MMA Fighting - The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani - Episode 315

Episode Date: February 8, 2016

Ariel Helwani speaks to Rafael dos Anjos, Alexander Gustafsson, Ben Rothwell, Yoel Romero/Malki Kawa, Eddie Alvarez, Chad Mendes, Henry Cejudo, Michael Chandler, and Mike Jackson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Support for this show comes from the Audible Original, the Downloaded 2, Ghosts in the Machine. The Earth only has a few days left. Roscoe Cadulian and the rest of the Phoenix colony have to re-upload their minds into the quantum computer, but a new threat has arisen that could destroy their stored consciousness forever. Listen to Oscar winner Brendan Fraser reprised his role as Roscoe Cadulian in this follow-up to the Audible Original Blockbuster. The Downloaded, it's a thought-provoking sci-fi journey where identity, memory, and morality collide. Robert J. Sawyer does it again with this much-anticipated sequel that leaves you asking, What are you willing to lose to save the ones you love?

The Downloaded 2. Ghosts in the Machine. Available now, only from Audible. Support for the show comes from Odu. Running a business is hard enough, so why make it harder with a dozen different apps that don't talk. to each other. Introducing O-DU. It's the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all-in-one fully integrated platform that makes your work easier,

CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce, and more. And the best part, O-DU replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. That's why over thousands of businesses have made the switch. So why not you? Try O-D-O-D-4-3 at O-D-O-D-com. That's O-D-O-O-O-O-O-com. It's the Mixed Martial Arts Hour with... A mixed martial arts hour back in your life.

On this Monday, February 8th, 2016. Hello again, everyone. I'm Ariel Hawani inside our New York City studio. I come to today a very happy man, my friends. Yeah, it's cold outside. Yeah, it's snowing outside, but there's a lot of excitement in the air. First things first, it's Monday. We get to do the show.

That makes me happy. It's good to be back, and I am praying. to the podcast gods. If you want to call us a podcast, quite frankly, I'll go to the podcast. I don't know. I think we're a little bit above a podcast. But you know what?

The word podcast these days, I could go on a whole tangent about this, I think is overarching. So whatever. The podcast, tech gods, internet gods, please, no problems today. All right. Thank you.

I've been praying to them all morning. Don't worry. That wasn't my soul prayer. But last week, I felt horrible about what happened. And these things happen. And when you are doing a live show, especially online, streaming, these things are going to happen. And I appreciate your patience and your loyalty, as I said, at the end of last week's show. But I'm in a good mood today.

I am in a great mood today, my friends, because A, my beloved New York Knicks have just fired Derek Fisher. That is fantastic news. I am elated. Ooh, what a load off. So that's great. B, we had a fantastic weekend in Las Vegas. Thank you very much to everyone who voted for MMAfighting.com media source of the year. Wow, what an honor.

Really appreciate it. It was great to celebrate with some of my colleagues at M.A. Fighting. Not all of them, not even half, not even 25%. But it was great to be there with Dave, Chuck, Esther, Casey. That was a lot of fun and wish everyone could be there. We really appreciate you guys voting. Appreciate you voting for me as well. Thank you very much.

That meant a lot. I do not take that for granted. So thank you to everyone who voted. And thank you to Fighters Only as well for putting on that show. And I got to be honest, I have been critical of that award show in the past. That was the best one. I think I've been to six of eight. I don't think they had a ceremony the first year.

That was by far the best one. They've really figured out how to put it on. It was a lot of fun, fun to see some familiar faces. They really did a nice job. I suggest checking it out next year. just saying that because we won. I was sad the MMA hour didn't win, but you know what? I kind of view this program, this podcast, if you will, as the little train that could. So just being nominated meant a lot. I appreciated that greatly. And I know the rest of us back there, including Mr. New York

Rick, echo that sentiment. It was just nice to get that nod. But it's a really great time. If you're a fan going to a fight and it's on a Friday, Super Bowl weekend typically these days, I suggest checking it out. Plus, you get to meet all these fighters. Like, you just walk up to them. It's crazy. So I'm in a good mood because of that. Again, thank you.

I got to meet the legendary Bill Steinmetz, who gave me that Las Vegas PD badge that you see on my computer. Bill Steinmetz. Top bloke. One of our top fans, most loyal fans, great guy. He's the man. Photoshop Wiz. I'm also in a good mood because for the first time since November,

I get to be home for two weeks. two consecutive weeks. So that's very exciting. So there's a lot of excitement in the air. And we have a great show. We have a packed show. So much going on in the world of MMA. Wonderboy has arrived. Talk about UFC Fight Night 82. A bit of a break in the schedule this weekend. But we have a stacked program, my friends. Wow. A who's who. Beginning at 405 p.m. Eastern Time, Henry Sohudo, will stop by. He, as we found out on Saturday, we'll be facing Demetrius Johnson for the UFC flyway title. UFC 197, April 23rd. They also announced Daniel Cormier versus John Jones.

We'll have an update on the John Jones situation. You may have heard about that this morning. So we'll talk to Henry at 405. Yel Romero will stop by in his first interview since it was announced that he has been provisionally suspended by Usada. He'll stop by with his manager, Malki Kawa, to explain where things. stand right now. Hafelde dos Santos will stop by. I think you may have heard of him.

He is the UFC lightweight champion. He'll come on at 315 to talk about UFC 196, his fight against Connor McGregor, who stole the show at the awards, as he's been known to do with an unbelievable acceptance speech. If you have not seen that, courtesy of one, Jeremy Botter on his YouTube page, it was incredible. He was like some evil lord looking down upon the peasants, taking. taking shots of Verdume, et cetera.

245 will talk to Chad Mendez, who's been pretty quiet since his loss to Frankie Edgar in December. 225 will talk to Alexander Gustafson about his move to San Diego. Looking forward to having him on. 205 will talk to Michael Chandler. He has some news to share.

205, excuse me, 145, we'll talk to Eddie Alvarez coming off his win over Anthony Pettis. Big win just a couple weeks ago. 125 will talk to Ben Rothwell was announced this morning. He's fighting JDS in Zagreb, Croatia, April 10th, Sunday, April 10th, I might add. So there's a ton going on.

As always, we want to hear from you. Hit us up using the hashtag DMMA hour. Leave a question or comment in the comment section below. We'll get your questions throughout the show, maybe not in one consecutive block. But as I said, a lot to get to. I even have an update on BJ Penn. All right, let's get into it. First off, let's go to the Skype machine and welcome

our first guest of the day. You know, he made headlines last week in Las Vegas because he was making his UFC debut, but also because he was also sort of covering the event. He was on the NBA beat. We interviewed him. And then after his fight against Mickey Gall on Saturday night, he joined the rest of the media on media row, even got some questions in at the press conference. There he is.

Mike the Truth Jackson of the Truthjaxon. And also photographer, like a CFC. Oh, Mike the Truth. Why do I keep calling it the truthjaxon.com? It's Mike the Truth.com. There you go. The Twitter and Instagram is at the truth check.

It's very complicated. Can't you just make it all the same? I guess I could, but that would cost too much chain. I've had business cards and shirts and all that. Well, now that you're some big celebrity, it might be good to get it all under one name. You know what I mean?

I might have to do that. Okay. Now you're still in Las Vegas, right? That's correct. Why? Why didn't you get the heck out of there? Man, I was enjoying it. Derek Bullis, my teammate, his brother.

birthday was yesterday. If you can look at his Instagram and social media, it was pretty live. Had to carry him out the club, you know, and he's a big boy. But we just having fun out of you, man. But I'm heading out today. I'm headed back home today. Derek Lewis, by the way, since you brought him up, his celebration, without a doubt, the scariest, most intimidating celebration, when he gets down on that mat and starts, like, slamming it and gives you that look of death, that is frightening, that is frightening, my friend. Have you ever been on the receiving end of I know you're a lot smaller than him, but holy moly. No, I've seen it up and close, you know, in person.

It is very scary. I was making fun of a little bit. Last night we were all eating, watching the Super Bowl. And I was like, man, you have one of the longest celebrations. Like, he does a thing on the ground, he does a cutthroat. Then he jumps his big self up on the cage and does his, he beats his chest. I'm like, dude, that's too much. We need to cut that down a little bit.

Personally, I think that he should up the ante and keep going. It's getting him attention. Ride that baby. All of a sudden, he's a player at heavyweight. Good for him. Okay, let's talk about you. So you go into this fight, all eyes on Mickey Gall. You're essentially the opponent.

Now, as I said, I thought you did a great job of selling yourself. You stole some headlines. But in the end, it was interesting. Like, you know, they're kind of celebrating. Like, Mickey Gall was the one that they wanted. He wins in impressive fashion. And now he gets to fight CM Punk. In retrospect, you feel slighted?

Did you feel like the stack was? was, you know, everything was stacked against you, the, you know, the odds were against you, and everyone was kind of rooting for you to fail, and if so, does that make you feel a little funny? In a way I did, but, you know, again, it's a fight, you know, so it is what it is, and it's a business, so I can't necessarily feel slighted by any of that. You know, I win the fight, you know, I felt good, felt great, no jitters or anything like that. Look, he caught me with a punch, I slipped, and he jumped on me, you know, he did what he was supposed to do, and, you know, It just happened so quickly, you know.

So you say no jitters. Really, like in the locker room, you're about to walk out to the octagon. Bruce Buffer is going to say your name, all this stuff. That didn't get you at all? No, none of that. You know, for me, I like being in the spotlight. I like the cameras on me. I mean, obviously going to have nerves in the beginning because it's a fight.

But there were no extra. Once I was in the cage or an octagon, waiting for making it come out, the nerd really went away. I really can't explain it. It just, I felt comfortable in there. So maybe did you underestimate, Mickey? Was he better than you thought he would be? No, I didn't underestimate him at all. He was a little longer than I thought.

And again, the punch, it wasn't a punch where it hurt or anything like that. I slipped. My hill, I guess I wasn't used to the texture. The octagon's canvas is completely different than anything I've ever been on. Wow. Yeah, and look, I slipped. And again, you know, he jumped on me doing it did. I wasn't hurt at all, you know, so I just take it for what it is.

Did you go in the cage beforehand? I sometimes see the fighters working out, getting a feel for the cage. Did you do that? Yeah, I was able to get out there for a good, like, two minutes. They were trying to drug test me. And I drank a bottle and a half of water, and it took probably about an hour for me to go pee. Wow. Yeah, and that took a lot of the time away from me trying to go.

out the cave and get a fill of it and things like that. I was only able to get in there for literally about two minutes or so and then I had to go back and get wrapped up. Are they sitting in a stall as you're trying to urinate for an hour or do you get to go back into the locker room and tell them when you're, like how does that process work? Well, I went in the back and the dude, he came in there with me. I asked him, did he want to, you know, come hold it for me? But he... With the cup? Yeah, well, I was going to hold the cup and he was going to hold my penis thing. You know, I was going to do the thing. But he, uh, he He was he you know he he objected to that so I filled it up probably about two-thirds of the way and then I just couldn't go anymore

And it was like I will go like walk around and do some other stuff and I was like I'm okay. I'll try and I did that literally I paced back and forth like an hour and just it never came and then finally had I got dressed And put my fight kit on and stuff like that and then drank another little bit of water and finally it happened But then by this time they were like look we got to get you wrapped up You know, the fight starts, the car starts like 30 minutes. Right. So everything was cutting it close. So, I had a curiosity, like, so if you pee in the cup and you don't reach the amount

that you have to get to, so you said it was two-thirds of the cup, which obviously wasn't good enough, and then you have to go again, do you get to add to the same cup or do you have to start a whole new batch? No, I just can. I add to the same. Oh, okay. Interesting. That's fascinating.

Oh, yeah. I was able to fill that other cup up. That was okay. Okay, and then, of course, the fight ended quickly. Does it feel, because I saw you afterwards, and you had a smile on your face, you were doing the media thing, but does it feel like, and I know this was never an aspiration of yours, you kind of stumbled into this. You were very honest about that, and I think people appreciated it, but for it to last just 45 seconds, is there an empty feeling inside? How do you, how do you sort of digest how it all went down? Right after the fight, I was fine.

And it literally, it didn't hit me until that, later that night around, I don't know, probably like midnight, 1 o'clock, we're at the afterparty. And it finally, one, it hit me that I actually competed in the UFC. Like that part didn't register, I mean, from a signing to Media Day to the fight itself, after the fight. None of that registered until at the after party. I was like, dude, I fought in the UFC. see. And then, I mean, there were a lot of a lot of what-ifs, you know. And I'm the type of person that I don't like to dwell on the past, so to speak. But I'm really, even today, I woke up and I'm thinking about it, you know, what could have happened if I would have maybe, you know,

circled a different way or, you know, if I would have through this combo, you know, but again, you know, that's the past. I can't, you know, I can't live in the past. I have to move forward from there and just, you know, try to do something better now. Did you ever get a response as to why the stipulation was just for him and not for you? No, I never got the response. Well, I never asked the question, you know, especially after I was, I plan on, you know, calling out punk and doing things in the octagon after. But once it was said and done, I didn't get to win. I figure, you know, why do I even care, you know?

Sure, sure. I was wondering before the fight, of course, after the fact it's a moot point. And then you decide to get dressed, very nicely dressed, and then you join the media on press row. Why do you decide to do that, not just go in the stands and take it all in? I had ADD, so I'm all over, my bunnies is all over the place. I don't like just sitting still. I went to back, and I spoke to him. He and I spoke for a little bit.

And then I wasn't even, crazy thing was I wasn't sweaty or anything like that, so it wasn't like I put on, you know, my good clothes on top of the flat. I had a little perspiration on my forehead, but got dressed, went back and had some delicious food. And then I figured, you know, why not just go back and cover the fights? I mean, I'm going to watch them anyway. Sure. And actually, people asked me prior to the fight, was I going to do that? And I was like, you know, I really don't know. But just being in that situation, I was just like, I might as well, you know, I wanted to watch the fights anyway.

So I may as well do it from Press Row. Did I hear you say you spoke to Dana White? Yes, I spoke to him for a little bit. Yeah, what did he say to you? Well, for me, it was, I just wanted to get some things out there as far as on the media side. Nothing to the fight side, because again, you know, there was no long-term goals with this run. Sure. So I wanted to sort of solidify myself on the media side.

Because that's really what all this was about is to help me get exposure, not just as a fighter, but as a media personality. Yeah. I wanted to continue to build a brand. So I spoke with him one-on-one just so I can make sure that, you know, I'm coming out to the UFC fights more often. My face is seeing and, you know, there's going to be more coverage provided. And, you know, he was cool with that, you know. Schaller, I spoke with him as well. And he was, he seemed happier than I was about the pressure.

He was like, this has never been done before. But I had a great time. This whole thing was a great experience. So no regrets, no, nothing that you look back to it. I wish this was done differently towards me that I did. did this, like when you look back on the entire week, from when you got there, I believe, on Tuesday till, you know, now, how do you view it? No, I mean, I looked at this whole situation as a win-win for me. You know, obviously, a win in the fight would have been the extra, the bonus

incentive, but this whole thing was a win-win, you know, I have no regrets about it. Obviously, I would have loved to have gotten a win and to face Sam Punk, but, you know, it is what it is. So no regrets at all. I'm happy to be where I am. It seems like I'm getting a lot of positive feedback on social media. The followers continue to climb on Twitter and Instagram, and the likes are coming in on Facebook. So, you know, I mean, it's fun, man. And I'm enjoying all of it.

Have you been released yet? I haven't got the email yet. Okay. I don't know. I will see. I'll probably get it today tomorrow. Fair to say that you're expecting it? I mean, I'm expecting it. Some people, they're calling for me to fight some other guys.

look, they can get me in there with someone like Artham Levin or something like that type of fighter, you know, I'm happy to come back, you know, and put on a great show. But outside of people like that, I mean, look, I'm going to go back to boxing, kickboxing, and, you know, I'll fight on local,

small MMA shows, you know, legacy and things like that. Artem Levin, isn't he a kickboxer? If that's what you want to call him, he just like... No, no, you're thinking of Arteam Levin, like the glory guy. You mean Arthalabov? Not Arteam Levin, not. I'm sorry.

I was like, Artem Levin. Arum. Lobov, yeah. Yes, someone like that. My apologies. Wow. So you think you could take him? Someone like that?

Yeah, man. I mean, dude, he's a brawl. I love those kinds of fights. Fair enough. He actually fought. I'm not worried about Artim trying to take me down either, so. Right, right, right. But just for the record, Artim Levin may be a little soon for him, right?

Yeah. Yeah, not looking at Arum LaBall. Yes, yes, yes. Okay. Okay, so now that you've been in there with Mickey, do you think he beats Punk? Obviously, Punk is a big unknown, but what do you think? I think Mickey takes him out in the first round. Oh, wow.

I just, I can't see Sam Punk or Phil Brooks. I'm going to call him Phil's books. I can call him Phil's books. I can call him Dupon. Okay, well, let me ask you about that. Let me ask you about that. How do you call the man who will be fighting Dada 5,000 in your neck of the woods on February 19th? What do you call him? Defeer, Daffir, whatever.

No, no, no, no. What do you call the man who? will be fighting Dada 5,000. What do you call? What do you call him? What do you call him? Call him Kimbo. Well, there you go.

What's the difference? What's the difference? Why'd you call him Kevin Ferguson? Actually, when I first found out about it, I didn't even know his name. I really thought his name was Kimbo. Yeah, right. That's the greatest name of all time, if true, but it's not. Okay, fair enough.

Go back to your prediction. No, I think it's a first-round finish for Mickey. it's just look you know Phil he can train with these guys for as long as possible the wear and tear that he's had on his body from professional wrestling I just don't see him advancing you know there are people like BJ Payne who's come out and you know receive their black belt in three years and things like that I don't see him as being that type of athlete

and definitely doesn't have that type of fighter IQ I mean what I mean I just there's nothing I don't believe in lucky punches and things like that. But, I mean, that's all he really has is a puncher's chance to sort of close his eyes and to throw a wild shot. I don't see him being able to take Mickey down and submit him or especially on the hands. I mean, his striking is horrible.

You've seen it? I've seen the little Padward video. Okay. And look, I could, even if I were in a situation where I was trying to make myself look bad. I couldn't do that to make myself look back. Like that's how bad it is. I just, I couldn't, I couldn't fake that. I said in our post-fight wrap-up, I said, I'm going out on the limb. There's something about Mickey Gaugh. I know he's only 2-0 and he hasn't had, you know, a ton of competition. I feel like this kid is going to be around. You know, I feel like he has aspirations well beyond

CM Punk. He's taking it seriously. Solid team. You know, he's not just some guy working out of a, or training out of a strip mall. I feel like he has it in him. do you think? No, I do. I mean, and he's young. He's only 23, so he has a bright future ahead of him. As long as, you know, he's sort of brought up the correct way. He's not going out here and calling out, you know, top 10, top 15 guys. He's brought along the proper way. He comes in here. He defeats punk. I mean, you're going to have to give him someone with, you know, not a lot of fights, you know, maybe four fights, five fights. Someone on. early on, or maybe someone on the outs, getting ready to get cut in the UFC, to have maybe one or two fights left. But as long as he stays mentally sharp, he continues to hone his skills and doesn't get too

ahead of himself by trying to get these bigger names and bigger fights, then I feel he does well and he has a bright feature. All right, so let's talk about the big news on Saturday in that same division, in your division. Stephen Wonderboy Thompson, I'm still blown away by what he did. I mean, that to me was one of the greatest one-round performances in a main event against a former champion. That was Holly Home Ronda-esque, but he was able to finish Hendricks in the first. I mean, what he did to, he embarrassed Johnny Hendricks. What he did was unbelievable.

Do you share my sentiments here? I'm still blown away. I was completely blown away. I was sitting there watching it live. I was in awe of his performance. You know, Johnny Hendricks, he comes in here. He just sort of resurgence Johnny Hendricks 2.0. He has a nutritionist.

You know, he looked good at the way end with the weight cut and things like that. So people ask me about it, you know, what did I think? And I was just like, look, I don't know, you know, because Stephen Thompson, you know, he's a ninja, man. He was doing some beautiful things out there in the octagon. But then again, you didn't know what we were going to see from the new Johnny Hendricks. He blew me away. You know, he was the techniques he was using.

and Johnny Hendricks had nothing for him. Joe Silva afterwards, we were talking briefly, called it a work of art, and really that's what it was. It was the finest example of mixed martial arts. You can see martial arts that you can see inside the octagon. And now the big question is like all of a sudden, you know how these things go. Guy gets a big win on a big stage.

He gets a lot of momentum behind them, and people are saying, okay, title shot. If you're Joe Silva, do you book Robbie Loller versus Wonderboy? Do you go with Tarantly? what do you do? What is it in the streak right now? What's the winning streak that he has? For Wonderboy?

Yes. I believe it's six in a row. Man, that's tough to call. But again, you do have Tyron Woodley sitting there kind of waiting in the wings. He wants his shot as well. I guess you maybe play it out to see who's sort of ready, you know? I ran in a tyrant a little bit of way, and he, I mean, he looked good. He looked ready to go.

So who knows? but it's hard to negate the performance that Wonder Boy had. I mean, it was almost a flawless victory. I don't know if Hendriff actually laid a strike on a minute. I'd love to see the UFC push him a little more. He's got such a great personality. Pierce would be squeaky clean, and he's just, he is like a superhero, as you said. He's like a ninja.

I mean, it's unbelievable. He's like a cartoon character. I feel like there's a lot of momentum behind him now. And let's not forget, Taran Woodley hasn't fought in a year. You know, he was supposed to fight Hendricks. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get the fight. Wonderboy gets the fight, beats Hendricks, man, he's got a strong case.

I still feel like if GSP wants to come back, he'll get the shot first. But I wonder if now Wonderboy has jumped over Tyron Woodley. Don't, please, look, I love GSP. Yeah. I definitely don't want to see him come back. He has nothing else to prove. I know.

But they're going to try to get him back. They want him back. There's no doubt about that. Okay. I mean, let him, I don't, give him a, going to give him an immediate shot when he comes back. I don't know. I feel like they want him for UFC 200. They need a big name for UFC 200. There's no Ronnerousie?

You have Phil Brooks and Mickey Gall. Oh, you think that's big enough? Would you do that fight at UFC 200? Or would you put it on one of the other shows to build that one up? Because 200 sells itself. But you have to have a name. I mean, yeah, it does sell itself, but you can't have just, you can't have Johnny Hendrix and Wonderboy at 200. No, of course not. Okay, right. You have to have a name. and Phil Brooks is going to bring that name with C.M. Punk's well put him and Mickey Gallup to him.

All right, we'll see. Punk said he wants that. Okay, final thing for you. What's next? What's next for Mike Jackson? What do you do now? Look, I'm getting back. I'm putting my media hat back on. You know, I have Bellator, not this upcoming weekend, but the following weekend in Houston. Yep. And, you know, just get, well, you know, nothing. I'm not hurt or anything like that. No injury sustained, so I'm definitely getting back in the gym. I'll probably take a few days off just to indulge a little bit in some food because, you know, that's my favorite.

Sure. So I'm going to do that a little bit. But as far as fighting, I'm definitely looking forward to some boxing and kickboxing and, you know, possibly some air made this summer. All right. Well, it was fun, my man. You handled it well. You took it in stride. And I think you definitely made what was somewhat of a subpar event a little more fun for us, media guys, who have been covering this for a long time.

It's nice when something out of the ordinary sort of comes out of nowhere, out of left field, and that's what you and Mickey provided. You did a fantastic job. So kudos to you, my man. Great to have you on the program. Great to do the beat with you last week. He did a phenomenal job, and we'll talk to you soon. Sounds good, man.

Thanks for having me, Ariel. All right, there he is. Mike the Truth Jackson of the Mike thetruth.com website. I got it right, finally. And also photographer for Legacy FC. Fun stuff from him. And now he can go back to being a, an underappreciated and lowly media member.

All right, let's move along. You know, as I said this morning, and we didn't time this. This is just the MMA gods smiling down upon us. The UFC announced that on April 10th in Croatia, or should I call it Croatia? I think it's Croatia. I think that's how you say. Not Croatia. It's a little too.

You can't pronounce the eye that much. Got to be a little more subtle. Croatia. Anyway, it's going to be JDS, Junior Dos Santos, coming off that loss to Alastor Overeem against Big Ben Rothwell. And wouldn't you know it, Ben Rothwell was already booked. Perhaps he knew something that we didn't. Let's ask him. Big Ben, are you there?

I'm here. Hello, Ben. Why do you sound not so excited to be on the show? You look into things too much. Okay. You didn't know that that was going to be announced? I'm on, aren't I? Didn't I even reach out to you and tell you how surprised that you hadn't reached out to me yet?

You're like, oh, it's giving you a week. Well, you know, all those Johnny Come Lately's wanted to book you right off the bat, and I was like, you know what, I'm going to give him some time. Oh, you know, we've been there since day one. We've been on this journey since, you know, pre-IFL, let's be honest. Hey, you got the interview immediately after, so. I did. That was big. But wait, did you know that they would announce it today? Were you giving me a sort of subtle scoop there?

I just common sense said that, you know, this is going to get out soon. I wasn't sure if it was going to wait a day or what was going to happen. So I'm glad that it just got it out there because I'm on the phone with you right now. Yes, this is perfect. What great timing. Thank you to the UFC, my good friends over in Europe. Now, I've got to say, if we could be honest here for a second, Ben. Well, we could be honest.

You said it was perfect. I said, well, we could have been talking at 11. You could have been talking a little sooner, so it can always be better. All right, fair enough. Although we're not on at 11. Well, 12 o'clock. But hey, you know what? Thanks for making sure none of the heavyweight divisions coaches or anything around beforehand.

That's true. You're all fired up. It was just Mike Jackson. Thank you. But wait. I just want to be honest. I don't know if I love this fight for you. I don't really.

Okay, please. This is going to come. So let me get to it. I'll tell you why. Because on social media, I try to put out the right away, too. Look at it this way. Waiting 10 months is really like the option. And I do.

No. All right. Because Alstar, Orverine, even though, you know, we already fought. It's just still top guys or top guys, and he's injured, or he's dealing with things, but he said it's a shoulder. Andreelowski, same thing, said it's a shoulder. King Velasquez, everybody knows, documented, you know, back injury. And then Travis Brown was, I guess, from everything on here was supposed to take, was supposed to take this flight. It was a lock.

And then his things were said or something happened, and he said that his foot was too injured. So it's all four of the top guys. And the other two are, you know, obviously. Obviously, common sense will say something's happening there, so that lead junior. Now, Junior DeSontos might have come off a loss, but he also has beat Steepay. He's beat Kane, and he's beat for Doom, and he's a former UFC heavyweight champion. So that is what it is. He has a lot of people that believe in him still.

They think it's a great fight. A lot of people, you know, are picking him still. So it's great, it means it's a great fight for the fans. I know that I have a legion of fans now that wholeheartedly don't think I'm going to win this way, the thing I'm going to want to win the title and defend it. I believe, I believe that I'm going to make all of them right. but it starts here as Junior DeSantos, and I believe this will indefinitely make me the number one contender.

So I accept this challenge. Okay, damn, now I actually think that you sold me. I think that was perfect. Did they tell you to say that, or did you come up with that by yourself? That was fantastic. I haven't really told too much except because they're waiting for me to talk here in the last couple days. Oh, okay. Well, they're waiting for this.

They're probably transcribing this interview right now. Oh. I'm coming on you to take care of that. Wow. So, okay, it seems like the original plan based on what you were saying, was Travis Brown. How'd you feel about that? No, no. He was set up to play Junior. Oh, I believe. Oh, yeah. Really?

So they, the junior was already in. And then they went through all these guys and everybody, that's the list of reasons why. So you're plan B. So they asked me, you said, listen, you don't have to do anything. You're like, you know, this is kind of the landscape. This is what's going on. This is my project will get you matched. And they know that I have no problem waiting nine to ten months. I've done it, what, six years in my career?

Right. But I've also, when I'm healthy and I'm training properly, fought eight times in one year. So guess what? I'm pretty healthy right now. I feel really good. And this all makes sense to me. And yeah, overseas isn't always an advantage. But the thing is, he's traveling, you know, he's going to be in foreign territory as well.

So I see it as an equal that way. And it's just, you know, it's part of being a professional and to prove that you can be a main event fighter. These are things that have to go with it. And I can do all these things. I know that I can and I can go out and perform even better than I did my heart. last flight. So they actually gave you the option of sitting out and waiting. I'm assuming Miyotich for Doom is happening in May. All signs point to that. So was that even an option to wait for the winner of that fight? You know, it could be. It could have been. It just seems from the

timeline. It sounds like, yeah, that might be. But then one of these other guys might have been like, oh, you know, who knows? Ten months? A lot of things can happen. So there's a fight ready now and I'm healthy now, so all right. It makes sense, and like I said, it's still a big name. Okay, but then let me ask you this. You have a very strong case for being the number one contender right now. Are you disappointed you didn't get the title shot? Disappointment doesn't exist with me right now.

Ah. I don't think about it. I think about this was supposed to happen. It's just kind of the way it is. It's kind of like the last everything. I could have had this steep fight, and I don't think it made as strong of a message as beating Joshua not the way I did.

you know, I think everything is just just got to be positive and the more I continue to do that you see the results. Did you watch the JDS Overeem fight? Of course. What did you think of his performance? I mean, obviously he lost but leading up to that point.

I can see both of them were just respected each other and they're very tentative and, you know, obviously we've seen them perform differently. Yeah. They performed a certain way this time. Why do you think that is? is?

I know, I know kind of like what you're digging for, but I'm just going to stay and it's just it's just where it is. What do you mean what I'm digging for? Honestly, I'll tell you where I'm coming from. I feel like he's been hitting the head a lot. I don't know if that's what you were thinking, but I feel like he's been in a lot of wars, this guy. I mean, this guy, the cane fights, the Miochich fight was five rounds as well, which quite

frankly, I thought Miotich won that fight. I don't know about you. What do you think? I was there live for that fight, and I just thought it was a great fight. Yeah. I mean, I could see someone going the other way, but I was okay as a decision. I think he just had a few more shots get through. He showed perseverance, and I think it was his very close fight, though.

I mean, very, very good fight. It was something to watch live. And I wasn't necessarily blown away by either of them in December, Ream or JDS. So that's all. I was just wondering if basically the question is, do you feel like he's on the downslide of his career? while you clearly are on the upswing here, do you feel like you're catching him at the right time?

I mean, this isn't like anything. I don't judge my appointments and I don't look at what they're doing. I don't try to tell them because when they do it to me, like it doesn't turn out well for them. I'm not about to do it to them. Okay. But this is just the way it is. You know, this is the night of the fight persona, it speaks.

Any fight for them puts them on the down swing. Right. When they take me and it's like, if you're going to fight me, then that's kind of the way it is. that's the way I have to handle it because I'm here to beat everybody I said it's not about one guy it's about all of them

all of them that matter to me so you're oozing confidence right now I mean that's very clear have you ever been this confident in your entire life you're just like it feels to me like you know that when you go in the cage you're winning these days

that's the mindset have you ever been like this before when I was younger when I first started it's more ignorance I say ignorance is bliss and you don't know any better. So you get in there and I was just going crazy on you guys.

You know, from my first fight, you just see me going, I'm 17 years old and just going crazy. I didn't know how to, didn't know what anything. You know, and I was just very aggressive and it would bring it. And I had a lot of like, you know, awesome where I had these walk off knockouts from like, I throw this combination and walk away. Like, earlier off in my career. So it was like, it could have been easy to have a big head and I think I was like confident, but I was a wrong kind of confidence because I didn't know what it was like fighting a six-foot-eight guy that knew how to fight and train under militantias. You know, that fight right there, right there is like all of my nine losses have evolved and changed me who I am. I would not

be myself if it wasn't for them. So it's like every part of my career matters, not just the wins. But with each one of those losses, I think they damage your confidence in the sense in the beginning, especially. Remember I'm like 20, 21, 22 years old. 22 years old, I fought 11 times and in one year period of time, though some of those fights was two fights in one night. And then one weekend I fought twice on, once on Friday and twice on Saturday. Wow. 60-man tournament is one of a kind. So it's three fights and one weekend.

Against guys like Meat Truck and, you know, stuff like Tim Sylvie was in the tournament, all these big heavy weights. So I had some, that was a crazy time then. So I had some losses then, too, during this 11 fight stretch. And they changed me then. As I matured as a person, it's just a lot of things. You know, I went through a lot in my career. You know, I spent six years at the militish camp.

for five years prior. I spent in Kenosha. That's where I started this whole thing. It's where I was doing these 11, you know, 11 fights in one year. I had my run, eight fights in one year in the militish camp. And then, you know, 2009 I left and kind of when I came to Kenosha. That's when the next evolution began early because I had to do a lot of things on my own. I didn't have a choice.

You know, and every time I kind of reached out to somebody, it's just always been like this way with me in martial arts. From the very beginning before I started is I wanted to seek out the truth. And the reason I refused to do martial arts and I was really young because I was smart enough to know that martial arts is watered down. Yeah, I think it was all crowding tightline-dill at the time. Nothing against them, not saying anything's like that, but there was a lot of it where people just want to make money, sell belts,

didn't teach you anything. And I knew that at a young age. So it was really hard for me to get into martial arts. And once I did, that's what started this whole journey. Where I'm at right now is learning the truth of martial arts, learning the truth about myself. And learning the truth about a lot of things I didn't even know I was going to get the truth of, business, politics, all these things.

I've learned on this journey. And right now here I am talking to you as on a step here to my title run and defending this title. All right, so do you believe in your heart of hearts you win this fight, you'll finally get that title shot? I believe so. I think if I fight wins streak in the heavyweight division

winning the way that I am against the competition I'm winning against, I feel strong. I feel like the realm of fans saying they want this, we know that that does affect the UFC. And I believe that wave of fans will happen with a fifth victory's heavyweight.

And I feel the wave now is already there, but I feel like a fifth win is going to put it over the top. And no one on this planet, except for, of course, you're a few critics, and they're always going to be there. But I feel like 90 plus percent of everyone will say, I'm the number one contender. And that's the way I want it. Have you been told that? Did they tell you when you accepted that you're getting the title shot if you win?

I believe there was some talk. You know, I wasn't on the conversation. But it sounded like I was at least in the conversation. Yeah. You know, and like a possibility and like, yeah, if I want to wait 10 months because they already have something outside up, which is understandable. So, you know, just being told those things, it's like, yeah, it's there. But I need to do something better than just to wait around. On February 4th, you tweeted, yo, steep Amiochich, keep an eye out because that bag doesn't hit back.

What did you mean by that? No, I said, you, steep A minute. Oh, I thought that was a typo. No, I said you, like, to him. I'm like, you watch it. Because he told everybody, hey, watch, watch, watch this, watch this video about this. And I was just making a joke. Like, no, you watch.

Oh, okay. That thing doesn't hit back. Just to kind of mess with him, I try to have fun, like, respectfully. But he makes jokes like, man, when him and Verdume were going back and Verdum said something like really goofy back, and he's like, man, I thought I was bad at talking shit. So I figured, like, all right, I'll jump in, mess with him a little bit. He didn't say anything back as funny in itself. but we've had some, you know, pleasant exchanges back and forth.

Like I said, outside of the, outside of my fight persona, do I respect these guys? He's a good man, and so is Verdum, and, you know, these guys that I've had been a chance to interact with. I respect them, of course, as you could see with Josh Burnett. Junior DeSanto's the same thing, you know, but we're here to compete with each other. We're challenging each other. So it's fun because the fans like to see it. And then, like, Verdum, you know, I had to dig in on him. Yes, I was going to ask you about that.

saying for him goes from, yeah, you know, Ruffling through my name in the mix to like the more he got asked about it, the more he started backpedaling. So I think it's funny. You think he's afraid of you? I mean, let's be serious. Fear exists in all these men's heart, especially when you watch me fight.

You know, they, it's just there. How each one of them deals with it and the effect of it is, you know, it's all different. But I definitely think like these guys are like, all right, we're smart. I'm going to get paid the same to fight this guy or this guy, which one? yeah, I'm not the one they pick.

Why would you? And I kind of messed it up on Fox Live. I said, I'm, like, jumping in a box of glass. I meant jumping into a box of broken glass. Like, you jump into that thing. No matter what, matter how you try to roll or live, you're going to get messed up. Even if you win in this jumping in the box of broken glass game,

you're still going to get hurt indefinitely. Like, you know, they're coming in and fight me. I'm not going to take you down and put you in a nice key lock, and all you lost, it's okay. No, if I take you down, I'm a smash you, repeatedly with elbows and hurt things on you. Any way that I can before I submit you. Like, that's my mindset.

Like, they know it. Like, I don't think anything else. It's going to hurt you. Like, that's how it is to win this, what we do. You know, it's competition. But in order to win, you win by breaking the person off. So since the win nine days ago in New Jersey, how many people have asked you about the go-go choke?

Can they learn it? How do they learn it? How many queries are you getting? Yeah, I see it's fun for that Because a lot of people talking about it What's fun The funniest thing about it Is all the people on it

And they're making videos Oh, like comparing it Or what they think they know about it It's all, it's hilarious to me and Louise Because they don't have a clue You know, even the ones that are like Oh yeah, this is breaking it down And they don't break down anything

And you got another guy trying to pose videos And talk about it's had it done to them And it's just like a joke So none of these people know what they're talking On the other hand You built a huge credibility to it Because you said, yeah at least did it to you, and only did a bit, you know, how awful it was.

So you definitely threw respect at it, and people are like, wow, this thing is something. He did it, like, he did it, like, second touch it, and I felt like it was about to pop out of my throat. The Adams apple. It's for real. Has he done it to you? Well, I mean, I had to learn it. Sure. But maybe he was like, take it and pretty learn it.

And then I hear that when I was talking about it being a bear trap, I heard that sort of calling his nickname, too. So, you know what? It is kind of. It's just like sticking your head in a bear trap. Like, you're done. Like, that's it. As we sit here today talking, do you think that that is the most lethal finishing maneuver right now in mixed martial arts?

Oh, I don't know about that. I mean, just striking offense lands cleanly. It's devastating. Yeah. You know, like, you can't tap from that. Like, you're ended and you're getting woke up. Like, that's just to somebody. you. The submission is choke.

It's like it's lethal feeling and if I kept it applied, you're going to die. Like, I bet you someone will die from that. If I got to hold it for like a minute and nobody came and helped the guy or anything and we're out of the street, you're dead. You're going to die. Your throat just crushed. You can't breathe anymore even if you wanted to. Oh, you tapped out a minute later.

It doesn't matter. You're dead already. I think that is that. So we're naked and stuff. They're a little bit different, you know, because you're using the way you use your forearm and stuff. You can kill someone but takes a little longer and stuff like that. And when you let it go, if someone taps, you let it go, kind of like you're okay. Maybe your head swims a little bit, just like a triangle.

Maybe your head swims a little bit. You can get messed up how long it was held on for. But the go-go is like does physical damage. Like so it's definitely different that way. Like arm bars and heel hooks. I mean, dude, those are bad. You could put a bit nasty heel hook on somebody. They ain't going to walk right.

You know what I mean? You've just taken their leg away. So there's some nasty stuff out there. By the way, did you watch, I know you were watching because you tweeted about the Wonderboy fight, but Roy Nelson, longtime friend of yours from the IFL days, he wins and afterwards calls Jared Rochalt.

He said he's not a fighter, and Rochalt has been criticized greatly. What did you think of his performance in the fight? I mean, I don't want to kick a guy when he's down, but I mean, I said this for going in. Like, I'm a fan of the sport first, foremost. And the guy said some Rosal, I'm talking about, said some things that were already like, man, look bad.

The last three wins were bad, they're sneezers. You know, people just don't want to watch that kind of fighting style. It just don't. Like, it's not that you can't take guys down and, you know, smash them on the ground. Like, yeah, it can be great. You just take a guy down and don't do anything and just kind of use control, grind out a decision. You know, I had a fight like that one time. I think I was my worst critic.

And I just, you won the fight and you couldn't tell. He wins a fight like that and he's happy still. And this is why. And it was sad. I think maybe even you asked them, and you set them up, you're like, so what's more important putting on an exciting fight or just winning, you know, making sure you get the win? And he fell for the bait, and he's like, well, I mean, I've got to get that other paycheck. You're just like, oh, doomed.

Like I thought for sure overhand right from Nelson was strong. If the Roy Nelson, I was going to tweet this, I was kind of whatever, but the Roy Nelson showed up against Josh Manette was beast moating and that guy would have destroyed. But, you know, and maybe, Beroi said, you know, it was just the way he was fighting him. He was just running for him, you know, could be. I think if Roy just got a little more aggressive, he would have got what he wanted. Have you been able to... I think he was respecting the takedowns and stuff pretty much. I don't know why.

Have you been able to clear up the whole mask cape thing with Reebok? Next time, can you rock it, or is that just out? I have no idea. I mean, as of right now, no. Just if there are anything like they were the night of the fight, no. And just to be clear, that's the UFC that stopped it, right? Because, like, there's no Reebok reps walking around. Right.

But did you get it? But UFC's, like, even though it's UFC doing it, it's still, like, it's a partnership. It's like UFC's responsibility to Reebok to do this. So, of course, it's UFC giving the penalties and UFC is doing it. They have to show a Reebok, yes, we are regulating this. We're not just going to let the guys do whatever they want and disrespect you. What was that song that you came out to? The song that you came out to.

that? You want to know? It's from Brand Strollers, Dracula. It's incredible. I love it. It came out too late, the flight before. Yeah, I know, but I've never asked you.

I like it, too. Who gave you that idea? It came to me driving in my car or playing some songs for some of the music I'd download. I wasn't even sure why I downloaded that soundtrack. It's funny how the universe works. Oh, it's so great. And the look on your face, like,

what's going through your mind as you're walking like that? Simple thoughts. Like what? Kill? You know, it's not about death. I don't think of it that way. Okay. But I like how I describe it.

You know, I'm in there to, you know, I look at all the heavyweight division. Like we are, we're the monsters of the division. I'm in there to end them. You know, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter to come on the feet or come on the ground now. I think that means a lot more coming from me now. People understand how serious I am. And just for me, it's exciting because I have,

So much more to show. You know, you guys have just seen a scratch of it. It's crazy how much I've evolved in the five years since doing my thing with Luis and being here. It is a beautiful thing. I've become, I mean, I don't know, you put whatever, 10 times, 50, 100 times the fighter in this last five years than I was the last 10 years.

You know, any footage you watched me in 2009, 2010, this guy beat me, that guy beat me, please. Not the same person, completely different. I confidently tell you that. And because it's true. Mm-hmm. I love it. All right.

It continues April 10th. UFC Fight Night 86 in Zagreb, Croatia. It is Ben Rothwell against Junior Dos Santos. And I believe, perhaps they didn't put this out there, but I believe this is on FS1, right? Yeah, everybody gets to watch. Yeah, how about that? Knozzi one. My trust, and Konoce loves that.

Kenosha loves that. Are you going to Croatia beforehand to do any, like, press stuff? Yes, sir. All right, wow. Dramatic pause. It's all part of being the main event, like I said. things that I wanted to like, you know, it was my first main event. Yeah.

I knew these things that I do it, but I got to like do it now. I got to prove that I can, you know, I'm going to be in a title fight. I don't need to defend any champion. These are things that I have to do. So for me, it also took an opportunity because I want to practice. Pleasure to have you on. Always a pleasure to talk to you, Ben. Good luck in the fight.

I'm assuming we'll talk to you beforehand, but really happy that you reached out and we got you on the show today. Congrats on the win, as I told you in Newark. And now I'm sold. Now I can't wait. Now I'm on board. JDS Rothwell. You were definitely great at getting my message out there. I'm sold.

Let them all know. Thanks, Ben. Talk to you soon. Thank you. Have a good night. There he is. Big Ben Rothwell. Okay, let's move along.

A couple weeks ago in Boston, huge win for Eddie Alvarez. He has faced a murderer's row in the UFC thus far, and he picked up a massive one over Anthony Pettis. We're talking to him right now on the phone. Eddie, how are you? Oh, on Skype. There he is.

Eddie? Hello, what happened? I thought you didn't have any Skype credit. No, no, no. I was texting. I didn't know what that meant when I kept calling you. All right, well, here you are. It's great to see you.

By the way, congratulations. I was at the MMA Awards. You couldn't have been bothered to show up and pick up your award, but you won an award. You know this, right? I should have had you do it. It might be here. That would be nice.

I didn't know you were there. I gotta be I gotta be honest comeback of the year were you surprised I mean I didn't really think that was much of a comeback in a fight

Gilbert Melendez I I mean I don't know if they looked at it that way but my nose and my my orbital was broken within like the first minute so it was a lot to come back from

but uh whatever hey knockout of the year can go to an athlete BJJ in the year can go to a good black belt but only a fighter gets the comeback fight of the year.

So I'll take it. I like it. I like the way you break that down. Is that the first time you've won an award from this show? The MMA, I believe so. I've gotten bossies and stuff and in the past. But that show itself, yeah. So you actually take pride in this.

This is an indication that you have heart, that you're a fighter that you don't give up. This is something to be proud of. It's a fighter's award. Yeah. I've gotten knockouts. before. I've gotten submissions before, but a lot of people pride me on my heart and being able to stay in there when the gong gets tough. And this is an award to show that aspect.

Absolutely. All right. I'm in agreement now. So let me ask you this. We were sitting on the Fox desk in Boston. I remember you coming up. And the vibe I got from you, and correct me if I'm wrong here, it's like you weren't quite sure what to make of the win. Because, you know, some of the fans were booing is a huge win, so you're happy about it. It's like, it wasn't, as I said, I don't think it's one for your highlight reel. Like if I want to show someone the ultimate Eddie Alvarez, that's up. But you did what you had to do to win. You had the perfect game plan.

You executed it. Do you feel better about the win now? I do. Immediately after a fight, you can ever ask me, oh, how'd you do? I never can assess it until I watched a fight over. I see actually going on. I really have no recollection immediately after. So you can't get my best.

assessment. But if they're watching it here at home, seeing everything that went on, people were making it sound, they're making me feel as if we wrestled the whole entire fight. When I went back and looked, we didn't wrestle at all the whole second round. We did nothing but strike the whole second round. So I think that the fight went exactly how I wanted it to. And I think anybody who don't understand what happened that night, they just don't know much about MMA. I think I did exactly what I wanted to do, and Anthony Pettis didn't, and that's why I won the fight. I feel like you're not getting enough credit for a win over Anthony Pettus. A win over Anthony Pettus is a gigantic deal. This is a guy who was a champion one fight ago.

Do you feel the same? A bit, a bit, not a lot of people making a big deal of it, but I think I spoiled a lot of people's plans. The fans, Anthony, I think a lot of people were high. hoping Anthony was getting his way back, maybe a lot of sponsors, a lot of people, this was supposed to be the showtime, Anthony Pedis, that ended up being the Alvara show. I did what I wanted to do. I fought the fight exactly where I wanted it to be and sort of shut him down. And rather than fans be like, I actually have a do have a lot of M.M.A enthusiasts who are thank him or who are compliment

me about the fight. I think I just got a lot of slack from maybe his fans or something. They were angry that he lost. Do you feel like the blueprint is now out? Like this is the way to be. By the way, I think my volume, the volume is too loud so I'm hearing feedback on your computer.

Okay. I think yeah, yeah, that's good. That's better. That's perfect. You still hear me? Yeah. Is the blueprint out? Like Guida beat him in a similar fashion. You beat him? Is this, until he evolves. Is this how you beat Anthony Pettis? You know, every champion,

every guy in this weight class has always evolving, always getting better, always trying to find out how to keep their strengths and beat guys in front of them. So you can't say, oh, the secret's out because he should always be evolving and always changing and getting better.

I feel like I've fought guys. I've fought against opponents who fought me in the same manner that I just fought Anthony in. And that's how I learned how to beat guys like Anthony. That's how I feel comfortable going in the cage with high-level strikers, high-level grapplers, high-level wrestlers, because I've been in the cage with all them, and I think I have an understanding of how to beat each one. And I think maybe Anthony, if they just watch a little more tape, some history,

and things like, yeah, they can figure out, hey, we beat them this way. But I know some things and how to beat good strikers and how to beat good grapplers. There's a few fundamental rules that you've got to follow and you can make it happen. Do you think it's unfortunate that in this game, it's not so much, you know, whether you win or lose, but it's how you win. It's like even if you lose in spectacular, it's a war, as they call it, back and forth, whatever, and you lose in the third round via knockout. You sometimes get more credit than if you do.

what you did and just did the, you know, the perfect game plan to negate a guy and, you know, just come out there with a solid way. It feels like sometimes we put emphasis on the wrong things. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. I think that the collective mass doesn't know much about the sport and then there's a small amount who do. So we definitely have to appease the collective mass and make them happy and make them, when they come out to a fight, make it enjoyable for them. And believe me, everything in my heart wants to please the fans. And if you do watch my fights and watch my career in general, I'm a crowd pleaser.

I want to please the people in front of me, but I'm a competitor first. I'm a champion. I want to win. And I try to tell fans and try to educate them a little bit that there's a really small margin for error at the top. At the elite level, there's a small margin for error. So you need to always assess when I go to do a move, how much risk am I taking versus how much am I going to get out of it? So it's a constant calculating that, you know, trying to figure out. All right.

So where does this win leave you? Because not that long ago, 24. I'm the number one contender. I'm next. That's it. There's no one. There's no, that's it. There's no one.

Who? Yeah, there's no one who's done what I've done, not in the career that I've done it, been a champion as long as I've been champion, fought the guys that I fought, and now came in the UFC. Yes, I lost the Donald Seroni and a split decision. But did I do what most normal guys do and try to pick up a win and get a top 20 guy and try to no. I fought a guy even higher than Soroni. I fought Gilbert Melendez, who was ranked number three. then after I beat Gilbert, I fought the number one contender, the number one guy in the world, and beat him. There is no one else.

I'm next. It's not even debatable. If someone wants to debate it, we've been going for days. Did you share these views with the UFC? And if so, what they say? I'm going out to the March 5th fight with Connor and RDA and seeing what goes on there. But everything changes really quickly in this sport. But as far as I'm concerned, I'm next.

I don't see anybody else who's even close. Did they ask you to fight 20 Ferguson? Yeah, as soon as I got done my fight, I got a call to fight in like five weeks. And it was definitely a no-go. I'm doing rehab right now and getting some things straight. I'm not terrible, but I'm definitely not in fighting condition right now. So I would need to work some things out with myself before I, you know, go out there and fight again. What's wrong?

What's wrong? I mess my ankle up a little bit. During a fight, I have partial little tears in my ligaments and my ankle. So I need to rehab it. Nothing is serious. it's just in order to get through another three month, two month training camp, I want to make sure everything's correct. And getting back in there five weeks later and getting in a hard camp would kind of be foolish.

So just going to tweak, make things strong, and make sure I go back out there as good as possible. Even if you were healthy, would you have taken the fight? It's a possibility. It's a possibility. I want to talk to some people and figure it out. But if you're the number one contender, why take it? I don't know. To stay busy.

I don't know how long I'm going to sit. I don't know what's going to happen. If for any reason, I don't get a total shot, maybe it's just better to go out there. But I really don't make sense. As a fighter, to keep busy and keep fighting, yeah, I take it. But I've only fought guys since I've been to UFC, who were ahead of me. It was never, oh, let me try to fight a guy and know I can beat or a guy

I know I can match up well with. It was, we're only going to fight the guys who are ahead of us to prove that we're the best. And I definitely don't, after all this, want to start doing that. Makes no sense. And, okay, so it's interesting because I feel like it's such a unique time at Lightway because Connor is obviously the big fight. He's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, are in the sport. That means a lot of attention and probably a lot of money. but if he wins this fight on March 5th, it sounds like he's going to go down to 145 and defend that title,

so that's an extended time off. So are you kind of hoping that RDA wins even though it's not the big money fight? Either way, I'm going to fight. We're going to figure out who to fight anyway. Whoever the best guy in a division is at the time, that's who we're going to go after. But, yeah, I have mixed feelings about it.

I thought about both outcomes. and both of them have pros and cons. Both of them do. Did they ask you to fight April 23rd? No. Because now Ferguson's fighting on that card against Habib. Yeah, I believe. I think they're fighting in April sometime.

I don't know the exact date. My mistake, they're fighting April 16th on Fox. April 23rd is Jones Cormier. Are you worried at all that because that's a big stage and they're going to give those guys the number one contend is about Ferguson's very vocal? Are you worried about any of this? or you feel pretty confident that you have it secured?

I don't, look, I don't, I don't, I don't feel like either one of them can be talked about as far as number one contender. I can go on a six fight winning street too if I'm not fighting guys who are in the top three, top five in the world. You know, I could, I could have chose that path. I don't, I don't want that path. I'm past that. I want the best guys and, uh, I want to prove that I'm the best, so I fight the best guys. I don't prove on the best by fighting top 20 guys and choosing good matchups that make me look good. Fight the best guys and beat the best guys.

So as far as I'm concerned, both of them guys, they don't really have a leg to stand on. Kibib, both of them are good. Khab is also an excellent fighter. Hasn't fought in two years. If I decided right now as the number one contender to take two years off, am I going to be able to come back and fight for the title? That's foolish. That shouldn't have to happen.

So I think both of them have a little more to do, and I think that I'm next. It's that simple. And I'm the guy who can actually beat the champion and be the champion and stay the champion because of my experience. So that's why I should be next in line. By the way, what was your reaction when you heard that Benson Henderson signed with Bellator, leaving the UFC signing with Belator, given your history, I was curious what you thought of it. Look, when fighters become free agents, it's good for us all.

I'd be lying if I say anything else. When more fighters become free agents, it's good for all of us. Our value goes up. We all get to see other numbers that we don't really get to see. It was a good thing. When I was a free agent, it was a good thing. A lot of numbers are disclosed. We don't ever get to see them.

So it's good for the management. It's good for the promotion. orders, it's good for the fighters. It's good for the sport in general. We need free agents. I noticed Michael Chandler sending you some pleasantries after your fighting and went out. You guys, you know, you guys sort of, I mean, that was the prime rivalry. You guys put on some classics in Bellator. It doesn't seem like any bad blood or anything, right? No, Mike came to Ricardo Almeida. He came there, Ricardo Almeida's to help Frankie get ready. He was down there, so I got to see him there. And we did a lot of promoting together.

So, you know, there was never anything personal between me and Mike ever. He's a great competitor. And I love to compete, and we just happened to be in some wars together. It was a good style matchup for when it happened. And I've gotten better because of being in fights like that with Mike. So, you know, we have no issue with each other at all. Speaking of your training, Considering how your last fight went, is it fair to assume that you'll be sticking around in the Philly, New Jersey area, Mark Henry and those guys?

Mark Henry, your card Al-Meda. Everybody, I'll be here in Philadelphia. I'm not going anywhere. I love being home. I love sleeping in my own bed and seeing my kids every day. And I've been with this team for a long time and just happy to be able to stay here with them. Is it, okay, what are you going to do by Henry Hooft? Is he still going to coach? Or be in your corner, even though. Yeah?

I call and report to Henry on a weekly notice. I sent him sparring. So it's kind of like a sort of Skype-type deal or a WhatsApp. You know, I can fight in him. I love Henry's outlook and his experience. So I've always worked at Henry. I'm happy to have him in my corner. Okay, two last quick things.

Perfect World. When would you like to fight again? June July. Okay. June July, be nice to fight for the title. Ideally, just as long as I'm champion by the end of this year, which I really feel like that's going to happen. I feel like being champ by the end of this year, whether I have to fight once or twice more, it's inevitable. Right now, we're just in the right place at the right time with the right training and training partners.

where we're right we're supposed to be at. Who's your pick? Who's your-R-DA or Connor? It's, for me, it's a very simple fight for RDA to win, but he needs to implement a ground attack. If he don't, I honestly feel like he can get knocked out, just like the other guys that Connor was able to knock out.

But he can't allow it to be, mostly of striking. I hate when guys who are from a BJJ background and a good wrestling background abandon their whole base and their whole fundamental because a lot of guys around them are telling them that they're really good strikers. I hope RDA doesn't do that. I hope he sticks to what he's good at and wins the fight in a dominant fashion the way he can. The way I feel like a lot of guys can that aren't doing it against Connor.

I feel like Connor's a, it's a simple, there's a simple way to win against this guy, and nobody seems to be doing it. It's really, it's frustrating to watch. And that's take the fight to the ground? Yeah, I feel like he'll look foolish. I honestly feel like it could be an embarrassment. It could be, it could be like everyone in the crowd going, wow, that was it. why didn't anybody else do that it could it could be like a it could be that surprising to people

wow that's how i feel fascinating we just haven't seen them there yeah uh mendes mendes had some success okay let's just let's talk about that for one second okay okay mendes is primarily a wrestler correct yeah yeah primarily a wrestler in order to implement a wrestling attack it takes a a ton of energy and a ton of conditioning and training. You can't roll off the couch and implement a wrestling attack against a guy. It's just not going to happen. You need to be conditioned. You need to be in shape.

So if you're a wrestler and you're rolling off the couch, you're going to fight, essentially, you have no weapons. You have none. Your only weapon wrestling is no good because you're not conditioned. So in order, if you're a wrestler, you need to be. condition or to go in them fights and implement your strength. You can't do that on a 10-day notice. So the guy hasn't been in the fight that we need to see him in.

Nobody's implemented an attack. And when someone does, it's over. This whole show's over. The whole goddamn spectacle's over. I don't know why no one's doing it. It's very frustrating. Okay. Okay.

Now I want to see Eddie Alvarez versus Connemagrigger. Great stuff, Eddie. Again, congratulations on the win. Fascinating stuff, insightful stuff. Appreciate your candor, and I guess I'll see you March 5th in Las Vegas. All right, I'll see you. There he is. Eddie Alvarez, great stuff from the Underground King himself,

joining us from Philadelphia. Making the case. Making the case. Wow. All right. And what's going on here? In a minute, we're going to be joined by the Aphormon. mentioned Michael Chandler. We were just talking to Michael Chandler about, excuse, we were just

talking to Eddie Alvers about that. Of course, they have a long standing history with one another interesting times in the Bellator Lightweight Division. As you heard last week on this program, perhaps it was live, perhaps it was not live, but you heard it, I'm assuming by now, that Benson Henderson is going to Bellator. He has signed with Bellator, but he will not be fighting in the lightweight division first. He will be fighting for their welterweight title first. He'll be fighting Andre Koreshkov on April 22nd on Spike TV for the welterweight title. So he goes straight to the welterweight title and not the lightweight division. That's somewhat of a twist. And not sure if I agree with that 100%. Let's talk to someone who is a part of their

lightweight division. Michael Chandler. There he is. Joining us via the magical Skype. Michael, how are you? I'm great. How are you doing? I'm doing fantastic. Good to have you on the show. Lord knows I've been trying for the last few weeks to have you on the program, so I appreciate you carving out some time. I understand Bellator has been aggressive as of late. A week ago, they announced that they signed Ben Henderson. On Thursday, they announced that they signed Sergey Haritanov.

Actually, that was Wednesday. They also signed Chris Levin on Friday. And I believe we can now add you to that mix as well, right? We are extremely close, man. And I'll tell you what, going back to what you said earlier, you know, thank you for having me on. I appreciate it. I know it's been been tough, but, you know, like I said, we're getting some things done. My relationship with Bellator is phenomenal.

We're getting, we're extremely close to getting something done. I'm excited about the signing of Ben Henderson, excited about all these big signings, Bellator is capturing. So it's looking forward to the future. Can you tell us the status of your contract before you got things done? I mean, were you approaching free agency? was your contract up? Where are we at? Because as you know, free agency, a big part of the sport,

a big story these days. Yeah, what is today? Today's the eighth. Let's say, you know, let's just say I was extremely close to that free agent market. But, I mean, for me, it's all about making the right decisions for the future and feeling good about what I'm doing. And Bellator has been a phenomenal promotion up until the Scott Coker regime came in,

and now it's even better. in my opinion, man. My manager, Dave Martin and I went out to San Jose a week or two ago, and we sat down on the table, and we found, you know, some numbers and some terms and certain conditions that were mutually beneficial for both of us, myself and Bellator included, and we're getting pretty close, but there's got to be some things that are almost not negotiables. You know, we're kind of trying to change the industry standard. I feel like I've earned, you know, my place in this in this business in this company and um there's going to be there's going to have to be some things that that are kind of non-negotiables for me like what can you tell me what uh just just

rights you know the just letting me be my own person letting me you know letting me kind of take take control of certain things letting me um you know feel like i'm i'm more of a strategic partner than i am just a 1099 employee you know um i've got some goals and some aspirations that are out that that kind of supersede, you know, just my fighting career. You know, I plan on becoming, you know, one of the best fighters of all time by the end of my career. But I also have some high hopes and some aspirations for after fighting. So I want to set myself up for that. So it sounds like you didn't play out your contract and test the waters like a Benson-Henderson.

Why not? Why didn't you just go that route? You know, I can't sit here and say that I know exactly what these other guys' situations are. I can't sit here and say that I know what their numbers are, what their, what their salaries are, what their incentives are. But I can tell you that I'm extremely confident that the position that I'm in, nobody in this entire industry would have maybe tested free agent market with the situation that I'm in. And it's just a good situation to be in. And it's a testament to hard work. It's a testament to doing the right thing.

You know, it's it's not just fighting. It's corporate America. It's whatever job, whatever business you're in. It's not playing politics. It's not, you know, being this or being that. It's being a good employee. It's helping the brand, helping your own brand and the company that you work for build together and coinciding.

So you get to a situation where everything's mutually beneficial. And I've been nothing but a phenomenal employee. And I'm being compensated for that. And, you know, I look forward to the future. And at the end of the day, I'm only 29 years old. Let's be honest, I'm not anywhere close to retirement. You know, just because I've talked about retirement before doesn't mean I'm close to it. I've talked about retirement in the sense that I'm making the right business decisions

so that when I get to the point where I'm slowing down, when I get to the point where I'm not 100% confident in my abilities and it's time to maybe hang it up, that I don't have to continue to take a paycheck and step into the cage and get beat up for it, you know? I saw you sitting there in the front row in Boston. I thought that they were wooing you, giving you some VIP tickets and all that. That thought doesn't go through your mind at all. I know you're very happy you're being competent, but, you know, Octagon, UFC, you didn't think of that at all. Oh, let's be honest. No, there's not a day that goes by that there isn't some kind of inner struggle inside me.

My wife and I sat there with Hans Moland-Kamber, Dakota, jessery. I was there with the monster guys. We were sitting there and I was 15 feet away from Eddie Alvarez. You know, I've got a ton of respect for him, but he, in my mind, he looks slow and Anthony Pettis. In my mind, he looked uninterested and unmotivated. I mean, I had no doubt if I would have stepped into the cage that night out of shape, I would have trash both those guys. And that's, and that's the kind of confidence that I have. But it's also the fact that you have to look at everything at the big picture. I got a ton of respect for what the UFC has done. And let's be

honest, whether you fight for Bellator World Series 1FC or the UFC, I am able to sit here in my beautiful house with with with with in the situation that I am because of what what the what the UFC has done since 1993 or whenever they started they have built this sport into a world renowned powerhouse and everybody is interested whenever fights are going on whether whether whether whether whether whether whether whatever promotion it is this sport has blown up because of what the UFC has done so you know in my mind I you know I also look towards the future and I see Ben Henderson coming over. I saw I saw Josh Thompson coming over. I look

forward to beating up both those guys. I also there's all kinds of talks and and people asking me and reaching out to me, hey, what's Bellator this? What about Bellator here? How's the sponsorships? How's this? How's that? And in my, in the position that I'm in, I'm not into wooing anybody or trying to get anybody to come over. But at the end of the day, everybody needs to make the best decision they can with the information that they're given. And that's what I'm doing now. And who knows what, what this sport is going to look like, what the landscape is going to look like, what the lay of the land is going to look like one year from now. And just in the last couple weeks, in the next year of me being able to beat up Josh Thompson and be able to beat up Ben Henderson, that's immediately

going to put me up there, you know, in that top 10. And then you get one or two other lightways coming over. Shoot, now I'm getting compensated like I should be. And I'm also getting to fight the best talent in the world. It's kind of a win-win. So we'll see. Would you make the decision to give Benson a welterweight title fight and not put him down at his more natural weight of 155 right away? You know, I don't know if it was, I can tell you one thing in dealing with Bellator, it isn't always necessarily Bellator telling you what you're going to do all the time. You know, the cool thing about it is, is it's ran differently. It's not, it's not as much a dictatorship

as it is a little bit of a democracy. When you, when you put yourself in this position to be, the kind of guy that they want to have a mutual beneficial relationship with. Benson is obviously a great talent. He's a good dude. I don't know him a ton personally. I've only spoken to him a couple times, but he's a good dude. He brings a lot of eyeballs to the TV, and he's an exciting fighter, and he's been a champion at 155, and he's big enough to go 170.

So I think they thought, hey, maybe you're coming at 170, beat up the Russian, and obviously there's a ton of fights in the welterweight division and in the lightweight division that's great for Ben Henderson. And he can always come down when he wants to. And I hope that he does. If not, I might have to pack on a couple pounds and head up to 70. So it's interesting. In December, Josh Thompson wins.

And then he calls you out. He says he wants to fight you and not the champion. And many people, fans, media, such as myself. Who's the champion? Well, actually, okay, well, let's talk. Will Brooks is the champion. He seems like a very unhappy camper these days. And the facts are he beat you twice.

right? Yeah. Were you surprised that Thompson called you out as opposed to him? No, I'm not. I mean, who's the bigger fight? I mean, there might be a belt on the line, but who's the bigger fight? How many eyeballs are going to want to tune in to see Will Brooks fight? You know, it's the proof is in the pudding.

The proof is in the numbers that the guy doesn't really move the needle. And then you couple that with the fact that the guy is, I mean, we talk about, we just got done talking about being a great employee. whether you're a fighter, whether you're working for whatever company you are. I mean, he's the epitome of a bad employee, you know, just constantly trashing the promotion, constantly questioning, questioning the decisions that people are making and constantly, quite frankly, whining, you know, I'm this, I'm that, why is he getting this and he's getting that?

The fact that he came out and said something about Bellator doesn't care about the guys that they have on the roster, they only care about the new guys coming in. Man, I am the epitome of an OG in this in this bellatory division, right? I've been in this, I've been in this promotion since 2009 since I fought in front of 17 people on Fox Deportes, right? At two in the morning after a girls high school softball game, you know? That was the kind of slots we were getting on TV, and now here we are on Spike TV. I've been with this promotion since the dark days, and now I'm about to sign my second big deal with the promotion. Not many times in a guy's career does you get to sign one big deal with signing bonuses, incentives, and big numbers, and this and that.

Now I'm on my second, and I'm only 29 years old, and it's not necessarily the longest term deal that anybody's ever signed either. So it's a testament to being a great employee, but going back to him, you know, I think I have earned my place as one of the most exciting fighters in Bellator, if not the most exciting fighter in Bellator. So you bring a guy like Josh Thompson, who's a fast-paced, hard-nosed guy, people are going to want to see me and him fight over, you know, a slow-paced little brooks fight. So is that next for you? Is Josh Thompson next? I hope so. You know, we'll see.

I mean, I haven't heard yet. Okay. You know, at the end of the day, I don't think Josh called me out with any animosity. You know, I think him and I are both respectful. But, man, it's just it's not his time. It's still my time. I'm just entering my prime. and I'm only going up.

You know, in my mind, he's been to where he, the peak of his career, and he's on the way down. So, you know, we're meeting at the right time for me and the wrong time from him, for him. So wherever it is, whenever it is, I'm ready to throw down. And I look forward to that fight. And I know the fans are as well. Can I just say, I love this new Michael Chandler. Holy moly, you're on fire, my friend.

This is incredible. I just let me know how it is, man. Spitting fire. Michael Chandler. Wow. Well, I'm just excited, you know? Yeah. I'm excited about the future and I'm excited about, you know, excited about this game is the most

exciting time of my life right now. And it's going to translate it into the cage as well. All right, so where is home now? Like, where are we training these days? Are you going to stick with Power MMA? And if so, why did you leave Alliance? It seemed like things were going well there. Well, home is San Diego.

I'm here in San Diego with my wife and we're taking, you know, taking some time off and still getting some training. You know, did my last camp at Power Ammar. May. You know, the biggest thing about leaving Alliance, it wasn't, it wasn't the lack of, it wasn't necessarily the lack of, you know, the lack of talent or, or the lack of, you know, greatness of the team of alliance. It was, I've been with one guy since the very beginning of my career, and that's Neil Melanson. He is the head coach down in Florida now at the Black Zillions team, and he is the greatest coach in the, in the world, both strategically and on the ground. And I

the most confidence under him and the most confidence with him. So that was one of the big reasons. He left San Diego to go down to Florida. And, you know, I'm, you know, I needed to make a change. And I had a great, I have a great relationship there with the guys at Power MMA and in Arizona. So it was a perfect fit for me. So wait a second. I'm not the smartest guy, but you say that Neil is, is the best coach. He's now in Florida. Does that mean that you are going to Florida to follow him? No. No, no, that does. I was, I was just, I was, I was, really wanting to give him a pat on the back because in my mind since shoot 2009, I have not, you know, I have, I wouldn't be where I am without that guy. You know, he's, he's an amazing coach.

Therefore, you know, I'm finally after shoot a decade in the sport, I mean, the guy, for him, a decade in this sport, he coached Randy Couture back in the, back in Randy Couture's heyday. The guy never got as much credit as he deserved. So I'm excited to see him starting to get some credit and being able to produce champions and getting, you know, some recognition for it. So I want to give him a pat on the back and simultaneously tell you why the thing at Alliance, you know, kind of fell apart. So why they're doing, they're doing it as well? Why not follow him to Florida?

You know, it's, there's a lot more, just like, you know, making the decision between Bellator and the UFC and this and that, there's a lot more extenuating circumstances than there is, you know, with contracts, whether it's just term and money or whether with a coaching decision or a camp decision, whether or not it's just a certain coach or whatnot. So there's a lot of things that come into play. And I had a phenomenal training camp last camp at Power MMA. Aaron Simpson, in my mind, is going to be a ton better coach than he was a fighter. And he was a great fighter.

He just has that charisma about him. He has that when you're with him, you feel like you're the only guy in the gym. and he's training just you and he cares about just you and he's a phenomenal motivator and he's a phenomenal guy and then you look at the team i mean miles jury and johnny case and those guys who came over from alliance with me is phenomenal and there's a guy that by the name of logan storely who's a four-time all-american five-time state champion from the home city or the home uh town of brock lesnar that you need to be watching out for his name's logan storely um he's a phenomenal training partner in mine so it's uh it's a good good situation man

And life is good, and I got some phenomenal people around me. In a perfect world, what would you prefer? Will Brooks number three next or Josh Thompson? Shoot, whatever Bellator wants, man. But in my mind, I'm already the champion. In my mind, having the belt doesn't really mean a ton to me. You ask anybody who the best lightweight in Bellator is, and they say it's me anyway. So it doesn't really matter whether I have the belt or I don't have.

the belt. I'm going to get the belt, whether I beat Will Brooks next for it, or I beat him three fights for now, or I beat him in December of next year. It doesn't really matter. To me, it's about, you know, beating people up and, you know, providing for my family and my future children and that kind of stuff. So I'd love to beat up Josh Thompson next. That's the biggest fight. And, you know, let's be honest, he doesn't have a ton more fights left in him. So I'd love to be next for him. Also, perfect world. When do you want to return? Um, soon. You know, I, uh, I'm healthy, uh, and I'm feeling good. So, I mean, I definitely would like to fight by, by April-ish, April May. Um, you know, I've had a nice, had some nice time to

to kind of relax and spend time with my, my wife since I spent so much time away from her for the last camp. We're heading to Jamaica this, uh, Thursday on a mission trip. So we're going to get away, get away from cell phones, get away from modern technology, all that kind of stuff, go down there and serve, um, you know, the people of Jamaica on a medical mission trip. I have no idea what I'm doing. My wife is a assistant and my father-in-law is a dentist, so they're going to be performing all kinds of medical stuff, and I'm basically just going to be the fun, jolly dude running around playing soccer with the Jamaican kids. So we'll see. For how long? It's eight days, I believe. Whoa. No cell phone, no nothing. No, no communication with the outside

world. I don't think so. Jeez. Good thing I got you on this week. Yeah, I got right. But yeah, It'll be a bunch of, you know, I'll bring it down a bunch of clothes, a bunch of workout gear, a bunch of, you know, clothes that I have amassed over the, you know, 10 different, you know, clothing sponsorships and whatnot that the fighters go through, you know, and you end up with extra apparel and extra gear and all that kind of stuff. A whole bag I'm checking just to bring down a bunch of clothes. So that's my contribution since I know nothing about, you know, medical stuff. Well, you are a class act, my friend. Wow, what a performance this was, blown away by this interview. I don't know if I want to call you the new Michael Channel or not. Just a fired up, Michael Chandler.

Tremendous stuff. Congratulations on the new deal. And really looking forward to your next fight. If it's against Josh, Will, I don't know who. I'm just excited right now. That was great stuff. I'm happy we waited. This was a lot of fun.

Thank you, man. I appreciate it as always. And I appreciate you having me on. So excited for the future. All right. There he is. Michael Chandler stopping by. Congratulations to him on his new contract.

Or he's about to sign a new contract with Bellator. He is on fire. Wow. was tremendous stuff. Okay, let's move along. Let's stay in San Diego, actually. We're being joined on the phone right now by one of the top contenders in the UFC's heavyweight division. Alexander Gustafson joins us on the phone right now. Alex, how are you? I'm good, thank you. Are you? I'm doing great. Thank you for joining us. So you're in San Diego, and this was some big news when it came out. And it's interesting. I read an article,

I believe, and correct me if I'm wrong, I should have looked it up earlier. It was with an outlet in Sweden. Is it Expressen? Is that the name of the outlet? The newspaper Expressen? Yeah. And it was a fascinating article to read. I had to translate it.

Unfortunately, I don't speak Swedish. But you really kind of poured your heart out. You really laid it all out on the table as far as, you know, where you're at in your career. Why did you decide to do? Usually guys, when they're at this point in their career and we'll get to the reasons, they just kind of stay to themselves and, you know, do their thing quietly. But you kind of laid it out there.

Why did you do that? Well, I think it felt much better after I did it. So I just wanted to get it out and people are asking and wondering stuff and saw my fans. So I just wanted to tell them how it is and how I feel. So for those fans that don't speak Swedish, can you explain in short what you were saying in that interview? Where are you at mentally in your career right now? Well, you know, it's I'm just feeling like

I have a tough time with my motivation and it goes from time to time and some days it's better, some days it's a little bit worse but you know, I just you know, I just tell them how it is and how it is to be to be a fighter on on this level

and you know that it's always tough with losses and it's 2015 was the top year for me. So, yeah, that's why we did this interview to just tell them how I felt and how I feel and so on. But, you know, I felt much better after that. And now I'm here in San Diego.

It changed my environment a little bit, training here with the guys. So I'm feeling good. So no secret, you know, I remember going with, no, it was after the Rumble fight. You sort of talked about maybe losing the love and retirement and things like that. And now it sounds like the same sort of feelings are coming back. Are you starting to get worried that you're not going to be able to regain that full love and motivation to train each and every day to become champion? Well, you know, I've been here before and like you said, against Anthony.

But it's hard to just go one day from another to be in one of the best fighters in the world to just stop doing what you love to do. So, you know, I am a fighter, and that's basically what I do and what I live for. So, you know, quitting is actually not an option if you put the cards on the table. It's just like, you know, it's just motion, feeling, thoughts, and that's what you have to battling with every day as an athlete. So right now you're not considering retirement. No, no, no, not at all.

I just, you know, I just came out here to San Diego to just, you know, train with the guys. And, you know, I'm not, I don't have a fight, nothing. So I just try to train, you know, basics, try to find, you know, that happiness in training again. And it will take the time. It will take. So, you know, I'm feeling good now. And I'm just happy in training, basically. When's the last time that you trained at Alliance in San Diego?

A year ago. And why did you decide at the time to not do the D.C. camp there or at least go there for a little? Why did you decide to take a break from there? No, it was more like, you know, we had a good structure. We have a good structure at the gym in Stockholm, too, at all stores. So, you know, it just felt good. And, you know, I went around a little bit, tried to, you know, train. with some guys I haven't trained with before and, you know, good wrestlers.

So that's why we decided to stay. But, you know, as always, you know, Andres, is always talking to Eric and, you know, even if I'm not here training, you know, they're still around. So, so, I don't know, it was one of the best camps I had so far against D.C. I also read in that article, and correct me if I'm wrong, that it was in the fifth round of the D.C. fight that it kind of hit you that you didn't have that extra gear. Something was missing. Is that accurate? Well, yeah, you know, like, I just, you know, I just want to train because I love what I do,

and sometimes it's tough because training is so hard. But it's still, you know, when it comes down to the fifth round, fourth fifth round, you just, you know, just wanted to, you have to do it for the right reason. If you don't do it, if you don't, if you don't have that, you know, that happens in you, it's going to be tough. It's going to be tough to motivate yourself in those hard rounds, last rounds. And is this something that you felt against John Jones as well, or is this a new feeling? No, it's more like a new feeling, I would say.

It's been, it's been, you know, I had one of the fight. John Jones and the rest are I lost. So it's been getting worse, you know, that, you know, that, you know, that I'm losing that happiness in training and the motivation. So you just train because you have to train. It's not the right reason. You need to train because, you know, like I said, it's going to always, it's not always shine and good feelings in training because you're doing, you know, you go to the ground.

But when it comes down to it, you need to have that happiness. motivation for training and that's what I'm feeling that I've been I've been losing a little bit by by bit in that fight against John Jones so now that's why I came out here to you know I'm helping feel a little bit for his fight and training with the you know some of the guys I trained with before I changed my environment a little bit a little bit more sun and and yeah so I took my girl here here and so it feels good it just good with back here and and training Thanks.

Was that part of the... I mean, from what I understand, you're a very big star in Sweden. People recognize you when you walk. Did you need to get away from that a little bit and just kind of be left alone? Well, you know, maybe a little bit from that, you know, from that hype and that, you know, like, a winner in next fight or, like, people, you know, want to see me fight, basically. So it's a good way for me to get here and train. get away from a little bit of everything.

It's not pressure, nothing. Just training and feeling good. In hindsight, Alex, do you almost feel like it was a mistake to do the D.C. fight after the Rumble fight because you couldn't get a fight to sort of build your confidence back up, get a wind under your belt?

You know what I mean? Like, do you almost feel like, of course you're going to take the title shot, but if you could do it differently, you would? No, I wouldn't. No, I just felt right at the time and it still feels right. I had the best camp, one of the best camps

so far for that fight, and I felt great. D.C. is a tough fighter, you know, and, you know, he's just came at me in the last rounds there, and it was a tight fight, so no, I don't want to change anything. It is, now it is what it is, and I lost a fight on split position, and, you know, it's just about learning from that

and getting better. Do you watch that fight a lot? No, I haven't watched it so much. Have you watched it once? No, I haven't actually. Wow, that's interesting. How come? Is that typical for you, or does that one hurt more?

I don't know. I just feel like, you know, it's just tough to watch you seeing yourself losing. And that was the same story with Johnson, too. And I need to, I will watch it, though. Have you never watched the Johnson fight either? Yeah, I've seen it now, but he, It was the same day. It was tough to see it right away.

Right. But I will see it. So you've been in San Diego for a week now, and when this news came out, and people are wondering, does that mean you're leaving All-Stars stuff? What's your status with All-Stars? It's good.

It's still my gym. It's still my club, and I'm still with Andreas, and everything is in order, as always. Did you get... You know, I'm here now, and I'm going to be here for a couple of months. and yeah like I said I got my girl with me and everything so you know just feeling good training

with the guys training with Phil and with Eric and Dominic and Andreas I'm talking to him every day so did they reach out to you to fight on the London card later this month against Rashad Evans no that never happened it's more like I think it's more like you know um you know when I'm feeling ready. You know, when I'm in peace and I feel good in training and everything, we're going to look for a new challenge. So until then, I'm just going to enjoy the training. Okay, so for now you're kind of taking a little break.

Is there a chance that you don't fight at all in 2016? No, no, I will fight. It's just beginning of the year and I will fight. I just, you know, I need just a couple of, a little bit of time to get on my feet and get my mind right and then on motivation and so on. I just want to fight for the right reason, basically. Right. So, but you will have seen the fight this year. Have you, have you had a chance to talk to Dominic since you've been, I mean, his story, there's no greater motivation than what he's done as of late.

Did you get a chance to speak to him at all? not so much about, you know, technical stuff, but just about overcoming and finding the love and things like that. He's such a brilliant mind, I think. Yeah, he is, for sure. He is. Yeah, I just met him today, actually, for the first time. Oh.

I'm at the gym now, and he's in the gym, actually. So, you know, we had a good talk, and as always, he always comes with good advice. And, like you said, I also think that he has a great mind on fighting and like it's a true inspiration. So it's good to have them around. I also understand after this you're going to go to Thailand. Is that accurate?

Maybe? Well, no. No, I don't. Let's see what happens. Right now I'm just going to take some time here in San Diego. Okay. And let's see what happened with Thailand. We've been talking a little bit of maybe training some Thai boxing over in Thailand

to work on my knees, elbows and kicks and stuff. but that's not on table right now. Right now I'm just here in San Diego, and I will be here for a while. Is it possible whenever you get your next fight that you'll just do the entire camp now in San Diego? Well, let's see what happens. Okay.

Let's see what happens. I don't know, actually. By the way, a guy who I think that you were close with on the team, Makwanamir Kani, abruptly left the team. What happened there? Well, I'm not too I'm not too into that I don't really know what happened

It was just You know, I don't I don't want to get into that either Because I don't know too much about it I don't want to like You know I don't have all the information So I can't talk about it

I'm sorry No, I understand Are you still close with them Or have you Have you stayed apart No we mustest We You know

You know We stay apart. I haven't talked to him since he left. You know, he's probably busy with his training and stuff. And so I don't have talking too much, no. Fair enough. And by the way, before I let you go, let me ask you. They just announced this past weekend that Jones is going to fight D.C. We all knew that on April 23rd.

You've been in the cage now with both of them. Who's your pick? Well, it's all for me to pick any one of them. I know D.C. is a beast. we all know Jones he's one of the great great fighters

in the U.C. today so, you know, it's going to be a tough one. Let's see what happens. Let's see what happens. I'm not too excited for our fight. You're sitting on the fence.

You don't want to pick a winner. Well, let's say this. I want D.C. to win. Oh, interesting. Why? Yeah. Because he's such a good guy.

I like it. Oh, okay. You won. So maybe, is it fair to say your heart is with DC, but maybe your mind is with Jones? Well, maybe a little bit in that direction. Okay. You know, I just want DC to win that fight, but let's see what happens.

Okay. Jones, you know, he's one of the best fighters, so anything could happen. Have you even allowed yourself to think about who you might want to fight in your return, or is it too soon for that? No, it's too soon for that. I don't think too much about it, so. Okay. So for now, you're at Alliance, just getting comfortable, loving the sun, I'm assuming,

and the good weather. it's a much better life there, isn't it? With all due respect. Oh, it is. Everything makes it so much easier. Yeah, all right. Well, Alex, I appreciate the update. Thank you very much for the time

and good luck in training over there and looking forward to your return as always whenever it comes. Thank you. I appreciate us. All right, there he is. Alexander Gustafson joining us from Alliance MMA in Chula Vista, California. An interesting time.

Look, the guy's 29 years old and you come off a couple of tough losses, different kind of losses. close against DC, not so much against Rumble, tough losses, and sometimes you just need to take a step back and go back to a team that really helped put him on the map. Remember when he was training with Alliance when he started to go there after the Phil Davis fight? That's when it all came together for Alexander Gusterson. So it's an interesting time for the Mahler, and I'm curious to see how he returns. By the way, at the top of the show, I said that I'd have an update on BJ Penn.

It sounds like he outskooped me. He went on his website, BJPen.com. earlier today and gave an update about his fight. If you heard last week on UFC tonight, I told you that he guaranteed, guaranteed that he'd be fighting March 5th, UFC 196. Well, things have changed. That's what I was going to tell you about. This is what he said to BJPen.com, quote, I thought the fight guaranteed was going to happen because the UFC, they set up medicals for me to do. I did the medicals and they were sending a film crew down and we were getting all that together, and I assumed we were setting up the fight, and that might have been what was happening. But at the end of the day, UFC matchmaker, Sean Shelby called me and said it would be more

convenient for all of us to move the fight to April 23rd. So plans have changed, a little more time for him. I'm of the thought that this is a good thing because it's a little more time, but I know that he wanted to get in there rather quickly because he's in Albuquerque, he's out of his comfort zone. He doesn't want to spend a long time there, but I think in the, he's a little more time there. But I think in end, that might be a silver lining. Let me see if you said anything else. Quote, you have heard what you feed the most grows the biggest, and I'm going to stay here and immerse myself in the martial arts and see how good I can get. That's another quote from BJ Penn. All the coach is glowing, all the coaches very happy, in particular Greg Jackson, who I've talked to. And as I reported

last week, Dennis Siever still appears to be atop the leaderboard. However, a major reason why the Nick Lentz fight wasn't happening was because Nick Lentz just wasn't healthy enough to fight on March 5th. Now with the change, does that mean that Nick Lentz has another chance to get the biggest fight of his career? When it was for March 5th, it seemed like it was a lock that it was going to be Dennis Siever. But now it seems like, well, A, he's moved to April 23rd and does that now bring in Nick Lentz back into the mix? Well, it would be interesting to see. But there you go. There's the update on BJ Penn. All right, let's stick in the featherweight division, and let's talk to one of the top contenders in said division. Chad Mendez joins us on the phone right now.

Chad, how are you? I'm good. Good to talk to Arrow. How you been, man? Yes, it has been a while. Thank you very much for joining us today. And, you know, it's interesting. Obviously, we saw you in action in December. You've remained relatively quiet since then. Of course, it was not, you know, things didn't go the way you planned, obviously. But any particular reason why you took step back, did you just feel like it was the right thing to do at this juncture? Why'd you do it? Yeah, I just felt like it was. Plus, you know, I just started a new business, fins and feathers. It's like a celebrity guide service. Oh.

Been putting a lot of time and energy and effort into that as well. So, you know, a lot of people don't know, but, you know, we're done fighting. We don't get retirement. So you stop fighting and you stop making money. So I'm trying to get something going to where after I'm done fighting, I can continue to make money and survive and live off doing something absolutely. what we love to do. So me and a few of my good buddies all went in and started this business. So, I mean, that's what I've been putting a lot of time into after that fight. You know, obviously the fight, like you said, just didn't go my way.

It was pretty damn bummed, honestly. You know, I know I'm better than that. You know, I know I can get in there and compete with a guy like Frankie. In my mind, I think I can beat them as well. So it's just going out there and getting caught like that early in the fight, just freaking sucks, dude. Okay, back to the business for a second. Did you say a celebrity guide business?

Yeah, so I'll just give you a quick rundown. Yeah. So basically, we have like a list of hunt, so clients can choose one of the hunting or fishing trips that we provide. We have stuff all over the place, New Zealand, Alberta, Canada, a lot of stuff here locally, northern California, Utah. So we have stuff all over the place to get to choose which one they want to go on. And then we have a list of like a celebrity pro staff list. There's about 10, we're about 15 different professional athletes, actors. The client gets to choose which hunt, which celebrity they want to go on that trip with them.

And we line it up and make it happen. So basically what we do is subcontract out professional guides that already have businesses up and running. They have, you know, reputable business. So we came up with those guys and the celebrity and the client gets to go hunt or fish with them on their boat or their ranch. But it's something that's unique and different. No one's really doing that in the industry yet. And like I said, I'm a huge outdoors, man.

I love being in the woods. I love fishing. I love hunting. I mean, we've talked about this on past shows before. So, you know, it's what I love. It's who I am. So being able to come up with some kind of way to provide that service to people that are interested in it, being able to hunt fish, being out in the outdoors and make a living is something.

I want to do. So what kind of celebrities are we talking about? We have a lot of USC people. We have, like I said, some actors. We have pro baseball players, basketball players, professional shooters, PBR riders. And we just got a crazy mix of all kinds of different people. How much is something like this cost? You know, there's different prices for each hunt.

Like our signature package is probably our most popular. And basically what it is is the two-day trip. So the first day, it's like a full-day planet's peasant hunt here locally in Sacramento. Then the next day we're on the river fishing with one of our pro guides. So like striped bass, salmon, sturgeon, whatever's running at that time with the celebrity of their choice. And that's $1,000 for the two-day trip. And that's $1,200 with lodging included. Okay.

So that's kind of the pricing skill on that. But, you know, we have wild pig hunts. we have just straight fishing trips on the Sack River, you know, like I said, mule deer hunts, antelope, New Zealand Red Stag. We have stuff all over the place. I love that you're doing this because, A, you're passionate about it, but also, you know, you said something interesting there about when you retire, there's no, you know, retirement plan or anything like that. Is this something that you've started to think about more?

Like, all right, you know, because I feel like fighters, when they're coming up, they're young, all you're thinking about is, you know, the belt or making it to the big time, the money and all that. but there comes a time, at least for the smart ones, where you start to think, okay, all right, at some point this is going to end, it happens to all of us, what am I going to do afterwards? Is this a new thing that you've been feeling

or have you been feeling this way a long time that you need to set up for the future? No, I mean, this is something I've always thought about from day one with the fighting career. I went to college, I, Ruskin College, I graduated with kinesiology degree. You know, fighting wasn't always what I wanted to do. I actually had no idea.

You know, when I started doing it, you know, I told myself, look, I'm going to try this. If I'm good at it, I'll stick with it and make as much possible money as I can. And then find some kind of, I mean, obviously we can't do this forever. This is a brutal sport. You know, you see guys that fight, you know, into their 40, 50s. They can't talk when they're 60, 70 years old.

And, you know, it can be brutal. And so for me, the thought was I'm going to get in. I'm going to do this. I'm going to put my heart and soul into it. You know, train as hard as I possibly can do as well as I possibly. we can and then figure out a way to somehow use that to make a living after the sport. You know, and so that was from day one. And, you know, obviously I'm 30 now, almost 31 now.

You know, the ultimate goal for me was the fight around 35, 36 years old and just kind of see what my body's feeling like at that point and just kind of go from there and evaluate it. But, you know, in the meantime, I wanted to start something. This is something we've thought of for a while, me and some of my close buddies. So, you know, we've put some time into it. One of my other buddies is a UPS driver, and he's about three years from retiring as well. So he's getting close to it. And, you know, so he wanted to get it up and running and see if we can start booking some hunts to kind of see.

Because, like I said, it's new in the industry. Nobody's really doing it. So we had no idea how people were going to react to it if it was going to take off or not. So we've actually been getting quite a few people booking, which is very exciting. You know, 2016 so far, we have about 15 people that have booked different trips. So it's looking good, man. I'm excited. How many more years do you want to fight for?

Like I said, the goal was probably about 35, 36. Okay. I mean, if I fight another two years and my body's just like, you're done, and I'm listening to it, man. I don't have the ego. I don't have, I'm able to put the pride aside, you know, if my body doesn't want it. You know, I want to have a family. I want to be able to spend time with my family. when I'm older and not being a wheelchair.

So, you know, I'm the type of guy that's going to listen to my body. You know, I still want to make a run for that title. I'm not done yet. You know, this is not the end of me. I just have to reevaluate, you know, figure out what I'm going to do and get back after it. Have you watched the Edgar fight? I have. What went wrong?

Sorry, what was that? You're talking to me? What did you say? Oh, I said, what went wrong in your opinion? I mean, I just got caught. You know, I'd start, I kept my feet planted when I probably shouldn't have.

That's something we talked about before. That was probably the major mistake, and I dropped my hand and caught me. I mean, it happens to the sport, man. Those four-hams clubs are very unforgiving, and, you know, we saw it all that. It can happen to anybody any time.

It's just frustrating, but that's honestly what makes the sport so competitive and, you know, a sport that so many people want to watch because you just never really know. Obviously, it was just, it was less than two months ago. Do you feel like you're over it? Do you feel like you're still harping on it every day? Like, how are you dealing with the loss now?

And I'll never get over that. I never get over any loss, really. I mean, that's something that sticks to you forever. You know, I think the way you deal with it is what makes you who you are. You know, I'm going to think about that. Every time I train now, you know, I'm thinking about it. I saw the mistakes. I want to focus on that.

learn from it and get better. But, you know, like I said, it's part of the sport. It's part of any sport. There's winning, there's losing, there's ups and downs. It's just how you deal with it is what makes you who you are. So for me, like I said, I'm going to learn from it. I got to just put it behind me. You know, it's not something I'm ever going to forget, but right now I'll put it behind me and get back in there and kill it. Is it possible, you know, the perhaps shocking thing about that fight was that it was a first-round knockout for Edgar, not someone who has been known for power. In hindsight, do you feel like you underestimated this power? You didn't see it coming? No, not at all. I mean, I don't know if you saw the fire. I mean, I got connected in the nose.

Yeah. It was not like any crazy solid punch. You know, I just, there was something that just wasn't right, you know, whether I, you know, that was the first fight I fought without using an IV, you know, maybe the hydration process wasn't right. You know, maybe I took a little bit too much damage to that training camp than I should have, or. you know, a little bit too much too late. But I just feel like I've been hit harder than that by so many other people and not been out. You know what I mean? Like, that was a flash that just grazed my nose, really.

And that's another thing I feel it's so frustrating for me. Like, I know I'm better than that. You know, I know, you know, normally that doesn't do that for me and it just sucks. But nothing you can do about it. When you were talking about the training camp, are you referring, like, do you think you came back too soon after the Conner fight? I mean, I don't think so. I mean, the thing is, Connor, I didn't take, like, a ton of damage in that fight. He caught me with one punch that flashed me.

It didn't even knock me out cold or anything. You know, it's like you. That happens in practice your training camp multiple times throughout a camp. So I don't think that was, you know, anything that had anything to do with it. But, you know, you never know. I mean, you start getting flashed one right after another and it starts happening easier and easier. So, you know, I mean, it's a possibility, but I don't think that's what it was. And how about, I mean, no secret, it seems like it's a state of transition at Alpha Mail these days.

How much of a factor is that where, you know, there's a little bit of drama, some coaching changes, things like that. Is any of that affecting you negatively? I mean, obviously it's something that sucks to deal with. I mean, this is an issue we've been dealing with for a little bit now. You know, it's just, it's tough being a part of it. but, you know, the sport is still relatively a new sport. I mean, we still have just a lot to deal with as far as coaching goes. I mean, a lot of the coaches that are solid that have fought in U.S.E or, you know, have a great system,

already have a team, you know what I mean? So it's tough for us in this position trying to find that perfect fit, you know, someone that's done it, someone that's, you know, reputable, someone that's not absolutely insane. you know, there's just a lot of factors that go into it. As of right now, we have Justin Buckles, who's always been an amazing coach and cornerman. He's always been the type of guy that I love having in my corner. I mean, you guys have seen him have had him in my corner a lot of the time. He's a brainiac in there.

So, I mean, that's awesome, but we just locked that up. You know, going through this last fight camp, we didn't have a coach, really, that was ours. We had a couple people coming in and, you know, just people in and out of the gym all the time trying to coach us. And it's like, I don't even know who you are. I don't, you know, I have no, you know, respect as far as that goes as being my mentor. So it's just, it's difficult, man. I mean, this is something we're going to work on. We're going to figure it out.

You know, I have faith in favor and these guys as to what's going to happen for the team. but as of right now, I'm focused on, you know, my fins and feathers venture. We're going to just keep training, working on my mistakes that I've made in past fights and getting better by them and, you know, just keep moving forward. Obviously, we just saw Benevides pick up a big win this weekend. Seems like he's been doing some training with Bang again. Are you considering that as well? I mean, that's – I'm not considering it, no, but I don't have to –

anything against these guys that want to go over there and train. I mean, you know, there's a lot of negativity and stuff being said back and forth and people getting frustrated and it's like everyone's a grown-ass adult. Like, people can make their own decisions and do what they want. You know, I know what I need to do and I know what I'm going to do. And, you know, that's really all that matters to my life right now. So why, because you had success with Bang, why won't you consider it? I just feel like there's just too much drama between everything. Yeah. I don't know. I don't have anything against Bang. Like, there's nothing in my mind that makes me hate the guy or anything like that.

I just feel like with him, Faber, the whole drama thing, it's just not worth me getting in the middle of it. Is it possible that you're just loyal towards Faber? He's the guy who brought you in, like, if you had to choose at the end of the day, that's who you're going to side with? I mean, yeah, I mean, I have loyalty. I love Faber, but like I say, these guys feel like this is what it takes. them to get better. Like, I don't feel like it's a loyalty thing. I mean, that's them trying to better their lives. Like, that's what they feel like they need, you know?

It just, it sucks like being in the middle of it. You know what I mean? But, I mean, there's nothing that I hold against any of those guys. I don't hold anything against Bang. You know, I am loyal to favor. I love favor, like my brother. You know, but

I just basically want to stay away from that whole drama set. Is that hard because you are one of the faces of the team and it just continues, it's like this black cloud that continues to trail you guys is it hard to get away from that yeah of course i mean it's difficult and like i said it's something that it's stressful it stresses me out i don't like being a part of it like i love doing this as a sport you know i got into this because i wanted to compete and when all this stuff gets thrown into it it doesn't it's not fun for me and so you know it's something that

i just don't want to be a part of um do you talk to the you know i have to admit i said this last week one of my least favorite stories in MMA right now is this sort of passive aggressiveness with the tweets and the muscle farm stuff and like they throw out one message and then the other guys. It's just like why I don't know why it can't just be a clean break or guys can't just do you agree with what I'm saying there? Yeah, no, I completely agree. And that's one of the things that stresses me out because, you know, one group does something and then the other person's pissed off and then these people are pissed and then these people

are pissed. And it's like, I have to hear both sides. And it's like, dude, you guys are both doing this. to each other, like just end it. It's fine. Like, go on with our lives. Like, we don't have to hate each other. We can all still be friends. Like, I just don't want to be a part of this. Did you tell maybe, like, the favorite, like, maybe we should stop talking to, like, is there like a message out that no one's, I know I'm talking to you about it right now, but this is kind of first, do you guys just want to stop, you know, feeding it? Maybe between those two guys,

it's hard to control bang, but on favor side? Yeah, I mean, both sides, I mean, I could talk to both sides. And I mean, it's definitely something that has to be done. But at the same time, like, I still want to be friends with everybody. It's like I've been with all these guys as teammates for the entire career that I've been in MMA. And it's like, I don't want to just not talk to them. You know what I mean? Like, like, he is one of our pro staff members. So is favor. Like, these guys can go on trips with clients. And it's like, I don't want there to be, like, all kinds of hate between the two. And you know what I mean? Like, it's just, it's frustrating trying to do things in normal life with all this drama going on and it's like it sucks

because you know all the media wants to talk about it because it's something that's interesting and different and so that obviously doesn't help because now we get a lot of tension drawn on it so then everyone keeps talking about it and it's just a vicious circle um so as you said earlier is buckles the new head coach is that official yeah buckles at team off the alleys right now oh wow okay Him and Chris Holdsworth, yeah. So, Chris, is Chris done fighting, or is he just kind of doing both until he can get clear? I'm not sure if he's announced if he has completely done fighting or not. I think he's still training and everything, so I haven't heard that he's completely done, no.

Okay. But I do hear that he's a fantastic coach. He's a great mind. Oh, yeah. Both of those guys. I mean, they're both very smart at the game. Chris is a thinker. I mean, he's very good at jihad.

too. His ground game is amazing. And Buckwell, obviously, he's fought in the UFC, and he's been through corners, tons of corners, skiing, you know, different styles, fought different types of guys. So he's the type of guy that's awesome to have there, you know, coaching because he's so quick-witted. He's so just, I guess, skilled in the sport of it so that he knows, you know, I mean, he can pick things up faster than most people can in a corner. Like, in between rounds, I mean, you guys have heard. heard his cornering like this is you know this guy's doing this you got to do this like most a lot of

guys can't do that a lot of guys come back to the corner and they're like all right you're doing great keep that up you know what I mean so buckles are the type of guy that can pinpoint things and and find things going wrong or right within a round and tell you that which is I think he is far as a corner and a head coach is a part of you deep down happy that it's not going to be t j and favor because then this drama would have exploded yeah I'm pretty glad that's not going to happen. Yeah, that would have been insanity. I don't know if I could even watch the fight, honestly.

Really? That's something I really want to see you now. So you're still cool with TJ? Of course. Yeah, yeah. And then it just would have brought more attention and more drama on you guys as well, right? Yeah, yeah. Okay, before I let you go, I understand you're going to Utah for, what's going on there?

We have, it's a big hunting expo. One of the biggest ones of the year. So basically, fins and feathers has a boost there. So anyone's in the area. We'll be there, sign an autograph. If anyone wants to come take a look at the hunts and maybe book one with me or any of our athletes or celebrities, so free to stop by. It's in Salt Lake City.

Okay. And we'll be there Thursday through Sunday. And where can people find more information if they're in the area? You can look us up on fins and feathers.com. Okay. We have a bunch of info on there. but other than that, it's I know that the Western Hunter

and Conservation Expo has a website with all the dates and times and everything, but people can probably just log onto that and check it out. And finally, before I let you go, when, have you started to think about when you would like to return? Has that started to creep in your mind? Yeah, I mean, obviously I want to take a little bit of time off

right now and get this business up and running a couple months, and then And in the meantime, I'm just training, staying sharp, and then we'll get back after it. So, I mean, obviously, I don't have, like, an exact date. I got to talk to the USC and see, you know, when they're thinking, who they're thinking, and then what kind of game plan it from there. What about opponent? Have you thought about that?

I haven't, man. Okay. So that's what I mean. We just got to talk to USC and kind of just see what they think, what path I'm on, where I'm going, and just go from there. And by the way, what an asshole I am, leaving this for the last question of the last statement or whatever you want to call. Mazel Tov to you.

You got engaged, right? Jesus. Yeah, we just, I just got engaged. Abby Raines in Maui this last week. It was so awesome, man. Wow. I saw a picture of you dropping down to one knee. Is there a great story there?

What did you do? Yeah, I mean, so I had a group of our closest buddies and, well, my buddies and then their girlfriends, which are like some of her best friends as well. We planned a trip, and we planned a trip, and we, And we actually hit it from all the girls because we didn't want the girls gossiping and slipping. So it was all the guys that knew about it, but none of the girls. Oh. And so we was on the beach.

Like one of the first nights that everybody was there together. We waited until the sunset and basically pulled it onto the beach and got on the knee and asked. We had a bunch of locals there that we had planned some stuff with a couple nights before. And they had like music all set up for us. We had a own private fire dancer that did like a fire dance for us on the beach. And it was a lot of fun, man. She loved it. I loved it.

It was cool. Amazing. Well done. Now, when are you getting married? We don't have a date yet, but probably sometime next year. Okay. I think I'm free. Just to let you know.

You going to be there? Well, I mean, it's up to you. If you want to send me a save the date, you know, we'll see if I can make some time. Chad, I appreciate the time, man. Thank you very much. Wish you the best. with the new company. Good luck in Utah this weekend. If you're out there, anyone listening, definitely go check out chat. I like when you wear the full outfit. I see you with the camouflage,

you got the belt on, you got the, you're a real, you're a real man. Like, every time I see one of those pictures, I feel like such a puny loser. I just feel like, yes. If you ever want to, if you ever want to learn how to do any of them trips, just hit me up. Okay. Yeah. Maybe I could be the celebrity. Yeah. Have I reached? Okay. I'm sure there's people that would want to come on a trip with, with old aerial. Maybe we can do a fishing trip with you. I'm a, I'm a friend. I'm a though that they might turn the gun on me. No, that's what I mean. We'll keep it to fishing.

Do you do fly fishing? I've always been interested in that. I have a little bit when I was younger, but I haven't done it so much as an adult. I'd like you, though. It looks awesome. Yes. He has some awesome spots up here in Northern California, too. I want to wear the overalls and the boots, the whole thing. Oh, yeah. Danny Castile even got into that little bit. Oh. I think he posted a picture of him and all those, that whole gear, the overalls, the 20-looking hat. Oh, yeah.

All right. Fly rod. That was cool. Well, I wish you the best, my man. Thank you for the time, and we'll talk to you soon. All right. Thank you. All right, there he is.

Chad Mendez, always a pleasure to talk to Money Mendez on the program. Okay, let's go. Y'all must have forgot. One of my favorite segments. Sometimes it gets ignored. Sometimes it doesn't. This week, it doesn't. How about that?

So, Wonderboy Thompson, star of the weekend, unbelievable performance. He is now very much in that title picture. Let's go back to February of 2012. Let's go to UFC 143. His amazing debut. What a debut was against Dan Stigin. Remember that? That head kick knockout?

Well, I got the chance to talk to him afterwards. He won a knockout of the night, by the way. That night. That was February 4, 2012. I got to talk to him afterwards about the debut and the successful debut, to be more exact. And it's always fun to look back at those first interviews, especially when a guy is knocking on that title shot door.

So here it is. Y'all must have forgot Wonderboy Thompson's debut February 4th, 2012, my interview with him afterwards, a fun look back at a rising star in the UFC. Ariel Hawani post-fight at UFC 143 alongside Stephen Wonderboy Thompson, who picked up his very first UFC win tonight via spectacular headkick, K-O. And what a way to kick off your UFC career. Could you have dreamtnered anything better than this? No, man. I mean, you know, when I got the call to fight for UFC, you know, it was a dream come true, man. And it's one of those things that I couldn't stop to think, hey, should I do this or should I not? You know, I had to jump on it, and here I am.

So for the record, you have now won 63 straight fights. That includes amateur, MMA, and kickboxing, right? Yes, yes, 63. You know, I've been in the fight game. We're in the martial arts since I was three years old, so for a while now. When was the last time you lost any kind of combat sports match? Man, probably when I was in my teens, you know, I fought in a lot of karate tournaments. You know, it was like every weekend where we came from.

So, you know, I probably lost the majority of my, you know, you know, tournaments, I don't think I even won one. But, you know, I kept my head up, stayed positive, kept training, and here we are. Do you even remember what it feels like to lose now? Yeah, I mean, because, you know, in training, that's where you actually get out there and you lose. You know, that's where you should do your losing is in training. So I got some great guys that trained with back home and Simpsonville at upstate karate, and they put it on me. They should no respect.

So tell us, you know, just in the hours leading up to the fight, did you feel any extra nerves there? Because this was your UFC debut. You've been around combat sports a long time, but was it at all different? Oh, definitely. And, you know, I fought all around the world, but there's nothing like the UFC. I mean, the UFC is the top promotion, the best promotion. And, I mean, knowing that, you know, the arena is going to be full,

and you got millions of people watching around the world, yeah, you get jitters, but you've got to learn to suppress it and, you know, stay positive, think about what you're going to do when you get out there. It ended very well, obviously, but overall, were you happy with your performance? Definitely, you know, I wanted to be a little bit more aggressive. in the beginning, but I knew that this guy I was fighting Dan Stigin was a ground guy. So I knew he was going to set up his strikes to shoot in to take me down. So I took my time, kept my distance, and just, and like I say, I waited on the right moment.

Speaking of the ground game, how is it for you? Oh, getting better every day. You know, I got the best coaches, you know, my wrestling coach, Thomas Lee and my Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, Carlos Machado, who's one of the best guys out there. And it was getting better every day. Were you looking for the head kick, COO? You know what? When I fight guys, the kick that I do is a lead leg round kick,

and not a whole lot of people see it coming. And I like to throw it after they throw a technique. That way it comes over the shoulder and they don't see it. So I was looking for it, but if it didn't work, I had something else up my sleeve. What was it? That's a secret. I can't really tell it. For the next one.

Yes, watch the next one. All right. Well, congratulations on your big UFC debut win and looking forward to much more from Wonder. By the way, where does that nickname come from? You know what? back in the day when I was younger I used to dance and sing around all the time they called me Stevie Wonder and once I started

fighting I looked like a little kid so they were like man I wonder why everybody gets in the ring with this boy so they started calling me Wonder Boy so. Dance and sing tonight? No, not tonight, no celebration probably behind closed doors I didn't mean right now I just meant like when you're celebrating

at night. Definitely. You're in Vegas. We're definitely going to be doing some celebrating night. All right well enjoy it and good luck next time out. Congrats on the big win. Thank you very much. There he is. Wonderboy Thompson. What a mensch that wonder boy. So smiley. So polite. Just a pleasure to talk to you. A real role model, in my opinion. Like one of those guys that I think the UFC should actually do a better job of pushing because he is so much fun to watch. He really is like a superhero. I mean, those kids, I mean, that's, that's incredible. What he did in that cage against Johnny Hendricks, a former champion, a guy who lost us. super close split decision to GSP, lost another super close decision to Robbie Lawler at UFC 181. Wonder Boy Thompson, like if you ask me right now, all right, pick three, four guys that you had to pay to watch, like you had no problem paying 200 bucks getting a ticket and watching in person.

Wonderboy is up there. It's unbelievable what he does. Those kicks, the punches, how quick he is on his feet. elusive. What a joy. That was a real coming-out party. What he did to Ellenberger was fantastic. The knockout here back in 2012, fantastic. But to do what he did against a guy like Johnny Hendrix, nothing short of amazing. It's going to be interesting to see what the UFC does with him. By the way, that website, if you want to learn more about the Expo that Chad Mendes is at, is called

it's www. huntexpo.com. Huntexpo.com is the website if you're going to be in the area. By the way, speaking of UFC Fight Night 82,

I did check in with Noad Lahat yesterday. He told me that the only serious injury that he suffered was a scratch cornea. Remember in the early portion of the first round, he actually got poked in the eye by Diego Rivas, ended up having a tremendous first round. You can make a case that it was a 10-8 for Noad Lahad. And then, of course, he gets knocked

out in vicious fashion, vicious fashion. That was scary. Second round, flying knee. The only man, how about this? The only man in the history of UFC, WEC, strike force, or pride to lose twice via flying knockout, via flying knee knockout, I should say. The only man in UFC, WEC, you see strike force and pride history to lose twice via flying knee KO. Brutal knockouts. He was actually on the ground for an extended period of time. That's why they didn't interview Diego Rivas. It just did not seem right. 100% the right call, in my opinion. And then they brought in this backboard for him. He finally regained his bearings and said, you know what, I don't want to use it. Bob Cook and a security guard helped him out.

they took him to the back, they checked him out, then they sent him to the hospital, and he just walked out on his own, even talked to me for a brief moment, and he got checked out there, and he told me last night that he's just upset about the loss, but no serious injuries other than a scratch cord, which is a serious deal, but I was thinking, the broken orbital, I don't know, something, broken nose, it was just, it was tough to watch. You know, for a card that was somewhat lacking in star power. A lot of significant things happen. I mean, a lot of things that really stood out. Alex White defeating Artem Lobov. Ardum just could not get off at all. Said a lot of things about Alex. This is the problem with putting down your opponent before a fight.

Then when you lose them, it just makes it look worse. I'm always of the thinking of propping up your opponent, making them seem bigger because then when you beat them, it looks even bigger. And when you lose to them, well, you just, you know, you just lost to a great guy. Of course, Mickey Gall winning. That couldn't have worked out better for the the UFC, what a performance. I mean, the 45 seconds, they couldn't have scripted that any better. Perfect for them. That's the guy that they wanted. So now he gets CM Punk, told you about Rivas. How about Justin Skagans with an amazing win? And then getting on the mic and calling out Sean Shelby, I come to learn afterwards that maybe he wasn't 100% accurate as far as being on

the sidelines for too long. I saw some emails and whatnot that he was a little bit banged up and couldn't get in there, essentially up until like mid-December, I think, maybe early January. Regardless, that's a name to remember. Derek Lewis with his terrifying, terrifying, frightening, scary, whatever word you want to use, celebration, and a great win as well. I think it was, I think it was Casey, our videographer, who debuted on the show last week. He said this to me after. How about Derek Lewis versus Roy Nelson next? Derek Lewis wants to be on the main card. Roy's fought a lot of those guys.

He hasn't fought Derek Lewis. I think that would be a fun fight. Josh Berkman, picking up his first win in 155 pounds. He dropped an incredible amount of weight in 24 hours. I think he said 18 pounds in 24 hours. That's actually kind of scary. And in this day and age with the California State Athletic Commission, now banning IVs, USADA banning IVs,

18 pounds and 24 hours is a scary thing. way, I believe he wants to be known as Joshua Berkman now. He defeated K.J. Noons v. Unanimous decision. Yeah, I don't know. I don't like that. In this day and age, you're not seeing a lot of veterans going down to 155. Or, I should say, just moving weight classes down. You're seeing a lot of guys going up because of the new, you know, the new protocols and whatnot, but not going down. Mike Pyle snapping the first two-fight losing streak of his career, defeating Sean Spencer, Misha Sarkinov of Latvia, now Canada, the group that put out a rap song about the legendary Christopps Porzingis, also making one about Misha Sarkinov, breaking Alex Nicholson's jaw.

That was hard to watch. 24 hours after Nicholson got engaged on the way-in stage. Do you hear that pop? It's disgusting. Joseph Benavita is defeating Zach Mokovsky of insane Peru against Féja. Now, then as the night kind of went along there in the main card, it was a little bit dull. Nelson against Rochal, we talked about that. And, of course, Wonder Boy Thompson, getting a big win over Johnny Hendrix.

Where does Hendrix go from here? That is a big question as well. All right, in a minute, we actually had to switch things up. We're going to be joined by Makikawa and Yuel Romero. Let me just make note of that. What's going on with my stream here? Is it doing any better? I think it's a little choppy.

But I think the audio is okay. And perhaps that's most important, right? Let me alert the masses of the switch. Yol Romero, I'll tell you, again, last week in Maliki, so a lot going on in the world of Yol L. Romero. We'll talk to him about the drug test where he goes from here. Also, we'll ask Malki briefly about the John Jones situation that has come up this morning. But I appreciate everyone in your comments when you write.

I'll tell you something. Um, nothing, if you want to get blocked 100% on Twitter, like if, if, if that's your goal, just when I put out the, uh, the lineup for the MMA hour on, on Sunday afternoon, if you reply all and include everyone's handles, um, and say that this is a crap show or something negative about the lineup, that is instantaneous. I don't care if you're my sister. You're getting blocked. So don't come crawling back to me or New York Rick or anyone else and ask why. You know, why now. You're getting blocked 100%. And if you're going to say something kind of negative or snarky or just annoying about the stream, the work that we do, you're just going to get blocked. That's it. It's over. Zero tolerance policy. I wish I had that Daniel Cormier picture. And no, no, you know, it's, it's just not needed. There's no room for it. So now I've told you, it's on you. I'm sure many people are going to do it because that's just the way people are these days. But just letting you know it's happening.

You're getting blocked. No if-ans or buts. You write those things. It's done. That's it. Zero tolerance. We're done. We're like the USADA of podcasts.

And how about a special shout out to the people on YouTube, the YouTube commenters? What a special bunch of those people are, huh? As I said, UFC on Fox 19. I think I called it I think I called the last show UFC on Fox 19 the one coming up on April 16th that's UFC on Fox 19

as we were talking about with Eddie Alvres that was officially announced this weekend as well Chhabib Nirmagamadeov versus Tony Ferguson main event Rashad Evans

versus Shogunhua I love that fight I think that fight makes too much sense it's perfect for both guys love it remember we were supposed to see that fight at UFC 128

and Rashad pulled out, injured, John Jones steps in, the rest is history. So now we're finally getting it. Rashad Evans, Shogunhuah, that's UFC on Fox 19. Dan Henderson versus Ludumachita, I'm not sure about that one. Their first fight didn't light the world on fire. That was UFC 157. I understand both guys don't have a lot going on, not many options.

At this stage of their careers, but I don't know about that one. on. Doesn't excite me as much. A rematch that does excite me, though. How about that segue? Rose Nomiunis versus Tisha Torres. That's also happening. UFC on Fox 19.

All this going down, by the way, in Tampa Bay, Florida. My first time going to Tampa Bay. So I can scout the arena over there. I should say the stadium, the Tropicana Field Stadium, and see just how bad it is. And, you know, the future Montreal Expos. That's where they play. Also, Benial Darius, Michael Keesa, that's going on.

They announced a few other fights for 196. Actually, they didn't announce them, but Shevchenko's fighting. Shevchenko is fighting. Mandaninez. Tom Loller, Corey Anderson. And they were hoping to announce a fifth fight on that main card. That wasn't BJ. I had heard that BJ wasn't going to be on the pay-per-view card, and that makes sense to me.

But as of right now, they have not been able to fill out that fifth card on the UFC on Fox, excuse me, the UFC 197, UFC 196. I'm getting all confused with these numbers now because this past weekend was supposed to be 196, but it turned into UFC fight night 82. So now 196 is March 5th. 197 is April 23rd. That's Jones, D.C. and Fox 19th is April 16th. Okay. New York Rick is working very hard back there. So let's now switch things up. and go to the man who will be co-headlining UFC 197 on April 23rd. The man who will be facing Demetrius Johnson for the UFC flyway title, the gold medalist himself.

Henry Sohudo's on the phone. Henry, how are you? Pretty well, Ariel. How about yourself, man? How are you doing? I'm doing great. Thank you very much. I appreciate you coming on a little early.

So, all right, so you got the title fight. Was this a surprise at all, or did you know that after you won in November that it was all yours? It's no surprise. I believe it's, you know, he's fought the Navitas. He's fought everybody pretty much. I think I'm in, and plus he's been calling me out, even before he fought the oxen. So I think it's like, Bill, I'm a gold medalist. Who wants to fight me?

I want to fight him. I'm not surprised at all. I've been noticed, I follow you on Instagram, social media, and you've been traveling a lot. I think you were at the Olympic Training Center. You were in Singapore. Were you in the Middle East as well? Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. So I went out to do with the training center for about a month, training with the world-class

athlete program in the Army, and also with Matt Lennler, for just kind of just brushing up on my clench and my takedowns and whatnot, getting back to the roots for, you know, obviously wrestling is king, so I did that, and then also I went to evolve for a few weeks out there with, you know, the best world champions in Maitai and Jiu-Jitsu. So, you know, I've been talking all this stuff up, and it's been a very fun last two months. So where are you going to do this camp? The camp, I'm going to, it's to be announced that everything depends on the media, obligation with the U.S. you had.

But one option is to go to evolve, and the other option is obviously to stay home here, here at Fight Ready, M.A. What are you leaning towards? I think they're both good plans. Either bring some people in if I decided to stay here or we're going to decide by the end of this week what's going to happen. Or see not to evolve and continue to brush up on my stand-up

and my ground game. Okay, so you're 10-0, obviously perfect in the UFC. You've only been fighting since March of 2013. MMA, of course, you've been wrestling essentially your entire life. Is this coming at the right time? you wish in a perfect world. I mean, no secret that flyweight isn't the deepest weight class. You're 100% of my opinion, the number one contender. It's a fresh matchup. It's an interesting

matchup. It's a sellable matchup. But is this coming at the right time for you? Oh, absolutely. I believe it's all in God's plan. I believe things happen for a reason, or sometimes I tend to create things. You can get a negative or positive. But I feel like, a thing that people don't know about it, I actually boxed amateur for a few years and I competed in amateur competition so when people see my hands I'm not just your your MMA fighter I took my time with the sport of sending I wrestled the Olympics I watched three years I'm on the proper club tiger in Arizona this is a big box and then from there it's there's no surprise there is what I'm saying

obviously I'm kind of know and I do believe I'm going to be Demetius Johnson I do believe I have to stand up my defense is on point and I'm going to fight human recording. All right. So when you watch him now. Call me the mouse trap. I like it. I like that.

I'm surprised no one's used that before. Well done. I got it from Captain Eric Albert. He's actually sitting right next to me right now. You know what? He's got to institute a little bit. Watch up, there you know. You see, I should have known.

I should have known one of the brilliant minds in the sport. The brains behind Bechko has four horsewoman, campaign, has done great work with the, I mean, this guy, I don't know about his, by the way, to be honest, I don't know about any of his skills as far as training, coaching, but just trash talking, you got one leg up now just because you have him, you know, by your side. Yeah, no, absolutely. Well, actually, Eric is one of my, he's one of my mentors. He's actually be one of my coaches. He's going to be one of the coaches in my program when I fight the teachers. I lot of people don't know

it, but he was sort of making the Olympic team in 1996. I mean, he's been around the best attitude to the world. And he's somebody extremely crucial and important to me to have my partner.

But yeah, he does. He's, I always tell me he should be like a WWE. Yes. Okay, so when you guys look at DJ right now, I mean, he's been perfect as a flyweight,

what are the holes that you're going to exploit in this game? Well, the way I see it, Ariel, and I'm not going to get my game plan away. I will say this. He's good at every area. He transitions very well, and he understands distance. So it's not so much of his speed, but it's he, the man, the mouse understands distance. He understands, he knows his style of fight.

And me, the way I see this fight is, but I have a feeling of this game. I will fight people or court him. me. I have no pride whatsoever. I'm going to fight him a certain way, and if he switches it up on me, I'm not to have a person who's up with that. I do believe, and I know I'm a strong, I hit harder, and we'll better ask me. So I have every tool what it takes. I'm surprised how many people I actually doubt it. I know the ones that know me, that truly know me, like the Kogay or people, people that have seen me perform at, I will shine when the light is bright. Believe me. There's not He didn't bring on his plant that's truly lonely.

I'm saying, hey, these kids are blue. I don't, I'm not like that, Ariel. You put the lamlight on me. You can put me on, you can put it on a center stage, and that will perform. I'm excited more than anything. I'm excited because, man, this is like the Olympics all over again. A lot of people didn't believe in me. A lot of people, 98% of the people didn't believe in me.

99. But I had my coaches, I have my brother and myself. There's only three people, really, that truly believe that I could have done it, I went from 30th first in the world first. So, got me out again, baby. I love it. Speaking of Cormier, how do you feel about the fact that they paired you guys

up together? I think personally, I think it's brilliant. The two Olympians, side by side once again, one's a champion, one's the challenger. How do you feel about this car that you've been put on? Oh, I think it's awesome. I just hope John John could make it April 43rd.

But I believe it's good. I'm a big fan of John Jones, too. You know, pretty, this is, if you really look at it, Ariel,

this is the toughest card anybody has really put together. I mean, you have, you know, a lot of people call Demetri's or John Jones Poppercom,

and they're going up against two elite athletes. You know, you got Daniel Cornier, two-time Olympic, and obviously got myself who was an Olympic champion. So this is,

it's almost like NMA versus, versus the Olympic style. Oh. I always see, we all come from a, we all come from, from a wrestling background, and I think that shows, like, how tough sport of wrestling is,

and, you know, the better fighter's going to win, because it's not going to come down to wrestling. It's going to come down that who can put things together, the best who can fight a court. I don't know how much you paid attention to this past weekend, but Joseph Benevides picked up a win over Zach McCovsky. Afterwards, obviously he was busy. He was walking out, but they announced actually your fight right before his fight, and afterwards he didn't get the memo, and he said that he'd like to fight you.

Then when he was told that you were getting the shot, he said multiple times that you didn't deserve the title fight. What's your response to that? Oh, man, I think, man, he's going to get it, man. There's not too many people, and I actually went up to him, every in Mexico City, and I went up to him, and I shook his hat, and I said, this is last in my chief o'clock in this fight. I said, hey, man, I think it would be, I came up to him. I know a lot of people think he's calling me out.

And you can ask them, but I can put this on my family, on my face. I went up to him, and I shook his hands and said, hey, dude, I would love to fight you. And I said, I would love to fight you. I have a three-round five round five for a main event. You see, I don't like to open my boss a lot, aerial, because, man, because I'll be honest with you, man. I, dude, I come from the streets. I come from, like, a third part of the ghetto here in Phoenix. I'm a good shit-talker.

I'm really trying to compose myself a little bit. but let it go I think he's very I think he's very disrespectful and right now Dimitri Johnson's on my mind and I know I'm going to beat him Mario and I

feel like I'm a good matcher for Joseph Benavita's I think his biggest strength is his heart and I admire that he's a really tough human being technically I don't think he's that sound I'm a faster, sharper

version of what he is and I'm crisper I'm faster and then just that's naturally strong. So I will be old man, he is one strong human being. But, man, it's going to come down a little more to that. Watch me punch, watch him punch. Watch and punch.

Watch and kick. It's different. I let you break things down, but his time is coming. His time is coming. And I'm excited. I'm, first of all, I'm excited for Demetrius. I think second of, I think it's kind of disrespectful that he keeps, you know, because I've never said anything to the man.

But when I fight him, it's going to be personal. Did you watch his fight? And if so, what do you think of his performance? I think the third round looked good. I think he, like I said, none, he's got flogged, like everybody else. But like I said, I feel like I'm just too fast for him. I think Makovsky has a foul to beat him. But I feel like he got tired.

And Henderson would have wouldn't get tired. If anything, I get better throughout the rest, I can mix up my wrestle. Now, also, this came up. You're fighting in Nevada. Of course, you've had your issues with Nevada. Have those been dropped now that the suspension has been reduced? Oh, no, absolutely. You know, we protested and we won, Ariel.

We won. I mean, if somebody like myself or the people didn't actually, if the fire didn't get together, they did and be out for five years. And, you know, I'm still a little of the same place is a better than 100,000. Yeah. But at least they're given an opportunity to. to make that money again. So, do you feel...

It's about the message, man. I'm the messenger, so I'm just here to help. I'm here to... I'm here to beat people up and inspire the world as... as corny as that sounds. Well, do you feel like they're going to try to get you because you were so critical of them? Are you...

I mean, do you... Do you have any concerns about fighting in Nevada? No concerns. At first of all, it was a little concerned because with the decision that happened in moderate Mexico, I'm like, oh, I just... control that. I know I fought conservatives, but there's a reason to that because I knew I could be for me regardless. But, you know, when it comes to Demetrius, it's going to be a whole old

ballgame. But I have to, I trade to dominate Ariel, and that's what I'm going to do against Beatrice because I know a lot, maybe a lot of people need to respond to me. But I'm not to go in there and display the fact that I'm going to have to, you know, put my raft in this fight. You say the word conservative and a light bulb goes off in my mind. Some have compared this fight. You've been fighting a certain way. Holly Holie Holm was fighting a certain way. And then she gets in the title fight and she blows the roof off the place.

Is it possible that Henry Sohudo has just been holding back just a little bit because you knew you were going to fight for the belt and you didn't want to show your cards? Is that possible? Dan Henderson has an H-bub come April 23rd. I'll be debuting the R-Boss. R-bomb. What is the R-bomb? Which is the rodent bomb.

The what bomb? The rodent bomb. Oh, my. So you're expecting to knock him out. It's Eric, man. Eric is insigated. He's on my side here. No, you got to own that, my man.

You got to own that. You're expecting to knock out Demetrius Johnson. That's what you're saying. Absolutely. Wow. Absolutely. Obviously, I'm ready for a fun round. I'm ready for a five-round fight.

But I believe I could not, you're going to feel it, man. It's like how Holly Holmes told Rhonda. It's like, hey, you know, what's the difference between you and every other girl that she's being? The simple answer to what she says, I'm just a different athlete. I'm just a different girl. And I feel like this is kind of like, that's kind of how I feel. I'm just a different athlete. I'm a different breed.

And you guys will see that. You'll feel it. Is it fair to say DJs never fought anyone like Henry Sohudo? I think so. He's fought some tough competition, and he's lost. He's lost the dominant group. But, like I said, man, I think our style are going to mesh very, very well. He's going to run.

He's going to kick. He's going to probably try to kick my front leg. Or he'll possibly take me down. I doubt he tried to pressure me. But we're ready for every angle that he brings to the table. Are you sort of banking on the fact? that this is a guy who's been so dominant as a late that like maybe he's resting on his laurels he's getting a little more popular he's got the t-shirt now the beard the the the twitch thing

are you kind of you feel like maybe you can catch him here and and and really test the guy who hasn't really been tested as of late um absolutely but what i don't want eros i don't want excuses when i beat them i don't want excuses that oh my shirt my beard and people were pulling me over here pulling me over there no you're fine You're fighting an undefeated fighter. He's an elite fighter. And, you know, showcase. Come on, man.

Like, this is the, this is a fight. This isn't, you're not fighting, you're not fighting, you're not fighting Benavita. You're not fighting, you know, you're not fighting, Harri-Gucci. You're fighting Henry Sehudo. A really strong, strong, strong-willed human being that can put things together. And that will shine on the brightest life. Wow.

Now I'm really excited. Okay, one more thing. What are we doing about the weight this time? So there are no hiccups? Are we working with anyone? What's the plan? Yeah, absolutely. I'm in the talk about...

I'll be talking to Judge Lockhart here within this week. But my way is actually down already. I'm up in my runs. I'm staying focused. You're kind of just watching the nutrition side of thing. But obviously, my cardio and nutrition are going hand-a-hand, so that's pretty much fun of doing. So I'm extremely, extremely light right now.

How much are you right now? I'm about 140. Okay, that's good for you? Yeah, that's light for me. But you will be working with someone? Absolutely. Okay. Absolutely.

I'm treating the spike area like I'm training for the Olympics. Wow. This is the Olympics of MMA, and that's how I'm going to treat. I'm in complete concentration and isolation, and that's it. You know, part of it is, is I'm excited, and I know what I'm capable of doing. Have you never treated an MMA fight like this before? Like, does this feel different for you? No, absolutely, but I think there's a little more focus to this one.

I'm a very disciplined and focused human being, but especially a lot of emphasis on my weight, obviously. That's pretty much number one. Because I know if I make the weight good and I feel good, he's going to have his hands full come April 23rd. But nothing's changed because we've just, trained hard. It's just, we're going to fight him accordingly. It's like one of my pastures, he said, he says, Henry, when David fought Goliath, he didn't fight him with strength.

He didn't go to toe to the toll toad. He didn't fight him. He didn't fight him with the sword. He fought him. You know what David did? He picked up a rock. Sling shot and hit him extremely precise and dropped him and killed him. And, uh, That's kind of like the theme that I'm taking to this fight. Hey, man, I'm going up against Goliath, and I'm going to fight them a certain way, and that's all there is too. And I know if I find this certain way,

that I'm going to become victorious, just like David. Well, Henry, you can't see me right now, but a big spot, I just love it. I love everything you bring to the table. You have gotten me and others, people writing me on Twitter, infinitely more excited for this fight on April 23rd. So, a tremendous job.

I wish you the very best in training. Of course, we'll talk to you beforehand, but I really wanted to get your immediate thoughts on the fight. I appreciate you coming on and switching things up. And again, good luck in preparing for the fight and say hello to Eric as well. Oh, I will. He says hi, too, but I'm going to give you something, Ariel, because I know you live, that'd be the...

But, brother, I am ready. Come April 23rd, I'm coming for you, buddy, mouth. I'm coming for you. Well said. Thank you, Henry. Appreciate it. All right, have a good one. There he is, Henry Sehudo, the messenger,

dropping a message here to the UFC flyway champion. Tremendous stuff from Henry Sehudo. Fight goes down April 23rd, UFC 197 in Las Vegas. Okay, let's move along. Let's welcome in our next guest. He is the reigning and defending UFC lightweight champion on March 5th. He faces Connor in one of the biggest fights in UFC history. He is Hafeld Dosangos.

He joins us right now. RDA, how are you? I'm good, Adia. How about you? I'm doing very well. Thank you for the time. Excited to speak to you. So here we are less than a month away. And I want to ask you sort of the same question that I just asked, Henry, does this one feel any different to you? There's so much attention, so much buzz. You've been in big fights, but does this one feel different? No, man, it's one more fight for me. You know, I'm, I didn't know. I just

thought like two months ago and I can't wait to step back on the octagon, you know, and wait a point, man, my carter feels on point, you know, I didn't lost anything for the last fight and still feeling great, you know, can't wait to stop in it. The connection is a little, a little chubby. Are you, are you in your car right now? Yeah, yeah. So I just turned off the Bluetooth here. Oh, there you go. Okay, thank you. I appreciate that. Of course, much was made of that press conference a couple weeks back. Did that change things for you? Like, did he cross the line? Did he piss you off to the point where now you took this fight more seriously, got on your skin, made it more personal? Afterwards, how did you react to all of that?

Well, man, I think, man, this guy, he thinks just because he, you know, he dressed like expensive clothes. He drive a nice car, you know. He has class, but he's classless, you know. He has no class, he's low life. And, man, I can't wait just to go there. You know, I'm not taking personal, you know. He's an actor. You know, he's acting. And once I go there, I'm a straight guy, you know.

I don't talk. I do, you know. And I'm just going to go there and send this guy back to his home, you know. And send him back to his division. and you know he's gonna have like three nightmares with lightweight division for the rest of his life how difficult was it for you to sit there and and you know have him interrupt you and say things about and you didn't really react to it you didn't fire back was that a conscious decision on your part did you say you didn't want to engage in that like because it seemed like you sitting there it was it was

it was building up but you didn't you didn't do anything how difficult was that Yeah, it wasn't difficult, man You know Like my parents always Like when I was kids They were always telling me You know You never

I go with crazy people You know, let them talk So that's why I did Even though when he talks about your family He doesn't cross the line That doesn't make you Because I was told beforehand If he goes there

You're going to react But he went there and you didn't Why did you choose not to? Yeah Because, man, I'm a cold-headed fight. I do my job. I know the time it will come, March 5th. I'm going to finally put my hands on this guy,

and he's going to pay for everything. You know, everything he says outside of the octagon. You know, he said bad things about my God. He said bad things about my wife or my kids. Of course, for sure, he's crossing the line. but on the octagon is the place when everybody will pay for their thing and then he's going to pay he's going to pay for it on March 5th do you have a lot of people coming up to Brazilian fans teammates coming up to

and say please shut this guy up please make him pay for what he's saying I mean now he just recently criticized your friend and teammate Fabricea Verduem at the MMA awards are you getting a lot of people coming up to you and showing you support before the fight yeah I never I never had A lot of people, man, even Irish fans, they come to me and say, hey, man, please shut that guy mouth. These guys have been talking so much. Maybe 90% of the people of the fans that I meet, they said the same thing. Please shut this guy mouth.

But I'm going to do this for me, for my coaches, for my family, for my fans, you know. I'm going to do this for my God, too, you know. because, man, he's claimed to be God, and he's claiming to be the God. He can be the God. So he says he can be God, so we'll see if he can beat me. So you're having Irish fans write to you and come up to you and say to beat, they want you to beat Connor.

A lot of guys, man, a lot of guys. The Irish say that this guy, he's embarrassing his own people, you know. He's making anybody a shame of him. I have my neighbor who, the guy who lives next door for me, he's Irish. His wife, he's Irish too. You know, they have two kids. They live next door to me. Every time with friends, they say, please beat this guy.

He's, you know, he's, you know, he's, he's, you know, embarrassed here. He's embarrassed to the Irish people. Wow. What was it like? I know you were just in Brazil, and you had this media tour. What was that like for you? It felt to me like, okay, this is your first time as champion where they were bringing you to Brazil,

have you go around, talk to the media. Were you feeling like you were getting the attention that you deserve from the fans there and from the media alike? Yeah, of course, man. A lot of fans, you know, a lot of people, this fight is going to be a huge fight, man, it's been, you know, a lot of media. And I'm just, man, for me, it's one more fight, you know. I feel very focused, you know, very bearing shape.

And of course, man, it's been different because it's a big fight. Yeah. And I think it's not the biggest opponent. It's not the toughest opponent. But it's the biggest part of Michael here because this guy, the way that he's been talking, he's been getting a lot of fans, a lot of, he's been very popular. But I think I faced better guys before, stronger guys, faster guys. faster guys and I chance

this is going to be one more fight. So you say that he's not the toughest opponent. Who comes to mind as far as who do you think is tougher than Connor McGregor? Ben Henderson Donald Seroni, these guys,

they are at different level, man. You know, they are stronger, they are faster, they are taller than this guy. And I didn't have a chance to thank Donna White on the press conference because that guy, he didn't let me speak, but I want to thank Dana White and Lorenzo for finally giving some easy fight, you know, finally. You know, I always have tough

fight to UFC and this fight will bring a lot and finally have some easy fight. Is a part of you, though, a little annoyed that he is, you know, he's never fought at lightweight in the UFC, like you're the champion, you had to win several in a row to get here. Are you annoyed that he's even getting the shot? No man I think the other guys on my division They are They probably be very upset

But I'm going to do my job You know if the UFC gave him a title shot It's fine I'm going to do my job Go there and send him back To his division You know And so whatever UFC

Put on my way I'm going to make sure I'm going to crush their dreams You know Because my dreams are in line And This guy, he's looking to be a two-way champion, but he's not going to make history over me. You know, we had Eddie Alvarez on the show an hour ago, and he said that the blueprint is there.

Like, he doesn't understand why fighters don't fight Connor the right way. And he said that he was hoping that you would go back to your basics, your jiu-jitsu, your ground game, and try to frustrate him and put him to the ground. Don't stand with him. Do you agree with him that fighters aren't fighting him the right way, Are you going to be different? Man, I don't agree. I think I can beat this guy anywhere.

I think if I fight a jiu-jitsu match with him, I will beat him. If I fight a karate match with him, I will beat him. If I fight a K-1 rules with him, I will beat him. I think I can beat him anywhere. You know, I'm going to do my job. I'm going to do whatever, what I've been doing on my fight. I'm going to, you know, break his mind standing. You know, he's going to feel very bad after, you know, hit him hard several times.

And then maybe if I want, I will take him down and smash me a little bit on the ground. But I'm not going to this fight like, I'm not going to stand with Conner because I think he doesn't bring anything different to me, you know. I think I'm a better fight everywhere than him. Does he do anything that concerns you that you can honestly, okay, I need to watch out for this or that? Yeah, man, he's a good fighter. I'm not saying he's not a good fighter. He's a good fighter, but I just face better guys, and I just think at him at a different level. He got a, he's very, he has a good, good, good, he's a counter, you know, he has a good, good, he's a good street left,

so I need to watch it. But not, not, not anything that I didn't see before, you know. I fought Neidea is, Neidia is a better box in the hand, you know, longer, you know, very, very, very difficult to fight against. Neidea is a very tough opponent. And, you know, Steroni is a very multi-guy, very good, very long. And, man, I fought, I mean, I fought better guys before, you know. What was the vibe like backstage at the press conference when he was late when they had to start without him?

Were you noticing that people were upset? Were you getting upset? What was it like? Yeah, I think, I mean, all the fans, but, you know, all the media, I think it's kind of disrespectful, but, you know, when he's step, everybody left, everybody, you know, give him, like, you know, like, everybody left at him, you know, like, oh, like, you did good. Now, for me, I think was disrespectful with the fans, with the media, but it's weird what it is, man. And, you know, he brought up an interesting point. He said that the fight should be sold as champion versus champion. His belt should have been up there.

They've since changed the poster to a degree. The belt is there. What did you make of that? Do you think his belt should be a part of the promotion? Or, as Dana said initially, because he wasn't putting his belt on the line, it shouldn't be a part of it. Yeah, it's okay. He's a champion, but he's a fat-of-weight champion. and I'm a lightweight champion.

So the fight is for lightweight division. So, but I think it's good, you know, it's good for the promotion of the show to be two champions. It's champion versus champions. So, betterweight champion against lightweight champion. I think it's fair to be, to be, you know, to be on the, on the poster.

No problem. That doesn't change anything for me. You know, when this fight wasn't yet officially announced, there was reports about it in the media, but then there was a report that you weren't signing and then he wasn't signing. Can you clear that up for us? Did you delay agreeing to the fight in any way?

Did you want more money, anything? Because there were all kinds of different reports out there. No, I'm going to make the same thing. I'm going to make the same thing. You know, I signed the fight. He took a little longer to sign, but I don't know why. But, you know, I make the same thing that I was meeting. So you make the same thing that you made it?

against Soroni, I'm assuming different than the Pettus fight, because in that fight, you were the challenger, right? Yes. Do you feel like that should be the case? This is a much bigger fight. Man, everybody like money. You know, I like money. I need money to survive, but I don't love money.

You know, money is not my God, you know. And I think I don't work ship the money like him. You know, everybody needs money, but I'm a fine. and for fight with this guy, you know, I, man, what I make, I'm happy with what I make. And, but I think the money is not everything, you know, it's about honor. You know, I go there, and I'm going to, I'm going to show the word why I'm the champion, why I'm going to, why I'm going to be with this belt for a long time. Both Connor and his coach, John Kavanaugh, say they're going to finish you rather quickly in the

first round. Do you feel like they're underestimating you, that they're not respecting your skills? Man, this guy, they don't respect nobody, man. They disrespect a master Rafael Cordero, the guy who's being on the game for 28 years. You know, they disrespect Fabrito Verdon. He said my gym, my gym is bummed, you know. And if I don't think wrong, I think, the only guy who's been winning on his own, on his gym, he is because everybody else lost. You know, just Connor, I think he won the last two fights.

Everybody else lost. And so I think my gym's not bummed. We have two champions here, and we're going to have two champions for a long time. Are you bringing in anyone different that's not at the gym to replicate his style, to spar with you, any new fighters coming in to help you prepare for March 5th?

Nobody, nobody, man. Same recipe, you know. This guy, he doesn't have anything that I saw before, you know. One more guy, you know, nothing different. Nothing different. You know, I didn't bring out of anything special. And I've been sporting with Liotr, Matida. He's my teammate here, his brother, you know, Shenzhou Machida.

So we have a good character guys here, man. But I didn't bring anything special. You know, we have a lot of guys here. So you're sparring with Liotto? Yeah, man. Wow. He's a lot bigger than you. Yeah, but man, I think that's the way.

That's the way. I always, I don't, I don't work on my comfort zone. I think that's why I am a champion. I don't work on my comfort zone. You know, I don't bring guys just to beat this guy. You know, I want to get beat up on training. You know, I always work out of my comfort zone. They just debuted a new commercial for the event.

They debuted on Saturday. It's really cool. 3D, all this stuff. Did you enjoy doing that? Are you enjoying the build-up to this, or is all this annoying, you just want to fight, punch him in the head, get it over with? No, no, man. It's all part of the game, you know.

I work so hard to be on this position. And, like, to go to Brazil, to do all the media, to go to Las Vegas, I do all the media. It's something that I enjoy. You know, it's starting. You know, like training sometimes you get tired, but it's part of the game. You know, I can complain and I do it a lot. So even, you know, I see when you're mentioning about what he said about your gym

and Master Hafeel Cordero and Verdum, it's not personal at all. You're not allowing it to get in your mind. Do you think that that's been a mistake that others have made like Aldo, Chad Mendes others? Do you think that that's the key here, just don't let him get into your mind and make it personal? No, of course, man. Just one more fight. Like everybody saw how much the run it was. Seroni is not a kind of guy that's speaking a lot.

He was speaking a lot. You know, trash talking a lot before a fight. And I didn't take it personal, you know. I just went there and beat him. That's why I'm going to do with Connor, you know. He's crossing the line, but I'm a cold-hatter fighter, you know. I've been on this game for a long time. It's going to be my fight-off number 20.

on UFC. You know, I've been fighting MMA for 12 years. And man, I grew up in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, Niterroi, you know, on the favelas, which the bullying, you know, bullying is crazy there.

And I survive all it, you know. Not going to be this guy from Europe, from Irish, going to get in my head, you know. By the way, that stare-down when you were looking at him, your eyes, it was a little frightening. I mean, the look that you gave him, what's going through your mind when you're

looking at him like that? It's a killer look, you know, he's a killer. He got a, you know, he never faced nobody like me, you know. He never faced nobody with my power, with my spiritual power and everything that are going to bring, you know, he's going to feel, it's not only me as a fighter, you know, it's not only Raphael de Zanjos there, but, you know, it's a It's all my spiritual presence. He's going to feel that. On March 5th, once he step on the octagon, he's going to feel he's not on his night.

Final thing. His team loves to make predictions. As you know, we just talked about it. What's your official prediction? Man, my prediction is I don't see. I'm going to win for sure. You know, I don't see how this guy can beat me. But a prediction.

This fight will not be five rounds. It's going to be maybe three or two rounds. This guy, he's not going to be able to handle me for more than two rounds. You know, he's going to break. He's going to break like a girl. And you said you were going to make it go longer to punish him. Is that still what you want to do? Yeah, I will see.

I will see. If I have an opportunity to finish, I will finish. I'll finish, but I will feel him first. You know, I want to, you know, like hit him first, you know, a couple times. I want him to feel my power, you know, because he's been having all such a good time on the octagon. Everything that he's predicting is being happening. But I think this time his crystal ball is a little blurry, you know. I think he's not seen well.

And he's going to feel the difference. I'm going to show him the bad part of the autobon. I went through the good part and the bad part, you know, and I went through always. But now I'm going to introduce him the bad part. Wow. I was very excited. I didn't think I could get more excited.

I'm now a thousand times more excited. Tremendous job, Hafeel. Thank you so much for the time. I really appreciate it. I know you're very busy now, so it means a lot that you'd come on the show. Best of luck to you in training, and of course, good luck on March 5th. Thank you. Thank you. All fans. Bye. All right. There he is. Halfel do Sanjos. Wow. What is in the air today?

Henry Sehudo. Hafeld dosangos, Michael Chandler, Eddie Alvarez, Ben Rothwell. The gentlemen are bringing it today on the MMA hour and we're not done. Wow, that was great. Hafeel's come a long way with his interviews. That was tremendous stuff. I'm so excited. My hands are tingling. March 5th. Can't come soon enough. Less than a month. away, UFC 196. Wow. I'm sweating. Okay. Two more guests to go. They're coming on together. Very excited about this. We're being joined right now via the magic of Skype, top contender in the middleweight division. Uel Romero, there he is, and his manager Malki Kawa. Hey, guys, how are you? Ola. Are you?

Good. Thank you. How are you? Look at that English. I like it, Yuel. Very nice job. Okay, there's a lot to get to here, but before we get to UL, Malki, of course, you represent the great John Jones. A lot of stories out there today about his drive. What can you tell us about John? He was he was pulled over for a minor traffic violation and he was cited for not having his paperwork with him. He'll be in court Wednesday and he will do just like the rest of us do when we get a ticket. Go to court and he'll, what do you call it either get it dismissed or the judge will say, you know, you got to get your paperwork whatever it is. So no big deal. It's really no big deal. I'm not really understanding all the hype behind it. But, you know, hey, it's John Jones. So this doesn't affect April 23rd, right?

No, sir, at all. Doesn't affect April 23rd, doesn't affect his probation, doesn't affect any. You got a ticket just like the rest of us do. Okay, so you're 100% sure because people are freaking out, as is Daniel Quay. Everyone's freaking out. One thousand percent sure that John Jones is perfectly fine. He's doing phenomenal. He's doing great.

He's in training camp. He's doing awesome. Okay. Glad to hear. Okay. Now let's move along. And if I can ask you, can you turn the audio down a little bit because I'm getting some feedback off the computer, I think. How about now?

Yeah, that's better. Okay. Okay. Yo, let me talk to you first. This has been a very interesting time for you after the fight. You get a big win over Jacques, this news comes out that you've been provisionally suspended, and everyone under the sun is calling you a cheater, a liar, all this.

Everyone's piling it on you. What has it been like? We'll get into the facts, but what has this been like for you as you sit on the sidelines and have to listen to everyone, especially, you know, just kind of disparage your name? You know, I believe everything is something happening in life for something, you know. I want to say thank you for Ussa'a, you know, because Usada work a lot about this situation, you know. And now everything is...

It's clean. Everything, I know everything what happened. I wanted the people know. What is the situation? What is what happened in this situation? You know, I have, for 20 years, 30 years, I do a sport, you know, professional sport. I go for the war championship, Olympic Games, you know. I never take it something like that.

I never take it in my life. I don't need it. I don't need it. I don't do nothing, you know. And now the Usada walk a lot, I tell you, and now, because he wanted to say, my name is a, my performing is not, I don't do it, I don't do nothing, you know.

Um, that I want to say that, that Ussa was working real hard. He wants to tell everybody that Yusala's been working real hard. To clear, you know, the situation to kind of let everybody to kind of, you know, well, Eric, let me kind of answer for you in a way. Okay, well, tell us what I have, because I know you can explain it better than English. So basically, go ahead.

So basically what happened was is that we got notified that he, he, and like how Ysada always does whenever there's a potential, you know, in the jug test, right? And his drug test came back and supposedly he popped for something. And he was, he was totally caught off guard and he was shocked, right? He was like, hey, look, I didn't do this. And so for us as his managers and for most people, like yourself, in the media and everything like that, if he would have came out and said, hey, I didn't do this, I didn't do this. Everybody thought, okay, yeah, right, you got a blood test that says one thing, and then you've got you saying something different. And what basically happened was, you know,

he took a certain supplement after the fight, okay, that was contaminated. It had, and illegal substance in it. Now I know everybody's probably going to say, well, hold on a second. No, I've heard this story before. The reason why he keeps saying, you know, Yusada worked hard and this and that, the other. And honestly, it's a lot of credit that goes to Yusada and Jeff Navitsky and the whole, you know, everybody that was involved in it. He maintained his innocence the whole time. He got visited by Ysada after the fact. There were certain things that happened between the thing. He provided them the supplements that he took. And there was one specific supplement he took after the fight. And he said, this is the supplement that I took. When you read the

label, there's nothing in there. It's a natural supplement. It's supposed to be as clean as possible. It's something that anybody could have taken. And if everything that on the label would have been in there, we never would even be here. It ended up being that this particular supplement was contaminated with the product that he failed for. We ended up buying the product. We ended up sending it out for our own independent testing. And then you saw it went ahead and did their own independent research of this product and, you know, getting of the product and all this other stuff. And their investigation and it came back and they found out that there's a contamination problem with this particular supplement so not just yo l romero anybody else who's been taking the supplement

has this you know banned substance in their in their system right now what was the substance i can't but here's the only thing um ariel we really can't get into too many details as far as what the supplement was or the substance that um he failed for because usada still is investigating this thing um and not just you know on this level but on another level as well So I don't want to hinder any type of their investigation or anything that's going on right now at this point. Okay, so the A sample comes back, obviously positive, and you asked for the B sample to be tested. That came out positive as well, right? Correct. Correct.

Okay, but now you have since found out that the substance, whatever it is, is contaminated, correct? Correct. Usada is in agreement with this? They did their testing. Correct. So now what do they say? Well, that's the part. We're still getting all that stuff worked out, and we should hopefully have a resolution for you will by the end of this week. Is it possible that YOL walks away with no suspension, no punishment, no fine, no nothing?

Well, I think from what I understand the code to be written, in cases like this, it can be as minimal as a public warning and it can be as much as the full two-year suspension that they give for somebody who's using PEDs. We feel, all right, the fact that with all the facts that are out there and with everything that we know and everything that he's saying and everything that's already been corroborated, by the testing that's been taking place by many different people that, you know, that he did not do anything knowingly. I mean, listen, it's just, it's bottom line this. The supplement has a label with a bunch of stuff on it. None of that is illegal to take. What he got popped for is not

on the label. So it's obviously not his fault that he popped for this. That's our position on it at this point. So, you know, obviously we're in the hands of Usada and we're working with them hand in hand. All I can say is that Usada has been great to work with so far. They've gone above and beyond what I think I could have asked of them to do for us in this case. Jeff Novitsky, the guy that works for the UFC that's in charge of this program, has done a phenomenal job of keeping us on point with what we have to do, all of our rights, all of our options. And if it wasn't for that, I don't know that we would be in the position that we're in today.

I think his biggest goal with this interview is just to kind of let people know, hey, I didn't cheat, I didn't take any PEDs. I definitely didn't do anything wrong. The fact that I feel the drug test, he understands that. He's, you know, we'll take responsibility for taking the supplement. But again, you know what I'm saying? That's like if I gave you, you know, a pack of gum and you take it knowing that, hey, it's a pack of gum and it ends up having something in it that you had no idea about,

I had no idea about. And then, you know, now a sudden you're looking at an out of failed drug test. That's the best way I can probably, you know, give it to you. And just a quick follow up. Why not say what it is so that people can research and see, oh, wow, there is actually a problem here. Like, why can't you say? We will, but the thing is I don't want to, I don't want to interfere with you, Sada's investigation right now.

Okay. Usada's got some other stuff going on and I don't want to mess that up. So that's the reason why we're not going to get into the supplement, name of the supplement, the company that produces it, or the actual stuff that he popped for because it's at a higher level than us right now. Yuel, what do you think should happen? Do you think that there should be no punishment at all, that you didn't know, you didn't know that this was in there and you should be able to fight, you know, whenever you want, or are you expecting that they're going to give you something?

What do you think that would have that not any a castigue because you are you are still that you

think that there would be any any kind of you know,

I think it's my responsibility is taking something you know but I

think it's maybe maybe um warning pulling pulling

you know because uh I don't know. Nobody knows. When you see the supplement, the supplement is, outside, he says it's clean. You know, you can't take it, you know?

But that's what I think. I think that's what it happened. And in front of the day is a warning public, you know. And speaking of making a public warning, if you will, they came out last month and said that you have been provisionally suspended. Do you wish in hindsight and Malki feel free to weigh in after he responds that they kind of let you test the B sample, let all this, and then come out with something as opposed to coming out right away, not telling a lot of information and everyone

then calling you a cheater and piling on and all this stuff happening to you? They should first they should have all the requisites to check sample A and sample B before that they're playing with a and say to the moment that you're doing something that's going to be, at the more

that's what you're going to be. They're going to have done different. You know, you know, uh, because me doleau. It hurt him. It heard.

It's my name. It's his name. I am a person who I try to do everything as correct as possible. Principally with my team, with his fanatics. First of all, for his team and his fans. First of all, for his team and his fans, you know what I mean? With my family. For his family.

You know, and with me. And for himself. You know what I mean? He tries to do everything right. You know, because all my life has trained very hard. His whole entire life, he's trained very hard. I abstain from many things in the life. He abstains from a lot of stuff in life.

To be able to get, not a title but to sustain my family. To reach not just a world title, but to maintain my family. Not to just, you know, maintain a world title area, but to also maintain his family. If I was, if you, if you committed one of these, If I will commit one of these things.

It says that if he would have committed, you know, what they're saying, done one of these things. I'm running a risk. He's like, I'm running a risk. That he can't support his family and help his family. He thinks more in my family than he does some title. I'm concerned. He's conscious. He's conscious.

That one of these substances. That if he takes one of these substances. substances, that they're going to catch them. I've got a lot of years, as an Olympic athlete. He's got a lot of years being an Olympic athlete. I've got 30 years of athletics. And I'm conscious of that one of people who take them. He's always been conscious of the fact that if someone takes a substance,

that there's, you know, the fact that they could get caught. If I do that, I'm going to go that, I'm going to courient to science exact. He said I'm running at a hundred percent signs, exact signs. He says, I'm running at a hundred percent exact signs. That they're going to catch me. And they're, they're, they're giving, the, the, the, the suspension would be a minimum of two years.

Two years that I'll pay, maybe in the future, the, the, the, the, the best of my family. Two years that he would not be able to in the future. Two years that he would not be able to, in the future. Two years that he would not be able to. pay for two years that would, you know, obviously take away from his earning potential. Right. That can't pay for his daughter's college and all that other stuff.

It's illogical. He says it's not, it's not ideal, see logical. It's stupid. It's stupid. To do something like this. So, Ariel, for me to wait and also, let me just give it to you like this. Yeah, I actually spoke to Jeff Novicki and I said to him, Jeff, you know, I really, originally when we got the A sample back and it came out, I saw him at one of the events.

I said, Jeff, you know, I don't understand why, you know, this guy now was guilty without being, you know, given his day in court. I really wish that there was a way for you guys to wait because if you're telling me that the B sample can come back negative and then this whole thing goes away, then, you know, the reality of it is we should wait until the B sample comes back or until, you know what I mean, some sort of appeals process goes through. And, you know, listen, like I said, Ariel, Jeff has been nothing but a, but a gentleman through this whole process. He's been very helpful. This is my first time going through a PED, you know, allegation and a suspension. And, you know, he said to me, he's like, it's something that he's going to, you know, look at and visit and see if there's something that, you know, there's a way to, to make it, you know, to change the policy on how they do it.

They do this, I think, to be very transparent and they don't want people, you know, wondering what's going on and things. So they just, you know, put the information out there. But if you ask me, in my opinion, representing these fighters, you know, especially in this case, how it turned out, you know, I would much rather see them wait until a fighter goes through all his options. And in this case, you know, for this situation, from the time he fought or the time he got tested, which was, you know, second to last week of December until now, it really, you know, would have hurt anybody if they would have waited. I mean, they only announced the other title fight last week. You follow what I'm trying to say? And we probably will have all this resolved by the end of this week, which means he could have been, you know, still slated to fight for the championship like he was supposed to. And now, you know, obviously, you know, we don't know where that's going to end up being, when that's going to be or even what the, you know, what the outcome is going to be.

ask you about that in a second, but I just want to ask you similar question that I asked him, Maliki, what is your impression that you're getting right now? Are you getting the impression that he's going to get off and there'll be no punishment at all? Do you think that they'll slap him on the wrist? What's the feeling that you have right now? Again, you know, we just got into those conversations with Usada today. We're going to finish those up, hopefully this afternoon and through the rest of the week. Like I said, they're still investigating certain things and they're still going through the stuff. But I would just think, this is, again, me speaking, Not on behalf of Usada or anyone else or thing.

You know, when you look at the code and you look at what their rule state and says, it can be as minimal as a public warning or it could be up to two years. I don't expect it to be two years. I don't think two years would be fair. I don't think that anything else, again, in my opinion, anything that outside of them saying, hey, look, he really didn't do this knowingly their own purpose. Now, again, he did take the supplement. And this is something that, you know, I hope a lot of other fighters and people understand.

If you take a supplement, you run the risk of this happening. You know what I mean? The responsibility still falls on your well. He did take the supplement. You follow me? Although it was contaminated and ultimately it wasn't his fault, he still took the supplement. So there's going to be something. What that is, we don't know.

I don't know what the feeling of how it's going to go. I obviously can hope for the best and tell you I would like to see him, you know, walk away with this thing with, you know, his, you know, with his, exonerated from the whole situation without a problem. Okay, so we saw him UFC 194, big win over Jacques, and it seemed like, all right, that fight was the number one contender fight. It seemed that night that he was the number one contender. Before all this happened, what were you hearing? Was he getting the title shot? He was.

He was. That was from the UFC? Mm-hmm. And is it gone? Because, you know, they announced last week in June, Dana, but kind of before all this came out, I think that before you guys finally heard back, so is he going to get it back? Is he going to have to wait? Well, I mean, they announced the other fight now, so obviously, and again, look, we're still not out of this.

still don't know what, you know, the, the end result's going to be for him. You know, they can still punish him and say, hey, you still took the product. You know, you're going to be gone for two years. We don't expect that, but we don't know what's going to happen, right? So obviously the UFC's not going to sit around and wait. They've got a business to run and they did their thing. But in our opinion, if let's say Friday comes and they say, hey, you know what, let's call it time served or, hey, you know, public warning and it's over with, you know what I mean. They've already announced the other fight. So, you know, now we've got to sit down and look at what our next option is going to be. And that's what sucks about this whole thing, is that, you know,

here's a guy that was next in line and we believe would have got the title shot. We think that's what, you know, the plan was going to be. And if it wasn't for this, you know, he would be stated to be fighting for the title. Yeah. Yuel, what would you like to do in a perfect world? At this point, would you like to, if all goes well, would you like to wait for the winner of that? Do you want to be active and not wait, you know, for the winner of this fight if it happens in June, Wyden, Rockhold, too? What would you like to do in a perfect world? you would be to be a world perfect, to be able to win

between the war and guacam or maintain active and to play other person? What do you would you'd like to do? You know, I'm training,

I'm fight is what I've got I've been done. I've trained, I've played and I've got to now in a position and in this position

in that you're going to play. What is my position? Pellar the title. He says that he trains to fight and that what you call it

he's in a position where, you know, he wants, wants to fight for a world title. Okay. Can I just say that I think the big revelation of this interview is Malki's Spanish skills? I mean, this has been some, I mean, I had no idea.

Hey, Ariel, listen, for a second, there's a translator to the left. So when I'm a little bit off, I look over here and he kind of whispering it over. I'm trying to give you credit here, man. Don't put back the curtain. But I got to give credit with his dude because he's over here giving us all the, what he calls the same guy as last time? No, no, no, no, no. The same guy's last time has been fired from any type of translating duty.

Yeah, yeah. That's done. That's done. Well, somebody else will props him as well. No, no. That's just a little guy.

Muchos love for the other chance. I was trying to get you want to do this in English. To be honest with you here, I told him, I said, hey, try to do this in English as much as you can. So he's trying the best that he can right now to try to talk to the fans, you know what I mean, in English. Let me ask you all. Has he heard the comments from some of his

fellow competitors, people he's fought? And what is his reaction to what they've been saying? Let me just let me just make it clear. Tim Kennedy, Michael Bisping, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. I hear now everybody. I have something for everyone. I have. And now, I believe in God.

You have the heart of a Christian. I have the heart of a Christian. You understand. You understood. But, but. But. They don't know a guy. They don't know a guy,

the old Romero. Oh. They're looking for that old Romero. They're looking for that old Romero. They're asking, basically, they're asking for the old Romero. You know what I mean? They need to be careful.

Oh. Yeah. The old Romero from the things I know about the old Romero area, He really wasn't a nice good guy. I can tell you that much. He says he can be real mean. He says he can be real me. I got to tell you.

I don't talk as much as Connor. He says I don't talk as much as Connor. But. But I'm a lot more dangerous than Connor. In the ring, I'm a lot more dangerous than Connor. In the ring, I'm a lot more dangerous than Connor McGregor. Corazon of the town, I'm a real. Corazon me Christian.

the heart of a Christian the soul of a warrior Heart of a Christian Soul of a Warrior I've talked to you all for a few years now this is the most terrifying he's ever been

I just saw a switch go off something just changed in him when he started talking about those guys he's pissed he's pissed I'm gonna say like this he read all the comments he heard all the comments

and you know he's upset about it because you know at the end of the day he knew the whole time that he uh he didn't do anything wrong like he didn't he didn't

he didn't know he didn't know him he didn't know him to do anything on purpose to try to cheat you know let me also make some things clear. He passed all his, his, his, his, uh, pre-fight and fight night tests. All of those came back clean. So this was obviously after the fact. You see what I'm saying? Um, that this thing came up. This is a supplement that he took. You know what I mean for, and again, I can't really specify too much what the reasons weren't all that, but we will after everything is said and done and we'll be

completely transparent with it. But, you know, he fills this thing and, and, um, you know, everybody's coming out. Oh, he did this and he did that. He's a cheater and all this is because of what, you know, they put out in the press release. Um, and it bothered. him and hurt him because it's one thing that, you know, for 30 years he's saying that I've been tested. And I'm going to tell you, you know, when he found out the news about the pill being contaminated, he was at my house. We were actually sitting there letting him know that from the looks of it, the B sample came back positive and he was going to serve out a two-year suspension.

And I was trying to go through his options, which really weren't many, okay? In the middle of us talking, he got up and went to the bathroom. And, you know, I'm looking at my brother. And I'm like, dude, when are we going to, you know, fucking get the test, the result of the pill back? And Abraham goes, man, I don't know. And he picks up his phone and he literally his phone went, thing, when I said that. And he goes, I don't know, man.

And as he's checking, he goes, oh, wait a minute. And he goes, you won't believe this. And I look. And I'm like, holy shit. So we started screaming, Yowell's name. He was getting to the bathroom in my house. He comes running back. His pants were unbuckled.

His belt was unbuckled. He's like, what, what? And we tell him, like, yo, dude, the pill came back, you know, positive. This is basically what it was. He immediately broke down. He said, you can tell that this weight on him. him. It affected him. I've never seen him, like, he cried. He cried tears of, like, relief and of, like, grief a little bit because he was really grieving over this thing. It was really, really eating

up at him. He didn't sleep a lot of nights. You know, he called me at two, three o'clock in the morning many times just to, like, you know, figure out what to do, how to do this? How could this possibly be? You know what I mean? And it really, all of it affected him in a lot of ways. So, you know, now he's a little bit more relieved, but he's pissed off. Okay, final thing before we let you guys go, Do you have any idea when you'll find out the final word on all this? I'm hoping, like I said, by the end of the sweet area, I should hopefully have everything as far as he's concerned, you know what I mean, resolved. Okay.

Did we cover anything? Anything else you want to bring up? No? No. All right. I just want to give you the opportunity because I know he's been quiet, so I just wanted to make sure I feel like we did, but just in case I forgot anything. I have a voice of a bit.

I go get in the scene. He says thank you to Osala. He says thank you to Osala again. To Jeff Lewinsky. To Jeff Levitsky. And to all those people that didn't believe in me. And also, they did not believe in me? Grasias.

So all the people that didn't believe in me. Also, thank you. That didn't believe. Right. That didn't believe. Thank you. Because they're taking something out of him. You pulled something out of him that's real good.

am I? It's a little bit of iron. A little bit of iron. I understand. Okay. Thank you. Shalom, Yoel. All the best to you.

All the best to you. And he says, he says, but he also says thank you to all the people who did believe in it as well. Of course. Malki, thank you for this. I appreciate you sending it up and good luck. Thank you, Eric. All right. There he is.

Yuel Romero, Malki Kawa. What a fascinating day. What a fascinating day. day it has been here on the MMA hour. Wow. All right. Mr. New York, Rick, what can you say? What can we say about all this? I mean, one guy after the next. It's almost like they got a memo. You better bring it. And they brought it. And it had been brung. It's not good English. I'm just, I'm just buzzing right here. All right, what do we got? It's 426. It just turned 20s. I just saw it turn from 5 to 6. That never happens. Are you bugging out because you saw...

I just saw the minute go from five to six. Do you understand how special this day is? Okay, do we have time to answer any questions? What do we got? Where did you go? Did you leave me? Yeah. I'm trying to get my own voice killed in my headphones.

Oh, that must be annoying. Yeah, can't speak right now. Okay. Well, hit me with some quick questions. Hit me with your best. best shot. First question. Ready?

How's our stream going, by the way? Is it okay now? At this point, would you rather see Condit, Woodley or Thompson get the next title shot? Why do you never like to address it? We have to be transparent like you all Romero said. I did hear you. Can you not hear me?

Okay, forget it. I'll just read the question. At this point, would you rather see Condit, Woodley, or Thompson get the next shot? It's a tough one. I still think GSP is atop the leaderboard. I feel for Tyron Woodley he was supposed to fight in October. I don't think he has the public support behind him right now.

So it's a tough one. Wonderboy, I would love to see that fight. I don't want to take anything away from Woodley. I don't think Condit is in the mix. Although Condit is meeting with the UFC this week in Las Vegas to talk about his future. So who the hell knows what's going on? A lot of options. Don't forget about Rory McDonald's as well.

Not so much Rory versus Robbie, but maybe we see Rory Condit. I don't know. It's a mess, but it's a fun mess. I like it. Okay, what else we got? Okay. Should I read it? You can go to the next one. Are you there? I'm here. Can you hear me? I don't hear you. I just see your face. Okay, just go to the next question and I'll read it. Has Johnny said by to the title for good? After coming to Saturday's Octagon Showdown, da-da-da-da-da-da. Do you believe we'll ever see BigRig get closer to the gold again? Yeah, I do. I still think he's good. He just lost to a better guy. And I asked him this question afterwards.

Did you put too much on your plate? Change in management. Change teams. Two degrees. Still that Stephen Rein in his corner and others. Didn't have layman. The weight cut, all that. I mean, it's a state of transition.

Who knows? Maybe he came back too soon. I still think he's a player at 170, so I'm not going to write him off. What else we got? Any update on Roy McDonald? I will say this. We were close to having an update today.

it's going to have to wait. But I am in contact with him, and so we'll see what happens. I have the same questions that you all have. We were close. It's going to have to wait. That's really all I can say. You can pretty much figure it out from there. What else?

I don't know if New Yorker can even hear me, but someone's going through the questions. Boom. One, two, three, go. One, two, three, go. There it is. What were your thoughts on the performance of Mickey Gall on Saturday? I thought it couldn't have worked out better for the UFC.

They could not have scripted this better. He comes in there, looks comp. To me, the most impressive thing was his demeanor. Calm, cool, collected, confident, comes out, big right hand, goes for the finish. What more can you ask for? Nice little awkward stare down. Perfect. I think Mickey Gall has a future.

I know he's just 2 and 0, but you can kind of just feel it. And I think my track record speaks for itself pinpointing guys. Now, I'm not going to say this is Conner-esque. I'm not going to say this is, you know, some of the other guys we've hitched our wagon to. But he's clearly he's not some bum. Trains with Carmel and Marrero, trains with the Miller brothers, trains Gracie, New Jersey. The guy has a background. He's a brown belt.

He's competed in Naga. He's a kid who would be climbing up the ranks on the northeast coast, you know, ring of combat, promotions like that. and he would be here if all worked out well and maybe two, three years. Things have been expedited. But as far as his debut, couldn't have gone better. It's perfect.

We're all involved. They've built it up the right way. What else we got? Last question for now. Derek Lewis, he's engaging, he's scary, he puffs out his chest,

he bangs on the mat, it's all very crazy. What do I think of him? Fantastic personality, interesting backstory. Nice win. He wants main card. Give him Roy Nelson.

That's what I want. Roy Nelson, Derek Lewis, next. Let's make it happen. Main card. Don't piss him off. It's the Black Beast. Serkhanov. Submission.

Nicholson. Being around the sport for so long, what is your reaction to the bone snapping submission we see even now? That one, that one I felt. I will admit when Sarkinov popped his jaw, John Nicholson's jaw. That one hurt. I felt that one. You know, I was talking to Sarkinov's team, and they think that he actually, that Nicholson actually

hit him below the belt on purpose. They told me that they spoke to Herb Dean about this before the fight and said, hey, watch out for the low blows. And so they weren't really happy about that. Serkhanov's got a lot of things going for him. Light heavyweight, there aren't a lot of stars at light heavyweight. Not even a lot of prospects. It's Canadian.

He's got a strong following in Latvia. They're going to push this guy. He's fun to watch. He finishes. Good look. What's not to like? Misha Sarkinov. Remember the name.

What are your thoughts? Okay, well, I'll be honest. If we didn't have Rothwell on. Oh, the question. Rothwell Sangano. Not Zingano. Sagano. Junior Dos Santos.

What do I think? Well, if Rothwell wasn't on this week, I probably would have been a little disappointed. But he sold it. He just needs one more win. Steepa's going to get the shot. That's pretty clear. It's probably going to be in Manor.

So he was promised a shot, let him have it. He deserves it. The whole thing sucks. Kane's going to work his way back up. Maybe Kane versus Overeem, Rothwell, JDS. There you go. So if he's down, I'm down, he sold it well. Let's see it happened. In Croatia, Zagreb, to be exact, April 10th, FS1. UFC 200, so many big fights. What is left for UFC 200? This is my concern as well. This is what I keep saying. I asked the UFC official about this over the weekend, and they said, don't worry, we've got something.

All right, well, I know Connor wants to do it. That's big. What else? What's 200-esque? The number in the arena, is that enough? T-Mobile arena, is that enough? I don't know. GSP.

GSP, Connor, throwing one other big fight. Now you've got a gigantic triple header. Does GSP come back? From what I understand, he still hasn't decided. I was going to have to decide soon. Everyone's waiting. But yeah, I share your concerns.

What if RDA wins? What if Conner gets injured? These things are possible. The fights in a month. Yeah, so I'm a little concerned as well. Just as far as like the star power on that card. It deserves something special. Let's see what happens.

But I've been thinking the same thing. There's no doubt about that. Okay, next question. Usada. How do you think? By the way, who needs New York Rick? I can do this all by myself. This is great.

I need to hear him. I'm just kidding. I love him. Is it fair for them to announce the failures before the fighter has a chance to appeal? You know how I feel about this. I keep saying this. Look, as a journalist, I love the transparency. It's great.

The more info, the better. Absolutely. But as a fighter, manager, agent, trainer, training partner, coach. I don't know if I love it. Because, okay, let's say, Yuel. he his name has been dragged through the mud for the past month and yeah i do believe he deserves some blame if it is true what they are telling us he unknowingly ingested something you deserve blame you're taking a substance you're not 100% taking nothing so comes with the territory how

many times have we heard this sucks you didn't mean to do it but it was there so you're taking a risk just by taking anything over the counter so yeah but it's not it's not it's not it's a it's potentially not as bad as we thought it was, potentially. So until the B sample gets tested, if they decide to test it, until the appeal process is over, if they decide to appeal, why should it come out? It feels like now everyone is guilty until proven innocent. Is that fair to the fighters?

I don't know how I feel about that. Again, as a journalist, I want to know the whole process. I want to know everything that has been tested for, how they were tested, what day, as a journalist, don't get me wrong, I want it all. but now putting my other hat on and trying to put myself in their shoes, I can understand why a lot of fighters and managers feel like, wait a second, why are we coming out with this before the process is out? Now, the Tim Mien situation is different because they had to pull him from the fight because even if he asked for the B sample or appeals, he's not going to be ready for February

21st. That's next week. Not this coming weekend, following weekend. It's a two-week process. It's not going to happen. So they had to move on, and now it's Cowboy v. Cowboy, if you missed it. versus Donald Serrani. So the Tim Means one, even if he claims innocent, they had to move on, they had to tell us why. But for other guys like YOL and other people who may feel like they were wronged or want to go down the appeals process,

they have a point when they say that maybe it's coming out a little too early, in my opinion. Oh, can you hear me? Prodigal son has returned. Can you hear me? No, I just see you. I'm just kidding. I just wanted to pretend like I didn't hear you.

Oh, because before... It was going great without you. Before you could only see me and not hear me, Yes, that's true, but I was just enjoying it. I'll just go away. See you. No, I'm kidding. Yeah, man, how about this show, though?

I didn't even get to weigh in on that. Oh, yes. What a show. No, what a show so far. All right. It's been incredible. This one's about technique and just, you know, the evolution of the sport, really. By the way, quick update, courtesy of Mark Romney, we were just talking about the John Jones

situation. He just posted an article on MMAfighting.com saying that John Jones will not face any probation violation charges on his traffic citation. There you go. At least not from the district attorney. So that is a positive update. Although, John, let's go. No more trouble.

Anyhow, move along. With the recent trend of victories by stand-up strikers who favor high leg kicks like Stephen Thompson, Holly Holm, Connor McGregor, and many more, are we seeing a major shift in the fighting styles over the wrestling slash BJJ ground-based disciplines? I don't know. I think it all changes.

It varies from fight to fight. I do. Yes, go ahead. I think that we are seeing a bit of an evolution that the predominant style is somebody who's a vastly better striker than the wrestlers and can keep the wrestlers from taking them down. I think that if you are somebody who can, and it kind of goes back to the days of Chuck Liddell, which he uses his wrestling defensively and used it to keep standing and striking. I think that we're kind of returning to that as the more dominant. form. Whereas, you know, a few years ago, wrestling seemed to be the style that that seemed to dominate. Yeah. I think we're kind of going back. Speaking of wrestling, what do you think? If

Romero unknowingly took something, right? But it's in his system. But it was a mistake. Does he get a punishment? Like, if you're the judge and jury. I have a real hard time punishing a guy for reading a label. You still took something. But he read a label that had no banned ingredients, no things that would cause him to test positive. And then apparently, you know, now this is based on the information given to us by Malky. Sure, sure, sure. I'm just saying if this is all true. If this is all true, he read the label, it said that there was nothing banned in it.

And it turns out there's something banned in it. I'd have a hard time blaming the guy for that. All right. I'd have a really, really hard time. What else you got? Let's see. Any questions about Derek Fisher? No.

No. Surprising. Just a congratulations from James Glou. Well, you know what? Hey, let me say something about James Glory. I don't read a lot of the comments because sometimes they're just annoying or too negative. And you don't want to read all the positive because then you get a big head. And you also don't want to read all the negative because then you don't want to be depressed, right?

You have to treat them the same way. But he has a certain style. I always look for James Glory. Super positive. He's just such a beautiful human being. Now, I appreciate him. I want to say two things. Yes.

First, shout out to Lamont 18. Another guy who's always in the comment section bringing it some of the best questions on the site. I haven't noticed him, but I'll look out from. I notice him. I see all. Lamont 18. Yeah. Respect.

Second thing, congrats on six straight journalists of the year awards. I don't know if we touched on this while I was in my hibernation period. Well, I mentioned at the top of the show, I didn't know it was six. I wasn't counting. So thank you for telling me. Oh, oh, okay. I just want to reiterate what I said in my speech. I know no one saw it because it wasn't televised.

It is going to be, though. Yeah, but it's just like a highlight show. They never show my part. Oh, really? I just want to say that I still strongly feel like the journalist of the year should not be a category. And I don't even know about something. It should be about the fighters, in my opinion. And so it feels a little funny.

Like the NHL Awards are great. There's no journalist of the year in that. And that's been around for years, decades. So I still feel a little funny. Like there's all these great fighters. Like, Holly Holmes is sitting in the front row. I'm accepting an award. And Holly freaking Homer is sitting there with her great husband, Jeff.

I'm like, I should not be here standing and talking to you. Disagree. It's bizarre. But I'm appreciative. I'm thankful. I'm humble. I am so, you know, I'm so thankful to the fans in particular. And also the fighters who give us the time of day like they did today. So I know that it's part of the, you know, it's part of the game. I still feel like there shouldn't be a journalist at the year. And I also will reiterate what I said. I share it with all the other journalists in the sport because sometimes I feel like the word, MMA media is like this bad word. We're evolving, like the sport is evolving, like the fighters are evolving, and I think we need to be more unified, and I think that we need to work

together and not crap on each other and not try to put each other down or steal sources or even crap on the awards. Let's try to work together. I like a strong media corps as opposed to a divided one. Sure, but I could not disagree more. The idea that, so the idea that if Holly Holmes sitting there, well, who's telling Hollyholm's story? What outlet do we have to learn about these things? And I think that journalism isn't important, you know, cog, but I don't think we should be competing, I don't know, it just feels funny. Sort of like referee of the year. I feel like that's a funny one.

I'm all for it. Props to Ariani Celeste who crapped on her award. She said that it was the silliest award of the night. I actually think that being self-deprecating is actually a nice quality. Yeah, but do you really want to crap on the award that you're receiving? I know, I understand. No, it's just like, look, at the end of the day, it's the fighters. They're the ones putting everything on the line.

We're just all a part of the show. If there's no fighters, there's no journalist, there's no outlets, there's no ring girl there's no nothing there's no promoters there's no nothing so we have to remember that and i feel like the more attention the better but anyways thank you james you're the man um and thank you to everyone who voted for m a fighting as well and thank you to fighters only and thank you to everybody who voted for the m m m m a hour as well even though we didn't win we didn't win i thought we were robbed um i don't think that we're in the right category there but how about us nudging our way in there with the likes of ufc embedded and uh the bellator show and all that so it's very nice

Anyway, what else we got? Now we're going to Twitter. We had John Jones weigh in a little earlier on Twitter. Wow, how about that? Look at Johnny Bones. Speaking of journalism and MMA journalism, I'm interested to see how many journalists show up to the courtroom on Wednesday to report this career-changing masterpiece.

I think, you know, it's safe to say that we're not going to probably see much come out of this. Yeah. Maybe there was a bit of an overreaction this morning. I mean, it was a story. I don't know if people were freaking. No, it was a story, but I think. I think, you know, people were concerned that John Jones was going to be, I like this. You know, in danger and it doesn't seem to be.

All right, well, let's see how many you show up. Here's the question. Okay. Do you think John Jones is right? Do you think it's not a big deal? And do you think this will affect the fight with Corny? I won't say it's not a big deal. Who am I to say that?

Right. In terms of MMA. My gut, from what I'm hearing from everyone, at least as we sit here right now, February 8th, I don't think it will affect the fight that was just announced this weekend that's my gut but i will not say that it's not a big deal because who the hell am i to say that yeah now that benson henderson has signed with bellator how far off do you think they are from another pay-per-view hopefully very far off uh i don't think that's smart by the way i like this new hashtag m m mowbracabag nice job um too long yeah or just the m-m-m-a-r oh he did too appreciate the effort yeah yeah um it's not smart

they're owned by viacom that's a tv company why do it uh they're they're they're they're going in the right direction with these signings. I'll say, I love the Benson signing for them. I love the Haritanoff signing for them. The Liban one, I get why they're doing it. There's obviously some questions there. I love the Michael Chandler signing, obviously. Holy crap, how about Michael Chandler?

He was like a choir boy. Now he's like... I feel like we saw this last time. Not like this. It's been a while since we had Chandler on, but I think he was just as good last time. It wasn't like this. At least from what I remember.

I agree with you. The Michael Chandler that we've gotten recently is A++. Anyway, I hope, yeah, stick to Spike. Stick to Spike. Another one that says mailback. Interesting. How has the response been for In the Clinch? Thank you for asking.

Is a CM Punk slash Chicago episode possible? Anything is possible when you have a dream. Kevin Garnett told me that. Anything is possible. Yes. It was received very well. The time slot wasn't great, not a ton of promotion, but I'd say,

was received well and who knows. When you wish upon a star, how's the rest of the song go? You're done with the cliché? There's no difference who you are. Is that how it goes? I don't remember. But anyhow, I appreciate everyone tuning in

and giving it a push and yeah, who knows? We'll see. Again, I said it was just a pilot, so we'll see. This is our last one. What did you guys think of Cam Newton and his walk off after the game?

Recall anyone doing this at a press conference or done to you personally, Ariel. That's a great question from a guy who usually doesn't give us Any good questions. Oh, wow. Joe Daddy. Usually a troublemaker.

One time asked me if I wanted French fries in the lobby of a hotel in, I believe Houston or Dallas. Anyway, Joe Daddy's a good guy. He's actually a longtime fan and supporter. I love him. I saw that clip. I felt for him. And can I just say, I don't know how much of the clip that you saw. This is Cam Noon.

I saw it, yes. Okay, quarterback of the Panthers. They lose in a very frustrating fashion. Everyone thought they were going to win, at least most people. Shout out to Chuck Minhaal, the man had his Broncos won. Did you hear the questions that were being asked? Those were some horrible questions. I mean, they were almost like condescending.

The tone was condescending. I have no problem with what Cam Newton did. He answered a few questions. They were all stupid for the most part, I thought. That was on the media. The guy just lost the Super Bowl. A little tact, a little sensitivity. You can ask things a certain way.

He probably wasn't going to answer anything, you know, all that elaborately anyway. But the three-minute clip that I saw, those are some of the dumbest questions I've heard. And you know me, I don't like to criticize media ever. And I just couldn't believe that he actually stuck around for three minutes. And now that it's also been, it's also been revealed that apparently somebody from the winning side was sitting very close by and they were interviewing them. Yes. And they were essentially gloating.

And it's, you know, if you're sitting there trying to answer these questions about the toughest loss of your career and you're hearing some guy gloating about the win, you know, feet away from you. I can't imagine it's the easiest thing in the world. Well, then shame on the NFL for setting it up that way. I was wondering who was sitting next to him talking because usually it's like, you know, NBA finals, they're at the big podium and everyone gets a chance to talk. And I know there's a lot more people involved in an NFL game, but it just seemed like a lot of chatter.

It felt like a pre-game scrum for the quarterback of the losing team of the Super Bowl. Do you feel like it's his responsibility to face that music, though? He did. He faced it. He showed up. He didn't have to show up. No, he did have to show up. He says who?

What do you mean? He's mandated to show up. Does he have to if he lost? Yes. I don't think he should have to. It's good that he did. He did. He left.

The guy just lost the Super Bowl. Sometimes we have to remember that, you know, these are human beings. They're emotional. He'll talk. He's been great with the media. He's had a great year. He's great with the fans. We need more Cam Newton's.

And if he's going to show his emotion and get, you know, all worked up and leave, I have no problem with it. I'm not going to be one of these media guys say, he has to sit there and listen to our stupid questions. Come on. That's actually one of the reasons why I'm so happy. that I get to cover MMA because there's just nothing to talk about in these games. Like, what are they asking him? There was not like, I know you saw his defense, their defense, but did you expect that kind of defense?

I mean, obviously, he saw their defense. Everyone knew they had good defense. Like, what do you want him to say? Now, but think of it, if, let's assume the questions were asked, the questions that were asked were better, though. Would you, wouldn't you relish that opportunity to speak to somebody who had just suffered that defeat if given it? Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, those are, honestly, those are some of the best interviews, right? But there needs to be some tact. And, yeah, look, we've been watching sports long enough. The loser interview of a sports game, especially a millionaire athlete. Like, they're not going to give you much. Sometimes they go off the grid and they give you a tremendous interview. But if you're going to sit there and ask dumb questions, and in particular, not so much of the dumb questions, but in that kind of tone.

And then when you add to the fact that you just said, someone who won was right next to him, I mean, what do you expect? So I think the NFL is actually. partly to blame. I think the journalists are partly to blame. And yeah, you could blame Cam as well. Like, yeah, okay, fine, he should have sat there for 10 minutes or whatever it is. Seven minutes. I don't know what it is. He sat there for three or something like that. Fine, blame him. But I sympathize with him. He's a human being. He just lost the Super Bowl. It was devastating. Come on. I'm with you on that. Yeah. And also, the Super Bowl to me, like what has happened to the Super Bowl?

What do you mean? I feel like we've gotten good games the last couple of years. You didn't even watch it. You were celebrating. No, I didn't watch it live. I did watch it. It sucked. Give me three game one of the NBA finals any day. This game was not good, but what about last year? Last year was incredible. The best part of the Super Bowl for me was the halftime show.

I know it's cool to crap on it. I thought it was fantastic. You're a cold play fan, right? No, freaking Bruno Mars. That guy kills it. Big cold play fan. It's a braada. Daniel Brian has retired.

Is it an angle or not? I don't know. Okay, good insight. What else before we go? as I said, Chris Lieben signs. Haritanov signed. I gave you the BJ Pen update. Yeah, how about that?

Yeah, that was something. A lot of big stories coming out today. Chris Carrioso retired. A lot going on in the world of MMA, but I think we are done. Are we done? Anything else? I see your schedule here. No, this is Alex's.

Okay. There was a lot of things going on back here. If the world only knew. If the world only knew. I appreciate the guys in the back for. getting our stream back up. A small hiccup. And if you missed it, I do suggest going back, by the way, because it was during the Chad Mendez interview, and he was really talking honestly and openly about the whole alpha male situation. So if you're watching this live and missed when the stream went down

for like 10, 50 minutes, I mean, let's be honest, this is almost a four-hour show here. These things are going to happen. This is free entertainment that we're giving you out of the goodness and kindness of our souls. I do share the frustration. Don't get me wrong. But anyhow, go back if you missed it because it was definitely worth catching that does it you can hit my music what a show i am buzzing right now one of my favorite shows in a very long time and i feel like i say that every week but it's true anyway any sign of derrick fisher on fifth avenue or has he left town probably left town it's probably going back to lye good riddance can't just come in it's coach of the nix no no no coaching background

smug attitude, condescending. What is going on? Yeah, sure, the team sucked last year. But come on. Tom Tibido, wherever he is, drive that cable vision truck, give him a gazillion dollars, and bring him back home. Okay, I know most of you don't care about all that, so I'm going to thank Mike Jackson for coming on.

The best to the truth. Thank you very much to Ben Rothwell. Great stuff from him, as always. Good luck on April 10th. Thank you very much to Eddie Alvarez. Great stuff from him as well. Congrats on the win. Michael Chandler.

Congrats on the New Deal. Great stuff from him as well. All the best to Alexander Gustafson on his move and in the future. Great stuff from Chad Mendez. Honest stuff. Really enjoyed talking to Chad. Great stuff from Henry Sehudo. Henry Sehudo.

Up the Annie. Finally, someone poking at DJ, the R-bomb, the Rodin bomb. I love it. Tremendous stuff from Hafeld Dosanjos. Can't wait for March 5th. UFC 196. Holly Home Bish Tate also on that card, of course. And thank you very much to Yo-Ramero, Malki Kawa.

Good luck to him as they try to clear Yuel's name. That's it for us. If you miss anything, iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, all that good stuff and more. Back next week, same time and place. Until then, it's a... Somebody. Ever feel like your work tools are working against you? Too many apps, endless emails, and scattered chats can slow everything down.

Zoom brings it all together, meetings, chat, docs, and AI companion seamlessly on one platform. With everything connected, your workday flows, collaboration feels easier, and progress actually happens. Take back your workday at zoom.com slash podcast and zoom ahead. Support for this show comes from Odu. Running a business is hard enough, so why make it harder with a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other? Introducing Odu. It's the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all-in-one fully integrated platform that makes your work easier,

CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce, and more. And the best part, O-DU replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. That's why over thousands of businesses have made the switch. So why not you? Try O-D-O-4-Free at O-D-O-D-com. That's O-D-O-O-O-O-O-com.