MMA Fighting - The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani - Episode 400

Episode Date: September 18, 2017

Ariel Helwani speaks to Quinton Jackson (00:06:28), Edmond Tarverdyan (00:35:49), Daniel Cormier (01:03:16), Chuck Liddell (01:25:29), Joanna Jędrzejczyk (01:43:01), Stipe Miocic (02:06:11), Michael Bisping (02:21:13), Al Iaquinta (02:47:21) in studio, Mario Lopez (03:39:49), and NewYorkRic for Ric's Picks (03:56:08) and to answer your questions during The MMA [After] Hour (04:47:11). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Hello again, everyone. I'm Ariel Hawani back inside our New York City studio. Welcome to episode 400. Episode 400. Now, truth be told, as I've said, said before, I treat every show like episode 400. Honestly, some random day in October, November, January, March, they're all important. I try to stack the deck each and every week.

However, I recognize the fact that this is an important feat. This is something to be proud of. Not only for myself, but for the team, for everyone involved. Episode 400, I didn't know if we'd make it to 50 back in 2009. We've gone through two ownerships. I think 13 studios, countless production staffers. But dare I say, actually I don't even dare to say, I know for a fact that the show, as it is right now,

has never been better. The studio, the team, most importantly, behind the scenes, the guests, the audience, the partnership with Twitter. I'm so very happy with where the show is at. That's why episode 400 is something to celebrate. I am so excited about today's show. Been working hard on today's show. If you only knew the names that I reached out to for today's show, I shot for the moon, my friends. Some said no. Some said yes, as you can tell. Some said maybe. Some said, let me think about it. Some said, let's talk again in a month. But in the end,

we've got nine amazing guests, a who's who, four UFC champions that's never happened before on this show, Hall of Famers, AC Freaking Slater, we've got them all. I'm so excited. And I just want to thank everyone right off the top for supporting the show over the years, dating back to June of 2009, BAOL days, Tiny Studio Security Cam, up until today. 400 episodes. Honestly, there's been more when you consider the ones in Vegas. and all that stuff, but 400 in this studio or in any kind of studio that we've had in the past.

I'm so excited. And we're going to talk to all our guests today, all of them very topical, all of them A-listers. And on top of all that, talk about the news of the week, and there's a lot. Of course, we'll talk about the return of Luke Rockhold and where he fits in the middleweight division. We'll talk about Triple G Canello and the controversy surrounding that. We'll talk about the change to the Japan card this Friday. Yushin Okami is back. that's a, that's a bizarre one. That's what we didn't expect to say. So there's much to discuss. Let me run down today's lineup and then get to our first guest of the day. I'm so excited. It is episode 400. It feels like we just did episode 300. And that was right after UFC 192 in October of 2015.

So that means if you just do the math, 52 weeks in a year, we've blown through the last two years. We've taken maybe like two weeks off. I'm very proud of that. including the time New York Rick did the show. It's been a good two years. It's been a good 100 episodes. Let's do it again today and then for the next 400. All right. Today is, this is the lineup for today.

At 5 o'clock, we're going on Twitter. MMAfighting.com. Hit us up all show along using the hashtag the MMA hour. You've seen the questions, hopefully, that I've posted on Twitter. Favorite moment? Which event did you enjoy more, Triple G. Canello or Mayweather McGregor, why answer all of that at 5 o'clock, 445?

Rick's Picks, 425, the host of Extra A.C. Slater from the Save By the Bell show way back in the day. Mario Lopez will be joining us. Why is Mario Lopez on the show? A, he's a really cool guy. B, he's a really good-looking guy. C, he's got tremendous abs. D, he was at Triple G. Canelo. E, his wife, sang the national anthem before the fight. he's a former high school wrestler.

There's a lot to talk to Mario Lopez about. 325 will be joined in studio by Ally Quinta. How cool is that? Ray Ginal is back. He'll be in studio at 325. 305 Michael Bisping, the UFC middleweight champion will stop by, talk to him about Luke Rockhold, the GSP fight, and more. 245 Steppe Miochich will be on.

What's up with him? He, of course, is the UFC heavyweight champion. 225. Yawanna Jacek, the UFC Strawway champion. So we've got the lightest champion. Then we've got the 185 pound champ. We've got the 205 pound champ and the heavyweight champion of the world stopping by. 205 Chuck Ladell.

I've been trying to get Chuck Ladell in the show for like nine months. He'll stop by at 205. 145, Daniel Cormier. Once again, the UFC light heavyweight champion got the belt back last week. Crazy turn of events. He'll stop by at 145. And at 125, Edmund Tarverdean. Yes, Edmund Tarverdian, the head coach over at Glendell Fighting Club,

the head coach for one Ronda Rousey way back in the day, we have not heard from him in quite some time. Edmund Tarverdean, how about that, joining us at 125. In a matter of seconds, we are going to be joined by one of our favorite guests in the history of the program, Quentin Rampage Jackson.

We have not heard from him since January, since January. I couldn't believe it. Have not heard from Quentin Rampage Jackson since January. He has not competed since March. Remember that fight against King Moe. his Bell-Tor contract expiring. And so what is up with Quentin Rampage Jackson? So that's the lineup for today. Nine guests, strong. One in-studio guests. Like I said, four UFC champions,

one Hall of Famers, some future Hall of Famers, A.C. Freaking Slater, Reginald in Studio. Can't wait for today. Let's buckle up. Let's do this damn thing. Let's go to the magic of Skype and welcome in. my good pal, Quinton, Rampage, Jackson, there he is. Rampage, how are you? I'm good, I'm good. I'm on TV? Yeah, you're back. That's cool.

I'm black. Well, welcome back. It's so great to see you. I think this is the first time that you've ever joined us on Skype. And this is a big show for us. This is episode 400. And I said there's only one way that I want to start today's show. I want to start it with you.

my old friend Rampage. How about that? You know, man's cool. I feel honored, man. You know, I got my Skype back up just for you, man. I appreciate that.

Yeah, look at that, look at that stream quality. Holy smokes, because you do a lot of streaming on Twitch, right? That's why you have such a good setup. Yeah,

yeah, I stream on Twitch. Let me see if I can turn his camera around and my little setup, right? Please. Oh, look at that. I turn my whole,

I turn my whole dining room to like a, uh, whoa. I turn it to a video game room. I play video games. You see my zombies and stuff. I got, it's kind of messy over because I live alone. I got like I got two different setups.

One I play console and I play PC. I love video games. I've been a gamer, you know, I said pretty much my whole life. But, you know, I never had the time to just get super good at games. It was either games or train to be a fighter, you know. So I decided to go and put my focus into trying to be a fighter. but video games been my first love. How many screens you have there?

Right. I have six monitors combined, three on this side and three on this side, because I like to play on the left side, and I have my chat going in my Discord or whatever else on the right, and then at the top I have all my notifications, and that's the one that captures the stream. Gosh. And you say you live alone?

Where are your kids at? My kids live with my ex-wife, and then my other two kids, they live with my sister or my, with their grandparents, you know. Okay. I live a long man. I'm a long wolf right now.

Yes, yes. Yes, go ahead. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. What we finish out? No, no. I don't want to cut you off. Okay.

Who's this little guy, by the way? Who's the guy on your lap? This is my daughter's dog. Gizmo. I got my daughter a puppy, but I got stuck with the motherfucker. So now he lives with me. So my daughter got two puppies.

She got a puppy that lives with her. And she's got a puppy that lives with me because, you know, they come over here on the weekends all the damn time. I got this little dog pissing and shit in all over my house. He'd be cock blocking it anything. I just fuck myself up getting this damn dog. I'm telling you, like, oh, man, it's bad. I'm trying to do the dirty thing in the room. He comes and dump him on the bed, act like he's joining in.

Like, it's a puppy threason or some shit. I don't know what his problem is. Well, he's cute. I'm not a dog person myself. It's a good luck. You not a dog person? No. This dog is like, he attached to me.

He's a little spoiled of the asshole, but, you know, I love the animals. All right. We have not seen you since March. You've been very quiet. Where have you been? Why have you been so quiet? Dude, you know, I don't know if people, I don't know if people really noticed that about me, but I've said this several times, you know, I just started, I just started coming to be famous.

So I just, I'm a homebody, man. I just like sitting at home. Like I said, I sit at home. I play video games. And I stream them live and, you know, I haven't been doing much. I've been doing like a little stuff behind the scenes and stuff like that. But I haven't been doing much out in, you know, saying in front of the camera. I've been, you know, I've been training a little bit here, you know, trying to get my weight back down.

Because, you know, honestly, I was really, I was, I was really disappointed in my, in my, in my, last fight and how everything went with my weight and my thyroid. So, you know what I'm saying? I went to a specialist and because I think I had the wrong doctor before. So I went to a specialist and got my thyroid looked

at and got on the right meds and now I'm doing the right things and I went and got good food. I got like a good company to do meal prep for me. You know what saying on Instagram so I create meals. This girl, you know, I found

and own a restaurant and she learned a little about nutritionist, nutrition, so she started preparing like a special meal. So I wanted to lay low and come back when I was close to being my old self, the old rampage that was in its prime, you know. So I still got like three more good fights left in me. I've just been laying low and fixing stuff that I had to fix, you know. Ever since you broke up with my ex-girlfriend, you know, saying things just went down downhill, man. Like I didn't really have a person like take care of me.

I told you, man, she did everything for me, you know what I said everything. I mean everything. I mean everything for me. So now, you know what I'm saying? I'm on my own. You know what I'm, you know what I'm saying? So I had to like do some soul searching, find myself and learn how to do shit for myself. Look at my house, man.

Look at my house. It's a mess, area. It's all your fault. It's all your fault. Even, hey, even my last loss to King Mover was your fault. It all tricked it down to You're breaking me up for my damn girlfriend Who used to do everything for me

Don't you know she used to get my My damn gym clothes And stuff ready for me before I went to the jail She laid it all out She was dressing and happy going at the house Looking like an asshole Because I'm too lazy to pick out my clothes She did anything for me on me

Everything so training was easier When I come back from training She would take my train herself and put it away And watch it and do it Wow I got to do all that shit myself I'm always late for training and coaches are pissed off, and it's all your fault, man.

Wait, wait, so I was going to get to this later, but the last time you were on the show back in January, I thought that we made a moment. You called her up. You were going to go on a date. I mean, it was one of the greatest moments in the history of the show. What happened? Everyone wants to know you kind of disappeared afterwards.

What happened? Well, I didn't want to skip around, jump the gun, but I'm just throwing it out there. But I'm just telling you what happened was after we broke up, you know, you know what I'm saying? We broke up, motherfucker. Yeah. What do you think happens?

But I got you back. They go and they go and they meet other people and shit. And that caused like some problems because she, you know, because I do live streaming and she can, she can like spy on me while I'm streaming. I don't know who's watching me. You know what I'm saying? It's free. Anybody can, anybody can watch.

And she's watching me with other girls and stuff on my stream and all this. And she think I left her for another girl. And then so she starts seeing one guy and stuff like this. And all the stuff get all entangled up and everything. So now, you know what I'm saying? Now we're trying to work it out and be friends and stuff like that. But then, you know, we don't know. We don't know where it's going to go.

I don't know where I'm going to, you know, fully get back with her. Because now there's some trust issues because she think that I got like hitting holes. Come on. You? I think I got hidden holes. No. Because you're a faithful guy. You're a faithful guy.

I'm not faithful at all. I was. I was faithful when I was. I was faithful when I was married. Right. But I'm faithful into the fact where I don't lie about it. She knew everything. You know, we were together.

I didn't lie to her. She knew what was up. She knew I liked to see other girls. And I'm an alpha man. If I'm dating a girl, she knows that, you know what I'm saying? She's my number one. But, you know, I like to have fun. I like to have fun, you know, fun toys.

But when you rekindle the love, thanks to me, I got you guys on the phone talking. Did that start something up? Did it work? Yeah. Honestly, they did start something up. Oh.

That started up. You're welcome. You know, that started up. That started up booty calls. At least you did that. You got me some booty calls out of her. You know what I'm saying?

At least she will come over every now and then, you know what I'm saying? That's a start. Stop. Yeah, she got a wet a couple times. You know, we did some of the old stuff we used to do, you know? Where is she now?

I can say you did that. I can say you did that. I said area the one that got wet for me a couple of times. Stop it. Where is she now? Do we have to call her back? What's what going on? Where is she?

She was going to, actually, she was going to come over last night, but she, oh. She, uh, she might have come down with the, she might have came down with the flu. She might have came down with the flu, and I came out there around me. Yeah. Was that her right there? No, no, no, no. That wasn't her right there. She might come.

She might come. She said she's going to come over this morning when she woke up, though, because she might be feeling better. She was going to stop me some medicine. and she was going to come over this morning. Okay. I told her, I said, oh, Area of O'Brien, it went perfect, because I got to do an interview with Area of one of you to have been here. She said, oh, but I look like shit, and I'm all sick and stuff.

Oh, okay. Well, it sounds like you guys are on good terms. I feel like we're training in the right direction. Listen, we're going in the right direction. Honestly, that phone call at the time when you talk to us up on the phone, you did help out, you know what I said? I think I smashed that night or the next night after that. And when you smash, that's a good, you know,

just a good direction forward, you know. I don't even know what that means, but we'll leave it at that. You said that you have three more fights, Rampage. So what does this mean? Because the last fight was your last one with Bellator, right? Are you a free agent now? Are you going back to the UFC? What's happening?

Right. Well, honestly, this is this type of stuff that, you know what I'm saying? It's like very confusing, you know? It was no secret that I was in a lawsuit with the, with Belator after I went back to the UFC to fight, what, who was that? Fabio Mamba Bambo? And then so I had to go back to Belator and fulfill a contract. And that contract ran out. And I still have an existing contract with the UFC. But, you know, things changed with the UFC. They sold the company and so since all that. So I don't know. know I haven't talked to Dana personally about it. My manager T.C. Carson has been talking to him. But, you know, I think the UFC is doing great things and stuff for the company and everything. And they're in a good place.

But I just don't know what's going to happen. I just don't know what's going to happen. But now that Dana, why is that Colonel McGregor box? You know what I said? I've always asked Dana, man, let me do some shit like that. So hopefully if Uncle Dana, you know what I'm saying, if you got ties of boxing and stuff, now, let me try something that's shit. Yeah, why not? But you do want to fight, right?

You want to keep fighting. Yeah, yeah. Like I said, I think I got three good fights in me. Then after that, then I'll see if I have like three more good fights in me. Right. I really would like to go about fight to fight because in MMA, I feel like fighters can get old overnight. You know what I feel like we can get old overnight. You know what I feel like we can get old overnight.

And I'm 39 years old. I put 17 good years into this sport. And my, you know, I said, my body has taken a toll. And, you know, I've, you know, I think that, you know, I know how to train for the injuries that I got now. And I'm training smarter and everything. And I think I still have enough juices and energy to still entertain the fans. I love entertaining the fan.

And if you come back, does it have to be with the UFC? Like I said, man, I don't know. You might want to get my manager interview with him. Because I'm going to tell you something, my whole career, I never dealt with the manager or shit. I let them do it. I just like to train and fight, fuck, play video game. Play with my toys.

Play with my kids. That's my life. Yeah. And so you said that Tiki, the former UFC fighter, longtime friend of yours, training partner coach, is now your manager, what happened? I noticed, used to be a part of Wolfslair,

and then I noticed, I don't know if I'm reading into this too much, but when you walked out to fight King Moe, you were wearing a shirt that said Lone Wolf, and you just said Lone Wolf, is that a play on the Wolfslaer? Is that sort of symbolic of where you're at right now? Well, you know,

I did the whole thing with Wondi-Doh, that I can't go into. Sure. I decided to go to Wolf-Layer and, you know, training those guys because at that time I liked those guys. I thought they were solid people, but then it's unfortunate that I found out that, you know what I said, Edm McGahn and Lee Gwynne and those guys have been robbing me the whole motherfucking time, bro.

And, you know, I saw little things here and there, but I, like, overlooked it. And I just thought that, this is what people do. They try to put other people on and stuff like that, you know. And so those guys, man, that, if I added it all up, man, I think those guys probably screwed me out of well over $3 million, bro. Wow. With me, it's not the money, because I don't give a fuck about money,

you know what I'm saying? I got money. They didn't take all my money. They just took a lot of it. But it's just with me, you know, I was real close to those guys. Me and Anthony share our birthday, you know what I'm saying? You know, I stayed at the guy's house.

He stayed at my house. You know, so I know his family, you know my family. I know this guy's secret. I know these guys, like, deep, dark secrets, Like, I know some stuff about this guy that can destroy his family if his people found out. You know what I know. So I'm thinking, so I'm from the streets, you know what I'm saying?

The streets of Memphis. I'm thinking, like, if you know some, if somebody has some stuff on you that could really destroy, you know what I'm saying, your family and really, really mess things up with your family, why screw them out of one cent? And I just can't get that in my head. What kind of stupid person would do that? And so I left Wolf Laird when I thought. I doubt the guy, you know, the last thing he did to me was actually frauded me out of my house. So, so I, um, what do you mean? I brought a house right before I fought, I brought a house.

I brought this house I'm standing in right now right before I fault, uh, Leo Thorough Chita. I paid cash for the house. I brought a house for $1.35, you know, one, one, one, one, one three million. And, uh, the whole time he was helping me set up the house. I had to do it so I didn't have to, I was doing it to a business. So I didn't have to have my name on the game. So I want to get fan mailed

Because, you know, when I fought Chuck Liddell, he was egg in my house And her and sending me fan mail And so I wanted to get a house On a business name, so So people didn't know where I live. And, you know, he kind of advised me to set it up So he could steal it from him

The whole time. I thought we was cool. So when I was training for my last fight, I was in, I ran the apartment near Tiki's gym And so I was training for my last fight fight with King Mo. and right in the middle of training camp, I found out that my house had been sold. So I'm training for a fight with all this up in my head,

and that's when everything came out. That's when I found out everything, and they ripped me off and stuff like that. Wow. So I decided to leave, I decided to leave Wolves there, and now I'm by myself, like, Long Wolf, because you can't trust people, man, and it's where, like, I want to teach a lot of upcoming fighters about,

Be careful about the managers and stuff that you get because I've been screwed over by a lot of managers. I can tell you two managers that really treated me well. Jeremy Nathen and Tommy Rojas. Those are the only two managers that I've had in the past that I can ram off top of my head that that treat me well. Like I've been ripped off by a lot of people and I've been ripped off by a lot of money. and I can tell you most of it I've been by managers. So now I'm happy that I'm with Tiki.

Tiki, he's a great manager, and he's been my friend for a long time, but I wish he would have decided to be a manager years ago and then, you know what I'm saying, I wouldn't have been ripped up out of so much money and something like that. And I just, but for me, it's not the money.

It's the friendship because this type of person I am, if the people that was around me that weren't ripped me out for money, if they was really smart, they, shut up. Guessball I'm doing the damn interview. I'm going to come around and bite you, you a motherfucker. What they would do is, you know, they would get money out of me and go invest in money

because they know what type of person are. I'm a generous person. But they would bring me, they would bring me money back. You know what I'm saying? They would bring me back my money. Well, my money was making money, so I would give them more money, and they would go make more money because I'm not a greedy person. Like, I'm talking about the people that really know me.

That's not getting the money out of me because they know me. know I don't do fuck about money. I don't care about materialistic thing. But they're so greedy and so shady. What they do is they just take their money and run, and then they go broke. Because what they do is they rock the well. You know what I'm saying?

They rocked the well dry instead of bringing back more water, you know what I'm saying? They use it and they use it up. Like, if there was people around me that was ripping me off, if they were smart people, they would have been bringing me back more money that when I gave money, like, well, I can make some money out of my money.

And so I can give more money. Sure. And then they didn't have to use that money. They could have been doing it that way. But I learned it from the streets. Like some people are just stupid like that. They're greedy and they're shady. And those people, they never prospered.

Never prosper. Trust me. How did you get the house back? I don't have the house back. You know, I'm fighting. I'm fighting. I'm still fighting for. I'm a fighter.

I'm fighting for it. But I've been advised that maybe it's like, you know, being a dead horse. So I might just, what I do, I might just buy me another house. I just let this go, you know what I'm saying? I charge it to the game. Let it go. And I feel like, you know, the best thing to come out of this is, the best thing to come out of this is that my ex-wife kind of stepped up and my kids

and stuff like that. My daughter, you know, she heard the whole thing. And she was like, you know what, Dad, I want you to live with us. And my ex-wife, like, if you, if she's like, if you need a, if you need to buy another house, you know, I was like, I already, because I have two houses now. I had three houses,

but now I have two houses. And so when I leave this one, I would have one house, and she was like, you know what, come live with us, you know what I'm saying? And you can get your own room

and you can stay with us. And, you know what? I was like, you know, that's a, that's a lighten at the end of the tunnel because I would pay $3,4 million dollars

to live with my kids. I don't care. I don't care about this. the money. What Anthony basically did was he did me a favorite. Now I'm going to move in with my kids. I'm not getting back with my ex-wife

or nothing like that. I'm not saying that. Sure. That happens. That happens. But what I'm going to do is I'm going to be roommates with my two kids, my two little younger kids. Now what would your, and by the way, what's that girl's name, the one that we called? I feel like we never say her name. Or you don't want to say. Mariah.

Mariah. Now what will she say about that? Or will she come over and, I mean, you talk about a reality show. There's a reality show right there. Well, she understands. What she understands, they know about each other. They met each other once. And, uh,

no, that's, that's like a little, that's, that's what, that's like a little reality show. That's why, that's why I be doing,

uh, that's why I be doing live video game streaming on Twitter. Like, now I can stream anything. I don't just have to stream video games. So I can stream anything. I can stream like me in my house with my kids and me with Mariah.

I can stream like me at the gym, stuff like that. And people can just tune in and watch it on their phones and they can type this live, right? So that's like a little mini reality show right there because I'm going to be streaming something like, but you guys have no idea what type shit that goes on in my house with all that with my kids and with Mariah.

Mariah understands. She understands. She's like, she's like, look, you got cheated out a bunch of money. That's a lot of money. You know what I'm saying? And you got to buy another house. And so, you know, she understands like, You know, I'm just an MMA fighter.

I'm not a balder like you, so I can't just go out and buy two more houses and do all this. So I'm just going to, I'm just going to buy one other house big enough for me and my family, get my own room. My ex-wife and have a home room and my kids and stuff. They all have the home room. But Mariah just can't come over that, motherfucker. All right. We'll stay tuned for that. Do you think you'll fight again this year or probably not?

Whoa shit This year Man I don't know man I have no idea I can't answer that That's a That's a question for Tiki brother All right

It's up in the air It's up in the air Baby All right I'm I would I would love to I would love to fight this year

Do you have a dream fight? A dream fight A fight that you say This will get me excited This is the one I do I do have I do have dream fights

I would I would love to, like I said, revenge my loss against Shogun, because that's one loss that don't sit well with me. Yeah. You know, for personal reasons, I love Shogun as a person.

You know, we get along gray, but, you know what I'm saying? As a fighter, you know, I never, I never should have took, I never should have took that fight with my injury, and I, and I regret I regret not backing out of that fight. I do. You know what I said? I was dumb back then.

You know what I'm saying? I was making cash money and I was running, I was just blowing through it. And I was living fight to fight, baby. You know what I'm saying? It was that street life. It was that street life. I was living in fight to fight. So I fight injured a lot. And sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. But that fight, I should have said, no, no, no, no, let me heal up. By the way, I got to ask you, what do you think of what's happened to John Jones? You've talked about how he injured your knee and you were never the same and to see what's happened to him with the drug test failures and all that. What do you make of it?

Well, listen, as I told you guys this before, and I hate to say it because I've met John Jones and we, man, John Jones, we hung out tonight and we hung out and stuff when we, uh, when we was, um, when I had to do like the FedExball something for Monster and we kind of like, we kind of like bonded a little bit. So, you know what I said, I don't want to say anything bad about John Jones, I have to keep you real, because that's who I am. Like, I said it before that John Jones was, he was, it was bad for the sport because I thought, because how he did, like, dirty tactics and stuff like that.

You know, you know, one thing about me is I'm totally against drugs. I'm totally against fighters being able to use steroids. And fighters like that do make a lot of fighters, look bad like you know I find I never explained myself I find myself

defending myself on on Instagram because because when people watch whenever I post like some of my fights my highlights people assume that

that I've taken steroids before and and I know it's ignorant people that don't know what sterile people look like but you know

it's to me it's kind of like a slap in the face that I've worked I've worked hard my whole life you know what I was naturally

muscular and naturally strong, you know what I'm saying? And people assumed that I was on steroids because all these fighters getting popped. You know, I've never been popped for steroids, and I was honest and telling about the doctor

ordered me to take testosterone after I lost to John Jones because I just couldn't believe what, I couldn't believe that I lost to him. I was over, overconfident. I just couldn't believe I lost him. I didn't know what was wrong with me. So I went to the doctor and the doctor

to test my testosterone levels. And he was Like, there's no way you should be fighting with testosterone levels just low. He said, you used them all, like with your dreaming glands, would get nervous and training for all these years. Like, you said, you either have to take testosterone or retire. And a lot of fans only heard negative stuff about testosterone, so they didn't understand it. And when I did it, it was perfectly legal for even UFC fighters to do it.

They just didn't want you to, they didn't want you to go past certain levels. And some fighters was overusing it. They're going past certain levels and it made it bad for everybody, even people like me. So now I have to fight with really low levels of testosterone and I have to do like, you know, like the natural testosterone boosts with different foods and different supplements that naturally boosts their testosterone, which really is not enough. But to the side, I feel like any fighter, any fighter that has to take to a, steroids.

Our body produces testosterone. It's natural. But if you got to take steroids to be a fighter, to get there and fight another man then, you really not a real fighter. And that's how I feel. You know, so I've never,

I've never failed a steroid test. Dan White actually thought that I was on steroids right before I fought Forrest Griffin. He came and said something to me, he saw me one time at an event of something. He said, Rampage,

I feel a fight for him. man, you get big, man, you blow up really fast. Like, you gain them out of weight, man. He said, that's a trait from somebody being on steroids. I looked down, like, what? But I know people don't know me and don't know my values about drugs and stuff like that. You know, so I was like, I'm like, whatever, Dan. I ain't never took steroids.

I said, I even know people in pride could take steroids, you know what I said. I never took it because I was young when I was in pride. I was, I was like 23, 23, 24, 24, 20, there's no, no 23, 24, 25-year-old should even think about steroids. And I didn't even know what anything about Soros did. I didn't even know that Fannie Leight's still was on Thoroughlin'clock back yet. I didn't know it when I bought him. I didn't know who was on Thorough who was it.

And I said that, well, I'm not. And then he surprised test me. And when I passed, when I passed a surprise test before Forrest Rippon, he was like, he came to me, like, wow. He said, I really, I really thought you on steroids. Because I'm naturally strong, right? And I can pick people up and slam them on it. And when I lose my temper, I have unlimited strength.

When you take me to the gym in different ways, I can't live shit. And that's when you know that I'm not allowed to throw. It's when you see me lifting weights in the gym. My muscles is just not built that way. You know what I'm saying? I got to go live here now. I was at the 24-hour fitness last week,

and this guy was making fun of me. It actually means, like, oh, you need a spot because I had like 2, 35 pounds on the incline, and people are pressing up two plates. I'm not strong that way. I'm strong. I got big legs lower on strong, strong low back. So I'm sorry to be talking more.

about me, but John Jones kind of put that light on every MMA fighter that we all do that shit. It's bad for the sport because it makes everybody else look bad. People think we're like barbaric still running freaks. But I don't know all the shit that's going on with John Jones. I don't know if he really passed or felt good test. I don't know because I don't watch the news, but it's bad. Rampage, always a pleasure, my man.

Great to catch up with you. Thank you for coming on the show. Please don't be a stranger. And thank you so much for doing this and being our first guest of our 400th episode. Wouldn't have wanted it any other way, my man. Thank you. And good luck. Keep us posted on if and when you do return.

And say hi to Mariah for me. You guys will be the first enough. Who? How to Mariah? Mariah? Hey, hey, was you the guy, Dave Mariah? No, that was not me. That was not me.

That was the whole plan. She said she dated, she said she dated somebody. just for a little bit when we, after I broke our heart. Was it you, was you sabotaged my relationship

because you tried to hit it on my girl? Okay. It wasn't me. I promise. I promise. I would never. Why you put on a kiss

and say, tell her all the Mariah for me? I love Mariah. She's a great girl. What? I'm sorry. Much love, Rampage.

We'll talk to you soon. Okay. We'll go to this camera now. That's Rampage Jackson. All right. Thank you very much to him. Great way to start the program. Let's go to our next guest. Very excited that he's joining us, as I said at the top. I've been wanting to talk to this man for quite some time. He is finally here.

We're talking now to Edmund Tarverde. And Edmund, are you there? No, I'm here. What's up, Ariel? Hey, Edmund. Thank you so much for doing this. Wow. I've been wanting to talk to you for like two years, and I'm so happy that you'd come on the show. I really appreciate it. No problem. Thanks for having me on. Thanks for being patient. Yeah, I guess it's a simple question right off the top, but where have you been? Why have you been so quiet over the past couple years? Not so much quiet, you know, a lot of

everything, you know, with Ronda, just so many questions with Ronda every time, so just thought we should take a break a little bit, you know, the last fight, we just wanted to not, you know, do any media and just focus on the fight. I think I agreed with her

and we've done too much media and a lot of work, so we decided just to stay away for one fight. I don't think it was a big deal. And just to say we're on focus on the fight, you know, so we could have a bit different outcome. And we fell short, you know, it didn't work, but it doesn't mean we disrespected anybody. You know, it was just a decision made so we could make life a bit easier and just move on like that, you know.

I mean, it all happened so fast with the Holly Home fight. I mean, I know it happened over, you know, a year and a half or so. But then, and then the Nunes fight, and then she kind of just left the MMA world. Is it still kind of surreal to you? how this went from like you guys being on top of the world to her now just not being in MMA anymore? No, not really, you know. And comes to everything.

You know, it was a decision we made and she made, you know, it's her decision. Ronda's fought for a long time, you know, she's been an Olympian for a two-time Olympian and, you know, she placed the medal in the Olympic Games and the last one she competed in. And it's too much work. It's too much body, you know, injuries.

Ronda's had a lot of body injuries. and before the last fight we did surgery again on her knees this girl that saw many injuries knee surgery knee surgery so you know and has to come to everything and you know she wasn't feeling that good body wasn't keeping up and you know we had to like eliminate a lot of things so she could at least you know focus on training and make the fight happen somehow and that's the decision we made and then just you know it had to be that way so i wasn't surprised i wasn't Looking back, do you have any regrets about the end? Regrets and everything in life you do. I really just want to learn from it. I don't think I regret anything we've done. I wish it could have been. You know, you always have that.

You know, it would have been different this way if we did this, this, but, you know, we had a hell of a career. And Ron did an amazing job. I think she's the best in the world. And, you know, she proved that for many years. And she, you know, defended that title for a long time. You know, she did amazing and we did amazing. So I really do not regret. And, you know, she's stable.

She's happy. She's, you know, she's doing her thing. You know, she's very happy. I wish maybe we had another fight that I always wanted to be hurt, you know, that, you know, I don't regret. But I wish we had something more, you know what I mean, but nothing that I really regret of. We really did our best and we really put in time and everything we did. Do you think she ever fights again? I don't know

I don't I can't say that it's going to be her decision you know if she fights but you know maybe one more

you know I've spoken to her I don't know if you know she'll do it one more fight maybe you know if she really can

if her body does you know give her one more fight and she really wants to mentally you know she might but

it's 50-50 right now I would say does it bother does it bother you that it ended the way it did like like you know the

the last fight, especially the Nunes fight, it was just so quick and it kind of just came and went. Does it bother you to end on that note? Does it feel like the whole journey is incomplete because it ended that way? I don't think that it's incomplete. You know, Nunes is a big puncher, and, you know, Ronda got caught from the beginning

and you see how fit she was. She didn't even go down. Ronda took all those shots, and she didn't take a knee. You know, she was stopped on her feet. She was so fit, she was so strong, that shows that she's so strong. strong and she's not going down from all those big shots she took and a lot of these girls you know

whoever took amanda's shots all of them went down you know she didn't i mean but yes i i i wanted it of course for ronda to win and we trained so hard but you know it is what it is it's just you know one year not fighting and you know coming off of a loss fighting a fighter that's a a huge puncher big puncher it happens if you watch history you know And mixed martial arts or boxing, you've had Fader Emilenko fight, lose two, three fights in a row, you know, all the greatest Mike Tyson, two fights in a row. And these are all fighters that I compare it to Ronda. Why? Because they're natural fighters and they go for the kill at all times. It's either kill or be killed, you know, fighting style.

And, you know, she went in there with that attitude, fought. You see, she was getting hit, but she stood the ground and she tried to swing back. and, you know, the fight, you know, they had to stop, but she got caught with shots. And it's the part of the fighting style, you know, it's what happens. It has happened before. So like I'm saying, Mike Tyson and say, the same thing. If you watch, you know, in history, the same thing has a period and happened. As you know, I mean, almost even more so than Ronda, you received as much, again,

if not more criticism and heat after the two losses, especially the mandonnas fight. was that unfair? Do you feel like you were unfairly targeted? You know, everyone came out and said that you didn't involve as a coach. You didn't do a good job. You didn't prepare her, things of that nature. Do you feel like that was unfair that you shouldn't have received that kind of criticism? I'm not looking for fairness in this game. You know, nothing is fair in this game. There's a fight. When you're fighting, there's nothing fair, I believe. And, you know, they're criticizing me to have to blame somebody.

And, you know, I know that I could coach. Listen, I've trained. little kids in martial arts programs in my gym. They grew up to be, let's say, 4.0, 4.3 GPA students in high school. They went to Burbank YMCA, okay? They became a gymnastic coach. They hired those kids as a gymnastic coach. I've never trained them gymnastics. I gave them basics, rolls, back rolls, cartwheels, back hands, springs, back tucks, all those stuff, just so they could, you know, become good martial artists. You want to be a gymnast. You know, you want to be flexible. You want to have movement in martial arts. These kids went to, then we got hired as a gymnastic coach in Burbank, YMC.

So I know I know how to coach. You know what I mean? And the fight game, I did this all my life. I was a professional fighter myself. So, you know, what I did, what I could do, what abilities I have, I know. And my fighters know. So people, you know, what they think or what they say, it really doesn't bug me.

Sometimes it's just a little bit the coaches, you know. If the coaches don't understand and they make a stupid comment, you know, after they were kissing my ass when Rhonda was on top, you know, that's a little bit hurtful, but it's okay, we move on and it's life. And, you know, what I have to do is come out with another amazing special fighter to prove, you know, what I could do. That's all I could do.

So really it doesn't bug me. So there was never a point, I mean, you were on top of the world, like I said, and then you kind of went a little quiet after all of this. You didn't feel like you were being attacked. You didn't have any moments where you were. No, no, it wasn't because of being attacked by one quiet. No way people shut me up because I feel threatened or I'm being attacked. I don't care about that.

Nor does Rhonda, you know, if we want to, you know, talk. We could talk so much and we could prove people wrong so much that I think we've done that. You know, it's not being attacked or people saying this and that. We could come out and say what we want to say, you know, but never felt, you know, threatened or never felt, you know, broken anyway. It was a decision we made and we moved on with that decision. We keep our decisions strong and we make decisions. and we, you know, move on.

And it was a decision we made. Let's stay away and just try to focus on the fight. You know, if it's a little bit too much, you know, we have to eliminate something. This is what we're going to eliminate. And we eliminated a little bit media tension. Not a big deal. You never really addressed this.

So I feel like I have to ask, I mean, when the media is criticizing or coaches or pundits, commentators, et cetera, it's one thing. But when Rhonda's mom is saying the things about you that she said, how did you react to that? How did you guys deal with that? How did you deal with that? I mean, that's from mothers saying some pretty mean-spirited things about you and you bit your tongue.

How did you do that? And how did that make you feel? I think, you know, I just was quiet because it's a parent. It's a parent's thought, you know, and I respect every mom out there and father out there, you know. I mean, bad, good. I don't know. There's some parents that people think, you know, they're bad, this, that. But I haven't been raised that way, you know, so I always respect my first.

friends, moms and, you know, their parents. So I had to just respect and move on. And it's simple as that. I don't have to, you know, think about, you know, them saying anything negative about me, really. It is hurtful, but there's nothing I could say. I can't get out there and say something back. It's, it's impossible for me to do that. I respect the older. So, you know, when I grew up, I could get the same respect back. Did you ever address it with her mom privately? we moved on and no nothing nothing we really didn't speak much about that you know i think um it was taking care of on ronda's end and ronda took care of it you know so there's nothing that i should have done um and that's about it ronda was next to me showed you know the loyalty and the understanding

and we moved on was there ever a conversation after the holly home fight to part ways would you have been in favor of that or did you want to see the true. Did you, because we saw from everyone who were like calling for it. It was a very unique thing. You don't really see this where people are almost encouraging Rhonda to move on and yet, to her credit, she was very loyal to you and stuck with you.

Did you guys ever have like a heart to heart moment sit down, okay, what are we going to do? Is this the best for our relationship, the working relationship, for your career? Did you guys ever lay the cards down on the table like that? You know, I never ever in my life with one fight to say, you know, thought that

Rhonda would leave the gym. We started this when it wasn't what it was, right? Women's M.A. You know, Rhonda's the one that brought it up. So we did this together. And all those days that we did this together, you know, slowly and we got into the UFC vein, you know, making a division, all that. So we did this together and we were going to end this together.

We knew that and we worked towards that. And we had a goal. We had a dream. We had a focus. We had a vision, both of us. And we were going to do it all the way. And we're going to end this together. So, you know, that's why those kinds of talks and situations did not happen.

Rumba started from her first amateur fight with me. I was in the corner from her first amateur fight. So, you know, all the skills she developed, you know, getting inside and clinching and using her judo. It was really simple, basic boxing tactics, you know, getting inside. with her jab, working, you know, moving your head, getting inside. And she, she did it beautifully. And, you know, then you have a style of fighter that could move well and touches her and, you know, stops that and has so much experience comes along.

And that happens. And it happens. This is styles make fights. If you watch, you know, Fador versus Crow Cops, South Pole versus Orthodox, remember that fight with kind of a roller coaster, it was Fadour touch so much shots until he, you know, somehow managed to win. right and if we watch holly's fight holly got caught with a left hook too all these legs were wobbled she was almost out and ronda jumped on her doesn't use her right because of knee surgeries she was tilted on the right and ronda clinched there and holly recovered from the clinch but she was caught from the left hook and she was hurt if you watch in the four-way minutes so this this these kinds of things happen and it's not gonna come out and you know especially fighter and a trainer relationship and one blame another and i i don't see you that real and what we've done. I don't see anybody ever doing it and then having a different

outcome trying to change things around a different way. I think what we did is we don't regret how we plan things and how we stay together and what we did together. It kind of felt for a minute that when it rained, it poured because around the time of that last fight, the bankruptcy case came to light. Can you explain that? You've never talked publicly about that as well. You said that you made no income while she was the champion. It was a business. It was a business. Yeah, it was a business decision.

You know, it was all the stuff from 2008. I had nothing to do with most of it. So I'm just going to keep it at that. You know, I was advice to do that. And, you know, it was a wrong decision. It was cleared up the way it was supposed to. It was just a wrong timing, filing something at a wrong time. There was nothing wrong, nothing fraudulent done, any activities like that.

You know, so it was perfectly cleared. And it was cleared way back, you know, I think it's been already a year, so everything is normal. So they had nothing to say about that. It's, yeah, of course. It was a business decision. I was advising incorrectly. Then I hired a better lawyer and everything was staying care.

But, you know, again, media makes it into a big deal, especially your friend. Who's that guy? He still fucking keeps writing shit about it. So that's what's a little bit too much, but whatever. Okay, so, but it wasn't, so what, it wasn't while you were coaching Rondo. was actually before, but it came out on... No, no, no, no, way before that. It was 2008 stuff.

It's written there. It's written there. It has nothing to do with it. It was just filed at the road. I was advised incorrectly, and it was corrected, second hearing, and it was done, and it's written there. What happened with Travis Brown? Why did things go the way it did for Travis Brown?

Why did he turn into the fighter in which he did? Travis Brown, why he... Okay, I was... A lot of times, you know, I've trained Jake, too, when Jake came down. You know, a lot of times the fighters get knocked out, and it's hard to come back from knock out. If you watch Travis Brown, he came. We had the Brendan Schop fight. We won, you know, did he look good.

He did well, you know, he knocked him out. A lot of learning to do in the gym, you know. It's, you know, the last two fights I didn't coach Travis Brown. Yeah. You know, I helped them. I advised them if we spoke. But the outcome was the same, correct? Correct.

The outcome was the same, correct. So, whenever fighters, you know, you come from knockout losses, you know, I'm very, I'm very powerful when I make statements when I tell them things to do. I want them to do it. I coach, but I demand. I want them to do it when I coach. You know, I'm hard. I'm strict. I want discipline. I want to work ethics. That's what I want to see in my gym. So I give that, you know, and fighters like it. You know, sometimes they come from losses. It's difficult to pick them up, you know, mentally and physically. And Travis. You know, did well with the Mitreone fight. We had a good fight. We won. You know, Orlovsky, he got caught. So it was back and forth. And then, you know, the Verdun fight was his finger got messed up in the first round.

You know, those, these are the fights I coached him. So, you know, the first round, he gets his finger messed up. Think about the second round he gets in there and he wins. And I get criticized for talking shit in the corner saying that get up and fight, you know, I start swearing right in the corner. But guess what? You know what Travis told me? Travis said, coach, if you did not swear and you did not tell me to get up and beat this, you know, this, that, all that shit, I would stop fighting.

So I had, there's a coach, Dwayne Ludwig, and this other guy, I'm going to mention their name so they could shut up and know what I'm talking about because they don't know shit. Again, they talk too much from that CSW coach, whatever, CSA, sorry, not CSW, CSA, Jim, right? Kevin Ross and those guys trained there. That guy talking shit posting my video of me talking. to Travis Brown a certain way in the second round saying that I shouldn't swear and I should give advice. I know how to speak to my fighter, right? Isn't that true? You should know how to speak to your

fighter. What do you think? Don't you think I've trained Travis Brown? I don't know how to speak to Travis Brown? You do and I don't? I train that guy every day. I don't know how to encourage him or not encourage him. Give him advice a proper way with a proper tone, with a proper voice. Listen, I've trained Victor Chenean, okay, 10-time world champion in boxing, and I spoke calm in the corner every freaking round. Why? Because he's such an aggressive fighter. But if I have to shake the fighter to get up and to do it, to believe in themselves, I have to give him that advice. I have to give him that love. I have to give him that courage with my voice, with my tone, I have to. You cannot criticize me or post something on your Instagram, on your home school page.

that's disrespectful man you have a gym you feed your family too i have a gym i feed my family with that okay and then dwayne ludwig making a funny comment under that uh yeah he could maybe he could teach the clinics hey i have hundreds of you private messaging you saying coach you're doing an amazing job with ronda oh my god amazing happy faces what happened to that and i called them he apologized he knows what's up but i'm saying it in public so they could all know you know i know my shit and Shut up. Those are to the coaches out there. But the public, public doesn't understand that. And they don't, you know, they could watch fights be fans.

That's amazing. You know, we do our job. We love the fans. It's because of them that, you know, people watch and fighters make money. There is no, no hate. I love all of them. That's why I told you from the beginning. You know, if they don't, you know, if they're upset at me, I do understand.

I do understand. But, you know, somebody has to be blamed for, right? But we move on. Well, you're only human. I mean, anyone who is being, you know, criticized by peers, right? I mean, these are your fellow coaches, colleagues, if you want to call them that, I would be surprised if you said that it totally didn't bother you at all, right? I mean, when people are...

Yeah, the coaches part bothering me, and I call them. And I call them, I'm telling you, the other guy's name I don't even know. That's what, you know, he's not up there so I could know his name. But he had Alexis Davis, and we beat him. Maybe he's burned who but burned from there. I've never had a problem with Dwayne either. Never had an issue. It's just that they're common.

and I see something posted on Instagram. I'm like, holy shit, you're telling me how to speak to my fighter. Hey, I told my fighter to get up and whip us that second round. Travis beat Berdum. You're talking about the best heavyweight in the world at that time, right? Beating Cain. We beat him in the second round with one hand. How is that?

He gets Travis's back when Travis has one hand and he can't submit him. Is that a good fighter? Is that, would that, if I was the coach, I wouldn't be happy with my fighter. I wouldn't be happy with Berdom. And that's the truth. That's the honest truth. you can't stop fighting with one hand and you didn't do much

you won with one two rounds to one okay the guy that had had one hand one finger we use his finger what happened and what happened with Verdun afterwards he tried to kick you yeah because I was telling him don't make those crying faces and I thought he was saying it to Travis

because I was like the guy you have some respect he fought with one hand and he's doing all those faces to the crowd and stuff and I told him don't fucking do that have some respect and he kicked me It's crazy. And they can't, because they can't accept the truth. You know what I mean? I can, but they can't.

Because for us, in my culture, when you're not right, you get punished for that. You can get slapped for that. But I don't know how they are, you know? I hope they're like that to. Actually, I have a lot of Tiago Silva, those guys, good friends with my Brazilian guys, good people. I don't know what's wrong with him. And, I mean, what happened, again, around the same time, and sorry to bring this up, but we haven't heard from you in so long.

The California State Athletic Commission revoked your license because they said that you falsified your application. Can you tell us what happened there? Yeah. Nothing, man. I wrote 100 anniversary on the, it was the Armenian Genocide. So it was the 100 anniversary. I filled that application out.

And what was it? February of two years ago, it was the 100 year anniversary. So I wrote 100. Instead of writing 10 plus, I usually write 10 plus on the coaches thing. experience, who checks that? And then background, like again, seven years ago for resisting arrest that had nothing was, you know,

on me with the students were behind the gym and they put resisting arrest at me because the cop spoke to us unnormally and I told them, you know, what it was. Never been charged or convicted of anything. And then so I wrote no on the arrest part and then they took all that out.

Again, it was all just together and they they said that, you know, I lied on our application, which was like, I'm like, Are you serious? The commission was even laughing that. Holy shit. How do you get charged for that? You know,

for writing 100 years instead of 10 plus. Which trainer out there goes and writes exactly the years of experience they had? Which trainer does remember that? You know what I mean? I don't. I don't remember the first time I took out the license. So they suspended me for that and I paid and I moved on. And it was just all together.

They're just, you know, you know how it is. They just all ganged up on me. So you wrote 100. You were thinking 100, but you made. to write 10 plus. Yeah.

Oh, okay. It was a hundred year anniversary of me in genocide and I wrote that. And why did the cops come? What was that incident? What, like, why did you resist arrest? It had to do with, between me. It had to do some, you know, some issues,

some fighters in the gym. But it's nothing that I should be talking about. It's nobody's business. So when all this is going on, are you thinking to yourself like, holy smoke, can I just get a break here for a second? Can people, you know, like, did you ever have a moment like that?

or you just kept pushing forward? No, I kept pushing for it. I kept pushing forward. It was like, it is what it is. It's written out there already. It's already the public sees. And it's, you know, there's nothing I could do. I have to just focus on my fights.

And my fighters, I think it made me stronger. You know, second time I come around, it'll be, you know, I'll be ready for anything more prepared. Are you coaching any MMA fighters now? Yes, yes. I have, you know, the kids I coach, I started from zero. So I have this kid, Edmund Chakbazian, actually, three and no three finishes in the first round. So he's looking amazing, and I will get him on, hopefully that day and away, Tuesday night fights soon.

You know, he's young, only 19, he beat the national boxing champion, made it to state in wrestling. So these are kids that started from zero with me. When I bring a Friday, it's going to be special and unique. Saturday I have WBC Intercontinental title Boxer Kit on the La Nadas card at the forum in Englewood. So yes, we have fighters

the gymnast fighters. Is Ronda going to WWE? I don't know. I don't, you know, the decision she makes, I'm not going to answer too much of that, but I honestly, I honestly don't know.

You know, I speak to her you know once every two days you know we speak to each other a few times a week and great relationship she's happy you know that's most important and now her mind is good so I think she's married she's happy any decisions she makes she'll make a very good decision because she's very happy and she wanted to get married and she is I think it's a the marriage will bring another blessing sure to her future and what she decides to do I think so that's why if she wants to make a comeback and give one fight, I think she will do the best she's ever done. And I think she'll be victorious because I know around this personality, because she's happy right now and she has a

good challenge in front of her that she focuses on. I think whatever she wants to do, she can do. It's in her mind. What's her gut say? Do you think she fights again? What do you think deep down inside? I would love her to fight one more fight. I have a fight that I always wanted her to fight and I always You tell us? Hard. Yeah, Cyborg versus Ronda. That's the one. That's the one you want?

That's the one you want. I want that fight. I've always, when I trained Ronda, I know Ronda could beat Cyborg. I know that. Does she share these thoughts? Have you talked about it with her? It works too slow. I've spoken to her about it, yeah.

What does she say? What does she say? I'm going to keep that a secret. Oh, wow. Would it be positive? Do you think it could happen? What do you think? I don't know. I don't know. We'll live and we'll see. You know, I'm telling you, if the injuries were there and everything was where it was, we would take that fight and Ronda, I'm telling you, she's too slow for us. Ronda will be her. And Ronda needs a challenge that she really needs to be like this person is no good and I need to prove something to the whole world. That's how Ronda works good. And she didn't have that with Holly. She's the one that pushed them, you know.

I wanted some aggressiveness, you know, before the way ends. But this one, she has it. She says she's cheated before. She's a hurt, you know, a woman, and she wants to come and beat her. Wow. You know. So more likely it happens than it doesn't? More likely it happens than it doesn't?

I don't know. I don't know. Honestly, now it's before I would say yes. Honestly, I don't know. You know, honestly, I wish I could say yes. But it's her decision. Edmund, I really appreciate this. Thank you so much for coming on the show.

Thank you for speaking about all of this. I was so happy when you wrote me back after all those text messages I sent you. So all the best to you, keep it up. No, never, never. Hard feelings, you know. This is we feed our families, just like I said. This is, I understand it's besides the sport and art. We all love each other, you know, respect each other because of that purpose.

But this is a business in a way and we all have to make money and a living. and I appreciate everything. Everybody's done in this sport, especially you as well. Thank you very much, Edmund. We'll talk to you soon. All the best to you. Thank you. Bye-bye. All right, there he is. Edmund Tarverdian. How about that? Breaks to silence, dropping nuggets left and right. Okay, last week, some massive news in the world of MMA. Daniel Cormier is now the new UFC light heavyweight champion. This is unprecedented. This has never happened before. He lost, of course, at UFC 214.

And then John Jones failed his pre-fight drug test. And then the California State Athletic Commission overturned that result into a new contest and as a result, the UFC stripped John Jones of the belt and Daniel Cormier is now the champion. He is kind enough to join us on the phone. D.C., are you there? Yes, man. What's up, Ariel? I'm sorry for getting to you a little late. It's been a crazy day,

episode 400. And I told you after the first time you came on just a few weeks ago, that I'd leave you alone and then John Jones fails and then I said I'd leave you alone and now here you are two weeks later because you're the UFC light heavyweight champion again. This is crazy stuff.

and in the span of a month and a half, you've gone from your lowest low to becoming the champ once again without ever fighting. Has that sunk in? Like, if I say to you, hey, what's up, champ? Like, does that have that sunk it?

Does it feel like you're the champion? Or is it all kind of weird at this point? You know, people say, you know, like, to address the champ thing, that's normal. I think once you had the belt, people just always kind of refer to you as champ. It's kind of just like,

I remember I used to do it in boxing when I would see like Alan Green and those guys, I do like eight champ or so even though they didn't have the belt. They just were champions, so you're always a champion. So that didn't really change, but now that it's actually the truth and not just a form of what you were, it's kind of odd, you know. It's very odd. I was talking about this just the other day, and I was asked, do you feel like the champion?

You know, are you the champion? I said, well, I am because if the competition was unfair, then I guess it doesn't count. But I know what UFC 214 was, I experienced it myself. You know, I was there, and in my mind, I lost the competition. So it's kind of an odd question right now under the circumstances. I have a lot of people that really truly care for me and love me and my wife and my management. they're all over the moon and very upset that I didn't get a fair shake, I guess. But so they all are pretty easy when to answer that question.

But for me, the competitor, it's very difficult. How did it go down? How did you find out that you were the champion once again? Could you tell us? Yeah, well, so we were getting ready to film UFC tonight, and we were in our production meeting at like five minutes, before the show, Dana calls and goes, hey, you know, it's your show. You should get to break the news.

It goes, you know, it's been scheduled and called in no contest. You're once again the UFC champion. Now, Dan and I have a pretty good relationship, you know, so he goes, congratulations. He goes, I know that's not how you want to hear that. But congratulations. And that was pretty much all the time we had because I had to go on the air. but it was just odd because people want to congratulate you because it is a huge accomplishment. They know me.

So it's almost kind of like walking on eggshells because I may flip out. You know, it's just who I am. I'm a very competitive person. And so when you're told that news and, you know, the last couple weeks, obviously, and this has been a strange phenomenon. Like we talked about this, I believe last time, you're infinitely more popular now than you've ever been you you acknowledge that right yes more people more people are very supportive i think honestly man you know when i saw the support was after the fight

like when i was at my lowest felt like people wanted to pick me up they didn't like they you know obviously you have people that do make fun of you and you know stuff like that but there were a lot of people that did not seem to like that i was hurting so bad And that was actually cool to see, you know. Like there are a lot of good people in this wall still. And so then what prompts you? Because, I mean, you could have so many emotions. You could, you could, you know, say, I told you all.

You know, you're the one who said that John, you know, was only three and oh in the UFC, right? You could say all kinds of things about being the clean champion. But then on Friday, you go out and you post this thing on your Instagram saying, lay off John Jones. You know, this guy, you know, was gracious towards me after the fight. Please just do me this solid and give him space. let him figure it out, give him team some space. Let's just figure it out. Please don't kick him while he's down.

You guys have been, I said to you, I thought he brought out the worst in you. And now, in the end, he brings out the best in you for you to do that. Why? Why do you feel the need to do that? You know, so I keep getting, like, people telling me stuff, like, wow, that statement,

it's not some big, grand gesture. It's just the simplest form of human emotions. you know, compassion. It's like, man, I know, I don't know exactly what the guy's going through, obviously, but I know that when shit's bad, it sucks when people are piling on, you know? So I'm like, man, just kind of lay off, you know.

It sucks. I mean, because it's crazy, man, like you can have the most support in the world. And the ones that are going, ha-ha, you cried on national television, you're a pussy, you're this, you that. Those little ones that kind of stick with you. So I don't only imagine the amount of people that are calling him, you know, all that stuff.

And it's like, just give the guy some space, you know. Like, if you don't like him and you don't like what he did, I get it. You know, he's probably heard what you said. And if you want to show support for me, then I get it, you know. But be positive with me. You don't necessarily have to just kind of pile on while this dude is down in the dumps. look, I am by no means saying that I am okay with what he did. I'm not.

I'm not okay. It was not right, you know, regardless of if it comes out that this supplement was tainted or whatever the case is, it still was in the system the day at a fight or the day before to fight. And that's unfair. But at some point, you know, his dude's got to get up every day and still deal with his kids, you know, and his family. It's hard.

It's hard when you're done. and people are kicking you to get up and deal with your kids and your family to try to put a brave face on. So that's essentially all I'm saying. I'm still, my feelings for him have not changed, but, you know, a little compassion goes a long way in those situations. Have you heard from John? No, John and I don't talk.

Okay. I don't anticipate we ever will, you know, it's like we don't have that type of relationship. We never did. We don't have to. And I'm okay with that. I just. I just know that stuff's hard right now for him. Because it's hard for me.

And I'm supposed to be on the good side of this whole equation. You know, and it's still hard for me. Yeah, you're not, I mean, like, this is not a big step from the first time we spoke right after 214. Like, you still kind of seem, you know, the clouds have not completely opened up. Like, it's almost like, I feel like the, we've gone through three steps here since that fight. The first one when you were on vacation and it was clear that you were kind of down.

The second one, It felt like you were opening up. It was post-Mayweather-Megger. You were kind of moving on. You got the news, yes. But now it almost feels like you're still in like this confused state. Like you don't really know how to feel. Is that fair?

Yes. It's more like just like kind of like this, the actions of one man has really impacted two careers. And it's just crazy. Because a lot of this stuff I didn't ask for, you know. You're right. I was coming through to cloud. I was back. I was happy.

I was like, yes. And now it's just kind of weird, you know? I mean, I'm having fun, you know? But I think things will be better and I'll feel better about the belt and everything again whenever I fight and defend it. Okay. Then I can feel better. You know, like, then I can feel better because I don't care what anybody says.

I lost the last fight, you know. I know I lost. Like, I was there. I was in the octagon. and then I was out of the octagon. I don't quite remember what happened in between, but I was in the octagon and I was out of the octagon. I was there.

I was fucking there, man. So, yes, I am the champion, because if I didn't get a fair shake, that's not cool. But I know that I lost the last fight, so I have to fix that before I can feel completely secure in my title again. I got, I had a fight party last night, last week to watch Luke. uh, Canelo fight and I have this movie room in my house, you know, I have a whole bunch of pictures and fight stuff and memories and stuff of my fights and all my championships.

And when everybody came over, they saw my strike force title and King of the Cage and uh, King of the Cage Strike Force and then like XMMA and they were like, hey, you know, where, where are your UFC championships? And, uh, I still haven't put those back out. I tried to throw them away, but my wife wouldn't let me. So they just put away in the closet. So I'm still not at the point now where I can take all these belts out and face them every day.

Wow. So you wanted to throw them away? I was pissed off, man. I just couldn't believe that that happened. Like, you don't understand me, you know? It's like this thing where I guess it's like a wrestler thing, you know, we get so mad that we don't think about the emotion. and the action and then you regret it later.

Like, I would have regretted throwing those away. Well, life wouldn't let me. Just as a kid named Kyle Kutchmerer, he's just starting his MMA career. He was an All-American last year for Oklahoma State and lost his first match. He won seven in the row to make All-American because he was so disappointed because he was supposed to be one of the better guys in the country. He threw the medal in the garbage can, and now he regrets it. But wrestlers do that all the time, you know.

Terry Brands, Olympic bronze medal from 2000. it away. And somebody picked it out of the trash and gave it to him. And I guess it's just a rustic thing. You know, we get so disappointed that we don't think about the consequence of the action. So yeah, I was, I was really, really upset. They're still in the closet now a little. Are you embarrassed?

Like, are you embarrassed that you're now the champion after the loss? Not embarrassed because I think you got to keep things in perspective, right? Like, I didn't get a fair shake. Right. but last time that I won the belt from Rumble and I people were saying you're not a real champion and I had won the belt and fought and people were saying it felt like they gave me the belt I was always kind of like no you know I'm eligible to fight you know and I'm the one that's here defending this title and this time they actually gave me the belt like they legit legit gave me

the belt because I got cheated it's just very difficult for me to just ignore whatever happened at UFC 214. That's it. Do you think John knowingly took steroids in that fight? Honestly, I think I think losing to me the idea of losing to me was so negative that I believe you would have done anything

trained, you know, to win the fight and in look, my whole thought is this aerial. I've been in this program for 12 years from 2001 to 9 in wrestling, 13 to 17, or 15 to 17 now. And I've never had anything like that happened to me. Like never. I take supplements. I take a lot of supplements because I'm 38 years old. I have to be able to do this. My strength coach is a 30-year-old man and he went and did a certification the other day. This dude came to my house and said, I'm so sorry. He goes, it's crazy that you can do this.

And he goes, especially at your age. And I don't think that he wanted to say that. I think it flipped. You were saying, dude, you're old to be doing all the stuff that you do. And so I take supplements. I take so much stuff. But this never happens to me. I don't understand how these guys keep allowing this stuff to happen.

I don't get it. So for me, it's like, man, you must be doing something completely wrong or have some knowledge of the situation. That's like, that's the thing. So I have these conflicting thoughts in my mind. nowhere. I'm super pissed off. And then I'm like, fuck, man, lay off this dude. And I'm just kind of like, man, it's like I have all these freaking emotions because

like people, I keep getting taken on this roller coaster. I didn't stand in line at Disney for two hours for, you know? I didn't fucking stand in line to go on this roller coaster. But I keep getting taken on this ride, you know? There's a burden that comes with being champion. GSP has talked about it. Anderson Silva has talked about it. Is it almost like, okay, you, you were kind of moving on from that burden.

now it's being put back on you and there's more responsibilities. You're expected to fight sooner. You're expected to defend the belt, all this stuff. You're like an ambassador for the sport division. And that's kind of thrust upon you and you didn't have a chance to celebrate and welcome that burden back in your life. It's just kind of, all right, here it is. Take it. I love it.

I love it. I love the responsibilities that comes. I would be in a champion. I learned at a very young age, man, that when you are successful, responsible, comes with that. And I've accepted that. My whole life has been spent in front of a crowd. Since I was 15 years old,

I was wrestling, international wrestling terms, represent the United States. So, like, I've lived in this situation for a really, really long time, and I'm comfortable with it.

So the responsibilities of being a champion, those things are, those are the things that I look forward to. The only thing I don't like, honestly, is just,

I just want a fair shake, you know, and I just want everybody to do the right thing. And that's, that's it, you know. If that ain't going to happen, then it's kind of just messed up, you know, because I thought, honestly, man, after last year and that thing happening with the sex pills or whatever, and in the microscope that this young man was going to be on there at UFC 214 because of those things,

and then also the first fight with the cocaine and the low testosterone level, I thought that would be the time that we got to do it completely fair. I did not think for one second that this type of thing would happen in that situation. But it did. You know, so again, losing to me was just such a terrible thought that I feel like anything would have been done to ensure that he would win. Last time we spoke, you said you're going to take probably the rest of the year off and assess things.

does this change your return fight, your comeback fight, your next fight now that you're the champion, has your timeline changed? No, not really. Things are the same for me. I'm not, that doesn't change anything, you know. I mean, I have to take time to rest. I mean, I fought in April and got kicked in the face by Rumble and broke my nose. UFC 214, I got beat and stopped by Jones, you know.

That doesn't change, you know. Like, I still took those big shots. I still got to take time to recover my. myself and make sure that my mind is good, you know, because, man, what if, you know, what if I lost something in that fight in July, you know? I got to make sure my body has time to recover from all that, all that fight, you know? Is it weird to you that, like, the worst thing to happen to John and at the time what you thought was the worst thing to happen to you ended up being the best thing for your career? Meaning what? Meaning, what do you mean? What do you mean? What's the

well you're you're again infinitely more popular people are supporting you're the clean champ in their eyes it's weird like you like you did so many good things in the sport i've been banging the drum forever that you should be considered number two pound for pound of all time just because of the jones fights now you can make a case that you're number one just because of the jones fights and what happened afterwards i mean but but these like it's it's weird for you to be even more loved and respected after a loss than after all the great things that you did the positive things the victim Is that not weird? Very weird. And like I said earlier, you know, I just think it's, again, human emotion, man. People don't like seeing people down for the most part. There are some bad people in this world, and those are the people that try to kick you when you're at your lowest. But for the most part, human beings are good people and they see somebody hurting and they

try to help. Why do you think when there's a car accident or something? People pull over to the side of the road and go try to help. Right. Even in real bad accidents, like, you don't. want to see what you may see in that car, but you get out and you go and try to help because you're a human being and you have emotions. And, and I think that's what people felt. They saw me at my lowest. I cried on national television and I cried a lot. And I would cry again if I

lost. Like, that's just what happens. I hate losing. I work really hard and I'm committed to my craft and it's very upsetting whenever I don't accomplish the things I want to accomplish. But when people saw that, I think they saw like, there was nothing. you know, that was just me at my, my core, you know? I'm an emotional guy. That's who I am. I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and they saw me at my core, and they said, you know what, we want to pick up a guy that's been, I don't want to say a hero, you know,

but like a guy that's been larger than life for a long time. I've been in the spotlight since I started fighting for a year. I fought a year, and then I fought Bigfoot Silver, so I've been really in the, for seven of my, I think I've been fighting for almost eight years now, for seven of those years, six and a half, seven of those years. I've been in the top ten in the world, doing some big fights, you know, so people got to see me for a long time. And at that point, they saw me at my very lowest.

Are you hoping he said, let's pick this dude up. Right, yeah. And people like you because you appeared to be real and you have emotion and people are emotional when they're at their lowest. Are you hoping that he doesn't get four years so that you can fight him again? You know, that's the big question, man. Like, what do you do? You know, it's like competitively.

It's like, that's all I want. You know what I mean? The moment I left the fight, as I told you on the next show, I was like, I don't know how I'm supposed to get this third fight. Like, I don't know what I'm going to have to do to get this third fight. But now, I don't think I have to do anything. I just have to hope that he's not going for too long. Yeah.

And then when he comes back, he can get a title shot, you know? So it's a great thing. So, no, I don't want it to be as long, but probably will. You know, you don't get to make those types of mistakes over and over again, which sucks. But I think for this thing, like, and I looked into some past experiences. When Tyson Gay tested positive for something with Usada, he said, you know what? I did this, this, and this. And they said, okay, now we can, we know what some of these people are taken.

We use that to try to help us in the future. And they gave them a reduced sentence. I've known wrestlers that have tried to fight it. Didn't say what they did and play dumb. And they've gotten really long suspension. So maybe in your best interest to just be honest, help them in the future. And you might get a reduced suspension. And in the meantime, you get the pleasure of fighting Alexander Gustafin probably again,

which I know you enjoyed very much the first time. That was, uh, Alexander Gustafson was very fun. But, you know, there are some fights out there. You know, there's Gustafson, but I fought him before. And I would definitely fight him again. That fight does not have to be as hard as I made it last time. Right. I could go wrestle more, and it would be a lot easier, but it was fun.

He's a gentleman. O's Demir has looked phenomenal. Yeah. I thought he's done good. And, you know, obviously, if you guys want to take a trip down memory lane, old Shogun has won a couple of fights in the row. You know, he's not fighting next weekend. so maybe that's something we can do too, you know.

So there are fights out there for me to take. We've got to see which one makes the most sense. Thank you, D.C. You represent the best MMA has to offer, my friend. Thank you for being such a great ambassador and role model. And thank you for being only one of two people to be on episode 300 and 400. I'm sorry for continuing to bother you, but you continue to be in the news. And so I couldn't help it ask them to come on once again.

All good, man. Happy birthday to the MMA hour. congratulations. On another milestone. You guys are doing a phenomenal job. Hello. Thank you. Yes.

Good job, homie. Hey, your boy's back. The champ's back. Luke Rockhold. Oh, that's right. I bowed down and praise Luke Rockhold, the greatest middleweight in UFC history.

He'll be the champion again. I'm kind of hoping that, you know, somebody doesn't fight November so Luke can get the title shot. All right. Thank you, D.C. All right. All right. Thank you, bye.

Thank you, bye. All right. There he is. Daniel Cormier now. once again the UFC light heavyweight champion. A man who knows a thing or two about being the UFC light heavyweight champion for a while. He carried that division on his back. One of the greatest of all time, one of the faces of the UFC, one of the four fathers of the UFC,

one of the greatest fighters of all time. A UFC Hall of Famer, regardless of division, this man was the face of MMA for so many years. What a pleasure to have Chuck Liddell on the show. Chuck, are you there? I'm here. Wow. I'm doing so great, Chuck. Thank you so much.

How many times have I bothered you over the past nine or so much? months to come on this show. At least 30, would you say 30? How annoying have I been? Probably at least 30. You're always polite, man. It's always good to hear from you. I don't mind you asking. I just get too upset when I say no. Okay, no, not at all. And it worked out because here you are on episode 400. It's so great to hear from you. People have been asking to hear from you for quite some time. And you've kind of laid low a little bit. You popped up here or there in 2017. But, you know, and this may be a loaded question, if you will, but since parting ways with the UFC,

what have you been up to this year? What have you been doing? You know, just kind of trying to figure out what I want to do. You know, it kind of lighted fire under my butt to figure out what I wanted to go on and do after I'm done. You know, it's kind of just coasting, being working for the UFC and just kind of relaxing. And, you know, I had a great time

to do a lot of things with my family and hung out a lot. But now I kind of felt like I got to get something else going on and get a little more busy. So we'll see what happens. I'm not sure what am I do yet. But, you know, still playing around movie stuff and doing some of that stuff.

And, you know, talking about opening a gym. So we'll see what happens. How long did it take for you to get over having to part ways with the UFC? Because we all thought that you would be in that role for life. That's what was told to us. Well, that's what was told to me, too. But, you know, it happens.

Life changes. And, you know, I think it actually turned out to, I think I took it. At first, I took it a little hard. And then I, you know, actually look at it as a blessing in disguise. It's just so it's got me remotivated to go out and find what I really want to do. Did it affect your relationship with Dana White? You know, not really. I mean, I, you know, it is what it is.

It's a business decision. You know, they made a business decision. and that's what it is. You know, I was led to believe that's not what it was going to be, but, you know, it happened, and it is what it is. Did it affect the way you watch the sport? Like, are you not that interested in watching the UFC or MMA in general because of the way things went down?

No, that's not true. I'm still a fan. I'll always be a huge fan of MMA. I like watching small shows. I like big shows. There's just a lot of shows. Right. You know, and, you know, you're spending time doing other things.

It's not easy for me to see every fight, but I still follow the sport. I still follow the fights, man. I'll always be a fan. So once that happened, almost right away the talk started. Will Chuck return to fighting? Will he fight again? Will he go to Bellator? There's been rumbling.

Scott Coker going to lunch with you. They're interested. You posed with Tito. Put that out there. People start. you know, speculating. John Hackleman says a thing or two. We see a picture of you with the abs.

You're training with Jay Glazer. Like every few weeks, these little things are popping up. So tell us, are you planning a comeback? Not right now, no. But, you know, I never put it out of my mind. I mean, it's always a possibility. You never know. I think my whole, ever since I retired, I've always said,

I don't know. It's still hard to put that final nail in the coffin. Like, no, I'll never be back. I never try it one more time. So, you know, but, you know, we'll see. I mean, it just depends. I mean, I always, the Tito thing, I mean, I was at a charity event. They had his face off, and I just thought it would be kind of funny to do.

And I actually had told him I was going to post that. And then he makes that off comment on there. I'm like, you know what, all right, you want to, you want to play? Okay, let's play. You know, I'll fight it many times he wants. And he obviously already said Someone said something about us fighting And I'm like yeah whatever

He talked to him If he'll fight me I'll fight him And he said no way You know So I'm not doing it I'm done So whatever

Has Belator made you an offer To come fight for them? No they have not But you've talked to Scott Koker right Yeah I've talked to Scott About doing some pro-emotional stuff for him And talk to them about some other stuff too But yeah

I've talked to him Scott, I've been friends with Scott, I've known Scott for a long time. Yeah. Yeah, but no, there's been no offers. Okay. Like, would you say the itch is kind of starting to go away, or did parting with the UFC make the itch come back? How would you describe, like, your interest in actually stepping in there again?

I don't think the it's the fight has ever left me, ever. I mean, I got paid to do what I love for a living, you know, and I got paid very well to do it. So, you know, that's going to always be there. It's always going to be like, man, I wouldn't mind getting out there again. You know, that'll always be there. And then it's just that battle should I or is the right thing to do. That's what it all comes down to. What does your wife say about it?

I'm sure you talked to her. Does she want to, you know, like would she prefer that you sit out? Or would she be supportive of you fighting again? Well, I think she's very supportive whatever I decided to do, but she doesn't want to be part of that decision. He doesn't want to tell me I can't But she's not getting if I decide to She's not gonna she wants to support me

So It's a tough, tough place to be In her shoes with that But she's happy either way So it's there's no pressure one way or another Coming from my wife It also kind of sparked once again Because Chail Sunnan

Openly called you out He said that you know Multiple times he did it on this show not that long ago Do you have any interest in Chale Sondon? Well, talk about if I had to pick an easy, big name fight, I mean, that's come back. I ease into fighting again. I mean, you know, a warm-up fight, that's the one you're talking about. I mean, I love jail, and I don't pay much attention to what he says because he's one of those guys that, you know, he made a name for himself by talking a lot of trash.

and he runs his mouth and he did that because he was a boring fighter I mean he would be not that exciting if I'm trying to be nice but but he wasn't that exciting to watch fight you know he's like a throwback to the lay and pray guys

right you know but you know he made a name for himself and he made a great career with being any you know it's that cartoonish um trash talk you know it's like he's like a WWE guy.

You know, it's over the top. It's always funny. He's always trying to be funny. It's always, I mean, and he's actually, and I know the guy, he's a nice guy. You know, he's just, he beats all business to him. So, you know, it's hard to watch that and get upset about him, him trash talking, you know, so it's just weird.

Excluding Bellator, has any promotion, like out of the blue one in Russia or I don't know where in Dubai, anyone under the sun? Has anyone come to you with a boatload of money and said we'd love to have you fight? I'm assuming someone has. I would think it's crazy if they haven't. No one's really come to me and said that, but I have had people that I was doing some promotion stuff. You know, we had an idea.

Maybe we should have like a legends fight. That conversation always comes up when I'm having those. You know, we're talking about doing some promotion for their company or helping them promote their league. The conversation always leads to, have you ever thought of doing a legends fight? like we had in this new idea we're thinking of legends you know? Yes.

New idea, yeah, it's brand new. But yeah, it always comes up. But I mean, it's just in the right situation. I'm not saying, I mean, if they offer enough money and it's the right and my body would hold up to getting in shape, I'll, I mean, I'm not saying I wouldn't say, I would say no. How do you feel about what's happened to John Jones? prior to John Jones coming around

you were the greatest light heavyweight champion of all time then John Jones comes and it looks like he's going to blow right through Anderson Silva's record, youngest champion of all time, beating legends left and right and then all this happens. One thing after the next, the most recent one he gets stripped and now DC's the champion once again. This is your division,

so I'm sure that you feel somewhat attached to it a little more so than the other divisions. How do you feel about what's happened to John Jones? Well, I mean, he's his own worst enemy. You know, and he was such a great fighter. I mean, I don't know why. I don't know why he decided when, it seemed like he decided in his off-season that one time to start using steroids.

And, you know, obviously he's got his time in court, I guess, still, I don't know. But, you know, it seems to, I mean, my real obvious, you know, his increase in size, you know, stuff. But I don't know that he needed that. And it just seemed like he got maybe around the wrong people, got around the wrong idea, and decided he wanted to, you know, and now he's gotten caught. You know, it's, I mean, it's sad. I was just listening to you talk to D.C. for a little bit. I mean, I'm with the D.C. I mean, I still want to see him fight again, you know.

So I'm torn with that, though, too. If you want to stop guys from using. performance-enhancing drugs, there has to be stiff penalties for when you get caught. There's always going to be a cat and mouse game between guys trying to catch them and then trying to beat the tests and whatever. So you've got to make it cost you if you lose. You know, if you mess up and you get caught, you know, it's, it needs, I mean, you know, the progressive, you know, suspensions is what you need. You need to get longer and longer the more times you get caught doing things.

but, you know, I said I wouldn't want to see a four-year. I don't want to see him. You know, I still want to see him fight again. Do you think this calls into question everything that he's done in the past? You know, I mean, that's what happens when anybody gets tried. Everyone goes back to everything. I mean, I don't know. I mean, it looked like there was a huge change in a short period of time that one break he took

for a little bit. He seemed like he grew a lot. lot over that time. So I don't know. I seem to think like that's where it started. I don't think, but I don't know. You know, I, I mean, I don't, he hasn't come out and said anything. He hasn't come out and, you know, another change in simple bit, right?

That seems to be what they're saying. That seems to be what they're saying, yeah. So, so I don't know. And, you know, he gets his time in court and we'll see what happens with that, too. So, okay, some people feel like Usada is the best thing to happen. Some people feel like Usada is the worst thing to have at the MMA, you know, the fans that don't really care because, hey, you know, I just want to see these fighters. I don't care what they're doing. You fought in the pre-Usada era.

Do you like the fact that Usada's involved, or would you rather there not be the stringent testing 24-7, 365? You have to check in, whereabouts, all that stuff. And, you know, it's kind of like the thing I've said for a long time. You either have to do something like that. Like do you saw a thing where you're trying to catch everybody to do anything right? Or just not worry about it. I mean, I'd like to not worry about it. Let guys just let guys train and play and compete.

So what do you want to do? You know, it's one of those things. It's like, you know, it was just like the same thing with the, when they get the exemption. When they had the, so they get the TRT exemption. Yeah, yeah. I thought that was ridiculous. I thought I was at an athletic board meeting in California and that basically the

one guy said it's like getting a doctor's note to use steroids. And I thought, well, you're right. You know, these guys, that's not fair. Why are you going to give these guys attention to let them use steroids? And not just, if you're not just going to let everybody do it. Right. And, you know, but it's better for the sport. if everyone's clean.

I mean, it's just everyone comes on a fair playing field and, you know, safer for athletes, safer for the fighters. It's just a safer thing for fighters. I mean, so,

so I think the USADA thing is good. Again, like I said, I mean, this is no news here. You're one of the pillars of the UFC of the sport, one of the most recognizable faces ever. Are you shocked that it was sold

for $4.025 billion? Like, what do you think when you hear that number? Man, hey, congratulations for the guys, man. They did a great job of building a sport and a company, and they were able to sell it for a lot of money. I saw it. That's a lot of money. Yeah.

That's crazy, man. I mean, I didn't really, I wasn't aware they were even selling. I mean, I heard the rumors and then talked to Dana. He said they weren't. So, you know, then they ended up selling a couple weeks later. So I wasn't really privy to what was going on, but that's a high number, man. And I'm happy for him. And, you know, they took a risk for a long time.

You know, Franklin Lorenzo took a little risk for quite a while trying to make it work. And it worked for him. Do you still speak to Dana? I talked to everybody once in a while, yeah. Okay. Because it was funny seeing him in the role of being the promoter for Connor McGregor. It reminded me of when he was solely, your promoter when you went to pride.

Like he was just backing one guy and he was able to kind of openly root for that one guy as opposed to the role of UFC president. Did you enjoy the whole McGregor Mayweather experience? Did you think that some fighters said that that was bad for M. Some fighters think that it opens the floodgates. How did you feel about it?

Oh, I don't think it was bad. I mean, he performed well. I mean, it was the first boxing match against one of the best ever. And he went out and performed better than you could expect. You know, better than we got wanted them to. So

I think it was great for the sport. And it brings any crossover fans, anytime you get crossover fans or people involved to try the sport they never have, you know, that's when he, it grows the sport. So anytime that happens, it's good for the sport. You know, we're getting crossover fans.

We'll get some bunch of boxing guys that'll check out Karl McGregor's next fight. you know like in the so it's not it doesn't hurt the sport at all and I think it's hilarious

so he started talking about these boxers saying they're going to come over to LMA you know I think someone asked me at CNZ about one of the guys I'm like too

I don't know I don't know what he does I don't know what his background is if he's got a wrestling background or he's got something but he better have something he ain't going to last very long if he doesn't have

a wrestling or a jitzy background to help him learn with his boxing. You know, so coming back to the UFC is not, guys from boxing coming to UFC is not going to do, they're not going to do so well. And so now what do you do on a day-to-day basis? Like, what are the projects that you're working on?

Are you just kind of trying to figure things out right now? No. I'm just trying to figure things out. I'm just kind of taking meetings and talking to people about what my next move is. So, you know, and I'm working out and getting back in shape. a little bit and having a little fun doing that. Great to catch up with you, Chuck. Really appreciate the time.

It was so good to talk to you after all this time. Thank you for finally saying yes, and I promise now that I will stop bothering you at least for a little bit. All right, man. I'll let you know if there's any interesting news comes up. So please. I go back on with anything going on more than this.

Please. I really appreciate that. Thank you so much. All the best to you and your family. all the best of you, man. And congratulations on the 400th show, man. Thank you. Thank you. That means a lot to me.

There he is. Chuck Ladell stopping by the Iceman, one of the greatest of all time. So great to hear from him on this 400th episode of the program. So we've heard from one UFC champion, three more to go. We're going to hear from the heaviest, and now we'll go to the lightest. Now being joined via the Magic of Skype.

It's been a while since we've had her on via Skype, but this is a special day. Here she is the Strawway Queen herself, Yawanna, J. Check. Yoana, how are you? Hi, guys. I'm so good. Chilling, chilling. I'm enjoying the sun, man.

We spent like a week with the shutters on the windows, so it was very dark at home. So I really like to spend my time outside. But I just got back from training. And it was hard training because on every Monday we have like hard resting class. And two hours of life goes. so I'm pretty tired, but I'm good. Happy to be on the 400 episode, you know, with you guys. Thank you.

Thank you so much. And congrats. Thank you very much, Joanna. Why did you stay in Florida during the hurricane and were you nervous at all? Was it ever really bad or were you in a good spot? Man, we were like, you know, I have very smart people around me. I work with perfecting athletes and I stay with them all the time. And we're supposed to evacuate.

We're supposed to move. But the place where we live, there was not a mandatory evacuation. So we decided to stay like two days before the hurricane was coming to Florida. We were like, oh, maybe we should move. Maybe we should like jump into the car and drive. But it was dangerous because there was not gasoline at the petrol station. So you could get stock on a highway. And actually we were trying to get some flight or even rent a private jet.

But at the end, we decided to stay and it was safe, man, because the hurricane passed the east coast. So we were very lucky and we were very safe. Not a lot of hurricanes in Poland, right? Was this your first experience with one? No, not at all. Not at all. Not at all. So actually, last year when I moved to Florida, Matthew was coming to Florida.

But actually, nothing really happened last year. So it was very loud. The wind was strong and we couldn't get out for like two days. But we are safe. We are healthy. Thanks to God, you know. Now I can be focused on training. Are you full time in Florida now?

Do you live there full time? Yes, I'm full time in Florida. But of course, my life is in Poland, you know, my fiance and my family and my friends. And it's like a business here, you know. I really like United States, but I see my life with my family in Poland, you know, Like I see, I see me helping my parents in the future and I like this, you know. We are very close. So I'm enjoying my time in Florida and every time I'm back to Poland, you know, it's difficult to say.

Yeah, so how do you balance that? Family first, you know. How do you balance that? Yeah, we must work. We must work really hard on this one, you know. But I'm very, I'm very happy that my family and friends, they understand more that I need. more attention that I need to be focused more on my fighting career and that's the thing you know I need more support than I needed like two years ago you know because it's getting more and

more difficult why do you feel like it's getting more difficult oh it's not easy to defend the title all the time you know so I must be focused and I work really really really hard you know I'm very happy that everything is back to normal after the hurricane so I can be focused on training and you know, look how many fighters they lost their belts, champions, they lost the belts. I want to keep on, like, keep on going, keep on, like, evolving every day.

I want to, this is what I said before my last fight and this time I challenge myself every day and I learn new things every day. And I work with the best people in the business, you know, so, you know, I did some very big, I had some big decisions in my life last,

the best decisions in my fighting career so far and I'm very happy in Florida you know with the American top team with my coaches Katel Mikey Brown there is Daya field perfecting athletes and that's it man I'm very happy my head is free and I can be focused on my on my title on my belt

there's a saying in English and it goes heavy as the head that wears the crown meaning you know when you wear that crown when you're the king or queen there's a lot of pressure that comes with that. Are there ever any moments where you're like, oh, this is too much, I want to get away from all this? No, actually, I like it, you know.

I used to be an underdog so many times, and I like that so much because I could prove to people that I'm better, but now it's, like I said, it's even more difficult, you know. There is, of course, there's lots of pressure, but I don't like, I don't take this this way, you know? I feel like I don't want to stop, you know. I can slow down a little bit, but I don't want to stop,

and this is what keeps me going, you know. I want to keep on proving to people that I'm simply the best, and I'm the champion for a reason, you know. It's going to be my sixth title defense. I want to clear the strong weight, and this is what we're going to do, you know. So you feel like after this one, no more challenges left at 115?

Oh, there is lots of talent in this day. division. So, but I want to say that I beat all of the best straw weights in the UFC almost, but of course there are like new prospects coming to this division, you know, so I must be focused, you know. I don't want to finish my fighting career this year. So definitely I will defend my title in New York City at Madison Square Garden at the UFC 217 and next year, maybe March, maybe April.

I want to fight again and defy it. defend my title, the strawberry title. So I don't know, but what I mean, like, you know, they fight to each other, these girls, but I'm still at the top, you know, I'm still the champion and this is what I want to do. I'm focused on myself and focus on getting better. And believe me, Mikey Bramon can tell they put on such a great work every day at ATT and we're going to approve.

in my next fight that I'm even better than I was last time. Correct me if I'm wrong. There was some talk of maybe you fighting earlier, but you really wanted to fight on the MSG card again, and you expressed that to the UFC and obviously they obliged. Is that true?

And why was it so important for you to go back to MSG? Man, I'm more busy, you know? I'm more busy. I'm more busy. But first of all, I'm a professional athlete. But there is so many, like, sponsorship, media going on. But I know I must, first I will be focused on the work in the gym, and this is what I'm doing. But I like to plan my life, you know?

Like every year I plan like, I plan my next year. I plan my months. Every month I plan every one every day because sometimes you are too tired to do some things which you plan already, you know. But the thing is after the fight with Jessica andras, even before the fight, I felt that, I wanted to fight in New York, you know, and I said that at the press conference. And that's the thing. I do my job. I do my job.

I do my job in the gym. I do my job outside the gym. When I go to the fight, I always put on show. And Dana actually, I met Dana at the International Fight Week, and he said, Kit, I love you. If you want to fight in New York, I will try to do my best and put you on this card. But of course, there's so many things going on. you know like someone got injured

John Jones got cut so they wanted to put me on different cards but like I said I do my job and I want other to do their job and it was my goal to fight on this card at that time six months ago I didn't know that

GSP was going to fight on these cards so people are saying that they only put me on big cards or I want to only fight on big cards but isn't true So that time I didn't know that George St. Pierce is going to fight at MSG. And the other thing, we must pay extra tax, extra 800, extra 8% of New York state tax. Yes. So this is not about the money, you know, but I set my goals.

I set my dreams and I follow my plan every day. This is who I am, you know. That's why I'm so successful. So you have fought obviously the best because you're the champion recently Andraj Karlena Kova Kavich. Where do you put Rosnamayunis? Do you feel like she is tougher than the competition recently? Is she below? Has she not quite put her in herself?

What do you think? She's like she's my next challenge, man. I used to be a challenger, you know. And I believe it's going to be her best camp ever. And I believe that we are going to see the best Rosnamayunas on November 4th at MHG. G and she was so close. She fought Carla Sparza at the tough finale. She fought Carolina Kovalkievich.

She lost to her and Carolina got the title shot. She was so close so many times and here we go. After a few fights, she got a chance to be an ex-challenger. She got the title shot. But, man, it's not going to be easy. It's going to be probably the toughest fight for Roe's. Nama Yunas, it's going to be a very big test for her, but the thing is, like I said, I challenge myself every day and I learn. You can ask whoever you want in the gym, and they will tell you that

I'm the champion for a reason, you know. I work more so hard every day. She won back in April, but prior to that was a loss. Like, she hasn't been very active, and her winning streak is only one. Do you think that she is ready for someone like you? I don't know. Like I said, I fought Clavdea two times. She's still number one in the Strovi division, but I beat her twice. I beat Carolina. I beat Andreas.

I beat Jessica Pena. I beat Carla Esparsa and other girls. So, like, I cleared the division from number one to, like, eight because, like, then, I don't know. Okay, Rose lost to Carolina. Then Tisha lost to Rose and other other fights. So this division is the lightest division, but it's the last division. but it's very hard division, you know. There is no easy fights.

In last fight, Jessica andrash showed how tough she can be, you know. But like I said, I'm focused on my belt, and I want to defend this title and tie Ronda's record in my next fight at MHD. Did you watch the Amanda Nunes Valentina Schifchenko rematch two weeks ago? I did I did And what did you think Did you like the fight

And who do you think won I don't know It was very tough fight For both of them You know I know Valentina Shevchenko She's a counterfighter And I know her style

I know her style very well I know that Amanda hurt her foot In the first round Probably so she couldn't really kick But it was very difficult Fight for both Both of them

It was very close fight But if you want to beat the champion, you must do more, you know. And of course, if you want to stay a champion, you must put on such a great work and show to people that you're the champion for reason. So it's difficult to say, you know, but after the fight was over, I said Amanda Nunes won, you know, also, maybe because of the takedowns in the fifth round, you know, at the end of the round.

But it was very close fight and very difficult fight. insecure as well. Very what? Very insecure. Both of them, they were very insecure, you know. Interesting. What do you mean by that? They were they were tentative. They didn't want to attack? You know, okay, like I said, like, Schochenko was very like, she's a counterfighter. It's her style. So, but like I said, if you want to beat the champion, you must go for it, you know. If they're going to submit me, they might try to submit me. They might try to knock me down, but I must go for it, you know. And this is what I did in the fight with Carlos Sparza. But the other thing, if you're the champ, you know, there are very difficult fights, you know.

It's not easy just to go there and smash people because you're the champion. It doesn't mean that you're going to just smash people like your opponents like kids, you know. But maybe because of her injury, because of her hurt foot after first round, maybe Amanda Amanda couldn't like do more in this fight you know but she won this fight and yeah

win is the win so late last week Valentina's manager told me that she... But I don't have opinion on this fight you know fair enough told me that Valentina's going to move down to 125 now

and then in her next fight she wants to fight for the belt or fight you what do you think the chances of this happening at this is what she said that's what her manager is what she said

yeah yeah oh her manager who is her manager a man named You know, like, I heard like, last time, like, there was some story about Ray Borg and Ali. Yeah. After the, after, after, like, the fight in Canada. And the managers, they always talk a lot.

And sometimes the fighters are under the pressure, you know. And they are afraid to say, to tell the true, you know. But the truth is different. So you should always ask the other side, you know. The thing with this kid, let me tell this story. because I respect so much Michelle Ingos, who is the owner of perfect athletes. And I respect these ladies because they change my life. You know, I'm still the champion also because of them.

And the thing is, this kid was sick. She was trying to take care of him. She was trying to protect him. And then I heard all this bullshit on media. Isn't true that Michelle did something wrong. She wanted to protect this kid. She didn't want this kid to get his face melted, you know, because he was that sick. If she put him like to the bath or through the weight cut, he could die because he was sick.

He was very sick. But it wasn't her fault that she couldn't make this weight or fight. She did her best and the truth is different. And Ali put some like announcement or how you call the statement. I think you put always after some statement. It isn't true, guys, and always try to check the both sides, you know. So isn't true. But, you know, I have very good relationship with Valentina Schochenko, you know.

I don't want to like, I don't want to say I want to fight her. But we will see, I was talking a lot about 125 division. But it was before I was working with perfect athletes. Now I feel great. I feel healthy. I make my weight very easy. But who knows? This year I want to be focused on my straw-way belt,

tie Rhonda Rosie's record of six title defenses. And March, like I said, I want to fight one more time in Strohye Division. And after that, we will see. I might go up to 125 division. It's all about the right time and right decisions. So we will see. I'm very open for this fight, but we will see. Do you watch the Ultimate Fighter?

Do you see the talent there? Are you keeping an eye on them as well? Because they're fighting for the 125 belt. No. No. No. No. That makes two of us, by the way.

I'm focused on myself. I'm focused on myself. I just want to get better, you know? My coaches, they watch the fights of my opponents. They know what they do good, what they don't do well. But I must be focused on what I can do better every day. Fair enough. By the way, a lot of important things and big things and exciting things

are happening in your life. There's a commercial out there in Poland starring you. And I'm not really familiar with this brand, but I have, I have the commercial. We can play it right now. What is this brand? It's great. I mean, it's really, it's really, I tell you, man. I'm very happy, very excited for that, man. What is it? Tell us, please. What is all about it? We're going to play it as you tell us about it. The name of the company is called Play Mobile. The name of the company is Play. and it's the biggest mobile phone company in Poland. Man, it's like they have the best celebrities from Poland. And maybe I'm not the pioneer of MMA in Poland,

but I break the limits. I break the rules. And I got to the mainstream media with my manager, with my cousin, Carol, Jéczyk. And two years we were trying to get to this conference. company and I'm very happy that I'm an ambassador of Play Poland. It's the top. It's the top.

I reach the top and I'm very happy. My billboards with my face are everywhere in Poland. The commercial is on every TV station. And I'm very excited, very happy because hard work pays off and I'm very happy. And this is what I can only say. I'm very happy that people, they don't trick me. as a freak, they don't trick me as like a, you know, crazy MMA fighter. They trick me as a business partner as a woman who is very strong, who is like very good professional athlete and she can be a

very good business woman, you know, and a good partnership, good partner in the business. So that's the thing. And there is more and more things coming like Oshy and other brands and sweet sweat company but man we hit all the best media in Poland I work with Brett Slater in the United States I got the invitation for Emmy Awards I couldn't go there because of my fights we're about to shoot some movie but this is what Brett said Joanna you must be focused on my fighting career and this is what I like about him the other things will come and after my I think someone's calling her that's usually what happens yeah well wait for a second. I think someone's calling or usually when someone calls you while you're on Skype,

they go to like this stock screen grab of you. She's still there. Yawanna, you still there? Yeah. Let's call it right back. There's a picture, of course, of Yawanna at UFC 211. Paulina of perfecting athletes, Mike Brown, Kami there, Barzini. She was very emotional about him leaving American Top Team. Hello, hello, hello. She's back. Yawanna, you there? Hello. I'm back. I'm back. I'm so sorry, guys. Okay, no problem, no problem. By the way, what? What I said?

What's that movie? Brett Slater. Yeah, go ahead. I cannot talk about right now, but there is a few other options, but the thing is like Brad Slater is very smart and he knows what to do in this business. He's been in this business for so long and we are focused on my fight, on my next fight, and after that we put on such a great work in the United States with all the media and the sponsorship, so I'm very excited about that.

But like I say, guys, hard work, hard work pays off. And this is, this is what I was. By the way, is Kami going to be in your corner on November 4th? It's good. Say again. Kami, is you going to be in your corner on November 4th? If Kami is going to be in my corner November 4th, I don't know yet. I'm about to meet Kami this week and we're going to sit and talk a little bit about that. I'm very loyal to the people who I work with, but I'm very loyal to my people as well,

and it's very difficult. But I got lots of love from Dan Lambert, the owner of the ATT, from Mikey Brown, Cattle Kubis, from perfecting athletes here, from Phil Daru, who is my strength conditioning coach, Daya Davis, who is my boxing coach, from all of the sparring partners. So it's very difficult the decision to do, and we will see. We will see. Okay, last question for you And again, thank you so much for the time.

This Friday, Jessica and Drudge. Just hot, but I'm very excited, you know. I'm very excited for this weather. I don't blame you. This Friday, Drudge against Clyde Gadalia, you know them both? Who's your pick? Who do you think wins that fight in Japan?

Difficult, difficult, difficult, difficult to say, but they both are very tough and I think Claudia Gadea. I don't like to predict the fights, but I think Claudia Gadea. know how strong this girl is. And she's an amazing athlete. And even there was a bad blood between

me and her. I respect all of the fighters from my division. I respect all of my opponents. More than you guys can imagine, you know, but I showed the respect the way the way I show

the respect is my work in the gym and how I prepare to the fights with this with these girls you know but I think Claudia Goddaia thank you very much

Joanna really appreciate the time as always thank you good luck man it's very nice to talk to you a pleasure as always

and we'll see you New York thank you for the support yes like guys come to New York the tickets are on sale if you cannot be there

purchase your paper for you it's going to be the best show of 2017 we are I'm going to put on such a great show again

and I promise to you guys that I work hard every day and my game will different and Rose, be careful. Can't wait. Thank you so much for the time Juana. All the best to you and I'll see you in November. All right, there she is. Yawanna champion, the UFC Strawweight

champion, the Strawweight Queen. We go now from the smallest champion in the UFC to the biggest champion in the UFC, the one and only Steepi Miotich. My good friend, Cleveland's own, Steepin Miotich on the phone right now. Steve, are you there? Yes, how you doing, brother?

I'm doing great. Great to talk to you. Thank you very much for being on this 400th episode of your favorite program. I appreciate it. I know how big of a deal

this is to you, how much you wanted to be a part of it. I was told that you actually called your manager, Jim Walter, and said, I need to be a part of this show. Is that not true? Listen, I haven't got any sleep last night because I knew

I was going to be on the show. And I was like, oh my God, I was so excited. Wow. So, punk. Thank you.

I appreciate that. You just came back from Vegas, right? I did. you were at the triple G Canello fight, right? I was. Let me tell you, that was an amazing night. Why was it so amazing? I've never been to such a big boxing event. I've been to win local ones by me in Midwest region, stuff like that.

But going to such a big site for boxing, just, you know, at a T-Mobile arena, all the fans. You know, I had amazing seats. And, you know, it was just, it was good. And I'm big fans of both guys, Triple G Canelo. and it was just amazing to be there. It was just so much fun. My wife was excited. I was excited and, you know, it was a great night.

It was great friends. Was there a particular reason why you wanted to go to the event? Like, did you go specifically for that fight? Oh, yeah. I definitely did. I definitely wanted to check out a fight and see what's all about. You know, I've never been such a big boxing event, and I was happy to go and, you know, watch the fight alive.

And also, you know, met some people, you know, HBL guys, so. because you never know what can happen. Oh, what do you mean? Well, you know, on favor of box. So you and Anthony Joshua continue to go back and forth. He kind of tries to like downplay you and almost, you know, I feel like he's sort of disrespecting you saying that you're not in his league, but you continue to poke it and poke at him.

You're not just doing this for a Twitter retweets. You actually would love to fight him. You actually are very interested in trying to pursue this? Yeah, definitely. I think he's an amazing fighter, and I would love to give my crack at it. I think I would do well. I know I do well. Is this a possibility at all?

Like, if you had a serious conversation with the important people involved to try to make this happen? No, I think they were more worried about McGregor, Mayweather, and all that. You know, I don't need on that hoopla and all that, you know, different cities and blowing you out by just going to fight. Do you think that the success or the result of Mayweather and McGregor helps your chances to get this done or her? your chances to get this done? I think it definitely helped. I mean, I think he did a lot better than a lot of other guys did against Mayweather. You know, and it was such an amazing.

Of course, there's a money fight, but, you know, but I still think you're out there and, you know, he put a lot of people around. Who do you think won the fight on Saturday, Triple G or Conno? I vote Triple G won the fight. Was it? I had it 8 to 4. Yes, same there. If anything, 7, 7, 7 and 5. 7-5, right? The one judge, Adelae Byrd, who had it 118 to 110 for Canello,

would you agree that she needs to be put in a corner for a very long time, a timeout? I mean, like, how – could you even come up with any scenario in which that scorecard is even remotely acceptable? Yeah, I had no idea. When I heard – that was the first one they called out, and I was in all – and there was a lot of Canello supporters, you know, at the arena, and they were booing. because I think they saw the same way. Wow.

That's crazy. Have you ever met... Was Anthony Joshua at the fight? I didn't see him. Was he there? I don't know if he was or not. Okay. Have you ever met him in person?

No, I have not. I loved you. What is the fascination with fighting? Like, you're doing so well as an MMA fighter. You're about to break the record for most consecutive title defenses as a heavyweight champion. Why go out of you?

your comfort zone. Oh, you know, it's proved myself. You know, I like to fight and I like to fight and as box for and I think, you know, it would be an amazing fight. I think two every chance went from two different combat sports would be an amazing thing, you know, and I think people love that. So, of course, right, I don't know, of course, and especially we've never seen something like that with the heavyweights.

As we talk about this, the big mystery in MMA these days has been, when are you coming back? What is the status? You've been, you know, as a, open as possible about wanting to change things. Where do you think stands now between you and the UFC? Oh, you, man. We're talking. It's all good, man.

I'm probably looking like maybe under the year beginning of January. Okay. Are you comfortable or are you happy with the way things are moving? Go ahead, definitely. Listen, man. It's all good. I got a great management team and they're doing everything they're supposed to. And, you know, you know what?

We're talking. It's all good, but it's looking like energy of January. Is part of maybe the stall? that there isn't really like a number one contender. There's no sure thing right now as far as who would be next for you. Yeah, I know. I mean, there's a lot of good guys that are ready. You know, I mean, the highway division, anything can happen any night, you know.

That's what's scary about the division. And how big you lie. There's always someone that can beat you any night. And, uh, no, I think that. I mean, you know, I haven't talked about who the opponent is yet, but, you know, they're thinking in December or January. So we'll see. the one name that keeps coming up or at least the guy who's making the most amount of noise is francis and ganu

do you feel like he's ready for you right now do you feel like he's done enough to warrant the title shot yeah i don't know i'm not the uxc you know if i was a matchmaker you know i wouldn't be fight no but he's a very tough guy you know he's been running through people he's getting better every fight now man you know he's definitely great up-and-comer um he's got a great future ahead of him and uh you know and listen whoever the uc wants me to fight i'll fight i'll fight you know i'm not you know, if it's the old name, the guy who it's, you know, whoever's next,

we'll call, whatever's name is, he's a tough guy too. I have a hard time saying his name for some reason, but him or, you know, or, you know,

Kane, what would they think? You know, I'm not going to back down. Would Kane be the most special in your eyes because he was kind of viewed as the face of the heavyweight division

and to break the record against him would signify something special? Do you look at it that way? It would have been great to fight because I think it's an amazing fight between us, too, both the wrestlers, you know, both push the pace. We have great card.

We still like San Bang. I think that would have been an exciting fight. You know, unfortunately, he's hurt right now. You know, he'll get better. He was a lot of a super nice guy. You know, I met him in a Minton next thing. You're talking for a little bit of a super nice guy. Would you guys, did it get contentious?

Was there like, you know, pushing and first words? Oh, yeah. I was like, can you forget you? No, man. We're actually, we were playing out as a, bone out, dark, ant, mitten fans. So, actually, from me, you're, we were, we're smashing fans with It was like cat testing for Bud.

It was actually good fun. Wow. It seems like it got really tense. We're all the same thing, so we all worked that well. Dana White said just a few weeks ago, before the John Jones drug test situation, they were looking at you versus John Jones. Was this ever brought your attention?

No, never. I had no idea. They were talking about it. Wow. It was unusual last to know. which is fine whatever I mean if they would have been if I joined overfought them you know I don't care of but they never

brought it to my attention so I mean that's when people ask me it's like in the one question but I really tell like I had no idea I'm not joking what was your reaction when you heard that oh that's nice I mean really I was like oh that's great did you not say to yourself like oh man

this would be huge like the light heavyweight chaffirred the heavyweight I can't believe I was this close to getting this done? You didn't feel like a little upset about it, frustrated that it was taken away? No. I'm used to it. What do you mean you're used to it?

I'm not going to give my hopes up for things. You know, I'm not just saying, just like I don't really believe about getting my hopes up because, you know, sometimes it doesn't happen. I'm not going to, you know, worry about it and, you know, I'm really my day because of it. Sure.

Now what about you versus Daniel Cormier? He's now the light heavyweight champion. Is that of interest to you? Oh, yeah, I mean, when they're on the flight, honestly, I don't care, I think D.C.'s an amazing fire. Super great guy. Actually, was here a few weeks ago. Yeah.

We had a lot for him, but we had, you know, a great guy. We had some whole time. You know, I mean, whatever they want me to do, you know, and I think he was going to him in Gustavson next. I think we were talking. You know, who knows? I mean, I know what he called me, but

that's what I heard. But who knows? I mean, I have no idea going to fly next. You and Dana don't speak on the phone every night? No, no. I don't talk to me. Why not?

You're the heavyweight king. You should be on his speed dial. Yeah, maybe I am. I just don't know it. Yeah, well. He's not exercising. When the can't be playing in the playoffs, we definitely call him and texting and FaceTime each other.

It's pretty much me just running the mouth to him, but I was about it. You and D.C. did batting practice, right, at Progressive Field? Honestly, how was D.C.? Could he get it past the infield? You got a base with up the middle Wow Did you hit any out? I had the top of all like twice

I was so mad, so mad I couldn't Oh, I frustrated Wow And the cameras were on right They were filming you? Yeah Yeah Oh that's a bummer

Oh man I was so mad I was going for it And yeah Unfortunately I'm going to say The wind looked like it It was blowing in So it did out my car Right of course

has it reached the point where you could just call them up whenever you want and say, hey, I want to come do batting practice? I feel like you have the keys to the joint. Maybe, maybe. No, I mean, I probably couldn't want to, but I'm just happy that I got to do that. And that's a great opportunity and hang out with some great guys. Just have fun of the field. I love baseball.

I love to hang out of those guys. He's not always love to play ball. what do you think? I mean, they had this amazing streak. It ended a couple days ago, but they're back at it. Do you think this is the year? Do you feel it? Are you nervous?

Are you confident? How would you describe your feelings going into October? We got it. Wow, you're going on the record right now. The streak is ending. We're going to the street at World Warfine. We won 22 a row. We're going to show him what we got.

Listen, man. We're going to wreck everything in the playoffs. Steepam-Myotich, heavyweight champion in the UFC, is predicting that the Cleveland Indians will win the 2017 World Series right here on episode 400 of the MMA hour. Is that what just happened? Predicting. Exactly. Predicting.

What's that stake here? What if they don't do it? I mean, you can't just predict with no stakes, you know? Okay. That's trying to Raptors will actually make the playoffs. You're stuck on the Raptors thing. I'm not a Raptors fan. But then let me ask you this. Okay, fine. I'm a Knicks fan, which is even worse than being a Raptors fan.

But still, you, you, you, you, of all people would appreciate being fan of a sucky team and sticking through it, it's the darkest before the dawn, right? I mean, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Right. Exactly.

Yeah, they start somewhere. Speaking of which, who won that trade in your opinion? The Celtics or the Cavs? Honestly, now. I think we did. Why? I know, you know, I love Isaiah Thames. I think he's a great ball player.

And we've got a couple of tricks draft picks out of it. Right. You've got that pick from the net. but he may not play for a very long time. You know that. He has a hip injury. I don't think he'll be fine. Plus, we have a brown.

We're good. For at least one more year. But you can see the fact that he's gone after this year, right? Yeah, I mean, he has, but he brought the title. No hard feelings. No, listen, man. Listen, I got no other than things. I don't.

I'm not going to be like, oh, my God, he's leaving again. No. Like, I don't care. I mean, his decision, he's a big boy. He can make his own decision, whoever's best for his family. Yeah, but because he gave you the championship, it's okay, you know, it's a fair deal. You can now move on, right, to Greener Pastures, LA, something like that. I guess so.

I mean, if you didn't bring up a towel, I still wouldn't care if you got for that. Oh, wow. You weren't one of those guys burning the jerseys? No, I don't even have his jersey. Never did. Yeah. I mean, what is the cutoff, really? It's like 12 years old.

You can't wear a jersey after 12, right? Yeah, I mean, totally, I mean, I do have a couple basketball jerseys, but since I'm 12-year-old, October of all. Actually, I've seen you wear jerseys at games before when you're doing the flexing and all that. Yeah. So you don't believe in the cutoff. Oh. I have my own personal jersey for the Browns and the Navy and stuff like that.

Okay. Okay. Well, it says your name on the back. That's what you're saying. Yeah. Okay. Okay. All right.

All right. So to recap, we're hoping to come back December, January. We're confident that everything's going to get worked out. You're finally going to get paid what you think you're working. Is that fair? Sure. Not very confident there, or at least not very convincing. I'm not a convincing guy.

Are you getting anxious? Are you getting old? Like, you want to get back in there? You're healthy, right? I mean, you want to get back to fighting, correct? Sure. I love my doing. In the meantime, you're saving lives.

You're fighting fires. Yep. Doing that. Today, I'm actually helping my wife's came out of the family in town. Oh, that's fine. And then some random, a person found us straight out a dog that got loose and didn't know who's it

the way so we took them in front out and terrified owners. Wow. They went around at the NASA Castle. Wow. What a good Samaritan you are? That's unbelievable. Yeah, you know. Yeah, you know.

That's what I do. Any chance for Detroit? Any chance? Because it's so close to Cleveland? We'll see. I don't know. Do what you if you want. We'll talk to them. right now just you know

wait for the phone call and figure it all out I'm going to say if I was a matchmaker and you know picking the venue I wouldn't be saying okay well keep us posted best of luck to you thankfully it's moving in the right direction hopefully it gets resolved soon rather than later we wish you the best Steve Bain thanks for joining us on this

400th episode of the show oh hey thank you for having this fourth episode it needs a lot to me asking that and congratulations with everything you've done and keep it doing brother Thank you, Stipe. All the best. Go try. Yeah, thanks for that. All right, there he is. The heavyweight champion of the world, St. Peuge, now.

We go from the heavyweight champion to the middleweight champion, Michael Bisping, returning to action on November 4th, Madison Square Garden, New York City, against George St. Pierre. It's finally happening. Let's go to the phone lines and welcome in Michael Bisping. Michael, are you there? Yes, I'm here, but to be honest, I think we should go back to talking baseball with Steeper for a while because, I mean, that is why everybody tunes into.

hear you talk about baseball and ask questions about baseball. I mean, I've only given up my morning, you know, in between training and doing my podcast, I have a very short window. But, you know, you've got to get your baseball questions in Ariel. 100%. I fully understand. Michael, you're a host now. You know about the art of trying to make your guests comfortable and try to talk to them

about something they're interested in. Steepa is sometimes a hard nut to crack, so I had to go that route. With you, I don't have to do that. But with him, sometimes you got to do that. You respect that, right? Pardon the pun you had to give him the softball. Well done. That was a perfect pun.

Yes, I start my podcast, believe you, me, which is available everywhere at 12.30. And I'm driving off from training. As you said, I have a big crowd with George coming up, Madison Square Garden, and just finished a great training session, officially in official training camp, if you will now. I've been training for a bit, but now officially started, you know, what they would describe as a quote-unquote camp, you know, two-a-day, strenuous diet, all that good stuff. So, yeah, that has begun, and so far, so good, feeling great.

Okay, so we have a lot to talk about. Let me just ask you about Luke Rockhold on Saturday. Did you watch the fight? Of course. What did you make of his performance? You know, I mean, listen, ultimately, congratulations to Luke. the fight, he got a stoppage in the second round. I thought he looked very sloppy,

if I'm honest. You know, he has a problem with people that can box, people that get inside. You know what I mean? He landed some good shots, the other guy, David Branch. And if he had a bit more pop, you know, he could have taken Luke out of there. So, yes, you know,

congratulations, job well done. He got the finish in the second round. But, you know, he needs to be careful because, you know, a lot there's a lot that could have been improved upon. say that. But as I say, well done. Good performance. So you weren't all that impressed? Were you? Clearly

he lost the first round. He did what he had to do in the second. I'd give him a B considering the layoff. Is that fair? Yeah, well, you know, B minus. Okay. More more importantly, what did you think of the post-fight interview?

Well, you know, I mean, I mean, Jesus Christ, the guy needs to really stop talking. You know, he doesn't do himself any favors whatsoever, God bless him.

You know, the guy can't string a sentence together. Lots of stuttering, lots of interruptions, lots of thinking, you know, saying that George isn't going

to make it to the Oxygon and all this type of stuff. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but you'll know better than me, Ariel, when's the last time George has ever pulled out of a fight?

I mean, now that it's official and we're doing press and we're both training, I don't see George pulling out of this fight at all. I mean, has you got a history of doing that? Not to my knowledge. No, he doesn't.

He actually doesn't. I mean, it has been a long time since he fought, but he doesn't have a history. I noticed that Luke didn't say my name either. He couldn't bring himself to do it. He talked lots of shit, and he implied my name many, many times. But he never actually went ahead and said it, which I thought was very cute. But listening, good for him. He's back on track.

Obviously, he wants to get a rematch. He wants to get his belt back. And that's what he should want to do. God bless him. We're all fighters. We all want to be champion. So he's doing the right thing. You know, I can't fault him for anything he said, really.

You know, he's trying to make noise. He's trying to get a title fight again. Ultimately, he chose to take 15 months off. He went away from the sport for a little bit. And he's back and good for him. Yeah, I thought it was interesting. I said this to Daniel Cormier after I felt like it was somewhat of a misstep to target George. He should be targeting you.

The money fight that he wants is Luke versus you. not trying to get George out of the equation. So I thought that he needed to kind of attack you, so to speak, on the mic, as opposed to attacking George. You get what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. No, I do. It was very curious.

But he's just trying to say George isn't going to turn up. And when he doesn't, he'll take the place that matters in the square garden. But as we just discussed, George is a professional. And, you know, if he makes a deal, I expect George to be there. And I'm pretty, I would bet my life and George turning up. So if that's what Luke is hoping for, then he's wasting his time and energy there. So you did a media tour with George last week in New York City. In fact, you were just blocks away from our studio, but unfortunately, little old us couldn't get any of either

George's time or your time, but that's okay. We get you on the phone. We don't even get you on Skype anymore, for God's sakes. Now we have to get you on phone. Soon enough, you'll be like some of the other champions. I would love to Skype you except whilst, you know, I have a very nice time, I have a nice range rober, a good British classic, and whilst you have all modern conveniences, It doesn't have built in Skype, so I apologize. No problem. I'm breaking laws for you right now, Ariel. I'm actually, I turned off the hands-free function so you have a better quality of sound.

And if I get pulled off the police, I will forward my fine directly to you. But I'm trying my bet. As I said last week, we, Georgia myself, we had a media tour. Yes, how was it? Listen, I don't know why, but you weren't on the list. I don't know why that wasn't. Oh, wow. now you're just...

Now you're just sticking it to me. All right, fine. That's fine. I mean, I'm sure so many people watch you guys on Fox 5 and those people are such big MMA fans. They're all going to be buying tickets to Saturday, November 4th.

But you did... No, no, you're absolutely right. But, but, but in the defense of whoever does that, I guess we're trying to target people that aren't MMA fans. You know what I'm saying? We're trying to get new people to buy the pay-per-view. Well, good luck with that.

Okay. Well, let's bury our head on the side to do the MMA hour and fucking serious XM Russian. That's it. No, no. Actually,

that would be even a big, that'd be even a bigger waste of time. No one listens to that channel. Probably go to Fox 5. But I digress,

Mike. I digress. Let me ask you about just being around George. What was it like? I mean, what was it contentious? Did you have words with him?

Did you have any moments with him? What was it like? No. So listen, I like George, you know, but we're going to fight. And so I always have a little fun.

So I always have a little fun. So I, I got respect for George. He might not think that, but we were, you know, we were in a TV studio together, and I'm playful. So, you know, I'm trying to hype the fire, but I'm not trying to be a total dick at the same time. And I'm trying to have a little fun.

And we're sitting at a TV studio. And, you know, I'm just busting his balls. You know, I'm just acting like a big brother does. You know, I'm just trying to bust his balls a little bit. But it was all just playful stuff. By the way, if I lose you for a second, I'm just pulling up at my house in a minute, and we have a couple of spotty patches.

So if I lose you, it'll only be for a second. I'll come back. But, yeah, so I was having a bit of fun with George, and George was sat there saying, McCall is an angry man. He's a very angry man. Look at this guy. And I'm like, George, what are you talking about?

I'm sitting there with a big smile on my face. You're the one sitting there, and his hands were actually shaking. I think you're the one shaking, George. You're saying that I'm the angry one, but that doesn't stack up at all. Maybe he was nervous because he's not as used to TV work as I am. But, yeah, his hands were shaking and, yeah, had a little bit of fun.

And then you said to... He looks bigger. He does. He's been certainly lifting a lot of weight by the looks of it. But, you know, for all the weights he can live and as big as George can possibly get, he'll still be smaller guys that are in the phone. Does he look bigger than he did back in March? bigger than when?

Then when you saw him in March, when you guys did the face-off at the press conference. Yeah, he does, yeah. That's why I made that, you know, I was only joking. That's why I said that remark about, don't get caught through his steroids, George. You know, because he did, look, this isn't a bodybuilding concept, you know. Of course, he probably hasn't been bodybuilding, he's probably been doing all the good stuff that he needs to do, Deadlist, backflips, get into gymnastics.

Fortunately, once again, he's not a trapeze artist. He's not trying to get a job at the Chinese traveling circus. We're going to fight. So you can do all the fucking backs if you want. I'll see you in the octagon. I'll meet your back with a straight right.

Do you think that he is on steroids right now? Do you think that he will be on steroids going into the fight? No, no. I'm only having a bit of fun. I don't think he's on steroids whatsoever. Okay. you, oh,

we lost you there. Yeah, but I'm just walking in the house right now and then the signal should be fine. Okay, yeah,

now it's getting better. Crappie. Can you hear me? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can hear you. Oh,

now I lost you again. Yeah, yeah, what about now? What about now? Yeah, now it's good, now it's good.

Be busy talking about baseball, you see? That's what I told you at the start. I said, no. If you didn't ask our baseball, we would have been good. But there's no, George is hard.

I have a lot of respect for. We don't have a bit of phone with him leading up to the fight. Yeah, of course I will. I was saying throughout the whole entire thing that you would end up fighting George in November, even when Dana White said that the ship has sailed, the ship is sailed, it's over, it's over, it's over. Did you feel the same way?

Were you surprised ultimately when you got this fight, or did you believe the whole time that you would get it in the end? Yeah, well, it was kind of, kind of, you know, it was kind of a roller coaster there because this is now actually actually the third time that we've been matched up. Obviously, once, I was on a plane to Dubai off him in the fight. I thought, great, awesome. Then we had, you know, then offered it again. And then some time passed and, you know, they called off the fight. And then every time I'd speak to the team, I'd like doing fox and Vegas or whatever, you know, I was in the

So, and that's a patient. And he said, my, that isn't happening. Get into it out. And everyone, don't keep on him. I said, I'm not bothered it, but, but the thing I said, the fire isn't happening. It's happening. And then, of course, you know, it is happening.

Bizarre. It's bizarre how that works. It is bizarre. I think, congrats, congrats. I'm like, just kind of congrats the second time. Mike, can we reestablish the line

because it's cutting out a lot? Can we just call you right back in a second? Yeah, can we go ahead. Okay, we're going to call him right back because it's hard to hear, Mike, and we'll keep on for just a couple more minutes, and then we'll get to our next guest

who is standing by in the green room, going to be joined in a matter of moments by the great ally Quinta, but wanted to finish up with Michael Bisp being here, get him on the phone, get him on the horn. He, of course, hosts a podcast called Believe You Meets. Very entertaining with Luis J. Gomez. You can get it on iTunes. You can get it on SoundCloud. You can get it on a bunch of different, other usual outlets where you get your podcast. He's back. Michael, I was just

plugging your podcast. Oh, thank you very much. Yeah. Is that better? Yeah, that's much better. You were saying, you were saying that people were saying to you, congratulations, congratulations. And then we kind of lost you. Yeah, yeah. No, people were saying congratulations. And as I say, he was kind of like, okay, thanks, but I've been here three times, you know what I mean?

And I'm just hungry to fight. Regardless of whether it was George, I mean, you've got to remember, because I know there's a lot of people out there that like to talk shit and say that, you know, he's dodging the number one contender and all this. Prior to Robert Whittaker

and Yoel Romero fighting, I had a quick meeting with Dana White in the back room of the EMGM or wherever the fight, the T-Mobile arena. And I agreed to coach the ultimate fighter against whoever won that fight. So in essence, I accepted a fight with the OEL and I accepted a fight with Robert Whitaker. I just want to throw that out there for all those people that like to talk smack. And it was Robert Whittaker that said he needed some time and didn't want a fight.

Obviously, a fight with YOL doesn't make sense because the YOL just lost. But it's funny how things happened because that actually gave the GFB thing an ability to happen. Because I was supposed to start coaching. That fight happened on the Saturday. We were supposed to start coaching the ultimate fighter on the Tuesday. So if Whittaker hadn't turned it down, this fight never would have happened. Wow. And so it got a little weird there with you and your well with the flags and all that.

Do you regret any of that? I mean, you know, listen, if I offended anybody, I apologize. Here's the thing I was going down to, here's the thing. Dana and everybody said, oh, you're going to come into the cage and we want you to challenge whoever wins the fight. And I'll be honest, I did not want to do it. I didn't want to do it because you're just going to come across as a dick because at the end of the day, you're going to walk in there with a belt like you think you're hot

shit and you're going to walk in and you've got to do something. I guess you can't just walk in and stand there. And whichever way it happens, you're going to look like a bit of an ass. And I didn't want to do it. I really didn't. But they insisted on it, and I was kind of cringing going down.

And I'd made a joke. For some reason, there was these tiny little flags. I don't know where they came from, these tiny little Cuban flags. And I made a joke about ripping one up. And it was just a pure joke. And then one of the girls, Fox actually brought it down

and handed it to me when I was Cajside and I was like, oh shit here we go and then he was gesturing, Yo-O was gesturing at me, sticking his tongue out and talking all kinds of shit and I was like, oh you know what, screw you I just happened to have it in my hand so but hey listen he went and took a

he went and burned the British flag dance on it, him and all his homies down in Cuba so you know listen let's let's not you know, get carried it away. Okay, so it's kind of like you're even now, tit for tat.

No, whatever. I couldn't care less. Yowell doesn't even enter my mind. I don't think about him, honestly. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't exist. Wow, okay. So, but this is not... What do you want to do? You want me to fall asleep every night thinking about him and going, ooh, Yoel Romero,

the big sexy hungry of a man that he is. You know, oh, do you want me to... You know, I couldn't care less about Y'all Romero. Yoel Romero is at the back of the line. He lost the fight. Like I did, I lost. number one contender matchups. And when I lost them, I went to the back of the line and I had to build himself back up again.

That's where Joel is right now. Okay, fair enough, fair enough. Do you feel like this is the culmination of all the years, all the bloods, tears, the injuries, the highs, the lows, the lows, you know, the great moments, the bad moments, the stumbles, the moments of trying. This is it. Madison Square Garden, George St. Pierre, does it feel like it's all culminating

for you on November 4th? Do you view it that way? Yeah, I kind of do, to be honest. I mean, of course, you know, it's, it's a lot. It's an iconic arena. It's a big fight. It's George St. Pierre. Everybody knows who George St. Pierre is, you know.

There's not many people that have crossed over from the MMA fan base into the mainstream. And George is, you know, I'd say he's there, you know. Maybe not as much as, say, O'Connor or a Ronda, but he's not far behind him. So it's a big fight. And George brings a lot to the table. He's a tough challenge. And, you know, as I say, Big Five, I think this is going to be the biggest MMA fight of the year. There's three-trial fights.

on the event. It's a huge event. And yeah, I think the career I've had, the years I've been in the UFC, the injuries have had, the ups, the downs, you know, getting close to title fights and all this. And there's a possibility, this might be my last ever fight. I don't know if I'll fight again after this. So, you know, what a way to go out if it is.

Wow. Even if you win? Maybe. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what the future holds. There's a possibility. Yeah.

This may be my last fight. So if everyone wants to see Michael Bistson get knocked out, this is your last chance to do it, guys. Why are you on the fence? Even if you win, why are you considering this being your last fight? I've done it for so long. I've done it for so long now. And, you know, there's other things to do in life.

I mean, I still love this. Don't get me wrong. But you can't do it forever. You can't do it forever. And George, George should have stayed retired. George should have retired as a champion. I'm going to beat George and I'll retire as a champion. Maybe.

I haven't made my mind upon that yet. It depends. It depends. You know, if there's enough money involved, maybe I'll stick around. But as of right now, I don't know. I don't know. My family wants me to retire. You know, my wife wants me to retire.

There's a lot of people saying, Mike, you should retire, you know. And my manager says it, you know. So everyone's in my ear saying, Mike, you should retire. You should retire as champion. You know, I've earned some money along the way. I've had a great career. I've represented my country. You know, I've achieved more through mixed martial arts

than what I ever would have dreamed of. You know, but you can't keep going forever. You've got to know when the time is right. And I'm not saying the time is right, but I am contemplating, we'll see. So all your family, your inner circle, is trying to push you to retire after this fight? Pretty much, yeah.

Wow. And is that a hard thing to hear? Or are you leaning towards that as well? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, at all. they're saying for my best interest. They're saying, Michael, listen, I've got a lot of things going on outside the oxygote. I'm very lucky in that regard, you know.

And I love fighting. I'll fight until the damn 50 years old. But if you want to truly have a legacy, I'd say, win the belt, defended a few times, and then retirees champion. There's no better way to go out than now. That's something George should have done that.

George has made a mistake. George has been lulled back to the limelight. Of course, money's good. Everybody wants to wearing money as well, so I'm sure that's a factor. But George is coming back and You know But never mind that

I mean it may or may not be my last mile Let's focus on George The problem with George's This is where he's messed up George is falling into the trap That many people fall into And that trap is He thinks he can beat me

A lot of people look at me on TV And they go I can beat that guy Look at the way he fights and this and that But then when you get in there with me It's a different thing So George paints himself As his martial arts

which he is. But the story that surrounding George is that, oh, this guy is coming out of retirement after four years and he's going to step up a weight class and fight the champion. Man, this guy's amazing.

He's got balls bigger than Canada. But that ain't true. He's doing this because he thinks he can beat me. We trained together a long, long time ago, and he out-wrestled me then. You know, I didn't know a double leg from a big Mac. You know what I mean?

So he thought he could, but, you know, he still thinks he can out wrestle me, take me down, and beat me. He didn't want to fight Anderson Silver when he was a champion. He didn't want to fight Luke Rockhold when he was a champion, you know, so he's looking at me as easy picking. That's why he's focused on fighting me so much.

And for all this talk, I said George is a fraud. And Canada, who look at him as a champion, Canada's champion, is a fucking fraud. Whoa, whoa, whoa, please keep Canada out of this, all right? Canada did nothing to you. Well, he's your big star, right?

Wayne Greta's going. It's George Champion. George Champion is a fraud. Oh, man. Now you've turned this into an international. The Commonwealth is supposed to stick together, Michael. You're breaking everything up. First, you're leaving.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But this is what made the best man win. Okay, fair enough. Well, you totally buried the lead, Mike. I just have to ask you this. If we were down to, like, scale of 1 to 10, like, are you closer? Would you say you're at a 6 that this is your last fight or a 7?

Where would you put it right now? I don't know. It's a 50-50. Okay, fair enough. It may or may not be, you know, but not because, you know, when you hear day and the sale, when people are talking about retirement, that's done. That doesn't mean that at all. I'm just trying to think smartly here, you know, because you can't do it forever.

You really can't, and you've got to know when to walk away. Do injuries play a part? Pardon me? Are injuries playing a factor in this decision? No, not really. No, no, really. I mean, next year I've got three acting projects lined up that are all pretty big, you know, three big movies and a Netflix series.

I've got things going on outside of the Oxagon and I've got money that I can earn outside of the Oxygen. And ultimately, we do this for the money. You're doing this right now because you want to earn money. I fight in the UFC because I want to earn money. And if I can earn money outside of the Octagon that's just as good

that I don't have to risk my health for, then it makes sense. And I can retire as a champion and Paul laid that into an active success career outside of the oxicon you know what i'm saying and retiring his champion helps that retiring his champion helps that you know uh retiring after you've strung up a ton of losses and and you you want to a champion and then you get seven shares of shit down to have you consistently but you're still making a payday you know you i've done myself an injustice there okay last thing will

you make this decision before the fight will you know walking in that this is your last fight or not your last fight or will you only make that decision after the fight? I don't know. My wife wanted me retire after the Rockhold fight. Win or lose. Win or lose? Which one? The second? No, the first, yeah, yeah, the second one. When I fought for the belt, yeah. I wanted me to retire then. I wanted me to retire. I said, no way. I said, if I lose, maybe I will.

I said, if I win the belt, I said, get out of it. You know, I'm going to retire at the moment I win the belt. You already got that mine. You know, so, so, you know, I mean, I've been there for a while. there for a while, you know, so, so we'll see. We'll see. I'm still enjoying it. I've just had a great training session with Jason Perillo, sport 5'5 this morning, ran this morning, I'm going to go train tonight. The fire is still there. I'm still as hungry as ever. I still love this sport, and I'm going to put a beating on GSP like he's ever experienced. I'm going to let GSP, I'm going to remind him why he retired. Johnny Hendricks beat him so bad he thought he was fucking

abducted by aliens. That's why George retired. We know this, you know this, everybody knows this, and he's going to walk in there and come fight now. It's easy. It's easy me now talking to you and it's easy for George talking to you or doing TV, doing the countdown, doing all this, but you can't lie to yourself and you can't, the problem is you can lie to yourself

at this point, but the closer the fight gets, that's when it keeps you up at night. And then when he's led there, he's, sorry, he's in the locker room, and it's just before he goes out and there's going to be 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden and he's going to think, shit, shit, I know why I retired

because of this feeling right, hear this feeling of doubt, this scaredness that we all get the fright, you know, and he's going to walk out there, and then the lights are going to be on him. He hasn't four in four years, he's going to think, shit, what the fuck am I doing here? Why did I say yes to this again? Because he doesn't need the money, and he's coming up, a weight class against bigger guys, a bigger guy that's used to fighting bigger guys that are used to find guys that can hit way harder than George can hit me. He can't hurt me with anything. And then when I jab him in the face and I punch him again, he's suddenly going to realize shit. I made.

a mistake here. I shouldn't have done this. I should have backed out. He should have never came back. You know, and I like George and I respect him a lot. And I'll be the first to congratulate him. If he beats me, if George beats me, then God bless him, and good for him. I'll be the first to hold his hand up in the middle of the arena and congratulate him. And when I beat him, I'll be the first over and give him a hug and say, listen, fair play, respect. But I'm going to go at him 100% you know, with everything I've got. And I don't think he's got what it takes to beat me. simple as that. You are a treasure, Michael. Thank you so much. You know, every time I reach out to you to come on the show, I always kind of feel like I'm bothering you, but then I'm always so happy that you say yes, because you're so damn good. Thank you for the time. I'm sorry for making you wait. I'm sorry for subjecting you to my baseball talk. That was incredible stuff. No, no, I always like to start the show with busting your balls a little bit. Okay. I know, but I'm very sensitive, Michael. You have to understand now that I'm, you know, I'm just so sensitive. It's horrible. My skin keeps getting thinner. Everybody is, everybody is listening. to the MMA. You have to start

downloading and subscribing to the Believe You Me podcast with myself and Louis J. Gomez. If you don't do that, then... You'll never come back on the show. Never come back on the show. Ariel, it's always a pleasure talking to you, my friend. Good luck with everything. Talk to you soon.

You're the man, Michael. Thank you, and good luck with the podcast. Believe You Me on iTunes. Check it out. I enjoyed very much. There he is, the UFC Middleweight Champion himself. Michael Bissping stopping by. How great was that? Baring the lead, talking about... Maybe this is his last fight. This is nuts. All right.

No time to digest that because standing by he's been, oh so patient is the one and only raging ally, Quinta. My, oh, my. I've been making him wait for the last 20 minutes. I'm very sorry about that, but he is here. And he's filming this. Hello. There he is.

How are you, Al? Good. Welcome. My hands are very sweaty. That's all right. Look at this. You've never been here, right? No.

I've been to the new studio. No, this is cool. You're looking fresh to death with that new haircut. Got that fade. A little bit. Look at you. And you're all tanned up and everything. summer, you know? Yeah. It's good. It was a good one. Well, welcome. Thank you. Make yourself comfortable. It's

good to see you. What do we talk about to that? Do we? We have a lot to discuss. What do we got to discuss? Well, we've had some time since we last spoke, but let me ask you this. First things first. You enjoyed Saturday night. You were very busy on Twitter. You were watching both fights, right? Honestly, I didn't even really watch the boxing fight. I was just kind of tuned into the, I had it on the screen, but I just kept looking. I think it was, was it Gregor Gillespie was fighting at that time. So I was just kind of... Anthony Smith. That was a great fight.

So I was just watching that. And then I saw when the decision happened, everyone was out of road. I didn't even really... I shouldn't even... I should probably go back and watch it again, but I was more focused on the UFC. You prefer the UFC.

You prefer MMA, right? That's your bread and butter. Yeah. I mean, I like boxing too. I'm not really too into boxing, but I can appreciate a good fight. Yeah. I watch a good amount of boxing.

Sometimes, like, you go through these stretches where you're very active on Twitter and then you don't kind of really show up. And then you have like a slew of great tweets and then you go away. I thought Saturday was a good night for you. The best one was about Kevin Lee. Which one was that? Saying that you still can't believe that they gave him an interim title show. Yeah, I don't know.

What did you think? What did you feel? How did you react when you heard that news? I was just like, whatever. Go for it, bro. I don't know. I just think there's a lot of other people

that should have got a title shot they just he had a good interview he was just in a good time he was in the right place of the right time he won the fight Ferguson happened to be you know

doing the Fox thing the Fox thing and they had a little back and forth I don't know I think I think Kevin Lee is not I don't think he's I don't think he's there you don't think he's ready for the Ferguson's

No, really I think But, you know, anything could happen I don't I don't put him out But I think I think Ferguson's a way ahead of him Were you impressed with the Kiesa win?

Yeah No, I was You were definitely Okay Yeah I think that's how he had to win that fight What'd you think of the non-stoppage stoppage Or the stoppage non-stoppage?

I think it was Not too big of a deal You didn't think so. I thought he had it pretty sunk in. And even though he didn't tap. Case it didn't. Yeah. Can't assume.

Yeah, he kind of did like the... But I think he could have gotten out? I don't know. I mean, I just feel like... That's the thing we really don't know. But you're right. At this level, you can't... You just got to let it go.

If that was me, I'd be furious. Yeah, yeah. And I'm sure Mike is too. You know? But, I mean, it was tight, you know, I don't know if he was... It didn't look like he was defending it anymore. Usually when they're defending it, they'll grab the top hand, or they'll be pushing up on something.

It kind of looked like his hands were just out there. And then he kind of like did like a half a thing. But I think, you know, let it go. So Ferguson Lee, you think Ferguson wins? I hope Kevin Lee wins. Oh, you do? Oh, yeah. Why?

Because I beat him. I'd be like, I'm freaking beat him. Get the freak out of here, you know? So it elevates you. Yeah, of course. Every time, every guy that I feel, fight, I hope they kill everybody. I want everyone to be the champion

that I beat and then I'm, you know, I'm over everybody. But if Kevin Lee wins and then they match him up, let's say they match him up against Connor, how would you feel about that? Oh, that would be hysterical. I feel like we're moving in that direction. Kevin Lee would get

demolished. Not even in the fight, just in the like the verbal exchanges. Yeah, because he thinks he's like Connor, you know. It's like, how are you going to mimic the guy that you're fighting you can't like what are you doing you know I don't think I think he's he's just such an act

it's just so hard to stomach just so I like cry I don't know I just I'm like oh guy with your outfits he's like a puty tang with the outfits he was never like I remember my like I was his first fight in the UFC and I remember him I saw him backstage and I saw

you can see like what he's all about he's not I don't know he that's not he's just like It's so fake and He's just trying so hard You know It's good to see you It really is

It's good to see you Good to see you too man I was thinking about you in Edmonton When Mitch Clark retired Did he retire? You didn't know that No I didn't know that You didn't watch that?

I've been Where have you been? I haven't been watching too I've been watching I'm always watching the fights But I've just been busy man What have you been doing? Summer you know

They don't have TVs at the beach beach so I can't watch fights down there. I had the pleasure of going to your... Pretty cool, right? What is it called the cabana? The cabana down in Pointe-Look-Out. It's pretty cool. I mean, first of all, it's you and your friends.

You're all just hanging out. You've got like a little shack if you want to call it. A little mini house. Yeah. But your mom's there, your dad's there. She's making those drinks, peanut-calados. They live down there in the summer, man. They live down there.

Is that over now? Yeah. Can you still use it? You can still use it until I think in the first week in October, but they limit the hours. You can go down there. And now it's only to like... And that's a big deal.

It's prime real estate. Yeah, it's good stuff. No, I heard that there's like a waiting list. Yeah, like 15 years. Wow. How did you guys get it? They were on the list for like 15 years and then you only get it for three years. Oh, really?

Yeah, you only get it for three. And then they kick you out. And then they kick you out. Oh, man. But that was like 10 years ago. Oh. Somehow my parents have made friends with people that have it, that don't want it or something. They sublet it.

So we've been down there for like 10 years. It's been good. We've got one more year left and then we've got to figure something. and else out. Because then it's been 10 years? Then it's been three for this one that we've been at. Oh, because you keep moving. Yeah, yeah.

You get three years. So we found somebody that won the lottery. You know, people, they put their name on this thing, and then 10 years later, they don't want it or they move, they don't want to sign it. So they get cold, and if you can, you know, get in touch with them and kind of sublet it, it's good. So where are we out with the career now? We are, who knows.

Everyone wants to know. We got more of a reaction for you being in studio. than anyone on this show today. Oh, that's cool. It's crazy. People love you. But I feel like they almost want to see you rage out. Yeah, why?

You feel like there's an expectation? Yeah, I don't like it anymore. Yeah. So we're going the opposite way. Mellow. I know. I'm just, I don't know. You feel like there's pressure that people think that you're some kind of like act?

Yeah, like I go out at night and people are like, oh, let's do shots. Let's go crazy. Volante is the worst. Oh, really? Yeah, he really is. I don't like him. He tries to perpetuate this? Yeah, he's the worst.

So you try to stay away from him? It's hard. He's just a big kid, right? He really is a big kid. Yeah. But it's fun. He lives in like the best, Long Beach, Long Island is like the best place in the world. All my friends move down there.

So it's like if I want to go hang out with anybody, it's Long Beach and just a big party. Big trouble. Right. But it's fun. So he gets you to do that a lot. He wants you to drink. He wants you to rage, take off your shirt, go nuts. Yeah, he's the worst.

And you try to stay away from that? Yeah. I try. But you feel like online the fans are trying to like always, bait you into going on? No, I think they just want me to kind of just get back in there and fight. I feel like there's a lot of people just want me to see me fight. They miss you.

Yeah, it's really cool. So where are we at? I am. We're back. We're back to like two years ago where I had knee injury and they didn't know whether I was going to fight again. And we're always going to come back and we're going to fight again. I messed up my knee again, a little bit training. Sorry to hear that.

Yeah, so I was, you know, surgery, not surgery. I think we're going to try to go the non-surgery route this time and heal it up and hopefully fight in the next couple months. Is this the same knee? It's the other knee now. Oh, wow. Yeah, so I messed up this one pretty bad. I'm compensating for it.

Putting a lot of weight on the other knee. Now the other knee is kind of feeling the effects of the right knee. That happened, right? Yeah, I guess so. I feel like I've been in like pain in my back even just from like I guess I'm walking weird or something But uh I've been doing physical therapy I've have I've been going to the I don't know if you saw all the sports science lab stuff in Staten Island that I've been going to These guys are the best I walk in there and they treat me like a king They you know they they uh from the time I get there till the time I leave is like three hours and I'm going from boom boom boom you know

one thing for the next, they're on top of me. And it takes me an hour and a half to drive there, an hour and a half to drive back. It's like a full day process, you know. But it's worth it for me to go there and see those guys, Dr. Piazza at Sports Science Lab. He's been so giving to me and his whole staff. I really can't thank those guys enough because they got me to the last fight healthy. And then once this happened, it wasn't even. It was just, you know, whatever.

Don't worry about it. Whatever the injury is, we're going to get you back in there. And I believe him, 100%. When did this happen? This was the day after the 4th of July. Oh, wow. Okay. It was like two months ago.

And what happened? I was really just wrestling around. I'm just rolling, and my knee got twisted out a little bit. I didn't even hear a pop. It was just kind of like I felt, I knew right away that something wasn't. I was like, whoa, that's not going to be good. And then I tried putting weight on it, and it was bad. I tore my PCL, and I sprained my MCL, but it's not, the PCL you really don't need.

PCL, I guess you can, athletes have competed at a high level without that. They just want to see how my MCL is healing, and it's healing pretty good. So I think we're in good shape. Okay, so you don't think you'll need surgery? Yeah, I don't think so. Wow. Yeah. So it's not as serious as the first one.

Because the first one you probably needed surgery, right? Well, just two totally different injuries. Yeah, the first one, it was the kind of thing where I had the surgery, and they were like, you might not be able to fight again. You were going to be able to live. I couldn't, I was at my wits end. I was like a last ditch effort anyway. And I got the surgery.

You know, I had some pretty good results and good enough to where I got back in there for it again. So it was good. You've hinted at this, but the word is you didn't do a lot of training going into the Diego fight. Can you tell us now? Can you tell us about it? You got to, I mean, I could tell you, but you got to ask Ray. Tell us, tell us, you're here.

It's 400. Tell us. How crazy was this? It was crazy. I could tell Ray didn't, Ray really didn't believe, I think he kind of thought I was just going in there for a payday or something. How many hours did you spend at the gym? I spent a lot of time at the gym, but I was doing more like physical therapy rehab.

I was doing, I was doing circuits and stuff. I hit pads. So the. they said they wanted to film me one day and I was like oh man I don't know what they're gonna film I can't have been swimming I swam every day I got I was in probably one of the some of the best shape I've been in but just not in like

fighting shape you know I didn't I was I was going in there a little unsure not of just I hadn't been usually before I fight I have you know I don't know 10 to 20 hard sparring sessions where the end of the five three I'm going three five minute around sometimes four five minute around And at the end, I'm exhausted, but I know I'm, like, ready.

You know, I never really had that for this fight. So I was kind of a little unsure, and I just remember getting into the locker room and warming up, and I was like, oh, man, my knee's not feeling good. I said to algebra, I was like, should I ice my knee right now? Like, what should I do? And he was like, let's just warm up and, you know, go in there and fight. And I warmed up and, thank God, it started feeling better. But it was like, there was no, I hit pads maybe a couple times.

I sported lightly one time. one or two times. And Ray, so, I think Ray was kind of a little, he was like, I don't know if I'm going to, I think him and Matt were kind of like, what's going? I don't even, we haven't seen you, you haven't been, you know, and I came into the gym maybe like three or four weeks before the fight and I was in sick shape. They could see, you know, I've been putting the work in. And they, you know, they, they, you know, they, they're like, all, well, this is the

craziest thing we've ever seen, but we got your back. and I went in there and I had been going to the sports science lab in Staten Island and because I hadn't been doing all the excuse me, I'm calling me, who's calling me right now?

I'm calling you in the middle of the show. Who could this be? I don't know. It's probably Aljo. He's jealous that you're on the show. This is Alger's shirt. Island boy. That's his new name?

This is new company. Oh, really? I like it. Yeah, yeah. I saw you rock in the the gold chain? Yeah. Is that a real one or is he still on the fake one?

No, I hope he doesn't buy a real one. That'd be just silly. Okay, now back to the story. So you said you were going to sports science. And they do vision training. Whereas like your eyes, you're training your eyes. It's something that I don't think anyone's really doing. They have machines that are really expensive equipment.

That's just dedicated towards. training your eyes, your eyes and muscle, like anything else. You can work on your peripheral vision, your hand-eye coordinate, depth perception, all these things. And because I wasn't wrestling too much and I wasn't doing so much Jiu-Jitsu, I really just focused on that. And I really just, I saw, I kind of just saw that fight happening the way it was, just a straight right hand at the end. It gave me a lot of confidence. and my father actually just, the reason we ended up there was,

I've been doing this kind of training, these kind of exercises for a while. And because I saw so much success, my father was like, dude, we should open up a place where people just train their vision. Back in the day, it was, you know, strength and conditioning. I don't think anyone really did strength and conditioning.

You know, then one guy did strength and conditioning. Guy saw the results. Everyone's doing strength and conditioning. Nutrition. Babe Ruth's eating hot dogs and baseballs. Now everyone's got a new diet to nutrition plan. I think this sports vision thing is kind of the next, this might be the next thing where you're training your eyes.

It's the most important thing in baseball and lacrosse and hockey, anything, picking up something coming at you and reacting to it. So I had been doing a ton of that. And I really could see, I watched the fight afterwards. I was visualizing the whole fight, how it was going to happen. I would drive to Staten Island, it would take an hour and a half every day,

and I saw the fight happen a million times in my head, and I saw it happen the worst way, I saw it happen the best way, and the way the fight happened, it was really like the best, you know, I got hit once. It was like the best case scenario. I just saw the right hand,

I hit it, perfect, I had my eyes open, I was just, I was seeing everything. I felt like everything was happening, even being off for two and a half years, or whatever it was, two years, being laid out, guys talking about ring rust,

I just, I saw everything. I felt focused. I felt like my brain was just working in a different way. So I think this sports vision training is kind of a new thing that people are going to be doing. And I think it's going to help out a lot for sure. So if you would have been in a fight where it went like three rounds and was a war up and down, do you think you would have lasted or because? Yeah, I mean, I feel like.

Would the knee have held up? Yeah, the knee would have held up. Okay. It's, yeah, no, I wasn't feeling anything in there. I would have felt it maybe afterwards, but no, my knee, it was, it's just, it's, if I work out, if I, back then when I was, if I was working out, like five times hard in a week, you know, I start really feeling it, you know, so I had to kind of be really, be really careful of what I did, you know, the swimming was great, nothing on, you know, nothing on my knees, great cardio. full body workout. The circuits I was doing, I was working around the knee. But now I'm, now this knee's good.

Now I got to worry about this one. Once I get this one good, you know. So you will fight again. You believe that. Yeah, I believe it. You want to fight again. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

It's like, I've been, it's like something's been, whenever I'm not fighting, you know, I feel like, excuse me, I feel like I'm the best, my life is like the most. like the most structured and organized. I made more money selling real estate when I had a fight coming up. I, you know, everything, my diet,

everything's good. When I have a fight coming up, there's nothing, I'm like on point, you know what I mean? So I get a good schedule, regimen, and it's like nothing matters except for that day, you know, that when I'm about to fight.

So I just, everything kind of works out. Where do things stand between you and the UFC? I don't know. I really don't know. Did you get a new deal? Did I get a new deal? No.

No. Because you fought in April on the old deal. I think we were like kind of working towards one and then I got hurt. So I was kind of like, no, but I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what happens. If I remember correctly, you had the meeting in Dallas, right? Yeah.

Your dad was there. Uh-huh. It was moving in the right direction. You had the retreat. That didn't really go as planned, right? Yeah, I kind of fell off the hand. I kind of went a little crazy. You regret that?

Uh. I regret a lot of things about that, yeah. Really? Like what? Could you share? Just crazy. I don't know. Just getting crazy. I just not a good look, a lot of the things. But... I feel like we're seeing a different ally Quinta here.

Like an evolved ally Quinta. Maybe a more mature one from the last couple months? I don't know. I think... I don't know about that. I mean, that was one of the more... Yeah, that was out of control. You regret that? You regret that those 72 hours or whatever?

The water gun and all that stuff. Yeah, that was a little out of control. And the show? Yeah. Yeah. But I forget what I was going to say. We were talking about something else. Oh.

I forget. Go ahead. What was I going to say? Well, I said that you... Oh, just not fight. I feel like fighting a lot when I'm, when I, I don't know. I feel like my whole life stops when I fight, you know? In a good way.

I feel like my whole life My whole life is just dedicated to fighting You know, I'm not like evolving But now since I haven't been fighting I'm kind of, you know, doing other things. I'm kind of enjoying maybe enjoying things more. You're still doing the real estate? Oh yeah.

It's going well. It's going well. It's going really good. For someone that really had no sales experience That really had, you know, I don't really know too much about houses. Now I do. But when I started, I really didn't.

I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, and I still made some pretty good money. So, you know, I think if for my first year, the amount of mistakes I made, my second year I could make twice three times as much money. What kind of mistakes? What kind of mistakes? I honestly just like, I don't know that.

I didn't know, I didn't know, I don't know every area of Long Island the way I should have. Okay. The way I do now. even like the places where I lived you know sometimes I would let the buyers kind of take control of the deal

where I thought they should be doing something else and we had a this one kills me because this would have been this great commission was like a $1.2 million house and the buyer and I showed it to the guy and he was like it's overpriced we're gonna we'll put an offer for

$1.1 million and I was like you know he was right it kind of was overpriced but in the Wanto Woods, that's where everyone wants to be. Wantor, Long Island, one of the best neighborhoods. It's where I grew up. It's, you know, people are fighting to get into the Wanto Woods. So a house goes up for sale for $1.2 million.

You got to put in an offer for $1.2 million because that's what someone's going to do. He tried to play kind of like a hardball game. He got beat out, and I should have told him from the beginning. I should have said, just going in at 1.2, you know, he could have afforded it, but he was trying to. And he loved the house. He was just trying to be like, you know. And I kind of let him run with it.

And I should have put my foot down. I should have said, listen, man, do you want this house or not? Because, you know, this is what you're going to have to do to get it. And I blew it, you know. He blew it, I blew it. And I got it was a big commission right there. What would you get for something? That would have been 2% of 1.2 million.

Okay. So I don't know what that is. So maybe, well, 1% would have been. It's like $20,000. Yeah. Something like that. Like you're going to the open houses with these people? Yeah, yeah.

And do any of them ever recognize you? Some people do, yeah. What's that like? Is it weird? It's actually, well, it's a good icebreaker. Okay. It's also kind of a pain in the ass because, you know how many conversations I had about Connor McGregor and Floyd

Maynoy? Every single person. I got a freaking 90-year-old lady I'm taking out to see an house. She's talking me for 45 minutes about this. McGregor. She's like, oh, the Irish. guy. You think he can really win?

I'm like, oh, God, this is for the 90th time, you know. But it's good. So why you tell them? Well, no, I don't, I don't really tell people, but, you know, someone will mention. Yeah, someone will mention it.

Somebody, you know, and I'm working in my area, so, you know, I'm pretty, people, people know me, you know. I'd love to see you taking these people on these open houses and showing them the closet space. You'd be impressed. That's great.

I don't really, I'm not like a big, I'm not like, oh, look at this, look at that. It's like, you know, this is the house. If you like it, I'm really setting up appointments for people. Sure. I'm taking them to the house. And then once they, if you like it, I'm going to try to get you in there, you know. That's wild. And in one year, you make more doing that than fighting?

No. No. Still fighting. Yeah. Okay. Well, that's because if you had said, yes, I would have said, well, why even go back to the point? Yeah, yeah. Well, if I mean, if I win a fight, I mean, yeah, I mean, it's.

it's all depends. If you win your fight, if you get hurt, this is kind of like a steady thing. I can do this forever. Even if I was fighting all, you know, if I was doing whatever I do, real estate's always, somebody's going to want to buy a house, whether it's a relative of mine,

it's somebody, it's, you know, it's something else. And I'm learning something new. I'm learning sales. It's, it's all good stuff, man. It's all just, you know. You went to the Nassau Coliseum show as a fan, right? Yeah. Where did you sit? I was right there.

Oh, you didn't go sit with the folks in the cheap seats. No, I requested tickets. They gave me tickets. They hooked you up. Yeah, they did. That was great. That's a good sign. It is.

What was it like being in there, though, and not fighting? Oh, I had a great time. Okay. So I didn't feel like you were missing out. No, I had a little more a harder time with the MSG? Because I think I was supposed to fight and then I didn't. I don't know. It was like a weird thing.

Plus, it was like the first time where I realized like, shit, I'm not, you know. I kind of always saw myself there, you know. So not being there was kind of a hard hit. But the National Coliseum, that one I would have, even more, I would have loved to fight there more, just because it's right around the block from us and stuff. But seeing Chris win was awesome, you know. What a moment, right?

It really was. You know, back against the wall, winning the first round, knocked down like that. And to come back and do that, I was really happy for him. Did you guys go celebrate after? Were you part of that crew? Yeah, yeah.

We were out at the pizza at 4 a.m. No, they were next. I was at the club the whole time. Oh, wow. You're a big club guy? Not really. Are there clubs on Long Island? I guess not really.

They were. Now it's the one in the city or out in the Hamptons, but more of like a bar, chill, relaxed kind of guy, I try to. But when you were at that fight, you had just, because that was the end of July, and you said you injured yourself. Yeah, I was on crutches there. Yeah. That wasn't tough for you?

Like, did you think at that time that you maybe would not come back that this was another setback? I don't know, man. I always just feel like no matter what happens, I'm going to get back in there. The doctors, you know, they said that, oh, you're not, you know, you do this surgery. There's a good shot. You're not going to fight again. I'll do it. This is what I really feel like it's what I'm supposed to do, you know.

A big point of contention before was you said the UFC wasn't helping you financially with the rehab. Are they helping you this time? better this time? They are, I tell you, I got a, I got a phone call from Sean Shelby, I got a phone call from Hunter that they were very concerned and they were, they said, listen, we don't want this to be the same experiences last time. Anything you need, you give me a call. I mean, it's tough to not have, not be fighting and have to do all this physical therapy

drive. You know, I'm taking like three days a week where I'm, you know, I'm selling real estate's like 24-7. And if I'm taking three days a week to drive to the city, that's a big hit, you know. But I'm making it work, and I'll be back. Yeah, I'll be back eventually, you know. So you feel like they're supporting you this time? It's not going the same way as... Yeah, I mean, it's definitely a lot better than last time, for sure.

Are they helping to pay for it? Or is that only if you... No, the insurance is covering the rehab and the... Oh, that's great. Yeah. All right. So things have changed. Yeah.

No, things are good. Things are good. You paused there for a second, but I believe you. It's just, I mean, it's, it's, it's what I chose to do, man. You know, it's like I'm fighting, you know, if I got to take three days, it's, you know, it's not like I'm getting paid to do physical therapy. Sure, you know, I have to pay to still do it. So it's, it's not easy, but it's what I, it's what I'm, I could just say,

screw this, I'm done fighting and I'm just going to do the real estate thing. And I, you know, I can walk around fine. I can live the rest of my life like this. But to compete at a high level, I'm going to have to go. go to this, I got to travel to Staten Island, I got to do, you know, what I got to do. And that's because that's what I want to do, you know,

so I'm just going to suck it up. I'm going to, I'm going to work, I'm freaking in traffic, making calls, setting up deals to, you know, setting up times to go show houses, I get back, I'm working, I'm grinding me, and I'm enjoying it. I'm having fun. That's great.

Yeah. I'm happy for you. Thanks. So the MSG card is coming up. Is that too soon? I don't know. I think I could still kick this shit out of Cajun Johnson on one knee. I think I could really do. He looked great in his last fight.

Did he? I heard he got his ass kick. Well, he won. It was not a very, it wasn't the most entertaining fight, but the finish was entertaining. How did you submit? No, he knocked out Martins, like he got a, like it was one of those weird ones where it kind of doesn't even look like it's going to affect the fighter. but, you know, I thought it was a nice story considering everything that he's, you know,

he's been through over the last two years. And I actually think, I know you guys have your differences, but I think he's good for fighters because he's not afraid to speak up. Yeah. He's a great rapper, too. Jesus Christ. You don't know.

I could rap better, but I just wouldn't do. Why would you ever do that? So that's the fight? MSG, you're announcing it? No, I wish. No, it's not. happening. Is that the dream though? No. No. He had his chance.

He blew it. When was that? And is that the Fighter Summit? You went up to him? Yeah, we talked about this. I don't want the Cajun. I was... I remember there was... I feel bad, but... What did you say? I asked him if he wanted

to fight, and he said, no, he said, well, we'd get paid, we'd do this in the cage. I shouldn't even be bringing it up. It was bad. I feel bad. About everything. Sage Northcut, Platinum Perry. I don't feel bad whatever but

did you see platinum on Saturday he did good he did good for a debuting 55 they wouldn't let a 55 or fight him

but they let a 55 or fight him right and he that's not a guy you want to clinch with

all his finishes come out of the clinch you know finished Ellenberger out of the clinch and he was doing me it looked like he was doing

pretty good I was kind of back and forth the two bunch of things but I mean I don't know You're biting your tongue

I think I could You put me in there Give me I beat everybody I really died I don't know You're in your prime right now How old are you?

30 You're in your prime Yeah You think you can't Right now No, I will You're confident Give me a couple months

I'll be back to Yeah I can't really talk shit Too much right now because I'm not like... I don't want you to talk. If I see somebody in the street, I'm going to be like, I hope I'm healthy enough

to like this talk I'm talking, you know? Well, no one's coming up to in the street. Does that happen? No, no. I'm just saying, like, I always like to think if, you know, if I'm going to talk shit about somebody,

you got to be ready to fight, you know, whenever... But is MSG even possible? I don't know. Yeah. Might be. Really? Have they called you? No.

Would you fight on the same contract you have now? I'd fight Cajon Johnson for... Why Cajee Johnson? Why do you have such an issue with the guy? He just annoys me. It's one of my favorite feuds in MMA. It's so random. It's rap.

You didn't like the fact that he mentioned you in the rap song. I just bothers. Yeah. You're rapping about, it was just creepy. I was like, what are you doing, bro? Do something else. I don't know. You saw it?

I saw it. He's like on a stairwell. He's like looking in the camera all weird. I wish we could play it right now. No, thank God you can't. Okay. I wouldn't want to put anyone through that. I've always wondered this. I mean, you come from a pretty, you know, good family, right?

I mean, it's not a broken home or anything like that. I mean, it's pretty standard. Why did you even get into this? When did you get into MMA? Why did you get into MMA? What does it happen to be? I mean, like, usually, MMA is not that kind of sport, but you know, in boxing, it's like, you You come from the streets.

You have to fight your way out. You'd make some money and stuff like that. I mean, I met your parents or you have a good relationship with them. There's always like a backstory, right? I mean, in many respects, fighters, you know this. I'm not breaking news. Like, fighters are a lot like strippers. Right?

How? There's always a story. There's a story. Oh, I came through this. I disagree. You disagree, really. Boxers? Some of the best MMA fighters are division one athletes that graduated from...

In the boxing world, right? No, no, no. Well, boxing's a little different. Yeah. Boxing, yeah, maybe boxing, you know. But MMA, the best guys in the world, Division I wrestlers usually graduated from a great college, you know? I think it takes tremendous discipline and focus,

and it takes something that no one else has to do this sport. I think I was raised by, you know, my father was always in athletics. He was a high school football coach, phys ed teacher. So I just gravitated towards, you know, athletics and wrestled in high school. I don't think I was as successful I was in high school that I wanted to be. Moved on to college, I wrestled a little bit, had some success, but it wasn't, you know, I wasn't really, that wasn't, I didn't have too much fun doing that. It wasn't fun.

When I got into MMA, the first day I got, the first, I got my ass kicked. I thought I was going to kill everybody. I was so confident. I'd just come off wrestling season. Yeah. And I got my ass kicked. And I was like, wow, I got to learn this. Yeah, yeah, I just went down to the gym.

And I just remember as my friend Marcel, Marcel's kicking my leg. And I'm like, fuck, it hurts. I'm going to kick him back. I kicked him back. I hurt my foot. You know? I was like, all right, well, I got to take him down now. I took him down on bar.

I was like, you know, I can't win. I got to learn this. I'm not as tough as I thought I was. It was like a whole, it opened my world to, a whole different thing. And it was a new challenge. It was just like wrestling. It was like you put in the work.

You put in the work and you get the results and, you know, the harder you work, the more you win. It's really that simple, you know. And I worked harder than everybody. I was never like the most naturally gifted person. My dad was always, my parents would always tell me, you know, whatever you want, you work hard, you can get it. And I kind of took that to, kind of took that to heart.

and it's you know that's kind of why I get frustrated when I see guys that are like sloppy winning bonuses that aren't really you know I just see how much work I put in how clean my technique is like that you know two years old I you know I think I think that's why I get frustrated a lot when when I see how much work I put in and I'm very hard on myself where I should be and and when I don't get you there because of things that are outside of my control, it really, you know, it kind of bothers me. And sometimes I react a little crazy. Sometimes, you know, maybe I don't do things the right, or I don't know if there is a right way or wrong way. But, you know. By the way, I'm not trying

to disparage strippers. I mean, I have the utmost respect for strippers and fighters. I'm sure they're great people, but, you know, sometimes you hear about these stories. After meeting your parents, I mean, they just seem, you just seem to have like a regular background we never had that conversation. Yeah, I mean, I was never really, like, I never gravitated towards school. School was never really for me. Right.

You know, I just, I struggled to get decent grades when I saw people that weren't studying getting A's and B, so I kind of, I was never really, that was never really my thing. So what am I going to do, you know? Athletics was always, I always had a brain for athletics. All the coaches always, I was always, like, one of the coaches, like, I was always the hardest work,

and the coaches always liked me. is, you know, I was always, I always was just good at sports, you know, good at working hard and and stuff like that. Do you think if you didn't get injured the first time that you'd be championed by now? No, no, no, no. You never know. You really never know. Do you think about that a lot?

I think about, uh, nah, I don't really think about what would have been happening. I'm just thinking about, you know, where I could be, you know, I'm still thinking if I can do it. I still believe I can. I think April 22nd, Diego Sanchez, Tony Ferguson, Connor McGregor, I really think I'm landing that shot on any of them. I really felt so confident in just my technique and seeing everything. I was just in the moment, you know? I felt like nothing could go wrong that night.

Even though there was some doubts in my head about like my cardio, not even my cardio, just not being sure, not having those sparring sessions where I I'm, you know, where I've done it. You know, it's like I, it was kind of like my first sparring session, you know, and usually the first sparring session, you do a lot better than you think you're going to do. And it's kind of how it went, but, uh, yeah. So you, you move on, you move forward, you don't think about the past.

I commend you because I'm the kind of person who always, like, thinks about the past. And like, oh, yeah. You know, I regret this. I regret that. I think more about like now, like, what, you know, I get hard on myself because I'm not, I, I've pictured. I did picture myself as being like the champion now. And I was like, you know, I never really cared about anything. I never really cared about anything in life.

I was like, once I get that championship thing, everything's going to work out. You know, and now I've got to kind of be like, you know, I got to work on some things, you know, before. You know, and if it comes, it comes, you know. The irony is that, like, I feel like you're trying to move on from just being the raging guy, right? But yet, I feel like that's why the fans, like, you became so much more popular after all of these things. things and, you know, the blowups and things like that. You see what I'm saying? Yeah.

Like, for some reason that made you into some sort of, like, culture. I mean, I might have been, like, a little out of control, but I was saying things that I think everyone felt. You know, I might have said a way no one really is going to say. But it was, you know, man, it was, it's just, I learned from everything. You just learn from things. And, you know, I think now I got people behind me. So it's good, you know.

Do you like the way the sport is headed? What is that? I don't know, man. I think it's, I think it's, I think it's less about the skill and the technique. It's more about, like, other things. Like, what else can you do besides fighting? What else, you know, I don't know. I mean, the fact that they're just pushing guys that aren't great fighters

that can do backflips and do these things, kind of, and, you know what, good for them, I guess, but. there has been a shift there's no denying that oh absolutely everything from the title shots the fact that yeah

the fact I mean I'm a big George St. Pierre fan sure but the fact that he's getting a title shot before all these guys at 185 and that weight class

is just not in the position to have a fight like this right now there's so many guys that are so good that are you know knocking at that door of a title shot neither of these guys

fight very often and then Whitaker is what is he's going to be out for a while. So that division, I mean, unless you're going to be planning on fighting for three years, you're not going to

look at it. You're not seeing the title shot in the next two years, I don't think. What about a 155? Your division? And that's another, it's another thing. You think Connor should be stripped? If you don't, I've always believed that if you don't defend the title or at least have a title fight booked within a year, within a year of your last title fight, that

they have every right to move on. And that's why I was okay with when they stripped him of the Featherway title because it had been more than a year since he had... I don't think he's ever fighting at 1.45. No, no, no, but 155.

$1.55? I mean, he's got to let us... Like, what are you going to do, man? You got to let us know, what's the deal? He's kind of... I don't think he's, like, hinting at things. Maybe a little bit. I don't even think he is, but...

Not really hinting at much, but it seems like they want to do the Nate Diaz fight. Yeah, yeah, that's... That's another one. I don't know. You know? I think... Oh, Khabib kind of messed that whole thing out.

you know, I would have been a great fight to see him and Ferguson. Right. Them fight. But now he's, it's kind of just a big, it's a big mess. Yeah, yeah. It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out. And hopefully I get healthy and I get right in there just as the right time. And you never know.

People get hurt. I'm right there. You know, I'm right there. I feel like you're right there. I mean, if Kevin Lee's getting a title shot, then what does that say about you? I really, I really believe, like, yeah. I think Kevin Lee is, you know, he's big, he's strong, he's a good wrestler. but he's just, his stand-up is not there.

He's stiff. He's not, I don't know. I don't see, he's not, like, when I grow up, when I was growing up, I'd look at guys, and I'd be like, well, that guy's, he's got some talent there. He's good. You know, he's, like, championship worth, you know,

and I, Kevin Lee, I just don't, I just remember our fight, and I just remember him in between, like, the, he beat me the second round. He was holding me down the second round. And if you look in the corner, he was like, his coach had to give him a pep talk. He's like, dude, you just won that round.

You had my back the whole fight. But he was, he was, it just, I can, fighting brings out people. You can see what people are made of and I can, I know exactly what he's made of. I can see it, I can see it clear as day. What do you mean? What is he made of?

Like, he was in the, he was just acting, we went into the, when you signed the posters, the first day, like, he walked in and I was standing there, and I'm like, cool, I don't know you. I'm not like gonna, he was like me mugging me. It was like amateur hour. It was like people treat him out like we, like I had a bunch of amateur fights. That's how the amateur guys were like, you know.

And now he's doing this whole thing with this whole act. He's just, I see right through it. I see, you know, I can tell in the fight when we were fighting. I could see right through it. It's like, it's that, I think it's through that. I just, that's it. I know, I know exactly what he's about. I see it right through.

What do you think of Ferguson? I think he's just, he's just out of his mind. You know, he's just, there's no rhyme or reason what he's doing. He's jumping, he's doing flips. He's picking legs. But he's got, he's got a dangerous skill set that, you know, he's got those chokes from everywhere. He's unorthodox on his feet, which is a problem. Because when people are unorthodox on their feet, a lot of times you'll try to take him down,

and then he's got those chokes. So it's going to be a tough one for Kevin Lee. No, Ferguson, he's impressed me. He's championship material. That's a guy that I would love to fight and get up. It's a fight that I would get up for. I would really, I mean, I was begging, ask anyone at that fighter summit.

Every time I saw Sean Shelby, I was begging him, you know, to set it up. And he was like, oh, you know, you've got to do the Twitter thing. And I was like, what? I don't even know. What do you mean the Twitter thing? He was like, well, you got to make a fight out. You got to make like a hype about it.

I don't know. Is that what we really got to do now? Yeah, it was like, make it, make a, you got to make people want to see it kind of thing or call them out. You got to call them out or something. It's so funny that they would advocate for that, yet they say, like, to me, like, oh, you, you know, you start trouble and things like that. Yet they're essentially saying to you that that's the stuff that makes them book the fights.

I mean, look at the Kevin Lee got there. You know, he got the, he was just in the right. It's a game of being ready and being, you know, just being in the right time at the right place, making the most of your opportunities. He's been in the right place at the right time. He won his fight. The guy was there at the boot. They did that little interview thing.

It was kind of funny. You know, but we'll see if he can make the most of it, you know. It's a tough fight for him. And Ferguson capitalizes every word, the first letter of every word. He's just another weird guy, man. He's very interesting. I don't know. What's the dream fight for you?

The dream fight is like Connor McGregor at Madison Square Garden. Who the hell else? You know, that's the dream fight. Okay. You know? But that's a new dream fight. I mean, Connor's kind of new to the game.

Yeah, yeah. From day one, was there always a dream fight for you? From day one? Uh, I always, I mean, see,

I didn't really want to fight, like, the guys that I, I really have fought a bunch of them. I fought Rose Pearson, LaZone, um, Diego Sanchez.

These are all guys that I grew up with. And I was like, it's crazy. It's crazy. I was like a young kid, and I'm watching these guys on, TV on the Ultimate Fighter. I watched Jen's Polver. When Joe beat

Jen's Pulver, I was like, oh man, this kid from Boston, I remember hearing about him in the regional scene and then he comes out of nowhere and I was like, I was like, oh, he's fighting Jen's Pulver, that's crazy. He was the biggest, he was, at that time it was like, there's no way this guy is being Jen's Pulver, you know? And then

he knocks out Jen's Polver, I was like, oh, this is that guy, that's awesome. You know, what a great, I just remember him getting on the cage, I was like, that's got to be the best feeling in the world. You know, you come in as an underdog, you know, people don't really know. Unless you're from like the East Coast or whatever, you didn't really know who he was, you know. That was a different time. It was such a different time.

You know, like a UFC event, it was like, didn't matter who was on the card. Everyone watched, right? It was like, oh, do you want to come over to watch UFC? Yeah. Oh, by the way, who's fighting? Now it's, you want to come over to watch UFC, who's fighting? Yeah. Yes or no.

You know what I mean? Yeah. It was an event. Yeah, it was just, yeah. I You know Even like Even Masrville

Watching him on like Yeah Yeah The back street Yeah the back street The Kimbo slides Fights fights and stuff like that It's just cool man

The thing is that I'm You know It's cool stuff It's good But a dream fight I don't know I think most of the guys That I looked up to

I really wouldn't want to I wouldn't want to fight I looked up to Jenz Polaro a lot I was in a gym's pole Theez brothers Um Who else?

Even Matt Serra. I was at UFC 53. He fought there. I was big... I remember... I remember... Parisian had him in an arm bar, and he went, boom, and he escaped.

And I was... I hadn't really... I didn't even training with Matt at the time. I had just started training, I think. Or I was still even just wrestling. And I remember seeing that escape, and I was like, wow. that's, you could tell the guy did it.

Sure. 500 million times in practice to be able to do that. I remember seeing Rich Franklin, I think he fought Evan Tanner that night. And he was, he threw one combination. And I was like, well, it's like a whole different level. You see it, when you see it on TV, it's a little different. I spent, like, I was in, I was a freshman in college. We spent like 300, 400, 400 bucks on tickets.

We had sick. Back then, those got you like right there, you know? So we had six seats. It was Atlantic City. And I remember just one combination, I was like, wow, this is a whole other, this is, that takes years of work to be able to be that fast, that accurate, precise. And I left that arena that day. I was like, I'm doing that shit. I got to know what that feels like.

Just being in the crowd, I was up for, I didn't even sleep, you know, just the energy. You know, I was like, and now when I fight, when I fight and I win, I don't sleep for like two days. Really? That energy is crazy. You know? Win or lose? Uh, I think,

no, I don't know. I think when I lose, I just get, I just get bombed and go to bed full of sleep. I just want to, I just want to get out of here,

you know, but the wins is like nothing else. You like the new Reebok uniforms? I don't think I've seen them. Oh, well, you saw them on Saturday if you were. Were they like the gray?

It was like gray. Different colors. It's good. It's something different. Yeah, it's not like the stripe. Yeah. It kind of,

looks like if you're a weightlifter and you put the powder stuff. Okay. Like some wife. Yeah, yeah. I didn't even really notice, no, I didn't. You didn't pay attention? I remember seeing one, someone had different kind of shorts on and I was like, ah, I never saw those.

I guess they knew yet, but I was, I was, I was, dude, the fights were no long enough to pay attention to anyone. It was just knock out after knockout. What a great night of fights. You're such an enigma aliquita. You never know what you're going to but everyone's like,

oh, I can't wait. And here you are, you're a choir boy. I don't know, a choir boy. You are. You're just a mild-mannered,

easy-going guy. I feel like we've done a lot. I won't embarrass anyone. What do you mean? Yeah, I'm just playing. I feel like we've done a lot of work here today. It's good.

A lot of good work. Good. I hope so. That's what we're trying to do. Just keep working, you know? Episode 400. Last week you were, you were tweeting about someone,

someone who's on the show and now the name escapes me. You were writing about, oh, was it, was it Mike Perry? Oh. You were tweeting about someone during the show. During the fight? No, no, during this show. Oh, Kevin Lee.

I was saying how much he was getting paid. He was like, oh, I'm making so much now. I was like, Ariel, ask him how much? Ask him how much? How can you say I'm getting paid? Just tell me a number, please. How much do you think he's getting paid? Could he get paid even $100,000 for this?

Maybe. Title fight, you get paid a little more. I don't want to bum you out. No, I'm 100,000. I hope he's getting at least that. Usually when you get a title fight, you get a little more. But it was last week, I think, when Mike Perry was on, talking about ingesting metal.

Oh, I wonder what I did. Well, because sometimes you're on the realtor account, and sometimes you're on, or that's not you. You don't know. It's so crazy because the other one, that one has like 500 followers and more. But your other one has like several thousand. the real fun is on the realtor side,

which is weird because you would think the realtor side would be like the boring business one. No, no. That's when the real party happens. That's the party right there, I guess. Shout out. Shout out, Reginald. What is it, Reginald Realty? Yeah.

Something like that, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, the guy's so nice, the one who runs it, DMs me. I know, it was a great guy, right? Does he do a podcast now? No. No, okay. I don't know. All right.

This is great. a pleasure my man. Thank you so much. I'm sorry about the knee. No, it's good, man. You're on the, what do you got? Bam. Oh, you're good.

You can kick my ass. Which knee is it? It's still good. This one. Okay. This is the old, this is the old bad knee. This is the new bad knee. What are those rebots?

Adidas. Oh, same family. Same thing. Yeah, because Adidas owns Reebok. You know that? I did know that. All right. Well, I wish you the best.

Thank you for coming in. I appreciate it. I know it's a bit of a trek. Good luck. Keep us posted on the rehab. Absolutely. And thanks for always supporting the show. Yeah, man.

From way back to the day, I remember one time you were flying. I think it was to go fight, Mitch Clark. Yeah. Took a video of you on the plane. I've been watching this show since I was a little guy, man. Little guy. Come on. I'd work out, and then I'd come home, and I'd be like half asleep listening to it.

And I'd nod out and I'd come back. And yeah, this is like my in-between training sessions. I love it. Monday, I'd look forward to it. You know, so it's crazy that I'm here at 400 episode. Yeah, it's crazy how things work out. Thanks, my man. All the best.

keep us posted, get well soon, and hope to see you back in there soon rather than later. There he is. Ragen, Ally, Quinta, the man. Check him out. Boom, boom, boom. Coming to a lightweight title fight near you in the very near future.

There he goes. Rage and Al. Always love talking to him. Sorry to hear about the knee, but he is coming back. Have no doubt about it. Wish him all the best. All right.

Let's move along now and welcome in our last guest of the day on this 400th episode of the M.A. hour. I'm so excited to welcome in our next guest. You know him right now as the host of Extra, which you can see every night. It's all over the place. I'm always watching the NBC nightly news, and he comes on right afterwards. But you remember him way back in the day as the wrestling superstar at Bayside High on Save by the Bell. He's been all over the place. And he was at Triple G. Canello on Saturday. In fact, his wife sang the national anthem for the United States, right before the fight,

right there, in the middle of the ring. I'm talking about Mario Lopez. He's He's on the show right now. Mario, are you there? Yes, I am. How are you doing, man? Thanks for having me on. Big fans for a while.

Oh, thank you very much. This is a great honor for us. I appreciate you doing this. So you just came back from Vegas. You went from Vegas to the Emmys. Honestly, now. What should you prefer more? Being at Triple G.

Cinello or hosting the Emmys? Oh, no, of course. Of course, the fight. I mean, I was buzzed through both of them the whole time. So I just kept the party going. And I literally handed out flasks on the red carpet

in the shape of a bangle. to all the ladies as they seem to appreciate, and I had to have a hair of the dog to keep it going. But it was a great weekend. And like you said, my wife, fame in the national anthem, and I was in the ring with her. And there's nothing like it with the fight. I mean, I've been a lot of sporting events,

I'm a huge fight fan all the way around, and the Roman Coliseum feeling, and the purest form of sport, man-on-man, and just the energy and the intensity that it's just unparalleled. And it delivered this fight. was a great fight. I think it delivered on its promises. It got intense.

It got heated. It's hard to root against either fighter. I haven't known both fighters. I haven't known them well, and their gentlemen outside of the rain. Their class acts are really cool. And it, it, it, I felt, I hesitate because I felt like the nod maybe should have gone to Ganadi when it was all said and done.

He initiated most of the action. He was, was, let his hands go more through more. Landemore had the constant pressure, although Canello showed resilience and a stout set of whiskers. He looks comfortable at middleweight. He countered. I just felt fighting in 30 seconds first isn't enough per round, and he got back into it towards the end. He started off strong. Middle rounds, Gnadi, started to take over.

He got back into it towards the end, but it was very very, very strong. very, very close. I'm not, it's not like the greatest, or the worst decision, I should say, in the world. I'm not incredibly upset about the draw, but I just didn't think it was a warranted, rematch would have been warranted regardless of that he got the nod. So, you know, regardless, I think we're going to do it all again, and everyone wins. Wow, you're a real pro. You just answered like eight of my questions in one, in one question. That wasn't even about the fight, but you have to admit, see, I felt as, as a fan watching at home, I paid my $75. I sit through that. I hear $11.11. 110 Canello.

I mean, there's no way in hell, right? There's no way in hell that's... Whenever a judge... You should never know a judge's name, and whenever the judge is starting to get more pub and it's overshadowing, a really good fight between two of the best boxes in the world. That's just such a stain on the evening.

I mean, she literally gave Triple G two rounds of the fight. I mean, it just looks like it was criminal. She should have been arrested. It looks like a predetermined... scorecard from the get and the irony was that there was a lot of buzz that she shouldn't have been involved from the get and she's hosted or pardon me she's judged uh literally hundreds of these before but she's been met with controversy before and it just it was unfortunate the other two judges had a little more in line it came down to the seventh round from not i believe was a carmerey

scorecard or was it donned i sat next on the flight on the way back and had he chosen the seventh the round, Triple G would have gotten the fight. And ironically, Adelaide Byrd gave Triple G the seventh round. So it's one of the rounds that really came down to that. And it was just, yeah, it was just unfortunate. I feel like it kind of calls into question the whole damn thing. Because I've been asking people for the last 48 hours in the end. Because, you know, you're a big boxing fan.

When Mayweather McGregor was announced, people said that this would, you know, this would ruin the sanctity of boxing, that it was a farce, that it was just a spectacle. is a freak show, but I feel like, and correct me if you feel otherwise, in the end, the farce ended up being sport. McGregor Mayweather just was a fight that came and went, the better man won, we're done with it, and then this fight, which actually was a better fight,

but in the end, it's stained by this controversy, the 118, 110 scorecard to draw and all that stuff, that ends up being more of a farce. Do you get what I'm saying? Yeah, I get what you're saying. I mean, as far as the, I'm a big fan of big events, and obviously the Mayweather, McGregor, a fight was it was it was just that, a big event, but it didn't really, it didn't lead to anything,

or it's not like there was no substance in what it meant other than the big event, right? Right. Obviously, financially fruitful for both those guys and everyone involved. But this you had so much on the line, two fighters with all the belts on the line and and Connella moving up and still being at his peak and Triple G, and I have to say, too, He's a couple of miles of come off that fastball. He slowed down a little bit. Nonetheless, still was enough to, I think, have been awarded the victory.

I saw no combinations. I saw that Mexican style, the hoax to the body. That was like absence. That was gone. So he essentially was relying on his stout chin and a lot of one-two punches, which still did the job. But it'll be interesting if they have the rematch, which, is being talked about for a single of the mile of next year, which makes most economical sense.

But I think as time goes on, it can obviously favor Canelo a little bit more. At least, I think Times being on its side, he made it difficult for himself because I think speed, he could have stolen a couple of rounds with some of the exchanges, but that power is deceiving, and he's still a hell of a strong guy, Triple G.

So you sparred both of them? I've seen the footage of you sparring Canello. You also sparred Triple G? Yeah, well, the thing with Triple G, we only got in real quick because then his wife had the baby. Yes. He had to stop at that day. So he literally had to lead because his wife was having the baby. Oh, God, of course, all things come to him.

But again, both, I can't say enough about these guys just being like great guys to all the way, just outside, just true professionals and just nice good guys, strong work ethic, and they're good to their teams and the camps and, you know, everyone around. so, you know, they're really cool. And I think it says a lot about the sport, too, that you got two. One from Kazakhstan, another guy from Mexico, and they sort of transcend to be able to have the appeal that they do globally. I think is great. So you host a fighting podcast. It's called The Three Knockdown Rule with Steve Kim.

You're a big fight fan. Obviously, you've been training for a long time. How did you feel about Mayweather McGregor? Well, like I said, my partner there was a little bit more. I mean, they're all the little... They were boxing guys, right? Yeah, yeah, there's a bit of a far, and it mean anything that, you know,

and it did, what did it stand for, the Ponzi scheme, this and that. Like I said, I'm a big fan of big events. I, you know, I liked when Chuck Webner fought a bear and Andre the Giant the same year. Yes. I love, I love, you know, I'll take it all. I'll take it so incredibly serious.

And so I thought it was fun. I thought it was fun just for that. And I thought McGregor impressed me with his skillset there for obviously getting in there with Floyd. So he did better than you thought, or do you think that Floyd kind of carried him? I think a little of both, to be honest. I think a little both. I mean, I think Floyd, you never see it. Because unfortunately, I've seen most of his flag.

Can I say that because he's a guy who can be appreciated and obviously respected, but rarely highly entertaining, right? Right, right, right. So being familiar with him, the way he was continuing to walk him down and eat. He's a guy who sets his feet, counters, weights, and I don't necessarily think it had anything to do with just fighting a Southpaw or respecting anyone's powers. He actually took a lot of his shots, you know, pretty well. But, you know, I still found it entertaining, and it was fun. Are you a big MMA fan? I am. I'm a huge MMA fan.

So anytime is an ass whoop, and I'm a big fan. So I love MMA and obviously I love boxing's been on the scene I grew up watching fights with my dad but I grew up with a wrestler too So once I started getting on the sand I remember seeing the first UFC And Gracie and I became immediately hooked And I've been a fan ever since

And have nothing but the greatest respect for those guys And they're incredible athletes Your son trains in Jiu-Jitsu right? Yeah, he does Yeah, he just turned four Yeah, because I've seen him wear the Ghee Does he train at a Gracie school Was that a Gracie logo that I saw?

Yeah, Yeah, he trains at a Gracie Botts school. Yeah, he loves it. He's a hyper kid, and he's already gotten in trouble at school. He's trying to get kids tackling him and getting on little arm locks and still. I haven't talked to him about that, and he's part of it and his sister's so. Wow. Yeah, but he likes it.

So, yeah, I train there with him, too. Like, I'll say, he got me into it. You know, like I said, I grew up wrestling, and I've been doing it as I was a kid, and then I actually boxed two growing up, but then once I started getting more into acting and in the business, I took a little respite. because it's not too kind on the mug. But then I got back into it

once I started shooting in Hollywood and started going a while Freddie Roach's gyms and I fight in his smokers and it, you actually fight in the smokers? Oh yeah,

I found about eight of his. Wow. What's your record? You throw on, haven't lost one yet, so fortunately. When was your last one? Oh, the last one's been

a couple years now because Freddie got something happened to someone if they got injured or they became sort of a liability things. We're trying to figure it out.

So it was always fun. You put on 16-ounce gloves and some headgear, and, you know, you get in there. The last thing anyone wants to do is lose to some Hollywood kids. That's right. Now, I got to ask you, what happened on Friday at the spa? Someone tried to mess with you? That got a little blown out of proportion. I didn't get assaulted. My phone got assaulted. But someone, excuse me, someone tried to start talking to me. And before I even could even react, the employee, stepped in, and then for some reason, the guy grabbed my phone,

which I say, hey, let me just get my phone and get out of here. This guy's obviously just an idiot. And then he heard that and got my phone. He threw it against the wall. Wow. Yeah, but he never actually touched me. Nothing actually happened. And then I saw the TMZ headline, and it said, I got himself.

And I go, well, not really. My phone did. I never got touched. How did they even find out about these things, TMZ? People just call them up? There was a bunch of employees there, I'm sure one of them called because he ended up all. That guy, that guy was such an idiot.

And he started pushing the employees around in like three people, um, press charges and stuff. And I didn't want to ask them if I wanted to. I was like, I don't want to argue to do with that. Next thing, I don't want to have been a slow newsday because I ended up on all these news sites. Yeah. Do you get that a lot?

You get a lot of people who try to step to you and try to pick fights with you because of who you are, how you look? No, most of the time, everybody's pretty cool. You know, back in the day I had it a couple times. But then I retaliated and I got sued. And, you know, I can't be putting hands on anyone anymore. and you don't need needless losses. It's costing me a lot of money.

Really? I'm going to pay a lot of money. So now I'm like, oh, man, screw that. It's not worth it. And this was just weird, though. I was like coming out of the bathroom. And it was just, you know, Vegas. So people drink and acting in full.

When did you get sued? Oh, I got, that was a long time ago. I was, oh, my 20s and two times in my 20s, once in my 30s. Whoa. And I'm 43 now. So, yeah. For fights, for people trying to start fights with you? No, they were full-on fights, but they happened.

But then I had to settle. I ended up having to settle because, you know, a lot of money and paying the ass. It's not. Yeah, I'm about to walk away. Unless, you know, sometimes you can't, but I'm a walk away kind of guy. And most of the time, like, 99% of the time, everybody's pretty cool with me, and I'm pretty cool with everybody. I try to, you know, treat everyone with respect and carry myself like a gentleman.

There's no problems, but sometimes you got idiots, right? Does it bother you when people call you A.C. Slater? No, I'm flattered, man. that means they still recognize me and haven't aged that poorly. Yeah, and you certainly haven't. But it's amazing. Like, did you ever think that you would be the one who would end up being the biggest star of the entire bunch? Well, thank you.

I don't know about that. Come on. Who else is on your level? Who else is on your level? No one. I don't know. But, I mean, I think they stay busy and I still keep in contact with them. They're all pretty cool.

And I think doing well. I've got families now. You know, everybody's got married with kids and stuff. But now that you have kids, like, do you show them the saved by the Bellups? I mean, I grew up with that. Every Saturday morning I was watching. watching that I adored it. Oh, thanks, man.

I think my wife tried to show it to my daughter, and she wasn't tripping, she wasn't having it. She wanted nothing to do with it. She wasn't just like, ah, you look funny. And then she didn't, she's not, at least not yet. She didn't like the pants or the hair? What was it? Yeah, I don't know.

She didn't, I don't think she was digging it at the time. She may discover it later on, but, or maybe my son will, but, yeah, I don't force it on them or anything. Favorite episode? Anytime we got to get out of the classroom was my favorite. Like, we're on the beach or otherwise they all kind of run together. My favorite one was when Jesse was saying, I'm so excited and she kept going nuts. Do you remember that?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember that she had a caffeine pill or something. That's right. It was Saturday morning, so we had to keep a pretty PG. Yeah, that's right. And what's your day like? Like, when you tape extra? Do you tape it towards the end?

I have a nationally syndicated radio show called Arnold Mario that I do for IHeart. So I come in the morning. I do my radio show and then I go right into Extra right after that and then the last few times I've been doing my new primetime CBS show Candy Crush

based on the game Wow and I'm producing some other stuff and run around I try to squeeze a workout in there and you know I'm either boxing or doing jih Tijuana and that's pretty much it

or I'll go for runs depending on how nice it is outside and mix it up Eiffel drag me to like a cycle class. But the most difficult thing about my schedule, because it's so crazy, is kind of trying to find the time to squeeze in the training.

Right, right. Yeah, and you also have a YouTube show, right? The Lopez family, which you update. Yeah, I got a YouTube show. Yeah, thank you for the shout-out. Yeah, the Lopez family, so, you know, kids are the star of that. You're killing it.

Well, I wish you all the best, Marion. It was really cool to see you guys front and center. Your wife did the National Anthem at the Dodger game, and then, of course, at the fight on Saturday, it was very cool, and it was cool to see how proud you were of hers. But I was watching the show that you guys were at the Dodger game, and you were just so proud of her and supporting her. I really respect that.

So kudos to you and keep up all the great work and continued success and congratulations and everything you've done. And I like the fact that you're still so big time but still have love for the fight game. Much respect. Oh, I love it, man. Greatest respect and big respect to you too. So keep up the great work. Thanks for having me on.

My pleasure. There he is. Mario Lopez, the host of Extra, host of the IHeart National Radio Show, on with Mario. He's got a podcast called The Three Knockdown Rule. He's got a YouTube show called The Lopez Family. He hosts the Candy Crush show on CBS. He's like the new Ryan Seacrest. He's a real Renaissance man. I used to watch State by the Bell all the time every Saturday and then the reruns, Zach Morris, Screech, Jesse. Kelly Kapowski, who was the real star for a lot.

long time. And then Lisa, of course. Who can forget about Lisa? Bayside High. Richard Belding? Mr. Belding? Great times. All right. That does it for our interviews today. What a show it has been, what a day it has been, but still more show to go. We have much to discuss. Still want to get in my thoughts on Triple G Canal a little more. Still want to get my thoughts on Pittsburgh, on Luke Rockhold, on Japan coming up. There's much to discuss. But now, my friends, it is time for everyone's favorite segment. It is time for Rick's Picks. And now it's time to open up your ears and your minds. MMA fans, it's time for Rick's Picks. Ricks Picks.

Rick's Picks are lots of fun and his hair isn't a bun because it's, you already know what it is. Ricks Picks. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's the moment you've all been waiting for. People said they didn't want me to talk to the rich. I just said they wanted me to shut up during Rick's picks theme song, so I'm not going to talk during the theme song anymore. Can we cut his mic next time this theme song comes up? That's what people said. They said they wanted me to shut up during the theme song.

I know, and then you're rambling all over it. Cut this thing off. Wow. Hello. You did not take my advice. What's that? On the facial hair. We're just going balls to the wall here, huh?

No, so I'm flying out on Friday for a wedding in Calgary, actually. Calgary Wedding But before then Gotta gotta clean it up So I will be getting this This main Are we going really really short on the sides?

Oh on the hair? Yeah yeah Yeah we are No, don't do it It's a big mistake This is better, trust me Can you trust me Would I ever steer you wrong

Only every single time we speak? No You're telling me your wife Looks at your sloppy facial hair And says I like this facial hair No, the facial hair is getting tricked out. Exactly. I'm right about that, so I'm right about the sides. No, but you and my wife have bad taste, so.

Oh, snap. Well, happy 400th to you. Happy 400th. I'm exhausted at this point. Yeah, how do you feel? We're 400 is in the books pretty much now. You know, the guest part of it is done. Well, I must say.

Yeah. Since you asked. Uh-oh, here we go. No, it feels like the show went by in a flash. Like, I can't believe it's 5 o'clock already. Okay. However, it feels like the road to the show was a painstaking one. I feel like that's almost like, that's the best thing you could ask for, no?

Well, it's self-inflicted, of course, because I bring this pressure. Like, usually I start booking the show on Wednesday so that, you know, I want to give myself a couple of days after Monday, you know, just chill out. And then I'll start focusing Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, ramp it up. This time I started booking in like two weeks. really in advance. And like I said, when you shoot for the moon, you're going to get a lot of nose, right? I mean, you're going to get a lot of no responses. You're going to get some nos, some maybe, some yeses. And so I just, I'm very happy that it happened and I'm happy that everyone showed up. And now we could just move along. And like I said, I'm as nervous about 401 as

as I am for 400, but I feel like 400 is a nice round number and people get excited about that. And it was a great show. It was. I feel like you're, I feel like you're underselling it because now that you're done, the exhaustion of it is over. But we have four damn champions on today. We have Mario Lopez on today. Yeah. Although Mario towards the end was giving me like the whisper, like I need to go. There's a lot of people around me and I'm whispering to you right now.

So I kind of felt like I had to wrap that up. By the way, what about this breaking news from Chris Mateus of Sport 8? Eight News now in Las Vegas. Judge Adelaide Bird has been taken off UFC 16. You saw that? I did see that. NSAC says she needs time to regroup. So we have a lot to discuss.

Shades of CJ Ross. Yeah, that's right. After Mayweather, Canello. What do you got? Okay. We're going to start with some action

inside the cage. We've got Jordy Shores, Aaron Chalmers, flatlining Alex Thompson from Bama 31 over the weekend. If you're not familiar,

Jordy Shore is the UK equivalent of the Jersey Shore. So this reality star here now I believe 2 and 0 knocked out Alex Thompson. Boom. I was bombarded with this.

But as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to feature it anyway, but believe me, there was a lot of interest in this. He's a reality star? Yeah, the UK's Jersey Shore equivalent. Was this his debut? No, 2 and 0. So he's legit?

He's 2 and 0. Look at that. Bang, bang, bang. Between this night and the following night. Cage Warriors. Yeah, there was like at least 10 insane knockouts. We're going right to it. Next one.

From Cage Warriors Twitter. This was nuts. Nathaniel Wood, yeah, let's bring the audio up just a little bit. Nathaniel Wood getting a huge comeback against Josh Reed. So here we have Josh Reed in the black shorts. It looks bad for Nathaniel. but at a certain point he's going to turn it around here. And, you know, good on Mark Goddard, not stopping this fight,

and Nathaniel coming back and getting it done. Here we go. He rocks him here. It's insane. I mean, I think we have a frontrunner for round of the year. Just the swinging momentum here is absolutely insane. So here we go. Oof. Oof.

I feel like we have to watch this one out. Yeah. For the podcasters listening at home, Well, tell us what's happening. It's hard to describe. He's got him up against the cage now, and it looks like it's about to be over. But words don't do it justice.

Mark Goddard steps in. Do yourself a favor. Cage Warriors has it on their Twitter. Find Nathaniel Wood versus Josh Reed at Cage Warriors 86. Huge, huge night of action from Bama, the night before, and then Cage Warriors. Great action. And there was like five other crazy knocking.

I don't like to typically feature stuff from like the latest UFC card. Yeah. But these have, they had to be. Gilbert Burns knocking out Jason Sago. Yeah. From Saturday night. One hit or quitter. Here we go.

Watching it again. Oof. Just crumpled. And then the aforementioned earlier in the show, Mike Perry, landing that knee. Then do we get the red rooster? Where is it? Where is it when he did the little, like, head thing?

Oh, we didn't get. You're damn right. You're damn right. Damn. Mike Perry with the rooster. dance. That was the best. I mean, this is just... And then, do you see his shirt afterwards?

No, what was his shirt? Man, he was wearing like... He was wearing a short sleeve, buttoned down shirt with a crazy... He looked like he was like on his... You know, he was 60 years old, on vacation in Florida. Mike Perry... Is an enigma? Well, he's...

No, is he? I feel like he's not an enigma at all. I feel like he's kind of... Sometimes you get like the crazy Mike Perry, and then sometimes you get the guy who looks like he's on vacation and Palm's Springs. Maybe. But

I feel like he's the embodiment of MMA and amplified to 12. He's just, he is MMA. Mike Perry is MMA in a nutshell. He's the human embodiment of it and just continues to entertain, continues to deliver. Now, what about the Robbie Lawler callout?

Liked it. I mean, shoot for the moon. And what a hell of a fight. Because it was interesting. Kamaro Usman called out RDA and then you had Mike Perry calling out Robbie Lollah. Mike Perry's not even ranked at this point. Usman got the finish that he needed

but those guys aren't necessarily in the title picture but they're going after those guys. I liked it as well. Sometimes we've talked about this in the past. Sometimes you kind of overshoot your shot but these particular callouts I liked. In particular, the Usman one because I feel like it's time for him to get a step up.

I don't know if it makes sense for RDA. know if Lala makes sense for Perry, but both fights kind of makes sense, well, it certainly makes sense for Usman and Perry. Well, the UFC just match those two guys up. Well, if it only makes sense for them, then that's kind of going to what you were talking about before on overshooting your shot. My philosophy is shoot the 45-footer and just hope that it lands. Here we, we don't want to have to listen to this whole clip, but I did want to point this out. Bob Bennett. Yeah, reporter Michael Montero asking Bob Bennett. about the scorecard by Adam.

They hear it? They hear it? Look at her last three years for every fight that she's had. You'll find that she's very close to scoring every fight correctly. I have looked at her record over the last three years. I've got the records from Fight Facts. So if you've looked at them, then you tell me if I'm wrong. I think there have been...

He got defensive. ...in recent years that fans who are spending hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars for these fights feel this scoring is not adequate. And in this situation where you had two judges score a close fight, which is what... I like how the ring girls are just in the back smiling like that. Like, hey, yeah. This doesn't fit, right? I think what we want, sir.

And I'm not trying to be a pain. Not, not at all. What will be done about this because it's not the first time. Is there a plan to work with some of these judges to find out what there's missing that millions of other people are seeing because neither fight or won more than eight rounds tonight. That's all I'm asking, sir. This 10 rounds to two is just a little too wide.

A lot of people here are scared to say what I'm saying. I might lose a press credential for the rematch for saying this, but I'm asking what millions of fans, I'm doing my job because a lot of people want me to ask these questions that a lot of people here are scared to ask. Okay, relax. I just want to know what will be done. I don't have to put the other reporters down. there's a plan. I will, I'll go over the fight with Adelaie round by round. She'll have to articulate

to me what she saw, how she saw her, why she scored each round the way she did, and then we'll continue to move forward from there. There's not one person sitting in this audience that, in whatever their profession is, haven't had a bad night. She was off her mark tonight. So, we will take appropriate action. We'll go over the fight. We'll look at it round by round, like I said, and we'll continue to move forward. But by and large, I can tell you, we train very hard here. We prepare for the fights. I do a lot of background before I make my recognition.

Okay, well, that's enough. Yeah, we've had enough of that. But can I just weigh in on this for a second? Sure. The reason I brought up, so I brought up on Saturday, what did more harm to the sanctity of boxing? Mayweather the McGregor or Canello Triple G. And I should have put sanctity of boxing in quotation marks

because that's what all the boxing purists have been saying to us. Mayweather McGregor is a farce. It's stupid. It's a money grab, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But the real fight is Triple G Canello. And I said last week, what if, what if Triple G Canello actually underperforms? What if it doesn't exceed the level of entertainment

that Mayweather McGregor brought, et cetera, et cetera? Now, in the end, Triple G. Canello was a superior fight. It was a fight that we expected it to be. However, it ended in controversy. The draw isn't necessarily controversial because I don't think anyone has an issue with the 114-114 scorecard. I scored it eight rounds to four for triple G. The 118 to 110 scorecard handed in by Adelaide Bird is the controversial one. And you could say, oh, well, just dismiss that. We ended up getting to the draw anyway. Okay, no big deal. to me, it calls into question the entire fight.

How could you sit there and watch that fight and score it 10 rounds to two in favor of Canel Alvarez? There's just no way. And so it makes me wonder and think and question everything else involved in that fight. And that's why I said, in the end, what did more harm? Mayweather McGregor, which just came and went, Connor won a couple rounds, Mayweather pulled through, he pulled away, he ends up.

going 50 and O rides off into the sunset. Everyone makes a lot of money. There were issues. I thought the production was way worse on Showtime than it was on HBO. The HBO production was far superior. The walkouts were superior. It felt like a bigger deal. Of course, let's not speak of the ticket sales. Obviously, the gate was higher, but there was no atmosphere. I mean, we could talk back and forth all day long. But in the end, it was amazing to me that when I clicked off my TV on Saturday, I was enraged. I was upset. I felt insulted. I felt cheated. Not because we ended up with a draw,

but because one judge sat there and actually thought that Canella won 10 rounds of two. That to me calls into question everything. That to me on boxing's biggest night once again brings up the talk of ineptitude, of corruption, of being a farce, of losing what it once had, which was, you know, grace and history

and the sanctity and all that stuff like, oh, boxing, we hold it in such high regard. It's revered. It is the sport of champions. It's the sport of men, all that stuff and more. And then once again, what happens? Black eye. And yeah, okay, oh, well, it's good.

We'll just have a rematch. No, that's not what, I didn't buy a pay-per-view on Saturday for $76 for a rematch. I bought a pay-per-view to see who was the better man, Triple G or Canello. In the end, if the three judges thought, and by the way, why are there 12 rounds? That makes no sense.

Why are there five rounds in an MMA fight? You get an odd number. Hopefully it leads to, you know, a scorecard that isn't equal so that there is a winner because we all want a conclusive winner. Why are there 12 rounds? Okay, you don't want 15. You want brain damage? Make 13. Make 13.

Make 11. We end up with a 114 to 114 scorecard, which, by the way, isn't an egregious scorecard. I'm fine with that one. But when you have a judge that's sitting there and says 10 rounds to two, that pisses me off as a consumer. That makes me feel like I was cheated. That makes me feel like I was part of some kind of con. And it shouldn't feel that way. And so I laugh at all those boxing purists and all those boxing fans

and all those people that said that Mayerather McGregor was the farce. Mayweather McGregor was not the farce. This became the farce. The fact that a judge who was selected by the Nevada Athletic Commission on what was boxing's best night in a year, and I've said it time and again, and I'm not just saying it now, boxing's having a better year than MMA. There's no doubt about it. They're making the bigger fights.

They just made Lomachenko Riegoendo. Bigger and better fights are being made this year. The fights that people want to see are being made this year. Meanwhile, MMA is dilly dallying with interim title fights and fights that people aren't asking for. Boxing is making those fights this year. Boxing's winning the year if we want to compare the two. But on boxing's biggest night, the night that was supposed to, you know, oh, this is for the hardcores, this is for the mainstream. It's all coming together on this night.

This is the fight that everyone wants to see. We get a 118 to 110 scorecard. And once again, it brings up all the talk. I hate hearing that talk. I hate when people say boxing is dead. I've said this a million times on this show. I love boxing. I gladly paid for that pay-per-view, $76. I was having a great time watching it by myself, flipping back and forth between that and the UFC on Saturday. I thought it was a mistake that the UFC went head to head. I felt bad for Anthony Smith that he was putting on the performance of his life while that fight was reaching a crescendo. For a judge who was appointed by the Nevada Athletic Commission,

who's been there time and again, she is a veteran. She is the wife of Robert Byrd, who is the referee for the Mayweather-the-Mogregor fight. For her to sit there and see 118 to 110, how could you not think anything but corruption? How? How is that possible? It's impossible. It is actually impossible to come up with that scorecard. You can sit there and you can try to break down. It's impossible. And that calls into question that puts a massive black cloud over the whole damn thing. And that bothers me. And that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So in the end, what, you know, we thought, oh, they're letting them fight with 10-ounce gloves. Excuse me, 8-ounce gloves, Mayer the McGregor. know, they're making this fight 49. In the end, we didn't have any of those bad thoughts.

What do we say? What did everyone say? Everyone left victorious. Everyone left a winner. What happens on Saturday, which was supposed to be the real fight, great fight, horrendous ending, corrupt ending, inept ending. And so then you tell me what was the bigger farce. What hurt the sanctity of boxing more? You tell me. It's not a crazy question. It's actually the fact that we're even talking about this. The fact that it is a valid question, and believe me it is a valid question, the fact that it is a valid question says it all. The fact that Mayleather McGreg was even able to insert itself into that question, into that debate at the end. In the end, it was supposed to be triple G. Kinella happens and it blows right by it. That was the real fight. That was the better fight.

That was the fight that was for boxing supremacy in a glamour division. That was between two of the best in their prime, blah, blah, blah, blah. The fact that Maylele of them can actually be in that discussion says it all. What a disappointment. How could you buy that pay-per-view for 76 bucks and click the TV off on Saturday night and say, yeah, no. That result, that scorecard ruined the whole damn thing for me. It did. It absolutely did. Yeah, we could talk about the second round and the first round and all those great rounds. It ruined the whole damn thing for me because it's going to happen time and again. And if you're just going to dismiss it as one judge being inept and put it on the sidelines, then you're not learning from history. Boxing history is littered with decisions like this.

Oh, great fight. Everyone's watching. ESPN is there. It's a big deal. What happens? Draw. Why? Well, one judge had it 118 to 110 for the other guy. What? The other guy? Are you kidding me? Come on. It's horrible. Did you not feel the same way? Did you watch it? I watched it. I was outraged. Did not feel the same way. What did you feel? As you said, I think it's almost incongruous where you're saying you're expecting these kind of outcomes from boxing. To be honest, I expected this kind of outcome from boxing. Anytime it goes to a decision in boxing, I'm kind of prepared for this. We just saw it recently with Pachia Al-Horn.

It has become the norm in big fights. Everybody had a problem with Andre Ward and Kovalev in their first fight. This was a gorgeous. There's every single big big. boxing fight. This is the conversation. So rather than, I was prepared for it. That's, that's the God's honest truth. I've learned my lesson, um, with boxing scorecards. Okay. And I just want to say like people with like, what is going to hurt? Like, boxing will be fine. I'm not saying boxing's dead. I'm just comparing these two fights that were so linked. One was the joke. One was

the real fight. Right. As a consumer, if I sat down on a Saturday night, August 26th, and bought one that sat down on September 16th, there is no way you could tell me that you walked away from Triple G. Canello happy and content as opposed to the feeling that you had on August 26. I did not hear from a single person, and I'm sure they'll all come out now

who told me I felt cheated, I felt like I didn't get my money's worth, that in the end I was pleasantly surprised with Mamma and then you hear from people like myself who felt like it was a slap in the face that one judge would sit there and score 118 to 110. There are horrible judge of score cards in M.M.A.

every single damn card is littered with them. The Mayle and McGregor's score card was ridiculous. In the end, it didn't mean anything. But that was ridiculous in its own right. But for it to end this way, it's the same thing. It's like, after Maywe and McGregor, what do we say? Oh, it didn't really matter. Well, no, that's a problem.

I hope that the actual important people, the decision makers, sit down and say, wait a second, what the hell just happened here? Like Bob Bennett laid it out. Good. I hope you do that. I strongly believe that there needs to be a national commission that oversees all of this that comes in, you know, like Mark Ratner in many respects works as a national commission. Like if there's a problem for his event, he'll step in. Now, will he step in when it's a

Belator event? No. But there isn't anything close to that in someone in his position in the world of boxing. If there was a national commission that came in and investigated these things and suspended these judges, like how could you not think corruption when you see that scorecard? And it just bothered me. It made me more upset for the sport that on that night we were talking about that. We should have been talking about a great fight. And I want to make clear, I don't think boxing's dead. It will be around. I'll be watching. They just announced Anthony Joshua's next fight. Like I said, Loma Cheng. Like, I love it. I love it because I get to be a fan watching it, and it was the first combat sport that I watched long before UFC won. But for it to end like this,

God, did it piss me off? And I just thought it was so fun. that Mayweather McGregor, which was supposed to be the farce, had this clean break, clean ending, we all went on our merry way, and this, oh, but we're going to get a rematch. No, I didn't pay $76 to get a rematch. I paid $76 to see who the better man was. And if it was legit, if there were knockdowns, if they all agreed on a draw, fine. But the fact that there was a $1.18 to 110 scorecard makes me question the whole damn thing. It makes me question everyone involved.

It does. Does this tailor your future boxing purchases? No, like I said, it doesn't affect how I feel about the sport. One inept judge can't change how I feel about the sport, but it bothers me that we got to this point once again. It's like I felt like boxing for a little bit was turning the corner. And of course, this will always come up. There's always going to be corruption.

There's always going to be crazy scorecards. But it just, it was like a mix of being frustrated as a consumer that I took part in this and also laughing and also seeing the way people wouldn't even, you know, they wouldn't even accept it, that the farce ended up being the actual legit sporting event. And I'm sorry, but the sporting event ended up turning into a farce

because that scorecard was a farce that turned the entire operation into a farce. And that's how I feel about that. But what about that, Luke Rockhold? We'll get to that. Here, we touched on this earlier when you were speaking to D.C.

Just think it's worth highlighting his statement here. The mensch of menses. Yeah, and the grace and the class he showed about not piling on to John Jones. And I think it's a lesson that we could take from them. And to be honest, I think it kind of worked. I haven't seen as much kind of vitriol hurled at John Jones. Oh, in that respect.

Okay, I thought you were saying that it worked to get D.C. new fans. I mean, that's a foregone conclusion. Like, D.C. is the guy. Is maybe the biggest baby face in the sport right now, right? But the thing is, people push back against that. They want to boo him because he's so squeaky clean, because he's kind of the guy that does everything right. But I think now that John Jones is a little bit out of the picture,

maybe the DC fans come back. But it was clear, you know, who was getting the booze and who was getting the cheers between him and John Jones. I think now that, you know, it's kind of, the whole Jones saga has been, you know, laid out and is bare now. And DC comes through looking like roses once again. I think he'll be able to. win themselves some fans.

And hopefully they don't pile on to John Jones. Yeah. He's in a tough spot. It's an amazing thing. They had to strip them because the Nevada, excuse me, the California State of the Atlantic Commission overturned into a new contest. We talked about this on the beat last week.

Do you have any issue with the no contest or the stripping? Before we get to that, real quick, Mark Romundi. Yeah, I saw that. Go ahead. Fighting saying Bob Bennett says the decision has not been made on Adelaide

Bird at UFC 216. What? Real journalism. Spoke to Bird. Yeah. So hold our horses on Adelaide being removed from U.S. 260. Yeah, of course.

She should be doing the main event. She should just be the only judge. Listen. What? Combat sports and bad judging decisions are intrinsically linked. It will never, as long as their subjectivity. Am I not expressing myself? I think it's just so funny, laughable.

Yeah, but you're only looking at the result. The contest itself, no, of course not. The contest itself is relevant as well. Because it calls it to question the whole damn thing. Well, then the question is, do you actually believe that there was something wrong with what happened in the ring between Canello and Triple G? Between those two competitors? Yeah. I'm not putting any blame on them.

But what I'm saying is, I question everyone. I question, I question the referee. I question the promoters. I just don't know. I question Nevada Athletic Commission. I don't know how you could sit there. And like, did she go into it on her own? Maybe.

But I shouldn't even mean having these thoughts or this conversation. We shouldn't be talking about this. But I'm sufficiently... It was that egregious that it needs to be investigated. I agree with that. But they need to get a third party in there, not Bob Bennett. Like, they need to have someone sit there and try to understand how we got to that scorecard. Completely agree.

The scorecard was egregious. It needs to be handled. Dare I say it was farcical. But the fight itself doesn't change. The fight was still a good fight. I don't feel like I didn't get my money's worth. I was pissed off. And that I can't fault you for.

You have every right to be pissed off. Because ultimately, somebody who in this case... Honestly, I'm okay with the draw, but I kind of have an issue with it as well. Like, did you really... I didn't really think it was a draw. No. I thought it was eight to four. Yeah.

Okay. I could see a case made for a draw. Case made, but I don't really think it was a draw. it's like, oh, come on. Yeah, I think, I think ultimately, if I'm anybody who's going to be upset, I think Triple G has the right to kind of gripe here. Hell yeah.

But as I said, I expected it. I expected it. It was not, how long ago was the Pachial Horn fight? How long ago was that? A month? It was, I think, it was early July or June. But again, I mean, that's a fight, but like because those two fights were so linked, I just, I thought it was funny.

And then it was funny how people didn't want to accept the fact that again, the farce turned into an actual clean sporting event. It was it. Boom, boom. We had a winner. It was nice. There was no controversy. No one got hurt. The Nevada Athletic Commission was somewhat vindicated.

They got lucky for making the fight and reducing the size of the gloves. And then this one that's supposed to be, you know, the real show ends up like this. You don't see a little bit of irony in that? you don't think that that's kind of funny that's funny. That's funny. All right. Okay. Somewhere between the show, Devin Sawa,

we finally see the twister. I've been teasing it. He did it on TV. Shout out to Devin and Petey for screencapping it. Yes. Thank you for the support. And well done. Get it on...

I think you can watch the series on, you know, Hulu. Netflix, all the places that carry current TV. Making the Korean zombie very proud. And Eddie Bravo and all the twister. This was great. Okay, here we go. It's posted on Twitter, but it's from Nate Diaz's Instagram story,

him going to get himself some coffee and the crowd responding, I guess appropriately? I don't even know. How could you live your life like this if this is what happens every time you want to go get some coffee? Amazing. Nate Diaz, super stuff. Nate Diaz, still a needle mover.

Never wasn't. Austin Creed, aka Xavier Woods from the WWE. Yeah. Here recording Big E and won Max Holloway. Max Hallway looking like a welterweight.

Look at Swole, maybe he'll get into the WWE ring. Yeah. But I think he was already or is soon to be featured on Up, Up, Down, Down, Xavier Woods is YouTube channel

His gaming YouTube channel Get the hell out of here You know about that? Oh he's got like millions of followers on it This whole gaming world is crazy Like rampage was six monitors It's the weirdest thing Your

Your unfamiliarity with the gaming stuff Always tickles me Do you remember when we were talking about The gaming at MSG The North American Championship Yeah and we had all those people coming after me Tons of people No it's coming after you

but tons of people just thankful that we're talking about gaming on the show. Losers, just kidding. 25 minutes ago. What happened? Max Holloway versus Biggie was posted on Up, Up, Down. Wow. What time is?

1.2 million subscribers. Oh, okay. For Xavier Woods. No, that video could get pretty high, but I don't think it'll get to 1.2 million. But shout out to Max. Respect. Getting it in.

Respect. Okay. Shout out to another shout out to. Lou and the crew at Unbox Therapy. Love this one I know in particular. Was rocking the t-shirt just a couple days ago. Was a favorite of Guillermo from our site, Guillermo Cruz of MMAFighting.com.

He's looking for this chair, massage chair. But the reason I'm featuring this is, A, go check out their channel. They're great. And Lou is the best at what he does is unboxing gadgets, technology. But at around the four minute and a half mark in this, he's listening to the MMA hour while enjoying the massage.

Oh, for real? Because that's what you need to be doing. Get yourself a massage chair and listen to the MMA hour. Which episode or which interview? I think it was you at the start of last week's episode talking about September 11th, actually. Oh, man. But either way, go check out on Box Therapy on YouTube. They're the best.

And now, as a special surprise, and of Rick's picks, We feature some highlights from throughout the MMA hour and Fight House Radio era of... That was just three episodes. Yeah, you know, it's an important three episodes. Here we have Uriah Faber. I wish they had the dates on this on the bottom, but I can look them up. It's June of 2009. So, you know what the story is here, I asked him, I was like, it was such a big deal.

Shout out to Yeraya. Always been so great to the show. It was such a big deal to have him on the show. he was a big star WC, the face, all that stuff. And I was like, can you tweet that you were actually on the show? So he tweeted this with a picture of himself. And someone got the put in the, it doesn't show up. But there's a, because he had just, who do he fight?

I think he fought, did he fight Mike Brown? He may have just fought Mike Brown. Let me look up the timeline on that. And he had a massive cast on his hand. And it's a picture of him like rolling over long hair. Just peek your eye of favor. He would have. just fought Jen's Pove?

No, Mike Brown again. Yeah, Mike Brown, June of 2009. And so, yeah, that was the first ever episode. I asked him to tweet that to give us some love. No, no Uriah Faber this episode? You know, look, the way I, you know, I don't think he was on 300. Was he not? I think he was on 200.

He's, yeah, maybe. I was trying to get, you know, we've had them on a couple times. I was trying to get people that were still newsworthy, not just like random guests. Yeah. I mean. So, I love your own. The very important part of this show. Yeah.

In fact, last time when we hit 300, when it was like 301, 302, was the whole T.J., Dwayne, Uriah thing. That'll come up later as well. Okay. Wow. Okay. The rest of these are actually tweets from you, except for one, I think. Oh, my God.

They're kind of, you know, pointing out moments in time in the show. Here we have one. Oh, my God. From the Twitter handle, Cormier, 2009, used to be Daniel Cormier's former Twitter handle. saying listen to me on the MMAR with Ariel Hawani on AOL. And then Ario says, thanks. It's leading MMA fanhouse.com right now.

So your interview with Daniel was on the front page of a fan house at the moment. How about Kormier 2009 being his handle back then? Remember that now? Holy smokes. I'm going to take you down a walk down memory lane. Here we go. We call this Better Times.

Dana White calling into the MMA hour in five minutes. Check it out. I wish, you know what? Let me see if I can grab the dates on these without disrupting it. But this is, I believe, from 2010, Dana White calling into the MMA hour. Okay, here's some inside baseball for you. Oh, hit it.

Yeah, yeah. Let's go back to that. Just putting it out there. I asked Dana White to come on the show today. It was my version of the olive branch. Some people close to me thought it was a stupid idea. No. Why do this?

I mean, Dana's taken away jobs. He's blocked you from this and that. But I wanted to extend the olive branch. I thought it would be a nice moment. He declined what I was told. I didn't personally ask him. I don't think I have his phone number anymore. I think he changed it.

But that would have been fun. And maybe we'll do it in the future. But yes, he has been on the show twice before. I believe the other time was when we had Mike Tyson on. He called in as well for it. That's right. Yeah, I mean, do we have to air out the people who said that wouldn't be a good idea? That is an absolutely brilliant idea.

Oh, yes. To have Dena. Yeah, it would have been great. That would have been nice. Clear the air. my pitch was let's show the rest of the world that, you know, the two of us can come together and bury the hatchet. And for the record, there is no hatchet here.

What I was told was he was busy. He had to go on a boxing podcast. He was busy this afternoon. He had boxing things. The Mario Lopez one? Is it three rounds? That's a joke. Oh, okay.

Oh, come on. Allusion to him being at Triple G. Sorry. Over my head. I apologize. It was a good one. Okay, another blast on the past. This is 2010, I believe, as well.

MC Hammer coming on the MMA hour right now. I think some of these, you know, are going to be better than others. Can I just say something? That was the first on-the-road edition of the M.A. hour, but I was in San Diego. That's right. You did a live show from San Diego. It was the night after John Jones beat Vladimir Matuschenko, Sunday Night versus show. And then that Saturday was UFC 117. I didn't want to go all the way back, East Coast, West Coast, which is essentially what I did just a couple months ago.

but we did the show from my hotel room. M.C. Hammer was one of the guests, but it was like an empty studio in New York, and I was essentially on via Skype. It was very bizarre. It was not even close to the setup that we had in Las Vegas, and that's when M.C. Hammer was on. M.C. Hammer. Did we have him on after that?

I believe we might have had them on again after that. Really? Okay. Because I thought I was around in that era, but I know I wasn't around for those live shows. This is going to be your favorite one. Oh. Here we go. From Mike Chiapetta

tweeting. Wow. Now get him into the studio for the MMA hour. I believe you were tweeting something about Charles Oakley here.

And Charles Oakley responding, that would be funny. So now... I think, well, I care about you. I care about the show. I wanted to find...

I wanted to take you down memory lane. I think now we have to think and I'm not sure this name has ever been on there. I think we need to add Charles Oakley to the future MMA hour.

I don't even remember this tweet. And I feel like I should. We need to bring Oak in. I mean, he just had the big three. Maybe in season two, he's in New York for something. I was wearing my Oakley T-shirt yesterday. Let's get him on. He thinks it would be funny.

I think it would be funny. Let's get Oak into studio. Faint. I would open-mouth kiss him. If he walked in here. I love that man. Are you kidding me? I think we all love Oak, except for, you know, Madison Square Garden and Knicks and... F-M. Yeah. But we've

supported Oakley on this show. And I know how much Oakley makes the U. Oh my God. It'd be great to have them on. I think we need to re-invigrate this one. That tweet made my day and it's probably like seven years old. It's from 2010, yeah. Here we go.

Did I mention Ariel Hawani saying, did I mention how excited I was to have the MMA hour two times a week? Oh, yes. Studio No, loaded show starts at 1 p.m. Eastern time. I also want to call this one from simpler times. Yes. For a brief moment, we were doing Mondays and Thursdays. In fact, one of those Thursdays, Phil Barone was a co-host,

and we called Josh Barnett. There were some tweets from Phil Barone that I thought about including but ultimately did not. Barone is the man. Love Barone. But Barone, another one of the characters who's shown up many, many times throughout the history of the show. The MMA hour at one point being two times a week. The very first intro, first ever episode, I say that I hope that one day the show will be daily.

But now it's impossible with all the events. It would never be, you know, it would always be, you know. Ariel, are you trying to kill us? No. Obviously, it wouldn't be this long. If it was daily, I'd do one hour a day, you know, five hours. Well, it's interesting that you say that, because we're going to go back to another tweet from you from Banksy saying to you, what I like best about the MMA hour is it

lasts an hour and a half. Keep up the good word. And Ariel's saying, yeah, we're rule breakers. Simpler times when the MMA hour was not only not an hour, but an hour and a half. I feel like everyone in the back is cursing me right now. Here's our next one. Keeping with the theme. The MMA hour juggernaut rolls on petition for a two-hour show. Let's do it, says Ariel. At the four hour and 33 minute mark. At the nearly five hour mark. Oh my God. That was a bit of a stroll down memory lane through the tweets of Ariel Hawani and just one from Charles Oakley.

I did a deep dive kind of earlier this morning and over the weekend just looking for some things that I thought would be important. It was tough finding like I'm going on the MMA hour now is a bit tougher than like things that are coming from you because it's about the show and the flow of progress. So it's a bit tougher. But I saw some tweets from guests all over the years. I thought the Cormier one was the one that I was worth kind of pointing out just because of how funny his Twitter handle was. Cormier 2009. And now that guy is MMA, UFC, sorry, UFC champion in 2017. And we'll have a question about him later about his status in the MMA sphere all time, not just right now.

But that's it for Rick's picks this week. Well done. Thank you very much for that. That was a fun trip down memory lane. By the way, shout out to... Edasio, NYC, who notes that I'm still rocking the same Twitter picture after all these years? Very few can say that, right? That is a commendable thing.

I'm very superstitious about that picture. I feel like... What would it take to get you to change it? I've thought about it, and I feel like my whole career will just combust if I remove that picture. I mean, it's a very old picture now. It's probably 10 years old. If you notice, like, my facial hair is all different...

Well, it's hard because you're shielded. Well, that's the point. But the point was I was a little bit bashful in the early days. I was a little bit shy. My wife is right behind me and she's cropped out. Good job, Mario. We weren't even married. That's how old that picture was.

That's how old that picture is. That's how long ago it was taken. So, yeah, that is my same picture. That is the same picture from day one. I think when I started Twitter in 2010. All right, that was fun. So no more Rick's picks. That's it for Rick's picks.

Just a couple of things before we sign off to the MMA after hour. I meant to do this at the top, but we were pressed for time, and it's my mistake, and I'm annoyed that I didn't mention it, but I did want to dedicate today's episode to the memory of the great Bobby the Brain Heenan, one of my favorite wrestling performers personalities of all time. I told a story yesterday on Twitter when I was hosting a show called The Main Event on WERW 1050am in Syracuse. I think I've talked about this show in the past. It was in no joke of brewing. closet and it had an internet feed. So I was on, there were three student stations in Syracuse. There was WAER, which was like the hoity toady sports station. There was Z89, which was the rock station, like the top 40 pop station, more music. And I talked about that a couple weeks ago where I would talk for too long and then they told me to take a hike. And then there was WERW 1050. The website was WERW. sryr.edu and you can stream the show so I would post on wrestling news message boards and on

mMA message boards that you know I was doing this show because people can listen to it online and what I would do is I would go to personalities in the mMA and wrestling world's websites like Bruce Buffer like dance severin like Bobby the Brain Heenan and I would send them emails asking him to be on the show and the show was on at like eight or nine a.m. Saturdays and Sundays for a period of Saturday and a period of was Sunday. We had a phone, but we could not make outgoing calls. So my mother or my sister, who at the time was nine, would call the guest some big names and then call me on conference

and pretend to be the call screener, if you will. And so one of them called Bobby the Brain Heenan. I reached out to him. He responded. And in the email, I would say, you know, love to have you on for 10, 15 minutes. I used to write the questions down, which is something I never do now. And he came on and he couldn't have been cooler. He couldn't have been more gracious with his time. His stories were incredible. He was an

amazing storyteller. And I'll never forget, I don't remember much from those days. I did the show for three years. He stayed on for 90 minutes. I was blown away that he would just keep going, keep going. A couple times I asked him, like, do you want to get off? I mean, I was very green. He had no problem. It's almost like he enjoyed it, just talking. I was on cloud nine. I was blown. way that someone of his stature would give me 90 minutes. And I'll never forget that. And it was just so amazing that someone who's done so much, who I grew up watching on TV, I mean, the greatest wrestling personality. I was watching a ton of his YouTube clips last night, just reminiscing. He was phenomenal. I saw him at the Montreal Forum in the straight jacket, all that stuff.

It was just amazing to me that he would give me all that time. So I wanted to salute Bobby the Brain Heenan and say, may he rest in peace. And our thoughts are certainly with his family. I know it doesn't mean much, but wanted to dedicate the show to him today and to thank him for, you know, giving me all that time 15 or so years ago. That was an amazing moment. And here I am doing this show. And hopefully more than two people are listening to it. But, you know, that will always be a highlight when this is all said and done, getting 90 minutes with Bobby the Brain. I wish I still had that audio. I really wish I did. It was a real honor. It was a real privilege to talk to him. It's very sad to hear that he had passed away yesterday. So I wanted to mention that. And,

we have plenty more to discuss. So I want to remind you all that now is time for the MAA after hour. What you need to do is go to M.A.fighting.com. You need to fire up the old Twitter machine, whether it's on your phone, whether it's on your computer. It has been a fun show, 400 episodes. Now I'm starting to worry about 401. That's just the way my mind works. We have a lot to discuss. Want to talk about Rockhold Branch. I want to talk about Ushinokami returning in the middle of the night. Talk about Paul Felder, making his analytics. debut. Jesse Taylor, Shefchenko going down to 125. Whatever you want to talk about. We're going to talk about

a Porier Pettis, all that stuff and more. It's going down on MMAfighting. Twitter.com. It's the MMA after hour. And we have a lot to discuss. We have a ton of things to discuss. Shana Bazler, her official WWE debut. How about that? That was great. She lost in the finals of the May Young classic, but it's very clear. It's very clear that she is going to be a force to be reckoned with in women's wrestling. We've got Mickey Gall.

I'll run down some news before we get. So just to wet the appetite. Mickey Gall is back. He's going to be fighting Randy Brown at Madison Square Garden, UFC 217. Where the heck has Mickey Gall been? We'd love to talk to him. Ed Herman slicing off his finger. Do you guys see that?

Ed Herman slicing off his finger. That was the grossest thing I've ever seen. Shane of Bazel, like I said, a great match. lost in the finals of the May Young Classic, but would be shocked if she doesn't get the nod here and out in WWE. She seems to have a very bright future. Demetrius Johnson v. Ray Borg has been rebooked officially for October 7th, UFC 216. Gunner Nelson, his appeal that lost to Santiago, Ponziabio. That did not go through. So the result is going to remain the same.

The UFC denied his appeal request. which was somewhat expected. Anthony Pettis versus Dustin Porreier is going down in Norfolk, Virginia on November 11th. That's the week after the MSG card. That's a great fight at 155. So like I said to Yawaniang Jacek, Valentina Shepchenko's manager, Roger Allen, told me that she is now working towards going down to 125. And in her 125 debut, which they hope will happen in the first quarter of 2017, it would either be in, you know, January, February, February March timeframe, excuse me, 2018.

They want to fight the winner of the Ultimate Fighter, which January, February might be a little too soon for that. March could happen. Remember, Carlos Sparza fought in early December and then fought Ioannia of Jacek, which in hindsight, she says, was a little too soon. But anyway, Valentina Sheprenka wants to fight the winner of the ultimate fighter for the belt, the 125 pound belt, or fight Yuanio Jacek. That timing may work a little more, although Yawanna just said on the show

that she wants to return to action around March, April or so, and defend her 115. She seemed to take her foot off the gas a little bit as far as her plans to go down to 125. But at least for now, it seems like Valentina Shepchenko's days of fighting at 135 are on hold that she's going to be going down to 125.

And I mean, just looking at the landscape, I think that she's without a doubt the best 125 are out there without even fighting. So let's see what happens there. But they can see the fact they're not going to appeal. They can see the fact that they're not going to get another fight against Mandaninez.

So, Shafchanko going to go down to 1-25, and she never had to really cut any weight. She weighed in at 133 for her, you know, for her title fight just a couple of weeks ago in Edmonton. Curious to see what those buy rate numbers are like. Those haven't come in yet. The UFC is going to Fresno, California on December 9th. So good for those fans in NorCal. Gabriel Gonzaga is boxing. Gabriel Gonzaga is boxing.

and not making a ton of money doing so. Our Guillermo Cruz spoke to him. You can check that out on M.AFundi.com. Jesse Taylor, unfortunately, has been removed from his fight in Australia, November. He was provisionally suspended. Although this is the tough thing about the USADA stuff, because we don't know what it is.

So everyone just assumes steroids, but they have not come out and said, he has not come and said, come out and said what the substance is. So we don't really know. and that leaves a bit of a bit of gray area. And so it's a problem because now he's being branded as a cheater. He's being labeled as a cheater.

And this to me was the feel good story of the year. This was without a doubt the best story of the year. He comes back, tough redemption, wins tough 25. He's going to come back and fight in November. And now he gets pulled from the card. And it's very unfortunate. So we'll see what happens there. As we mentioned, John Jones has been stripped.

He's talked a little bit on Twitter, but not much else. We'll see what happens. They're going to go through that same process and test the supplements and eventually appeal and it's going to be a fun little saga. And Yushan Okami has replaced Shogunhuah, Shogunhuah, injuring his knee. He's out of the main event on Friday. I didn't even realize that card was on Friday on FXX. And so now it's Yushin Okami gets Ovent, St. Peru, main event of UFC Japan on Friday in 2017.

Yushinokami, who's been fighting at 170, is fighting at 205 against OSP. the real best fight on that card without doubt is the Cloud Jogadelao versus just Gondraj fight but that is the main event why did they go to Yusinokami who has been out of the UFC for quite some time fighting for World Series of fighting well they went to him because he is Japanese and they didn't have enough time to process a visa so they had to get a Japanese fighter he's a former UFC fighter he's the biggest name who's available in that way class so they went to Yushin Okami Yushin Okami is back could you imagine if he wins what the heck happens then Uriah Hall with a great comeback win on Saturday

Spitz calling out Sherman That was a lot of fun Good win for him We spoke about Usman Anthony Smith With the big win Mike Perry And of course Luke Rockhold Defeating David Branch

On Saturday Lost the first round Got back on track in the second Branch taps due to strikes Rockhold's still in my opinion One of the very best middle weights in the world But what happens now Does he fight a Joel Romero

which seems to be the fight that makes the most sense. He targeted GSP, which seemed to be somewhat of a misstep but not the biggest deal in the world. He's very upset. He wants that Michael Bisping fight. May not ever get it, as we heard on the show, Michael Bisping, considering that his next fight would be his last fight. It's a possibility, he said.

That kind of took me a bit by surprise. That's kind of the news rundown. Now let's go to the MMA after hour. So I've given you some time to get the Twitter machine fired up. MMAfighting.com. Go on your phone. I've been tweeting out to live. link. That's the

URL. I just sent it right there. Boom, you have it right there. Thank you very much for that. Hashtag the MMA hour. You've been sending us some questions, some comments. We'll wrap up a great day. Episode 400, talking to all of you. So, in a matter of seconds, we're going over there again, mhmapfinding.com

exclusively. The MMA after hour. We have a couple of questions to answer polls that I put out, as well as all your questions and comments. And it is starting right about No. Yeah.

MMA after hour time. One of my favorite times of the day. One of my favorite segments of the day. One of the best times of the day. It is always great to talk to all of you. It's always great to get your questions. Had a couple polls today. Well, one was more of a question that I sent out.

One was an actual poll that I sent out. You have been firing away your questions all day long, I suspect. So let us bring back Mr. New York, Rick. Oh, hello. Hey, how are you? Happy 400. Well, thank you very much for the second time. I like how we sort of pretend like these are two different shows.

We did this on... By the way, who's standing back there with his arms crossed? Looking very intimidating. We're not going to... Oh, there's Alex. Alex, why'd you duck into screen, me? I was like, what do you have a bodyguard now? What's going on?

I was hoping you would stay off screen. By the way, we debuted after the MMA beat on Thursday, wildly successful segment, sort of in the same vein as this one. People got to find out about Jeff Wagon. I'm sure it's such as such. I know I may beat this week, by the way, but I thought that that was a lot of...

fun. But now it's time for the MA after hour. No more beating around the bush. We're giving you them Twitter exclusive. Yeah, baby. Okay. First question was your poll question. We're going to start with, even though it was question of the week number two, we're going to start with it as number one. Which event did you enjoy more?

The options were Mayweather McGregor, Triple G. Canello. Do you want to know where it stands currently? Yes. With 17 hours left to go in the poll and 12,000 votes in, Mayweather McGregor, 59%, 41%, Triple G Canello. So it sounds like you're not alone here. Bindication.

Now I know what everyone says. My audience is a MMA audience. And I get that. I mean, I even asked the question on Saturday about Rockhold Branch. What are you more excited for? Rockhold Branch or Triple G.

Canella. And that should have been, I mean, that should have been. Wait, so what was the result of that? Oh, it was a lot closer than I thought it was going to be. I would say you have a fight audience, though. I don't necessarily think that this is,

if people truly enjoy, Triple G. Canello more that they'd vote for Mayweather McGregor just because they fight MMA. I think this is probably a close representation. Now, when it's as clearly defined as like Rockhold Branch versus Triple G. Canelo,

then I think that party lines are divided. But for this, I think it's fair to think that these results are close to what the real sentiment is. Or closer to what you feel like the real sentiment is. Seems like you're vindicated. People were more excited for Mayweather. I can't go through that whole rant all

over again. I think you... Yeah, let's let that one stand as it is. But we do have the results of that poll. Now, the other question you asked? Yes. Question of the week? Yes. Name your favorite moment slash interview in the show's history.

Now, I'll say this. Almost everybody went with an interview. Okay. Well, I guess they're kind of one of the same. There's a separation, and we'll see some of that. But almost, almost in a landslide, it was all interviews. and to be honest, this is an interview show at the end of the day. You know, we're chatting it up at the end of the show

and answering questions and all that. Ultimately, the driver of this is you interviewing the most topical people in MMA and getting the best out of them. Well, thank you. Look, I'm just stating facts. A hundred emoji on that one. Name your favorite moment interview in the show's history. So not in any particular order, but from Paul McLarnan

has to be the Rampage interview with his ex-girlfriend. I put this one first. I said not in any particular order, but this one had to be first just because we had Rampage on and we had an update in the saga today that they're off and on and not currently together. After all your hard work. I was kind of bummed that she didn't show up. I thought that she was going to show up. It seems like they're floating in and out of each other's lives, so hopefully. Hope she feels better.

Hi, Maria. Chill, chill, chill, chill, chill. Rampage is going to see that one and get upset. Okay. this was a very common one. I just picked the first person who stated it. The first interview with Conn McGregor was probably in a landslide. The answer here or Rampage with his girl.

Another shout out for that. But Connor McGregor in the blueberries was a very common response to everybody's favorite interview. And I think that's up there for me, for sure. One of our seminal moments. Chai Lewis Parry, fighter for Bama, coming in here and saying, me mugging. I just picked this because of the the English slang here.

Me mugging off that sniffling pole boy John Jones well of course. Shout out to Chopper Chai whose fight was canceled after his opponent Maurice Jackson

had some issues so hopefully he can get back in there. From Jake Weigand Faber discussing the Dwayne Ludwig situation. I said we talked about this on Rick's picks I said this would come up later

A lot of people selected this moment, Faber going off and letting us know what happened with Alpha Mail and Dwayne Ludwig. From Alex, your one hour specials with Nate Diaz multiple. We've done that twice now. You having the exclusive Nate Diaz segments. At any point, if you want to throw in some tidbits,

do it, but I'm just going to keep going through. Yeah, yeah, I'm just going to go through until you jump in. Dominic Cruz in the summer of 2015 prior to his comeback If people don't remember He was on fire A lot of callouts of Dilloshaw And just really spit in truth On what was happening in the division

And in his career This was probably His most flame on period Dominic Cruz was absolutely Torch at that moment All Black Beast Derek Lewis interviews I think he's become a regular On the show over the last two years

I'd say and I'm in a full agreement. Derek Lewis is one of my ones that I've considered my favorites, my favorite regulars, the Black Beast always delivering. We have another Black Beast, but he also pivots to, from

Sostradamus, pivoting to Mayhem Miller and his lucky Patrick appearance. I'm not sure if that was a highlight, but fine. A lot of people picked it. A lot of people picked it as their moment. It may not have been a highlight for you, for me, for anybody else, but for the observers, I have to imagine it was good

entertainment Marcus Evan says Paul Heyman talking about Brock and The Undertaker and the explanation of it being like the end of angels with dirty faces was great Johnny Max says most memorable was the first show he ever tuned in for the Rousey

and Tate back and fourth interview post round to Rousey versus Julia Bud and having missed one since Is it? Yes it is. It was right before I started actually, yeah. Because I remember putting it into an early best of show and I hadn't been on board for them. Sensei Steven Segal, not anyone in particular, but we have a gift here.

And by the way, Tate in that exchange was the harder one to get on board. Like, Rousey was all in. I remember DMing her and she was like, yep, I'm in. Like, I mean, just amazing now. Maybe we could do that again one day. I have a better chance of getting Donald Trump on the show than Ronda Rousey. Well, they both seem to be getting, you know, further and further away from their fighting careers. Maybe a few years down the line, we can have this conversation again.

That'd be nice. With them post... By the way, I asked for Ron to see, like, last time. Although I think she still... I think she still follows me. Maybe. Got to hit them DMs. All right.

Slide into them. Birthday interview with Alistair Overreem. Another very, very popular segment. Spawned the Dutch Strawberry Shortcake song. One of the best in-studio segments ever. Lots. Brendan King says lots, but for now, Chale after the Marquart fight

was the surprising beginning of something fantastic undone previously. I would say that that kind of spawned from the in-person one that you did more so than like shale after the Marquart fight.

I may be wrong but I feel like Brendan is confusing two periods. I feel like he's talking about Chale before the Okami fight when the Chale character was... Yeah, the birth of the Chale character. Because I don't remember one after the Marquart fight being that memorable. Maybe I'm wrong. this person, Sergio Diaz

is saying he knows it's recent, but the clash with Eubank was really good, the time, the knowledge, the interviewer, how about that? A shout-up for you. And the subject, it was special.

I agree with that. Love. Chris Eubank. Too many to mention from Tom Sheehe, but he enjoyed Kevin Lee, giving you shit on the first interview.

But I feel like it was more of you and him giving each other shit. I don't know if it's fair to say that it was one or the other. I can have it. And the recent one with Pat Barry in all-time great, even though

it is recent. Pat Barry revealing his time away from the sport and really getting into it. Crow Cops singing from Barrettic Jossop saying Crow Cops Singing on the M.M.A. Hour was one of his all-time favorites. Okay.

That was a great one. What was it again? California Dreaming? Yes, I think that it. No, that was in the car, right? Or did you ask him about it? And then he sang the same thing. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Hadi, saying it has to be when Angela Magana called in trying to crash the show

at the end and it didn't work out well. I remember that. But a moment, maybe we'll remember, maybe we'll forget, but favorite moment from Mr. 100 emoji. Fave moment is when you call that Bob Sapp for flopping or for throwing fights

and told promoters not to book them. Also love the tell all show after USC199. Oh, yes. What a great moment that was. Another one specifically about after USC199. Yes. Everybody, you know. Episode 333, it's the only number that I remember because it was so weird that it was John Stark's impression.

This is an interesting question. Yeah. Your encyclopedic knowledge of guests on, not guess, of fighters on UFC cards is well documented. Yeah. Do you have a similar knowledge of MMA hour show episode numbers and guests? No, not at all. The only one I know is 333. Wow.

Can't ask me anything else. I'm surprised. I mean, I don't really need that for my job. Yeah, and also, I feel like the episode numbers are almost like not really related to the show. It doesn't have, it's a lot easier to do USC headliner. I know where I was. I know this. This is, we're in the same spot every time.

I can understand that. But listen, I was trying to big up you. No, I appreciate that. I mean, I would like to have that kind of useless knowledge readily available, but no, I don't. Real quick. Okay, UFC two. No, that's too soon. UFC 124.

Give me the headliner of UFC 124. Josh Kostick, George St. Pierre, Montreal. Damn, that was too easy. Yeah. I looked into it too easy on one. Okay. 123, of course, you were at that one. I was at that one.

Wow. 122 is a weird one. Speaking of Yushin Okami, he fought Marquart in Germany. Dominant performance by Yushin there. Yeah. 121 was Kane versus. is Brock Lesner.

All right. Stop showing off. 120 was Michael Bisp being against Okayama? I could just keep going and going. Yeah, stop showing. All right. 119, that was the Indianapolis, right? The terrible... The best media meal that we ever got.

And the worst fight card that you've ever gotten as well. It wasn't great. It was pretty bad. Okay, Sean Sheehan, apart from all his appearances. Yeah, they were great. Rampage Dancing. Oh, right.

He was doing the Gangam Style in the old studio. Yes, yes, yes. Overheim's birthday, McGregor Blueberries, and his personal favorite, Roddy Piper. Also another one of my favorites. I really enjoyed the Roddy Piper. Yes, that was a great one. Roddy Piper, he was so inspirational. Yeah.

Sandu. Everything Preback, but especially Wali Deshamel brought me to tears. I was also in tears. The Valli de Smil. Prebeck would be great to have. Impression. Prebac just disappeared. I don't know where he went.

Prebuck, if you are around, if you are somewhere, on this universe, please. Send Morse code or something. Just tell me how you're doing. Just let us know. I miss you. That guy was great. New York, Rick, getting his chance to shine last year's host.

What number was that? God, if I know the date. You do? It was Halloween. It was October 31st of 2016, but I have no idea what the show episode number was. I think we're aligned on not being able to recall those. Okay, now we're getting into the actual questions here. Okay.

those were the favorite moments thank you for sending those in there's so many but now we're going to move on to the Twitter questions the actual questions I love Shark Attack 316 I love Steve

I hate this question not because I hate the question but I just I can it's like it's like I ask me my favorite kid by the way yesterday my two sons five and three said that they were convinced that I liked my daughter the best this was a very awkward conversation was it awkward because they were

No, it's just because we're always like, we love you, we love you. Sure. And maybe I, you know, maybe you're doing that too much because like she doesn't she doesn't have a reaction. So you're trying to always get that reaction, you know? She's playing hard to get, huh?

No, she's, look, you'll see, you'll see. And so that is unequivocally false. I want to state that on the record in case they're watching the Twitter stream right now, Oliver and Walter. And I can't pick my favorite moment. I can't. There isn't, I don't know.

You didn't say favorite. What was it? Most memorable. Same thing. No, that's not the same thing. if now you said UFC uh sorry I keep doing this you said episode 333 is the only one you remember I guess I mean it could be that but I'm saying there has to be something that sticks out as like this moment I would say lucky Patrick for me just because it was early like it was one of my first shows and I just couldn't believe what was happening yeah it's nuts 333 was the most watch one still till this day more than you know Nate Connor whatever 400 300 we've had so many milestones the

the one that I get asked about the most that keeps coming back up is probably the first Connor interview with the blueberries. And based on the poll results or the question results, that's everybody else's favorite and most memorable moment.

So Connor McGregor, the birth of Connor McGregor on the MMA hour with the blueberries. This one separated from Derek Hall, this question said, you know, best guest, best interview, best episode. I imagine you're not going to go there.

My God. I can't. Yeah, too tough. Let's skip to this question. How has life changed for you? Put yourself back to that interview day with Yariah Faber back in 2009. You obviously have a new family

and the support of the masses, but what changes jump out? What is different? Ariel Hawani from then and now. Pretty much everything. I mean, I have three kids. Huge. That's gigantic.

The show is a lot longer. when when when when when when I first asked to do the show I think I've told the story before there there was a room I saw that I had cameras it had a little podcast set up and I asked if I could do the show and they said yeah you could do a 15 minute show and I was like 15 minutes come on at least give me an hour so we agreed on an hour and on the first episode I'm sitting there guy by the name of Josh Josh Adi was like the board guy he did all he I mean there's just one And they didn't have to do much. It wasn't as involved as it is now.

And it wasn't live. And Michael Rubens, who was an executive at AOL, but just kind of liked MMA, he was sitting there with me as well. So when I opened the show, it's the three of us sitting around a table with this little board. And then we called up Michael David Smith. And it was right before, I believe, UFC 99. And then we called Uriah Faber. And so, I mean, I'm working for a different company. went through all the Fox stuff, the ups and downs with the UFC, with Dana White, with the sport.

But, you know, the first thing that comes to mind is obviously, as mentioned here by Jason, it's a great question. But just, you know, being a dad has completely changed the way I think about my job, the way I think about life, the way I think about everything. It's just drastically changed. You know, our lives are completely different. Like, I'm exhausted 24-7, but I'm much happier, obviously. So that's the main thing. working for a different company, the growth of the show. Never thought, you know, you know,

that was a good one. That was a good one. I mean, I would love to count how many people have actually worked on the show. The thing I always joke about the show is that I have separation anxiety because every week it was like, okay, someone's new, someone's new, and they'll bring them on the show. Like, this is where, and thankfully over the past year, we have finally settled on a crew.

Now I'm just waiting for someone to leave. Like people start to leave here, there. But you have been the constant since 2012. Yeah, since 2012. I was going to say like late 2011, but yeah, it is 2012. That's when it really started. You've been the constant. You have been the rock.

And we appreciate that. And at first, the first couple episodes, you were not heard from, right? My first episode was 124. Okay. And my first time on Mike was 126. And then the New York Rick whole, like, moniker didn't even come into like, 130 somewhere. You remember all this? I looked it up recently.

And then in the 140s was when Rick's picks debuted. Some like 145, I want to say. It's crazy. It's insane. I think that the show is unlike anything and it's different than anything in sports because of the athletes. You can't get athletes as unfiltered. And it continues to grow

because of the fans and the support and because the athletes give a certain... Like the fact that four champions and all these people would come on the show today is just a huge honor. No sport is like ours in that regard. And I don't think that has changed since 2009 until now. I think MMA, they are so accessible. They are so accessible.

And it's the greatest benefit of our sport. How different, better or worse, is the UFC now compared to the mid-2009s of the MMA hour started? So let's compare eras of UFC. It's completely different. There's way more events. I mean, we've talked about the Reebok thing, ad nauseum. Look, I miss those days. There's something about those days that were special.

Events felt like events. There's too much. There's just too much. I hate the uniforms. Everyone looks the same. No one stands out. But my biggest problem is just the wateredown product. I mean, let's, you know, just look at the card this Friday. And it just feels like there's no direction. I mean, look, if you're going to tell me that Dana doesn't care as much. I mean, the tweet last week, if you give a shit, here are the tickets. I mean, there's a trickle-down effect there. Like, we want someone who is leading the charge, who's banging the drum, who's getting people excited, who's promoting, who's making a big deal about events. I mean, I just saw someone reported that Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson is the main event over Johnson Borg.

That's an interim title fight. That's a fake belt over the flyweight title fight that's going to make him. history, like decisions like that are just happening on a daily basis. So the product, I mean, the fighters are better now. I think they're more talented on the whole now, but there's too many fights. There's too many fighters. What it means to be UFC caliber isn't the same. And so I feel like the product isn't that strong. Do you get what I'm saying? I do. And I think it's hard to argue. It's impossible to argue. But the business side of it has grown exponentially.

Of course. In their benefit. $4 billion. I mean, it's an incredible number. I mean, the Knicks are valued at like 3.75. How that's even possible. How they even got to that number, I still don't know, and I'll never understand. And that's no knock on the fighters.

That's no knock on the sport. I just, I mean, the UFC is only as good as its fighters. Witness this year, not as many big fighters, not as many big fights. Ratings are down. Paper view numbers are down. down, businesses down. I think I read from our friend Jedi Goodman that it was the lowest gate

of the year this past Saturday in Pittsburgh. These aren't good things. And I don't see much being done to change things. And that's alarming and that's troubling. But this sport goes in cycles. Last year we had the best year ever. Now we're having a down year. Who saw Connor coming out of nowhere?

Who saw Ron? These people will emerge. But I knew back in 2009 about Connor. I was... Right now, though, I mean, this is a down year. There's no doubt about it. Okay, now we're going to get to more topical to the current new cycle than looking back, but that was

a fun ride. From PDNGIA, will the stigma of tapping to strikes ever go away? Bad enough from ignorant fans, but even some pro fighters look down on it. This is a reference to David Branch who tapped to strikes in the fight with Luke Rockhold. I think it's so stupid. I remember I remember when BJ Penn

fought George St. Pierre the second time in the prime time he said at least I didn't tap to strikes and I just thought like that's such a bizarre form of trash talking like it's okay to tap to a submission

but it's not okay to tap to strikes what's the difference yeah there's a there's a machismo associated with this I think it's stupid but I don't know if it's ever going to go away I think it's just one of those things in the fight game

but yeah I think it's dumb I think less I think no less of David Brom Branch as a result of that. No. Then I would have had he tapped due to a submission. What the hell? What's interesting about it is there's a lot of cries for the coroner should have thrown in the towel.

The ref should have stepped in. That fighter was done. They let that go on too long. But if somebody preserves themselves by tapping to strikes, it's viewed as different than that. It's viewed as not preservation. It's viewed as lesser, which I don't understand. If that fight was over and David Branch felt the,

same way, what's the issue? I don't understand the, I don't understand the, I don't understand. There's a lot of, there's a lot of like, you know, machismo things in sports. In, in, in, in fighting in particular, because it's such an alpha male sport, this is a silly one. But I think on a practical level, we have to accept that if everybody's concerned for these fighters' health and everybody's, you know, talking about this corner should have stopped it, the ref should have stopped it. The fighter can stop it, and that's a viable way to end the fight. I just don't understand the difference between tapping strikes and tapping due to the submission. Like, it's the same thing.

In fact, you are actually taking more damage by getting punched in the head than you are if you are, you know, getting choked. I mean, of course, if it's an arm bar, but you know what I'm saying? Joint manipulation. But yeah, of course. Like you're getting a punch in the head? No must. Lift the fight another day. I don't understand it.

I guess there is, you know, it's not out of nowhere. The fact that this is a question. No, no, no, it's a thing. I just don't, I personally don't ascribe to it. I don't understand it. If we're in the interest of preventing these fighters from being hurt, I think that that is one way that this can be done. If the ref wasn't ready to step in,

David Branch is signaling, this fight is over. It's stupid. Considering John Jones's now Tainted Legacy, this is from Ryan. Oh, this is a tough one. Is it fair to say DC is the greatest light heavyweight of all time? you know, you don't want to take away the other wins. It's hard to take away the other wins. Who are we talking about in this case?

From John? Yeah. But it does call, to me, there's a black cloud now, and it calls into question everything, and I will never look at him. I mean, again, let's wait to see this whole process play out. But it's impossible now if they decide and deem that he took this steroid knowingly, calls him to question everything.

I've already said that DC is the second best of all time and I think that there's a strong case to be made like second best of all time period let alone light heavyweight right? I think there's a very strong case just look at what he did at heavyweight look what he did at light heavyweight.

It definitely helps his case that the one man he has lost to is now under suspicion DC's finally getting the respect he deserves and it's so funny coming off that loss but it feels like finally people are opening their eyes and being like, wow, we've been backing the wrong guy. Yeah. So yeah, it will change everything, especially if it comes out that...

Is he the best? Light heavyweight? I mean, I think the bigger question is, is John Jones still the go? Because I think we both agree that he's, you know, that he was the go, right? And it's a fair question. And what a career, I don't know. That this is even a thing where you can be viewed in such a short amount of time as the greatest ever, and it's all already undone. I have a hard time answering that question

because, you know, Anderson has the same cloud. Does this bump GSP up? I don't know. It's all so subjective. But is this our baseball steroid era or Hall of Fame discussion? Because it seems like a lot of these fighters are in that kind of space now.

Well, Jones is like Dowell Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, all kind of rolled into one. Yeah. Because he had the promise and the self-infliction and all that stuff. All I'll say is like I feel like it's too fresh. but a year ago, even after 200,

it's still a no-brainer to me. Yeah. He's the goat. Me too. I agree. Now I don't know. I have a hard time with it. Yeah.

It's a difficult one to answer. And it elevates D.C. There's no doubt about it. And there will be arguments, oh, it doesn't help him do this. It doesn't help him do that. It's not about that. It's not about the fact that...

Well, it's because then you start to think, what was he taking when there was no out of competition? It's about that, but it's also about who knows how it. he would have been able to prepare or train if he was doing this. You can't isolate it as well the argument that storage don't help you swing a bat faster and blah

blah, blah. No, it's not about that. It's about longevity. It's about staying healthy. It's about all the benefits that you are granted when the other person is not. And for all accounts, we have no reason to have any suspicion about D.C. And we have all the reason in the world to have suspicion about John Jones. So it's

about the even playing field. It's not about oh, can he land that punch or that elbow? even if he wasn't suspected of using something that's not the argument yeah was that it that was it

yay yeah it's a bummer man it really is it's a bummer to think about how good he could have been and the records he could have broken by now and where he could be in the history books and he was just so damn good like you saw him and that was a freak you know that was a freakish athlete and then to see this now getting stripped for the third time

the first time pre-187. The second time was the interim belt after 200. And then now this, I mean, it's just, it's a horrible thing. But at this point, like, I want to hear from John Jones. I think like the tweets and all that, it's the same thing that I said in Buffalo, like action speak louder. And I want to hear. I want to see him doing the right things.

And now, you know, this happening again is a huge blow to not only him, but to DC as well. And to the UFC and to the sport. This is our LeBron James. This is our Kobe Bryant. This is our Michael Jordan. And to see this happen is just, it's a huge blow. And it's embarrassing that it would happen like this to him because he was so good.

If he was a mid-tier fighter, fine. Kind of just washes away. This guy was gifted. And look, if he gets to four years, who knows? GSP was out for four years. We'll see what happens. But, you know, he's coming back and he's much younger. So he could still come back.

He can still fight again. If he gets to two years, he could still come back. He could still fight again. but just the fact that this is now part of the resume, this is part of the story is unfortunate. It really is. Okay, I lied. There's going to be more.

Hold on. I only got like one in me. Give me like rapid fire. Okay. I was about to just say goodbye. I was about to just say, hit my music and now you're bringing me back. This is like Daniel Cormier moving on from the belt,

and now you're bringing him back. You know, you can't do that to me. I was already, my mind was set. Okay, one last question. Give me rapid fire. Boom, boom, boom, boom. What is this? Oh, this is how tagboard looks.

I'm going to ask you all those questions at once. Are you ready? No, I'm just kidding. Should GSP win the middleweight's trapped? Will he stick around to defend it or will he drop down to Walter Waite? He has to stick around. It's in his contract. He has to fight Robert Whitaker.

David Branch, now, you know, this was a big, important moment for him. What's next after this loss to Rockhold? Where does he fall in the pack? Yeah, he goes back down. I mean, this was a big step. He was fighting Chris Judko. So he goes down. Maybe to Uriah Hall kind of fight.

He goes down the ladder and he works his way back up. This was a massive stuff up. Rockow's just on a whole other level, so no shame. He seems to be handling it well. Last question. We've now seen them in the light of day in practice and execution for a little bit. Thoughts on the new UFC uniforms. No, Bueno.

No. It looks like a guy who weight lifts and then puts that powder stuff on his shorts. Is there nothing to be said of progress? I feel like we're making strides here. I mean, we're moving at the pace of molasses here. I mean, it's like the slowest progress possible. How can it be so hard? I mean, there's so much cool gear out there.

Why is it so hard? And like the random circles and all this stuff and the name, the way, it's just like, I want my fight sports to be unique. I want them to be individuals. I want them to stick out. I want them to be different. I don't want them to all look the same. And especially if we're going to make them look the same, let's put them in nice gear.

Not lame gear. Not the same looking kind of gear. Not Power Rangers, not Uno, not powder on your shorts. I don't want to see that. It bothers me. Like, I'm a, I've said that. I'm like, I'm a sucker for these things. I'm a stickler.

I love posters. I love, like, the intricacies of the fight game. What do you make of the latest poster that was released? The Ferguson Lee one? Yeah. I feel like they got some feedback for Diaz and GSP 158, and they keep trying to recreate that. They did it with Johnson and Cormier. It's the same thing.

It's formulaic. Can you tell me something nice to end this on a good note? It is a pleasure working with you every week. Congratulations on 400 shows. I've not been around for all of them. No, you have. But I've been around for quite a few. I speak for everybody when I say thank you for doing the show.

Oh, thank you. And having fought so hard for that one hour initially and now. Look at us now. Look at us. All right. Thank you. It is a pleasure. the same without you and everyone in the back. I love you all. Much respect. Thank you to everyone

for sticking with me. You can hit my music. We are calling it a day. There it is. And by the way, the intro music and the outro music, I think it's the same since day one. I'm pretty sure it's been the same since day one. Thank you to everyone who stopped by today. Thank you to everyone who tuned in. Thank you to everyone who sent in questions. I love you all. It's been a fun episode 400, a fun celebration of the show, if you will. But now it's time to get back to our normal lives. And oh, by the way, thank you very much to Twitter for the platform as we're on Twitter right now. But I also want to say, happy New Year to all my fellow Jews out there.

It's Russia Shana on Wednesday and Thursday. So Shana Tova, Umetukkah, to all my brothers and sisters out there. Always a fun time. the new year. You eat the apples and the honey. You dip them and you eat them and you wish everyone a sweet new year. It's a great time. It's much different than the December 31st New Year's that you guys are used to. Anyway, what a fun show. It's time to say goodnight. It's time to say goodbye. Thank you very much to all our guests. Thank you very much to Rampage Jackson. Great stuff from him as always. Appreciate him stopping by. Good luck to him and Maria. Thank you very much to Edmund

Tarverdian. Making News. Edmund. Great to hear from him. Thank you very much to Daniel Cormier. Appreciate his time very much. Thank you very much for Chuck Ladell. Thankfully, I won't have to bother him anymore. I've been bugging him a hell of a lot. Thank you very much to Yiania. Good luck to her on November 4th. Thank you very much to C. Miochich.

Thank you very much to Michael Bisping. Good luck to him as well. Thank you very much to Ally Quinta. And of course, thank you very much to Mario Lopez. Thank you very much to all of you. Here's to another 400. Back next week, same time and place to let's say, please say,

Perse, somebody.