, Gene. I'll be honestly. I'm not 100% confident that that was close to how it's actually pronounced.

Yeah, you know, A for effort, because I wasn't even going to pretend to try. I just want for old KSW. Yeah. So the rules are simple, y'all. Just to recap in case this is your first time here, five of us, five promotions. We're drafting seven rounds,

not snake draft, just one at the top, keep going. The draft order is, AK with KSW, Then BKFC with Mike won championship. Me, PFL to Sean is number four, and Damon gets the rear with the UFC at five. Tried to order them functionally in the primacy of their, you know, standing in the global landscape. Just like you do in the NFL. The worst teams get the earlier picks.

You got to build the roster the best you can. And that's it. A couple of small things just to note, any individuals available to draft, you can pick anyone. doesn't have to be an interme fighter. We've done a bunch of weird things you do whatever you want in that regard. Drafting them, per the rules of this, locks them into a five-year contract with the organization. They still don't have to fight. If you pick John Jones and he's like, I'm waiting to fight Stepe.

And if Stepe isn't under your promotional banner, then you can't make John fight. This is not a thing you can do. You're going to have to work with how you go. And yeah, that's it. We talked a lot about allowing trades. We did trades last year. It got a little confusing, certainly in the written. part of this thing. So we have opted not to move forward with trades this year. Maybe they'll come

back in a future edition. But other than that, AK, KSW is on the clock. Are you prepared to make the first pick of the 2024 MMA draft? Let's do it. I think so, Jed. I think so. I'm a little nerdy. So you're saying, AK, that the pick is in? The glee. I did not say that. The glee on Jed's face when he hit that button. I just want people to know. I did not say that. I did not say that. Jed said that.

But, okay, that worked out really well. I want to be clear. As we get started, we talked about this off air. I am petrified. I have a very clear draft strategy, and you and Mike can absolutely bottom me out right now with your choices. I am hopeful that the guy I need with my first overall pick falls to me. I am, Mike. I am your Patriots, desperately hoping that Drake May falls to three, and I don't have to pick Jane

Daniels in that third spot. Boy, I tell you what, yeah, you could, I mean, you could think that way or you could, you know, Drake May, aka Mitchell Trabisky 2.0, sure, go ahead. Oh, gosh. Don't do that, Damon. Firing shots. Don't do that, or Drake May. I don't think you'll be in trouble, Jack, because I think my pick is, like, it sounds

like you have a somewhat, not out of the box, but specific, like you said, specific to your strategy. So since I have number one, like I had to go pretty broad. I do have a plan, KSW. Again, it's not your traditional Dark Horse, though I am picking number one. And certainly in North America, it has probably the least name recognition of all the promotions we've mentioned. But it has a benefit of already being established in Poland.

I mean, it's hard to call a promotion of Dark Horse when they have sold out like a 60,000 seat venue on two or three occasions now. And it has a very dedicated fan base. It does get coverage. I mean, the fact that it does get so much coverage. She was desperate to interjection. She is literally raising his hand and just. articulating to get the mic.

Robert Gisdell has run on stage and taken the mic away from KSW's representative who's trying to get the pick in. What is the objection? Because someone is objecting. Shaheen. I didn't want to interrupt if he had something prepared. I wasn't trying to bulldoze over AK. I'm just curious, before we get to AK's pick, do we feel like there is a consensus number one

overall pick this year? Because I know in past years, there's been a clear one. I don't feel like there is this year, though. I was trying to make my board and I don't know. I don't think so either. I think there's a very clear number one pick this year. Really? I don't.

In my head, there's there's kind of one, but not really. It depends on how much you value this one person. Would you guys like to tell me what that is? Okay. There's worth of shot. So I kind of do just because he's not the guy I'm planning around. And I would like you to take him. So I only have to fade Mike killing my whole game plan.

But I also don't want to ruin. the fun for everyone else, you know? I really hope my guess is. And if you guys are disconflicted, hell, maybe he drops me in the second round somehow, and I'm just dealing. I'm not conflicted because I can't go wrong with this pick. It's just kind of boring.

It's kind of safe, but it does fit what we want to do. I mean, like, again, we are wanting to expand outside of the Polish market. And it's not hard to do. This is a known promotion outside. It just doesn't have that foothold in North America yet. But like you said, if you're a cool MMA fan, if you keep up with KSW,

It's not hard to watch. It's not like it's an international promotion that's hard to watch. So we have some advantages. We have some advantages going in. But KSW, we're all about spectacle. People know this. This is not a company that's all about like, thank you. This is not a PFL tour.

Let's have a season tournament, quote unquote, meritocracy thing. Like, no, we want to put on a show. We want big names, big stars to build big cards around. It's a boring pick. But for the second year, year in a row, I think we have to go number one with Mr. Conn McGregor. He did it. And the benefit is.

That's it. That's the one-one pick. Unlike previous years, the benefit is we actually know he will fight. No, quote, unquote, I put no in some quotations. But we were talking. There was a little pre-draft talk, you know, amongst the GMs, amongst the owners. And we were like, Connor went like third round. the first time we did this in 2022.

He did go first last time. He was such a perfect fit for BKFC. He had to go number one. But both those years was when he was still in limbo. He had recently broken his... 2020, he was still coming off the broken leg. 2023, we had no idea what the hell was going on. So he didn't fight in any of those years.

He was kind of a bust. At least I know, in reality, he is scheduled for one fight. So I think KSW is getting one fight out of him. I don't think we're doing him and Michael Chandler. But I would love to have Connor come here for one. We build one show around him.

It changes our entire like five-year arc, just having one, one massive Connor McGregor-led show. So, yeah, not the most interesting thing. Didn't go out of the box. You just got to go with the Muccio star power. I think that's the right pick, though, okay? For everything you said, biggest star in the sport actually is set to fight this year. She can feel some level of comfort he's coming back. And mostly, you didn't mention this.

But if I was you, I'm taking, I'm running. I am running to the podium to put this in because you pair the eyeballs Connor can draw. with the pageant cheese that we bring to K as KSW, you're going to have a whole bunch of fans overnight. Like that's just, there is no organization more primed to have a supernova star, elevate them than KSW. To me, this was the clear number one pick.

And if you had fumbled this, I would have mocked you later. And let's not forget KSW, even though you want to expand into North America, KSW is an established European Brown. You can easily take your first ever card to Kroke Park, finally do what the UFC has failed to do over and over again, take it to Croke Park, put Connor in there, and you got to guarantee, like, I don't know how many people fit in that stadium, but 50,000, 60,000, how many people

fit in there? You go right there and you still keep your foothold in Europe. Guys, I'm loving the support. I'm loving the positive. Fans, can I get more than five, can I get more than 5% this year? We can do it. We can do it. Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I think Conner is going to get you over 5% just as that.

No, you could fumble every other pick. But you dunked the dunker. Like, it's not everybody can slam dunk it when it's right up there. You've buried the alley-up. Well done. Which means, Mr. Mike Heck, you are on the board and the pick is in. It is. Firstly, let me congratulate Alexander K. Lee for putting together a roster that's going to feature

Connor McGregor and five women's band-in-weights. So very nice. Very nice. KSW is going to be. Spoilers. Mike, that was between us. Sorry. That was for us.

Sorry. But for my first pick, and it's nice to have BKFC, because now we get to just do a lot of fun stuff. I noticed Jed does not have his whiteboard behind him. Usually has a specific word. And today, we're going to change the name of BKFC. It's not going to be Bear Knuckle Fighting Championship. It's going to be Boop Knuckle Fighting Championship. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome.

You son of a big thing. Alex. Yes. POTOM. Yes. Which is a rat of applause. Play the son to fit, baby. Where's the clapping?

Where's the hooding and hollering? I knew you took the whiteboard down for a reason. I knew you're trying to do. But let me just tell you. Alex Pereer was going to be my pick anyways. I know he was. That's why I took the point down. That solidified it for me.

I went from 99.9% to 100. 30% when I saw that whiteboard taken down behind you, Jed. Sorry, not sorry. Welcome Alex Pereira. We're not even knucklemania coming up on this weekend. It's not even called knucklemania anymore. It's called Boop. It's just called Boop Mania starring Alex Pereira.

Oh, my God. Alex Pereira, Bear Knuckle. I need the listeners at home to realize all the whimper in your hearing is Jed. He is just absolutely melting down right now. I wish you could see him. I'm ending this podcast right now. I had such plans for Pereira. I'm so happy.

Thank you so much for doing this. You could have taken Inganu? He can bear no-cum punch for people. Come on. Mike, do you realize what you've done? I had a grand plan for one. It was going to be a three-fight plan of Pereira versus Anatoly Malikin

in all three weight classes for all three belts one and one after the other after the other. It's going to be perfect. It's going to be everything we all ever wanted and you took it from me

and I knew I was looking and I was like BKFCs in front of me there's not a fighter who makes more sense. Like just purely fit to promotion. Pereira makes all the sense

in the world. But if you felt like I get to do the Malikins, we've got kickboxing in Loitai. He can get those belts too. He would have been the perfect. a perfect promotional linchpin for me. And I should, honestly, I should have just said one gets to go second.

Because why not? I could have made the rules. This is devastating. It was going to be perfect. And now it's perfect for us, Jed. So at least I saw that our roster is now better. The only way that would have fallen to you would have been A.K. Not taking Connor.

Because obviously Connor and BKFC would be massively huge. And that would be a huge, you know, just a star power. But the fact that AK took to Connor said, perfectly for Mike to take I just thought there was a chance for Ngano to slip in there because she also wouldn't want. That name's not available. I'll say whatever I want. I might take him now. I don't know

what now I'm doing. I've just got to hurt the rest of y'all because my plans are shot. What's going under? We're going to be bankrupt in four months and I can't save us. The star who could have brought us out of bankruptcy is gone and the guy I had a whole plan to build around is gone. I have nothing.

I am in shambles right now. This could not have started worse for me. Mike, Mike, my best friend, I do have a question. Are you comfortable with the in ring fatalities that your organization is about to be associated with with Alex Perey, bare knuckle punching people?

I'm just, this could lead to go down a very dark path. I mean, he just throw him in there with Lorenzo Hunt. He won't, he won't pass away. He'll be fine. Do you realize,

do you realize where the sport is in 20? I'm not, I'm not saying this to be like, I'm being serious. Like in 2024, where we're at, as far as like where the sport is and the nature of our sport, do you really think, like that way? If Alex Perrin, like, literally flatline somebody, you think people would be that upset at this stage of the game. Like, where we're at 2024? I don't know if they would. I don't know they'd really be that, like, you know, that upset.

I'm just saying. Like, I think, you know, like, you'd be sad, but I'm just saying, like, you know, we're not in that world right now, snow flakes. Come on. Mike, I have a question for you as a promoter because I just as a fan, I'm deeply curious. Yes. Do you think you can pay Mike Perry enough money to fight Alex Pereira? Okay, that's all. I'm good. I'm in. Easy. I'm a huge fan of this. I'll, I'm going to get Mike Perry. I'm going to get Mike Perry to play around a golf on Augusta National, and that'll be enough. He'll be good to go. I mean, if you can, if you can set that up, I'd also like to play a round of golf at Augusta National.

It's the least you could do after ripping my soul out, my heart. Like, I truly don't know what to do now. Like, I have a big board. I have a whole big board of 50 dudes. And it's just useless now. Jed, you are up now, Jed. So it's your time. I mean, I guess.

I guess the pick is in. I don't like the pick being in here, boys. With my plans in shambles, I'm now forced to just go best player available. I had a strategy. I was going to fill need. best player available and I think I think the answer to that is I hate this you know what I'm just going to play with my heart screw it at this point I've already lost there's no chance I win this year give me Ilya with the number three oh draft pick uh wow I don't necessarily think this

is the right call because there are a lot of arguments against it but he is in my top he's in the top five of my big board, certainly one of the best players available. We're talking about still a very young man, you know, Ilya's in his 20s still, 27 in fact, just turned 27 this year.

So we have five years. We got Ilya, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, locked up under contract for five years. And I don't know if you guys paid attention after January, but that's kind of a big deal now. You know, he's out there at the Burnabelle.

He's, he's, Real Madrid's hanging out. with him this man is a global superstar you know like five million instagram followers young good looking speaks a whole bunch of languages he's the guy we're going to have to build our franchise around at this point um which maybe you know what maybe this is good because it's not like prayer has that long right mike's got him for a five year contract he's old you're not going to get five years out of prayer at this point you know like you're going to get a couple and they're going to be

great years i'm not here to say these won't be unbelievable years for out of prayer they will he's 36. You're going to be 41, 42 at the end of that. No, I've got peak Tuporia blossoming into one of the biggest stars in the sport, and we're going to find a way to leverage that, whether he's fighting Christian Lee or whoever the hell we're going to have to have that man fight.

We'll figure that part out later. But we've got a great guy in the room. Our roster is better by one now, and so I feel okay about this selection. I just want to. I just want to, I just want to, I would not, Listen, I know the draft is over from last year. I do want to pat myself on the back because I had I,

I'm eliot to poria as my sixth round pick last year. He went from sixth round to number one in any years. I'm just saying, like I had a little bit of prophetic nature in my pick last year, picking him in the sixth round, and now he's the number one draft pick for Jed Mishu. Well, he wasn't supposed to be, but somebody is not cool.

And so here we are, which brings us to... Wait, Jed, I just want to say, if it's any constellation, you just killed KSW Colise, CM4, because we were going to do Coliseum 3, the Croke Park, Coliseum 4, Brenna Bayou, but that's out the window now. I didn't think Toporia had a chance to get out of the first round. He's had a couple of guys that I think were, I thought Pereira McGregor, Topperia, and I've got two other people that I would have said were locked in first rounders.

We'll see because on the clock now, it does fall to last year's champion now in charge of the PFL. Sheen, how shoddy is the pick in? Oh, the pick is in. I just have to say, for a couple things first. I just have to say, it's a great joy of my day so far to watch how quickly you worked through the five stages of grief, because that might have been record time for you to land on acceptance already. You kind of like did it in real time, and within three minutes, you were at acceptance. It's not just acceptance. It's smug acceptance of actually, actually Mike screwed up and I'm the real winner here.

Not accepting my failings, but putting it all on Mike is a failure of his own efforts. We see through you. we see through them I'm so upset I'm so you guys do not know how long I spent on this draft board and this plan and I was like

50 50 shot Mike just takes what if someone took malik I hope he doesn't after your whole spiel oh malikin was coming down later because you guys aren't going to take him that early I was targeting malikin probably for round four just as a safety net

because you guys aren't going to take him in your first couple of picks but I was going to I was going to retain the rights on him to make sure Because, I mean, there just would have been awesome. It was perfect. I had a perfect plan.

And now that plans and ruins. And now Mike can even take the plan from me and win the draft. And if he does, I want to be really clear. If you take Malikin and you win this draft, Mike, I will take credit as you just Bogart in my idea. And I'm furious about it. I'm just going to say that the public probably does not get crazy behind Malikin. I think you are the only person in the world that loves Malikin as much. Probably because I drafted him last year.

But you can't tell me it wouldn't be fun to have three divisions. champion Malikin fight Pereira in each of the three divisions in a series of fights. It's really fun. Anyway, before we make the picture, just a couple quick announcements as the new leader of PFL. You know, things have been running fine. Eleanor. It's PFL.

Things have been running fine around here. You know, we've made, we've had some momentum. We're making some acquisitions. We're doing some big things. We got all this Saudi money now, which you love that. I mean, we're really the only ones over here with all this Saudi money. So we can kind of play around with that a little bit. Gonna make some quick changes, though.

Number one edict from the moment I step in, we're changing the name. It can stay at PFL. Like, PFL is fine. But professional fighters league is very dumb and just like stupid and generic. And no one's going to remember that. We're going back old school. We're going to the nostalgia era. We're making it so that your favorite fighter's favorite fighter loves to come to this promotion.

We are now the Pride Fighting League. And you may call us New Pride. I see Mike's face. I got an old face from Mike. I'm just, that's not a bad idea. I'm letting, I'm just letting you know ahead of time that the UFC will be filing a lawsuit against you for that name because we own that name. Pride is owned by the UFC. You're pride fighting championships.

Not leading. You own pride fighting championships. There are plenty of organizations in the world. Do you realize, do you realize how petty the UFC is, though? You are going to court and you are going to get you. Did you not hear the Saudi money part of what I was talking about? Take us to court. I, I'm welcome.

Okay. I'm really. Because the U.C. doesn't have any Saudi money. Just to be fair, the Saudi Arabia fund gave you guys $100 million for a chunk of your company. They gave us $20 million for one fight card. So I'm just saying, like, who won that battle? Not even that good a fight card. There's enough to go around, baby.

All I'm saying is you may now call us New Pride. That's it. PFL still stands. For the record, my friends at one Pride MMA in Indonesia will also be sending a strongly worded letter. So just letting you know. Just giving you an interesting. I don't know about those friends. I'm going to send a strongly word.

leather one pride what are they thinking one pride there's only one one i mean until six months from now when there are no one all of this was worth it for the o face that i got for mike because mike gave me a tremendous o face that's not bad idea i like it incredible job incredible uh also quickly bellator pfell are one organization now i don't care of the reasons for splitting these two i'm sure it's some sort of contractual things with sponsors or whatever deals are locked in broadcast wise all that can go to hell lighting money on fire all that can go to hell we don't care it's it's all one organization out. We're new pride because of course we are. Also, not going to lie, we're done with the season bullshit. Maybe we'll do some tournaments here and there. But only when necessary

and when we do them, there'll be like one-night tournaments for a million dollars or something lean into that Saudi money because the season format sucks and I don't know that people really enjoy it until it gets to the end of the season. And last thing, and you know, this is kind of the Shaheen standard, but we're once again doing it. We're eliminating any manner of drug testing. This is the sport of kings. It was originally the sport of kings and it shall say the Court of Kings. You want to do drugs? Dude, come over here. It's fine. It's totally fine. And so in that regard, my first pick is in. And my pick is John Jones, because he's going to love that. John Jones, come on down.

Wow. You notice you're not getting the clapping for a number of reasons. One, getting rid of the season. That's blasphemy. Two, you've selected a known coward as your draft pick. Can't agree with selecting a known coward as your draft pick. It's just, what are we doing here? Sheen. This is, the type of, and you're lighting your contractual money on fire by, by merging the two companies. This is how one got to where I had to take over this year. You ran it into the ground and into the verge of bankruptcy by lighting money on fire and drafting known cowl. We're here for a good time, not a long time, baby, two-time champ. We got a plan. We're working on the plan. Have you drafted John Jones every year? I don't know. It's possible. No, I got, I got him the

first year. You got him your one because he was setting up the Ingano Jones. I just pulled it up. This is not back to back years. We hear selected. We hear KSW are joining in on the litigious party because we have been doing no drug testing for years, sir. So this is gimmick infringement. This is blatant gimmick infringement. Don't act like this is a new thing in M.A.

All right. That's our deal. Oh, no. It's the old thing. We're bringing it back to the roots, baby. I want to be clear. John Jones wasn't even on my draft board. Wasn't even there because I don't want to be associated with a man who's afraid of Tommy.

You're the ultimate John Jones. We knew that already going in. I'll tell you what Alex Pereira was in your draft. What he was number one though? And you didn't get him, did you? He was actually number two. If both Pereira and Connor had fallen, I would have had to take Connor.

Just fundamentally, you kind of got to do it. But maybe I should just hoped for AK to really go wild with his first big instead. Anyway, that brings us, Damon, to you and the UFC with the number of, five pick of the first round. So I was actually, I was wondering if this guy would fall because obviously I kind of knew Connor was going to go early and I thought Poetan was going to be in there for BKFC, which totally ruined Jed's day. So I had the feeling about that.

I actually was a little surprised that the Shaheen went with the John Jones route. As great as John is, greatest of all time and number one heavyweight in the sport, I don't care what you say. I was a little surprised seeing him pull the trigger on John Jones just because where he's at right now and, you know, legal issues and other things going on. But with that being said, I'm not going to overcomplicate things because our pick is the number one pound for pound fighter in the sport. The guy who will actually sell out cards in Saudi Arabia and just continue to expand our empire in the Middle East. I'm going with the current lightweight champion is Lamacachev.

I got to give that a point. I mean, it's just a great solid, you know, it's never wrong to take the top pound for pound fighter in the world. And not only that, but he's a potential two-division champion because I think we all imagine he could easily go up to well, weight and rec shopped up there as well. So Islam is just, you know, it's not the sexiest pick in the world. It's not the let's go for Nganoo taking heads off. But come on now. You're talking about the number one pound per pound guy in the world.

And yeah, I mean, it's Islam. That selection, though, is very interesting because it puts AK in quite a position right now. You guys see the face I'm making? Yeah. Because people can't see it on the show. Sorry, in the podcast, they can't see you. But I'm making a face here. There are a couple of great options out there.

And one of them would also be pretty clearly an exceptional option for Mike as well. So does A.K.K. play a little offense and defense. Does he try to take the best fit for BKFC away from them? Or where does he go? I got to say the pick isn't it. I can look at A.K.'s face and say it's in. No, it's in. No, it's in. It's very, it's very in. The pick is in. I can't believe the pick is in. This is so exciting. It could not be more in. I'm shocked that. I that he didn't go in the top five picks so let let let let I pick McGregor and then what Pereira to Poria Jones Machachev I don't see my guy's name in there the guy who I was certain was

going to go um well I'm going to take this pick which is which gives me now the number one picks in the last two drafts we did I got to take big Francis Francis and Goddo I this is I don't know if you guys know this about KSW and Polish MMA in general. We love us some heavyweights. We love to big boys. I mean, we just want to throw big, big juicy juice boys in there and just have them slug in for 45 seconds, however long the fight's going to last. And Francis is a dream.

In addition to the freak show fights, listen, we've got a pretty dominant, some would say the best heavyweight in the world, to freeze and he's kind of chewed up the competition he needs fresh blood so we've been we're bringing in frances really just to build up phil and if francis gets a lucky k-o i guess we can work with that too but wow i can't believe i just got francisagano and connor granger this is uh this is pretty great guys going number one for the under quote unquote underdog promotion it's pretty fun i love for to i look forward you guys don't know this a k was so upset before we started recording it's like i don't know what to do this. It's so hard. I'm not ready for this. And now just two picks in.

I look forward to- These picks are boring, though. These picks are boring, but also, also amazing at the same time. Like, they're boring. I look forward to Connor fighting one time and Francis fighting Jay Lejean and boxing and not even fighting for you next year. So yeah, he will after, listen, here's, here's, Gene, I will allow him to get knocked out by Hennon Federa and then after that week, we will gladly take the damage. We're not even going to negotiate something? Hold on. No, this is good faith. This is a good, this is a good, I will. Fuck goodwill. I want the M.MA fans in the world to know that Alexander K. Lee is the reason that we're never going to getting John Jones versus Francis Ingana. We had set up for that to exist and you literally took it away from people 30 seconds later. No, you know the reason? You know the reason why Ingana Jones would never happen? Because John Jones is scared. He's the scariest man. You are correct. I wish I had a bach, bach, bach, balk, sound bite that I could just be played right now.

Gene, I'm saving you the embarrassment of this fight. Is that why, is that why Inganu fled the UFC to run from Jones? I mean, geez, guys, didn't you listen to Dana White? That's exactly what happened. That's true. Well, I mean, he said not to listen to us, so this is very confusing. But listen, I'm going to give people. UFC 300.

So, yeah. Francis Phil DeFries. Francis Phil DeFries. Francis. Riveting. Marius puts an outsky. My God. I mean, it's just going to be unbelievable.

Who is. Rivety. That's a good one. I mean, go on. I was going to say, you can't, you get popular, like, riveting when that is clearly a fight we would all sign up. I would be so much. Francis versus. But also, Francis versus who went to slow down, like, whatever Polish person is going to be around.

Don't you dare. I think you might want to slow your old. Any of you dare. This is like the, Phil de Frees is like the anti-frances. He's the, like, Phil is like the anti-Francis. That's the guy you want to keep farthest away from Francis. I want this. Oh, Puds would definitely fight Francis.

The problem is. What if they're not in the same promotion? Yes. You keep your, please tell me you're about to take funds with the number two pick. You keep your lightly protected hands away. You keep your lightly protected hands away from Marius Pritzinowski, all right? Play the sound effect, please.

I think this is a great pick, but we've got to keep going because the traitor and villain, Mike Heck, has informed me that the pick is in as I hold up my beloved boop. So my pick wasn't in until about three minutes ago. I had to make a very important phone call. I had to call Josh Green. And I was like, Governor Green, we need to make this happen before I make my next draft pick. And I gave my pitch. And before I can even finish my sentence, he said, Mr. Heck, done.

Just tell me, whatever you need, we'll get it done. We'll waive all the taxes. We'll make it happen. Whatever you need, it's done. So let me just announce that BKFC is heading. to Hawaii in 2024. And in the main event against an opponent to be named later is none other than the BMF champion himself.

BKFC is not boop fighting knuckle fighting championship. And it will be, just not right now. Blessed knuckle fighting championship, it shall be for the man, the myth, the legend, the hero that we all needed in 2024, Mr. Max Holloway. Welcome to BKFC, my friend. tremendous this is real applause this is real applause for me by the way not I know that's just a great if he hit if he didn't take him he was my my next shot obviously I was going to go to pour you in the holloway Mike you're just absolutely hamstringing me everywhere I don't say I don't like that I don't

like that but I do at least respect this pick I hated you too much in round one to respect the pick there was no chance max is falling out of the first two rounds not after what we just saw Yeah, I almost I almost pulled the trigger with Max my first pick I was close. I was like the number one pound pound guy. I was hoping maybe he would fall, but I had a feeling he wouldn't. But I was like, uh, I went with Islam, but I was teetering on the Max Holloway pick for number one, to be honest.

I like it. I also, I thought there was another very viable choice for you, Mike that I was wondering if you would go that way and then Max might fall to me and things would break. But your, uh, steadfast commitment to effing me over. one out over what I think is a better, a more clear-cut choice Is Justin, is Justin Gachey the pick if he wins that fight? Like, did he not just lose the BMF title and his

shot at the UFC? Like lightweight title, he also lost his chance to be. Gage would be a top 10 pick this year if he wins that one fight. Yes. One, fights matter. Outcomes matter. They didn't know. We should have told them. I will say that I'm at least comfortable with what's

occurred here. I would have preferred max. I think doing Max to Tuporia makes a ton of It would have been very easy. But I think this guy had a real shot at being a first round or he fell. And so I'm going to take that opportunity. The pick is in, boys, because we got to dig ourselves out of this financial hole. And what better way to do it than arguably one of the very biggest stars in the sport today. And a guy who's already laying the foundation for a future fight with Ilya to Poria

that is going to Spain and going to shape. records for attendance. I am talking about UFC Bannamweight champion. No more. Sean O'Malley. Come on down to one championship, baby. Ooh, yeah. Cheering choices.

Yeah. Good pick. Good pick. Man, just Shaheen looks, does not look like he cares for this pick at all. I feel this is a great, great choice. I don't know.

I don't know what else to do. to say we're moving on to the people are sugar fans listen star part of star power and you selected the third best bantam weight so you know not bad not bad but here's the thing the world's not going to know he's the third best band and weight because he ain't I'm not picking any of the other ones

I'm not picking me up that's all that's going to happen not yet we're not we're going to build to that we've got time over here. We're going to let them just kill cans. We're can crushing ink. One championship stands for can crushing ink moving forward. It's going to be great. Look, I got a bad rap. I don't know what to do. I'm in scramble mode since the first one, but I got one of the biggest stars of sport, and that's all we can do. It's the best we can do. Mr. Co-leader, who's already financially ruined because you burned your bellator deals, you're on the clock. Watching Mike

kneecap you? Watching my kneecap view and then you just flounder out here is hilarious. I have to, I'm just really enjoying this. It's so bad. Like, I thought there was such a clear choice for Mike that I would, I would skate out with Max.

Like, nope, not that at all. You're bowed. By the way, before, before Shaheen and Damon Pick, I should have asked this beginning.

We can't pick our own guys to protect them. I'm also asking, you can. I can protect pods. So I can protect pods. You can. You sure can. You sure can.

Buddy, you should do that next round. You sure can. Interesting. Take him with the third pick. Interesting. You better. Otherwise, someone's going to take him. Me?

Yep. Okay. So. PFL, or you're in play. So I had a game plan here. I knew that I knew I wasn't going to get my perfect world. Ultimately,

there are three heavyweights in the world that matter. I want a matchup between two of them. If I was going to somehow get all three, I was going to freak out and obviously win the draft immediately, because you guys would have been idiots if you would have let me done that. I knew there's no way Francis was making it back for a second round.

So I'm just not letting it happen again. John Jones can be a coward all he wants. That Saudi money talks, baby. Tom on at Tom Aspinall, come on down. You're getting your dream fight. We're getting Tom Aspinall versus John Jones. It's happening. I wish I had a boo sound effect.

Jedd is what you want? Is that what you want, Jed? Here's what I think, like, I think some mistakes are being made here because your first two pictures you're basically going to kill one of them when they fight each other. Like I think you got to plan for the long term right now. See, this is, this is, we're thinking here. We're using our brains. John Jones, who knows how many fights he has left, right?

I'm just giving Tom Aspinall. Zero on your organization. I'm giving Tom Aspinall the Jones rub. He's going to come in, crush John Jones. And then all of a sudden, Tom Aspinall is the biggest star in the whole damn sport. I like Jed's, I like Jed's methodology, at least with Sean O'Malley. Like, you haven't been a different weight class. You can keep building him up.

that way when you eventually kill him off by throwing him in their or the least you've built him up as like a legit bantamate before then like i don't know tom aspin on john jones you're right don't rule out open weight that's a weight class we can do an open wait thing for john you're putting a lot of eggs in the will john jones fight this man basket which is a risky basket to be in in my my very home this is what you want this is what you this is what you're making your whole guy this is what your whole gaslight john jones No, I'm wanting to happen.

I don't think it's going to happen now. I'm telling you. I don't think it was ever going to happen. Sonny money. I think if you went to John Jones tomorrow and said, you've been traded to the PFL. And so as Tom Aspl, I'd be like, cool, I'm retired. Sorry money, baby. Jet, Shaheen is going to show him all your tweets, all your Monday mailbags, all your hot.

He's going to show him all that. And it's going to make it happen. Well, he won't. He won't because he's a chicken. And chickens can't be goats, guys. Never forget that fact. but that does bring us back to the UFC with the last pick of the second round the UFC with the 10th overall pick and the pick is in so like I like the strategy a lot of folks

are going with here I think Mike probably has the best one so far just because you know ruining me his strategy is ruining me it's a lot of listen Max Holloway would have been you know could have been my first pick would easily be my second pick had he been available but again Mike's got the strategy and so I appreciate that and And I do not, I still don't agree with like the matchup making because again, you're killing off one of your seven picks by immediately putting them in with each other. So listen, I don't, not going to overcomplicate this. Just like what islam Akach have. We need power. We need draws.

We need guys who are going to get people, get put asses and seats across the globe. And right now, the guy's still out there. He may not be champion right now, but he is still, in my opinion, the second biggest draw mixed martial arts. I am going to go to no other than the last style bender, last style bender, Israel adis on you. Yeah, I'm glad you did it also because I thought there was a chance Mike would take Izzy for BKFC in the second round. Then you've got the Izzy Pereira thing still. Also, Izzy just kind of can work in BKFC. And then that would have let Max fall to me.

Mostly, I just don't want Mike to keep getting guys right in front of where I would have drafted them. And Izzy would have certainly been my next selection. Yeah, I just like, I don't want to over it. expect that pick. Yeah, it's like, it's just, again, Islam number one pound per pound, Israel is arguably the second biggest trial on the sport behind Connor. There's just, don't overcomplicate. I'm not going to try to get fancy with the picking.

I'm not going to, I'm not going to overcomplicated and try to throw something out there. I'll, I might try that in round five, but I'm not going to try it in round two. That's right. You just, you can lose your drafts in the first couple of rounds. Can't win them here. You can lose them here for sure. And you've, you've expertly dodged that. Damon only play a defense so far.

I don't blame him. Who's he to attack? Who is he to attack? In reality, you're all, you're all, you're all just, you're all just robbing for me anyway. So I'm just, I'm just taking Francis back or whatever. Damon, can you, can you name five of my fighters? Marius Puginooski. Yeah.

Marius Pugianowski. Does that one? What's that one dude who left? He got nutshotted in one. What's his name? Saladish. Soldage. Yeah, that's the guy.

He should have never left. That's the guy. I mean, I mean, if he had done this thing like. three, four years ago, Soldage probably would have been drafted. Does Matush Gamrod still fight there? No. Okay, all right.

All right. Move on. Raise the runners. Raise the sales. Raise the sales. Captain, the unidentified ship is approaching. Over. Roger.

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Chase card holders. Deposit and credit card products provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. member FDIC. Terms, conditions, restrictions, and limitations apply. We are on to the third round, which brings us back to the top of the batting order.

KSW and Alexander K. Lee are on the board and the pick is in. AK, you've been pleased with your first couple of selections. I have. Still a lot of talent on the board out there. So many good options. And I really can't go wrong.

And I don't want, yeah, you can't, I can't go wrong. There's so much talent. And again, KSW is like, like I said, has the production values. It just needs name value that a wider audience outside of Poland recognizes. I've already added two huge ones. I think I'm going to go in a similar direction, but a guy who isn't quite there yet, but I think will be. If, if, if, if all of our best.

projections for this guy ever come true. It feels like he's like the next dude to become a household name superstar. And frankly, maybe might be the most dangerous MFer on fight night. I think I'm going, I'm going to Hamzat. I think I'm going Hamzat. Oh, okay. It's, it's, this wasn't the home run pick. It was once upon time, I think.

Thank you. Still worthy of a clap. It still is. I, again, in this fancy scenario, we're trying to get him in there as much as possible. We don't know the exact reasons that he hasn't been super active in the UFC. He has said that, like, oh, he's ready to go. They just haven't been giving him fights. Maybe that's true.

We know there was some, I don't know if there's some long COVID complications. I hope not. Fingers crossed, but we knew he had a pretty bad bout of it during the pandemic. In my perfect world, we're offering at least three fights a year. We're getting a comms out in there, getting a highlight reel. And again, capitalizing on a guy who could be, who could be like not a McGregor-Nagand-a-level star, but just that next tier down. so this is a little bit of a futures pick he's definitely he's definitely big now but i'm gambling

he can be even bigger i mean he's one of has one of the biggest social media followings of any of the fighters currently competing in the sport uh i just think okay cover years guys aka might be quietly kicking our asses right now by just taking best player available this board is going to go over quite well with with the readers and fans i just want to I just have to say, this is what actually one of the reasons why I love doing this every year. Like it is so instructive on sort of the highs and lows and the rises and falls of people. Because first year we did this 2022, Humboldensat Shamaia was like the number three overall pick. First round pick, number three.

Second year, last year, he's the first pick of the second round. So he's still like a high pick. And now he's dropping to the third round. Just like the way that people stock rises and falls is so interesting because he hasn't lost. it's not like we've seen him lose at any point during that time but so it's such a precipitous fall for for such a weird reason right it could be make or break it could be make or break this year like this could be the last time we go like okay this is a this is a guy who has to go in the first three rounds he's got to he's really got to show us something it all changes it all changes it because he goes out there and rexed robert whittaker and i don't know that he's going to do that but he goes out there and wrecks him

and gets a title shot and does the same thing to dracus or auda sanya again it's just yeah it's the rising and fall like we all remember his last performance was a fight that if he had had a fourth round with kabar Uso and we're like yeah he probably doesn't win that fight on short notice against a welterweight a middleweight so yeah like that's the lasting memory we haven't been right now yeah uh he's he's the first one of your picks a k that is not like locked in as a perfect pick but i do think major upside and just a very quality that's what you're looking for in a third rounder so i think that's an excellent pick which brings us back to my personal nemesis the exact opposite of my best friend.

BKFC and Mike Heck, Boop Fighting Championships, the pick is in. I'm torn here because there's two ways I can go and I love both equally. I'm really interested in this because all of the people I had at the top of my board are now gone. Hamzaa was the last like no doubt about it

top of the board pick. So I'm interested to see where you go because I think there's a lot of room. Yeah, I'm literally torn between two guys right now. One is more best player available, but is an absolute lunatic. And the other is not quite best player available, but is an absolute lunatic. And both would fit in tremendously with the BKFC brand. And oddly enough, both could headline a BKFC pay-per-view against my number one pick, Alex Pereira.

One fight we have seen already, one fight we have not seen yet. So now I'm torn. Do we give the people a fresh fight? Or do we write chapter two of an incredible rivalry? Plus we have an absolute maniac on the roster. You know what? I'm going with the absolute maniac. Not really the best on the board. But sorry to the other guy that I could have chosen.

But man, Yuri Perashka and BKFC just frigging rules. And I am just not letting that go because I don't feel like he's going to come around in round four. So Yuri Prachka. Come on over. I just think he's going to be a delight. I was so ready to bring Yuri here. I waited one pick too long. I am now very upset myself.

I think this is an exceptional pick for you, Mike. Partly because you're just creating the draft board I had for me. You're just doing it before I can do it. Because obviously, Yeri was my planned third round pick when I got Alex. Because we're just, I mean, there's so much to do. You do Yuri Alex again. You get Malikin in there. He's an absolute lunatic and just perfect.

Also a martial artist. And you know we at one really prized the martial arts. So I got no qualms with this. Way to take my ideas before I get to say them. It's a terrific success story. BKFC, you're doing great. Congratulations. Good pick.

I'm interested to see who you think the other one was, though. I'm not going to say it. Yeah, obviously you can't say it. You never know what board's going to fall at this point. but that does bring the pick back to me and the great one championship and you know what boys the pick is in the pick is in because a lot of ways you could go here i could just go for the star power angle not going to do that i've got o'malley and i just don't want to deal with some of the other ones and so we're going to take a guy who feels like he's just had his run in the ufc you know it's

been a great run an all-timer of a run but he can come up over. He can do multiple different martial arts. Super popular fighter, former champion. And AK, I'm sorry to do it to you, but I am going to take Charles Olivero with the third pick for one championship. I just think he fits our vibe

and what we're trying to make happen here over at one championship. We do the grappling with him, get him in against the Rottolos. Yeah, the Rottolo. I could not think of the brother's team. Thank you. Against the Rolos. We'll have some fun with him all around and just kind of feels like a guy who might need a new home after the stretch he's had in the UFC.

So Chuckie Olives, come on to one championship and the billions of viewers we possess. Great pick, Jed. Well done. It's proud of me. That was a good pick. I like it. Was a guy that I was targeting in round four, but well done. Oh, I've finally taken something from Mike.

Woohoo. Took three rounds to take something from him. Which then brings us to PFL ator back on the, I'm sorry, pride fighting. League back on the clock. New Pride. Sheen Alshaddy. New Pride. New Pride, whatever.

Is the organization going to be called New Pride or is that just a colloquial name? It's PFL. It's still PFL, but amongst the people who know. I mean, you just call it New Prague. Amongst the people who know. Is it new? New Pride. Is it new?

But is it new and you with you with the OMLOT over it like new metal? Yes. Now you're cooking A.K. No, it's not. It's definitely not. No, no. No. Can he draft?

Can he draft, uh, Face the Pay. Oh, God. Don't give me ideas. You can't anything you want, honestly. That's not a terrible idea. Sure. That could be a great seventh round choice. Oh, my God. Give me a second.

Let me write down something. I'm talking myself into it now. That wasn't on my board. I thought that was going to be a seventh round pick. Might be moving up the board, given the interest in it. If you're new pride, you need that. Oh, man. No, you need the pride soundtrack.

Athlete if you need that, yeah. Okay. You need sandstorm. It's really what you need. So I don't know, guys. The board has turned out how I expected, I guess. It's difficult having one of the later picks, certainly. I mean, the top 12 picks on my board are gone.

We've sort of, like, definitely reached a brand new tier of fighters. Like, I think very clearly, like, whatever, that upper echelon and then that sort of that second echelon, that's all gone. Like, those have been completely wiped out. And I think for the most part, we've all made correct picks as a whole. Like, this is the group that should have been gone by now. So great job by us. I think there are a couple of other people that I wouldn't have been surprised if they had gone before here,

but that I don't think it's wrong to have let them slip this far. Yeah. You know, what I'm saying? Yeah. So I don't know. I really don't have a clear and obvious pick right here. This is kind of just where the heart wants, wherever the wind blows, you know? Hmm. I know who I take if I were you. I'm just going to go straight for the heart.

I'm going to go. I'm going to get people with the, again, just like, What do you want to see? What do you, what do you enjoy? Who do you love? Who do you love to watch? And in that respect, I'll go with the man who just keeps getting it done. The man who every time you doubt him, he proves it all wrong again.

He's just a great guy. And he's one of the most exciting fighters of all time. Whenever we do a damn about him, it's going to be seven hours long. Give me Dustin for you. I hate you, Shaheen, with every fiber of my beef. I mean, that's just an A plus pick. That was my next pick and I now loathe you as much as Jed Loves Mike Hack. I think that's the correct pick.

I think there's another guy that you could also made an argument for, but it's perfect, perfect choice. No notes. It's a different group now. It's a different group now. It's really just, what do you like? It is. We are now in your personal flavor zone of stuff.

Again, a couple of people that maybe would jump out more than others just for. the broader suspects, but we'll see where Damon goes here because the UFC is back on the board and lost a lot of talent thus far. Damon, who are you protecting this time around as the pick is in? So I had a strategy, and I think I'm going to slightly abandon it, only because DePore was going to be the pick because, again, I'm going, I was going for popularity. I would never put him in there with his al-Macacha because I want Dustin to continue winning because, you know, June 1st, Dustin's going to probably lose again to Islam and then we're back to where we started. So, I'm going to go with the guy,

and I almost wanted a different strategy, but I'm going to go with the guy that I think we all agree within nine to 12 months from now, maybe 12 to 15 months, because apparently they're not booking a title fight anytime soon. It will be the future Welterweight champion. I'm going to go with none other than Shavkat Rechmanov, who we all kind of believe is going to be

Walterweight champion eventually. Whether it's now later, six months from now, nine months from now, he will be Walterweight champion. Got to go with Shabkat Rechmanoff and solidify three of the best fighters across three different weight classes. Really thought of Belal Muhammad pick. It's a great big. Really thought a Belal Mohammed pick was coming there.

You know, that's why, that, she, to your previous point, that's why I like this exercise, because I think all of us would agree that Belal Muhammad deserves a title fight is one of the best welterweights in the world. And I will be absolutely shocked if he gets drafted with any of the 35 picks here, which is instructive to a different aspect of the M.A. game. So,

I think that's a good pick, Damon. I mean, what can you say is the best world to wait on earth, probably. And you have now set up a world, Islamakachar versus Shafkat, still in play in the world in which you're operating in a ZFC head of state. We got five years, build that up. Could you imagine how much Saudi Arabia will pay for Islam versus Shavkat in that part of the world? I mean, that is like a, they'll pay us as much as they gave PFL for a chunk of your organization. You're not wrong.

Also, Shafkat's sneaky, a bigger star than I kind of thought. 1.4 million Instagram followers. Like, you know, the entire nation's behind him. And that can translate. You know, you're probably not, you know, taking, taking a road show out there anytime soon. But still, man's got more pulled than I kind of would have thought as I, because I pulled IGs for basically everyone on my board,

just to kind of get a benchmark. And Chauv got out a lot more than I would have thought, particularly given some of the numbers for some of these people. But that brings us to the fourth round. and at the top of the pick again with KSW AK Lee has been doing God's work thus far but round four pick one the pick is in

AKA you are on the clock We only have four picks left each That is correct There's so many guys and gals out there That's the thing doing the prep of this Like as I was doing is like there's so many And then we get in here and everyone takes them And I'm like yeah there's just not I need eight more picks

To get all the people I want Yeah I was hoping one of my like top 12 or 13 would slip through, but yes, as Shaheen mentioned, all the names you kind of would expect to be gone are gone. I was hoping Yeri would slip through honestly, but. I wanted Yeri so bad in KSW. A lot of people think he came from there because they get, I don't know, anyway, but you know he hasn't and we would love to have him debut.

A lot of options here. I think I'm finally done going safe. I think I've got like a solid start. So it's like, you know, I'm playing with house money now. Is this too high? No, A.K. It's not too high. Do it.

I'm speaking to myself here, guys. Don't mind me. I have to start taking chances because there's a lot of outside the box wheel I want. So, you know, Jed, you were very distressed when you lost out on Peretta. And I'm just here to let you know you won't have to worry because you wouldn't have been able to match with Antoine Malikin anyway. You cannot possibly take it. Oh, my God. I'm going to take it.

I'm going to take it. You're doing this. Don't figure the drag. Don't burn your drag. I'm going to take an aliken. I'm going to take Malikin here. Okay. This is unbelievable.

I had him very high. Listen, this guy, one, what did I say before? We love us in heavyweights. This might not be the last heavy weight of pick guys. And Middoids and Cruiser weights. And Middoids and Cruiser weights. And whatever weight. Like just cat, big boy, wait.

Zulu Zino, if you're out there, we got fights for you. I'm just saying, we got fights for you in KSW. Come on down. I know his last fight was in Poland. I hope maybe he's been, maybe he's living here now. I don't know. We'll track him down. We got some big fights for Zulizino.

Malikin and got, I think Shemaya at some point can move up to heavyweight. So I did come in with a plan, guys, of drafting more heavy weights, and Malikin were certainly on there. Again, I know he's kind of on the smaller side. But yeah, that versatility is valued here. And like I said, there could be more heavy weights to come.

Might have gone a little too high. But I feel good about it. I feel kind of. This, again, maybe a bit of a future's one. Look, there's no bigger Antitoli Malikin guy than me. You all know this. I think the fit makes a ton of sense. Like this is a great scheme fit, right?

You've picked a zone run guard and he's going to do great for you. But Mike knows, I mean, Mike, a longtime Patriots fan, you know, who was the center you took last year? Who would have been there in the third round? You took him in the first or whatever, Cole Strange or whatever. That's what you've done. You've pulled a Bill Belichick, which is you've just, it's too early. Malikin would have been there for a while. I wasn't going to take him now that my plans were gone.

I would have just had to lose him. And that's okay. we're no longer in the Anatoly Malik in business over at one. I do think it's a good scheme fit and you're not going to be upset with them. This is the first pick where I think you may have lost the fans on this one, though. I think when you see my next few planned picks, if they do fall into my lap, you'll understand why this makes even more sense. I'm super ACS. I'll tease that.

I'll tease that. I also like you saying you had a plan to take a bunch of heavyweights because I kind of thought Shaheen might go for that after you led with Jones, Aspinall, he might just go heavies across the board. Not a best. Never bad strategy. I was thinking about it. I was genuinely going to do that. True pride fashion.

I was genuinely going to do that. And then once it got to be, it was like, what am I going to just like, like, Curtis Blades right here? Like, I can't pick Curtis Blades third. Yeah. It's not a lot there, man. It's not a lot. That's not.

But we're moving on because the second pick, boys, it's in BKFC hoop fighting Champions fourth round pick Mike what do we have it's going to be a busy year of travel for bkfc this year uh AK you're familiar with this guy former champion in your organization Damon you're familiar with this guy current champion in your organization so I'm sorry to have to take a champion from you but a guy who's just going to fit in beautifully just just just going to fit in beautifully with us. A guy that I was 50-50 with in the last round and I still ended up getting him around later, just imagine the type of mayhem that is going to take place because we're going to South Africa, baby. Drickus Duplice, welcome to BKFC.

Golf clap, golf clap. It's a, I mean, it's a great pick. Awkward fit, I will say. How? When I think stand up fighting, I don't think Drick is duplicacy. He throws real hard. Heen. And he just charges real hard. He makes no sense. Yeah, he just charges forward and throws. He throws as hard as he can for 25. It's awesome.

He's definitely going to like accidentally take someone down at least three times. That's fine. And isn't, I mean, just think of the traffic we're going to get from that, from that clip. You know what I mean? So drink is duplacy is just, it's just money. It's just money. And a BKFC fight, a super fight between Alex Pereira and Tricky's Duplice about a year from now is going to be incredible. It's got to be hilarious and fun and someone's going to sleep.

So yeah, let's take the middleweight champ over and let's have a good time here. I like it. I think it's a good choice. Interesting because that now puts that puts me back on the clock, boys. One championship is now back in play and this is, it's now gotten hard. And when things are hard, you just got to, you got to speak to your own hearts, boys. I think that that's, I think there are a couple of choices. How many pick?

I got four picks left. Okay, I need two of them for two very specific people. So that means I have two picks to play with. I'd want one. I'd want two. Probably need three. So this is kind of my last vibes pick. And I could go with other people and it probably would be smarter.

But you're just never going to convince me that it's wrong to ever. to ever have Justin Gingchi on your team. If you didn't, I was going to. I was going to if you didn't. I don't necessarily think this is the correct choice for like maximizing some of the other parts of the business, particularly because I know my next three picks. I'm very certain you guys won't take them from me, frankly.

But I think I've consistently drafted. I might have got Gagchi in all three years. I know I got him last year. No, Hien got him in 2022. but it's just it's Justin Gates. He's coming off that big knockout loss. Don't know how much longer we have, but he's the most exciting fighter

in the history of the sport. And if you have an opportunity to add the most exciting fighter in the history of the sport to your team, I'm going to take that opportunity nine times out of ten. We need excitement in one championship. And I think he would look great with that 85 pound belt, you know,

carried over his shoulder. It's going to be a perfect fit. And I'm pleased with the results. Which brings us to, Shaheen, Alshadhi, You are back on the board with PFLOTor, and the pick is in. The way the board is falling is so interesting, because it's exactly what you'd think. Like, my whole entire third tier has now been wiped out.

That was the last guy in my third tier. So I was just, these big chunks are not making it. I've got another guy on my third tier, but I just, I don't think it's a scheme fit, you know? It's just, I could take him. I just don't think it would work. Also notable, no women have gone off the board at this moment. time. AK, I thought your plan to go heavy into women's Bannamway, but maybe you're just saving

that for the back three rounds. Yeah, I got plenty of picks left, guys. I got plenty of picks left. Man, I don't know that I feel good about anything right now, if I'm being honest. Jaychie would have been the last one I feel great about. I think there's a choice for you that fits your scheme very, very well. Would you like to tell me? Sure, don't.

Because I'm debating whether I'll obey. I'm debating whether I'll abandon my built-out plans to then proceed with that. All right, I'll just make a pick so we can move on. I don't know that I feel good about it, though. But I mean, I got to do it. He's on my mind. We're going to be talking about him all this week. It's pretty good at golf.

One of the biggest stars in combat sports, frankly, generally. I'm going Mike Perry the platinum one I'm sorry everyone in the world I know we all enjoy watching this guy is a blow to my championships but I'm going to he's coming back he's coming back and we're going to throw him in a lot

of one-night tournaments we're going to do some fun stuff with him also Dustin Porier Mike Perry tell me you wouldn't watch that like that's a great fight right away I'm in I talk to myself so I was already planning on suing pride fighting the league for you know the whole pride name stealing and then i don't know what you talked about

that angered me and then you had and then you had to take the guy i was going to try to surprise you with mike pair are you just are you just trying to mike heck me here like what is going on you mother like what is going on combative combative draft this year mike how do you feel everyone still everyone steals from the ufc i was trying to finally steal someone else and then chaheen comes in and takes them for me nice mike how do you feel about your greatest star being taken from you. I mean, it's fine. Shaheen will book them the way PFL books everybody.

They're just going to make him a minus 17,000 favorite against a two-and-11 fighter. Oh, you don't like Portier-Perry and everybody else? You don't like Porier-Perry-Perry? I mean, you're not going to go right in. Well, under Shaheen's regime, the new pride, I have faith that PFL will be an enjoyable product as long as the pacing is good. We'll treat your boy right. I just know it's going to be, yeah, it's going to be sad to see him go.

I know his head will be with PFL, but his heart will always be with BKFC. And for that, look, Shaheen, we'll chat. Maybe we'll talk about some talent trades. Some my fighters can fight on your show. Some of your fighters can fight on my shows. Yes, I love that. I love that. Yeah, great pick.

Great pick. Love you. Which brings us to the last pick of the fourth round. David Martin and the UFC, you are back on the clock. So with Mike Perry gone and my chance to steal like, you know, kind of an underrated person who wasn't already in the UFC. Once again, I'm not going to overcomplicate this because we love stars here in the UFC

and we love fighters who can sell and I don't care if it's just going to be nothing but mismatches for the next five years. Guess what? Ronda Rousey became the second biggest star in our sport with nothing but mismatches. So in my fourth selection, I'm going with none other than the actual best Bantamweight fighter on the planet,

none other than two-time Olympic gold medalist, Kayla Harrison. Good choice. Good choice. Good choice. Good protection. Sorry, I know. That would have been, I don't know if that would have my next pick, but obviously very high on my board. I don't need her to fight anybody good. I mean, look, Julianne Pena was a champion.

She hasn't beat anyone on the active UFC roster. So I just need her to go out there and wreck shop like she did against Holly Holme. And she could become the Ronda Rousey level start because who did Rhonda fight that was actually really good that she beat? A lot of people, but we don't need to, we don't need to get to that here. Damon, I think there's an argument that this is the second best pick in this draft. I think the best pick is Connor 1-1. It's Caleb Williams. It's great.

It's a perfect pick. But you need Kayla. The UFC cannot afford to lose her and then have the women's band-and-weight division continue to flound her in the absence of Amanda Nunes. I think this is maybe the most, the best pick just from that circumstance, whereas you just desperately need her on the roster to be the standard bear. for 1-35. And I think it's a great pick. Got no issues at all with that pick. Defenders in cybersecurity are always there when we need them. They should get a parade every time they block a novel threat and have streets, sandwiches, and babies named in their honor. But most of all, they deserve AI cybersecurity that can stop novel threats before they become

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Freestyling, free shipping, and order pickup, make it all easy. Add Nordstrom. Which brings us to round five, ladies and gentlemen, and AK, once again, KSW is back on the clock. I really wanted Mike Perry. Nice. I took it from two people. I'm kind of glad. I'm kind of glad it was Shaheen.

Mike Perry wasn't on my board, so that's interesting. I just want to do it to hurt, Mike. Mike Perry doesn't fit the one championship ethos, you know. it does not fit the one championship mentality. He could change it. But I'm glad Juhin did it because I didn't want to do my best friend like that. But yeah, that was part of the whole Malikin thing. I wanted to take from everyone, guys.

Like there was a part of me that I want to hurt all of you equally. So I guess I don't have to do that to Mike now. So you know what? That's a good thing. But I guess kind of sticking with this plan. And I really feel like, again, I'm taking guys maybe a little bit one spot round higher than they should go. But I'm here for global domination. And we already have, I get it, we already have one French star.

But I got, I want to, I think we could do another. And really, he's really the most talked about guy in his promotion. If we think about the last like year or so, he's really the most talked about fighter earn his promotion. I got to take the man. I got to take, I got to take, uh, I got to take, uh, Sedgejik. Motherfucker, boo! I got to make Sajc.

Son of my God, I got to take, bitch. No, that was my next pick, you piece of trash. That was a feeling. I was going to take. Yeah. That was my next pick. Thank God. You took it then.

If Mike was going to take him and Mike took another person right in front of me, I would have lost my mind and driven this out there. I don't know if this guy. That's why I don't. You put a lot of faith in it. I specifically did not mention him when I picked Perry because I didn't want him in people's brains. You're putting a lot of faith in a guy taken down by a splinter. I'm just throwing it out there.

I'm saying. I don't know if this guy's any good. But I'm pretty sure if we did a cursory glance, like, M.A. Fighting's traffic and, like, which PFL fighter drew the most traffic in the last year? I'm pretty sure it was Sidreek. Dude, you got it. You took Francis from me and you took Dubei? Come on. I know. You're killing me.

You thought you were safe? You thought we didn't see you, PFL ator? You thought you were hiding? No, you're the co-leader. When you're the co-leader, you get co-leader shots taken at you. I don't know what to tell you. I genuinely thought you guys might forget about it. existing and I was just about to have him crush cans for the next four years.

He can crush all the cans over here. Just crushing cans. He can get a kickboxing championship too because whatever. Oh, AK. I'm so mad. And AK, in all reality, that is a great pick. Please, for the love of God, don't put him in there with Derek. I know Derek Anderson's out of the fight now, but please, dear God, matchmaking correctly.

Like, Shaheen, I'm glad you took over because the matchmaking in the old PFL a tour, giving him Derek Anderson. Like who actually... Who thought that was a good idea? Like, who thought that was a good idea? Don't do Dumbay Hamzat, but do do Dubei Connor. Eventually, but let's do that one. Hey, you guys aren't forget.

You guys are sleeping on our town. We got an undefeated 28-year-old Adrian Partosinski, our current champion. He got Saladin Parnas. He's 15 and O. I mean, you might not have Saladin Parnas for long. Who can say what's... We'll say. But they fought already.

They fought already. That fight happened. So we did that already. And then he's got to defend his title again. But I'm just saying somewhere down there out, him and Sidry could be a big fight. Okay. Still a couple of, I would say, big ticket items. I don't like the mortal enemies being created here.

Like, is Jed and Mike thing. It's clear the thing. It's me and Damon thing's a thing. Now, A.K's mine. Like, this is. Yeah. Yeah. We're ruining friendships on this podcast.

It's terrific. Mike, BKFC is back on the board. God, I'm sorry. so pissy you, AK. Dumbay was such a good figure. I honestly think A.K. is winning right now. I think A.K. is winning right. This is the most unlikely run.

Can you imagine the reaction of Jed if I picked Dubei right before him? I might have stopped the podcast. I had my next three picks planned out and then two other people who I kind of want to take. So I'm not that upset with A.K. doing it. Had you done it, we could have never worked together again. I'm sorry to have heard that. But look, we need, we need some big boys. We need some big boys on the roster.

And while he may not be the biggest name, he is, he is thunderous. He's thunderous. He hits really, really hard. It didn't go well against Tommy Aspinall. But I think this guy is just great. And he's going to fit in tremendous, especially with my seventh round pick that is going to come. Because I don't think any of you all are going to take it. Sergei Pavlovich welcome to BKFC

I think pulling the line with you is it's just going to be a real treat in the heavyweight division. It's a great scheme fit. It's just an exceptional. It's a great scheme fit. I mean, there was a world where Pavlovich was going to be a late round pick for me.

I just a perfect fit for you though. I love what you're doing there. I got no issues with that pick. I would have had issues with Dumee. Sergei, great choice. Which then, I guess, brings it back to me. and one championship on the board, but this is, this is tricky. So my Dune Bay plan is out the window.

I just don't know if I should do. There's a real value pick out there. It's a real value pick out there. But if I do that, I'm going to departing from my own energy for a failed attempt to win. I don't think I can win. I think winning is out of the question for me at this point in time. I just, it's too long. It's been out there too much.

I got to do it. I don't feel great about it. One of the biggest stars in the sport, one of the biggest combat sports athletes in the world still out here. Does it, is a scheme fit? Maybe not. But Nathan Diaz, come on down. You're a member of one championship.

Oh, wow. Look, I'm not in love with the choice. I'm not here to tell you I am, but he's just a mom. monster star who draws interest and we need more people who can draw interest at one championship. There are other places to go, but I don't, there aren't any scheme fits left for one. Have you seen the numbers? Have you seen the numbers from these Mazvedol pressers? I don't know if it's working out.

I've seen the numbers 11 million Instagram followers. And that's all we need. Just get them to post about it once in a while and we're at least doing better business. If we can put Nate Diaz's face up on Amazon Prime, so you're logging Amazon Prime this Friday night, Nate Diaz versus random person, doesn't matter. You're still going to catch some people in. Again, I don't know who is the better choice here for me, frankly, at this point in time, because Dube made all the sense in the world.

He's off the board. A couple of other choices that, frankly, they would just be too early to take. We're talking about free agents, you know, undrafted free. agents versus fifth, you know, six, seventh rounders. I'm getting in the fifth round one of the biggest stars in the sport, and I'm accepting of that. Shaheen, though, that does bring PFL. I thought there was a world where you maybe tried to take Jake Paul and Nate DS, you know, pair them up and do the PFL thing.

Can't do that anymore, but you've got, you still have choices. So PFL, you're on the clock. There was not a world where that was going to happen. That was not a thing that was going to happen. I was. I know. You don't like money. You like to build giant deficits that I then have to come in and try to steward out of bankruptcy.

Look, I know you're hurting right now. So it's okay. I'll let you vent. I know you're floundering right now. I can see it on your face. I'm very upset by this whole draft. When you were doing your whole preamble there, I thought you were going in a certain direction. And it was going to upset me because this is a guy.

I almost took him last round, but it felt like it was probably one round too early. He's picking up steam. I don't know if the M.A. fan base was on board with him last year, but he's done some good stuff recently. And now people are very much on board with him. If we're just talking pure talent, he might be the most talent to do available on the board. He's the best bantam weight in the world, probably.

I'm taking Marab de Wailashvili. Sure. Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, I will. I did. I did. No reaction. I don't think that's a bad pick.

You can start building your bantamweight division. You need to do that. But full transparency, You're not on my draft board. Draft board has 45 people on it. Maraub wasn't one of them. Don't want to be in business with the man. You just pick Nate Diaz.

He's old. Yeah. Brab's old? I got to tell you, if the question is who's a bigger star, Moralbaw, Falsh, Philly, or Nate Diaz, I think I'm winning that particular battle. That wasn't the question.

I mean, that is the question for me. Nate Diaz is 40. You call it old. But that is the question for me. The question for me is who's the bigger star? Who's going to move the needle? Marabe ain't moving any needle.

for me, but he's going to do great for you. I think this is true. The Marab trade is coming. People are on board. People are on board. I mean, it's a shame that I already have the best band of weight in the world in Sean O'Malley. So, but you can have the second best band of weight in the world. That's okay. Nothing wrong with that. Even you don't believe that. Which brings us to the UFC, which brings us to the UFC for the last pick of the fifth

round. Damon Martin, UFC is on the clock. So once again, you know, sometimes you just got to go best player available. And much like I did with my pick with Shavkat Rechmanov. He may not have the title currently, but I think we all agree he will have the title. And I feel like I got to go that route again with my latest selection, a guy who doesn't have a title right now, but feels destined to become a champion. And I'm kind of surprised a little bit that he didn't go earlier just because I think we all rate him very highly as a future champion.

I got to go with another guy that's going to sell us a lot of tickets over in the Middle East. And I'm going to go with none other than Umar, Narragamatov. Oh, wow. I thought that was going, I thought that preamble was going somewhere different, but. So did I. I don't like it. I don't hate it. I think we all must have thought the exact same person.

Got to start building some younger town like Shavkat. Like I said, investing in the future. Obviously, he's not champion yet, but I feel like he's going to be a champion. So, you know, right now I think he's a guy to build for the future. And we're getting into those picks now where like I've already got a lot of star power at the top. I got to start building for the future. I think Umar is a pick for the future.

I don't think it's a bad choice. I'm not saying it. I just, with the preamble, I thought you were going a very different place than you ended up going. So an exciting swerve, but that does bring us back to the top of the batting order. KSW round six.

You got two picks left to everyone. So make them count. A.K., you're on the clock. I think I'm going to go with the name that we all thought Damon was about to pick because I've talked about taking over the world. I've got like I got I got some French in here I've got some like Swedish Chechnya of Russia Ireland of course but I forgot about a good old America guys I forgot about a good old America and nothing nothing says all America nothing says

America nothing says America like a multiple time all American three time national wrestling champion, a guy whose physicality would fit right in with what we're trying to do here in KSW, I think I got to go with the blue chipper, Mr. Bo-Nickle. Building for the Future. Again, that preamble, I thought that preamble is going somewhere a little different than it ended up going. Oh, so still not. Okay. So I still didn't get it. No, not even, I thought two different people preambles for you and Damon. So great pick, though. Build for the future. America.

You know what? Poland needs America. That's what Poland. Yeah. The guy, you can't see him right now. The guy currently wearing a Raptors T-shirt is bouting about America. Love it. Not a bad pick.

I think in a weird way, Bo Nicol has kind of become the Homzot a little bit this year. We're like the one fight against Cody Brundage. We're all kind of like cooling off on him a little bit. I still think he's a future champion, but that's how this sport works. Hamzot has one kind of like lacklusterish performance against Kamar Usman. And we all kind of like,

he goes from first to second to third round. Bo Nickel, if he had gone out there and absolutely wrecked shop, I think he probably would have been a top three-round selection, but because he didn't destroy Cody Brundage and kind of looked, you know, not at the best in the world against Cody Brundage. We're all like, yeah, you know,

he kind of dipped later in the round. This is actually my second year of picking bow, and I picked him last, I got him last round last time. So I'm, you know what, Damon, I'm going against the trend. His stock went up in my eyes. There you go.

How about that? I mean, not only did you get America. According to one reporter, you may have gotten the second coming of Jesus himself. Yes. So, I mean, that is, if that's the case, you really made quite the, quite the good pick. I can't believe we let Jesus 2.0 fall to the sixth round. But no further, says A.K. Lee, which is 71% Roman Catholics in Poland. I'm just saying. I'm just

I mean, it is, it is peanut butter and jelly like mash up right there. Can I, can I, can just, and by the way, I want to, you know, Jed, great caller, but can I take credit, please, just for our internal conversation that I did come up with the nickname Jesus Christ 2.0 for Bo Nickel. I did come up with that in our private channel. When the reporter decided to annoy him, Jesus, I said, he's Jesus Christ 2.0. I don't think you came up with the nickname. I think that reporter asked him specifically, are you Jesus reborn? He was like, no, it was terrific stuff. Mike, Jesus is off the board, which is unfortunate, because I'm pretty sure BKFC was trying to be in the Jesus 2.0 game.

But in the absence of Jesus, BKFC is on the clock. Who you take it might? So I have like this, I have a great pick for round seven, but you guys are as maniacal in this draft as I am. So I truly think one of you guys might just come out and just snipe this dude and just ruin everything. And I know my, if I could. If I knew who it was, I'd take it now. And I know my other pick is going to be around in round seven.

and it's going to be a tremendous fit. So I'm just going to go ahead and drop the bombshell right now in round six. And I don't know if anybody even sees this coming or hears this coming. But I mean, we are. Oh, my God. Is this Pughey. No, no. This is better than Pug.

Are we around five or six right now? This is around six. You have two picks left, David. Okay. Okay. This is round six. This is round six. And Pooge has made his way into the MMA.

space in our hearts, but not the heavyweight I'm going to choose right now. In fact, the heavyweight I'm going to choose, you know, has flirted with MMA, but hasn't really pulled the trigger on it just yet. I know he's having conversations with New Pride and PFL about maybe running some huge rematch, but you know what? I feel like we just need to bring him over now. Let's keep the world travel going. Let's get the eyeballs upon us. Let's get the pay-per-view. buys a plenty. And we're going to take on just a chaos merchant, a guy who many thought was out of the picture, was down and out, was never going to make his way back. And now all of a sudden he's back in everyone's good graces. He's taking over the heavyweight boxing world. He just

knocked out Francis and Gano viciously. So I'm going to welcome to BKFC, Anthony Joshua. Wow. We're going to have some fun. We're going to do some fun stuff with Anthony Joshua. That is an interesting one. I got it. I got us. Mike, your draft has been spectacular to this point. But for BKFC, can I just say, I love Anthony Joshua, but you whiffed on Deontay Wilder or a bare knuckle fight?

Like, come on. That's a dude built for Bear Knuckles, Deontal is still on the board, Dave. No, I think he's more KSW. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. Like Deontay, who knows? Maybe next year, Deontay takes Anthony Joshua's spot. But right now, I think Anthony's riding high.

I know it says quote unquote a five-year deal, but next year we'll be redrafting all these people anyways. So, yeah. It's a different timeline, though. It's a different time. We'll ride the heat wave. Yeah, we'll ride the heat wave while we have it. So Anthony Joshua, just think of the fun we can have doing a card in the UK with Anthony Joshua. He's so pretty, though.

Does he want to get all cut up from the bare knuckling? I don't know. I don't know about AJ. Pretty man. It's a pretty man. Lots of money coming his way. Get that triller money where whoever's running that company now. I'm sure the Saudi's going to come calling.

Trillard. Saudi's going to come calling too? That was my one question. They got more money to spend? That was my one question. Do you have the money to pay this, because I'm pretty sure he's used to like $40 million persons, and I don't know that he's going to do some barren uncle combat for six figures.

Mike's just going to mortgage his house eight times and it'll be fine. I just want to throw this out there because I'm kind of the business guy. The BKFC trailer was acquired and merged with AGBA. a Hong Kong-based finance company, which went from the stock price on the NASDAQ last week of $1 per share. They're now trading at $2 per share. So you really, you really bolted your big business there at $2 a share. So I'm just saying.

And with the acquisition of Anthony Joshua, we're going to have to $6 a share by EOD, baby. Let's go. I love that energy. I can't say it's a bad pick. I didn't see it coming. I'm still processing the choice. Never, never would have thought AJ as something. So that's at least giving us something to talk about.

That does also bring us onto the board at one championship. And boys, I'm in a real pickle. I'm in just a, there are two fighters I want for different reasons. But I think there's one very, there's like a, there are two other names that should be drafted. one of them I am honestly surprised has not been drafted and could not be a worse scheme fit for one championship truly might be the worst possible scheme fit for what we do as a promotion but it feels value to take him

but I'm not I'm going to speak truth to power I'm going to do the right thing I'm going to play by the rules that are just and true and I will take our second woman off the board we are the owners of combat sports in Asia. That is our hallmark. And how could we promote ourselves as such if we don't take the top female pound-for-pound fighter in the world? China's number one mixed martial artists of all time.

I'm not the biggest star, but not a bad star by any stretch of the imagination, can build our women's strawweight division into a true force. And mostly, we're doing all our business in Asia. Let's bring this woman home. her be the star she is supposed to be on this side of that hemisphere of the globe and i'm getting with my six picked one of the one of the two number one pound for pound fighters in the world i'm taking wiley jang and i feel okay about it uh that's where we're going by the way in your organization should be a flyway just so you're aware she wouldn't be a straw way just in a say yeah yeah you're got to work that you're got to work that by the way i want to see you some with this high dehydration stuff i didn't mention it like

Shaheen did at the top, we're doing away with all of the, the, that's just not, I'm not doing the fake way thing anymore done with that. We're going to have normal weight classes because it's 20, 24, and we live in a society and we don't need to be doing that nonsense anymore. But Wiley Zhang is the pick, which then brings us to the PFL and Shaheen, Oshadie, you are back on the clock with your Pinnah ultimate selection. Who is it? Man, it's tough. It's so, you said it, earlier in this draft. Like when you're doing the prep for this, like, oh man, there's so many names.

Like, I'm never going to run out. There's so many names. I'm never going to run out of ideas. And then it gets deep in this draft. And it's like, there is not a lot of names out there? Really, is there? So I think what I still have a lot of names on my board. They're just not people I want.

They're people I felt I needed to be up there. You know? So I'm just going to go ahead and do it because this person is probably the most popular person still left on the board. Probably the best one of, of the, I won't say the best, but one of the best talents left on the board. There's not a lot of pound for pound fighters still left on the board and this person is

still left on the board. We flirt with controversy. We already have John Jones, so let's get another controversial man in here. Give me the former champ. Give me Sean Strickland who can go to any country and get the whole crowd behind. That is the man I was considering with this previous pick. But I can't think of a worse fit for Sean Strickland than one championship. And so I was like, do I take him and put him in an organization where he will fundamentally hate all parts of it?

Or do I just go with Wiley? I think that's a terrific pick, a massive star who kind of slipped to the sixth round. I think that's a great choice. Frankly, he feels built for one-night tournaments. Like, I'm going to throw Sean Strickland in as many one-night tournaments as possible. I also thought there was a world where Mike might take him just because, like, Sean Strickland and some bare-knuckle against Mike Perry. I can sign up for that. I'm not opposed to that at all.

That's happening here now. I mean, I guess you can do it. You're going to do bare knuckle M&A? I mean, I'm just the most offensive build ever. The buildup to Strickland Perry will be electric. It'll be electric and silly.

Shane, I think with the roster you've already taken, I think that that's a home run pick. Well done. Which brings us to the final pick of the sixth round. Damon, mostly they all revert back to you as the UFC. So who are you defending with this selection now that you're back on the clock?

It's getting difficult because obviously, again, you know, the UFC is pretty much just picking our own guys so we don't get completely looted. And I did, like I said, I had that one pick of wanting to go Mike Perry just to kind of throw everybody off a little bit so we get somebody from another organization. But that already went to hell. So again, a guy that's not off the board kind of surprisingly. and I feel like this is, again, I do have Islam Akachia, but I need opponents and I need big fights. And I feel like he is a star in the making and has potential.

We're not going to book him right away because we don't want two of our best guys to fight each other. But he's still out there. And I think he is huge potential for the future young guy coming off a big win over Chuckie olives. I got to go with Armand Sarukian. Good quality choice. It's a great. Yeah.

On my board, but a guy, you know, I think this is around the right area for him to go. he's not going to be a high pick but a lot of potential there so now you wait till next year's draft he's going to be a first rounder when he's the lightweight freaking champion of the world he's definitely not going to be that but i do agree he will be higher next year he's definitely not going to be the lightweight champion but i do agree he's probably going to go a little higher particularly if he can be competitive um but this is it fellows we were at the final round of the draft you have one selection left aka i am fascinated to see what ksw does here. There are, I still have a, I mean, I have some reaches, but I still got a couple of names

that makes sense. Even, you know, a guy you have some history with who maybe you decide to go with here. Let's see what KSW turns in as the pick is in. It's funny you mentioned history, Jed, because I am moving KSW into the future, but you can't move into the future without respecting your past, I say. And yes, there are many big, big names out there. All right. There's, you have champions that I could grab right now, P.F. Bellator champions, one champion, champions, whatever. But I want this guy back

so badly. I just need him. I don't know how many fights he has left, but listen, I'm coming home. I'm coming home. Tell the world, I'm coming home. By the way, the Skylar Gray version. No, hashtag, no, did he?

Just, anyway. Coming home part two. You can YouTube. Damon. I would be honored if you would let us have back when Mr. Jan Blockubbins. What? Wait. They say never to pick with your heart.

They say never. I love it. I believe it was the great Dick Butkus who said never draft with your heart. But you know what? Sometimes you're again, we are moving forward. All right. But it would feel wrong if this man never stepped

into a KSW. I can't believe this. stage again. He's got to sign the 10-day contract just to retire with the jersey. We're getting at least like three fights out of this guy. A.K. had his draft won after the first three rounds and then completely fumbled it from there on out outside of the. I don't think he's fumbled.

This is the pick that will, this will, this pick will bring, just imagine him on the undercard of the McGregor fight or the or the, or the, or the, uh, and Gunu card or one of these cards. Imagine with the other. Imagine him walking out to a packed arena with some Polish song. The vibes. Very facie. You cannot put a money, you cannot put a price on that. And there's, and I'm not waiting on him to fight out his UFC contract.

I know how draconian, those deals can be. He'll probably just retire so if I can just take him, free him from the UFC and bring him home. You would have been, you would have been better all drafting. You want a young J-check out of retirement than that one. But I, I think this is a good pick, okay. I get it. It's a seventh rounder. You're throwing darts at the board.

You're speaking to other things here. I understand the. energy here. I think that there maybe were quote unquote better choices, but I love the pick for you, AK. I think that that fits KSW to a T. I got choked up. I respect the emotional decision.

Mike, are you making an emotional decision because I'm hearing news that the pick is in for BKFC, their final selection of the 2024 MMA draft? I just pre-ordered a book from the soon-to-be number one New York Times bestseller, Alexander Cayley.

How to go from 2% to 5% down to 1% on 20 fantasy drafts. I think you're doing great AK. You're definitely going to do better than you've ever done. That is likely. Look, Yombollah which is a bigger name than the name I'm going to select. But I'm doing this for multiple reasons. One, because I believe in this woman so much.

Oh, thank God. And two, because if BKFC, if there's one thing I can change about the BKFC banner is they could do a better job promoting. the women's divisions. They have some stars, or at least some potential stars. Britain Hart could have been a bigger star. Taylor Starling could have been a bigger star. Yes, they have Christine Fariha. But now they're chucking her in there to just take the last pieces of Heather Hardy at Bohegan's son. So I'm bringing in somebody who could fight Taylor Starling, that could fight Britain Hart. And I think someone who could become a very big star for the organization,

because I think she's going to actually become a very big star in the UFC as well. Just an emerging contender at 125 pounds. And I think someone that's just going to take the gloves off and have a tremendous time in there. Welcome to BKFC Natty Ice. Natalia Soba is just going to be a wrecking ball at 125 pounds. Here in BKFC, this is a heart pick, but I think someone who could really deliver the goods and become a big star in our organization.

And I just, I need to bring a woman on the roster. I could have taken Valenzhenna Schofchenko. It would have made a lot of sense. but I just, there's so much potential, Natty Ice, and we're gonna, we're gonna show it to the world. You gotta, you gotta pick your people. When you get this late, you know, just fire from the hip. And I, again, I'm sure that there were quote unquote better selections out there,

but I think this is a fine, a fine pick to round out your roster that, lest we forget, was mostly the roster I was going to draft. Mike was just in a position before me, it was unfortunate. However, I'm so happy that the pick that I was arguably the most, most excited about I now get to make because the pick is in the final pick for one championship. I've been saying it a lot this pod because it's true. We're in financial dire straits at one championship. The reporting is out there.

I mean, we're disputing it, but we know the deal. Our money's drying up. We're burning cash. We needed stars. We got some stars. We're going to be able to build. But what we need is someone who's not only a star, not only. only can bring in. We need someone who cannot afford to lose. We need someone who needs money like

we need money. And we need someone with the economic ideas to not only fight for us, but to help us in our financial situation. And there's one man in the sport that can cover all these bases. And his name is Money Moikano. Hanato Moikano is going to help dig us out of this money pit because he cannot afford to lose. And we will win when he wins. Come on down, Hanato and Morkano. You are a welcome addition to one championship. I had no idea you were going money Moycano there.

I knew he would take him. I knew he'd be here at seven. It's a great headache. Even Hanato Moycano is surprised that he was picked in this draft. No, is Matt. This man knows about Ludwig Bonniz's. He knows about cryptocurrency being the future. And he knows how to get us out of our money problems and how to get in there and rec shop

in our grappling divisions, in our MMA divisions. Hell, we might mess around and let him kickbox because why not? This man is going to be a quadruple threat for us. No one is getting more value out of a selection than I am with Moneymoe Conno, the economic advisor slash fighter. I'm so happy. Good pick. I'm so happy.

Well, it's good thing you're happy because P.F. Lator is on the clock with their final selection of the 2024 draft. Shaheen, the pick is in. So I've been thinking a lot about how I was going to handle this last pick. You know me, after a couple years at this point, I like creative ideas. I like to think outside the box. It's what's carried us to back-to-back championships. You bolster the team with these final rounds with shaping the vision that you have for

your organization, shaping the vision for what you are presenting to the fans on Fight Night. And so I am. Are you going to defend Don Davis? So David doesn't take him? I'm so happy that Don Davis is still with us. I just have to say this man is going to love this pick, by the way. This man is going to be able to talk extensively about this pick. Take us back about a week and a half ago to the night of UFC 300.

Cards going on. It's a great time. And then the pay review starts. And what happens? Ooh, it's that face the pain. That old face the pain comes on. And then it's the gladiator man. black and white, all of it.

I'm taking the face the pain gladiator man combo to start off our pay-per-view, nostalgia, baby, new pride. We're leaning into all the old school golden era vibes. You're going to be so excited every time a pay-per-view comes on or just an event. We don't need to do paper-view. We're not doing a paper-fews. But you're going to be so excited when an event comes on and it's one of ours. It's going to get you all the right heart strings.

You can get goosebumps every time. Get that gladiator man. That, oh, oh, oh. And then the new, the face the pain comes on. You're getting black and white interviews, baby. It's going to be great. It's going to be great. Give me face the pain gladiator, man.

Does, does Michael Burke come with this package? Is Michaelberg involved? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Yeah, we can't just, we can just add layers to this just because they were around at the time of Face the Pain and the Gladiator, man. I just ask him. No, but he can sign. He can sign.

Yeah. Mike's a free agent. Yeah. We're not. Fair enough. I love Mike, but we're not. name Michael Kirk. I'm just saying is gladiator man helping you do your taxes

and plan your 401k out? No, mine will kind of is so I'm shaping my fight night vision baby. I'm shaping my fight night vision. I love it. I cannot I when Jed started going through his preamble I thought he was going to pull a big one and take my final pick. He did not

and boy do I have a way to close out this draft today. So you're saying it Damon? The pick is in? So since I'm the UFC and I've been playing defense this entire time. But now that the draft is over, everyone reverts back to me, so I don't need to select anyone else

from the U.S.S. roster. And while I did, I want to throw out a name I thought about picking, but because I already picked Umart and Magamatov, I'm going to avoid the actual number one band to win in the sport. I was going to go patchy mix. I love patchy mix, but how does one championship

who is so far in debt right now that they're basically not booking MMA fights because they can't afford to pay their fighters, how do you go money, and you need money, and you don't go with the guy who is not only going to fund the UFC, but he is going to grapple for the UFC.

I am taking none other than Facebook meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. What? That is not where I thought you were going on that. Funding. I honestly thought you had hoodwinked it, and it was such a good pick, and then Zuckerberg,

I don't care at all. Everybody wants to please him. Everyone wants to fight for him. Everyone wants to hang out with him. Mark Zuckerberg is going to come in and personally fund the UFC for the next 10 lifetimes. We've got more money than God. Are you hurting for money? Are you hurting for money?

Are you hurting for money? Are you hurting for money? We're the only organization. You have to pay some pennies to the fighters after the other money. We're the only organizations, we're the only organization is profitable, which is, you know, kind of a nice thing to have. But yeah, I'm going to take the guy. Everyone loves fighting for him.

Everyone is obsessed with Mark Zuckerberg lately. But you already had him. He already comes to. He already comes to your shows. He doesn't come to our shows. He was bothering Max Holloway about an after party. I want him in the organization. I want him in the organization to pay and have the money.

And also because I'm going to throw him into grappling match because why not? Everyone was so excited about him going out there and tapping out Elon Tubby. I want him to have some fun and get in there and fund it. And we have all the money in the world now. We can sign everybody because not only do we have all the money as the only profit organization of everyone on this draft. But now we have more money than God. We have one of the richest men on Earth.

So, yeah, I'm going to go to Mark Zuckerberg to sign everybody else I want. I thought, we all thought. That was 100% where I thought that was going. And I was like, oh, that's such a great pick. Because if Turkey signs with you, then he's certainly not going to fund PFL. I was scared. I was scared. I was scared.

Well, I went with the guy who could also grapple in the organization. We're going to throw him in there and let him grapple like see him. punk or something you know really sell some money and get big some money that way so you know why not i mean the first he came with yon blohovic jaman the first ufc owner to not steal any talent at all play defense the entire way through i was gonna say yeah i thought he was gonna take i almost i thought i thought i think to be just not that's right that's right that's done so i didn't DJ's done so i didn't want to go that route because i mean he's pretty much retired at this point i thought about briefly thought about going Dakota to Chavez because she actually does seem to have some star power but you know on my board yeah but yeah like I just I don't know just you gotta have fun with that so I thought about I thought about I like it's a fun thing I just want something something different I thought and the problem is if I go in house like if I go with Joe Rogan I thought about Laura Sanko like those are great picks but they're already in house for me you don't know when you select yeah so they're already mine so the last pick for the UFC is particularly difficult in that regard yeah yeah okay a brief recap and then we'll close

up shop. Yes. A.K. You selected Connor McGregor, Francis Inganu, Hamza Chimayev, Anatoly Malikin,

Cedric Dumbay, Bo-Nichl, and Jan Blahovich. An interesting, I honestly, your best team by far, thus far. Can I tell you,

can I tell you the one I wanted the most I didn't take? Sure. Someone who's still available because I do want to talk about a couple of people who didn't get taken.

Oh, yeah. But I wanted to run through because we've been doing this. Yeah, yeah, still available. Yeah. I wanted,

So hold up. We'll do that at the back. Mike, BKFC has taken Alex Pereira, Max Holloway, Yuri Perhachka, Drichus Duplice, Sergey Pavlovich, Anthony Joshua, a little bit out of the left field,

and then Natty Ice, Natalia Silva, closing down. One championship myself took Ilya, Sano Malley, Charles Oliver, Justin Gae,

Nate Diaz, Wiley Zhang, and Hinato Money Moikano. Shaheen with the PFL selects, John Jones, Tommy, Aspinall, Dustin Porre, Mike Perry, Marobd Voloshevili, Sean Strickland, and then Gladiator Man Plus Face the Pain. We've let him combo those two items into one.

So you can live the nostalgia of the UFC while watching. Yes. Orlean-era, baby. And then David Morn with the UFC takes Islam Mogachev, Israel Adisina, Shavkat Rakhmanov, Kayla Harrison, Umar and Amerigo Medov. who was your sixth rounder because I wrote this down and I can't read my own handwriting Damon who was my sixth rounder why am I forgetting my six rounder arm on Armand Sarukin Armin Sarukin

Armin Seruccan and Mark Zuckerberg a couple of notable fighters before we get out of here who did not get drafted this year a K I thought I mean he's your boy I thought Jake Paul would make a return appearance yeah neither neither Pauls were drafted and let me say And I would, so Alexa Grasso, I'm not surprised in Megan, but she's the number two women's pound for pound fighter in the world went undrafted. So Damon does get to keep her. You know, guys like Jorge Mosswell, Patty Pimblit have been drafted before. Certainly kind of have a star power that could have made them.

The one that I think was the most, I won't say surprising, but instructive to me. Shaheen to the point he kind of made earlier, how things change so quickly. in 2022 Alexander Volcanozky was a first round draft pick I'm pretty sure maybe it was his first rounder last year and it was 2023 that he was he was a first rounder in 2023

my number one my number one yeah you're number one for showtime slash bell toruma and in 2022 he was I think a second rounder actually not take fourth was it wow that late interesting but not taken at all

one of the best fighters who's ever seen however he's lost several in a row and so obviously fell out of favor anybody you guys were surprised you know if there was an eighth round that you you throw out because I had some other names I'm not sad to have missed missed on any of these

who's your biggest shocker to be left off The number three pounds from pound fighter did not get picked I thought I thought AK building European promotion would 100% take Leon Edwards and he did not I thought that was a bit of a shock that he didn't get something on it.

That is a bit distrish. I had Laura Sancoe ahead of Leon Edwards of my big boards. So, yeah, he didn't make the cut. Not even a lot. I didn't put Leon on the big board. I was going through it. I was like, I should put him. I know I'm not going to draft him.

So I haven't put him up. I know everyone's in tier three. And then I just kept getting him. I don't want, I don't want Leon. I just don't want him. I would have taken him in like the 10th round probably, but I would have been pursuing other more interesting and deference than Leon.

See, here's the problem. the UFC and I think everyone who's had the UFC thus far as experienced as A, you're fielding against your own roster because everyone just kind of steals from you. And then once you get to a certain point, and I know I'm going to get blasted for the Zuckerberg pick, but the reason I did that is just because

I was like, there's like every other viable name that you could take from the organization was already gone pretty much. Like, I thought that's what I thought you were taking patchy. I thought patchy was a guarantee for you was the last pick. I thought for two seconds, like maybe you take like a like for stuff, because I think there is

legit star power in stamp fair text like i think she's got a really interesting style you know but again name value not a lot of name value there i thought about decoded de chava because she seems like a star on the rise they keep matching her up with can so she can keep winning in a pf elitore and she seems like a star that's another but again like i said like they just once you get past like the engadoes of the mike parries of the world there's not a lot of like star power you know outside the ufc that isn't already part of the organization so you're kind of stuck i mean i just really thought you were taken patchy because you lost O'Malley and Marab. So like, you have an open bantam weight.

I took Umar. So I got Umar. And Umar, I think is, you know, again, once I was, I would have gone patchy instead of Umar and said there's my pig. But the problem is is, I think Umar is like better known and it probably going to be a bigger star. And Patchy's stuck right now. Like we're at the stage now where patchy might be the best band to wait in the world, but

he's got to run fights back with guys is already beaten. So I don't know that he's going to get a lot bigger. That's Marab. You can find out who the best bantamom waiting. world is that was that's the thing is I can't I can't I came into this like kind of expecting that I would lose at least two out of the three of Usman or Nirmigamadoff patchy mixed and johnny eblen and i somehow maintained all three which is very surprising ablin emper didn't help him and i think that and i and i think uh who was the other one patch who was in the usman like i i'm stunned frankly

and it was just a real weird spot yeah i think uz was at a tough spot now too with him with him with him like now he's injured again, he's been out for the drug thing. Like, I think we just kind of, like, you think he's just kind of falling off the radar a little bit. Not saying he's not great, he is. But I had Islam, so I was not going to sleep Usman because then I'm stuck with two lightweights who will never fight each other.

If you guys had one more pick, who would have been when kind of closed it out on that? Because for me, the last guy cut from my sort of scheme was Alhantra Pentosha, just because I do have DJ, you know, one of the top pound fighters in the world. I think he kind of fits it. with one championship.

So if there was an eighth round, pants, pants would have been my seventh pick and Moikano was always going to be my last pick. But Pantoja was the guy I would have left off. Anybody you guys wish there was another round so you could have picked up? Patchy, for sure for me was my pick. Patchy was going to be the other one. I almost went him in the last round, but I just went off the cut. When you got Gladiator Man, when you got Gladiator Man as you're as the one right in front of you got to go off the coast.

So I just went Zuckerberg, but Patchy Mix would have absolutely been my. Patchy mix probably should have been my seven pick but I was just trying to have this is such a patchy website I thought there was no way I was getting away with patchy I just was like you throw up with John Anick before and I thought for sure someone was going to go

Sanko because she's such a beloved figure so I was like oh let's have some fun I really wanted Sanko but also like production production is not the issue like Ketel like I like our team yeah I like our English commentary team so no problem there like it should just be gravy to add

Sanko because I think she will be one of the best competitors in the business within a few years. I mean, she's already one of the best thing, but like with just more reps, she will be widely regarded as one of the best. But, uh, uh, Jed, I wanted, uh, I wanted, I wanted Rook Rook. Oh. I want to have been perfect. I was trying to figure it away. That's when I asked, like, when I asked when we only have four picks left.

I know. I started doing the math. I'm like, oh my, like, how do I do this and still get Rook Rook Rook? And he just didn't fit in. It was, I wanted Yon. I want to bring Yon home. But Rug Rug and like Puds and Frank. I, oh, I,

I almost took pods. I almost took pods a couple of times. That would have been good. Mike, anybody you missed out on, you wish that you could have had? I had Brandon Moreno on my list. I had Aaron Pico on my list.

Pico's in my list. Pico's real good. And I had Derek Lewis on my list. If like all the other picks are taken. Derek Lewis is perpetually on my BKFC list. I think that makes all the sense in the world. Someday. Fellis.

I mean, we're on two hours. I want to close us down with this, though. As we exit, don't have to talk about it long. Who do you think won? Three-time champ, baby. Me. Sheen, I think there's absolutely no way you won this one.

Like, honestly. I think Mike or AK probably won it. Honestly, looking at my team, I'm really happy with him. But I would say that AK probably has the lead for me, I think. I may have made a couple of things across me. We'll see. The Malikin is tough for you and gave the rest of us a chance. I should have picked Rook Grugustad.

I think Mike definitely. Mike wins not only because he had great picks, but also because you can have the most fun with BKFC. Let's be honest, because you're selecting a very specific type of fighter and you're having fun with it. Now, I will say, I know you're kind of giving me a hard time for my Zuckerberg pick. That would have been a great seven pick because that you just fund BKFC

for the next 10 decades with Zuckerberg's money. Then you really can't survive because Triller has nothing, and you would have had all the money in the world. That would have been the only one. Like, you could have flipped the script on that one, but yeah, I can't really fault you for any of the picture. I will say, I think we're now year three of this. It feels like consistently the top of the draft is what wins it.

Like, people will see the bottom in the draft and like what you have. But if you have one of the biggest names, like altogether, that's what will sway people. If you have Connor and Francis, that's kind of why I think it is. Yeah, what I'm saying is, it feels like we're in such a Poetton moment. I think whoever got Pereira is going to win this draft. And so if somebody was going to win it and it wasn't going to be me, I think Alex Perra was his trap. Especially the mind delights at the idea of Pereira in BKFC. Here's the thing.

If people don't just read the article, if they listen to the pod, Mike's going to win for sure. Because Mike ruined my whole life and people will reward him for that vicious act of his. If they're just reading, I don't know. We'll see. But ladies and gentlemen, that's the point. when this is live on the pod network you can also go to mmafiting.com it's a great website where there is a written article about this very endeavor and at the bottom of that we'll probably put it on on social you can vote for who won the 2024 draft and boys as always this is the most fun i have over

year i'm so excited is nothing is more fun than doing this and uh i feel great feel great about what we've done all of these promotions are going to succeed certainly we won't lose yet at other promotion by this time next year, because I don't know who the hell will replace them with if we do. So hang on one championship. Hang on for dear life, please God. Until then, fellas, I will see you in April of 2025 for the next iteration of the NBA draft. Love y'all.

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