MMA Fighting - TUF Hang: McGregor vs. Chandler TUF 31 Reaction | Ep. 9

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

Alexander K. Lee and Conner Burks react to Episode 9 of The Ultimate Fighter 31 on TUF Hang, which goes live on YouTube every Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT/4 a.m. IST immediately following the conclusion of TUF 31. Watch the show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e0owDCDalI0 Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Follow Conner Burks: @ConnerBurks Follow E. Casey Leydon: @ekc Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

The Downloaded 2, Ghosts in the Machine. Available now, only from Audible. Support for this show comes from the Audible original, The Downloaded 2. Ghosts in the Machine. The Earth only has a few days left. Rosco Cudullian and the rest of the Phoenix colony have to re-upload their minds into the quantum computer, but a new threat has arisen that could destroy their stored consciousness forever. Listen to Oscar winner Brendan Fraser reprised his role as Rosco Cudulian in this follow-up to the Audible Original Blockbuster, The Downloaded.

It's a thought-provoking sci-fi journey where identity, memory, and morality collide. Robert J. Sawyer does it again with this much-anticipated sequel that leaves you asking, what are you willing to lose to save the ones you love? The downloaded two, ghosts in the machine. Available now, only from Audible. We're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.

What's up, everybody? That's right. Once again, The King is back, Connor McGregor. And also, I am back. You're one of your tough hang, co-host, Alecender Kaylee, back from a little vacation in Japan. Super thrills to be here and was very pleased with the coverage that continued on the number one reality TV show

as I was on my vacation by the great... Well, let's bring it out here. My co-host, Connor Burks, the great G.C. What's going on? I'm still rocking the blue. Proudly rocking the blue.

Of course we're proudly walking the blue because we didn't lose. No. I mean, we didn't have a fight, therefore we didn't lose. Yeah, two weeks undefeated for, for, Team Blue for the prospects.

And of course, E. Casey Lyon was also here, producer extraordinaire. And thank you again to New York, Rick, and Mike Keck for filling in. Mike Keck, especially because he also had to do the recaps, which are always a thrilling thing to see on NMAFighting.com. Great website. But I guess I couldn't have come back at a better time. I'm a little sad. I'm a little sad that I missed episode eight, Rico DeShullo, doing the damn thing for Team McGregor, getting Team Blue on the board, making it so that G. can walk around and that blue jersey proudly.

You must be wearing it all week. Listen, man, it was a fantastic moment. I was wearing it when I was going to the pool, the beach, the gym, to work. I mean, everywhere you saw me, I was rocking the blue. And it's funny, I feel like we went from the best episode of the season in episode eight, setting up to a big, you know, playoffs to the worst episode of the season. I don't know how you all felt, but definitively, I believe this was the worst episode of

the season. This was tough. This was tough. And we had sort of prepared ourselves at the beginning of season. I think if people go back to episode one when we were talking about how this was your first real comprehensive ultimate fighter experience, we were like, oh, I wonder how how GC's going to react. We get to like the semi-final episodes where it's really just all about the fights.

There's probably not a lot of trauma outside of, you know, and this is still to come, the coach's challenge, which I don't think comes to like episode 11 or 12 or maybe last episode, maybe episode, maybe episode 11. But yes, this is episode. episode nine of the Ultimate Fighter season 31 called It's Personal, not just Business, which is maybe the worst title yet, I think. We've been starting off with the fight, usually breaking down the fight every episode, but I don't think we need to do that this time.

Actually, this time, I kind of want to go just from the start of the episode and kind of break it down. So, first of all, the title. Now, this week, it was the first lightweight semifinal. And as people know, except for Rico de Shulow. It was all Team Chandler. Four of his, there was all four lightweights. No, I'm sorry, four of his, all four, yes, all four lightweights advanced.

Three out of four bantam weights. This time it was Austin Hubbard and Roosevelt Roberts facing off. This felt like just business to me. Am I crazy? Someone justified this title for me. Are we talking about the episode? I have the episode one of the title right now. The title of the episode.

I think it was personal in the sense. that none of the guys wanted to leave team Chandler. So there was that. And then it was also personal because it kind of felt like, you know, friends fighting friends. Like it kind of felt like that's what we got in the fight. It was very reminiscent of the NFL fight. We just recently saw.

You can get that together, okay? Yes. Yes. No, I understand. But like normally when I see it's personal, not just business, that makes me think, see, it kind of fooled me. It was kind of, if this is a tagline, I'm gonna say. If this is a, yeah, if this is a tagline for a movie, like a sequel, I was like,

like, Creed 2 this time it's personal, not just business or something. I'd be like, oh, wow, like the stakes are up. Like this, these dudes are like beefing. And Creed 2 ends up a good sparring match. Yeah, it was, you're right. It was, it was, it's my fault. If it's my fault. I interpreted it wrong.

They were saying, oh, by the way. Listen, you're, you're hating on this episode name last week. We had to talk all episode trying to figure out when someone said, watch your neck. Protect your neck. And on, protect your neck. And on rewatch, I did notice it. It was a very quick blurb right before the fight started. Someone said, yeah, protect your neck.

And then the fight involved little to no grappling. Yes, that was bizarre. Always a cool one. I don't think it was the worst thing. And there was no Wu-Tang reference in the episode. No Wu-Tang reference. No, routine cameo, ghost-faced didn't pop up. We couldn't even get like Raquan.

Capadonna I would have settled for. And we didn't get that. Yeah, I know. If he had shown up, I would have been like, justified, justified episode title. It's not just business. But yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry saying this in regular rotations. Please, please.

Not just business. And he'll be so confused. They're like, what's going on with Casey? What's wrong with him? He's going through some things. Hey, take a back. the uh yes there was the trauma early on about well again there's all these team chandler guys how can they all stay training with that was that lion actually was that was that was that line was

that was never said episode right i don't know listen i only know about the protect your neck thing from the from the comments so guys there's a very real chance that we go back and watch this episode again and it's like just thrown in there just like a throwaway line and they're like that's what we're going to end the episode but from the start aka unfortunately you were not here last week for us to break it down. But last week, me, Mike Heck and Casey made our predictions for what we thought the matchups were going to be.

And who we thought was going to be placed on which team. We said Rico versus Gibson, Cotona versus Believe, and it was going to be Rico and Cotona on Team McGregor. And then Hallibon Knight and Hubbard Roberts and Holliba and Hubbard on Team McGregor. We were correct in all those

except for Holliba and Hubbard denied going to Team McGregor. Yeah, this was a classic setting up two things two things they set up drama and immediately diffused it because you're right last episode well last episode you guys correctly pointed out it like oh cool like they're going to reveal the the matchups I'm like oh wait they already revealed that Roosevelt and austin are fighting which means the lightweight the other lightweight matchup was was set up and then this one that starts with right away just saying what the matchups are and then setting up the premise up oh my gosh

are three are three Chandler guys going to have to go over to McGregor and then they're just like no No. No. We just don't want to. And they're like, okay, cool. Yeah, you don't have to. It's like, wait, what? And then they had to train together before fighting together, which, I mean, when we got to the fight, it seemed like it had an effect on it. I mean, it seemed like Roosevelt Roberts and Austin Hubbard had developed a pretty good friendship over the course of the season. And like, it's hard to not believe that that came into play in the Octagon. I think it's actually two things.

I think is that and the fact that I think Chandler pointed this out because of the training situation for the last, I don't know, how long you think they've been in the house at this point a month? I think Chandler mentioned four weeks. I think he said, over four weeks. These guys have their family's not around. They're bored. They're talking to each other a lot. But more importantly, they're training each other, which means they kind of, they know each other. You know, they know their strengths.

They know their weaknesses. And they, and I, I don't want to bring my. into this, but like when I had my fight, I literally fought a training partner. And a guy I had sparred with probably about, I don't know, seven, eight rounds. We've drilled together and stuff. And I will say during the fight, it was, even the build-ups, the fight, it was odd to kind of go, all right, I have to kill this guy, you know, figuratively kill this guy. And I really had to kind of fake myself into saying it. And I felt, especially Roberts.

I think Roberts, he was, at least in his interviews, he was more open about it. he was just saying man like it was it was weird i couldn't like coming into the house i was like i'm going to win this i'm going this win this but then it turns out i'm a human with emotions and that kind of for that type of drama that was actually bad for entertainment because he actually did make it personal and not just business wow there it is there it is that was a I mean that was a beautiful breakdown of it okay i have a feeling he said it and it just ended up the cutting room floor. Because it did seem,

you know, it does jive with the, the pre-fight Roberts interviews because his whole deal was, yes, I thought this

going to be all just business, but I made friendships, particularly me and Austin, our Austin and I were training together from day one. We get along really well. And it led to one of the most

awkward fights I've ever seen, not just because we've seen fights kind of, again, between friends, even between people who don't like each other, devolve, to kind of like aimless sparring sessions.

We've seen this before. But, oh, one second, guys, sorry. I don't know if you can hear that, but there's a little bit of background noise. We've seen this before, but this was also, this had the added awkwardness of the coaches rightfully saying,

well, we're not going to corner either guy. You know, these are the guys you've been working with. And it's going to be super quiet. And I was like, you know, maybe it was not super quiet. It was in. No. It was silent. It was silent, dude.

We were essentially watching a basketball practice. We were watching a basketball practice, but instead of the squeaks of the sneakers on the floor, it was their feet on the mat. Like, it was just like, yeah. It was like, watching a fight like that and in not being like a banger of a fight was like, it was like, it was so odd. It was so odd. And of course, we go to the full 15 minutes. And like, I don't know how you guys scored it. But I was like, I guess Roosevelt Roberts rounds one and three.

And he's going to win. I had it for Roberts, actually. Yeah. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I had Robert, but like, dude, you want to talk confidence-wise in that? Like, I had next to none. I was honestly a little surprised. What was the plan at the end when they were like, stay ready, stay ready?

Like, were they going to potentially go five rounds? No, no, you would go, I guess. A 10-8 or 10-10? Yeah, if 10-8 or 10-10, it's all what happened. But I don't think any of those. But a 10-8, yeah. I don't think any of those rounds were 10-8. I don't know any of those rounds were at 10-10.

It was just inconclusive, though. Just in their mind, they were like, it feels like this needs an extra round. But again, would a sudden... I mean, McGregor said it. McGregor said it perfectly. He was like, I don't think anyone lost, but, like, I don't really think anyone won either. Thank God he started chiming in because that at least broke the monotony somewhat. The only run you could hear, who was the referee?

Was it, was it Mark Smith? Oh, my gosh. Fingers. Fingers. Fingers. Fingers. Hey, Rose-O. That's all we got.

How? Fingers. That was the biggest drama during the fight. Dude, and then we also got a nut shot in the middle of the middle of the first. of it? I was like when a nutshot happened, I was like, this is, oh, man. Like, we're sitting here watching a recorded fight that's going to end in a split decision with no commentary, no fans, no coaching, nothing.

That is the number one thing here. This is a recorded fight. They have no reason. They don't have to show this fight in sequence. They don't have to show the entirety of this fight. If they know, they know, this is not live television. It's not like, oh, we were caught off guard by how, like someone watched this back. Someone watched this 15 minutes, 20 minutes segment.

whatever it was. I assume there's commercial breaks. Someone watched this and said, no, no, no, this is okay to air. A.K., not only did they watch it, but then when Dana was breaking the fight down, they made a whiff highlight reel from the first round. It was literally like a highlight tape of like seven whiffs that they had. Like it was, uh, I got, man, it was like, after the first round, and also, I had to do it.

You know, you see, you check the time. You know that this. is going to go three rounds if there's no finish regardless of the score. I look you, you know, we're halfway through the episode when it started. And so you're pretty much like, all right, this is going to go the full 15 minutes. Like, I hope it's a good fight. Like, probably like halfway through the fight. I was like, oh, God, like, this is just going to go to a decision.

And like, the fact that it's a split decision was such a beautiful cherry on top. We have said that there's probably not a lot of drama going on in the house. So I don't know if they can reformat the show and sort of like, again, when they have a fight like this, do a montage style. Again, there's nothing. It's crazy. A lot of stuff we talked about in episode one kind of came to fruition in this episode of a tough hangar to say kind of came to fruition here.

A lot of our criticisms and kind of fears, it kind of played out perfectly because there was that old boxing show, the contender, Sylvester Stallone's the contender reality show. And when they went to a fight, they would sometimes just montage it. They were just a montage. It was so much more exciting. It was so cool. They would show different angles. They show slow motion.

And it was like, oh, this is a. like a kind of a compelling way to watch a boxing match where you don't know who the boxers are. And again, maybe the fight wasn't the most like thrilling. I can't remember how many rounds they fought in the show. I wish the ultimate fighter would start doing that. And again, Ultimiter used to do a signet when they used to do fights to get into the house. Anyway, but they don't do it anymore.

This would have been the perfect time for it. You overlay it with the commentary from Dana White, with the coaches, kind of talk about how it's a sparring match. And just, you know, you can still kind of poke fun at it. But at least you can do it in a more quicker TV-friendly way. Maybe embed a little music track underneath, you know, something to... I do not trust their music choices. Every single episode, I was like, what the hell is this music they're playing?

It's always like, warrior, ooh, eat it, boo, boo, that's just bad. That's really good. That's really good. Can you imagine someone casually to... This is not ESPN, right? I'm in Canada. I don't even can't. We don't have you.

Can you imagine someone casually tuning around, watching, tuning in to this and just in the middle of that fight and being like, what the hell is going on? Like, is my audio busted? Like, did they lose an audio track? Yeah, yeah. Is it me? Is it on their end? Did they forget an audio track? Like, this is so uncomfortable.

And like, you're a Connor McGregor chime. So you're like, okay, I'm not crazy. Like, there is something happening. If you're trying to get your friend in MMA, don't just not show them this. Act like this doesn't exist and just wait until Saturday and show them the, main card of 291. That's what you need to do to get your friend in MMA. This was rough.

Again, I cannot emphasize just how bad, like how bad television, a piece of television program this was. Not just did they go through and they were like, all right, yeah, let's air it. Like, could you imagine like producing this episode? Oh. Like, it's just like, man, we're going, we're going the last half hour a, you know, a dead silent fight for 15 minutes that's going to end in a split decision. How can they do this?

How can they get away with this is my question. Ultimate Fighter. No, because, I mean, it's what was provided by the fighters. They gave a 15 minutes full decision and they have to edit around that. You can, you guys are both in the, you guys are both in the production business. You know that you can make, you can make chicken salad of chicken poop. I mean, that is, that's a classic Hollywood added. If I was a producer behind the scenes, I would have pushed very hard for what you said,

the montage. Dana White cuts in, McGregor cuts in, Chandler cuts in. You show him nervous in between each round. You show the guys dabbing the sweat and being like, I think you lost that round. You know, you're going to need to take this one.

And then winner by split decision, Austin Hubbard. And then, but also at the same time, what else would they have used to fill? I mean, we already got it. We got our forged Irish stout stew commercial.

Yes. Yeah. Let's go. Connor, get into that. J.C., can you explain? Can you get into that? Get into this advertisement. And we are an.

advertising it. So let's get. Listen, I listen, of course we're advertising and I have it a I have right over my shoulder here. Always. Fantastic. Stout. Forged Irish over Guinness. Everybody knows that. But yeah, McGregor showed up at the house. I was like, oh, this is sick. Nice. Like I hope we get to see both coaches show up. We still haven't seen Chandler show up at the house. McGregor shows a sick shirt, summer vibes. Despite it, this is probably like February or March in in Las Vegas when they were shooting this. Regardless, he was preparing. He knew the summer vibes. Shows up. He's going to be making them an Irish dish. Shows up. An Irish stew, the meat, the potatoes, everything, but you can't forget the most important

ingredient. The forged Irish stout. Get some cans in there. Get it going. Make it beautiful. And every time you say the stew is ready, you have to say the forged Irish stout stew. And then they eat it in front of the fighters that are gutting weight. He didn't seem to enjoy that. And yeah, it just, it felt like product placement for forged Irish stout. And in a very, in a very just unprofessional way, honestly, for fighters. I'm just like, Conner's like, dude, you're making this mill that these guys are, they're chasing their dream. Like, I'm a, I'm a shoot a commercial for my stout right now in front of you.

It was just, and like, it just felt weird. And all the losing fighters are like, it's pretty good. good. Why, like, Roberts and, like, Jason Knight are just like, like, they were so annoyed. Now, Jason Knight did try it. Oh, maybe he did try it. I know, like, some of them were, yeah. He said there was too much beer in.

Yeah, you said it was an advertisement. It was not a stirring endorsement. Again, this is a show that they could, that they could have chosen anybody's comments. Oh, yeah. And they had to. And one of them they had to be going like, yeah, it tastes, I tasted a taste of it funny because you bite into it and you taste a lot of beer right away. And I'm like, yeah, he put like six cans in there.

I'm like, I'm not a stew making expert, but I imagine you put six cans of powerful Irish stout into a stew. You're going to taste that right away. So that was a weird thing to put in. It was funny because Jason Knight rules. But a weird, if I was, again, I don't, I, one thing I'm amazed at the show is I feel like Team McGregor. Like, you know, when you have a star like Connor McGregor on the show,

I always imagine he's going to ask for like final cut or something. Then I realized like he doesn't have the attention span or like the time to deal with that. So he probably just assumed, oh, it'll be a great advertisement and nothing going to go wrong. It was also look, you're right, it looked so sad. He kind of had like the stew. He kind of took a bit of the stew with like a bowl of the stew. It was kind of going around like saying, hey guys try this, try this. And you're right.

Some of the guys probably can't, couldn't eat it because they still had to fight. But like what a weird bizarre scene. I'm trying to imagine another like, listen, Conn McGregor is somehow, one of the most famous athletes in the world still. Again, I don't, you know, you may want to put him on a tier below, like the LeBron James is, certainly some of the bigger football stars in the world. Like, he's nowhere near that level. But he's like as famous as like, I don't know, Kevin Durant.

Is that crazy? Is that crazy? Is that crazy? Is that crazy? He might be more famous than him. He might be more. James Hardin. I don't, yeah.

internationally, for sure. Yes. He's incredibly famous, dude. Imagine Kevin Durant or James Hardin or someone. I have to go best. while everyone's this year. Like in a similar segment where they're hawking some product, talking around with a couple of bowls.

Like, yeah, it tried this. It was so only an MMA. I have to say, I did see James Harden on his Instagram story, like posted a product placement for like four free burgers inside a club this past weekend. So it's actually, you know what? You say that.

Here's the only thing. Like, it feels like this is we're just kind of shitting on the episode this week. But like, no, we are, which we are. Which we are. Yeah. Yes. But the first time McGregor went to the house, there was a little bit of like product placement

for the proper 12 whiskey, but that was fine. He was taking shots and he got to talk to the guys and he got the haircut and like a little bit of story with the baseball tournament and everything like that. It felt like he was actually connecting with the athletes. Next time he comes, it's the McGregor fast product placement. We're going to do the rowing thing. At least it was like a competition.

And like it wasn't, it was a step down from the whiskey. This was just like walks in. What's up? lads, how we doing? Where's the chef? Let's dump some proper 12 or let's dump some forged Irish stout in this and let's get out of here. Like it was like, it's like each trip he's made to the house for like a product placement as it has declined each time. And how have we not seen Chandler at the house yet? We're nine episodes in. I don't know. No Chandler at the house. No, but Chandler talks. He talks incessantly about how much he loves his team and how much he cares

about these guys, but we haven't seen him once. And honestly, it's not like, it's not like Chandler doesn't have his own products. He's got his own, he's got his own, like, healthy peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He's, he's, he's, he's going on his Instagram. He's sponsored out, man. Hey, maybe someone does that final cut. And maybe there, those, those parts get into it out. Wow.

We don't want to see it now. I think that's still to come. I think there'll be a big, maybe if both of his guys make the finals or something, maybe he'll, not just say both of his guys, but multiple. Chalmers watching this right now is like, I show up for the freaking practices. What are you talking about? I'm actually doing the part. I'm actually doing the coaching part.

Not the hanging out making stew part. Sorry, Your Honor. I'm at least there when they weigh in. It's getting, yeah. So it's getting, it's slim pickings at the house. You see how excited they were when they came home from the fight? I don't know why, just to go back to the beginning of the episode. I don't know why I expected something cool when they walked in.

And they were like, ooh, like the fighters walked in and they're like, oh, wow, well, cool. And I'm like, oh, wow, did they surprise them with something? And I'm like, oh, it's just a crappy looking bracket. No, no, no, no, no. What they surprised them with, Dana White was just like, now that we've made it to the semifinals, I wanted to surprise the winning finalists from the quarterfinals. And I was like, oh, what is he about to do?

And he's like, with a phone call home on the laptop. Oh, okay. Limited to 10 minutes. And I was just like, that's a, that's an annual. Yeah. I was very like Stockholm syndrome. Yeah. Oh, thank you for letting us talk to our family.

G.C., that is an annual tradition. So I, I mean, it's nice. I should have warned you. Oh, they normally do that? That's a normal way. Listen, it's nice to get to talk to them. Yeah, I mean, it makes sense. They don't have any technology and everything like that.

It's nice that they get to talk to them. But like now that will be like a part of each episode, like, just to fill some time of like, okay, how's everything going? Good. Nice. All right. So I was hoping for like a real surprise. Talk about changes, maybe positive changes to the show. Instead of doing this call the family thing, you know there's no, you already know it

ahead of time. There's going to be no coaching. You know it's going to be crazy, super awkwardly quiet in there. Fly in the families. Whoa. Flying the families of each side. I like that. So now, so then, so it's only them yelling and cheering. I mean, what we can't. Think how much that changes episode. Think how much that changes episode. Seriously. We can't, we, we can trust Max Crosby to be there, but we can't trust the families. I like this idea from you, Casey. So I'm just, whoa. I didn't know where you're going with that. I'm like, okay. But I mean, imagine. Imagine, though, Roosevelt Roberts's kids there crying at us.

Is that what you want, Casey? Is that the kind of TV you want? Yes, that's what we want. We won't. We won't cry. We want tears. We want to cry. We want sad tears.

Because that's because they're going to cry when they get home. You know, I mean, they're going to cry when they find out or whatever. You know, but that's what the show is. We're putting. We want to know these people. We're seeing their families. We're like, we miss you, dad. We miss you.

You're going to go and you're going to win. You know? I want to see Roosevelt Roberts. Talk to his family, talk to his kids after he loses a close fight. And what's Hubbard's family going to do too, dude? Like his wife when he was like, I made the semifinals, she was elated. She was like, oh, I knew it. I knew it.

Yeah, like, on the opposite end, what are they going to do when he wins the split decision? Like, they're going to go crazy. Yeah. I like this idea, Casey. I don't know. And it would make for some sort of audio fill. That's what I'm thinking. Yeah, if it's just for the audio fill or just or and they can do it with,

or have the family sign, you know, NDAs or whatever, do the live feed too, where they're watching a live feed of the fight. So if you don't even want to pay for the tickets, they're watching at a home, you know, I don't know, just like there was something that couldn't have been done and they didn't do it. The UFC just went, nah, just put it out there. We got our, we got our stew segment and they were good. You just summed up the last 12, 12 seasons of the Ultimate Fighter. There's something they could do, but they're just not doing it.

How about Roosevelt Roberts? We got our first weigh-in drama. On the fight, we get our first third round. We also get our first weigh-in drama. Has to cut the hair. Quarter pound. Who was the man who had to do it, Landau? Mando.

Mando. He called him immediately, too. It was very confusing. I'm like, oh, I guess Mando's the haircut guy because he was like, Mando. Come on. Come on. No, he cut his record's hair earlier, dude. Do you not remember the whole breakout?

Barbershop with the dog. I've been on vacation too long. Yeah, this is the haircut. Every season has a haircut. That was foreshadowing. Back in season two, Rashad Evans, Rashad Evans was the haircut guy. Future UFC champion,

Rashad Evans was a haircut guy once upon time. So, Mando, that may, that may bode well for you. But yes, he said, and then he said,

Reissel Roberts said, All much Macon's, I'm sorry, I had to do it, which I thought was funny. So he does make it on the second side. I was amazed that they even bothered, because that's Jeff Mullen,

I think, I think that guy who usually does the Vegas Wayans. He's the most lax cat. Like, people who watch official Vegas Wayans, he very often does the, someone steps to the scale. He kind of looks at it. The scale's like still shaking.

And then he just goes like, bang it. Bang it home. $1.50. There to go. Boots it. For no reason. But for this show, we had, we're going to quibble over that quarter pound and we're going to make Roosevelt Roberts cut his hair.

Like, you know, you know what knows? Because Jeff one always does. And they do that so that I think they do that so they don't have to have any accountability. Because once you hit the scale, I was like, well, I can't go back to it. I can't reset it. Yeah. What do you want to do? So maybe it was last week or this week.

I can't. It might have been last week. I didn't mention it. So only two people are weighing in. They're both weighing in the same weight. The first guy weighs in. He announces the weight, but has announced his weight. He hits the scale and resets it for no reason because it's already set for the next person.

So he has to redo it again. So I was like, what are you doing, man? So, yeah, now Go ahead, Gisi. Next week, looks like we get Islam, little Islam coaching session, and like, I'm going to tant my expectations. I think this is going to be a wonder boy-esque.

We may have already seen the entire segment. I think it's just going to be Islam pulling up in like, they're coaching you good, like, then like a quick little blurb where he's just like, Timor deserves to be a champ. He deserves to be in the UFC. He's very good and he's very disciplined. So he should do it and then it'll be out.

But this is a little, This is a little detailed stuff. This is a little dedication that I put in. Slowed down. Went super slow motion at the very end when they're showing the highlights for next week. Timor and Katona, pretty bloody. Looks like they're going to get into a war. Looks like we're going to get an exciting fight.

I think you're right. Yeah, I'm optimistic about it. I think Hubbard and Roberts, like even from just like a stylistic standpoint was a bit strange. And then you add that they're on the same team. I guess Brad and Timor, they're both Chandler. guys but again to sort of go back to the bit the what was the one of the supposed drama of this episode that was very quickly diffused by catona because we all knew this was going to happen we all knew i think i think once you saw that chanler's team was dominating and we're like okay well obviously

there's going to be some drama you know revolving around can they still train together if it's all it's an all chanler's semi-finals and then you just kind of like oh wait katona's whole deal is that he's a chanella he's a connoissee guy he's a john cavana he really needs nutritionist tristan or whatever. So it just made so much sense for him to go over. And I wish we could have gotten the reactions from the other fighters, kind of follow up on the, the drama we never got the first time it was brought up. But I have a feeling they just didn't care. I have feeling the fighter. I wish we could have gotten McGregor's reaction. Yes. Being like, yeah, only Brad wanted to come, dude. Yeah. I think we'll see it next episode, I guess. I guess we'll see some of that. We saw

like a hug. We saw like a hug. He puts on the blue. He puts on the G.C. Blue. You know, you guys, you and Ketona are on the same team now, so that's going to be fun. So that was somewhat compared to watch. But again. Happy to have him. He's a great fighter.

He's a great fighter. Probably one of the favorites to win the show. I keep saying. I'm confident one of Ketona or Rico is going to win. I think one of them will be in the final. Oh, you're all in. Okay, that's right. You have to be all in on the RICO trade now.

Again, he put team blue on the board. You have to, yes, that was a- Let's get him in Boston, 2-92, tough finance. Let's get him in Boston, the Boston guy. The white hot 36-year-old prospect, Rico de Shulo. Age is nothing but a number. Yeah, that's complex stuff. But yeah, next year, next week it's Katona versus Believe.

And yes, we get that little Islam cameo. So hopefully something to look forward to. But because, yeah, this was the toughest hang we've had so far. I had some stray questions here and there. The first one was, I should have mentioned this when we were talking about. talking about the reward, the call home. Who would you guys call if you're in the house? Who's your call?

G.C., who's your call? You got that one call. I wonder if there's a pre-approved list. I assume they're just like, you know, you're going to call your family or a friend, and that's about it. I don't think you can spontaneously just throw a name out there.

But if you could, G.C., if you could, who would it be? Boarding for flight 246 to Toronto is delayed 50 minutes. Ugh, what? Sounds like Ojo time. Play Ojo, great idea. Feel the fun with all. the latest slots in live casino games and with no wagering requirements. What you win is yours

to keep groovy. Hey, I won! Sporting 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 1-866531-2-60 or visit Comex Ontario.ca. I mean, is this like a fantasy phone call or this is just like real life? Who would I call? You can call. You're in the same. No. This person has to be alive. I'm going to say someone you know.

I'm going to say you can't randomly say, oh, I want to talk to Margo Robbie or something. Like, no, that's not, that's not a thing. It has to be someone you. I'm just calling my girlfriend. 100% I'm just calling my girlfriend. She's probably like the only one that I'll really care that much. Like my parents, if I wouldn't did this,

they would just kind of want to hear the news after everything was said and done. Yeah, I mean, no brainer. No brainer. Like if I called one of my friends, they'd be like, why are you spending your phone call on this? Fantasy, though? Yeah, Margot Robbie's not a bad shout. Just saw Barbie a couple days ago.

I heard it was good. I heard it was good. I didn't get, I enjoyed it. No spoilers. We're going to watch it soon. No spoilers. No spoilers. I can't wait to see it.

I'm watching Openheimer on Thursday. Casey? Openheimer, Jesus. Openheimer. Casey, who you're calling? Oh, it goes. Esther then that's easy she'd be I mean

it's a no brainer I might who are you calling I'm okay Mike Nell I might call I might call I might call Esther if I'm being honest Casey would that have you okay if I called us yeah yeah it'd be awkward but over there

Esther rules he knows fighting no my girlfriend GCC is the opposite my girlfriend could not care less about MMA obviously she'd be concerned about how I was doing on the show

but she hates she only puts up with it because of me God bless her so I mean that's the obvious call to make, but that's kind of boring. I'm like, yeah, everyone's calling their wife, a significant other, whatever. That's a bit boring. I'd call my parents just a way. I think it'd be fun to call my parents. Just so I could have the sweetest couple in the world on, on national television. That would be hilarious to me. My mother's, my mother's an old. Back to your girlfriend.

Yes, go ahead. I interrupted. Please, I'll, that's fine. I'll continue. No, I was going to say, My mother's an old Chinese Peruvian woman. It was just blow people's minds to see. She's the sweetest woman in the world. My father's hardcore Hong Kong man. And he'd be given some, he'd be dishing out some, some hard wisdom to motivate me. So I think that'd be hilarious for the show. I mean, with apologies to my girlfriend, I'd just call my parents because it'd just be so funny.

Wow. I would make sure. Your girlfriend, my dog's on camera too. But, ooh, bringing the dogs on the show. I don't know. No, that was my fear. That was my fear. I thought one of these guys was going to bring out their.

Oh, bring out Shiloh, bring out Shiloh, bring out Shiloh for the, for the show. I'd be like, no, anyway, so no dogs. He misses you so much. He misses you so much. Your girlfriend, does she hate MMA, like, as a sport, or does she, like, is she just kind of squeamish about how violent is? She just finds it really boring, I think. Definitely, definitely, she does not enjoy, she does definitely to not enjoy violence for the

sake of violence, even if, even when I go like, but no, it's okay. They're getting paid for it. That, like, somehow doesn't make it better. So she doesn't love, she'll sit down with me. She might watch a fight or two, but the interest isn't it. You know, I think like most normal human beings, she's not going to sit down and watch six or seven hours of a UFC event. She might have a 45-minute tolerance at best.

Can you please talk assisted? Get a camera and I want live reactions of her watching this fight from this episode. Like this is a fight. Oh, my God. It'll just be her watching for 30 seconds and then pulling out her phone and then saying, oh my God, this TikTok is so hilarious. You have to watch this. That's a normal person right there.

That's a normal human being. Yeah, that's a normal human being. Yes. I don't care. Here's the craziest part. There are going to be people that, like, defend this fight that are like, you just don't actually enjoy martial arts.

No. You see who? Have you been on Twitter? Have you been on Twitter? They will defend anything. They will, I swear to God, they're going to be people. You guys are just haters on the ultimate

fighter. You don't have to watch. You know that, right? Like, you just don't enjoy mixed martial arts. You're not a true fan. There will be defenders of this episode. I will say, but this fight, this fight was not a bad martial arts fight. It was just not entertaining. There's a big difference. Yeah, this is the biggest thing. It was just not a entertaining fight. Yeah. There was, these were not skilled fighters to be entertained. Yeah. And that's the issue here. This is reality show for entertainment. This isn't, this isn't even a sporting event because these are exhibitions. So, and that's, this is only for entertainment. These aren't real fights, taking mind.

What would this be the equivalent of on like The Bachelor? Like watching a 17 minute date where it's just like clinking glasses and like them, yeah, them cutting a state and like. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And like every four or five minutes, there's just like a. Right. Steaks pretty good.

Stakes, all right. Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. The wine's not bad either. There'd be at least one like, there'd be at least one like, oh, did you say something? Oh, no, no. Okay.

And then what's the, what's the nutshot equivalent? Someone like starts choking on their water. Oh, hold on. It's just like extra awkward. Yeah. That would never air. That's a perfect example because that would never air. You're right, you're right.

Major network. Okay, we're talking about ESPN. ABC would fire the producer on the spot. It would be like, you're fired. If we need a competition type of reality show, yeah, I'm trying to think. Like, I couldn't imagine the air in full. Survivor, it's some guy like trying to start a fire for 15 minutes straight. And like at the end, it like gets like a small flame going, but not enough to like cook anything.

Yeah, this is the beauty of television is you can make it whatever you want. Recorded television. With respect to, again, to the production team, maybe there just has been a lot to work with this season. I understand everyone's professional. Maybe it's just awkward silences in the house too, right? Maybe they're not having a lot of conversations. I totally get it, but there had to be better than that.

Just throw like just the producers. You know what you do there if it's boring in the house? Just throw a let a raccoon in the house and just go. Just open a bottle of proper 12 and be like, you guys have to finish this before the episode. You have to. You're right, though. That is the job. We talk about reality TV.

People talk, you know, listen, Survivor, the classic reality TV show, the tribal councils, those have been compelling for whatever, what, how about 40 seasons. And they said early on, like, you know those tribal councils go on for like 90 minutes. Like, there's so long. And it is Jeff Prove's job. This is why he's the best of business. It's his job to poke and prod and stir the pot and make drama. And then from that 90 minutes, wherever long the tribal council goes, they get that, you know,

solid 10 minutes or however much you see on the show. That's how it has to be done. And you're right. Sometimes you've got to throw a raccoon in the mix, Casey. And I want to bring up a comment you threw up from the YouTube's. This is all I was on vacation, but I was checking the slack. This made me laugh so much. I think this was episode seven.

I almost have some episode seven. I can't even read this person's name. It's a random collection of letters, but they said some of the YouTube comments. You guys don't have to react to the show that no one is watching. spend time with your families and stay. No, that was a fantastic comment because as funny as it is, it's also true.

It is a true comment. That's what makes it so funny and true. No, we do not have to be doing this. We do have to be doing this. Someone has to be doing this. This is, I can't believe this. It doesn't have to be us. It doesn't have to be us.

Three more episodes. Yeah, three more. Three more. I guess they're not... Sorry. Yeah, yeah, three more. I guess they're not doing a two fights in one episode thing. I guess they're either are just going to do semifinal, semi-final, semi-final, semi-final,

which is a bit strange. If this is how it normally go, maybe I'm not remembering the most recent season, but... Finalee on 2.92, I don't think it's been confirmed yet, but that card only has 11 fights right now, so it would make sense. Yeah, it made me sad last week when you guys were breaking down and saying, like, yeah, this probably... These finale fights, are probably not making it to the main card.

This is trying to think what they want to bump down. Oh, no, no, no, no. There is no, probably. They are 10,000 percent not making it to the main card. But we actually are already wrong in our, in our, uh, in our guesses. Here's our notes from last week. We did have Roosevelt Roberts winning. So we are wrong there.

Got the teams right, but we're already 0 for one on predictions of who wins. But very, very easily could have. Listen, he could have easily advanced from this fight. Neither guy, I don't think this is their best showing. certainly they're skilled fighters we know that they can fight at higher level than this this is when you guys were mentioning the level thing by the way you're right it's it's

we're not criticizing Roberts or Hubbard skill level it's just the scenario wasn't conducive like this was 10 times a more skillful fight than like Trevor Peake and like Chippe Mariscall and that fight's going to be like a top five fight of the year candidate but that was not a technical technically that fight was an atrocity like that was so if I am being a selected

but Hubbard Roberts again this was two professionals and it was it was personal. It was personal. Not just business. Two professionals that were friends and they were not fighting in front of a crowd or with coaches or with commentary. Or no sound. Or sound.

No support. Or sound. No support. Because everything changes. Even if you have Chandler going like, you got to finish this. You know, blah, blah. It was just a couple of like Connor going. It's like, ooh.

Yeah. Hit him. Beautiful. It's up around to score. The team like, the team McGregor also kind of like agree not to, because I assume the team McGregor fighters were there. They weren't allowed to hoot and hoot. Did everyone just kind of say, listen, we're not going to say anything.

Where it's not going to support either fighter. That's so bizarre. I felt like Team Chandler did the, well, they didn't want to cheer or whatever, you know, against their own guy or boo. Yeah, I don't know. And then I think Team McGregor, and then I think Team McGregor was just like, we don't, we're playing the party lines. We don't support anything, Team Chandler.

So then it just made for, you know, booing the whole. Boo. Yes. That would have been. great. I mean, that would have been better. Anything would have been better. I mean, stand them up. It was kind of a, it was a nasty stew of silence. Not nasty, like the delicious forged Irish stouts that they had earlier in the episode. Yeah, get that plug in there. I can't all the episode of the sound of balance.

I thought the sound of silence would have been the perfect name for it and we would have right away been like, oh, this is why they called it. Well, that would have made us think like it was a scary knockout. Oh, there's a, no, no. If they named it the sound of silence, then like, all would have been forgiven for this episode. This makes so much sense. But yeah, back to 2992 for a second. I don't think any of us have a problem with the finale's not being on the main card. If anything, it wouldn't make sense to put on pay-per-view because the prelims presumably

will be on ESPN, the show's on ESPN. So if by some chance, you know, people are so invested that they really need to see the finale, it'll be on free TV as God intended. So no complaints there. I'm sad because it'd be cool if these guys got like a pay-per-view opportunity right away. but it doesn't make any sense to give them that. None. None, dude.

Look at the card. You can't. You cannot put them on the card. Even on a weaker pay-per-view, I think you want to put these on ESPN, right? It's like you, why? This is not the kind of season. And this show in general doesn't have the cashay anymore where you can say, oh, well, if you want to watch the final, you're going to have to pay $80 for it.

Yeah, good luck with that. Good luck with that. Just after this first semifinal, people wouldn't pay. We'll pay $80 to see the coaches. fight. That's what we're paying $80 for. Yeah, we're still waiting for that, by the way. Where is that? Where are we guys on that? I know, I know you asked New York, Rick. I know you ask Mike. Where are we on confidence? Yeah, we'll see it December. The Christmas tree, the Christmas tree. That was, that was all took.

Mr. Ceremoji, don't forget. Don't forget. It ain't happening. I am, Casey, I'm kind of leaning back towards it because everyone's right. And New York, Rick brought us up again. Like, whatever what happens with Usada, there's some exception that they can find. If they, if they, if they, if they want Connor, if he wants to fight in December, and Chandler wants to fight in December, and the UFC wants to make this matchup in December, it's going to happen. It's going to happen. There's some unwritten, no, I'm not not an unwritten. There's some minutia in the USADA rules that they can say, oh, yeah, oh, this well, you know, we made an exception because of this. So it's, it could happen. Is this a fight you don't want to see anymore? Yes. I still want to

see him. When Conner returns, I have to see him fight, Michael Chenna. That's the fight of all the fighters in the world. He needs to bite Michael Chandler. I just don't mean, it's as cool as a fight, whatever. It's not number one, but I'm still looking forward to it. I'm still looking forward to it. At 85. It's going to be at 85 too.

I do hate how to be. I don't know. I don't know. It feels like he's slimming down a little bit in the latest pictures. And I like all the training they've been showing with McGregor. I mean, that's what you want to see, right? This kind of surreal side of him training with these prospects, guys he wouldn't normally train with. I mean, some of them are

our team of guys. Again, we'll see what you're going. There's no training. There was no training of him this week, him training. Wasn't there?

Oh, was I thinking of last week? I guess I was thinking of it. Yeah, he was John Rico, the uppercut to the bag. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

After I, after I got back from Japan, I had a, I binged. That's right. I binged the ultimate fighter. I watched the past two episodes I missed while I was traveling

and then what could be better. What could be better? What could be better? What could be better? What a way to come back to, to North America. Yeah. What a way to come back.

It was such a lovely homecoming because I got to, I got to just all tough, tough, tough, just bang them out. It was my dream. It was so fantastic. So. How did you have the culture shock from being in Japan to watching? Right. I still want to see the fight.

I'm a little bit like it is weirded out by how chummy they kind of have to be since the show. Like I wish the shove had been some moment where like, oh, this changes things now. And then in the last episode, we just see them kind of sitting comfortably in the matchmaking meeting. and like chummy it up like and I'm like this is weird I know they're fighters I know they're pros I know Chandler's not going to let something like I shoved in the face bother him but like is there no tension whatsoever between them now there will be tension when they fight in December I can assure you all right I do find that because at first when they did the shove a few episodes back I actually thought the shove made sense in the context of that episode

I think Connor just his his guy just got upset with the the big upset. The guy that I was expected to win. Hunter Azure. No, no, no, no. The shove out. Oh, so the one he was expected to win. Oh, my goodness.

The young man. Yes, it was my guy. You know my guy. Yeah, whatever his name. Right on the tip of my tongue. Yeah. So the shove made sense at the time. But like, okay, to me, though, like.

Hammond. Lee Hammond. Lee Hammond. If someone like shoves me in the face like that and we just, oh, okay, we're going to fight six months from now. For those next six months, I don't want me near that guy. Yes. Chandler's just like, do do do do, do.

I like this fight. This fight's easy. And they're walking out of the hall together. Like, do, do, do they don't got to fight right then. But I don't understand why Chandler's like, I'm cool of this guy right now. One day ago, here's old McGregor. It looks then, man. He looks then.

You talk about the green screen looking pretty trippy on my phone here? Okay. It looks like a fake phone. Why are you holding up? Why are you holding up your McGregor case? Your vinyl McGregor case. That's what it looks like. He looks good though, man.

He's looking at that. Is that custom? Like he's ready for December. It's like he's ready for December. Is your desktop? I like that. One more random note I wanted to bring up, well, I was going to, and now my brain has just has just frozen up from that incredible case shot.

Any straight notes on your end, G. We'll wrap up in a second. No, nothing. I literally went through every single one of my notes. There wasn't a lot to talk about it. I mean, dude, we talked about this for like almost an hour. I honestly can't believe we made it that before. Yeah, I got everything out.

Looking forward to next week, Timor Katona should be a great fight. And three episodes left. I think the lessons take away from this one too. And I wanted to emphasize this is that friendship sucks. Don't, don't, you know, I don't have any. I don't have any friends. And, you know, you guys are my very positive, amicable work associates. But I have no friends.

So I will never fall into this trap that Austin. and Roosevelt fell in too. So for all you kids out there, all you kids who are tuning into the Helmut Fighter and then tough hang every week. God bless you. Go find a hobby and some friends. I would just say in all the seasons of tough or whatever,

you probably know this, A, K, have you had a fighter come on and just say, oh, I love it in this house. I don't miss my family at all. This is great. My apartment sucks, my roommate suck. I don't, I'm totally okay of being away from my kids. I don't like my dog. This is awesome. I think I think you've had guys who say they do love

the oh, this is like almost like a vacation because it's like food is provided, is literally just delivered every week and you get to train. It's all you have to do is where I'm not necessarily at the expense of their family, but definitely there's people who have been focused more on the positives and the negatives. Oh, now I remember we wanted to bring up. So the last thing I'll say is one big thing this season is missing. And with McGregor involved, I really feel like you could have had like one or two great opportunities for it. Because he's a, he's a mischievous fellow.

That's probably putting it nicely. No pranks. No pranks. No coach. No coach. No coach. Franks. Franks would make it funnier, man.

Connor has this, Connor has this beautiful car that he brought out last. What was it? A Ferrari? What was it last episode? I think it was a Lambo. A Lambo. A Lambo.

Oh, no. I don't know that. Lambo, Lambo. Lambo. He let Rico drive. If you're Team Chandler, you've got to be doing something to that Lambo.

it may result in something very bad happening but I mean you gotta like a lawsuit I just say that's almost definitely a rental that's almost definitely a rental too so really you're not they've messes they've messaged the other guys other coaches cars before I remember all the time classic that's a classic tough trick

you mess with a car class none of them were lambos I don't think everyone's ever rolled up with a lambo bash the windows in with a bat and dent the body of the car that's just Jesse, that's just a felony. That's not a prank.

But yeah, that's one spice. Now, again, given how much, like, McGregor doesn't need enough time to show up with the way-ins, I highly doubt he's thinking of pranks for this reality show. But that's what his team is there for. You tell me, Owen Roddy doesn't have some hilarious. This is a traditional prank back in Dublin that gets them every time or something. There's nothing.

There's none of that. Did they tell the coaches not to do pranks? All the pranks are replaced of commercials for Conn-Megger products, basically. Yeah. that's what you got. They couldn't have had a proper 12 related prank. Oh, I filled,

I filled, I filled his room. I filled his, his, his room up with proper 12. So I'm like, I don't know. Something stupid like that.

Like the coach's room is filled with proper 12. I don't. Fill up the Lambo gas tank with proper 12 and fours and fours out and see what happened. There you go. There's your advertisement. I'm terrible. Just a couple of whoopie cushions.

A couple of whoopie cushions. Hey, Jason Knight sits down for his meal. y'all got me y'all got me if they did that to Jason Knight he'd be laughing for like eight minutes straight he would find Jason Knight would find that hilarious

so you can do something with Jason Knight's vape I've noticed Jason Knight vapes at the same moment show I think you're allowed to vape on the show why is that allowed oh no you've been holding an elf bar like three or four episodes Jason Knight's so cool God I hope he wins the show and just comes back to the UFC part of me doesn't want him to come back to the UFC though

I like Jason Knight being a free bird, but guys, I don't know how we talked about this. Again, I cannot say it's one of the worst episodes of television, not just Delta Fighter, one of the worst pieces of television I've seen in recent memory. It was so, so, so bad. If you have not, if you guys, I know there's some people that say they only watch Topang, probably like a dozen people.

Don't watch a favorite. No, go back and watch the episode. You got to feel how uncomfortable it was. You need to watch these episodes so you can understand when you what good episodes are maybe i don't know you have to you have to be you have to hit rock bottom yeah yeah we've set a new baseline we've set a new baseline so uh thank you guys thank you uh gc connorbergs thank you i've never been happier to have you thank you i've never been happier to be back to have people to watch and talk about the show with because if i if this is one of the

episodes i kind of have to watch myself and just not talk about it i don't know if i if i would i might i might have extended my vacation another week guys i might i would have been like i can't This is a struggle. I would have taken a sabbatical. From a tough related sabbatical. But yes, I am your host, Alexander Cayley. This has been another sensational episode of Tough Hang, not a sensational episode of Tough 31.

And we will see you guys. What was the new catchphrase, G.C. I'm sorry, you broke out the new catchphrase last week. What was it again? I said it at the end of the episode. I think so. Something like Tough Hang in there or something. What was it?

Dude, I can't remember. I don't know. Oh, well. Tough hang in there, guys. Until next week. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.