The Ariel Helwani Show - Conor McGregor in studio! FBI thwarts terror attack at UFC White House, On The Nose, more

Episode Date: June 16, 2026

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with further reflection on the UFC White House event and reaction to new stories developing in the aftermath (14:53). Ariel and The Boys in the Back answer your On The Nose questions about the New York Knicks, White House walkouts and production, Josh Hokit’s controversial post-fight comments, whether Ciryl Gane is getting a reputation for fouling opponents, and more (44:10). Chuck Mindenhall joins Ariel to give his first-hand account of the UFC White House card (1:21:18). Conor McGregor makes his long-awaited in-studio return, talking about his announced comeback, his negotiations with the UFC, including a confirmed date for the final fight on his current contract, thoughts on the White House card and Ilia Topuria, being offered a two-fight deal — boxing and MMA — against Terence Crawford, BKFC’s new broadcast partner, his rivalry with Max Holloway, the New York Times reporting his took “banned drugs,” and more (1:52:22). Ariel and crew answer more On The Nose questions (2:48:09) and your Super Chats (3:19:55).

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Air... On this Tuesday, June 60th. And 26, hello again, everyone. I sure hope you're doing well. It is so great to be here on a Tuesday afternoon in New York City, the City of Champions. This is like the only thing that I can commit to right now in my life. I'm all over the gap, all over the place.

My kids are showing up late to school. I'm late with the wake-ups. I'm not making anything for breakfast. I can't function. I can't function. We've already added another 1K to the merch list. I bought both New Yorker magazines, the one with Brunson, the one with the city on fire.

I bought Sports Illustrated commemorative, Time commemorative. What else did I buy? Oh, slam. I had to get the slam. Had to get the slam? Orange text, gold text. Two slams I got.

Gonna make a whole big montage on my. wall. Is it a montage? Collage? What is it? Palage? Yeah, whatever it is. I'm going to be making one of those. There's a couple new shirts that I have my eye on. We're just trying to do it slow and steady. The boys were on Fallon yesterday. Golly, I've never been so jealous of Jimmy Fallon.

I mean, look at this shot. What is this timeline? Look at this shot. Jalen Brunson walking out, holding a truck. I'm sorry, everyone. Like it or love it. You better learn to live with it because this is, This whole studio is about to be redecorated, all right?

Wu-Tang is there. Mike Brown is singing, who let the dogs out? What? This is unbelievable. I have decided, everyone, in case you're wondering. Frank, we've got some breaking news real quick off the top. I have decided that I will be, in fact, attending alongside millions of Nix fans, the parade on Thursday. But I've decided against the sleepover.

I was thinking sleepover Wednesday, get the early. ultimately just wake up and park in midtown and then just make our way downtown. That's what I've decided. What do you think about that, Frank? The only advice I gave you was to have the sleepover. So you remember earlier you were like, I trust you. I've known you for five years. I don't remember you saying that if I'm being honest.

I said it on the air. I can actually pull up the room. Well, you know, if we were still at Vox, our office back there was like right in the midst of it all, right? Yeah. We could have gone up to like the 15th floor and just watched it from the windows. That might be the move. Anyone still have their card? You know a guy.

I got a place I was invited to. Oh. Their parade starts right outside this person's apartment window. But EP Jackman, you know, famously Cleveland Rick said, got to find someone to do your job first. Wow. Is that not a reasonable demand? What are you? I mean, you're a Gen Z kid now?

You just think you deserve to get paid and you just go. do whatever you want. I was going to take an unpaid day off. Vacation Jordan over here, just keeping the legacy alive. Not happening, bud. Listen. Not happening. Vacation Brit also going to be there. Oh, wow.

What a throwback. I would like to overrule him, but he is EP Rick, you know, so it's a tough one. Thank you for respecting my station. I mean, I think you should be there. I question your fandom if you're not there. If you worked at Vox and were able to peer out of the office window, that would be the best you're going to do in this scenario. Wow.

You know, typical, typical salty calves fan. His guy's getting arrested for what? What is he got? A couple of AK-47s in there. Lock him up for fucking life. Don't bring that guy back. Don't bring him back. Let Pizzi get hands on him in the jail cell.

What about that? What about your boy, Pizzi? Your boy's being arrested. What do he have? He had a concealed weapon? What do you have? What are we talking about? James Hardin arrested.

He got arrested. Oh, shit. Well, he was surprised. Not this guy. I'll tell you that much. A badden from the second laid eyes on him. That's all I'm going to say. What we got there?

Inter Milan? What is that? It's actually Argentina. Is that a Fortnite shirt? Look like Fortnite. Wait, Argentina has a sponsor on their kit. Old school. No, no, no.

It's a collaboration situation. Oh, that's nice. Are they playing tonight? I'm like a 12 year old. I'm like a 12 year old. Now, you're fantastic. But bought so many fucking jerseys. It's like it's my first World Cup.

but I don't know what's gotten into me. But yes, they're playing today at your time it will be 9 p.m. They're playing Algeria. Everyone in Kansas loves Algeria. Have you seen that? Amazing. One of the great stories of the World Cup's up for, I think.

Yeah, those stories have been really fun. There have been other not-so-good stories, but I will say, I need to lock in. I have been so disconnected for obvious reasons. You did say this to me. I need to lock in. I feel like it's blowing me by. In fact, last night, I'm like, guys,

I tell you my boy. boys, like my kids, guys, we haven't watched the World Cup. We need to lock in. Turn it on. This is like the gods are watching. Turn it on. It's New Zealand, Iran or Iraq? Yeah. Iran? Iran. Yeah. And I full screen like close up is Chris Woodt taking a free kick. I'm like, is this not, are they not smiling down upon us? I mean, he missed it. But it was still nice to see my boy, my boy, uh, Woodsy out there, you know, representing, uh, New Zealand. So that was nice. But I, I've, I've not really locked in. Senegal happening a stone throw away from us here. We should pull up, three o'clock.

Oh, it's East Waterford, is it? Yeah. Nice. My brother went to Brazil on Saturday against Morocco. He said it was a bit of a nightmare, if I'm being honest, because he lives in Soho, and then he had to take, he had to go to Penn Station, then he had to take a shuttle to Sokakis, and then another shuttle, because they're not letting anyone drive up to the stadium.

MetLife is just pretty much blocked off. So it's a bit of a mess of a situation, but I think post-parade, I think, I think post-parade, I think I'll lock in. But, you know, I'm watching Fallon. I'm waking up. There's Wu-Tang there. It's just, it's all a lot to process. The New York Knicks are 2026 NBA champions.

We're going to go to Summer League. I've decided we're going to get the sushi. We're going to do Fettie Mubati, PRJs, all that stuff. Today's show, today's show, my friends, is an interesting one. I'll just say, we're living in interesting times. We're living in unique times. We're living in different times. We're living in sort of laissez-faire, yolo.

come on, baby, let the good times roll. Lese lese le bontan roule. Those are the times that we're living in. We're always going to remember the summer of 2026. We're going to long for this in the winter of 27 and be like, ah, it's so depressing outside. But do you remember the summer of 20206? We're going to be old men and women on our porches being like, man,

the summer of 2026. I wish we knew. No, we know it's the good old days. We are actually acknowledging, okay? This ain't no office meme. We are acknowledging it's the good old days. And so we are letting the good times roll. As you can see, the lineup for today's program is a little bit different.

Do we have a mystery guest later? Maybe. Do we have a mystery guest that isn't coming? Maybe. Do we have a mystery guest that is coming? Maybe. I don't know. Peace and love.

Peace and love. We figure it out. Just come on this journey with us. And more often than not, it works out. But come on this journey with us. That's what I invite you all to partake in. Please come on this journey with it. Oh, by the way, I keep forgetting.

It's bothering me. My OCD is acting up. Go full screen on PTC for a second. Petezy, go full screen. Hello, everyone. How are you doing? I've been jealous of his mustache, obviously, because it's glorious. But never more so than I feel like we complete each other's beards, right?

Your tremendous mustache is what I need to, like, add here. And I can, you know, help. You know what? Between his mustache and your lack of mustache, together, you make a great beard. I know. I know. What's the kit today, Pizzi? We already went through this. We already went through this. Argentina.

It's like a limited edition. You just pulled up. Where were you? We pulled up and you weren't back there. Is everything all right? G.C., how many of you forget? Because we were talking to Jersey. What? I'm not going to lie, man. I didn't get as many as I was expecting. I went to the Nike store. The Nike kits just do not. Adidas, man. It's an Adidas year.

I got a couple of Adidas ones. I got a Spain one, a Japan one. But, yeah, the Nike ones. We went to Nike. Did you see the English? It has like this like ribbed. What is that? They always try to do something. Yeah. We always try and do something for World Cup years.

I remember the old, the 2002 Brazil jersey, everybody wanted it, but the fit was crazy on it. Everyone was kind of sick. That's the thing. I'm actually like, I feel the South American flair this year. Like I think Brazil are going to come good. I think Argentina will have a little sting in the tail. A lot of people going on with Europe. But I do feel as though South America are going to have a big, big statement in the later stage.

Do you think so? Really? Ariel, you're in a good spot. Like, if you were going to miss anything, the first few group games are the way to go. You really need to lock it in towards the end of the group stages and into the knuckles. You know what?

Fair play to FIFA. A lot of teams added 16, I think, added this year, 48 total. A lot of people were saying that there would be mismatches. Shout out to our boys over in Cape Verde. Cape Verde. Capoeira. I mean, what is that? What is that?

Tying. Nill all. I mean, that's insane. Tell us the stat. G.C. Real quick. Tell us this that. Pulling up right now because it's constantly being updated.

Their goalie, Josimar Diaz had 45,000 Instagram followers yesterday before the game. He now has, after a clean sheet against Spain, 40 years of age, he now has 8.7 million followers. That's insane. Wait, he's 40? He's 40? Yeah. Holy shit.

That's amazing. It's so good. It's such a good story. The world has become behind him. He won Man of the Match against Spain. Spain was minus 1,500 going into that game. Tremendous. Favorites to win the whole thing.

And there's an Irish man playing centre back for Cape Verde as well. Well, you turn his back on your country? No, his father is Cape Verde. Okay. And he just didn't. Like he plays for Shamrock Rovers over here, which is a Premier League team. Not a lot of those guys get a lot of opportunities. There is some into the Irish national team.

Mostly they're trying to go Premier League players and stuff like that. But he is, he was a star of that game as well. He manned the defense. and Irish people are supporting them as of Ireland there because obviously we aren't so fantastic. Do you guys know which continent Cabo Verde is, Cape Verde? Africa. I honestly didn't know that. So I guess in Portuguese, it's Republica de Cabo Verde.

Are they close to Jamaica, the Caribbean there? No. No? No, it's in Africa. Yeah, it's like right off the coast of northwest Africa. It's unbelievable. You know many people live there? What's the population?

I guess 75,000. 110,000. No, no. 528,000. That's Carousel. 528,000? Yeah. And Spain, let's see.

Spain, who were the favorites, right? Yeah. France has shifted. 49 mil. Oh, have they? Yeah, France is the slight favorite now. Well, long tournament to go. Oh, my gosh.

It's early days, guys. Some of our lives. And Bapa. Sorry, go. Some of our life. Bapé could have a hero moment because, obviously, he's out of favor with Real Madrid. The idea would be that,

He will have a tremendous World Cup to reinstill belief with lost blackers. He's out? He's out? No, he's out of favor in Real Madrid. Marino getting him out of there? I doubt it. If any man can wrestle a team play out of Mbapap, it's probably Jose Marini. Sure. Let's see how this shakes out.

If only they had a guy like Mike Brown leaving the charge, huh? That's what they're saying. That's what the people in Spain are saying. Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike. Guys, I want to remind you that today's episode is brought you by our good friends over at Calci. They are the largest prediction market in the entire US of A. And what about that QR code right there? You put your little camera on that and voila.

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Cali, trade what's next. Let's look at what they're saying as far as the World Cup is concerned over on Calci, France, Senegal today. 18% for France to, what, be the faves? England, my tourd-favor. Yes, is the whole tournament. Wow. Portugal, third favorite.

Did this change? This changed, right? Yeah, flipped after Spain. Wow. Yeah, you can see the red and the blue lines, they switch. Got you, gotcha, got you, got you. See the USA crawling up there? There could be an amazing.

I told you, 6-1 at the start of tournament, lads. Got it back to Maryland. You know who else was 6-1? You know who else was 6-1? one over the week. 66, 66 the one. Oh, shit. Okay, I thought I was trying to make a Justin Gachie.

Love my Aussies, but we're smoking them on Friday. I do agree with that. The Socceroos. Pizzi, what do you know about 2002 France-Senegal opening match, huh? What do I know about it? You remember that one? No. What?

You don't remember that? I remember this vividly. 1998 winners, France beats Brazil, right? Zedda and all them. 2002 opening match, the champs kick things off, they lose 1-0 to Senegal. Did not know that?

I'm sure I was watching at the time. Do you no ball or do you not no ball? Please, please. Back-check me. Please, go ahead. Oh, I didn't. No, no, no. Is that the game you were at?

Which one did you go to? No, that was 1994. Argentina and Nigeria. Who could forget at Foxborough? Who could forget? I mean, it's one of the great games. Actually, it's a historic game. He got pulled off in a game.

He was pure. he had a celebration which indicated to the world that this man is probably on cocaine. Hey, shout out to him. Shout out to him. I also wanted to mention that, you know, we're living in this insane time. The show, today's show, a little bit different. The Knicks are the Champions. What about the fact, guys, that there was a, sorry, I was sitting up there, my apologies.

What about the fact that there was an event at the White House on Saturday? And now all of a sudden, in the aftermath, Donald Trump is just sitting. around with world leaders at the G7 summit, and they're just casually talking about the UFC as if it's like us in the lunchroom over there talking about the fights this weekend. Take a look at this absolutely surreal footage. If you're a longtime UFC fan, if you're a long-time MMA fan, this has to blow your mind. Guys, you don't invest in UFC. I was telling your team earlier, because it's going bigger and bigger.

I mean, it used to be boxing, but now the AFC is... Mr. AFC is... Mr. President, the United and why... I'll see. Mr. President, Dana is amazing here. Mr. President, Dana is amazing. He's amazing guy. They're just sitting around talking about Dana White.

It's a great time. You got that? Everybody's replaced. It's nice. President Trump meets with world leaders amid Iran conflict and Russia-Ukraine war, and they're sitting around talking about the UFC event. That last fight. He's talking about Tuporia Gaichi.

The last three fights. You look at him. Two guys they couldn't be beaten in both guys. What is this for? Look at this guy. Who on their bingo card had Donald Trump meeting up with President Emmanuel Macron of France just chit-chatting about Cyril Gan? Bonggamins is being talked about between the President of the United States and France.

Take a look at this. congratulate the president last night. Cyril Ghan won the fight against a great fighter, supposed to be unbeatable, and that was it. Cyril is from France. Did you watch the fight? Yeah. Nothing's done right. But I saw it this morning. That was a great fight. It was a grave at the White House. What is that all about? It's all very surreal. Now there's good and there's bad as well. on uncrown.com, the number one unbiased home of all things, combat sports, best in the business. And I see this article here, UFC Freedom 250, FBI director Cash Patel says agency stopped drone attack targeting White House on day of event. Five individuals are in custody Monday after the FBI

stopped an alleged plan attacks targeting the White House on the day of UFC Freedom 250 per multiple reports, FBI director Cash Patel said the agency caught wind of a potential plot June 10th and that alleged attacks were, quote, stopped cold. He confirmed that multiple individuals were now in custody, though did not provide specific details on the alleged attacks. Patel did share a Fox News article that provided more information on the alleged attacks, which reportedly involved explosive laden drones hitting buildings near the event. Officials told Fox News the tactic was meant to force a mass evacuation and steer crowds towards, quote, a pre-staged sniper team, end quote. After that, a quote, second wave of attackers were allegedly going to storm the White House gate,

officials told Fox News. In the days leading up to the event, investigators reportedly identified 23 individuals who discussed the alleged attacks in a signal chat. Some of those individuals lived out of state and were reportedly planning to travel to Virginia in the days prior to the event to prepare for the alleged attack per Fox News. were made in Ohio, Missouri, and California, according to the Associated Press. I mean, that is absolutely terrifying. That is absolutely terrifying.

Wild, wild stuff. So thank God, nothing like that happened. Thank God, it was thwarted. Just reading those details and then thinking about the visuals. Just awful stuff. There's all kinds of hysteria. It feels like, guys, does it feel like the aftermath has actually created more history.

Like, once it actually played out and once people actually saw the scenes, I'm seeing, you know, people, all kinds of politicians weighing in on Twitter, I saw John Stewart talk about it. I'm just seeing all these different things pop up and, of course, the algorithm feeds me all of it. But it definitely seems like once it actually played out,

people got even more fired up about it as opposed to when it was announced and being talked about, at least on shows like this for the past 11 months. Anyone feel otherwise? I feel like the focus, though, has been a lot of Josh Hokit in the aftermath. I feel like Hokit is the jumping off point, but then it's like desecrated this, disrespected that, how dare they, it was disgusting, this, that, and the other. That's what I feel like.

Can I tell you guys something? Just I'll be a thousand percent honest with you. I was struggling on Sunday to stay up, given what happened on Saturday. I don't feel like at times I was a thousand percent there. That's partially why I couldn't do the post show and I just had to bang something. out relatively quick. I went back and watched Justin Gachie's walkout, like with a clear head last night. I don't know if there will ever be a greater walkout than that in the history of fighting. It's incredible. It was the cinematography. Like the way it was actually shot, him

starting off, I didn't even put two and two together. Honestly, I was a little bit out of it. I'll be a thousand percent. It was one a.m. whatever it was. He's in the freaking Oval office. And to the best my knowledge, I think he's the only one that came out of the Oval Office, right? Elliot did it as well. Excuse me, okay. I'm not seeing the Elliott one as much because obviously it didn't pan out.

He comes out of there. It starts with him looking at the Declaration of Independence. He's coming out of there. And then like the, you know, they have to cut when he's entering into a new room. And for it to play out like that,

walkout's fine. This walkout isn't remembered unless he wins. And so for him as the American to walk out like that and win and pull off one of the great upsets against this undefeated guy, I don't know if this is going to be top.

Like, when the entire story of the fight is told, it has to start with this, and it ends with him winning and shocking the world. And I was talking to someone who was very close to the event, I won't mention their name, just out of respect. And they brought up something that I wasn't thinking about, and I'd love to get you guys to weigh in on it as well. If that fight is happening in any arena in the world,

T-Mobile, Madison Square Garden, pick one. I think there's a strong case to be made. It doesn't play out like that. I do believe that Gaichi in that moment was so empowered by the setting that it allowed him to rise to the occasion. And if you don't believe that that's a real thing, I point to the NBA finals. The Knicks aren't coming back down 29 if they're not an MSG.

Things happen obviously in different places. But I think, and we'll never know the true answer, I think that there is a strong case to be made that Gachy feeling that being where he was being as proud of it Say what you want about Justin Gachi He is a proud American

He has always stood by that Being there I think raised his game And I think that if they're in Vegas Team Mobile whatever I don't know if he rises to the occasion like that Is that a crazy thought? I don't think so

I don't think it's crazy But Who knows how it impacts one or the other Right? Maybe the moment is different for everybody. So I think... It adds to the lore. Oh yeah, definitely. You know what I mean?

100%. The fact that, again, as you kind of pointed out yesterday and continue to like circle back around to, there was not supposed to be an American winning this final fight of this event. This event was supposed to be capped with a guy from Spain knocking out an American. And Justin Gaichi completely upset the Applecart. He completely changed the course of history as it relates to the UFC. And so, yeah, there is a lot of, like, there is a lot of storytelling. There's a lot of lore that comes from this now in hindsight by the fact that Justin Gaci was able to get it done. Absolutely. It's unbelievable. I mean, it's also the song, right? The song, ain't no grave going to hold my body down. This is a guy that's saying, I'm going to retire

after this fight. This is the end of my career. A grave being the representation of his retirement. And it's not going to hold him down. He comes out and beats one of the best fighters in the world, completely upsets the apple cart. It's incredible. Can I also tell you what's sort of funny about all this? We're so in the weeds. We live and breed this sport. We've devoted our lives to the sport.

What's so funny is, like, I'm seeing these people say that the event, the sport, desecrated the White House, cage fighting, all this stuff. And what's funny about it is, as I'm watching it on Sunday, I actually feel like the sport never came across as classier than it did. Now, of course, again, I would reiterate this because it's like, okay, yeah, hoak it. That was bad. But I'm saying to see Sean O'Malley walk out to that beautiful rendition of superstar, it never sounds like that.

It never looks like that. The way the lighting was, the rooms that they were walking through, like, you can make a case actually that the sport never came across as more or classier than it did on Sunday. Do you know what I mean? And so there's this weird thing happening where the regular public is like, the fuck is this, these crazy tattooed psychopath, MMA cage fighters. But is that the general thing? Like, I'm obviously not in the US. Oh, yeah. Is that the most of the conversation you guys are hearing?

That's what I'm hearing. Is anyone? I have not seen much of that. More positive reviews. Oh, I've seen so much negativity. I don't know why. I've seen so much. It couldn't have meant better.

From all the things we were worried about. Like, and you have to remember, we're talking about this shit for 11 months. And as I said yesterday, right up until the event, all of these things are in our minds, the weather situation. We talked about the Carmier thing yesterday with the tweets and everything. Like that's all very, like this is all,

we're all fearing like this is going to go terribly. And for it to come off the way it did, I'm like, well, all of the things we're worried about did not happen. Including a lot of people saying like, oh, there's going to be a gratuitous amount of people

all over Donald Trump. Compared to other UFC events, it wasn't, as we said yesterday. So from my mind, I was like, this couldn't have gone better. As far as all the things we were worried about, this couldn't have gone better.

You know what I mean? So I'm surprised to hear that it's still being dragged like that. My sense of it is much like anything in 2026. They already had their stance and they are now attaching it to this event as a way to further prove

their point by planting the flag there. Like, I don't imagine if this was a football game or a basketball game or whatever that those same people would say this is a desecration. It is because it is mixed martial arts, right? It is because it is fighting, and those people probably wouldn't want to watch MMA regardless. I don't think it is so much that the combination of MMA and the White House was that offensive to them,

other than the fact that they probably find MMA offensive in general and are now using it as a political lightning rod. So I don't know. Those walkouts were breathtaking, man. I mean, kudos to the band, man. Kudos to your brother realize what they did? Like, has he seen the reaction to this? Because I know this is sort of like old hat for them, right? Like, they hit it out of the park.

Clearly, they're very talented. But to see that come to this sport that we love so much and we're sort of used to the sort of rinse and repeat nature of these events, it was breathtaking. I have to say, I know it's not maybe the best thing to be so positive about it, but it really was the, it actually, I'm going to say this again, and people gave me shit. I was emotional seeing Sean O'Malley walk out to that.

Like, I was emotional. emotional scene. Absolutely. With that music, with those vocals, it was beautiful. Yeah, I talked to my brother afterward, and he said it was a smashing success there. And, yeah, I thought it was a great switchup of what we normally see. Yeah. Amazing.

I wonder if we're going to go to the next event, then we're going to be like, oh, I wish they had that ban. Oh, we're going to find that out on Saturday, baby, because we're back to the apex. The fact that it's an apex event. It's crazy. Like, if it was like Azerbaijan, like, you know, a hot crowd, you'd be like, all right, You know, back to normal, but everything's okay. The fact that we're going back to that, you know? Golly.

What a time. What a time. By the way, Tops putting out a one-of-one. How are they doing this? They had a signed Brunson and Frazier card the second the game was over. How is Tops pulling off these things, these one-of-one? It would just be like a deal they have with these brands where it's like, we're guaranteed to get a signature from these guys. Let's go ahead and design it and get it out.

We have the card, right? We have the Tops card. There it is. Look at that. This, just engage you right now is frontrunner, in my opinion, for picture of the year, walk out of the year, male fighter of the year. Yeah. Wow. It is wild.

Who would have thought, right? Again, I go back to that knockout against Max Hallway. It was awful. It couldn't have gone worse for him to get knocked out like that with the second left. And he said that's the launch pad for this whole thing. Crazy. It's crazy. We were questioning him getting the paddy fight back in January.

Great being an interim title. I know. We were like, I can't believe this. Justin's getting that off of a Rafael Fazeev one. I'm eating crow. I say, I apologize. I counted him out. I really did.

And I hope, I know he doesn't care, but it's sincere, man. I am happy for him. I can't wait to see. Look, someone asked me yesterday as well, like, you guys need to talk about the fact that there are no stars left in this sport. Pereira and I'll losing is the worst thing to happen to the UFC. And I don't know if I necessarily agree. I know on the outside.

Like, every time I go on Simmons, he asks me the same question. It's like, to me, what always drew me to this sport was the unpredictability of the sport. If it was always like, of course, Hamzad is going to win, then it's boring. That's why I stopped watching pro wrestling in like the 2010s, because I felt like you knew

who was going to win all the time. The fact that we were so sure Gaichi wins and then he does that, a lot of us were so sure Patty wins and he does that, so sure Hamzat wins, and then that happens against Sean. Like, that's the best part of the sport. So you used... I don't mind.

A rampage all the time, right? Yeah. Rampage and... It's Chuck Mendenhall. Yeah. No, Chuck Lindenhall. No, Chuck Mindenhall. UFC 71.

He can be a chuk. Who could forget? Mendenhall Jackson? UFC 71 was supposed to be the coronation of Chuck Ladell and this sport. Yeah. Hand by, like holding hands, right? Hand to hand. They finally reached the point where ESPN is covering them.

They're airing the way-ins live. He's on the cover of ESPN the magazine. He's on the cover. No, he's on entourage. all this stuff. He's the man. And Rampage knocks him out in like 90 seconds. And everyone loses their mind.

The reality is that the UFC is a team, right? The UFC is the New York Knicks. The UFC is the thing that people are coming to. That is where the fandom lies, right? There are going to be people. They have their favorite fighters. Everybody has, you know, proclivities toward one fighter or another, whatever. The team can change, right?

One year it's this team. One year they get this guy, that guy, the other. guy, but their fandom, their allegiance is to the UFC. And so as long as the UFC is doing what the UFC does, there's no, look, they will struggle to develop contenders. That has always been my contention. That is actually not a star problem. It's a, how do you make a worthy challenger problem?

But what Justin Gagey kind of reminded us and Sean Strickland kind of reminded us is, every time you think that this somebody is not a worthy challenger, that there isn't a contender, that there isn't somebody who could knock off this unstoppable juggernaut. There always is. There's always somebody who's able to do it. And Sean Strickland has done it a few times now. And Justin Gaiti did it against the guy in Ili Tuporia that everybody thought, when is this a guy ever going to lose?

He's going to go undefeated forever. And the same for Hamzot. That is the problem that I think they have is developing contenders that people can get behind. But if they don't, they luck into the idea that, hey, maybe this guy isn't, you know, this guy's a four-to-one underdog, but somehow pulls a, it off. As long as the UFC keeps going, as long as this UFC keeps like churning out these fights, that is the brand that people are loyal to. There is no, the fighter allegiance is secondary at all times. I have a hard time believing that if you're a long time fan of the sport,

that you can't sit there and be like, holy crap, man, you know what I mean? Like watching some of these events in these small, like, if you're like a fan from the Sherdog UG days, your politics aside, it was just, to me, it was, it was, it was mesmerizing, breathtaking. It really was. So, I enjoyed it. People that I've talked to that spoke negatively about it didn't even watch the event. I think that speaks volumes, still how you felt about it regardless of how it went. I had so many friends that, like, have stopped watching M.A. and I wake up on Monday morning, and they're just like, holy shit, this is the best event I've ever seen. And I didn't, you know, I just didn't expect it. Probably haven't got so many messages from just, uh, friends.

brands and acquaintances about an event since McGregor's Hayday, honestly. Yeah, and you know, the one thing I'm waiting on are the numbers, you know, like what, the fact that it was a Sunday, how did that affect the global numbers? It was a little bit delayed. What's that? When will we get the numbers? I mean, we don't know. If we ever get them, you know.

If the numbers are not eye-popping, I wouldn't touch them. The vibes are so good right now. Now, you know, granted, it seems like we're kind of seeing different things. in terms of what our algorithm is feeding us. But from what I'm seeing, people thought this event was an absolute home run. And so I would not even enter those waters unless it was absolutely eye-popping numbers. If we did, you know, those Super Bowl numbers that we were being teased with and promised, then I would release a number.

Otherwise, just consider it a win and move on to the next one. You don't think they did a bill? No. Ruby said a bill. I'd like to think they did. Who's to check? Who's to check? We'll never know.

A few more aftermath stuff. Here's Dustin Porier, giving a big old hearty congratulations to his old foe of a couple of fights. Justin Geichy, someone asked him, would you come out of retirement for the trilogy with Justin Geichie? Diamond writes, yes, but first things first. Class as always, Justin Geichie, you are a savage. Congratulations on everything.

It was inspiring to be there in person and watch you put on a masterful performance. turn your dream into reality undisputed, nothing but respect for you. Love that. He was also asked about a potential comeback, and he tweeted this. If you were on the card, who would you be fighting? He writes Usada. Got to love DP. Your old friend Sergio Ramos weighed in, showing support for his old friend,

Ilya, today the ship will sail faster because those who are left behind. are no longer there. Oh, brother, those who celebrate your defeat don't know what awaits them. Poor them. The path traveled with determination has curves, but keeps the goal fixed. Adapt, recover, keep going. You are water, my friend. We will return, and we will return like the great ones. I love you, I'll hear you, I'm sure he's getting a ton of support as well. I know we highlight the, you know, the bad stuff. I'm seeing a ton of support for him. Yeah. I think people are going to be cheering him on in his comeback. It's the best.

Those are the best stories. You don't wish that upon anyone, but when some, and it's stuff we talked about with Ronda. When someone slips who looked unbeatable and then all of a sudden they handle it with grace, which I think he did, you want to support him. You want to see them rise above it all and succeed again. You know, it reminds me of a young man from France called Victim Wenbanyama, who's actually dealing with his laws. No, no, his name is Victor.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, shout out to the goat. You said Victor. Shout it to the goat. Skip. Loser. Yeah, loser. Is that what he called? You're like building this villain arc for you.

He is a fucking savage. He's going to be, he's going to dominate that league for years. V-dub? Yeah. But the story will always be that he lost his first vitals of fear. Against the Knickerbockers of New York. And it will fuel a reign of terror for a decade. Let him get 10.

We got the one. That's fine. I'm totally fine with that arrangement, by the way. I am totally fine with that arrangement. A few other things. Here's an interesting chat between Trevor Whitman and Daniel Kormier after the fight, acknowledging that it looked a little dicey, dicey there for a second for his guy, J.G., excuse me, but in the end, he prevailed.

Overcoming the body shot, I think I think I think Ilya made a big, big mistake there. When he went to the ground. I think there was a big mistake on Ilya's part, you know, going to the ground because Justin was really hurt. He was hurt. And Justin's just a durable guy. He's very smart in situations he knows when to take breaks. There's times in the fight by the third and the fourth round where I was like, stop taking breaks here. You've got to fight it, you know what I'm saying? But easier said than done. What a run for him as coach, right? Rose, I know he's not with her anymore, but he was with her when she won twice. Usman, Kamaro, that is. And now, of course, Justin

Gaichi, undisputed. Pretty remarkable. Thrill of victory, agony of defeat. Here's Amin Zahabi after the loss. He took to Twitter and quote tweeted something that GSP wrote. First, here's GSP. Unfortunately, we came up short last night. At this level, things happen incredibly fast. When you zig, when you should zag,

the margin for error is very small. I'm confident. Amen will learn from this experience and come back stronger. And here's Amen, quote tweeting that with my heart is at peace. For what is meant for me will never miss me. And whatever misses me was never meant for me.

This was the theme of this camp. Today I will walk that talk. Love it. Incredible stuff. We had a video of Izzy showing love to Pereira before the fight. There's a great video of him after the fight watching it from his YouTube channel that I do suggest you all check out, Freestyle Bender, where you could tell, I don't think we could play. Yeah, we can show the B-roll. There's music.

But you could tell like the genuine pain that he has. for Pereira. And who could have expected this, right? These guys had a history in kickboxing. Izzy was somewhat dismissive of him when he comes over to the UFC. Like, this is, this is genuine love. This is not fake. He's rooting for his guy. He shows love to Gan. I think someone off camera, maybe his brother is talking about the shots to the back of the head. But he is genuinely sad for his friend here. Look at that. Great stuff. Great. Just, to see the mutual admiration that they have. Same with Rob. Like, Izzy has come a long way in that regard. And I love to see it. Here's Alex Pereira. This just came in actually saying that he

thinks that he was hit in the back of the head. I have not seen this yet. So let's watch it together. I believe it's in Portuguese. I will translate it for all of you. Here we go. Here we go. They're watching the guy. He hits me and I fall. He starts throwing punches. The guy sees it's an illegal hit. but he's thinking how many times, how many times? It's against the rules. You won't be wrong if you stop it. That's the rule book. What upsets me most is I warned him beforehand,

but the guy, he doesn't have the guts. The guy's not a real man. You hit the guy, you're right there, and then you're hitting him every which way. Come on, can't you see it, man? So there you go. I mean, does anyone feel otherwise? I watched that right away, and I was like...

What's the question? Oh, he was hit repeatedly in the back of that. And yes, I know that there's a lot of... I know that there's a thing where, like, if you're moving, it's hard to land the target. But that was, it was a lot. Was it not? It was 10. There was about 10 elbows.

Yeah, and rewatch. And it's just clear. It's obviously, it's intensified by the narrative surrounding Cyril Ghan after the Tom fight, though, as well, right? Like, that doesn't make it any more palatable for the audience if they're in that way of thinking. You know what I mean? And again, I said yesterday, he's talking about, I said this to the referee beforehand. And there is footage of Andy Aspinall saying that the Jason Herzl before the fight about the back of the head,

even though that wasn't the issue against Aspinall. There's also footage of Jones, I believe, in the buildup to their fight, acknowledging this, like this reputation. But, you know, when I was watching that live, I was like, hmm, there's a lot here. And by the way. He takes you straight away about it.

Yeah. There is a precedent. I mean, say what you will about Steve Mazagati. He did stop Brock Lesnar mid-fight. There was also the elbow. from Jones, like, just because a fight is flowing in one person's direction doesn't mean you can't stop the action

if illegal shots are being landed. You know what I mean? Look at that. Like, he had hurt Pereira before this and I wonder if Herba's like, if I stopped the fight here, I mean, I'm completely changing an event I'm going to fight, but I guess that's, that's what Fells

are meant to bring about, right? Yeah. Unfortunate, and I don't know if he's going to get, I mean, we don't know if he's going to fight it. heavyweight what he wants to do. He probably needs a bit of a break, but it's unfortunate. Gunn look great. I'm not trying to take anything away from the performance. I know his team doesn't like when you talk about these things, but it's not just us talking about it. He looked phenomenal. I want to see him fight Aspinall. He's earned the right to have a

conclusive finish in that fight, and I think it's going to be big. And if they do do it in Paris, if they did it in Paris, I think that would be a scene unlike any other. Like knowing how those fans react to just regular combat sports events that happen to involve contenders and whatnot because we've never seen a mega event there as far as UFC is concerned, I think it would be the most raucous crowd in the history of the sport.

Honestly, I think they'll bring... You're talking about Justin Gagey and potentially being, reaching a kind of a new level because of where this fight took place. If you're asked me, is that clever to be like, yeah, I'll go to Paris where people will be buying for his blood?

I mean, we were just talking about how... I know, but it's... I mean, he's the undisputed champion here. Yeah, but he's... I think he's just upset, and I think he wants to shove it down everyone's throat, and I think he really doesn't care. I think Abu Dhabi, as you said, October, might make more sense.

Yeah. Oh, let's see. He's saying that. It's not a numbered event, so I would be very surprised. One last thing from all of this in the aftermath that I thought was interesting. You know, yesterday we were talking about... the Tyson Fury thing. Here's a tweet from Alexander Usik. And who is he sitting next to?

Dana White and Nick Con. Now, that's what Dana was wearing on Sunday. So I presume, you know, we had the picture of him and Trump. We were wondering if he was there. And I have heard from people who, by the way, were there, UFC fighters who were there, for whatever reason weren't shown. I don't know why. And I don't think Usik was shown. Correct me if I'm wrong. Did you guys see Usik on TV? I did not know. But man, if they've got Usik, in their back pocket too? Like, that's not,

that's not a, he's not just posting that because he's buds with them or he's excited to be there with them. Usik was at the Toporio tonight before as well. There's things happening here. Like,

I am not going to count those guys. Like, when Dana says, just wait, I believe him. There's going to be a time where they're going to announce Shakur,

they're going to announce Fury, they're going to announce Usik, it seems. They're going to announce Devin Han. and they'll have the best roster. And I think what we're starting to see is phase two of Zufa boxing.

Phase one was the first six months of 2026. Phase two, Bournemouth. And it then trickles down to, you know, they're going to Cosmo in Vegas, no longer just apex events. And they're going to start to put on these mega events. And it's about to get really interesting. But if you have that kind of roster

and you have those fighters attached to you, it's a whole different ballgame. Like everyone was getting their licks in during the early days of the Apex shows. I always said I felt like they were working out the kinks. It was almost like a pilot of a TV show. If they've got this in their back pocket, they've got Shakur in their back pocket, who I think the world of, and I think he's one of the best Power Powerfighters of the world. Terrence has obviously connected them.

Who knows if he comes back as well? In a way, probably is soon to join up as well. I mean, it's just, it's, it's, sky's the limit. All right. Chuck Minnhill is going to join us he was at the event can't wait to hear his perspective the man in the hat

always great to have him on you can see him every Friday on the crack of course but time now for everyone's favorite segment of the week it is time It's time Tickipiditit Oleg when

Nevada yo sing with me Andy Tidipoo You have to live A It A year

New York New York Are we going to sing? Are you going to the parade, Andy? Thursday? Yeah. I worked at. Yo, there's a, I saw a thing that they're doing for the children.

Did you see this for the children? They're doing a parade, the Children's Museum of Manhattan on Wednesday. If families feel a little uneasy about Thursday, they're doing a mini kids parade on Wednesday. That's actually really, really cool. I think that's amazing. the love that is spreading through this city. The vibes are really high. It's unbelievable.

Undeniably high. And they're so wholesome all these guys. McKell Bridges drunk on the IG Live, wholesome. OG high on Good Morning America, allegedly, wholesome. Fallon Holsom. Who let the dog out, wholesome. Anyway, first question here, and thank you to El Emmanuel. I hope I'm pronouncing his name correctly.

And I, where's he from, Mr. R. Puerto Rico. Wow. And here I am singing Benito to intro him. Unbelievable. This is from Michael. What up, Ariel? Not a question, but I just wanted to share my Knicks fandom story from the perspective of the young immigrant from Queens, New York.

For a lot of people, the New York Knicks is their introduction to American sports fandom. New York City has a massive immigrant population, and the second you touch down in the five boroughs, Knicks are a way of life. December 1993, I was eight years old, and I touched down at JFK with my mom. My dad, who he hadn't seen in two years, while he was here working to bring us over, put a blue Knicks hat on my head right there at JFK. This is going to make me cry. There was a game the following night. I didn't know one thing about basketball, but my father was so damn passionate about it that I couldn't help but get into it as well. Fast forward six months, and I'm a ravenous raging fan living and dying with every play during those playoffs.

And of course, hardcore fans remember up to 0 and 93 Eastern Conference Finals against the Bulls. Bulls and then they blow it losing four straight. Although I eventually became a Giants and Yankees fan as well, and although those teams have given me so many great winning memories, the team that I live and die with has always been the Knicks. It's more than basketball. It represents America, New York, a reunion with my dad, togetherness as a family, great highs and monumental lows.

To this day, the Knicks are the only team that can bring me to tears. Up until Saturday, June 13th, it is a lot of. has always been from heartbreak. How fucking sweet is it? That, sweet it was to absolutely lose myself in uncontrollable tears of joy. To the uninitiated,

it seems like madness. But this team will stay with me till the day I die. I am no longer in NYC because of my career, but I'll be flying in to be with my people on Thursday. Go New York, go New York. What a question. What a comment.

Wasn't even a question. brought me to fucking tears, man. It's, you just don't get it. People out there don't get it what it means. So much, so much pain. All erased. Cameron. Ari, I'll stick with me here.

The Tyson Fury segment on the White House broadcast might be one of my favorite moments of all time. It was like watching a comedy skit. Firstly, the full walkout for him. Then the interview itself had me dying. Announcement, I'll let Dana do that. Potentially a tune-up fight. and then AJQ4?

Potentially, maybe. Potentially you and Dana working together? 100% potentially. Any more details you could give us? No, no details. Do you think this is an example of UFC slash Dana being used to just announcing stuff that's not complete signed, etc.,

with no repercussions, whereas Tyson being from the boxing world is well aware there's a potential legal ramification for making such announcements? Also, a bonus moment at the beginning of the interview. There is a geyser behind Anik with a headset clearly flustered, dropping lines like this place is a shit show and I don't know where the fuck he is, P.S. Go Nix.

So I can say I know who that guy is and he's a great, great guy and he's a hardworking guy and he's been a part of the UFC broadcast. I don't want to say his name because I'm not, he's a tremendous guy and he's a stage manager. And so the framing of that was a little bit tough on him, but he did nothing wrong, of course. And I don't know if it is that what you are saying it is. I don't know if it's that. Honestly, I wonder, you know, like, it felt reminiscent. of what we saw back in April

with the AJ Fury announcement. And on that night it was AJ who didn't want to jump the gun and on this night it's Fury and maybe, look, Turkey's involved and so maybe they feel like, hey, we're just going to let him announce it. He's the money man, he's the one backing this.

I don't know. I don't know what it is. Based on what we know of the UFC, they don't do this. This is not their style. No. They don't announce things that are not 100% done. We always hear, you know, if you don't hear

from us. It's not official. That's, that's their company line. And so this felt like outside influence from all they had to do, right, to, to like squash all of this is if you would have just said I'm joining Zufa boxing, I don't think anyone was expecting an announcement, a date, a location, a venue. It seemed like that's what John was trying to get him to say. And for whatever reason he didn't want to say it. I don't know why. Or just don't set it up. This got set up as prestigious. It got set up as official. It got set up as... He walks all the way out there and then he's getting on the microphone and you expect... All this lead up, this buildup, expected him to go, oh, if he was just sitting there and John

Anne's like, I know, here's Tyson Fury. He might have a big announcement coming soon. Nobody would have been the wiser. Nobody would have been upset. It was all the pomp and circumstance around it. Even if they would have cut to him in the booth. Even if he was standing there, what do you think of this scene, Tyson? That would... But the first... fact that he got the full-on walkout that other than the fighters, only Trump and Dana got, right? Yep. Yeah, that was a weird one. And the service men and women alongside the fighter.

Oh, yeah. And by the way, I was watching that again, too. Like, you know what was one of the more underrated, awesome moments? You, it felt at least to me, through my lens, they were so, like, pumped up. Like, I felt there was one, was it, was it Bo Nicol? I think it was the Boe Nickel. Like, the guy that he, so they walk out and then they link up with these. medal of, is it

Medal of Freedom? What's, what's... Medal of honor. Recipients, yeah. And other servicemen and women? Yeah. Did you see like how they were trying to pump up the fighters? Some walked out with O'Malley was like, Come on! Let's go! It was great. The ones that walked out, the Pereira were doing the stone face, no emotion. They were just, like, they felt like part of the team.

It was great. I loved that. That was so much fun. Big money. Ariel, first off, congrats to you, NYC and the Knicks. as a lifelong Bills and Sabres fan, your posts have served as a reminder to keep believing and that we will someday experience the euphoric feeling of winning. Please let this be our year. I pray for nothing more, for all of us,

but in particular for people of Western New York. I hope that you can feel what New York City is feeling and Nick's fans around the world, because Lord knows you deserve it. Now that Freedom 250 has come and gone, I thought that event was quite impressive and entertaining, while also being surreal and slightly cringe at times. I didn't feel like there was a lot of cringe about it, right?

For Eric Jackmanov, Eric's Dagestani. That was bordering, but I like that. Jackmanov, Jackmanov. Let's just keep going. Please blind rank these five weird moments. Okay. Here are the five weird moments. Okay.

Tyson Fury's big non-announcement. Are these, can you just give me a hint? Are these all from the White House? Okay, okay. All from the event. All from the event. Okay. Two.

Commercials for war.gov. Four. Josh Hokit's Post-fight interview Dana and Trump walkout Five Ali Abel Aziz Three

Yeah feel good about that Yeah Dana and Trump's walkout What could your objection be The guy whose house is it's at Came out at the start of the thing If there was ever a time that it was appropriate This is the time Also, phenomenal question here to wrap it up

Also, I am interested in hearing What the WFB thought of the event Who wants to go first? Here we go. I'll go. I'll go. Okay, JK. I enjoyed the fights. I think the scene, unbelievable. Like, it looks sick. Everything was great. There were some things that I noticed after the fact that I've seen on my timeline pop up.

Tell me. I mean, the presented by Truth Social. Oh, I didn't see that. Where, where? The Trump coin like stuff. It just... True Social was on the cage. I noticed that I didn't put two and two together. And so you just said that that it was true. I think Buffer also in an intro, like, this fight brought to you by true social.

One of them was brought you by, like, the bank or whatever that backs the Trump coin. So, you know, you can say it's non-political, but it is a little weird that we're at the White House. Oh, yeah. Given out things that are very trump forward, that his family makes a lot, a lot of money off of. Okay. Yeah. So, so, like, were you bothered watching it? Watching it?

No. Again, like, I'm trying to, when I'm watching it, I'm trying to. I'm trying to watch it in a vacuum, right? Like, we're at the White House and we're watching these fights that were honestly probably the best fights, best action, I should say, in years that I've watched. And, like, I'm enjoying that part. It's still, like, who's there, you know, all that stuff that's like the crypto.com guy. It just feels, to me, it feels a little dirty.

I would love to know. I would love to know about the advertising thing. You know, because they did say we can't make money off it. Like, clearly there was advertising. I mean, that's superfile thing. I don't even know what the superfile thing is. I haven't looked into it, but it was like where the band was was on the plexiglass there. It was in the cage.

We got another ad somewhere else for it. Like very curious. And now we found out someone mentioned Scots was on the cage. They're donating a million dollars to replace the lawn that the club messed up. Wait, Scots is in like Scott's Turf. Oh, wow. They were sponsoring walkouts as well. Hmm.

That's unique. They don't usually sponsor walkouts, like any sponsor, right? Am I wrong? I've never seen a sponsor on a walkout. Like this walkout is brought you by so and so? They would have the name and then to the right. It would be like Scots. Frankie, what do you think?

I really enjoyed the fights. I thought the spectacle was cool. Not necessary, but cool. When you say not necessary, what do you mean? Like, did it add anything to the sport or add any, like, extra pride to my feeling of the country? No. So, I mean, but the fights were. really awesome. The card ended up being really cool.

But you could say, okay, so just to ask the follow-up, when you say not necessary, like once you're already there, the question is, does it desecrate, does it disrespect, or? I didn't take it as that at all as far as, like, desecration. It was just like, it's the same thing,

like, if the goal now is to do fights in exotic places, like, I'm kind of for that. Like, I thought the sphere was a neat place, right? So in a vacuum, though, I'm like, who needs it, right? But if it's like a series of like, guess what?

Now we're doing Alcatraz or now we're doing the Grand Canyon or whatever. Then I would say in retrospect, I'd be like, oh, that's cool that they got the White House. He marked that one off the list. Yeah. Andy? You can't deny the production was sick. Like, it was amazing. Truly, it looked so, so good.

Fights were awesome. But yeah, it's like, did we need all of this? And then I just, honestly, I kept seeing dollar signs everywhere. Yeah. That's how I felt about it. And Hokit just like, I can't with him, man. The Michelle Obama comment really just like piss me off. It's just like it was so unnecessary, you know?

And Josh Hokit is a great fighter. He's a great fighter. And I'm not going to sit here. And we talked about it yesterday. And I can understand why people are upset. I saw some people saying that he should be sued, this, that. I mean, it just was an own goal, as they say. Like, it just was unnecessary.

But I think, I was trying to think about it. Look, there is a case to be made. I could acknowledge that there's a case to be made that the fact he wants to be talked about. It's like Strickland, right? Strickland wants to be talked about. And so they are going to do whatever it takes. Feelings be damned, lines be damned to just get people to talk about them. If you're wired that way, he will view this as a win.

And it seems like based on his Twitter that it's a win, fine. I think that some of these guys are, like, addicted to the pop, addicted to like the shock value of it all. and they're just looking for the crazy. I mean, they all are wired differently than all of us. I have always said when people ask me, would you ever fight? I don't have DNA in my body. I don't possess that DNA that they possess.

I don't have that courage. And so they possess things that I just don't think, like in that moment, I would never think to say something like that. And I think this guy is just different. And I wish he didn't do it for his own case. The moment where he's like, forget the script, I was like, yes, Josh, now you're getting it. And then I was like, damn. It's the only thing anybody's talking about.

His mission was accomplished. I said all this yesterday. For his sake, yeah. If he doesn't give a fuck what people think of him and all he wants is the spotlight. I don't think he does. To the maximum, then men should accomplish. But for a sport as a whole, everyone that I've seen talking against it, that is the jumping off point every single time. But also like, no matter what like political side you belong to or where you land.

Like, why are you speaking about like the white, you know, it's just the president's. what, come on, man, in the White House, you know, of all places. Like, it just felt so disrespectful. And as it is, like, I mean, I did notice there were no women in the part, right? Just saying. Dana did say he tried, and I do believe that he tried to get it. I think Kayla was a shoe in. Kayla was the no-brain.

Yeah. So he did, he was asked about it and he tried, and I do believe him. There's just not been a lot of female fights, period. Like, that's a bigger story right now. There's just, yeah. The Rankins have moved. Every week, Chooka Sandless to Rankins. just don't touch it. It's fine.

I actually think he did try. I just, I don't know. It didn't. I mean, we know why Kayla's not on there, but. Everyone's right in what they're saying about Hocke and terms of he was serving himself and that, but it doesn't serve the sport well. You know, that's, I think the overall. I disagree with all of you. You guys keep saying this, but like, what is the repercussion?

What is the thing that is being damaged here? This, this to me feels like everybody who says that the Ronda Rousey fight was bad for the sport. It just has no validity. There's no teeth to this. You guys keep talking about how this. Well, they give them the ammunition. This is what they, this is what we thought it was, essentially.

Okay. It just gives everyone that just views it as cage fighting this. So what? It's like violent, just reckless. What's the fallout from that? What's the downside? What's the repercussions? What's the harm?

In four to four is that they're negative, there is going to be, the negative view they have with this. Oh, yeah, yeah. But like, I understand what you're saying, Rick. Nothing's going to change. Like the UFC's not going to go on. Nothing's going to change. It just, it was, like I said, it was just, unnecessary.

You're not... And 100% was. Like, if he would have said something about Pereira's mom, right? Yeah. It would have been like... What, he did? What's that?

He did. Yeah, yeah. I'm just saying like, about her looks or something like that. I know he's like, you'd have been like, man, that's gross, but like you get it

because he's trying to pick a fight with the guy. But it's not getting a headline. Oh, no, I know. Nobody's talking about Shama, your mama. Michelle Obama thing is also like... It's just ridiculous.

It's like a 15-year-old meme from when Obama was... Well, that's who he's appealing to. That's who he's appealing to. No, no, no, I mean, like, literally 15 years old. Like, it was popular in, like, 2010. Yeah, yeah, that was a 15-year-olds. I must, I must, again, for the record, repeat.

I think Josh Hokit is extremely corny. I don't, like, none of this stuff is funny to me. But we must acknowledge that, like, if there is going to, he is going to continue to press the line, right? And he's not the first one. Chale Sondon, Sean Strickland, Colby Covington. They will continue to just continue to push the line until somebody slaps their wrist.

Josh Hokit is not getting his wrist slapped. And so on the biggest stage possible, make the biggest impact by doing the most outlandish thing. If after the fact the UFC goes, man, you really shouldn't do that, don't do that again, or whatever, now maybe something,

maybe behavior gets changed. But at the end of the day, Josh Hokit is getting featured on the Daily Show, getting featured every else. And he wanted exactly that. No, I agree with all that. I don't disagree with it.

There's two perspectives. If you want to talk about it from Josh's, perspective? Yeah, no, he won. But we could also say it was just unfortunate to bring that type of rhetoric to the sport as well. You know what I mean? His perspective is in our perspective. He's not looking at it from our lens. It is the sport, but I would prefer that it not be. What do you mean? But it is. I would prefer that everything that isn't like a real UFC fan talking about this is about this instead of the incredible spectacle that they put on.

100%. That's why we're saying that. I know. I'm agreeing with. Okay, okay, okay. disagreeing with Ray. As you said, they didn't even watch the card, right? So, so there is, we're not losing, fans.

We are not losing fans regardless. It just was like, I just sat, I didn't get fucking mad about it. I was just like, it was just like, it was just like,

ah, here we go. I think literally our reaction in real time was just like, as was mine. Again, I'm not trying to be a white night for Josh Hokkid here. My point is,

all this like, it's kind of marring the sport, these people are looking at it and being like, look at these savages. They do that. Anyway, this didn't change a single thing.

It didn't change one thing. Nobody whose opinion who cared about MMA or was going to care about MMA went, man, that Josh Hokie guy said that thing and now I'm not. Like, this is exactly what this sport is. And we either accept that or we push against it and say, I wish he wouldn't. But he will. He will continue to. And this line will continue to be pushed and pushed and pushed until the next thing he says.

Next thing he says might be even worse. Is Dana White ever going to say something to somebody? Hey, we probably shouldn't. That's the question to me. I don't think this did any material damage. I don't think anybody who cared about the sport looks at it any differently. This is exactly what this sport is, and we need to just acknowledge that. Do you not feel, though, that, like, they put him in this gigantic spot, and, like, everyone, obviously in a gigantic spot,

he was the one that stepped out of line and pushed it too far. Again, too far is subjective. Okay. The UFC might be like, you know, we pick people that we rely on in big spots, and we just can't trust you to go out to the public and be in, and be a champion for us. The same way they may look at Sean Strickland now going out and getting arrested and doing all these things that we're like, we're just going to put you on the back burner for a long time

and not put you in a big spot. If they said that, I'd be shocked, but I'd welcome it as course correction. Do you think Josh Hokit's going to be penalized and not given an opportunity on the basis of this? I do not. What are he penalized or not? It's not what we're really talking about, though. Of course it is. Jordan saying he's not going to get a big opportunity

because of he's... Nothing will happen to Josh Okie. No, I don't think it will either. grow his star power. The other thing is, like, the UFC here had a giant opportunity for growth, right? UFC at the White House, people are like, oh, crap, like, let me tune in. And let's say you just tune in for this fight, and you're like, oh, there's a great fight. Maybe I should tune in for more and then you hear that. And like, it's just not for me. Like, you're saying there's no one that's not going to tune in because of that, I feel opposite, that someone's going to tune in because

they were interested. Let's just use Conner's parents, right? They don't tune into many fights. They might hear that and be like, we watch because my brother was there. They weren't tuning in again, Jordan. I got breaking news for you. Conner's parents were not watching another event. I'm using it as as concrete evidence that they weren't tuning in again, unfortunately.

By the way. Did you get a reaction from the other? I was just going to ask that. That line was not mentioned. There you got. They fall asleep early. I mean, it was pretty damn late. They may have been in their living room cheering.

Who knows? Wow. No, I'm just kidding. Yes, they did fall asleep early. I think after like the second fight, I texted my mom something. That was enough. She didn't read it until the morning.

He was like, we saw herds in a couple of times. That's all that matters. Yeah, we're tuning in for the... You could go back on Paramount Plus and watch it whenever I would imagine. Intern Jack wants to weigh in. Jack, what do you think about all of this? Yeah, I mean, I thought it was a great card overall. One of the best aspects of it, I think, was the walkouts,

but I couldn't help but think about during the walkouts. Might have been a national concern. Security concern. I don't know if that's a crazy take, but what which part which part like just walking through the white house like they were you could map out the white house rooms with their walkout the cameras right there oh he was thinking about that too yeah yeah i was thinking about that a lot um i also think hoakit is just he's just a cornball even when he got on the way ins and you know try it was like throwing up on himself i just i don't see any of the merit to that at all wow i didn't think about that first point there has to be public renderings of the white house blueprints right right yeah someone definitely like AI the whole first floor and is like, here you go. I'm looking at a 3D map of the entire White House right now. I mean, you can go in the White House and take public to it.

It's all there? Yeah, I mean, it's all there. Isn't there a show called The West Wing? Yes. They map it all out there? Veep as well. With Julia. I'm surprised you even know Veev.

I don't see. Is that vice president? Elaine Benis? Legend. Elaine Benis. We talked more today about Hokit than Ilya Tepore or Alex for hope it's a whim. It's this one question.

Okay, let's continue with Islam and he actually spelled it out for me. Flubottomus. Is it flu-bottomis? Not phlegmbottomis? Definitely phlegm. Flembottomis. And I don't know.

This is what he's telling me. Howdy Ariel and team, special congrats to Ariel and Jordan for experiencing the Nick and Bucker's preeminence. Can I also tell you LK best thing about all the, all the congratulations that I'm getting on, something I actually had nothing to do with,

but it's just nice to get all the congratulations. I'm not going to lie. I'm hoping you could clear up an inconsistency I find in your rhetoric. On yesterday's show, you were touting fight cards with only seven fights on them. The show's notorious for calling out the apex slop that we are served on many a Saturday. Yet out the other side of your mouth, you campaign for more fighter opportunities, like other promotions and fight leagues. How can you want both? It would seem to me that if you want more opportunities for fighters, you would want there to be as many fights as possible, regardless of the promotion.

Obviously, the UFC is the only promotion that could put on 40 plus events. a year, and they are the only MMA organization that most fans watch. They provide the lion's shares of opportunity for fighters. Okay, okay, much love. I knew this was going to come up, 100%. All I'm saying is, one night only, I enjoyed a seven-fight card.

The other thing I would say is, what constitutes UFC caliber isn't what it was 15 years ago. And so I'm sorry if I think that a 13-fight card that is happening at the apex isn't quite what we were once served up as UFC. fans. So yes, I don't feel like everyone deserves to be in the UFC. There should be a standard. It should be the best of the best. And sometimes those cards are very watered down. So yeah, I think

I've made my stance on fighter pay and fighter opportunity very clear. But for one night, 24 hours after I stayed up to 445 in the morning celebrating a championship on a Sunday night knowing we had a show the next day, I was happy for a seven-fight card. By the way, how dare you? you just on the math like if the UFC and another promotion both exist and are doing 10 fights 10 fight cards that's 20 fights if the UFC is doing 13 and the other promotion doesn't exist and there's no competition that's 13 like the the math doesn't make any sense for what this person's talking about you the advocate being an advocate for having alternatives competition and all these other options is what creates the fights the UFC could arbitrarily decide tomorrow that they

only want to do seven-fight cards until the end of time. And so that has nothing to do. Those two things are not equated. There's nothing. There's also an incredible seven-fight card. That was great. I want less fights from the UFC as well. This weekend's co-main is, you know, Kutelaba, Navajo Sterling.

Yeah. It's a great fight. Anyone catch my Canadian sorry? Yeah, sorry was super-gated. I was just trying to trigger. I was just trying to trigger. I literally said it out loud. Did he hit us with a sorry?

Yeah, yeah. And then someone in the chat goes, I'm sorry. You're not a Knicks fan if you're saying, I'm sorry like that. Just trying to trick. There you go. It's going to have to get rid of all that merch. Yeah, I'm just trying to trick.

I'm just trying to trick. Okay, okay, okay. Let's go. What happened to my... This dude is doing... There's like a palpable difference in our on the nose, right? El Emmanuel.

He's just giving us the goods. Here's Danny Jay. With your great memory, can you remember times when the ref has overturned when the doctor says a fight should be stopped? That situation with the doctor in Goddard after round three in the main was pretty awkward. Do you think not having a regular commission played a part? By the way, in this regard, it was the ABC that was the, you know,

like the regulatory body. Andy Foster was there overseeing the Wayans. Andy Foster is the head of the commission in California, but because of the ABC, because it was happening in D.C. And not in Virginia or Maryland or anything like that, it was the ABC that was the, so you would presume this is the best of the best. I saw DJ talking about this interaction and said, saying like, hey, you need to have someone who speak Spanish. Do you guys feel like, I mean, I feel like I'll feel like like I understand English pretty damn well. I don't think that was the issue here.

I just think when you're asking. Two doctors were giving them different messages, but what I was saying on the broadcast, one doctor said, we need to stop. And another doctor walked in and said, we need to continue. So Goddard's fucked in that situation. He's like, what the fuck I'm meant to do? I think Anthony Smith brought up a great point yesterday.

You leave the fighter in there alone for all of this. you're kind of fucking the guy. You know what I mean? Like he needs the team there to weigh in as well. No fighter wants to be like I'm done. No fighter wants to do that. It was a closer foch. It was a closer foe.

Look at Roberto Duran. Till this day you say no mas, everyone knows what you're talking about. No one wants that. It's a tough spot. Do I remember that? Does anyone remember? I don't remember that.

Something like, we've seen weird situations. Who could forget, Tim Kennedy versus Yo Romero, actually in our uncrowned film about refereeing, they break it down. And that felt a little bit, like it because it was dragging a little bit. It was like an hour, not an hour, excuse me, a minute of him standing there. That should have happened, you know. Yeah, to Pizzi's point, it just felt like the person

immediately attending to him. The first person who he interacted with tried to have him follow the finger and he couldn't. And he was like, we got to stop this. Another person came in, presumably a doctor comes in and says, let me take a look and they seem unsure. Then they do the finger test again. He seems to pass it this time and they let him fight. But has anybody seen criticism of Toporia's brother for stopping the fight? I've only seen people saying this was good, right?

Gregor. I thought it was a good decision. This is why family shouldn't be in the corner of that type of stuff. Maybe, but either way, I'd like to see more of it. I thought it was taking good accountability for somebody from not getting hurt. Aaron Bronstetter tweeted from the unified

rules of MMA in respect to referee stoppages the rules, the actual rules and in them it states, referees are to take the opinions of ringside physicians under advisement when deciding whether or not a fight continues. Ultimately, it is at the discretion of the referee who is the sole arbiter. So if a doctor signals that a fight should be stopped, the referee can legally choose to ignore that advice, tell the doctor to step out and order the fight to resume.

So based on that, Goddard didn't do anything wrong. Here's Drumkota, Ariel and crew. What do you think was Ilya's game plan for fighting Geichi? He has never looked worse. No jab, no five, six combos, marching into Geci's punches the whole first round. He was kind of like walking him down like this. And yes, it was like this thing and then he would just throw one but not throw this barrage. And he's so good at that.

He just expected him to go down. He just expected him to go down. Yeah, when everyone goes down, including Max and Volcanowski, like, Why wouldn't the guy who's been knocked out before go down when dudes who had never been knocked out before went down rather quickly? You know what I mean? There is something real to lightweight. There is something real to coming up from featherweight to lightweight. Charles Olavera, right, was his first matchup and Charles ran headfirst into his punches.

He faced a guy who just is very tough, is very durable. And when he didn't go down, he was in for a world of trouble. It's different. And we're going to see what Ilya Soporio does to build back up. and that's why I'm so excited about what we see next from him. I think he just went all out that round one because he just kept calling for the round one knockout who was going to be the first one to do it to Gachie.

He called it for Max Holloway that he was going to be the first one to knock him out. He wanted that first round knockout from Justin Gatchy, and then when he didn't get it, I think he got hurt by going into the fire like that, and that cost him severely for the rest of the fight. To that point, you could see him really empty in the tank at the end of the forest GC, and out was that because he had predicted, it was almost like, oh shit, I said it was the first.

I agree with you, Pete Zin. Then I think in the second round, when he had him fully mounted with his liver completely dying on him, but I think because A, he couldn't see because of the damage, and B, I think he was tired as hell. He wasn't able to finish it.

He had him fully mounted with like a minute 10 left in that second round. Yes. And then he was in hell. I think he also was probably shocked how marked up he was just after the first round. Because most of the time, we don't see Iliot's Aporia looking like that.

And Justin Gatchi hit him good in that first round. All of a sudden, the eyes starting to swell. He's got the big gash under. I think it was just an eye-opening experience. It was a realization, like, the game is different now at this weight at this level. And I think it's, as I said yesterday, I think it's only going to be good for Ilya. I truly do. Like, I think this dude is going to come back an absolute savage, even more savage than he once before.

I do believe the quote was, best case scenario. Best case scenario. Incredible. Let us go to Juan. Ariel, are you surprised people aren't reacting to Ilya saying I can't see out of my right eye like they did when Tom Aspinall said the same thing back in October? If you wanted to continue, why say it? New York Rick would love to hear your take as well, much love from the bay. I don't know, I think maybe because he was getting like punched repeatedly and they felt like, oh, Tom, suck it up. I don't know. I didn't feel that way about Tom. I don't feel that way about Ilya. So you'd have to ask them.

Here's Andy Feliciano. DeMello. What is de Mello, Ariel and crew? What does de mello mean? This is some sort of... D. Mello? D. Mello? D. M-E-L-O. Like a hello of some kind? Tell me it.

D-M-L-O. D-M-L-O. I think is what they're saying. What's he saying? What's he saying? That means, tell me. Oh. Come on.

I'm going to be translating soon. I kind of said that first, but okay. Okay. D-M-E-M-L-L-L-O. This is like when P-C calls me and he goes, come here. And I'm like, come where? And it's like, you're telling me to, you're telling me to start talking, right?

Or you're man. Mear to me. I'm about to tell you something. Come here. No question. I just want to point out that if you go back to see most of the fight,

Gaechi, is a serial eye poker. Just go to his last two fights. Took Patty's eyesight in the first two rounds and he did the same with Ilya. I don't know if he apoked him.

He did it with Gilar, Barbosa, Ferguson, pretty much everyone he fought. Ilya hint it in his statement too. He's been more slick with it. Look when he throws the jab. gets them in the eye with the thumb

Got Patty He does a thing Actually, Anthony sent me a clip after our show He does this thing where he throws the jab And he doesn't throw the right like this He doesn't throw the cross like this He almost throws it like this

Yeah It's very unique It's a clubbing shot as opposed to He's pushing down Yeah, yeah He smacks it I would say that's not illegal though If his hands are closed

It's not a legal No, no no no Definitely not No Josh P. Harriel Gant felt flat In the Post-Five Press Conference

And I got the sense all week he was sick of being the villain or sick of playing second fiddle to a more popular opponent after repeated instances of this. How can UFC fans give gone his flowers? Or will he go down as a fighter who has perpetually pitted against more popular global stars and undervalued as a genuine star outside of France? I don't know. Is it possible? Well, I guess some of this stuff is like with regards to the history and the stigma. Do people not like him because he's French? I don't know. look John Jones is one of the most prolific eye pokers in the sport of MMA and has achieved things at the highest level. It still follows him too. People still talk about it. They hold Cyril to a different standard in my opinion.

I think he gets a little bit of a bad rap when it comes to this, right? Like the eye poke is an obvious mistake that could have been made. And now, granted, there will be some people, maybe Tom and his team as well who will say it wasn't accidental. I still in the camp of Cyril not intending to do that. The back of the head shots, there's movement. There's always just something a little bit off. All my interactions with him, he's always been like a sweetheart of a guy. He does, I don't. Really nice guy.

I don't look at him and think cheater. That's not what I think. That's not how I see. Is it possible he's just, I don't know, rough around the edges as a fighter and reckless? Not for nothing. He hasn't been doing it this long. Exactly. He was, I think he was fighting three years when he got signed to the UFC, maybe two years.

he was 2 and 0 out of TKO in Canada. He had been playing basketball up to that point. I mean, there may be a case to be made for that. But there's also the heat at a moment in the thing with Pereira where shit just gets unhinged. You know, you're in a fucking violent, violent fray, one of the greatest fighters of all time. I don't know. I genuinely don't know if you have the wherewithal to be like, let me just hit this guy in the back of the head a few times. You know, I don't, he doesn't seem like that guy.

By the way, this is why I've always kind of felt the case for like instant points and decues is hard and dicey because of guys like Cyril Gahn where like he's cruising in this fight against Alex Pereira on the biggest stage. It would be heartbreaking to have something taken away from him there. And on the other side of it, if you're Alex Pereira, it's heartbreaking that you feel like you didn't get a fair shake. So like this is a difficult thing to adjudicate in my opinion. Two quick ones. And then we go to our first guest of the day and a mystery guest. Any hints? No, none. Coming up, hopefully in the next hour or so. Worship, hey gang, house cleaning. Ariel, congrats on the next title. Ptze, congrats on the Scotland win in the World Cup. L.O.L.

he writes. Okay. I do like Scottish people. Ariel, with the White House card out of the way, which of these potential matchups are you most looking forward to and least looking forward to? Aspinall Ghan, too. I'm in. Hoke-Para. I'm in. Armin Gachie, I'm in. Gachie, I'm in. Gachie, I'm in. I mean, I can't even, I love them all. These are all great matchups. One more from Josh P. Hey, Ariel. Congrats on the Knicks win. I was watching and supporting as an outsider from Australia. Because of you, they have made a fan out of me.

Can I just also add, you know, when you go on Instagram and you could go like to that other section where you just have people writing you, does anyone have that? I don't know if it's like a primary and a general. Anyway, the amount of messages that I got from people were like, I'm in Peru. I'm in Argentina. I'm in Australia and I've never watched the NBA and I was there like praying for the Knicks because of you was like some of the coolest shit that I've ever read.

I got so much of that and it really did mean a lot. So for all the times that we talk about people complaining here like there was really genuinely a lot of love that was thrown my way and it really did mean a lot. So if you're out there and you did that, I really, really do appreciate it. Two quick ones. If Pereira stays at heavyweight,

I'd like to see him fight Hoken next. What do you say? I'm in. And because I feel like, Coke, it just isn't a massive heavyweight. Do you know what was happening with the commentator audio and the early portions of the White House card? Very frustrating. Thanks for all the coverage mate. I don't know. Does anyone know about that? I don't remember any of that. But they nailed it. So let's give them their flowers. I wasn't there. Pizzi wasn't there.

Rick wasn't there. G.C. wasn't there. Andy wasn't there. Jordan wasn't there. Intern Josh and intern Jack wasn't there. Pat wasn't there. Spencer wasn't there. But you know who was there on half of the number one unbiased combat sports platform in the world, the man in the head, our old friend Chuck Mindenhall, don't call him Mindenhall, the mayor of the nutmeg state. This dude was there. You were there. You get the T-shirt. Give me a little for a minute here, man.

Are you off cloud nine? Are you still floating along here? I haven't had a chance to really talk to you. It's just been texts. And your text didn't mean a lot because you always have a way with words. You always just kind of. I know what you were going. through, man. I remember living vicariously through you in

2023. I'm saying. And I was doing the basketball pod for Showtime and you came on at the beginning and the end and I was so happy for you. But deep down, I was like, will I ever get to feel this? Because it seemed for the longest time improbable that the Nuggets, the Nuggets are going to win an NBA title. And now here I am experiencing it, Chuck. Chuck, it's a thousand times better. I am not cloud nine. I'm on cloud 56. I don't even know what I'm feeling right now. There is nothing that can bother me. There's nothing that can throw me off, put me in a bad mood.

I'm just singing, dancing, I'm popping out of bed, I'm sleeping four hours, I'm in bed. By the way, I've completely neglected my family. I'm at home, I'm like, guys, you got to see this. You got to see, you got to see, you got to see Mikhail Bridges's IG, and then he's dropping all kinds of bad words. I'm like, oh, but it's okay, just watch it. It's great, man. It's great. It's great. It's amazing. Dude, it's the greatest, and I could tell, even on your mood, like, on Sunday when, you know, you were kind of tweeting out about the Washington card, and you're just like, I'm not going to be a negative dance. I don't really care.

Like you, I could feel it, man. I can feel that you're still floating along. So it goes for a while, man. I mean, you got a full off season here to celebrate it. So I'm very happy for you, man. When that was going on, I was just, you're the first person I thought of. I was like, you're suffering, I think, echoed the fan base. And I was happy to see you finally get it, brother.

And all the little things that you see, like the media tour afterwards and they're showing up with the trophy and all that stuff. It's like, you're going to the parade? A thousand percent. A thousand percent, yeah. I think it's going to be a mess. And I think there's a part of me that at one point might regret it, but I just want to go. And the kids are off from school. I have to go.

I have to go. I have to go. It's Thursday, right? It's Thursday, yeah, yeah. Thursday, it works for you. Like, don't listen to action, Bronson. What was this? I enjoyed that interview a lot, but, dude, I mean, he's kind of downplaying some of this stuff.

I'm like, you've got to go, don't you? Of course. You have to go. Listen, God bless him. I don't know how you. You could be, Chuck, the amount of times I had to go to the bathroom before that game, I mean, I'm not trying to give you too much information here. And this guy's out there making sweet love in the middle of the game. I couldn't function, Chuck.

I couldn't walk. I had to take my clothes off just because I was sweating so much. I was so nervous. Anyway, I want to know about you and your experience. Okay. I mean, it's not as fun as this. But go ahead. You said it, brother.

You said it. But it's pretty damn cool. Tell me, when did you get there? When did you get to Washington? I was supposed to go on Wednesday. I show up to the airport flight is canceled. There's nothing,

because I was going out of Westchester, which was a tiny little airport. And so I ended up going on Thursday morning, and I had to basically hit the ground running once I got there, because the first thing that I went to was the, what is it, the memorandum of understanding

that was being signed between Dana White and Marco Rubio. You were there? I was there for that. So I went, I arrived, check out of the hotel, throw the bags in, and then I went straight over to this thing. I could tell you, man, this was the, this was the strangest thing for a guy like me to attend because, you know, you're in there that's all suits and loafers and the occasional monocles, you know, but these, these guys are like, it's a complete political gathering, including the media, I am the only, I, if there was another MMA person in that room, other than Dana White, and I guess Epstein, but like, if there's anybody else in that room, I didn't see him. Like, I was the only MMA guy there. So it was, uh, that's how I kind of my.

baptism into the world of Washington was going to this thing at the Department of State. What a weird thing it was. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. And you've covered this sport for so long, every venue, every, you know, all parts of the world. And so you're there. Surreal stuff. Did you go to the presser later that day?

No, the pressure was Friday, right? Right. The presser was Friday. I went to that as well. Okay. What was that? Which was. So this was the really strange one because they had, like, so they basically corralled media from

the JW, which is very close to the White House, very close to the ellipse, very close to all of that stuff. They corralled everybody and they put them on double-decker buses like those ones you see in London and sent them over to the memorial. And you had to go through all these different checkpoints, right? Like to get over there every single one of them. I think these are, Frank, are these the pictures I took? Look, how beautiful these things? I'm like a regular...

I look how you ask Frank, the audio guy about the pictures. Frank, are you doing somebody? You did send these to me, Chuck. That's Jordan, by the way. I don't know if you're familiar with Jordan. Whoops, swaps, whoops, whips, whips, whoops, whoops, whoops. Okay, so peace and love for that. But that was like, I was one of those, I was like, I still went out there.

I took a lot of photos. It was, it was very weird going through all the checkpoints. They had us on, like, I don't know what they would call it. I mean, in the airplane world, it's a groundhold. They did, I sat on this shuttle for like an hour waiting to get over there because of the weather moved in. And so, like, there's just this whole thing of like, is this happening? Like, you generally speaking, that you, UFC is so on top of everything, right?

And I felt like they were just at the mercy of certain elements and quite literally the elements in this case. But just, okay, so finally we get over there. You go through all these checkpoints. You have to go through all these security measures and you get inside and, dude, there's thousands of people out there. And to look up and just kind of see the memorial itself, which is huge, by the way. If you've never seen it, like I thought it was a lot. I envisioned it being a lot smaller. I'd never actually been in there.

It was wild. I mean, so this was the first real pinch me moment where you're like, dude, we're doing this in Washington and this is the strangest setup for a UFC ever. And then your thoughts go to like, are they going to behave? Like are the fighters going to behave in this kind of setting? Which, you know, you saw.

They kind of did. They kind of didn't. Yeah. On the stream, I thought it looked great. It sounded pretty good. These things aren't easy. I think we just sort of take it for granted. But, you know, I was thinking of the production team the whole time.

You know, people that both of us know, like man, the undertaking here is immense. How did it sound? How did it look and feel being there? Like, I've been to press conferences, by the way, where I couldn't hear a thing. And everyone's at home commenting on this, down and the other. I'm like, I did not hear because of the acoustics and whatnot. How did it feel and sound being there?

It sounded great. The lighting was tremendous. But it sounded really good. It must have sounded better for us. Because you're kind of like, we were in between. The media section is kind of in between, you know, where they're up on those steps, and then the sea of the crowd, which is partitioned up behind you.

But we could hear everything very clearly. It must have been better than Dan White, right? Who couldn't even hear that Diego was speaking in English on that one? Which was a very funny moment. But, dude, that's the one thing I feel like I haven't emphasized enough and I probably should have in the writing, was the UFC really handled this in such a way, man. Like, this was a tremendous undertaking.

And not just this, but like, you know, each element of this required so much. You should have seen how many roads were just, locked off. How many, you know, transportation vehicles were arranged. The fighter hotel with the ballrooms all set up in different ways for the fighters and then for the media, which was this immense room. Like from every single element of that, it was a tremendous undertaking to get the lighting right to just, you know, the staging, everything. Then you go over the ellipse and you see that everything that is there. It's basically set up like a festival, like Lollapalooza or something, with the main

stage and all of the, uh, you know, all of the other things that were going on there. And then to see the claw and the distance there, but you know, and everybody got an up close, um, look at that and just that structure, the lighting. I mean, it's just, I, I, the, I could feel the UFC people just being like, please just let us get through this because they'd put so much effort into this, man. Um, there was just a general era of exhaustion and pride to this whole thing. But I should, I, you have to give them kudos, man, because what an undertaking that was, if it was 60 million, they somehow were thrifty with this. It felt like a much bigger

production than that. What was the scene at the ellipse like? Because I got to be honest, like Washington, D.C. isn't a, I don't know, it's like, it's not like an MMA hotbed. It's not like we were in California or Vegas or one of these spots where we know there are just, like, the, the sport lives and breeze there. And so I was wondering, because fans couldn't attend the actual event, I was like, who's going to be, who's going to be, like, just hanging around here? What's the point? Why even show up? By the looks of it, it seemed like a lot of people did show up. How we can, you know, actually confirm it's 85K, who knows, but it looked impressive. And those shots, by the way, like Diego Lopez, post-fight walking onto the stage and greeting everyone.

It felt like, it felt like Woodstock, Lolo Paloosa, as you said. It did. Do you walk around there and get a sense for how it all went down? I did walk around. You know, I made sure to walk around the full grounds and, like, check out all the different booths and everything that was going on, the meet and greets. I could see the different fighters. it was, I feel like what happened was people were kind of, it felt like people have been waiting for something like this because I would just talk to random people, you know, people who'd recognize you or whatever and you'd get into conversation. And a lot of them came from far away. Like, you know, so there were a lot of people from the East Coast. There were people from that area. But I talked to people who came in from like places like Texas and Florida and places like that. So I feel like they were looking for this excuse to like, you know, kind of come and join into like a festival atmosphere with it. But dude, it was so hot and muggy. You're asking about the

lips. I wore like a hoodie, you know, and I was like, this was a bad idea because the moment you're kind of walking around, you're just completely exposed to the sun and it was very hot. And so I take it off and I forgot underneath I was wearing, you know, the Zufa boxing shirt, Pizzi that got Pizzi that says I was there. That's what I was wearing underneath. And I didn't realize it until people started pointing it out, dude. And then I felt like the ultimate shield because at this moment, they're having a Zupa boxing, like, you know, press conference where, and I'm standing next to Bud Crawford, you know? Oh, my God.

Like the ultimate show. Other than that, though, man, it was like, it was, it was, I was surprised. That's a, that's a whole level of dedication of fandom that I don't get, man. To be out and like, just kind of watching, what's the guy, the Noviceki? What's his first name? Jeff. Forgetting this. Jeff Novisky.

To watch him on stage, standing, you know, like, in this heat. that's a level of fandom. I'm just like, I just don't get it, man. Like these fans were just standing in thousands of them. Like anything that the UFC threw up on that stage, they were there hooting and hollering throughout that whole day.

Just it's madness, the diehard feel to some of these people, you know? And I should note that you filed multiple stories that were, like when I heard that you were trying to go, Wani's guy, I was like, oh, you're the perfect guy to go

because your perspective on all this tremendous. I think it was your idea to do kind of what I, ended up doing. Oh, it was great. Which was just like, just do reports every day, right? Yeah. When I saw the photos, what I saw the photos of the way-ins, it was like the closest that we had ever seen to those McGregor Wayans from back of the day, Mayweather, Aldo, with that many people. Because let's be honest, the ceremonial weigh-ins aren't what they once were, if only because I think the cat's out of the bag, we know what's going to happen because we see the morning

wanes, people aren't as enticed to go. Did you go to the ceremonial way-ins? I ended, yes, I was at the ceremonial way-ins. I did not stick. around for the concert. There was like a... The Zach Brown? I didn't stick around. Just a little bit of chicken fry. I know, I know. Oh, be on a Friday night.

And see, that's the other part of it. Yes. Here we go. Yeah. There was like a, I think there was a pretty strong base of people there for that alone. Oh, I feel like, yeah. Smart. Okay, okay. You know what? I didn't put too. I'll be honest with you. I didn't watch the ceremonies. I saw the photos because it was right in the middle of game five.

Yeah. I'm so. surprise you pay to any attention to the UFC, dude. If I'm in that situation, I'm not, I'm not watching that stuff. I know it's your job. I mean, by the time Sunday at 8 rolled around, I was like, well, I guess I need to lock in here because I will be honest, it was the furthest thing. There was a moment on Saturday where I briefly checked Twitter and I see Hamzad and Dylan Dennis brawling and I'm like, nope, couldn't care less right now.

I'm moving right past this. Isn't that funny, man? Not right now. Not right now. There was so much going on. And I mean, obviously, like when you have a little. for the Knicks like you do. That's the only thing going on. But there was so much going on that weekend, man. You had the Stanley Cup. Yep. You know, they're hosting the Cup. They got the World's Cup

going on. You've got all this UFC stuff. It was, it was a lot for one weekend, man. And I felt like there was like a general error of that, you know, in Washington. Because you'd walk by bars and, you know, the FIFA stuff, like all the soccer is being played and there, you know, there's this whole subset of fans hanging out for that. And then I guess there was something in D.C. where they were showing on a big screen somewhere the games. And so there was another part that was kind of blocked off.

It was kind of a mess in that way, like navigating the streets over there. But there was an enthusiasm to the atmosphere for sure. Where were you during the event? So this, I mean, in the end, the event itself was kind of the dud for me because they had basically what they called their media center, which was just like, you've sat in these, right?

Like just a media center where they had, set up the stage for when everybody's done and they'll do the press conference there. They're just regular-sized TVs, essentially kind of placed throughout this, this big, you know, banquet room. And that's where we watched it. I sat. And, you know, honestly, like a lot of the media, I didn't, I did not anticipate that I would get on the, on the, you know, on the, on the lawn, like some people, but I thought that the, the people who really have been there would be on that lawn. Like, you know, John Morgan has been with it forever. He wasn't on the lawn. There was Brad Okamoto was sitting back here. And, uh, just all.

A lot of big media like that that have been with the USC for a long time, recovering a long time were not there. I think maybe you know more, but I know Oscar Willis was one of the guys who got to go on the lawn. But otherwise, man, like most of the media was there. It felt more like you were just kind of on the outside looking in watching this thing. So it was kind of a buzz kill in that sense, you know? It would have been cool to have actually went out there and checked it out.

So we've weighed in on it a million different ways. your reaction to the event. Did they nail it? Did they not? Did it desecrate? Was it a disrespectful? Was it a 10 out of 10? Your reaction?

I mean, I was fine with it from the... I mean, I've heard you too. Like, there's a point when you're like, hey, man, I come from the MMA side of the ledger. And there's... You could make the case that the U.S. is denigrating itself if you want to be political by, you know, by showing up there.

But the bottom line is, I tried to separate those two things. It's very difficult to do in Washington, especially when you're around the media that's the broader media that that does not see it as like they find you know they're talking about a gladigator sport and they're wording it in ways that you're like you know um the emperor and all the stuff and i'm like that that was to be expected but i thought from just the production standpoint if you just get past all of the noise right they couldn't have nailed it more um to me like when i was watching it just and like i said i was able to go out there though and kind of like you know see the flyover type stuff you know or you could, you know, you can see that because it was just across the street and the fireworks and all that afterwards. So like I saw those elements of it, but just from the production standpoint, the lighting, the walkouts, all of that stuff I thought was amazing, man. Like it was just, you know, I was prepared to come out of this with a pretty severe ick factor, if I'm being honest. Like, where you're going to be like, man, okay, we got through it. Let's move on.

But I think, like, and I think, weren't you just talking about the Justin Gaichie, you know, that walkout, that whole walkout with. the band, what a, what a stroke of genius that was to have the band playing and the Marine band. Like, I think that that stuff is what made it. It just felt very different. It felt special. And let's face it, the UFC was tasked with, they're the ones who are, you know, the narrators of, you know, talking about the history of America.

I mean, that's a weird, weird setup. But they did a pretty good job with that. I thought that the, uh, some of it dragged on too long, honestly, like between and the walkouts were very long, which was fine. But like, the stuff in between was maybe too long. but dude I thought that the production of it was amazing and they got very lucky because I think the fights also met the occasion especially Justin Gaichi right

so we're going to be talking about that for years to come of course yeah and the walkout knowing how the fight played out in retrospect the walkout is one of the greatest of all time I don't know how you can argue against that and just the band and everything I really did think I was worried that it would just be a love letter to Donald Trump as opposed to a love letter to America

whatever letter you want to call it To me, just being there is a sort of nod to America, obviously. And so I didn't feel like it was that. Like, if you actually put the two experiences side by side, experience one being anytime Trump shows up to a regular UFC event, and then compared to Sunday, there wasn't much of a difference, right? People were wondering, will he put a belt around the winner's waist? And he pretty much did nothing.

The only difference was really that his wife was there, too. Right. That was really the only difference. He stayed awake. That was. Yeah. that was yeah that was a plus but i mean i thought i mean we did a ptze and i did a little roundtable and i was like i put on there like well you know your handicap and

will they give them some kind of like a special belt or something you know and i think that they did a pretty good job of eventually saying like we need to kind of distance ourselves from any of that sort of thing and that was kind of pleasant surprise to me um because i i'm with you i think in the lead up it felt like a slam dunk that there would be some kind of big ceremony towards donald Trump. That just didn't really happen. He was there and they showed him plenty and you know, but that way, you're right, it felt more like one of the events that

he attended as a, just a regular UFC. So they did a good job kind of restraining themselves, I think. Were you as shocked as I was about how the main event played out? Oh man. I mean, and that, you know, I'm in the media room where there's a bunch of

media reaction and you know the funny thing is they break, you know, you're in a, you're in a media room that's not, it's a little more like a McGregor media room because there's people from all over the world, right? And so there are people from Spain covering this. There are people from France. When Cyril Gahn wins

that fight, there's these two dudes who jumped up and did victory laps, were screaming. It was like, it was almost, I was like, oh my God, did they not know the etiquette of these press rooms, but you get a little bit of that, but there were some people who were dying when Toporia was losing that fight. I mean, I could

stare at them groaning and like moving around, shuffling around, you could see them covering their faces, And it was surreal to watch, you know, that reaction, but also like, I think Gachie going there with a kind of game plan that was working so effectively in the first round. And to take that first round, to me, that was like, okay, wait a minute, man, this is not going the way we thought. Now, the second round happens and you think he's done. And I guess this is where the epic portion comes in, the American guy who, you know,

went in there game, but now he's getting beat. There's no way he's coming back from those liver shots. and then you go into the third round and it becomes Gachy's fight completely to the point where you're not sure if Tuporia can answer the bell. In fact, he probably shouldn't have and then there's the whole thing in between the round. There are so many

plots within one fight and for the American guy, like you just mentioned, now all of a sudden his walkout will be this epic thing to go back and revisit because he won. Nobody expected him to. He was something like what, six to one underdog. Dude, it's, I don't know, like, because we

focus so deeply on like the white, House element and the president. I felt like we kind of short-shrifted, you know, the, the fighters themselves in some weird way, like, where you didn't put real emphasis on, like, thinking about, like, what this would mean. And I certainly didn't with the Justin Gachie victory, man. It's, and so, like, at this point, I'm still kind of wrapping my mind around what it means for the division, what it means for the UFC to have two of their big stars kind of beat in a big moment like this, where, like, in the myopic view, it's like, well, this was a great event. But in the long picture, you're like, dude, what is it?

that mean for like the star power of the sport you know um but but to see him kind of to do that man i mean we've seen some epic things but that's that's got to be up there because i just who wanted it more than him and who and i honestly don't think there was more doubt like there was so much doubt that he would even compete in this fight you know and for him to pull that off it's just epic on another level man what about the fact that it's and i forgot about this in in the aftermath first time in 10 years that the undisputed title at 155 pounds change his hands in a fight. Is that right? Yeah, first time since Connor beat Eddie Alvarez.

Really? Jesus, I'd never put this together. Isn't that how long? There's so many elements to this. There's so many layers to things. I'm like, it's just, it's a lot, man. I suppose, like, you probably, like, so you've been kind of talking about this for the last two days.

Like, there's just so much to unpack. It's like, but I just think that just, like, Like that Justin Gachy thing, like when I, because I'm hearing, I don't know how it is for you, but I'm hearing from people who probably had no idea who Justin Gachie really was up until this event. And now, you know, he just becomes like this whole other thing. I'm interested to see, I guess, if he sticks around, um, what this means for him, ultimately, you know, like this is, uh, it's the moment like he's got to stay around.

He races. It's very much. And I pointed this out in my, the fourth, the final dispatch, you know, like I was saying, I even brought up the New York Knicks. I'm like, when you're able to do. something like this, it then, you know, all the heartbreak in your history finally meets a moment where you're like, it was all heading somewhere good, you know, it was all heading to a moment where you can just wash away. Now you can look at that as like the scaffolding that built you

up and all this. But like it all becomes part of your story and you're, you're the triumphant guy in the end. I mean, that to me is like it doesn't get better or more poetic in the fight game than what just happened or with the Knicks. I mean, those are the best things, right? Like when you get those moments, dude, you don't forget them, right? 100%. The Josh Hokit thing, obviously a big story, and everyone's weighing in on it now. Do you feel, I mean, there's a lot of feelings, right? But was this a disaster for the UFC?

Was it a disaster for Josh? Or is it a thing that I think we all agree should have never been said, was in poor taste, is insulting, all that and more, and just allowed the people who weren't happy about this to say, aha, you see, look what they're doing. it drove me nuts for that very reason. The moment he said that is exactly what, you know, the way, everything that came out of that,

and that became like the focal point of all the detractors and like, you know, everybody who was using defiling and disgrace and all these things. It all came back to life. It's just, it's just not the right video. Like, even for a guy like that.

And I know people would be like, why not? Why shouldn't he? But I'm like, dude, it's just not the right venue. And this is a guy, I'm telling you,

Man, he is, he's touching every nerve with Dana White right now because I was watching Dana during that press conference where he was playing the bashful guy in a, you know, interrupting and talking to Ilya for no reason and just doing all this stuff. And I don't know if you saw Dana, like if you're watching that, but dude, he is, he was like a, I don't even know, like a disappointed dad or something who just, I'll talk to him later, you know, that type of thing. Like, but he was just seething up there, you know? And I'm like, how much more of the?

just getting put on. I'll be very, like, what sucks is, man, if Hokea gets like some kind of big, I don't know, like, you know how it is, like the backlash kind of like the other side of it is he becomes like a full hero to the people who love chaos like this and stuff. I just, I thought it was in horrible taste and it just, even with the schick, man, we just didn't need it. We didn't need that. If you're going to, like, if you're going to tear something down and give those people ammunition, that's exactly what you do. You make yourself look like a low rent, you know, operation and you have some. loose cannon saying stuff like that.

I just hated it, man. You know, and they seem to have been so selective as to who they put on this card, right, in the initial offering, the six fights that were first announced, right? It was all like good dudes for the most part who aren't too controversial, who aren't going to go on.

Like, the press conferences were somewhat mundane. If you just put those guys in a rate, like they're not going to say, Pereira's not going to say anything. What's still real guy I'm going to say? What's Toporian and Gates are going to say? And then it was like the excitement of it all. Oh, we got Derek Lewis

and the blades fight, and then it was just like, you know, you just throw that, that, that, it was like pointless anyway. It's like, I mean, I get it, like, Hokka wins the fight, okay, but like, Derek Lewis, I don't know if you've talked about this, but dude, I mean, Derek looked as disinterested in the way he went out.

It just felt like it was, you know, that's the one big backfire, I think, of the whole thing, if I really look at it, like that seemed to me the one big misstep to the event. Alex Purra, does he stay at heavyweight? He just posted something saying back of the head. He seems upset about it all. He's your guy. He's your fellow Connecticut resident.

He loves you more than me. He doesn't even talk to me really that much. That's absolutely crazy. That is actually upsetting. And they should rectify that. Does he stay at heavyweight or does he go back down? If he's going to stay at heavy. I mean,

there's still a possibility that he could do because, you know, he's already done this at middleweight. He kind of wins that belt. I don't think many people thought he would do that. He goes up and he wins light heavy. I'm like, he still has an opportunity. And the UFC loves him, obviously. So like if he's able to get a guy like Josh Hokit might be a stylistic, you know, benefit to him to go against a guy like that.

If he's able to go and beat a guy like that and then get right back into the situation, I would stay at heavyweight because he is. He's probably a fight away, right? Like he could he could get back there very quickly and he could still do the thing that we're talking about. Maybe against Tom, Matt, like, maybe it's against Tom Aspinall or, you know, it's something like that. So if I'm him, I'm probably staying there. Dude, he weighed in at like 251 pounds, right? Like that's a lot that he's packed on. on. It would not be fun to go back the other direction at this point. He's like 38 too, right? So it's not easy to do it at that age, and that's a lot

of weight he has put on. Yeah. It was hard to see him get beat up like that, but he moved up and Serilgan is really, really good. What do you think about those shots to the back of the head? I just don't understand how you the people dismiss and I'm like, dude,

you realize that's a foul. Like in any sport, it doesn't matter. Like, I heard you guys talk about this a little bit. If you're in a sport, of basketball and a team's on a 10-0 run, right? And then they're about to go up, they're going down the court and they're still on the run and the guy charges, they still called the charge. They say, like, I'm sorry that this ruins your momentum,

but we've got to go the other way. It's their ball, right? Like, it's just, this is one of those situations that was fairly blatant. And I mean, everybody who I was watching around was like, dude, that's back of the head. Is that not back of the head? We're all saying this. It was very, it wasn't, it wasn't in question. There should have been a, there should have been a moment there

where, you know, there should have been a referee intervention there. I don't understand why there wasn't. There was so many weird things going on, though, that we just moved on to the next, move on to the next. But in retrospect, when you, like, look back on it, it was, it looked pretty bad. It was probably eight or ten shots that landed, too. Yeah. And again, like, we know that in the flow, these things happened, but that was just a lot

at the same time. And then you see the aftermath, um, rather unfortunate. So in the end, someone says to you, what was it like? your takeaway is they nailed I mean in the end in the end they nailed it I think that they nailed it

I from my own personal perspective now I wish I could have actually been on the lawn because like you look at it and I just it would have been better for a writer I'm not like one of those guys who needs to hold my phone

and take photos and all that stuff but for a writer's perspective like I could have done it I feel like I would have been the guy who would have been like let me really paint the picture for people you know but that perspective

that sucks but just in general The whole week, the way it was set up, it was a Herculean effort by the UFC to put that together and to pull it off. They got so lucky with the weather in the end. I think it's a home run. I mean, you can have the complicated political feelings about it. But at the same time, like, in terms of just the production and how it all played out, it couldn't have been better. Amazing stuff, Chuck.

I urge everyone to check out uncrown.com. Chuck had a series of articles about the event. No one does it better than him. Best in the business, not just combat sports, if you ask me. but all sports, you know that. You know that. Well done. Great to have you on and see more of Chuck on Friday's episode of The Crack.

He is a mainstay there. It does a great job with Ben and, of course, with PTC as well. Thank you, Chuck. All the best. Go Nix. We're going to have the summer of our lives. Yeah. Say hi to the boys in the back.

I will. I will. There he is. The man in the hat, the mayor of the Nutmeg State, Mr. Chuck Menon Hall. My friends, we do have some breaking news. Wow. It's such a big day. We don't have actual breaking news.

Let's take a bite of Chuck. Okay, sorry, sorry. I thought, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Frank. I'm sorry. In the building right now, here where we do our program, is Connor McGregor. He is here. He is coming up as we speak. Do we have a live cam on him? He is here. You know, we had some bad luck back in October. We'll chalk it up to that. And we promoted him. And you know how I feel about that sort of thing? And it didn't come to fruition. And so we didn't want to make that same mistake. But in a matter of moments, Connor McGregor is going to. be sitting in that chair for a few minutes time to talk to us about his return to the UFC. It has been almost exactly five years to the day since his last fight. He broke his leg against Dustin Porre. And in a matter of, I mean, literally minutes, I'm told, he is going to be joining us. So spread the word live. What's that? Oh, I forgot to say, if you're watching us on fast right now, we'll be back after this. If you're on YouTube, don't go anywhere. In a matter of matter of seconds, Connor McGregor is going to be joining us. He's returning July 11th, Las Vegas,

and we're saying we're good to go? He's returning July 11th in Las Vegas. It has been a minute, as they say, since we spoke to him face-to-face. Certainly a lot has happened since the last time we spoke to him, but he is here and he is going to fight for the first time in five years in less than a month. Without further ado, let us say hello. To the biggest name in the history of this sport, to the former champ who is back. The Mac is back. Welcome, my friend. Good to see him, my man.

Great to see you as well. A. Hey, Chink. New building. How about that? What do you think? What do you think of the digs? I'm trying to take it off. It's a shared office space.

I said it's AHAGink. Hey, AHAGink. I love it. I love it. Welcome. It's great to see you. Good to be here. Good to be back.

Wow. You are back. You are actually back, my friend. Thank you, God. It's unbelievable. Almost exactly five years. to the day of your last fight. And it will be 11 years since I first won the UFC World Title against Mendez in...

Of course, July 11th. 2015, isn't it? A very famous date. UFC 100 was also on that date. And so... Was it, yeah? Yes. Yeah, wow.

Who is this person that we're talking to right now? Where are you at? Because your journey has been well documented. Everyone always wants to know where you're at in life, how you're feeling. By the looks of your social media, you seem to be in a great place. But we all know social media sometimes tells a different story. Tell us where you're at right now. You know, I am calm.

I'm in a calm state of mind. Zen, if you will. And I'm composed. And I'm committed. Committed to this bout and to my career. So that's pretty much where I'm at right now. Why are you committed? Why are you even coming back?

What's the point? What's the motivation? For the fun of it. For the joy, for the trail. For the competition. And I haven't been, I yawn for this, Ariel. I yawn for competition. So, you know, how many times we've been speaking here like this

and had nothing on the horizon or uncertainty. Now we have a date and opponent. It's very invigorating. Was there ever a point where you thought you would never come back, that your final act, if you will, and the UFC would be that fight against Dustin Portia? No. No. I always knew I'd come back. This is the pain game. Who can last the longest?

Who can withstand? And I can withstand. And there you go. I'm back. Do me favor. Make love to the microphone, if you will, right? Yeah, there. We want to hear you. And so... You can hear me, yeah.

Oh yeah, we can hear you guys. Yeah, we're good. Thank you. You're right there. The guys go crazy. Loaded the team over there. We've got everyone here. Lots of guys. How are you? The legend Karen Kessler. Yeah, yeah. She's a formidable foe, huh? Yeah, she's a formidable foe.

Go back and forth. Listen. Yeah, that's good. That's good. That's good. Yeah, but you have good people back here. Yeah, for sure. And it seems like you're in a good place mentally and physically. You know, two years ago, you were scheduled to fight, Michael Chandler. And what was interesting to me in the aftermath of that fight not coming to fruition is a lot of people said, even when we continued said, like, he's kind of come back, he's going to come back.

It seems like people don't believe. Let me know when he's in the octagon. For me, what I say is, you've never been a pullout merchant. It's one fight that you didn't make the walk. And so does that annoy you when you see that when people say? No, it is what it is. You know, I've been out for a few years. Let the people say what they wish, whether it is good or bad.

I don't pay attention to it. I don't let it enter me. I stay centered and grounded. And that's where I'm at. I'm back. I know I was going to come back. I learned a lesson in that. lapse in concentration in the camp in preparation

that I have since adjusted and you know that's why I think I'm only warming up here in this game I really really believe I'm only warming up you know I used to always train a certain way throw certain shots that the fight game has never even seen many shots I have in my arsenal

the fight game has never even seen because I would train in such a way where I would train it and then it would become damaged and then it's out of action and then I have to put that shot or that specific set of movements back in my pocket and bring out something else and carry on. And I was, that was how I would go about my career. And then when that last bout was set, we had the UFC cameras come over. I believe it was three weeks before the bout. No protective gear whatsoever. A flow spar. The cameras are on. There's a little bit of intensity as it builds

up. The foot kicks off of the elbow and the baby toe cracked. And that was excruciating pain. and I just it was so it was a few weeks for a fight I was in a I was in very bad pain and I just I couldn't do it again

I had done it so much that I thought if I go in here again in a state of damage and then and then the performers

or whatever I just couldn't say it to the fans so I just had to I had to bow out and I had to take it on the chin take this lesson

implement it wear the protective gear make sure the entire team is aware and we're discussing what type of training session this is and we've done that the body's right I'm rested my head is sharp my body is fresh I am energetic and up for the workload of this the media all the animal all that this business entails I'm ready for it so God makes no mistakes you know God makes no mistakes it all happened for a reason and now I'm here I don't know what he's seen I'm very selective now I'm not

giving much away. In fact, I'm giving nothing away to this game that I've given at all to. I'm taking. I'm here to take now. Take what is mine. So you won't see much training footage or plans or, you know, this social media dopamine hit. I'm staying away from it. And I'm going to do my body of work inside the octagon on July 11 and prove that what I say, that these men are not on my level and I'm excited to do so. Do you feel like you're being doubted? Do you feel like people have forgotten?

I saw you tweet, you will put respect on my name. Do you feel like that has been lost? Because there was a time where there was respect and now it feels like it's different. Listen, doubt me now. Doubt me now. It's all fuel to the fire, for sure. And so why did it take so long?

It's a fucking devastating injury I came true. I came through a devastating injury. You were back to fight Chandler. I was back to fight. Why two years post Pinky? Yeah, that is, that is a question for the ultimate fighting championship, not for me. Okay.

So you wanted to come back earlier? Sure, for sure. However, I'm happy where I'm at now. The contract situation you go through it, it's a lot behind the scenes. I'm happy where I'm at. I hope we can make the run, you know? However, I'm not going to start saying the run, the run, the run. before I get the ball rolling.

I want to get in and show that I'm capable of the run. So I have to look at it from maybe the UFC side also. Maybe, maybe not, but, you know, I'll give them, I'm trying to give something, yeah? You know, I almost put it out there, yeah. But you get me, maybe I'm going to show them, and then there's no doubt. There'll be no question then. And then I'll be able to rally the fans behind me on my cause to get back in. That's the plan.

Right now, I am contracted, and I have both dates. I have both dates for my fight. I have July 11th. Yeah. When would you think they would put me back in? When would you think they would put me back in? The second one? Yeah.

I don't know. April, 27. It's locked in. It's almost a year later. Yeah. That's ridiculous to me. I think, no. Why is it locked in already?

Because this is the way the contract was done. I don't, I don't, I'm... That's never happened. I've never heard of a contract where there's a date. in the second date already. I know, I know. I have my second date April 2027. Why not January?

I, I, I, I, I, I, I'd have to ask all the on all of that. Okay. You know, and I'm like, huh? Just give me the fucking contract. It gets, you know, it gets that stage. So, I have July 11th, it's only around the corner. Yup, that's positivity, happiness. Don't want to go too much and all that.

I've got the fight, I've got the date, I feel great. Bring it on, baby, the Mac is back, and I'm gonna put on a show! here in this fight. This is a martial arts delight, this bout. This is a fan favorite, iconic bout. And who's at the helm? None other than the Mac, as usual. So I'm ecstatic with that.

You have two fights left on your deal, right? Yep. Did they try to extend it? No. Really? No. Are you surprised? No.

I'm happy. I'm happy? To an extent. There's a lot more. there, I hope it's with the UFC. I hope we come to something. I hope I get honored even more. I hope I'm going to prove even more so what I'm about. I saw you say that you're happy. Yeah. What was the road to getting happy? Because initially when the Paramount deal was signed, there were a lot of questions. No pay-per-view anymore. Are they going to make this right? And so how

difficult was it for them to apparently make it right? It wasn't that difficult. It wasn't that difficult. We met in the middle. Okay. We met in the middle. What is meaning in the middle mean? We met in the We got to go a juicy one. Was it what my word is? Probably not. Was it what they'd offered or what they'd want to offer? Definitely not.

Definitely not. We met in the middle. I'm a fair operator and I like to think I am so, you know, that's how I operate. I like, I love the ultimate fighting championship and I'd love to continue. Let's see how it goes. Are you, when you step foot,

going to be the highest paid fighter for one fight in UFC history? Is this the highest to mount because they have to offset the paper view, right? I'm breaking my own records, Ardell, that I am already. Sure. So, yeah, for sure. Can you give us the number? No.

You know, I won't even, see this, Flash, Harry, don't wear watches, no more. I do, I have my lovely watches. My man, I'm different, brother, I'm different. And I find myself in a fight still. It's daily, the rent is due every day. The old, old ways that don't serve and new ways

and a new version of me and the new man I am I find myself in competition sometimes or in a battle with that so I won't man money isn't it's not the be all end all it's not it's not

life you get me so I don't I won't be flashing money I will not be I done the Forbes list I won the Forbes just you won't see me on it again you won't see me on it again I won't read it again I won't register to go on it again.

Look what it brought to me. Look what it brought to me. Still even now I can feel it somewhere. Oh, he's back. This is coming in and I just, there's forces that try and get their claws on you in this

life. And I don't want to give it energy. I don't want to give it life. I don't, not. I'm happy where I'm at. I'm not mad on discussing. and finances and things,

I keep myself modest. That's how I live my life. So this is like a daily battle almost with like the good and the bad, right? The tug and pull, the demons, if you will. Yeah. How are you winning that battle? What are you doing to win that battle?

A lot of self-in-term work. I've got a lot of people behind the scenes to help me, a lot of discussions. And again, it's ongoing. The rent is due every day. It's like training. You have to train for a fight.

You have to train your discipline. You have to train your skill set. It's the same thing. When you look back at the... Only it's akin to being on a tightrope. And the tightrope is going across this office across to the next office with a very high fall. You know?

The stakes are very high. So you better stay balanced. You know, you better stay balanced. Because people even, I was saying to someone else there, you know, when you're making inroads in yourself and working on yourself, Sometimes when you're down in a place You don't feel anything else You've no emotion

You're just, you're reckless You're going You don't pay no attention to nothing And then when you Eventually you With most people and all people They must put that work in on themselves And get themselves back into a steady state of living

That is the time Where the rope is even thinner You get me The balance, you need to? to be even more balanced because the fall is even higher then. If you fall when you're in this position, you don't give a fuck. You might even do it out of, you know, just to do it. So I'm in the state now where I'm keeping my balance and making my way through life.

And God is helping me with that. Let's see. Do you have regrets? No. God knows my heart. and the things that I have gone through you know are young man I came into all this

I forgive myself for what I I forgive myself for disgracing the position that God put me in which I done many times and I won't do it again and that's where I'm at today I don't have regrets

I'm happy and thankful for the lessons that I learned on the way this relationship with religion is somewhat new right? I've not heard you over the course of your career speak about God like this. Where did this come from? I am a religious man. I was raised Catholic by my mother and my family. We were a religious family. It takes a deeper meaning when you hit rock bottom and there's nothing else there but God. And then just the divine coincidence is everything just I keep seeing it. I keep being, I keep being shown it.

and I'm going all in of it. You say that where rock bottom, it feels profound when you say it. When was rock bottom? A few dark moments, are you? A few dark moments. But I relished the opportunity, the opportunity to show my strength.

I was put in the position to showcase my strength. So I stood up and showed it, and that's what I done. A few dark moments. I'm through them. I'm in the light. I'm walking the tight rope

and I'm keeping my balance. And please God, I keep it. Thank you, God. Was there ever a point where you thought the darkness would be too heavy that you wouldn't get out of it? That you question, even for a brief moment. Man, people don't understand

the darkness of being in that situation with that injury, you know, and then it ain't easy. It ain't easy. I'm very happy that I'm fucking true, bro. That's out straight. I don't want to get into this. Do you say in a therapy session?

No, I know. We have been so attached to your life. The ups and downs covered every single tweet, let alone moment, let alone victory, let alone high in low. So no one has been scrutinized or covered closer than you. John Jones probably a close second. But you have brought us on a journey here. And I think there were a lot of people who thought...

The max pound for pound number one, baby, yeah. Who's still here? Does the UFC... It's who's left? Because there's been this talk about... about a lack of stars and you see on Sunday, Ilya loses, Alex loses, and of course everyone loses at some point. But it does

feel like there's a bit of a lack of excitement right now in the product, Sunday you know, sort of on the side. And so do you feel like almost like the sport needs you back, the organization needs you back? Listen, I'm not saying I won't say the game needs me, but

it's sure good to have me. You know what I'm saying? It's still good to have me. So I'm happy with that. Your commentary on the The card on Sunday was interesting, I found. And I agreed with a lot of the things you said, including the fact that it didn't seem like any of the UFC stars were being propped up. And so can I ask you to further elaborate on that?

Because we did see boxers, wrestlers, other people, but there were no UFC luminaries in the audience. Listen, the show was outstanding. It was. And the hurdles that they would have came through from the card to the production, to the weather, to the location. It was incredible what they'd done. It's only right you're going to have.

For me, I'm about perfection. I'm always going to find, you're always going to, it's always for me about the next one. What about the next one? There is an opportunity there to put our combatants beside these guys that don't even do it. Or in this platform where they can put themselves up. And then we have something else to look forward to you.

Or remember this guy said, there was a face off here, more excitement, more. You need to build up the stars, right? You have to build these guys up. there was a great opportunity to do so and I didn't feel it was but that that was it really

of all the things that I thought of the show I thought everything else was great there should be you know what's the highest performing entity for TKO it's the ultimate fighting championship isn't it it's the most profitable for them or is it the WWE

it's pretty close it's pretty close so I feel you should know where your bread is buttered there should be I don't even think I was invited out. Maybe I was invited. I could have went. But Holloway, you could have brought loads.

You could have brought people out there. They should have platformed our athletes more. And that is probably why what you were saying is maybe there's a bit of lackluster feelings sometimes. Not for me. I don't really see it in a stargaste type of thing. I see it in a fighter versus fighter format more so. But I thought they lapsed on that. They could have done better on that for sure.

you want to be on that card initially? You were talking about it. Behind the scenes, was there a push to be on the card? A push to be in a fight? No, I know, but that particular card. Yeah, I would have done it. I would have done it. But there was the thing where, like, they can't sell tickets,

so it would have been a massive loss, right? Exactly, yeah. Yeah. So there you go. That's why. So I don't get, how do I feel about that? You know, I get to miss out on fighting in the sphere? I want to fight in the sphere.

I want to see the big screen behind me, you know? I want to fucking do a stand. stadium something. But, you know, it is what it is. Maybe we're two fights left. Maybe we either don't figure it out, I hope we do. Or maybe we figure it out and do do extraordinary events going forward.

You know? They should break the bank a little bit. I mean, they got how much they got fucking 1.1 billion? What was it in cash that they had after last year's take? 1.4 billion or something. Cash? Profit? There should be live music in every fucking show. There should be

there should be a full fucking spectacle every show break the bank on it that's where the bread is buttered so that showed what it can be you want Super Bowl numbers every week not just once

every fucking three years we want them every week right don't we that's what I would be if I was in there pushing for so there you go when you look at the landscape you see Netflix now getting into MMA boxing as well

when I heard that you didn't extend the contract, I thought, okay, he's going to want to finally test the waters and be a free agent. Is that of interest to you? To see truly what your worth is on the free market. Well, I'm going to. I'm going to. That's what you plan on doing.

What if you win on July 11th, and they say, hey, here's an unbelievable deal. One left, but you've got to sign it before that last one. If it is an unbelievable deal, signed. For sure. I know you want me free. You want me out here. I don't want me out there.

Why? I don't know. I just get the five. You want one. I want every fighter to get what he's worth, and I don't think you've been paid what you're worth. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. If that's malicious on my part,

then I apologize. I'm the highest paid. I don't want to get into this finance, but I'm the highest paid times fucking, probably four times the highest paid. Times four, maybe, probably five.

So. Amazingly, you're the highest paid and still the most underpaid. It's a unique situation. Yes. It's a unique situation. what would you think I'm worth? Well, if I were to compare you to some of the boxers,

at the very least, 60, 75, these are the numbers. Jake Paul, these are the numbers that he's pulling in. Is it? Is that so? Is that 100%? I believe so. I know Turkey's spending, you know, propping these guys up. Let's see. I'm a UFC fighter, contracted to the ultimate. fighting championship. We did an amazing event

in the White House. And now we have the Mac back. I'm happy to be back. Let's go to work. What's up with you and Terrence Crawford? I thought it would, he shouldn't, look, he shouldn't have kicked the man when he was down, especially when you're ringside. That's what happened to me and this machine-gun fucking Kelly guy that time.

Not to say that are even the same, but just as a comparison. I'm at the VMAs, I walks out with a car, I'm in the, I got the whiskey glass, I got the can, the gold can. I only at the fresh break, breaking the leg goes out. How are you, darling, you're always at the fights. I know you before I know that tick. And then he says, we don't fuck with you. He says, you don't fuck with me.

You're not to have been ringside at the fight 10, two fucking days ago. And he's looking, he didn't get his face broke badly there. You don't... If you're ringside and you're afforded that opportunity, I just didn't, I found it a bit distasteful. I like Terrence. I think he's a great boxer. I'm on the call.

Turkey has me in his room... Where I'm in this lady and sweet with Turkey and a big gang of these people, right? Lovely fellas, stress, unusual, that their own they're actually great.

And then I say, you know, they don't drink and all. I'm saying, I'll have a drink. Yeah, and a man's looking at me on my,

a little store of the yolk like that. I ordered a screwdriver, yeah, an ordinary juice and a vodka. There's a few, this is a couple of two years,

around the UK, one of the UK boats, the stadium belt. Just they, we have a nice rapport all me and these guys, yeah? But anyway,

they're presenting about the opportunity opportunities. And then the Terrence Crawford one came up two-fight deal. They were saying maybe boxing forces

listen lads I've done this I've done the boxing they have to come to me now I'll do the boxing after so he just worked out of a two-fight deal mixed martial arts

first with Terence with Terrence and boxing after I said he's not going to accept it I hope he accepts it he can fucking wrestle maybe we'll have to wait for his son to do it

maybe his son will have the fucking courage to do it whatever gets on the phone what's the crack turns it's the mac daddy I got the big fella here we've got a big deal for you

hundreds of millions 200 million to be exact mixed martial arts against me and a boxing one against you I don't want to be kicked by you no way I says my man you can we can box the fucking few months later

what's the crack come on you're mad you can wrestle and he just didn't want to know so whatever fine, I think, that's his own thing. I don't know how you couldn't. I don't know how as a man or as a combatant,

you couldn't want to test yourself. I'm yawning to get into the bare knuckle to test myself. You know what I mean? I want to test, as a fighter, I want to test myself. This bubble that a lot of these people are in, this little protected bubble, and then it's just they think that this and that.

You know, it slapped the head off every single one of them easily, no matter the weight, heavyweight and all, I'd slap them around. So it started to irk me a little bit. and then he said that about the thing and it was in a mixed martial arts bout that wasn't a boxing bout cup the back of the head

cracked him with a few elb or a few uppercuts kicks low kicks high it was a mixed martial arts bout that knocked him out that beat him bad it wasn't a boxing bout and the fact that the guy was ringside I didn't like it and I came in as the daddy at the game and let it be known

and that's it I know we're short on time I feel the presence. How do we end up? I'm all right. I'm cozy enough here. Karen, he's all right. To an extent. Two an extent.

Well, what's it? I'm all, I'm not going to keep you for three hours. No, yeah, go on. I'm cool. I'm fine. I'm fine. You're loving this. I am.

You've missed it. Well, look, I'm not. Look, I'm enjoying it. I look at you off. I look the off. It's a cool little. It's a cool little. It's a cozy seats and on.

Yeah, we've got. Where are you got me? You put that me somewhere. Yeah, man. What do we got? What do we got? Just in the microphone if you don't mind So we can hear you

Sorry, sorry, sorry I know you want to move around We've signed a deal With a big TV outfit And we've a huge announcement coming Right here, right here No better time than now

Is this live? Of course, yes We're always live, baby Bare Knuckle FC is with Fox Really? Bear Knuckle FC is with Fox Come on. Big announcement coming

That's it, can await me? Can I wait me? Sean Hannity, my man, thank you so much for all your day. Do you, brother, I know you love Bear Knuckle. We've done great work in New Jersey, great arenas, great arenas filled, Philadelphia. And we're coming big, Bear Knuckle is on the rise. Vegas next.

Really? Vegas next. We're pushing for Vegas. You're mad? Barronuckle fighting championship in Las Vegas? Whoa, we want it. Maybe that's why you didn't sign after the two fights because you're going to do the bare knuckle afterwards. Makes sense to fight for your own promotion.

There was no. We got to a figure and we kept the deal. as it was. Okay. It just, the number is just the number. How do we get to Max? It seemed like you had the pick of the litter.

Why Max? Again, they picked that. Oh, you, okay. All right. Oh, you had the date. They picked it. It just became Max. They didn't like the way the,

the shape of the other belt went. There was a lot of... A BMF? Yeah, well, you know... Was Oliver discussed at any point? No. Dias? No.

No, it just, it just felt... The only... woman that was there was Holloway. Really? Just, yeah, just landed on a hallway. What was the story with Praches? Prachez, they were, Praaches,

is that how you pronounce that? Yeah, that's the Brazilian. Isn't he? They said to me about him, I said, yeah, no problem. Send the contract. So I'm saying, yeah, for about two weeks. Where's the fucking contract?

No contract came. Do you know what it was? They wanted me back down at 155 pounds. Okay. So I think they were trying to throw names at me to say, well, oh, yes, no problem.

So your man went five rounds with Gardy. I've seen the fee. little cellpaw, little whippy cellpa. So, yeah, no problem. I'm a 170 pound at the minute. Let's see how it goes. If offers come on the table, day by day, let's see how it goes.

What did you think of Max's... But this will be my first time, at 170 pounds, where I'll have a touch of a cut, a slight weight cut. What do you weigh right now? Max on the figures. I don't be telling you no one.

Okay, five, sorry, sorry. Don't get no numbers out of me, no way. All right, all right. What did you make of Max's energy? The interview that you did with Rogan on Sunday? he's very confident. He's confident? He's confident? I didn't see that. Look, no, look, Max is all right. Max is,

Max is, good. Max is my son. I sonned Max when we fought those years ago, and I'm going to do so again. He's gotten a lot better since you last fought. Would you not agree? I don't think so. Really? I don't see much. Since 2013? No, I don't see much. I don't see much difference, no. Really?

No. Not so much. Same reaction, same movements. Listen, Max got better after he fought me. He added more moves to his game, but even still, there's only one. So I'm not going to say I don't rate him. I don't rate any of them. So it's on me now with my date set to go and show that. And that makes me happy. Rather than me sitting here and spouting to you, oh, but this, this and that.

And then it's nothing. It's just words. I'll say something now. I've got my date to show it, and that is where I'm going to show it. Are you looking forward to Fight Week, the press conference, all the stuff that you haven't had a chance to take part in? Do you miss all of that? You know, I am ready for it, because that can be taxing, but I am ready for it. You know, that takes it out here, but I'm ready for it.

And what I am most looking forward to is the bout, the walk, the fight, the announcement, the crowd, the exchanges, and the dominating performance that I plan to put on. when something's taken away from you, you may appreciate it more when it's given back. So just being there with John, being there with the team. You're riding again. There's a nostalgia feeling to all of this.

The morale in the gym is very nice. It's very good. We're all tuned in. And your kids are older too. Yeah. So for the lot of them, this is probably the first time where they can really truly,

I know Connor Jr. Maybe remembers the first, the last fight, right? Does he remember? None of my children were present. None of my family were present at the last one. Even your wife?

No. Wow. Any particular reason? I just, it's just, I just, it was, the mindset that it wasn't, I'm actually, an actuality looking back, I'm happy that was the case. Yeah. Because of what happened. I wouldn't want them to, it's a dangerous business and I'm still him and hawing him and an horn winner

I'll do it this time. Okay. But I think I will bring the whole clan, to be honest. The whole clan? I think I'll bring the whole clan. Why is that? Why this time? Just, I don't know, just, nothing is ever set.

It's just how I, it's just how I, it's just how I feel. I remember before UFC 187. I want to show them first hand what I do. And, you know, more so that if you dedicate yourself to a goal and a task and put your all in it,

that you receive this, you receive what I will receive on the night and inspire him, hopefully, and encourage him to go and chase their dreams. So that's why I think I will do why I will have them at this bout before the 189 date which was supposed to be against Aldo

I remember you specifically saying he has children that makes him lose his edge I would presume now at this point with four I told him that was the young man Yeah you don't feel the same way No But there was a moment where

It was coming back to bite me in the ass You say things and it's like Oh no it's me now You know what I'm saying Oh wait is this me now But Now I actually feel encourage. I feel I'm a father now. I'm a man. I feel like I'm a man now.

I felt like a boy before. Now I'm a man. Has your son started to talk about, you know, wanting to do what you do? He's invested in football, soccer. He's invested in his football. And I'm all in front of him. I'm training him in footwork drills and all. You know, I have a lot of experience in sport and fitness from all elements, from how to build the engine, from how to strengthen the mind. and even for how to work the business aspect of it. So I've got a lot of experience in it that I can pass on to my child and guide my child with.

So, you know, right now it's just about what do you love? What does he love? What does my children love? And my son, Conrad Juna, plays for a football team. My daughter plays Kamogi, which is an Irish stick game. And my son, my second son, Rian, is about to join a team. He's only four still, so he'll join when he's five. and there you go

and they train in SBG as well they train in John's gym they do Jiuitsu and they do striking and kickboxing and things like this so we're just having fun

as a family you know a lot of trips to the matches and training and all the rest of but it hasn't impacted me at all

in fact it's kept me it's kept me there you get me whereas I go training and there's nothing yeah

I'm training and then I'm around the way what's up oh yeah phones hopping jump into the whip no roof on the thing you know and then you're floating around

then you're in this you're not you know you're outside of the bubble of training and living correct you get me yeah like living like an athlete so family life has kept me in it but what about that silk pajamas line the Marvin Hagler line how are you battling that

you have more money than you could have ever imagine why get up over I am really truly in my heart and soul over all this materialistic bullshit so what is the motivation on July 11th what are you trying to love of the game that's it's it Love and the fun.

I do this for the fun. I do it for the fun. The crack, as they say. The crack is 90. Yeah. And you mentioned Max. Has the opponent been discussed for the second one? Has that too?

You said the date is already in the contract. Is there an opponent attached to the second one? All you want the channel, I said, listen, the guys that they've been fucking waiting now. You can't do it now. Well, you don't know. Tough to do it now, right? I don't care who the opponent is. Give it to me in the second.

Give me to the end of the year. July, end of year. Boom. Let's go to a new. new deal. Keep going. And then fucking April.

How many weeks in a year? 50 fucking two? Yeah. So 52 fights a week. You know, fight a week.

We want to get going here. And I hope to get going. Please God. I fancy it. I fancy my ability to do it.

About an hour ago UFC posted a statement regarding the New York Times article that linked you to the doctor Neil Ella Trash and his, you know,

diagnosis. Shocking. Shocking. A man's private medical. The most devastating injury that you'd see in combat sport. The whole thing

strange to me. You have an injury like that. You're not going to walk again. The objective should be to get that athlete, that father who's given his life, his limb, his livelihood for the entertainment of the people and for the profit of the

company. It should be get this man back on his feet. And that was not the case. Not with the UFC but with the former body that was there prior. And I find that strange and I find that wrong so

all I cared about was you know I'm airlifted out of this fucking arena with my leg hanging off how am I going to walk again you know a bar do this do that do it that's it and that was that so the fact that five years after the fact

I find it strange to be honest and I feel I feel the game should change to accommodate a situation like that So in what way? Because we've talked about this. If a doctor is prescribing certain medications and certain things to come back otherwise you're not going to walk again,

there's a chance, there's like a 20% chance that that leg doesn't join together again. It's called a non-union where the bone doesn't join. You're left on a wobble forever. That's what's at stake here. Fuck this fighting game, you crazy? I've had children to raise and play with. So I was a bit shocked that that was the case.

But whatever, I took myself out of a pool, listen to my doctors, didn't ask questions I don't even know if you're going to ask what was going to don't even know don't know I don't need I don't want to know all I want to know is what's going to get me back

to my fucking feet to be able to play with my children in a normal capacity again and that was it you know then we get to our stage then you go through the re-entering of the pool and then you just go through that whole

fucking crack again and then there you go I'm well through it again how many fucking times have been tested this year 15 or something Has it been that many? About 15 times I think is it I don't know what I said it's documented

15 to 19 I've seen This year Yeah And the next below me is like four And then 4 4 4 4 3233 3C2 And I don't even know No disrespect I don't know any of their names

The one name I came down with Sean Strickland I think he was tested three times I'm tested 15 times So A man sometimes you get pissed off but I'm like, I can't be getting pissed off anymore. Can't be getting emotional. I don't want it.

I'm not getting emotional. I'm just going through it. This is what it is. Bring it on. In the statement, UFC insinuated that they felt like it was a concerted effort by Usada to try to smear your name. Do you feel like that? That just came out now? Yeah, yeah.

I didn't see that. I didn't see that. That's what they insinuated. Do you feel that way? I wonder, do you sad to feel they lost the contract because of me. I didn't do fucking nothing. I was just like, fight or fighting for the... How many times it they test me?

50, 60, 70 times. 70 times or something you said tested me. Never a problem. Not one fucking Iota of a problem. So, I don't know whether they had it out for me or they think I, I don't know.

There's a bit of, there's something scorn going on and it seems as a back and forth, I don't know. It's not to do with me. It's fuck all to do with me. I'm a fighter for the promotion and I call for

proper care for the fighters who risk their life. That's it. That's what I call for. Two last quick things, and we'll say goodbye. And I want to tell everyone that I hear that you have a book coming out with the great Dave Fogarty, a coffee table book. I want to give a shout out to that because Dave's been a great friend. There it is.

Look at Dave out there fighting in the boxing. Yeah, yeah. So look, we've taken some great images all behind the scenes. Beautiful stuff. In the belly of the beast. When's this is coming out? Soon. Soon, all right.

You'll hear about it. Okay, we look forward to that. You have been linked to Ilya a lot over the years. People saying that he reminds us of you and all that stuff. No way, does he? He has the same tattoos. He says the same stuff. He does the same fucking movements.

He was going to scream on the thing. He has a case of great, good lad, he's all right. I like him. Maybe. I knew what was going to happen to him. Really? I knew. I knew by his, why?

I just seen the train and that lot. You need to get a put on you in the gym. You need to get a put on you in the gym. If you're not getting to put on you in the gym. I've been there myself, people, you have to kind of say, listen, you better, here's a thousand, here's a thousand dollars, there's a thousand dollars cash outside the octagon if you can drop me.

If you drop me, you get that thousand dollars cash. You know what I mean? It's the type of stuff you need to be known. You need the guys coming at you. You do that? To an extent, yeah, to an extent. You need a bit of both. But there was too much year away.

Walking forward with the hands down on the opening bell, you're going to get walloped. He's a bit flat-footed. He has his area. He's not fully complete. He's not a full complete fight there. but he's good and he can make inroads

his face will have to heal for sure his face I'd say it's smashed up and there you go what else what we're going to say so what I was going to ask was what would you say to him because you've been there before where it felt like everyone piled on

well he's not been there we only bled my blood once inside the octagon only bled my own blood once so I've not been in that situation he's got banged up bad over the course which caused him to quit

it's going to be a dark place that he's in right now now. He's going to have to dig deep. Can he do it? I think he could. I think he could do it. You know, there'll be motivation to do it. And I wish him well. I didn't ask you about Gaichi or Islam. Those are the two champions at 55 and 70.

Do you think about the belt or are you bigger than the belt? No, I would be after the belt for sure. Okay. I think Gaetie is, when he's on, he's good, he's okay. but when he's off he's atrocious and yeah now I fancy him handily I fancy teeing off on Gagie

and Islam there's history there it's at 170 I know he's fighting an Irish man my fellow Irishman who I've also trained with who I also know I'm open for it for sure I'm open for either last one what is the message to the people who have backed you since day one through all the ups and downs

this one's for you this one's for the people who stuck by me and believe in me and supported me this one's for them and for you and for me well I am one of them

yeah you are I'm probably the number one baby the number one fan but look that's here you have to be thank you Connor I appreciate I know you don't do a lot of these I appreciate you making the effort

you're the man we're going to take a quick break there he is Connor McGregor returning July 11th in Las Vegas against Max Hallway don't go anywhere All right, back on the program. There he was. Connor McGregor, favorite part, it was after the fact, but he did say congrats on the Knicks. And that's a big time win for Knicks fans everywhere.

Thought he was in great spirits there. Thought he seemed pretty jacked up. I will say, I will say, I am, look, we had to get through the White House, but between him and Max and the energy that they're going to bring, and obviously the history and whatnot. I am looking forward to this. I just realized my Bill's jersey is in here. Could you imagine?

Let me get my Bill's jersey real quick. It's bought it. Where's my Bill's Jones? There it is. There's the poster right there. We can't forget about the Buffalo Bills. You know yourself. We can't forget about the Buffalo Bills.

Now, show them, show them. Show them right here. There it is. We're not forgetting about the Bills in our Nix hysteria. There it is. We don't forget about the Buffalo Bills. And we never did. That was a lot, Frank.

Yeah, I know, man. You good? I'm fine. It's just a lot because you're like, is he coming? Is he not coming? Is he coming? Is he not coming? I need to get Rick's perspective, but I don't think he's here yet.

Or is he there yet? No. No. I actually feel bad. I feel like I didn't say hello to the team because it's just like it's like a whirlwind. So team, if you're watching, respect to you guys. That's a lot. I want to know if intern Josh and Jack got to meet Connor McGregor.

Did they get to meet him? They're probably meeting him right? know. Yeah, they probably are. Hi, Mom and Dad. Today at work. It's not summer camp. They don't have to write letters. You know, I'm worried about that. My kids are going to summer camp, but what did you think of him, Jordan? What did you think of the state of, I'm going to use you now as a sounding board. You've been through a lot with Connor. We were together at ESPN when he fought Donald Taroni, right? We were. Yes. Same guy, different guy? You know what's funny? I don't want to tease anything, but I remember him being on college game day the week before his fight against Seroni. because it was the LSU Oh yes It was National Championship

Yep And they asked him Who he likes better He said I like the Tigers And I was like that is a perfect answer And I thought today was great He was on his piece and cues The energy seemed good

Definitely seems like he's in the like Fight Coming Up mode As opposed to like I'm just going online kind of mode I think he's going to be on Fallon tonight too What a back-to-back stretch for Jimmy Fallon the whole squad pulling up yesterday, Wu-Tang as well.

What does this mean we're getting the Knicks tomorrow? What do I have to do? I feel like I'm like right there. I feel like I'm like, I feel like I'm like right there for something, you know? Could you imagine Jaylen pulling up here? It ain't going to happen, right? It'll never happen. But that would be some kind of, that would be some kind of day.

Cat, though, Kat's been in here before. Not to do our show, another show. But he's dropping all those fight references. I feel like we could get him. I think you know him. I feel like you don't tell us the people you all know. You think me and Kat are like boys? Secret boys?

I mean, I've seen some things. Me and Kat, I saw you in Times Square. Time Square. What happened in Times Square? Boxing fight, Turkey. Oh, yeah, yeah. And that was the day after we beat the Pistons in six, and he says to my kids, Nixon 5.

It was written. It was written in the stars. What's Cal she's saying right now about McGregor versus Holloway? We haven't checked on that one yet. I take a look. Yeah, we haven't checked on that one. We'll get to that in a moment. But yes, the UFC did put out that statement.

I can read it to you real quick regarding the New York Times article written by Michael S. Schmidt. Here it is. In 2021, Connor McGregor sustained a potentially career-ending injury and sought medical guidance from leading orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neil Eletra. who advised the appropriate recovery and rehabilitation protocol. As a result, McGregor did not compete for five years and maintained proper communication with our team throughout, remaining in full compliance with the rules of our comprehensive drug program. McGregor has been tested 19 times over the past two years, including 12 times in 2026.

That's where the 19 came from, making him the most tested athlete during this time. Any suggestion that the UFC's decision to end its partnership with USADA was related to Connor McGregor is categorically false, Internal communications and documentation clearly show that discussions regarding a transition away from Usada began months before any conversations involving McGregor. This narrative is a continued attempt by Usada leadership to misrepresent the facts surrounding UFC's unilateral decision to terminate our agreement with them and instead choose to partner with a far more competent, organized, and sophisticated testing group comprised of drug-free sport, combat sports, and. anti-doping and SMR-T-L laboratories. The health and safety of our athletes remain our highest priority. We fully support Connor McGregor and look forward to his return to the Octagon this summer. So that was the statement that I was referencing.

It came in right as we were wrapping up with Chuck. So I apologize if I couldn't give you the full context. But there it was. And it seems like they're backing him. And we're less than a month away from seeing the most anticipated return. in the history of the sport, right? I mean, it's no question. Here it is. Holloway currently at 67 McGregor at 33%, courtesy of our friends over at Kalsh. And as you can see, it has remained relatively the same. Relatively the same. A little bit of a difference at the beginning, but relatively the

same since the fight was announced back on May 16th, 17th. Something like that. Fascinating times. fascinating times. There's a million more things that I wanted to ask him about. We couldn't get to everything. Obviously, I think we went a little bit long. How long was that, by the way? I don't even remember.

It was like, oh, you're back. Tell us. Tell us, what was the behind the scenes like? Was it great? Rick, back too. Okay, give us the whole play by play. What happened? It's just another day at the office.

Another day at the office. A.H. Inc., as he said. A.H. A.A. At first I was like, I'm not getting it. I'm not, and then I got it. It's a hurricane. You know, you just got to move with it.

The hurricane comes in And the hurricane comes out And it's out, right? We're gone Was it literally from lobby elevator to studio? Was there any pit stop? No.

That's amazing. That's probably the quickest, right? Back out. It's always the quickest. Yeah. Yeah. Were you here that one time he came? I was not.

Okay. I was in my car on my way and then you started texting like, it's happening! Yeah, yeah. I was like, well, all right, let me turn around. Very similar to that, just not as hectic.

I mean, to be honest, the original time wasn't too far off from when he actually arrived. Yep. Like that time was like five to six hours later. This time was like 45 minutes. The big question that we were asking ourselves before you guys got here was, intern Josh and Jack, did they get to meet the Mac Daddy? They did get to meet him. I think the update is Josh snapped to pick. Oh, wow.

Yeah, I snapped to pick. I got into the elevator. I was shoulder to shoulder with him. It was, you know, it was a little daunting, but it was a great time. I'm super, super nice guy. I took a picture. Give him a shoulder strike. You gave him the old Saroni?

You did that to him or he did that to you? No, he did it to me. Josh said he was going to square up on him, but I told him that was a bad idea. Wow. Wow. That's not bad. I will say the whole team made themselves really comfortably with all the amenities here at Yahoo. We had some people using the microwave, the freezer, the fridge, everything.

Our Casa, Sue Casa. 100%. Yeah. Okay. Can we talk business, though? Yeah. Two fights. date already on the second fight.

There's a lot of stuff there, man. There's some things to unpack. I'm still trying to digest the Terrence Crawford news. Double fight with Terrence Crawford. MMA and boxing. $200 million. What's the crack? Hey, Terrence, what's the crack?

Yeah, he's calling him, Terrence. What's the crack on this? You know what? Credit to him, Terrence. I just don't want to get kicked by you. It's hard to fall. I wanted to see that generational Nebraska wrestling. I think McGregor did too.

He mentioned it in the week. The double-leg D, the takedown D? He's like, mate, $200 million will box a few months later. That is weird April 27. By the way, it does back up a lot of the things that I've talked about, the two fights. They already have the second date. They don't have the second opponent. But why so long, by the way?

If he wins in July, that would be what? If he wins in July, I think that schedule changes. You think so? I don't. Oh, man. Nine months. That would be nine months. why would you not want to hold him for

Oh, oh, I understand Look, I understand from the UFC's perspective You want to drag this out as much as possible He's a part of the roster, subscriptions, you can promote him, you can advertise him And most importantly, the longer you hold him, the longer your opposition doesn't have him potentially.

Yeah. That's the key. BKFC on Fox. I was just about to say shout to Sean Hannity. Yeah. Sean Hannity got the deal done? He looked around, he's like, do I say it? and then he did.

And then he did, yeah. He's looking at there's a whole squad of people, and they kind of like make their presence felt. But it's, you know, it's all part of these. There any chance of a Fox Nation streaming thing similar to RAF? 100%. Okay. I thought about getting into the nitty gritty there, but he said that's it.

He's not into talking about the numbers. Oh, yeah. I loved how you were like, you're going to be the highest paid. He's just like, yeah. And you're just like, can you tell us that number? No. Well, because we hear about the number so much in boxing. So I want to know what is the highest paid.

Yeah, but then later he did. say four or five times the next guy. Sure, but what is that? What is it? We don't even know. We don't know. Daniel Cormier did say, though, what do he say?

Was it Pereira, that he's the only guy making 10-milly on this card? He said it. Yeah. Let me just text something. Yeah, just talk about yourself. How about that, huh? Yeah, I will say he brought a whole entourage with him, too.

I tried to get in the elevator. That thing was stuffed. Did you get the hand? No, I got to feel his aura for a little bit That was nice Yeah Josh got to shake the hand Tried to out shake him

Didn't work out for him What does that mean? Try to like give him the harder grip Yeah, tried to outgrip him It was a battle I was never going to win Wow Shoulder strike ensued Oh

Greg felt he was trying to outgrip him So he pinned him up against the wall And hit him with one of those Yeah, no, listen It's I was talking about this with John Kavanaugh Because we're going to be in Vegas Here's a few things

that I want to say. We're going to be in Vegas. Our tickets are going on sale soon. We're doing a live show on July 10th after the ceremonials before the event, the night before the event. And I could also tell you Demetrius Johnson is going to be there. It's going to be me and DJ shooting the shit. Tickets are going to go on sale very, very soon. We'll have the link for you. And it's a small crowd. It's 100 tickets. The venue is just small. We're just doing this small. And you got to be there. And it's going to be us. And we'll take some questions as well. And we'll preview the card and no one's better the DJ at all of this. So I look forward to that. And I was talking to John Kavanaugh. He's going to join us. We're going to do our show out there.

And Kavanaugh is going to join us. And I was asking him about all of this. And I was like, man, it's just, there's a nostalgic feeling about Connor fighting in July because some of those biggest fights happened in July. And, you know, him in California and him in Vegas and the month out. Like there's just something. Connor, correct me if I'm wrong, you've not experienced a Connor July fight, right? I mean, I watched the the 20-21 one against Dustin Poyle the last time he's called. Sure, but like...

Working on the show, the first time he's ever fought period. Wow! Ignore July. Holy shit, that's right, because you joined August slash September of 21. Wow, that's just be... I mean, five years is a long-ass time. And so those are some of my favorite, I mean, you know, him fighting Mendez,

the Mayweather fight. Obviously, the Porier, third fight didn't, you know, go as well, but there's just great, you know, know, him fighting Porre the first time, 178, him fighting Diego Brandeis was also in July, but in Dublin, there's a lot of nostalgia there. Kavanaugh's still there. Adi's still there. There's a lot.

I wonder what that fight week is going to be like. I think him and Max are going to be box office. I think they're going to be incredible. By the way, throwing Patty Pimlin into that mix, that's going to be the biggest gate ever. Is it not? That's got to be there. I think they've already come out and said that it's going to be. his response to the Ilya question, which I didn't get to the question just yet.

I was like, you know, people compare, yeah. You think? Yeah. Got the same tattoos as me. It says the same shit. Crazy. I would love, love, love, love to know what the streaming numbers will be for that. This is the first time Connor won't be behind.

Well, okay, Brandow. Okay, Fuel TV, one wasn't, obviously he was on the prelims there. Holloway he was on FS1 Brand out he was on Fight Pass and then everything else was on pay-per-view Do we think

there will be more viewership for this or the White House Conner's return to the White House? 100% Connor McGarger Yeah, I think so Not even a question A internationally means more

B, it's on a Saturday C, he's bigger than anyone He's bigger than the sport He's bigger than the White House for this fan base For the sport, yeah Yeah No by the time we get to like a week

or so out, it's going to be, if anything, I kind of wish ESPN was involved because we would get like the full push, you know? But let's see, let's see. That was a lot. Should we answer some questions, some more questions? Let's do it. On the nose. Aunt Evans, my boys, as an old fucker myself, I note we have now seven UFC champions age 35 and over. Gachie, Ghan, Ulberg, Strickland, Volk, Bola, Gaech, by the way, 37, Ghan 36, Ullberg 35. Strickland 35, Vogue 37, Bullet 38, Kayla 35, and Islam turns 35 in four months. I think it's a combination of A, the ever-improving sports science, and B, UFC fighters don't compete as often as they used to and are taking less damage. C, younger generation now rushed to the UFC without the experience and skills to be top UFC competition.

What do you think? I also think the fighters are getting better with time. I think that they're just kind of figuring things out. Look at Gachie. Gachis is like the perfect example. He's getting better with time. Some way, somehow. It's unbelievable.

But it's a great point. P.S. The Antman returns to uncrowned.com in three weeks time with an eyewitness essay on the infamous UFC 38 street brawl, also known as the brawl at Royal Albert Hall. Hi, Ariel, Justin Gachey and Michael Chandler around 2016 were both champions in different organizations. It's from Ryan Holland. And the hottest lightweight prospects outside the UFC. Isn't it crazy to see the different trajectories their careers have gone in? One fight is one fighter is two and six facing four losses in row. The other is the undisputed. Lightway Champion. It's true. It's insane. Bognac. Hi, Al. Thoughts on the Incredible Hoke gimmick. I consider myself a highly educated professional in my industry so I don't really find the gimmick amusing. Rather a bit of an insult to my intelligence. You know exactly what it is.

There's no nuance to this gimmick. You know what it is. Is it time for Josh Hocke to give up the facade? I mean, one might argue it's working. Yeah. You know? I've never understood when people think that it's like, ah, we've got to stop this, when you're getting the most possible attention, which is the intended goal. We were talking about him fighting Alex Perey next. Yeah. Intern Jack just posted that, uh, oh, hey, Psy, welcome back.

What's correct? Were you here the whole time? No, no. My boy for you. I had to reboot the old whiffy. Okay, well, let me just say, Jamal Hill says he wants to fight him at heavyweight. Oh, Jamal Hill moving up to heavyweight. Ain't that what journalism is?

It's okay. We don't need the video. But yeah, he just posted that on his channel. So there you go. Pizzi, we were just reacting to Connor. I don't know if you watched it. I did. I saw the whole thing in its entirety. Okay.

Happy to hear that one of the lads got a shoulder pop off him. Very nice. Yes. What did you, you know, you've known him longer, you've known and covered him longer than all of us. We always talk. I remember pre-Habib, we're like two Iraq. pre-Sorone he was Zen

pre-Dustin 2 he was too nice like there's always like these labels put on the state of his mindset if you will what do you make of this one? I don't know if it's all that new you know he seems to be aware that he needs to be in the business of convincing people he's aware that there's a lot of doubt around him

and I haven't really seen him kind of talk about that as much I know he did reference it once with you on that ESPN interview before the Soroni fight. I think it's probably most like that. Like he feels like he needs to win the people back with this one. And I think more so than we've seen before. But I get that given the circumstances. Sure.

I do find that he stopped me with the therapy line. I want to, you know, like when you hear about someone like him acknowledging the dark days, so to speak, it's always interesting to see how they get out of the dark days and whether or not the dark days are still there and the demons and things like. like that. Like I, I felt like for the first time in a while, and obviously I haven't talked to him in a while, it felt like the first time and in person is different. Last time I spoke to him, I think it was Zoom before the Chandler fight was supposed to happen, like March of 24 when he was here for the movie premiere. But I feel like he's sort of acknowledging that, yeah, things went a little bit crazy to the best that he, you know, to like to the extent that he did. And you never know. The one thing is father time is undefeated. So like everything could be, you could be right here, you could be right here, but Father Time is undefeated. And for the most part, like look at what we saw with Rhonda and Gina. Like, it's tough to come back after a layoff like that.

You could be in the best mental state possible. And I think that's part of the reason why a lot of people aren't picking him, right? If they were both as active as they, as Max has been, I think a lot of people would have picked him. And if he was, you know, not out for five years and he's fought at 170, but I think the, the inactivity is, is going to be the biggest hurdle. And the horrific injuries. And the horrific injuries. You know, this guy is, is talking about, like, I need to do this because there was a

chance I could never walk again. There was a chance you could never walk again and you have to fight one of the greatest fighters. Fed away fighter certainly of all time, a guy who's beloved. The guy, a guy who's going to fight him in his wheelhouse. So I guess that's the doubt as well. You know, there's a lot of broken bones along the way here since his pump. And I guess.

I guess, like, that's a hard thing for me to do, as you say. Like, I've covered him over a very long time, so 2009, 2010. And it's a very different guy to that guy. And everyone changes. Like, I mean, in that period of time, 16, 17 years, I was a different guy back then, too. No doubt about it. I guess, for me, the best version of Connor was that dude. And the further he is removed from that guy, the harder it is for me to believe.

I'm one of the guys, I'm one of the doubters that needs to be convinced with this performance is basically what I'm saying. Yeah, and I think that's fair. I think that's 100% fair. The last win was Seroni in 2020, and obviously there's been a long layoff. He was on top of the world after that fight. I remember, how long was that fight? Like 40 seconds or something? On ESPN?

Very short. I was there for a T-Mobile, yeah. It was a huge moment for him. And really, it showed the power of winning in sports. And we've talked about it here, how sport can be so forgiven. And look, there's lots of people who won't move past what's happening in Conner's life over the last few years. And I get that too. But we've seen so many examples, Tiger Woods, Tyson Fury.

Winning has unbelievable power. And I have no doubt that he'd be looking for another Soroni-like situation in this fight. What did you make of the April 2027? Yeah, it's obviously UFC trying to keep him around for as long as possible. we knew that a guy a commodity like McGregor who is the biggest star who they've never been able to replace

you know they're going to want to try and keep him around keep him off their opposition's rosters for as long as possible but I think it's going to be a very lucrative contract negotiation regardless of the two fights go well or they don't

this is a cult character which we've never seen in in combat sports and I think Netflix anyone like that who's trying to put on these spectacular shows McGregor's got to be top of their lists in terms of people they want to work with.

Yeah, you know, that might be the most fascinating free agency period. I don't even think this is a hot take in the history of the sport. Like if he does finish the two fights and if, if he goes two and oh, let's just say even one in one. And hell, if he even goes 0 and 2, if he looks awful, then it's different. But if he goes one and one, if he goes 2 and 0, it's, I mean, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Netflix would pay $100 million for him. I don't think so either.

Like we've heard about the figures bat around for Tyson and everything like that. I think that's the kind of neck of the woods he's in, definitely. In terms of how he looks, I really don't think it matters. I think the way combat sports is now, I mean, Rick is constantly reiterating that this is not a sport anymore to me. So this is a guy that's far beyond anyone in terms of reach, in terms of recognition. like this guy's face, everyone knows who he is, catchphrases, all that kind of stuff. He's in a completely different market to anyone they could deal with.

So I'm in, I think it's going to, like, I had a feeling he wanted to talk about that a bit more. He nearly had to holster himself a few times there. I feel like when you're asking questions, I think he would like to say what's on his mind, but he's boxing clever in that regard with the UFC. The Terrence Crawford thing. Yeah.

Could you imagine that? I can also wonder, like, I kind of respect. Yeah, I kind of. kind of respect Terrence's situation there though. Like, Legacy mean and Morton Money, I thought it was interesting. Oh, 100%. He's undefeated.

You don't want to look human in a sport that I just think, you know what? For all the crazy ideas Turkey's had, it's not a bad one. Like, we were always advocating for the... I would watch the shit out of it. I would watch the shit out of it. I'm not trying to say, I'm not trying to say I wouldn't. I mean, I fucking watch terrible things all the time. The Rico Francis, we said, let's do Rico Francis, kickboxing, boxing.

Let's do... We've never had like a two-fight series. so to speak. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, I wonder would Netflix try to, like, lure Habib out of retirement or something? I wonder why his contract situation is. GSP?

Because he hasn't fought for many years, you know? I wonder if the times run out on that situation. Like, I'd say they would break the bank to be in that kind of neck of the woods with superstars of that caliber. What do you call MGK? A tick. A tick, yeah. Is that a thing? Yeah.

It's like you're a tick. You're an idiot. Okay. That's crazy. It's like you're thick-headed. Thick, like, you know, but we say, don't pronounce T.

Hages very well. M.G.K. said, we don't fuck with you? That's crazy to his face. I mean, gosh, fair play.

You know? What's his girl? I said Megan Kelly. Megan Fox. That's long gone. That's done. No more? What?

What happened? Oh, no. Don't they have a kid? What? Yeah. Oh, that's a fumble.

Do I almost have now? Is that a fumble? Oh, yeah, it ended it in 2024. Is that a fumble on MG. K's part? Absolutely. Massive fumble. I don't think there's a bigger fumble that you can... But maybe it was his doing.

Maybe. Well, that's some bad decision making then, my friend. It does say here he started dating Megan Kelly in early 20 years. Wait, he did? Oh, no. What are you crazy? What? Megan. Legend Fox to Megan Kelly would be the craziest

switch up of all time. I don't even think they spell their first name's the same. Well, it's sorry when I'm dancing all the time if we're on the subject of MGK now. Like, he's switched it up. Like, MGK, I've actually gone a deep dive into his, into his like career trajectory. He was kind of, not like,

Frank's gonna get mad at me for saying this, like, not punk rocky, but he was sort of, he was like, was he grungy? Anyway, he's not a rapper? He's full on pop now. He's like full on pop. Yeah, he was more of a rap guy. I talked about this when I saw him at the Grey Cup.

He was playing at the halftime show. I'm like, this is MGK? That's what I saw. I saw that same shit. Yeah. He was like, some 40s. dancing in 11? Good Charlotte.

A little, who would be, like, not Backstreet or, like, Insink-esque, but pop. Who's pop? I don't know who's pop. Don't put him in a box, man. He's whatever he wants.

I dig him, man. I dig him. He's, the music's good. We often see many, many artists start as, like, hip-hop artist primarily, and then they kind of like, is he Canadian? Venture off.

Now, Cleveland, man. Remember, Steepay? And y'all got reintroduced to him by him performing at the halftime of the Grey Cup? Till I die. What was this deep dive? What prompted it is? Let me tell you.

I'm watching the Grey Cup. It's one of my great joys. I always watch the Great Cup. I don't... What is the time frame for this? What is the Grey Cup? Oh, sorry, sorry. The Grey Cup is the championship game

for the CFL, the Canadian Football League. It's always around Thanksgiving in America. 2025 you're talking? Four. Four. It was free... It might have been Winnipeg, Saskatchewan. It was one of those like prairies and it was freezing. He was speaking and it was like full on smoke coming out of his mouth. And I'm watching it and I'm like, oh, MGK, why is MGK? He's American. He's from Cleveland. He has no connection. And he rocked the house. I've talked about it on this show. And I know his DJ. I know like one of his guys. And I was like, yo man, MGK is the man. This was great. You know, I'm telling you, man. I was like, okay. Did you send him like condolences? Like, oh, I

heard them. Maybe now. No, I didn't know. I guess when I did the deep dive, because I did deep dive, I was like, when did he become this? This was not the MG. I remember when he had a rap battle with Eminem. Eminem. And he was a completely different guy. Kill shot. Yeah, yeah. Great song, by the way. I thought. No, I mean, I like Eminem, but I thought it was a pretty good song. Anyway, back to the questions. Am I crazy? This from Joel, is the UFC waiting much longer to announce fights than last year? Yeah, they definitely are. Why that is? It's been going on for a world, though, no? Like, we'd find out like four weeks before. Yeah, I don't know why.

Is it a pay-per-view thing? I don't know. It just got very confusing now. It used to be the good old days and blah, blah, blah, blah. But he used to know like two months out what was going down. Now it kind of gets jumped on you. It's kind of hard to keep track of everything that's going on. Ariel, now that the White House card is done, when we get some real title fight announcements,

Jan, Valentina, Dern, Vogue, Islam. What does the hold-up? Also, go next. I don't know. I mean, we're going to get Islam any time, for sure. That's going to be in Philadelphia. Barring something catastrophic, it's going to be in Philadelphia. What a time for Irish sport.

McGregor in July, Ian Gary in August, Katie Taylor in September. Dare I say, you're back. Irish combat sports. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think the Katie thing is probably resonating the most with the... Oh, of course. I'm not ranking them, but I just mean like three massive events back to back to back, involving Irish.

And I really hope that Ian gets over here. Like, he is a tremendous fighter. You know, it's unbelievable to me that he's come this way. And the fascination that Ireland had with MMA, look at those Bellator events. And then we have this guy who's incredible, you know, just an incredible fighter, incredible IQ. And it just doesn't kind of move the needle here as it used to.

But I hope that this is a thing that kind of brings the people back. But who's the check, you know, hopefully? Matt Chihuahuis wants to ask you a question. says, happy national fresh veggies day. This question is for PT. W-H-I-L-S-T. Wilsed? Wilsed.

Wilsed. I always screw that one up. Well, so I get the return of the Mac is big business. I'm confused by T&T box office. They charge us UK watchers for a Mac fight and previously for a Patty Justin and any Islam fight. But when we have the one-off events like the White House

or the sphere or 300, they don't put it on box office. Are they not bigger events? thoughts. Peace and love, peace and love. It's actually to do with who draws the most in that neck of the woods. It's about like, I think Aspinall was put behind a paywall for one of the Abu Dhabi fights as well. I'm not too sure about that.

I can remember though one being out of the blue. That's what they do. They know the fighters that move the needle in the UK and Ireland and they'll put them behind a paywall. That's always been the strategy. People get pissed off about it. Obviously, the White House one kind of was in that neck of the woods, but as

Ariel brought up Sunday night, you know, you're not going to, you're not going to get a lot of people buying that pay-per-view here, knowing that they're going to work maybe 30 minutes after that paper view finishes, you know, or that event finishes. So I think that's where that missed, but it's usually to do with, like, you can bet your ass that Connor and Patty being on the same card as going behind a pay review, it'll be 30 quid in Ireland and 20 in the UK. But as I always say, like, compared to what you lads had to pay over the years, like, I couldn't believe the the money that users are spent on pay-per-views all the time, you know? It's not the worst. I'd say there's one or two every year. I don't think it's that bad, but a lot of people do. This is going to end at some point. Like, I think it's inevitable. They're going to go to Paramount Plus.

It's the Paramount. Yeah. More and more people are getting Paramount. And it's going to synch up with the big broadcast and packages you can get now. All these interactive TVs, the Paramount Plus option is there. Say, have Sky Digital here. It's all just like there's a button, press it on your end. the app. So I'd imagine that's what they're trying to do. Because the last one with TN, what was that

event? Was it in Macau where they put it behind, like they put it on the app as opposed to their channel? It was a disaster. It was on like HBO Max, but it wasn't kind of put up anywhere. There was no kind of signage to tell you what to do. So I think Paramount Plus would probably do a better job of that than they did in that case, TNT Sports with the HBO app. We'll have to wait and see. Martin from Ireland. Hey, Ariel, congrats your team. I'm not a basketball fan by any means, but I was very happy on your behalf to hear that the Knicks had won. Now that we've seen the UFC make a show work with an outdoor element, excuse me, being involved, what would it take to get a UFC show in an open air stadium?

Do you think maybe they'd be open to it, like the Bernabeu, where it has a retractable roof, or do you think Dana White never wants to hear about open air again? I wish he did. I wish he did care about it because it was, like, especially for us guys who are watching weekend, week out, I think that's probably like something that people don't realize that are just tuning into this event that never watch UFC that maybe every couple of years

they tune in. That was so unique. And that's probably why we feel like we've a different type than the things that you're seeing, because we just don't see that shit that often and it was spectacular. And look,

do you see are amazing in terms of putting on a show the production team are amazing, but they went completely beyond anything we've ever seen with that event. And of course, the feeling is, I'd love to see more that. Like, McGregor even said about the live music,

I thought that was unbelievable. I know we said this already but it's hard to just think you don't see something like that and go well we can do some things to add to the experience that we already have because it seems so obvious and they obviously can pull it off but I just don't think

they're ever going to do it. I just Dana said straight after this amazing event, no interest back to our ears, you know? CA congrats on the Knicks, I'm a third generation lifelong Cubs fan. It was such a relief when they finally won. I get it. I no longer need to

care about sports. It could just watch for entertainment. All you need now is a Bill's Super Bowl. Amen, my friend. Butnutter. Mabruch, Ariel, my brother. Mabruch means congratulations in Arabic on your team's amazing win. While I cannot claim to be a big fan of the sport or your team beforehand, your passion for them was infectious in my time watching your show that for the first time I watched the full NBA finals live and enjoyed every moment of those games. Shame on President Lincoln for not being supportive of the next. I agree. I always knew something was particularly wrong with that guy. Wow. No, listen. I won't stand for this

We needed some We needed some You know Some friction We needed someone To not believe The Knicks The Knicks thrive off that

Did you guys see the James Dolan speech That they posted Did anyone watch The unedited 13 minute one? Yeah yeah Do you see it GC I did

I didn't watch the whole 13 minute one I just watched the social clip That they posted Pizzi James Dolan is The much maligned I would say Oh he's hated

I listened to a whole podcast series about how hated this guy is. True, Owing once. Oakley. Oakley. Sorry, yes. Yes, and he's made bad decisions, bad hires, bad trades, bad signings, all kinds of issues. I mean, like, people wanted him out, accusations, all this stuff. And they post online yesterday on the roommates show podcast, which is Josh and Jalen's podcast, YouTube channel, 13 minutes, where right before the playoff started, he sat there.

and gave a speech to the players for about 13, 14 minutes. And I think it would be fair to say he's not the greatest public speaker of all time. Like he's got some sort of manorisms and whatnot. And it was unbelievable. He nailed it. And I said in the aftermath of the trophy presentation that I thought he nailed the I'm sorry New York. He nailed this. And there were some funny moments.

He suggested maybe abstaining from sex for 10 weeks and all this stuff. Lock in. Tell your spouse, like, hey, I need to lock in. but like he rallied the troops. And to drop this after the fact was a pretty baller move. Like they held onto it. He dropped it. Yesterday they, I guess, gave the green light to drop it.

And to watch it in the aftermath, knowing how the story played out. And knowing that there was the moments against the Hawks in the first round and whatnot, it's like the great, what could you compare that to? It's not a calling of your shot, but he does say in, like, I believe in you. I believe you're going to do it. And your life is going to change. when you do it. It will never be the same. You will forever be NBA champion.

You will forever be the guy, the team that brought a championship to New York. And now to see how it's playing out in real time, he was 100% right. It's pretty remarkable. It's going to be in the movie for sure. It's like an amazing thing. It feels like something from winning time. Remember that have this in it for sure? The DVDs. Remember winning time? The Lakers thing? That would be a good

storyline for this, I'd imagine. Back to the Abraham Lincoln thing. I forgot that Rick had that. He had to go down and meet McGregor's team and his like, yeah, what did they say? I said to him like, what the fuck is this guy doing? No, the first thing I said to McGregor was like, I was like, no, no, no, not Dagestan. This is Abraham Lincoln. Oh, he got upset because of the famous Ireland versus Augustine rivalry.

The Irishman rivalry. I said, no, no, not that. Did he really? No, of course not. Okay. Hey, Ariel, after watching for years, Austin, be so passionate about your sports teams. I found myself rooting for them as well. On Saturday, I was standing in line at Costco in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and saw I got

decked out in Nick's gear. I asked him about the game that night and he lit up and said it was their time, it was their time after all these years. The vibes were high and even had my girlfriend watching along with me. We aren't basketball fans, but we couldn't believe the cinema. Basketball has gained two new fans because of the passion you show for your teams and your reaction video was real raw emotion and we loved it. And P.S., that White House card was wild. The boys rocked the watch along with the outfits. Sorry, this was a long one, long time listener and a huge fight fan, but this week we are all Knicks fans. Thanks for the content. Man. You know what's also surreal about that. The Knicks for such a laughing start. The LOL Nix, Knicks for Clicks.

Do you remember the movie sold that came out during COVID? Of course. Literally a scene in there where they just mock the Nix. And it's not even, I don't even know if it's a five-year-old movie. Oh, I remember seeing that and feeling like personally offended by it. If someone's missed it, it was like, hey, I'd like to mess around with this one team. And it's like, and the Nix lose again. And they were like spirits that would bat the ball away from the rim. Excuse me. I'm getting offended. Yeah, I was getting offended. And now we're not. no longer the laughing stock. We're the freaking gold standard. We're not the laughing stock. We're the gold standard. I just want to say, I'm so thankful that the sphere got built and James Dolan to

get diverted. You know what? I'm not, I'm not subscribing to that. I am. I'm so thankful he hired Leon Rose. Can I tell you one of the best parts about hiring Leon Rose? He hired Leon Rose, who's an agent, who pretty much signed all of his guys. You know, like, if that's not the greatest, you know, I believe in the guys that I represented moment in the history of sports. I don't know what is. You know what I mean? Like there was nothing nefarious about it. He just said, I like these guys.

I believe in these guys. And so if I'm going to lead a team now, I'm going to get these guys on my team. Pretty remarkable. A bay. Hey, Ariel, congrats on the next win. As an Arsenal fan, I can relate to how you feel and the relief of finally getting it done. From January, may the anxiety leading up to matches, my wife would even take. the kids out when Arsenal played, when Arsenal lost the city, and we looked like we were blowing it.

I promised I'd take my wife and kids to Disneyland if we won the league. I know you promised to take them, minus Rick for the celebration meal if they won. No, Rick's coming. Hell yeah. Any other emotional promises you have to now come good on? Yes, my son got Snapchat. So there you go. Sheesh. Life is coming on him quick, man. Holy shit. He's snapping now? Snapping now. Snapin as an NBA champion?

Three months ago, he didn't have a phone. Now I see him doing like the little faces, you know? Oipod Boy No More. I said to him, Nick Swin, you get Snapchat. Sheesh. Whoa. Have we gotten the name of the Omikaze place yet? Yeah, we need to figure that out.

No, no, I have it. But I haven't booked it. I need to book it. Oh, you got to book it. Yeah, I guess it's only a few weeks away, man. Yeah, man. And we're also rolling like six, seven deep. What is this going to cost me?

Six seven. Oh, okay. It's more like ten. P.S. Ariel's still on cloud nine. Now's the time for G.C. to name all the team trips he wants to take. A.W. Wembley, much love your boy obey. Oh, man. Serbia.

Feels like we got it. Crow Park. Boys in the Belgrade. Croke Park, for real, though. Don Burnettie. I'd just take that on my own. First off, congrats, Ariol. You deserve it.

Congrats on the championship. Let's go Nix. Any chance we get Mike Brown on the pod? We have to. We have to get Mike Brown on the pod. Right? We have. I betty wants to talk about Ilya

and Justin and... You think he watched the next day? Yes, 100%. I do. He seems like a legit fan. I'm not going to lie. He's a fan. Yeah.

He's probably going to want to talk about MMA more and he does the Knicks. 100% to be a bit of a conflict between you two. What a weird position you'll be in because he'll want to talk about MMA more and you'll be dying to talk about the Knicks more. If I saw Mike Brown walking down the street right now, the hug that I would give that man. He really has sort of like dad vibes to him. Is it because he says,

He sings who let the dogs out every five seconds? Is that the bad vibes? He couldn't walk down the street right now, right? There's a video of him going into the polo restaurant. Did you guys see this? What is it called? Like the Ralph Lauren bar? The polo bar.

Did you see this video? Yes. The place erupts standing ovation from. Hero. This man will never pay for a meal for the rest of his life. Like imagine. And you're not just a hero in any town, this freaking town. Josh Hart was asked.

He's like, you know, you're never going to pay for him. for a meal again. He said, great, I love to eat really well. And he will. For the rest of his life. What could Jalen Brunson get away with in this city at this point? I don't think there's anything. Jalyn Brunson runs for mayor. Legit, he wins by a landslide. Right? He's got to be the most...

Jalen Brunson is the most beloved New York City athletes since Derek Jeter, in my opinion, more than Eli Manning, and I think he trumps Derek Jeter. Yeah, Eli and I guess... Because there's also 50% of the city that doesn't like... Derek Jeter that hates Derek Jeter and that hates Eli Manning. Wait, there are parts of the city that hate Derek Jeter and Eli Manning? Mets fans. Mets fans. Mets fans. I know, but there's no real Mets fans. But there's no real Mets fans. There's no real Mets fans. There are real Nets fans. There are real Mets fans. There are real Mets fans. There are real Mets fans. There are real Mets fan, no. Yankees.

This is a Yankee city. Let's... No, no, but let's be honest. There are there are Jets fans who are jealous of the Yankees. There are even Islander fans who hate, I know there are a smaller, you know, percentage. What's that? Watch what you say about the Islanders. Who hate the Rangers. I do hate the Rangers. This city belongs to the Rangers, Yankees, Knicks. That's just what it is.

You may say that, and they are the most successful, but there are still people. My point is, I think you can make a very strong case. Where's Pat sass at? Yeah, those are the more popular ones, but. No. People love the Jets. You have to say Brunson right now, most beloved New York City athletes. By the way, did you guys see Rick Brunson on Inside the NBA talking about Ewing is still the best Nick?

Yeah. You will not meet a bigger Patrick Green fan in your entire life. I feel very confident in that. How do you say that next year's son who just won the title? I respected him for keeping it a buck. Bro. He's trying to keep him humble. He's trying to son his son.

Yeah. It's Bronson. He played with Ewing. It's not like he's like. You know, Frasier won two championships and it's still Brunson. Because Frazier had five Hall of Famers on his team. Brunson went clutch mode so many times during that playoff run. I don't know. I think Pat's still the best.

Matt from SLC, Quickwin, fellas. Who's Joe or my dad is my father? Who's Joe, for sure. Whose Joe is better? Not even a competition. Yeah. Okay, just a couple more here. Pat said Brunton over Jeter?

Yeah. I stand by it. Someone's asking if we're going to get Scarlett on the show, Killer Cross's wife, and yes, in July. she'll be on. Hell yeah. These are too long. Good evening, Ariel.

After everything that happened in the last seven days, how was your daughter's concert? I appreciate you asking. It was great. She did a great job. She actually had a solo. She was like singing in front of everyone. I didn't even know she had that in her.

It's remarkable. Okay. Okay, this is a fun one for Andy. blind rank these fighters you want to hang out with. You'd want to hang out with, okay? Veronica Hardy. How many? How many?

Oh, five. Okay. Veronica Hardy. Three. Valentina Shevchenko. Five. Friend of the show, Giuliana Pena. Four.

Fellow Venezuelan. I don't know who else is coming. Dakota Ditchiva. Oh, one, actually. Ronda Rousey. Two. There it is. G.C., please blind rank these six Georgian rappers.

Six, wow. Now, these are rappers from Georgia. The state or the country? We're about to find out. Let's go. These are just guys from the country of Georgia. It would be all time. Now, ludicrous.

Three. Andre 3000. Mm. Two. Gucci, Maine. Wow. Fuck. I've messed this up already.

Four. Two chains. Five. T.I. Fuck. Six. Young thug. One.

Yes. Okay. At least you got that. Glad I said thug for one. That was a great ranking. Shout to sex. Yeah. I think you did a pretty good job.

I feel like Andre is everybody's number one. Yeah. He's not mine. So I'm glad I put him two. Okay. She's my own though as well. I know. She should have been three.

Chris isn't nice. Young Thug one was respectable. All six are fantastic. Super chats time. Romeo Dubstan. Michelle would win in 2028 peak retaliation. Can you imagine? Obama comes back with a vengeance.

Shea Les H.C. 223. The doctor should take a look. Should take a look in the minute in between rounds. When the minute is up, he should get up and fight. If he's not ready, the fight is over. It's like what Armand said. They giving an extra minute? Yeah.

It was a little. Romero Kennedy-esque. Close to fuck. Shea, again. Is this the same Shea? Yeah. Also, Mark Goddard was not having it throwing the water bottle. I missed that. Yeah, they tried to give him some extra water

when they said to continue the fight, and he was like, no more water and threw it out of the kitchen. Oh, yeah. Jake from Windy City, don't know if you saw Ariel, but devastating news today. Hockey Night in Canada is no more, and CBC will not air hockey anymore. First time in 74 years.

What's up with that? That's like, Hockey Night in Canada. There's no more. Ooh, CBC to stop airing Hockey Night in Canada this fall after nearly said. That is, that is institutional. Why? What the hell?

CBC has sublicense with right holder, Roger Sportscent ends. That's a shame. Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, that is a shame. 74 years, guys. I wasn't even the biggest hockey fan and I watched hockey. Canada. That would be sort of like match of the day for UPT. But this is an original. This is an original. Match of the day is the best game of the day, right? No, match today will play all the games.

Yeah, yeah, but match of the day, like, is it a live broadcast or is it one that has already aired? No, it comes on at like 10.30 after all the games are finished. They have one game as the spotlight game. Do you know, it's like, it's more like, yeah, it's match a day in the UK or like the Sunday game in Ireland that plays all the Gaelic games every Sunday. But hockey night Canada is like the live premier best game of the week. You know what I mean?

Oh shit. They're actually live live. Yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. And it's a huge freak. And it's usually a Canadian team involved. So what's going to happen for Canadian? No, because Roger Sportsnet is the cable channel and Hockey Day and Canada lost the deal.

But they came to an agreement where they would sub-license it and it would simulcast on Rogers and CBC. And I guess now it's not going to do that anymore. But the nostalgia, like you went on Channel 13 or Channel 6. to watch it. And it was just royalty, Canadian royalty. Papa, does Hokie get in trouble if he says Melania Trump was one of the Epstein girls? What? They're basically asking, is there a limit?

Like, is there a threshold to what he could say? I hate all this. Jamie Delhousay, Unk, A.H. Keep doing great work. What an amazing time to be an MMA fan. The UFC card was a 9.7.10. Shout out, New York, Rick Mago Medov. Life is good of today.

Life is good. Yes, brother. Cousin Kev. Okay, Poetan complaining about the shots to the back of the head is crazy. He was getting knocked out regardless. How many were actually to the back of the head? I mean, a lot?

Lucas Ski. Good stuff getting Connor today, Ariel, love to see it. Does the UFC have some spectacle for 2027 in the works possibly to maximize with Connor? No. I thought they have to offer three a year. Cousin Kev, nickname should be Surreal gone. I've always like serial gait, as John Jones has it.

What's this from Enbu? Ariel's wife can't let him out of the house with that shirt on, especially McGregor interview day. SMH, PS, congrats on Kalshi's sponsorship, huge. This is a nice shirt right here. What do you guys know about fashion? This is art right here. I love this shirt.

You guys don't like it? It looks great on you. Thanks, Frank. You know I got it? Yes. Yeah, you know yourself, Frankie. You know yourself. Another Connor interview during Fight Week?

I mean, it just wrapped up 30 minutes ago. it would be a little bit... So is that a yes? I don't know. Res Pacito. I want to play the UFC 329 tickets right. Should I wait until Fight Day risky? What is the move here?

Budget is 3K for two people. Absolutely do not wait till Fight Day. This is going to be a... I kind of feel like that's the move. If your budget is 3K, you've got to wait to the last minute. No. I don't think you can get to 3K right now. No, no.

Exactly. So then your move is just wait until people start to get a little bit desperate. Well, it depends. if he has to go, you're not, like, there's a high likelihood you don't get in on this one. I would not, yeah, I wouldn't play that game. And I am the person who, if, see, here's the thing, I'm willing not to go. So I'm willing to say, let's wait till the day, and then we either get it or we don't. I'm okay with not going. If you have to go, I wouldn't play that game for this Connor McGregor fight.

My rule of thumb, if I'm buying tickets secondhand, is always wait to the last minute, as nerve-wracking as it is. But you're prepared for the opportunity not to go, right? No, I always know at the very end I'm going to have to deal with the circumstances. I don't usually have like a hard cap budget. All right, so I'm not going to lie, I'm going to Atlanta this weekend for Spain, Saudi Arabia, right? Tickets were like $500. Yeah. I was like I'm going to wait until the day of.

Maybe they'll drop down to like three. Checked earlier, they're like $1,200 now. Ooh, so what are you feeling? If they stay at $1,200, I'm not going. Yeah. Serious. It's a dicey game. Too much for that kind of game.

It's too much for that kind of game. Or a group stage, Spain, Saudi Arabia. Oh, I agree. I think the whole thing is absurd. But you've already committed. You have flight and everything, no? Correct, yeah. Will you cancel?

He can't play things to do in his hometown? Oh, you can't take the trip. No, no. It's Father's Day as well. I can knock that out. Wait till the end. It's going to go down. And honestly, the best thing to happen to you was Spain drawing,

because I feel like there's less excitement. I think it actually... I'll tell you, it was not drawn. France. Like, open up for anybody now. What's happening? What's happening? Bappi scored.

Oh, just scored. I was wondering what you were looking at over there. What did I say? What did I say? What's it? 1-0. 1-0. Shades of 2002, first match, 1-0.

Any one goal away from breaking the World Cup record? Most goals? Mbapé? I think he's close. Yeah. No, no, no. No, no. There's definitely a chance.

Like, I'm almost positive that that's a fact. Mbapapé is going to break the goals going to record of World Cup. To the AI overview, Miroslav Kloch 16, and Mbapé 12, which I guess now is 13. Three away now. No. Messi also at 13 He is as many as Messi What about Maradona?

Because when I was there 1994 Tell us again, Grandpa I can't believe Mbapé scored that many goals in the World Cup Yeah

That's where he shines Didn't you get a hat trick In the final? Yeah Oh yeah I didn't do ship for his club They fucking hate him I mean bro has it

Real Madrid and PSG won four The last five Champions leagues And he was on none of those themes Despite playing for them Yes. As soon as PSG got rid of Namar, Messi, and Mbapé,

they became a mason. That's fucking crazy. I think a month ago, I saw Real Madrid, the Madridistas, had like 35 million people sign a petition to get them off the club. That's a whole fucking country.

That's why he's going to have to have a good World Cup, right? That's why it's like you need to do it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Did I lose my spot? It was the guy who asked about the tickets last month. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, man, good luck. I mean, the other thing is, you're already going to see your families. I would presume this person doesn't live in Vegas, right? Right. Once you're there, you're like, what are you doing? I'll just say, as a general rule for a numbered event, especially with Connor involved, 3K for 2 is actually is not enough. Not a good budget, yeah.

It's just like you're already behind the 8 ball there, right? 3K for Connor is you're lucky to get, last row. Yeah, I mean, we had Josh, he was sitting online. You're talking 1,500? There's no way. Let me check right now.

What's the cheapest seat? There's absolutely no chance. You might be... Okay. That's so well. Yo, getting in the building, two tickets together. Let's sort by cheapest.

Just getting in the building, you are literally in row R. 1290 apiece. That's after fees and everything. So he can get in. Okay. We're like a little bit less than 20, I would lock it down now.

Consider it a write-off and just have peace of mind, enjoy your trip, and go to the fight. Yeah. I mean, the peace of mind is huge. If I was flying there, I wouldn't wait till the day. I'll say that. I'm thinking of like when I'm going to Knicks games, and I'm sitting there at home, and I'm like,

eh, worst-case scenario, I'm just not going. Yeah, that's the thing, because you're prepared for the outcome where you don't go. If you fly to Vegas for the counterfeit and end up, famously on this show, I was in Vegas for the Conner fight, UFC 189, had no tickets, zero tickets,

wasn't planning on going, and then got tickets. Like, that's, that's the reverse where it's like, you know, but I was trying to find a bar to watch it. I was trying to look around. Just, it's not the same.

It's not the same. Buy the ticket. Yeah. Tough one, tough one, tough one. Well, good luck to you, my friend. Today's been a day. Tomorrow's going to be, another great day. We do have

Sean O'Malley on tomorrow. And I think, well, I'm working on a couple other people here, but I don't want to jinx it just yet. I need to get back home and watch more Nix videos. That's what I need to do. Lock in on the World Cup now, Ari. Come on. I know, fuck. What's happened already today? Anything? This is the first game of the day.

Oh, what are we doing? 369? 369 midnight as well. They can't forget about Austria-Jordan. You know, I don't hate the Midn-NNNact. I'm going to forget about that one, GC. Pete, see, come on, man. Pete, three lions tomorrow. Come on, Pete.

Yeah, who are they playing? Croatia. I love that. Shout out Luca Madrid. Is Madras in it? Mexico playing tomorrow? Yeah, Madricks in it. No, but Portugal's going to see the doctor.

DR Congo. Oh, right, right. I was like, what are you talking about? I've got like nearly every team. The sweepstakes I've been in is absolutely fucking criminal. Like, I pretty much have 48 teams. It's fucking ridiculous. So today we've got,

Oh, Holland's World Cup debut against the Powerhouse. You know what they did with the bus? All the fans come in behind. They have to call them and say, shut down a fucking street because we're coming, baby. I love it. I need to lock in.

I need to lock in. Yeah, bro, darling. I need to lock it in. You know what? Pizzi, the midnight game is not a bad spot for you. 6 a.m.? That's a bad spot. No, you're 5 a.m. right?

You're five hours ahead. Bad spot? You're not waking up for that one. What game? The midnight game. Jordan. Oh, is. who you playing Jordan

Austria They're playing Austria Yeah they can keep that one They can keep that It is weird seeing some of these teams In the World Cup right Like Jordan versus Austria I want to get into it

No no no I do I mean I love it And I feel like there's enthusiasm Yeah I just need to lock in You just need to lock in There's definitely enthusiasm I mean

Has the goalie hit 10 million followers yet Let's see 9.6 Holy shit Shit. Fucking hell. Every time I check, it's three, 400,000 more. Let me tell you something.

Because he got a draw. Because he got a draw. Let me tell you something. If they steal a win, this dude's going on like freaking whatever the Kabul. They can be Saudi Arabia. They can fucking beat Saudi Arabia. There's no more pressure than this man next game.

Whoever they play. This guy's going to be celebrated when he comes home. Talk about never buying a meal again. I agree. But whoever they play next, blasts in five goals. The unfollows are going to be insane. I'm unfollow. I'm unfollowing. I'll tell you that right now, Jessamar.

You let him five goals? He's down to 400K again. Is the content even good on there? You were talking about Tim Payne, weren't you, New Zealand player? Weren't you, do you see that Tim Payne, the guy that they got a load of followers for, like, he had the lowest amount of exposure for any World Cup player. He's after signing for a team in Paraguay. The guy plays for New Zealand. Some influencer looked up the player with the lowest amount of social media traction ahead of the World Cup.

was Tim Payne, a defender for New Zealand, they obviously drew the fourth game, and now he's been assigned to a team in Paraguay. That's pretty cool. I mean, this guy had to have been up there. 45K is nothing. Unbelievable. I think he had 3,000, Tim Payne

before a World Cup. Check him out. Wow. What's he got? Well, let's see. I know this. He has less than the Cabo Verde goalie. Because I saw this. He passed him yesterday.

And he was at like 4.5 million or something. Well, we just talked about Mbapes going. Mbapes sitting at 130 mil. Jesus. Well, I was going to say, the Capo Verde goli has more followers than Josh Hart, Kat, and Brunson.

Nah, get out of here with that. Get out of here with that. Get out of here with that. I can't look anywhere without seeing this guy. What about Jalen? He ain't got more than Jalen. He's got a lot more than Jalen. What? All those guys combined. Kaly on 1.8.

Oh. Oh. Is he Brazilian? No, he's Portuguese. He's Coppo Veridian. Yeah, our old friend, the Brazilian beast, Guillermo telling me that his name is Vosignia. Oh, okay.

And I guess his nickname, backstory is, that started from a Brazilian TV station that aired the game and asked the Brazilians to mass follow him and he's named after a former Botafogo player, Josimar. And he's a big buttofogo man,

the Brazilian beast, of course. Kaz TV does those mass following things in the Olympics and things like that. So now we know the source. How about the Brazilian bees coming through for us, huh? Do you know, as soon as Brazil play, as soon as Brazil play,

um Tex and Gil Armey trying to soak up that joy. I'm like, oh, here we go. But Brazil is fucking magic. You know what I mean? Like Ronaldo in 1998, 2002? Oh, my God. Fucking unbelieve.

With the greatest stroke of all time, El Phenomeno. Come on. You know, fuck, I'm Bapa. He'll never be Ronaldo. Never. You can score as many fucking goals you want me. You will never, ever be Ronaldo. That's all I'm saying.

I agree. Yeah, when Igor Jesus does the... What does he do? He goes to like the... He does like an anime thing when he scores. What is that thing? He goes like this. One more time.

Yeah, do it again? What do that mean? He does the... Why do you got to call him losers, man? Bro, I just... What is this? No, like the cosplay. No one gets more offended than G.C.

when I make any sort of reference about anime. Are you doing the street? It's not references. The insult. What's that corny bullshit loser stuff? It's like me with wrestling. Listen, I get it. That's the reason why I do it.

That's the reason why I do it. It's like wrestling. By the way, where did that Brunson thing come from? I didn't see that. I've had it this whole time, bro. What do you mean? I got it at the beginning and the final. What?

I've not seen that. I wore it on the show. I was like, yeah, let's go Nick. Yo, I have not seen that. It's been here for like two weeks. I don't even see it in Rick's shot too. I just noticed it. If we go, let's go full control room, you can see it.

Let me see it. Let me see it. I won it. They did like a pop-wow. It looks great. That could never come down. That's there for life. I mean, this shit is the coolest shit ever.

Yeah, it's cool as hell. Those guys were doing it on the UFC broadcast. They were. You know who they were? No. Shane McMahon's kids. Fuck for real. Yeah. No chance in hell.

That's Vince. That's their grandfather. All right, friends. We're done. Hang on, they're related. What? What's that? He's joking that Vincent Schenner related.

Yeah. Oh, he says, okay. Guillermo always has the backstory. It's Dragon Ball Z's Kamehammeha. Kameham Neha. There it is. There you go. All time.

This looks like... This looks like... This looks like a really bad chestpack. That's like when McGregor is shooting threes at MSG. Oh, yeah. The shot was a... Oh, there he is. Look at that fucking good.

Yeah. He's some kind of... How about Ronaldino, though? Oh, legend. Great. Love him. Knock out. He's not Renalvo.

Come on. No, no, no, no. My Rinalo, all right? What about my boy, Roberto Carlos? Great left foot. Scored that free kick? No, no, no, no. Fantastic.

What about Dunga? Dunga, not really... You know, very European Brazilian player, I'd say. More like... What about my boy, Kaffu? Rui back, fantastic. What do you know about Kuf? What about my boy, Vosignia?

Yeah, that's my boy. What about, yo, what about my boy? Aldoier, Denielsen, Bebetto, Romario, Dico, Allison. Socrates. Allison, who? Darsino. Rosenstra?

Grinchia of Botafogo. Gilaireme's all favorite. Joseño Rosenstrike is from Sorry, no I cannot participate at all In this like dudes naming athletes What about my boy Fonzie?

You need it to play Junior Albuano Fonzo Davis Yeah Henry Winkler Topferrell Joe? What's his name?

Who's Joe? Who's Joe? There was a Joe. There was a Joe from Brazil That is a wildfook Thank you to all our guests Thank you, Chuck.

Thank you, Connor. Thanks all of you. Thank you, Zeta. Sorry. I'm out of here.