MMA Fighting - The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani - Episode 303

Episode Date: October 26, 2015

Ariel Helwani speaks to Alexander Gustafsson, Ben Rothwell, Dustin Poirier, Patrick Cummins, Aisling Daly, Malki Kawa, and Peter Carroll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Mixed Martial Arts Hour back in your life on this Monday, October 26, 2015. Hello again, everyone. I'm Ariel Halwani inside our New York City studio. That is not the right music, and the music is gone. Good start. It is great to be here with you on this Monday afternoon. We've got a good show planned following... What happens to my music?

I need that. I need that to start the show. I guess it's gone forever. Well, UFC Dublin was this past weekend, and there it's back. A little loud? Okay. UFC Dublin back this weekend, and, you know, it was a show that was hit by a whole bunch of injuries and whatnot, but it ended up being rather entertaining.

The main event was very entertaining. Luis Smolka with a big win over Patty Houlihan, so of course we will talk about that. Fortunately, Joseph Duffy was unable to fight, suffered a concussion. a week before the fight. Tried to get him on the show. Apparently he has some kind of exclusive with an outlet in Ireland, I believe. So we'll hear from him at a later date.

And this show's kind of gone up in the air a little bit today. But we'll figure it out. Here's what's happening today. At around 325, we're going to be joined by Dustin Poirier. He was supposed to fight in the main event. We'll talk about what's next for him. Ben Rothwell became sort of the hero of this event. he was supposed to fight in the co-main event and showed up there with no opponent and just became a huge fan favorite.

And it was pretty cool to see Ben really embraces the fans very well. So we'll talk to him about his experience. He's still in Ireland, believe it or not. 245, we'll talk to Patrick Cummins. He has a big fight coming up on November 7th against Glover-Teshirea. We were supposed to be joined by John Kavanaugh at 225, but he can't make it anymore. So we'll figure that out a little later on. Alexander Augustuson is going to join us at around 145.

Oh, we were supposed to be joined by Vitor Belfort at 205, but at around 11. Here's the short story there. Let me get this off my chest now. I booked Vitor on the show on Wednesday. All was good. Yep, 205 on Monday. All good. No problems, no questions asked.

Very happy to have them on. He's fighting Dan Henderson on November 7th. Usually on Sunday, I reach out to. all the people who are booked on the show on Monday to make sure that they remember that, you know, the show's coming up and just give them a quick reminder. I did not hear back from Vitor's wife, who's the person I booked Vitor through.

She's always very good to deal with. So I didn't hear back, but that's, you know, that's not... That's not uncommon. That happens sometimes. So right before I got into the studio today at 11, I texted her again just saying, hey, a reminder, we'll call you a 205. Uri Fabor likes to make fun of me for checking in too many times.

But she wrote back and said, I hope that this interview is going to be 100% about, why don't I just read the text? Because I think that it's valuable. Give me a second. Here it is. Just to make sure he will be talking only in all caps regarding his upcoming fight, right?

And I said, you know, always fair and consider it. There are certain things about this upcoming fight specifically that are going to be asked, not about this upcoming fight that are going to be asked, but in the end, it'll all tie back to the fight. Does that sound good? Can you send me the question, she says? I thought the interview was based on his next fight.

We never said that. But again, you know, you're promoting a fight. I get that. But it doesn't mean you have to solely, I mean, Chris Wybman was on the show last week. We didn't solely talk about Luke Rockhold. Anyways, I said, I don't write my questions in advance. I never have, but I give you my word. I will be fair. I hope that that means something to you guys. And, you know, I wanted Vitoran to help promote his fight, and I will not be causing any harm. Okay, please know, she writes, Deadspin. I'm not sure about the name. No deadspin questions, TRT, or any past TRT results.

Vitor is giving you his valuable time. I believe we can count on you. And then I wrote back, you know, this is his first interview. I believe since that story came out by Josh Gross. So if it's not addressed in any small capacity, it will make not only him, but me look very bad. So, you know, I said, I don't want to harp on this, but I feel like it needs to be addressed. She said, if Vitor had anything to say, he would have said it already. You asked me when the website released any info, and we didn't give you a word. I'm sorry, Ariel, but if you were going to ask about that, unfortunately, Vitor won't be able to talk to you. It is totally different if you ask him in a press conference, but since he's giving you a direct interview, I don't want him to talk about it. And then I wrote back, you know, I think that this is actually better than a press conference because it's one-on-one.

and, you know, we've had a relationship in the past. And I said I spoke to you about this last week, and you never mentioned anything like that. You know, I didn't think that this would be a problem. Anyway, I'm sorry, Ariel, we can schedule for tomorrow when he is going to have a media day with UFC. I thought I could count on you as you could always count on us. And I don't even know what that means. I'm not the one who backed out from the interview. I'm not the one who put any stipulations on the interview.

So I'm not sure I understood that last line or appreciated it. Nevertheless, he's not going to be on the show. And I'm curious, you know, I talked about this story already. I don't think that it's, you know, the biggest deal. I think it's something worth addressing. I wasn't going to spend 20 minutes on it. But, you know, if he doesn't want to talk about it, as I told Eric Apple, that's fine. Just tell me on Wednesday, not after I promote it.

And then I just wanted to book them. Anyway, we'll talk about it later. Alexander Guffston, 145. Malki Kau, at 125. And we're going to be joined by Peter Carroll of severe MMA and the, what's the name of that website? That paper that he's a part of, the Irish Mirror. But first, let me remind you that the M.M.A.R. is brought you by Assassin's Creed Syndicate. There's the video game right over there. We appreciate their time. All right. And their support, of course.

Let me go to the Skype machine and welcome in Peter Carroll. Peter, how are you, my friend? I'm good. How are you, Ariel? Good to talk to you again, man. It is on you to put me in a better mood, all right? Okay, I'll do it. Compare Dublin on Saturday to last July. How did it stack up? Straight away, I think you have to say that you can't actually compare them to events. I think last July is going to stand on its own forever, okay?

As far as events that have been to afterwards, I think that was absolutely fantastic on Saturday. But I think the problem with it is that it's always going to be compared to McGregor V Brandeau on that night was absolutely magical. I think a few factors like that will never happen again. The unbeaten streak, the Irish went on that night. And of course, McGregor, it's like the last time we're probably ever going to see in one of these, well, for a few years in one of these small arenas, you know, in the first round knockout overbrand out. This last weekend's cards, you know, had a few casualties on the way in, and a lot of people were worried about it before it actually happened.

But then when the event went down, I thought it was unbelievable. I thought the crowd really got behind everyone, apart from obviously the four-and-five, that were tronning at the end and the tennis ball that actually heard a photographer. That could have really mad than I had not been so amazing in the earlier on. I thought it was fantastic some of the scenes that we saw. What happened there? I didn't hear about that. Just like it was actually pretty spectacular. Just as Louis Smoker finished a fight, a dead silence that descended on the arena.

After these massive roars that would just happen seconds before, it just went completely silent and then four or five plastic point glasses or bottles were thrown in and then a tennis ball was thrown in. I don't know where, how's something got a tennis ball in? But it hit a cameraman and he actually suffered a kind of a cut to his face. But that was kind of, you know, we're really disappointed with that because at Bama, which happened in September, there was a few bottles thrown in at the end. And all the Irish media are quick to point out that, you know, that wasn't Irish fans. That was the guys that came over to. support another fighter, another international fighter, but, you know, it had to be the Irish guys

and how upset they were over the decision of that. I mean, the way the main event went, but I thought the main event was absolutely brilliant to watch. I loved it. You know, when someone pulls out of a fight the week of, it's not a huge blow right now for the UFC and the promotion in general because all the tickets are sold. Now, they did offer refunds, but from what I understand, there weren't that many. And people have already invested, you know, time plans, money, all that stuff. So it's, I think, very rare they're going to pull out. I'm curious what happens the next time the UFC plans an event in Dublin.

Are people now going to be slower to buy the tickets because of what happened to this card? Did you get that impression? Yeah, yeah, I certainly did. And a lot of people seem to think that because we had them too late pullouts that the UFC are going to come back with a monstrous card next time. I mean, the fact that the place was still sold out. You know, well, I don't know if they released the official numbers yet. they didn't have them at the press comments, but it was pretty much sold out from what I could see.

And I think the fact that, you know, we have, you know, there was a solid stadium despite the two main fights on the card going missing. I don't think that really, that would warrant the UFC having to come back with a monstrous card unless it was something like Crowe Park or something, which we still know is fairly elusive. How did people feel about Dustin not taking a replacement fight? You know, a lot of people were quick to criticize him. But, you know, I can understand the situation he was in to a certain extent.

You know, he was offered Norman Park. And Norman Park said himself, you know, he said, you know, he's coming off two losses. You know, the fight with Parier, you know, maybe it doesn't make sense for Dustin Parier. He was just entered the rankings there at lightweight. I know Joseph Duffy wasn't in the rankings, but he certainly had a lot more momentum going into that fight than Norman did. but, you know, I think a few people did criticize that. But, you know, it is what it is. I think Dustin's into the last fight in his contract as well.

So it's a very important fight for him. So I can understand why he didn't take that fight. Was Joseph, I saw him in the front row. Did they show him on the big screen or anything? Did the fans have a chance to react to him? How did they react him? Yeah, they reacted really well. You know, Joe was there all week in the fighter hotel, taking pictures.

You know, he could tell he was devastated. I mean, I can remember someone said he had bottled it or something earlier on the weekend. You know, from what I hear transpired, there couldn't be further from the truth. You know, Joe was apparently counting out almonds to eat on Wednesday, you know, just before the announcement was made, John Gooden, the commentator was telling me he saw him literally counting out almonds,

you know, obviously worried about his weight cut. I was actually, the Troy Star guy is Eric O'Keefe and Tom Breeze, were in Team Rinole Wednesday night just before this news had broken and I was talking to them and Eric O'Keefe is a bird's descent he was telling me how excited he was to walk out with Joe

you know he was kind of laughing that he'd walk out with the enemy the English guy against Compton Pinterest and then he'd be coming out to these big chairs and I was literally on my way home driving on my way home from Team Rino

and my phone started going off I had no idea what it was and then I couldn't believe it to see that Joe wasn't going to be fighting but you know these things happen I'm sure a lot of people you know, me and myself, you know,

fight our welfare, you know, we want to make sure these guys are healthy, you know, they're putting their bodies on the line in there. And certainly, Joe, with the moil concussion, you know, it couldn't happen, unfortunately, for the night. Do you have any problem with them sparring so close to the fight? He suffered this injury seven days before the fight? Yeah, well, I mean, this is,

that was the first question I asked Ryan MacDonald, but Ryan McDonald told me, you know, this wasn't any intense session. This was kind of like a freak accident. He kind of cited his own kind of pull out, before the BJ, the initial BJ Penn date,

you know, he said, like, these are just freak accidents that are happening. Like, at the end of the day, no matter how likely they are training,

they're still kind of shaping as if they're going to be hitting each other, and, you know, and accidents can happen. You know, I'm just glad, I'm just glad, you know,

he wasn't able to fight, and then more damage could have been done. But obviously, you know, I can understand the fans' frustration, you know what I mean, that it was taken off the card. He was,

this was all, this cup was kind of meant to be all about Joseph Duffy on the way in, you know what I mean? that's what people were certainly excited about. Even when Ben Rottwell and Steve A. Miotchus were taken off the card, people were still like, oh, well, Porrier and Duffy's going to be a monstrous fight. But in the end of the day, I thought Huland and Smoka, you know, it was a great main event.

I know a lot of people had reservations about that, but I thought it was, I thought it was an enthralling belt, you know, I thought it was brilliant. Like, there's not many times a fight can spend that much time in the grappling realm. Yeah. And people, I like cheering and roaring. Usually when a fight hits the deck, it's only, you know, a couple of minutes before the whole place.

been when you see it a lot of places. So I thought it was like a technical, aggressive and exciting fight from both guys. I thought it was like the grappling equivalent of two guys standing in the pocket and winging haymakers at each other, you know, because they were sacrificing positions for submissions. Absolutely brilliant. You know, I loved it, you know. And Patty was greeted like a national hero out there. The whole place were singing his name, you know, it was a big one for him. I think he did, he ticked every box apart from the victory box, you know what I mean? And Louis Smoker looks absolutely brilliant as well. I couldn't agree with more with everything you just said.

It was so entertaining. And in fact, I prefer a fight like that more so than one where it's just guys, you know, swinging wildly at each other. Patty looked to be, you know, as you said, a national hero. He got the big heroes welcome. And it was a nice story for him. He kicked off the card back in July of last year. Now he gets to headline it. It did seem like he was a little ticked off in the post-fight interview saying that he never got the call to, A, be the co-main event or be the main event.

Did you get that impression as well? Absolutely. you know and you know it's it's the kind of thing play he does he just looks he just always looks forward you know i don't think i don't think he would have refused it you know i think he would have been he would have liked to minasto you know yeah and you know and i think i think he was a bit downed himself after i thought i spoke to him briefly like but i don't think there's any reason for him to be downed himself after that performance you know i mean there was a main event missing there he stepped in to do a job you know there was only you know when you look at that card really there was only two

fighters in Lackard. Yeah. You know, it was Darren Hylkins and Ashting Daly and respectively they were 13th and 15th and the rankings, you know what I mean?

But Patty and Louis Lewis to go up there and fight the way they did too, unranked guys, you know, I thought it was absolutely unbelievable. What did you make of Daly's performance?

And in particular, okay, first, let's talk about our performance and then I want to ask you about something she also said in the post fight. She finally gets her chance to fight in Dublin

in a UFC octagon. She steps up. Did you think that she put on this great performance that tells the world that she's a contender. I know there was a lot of talk about her her weight cut and her physique and all that. What do you think of it all?

I talked to the interaction between the crowd and Daly really made the fight. You know, when she was walking out to the crowd to the song, Zombie, and she's singing along. It looks like she has tears in her eyes and the crowd were singing with her. I thought that was amazing, you know, and the atmosphere throughout that fight was absolutely incredible.

I don't think, like, honestly, I don't think Daly has announced herself as a contender in the division there, you know, but Eric Almeida seemed a lot more awkward of an opponent in her debut than she did in Dublin. You know, the fight itself, you know, it wasn't the greatest fight of all time. But that's what the Irish crowd do. They make, like, they make just better, you know, I think they're nearly like having a fight on the card because people are tuning in to see that atmosphere.

Right. And that's what it really was. That's why it was so incredible, you know, actually in a pioneer to sport in Northern. I think about five guys were maybe training in M.A. when I started, you know what I mean? That was it, you know what I mean? The first world champion, the country ever had, you know, to see her being received like the way she was on the night,

that's what made it so especially, you know what I mean? And for her to get a win, you saw how much it meant for her in there. But certainly, I don't think you could say that, you know, she's announced herself as a contender in the division on the back of the Almada win, but it was a great performance to watch. I thought her post-fight interview was fascinating because she said that she saw all these other guys her, her colleagues, her teammates

become household names and she was left behind because she was on the show because she couldn't fight on that, well not the first show. I mean, it kind of feels like the first show in Dublin,

but technically it was the second show in Dublin last July. Did you get that impression from her because I felt like she kind of kept that to herself up until that post-fight interview? No, I was talking about it quite a bit in the lead up to the fight.

You know, that was even like, if you consider like, Neil Seery had made his debut, the march before that show. But it wasn't until that show that people, you know, that the fans really started to recognize Neil

and then Patty and Carl had a massive launch pad that day. They had two brilliant performances as well. I really did feel like that was Ashton Daly's launch pad there. You know, the whole week we were kind of talking about this build up. I think for some reason

she was actually quite worried to see if the crowd would. You know, I think there was that kind of like, will the crowd be as good? Will they get behind me for it? On the night, it was absolutely unbelievable and that that really was what that fight was about me the lead up to it and everything

I talked about quite a bit because you know it's going to be interesting to see now where how many people get behind Ash because that was a really memorable interaction the crowd had with her that night it kind of reminded me a serious fight on the last card the way the fields of Anten Roy broke out halfway through obviously

a song and then they're going to go whoa when she was connecting with the shots at the end the same way as Siri was against Phil Harris last year but um it was that was You know, I think there was a few moments that will be, will stick with me from that card. And certainly, Daly's walkout to zombie was, was one of them. Another one was how the crowd gave Carl Pench to stand in ovation as he left the, left the octagon after his loss.

You know, it was quite a one-sided loss that called suffering on the night. And to see the crowd kind of stand up and applaud him like that, that's what makes seeing these missiles being thrown into the octagon at the end so hard to take. Do you know what I mean? It's like, you know, it was, it was very frustrating to say that, you know. Okay, so Pendred, you know, Pendrit is a very polarizing figure in this sport. You know this. He loses pretty badly in that fight to Tom Breeze. Breeze looked very good. You know, do you feel like he has a future in the UFC? Or you're not impressed. You kind of shook your head there. What did you not agree with what I just said? Oh, no, no, I said, I think, I think you're right. Like, I think that was probably the worst time to lose here.

Yeah. I think with so many cuts being made, Carl obviously, he himself has criticised his performances so far under the UFC banner. And, you know, that's two losses in a row. And, you know, it's a very tough position for Call to be in now. And I think the fact that Breeze looks to me like a guy that's going right to the top of that division. I was talking to the Troy Star guys about him and, you know, they all seem very, very high on him. It just so happened that a lot of people back in the day

wanted them two guys to fight. It felt like that fight was a couple of years in the making. And Carl was kind of sighting his experience throughout the lead up to it. And just on the night, you know, he got caught with that left hand of the start, went down on one knee. When he got back up, his nose seemed to be broken.

And, you know, it wasn't long before Breeze was connecting with that again. And, you know, for a guy that a lot of people see is so durable, you know what I mean? That was hugely impressive for Breeze. to put him away in one round, I thought. Do you think it would behoove him at this point to go down to another promotion, get his mojo back, get his confidence back, refine a few things, and then go for another run, or do you think that he could still hang in the UFC?

I don't know. I mean, I think it's just the worst time it could have happened, because, I mean, they're talking about all these cuts coming up for fighters. Yeah. Well, the way, division is one of the most stacked divisions they have in there. You know, I mean, just the numbers of fighters in there. And, you know, that fight, that fight, they're going to be looking at that, and they're going to be looking at his last loss as well.

You know, he hasn't put his best foot forward in both of them fights. You know, that's the reality of it. I think if he was to be removed from the roster, I think 100% call would go to another promotion of a fight. Like, this is something he's very clearly, like, he's got his heart set in him. But, you know, he's been a world champion by Cagewires. I mean, it's not like, the UFC hasn't gone that way. well from, don't get me wrong, you know, but I can 100% see him go to a different promotion

and fighting his way back up to the ranks if he, if that situation doesn't fall that way. Maybe go back to 185. Yeah, he's very big, but then I'm sure he's going to be looking at that fight with Tom Breeze and that guy's a monster. He's six, he's about the same size as John Jones. I couldn't believe the size of that guy, you know what I mean? So it's very hard for him to think about that now after being the smaller man in there. And, you know, it was Breeze. a stopping power that won him to fight and then him to go back up to 185. But I mean, you know, with this OIV thing, you know, we could see a lot of people doing that. So it's going to be, it's

going to be interesting one to see, certainly. So your boy, Neil Syria, what's going on between you and Neil Syria? Are you guys like, are you guys going to have like a buddy cop movie coming out? I feel like there's, there's an interesting relationship there. And I know you've known him for quite some time. How happy was he with, he got 50K? And I bet he's, he's back at work on Monday, right? Today. Yeah, he is, as far as I know. That's the way he is. He's a hungry man, you know.

He just keeps all them pennies. No one's ever going to see that money. He might go over and see Manchester In order, though. He's a big Manchester Innoir fan, so he might go and see them. But other than that, he's, you know, he's, like, I mean, it's weird. He didn't see him any happier after he won, you know.

But that's not a life changer for him? Is that a life changer for him based on what you know? Um, I think it will change, change a few things. but I mean, he's doing well. Like, I mean, he has a full-time job, and he's a UFC for them. I don't think he's stuck. He has four kids, obviously, so I'm sure that will help out a lot

because as I'm often told, no matter how much money you have, once you have kids, it's all going to get part into them anyway, so that's where it is. But, yeah, it was great. I personally felt he could have got a bonus with a couple of his performances before that one.

So when Andy Royne came into the press conference just before it started, he told me that he didn't get it. it. You know, I don't, like, you know, I was wondering if anything's been said to him. And Andy had a big mob, no, we didn't get it. So it was good to see. It was good to see him getting it. He, you know, he did really well. I think that was the best performance of his career we saw. Really? Wow. Yeah. Yeah, I really do. He opened himself up, you know, the two guys, they went out exactly like they said they would. It was, it was a really cool. They heard the whole crowd dancing at the end.

A classic dance song came on and Siri and the Rino Boys dancing. in the middle of the octagon. That was another one of them memorable moments for me now on the noise. I loved what he said afterwards as well. Something to the effect of, you know, I'm probably not going to fight for the belt or win the belt, but I'm going to give you great performances. And it's always refreshing to hear that kind of honesty from a pro athlete.

And I don't usually get hung up about the whole bonus thing. But I did think that Louis Smolka deserved something. That's not to say that they're not going to hook him up on the back end, but I was surprised he didn't get a bonus. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I could have been fighting annoyed as well. Yeah, I thought he was going to get 100K. Yeah, Till and Dalby were unbelievable as well.

Because, I mean, I think the fact that Dalby managed to turn around that fight in the last round after Till was so dominant. You know, he was, I couldn't believe how easily he was dealing with the range there against Dalby in the first two rounds. So for Dalby to come back and just steam around that last round to get a drawout, that deserved to be commended as well, I suppose. Yeah. But the funny thing about Syria, I thought, was when he was in the cage afterwards, and he was like, Well, if anyone drops out, I'm always here. It was like, no, they're going to give you another fight, Neil. You know, don't worry about it.

They'll probably match you up with someone. He's just, if anyone drops out, you know, it'll be great to get a shout. But it would be interesting to see what he does next. Okay, last question before I let you go. Of course, when you talk Irish MMA, you have to talk Conne McGregor. He was in attendance, but we didn't hear much from him this past week. No Q&A, no media stuff, which I found to be somewhat interesting. what's what's the word on the street over there about Connor are people still backing him 100%

is there's still the same kind of anticipation buzz for this fight in December as there was if they were going to be fighting in July what's what's the temperature like regarding connor McGregor these days oh it's still exactly it's still exactly the same as it is like I think you know you can't help look at that event you know and think you know it was nearly like originally it was nearly like contingency plan with Porreier and Duffy fighting each other in the main event, you know, both of them guys have to want to align themselves for the rematch with Connembrigger.

And I feel like, you know, that certainly had some kind of say on the selling power of the card. I was told, interestingly, I was told he was going to walk out in Dublin, like, you know, he's going to have a walkout, just sit down in his chair, which I was looking forward to seeing, because that seems incredible, I mean, so that didn't happen in the end. But he was, he was kind of walking around, and there was plenty of fanfare every time he kind of was walking around meeting all the fans he stayed and signed a lot of stuff but um yeah like i mean that i can see a lot of people traveling to that fight again i don't know if it's gonna be as many as they're wearing july because it's so close to christmas yeah and over here people go crazy buying the kids presents and stuff like that but uh you know i think there's still gonna be thousands of people traveling 100% great stuff as always my friend appreciate the insight appreciate your work irish mirror and of course severe m m mame and for

Fightland as well. I forgot to mention Fightland last time. A man of many hats, PTC Carroll. There he is. Thank you for the time. Thanks very much. Cheers, Ariel. Thanks very much. All right, there he is. Peter Carroll is stopping by. Always great work from him and the lads over at severe MMA. All right. In a minute, we are going to be joined by Malky Kawa, the manager for John Jones. Friday afternoon, UFC finally lifted his suspension. And of course, I mean, who didn't see that coming? And this all leads to the highly anticipated rematch against Daniel Cormier. This time, John Jones, the Challenger.

This could be a gigantic fight if promoted correctly by the UFC. And you have to wonder if they can get the New York thing done. Will that be the main event for the April 23rd show at Madison Square Garden? That would be the perfect storybook ending as far as this past year. concern and also pretty crazy. That would be almost a year to the date of all this happening to John. So it would be a nice way for him to end in. Of course, he's wanted to fight in New York for quite some time. We don't have John on the line, but we do have the next best thing. We do have his manager, Maliki Kawa. He joins us right now via the Magic of Skype. There he is. Front and center. Malki, how are you, my friend?

What an introduction. We don't have John. We have Malik. Thanks, I appreciate it. I mean, I'm not on the phone with, you know, any of the other great reporters and stuff. No, this means I just I was setting up the John stuff and if someone was tuning in late they'd say, oh wow, John's gonna be on it. I said we have the next best thing.

I mean, I think that's a pretty good title, no? I'll take it. It's all good. How are you doing? I'm doing great. Congratulations, I guess, are in order. He is a free man. He can resume his fighting career. And the reason I wanted to have you

one of the main reasons why I wanted to have you on was on this very show, you said, hey, you know, it's still not 100% that this guy is going to fight again. What changed? You know, I think that as time went on, as he really had time to himself,

he got to really self-reflect and really figure out what he really wanted, and I think he really wants to fight. I think that was, you know, it came into question. He was under a lot of pressure, a lot of stress, a lot of expectations, a lot of things, you know, and a lot of it, some of it's just stuff he puts on himself, and I think that, you know, he needed, he had always told me from before that last fight

that he had scheduled that he wanted a break, he wanted a long break. And it just every fight kept on presenting itself and every time that the UFC wanted him to fight, he just didn't say no. And it just kept on, I guess it mounted up and he just needed some time away. So once he got the time away,

and I think he got time to really figure out what he wanted, it ended up, you know, he figured out at the end of the day that he wanted to fight. Was the ball always in his court, though? In other words, they could lift the suspension, but it's up to him to fight. So were you thinking that this is a, they're going to lift it once, you know,

the plea hearing was, done, he came to an agreement, and that he was a free man on that end, and then it was up to him to decide whether or not he was going to fight? Yeah, I mean, you know, so, you know, I always knew that he was, I've known for a long time that he was going to, this plea agreement had kind of been in place for a little bit. You know what I mean? We kind of been going back to the DA. We kind of knew certain things was going to happen.

And I knew that after that was going to happen at some point they were going to reinstate him. The one thing I never really knew for sure was whether or not he really wanted to fight. You know, we mean, we talk about a lot of different things, and sometimes it's not. just fighting. So when I listen to him, I always wondered, you know what I mean, does he really, really want to do this? And I always knew there would be a day where maybe he would say, yeah, I definitely want to do this. You know what I mean? And I'm ready to come back and I'm going to, you know, but I just didn't know if it would be right when the suspension got lifted, if it would be a year from now, would it be UFC 200, you know, would it be with Madison

Square Garden would be enough? You know what I mean? I didn't know what I didn't know what I didn't know what I mean? Like, I didn't know what I mean? It was just a lot. I just think it was just he just needed the time away. I think that now that he's had that, you know, he's, he's been able to reflect and and see what, you know, really is important to him. So in a perfect world, when does he come back? You know what? We're working that out with the U.S.U.

right now. I mean, there's, you know, for me personally, I think one of the, the perfect, in a perfect world, New York State gets approved. Yeah. And he comes back April 23rd in Madison Square Garden. I mean, that's in a perfect world. That means that New York would have to get, you know, approved. And, and, you know, that's, in my opinion, what I would think would be, you know, the stars aligned for everyone, the UFC, the state of New York, for John making a good comeback, winning his belt in front of

his home, you know, his home crowd, and that'd be pretty cool. Are you concerned that D.C. might put the kibosh on that because he said he didn't want to fight John in New York. Nah, I don't think D.C. has any choice in that at all, to be honest with you, everybody knows who the champion is, and I hate the sound that way, you know what I mean, but the reality of it is, you know, this fight's very important for D.C. as well, right? If D. If D. D.C. is the opponent, and, and, And whenever day it is, right, you got to think that he needs this fight just as much as anybody. Because, I mean, I see what everyone's saying.

I see what everybody's thinking about him. Yes, he's listening. He beat Guserson and he beat Anthony Johnson. You know what I mean? And congratulations to him and phenomenal fighter. But he still didn't beat John Jones. You know, no one took that belt from him. And at the end of the day, him, you know, parading around is like I'm the true champion on this and that and the other.

It doesn't really sit well with me. You know what I mean? I'm just me talking personally from my perspective. So with that being said, it's, it's, you know, it's. It's, to me, I think it's an important fight for D.C. So if John wants to fight him in February, March, April, May, June, July, whenever, I think D.C. should step up and just take the fight. Was there any talk of John bypassing 205 and returning as a heavyweight?

I threw that out there. You know, when this whole time this stuff was going on, I was just kind of like running different things by him. You know, you ever think about coming to becoming a heavyweight. You want to go back and just become the heavyweight champ. Do you want to, you know what I mean? And then, you know, he just kind of, he entertained every idea. I don't think that there's any real talk of him coming back to the heavyweight right now. The problem is this, is that he weighs right now, he's walking around around 220, 225.

So he would be a really, really small heavyweight. And the fact of the matter is that now that he's training and he's doing all these things that he's, you know, differently than what he's done in the past, how can you tell the man to go up heavyweight unless he gains 20 more pounds? You know what I mean? So this is the issue is that he's got to get bigger to be able to fight a heavyweight and to not lose any of his explosion. But, I mean, I just think it's a matter of time at some point.

I just don't know when that would ever happen. But I think it's just, it would have been too, I just say, like, you know, listen, it was wishful thinking on my part. I would have loved to have seen him come back as a heavyweight and content for a title, but it's just, I don't think it lines up properly right now. Okay, so mentally, where is he at right now? Because I see the Instagram videos. He appears to be an amazing shape.

He's lifting weights. He seems very focused. But is this something that he has had to try to convince himself? Okay, you know, I need to resume my career. I'm still a very young guy. I mean, where's he at as far as returning and getting. back the title and doing what he was doing before all of this happened. You know, one word I guess that can really describe John right now is focused.

Oh, okay. I've never seen this focused. He's super focused. I'm talking about area. He's focused more than he's ever been before. And, you know, listen, everybody's got their opinion. You know, he did this, he did that, whatever. And that's all fine. And Danny, he's still the greatest fighter we've ever seen, right? And I've watched them through many different camps. And the coaches have, you know, told me about how he's done certain things in different camps. This is the first time. I think you guys can also attest to that he doesn't have a fight scheduled. He's in Albuquerque and he's actually training.

Most of the time when John, like, done with a fight, he doesn't train at all. There's no weightlifting. There's no jiu-jitsu practice. There's no boxing. There isn't anything. So this is the first time that we can sit here, all of us, and we can say he's actually putting in some work. You know what I mean?

And he's really putting in some work. He's doing the best that he can at almost everything he's doing. So he's very focused at just becoming a. monster inside that octagon and being a great person outside the octagon and being a good example and all that. So he's very focused at just being a really, really, really good jumbo Jones. It feels like it happened, you know, years ago at this point, but it was only around six, seven months that all this happened right after UFC 186 in Montreal. The proof will always be in the pudding. But from your perspective, honestly, is he figuring things out outside of the gym?

Is he back on the right track? What can you tell us about his personal life? The conversations me and John have today are completely different than the conversations me and John had even three months ago, four months ago, a year ago, eight months ago. It's just you would have to really be around it to understand it and see it because, you know what I mean? Listen, we can always put out. I could always, listen, I can sit here and tell you what you guys want to hear. You know what I mean? And I can sit here and tell you guys that, you know, he's the greatest thing and he's so wonderful. And this.

And, you know, I'm his manager. I'm supposed to say a lot of that stuff. But, you know, there's certain things that I can, you know, when I see it, myself, of my own eyes, I can tell you that there's a lot of things that he's just. doing different. Everything. There's not one thing I can put my finger on. It's everything. From the way he, you know, he's waking up in the morning and going to train from, you know, showing up on time to everything that he has scheduled, even if it's something as ridiculous as getting his phone fixed. You know what I mean? It's just, we have a conference call at 2 o'clock, John. John's at 1.45 calling me. Hey, Mark, you're ready for the conference call? You know what are we going

going to talk about? So it's, there's a lot of things that guys see that he's just very focused. Right now, he's like just going to make sure he's the best at everything he does. He lost a lot of sponsors when this happened. This is your. your domain. What's going on there? Are people coming back? You know what? I put it to you like this. You know, yes and no. Yes and no. Okay. I can tell you like that yes and no. There's, there's, there's, um, I don't want to tell you that the whole world is sitting here calling me, though. I can't wait to sponsor John Jones because that's not the case. But at the same time, you know what I mean? Everybody's kind of in that like, um, that holding weight pattern kind of thing.

Like, you know what? Hey, we want to see what's up. What's what the plans are? Just not the other. And, you know, it just, I'll just put it to like this. I'm a lot further along that I even, expected. I put it to like that. There's a lot of good news coming and a lot of stuff that's going to happen in the next couple of months that I think that as they get done, you guys will say, okay, well, hell, you know, it's not, it's just all good stuff. Some companies, you know them, you know, jump ship, I guess understandably so when all this happened. Are you interested in repairing those relationships, or are you the kind of guy and is John the kind of guy who's like, look, you jump ship then, I don't want to, I don't want to rekindle that fire. Well, you know, no, I think

I think that's not the right way to take it. I think at the end of the day, you know, we understand why a lot of them have to jump shit. I don't think that you can blame anyone company for doing what they did. A majority of the companies of relationships are actually pretty good. They love John. John loves them. I think that, you know, from just what their budgeting is just set up at right now.

You know, we're at the end of the year. So a lot of stuff is going to happen probably for next year. Some companies, you know, we've just moved on ourselves. Like there's certain things that I'm working on have been working on for a while now that as time goes on, you know, we'll bring to the table and, you know, John will decide whether or not he wants to work with him. But I've got great relationships with every one of his companies that he's ever worked with. They all have, you know, expressed some sort of interest as far as working with John again. Some have said, hey, you know, we won't be able to do anything for a while.

Sometimes I've said, hey, if we do it again, it's got to be a little different. And, you know, so we just have a lot of things right now, area on the table that I got to sit through to see what's the best route for him to go by. So, you know, the beautiful thing about all this is that this has given us a great chance to have a, a second chance in a sense and a new slate. And that's kind of like the way I've also taken this side that you've called my domain as that opportunity as well to do everything kind of, you know,

the way maybe I'd have liked to have done it the last time, you know what I mean? Yeah, two last things on John. How would you describe his relationship with the UFC and in particular Dana and Lorenzo these days? You know, first off, I just got to say that it was really, I was very appreciative of Dana Lorenzo and Lawrence Epstein coming out to his

his hearing, his last year he had. Because, you know, they don't, you know, listen, I'm going to put it like this. We all know that their relationship has been very rocky, and I'm not going to deny that. But again, like I said, our thing now is that we're on the second chapter of his career, right? This is the midpoint and this is a new opportunity, a new start in a way. You know, I mean, we want to kind of do everything in a way that a little easier, a little smarter. I think the relationship with them is getting better. It was very nice of them to show up because no CEO,

or no commissioner of any league shows up to any of their star clients as, you know, trials or issues with the law. And then the fact that they showed up in support of John and that was a real big thing on their side. And I think that that goes to show a lot about, you know, who they are. And then what they're trying to do and accomplish, you know, in the sport and with their guys and stuff. And, you know, it really meant a lot to us. So, you know, it's a work in progress, I would say. You know what I mean?

I think everything's on the up and up and getting to where it needs to get to. And, you know, hopefully, you know, all of those. little things that are out there, you know, that whole Vitor testing thing and things that nature kind of, you know, throw through some wrenches and some stuff. But, you know, we've got to sit down on top of them some more and just continue to build the relationship and see where it goes. What do you mean about the Vitor thing? You mean like he's upset about that? What do you... Yeah, I mean, we're very upset about that. You know, obviously, you know, you got to think that if, if they're saying, what the media is reporting, if that's actually factual, that there was

a cover up of some sort of drug test, and that's a huge, that's a huge problem. That's a huge problem for us on a personal level is a huge problem for us on a professional level. But again, we haven't spoken to anybody about that. We don't really know, you know, all the details

of no one's, you know, saying to anybody that's a conversation that we'll have at some point. But the reality of it is is that, you know, those are the type of things that, you know,

obviously, if you're any fighter, you know, if you were to hear that, you know, this and that went to hear that, you'd be a little bothered by it, wouldn't you think? Yeah, of course. Actually, I don't know if you know this.

I wanted to have, well, Vitor was supposed to be on the show today, and they pulled out. And it's just people wouldn't allow you guys to ask them certain questions. I'm going to assume that it had to do with that for me. It was 100% that. So that's, that's disappointing. Not that I was going to, you know, hammer him for it, but just he hasn't addressed it.

What are you trying to say? No, I mean, listen, I mean, look, I just, you know, this is my thing. It's like, you know, people always ask me that question. You know, what's his relationship like with the UFC? What's John's relationship like to UFC? John's has a good relationship with everybody. He's a good person, man. He doesn't try to have bad relationships with anyone.

You know what I mean? But if you, if you're going to purposely go out. out of your way to do harm to him and stuff like that. And there's no business for him to have, you know, relationships like that. So, again, that's something that happened in the past, like I said. You know what I mean? We look at this, you know, new beginning as a second chapter, you know what I mean? And as an opportunity to go and do things, you know what I mean, better than we did them

in the past and just to be, you know, positive and to move forward in that positive direction. So, you know what I mean? I can tell you is that I think it's just something that we're working on and we're building towards, you know, having a really good relationship with everyone going forward. There might be one exception to that rule, and his name is Daniel Cormier. I'm wondering how big of a factor he plays in all of this. In other words, if he wasn't the champion, if he didn't say what he's been saying, does that make John think twice about coming back?

Like, is a big motivation for him to shut this guy up and take away his belt? You know, what's funny about this is that John is a, like in the NFL, you ever notice how some people say that they're allowing the defense to dictate to them what they do? So if they stack the guys in the box and they'll throw, but if they drop people back, then they'll run the ball. John's the type of offensive coordinator, if I can say that, where it doesn't matter what anybody else says. John does what John's going to do.

So that means basically if John wants to fight, John's going to fight. If John, if Daniel Cormier talks up a big storm, then it may motivate John to want to beat up Daniel Cormier more. If Daniel Cormier doesn't talk at all, if John wants to beat up Daniel Cormier, then John's going to beat up Daniel Cormier. So for me, it's not like him talking or not talking,

I don't think pushes him back into it faster because if he didn't want to do it, remember, you see, here's the thing people forget. He's already beaten Daniel Cormier, and it wasn't close. So him talking, what does that really at the end of the day matter? You follow him trying to say? Like, there's no real, there's no real, like,

how do I say it to you? Like, in other words, he beat him up and he beat him up easy. It wasn't even close, right? This was the guy who was going to take John down 100 out of 100 times, and he'll do whatever he wanted and all this other stuff. And John kind of had his way. He took him down and did it what he wanted.

I mean, it wasn't a close fight at all. With that being said, if John wants to fight someone else, then John's going to push to fight someone else. If John wants to fight Cormier because he wants his belt back and that's what's in John's head, then that's what John's going to do. So it has no dictation at all because of Daniel Cormier. Let's just pretend Gufferson would have won the belt, right? If John wants his belt back, then John's going to fight Gufferson,

no matter what Cormier would have said, or what Anthony Johnson would say, or Ryan Bader would say, or whoever would say. He's that type of guy. There's nobody's going to dictate to him anything. He's going to be the guy that dictates whatever it is that he wants. That's just the way he operates. You know, it's been a while since we had a manager on this show and talked about this,

so I feel like you can discuss it a little bit. And I'm curious to get your take. How has A, the Reebok deal and B, the Usada deal affected your line of work? The Usada deal hasn't affected my line of work at all yet. I don't outside of us having to update where the fighters are and putting that extra responsibility on us that really hasn't affected us. I think that, you know, it's a good thing for the sport. It's going to keep a lot of guys honest and clean.

And I think that that's important. You know what I mean? So that's that part. The Reebok deal, it's a little different because, you know, like I told you, from the first time that we did the Nike deal with John, that eventually at some point, this sport was going to turn to that. I said that, I think, two years ago, or three years ago when John first got the Reebok deal, I told you guys, this sport is going to go to that eventually.

They had talked about it. It was in the works. They had always wanted to find someone to come. come in and just do away with all the other sponsors. If you come from the football world, the basketball world, or the baseball world, the hockey world, in those major sports in our country, all right, you are under the same guidelines.

You have a uniform and you have to do all yourself outside the playing field of the arena. It's the same exact thing in MMA. Are my guys getting hit on the sponsor side? Absolutely, because the one thing that MMA brought was an opportunity to let a lot of the smaller mom-and-pop shops jump in who don't have a marketing budget to put them in commercials and in, you know, magazines and things of that nature to put their logo on their shorts and, you know, pay the guys to do that.

So a guy could get five sponsors at, you know, three or four grand apiece and he'd made 15 to $25,000, $30,000, it'd be great to go. Now, depending on the amount of fights he has, depends on whether or not he gets a certain check. Well, when you really sit down and look at it all, you know, some guys are suffering from it. And other guys who just got here or been here for two or three fights are doing better than they've ever done before. So it just really all depends. You know, you look at guys like, like bones, who I think will do very well, you know, as time goes on, guys like Anthony Pettus, things that, you know, even Tyron Woodley, who does very well outside of it. Even Carlos

Condit, who I'm starting to see a lot more, you know, movement on him when it comes to sponsors and things of that nature, they're going to do okay outside the Octagon. It's just more of your middle-level guys who people don't really know about are the ones that, you know, get hurt more because you can't sell the UFC aspect of it. So other than that, it's just getting creative and doing, you know, sponsors. But this is just, like how it is in football. You can represent a first round and they won't have any sponsorship outside on the football field either. You've got to be certain positions, certain picks, certain buy, certain market, the stars have to align. It's not the same. So I was ready for it.

Speaking of Woodley, what's going to happen to him? Is he going to wait for the tell shot? That means he's not going to be, you know, he's, he would be out of action for like a year, more than a year by the time that fight actually happened. So what do you think, what do you think is going to happen to him? Well, my conversations with Woodley have been realistically, you know, depending on what happens in January, but I don't think that he's going to want to sit out the whole time. I'm going to actually, you know, it was on my list of stuff to do today to sit down with me

and kind of figure out, you know, what he wanted to do going forward because, you know what I mean? Does he deserve the next title shot? I think the answer is absolutely yes. Does he have to fight somebody else? I don't think so. You know what I don't think that's necessary. So we're caught between two things here.

You know, do we wait him out and him fight? His ring rust come into into consideration there. You know, if it's Ron, if it's Carlos, one of the two, I think that there's a lot of answers that I got to find out. But that's something that I think that we'll know in the next couple weeks later. I'm going to talk with him today, actually, specifically about that to see what he wants to do. Do we push for a fight on that same card? Or somewhere around that same card so that he can be in line with whoever wins that fight so he can fight?

Or do we just sit in wait? And that's something I got to get him to answer today at some point. Arlowski just got a fight last week. What about Frank Meir? What's next for him? I think there's a heavy weight out there that needs a fight, don't you think? I think he just was, well, way across the country and needed a fight. So we're waiting on him whether or not to see if he's, you know, looking to fight or not.

The pride of Ireland, Ben Rothwell? Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? Well, listen, here's the thing. When, you know, I called up Joe and I, you know, told him, hey, you know, if Ben is looking to fight, he needs a fight. Frankly, we'd be more than happy to make it happen. So I guess we're waiting to see if that's the route, the UFC and Ben want to go. Man, you've been on fire as of late.

How many new clients have you signed? Arlovsky recently, U.L. Romero, the president. Pettus brothers. Who am I missing? Who are missing? Listen, we want the Cuban guy, like, some of Cuban's best prospects that just got here to America. We signed them too. Oh, wow. Look at you. Oh, yeah. National champion wrestlers and stuff like that. It's pretty cool.

Just do me a favor. Don't have Bean do the translations for those guys, all right? Beans is a good guy, but I don't know why you have to try to kill the guy. He didn't do a bad job. I heard it again. I mean, listen, it wasn't that bad. It's just that what you call? I understand he could have probably put a little bit more price on some of the stuff. But don't forget. You know how much I had to repeat that word to him. That's why when he said to him, I said, no, forget. And he's not saying to say it with the T because when I met him, I started talking to him, but I said, listen to me, buddy, I know what you mean because I live in Miami.

But the minute you said that, this is what it sounded like. And he was like, no, no, no, no, no, it's no forget, no, forget. I said, no, no, exclaiming the T, exclamation the T. Exclamation, he's a, he's a good dude, too. Let me tell you, that's another guy that's super focused. He's like at 191, 192 right now. He's like training around that weight. He's keeping his weight really light,

and he's looking to really, like, you know, make a real serious statement against Jacquet and contend for the spell. Because you know whoever wins that fight is getting the championship next. Am I crazy, or have they not announced Pedis-Alvarez yet? Or did they announce it and I just missed it? They announced it, right?

I think they announced it. Because it was kind of out there for a long time. So he's fighting January 17th. Did they tell you if he wins that he's going to get a title shot? Do you have any idea? Yeah, he wins that to get a title shot. Okay. Wow.

And he told me, are you on board with this? He told me that even if Dosangos loses to Soroni, he wants DeSanjos regardless. I'm not able with that. Why would I be on board with that? He says he wants to write that wrong. He wants to exercise those things. I'm going to say this. Honestly, I love it when a fighter wants to fight and do stuff like that because that, you know,

makes my job a lot easier. You know what I mean? To set that stuff up. But I, you know, my job also entails explain to these guys why it's probably better to go get the belt. Because, you know, obviously, you're going to make more money. Sure. When you make more money, then you can also go back to the U.S. and say, hey, I understand that, but I'd really like to fight this guy.

And then you can make it, you know, for, make it worth even more than just skipping a championship opportunity if you have. I mean, listen, if Cowboy wins, right? And he holds the belt and he just beat Cowboy, what, a year ago or so? You know what I mean? You're telling me that you'd rather not. No, I just think that's Anthony's competitive. because Anthony is a huge competitor, man. I don't think people really know how much of a competitor Anthony is.

And, you know, he's working real hard to also fix a lot of his training habits and just his, you know, some of the things you guys saw in the last fight just won't happen in this one. And this next one, he's just really working very, very hard. So it's a pretty cool thing. It's watching him and see what he's going to do. Congratulations on the John situation getting resolved and he's back. Can't wait for that.

What a huge story that is going to be whenever his fight. gets booked. And by the way, you know, I don't know if this is a coincidence or not, but I've been noticing your brother, Abraham, at the events more and more. Let's keep that going. I think he's, he's a sight for sore eyes compared to you. So it's been a nice change. So let's keep Abraham at the events. You in the background, you show up on the show when need be, and we could keep it going that way. What do you think? He's a sight for sore eyes. What does that mean? That means, it's nice to look at him. It's nice to see him. Listen, hey, whatever floats your boat, either which way you're going to do.

one of us so it doesn't matter for me all right you know what it is listen you know how these rookies are they get in they want to go to all the fights and be there and all other stuff you know what I mean it's like so it's all good you know let him go that hell it's a but you know what listen actually I got a very busy schedule you got to think December 10th 12th 19th in Orlando January 2nd 17th and then you know shoot you're talking about every other weekend after that pretty much with all these other guys that that are a thing we got his career still coming up I mean listen I didn't mention ben hens who's fighting you know um put in tiago alves and uh in the main of the main event event there in South Korea, which would be a huge show and a pretty cool show. They're sold out,

but I think they're almost sold out or sold out already. It's on to that effect. The tickets are selling really well there. So there's a lot of big shows coming, man. So we'll have you on to talk about that one. That's two of your clients going toe to toe to toe in the main event. So much to as always, we have run out of time. I appreciate it as always, Mr. Malkikawa. Thank you very much. And again, congrats on John. Thank you very much, everyone. All right, there is. Malkikawa manager to the stars. Always great to get his insight on the show. All right, let's move along now. Let's ST has been patient. We appreciate it.

Always a pleasure to talk to Alexander Gustafson. He joins us right now from Sweden. Alex, how are you? Alex, are you there? Yeah, I'm here.

Hey, thank you for the... Can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you just fine. Thank you very much for the time. I appreciate it. So we're three or so, maybe a little more than three weeks removed from the fight.

When we talk about UFC 192 and Daniel Cormier, what are your feelings towards it? Well, you know, I'm feeling good I've been healing up quite good and so

you know it was a good fight and we both just went in and and and went all in so there's not much more to say about it is a fight like that

easier to to digest than what happened in January against Rumble because you were so close it was such a great fight you've received so much respect and, you know, accolades after this Kormier fight, is it easier, or are they both the same? Well, it's a tough question. Our loss is always a loss, and it's always hard to deal with.

But I probably say that this one is easier than the general one against Anthony. That was a tough one. But I think it was more because it was in Stockholm and stuff like that. But, you know, it's a loss, and it's always tough, man. Any serious injuries after the Cormier fight? No, not at all. No, I just, I think it looked worse than I actually was, you know.

I was just, I was just cut everywhere. And I don't know. It's never actually happened to me in a fight. You know, I have a cut of the eye and the nose, but he caught somehow got a cut in my mouth. And that was the worst one, I think. Wow. But it's just, it's just scratch.

You know, it's just flesh, you know, I mean, he's up quite good, so no serious injury, no internal injury, nothing like that. So I'm fine, and I'm actually back in training. I trained today, and I did some drills with my friends, and then I did some heavy battle back work. So, you know, I'm feeling fine. Before they read the judge's scorecard, did you think you had done enough to win that fight? Well, again, I didn't know. I was just standing there.

For example, the same with John. I've been talking about that too earlier. It's just one of those fights when you, you don't know what they're going to say, you know. You don't know. It was just a close fight. And I just felt it was very close, so I had no idea.

In the very early portion of the fight, he slammed you, which looked like, you know, this highlight real move. What did that do for your confidence right there? To get up off the ground like that, I'm assuming that's never happened to you in an MMA fight before. What were you thinking at that point? No, I was surprised from, you know, all his power. He has just some brutal strength.

And I'm kind of strong person and kind of heavy. So I didn't really see that slam coming, but he didn't help me at all. Just mentally, I was still there, and I just felt fine. I knew he was, that's actually one of his moves. So I wasn't that surprised, but, you know, like, it was just his strength that surprised me a little bit. And, you know, I saw, you know, I just saw the roof and then I saw the mat. So it was kind of good move. He did.

Have you watched the fight since it happened? I haven't, no. You haven't. Is that typical for you? No. Yeah, I think so. You know, it's just, you know, when you take, you know, when you take that step to watch the fight, you actually lost. It's really need to have some, you take some courage.

And I just need to find that and sit down with my team and watch it and see, you know, what I hell I do wrong all the time. You know, when it comes to, like, the fifth down and stuff like that, it's just, I don't know. It's just like I'm getting that, you know, I'm just getting, I'm just number two. And I need to find, you know, find out what's, you know, what was the problem or and how to win the fifth round, you know, and win the fight. So, I'm just going to sit down with the team and see what we can do about it and what we can learn about it from it. Do you think it's a cardio issue? No, I don't think so. I just, you know, I just work in my ass off every, every camp, and I'm feeling fine, and I don't know, I just, you know, of course you're tired of the fifth round, but five rounds, but it's not like, you know, I'm still kind of fresh after the fight, and it's just that, I don't think I'm working enough, you know, when you're fighting a guy like DC, you know, he's just coming in and just pushes you, you have to push him back up a little bit.

And I think it's just, you know, the technical part and, and, you know, just have my, put my things together in the fight. So it feels like, it feels like I'm getting. Go ahead, sorry. I think, yeah, it's one dimensional. I just do one thing. I need to, like, work more on how to, like, be not that, you know, a bit more, like, unpredictable, you know. So do you think that's something that happens as the fight goes on, or do you feel like you're like that throughout the entire fight? No, as the fight goes on and it just feels like, you know, I'm getting back to basics and get back to, I just go back to my, I just go back to what I always been doing.

But as you're competing, you're just getting tougher and tougher opponents and you have to develop yourself. And I'm developing in practice and sparring and even in football. fights, but as the fights goes, I just go more and more back to, you know, what I did like back in the days. And I need to be a little bit more unpredictable, maybe. I don't know. It's a really hard thing to fix, but I'm going to fix it. I'm going to fix it.

I'm sure you remember the third round. It looked like you had him in a lot of trouble. And he was rocked. It's very rare to see DC like that. Do you think if you have an extra minute? or so, you were able to finish him? I don't know, to be honest with you. You know, that guy is just a tank.

You know, I hit him with the, you know, I've been dropping guys for a lot of years with those punches I threw it. I hit him with, but he just, you know, he just, it just came out of me. And I don't think even if I had like a baseball bat and hit him with that, he was too coming after me. So, you know, he's a really tough guy and he can take a beating. and stuff like that. So, you know, it was a tough fight.

Was he tougher than you expected him to be? No, I don't know. You know, I just, I knew it would be tough, but, you know, he just took everything I told him. I mean, he just came up me. So I don't know. Maybe he surprised me a little bit in that, in the fight, but, yeah, he's a tough guy.

He's a really tough guy. I got to say, you know, the end of the fight. reminded me why I love this sport and in particular the fighters so much. It was just so nice to see you guys embrace and to hear what both of you were saying about each other, the respect that he was giving you and you were giving him. Of course, he had more time to talk at the press conference and everything. But it was just a beautiful thing that you don't always see in other sports. And I was wondering if that's something that you had developed over the fight.

Did you feel the same way as him? Like after the 25 minutes were over, is that just a bond that we don't understand because we've never been in there before? Do you now have something, have you shared something with Daniel that for us regular people, it's out of our comprehension? You know, as you say, I think that's, you know, it's correct. That's how it is. It will in there and you just put everything you have in that altar on. And after that, you just share something with that guy you fought.

and it's very hard for me also to put words on it, but it's a special feeling, and you just have that much respect for the other guy, and I think it's one of those things that you have to, you have to be in that situation to understand the feeling. You know, you get from that, so absolutely. Do you still love fighting as much as you did, say, before the John Jones fight? I do, I do.

You know, it's who I am. It's my identity. So I don't know what to do if I didn't fought a fight. So I believe I do. It's just that, you know, it's you just need to keep, keep going as a fighter and as a person, you know. And she what you're doing wrong and see what's doing right. And I'm the time of person that always have been taking the long road, you know, the tough road. So I just learn always new things like from, from actually my memory.

my mistakes. So it's just, it's just going to keep going and I just have to keep fighting. But I love the sport and, you know, I just, and the team and everything, the whole thing is just, it's just my life, you know. So you're not, you're not thinking about retirement anymore, right? No, no, I don't. I don't. I actually, I don't. I don't. I just, I'm actually motivated and, you know, I just feel great to be back in training and doing what I love to do. And now they, I'm not allowed to fight for six months, so I've got some time to look at my training and my system

and see what we can do better and develop everything. What's a perfect scenario for you upon returning? Any specific place, opponent, have you thought about that yet? No, no, not at all. No, no. I'm just, I'm just doing fun training right now, and that's all I'm doing. I don't think that much about the next opponent and the next competition. I'm going to, you know, I probably will be in very soon, but right now I'm just, you know,

I'm just happy doing that kind of training you want to do and not, you know, like forced to do. Right. They say this is when you get better, right? When you don't have a fight, when you're just in between camps, and you can just focus on yourself as opposed to an opponent, right? Exactly, exactly. So that's what I'm, want to put all my time in energy in. I've also noticed this, and I wanted to ask you about it, after the Rumble fight, you know, people, and I'll admit it myself, you know, questioning, why are you getting a title shot after a loss? And then you have this fight, and it's so close, but yet your respect, the respect that you've developed and earned from the people. once again, it was the same thing as after the Jones fight. Did you notice that? Like, still, at the end of the day, there are two losses.

But the way people view you now is a lot different than the way they viewed you in January. Well, yeah, you know, I've got to say that I've seen, you know, I got to support, and I've been hearing from fans and read it from fans, and, you know, even if you, you know, it's always great to deliver. you know, to all the fans around the world and, you know,

and get that support, it's really important after Kumara, you know, a loss. So it's been helping me a lot and it motivates me a lot, you know, when it comes to future competitions and so on. Did you talk to Dana and or Lorenzo after the fight? Did they say anything to you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, they called me and they just, Let's check out how I felt and, you know, they gave me, you know, really, really good, you know, feedback.

And, you know, so I got tons of support and I really appreciate that. And it helps me to keep going. You said that they told you they have big plans. What are these big plans that they have for you? Do you have any idea? I have no idea. I have no idea. You didn't ask?

No, you know, I'm just. In that moment when I talked to them, I wasn't that curious, you know. I was just after the fight and stuff. So I just, you know, I'm really, I'm really, no, I'm curious. Maybe we should call them up on the phone right now. Do you want to call them right now on the air? No, no, no, I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. You can take it another day.

Okay, fair enough. I'm just, I'm curious about it. And I'll probably not talk to them in the future. And I'm going to see what's going on. and the next step. Okay, two last quick things. Are you happy to hear that John Jones is back, and are you still hopeful that you'll get another shot against them?

Yeah, I'm really happy, and I'm going to have for him, and I can't wait to see him compete again. And, yeah, let's see what the future brings. Maybe we have a second fight for us. Yeah, that would be something. And your teammate, Reza Madadi, came back on Saturday, a long layoff for him, and, of course, he didn't pick up the win.

What were your impressions of his performance? Do you think the layoff affected him? What did you think? Well, you know, he's been away for a while, and I think, you know, even if he lost a fight, he still went in there, and, you know, he's been having some tough times, and he's back, and, you know, he just, as always just,

you know, he put a good show for the fans, and I'm sure, you know, after this loss, he's probably going to develop a lot too and get much better. And now he had his first fight after the long layoff. So he's going to be back and he's going to be better than ever. And, you know, he trains hard than anyone I know in the gym. So, you know, he's just going to come back and, you know, and get that win, you know. Alex, thank you very much for the time.

You're a class act, my friend. And again, congratulations on an amazing performance. one of the best fights of the year. Always a pleasure to talk to you. Always a pleasure to watch you fight. And looking forward to your return, my friend. Thank you. I appreciate that, my friend.

Thank you. Take care. There he is. Alexander Gustafin, the maller stopping by. It's amazing. Two losses in a row, but it's a much different, it's a much different Alexander Gustafin

in the eyes of the fans and the media than back in January. When, you know, sometimes we've talked about this before, a loss doesn't do all that much to your, reputation to the way people view you, to your stock, so to speak. And that was the case after UFC 192. What a great performance. I called it an instant classic. Right below, in my opinion, Lawler versus McDonald. And in some way, I mean, you can make that argument for a fight of the year. There's no doubt about it. I think in the end, as of right the second, that's probably the fight that you should bet on to win that award. But this one very close and a lot of fun to watch.

And once again, oh so close, but there's no shame in being number two to the likes of John Jones and Daniel Kormier and pushing those guys to the brink, which is what he did on both occasions. A great ambassador for the sport in Europe and, of course, in his home country of Sweden. And we appreciate him coming on and his manager, Tomas, for hooking us up as well. Okay, in a minute, we're going to be joined by Dustin Porier, interesting week for him. I was going through that at the beginning of the show, but I sort of lost my train of thought. Of course, he was supposed to fight Joseph Duffy, Saturday in Ireland, news breaks Wednesday afternoon that the fight is off.

Joseph Duffy suffered a concussion. Saturday night at TriStar. Kudos to the UFC. They were the regulating body. They were the commission. He had some tests, went to see some doctors. They determined that, yes, he did suffer what they called a mild concussion. And they pulled them from the fight.

And that's got to be a tough thing to do. It's one thing for an athletic commission to do that. It's one thing for NAC or California or New Jersey to do that. It's another thing when the UFC is calling the shots. And there's no athletic commission in Ireland. So they had to do it themselves. And, of course, they were going to get a lot of heat for it. And yes, the tickets were sold already at that point.

So, you know, there are fans who are going to ask for refunds. But that's a tough thing. And that should tell you something about some of the people. like Mark Ratner, who, you know, head up the regulation side of things when they are the regulating body. So unfortunately, for all those fans that we're hoping to see Duffy v. Porier Saturday in Ireland, they did not get that opportunity, but hopefully we will get that fight in the near future, because what a fight it is on paper. Now we're talking to Dustin Porier. He is joining us via the Magic of Skype. Dustin, how are you, my friend?

Good, man, what's going on? Not much, and thank you for being flexible with the timing. appreciate that greatly. You're in the car right now, so I'm assuming you're back home. You come home from Ireland. You left to go to Ireland, expecting to have a fight, to have a great performance at a main event. You come home, you know, looking the same, no fight. How empty of a feeling is that for you? You know, it's upsetting for sure. I flew all the way out there to fight Joseph Duffy. But, you know, I'm saying positive, man. I just left the gym. You know, this is what I'm saying. A lot of people are saying you did 10 or 12 weeks of training and you let it go away or this and that, whatever. But, you know, that training wasn't done in vain, man. I got better and my game evolved and, you know, until what's next. Your reaction when they called you to tell you the fight was off. Did you think that you were being pranked?

Did you think that this was a bad joke? How did you react to it? You know, it was Wednesday night pretty late, like 10 o'clock or so. I was starting my weight cut. And I got a call to my hotel room, and it was one of the guys from UFC Europe, and he said, hey, Joe Silver was on my cell phone, he wants to talk to you. So immediately I was like, this is kind of weird. This doesn't usually happen.

I was thinking maybe Duffy was having problems with his weight or something like that. I had no clue. But then when I talked to Joseph on the phone, the first thing he said was, hey, man, the fight is off, you know. And, of course, the whole thing happened where they offered you some people, and you said no. Was it right away that you said no? Or did you talk to your team? How did you go about that?

Yeah. They only offered me one person, and it was Norman Park. And Joe needed kind of a – he needed an answer right there on the spot. But he gave me a couple minutes to think about it, and he wanted me to call him right back. My team's there. I called my head coach back in Florida. And they said, hey, reschedule the fight that we trained for.

Yeah. It was a pretty easy decision for them, but me as a fighter, it was kind of tough for me. And I even didn't even get the chance to talk to Joe and really turn it down myself or anything. Mike Brown actually did it over the phone, and while he was doing it, we were still kind of, I had myself was still kind of, you know, on the fence.

But I got to trust my team, and, you know, the fight that I was there to fight didn't happen. I know you were in attendance on Saturday. After seeing Norman's performance, were you thinking like, man, I should have just taken this fight, or are you 100% at ease with the decision? No, I'm at ease with the decision. Before seeing him fight, I knew he was a boring fighter that I could have beat.

You know, that wasn't a thing. It was just the whole principle of the guy I was going to fight and the hype he had behind him and being in his hometown. And I tried 12 weeks for that guy. You know, Norman's not a tough fight. Matter of fact, right now, before you call me, he's on Twitter, saying all kinds of stuff. and dude, he should be happy.

He fought, that guy he fought. Why? Why do you feel that way? He'd be getting his walking papers this week. Okay. I take his career. You should thank me. It's always a funny thing when a guy's in, you know, a location agreed to fight in a cage, and now people are questioning you, like, oh, are you scared to fight? How, does that make you want to, like, just pull the very little hair that you have on your head?

It's such a funny thing. Yeah, you know, this. This is the thing I, every time I've ever gotten the cage, I've left it all in there, man. I'm willing to fight to the death every time I step in there. So for people to question my warrior spirit or I'm not a real fighter or this and that, it's just ridiculous, you know. But hey, I'm growing up in my career. I'm surrounded by the right people.

Everybody saying, you know, that was a smart decision. You know, if I would think like fans think, I'd be broken, brain dead and fighting everybody every weekend, you know, hey, I'm a prize fighter and the prize wasn't right. so we came back home and we'll see what happens next. It's that simple. I was there to hold up my end of the bargain. Norman Park was there trying to save his career. You know, the fan reaction isn't all that surprising,

but the part that bothers me and I want to get your reaction to it is when I see fellow fighters, fellow UFC fighters, call you out saying, I would have taken this fight. I saw several do that. And that just reminds me that, you know, at the end of the day, these fighters, you know, no one looks out. You guys are supposed to be this brotherhood. You're supposed to be this fraternity.

I mean, to see an unranked fighter who, you know, has never fought on a main card, call you out, who's fighting in a main event, who's been around the block, who's fought in massive fights, and say, I would have taken that fight. Of course you would have taken that fight. You're one in the UFC. Does that not piss you off? Because it really pissed me off seeing that. Yeah, it does piss me off.

But, you know, they're just, they see an opportunity to get their name on a, you know, headline or something. and they're just trying to jump, jump on an opportunity. And I understand that, you know, I understand that. But it's kind of ridiculous from my end. I saw some pictures of you and Joe together in the lobby and whatnot. What did you say to each other when you saw him after this happen? You know, he was a gentleman the whole time, Ariel. He told me he apologized.

Even Rory McDonald came up to me in the hallway once and said, sorry about all this happened. You know, hopefully we can get a rescheduled, this and that. But, you know, that's the fight that I wanted and the fight that I prepared for. But after the fights, I ran into Joe's manager on the elevator. And he was telling me, you know, it seems like Joe might not be able to start training again for 30 or 45 days because of head trauma. And that being said, he's looking at like maybe February return. And this is coming from his manager.

So we haven't followed up and found out the whole thing. This is just the last thing I've heard. And I don't want to wait until February. I need a fight. Yeah. So if that's the case, when would you like to return? and have you thought about anyone else yet? You know, whoever they want me to fight,

I haven't really thought about anyone else, but, you know, I kind of would like a big fight. Yeah. For sure. But we'll just see how it plays out, man. Hopefully Duffy gets cleared, and we can do this soon, you know, maybe January 2nd. But we'll see what happens, man.

We'll see what happens. Considering your history... Norman Park needs to stay off of Twitter before he gets himself in the Friday he can't win. Is this something that you would consider at this point, considering all that's been said? What's that?

Let's say they come to you and say, all right, we want you to fight Norman Park full training camp. Do you even consider that now? I'd have to talk to my coaches, but the fighter in me, because he's talking and saying all this stuff now, makes me want to whip his ass, yeah. Considering your relationship with Connor in the past

or history there, how did the Irish fans treat you over there? I mean, I had a great reception there. Everybody was really cool. Just walking around the city, people were running up to me, you know, far away from the venue, from the train and stuff out there. People were coming up to me. It was good, man. The fans really showed me a lot of love, I've got to say. That's good.

And what about being there in attendance on Saturday? How difficult was that for you? That was one of the craziest crowds that I've ever been in front of. You know, I've read stuff about them saying what happened last time they were in Dublin and how crazy the crowd was. but whenever asked Daly came out to fight and the cranberries were playing, I had chills on my arms away. The crowd was standing up singing every word, man, that was something special. I've never been in a building that felt like that.

Did it kind of make you feel? Go ahead. And that being said, I was there when GSP fought Jake Shields, and there was like, you know, I don't forget how many people were there, 40 or 50,000 people in that. It was crazier than that for me. Wow. Yeah, that was 55,000 Canadians.

So you're saying 10,000 Irish people were there. been louder than 55,000 Canadians? Yeah, everybody was in sync and no point, and you could just feel the energy. It was a different, it was a different atmosphere I've never been in front of. Did it make you feel worse? Like you're like, man, I wish I could be fighting in front of these people right now? Uh, a couple, well, I was watching a couple times. I was like, man, I could be doing, filling this energy and fighting in front of these people,

but, you know, I stand by my decision. Yeah. And how do you feel about him sparring seven days before the fight? Does that sound normal to you, or do you think that's too soon? You know, my last sparring session was a Tuesday before. Okay. Not the fight week, the previous. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, and everybody does it differently. You know, I flowed at the same day he got hurt Saturday. I was in the gym flowing with guys, but maybe it was next to it. I doubt he was in there full sparring, throwing, you know, hard punches and kicks. They were probably just moving around and, you know, one wrong move a certain way. you can get cracked. So maybe it was his training for in his fault or I'm not sure who did it or whatever,

but I heard it was a kick. You know, a shin or a knee to the head when you're moving down, even if it's not hard, can be serious. Were you surprised that he was removed from the fight because the UFC, you know, were the athletic commission on this card? What I heard is when they first told me

is that originally Saturday when it happened, he did some, you know, some test and got approved there in Canada. and the doctor said he was clear, but when he showed up to Ireland, they wanted further testing, and he didn't pass those tests. So I don't know what's going on, really,

with the whole thing. I just felt like I would have been, it's not the UFC's fault, but I wish they would have called me the week before the fight and said, hey, we still want you to come out here. We're planning on you fighting Joseph Duffy, but be prepared to take an alternate fight.

That way it wouldn't have been such a shocker to me the day before the fight. You know, I would have been like knowing that in the back. of my head. I know Dana was there. Did you have a chance to talk to him? I talked to him on the phone the day before.

He got there, and he told me, he said, hey, kid, we're going to try to reschedule this fight. If you really think you want to fight, you really think you have to fight. We have a fight for you. If not, don't feel like the show's riding on your shoulders. That was his exact words. And then I saw him fight night. He said, hey, man, sit back, relax, and enjoy these fights.

That was pretty much it. Did you feel like that was something that, you know, it was a nice thing from saying, In other words, if he would have said to you, I really need you to stay on this card, would you have just done it even though it didn't make sense? If Dana and Joe were telling me, hey, we really need you here on this card, do us a solid and stay on the card,

you know, I probably would have done it. But that wasn't the vibe I was getting. It was, we'll reschedule this thing. Shit happens. That's the vibe I was kind of getting. I noticed you said on Twitter that they told you if you took the park fight, you would have been the co-main event.

Why is that? Do you have any idea? Yeah. I have no clue, but that's what I was told. It would have been three rounds, and I would have been co-main. Did that factor in your decision at all? I don't know. I'm not sure. We were back and forth with the decision. We were on the fence, me, Mike Brown, and my boxing coach, then we called my main coach, Canvas Barzini back in Florida,

who was running Robbie Lawler's camp right now, and he said, pack your bags and come home, and I said, okay. I take his word for gold, man. Yeah. Did you consider coming home and not sticking around? No, no. I knew I was going to stay. You know, my wife was in the air at the time on the way to Ireland. And, you know, it was just, I was already out there. I might as well stay there. Wow. So your wife landed and found out the news? She was actually at the airport before.

Gosh. And I Skyped her. I Skyped her. And she was pretty supportive. You know, she said, hey, do whatever you and your coaches think's right. And, oh, at first, at first she said, I don't like it. I said they offered me a replacement. She's like, I don't like it. Then she said, do what you think is right. And I saw her the next morning.

And would you say that this was the toughest decision of your career? I feel like I did the right thing, you know. It's hard to say. It's hard to say. And by the way, in case I wasn't clear you didn't hear me prior, I think you did 100%. You made the right choice. It means not even a question. And I give you a lot of credit.

But tough because you know that all these. people are going to come out and question you and question your warrior spirit and all this nonsense. I'm happy that people like you are making these decisions now because it shows that this is a real sport and not rock'em-sock and rock and sock-and-rohob robots. So I think you want to, but I just wanted to know if you were torn because you're there, you invested all this time if it was tough in that sense. Right. Yeah, it was. It was. You know, I was not too far off from weight. I did a whole camp. I was there going through all the motions. I did a few workouts already the days leading up you know I was in the zone and I was in the groove ready to

fight um going through the fight process of fight week and and it was kind of tough but uh you know sitting back like when stuff like this happens to guys and I see it I'm just thinking like that's crazy man that's crazy but I didn't think it was going to happen to me not that close to a fight like when when woodley fight got pulled off and I know it happened to nick lint a few times and I see it and read the headlines I'm thinking this is ridiculous I can't think what these guys are going through but and it finally happened to me you know has this ever happened to me you know has this ever it to you even before the UFC? No. No. Never, man.

Well, I thought you handled it very well. So kudos to you, and you made the right decision. You know, if, for whatever it's worth, I think you 100% made the right decision. Sorry, it worked out this way. I appreciate you coming on, and I hope you get to fight very soon. Always great to see, and I want to see you continue that winning streak at 155. It's been great as of late. Thanks, man. Yeah, I feel great. And, you know, I have no injuries. So I just actually just left the general. I'm right here in the grocery store parking lot. I'm already back in the gym, so we'll get something lined up.

And I really, I want to thank you. Thanks for your support, man. It means a lot. I feel like I made the right decision. And anybody who questions my warrior spirit, let's line up a fight, and I'll show you it in person. Go to the fight and see what happens live. Well said.

Thank you, Dustin. All the best to you. We'll talk to you soon. Thank you, man. All right, there he is. Dustin Porier. I think a decision like that is what actually makes the sport better. It shows the evolution of the sport.

You know, we may be used to, back in the day, guys, you know, taking fights like that. And look, if someone wants to take a fight, their prerogative, go ahead, take the fight. You have your reasons, you have bills to pay. I'm not going to begrudge anyone for doing that. But I certainly don't think anyone should be criticized for not taking a fight on three days' notice against an opponent. They did not prepare for a flu, you know, flew all the way there to fight someone, and then the rug gets pulled under you. That's the kind of decision a professional athlete should and needs to make.

And we're seeing this more and more. We're seeing this more and more out of these pro athletes. That's actually a good sign. That's actually reassuring. So I'm not saying that Dustin, you know, I wouldn't tell someone like Dustin Porier if I was in his corner like, you know, you're making the wrong decision by taking this fight if it's offered to you. But I will say that I'm happy a guy like him who is won. I mean, it's understandable that a lower-rank guy would want that fight.

Why wouldn't he? This is the kind of opportunity. That's why Charlie Brennan took the Rick Story fight. But in hindsight, I don't think Rick's story should have taken that fight. I don't think John Jones needed to take the Chelsea Center fight. And on and on it goes. So I actually think that this is a reassuring sign, a good sign. It's a sign of the times.

It's a sign that the sport is moving in the right direction. and anyone questioning Dustin Porriere is just being an ass. Let's move along. Let's talk to someone who had a fantastic night on Saturday, one of the great stories of Saturday in Dublin. And it was great that as a veteran and a pioneer for that part of the world, that she got to have that moment. I'm talking about Ashting Daly, who joins us right now via the phone.

Ashtling, how are you? I'm awesome. Thank you, Ariel. I'm actually joining you guys from a small little, old man pub in Dublin celebrating my sister's birthday in front of an open fire. So thanks very much for having me on. Oh, thank you. I'm sorry that we're interrupting the birthday party. Happy birthday to your sister, but I appreciate you coming on, especially after a big weekend. Thank you so much. No problem at all. I wouldn't have missed this for the world.

So, okay, there's so much I want to talk to you about, but the first thing is, you know, you got to watch the I keep calling it the first show in Dublin but it's really the second you get what I'm trying to say you got to watch it when you were in the house

for the ultimate fighter and we've talked about in the past how difficult that was for you I'm sure you dreamt about it I'm sure you dreamt about walking out there and being in front of your people

but you know was that beyond your wildest dreams what you experienced on Saturday? Honestly it was far beyond my expectations completely you know it was kind of the stuff of legend

from the show that happened in the Ultimate Fighter House. You know, all the guys spoke about the crowd and how amazing the experience was, but nothing prepared me for what exactly happened on that night to have tens of thousands of people singing along to my walk-out music and to feel the energy from the crowd as I was walking out.

It was absolutely phenomenal. I still can't get my head around it now. Like I said, I'm here with my family now and I'm back to normal life, and it almost feels like somebody else can make that walk on Saturday night rather than than me. I feel a little bit like it was an outer-body experience.

It was absolutely amazing. I can't really put into war for the self. What's going through your mind as all that is happening? Especially for someone who's been around the sport, like Peter Carroll said at the top, you are a pioneer. You've been doing this since, you know, back in the day when there are only probably five people

training M.A. in Ireland. And you get to make that walk in front of your people and they're singing along. They're cheering you on. Are you able to even understand? stand? What is happening? Are you getting too emotional? What's happening in your mind? To be honest, I was just thinking to myself, wow, I was like, this is absolutely insane. But then the little voice is the back of my head going, okay, focus at the job of hand, take it in, enjoy

this moment, say for what you can see, give yourself another five or ten seconds to enjoy it, and then we're back to blanking out everything and going about business because I could feel the emotions from the crowd were running so high. I didn't. want those emotions to sway me too much either way. I didn't want to be overwhelmed by the occasions because ultimately I haven't done anything yet. I haven't achieved anything. Walking out is the easy part, the fight is the hard part to come in fun to me. So I was just trying to keep my emotions in check to give my best performance. And then obviously when the decision and stuff was announced and, you know, I just couldn't keep it together anymore. I was

open the side of the octagon, ball in my eyes out with pride and happiness and, you know, the flood gates open as they say. You bum rushed her, right as the fight started. You went right for her, you made a B-line. Was that the plan from the beginning, or was that your emotions?

I think it was a little bit of a combination of both. You know, my coach had given me instructions to kind of go all, still, you know, look for the clinch, look for some of dirty-box, an aggressive takedown, aggressive ground and pounds. You know, you give me, a few kind of set combinations that he wanted me to walk to close the distance

but just with the level of excitement and level of type and honestly just how good I felt going into the fight it was just it was very difficult for me to kind of almost stick to the game plan for the first few seconds and kind of that diving board analogy

I felt like I was going to decide the diving board just got and then suddenly you know I hit the water and I was swimming and it soon as I could kind of get hands on her or I kind of settled a little bit and a little bit calmer. And to be honest, it was one of the few fights I've had where I

actually knew exactly what was going on. Like, I remember pretty much everything about the fight as the exchanges were happening, as we were going through different positions, I was thinking, talking to myself. The actually only two voices I could hear in the crowd were my coach

and Connors. And Conner was in a completely different part of the arena and his voice was that a completely different pitch. I could still hear him. It was bizarre. I guess it's just familiarity. So being so close to my coach and being so close to Connor, it's just the only two voices I could tune into everybody in the arena. I was just about to ask you about that because it was great to watch it. He was standing up. I don't know if you noticed that and he was cheering you on and obviously shouting out instructions.

Is that even helpful? Is he actually telling you things or is it more just encouragement? no he is instructions are actually really clear and concise and they're they're good openings for the positions particularly towards the end of the tour round there was a moment where um you know i had good posture and i had good control over feet and um i hear connor show straight left to the body and you know within a second that's what i had thrown i had thrown a hard straight left to the body so uh they were definitely good instructions what was your mindset like going in after seeing what happened to Carl Pendrad. Did that mess you up at all?

To be honest, I really just tried to pretend like I didn't see that. Obviously, I'm warming up in the back. I can see the screens and, you know, it's all the finish at the end. And, you know, my heart did break a little bit, seeing my friend and teammate like that. But I really had to just put it to the back of my mind

and now that I had work to do and that I had business to take care of and that I could come back to that. Afterwards, you know, obviously, were very close team or were like more of a family than just a team so it did definitely bother me

but you know at the end of the day when the octagon door closes we're alone in there so we're trying as hard as we can as a team and we support each other but we're alone come five times

so I really just had to focus on myself at that point so you know I spoke to a call afterwards and he was physically good but obviously definitely for his pride and upset and all those kind of things.

But, you know, he knows what the game is like. You know, we all have our nights. There's been nights where all the guys have taken wins and I've been the one to lose or whatever. So it's just the name of the game. I think Connor put it perfectly with it sweet. You know, the nature of the game is better sweet, and sometimes it's your night and sometimes it's not.

So a lot was made going into the fight about your weight cut and your nutrition, your physique. It appears like you were in great shape. on way and day and that you weren't struggling at all. What was the difference this time around? Definitely the difference was this time was I have a new nutrition

and figure out from Mindy Doyle. She's a competitive athlete herself and obviously being a woman, she just has a better understanding of a woman's body and how weight cuts affect women. And I've been training my ass off at the fight and my weight just wasn't coming down.

You know, I was flat-owned, I was having a real tough time in training. And in the space of three weeks, she managed to, really torn the whole outlook of that camp around because anybody who knows me knows that I'm a phenomenally hard worker. It's not a case of me not working hard,

it's just a case of me not really having the formula right and pretty much she is the formula, you know, a lot of the stuff I was doing, she just changed it around. She saw some of the stuff I was doing was crazy, you know. Basically, the way she described it is be kind to your body and your body will be kind to you. It'll do what you want it to do, whereas I was kind of of the old-school mentality of almost

just keep smashing your body till it breaks or, you know, eventually something it might work that way. So she just encouraged me to be kinder to myself and changed up my routine. And honestly, the performance on the night, a lot of it was down to her. You know, I put the work in training,

but she gave me the plan to follow. And it was one of the best performances of my career, you know, when it came to the bell ringing at the end the round three. I honestly was disappointed that there wasn't more rounds left. I felt so good

in between rounds. You know, it's where you see a fighter jog back to their corner in between rounds. Usually they're kind of savoring the break,

but honestly I felt fantastic. I feel like she's giving me a new body, you know, I feel like I'm driving a Ferrari now where, you know,

before that I was probably driving an old dental, dent to be up car. You know, I was honestly getting to the point where I was wondering where was there too miles on the clock, you know, had I been around the game a little bit too long.

And honestly, now I'm just rejuvenated. With that taking care of, which was the big issue for me all along, you know, being one of the bigger girls at 1 15, but to have the cut down to pretty much perfection now at this point is, it's just going to change the game for me, you know. I think that was a good performance I had the other night, and I'm only going to get better now, you know what I mean? Like I said, she only had three weeks to walk with me coming up to this fight.

when you guys see me again, when she's had months to work with me, I'm so excited to see what she's going to be able to do with me. It was obvious that the fight meant a lot to you. We all knew that. No surprise there. Do you remember telling yourself in between the second and third round, like, I cannot lose this. This will be devastated.

Did you allow yourself to think that way? No, definitely. I never doubted myself for a second. I never thought that I was losing. You know, even in what some people would probably call it. bad position, you know, maybe when she had my back in the fight, I knew she definitely wasn't going to finish me, and I knew that she wasn't actually getting anything, you know. She was on the back, but she wasn't capitalizing on the position.

She wasn't landing, and if anything, she was being beat up. You know, I had good risk control, and I was landing some heavy shots. Watching the fight back, I could see the frustration on her face because she has the dominant position, which she's taking the most damage. Honestly, for a second, during that fight, I never doubted myself. I was winning, in my mind I was winning every moment and I felt so good and I was so focused and so determined that I never had any pressure on myself.

I was just enjoying the whole experience, you know, even just moments where maybe I was looking to capitalize on the position, maybe get the past, you know, she was doing a really good job of working our open guard and her up kicks and I was like, okay, well, I'm having trouble passing the legs here, it's not happening, but what can I damage in the meantime, you know? So everybody, you know, knows what it's like on their sparring,

and then you accidentally clipped somebody's elbow with your shin. Well, I was like, hey, why not just elbow or in the shin and see what happens? You know, all those little injuries that would suck when you get them in training, I was like, well, they're the only targets I have right now, so let's see what I can do with them.

You know, you said something very interesting after the fight, and I really give you a lot of respect for your honesty, and I love hearing that emotion, even though it was not the most positive thing. You said you kind of watched your teammates, You were afraid that you were going to be left behind. They had this moment. You couldn't experience that moment.

And I don't know if you've talked about this before. I think, you know, Peter said that you may have talked about in interviews, but I missed that. So it was news to me. How strong were those emotions? Did it really bother you that you couldn't get to, you know, have that moment in the sun like they all did? I know to a degree it was something that you were struggling with, but did you really feel like you were being left behind? Yes, definitely. Like, you know, the guys became their household name.

You know, the guys were earning money based off of last year, you know, whether it was, you know, signings or TV stuff. Like, all the guys were household names. If you spoke about mixed martial arts, everybody knew, Paul Pendred, Patty Hulahan, Colin McGregor, and nobody knew who I was, you know, sometimes it'd be a case of people not even known that I trained in the sport. Oh, did you do that as well?

like, you know, like I just had no acknowledgement for any of my achievements and my participation in getting to the sport to the level that it is at in the country now so it was, it was difficult for me to deal with that, you know, anybody who's a competitive athlete has an ego, some bigger than others, but I definitely do, you know, you don't want to be the best in the world and not have an ego.

So it was hard for me to kind of see all the success for the guys definitely not in a bigurgeon way, but just in a way, like, I want that for myself also. I'm super happy that they are getting so much success, but I want some of that for me too. And the way it all kind of panned out in the end, I guess it was almost better for me to not be on the first show because I probably would have been lost in the madness, whereas the way things worked out on Saturday, it gave me the opportunity to steal the show. and I think a lot of the media and stuff coming up to it really let people get to know me

and as well as that I think people have to see what it came through. You know, I've been through a lot of kind of personal struggles and stuff over the last while, you know, with the ultimate fighter, even before that, mental health problems, all that kind of stuff. So it really was one of those kind of stories that I think a lot of people could relate to and take something from, you know, here's this girl who had all this trouble, she had these problems, she wasn't doing as well as she wanted,

even though she was working hard, and now things have come good for, you know what I mean? It's like hard work pays off, positivity pays off, that kind of idea of just being happy and grateful and supportive and trying to bring happiness to those around you,

and then it'll come back to it in the end. How are things going with that? Do you feel like you've conquered that issue, or is it still something that you're dealing with, the mental health issues? I definitely feel like I wouldn't say past it. I think if you've ever struggled with those kind of issues, they'll always be a little bit there that you have to monitor.

Maybe they're going to have bad days, maybe you're going to have bad spells. You just have to keep an eye on things. But honestly, I just feel almost renewed as a person. The way I keep describing with the people is like, I feel like I'm 18 again. I feel like I've just torn pro. I feel like I've just gotten started in the sport again.

That's how excited I am about it. You know, like earlier on today, we had a fantastic seminar at a gym, Brian Hall on the current season of the opening a fire teaching a seminar. You know, I wanted to go to the gym to train and my coach was like, maybe just take today off the match, just watch.

But that's how excited I am. You know, I had such a great win on Saturday night and I'm on back to the gym Monday trying to learn, trying to improve, you know, I want to be the best straw weight on the planet. I want to be the most well-rounded on the planet. So one of the things I talk to myself at certain points during the fight on Saturday night

was I wish I had a decent footlock. Maybe I'd footlock this girl because I can't pass a guard. So I was checking at Ryan Hall's footlock game today, you know. Maybe I'll both run out with my next fight. I know you're very close with Patty Houlihan. It was a tough night for him.

It was emotional to see my... like that after the fight. What a tremendous fight it was, a great performance. I thought they both deserved a bonus. What was that like for you? Such an exciting moment, such a great moment, but then to see your friend like that? To be honest, it was heartbreaking for me. You know, when I came and after my fight, I just went into the changing room. I wish Patty luck. And, you know, because we were mixed around on the card and stuff from weeks out, we had already kind of agreed that we wouldn't be in each other's corners, just, you know, to save any hassle and paperwork needed to be done and stuff.

So one of the rules in our team is kind of to win or lose that we just, we leave the changing room alone for the other person to get the job done. You know, we don't want to distract them or influence them in any way positive or negative. So I wish them look and, you know, that all the things that you say to your friend before they go out to have the biggest point of their life. And then I watched on a screen in the green room

and he had a phenomenal fourth round. Honestly, I thought he was going to finish the fight in the first round and sometimes you just get caught or there's that one shot and things just went off game plan after that. And, you know, when I saw the finish in the fight, I just started crying, I just had ball in my eyes out in the middle of the green room. I couldn't really keep myself together for that, you know, to see your friends like that and knowing how much all that means to them

and how much work they put in and to see it not go out of way. It was just, it was really hard. But at the same time, I know Patty, and I know he'll be back stronger, and, you know, he picked me up enough times, and I'll pick him up this time and dust him off, and we'll be back to the gym together,

and we'll be improving, you know, because, like I said, we're not just teammates, we're more like family, you know, it felt like part of me was out there in the fight, so it was very hard to watch but Patty's such a humble guy and one of the things that I'm really unhappy about at the moment is

the people who are taking this opportunity to just kind of dig the knife in and twist it a little bit unnecessarily. I've seen some negative comments from other fighters and fans and stuff and they don't have a right. There's nobody more humble than Patty. There's no nicer guy than Patty

so for people to be trying to make out as if Patty with cocky and arrogance than somehow served up some humble pie or whatever, you know, that's just not true. It's not accurate. You'll never meet anybody more humble, more gracious than Patty.

So I doubt I can say anything to change it, but it would be pretty nice if those people would take a step back and try and put themselves in that position. And, you know, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Well, said, I saw those exact comments myself, and I was surprised.

I think those, people, I mean, I would agree with everything you just said about the man. I've known him only for a brief amount of time, but a special guy and definitely one of the more humble athletes I've ever come across. So that was disappointing to see as well, especially in a low moment for him. Just a couple more questions for Ashton Daly, and then we'll let her get back to her birthday party. Again, thank you so much for the time. No problem, my dog. Speaking of negative comments, Claudia Gedelia took to Twitter to, I guess, what did the kids say?

Put some shine over your win. I don't know if that's a term that they use over in Ireland, but she didn't seem all that impressed. What did you make of her comments? To be honest, I think it was just jealousy. You know, I'm having this phenomenal moments with my whole country, standing beside me, supporting me. And, you know, she's not having that.

Nobody's paying attention to her. You know, she's fought in Brazil a whole heap of times, and nobody in whole country really cares about her. So, you know, for me, it was just trying to, steal a bit of my line, I guess. That's the way I'd see. I honestly don't really pay too much attention to Claudia's comment. I think she's a bit of a hot head.

I think she just kind of overreacting things more serious than they need to be taken. For me, at the end of the day, this is a support, and I'm just trying to be the best I can be. And I have to compete against others as a way of measuring myself. That's the way I've always looked at this force.

so I actually have no personal feelings towards Claudia I've no anger towards her I genuinely don't feel anything towards her so if the fight wants to be booked you know if the matchmaker see fit then let's do it if not you know bring me on whoever else but I don't have time or energy

to get into it or battles like that and to be honest I just think it's so negative you know what I mean it's like I was saying earlier like I've come so far and I have just a new positive look on life that I have this little bubble and everything in it to me is just happy and positive and I'm so proud of myself

and I'm so grateful for the good people I have around me and I feel so privileged to have these opportunities in front of me to be able to make a living from my dreams is absolutely amazing to me I'm just so happy so to have somebody like Claudia just kind of trying to make negatives in the background you know, what's the point, you know, to give that time and to give that energy

to let that live rent-free in my head for any reason would just be a waste of happiness and, you know, life is short. Why do you want to waste any seconds of happiness? Would you say that Saturday night was one of the best moments of the, if not the, best moment of your life? I definitely think it was the best experience of my life. I can say that far none. I've never felt anything like that and I don't think I'll ever feel anything like that again. Some people have said to me like, oh well, would you not feel like

that about a title or something like that? I'm like, yes, I still want to get that belt. I still, I'm so motivated to go get it, but it was just different. It was a different kind of achievement. That to me was recognition from your

country for work you've done, where the belt will be recognition by the sport and the rankings and all that kind of stuff that will just be different but definitely amazing but just some experience

like I don't know if you got to see the video it is the walkout and stuff but it was just it was just crazy like to be singing along for your own entrance music

and have 10,000 people sing the words back at you and to feel every single person in the room willing you on to win It's just, I can't even describe it. And like I said, unless there's a title fight happening in Dublin again, I don't think I'll ever get that experience again. And I think it's going to be one of those things that I'm going to be sitting with my grandchildren,

gathering them all around, telling them about the time I fought in Dublin. And they're all going to be rolling their eyes going, okay, Granny Ash, stop telling us this story. We've heard of 10 times already. And I'll be, like, taking out the scrapbook of the newspaper cuttings and whatever new final technology they have at the time

they'll be like super bored playing with their holograms or something that's beautiful I love that well by the way one last thing

just out of curiosity is there any specific reason why that song means so much you or Ireland is there is there something that I don't know about

it's basically a song about the trouble and the 1916 rising and it's just kind of like a war anthem

it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people but it's basically about the strife of our country different things

that the country has been through you know between civil war everything it's just one of those songs that I think it has a lot of meaning

to different people individually, different verses in the songs talk about different points in Irish history but it's basically

like a war anthem you know kind of about the pointlessness of war and the damage

it causes and, you know, and at the same time, it is a little bit about fighting with the demons in your own head, you know. So it just means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and it's just, it's such a well-known song, you know,

the Cranberry's are such a huge band over here that it does mean a lot to me. I really feel like it focuses me, but, you know, it means something to, nearly each individual person when they hear. Well, you know, Ashley, a lot of people give me crap sometimes for saying,

No, I get too excited about the Irish fighters, or this is a story that I've talked about too much. What you've just said to us in the last 20 minutes is exactly why I feel the way I do about you fighters in particular. Just such fascinating people, but just such good people. And it's so nice to see you get so emotional about this moment, how much it meant to you, and see that, you know, a professional athlete can still get touched by these moments and see it, you know, see your life change in front of our eyes. It's a beautiful thing. And I'm so happy that you got to experience it.

I'm happy for you that you won and I'm looking forward to this new Ashton Daily with your nutritionist and seeing where you go from here. More importantly, thank you so much for the time. Enjoy your birthday party. Happy birthday to your sister and enjoy that victory. You deserved it. You deserved that moment.

And I'm happy you got to get it finally. Thanks so much for having me on Earl. Honestly, it was a pleasure and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Thanks so much for all the nice things you said. Thank you so much to all the fans. You know, I've gotten such an amazing response and honestly I'm completely overwhelmed and I appreciate everything that I'm here

and it's fantastic. Enjoy it. We'll talk to you soon. Thank you. Thank you. Bye. There she is. Ash the Bash, joining us so happy that she was able to make some time at the last minute. Great stuff and we congratulate her on her win. November 7th, the UFC returns to Brazil.

Huge fight on that card. Co-main event. It's Pat Cummins versus Goldberg to Sharon. He joins us right now via the Magic Skype. There he is. pal Pat Cummins, who for a second I thought had forgotten about us. I think it's been over a year since you've been on this show, Pat. Where have you been? I've missed you guys. Yes. I've been busy in Brazil all the time. Yes, they like to have you out there. And we'll talk about that. The Skype is a little pixelated, but I can see you, what's going on with your eyes? Do you have two black eyes?

Listen, if I'm not being in training camp, I'm not ready for a fight. So I always, I always have something. So this is typical for you? Yeah. I don't know what it is. I think I just mark up really easily. Okay. At least I like to think that. I can, now I'm happy that I got to see you. I'm happy we got to talk about the eyes, but the audio is just a little messed up. So if you don't mind, can we call you on your phone so I can hear you better? Yeah, absolutely. Okay. We're going to call Pat on his phone because the audio is a little distorted and pixelated and I want to hear from the guy. Although it was good to see him. And it has been some time. What a huge fight on. What a huge. this is for Patrick Cummins.

Co-meant event of a very big show against a formidable opponent, an opponent who just beat the last man to defeat him. That was Ovin Saint-Pru, Glover to share, a former title contender, former title challenger, lost to John Jones at UFC 172. The UFC puts path through tough fights. Very tough fights. And this one's no different.

The man has not had an easy road in the UFC. There's no doubt about that. Of course, we all remember. he took that fight against Daniel Cormier on short notice and has rebounded quite well. Is he on the line? Pat, are you there? Here.

There he is. Okay, let's talk about this fight. Were you surprised when you got Glover to Cher in Brazil? A little bit, yeah. We kind of, I mean, the same thing, we do it every time. We go through and look, okay, who can possibly be next? And, you know, as we progress, you know, the window is smaller and smaller. So we kind of looked through and we thought, man, there's really no one available right now.

And we thought of Glover as a possibility, but, yeah, I mean, we didn't really, I was like, I'm not sure if they'll put me there. And then I just thought, well, if not, you know, we're looking at a kind of a long way off. And I like to stay active. I like to think that experience is the most important thing for me. And, yeah, I felt very fortunate to get this fight. Is it not true that they actually discussed this fight back in June when Gustavson pulled out and they needed someone in New Orleans? Yeah, that is true.

Yeah, they talked about it. We said, yeah, we'll absolutely do that. and then they decided to take another course of action. But, you know, actually after that, we kind of thought, well, there's a better possibility because they offered that, you know, prior. In other words, it seems like they've wanted to book you against Gloverick for quite some time. Do you have any idea why? No.

No, I actually think, I think this fight's a great match-up. And I think it's, it really, it's kind of, it's two guys that I believe are the hardest working guys in the weight class. And, you know, there's really no quit in either of us. And I think that kind of makes for a special matchup in a really an interesting fight. How do you feel about going back to Brazil? It's like going back to the old playground again. It seems like, seems like I'm always there now. So it's less of an issue now.

You know, initially it was kind of like, ah, man, lots a lot of travel. We've got to go into kind of enemy territory. And, but now, you know, I feel kind of season. I've been down there quite a bit. I feel good about it. This is your third time fighting in Brazil. The last time was back in August.

You defeated Hafeuil Fajat. What a great performance that was. What a great win. Thus far, I know it's a relatively short career. But does that one stick out? Is that the best in your mind thus far? Yeah, that's definitely the most emotional win I've had because I think it kind of unlocked something in me.

And, you know, I really started to feel much more comfortable. And just, it's hard to explain. And I look back on it and I thought, man, you know, this makes a lot of sense. That's my 10th fight. and it just it seems like to me that's the number

you know I needed I needed that much experience and now I can really start to feel comfortable and really really increase my potential out there you know I feel like I've been kind of producing maybe 50 60%

of what I can do when it comes to competition so now I'm really expecting to jump to the next level so you say that it unlocks something in you what needed to be done to get it unlocked, and what was unlocked? You know, I really, I'm not exactly sure.

I'm not a very, I'm not a really emotional guy when it comes to, you know, I always sit back and watch guys and they'll celebrate their victory and, you know, kind of go crazy for a minute. And I always think, man, you should go out there expecting to win. Like, what do you do?

You know, why are you doing that? And it really, my kind of celebration just really took me off, guard and just, I just freaked out for a minute, and I don't really remember doing it. And I think that's kind of, I need to tap into that emotional

side and to really to really do what I'm capable of. Did it have anything to do with the OSP fight that you were coming off of? That was obviously disappointing and not how you expected it to go.

Was it, were you feeling that pressure? Were you trying to get that monkey off your back? Basically did one have anything to do with the other. Definitely. I mean, I think people a lot overlook the amount of pressure put on guys, especially coming off a loss. And you put the pressure on yourself, too, because you know, at least I do.

I expect myself to win every time I step in there. And when it doesn't happen, it's devastating. And it really, you just want so badly to get back in there and write that wrong. And, you know, that's basically what happened. So I think, yeah, it was a combination of everything. Because you sort of came in through the back door after a long struggle of, you know, not finding fights, you take the Karmie fight on very short notice, have you constantly felt the need, even though you're what, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 fights in to prove yourself, to prove that you belong,

you know, two in a row, people start questioning. Even after those P-fight, people are questioning you whether or not you belong. If you're just, they still stuck on this barista thing, even though that was a very, short-lived job to begin with. Do you constantly feel the need to prove to people that you actually belong and you are in fact a UFC fighter, one that, you know, has earned the right to be there?

You know, initially, I've kind of felt like that was the case. You know, one or two fights after my debut, I really felt like, man, I need to prove this to everybody because I, you know, I knew myself that I can go in there and compete and do well. But I think

now more so it's, I I've kind of focused on myself. And, you know, I talk about, I always talk about my potential. And I haven't, I haven't reached it yet. But every, every fight, I get a little closer to, to that, you know, 100% potential that I can, that I can put out there. And, you know, every, every time I'm there, it's, it's like 10% jump or, you know, 5% jump. Like, okay, I feel, but improvement is improvement, you know. And I really, I take good and bad for every fight, but I really focus on the good.

And I really want to, I really feel like at this point in my career, I'm ready, I'm ready to take that, take that big jump and make that, you know, 20, 30% jump and really get going out there and make people, make people, make people notice what I'm doing. And that's, I mean, that's not the end game. You know, I don't really care if people think, oh, wow, this guy can really fight. You know, I don't care. It's about me. It's about the competition. You know, that's really why I got into M&A because I, you know, I competed a long time in wrestling,

and I just felt like wrestling had run its course, but I haven't competed enough. I still have that drive, and that's why I'm here. And that's what I'm here. It's to show myself that I can do it. That being said, I do feel like a lot of that talk has gone away after the Fajal fight. I think you, I mean, I don't think you needed that particular performance to do it, but you know, how these things go.

I feel like you've earned that respect from everyone. I remember seeing a picture, I think it was Joe Rogan that tweeted after the fact of your face. Even, I saw you right after the fight and I tweeted a picture, but he saw you in the airport and your face. I mean, both eyes seemed pretty busted up. How painful was that flight? You know, the flight wasn't bad, but it was the day after we were, you know, I want to get. get out, I want to see, walk around, see Rio. And we were walking, I forget, we were walking like two or three miles, just kind of

in seeing everything, walking through the city, getting some of the eat, just relaxing. And at a certain point, I remember it's like, just feeling my face bounce around. And I just thought, oh, man, hold on, I need to sit down. Like, this is a bad idea. I should just be, I should be laying on the beach instead of, instead of walking around. But it wasn't, you know, surprisingly, my, it wasn't. very painful, just, I think it just kind of caught me in the right place. You know, any time you take a, take a shot to the eyeball, or at least for me,

I really, it really explodes and swells up like crazy. And that's kind of what I was dealing with. But, yeah, I mean, I felt really, the rest of my body and, you know, my overall, like I've never felt better after a fight than that, but I just, I looked completely awful. How long did you wait before getting punched in the face again? I took a decent amount of time off from sparring. But yeah, it took a while, like the blood vessels in my eyes were all jacked up. So it took a lot of way.

It's from my eyes clear. It was probably good three weeks, four weeks. So where's home for you these days? Because I know rain is no more. I know you train with Shogun prior to 190, also at Ruka a little bit. Do you have a home? We're kind of bouncing around. I would call Kings and Ruka my home.

You know, it's been unfortunate at this camp to have Michael Bisping out. He's been one of my main training partners at Ruka. And so, you know, he's all banged up. He's getting healthy. But so we've kind of, we've been going more and more to Kings. And those guys, I mean, I've trained with those guys since the beginning, you know, along with rain. So it wasn't like a big transition or I had to, you know, oh, no, what am I going to do next? Southern California is still a huge place for me.

And there's just plenty of guys to train with. And did you get a chance? I mean, what's the, now you've been there three times, you might know the answer. What's the pancake seen like in Brazil? You know, I haven't had a pancake in Brazil that I've never seen it on a menu. Yeah, I don't know. I really feel the need to bring pancakes to Brazil. Maybe that can be my gift.

Yeah. I don't know if it exists. I'll have to ask my colleague Guillermo, who lives there. Maybe that could be, you know, maybe instead of calling a pancake, some form of Portuguese, they called like the Cummins or something like that, you know, like in honor of you. What do you think? Yeah, Durkan. Or Durkan, yes.

Did you watch Glover versus OSP? And if so, are you, you know, there were questions. about Glover? Is he is he reaching the end and all that? He had some struggles against Phil Davis, of course, after that, and maybe that's a fight that you can lean on, but were you impressed with what he did against

OSP? Yeah, you know, I kind of feel like he followed the game plan. You know, the same game plan I had, just you know, things weren't a little awry for me. But yeah, you know, he's an

intelligent fighter, you know, I think, I think that's one of his strengths. He can have a game plan, stick to it when he needs to and evolve if he has to. So, yeah, I mean, I was impressed with that fight. And, you know, although I really felt like, you know, the OSP fight for me was, was heartbreaking. You know, I really felt like I was getting the better of them and really starting to turn the screws a little bit. you know, things happen. That's why everybody's so exciting.

But it's, you know, a lot of people said, hey, man, listen, you were doing great. It's not like you were getting, you're getting beat around the cage, and then finally, you know, you lost. It was, it was, you were doing great and you got caught. And I didn't really take any solace in that because I just, you know, it hurts that much more when you're like, when you're doing really well and you have that, you know, you have that potential. You're like, oh, man, I'm, I'm doing it. Like, here it is, and it gets taken away from you really quickly. So, but at the same time, I learned a lot from that fight. I learned a lot about myself, and really just that it always comes back.

For me, it always comes back to just getting back to the grind and really persevering and getting working my way back up to the top. Did you watch that Phil Davis-Glover fight a lot leading up to this one? Yeah, yeah, we've watched that. a few times. Is that the blueprint? Yeah, to a certain extent, yeah. I mean, Phil's a different style, you know, wrestling style for me.

But a lot of things he does, you know, we can do. And I think, I really, I mean, he handled that by beautifully. So I guess a lot of people may complain that, you know, it was a little boring and whatnot. but, you know, at the end of the day, the job is to get the win in the fight. So you don't mind a boring fight as long as you get the W. Well, I mean, yeah, I don't mind it. I don't think I've really had a boring fight yet. So I just, I think my style doesn't really lend itself to a boring fight

because I'm always pushing forward and really, I want to push the pace. but I can still use a lot of the same tactics from Phil in this fight to help me out. By the way, side note, my colleague Guillermo Cruz tells me they do have pancakes in Brazil and they're called pankeka. Pankega, I like that. All right, I'm going to have to check them out.

Yes, perhaps a celebratory pankeka on Sunday. Okay, just a couple more. things and then we'll let you go. You know, he's ranked four, so there's not a lot of room between him and, you know, the title shot. Do you have any idea what a win means here? Honestly, I mean, it's hard not to think about it. You know, I'd like to say, I'm not thinking about it.

The only important fight is the next one. But, but yeah, I mean, of course, there's a lot of implications involved. And, I mean, I think anybody, anybody that knows me or knows of me, knows that I, I, I want that rematch of Dan McCormeates really badly. And that's kind of, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's one of the, one of the main things that's driving me is, is to get back to that, to that position and, and, um, compete in a way that, that, that I know I can with him. So, so, um, it's just, it's just, it's just incentive, you know, it's fuel for the fire, um, to, to, to, to, to, to, to get to get to that shot. and hopefully it'll be right around the corner. So you feel like you have a better chance

of Kormier is still the champion as opposed to if John fights him and John wins the belt back? Better chance of getting that shot, I mean. Better chance? Maybe. I mean, it's hard to think. You know, now that John's reinstated,

it kind of throws a curveball into things. But, you know, like I said, I'm not going anywhere. I came here to fight. I need experience, so I'm not really worried. I'll take as many fights as I need to to get to get to that position. And I mean, although, yeah, you know, soon as better than later, but I'm ready. I'm ready whenever. How do we win on November 7th?

How do you foresee this going down? I really see. just a whole lot of pressure. And I think I say that every time I'm going into a fight. You know, I really want to apply the pressure and make him make mistakes and capitalize on them. And whatever those mistakes are, I feel confident that I can capitalize, you know,

whether it's a submission or a knockout, I really feel like those are both very good possibilities for me. Well, this is very exciting. I love these kind of fights. You know, the younger guy trying to take the spot of the older guy, you meeting, you know, on enemy territory for you. I don't know. I saw some people say it was a little too soon for you, but I disagree. I feel like the time is now, as the UFC likes to say, the time is right for Dirk. Yeah, you know, I'm glad to hear you say that because I feel the exact same way. Okay, good. If you would have said right now that you agree with those people, I think we might have...

You know what? On second thought, I feel like I shouldn't be taking this fight. That'd be a weird thing to say. But I would appreciate the honesty, by the way. Well, you know me. I'm pretty honest guy. Yes. It's good to talk to you again, my friend. Safe Travels. When do you go over there in a week or so? It's been too long. Yeah, I'm leaving actually a week from today. Okay. Is it any different, by the way? Is it like a... Or do you feel like you got it down as far as what you need for weight cutting and all that? your veteran when it comes to that in Brazil, I mean?

Yeah, yeah, I feel like I've got that recipe down. My, you know, the fight week is, it's pretty down in right now. Okay. Way comes off easy, everything firing ready to go. So I'll be ready. And you have the mad scientist, Ryan Parsons, in your corner, so that's always a good thing as well. I do, yeah. I wish you the best.

Can't wait for the fight. Looking forward to it. Great to talk to you again. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Errol. Great to be honest. All right. Great stuff there from Patrick Cummins. I'm looking forward to that fight. I love those kinds of fights. That's an old-school Joe Silva kind of fight. Younger guy. And I know he's not the youngest. He's not a rookie or anything like that. But younger guy going into Brazil, fighting the veteran, fought for the belt. It's a perfect co-main event, if you will. for that Sao Paulo show. And it's a fight they've won it for quite some time. I think it's great. I look forward to it November 7th in Sao Paulo. It's the co-main event for the Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort fight. All right, one more guests to go,

and it's fitting that we talked to this man last because he stole the show in Ireland. He did not get a chance to fight in Ireland. He was supposed to fight Stevea Miochich. Miocchich had to pull out due to an injury, but Ben Rothwell decided to go over there and be the man of the people that he is, much like he was at International Fight Week.

He wanted to be with the people, hang out, go to the Q&A, all that stuff, and all accounts say that he stole the show, as expected. And he's kind enough to join us right now from Ireland. He's still there. Ben, are you there? He says, as expected.

Yes. You have a lot of faith in me? I do have a lot of faith in you, believe it or not. I'm just so nice. nervous right now. Okay. Well, let's... I'm just more nervous.

I'm just more nervous than you're getting ready for a fight because you're such a big deal. I'm just... No, that's not true. But I'm honored that you would feel that way. We'll work through it together. Why are you still in Ireland, by the way? Yes, go ahead.

Well, the plan was to fight Saturday and don't really... I have a very tight schedule for, you know, the week of the fight, so I wanted to see Ireland. I was planning on fighting and airfare and everything. already set up. So I was, I was going to take Sunday, Monday, Tuesday to check out Ireland. And

now I'm sitting here ready to go home already. Now I'm, because I got to just cruise around, double, and hang out with the fans all week. Are you happy you did that? Here we are. Yes? What? What did you want to say?

I was going to say, let me fire off a quick list real quick because I was listening to your show earlier. I just wanted to touch up. I just wanted you, because we're do a good job I'll give you a list and then we'll come back and touch on it. So I was going to say a couple things right down the list. And then we'll try to get to my list. We'll get through your list because I know you got your list of questions. So let's say we'll talk about Melke and talk about Frank Muir.

Yeah. Oh, yes. Let's talk about Dustin Peoria and what, oh, he didn't want to take the fight. Yeah. And my thoughts on that. Let's talk about D.D.R. Belfort. And let's talk about John Jones. Wow.

So let's tell some of the, you know. Well, to be honest, these are way more interesting. questions that I had in mind for you, so let's go through your list first. By the way, that's the first time anyone is actually you know, I'm okay with someone giving me questions, I'm not okay with someone taking away questions. So let's start with

Malki. He said that Frank Mier wants a piece. What do you think? It's interesting. It's an interesting situation for me going, you know, I was going to fight the number four, number third rank guy, and I'm going to fight a guy that's, you know, just coming off of a loss to a guy that I've been

trying to book a fight with in Andre. And it's kind of like, it's tough. You know, it's like how do I feel about that? But then I look at the landscape, and besides Frank Muir, there's only a couple other names that are getting thrown around, and those names aren't very probable. I mean, I'm not sure what's going on with their situation

for I'm being told that these guys are busy as well. And I don't want to wait. I want to fight as soon as I can. No later than January. I mean, anything past that, it's just too long. If I could fight, you know, I've said it out there. If I could fight December 19th, you know, I'm ready. I told, you know, Dana A. came up and said hi to me, and I just told him, I'm like, you know, feel comfortable knowing that December 19th, you're going to have a co-main event.

So I know he likes that, and I'm just very sincere in wanting to fight anybody, the best guys, you know. So anyway, Frank Muir, obviously, he gets thrown up and, you know, because, like I said, because of the landscape, because all these guys are booked, they have fights. and already matched up. And, you know, at least Frank Nears in the top ten, and he's still a household name to fight. And that's the fight that happens, and that's the fight. You know, that's the fight you take. But, like I said, I'm trying to pursue the top guys here.

So just to what happens. Who are some of the other names that have been brought your attention? I'm not even, I mean, I don't know. I mean, there's kind of whoever in the top ten that you can see that doesn't have a fight book. it's like, well, obviously, their name's getting thrown around. Okay, there are not. There aren't many of those.

I mean, the only one that really comes to mind is Barnett. Yeah, well, there you go. See, I just test me a little bit. He's just through knowledge. So the word is on him. He's really busy. I guess he's pursuing an acting career. I guess he's not pursuing, like, he has a movie gig lined up and stuff.

So he's, I think he picks and chooses his fights for him. He's a little more like he's only interested in certain fights as well. so I'm not sure it's going off and he might just be busy but Frank Mir, I guess, is saying he's up and wants to fight so that's that. Do you prefer Barnett over Mir

if that's, you know, the final two that you're presented with? Like kind of, kind of the same. I mean, they are and they are. I mean, I think, you know, Barnett's come out. Barnett's a better fight because you come out of a win. Yeah. A good win against Roy, the great, you know.

And Barnett, dude, I mean, for so many years, the guy is just he's a very respected heavyweight and for good reason he's a very well-rounded heavy weight and he's, everybody respects the guy and, you know,

I think, yeah, the fight would mean more, you know, be, you know, going out and you just, you're going to go out and put all the work in for a training camp, you're going to beat somebody you want that one that mean as much as it possibly can. And, you know, I think right now, yeah, obviously Burnett's not going to be in a better position

and Frank Mirre. But at the same time, I don't want to sit and wait, you know. Okay, so that takes care, does that take care of Malki, or was there something else you wanted to say about him?

I was just, I don't know, I was the first person I've ever got to see talk with kind of funny because Andrea Lasky's the one I was, you know, wound him this week, and he's the one that brought up,

he's like, I heard Frank Mirre. And I was like, what do you know? You know, and he laughs. And that's why, because then I was putting it all together,

oh, you know, he's now, he's now, he managed with Melke. So I'd make you wonder, was Frank Mier and Andre both managed? Yeah. And when they fought each other. Yeah.

Yeah. So it's a crazy scenario. It is, yeah. He has that scenario coming up with Ben Henderson and Tiago Alves. Yeah, he's just managing everybody, huh? I guess. What about you? I heard him cracking off his list to you.

I was, well, well, then. Now listen. Yes. I want you to listen and make sure you listen here. Yes. I'm just cracking. How many times did he listen? Oh, yes, yes, yes.

I thought you were going to go on some sort of rant on me right here. No, I was... Okay, well, then let me ask... I think I'm ranted out listening to him. Let me ask you... By the way... What do you... What are you doing listening to my show?

You're in Dublin. Why are you listening to the show? You should be doing other things, no? I told you, I've been here. This is, like, I'm working almost day number 10. I'm burnt out, all, man. I could have... I could have went home today, and I'm still...

I'm not flying out to... Wednesday. I'm like, oh God, what did I do? So I was sitting here in my room. I'm like, you know, I was good. I'm glad I did. It's kind of like it'd be quipped to me. Kind of like know what was going on. And there I got the info. Because I actually sent

Frank Muir a message asking me that was true. And he didn't respond yet. So I got my answer where I listened to your show. There you go. More people need to listen to your show. There we go. We need to clip that off and make that some sort of promo. Okay, let me ask you about Dustin Porier. What do you want to say about him? this is an interesting topic

one funny story I made a tweet saying hey you know a new main event me versus him and he didn't really respond or anything and then he's down in the lobby and he was talking to somebody at their back to me and I didn't see

and I go to him and I yell in front of everything I'm like oh you don't want to take the fight I'm like what's wrong with you meaning our little exchange and then Park turned Park was who he's talking to and Park turns like looks at me and Dustin had you know

I had a face like, oh, like, really, dude? I was like, oh, I was like, I didn't do. So it was funny. Like, I think he knew I was kidding. I didn't realize he was talking. He probably must have thought at first. I was talking about him in Park, and I didn't even know who he was talking to.

So I kind of felt bad, but I laughed. Did you clear it up with him? You know, we had a moment. Well, I sat next to him at the fight. Oh, okay. I talked to him. He knew I was just messing on all of them. Do you agree with his decision?

So it brings me to the point of him saying... Go ahead. If I keep cutting you off, sorry. No, it's fine. I think it's a slight delay because you're over there in Europe. I just wanted to know if you agree with his decision to not take the park fight.

So, what I find is interesting, I see you, like, you definitely have the guy that side of just more sportsmen like, you know, that you see these decisions and the guy's going to have, you know, to make this choice. I said, and to hear that Dana White, you know, Dana White came up and talked to him from me too

and Dustin said, like Dan had called him, said, you know, it's no big deal. And, man, rewind two, three years ago, I don't think that that would have been the case. I think the head brass of them, like, you've got to take this fight, you need this fight. And Joe and Dan are just kind of like,

you know, you're seeing there's a totally different UFC now. I mean, just everything, just the whole thing, you know, like you were talking about Ratner pulling off Duffy. So it is very, I want to be exciting, but it's awesome to see, like, well, they're really changing way.

It is a sport again. You know, it's a sport now. It isn't like it was. So it's cool that he didn't have any outside pressure that way. But as a fighter in our heart, it's like he said, I see this what it isn't him. They're not picking on him. It's just the lower weight classes. He says, this isn't the fight that I trained. I guess he's not the only one, but it's just I see how much different I am,

how much I've achieved because name any of the top 10 fighters, and I'm supposed to fight, I'm supposed to fight steep. And then they call Andre, and they call it. I got him fight Andre in a week's notice. That's fine. No, you've got to fight King of Alaska's not. You're going to play a pure wrestler. You're going to take you down there. Fine.

You're going to beat him. Well, you're going to go to Purdue him. He's Dress Krabbler and the heavy way. That's fine. All right. No, no, no. You're going to fight Travis Brown instead. They're the heavy striker.

He'll put him too. It does not. My game plan is the same for every one of these guys. And I finally really does understand. Like, this is what it takes to be a champion. This is what it sounds like when you're going to be a champion. I just feel good to be in this place now. And when I kind of listen to the other guys,

they're not there yet. Especially with the leather weight classes. And I've just heard this last couple weeks. That guys, like, really fight a lot with matchmaking about who they have to fight. Like, me, it's like they call and say, this is who it is. And I say, you know, what's the date?

Can you, you know, my biggest complaint is if I can, you know, stay out of certain countries or, you know, things like that. Like, as far as the opponent goes, it's like, okay. and kind of say, like, he did do a full training camp. He was ready to fight. And I know that he sat in the arena watching Park fight going, damn it, I could have smoked this guy and had all of Ireland, you know, cheering for me right now.

And, you know, but, like you said, I agree with you. Every guy is different. And I don't, I don't criticize the guy for, you know, he's an important situation, too. Like, he did take the fight and he did lose. Yeah, it's disastrous. You know, at least if he's going to fight a top-rank guy with him, and he lose. Okay, he's not as bad. But it just, it was

the fact that he said, I train specifically for this guy. And I'm just that, I don't understand. Every time, every one of my training camps is to fight anybody. You know, most the time it's like, I'm, I'm playing in to fight for you. You know what I mean? Like, my game, my game plan has to be

able to be anybody. So, I just thought that was interesting. That's all. You know, I guess my main point was, like, I could see where you're coming from, especially from, from your perspective and the spot that you're in now. It bothers me when I see a guy, like I said, who's one in one or something in the U.S. He's like, I would take that bite in a second. Of course you would, buddy. I mean, you don't have 15 fights under your belt. You're not the main event.

Of course you would take that opportunity. You know, it's not fair for someone in that position to criticize Porier, who has way more to lose, way more on the line. I'd like sometimes to see, you know, fighters are, it feels to me, are always so quick to go against each other and man up each other and ensure that they're tougher than the other. It'd be nice to see a few fighters say, yeah, if I was in Dustin's position, I would do the same thing. I would have made the exact same call. I don't see that often.

And this happens, you know, with the Henry Sehudo Nick Diaz situation and the John Jones 151 decision, fighters need to stick together more, in my opinion. You know, I agree with it. I totally agree with where you're coming from. And as far as calling somebody out, that's great. I call it the one-in-one guy can. by calling up Joe Silva

privately and saying hey this is a fight you interested in me filling in and Joe can say no you're only one in one you know not yet buddy or you can say yeah we really need this fight we're gonna put you great but when you go on Twitter

yeah like you know and me Matt talked after the fact but the way he went about trying to call me out and what he proceeded to say after the fact was absurd to say that he got a fight offered to him and then I turned it down

it was dude I ripped him the shreds I'm like you're what the fuck fuck is wrong with you? Why would you just blatantly lie? Never happened in your opinion. He's like, he's like, yeah, because he's trying to get attention. He even admitted it. I'm like, but you're still an asshole. Like, you're still fucking, you're still losing respect, man.

Like, you don't, you know, like you said, the camaraderie supposed to treat each other like a brotherhood. And I was like, yeah, he shit on that because he wanted people to, he knew he would get people to talk, even though he knew there was no possible way the fight was going to happen. And I'm like, they're stupid. You know, privately called Joel. They can call me and offer me if like, good, we'll do it, But you can just go on Twitter and just blab your fucking mouth. Yeah. And then I agree with you.

The guys that are one in one calling dust the names and say, yeah, they're not martial artists. They're just clowns looking for attention. And you see right through it. You know, and you're not the only one. And so the people that matter see right through the shit. And these guys just, yeah, they need to learn about her. You know, but it doesn't, you know, it comes from their camps too and their coaches and the fighters that they're training with.

Yep. You know, who's teaching these guys and how are they at? You know, and there is. There's still a lot of growing up that needs to happen in the sport all together. You know, it's got to stop being a fighter. We've got to become martial artist. So, yeah, I agree with you on that point, for sure.

What do you have to say about Vitor Belfort? No, I want to ask you. Oh. Right on the, if I click on the screen, it goes, Vitor Belford will not be coming on today. You wanted to ask some questions that they do not want to answer. Yeah. I was like, oh, and then Melty brought up about, yeah,

I'm guessing. I'm going to put on a win. in here, something to do with him and Jones, you know, and that whole, it is interesting. I mean, I kind of forgot about it. I'm like, that's probably exactly what they wanted. Because when I first heard about it, like, it is, like, what? And then I kind of forgot about it last couple weeks, and you just brought it up again. And I'm like, I'm pissed off all over again.

I'm like, what the hell is that? What is that? That sounds like some, something's not good. You know, it's disappointing because I, I booked him on Wednesday. And, you know, like his wife said to me, she's like, you reached out and asked for a comment on the situation. And when this all happened, the story came out by Josh Gross. And they didn't respond. That's fine.

That's their prerogative. But when I booked them on Wednesday, you'd have to think that I'm still going to ask about it. And like I told her, I'm not going to spend 20 minutes talking about this. I want to know if he has anything to say. Does they have any comments? And then we can move on. I'm not going to spend 100% of the interview on this. I can assure you of that.

But it makes me look like a hack if I don't at least bring it up. He could say whatever he wants. but there's certain questions that need to be asked. And they never brought it up on Wednesday. And only when I checked in two hours before the show on my way to the studio today and said, are we still good for today? Because I had a feeling something screwy was up. She said, you can't ask about this.

And I said, look, I assure you, I give you my word. I will not, you know, try to embarrass him or put him on the spot. I just want to know if he has any comment on the situation, on this story. You know, from his perspective, what's the story? What do you want to say? I can assure you next week when he fights in Brazil, at least I hope, people are going to ask him. So why not address it now and then tell everyone next week, hey, I addressed it. You know, if that's the way you want to go. Of course, I think

you should address it multiple times, but at least talk about it. She said, no, he's not coming on the show. So that's disappointing. And I feel like, you know, I feel uncomfortable making the story about me here, but I feel like people need to know that. I think that's especially considering his past, it's worth knowing that certain questions. It's very rare that anyone ever asks me to do that. I believe I've even interviewed you over what happened in Milwaukee, and you never asked me not to ask about certain things. So, you know, it was disappointing. The difference is I want to address it because I face my problems.

You know, that's it. I face my problem. Hey, come on. Take responsibility. I told you, man, the tour was awesome when I met him in July and how nice he was to me and all this stuff. It just really sucks to hear that. Come on, man.

Be the warrior. Be the man. Face this. It happened. There's nothing you can do about it. It's your responsibility. You went. through this. This is yours.

Like, fucking own it. Like, just deal with it. You know, and no running and stuff. I don't know. It just doesn't look good. Doesn't he watch, you know, what could have been looked at as the goat and Silva. I'm going to say, Anderson's Silva, destroyed his legacy. Not because he got busted, but after the fact that continually

denying showing his work a coward, what he is. No respect to me whatsoever. It's constantly, like, really, dude would have tested multiple times you're having these substances in your body who are you trying

to lie to like you're not busted you're a cheat you fucked up royally why are you going to sit here and continue

to say you didn't do it it's a disgrace and that you're not a man you're not a man you're not a final period you can throw some good punches and kicks but you can put inside

of a person you were gone you're nothing and I don't want to see for taking off this like kind of running from it he didn't

deny nothing but avoiding it is someone's just as bad. It's like, don't do that, man. Just deal with this. It's no big deal. You got to fight against Henderson. You can make everybody

to get in there. You can test it. You can know, you're clean. Going on and Pete Henderson, great, man. We'll move on from this. Like you said, it just kind of makes matters worse

when people don't want to handle their business right way. Yeah. I agree 100%. Wow. Strong words about Anderson Silva there. And by the way... I feel, I mean, for sure.

Part of the reason, I'm telling you, when he got busted, dude, it's part of what has made me me. Like, I, I just, something changed in me. And when that happened, it was just like, just they have somebody we've looked up to for so long, just fucking feel it's so bad, you know, and, yeah. Something definitely has changed. I criticize me, but you can look at my report and see that I take,

dude, I had a case. I could have fought. I could have fought it. The commission, the Wisconsin commission gave me a warning because they're like, Ben did not have an advantage. We have eight weeks of testing. Yes, he was high the night of the fight. He was low the week of, and all these eight weeks before.

And you know what? I could have fought the whole thing. The UFC's one that gave me suspension. Do you know what I said? I said, it's my fault. It's 100% my fault. Even though a doctor was prescribing and taking me and overlooking everything, I don't know.

It's not the doctor's fault. It was my choice. You know? And that's it. And that's the difference between me and Anderson-Silbaugh. And you and a lot of fighters, by the way. Yeah. You know, I'm not the only one, but it's like, yeah, we're the ones.

We're staying up and, you know. Was that the turning point for you? Because something has definitely changed. Like, Ben Rothwell, a year ago, is not getting the kind of love from the people. And I saw your Twitter. The people there in Ireland love you. I mean, I joked calling you Mick Rothwell, but it's unbelievable. And it's not just in Ireland.

You have connected with the people for some way, somehow, I noticed something different. Was it the Anderson thing that, you know, changed you? Is that what opened you up to the world? My fighting happened, I always say in the third round in the viriflate. When I started, you know, basically right before I go to finish him, that really was like something in my brain in that round opened up. And I've not done the same sense. Right. So that's like the physical, the martial artist.

but as far as like I guess just reaching out and just how I feel inside about that this sport needs more than it's beginning it happened with Anderson Silva I mean it started with John Jones and his first was a cocaine and then obviously the hit and run

really threw me off the edge but the Anderson Silva was even like to me it was even like worse than that because John Jones got in trouble and got busted and he's dealing with his problems Anderson Silva's not and it just like oh it just makes me it just makes me feel like it's

so many people are letdown from that. And I just know now I'm going to be the champion that the sport is not had and that it needs. And I can say it all I want, but I just, I have to have the belt, and I'm going to prove it. You know, it's actions be called on words. And that's why I know I'm destined for something.

Is that why, you know, you get the fight taken away from you, and then you're in Ireland, and Stipe gets booked against someone else? How do you react to that? At first I was obviously, like, anywhere I would expect, irate, you know, I made some jokes on Twitter about it and just, you know, I was trying to make, I mean, my jokes, I tried to make them, you know, I put axes on all of our faces on the poster and say, hey, you know, it's the new poster. I was trying to make, because I was trying

to make fun of a bad situation, you know, it was just, there's nothing I can do about it, you know, the UFC already signed them, the guys, there was nothing I could do. And it's just like, yeah, I'm going to be mad for dear to. I mean, it's really, like, I was sick for, like, the whole day that I found out. And, because I was just convinced, look, I pegged, did. I pegged the event. I pegged the opponent. I knew everything. It was right there. January 2nd. You know, Andreeloski, I'm like, this is my fight.

And then they're like, no, we're going to give it to the guy that's just fucking backed out with an injury. And I was just like, I've never seen this happen before, ever. Like, somebody getting booked when, you know, the week that they're supposed to fight, I just never seen anything like this. So, so like I said, I already said it before that. I don't say what's fair or anything like that because this is the way life is. Within a couple days, I was just getting over it. And by the time I got to the Q&A that we did before the lands,

I think it did a 180, and I just got happy. And I'm just like, you know, this is going to work out. And the fan, the more I threw myself to the fan, the more I got over it, and I'm just like, yeah, this is why I'm here. I need rear with the fans, and this is why everything I'm telling you, that I'm going to be a different champion. I'm going to start proving it right now. And while Ireland believes me, they got my back now.

because when all the other guys are in the VIP section, I literally threw myself out into the fans. I left the VIP area, and when everybody left, I still sit there and sign for a few more hours past, and I loved every single person, literally. And when I was at the Q&A and said I would take a picture of the whole place, I think I did.

And I loved it. I loved every second of it. So that part of it makes me different. They are a special bunch over there. There's no doubt about that. Did you voice your displeasure about the whole situation to Dana when you spoke to him at the event? Just a little bit. I mean, like I said, I don't want to be like, I mean, everybody's just going to bitch.

It's like, it's like what you expect. I'm just like, there's nothing going to happen. Nothing. I'm going to sit there and bitching and complaining what's going to happen. Nothing. It's just going to make it worse. He, he don't want to hear it. You know, it's just everything.

I just, you know, basically I just try to take it with stride and he came up. He's like, he knew him. He knows that I want to fight Jr., DeSanto, he said, you know, he's like, yeah, respect it. I'm like, hey, listen, December 19th, just take, I'm like, just take it to know, you will have a co-main event no matter what, you know, and I said, over him or him, it's fine, I'm going to be ready. But they, you know, he said, they're obviously trying to book me up, and he's like,

oh, it's one thing we've got plenty of his fight, so he's like, we're going to be getting a fight as soon as we can. Do you ever, I mean, he knows? Did you ever worry, like, oh, I'm being too outspoken here on Twitter at the Q&A, all that stuff or are they relatively receptive to you? Because I hope you don't get, you know, muzzled, but, you know, I'm curious because you were, you were kind of critical, right? If you and me, I think I managed to avoid it.

You know, the very first question was, I mean, I could have started that thing. I was either really negative and I think I started off positive, you know? Yeah. Like, you know, you started at all with like, you know, you had a lot going on this week. Are you doing it? And I could instantly start complaining about everything. Instead, I was just like, you know, I don't know. I've been compensated, because I get to beer with the greatest fans ever, you know, but all the whole place you dropped it.

So it was like, that just fueled my thought of it. Yeah, I've got to keep this in positive and just, you know, just to suck it up. Yeah, I maybe got to go out of it. You know, I can, and I trust, I've been knocked down from far worse, and, you know, this isn't going to keep me down. And it's just a manx for a reason. I have to believe that. It's probably the start of my life. And there's this, this is one of those things where I don't.

understand it now, but I'm going to understand that later. I just believe that 100% and I just know that I'm on a different path right now, and I just got to stick to it. So on the Twitter stuff, I didn't criticize the UFC, I just tried to check some jokes. I thought there were, you know, within reason, and people

got a lot of attention. And people thought it was funny. And I said, I just try to keep it, keep it funny and not bitch too much. You know, yeah, I complain a little bit. I just said, it doesn't make sense. and I said I didn't understand it and then I just

I did like two days of that and I got over it and just stopped I just moved on and you know just started thinking about I started doing cardio and started training here and just started focusing on

you know when I get home and I already got my training camp already set up like I got my trainers ready like you know I'm a professional and I'm just gonna be ready for my opportunity when it comes

what do you want to say about John Jones what was what was the point like oh I don't There's a couple things. I know the crowd in the Q&A and the Q&Arylaki's like, I seem like a lot of fighters really got his back.

I just know that I could have set that due to the planes because I think that especially the other guy. I'm like, yeah, you know, with those it, hit and wrong, what kind of cases that? I think people are very disappointed. And I'm just like, again, to be in the negative or the positive. I'm like, well, that's not going to know the situation.

But John's a great player. And I just, I hope, like, I want to, I want to help, I want to see him come back from this for sure. Like, he made some big mistakes, but, I mean, that's part of it. That's what our sport is, right? We lose. And then that's what's so great is December. You lose a fight and come back and win the fight. I'll come back and be something.

I know, I see a lot of the fighters, you know, we're excited to him come back from us. And, you know, I hope he does. Hmm. Well, that's good to hear. By the way, speaking of Arlovsky at the Q&A, what did you make of him giving the no comment to the Nick Diaz situation? Because he didn't have no comments as most every question you got to ask. What was up with that? They're like, what do you think about is Dean of Wayne Lorenzo, you know, Lorenzo got to afraid each other. And, you know, he looked at politically not correct. I'm not answering. And then he goes on to say, you know, we all answer, you know, and he's like,

What if you fight Fado or something? He does decide to answer that. What if Fader comes? He said, well, I'll like Nike. Just do it. I just start dying. He really just to be that? It's funny because the whole Reebok feels very sensitive.

It's just so funny that when he did decide to talk. He says Nike. He like multiple questions said, no comments. I just like, I gave him a lot of shit. Trust me. It was good. It was entertaining. You killed it.

It's amazing. Just looking at your Twitter, all the people, they have a way of showering you with love over there. What was the best? Like, is there a moment with some fans? You went to a bar or something? They treated you like royalty. Is there a specific encounter with someone in particular that really stood out from this ongoing trip to Dublin? I can't say that there was really, because there were so many.

Like, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, four days in a row. I was somewhere surrounded by Irish fans, and it was just an incredible experience for me that way. It was, like, just how they embraced me. Each day I seem to get bigger and bigger to the point where, like, after the wayans, they brought us to, like, a party, and, like, the other guys went in, and then when I came in, the place was, like, you heard them come in, and then the next guy goes in,

and the next guy goes in, and it was just kind of, like, I can hear anything when I walked in, the place erupted. I was like, damn. I'm like, I haven't had them before, you know what I mean? Like, you know, I'm staying next to Andre and Rory and Max, you know what I mean? Yeah. They're all big-name guys, so it was pretty cool. But Rory gets a lot of love, man.

They really love his fight. I was really happy to see him. I was really, like, hanging out with him a lot, too. It was fun to see him open up the Q&A, too. I was telling him, he was telling me, I'm like, yeah, because I watched you at the press conference before this fight with Robbie. It was, like, awful, like, just absolutely awful. and he's like did a full 180

you know and he was cracking jokes he kind of was like yeah you know something they were trying to see if GSP was coming back and he kind of he was like no no no and then somebody got him like he got him in a loaded question later on and he's like yeah so he wants to come back

only for the big fights and everybody was like oh oh and he's like all right keep it in your pants and he was like I was in the glory look at this guy and then he was like I don't know he opened up it was cool to see and we talked about it afterwards he's like yeah

I just, you know, I'm just decided. I'm just going to start being myself. And I'm like, yeah, man, this is what we got to do. Oh, man. I'm excited for him, man. He's awesome and just such a great fighter. Your transformation, I must say, one of the great stories of 2015. You've quickly become one of the best characters in the sport.

Please don't change. Well, man, thank you. What do you got planned for the rest of your trip? Two more days in Dublin. What do you got? I got a nice bed that I'm going to. in here and then maybe maybe some more bed and

maybe some more bed after that's it seriously I went to the Guinness plant I went and used some castles I went and you know I got around it was cool like I said the whole week that I was going to be you know sticking to my the fight week like I said

fight week is very like it's regimented you know so I didn't have any of that you know I was drinking the first day I got here I started drinking Guinness which is you know, not something I could do. So I kind of like, if I had been before I got to Saturday, I was really like, man, I'd seen everything.

I was like, done, ready to go home. And, uh... Are you alone? Yeah, that's that. What's that? Are you alone? No, I got, I had a whole crew people. That's all it was really fun.

I had like 10 people here. I had like four training partners, my wife, some family. Like, you've been had, like, everywhere was cool as wherever I go. I had, like, my, you know, like a party with me. So we had a lot of fun. But what about now? Are you alone now? No.

Oh, okay. Well, that's good. Yeah, we all decided us to drown until Wednesday, so. Okay, last question, since you're on a roll, how do you feel about Verduem fighting Kane again, getting that, you know, making that immediate rematch for Kane, and who do you think wins? I think Verdoom wins.

I do. I think he's got his number. So it's the easy one to get out of the way. As far as I'm fighting again, it makes as much sense as Depe getting matched up during the week that he was supposed to fight me so like that's

that's just that there's just nothing makes sense whatsoever and that's just how I take things on I just don't try to understand it all right well leave the Mohegan's I think Daniel Vail Lewis makes a quote about women he's like yeah

they don't try to understand them so I'm like that's kind of the UFC just don't try to understand stand it. Okay, let's leave it at that. Ben, a pleasure as always.

You're like, don't say anything else. Don't make them mad. No, no, no. No, man, I'm pro-UFC, man. No, the best organization in the world.

Now I get to wear the fly relock gear that, you know, I'm just going to say, let me give a plug for them real quick. I really do feel bad for them, that they have a bad deal with the marketing. Yeah. Because it is like the sweatshirt,

it's one of the nice sweatshirt that I ever had. Like, they really did try to make us nice gear. I don't think anybody said the stuff is bad, like, is bad, like, is bad. It's nice stuff. The marketing is just,

just they just need to fire all the marketing people and just try to start over, because it's sad. I feel bad for the whole situation. And it's sad is like everybody gets so mad and talks about the money and they had to come out and defend themselves. We don't have anything to do with that.

Like, you know, I'm playing must. And I just, I feel bad because everybody wants to bomb it. And all the fires are bombing on it. I'm like, guys, you're kind of cutting your own throat. I'm like, if we could have embraced this thing, maybe, you know, could have turned it in something that could have benefited everybody. And I know every guy in the undercard does not complain about getting $2,500. Because I know when I was in those guys' issues, I didn't get $2,500.

You know, yeah, the champions are getting good too. They're not complaining. It is the middle class. The middle class always gets fucked. You know, trust me, I'm losing a shit ton of money and sponsorships. But it is what it is, man. It takes time to change. And I don't think bitching, again, baching and complaining about stuff like everybody's been doing isn't going to make it better.

You know, we got to think a way to be positive and, you know, to help each other. And whatever. All right, I'm done. Oh, by the way, I just wanted to ask you, since you were there, did a lot of fans complain about the T-shirt, the Ireland T-shirt? I didn't ask because, again, negative. Okay. Like, I've seen enough. All right, right.

I've seen the hate, like, people were definitely pissed. And again, I just really felt bad because it was just such. a big mistake. It was like, man, just shooting herself in the foot over and over again. But I was going to say that

it was like, when I was talking about when Dustin was saying about in the arena, I think he got, I must have got there later because I actually think Cthal came out was,

yeah, I was, I was going to say, I was in the arena for GSP in Toronto, what, 55,000 people, right?

Yeah. Cthal came out and it was fucking ten times, water. But seriously, I think it was because of the song. He came out to the Ole, Oleg, Oley, O'Leo, that place. I'm so fucking mad at Stepe then.

I was like, we could be the main event right now. And I would be owning this crowd. And I was tough to be there. But that is your goal, right? You want to be on one of those cards with Connor, like the ultimate

Dublin experience, right? Oh, dude, he's like to call part, man. I don't ask being up for anything, probably like, you've got to put me on a fucking guard. Yeah, for sure. It's insane. Like, I've been 16 years in the sport, and that is what I've been fighting for. I want to fight in front of a crowd like that.

I feel often, man. The more the crowd like that, the more my opponent's going to get fucked off. Ben Rothwell, you are a gift, my friend. Thank you very much. A pleasure, as always. Love talking to you. You always have a home here. So anytime you got something to get a...

your chest. We'd love to hear from you. Enjoy your last couple of days in Dublin. Amazing work over there. It's amazing. You definitely stole the show. You gave those people something to talk about, something to remember, and I think that means a lot to them, even more so to many of them than, you know, seeing two particular guys fighting the main event. So, so kudos to you. I tip my cap and looking forward to your return sooner rather than later. I'm, well, thank you, sir. I think it's great. I'm glad that I could be here. I could be the guy for you don't need not.

Yes. But you, Ben, your frustrations on to you. I'm there for you, man. Thank you. Anytime you need that, you just get me on a lot for you. Thank you, Ben. Talk to you soon. Thanks, guys.

All right, there he is. Ben Rothwell, and it's funny he ended the interview on that note, because I will admit I did come to the show today in a sour mood, and then losing a couple of guests. And John, I should say, John Kavanaugh was supposed to join but apparently it's some kind of holiday in Ireland, and he has some family obligations, and I don't hold a grudge there.

I understand he's been more than gracious with his time, so no hard feelings whatsoever, and I know that he would happily come on in the future. The last minute nature of it all kind of threw us for a loop, but I got to say, I came into today's show feeling in a sour mood, and then you walk away with, you know, Gus, Ashling Daly, Porier, Cummins, Rothwell, just to name a few, like, just such great people that remind me how lucky I am to do a show like this and talk to wonderful human beings like that.

Can't sweat those small things. So I appreciate them perhaps on a week like this more so. than usual. Let's blow through inside the vault for this week because I want to get to some questions. I want to hear from Mr. New York Rick, who also deserves some credit this week because there were a lot of moving parts, and he put it all back into place with getting Dustin and Ashling on, so I appreciate him as well. New York, Rick, are you there? I'm here. How are you? I'm doing well. How about you? Well, you know, you know, I just... Bring the energy up. It was a good show. Yeah, why? Do you feel the energy being down right now?

Yeah, you sound a little... All show long or just right now? No, just now. Yeah. The Vitor thing bummed me out, and I don't like that it's evolved into this other thing, so I almost regret bringing it,

but I was just upset, you know? I wasn't upset, disappointed. I should say disappointed. Maybe it's the same freaking word. But I don't... You know what really... You know what really kind of put me over the edge? Can I tell you?

Sure. It was this... This text. I thought I could count on you. as you could always count on us. What is that? I never went back on my word. I never said, I didn't say, you know,

I'm not going to talk about something and then I did. What is that all about? That's weak. That's what put me over the edge. Understandable. So, I don't know. But we had a great show in spite of that. We did, and that's worth celebrating.

We got to hear from Ashling Daily. That was beautiful. From the birthday, which was fun. One thing we need to figure out is when we get. had a late replacement guest. How do we get the graphics up there, you know? Let's, we're working on something. Are you? We are. Oh, wow. We just discussed it today,

actually. Oh, that's good. I should have said, you know, like, when you, it's always funny when someone does, like, a tape thing and they're like, oh, we're talking to Aschling Daily, you know, 10 minutes below the hour, we're talking Ashling Daily here on 92.9. But in that case, with no graphic and a live show, I should have probably said, by the way, we're talking Ashley's Daily.

Right, the radio now. answer voice. Yes. Sitting here with Ashling Daily. A couple more questions for Aschling Daily doing us from a birthday party over in Dublin. All right, do we got any questions? We have questions. Okay, remind me to tell you about a funny story that happened to me last week.

Let's do it between website questions and Twitter. Let's do it. First one, website. The curious case of Joe Duffy, because of the short notice injury and not being able to fight in the spotlight that he would have had against a name opponent, do you think this ruins the hype train for Joe Duffy? or are you still interested in a bigger role for him in the UFC? Oh, I'm super interested.

I don't think it ruins it. I think it slows it down a little bit. You know, that was a big fight for him, and it was on a big stage. Can the Stars align where he gets a fight like Porreier in Dublin to, of course, lead up to that big Connor McGregory match? So it definitely slows things down, and, you know, concussions are such a tricky thing.

As we talked about on the M.A. beat, look at Chris Holdsworth. Look at T.J. Grant. I don't know if there's anything, like, they called it a mild concussion, but can a concussion really be mild? You know, all concussions are very serious. Sure. And we've learned that, especially in the last couple of years.

So hopefully it comes back very soon, but I wouldn't be surprised if Porre fights someone else. Yeah, but if they both get a win, the storyline is there to have that rebooked. So I think delayed is the right way to phrase it because I don't think he loses any shine. He got hurt. and just like anybody could, and then he's going to come back. And if he picks up a win, if Dustin picks up a win, I think they could rebook that pretty easily, and the storyline is there.

Yeah, I guess I'm just saying, like, I wouldn't just disregard a concussion that easily. Sure. Ccussions are serious, especially in this game. Hopefully it's not that serious. I think there are levels of severity for sure, and it seems like his, you know, by all accounts, is on the lesser end of that scale.

Who knows, really? But, yeah, you know, there's always, there's the possibility of recurring symptoms, so we'll see. I actually disagree for the UFC to pull the plug on a main event. It makes me think it was pretty serious. You know what I mean? That is a fair point. But, I mean, if you can't get cleared by the doctor, then you can't get cleared by the doctor.

So, you know. It's true. It does come back to the doctor. No matter what the severity is judged by the doctor, not the UFC. Which is great. That's what we want. Why can't Rothwell get any love from the UFC brass? And then we had a little GIF here.

It's not playing, obviously, because I took in a screenshot. But I think he has paid his dues. He's a strong heavyweight. What was it, by the way? Fun to watch. I forget, what is this? The win over Vera, maybe. I think, yeah.

A legend for knocking out the ream, and he's becoming a cult hero with his Rothwell shuffle. Is it just me, or does it feel like they are still punishing him? It almost feels like they expected steepa to win, and I've already rewarded him for it. What happens to Rothwell next? He deserves a top five to three. I've never seen it that way, actually, in reverse order.

He deserves a top five. opponent, in my opinion. He definitely deserves to be considered for a title shot before Overe. Is he not getting the love? Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I guess that's more of a question for them. The timing was a little curious, to say the least. I think if he gets Barnett, I think that's a pretty damn good fight,

but I don't know if he's going to get Barnett. The Meir fight, you know, I kind of thought Mir won that fight against Arlofski. So while he doesn't have, you know, a win on his record in his most recent fight, It's not a huge step back. I just think the part that really bothered him, the most, understandably so, was that the guy who he was supposed to fight got booked on the week that they were there. I mean, that's the timing.

And I know they were selling tickets and everything, and they had to do it. So I don't think they have anything against Rothwell necessarily. Maybe he's not... Should he be getting a bigger push? I mean, after today's show, he was... Gosh. I think Ben Rothwell is great.

Of course, it's not all about interviews and whatnot, but look what he's done as of late. his fights are very entertaining. Absolutely. So I don't know. Why, do you feel like he's still paying for that testosterone thing? I don't, but I think he could be getting a bigger push. I think he's a personality that seems to be catching on.

But, you know, this is something that can happen is, it seems like his popularity, excuse me, is organic right now. And then once the machine kind of gets behind you, then people turn. Then people are less interested. So maybe the best thing is that it seems like it's still continues to be organic. That might be the best thing that's happening for him. I love when an athlete, in particular in this sport, puts himself out there to the people and the people respond, and that's what's happening here. It's kind of like, you know, this term is, I know,

a favorite of yours, and it's kind of gone in a whole other direction, but he's become a people's fighter, you know, sort of like the people's main event. He's become one of those guys that, regardless of where he is on the card, there's a group of people, and that group continues to grow and grow and grow that he just has this connection with, and that's a connection that's hard to establish, especially this. late in one's career, but he's doing a fantastic job. I saw him at International Fight Week in July, and he was hanging with everyone, taking pictures. He just loves it. And why shouldn't he? This whole stretch for him is not going to last forever. So it's always weird when a fighter

doesn't open himself up to it and appreciate the ride along the way. What was the people's main event? Back when? For this last car. Well, this one kind of was a weird one. Okay. So what would have been the people's main event then? Let's say it stayed intact. from the beginning? From the beginning? It probably would have been... Well, it's a weird thing

because, like, for the world... Yeah, for the world, it's Rothwell-Meochich. But Patty Houlihan, if he was, you know, the opening fight of the night, for that area, I think, would have been the Irish people's main event. But for the entire... Wow, we're branching off now to Irish people's main event.

No, no, no, no. For the local crowd. But, no, for the world, like, if someone would have asked me before and the card was intact, yeah, of course, Rothwell Miochich. It almost felt like that fight

was too good in a weird way for this fight past show. I feel like we are entering dangerous territory, though, if we start having now the local people's main event, we're going to have the co-people's main event. Everyone's using this word, like it was a word before. I'm sorry, no one used this before I used it. And quite frankly, I would like some freaking recognition.

Tired of this. Next for Norman Park. Storm in Norman wants to be out again as soon as possible. Could he face Dustin Porrier next if Duffy isn't ready to go? Hmm. Well, I saw him sort of allude to the fact he was lighter than ever. I don't know.

Maybe 1.45 is in his future. Let's see. Is he lightweight? There's lightweight. There it is. Poria's number 13 as of right now. He's not ranked. I don't hate it.

Now there's beef. I think it's a good fight. You would do it? Yeah. Well, I mean, if I'm dust, then I might be a little hesitant. I mean, Joe Duffy, let's not forget, it wasn't ranked either.

Yeah, but his shine is just bigger right now. And it was a local fight. for him and all that. But good for Norman for ease. He's talking himself into it. I think he's, I think he might get it. I don't hate it. Tom Breeze? Yes. Following his, is impressive and dominant victory over Cahal Pendrid. What do you think should be next from?

Oh, that's a tough one. I don't know. I mean, off the top of my head, it's still a little early in his career. But a really, really nice performance. Like, is it Jake Ellenberger too soon? What's Jake's last? Wonderboy. Yeah. No, I don't know if that's too soon. I think that might be around the right area. Two in the UFC. Two nice finishes, first round finishes.

I don't know if Jake Ellenberger wants that, but I mean, of course, he's going to have to fight in February in London. That's a no-brainer. Sure. And there is a bit of a movement here with the English fighters. And it seems like there's this, you know, Darren Till. and there's this young generation of English fighters. It took a while, but I see them coming through. I don't know. I don't know if Felenberger's too soon, but he doesn't have a fight. Maybe him. Yeah, I think you're right about the London thing, though.

So we'll see who's available at that time. The crowd singing zombie with Ashling Daly. One of the best moments I can remember from any fight card was Ashley's walkout song and the crowd singing along with her. What did you and I think about it? Okay, I'm so sorry because I actually, I really like that song. I had no idea that the cranberries were from Ireland. Did you know that?

I did. I feel like such a moron. This was on heavy rotation on MTV back when I started watching it. Oh, it's tremendous. I had no idea. They were from Limerick. Isn't that the home of Twitter legend, Sean Chien? Could be.

I can't speak with authority to that. Usually back in the day he would respond within seconds, but he doesn't watch a show anymore. We'll see. I think he might respond. respond to that. You're calling him out. Well, I mean, only when it pertains to him does he ever actually pay attention to the show now that he's got his own

podcast, credentials, and all that. I remember when his only claim to fame was that he would send in pictures of himself? Well, he did, if I recall this correctly, he did go to that press conference that Dana had. That was it. That was the moment. That started the whole shebang. I was the one that said, follow this guy for the updates.

But again, no one remembers. Tired of it. Anyway, it was a fantastic moment. I loved it. Paddy's walkout was great. Neil's series was great. It was all great. It was exactly as expected. Although this time around, it didn't really end on the high note. I really felt for Patty, not to take anything away from Smolka, because what a fight. Did you watch that fight? Of course. I watched the whole car.

It was such an entertaining fight. I really do, I really, I do mean it when I say it. Like a fight like that with the transitions on the ground, and Peter put it perfectly, like putting yourself in compromising positions to. gained positions elsewhere. I mean, it's just so much fun to watch. It's really, to me, a lot more fun than a rock and sock and robot type of fight, just a slug fest. I can appreciate both.

But I very much enjoyed it. No, come on with that. I can appreciate both. And this one was, you know, fun to watch, for sure. So anyway. The walkout. The walkout. It was great.

I didn't really, you know what, I wish I, I guess the accent of the song, and I don't a lot of other cranberry songs, do you? No, just this one. They're not a one hit wonder, though. I don't think so. I mean, I've heard of them past that, but this was the one I remember the music video on the roller coaster.

It was a beautiful moment. It really was. And you can hear the people singing along, and she was talking about with her mental health issues and, you know, with the lyrics of the song. It was great. Dustin even mentioned it today. Yeah, I'm so happy that she got to have that moment

because she really felt like the only one who couldn't do it. And she had to watch. She was in this house. She probably depressed as hell last year, and everyone's winning. Somewhat fitting in a weird way that she was the only SBG fighter to pick up a win on Saturday. Michael Venom Page, there's a lot here, but basically, isn't it time MVP was put up against some fighters on his own level? Yes.

The thought is that he, you know, Charlie Anteveros was not a game opponent in James' story's opinion. He's a lot of fun. He's a lot of fun to watch. But yes. Maybe Brennan Ward, who fought on that card. Sure. And as an entertaining guy, I think that would be a nice step up for him, right? Well, I mean, it comes down to this. Do we want to continue to see the highlight Rio kind of dancing and showboating?

I've seen it. Yeah. What, you don't think so? I don't know. I kind of like it. I'm not... How many more times are we going to see it? It's the same thing every time.

I've seen this movie. Yeah. MMA is different than boxing. Like, in boxing, you know, you get like 20 or so flights, and then all of a sudden you're... you know, now you're getting in the line. In MMA, like, we see it two or three times. All right, we've seen it.

I want to see you get tested. And guess what? The loss doesn't mean as much, I think, in MMA. Like, he can lose in his next fight and then bounce back and no one will talk about it. What can happen is if he gets put on that stage and then, you know, the showboating and the dancing and the flash isn't there against tougher opponents, then, you know, he might lose a little bit. Yeah, I know, but, like, is MVP really selling out of the showbook? arenas for Belator?

No, probably not. And that division, I got to tell you, I mean, there's not a lot going on there right now for them. I think it's time for a step up, but I'm also okay. Put it this way. I'm not hating on what they've done up until this point, but I don't want to see more of them.

Now the next move. You know, I'm okay with them, you know, building it up a little bit, but at some point, let's just take a little step up. Yeah, and, you know, that actually makes me think, like, these things can happen fast. Carvajo is now champion. You see that? Wow, what a kick. Yeah.

John Jones, what are your thoughts on the reinstatement of John Jones? And how long do you expect it will be before there is an announcement made regarding his return fight? Well, it was obviously expected. It was, you know, it was time to do it. I've been a couple of weeks since he had his plea hearing and he was all set there. So, yeah, they had to do it. everyone. I mean, the big question was, was he going to fight? And I think it was very clear from those Instagram videos that he was ready to resume his career. I think they're going to wait for New York.

I mean, they don't have to announce anything yet. I don't know if, is January too late in the game? I think, look, they have to wait at least until January to see what's going to go on New York. Is it going to go up for a vote? If not, they're going to go the legal route. And I don't know if that's going to work out. But April 23rd, regardless, sounds like a good time. I don't know. know if you can save him until 200 at this point. I feel like that's too far away. Is it not? It's in nine months.

You know what? Didn't we say the same thing though when they were building up Cormier Jones? Like it's too far away. This loses. I think that the anticipation, no matter what, is going to be high, it's going to be good. So if John Jones doesn't fight until the end of next year, I think it's all gravy. Just getting him back is, you know, is the treat here, fight-wise. And I think the end of the end.

anticipation is going to build and build and build no matter what. And once it gets closer, oh, it's going to be off. But if Newark gets done, it has to be New York. Absolutely. Forget about 200. And I think he would want the same thing. Does the punishment fit the crime for John Jones? John Jones has been known to have a substance abuse problem,

crashes his car into a pregnant woman's vehicle, flees the scene, only returning to grab loose money before fleeing again. It gets less than a year. Is the UFC sending the right message? I guess, let's phrase the question this way. should the UFC had had their own punishment for John Jones outside of the legal punishment? Well, I mean, I think he was punished. He was suspended. So he had a fight taken away, UFC 187 fight, he had his belt taken away.

As a result, he had sponsors taken away. They waited until the hearing was done. They say they did their own investigation. What more do you want? That's fair enough. And I think we go down a slippery slope if we punish somebody beyond what you know, the court or whatever else is deemed appropriate. Oh, and by the way, sorry to interrupt?

No, go ahead. By the way, let's say he fights in April, and I doubt he fights before April. It will have been almost a year and a half, a year and a third, since his last fight. So this guy's not making a lot of money these days. Yeah. What do you want to say? No, that was it. You were going to say that exact point?

That was it. I was going to be like, no. How many more mistakes can Reebok handle? I've heard the question been asked a few times. Should the UFC cancel the Reebok deal? I don't think that's obviously an option. Sure. Is the deal here to stay, or could things change dramatically?

How many more fails can happen before this deal is in serious jeopardy? So far, the deal has cost numerous fighters a lot of money, and Reebok themselves keep embarrassing themselves. What are your thoughts? Can things change, or do we have to wait to see how things pan out? I think things will change. I think they'll figure it out. But it is an amazing stretch of mishaps.

Now, do you feel there was an overreaction? to that situation? I'm so happy you ask that question. Which situation? The t-shirt? Yes, the t-shirt. You want to recap it for people? I feel like you're setting me up here.

So, John Kavanaugh, I think he was the one that brought it to light. Maybe someone else, but he's the one that, you know, he's the most famous one who brought it to light, at least in my eyes. There was a T-shirt from Reebok, an Ireland t-shirt that had a map of Ireland on it, and it excluded Northern Ireland. And it said, what did it say on it? Did it just say like Ireland? Just said Ireland underneath. That's it.

It didn't say anything else? As far as I can remember, I think it just said Ireland. Like, I think there was additional text, but in terms of defining the geography, it just said Ireland. Really? Let me just... No, I think there was additional text. I'm not remembering what it was off the top of my head, but geographically, it just said Ireland. Okay, so here it is.

It said UFC Ireland map. It said Ireland on top and bottom. him UFC, which is like kind of a weird shirt to begin with. But anyway, so he brings us to light. And he says, you know, this is a big problem because the Northern Ireland part of the map is excluded. And John is someone, obviously proud of his heritage, but also date someone from Belfast, which is in Northern Ireland. And he had a big problem with, as he put it in his very well-written explanation on Twitter, He had a big problem with the tagline, show your territorial allegiance. The reason I was so annoyed by that T-Share was because of the tagline,

show your territorial allegiance. My girlfriend is from Belfast, the city that has experienced a lot of senseless killings on both sides. This type of rhetoric only serves to fuel negative emotions and bring out the worst in us. For the record, I'm not interested in political arguments. I'm more of a Carl Sagan type of person. We're all in this pale blue dot for a few short decades trying to find happiness. We are all one after all. I'm happy to see it's been removed from their site,

and I'm sure future designs will be more thoughtful. Also, for my geographically challenged friends, Ireland, refers to the entire island, which is made up of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. I'm happy to leave this behind now and get focused on another great weekend of UFC action. So that says it all. He wants it to be all encompassing.

He doesn't want any political messages, and who can blame him. And he had every right, and I really, I thought he put it very succinctly and perfectly. But then spare me all these media members, and fans, but more so the media members, with this faux outrage over this T-shirt, like, let's be real. You wouldn't have noticed this if it wasn't for his tweets.

Come on. Let's stop pretending like you're all up in arms and all offended about all of this. All right, you know, let the thing pass. It's brought to light. It's been addressed. And let's move on. I mean, you can move on after the fact

and say this is a series of mishaps, but come on. You know this. There are a lot of people out there who are acting like, you know, their mom was just slapped and spit in the face because of this and they would not have noticed it had it not been brought to their attention.

Do you agree with me? Of course. I mean, I'm not personally offended by it as I'm not Irish and it wouldn't have meant, yeah, I wouldn't have recognized it. I don't know Irish geography in that way. And, you know, not being Irish, it didn't personally offend me. It didn't, you know, my concern or issue with it was, you know, the lack of research. You know, it was just lazy, I guess.

And that part is the part to me that, um, people would be upset about, but, you know, if I was Irish, I'd definitely have a different take on it, I think, from Northern Ireland or somebody, you know. 100%. I'm not saying that anyone from Ireland, including John, anyone, had had, you know, any right not to be upset, that they shouldn't have been offended. I mean, I agree with them 100%. It's a ridiculous T-shirt. It's silly. It's offensive. It's political. There's no place for that. I mean, what they were thinking when they put that out there, it looked lazy. It's not even a nice shirt. Yeah. I mean, come on. There's nothing good you could say about that shirt. All I'm talking about,

based off of your question, was, what did you think of the reaction? I chuckled when I saw some people acting like, this is, you know, this is a big deal, personal issue to them. It's not. So, you know, stop it with this faux outrage. Sure. That's all. But it was ridiculous. And I'm happy they rectified it. And when they're going to figure this out, I don't know, it just seems like one thing after the next. And I wish they could almost take a step back, breathe, come out with the line. And if you're working with a John Kavanaugh, if you're working with an SBG, run that stuff by them when you want to get all, you know, territorial. That's a fair point.

I see a lot of people saying that, you know, Reebok didn't know what they were stepping into with MMA. And I think that that, you know, could or could not be the case. But in my opinion, this is more indicative of a Reebok thing than anything to do with MMA. Like, the fans are outspoken in MMA. This wouldn't fly anywhere else. this had been in, you know, the MLB or related to any other, you know, sports league, the people would have had the same reaction. So I don't know if this is particularly indicative of anything to do with MMA more so than, you know, Reebok putting out a shirt.

But as I said with when this deal was announced, let's give it a year or so because there's a lot that has been left to be desired here. And I'd like to see the uniform, the kits evolve, make them less uniform. I'm not a huge fan of all the nationalistic stuff. I mean, there's a lot that can change, and I'd like to think in seven years they'll figure it out. But thus far, I think anyone would agree. It has not been a great debut for them in this sport. Yeah, I mean, you have to learn on the fly.

It's going to be tough, and I think things will look differently. The Athletic Commission and Nick Diaz has the NAC written up their findings yet, and the punishment for Diaz so he can move forward in his appeal process. Any idea where that all stands? At last I heard, they still not have done so. No, well, it's really in the hands now of his legal team, and he has a great team behind him, so we'll see what happens there as far as the appeal is concerned.

There is another hearing this Thursday, but last I heard he wasn't on the docket, so this is their next appearance from that infamous one of September 15th, in which his livelihood was taken away from him unjustly taken away five years. He was given a suspension for five years over a questionable at best drug failure or drug failures. So, you know, I doubt that they're going to address it, but it would be nice. What a great turn of events. What a nice way to end this depressing story. If they come out and say, upon further review, we realized that we abused our power and we didn't

give him a right to defend himself and all this. And we're going to change. We're going to throw this one out and start fresh. Wow. How amazing would that be? I mean, I think they'd curry a pretty good favor with it. It seems like a good move rather than doubling down on it, but I guess we'll see how that goes. Last one from the website, then you're going to tell a good story, right? Oh, yes, yes, yes. What did you make of the recent cuts with more to come, looking more and more like there will be less shows next year? Why the decision to go with less shows and how will this affect Fox, FS1, pay-per-view, and fight pass? What a leap that is. The guy goes from cuts to the less shows.

There were quite a few cuts. I know, but, I mean, there are also a lot of fighters who keep saying that they can't get a fight, right? Sure. You think, like, a, who's a guy recently? That was telling me, oh, Benavides.

Benevides was saying that, you know, he fights twice a week, excuse me, twice a year, and he can't get a fight. You don't think he wants to fight three, four times a year? Yep. So I don't know if all these cuts, you know, equals less shows.

I don't think that there are any surprising ones or egregious ones. The one that I found to be questionable was Eddie Gordon last fought in June announced that he was moving down to 170 and then he got cut in October and who knows what he could have done between June and October. So, you know, the timing, of course, they have to do, they have to clear the books, whatever they have to do, when they have to do it. But that one, I was a little bit surprised by just because it had been so long since he had last fought and he was, you know, changing his weight class and all that stuff. But none of them really jumped out at me.

How about you? So, Palleli, but that was a retirement. Yeah. Maybe that helped him retire. Sure. But otherwise? Yeah, I mean, no, nothing like too shocking. Yeah.

Unfortunately to see Markets Burmage, though. Yes. I didn't get a chance to talk about it next week, but you mentioned it, that interview that you did with him that we played for Inside the Vault really, you know, spurred me to If it wasn't for that interview, you're probably not there. Yeah,

you're not in that seat. I owe it to Marcus Spermage and you. It was amazing. I wish I could go back in time and replay that whole thing sitting there as you're watching this interview and saying, you know what? This is where I need to be in life.

Yeah. It very much was that. So my computer broke. My son cracked my screen and I went to this computer store in Williamsburg called Mikey's hookup. By the way,

great people over. over there. I give them two thumbs up. They do great work. And they didn't pay me to say that. And I'm standing there in the store and a guy walks in holding a dog like a baby. Dog is like this big, holding it in his arms. And he puts the dog on the table. My computer case is there and the dog starts walking. And I don't remember the dog's name, but let's just call it Minnie. And he's like, oh, Minnie, don't walk on Ariel's computer. And I look at, and I look up, I was like, Arrow's Computer, how do you know what?

You know, who's this guy? How do you know my name? I started thinking for a second, and I start putting two to two, two and two together. And I say to him, are you Doug Crosby? And he said,

yes, I am. What? And I've never seen Doug Crosby in person. In fact, I don't even know if I've ever Googled him. I don't even know what he looks like. And as you may know,

Chuck Mindenhall wrote a feature story on him, hashtag Longform. Not that. long ago. And so the timing was very interesting. So he comes in there. He's a ball of energy. And I'm not even quite sure what he wanted to do. I think he was asking them to put music on his iPod shuffle. I kid you not. Yikes. So I pass off my computer and then we go outside and we proceed to have this hour-long conversation, which I will not get into too much. But he's standing up against his car, still holding. his dog now back in his hands, in his hands. And it was a fascinating conversation. It went through some ups and some downs. I think we ended it on a good note. I think he took exception with some things that have been said on this show. I think for the most part, he liked Chuck's article,

but it was just, I just couldn't believe that, and apparently he worked just a couple of blocks away from there. That's where his office is. So it was just, I just couldn't believe that I, that I ran into him, especially a week after or two weeks after that story came out. And he was every bit as colorful, unique, eccentric. Yes, as you would expect him to be. I will say, at times, it got a little testy, but in the end, we figured things out. Just another day in the line. Now, was the assistant there? Okay, so the assistant. He, he, uh, he, he, he, he, He maintains that the assistant is a very real person. Didn't we get this verified by Chuck?

I think in the piece he says... But she was not there. And did you go to a bathhouse? I did not go to a bathhouse, no. I think you missed out. It seems like Chuck had a good time there. Wow. I didn't have the pleasure.

You did not tell me this story before the show. No, and by the way, I'm giving you like literally 2% of the story. It's really a lot more involved, and it doesn't... It probably doesn't sound in fairness as exciting as... as it was when it was happening, but take my word for it. It was a very interesting one hour in my life last week. Okay. Moving on to Twitter questions. Turning down a late replacement fight, a good or bad call, and then they say this is definitely bad for the UFC's business, but is it a good or bad call? Well, I guess it depends on who you are, you know, and what you're

trying to do. I think if you're in the main event and you fought as many times as Dustin Porre has fought, I don't think it's a good or bad call. I mean, it's just the call that you need to make, makes the most sense for you. If you're a guy who's fighting, you know, in his debut and, uh, you're looking to get in, you know, good favor with them, and yeah, I mean, I, I, I can understand why you would take that fight. Everyone's in a different spot on a different journey with different resumes, have accomplished different things. I don't think it's fair for any of us to criticize a professional athlete with everything on the line like Dustin Poirier, who has shown up time and again, who is no B-I-T-C-H and question his heart. This is a guy who signed up to fight in a cage

in front of thousands of people in his opponent's home country and was there. He was ready to go. He was like three days away. And now we're going to, you know, question his heart and his motives and his warrior spirit because he turned down a completely different other fight. What kind of bizarre world do we live in here? What is this sport? Is it even a sport, if that's the case? and let's be clear, it's a vocal minority doing it. As he said a couple of times now, the UFC, Dana White, they all said to him, feel no pressure, and I'm very happy. That's a sign of the times as well.

Things have changed, and that's great. So who cares what the media or fellow fighters or other fans say on Twitter? It's what he feels, what his team feels. And if the UFC's on board with that, then it's a no-brainer. Well, you know, outside of just the obvious, ridiculous, of questioning, you know, Dustin Porier as a fighter and his, you know, whale and all that stuff. What would have been the upside? I don't see an argument. I haven't been, you know, presented an argument that makes sense logically a reason for him to take that fight. I mean, look, if he needed

the money, you know. But if he needed the money, he would have taken the fight, so that one's out. Yeah. So what are you saying? I'm saying that there is no reason for him to have taken that fight. Sure. There's not a good argument for it. It does him no favors to face somebody who is, you know, regarded in this circumstance, rankings-wise, lower than the opponent he was originally going to face on short notice. And for a win that likely wouldn't have given him that much, you know, advancement in the rankings. It doesn't make sense. There's not an argument I could hear that would make sense for him to have taken that fight,

unless he needed the money, but he turned it down so he doesn't need that money. The co-main event thing is weird as well. Yeah, that is a little weird. Why does he get bumped down? Yeah, if you wanted to be, you know, if that would have been the deciding factor, that could have been, you know, easily avoided.

Just go to the main event. Okay. Rory let slip at a Q&A that he has talked to GSP about returning, and it would be for super fights like at UFC 200. GSP versus Anderson Silva next July. What do you think? Was this a two-part question? That was it.

What just happened there? Switched it, two-parter. Wow, that's the first. Same guy? Yeah. Oh. I don't know. What do you think?

Are you into this fight? I would love to see that fight. Oh, yeah. Yeah? Oh, yeah. At what wait? Let's say at this point, probably 185, right? Why make GSP, although GSP might want Anderson to come down if he could still reliably make

170? I would still love to see this fight. For sure, I'd love to see this fight. I don't know. Now, there's, you know, circumstances outside, like, do I think that GSP needs to come back or should come back or anything like that? I don't. I think his legacy is set. I think Anderson Silva's legacy is set.

I don't think they need this fight. But if they told me both these guys are for sure coming back and both of them are going to fight each other, I would be super, super excited to see it. It does feel more and more like we're gearing up for a return. I wouldn't be surprised if Anderson fights on the Kane for Doom card. I like that. And that will be earlier on UFC 200, obviously. It doesn't get me excited.

The sign seemed to be pointing to GSP coming back, though. Faraz seems like he's saying it. Ferori seems like he's saying it. Yeah. Yeah. Final question. Have you guys ever considered bringing back the Ricks Picks Challenge? That was fun.

The answer is yes. Yes. Where is it? I keep asking you for it. Yeah, it's tough. Excuses. Hashtag excuses. It's tough, but you will see something soon.

What? I will put together. I will put together a plan for... What plan? For Rix picks. Make your damn picks. What do you need a plan for? No, no, no, no.

Not my picks. He's interested in the tournament, the challenge that we did. The whole shebang. It has been a while. since we had one of those, right? It may make sense to bring this back. Same one? No, it might be slightly different.

What a while time that was. Remember that? I don't even know how we even put that together. You did most of the work. Most? All? Well, I picked the people. Didn't I pick the people?

I don't think so. That took some work. Yeah, I remember the tweets. You picked the people? That wouldn't make any sense. I made the matchups. I remember that. Yeah, that was fun, though.

It was great. It was an exciting time, a strenuous time. Really. Why strenuous? Well, because remember the first time I had that, I had it in the bag with Gilbert Melendez. Oh, yeah. And the judges, the judges really didn't help me out on that. You went for the Hail Mary.

I went for a Hail Mary. And I saw it in his hands, and then they rolled it an incomplete catch. But then I hit it eventually. Did you? Yeah, remember. John Jones, Benavitas. I was thinking about the Jason High debacle. What was that?

Who did he fight? Eric Silva. Gosh. I had so much faith in Jason High. I still do. By the way, if Jason High fought Eric Silva tomorrow, I'd pick Jason High. Would you really? I would.

You wouldn't? I feel like the Eric Silva bandwagon has... I always thought that. That's why I made that pick. It was... Now, should I have put everything on it? No. But I really wanted to go for broke on it, and it seemed like a good spot to push all in.

But in hindsight, not so great. but we'll do something. Rick's picks may return. May now? Now you say May? It takes a lot of time. It felt more definitive a minute ago. Okay, it's coming back. In some form.

Okay. That's it. That's it. That's it. Chon Chianze, you put out a tweet? What kind of English is this? And best replies got into the tournament. Gray Maynard screwed me.

Notice he didn't respond to my criticisms earlier, but we don't have time that anymore. We have reached our end. That's it. Thank you, Mr. New York, Rick. Any shows coming up this weekend? No, I think it's pretty quiet weekend, right? It's Halloween. What are you dressing up as? Nothing. Nothing? Oh, anniversary. That's what, that's what's this week. What anniversary? You just got married? Rumble in the jungle. Oh, that? I thought it was like the two-weeks of my wedding. That's, wait, wait, you're dressing up as one of those guys? No, but I'm wearing the shirt right now. I don't believe you that you're not going out for Halloween.

I really, I can't remember the last time I wore a costume for a movie. Really? I'm trying to think. What was the last thing I did? You know what I did? Back in high school, I wore a Rick Brunson jersey and one is Rick Brunson. Rick Brunson? Of the New York Knicks.

New York Knicks fan. They even sold Rick Brunson jersey back then? At the custom it. Wow. And why Rick Brunson? Because your name is Rick? Because he was such a, uh, a, a. loved bench warmer that I wanted to go as that.

That's bizarre. You know, everybody's wearing, you know, Michael Jordan and all these people. I thought Rick Brunson really encapsulated my... That's your last Halloween outfit? It was, yeah. That's bizarre. He is an NBA coach now. No, not NBA, college coach.

Yeah. Or is he an assistant coach? He's something. No, I think he's coaching somewhere else, not... And I think his son is a player as well. So basically you're not doing anything. Wait, what are you... What's your move?

Well, I have kids. And what are they going as? What's the Halloween plan? I don't know if I could if I can link that. No, Ninja Turtles. My son is very into the Ninja Turtles these days. I like that.

He's starting to evolve. His interests are starting to get a little more and more mature, so it's interesting to see. But no, these people, I was talking to Mark Romondi and I think Luke Thomas. Yeah, Luke, when we were eating and they're talking about their outfits and making outfits. Wait, what?

Luke Thomas is into this Halloween thing? I can't see that. It was somewhat off the record, the conversation. But yes, believe it or not. it appears as though he is. And look, I'm not going to pass judgment, but it has been a long time since I plined out my Halloween costume,

if any costume. Wait a minute. So I'm getting all this flack, and now you're like, oh, it's been a long time too for you. I don't even know if I ever did. I mean, yeah, maybe in the third grade. I was never into,

that I always felt like. They showed on the Christian Leitner documentary. That was a day in the life. That was a day in the life, dog. That was me on the mean streets of Montreal. That was a day in the life representing the struggle. Oh, boy.

Oh, boy. Happy Halloween to use and everyone else out there, have a safe one, and don't do anything I wouldn't do. Hit my music, everyone. All right. Another fun show in the books. Thank you for the pick-me-up.

What a day it has been. For the record, I just want to say, I have not talked to Vitor and no heart feelings. You know, like I said, if they would have said back on Wednesday of last week, hey, we don't want to talk about this. If you're planning on talking about this, maybe we should hold off. That's happened before. And I say, yeah, it's your prerogative. But two hours before the interview, after it's already been promoted, is kind of what, you know, gets under my skin a little bit.

So water under the bridge, a great show. All as well. that ends well, any other cliche you want to use. Happy that it all worked out. Thank you very much to Pizzi Carroll. Great name, Pizekarrel. For his time today, great work as always. Thank you very much to Malki Kawa.

Looking forward to the return of Johnny Bones. Thank you very much to Alexander Gustafson. Looking forward to his return in due time as well. Great stuff, as always, from Dustin Poirier. Appreciate his time. Tremendous stuff from Ashley Daly. I'll take that interview every single week, times 10. Congratulations to her.

Best of luck to Patrick Cummins, November 7th, versus Glover Tashara. What an interesting fight that is. And tremendous work, as always, by Big Ben McRothwell. Appreciate his time as well. Back next week, if you missed anything, check it out. iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, MAPFETA.com, all that good stuff. Until they say, peace, how many out.

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