MMA Fighting - The MMA Hour - Episode 435

Episode Date: May 21, 2018

Ariel Helwani recaps the weekend in MMA (00:00:58), then speaks to Ian McCall (00:31:27), John Hackleman (00:53:33), Alistair Overeem (01:09:46), Ed Soares (01:34:09), Paul Daley (01:51:28), Mauro Ranallo (02:16:31) in studio, Makwan Amirkhani (03:12:14), Valentina Shevchenko (03:27:55), Bobby Razak (03:51:31), Cris "Cyborg" Justino (04:14:29), Yair Rodriguez (04:35:20), and NewYorkRic for The MMA [After] Hour featuring Ric's Picks (05:04:51) and the answers to your questions (05:41:36). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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A mixed martial arts hour back in. your life on this Monday, May 21st, 2018. Hello again, everyone. I'm Ariel Hawani back inside our New York City studio. I hope you had a lovely weekend. Happy Victoria Day to my fellow Canadians who are off this beautiful Monday. Victoria Day, always a great time in Canada, kind of the beginning of summer, if you will, certainly the beginning of spring in Canada.

So everyone off doing their thing, whether they're at the cottage, whether they're at the lake, whether they're shoveling that last bit of snow, hope you're having a great Monday in the Great White North. It was a fun weekend in the world of mixed martial arts. Once again, UFC making its debut in Chile. I think I said it right this time. Chile. I've been working with Danny Segura on that, Chile.

And it was in Santiago, to be exact. Main event, Kamar Usman, defeating Damien Maya. And let's be honest, if Usman was winning, that's how we all. kind of expected him to win. And if Damien Maya was losing, that's how we all kind of expected Damian Maya to lose. And it's no knock on Damian Maya. He deserves a ton of credit after two straight losses to the likes of Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington, two very talented wrestlers, to then on short notice take another fight against a very talented wrestler who is a rising star at 170 pounds. Takes this fight on short notice. He gets a new contract as a result, so good

him. He says he has three fights left and he says that he wants to finish up those three fights. And I don't doubt that. At times a tough fight to watch, Usman revealing afterwards, which is unfortunate for him that he broke his right and left hand mid-fight. And so that may have affected his ability to finish the fight. And so it then brings up, you know, the 30% comment from last time. And I think while I have no reason to doubt it, and I 100% believe him, it gives people another thing to bring up in criticizing him. So now it's going to be very interesting to see what the UFC does with him

because I don't care how entertaining or not you thought that fight was. It's still going to be hard in this day and age with the rankings and with everything at stake at 170 to find someone suitable to fight him next. So where do you go from here with Kamar Usman? Do you go with Santiago Ponsinibio? Do you try to make that fight again? It's going to be hard. The fight that I think we all want to see is him versus Kobe Covington.

If Covington loses to Hafelde de Sanjos, I think you'll have a much easier time making that fight. Then does Camaro want to take the fight? I still think it's worth taking the fight. If he wins, it's going to be damn near impossible to make that fight because I think that Covington will then be lined up with Tyron Woodley. not going to get the Tyron Woodley fight, especially with an interim title fight happening in just a couple of weeks.

So there's Covington, if he loses, there's Santiago Ponsinibio, who still has to recover from the hand injury. There's Jorge Mazvedal, who's on the comeback trail, so to speak. So there's a couple of options out there for him. I'm curious to see what the UFC does with him next. There were some other very impressive performances. Dominic Reyes, looking good once again.

Tatiana Suarez with another big win, KGB Lee, Andrea Lee had to wait quite some time to make her UFC debut after what happened back in March. She looked good, Mowgli Benitez. So a card that was very much built and catered towards the Latin American fan base, I think was overall a pretty positive night. The ending kind of trickled off there for a second, but that was given the styles. involved in the main event. I feel like if you were picking Usman to win and Maya to lose, obviously, that was kind of the way we all expected it to go.

At least I did. So that's this past Saturday. Of course, also one championship had a big event on Friday. Angela Lee looking very good in her return after that, you know, potentially life or career-threatening car accident late last year.

If you watch the fight, and they've done a great job with their new app. You watch the fight, she was very emotional walking down. She was very emotional before the fight. She defeated May Amoguchi for a second time, and now they have fought collective 10 rounds. They have all been very exciting. They are great together inside the cage.

She looked good. Unfortunately, her brother, Christian Lee, lost in his attempt to win a belt that same night, but another solid showing, you know, one is doing great things overseas as well. So that was on Friday. And now this weekend we look ahead to what is a very important weekend for English mixed martial arts, European mixed martial arts. Friday's Belator 200, which you may have heard earlier this morning, took a massive hit as Miracle Krocop suffered a leg injury.

He is now out of the main event against Roy Nelson, the new main event as Belator just announced. And this was first reported by our friend Garrette Davies. the new main event is Gaggard Musassi against Hafeel Carvalio for the middleweight title I believe from the beginning that should have been the main event

and it's a title fight I feel pretty strongly about this same mistake that they made back in January with Royne McDonald and Douglas Slim although I thought that was an even bigger one because of how much they they paid for Rory

but Gaggart's kind of in that same boat this is the main event but it's a massive loss to that card especially for a card that's taking place in Europe. I must say it still feels a little underwhelming that Belator 200 for an organization that still numbers its events and has a hard time distinguishing them, you know, one from the next. You know, I've talked about on this show how I, you know, you tell me right now, UFC 120, what happened. Well, UFC 120 was actually in England in London, to be exact, but I remember them and I know I'm an anomaly, but they stick out. These don't stick out for whatever reason.

200 would stick out. And to put it overseas and not have it air live here in the United States and in North America, to me, is just a massive blunder. They needed to figure out how to at least make this available via an app of sorts, whether it's the Bellator app, the Paramount Network app, some kind of app, some kind of platform to make this available, even if you charge $9.99 for it, even if you charge $0.99 for it, charge $5 for it. Charge something. Make it available to people live in 2018. And it's one thing if it's Belator 146, it's another if it's Belator 200. It needs to feel like a big deal. This

feels very much like a very good English card, a very good European card, but it doesn't feel like that milestone event. This is an event that, in my opinion, maybe should have been the last one. In San Jose, in Coker's backyard, with some staples of Belator, whether it's a Michael Chandler or other people who have been through the ranks. And, you know, there are some good fights on the card. You know, it's good that they have Aaron Chalmers on there, but it just doesn't feel like a Bellator 200. And losing Mirko now is a big blow.

So they say that they're trying to find a replacement for Roy Nelson. We will find out if they, in fact, can find one on what four days notice. And then, of course, on Saturday, you've got Liverpool playing in the Champions League final. And then on Sunday, it's the highly anticipated debut in Liverpool for the UFC. it's Darren Till against Stephen Thompson. I can't recall the last time I had such a hard time figuring out

who I think is going to win a fight. Like I don't even know, even if I get to that point where I say, okay, I'm picking this guy. I don't feel confident in that it feels so down the middle. There's so many ways this fight can go and I'm just not sure who shows up

and how and is it too soon for Darren Till. There's so much going on in that fight. It is a really fun one to break down. And that's why I made the question of the week a very simple one this week. Who do you think is going to win? And last I checked, it's pretty split down the middle. So we'll look at that later on in the program as well. So that's this weekend in mixed martial arts.

We'll talk about that at length throughout the program. Let me run down today's lineup. And then we'll get to some further thoughts. At 525, we'll do the MMA after hour. We'll check in when New York Rick. Rick's picks answer your questions and comments. You know the drill by now. 505, Chris Cyborg, the reigning defending UFC women's feather

champion will join us. Talk to her about what's next for her. Talk to her about the win by Amanda Nunes over Raquel Pennington two weekends ago. 445, we'll talk to Bobby Razick, who is a longtime filmmaker involved in the world of mixed martial arts. He has a film called Mask about the late great Charles Mask Lewis, the founder of Tapout about his rise and his untimely death back in 2009. It's a phenomenal documentary not only about Mask, not only about Tapout, but But also about the early days of MMA. It kind of serves as a history lesson of sort. I cannot recommend it enough,

and it is available on many different platforms, including iTunes, Hulu, Xbox, platforms like that right now. So I highly suggest checking it out, and it will be good to have Bobby, who was a longtime friend of Charles Masked Lewis, on the program. 425. We'll talk to Valentina Shofchenko about what's next for her. She also did some TV work for the Latin American broadcast this past weekend, so that is very cool.

Makwan Amir Kani, our old friend, will join us at 405. We haven't talked to him in well over a year. He hasn't fought in well over a year. He returns Saturday, excuse me, Sunday against Jason Knight in Liverpool. Looking forward to talk to Mr. Finland. 305 will be joined in studio by Morrow Rinalo, the voice of Showtime Boxing, the voice of NXT, the voice of Bellator, at times, the voice of glory. former voice of pride, former voice of Elitexie, former voice of Strike Force, in my opinion,

the greatest combat sports broadcaster of all time will join us in studio because he has a new documentary out called Bipolar Rock and Roller. I've seen it. I was touched by it. It is, to say it is, it is riveting and eye-opening would be a massive understatement. It is about his struggles with bipolar, effective disorder. Everything he's been through, has had to overcome, continues to fight. Even if you are not a fan of Moros, even if you are not a fan of combat sports, this will appeal to you on a human level. It comes out later this week, and I can't say enough good things about it. So I can't wait to have Moro, who many moons ago was one of the first people in combat sports to ever even give me the time

of day. It's a real honor to have him in studio after all these years. John Hackleman, the longtime head coach for one, Chuck Liddell, will join us to talk about last week's news that Chuck is coming back to fighting. Ed Soros, the LFA CEO, will come on to share some news about the promotion. 205 will be joined by Alistair Overeem, who returns at UFC 225 against Curtis Blades. 145 will be joined by Paul Daly, talked to him about what's next following the fight against John Fitch two weeks ago, and at 125, we'll talk to Ian McCall about his recent loss to Kioji, Heraguchi, and where he goes from here. All right, before we get to our guests, Let me talk a little bit about last week's news.

By now you probably have at least heard that beginning next month, I will be working for ESPN. There was a press release that was sent out on Thursday afternoon by ESPN. And of course, I commented on it a little bit and others have as well. This, you know, it's as I said in my tweets, it is very hard for me to put into work. words, how much it means to me to join ESPN long before I ever knew what mixed martial arts was. I remember going on a trip to Boston with my family. I grew up in Montreal, as you all know, went to Boston. 1992. I remember I was a huge Knicks fan. Knicks were playing the Bulls in the playoffs, playing them in the second round. That was the first time they kind of showed up and gave the

bowl as a run for their money. They went seven games. And I remember, you know, discovering ESPN Sports Center and watching it on loop all morning long. And I just couldn't believe that they were even talking about the Knicks, that I was able to watch something talking about basketball because when I grew up in Montreal at the time, basketball was an afterthought. TSN hardly talked about it. And so I just couldn't believe that I had access to this, you know, 24-hour sports network. And they were talking about things that I was interested. This is before I even knew what MMA was. And this was when I started to dream of being a broadcaster of some kind, being a sports journalist. And, you know, that's when I thought to myself, like, wow, this would be so cool to work for a

place like this. And of course, as I've continued on my journey, it's always been something in the back of my mind that I've, that I've dreamed about. It still feels surreal to see my name next to those letters. I mean, it's just, it's just something that for the longest time, I never thought would happen. And now it's here. And I say, that while also telling you that this right here has been a dream job of sorts. I've been working for, I'll say this company for nine years. It's not 100% true. I was working for AOL since 2009, and in 2011, SB Nation bought the website that I was working for that had just become MA fighting, and then since then we've been a part of SB Nation. But I consider it nine years because the brains behind the site

the editor of the site, the man who's been here since day one, Brian Tucker, was the man who hired me, he's still here. So it feels like it's just been nine years. And so we have been through a lot together. We have experienced a lot and we took it from just, you know, a section on AOL Fanhouse. It was MMA fanhouse, mMA.com, if memory serves me correctly. And then we were eventually rebranded to MA fighting and then we became part of SB Nation's family. And I remember when I was told that SB Nation was buying the site, I remember meeting Jim Bancoff and Kevin Lachlan in Washington, D.C., in a hotel just hours before Dominic Cruz fought Demetrius Johnson on versus and being told that they were buying the site. And I had mixed emotions. I didn't know much about the company.

And we kind of made a deal that, you know, they'd be loyal to me. I'd be loyal to them. And everything that I asked, I asked them to do, they've done and then some, and I feel like I've done the same. And, you know, early on, if you're, if you've been watching the show since, you know, day one, you'll remember the early days of this program when there was the crossover from AOL to SBN. There were some dark moments. There were some technical difficulties. There were some studios that just didn't fit. We even went dark for several months. And that's when New York Rick came on board in early 2012. So we've evolved a lot and we finally got to this point where the show has this beautiful studio with amazing people working on it. As I said to them,

the show has never been better than it is right now from the production, from a technical standpoint, from a studio standpoint, a look standpoint, I mean, it's never been better. And so while joining ESPN has always been a dream, it was incredibly difficult to make the decision because I feel like I'm leaving family and friends for life. Not only people who work on this program, which means the world to me, but also the people who work on the site. These are people who I will hopefully always be friends with. People like Brian and Sean and Mark and Chuck and both Dave's and Danny and Guillermo

and Pizzi. And I should have written down everyone's name, but hopefully you know that I'm talking about everyone, Jed, and of course, Esther and Casey, who have been there with me since day one in 2009 when we joined Day O'L. So it's just been incredibly, it's been an incredibly emotional time. And then finally that it came out on Thursday, there was a mix of emotions because, you know, seeing my name next to the logo and finally being recognized and living this dream is a thrill of a lifetime. And I just can't wait to get started. But there's also those feelings. of, you know, leaving people who you love and who you work with. And so I have seen a lot of the

messages and I appreciate all of the messages more than you know, especially the congratulatory ones and the kind ones and the heartwarming ones. They mean so much to me. And I've also seen people saying like, okay, you know, what's going to happen? What's going to happen to this show? What are you going to do? How am I going to watch you if I live overseas? So let me just break it down like this. So you may have seen that they announced this show that Chale and I will be a part of, Chale Sunnan. Ariel and the bad guy that will be on ESPN Plus. That will air on Wednesdays. And it will kind of be like the old fighter versus writer, if you remember that from the UFC Tonight Days. Chale and I talking about, you know, the world of MMA and the week that was in MMA. You may have

also seen that I will have a show on Mondays, a podcast, if you will, called Ariel Hawani's MMA show, very simple. And that is the same show as the one that you have. have come to expect from me on Mondays. Guests, guess heavy, all about the guests, the newsmakers, the decision makers. It's not me waxing poetic on the world of MMA. That's the kind of show that I like to do because these fighters have been so accessible to me over the years. And so that will remain. And anyone who is worried that that won't remain. And I get it. As a sports fan, as someone who is a creature of habit when it comes to how I like to consume things. I understand the trepidation, but nothing is changing on that front. You will hear from me on Mondays after shows.

Now, how you consume it, where you get it from, things like that will change and we'll deal with that over time, but that will be available to the world, that will be free, will not be behind the ESPN Plus paywall, and it will be available to our international friends. So there are restrictions there. So, you know, please don't worry about that. And then we'll also be doing pre- and post-fight shows and we'll also be doing a ton of other stuff with a great team already in place over there, guys like Brett who have been doing a great job, Jeff, who I know from, you know, the M.A. Beat, Greg and Andrew and a lot of the other people there. I'm very much looking forward to working with all of them. Fras, Phil, there's a lot of very talented people there. And there's

a hell of a lot of talented people here as well. And I will, and I will, since sincerely miss working with them. Hopefully, you know, we remain friends. And so a lot of people have also asked me, you know, what happens to this show and what happens to the beat? Obviously, you know, those decisions aren't mine. I'm not privy to those conversations and decisions. I've seen the same, you know, messages that you have, same tweets that you have, that the MMA hour and the MMA beat will continue. I've always been honest with you guys. I've always worn my emotions and my heart on my sleeve. It feels a little weird to see that sort of thing just because I have poured everything into this show and then some, you know, booking the show, planning the show, you know, every single

step of the way from inception when it was Fight House Radio for three weeks and then the MA hour up until this point, it has really been my baby. And so it feels weird to see it being discussed without me. But that's just the way these things go. I don't know what the plans are. I don't know what iteration of the show will be, how it will look. I certainly hope that the great people who work on the show continue to have jobs and can work on some kind of show. But, you know, I don't know. So you're coming to me with those questions.

I just can't speak on those things. But I will do my best to continue to give you the best that I can give you as far as MMA coverage is concerned and hopefully evolve a little bit as well and bring you new things on a new platform and see what this dream is all. all about, see what it is like working, you know, for the worldwide leader, which, you know, like I said, has always been something that I've, you know, thought long and hard about. So, for now, my last show is going to be June 11th on this program. And I'm not going to make a big deal about it. You know, a lot of people have said, you need to get this person and that person. To me,

it's going to be, you know, a reaction to 225, which will be a couple of days before. And, you know, it's going to be a regular show because I'm not saying goodbye. I'm not retiring. Um, it's It's not the end of an era. It might be the end of me sitting in this particular chair in this particular location, but I'm not saying goodbye. And so it's not going to be this long, drawn out thing because, A, I get way too emotional when I think about that sort of stuff. And B, you know, at the end of the show, it won't be back next week. It'll be maybe back in a couple weeks, same time, different place, but I'll still see you. And that's important. I'm not saying goodbye by any stretch of the imagination. So I hope.

you understand that. A lot of people have asked me about, you know, the timing with the UFC deal and the announcement, you know, I hope I'm not oversharing here. Please believe when I tell you, this isn't like when I went to Fox. When I went to Fox, they signed a deal with UFC and then they, you know, reached out to me. I actually did this a long time ago before I even knew that there were rumors, let alone a press release about UFC going to ESPN Plus. So, you know, yeah, I've thought about those things too. I've thought about the same things that you've thought about, but it's all good. I don't think that there will be any issues this time around.

No deja vu or anything like that. I'm very excited about it. You know, if you link up with a place that all of a sudden lands part of, you know, the broadcast rights to a sport, that's, that should be a very exciting thing. But I actually agreed to it long before I even knew about any of this stuff, which the timing is just, is just absolutely mind-blowing how it all kind of panned out. It has certainly been a rollercoaster of emotions in that regard with all the different things from, you know, leaving this chair to my friends and, you know, the routine and the comfort and everything that we've built here and so proud of everything that we've built. And then, of course, you know, the timing of the

announcement has just been a wild time. And so I was somewhat relieved when the news finally came out and that it can talk about it with all of you as opposed to it coming out. like the day I was going to do my last show and I couldn't really digest it and talk about it with all of you. So I'm happy that we have some time to let this sink in and get ready for whatever transition is to come. I will be covering UFC 225 for MMA fighting. I'm happy to have that, you know, that last one with this current crew. And then for 226 and beyond, I will be with ESPN a lot of people. and I know he appreciates it.

And I do as well. A lot of people have asked me about New York Rick and what his status is going to be. He has been such an important part of this program. He has been such a great friend to me. You know, when he joined in 2012, I didn't know what to expect. I was just kind of giving a shot to someone

who I figured was a fan of the show and liked MMA. But there have been, I can't even guess how many people have come through this studio, so to speak, as far as production staff is concerned. And he has been the only constant since 2012. Missed maybe two or three shows because of, you know, family trips, things like that. Of course, the only other person to ever sit in this chair and the only other person, as I said, back then, that I would want to sit in this chair is him. And it was a thrill for me to see him that week that I was out after my daughter was born hosting the show. And I thought he did a fantastic job.

I can't necessarily speak on what his role will be, but I will say that I hope, and I suspect that, you know, we will be meeting again. And, you know, whether that's now or in the next 10 years, who knows. But A, he's a friend for life. And he's been, you know, a great help to me throughout this process. And I don't think you should worry. I understand that, you know, everyone likes to have things the same and there's a routine involved. But don't worry he's not going anywhere, you know, either. So he's not like he's just going to disappear off the face of the earth and you'll never hear from him again or see his, his wonderful hair or hear his picks or his, you know, his betting tips. So, you know, I wanted to say that as well because I know kind of put him in an awkward spot where this kind of happens and everyone's, you know, reaching out to him and he's unable to weigh in because, you know, you kind of just let the, the announcement settle there for a second. So I hope that clears up things a little bit. I just hope that everyone, including everyone who I've talked to for the majority of them, I've talked to them personally.

But I just hope everyone realizes how much I appreciate everything they've done for me. In fact, I was watching before I got here the mask documentary. And he actually said something that really that really spoke to me and stayed with me in the dock. He said, no one. or nothing succeeds on its own. There's got to be a team. And that's how I've always felt about this team here. You know, yes, I do the show. I book the show.

I'm here sitting for five hours, but the show isn't where it is today without their help, without their support. Not just the crew here from a technical standpoint, but everyone, you know, on the site and, you know, working at the events and doing the pre-end post-fight shows. I mean, it's just a really great group of people

and I'm definitely going to miss working for them and the people here, you know, who run the show behind the scenes like Jim, Jim Bankoff, who kept his word to me and did everything that he promised that he would do. It's just been a great, great experience. And I'm going to miss it here, but I'm also looking forward to what, you know,

what the dream looks like. So it's just, you know, you know me, I'm an emotional guy and I get, I get very emotional when it comes to these things as emotional people tend to do. So I really appreciate everyone who reached out and who congratulated. And even the people who asked about what's next because that lets me know that you care. And that lets me know that this means a lot to you because that's all I ever wanted.

There was a time where I felt like no one was watching and pouring a lot of effort into it was really hard when you feel like no one's watching. It's a lot easier now when you know that there's a payoff and that people are going to enjoy it. So I appreciate the fact that you are afraid that you're going to miss out on something. So yeah, maybe the next step will look a little different. Maybe it will be consumed a little differently, but you'll still hear and see from me. And I'm not going anywhere as far as MMA is concerned. And I never want to go anywhere. Do I have aspirations of, you know, someday covering the NBA or Major League Baseball?

Sure, I've been very honest about that. But I never want to leave MMA. It's just been, you know, it's given me everything and it got me to this point. And I still can't believe that, you know, if I would have told that kid back in 1990, too that you know you would you would you would be a part of of uh something like this uh he would never believe it either so um yeah so that i just wanted to kind of clear it up and i don't think that this will end you know the questions or the complaints or things like that um but i just want to reiterate how uh you know how excited i am but also how you know i guess melancholy and uh you

know, at time sad I am just because I've created some really great friends, friendships and met some really great people. And it's just been an amazing time. And that's pretty much my spiel as far as last week is concerned. Hopefully I didn't ramble too much there. And, you know, I don't know, again, I don't know what the plans are, but everything will be fine. I'll be, I'll be rooting for the site from afar and everyone here. And, you know, I hope that they will do the same and that we can, you know, be buds and and still cover the sport together as, you know, as a media core and put out the great work that you have come to, come to expect from all of us. So that's pretty much it. I've pretty much said it all there and, you know, maybe we'll address it again. I don't plan on

addressing it, you know, every show leading up to it. But of course, on June 11th, maybe we'll have a quick little recap for those who may have missed it and might freak out again. But I'm pretty much good for now and we'll address it when the time is appropriate. All right. Cool. I'm happy we got that out of the way. And now let's move on to the more important stuff and talk to the newsmakers. And I will say before we get to that, you know, again, thank you as I reiterated to the fans. Thank you so much, you know, for everything, through the ups and the downs, for being there for me. You know, you saved my career and I will continue to feel like I work for you above anyone else because I truly feel that way. You've been so supportive and so loyal. I don't know what I ever did

to get that, to have that relationship, but I appreciate it more than you know. And then also thank you to the fighters because I always get emotional after this show, as I've told you on Mondays, when I go back home, that these people took time out of their lives to talk to me, to share their stories. They've been so accessible without them. We don't have things like this. They are the most important part of the sport and they deserve everything. And so I'm so thankful to the fighters of this sport who are true courageous athletes unlike any that I've ever come across or will ever come across. And I have so much respect and admiration and appreciation for them. And I just want to thank them for always being accessible to people like me. And I hope that that will continue as well.

All right. Let's go to our first guest of the day. Someone who has certainly been in that boat for me as well over the years. The one and only Uncle Creepy is joining us. Ian McCall is on the magic of Skype. Let's go to Ian McCall right now. There he is. Ian McCall. is here. Ian, how are you? I'm doing good. How are you guys? I'm doing great. Can I ask you a favor? Can you tilt your camera up a little bit? Because now I just see the bottom half of your face.

And I'd love to see the full shebang. That's good. If you sit like that, that's perfect. Okay. I'll sit right here. Cool. Ian, thanks for joining us. First things first, we saw you a couple weeks ago in Japan. You know, a very unexpected

result. How are you doing after that fight against Keoguchi? I mean, physically, obviously, I'm fine. I took one punch and then it was over. I mean, I did get cracked. I got to give them that. I was on stinky legs for a little bit. But, man, at least let me go out of my shield. At least let me get knocked unconscious. But yeah, that's life. With my career, as you know, with my career, as you know, all the things that have happened, I just kind of have to go, okay, like, whatever. There's nothing I can do about it, so I just have to smile.

So you feel a couple of weeks removed that it was a premature stoppage? Well, yeah, I've always felt that way. I mean, the likelihood, if you think about fighting, the likelihood of him finishing me off there, sure, he probably would have. but at least give me a chance to finish the fight. I mean, even the ref came up and apologized to me and said, I'm sorry, I stepped in too early.

Oh, wow. You know, and that was the, that was that ref's only fight that he had refed that night. Wow. So, you know, I don't mean to say anything negative towards Ryzen or towards Japanese MMA, but why would you have a ref come in and ref the most important fight of the night? when you haven't refed anyone else during the entire event. So, you know, there's little things to complain about,

but all in all, it was nine seconds in my life. I can't really complain about it too much. I mean, it's, my career has been so weird, so whatever. So he actually apologized to you. He admitted that it was a premature stoppage. Yeah. Wow. Does that make it feel, does that, like, almost annoy you even more?

Or does that make you feel any better? A little bit of both, I guess. I mean, nothing's going to make me feel better about losing. Uh-huh. You know, as all fighters do, losing is the thing we hate most. But, yeah, it's annoying. You know, I've been, like, I keep going back to I've been through so much. But I've learned instead of having a pity party, you know, whoa, low, low is me.

I just kind of shrug my shoulders and go about my day. Life is good. So what? I lost a fist fight. You know, it's not a big deal. I understand that you want to talk about your future that you want to make an announcement. What is it? Well, just that, you know, I'm retiring finally.

I think people have been waiting for this for a long time. Yeah, I'm done. This sport has taken so much for me. I've given. I just didn't say it's taken. I've given this sport so much. And sure, I was the best in the world years ago, and sure people keep bringing up my al-Bunny moment

about beating Demetri's. Oh, you're the guy, and blah, blah, blah. You know, I've had a good run. It's been fun, but at the same time, it's over. After enough shenanigans that I've been through, I think physically I could still do it. You know, physically I go on the jam. I train hard.

I beat people up. I have a good time. You know, like I love doing it. But with my luck, you know, and I hate to like be the guy that's like, oh, well, you know, it always happens to me. It's always, the bad things always happen to me. Well, they kind of do in this sport, you know, but if you, if you, if you, if you, you're an idiot. You know that fake saying that they use an AA

that's not the definition of insanity. It's not the real definition of insanity. It's just the stupid AA version. It's doing the same thing over again without Chino. That's what I feel like I'm doing. I'm not getting ground. I'm not getting closer to being the best in the world. I'm just getting the steps are being pushed farther and farther away.

And I'm not in this to be anything but the best in the world. And if I cannot compete at that level of the best in the world, then it's just, it's not worth it for me. You know, I want to save my brain. My daughter just started jiu-jitsu on her own accord. She asked me, she said, Daddy, I want to start jih Tutsu. So I have other things that are starting to spark my interest, you know. And at this point, it's just go find a job. you know that that's a big big thing for athletes after the sport and I'm trying to figure that out

as quickly as possible I'm going to work with you know this company elixicure the pain relief cream a cannabis cream of course I have jobs that are lined up it's just you know I want more irons in the fire so if anyone out there needs to hire me to do to juggle or to entertain you I can do that when did you come to this decision in Japan after the fight I just I just went

you know what I hate to you know I hate saying this but like oh I can't catch a break you know like Rogan always talks about it and talks a bunch of shit

about you know people who are always like I can't catch a break well I can't catch a break but that's okay I'm just going to change my situation so I can catch a break

I have a work ethic that's second to none. So I'm just going to transfer over what I know, and work ethic-wise, work in MMA to a different job, a different arena. You know, I'll always be part of MMA. I'll always be at the gym. I still need to get my black belt in Jit-Ti. Maybe, you know, I don't know, consult for a fight promotion. I'm not sure what I'm really going to do.

I'm talking to combates. Um, you know, being Camel of Clare and having to go back and forth. There's a lot of things that I would like to do that have just been ideas, you know. There's a lot of options, but I just, I would really like to kind of show the younger fighters because I've been somewhat of a pioneer and what there is to do after the sport. Because these guys are screwed. Like people are, people in this sport aren't the smartest. Sorry, guys. We're not the smartest people.

on the planet. So it's really sad, really hard to see people not being able to get a job besides being a trainer at a gym for 25 bucks an hour, you know? And I will correct you. You said that you feel like you're somewhat of a pioneer. I would say

you are a pioneer, especially for the smaller weight fighters and what you've done to open doors there because for a very long time, you were carrying that torch for those smaller guys and let them know that you can make a career out of being a, you know, a lighter weight fighter, so to speak. And of course, congratulations on,

congratulations on everything that you have accomplished. I hope that you are walking away with your head held high and no regrets. Do you feel that way? Are you at peace with everything? Or, you know, those trials and tribulations that we've talked about at length on this program, do they, do they eat at you? And are you worried that they will, they will bug you throughout the rest of your time? Um, you know me too well. They will. They will. eat at me forever, for sure. Like, there's, it's a, it's a, it's a strange little, like, situation where part of me says, yes, I'm over it. I, I'm totally fine. I don't care. I don't

need to fight it ever again. The other part of me just thinks about, you know, I like fighting. Fighting is a, it's a drug that's hard to come by, you know, that much attention, that much adrenaline, you know, you're essentially fighting to the death with another man in front of millions of people. That is a strong drug and it's, I'm never going to get that again, you know, so that sucks, but I'm happy, you know, like life is good. I didn't take any bad damage, brain damage at least, that I know of yet. But all in all, I'd say, even though there are a lot of things I do regret. I had a lot of fun, man.

I had a lot of fun, and sure, I didn't make the millions that was planning on making or whatever, but I'll make it somewhere else. This is, life is good, and I'm happy. I'm finally happy to just have done with this. So it's not difficult to say those words? No, it's not. You know, it, every time I say it, it gets easier. Like, a part of me is, like, deep in here.

It's like, no, don't do it. Shut up, pussy. Stop it. But, yeah, I'm just, like, physically and mentally. I think it's more mental. Mental, I'm just exhausted. I've been fighting for 16 years professionally. People talk about, you know, this pro or that pro or whoever.

Like, oh, this guy's been fighting since. you know, this long. I'm like, yeah, I've been fighting for almost 20 years. You know, like, it's, it's for a long time. And I, uh, I, I, I, I, I owe the sports so much. You know, sure, it took so much out of me, but at the same time, it gave me a lot more. You know, it gave me, uh, so many amazing gifts. I have to travel the world. I got to learn a lot. I'm really good at fighting. So I don't know. It's, it's, again, I'm, I'm happy.

I'm finally happy with this decision. You know how retirements go in combat sports. In fact, just last week we had Chuck Ledell in studio saying that he's back after eight years. How confident are you that you have fought your last fight? Okay, so sure. If there's a money fight comes up, if somehow people all of a sudden for once in history want to pay. me a bunch of money to fight, it's a different story. You know, then I'll get my ass in shape and fight, but those sort of fights aren't really

on the table for guys like us. You know, like, that's just not how it works. I think it's Vince McMahon once said, you know, you pay by the pound. So the bigger the guy, the more money they make. And I don't really see that sort of thing ever happening, but maybe. You know, if the right opportunity came up and there was years down the line and I felt okay, I would never say, I would never say no, it's never going to happen. But at the same time, I don't really see it.

I don't see it happening. You know, I'm kind of wandering off into the sunset to be alone and to go hunt and to be with my family and start a business, you know, or build a business. can you pinpoint one moment where you felt like you were the happiest in the sport where it all felt like it came together for you and you were you know you were on top of the world realizing your dreams you were a star you were successful is there one moment that sticks out a moment that when you're you know old and gray on your on your rocking chair will be the first one that comes to mind when you tell your your grandchildren about what you accomplished um The sad part of that is the fact that my happiest moment in this sport is immediately followed by the downward spiral of my life. It's, you know, me obviously beating up Demetrius the first time. And again, we go back to my Al Bundy moment. You know, three touchdowns one night, poke high. I that that was so amazing

Dana White gives you these speeches before and he gave us this speech about how no one cares about you fly weights and you know no one thinks you actually even be in the UFC and all this stuff and the UFC had even told me before when I was attached to you know I won a world title I became the best in the world on a parking lot in an Indian casino in central California

That's cool, but kind of depressing. So there's not much power behind it. It was cool. But I got so excited. I went out there. I performed well. I thought, okay, I'm either going to finish him or this is the, we're going to go a fourth round.

He screwed. So I was so elated. That was like, I finally did it. I'm going to be a world champion. I'm going to do this. I'm going to really, like, solidify everything. And then, like, I actually. can replay over and over again

in my computer or my phone anything. I can pinpoint the moment where my life just took a fat shit on me. And that's when I, you know, I got a bad decision and it went from there. You know, so

it's a little bitter because that's really special, special moment is ruined by what happened directly after. Do you feel confident that your health is okay? Because I know we've talked about, you know, some, some scares that you've had, how do you feel about the state of your health as you take about? Because that's a victory in its own right. If you can leave the fight game

in relatively good shape and, you know, confident that you'll be okay in 20, 30 years, how do you feel about that? Do you have any scares? Do you have any, you know, doubts that things might creep up on you in a decade or so? You know, there's always those brain issues. You catch yourself missing an exit on a freeway it was like, oh, was that just me not paying attention? Was that the fact because I'm stoned? Was that the fact because who knows what? But no, I

physically, I feel great. Mentally, I'm happy. I'm in a good place. A lot of the problems I've learned that I had in the past, you know, where I was, it was my stomach. When I contracted that H. Pylori, if anyone

has been through that. Man, it was so bad. It put me in the hospital. During those five fights in the UFC for the last ones that fell out, I had H. Pylori that whole time. And that was putting me in the hospital like 10 times over a year.

So that was bad. You know, and that had kind of put me into this spiral where I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me. You know, I couldn't figure it out. I had this basal vagal syncope where my esophagus would cease up and it'd make me kind of pass out, not just dropped to the floor, but very slowly kind of like you're being choked out, you know.

And so I had these two issues that were really confusing me and they were separate. And, you know, doctors thought, okay, well, you know, you could have epilepsy, you could have this, you could have that. And then we just figured out what it was. It's H. Pylori. It's a stress-related negative bacteria in your system that. I'm brosciencing this. It's kind of reverses the cycle of your stomach.

And stomach issues really do cause a lot of depression. I mean, I thought it was CTE. I thought it was, I was sick for a year. I was going insane trying to figure out what was wrong with me. And I finally figured it out. I have this H. Pylori, which I will have for the rest of my life. Apparently, like, half of the world has it. They just don't know.

They don't see the symptoms. But my symptoms put me in the hospital. But anyways, health is good, physically great. You know, obviously the new goal is to go get my black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. And I guess I'm going to have to put a Ghi on because my daughter's at Gracie Baja now. So we'll see. Maybe I'll compete in EDI. That'd be cool.

Yeah, that'd be awesome. I mean, that's great in this day and age that now there's that outlet for guys who, you know, aren't fighting anymore to still compete and to get those. those juices flowing. What do you think you'll miss most about competing? You mentioned it's a drug and there's so much that goes into it. I know there's emotions that you can never dream of experiencing in normal day-to-day life. That's the stuff that we, you know, common folk can never relate to. What do you think you'll miss most about being an active MMA fighter and one who was at the top of his game for so long?

What will I miss most? Yeah, just fighting in general. You know, the training camp is fun, but it sucks. You know, training camp are never, like, they're, they're, they're never easy. You know, you're always hurting yourself. You've got all these people just beating the crap at you on a daily basis. But the fun part is going out and, you know, that walk out. That's got to be it.

Because it just, it kind of builds. Whether you have this crazy emotional. rush or adrenaline. You get in there and it's surreal. It's this like almost like you can't really hear too much. Your senses are all really,

really, really, you know, heightened. Everything's bright and you can see so clearly. That part is this, because you're in this, this heightened state of reality. You have to be. You've trained for years, you know, if not decades. And then months,

extremely hard before this, and you've changed your body and your mind, and you're just, you're in this altered state of consciousness that's just incredible. So that's got to be it. It's the actual fight itself. It's that whole process of walking out and having that rush of emotions and, you know, chemicals going through your brain and just trying to like get yourself so into it, you know. A fight that spans, a fight career that spans 16 years. What a run it has been for you, my man.

It really has been an honor and a privilege to cover your career. Like I said, not only a pioneer, a trailblazer, and you've always been so great to talk to. You always so gracious with your time, as far as the media is concerned. So thank you very much for that and for all the great fights. And I really do hope that you walk away with your head held high because, you know, without people like you, there is no flyweight division in the UFC. So congratulations again.

Again, kudos to you in a phenomenal career. And I wish you the best in this new chapter, because I know you have a lot to offer for the sport, whether it's being an analyst, whether it's being a consultant, as you said. I hope that you will still be involved in MMA for many years to come. So again, thanks for coming on the show and sharing this news. Really appreciate it, as always, Ian,

and keep us posted on your next step. And if there's anything we could do for you here, please let us know as well. Thank you very much. If you wouldn't mind throw my name in for a job at ESPN, UFC, combination. I wouldn't mind it. You have my word. I will do that. Thank you, Ian. All the best. We'll talk to you soon. Good luck to you and congratulations again. There he is. Uncle creepy, Ian McCall.

As I said, I don't throw around that word lightly. A pioneer as far as the lighterweight fighters are concerned debuted in August of 2002. 16 years. He walks away with a record of 13, 7, and 1. His last win, a unanimous decision over Brad Pickett at UFC Fight Night, Gregor versus Brandau in 2014. And what a great run it has been for him. Of course, we'll never forget that fight against Demetrius Johnson in Sydney, Australia, the controversial majority draw. So there you have it, and I really appreciate him coming on and sharing this news with all of us.

So last week on the program, we had Chuck Ladella in the studio talking about his return, his desire to fight, Chuck, excuse me, Tito Ortiz, his desire to return. At the end of the year, October, November said that it's looking like Golden Boy, doesn't hinge on Tito's participation, but he's back. He said, I am back. And so I wanted to get the thoughts of his longtime coach and mentor and friend, John Hackleman, to see what he thinks about all of this. And he's kind enough to be joining us now via the magic of Skype.

So let's go back to the Skype machine and say hello to Mr. Hackleman. John, how are you? Hey, fantastic. Thanks for having me. Life is great. Great to hear. And it's good to see you again. Good to talk to you.

So yeah, your guy, Chuck, sat right here seven days ago and made this announcement, had been teasing it for quite some time, but he said he is back. And so off the bat, I'm just wondering, I'm assuming you knew he was going to say that, right? You were aware of his intentions to return, correct? He, no. Okay, really? Wow. Yes and no. I mean, he's been throwing it out there, but he knows.

like he knows how I feel about it so he doesn't he hasn't we don't talk about it we kind of it's kind of a taboo subject for us just because he knows how I feel about it and so we don't really talk about it we talk about a lot of things but that's not one of them okay so how do you feel about it I don't like it at all in fact I don't like I mean I don't like any of my fighters to fight. I wish they were all just training in my gym and we're having fun. And that's what I started the pit for back in 1985. And I never want anyone to fight. I don't think it's, to me, it's not fun, never has been. But then all of a sudden, you know, Chuck wanted to fight. And, and, and I said, come on, bro, let's just train and have fun. Go be a CPA. I mean, he got his

degree in accounting. Come on. And he goes, no, I just, I want to give it a shot. Let's, let's give it a shot. See where it goes. So we, we, we, we saw where it went. And because of that, I trained some other people and, and, and work with some other guys. But to me, they're all my family, and I wish they could just all train and we could have fun. So I don't want him to fight anymore. But with that said, if he does, and he really has to do it in his heart, then I'm, I'm going to, I'm behind him 100%. So you say that, you know, if he does come back, you're behind him, does that mean, you know, coaching him and cornering him? Are you going to be a part of this?

I will, I will, I'll do whatever Chuck needs. Whatever Chuck needs in his heart, if he wants me to come work with him for the fight, if he wants me to work his corner, if he wants him, if he wants him to do both, then I'll do both, you know, but, but. But if I had the choice, if it was my choice, I'd say, hey, you know, stay retired and let's go hang out in Hawaii this year. Do you have concerns, safety, health concerns about him fighting? I have safety and health concerns about everybody fighting, but not him more than others. I mean, he's been, he was stopped in a few of his last fights, but to be honest, like most boxers get stopped that many times in, in, any given training camp because especially in the old days when sparring was much more much more full on and much more prevalent in training camps people were getting you know he

hasn't had you know like buku not or a lot of knockouts so you know that's not what i worry about for him specifically i just worry about that for all my fighters because i want them all to be safe how do you think he you know let's say it gets out uh that john hackerman has said that you know he'd he'd rather chuck not return not a fan of it how do you think he will react to that news do you think that he will be surprised that you said this or do you think he will be you know disappointed how do you think he will react to hearing you say you'd rather him not come back i think he knows i mean that's i mean i wish he didn't come back before he started so but he also knows that he also knows that i got his back

and if he has to do this for whatever reasons, I'll have his back, I'll train him, I'll work with him, I'll do the best I can to get him ready. So that's, I mean, I think he knows that. Why do you think he is coming back all these years later? Almost a decade later, he's almost 50. Why do you think he wants to come back now? Some people have that bug, you know, like I hated fighting so much.

I would never even think of coming back. But guys like him, they love it. Like Glover, Glover loves to fight. You know, him and Chuck, you know, in the corner, in the dress room before their fights, they're like, they're at their height of their happiness. And I could never understand that, you know, like I was much more nervous than they were. And, I mean, even as a trainer, I was more nervous than they were in the corner or in the dress room. And Chuck truly loved to fight. he didn't some people want to be a fighter really bad because then that makes them a fighter

can you see me am i on yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yes i see the air quotes yes i see the air yeah yeah yeah so some people want to be a fighter right so they can say oh i'm training for a fight and then you know i'm a fighter guess what i'm a fighter and then they tell everyone they're a fighter but they don't love to fight when as soon as they get hit or in a bad position you can see it in their face, they don't love to fight. Chuck, Glover, court, you know, most of my fighters now, they love to fight. And when they get in there, and the first time they get hit, you can see in their face. They love to fight. They love fighting. You know, Chuck loved everything about it. You love in the dress room. He loved that pre-fight adrenaline. He loved that. And I'm sure you miss it

after doing it for so long and then it's taken away from you, there's a big hole there. You know, and some people fill it with teaching or training other people or drugs or alcohol or all of the above. And with Chuck, I don't know, he's training. He has a fit lifestyle for the most part. So I don't know.

It just popped back in his head, I guess. Maybe he missed it for whatever reason. And he needs to fill that void. and some people fighting is that void they want to fill. So I don't understand it, really, but I have to respect it. Between now and say, you know, the end of the year, perhaps that's when this fight takes place. Will you actively try to convince him to not fight? No, not at all.

I've heard he knows how I feel. He knows exactly how I feel. We've had this discussion many, many, many times from the beginning. of his career before it started, before he did his first amateur kickboxing match, through his amateur career all the way to the UFC, he knows exactly how I feel about him fighting. And he knows I love him and I got his back, but he knows how I feel about it. So I'm not going to beat a dead horse and I'm not going to be that nagging little bitch. So I'll just, whatever he has to do, he's going to do.

and as someone that loves them as a family member, I'll be there for him, even if I don't like it. Just like, you know, you go to your kids, you know, when they play their instruments and their, you know, their concerts, you go, you go to all their stuff, their games. Even if they're sitting on the bench, you go,

because you love your kids. I love Chuck and I'm going to do whatever I can to help him realize his full potential in his life. Does it make you feel... That's weird. That sounded weird. No, no. I certainly understand and appreciate it, especially considering, you know, the analogy that you made with the kids. You know, you love them even though you may not, you know, be on the same page as far as what they're doing at the time. You're always going to support them.

And I think that says a lot about you. I dread. I dread corners. I dread being in a corner. I dread it. I dread it more than any other part of martial arts that I've ever dealt with. I break. down sometimes. My wife has to like pick up the pieces. Working my, my, my fighters' corners makes me so stressed that sometimes I just have a breakdown. I'll just go in a corner and just I'll just lose it because I'm so nervous for them. I love my guys so much and when something happens, I just break down. And even if they just get hit and then they win, it just throws me for a loop. So I don't like that, but I know for whatever reason I'm not trying to brag.

but I know that I'm good at that, and I know that's one of my callings in life, and I know I have strategies, and I'm good at, you know, directing my guys. So I know I'm good at it. I just, for some reason, I don't really, it's just something I can't stand doing because it makes me so nervous. So why do you do it? Why don't you, why don't you just stop doing it? Because people like Chuck and then my upcoming people now that are fighting, one of them's

been with me since he's four years old. He's in his 20s now, and he's an undefeated MMA fighter. But I knew that I can't retire until they're done. Once my batch right now is done, I'm done. But I think I owe it to them because I have a calling to do it. And they want me to do it and they feel more comfortable with me in their corner. So I do it because I love them. And it's a, I'm not saying I'm like, you know, this, you know, this guy. I'm sacrificing this and that i get stuff out of it too um but i need to be there to protect them i feel and and help them win even though it just is something i'd rather i rather be at home watching true blood does it make you feel any better considering the success that he's had against tito

a tease that that could be the guy that he returns against that at least it's not oh i don't know john jones who he mentioned like at least it's someone like tito around his that was brutal bro that was No, I'm just saying. That was on call for it. On the, on the, you know, the first one back. Oh, there. Well, he brought it up.

The first one back seems a little. I respect his drive. But anyway, does Tito make you feel better? Okay. A bit much. No. Not really. Okay.

I mean, because, because, like, can you cuss on the show? Yeah, go ahead. It's like fucking the fat check again. You know, it's like, you don't want to do it. it in public again. I mean, you had to do it because times were hard or you got forced to do it for whatever reason. You don't want to keep doing it. And I respect Tito for a lot of reasons. But Chuck beat him twice already. He stopped him twice. And that's all I mean by that analogy. I'm not putting down Tito at all. Tito is a pioneer. And he's a stud. I mean, he'll fight anyone

anytime he's done shit in the UFC that's, you know, I think he's a great fighter. Chuck has his number, but I just, I just, you know, it's not just him, but he's already knocked him out twice. So, you know, it doesn't make me feel better or worse. The John Jones thinks that was like pushing it a little too far on that edge right now. But, but Tito, as an opponent, Tito is a good opponent for Chuck, and we know that by just by the history. How would you describe Chuck in the, in the gym these days, like from a, you know, a reaction standpoint, timing, things like that. What is it like? Is he very rusty?

Are you, you know, are you surprised at how he is? How would you describe him? I don't really see him much in the gym. He lives in L.A. I live in San Luis Obispo. Okay. So when I do see him, when we do our really infrequent training, he looks just like he did back in the day, but that's not against a real competitor.

So it's easy to be a gym fighter, and I'm saying that's what Chuck is, but I can't judge how he's going to react in a cage by how he hits a bag. Okay. But with that said, he still has a shit ton of power and he still has his moves. And that kind of stuff is in his muscle memory, you know, his takedown defense, his punching power, his fight IQ. you you don't lose that kind of stuff. And so, you know, that's it. And so when he does, in fact, like, enter a training camp, if you will, like, he has a fight, a date, all that stuff and more, will he train with you on a day-to-day basis?

Will he come to where you are? Will you go to where he is? How will that work? We have not discussed the details. Okay. I would say it would be like a training camp. I would, I would be there or he would be here or both, because it's not that far, you know. I mean, I know people that work in L.A. that live here.

So it would be, it would be, you know, it would take a lot of time and energy to do that, but it's something that would be doable. Lastly, I do have to ask, I mentioned it a little bit, but his back and forth with John Jones now, how does that make you feel? Um, just kind of awkward. I mean, it's like, it's an awkward back and forth. I don't like it. I don't like that kind of, um, I don't like that kind of meanness. Like, I love like when guys go back and forth in a fun way, like Rampage used to or even like, uh, like, like Chale Sonan used to. I like that kind of funny stuff. Or McGregor, he used to. But then they push it too far. And it to me, it gets mean. and mean-spirited, and it's just, it takes away from the, it just takes away from everything. And it doesn't put anything into this martial art-based sport. I think it takes away from it.

So I don't really like it. And I think, you know, Jones, you know, like, I don't mean to disrespect my elders and stuff like that. And, I mean, if Chuck says, I think I could have beat him in my prime, that's not a put-down. So then to say, well, I don't disrespect my elders. I mean, that's kind of a backhanded slap. that's disrespectful. And, you know, I mean, if guys want to do that and just, it makes them look a little lower, you know, then that's fine. But I think Chuck, I've never heard Chuck say mean things about people. He could say, I think I could beat him or I'd like to fight him, you know, but I've never heard him like doing like the put down thing like some of the guys like to do. And I just don't like it. I think it's, I think it minimizes our sport. John, I appreciate you doing this and for being so honest about your feelings.

I know that's, you know, that's something that you've often done. You're a very candid and honest person. But to talk about something like this, which I would imagine is somewhat sensitive, is very much appreciative. So thank you very much, John, for doing this. And good luck to you guys. Good to catch up with you. Hey.

Thank you. Anytime. And I'll see you guys on the other side. Thank you. All right. We'll talk to you soon. There he is. John Hackerman, the head guy over at the pit.

You get his thoughts right there about his guy, Chuck Ladell, saying that he is returning to MMA. Let's talk to a man now who knows a thing or two about Chuck Ladell. Let's talk to the ream, Alastair Overeem, who returns to action on June 9th, UFC 225 against Curtis Blades. Always great to catch up with the birthday boy. Alistair Overeem, now 38. Alistair, how are you? 38, you were getting up there.

Unbelievable. But I believe I have to congratulate you as well with your new position. Yes, thank you, Alastair. I appreciate that. We have come a long way, you and I. We've come a long way, indeed. Indeed. Veterans of the sport, right?

Well, you even more so than I, but how about that when we had that little thing on this show? I'm more boot ground, but you're also doing a really important job. Well, thank you. That means a lot to me. But you were turning 30 that day. Isn't that crazy? That was eight years ago with the birthday king? Time flies.

A lot of, and a lot of stuff happening in the meantime, right? Up, downs, lows, highs, left, right? Unbelievable. It really is unbelievable. By the way, since you are somewhat connected to him, what was your reaction when you heard that Chuck is coming back? Do you think that this is a good move on his part? I don't know. I don't know.

Okay, so there's a couple things going on, right? He was working with the UFC doing promotional stuff, that job. That kind of shelved when the WME took over, so maybe it's a money issue. The other thing is, how old is Chuck again? he is a 48 or about to turn 48 this year

yeah I don't know I know you know what the thing is everybody is kind of staying younger longer right I notice it with myself I mean I'm in a phenomenal shape physically I'm totally I'm perfect no injuries whatsoever

so everybody's kind of staying younger longer but in his case I mean when was his last fight it's been years ago now yeah 2010 2010 2010 was the last fight so AJZ didn't fight

he would fight another veteran but he should forget about fighting john johns that's just like ridiculous you know you're you've not fought in eight years you're on an on age and then you're gonna fight the number one pound from pound by yeah this just that just doesn't make sense yeah it is a does that does that kind of thing scare you like saying goodbye and then you know the itch coming back because you know i i can't imagine the feelings that you guys go through as you prepare and then the fight night do you think about that a lot you know the end and how you're going to react to the end and what you're going to do post-fighting. Is that something that's on your mind a lot? Yeah, it has always kind of been on my mind, you know, what to do, what else to do besides

fighting. I actually had a severe injury lower back in 2012 around the Bigfoot fight. So that kind of accelerated that thinking. And you, you know, that is a big crossroad, right? What are you going to do? What do you enjoy? Because fighting and training for fight, preparation, preparing for fight is a lifestyle. And to switch that up, it's huge. It's huge, but he switched it up. He's been doing something else for the last eight years. And yeah, apparently, he's not, I mean, he's missing the fight game, apparently. Yeah, I don't know. I would, I would not be a too big proponent for the whole thing. But then again, if he would fight another big name and people want to see it, I mean, ultimately, his decision, right? Right. So let's talk about you here

for a second, Alastrow. What, go ahead. when I'm 48, when I'm 48, I don't plan on fighting. Do you have an age in mind when you're going to stop? Yeah, a couple more years. A couple more years. A couple more years.

So 40? A couple more years. Two free, maybe four. But that's stretching it. But I'm still fit. And the older you get, the wise you get, right? Right, of course.

Yeah, well, that's what they say. But it does get, you know. when you get older it gets a little trickier right yeah but it it does and you have to think about the damage long term good thing about me is I took really good care of my body from my career so I'm like pretty fit um zero injuries I had one fight related surgery my elbows bone splints that's kind of minor that's that's wearing tear that's that's kind of normal for people that are training for yeah 10 years I mean I'm in training 25 years competing 20 years.

But, no, the end is coming. It's the last couple of years. Maybe two, maybe three, in a rare case, maybe four. I'm still enjoying it. No, I just did a training camp in Thailand. I was there for two and a half months. Loved it over there, as usual. Actually planning to maybe move there in the future.

Wow. I build up my own team over time. So, yeah. You know, my thing is they just need to stick to the gym. Be in the gym. even if it would be a coach of other fighters, other people. I love being in the gym. So that's a little bit of the lifestyle, right?

When we're talking about Chuck, what did he do to fill that void of competing and training and fighting? I don't know. So you would consider actually moving your family to Thailand and living there full-time and building a team there. You like it that much? I love it that much, yeah. Wow. Have you ever been in Thailand? I've never been, no.

It's awesome. It's awesome. one second my alarm right no it's awesome over there I can highly recommend to anybody I mean the training it depends on which camp you go but just the whole vibe

the energy the people friendly the culture is magnificent the country is beautiful I really feel at ease in Thailand Alster when I asked you to be on the show today I wanted to talk about your fight

your return you haven't fought since December but then on Saturday night the MMA world exploded when they threw out the lineup for 225 during the broadcast on FS1, and you were on the prelims, and people were very upset, offended, couldn't believe that they would put a fight of this magnitude on the prelims. Did you know that before they announced it? And regardless, how do you feel about that?

Well, I was a little bit surprised about the decision. But, yeah, when I think about it, I can see what the Uxies coming from. They want to build the women's federal division. My friend, Holland, of course, and teammate being a big name. so she should be on the prelunds anyway for me personally I don't have a problem with the decision because it's going to be on free TV

might be a bigger audience right yes and you know you see they understand the television stuff I understand if there's going to be bigger if there's going to be a bigger picture you know it's it's all good I'm just there focusing on my performance

focus has been really high so far and I'm just going to be putting my best energy to put on my best performance and yeah, if it's on papergeo or free TV that's, you know, the gentleman at the youth feel have their decisions, the reason for the decisions.

Yeah, that's all good. I'm happy to hear you say that, Alster, because I think this is a very 2008, 2009 way of thinking. You should want to be on free TV. More people, at least double, if not triple, the amount of people will see your fight now as opposed to it.

Like, why would you want to be on pay-per-view, where you know they're going to get maybe at most 300 to 400,000 viewers on FS1. In America alone, you're going to get, you know, 800, 900,000, maybe even a million. So what's the difference? You don't get a cut of the pay-per-view anyway. Why would you care? I don't understand. Is it a prestige thing?

I don't get it. Well, that was my reasoning as well. People are seeing that as an insult while I'm just seeing it as there's probably a business rationale behind that. And, yeah, it's so good with me. I mean, to be honest, I perform better the earlier on the evening. If it's all the way at midnight, I have to fight at midnight. I hate that anyways. So if it's fighting at 6 p.m., that's perfect for me.

Let me fight at 6 p.m. or even 4 p.m. Get it out of the way, right? I do. I prefer fighting at 11 a.m. That would be Japan, right, or Australia? Right. Why? Is that day a chore for you? just the clock not moving, you're just counting down the seconds?

What do you mean? Like the later you fight, you're just kind of sitting around and waiting for the inevitable as opposed to fighting earlier and the day you get it over with. Well, yeah, I don't know. I just always, you know,

maybe I'm a morning person. Yeah. I like to see these, you know, I'm not definitely not a late evening person anyways. And then you have to calculate it, you have to sleep a little bit, you have to rest.

So to me, I like fighting the sooner it better. You know, you can enjoy the rest of the show. And, yeah, I don't, I don't see it as an insult anyways. It's a business decision. They probably have the reasons. Yeah, bigger picture, right? All good to me. We have not heard much from you, Alasters, since your fight against Francis. You've kept a low profile. Was there a reason for that? Well, I believe that you should keep a low profile. I mean, it was a devastating loss. Let's be honest about it. It looked horrible. So to me it was like, hey, let's just focus on rebuilding, getting back in shape, finding the pleasure in the whole thing again. Because, of course, after a loss like that, you know, it's not nice, it's not fun.

All respect to Francis, he did a great job. I saw him fight for the belt after. It was also a nice performance by him. But then, yeah, you've got to rebuild. And it's not the time to be all outgoing and this and that. and I like to kind of do my own thing. I had a really nice trip. I went to Dubai.

I did some appearances there. Went to Australia. I had an appearance store over there. Then I did a training camp in Thailand. Then I went to Bali, which was also trying to have some appearances, back to Thailand. And then the next fight was announced. So I started prepping for Curtis. And shortstop over Holland and now I'm in Albuquerque.

You have a final two weeks left. So just focus on what you need to do. Stay positive. Good people around you. and yeah, restart, reset. Considering how that fight went and how it was replayed over and over again leading up to his title fight,

how do you feel about the loss? Is that one of the harder ones to take in to digest? Is it one that you're still not over? You're still feeling the effects of it? How do you feel about it after the fact? Well, I don't really have a feeling about it. I've lost before I've lost in shitty ways before I've lost. You know, there's been all kinds of losses.

I've been fighting for 20 years. Yeah. I believe I have 87, 88 fights or 86 fights or something. So you're going to have everything in it, right? Yeah, I don't really have a special emotion with the loss. It was just a loss. It looked ugly. You got to restart, reset, and then now we're back.

Have you ever been hit that hard before? Maybe not. Wow, that says a lot, considering all the people you fought. Yeah, maybe not This was the beginning of the fight, right Fresh energy, full power running into a punch match, so maybe not, maybe not.

Are you able to watch it? I'm sure people send it to you as social media can be, you know, can be very cruel. When you see it, do you watch it or do you try to ignore it? I have zero problems watching that fight. Wow. That says a lot about you.

Not but it is part of the sport, right? It's part of my job. I don't have, yeah, it happened. You know, let's not forget, you're going to have your highs, you're going to have your lows. In the end, you're going to embrace both of them. Can't get too high, can't get too low.

Well, rather, very high and very low than monotone, right? If you're monotum, nothing else apart. That's true. And what about... Go ahead. Yeah? No, go ahead, go ahead. No, but it's fighting.

It's violence. You know, I've never really had serious injury, knock on wood, I hope that that never happens. But this stuff happens in sports, you get knocked out, yeah, so what. And so that was actually my next question. Health-wise, did it take a while for you to recover from that? was that typical to, you know, some of your other losses that you refer to? I'm going to tell something.

Walking out of the cage, it was not 100% because it kind of was still in the ways. Yeah. And then at the doctor's, I asked, can I say, what the fuck happened? And then you just explained, man, I was awake. And that was it from that on. Wow. No issues, no nothing. So you don't even remember it?

The hit. No, when you get hit, you never remember it. Wow. That's pretty good. Up until the hit, I remember it. Sure, sure. I remember from the left hook. I really was in conviction.

This is going to hurt him. And then boom, out. And then I remember a medical check. You fought both him and Steepa. Was that how you expected their fight to go? Actually, I did. Okay. Because you didn't think that he would have the gas tank to go far with him?

No, because we just watched a lot of tape. and Steepa is really good with his game plans. He's really fit. Yeah, we just analyzed, made a big game plan. Steepa executed it perfectly. I didn't. We had a slightly different game plan. But, yeah, Steeper executed perfect.

He's a champ for that reason, right? When I look at Steeper, he's a perfect executioner of his game plans because he does it every time perfect. on a JDS, on a Ryanelson, on all these guys on me, flawless. It's going to be really interesting to watch Steeper versus Cormié. That's another challenge. They're not a great fight, right? Who's your picking that one?

I'm going to go for Steepard. But not without a fight. Not without a fight. It's purely because Steeper's really good at analyzing, making game plans, executing the game plans. And Comier, Comier is more a cardio beast But Steep also got the cardio And I think Steep has got a slight weight advantage

Just a little bit But yeah, just the bigger man But it can go either way to both When you have a fight like that How much time off do you take? Like how much time off do you take from the gym Don't get hit, let your body heal? I think I was not in the gym

For two weeks, two and a half weeks, three weeks But you start easy You're just playing around a little bit left a little bit, you know, and then slowly the focus comes more on. And now, now we're doing everything right. We're just sparring or running. But in the beginning, you just hang out in the gym and support other fighters, help other fighters do their thing.

When you were offered Curtis Blades, how much did you know about him? Well, we spoke brief. We spoke a couple of times during the last card because he was on the same card. in Detroit. Nice kid. You know, hardworking kid. Up and comer. Yeah, I like him.

I like him as a person. So no conflict there, no issues. Zero conflict. Did you see his last fight against Mark Hunt? And if so, what did you think of it? His performance. Well, he's getting better, right? Everybody's getting better.

And he's tough. Markham, Rock. to him, but he just took it. He fights with a good, good plan. He's got excellent wrestling. His stand-up is improving. So he's coming up. You know, he's one of those young dogs.

How old is he? 26, 27, 28? Yeah, he is young as far as, you know, and even for the heavyweight division, I will confirm, but you're somewhere, you're in that vicinity. 27. That is doing everything he can't.

make the most out of his career and that's something I can honor respect. How do you feel about being in this role now of, you know, maybe being booked against the younger guy to build him? Do you feel like you're being set up here to be a stepping stone? No, no, no, no. I'm, yeah, stepping strong. I don't. I just think it's going to be an exciting matchup. How am I going to handle his, is striking, his wrestling, his whole, you know, he's a physically strong guy. How am I going to handle that? I'm not thinking of stepping stones. I mean, I got to be matched up against somebody, right?

Yeah. Also availability. Who else is available? Who else is not available, et cetera, et cetera. Would it be a fair statement to say that he has never beaten someone quite like you? He has the lost to Angano. You know, he has fought against Olinic and Mark Hunt. The Olinic fight was a bit of a weird one.

But do you feel like he has never sort of climbed a mountaintop quite like you? He hasn't quite proven himself, or do you think that's unfair to him? Well, that has all to do with age, right? I mean, he's relatively young, and how many fights has you have? He probably has, like, around 20 fights. I mean, I have four times the amount of fights. So, of course, my resume is going to be a little bit more, yeah, interesting, so to speak. Yeah, he just needs to show more and do more and be more in there.

I mean, some periods, I had six fights in three months. You know, the more exposure you have, the more people will see it and will know you. and yeah he just needs to he just needs to do that be more out there fight more you know beat more and beat more names and then he'll get there but you're in albuquerque now right yes does john jones show up to the gym do you do you train with him at all in preparation for this yeah sometimes he's at the gym he's doing a little bit of his own thing okay he's giving his advice here and there left and right but nothing special okay okay okay By the way, how did you celebrate?

I mean, I know you're in the midst of training camp, but you don't have to cut weight necessarily, so how did you celebrate your birthday on Friday? Oh, Friday, it was a nice day. Cook steaks for the team, and I have a pretty good steak, if I may say so, myself. And in the evening, I took a birthday out to dinner. Wait, you did all this work?

It's your birthday. They should be treating you. I know, I know. What the hell? I'm spoiling my team. Wow. Wow. They're used it now, so I'm screwed.

You're so selfless. That's what I love so much about you. So you cook for that. And by the way, how do we cook our steak? Because I'm an extra well-done kind of guy. Are you that same kind of guy? I'm a medium-rare guy. Medium rare.

Wow. So you like some pink in there. Yeah, a little bit reddish. Lember red, it's not pink. And you did it for everyone. Just you, one-man show. No, it was like 10 people. No, I mean, you did all the cooking.

I mean, it's not that much work. Come on for me. And what about your children, your wife? Do they come with you to Albuquerque or are you alone? No, no, no, no. They're in Holland. Oh, my. By the way, not married, but I have, you know, it's my partner in crime.

Okay. Dania, our two daughters. So they're based in Holland. Because, of course, if you have your kids around, it's hard to do a fight. him. Okay, so you're at peace with this. It's not... You should know that as being a parent, right?

Yes, yes, yes. Yes. Right. Lastly, for you, Alster, what about what about Netherlands in the World Cup? What do we think? Oh, man. I think everybody in Holland is over it.

Over it? Because we're out. They didn't make it? They did not make it. And I'm going to give you another scoop. Our team is there. not there. So it's not looking good in two years either.

So you're telling, USA, Italy, Netherlands, Netherlands didn't make it, what kind of World Cup is this? This is horrible. I might not watch. They didn't? Because the team, the team is no good. And we also have to say we had a difficult qualifying because it was like you know, it's four in the bracket,

right? And then the first, we had three good teams, basically two other good teams. So then made it into the finals and we just didn't make it. Wow, that is depressing. Will you even watch? I might go for, it's England in there?

Yeah, USA is also in that. Yeah, they're not in it. I might go for another country. Yeah, but it's tough. It's tough for your home country's not there. Yeah, sucks. All right, well, I'm sorry to bring that up. I am looking forward to seeing you back.

June 9th, UFC 225. It's not only about CM Punk, by the way. Alastra Overeem's coming back. big deal. You fantasy and punk, by the way, Alster? You excited about this? Sharing a card with him? Um, yeah, second time, right?

That's right. That's right. Yeah, hopefully he goes different for the both of me. I'm curious what he's going to do. I'm not really a hater, but his first fight was not a good performance. I mean, there's going to be a lot

of pressure on him. I'm sure he yeah, maybe regrets the whole youth she-thing, probably. It looks maybe more easy than it is, for real, I guess. Yeah, we'll see. What a great card that is,

top to bottom. The fact that you guys are on the prelims just says so much about how deep that card is, and I commend you for taking the stance that it is not an insult. In fact, way more people are going to see that fight now. So that is good news if you're unable to pay for the pay-per-view. Always great to catch up with you,

Alster. It really is, and this was phenomenal stuff. Thanks for being so honest. And happy birthday to you once again. I'm looking forward to seeing you out there in Chicago. Yay, don't forget the president. Yes, yes. I will have it wrapped and ready to go.

Yeah, okay. Okay, just checking. Thank you. My pleasure. It's good to talk about. I'll see you in Chicago. Yes, sir. Thank you so much, Alistair.

We'll talk to you soon. There he is. The Ream. Alastair, Overeem, one of the greatest of all time. and it just seems like every single time he gets a little more honest, a little more open, a little more relaxed, a little more introspective. That was great stuff out of the ream. And good to talk to him, of course, after the loss to Inganu.

And great to hear his thoughts on being okay with watching it. It's not that big a deal for him. This is the life that he has chosen. So that was great stuff. Really cool. And again, that's the right mindset. Prelims, it's okay. In this day and age, there's no stigma attached to that.

You're going to be seen by more people. And so this, I know there's some kind of, you know, prestige involved with being on quote-unquote pay-per-view. And, you know, you're a part of that five-fight pack that people are paying money for. But at the end of the day, you just want to be seen, especially when you're not getting a cut of the pay-per-view. What's the big deal? All right. Great stuff from the Ream. Let's move along now to our next guest.

He is the CEO of Legacy Fighting Alliance. Also, a pioneer in his own right as far as MMA management is concerned. and he's our old friend Ed Sores. He joins us now via the phone. I was going to say Skype, but he's actually via the phone. Ed, how are you? I'm great, Ariel, how are you?

I'm doing great. Great to have you on the show. Always good to talk to you. And, of course, congratulations on the success of El Faye. It seems like every card that the UFC has. You guys have 4, 5, 6, 7 alum on the card. So it's amazing to see what you guys have done in terms of producing talent.

But I understand that you have some news to share with all of us. So without further ado, the floor is yours. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, you know, obviously, like you've mentioned, you know, the LFA or the past year, you know, I'm very excited about all the accomplished accomplishments that we've achieved in the past year, you know, our first year of business, you know, now being, last week I found out we got nominated for event promotion of the year. And recently we just, we just formed a new partnership with London Trust Media. And we're very excited about that because, as, As you know, the past year, we've had a lot of success, but we've been able to, we basically built everything that we've built on on pretty much a skeleton crew. So now with London Trust Media coming in as our partners, it's really giving us the backing and the, you know, basically the backing

and the infrastructure to basically build up the LFA into what we've always dreamed of. So, you know, we've had a great first year. And with this new partnership with London Trust Media, it's, you know, there's nothing, but, you know, we're very excited for the future. Now, when you say new partnership, Ed, what exactly does that mean? Are they now a part owner? Could you break that down for us, for those that may not understand? What does that mean? Basically, obviously, you know, when the LFA was formed, it was a partnership between RFA and Legacy.

And London Trust Media came in and there. majority owners of the LFA now. They bought out the legacy portion of the, of the company, and they're the majority owners of the LFA now. So there are our partners. And London Trust Media has a very strong, in the tech world, in the entertainment world. And I actually have the CEO of London Trust Media on the phone with me, Ted Kim, and he could talk a little bit about what you know, London Trust is. Okay. Hey, Ted, how are you?

I'm well, thanks. How are you? I'm doing great. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Congratulations on this. They're really excited. Yeah, thank you. We're really excited.

I mean, we're a consumer, you know, technology and media company. And, you know, we've been big fans of what Ed and his team have been building at Alphabet for so long. So to the extent that, you know, our job is to support Ed and his team and sort of stay out of the way and help them really take the business to that's level. We are very, very excited about this. We think that, you know, the sky is the limits in terms of potential of what Elefay can do and what Ed himself kind of means to them in the industry as a whole. And like you said, he's a pioneer and what LFA is doing to really support the business as a whole is something

that we feel as though is very, very worthy worthwhile and something that, you know, we can really help to take to the next level. Is this your company's first foray into the world of mixed martial arts, and if so, why now, why LFA? It is our first step into it. You know, in terms of why now, it really feels as though, you know, obviously there's tremendous support around MMA world as a whole and the business. And in terms of why the LFA, it's a great opportunity.

And it's a place where we really feel as though we can be helpful. You know, when it comes to looking at and evaluating opportunities, if we cannot be helpful in terms of growing the business, then it's not really a good difference. You know, but in this case, as we talked to Ed and got to know them a little better, got to know his team better, got to know the business better, we just felt really excited by it. And so we feel as though now is the right time.

This is the right team to help. You know, Ariel, we're really excited to be partnered up with London Trust because, like I said, we've been able to do everything that we've been able to accomplish. We've been able to do it on a skeleton crew. And now with the backing and with the infrastructure that we're going to be building, you know, I'm really looking forward to to a lot of things, you know, expanding our distribution, building the infrastructure of our team, improving our productions. And, you know, with that, you know, we're really focusing on a lot of things. Some of the things that we want to bring into the LFA, we want to, we really want to focus on expanding our women's divisions. Our goal is that over the next, you know, six months,

we're going to have at least one to two women's fights on TV every show. We're also looking forward to being able to, you know, start to add bonuses in there. We're looking forward to be able to have fight-of-the-night bonuses. and performance of the night bonuses and really just building this thing up and making it better than it is. I mean, I'm very happy with the accomplishment that we've been able to achieve

in the first year of business, but I'm not satisfied. So now with the backing and the infrastructure that London Trust is going to be able to provide us, I mean, the sky's the limit. And Ed, you know, hardcore fans, fans who follow the sport very closely

will know that Mick Maynard, who is, matchmaker with the UFC used to be the owner of legacy. Does this now mean that he is no longer affiliated with LFA? Yes, he's no longer affiliated with the LFA. Everything is on very, very good terms. I mean, I'm very happy for him. But, you know, his time is pretty much, you know, taken up by the UFC.

You know what I mean? So it just made sense for everybody to do that. I mean, he's still one of the founding members. of our company, but he's just, you know, he's going to take a step aside and, you know, focus all his, put all his focus into the UFC. And, and we're going to try to, you know, take this thing and keep building it as we're doing it. Are you still the CEO of the company? Yes, I am. I'm the CEO. And actually, Sven has, he became the president. So, Sven and then Mark Berry is going to become the vice president of talent relations.

So, yes, Sven and I and Marcos would be running the company, and yes, McManard is no longer a part of the company. And are you still with Access TV? Will all your fights still air on Access TV? Yes, we're with Access TV. We have our television deal with Access TV is until 2021, so we still have about another three, three and a half years on our deal with Access TV. Okay. And how many events in 2018 do you think you guys will put on LFA?

We're going to get somewhere between 30 and 32 events right now is where we're at. We did actually in 2017, we did 29. We were scheduled to do 30. We ended up doing 29. And this year we're scheduled to do about 31 events, but you know, sometimes dates, we might add a date or we may. take one away. So right now, we're somewhere around 30. Do you like that number? Is that the sweet spot number? Would you like to do more? Would you like to do less? How do you feel about the number events per year that you're currently putting on? You know, I think the number of events that we're doing is a good amount. I think we're capable of doing a few more, but I think, you know, we'll just

take each step at a time. I mean, we were able to do 30. I mean, in 2017, when we started, you know, the thought of going from doing, you know, 14 shows a year to doing 30, which, you know, we're was a very, was a pretty, it was a little bit overwhelming at first. I thought we could do it, but I was always a little bit nervous. And then once I figured out we can do it, and like I said, we were able to do it on a skeleton crew, this is what I'm excited about. Now with London Trust coming in and being able to back us and be able to help provide the infrastructure for us, I think it's going to make our company run much smoother. And I believe that, you know, who knows, in 2019, we could be up towards 35 events a year because once we have everything in place and

really build a team, you know, like I said, pound for pound, I feel that we're the best pound for pound, we're the best organization on the planet. You know, you look at someone like the USC who does, you know, 40 to 45 events a year domestically and internationally, and they have over 300 employees. Then you've got someone like Bellator, who's doing. doing about 30 to 35 events domestic and internationally, and they've probably got somewhere from 80 to 100 employees. And then you look at the LFA, and we've been able to do, you know, 30 events last year, and we were operating on about six to seven employees.

So we've definitely been able to maximize our workload. So I'm looking forward to building a team and really growing. That's our main focus is growing and keep building what we're doing. From the outside looking in, a lot of things aren't going to. going to change immediately, but all you're going to see is just the production. Everything in our show is just going to get better and better and better as we start adding on people to the team. Might be hard for you to answer this question right now, but how many more people do you think you will add as a result of this new deal?

You know, that is a hard question to ask. I think we're going to add as many as we need to keep having the company grow and build it efficiently. Like I said, we were able to do all that with a minimal amount of people. And now I just want to put the right people in the right places. So that's a good question. I don't have the exact answer to that, but I think we're going to add as many people as needed to make this company run efficiently and keep growing. Okay.

And right, you know, we've talked about this privately. I ask you this question quite often. And it comes to mind again right now with the Dana White Contender series relaunching in June. It seems like every time an LFA fighter, reach as a certain stature, whether it's becoming a champion or just a level of popularity, like say a Nick Newell or a McKenzie Dern, they get snatched up by the UFC. And you continue to say, you're okay with that. In fact, you're happy, this is good for your business, you like this. Could you explain to someone how that is, why that is, why are you happy to have your top

stars be taken away from you? Well, because that's what we are. We're the number one developmental organization in the world. That's what we do. Nobody puts more people in the UFC other than the LFA. I mean, currently we have approximately about almost 20% of their current roster are alumni of our event. So that's our goal. I mean, it's kind of like we're, you know, like I was compared to college football. We're like to college football. You know, I mean, nothing, if college, if some guy, if I have as a college football and, you know, they have a, a fighter has a, or an athlete has a choice to go to the NFL or to Canadian football, like that's up to them. But we've provided the platform and we've given them the experience.

for whenever they move up to that next level in their career, hopefully the foundation and the experience we've given them, they'll be able to succeed. And that, I think, is the biggest part. What I'm happy about doing with the LFA is when I look at an athlete as a block wall, I just hope to be one or two of those blocks in their wall of success. And I feel that the LFA, you know, when the athletes come from the LFA, the experience they get with doing media interviews,

the experience that they get from having cameras, lights in their face. I mean, that's why I feel that we have such a high retention rate inside the UFC, because the guys come in there. It's not like they're just fighting in a ballroom. They're fighting in a big show. They're getting the experience of media.

They're getting the cameras in their faces. So when they step up into the big show, it's not such a shock to them. And that's what we try to do is give them a good base, a good experience. So when they step up to the next level in their career, that's what we like to do. And nothing makes me happier than seeing, you know, just this past weekend,

we have Andrea Lee, who, you know, was our flyweight, a woman's flyweight champion, go out there and have her UFC debut, and she went out and got the perform a fight-of-the-night bonus. So, you know, I don't have the actual stats of this year, but just about every show, it always seems that any time one of our athletes competes in the UFC, they're winning some sort of five-of-the-night bonus or performance of the night bonus. And I'd like to think that the experience we give them

have really helped them get to that point. And you feel like this doesn't hurt your business. Like it's one thing to say, like, yeah, I want to be the developmental, but you don't lose, you don't suffer monetarily by losing these names? No, no, I don't. I really don't feel that because when people tune in to watch the LFA,

they might, they're not, tuning in to watch, you know, Nick Newell, or they're not, maybe sometimes they are, but at the end of the day, the reason people are tuning in to watch the LFA is they're tuning in to watch who the next superstars are. And most likely, the next John Jones, the next Connor McGregory, the next Anderson-Sovah, the next Brian Ortega, is most likely going to come from the LFA because we're developing so much talent. So the reason people are tuning into the LFA is not for one particular athlete, let's say, but they're tuning in because they want to see who the next big stars are, kind of like back in the day when people used to watch the Friday night fights.

You know what I mean? The guys would build up, they'd build them up through Friday night fights to the point where they build up their popularity that they make it onto a pay-per-view. And that's how we are. We're that organization where you're most likely going to see the next future superstars. And that's why our slogan is where the future is now. You can see the future superstars today. Ed, congratulations on this new deal. That's very exciting, and I'm happy that this is great news for the company and that you will continue to grow.

Of course, also congratulations to you, Ted, on joining the MMA community. That's great for the business. That's great for the sport and the fighters. And also congratulations on, as you mentioned, LFA being nominated for promotion of the year and for you being nominated as a leading man in the sport. That is very well deserved. and I'll also mention that LFA is back this Friday, May 25th, with LFA 40 on Access TV. Always a great broadcast.

Always great to watch your shows, Ed. So again, thanks for coming on and announcing this, and congratulations to everyone involved. Hey, thank you, Ariel, and also congratulations to you on the new position with ESPN. I know we've spoken for a long time that, you know, it was always your dream when you started doing this work for ESPN. So it's really nice to see you kind of have that dream come true. And I'm excited to see you there, and I'm sure you're going to do a great job there. Thank you, Ed. I really appreciate it.

Great to meet you, Ted. Thanks for coming on as well, and congratulations. Thanks so much. All right. We'll talk to you guys soon. There they are. Ed Soros, the CEO of Elfay. Also, Ted Kim, who is joining us from London Trust Media.

Some exciting news for LFA. And he is right. I mean, the numbers speak for themselves. they are bringing in more talent than ever to the UFC. And interesting to note that Mick Maynard, who has long been an owner of an MMA promotion and built a legacy into what it has become, and then once Joe Silva retired after the sale, the UFC became a matchmaker for half of the UFC weight classes, not only is it somewhat of a conflict, but also I would imagine just wait.

too busy to run both. So I think that this is probably healthy for him and his family. And also congratulations to him as well. We'd love to have him on the show, but those matchmakers aren't allowed to speak to us, media. I'm sure he was paid nicely for this. So congrats on the fruits of his labor being recognized here and being able to cash in. I wonder if it was close to that $4 billion number. Maybe one day we'll find out. So that is exciting for the regional scene, so to speak, the developmental scene of mixed martial arts. Thank you to Ed and Ted for coming on this afternoon. Okay, let's move along.

I was very excited. I thought this was somewhat of a new era, so to speak, for our friend Paul Daly, new management. He is new to Instagram, and I was told that he might even come on via the magic of Skype, but now I'm told that the Skype is not agreeing with us. So we're back to the phones with Semtex. Paul, are you there? I am here, Ariel.

How are you? I'm doing great. What happened? I was so excited to see you. I know. I could see you. You couldn't see me. I could hear you, but you couldn't hear me.

It just wasn't meant to be on this occasion. But I do have the app. You have my username, so hopefully in the future, we'll get it. We'll get it going. All right. All right. Fair enough. Before we get into everything, Paul, I have to ask, because I was riveted on Saturday.

What did you think of the royal wedding? Yeah. Was it amazing or what? Well, it was very, it was very, interesting. I thought they did a good job with the production and she looked beautiful and let's just hope that, you know,

they have a very long and happy marriage because they look good together. Are you one of those who are kind of like, eh, it's a waste of money, what are we doing with this? Or do you appreciate it for what it is? How do you feel about it as a Brit? You know,

I'd rather not comment on it because I might, might upset some people or people might hear what I'm saying, but I feel like there are other ways to spend the taxpayers' money. But then, you know, the raw family do bring a lot of money to the country through tourism. And obviously, historically, they've done a lot for the country. So it's one of those things is what it is, as I always say. My impression is, the last thing on this,

that a lot of people do like Harry, though, for what he's done as far as, you know, military work and philanthropy. like, you know, politics and, you know, the debate about the taxes is a very, very important one, and it's well put, but he does seem to be well liked by everyone. Is that accurate? No, Prince Harry, you know what I mean? He's like, I'll call him one of the realists, as we say, because he is, he seems like you could take him out for a drink, go for a drive, you know, have a few pints, go party with him. And he seems very, he seems very, very, real. He seems very close to his mother, Princess

Diana, and that he seems approachable. He is very much a man of the people. And, you know, I think he got a fantastic job as a public servant. And funnily enough, when I was in the Army, I was in the Blues and Royals. I was in the

same regiment that Prince Harry was. When Prince Harry came and joined the Blues and Rolls, he was actually my squadron commander. Come on. for me at the time I was in military. Yeah, that's a true story. I was in D-squad and blues and rules as a driver.

But at the time that he joined the regiment, I was in military prison. So I passed in cross. Wait, wait. You were in military prison for what? Another long story, but I'm sure it's all on Wikipedia, mostly. Most things find a way to Wikipedia. But, yeah, I was away. I was away polishing my boots and, you know,

making to sweep rooms that are already clean and stuff like that. But yeah, Prince Harry was going to be our squadron commander. Wow, so you never met him. I never met him. It's probably a good thing because, you know, I don't know, we might have ended up on the front of the tabloids for instigating some kind of riots.

And obviously, I would have got the blame. But it's all good. He seems like a very nice guy, very approachable. Paul, I must say I've been interviewing you now for well over a decade. I just Googled Paul Daly military prison. Nothing has come up. This is way too big of a nugget to just... Maybe that's a good thing.

Maybe it's a good thing you didn't come up. But you can go to military prison for anything. You can go to military prison for going AWOL. You can go to military prison for not being on parade on time or stuff like this. It was nothing big, but I thought it was already out of there. Maybe I shouldn't have said it. And could you tell us why you went to military prison or you'd rather not? I'd rather not.

I'd rather not. I had speculation to do the work and we'll see what kind of stories. The legend of Semtex grows by the day. I had no idea. That's incredible. Just when we thought we knew it all about you here. Yeah, this is amazing. Okay, we have a lot to discuss as far as last week goes.

I watched that clip of you booing and talking to the broadcasters. the end of the fight. I must have seen it a hundred times. Why did you feel compelled to do that, Paul? What was going through your mind when you were doing that? Why? Do you know what it was? I just thought there was, I think it was about a minute left on the clock. The ref was obviously not going to stand the fire up. It was not going to give me my post-fire interview. I was not going to a post-fight press conference. So I had to air it while I had the opportunity. I was in a situation where I felt comfortable. His ground and pound was pathetic.

As you can see after the fight, I had no marks. I wasn't concussed. His submission attempts were, well, I don't even think he attempted to submit me. Yet, he was allowed to stay on the ground, peppering away with these ineffective shots. So I thought I'd let whoever was watching

know that I was comfortable. He's pathetic. Bellator, at the time, my opinion of them, was that they're pathetic. And I felt like, Like, with everyone against me, this is the best time to let them know exactly how I feel. So it was interesting that you just said Bellator at the time were pathetic. You threw in at the time.

Yeah. Have your feelings possibly change between now and then? Do you know what it was? Fight week, I managed to spend a little bit of time with Scott Coker. It was a little bit awkward, and it was very, it seemed like it was very awkward for him, to do what he did, but it got my respect in that. He went around the room, and I could see. It was like, should I approach Paul?

Is he going to do something crazy or not? But in the end, he came over, and we exchanged some words. We're going to be meeting at Belator London next week. We're going to have a sit down, and we're going to, you know, hash things out and see exactly what can be done to keep Centex happy. So it was promising? Is it fair to put it that way? Very promising.

Very promising. Just the fact. You know, like I said, when I spoke to you last time, I never spoke to Scott on a personal level, apart from the pre- and post-fight press conferences. So for him to make time, come over and say, look, Paul, you know, I've heard what you've been saying. I do want to sit down and have a chat with you.

You know, he wanted to do it there, and then I'm like, I'm cutting weight right now. Can we do it, you know, maybe sometime in the future? So we've set the date for Friday at Bellator 200. good. And what was the rest of the week like as far as the, you know, the, you know, the interactions and just the vibe, did you feel welcome or did you kind of feel like you were on, you know, eggshells, enemy territory? What was it like after everything you had said leading up to the fight? I felt like, it felt like, to me it felt like they felt like they were walking on eggshells and that they were in enemy territory. It was like everyone was scared of, of syntax. Not knowing you what to say, you know, they might as well put flowers on the floor when I was walking. Everyone just wanted to keep me happy and keep me from doing some crazy shit, which I didn't do, bar that last little bit in the cage.

I was very well-behaved, very well-mannered. You know, I treated Bell at all with the respect that they deserved because finally, after spitting my dummy out, as we said, I got everybody's attention. I was allowed to express my feelings and people, you know, like, okay, we need to keep Semtex happy. It was a good week. I enjoyed the week out there. To be honest, for Ville, Belatorre, did everything right.

I asked you before the fight if you felt like booking you against John Fitch was a punishment of sorts. And then you said what you had to said. And then the fight kind of goes, as we all sort of, you know, fans of yours would have feared. Just go ahead. But do you know what? Do you know what it is? Yeah. I don't, it was, you could see it as a punishment.

You know, match me against a wrestler, I'm not really going to. have the most you know it's I don't know how to put it but yeah match him against wresters is not great

for the fans but I felt like I normally have Mikey Beltrain as a ref or some of the referee for the past three fights I think

and then on this occasion I've switched it for this Hergotz guy whoever he is who is a ground guy or whatever so I feel like

as soon as Mike because Mike came to the change room and was like look Paul I'm you know Unfortunately, I'm not going to be, the prime word being, unfortunately, I'm not going to be a ref in your fight. It's going to be this guy.

And he was nice. I've never met Jason before. But as soon as that happened, I thought, okay, this, I'm not only up against a wrestler and John Fitch. I'm up against a ref who, whoever's put him in there, is put him there. And John Fitch's local crowd, even though they were booing him in the end. So I knew I was up against it. And if you see how the first round run, John Fitch, fantastic wrestler, one of the best.

But the first round, he really couldn't do nothing with me. I was pressed against a cage. I was defending his tape and out of attempts of trying to ankle pick. I was pulling him back up. He got me down for a moment. I got back up. And then finally, after four minutes of nothing, the referee separated us. And we've seen how it went after that.

So I feel if a different ref was in there, an earlier break in the first, there was a few moments stalling in the second and third. John Fitch would have got knocked out. So it wasn't the fact that the matchup was. bad. It was the fact that the referee was under instructions, I'll say, to allow John Fitch to work his tactic. Wait a second. I mean, that's a pretty big claim. You feel like he was told to not stop the action to let John do what he was doing to you? By who? I've spoke to refs. I've spoke to, maybe not directly, but you could see, you've seen

the fire. You could see how the fight was. Four minutes. four minutes against a cage with John Fitz doing nothing but burying his head underneath my bull sack what the heck is that what is that

four minutes of that me ankle picking him he did nothing there was no strike from him it wasn't it wasn't effective wrestling it's like me it's like me doing

you know double jabbing thin air for four minutes that's not effective that is not effective that's not a fight you know the ref would say come on

or like do something. He wasn't doing anything. Four minutes of that for the first round. And there was moments in the second and third, maybe not for as long a period, but where he wasn't doing anything, that's just, that's a stand-up, surely, you know.

And who do you think told him that? Someone did. Someone didn't want me to win that night. Someone didn't want me to win. I know as an MMA fighter, yes, it is, it's up to me, you know, to make an attempt, uh,

to bring the fight where I want it or whatever, but it's also up to John Fitch to try and finish the fight or do something, advance his position which he really wasn't trying to do or something. I feel like I was up against it that night, up against Reff, up against Bellator,

up against the home crowd. If that fight was in England, maybe Mont Goddard as a referee, maybe Beltrain as a referee, there would have been a lot more, you know, breaks in the action where the refs said, enough enough. That's four minutes of doing it.

nothing, John Fitch, you ugly bastard. That's enough of your stalling on the ground with your pit-patch, pit a pat-a-pac-punch, stand back up, or something. There would have been more moments for the fans to see that 30 seconds that we got at the back end of the first round. And if that would have happened, he would have got knocked out. Shortly after the fight, you signed with Ali Abdel-Aziz to be your manager. Why did you make this decision?

You know, first of all, he approached me. he said some good things and obviously I know who he is I know the kind of people that he has on his roster and I feel like at this stage of my career

I know people are listening to me now I know that when I spit my dummy out I'm heard around the world everybody is still interested in what this mouthy little British kid has to say maybe not a kid anymore a bit more of an old man

but people still like to hear what like I have to say. And I feel we're putting someone like, like Ali, with me and my team, that maybe some of the things that I say and some of the ideas I have will be executed without the whole hurrah or without me having to fight a guy like John Fitch

as well as an instructed, an instructed referee, you know, someone with a bit of, with a bit of power. should I say, or someone who can help me in the negotiations and having people hear what I have to say then for the last 12 months, 18 months of my career it's going to be a very, very exciting journey.

No secret that Ali has a great relationship with the UFC. Are you doing this to try to get back in their good graces or are you hopeful that you will be able to fix your relationship with Belator? Who knows? I got two fights left on my contract. We'll see what Bellator does. You know, I had a lot of promises at the start. Hopefully the meeting of Scott next Friday goes very well,

and we can sort things out. We can make entertaining fights. You know, they can keep me active as promise. They can allow me to do kickboxing for Billetton, and we can get a lot of things done. Otherwise, I'm going to have to drag Nick Diaz out of rehab, you know, you know, I know. I know I heard he's in rehab.

He's having a tough time. So I have to drag, drag him. his ugly ass out of rehab and get the rematch with him and, you know, put on another entertaining fight for the fan. So he knows. Maybe we get Nick Diaz over to Bellator. Maybe I do these two fights. I go across to the UFC, help the dude out, and we'll see what so.

So you mentioned Nick, who obviously isn't fighting these days. He's not in Belator. He's in rehab. He's in rehab. You're going to be at 200 this weekend, right? Yeah, I'm going to be at Bellator 200. You're going to say something about MVP, the other guy, the other dude, where the big fights at, and that's a fight that's going to be made.

Definitely, that's one of the, that will probably be one of the main points that me and, me and Scott talk about. He says he doesn't want to fight because I've done him a favor and let the fight grow and allow him to make more money than it's probably ever made. he says he doesn't want to fight me now but I think I think when we hash it scale out with Scott Coker that the fight will be made and MVP will get an ass whoop in

he'll probably be very well this weekend against the 1 55 a predominantly wrestler that they've given him to allow him to look good as they've done with all of his fights that he's had but when he does eventually step in there with me the first genuine test of his career

he will get switched off within the first round, I'm pretty sure of that. If he can't beat a fat of fat, Tommy Gonzalez, he got a split decision against him, then he's got no chance against me. If Scott Coker and Company are unable to make this fight

as you are still under contract with Beltoir, that will be one of the greatest blunders of his Hall of Fame career. It is too good of a fight with too big of a backstory for them not to make it. And then I see MVP say, to our own our own site

and Sean Al Shadi spoke to him and he said he's done with the fight he said that he believes you're your self-harming yourself that you're jealous of him

all this stuff I don't know if you've seen these comments but is this just another what's going on here I don't know you're unable to cross the finish line

I mean this was this was heavy stuff that he said is that what he said well this guy is obviously diluted he doesn't know how to

to conduct himself in business. The guy is, a guy is, he doesn't even realize that he's been given his career. You know, he's been giving his career, he's been giving fights, and he hasn't fought anybody.

So obviously, his self-belief is going to be an all-time high, but he cannot walk in my shoes on any given day. He's not made of the same shit that I'm made of. So when we get in the cage, his whole world is going to unravel.

He's probably going to be crying at the end of the fight. I'll say that. So hopefully we'll make the fight. We get to see MVP in tears. I get to run home with a bunch of money, and my fans are all happy. This is the fight that should have been happening this Friday at Bellator 200. I still don't understand why it hasn't happened yet, but I'm hopeful that it will happen now, perhaps. Go ahead.

Yeah, it's going to happen. It's going to happen. If it doesn't happen, it's not on my, it's not on my behalf. Me and my team, me and me and me and Ali now, dominance, fight management, where we're ready to make the fight. I mean, like I said, I meet with Scott on Friday. I'm going to be Cade side on Friday to see Mike, to see him win.

I'm pretty sure he should win. He should be a guy like Rickles. You should do it pretty easily as well. Yeah, I'm interested to see the fight, and then hopefully we can get a contract signed and we can have a big date to announce. Last thing for you, Paul, some exciting news also late last week.

You have finally joined Instagram, so you're no longer just a Facebook guy, although Facebook owns Instagram, so we're still within the family. Does this mean we will finally see you on Twitter? Is that day finally now? Twitter, Semtex, is it happening? How long has it took me just to get to this stage,

just to get to Instagram? I've, you know, like I said, I've got the management team now with me, and they're pushing me in, in positive directions. And on their advice, I'll make the right steps. I'll make the right changes. But, yeah, Semtex 170 is my Instagram. What do you call it, Instagram, tag Instagram. Yeah, yeah. What do I call it?

That's how you find me anyway. You find me on Instagram, Semtex 170. Finally, I'm on there. Give me a follow. And, yeah, you should see my Twitter this year. I'm going to give you that, Ariel. I'm going to promise you this. This year.

Paul? Yeah. Come on. What about today? I was told that it might happen today. Today? Yes. If I was told that there's a good chance, it could happen today, then.

I'll see. Right now, I've got a bottle of desperado in my hand. I mean, during my two weeks off, my wife's cooking me a great meal. I'm not really thinking about sitting down and opening up a Twitter account. So if today, then tomorrow. Please give me the scoop. There is no story that I want more than Paul Daly finally joining Twitter. So please let me know when this happens.

100%. You've been one of the most biggest campaigners to get me onto Twitter. So, you know, when I get there, it's going to be 95% down to you. All right. Well, thank you. Paul, I'm glad to hear that things are maybe moving in the right direction here, that you're attending the event on Friday. I personally think you should be headlining that event against Michael Page, but alas, I digress.

This is a good first step. Good luck with your meeting. Good luck with everything. And whenever you want to tell us the story about you in military prison, even Dan Hardy is mocking me that I can't get the story out of you here on Twitter. He's telling me that I need to get the scoop. You owe me this one. This is what you're missing on Twitter. People are talking about you, Paul, on Twitter right now, and you're missing out on it.

So you need to join and tell us this story once and for all before it's all done. we'll get it done i'll get it out there mate all right cool thank you paul talk to you soon nice and i'm nice and mate take care all right there he is semptex there is only one paul semptext daily and uh i mean what what a guy even that clip i just i couldn't stop watching it it was hilarious so i'm happy to hear that things are moving in the right direction also happy to hear that he is meeting with scott cocker and he has proper management now and uh he said that the fight is going to happen him versus mvp that fight should be happening this friday in the uk in london Belator 200. What bigger fight? What bigger fight can they make? That one is like two years in the making.

All right. So this is what we're going to do now. Thank you so much to Paul and his new team for setting that up. In a matter of moments, we're going to be joined in studio for the first time in the history of this program by the one and only Mara Rinaloa. As I said at the top of the show, in my opinion, the greatest combat sports broadcaster in the history of combat sports. He has seen and done it all. And on May 25th, this Friday, on Showtime, his new documentary premieres. This is unlike any documentary that I've ever seen related to anyone in our little world of combat sports. It is as honest, as raw, as authentic as it gets. If you have the level of respect that I have for Morrow, I guarantee you that that respect will grow tenfold after you've seen what he has accomplished, what he's been

able to overcome, and what he continues to overcome. It's an unbelievable look at a a man who's, as I said, one of the most talented human beings that I've ever come across. And I thought it would be apropos, just so you get a sense. I've had the pleasure of watching it, and I was blown away by it. I've seen it actually twice. I thought it would be appropriate for you to see this quick trailer, and then we'll welcome Morrow in studio after the trailer end. So here it is, the trailer for Bipolar Rock and Roller.

It premieres this Friday, May 25th on Showtime. It is must see, even if you are not a fight fan, just on a human level, you must see this documentary here's a quick look at it i was hot medication and i was a mentally ill patient in a psychiatric war i was able to discover at a very young age that my voice was an instrument he was just a natural so much energy i said do you have a talent i'm going to make it i'm going to become a major star And then the biggest battle of my life beget. I was sick. I was really sick. We call it bipolar disorder, but it really describes two phenomena.

One is depressive episodes and what we call manic episodes. You have these breakdowns, rage, just the brain chemicals. We didn't know anything about it. You're seeing someone with a mental disorder like that, just melt down, you just go, Wow. I'm a fucking prisoner to my own fucking mind. Hey mom. Biggest show of my career. Thanks for your love and support. I want to kick the living crap out of this. Illness may be a life sentence for a lot of us, but it does not have to be a death sentence. Keep fighting the good fight.

It is an honor now to welcome in studio for the first time in the history of this program, the one and only, the Bipolar rock and roller himself, Morrow O'Nallo. There he is. Morrow. How are you, my friend? Wow. This is amazing. Ariel. Come here, brother. Good to see you, brother.

It's great to see you. Very good to see you. And congratulations. Thank you. All right? Thank you so much. Another proof, another piece of evidence that we're all capable of living our dream. So very proud of you, bro.

Thank you, Morrow. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you right now. Honestly, I am so happy. And on this day, man, I have so much to get to you. Of course. But like on this Monday after the news for myself personally on Thursday, I was telling Eric at the beginning of the show, when John Pollock reached out to me in 2007, Thanksgiving of 2007, I had been doing this for one month and asked me to be on your show. I told my wife, that is the mountaintop. I will not accomplish anything greater than being on your show talking to the voice of pride.

You called me the titan of Twitter. Absolutely. And like you giving me the time of day and opening your arms to me and just by some, you know, little interview, giving me. me the rub, so to speak, meant the world to me. So it just, for you to be here on this day is almost surreal. I didn't give you the rub, sir, and you like myself, and it's funny how there are many parallels, and maybe one of the reasons I think I didn't take one of my wing by any means, but gave you that opportunities because I saw, first of all, a lot of hard work, a lot of determination, a lot of raw talent, and your fellow Canadian, my man. So, but again, very proud of you and

very proud to be here, sir, and I'm glad that the premier is in New York. You know, for me personally, having a premiere in New York City, what's happening? Is this life? Yes, it's unbelievable. Okay, so we have a lot to discuss here because I was actually going through my emails. You're a good friend Harris. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yesonovich. Yosanovich. Harris, Usanovich, yes. What a wonderful guy, and I'm so happy he's a big part of this. I was going through emails. He first told me about this documentary in 2013. It's 2018. It took that long. Why did it? it takes so long? Yeah, it's, first of all, we didn't know what we were doing with any of this. I met Harris when I went to Toronto to work at the fight network in 2006. He was a young editor

slash cameraman aspiring filmmaker. We became fast friends. He used to hang out with me in my apartment, and he got to see the other side of Morrow. And it was startling. It was, I guess, a little traumatic even for him. But with his storytelling of vision, he thought, you know, Morrow, if there is any way we can try to document this because everyone sees you at this level. And yet, my God, you're a fighter. You go through a daily struggle unlike anything I've ever seen. So he started filming much before even 2013. And we were like, maybe there's a YouTube video here, a short film, a PSA of some kind.

It was after I saw a short film that he had made about a war victim in Bosnia, five, six, seven minute film. And I'm like, you did this by yourself? And he's like, yeah, I go, wow, dude, you got an eye. You're very talented. We became like brothers. I don't think this film would have been made without Harris because there has to be that level of trust. And so we started filming almost everything everywhere.

And when we realized, because I've been on TV or camera since I was 16 years old, that my career, minus the mental illness, was bipolar in itself growing up on a dead end road to calling Mayweather McGregor. the highs, the lows, the comebacks. So when Harris finally decided to make this a documentary, by the grace of God, Showtime, which has been my number one, I mean, the longest tenure I've ever had professionally since 2007, so 11 years, and these people are family. You understand the business area.

This is cutthroat, we're competitive. Everyone wants everyone's job, and why are you getting that attention? Showtime, all of the on-air talent that we have with Showtime Championship boxing, even with MMA, we're each other's friends and colleagues and supporters. And when they agreed to come on board and put the finishing touches on it and Malcolm Media and all these young, talented people getting behind it. And Stephen Espinoza, of course, David Dinkins, Gordon Hall, so many names, I couldn't believe it, that they were willing to do something of this nature.

Because I knew it was going to open up some eyes. I knew it was going to give people pause because, do you really want to do this? because of the stigma, Ariel. And even Stephen Espinosa in a recent piece said, at first he's like, well, you know, Moro's my guy, I got to protect Moro. This is, and then he realized, wait a minute, this is exactly why we have to do this because of what I just thought. Everyone thinks that.

Well, this is, you know, this is your private life. Why are you exposing yourself? Because no matter how much you talk about it earlier, we write, Ariel, we write about it, it's hard to articulate. I think Ron Howard in a beautiful mind with Russell Crow did probably the best job I have seen cinematically of depicting schizophrenia, mental condition. So for me, the only reason I believe that this will hopefully impact lives and make a difference and believe me, the tsunami of feedback I received just from the trailer is incredible, a lot of men. But the reason this works is because you do

see me at my worst and at my best. But at my worst is where I want people to go, wow, I know someone like, wow, that is me. Wow. He's letting people see this. Then what's my problem? I, I, I, I And simply put, communication, compassion and understanding, that's all we need. How difficult was for you to sign off on this, to say, I'm okay with this being out there? Like, the trailer is like, I just played this thing. That's you at a very dark time in your life. You know me. Yeah.

You know that I am, I mean, I love Robin Williams. I love Andy Coffin, not to say this is performance art by any means, but because of that person, and I've always had that gene where I love impacting people, I love shocking people, whether it's with a weird turn of phrase or making them laugh or making them feel, telling people's stories like you do so well. I want people to feel. I didn't have any, in fact, they asked them. I wanted it to be even worse.

And then there was, I don't know to what degree, but there were, you know me, I'm extreme. So even seeing the trailer, and of course I've seen it many times, it's funny. What gets me in that is the breathing at the end. Those extra two breaths, saying what I'm saying, that's the truth. That's me. I have no problem. I want you to know it. But just the breaths, just knowing what it takes out of my, I heard it.

I heard the toll. And I'm okay here for the most part area. But we've lost too many people and a lot of men to suicide because of stigma, because they're not allowed to release like I did. That was a release. In many ways, like my job, allowing Harris to do this was cathartic for me. It was like most of the time I didn't even realize the camera was there. But there are times even in the dock you'll see it where I do address it.

And there is maybe almost some performance art aspects to it. But it is authentic and legitimate in the moment knowing I don't give a shit what you know about me. If it didn't make you physically sick, I'd probably show you it. If it took that, you know, that much of a move to try to get people's attention, I will do whatever it takes. So this is why I agreed to be filmed in the matter that I was. And as I've said in other interviews, and I'll tell you now, a lot of people, family included still, what are your employers going to think, man, this is going to maybe cost you future employment because, wow, this guy's unstable or what if this happens on air? And holy shit, I didn't know if this is this bad. if I save one life, that's fine.

I went to the fountain house today here in New York, which, by the way, the greatest mental health care facility that I had never heard of. And I understand now there's 300 clubhouses around the world. And I wanted to bring this up now because I see myself going to work at one of those places eventually. And so that's what I mean. If my legacy aerial, and I've been blessed to call some of the biggest fights ever, I'm a mental health advocate first and foremost. That's what I was put on earth to do. That's why I was given a voice. That's what I was given.

All of this incredible success because I need to be put on a platform like this in order to try to save lives. When did you first realize that you were battling this, that this was something that will be a part of you forever? I always knew there was something different about me from birth and the family will say, too. I was hypersensitive. I was empathetic or had empathy without knowing what it was. I used to get really sick to my stomach and have to be rushed to emergency as a kid a lot.

and no, you know, they were saying ulcers or something. Like, it was, I, I felt everyone's pain. I felt my family's pain and my, you know, my mom and dad have had health issues my entire life. I just, I was able, I remember at school, this is not, oh, you're such a sweet boy, or, oh, you're such a nice guy. I'm trying to just paint the picture of what my life has been like. I was a guy in elementary school, we'd have hot dog day in, you know, 75 cents for a little chock of milk and a hot dog.

I noticed a couple of times there was one boy never partook or were never, and, and, and, And I found it couldn't afford it. And I was like, well, that's ridiculous. Going to my dad's pants till the change and tell the teachers. So what I'm saying is I always knew we were, you know, we have to take care of each other. I'm here to try to help people in any way, shape, and form that I can. So when I was 19 years old, however, and I already enjoyed some great success with the wrestling show and working in clubs, Michael Jansen, my best friend, died suddenly July 6, 1989 of a heart attack.

that and and if you read up on on bipolar anyway disorder or mental health issues it's a it's severe stress that will trigger and his death was a very you know one of the first times that it hit me that close especially 19 years of age uh so it sent me into a spiral it ended up with me being hospitalized a lot of people thought i was just a drunk an alcoholic or a drug addict uh i remember self-medicating I was a DJ in a nightclub. I drank 42 consecutive nights in a row. Never forget the number. I was drunk 42 nights in a row as a badge of honor. Look at me. I can do this. A girlfriend at the time was a bartender and she finally had seen enough. We need to, we need to bring this guy to the hospital. There's something wrong here. And so when I was diagnosed as manic depressive back then,

first instincts, and I apologize for swearing, I try not to, but it was F you and F all of you for, for, you're calling me crazy? You what? You know, like, of course, like most people, it was like, well, how dare you? There's nothing wrong with me. It's all of you. And for my 20s, my friend, as much as I still maintained a career in radio and, and yet should have been a lot further ahead, probably, with my so-called talent and desire and drive and opportunity, I was not taking medication, was not subjecting myself to any treatment and you the toll that it took on my family, my friends, myself, it is incredible what I put everyone through multiple times being hospitalized, threatening my family's life, threatening my life, not taking care of myself, hygienic.

I was in the hospital two-week period. For two weeks, I did not shower, did not brush my teeth, did not eat. I remember looking like the grizzly Adams, a hobo out of the wood, and just sick and dirty and smelly. And my mom was at her wits end, of course, like anyone. And, you know, I'm raised Catholic. I'm not here to preach or anything like that. But I remember they'm sending a priest to my room.

And he did whatever a prayer and he gave me the oil of the cross. Coincidence or not, Ariel. Hours later, I am freshly showered, shaved, dressed up, going to the nurses station asking for breakfast. And the nurses, they're all about like, Morrow, wow, what's going on? And I'm like, sorry, can I have something to eat? And so I believe, I believe in my mind, in my desire, I've always been a fighter, that the priest just made me, you know, he represented my mom and my family being at the end for them to have to do that.

So I don't know what it is that it just signals something in me. And maybe there is a higher power. I can't explain it. But I, that's when I became okay again for a while. But, but I've, I've had so much help, Ariel, so much support. And that's why, as well, I'm able to do this and be here because of the support of loved ones and friends and even people like yourself who, regardless of how often we talk or whatever, you're always checking in or something happens. You guys, I have, look at the community I have. Every one of us as human beings deserves that. And when I get people emailing me and tweeting me and sending me that their own families don't understand and they're at the end, literally at the end of their rope, It's, it's, it's traumatizing, but also it emboldens me in my pursuit to change all of this.

One thing that struck me in the documentary is just how much footage there is of you as a youngster. And a little bit was shown in that trailer of, I love if you can explain to me what was going on. Like, it seems like you have a group of friends sitting down and you're performing for them, but you have like a cereal box on your head. There's one time when you're twirling, you're wearing a, like a three-piece suit. What is going on there? So Peter Cordellis was the first person who hired me in the entertainment business. The only application for him I have filled out in my broadcasting career was this mobile music

DJ service in Abbotsford, British Columbia, my hometown. We became again fast friends. The guy's a genius. He had his own recording studio, photography. He was like my sense. They introduced me to the Beatles at the deepest sense. Like we just, he was the guy that I wanted to be around because we talked music and movies. He had VHS tapes of almost every film.

He was just this quirky Greek genius. So he used to hold these gatherings after the nightclub and stuff. And for whatever reason, we'd just start playing music or doing things. We're all artistic, theatrical, in our way. And I'm one of those people, I guess, that just ended up, I wanted to entertain. So I put on these improvisational shows. And I could tell, yeah, a little over the top of that, people found it entertaining to the point. More people would want it.

It became like, well, when do you have another get together at Pete's? And I remember he was in a band as well, and they'd go and do like pub jam sessions and whatnot. I'm, you know, my glasses, my tie, 19, 20 years old. And they'd get me to come up and I would start freestyling about everything going on in the pub. To the point, the kitchen staff would come out. And people are like, what in the hell is going on and why does this make so much sense? So I've always had the performers gene. You know that, even in my style of broadcasting.

I'm not a cookie cutter broadcaster, as it were. But so that's why he just, he had all these tapes over there's saved. And, you know, I put Harris and him together. But yeah, you're right. I mean, there's more to come, actually. And I'm going to give you a scoop. Please. I'm at course, because you deserve it.

There was so much stuff that I wanted to show here. But in terms of what I want to do now career-wise and everything, I need to continue, of course, we're in this age of instant, grad of instant, you know, satisfaction. There is footage of me, November, 1988. I am 18 years of age, and I am wrestling coconut willy. The politically incorrect term is M-I-D-G-E-T, little person, but that's what it was known as then. Brother, my 13-year-old brother at the time is on the camcorder, my mom, but, and again, I know

Harris is somewhere going, no! But I wanted to just say because wait until you see this. And so for me to be able to have other stuff to use to connect to mental health, but hopefully also entertain people, it's weird. There's a lot of stuff still to come, but this is more about directly addressing mental health. And so whatever it takes, I'm willing to do. Well, did you have a say throughout the entire editing process?

Like, did you say, I want this in, I want this out, how did that work? Good question. And this is the level of trust I have for, Harris Usandovich. I don't talk about this much and it needs to be discussed. I know I have a career. I've been working for 32 years. Eris, a young guy, young family, and just much like yourself, bringing you on my radio show. One thing I've always tried to do is try to get back, Boss Rutan. So many people have helped me. I mean, I can't count how many people have looked out for me. Got to pay it forward, got to get back. I trusted Harris because I just, I loved him.

I love his family. I love what he represents. He's in a weird way, my muse in many. ways like he will be around where I'm inspired to try things without without with knowing if he's if I'm going to be judged he'll tell me that sucked or my god that's awesome so I just said Harris this is also your I want you to get notice for this because this is your first documentary and a lot of people why why him I mean wow what a story why him because I trusted him right place right time he he he put in thousands of his own dollars may never recoup who knows left his young family. Like this was, he, he, when I was in the hospital, the one time in Ontario, in Toronto, every single day he would come and visit. So it was a level of trust. So to answer your question

without rambling like I usually do, I trusted him. I didn't want to see it until it was done. So I was like when you saw it the first time. I saw Brian Daly and the, the Malcolm Media crew brought me in to see it. And I watched with them. Harris was there as well. Oh, of course, right? You know, buddy, I did the showtime champion. a boxing card on Saturday and you know you get your feedback oh that was a great land that was a great I still crit I'm I'm not a fan of me I'm my own worst critic I'm never surprised are you ever satisfied are you satisfied after your shows hate it I can't stand it that means that's why we are driven and why we continue to work hard in watching it I love the production I mean for like removing

myself I'm like holy shit this is good like it's compelling like the music the editing music is phenomenal the footage I'm like well but seeing myself in all, like even when I'm having, like, doing a promo, wrestling promo, I know it's a promo, but maybe I think some people are going to think, wow, what an arrogant, you know, what a narcissist or whatever, what I'm saying, he's the best looking guy. So already that stuff goes on in my mind. And then when you see the breakdowns, yeah, it's, it's, you know, I think of how my parents might react, or people that truly love me. And I've warned them and I've let them know that this is, it is going to be very difficult to watch, but it needs to be. So I understood

the way it impacted me, the more uncomfortable I was, the back of my mind, I was like, good, because that's what it has to be in order for it to be effective. Have your parents, your brothers, have they seen the film yet? No one, they've only seen the trailer. My mom, thankfully, and again, thanks to, you know, the folks at Showtime and Brian Daly and the entire team there, we are going to be on Friday, May 25th, the same night in Canada on the movie network two, I believe, at 10 o'clock Eastern. So they will see it.

And there's also a Canadian premiere in Toronto that Harris and his family. His wife, Azra, are helping to put together our boy, John Pollock and the crew will be there. And Michael Landsberg, who was a huge major advocate of mental health and a, you know, big time sportscaster, a rock star in Canada. He will be a part of that. So when your parents see for the first time, you won't be with them? Guess where I'll be? London, England, calling Bellator. And isn't that poetic?

Yes, that's right. Of course, moral somewhere working. And on a competing station, no less is the same thing. It's none of this is normal in its own sense. So I'll be in London, England at 2 o'clock in the morning. Of course, I will be monitoring, hopefully, what I hope will be positive feedback. But I'm, that's the thing here, too, Ariel. Out of every hundred messages I got back, I think I've seen only one that's like,

oh, here's another one. Yeah, look at me, woes me. All of us have problems. All of us. Yes, I understand. Too many people have their problems and are suffering. in silence and are not getting help and are literally killing themselves. So excuse me for just wanting to just make it easier or try to make it easier to talk about it.

This is not a vanity project. This is not the moral Rinalo story. Yeah, I think I've had a very unique journey compelling. Whatever. This is about trying to eliminate stigma and trying to get people to talk more about mental health like DeMarra Rosen and Kevin Love and the NBA. Logic, major hip-hop artist, Mariah Carey doing a people cover bipolar disorder. Demi Lovato, the Greg Bishop Sports Illustrated has done a piece on me.

Jason Gay, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, this is not an end-dropping. This is major media that's finally like, wow, yeah, we need to start talking about this. So I'm a little speck in this universe that wants to just, you know, lend my voice to the cause. Do you think if your friend never passed away that this never would have happened? Do you ever think about that? Or was it inevitable that something else would have triggered you? Can't answer that, my friend. because I was riding a massive high then, and there was opportunity, even at 19, to take my pro wrestling career to another level.

I remember there was a little interest from WCW in Atlanta, Georgia, that they'd seen a VHS tape. And maybe, I joked about this, and I've told Jimmy Cornett this, too. I could have come in as Billy Cornett with a badminton racket. He had the tennis racket, of course. So, but the timing, all of it, you know, crescendoed with his death. and then I thought my broadcasting. I thought everything was over when he died. And it's funny at 21, and remember, this is 1991, and you know the broadcast game.

Your first radio job is not supposed to be in your hometown where you can, you know, still maintain your life and sleep at home. You're going to Timbuktu for 500 a month eating, you know, tomato soup out of the can. I was on April Fool's Day, I was hired by my local radio station, kind of a nice little touch there as well. My program director when I was hired full-time was Brian Labor. At the age of 21, I had a complete breakdown again, and this was the one that hospitalized me for the first time, or not the first time, second or third, but the longest, three months. I just started at the station.

And again, I knew career's over, dude. You're going to be probably living at home the rest of your life, maybe on disability, maybe working a nine to five job just. And that's where my mind began to say, I'm going to end this then. I don't want this life because I truly. know like yourself, I know what I'm put on earth to do. I know what my dream is. I've already achieved a part of it. Please don't let it stop. When I broke down, it was in hospital, I wrote a resignation letter to the station. My father, whom I've had a very strained relationship throughout

my life, but we're at a better place now. He saved my life because they never gave the radio station the letter. But Brian Laver, who I've not had contact with for over 20 years, he was the first person, my employer, to say, no, no, we're going to wait. We'll wait as long as it takes. He's a great kid, raw talent, awesome. So what I'm saying, from the beginning, all of my employers have supported me. And I am getting nothing but feedback saying that is not the case with a large portion of the people that have contacted me when it comes to their employers. And the fact that we are losing billions of dollars of productivity every year because of the lack of mental health care, I have to go back to Fountain House. Please, Fountain House. Please, Fountain House.

Mountainhouse.org, clubhouse slash I-N-T-L-org, Nirvana for mental health care. But so what I'm saying, I've had support my entire life, and it began right at the beginning. That was actually my initial reaction, because I know what you've been through, you know, since I've known you, you've had moments where you had to believe of that.

Well, you've been subjected to some of my moments. I mean, I don't want to hear it out here, and we are, but I'm serious. Like, I've treated people I love weirdly. I've, I unfollowed him on Twitter, everybody. Why? What happened? It's this. It really truly is.

And it's like I'm almost like because I helped you or whatever, sometimes I'm like, okay, well, he doesn't need me anymore. I don't hear from him anymore. Screw him too. Gone. It's me. It's not you, bro. It's always been me.

So I always self-sabotage era. When things are going great, I always, for some reason, I push and push and push. And I'm learning. Like, even with me doing this documentary, don't by any stretch of the imagination think I'm cured. There is no cure. And I'm still trying to find the treatment that helps me when they, and so again, I apologize to you right now, brother. My family, when I look around and tell my mom and dad and my brothers, I'm going to effing kill you and what, come on? That's not, that there's something wrong, whether it's chemical imbalance, whether it's hereditary, genetic, a product of her

environment. You know as far as much as anyone. I'm, I'm a decent person. I'm only trying to help everybody, but I know, I know what I'm capable of and it scares the hell out of me. Poor John Pollock, I've asked him so many times what I ever did to you and he is such a loyal friend to you. You did nothing. And it's just, and it broke my heart. Of course. And I love you. I really love you. And you've been so great to me. It's, I've done this over the years to many people who have been there for me or I helped. It is something I'm, I'm glad we've been about here because it's a weight off my shoulders. It's, it's one of my stupid quirks, man, that I need to work on for myself.

I still feel Ariel and, man, I'll give you everything here. I think I'm a frickin fraud dude. I think I'm going to lose everything instantly. I think that was my last showtime show. I think Bellator is going to call me, you're done. WWE, well, you're two over the top, you're out. So I'm not going to lie. I see people I've helped.

Oh, man, I don't know what your struggles are. See, I'm judgmental as anybody else. Well, he's doing well. Pollock's doing well. These guys, I got to keep more. Do you get that? How weird is that? A guy who's had the year I've had calling Johnny Gargano versus Tomaso Champa five-star match by Meltzer Takeover.

Anthony Joshua Klitschko, the Mayweather McGregor, John Cena, AJ Stiles. What in the hell do I have to complain about? So don't you think then, my God, there is something wrong. And what a man, I feel sorry because I, if anyone, this is another reason I'm did this doc. I'm on top of the world. But I'm, every day I struggle with this. Every day I wake up in a state of anxiety, panic, going, is this the day I end it? Every day.

Every single day. Buddy, today, I am on such fumes and emotionally tired. And I went for a walk to Central Park with Harris. And it's, it's, it now I don't want it to be, you know, whatever much bigger. It is every day. It is every day, sir. Wow. You know it was wild for me, and I hope you don't mind me.

Do it. Let's go, bro. Let's open it up. 2010 NCAA championship game. the score gave me the opportunity to go cover UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, but I had to do a pit stop in Toronto. You put me on the show, the MMA show,

and I watched Butler versus Duke at your apartment. And I remember going to the score and seeing you, and it was just so wild, I'm there with Morrow and Alaw, because at the time I'm only doing this two years, and you went home with me, and you were like a man on a mission going home. You stopped and you got a caramel al-maciato. I remember this vividly.

You got to your apartment, and it's the same apartment that's in the dog. you undressed you went on you were wearing your your underwear so it was you went on the keyboard

and you told me you didn't have any practice you're going on the keyboard you're banging away the volcano I was introduced to that and that is exactly and it was wild

to me to experience that all over again because that's when I first realized not that you're different I knew you were quirky guy but I was like wow this is an insight into his world you're you showed me

your DVR and your scripts and everything like that it was an experience I'll never forget. And then to recreate it, to relive it on the dock was for me, almost like an out-of-body experience to see that again. I felt like I was back in 2010.

And that's where, and see, again, thankfully you remember, I appreciate that, you've seen, well, and only, it's funny, you think in our world or whatever, we're on camera, where we're well-known or whatever, we have some notoriety, hate the word celebrity, but nobody really truly knows nobody's story. And for some people, they want

it that way. I get this. Some people, even today, I got a tweet, I told you about like, oh, yeah, poor are you, or what was you? not about that man. I'm showing, look, I've lost too many people. Larry Sweeney. Do you remember Larry Sweden? Yes, of course. The wrestling manager. I had him on my radio show in Canada and I knew he was bipolar to him and I was, this guy's incredible. Yeah. Like, what a talent man on the stick, the acting. And then I saw videos at WrestleMania right before he passed away. And I actually was. I saw him. I walked by him. And I don't know who I was with, but I said, my God, I knew something was going to

happened to him. And I felt I couldn't do anything because of when you can't, you know, how do I say? Even myself, see, this is what I'm saying. I wanted to help him. And I only knew what I could do was try to be there and maybe reach out whenever possible. But when he committed suicide and I think I went on a rant on my radio show. I remember. So when I, when someone like that, and then there's been others, my family, the people who aren't even covered in this. And again, and you're bringing it out because you're the man, dude. The show. Shulton family has never been addressed. This is the first time I have to do. This is my, wow, again, we're just going to do this. Mrs. Liz Shulton may be the strongest woman that I have ever

met in my life. Her husband committed suicide due to bipolar. And this was going back in the 90s. And then a year later, her daughter was brutally murdered by her ex-husband leaving behind three kids. I helped raise the kids. Like, I was drawn to the family. And she saved my life more than anybody. Fast forward. 2006, I'm in Toronto, there's a parole hearing or something about their dad who killed this and the kids are all, you know, traumatized and nervous and don't want to, they want my support. I've always been there for them. I'm violently ill with the flu on the day that I'm supposed to be there. I obviously let them down and stuff. What do I do with that instead of, okay, well, it's okay, I'll make it up, whatever. I haven't talked to them since,

Ariel. Again, me, like, I felt so bad and so, like, I can't even explain it, but all my fault, they've tried to reach out and stuff. And it was almost like I had to finally escape all of the negative. As much love and support I got for them, they were going through so much themselves. My family, living at home, God bless my mom and dad, it's just so negative, so negative. And I needed escape from everything. So it's almost like you run away. And I'm still trying to come to terms with people that I've heard along the way. And it's, and right now this is first time talking about it. And I don't know if I ever will talk to them or see them again, but I just want to let them know whoever sees this, pass it along to them that I will never forget what Liz, Shulton,

and the Shultons did for me because she helped me through the darkest, darkest times and came and so like just the best person ever. Wow. And so why don't you reach out to them to try to Again, why? Something in my, I just feel like why would they care now? They probably, you know, who cares now? It's been too late, you know, whatever. Morrow. Nice, you know, F you get lost. And I, why wouldn't they think otherwise? And honestly, there is a part of me. A lot of my past is so traumatic to me. And that's what people say, well, living this then isn't this worse that this is the release. But I have to keep moving forward. We all have to keep moving forward. And that's, that's the only way I can stay alive is I just have to. I'm learning. to compartmentalize things. I'm trying to just stay not so much within my head, but try to do other stuff. I don't like you, too. You've got a family, but I still don't know what you do with all the travel and stuff. Like, I'm, not that I'm getting burned out. I love what I do, but I need something else, too. I don't have something else. You want something else. I have to, Ariel. Yeah. And that's the music, I guess I do. But something even, like, just steady exercise

every day, going hiking every day. It's so weird. I'm getting up. I'm ready to go on my Peloton bike, get the workout in, all of a sudden, tweet something in wrestling happens, something in celebrity. Like, I get so distracted, so quick with information. And I go down the rabbit hole and the next thing I know, well, there's the day's gone. That's right. That can't, I have to learn to control that. This might be a hard question for you to answer, but were you ever close to committing suicide? Many times.

How close? It's in the dock, I guess, where I say, I wonder if the light fixture can, uh, control my body weight. I said this to have reported yesterday, and again, it's sensationalistic, but it's also real. I have been dogged the last week with the visual of me just, yeah, it's very strange. I'm obsessed with death, always have been. I remember when I was a kid, when my dad's dad died, I remember I was in my bedroom, sleeping young guy, we wake up, and again, this is my dad and mom, not a lot of communication

or emotion shown. And my dad just said, yeah, I got a call. Italy. My dad passed away. And it's okay, well, you're at, nothing's shared. I go to school. The frickin flood case come out tears. I remember asking people in grade eight, how old their parents were. So in my mind, I could go, so you're probably going to be about 48, 50 when you're, why? Why? Like I, so I've always had this tortured soul, this incredibly dark side to my thought process. The only time that I've ever even remotely come close to doing it was when I was in my vehicle at the time. And it's, you know, the cliche.

You just let's run this bitch into the ditch and hope that it ends. But again, I can't do it to my family. My support network, wow, surprise, surprise. My support network keeps me alive. Isn't that amazing? What happens when you have people that genuinely care and love you? They check in and make sure you're okay. That's, again, Ariel, what so many people are lacking, and that's why this documentary has to work.

I'm the support network. People go, you're nuts, you put your email out there. Why not? And I try to, and I do. I respond to every single one, because why else am I here? People are hurting. People are suffering. It is the invisible disease.

We are seen but not heard. One of the members of Firehouse told me today. A man who was diagnosed with schizophrenic, who was an aspiring broadcaster. Marty Glickman was his mentor, knows everything you want to know about New York baseball. And this good-looking Puerto Rican guy's image looks 20 years younger. He gave me the tour today. But the brilliance, the soul, the happiness. So many mentally ill people are some of the greatest contributors.

society in the arts and otherwise. You look throughout history, you do your research, and some of our greatest entertainers, some of our greatest minds, some of our greatest thinkers are quote-unquote mentally ill. We should be celebrating this illness and fostering the positive aspects because, believe me, I don't believe I'd be here without my diagnosis because, as you mentioned, even what you've seen the video, I always knew there was something there. I'm a huge who isn't Robin Williams fan. I always read his quotes and thought, I get that. I get when he says by touch by man is like, I want to push it to the uncomfortable level

just to see what I'm capable of doing. But I wouldn't be able to do that if I didn't have whatever it is. And that's what scares me too. What is mental illness? What is it? We could say mood disorders. We can say chemical imbalance.

And it continues to grow because we are not even, we're not talking enough about it. Instead of cutting resources, we need millions upon, millions of dollars. We need more fire houses. We need more, I hate to say it, with cancer, with AIDS, with all of these

incredible diseases that impact all of us. I've lost so many relatives to cancer. But when you hear cancer right away, oh, man, oh geez. Hi, I'm bipolar. Oh, okay. Should be no difference. Who gave yourself the

bipolar rock and roller? See, again, you're not supposed to give yourself a nickname. That's a highest form of narcissism. I gave myself the nickname, the bipolar rock and roller for this point in the 90s when I was radio. Yes, it sounded cute. I was a club DJ, a radio DJ. So it fit that.

The word bipolar was the operative word. And in fact, I did my own social experiment in the clubs where I would introduce. And of course, people like, well, yeah, that fits you. You're crazy. You're over the top. You're wild, man. No, actually, I'm bipolar. What do you mean?

What is that? So I, the bipolar rock and roller was. a conversation starter for me. That's why I chose that. And again, I hope you don't mind me mentioning this. I've never mentioned it. But that like first 10 seconds of the trailer, which you see, you know, a longer piece in the documentary, I don't even know if you remember this. But in around 2010, 2011, you left me a voicemail. And you sounded worse than that. You were crying. And I think you were in the hospital. And I know Frank Shamrock came to visit you. And I know I spoke to John about it and whatnot. Was that the last time that you had, like,

Was that the worst? The time in Ontario when Frank came was the most recent worst setback in October 2012. Okay. But I have, and the last time was hospitalized in America, and this is another wonderful observation, I have money. I'm successful. I can afford what I need to do health care-wise. Unfortunately, it's a whole entire topic because my God, as you know, coming from Canada to America, that's ridiculous. with the cost, but I thought I was in the best psychiatric ward.

Okay, let me back up. I was going to do the Invicta fight with Chris Cyborg. I forgot what it was. And brother, the day before, I'm watching tape. I'm doing my rehearsal like everything else, a prep. And all of a sudden, I can't speak. I don't even remember her name. Nothing.

I'm trying to recite facts of people. And anxiety just overwhelmed me to point I called Frank. I said, you have to please come over. know what's happening. And it was, it was, I couldn't, I couldn't talk anymore. I couldn't broadcast anymore. And it was the weirdest, scariest feelings. So, unfortunately, I, two events I've missed because of my mental health in 32 years. That event, in October 2012, when Barclay Center opened for boxing, I just started with Showtime boxing, which shows you again, the amount of support. But I go to the treatment center in Ventura County, California. And I've never been in jail,

but I can't think that jail would be any worse than that was. And it was, you, you, and it's not the staff's fault. I get it, but the cup, some people don't see a nurse the whole entire. There was no human connection whatsoever. The stigma is alive and well in the actual treatment centers. I have had nurses contact me who were saying, I work in the mental health field and so many symptoms, so many illness. We sweep under the rug or we just don't deal with.

And that is why, on the same day, come to talk to you. And I know I sound like a salesman now, but I am. What I, this clubhouse in clubhouse. I-N-T-L.org, what these privately funded institutions are doing, facilities. I went there, you can't tell who's the patient and who's a staff member. Wow. Integrated. Buddy, the rest of the kitchen, the catering is, is amazing furniture. the all healthy foods, medias, multimedia, studio like this, bro. And what's happening here?

Well, this is how we treat. We're trying to get people back on their feet. We want them to feel human. So this is probably funny. And yet, the government and the health are, it's like one flew over the cuckus nest, which is one of my favorite films of all time. But wow. So that's the last time I was hospitalized.

That just gave me even more firepower to fight what is just, It's a disgusting stain on our society how we treat the mentally ill. I can imagine someone, and we have a few minutes left. Yes, I know. We could go forever, but I appreciate your time, sir. I can imagine someone who is battling this, you know, if they have any kind of job, any kind of family, it's tough. No one's dealing with something worse than the other, but you live in the public eye. So you don't show up to the Invicta show.

You don't show up to the Barclays show. Now it becomes news. And now you have this really high-profile job that everyone's taking. talking about. Does that add to it the fact that you you keep thinking I may have lost it all? It's not like I go back. 100%. How do you deal with that? Because it's just amazing that the support that you have from your. Thank you. And you're right. And it's, but I, like I say, I'm, I don't know how to articulate. It's just, I'm constantly in fear of failure, fear of just all of it disappearing and all.

And actually, what I made this brutal mistake Saturday night right off the bat, the trunk colors. I got them confused between the two fighters. People notice they notice, but it actually because, and I noticed this, I'm actually happy that an event took place during this whirlwind of this thing because I'm mentally drained. And I was, I was petrified Saturday of the Showtime broadcast because I'm like, wow, man, all of this is great. I still have to work. Yeah. This is the way to make money. So when I made that mistake, I'm not like, for a split second, it's like, wow.

And then, but thankfully, and I've told this to everybody, my security blanket, Linus's security blanket, and it should be the opposite for most everyone. when I put on the headphones, that's actually when I'm alive and safe. That's when I'm safe, Ariel. Wow. There's no net. It's live TV. That's what I feel my most thing. So I said, oh, you know, in my mind, shoot.

But then I just went on with the rest of the broadcast and it was like, Man, Morrow, you are making inroads in your life. You are making, you're dealing, you're creating your own coping mechanisms. And that's really the end, Ariel. What I want to sum all of this up is I want people who watch this documentary to start the conversation with their loved ones and friends. and when you ask, we always ask, how are you? Nobody really even hears the answer or listens and maybe the answer is wrote. I want people to just start the discussion of how they are truly feeling and just to learn empathy, compassion, understanding. And it's not, oh, it's like going to a paraplegic in a wheelchair.

Why aren't you walking? Get out of that wheelchair and start walking. Going to someone who's depressed and saying, snap out of it. You're doing it for 10. Go outside in the fresh air. go run a few miles, which probably would do them well. But you cannot, just because you don't understand or you don't see, it does not give you the right to make any judgment on that person. Are you, or do you take medication, Raina? How do you battle it? Or how do you?

I am, and with all due respect to Will Wheaton and other amazing people, an actor who has talked about antidepressants helping him. Darvin, the guy who gave me the tour, has sung the praises of the Tudah for his condition. When I was in that treatment center, they gave me Latuda. All I did, and hyperbole is the greatest word ever, known a little bit for my hyperbole, Ariel, four hours, four hours back and forth in my hallway because of restless leg syndrome, to the point I was going to jump off my third floor balcony and hopefully end it. So the side effects, I see it with my parents. We all know about the opioid crisis. We all know I am not a fan of chemicals. I refuse. When doctors who mean well tell you here, take this pill, studies show that it helps people with your symptoms.

Okay, sir, why does it work? Well, we don't know. I'll stick with what I do know works for me, and that is cannabis. And that is, and I've said this before, people say, oh, yeah, your pot head. And already people like, you know, the studies show that it leads to this, this, this, and that. I've smoked cannabis for 24 years. It is the one thing that has kept me alive and functional. So I say this.

Yes, I understand it impacts all of us different ways. THC. We know the medicinal value of CBD. There's something for me, in my bipolar mixed states, that whether you put in a capsule or the ingredients that allows me to be sociable, allows me to be incredibly creative, I'm incredibly, I just, I do all, everything I'm complimented for comes as a result of me being under the so-called influence of cannabis. So that's it.

And that's it. And that keeps it. And I start in the morning a couple. I'll begin my routine. A little bit of night. People say, while you're high on air? No, but I am high that day. What do you do in England, for example? I'm going to call Bellator 200. Okay. I know what you mean. Okay. You do it. I have my way. No, honestly, that's the one wonderful thing. Now, honestly, is like, buddy, it's got, it's not, there's a stigma with that.

I'm a stigma smasher. Yeah. Can I ask about WWU? Yes, of course. What happened with WWE recently, I think it was a little over a year ago, actually led to me to text you again and let you know that I had your back. And so I don't really know what happened. But I do know you're back with WVW. You're with NXT.

You're the most of NXT. I love it. The greatest, the hottest brand in sports entertainment. By the way, it really like, it should have been the beginning for me, NXT. In fact, when Michael Cole and Triple H, Paula, first approached me about working for WWE, they, I joke. I said, for NXT, they started laughing. Well, we want you to launch SmackDown. on the USA network. And so, of course, amazing, 46 years. See, look at you, man, realizing

your dream now with the ESPN of the same for me, 46 years old for me to go to the WWE, I didn't even think what happened. Did the one year of Smackdown Live and 52 weeks a year, and this is another, you know, we could go into this one day too, and they're beginning to address it. I was on the road every week. You add MMA and boxing and kickboxing to it. The road travel destroyed me. So, rumors and all this other stuff, what happened? Honestly, and Ariel, you know how honest have I been in this thing? I had a breakdown in the Chicago's O'Hare airport on my way to Pittsburgh to do SmackDown Live. And again, Frank Shamrock, God bless him, boss rooting, man, the two-bath. Guys who fought each other are my biggest supporters, but I had to phone him and I said,

I'm done. Cannot do this anymore. It's going to kill me. And I thought it was done with the entire company. And there were, you know, I, they, WWE again, man, this. We're all progressing. We're all where everyone is learning as we go along. Like I think this is even me, me doing this talk. I've already been so much feedback from people in W&M. We're going, wow, man, that is so brave and so awesome. And I think they're learning as we go along like everybody else.

So my relationship with them has never been better. And honestly, as much as there's two sides to every story, the actual truth for me was my mental health wasn't going to allow me to maintain that schedule much longer. And now how long do you travel? See, this is the good thing. I do once a month, I go to Orlando, Florida, tape four shows of NXT, and then five times a year we do the takeover events. So my God, man, it's a godsend. It is tailor-made for my life's down.

The fact that Triple H and Michael Cole wanted me there and still a part of the family, it's, you know, I love it. I love WBWA. I love boxing. Like, look it, again, I know I'm living the life here. I've got the dream job. I just have to, you know, let people know that doesn't matter how rich you are, how famous you are, what color skin you have, whatever the case is in your life, this does not discriminate. And the sooner we realize that, the sooner that we are going to start saving lives. And I hope it begins when this documentary finally airs Friday, May 25th on Showtime in the United States and on Movie Network 2 in Canada.

Do you notice that more people are treating you differently now that it's out? Yes. And it's weird. era. In a weird way, there's, it's actually, how do I say it? More respect. It's like I'm a, it's, it's the opposite of what a lot of people get when they are. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm being a buddy, concierge at the hotel I'm staying at, saw me, burst into tears, came and gave me a hug. Wow. I'm getting, and again, we, oh, God, the ego, to me, it's, it's almost like pressure, like, I am, whatever the pie, piper, however you want to be, but I need, we need many more

soldiers. I've actually, Royce White, member of the NBA player. He's, yes, contacted me. Wow. A lot of, and again, maybe I shouldn't identify everyone, but he's been open with it. That's why I bring them up. But there have been so many people with way bigger platform than me that I think we're starting to connect the dots

where eventually, and I know maybe this is a symptom of bipolar, the grandeur, I want to see a Coachella for mental health because can you imagine the music, the artist, the comedy, the open mic stage where communication, And love and support is in the air, bro.

That, to me, would be incredible. Just two more questions because I see them lurking, and I think we have to go. Yeah, Eric's telling me, you have a heart out. Are you looking forward to this coming to an end? Like, are you tired of talking about this now? Or are you okay at this point? We'll never be tired of talking about it, but I can't empathize. And I used to laugh and actually get mad at people like Christian Baylor,

these major movie stars who have meltdowns on press junkets. It is, it's, it's, it's, I'm not ever going to be tired of talking, but man, is it emotionally draining just to do interview and especially of this subject. So I, I'm, I'm, I'm looking forward to finally sharing the documentary with everyone. And I hope that eventually, maybe I could even show it a form of it in schools because I think the conversation has to start at a very young age. And all, all I can continue to do is, is bang my drum for change. And, and if I can get an email one day that says, you know, from a loved one or someone that says,

Your documentary saved my son. Your documentary saved me. And I'm not trying to be a messianic, you know, heroic. If I can get someone to go get help with me being as transparent as I am, ah, hallelujah, brother. Hallelujah. What a life worth living. Stampede, pride, Elite XC, Strike Force, Glory, Bellator, Showtime Championship,

boxing, WWE, everything in between. What do you think your late friend, Michael, would say about what you've done? Wow, very good question. Yeah. You're an asshole. A good one. You're a good one. Brother, I'll tell you what Michael Jansen would have said, because he already said it to me.

I pick him up, I was 18 years old. I go to pick him up at his college course. So right a year before he died. Can't wait for the day you work for Vince McMahon. Wow. Thank you, Eric. You're the man, Morrow. This was great.

Thank you, my friend. Thank you very much. And congratulations. I hope this served as an audition as the new host of the MMA Hour. where we actually will only be 60 minutes. All right? Thank you so much for this. Thank you.

Congratulations, my man. Congratulations to you. Good luck to you, May 25th showtime and the Movie Network in Canada. Yeah, I think Movie Network 2. Movie Network 2 in Canada. Can't wait and good luck in England. Thank you.

Bellator. Thanks so much. And if I could get a follow on Twitter. Yes. Where's my phone? We're doing it. Absolutely. And like I said,

I'm glad we were able to discuss that to. Man, I'm opening up with everything. Do the ex-girlfriends need to be? Thank you so much. Michael's going to walk you out. Awesome. Thank you, my brother. Joe's going to walk you out. Awesome. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Morrow. And say hello to Harris for me as well, and Brian and everyone at Showtime. There he is. Morrow and Allo. Great stuff there. As I said, if you have not seen that documentary or you have not seen the trailer for the documentary, I should say. That is just a phenomenal piece of work. I was looking through my email from 2013.

And Harris, who I met at Morrow's apartment. I met him. I can't even remember when, maybe back in 2012. Maybe it was even before then. No, I think it was before then, 2011, 2010 maybe, that he's been doing this for that long. I looked in my email. He has been working on this since 2013. Actually, no, he reached out to me in 2013. He's been working on it since well before then. That is just unbelievable to stick to something. And he nailed it. He really did nail it. Morrow did. you need to have a level of trust with your, you know, with the person who is shooting the film. You are not going to open up that way if you don't have that level of trust. And you can see it while watching the film, the trust that they have, the trust that he has, the admiration that he has for Harris to open up the way he did.

It's just, it's just a phenomenal documentary and I could not recommend it enough. So again, thank you very much to tomorrow. everyone at Showtime for bringing him by. There is a premiere tomorrow in New York City, but the documentary premieres for the public, May 25th. I'll give you the time right over here. I have it. It is May 25th, which is a Friday, 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Showtime. it is called bipolar rock and roller of course this day and age

films are replayed everything on showtime is replayed on demand things like that but that's when it premieres and I could not recommend it enough so that that was so great I'm so happy that we were able to

address all of that and talk about it man that was intense stuff and there's only one morrow and I maintain that he is the greatest combat sports broadcaster of our lifetime the fact that he is able to go

from kickboxing to pro wrestling to boxing to mix martial arts and really anything else so seamlessly that is a skill that I think a lot of us take for granted it is so hard to stick to one sport it is so hard to be an expert on one sport and the rules and the discipline all that stuff it is just so hard to do what he does for one combat sport one martial art and the fact that he goes like pro wrestling there's a reason why no one does it. There's a reason why he is the only one. He is so unique. It's unbelievable. And I hope that we get to hear him and enjoy his work for many, many, many years to come. All right. Again, thank you very much tomorrow for that.

Let's move along. Let's talk to our next guest. I'm really looking forward to talking to him. It has been a while since we talked to him. It has been over a year since we've talked to him. been over a year since we've seen him in action. We have not seen Makwan, Amir Kani for quite some time. One of my favorites on the program, and he returns to action this Sunday at UFC Liverpool against Jason Knight, a very interesting fight. So great that he is back on the program. So great to be able to catch up with him. Let's go to the magic of Skype and say hello to Makwan Amir Kani. There he is. Makwan, how are you? I'm all good, brother. How are you? I'm doing great. Long time, no scene. Long time no speak.

Long time no here. Where have you been? That's true. I've been in the gym, preparing myself for this week. So, obviously you're preparing, but as I mentioned, you have not fought since March of last year. Why did you take so much time off? What can I say? I think, like John Kavanaugh said, win or learn.

I think I had to learn a lot from that fight, and I had to be honest and just tell myself that my boxing and striking is not that level that it should be. So I just went to boxing gym and spent six months in a boxing gym. So I think that was one of the main reasons why I was away. That was your first loss in the UFC at the time when it happened. How did you handle it? Was that a rude awakening for you? Was that humbling for you?

How would you describe the experience that you had against Arnold? Alan. Well, it was a tough fight, but I think that was supposed to have one last, to learn that just remind myself to respect the game. Nothing comes in the easy role, so I think my life became way too good, but I forget how I got there. And now on back in the game. And Makwan, I think you might be covering your speaker because sometimes I don't hear what you're saying. Is that possible on your phone? Can I hear your voice?

Can you hear me now? Yes, that's perfect. Yeah, because it sounds like you're underwater for a second there. So is it possible to repeat that about just the experience and what it was like to experience your first loss in the UFC? What was that like for you? It was tough because I don't know. my way to handle it. That was really emotional when I lost.

I don't know. It was a tough fight. I can't say that if the fight was in Finland or somewhere else, decision maybe was, it could be different. But I don't think about that. I think that I learned a lot from that fight. And I don't take it as a bad experience. why I was away, I just told you that I'm back and I'm better than ever, so I'm happy.

What would you say was the biggest lesson that you learned from that fight against Arnold? Well, I think that my wrestling skills are there, one of the best in the game, but I think my striking wasn't there. And it was hard to just go 15 minutes. and wrestle with somebody. But now when I got some boxing skills, I think the game is much easier. And I see myself, if I think that could I see myself as a champion in UFC

before the fight against Allen? No, I couldn't do that. But now the picture is different. So I think what I learned is that I just need more striking. Did you know at the time that you would be off for so long? Did you know back then or did it kind of just grow and growing? You took as much time as you needed. Did you say to yourself after that fight, I'm going to take a year off,

I'm going to do this and that six months, or did it just kind of happen organically? No, actually it didn't happen. I was away from the gym like for two, three, four months. And then I just went back. I took the time that I needed. I went back to the gym. But I didn't went to M.M. major, I just walked to boxing gym and just start to build my cardio and everything.

And then I asked myself that do I want to try one more time, but this time I want to give everything that I ever have in my body and my soul. So it wasn't like I was planning this to be away this much, but it was a time that I needed. When you say, do I want to give myself one more time, like did you think about not fighting anymore after that? No, I can't say that I was thinking that I don't want to fight again, but I think that, like I said, I was honest to myself, and I said, if I want to be deep-d-d-goy from the top level,

I had to stop my striking skills. And that was one of the main reason. I said that going to MMA classes and boxing classes, it won't work so I just need to be away from the MMA and just focus on the boxing and striking so that's why I needed that time did you spend the majority of that time in Finland yeah okay and so I did train I did I did train like twice in a day and like my cardio went up everything where I felt so much better and when I went to back to SPG And the first couple of weeks, I just had to get used to this MMA without training, without shoes and stuff, because I did a lot of wrestling, a lot of boxing, and I was using shoes.

So, MMA was, like, a totally different thing when I came back to SPG. But in a couple of months, I felt better than ever. and like after every sparring rounds when the last sparring was hold like two weeks ago and I saw the smile on the face of John Kavanaugh I knew I was ready. Wow. And that was actually my next question.

How are things going for you at SBG? Do you feel like you're at home there? Do you feel like that's the right team for you? Definitely. Like last time when I was in Ireland, I spent two months in the hotel, but I didn't do anything else. I just trained four hours in a day and weekends I had off. And that's it.

I didn't have like friends. I didn't go for coffee and stuff. So the life there was, it was like being in jail. But this time it was different because I was actually living with John Kavan. And the relationship with him became closer and closer. and so even to him it was easier to teach me and have eyes on me all the time. So I think

last time when I was in Ireland I was actually counting days but this time when I was in Dublin I was like do I need to go back to home? Huh. Why were you counting days the first time? I felt pretty lonely because the only time that I was spending

with people that social, life that I had was only like a couple of four hours in a day and that was in a gym so I didn't have anything else to do so I don't think that that did good to my head mentally so I think like this time there was this another UFC fighter John Phillips and uh really and James Caller and we spent a lot of time together so there was you know people who were putting me forward and helping me with everything that I needed. So things are different this time. And so why didn't you just ride out the whole camp in Ireland?

Why are you back home in Finland? Because of him. Oh. You're a little guy or big guy. He's shy. Yeah, he's sleeping. I just wanted to come to Finland and say hello to my family. and tell them that I'm going to go to Liverpool, not to die out, and come back.

So you go there basically just to get some home cooking and then you go straight to Liverpool. How is your mom doing that we've heard so much about, she means so much to you? How is she doing these days? She's happy. She is happy when she sees me that I'm back in the game and I'm actually doing my training. and that's I've realized that's the only thing

that makes her happy see her kids growing up, succeed, so I do all that I can that will continue. Is she going to the fight?

Definitely. Yes, I love it. Is she still sleeping on that bed that you bought her after your debut? Yes, sir.

She didn't upgrade to another one. That one was that one was special enough for now that was good enough and there is to sign UFC Stockholm and the date so oh wow you engraved it right actually they did it before I got to there

wow that is incredible and are you still taking down criminals in Finland you still fighting crime over there you're keeping it pretty safe the crime level I went down so I didn't need to do anything yes because of probably your work in the past now how much do you know about Jason Knight

Jason Knight young dude 20 wins is it five loss or likes to do a rubber gun pretty wild little striking walks forward with this thing up

Uh, that's good. You like this matchup? Well, I think this is the match when I finished it. I think then I have earned Cups 1st. Wait, sorry, say again, I think you're covering the speaker again on your phone. What did you say there? I said, it's a good matchup. I think that when I finish this fast, the first round,

I think then I can ask again to fight Cups once in. Oh, really? That's what you want. Yeah, that's what I want. Oh, wow. Okay. Why him? I don't know. I just feel like that I can finish him too. Have you told that to the UFC? Yes, I have. Are they interested?

Like I said, yeah. You just can't go and, you know, with a fighter and say, I want to fight and you got to earn the place. So I will earn myself in Liverpool. Wow. Wow. It is, you know, with all due respect to Jason, there's a bit of a leap there from Jason to Cub. Honestly, the way I could finish Jason, the same thing I could do to Cubs Johnson. Okay.

I don't see any difference. Is it fair to say that we're going to see a... I could fight Max Holloway. I could fight Max Holloway, but that would be too much to me to ask. I'm not... I think that, like I said, I need to earn my shot, so let's say. step by step Jason, Cups once and whoever comes next. But you feel like you're on the level of the Max Holloways already. Oh, let's go.

I could fight and break in. Wow, that is unbelievable. So the confidence is back. Yes, sir. I love it. Now you understand what I was missing. I think that when I won my first, second, and the third fight, became a little bit careful.

I wasn't that, you know, confidence guide like I was always, I was a great to lose. But now when I experienced that, I have nothing to lose anymore. So let's go. Is it fair to say that we're going to see a different Makwanamakhani on Sunday? Do you feel like you're a different fighter?

You'll see the same guy that we saw in Stockholm. Ah, okay. When it all started. Yes. All right. Well, I look forward to it. Makwan, welcome back. It's good to have you not only back in the fight game, but back on this program.

It's good to talk to you again. Good to see you again. And I wish you the best on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to your return. It's one of the more intriguing fights on the card, in my opinion. Yeah, when I have handled this fight and it's over, we have another chat, and I tell you why I said all these words, so I will back my word. I will remember it.

First Jason Knight, then Cubs Swanson, then Max Holloway. Let's go. I look forward to it. Thanks so much, Makwan. Good luck to you on Sunday. So much. See you. All right, there he is.

Mr. Finland himself, back in action. This Sunday against Jason Knight, UFC Liverpool, of course, headlined by Stephen Thompson versus Darren Till. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the results of that poll. Neil Magni versus Craig White, Arnold Allen, is on the card as well, Davy Grant, Eric Spicely, et cetera, et cetera. One quick update for you yesterday evening, I reported that a fight between Fabrice O'Roodoom and Alexei Olinic was seriously being discussed for the UFC's debut in Moscow, Russia. I'm being told that it is finalized and that fight will be taking place September 15th in Moscow and I'm told that it is the main

event. So there you have it. Alexei Olinic versus Fabrice O'Leu, that's a fight that Olinic asked for on, what was it, just a couple of weeks ago after his win at UFC 224. The Ezekiel Choke, what a matchup between two of the greatest heavyweight grapplers in MMA history, Olexi Olinic versus Fabrice O'Doom, September 15th in Moscow. That is great stuff. All right, let us move along now and say hello to our next guest. She had a busy weekend this past weekend.

She was working the broadcast for the Spanish-speaking audience for the UFC's debut in Chile. She is the number one contender in the UFC's women's flyweight division. She is the one and only Valentina Bullitt Shevchenko. She joins us now via the magic of Skype. There she is. Valentina, how are you? Hello, Ariel. I'm very good.

Happy to come back and have a little bit like rest time and just focus on on helping to prepare for my sister on her next fight. So you are back in Las Vegas? Yes, we are now in Las Vegas and UCC Institute and we have all our train coming here. So do you and your sister now live in Las Vegas? We spend a lot of time here because of the UFC Institute. It's a very good facility.

And we just like spend all. Almost one month, we already was here and we are planning to stay here one month more. Okay, wow. And this past weekend, as I said, you worked the broadcast in Spanish for the UFC's debut in Chile. How did that go? What was that like for you? Oh, it was amazing experience and I really like it. I enjoy it.

And actually, it was totally like I was feeling me totally good in there, because it's something that I know what I'm talking about, exactly like speaking about spite. And of course I had very good company. Fabrice Verdoom was there in Troy Santiago. So I think it was very, very good one. Now, were you doing the desk work, or were you doing like the color work like Joe Rogan does?

Like, were you actually calling the action or were you analyzing it in between fights? No, it was all together. It was in fights after the fight, in between, five. So it was, we was doing like commentators. Yeah. And we started at 3 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m. So all seven hours, we was like very busy this. Wow. Were you exhausted afterwards? I was tired, but exactly it's something that what I really enjoy to do, because it's really my work, it's really my job. It's not only because it's something that I have to do, but it's something that I really enjoy when I'm doing it.

Are you going to be doing more of this? I hope so. Okay. That was the first time, though. And more I was like really happy to do it in Spanish because like all time living in the US like more than two hours, two years and a half, speaking in English. And now it was like refreshing my Spanish. Yes. Well, that's a great opportunity. Congratulations on that.

And I was told from some fans that you did a great job. So I hope that they give you more opportunities to do that and grow your fan base over there as well. So now let me ask you about yourself. We have not seen you in action since February. We're looking forward to you getting a title shot. I had reported in the past that it was discussed to have you fight in July. And it doesn't sound like that's happening, although I'm going to ask you about that in a second. We don't have much news as far as Nico Montagnos is concerned other than the fact that she had her tonsils removed. And she didn't like some of the things that I reported about her. What could you tell us about yourself? situation and when you could possibly fight again? Yes, it's a very difficult situation because first Nico says that she's ready for July 7 when they came back to her for July 28th. She said like no and you know, I don't know nothing. What she's like, what she's thinking still won't she fight or maybe she already

until she's, that she did everything that she has to do in her life and she, like, and she's, like, ready to go in return. I don't know. No one knows because she don't speak too much. But she said, like, I understand she will be ready sometimes in the ending of summer. So it doesn't matter. I still will be here and waiting this fire. because it will happen.

And she just cannot, like, go around and run all the time. She has to stop sometimes. And I just do my job. I train. I never start to train every time in the good shape. So it doesn't matter what I'm doing. If, for example, some appearance or whatever, every time training. This is for sure.

and just wait my time and see how it will how it's turned out you are ready to go though you're just waiting for the date any date is good for you any date is good for me I'm ready to like right now

I'm ready to if you will call me and say Valentina tomorrow you will fight I said of course I will yet because I'm ready to fight do you feel like she is trying to prolong this do you feel like she's trying to avoid you?

Yes, I feel something like that and more it's like some kind of maybe her strategy or something like this because you know, when you say like okay, I will not fight now and even I'm

not sure if you see will come with a date, for example, some kind of end of summer or whatever and maybe she will accept this date, but no one can be sure that she still will be fighting. Maybe before the very, very last moment on preparation, she will say, okay, I still have some kind of injury or whatever, and I cannot fight.

So everything possible, and I will not be surprised if it will happen. So just do my job and continue training. Are you losing patience? Like at some point are you going to say, just give me another fight so I can make some money, I could work, I could fight. Like, do you have a point where you're not going to wait any longer? This is one of another like possible third game plan, like thinking then I will losing my patient and just like, okay, give me another fight.

I will fight another fight. And then she probably expecting that, okay, maybe something happened in this. fight. So, um, no, I'm waiting for my title fight. I know it will happen. And, uh, right now I'm prepared, I'm helping to prepare for my sister in her, uh, contender series of Danamite fight. It will be June, uh, end of June, June 26. And, um, that's it. I, um, how I said before, I'm in martial arts so many years. I was seeing so many different situations. I saw how, like, people acting and trying to avoid or trying to provoke or trying to do whatever.

And I know how to keep me, like, very cool and, like, see what is important for me and where I have to put my emotion and what is not really important. And this kind of stuff that, okay, I know I will have my time and just wait for it. Is it accurate, Valentina, that you were offered a fight in Calgary on July 28th? And if so, why isn't the fight happening? What were you told as far as why it's not happening? Yes, actually, I was already signing my part of agreement. I signed for the make the fight in Calgary. and how I know what's happened in some kind of this operation that she has with her tonsils or whatever,

something like this, I don't know exactly. And I think this is the reason, but for me it looks like a little bit strange because it's not the kind of operation that you cannot work. you cannot move you cannot do nothing this is like i know this is kind of operations that you after two weeks uh two weeks you are already ready for continue your training camp and do whatever it's uh and it looks like it's more and this is not the real reason why she turned down that july 28 but no is there any chance it could still happen july 28 or is that not possible anymore. I hope so. I hope so it still will happen July, the earliest July 7, 15, 28, whatever. In June,

I will be like a very happy to fight someday. It doesn't matter for me at all. And so I'm really open for any date. And do you feel like you're being updated by the UFC? Like, you feel like you're being made aware of what's going on? Or are you kind of everyday wonder? okay, what's going on here? What's the latest? What's happening? Why is there a delay? Right now, like these three weeks, I had a little bit busy work, and we was traveling, like, all around. We've been in Dallas and Texas, and for an array show. Then we went to the NASCAR race in Kansas City. And the last weekend, we've been in Los Angeles, like, comparing this You see Chile fights and it was an amazing, great card.

That's why I was not worried too much about what's happened with Niko Montagnu. But now, like, when I have a little bit more free time, I will be like speaking with my manager with Roger and what he's, what updates he has about this situation. As you may know last year, the UFC had a situation with a new chance, Jermaine Durandami, where she became champion, and then it seemed like they couldn't get her to accept the fight against Chris Cyborg. And I said that this situation was somewhat reminiscent, obviously not apples to apples, but just the fact that they couldn't get the fight done. Eventually they stripped her of the belt and Cyborg fought for a vacant title.

Have they told you at some point they might do this? Has that come up at all? Not yet. We are not at that point yet. But I think it will be very right to do things like this Because if you are not ready to fight If you are don't want to fight You just have to leave the belt You cannot hold it And if you are feeling that your health

By the health issues You cannot fight for a long time You just have to leave it And when you come back You will have a right to fight for this belt again but not more, not more. It's not the right thing just to hold it and say

it's mine forever. I will not give it for anyone. No. Or you are fighting and defending it or you are just step out. What do you say to people, Valentina, who say that there's just, you know, it's no knock on her, she won a reality show, she won the belt, she's the champion,

but you've been competing for a much longer time that this just wouldn't be a fail. fight in terms of experience, the level of experience that you both have. Do you agree with those people or do you think that they're not giving her enough credit when they say that? In this point, I think if she won the title, so she did exactly like good job, so she showed for everyone that she deserved it. And of course, like, she was fighting with the girls who was participating in this reality

show and each one they are having like very good skills very high level and she was the best from all these girls but of course outside the reality we have a lot of more fighters at this weight class of course i have much more experience because i'm doing martial arts 25 years already so i've been in martial arts all my life of course she don't have this kind of experience But it doesn't mean that she's weak opponent. No, it doesn't mean. I still waiting for, like, good fight, and she will give everything that she has.

But, like, in the same time, it doesn't matter for me because my mindset, when I go to the octagon, when I go to the fight, it's like to break my opponent and win this fight because for me, the most important is it is not participation. It's a victory. And every time in my training cap and in my trainings, I follow this rules. The victory is number one. Wow. What's your prediction? When do you think this fight happens? Ah, you know, in this situation, no one's prediction. Because I was so sure. I was so sure when I heard that she said, okay, I want to fight in July 7 in Las Vegas. And I was very sure that this is a truth, but looks like she's like saying something, but it doesn't mean it's very truth.

It's some kind of person who don't care much about their words. They can say one, but then turn it to another way. And in my life, I every time try to follow each my word. If I say it will be like this, so it will be like this. I'm not turned out to different direction and then try to like find the better way for me. And that's why like never know what will happen. Never know. And what is it like for you to have your sister now?

I know she's not officially part of the UFC, but now she's going to debut on the contender series and hopefully get a win there and go to the UFC to be by her side. she's been a part of your career, your MMA career for a long time. What is it like? Do you like this path that she's taking or do you think that she is ready for the UFC right away? Oh, she's ready for UFC like a long time ago. She's ready for it. And I'm so happy that she will fight with this contender series.

And I hope that after this victory, she will be like officially part of UFC. and more exciting that we will be fighting in the same weight class 125. And this is, I think, she will be very tough competition for every girl in this weight class because she's tall, she's strong and she's very, very good one. Why does that excite you? Because that could lead to a potential issue down the line. Why do you want to have her in the same weight class as you? You know, like, for me, I still have this opportunity, not fighting only 125, but also in

135, but also in 135. So I still not like turning down this option to fight in the bigger weight class. So I can manage it. I can manage it easily. Okay, fair enough. Speaking of which, before I go, before I let you go, excuse me, what did you think of Amanda Nunes' performance against Raquel Pennington last? Saturday. Did you see it and if so what did you think of it?

I didn't see the fight but I know the result exactly at this time I was in NASCAR games and I was like enjoying something new experience for me because it was my first NASCAR race in life, see it like in life and it was really amazing. But you know even before the fight I knew that it will be ending sooner because I I knew that Amanda she just was strong than Raquel Pennington, but Raquel gave all her part on this fight, and she put to her like the last, last, very last minute, and she shows a very good character, very strong character.

But for me, it was not surprising that it will be this result. Valentina, I wish you the best. Thank you for coming on and clearing up your side of things. I've asked Nico to come on the program, but I have not heard back. So maybe soon we can get a word or two from her. But congratulations on everything that you're experiencing outside of the cage, including your job working on television. I heard it was great.

And I hope that we get to see you back in the cage sooner rather than later fighting for the belt because that's what you deserve and that's what you've earned. So again, great to catch up with you. And good luck to your sister. It was great to have her on the show last month as well. Thank you very much, Ariel. Every time it's my pleasure. And I also hope I will be back in the octagon as soon as I can.

All right. We'll talk to you soon. All the best to you and your team, Valentina Schofchenko, joining us the top contender in the UFC's women's flyweight division. Hopefully we get to see that fight sooner rather than later. And happy to hear that she's able to clear up what I reported. And again, I reach out to Nico. So no hard feelings there. Just reporting what I heard.

You heard it from her right there. She did sign for July 28. July 28th is more than two months away. So it is possible that it could happen, I guess. Although I haven't been hearing that as of late. We'll see what happens. A little bit of news here quickly before we get to our next guest. We are being told that Paul Semtex Daily,

I see a tweet here. I'm told it's Semtex underscore 170 on Twitter. If you want to check out his tweet, although what he said to me was, you know, anyway, there it is, Semtex underscore 120 on Twitter. It seemed inevitable. There it is. He's on Twitter, tweeting to Michael Page.

So we have finally accomplished our goal. I'll wait for his official confirmation, but yeah, there it is. Semtex underscore 120. Let's move along to our next guest. And I'm very much looking forward to this one. and this was, you know, there's all kinds of emotion this past week for me because watching this documentary was very emotional for me as well. As I said at the top of the show,

the documentary is called Mask. It is about the life of the late great Charles Mask Lewis, the founder of Tap Out. And it is such a great documentary because it's not only about his rise and unfortunately his fall as well, but it's also, it's really a history lesson of mixed martial arts, you know, the humble beginnings of the sports. board and in particular in in southern california it's an amazing look if you are an m m mfman a fan a new fan and old fan you you will absolutely love it and the producer and director of the film is a man who has been a part of the sport for a very long time his name is bobby razzic i've known him for a long time as well in fact he put me in a commercial that uh that he produced and shot and directed

about uh the efforts to get m m m m legalized here in the great state of new york for echo way back when maybe even, wow, when was that? I think it was 2009. That's how long ago. Frank Shamrock was there all the way back then, unbelievable. And to see where the sport is now, of course, legalized here in New York is a pretty amazing thing. So to get you caught up, the documentary is available on places like iTunes and Xbox

and Hulu, I'll give you the rundown. But to get you cut up, here's a quick trailer of the mask documentary that was released across the world just a couple of weeks ago. You know, since the beginning, all I've always known that it's going to be something, something different. There was something I was supposed to do, someone I was supposed to be.

Everybody saw this kind of loud, gregarious personality, and he was nothing like that. Charles was really an introvert, so he came up with this character called Mask, and he could kind of act outside of himself. He didn't have to be him anymore. When Mask showed up at the, That gym, camouflaged towel, he had over his head,

and face all pain. I was like, who are these guys? Mixed martial arts and fighting didn't have any identity. You couldn't put on a uniform and feel the way we felt in the gym. People tell me, why are you hanging out with that dreamer back there? Because at the time, Mass just had a bedroom, you know, sleeping on the floor, didn't have a bed. He believed in the fighters.

He believed in the sport. And he had these t-shirts, and he had a vision that it was going to be huge someday. I think Charles is one of the true caretakers of MMA and a grassroots level. If you go back and look at all those underground fights, you'll see a tapout booth. Charles Lewis is an icon in this sport.

He was instrumental in the grassroots marketing. This kid was with us side by side from day one. We're gonna stay with the sport as big as the sport gets and help it get to its pinnacle, to the point to where each sponsor fighter by tapout can afford to just train 24-7 to be the best they can be. He was an incredible entrepreneur that helped the sport get to the next level. Can Tapout be as big as Nike?

is Nike? Why can't it surprise that? In 2007, we've got our first million dollar paycheck. You went out and bought a Ferrari and I went out and bought a Lamborghini. We're also doing our own television show. It just took us to another level. It's not all just putting on a t-shirt. I would hope you'd be talking about us long after we're gone. A phenomenal documentary, I can't recommend it enough.

It's available right now on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vimeo, Voodoo, Microsoft, Fox, Cox Communications, Comcast, Verizon Fios, YouTube pay-per-view. Again, cannot recommend it enough. And it is a pleasure and honor to have the producer-director of the film on the program right now. The great Bobby Razik joins us right now. I do believe for the first time on this program. Bobby, how are you? Great to see you again.

I'm good, brother. How are you good? It's been a long time, my friend. You remember that shoot in 2009 outside MSG? I do. And do you remember you almost got into a final. with Frank's guy that night. Do you remember?

Yeah, yeah, he was being weird in the... Was that in the cab? What was happening there? He was being rude to me, right? What happened there? This guy was giving you a lot of static for some reason, and it kept brewing. It kept brewing, so I went to get something.

And when I came back to the cab, it all exploded. You were screaming at it. You screamed at you. Frank was there. Frank was confused. I was confused. It was pretty bad. It was pretty bad.

You guys almost came to blows, and I figured I had to calm it down in a cab, but it was definitely brewing that day for some. Bobby, you know, I'm happy you say that because a lot of people think that I'm a wimp in this sport, but I've got that Middle Eastern fire in me. If you cross me, my friend, I will come at you. I have no problem coming at. So I'm happy that you've revealed this on the program. Yeah, I mean, I was pretty worried and I was pretty concerned, but also it went from zero to 100 so quick because I left the cab and I was like, what is going on? And Frank wasn't really doing anything. I think Frank wasn't really stemming it. I had to stem it.

But it was hardcore. And he was a big dude. Yes, yes, yes. Italian, gangster. I have no fear. But that was a great thrill to be a part of that. And I thank you again because it was so cool to be among the, you know, Miguel Torres was there. He was a part of it.

Frank Shamrock. It was really cool what you were doing. But let's talk about this film because I have to say, Bobby. And I think these days I'm a little more emotional. I don't know what's going on. But it was a very emotional. film for me to watch because it reminded me of, you know, the quote-unquote good old days, the simpler time in MMA. It was very nostalgic. And of course, the ending is heartbreaking as well.

And I know that you were very close to Charles. And I know it was a long process to get this out there and to get this done to be so emotionally attached to the subject and knowing how it ended up. What was it like for you to be a part of this? Man, it was brutal, Ariel. Every time you go into the edit bay, every time you go do a shoot, Every time you're working on it, you feel like a knife is going through your heart. It's probably the most extreme, you know, filming, documentary, edit session of a dinner in my life. And it took so long to do.

But it was brutal. It's so brutal. I feel like I need, like, emotional distance from Charles now. I kind of need emotional distance. The film has come out, and I need to have a little bit of separation. That how much of a, of a, of a hardcore journey was for me. How long from beginning to end did it take for you? to complete this film?

I think I started it 2011, and I just finished it maybe a couple months ago. I met a guy for Shane Tida, streetmaid, he kind of gave me some money, funded it, and then I would basically flip commercials, kind of rock Peter to pay for it to keep it going. And, you know, sometimes you forget about the movie, and then you kind of get some money,

you work on it again, you get some money, you work on again. So that was kind of the process since 2011. And why do this? I mean, it's an incredibly important subject, and I'm so happy that you did do it. And the footage is incredible. And we'll get to that in a second. But because it is so personal for you, why did you put yourself through this? I mean, I was an illegal immigrant when I came to America in 1996 and Charles was the one that incubated me. Actually, Ed Suarez, too. Ed Suarez and Charles kind of believed in me and saw that I had something special. And they put me. money in my pocket. I actually remember the first time I met Charles was at a hegan Machada tournament. I had lost some money and he gave me like $50 and he gave me this speech saying that he felt that I could become a great filmmaker one day. He really believed in my talent, kept money in my pocket,

kept me strong mentally while I was trying to get my paperwork, while I was illegal, trying to hustle. And so, you know, when I, you know, when he made it, he gave so much money to me and help incubate me and take me to another level. How could I not, you know? Wow, that is unbelievable. I read, I believe in an interview that you did with M. May Junkie that you said that if Charles was still alive, he would almost be mad at you that you made this film, that you were so kind of brutally honest about his faults at times and, of course, his good traits and great moments. Can you explain why? Why do you think he would have that reaction? And how do you reconcile that?

he was incredibly personal with deep and emotional issues in his life sexual abuse him with regard to peeing the bed up until the high school so all this stuff he never told anyone he was very concerned about his image a lot of the time and what he was trying to portray he was a very big fan of kiss and so with regard to the costumes and what he would wear was all really a mask to really cover what was going on with him And so he wouldn't have wanted that stuff. And so I had to really reconcile with myself.

Like, do I want to make a fan movie about someone who's great? I don't want to really go deep into a guy and really talk about who he was and what he had to overcome. I remember reading a comment. Some guy read a comment was like, oh, you just made a film about him peeing the bed. He was like 17. The way he said was kind of funny. But it was like, you know, I was thinking mad if somebody did. a film about me peeing the bed other until 17 and I was gone. I'd probably be pissed too,

but we had that kind of, you know, he would always chase me around. We'd had a love-hate relationship and, you know, hopefully he, you know, understands where I was coming from. I wanted to show that regardless of where you came from, you could overcome anything to become a success. But, but, you know, while you're making this and you're digging deeper into some of these darker moments, do you hear him in your mind saying, like, please don't show this? And how do you overcome that? Yeah, I do. I feel like, man, Charles wouldn't want this to happen.

Charles wouldn't want this to come out. And so you, you know, maybe that's why it took so long. I needed that, you know, 2011 and 2018 to maybe become comfortable. Because I remember the earlier cuts was more, you know, Charles was great. Charles was great. And there's more time, you know, from his death past, I became more, okay, let me explore this subject as a documentarian filmmaker. let me step out the box.

So as I was mourning the first couple of years, the film was more of a morning film. And as time passed, I reconcile this with myself. Just, you know, I have to be true to myself as a filmmaker, bro. I have to be honest. And I have to, you know, show the fans and show people what he was really about. What was it like when you showed the film

for the first time to his, you know, partners in crime, punk ass and skyscrap? You know, were you worried about their reaction? and what was their reaction when they saw it for the first time? Wow, I remember showing it to them in Vegas. Can't remember when maybe 2014, and I can just hear the crying. I could just hear it all the way through the film.

So you're listening to, you know, scrape and punk artists, like having emotional breakdowns during a film. And it's difficult, you know, it's, you know, it's hard to focus on what's happening because you can hear them, you know, crying all the way through. And so it was very difficult. watching it but you know that's you know one of their best friend you know do do do you were what you were doing when you found out that he passed i do i do i was about to shoot a sketches commercial

so i was about to shoot a sketches commercial with charles and he was supposed to show for the fitting so i'm at the fitting because they did a tap-out sketches shoe do you remember that yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah if you remember so we was doing the sketches campaign and so i'm waiting for the fitting i'm like where the fuck is this guy where's charles where's charles where's charles with charles was charles And so I got a phone call from Brian Warren, the fighter. He goes, Bobby, did you hear what happened? And I was like, no, no, I'm here the fitting. I'm going to shoot the sketches commercial Charles Moore.

And he goes, just sit down. I go, man, bro, what's going on? He said, sit down. He goes, Charles has passed and he died. And everything became very hazy for me after that. It became very confused. You know, it's almost like I couldn't believe it. You know, Charles was one of those guys that was,

he was a guy that you would think was invincible. One of those guys that was Ironman, and to know that he passed like that, you know, died in the car crash. It was this very, very confusing. I remember the next three or four days pretty much in a fog. Wow.

What is also interesting to me is the fact that, and correct me if I'm wrong, there is kind of an interview that is the thread throughout the documentary with him. And my understanding is that that interview was shot just weeks before his death, that you maybe had some kind of premonition that something was going to happen

and wanted to bank this interview? Is that accurate? Yes. Not to sound kooky, but I have like very good six cents. Probably a gift for my grandmother. And so basically, I felt something bad was going to happen to Charles. And so every time we started filming commercials, I was pushing him to do more interviews. That shot where he jumps up the Montecito was only a few months before he died. I basically pushed him into doing it. And yeah, I would say I'm kind of psychically in tune and had a weird feeling. I remember I had a premonition. Facebook, not Facebook. I think MySpace was in back then. I remember seeing like a dream, like rest in peace to someone on MySpace. And I was remember and I was thinking, who was that? You know, who would have passed away? And I remember

that. And then, you know, Charles died three years later. But I, I feel like I have that kind of communication similar to when I did the Evan Tanner film. I felt like, you know, when I did the Evan Tanner film too as well, he was telling me like, you know, I didn't commit suicide. And I remember this was in my head all the time. And so that's why I went to Clap Springs and did the Evan Tanner film. So I have that kind of weird, you know, psychic attunement when I do my filming. Wow. Does that sound weird?

No, no. Listen. I mean, you did it. So, I mean, the fact that you actually did it and unfortunately what happened happened kind of backs up with your. saying in my opinion. When you're like doing this doc and you have that, that's great. But if you didn't have that, do you think you'd be able to do the documentary? If you didn't have that sit down.

If you didn't have that premonition, could this film have been made? No. It could have been, no, because I wouldn't have done all that filming before he died. Yeah. So I would have had nothing. Of course I found that interview afterwards where he talks about the sexual abuse. Yeah, so it's a tape recorder, right? Yes.

How did you find that? I was just going through some boxes after he passed. And I think Lacey, his girlfriend, gave me some boxes. And she said that Charles wanted me to have this box, blah, blah, blah. So I was going through these boxes and I found some tape. I was like, huh, what is this? And I played it. And I found that interview in that box.

How did you react to that? To find something like that that's that open? I mean, it was like a revelation. It was kind of what I, you know, kind of felt like I may have needed to take the film another level, something more deep and personal. Obviously, he was revealing a lot in an interview he did with me, but it was still in terms of the growth of tap out. This one was more about, you know, the sexual abuse, you know,

what he was going through his family, you know, the deep inner, you know, emotions of Charles that he may have not wanted a world to know about. And so that was just like, whoa, I think I hit the jackpot in terms of taking this film to another level. why do you think he did that why do you think he taped these stories it's not a very common thing to do and not and not share with anyone why do you think he did that don't know maybe he was doing it as a way of self uh you know healing you know talking about your emotions talking about yourself maybe he had a premonition he was going to die to because if you listen to the end of the tape you know you'll live

long after you've died if you've done something amazing he actually says that in that tape so he must have felt something was going to happen to, you know? You know, James Dean energy. What do you think Charles Mask-Lewis would say about MMA in 2018 and how far the sport has come? It would have blown his mind. I think about that all the time, especially like when there was a fox. Sometimes there's a fox fight night on Saturday.

Sunday morning, Wednesday. I mean, this was not around when he was alive. I mean, we had Connemer Greger versus, you know, Floyd Mayweather. who had Ronda Rousey, women's MMA wasn't around back then in a big way. So much of the sport moved forward, the Reebok deal. You know, it would have blown his mind, I think. I think he would have been like, wow, this sport, you don't need to explain to people what MMA is.

Back in the day, you have to say if you was involved in MMA, you have to give them a little speech about what it was about. Now when you mention MMA, you don't need to say anything. They know it's a global kind of sport, you know? Right, right, yeah. And I can't imagine what he would think. I think one of the topics that we talk a lot about on the sport, and honestly, one of the things that I don't like about the sport was the UFC's decision to do the deal with Reebok and not so much do the deal, but to make all the fighters look the same, because I'm a big fan of being unique and looking different, and the fight game is all about your personality, and Chuck's shorts were different. Mike Tyson would come out with the black shorts.

People have looks, and I don't like the idea of uniformity in the fight game. What do you think he would say about the UFC's decision to do that? I mean, he would be turning in his grave, bro. He would have hated it. I mean, Charles was about free market and free enterprise. He did not hate the competition. He understood that you need the competition in order to crush the competition. You needed someone to crush.

If he was alive, there would have been no Reebok deal. He was very close to Dana. He was constantly speaking to Lorenzo. though they loved him. They even put his name on the cage for like seven, eight years off deep hours. I think there would have been no rebuk deal. Charles was alive. He would have made sure that, you know, if there was going to be one clothing company,

would have been tap out. And he would have fought two for now for that. So his name is no longer on the cage, right? Oh, I noticed Josh Gross had told me maybe like around four or five months ago, they took Charles' name up the cage and, you know, and I understand. It's new owners now, new sponsorship. I think they put Vegas strong, which is a great cause, of course. What happened in Vegas?

But I contacted some people in the UFC, the PR department. Nobody seemed to know what was going on. So I guess it's just one of those things, you know, as new owners come, you know, different things take priority. So you've been watching the sport since its inception here in North America. Is that fair to say? Yeah, I've been involved in a sport. I mean, I've watched UFC too live. Wow.

And I've been training to jit-sue since 1990. I got my black belt five years ago. I've competed to it. So I've been involved in the sport since 96. So how do you feel old, bro? No, the reason I ask you is because you are one of those figures that, you know, when I first came into the sport in 2006, I mean, you were there, you were, you were a big part. I know you were a big part of what Tapout did and the films that you have made. You mentioned the Evan Tanner film, which I highly recommend as well.

How do you feel about MMA in 2018? Are you still as big of a fan? Do you feel like there's too much MMA? It has come so far as well. for you since you were a fan. How do you feel about it? You know, it's a tough question to answer. I mean, I always the dream was for me growing up in a sport

because I literally grew up as a young boy, a teenager to a man in this sport. For me, this was always a dream. This was always a dream that, you know, MMA would be a global sport. MMA would be this amazing sport around a world where you didn't need to explain it. People would respect the athlete, the fighters.

You know, people would want to make products. know about the sport. So this was kind of the dream. Obviously, it has this issues. You know, the way the sport is run and the way promoters deal with athletes, this is a historic thing that goes back to the turn of the century. You know, the promoter fighter has always been an abusive relationship. Obviously, I like to see this evolve a bit more.

But, you know, in terms of the sport growing big, it's what I always dreamed of. I dreamed of waking up to Sunday morning and watching MMA. And those times I didn't think that would ever happen. This is a dream. But obviously, there's still, you know, pockets of problems, which I'd like to see rectified. Like what? Is there one in particular? I think, yeah, the promoter athlete relationship, it seems like in the core elements of the sport, historically, the promoter has always hated the athlete.

It's kind of this weird love-hate relationship. Obviously, it's a very pimphole relationship. It's a very pimphole relationship. So I would like to see that to change. I would like to see that our athletes are taking care of better, that there's better insurance policies for them, that they get way more money, way more respect, that, you know, they don't feel they're walking in their neck shells.

I would like to see that the fighter doesn't feel that they're walking in a tight row. I would like to see that sport evolve. I love the fighter. For me, I was a former fighter. I gave my life towards martial arts, trading jiu-jitsu. For me, when I look at a fight, that's someone I want to bring up. That's someone that's my end product.

You know what I mean? In terms of my filmmaking, I did over 300 commercials. So I value the fighter. I would like to see that same value in the corporate world. And speaking of the corporate world, tapout is no longer the tapout that Charles owned, right? They sold the company. Excuse me, punk ass and skyscraper are no longer part of it.

I think they're the top sponsor. I don't even know if sponsors are the word, but they're affiliated with WWE, right? It's not what it was. How do you feel about what Tapad is today? I can only go from Charles's mouth, and Charles always hated WWE. I don't know if you ever told you that, but we had conversations about it. He hated WWE, and he was a bit cold about boxing too. For him, it was about MMA to know that his company was lost and now, you know, this kind of company within the WWE.

I have nothing against the WWE myself. I think, you know, I'm a fan to a certain degree, but Charles did not like the WWE. He was not a big fan. I think he would be hurt. I think he'd be heard that he's no longer associated with mixed martial arts. I think he'd be hurt that he's involved with a company that he never really cared for. Do you think if he doesn't pass this doesn't happen, that it's still an MMA brand?

If he does not pass, tap out his Nike. Wow. So it's bigger than MMA? I think it could have gone. on yeah well here's the thing about tap out tap out was interwoven in the DNA of m m m mc because you're remember at that time senator john mcane ban m m m m i remember going to ufc ariel there was 400 people in the audience i can't remember which one i think it was the main well i went i was also at basrout rutan versus kevin ranaman wow that was maybe five six 700 people there but um tap out was

interwoven within the genetics of MMA. So as MMA and NHB was rising, so was tap out. So they were interconnected. So MMA being big now, so would a tap out being big. Wow, it's just unbelievable to see what it's become. You almost forget, I'm watching that documentary, and I know what you were saying, it just reminded me of those days. It's just, it's amazing to see how far the sport has come.

In a very short amount of time, like sports don't evolve that much in 20 years. And it's just amazing to see you guys are in like these parking lots and now to see where the sport is. It's really a great watch. And I commend you on the job that you did. I know how difficult it must have been for you to actually get it across the finish line. So again, I'll remind people that the documentary is called Mask. It's available Amazon iTunes, Google Play, Vimeo, Voodoo, Microsoft, Xbox, Cox Communications, Comcast, Verizon Fios, YouTube, pay-per-view. Mask is a documentary.

if you are a new or old fan, highly recommend checking it out. Bobby, congratulations on a great doc. Anything that you're doing right now as far as MMA is concerned? Any projects? Or are you focusing on other stuff? I am. I've got an amazing project right now. I'm doing the history of ADCCC, the Abu Dhabi. Oh, wow. In the UAE, Muhammad al-Hassani. The first episode actually goes into UFC 1 and that's going to be available to view it maybe like a month. So I'm doing that series. The history of Abu Dhabi. I've got several other projects.

I also own the trademark for the history of MMA, and I have the largest content of historical MMA footage in the world right now. And so I'm looking to develop that into content series. I'm working with Josh Gross on that too right now. Josh, what's up? So I actually own this trademark, history of MMA. Wow. It's an incredible trademark.

I have the largest stock footage in the world. So I like to repackage, repurpose that, put it on something. And I've got one other big project, which I think is going to be like my swan song and can't really talk about it right now. But that's hopefully going to be ready around a year. But that's going to be my swan song. That's the project dreamed of for my life. Swan song in MMA or swan song, period. Swan song in MMA. Okay. All right. Wow. Well, that's an end of an era. Keep us posted on that. That sounds interesting to say the least. Bobby, great to catch up with you.

I really enjoyed the documentary, and it was hard to watch at times, but you did a phenomenal job. So congratulations, and I highly recommend it. I appreciate your time on this Monday. Great to catch up, and all the best to you. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. All right, there he is. Bobby Razick, again, check it out.

It's called Mask. It's a phenomenal doc. And if you are an old fan, you'll relive a lot of great memories. New fan, you'll learn a lot about how far this sport has come in a very short amount of time. Let's move along to our next guest. As always, pleasure to talk to the reigning, defending UFC women's featherweight champion, Chris Seiborg, wondering what is next for her? Let's ask her. Let's say hello to Chris Seiborg via the Magic of Skype right now.

Chris, how are you? Great. How are you, Ariel? I'm doing really great. For your new job. Oh, thank you so much, Chris. Thank you. Parabenz to me.

Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Yes. Okay. So we have a lot to talk about, Chris. Let me first ask you, did you watch? Oops, oops. You okay?

Sorry. All right, there you go. Did you watch the main event last weekend in Rio? UFC 224, Amanda Nunes Raquel Pennington. And if so, what did you think of the fight? I think, I think, Hakel Penton, she did a lot of, like, she's two years now fighting. And she's coming from injury, you know. But, you know, the opportunity she's had to fight for the belt.

You know, she don't show too much, not show a lot. And I was thinking, Amanda, going to finish quick the fight, but, you know, she took along. And, but, you know, but she's looking no fight shape, you know, for fighting for the belt. So you weren't impressed. It's okay. Yeah, she's tough. I know she's tough. I know I knew before the fight, she's having heart, you know.

But I think because she's two years on fighting and she's coming from injury, it's hard. It's hard when it takes so long, you know, when they come from injury, you know, fight straight. for the belt. Yeah. And what did you think of that moment in between the fourth and fifth round when she said that she was done and her coaches said, no, let's go back out there. How did you feel about that? Did you think that they should have stopped the fight?

Do you know, I think I don't agree like when you say, I want quiet and your coach say, no, keep going because a lot of times you think you cannot go go anymore. But when your coach say, no, you can go a little bit more. And then, oh, man, sorry. No problem. I don't think it's, it's, I don't think it's his coach wrong about to keep going, but I think you have to give it good advice. You cannot just go, ah, pohada, you know, no way, no, no, he'll have to get it.

Move more, you know, try catch her, take down, you know. Do some stews what she can do in the fight. No, just go over there and survive. You know, you have to tell dead her, like, okay, go back there, breathe, moves, you know, try to do something, take it out, you know, work something. No, just say, let's go, you know, give up. You know, I need to do a good, say something for she tried to do.

So now that Amanda won, go ahead. Go ahead, go ahead. No, no, I'm not done. It's okay. Oh, you're done? All right, fair enough. Now that Amanda won and there's no clear-cut contender at 135, and this is a fight that has been discussed in the past,

you versus Amanda Nunes. Is that the fight that's going to happen next for the both of you? What have you been told? Do you know, after my last fight, my last, no, after my fight against Holland, I asked for Amanda. You know, I told the FC, I would like for one in July because I was adopting my knees. They're going to have a time for her, and they're going to be a perfect time in July. And then between this, the UFC called me and then asked me fight UFC 2-2. You know, it's a short notice.

And I ask for, can be Amanda and then say, they can not. get Amanda for 2-2-2. And I say, okay, maybe I can fight UFC 2-2, but I still want to fight July with Amanda. And they say, okay, Chris, you know, the fight is going to happen. And then I fought, Yonna.

And then I, in my, my deal, like my plan is fight Amanda July. And after she's, she's accepted to fight Raquel Penning in Brazil, no, July. And then I talked to Hunter and I said, okay. And then if Amanda going to fight July, fight now in Brazil and if she hurts, how is she going to fight me July? And you guys can put her Meg Anderson, step, you know, step by. If she Amanda hurts, I can fight Meg Anderson because I want to fight July.

And you guys promise me, may fight July. And they say, no, no, she's not going to be hurt. She, you know, she'll be okay. And then, okay. And then said for me, Meg Anderson is not going to be. visa wedding for July. And after three days later, later, then announced the fight

Holly Holiehom and McGander's. Like, and then for me, July, if somebody hurts, she cannot fight me. And, you know, I was thinking I'm going to fight a Monday, July. You know, this is how Eddie Marpinna and my plan. And now she's had the injury. After her

fight, the commission gave her like six months. And I already know this novella. You know, I think I would ask for FC bring her to America in Las Vegas and try to see the doctors and see how long she's going to take and I'm not going to wait.

I want to fight. And I think this fight, Meg Anderson and Holly, then I already make a plan for making me and the Holly rematch because they just take out over in the Peripal, you put his preliminer, and then they're going to put the Meg Anderson and the Holly know her first fight

UFC going to be Purpleview of Megan and I think already getting prepared for me Holly making her match and then I'm going to wait to Amanda

be ready her injury I would like fight maybe who's going to win the next fight Holly and Megan and it can be

my last fight contract with Amanda she can take her all time she needs so how do you feel about that if that is the plan

you fighting the winner of Holly versus Megan Anderson are you okay with that plan You know, I'm okay. I'm okay the plan. I supposed to fight Meg Anderson before Holly.

You know, I think I was I was not saying anything. But me and Megan supposed for it before because she's the container number one, my division. And I fight for my division. And I fought all the girls 135 FC gave me. And the only girl

1-45 had and give it to Holly. You know, I really, I really don't care anymore about this. I just are going to fight who is going to be win and you be where to fight me. She'll be Megan or Holly, going to be my next fight. And probably next one, my last fight, counter is going to be Amanda. And she's going to take a while for B'Ready.

I want to be fight the best Amanda. You know, I'd be an amazing fight for all the fans get excited. She can put the weight on, she can get strong, she can be confident for make an amazing fight for first week. So Holly and Megan are fighting on June 9th. You know, let's say that's a tough fight. You know, they take two, three, four, five months off. I mean, we're talking maybe October, November, that you'll be able to fight again. Are you okay with that?

Because you only fought in March of this year. I know. I like fire all the time, you know, but this is not changed because in my Korea, I have a lot of things like this. Like I stay two years and not fighting and then fight again one year because I keep working hard. You know, and probably if I'm not going to fight soon, MMA, I'm going to fox my grappling and then we want to compete the Worldi, Worldi, my brownie, my brownie. belt and they're going to get in my fox with this and you know my weight my finish my country going to finish march you know i have a i have two march for wait who's going to fight next so

you have two fights or march whichever comes first yes and and so you keep mentioning the the last fat of my contract are you not interested at this point in resigning after those two fights or march um you know i i want to fight boxing i want to make my after these two fights i want to go fight boxing and I want to fight the world champion Cecilia Brooks or can be Mac Carter and maybe after that you know I can come on back for for MMA but I would like fighting one boxing fight and I want to I want to fight now because now Cecilia she's available and and if we see you don't have some girls they don't find the girls from the fight I don't want to just sit down you know the next two girls in

the line it's going to be who win the American again in Holly and then I'm on the super fight. Now what if you're still the champion come the end of your contract? How long do you have to sit out for because isn't there a champion's clause? That doesn't have a champion clause in my contract. So your contract's up, you can walk away. All good. Yes. Wow. What a contract.

Congratulations to whomever negotiated that for you. That's a great manager or agent or lawyer. Well done. Yes, George, present me. That is the man. George. Great job by him. You were at Cecilia's fight just a couple of weeks ago, but I know you have a relationship with her, right? You've trained with her in the past.

You're kind of friendly. Why her? I mean, does your friendship kind of make this fight a little bit weird for you? Do you know, she's went to when I was camp before Holly Home, she's went to my camp. And I don't have anything against her. I think it's something like for growing just women's MMA sport, you know, like she's from boxing, family boxing, I mean, from MMA. And I think I can go over there and do, you know, I don't need to be the champion in

boxing, but I can do my best. I can, you know, I think I can make history. And I think if I train like six months or four months boxing, I think I can do great. And I love boxing. And but not against her, but she's already asking for five me last year. year. You know, it's no, this is no start today. This is last year. Before McGregor fired Mayweather, she asked her to fight me. And after McGregor fought with Mayweather, I say, man, maybe possible, you know, maybe the dream can come through. And then I think

this is the opportunity you can do next year. Do you have a boxing license now? I have a box license. Yes. Wow. In which state? And then my weight is 154. Wow. 54, Las Vegas. But if I firebox, I have to go on 47, because she's 147. Okay. And do you have one in California as well? I'm not sure where I have, but I think it's California. I'm not sure.

I don't know where it's licensed yet. Wow. And do you have interest yet from, you know, from networks? I know that that event was an HBO event. You know, how big of a fight do you think this can be? What kind of interest are you hearing? You know, I know I'm going to have a lot of options, but, you know, I cannot start a negotiation now because I'm still in contract. Yeah.

But I think the people box and know how my fans like to watch my fight. And I do big numbers and a lot of channels. And then I think then really, they're really happy. I think if I go to the boxing, I think then I'm going to appreciate my work. And I love fight for people, appreciate what I'm doing. And but I cannot negotiate anything because I'm still in contract. probably when I finish my contract, you know, my manager going to start to work. Can you say definitively that you are not going to resign, that once those two fights are done or March comes, you are going to move on to boxing?

Yes, I want to fight this fight, you know, because Cecilia, she's 37 years old now, or 38, and I don't want to wait. She's, you know, retire, stop fighting, and then she's down for this fight. And I want to get the opportunity. No, I'm younger. I'm 33 and then I have any bad injury. I can go there, fight boxing and then back in the back fed me-me. If somebody else had to be the champion in my division of FC, you know, if you probably can come back and they fight for the battle again. Wow. Are you... If you see what to like, but if not, it's cool. Are you hoping that Megan wins on June 9 so you can fight a new opponent?

Do you know, I think Megan is it can beat Holly, you know, but I think Holly have a lot of experience. You know, and then Megan, there's a long time in the fighting. I think she's two years out, and I think she, I think it'll be tough fight for her. I think Holly are going to be, I think, I think, you know, but, you know, we never know, we know, fight game. But Megan's a big girl, too. Let's see. I'm excited for this fight. Would that be, would that be the first rematch of your career?

No, I fought Marlos Kunen. Oh, that's right. That's right. Yes, yes, that's right. That's right. Both those fights went your way as well. But would you be excited to fight Holly again? Does that get you interested? Yes, I think, you know, Holly, me, Holly did an amazing fight.

Yeah. And I did an amazing camp for her fight, and I just have to continue, you know, work while they work. And for sure, I have to change some things for that fight. And I know just change when I, if I lost the fight, I changed when they went to. I think this is one thing I always upgrade my game and I'm excited for this fight going to have to think

a lot of fans do like to watch and a lot of fans of Hollywood do like to watch you and we did five rounds and five rounds, and five rounds and then I think the next fight they're going to be different

but you know I'm going to work a lot of things for change and then maybe you know beat her different way by the way what do you make at the UFC's decision to have women's 145 pounders

on the upcoming season of the ultimate fighter Does that excite you that it seems like they're finally investing in that division? I was really happy about this because the one thing I always fight it's for my division. I think no for me, but for girls like Dan, you're not going to be tomorrow in the trial and then make me really happy because I really fought for this. And I don't hear anything about this from UFC. I saw this on website about they're going to be tryout. And I'm going to be there tomorrow.

I don't think I'm going to be coach, you know, then, but I'm going to be there for support then for the tryout, you know, for see it. I know for support then. If I'm really happy, then open their division. And I think the division are going to be the goal one day. I know that a lot of people don't believe our division, but the division have a lot of girls, you know, going to be tough. They're going to show more than 135 girls. And we're bigger. We're going to be strong.

And I think we have a power for CO girls. I think it would be amazing division. Why wouldn't they put you as coach that the, that the house? hasn't been brought up, you versus, say, the winner of Holly and Megan? Then they don't contact anything, my manager. You know, we don't know anything about this. All right. I don't have it.

They don't say anything. So you're just going to support? I'm going to support, yes. You know, it supports women's MMA. You know, this is I like to do. And we're going to dinner together tomorrow at Protein House, 730. You know, everybody, welcome to come. come and no Chile and they eat together and have fun.

Wow, okay. And what's it like being a mother now, adopting your niece? What's that like for you? I know, I live in a dream. You know, I'm really happy. Yes, and I try her turn her one little athlete. And she started running. And then I, we did two rides, a wedding, two in San Diego.

Yesterday we run four miles and then she's in 31 place. but first time she's run, you know. And I'm really happy, you know, it's very excited. Wow, that's great. Very nice. Imagine when I have a kid. Now I can understand my friends and mom. Like, it's a different love.

It's a different thing. It's like it's amazing. Yeah. And last thing for you, you mentioned doing some jiu-jitsu tournaments. Do you have any booked yet? When do you think you would do this? The Mundial, you said. Yes, I really wait to when you're going to be my next fight.

You know, and then I really focus my grappling with Cobrinia. And, you know, I'm a brown belt a long time. And then I always compete all my belts. And then the brown belt I never compete yet. And then I want to improve my game. And this is motivated me for Quentinia train. Okay. Well, thank you for all those updates, Chris.

It's always great to catch up with you. I hope it all works out in your favor. And are you going to Chicago to watch that fight in person or no? I have a appearance. same day, you know, in Georgia. Okay. And I don't know. Georgia is going to talk to my, to UFC, if, you know, if they need, but I have

a parent at the same night. But thank you, Oriel, for the opportunity, and then I wish the best for you. Thank you. Thank you, amazing reporters. I always support me. Thank for all the, all the followers, people, and then, you know, like my job. I continue doing amazing, do my best I can. Thank you.

Thank you. We'll talk to you soon. Thank you so much, Chris. There she is. The UFC's Women's Women's. featherweight champion Chris Cyborg waiting for her next assignment and

it seems like that could have been an opportunity to do the super fight if they didn't have the 224 situation but now that they did that fight and I don't know if you saw some photos afterwards it seems like Amanda Nunes is a little bit banged up

and she's on crutches these days so it's going to be hard for her to turn around and fight in July I really like the outcome either way of the Holly Home versus Megan Anderson fight. Of course, if it's Megan Anderson who wins, now you've got a fresh matchup.

It's a matchup that's been talked about for quite some time. And she picks up a win over Holly Home. How could you deny her then? She is, of course, the former Invicta Featherway champion. And if it's Holly Home, you can make a very strong case that no one has fought Chris tougher than Holly Home. That was a really, in my opinion, an entertaining fight. She bloodied her nose.

They went to distance. Why not? Especially if Holly picks up a win over Megan Anderson and it's an impressive win, I get it. So they're featuring that fight. It's on the pay-per-view. It's on the main card. It's June 9th in Chicago, UFC 225. And what's most interesting about that interview, of course, is how open she is about her contract situation.

She said two fights left or March. She doesn't fight between now and March, which I would hope is highly doubtful. That's it. It's one of the other. March finish line or the two fights they can squeeze both in. But she also said no champions clause, which is super interesting as well. And why is that interesting? Because, of course, as a promotion, you don't want someone to be your champion, holding your belt,

representing your division. And of course, someone like her who, you know, there is no fighter probably who is more, maybe her and DJ at 125 for the men, more you know, synonymous with their respective weight class than those two. But her for sure,

just walking away with the belt and going somewhere else, right? It's not something that you typically want. So that is a very interesting situation to monitor as well. Great stuff from Chris. Appreciate her time very much. Okay. So if you

follow the lineup earlier today, or the tweets, the website and whatnot, you may have thought that this was the end of our interviews. In fact, that is not true. If you've been following us on social media, and your Rick pointed it out a few hours ago that we actually have one more guest, and what a guest it is,

we've been trying for the last, almost two weeks now, to speak to this man, one of the most talked about fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts. We spoke about them last week, Monday, Thursday. Of course, by now you know, that Yeo Rodriguez is no longer a member of the UFC. There was some talk about him fighting Zabit Maghomed Sharipov, and that fight never came to

fruition. And then abruptly, he was released from the company late two weeks ago. Hope to talk to him last week, didn't come to fruition. But how about this? Late, late addition to the program, we are, in fact, being joined by El Pantera himself, still one of the rising stars in the sport of mixed martial arts still one of the most marketable fighters

in the sport of mixed martial arts the one and only Yehya Rodriguez is with us there he is yeah you here my friend how are you I'm good good about you guys

we are fantastic thank you so much for this wow what a nice surprise to hear from your team and to hear that you would be willing to come on the program I really sincerely appreciate it thank you so much

oh thank you for having me and for giving me the opportunity of speaking out to you guys, to my true fans and followers and friends and family, of course. Great. Well, I'm so excited to talk to you first. It's great to hear that you said that you're doing good. Could I ask right off the top these last two or so weeks for you, what have they been like? One week. One week, okay. What has it been like for you? It's been great. It's been great. It's been good, you know. It's been great. It's something that we knew it could happen, you know, due to the talks with the UFC in the past. And of course, of course it took me by surprise because I wasn't expecting them to cut me, you know, just because of what we were talking about.

But I hear Charles Sun and say that the UFC is talking about, you know, respecting the company and all that. And I think this was about respecting myself as well, you know. And that's why I took the decision, you know. And all of this happened. So could you tell us the story, Ayer? What exactly happened? How did we get to this point? Well, how do I get into this point?

And everything starts right back after my loss against Frankie. I think that put me in a bad situation, you know, because I was for a long period of time without fighting. And I think people was wondering where I was, you know, why after I lost I haven't fought, and they started realizing that I was like kind of afraid or I didn't want to fight anymore. But it wasn't like that.

You know, I honestly have a lot of matters to solve personally. And with my family, so matters to resolve and stuff. You know, I say it, I say it in the past, you know. I've been working in some natural stores, you know, in my hometown, with my family. I've been building some small apartments, you know, there in my hometown as well. And I've been just working outside of what he was fighting, you know, but I was still training. And all of this, well, this is what it happened at the end, you know, because I start taking fights in February of this year. You know, even though if I was asking for fights in the past, you know, I was always asking for fights in the past, you know.

And I start accepting fights in February. I getting a talk to Sean Shelby. And I thought that I was able to fight Josh Emmett in February in Orlando, Florida to headline that depend. Yeah. And I accepted. I step up. And I later learned that Yoshemet wouldn't accept the fight or I don't know if the UFC didn't want to give it to me or whatever. And then I would be replies, but get him Stevens.

Get him Stevens took the fight. And then after that, we sit again with the UFC and talk about fewer opponents. You know, I talked to Sean Shelby and he told me like, what do you have in your mind? I told him, I think I at least deserve a top thing. no matter what happens. I think I deserve a top 10 just because of what I already show in the UFC. I'm six and won in the UFC.

Not all the fighters in the UFC have the same record as me. I know I'm still a rising star, you know, for the sport or whatever, but I know I have gone a lot already. You know, I know how fast I have rowed inside the sport. And I don't think I have to show nobody that I'm not afraid of that I could fight anyone. You know, and this was the main problem of it, you know. They told me no to Lamas, even though Lamas was asking to fight me in the past.

So here was the thing. Frankie Edgar beat me. He was about to fight Max Holloway, right? And then Frank Edgar got injured, and then I jumped up to take the fight against Max Holloway. and then the UFC say no. Okay. We appreciate you, but we're looking at other direction. We want to choose Josealdo.

Then they went with Josealdo. Then I told them, okay, what about a rematch with Frank Yeder? And they say, everybody after they lost, they want a rematch right away. I say, I don't want the rematch right away. Of course, I would like the rematch because we weren't the same weight division. I would like the rematch with them eventually, you know? And then he say, well, that's not a talk right now. Okay, let's talk about the next person.

Then they say Ricardo Lamas, and then I say yes to Ricardo Lamas. I accept the fight to Ricardo Lamas. Then I later learned that he didn't took the fight with me. He decided to take Bechtik instead. And then during that process, the Subvit fight was causing a lot of hype in social media. You know, I have a lot of Russian, like, like followers and a lot of

Russian friends, which I appreciate. And they, they were texting me on my social media. They were like, they were firing me, like, sending me images about somebody's going to kill you, and let's fight Zavid, just fight him. I was like, all right, this is going to be great. You know, I started looking the big potential on this fight.

And, you know, it was kind of my, on my fault that I, like a week after, Lamas declined the fight, Sean Shelby called me again, and he said, hey, the Lamas fight is still back open. You know, it's back open for you to fight. And after I was asking for any top 10, and then they didn't want to hear it to me, and then Lamas took peptic instead of me, I was kind of disappointed, you know, kind of, yeah, just kind of disappointing. I don't say that.

And I started looking at this other fight with Sabit. You know, it was making a lot of sense for me because of the stylistic matchup and stuff. You know, we see a big potential of, you know, like renegotiating my contract or probably just go, you know, you do a little negotiation there if they wanted to, if they want me to fight him in L.A., you know, which I say, I will fight him in L.A., of course, you know.

But if you pay me more, because I've been saying for the last year that I want to fight a top 10. I'm not picking my opponents. I'm just saying I deserve a top 10. Anyone. I actually asked for Korean zombie as well, but they told me he wasn't ready. Even though he posts some stuff on Twitter saying that he wanted to fight Frankie. And I was like, look, he's saying that he wants to fight Frankie.

Why you don't want to give it to me? I think it would be a really interesting fight to watch. And he was like, no, he's not ready. He's no medical clear and stuff. I was like, okay, what other option do I have? You know, well, there's Sabira. I was like, okay, I'll fight a bit if you give me more money in LA because I understand how big of a bend it is, you know.

And they say no. I was like, okay, if you don't want to give me more money to fight him in L.A., why don't give it to me in Russia? And there's no need to do any negotiations right there. I want him in Russia. Why? Because he was calling me out. You know, I am the kind of guy who never acts.

I never say too much. I just act. You know, I don't have to be talking about this in my social media, saying what is going on backstage. Because that's my work and that's my company's work, like my agency works, which they have been doing a great job handling all this situation. Thank you, Markle. Thank you, Paul.

Thank you, all of you guys. And, you know, it's just that. they didn't even want to hit it to me in Russia. You know, then I was like, okay, you don't want to give me more money to fight them in L.A. You know, you don't want to hit me a top 10. This is a thing. Now I'm looking, now I see how the things are going, you know. I actually talked to some head of the UFC by the phone, and he told me, hey, I think this

a fight would be really interesting to watch. And I told him, I know it's going to be really interesting to watch. I know the potential on this fight, you know, and that's why I was asking for more money. You know, that was about it. That was the main problem of it. You know, no because I didn't want a fight,

not because I was scared for no one. It was because I wanted to fight him in his own house to beat him there. With all respect, you know, because I, like I said, before I have a lot of Russian friends. I don't want him to get offended. But it is like, it is what it is. You know, he wanted to beat me. I wanted to beat him as well, but in his home time.

The UFC said no to it. And I say no to fight him in LA for same amount of money. That was the main problem of it. We actually have proofs. I actually have like proofs of what I'm saying, but I won't show any of that. You know, I like to speak the truth. This is a truth. And my true fans and people who knows knows and I'm cool with it, you know.

And my true fans will know that. I'm saying the truth about all this situation. Was Jose Aldo's name brought up to you as well? Brought up to me what does that means? Like, did they offer? Because I had heard that you also accepted him. Is that accurate? I accept anyone.

Yeah. Anyone. I will accept it. I told him I would accept anyone top ten. I don't need a negotiation for a top ten. You know, this guy was number 14. When I was number seven, you know, I just got built on It's just one fight.

I have six and six one in the UFC. You know, I just think that's what I deserve, you know. And they didn't want to give it to me. That was more about respect, respecting myself, you know, then now I was going to take the fight, fuck it, you know. I was just happy, you know. And things didn't work out with the UFC, but I don't mean that I'm not thankful with them for, you know, they were a great base for me, you know, to build up my, my fan base and grow up as

and start in the sport and stuff, you know, I wish I really appreciate, and I appreciate Dana and never have a problem with him or with John or with any of the UFC, PR or, you know, workers and co-workers. I actually think I have a relationship with them, and I really appreciate all of them. I look at them as a great family, you know, all of you guys, because we are always together, Like we always work together. Work with workers for me, I see it that way, you know. And well, I think this is unfortunate what is happening right now. But it's also fortunate because I open up my eyes a lot.

I see the big picture, you know, of all of it. And now I see all these opportunities coming my way. And I'm really happy what is happening right now. So then let me ask you about the final days because the L.A. Times reported that Dana White said to them, done deal this fight is happening august it was fake it was fake it was fake i don't care what dana say it was fake as fuck okay it wasn't just fake it was fake as fuck okay you know nobody nobody this this conversation is after the tweet you know i was like fake news then they they started reaching out to me of course you know the fight was was was created a lot of hype yeah you know

and then but it was fake at the moment is what i was it was completely fake i i actually talked to my agent markell which is my friend as well i told them what is going on? Like people in social media is like going crazy because everybody's sharing like we want to fight. Like Dana says we're going to fight. And I haven't even talked to you about it. Like I was like, what is going on?

And he's like, I don't know, brother. Let me figure this out. Wow. You know, it was like, okay. Like, let's do something about it because people was asking me. Yeah. People was asking me. What should I?

What should I do? Don't say fucking nothing. Of course not. It was as simple as fake news because it was fake. And then you get released and Dana tweeted real news. Do you feel like you tweeting fake news was the end? Did that, do you feel like that ended the relationship? I don't care, brother.

I haven't even seen that real news. Okay. I just, I knew. I just wanted to wait and see. You know, it's just, I don't want to look bad saying this, but it's just funny. See how people react to certain situation like this. because what they have on their head, you know, I can see people good and wrong and whatever they're thinking, you know, and I just wanted to wait, settle down, see the big picture,

and start moving forward. That's why I didn't want to hear any interviews, you know. I just wanted to see who was with me on my side and who wasn't. You know, I realized all of that, you know, and like I'm telling you, this for me was an eye-opening experience, you know, and it's just I'm glad that this happened because they release me right away. I don't have a problem with them like releasing me or my contract. They let go. And now I have more opportunities, like I'm saying. Did they give you or your management a reason why they ultimately released you?

I mean, to do this is a very controversial move. Did they say, okay, we are doing it because of this? They're saying because I didn't want to accept the two of those. those fights. I have actually, I have the proofs that I accept the fights. I won't show them, but I have the proofs. Wow. So it makes even less sense to me now. I don't know what to make of this. I mean, if you accepted the fights, like I was telling you, like I was telling you, like anyone can think whatever they want at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what I say. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what I say because people is always going to think whatever they want to think.

You know, I'm just speaking out of the truth. You think whatever you want, you know, take nothing whatever they want you know at the end of the day they know the truth i know the truth my team my family the members of my life you know know knows the truth i'm good with it you know because my circle is small so you know i'm fine i'm completely good did you did you at any point as it seemed like this was all breaking down you know think about oh maybe i'll talk to dana on the phone try to clear this up or you weren't interested in that yes yes i actually i actually didn't this to my agency because I knew they were about to get mad of me. I used to have Dana's number, but I don't know what happened.

I deleted it or whatever. I don't know. You know, I used to text him, you know, because that's who I asked him for that Maxwell the fight. I texted and Sean's number as well. Like, hey, what's up? I want to, I would like to have this fight, you know. And he was like, hey, I really appreciate your effort or whatever.

And I couldn't fight his number, so I reached out to a friend. And he gave me his assistant number. and I takes the assistant. She never played back. I just wanted to say thank you. You know, honestly, I just wanted to say thank you for all of what we've been working together because he's been a learning experience being in the UFC, you know. And I just want to say thank, I just wanted to say thank you.

I want to say now, thank you so much, UFC, for all what you guys are doing for me, have done for me. And I don't know what else to say. And so you're at peace with this. You don't leave with regrets. You don't think to yourself, what if, what could have been? You're okay. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm okay.

I'm completely fine, you know, because I know the decision that I made, it was correct. I'm fine with myself. You know, I feel actually like it was a lot of weight on my back. Now I feel like more relaxed. You know, I think I'm ready, like, to move on, you know, I've been just focusing on, I'm just focusing on training right now, you know. It's all, I mean, it's just great for me, you know. It's just like being focusing on other stuff, you know.

It's more on my career, more on more on what I was before, you know. And I feel, I feel fine. And so what has the reaction been? Like, I'm assuming every promotion under the sun wants to be in business with you. Have you heard from everyone since this news came out? Yeah, I can talk too much about it, brother. Okay. But it's been, it's been offers.

It's been really good offers on the table. but you'll listen soon about what's going to happen next with me. But you want to hear soon. Are you close? Are you close to making a decision? I can tell you that yet. Okay. But I'm sure soon you have an answer.

Are you happy, though? Like, do you feel, okay, these are good offers? I'm happy. More money maybe than the UFC? Like, do you feel like, okay, I am wanted here in the sport? Are you happy with the kind of offers that you're getting? yes i'm happy of course you always you always think or you always want more because you think you deserve more you know you it is the way that it is you know nobody's always happy with whatever they

have but uh i'm sorry he's get a text what i was saying oh yeah what were you saying you i asked you are you are you happy with the kind of offers that you're getting like do you do you feel like i mean yeah like i was saying like you always think you deserve more you want more you want more but I'm really happy with the offers right now. I'm happy what is on the table right now. You know, just being smart. I've been waiting to see all the offers. And, you know, I know my next move is going to be really important for my career and my life

for the next probably a few years, who knows. And that's why I've been just smart about it, taking my time. And I'm sure they're going to make the right move. When do you think or when do you want to fight again? As soon as possible, as soon as I sign with a time. company and it is a fight lined up. I'll be ready. So you're ready to go. I was ready to go. I was ready to go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, the fight didn't happen, but I was ready to go. Wow. What an unbelievable story. And what kind of support have you received

from people online, from, you know, people in the community. What does that been like? Well, it's been a lot of, it's just funny to watch, you know, all this. I don't know if you say memes here, you know, become memos. You know, there's a big funny, funny pictures. Oh, memes, yeah. There's been a lot of funny pictures. Yeah. Memes, memes, I'm sorry.

There's been a lot of funny pictures, you know, there. But it's more the support, honestly, you know. Isn't more like, I mean, I think, I guess people can see from outside, whole things kind of work, you know? I mean, we can know actually getting a fight with the UFC because we know what's going to happen next, you know? Like, they are in the power position. It is what happens, you know.

They are the bosses in the UFC, so they can do whatever they want is what the fans told me. You know, they know everywhere I go, anywhere I go, I'll keep them being the same or the best, you know, the best version of myself. Because people like me is always going to try to be best, no matter where you go, no matter what you do. I would try to be better, you know, the best on what I do. No matter what it happens, you know, this is not a setback for me. This is just the beginning of my career. If you think about it, if you look at my videos, you know, I have a really short career yet, you know. And I'm really excited for the next couple of years.

I'm going to see a lot of progress, you know, on my game, I'm sure. You know, I'm putting a lot of effort on my training, and I'm sure you guys will have a new, Jayre Rodriguez, more solid, more confident, and even happier. And where's your team these days? Who are you training with? Well, I've been moving a lot lately, but I'm training up in Riverside. I'm getting better with my boxing, you know, and Robert Garcia Boxing Academy. I like to go. I've been sometimes with Eddie Bravo, you know, Victor Davila has been, you know, opening the doors of his house to me in Huntington Beach as well as in King's MMA.

You know, they've been real supportive on myself in my career. And I've been just moving a lot. You know, I moved, like, I moved to Vegas. You know, let me tell you, this is super funny. You know, I moved to Vegas to be closer to the Performances today. Actually, I'm like two miles away from it. The performance is now I was fired. Oh, my God.

Yeah, like I've been here like four months, you know, living here. Wow. But it's been a great experience. You know, living in Vegas is amazing. This is a great city. I love to be here. You know, it's actually where everything starts. Yeah.

You know? And are you going to move away or are you going to stay there? I don't know. I don't know yet. You know, I like California a lot. But I just been thinking where are going to live? We're going to do next. I think I want to get better on my boxing and then train you, you know, as a solid base.

and my kicks are already there. And of course, I'm going to be working on my wrestling as well. It's just like I'm telling you, I've been just training a lot, traveling a lot. Well, I really appreciate this year. Do you feel like we covered it all? Do you feel like there's anything else to say about the story that you want to get out at this time? No, I think that's all. I just want to thank you for keeping me your time.

Of course. Thank you. I want to thank the UFC for the, you know, for the world and we together. I want to thank all my true fans and supporters. And of course, my friends and family, you know, they're always being there since the beginning. And this doesn't stop here. You know, this is just the beginning of something greater. Wow.

So no hard feelings. You move on. You're smiling. You're excited about the future. No, no heart feelings. No, no. I mean, you know, you've got to move on of things. Yeah.

People live in the past too much. You know, they live in the past. They live in the past. You know, I've been learning. This is one of the things that I've been learning. If you are living in the past, you're depressed. If you live in the future, you have anxiety. If you live in the present, you're happy.

So I just been, you know, slowly learning how to be here. I've been in the moment, living in the moment, living in the present. And don't let you live little stuff, bothering me, you know. I cannot let little stop bother me for the rest of my life, you know. This is like I said before, this is not a set, but I think this is just the beginning of something greater. Wow, that is an amazing quote. I'm going to take your advice. I think I could use

that advice. Living in the past, depression, future anxiety, present is where you feel the best. I love that. That is really well said, yeah, yeah. I remember when you had your debut and you told us that you had a, what was it, like $20, $60 in your bank account when you won the Ultimate Fighter. And you've come a long way, my friend. It was broke. Yeah, it was broke, honestly.

I mean, it's been a lot of up and downs on my life, you know, money-wise. But I have never been afraid, you know, of losing everything or winning a lot, you know, because I know that losing going to change who I am. You know, people, people who stick around me. is the people who's been there since the beginning and the people is going to stay with me until the end. You know, so I don't have to change. Nothing will change me. I'll be the same guy.

You no matter what people say, no matter what any company did to me, I'll keep on being the same year, Rodriguez. Wow, amazing. Well done, Jaire. I'm really happy to see that you're happy and excited about the future. I wish you the best, my friend. And again, thank you so much for coming on the show and clearing the air. It was really great to catch up with you. Good luck, and please keep us posted on your next move.

I'm looking forward to it. Of course, brother. Thank you so much for your time again and thank you, thank you guys. Thank you to all my fans. Much thanks to all my fans in Mexico. I thank you much to all those who are seeing in this moment. And I'll promise that I'll have an interview in Spanish. See you guys. Until then we. All right.

Muchous gracias. There he is. Yaira Rodriguez, El Patero. Wow. What an impressive young man. Amazing. For a man who not that long ago, you know, his English, he's come a long way with his English as well. I remember when we first met when he won the Ultimate Fighter.

super impressive, not living in the past or the future living in the present. And I know that there is a lot of interest in the young man. I know that there's, I mean, if I'm a promoter, you know, the obvious one, of course, is combat America's because, you know, that's, this is, I mean, you're telling me you don't want that man as, as the face of your organization. But if I'm them, Bellator, heck, if I'm one, if I'm anyone, yeah, you Rodriguez, who was just, was he six and one in the UFC, still incredibly young. Had that amazing run up until the frankly, 25 years young. 25 years young.

The guy was born in 1992. And I was telling you about that story in 1992. When I was watching Nick's Bulls in 1992 in that Boston hotel room, that guy wasn't even born yet. Jeez, Louise. That's unbelievable. Yeah, UFC 180 in 2014. I can't believe that's almost.

That's almost four years ago. Leandro Morales, then he beat Charles Rosa, Dan Hooker, Andre Feely, Alex Caceres, B.J. Penn, and then lost to Frank Yager. Look at how Dan Hooker is doing these days. I mean, that's not, you know, the Andre Feeley knockout, Alex Caceres. The guy was, Charles Rosa is super tough.

He wasn't giving cupcakes. Like this idea, you know, the BJ Penn fight, I thought was a mismatch and should have never been made. But the idea that this man was sort of coddled and given these fights that, you know he was tailor-made to win i mean these these are tough fights and then of course he ran it to frankie edgar no shame in losing to frankie so i'm really curious to see where he ends up still has a lot of fight left in him 10 and two as a professional 25 years young turns 26 in october

uh what impressive stuff there from yeah rogiguez i really appreciate not only him but his team as well for making that happen on super short notice all right what a day what a show uh i am uh i am spent i am emotionally spent but we do have some more show left. In a matter of moments, we're going to head over to Twitter exclusively. Live.twitr.com slash M.m.a.fighting is the place where you can join us. There it is. If you're watching us on Twitter, stay right there. If you're watching us on YouTube, Facebook, M.A. Fighting, all those places. Go to Twitter now. I've tweeted a link multiple times, but there's the link right there at live.com slash M.A. Fighting. We will hear from you. We will answer some of your

questions. We will also hear from the man himself, New York, Rick. I know you're all looking forward to hearing from him. We'll get his Rick's picks. And who knows, maybe we'll talk about other things going on in the world of MMA. How about the news that WWE is headed to Fox? What does that mean for our friends at the UFC? That's really interesting. Gilbert Burns versus Dan Hooker booked Dennis Bermudas versus Rick Glenn, Alex Hernandez versus Olivier Obam Merci, Bechcohe against Edene, Al-Dane. How about Brian Stan linking up with PFL? How about John? Dotson re-signing with the UFC, all that and a hell of a lot more coming up in a matter of moment.

So go to live. Twitter.com slash MMA fighting right now because here comes the MMA after hour. And we are back. No time to waste. No time to play around. Time now for everyone's favorite segment. It is time for... And now it's time to open up your ears and your minds.

MMA fans. It's time for Rick's... Rick's picks. Rick's picks are lots of fun. Yeah. His hair isn't a bun because it's... On this Victoria Day, 2000. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's the moment you've all been waiting for.

It's the new craze taking the world by storm. Live from the Vox Studios in beautiful New York City, it's time for Rick's Picks. And there he is a happy Victoria Day to you, my friend. Can you fill us in? what is Victoria Day? What do we celebrate? I was really hoping that you wouldn't ask me that because I feel like we've had this discussion on the show before what exactly Victoria Day is.

I can't say that Victoria Day, I can't say that I know for a fact. But it is sort of our version. Honoring Queen Victoria's birthday. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. We knew that. I mean, we were just pretending. Who is Queen Victoria? That's a great question.

Victoria Beckham? No. It would have been nice, I must say. It would have been nice to get a little Canadian flag swoosh in there. But everyone's off today. Did you watch, by the way, did I get it? Did I miss it? No, it didn't happen. Did you watch the Royal Wedding?

Let's save that. Okay. We'll talk about that later. All right. What's your next banter item? I want to save that one for the question segment. What else you got? Well, what about the influx of questions that you probably received?

about... Oh, I definitely got some of those. Are those in Rick's Picks as well? No, but... How about this? Yes. I want to talk about this show. Okay.

I mean, it got real emotional with Morrow there. Oh, my God. I mean, the guy poured his entire heart out. You really did. On to the set. It was incredible. How about that late edition?

Yeah, year. Yeah, year. It was just... It was a monster. Yeah, we're not taking our foot off the gas here. No. I have to tell you, I am so emotionally spent

from the Morrow conversation and I'm so happy that he, I even mentioned to you like I wonder if I should bring up the unfollowing on Twitter and he brought it up. That, you know, I've said this before that. I don't know what's been the greatest ever interview and all that and I don't think

it's fair to do that kind of list. But that has to be in the stratosphere. Sure. It's in it's in the top tier. You break it down. There's, you know. But, and I know you love Morrow's

well you worked with i love them you were you at that invicta show where he didn't show it was t j de santis filled in and it's now the current yeah uh comment that happened on like 24 48 hour notice right i think it was even same made it might have been morning of like it was same day or right before um yeah i was at that show um but i've also worked with morrow at glory like i that's right i've known him yeah for for a long time and he's never been anything but kind and gracious to me um he's 100% right too like his his thing that's the thing that's This man, you may think he has an ego. He really doesn't.

Like, his whole thing has always been to help out younger journalists. That's why he had me on his show. I was one month into this. I was working for myself, jaripark.com. I had just launched the website. It was not more than a month and a half old at best. And a ton of credit goes, of course, to John Pollock, who was the one who reached out to me, but I don't get on Morrow's show without Morrow's consent.

And so, like, how often does that happen? someone with his experience and his tenure to have someone like me on his show. And even beyond that, he's the type of person, not away from, you know, the business side of it. He's the type of person whenever you run into him. Yes. Remembers every name you've told him in the past, asks about whatever the latest and greatest you just had the conversation about. He's always interested and cares about what you have to say. Could not speak more highly of Morrow, an incredible dude.

Yeah, he is really something else. and I'm so happy that this show was able to bring us back together. And again, I know you haven't seen the documentary. I could not recommend it enough to anyone. You know, any walk of earth, anyone who is interested in anything will be interested in that. It has nothing to do really with combat sports. If you're a combat sports fan, it's even better because you'll appreciate the moments and you'll know the characters throughout. But it's really much more than all of that.

Absolutely. You'll remember how many moments in this sport and other sport, not just MMA and boxing, in kickboxing, how many different things he's touched in your life. He's the voice of this. All right, let's get to it. Okay, let's start with Rick's picks. Okay.

So, first one up. We're going to start with some highlights from the most recent event in Chile. This first one, Claudio Pueges. Yeah, I think that's right. Pueges. Where's Danny when you need him?

I asked him earlier, but now he's been, gone. But clearly losing the first two rounds and coming back with an incredible kneebar to get it done. Reminiscent of Paul Craig

getting it done with the triangle at the end of the round, we've seen some ridiculous comebacks. And most recently, Jack Hermanson, there's been some real strong candidates for a comeback of the year this year.

We move on from the same There were so many not only just great finishes, but first round finishes. Gabriel Benitez here with the incredible slam. This one was on everybody's highlight reel over the weekend. I'm going to see him here. Gonna get his arm a little bit deep into the arm bar. This is nuts. And here comes the slam.

Oh my. If you're watching, he's fighting the arm bar here. It looked to be pretty close, lifted up, and pretty much over from that moment. What an incredible slam by Gabriel. Think about the strength that you must have to pull off something like that. To not only lift the man, but then to knock him out in the process. Well, beyond just the strength, consider he has to be aware of his defenses while he's planning to do this offensive maneuver. It's not as easy as he can just pick him up.

He has to be aware that he can't give up the arm. Incredible slam by Gabriel Benitez. We also had a great finish here from Poliana Bolteleo with the body shot, the liver kick starting off the action. But another incredible first round finish. There was a slew of them, and she's a prospect to watch. She's 2-0 now in the UFC, and those aren't the kind of finishes that we see at 115. No.

That was vicious. Impressive stuff. Definitely one to watch. Definitely one on the rise. Another one kind of flies under the radar, but author of quite a few of these knockouts, Vincente Lucke, stiff shot here. Not the whole finish, but the strike that started it off against Chad LaPree. And then Dominic Reyes with the sneaky uppercut against Jared Cannonier. Reyes, another name. Undefeated, I believe not.

in 0 at this point, some new blood for the light heavyweight division. And then the last one will show from that event, Tatiana Suarez, getting it done against Alexa Grasso, another first round finish from this event. Tons of first round

finishes. Swares... Somehow went to 115. What, in the morning? AM, yeah. Oh, my God. 13 fights. But the problem is, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't... Yeah, because you fill the time, but... They fill the time. They don't, like, it's... It becomes When there's more finishes is almost worse because you're sitting there knowing that you're not getting the fight.

I know. Imagine watching a baseball game and this thing is flying by, right? This thing is flying by. It's just like nine pitches and inning flying by it. But man, they've got a book for three hours on Fox and they're going to play this thing out. So we just get like, you know. Well, it's the problem is you want to get the excitement, right?

Imagine if we're using the baseball comparison, the guy striking out the side in like three pitches and then we're sitting there for another 20 minutes until he's pitching again or until the next team even gets there at bats. It's just,

it's hard to capitalize on these first round finishes if next you know you're going to be watching 15 minutes of Lord knows what. But I'll do credit to the fighters

who are doing their jobs in there some really, really nice finishes from that event. Also from this event, obviously we had a main event featuring Camaro Usman and Damia Maya. Damia Maya,

all class, as we've known him to be. congratulating Usman after the fight saying congratulations to to Usman for the win it was a great experience to compete against you when I took the call three weeks ago I knew it would be a very hard challenge and I'm proud to have come back here and done it

you deserve the chance in Chile deserved a card best of luck class just if this what do you think for Damia Maya going from here he's on a bit of a skid against clearly top opposition but what do you think we're looking at next for Damien

That is a very good question. He's now, you know, Owen three in his last three. I saw this incredible stat from some good sources. John Aick was one of them where they said he was 0 and 49. On takedowns, yes. Is that, man, that is hard to fathom. Now, you have to always. Exactly.

You have to always put this up against the fact that these are some of the best wrestlers in not only the division, but the world. These are top, top wrestlers. Yeah. No, he needs to now, okay, now. you know, it is confirmed, like, he has three fights left. Yeah. It is going to take an act from God, and I think he recognized that to get a title shot.

Yeah. At this point, let's ride out these three fights. If, in fact, he gets the opportunity to partake in these three fights because we know how things go, let's get the best matchups possible. And I'm not saying, you know, we're going to take some youngster and build up Damien Maya off of him, but

let's get some fights that make sense. You know, let's get some fights that makes sense for Damien. So, And the thing is He's clearly right at that level below where you need to be to compete for that title shot At this point It's not that long ago that he got his shot

Against Tyron Woodley But he's right at that level where He can still be a hell of a tough competition For some of these guys in the fringe of the top five Top 10 In fact, probably taking them down and submitting them And then not the level above that Where it's required to take to the next step

To get that title shot again there's plenty of interesting matchups I think for him as long as the goal is not to keep advancing toward that title shot because I think that's going to be tough I think there's plenty of there's plenty of interesting fights for him

in the top 10 that could go his way could go the other way and I'm still interested in seeing him oh and 49 aside I still think there's plenty of people he can take down I think Kamara Usman is it was more an account of him than saying I think Damia and Maya doesn't have it

anymore. The way he was stuffing the takedowns showed me more about him than necessarily that Damien Maya isn't able to bring people to the ground anymore because he was deep on some shots and Camaro just is an incredible defensive wrestler. To me the bigger question is what do they do with Usman?

Of course. What kind of favors did he do himself in that fight? He obviously advances he wins, but how far does he advance? It's hard to argue with the results in the record. I mean, at this point, it's hard for anybody to argue that he's not in that upper tier. And it's hard for, like, if, if Colby Cuffington is now

getting a shot against Hafeel Dosangos for an interim title, is Usman not deserving of, of that level? Is Usma not in that conversation? Yeah, but you know this is the entertainment business. The reason why Colby Cumberton is getting that is because he's, yeah, he's talking on social media, he's talking in the cage. It's going to be hard to deny him. We'll see how many fights it's going to take, but it's going to be hard to deny him. What will be even harder maybe is getting him fights because he's the type of fighter that maybe is not going to, you know, talk the way Kobe Cumberton's going to talk and not going to be able to sell that fight if you're his opponent. And then you're looking at a likely loss because he's so good.

It's a difficult, it's a difficult position that he's in, but I think it will ultimately be hard to deny him. Yeah, I think he's probably at this point maybe two. I don't think he's going to get a title shot next. Yeah, it's wild. Two, maybe three. he needs people to play ball he needs to get those fights so yeah

we'll see what happens it's gonna be tough I wouldn't I wouldn't be happy if I was a 170 year that had to face him next but he did have a fight booked with Ponziabio maybe they can rebook that we'll see

also from the weekend Nikita Krilov versus Fabio Maldonado this was over on fight pass on Fight Nights Global getting the knockout over the durable Fabio Maldonado.

Krillov, I believe, is now 4-0 since leaving the UFC. 4-0? I do believe with four finishes. Not a shocker. The guy was good. Al Capone, getting it done. Also, wanted to give a shout out to the team at Fight Pass who put together this great

video piece with Darren Hill, featuring our very own or our very own, not our very own, but friend of the show, John Gooden. The man. The proud new dad. New father, John Gooden. So shout out to him and that team. Really, really good stuff.

I had a chance to watch some of it. And this is something that John, this was like a passion project for him that he kind of went out on a limb and did on his own initially. So kudos to him for doing that. Yeah, check this one out over at Fight Pass. Some great content right now leading up

into the event this weekend. Speaking of the event this weekend, speaking of Darren Till, Stephen Thompson and Darren Till to be broadcast on BBC radio. Yes, I love this. Live for the first time. There was a lot of conversation about, well, isn't this something from the Stone Age? It's not on BBC TV. What are your thoughts on a radio broadcast of a UFC fight?

I freaking love this. This is incredible. I actually feel like MMA on the radio is very doable. It's a great idea. How do you feel about sports generally on the radio? Oh, freaking love it. Are you kidding me? Yeah. I mean, baseball on the radio is heaven, especially if you have the right broadcaster, doing the play by play. It's heavenly. You know, there are some other sports like hockey is a little trickier. I think football is very easy to digest on the radio. Basketball, to a degree, is a little tougher.

So would I say football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Back in the day, of course, we all know that boxing has been around over a century. Boxing used to be very prevalent on the radio. So I think this is great. This is a really nice first step. Well, it's a plus, right? You could watch it or you can listen to it.

This is only going to help the audience numbers. The idea isn't to drive hardcore fans who already know where to get the visual broadcast of this fight. This is to expose to audiences who may not have been tuning in, have this radio channel, tune into it, and get an exposure to a huge fight. But, I mean, it speaks more to the strength of Darren Till and getting this done in Liverpool. now the fight going to be broadcasts on one of their major radio stations credible unbelievable

yeah I love it and I don't know I see some people complain like what are you complaining about it's just bonus it's yeah it's not replacing TV it's not replacing a television broadcast don't worry about that what if you're driving and you still want to catch the action

now you can for this particular fight it's not it's not like a constant fixture but how is that bad like what is there to complain about I've become a recent fan of a lot of NBA on the radio let me tell you our man Sean Grandi is phenomenal

I choose to listen to him and he's the Celtics guy but I just think that they are so That's perfect You can tune in to him tonight As they lose to the calves It's phenomenal It'll be great

Yeah whatever Listen to Sean As he calls a massacre I'm really liking what the cabs are doing These days I must say I'm sure Nice Nice one

Okay We talked about this a little bit earlier In fact you asked the man himself But we're featuring here Alistair Overeem posting about the switch in the lineup for UFC 222. Just found out that our fight

June 9th, this is Alice they're speaking on social. What do you guys think of that decision? Here we see the main card on pay-per-view. Whitaker versus Romero, Dosanjos versus Covington,

Hollyholm versus Mekin Anderson, Roloski versus Tai Tui Vasa, NCM-Punk versus Mike Jackson. Overeem versus Blades move down to the featured prelim. Great. Great for those two guys. Yeah.

Like, I don't understand. I really don't understand. Well, there's still a prestige. There's still a prestige thing. That's ridiculous. If you're not making any money off of the 6499 or the hell it is,

what do you care? Go first. Maybe not first. Maybe not on 5 past. Go like between 8 and 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Who cares? It's interesting that this is still a topic. Yes.

Like, Yariah Faber was talking about this when it first was happening, you know, saying put me in that spot. He was one of the first guys. I want to be in that spot. Yes. it's interesting and Overeem we heard from saying hey it's better for me on earlier my people in Europe can watch it sooner in fact actually I have that on a tweet he says for the record I have

no problem with decision because now people in Europe don't have to stay up late and the sooner the better he also said on our show he's fine with fighting earlier in fact he wants to get it done I think you know that's one half of the equation we have the other half responding on Twitter Curtis Blades responding to BJPen.com who tweeted out that news saying we're still getting paid, right? So if his pay is not changing, he's good with it too. Let me tell you something. If I'm not getting all up in arms about this,

they'll get up all in arms of the way. Exactly. It's really not that big a deal. And both of them are taking the right approach here. Yeah. It really isn't that big of a deal. And again, and it just goes to show, if you are attending that event, I don't want to hear a peep from the people in Chicago

about not getting good cards. Overeign versus Blades on the prelims. Not even on the paper. And others on the prelims as well, I don't want to hear a peep from Chicago. because they've been complaining that they don't get, like any city that complains that we don't get good enough cards,

you can't complain because you're getting cards because there's many, many, many cities all across the world that would love to just go to a UFC event. So don't complain about that. And now you're getting a card of this magnitude and you're getting Overeign versus Blades on the prelims. Come on, get out of here. Yeah, 225 is money.

Okay, Brian Stan, a little bit of news from the MMA world, Brian Stan, joining PFL to lead the competition slash rules committee this article here from MMA fighting Great hiring Brian Stan getting back into the

MMA game I think everybody's going to be for this Yes UFC Fight Nout excuse me UFC Fight Night Moscow officially announced

for September 15th Yair you're talking a little bit ago about saying he wanted Zabit in his house That's wild What did you make of that The whole interview

I thought he gave a really good account of himself I think he's in a good spot it sounds like in terms of how he's handling and processing the news, um, thankful for the opportunity that has been given, but sees this as another opportunity. And I think that's the only way you can kind of treat it.

It's interesting to just hear, you know, the actual way it played out behind the scenes, all the permutations, the different fights that he has accepted against all the different opponents that he's accepted against. In fact, accepting about a fight with Zabit,

which was part of the kind of contention, um, that wasn't really clear. Um, he didn't turn down, a fight with Zabidi asked for more money to fight him in LA and then accepted for the same amount of money in Moscow. But I thought Yaiyar did well. You reported earlier while we were doing the show that the main event for this event would be.

Yes. Would be who? Oh, Alexei Olenik versus Herbysio Verduem. Yep, headlining this Moscow card. The Battle of the Submission Heavyweights. it. Now, how about Verdum getting another nod in the main event spot after getting

knocked out by Alexander Volkov? Volkov seems to be a great choice for that event, but he might be in line. I mean, there aren't that many guys for the winner of D.C. versus Depe. So he might be in a tough spot

there. I maintain, as we talked about on Thursday's MMAB, they could still do a Russia versus the World Card. right? Oh yeah I think that would do very well over there Yeah Speaking of Russia

A picture here from Habib Narmaga Madov's Instagram Just a great picture Just feature this I don't know what the word say Yeah I just wanted to feature this because I really enjoyed this picture It's It's nice to see

Hubby Look at that Tell the people in case they're not Okay so if you're listening on audio He's wearing the MMAfighting.com shirt And shout out to him for that that. Actually, shout out to Danny Segora. Yes. For making the handoff, the unsung hero of this of this picture because he was the one who made the delivery. When the guests come in studio,

you get a parting gift. That's called class, right? Yeah. And Habib got not only a shirt, but he also got, I do believe, a mug. Yes, he did. Yeah. We'll see if that mug pops up anywhere, but for now, the shirt popping up on his Instagram. Kind of surreal to see him ripping. Okay, we'll go through these quickly. John Jones responding to Chuck Liddell calling him out on our show last week, saying old Chuck has been calling me out for years. I get it. I hold pretty much every record in the division.

I normally try to respect my elders. But if you want it, come get it. I'd literally fly you out to Albuquerque this weekend. So he's obviously game if Chuck wants to do it right now. Continuing, you might want to test the strength of that jaw before you take a bite you can't chew. Continuing further. in all seriousness, Chuck Liddell, I appreciate your offer for a fight,

but due to scheduling conflicts may not be able to fulfill till mid-2019. We see an interesting insight there. In the upcoming months, I've similarly lethal opponents in Rick Flair and George Foreman awaiting, so a little bit tongue-in-cheek here

from John Jones. I think the continuation of this goes, I'm done with all this internet bullshit for the time being, if you have something else to say to me, I've already invited you down to Albuquerque, take care, old man, Lidale.

And one more, which I believe was the hammer on this one, adding Chuck Liddell and saying, as far as you teaching me how to really fight, quote unquote, and posting the last couple of losses on Chuck Liddle's resume. I think it's safe to say that John is winning this battle so far, but we'll see what happens from here. Not interested in seeing that fight, though. No.

Under any circumstances, under any, let's just not make this happen. It seems to have lit a fire under John Jones, though. He is definitely... Yeah, it's true. Chuck Liddell has gotten him interested in a way that no other person that he could actually face has in recent history. Even the Daniel Cormier activity is not as much as he had for Chuck Lidell right there. More verbal sparring on social media, Twitter.

Henry Sohudo going at Demetrius Johnson saying... This was a weird one. listing the lowest paper view in UFC history, check. Lowest title fight gate, check. I don't even know if that's true, by that. Play video games all day, check. Awesome. Haven't fought for eight months, check.

Great fighter, but nobody cares to watch him, and I will kill the mouse, and he has a little hammer emoji next to the mouse emoji. To which Demetrius Johnson said, I clocked all those hours in gaming and still worked your ass, which I mean, that's it. There's nothing more to say at that point. It did continue, but I mean, that one's already over. Demetrius with the first round

K-O on that one. The Sohudo Heeltern on Twitter was an interesting one and I even was targeted a little bit. Yeah, I saw that. I mean he even went as far as to say, oh, it must be nice to get a crack at your dream. Like, first of all buddy, you're an Olympic gold medalist

all right. So I kind of feel like you realized your dream but maybe you have new dreams that's cool but don't get me involved and don't be taking shots. All I was saying was hey, the guy had shoulder surgery he's the most active and reliable champion arguably in UFC history at least in the last five to six years

like just chill out a second but it's hard to argue with the idea that this type of stuff works to some degree yes like we see it with Kobe Covington and his continued nerd bash posting like this seems to work kind of sort of

but I mean Demetrius handled it cool as a cucumber I thought he won that one okay Paul Semtex Daily getting on Instagram So if you're on there You want to give me a follow It's Semtex 117. Semtex on Instagram

And also now His first tweet Earlier today Saying yo Michael Page So his Instagram is Semtext 170 His Twitter is Semtex underscore 170 Saying yo Michael Page I hope you win this weekend

But you know what's next You mentioned you want to fight in the streets But you know you're not built for this Coming heavy on the first tweet Yeah, the guy went from saying that he'll sign up for Twitter in a few months. After having some Merlot and stuff, the guy pops it open. But he came strong. He came correct. Talk about zero to 100 real quick there, Paul.

Yeah. Got that Twitter going and used it appropriately to call out Michael Page. Mike Perry, I hope that Semtex is able to use his Twitter to the effect that Mike Perry has been. Really bringing the strength saying, I'll say it now because I've been saying it. Someone going to take my idea, but this will be proof. Fighting octagon or square. I'm sorry, or a circle or a square. Whatever shape, the fight should take place in a bulletproof glass ring.

Hashtag platinum promotions. No more grabbing the cage. No more blocked view. So platinum when it's time for platinum promotions is going to be doing it in a bulletproof glass ring. Okay. I mean, it makes sense. No. What is this?

Kevin Lee, the entire. Oh. Is going to eat a scorpion. Yeh. You wouldn't do this? I know that guy taking the video. He's a UFC social media guy. So you would never eat this?

No. Live? No, it's cooked. It looked like it was cooked. Oh, okay. Well, that's totally different. No, I'm good. I'm good, Doug.

Look at that. Kevin Lee, champ. I wonder what it tastes like because that's a, that's not just like a little. There's only one way to find out, my friend. I don't wonder that much. Kevin Lee looking svel. by the way.

Yeah. Yeah. If he stays on that steady diet of scorpions, he'll keep it up. But shout out to Kevin Lee. I like people doing adventures food things. I would do it. I would do it once. I'm not the type of person who's like, oh, I love it.

What if you actually love it? Well, then I'd eat it. But I'm guessing I wouldn't. I wouldn't like it. But I would try anything once, food-wise. No. I'm not in a box. You're not trying like cat in some random place.

Well, it depends. like not on the street corner, not here. If I go to a country and they say, cat is a delicacy, this is in Thailand. If they said cat was a delicacy, I'd be like, okay. No, but where did he buy the freaking scorpion? On the street, street meat.

Yeah, so there you go. You're buying that? If I was in a country where it's a delicacy, I would do it. Delicacy might be pushing it. I think it is. Look, don't judge here. I'm not why.

I'm just saying. I would do it. I would try it. Now somebody's going to bring a scorpion to the studio for me to eat. Would you do geese? Would you do geese? I don't know. Do people eat geese?

Yeah. I saw on Audiatar's Instagram. I mean, is it that much different from a duck from another foul? Would you do duck? I've had duck plenty of times. Would you do liver? I eat liver all the time. Liver?

Come on. You wouldn't eat liver? Tongue? Yeah, for sure. Testicles? I've done these. I eat these things on the reg. Have you had testicles?

I don't know if I've had testicles. That's legit. I haven't. But I would try it. come on look we can have a you can have like a no you're good you want

an eating around not a competition but you and I both will bring it into the studio we'll do like an eating around the world segment and we'll get some we'll get some testicles in here okay BJ Penn here on Instagram showing some love to the legend

Matt Hughes these two the budding romance between these two ever since their their careers intertwined has been incredible to watch love you Matt Hughes thank you UFC Jim for that was very cool

and legend to see us today BJ Penn and Matt Hughes that was very cool two of the goats of the sport Liam Galaher or Gallagher saying he's just watched the Connor McGregor documentary

saying I've just watched your film Connor McGregor biblical I want you to be in my new music video as you were signing LG for Liam Gallagher also the rock partaking in the documentary all of a sudden these people

all of a sudden all these people are watching the documentary. The Rock saying Saturday night doc viewing. Connor McGregor is notorious. Great insight into the DNA of this man, successful and smart business man. Best part of the success is when you strip it all away. It always comes down to being the hardest worker in the room. Those

roots never go away. Solid doc. Well done, brother. So shout out to the team that did this doc. It's still going. It's a fun dog. And getting some love. By the way, there was a time where there weren't a lot of good MMA docs out there. And I know the moral one is in technically MMA, but it's... We talked about two

today? Yeah, we talked about two today. That's another one. And the Evan Tanner one that Bobby brought up as well is also one that's worth watching. I'm not sure where you can get that one. You can find it somewhere. But yeah, there was a time where it was just the smashing machine and nothing else. Choke. Yeah, a smashing machine was, in my opinion, far and away the best. But that's a good one. We have one more hang tight. This tagboard wasn't cooperating with me. Sort of like the internet. What do you mean? Oh, the stream's been down for a while. It's been spotty?

Yeah. I mean, if you're listening to this after the fact, it's all good, but... Well, if you're listening after the fact, you got nothing to worry about it. That's just gravy for you. Yeah, tagboard apparently had a limit on how many things I could... Maybe it's the internet. No, no, no, no. Not the internet.

But this one's important. I have to get this one. Okay. Ah, here it is. There it is. A post from one Ariel Hawani to Instagram. Please God, no. of course

of course we must share where is it Ariel Hawani saying oh yes wow this look the text is so small on this from Tagport you don't have to read

because there's so much no we do have to read no please don't I'm sorry I'm not going to allow you to read this just just sum up the damn thing okay congratulations to you Ariel

many people have said it today but I would be remiss if I didn't say congratulations on your movement to ESPN and bringing many many shows over there

to us yourself and Chail Sondon doing a show, Ariel versus the bad guy. No, Ariel and the bad guy. Oh, sorry. Get her right. Well, it would be better if it was... Versus? All right, I'm going to suggest that.

But we're not competing against each other here, but I get your point. Thank you, I appreciate it. But congratulations. And if you want to see more, Ariel has it on his social media. Yes, and I will also say, what is this? Oh, is that...

That's just it running. There was one thing that I forgot to say at the top of the show, many moons ago and that was essentially that there was only one place that I would ever leave this place for and so I just hope everyone knows

like I have a contract that comes to an end in June but I was not going around asking the world that's the only place so I hope people realize how you know how special this place is to me but the dream job is the dream job and I was getting tired of working with you.

With me? I wasn't sure I was looking at you I didn't know if you were paying attention so I wanted to see if you actually would react. All right, let's get to our questions. What else do we have? That's it. We're going to go to questions.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hang tight, hang tight. Well, I can do the first one. Yeah, you want to start with the question of the week? Well, the question of the week is a simple one because I have had a very hard time trying to figure out who I'm favoring going into Sunday's fight in Liverpool. Oh, and before I do that, let me just first give a shout out while you're queuing that. How about this?

For my good friends at Everton. the club of clubs they had some news today did you did you see that well i've been doing a show what was the news you find out later good news or bad news tbd all right uh well here it is my good friends at everton look at this box i mean you talk about class class personified from our friends at umbrough i mean look at this thing go everton look at that the brand new kit in a box for me they're most loyal and hardcore fan we opened said box we opened said box we opened it up. And then we even have a letter here, a personalized letter. Please, dearest Ariel, our most loyal supporter, please find enclosed your brand new 2018-2019 Everton home shirt. The shirt was revealed

on Monday, April 30th. My son's birthday, by the way, and is available for bands to purchase from Saturday, 5 May with the first team wearing it for the very first time that same day in our last home game of the season at Goodeson Park against Southampton. You have received one of the very limited number of shirts that we are gifting to people ahead of the retail launch. This year's shirt has been released under the campaign title Go On, which has been chosen as both an homage to the Everton fans who use the line to support their team and players every week, but also a way of us highlighting the club's consistent ambition to drive towards or forwards and recognition of our status as football pioneers.

We hope that you like the shirt and would appreciate. Yeah, whatever. So here we go. I read too much. Whatever. I read too much there at the end. A little oversharing. But look at that.

I mean, you talk about a kit. Wow, look at that. Quality. You've got the logo there in the front. You've got a little angry bird supporting, which my son was very excited about it. Yeah. We talk about class personify.

There is. I'm looking up their schedule to see the next time we can see that kit on the field. field and yeah i'll be wearing it on sunday as unfortunately will not be in liverpool uh but i will be well neither will they because they're not playing yeah well guess what neither is liverpool they're playing in kiev you should probably know that yeah but liverpool is playing they are playing they're not playing in liverpool so all this to say we appreciate their support as the official uh club of the m m m m m m m hour and uh ariel hawani's m m m ms show and we will and we will uh continue to support

them wherever we may be so how about that i mean you talk about class oozing off your screen right now that is just great stuff the the crumpled currency lays there i think it's kind of cool actually um okay question of the day yes thank you very much to my friends at every who wins on sunday step uh stephen thompson darrentill with nearly 20 000 votes 55 percent saying stephen thompson are you surprised by that number actually for a long time it was 50 50 so what you say now 55 Thompson End of the day, no. I mean, that's pretty damn close.

I'm surprised that it's not a wider margin for Thompson, to be honest. I thought it would be close. Again, you have to remember, there's a lot of Euro fans that are probably voting with their heart here. A lot of English fans. I mean, I did this poll yesterday about... You're saying, is they're wrong? No, no, no, I'm not saying,

but, you know, who knows how objective everyone is being. But that just goes to show... What are the odds? I believe Thompson was around two to one last I look. Let's see. that kind of, I mean, that kind of speaks that. I mean, it's a close. No, you know what?

More? It, oh, no. It is significantly dropped from that. Thompson is only minus 160. Till is plus 140. So it is, it is tightened quite a bit. Thompson is not as big a favorite as he was at some point. This might be, you know, recency bias showing and I could be wrong.

But I can't recall the last. FS1 main event, like a non-fox, non-title fight that was just two top dogs going at it that I was disinterested in. It is a compelling fight. And we'll see what happens. Is it too soon? Is it the beginning of a superstar's run? Is it the moment that Connor experienced in 2014? There's so much intrigue. I will say, rest of the card, there's moments. It leaves a little bit to be desired, but the main event to me is worth the price of admission. She's got Molly McCann making her debut. You've got other English fighters on the card as well.

So if you're a fan going, I mean... But everybody's here for that. The fight's going to be on the radio. We've talked about it. There's no secret how the tickets were sold on this one. Thompson versus Till is going to... What a fight. Okay.

Crow cops out of his bout with Roy Nelson. Who should replace him if they replace them? I know Roy during the show was on social media asking for an opponent saying who's out there. He might even be there. I believe he's there. He's on the streets looking for somebody. To fight.

Do you just move up the middleweight title fight? Well, they have done that. They've officially announced that, but, you know, four days notice is just incredibly tough. Yeah. Although we are dealing with heavy weights, and it's, you know, it's rare for these things to happen to heavy weights where no weight cutting is needed for the most part. There are some guys.

You know, one guy that came to mind while I was thinking was Czech Congo had a very short night in San Jose last weekend. and definitely going to be under the limit definitely going to be under the limit but again you know who's taking a fight on four days notice it's a tough yeah look if you if there's a potential that that gets back in the headline spot

no you gotta go with the title fight yeah I said it should have been the main event from the beginning in my opinion that that's another thing that's fair enough and how do you not make this fight available to people on online some way somehow in America

is beyond me we continue to talk about our friends across the pond Ali Basley asking the real question of the week from the most significant event

of the weekend is who had a better royal wedding dress Megan did you watch the royal wedding

so this is this is our time did you did you watch it could I tell you something my mother could do a six

hour broadcast on the royal wedding well it's interesting because I actually have her on the line no

is that true oh wow my heart just stopped for a second I could have no no no no I don't know

she would she would probably never do it but that being said she is obsessed obsessed she loved dating back to diana she loves everything about that family um and i spoke she woke up she typically wakes up at 4 a.m. to work out she's she's very dedicated like that but she was up 430 watching all the coverage at the very end i have rarely heard my

mother this disappointed um whoa yeah after after when we spoke after the the wedding the ceremony she was very disappointed she is a huge kate fan and And she liked how sort of classic it all was, you know, the dress and the blah, blah, blah. But I will say I thought it was nice. I woke up at like 6.30 not to watch it because that's when we wake up with the little kids. And it seemed like a nice ceremony. They seem in love. He was sweating a lot, Prince Harry was.

It seemed a little like, you know, anxious. You know, there was that one reverend there who kind of stole the show who was very entertaining. They had George Clooney and Serena Williams. So it sounds like you watched it. I made a point when I woke up, I fired it up. There's no doubt about it. And my daughter was even somewhat captivated by it, and she's only 18 months. So I'm a sucker for these things.

You know what's compelling about it? People are like, well, who cares? How often, even when you have a celebrity, right? Like when you find out that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are getting married, right? You are never privy to the actual ceremony. No. You hear about it. You see photos.

Instagram photos. You see, you know, a paparazzi shot. Yeah. very rarely, if ever, in our lifetime, have weddings been televised like that? I mean, we had William, what, like seven or so years ago and then the Diana wedding, but it's very rare. So, like, I think that's why we're so captivated by it because you never get to watch weddings live and especially ones that are that extravagant.

And I know it's very polarizing. And I'm not, I'm not educated enough to speak on where the money goes. and I thought Paul brought up a good point about what the family does as far as tourism is concerned. I do know that Prince Harry is well-liked and has done a lot for the community and his philanthropic efforts

have been very appreciated. But that was crazy. I saw this one tweet of Megan Markle outside Buckingham Palace as a tourist like from the 90s and now she's married to the guy. That is wild. Yeah.

To answer your question, Ollie. Yes. They both look beautiful. Yeah, they both look fine. They both look great. What are you trying to do? Yeah, let's not, let's not, you know. They both had their own look.

Pit him against each other. Pippa, although is the real star. Pippa. There you go. Pipple Middleton. Okay. Ariel, Christopher is saying the M.M.A. We're live from Flint, Michigan.

That's, come on. Come on. That's my honest aid. What's you drinking? Oh, is it? It looked a little cloudier today. It's usually more yellow. Is it?

No. You're right. this was the ice tea one. I like the orange mango. I'm very attuned to these things. I ran out of my body armor stock, so I now have to go to the... And this is way too sugary.

I'm not one who complains about the level of sugar and drinks. Back to the yellow joint. Yeah, I think I'm going back. Okay. Thank you for noticing. Last question. Ariel, can... We have you do a shooey on the last broadcast? You see, the thing is about that is like,

again, as I said at the top, I'm not here to make a big deal about everything. It's just a continuation. You know, it's an extension. It's a continuation. And on top of all that, that is the most disgusting thing that you could possibly subject me to, especially if we're talking like the authentic shooey, as I've learned, with the spitting. With the spit.

I have to tell you, I feel really bad for Tide to Ivasa. Why? Because now it's like he can't escape. He can't escape this thing. Does he seem like the kind of guy who's looking to escape this? He doesn't. Seems like he's down for a shooie at. any point. But it's almost like, you know, at a certain point, like, you know, you don't want to be

Steve Urkel all the time. Sometimes you want to be Stefan or Kel. You know, I think he's good. I mean, let's be honest. This thing has, like, it's lasted, what, three months? We've got at least another year until this becomes. Oh, you're so happy to just, yeah, he's, look, he's great. He did it to himself. He did. And I'm happy that he's, he's found this, you know, thing in this niche. But, like, I just hope people give him a little bit of a break. I hope not. I hope Chicago comes with shoeys in full force and is just like pelting him with them.

Could you imagine if he wins? He's going to, if he wins, because of what he did in Perth, he's going to be looking for one. Like if no one actually steps up to the plate and delivers one, Cajside, it will be a huge letdown. I'll just say that.

Especially if he knocks out Arlofski as he's been doing his last or his first like seven or so fights. Big fight coming up for him. You got to do it. Oh boy. All right. That's it.

All right, my man. Thank you very much. Great stuff. we have stuck around too long so you can hit my music, Austin. It has been a great day. Thank you very much to everyone who, oh, there it is. Yes. Boom.

Way to go. Happy Victoria Day, everyone. Happy Victoria Day and happy Memorial Day on Monday. And that is a good reminder to tell you that we are not here next Monday, but we are back on Tuesday. So as we like to do on Memorial Day, we like to observe. and not do a show. We did one, I think, a few years ago, but it has been a while. Anyway, what a great day.

What an emotional roller coaster it has been. I can't see everything here. I'm trying to pull this up because I want to thank everyone who has stopped by today. But yes, I am spent. I want to thank everyone who tuned in. I want to thank Ian McCall for stopping by. And again, congratulations to him. if you missed it, Ian McCall, announcing his retirement at the top of the show.

So congrats and happy trails to Uncle Creepy. Thank you very much to Paul Daly for stopping by. Great stuff from him. Thank you very much to, and I guess congrats on Instagram and Twitter. Good luck with the meeting later on this week. Thank you very much to Alster Overeign. How great was that? Good luck to him on June 9th, UFC 225.

Congratulations to LFA and, of course, Ed Soros. Thanks to him for stopping by to announce the news of his new ownership. All the best to John Hackleman and good luck with your training alongside Chuck Liddell for his potential MMA return. Moran O'Nall, thank you so much to him. Words cannot truly express how thankful I am to him. And do check out the documentary on May 25th. Thank you very much to Maquan Amir Kani, Valentina Shevchenko, Bobby Razik, Chris Seiburg, and of course, Yeah, Eur Rodriguez. us back next week same time i place those at peace i'm out of here