The Ariel Helwani Show - Dana White vs. Eddie Hearn beef, Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano on Netlfix, more | The Craic

Episode Date: February 20, 2026

The Craic is back! This time, it’s dynamic duo Petesy Carroll and Chuck MIndenhall holding it down. To kick things off, they react to the ongoing feud between Dana White and Eddie Hearn (5:29). Then, attention turns to Netflix stepping into the MMA space with Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano (32:41). They also discuss Gable Steveson’s latest first-round win and whether the UFC should make a move to sign him next (48:20). With fights on deck this weekend, Petesy and Chuck preview UFC Houston (55:49), and Ryan Garcia taking on Mario Barrios in the ring (01:05:01). To close the show, the lads answer your Super Chats (01:10:03).

The crack is back, ladies and gentlemen, and we have a busy all weekend in combat sports. We got a lot of boxing. We've got UFC, but we've got a lot to talk about too. I mean, Dana has been ignited. He has been shot out of a cannon, as we've been talking about all week. He's beating up babies. And we've got a lot of talk about in terms of Eddie Hearn's response. This whole frenzy of activity that Zoufa boxing has added to the boxing world, it would seem. Oh, it's not just those two either. Good old Golden Boy himself, Oscar Delahua, threw his hat in the mix there last night with a five-minute video. We're not going to give you five minutes of it.

We had to pull it down to about a minute. I'm not going to lie to you. There's a lot there. But I felt like the thrust of what Golden Boy was trying to tell us was up top, you know, very early on. Good old card this weekend, Sean Strickland and Fluffy going down in the main event. Got a lot to talk about there as well. A few sound bites from Sean. Strickland, nothing too unexpected, but still quite embarrassing, really. You know, we'll get into it

later. But before all that, before we can sink our teeth into these wonderful sound bites that Dana v. Hearn has given us this week and, of course, Oscar Delahoya, let me introduce to you the wonderful Chuck Mendenhall, who joins us as usual on this beautiful Friday, Chuck. How are you doing? I'm well, Pizzi. Be honest with me now. Did you think that we were going to be discussing the White House card today. I was assuming once the Netflix news came out that at any minute, Dana was going to announce his White House card. And here we're on Friday at 1 p.m. Eastern time, no announcement. What's going on here, man? Oh, man, it is one of the rare weeks that I didn't plan to speak about the White House, but you're right.

We should be speaking about it. We should always speak about the White House card. Just in case anyone forgot that it's happening. That is something that is happening. And we do have a lot of the Netflix segment actually. We do have a bit of a Netflix segment in here in terms of what the overall feel is from the MMA world about it. I know, we got a, we had the breaking news show on Tuesday, Chukin, and maybe we got ahead of ourselves. Maybe we got too caught up in the news and the frenzy of it all and the excitement because I looked at those comments afterwards. It doesn't seem that the people were vibing with what we had to say about Ronda Rousey and Gina Carrano. But yeah, I mean, it wasn't exactly, It does.

glowing in what I wrote either. So interesting. I know. I saw that. I saw that. But it, you know, the most fun thing about it,

and we'll get into that later on, but the most fun thing about it is it feels like, and I know you wrote about this early in your piece as well, it does feel like it's kind of pointed at the UFC. And we have Dana, we just mentioned in this boxing situation. Now we have Jake Paul coming from for him on another front. It does make for a very interesting industry moment for me,

as far as I'm concerned. It feels like Dana is fighting battles on both front in the boxing world and in the MMA world. Or maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Well, we know that that rivalry exists, right, with Jake Paul. And I don't think it's an accident. Let's put it that way, man. And they're going, they're going on the way.

It's like three weeks before the White House card is supposed to go, something like that, or maybe a little more. Yeah, I think there's some gamesmanship there. Well, we have a lot of gamesmanship to speak about today. We should say that big time Ben folks is big timeless again. He has headed off to the North Sea with his wife, you know, uh, opera houses I'm saying. Oh, cruises, cruises between Scandinavian countries. Um, this guy's out of control.

Yeah. Oh, I mean, he's eating like all this, you know, this, uh, area specific cuisine, you know, like some artisan and, you know, it's really annoying me, Chuck. Black sea caviar, you know, he's snorting it. It's just, uh, can't stop. That's just the way he is, you know? He's not here.

And not only is he not here. I want the people to know this. Jordan, our wonderful producer, has chose his family over us. You know, like he is saying, oh, I do this commitment thing with my family.

I mean, what the hell's going on? I thought this was blood in, blood out here on the crack. It's crazy. There are such things as priorities. I'm just going to throw that out there. There are priorities.

And somehow we're very low on those priorities. It's ridiculous. but we have Andy here today. He was much better than Jordan, much more talented. And as I said in the email thread today. Yes, way more iconic and just a much better human being. Andy, can you speak and you say hello?

We're very happy to have you here in Jordan's place. Will we? We'll see. Let's speak for yourself, Andy. Just like Dana says with Zootle-Bossing, you wait until the end of the year. We'll see at the end of the show. All right?

That's exactly it. That's exactly it. Speaking of iconic, um, we do have, a new soundbite that we are likely to play for a very long time. And I'm not just playing it for a fun. This is the entry to our conversation we're about to have with Dana and the boxing world. He was asked recently, you know, have you got much pushback from the boxing world? Here's what he had to say. What has been the biggest pushback that you have gotten from the traditional

boxing establishments? What's been the biggest pushback? There hasn't been any pushback. This is like beating up babies. I feel like I came in and I'm beating up babies. I expected more. I expected some pushback. I expected, I expected some, I don't know, them to be more game. This, this, they're all way out of their league. Like, absolutely positively out of their league.

Chook, I cannot wait to ask you how you feel about the beating of babies moment. You mean both. Beating up babies. That's what we call it out here in Connecticut. No. It's an interesting choice of words, isn't it? Like, that's like, it's very strange, man, like, you know, to watch Dana.

And maybe part of this is because there has been a little bit of an outcry. Where's Dana? Where's Dana been? Where's that competitive juice? Where's that kind of, you know, guy who's the authoritarian who steps in and speaks his mind on the mic? We haven't really seen it as much. We haven't seen him promoting fights as much.

Maybe it comes down to something like that. But, man, it's weird watching him in this boxing realm, isn't it? Because you see the beef starting up. I was thinking about this. It's like, you know, I think that, you know, obviously there's an arrogance that comes with all the money and support and a track record of success. When UFC started, when Zufa UFC started, in 2001, whatever it was, you know, they were basically from a vantage of an underdog.

They were coming up. They curried, you know, basically favor with their die-hot audience and kept bringing it in, especially through tough, bringing in a new audience. And everybody wanted to see it succeed because they were the underdog. In this specific Zufa boxing, it's just the opposite. They come in as a bully, not just, you know, trying to get the Allie revival thing established so that they can, you know, kind of gear things towards what they want to be able to do to take over the space. but just in that, like, coming in and saying,

like, we don't even respect these guys. They don't even know what they're doing. And I think that that is, it's just a fundamentally different approach, right? So Zufa boxing coming at it from a completely different place than what Zufa UFC did. And it's a lot easy. And I'm not going to say it's easier.

What the UFC was able to do over the course of all those years to build its brand and become like whatever, 4.4, whatever they sold for in 2016 is not easy, man. Like, that was like, that's why we're still. talking about it, what they built is incredible. But to come at it, you know, to come in as the bully and the boxing thing, that's not going to earn you the same kind of like diehard loyalty. You know what I mean?

From an established, you know, whatever, boxing being established for 150 years. It's going to be different, man. And I think that that is where it gets interesting. Now, if they get everything, if Zufa's able to put everything into what they wanted to be, they get the Revival Act, they're able to kind of, start to take over the sport. We'll see. But I don't think there's going to be this sentiment of the fan base, right,

like that has been there for the UFC. I don't think that that's going to be there for them. It's a really good point you make and I haven't actually thought about that. I think I've already, that was the context I was looking at it, but I've never heard someone directly say that, like, that they are coming in as the dominant power immediately in boxing. Like, you know, they say about politics,

it's easier to be the opposition because you're firing at the people and power you're constantly criticizing them and that definitely was the position you're dead right of MMA early on UFC early on and Dana was that guy going on every radio show this is going to be bigger than soccer

all this kind of stuff but he was so good at it and it is a very attached to it right like it was more of a hopeful projection that everybody wanted to get behind and see happen you know so how how close you know when you think about Dana back then showing up as a talking head and all those big sports shows and really like using every second he had on air.

Yeah, that was the thing about back then, like he, he was selling from the second he was on there, they could ask him a question, he was just bringing it back to the event. A lot of the guys, even on the show on Monday after this, because this was at Zufu Boxing 3, I believe it was, or was a 4, I think it was 3, on Sunday, and we were came in on Monday. And the guys are kind of saying, well, look, Dana, it's got the juices flowing for Dana again. and it has relatively speaking, right? Like compared to what we've usually seen, we haven't seen him target this,

he's usually responding to someone, he's claiming, he's still responding to someone here, but it doesn't, it doesn't feel like the old day and away fastball just yet, but do you think we're growing towards that possibly? The UFC was like when they were coming up at their very best, they heard their fans, right?

They were, they were operating for their fans. And I think that that was what, this is literally what hitched them to a familial feel in the Fratida era where it was like, oh my God, we're all in this together, man. We are all in this together to see this thing succeed. This is just different.

It's almost like, it's so cocksure, right? It's almost like he's coming at it from a foregone conclusion. And that is just a whole different thing. If his juices are flowing, it's more from like a guy now who's like, you know, been a tyranny, I guess, within the fight game, a guy who has already had all the spoils. And you can see that. So there's not this hope, right? Right? Like there's not this the sentiment of like trying to attach fans to, hey, guys, we're going up against these historical entities. We want to fix boxing and we want to do it our way, which we think is better and trying to hit something within that fan. They're telling you that. But they're not trying to bring you in as like this, you know, this feel good story they're trying to do for boxing. They're not, they're basically telling you like, hey, man. And when he mentions like, you know, Eddie Hearn and he's talking about Eddie Hearn, he's like, you know, Eddie Stade in his lane. He played by.

the rules. Every time he says things, says things like that, it's basically give it, it's tip in his hand as to what they're looking at it as, which we're going to come in, we're not going to stay in our lane, and we're going to change the rules. And I mean, once you change the game, that could go two ways. And I'm not saying that Dana and Company can't pull this off, that Zupa boxing won't be a big thing. But I do think that coming in as like a, you know, as a bully to the space is not going to win them fans. You know, I mean, we'll see how it works. I think it's part of the political climate, and it's part of the things that he's,

he's been used to over the last bunch of years, but I don't, I don't know. To me, this is just a, it's a, it's a fully different approach to how they did it with Zupa UFC, right? Yeah. You've mentioned that quote, particularly pertaining to Eddie Hearn. I think we may as well have a little look at that,

Chuck, just to, let the people know what we're talking about here. And then I saw, you know, Eddie Hearn saying that the belt is cringy and all this stuff. I don't, you know, I don't think anybody looks at Eddie Hearn says, oh, this guy's a visionary, or, you know, the guy's been in boxing forever. I look at him like most politicians. You've done nothing in the sport except stay in the lane and, you know, play by all the rules and, you know, ride right along with what's, but you're, you ended up becoming part of the problem is what happened. And I don't want to sit here and smash Eddie Hearn or anything else, but Eddie Hearn works for his dad. You know what I mean?

He works for dad. And, you know, I don't think he's come in and ever had any type of vision. Whereas we do. And we're going to change the entire sport. And I understand the people who are the status quo in boxing don't like it. But it doesn't mean they can't still do their thing. If your thing is as good as you think it is and you are as good as you think you are, then do your thing.

Good luck to you. I'm going to do my thing and they're going to do there. Can I just say I love this shit I love these lads going at it It's absolutely great It's great to see

No matter what speed he's going at I like the direction he's heading in You know Eddie Eddie Heron He's right He does technically work for his father Barry Heron Who you know

It's pretty much a visionary In British sport In terms of The darts In terms of obviously boxing Snoke or all these things Two Eddie's credit, excuse me, he did kind of revamp the boxing arm of this. Like, it was kind of

dormant and he has brought about a new wave of British boxing without a doubt. The stadium shows, all this kind of stuff. I just think that's an interesting note, as obviously we've been watching MMA for a very long time. And I know a lot of people love the UFC product. And I think a lot of people even within boxing were like, you know, this is a well oil machine. They can come in here and do this and, you know, the pacing, all this stuff are things that people are looking forward to introducing the boxing. But on the flip, side of that we've kind of, you know, we've been saying for years, even pre-pandemic, when they go to a new location, it doesn't feel special really. It's the same shot from

outside. Like, if you weren't told they're in a different country most of the time, you wouldn't really notice. One thing I think that Heron has done well is like make a spectacle wherever he goes, you know, even though the re-ad cards, the early ones, especially, the atmosphere was absolutely horrific in them. He has done big, big shows in Wembley, big shows around the world in Germany and things like that. Um, But I can't stop thinking about this point you've made at the start because I think Heron is a great talker. And having covered those matchroom events, it is like what Dana used to do back in the day. Or even more so.

So Dana used to do the scrum as we know. And you're only saying a few weeks ago, Chuck, that, you know, Dana doing the scrum, you'd almost be waiting for that. Like the press conference wasn't important. You were just waiting to get up there and do the scrum. I've seen Hearn and people will have noticed this if you watch multiple of his interviews. He does one on one. He'll just stand in a line and move his way down and do every single person that's there that wants to speak to him.

And it just so happens that one of those people asked him about Dana Hoyt's comments earlier this week. Dana, why? Yeah, my new mate. You are just Barry Hearn's son. We've got him already. What did it take? A month to allow him to get...

It's like beating up babies. Well, that's, I mean, that's a sick mind for one. I know what the fuck he was talking about there. That's quite disturbing. I'm honest with you, it's very strange because I've got to be honest with you. I wouldn't say up my ass, but Dane has always been so commentary about us as a company and me as a promoter. But to say that I don't have any vision, it's really strike strange. I mean right now, when you talk about Zufthas or whatever it's called, when you talk about their vision, what's their vision?

What? Getting Max Kellerman to tell everyone that Callum Walsh is the next Roy Jones, or putting Charles Martin on a headline show on a Sunday night in front of 126 people in your garage in a ring that looks like you've just got it out of a local club show I mean what sort of fucking vision's that? Or better still, oh no no there's a belt and it's a upper. Look at the vision.

That's not vision, that's control. Because the reality is when he says we can't compete, they can't compete in this cut-throat world of boxing because it's a horrible world and they don't want to compete. They want to create their own world. But listen, at the moment, when you compare Matrim shows to Zuffa shows, quite frankly, Zuffa shows are absolute complete dog shit. But they're going to get better and they're going to sign some big fighters and they're going to spunk some money, they're going to waste some money, I've said it before, they're clever people. But right now, they're trying to manipulate fight fans and they don't understand how intelligent fight fans are when it comes to boxing.

You can't create these cards and tell everyone it's the best feed of best, because it's quite frankly not. And the reality is, yes, I do work for my dad. But guess what? Dana White has worked for his daddy for a long time. The Fatita brothers. That's who he worked for. And right now, Dana White's got a new daddy. And his name is Turkey Alashate.

Turkey Alashake is Dana White's puppy. And he has got to do whatever he's told. Because he works for TKO, which is owned by Seller. And Saudis and Turkey Al-Asheikh. So it took him a nanosecond to get personal, but that's because right now he's right at the bottom of the parle in terms of quality as a boxing promoter. But as I keep saying, they're a good operation and they will get better. Whoa, whoa, well, let's keep those punches up, boys, going a little below the bell here. That's a great interview with the stomper ground Charlie Parsons.

Right, this is the thing. As you said, they've come in as the bully. they are the Goloia to this David now, Eddie Hearn, right? Like he is like the young man with his bow and arrow slinging at this war machine that's suddenly there, right? Like this, they've actually given him power by coming in and stating that they're doing all this. Like they've made him a kind of the heroic kind of figure here if you're from the boxing world, right? And you want the status quo to say that it is, I guess. Yeah.

And I mean, I mean, it's like Ariel has kind of talked about Eddie Hearn too over the last couple of years kind of being. the best promoter, you know, in the space, in the combat space. And I, I don't disagree with it. Like, there's been something about him, man. It's just kind of like his, he has a certain kind of charisma and dash. And, like, not just that, but I think he's very articulate, you know, like, he kind of tells you things that are on an eye level and, you know, gives the, gives the spectacular when he needs to. Dana, we keep talking about how he's lost his, um, his fastball a little bit when it comes to this stuff. And when you see, because you're an agent of chaos, I'm like, I, so am I.

Like, you kind of like this type of thing. And I do, I do like, if you're going to come in, if you're Zufin, you're coming in to this space, right? You kind of want to see them poke everybody right in the chest because that's what they're supposed to do. If they weren't doing that a little bit, you know, I don't know, you're moving into their space, you know. And I'm like, if you're not like kind of declaring like, hey, I'm coming here to take over what you've been doing and do it better, there better be some. some feelings involved in this and there better be some back and forth, you know what I mean?

I'm surprised that other promoters haven't really like gotten on a Dana about this. You just wait, we might have something. I might have teased something at the top of the show. But it is like it does feel like, kidding of course about that by the way. Yes.

It does feel like this will result in like the product being strengthened, right? If these guys are going back and forth, there was even, now it didn't turn out to be Zouffer, but there was, there was a talk earlier from this press week of Johnny Fisher, who's a big

kind of more, like his dad's a celebrity, he's a good heavyweight, he's lost a couple of fights, he's lost to Dave Allen, but he's a massive kind of name, like Pia's name, value. He started talking about being offered a huge sum earlier in the week. Now it turned out it was for the Tyson Fury undercard, the ring card.

Yeah. But a lot of people immediately were like, oh my God, he's going to Zuffel. Like it feels like WCW and WWWE, the Monday Night Wars and some going away. My first question, is do you believe this would result in more vibrant things happening? And the second question is, do you think Dana's up for this for you? At this point in his career against, as you say, this charismatic head of matchroom? Well, I think that Dana at least this time has, you know, people involved with him who are equally,

if not equally close to it, they're doing a lot of heavy lifting for him. Like Nick Kahn, obviously being involved in this. So I think that, does he have, is he, is, I think he would, I think there's something that, like, he wants to awaken that, you know, that kind of gets him back into this. Because, you know, he's, he's, he's one of those guys who had a big ego and he always has and he always will. And he, if you start to say that he's kind of fading, that's going to hit him, right? Like, it's going to hit him in a way that you're like, no, man, you haven't seen anything yet.

He's going to come at you stronger. The truth of the matter is, you know, it's that, it's that old, it's that old thing where you're like, do you, is it one of those things that you can actually activate or do you really have that still in you. And I, that remains to be seen. The bottom line is, though, man, like, what do they, like, when Zufa comes in and they're kind of promising almost an abstract idea, which is like, we want to fix it so that it feels more accessible and like the machine runs in a better way, right? Like, they want to fix it in a way that people can access, um, boxing again in a way that, like, they've been doing with the UFC. And if you kind of, if you do

think about it, just the whole alphabet, um, you know, belt system, sanctioning bodies, the mandatories, the belts, you know, like, you go through all the complexities of boxing as it stands and you're like, there, there certainly could be a tightening of this, right? Like something that simplifies it and brings it all into focus better for people who want to do it. Because the most tiring thing about boxing is all the politics that surround it. It's just that is, and not that Dana coming in, you know, makes it so that there's no politics. There's a different set of politics, but there is a chance for them to actually, if that's what they can pull off is to make it more accessible.

The biggest thing is, how are they going to do that over the long term? Because the thing that he's saying is vision. And I think some people are like, well, vision in the UFC is control, right? Like, this is where you get, like, you get into like the word, right? Like it's semantics. Which one is it? Because right now they're already kind of zeroing the, you know, or what would you say? Like sterilizing the aesthetic, you know, like, you know, the trunks and taking away your brand.

slowly breaking it down these things I mean it's it's like they like and this is where he's right right like you visited at the end of the year and you see just how far they've taken things where if does it look like it's in a good direction does it look like they're doing anything

honestly I think you kind of have to wait to see that much you know you have to see like a you have to get more tape on this whole thing yeah absolutely and Rick was saying this during the week I was kind of comparing like look at Matron's car this weekend with Ward and warrant in their rematch. Like, it's going to be a big

card and a big environment. Like, you, you turn on the TV when that main event's on and the place is going to be heaving. You know, like, you're going to know a big fight is on. When is, when is Zufa going to feel like that? Will it ever feel like that? Is that part of the plan? We'll have to do it this year, you know, that's really

the thing too. Because you're, like, the one thing that Zufa has been able to do very well is when they have a star, they've been, they know how to magnify and get the most out of that star. And we have a right, I know we'll talk about this in a little bit. There's a Ryan Garcia fight this weekend. I don't feel like there's much buzz on this. I feel like there should be bigger buzz, you know, but I feel like if this was

under Zufa, like that would be very interesting, wouldn't it? It would be very interesting to see kind of how they would trumpet it up and how much we'd care then. Yeah, and I am looking forward to that moment with like Appetaya and stuff like that. They have some tools there that they can use and it could be excellent for all we know, but, you know, we've both teased it at this stage. It's not the only one taking aim, but old Dana White. It's all. It's all. old friend who he said, you know, they've, they've had a war of words for over a decade now, I'd say. It's Mr. Oscar Delahoeia. Oh, fishnets, as they, as they call them sometimes.

Oh, fishnets, Oscar. Here he is, putting the world to Royce and a social media post, yes. It's been a busy week with Uncle Fester running his fucking piehole. Fester, you call people mentally ill when they don't agree with you? But guess what, motherfucker? We're just telling the facts. You can't handle the truth. I have never.

ever in my entire life, seen somebody truly believe they're absolutely killing it while they're actually doing jack shit. I will come out and say it right now. Zufa is officially a failed science project. I don't even know what the fuck that was. And here's why. All right, number one, they just had their fourth event over the weekend. And when I tell you I had no idea, I swear to Holly's tinnies, I mean that.

I'm an actual boxing nut. I love to watch undercards of every single fight. I'll watch two bums in the streets fight. Just because I love it. And I had no idea there was even a show on Sunday. The Zufa's roster is filled with fighters who are either at the tail end of their career or who just can't make it at the highest level. Oh, man.

The beautiful thing, too, was, and I know you can't run that whole clip, was... Okay, is this beautiful or is this just like, dude, this gloves are off, And we're like, but he goes out to talk about power slap and then he shows the footage of data slapping his wife. And he's like, well, that's called, that's called domestic assault. It's just like, oh my God, man. No love lost. This has reinvigorated Oscar Delahoeia. Like, do you remember when Dana White to turn him into a baby face?

It's almost like that's how he's being received now, right? But do you remember when Dana Forrest kind of targeted Oscar? He was all over the place. Like, it was like the opposite. It was like what we were looking at. You know, some people are saying we're Heron and Dana now, like, the energy differential. Like, it was like, this is a no contest. The referee needs to wave this off immediately.

Like, Dana was just all over him. Where the hell is this Oscar Delahua come from? He's suddenly back to his fighting days at what's him. He's always been an influencer more than a boxer, I think. Pete, I think that's fair to say. It's not. But he kind of has turned in, right? Like, you watch the edits of that sort of thing, and I'm like, he's pretty funny.

I just, this whole thing is just, we're just scratching the. surface, man. You know what I mean? We're just scratching the surface. So far, they're not really threatened. They're just going off of early actions and they can just kind of dunk on Dana while he's at the, what do we call it, the garage? Like, he's doing shows at the garage there, like the UFC meta apex or whatever they're calling it. It's easy to dunk on them right now. But I mean, this is going to be fun to watch, right? Like, as it keeps going because eventually this is going, like, eventually Zuf is going to show you like whatever they've built towards. And then that's when we'll really no.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I'm looking forward to these big cards. Like obviously we saw the Crawford and Canello card. It was, I thought it was great to be fair. So if they can do a few of them and stir the pot a bit. I like that Max Kellerman's catching strays from everywhere though, man. It's like, every event just feels like a whole lot real of what Max said, right?

Like, I feel like that, that is the most shared thing from all these events so far is just, here's what Max Kellerman said last night. Like, that's always the first thing I say. It has been a, like, it's kind of a subplot. to this whole thing, but it has been a, you know, if you've watched Max Kellerman over the years and you've trusted him as a, he was the best. Yeah, as a journalist within telling the truth within the space, like if you,

if you were one of those guys like me, I mean, he built his name on integrity, really, um, to chill it up, man. I mean, like, yeah, it's just, it's not a good, it's not a, it's not a career, it's not a career move that I foresaw coming. Let's put it that way. No, it's just such an about turn. Like, it's not like he's doing a little bit. there's a there's a line slipping out here or there.

It's thoroughly one-sided and it feels like he's completely batting for for one-side. It's insane. Let me ask you something. Yeah. We come from an MMA-centric point of view, right? And most of our audience is going to be MMA. Does this, like, so you get a Dana White now he's in there and he's, you know, puffing his chest out against these boxing guys.

How many people? And I was thinking about this because, you know, like back in the day when they coveted the WWE audience when Brock Lesnar was involved and you're like, we're going to break 1.5 million. And it was almost like they brought in double set of eyes, right? Like suddenly the wrestling world and those who knew Brock Lesnar are paying attention to UFC 100, you know, or whatever fights he was on. Is it going to have the same effect for boxing? Will MMA fans be converted?

Like, will they pay attention just given that Dana is throwing his weight over there? You know what I mean? Like, is it going to be one of those things? yeah, I think we underestimate what Dana White means to people. And I think the way I usually see it is like, do you ever see on, I don't know, X is not the world and it's not the prime example, but do you ever notice that like Dana White's opinions will be completely reverberated on whatever subject he weighs in on in the space? And honestly, that's the feeling I'm getting with this is like, it's like the support of Dana

and the people are so passionate about the UFC that they're taking this ride with him. You know, I went on to watch one of the cards. I think it was probably the last one. Sorry, no, it wasn't. It might have been the second one. Maybe it was the one you were at you at the fourth one. He was there. Did you get your shirt yet?

I think, am I sure, yeah? It's on the middle. I'll be wearing it straight away. All right. But I think when I went on, they had to put it on YouTube in the UK and Ireland for whatever reason because we didn't have a streaming service available. And there was like, I think 8,000 people watching it. And I'm like, how many of these are hardcore boxing fans?

Is that what you think? Because that is what I think. I think it's the MMA audience coming into boxing. I do too. And they don't have the same context, right? They don't have the same context that boxing always would have on an event like this. This is what I always come back to, too. I was at that first one.

I think there was one stoppage in that first event and all of the rest, you know, develop patterns. And it's very different. It's so different from MMA. In the sense, like, it's a very nuanced, you know what I mean? Like you got to really appreciate boxing on a whole different level. like we watched a, you know, Chris Stevenson, he puts on a clinic. I mean, it's a, it's a masterclass, but he's not putting anybody away in that fight.

It's just in his last fight. But it's still, if you're in a box, if you're a boxing aficionado, you're going to praise that. And I think that in MMA, man, the sudden termination, you know, the idea of sudden termination that the fight could just end at any second. Yes. It's, it's so thriving. I think for MMA fans to come around to boxing is going to be a minute, you know, like hardcore.

It's going to be tough. But I do think that a certain amount, certainly over the first year, are going to at least pay attention to it. And that, in a strange way, I'm like, that might be where Zufa right now is doing the best work is kind of converting, bringing people over to boxing, you know. That's a good point. That is a good point. It's probably, it's something that the other promotions don't even think about, I guess. Like, so that is, it's interesting to see. And look, even with MMA, the switch of dynamic you can have.

You can have, you know, a guy's style on someone on the feet, double leg changes everything. It's a completely different fight now all of a sudden. And that's whatever my fans are used to that that kind of spectacular switch of environment within a five minute round or whatever it is. So, yeah, no, I completely agree with you. But it's not, as we said earlier, it's not just Dana White fighting a war on one front because we had a big announcement earlier in the week. Ronda Rousey is back, baby. Gina Carrano is back. Yeah, did you not see this joke?

You're breaking news to me right now, Pete. What's going on here? You wrote a piece of it. I had been drinking earlier this week. I don't remember. Tell me this, right? I think the most interesting thing is about the industry ramifications for this.

What does this mean MVP, who you've mentioned earlier, have kind of drawn their line on the sand with Dana White. Like, Jake Paul and him have been at each other's. Nikis has been at each, like has had words about Dana. He used to work for the UFC, of course. They are coming in with one of the biggest superstars

to UFC ever known with Ronda Rousey, a fight that we know Gina Carrano has said the UFC tried to make and didn't make. they are making it now. Granted, what was the stat in your article, a combined 26 years? Is it since either of these have competed? What is more

interesting about this? MVP entering the market or the matchup itself between real scene carano? I think it just plays to both. I mean, I don't want to like, I'm not trying to like ride the fence, but I do think that they're kind of equally compelling. I knew,

I guess it felt inevitable at some point that MVP, you know, just given who they've dealt with. And also like that Jake Paul fully understands in his operations how to manipulate an MMA audience into paying attention. It felt like a, you know, it felt like a matter of time, didn't it? This was, but so like, then you get the players, you get the players and it's two names that we well know. And I mean, Gina Carrano was almost before she did the Mandalorian and all that stuff. She was, she was, she was in films and she was making more money outside of the cage, but she was also a little reclusive. Like, I remember trying to, like, interview her for years and just, you just couldn't get

anywhere with it. And other people had said the same to see her kind of resurface in 2006. And then Ronda Rousey, we think, is gone. You know, she's talked about, you know, brain damage and things like that, which I, that's like the strange red flag part of this, which there always is with 57-year-old Mike Tyson, who fought Jake Paul earlier. We had these same kind of red flags. it's a it's a very interesting dynamic but I almost look at it like from the name standpoint

when you're dealing with Netflix which obviously is competing with Paramount Plus it's it's like now you're talking about a juggernaut and Jake Paul has them and I'm like in that sense it's go bigger go home right it's go bigger go home and it doesn't matter if at this point rousey and Gina Carrano is like sort of like Wayne Wayne Newton at the sands you know kind of after the like after the after the stardom he's still you know performing it's like everybody knows those names everybody knows those names everybody will tune in um it's it's a crazy thing i again this is like like you mentioned it's a it's kind of a dual there's there's multiple things dana you know dana and his operations are dealing with but this was very very interesting given that so much hype

and so much attention has been paid on this white house this felt like to me you tell me the same like or what you thought is uh it came out of left field but it kind of makes sense If you're going to do it, you want to be this big, right? Like you're going to put on this kind of show. Yeah, it does feel like there's a generational gap in terms of the interest level in this as well. Like, we got to remember so many of these fans came into the sport in like 2020, the pandemic, when everything was shut down, UFC were doing events. And the idea I got was like, or just 11 years after Corona had walked away.

That's when they came into it during the pandemic. And look, there's no doubt about it. These two women are not in their pump. This is not the best phase of their careers. This is like a fancy matchup of like two different eras coming together. But it does mean something if you kind of went through that Rosie era or the Carrano era or like the Cybor v. Carano, all that kind of stuff. It feels important. Like people forget how much of an icon Rousey was at the height of her powers.

You know, I mentioned this yesterday like Beyonce dropping her into remixes of songs. She had a number one New York Times bestseller with her book. Yeah, what was the, I'm not a do nothing bitch, right? This was like the Beyonce thing. I mean, that was like a, dude, that was like a half, the original hashtag. I mean, it was like, that was all over the place. It was like Charles Barclay, like, I'm not a role model. Exactly.

It was that, it felt that big when she said this. Like, don't be a do nothing bitch. It was, I remember the ad was like that kind of, like the Barclay ad. It was kind of silent. You could hear a wrapping our hands and stuff, if I remember correctly. Like it felt like a poignant moment in the sport when that happened. Big time. And I mean, I always point this up because almost nobody else would be able to do

this. When she broke news herself of the Holly Home fight, where did she do it? She went on Good Morning America, which is like, it's just like, you know, when you think about that, that it's that seismic for people to be waiting to hear who she's going to fight and she goes on there, I'm going to be fighting Holly

Home, UFC193. That's one, and not just that, man, like, if you've been around her in terms of her heyday in the UFC, 2013 through whatever, 15, there was one event in Las Vegas. which one was it uh i forget it might have been the cat zangano fight but i i remember she was um i remember she was walking and there was like a partition where some fans were and a lot of them were girls

and this is unusual if you follow the support you realize there's not that many girls but this was a this was a gathering of a lot of girls and they were bawling as it was like it was the beetles when she came out it was like i watched that i wish so bad like i had taped i don't know if anybody had like footage i'm sure that stuff exists but dude that that reaction was like the Beatles. It was like, you know, those old, those old black and white films where you see people like hysterical. That's what it was. It was crazy, man. The thing is, right? Like, and please correct me here because I have a different, like, Paramount Plus is a different thing here than it is in the US. Like it hasn't been reeled out completely. Like, it's here.

I have it. Yeah. And but like, say the fights are still on TNT sports for me. They have not, like this international, it's not a fully international deal. They have a Paramount Plus. if I asked 10 of my friends if they had Paramount Plus, I'll be surprised if three of them had it. Yeah. Okay? But everybody has Netflix. Like every, every house I go into has Netflix.

Is that a uniquely European view of the situation? Or is Paramount Plus very popular? And I guess the whole question I'm trying to ask here is, is, you see, my framing of this from my perspective, like knowing how popular Netflix is, I'm just like, I don't know if the UFC can compete from, that point of view with this White House card in terms of just eyeballs on it for that event. Netflix being an international thing. Am I over egging in here?

No, no. I mean, what was, I'm trying to think of what the number was for the Mike Tyson, Jake Paul. It was over 100 million, right? Yeah, it was over. So, I mean, it's just, it's so astronomical. It's so astronomical. And you see Ariel up there, you know, like when Ariel's on there and I'm thinking about that, like, it's always like, dude, our boy grows up and he grows up because you're watching somebody

that you know and have worked with, you know, and he's up there. Yeah, it's a wild thing. It's a wild thing, but that just tells you the sheer magnitude of the reach, right? Like, it tells you that everybody does have Netflix. And honestly, like, because everybody does and it becomes a collective event, which is like a monocultural moment, right? Like that goes, hard goes back to the Tyson Day when he'd be fighting. Everybody will go watch it just because they're like, oh, yeah, that's right. It's a live event, which is unique still for, you know, it's unique for Netflix to get into that.

And I think that's why. And they'll do a good job. They do a very good job of, you know, kind of teasing it. And they already did a promo where they faced off. I saw a lot of people talking about that. That's just the very beginnings of all this. And, dude, there's so much legacy to kind of stretch out during this time. I feel like they're going to do a bang-up job, and everybody will be paying attention.

And I don't know, like when we're talking about the White House, that seems like it should be the bigger deal. But it's crazy that we've had something come up that might draw bigger than that. I mean, that's a wild concept. But Netflix, and I don't have the numbers right in front of me, I know has something like five or six times. Yeah, five or six times, maybe more of the subscription base. I mean, that alone is just, that's hard to overcome. If the point you've made in the article referring to MVP potentially stoking the flames with UFC here,

and of course, yeah, but by doing an MMA event on a big broadcasting partner, of course, immediately the UFC, you're like, hang on a second, what the fuck is going on? Right. I kind of had a look at the idea of building an undercard with that in mind. Okay. Okay. And I just wanted to run some things by you. Just yay or nay, if you think these are possibilities, okay?

See, I like that you did this. All right. Let's hear it. Just a yay or nay is all in love for her. Nate Diaz on this, this is for the Netflix undercard for Rousey and Corona. I say yay. But make sure it's MMA, right? Yeah, yeah.

I don't want to see them bar. Okay. I don't want to see any box. I don't want any like combine weird shit like strike force did back in the night. I want that to be straight up. No, man. Yes. Yay.

Anderson Silva. Nay. Too old. Too old, man. Tyrone Woodley. Nay. Mike Perry, because we know the F.C. have done some leniency, right? I say yay.

I mean, I think he's riding the crest of his career right. He's kind of on the high end, right? So, yes. Riko Verhoeven. I love it. Yes. isn't that like one like if they got this dude knowing that the UFC tried to sign up yeah once that stuff came out

anything that can kind of swipe you know the UFC like oh and I I don't know if Rico was Rico on record saying that they short like that they came up they didn't come correct he was it was reported like it was yeah it was implied right like so I'm like obviously that's a bad look for the UFC when their heavyweight division is in tatters as it is and like just doesn't draw much to the imagination if you couldn't get RICO who was this a prized European established star

and you didn't want to to pony up for him and like all of a sudden he appears on the MVP card again you know there's some there's so that you know that's like some what is it like subtext or whatever like it's just you know what I mean it's sub tweeting right like you're sub tweeting

absolutely now I love it and he could face someone like Francis and Ganoe yay I mean I imagine they put on this point. Oh, my God. Dude.

Another one. Well, I'd read, I think Ruben Carter had said that Aspinall probably would be out of the Osses. So I think that he could actually end up on that card, right? Suddenly his vision will be fine. Yeah. It's fine.

Oh, my God. Can you imagine? It worked. Turns out he had perfect vision of what he was a big picture the whole time. The next time I'm going to say, do you choke. All right. Bit weirder.

But I do think it's a big win. if they can do it. And again, these are all over the hill. I'm not trying to say they aren't. These are legendary fighters. But I do feel like that's what they're going to do. If they're doing Rousey, Carrano, like, they're going to use the old, the old, the old Brom-Repney playbook here.

Kane Velasquez to win the M.M.A. fans over. Oh, shit. Imagine Kane goes in. Post-prison. He's the sweetheart to this. Oh, my God. How old is he, though?

I guess it doesn't matter, right? Like, oh, that's a relatively, you know, spring chicken. I'm Dude I hadn't thought of that one But if he's in any kind of shape And like he'd I mean that would dude I would watch

You know what I mean Like thinking about that I would definitely be watching that One person that I'm not saying should fight on the night And if she does It should just be a very easy fight They need to have Holly Holm there

She's already signed to MVP If Rousey and Carrano are going at it You've got to have Holly Home sitting case Well especially if you're Especially And I have no idea, man. Ringside, I should say, sorry. Oh, it's Kay-Soy.

No, sorry, K-So, Jesus, this is a hexagon, sorry. But especially if you are trying to plant a seed for a future event, right? Like, and you think that that's even a remote possibility is running that back, then yes. But even her presence there, I don't know how Rhonda feels about it. I feel like Rhonda. That's a good point. Yeah. But she is an egotistical woman. We know this much.

I didn't know that. But, I mean, like, I can see it. No. She's left some breadcrumbs. Oh, man. No, but yeah, that'd be a show. All right. Jake Paul, does he do what he never did with PFL and actually have an MMA fight if it is in business with Netflix?

No, he won't do it because he, for no other reason, would he really put himself as a co-main? All right, okay. Not this event. Same with the home situation. Okay. If, right, if they've striking up this deal with Netflix and they're like, well, what's the next card and, you know, they don't have something like Rosie. Does he then throw himself in the mix against the Diaz or something in my foot?

I could see it, man. I could see it. I mean, you know what? With those guys, the Paul brothers, like, it sounds stupid for almost anybody else, but it would have sounded stupid for Logan Paul to go, you know, fight Floyd or to get into the WWE ring and all of a sudden be one of their fixtures. I'm like, one thing that they excel at is just kind of doing what nobody thinks they can. So yes, I think that that's a possibility. Do they under deliver here?

Like say we're talking about the possibilities of the undercard and stuff. Like do you think there's any way they come up short and we're like, but this, this is us? I think they'll have a very compelling. I wish I knew the figures and maybe, I mean, but I mean, you know that these women are being paid. And it's going to be so big that it's going to do fine. But I'm like, I would think that they're going to go big. They're going to go big with this thing. it's already big enough with just that

but I would think that the co-main is going to be something that is complimentary to the magnitude of the main event you think that they might be looking like well if this is a spectacle at the top against two people past their prime we need to have a Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano like situation like they had on any Tyson I think so I really do I think that they will I mean not not in terms of because the Katie Taylor

Amanda Serrano one was almost to balance the ledger in terms of relevancy and legitimacy, like legitimacy, right? Like they were trying to say like, okay, we know that the one thing is kind of tilting it into the circus, but we're going to bring you right back to the height of competition in the spirit of the sport, right, with this fight. I don't really necessarily think that Carrano and Rousey, they're meeting, you know, a decade late,

but they don't, they certainly, they haven't broken into some kind of like circus trick. I know some people are basically, and it is a cash grab, I'm sure, but like some people are seeing it as a straight up novelty, there's still more to it than that, man. There's still more to it than that. So I don't think it's as, uh, it doesn't have that novelty schick that some like the Jake Paul Tyson fight did, right?

Yeah. No, I agree with you. Um, you mentioned earlier, Chuck, that the heavyweight division was in tatters. And I would say that is a step up from what your recent article was headlined. And to be fair, I think, you know, you've got awful sinkhole, if I'm being honest. That's what I was, that's what I was thinking. I'm going to say it was in Towers. But there is this,

there is this savior that's about at the moment. He's a protege of John Jones. He is a fantastic wrestler. And he just recorded his third professional win. I believe we have some footage. Do we Andy of Gable Steven? Here we go. Poor old.

Who is it? He's beating up. Hugo Lazzama. Yeah. And I think all of us were pretty big on Lazzama coming into this. So I thought he was going to win. But right, here's the thing, right? He's obviously a blue chip respect.

Especially in terms of like the heavyweight division. But New York Rick is crazy, right? He is so crazy about this guy. You don't even need daddy in context. That's just a yes. He's crazy. He's a D1 Glazer, bro. Right?

This guy is, he is saying that right now I just, there's a question coming on the back of this. He is saying, Stevenson, one fight. in the UFC, and if he wins it, he should fight for the title. That is the disrespect that New York Rick is putting on the heavyweight division. I believe at one point, he said that Sergei Spivak and Volkov are the same person. It does, there is nothing. They're all just the same room.

I'm just asking you. But I'm just asking, on a scale of zero to New York, Rick, where are you on Gable Stiefson's Oh, I'm definitely, so I would be, I wonder where Joe Rogan would appear on that scale. But I'm kind of like a, I'd be halfway there, right? Like I'd be halfway there. Or maybe slightly toward Rick, because I think that the division needs him. They need somebody who can become a star and actually to draw maybe other people into the sport again, or like heavyweights, at least into the division.

Because right now it's such an oldie circuit, man. And it's like a lot of those guys, they're just woodwork figures. And I hate to kind of put it that way, but they don't move the needle. And so like, it's like, you know, you get a guy like that, it suddenly refreshes everything because you have nothing but fresh matchups. Now, do I think that he can just go in there and beat one guy and then get a title shot? You could do that. But, dude, he took a pretty bad head kick in this fight.

And you got to remember, and you got to remember, like, bow nickel. Oh, here we go. I mean, that's the sort of thing you got to worry about, right? Like that's out there. Especially against Luzama, chuk. You know, I should have known that was coming. Well, like I said,

Ledzama is one of the, like, but I will say that some of the heavyweights in the UFC division are as good as, or approaching as good as Luzama. So it's like, no, but I do think that they,

you could do work. You could look at it, you could look at footage like that and be like, hey, man, I'm going to go like, you know, knock this dude's head off. And I mean, obviously,

that's where the concern is, you know, I wouldn't want to see him thrown in there, thrown in the fire and destroyed. I mean, we looked at Bo Nickel. we sat on the ringer MMMA show when we were doing it with Ariel and we were like, just throw him in there against Hamzot immediately.

What are we waiting for? You know, why they have him going to these stumble bombs that are like, you know, you wanted to see him go in there and like do work immediately. And then he loses to a Duranere, wasn't it? Like it was, and then you're like, okay, we were being hasty. So I feel like I don't want to fall into that.

I'm guarded. But I do think he refreshes things. I think that he comes in and it makes it, it makes it fun, you know? Absolutely. Well, it's stagnated again with the aspirin situation, of course. I think they probably end up doing an interim title. Tom, Tom seems like there's no return date in sight, you know? No, that was not a pun.

That was not a pun. I just got it. If you did the interim fight, whoever it is, Gannon Pereira probably be most people's choices for that. If you did that and you have this guy in the background doing like, I'd propose like, literally bring him through the rankings. Like have a 11 to 15 fight, then do a 5 to 10 fight, then do a 1 to 5 fight. And then if he's going through these guys like that, I agree. And he's happy to have that kind of escalation, then go ahead and do it.

But I do think it stimulates the division. I'm just not quite there with Rick, having seen the Picos of the world, having seen this happen, remember Pico with Bellator? They redlined him straight away and he got done by a guy we've never heard of again. I mean, you know, you think about. Ben Ascran, for instance, who was a two-time hodge winner, right? And this is a guy, and it's considered honestly, like, maybe the best collegiate wrestler of all time. But you get a guy

like Stevenson who was a hodge winner and one Olympic gold, which Ben wasn't able to do. It seems like, and by the way, he won that in like Tokyo in 2020, right? Like, John Jones, who's a heavyweight, you know, has had three total fights since then, which is just an astronaut. Like, this is, that tells you how badly they could use somebody like him to come in there. You know what I mean? And refresh to the ranks.

But yeah, man, I saw, like, the way they built Ben Ascran was like they had him fight an escalation of guys all the way through, really. And he was able to kind of get by with just saying, like, you're going to bend to my will and my wrestling is going to outdo anything that you bring up until the moment it didn't work, you know? And I'm like, I'd rather see him built a little slowly like that because I just, you want to see him kind of put in situations where he knows how to deal with him rather than. then boom somebody like hits him with something that he just hasn't he's just too green to understand within the mama right like and that could happen to him i don't want to see a dude brought up like that you want to see him get his full potential once he's there yeah and i want the ufc from i want him in that division like i want to see him on those cars i want to see him against guys that we know about even if we don't write them like we have a good idea of their skill set i just wonder could

this fucking mvp neflicts situation pop up and if they get riko would they be like you know what we could do the kickboxer against the rest or something great i don't think like from an mma perspective i don't like that as much because it's kind of like even if they do events it's going to be like twice a year maybe three times a year i want him in the ufc but do you think he's the type of guy that you'd go from like if you're if you're MVP i think you should i mean especially if you're trying to build something more than the one-offs right like you're trying to actually build at least the abstract idea of further fights like i think that yes you want a guy like that um and because and they would do a good job

You know what's funny, man, like back in the day when like Elite XC and they had CBS, right? Like it was a CBS that they were appearing on and they like they had Kimbo. And then you've had other, you've had other leagues that were trying to compete. They didn't just, I just feel like none of them have the muscle that MVP does. That's why the part of them getting into the MMA game, you're like, I mean, especially with Netflix. You know, it's just it's such a different dynamic than it was with these other leagues. You know what I mean?

Like because they're going to have. And Dana can't, Dana's not going to be able to do like you did with affliction when they were going on and be like, yeah, this is fun to watch them just throw away money and they'll be out of business in two or three shows, which they were. That's not how this thing is built. You know, this is literally, this is built in a whole different way. So if they want to go after big fighters, they can. And I think that that's like, that's why them getting into MMA, even if it's a one-off,

I doubt it is. I'm pretty sure if it's a big hit, they're going to do more than one, right? Like so, um, it's a dynamic changer on that level, you know? Yeah, from a negotiation point of view, suddenly you're like, you could own the, right? So like, Gable Stephson, like a month ago, we were like, well, he can only go to the UFC. There was not, there was nothing else on the horizon. You know, you have got, this is the only thing for him to do. Suddenly if you're his manager, some very interesting conversations could be happening if they're forcing the issue, of course.

Yeah. We do have the, uh, Sean Strickland v. Fluffy Hernandez fight this weekend. 55 minutes in and you're mentioning this now. Well, you know. Is it at the garage? Yeah. Sean Strickland, man, once again, has one of these moments this week where he's come out. He's homophobic slurs left right and center about bad bunny and the NFL.

Like, it just feels honestly, man, it's, it's embarrassing that this keeps on happening this sport. Because it doesn't happen on any other sport. Yeah. It's always this fucking sport. And it's tired, you know, it's just tired of shit. Do you know what? I always get like situations like this when you have a fighter at an official event for the promotion and he's talking like this. That's when other Reuters get onto me that don't cover M.A.

Yeah. You know, like from football and things and they're like, well, what the fuck is going on here? And you're like, oh, yeah, that's this thing, you know, this is what he does. It's, it's fucking, it just looks bad, man, when you have a dude just talk an absolute shit like that up there. It's crazy in this day and age. It's tired, too, man. I know that we talked about with, like, Colby Covington. And I guess the real problem is when it just tilts over to, like, it's one thing to have a shtick.

Like, when Colby would do, like, the used car sale and have some, like, girls in bikinis. And people could talk about this, you know. And, but it was like when it graduates to, you know, kind of like this line of, like, it's just based out of hate. And not to mention in the political climate where so many idiots are in this world right now. coming out of the woodwork that basically are, you know, in cells and like they're just, they have the voice right now to go behind it. It is, it's ugly, man, because it manipulates like something that's going on in our world. And I never know, to be honest, like, where his true conviction.

If you, you've talked, and you've, I don't know if you've ever talked to Sean Strickland. He's a very nice dude if you're talking to him. Everybody tells me. That's what I'm saying. And so, like, everybody says this, even, even Fluffy. I was talking to Fluffy. and he's like, yeah, man, I met him, really nice guy. We exchanged numbers.

I told him, like, come train with me in California sometime. I think he's, and what I'm trying to say is I think a lot of it's manufactured, but why? Why the manufactured kind of like, if you're going to do that, like, why does it have to be the, you know, just the ugly American schick or the ugly human being schick? I just don't, you know what I mean? Like misogyny and like, it just, I don't, it's tired because he's been doing it for a long time. It would be more interesting if he showed up.

up and he wasn't doing that at this point. But of course, we're talking about it and he's getting the desired result in the end. I just don't like the idea of this like, and it feels performative to me. And it's kind of like, people attach themselves to the sport and be like, oh, I can't be silenced. Oh, you're not going to believe what I have to say. And it's just like, as you say, like, it happens so often that it's just like, all right, here we go again, you know, this is, it's just, man. I mean, I'm not surprised by it, right?

If that's your true intent, like, of being like, well, you can't hang us. Like, you're not shocking anybody. It's more like an oil role now for me. You know, it's like, oh. Well, when you got like Bryce Mitchell out there talking about Hitler and, uh, you get, you know, the boss of the company who's, uh, beating up babies. And yeah, I mean, it kind of builds your immunities. I barely notice Sean Strickland.

But the only reason I notice it is because everybody starts talking about and then the clips starts circulating and there's an outcry. but I'm always like, I mean, honestly, I probably wouldn't even notice. Like, it was just one of those things because you're just at some point like, yeah, Sean Strickland, I just block him out. I don't, I tune him out. I don't listen to a thing he says that way. Andy, can I ask, like, we were speaking before the show and you actually told me about this, the picture of Sean as an ice officer and, like, he's arresting fluffy and stuff like this. obviously he's going after a bad bunny calling

calling him a foreigner all this kind of stuff like does this kind of reach a new zeitgeist like it's not just within this sports bubble when it comes to him targeting people from Latin America and things like this I've personally only ever seen it in this context but I've only ever seen him

in this context right like I don't follow him I don't really know what he's saying outside of whatever I've seen in the media but I mean the attack you know because it is really that's what it feels like

it is it's not funny and it's it's just kind of like as somebody who's kind of new to the sport it almost feels like this is normal

unfortunately yeah that's sad it actually isn't it actually is normal isn't it Chuck yeah it is

and it's funny because each time the you know the UFC partners we talked about ESPN when they, when they partner with, uh, with USCN and they had Greg Hardy on their initial show and you're like, boy, that's tone deaf. And like, you're always like, how does this translate to their new partners? Like this kind of energy that they, you know, and personality that they bring to

the new thing. And I have no idea what Paramount Plus thinks about stuff like this. But dude, I mean, it can't be like, like, if you didn't pay such, it can't be happy, right? It can't be like, oh, hey, hey, you know, be saying the things because he can. And I mean, it's just, There's a line of decency that I would think that new partners would probably be like, can't we have pulled that a little bit? You know what I mean? A bit of decency, you know? Yeah.

It is a good guy. It is a good guy. So, go ahead. ESPN, this was still happening during ESPN. ESPN is owned by Disney. Oh, yeah. Right? Yeah.

Yes. That's why it was so, that's why it was just kind of shocking that their first card, they have Greg Hardy and they have Rachel Ossovich. Ossevich. On the same main, on the same main card. which was just like, I remember we talked about this then, like, guys, who's, who came up with this? Like, let's have a little like, you know, foresight.

They've never want to monitor what guys say, right? But at the same time, it's just, it's out of hand. It's out of hand. Like, if that's what he's going to be saying, like, let him say on social media, like it shouldn't be in a press conference and stuff like that either, you know? Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy.

Fluffy, obviously, you spoke to him, Chuck. Yeah. It's a, it's a great interview. Yeah. A lot of bleeps are here on this interview. Yeah, he's hilarious. I think he really tried to rein it in, too, but he can't. He can't do it, man.

He can't do it. It's like every other word is the F word. But I love him now because he's like, he is that raw, right? Like the first time I talked to him, he talked about getting into a fight with his uncle where he, like, his uncle had a knife. And I mean, like this was just kind of like a normal day out and was it Eldorado Hills or whatever? Like, it's just, it grew up and over. very, like, crazy atmosphere. And I think he, you know, his family's just, this is who he is.

Like, he's going to tell you exactly who he is. And it's funny because I talked to him days before, like, Sean Strickland, like, whatever we're talking about with the ice thing, all the stuff that's kind of come since then. He said he didn't really have bad blood with Sean Strickland. I feel like that has changed through Fight Week. I feel like now he wants to punch his face in, which, you know, that's effective if you're Strickland in a weird way to kind of get him off his moorings a little bit, like his emotional moorings.

and like you get him involved in the fight. But I think that there is a sentiment, like, right? Like, and he feels it that most people want to see him win this fight. I think that that's in the air. And I think he wants to put up with the necessary evil of a big city like Houston, you know, to go in there and do that. He was explicit in his hate for cities. Straight off the bat with you. It's a great read.

Make sure you're reading. He hates it. He thinks Sacramento is a big city, by the way. He's always something out of Sacramento. I don't know. It's like it's, it's, it's,

does it feel like the, does it feel like the public bloodletting that we saw, Bruce Mitchell or not quite on that level? I felt that was bigger. Um, I don't know. Yeah,

that was bigger. I think that was bigger. I think that was bigger. Bill Simmons talking about it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that,

are you talking about like Strickland? Like just yeah. See him lose. I think there's a, it's a growing sentiment. I've seen a lot of that this week. Yeah. And I guess whatever kind of raises the stakes in a weird,

in a weird, in a weird way. But if he goes in there and he's garbage or if he puts on a boring fight, the UFC, you know, after cutting a Jelton Almeda, at some point you've got to probably look at a guy.

I'm like, what's, what purpose does he serve on this roster if he's going to be a gatekeeper and he can't, if he's not putting on exciting fights? I think that that would have to be a hard conversation for the OC,

who seems to really like him, by the way, like on some level that I don't understand. Yeah, yeah. It's, look, it's a stacked weekend of fights.

Even if you're up early and you want something to watch Cage Warriors, 200 is going down in Dublin. Two title fights, Solomon Simon v. Nick Bagley, Dario Bollandi v. Paddy McCarrey, two Irish men, one defending, one trying to get that middleweight title. It's a great card, a lot of big Irish up-and-comers on it. Should check it out.

There's also Wood v. Warrington, the rematch, the matchroom card I was speaking about earlier is on, and there's also, as well as the UFC, Ryan Garcia v. Barrios. Ryan, I really like this fight. I like the dynamic show. Goosen being in Barrios is coroner. Ryan Garcia's former coach

and the look of Garcia ahead of this fight like he looks in fucking great shape man like that he does he looks like he looks like he's incredible shape there's a little bit of like this hyper religiosity thing going on like that he's like that he's got up and I mean

more so than and sometimes like when a guy's been very erratic you know to the point where people worried about his mental health like this is kind of the direction it takes but it's also like this he's fighting for a belt when he probably shouldn't be and he's what, 27 years old

and he feels, I feel like he's kind of on this ledge, like either it's do or die, like if he doesn't perform him, he could start to slip away. It's a, it's kind of a fascinating stakes fight, isn't it? Yeah, and Barrios, like, I just don't have a good reading them.

Like, I've watched them many times. I thought he would bury Pacchio and Pacio. Same. Yeah, I mean, that's what I'm saying. I don't know what to expect there. What, like, because I know Garcia is the heavy favorite, and I know, I was thinking about this, like I was watching the press conference today.

I was wondering how the. promoter feels about this new religiosity that you were talking about. And the fact that like, you know, for a while there, Royne Garcia was coming, it was fucking outlandish. Like, you had no idea what this kid was going to say. And it didn't seem good. Like, looking from the outside end, you are worried about him. You're like, has he lost control of this? Completely, cuts a completely different figure. Like stoic, um, only spoke when he was spoken to. Very direct in his answers. Talked about how much this would mean to his father. It's, it's a really, really intriguing. Where are you? Like, if you were, going to your head, like, if you were to pick now,

who would you go? I think that's doing. Yeah, go ahead. Yeah. The cousin thing adds a lot to it, too. You know, so I was wondering what you think. See in the shape Garcia's in. And it's weird too, man, because I know the Devin Haney thing, like, you know, he ends up, you know, popping. But like, the speed of, you know, the left, like, just, like, you see the shape he's in. I'm leaning towards him, man. I think that, like, he's that, he's got. that kind of dynamic. And I remember when Devin Hayne was basically saying, like, you know, this dude's just basically a YouTube star who's a decent boxer.

And we saw what he did. You could put the asterisk on that fight, but man, it's crazy that he can turn it on when he, especially in that one where he just seems so erratic and like he shouldn't even be, like, allowed in the ring. If he's truly focused, man, and again, this is a big if, I think that I'm leaning Garcia on this. What about you, man? That's where I'm going as well.

He looks in tremendous shape. I mean, yeah. Every time I see Barrios, I'm like, oh, man, this guy is just, he's like a, he always goes under the radar and then he fucking gets a big result. Like, it is a banana skin there for him for sure. But I'm with you. I think for boxing, and this is no sleut to Barrios who is a champion, there's no doubt about that. I just think four boxing, Ryan Garcia, you want to see him reach this moment. You remember those old left hook videos he used to do back in the day on the internet?

Like, he'd just throw left hooks at do it, and it was. Yeah. I think it would be a feel good story as well, knowing that he was kind of so unhinged for him to get back on track and to do this. I think it would be, it would be good for the sport, I think. Yeah. Although I did like the video of him rapping with the orangutan that time. That was pretty cool. All right.

Listen, he had some good moments. What are you looking forward to more? Thank you, Jesus. What's that? What are you looking forward to more? Strickland, be fluffy or Barrios v. I would probably say the Ryan Garcia. I do dig this fight though, man.

I just feel like it has the potential. I'm talking about the Strickland fight. Like, I do feel like it has a potential to be a little bit of a dud. And less, fluffy somehow, like, just turns into that dog and somehow, you know, gets it done. If it ends up being Strickland's fight, it may not be the best aesthetic. You know what I mean? Like, so I think from that perspective, the Garcia one, I just, I like in the fight game when you back against the wall moments, man. Like when you've got to, it's put up a shut up.

And I feel like he's in that moment now. Yeah, absolutely. It's going to be a great old car. Auntie Delea is on this card. It's not been so long since he got caoed by Waldo, man. That feels a bit. Yeah. That wasn't that long ago.

What was it? Oh, three months, was it? Three months, like in November or December? Yeah, because Asmel fought in October was the following week. First of November. November, okay. That's, yeah, that's pretty wild. Jacoby Smith.

Let's see what he can do, man. And he's like one of those guys, the D.C. guy. Oklahoma State. I feel like he's like he's got a ton of potential right? Even I think he's like 30s he should be kind of a late bloomer

but I think keep your eye on that guy. Yeah he's fine another undefeated dude it's a good card, lots of names. I'll definitely be tuning in. It's going to be a dope like a dual screen kind of night.

I'm going to be watching fights all day. Haven't had one of these and I don't think I've had one of these in 2026 yet where the fights are starting at like 5 p.m. and I'll go right through until 5 a.m. But you know, has to be gone.

Does the Garcia fight? I should. know this, but like, does that coincide with the U.S.S. Or is it, have they figured this? I think it will be. Yeah. I think it will be. So it'll be a dual screen over here too then. It's going to be a great time. Yeah. Yeah. Andy, do we have any super chats today?

Yeah. Here we go. Let's see what the beautiful people are. Brad Friedman. Wow, $50? Yeah. Oh, yeah. God. Damn it, Brad. Love you all. Pizzi. When Ireland inevitably qualify for the 2026 World Cup, are you planning on attending a game or two states?

I'd much love from Barzaman. I, listen, it's a dream to go to Ireland the World Cup. We grew up on stories about the 1990 World Cup in Italy and the Irish travelling over there, of course, reaching the quarterfinal. You know, that's the thing about Ireland. We don't need to win the thing to win. You know, we just need a few nights out, you know, get us to the knockout stage. We're happy enough.

Roy Kane obviously famously disagrees with this sentiment. And so if you're watching Roy, I'm very sorry. We should definitely be able to win it. But let's just try and get there first. We got the Czech Republic coming up in March. I feel like the whole country is just like holding its breath since we even know we're going to be in this playoff. It's huge, man.

There's nothing like soccer. There's nothing like a World Cup in the summer. It's going to be on American Times. So a bit later, but I am trained, as you people know, to stay up at these hours. Yeah, you're a marvel. You should tell that man, whatever he wants, 50 bucks. Just tell him what he wants to. here.

Ariel should really pay to bring me over. Make sure I've got the tickets. Put me up in a... He's Mr. Olympics, man. He must be loaded. He must be like, let's just do pizza a solid here, no? Yeah.

Here we go. Have a word. Justin or just A.J. AJ. Did I say that right? I don't know. I think you got it. Okay.

Perfect time. Gable Steven v. Jelton Elmada on Netflix. Yeah, man. Like, that's another option. I was saying Rico, that is a fucking option right there. That's when, that's when Jelton would show emergency and like he cares right like all of a sudden you take out one of the golden goose of the

heavyweight division that is so funny imagine he absolutely americayful steves and just ruined all the i mean that's that would be the fear there you know i mean he is experienced he's fought a lot of dude so man i hope we hear some reports of them trying to get guys like this who are like destined it seemed destined to go to the UFC just throw us but i know want to see the the fight between the promoters here because that will give us the richer product on both from the as far as I'm concerned. Anything else, Arundee? Oh, shit.

The Arunduck, $5. Pedy, what's your favorite dark side of the moon song? It's time. Time is a brilliant, brilliant song. I know most people would go for money. I believe Frank made a reference to money. It's a great baseline.

In fairness. You know, I went to see... Sorry? Go Andy? What you saying? Okay, that was it. That was it. I went...

to see Roger Waters. Yeah? The wall back in the day in a stadium. Oh, man. Projected all this art all around the place. They always said crazy stage craft, man. They were the masters of it. The light shows.

Yeah, this guy's like 70 up there. And it was the one of the best fucking gigs I've ever seen in my life. It's crazy, man. Did you see, by the way, before you hang up, did you see that Ben has texted us? Oh, my God. And he is in, uh, he's in goat burg, Borg, Sweden, and he found the Irish embassy, he says, has no idea that we're taping this, by the way. He has no clue.

And he's holding a bottle of Martha, or a glass of a bottle. He's drinking a pint. Oh, my God. I'm so jealous. Joe, he has a beer and a Guinness. Yeah. He's just, you know, I hope he gets home alive, you know? You know how Ben gets when he gets away like this and he starts seeing him?

He has no idea that we're taping you. That's what's so funny. This is unbelievable. He does the show every week and he has no idea we're taping right now. Fucking hell, Ben. Big time Ben does not give a fuck about the crack, man. Jesus Christ. Chuck, I love you for caring so much about this show.

Andy, I love you for caring so much about this show. Oscar Losef, I love you too, for caring so much about this show. Jordan, it's weird to end a friendship so suddenly, but I don't know how else I'm going to do it. This signals the end of our friendship, Jordan. But I love the rest of you, as you know. Best to look with your life. Thank you all. We'll be back next week.

Hopefully Ben gets home from the fucking North Sea. You know, who knows what's going to happen there. and we'll be back. Me and Chug will be here regardless. We love you so much. Enjoy the fights. Ah.