MMA Fighting - The A-Side Live Chat w/ Brian Kelleher

Episode Date: September 9, 2020

For this episode, UFC bantamweight Brian Kelleher joins José Youngs and E. Casey Leydon to discuss some of the hottest topics in MMA. Some topics include fallout from UFC Vegas 9, Alistair Overeem’s TKO of Augusto Sakai, Kelleher’s submission win over Ray Rodriguez, Ovince Saint Preux’s knockout of Alonzo Menifield and more. The three will also look ahead to UFC Vegas 10, which features Michelle Waterson vs. Angela Hill, and Bellator 245 and Bellator 246, which respectively feature Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida 2 and Juan Archuleta vs. Patchy Mix for the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title. Follow José Youngs: @JoseYoungs Follow E. Casey Leydon : @ekc Follow Brian Kelleher: @BrianBoom135 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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So download the app today and get $0-dollar delivery fees on your first three orders. Instacart, groceries that over-deliver. Service fees exclusions in terms apply. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. We're live, pal. Hey, we're live, pal. Welcome everyone to another episode of the A-Side Live chat. I'm MAAfighting.com.

I am, of course, your host, Jose Young. If you hear weird noises in the background, because I'm back in Rhode Island, sitting outside. So we got OSHA, we got boats going by. We got someone cutting grass, like two blocks over. So if you hear any weird noise, that's probably on my end, but no one cares about me. We're here to talk about them, man.

Well, when I say this, when he's about to fight, I know he's about to fight because my Twitter mention to blow up. And when he wins, my DM starts a blow up because they're all asking me, is he going to be on the next show? So the answer is yes. Joining us this week is Brian Keller. You know him. He's one of the original guests of the show. Brian, what is up? Boom, baby.

What's going on? How's everything? Well, you're about the richest man. We know right now, as Casey said. You got another $50,000 third time this year. So what's life like another 50,000? gay richer. Oh, you know, still living in my parents' house, but we're making our way out. We're in the process. Actually, I am house shopping, so that's a good thing. So,

waiting for that to come through probably towards the end of the year. But things are going good. Couldn't be better. Got the tiger's eye on the neck here. Fortune is for me. You're in Long Island, right? Yeah, Long Island, New York. Is one, Al-Aquinta going to be a real estate agent? That's what everyone's saying. Everyone's hit me up on Twitter. They're like, hit up, Al, I quit this and that. I'm like, yeah, that's not a bad idea, actually.

But I have a friend that's a real estate agent, so I just used him because I know him pretty well. But, yeah, Al's not a bad backup, for sure. Apparently, Al Jermaine's, but he's in your weight class. So he'll give you a shitty deal. So don't talk to him. Yeah, he might take an extra percentage on the back end or something. I'll have my back. Well, Casey, what's life in the Anglewood on fire?

Angu is not on fire, is it? Englewood's not on fire, but it is bad. I think on Monday or Tuesday, no, wait, it's Wednesday. So Monday, it was world record high temperature in L.A. County. It hit 121 degrees out in the valley. And that's about maybe 10 miles from me. but in Englewood it had almost hit 100 degrees which is incredibly hot and most almost no no homes here have any AC because when they built these it wasn't 100 degrees you know in the

summer so it sucks and we had rolling blackouts and yeah a lot of crappy stuff and all the fires when I woke up I think Monday morning our everything outside our cars was all covered in ash Ashes to ashes. Jesus. Like we get up to 220 in the summer. I don't think I've ever experienced like wildfire like that before. So, yeah, so the air is horrible. It's super hot and everything.

But, hey, I'm here. I'm with you two handsome gentlemen. This is great. Thank you. I feel like if Joe Rogan leaves, like everybody has to leave, right? He left, right? I hear he's going to Texas or something.

Yeah, he went to Texas, yeah. I'm from Texas and I would love to move back to Texas at some point, but we still illegal there. And I just cannot accept that. I can't do the whole meeting some random dude in an apartment parking lot complex, you know. So, yeah. The whole Pineapple Express thing, you know, you go to some. some random dudes of place and you just got to sit in his apartment and just kind of chill and talk about nothing. And then the question, if you're a narc and what have you.

But anyway, no one wants to talk about that to me. They probably do want to talk about that. But you can ask any question you want on Twitter, the site, the YouTube comments, Casey's Man and the Ones and Twos, Brian is one of the host guests that will talk about whatever you want to talk about. So, weird, non-weird, MMA, non-MMA related. Let's talk about it. So, Casey, what is our first question? Let's get crazy. Yeah, right.

There we go. Boom. First question. From Smokey Medford, speaking of smoke. DC at heavyweight. We all know if it's not broken, don't fix it. So why do you think DC came in so light in the last two fights with Miocchich? He had his best success at Heavyweight when he was on the heavier side.

He landed many of the same punches as the first fight. But the extra weight to his punches, do you think he would have KO'd Miocic again? Brian, an interesting question, because you fought in a weight class above. your natural weight. I'm not saying Daniel Kormer is a natural light heavy weight, but he's knocked out heavy weights coming in heavier. And then when he came in later, he didn't have the same power. So I'll use this as a two-part question. A, we can answer the question about Daniel Kormner, specifically. But B, how's your power translate moving up a weight class? Yeah, I mean, I definitely feel a little bit of a power difference. Also, just being able to absorb shots better as well,

going up a weight class, just being healthier, less weight cut. But I think, I'm pretty sure Kormier, like actually cut a little bit of weight for like the way in, which is weird at heavyweight. It's almost like a, like a, I don't know, like a ego thing. Like, oh, I want to just look like I'm in better shape that I'm actually in. And then come in the next night heavier and like hike your pants up all the way and just like say effing. I don't know. But, you know, at heavyweight in general, DC definitely has more power than light heavyweight. I feel he's obviously done better at heavy weight.

But yeah, I don't know. I'm not sure why he actually cuts that weight. for the fight. And maybe just, Stepe said it best, he hit him with that perfect punch one time and he never was able, because like if you watch the third fight,

I think Casey you asked the question, like you hit or you asked Stepe that question. He hit that same punch a dozen times. And he got dropped once in the first fight and didn't get dropped all in the third fight. So maybe it's just that one time, Brian, I'm sure you've experienced it.

You just get caught cold sometimes. Yeah, and it's also like when you don't expect it, when you don't see the punch coming. And I think in that last fight, he kind of expected that, same thing and he was more aware of it. Yeah, I think that's what basically that's what Stevey said. Yeah, it's that punch you don't expect.

That's the one that gets you. Like, you guys are tough, tough mofos. I mean, like, if you, I can punch you as hard as I can, but if you know it's coming, you know, you'll brace up, you know, it'll suck, but, you know, you're ready though. But there's those little punches, you know, just those ones that really mess you up, right, Brian? Oh, yeah, for sure. Like, and sparring, too, like, you learn that. as you go. Like when you see punches, even if they feel heavy, but you saw it coming, you can

embrace it better and absorb it better. But like when someone throws just a lazy little hook, but you didn't see it, it kind of like gets you off guard. You're like, whoa, like, where'd that come from? Yeah, it always seems to be those weak, weak looking, like the Mike Russell punched on Todd Duffy when you just kind of bunk them. And then he just passed out. Like, it's those punches that I, that you notice not drop most people. Yeah, also like where it hits on your face, you know what's what's the light just kind of going back in your fight memories either your own experiences or from fights you've watched what's like the lightest punch you've seen that just completely well it looks light but a punch like super light but look it just knocked the guy out you know

the one the one i go to is um before you why you think about i always think of nick dyes versus robbie laller even though because that punch it was just that little oh yeah yeah obviously it was like right in the chin But it didn't look like very much. You look like you looked like Robert could take 50 of those. But for some reason, that punch just knocked them out cold. It looked like one of those signature slap punches that you and I always talk about. Yeah, all their punches kind of look weird.

It's like they drown you with volume, but they don't really look hard. You know, the Diaz brothers. But the opposite is in Garner. His punch always looks heavy as hell. But I'm trying to think of anyone else that throws like a light-looking punch that knocks someone out. I don't know. Bader's two, when Bader knocked out King Moe and Fador, they obviously are hard because they're at heavyweight and he gets them perfectly.

They don't look, they don't look that powerful. I think it's because he kind of, he like times it, so they're moving forward. And then he stopped and he plants and he, like the two momentum's clash. But they don't look like the hardest punch. And he faked it. They looked like takedowns too. So the guys are thinking low. Yeah, it's true.

You know. So they're going down to catch them on the temple. Yeah, I have got hit with a punch, like besides the Leniker fight, like I haven't been rocked really in fights besides earlier on in my career by like a 145 or that I fought, you know, before the UFC and everything. And it was weird. It was like it didn't even hit me in a bad spot, but it like threw my equilibrium off for like maybe five, ten seconds. I had to move around the cage and like recover. But like I was worried that he saw that I was hurt. So I was trying to like stay away from him for a little bit.

the weirdest thing. It wasn't a hard punch at all. Casey, is there any difference between getting rock from a head kick and getting rocked from a punch? Head kicks are surprising because they don't have to hit you very hard. They barely have to touch you. And it's kind of shocking

how much it will rock you. Just like if it's like, what was the I think it was, oh, you know, another kick, JDS versus Mark Hunt, when it kind of grazed the top of his head. Oh, yeah. It doesn't snap a little.

doesn't look like that much. But then if you, in sparring or in a real fight, if you, if anything just touches here and above, it just wobbles the hell out of you. Like, to the point, like, you don't even, like, like, other day I was sparring and, like, I got wobbled bad. And I didn't know I was wobbling. And the coach had to stop the run. Like, all right, Casey, you're going to sit out the rest of the day.

I'm like, what are you talking about? I'm like, you're even wobbling. I'm like, really? You don't even know. Yeah, I'm like, I thought I was doing great. Shit. All right. I guess you're right.

that mark yeah that mark hunt kick specifically if you watch that whole fight he blocks a lot of the punches leading up to that with the top of his head like instead of putting his hands up he'll just put his head down so jd s is punching the top of his head the whole fight and then when he got that

spin kick to that same spot I think just enough was enough I think that's the best spot to get hit like right in the forehead it doesn't really do much to you especially straight on but like the head kicks like you're saying sometimes they catch the top of top of the head, but they like snap your neck.

Like they give you like a whiplash. I feel like that kind of gets guys like wobbled. Have you ever got hit with a shot? Like the next day, you can't turn your head, Brian? No, but I had an injury like from wrestling from that where I shot into a takedown and my neck got jammed up from a sprawl. And that had you all like all out of sorts for like a couple of weeks. My neck was stiff.

Like it's the worst feeling too when like your neck you can't turn, you know? And obviously, like, when you get into that. I'm pretty sure Tatsas, Svarez still hasn't recovered from, like, jamming her neck. Yeah, Swares, right? She's still out. Yeah, those are neck injury because she, obviously her blast double-leg takedowns is like her bread and butter, but she can't hit him because her neck is all jammed up. Yeah, your neck is so sensitive. You know what I mean?

Like, it's always being compromised, Jitsu, wrestling, even sparring. Like, after I hurt my neck, I thought I was good. I went back and I would spar. And just if I got punched at my neck kind of whipped a little, it would repinch the nerve. and I'd feel like that numbness down my arm that was like bothering me for months. Stay in school, kids. Yeah.

Don't chase your dreams. Don't chase your dreams. It's not worthy. You can have dreams, but go for like the third or fourth one. The top ones, yeah, you know. Before we go next to a guy... Just don't pick fighting if you want to be an athlete.

Oh, man. What were you saying, Casey? Oh, yeah, don't pick fighting. I just, I think all you guys are freaking insane for trying to do this as a professional career. But, hey, good, but you bet Brian's had a great 2020. So, yeah, so everyone. We don't have a choice, man. Fighting shows you.

We know nothing else. Yeah. All right. What is our next question? We're quick. Before we move on the next question, I really, I want to ask Brian this. I always hear all the time in commentary that if you throw, if you land your hardest punch on a guy, A guy that normally it hurts him, it drops him, and it doesn't do anything.

Does that really affect your confidence, Brian? Like if you land the hardest overhand, the hardest hook is like, oh, that should have dropped him. He just kind of like, whatever. Are you thinking of your head, oh, I just got landed again? Or like, oh, I need a plan B because it's like he ain't going down. Yeah, that's something you face and fight sometimes. And you have to be strong enough to be like, you know what? I'm unfazed by that.

I'm just going to keep on hitting him, keep on trying to finish him. And whatever happens happens, you know, the worst comes to worse, you might win a decision. But you can't let something like that kind of demoralize you and make you start to fight differently. But that, if that happened, any fight ever that I've had, it was the Lineker fight was like anything I hit him with that I felt would have hurt somebody else just didn't phase him at all. And I was like, what do I got to do to this guy? You know, like, oh my God, he just keeps coming forward with these bombs. Like they never feel less powerful as the fight goes on. So I was like, I hit him with a couple of shots in that fight.

When I watched a replay, I'm like, man, that would have put a lot of guys down. You know, but he's just made out of something else. It was wild. What did you learn? Yeah, John Laker is a level of human. Brian, like, now, like, with that Lenderkerbry had to be like, what, three years ago now, two years? Yep, never forget it. Yeah.

Yeah. Like, now, like, no, there's a, there's been a big, a significant gap of time. now, you know, your career is definitely rebounder from that loss. What did you really, what do you think you really learned from that fight now a couple years later? Well, that fight definitely hit me, you know, psychologically for a while, had to kind of accept that and first time that ever happened to me and, you know, kind of feeling that invincible feeling before that and then realizing the vulnerabilities of fighting.

But then also kind of regathering my confidence and making sure that, I focus on the right things, you know, that I don't overthink that that could happen or go into fights with that fear of that happening. Because it's just, there's no room for that in this sport. So I kind of just got my confidence back with, you know, experience in the gym, sparring, you know, getting hit again and making sure I'm good with that. And it just builds from there, the consistency. And then, you know, kind of traveled into my fights where I just forgot about it pretty much. And I went in with, you know, the objective to just kill, you know, and not really overthink those kind of things. that was in Brazil too right yeah Brazil oh my God so what's it like what's it like

getting knocked out where I know Brazil was like I remember I remember I interview Brian you showed me you had your boom necklace and everything I think I yeah yeah I had the big boom one I'm trying to lose that necklace by the way I just insured it so I know I spent way too much money on that damn thing yeah no I remember that yeah in Brazil I had that I got dressed up it was like my first media day. I was all like, I was all happiest stuff. And you have that you have this vision that you're just going to go upward, you know, like to the top. And that's another thing you got to face with that kind of defeat. Like, oh, like sometimes you get reset and you have to restart and go on a winning streak and get back to where you thought you were going to get, you know,

it just doesn't happen perfect all the time, smooth, you know, rise to the top. So I'm glad I am where I am now looking back on that. Sorry, Jose. I interrupt your question. What were we going to ask? I don't even remember I was probably going to say I don't even remember well he's I do you have the most fights in 2020 right now Brian

in the UFC I think I'm up there definitely tied for it I think I'm with four I think Angela Hill has a lot has four or five maybe you know maybe coming up

maybe after she fights there's a couple of people yeah when did Angela Fawn in Jacksonville with you and did she fight before that too did she fight in January February March

Casey I don't know that was the Claudia fight. I thought, yeah. That was Jacksonville. That was, so that was, that was May. I don't remember. Well, he definitely has most bonuses. That's all that's important. Anyway, what's our next question? There you go. So, hold, before we go on, you signed a new contract in January, right? After you're right? Are you, are you done? Do you have one more now already? Technically, I have one more left on the deal, but I'm at the point where you would sign the next deal. Well, I would have to assume the UFC wants to keep you around. Yeah, I mean, at this point,

I think I'm becoming a fan favorite and like a veteran and a mainstay. But like I'm always tempted to fight out my contract just to really see where my worth is and become a free agent. Like I know Eddie Alvarez always talks about. But it seems like management never wants to do that. Like they're never on on that page. They're like, no, no, no, trust me. Let's let's resign. Let's get locked in. and it's the safest bet. And I'm like, all right. Like, I don't know. Do you talk to other fighters about that?

Like, I know Eddie and Rory and everyone, they want it all test for agency, too. Yeah, I haven't really, like, made a roundabout and, like, really asked a lot of high-level guys that have dealt with that. But most of the time, I feel like guys just resign because that fear of, like, putting yourself in a position of maybe losing that last fight, you know?

And then you're like, well, what do I do now? Because now they can cut me, and I'm probably not going to get offered a big payday outside the company because, you know, you got to be on a hot streak and then maybe Bellator will come in and offer like a big, you know, a big payday and then the UFC can match it and you find out your real worth. Interesting. That's nerve-wracking, man. I can't.

I know. Like betting so much on yourself. I mean, that, I don't think there's an equivalent to that for anyone else who have any sort of normal job. That would be like, hey, Casey, You, I don't mean. The only, like, based on your interviews, and the next week's A side, that's going to decide your livelihood for the next three years.

I don't know. Yeah, the only one word. The only thing I can think of is, like, in the NFL, when they have the franchise tag, where you get stuck, you get slapped with that. So you're locked in for one year. And a lot of players just refused to play. You saw that with Levyon Bell

before he went to the Jets. They get, as you know how the franchise tag works, Casey? A little bit. I'm not super So you're You're locked in for like the At like the average of your position Or like the above average of your position

And so basically a one year deal And then it's basically to keep you And then they can keep franchising you Or I don't think it's like unlimited But like Levy they did that to Levy on Bell And he's just like I'm not playing then Like I'm a running back in the prime life career What if I blow my knee out next year

When I'm franchised And then all of a sudden I can't get a new contract So a lot of players would just sit out Cool Anyway Thank you for the question, Smokey Medford. Okay, this is really, this is a comment, but I want to get Brian's opinion on this comment. Hold on one moment.

From Giandra Thapa goes to show you how good TJ is the way he dismantled Linneker was so good. So I assume they're implying that TJ like absolutely tore through John Lennox. I think what, I can't remember what UFC 207, I want to say. It was the same fight card as Cody and Dominic Cruz maybe. So what are your thoughts on that, Brian? Yeah, no, I think it's true. T.J's a really highly technical fighter. You know, he really, he did.

He broke him down. He definitely utilized timing on his shots to take Lineker down and stay on top on the ground and utilize ground and pound really well in positions. And that was kind of like somewhat of the plan, but like you fall in love with striking a little bit. You think like you could take anybody out. And you get in that. that exchange in the fight and you kind of, you're having fun and you're going back and forth.

You kind of forget about those details, you know, but TJ stuck to the game plan in that fight. And yeah, he executed perfectly. That's the fight that Shell Sondon always points to when he's talking about like the best fighter he ever saw. He's like TJ saw against John Lickr was one of the best fighters I've ever seen because he just, like you said, put together a perfect game plan. Do you fall in love with not to fall in love with striking in a fight? Because I interviewed DC after his loss to Stepe, and he said that Stepe, his face gets marked up so easily. Like, you could just scrape him and it turns purple. That he would touch him when light punches, and he was leaving so many bruises that he just kept, he just stuck with the striking.

And I was at that fight, and Bob Cook was screaming at him to get the takedown. And DC was not listening just because he fell in love with the striking. Oh, yeah, it definitely happens. I mean, you start tagging a guy a little bit. you start having success and especially if you're coming off a fight where you've knocked someone out stuff like that you know the feeling of it and you're like oh i have that kind of power like i'm going to do that to this guy too and then you know some guys don't get affected by these punches sometimes you don't land that punch so you have to have that durability and and that adaptation to be able to

recognize and be like okay let me switch things up here like there's other ways to win for me like um i'm pretty well rounded but finishes you know with with with with tkos knockouts and then submission. So I'm like, I'm happy with the way that I adjust and I'm able to, you know, latch on to a neck like last time if, if I have to, you know? Bang. Boom. Boom. Boom, teens. Right. Actually, I don't know if we're getting any direct questions on it, but I want to ask you, just let's talk about your fight. Just actually, your fight last Saturday. What was, like,

I don't know, like, when you, when you're training for a guy who, like, who, like, who is, your original opponent yeah rickie simone right simo yeah so when you're training do you simon says he ran away are you visualizing your opponent's face and then all of a sudden when you walk into the cage like i don't know who this person is or like what what is that like for you for you like because you i'm i'm assuming you had no idea what you're fighting who your opponent was yeah it was it was weird man especially because like first it was rickone and i'm preparing for his style and you know he's a he's a really hard guy to fight you know he's well-rounded and he brings a high pace so i'm like man i'm about to get into a war here for sure and then you know they change it

to the kevin guy and i watched a little bit of him but i don't like to even really watch my opponents that much i kind of leave it up to my coaches so when he got pulled i'm like all right i have no idea what's going on like i don't know who i'm fighting i faced off with one guy i fought a different guy so it was pretty crazy and i was kind of like trying to just keep my mindset focused and not worry about those extra things. You know, you could overthink really easily and kind of paralyze yourself with, with thoughts. But it was weird, you know, walking out to my fight. I just felt real nervous. Like the unknown, you know, like not really knowing anything about this guy. What does he bring to the table? You know,

everyone's expecting me to beat him. Don't underestimate him. So all of that going into the fight, it was pretty crazy. What's it like fighting in this climate where, like, I joke about it when we do preview stuff, preview shows and everything, where I don't consider a fight official until you're in the octagon. Because like you said, you stared down with the guy and didn't even fight him. And then like you saw what happened with Kevin Holland and Trevin Giles where Trevor Giles, he was getting ready to walk and he passed out. And then Kevin found out he was, he was waiting to walk out and he looks up at the monitor and he goes, oh, I guess my fight's canceled. So once I'm like knowing that you could sign a contract and you go, you're not, I don't think you're going to fight a guy

until you're actually in there. Oh, it's true, man. The unknowns are always there in the back of your mind. Like, well, what if this, what if that, you know, the COVID thing and everything. Like, you just never know when a positive test is going to come up and whatnot. And that happened, I think, to the Kevin, not TV Dodd. And then it was supposedly negative, but they didn't want to risk it. The commission found out.

So there's just so many different things right now that can change things up. And to be honest with you, though, it couldn't have been any better for me. like I got to fight. I got to get paid, get a bonus. You know, I'm thankful that the guy Ray Rodriguez stepped up on a day's notice. Because even for him to have to step up on a day's notice to fight me, I think is a hard thing. You know, he must have been nervous too about that. Yeah, we think Kevin Natvidad and Ray Rodriguez should fight next.

That's what we decided. I thought that was perfect. Yeah. I'll give him both another shot. But thank you for the comment. Gianjah Rathap, I apologize if I mispronance your name. All right, here we next.

And the Likis-Tamon fight's the one you want next, I would imagine. Just re-book it. Yeah, I mean, I think that's definitely a good idea. I think they'll look to do that. I'm sure he still wants to fight me, he said. So I'm all about that fight. I think that's a fan-favorite fight, too. Like, a lot of people were hype about that fight.

Yeah, I think that fight rules. More bonuses. From Max Elton Cui Hollow. Does Keller smoke weed the night after the fight? You know, in Vegas, we had a little bit of fun after the fight. Yeah, my corners had it all set up for me for celebration. So it was kind of nice. But, yeah, we'll just say yeah.

Just say, yeah, leave it at that. I'm not really a drinker. So, like, I don't really drink after the fight. Like, I'd prefer to smoke than drink. That's just me. But, yeah, we're in Vegas, so it's easily accessible. So I'm like, yeah, why not? My corners, they smoke.

you know, they like, they enjoy weed. So they're like, yeah, we'll have something ready for you after the victory. I'm like, all right. Yeah. Don't accept any fights in Abu Dhabi. That's a... Yeah. That's like against everything there, right?

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you might be stuck there for a long time if you don't obey the rules. Did you see those, I guess, tweets and comments from who were those two fighters? that got pop for weed. Louis Pena. Dron Win? No, no, Dran Win was infinites.

Dran Win was something else. But it was... No, it was Tanya and Tim Elliott. That was it. And both of them said it was actually, I think they did dabs or something. Dab. Yeah.

Oh, and Jamal Hill. That was it. Jamal Hill. And essentially, they said, like, they didn't do it anywhere near the actual fight, but you saw... But they said, like, from dabs or something, from, like, weeks before.

still stayed in their system, which is incredibly messed up, that they're punished for that. But are you aware of that? I'm just giving you a heads up. There's more of just like, just watch your back. No, no, I saw that. And I always feel bad for those guys, you know, because everyone knows how weed works. It's not affecting them two weeks later in the fight, you know? So it's kind of a weird thing with the whole CBD being fine as well.

But yeah, I don't dab myself. I'm like afraid of weed, even though I enjoy it. I'm like, I don't want to get too high. So I'm like a flower guy and like take a little like one hit here and there, you know. But like the dabs are on another level. So I guess the potency of it kind of backfired on them on the test. Because there's like a threshold. Like I don't know how you go over that threshold.

Yeah. Just. Yeah. They're clearly not stoned at all. But yeah, it's just. Right. I just want to you are aware of that. So it's kind of, it's kind of messed up.

I've always wanted to ask that Diaz brothers, though, like, have you smoked and, like, went into a fight high? Just tell the truth, come on. Wasn't it the Gomi fight when Diaz tapped Gomi? Like, that was all, like, his levels were so off the charts. And then, like, if you watch all of his post-fight press conferences, he has sunglasses on the whole time. And, like, when he wants to talk, he's, like, he's, like, all looking,

he's, like, shuffling around and his glasses are on. And I think that was the one that sticks out to be the most. Any time to Google plot, that ended up being like a no contest or something crazy like that. That's a me- Because of the weed, yeah. One of the- answer. Stories I've ever heard, like the most insane submission with the weirdest conclusion. But anyway, I hope that answer the question.

All right. Next to me. Or is that question, I saw it. Here we are. From Tristan Gordet, what do you think of, what do you think about what Dana had to say about the double booking of Kashmat Shemayov after last night contender series episode was completed? So for those of you who aren't aware, for whatever reason, the UFC has booked Kazmat Shemayov against Gerald Mirchart against Jailchak against Jailat, I think on the September 19th card as someone starts weed whacking again across. So they booked him against Gerald Mirchart, which is a middleway fight. And then apparently they're also booking them against Dami Ma in a welterway fight on Fight Island.

That's the plan as a. now. I'm sure you've seen General Mershart's doing all the interviews across all the media's. I think he might have an interview on our site coming to. He feels disrespected. He wants to play the spoiler. But Brian, as a fighter, what would you say if the UFC booked an opponent for your opponent before you guys even fought? Yeah. I mean, that's kind of a disrespectful. You know, you're like, all right, I guess you guys are writing me off already before the fight happens. But I think that'll light a fire under Jared Mershart. You know, he's going to He's going to want to win even more now knowing that because if you see that happening with your opponent and you can take that guy out, like you're just going to steal all the hype yourself and maybe let's start double booking you after that, you know, because this is kind of like unprecedented.

Like they don't, they don't really double book guys like and hype guys like this where they're like, I'm giving them fights every week. Like I want to give this guy fights everywhere. I'm like, hey, look at me. I'm trying to do the same thing. So, you know. One of them is get the September 19th card in Vegas. and the next one's on Fight Island, two different weight classes. Yeah.

Enough, Damien Maya will be, I think, his first real welterweight because he fought a middleweight on short notice on Fight Island. Then he got a turnaround fight against Reith McKee, who I think is a lightweight. He was just a blown-up lightweight. I think his next fight, he'll drop back to 155. But what do you think, because this is also going to be possibly be Damien Maia's last fight? Yeah. Do you think it's fair that against Shamiya, or would you like to see someone like

they might go out with maybe a bigger name or a more veteran name. Well, I mean, for him, yeah, it would be nice to see that, you know, a veteran versus a veteran, something a little more fair, a little bit more to do. But I feel like for the UFC, they're kind of doing it for them. You know, they know, well, let's build a little, you know, let's build Chima. Recognition off of Maya, if he beat someone like that, especially with his ground game, you know, we kind of want to see how good this guy really is. so they're kind of giving him that opportunity to show that like hey look this is how good he is look

and he took out and mya not a lot of people do that so i think that's how they're looking at it but uh i am interested to see like if that if this fight goes to the ground like how is this guy going to look we'll kind of get a good grip on how good he is let's also not forget that joan mershardt has like 20 plus submission wins not just totally like mission wins he's unbelievable on the ground he has the win overdrawn win played spoiler for that hype train too uh so yeah i'm super I like both fights as fights. I think Damien Maher should take one more after that win or lose. I don't want to see him.

Unless he just steam rolls over Shemayv and he's never going to have a better performance like Ricardo Lama just did when he called it a career. But I know really wants to fight Diego Sanchez. So if he wants to fight Diego, why not? Crack the coconut. There you go.

There you go. Thank you for the question. Kristen Cordy. So you put some time, right, Brian? You like that idea? You would want to be double-booked? I mean, I'd rather just keep it one fight at a time, but I would like to stay active, you know? I feel like that double booking puts a little pressure on you.

It's like, well, now I have to win to fight this next fight, you know? Like, I can't mess this up. Sure. I love it. I love it. It gets people talking and gets the conversation going. And it creates a, to me, this is actually Dana being, for me, my opinion, this is Dana being actually a very good promoter. and he's pushing storylines.

And now we're talking about an unranked welterweight, you know, when it's really hard for guys to kind of break through with all these fights and all these names out there. So I'm all for it. Let's just refer to Gerald Mirchard as the mandatory, like in boxing. Yeah. And I love Jeremy Schroen. I think it's going to be a fun fight.

I'm very, like... I like that fight. It gave a story. Yeah, that's actually competitive. Yeah. I mean, this could have just been a fight on a card, but now because of this double booking thing, now like, ooh, you know what?

I want to, I don't know. To me, like, as a fan, I'm paying extra special attention in this fight. So, good job as a promoter. It gives it more excitement. Yeah. And it's still, but in the day, it's still just a fight. I mean, you know, they're still going to have to fight,

regardless of the storylines and what happens after or before. It's like, so, you know, it just raises the stakes. It's fun. Yeah. Ooh, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, this, we're going about bantam weights right here. Oh, ha ha ha. From Ticcaro man 91, who wins Archiletta versus Mix for the bantamweight title. This is, of course, for the vacant Bellator title, Kioji Horiguchi got hurt.

So, so he vacated his belt, Juan Archeletta is fighting patchy mix. Uh, is it, you, is it, is a Saturday card, so it's two forty six. So it's two 46 Saturday card. Uh, Brian, not your promotion, but your weight class. You paying attention to Bannonweight title fights outside the UFC? Yeah, I mean, I don't watch like crazy amount of Bellator, but I know these two fighters, and I think this is a great, like, even matchup. I think, you know, Archillette is definitely mixed his hardest fight so far that he's faced. And Mix has showed like a really dominant style on the ground, you know, submitting guys over and over.

So I'm interested to see because Archelette is like, he's a very, like, jittery guy. Like, he's very active. He throws a lot of volume. He's a great wrestler. he's hard to hold, I feel like, to hold down and out position. So I'm interested to see how mixed deals with Archiletta as an opponent. Casey, what are you? You've interviewed Patchy if Patchy makes a few times.

You've seen a bunch. Yeah. I've interviewed both these gentlemen. No, I just think it's an awesome fight. I think, uh, it's also a fight to make. Yeah, and it's absolutely a fight to make. And it sets up whoever wins this is going to be fighting Sergio Pettis for, they'll be defending against Sergio Pettis on their next fight.

So, no, I mean, I just think, like I've said before, I think worldwide, the men's Bantamake division now is as hot as has ever been. I just think there's so much talent, including Mr. Keller here and the 35 division, the men's 35 division right now in the world. I just think it's, I just think it's great. And this is from UFC, Bellator in Japan, in Japanese promotions, there's just so many great 135ers. and Archelaidea mix are just two more of them. And I'm super hyped for this fight. Selfishly, I want Sergio Pettis to fight Gallagher. See how good Gallagher is.

And then if Gallagher and then the winner of that fight can fight the winner of Archelaidea Mix. Because if Gallagher beats Pettis, I think that silence is almost every critic. And then I don't think you could even argue that he doesn't deserve a title shot. But that's probably not going to happen in the middle of the pandemic. But any of those guys.

Yeah, but I agree with you, Bannon White rules across all promotions. Yeah, and I, yeah, I just, I just love it. Patchy mixed. Patchy Mix also, every time I interview him seems to have a, like, he always has a chip on his shoulder. Like that man is never not, that man is never not disrespected. And then Juan Archaletto can fight, he fights all the way up, but 155 too. Like, I think the three division weight class on like the regional circuit. Yeah.

At one point, interviewed him before he fought Pitbull. He's like, I'm going to beat Pitbull. Then I'm going to go up and beat Pitbull again for 155. And then I'll drop back down and fight 135. He wanted to be the first three division champ. Yeah. I think Archelaide is better at 45. I don't know how, how, I'm curious.

At 35, I think he's very good, but I just don't think he's as good as when he's at 45. But we'll see. I'm very excited. Ooh, let's keep up with phantom weights. In your option, in your opinion, is Shane O'Malley a sore loser. So in your opinion, is Sean O'Malley, the loser. I assume this question is for Brian Kellogg. Yeah, I don't like the way he handles the loss.

You know, I think kind of, you know, still putting Cheeto down and stuff, not really accepting it. But I do think that business-wise, like, he's kind of doing this on purpose. I don't know if he's getting, you know, information from other guys that have done, you know, done this in the past. But, you know, you make people, you have people that love you, you make people hate you, and you kind of have all, all, areas covered as far as fan base goes and people that want to see you fight whether they want to see you win or lose. So I think O'Malley's kind of playing that role where it's like, all right, like I'm going to make you hate me. Like I'm just going to keep being brash and and cocky and, you know, I'm still undefeated. So, so F you and I'm going to, I'm going to keep being me type of

things. So I don't blame him for doing that, but I just, I like to see like a little bit more humble honesty when it comes to like real true answers, you know, for facing defeat. Hey man, haven't you heard? Chale's sonn, it's been undefeated for 15. That's who I think he's getting it from, to be honest. I think Chale's giving him some advice or something under the table. Who do you think they should match Sean O'Malley up with next coming off his first loss? I mean, I wouldn't think that I would be a bad matchup, you know, for them to do now.

I think it makes pretty good sense. But I thought, you know, I said this before. Like a lot of the want and desire to fight him was, you know, to take that, oh, to be the first guy to beat him and steal the hype and everything. And like Marlon Vera kind of just did that. So it's like it doesn't have as much steam to me as it did. But I would still do it. You know, it's always a big fight. I feel like with a guy with that big of following.

I'm not sure. You know, I think they're going to go a safer route with him and give him a very, very winnable fight again. And then go from there. Casey, what do you think? I know he talks about it. That's safer route. I gave, I want. I'm saying that safe for a ride.

It's not Brian Gellerer. That's all I know. Sorry. I want him to fight Dodson. That's why. Because I thought the winners of, I thought the winner of Merab and Dotson and the winner of Sean O'Malley, Chito would probably fight and then the losers would fight each other. But I don't even try to.

Such a weird fight, right? Dotson versus O'Malley, the way their bodies are. Yeah, that's as close as we get to. You can start us to find faster. Right. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a faster Bannamway or just fighter in general than John Dotson. That man has like a ball of energy. Hits hard, doesn't really grapple as much. I think it'd be a fight that Sean could win. And then... Yeah. Cheeto Meraab is a fun fight, but I think Chito said he wants to fight Jimmy Rivera next, which is also an awesome fight. Like, again, Bannamway just rules.

Brian, maybe it's obvious question. Maybe this is kind of a controversial question, but you can, consider Cheetos win over O'Malley a clean victory, like a legit victory? Or like a fluke win, you know? I mean, like that's the thing is I feel like this whole circumstance gave O'Malley that that out, you know, to be like, oh, you know, I fell, my ankle, something was hurt, like, that's why you won and I was beating you before that and this. And I mean, fights are always like that. Like some guys winning and then he loses.

and sometimes you get caught by something and it's a legit combination the guy through and he got you. So I think, you know, I think Chito is being patient and, you know, he got leg kicked himself really hard. But then when he leg kicked O'Malley, it kind of put him down.

It hurt him enough to put him down and not be able to stay on his leg. And then, you know, the ground impound was pretty vicious too. He landed that big elbow and finished him off. And I think he kind of flash knocked him out with one of those elbows. So, you know, you don't really hear O'Malley saying that, like, oh, yeah, you know, that elbow hurt me or like, you know, that did put me,

put me out and I couldn't continue. So, yeah, I thought it was legit, you know, I thought he heard him and he finished up and he did a good job. You ever been kicked where your leg goes numb? No, I think Keff kicked a lot, though, in my career. I feel like a lot of guys kind of saw that as an available tactic against me, because I don't, you know, I wasn't checking a lot of kicks, but I got, like, meaty thighs and like, leg kicks don't hurt me too bad, but the, but those calf kicks, they add up. And I've never had it where I couldn't, you know, move or stay, you know, durable. But I don't really know what that feels like when it hits the nerve and it just shuts you down.

I know that it hurts, though, for sure. Casey, you ever been kicked in the leg and your leg falls apart? Not to the point where, like, it's collapsed, but, like, I've got kicked in the calf where, like, you can tell, oh, that was a little harder. That would have really sucked, you know, so definitely you go. numb. I thought it where you kind of you feel like you can kind of start going numb. So I can imagine of no

and I've never been calf kicked with no shin pads either. So obviously that would suck even much worse. Also, this isn't the first time Sean O'Malley's had leg injuries or foot injuries in a fight. So maybe Chito just saw that opening. He knew that would be there.

He could just be one of those guys that's like injury prone. He's kind of a little fragile in certain areas. And that would be a shame too if the guy just fell apart this young in his career you know yeah everyone had like like floin mayweather breaks his hands every single fight it's just how his body is maybe some people maybe his leg just fall apart every fight maybe shana mallee being that tall and that you know long and you know lanky or bantam weight that's that's gonna have repercussions you know it's just like so hopefully it's just a a weird kick and um yeah i i i i regard as of my opinion of shon

I don't know, Mali, like personally, I love him as a fighter, and I love what he brings to the sport. And, yeah, I hope he gets healthy. And, yeah, that would suck. Don't want anyone, I don't want to see those type of career type injuries to any fire. That just. That was the thing, too.

Like, after the fight, he was like, he put himself up on camera dancing and all that stuff. Like, no, I'm not even hurt. I just, you know, I just fake that whole thing. And whatever, I'm still undefeated. I think people were just like, wait a second, what the hell's going on here? Are you even injured? I was joking.

I was like that that would be like DC after he lost his steep the next day like him going to like an archery like hey look at me and like Dilling this is easy. My eyes fine. That was great. Like what an asshole but like what an awesome assort. What a troll. Brian like has a prize fighter and you know it's you know how the game works.

Are you willing to ever like just basically not be yourself or or be like just in a really exaggeration of yourself just to get your name out there more. Maybe you are right now. I don't know. But you know what I mean. No, I, you know, I know what you're saying. Like, you definitely have to know how to be on camera, you know, I definitely, you kind of, you kind of elevate yourself a little bit on camera.

It's not like who I am every day just talking to like my girlfriend or like my mom or something. But I don't go to that point where like I'm doing like a stick and I feel fake. You know, I'm just truly. trying to be myself, it's hard to lie for me. Like, personally, I just, it's just hard to, like, go on a fake stick and start lying and saying stupid stuff. But you know, like, if you do that, you can get headlines and get a lot of popularity from it. So I think guys take full advantage of that. I don't blame them at all. It's just, to me, I just, I'd rather try to stay myself, you know?

Yeah. You and, you and Cody statement said he didn't really like you much before you guys fought. Yeah, but then after he liked me. Yeah, he said that. He's like, I hated Brian Keller. And then we fought and then we hugged after it. I like to. See, it's even better. I gained his respect. There you go. What? What, what, whoa, whoa, whoa, what, Cody didn't like you? What's, what's going on, man? Like, who doesn't like? I think I, I, I, I said, I talked a little trash, you know, like beforehand. But so did he. We were kind of going back and forth. Here's what happened. You were looking for a fight. You were on Twitter after, your fight in January, like

trying to get a fight on one of the the Jacksonville cards, and Cody responded to you, but you had just accepted the fight against Hunter day. So he responded probably like 20 minutes late. Yeah.

And I just is like, you're a little late. I'll get you, I'll guillotine you next. Yeah. And he was like, you get a keyitene me? And he got all angry about it. Yeah, he gets this chip on his shoulder. He gets a little, he has an attitude to him, you know, but, uh, no, I, I mean, me and him, like, we, we fought. It was like a hard, good, it was a really good fight. And then, you know,

with his brother and everything, it kind of just naturally happened. We gain respect for each other. And, you know, that was that. So he congratulated me on my last win. So he just wanted to, he Cody does. Yeah. He is. Like, when he fought, like, he hates Rob Fon. Like, when you ask him about Rob Fon, he just gets so agitated. And, like, you've interviewed Rob Fond. Like, Rob Fon, like, guy. Like, he brings his dogs to media days and everything and for whatever reason, brother just hates him. Anyway,

what's that noise? I don't know. You're like in a jet, you're like in an airplane hangar? It's Rhode Island, man. Anything happened. Hey, what's the official appetizer of Rhode Island?

Calamara, man. We've been over this enough times. Did you know this, Brian? Kalamari. There's like a, you know, it's a good one, Buffalo Calamari. had they have it like some buffalo sauce on there is amazing

yeah and the fish Rhode Island I think has the biggest squid fishing fleet in the country so for whatever reason our official state appetizers Kalamari all right yeah now you know

Muffy milk and Caliari Dells Lentay those are the Holy Trinity All right here we go here's the big one here's the big one Nick Diaz come back Wolf Ticket from a longtime commenter

Trumbo. Brian, are you excited for Nick Diaz's potential comeback to M.M.A? I'm excited because someone tell me what the Wolf tickets actually means. I get what they're saying, but what's Wolf have to do with it? They're trying to say, like, he's selling you fake

information, right? I think it has something to do with Little Red Riding Hood when the wolf was trying to pass off as the grandmother. You know, how he comes to the grand, and it's like, and then, you know, you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, okay, okay. Well, either way, I saw the video with Nick Diaz. He looks in good shape. It was a little weird, though, right? Didn't he look like kind of, he almost looked like drunk, even though he was like in good shape and cutting weight. He's like kind of like flimsy and like moving weird with his hands. I don't know if he actually cut weight and that's why.

But I think what brings me the most excitement is if he was to fight Masvedal at some point and kind of get that brother-richin story. I think that would be cool. That's about it. You know, otherwise, I don't know who else they would book them against right now, but.

Ravi Law. Lawler, yeah, that's another one. I've been waiting. I've been asking for the rematch between Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler for like 15 years. The Lawler's got to start letting those hands go again,

you know, if that's the case. You're not wrong. That first fight to me, like Casey talked about it, It was like that weird punch that knocked Lawler dead. Yeah. And like, I can't remember who the ref was, but Nick was like, it was like peak Nick talking.

He was talking so much like greasing this during the fight. The ref had to be like, stop it, like in the middle of the fight. So to me, I've been waiting for that. I don't think they'll ever do it because Nick Diaz said he'll never want to fight fight again. He goes, you think I want to get punched by Robbie Lawler? It's not a good time. So I think they'll ever do that.

Bobby was only 22 when that fight happened. Like that's how long ago that fight was. And his tattoo still isn't done from that fight. Oh, but back talking about wolf tickets, little history lesson. People say wolf tickets, like the animal wolf, it's actually wolf tickets, like a, like a wolf. And the idea is, it's a bark. Like you're like, come on, let's fight, let's fight, let's bring it, let's bring it. And then, you know, you don't have anything itself.

That's what the turn is actually wolf, wolf ticket. So it's like, it's like all bark, no bite like that. Essentially, yeah. So when you're selling, you're selling like, oh, we're going to fight, we're going to fight. Here, pay a ticket. And then you go behind the curtain. Everyone was just like, yeah, we're just going to, you know. So that's what the term comes from.

It sounds like a good T-shirt, woof tickets. Yeah. And then, yeah, and then Nick Diaz brought it back into the MMA lexicon. Maybe the COVID thing saved the guy, you know, because he was in the clubs getting wasted every damn day. And now it's like you don't really have that opportunity. So maybe it kind of set him back in line. and he's back in the gym being consistent with that. That's a good thing.

Yeah, I think. I wouldn't hate the Anderson Silver rematch either if Anderson wants to go out in a big name because that fight's a no contest now. There you go. Yeah. Imagine the UFC. They send out a little, just a little press release that says, Horace Mazvedov versus Diaz.

It was like, oh, they booked a rematch. And then they have a press conference. But no, it's Nick Diaz that walks out. Yes. Surprise, surprise. I mean, I don't think that's fair for Nick Diaz to come back after like, what, four years out to face Roy Mazvedal. But just for entertainment sakes, I think it'll be freaking awesome.

Nick hasn't won in 10 years. That's crazy to me. He's won more recently than Brock Lesnar has. That's very true. That'd be crazy, too, because if they made Nick Diaz, Dias, Mosvedal, and then Connor Nate trilogy. Like those guys are making out big. They could just get out right after that,

split the money, and they're all set. Yeah, but Brian, you're making sense. Yeah, get out of here. Get out of here. The whole fight game, right? Like, the trilogy between Connor and Nate should have been booked the second, the second fight ended.

Like, that was like the peak MMA popularity in my mind. Like, that second, like, Kanye West was there at the time. And then whoever J-Lo was dating, they broke up because he chose to go to the fight instead of hanging out with her. Like that's how big that fight was.

Like Tom Brady, Leo, Mark Wahlberg was there. They should have booked that trilogy fight ASAP, but say Lavi. Me and Jose had a very tender moment watching Connor versus me one. The first one, yeah. Before we ever met, they put the media in the auxiliary seating in the old MGM grand where,

because there's too much media, you don't get to sit in the press row, you sit like in with the fans when it's like sectioned off area and me and Casey had never really interacted but we happened to sit next to each other for Diaz McGregor won and we're just like

shaking each other like beard falling on us like stuff the way to meet man right there and I really were like Jose how you doing sir how you're a future co-worker like after and all you introduce each other like oh by the way

I'm Jose I'm glad we experienced that seven minutes of fighting together. Yeah. You've been like that you've been like a crazy concert or something. You're just like whoever's next to you. Or at a sports bar, your team wins. And it's just like, all of a suddenly, the stranger next to you is your best friend. You know, that's what it was like.

You start high fiving. Yeah, just start high fiving. When we went to double or nothing, Casey, the AEW, the first of the big pay for the wrestling show, whoever was sitting behind me, me and him did not see eye to eye on wrestlers. and we were just like F you, no F you and then after all the matches you're like hey man

it's just wrestling it's just wrestling just wrestling just like it's not even really just shook hands and parted ways Brian

who gave you those balloons in the background I know what I noticed them like I keep thinking someone pops up in front of you

but I realize it's a minute in and I just I got in back harassed as hell that those balloons were floating behind me. And then I was like, please don't notice them. And now it finally came up.

But yeah, those were for my birthday. August 19th, my girlfriend would let these balloons out in here. And I just left them. I'm letting them pass away natural, you know. It's taking a while. Yeah, one of them over here, over there is like a little dead. See it right? Yeah, this guy.

Resilience. Was your birthday? There you go. So your birthday was during your fight camp, right? Yeah, yeah, but you know, I'm so used to this that like, yeah, I'm not even like, I don't care that I can't eat cake and all this stuff. I'm just, I'm so used to it at this point. Did you have, have you had any cake since the victory? Oh, I've had it all. I've had everything. I'm like, I'm like worried too. I'm like worried about getting back down to Bannam weight, you know, because like my body's changed over this course of time with the quarantine and in the whole first couple of months of not training like. properly. And then now, you know, there's a couple more guys and it's a little better with sparring and everything like that. But like my body adjusted in a weird way where like I'm just like

thicker naturally and like I can't get under 155. Like it's so hard no matter what I do. Oh no. Yeah. And that's 20 pounds over still. So I'm like, I got I got to make some adjustments. Oh, that's no fun. Being a fighter sucks. Yeah. Stay in school kids. Hey, as long as this COVID's going on, I'm just going to keep saying, hey, 145, let's do 145, forget about it. I think these other Bannam weights are cool with it, too, so it kind of works out. Yeah. I wish, I wish during this whole pandemic, too, that I wish the UFC, outside of title fights, maybe the occasional number one continue fight, I feel like almost all fights, especially the low weight classes,

should be one weight class up. and just, I think we're in, we're an unprecedented times, and I think with limited training facilities, I think, you guys should be granted that, but who am I? Any more questions, Casey? Yes, sir.

Where is it? Sorry. Fly through these last ones. From Seaside on Twitter, is lie them up, just a tweet or an actual callout. To put this in the context, who is it? Someone tweeted a photo of the Diaz brothers,

and Connor McGregor responded with line them up. So what, Casey, like, what do you guys think? Is that a call out or is that just Connor being Connor? That is Connor staying relevant. Yep. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, that's all that.

All the replies were screenshots of the tweet. Because they were all like, he's going to delete it. He's going to delete it. Just screenshot it now. Yeah, I don't know. I think he's just, yeah, like he said, he's staying relevant. Like, Dana keeps saying he's, retired and it's weird though it's like is he out of the the testing pool or no you know like

you never really know the truth yeah it's and it works staying relevant and here we are there's 10,000 fights happening this weekend mr keller's here right now i don't know UFC signed 50,000 more contender series guys and yet we're still talking about connor mcgregor and nick diaz so um whatever they're doing we're still talking about it so we're the suckers. I think what he means by line them up is get all the top fighters in the world, all the the most, you know, highest paid fighters and start a union. Oh.

That is now what I thought that was coming. That's hilarious. Wow. Yeah. Hey, I was wrong. Mr. Keller is 100% correct. That's right. Wow. We're not expecting that one. Oh, man. Get on. any more Casey we already answer this one thing

well we pretty much yeah yeah someone out got enough of this fans of miss is there though with the crystal in the comment though so I got a shoot

a shout out here we go mg 2k20 on Twitter is it fair that some normal contendor fights are three rounds and others are five it's crazy to think

that had a man in his first fight with Valentina had a five round main event she could have easily lost and not had a recent success

should all non-title fights be three rounds. Brian, what do you think as a fighter? I've asked this question, a lot of fighters, it seems pretty 50-50. Would you like to see number one contender fights be five rounds like title fights? I mean, I don't think it's the most important thing for the fans, but like for the fighters themselves, it would be nice to kind of get that test run. Like, hey, I'm ready for five rounds. You know, I've done it before. Now I'm about to go fight for a title. I think it's only a positive thing for the fighters, because if you haven't done five rounds, it's definitely different, you know, going in there those extra two rounds when you're already so tired and you've got to still perform.

So I think it's good for those people that are getting ready to challenge for titles. Why not? Casey? Well, I think this is more, I think this is a question for a prize fighter. I mean, as a fan watching, of course, I want to, as a selfish fan watching, of course I want to see more my favorite fighters of the highest level fight for longer periods of time. I want to see more of it. But for Brian, though, because you're the one actually having to do.

it, do you, as a prize fighter, do you want to get paid more? If you're, yeah, there you go. You saw it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I mean, I don't think fans understand that. I don't think fans understand the, the, the physical commitment and the time commitment. It takes to get ready for a five-round fight against another A-level athlete.

Well, that's the thing, right? It only makes sense to get paid a little bit more to do that, to have to fight two extra rounds. You know, like, we don't get paid by. the hour necessarily, but like you hear a lot of guys say that. Like, hey, if I'm going to, if I'm going to do it, you know, main event fighters, usually they get a little bit better of a deal. They can negotiate. Like, listen, I'm fighting five rounds now, not three rounds.

So, you know, maybe they can get a little bump and pay for that in the contract. So yeah, I think it makes sense to do that, you know. I think the fighters deserve it. And it's a way to kind of negotiate and work your way up in the company. Nine them up. I think if it's a number one contender for, fight it's disturbing enough to be a main event anyway in some most case especially for a fight night so why not make a main event man there's certain fights like when i think of if they if they eventually

do book uh frankie egger versus dominic oh sorry frankie egger versus dominic cruz man i hope that's five rounds no matter where it is it is yeah it asked i 100% like if that fight was three rounds that would just be a disappointment because i think yeah i don't know what do you think about that potential matchup, Brian. Oh, I love it. Yeah. And when matchups like that are just neck and neck and there's a lot of movement going on and like high level technique, like you just want to see more of it, you know, like and sometimes you don't know, you know, it just feels like a fight is not finished after three rounds sometimes. And I feel like that's one of those those matchups where you're like, I got to see more of this. Like this, this wasn't enough. So yeah, I think stylistically that matchup's

amazing is Dominic Cruz movement and Frankie's boxing and wrestling. And like, you just don't really know what would happen in that fight. It's just kind of chaotic. So I'm excited to see that. I hope it happens. It's like when Izzy fought Anderson Silva, I felt like we should have had two more rounds. And then same thing for like when Robert Whitaker fought Darren Till,

I thought it was perfect, like five rounds. Like if that ended after three rounds, they're just like faking each other out, I would have felt like we needed two more. But then in my mind, remember when Shogun fought Dan Henderson the first time? that was like one of the first main events to be five rounds that's a non-title fight and going into the fourth round like dan henderson was pulling up two fingers he's like you got two more we got two more now yeah so that sticks out of my mind so you get those epic like imagine if dan henderson

shogun won was only three rounds and we just were just robbed of one of the greatest fights of all time two the two the two greatest fights of that year were the same night too remember yep yep i ever's michael family won We also had Vanderla that I think fought Kong Lee on that same night, and your right of favor fought Brian Bowles. So that was just like an epic night of fights all around. I think Ryan Bader knocked out, uh, Jason Brill's maybe. I can't remember.

You know Ryan Bader. Cool. Um, oops. Do, do. All right. Well, um, we're at an hour or five minutes, sir. Well, Brian, you know the drill. You've been, you're, I think, one of the most ten.

guest of the A-S-I live chat Casey has his crystals. Which crystal is that, by the way, Casey? All right, I think. These are from the good people at Christ, what are they? What was the name of the? Crystal Council?

Crystal Council, yeah. Yeah, they sent me a hat. They sent me a box and everything. Yeah, yeah. So I got this. So you're this. I'm wearing the bracelet. This is a...

prestigious are crystals. They're sending up to everybody. Well, all right? They're sending the people who know what's up. Not everybody. Yeah, who matter. Yeah. Did pizza get one?

Did pizza get one? Maybe do the international shipping. You might not got one. Got my quartz. Huh? I can get one of those. That's awesome. Man, anyway.

Brian, you know the drill. You can cut a promo whatever you want. You can talk about how why the islanders are going to lose to the lightning. Can I curse? Yeah, you can. Oh, yeah, please. If you want, if it's about hockey go on.

Well, first comes first. Let's go out of theirs. I'm a little bit worried, to be honest, after that first game. Seemed a little bit outclassed, but I'll be tuning in tonight and cheering for them. Get your crystals, get your tiger's eye,

get your weed, get it all, and go to school, kids. Don't follow your dreams. There you go. That's how you cut a promo post. I can't even talk. The Bruins have been out of the playoffs for far too long, so hockey season's over. Hockey season's over, baseball season.

Cancel it. Bring on football. I still got the Celtics. Casey, what do you got to say? I'm just absorbing. I'm absorbing the energy here. I don't have anything to say. Just soaking it all in.

Good gosh. Is that how it works? I was to wear this around my neck. Looks good. That's heavy one. Yeah. Oh, did you get the big dinosaur egg? Brian?

Yes, that heavy, like, oval-shaped one. I was in, I was, like, shocked by how heavy that was. Mine looks worse. Like, Casey's looks awesome. Look how cool, Kate. With, like, the stripe and everything. Yeah, yours looks cooler than mine. Oh, God.

Look at this thing. This is a good 35, I don't know, 35, 40 pounds. This is this? It's like, what do you do with it, you know? You just let it sit there? Just, oh. I just stare. It's just so up.

Yeah. Oh, it's so heavy. I'm just going to hold it. Anyway, we'll wrap up this episode of the A side. Brian will 100% be back. Hopefully, after his next big win, maybe another big bonus. Hopefully, before 2020 ends. But for Jose, that's Casey.

That's Brian. This will be up on Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, Google, YouTube, IHeartRadio. We're on IHeart Radio now, guys. So go check it all out. So for Jose, that's Casey. Brian, we'll be back next Wednesday. We're out. Do not follow your dreams.

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.