MMA Fighting - The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani - Episode 410

Episode Date: November 20, 2017

Ariel Helwani speaks to Patrick Côté (00:06:13), Chael Sonnen (00:26:45), Michael Chandler (00:54:58), Colby Covington (01:12:58), Holly Holm (01:31:54), Tyron Woodley (01:53:46), Mirko Cro Cop (02:19:33), Garry Tonon (02:40:25) in studio, Cris "Cyborg" Justino (03:24:42), and NewYorkRic for Ric's Picks (03:45:01) and to answer your questions (03:58:18) during The MMA [After] Hour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The meeting will begin when passenger Fisher is done celebrating. 19 plus Ontario only. Please play responsibly concerned by your gambling or that if someone close, you call 1-8665-3-3-2-60 or visit comex Ontario.ca. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. It's the Mixed Martial Arts Hour with... The Mixed Martial Arts Hour back in your life on this Monday, November 20th, 2017. Hello again, everyone. I'm Ariel Hawani back inside our New York City studio. It is so very great to be here with all of you. I hope you had a lovely weekend.

Hope you had a lovely week. It was a relatively quiet one in the world of mixed martial arts. some interesting things, as always, but nothing like the week that we had last week going into our previous show. We did have an event in Sydney, Australia. It was the Fabrice O'Doombeiro event, and well, wouldn't you know it, it ended up making some history. It ended up being the longest event in UFC history. This according to Fight Metric, three hours, four minutes, 18 seconds of cage time. Feature 10 fights that went the distance, which ties the UFC record with four other events.

Also, 4,36 total strikes attempted. That's a new record. 2,213 total strikes landed. That's a new UFC record. 282 significant strikes landed by Fabrice Ovidum and Martine Tibera. That's a new UFC heavyweight record. So somewhat of a dubious distinction, if you will,

and it certainly felt like a long card. It wasn't one of the best offerings of the year. I mean, you can make a strong case that it was one of the worst offerings of the year. There was some nice moments. moments, Ryan Benoit, as some of the Americans like to call him with a beautiful finish. How about Nick Lentz finishing Will Brooks, who is now one in the UFC since coming over from Bellator and, you know, he was the lightweight champion in Belator comes over, wins one fight in the

UFC to Ross Pearson, proceeds not to lose three in a row. Who saw that coming? Also somewhat dubious, all four fighters who missed weight prior to the event won. And so does the punishment fit the crime? For Frank Camacho, it did, because he didn't win a $50,000 fight of the night bonus as a result of his fight against Damien Brown. But he did campaign to have Damien win the $100,000 total sum, basically taking his $50,000 bonus. But as of right now, it doesn't seem like the UFC is obliging. So there's always much as because we have a jam-pack show. a few things interesting that happened last week of course

Chris Cyborg and Holly Home that is the new main event for UFC 219 there was some talk of Tyrone Woodley fighting Nate Diaz there was a boomerang incident involving one Colby Covington and Fabricio Verdum we're going to get to the bottom of all this and then some and if you're wondering why perhaps my voice sounds a little different or my energy level is a little

low still battling what I believe is strep throw once again so it has not been a fun morning for yours truly and I think my body would rather be lying down somewhere but we're going to power through this and do the show because we have a lot of interesting people to talk to so let us run down today's lineup and then we'll get to our first guest of the day at around 435 we'll do rick's picks at 415 we'll talk to chris cyborg about her UFC 219 title defense against Holly Home. For some reason, I keep calling that 217. I even wrote that on the website.

It's 219. That's December 30th in Las Vegas. Gary Tonin will be joining us in studio. One of the very best BJJ practitioners on the planet. BJ Black Belt has trained under the likes of Tom DeBlass, Hikara Alameda, and of course the great John Danaher. He is making his transition to the war. world of mixed martial arts, probably in 2018 with one championship.

So we'll have Gary Tonin in studio. Of course, you may know that he has had a longstanding feud with Dylan Danis, and they competed against each other recently as well. At 305, Mirro Krocop will stop by, talk about his involvement in the Risen year end show, RisenFF, number nine. And so Mirko not retiring after we thought that he was going to retire. and then came back and then he's back again. Anyhow, love talking to Miracle Crocup.

By the way, little known fact about Miracle Crocup. Loves to use emojis. You would never guess this about him, but he's a very warm texture, if you will. Loves to use that emoji with the cheeks all rosy and like the nice smile. Something that you might not expect from Miracle Crocop is his usage of emojis.

So how about that? 245, Tyrone Woodley will stop by, talk about this whole Nate Diaz story at UFC 219. 215, we'll talk to Holly home about the 219 fight against Chris Cyborg and how the fight got made in the end. Kobe Covington will stop by a 205. We'll get his side of the story

with Fabrice Over Doom, the boomerang, the assault charges, all that and more. Michael Chandler will stop by at 145. Talk about why he's not fighting Brent Primis next. We thought that that was going to be the fight. We thought that they'd have an immediate rematch, but that is not the case. On January 20th,

Michael Chandler will be fighting Gochi Yamauichi instead, which is a great fight, but it's not the title fight. And so we want to find out why. At 125, Chil Sunnan will stop by and we'll talk to him about the Beltor heavyweight tournament,

the talk of him fighting Rampage Jackson, all that and more. But first, let us go to the phone lines and welcome in our first guest of the day. He is now a former UFC fighter. He is a retired UFC fighter, one of the fighters, which he's one of the pioneers of Canadian MMA. And on Friday, he officially announced his new sports management firm.

Wanted to talk to Patrick Cote about this. He's kind enough to join us on the phone. Patrick, are you there? Yeah, I'm here. Thanks, man. Good to have you on the show. So why did you launch this? Why did you feel the need that this was the right thing to do now that you're retired from MMA?

You know what? This is a firm not only for MMA athletes, for a different kind of sport. We are not going in the hockey. It's complicated, but we're going to have some tennis player and football player. But right now, our focus is on MMA fighters and a boxer because that's something that I know very, very well. And my partner is something who's working with the loss. So that's, we are a lot bulletproof now if we're going, something's going bad with contract and negotiation.

And the reason why I did that is because the main focus was to represent athletes in their sports to give them the luxury of being, just of having the freedom of thinking about training and performing and something like that and building their brand that is something very important now. Because you know that the sports performance are not enough now. If you want to live about the sport, if you want to live well, You have to build your brand. You have to be, you need to be able to, to self yourself, you know, in a good way. And this is why I started in, especially in the MMA world and box world.

You know, there's not any union or something like that. They protect the fighters. So I decided to do that, to do my part to try to help them. And especially the young kid and the young guy, young prospect, that's our main go to build them. Do you recall when you first started thinking that this was something that you wanted to do upon retiring? Not all, not all. Actually, I came with this idea because a lot of people knows me and know that what I did outside the cage, outside the MMA world. I was able to build my brand, to build my name, and doing a lot of stuff outside the octagon,

but using this sport by grabbing some opportunity, left. and right and now I'm you know I'm touching like everything now because I was able to see this opportunity and this this all those things so a lot of people told me that why you don't do that you know why you're not trying to to help those guys and you're going to be the perfect guy the perfect fit guy to do that and I said yeah maybe we'll see if I had the right partner with me maybe we're going to we're going to launch something and yeah I found my partner he's uh he's in the the sport, you know, since 18 years, he's been a lawyer for the NHL, it's been the lawyer for a lot of hockey, professional hockey players. So you know the sport very well. So right now,

that was a guy who I needed. And yeah, it's going pretty well. Your experiences, you know, when you were a fighter with management, were they good? Or do you wish that, you know, it was a little different? You wish that you had a company like this around where you'd have better relationships, get things that you wanted. How would you describe when you were a fighter your experience with management?

You know, the stretch of our business or our firm, it's me. I don't want to sound cocky, but I know exactly what the fighters need, what athletes mean. I've been there. I've been to those shorts. I know exactly what it's,

what is the hard part about, you know, having some maybe medicals on the short notice or just having, you know, free time, when I needed too much promotion or, you know, just dealing with press, the press or the promotion or all those things.

So, yeah, for sure, I had some good and really bad experience with managing during my career. But me seriously, and I'm honest with that. I'm honest with my firm, with my business. I really really want to help those guys. I'm not working for nothing, for sure. I'm not working free. but I know that my experience, my experience and the partner I have, we have the perfect combination to help those guys.

And it's like we have everything. With that, the network I have, it's a no-brainer that you want to deal with a firm like that. And so you mentioned that there's no union in the sport, and this has been a hot topic in MMA. Do you feel like there should be one? Oh, I think so, and it's not against any promotion. It's not, it's just for the protection of the fighters. This is a really, really hard sport.

And especially some, you know, fighters who don't know how to sell them, how to build their brand at the end of the car, they have nothing. So that's the thing too. And that's why we're going to try to teach them and putting them on a lot of opportunity to build their name. So this is the most important thing right now about the sport, and especially in the MMA, because, yes, you have to win, but you have to put people in the stand to come to see you,

and that's how we're going to be able probably to have a better life after when you get retired. Because, you know what, in the combat sport, your career can end tomorrow. This is a very, very hard sport, a contact sport, a dangerous sport. So you have to think about not only tomorrow, but next year and 10 years and 20 years, what is going to happen about that. Speaking of next year, 10 years, 20 years, do you think that there will ever be a union for MMA? It's going to be hard. I think it's going to be hard.

You know what? The last time they tried it, I don't think we could have a better group to try that. You know, big names like George, Jonas Seroni, Ken Velasquez, Tim Kennedy, That was huge name. They tried to build something, but like we saw that, it didn't work. And that wasn't the first try. And I have a really big doubt that it's going to happen one day. It's because all the fighters, all the, all the boxers or the LMA guy will have to,

will have to be all together on the one cause or something like that. And I have a big doubt it's going to happen. And so that's why people like me who start management like that, a firm like that, it's important because I know all the trap. I know what is good for you, what's not good for you. And it's not only in MMA. It's every sport. No, we have to build your name.

That's the most important thing. In particular with the biggest organization in the sport, the UFC, it feels like maybe over time they've wanted to have less and less interaction with managers. And because there's no sponsorship now, you sign these long contracts, I've heard from a lot of fighters who say, oh, you know, I could just do it myself. Why do you think a fighter needs a manager in this given era that we're living in right now for MMA and in particular the UFC? I think they're right.

You know what, a normal manager, I don't think it's, it's worth it to give money if they just negotiate a contract. You know, right now, you're right. But it's different now because with IMG and WMG, it's not like family are like before. You know, it's more business now. So I think you need somebody who knows the business, you know, the justice, you know the law, to just make sure that you're not going to sign anything that you don't want it. But, you know, a manager or another one on that case, you're right.

it's not a big difference. The difference with, you know, a firm like that, like mine, it's we're going to build your name. We're going to try to build your name. We're going to negotiate your contract. But we're going to put everywhere we know with our network that I've built in the last 15 years that it's worth millions. Trust me.

You know, I have everything at my phone, everybody I knows about, you know, TV, media, all organization, sponsorship. I have good relationship with everybody, and I build that for the last 15 years. If I call somebody who's going to answer me, I know that I don't have any bad relationship with anybody. So that's the strength of our company. And so you currently have a few fighters signed to the management team, right? Exactly.

I have seven fighters. It's a young guy. Those guys, I think they can, I have three guys. I really think they can make a big wave in the understanding. stream the MMA world. I have a meeting with tennis player and football guys next week and a couple of boxers or two. And you know what?

When I launched that Friday, I was expecting that it's going to be fun, it's going to be cool, it's going to be, you know, a big news, but not like that. You know, since Friday, I'm out of my mind. You know what? It's crazy. I really, really didn't think that it will be like a big impact like that. A lot of people want to work with me, want to work with us, want to join. the firm, a lot of people

want to be represented about the firm and you know what? I don't think that I stole any of this attention from anybody. I've always been true about my fighting style, I've always been a true guy about

my sponsorship relationship and today I think people have confidence and they want to sign in the frame because they want to sign with me because they know they're going to be in good hands. You do T-Bee-Bee. you work in Quebec. Are you still going to do that now that you've launched this? Oh, for sure, for sure. I'm a busy guy. I'm opening a sports facility in December, too, and that's

cool. And you know what? Like I said, I didn't expect that this thing would be that big, that fast, but hey, it's fun. And I have the luxury now that I will be able to choose whoever I want in the firm. And that's something that I didn't expect. And by the way, I mean, you walked away from the sport in April, so we're now, what, seven months, seven months, yeah, seven months removed since your last fight. What has the transition been like for you? Has it been, you know, difficult at times? I mean, to not be an active fighter anymore. Not really seriously that, you know, I knew it before my last fight.

That would be my last fight. Even, even with the wind, that wasn't, you know, an emotional decision. and you know what I'm still working for the UFC as a French commentator so I'm still close to that sport and I'm still training but you know what to be honest with you

I don't miss I don't miss the you know the to be in the cage I don't miss the diet for sure but I don't you know I'm I'm okay with that I'm really peaceful with that I have a family and I have a little daughter I can spend more time with her it's you know what I was preparing

my after carios since you know three or four years and even if I was well-prepared, I'm launching some new project like this firm, so I'm not stopping, you know, going moving forward and it's fun, you know. I'm all, I'm, I have a lot of fun right now. By the way, you also were in New York here for UFC 217. GSP, that was a big deal, obviously, in Quebec. Honestly, were you surprised by how he looked? Were you surprised at he won? Did you think that, you know, it seemed like everyone was picking against him. What did you think going into the fight?

A lot of things surprised me during that night, especially the response of the crowd that was insane. You know, I closed my eyes and I was like in my head. I'm in Montreal. That's insane how the crowd was loud about George. Every time he was on the big screen, when he arrived, every time they show him on the locker room and when he walked in in the cage, you know,

I was expecting people, you know, being happy, but like that, that was just unreal. That was like in Montreal. And, yeah, he looked good. He looks very, very good. I was happy for him because he has a lot, a lot of pressure. When he said that, you know, the pressure was all on Michael, I don't think it's true because, you know what, if he was losing that fight, everybody will talk about George losing that fight, not just being winning that fight.

So all the pressure, all the promotion first was, was around the GSP comeback and not being defending his belt. So I think he did very, very well. I have big doubt that he's going to fight at 185 again, but I think he did an amazing job. You don't think he fights at middleweight anymore? I have big doubt. You know, I don't have any inside and soul.

We're not close that we used to be like a couple years ago. But, you know, what he said about, you know, the hard thing that he had to gain weight and something like that. I don't know. You know, I don't want to take anything away from Bisping. You know, I like this guy. He's a worker.

He's an amazing fighter. But, you know what? I think that, you know, he had a great opportunity to become champion. But, you know, George against Whitaker, George against big guy like Romero or something like that. I don't know. You know, George is a super athlete,

but he doesn't have anything to prove against those big guys, so I think he's not going to fight that one of five anymore. Do you think there's a chance he never fights again? Oh, yeah, for sure. You know what? I think I will not be surprised if he said, I thought, okay, that's over, and I just wanted to feel that feeling again. And you know why I said that?

It took him so much time to get out of the cage. He was staying in the cage, and he was kind of feeling everything he was able to grab about, you know, all the emotion, everything. He was in the cage. for almost 20 minutes after the fight. So he was looking away, he was looking everything,

and he looks like he was grabbing all the energy and just to say that, all right, that was that, I did it, and now I'm not going to miss that anymore. So I don't know. This is the feeling I had when I was at the MSG, but we'll see.

But no, I'm not going to be surprised if he is done with fighting. I spoke about it on my show. spoke about it with George, the interview that you did with his mentor, Christoph MEDU, and he was very against it. I'm wondering if, A, you've talked to him about the fight and how George looked, and did you hear, were you hearing that in the Montreal MMA scene from other people that, you know, he wasn't looking good going into the fight?

One of my friend was training with him, and he told me that George, yeah, he was sick. When Christopheedew was here in Montreal for a couple of days only, That's the time that George was sick, and I heard that from other people that they were at the gym with him. And when Christoph left, there was two weeks before the fight. And, you know, four or five guys after that told me that, listen, this is not the same George that they used to being a week ago. He's just unreal. He's back on a good track. And yeah, but you know what?

this is in training camp i don't remember last time i did in the training camp and i didn't get sick you know it's very really hard for the body it's really hard uh especially when you do a uh a diet he didn't do a diet but you know that was another another thing that gaining weight it's not uh it's not easy like it used it's not like it's not like everybody think it is it's you have to be you have to do it in the right way. And, uh, but, uh, yeah, no, I didn't talk to you to Christoph, uh, yet. But, uh, I'm sure that he's very, very happy about George Winnie. That's, that's, uh, that's what he wanted, you know, the win and George is not, uh,

seriously injured. Uh, I felt that he was more, he was more talking like a big brother. That's, that's, that's what I felt. But, uh, but, uh, but for sure, uh, what he said, you know, about, uh, uh, about everything. He was a little bit shocking. Do you have like a dream, like, okay, if George comes back one time,

do you want to see him fight Connor, do you want to see him fight Woodley, do you want to see him, do you have like a perfect match for him in your mind that you'd like to see him be a part of? Because look, look at how the pay-per-view numbers did. Clearly, he's still a draw. Clearly, as you said, you know, people are going nuts for him at MSG.

He's still, you know, the UFC needs someone like him around, especially in Canada. What would you like to see him do as far as his next fight, if he fights again? You're right, man. It's still the paper every king. That's unreal. George is a superstar.

It's unreal after four years. After all those things happened in the last four years, he got the respond like that about, you know, fans, about paper reposites. It's just unreal, especially here in Canada, like you said. George came back to Mike the history. That's what he wanted. He came back after four years, Nobother did that. And he's winning the title with three other guys that.

that did that in the past like BJ Payne Conner and Randy Couture. And I don't know. If he's coming back, he's going to come back to Mark the history again. I think that if you want to do that, he has to take another belt. And, you know,

I don't know if he's going to be able to make 155, but it's not going to be like before eight, nine or ten months, you know, take time. But if he's coming back and it's not against Connor for a fight or superfight or something like that, I don't know why. I don't know the reason for him to come back.

He doesn't want another belt at I-1-70. It's not going to make any sense, you know, seriously, it's not going to make the same attention if he's fighting Woodley or anybody else at 170. There's no interesting match-up for George. And I'm not talking about the talent at 170. I'm just talking about money-wise. There's no fight for George

that it's very interesting about money wise now. Patrick, I wish you the best. You know, it's funny. Last week on the show, I was talking to Tiki Gosin, who you may recall from the early days of your career. And he's now become a manager as well, and he manages the likes of Rampage Jackson and does some work with Boyne Nelson.

I was wondering if, you know, this is the new transition with, you know, the sport being so young and fighters who kind of grew up with it now retiring, they can now be the true great managers. And so now we have another example of that happening. And I think that you're going to do a great job with it. So it's called Predator Management. Predator Management.ca is the website.

And like I said, I wish you the best. And please keep us posted on any news regarding the management team, any signings you have. I wish you guys nothing but the best in this new venture. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. All right. There he is.

Patrick Cote now getting into the management world. It's amazing. We were just talking to Tiki about that yesterday, excuse me, last week, and now we have another fighter getting into the management space as well. Interesting comments, by the way, about unions. You know, you hear about it a lot. Will anyone ever actually go out and try to get it done?

That remains to be seen. All right, so speaking of Tiki last week on the program, speaking of Rampage on the program, you may recall that Rampage Jackson, when I asked him about the Beltor, heavyweight tournament and the idea that I was that I was hearing that he would be matched up against Chil Sondon right off the bat. He was not very happy about that idea. And so naturally I thought, well, maybe we should have Chale on to talk about all of this. And of course,

his involvement in a heavyweight tournament, he's typically been a middleweight, has fought recently at light heavyweight as well. He is kind enough to be joining us via the magic of Skype. And there he is, Mr. Chale Sondon himself. Chale, how are you? I am. What's up, Ariel? Welcome to the big time. Huh? Look at this. Yeah. Well, you know, Chale, I'm feeling so sick today. So sick. And just seeing your face and your demeanor just makes me feel better. You're just like a ray of sunshine in my life. I appreciate you pushing through. You're a good man. I can hear it your voice. You sound a little bit down. Have some vitamin C maybe. What do you think? Yeah, maybe. I've got some vitamin water here and stuff. But yeah, I haven't had any vitamin C. All power through. It's not about me. It's about you, Chale. We have a lot. have a lot to discuss. First things first. It should be. It should be that. I mean, I'm starting to feel like it's about you, but it should be the way you explained it. Let's try to get back to that.

Okay. How did you get involved in this? Was this something you heard about and said, hey, I want to be involved in a heavyweight tournament or did they come to you? Because, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong. Have you ever fought in heavyweight? I don't think so. I can't remember time I fought it. I can remember times fighting where we never weighed in. I go way back to the 90s. I can't remember. I mean, I was four or five fights into this process before we ever saw a scale. So I guess you'd call that heavyweight, but the opponents weren't that big.

I mean, we all size each other at my eyes. We look the same. I want to answer your first question, though. I don't know that I was ever offered a spot in this tournament. I can't remember if Koker Kogan ever called and said, do you want in the heavyweight tournament? I think that might have happened, but I might have also just found out when the poster got put out. Really? Yeah, and I never knew like it was a heavyweight championship.

I don't think it was explained to anybody, and I don't talk to a whole bunch of the guys, but I don't know if anybody knew this was for the championship, and this is how they were going to settle. They've been saying for a long time, how come the heavyweight division doesn't have a belt, and Coker's like, we're getting to it, we're getting to it. I don't know if anybody knew that that was going to be, you know,

the prize at the end of the rainbow if you entered this sign. So how did you feel about it once you figured out what the stakes were. Oh, I couldn't possibly care less. I mean, I was excited if there was any feeling it was pretty cool. You have to understand. You know, if you're like saying you're Matt Mitrione, Matt Mitrione is probably looking at this going,

what are you talking about? You know, he's the number one contender for the heavyweight class. He's been around, he's got the wins, he's got the wins over the right guys, and he's probably looking at going, I'm one fight away from being world champion. Now you're telling me I've got to do three fights to be champion. Well, you put me in there.

I never even thought about being a heavyweight. Now you're telling me, I only got to win three fights and I can be the world champion. So, I mean, it's a different perspective for someone like me. For me, it's a big opportunity. I would imagine for Mitriot, it's like, oh, come on, you got to be kidding me. I'm already the top contender. Now I've got to go three guys. So I'm just guessing here, but I don't know if anybody knew exactly what this was.

I don't know if anybody should have to know, man. We're all under contract. Who gives a damn? They can do it any which way they want. Just tell us a date and an opponent. So do you know your date and opponent? No. don't know either. I got a text from Stephen

Morocco who said, are you fighting Rampage in January? And I said, no, but where did you get that with the thought? But, you know, whenever there's a flame in this business, it always turns into be a fire. Nobody can keep a secret. And Stephen wouldn't tell me where he got that.

But I was thinking, you know, why'd you ask me that? But no, I don't have any announcement on that. I mean, Rampage has said he doesn't want to fight Fador. I don't think they're going to put him and Moe together again. Him and Bader have already fought to remind you. So the numbers start lessening for who a likely opponent is.

I think that's how I even got inserted in that. But I have no date. I have no opponent. And yeah, man, I guess we're just waiting. And then now there's something about Roy McDonald wants in or got in or, you know, maybe I'm starting a rumor there, but something about Rory came up. So I don't know where things are at. I think that's just him

wanting to be a part of it. I don't think he's actually a part of it. Of course, he has a title fight. But I also did hear you versus Rampage on January 20th. Did you hear his comments last week about you, about not wanting to fight you, and if so, what did you make of them? Yeah, I heard him. I mean, I took it as a big compliment.

You know, Rampage is a rough night out, and I don't know what kind of gamesmanship he's trying to play, though, or trying to butter me up. He usually insults opponent. I mean, you know, he started handing a little chale a few compliments there, but I'm not taking my eye off the ball. I mean, Rampage at 205 pounds is a tough night out. Rampage at 265 pounds. Yeah, man, it's a tall order, but any of them. I don't train for guys, man. I train for movements.

It's my movements versus their movements. It's my skill versus their skill. I don't care who the opponent is. But I'm not going to take my eye out the rampage ball just because he paid me a few compliments. I can tell you that much. Hey, let me ask you something real fast. Give me some soup on something.

What is happening with Vandalais Silva? Why have I not heard Vandalay's name in three months? You know, that's a great point. I would actually argue that it's been more than three months. Like I haven't really heard his name since you're fighting. in June. So you're not holding out on me? You don't have like some inside scoop and vandalese about to get a fight.

Because I thought it was a little surprising he wasn't in the tournament. Oh, really? No, you know, honestly, I haven't heard much about him. And are there any, other than like just being put in the tournament, are there any fights that really makes sense for him at this juncture? I don't know. Like, how many does he have left? I don't know.

I've always thought that a vandalay versus Fador might be fun just because of the pride days. Yeah. have you asked your bosses about it? You're not possible? No. No. No, I haven't asked, and I certainly don't talk to Van Bel-A. Yeah, I was just bringing that up.

I thought maybe you knew something there. I wasn't going to any direction with that. Let's get back to you. How's everything? No, I'm okay. I'm not overly enthused about seeing Fador fight anymore. I mean, I feel like he's taking a lot of big shots. I don't know.

I'm a little torn. If I'm being honest, I'm a little torn about the whole thing. I mean, there's four non-heavyweights in the heavyweight tournament, you know? Sure. Now, I hear you on that. I mean, that is the Japanese model. You know, that's what Coker likes to do, is get guys together and put them, you know, put them in any which way to just make matchup.

So I hear what you're saying on that, but at the same time, I would counter you by saying I have to think a favorite of that tournament. You know, you've got Maitreone in there. But I would have to think a favorite of that tournament is whoever comes out between Mo and Bader. Yeah. I mean, you're not going to take your eye off Bader or Mo. Mo's proven himself in heavyweight, and Bader's champion of the world.

world right now. So I hear that argument about why are these smaller guys in there. But for me, I like it. I got a kick out of it when Sakarava used to go fight guys like that. How much do you think you away? How much do you think you away for it? Hopefully between 214 and 217, no bigger. And will you have to change things up? How much? Sorry, how much? No, I won't change things up. How much are you ready? 24 right now. Okay.

224. Okay. That's pounds, Elwani. 224 pounds. I know you guys speak of Keebles out there. Well, no, no. The city of New York. Will you have to change it? Are you going to put...

Are you going to put muscle on? What are you going to do? No, I'm not going to change anything. And I like to lose a few pounds just so that's what I'm going to my best one, right around 214, 215. And that's probably when I feel like my quickest. and most limber and that's it. Then I'll bring my skills. Okay. By the way, just left, you know, it's not rocket science hell wanting. It's an ass whipping contest. No, I know,

I know, but this is kind of new territory for you. This is different. I guess I don't see the difference, man. Somebody gets in there with their shirt off and their mouthpiece in. I get in there with my shirt off and my mouthpiece in. I don't see what the big deal is. All right. Fair enough. And there's a big opportunity. Right. There's a big opportunity. You win a few fights. You come through your Grand Prix champion. Dan Henderson won a Grand Prix one time. I've always been jealous. That's right. I've never been in one. Did you imagine Chale's son and heavyweight champion of the world? How about that? Yes, I could. I could imagine that. I've been dying to ask you this question because your name has come up in the news as of late. I'm a little surprised.

You're acting surprised about that. What do you mean? What do you mean? That kind of. What? Well, you know, it's a little something in your voice over there. Like, could you imagine? Did you imagine the greatest fighter ever? I've fought for five world championships, Ariel. Yes, fair enough. I mean, I'm bound to win one of them sooner later, right? You really think I'm going to go 0 and 6? You still have that WEC belt?

Oh, it's right there. Is it right in back of you? I think it's behind. Oh, wow. I think it's behind me somewhere down. What a great little setup that is. So I've been dying to ask you this. I know a lot of other.

You know, I still have the belt. Like one day I was doing spring cleaning. I'm like, you know, it really's got to go. Is that that damn championship belt? man, that's just been weighing my wall down. I've got to get rid of that thing. Can I ask you about Colby Covington? A lot of people have been bringing you up

when talking about Colby Covington. What is your take on Colby Covington? I love him. Okay, go ahead. I love him. I think he's a ton of fun. I think what Verdoom did was a scumbag move. I have no idea. I mean, that's the second time Perdom's done this.

Don't forget, the last time we saw him get into somebody, it was a 155-pound Tony Ferguson. It was just really weird. Bredoom, you know, I guess that's my piece on that. But as far as Colby goes, listen, man, if you want to make an omelet, crack a few eggs, what the hell is he doing wrong? And I'll remind you, I've known Tyron Woodley since way back when. And I saw Tyron do this same thing. And he had a little bit different approach, but don't make any mistake that Tyron Woodley stuck his finger in every single chest and used every single microphone he had to to get his opportunity to.

He even said, I'll fight my own teammate. And then did and then knocked him out. Tyron was a guy that wanted to climb the mountain and would not let anything stop him. Colby's just doing the same thing. So, I mean, I don't think anybody can really judge Colby in some kind of unfair light. And he's got his own approach. But he's being himself. This isn't an act.

I've known him since he was 11 years old. He grew up two hours from my front door. He's been a rough guy his whole life. He's been wanting to get into the UFC, you know, since he was in high school and college. He had his dream on this. He had his eyesight. Here he is. And boom, he's going to get some notice.

What the hell's wrong with that? Where did you come across him? Eleven years old, what were the circumstances? He's a wrestler. He came through the wrestling scene. His father's a referee. His dad used to refs some of my matches. I mean, it was like a family affair.

Like all the great wrestlers, it's a family affair. You know, the whole family gets involved. But he's out of Thurston, Oregon, and was a state champion and went on to Oregon State University. He was a Pac-10 champion. He was also an All-American for the Beavers. I was a little surprised he left home. I thought he'd come up here and train with us.

He did train with us for a little bit at Team Quest, and then he went off to ATT. But yeah, man, Kobe's doing a great job. I don't understand how anybody's criticizing him, and the guy is the talk of the town. I'll remind you, he had a fight with Damien Maya. One week later was Madison Square Garden, turned out to be the greatest M.M.A. card of all time. George St. Pierre is making his return to take on Michael Bisping. One day before that fight, they were the third story down.

Bisping and St. Pierre. The first two stories, one week later, was still Colby Covington. So if you're not going to take an example from that and learn from this guy and try to copy him, you're missing the mark. And I see fighters do it all the time. But he's doing everything right. And let him speak his mind. Who cares?

I mean, there's some things you can't say. There's a few things he might have to run back, but not many. Is there a line, though? Do you feel like he's getting close to any kind of line? or is all fair and love and fight promotion? No, it's not all fair. I don't think he would say that, though, either. Is there a line?

Yeah, sure, there's a line. But no, he's walking. He's doing fun. Okay. And are you talking to him, like throughout all this? Do you check in with him? You have a good relationship with him? Because it's amazing.

I'm sure you hear this as well. Everyone's like, oh, he's like Chale's Sonnen 2.0 or the second coming of Chale, the Oregon connection, the feud with the Brazilians, et cetera. Yeah, or I'm like Colby, man. I mean, I don't know how you want to slice it. I don't know that either one of us is copying either one. I mean, the guy's a rough guy. He knows exactly what he wants.

He's not afraid to go out and do it. He just took out a two-time number one contender. I mean, he's getting a little bit hard to ignore. I do not talk with Colby or feed him lines if that's at all what you meant. I had him on my podcast the other day. We caught up a little bit. He was absolute fire. And he got off and moved on with his day.

I think he went to Australia to get attacked by some knucklehead named Verdume. Does George H. Pierre fight again? Yeah, he definitely fights again. Does he fight Robert Whitaker? I think so. I think he takes the Whitaker fight reluctantly. But, yeah, George definitely fights again. You know, don't forget the biggest match you could make is George versus Connor.

It's just a matter of how do you make it? You can't really make it right now. It's a little weird. It would leave two divisions. It's just a little bit of a problem, so you keep your fingers crossed and hope that they can both get some wins and figure it out. But yeah, George isn't done fighting. Really? Okay, because there's some people, including Patrick Cote,

was just on, think that maybe this could be it. You know, he stuck around. He kind of was in the cage a little longer on that night. You know, I wouldn't be shocked. You would be shocked if he walked away? Yeah, I would be a little bit. I mean, he did take a four-year break. I don't think he wants to do that again.

He works hard every single day. He was one of those really disciplined guys, twice a day, every day, six days a week. And he did that even when he was off. He kept saying, I'm never going to fight again. But he was in the gym twice a day, every single day. Even if he stayed out late, party in the night before he gets up in the morning, goes in the gym. He was really disciplined about that.

And it was hard for me to ever accept that a guy was just doing that because he loved the life of a martial artist. I mean, that's what he was claiming. But for me, that was a tough sell. It's like, come on, George. Nobody works this hard and has these kind of skills. doesn't want to go show him off. That's my opinion. He could walk away at any time.

If I found out he was walking away, I would have some disappointment, but I'd also be very happy for him. He'd be the only fighter that I know of that's going on top, and now we would have done it twice. The only guy I could think of, and it'd be the boxing world as Lennox Lewis. I mean, all fighters are career in the same way, man, face down and embarrassed.

And you told me George could go out on top. That'd be a pretty cool story, but I wouldn't miss seeing him. And I thought he looked terrible in his fight against Bisping, by George standards. I thought he looked slow and sluggish. I thought he looked undersized. And he just reminded us all

that even a bad George is still the greatest fighter out there. Just the truth. Is that something you worry about? You know, the end happening with your face down, you know, having to be carted out. Do you think about that a lot?

Or do fighters not think about that? No, I don't worry about it. I mean, I'm fully content that that is how it is going to end. You know, athletes as a whole, but we really see it, you know, in fighting. They just stay in there too damn long. They lie to themselves. They think they could do it.

I've heard Muhammad Ali came out and talked about it, you know. It's just a reality. And, you know, I would rather do that era than leave anything on the table. Even in my wrestling career, I look back and think, ah, you know, if I would have done one more tournament or gave it one more opportunity, maybe I could have made that world or Olympic team.

And I don't want any of those regrets, man. You know, being embarrassed and getting beat and all of that, I mean, that comes with sport, but you live the rest of your life wondering, could have I won the Grand Prix, could have I been the world heavyweight champion for one night? I'm not signing up for that. Do you think Connor gets punished? If they can reach him, it's a hard reach, man. From a legal standpoint, it's a hard reach.

And even the president, Mike Mizzouli, president of the ABC came out and said that. I'm going to have to sit down with my lawyers. And he exited there. But, you know, what that means is I don't know how to reach this guy. I'm going to have to sit down and look at some rules. see if I can. What he did was absolutely wrong. It's my job as the president to take care of this. I'm just not sure if I can. The way I understand the rules, it's going to be hard to reach him. What do you mean by reaching?

So to explain this for your audience, Mike Mazzuli, who was the executive director that night, and was overseeing the event, can sanction and discipline. He can find. He can suspend anybody who's licensed. Connor was not a licensed corner man or a licensed fighter that night. So it's not that simple. Now, even though Connor does have an active license

by an ABC affiliate, which is Nevada, I don't know that they can I don't know that they can step. They might have to get Nevada to have to make the ruling. And then Nevada's in the hot seat if Connor wants to come in and sue and contest that.

And I don't think Nevada would take on that liability. So I just don't know what the ABC can do. We're going to have to see. And I would only know if Mike Mizzuli came out and told us what he can do. And right now, Mazuli's saying, I'm going to look at this thing. I'm in a tough spot here. Wow. He should be sanctioned.

It was a scumbag. It was a scumbag move on multiple levels. And then I think it was made worse by, you know, not apologizing for it and saying I'm a scumbag, you know, trying to double that. It was just a bad look. You know, the cool side of it, Connor loved his teammate. Connor wanted to celebrate with his teammate. thought that was a cool thing. He stayed passionate. The guys always stayed true to his team, his coaches, his gym. But as far as overshadowing coming in the ring, assaulting a referee,

push him into a concussed fighter, slapping M-Jame. Yeah, it was bad. Something has to happen. I don't think the world needs to fall down around Connor McGregor for this. Was it wrong to do? Yeah. There's still a level of punishment there, right? I mean, the guy didn't do a murder. It also wasn't jaywalking, but it wasn't that far from jaywalking, right? It wasn't the biggest thing that he did. but it was still wrong and they got to do something if they can. You know, it was interesting. Mike Wozuli said last week on the show that the UFC told him that he had been removed from the December 30th card and then that was his punishment.

And then his management said, no, he was never a part of that card. If you're his management, why don't you say like, yeah, that's my punishment. Great. Thank you. Thank you for, you know what I mean? Like, why wouldn't you just take that, right? Yeah, man. Look, the December 30th card is six weeks away. and not one piece of marketing nor a single ticket has been sold. We're well aware that he wasn't on the car.

But this is a PR move. And the world of PR, perception is reality. And if you can make people think that Connor was delayed, you know, I don't think we can say he lost $10 million, but that it would be delayed, which would be his purse for fighting Tony Ferguson. I think that the world might calm down a little bit. I was very surprised that Connor's own side missed that play

and instead took the stance of that, did it happen? Yeah, you know, let's see what happens. But it doesn't put him in a good spot. You know, he's talking about wanting to be an owner and a partner of the UFC with how having to write a check and buy in, which is not how ownership or partnerships works. And all of a sudden, if you're Dana, you don't have to have that dialogue anymore.

It's like, hey, man, I'm not partnering with a guy that's outbreaking commission rules. It's as simple as that. You can sit on the shelf where I can get you back in there. Do you want me to go to bat for you or not? Okay. Hey, let me ask you something. You put me in a hot seat at Covington,

but then you laid out. Certainly, you agree with me. Colby hasn't done anything. I don't want to talk about this line. Is he going too far? Look, he's making noise. He's getting on your show, which happens to be the biggest show in MMA.

He's coming on with the world champion, who he got to respond. The world, Tyrant took the bait. Tyrant did respond. He just took out the number one contender. He's stealing all the headlines. Certainly, you're not on the board that we shouldn't do what Colby's doing and go out and get attention for your hard work.

work, right? So I know you listen to the show every week, and a couple weeks ago, after the Damien Maya fight, I said that this was pro wrestling 101. This is what Andy Kaufman did. Oh, you guys smell. Here's some, you know, here's some soap. You wash your armpits. I mean, what he said about Brazil that night, filthy animals, all that stuff could have been said in Memphis, in Chicago, in Montreal, in Toronto, and Vancouver. There was nothing really specific about Brazil that I thought was offensive that crossed any kind of line. He's now kind of stuck with this whole filthy animal thing and it's fine. I get, you know, like, look, this is the fight game.

I don't get too worked up about these things. I definitely think that he erred in using a homosexual slur when he was filming himself talking about Redoom. Like that was kind of a misstep on his part. So, you know, what happens there? I mean, that's like every day someone is using that word, which is a little bit dumbfounding. But overall, no, I'm not offended. By the way, he's not talking about me, though. He's not talking about, I'm not Brazilian. So he's not really going after me. I do think that there's

something to be said for, hey, a year ago, no one was talking about this guy. Like literally, no one was talking about him, right? And now he's one of the biggest, quote-unquote, bad guys in the sport. Like, everyone wants to see him get his ass whooped, right? And there's some, there's some power in that. They don't have to cheer for you. They just have to pay to watch you fight. Pay to watch you get your ass whoop. And I think that a lot of people would want to pay to see Tyron, will he get his asswop up? And one of the things I would say to Tyron is embrace this. People have been somewhat apathetic towards your career. Embrace this. Now you have a guy that everyone's going to hate and everyone's going to cheer you. Embrace this situation and beat

the guy up. Take the fight. Take the bait. There you go. Yeah, I don't disagree with anything you said. And I agree with you about the slur as well. I watched that and that part of that went, eh. You know, that was the one part of the line. But he was also just assaulted. You know, I don't know that one washes out the other, but I think you take it into consideration. So, yeah, man, that whole thing was weird. And why Verdom is sticking his nose, and it's very bizarre. You know, Verdume is so good. He's such a, you can have him in the conversation of the greatest heavyweights out there.

I mean, he's a guy that's just so wide open, he just goes out there and fights. He's, Verdum is open to be knocked out at any point in any fight because he's so reckless. But that's also what makes him so damn dynamic. and why he would get his feelings heard about it when he's living in California, man. Verdom had no standing in the matter. It was a scumbag move by Perdicio and not his first one.

And how do you feel about pressing charges? As fighters, should that not be considered? Or is that fair game? I'll tell you this, and I'm guessing, you can ask Kobe if I'm right about this. But do you remember when Angela and Cyborg got in that dust up on the streets of Vegas? So Angela came on my podcast, and I asked her about that because I thought that was a little bit weird, right?

She's antagonizing her. And Angela said, no, no, no. She said, the UFC made me press charges. They were aware, and there was a video of an assault, and they made me, by their procedure, take it to this level. And I think that that makes sense. You know, people want the UFC to be the police on everything, like they're running a church. And they're not. And the UFC has to be able to go, listen.

There is a body that oversees this. The same thing with Connor. People want Dana to step in as the leader of industry and do something about it. But Dana's at some point got to go, man, this isn't my job. There's a commission there. Bring Koker into it. Bring the local police into it. There's three different levels before it ever crosses season gets to me in Las Vegas.

And he's right about that. And the same thing goes with this. Before the UFC has to step in and do an internal investigation, it's like, wait a minute, there is a body that does this. It's the local police. So take it to them. If I was to guess, I'll bet you it was the same situation. But Colby's going, hey man, we're good here. Let's let this go.

And they probably said, no, there was an assault that's caught on video and it has to be reported here. That's my guess. And I'll bet you I'm right. We'll find out in a matter of moments. Pleasure as always, Chale. Thank you very much for the time. I'm excited. I have to tell you.

Yeah. I have to tell you, I appreciate you having me on. I appreciate you pushing through today. Your energy sucks up. Your energy really does suck. I carried this. You owe me one. Caboom.

Oh, man. I thought it was faking it very well. but I guess not. I guess I wasn't faking it well. That really made me sad. Now I'm all self-conscious, right? Oh my lotty.

I'm all self-conscious now. I thought that I was actually faking it quite well. All right. Well, thank you very much, Chal Sun. And let's see what happens with the heavyweight tournament.

Let's see, he'll leave it next. That's what I heard. I heard that he was going to fight, I heard that he was going to fight Rampage Jackson on January 20th. I also reported that as of right now, the lineup was Rampage against Chale on January 20th. I heard that it was going to be Mitreone against Roy Nelson in February, Bader and Moe in March, and then Fador and Mier in April.

And you'll recall that Mier is still suspended, so he would have to fight in April. That's kind of the easiest one of them all to pencil in, because he can't. can't fight before April due to the suspension, which led to his departure from the UFC. All right. In a matter of moments, do we have him? I guess not. Maybe we do. Okay.

In a matter of moments, we're going to be joined by Michael Chandler. And Michael Chandler was in the news late last week. I reported that he'll be fighting Goichi Yamauuchi on January 20th in Englewood, up to no good, California. and that led to a lot of discussion about why isn't he fighting Brent Primis? You'll recall in June at Madison Square Garden, Belator NYC, they fought for the Beltor lightweight title. And the fight didn't really get off, you know, there wasn't much to the fight because relatively early on, Michael Chandler injured his foot, sprained his foot and suffered some ligament damage. you'll recall as well that he was in studio on that Monday after.

Always a mensch Michael Chandler is and talked about it all and said that he still considered himself a champion and was going to get a rematch and get back on the horse, etc. Well, that's not happening. Brent Premis did an interview with our own Guillermo Cruz and said that the fight was offered to Michael Chandler and he turned it down. And interestingly enough said that he was going to fight at 170, but that next fight isn't at 170. So there's a lot of confusion and thought that it would be beneficial to clear the air with Michael Chandler, the former Bel-Tor lightweight champion. And by the way, a happy anniversary to him. It was, what, six years ago yesterday that he had that amazing fight against Eddie Alvarez that night, where the UFC was in San Jose, UFC 139, and Alvarez fought Michael Chandler just hours apart.

I never forget that night. One of the best nights in MMA history because they were happening on different sides of the country. that's when Belator was doing a lot of Saturday evening shows on MTV2 and those two fight of the year contenders. I don't know what officially won the fight of the year. I think it might have been Henderson versus Shogun. But there were two of the very best fights of the year and they happened within literally minutes of each other.

So anyway, that was yesterday, the anniversary of that fight. Six years ago yesterday, to be exact, but now let us bring in Mr. Michael Chandler to help clear the air on all of this involved, the Beltaire Lightway title. There he is, Mr. Michael Chandler, who is going to be a father soon, right? Or have you become a father yet? I have become a father. I am a father. Wow. Congratulations. Muzzletove. That's amazing. How's that going? Thanks, man. Now, it's been great. It's been a whirlwind for the last couple weeks, man. My wife and I, my wife has wanted to adopt

since she was like 15 years old. So when we got together, I knew it was something that we were probably going to do eventually. We've gone through the process over the last year, all the background checks, all the paperwork, all the applications, all that kind of stuff. And then all of a sudden we got a phone call that said we were active and they have a case for us and went down to Dallas, Texas, spent a couple weeks in a hotel, picked up our pride and joy. Happy Whitaker Chandler. And he's been with us ever since. Wow, that's amazing. Good for you guys. Congratulations again. And like I said to you via text, on this show, I think I mentioned to you that you're going to be a great dad.

So I'm happy to see that the process has started already. Yeah, thanks, man. It's been good. I've been kind of, I've known he was going to happen, you know, over the last little while, but it's never a done deal until it's a done deal, so you don't really want to be talking too much about it. And now it's a new deal so we can talk about them all we want. And also, by the way, happy anniversary, six years ago yesterday,

that great fight against Eddie Alvarez. Did you remember that? Like, when I see my phone, I see November 19th, I'm like, oh, yeah, that was an awesome night. Do you feel the same way? I do. Yeah, man. It was really the fight that put me on the map. It was the fight that let people know who I am, how tough I am, how talented I was going to be. And the great thing is looking back at that fight and realizing how green I was and how not. I was very, very tough, but I wasn't very skilled. And it was Will that won that fight more than skill. And here we are six years later. And it's been something that's been a stepping stone to get me to where I am today. And man, it's been good. It's been a phenomenal night. It was a phenomenal night in history. Yeah, one of the greatest ever.

So let's clear the air here because when I found out that you were fighting Gautia Meucci, I was like, okay, that's a good fight. But I would have put in stone that your next fight was Brent Primus just because of what happened in the last fight. You were the champion, somewhat inconclusive, somewhat controversial. Everyone kind of wanted to see some closure to that fight. And, well, that wasn't the case. You're not fighting Brent Primus next.

And then Brent Primus did an interview with our own Guillermo Cruz saying, that the fight was offered to you, you turned it down, and now he's just waiting for a fight, maybe against Patrickie Pitbull. What the heck is going on here? Were you offered a fight against Brent? Can you clear the air? Tell us the whole damn story,

because it's a little bit confusing. Was I offered the fight against Brent? No. I have been asking to fight, Grant Premis, since I sat there in that studio, on that chair, I hobbled in. Five days later, I ran five miles,

was texting Scott Coker, Richview, booked the rematch, let's go. I asked for the fight, October at Mohican Sun. I asked for it in November at Penn State. I asked for it in December overseas. But I am a professional fighter. I am a prize fighter. I'm not going to sit around and wait for somebody who he himself just had a child and he's on maternity leave right now. So he just wants to sit around and not do anything. So I'm not going to wait. I have a lot bigger fish to find a lot, a lot bigger things to do than wait around for somebody who honestly just

doesn't want to take a fight. I don't know what his reasoning is besides he's just busy. Um, but you know me well. I've been fighting for eight years. Uh, he has been fighting for eight years. He has eight fights. I have 20 fights. Um, I've fought injured. I've fought calling out the biggest names in the division and the division above me. So, you know, uh, you know who the, what the real truth is in this scenario. So you're saying that he turned out a fight against you. I'm saying that I was asking for the fight. Um, so I mean, essentially, he essentially, yes. He turned down the fight because I was asking to fight him. Bellator wanted to make the fight, but you can't force somebody to fight. I've been in this situation numerous times now where I am telling Belator I want to fight. I want to fight this guy.

I want to fight. Just give me any fight. And Bellator's got some people on the roster that just don't want to fight. They're part-time fighters. This guy that we're talking about is a part-time fighter. He's been fighting eight years, and only in one of those years has he fought more than one time. I am the most upset fighter in the entire world that I have only fought one time in the calendar year 2017, because that's not who I am. I'm a professional fighter.

I want to fight numerous times a year. I want to go out there to be put on a platform to be able to beat somebody up in front of millions of people. This guy wants to not. He's the literally exact opposite of me. So I got some bigger fights, man. You heard me. You and I have been talking. I've been calling out Rory.

I've been calling out Paul Daly. The little Patricio Pitbull sister has been wanting to fight me ever since I literally mangled his. his brother on national television and almost beat him within the inch of his life. So I got a lot of fights that I can, I have a lot more fights than I can take than this rematch. To me, the belt doesn't mean anything to me. I don't need the belt to prove who I am. The belt to me is just an ornament at this point. I just want to fight.

Have you always felt that way? Yeah. Really? I mean, what's the belt? You know, what is the belt besides, you know, 13 pounds of leather and gold? I mean, yes, it symbolizes something. Yes, it symbolizes that you're the champion. But I don't need to have the belt around my ways.

If I walk into a room, he walks into a room. who do you think is getting the attention? If I walk into a room, he walks into the room with the belt over the shoulder, who do you think, they'd be like, people would just be wondering saying, that's a fan with that, he's one of those fans that got one of those bell to our belts. Where'd you get that belt to a belt? Are you going to have Chandler sign it? That's cool,

man. You know, we've all been in those places, we have those things. So, I don't need the fight. I don't want to fight. Would I like to punch him in the face? Absolutely. I don't know if I'm going to get the chance because in this sport, it's a sport in which people have to sign them without the lines. We have to sign these contracts.

we have to step into the cage. I don't think he's going to. And that, I could care less. I'm on to bigger and better things. Yamuchi is the toughest fight in this division and the scariest fight in this division with 22 wins, 18 wins by submission, 18 finishes this guy has.

He's young, he's hungry, he's confident, and he fights a lot. He just finished Adam Piccolati a month or two ago, who's one of the top prospects in this division, and this guy has 15, 60, he's guy has more fights than I do. So I want a big fight. I want a hard fight.

I want a challenging fight. And I want to fight on January 20th. The kickoff of Bellator, M&A, on Paramount Network. There's nobody else in this entire company that should be on that first fight. Just like I was in the first fight on Spike TV when I went from MTV to Spike TV. So that's why I'm on this card. Bellator did right by me. My new son's birthday is January 23rd.

I said, hey, I want to fight the 20th because I'd like to be able to celebrate his first birthday. here we are. I go out, finish Ammouchi, and then I got some big fights on my horizon, probably not him. When you were reading those comments, him saying that you turned down the fight and all that stuff, what was your reaction? Knowing, you know, the story that you just told, how did you react to that? It's, I mean, yeah, of course I was ticked off. Of course, you know, my wife and I were a road trip in here to Missouri and she was reading it to me as I was driving. And she gets more worked up. Yeah, she gets more worked up than I do. So, you know, it's one of those scenes where, man, we live in a world today where, you know,

we just heard Chale say, perception is reality. So he, you know, this guy's smart enough to say, hey, if I go ahead and lie to everybody and say that he turned out the fight, I can get a little bit more time to sit around and watch my wife feed him our baby. I don't know what he's doing right now. You know, I mean, I have a nine-month-old, and my wife does 90% of the stuff, and I'm there to just, I'm there for comic relief.

You don't need to be sitting around and being a father full-time. Get your butt in the gym. Let's get into a fight. But I was a little bit ticked off, and that's why I'm on the show right now. And then again, whatever, these are my words. But all I'm saying is look at someone's track record. Let's see who is always asking for fight. See who is always calling people out.

See who is always ready and always down to get into a war and literally die inside of a cage. One of us is, one of us isn't. So it's not that hard of a decision to see who's lying in this scenario. And what about this 170 stuff? I mean, I know that there was some talk you wanting to fight Roy McDowell and all that stuff. Was it possible that your next fight would have been at 170? Was that something that was discussed? Absolutely, man.

I mean, like I said, man, I'm in this sport. Now, I've been in this sport almost 10 years now. You know, I want the biggest and most exciting fights I possibly can. You know, I mean, those guys at 170 aren't that much bigger than me. I mean, I'm a big lightweight. I haven't had the easiest time making weight. The only reason I can make weight easily is because I'm disciplined for 10 weeks. I've already started my, I've already started my diet to get down to 155 on January 20th.

It's not easy, it's not easy for me to make weight because I stay in shape. I keep a lean, lean body mass, lean muscle mass throughout my, throughout the entire year, and I get up into that 187, 190 mark, and then I bring it down. So, yeah, I want those big explosive fights. Paul Daly is one of the most exciting fighters in the entire world. I want to step in the cage with that, man. Roy McDonald is widely regarded as one of the top welter weights in the world. I want to fight that man.

Patricio Pitbull is smaller than me, but he's got a big mouth and he hates me. He hates me more than anybody hates anybody in this, in this entire in the May game. So we might as well let, we might as well step into the cage and settle it. So there's no reason to talk about has beens and part-time fighters, who we were alluding to earlier. Let's start talking about the big names, the people who actually fight for a living, who fight for a paycheck, who love to step, step into the cage, bite down on the mouthpiece, and put on a show for the fans. That's what I do.

That's what I've done since 2009 since I finished my college wrestling career. So it's time to go, man. January 20th, it is. I'm a prize fighter. I'm ready to collect a prize. There's no part of you whatsoever that you're like, yeah, I know I agree with what you're saying,

it all makes sense. Prize fighting, I mean, that's how you provide for your family. But you want that belt, right? It'd be nice to have it back. Don't you make more money when you're the champion as well? No. Oh, no. It's the same.

I make money being Michael Chandler, whether I'm fighting, whether I'm, you know, I don't make money when I don't fight. That's what I don't make money. I make the same amount of money whether I'm a champion or whether I'm not the champion. Let's just say I've earned my position in this company. I have bled. I have died inside that cage, came back in the fifth round against Vincent Henderson and finished the fight at the belt and won the fight via the city. Okay? I've had the belt numerous times.

You know, I mean, I went up this, I went up to Sanford Medical in Sue Falls, South Dakota, got 12 shots in my spine on a Wednesday before the first Bellator pay-per-view ever and hobbled into the cage, all jacked up, body all numb, went out there and lost a fight that I should have never taken. That's what I do. I don't care about the belt. I have three of them hanging in my office. If I was at home right now, we'd be doing it in my office and you could see all the belts. Who cares about the belts?

Those things are going to collect dust. Those things are going to tarnish. I don't care about that stuff. I care about legacy. I care about creating, I care about creating currency for myself and my family, and now my son,

my wife and my son. You know, I mean, that's what I want. The belt to me is an ornament. I can care less. I got some big fights that people want to watch, and that's what's going to happen. Is it fair to say that you moved on from Brent Primis at this point,

that you're not interested in fighting him anymore? Why would I? I almost knocked him out on one leg I almost knocked him out on one leg everybody saw it and millions of people saw it and thought holy cow how was that guy with one leg just knock

just literally knock someone to their butt chase him across the cage ankle ankle bent seven ways of Sunday and then the referee came in and gave the fight to someone else you know I am 100% convinced I would won that fight on one leg so why do I need to fight?

I literally do not need to fight him especially if he doesn't want to fight and now you want to tell people that I'd down the fight, no, you don't even deserve the step in the cage of me. I'm the draw here. I'm the big name.

I'm still the champion. Whether you like it or not, you, dork. How is the foot, by the way? It's phenomenal, dude. Look at this sucker. You're all good. It's great, man.

No limitations. I ran five. Huh? No limitations. You're healed. Zero limit. No, I walked to your studio. Yes.

The day after. Yeah. I walked to your studio. I walked five, ten miles around New York for a day and a half and enjoyed the scenery and all that kind of stuff. Went to San Diego, started my rehab. Five days later, I ran five miles on concrete and my running shoes. I'm 100% healed. I have zero limited.

I'm the best I've ever been, so come to step into the gauge. That is amazing. By the way, I'd be remiss if I don't ask you about your old friend, Will Brooks. Are you shocked by this, that he's one and three, that he's lost his last three in a row? are you a little surprised to see how poorly things have gone for him in the UFC? I am. I really, I really, really am. And the funny thing is, no matter how big of a rival you could have with somebody, and no matter how, no matter how much you might dislike the way someone is, or we've had our differences, we have, we have our history, I still feel for,

the guy, man. Nobody, nobody deserves to lose three fights in a row. When you can't get your footing. Your confidence is down in the dumps. Things are going wrong here. Things are going wrong there. You just can't catch a break. You know, it's tough. I saw it happen. And I saw some of the comments, man. Like, people are just ruthless. You know, this man steps into the cage. This man just steps into a cage, puts himself on the line and loses in front of millions of people. And all people can say is negative mean things, you know, and that's just the world we live in. So, I'm here to say that I'm one of his not so big supporters, but keep your head up, man.

You know, your best days can still happen if you continue to believe in yourself and continue to work hard. That's where I was, man. People wrote me off. You know, we just started talking about

the Eddie Alvarez fight six years ago. People put Chandler up in the top three in the world. You know, we want to see him fight Vincent Henderson's UFC champion. You want to see him at number one. I think this guy can go all the way. And then fast forward two years later, losing three fights in a row. This guy sucks.

He's a, he washed up has been, you know, go get a day job. And now here I am again on the biggest show. in MMA media. You know, so I've continued to win and lose and win and lose. And in this game, nobody can be perfect.

And you're continuing to just fight your previous self and your own limitations inside your mind. And that's what it is. And the life of a fighter is a hard one. And it's not an easy one. And it's trying. And it'll beat you to your knees if it'll let it. And, you know, it's a tough life.

But, man, you've got to keep your head up and keep moving forward. Great stuff, Michael. Pleasure as always. Selfishly, I wanted to see you. fight for that belt again. I want to see a conclusion to that, but I'm happy to see that. Okay, all right, I'm just saying You seriously

want to see me step into the cage with that part-time fighting rather than Paul Daly, Patricio Pip. No, no. Roy McDonnell. Lorenz Larkin. You're one of the faces Mark, what do you know that I don't know? You're one of the faces of that promotion. You're one of the faces of that promotion. You

should be fighting for a belt. You know, that fight kind of ended a bit in conclusion. and it was incredible to watch Cage side with the one leg and you're knocking him down. But I was going to say, but I love this Yamahauchi fight. I think he's great. I love the styles match up. I love, you know,

the just like on paper, the way you two match up. It's fun. But yeah, selfishly, I thought that that would have been great for the new network and everything you fighting for the belt. But hey, you got bigger plans. You're not worried? I'm not going to be worried. Yeah, don't be worried, man. It's all good. We got

And like I said, Yamauchi is the toughest fight in this division. He finishes Patrici Pippel. He finishes Brent Premis. He finishes any of those guys. And Michael Chandler is going to go out there and smash them. So January 20th, let's go. All the best. Again, congratulations on Parenthood and happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Thank you. You too, man. I appreciate it. I'll see you. All right. There he is Michael Chandler. Returning to action on January 20th. And that's very...

Okay. We're trying to action on January 20th. That's the first, as he mentioned, the first Belator event on the new Paramount Network. In case you missed it, Spike TV is going to turn into the Paramount Network in early 2018. And Mr. Michael Chandler will be on that first card, which is the card headline by Roar & MacDonald versus Douglas Lima for the Bellator Welterweight title. That's at the forum. in Inglewood, California. So looking forward to that. And also, by the way, that is the event that's going head-to-head with UFC 220 in Boston. What's going to happen to UFC 220? Last we heard, it was going to be Daniel Korme against Wokan Ozedemir, but you may have heard yesterday, Volkan was arrested in Florida. So we'll talk a little more about that situation.

And there's a chance we may get another title fight on the car. We'll talk about that. a little later in the show. All right, let's move along. One of the most talked about individuals in the sport is Colby Cunnington. He's been on the show, what, twice in the last four or five weeks. Well, he returns again. This time, well, we have something new to talk about.

We're not necessarily talking about a fight. There was an incident, as you may have heard in Sydney, involving Fabrice River Doom and a boomerang. He was subsequently sent home as a guest fighter from the event, then he now is kind enough to join us via the magic of Skype. There he is, Kobe Covington, one of the most talked about men in MMA, one of the most hated men in MMA. He joins us now on, does that make you feel bad? Are you offended when I say that when I say you're one of the most hated men or is that accurate?

No, you know, hate is just another word for love, really. So, you know, I understand what you're trying to say, Ariel. Okay, fair enough. Okay, so let's talk about Sydney. you're there, you're a guest fighter with Jorge Masvedal, you're a good friend, you're at the hotel. Can you paint the picture for us? Because we've heard Fabricio's side of things

and I wanted to have you on to talk about your side of the story. So can you paint the picture? What happened here? Yeah, I'm going to paint the real picture, you know, because Fabricio's making up these ridiculous stories when it's all on camera so you can't hide from the truth. But pretty much me and my boy,

Jorge, we're over in Australia. We're promoting a card that nobody knows about. We're trying to give attention to this car that no one's even talking about, and we're trying to sell tickets because no one knows if there's even a UFC event this weekend without us being there. And I'm outside.

I'm waiting curbside to get in my taxi, and I'm looking down at my Twitter, and I'm talking shit to Tyrone Woodley, hey, Tyrone stop being scared. And out of nowhere, boom, I get hit across the face. And I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on? I look up. It's Fabricio, we're doing.

And he's screaming at me. Oh, he's screaming these anti-gay slurs. Oh, I'm going to kill you. He's walking at me with his coach, Raphael Cordero. Oh, we're going to kill you. They're backing me up. I'm like walking back. Yo, get the fuck away from me.

What are you doing, man? You guys, you're professionals. And then all of a sudden, John Wood jumps in the middle of it and a couple security guards. And they're like, yo, you're not going to attack him. Get away from him. What are you doing? And Fabricio still yelling to me, oh, I'm going to kill you, Kobe. Oh, you're dead.

He picks up a boomerang and tosses the boomerang at my face. And I kind of got lucky and I ducked it because I have, you know, impeccable. reflexes, but, you know, luckily it didn't hit me square in the face, and it just kind of hit hit me off the side of the face, but, you know, they use boomerings in Australia to hunt kangaroos. They don't use boomerings. People are saying this isn't a weapon. This is a weapon. And then the UFC fissures are like, hey, Colby, come on, let's go, let's get out of here. And I'm like, okay, you know, I'm going to be a professional. We're not street thugs. I don't get paid to fight on the streets. I get paid to fight in the octagon. And, you know,

where's the equality at? All the people in the world that are saying, oh, he's a snitch, he went to the cops, yeah, you know, you're condoning violence because of free speech. You know who else created? You know what that's called, Ariel? What? That's called fascism. You know who else believed in fascism? Who?

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Oh, God. It's not okay, Ariel. What he did, there will be justice, sir. You know, now he's in the hands of Australian police, you know. He's making a joke about it going around. oh, the boomerang, oh, la la, la. He thinks he's a joke.

This ain't a joke, man. He came up and attacked me, Ariel. Take away the fact that we're pro fighters, Ariel. If you're out in the street and someone comes up in the street and hits you in the face because of some comments you made on MMA hour, would that be okay, Ariel? I mean, no, I absolutely not. Let me ask you this. The general consensus seemed to be that he hit you with the boomerang.

You're saying that he actually punched you first and then hit you with the boomerang? Yeah, the first thing that happened, I'm sitting outside waiting for my taxi to go to Fox Sports Australia, and I get hit in the face, sucker punch style. Like I wasn't looking, I'm looking down to my phone, tweeting at Tyrone Woodley, and all of a sudden I get hit in the face from the side. And I'm like, whoa, what's going on? Like, I'm a little concussed, like a little bit messed up in the head. Like, whoa, what just happened? Like, all this heat of the moment type stuff. And I look up and it's Fabricio, we're doing.

And he's still coming at me with this coach, Raphael Cordero. and they're acting like they're going to jump me. Like literally, I'm like backing up, back paddling back. I'm like, whoa, what are you guys doing? Get away from me. Like, what are you guys doing, dude? Like, you can't do this in the streets, man. Don't act like street thugs, man.

We're professional fighters, dude. Condone yourself like a professional. And then luckily, John Wood was there, and he was able to jump in the middle and kind of helped me from getting jumped, you know, and Raphael Cordero's coming out of me acting like he's going to do something. What the fuck's he going to do to me? I'll put that guy out cold.

And then he picks up a boomering, and throws the boomerang at my face. Like, that was unneeded after hearing sucker punched me in the face. Have you ever had any kind of runnings with Redoom? Or did this stem from, you know, the filthy animal comments, the Maya fight, all that stuff? No, I've never had any run-ins with Wardume. I barely knew who the guy was, you know. The only reason I was in Australia was to sell tickets and promote a card that no one knew

about that he was on. So, you know, I knew nothing about Wardume. His claims are completely lies. You know, I said nothing. him. I didn't even see him before he came up to me and hit me in the face. So he's out here saying, oh, Colby was, uh, uh, he's called me a filthy animal. No, I said those comments three weeks ago. You know, those, those comments are old, man. You can't, you can't come up and attack someone because of free speech. It's not okay to condone violence because of free speech, you know,

so, you know, we're not street thugs. We're professional fighters, you know, if you want to fight me, if you want to see me fight, you're going to have to pay $499 on pay-per-view or $59.99 on high definition to see these beautiful looks in action. But besides that, you're not going to come out in the streets and try and attack me because of some words I said that that's not okay. So after the incident, as you said, you were backing up and then you pulled out your phone, you're the presence of mind to pull out your phone and then you started filming the whole thing. I think it was on Instagram Live, right? Yeah, yeah, it was on Instagram Live. You know, I wanted to film it because, you know,

I didn't know who saw it. And I thought he was going to keep it coming at me, you know, after he hit me, And then he threw the boomer, and he's still walking at me. So I'm like, okay, I'm going to pull out my Instagram live. Whatever he does, you know, it's going to be held accountable. But, you know, at that point, you know, my head was all messed up. You know, I regret anything that I said because, you know, I was a little concussed, man. He hit me in the face. Like, he's calling me these anti-gay slur marks like a bunch of times.

He's saying I'm going to kill you this and that. Like my head was like spinning. I just wanted to get that out for evidence. Like, okay, keep coming at me. If you're going to attack me again, you're going to be on camera. So that's why I pulled that out. So I was going to ask you about the homosexual slur that it appears as though you said, you're saying it's because you were concussed and you were kind of out of it. That's why you said it?

Yeah, 100%. You know, I was completely concussed and out of it. You know, and he was saying those slurs to me before that. So it just kind of, I don't know, it must have been in my mind still. I have no ill effect towards the LGBT community. I actually support them. I have friends that are gay. So, you know, it's no disrespect to them. you know, at the end of the day, you know, marriage in one, you know, that's, that's a mistake in itself, but, but that's a whole other story. What? You know, I don't, you're not a supportive marriage, period?

Yeah, I'm not in support of marriage, man. It's, it's all a big joke and a mistake in itself. Wow. Okay. So many, so many different opinions. Okay, so that's over. What happens then? That's over.

And then I'm still the professional. Even in the state that I was in, heated up. all this, you know, they took me by the moment. I still did my job. I still went to Fox Sports Studio, Australia, and I still promoted the card. I kept my mouth shut, Ariel. I waited for you on MMA hour to give the real story of what happened,

not this fake story of what we're doing saying. I sold this show. You know, I talked about the fights on Fox Sports Australia. I haven't said a peep to anybody since. You're the first person I've been talking to. I kept quiet. Well, thank you. I appreciate that very much.

But then they asked you to go home, right? the UFC? How did you feel about that? You know, whatever they want to do, whatever's in the best interest for the UFC, you know, I don't want to, you know, I don't want to step on anybody's toes. If the UFC wanted me to go home, then whatever.

I felt it was unjustified. I don't think I should have been sent home. For what? For getting hit in the face? Like, where's their quality at? Like, if this was, we're regular people. We're in the streets. We're humans.

Another human coming up to me and attacking me because of some words I said three weeks ago, like they're condoning violence because of free speech and it's not right, Ariel. Like something needs to get set right. And you know what's going to set it right? The Australian Justice Department is going to set it right. We're doomed in the hand of the Australian Justice Department now.

He can't run like Tyrone Woodley runs anymore. So, you know, now it's on to Tyrone Woodley in St. Louis. Why is he ducking me, man? He's trying to fight a lightweight in December. That lightweight does, he's inactive. The only fight that Nate Deas wants to fight is constantly. McGrueger, that fight's not going to happen. Why doesn't Tyrone Woodley want to go fight in front of his home city? He claims to be the St. Louis kid. Oh, why don't you want to go

fight in St. Louis in your home city and defend your home turf? Oh, that's right, because you're too busy worrying about being on a Connor McGregor paperview points card. You're too worried about your bank account, Tyrone Two-Face Woodley. You ain't worried about fighting for the people. But it's okay, Tyrone Woodley. After I beat your ass and take your belt, I'm going to come back to St. Louis. And I'm going to defend the for the people of St. Louis, and I don't care if it's on fight past, because I don't fight for money. I fight for the people, Ariel, and I'll fight every contender in line. I'll establish my legacy. He's not even fight for his legacy. He's just fighting for his bank account. Okay, so just going

back to the other story, you press charges, right, and you receive some heat for that. A lot of people, I saw a lot of fighters who were kind of mocking you. Hey, you're a fighter, you talk smack. were you going around pressing charges and they compared you to Angela Magana. Chale Suna was on the show just around 30 minutes ago and hypothesized that you were asked to press charges by the UFC because this isn't the kind of thing that should happen.

What happened that led you to pressing charges? Why did you decide to do that? Why did you feel like that was, you know, all right? Obviously you were hit. Obviously you were a punch in the face. You were hit with the boomerang. But people seem to be very surprised that you pressed charges.

Why did you decide to do that? Well, first off, all the people that, you know, are condoning violence and saying all these hateful things to me are the same people that are cheating on their taxes, cheating on their wives. They're all a bunch of filthy animals, Ariel. But, you know, why I press charges is because, you know, it was going to be a he said, she said thing. It was going to be, we're doing story versus my story because the UFC didn't know what to do about it. So the only way I could get the hotel evidence and the hotel tapes aerial was to file a police report. And that's what I did. I'm not pressing charges.

I'm not trying to get money out of him. I'm not like that. But he's going to be in the hands of the justice system of the Australian justice system. This has to do with something bigger than being fighters. We're prize fighters. We're not street thugs. This has to do with we're doing versus Colby Covington. And of course, can't come and attack someone in the streets.

That's not okay, Ariel. Do you have to go back to Australia too for the court date in December? I don't think so. but they did say that I might have to come back for one court days to give a test to testify. Okay. Did you see it? This was news everywhere. I mean, it was leading the broadcast, the newscasts.

And what was crazy about it, they weren't even mentioning that you guys were fighters. It was just like this big, you know, this story where someone was assaulted with a boomerang. Were you shocked at how big of a story he turned into? No, I wasn't shocked. You know, I mean, look at the guy. The guy acted like a complete animal, you know. he invaded my personal space. We're not talking about two fighters.

We're talking about two humans, two people that are out in general civilization, in society. This guy just comes out of nowhere because at this point before those media media released that, the cops had already seen the videotapes. They'd already seen what happened. They saw me looking down at my phone. They saw me get hit in the face after saying nothing to the guy. The guy just came out of nowhere.

He blindsided me. I get hit in the face. I stumble in the middle of the road like where the. the taxis are coming and he's still charging at me with this coach Raphael Cordero. He sees the people trying to break it up, but he's still, still charging forward. And then he picks up a boomerang and he throws at me. Like boomerangs are used to hunt kangaroos in Australia. That's a deadly weapon, Ariel.

That's not okay. What about this Balal Muhammad saying all these things about you, saying that you'll end up in ICU if he sees you, things like that? Have you heard these comments afterwards went on Saturday? And are you increasingly, I don't know, maybe it's a lot. a little concern that people are going to start attacking you every time you go out to like an MMA event where you're, you know, you're recognized and there's fighters who maybe don't like some of the things that you've said? I don't even know who that is. I've never even heard that name in my life, Ariel. Okay. Fair enough. Are you worried, though, that people, like,

do you do, do you fear for your safety? No, you know, let me tell you why I don't fear for my safety. I had to make a point versus we're doing, you know, we're humans. You know, you know, if you want to, if you want to talk crap to me, go to my Twitter, go to my Instagram. My Instagram and Twitter, by the way, is at Colby Cove, MMA. Any of you people in the world, come to my social media,

say whatever you want to say. You want me to die, anti-gay, you fuck my mother, whatever you want to say. All these negative things, you're entitled to free speech. You can say whatever you want to say, Ariel. But the second you invade my personal space

and you condone violence, that's not okay. You cannot invade my personal space and hit me. that just because of my free speech that's not okay so I'm not concerned if these filthy animals want to come trying to invade my personal space

because it's my free speech then they're going to pay and they're going to get consequences from the law um by the way you're at ATT right yes sir what's it like there ATT baby home to a lot of Brazilian fighters what's it like

how are they towards you oh man it's like a reality show I love it I really enjoy it man And it's, you know, ATT is the greatest gym in the world. Thank God for Dan Lambert and John Arnett. You know, we got a great team over here, you know. But, you know, it is what it is. You know, if these people, they want to hate on me, whatever.

I'm the biggest talked about thing in M.A. right now. I'm the face of the fight game right now. And, you know, I'm not out to make friends there. I'm out to have my world championship. You know, this is a one-man sport. You know, I represent American top team. If someone doesn't want to be my friend, you know, that's their choice, you know, and that's their opinion.

I'm not going to come up to hit them in the face because of their opinion. Did you clear the air with Ricardo Laboreo? Who's Ricardo Laboreo? I've never heard of that name in my life. Okay. So where do things stand as far as your next fight is concerned? When do you think we'll see you back in there? I mean, you can see me as soon as next weekend in UFC Shanghai if Tyro Woodley signs of papers.

But, you know, I mean, December 30th, you know, I'd love to get in there with him. But, you know, as soon as Nate Diaz, obviously, this fight's never going to happen. He's not going to fight Tyrone. He's a lightweight, and he only wants the McGregor fight. As soon as that fight doesn't happen, watch. Tyrone Woodley's going to pull out. He's not going to even talk about UFC 219 December 30th. He's going to be talking about, oh, my shoulders hurt now.

Oh, I got to go do this and that. Remember how he was making that story up that his shoulder was hurt and he couldn't fight until March or April? Yes, I had heard that his shoulder was hurt. Yeah, now is story. Oh, I can fight December against a lightweight. Like, come on, man. All these guys are faking it. They're lying to the media, Ariel.

I come on MMA hour, thank God for Arrow Hawani's show. And I say the truth. I present the truth. And I only talk the truth. I don't say these criminal-type things. You know, I don't lie. You know, I come here and say the truth. So whenever Tyrone Woodley is vagina, his little sore vagina heals up, I'm ready to go whenever.

He should defend it in St. Louis. I don't see why he wouldn't want to. If he doesn't fight you next, if he takes some time off, if he tries to fix his shoulder, what do you do then? Are you going to wait for him? Are you going to fight someone else? Are you going to remain active? What do you think he'll do? Maybe I should do the same thing he did. Oh, after he got a split decision win over Gashelham. Oh, I'm going to wait. I earned my title shot. Oh, blah, blah, blah. I earned it. You know, but, you know, it is what it is. If he's going to be sitting out to the end of next year,

which I bet he will because he knows that I'm next in line, I'm the only, I'm the only realistic option. right now, I woke to wait for a title shot, you know, Wonderboy lost twice, Loller was knocked out in two minutes, they can't sell that fight. That fight doesn't make sense to sell again, you know, so I'm next in line, so I'm sure he's going to sit out to the end of next year, but that's okay. If he wants to sit out to the end of next year, I'll get an interim title and I'll bitch-slap him with the interim title. Final thing, any message for Fabrice Ovidum?

Fabricio, you messed up, dude. you messed with Oregon's biggest bad guy and you did it the wrong way, man. There's a way to go about your business. You can't come and invade people's personal space because of free speech. Now you're in the hands of the Australian police and I'm on to bigger things, Tyrone Woodley.

Fabrice, what we're doing? You're a thing in the past. I am the future. I'm taking over the game. Thank you, Kobe. Appreciate you coming on, clearing the air and stay safe out there, all right? Thanks a lot.

You know everywhere I go, I've got to have security guards. now so I'm going to try and stay alive out here. All right. All the best to you, Colby. Appreciate it. We'll talk to you soon. There he is. Colby Covington stopping by. In fact, someone sent me an email earlier this morning. What's the young man's name? Young man sent me an email telling me how much he loves Colby Covington and wants Colby Covington to know how much that he appreciates him. So he is not hated by everyone. Some do like what Colby Covington is doing. We'll see what happens as far as

his next fight is concerned, of course, that incident with Fabrice Ovidium. All right, well, the biggest news of last week, no doubt about it. They found a title fight for UFC 219. It's one of the best fights in the history of women's MMA to the biggest names in the sport, to the most recognizable and popular faces in the sport. It's Chris Seiborg defending her UFC Women's Featherway title against the one and only Holly home. Holly is kind enough to be joining us on the phone right now. Holly, how are you?

I'm good. How are you doing? I'm doing great. Thank you as always for coming on the program. Are you surprised, Holly, that you're fighting Chris Cyborg in six weeks? No, I figured it was going to be happening eventually, so why not now, you know? I spoke to your agent, Lenny Freskes, a week ago, and he told me that the fight was dead. How did it go from being dead to actually happening? It was one of the things. You know, I've always said I'm open to the fight with Cyborg.

There's been a couple times we had talked about it before, and it was just one of the things that with this fight, it kind of seemed like things weren't really like flowing very good. I was kind of being forced, and we thought, you know what? We always just kind of let things fall into place, and I just try to take the challenges that come, And but you know what I mean? And if it's kind of being forced, it's not going to happen, let's not force it, you know.

Let's wait until it's kind of a more realistic, kind of just let it slow, you know. So we kind of let go, trying to make it happen. And then things started to fall into place. I thought, well, okay, I guess it's falling in the place. So next thing, you know, it was a done deal. And I'm excited about it. It's been something that's been on my mind, obviously. We kind of figured it would be happening soon.

So we've been training for this fight anyway, and I know a lot of people think it's like last minute, but our minds have been around, you know, the cyborg fight for a little while. And I think it's actually the perfect amount of time to have a good training camp. Sometimes when it's that intense for too long, you compete too soon before the fight comes physically and also emotionally. It can be a lot so that's a long or training camp can be. So I think it's a perfect time, perfect training camp. it's been an interesting year for you.

You start the year fighting at 1.45, then you go down to 135, then you go now at 1.45. Are you okay with this up and down? I mean, I know it's just 10 pounds, but is it a little bit strange to be going up, you know, one-way class and then down and then back up? You know, going back and forth is if there's time in between, it's fine. I don't want to fight at 135 one month and 145 the next. So, you know, I've had a little bit of time to just kind of stay healthy, but I already know, you know, I'm probably walking around a weight that, you know, cyborg probably cuts water from for all I know.

So, I mean, I'm pretty sure I am. So I just want to kind of stay where I'm at and stay strong and stay healthy. That's my biggest thing. I know that I'm going up against, you know, the, biggest 145er there is and I normally fight at 135 but she's still beatable and I know that I'm I know that I'm still strong and I have all the competency myself. So the road to get to this fight, I mean not even in the last couple months but you know it's just been talked about for so long like I said this is the biggest women's

MMA fight that the UFC could put on that any promotion can put on but it was an interesting road to get here with you know the the talks of the contract and also her saying that you're not getting drug tested enough. And you actually went on Instagram and responded to her, which isn't something that you usually do. Why did you feel the need to go out there and respond to her? It felt there was nothing wrong with what you said, but it seems somewhat out of character. You're kind of always like, I don't know, you just shut that stuff off. Why did you feel the need to actually respond to what she was saying?

Because it's crazy how people want to actually start to even think. here's the thing. I don't even want my name to be associated with any kind of performance in hand-hand-haping drug because I've never used ever. Not in any sport I've ever done in my life, not in anything

I've ever done. And to be putting that out there, what she was doing is being, that had nothing to do with, like, pumping a fight, that had nothing to do with you know, trying to even talk trash about a fight, that stuff's normal. But to be going and acting like, I'm not getting tested or whatever.

I was one of the most tested last year and even this year I'm so tested more than she has been. So it's all the things that it's like to stop whining. It's just because I don't I don't get on my social media and put a picture of me holding the thing that says, oh, I've been tested today. That was my whole point. Like just because I don't put it on my social media every time they come to my house or come to the gym doesn't mean I'm not getting tested. It's never an issue to me. They come. It's like, oh, you need to take a drug test. Okay. So I do it. It's not like I need to like plaster up there looking. It's not like I need to like plastered up there. Look, I got tested today and let everybody know. It's just, it's not really my

style, but I definitely don't want, I didn't want that to be even something that would start this whole talk, like Holly and Performance Enhancing drugs. I just wanted to put a stop to it right away because that's not how I am. I've always, you know, done all my training camps and all my careers off of hard work. And that gives me more strength than anything. So I just kind of wanted to put a stop to that conversation before it even got anywhere and before people on the internet started getting crazy. I just wanted to put a stop to it. I remember you guys filmed the movie together, right? There's a photo of you and her and Misha Tate. What's your relationship like? Is it different than when that photo was taken when you guys did that movie? Does she get

on your skin now? How would you describe it? I've never had any issues with Cyborg. I really haven't. You know, there's been plenty of times I've seen her. I think she's a... decent person. There's definitely been a lot more like attacking coming from her side, but it happens a lot when fights are coming up. I really don't take too much to it. I just going to keep training.

And when it comes down to the fight, no matter how much trash talk there is, or no matter how much someone can be nice to your face or in the public, it doesn't matter. When it comes under the fight, here's the facts. She's going to want to hit me as hard as she can. She's going to want to knock me out. Same here. I want to knock her out. I want to win the fight.

That's the name of the game. So that's what I'm here for. I'm here to train hard because I want to get in there and I want to win this fight. And so however anybody, you know, everybody has their different mindset behind. If this is kind of how she needs to get to the fight, then that's fine. But that doesn't mean, you know, I'm going to be disrespectful along the way or anything like that. But I kind of let people be how they are. I'm sure we'll hug them the fight's over.

I don't think that there's going to be anything like a lifelong anger battle between us or anything. Are you the main event? I don't know. I don't know. I don't really carry the ones finally. Okay. Because they haven't really come out and said what's the main event

or if you are officially the main event, I would think that you are, and I think that it warrants being the main event, but I was just curious if you actually knew. Do you view this as your last chance to become UFC champion again? it's the only thing I'm visioning right now because that's what's next but

this fighting world is a crazy a crazy world and you never know when you know one can be back on top you know there's people that have been I mean you look at somebody like Andre Aylovsky who had the belt was out of the UFC fought back in

and then he was one side away from getting back to it again you know there's and There's ups and downs, you know. Then there's some losses in the wind. Like, there's a lot of things that can happen. So I don't ever put my eggs in one basket for anything, but my goal is to get it now.

I don't want to think, well, if I don't get it now, then maybe I'll get it here. You know, I just want this fight to be a victory, whether it's a belt or not. I just want to win. And this is a big fight, the biggest part of my career. Absolutely. And it's a hard six weeks. They're always the biggest fight, right? The next one is always the biggest.

Always. When you hear, I mean, this can't be bigger than the Ronda fight, right? That was your first UFC title fight. Like, if you're just comparing what you were thinking leading up to it, or do you feel otherwise? I think it's just different. Okay. I try not to compare it too much.

Yeah, the Ronda fight was its own fight. And definitely had a lot of emotion behind it. You know, nobody thought I could do it. And, you know, I think this fight there's probably more people might see it, you know, some see her winning, some senior winning. It's not, you know, probably as one side is how people thought the round of fight would go. But, you know, she's done really well in her career

and had a lot of stoppages and men through a lot of opponents. So I know I'm up against a really tough person, but she still hasn't faced me, and that's a whole different fight. By the way, it was just the two-year anniversary of your win at U.S.C.193. How did you celebrate? I actually was in here training. Okay. Did you even cross your mind, like when you saw the date that morning that, oh, wow, two years ago, I shocked the world.

No? Did anyone tell you? You know, I fought on my brother's birthday. So when the date came, I thought, oh, it's my brother's birthday. And then I didn't think about that. Wow. That's amazing because everyone was talking about it just a few days ago, November 15th, to be exact. By the way, I was curious, I meant to ask you this the last time you're on and I forgot.

when you walked out for the Bechko Hea fight, a different song played. That was a mistake, right? No. That wasn't a mistake. I was actually, no, I did it on purpose. Oh.

I actually, I don't know, just 2016 was kind of just like a rough go of a year. And, you know, I had three losses, and I just thought, you know, maybe I just need to change since. my dad goes, maybe you just get a whole different, you know, not that the song makes a difference, but let's just, what's having you start a new beginning and just change stuff off? Because my dad's one to pick my walkout song.

He's like, why don't you pick a different walkout song too and just kind of, I just get a different thing going here. And I said, okay, I kind of didn't think about it. And then I got, I was at my fight and I started thinking, you know, it was probably one of the first fights that my brothers both haven't been at in a long time. there always been my biggest fan since I was young and it's a song, we used to always listen to Led Zeppelin on the way to school. Okay. Either Led Zeppelin or the Beastie Boys.

And so I thought, oh, you know what? I'm going to listen to some Led Zeppelin. One of the songs we would like, we used to, like, play when we get, like, pumped out to go out and basically go make a mess of things and cause some trouble. Yeah. And so I picked two songs, And I actually, I just, I had just text and said, hey, is there still time to change my phone?

It was the day of the fight. I hadn't done it before. And I forgot. I was like, is there still time to, like, change my walkout song? And I had texted Chris Rubino. I said, I don't know who I'm supposed to call. And he said, well, I can call on track. And I said, it's either this one or that one.

I gave him two different options from Mudd's upland. And I said, and you can just pick whichever one I don't really care. And I figured a fight is kind of unpredictable. A lot of things are unpredictable, so I didn't even know what song was actually going to come on. He goes, well, I'll wait and see if they can still do it. I think they can. And he goes, I get a pick.

I said, yeah, just pick out of these two, whichever one. And so we're in the locker and getting ready to go out. And I said, I didn't know if they even could change it. Maybe it was going to be my old lockout song. Maybe it was going to be the new one. And if it was a new one, which one was it going to be? And so then when it started playing, it was one of the Led Zetham ones I'd ask.

for and I was like oh awesome let's go so you know it's one of those things I've never really been like 100% stuck on a walkout song the one I loved your old one because okay I love to do I loved it yeah and my my brother picked it was just kind of a mindset thing why I changed it for the last fight and I'm not sure what I'll do for this next fight maybe I'll leave it maybe I won't but I love my old song I just it was just one of those mental things well um why did you pick that one I feel like you were just about to say and I interrupted you, sorry.

Why did you pick the original one, the one that you switch? Okay, so I never really had walkout songs that always doesn't know what I want. I said I don't really care because that's just a celebration before you fight.

Like the work's not done. I could tell you what song I'd want to play if I won. That's easy, but I don't really care if I just want to get in there and fight, I don't really care about, you know, the exact song that's not going to make a difference.

And so as soon as I started getting like another, they're kind of getting on me about certain, you know, walkout songs. And I remember one of those, ones they had brought up, they played one time with two trailer park girls go around the outside. And I thought, well, I don't know if that'd be my walkout song. Everybody was kind of laughing about it. But my, excuse me.

Bless you. Was that a sneeze? My dad. Yeah. Okay. my dad and my brother came over and was like we found a walkout song is what you need and i was like what is it goes irish iris background he's like because you know all my uh heritage my like my dad my dad could go get his like citizenship in ireland if he wanted to like we have a lot of i have a lot

of irish blood in me and so we've always been kind of proud of that um i'm very proud of be american but um very proud of my irish roots and he's like this is a perfect song So my brother and my dad came over and played the song for me, and we played it in the house. I was like, that's it, let's just use that. So I've been using it ever since then. And I took pride in it because it was kind of one day picked for me. I didn't really pick myself.

And so it's possible. I might use it again. It's not like it's going to be retired forever. But I'm not really sure. Okay. We'll play for the next one. You were in attendance at 2.14 when Cyborg last fought, and I know there are some people who thought,

you know, and not trying to take anything away from Tanya Avenger, but maybe this wasn't the cyborg of old. Maybe there are some holes in her game. Maybe she's not as aggressive. Did you feel the same way? Did you feel like, all right, after watching that fight, this is the perfect time to fight her. She's not quite as good as she once was?

I wouldn't say that that necessarily, as people think she wasn't as good as she wants to. I think that maybe the sport just keeps evolving, and so girls keep getting tougher and learning more, and getting more technical. So I don't think that's it. I think that I think the main thing with that fight is that Tanya Avenger is just, she's really tough and she's not easily mentally beat.

I think that she's just a strong, tough girl. And so she probably got in there with just the thought of, you know, yeah, I'm going to get in here, I'm going to scrap and maybe didn't do the deer in the and the headlight thing with cyborg. And I think that's why she probably did all right. but I don't know. I feel like that fight is still different than what ours will be. I mean, Tanya Evinger, she's definitely a tough girl.

She had the belt with Invicta for, you know, a while for a reason. But I had just said that I was open to fighting cyborg even before that. I just wanted to be able to have time to train for it. You know, I know that there was, we kind of talked a little bit before, and they said, well, what about a catch weight? and I said, yeah, I'm open to a catch weight. I mean, let me know what you think. And I think she didn't ever, she said she's not going back to 140 ever again.

And then they opened a 145 kind of vision. And that's when she got the red flag for the diuretics or whatever with her drug test. So she was off for a while. And then when she came back, it was one of those things like, you know, they kind of mentioned, oh, what about, you know, if I, fought on that last fight that she actually had. And I said, you know, I just fought at 135 in June. I probably need a little more than like three weeks to train for that five.

I said, I really do want to have that fight, but I just need to just get a full training camp in them in, you know. So it wasn't surprised me that it was the next fight that this is what's happening now. I know you've been asked about the Ronda fight ad nauseum and, you know, the losing streak afterwards and, you know, Buster Douglas, all this stuff. but is there any part of you beat Cyborg you're the only person in the history of women's Emma made to beat Cyborg and Rhonda

the three of you and then you throw in Misha Tate probably the biggest names ever Is there any part of you that feels if I beat her I validate what I did two years ago in Sydney Do you think of it that way at all? It's like every five is its own journey and its own thing Yes it's a little frustrating

having three losses after the Rhonda win However it's not like I just got a lucky punch with the Rhonda win and then went and got my ass kicked for three fights in a row. You know, there was, with the Misha tape fight, I was ahead. And yes, she caught me and choked me out in the last round. Shevchenko, I feel like she beat me, but it was still a tough close fight. And everybody kind of thought the fight should have gone the other way around when I fought Jermandarander me.

So if I like to listen to everybody else outside, then yes, I would probably think, oh, my gosh, am I really, you know, doing that well, or am I really capable or did I get lucky? No, I know I didn't get lucky. I know that it was good, hard work that got me the belt in the first place. And I know that I've had some tough fight since, but I know I was capable of beating each and every single one of those girls. It's not that it was just a fluke deal when I beat Ronda. And I know that in my heart.

And so it's easy for me to stay focused and know that I'm so capable of greatness. Cyborg is a whole different fight. It's not even the same. type of style or anything as Rhonda. So I don't really want to compare any of my fights too much. I just want to focus on this one

and I just want to beat her. Okay, fair enough. Last thing for you and again, thank you so much for the time. So Cyborg hasn't lost in 12 years. She lost her MMA debut and she hasn't lost since she had the Muay Thai fight, but I'm talking in MMA. From your perspective and

you're part of a team that does their research some of the best coaches in the game, I know it's kind of a simple question, and maybe you don't want to give away too much, but in your mind, what's the key to defeating Chris Cyborg? Is she thinking? Or do we lose her? I think we lost her. I love when that happens.

Oh, okay. Are you there? You're back. Yes, you're back. Sorry, I didn't hear your, did you hear my question? Yes, but then it just went, like, I heard like a, and it just cut out. Okay, we're back. So I asked you, in your opinion, finding someone who's been.

unbeatable for 12 years, what's the key to actually beating her? I think one of the biggest things is just to believe I can beat her. I think a lot of people see her as being unbeatable, and then they almost think they can't do it. If you don't think you can do it, it's not going to happen. That's number one. Number two, yes, I want to listen to my coaches because they all have their insight on what can, you know,

beat her in this fight. And every fighter is beatable. You know, there's holes in everybody. game and we're putting together a good game plan that I feel confident about and you know we have you know the whole training camp to be able to put it together and when it comes down to the fight what it comes down to is me performing it and that's what I need to do she is very beautiful she is very tough I'm definitely not looking past her but I'm not going to look at it like it's not obtainable because there's not even the possibility of making it happen.

So I'm confident in this fight and I really do feel like I can beat her and I just need to stick together with my team and keep focused, just a real sharp focus on this fight. One of my favorite fights of the year. I love this fight so much. I'm happy that it got made. Thank you. Appreciate the time, Holly. Thank you very much.

Good luck in training and we'll see you on December 30th. Thank you. I appreciate it. All right, there she is. Holly Holie Holm, the preacher's daughter. I thought that her walkout song, going into the Betchko Hayo fight, of course she won that fight, snapped the three-fight lose three. I thought it was a mistake. I love the old one, but kind of makes sense you want to switch things up. I get it. I always love when a fighter sticks with the same song becomes sort of recognizable and attached to them. But I can understand wanting to switch things up as well. All right, very excited to talk to our next guest. It's actually been a was. We've had him on the program. And for a minute, I thought maybe he was getting too busy for me. He's on Fox every week. He's on TMZ. He's got his own podcast. He's a very busy guy. doing movies, but he has carved out some time for us. He has squeezed us into his very busy schedule. He is the reigning defending UFC Walterway champion. He is the one and only Tyrone Woodley.

He joins us via the Magic of Skype. Oh, there he is. Tyrone Woodley. How are you? I think your screen is frozen. What's up, guys? How are you doing? How are you?

You're just, you're frozen, yeah. What happened? I'm still frozen? Yeah. I mean, it's cool and all. I just see your eyes. Beautiful eyes. No, still frozen.

let me dig into my handy dandy Wi-Fi and I can change it. Okay, well, just, I'll just talk to your eyes because it's just like the top half of your face. Just talking to my eyes. Yes, I could get lost in them, if we're being honest. Should we just power through this? What should we do?

What's that? Let me show you something real quick. Can you hear me, though? I can hear you just fine, yeah. I put it on Do Not Disturb because I don't want somebody. to call you, bother you, text you. See me if you can see me now. No.

Still the same. Can you see me? Still the same frozen. And you're in a car now? I say, I say we just do this. Okay. I said we do this. All right.

Just look at my still framing goal. All right. That's cool with me. Yeah, I just want to talk to you. Seeing you as a bonus. I don't know what happened. This has never happened before. But we could power through it.

It's all good. All right, there's a lot to talk to you about. I don't want to waste any time. When were you approached, Tyron, about the possibility of fighting at 219 against Nate Diaz? When did this all start from your perspective? Maybe a week of a week of a go. A week of a go, you know, they was just talking about, you know, where I was able to show the surgery for you guys that didn't know, you know,

I tore my labor men in the first round in Damien Amaya, and I just kind of powered through the fight. job done. And I've had a layroom surgery before on my left shoulder. I wasn't too, I wasn't such a fan of it. So I was really looking for every other way around it. Rehabing, potential stem cell, PRP, things of that nature to maybe avoid the surgery at all cost. And still wasn't 100% decided on whether or not I was going to get the surgery. And then they were talking about a fight for Nate. And I'm like, he wants to fight either. Connor or he wants to fight for a belt. I said, well, why don't he just fight me for the belt?

And they were like, hmm, let me see if I can make it happen. So now we're still seeing if we can make it happen, I guess. Oh, really? There's still a possibility it happens? I don't know. I mean, he said he said it wasn't enough time. He said I was a wealth away. He was the right way. Even though he fought that wealth away before and he bought Connor at quote-unquote wealth away, um, it's Sounds like a lot of excuses to me, but you know what? I'm not going to call out a man. Maybe that's, maybe it wasn't enough money on the table. I can't go on record because I don't know 100% sure,

but I believe a part of them trying to go back to him and ask him about the fight again, they would have to go with more money because if you call and ask him with the same money, the same fight day, the same opponent, and you don't have more money, then you basically just asking them again, and he's already said no.

So I think at one point he might have said, No, he's too big of a wealth away, and I need more time to train. I need more money. And if they went back to him, I'm assuming they offer more money. So hopefully they offer him a crap load of money when you get the fight done. So I was under the impression after they booked the Holly Home Chris Cyborg fight that that was sort of an indication that the fight wasn't happening. But are you actually preparing for December?

No, you're not. Yeah, I'm prepared for 2.19. Oh, you are? I'm training for 219 right now. Yeah, I am. Yeah, yeah. I'm not for the year as we speak. That's why I'm in the car.

Oh, wow. Okay. So you are preparing for December 30th. Yeah. You said a lot. Did you talk to Nate? Did you tell you something different? Well, I mean, just my, excuse me, the, the, the discussions that I had seemed like there

wasn't much of a pulse to the fight, and that's why they went back. I mean... Why don't we just called Nate? Don't you got his number? I do. I don't know. you would, I don't know if you would want me to do that, to put him on the spot.

Oh, you're just getting on, let's just ask right now. It's not like, it's not like I'm saying, hey, let's do freaking, the old Western, you pull out your revolver, I'll put out my revolver and somebody's going to get shot and kill. I'm talking about fighting, one person, one person's going to win, one person going to lose. It's a sport, right?

If you don't get an aid on December 30th, are you going to fight someone else, or is it Nate or bust? I'm going to get my shoulder, sir. If I don't. Yeah, it makes no sense. Like, there's no, put it like this, including myself, there's not a bigger name at 170 than Nate Deez right now. The only bigger name that, you know, was a bigger name because of what he's done before

his brother is Nate or George St. Pierre, who none of which have, you know, agreed to fighting at 170 again. So with that said, it will be so. for me not to entertain a fight. I didn't ask for the fight. The fight was offered to me. I just say yes to the fight. It's so interesting because on the one hand,

after your win over Damien Maia, it said, and you were on the show, of course, like, oh, you didn't have a good fight, we're taking away the George fight, and then they need a title fight? Who do they call? The injured champion. Who do they always call?

Who do they always call? You had to... I always have chuckled, right? I let bygowns be bygones, and I'll be a professional. You must have chuckled, though, when you got the call, right? I'm going to make a lot of money, so... No, because I'm going to make a lot of money, so the jokes on the person writing the check, so I'm good.

Okay. And how bad is the shoulder? I mean, would it be a mistake to fight with an injury, or are you saying that, you know, you consider Nate not the toughest opponents that you can fight him with one shoulder? You know, I consider Nate not the type of grinding, grappler, static, the static strength opponent that it will present those problems. Someone that's going to be in a clench to defend the takedowns, going for a lot of shots, throwing a lot of power at Nate.

You know, I think that's how you loosenate when you just try to one-punch shot him because he has a strong kin, him and his brother shown time and time again. They're volume punchers, their cardio fighters. You know, they try to do the mental warfare within the Ackleon and before the Ackleon. So really ever throw overhand rights,

beat him. I think I can stop him without my significant seizure overhand right much. He's not going to try to take me down. I don't necessarily have to take him down, but if I wanted to I can't see it being much of a fight for him to stop taking him down.

So what do you say, Tyrant to people who say, look, you weren't willing to fight, but now you're going to fight this money fight. If you're willing to fight, then, you know, why don't you fight someone else? Why just this one guy who historically has been a smaller guy than you know but it's a risk and reward i mean if if if he would have if he would have you know

beat connor the second time it was like oh my god but connor if benjamin would have been sure i said peered and oh but he's really he's really a walter way if someone's going up to the way and especially they competed at the way before where's the problem there's no problem with it when it's um dillishaw talking about coming down fighting um demisha johnson he's fought at waltrow before. It's not like he's a tiny guy and I'm overpowering him. I'm overwhelming him. I'm just a big weight in general. It's not a lot of wealth of weights that are bigger to me just pure size-wise anyway. So it's not like I'm just trying to bully on the poor Nate Diaz. I got off to the fight. I'm just trying to make it happen and I'm just really

curious on why it's not happening. What's his logic behind not fighting me? He got the same notice of the fire camp I got. And actually, if I'm mistaken, I just saw him do some type of Iron Man contest, you know, about a week ago. So you got to be in cardiovascular shape. It's not like he's going to fight a new training style that he can't get ready and prepare for. He's going to fight the same stock and style every time. I mean, he's never changed his gameplay, never changed his style.

So what else is he going to do differently? Why is this fight not taking place? UFC needs a big headlining car, I mean, headlining made event or, you know, one of that big stuff. They do a big fight in March. big fight in July, big fight at the end of year. Man, they need this, they need this fight, and I think they should put the money up to make it happen. When's the last time you got an update about the fight?

I talked to my manager Malki this morning, and he said, you know, we should know within 24 hours. Oh, wow. Okay. Wow, there's a pulse. I didn't hear no yet. Okay. Until I was hearing, no, I'm not going to stop training. So it sounds like, when they say 24, I assume 48, you know, maybe a little longer. 48, 72 hours because

sometimes, you know, the Diaz brothers are known to be the greatest negotiators with return of phone calls and, you know, coming to terms on deals. So 24 hours to them could be three days. So, I mean, this is my job, but I'm going to complain about training. I love training,

especially with this opponent that I respect, somebody that brings some type of threat to me, give me that anxiety and make you pumped up the train. So, yeah, I'm living, I'm living a life And, you know, I'm excited to finally. I mean, I've been looking for that name, man. This would be, just be the first opponent.

I get the fight that, you know, I get that high-profile fight and actually mean something. Carlos Kahn was a high-profile fight. But, you know, those guys went into having a huge star power. Neither was Robbie Law. And neither was, you know, some of the other guys I fought indeed. But this is a guy that is directly connected to his brother, Nick, directly connected to Connor McGregor. So it could have really set me up to fight one of those. guys afterwards.

Taran, how is it possible that the UFC is going to St. Louis and you're not going to be on the card? I think it's just unfortunately, you know, obviously I'm injured. Second thing is not a pay-per-view card. Right.

But they have... It's silly to me not to fight on paper-per-view. No, I, oh, I know that. I know that, but they have a champion who represents that city so well and who's tied to that city. If you're going to go, go for pay-per-view. Isn't that what you want?

Like, don't you want to fight at home? I agree. Isn't it somewhat... Go and go for pay-per-view and let me know you're coming so I can put myself in a position to be ready to head on that card. Yeah, it doesn't make sense.

I mean, it's like going to Cleveland and doing a fight. You know, so big fight on that card is me and Robbie. If me and Robbie have fought in St. Louis because Robbie has a huge following in St. Louis from the strike for a day and on in the gym close by.

Had we been an opponent at the time we were last year. We were to root or so that showed out pretty easily in St. Louis. There's no chance you fight on that card, right? If you don't fight on December 30th, you're not going to fight on a fight night. No chance. No chance.

I mean, who am I going to fight? Like, everybody is, everybody's putting the infrared on me. Like, I used to be that guy. You know, I'm not disrespecting those guys, but there's nobody that's a clear contender right now. It's a lot of people that are talking, and it's surprised me,

because I know you want to ask me about the guest that was on earlier. What is his name? I forgot his name. I know you want to ask you about him But it's a lot of guys that are talking But really Let me do the resume check

Give me your cover letter Give me your resume And I'm gonna look at it I'm gonna look up with you And I'm gonna say Sit down somewhere You know We had Chale Sondon on the show earlier

And he brought this up on his own And you actually just said it You used to be that guy You used to be the one You know putting your finger in everyone's chest Calling out Carlos Condon Hitting up the UFC Saying that you wanted that fight

What's it like now being the guy that people are coming after? Because you really were that guy, right? I mean, you made a lot of noise when you were trying to get those big fights. Okay, you know, I don't mind it, but I'm not close. I think we lost them. Since we're doing phone anyway, we don't have to do it on Skype. Huh? Oh, you there?

It makes so much sense for me to do that the fans are going to get behind it. Outside of that, do you hear me? Yeah, I lost you for a second, but now you're back. You're back. Yep, yep, yep, I hear you. Okay. I say, yeah, you know, I'm the champion now. So at that time, Carl's Toney didn't have to fight me.

He was ranked one. I was ranked 11. He could have said, no, no, man, it's not even ranked in the top 10 yet. He could have easily said that. And maybe he should have. And I'm in a situation where there's not a clear-cut contender or not even a super fight, just a fight that does something for me that pumps me up. Like George St. Pierre, one of the Diaz brothers, the Conner-Megger fight.

If it's not one of those fights, Then it has to be a clear-cut contender. Who is a clear-cut contender right now? There's not one. So they have to shuffle the deck. You know, you look at Stephen Thompson, who looked great against Mazzidad. I've already fought him twice. Yeah.

Nobody's going to watch me and Maya fight again. You know, Jorge Mazzvedal, which, you know, could have been a fun fight. Donna Soroni, which could have been a fun fight. It's just a tough division, man. And you never know how these styles are going to play out. And I've beaten a lot of guys in the top ten. So your ATT teammate is nowhere on that radar. Who is that?

He ain't no teammate of mine. He ain't no teammate. He's not even, he's not a teammate of anybody of human race because he is a complete moron. So, you know, I keep a real, Tyron, and I said that I think that this is a gift from God for you because everyone will be rooting for you. Everyone will want to see you shut this guy up.

Everyone will want to see you beat him up. How come you don't view it the same way? I feel like this is a perfect scenario for you. It'll be 100% beloved going into this fight. Because I'm not in this sport to be beloved. I'm in a sport to be a legend. I'm in a sport to capitalize and maximize. You know, when you've got a person who has 5,000 followers

until they disrespected entire country, he doesn't quite put himself on that same radar. We got a person that fabricates and makes up stories. Shell's sonning was good at it. Michael Bismig is good at it. Connor McGregor is the best at it. You know, if you're going to go that road, brother, at least sound right. Don't want, don't on one hand be, oh, I'm this tough guy, and your script sounds stupid.

Like, what fight fans are, okay, I'm going to buy this guy saying he's going to take you down so much. He's watch your soul leave your body. They don't even like wrestling in MMA. Fans want to see blood and knockouts. They don't want to see some guys just take somebody. down over and over again. So I just find it really corny. And yeah, I mean, his work, I mean, he talked himself into the Damien Maya fight and Dunyan

and Kim, two guys that, you know, I wrote the book on Maya. He went out to check it out at the library. Check the book out, read it, went out there and got bloody by a jihitsu guy. Now he think he's for the fight for a title. Sit down somewhere. Have they asked you about him at all or no? Have they even tried? No better than that.

They just, they just letting them have his fun. Like, this dude is talking about the money, fighting. He's like, not even to be in the air again or whatever. He's never seen a six or seven-figure paycheck in his life. Like, as he's fighting, I can sit there and watch television and get pay-per-view check that come in. That was maybe five to ten times a month his entire purse. So why would I sit there and try to put him in a position

to finally get to the point when he's making the, six-trigger payday. Like, that's not my job. He has to do that. And the old school, look at Carl Usman. How's he doing it? He's doing it by fighting guys. He's looking for a fight. He's not thinking like his foot hurt. Kobe Cobe Covington can fight here right now on December 30th. But Kobe said his foot's hurt. You know what I mean? So, I mean, I just don't have no respect for guys like that. And I think it's a very disgraceful to our sport. It was built on hard where guys taking big fights, you know, putting, you know, you used to have to be like,

10 and O before you got the UFC. Remember those days? Yeah, yeah. He got the quote-unquote call. And I just remember when he was at my gym and training camp. And I like to let the things in training camp, stay in training camp. But it is so hilarious. So many eyewitnesses, so many, so much video.

Like, I don't know if you remember that my gym is Cammered. So so many videos of training that it's just, it's funny that he would just go on this rant because he knows. I told him personally. I say, man, I gave you your one shot on Fox. Do whatever you want to do with it.

If this is how you feel like you need to make a name, have it at it, do what you need to do. I said, but I'm not going to, I'm not going to give you this time of day. I'm not going to rush it.

This is actually the first time I've ever said something about it. Oh. Barry, you just got a way of getting somebody to say stuff. But yeah, I just told him I say, man, that's what you got to do.

I'm just, I'm just like, you know, I'm not going to give you the time day. He said, oh, okay, I'm just trying to build a fight, man. I just trying to make us gross money. I'm like, I'm already making money.

What are you talking about? You don't need to help me. I'm making money. I'm making more money on Fox and you're making fighting. So why would you need to help me out? What was the Fox thing that you said you gave the opportunity on Fox? What was that? No, they mentioned him about fighting me.

Oh, I said. And I just basically say, I said when I'm looking at, you know, down the scope and I'm looking at you know, through my sniper rifle, you're not in the crosshairs. There's so many other fighters that are right in that mix

that I'm looking at, the guys that are fighting, maybe rematches and, you know, former champions from different divisions and people that are really running through. It's a lot of hungry guys.

He's in that category of guys like Darren Till on Carl Usman. He's right in there. But the difference between him and them, those guys are doing it with their, they're doing it with their gloves. They're doing it with their,

with their action. He's just thinking that he's supposed to talk away, talk his way into a title shot, and it's like it's sad that our sport, you know, does it. And I saw it. I saw him when he came to my gym. He was like, oh, I need a manager that's going to pay me to manage me. I need a manager to pay me $40,000 to manage me.

I need to be in the UFC right now. At that time, he had, like, one fight. He wanted me to, like, tell him how to get sponsors and use my media kid. I'm like, do you need to sit down somewhere. I mean, some of his sponsors are from me, so it's kind of funny. Like, ask him, some of his sponsors are from me.

And they stop sponsoring them because he's a complete moron. He makes a spoiler horrible. Do you think there's any chance? He should have been suspended for what he said about Brazil. You think so? I think so, for sure. Ariel, let me have said that.

Yeah. Imagine Tyrone Woodley said that. I might have got kicked out of the UFC. imagine me saying that come on now be for real tyron will he say that on the microphone you think that's gonna go by under the radar and then now you to get the appearance

and out of the fight and even more embarrassingly you want to press charges because you got hit with a boomerang dude get out of here I'm embarrassed I'm embarrassed to say he's in my way class you ever asked Dan Lambert to

separate ties with him you know Dan Lambert said you know if I kick off every I'm trying to use the right word every douchebag on the team then we maybe have only three or four guys left so so MMA just the way that the sport is built

the way that it's set up people think this is a way to make money they seem what they don't recognize is Conner's deal he actually lives up to most of what he says he's not undefeated but he put himself in really great positions.

Had he lost to Nate, 10-day notice, different fighter, different opponent, he still looked clutch because he took a fight anytime anywhere, right?

He lost to Mayweather. Not that big of it or the greatest boxer of all time to many people. Hey, he go up and fight Eddie out or a different way, go up for two belts.

If you lose, he's still got a belt, he's still on pay-per-view. All his moves makes sense. All his choices make sense. So he can do that. He can talk to stock.

He can walk to walk because 80, 90% of time, he actually lives up to what he says. So when all these other fighters try to use his rubric, but they don't even know, you know, they don't even know, like, the history behind it and why he does what he does, they sound silly. So, I mean, Dan, for the first time,

I think he went out there and said, you know, he hates the stuff that Kobe says, especially about, you know, Brazilian fighters, so many Brazilian fighters that American top team, what he said about me, especially what I've done for the, for the sport in our division and also for the American Top Team team team.

Like when he was the up-and-coming wrestler import, you know, I was like the guy was like, oh, look, Kobe's here, he's a wrestler too, you know, kind of show him the ropes kind of deal. And it's like, like, no respect, man. Like, I remember when I paid him for training camp, that was all the money he had to his name. But I gave him, it was his whole life savings. But I paid him in training camp.

It's like just the irony of this guy. Last thing for you, Tyrian, and again, I really appreciate you coming on and talking about this. Better Chance. And I know I said I wasn't going to talk Kobe, but you made me feel bad. I'm being on the show in a while, and I turned you down, so I let you, I let you, hey, that's the first time I'm so fans. Yeah. If y'all want to hear about the Kobe deal, this is it.

I ain't fan of shit no more. We ain't going on and on about this guy. He's doing what he feels he needs to do to try to get a time. but I'm telling you, sometimes people ask for something something that they don't want. Oh. If he actually gets himself in a position to be across the octagon for me,

one, two, three, whatever fights you take him to get there, I promise you, he's not going to end well for him. He's never going to fight again. Better chance of happening next, Tyrone Woolley versus Nate Diaz or Tyrone Woodley versus George St. Pierre?

Nate Diaz. Okay. What do you put it out right now? George St. Pierre is blatantly don't want to fight me. I just, I think it's embarrassing to the sport, you know, Again, you know, I think it's fine that George comes back and fight, super fights and money fights.

I think he deserves it. I think it's no shame in his game. The only shame I have, you know, the only thing I've always said is that he's not honest with it. He's not here to run a deck at 185. He's not here to, you know, get back at the top of 170 and take on all these newcomers. He's not with that. He's here to fight, you know, maybe Connor, maybe Anderson, maybe some fight that makes him going to make him a lot of money. and then he's going to walk away.

All right. Well, I hope you get a big fight next. I know that there's a lot of people that I'd love to see you shut up, Colby Covington. I think it would be a fun build. I think it would be good for your career. But he actually shutting himself up.

I mean, I mean, I think he embarrassed himself enough that, you know, that Boomerang thing kind of blew up in his face. I mean, the Twitter response of that alone is comical. Thank you, Tyron. I appreciate you talking about even though you didn't want to. I know I didn't want to.

Hey, real quick question, though. Is he really pressing charges on Fabricio? Yeah, he is. Like he's dead-ass pressing charges. Yes. He should be kicked out of the U.S.C. Make that the headline. Simon Woodley says Kobe Coventon should be kicked out of the UFC

compression charges for somebody air tossing a boomerang in a plastic bag at his shoulder. All right. By the way, he did say that he was punch in the face too, so we didn't know that until today. That's what he claimed. He's lucky. He's lucky that's all he got. He was in Brazil. They probably would have a drug him in the alley and beat him with a bat.

I'm glad you're back on the show, Taryn. It broke my heart that you said no, but I'm glad that we're back. All right. Thank you, Taryn. We'll talk to you soon. Good luck getting that fight. There he is. The UFC Walterway champion Tyrone Woodley stopping by. A lot to talk to him about. As always, we appreciate his time. All right. Always an honor. Always a privilege. Miracle Krokop doesn't do a lot of interviews, my friends. So it always feels very special when he's on the program. We've been keeping him waiting long enough. Let's go to Croatia right now and welcome in the legend, the one and only Mirko Krocop himself. Mirko, are you there?

I'm here. I'm here. Good afternoon. Good afternoon to you as well, Mirko. So, wow, what a pleasure. That's right, that is right. So the last time we spoke, Mirko, was around a year ago, and you had just won that tournament in Risen. and I hear you are a year later and you'll be returning to Risen on December 31st

against Tiyoshi Kosaika. Why did you decide to return? Because not that long ago as we all know you walked away from the sport. Why are you fighting a year later? No, I didn't. I never walked away from the sport, you know. First of all, I'm sick of too much explanation, you know, but I told after Rising that I would like to make a feral fight, you know.

the idea was to do it with Fedor, you know. But Fedor supposed to win Matt Nitzion. So when he lost that option, he wasn't an option anymore, you know. And I was talking the whole summer practically, you know, with rising, you know. And we were trying to find a solution what is the best for me. at the end of the day, they asked me to do it on the New Year Eve. That's the biggest event they have. But next year, you know, why next year?

Because they hold a heavyweight Grand Prix every second year. So they won't, they will have a heavyweight grand prix next year. The winner will be declared in September, September 30. so they want me to fight the winner of rising heavyweight Grand Prix for the new year in 2018. And then I agreed, I agreed, but in the meantime, I have to do one or two fights to keep my body in shape. You know, I'm not 25. I'm not 30 anymore, you know, and that's the only reason why I'm going to do this, you know, because I need interval trainings. I just start, like speaking, it's so hard, you know. 30 seconds or one minute, minute and a half boxing and then wrestling, boxing I'm doing 10

minutes round, you know, that is necessary to keep my body in shape, you know. And I, after so many fights in my age, I can't do it just for fun, you know. So I have to, I have to see, I have to see target in front of me and that's fine. So I will fight Koshaka, December 31st now and most likely, is it April or July? I have a second one. And then for the next year, you know, and it will be it. Wow. So, I mean, that's a pretty active schedule.

So the one on December 31st is just a one-off. It's not part of a tournament. And then you're saying next year, the tournament will kind of, that will be your farewell, the tournament? I won't participate. I won't participate tournament. You know, I will fight with a tournament winner. Okay.

And the event next end of the year in Japan, that will be your farewell fight? Is that what you said? Yeah, 2018, you know. Okay, wow. I said it many times, this is a favorite fight. You know, sometimes I'm funny to myself, but at the end of the day, you know, sometimes end needs to come, you know. And I think this time it will be because it is harder and harder for me to work. motivate for trainings, you know, and it is harder and harder for me to do those interval

trainings and to keep my body in a perfect shape. I can't afford myself to lose anymore, you know, I need to be in a really good shape. And I turned, I turned 43 in September, you know, and next year I will be 44. I will turn 44, you know, I will be already in 45 years when I have a favor. I think it's the edge, you know. How is your body feeling these days? Well, to tell the truth, I just finished my workout half an hour, 45 minutes ago, and I just came, I'm waiting in the front of doctor's office, you know,

to have some kind of a massage. Not relaxing massage, but he's pressing my body with elbows, you know. It's very painful. It takes maybe 20 minutes, you know. Just kind of super hard pressure, you know, every part of the body. body, legs, foot, arms, shoulders, you know, to relax my body. And, but more or less, I feel, I feel, I feel my knee. I had a lot of trouble with my knee, which was injured since 2008.

And, but it's okay now. It's okay. You know, I had some kind of surgery. Surgery at the end of January and it healed much, much better than I expected and I'm so happy. just because of the fight, but because of the quality of everyday life, you know? So, I mean, you have a situation where you are not going to fight within a year, and as you said, you're getting a little bit older, and it's getting harder to motivate. What did you do this past year?

Like, other than, I'm sure you keep in shape, but how did you spend the past year? I had that surgery, you know, and to fix my knee. And after that, I wasn't a lot of the time. to do running, you know, jogging for two months, two, two, a half months only, almost. And, but I was able to do, I was able to do a bicycle and I was doing boxing, you know, and a little bit of wrestling. And I was, I was maintaining my body, you know, but to maintain the body for the, for the, for the fighting shape, I can't skip interval trainings. Interal trainings is something that every fighter needs to do if you want to keep your body in a fighting shape, you know.

And it is so hard, Ariel, to do it just like that. I can't, at least me, at least me. I can't do it just like that, you know. Intral training means today what I was doing, I started with a high week. It's a sparring week, you know, and I sparrow three rounds. First round, ten minutes and then two, five minutes rounds. with three opponents changing on me. They're all younger.

One is 27. One is 30. They're all heavier. They're all taller than I am much, much younger, you know. And they are kicking my ass, you know. At least they are trying to kick my ass. And that's what keeps me sharp, you know. I have to survive 20 minutes and they're changing every two minutes, you know.

Those kind of trainings, I need to keep my body in shape, you know. But it is so hard to do just like that, you know, just to keep your body. in shape. So I need to have fights scheduled, you know, to do it, you know. And if I did, if I don't do it for two years, it would be too dangerous, you know, in age of 40, 45 to fight with some young lion, young lion who will won the heavyweight Grand Prix, it will be too dangerous. I don't want, I don't want to take that, that kind of risk, you know. I don't want to take that kind of risk. So, so I will do that two fights in between to keep my body in shape, you know, and I have to prepare like never for that fight in 31st of December, 2018.

Now that you fought a couple times for Risen, how would you compare it to the old days of pride? I mean, you've decided to sort of end the career with them whenever that time comes. I'm sure you could go to Belvoir. I'm sure there's many suitors for you. Why do you like it? I feel the smell of pride, you know.

Same stuff, even same doctors, you know, when I can't have for Dr. Check, you know, it was the same old faces I've been meeting during my pride days, you know, Saitama Super Arena, the same dressing room, which I was always using for warm up in my pride days. So many memories, so many, so many good memories, you know, it wakes up. And I just feel good there, you know. I just feel good, you know. Just feel good. It's nostalgic, right? I mean, you just feel like you're back home, the good old.

days. Yeah, true. True. I feel so good. And this time for the new year, I will take my son first time with me. I will take him in India. I want him to see Japan. I want him to see, and to feel the atmosphere, he will turn 15 in March. Wow. And now he's big enough. You know, I'm taking him with me this time and he will be one of the cornerments too. I just want him to feel that adrenaline and he's so he's so happy because of that you know wow he's going to be in your corner what's that like for you as his dad to have him there do you think you'll be more nervous no no I'm healthy I'm healthy now and I will be prepared excellent you know and then I'm scared of no one when I'm very good prepared

when there is no injuries I mean listen are a real fight is a fight but I will decrease I will decrease the risk on minimum, you know, with a super, super intensive trainings and I will be, even now I'm in more than solid shape, you know, because I was training since I, since I had a last fight. I was training, you know, even next day after surgery, I had the first training. I couldn't do nothing. First week, I wasn't allowed to ride the bicycle, to do nothing, especially not running, jogging, but I was doing pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, you know, neck exercise you know and I like I like to do it you know I can't imagine one day without training you know and that's why that that is why my body is in such a good

shape you know if if I don't count mechanical injuries I had like for the like I had the problems with my knee which was broken with my ligaments that was broken and tendons that was broken after so many fights and after so many things but more or less I'm very healthy man, you know. Is your son going to pursue a career in fighting? I don't think so. He's a huge talent when we talk about physical potential, you know, but everybody asks him, but because he's strong,

he's enormously strong for his age. He is big. He's doing, he can do 20 pull-ups. He can press almost, he's pressing, last time I was, he pressed 95 kilograms in bench press, you know. He still didn't turn 15, you know, and he's not benched presser, you know. I know there are kids, you know, who can do maybe more, you know, even more. But he is doing that two times a week, you know, and he has good cardio, but talent is hidden in your head, you know.

That secret of success is the number of repeats, you know. So you need to be hungry for training. You need to be hungry for training, you know. and he likes to train, he likes to train, but not like I liked in his age, you know. I was training in some old garage in my village all alone, all alone, you know, and I was discovering kicks. I had some old speedball, you know, and without mechanisms, so I couldn't do anything, you know, with my hands, so I was just able to do high kicks, you know. That's why I was doing, you know, three or four hundred high kicks per training every day, every day.

That's how I developed my feeling for high kick, you know, but he's not dying for training like me. But I think, I guess it's normally, no. And you ever said, for example, he has, yeah. Go ahead, go ahead. I'm sorry. No, I was training in all garage from other side of the wall. We have pigs, you know. My father had pigs, you understand.

and it was open from one side. So in a winter time, it was sometimes, it was minus 15 Celsius, you know, and it was very cold. But I was mad about training. And when you compare it with condition, he has a big gym in his own house, you know, because the whole basement is actually I made a house because of that gym. You know, I wanted to have my private gym. It's a big gym. You know, he has a judo.

Olympic winner on the training, Satoshi Ishi, she training with me, two top heavyweight fighters, Sasha Milinko, which, Ante Delia, some other guys are coming, you know, but can you imagine, can you imagine me in age of 15, you know, in my village to have, I don't know, judo gold medalist and some, I don't know, top boxer of whoever, you know, who can show you how to do first-class conditioning for training, boxing bags, kicking backs, kicking backs, You know, but I think it's normal. I think it's life, you know. I think it's life and it is normal.

I don't expect him. And to be honest, I wouldn't like him to be a fighter. I think it is hard to watch your own own son. I think this is really hard. You ever sit down with him and pop in an old tape from the Pride Days, any of the great fights and show him what his old man used to do back in the day 10 years ago? No, he's big enough, he's big enough He dig it out already

On YouTube and he's watching You know, and he knows every fight He knows every fight ahead And you know how kids are today We live in a modern age Everybody has those smartphones So he just, he watched every night You know those fights and et cetera

Whatever he wants, you know He can dig out everything on the YouTube or Google It's unbelievable I can't imagine you being You know, his dad And he gets to sit at home and watch the old footage from Pride and learn about, sort of like, live

it all again, I mean, so great that we have access to that stuff in this day and age as opposed to, you know, 20 years ago when you have to find a tape or something like that. By the way, you said that you don't want him to fight. What did your parents say to you when you told them that you wanted to fight? Listen, I will not forbid him

if he wants to be a fighter. If he really wants to be a fighter, there is only one thing I can do to help him as much as I can, you know. And he will have the best, the best possible trainer. But, you know, deep inside of me, you know, how can I watch my son bleeding and fighting, you know, front of fault he doesn't need it, you know. It was different situation with me, you know. I was, I was young guy hungry without future, without future, and the only way

to escape from the destiny that was smiling to me is to become a fighter and to become a good one so I can secure my family in the future, you know. And I did it. And I did it, but he doesn't, you know, I think he has a, his life is too good. He is not hungry. And honestly, I think if you want to, if you want to success in a mixed martial arts or in a contact, contact fighting sport, you need to be kind of hungry, you know. That's my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong.

There is always a big example that will show, but that's only, it's sure that I'm not tried, but it's only maybe one example. More or less, that's the pattern that repeats, understand? By the way, what was that destiny that was smiling at you before you became a fighter? Well, you know,

most likely I would be some kind of worker, worker, worker for monthly payment and et cetera, no, I wanted more. I wanted more, you know. I just wanted more from life. That's it. That's it. I don't say, listen,

I don't want this to turn in something negative. I don't want people who didn't. You know what I mean. Of course. Of course. If you had your way, do you have, I know you've talked about wanting to fight Fader you were disappointed that you couldn't make it happen. Is that the dream fight for your farewell fight?

Or have you changed your mind? Have you thought about it now? It would be. Well, listen, it would be a perfect fight. You know, Fed is a true legend of the sport, you know, one of the biggest, maybe the biggest MMA fighter ever. No matter. It doesn't matter. He lost the fight against Maxion at the beginning of it. Doesn't matter, you know. Doesn't matter. He'll be, he'll always be a,

Mark as one of the biggest, for me, the biggest MMA fighter full time, you know. Did you feel a little... I was very sorry. Yeah. Go ahead, go ahead. You were sorry to see him. Yeah, I was sorry to see him, you know, laying on the ground, you know. Even Matt Mitrion is a really nice guy And I was happy because of him, but at the same time, I was so sad because of, because of Fedder. Yeah. Do you worry about that? I mean, because towards the end of his career, he's had a lot of knockouts.

He's been on the ground. When you watch that, does it make you think about yourself and the way that you want to leave? Well, I think it is an important way, how you live sport, you know. And his star won't shine less. even he lost against Mitriot. I don't know how he will, how he will, what kind of success he will make in this tournament of Bellator.

But I think, but if you go from the sport with the loss, I think it leaves some kind of bad taste in your oven mouth, in your oven mouth, you know. And a legend like him deserves to leave the sport with the victory, you know. That's how I feel at least. By the way, how about your good friend Pat Barry and his girlfriend Rose becoming champion? Did you see that? Were you happy for them?

Yeah, of course. I was so happy because of her. And she was in my house too in Zagreb, you know. And when Pat came to spar with me, he brought Rose. She is such a nice person and such a humble, humble girl, hard worker, you know. And they came for a lunch in my house together. I was so happy because of her. She was so humble, so humble on that press conference. I saw everything, you know, I watched her live, and I was so happy because of her.

She's such a nice person, such a hard worker, and I was so happy because of her. Yeah, it was amazing. By the way, you watch a lot of MMA? Do you keep up with, you know, UFC and Bellator? Do you enjoy watching it a lot? Not really, you know, because, but, you know, I received all information I need. You know, there is a MMA portals that I follow. all of you know, and so I see the news

and most of the fights, especially in UFC, it is at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning and I'm sleeping at that time. Right, right. But I wake, unless it is Stipe, Miotich, I don't wake up to see it, you know, but I, of course,

I'm interested for results and et cetera, no. That's your guy, Steve, the fellow Croatian. Well, I'm happy to hear that you're sticking around, Mirko, and it's going to be great, as always, to see you compete in Japan, December 31st. Risen, FF, F, number nine, Mirko Krocop returns, and you heard it here, he'll be sticking around. And I know, Mirko, that you don't like to do a lot of interviews.

So I always appreciate when you come on the show once a year or so to give us an update on where you're at it. It means a lot. I can't say no to you. You are such a nice guy and a true professional, and always more than correct. So I can't say no to you. I appreciate that very much coming from you. Thank you, Mirko. And good luck on December 31st in Japan.

Looking forward to it. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Bye, bye. All right, there he is. The one and only Mirko Krookop stopping by, returning to action against Tiyoshi Kosaka on December 31st in Japan. Let me take these off here because in a matter of moments we're going to be joined in studio by one of the very best at what he does, a BJJWiz, if you will, a black belt. And as you may have heard recently, he will be making his MMA debut probably next year for one. and the great Gary Tonin have wanted to have Gary Tonin in studio for quite some time.

And I do believe he is here. New Jersey's own Gary Tonin. There he is. Gary, how are you? What's going on, then? How are you? Cash Chicks Championship. Yes, sir.

It's great to have you. Thanks. Welcome. Wow. What is that, by the way? So this is my brand, my clothing brand. Is it really? Yeah.

Okay. So basically, like, somewhere down the line, I decided, and this was a long time ago, that I wanted to kind of represent myself because I figured, you know, with all this promotion and everything that I'm doing, you know, and competing and everything, I may as well be promoting something that's mine. Okay.

You know, I started out, obviously, getting supported by some other brands. OTM was my original sponsor on the mat. And then I started working with some guys, and it just didn't feel right. Back then, you know, I was very good friends with on the mat and Scotty, who ran the company. And then when I started to kind of branch out

and, you know, work with some other guys, I just wanted to do my own thing. I haven't even actually started selling anything yet. I just kind of started. I printed some T-shirts, gave some stuff away for free. Is this the name of the brand? Yeah, it is. Oh, it is? What does it mean? What does it represent?

So when I was at an EBI, they'd have a fill out a form for the announcers because sometimes they don't know enough about the competitors, so they need something to talk about while the match is going on, you know? Yeah. So you have to fill out the form. Yeah, yeah. That's funny. Fill some information out or whatever, you know, about her, you know.

Yeah. Your backstory. Yeah, exactly. Exactly, right? So one of the questions was like something like why, you know, why do you compete or something like that? And I was like, it's very simple, the three Cs, cash chicks and championships. Oh, I see. Okay. So it started out as like kind of a little bit of a joke.

But then I, you know, when I thought about it, I'd always wanted to start the brand. And then I said, like, well, why not that? You know, so I think it's a little edgy and it can be a fun kind of thing, you know. I've heard, you know, obviously this is an MMA show, but we've dabbled in the world of VGA quite a bit and we'll get to that. But some have lamented the fact that they can't make, but it's hard. to make money in BJJ, sponsors, you know, events and things like that. Have you had that experience or has it been good for you? Definitely think I've been on the better end of it than some people, just because I got into

Jiu-Jitsu at the perfect time. My development time led right into, so right about the time when I became a black belt, was probably, I would say, Jiu-Jitsu's first professional Jiu-Jitsu revolution, where people were able to start making serious, not, you know, crazy money, nothing like, you know, mixed martial arts or certainly nothing like boxing or some other real mainstream sport. But where we could make some money competing, it wasn't really even in the cards at the beginning. When I first started, there was no such thing as professional jiu-jitsu.

It just didn't happen. Maybe you made $1,000 for some absolute division here or there. Of course, it was a struggle. You know what I mean? Years and years of training and not having to shell out your own money to go to competitions and things like that. But as the years progressed, I've definitely been more on the receiving end of, you know, bigger paydays and things, winning some EBI.

and some other professional events, Polaris and Mennemores and all these different things. Was that a goal? Like, oh, I'm actually going to turn this into a job where I'm actually getting paid. I'm going to make it into a professional sport, so to speak? It's weird because I was in that period of time. So, like at the beginning, like I said, it didn't exist. It wasn't a goal because I didn't think it was going to happen necessarily at the beginning, that jiu-suitzoo was going to become some big professional sport.

But as I started to see the shift in that start to happen, then I kind of, I see, said, all right, well, let me try to roll with this. You know, and I think myself, my student, Gordon, we started to develop more personalities on social media and things like that to start to kind of help the sport grow professionally. And, you know, we've just kind of rolled with the punches with it. You know, as it grew, we grew and, you know, tried to change things and tried to make, as soon as I saw that it could be a professional sport, you know, I definitely tried to run with it and tried to make it more professional for sure.

The story that I read was that you're from Jersey. Yeah. Went to a school. You really fell in love with Jiu-Jitsu, but this particular school was a little too much like MMA Jiu-Jitsu, so you wanted to find another school, and that's when you found Tom LaBless and eventually Ricardo Al-Mada, right? Exactly.

At the very beginning, when I started training at that gym, I was mostly interested in Jiu-Zitsu at the time. I had just come from a wrestling background. I wasn't even really familiar with M.A. That didn't really exist in my world. Jiu-Zitsu didn't even exist in my world. Who told you about it? My friend that I was wrestling with.

He's like, oh, you know, like, we, do this thing, it's kind of like wrestling, but you get to break people's arms and, like, strangle them. I'm like, yeah, right. I'm like, that's not real. Like, you can't let little kids, like, strangle each other and stuff? So I watch one of those competitions, and I'm like, wow, all right, this is really cool. This is something I want to do. I'm like, mom, can you take me to jiu-jitsu? And I explain what it is, and she's like, absolutely not. Like, she wasn't really interested in me doing anything like that. Like, the only reason I was allowed to do wrestling in the first place was because my cousins did it, and none of them got, like, seriously injured or

anything. She's like, all right, it's safe. She wouldn't let me do football or anything like that. So I did a lot of sports, but not contact sports, not until wrestling, and then furthermore, eventually, through much convincing, you know, uh, jihitsu. So when you went to that initial school, you didn't really like it because it was geared too much towards MMA? At the time, like, my sole interest was just jih Tzu, in the grappling. Like, I just didn't, you know, I took all their classes. Like, I would show up to Muay and I would show up to boxing and I would show up to, I show up to all these classes. I liked training all different kinds of martial arts,

but what I loved to do at the time was Jiu-Jitsu. Like, I really liked to do that more than anything else. And I just, because I didn't know anything, really, other than wrestling, it felt so much more comfortable to start by focusing on something like that. It felt too sporadic, just training a bunch of different things, and I didn't really feel like I was learning a lot. Plus, I was kind of far from that gym, so I couldn't really get there as consistently. My mom had to take me, right?

that Tom's gym I could ride my bike to you know so it was much easier Ocean City BJJ Ocean County Ocean County yeah and Tom actually was just elected right yeah yeah in the Board of Education that's crazy pretty cool right that's insane did you know that this was something he was interested in so were UFC fighter Tom de Blast right and he's been fighting I mean he recently retired but yeah fought all over the place yeah I saw that I was like holy crap

that's crazy yeah I definitely it wasn't something that I knew he was interested in becoming any part of government or any part of the you know you know implemented into the school or anything. I mean, he started his, you know, his career as a school teacher, as a special education teacher. So, I mean, he's definitely always been interested in education, you know, I mean, then from there, coaching jiu-jitsu and teaching jiu-jitsu, and now he has his two kids. So maybe, I don't know if, I don't really know the backstory behind why he decided, like, all right, I'm going to run for the board of education, but maybe, you know, he had his kids and then he started to decide, like, oh, you know, I want to be a little bit more involved in, you know, how they're going to be brought up in their

education and everything. And, you know, I think he's a perfect. guy for any type of job like that. I mean, he's very charismatic and, you know, he really does care. You know, I mean, he developed me as a, as a child. You know, when I was, you know, I came in 14, 15 years old and to what I turned into now, you know, he's of large part responsible for that. What do you think you would be doing if you weren't, you know, like, introduced to BJJ? Good question. Because my mother would have just pushed me into doing something in the medical field. Oh, really? Yeah, I would have, not that I would have hated it because I enjoyed that. I actually studied exercise science in school. And, you know, that was part my choice. Like, I did

want to go to college and everything, but she definitely pushed me in that direction. She actually wanted me to go to grad school for physical therapy. So that's probably, probably where I would have ended up, because I was working with my mother with special needs kids since I was young. And one of the things that I got to see a lot of was the physical therapy that they did at Children's Specialized Hospital. And that was something that I kind of was interested in. And along with that, because I was doing jiu-jitsu at the time, I figured like, all right, this is great, I'll learn a little bit more about exercise, et cetera. But again, it was right around that time that professional jiu-jitsu started to pick up, and I was thinking about opening a gym, thinking about potentially,

you know, competing more for money, et cetera. So that kind of faded out and what the real goal became was to, you know, make money either teaching jiu-jitsu or competing in jiu-s. You think you'll go back to that at some point? What do you mean by- Working with special needs? Oh, I always do. We still do. To say the least.

I mean, I'm not actively volunteering or working with anybody or any particular group at the moment. But, you know, my mother is constantly involved. My sister just started working at Children Specialize as well. And anytime that they have, you know, some sort of a camp or something that I can be a part of, I do. I worked, sometimes it was professional. Like sometimes I would, you know, work at a camp. But when I was younger, it was always like volunteer work just there to help my mom and help the kids. And when I went to college, I worked at Douglas.

Disability Center for a little while at Rutgers. And it was a different age group. A lot of them were older kids. It was an interesting difference between what I was used to. But I've always liked to be involved. And I obviously occasionally get somebody with special needs that comes into my gym as well, which is, you know, it's great to be able to have had that background. Because it's really hard sometimes.

Like people just, they aren't used to being around people with special needs and they don't really know how to best cater to their needs. And it's a frustrating situation, I think, for both parties because I think anybody that would own a gym or jihitsu school or whatever would really want to help somebody, but maybe they just don't have the tools to do it because they didn't have that in their upbringing. And I think that's something that Tom is also able to do,

obviously being a special education teacher. From afar, it seems like to me that jiu-jitsu has never been more popular in the States because there's so many different promotions. There's EBI. We're going to get to a new one in a second here as well. Metamores, I see, as making somewhat of a comeback.

Did you hear that as well? Well, I know Gordon's competing sometime soon. We'll see as far as a comeback. I don't know. We'll see what happens. They're definitely putting on another event. Yeah, I know they've had their financial issues. Ups and downs.

Right. Polaris, et cetera. You competed for them. Sure, sure. Would you agree with that? And if so, why do you think all of a sudden it's become somewhat of a, I don't know if it's a hot thing. Like, it's not on network television yet. And maybe that's some kind of validation if it ever gets on network television.

But why do you think it's more popular now than it was even five years ago? go with all these different promotions. There's multiple reasons. I think the education about the sport is growing. You know, like I think as there are more and more events and more televised or, you know, recorded events that people were able to watch online and, you know, the more of the sport spreads, it was a growing sport when I first started it. You know, I mean, when you think about kind of the growth of MMA, it kind of started with the growth of Jiu-Jitsu. You know, Jiu-Jitsu became kind of one of those first, you know, front-running sports that was leading in the MMA world. And I think, you ever since then it's been growing. It just wasn't, I don't know, I guess as spectator-friendly,

again, because you needed to be a little bit more educated about it. So I think more and more people are. And then I also can't, you know, take away from the responsibility of those promotions, doing a good job, you know, getting the word out there, different financial backers, you know, putting some money into it, people that were interested in jiu-jitsu and had some money that they wanted to invest to try to grow the sport. And, you know, I kind of related to that. I think that's probably how, you know, any sport starts to become more professional or mainstream. It starts with, you know, something small, some people putting some money into it. And, you know, if the public, you know, likes it and they show up, then, you know, it can grow into something, you know,

self-sustaining instead of just an investment. Some talk a couple days ago about jih Tutsu possibly going to the Olympics. Yeah, yeah. What do you make of that? Do you think it ever happens? I think it might now because I believe it's possibly going to be backed by the Arab Emirates. and they've done quite a bit with the development of jiu-jitsu in their country. It's like basically it's like their national sport. They have kids learning it in school, et cetera. So I think they have a great ability to get things done as opposed to kind of the previous conversation was,

well, let's get jih Tjitsu in the Olympics, and it's just like a bunch of Facebook posts. I don't really feel like anybody, any driving force is really behind that. But now I think that it's possible. as to whether or not it's good for the sport or whatever the case may be. I can't really comment yet because I don't know exactly what's going to happen. But I mean, I'm always happy to see, you know, different rule sets and different promotions take on events. I think that's what our sport needs more than anything is just that growth.

At the beginning of this whole professional jiu-jitsu takeoff, and I still think a little bit today, people were trying to cut slices of a pie that was so small, you know, instead of trying to grow, you know, what they have. in trying to grow the sport. You know, people would be asking me, oh, you know, you need to sign this and be exclusive to our organization and this, that, and the other thing. And it's like, well, we don't even really have

a viewership yet to do something like that. Like, you're trying to get such a small slice of something that's just not even there. So I think the more promotions and the more different rules sets, the more, you know, people get the word out in different countries and view it in different places,

the more viewers will have and the easier it'll be to put on bigger professional events. Could you do the Olympics or because you're a professional, you can't go ahead? Good question. Don't know. I don't know. Would you want to do enough about it? I think so, yeah, right?

I know, right? I mean, that's kind of a pretty prestigious thing. You know, there's not a crazy monetary incentive in our country to win the Olympics or anything. You know, I think it's like... Pretty damn cool, especially if it's the first one. Awesome, you know what I mean?

Like, to be a part of. So I don't see why I wouldn't want to be. You know, I'm obviously starting to head more towards. And I may now, but jihitsu always be my roots. And, you know, I wouldn't hold back from wanting to do that. Before we get to M.A., your next event is on December 9th, correct? Yes, yes.

Greenpoint Brooklyn. I used to live right there. Cool. It's amazing. It's for a new promotion called Kasai. Yes. I believe so.

I'm not 100% sure. Some heavy hitters are behind it. John Cholish, former UFC fighter, Hollis Gracie, Kenny Florian. And it's a one-night tournament, lightweight tournament. You're a part of the tournament, right?

Yes. How did you get involved with them? And does the world of Jiu-Suzzi need another promotion? It's like I said before. I think they absolutely do. I think the more the better at the moment. You know,

I think maybe some of these organizations may feel that the market it's getting too saturated. But I think for now, it's necessary because, you know, Casai and Brooklyn is going to have a different audience. You know, some people are going to show up that are friends of somebody that's, you know,

that trains in Brooklyn and they're going to show up and watch and maybe they like Jiu-Jitsu and maybe the next time there's an event they tune in to watch somebody. Right. You know, where maybe they wouldn't have been exposed to it if only Polaris was the only ones showing their show because mainly their audience exists in England.

You know, maybe they would never have seen it before. But in terms of how I got involved, with them. Basically, the two of the guys you mentioned, John Shulles and Hollis, are both guys that, you know, I'm familiar with, trained with at Henzo Gracie Academy, and mainly Hollis came forward to me and asked me about it, but I was just training with John Shulles this weekend, but I didn't even realize. I saw him post a video, but I wasn't 100% sure that I didn't know he's like partially involved in the tournament come together. So that's pretty cool, yeah. Wow. And it's one night, right? I believe so, yeah. Well, so you have to fight... I think it's like a round robin thing, so you

You've got to fight more. It's not like you just fight win, and then the next guy. I think you have... This is the point system, right? If you get a submission, you get X amount, bras, X amount. Exactly. What's your favorite point system, if you will? Because I know EBI has their own thing.

Meta Morris has their own thing. What's your favorite? My absolute favorite is just to do a match with no time limit. And then that's just, that's for me personally, like my favorite way of competing because I'm so confident that I'm going to win in that rule set almost every single time against almost anybody. That's just what, like, that's what we train for. We train to get submissions, and that's what my jiu-jitsu's built around.

So I think it best suits me. In terms of entertaining jiu-jitsu, I don't believe everybody's... First of all, I don't believe everybody's capable of producing entertaining jiu-jitsu to begin with, no matter what rule set you throw them into. You prefer no-gi, right? Yes, absolutely. But, like, if you put an unlimited time limit, all right, well, now you found somebody that's not capable of producing entertaining jihitsu,

and you have to watch them for possibly an hour. That's kind of rough on, you know, viewership and putting together like something for TV or whatever the case may be, like what they've been doing with UFC Fight Pass for EBI and Polaris and things. It makes it difficult. So I believe that for a professional jiu-jitsu, I think it's something along the lines of what, you know, EBI's doing is probably best, you know, so that things get moved along. Why do you prefer no-gi? I prefer no-gi. Well, it's similar reasons because when I started doing it, I was just way more successful without the ghee. I just would win a lot more tournaments. with no-gee. And I still competed many, many times with the ghee, but that at a certain point in time, I would say somewhere around six years in my development,

which I'd been mainly ghee, actually, because it's just the way most jiu-suits' schools were structured. I started to branch off and say, you know what, I want to focus on this. Partially because I was good at it, and partially because the majority of the professional organizations

that were existing at the time, and still today, all do no ghee. It's not usually, there's not too many that really focus on ghee or even have Ghee exist in there at all, you know. I also read that you said, part of the reason why you want to finally make the transition to MMA, and I know that you've been sort of asked about this in the past,

was that you want to actually teach your students better. So you know that a lot of the people who come to you are eventually going to want to go to a man. You can't say X, Y, and Z unless you've actually done it. Yeah. Are you strictly doing this from a teaching perspective so that you could be a better instructor, or do you actually want to put you in a minute?

It's definitely not just that. I think somebody like was tweeting at me the other day, like attacking me like, you can't just do, you can't just do MMA because you want to be a better teacher. Like you're going to get killed in there. You know, this is a real, real sport or something. I don't know. And, you know, we'd love to go off on people in social media. So it was just good fun for me. But no, I mean, of course it's not the only reason, but it's a big reason. I think that it's always been the higher, the biggest surrounding reason behind anything that I did, whether it was competing in jiu-jitsu or moving forward into MMA. Like, I know that, competition is just a short-lived thing. It's just not something that I'm going to get to do forever. And I'm already thinking about what I'm going to be doing in the future after competition. And I know that's going to be teaching. So a big part, for sure, of why I'm competing, is to further my knowledge, to further my experience so that one day when that's all over, I can say, you know, hey, I did XYZ. I was there. I did this. It worked. It didn't work. You know, this is my reference point. And, you know, take that as you will.

Not everybody's capable of doing that. Some people have injuries. Some people just weren't capable of competing for whatever reason. And there are some great coaches that are able to do that. John is able to do that, and he makes use of his time in other ways. He studies the sport. John Denner. Yeah, John Denner.

He studies many different sports and really puts things together well for us in terms of training camps, whether it's for jiu-jitsu or mixed martial arts. And he's done that with many different successful athletes in the past. And, you know, he hasn't been a competitor himself. I mean, he obviously has rolled live in the gym. He actually, I found this out, like about maybe a year or so ago, but I didn't know, but he actually had like a little bit of a Muay background when he was in New Zealand. He did some Muay.

So I didn't even know. But yeah, he did, you know, so he's not like he'd never, you know, trained before. It's not like just some guy that just walked in is like, here's how you do it, you know. But certainly not competing, but still able to change the sport in dramatic ways, which I think that his athletes have been able to show in their performances. You recently side with one, competed for them in a grappling match against Shinaioki, who coincidentally is fighting for their welterweight title on Friday. Why won? How did you end up there?

So Chotri is one of the... Situ Tong. Yeah, exactly. I'm glad you knew how to pronounce his last name because there was no chance. I was going to be able to do it. Chantry is a pretty tough one too, but fair enough. Yeah. So Chotry has been a part of Henzos before in the past.

He used to train there. He's a much bigger moitai guy Like he was much more of a like my passion is Jiu-Jitsu That was his passion was Maitai But he's you know loves MMA and and Jiu-Jitsu as well And I guess you know through talks with Henzo And through watching me I think one of the bigger fights that I had Against Paul Horace was one of the one that's that caught their eye and made them say like

Oh maybe we want to kind of get this guy involved in what we do I don't know if their initial ambition was hey we want to try to pick this guy up Because he's interested in doing mixed martial arts or if they really did want to just put on a grappling match, I don't know. It seems like it seems like it could be a mixture of both. I think it went well. I think the grappling match went well. I think people, it was well received by their fans.

The Asian audience tends to enjoy grappling a little bit more than perhaps the audience of the UFC sometimes. So I think that was kind of what happened is they kind of saw me as an exciting jihitsu athlete and wanted to try to, you know, draw me towards their organization. and it worked because, you know, when I got there, you know, everything was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the feeling of Evolve Training Center, which is a big part of what they do, and the different athletes that they have their training and that team. And then I also really liked being involved with one championship when I was actually competing there. It just seemed like a really cool promotion to be a part of, and I was treated really well,

and I hadn't got that feeling from some other people, perhaps, that were, you know, knocking on the door or calling me up. Did you seriously talk to anyone else? Any other promulments? Not as seriously as I talked to them. Because, again, like, I just didn't get the right feeling about it. And some people were trying to throw me in with guys that had, like, 50 professional fights. And, like, it just was never really, it never felt right, you know,

because I'm just starting. And this is a brand new sport for me. You know, I've never done, I've done some mixed martial arts sparring way, you know, long ago when I was like 17, 18. but I had no idea what I was doing. I don't really have experience in mixed martial arts. Do you have your debut date yet? I don't have a date, but they were asking me,

when are you interested in fighting? I think I gave them March. Sometime around March. Are you training for that now? Absolutely. Oh, yeah. You train of Hanzos? Yeah, yeah.

I was just telling Chachri, because he was messaging me last night, he said it was saying something, and I was just like, yeah, I'm pretty motivated to get things started because I'm going to be locked in a cave. with somebody who wants to punch and kick my head off. So, you know, better get good fast. So, you know, that's something that I'm thinking about constantly is just like I'm going to be in a cage

and have to fight somebody. So I guess some people could kind of pretend that that doesn't exist, but that to me is just a looming, you know, thought all the time. So every time I'm thinking about that, I'm trying to find ways to get better, whether it's watching tape or whether it's drilling at Henzos

or whatever the case may be. My biggest deficits, obviously, are in the realm of striking, shoot box, etc. Because I do have some of a wrestling background, some of a

jitzy background, so most of the grappling elements are covered. Even though that's true, MMA is not just a collection of martial arts. Like some people like to look at it. It's a mixture.

And just because I know how to grapple in a grappling context or wrestle in a wrestling context doesn't mean that I know how to perfectly apply those skills across the board in mixed martial arts.

As we've seen many times before, you know, pure grappling, quote-unquote, isn't necessarily the most successful strategy in a mixed martial arts fight. So integrating those skills and learning the new skills has been the biggest project for me. How do you react to getting punched in the face? Not well. I don't think too many people do, but I mean, you know, it's...

They're just sort of like, like, like immune to it or something. Yeah, I guess. I think, I don't think anybody really likes to be hit. You know, everybody can say whatever they want, but yeah, you know, it's not the most enjoying feeling in the world. But it's a part of the sport, you know, just like a part of, you know, jihitsu is getting submitted or tapped or, you know, your arm getting popped occasionally or something like that. I, like I said, I did some

sparring back when I was like 17, 18, when Tom the Blass had started doing mixed martial arts. I was like, oh, let me toy around with this a little bit. You know, my instructor's doing it, so let me see how this goes. And I used to just like march forward, punching like this, no head movement and try to double-egged people. So I got my fair share of getting

brutally punched in the face back then, and I still showed up every day and it wasn't that big of a deal. What was it like? I'm doing much smarter sparring now. You're, you sign with one and then you're a part of George St. Pierre's training camp. That's crazy. I mean, the timing is amazing because now you're helping to prepare one of the greatest

ever. What was that experience like? Obviously, Dana Heron, how did you get involved with the camp, though? Yeah. Any experience around George or any of these, you know, well-known UFC fighters or MMA fighters in general that we do have around Hensos is a wonderful experience or TriStar, whatever the case, maybe wherever we're at.

It's great because I knew eventually I was going to be transitioning in that direction. So to be able to help these guys out with their grappling was great. I get to see how kind of that grappling gets integrated into what they do, kind of like what I was talking about before, where it's not just pure grappling.

John shows skills that are related to grappling and integrates them into the mixed martial arts setting, and that's kind of how we run our camps. Most of it's focus on grappling. It's not like I was getting to do shootboxing with these guys, because at the time, I just didn't know what I was doing.

doing. It would be counterproductive for them. They're in the middle of fight camp. It's not. Me sparring with them is definitely not going to help. But obviously we did some jiu-jitsu sparring, but it's different. But very rewarding experience. I got involved with it because John was working with a lot of these guys, whether it was Jake, whether it was George, whether it's Chris Wydenman for a little while we were involved

with for a little bit. Rory McDonald. I got to see all of these guys and kind of how John gets to coach them and maneuver them through those skills. and I think the first time, my first experience really working with George and camp was with the Nick Diaz fight. And at the time I was still in college,

I was like trying to negotiate with professors. Like, please, you know, put off this exam. I got to, because every Thursday, we had to fly down or drive down to, you know, Montreal and then train and then I'd fly back. So I'm missing all these classes. Things were piling up. I got like four hours of sleep.

I was crashing into mile markers and medians and stuff at the time just because of lack of sleep. and it was a crazy time in my life, but I wouldn't take it back for anything because I really got an inside look as to what that was like and even furthermore into this more recent fight.

And you told our own Danny Square, you predicted that he would win via submission. Yeah. Why were you so confident that he would win that particular way? Well, I did believe that that was going to be a high probability circumstance, mostly because I felt as though his skills

to get him to the ground were going to be much better, okay, than his opponents. And from what I saw in his grappling training, he was doing a really good job. Most of our camp was built around holding the opponent down. Essentially, like, why am I forgetting his opponent's name? Michael Bisbing.

I kept, like, trying to replace the name, like, numerous times, and I just gave up after a while. So anyway, so Bisbing, one of his greatest attributes is his ability to get up after he gets taken down. So the majority of the camp was, all right, we're going to take this guy down. Well, how are we going to keep him down? Okay, and how are we going to do damage when we take him down? So we don't just take him down and just get springs right back up.

What's the point of the takedown? Right. So that was a big part of our camp. And in seeing that, a big part of our camp was, all right, we take him down, we keep him down, we do damage, and get this guy to expose us back. And that's exactly what happened in the fight. So I thought there was a high probability of that happening. Wow.

Were you at the fight? Yeah, I was in the fight. Yeah. You weren't in his corner, though. No, no, no, no. John is his jiu-jitsu. Like, I'm not qualified to, in my opinion. I'm not qualified to be someone's MMA coach right now. Just like I said, like I just don't really have experience in that realm.

I'm his training partner, but certainly not his coach, you know. John is the one that's in the corner of always. Will you go to TriStar to prepare for your debut? Good question. I think I will definitely make trips there. John, as well as myself, is always a fan of consistent training and consistent training camps. So it'll probably be more of a place that I visit to pick up some skills and to train with some new people As opposed to a place where I do camp

I'm probably going to do that more in New York because it's just unrealistic with my responsibilities To like move to Montreal for two months and through a fight camp But I definitely see myself going there Certainly you know to work with George or any of the other you know great professional athletes that are there to help develop my skills and figure out what I need to improve on Does this mean that you're going to do less BGJ in 2018? Absolutely. Yeah.

Would you zero BJJ in 2018? No, I can't see that. I mean, that was a big part of negotiating the contract with one was, you know, I definitely want to still be able to grapple. If there's a discrepancy between, like, if it gets too close to whatever I'm supposed to fight, I'm not supposed to, like, I can't, they can't mix it whenever they want. If they tell me I can't grapple, they will, but they're pretty reasonable. It's another reason why I was willing to work with them because I feel like they care, you know.

Okay. So I think they're in line with what my wants are. also, you know, opened their mind to potentially having other grappling matches, like the one that I had against Shania. So potentially, you may even see me grapple there again next year. Who knows? Does George fight again? Does George fight again? Good question. I think they would have to give him a good fight. There's a chance he doesn't, because that's the impression that I get. I can see there's a chance that he doesn't. I don't really, like, what does he really have left to

prove? I mean, there was, there could have been a chance that he didn't come back to fight Bisbing in the first place, right? Like, I don't know, there's, he did so much already in the sport. He can walk away at any time. And, you know, I'm sure tons of these guys are talking chick as they want, you know, him to get fights. You know, but I'm sure they all have the same real feelings. Like even, you know, Tyrone, when he was talking to you as I was sitting in the green room or whatever. You know, at the end, he's like, yeah, you know, I mean, the guy did everything, you know, so much for the sport. You know, he could walk away whenever he wants.

Would you like to see him, him fight, Connor? Yeah, I'd love to see that. I know when he did his most recent interview, I don't know if it was with you or somebody else. It was. It was with you, right? Thank you for watching. Yeah, no problem. He was saying that, like, he thought that it would look bad if he was saying that he wanted to fight.

So he's just such a nice guy. I think the right thing for him to say would be like, yeah, I want to fight with Connor. But he's like, he's lighter than me. That looks bad. So I guess that's how he looks at it in his mind. When I say Dilladanas, what comes to mind? Sunglasses is the first thing that pops in the mind. That's not bad.

Considering the alternatives, that's not bad. He was on this show. in studio and we spoke right before your your latest match against him, the rematch, and he spoke about you and the rivalry, if you will. Sure. Where does this stem from? From your perspective, why is there this issue between you two, two of the most famous people in BJJ, right?

Yeah, I think most of my criticism was like just jokes about his social media, which was just, I mean, it's pretty easy to pick on. I don't know what to tell you, but it wasn't a very hard target. I was going to be competing with him. So anybody I'm going to be competing, I just look for, all right, where's the weakest link here? How can I attack via social media? So you like trash talk?

Absolutely, yeah. I think it brings an element of excitement to the sport that's off camera, right? Well, not necessarily off camera, but off, out of the fight. Sure. Because, all right, so you have the fight, and that's the event, but there's got to be a lead-up, there's got to be a build-up.

It's like watching a movie where there's no drama. It's just like an average day at work. Like, people want to see, you know, emotion, people want to see a reason that these two guys are going to fight. What's the lead up? What's the reason? What's the rationale between, you know, this guy, not necessarily hating the other guy, but why are these two going to be pitted against each other in a cage or in a ring or whatever the case may be?

And people get very excited about that. As we saw with, you know, I guess when I was a kid with, you know, WWF and all that stuff. And WWE still stand strong. People love it. Even though they know it's not real, you know, they like that drama. that's all that sport really is. I mean, obviously there's some physical performance, but that build up that drama.

Then they still have a huge following. So there's something to be said for that. Am I going to take it as crazy as Connor? Probably not. Am I going to take it the same direction Dylan is? No. I do my own thing, and I like to have fun. I make my funny videos,

and I consider myself to have a decent sense of humor. So that's kind of the route that I'm going to go. I'm just going to be me, for the most part, or a slightly exaggerated form of me. Does he take himself too, seriously or do you think that it's kind of stick on his part too? I think a lot of it's persona. I think he does take himself a little too

seriously as a person too, but I don't really have like deep suited future for, you know, Dylan Dan. No, it's whatever, especially since we are. But it was gratifying to beat him, right? Absolutely, absolutely. For a second time. But yeah, it's not something that I think about

at night. It's nothing, you know, I don't dwell on it. Do you think he ever fights an MMA? I mean, good question, because he's been signed for a while now. I think he should. I think he'll do better in MMA than he did in grappling. You think so?

Yeah, I think so. Why? If he gets the right opponents. I mean, if they try to set him up with somebody that's going to crush him really, if they take care of him in his brand and they set him up with appropriate opponents, considering he has a zero-zero-zero record and doesn't have any experience, then I think he can do well. If they actually give him one of these fights, where he's calling out, like, some of these guys that are, like, the best in his division.

vision, it'll be bad for him in MMA for sure. I just, yeah, I don't know. In terms of me saying I think he'll do better in mixed martial arts than in Jiu-Jitsu, I just think that I think there's been a lot of guys that have gone into the sport of mixed martial arts with some grappling background that can surprise some of these guys that are fighting that aren't as familiar with some of the newer submission styles and things like that, specifically leg locks, etc. I think he'll be able to submit.

some people for sure. Would you like to fight him or not really? Like, is that kind of been there, done that? I would have. I mean, I put it out there, I think, for him and a bunch of other guys, trying to get, you know, some stir with Bellator and some of these guys. And nobody really picked up, like, it didn't have to be Bellator. It could have been any, like, promotion in the New Jersey area or anything like that.

And it didn't really seem like anybody cared too much. Okay. So I don't mind. You know, I'd take the fight for sure. But obviously, I'm signed with one. Sure, sure. Have to go there. Of course. Do you have like a dream fight? I mean, not for the debut because in your debut, you'll fight someone who's O&O or 1-0 and 1. But at some point, do you have a dream opponent in MMA that you love to fight?

Do I have a dream? It's hard to say, right? Because I would imagine that by the time I get to the peak of the sport, it's different people. Things will change. It's so hard because I'm not going to call somebody out right now because I'm not. We're not calling out, but someone who you've admired. Yeah, I see what you're saying. You've ever watched and said, damn, I'd love to fight that guy. See, I understand what you're saying, but I never would say that watch. I know what you're trying to get at, but I would never say that watching simply because I haven't developed those skills yet. Okay, you don't view it.

I honestly don't, I don't even comment too much on what's going on in the mixed martial arts world because I don't want to be that guy that's saying like, well, so and so should do this or that's. You don't feel like it's your place. It's not my place yet. Interesting. Yeah. You know, when I get, when I get to. to that point, then maybe I could say something like that. Okay.

There's definitely fighters that I admire. I love Damien Maya and the things that he's done for, you know, jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. And that's one of my favorites. I don't necessarily, I definitely wouldn't want to fight him right now. Right. It's definitely got way more experience than me.

So do you find that you tend to root for or go out of your way to watch the jihitsu guys? Oh, do you have a connection to you? Oh, more I watch the guys that I'm going to have a connection to on my team. Okay. So, you know, George, I worked with. So absolutely, you know, I was going to, either be there in person or I was going to watch that one. Okay.

You know, whenever Rory fought and we were working with him, I'd go to watch him. Frankie Edgar for a long time when I would train a little bit more at Ricardo's. Still, you know, whenever he fights, I still watch his fights. I'm not as involved in, like, his camps or training or anything like that. But whenever he was around fighting, I definitely want to watch that. I'd been more attached to MMA as, like, as a teammate watching my teammates compete, you know, being excited for them, more so than somebody who has been really studying what's going on. Now my gears have to shift.

I'm going to have to do a lot more of that. If I'm doing the right thing over the next couple months preparing for this potential fight, I should be watching a lot more mixed martial arts and studying a lot more mixed martial arts, whether it be past or current. A lot of these guys, had they reached out to you, like once the news got out that you were going to make the move,

they say, I want to help you, Frankie Edgar, Wiedman, Giesla, Rory, did you get, because you've been helping them for so long. Yeah, yeah, of course. Did you feel like the offer was reciprocated? I think any of them, if I asked them for help, or if I said, hey, I'm going to come down the Long Island to work with you, Chris.

I'm sure he'd be more than happy. I mean, he's asked us to come down before that to just train jihitsu and stuff. Absolutely. I mean, this kind of, this came on pretty quick. This is pretty recent. I don't know if anybody stepped forward and was like, Gary, you got to come here or something like that.

some fighter that I worked with or whatever, mainly just my training partners in New York, mixed martial artists that are less well-known that I'm working with. And it'll be 155, right? Good question. So they have some pretty serious water testing that they do, like hydration testing.

It works a little different. I actually kind of like it because it decreases. Like I think some girl just died weight cutting in Muay recently. It's just, it's not super healthy to be cutting crazy amounts of weight dehydrating yourself. You know, but you do it, you have to do it because everybody else is going there, right?

But in one you weigh in, I believe it's the day beforehand. And when you weigh in, you pee in a cup. They stick like some sort of sensor in there, and it can tell exactly how hydrated your urine is. Wow. Let's put it this way. It's pretty strict, and I know that it's strict, because I trained the morning that I weighed in for the shinia fight,

and I drank two liters of water right after all. I had finished my training session. Then there was two hours prior to when I had my way in and my hydration test. I failed the first hydration test because of the training, the morning of. And then I was still underweight, though, so I drank a little bit more water. The water got processed through my system a little bit more. And then an hour later, they give you an hour the same way the UFC would give you an hour to make weight or whatever.

And then an hour later, when I did my hydration test and weigh in, I passed. But it just goes to show you that, I mean, one training session in the morning, and it's the day before the fight, I couldn't have been going that hard, was enough to throw off the hydration test. So it's not like you can really cut like five pounds of water or something like that. That's out of the question. I mean, I could have only been dehydrated, like maybe a pound at that. Wow, that is wild. And I did it. So possibly 170. Because probably the first one, I'm guessing, at 170. See how that feels. And then I think 55 is a lot closer to people that are more my size. But it'll definitely be a struggle for me without water weight cutting, I think.

not a crazy struggle, but it would be a distinct change in my diet. I pretty much eat like absolute garbage most of the time. Okay. So I'll have to be eating very clean. What's your go-to garbage? A go-to garbage. Oof, there's a lot. But five guys.

Five guys. It's a big one. Yeah, that's big. Wow. And you're, I mean, have a belly. Nick chicken sandwiches, if it's like, you know, two in the morning. That's definitely the way to go. Wow.

After the cash chicks championships. Yes, yes, for sure. Wow. And you were just into travel a lot because you're doing seminars. things like you were just in Costa Rica. Yes. Right? What a life you leave.

I know, man. You don't have a girlfriend or anything, or do you? No, thank God. Why, thank God? God, because that is... What's down on relationships on the show today? The reason I say thank God is because the last girlfriend I had, I think maybe it was 22, 23, whatever I was actually living with her.

It ended very poorly. Okay. A lot of broken personal items. Whoa, that bad. Physically assaulted, things like that. You were? Yeah. What?

Yeah. What did you do to the young lady? Not good. Not good. Holy smokes. Are you on speaking terms? What's that? Are you guys on speaking terms?

Oh, no. It doesn't even have social media, so I can't. That's good. I'm glad. Like I don't, but I do also feel, though, that like one day when I'm, one day, like, when I'm, like, sleeping or doing something, like, maybe she's just, it's just like revenge's best or code, right? Like, maybe like, three, four years later, I just, like, get a knife to the throat in an alley

and something like that. Holy smokes. Do you think about that? Yeah. Yeah. I definitely. This is not something like the whole story I would tell you personally, but I definitely wouldn't tell.

How long were you guys together? What's that? How long were you together? Over a year. Wow. Yeah. So I ended pretty poorly. That's not the only reason I won't get in another relationship.

So after that you just kind of swore off relationships. Man, you know, I just knew that it wasn't for me, not because of just that, but because I'm so focused on my own goals right now that I believe a big part of relationships, if they're going to work, is having. to make concessions for another person, there's zero chance I'm making. Like, if somebody said to me today, like, for training,

oh, could you go see my mom today instead of go train? Like, there's just no chance that's happening. Okay. You know, I'm not in a position where I want to make concessions for anyone else, really in my life. Like, my own family suffers because of this in terms of seeing me.

Right, right. You know, I'm not going to, I've got to worry about taking care of myself right now. And it's selfish. I could be different. I could choose to be different. It's not like I can't, you know, help somebody else out or make concessions for somebody, but I just choose not to because I think it's in my best interest for my future right now.

Maybe one day that'll change. Sure, yeah. Well, you are a busy guy. You've got the MMA debut in around March, April or so. Yep. And then Qasai, as we said, December 9th in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Let me just give, unless you know, oh, here it is, casigrapling.com. That's where people can find out more about the event, buy tickets.

And I love the fact that it's in Brooklyn. I mean, that's not really a place that gets a lot of big, you know, judicious tournaments. Sure, sure. Like a West Coast thing. Honestly, even New York. I'm surprised. I mean, I guess it's because it's super expensive

to throw events in general in New York. But, yeah, I think New York gets... There's so many great ones, right? There should be more events. I don't know why. They don't do so many. I feel like there's got to be some venues where they can make money.

All right. Well, let it be Kasai's... There you go. Playground to run exclusively. I really appreciate it. I'm going to give you a pound, because I'm a little bit under the weather here, and I don't want to see me cough,

and I don't want to get you sick as well. This has been a lot of fun. Congrats on all your success. Thank you. Good luck in Kasai on December 9th, and good luck with one coming up later next year, and keep us posted. Opponent, dates, things like that.

I'm very curious to see how this goes. Thanks so much for having me on. I really appreciate it. My pleasure, all the best. My man, Joe over here is going to walk you out. Thank you very much, Gary. Appreciate it. All the best.

And good luck with cash chicks and championships as well. Gary's new clothing line Let me pop these bad boys back on A lot of fun to have Gary Tonin I mean that is BJJ royalty right there Great to have them on the program And looking forward to Kassai on December 9th Might have to check that out in Greenpoint

And also looking forward to his MMA debut Always interesting when Someone who's so dominant in the world of one combat sport Comes over to MMA And you kind of get a chance to see how it all How it all blends together All right. Let us move along. Last guest of the day. Very excited, as always, to talk to her. She is the reigning defending UFC women's featherweight champion. She returns to action at UFC 219 on December 30th against Holly Home. The fight is official. She is the one and only Chris Cyborg Justino. She joins us via the magic of Skype. Is she there or is it? Oh, it's on the phone. My bad. All right. Chris, how are you? Hi, Ariel. I'm great. How are you doing? I'm doing great. Congratulations on getting the fight.

done. Are you surprised? I'll ask you the same question that I asked Holly. Are you surprised that it actually got done? You know, after my last fight I would have a ceiling. About you're going to be my next opponent to be Holly. And they were going to start about this fight.

And you know, it takes too long from the initial, but I'm glad to finish and this fight schedule. When there were some reports reported by the likes of myself a couple weeks ago that the fight was dead, did you think that you would remain on the card and if so were any

other opponents discussed? You know maybe I would think I would not sure about the fight but you know we keep training in any ways if you be hurt or not because we think already close to the camp like six, five weeks

I think the hurt team are going to say yes. We think they want to try to do this like this for make sure it's not going to have to late but we keep training you know just keep training the weight. Are you the main event, Chris?

Are you the main event? I'm not sure, but I'm not sure. I think so. I mean, obviously, it doesn't really affect how much you get paid and whatnot, but would you like to be the main event? Do you think this fight warrants being the main event? I think it would be a great fight. I think you know, Holly would have a good game,

and I think a lot of things are going to challenge myself with this fight. And I think it deserves. I think we deserve me the main event. I think people want to watch this fight, people very excited, but, you know, this is up to USC doing. Is it fair to say, Chris,

that this is the biggest fight of your career since you fought Gina Carrano in 2009? You know, I think all the fights in my career is really important, you know, and have a lot of fights special for me when I fought Gina Karan, I think, you know,

the first fight in 145. You know, I think each of fight is a challenge for me. And I think when I fight Holly and beat Holly, I'm going to beat the Rond's same time. And this is for me and me a lot because everybody, if all my Korea, know how much I did it for if this fight can happen and don't happen. And now I had the opportunity to fight Holly, and I feel very blessed about. So you kind of feel like you're fighting Ronda as well? I think if I beat Holly, I'm going to beat Ronda the same day.

Wow. That is amazing. Why do you view it that way? This is coming my mind. I think I feel like that, you know, because Holly fought Ronda, and then, you know, when this fight happened, but Dana said, you see Ronda beat Holly, next fight they've been a cyborg, you know, and then Holly stopped Ronda before, and, you know, and then she beat Rwanda. I think, you know, just simple, simple think, simple think just simple. She's beat Ronda, and if I fight Holly, and I never have a fight opportunity to fight Ronda,

I think I'm going to beat some both same night. Do you consider, I mean, you probably consider yourself the greatest of all time right now, but do you think beating Holly makes you the greatest female fighter of all time, or you're already the greatest female fighter of all time in your opinion? There, you know, I leave all my fans, think about that. You know, I never think about I'm the best world like that. I never think of it like that. You know, I just want to do my best in the cage.

And leave it to my fans think about that, you know. you also announced last week that you've signed a new deal with the UFC. How many fights is it for? 15 months. 15 months. Okay. Four fights. How many four?

Four, yes. So it's if they get four fights within 15 months, but if you only fight once within 15 months, you're still a free agent? Yeah, if you finish your 15 months and free age. Wow. That's an interesting contract. Why such a short amount of time? Why did you decide to do that?

I do know I think I think we just put a little bit more this sponsor's championship calls and but I'm really happy you know I think you're gonna I'm still good and then we still start with me nice and you know I think you're gonna growing together and then after probably these two fights we can renegotiation again and you keep work together did you consider not signing a new deal before this fight or did you have to sign a new deal in order to take this fight You know, if I don't sign a new deal, it doesn't matter because I have the champion clause, you know, anyway, I have to, you know, defend my belt, it's not change anything.

And then I feel they want to work with me, and then I want to work with them, and if you work together, you know, we're going to be blessed, it's going to be nice. And then, this is the opportunity for making, you know, nice fight and people, you know, enjoy my fight and enjoy my career, and they work together. No secret that you've had your ups and down to the UFC. why do you feel like they want to work with you now? I think a lot of things happen, you know, and then listen to me, a couple things I don't really want to change.

And then I know it's never too late, you know, and then never too late, you know, and now new owners and they're really, they want to work with me, and then I feel very happy. You know, let's try, you know, let's try. But at the beginning, I'm really happy with. Did you sit down with any of the new owners and they tell you how much they want to work with you or were you not a part of the negotiations? You know, I was my manager that care that, but we always talk together and actually I want to say,

thank for George Progenit Tortoise, you know, they did the best and we work together, I think, almost six years. And then start to work with me when I was very hard time of my career. And then now we're here and then, you know, share it together. You know, I trust my manager and, you know, I think the new one is to show them they don't work together and show me too. So right now you have this fight coming up and you just signed that deal. It's an interesting time for the sport in general. Do you feel like this is finally the time? Because they need new stars, right?

And I've always felt like you could be a much bigger star than you are. Do you feel like this is the beginning of you finally realizing your potential of being a new star? Do you feel confident this is finally going to happen? I think a lot of things already follow me. you know, I think you like my job. I think if you, you know, I see it's big a machine, it's a big company.

You're going to be behind me. For sure, now you're going to open more opportunities and more girls are going to like to want to be a fighter. And, you know, I think it's, I think it'll be great. Was there any talk of you fighting Amanda Nunes in some kind of super fight? No, I hear about that, you know, and then in some point I really don't,

don't like fight to Brazilian girl. You know, I do like Fire Manda because we different country, but you know, people say, ah, but you fight against America, you know, I think if you have the opportunity, if I have to fight her, you know, nothing could do okay. But, you know, if I can fight other girls, but you don't like fight other girls, why are you going to beat somebody from my country, you know? We share some flag. Are you comfortable with the amount of drug testing Holly Home is being subjected to with Usada? You know, this is all these things started. Her team starts about this, you know, her coach started talking about, I'm dopping, a lot of things about me.

And I just say, okay, guys, you too, think, I know I'm done clean, but I'm semi-a-a-old-athletal test from Zada. I'm the first athlete signed with you Zada before, being in one year before, you know, for proven clean athletes. If you guys have any problems, this, I think when you have a glass house, you never have to throw rocks. And then, you know, the team they heard have the most history, dopping, athletes, dopping, have a problem.

And I just said, if you guys talk about me, so let's do the same month's test, you know. If they test me 20 times before a fight, I think Sphere tests hurt 20 times too. It's because if you guys come mess up my training, come show up my house 5 a.m., I would like show your house to 5 a.m. You know, it's nothing against nothing.

You know, I'm open for doing all the tests, but I think it's fair, it's both athletes. Recently, she went on Instagram and talked about how much she's been drug tested. Do you feel like you've gotten under her skin at all? She doesn't usually do that sort of thing. She doesn't usually engage. When you saw her do that, what did you think? I think she tried to put people against me because I say that.

But, you know, I shouldn't always start that. You know, we started that for her team. I don't have anything against Holly. I would respect her. I think she's a great athlete. I think she's, you know, have a big challenge for me. And then I just think her team play games, you know, like I say like this.

And then I think I test, I was testing one month through four times. And then she's, okay, she's nine times during two years, one year. And talk about during the fight. I don't talk about how many times she does that test you. I'm talking to in the camp for this fight, you know. And then she's thinking about all the tests that they do with her. Now I'm talking about the 30 days before fight, how many times in the time. Casper.

Okay. Is it true that you're bringing in Mia St. John to help you train for Holly Holm

they fought back in 2005 one of the more famous female boxers is that true? Yeah, we're going to

start training this week and I have a other guy too, so at Oaksica Don, he has a lot of fight,

more than a Thai fight to South Pole too. We started working already and I went to Thailand

and I went to Thailand one mom there, training for this fight too. I feel very comfortable. I feel very well, I feel very ready. You know, I'm training hard.

And, you know, I'm excited for this fight. You know, I think it'll be a good challenge. And the oldest can excite you. It would be nice to happy new year. A couple of months ago, you applied for your boxing license in California. Are you still hoping to box in the near future? Of course, you know, I like challenging myself. You know, everybody's following my career now.

I like to compete everything. And I just think about all. Of course, all the list you have to think of the win, but then I think you win, it's consequence. We're doing a great job, and someone blessed come from God so you can get the win. And then I like compete if I have the opportunity to find one box fight for sure, and I did the license because I can open with.

And then I signed with 155 pounds, 154, I think, 155. I don't know the weight, but, you know, I have the more opportunities. And if you have for me, it would be great. When you were talking to UFC about this due deal, did you tell them about your interest to boxing? What did they say about it? They know that. I think high-tech, no, actually,

when it happened to fight McGregor and the Mayweather. I was talking, I want to fight boxing too, you know, and they like to play, and he's just laughing. You know, it's really hard. But, you know, let's see. If they have the opportunity and they hear, like, I think he would like to do boxing promotions, maybe it can be the first, you know,

first fight fight box for them. I don't know. Will you also be training with Clarissa Shields? Yes. Yes. Clarissa Shields she's had a fight January and then she's probably going to be in my fight.

She just texts me and she's open for training together. And, you know, you have to challenge yourself. You have to try bring good people in your camp for you can get in better. And then, yeah, and then she's very, very good athlete. I think there's a lot of things to learn from her.

You feel rejuvenated, Chris? I feel like you're excited. I don't know. I feel like there's some clarity to your career for the first time in a very long time. I'm excited. I'm excited. I think each train I learn more. And I think I'm my prime now.

I'm my time. And then I think my last fight I showed this for the people before I was really crazy. Now I think more. I think the two times I dropped 140, making me think more because, you know, you have to patient and fight and I think each of a fight I'm getting better at each campaign learn more you feel comfortable and then I think the experience

getting you better and I think you're getting older you think more I don't know but I feel very happy I feel like in a weird way Holly can validate the win over Ronda with a win over you she'd be the only person to beat both of you do you think that

she is the same fighter who beat Ronda Rousey two years ago since then she lost three in a row she recently won, or do you think that, you know, she's fought for a very long time in boxing and now in MMA, do you think that her skills have deteriorated? I think it's going to be great fight, but I think, you know, I have so much box fighting, fight, I think, you know, have a lot of punches. And then I think it's the one thing when I fight to her, we're going to be the first one.

She's still my punch, you know, I think she's, she's a bunch of a lot of girls, 135, and then I have the time to recover of her party after the promo 40 and getting my stuff. touch again. And then, you know, I think she's going to excited to first you, you know, I think it would be a great fight for her. I think the great opportunity for getting the belt 145 and maybe try to get over the belt 135, maybe the first girl having two belts. I don't know, you know, I think she has to push herself. I do every day that, you know, I have to be excited for you to your job. Right, but you're not fighting at 135. Those days are done. Less than 145, no more, right?

no, all for it, no more. No more, no fart it. By the way, last thing, you know, a lot of people brought up your situation with Angela Magana last week when Colby Covington pressed charges on Fabrice Over Doom. Did you see that story and did it seem familiar

at all? It seems like people don't like when a fighter presses charges on another fighter for an incident outside of the ring, so to speak, or the cage. Did you see any similarities there at all from reading that story? Do you know, I remember about Angela McGahnner, I don't feel proud about that to happen, you know. I think I don't feel proud about it.

And I was very sensitive timing and then she's speaking very bad. You know, but I don't feel proud if you have somebody else around me, my team, for sure, this is not going to happen anything between me, Angela. And I think same thing, you know, Verdun is you think about his fight and this guy is very disrespectful. You know, I don't agree with what he say. I think he's very susceptible to Brazilian. But, you know, if you have your team around you, maybe you have to avoid do something like that. But it will happen, you know, happening.

It's happening with Angela. But I'm not proud about it. But, you know, sometimes isn't I have nobody around you for telling you what to do right or not, because, you know, you're getting into Brazilians, you know, in Brazil. You know, we don't like to hear people speak about your country, you know. And then Brazil is really close together. And this guy is very disrespectful. And I think when something happened with Brazil, people don't do anything.

And when he's going in my country, speaking better, my country, inside my country, nobody do anything to him. And you cannot say my country is the people's dumb people. You know, I don't agree with this guy. And maybe if you buy myself, maybe I do something, you know. But for sure you have to have a team together because I think this guy is just wanting getting his name, big name, you know, he's used in Burdun's name for growing. you know and then I think it is immature guy.

The story with Angela, is it still going on or is it dead? I were dead, yeah. Okay, nothing happened? Yeah, you know, I really know proud about it, you know. I'm not proud about it. But there was no punishment or any charges or anything like that? I paid a longer. He goes there and see, do everything.

I really don't know too much. Okay. All right. Well, that's good news. also good news. You're back. You've signed the new deal with the UFC. It feels like things are moving in the right direction for you, Chris. I'm very happy for you. Congrats on getting the fight. Congrats on the new contract. And of course, good luck on December 30th against Holly Holm. I can't wait for this fight. I think it's one of the best the

UFC could put on right now. And I know a lot of people have been looking forward to it. So thank you very much, Chris. Obrugge. Thank you very much, Chris. Thank you all my fans. I'm very excited to see you, December 30th. All right. There she is. Chris Seiberg, the UFC Women's Featherweight Champion. So this is the update on Volkan Ozedemir, as we're talking about fighters who may be in trouble with law. Volkan Ozedemir, the UFC light heavyweight contender. This is from our own Dave Meltzer at MMAfighting.com. He writes, Volcan Ozdemer's arrest Saturday stem from a bar fight that took place on August 12th,

according to details from his bond hearing on Sunday. According to a report of the South Florida Sentinel, the 28-year-old, excuse me, Oudimir was in a fight with a man named Kevin Cohen. Cohen sustained swelling and received cuts on his head from the fight. It was said at the hearing, the alleged incident took place at an unnamed Fort Lauderdale bar. Usdemeir's attorney, Bruce A. Zimitt described the incident as a barroom altercation and said Usdemir was not the aggressor and was totally justified in his actions. The report stated that it was unclear what prompted the fight. Wuzdemir was arrested by Fort Letter of their police and charged with aggravated battery causing serious bodily injury, a second degree felony.

His bond was set at 10,000 according to records from the Broward County Sheriff's Office. There's some background. UFC has yet to comment on the arrest other than saying the promotion is aware of it and investigating it. Mark Romandhi, our own Mark Romandhi, contributing to that report as well. Last I heard, the plan was for them to fight in early 2018. perhaps as soon as Boston. It's unclear at this time what this means for that fight,

what this means for his immediate future. I've tried to reach out to him and his team, no word just yet. So that's the latest. Volcan O's Demir arrested on Saturday night, and it's so fascinating because, like, I mean, you just see him, you talk to him,

a very just calm, mild-mannered individual. And these things can happen at any point. I think a lot of people thought right off the bat, which is interesting as well, that it was some kind of domestic violence. But it is not, as we've come to learn, thanks to our own Dave Meltzer in that bond hearing.

So we'll see how this plays out. Certainly not the first time that someone has, what's up with the light heavyweight division? Now, Gustafson has a record, Manoa, John Jones, of course,

Ouz Damir. Crazy. So we'll see what happens. I saw Jimmy Manow trying to campaign for the fight. I saw Ovin Saint-Prew trying to campaign for the fight. Actually, I didn't see that.

I was told that they're trying to campaign for the fight as well. So we'll see what happens as Dana Kormier. It's never a dull moment when it comes to the light heavyweights and they're not in a position to be losing people like Volkan because it's a pretty shallow division. All right. So that's that. We'll await further word as it pertains to Mr.

Volkan Ozdemir. Now what we're going to do, we're going to take a quick break. We're going to go exclusively on Twitter. we're going to give you the MMA after hour. We're going to give you Rickspicks. So if you're watching us on YouTube or Facebook or MMAfighting.com, go on Twitter right now. There you see the address.

I've been tweeting the link all show long, and you can watch the final segment of the show exclusively on Twitter. We call it the MMA After Hour. Ricks picks coming up. It starts right now. All right, we are back. This is the MMA After Hour. Ricks picks is most.

moments away, so let us not waste any more time. Let us kick off everyone's favorite segment. It is time, my friends. It is time for... Yeah, there it is. Yes. It's time for Rick's Picks. Rick's Picks are lots of fun.

Yes. There's a new tough, undefeated, Rich Franklin reality show. Shot Evans, moving up to 205. Steep Amy Oitch might be back. How about Katzengano coming back at UFC 22? I'm trying to squeeze in as much as possible here. Marlon Marais versus Al Jermaine Sterling in Fresno. How about that?

There he is. Mr. New York, Rick, here to save the day. Please, without further ado, take it away. Let me take this. Yeah, please. Let me take this one. Take a load out. And let's go full screen on Mr. Dierke, if we can, please.

About time. Yeah. I mean... There we go. Wow, look at that. Wow. This is it. people. This is what you want. Okay. Thank you, Ariel, for fighting through it. We're going to

do Rick Spex. First up, Frank Camacho, one half of the fight of the night in Australia, here saying that he wants Damien Brown to get his win bonus. If they're cutting the checks, and it's important to note that he wouldn't be eligible for this because he missed weight. He's asking that his opponent, his partner, his, his counterpart in the fight of the night, gets the 50k check. I thought that was a cool gesture by Frank. I don't believe that they got that. I think Damien was initially said to have gotten it and then something to have been less than the other half of the 100K for fight of the night total. But kudos to Frank for doing that and putting that out there. Real minch move. Next, we're going to

to a clip captured here from zombie profit of the way in between Beck Rawlings and Jesse Jess we're going to watch this again watch how awkwardly they botched the handshake. Now, I'm skeptical that this was natural.

I think that they botched this on purpose. But either way, even if they did, they pulled it off effectively. But maybe I'll hit up Jesse Justice manager, Danny, and he can tell me the great Danny. You would have seen? Yeah. but here we see the botched handshake

clearly there's there's an affinity between the two of them so a fun moment Jesse Jess one of four fighters on the card who miss weight right? Yeah a big a bad one down there By the way I'm not camera ready anymore so you can go full screen I'm just talking here right? He's just gonna yeah my shoes are off I'm dying here can you take me off the screen that'd be great is the shirt off I'm just you don't want to know what's going on

okay so here we go the clip of of the week, everybody's favorite clip from this week. From Dan Hooker. Is this positive? Yeah, because this is promo right here. I think anything at this point Colby Covington is involved with

is now used as promo. Okay. And also, there's a lot of questions and as we're watching this clip, we've all seen it, but I'll narrate it quickly. What we're showing here is Fabricio Over Doom, taking a boomerang? What about the,

The revelation that he was punched before that. Where's the video? Pixar didn't happen. By the way, poor Josh Eldridge of the UFC PR team in the middle of all of that. You see him with the blue shirt. Interesting to note. You'll also note somebody else. We just mentioned them.

Danny Rubenstein in the green shirt. What? Sitting here oblivious to completely what's going on. He's there? I am shocked that he didn't text me 48 times about his appearance. Green shirt, just sitting back, just hanging out. Wow. just...

Oh my God. Just chilling. Watching this all unfold, doing nothing about it. Come on, Danny. I think he calls him War Doom. I think somebody else called him We're Doom as well.

But yeah, we've all seen it by now, but shout out to Dan Hooker for getting the footage of this. I mean, it's been replayed everywhere. Oh, this is what I was going to say about that before we move on to the next one, which was a lot of people are asking, what do you think about Colby?

filing charges. It's exactly what you're supposed to do as the heel. It's exactly what you do in this. Power the heel. You're, yeah, you act tough. Then when the baby face comes back at you, you know, you cower and

you play it like you're terrified and he was scared, you know. Colby is playing this perfectly. Except for the homosexual slur. Can we stop with that already? Well, that, I mean, that, like it was going fine. I could live with it.

But why do you have to do that? especially when you're recording yourself. I think anybody who's doing that, let's just chill out. I mean, I think it's happening too much right now. It's 2017 people. Enough of this. Especially on his own channel,

Colby's going out there, putting the video out and it's him. Anyway, enough for that. Johnny Bones Jones with what was perceived as a yo mama joke to Colby, saying, tell your mom I said, hello. It was great getting to know her that one semester we stayed together.

She's a really great human being. what do you think about that? Was he just being sincere or? Well, this is what makes this so powerful and impressive in my opinion. This could either be a super, super sincere, B, implying that John Jones and Colby Covington's mother had a very friendly relationship. Or C, a yo mama joke that came out better than expected.

I'm not sure which of the three it is, but the nature, the verbiage, the language that he's using here makes me think it's the second choice where he's implying something about his relationship with Colby Covington's mom, and I think this was the toughest hit of the week for Colby Covington, John Jones firing on Twitter. There were more tweets to this rant

that you can find on John Jones's Twitter page, kind of essentially saying that he pitiful. Kobe Covington for having to use John Jones's name. But this was the punctuation mark on those tweets. Here we're going to a clip that a lot of people sent me. This one from an event called Shock and Aw, 26. In England, this event actually happened on November 4th, but the footage of it started arising much more recently.

They may not have published the video. But here we see Ali Flint landing a spin. and kick against Aaron Gray, as I said, at Shockin'Aaw 26 in slow motion even more pretty. This was actually Ali Flint's amateur debut, 29 years old, so I don't know if this is, you know, the starts of a young career, but making his amateur debut and doing it in impressive fashion, everybody who sent me this, there it is, featured on Rick's picks, shock in awe 26, congrats to Ali Flint, huge knockout. Okay.

This one captured by Kaposi. from one Pride MMA 14, which happened on Saturday. I love this clip because, as you can see, this fighter in the red shorts does not even get touched. Or if he got touched the tiniest amount, and does the Rick Flair death cell on the low blow? Which I believe, somebody correct me, tweet me if I'm wrong, I believe led to a win for him.

But this is just like absolutely insane. that this was the action that he took after not even getting grazed but shout out to him for living it for for selling this yeah just do the face plant and sell it delayed

a report here from our from MMA fighting Katzangano returning against Kettlen Vieira at USC 222 back thought as we're highlighting we you know we touched on cyborg and home a lot on this show

obviously that That's also huge news. But Katzenegano was back. March 3rd. Very happy for it. Big news in the end of my world. Yeah. Good to see her back.

And Ketland Vieira, yeah. I mean, she's had a great year so far. Huge upset of Sarah McMahon most recently. I like this fight a lot and I'm happy to see it made. Also, from M.M.A. fighting. Stipe Miyochic, hoping to return in the first quarter of 2018. Seems like contract negotiations are reaching a better place. Hope to see him in the first quarter of next year.

Put him on the same card as DC, have him fight in July. What I say? I'm ready for DC right now. If Ozedimir is out, I'm ready for it right now. Let's just do it. It's unfortunate. I mean, the timing of this is interesting

just because of what's happened to Oudemir. Now this report obviously happened before that, but with Ousdemear out, light heavyweight is struggling. You could do D.C. steepe right now, and I wouldn't be mad about it. The thing about DC is he was very, very successful at heavyweight. It's not just one of these fly-by-night spur of the moment moving up a division.

The guy was a legit heavyweight and cut his teeth there before going down to light heavyweight. So I wouldn't be mad at that fight. But good to have Stevey back. Here we just get a simple tweet, the sunglasses emoji from Habib Nirmaga Madov to Tony Ferguson. What could this be? Who knows? but I think these two are still circling each other. And this is the fight I want.

And I know we've had so many false starts with it, but this is the fight I want to see. I think Tony also responded to this with, you know, snapdown city or something along those lines. But Habib still looking at Tony, and I'm all for it. We featured Rose Namibuonis playing the piano. now we've got Amanda Nunes playing the drums skillfully

who knew that there were so many musical talents in the MMA world but Amanda keeping the rhythm Oh yeah Now let's watch it one more time I'm vibing out to this Forbes 30 under 30 Amanda Nunes Only one

How about that? No only MMA fighter Isn't that wild? Amanda well done showcasing the talent One from Joe Rogan on Instagram second appearance for Mike Goldberg in as many weeks. Last week, Mike Goldberg, with the tweet about Connor McGregor,

now Mike Goldberg popping up in Joe Rogan's Instagram, the dream duo, the dynamic duo of the USC commentary back together. Mike saying he didn't pay for the pay-per-view, or wouldn't pay for a pay-per-view, Joe saying he would. But they were watching the USC event together before Joe's show. and we end with Connor McGregor on Instagram posting some pictures

of Connor Jr. visiting Santa Claus. Now there's a series of these and tag board doesn't let me show all of them, but go to Connor McGregor's Instagram and you will see Connor Jr.'s visit

to Santa. And shout out to one Dave Hogg who is throwing barbs out there, you know, about not getting credit this and that. Listen, I don't see Dave's name in the photo here.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. On the account. Tell Connor to give you credit. I just post it. I just post it. You got to get the credit somewhere else. But because you politely asked for it, shout out to Dave Fogarty for the photo work.

Go check out the rest of those photos. Was it polite or was it more of a demand? Look, you know, he's in step right now, but he almost stepped over the line. Wow. Calling for it, demanding it. And then getting me in hot water with other people who are like, you're not credited.

photos, blah, blah, blah, blah, listen. I don't do it. Yeah. Is there anything like more unbecoming than publicly asking for credit? Private. Listen, Dave does good work. I'm happy to do it this one time, but mind your peas and cues. Is yogurt getting a little too big for his britchers?

Is he like, oh, he's part of the Connor team and all of a sudden he thinks that he can intimidate all of us? There wasn't, you know, too long ago, I was sitting in the media room with him eating, you know, a cold rigatoni for a nine-hour UFC event. I mean, could we talk about Saturday? What is that? What was that? That was a very long event.

That was a weird transition, I know. But anyhow, slow your role, yoghety. No, yes, yes to that, but good photos. Happy to see Connor and Connor Jr. visiting Santa. Okay, we're going to do some quick questions here. Yeah, let's go rapid fire. Can we do that? We're going to go quick.

What about Derek Brunson and Jacquet going back and forth? I like that fight. I like that fight a lot. I saw it a long time ago, remember? Yeah, it was a quick one. Yeah. But I like that fight at where they are in their careers right now.

By the way, Brunson should be fighting in North Carolina. He's from North Carolina. What are you doing? Do Brunson versus the eraser, North Carolina. And you get Pidi Pablo live doing... What's Pee-D-Pablo? Wow. Talking about.

Do you have time for this? Listen, do yourself a favor. Get on YouTube. You'll understand. Look up Pidi-Pablo. Okay. You'll understand. All right.

Okay. Or somebody just has to come out to the Petey Pablo song. But anyway. What you're talking about? We'll stay in the middleweight division. Where does Robert Whitaker rate in your fighter of the year standings? Has anyone else beaten both Jacqueray and Romero? The answer is no.

Nobody is. But where does he stand in the fighter of the year discussion? It's an interesting one this year because there's really not like a clear-cut winner or even a clear-cut two or three. There's nobody that's really put together like that and press of a streak. I mean, we've got Whitaker who beat Romero and Jaceray. We've got a Sun Sao who beat Sterling, Marias,

and now Lopez. Probably putting himself in a good position there. We've got Rose Namibunis who beat Michelle Waterson and Jacek and Tony Ferguson who captured the title finally with his win over Kevin Lee.

Just fought once. There's a lot of guys like that though that just fought once, but it was kind of a momentous thing, you know, GSP, Because to be honest, none of the top contenders have really put together more than two. Oh, that's a great. Remember last year there was Cody? So many. And Amanda Nunes.

There was all kinds of great options. This year, it's tougher because the most of them have two big wins. Aside of the Sunsau, who I think deserves, you know, recognition and credit for this. He has Sterling, Maraisa Lopez. Most of them are two. Demetrius Johnson beating Wilson Hayes and Ray Borg. I would say if Max Holloway... can be Jose Aldo,

beating Aldo twice might be my frontrunner. Might be my front runner. Whitaker, Romero, and Susa absolutely deserves credit. But I think if Holloway can get it done twice, I think that's my pick so far. Last year there was Stipe, there was Michael Bisping. Some people made a case for Connor because he made history, right? I picked Connor.

There was a lot. I mean, like I said, there was Amanda Nunes. There was Cody Garbrand who became champion. This one is much different, much more wide open, I said. And not only because he made history, but I'm still not quite sure about the whole thing. Two wins? Yeah, but they're all two wins. That's what I'm saying, though.

It's hard for you to make a definitive case for anybody. Like, I would say with this current situation, like, I would be okay with throwing GSP into the mix for coming back and capturing the title, even though it's one win. I'd be okay with that. But my thought is if Holloway can win and beat Aldo twice, that's probably going to be my pick. Maybe Whitaker if Aldo gets it done. Maybe it is Whitaker. But it's been an interesting year. Yeah.

The awards coming up in January right here on the MMA hour. Do you feel the excitement? Do you think that UFC 219 is a big enough main event for the last UFC pay-per-view of the year? I feel like it does not have nearly as much draw as the Rousey return last year. Well, that one's kind of hard to recreate because you had two title fights. You had the return to the greatest of all time. But I'm not BSing. I really love that fight.

I think this is a fantastic fight. This is like a dream matchup. I would dare say it's probably. the biggest matchup in terms of top of their game women's MMA fights.

I mean, you know, there is Karano Cyborg. Nunes and Rousy is probably up there in terms of importance.

Home and Tate. Home and Rousey. Home and Rousey in terms, I feel like home now is almost more more of a definitive draw.

But this is, this is, a huge fight and make no mistake about it you know we were talking about yawanna's legacy but chris cyborg is the best female fighter to ever do it there's no doubt about that i think it's almost like chris cyborg and everybody else it's very tough for her to find

people willing to step up and take that challenge and now we're getting one who's game in holly home and you know if if holly home can win we're looking at somebody who beat ronda rousey and chris iborg the stakes here are huge um if we're looking if christ Cyborg is able to go out there and dismantle Holly Home, I think she just continues to make the case that she pulls away from the field and where she belongs in the history of women's mixed martial arts

and just mixed martial arts in general, because Cyborg is one of the most dominant forces we've ever seen. So I love this fight. I think it will be enough to coax people to throw down the money. But outside of that, I'm all in on this fight. I think this is a fine year-end closer. Now, I think the UFC has said that they might be, looking for another bout to put ahead of it.

I'm fine with that as well, but for me, this is a suitable headliner. More than enough. Fascinating that Cyborg says she's fighting Home and Rhonda, and Home is saying like all fights are separate. But by the way, these are the other fights,

at least the big time fights at 219. Cyborg Home, Carlos Condit against Neil Magni, the return of Carlos Condit, Khalil Roundtree against Gokon Sakhi, the Usman fight is up in the air right now due to Emil Mech's visa issues so we'll see what happens there

Miles jury against Ricklin we saw how good Ricklin looked in his last fight Cynthia Calvio against Carla Sparza remains to be seen what happens I mean if this had Jimmy Rivera and Dominic Cruz would be fantastic and oh by the way Chhabiby Mamamadov versus it's in Barbosa this is a fine card

crazy yeah great card I think they were just concerned about this is this a headline main event? Yes, of course. Yes, this is a no-brainer. I love this fight. It seems like we might not get it. Now I'm happy we didn't have.

Oh my God. Kudos to Holly Holme and her agent, Lenny Freskes. They had all the leverage here. They got it done. And held out. Okay. What are the chances that Kobe Covington's classic Professional Wrestling Heel Act ends up biting him in the ass

by making him a joke caricature or simply one the UFC wouldn't want to promote. I think the answer is the chances are pretty slim. Yeah. This has been proven to A, work, and B, I think everything that in your instincts that is telling you that this is hokey

and will not work is him gaming you and making you believe that. Now, there's a certain level where we can't give him credit for being a mastermind on everything that he's doing. But I think him continuing to force this issue is doing more to agitate people and plays into it further. So if you're getting more upset about Colby Covington,

I think the answer is it will continue to work. The other fighters will continue to get upset. You know, Guillermo Cruz sent me a video of Worley Alves, the only person who beat Covington and he wants to fight He's asking for a fight against a guy he already beat definitively. Colby Covington is whatever, whether you like it, don't like it, what he's doing is working. And I think it will continue to work as long as he can continue to draw ire. And he is very good at it.

By the way, of course, this new incident is a new incident. But the last incident was the filthy animal incident in Brazil. And why was Colby Covington in Sydney? Because he was a guest fighter. UFC flew him out there. They flew him out there to do prom. I mean, they're not, they're not flying out schmows to promote the company and the cards. So that should tell you.

And look, what are they going to do about all these homosexual slurs? They've got a real problem on their hands. I'll tell you that much. I mean, it's just embarrassing what they do. What they do from this point forward, I think is going to be scrutinized. And they're lucky, I think that it hasn't turned into a bigger deal. Imagine this was happening in the NBA or the NFL, like a string of, you know, four or five famous people just throwing around these words.

I mean, we saw how serious it was, you know, this is a more recent example because there have been others in the past, but we saw how serious it was when Rejean Rondo used some homophobic language. This was an investigation. There was a real look. That was, you know, I feel like that was earlier. This is a more current example. This is more of what we can expect going forward. But there isn't a place for that in, you know, traditional sports.

and I think hopefully that this will at some point go away, but for now, it doesn't seem to be. By the way, happy anniversary. Whose anniversary is it? The best event you ever attended. UFC 1,23. Not the best UFC event I ever. Why? Your boy.

UFC 101, baby. Really? I feel like that one was even bigger because he was kind of towards the tail end. He knocks out his arrival in a matter of seconds. I feel like that. that one really hugged at the heartstrings. I like that event. That one does stand out in my mind because Edson Barbosa debuted on the undercard.

Nobody knew who he was. I felt like I had found a secret. I felt like I had come across something against Mike Lulo. And the Rampage, the Odo Fight was great. Rampage's reaction to winning was fantastic. I like that card a lot, but nothing topped Florian and BJ and Silva, Forrest Griffin. Philly.

But yeah, 123. Wow. Feels like a lifetime. Seven years ago. What is the bigger surprise? Will Brooks coming to the UFC and starting one in three

or Benson Henderson going over to Bellator and starting one and three? Wow, that is a good question. It's interesting how they swapped former champions of the other organization and are now struggling a little bit. Only difference is Brooks was an actual champion when he moved over.

Benson wasn't. Right. Benson wasn't the current champion, but a long-reaning UFC lightweight champion before coming over. I'm going to go. I'm more surprised by Brooks, to be honest. I think so too. Level of competition hasn't been as high.

Yeah. He was the champion. I think so too. And he, you know. Benson fought for the welterweight title and then a lightweight title. So he's fighting the best that they had to offer.

And also just, I think Benson, his UFC run was littered with like, could go this way, could go that way type of decisions. and then, you know, sometimes those are going to break against you, sometimes those are going to break for you. And if, you know, you go to a different organization

and that is still the same style that can happen. Brooks, I mean, I was expecting big things. I have to admit, I was expecting big things out of him. And it seems like at this point he's a bit snake-bitten. It seemed like he was on his way to winning the fight against Lentz and then jumped into a guillotine. But I'm surprised. But I'm surprised by that.

I am surprised that Brooks has been struggling. That said, I don't think it would be too hard for him to turn it around if he can eliminate these types of mistakes. But I don't think he'll be one to make excuses either. Yeah, he posted a nice statement, taking time off. If Nate fights and beats Woodley, do you think Connor would come up to 170 to be the only three division champion ever? Do you think if Nate and Woodley happens, Connor would angle for that Nate fight much more so than anything else? What do you think? I think yeah.

I think it doesn't matter where Nate goes. That's the fight Connor wants because that's the money fight. And I think Nate's the same. But it all comes down to is Nate and Woodley going to happen and then Nate has the win. I think we're a far away removed from that. I think what's more interesting is whether Connor would fight Woodley or Nate or Ferguson or Nate versus Connor potentially going up to the title. There's a few things that have to happen in that one before Nate is the 170 pound champion.

But really, I just want to see Connor fight. When are we going to see it? When is Connor coming back? I saw John Kavanaugh say maybe April or so. I'm ready. My body is ready. That is it. Oh, sorry.

I got one more added this at the last minute. Do you write notes for things you will discuss in interviews? And if so, how long does it take you to write them? I can handle this one for you, Ariel. Save your voice. No, he does not write notes. I've talked about this before. He doesn't like to because it feels like you're kind of trying to angle and stick to a script,

whereas you can't respond and, you know, stay in the conversation more intently. So, no, there is no note-taking or pre-conceived questions for Ariel Hawani. Today might have been a good one for that. But no, I don't like to do it because you are focused too much on the script as opposed to the conversation. Yeah. Good question, though. There's nothing on my screen other than Twitter and my g-mail so that I can g-chat with New York Creek. That's pretty much it. I feel special. And PD Pablo videos. Yeah, what's that? I'll find out. You just got to find out. You got to find out. You got to find out.

Thank you very much, sir. Appreciate the time. That's it. One thing. Shout out to my dad. Shout out to my dad. Shod out to my dad. You're the man. Mr. Jackman. Long time. You are fan of this program. We are thinking of him, pulling for him, and I hope he's doing well. And a happy Thanksgiving to you and the rest of the crew. And a happy Thanksgiving, if you're celebrating it, to everyone in the U.S. of A. All right, you get my music.

I can come back on camera. Hey, here I am. I just put my shoes back on. Put my shirt back on. And I feel good. Well, it's been a fun day. Who's Who has stopped by. Appreciate the time very much.

Appreciate everyone's time very much. It was a very newsworthy show in the sense that I felt like we had a lot of people who were in the news, if you get what I'm saying. Thanks for helping me pull through it all. I'm still thinking about Chal Sondon saying that my energy was low. Still kind of stinks if I'm being honest. But alas, we tried our best.

Push through. Did what we had to do. I want to thank Patrick Cote for stopping by. Best of luck to him with his new management, Predator Management. CIA. Thank you very much to Chal Sondon. Good luck to him in the Bell Tour, heavyweight tournament. If it is against Rampage Jackson or if it is against anyone else, always a pleasure to have Chil Sondon on. And by the way, he's doing some great video podcasts. I meant to talk to him about that, but we kind of ran out of time.

But his YouTube channel is very busy these days. So I suggest checking it out if you're a fan of Chil's work. Thank you very much to Michael Chandler. Thank you to him for coming on to clear the air. And of course, good luck to him against Goychi Yamauuchi on January the 20th in Inglewood, California. Thank you very much to Colby Covington. What a lightning rod that man is. Appreciate his time very much. Hopefully that all works out for him. Thank you very much to Holly Holm.

Best of luck on December 30th. U.S. Thank you very much to Tyron Woodley. Good luck getting that fight against Nate Diaz. Thank you very much to Mirko Krokop. Best of luck to him at the end of the year. Thank you very much to Gary Tonin for coming in studio. Good luck on December 9th.

And of course, thank you very much to Chris Cyborg. Good luck on December 30th. Back next week, save time and place to the peace. So many, yeah.