The Ariel Helwani Show - Manny Pacquiao, Joseph Parker, Tim Tszyu, Mike Santana and Thad Jean IN STUDIO, On The Nose

Episode Date: July 16, 2025

Ariel Helwani begins the show with a brief celebration of GC’s birthday and by answering your On the Nose questions (08:47).Thad Jean is the first guest of the day, and he joins in-studio on his birthday before his PFL welterweight tournament final against Logan Storley. He discusses transitioning from football to MMA, his Haitian roots, becoming the face of PFL, and more (41:55).TNA superstar Mike Santana is next up in-studio ahead of his ‘Slammiversary’ main event match and shares incredible stories of his father and tough upbringing, going to rehab, leaving AEW, TNA’s growth, and more (1:22:19).Ariel turns back to your On the Nose questions and breaks some news about Darren Till and Tony Ferguson's next fights (1:55:57).Joseph Parker is next up and calls for the winner of Usyk-Dubois 2. He vents about not getting the undisputed shot, working with Frank Warren, and we hear from his fired-up coach, George Lockhart (2:16:08).Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao makes his debut on the show before his in-ring return against WBC champion Mario Barrios to discuss his four-year layoff, fighting at 46, boxing’s changes since his retirement, and more (2:38:15).Tim Tszyu closes the lineup out with a preview of his highly-anticipated rematch against Sebastian Fundora. He delves into his relationship with Australian UFC fighters, his motivations after losing his belt, and the changes to his strategy, among other topics (2:55:14).Ariel and the crew end the day by answering more On The Nose questions and your Super Chats (3:14:48).

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Err-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r- 2016, 2000, and 25. Hello again, everyone. I sure hope you're doing well, and I hope you're doing well on this lovely, lovely Wednesday, a very special Wednesday, a happy birthday Wednesday to our very own GC. Yeah. There he is, you know yourself, happy birthday GC. Put that crown on though,

the birthday month for everyone can see. Sure. Jordan partying, pizza tomorrow, that gene today as well. That gene today, Chris Curtis yesterday. Chris Curtis yesterday. It's an unbelievable time to be alive, and what a time for you in particular.

Not only is your hometown very much in focus in the sports world, All-star weekend, all that stuff. Great game yesterday. I don't know if you caught any of it. Great game. Nice tribute to Hank Aaron in the middle of the game. But, I mean, your initials even talked about in the MMA world and MMA circles. Yeah, the real reason behind it finally comes out. Yes.

It's a proud day for me. G space C. Rings true. What do we got? What do we got on the docket? Working. Yeah. The next four hours and then maybe some dinner.

Yeah, next door. Maybe a little dinner next door. Yeah. Yeah, just ringing in celebrating life. Hey Connor. Yes. Happy birthday, man. Oh, this is actually Frank's first time

telling me happy birthday. I want to say no texts, no nothing. No texts? I alluded to it all of like did not need taller as I'm like stressing out like getting everything ready for The show Frank's like hey, man, you're getting taller. I'm like, yeah Frank. I I'm super busy right now Wow no text No, nothing. What's the breakdown in terms of like who reached out when Ariel? Yeah first see First okay. Thanks. Thanks. He see, even with the Irish head start. He had five hours on us. Andy, Jordan. Yeah, oh, Jordan got a tent, wow.

Rick even said it in person. Wow. Frank. I didn't get that either. The bootlicker lens allegations are starting to become very real. Look man, Ariel was born before you were. He sent me the most heartfelt.

A novel. I mean I've spent Thanksgiving's with this guy, he slept on my couch. I mean dinner was a vicious reed. I mean the guy, nothing from him, nothing from him. I mean I walked in on Monday morning and he's just like, oh hey Connor. Ariel walks in, I mean across the kitchen. He's like, Ariel, he's here! Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

Welcome in big man. That was nice. The last time I checked, the person who signs my checks is not Connor Burr. Look, man. Hey, look, just own up to the bootlicker lins. Company man. Did you finish the second Zelda game I got you

for your birthday a couple years ago? That's done, and I've also played the Avatar the Last Airbender game as many times. I've lost count how many times. Well, we love you and appreciate you. No, no, no, thank you guys. How old, how old? 32, Jamal Anderson

year. That's a great year. Or Magic Johnson. Shaquille O'Neal. Magic. It's my James Tahunah here baby. It never fails. If there's one thing that you could hope for in the next 365, what is it? Health. That's it. That was the answer. I'm healthy right now, if I can be this healthy at 33, it'll be a good year. That's the answer. Well, it's great for you to be able to celebrate your birthday with us here on the program. Where else would you rather be,

as the great Marla Vuvi once said, than right here, right now, doing this here program. And what a show, a star-studded affair as we head into one of the busiest Saturdays of the calendar year. We're calling it Uncrowned Saturday. We've had other Uncrowned Saturdays, but this is...we're missing pro wrestling, but golly there's a lot going on on Saturday. I mean look at this. Look at this. We've sort of ranked them. Well someone ranked them. Anyway, this is it. Not in chronological

order, but if you just follow along, first one is PFL Cape Town beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern. Dakota, Johnny, AJ, and others. Then we head off to Poland for KSW 108, one of the all-time best 108, one of the all-time best posters in recent memory. Then we'll pop over to London for Usyk Dubois II, undisputed Wembley Stadium. Then we'll zip over to New Orleans for UFC 318 BMF title fight, The Last Dance for El Diamante. Then it's a quick jaunt over to Las Vegas for Pacquiao Barrios, Fundora Zoo, PBC pay-per-view on Amazon Prime, and then we'll round out the night in Frisco, Texas with the return of Bam Rodriguez. I mean, what a freaking Saturday. I mean, if you're sitting at home, that's legit 12 straight hours of high level fighting.

And the place to be for all the action, of course, will be uncrowned.com, led by our fearless leader, Shaheen Alshadi. And there'll be a watch party on Saturday for 318 in particular, and a post show as well. Where else? Who is covering combat sports like us? I was driving in today,

and I got a call from my good friends over at serious xm Busted open a busted open radio dave le greca and tommy dreamer the innovator of violence Asking me to come on impromptu to talk about the goldberg interview. Everyone's talking about the goldberg interview on monday we have Shakur and and and connor ben Today we have another five pack of tremendous guests. Back into the show, the aforementioned Tim Zuh, who's coming off a win, but prior to that, two straight losses around a year and a half or so ago,

a bloody, bloody, bloody war against Sebastian Fundora, a fight that Fundora took on some like 10 or so days notice. He lost his title that night. He lost the fight. He was cut up. He was bloody crimson mask and all. People thought he was done after he lost his title that night. He lost the fight. He was cut up. He was bloody crimson mask and all.

People thought he was done after he lost his next fight as well. Oh my God, he came back too soon. But thanks to the likes of Alexander the Great Volkanovsky and others who have rallied behind him, he is back on track and he's getting another crack at Fundora in the co-main event of the PBC pay-per-view this Saturday.

Proud Australian, very good fan base. Prior to that would be joined by the big goose himself, Joseph Parker, who is getting screwed. It is a travesty what is happening to Joseph Parker. He should be fighting for the belt this Saturday. He should have been fighting Daniel Dubois back in February in Riyadh. The screws were put on him and now he's left opponentless.

Everyone else is getting a fight. Dillian White against Moses Atama. Dave Allen is calling him out. Dave Allen with all due respect, the white rhino, he's not on his level. This is the man. One of the best stories in all of boxing. How can he not get a fight? We'll talk to Joseph Parker live from London at 330. At 3 o'clock, the Pac-Man himself himself one of the greatest of all time the Hall of Famer who if he wins would be the second oldest champion if he wins would be the first person to win a title post Hall of Fame induction he was inducted just like a month or so ago into the boxing Hall of Fame he returns

action this Saturday Manny Pacquiao the pride of the Philippines You know, when's the last time I spoke to Manny Pacquiao? The last time I spoke to Manny Pacquiao was 16 years ago at Yankee Stadium Here we are. Once again, remember that media day. That was myself Bob Aram Pacquiao Miguel Cotto that infamous one 16 years later, we speak to the Pac-Man. Prior to that, we'll be joined by Mike Santana, the standard,

who's gonna be in the main event for TNA Slammiversary this Sunday, UBS Arena, Long Island. It's Trick Williams of NXT fame, the current TNA champion versus Joe Hendry, our pal, versus Mike Santana, the pride of NXT fame, the current TNA champion versus Joe Hendry, our pal, versus Mike Santana, the pride of Puerto Rico, the pride of the boogie down Bronx. Unbelievable story. If you're not familiar with Mike Santana, just, just wait. Inspirational stuff. Looking forward to having him on. And in about 32 minutes time, we'll be joined by one half of the PFL welterweight tournament finals. He's going up against Logan Storley,

the former Bellator interim champion. The pride of Haichi, the one and only Thad Gene is gonna be joining us, who is starting to develop into one of the bright young stars under the PFL umbrella. So there you have it, a five pack of guests. But let's not waste any time, guys, because people people have been asking where's On The Nose? On The Nose is back! Time now for everyone's favorite segment of the week. It is time... Yes, here we go. From the Northwest. And there is a, you know, I have to stay true

much to the chagrin of others there is a hot tag at the very very star i just opened it right now no cap no joke right now i opened it and the question the first question is from jesse arosco anyone want to guess what the first question is i have an idea i don't want to guess but i have an idea. Oh hey Pete C, how are you? Oh great, how are you? It's nice to see you again. What's up Pete? Should have got a hat. Should have got a hat.

Well your birthday's tomorrow. Oh we celebrate GC's birthday. Sorry, we'll all wear hats for you tomorrow on Boys in the Back. I'm even wearing a hat. Thank you, appreciate it. It's good to see you. I got my Schlitter here. Schlitter. Schlitter. Schlitter.

First question guys, first question off the bat is what's up with you and Turkey? That wasn't my guess. Oh, that wasn't? No, of course it was my guess. Yes, everyone asked me about this and I've debated whether or not to respond to this one because everyone was asking me yesterday after the tweet all that

Did you guys see the tweet? Yeah, you saw the yeah That AI is sick. He's got he's got his own branding going about a way doesn't he it's his own thing I like I mean, it's good branding. It looks great. Is it a touchscreen fair play? Yeah, I don't know Is that a touchscreen? This is a sad day Ariel Hawani unfollowed me not sure how I will be able to go with success in boxing without a support crying emoji. This is all that I'll say about this. Let's take a trip back to, I don't know, July of 2023,

when they announced that Francis Nganou is gonna be going up against Tyson Fury in a boxing match in Riyadh led by Tur Turkey Al-Sheikh. The vast majority of people in both MMA and boxing crapped all over this. Did not believe in it, did not support it, did not want to support it, did not want to cover it fairly, did not want to cover it with the respect that it deserved. I believe that I was one of the very few that said, this is great, this is amazing, this is once in a lifetime, let's just see how it goes, give Francis his due, he could pull this off, yada yada yada. Gave it respect, talked about it, covered

it, all those things and more. A lot of people at that point didn't even know who who Turkey was as far as this sport was concerned, boxing, MMA, combat sports in particular, and I think that we gave him a very, very, very fair shake off the bat and covered the whole event wonderfully. In fact, you know, people who were working for the event, perhaps working for him as well, invited me to come over there, invited me to to be there in attendance, not really even work at, do some social media stuff, pay me. That's not something I would partake in, you know, my feelings on being paid by promoters or people putting on the events,

will never do it and have learned my lessons. It's just not where I want to be. And so I respectfully declined. It was my daughter's birthday. I didn't want to miss that. October 28th, you know the story by now. But we continued. We continued to cover with, I think, respect and with grace and with professionalism.

Obviously, Francis's next fight, then there was the big heavyweight showdown a couple months later, then Francis versus AJ. I was there, had a great, great trip. Again, they offered to take care of this, to take care of that. Even were kind enough, I've not talked about this, to even give me a nice gift when I was there. I took that gift and said I could not accept this. I gave it to the security guard who was with me the entire week. I was respectful, but you know, it's just not something that I like to do. The folks at the zone know this. The people that I was working with, the people that were sitting right next to me know this. And so we continued and we had a great relationship.

We fast forward, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, at the zone know this, the people that I was working with, the people that were sitting right next to me know this. Um, and so we continued and we had a great relationship. Um, we fast forward, something seemed to have changed, uh, around March or so, coincidentally or not around the time of this, uh, this, this, this TKO boxing announcement coincidence or not, I don't know, but something appeared to change. Almost immediately around that time, now we're talking about March, four or so months ago, I noticed that I was unfollowed. He tweets a lot, I see it, I noticed that I was unfollowed. Well, that's kind of a bummer. What did I do? What did I do wrong? I think everything kind of stayed the

same on this side of the fence. And I left it as is. Kept on covering, they have the ring event, Rick and I go, I thought covered it very fairly and positively, ring three event. We have Hamza in, we have Shakur in, we have Shakur on Monday post the Netflix card, all that stuff. I would venture to say as far as boxing media is concerned, we're probably, and I say we, uncrowned,

the most unbiased and the least compromised. I'm the only one that hasn't held my hand out. I'm the only one that hasn't asked him for anything. I'm the only one promoter, media fighter, and everyone in between who hasn't tried to be in business, who hasn't tried to cut a deal, who hasn't asked for anything. I'm the only one, literally the only one, and we are the only one, uncrowned as an entity, the only one. They took Keith Idick from us, the ring did. They've tried to take others from us and haven't said a thing. I'm the only one, so I didn't start any issues whatsoever. I was unfollowed, all that kept my mouth shut. But then over the last few days, there were these like weird tweets coming out and trying to create some sort of like beef with me and the people that worked for him. And I'm like,

I'm too old for this. I just turned 42. I want positivity in my life. And so, yeah, literally two days ago, I said, you know what? I need a break from this. I need a break. And so I'm taking a break. Didn't unfollow on Instagram, which he unfollowed me months ago. And all this is very childish. What are we talking about? Unfollowing? This is craziness. But let me just say this. Clicking a button or unclicking a button is not any indication of supporting or following or covering. We have continued to do that and continue to do it favorably. And I love the Louis Armstrong card and I watched it and I Tweeted about it and all that stuff. So that is no indication I just didn't want to get sucked into whatever this sort of thing that they were trying to create was even reached out some of

His people before the event and said hey good luck looking forward to it all that stuff. So Perhaps let this be a message to Turkey, much love, much respect. Don't want anything, don't need anything. Don't let that be an indication that we're not still here wanting you to succeed, loving what you're doing, supporting, covering, whatever you want to call it. Just didn't want to partake in any of that stuff. And all that seems a little bit too funky for me. That whole thing going on with everything and the TKOs, I want nothing to do with it. I want nothing to do with it.

I don't want to get involved. I want to cover the sport. I want to spotlight the sport. I want to spotlight the fighters. I want to spotlight what they're doing. I want to do this show and be happy about covering combat sports. Pick those fights with someone else.

Do that stuff with someone else. Do that stuff that that stuff with someone else, not me. And so I just I just removed myself from the equation. That's all. I have no idea how it took just two days for him to notice. And again, didn't unfollow on Instagram because that stuff isn't being posted over there. But I'm not trying to surround myself with that. And so that is the story. Show me once where I was unfair or picking a fight or being disrespected or anything like that, and that will be news to me. But contrary to what other people told me to do,

I just wanted to address that because I don't know what that is all about. And it's not any indication that we're not supportive or not trying to cover or not trying to be in good standing. It's just those series of tweets over the last week or so were just a little bit, I don't know, not my cup of tea. And so I wanted to remove myself. Is that fair?

Is that okay? Am I doing something wrong here, guys? No, I thought you handled that quite well. Thank you. Rick told me not to address it. And I wish you'd never addressed it. No, I feel better now, actually. Did you ask him if you could address it or not to address it. And I wish you never addressed it. No, I feel better now actually. Did you ask him if you could address it or not?

Yes, of course. I said no. I usually do it. This is the most useless ask of all time. No, no, no. I like to take the temperature. And then go do the exact opposite. Disregard it completely.

Almost every time. I need to speak from the heart. There's just no point in asking. I know, I value the opinion and then ultimately I'll make the decision By the way, if it makes you feel any better my wife told me not to address it I oh god Triple double has there been any updates on the Randy couture situation? You haven't mentioned anything about it. That's not true We did talk about it last week According to his manager his longtime manager Sam Spira, he told me that he is out of the hospital, he

is back home and on a road to recovery. I'm trying to see the article here that he just sent me. This was posted today from TMZ. TMZ Sports has learned he's been discharged. What was that? Everything okay there PT? Sorry, it was a deep breath. Sorry, I didn't mean to. You're right. That's good news. It's good news. Are you okay? I was thinking this is good news, but I had a deep breath and said that. UC legend sustained. He's back home recovering. So there you have it. We wish him the best. He's been through a lot, but yeah, TMZ just posted this, what, seven hours ago, and this is from his manager, who I had been in contact with and said that he's back home,

outpatient from here. By the way, my mom just texted me, no, GC, she says that you look 25. Wow, what a that you look 25. Wow, what a fantastic compliment. Yeah. That's not what our chat would say. What are they saying? I mean, anytime I'm like, oh yeah, I mean,

up until today, I'm like, oh, I'm 31. They're like, rough for a 31 year old. Jesus Christ. All right, man. Appreciate you guys, appreciate you guys. The chat, so loving. I love the chat, shout out. The chat. So loving. I love the chat. Shout out to the chat.

Keep me humble. Keep shitting on me. I love it. Henry Nichols says, Happy birthday GC and asks... Shout out Henry. That's our guy. That's our guy. He's been a huge addition. We appreciate him very much. P.T. have you seen the movie once?

Oh, I don't think I have. I know it's much. P.T. have you seen the movie once? Oh I don't think I have. I know it's Glenn Hansard yeah I know I know all of the the thing but I haven't seen it. A lot of singy-songy isn't it? I don't know. Glenn Hansard? The Frames? Is that right? Very good. In fact don't even watch the movie just get the soundtrack. He has the song. I know the song you know. I've actually seen it twice. Do that again? That's what it does. It's not, they're gonna have croissingers. Frank says, happy birthday to all the legends on the crew. What needs to be done to make these post-fight press

conferences with Dana bearable? I used to stay up every night waiting to hear Dana's thoughts on the fights and what's coming up, but now it's just ranting or promoting the city they are in. I'm from Memphis and it was cool to see Nashville get some promotion but just the second question of what did you think of Nashville drove me up the wall. While not as bad as a certain presser consisting of a John Jones retirement announcement, I find the post-fight pressers painful to watch and Dana seems clueless and embarrasses himself at times. What is it going

to take? What is it going to take to serious journalists asking questions and having Dana promote the actual fighters instead of John Jones or kind of, I don't know. I mean, that's, you know, we're not there. And it's not because we're trying to take any sort of stand or try to send any kind of message. It's just a matter of picking and choosing. He has a point though, right? Like they used to be blockbuster. I can remember we'd finished that, the, our old show and we'd almost feel like we though, right? Like they used to be blockbuster. I can remember we'd finished that, our old show

and we'd almost feel like, well, we only have half the story because the press conferences happened at the same time. Wait, you're talking about the Ringer MMA show? Yeah. It was already in the shitter by then, man. I know, but it feels like it's worse now. It feels like it's gone to a new level. Let's talk 2015, 2014, when myself and Ben and Chuck and Shaheen and Mike Chiappetta

and like the best of the best were there. And not only was it the press conference, but then it was the post-fight presser Scrum where you got all the shit. I'm not going to crap on the media. They do what they do and I like a lot of those guys, but yeah, it's just different. And by the way, he's different, he's less invested. That's just what I was gonna say. I think the bigger change outside of the media core

is he has realized and the UFC has realized that they don't need that anymore. They are doing that as a service, but I don't think they have an investment in it anymore in the way that they did many years ago where they needed the coverage and had to kind of provide something. They do this just to check the box and then move on to the next thing. It is one-way

conversation. Dana White is not being asked anything that is going to lead to engaging conversation. He is just there to hit the talking points. Uh, Linnae, what was that? Gather his thoughts and then do another talking point. That's what that is. If you want to know, if you want to know what Dana White in his prime was like, just look at Eddie Hearn now. Eddie Hearn now speaks to every single person, does scrums, does pre, post, does all the interviews,

and it's just sort of that fire. To Dana and the team, and this is just a decision, it's not even a criticism. To them, a 30-minute pod with the Nelk Boys is more valuable than 30 minutes speaking to MMA media. He doesn't have that same sort of respect or doesn't feel like there is that type of value attached to it that he did some 10 or so years ago.

And maybe he's right, because that's gonna get millions of views and everyone's gonna write off of it and aggregate it and clip it off. And so maybe he's right, because that's going to get millions of views and everyone's going to write off of it and aggregate it and clip it off. And so maybe he's right. He prefers to sit and talk to those guys. And so power to him. And that's that.

But yeah, the end of the day, like he could see, he used to be able to sit there and talk to you about this fight to that fight. It's just not the same. He's got way more on his, on his plate. And by the way, we all evolve.

We all change. Look at me, I get, I get like sometimes people are like, I was on this show earlier today, Busted Open, and they had on the title on the radio, MMA Hour. And I'm like, MMA Hour, really? Or MMA Journalists. Like, I want to evolve too. We all want to evolve. We all don't want to be the same. And so, yeah, he doesn't want to do it. He's evolved. He feels like he's done it. He feels like he's succeeded, whatever the case is. Now there could be some people who'll be like,

hey, if you don't want to do it, let someone else do it. I would still say the Endeavor TKO Brass, think even this version of Dana, 50% in, 60, 75% in, is more valuable than anyone who's 100 in just because he's Dana White. I was watching TV this weekend, what was I watching? Soccer or something and there was a Dodge Ram commercial and Dana was voicing it. Have you guys heard this? I had no idea. I saw it and also was like is that Dana White? Yeah. It's something about like how American Dodge Ram's are. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. And it's like, is that Dana White? Yeah. It's something about how American Dodd-Rams are. Yeah.

Wow. And it's very clear Dana's voice. And then yesterday I saw him do media and he's wearing a Dodd-Ram shirt. So is that his deal and not the UFC's deal? Sure, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Dodd-Ram. It's like the metadata deal. 1,500. By the way, do you want to give a shout out to PFL? Wait, does that mean he bumped Will Arnett or whoever was doing those before? Who knows? No, was it John Cena?

John Cena, yeah. Wow, Dana Wade is bumping John? That's crazy. Maybe they have a bunch of shit. Will Arnett's the Reese's guy. No, but also he's doing trucks. GMC maybe? I think he did GMC.

Oh, he does GMC? Yeah. 1500 crew cab? I mean, you could take that over for sure. I wanna give a shout out, guys, to PFL featherweight champion Timur Kizriyev, very scary scene yesterday. Some video footage emerged that he was shot multiple times. And according to multiple reports, he is in the hospital.

He sustained non life threatening injuries, but I mean, this is like point blank range. Did you guys see this? This is crazy stuff or did it's horrifying. It looked like an assassination Yeah, it looks like people were were coming to murder him. Yeah, it's a Truly terrifying and and and good on him for he was fighting back. Yeah. Oh my god. Yes. He was fighting back It was unbelievable. I'm just happy he's okay, but man that was brutal to see Yeah, so good luck to him and we are a hundred percent wishing him the best YFG 94 with all the birthday celebrations this month on my favorite

show I would like to shout out my wife, Marie Sol, whose birthday was yesterday, Tuesday, July 15th. Happy birthday. Watch a UFC fight card, amazing mother, and one hell of a cook. Thank you for making our house a home. That's beautiful. Man, happy birthday to her.

What a beautiful message. July, just. Killer. Just knock them all out. My nephew's birthday is on Friday. Incredible. Chris, happy birthday to your nephew. Just kill it just knock them all out my nephew's birthdays on Friday incredible Chris happy birthday to your nephew. Can we talk about how the internet loves to hate on Goldberg? It's the cool thing to do now. I liked him as a kid and still do I know him more for his car shows and stuff

Good stuff yesterday Chris in Boston aka 24-h dubs shout out to Chris. I see him all the time supporting Appreciate it very very much. It means a lot. Yeah, man, people went nuts over that interview. I mean, I did a whole interview about the interview. People were very surprised saying that he was out of line, that he sounded delusional, entitled. My general feeling on the interview in the aftermath was, this is the analogy that I gave and I hope it sort of makes sense. My dream was to be an employee of ESPN. My dream was to work for ESPN. And when I got to ESPN, for three years I had people be like, oh my gosh you work at ESPN, isn't it so great, this is unbelievable, you're on SportsCenter, you're on this and that. Meanwhile, from like two weeks in, I was feeling more and more dead inside. By the end, by the

three years, I felt literally like a soulless corpse. I was miserable, I was unhappy, I was depressed, I needed to leave. But to the outside world, you made it to ESPN, you made it to Bristol, you realized your dream. And so you have everyone now saying, hey man, you got the retirement match. Hey man, you got the walkout with your son and your friends. Hey man, you got to be on NBC, Saturday night's main event. Main event against Gunther for the belt in Atlanta. You should be happy. Well he's not happy, he feels like he was shortchanged, he wanted more people that, who knows, who are we to tell him how to feel? From our perspective we could say like look, like considering some of the other wrestling retirements

out there, I mean just look at the way Paul Kogan went into the night or Ric Flair went into the night. So many others, Randy Savage. It's a pretty damn good retirement. Pretty damn special. Like you pretty much got, I don't know, the vast majority of things you wanted. Shut up and be happy. People are saying that essentially, but he's unhappy. And so I appreciate him coming on. I had no idea that that was the tone. I had no idea that that was the sentiment. I had no idea that was the direction that he was going to go. But who are we to tell him how to feel, how to react? Hopefully, as time goes on, he can appreciate the fact that he got that moment, that he got that stage, that he got that send off, I hope.

Because he should be proud of that. Speaks to the kind of legend that he is. But it feels weird for me to see others tell him how to feel. That's how he feels. And yes, it does seem like the internet loves to crap on them. Steve Bushemi, this was now a few weeks ago, but I still wanted to hear your unbiased thoughts on Ilya missing weight. I know none of it probably would have made any difference in the outcome of the fight, but what are your thoughts? How does he read the wrong weight then come back and say misspoke? I don't know. What do you guys think of this? I will say this one thing that really annoys me with the weights.

It drives me crazy. UFC does it when they're in charge. Nevada does it all the time. You know, when they goys me with the weights, it drives me crazy. UFC does it when they're in charge. Nevada does it all the time. You know, when they go on those old school weights, yeah. You're talking about the sliding, the sliding thing. Why do they move it right away?

Why does he let it go? Not let it sit and move it right away. Why does he do that? Just lose the, bro. He was famous for it. So he can on the drive straight away. It doesn't even set! Lose the tradition.

Just do the digital scale. Have a giant number plastered behind them so they can all see. Okay, but here's the thing. Is it possible that they're not doing the digital scale to give themselves some leeway? A thousand percent. I think that's why they're doing it. I think no doubt. They're like, we cannot lose Ilya Taporiel off this thing.

You said 155 and a half, you better slide that bitch away real quick and just say, 155. Yes, so if they're going that route with this old antiquated scale, do we have to just sort of like suspend disbelief for the whole damn thing? Yes, and God bless them.

I'm all in. We get the points. I'm all happy. Once they break out that thing, that old scale, the sliding thing, I'm like, none of this is accurate. It's all good. You have the old man, the second it hits, shing! Could not move that thing fast enough. Shing 155! You have to recognize that it is being recorded, so it has to at least be close enough that I won't care, right?

It's not like it's five pounds off and then they're just going, ah, fuck it, you know, sliding it over. They're at least half a pound. They're in the range. Like, I don't give a fuck. Like, that's fine. They're there. It's there.

It's thereabouts. 155. Give them the one pound allowance and let's pretend it never happened. That's fine. Wasn't there ones with Habib where people would be like actively watching the dude? It was a fight in Abu Dhabi. I was at it. Yeah. Was it the Gachie? I think it was the Gachie fight dude. It was a fight in Abu Dhabi.

Was it the Gachie? I think it was the Gachie fight. Oh yeah. I thought it was Poirier. It was like, was it Poirier? It might have been. It was either one of those. They slid that thing. I don't even think they got it into place. They started moving it and then they just slid it right over. I would love the digital scale. Like, let's find out. Put it big up behind him. Okay, but we do have to recognize we will potentially lose some fights in that Yeah, I don't want to also. I'm not down with losing fights for a point one I say that's what I'm saying with it's stupid shit Like I think it was crazy that that Chris you bank got fined that much that was insane Charles losing His great GF. Oh man, by the way, speaking of which that Connor been promo where he was talking about like the smell of

Like three or four times. That is hatred. That is pure hatred. That and just every time that he got brought up, even when he was being nice about him, he just gotta clarify, I do not like him and I don't like his entire family. So good, so good.

Oh my God. Keep the old scales though, John Anik next time. 155-ish. Yes. For the title, Older Iliad Emporium. As is tradition since Habib's reign. You know what I mean? Ah, come on, that predates Habib.

Yeah. GSP and Nick Diaz was a dicey. There was a. Cormier with the towel. Dicey scale situation there. The towel was great. They should give them an opportunity to use the towel after they miss.

You know what I mean? Bring it out, let them do the... The towel was so great because it all happened in front of us and I totally missed it. I was like, this is one of the all-time great moments. What are you doing, Luke? I was doing play-by-play. Leaning on that thing so hard, somebody's about to die. How did he do it? How did he just lose seven pounds in 30 seconds? Tracy Cortez cutting her hair and then holding the hair

while she was on the scale. Who was it that tweeted that? Sean Haskell. Haskell, hashtag science. Oh, shout out to Tom. He might be the greatest heavyweight ever just for that tweet alone. I think that's like one of his last tweets too.

It's been like a year since. So good. Haskell, hashtag science. So good. Keen, come on Ariel, as Bruce Buffer would say, it's time. You show so many videos these days. I would guess the majority of your listeners

come via Spotify. So many of us listen in work. When you show video, we can't just quickly switch over and see what you're showing. Read the Spotify comments, we're all begging. Seriously, how hard is it to do this? Like, what is it actually gonna take? This is truly the moment I have been waiting for.

No, it's not. Frank does not wanna answer this. It is a limitation of how the video and audio is monetized, not a limitation of effort. Frank is capable of doing this. It is not Frank's concern. It is not something that falls on his shoulders. Unfortunately, we do not have the capability to do this at the moment. Sorry to you fans out there. Maybe one

day there will be. At the moment there is not, but it is not just Frank not wanting to upload a video. There you have it from EP Rick. Frank gets tasked with so many responsibilities. Yeah, Frank is responsible for everything nothing to do with And then people say Rick does nothing when he does. Yeah ridiculous Listen, they we don't need to see how the sausage is made. But here's the do we have the aforementioned? Tom Aspyn all tweet. Oh do it Tracy Cortez cut her hair to make weight Later to later hold her hair in her hand on the scales.

It might as well have stayed on her head, LOL. I mean, he's right. He is correct. How does that work? I just love the idea that Tom Aspinall is watching the weigh-ins for a random fight night in the middle of the summer. Hi, Ariel and crew. This is from Joe Merz. I was one of the lucky ones to catch the legendary

Gallagher Brothers reunion in Manchester this weekend. You could have been there with Pep. I know. Did you see Pep in there? You could have been there singing along with him. The question is for GC, blind if possible. Do you know what blind rankings are GC? So like I'll give you a name and you have to say three.

Oh okay. And then hope that, you know what I mean? Is this out of five? It's a one, two, three, four, five. Yep. All right. What are we ranking? Blind to possible rank these iconic MMA brothers one to five. I'm curious as to why. Why am I the one that has to do this? Anthony and Sergio Pettis. This is out of five. Yeah. Four. So meaning like there's three more. Yeah. This is out of five? Four. Meaning there's three more. Yeah, there's three above them. Four. Anthony. Antonio Rodrigo Noguera and Antonio

Jorgerio Noguera. Three. Alistair and Valentin Overy. Five. Matt and Mark Hughes. Two. don't know what did he do it's gonna be what is gonna be a lads Jeff and Gretney I was waiting for like the

DS brothers my number one is Jeff and Bullshit, how'd he do that? I was waiting for like the Diaz brothers I was waiting for Diaz but it was certainly the last My number one is Jeff and Grand Neil Aren't they like not even brothers? Wait are they? I think they're not brothers I think we said one time that they're brothers Hang on, who is the last set of brothers?

Jeff and Grand Neil They are not related Jeff Neil and then Grand Neil's a Bellator fighter. I was like, fucking. And every time I'm always like, ah, Jeff Neal's brother's fighting and everyone is always like, they're not a brother. If you search Jeff Neal brother on Google,

you know, it gives you the video results. First thing, Jeff Neal and Bellator is Grant Neal, not related. Ah, there you go. This is from Francois. You do you, Ariel, but in my opinion, the near daily comments directed at those who said you'd never get guests, stole your content, or threw whatever shade your way comes across as more petty, slash small, slash insecure than anything

else. You've made it by any measure. Be proud of slash secure in that enough to not need to even acknowledge outside noise. silence is a powerful middle finger. Where were you 20 minutes ago? Fosswa for God sakes. No, you're right. You're right. Take the high road high road. I want you back.

Ariel and BITB. What would be the best feasible card you'd like to see for the White House event? Matt most says definitely Menel Cap versus Amabayev too. That'd be a banger. Hopefully we can get the poster for that one as well. Roberto, Ariel and BITB, if Max beats Dustin shouldn't he be ahead of Gaiety to fight for a number one contender spot? Who knows? I mean look we're getting, I hope we're getting, we're getting Islam.

Let's see what happens that. I'm still holding out hope if Islam loses to JDM that he goes back down to 155. I think that would be nice. Where's Gaetji right now? I think they should do Ilya versus Padatti, Gaethje versus Armin. I don't hate Ilya versus Armin, Gaethje versus Patti, but those to me feel like the four, right? Max versus Hooker when he comes back?

That'd be cool. Gamera. Question for Frank from Barely. A.H. show video on Spotify soon? Jesus. I was even going to joke. Is this about Spotify video? Shout out to New Yorker Rick. Best takes in the industry. Oh, Chris Rem says, Hey guys, huge fan of the show. Request for Frank. Can you clip Ariel's Oh, You're Going to Have a Hard Time finding guests from the start of yesterday's show? I'm imagining you dropping the sound by when the team's discussing plans for special occasions.

Much love. We're taking resumes for producers, right? Do we have the, what, the flippity dip? No, that was a miss on my part. Granhill drinks Sprite. Hey, Ariel and crew, God bless you and your whole crew. Ariel, please don't be so hard on yourself for the Netflix broadcast.

You have massive huevos that will resonate. All your strong willeded correct comments will age wonderfully and any other small mistake will be dwarfed by your massive achievements. Wow, I feel great. GC, you've come a long way in a short time. Love to see your progression and the art you've created with the canvas you've been given.

Ooh, New York Jackman. What an elegant way to put that. New York Jackman is your phone sideways right now. He's actually out of the room pacing back and forth because he's in an intense game of magic. Frankie baby, any can't miss concerts this summer? Primus on Monday. Pizzi, nothing for you, I'm sorry.

Did he say you have big huevos? Yeah, huevos. Isn't that eggs? It's huevos potatoes? It's also a name. I think it's that. That's speaking of huevos. Isn't that eggs? It's Cuevos potatoes? It's also a name. I think it's that. It's like a GC. People say that.

You never heard that term? I don't know if I have. It's a lot of languages. I feel like I've heard Cajones. Testicles. Cuevos. Cajones. People say you have big eggs.

Andy is confirming. Yes, of course. Yeah, confirming it's like balls, yeah. Yeah. They are quite egg-shaped when you can think about it. Wow, wow, wow, wow. So it's been a lot of time looking at them. Tell us more, Pete.

Wow. Wow. How about this summer fit for a age, man? What, you like that? That's a breathy shirt there. No undershirt either. No, no, no. Undershirt right here.

No, no undershirt. What are you talking about? Are we going tank? Tank underneath? Wow. Don't worry about it, bro. Don't worry about it. Nice look.

You know who this is from? The Lulu. My good friends over at Lulu it. You know who this is from? The Luluh. My good friends over at Luluhlemon, you know yourself. I'm starting to become like the poster child for all things Luluhlemon. Please Spencer, clip this off and send this to them. They've been so kind to me. They've been sending me their latest casual wear,

little dressed up wear as well. And I thought for your birthday on a nice summer day this would be nice. You like it or what? It's good shit man, I'm telling you. It's nice for the summer. I come downstairs, my wife a nice summer day, this would be nice. You like it or what? It's good shit, man. I'm telling you. It's nice for the summer. My wife, I come downstairs, my wife was like, what is this?

The lemon hooked me up, baby. She's starting to fall in love with me all over again. It's a nice thing. All over again. Yeah, it's a beautiful thing. All right, we have a lot of great questions here, and we're going to get to more of them because I owe you guys more questions.

I actually really owe you more answers to your questions. So back into the show, we'll answer more of these. We've got a six o'clock reservation, so we could go up to like 5.59. Right, guys? Good God. PT, feel free to join us. But for now, it will be time for our first guest. Remember, back into the show, we'll have Manny Pacquiao on, we'll have Joseph Parker on Joseph Parker on Tim zoo on Mike Santana of TNA fame We'll be joining us as well. I've got a new little earpiece here that Frank has ordered me to wear damn, right I have Frank you there still you can hear me fine. Well, this is nice I sort of feel more acknowledgement that you hear me and I sort of feel more connected to you now

In any event, all right makes Mike Santana is gonna join us the standard He'll be headlining the UBS Arena show for TNA TNA Slammiversary coming up on Sunday, July 20th. Coming up on August 1st, nearby, a couple hours from here, down at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey will be the finals of the PFL welterweight tournament. It will be the former Bellator interim welterweight champion Logan Storley going up against the new face of Bellator, the superstar in making, the pride of Haichi, the one and only Thad Gene. He's kind enough to join us. There he is.

What's up my man? How are you, sir? The face of Bellator. Here he is. Or soon to be. Thank you so much. Nice hat, Rick. What did I say? I said Bellator. Yeah, I was thinking of Logan Storley. Yes, the face of PFL. Here he is in the flesh. It's good to see you. What a great opportunity this is. August 1st, Atlantic City, and what a great time to be alive, I do believe. Today's your birthday. Today is my birthday. Wow! What a way to celebrate it.

Yes. What a way to celebrate it. And how are you celebrating? Here on a media tour. Okay. I don't know if you're being facetious or not. No, I'm being totally honest. Okay, you love this. Yeah, yeah, come on. I worked the...

Yeah, come on, I worked the better half of my life right now, just trying to get to the top level, and now I'm celebrating my birthday doing top level events and just things like this. Top level shit. Yeah, you know, and this is awesome. Totally, totally multiple blessing. Have you ever been to New York?

Yes. Okay. But it was like more of like a touristy thing. I'd do like a big red bus thing and everything like that, and I didn't really get to walk around as much as I would now you're being paraded around now doing media Do you feel like you're getting respect from people do you feel like people are recognizing you as a superstar in the making? This is what you're saying, right? Yeah, you're the next big thing I am the next big thing it and it's and it's what I'm gonna prove to everybody that I am the next big thing in That and and I think that's what I am proving when it comes to these fights and who I've been going against

and who I've beaten so far. By the way, do we have something for that or no? You guys were supposed to tell me in my ear. Okay, we're working on it. August 1st, Walter Wade finals, Logan Storley. You guys did face off right after your win over Jason Jackson. What were you saying to each other? Honestly, he's a nice guy.

You're not going to get that type of build up that we got out of Jason Jackson and out of Logan Storley. So it was more just like keeping it casual, keeping it nice, like thank you, I appreciate you. I just went through a really, really good fight and I was just like, you know what, I'm not in the mood or not in the tone or just mood in general to just boast about the win I just had. I'm super humble the mood or not in the tone or just mood in general, which is just boast about the win I just had. I'm like, I'm super humble and just appreciative. And then Logan Storley, he didn't come up with any attitude.

So I was just like, hey, thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. I'm looking forward to the fight coming up. And he said the same thing. OK, well, really nice. We'll put a pin on that for a moment, because no, I was just like pointing to you. Yeah.

If they're here. Today's your birthday. Yeah. We were supposed to do this like two minutes ago. But let's bring it in, guys. Come on. Bring it in for that To all the candle went out Everyone's got a blow out some candles on their birthday. That is awesome. Thank you so much

Hey, by the way, there's our top producer GC, his birthday too today. How about that? Happy birthday, bro. You look like a champion. I look like your birthday was today. Happy birthday. Thank you, brother.

I appreciate this. Can I blow it out? Of course, I was waiting. What are you wishing for? It's usually a secret. I know, don't tell us, don't tell us. That was a test. Did you put your chair down as you were doing that?

Amazing. So we just wanted to do that for you. Thank you for being here. Yes. Yes. Yes trying to mess up my weight cut I know is this tough wake up. No, it's sitting next to a cake. All right, this is we could take it away It's a cake. You sure I'm looking at as decorative. Okay. All right. Yeah, it's a by the way. It's fake. Is it? No, it's not What's what's a tougher matchup Logan or Jason in your what do you think? I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry about that. What's a tougher matchup, Logan or Jason in your opinion? What do you think? We know what Logan Storley does, we know who he is, right?

He's very good at one particular thing, wrestling. I think that Jason is probably a little bit more well-rounded, the striking and the ground game, I think is a little bit more on par as opposed to, if you can neutralize that one great thing, you should be okay, but that one great thing is really, really great.

Yeah, but this is mixed martial arts. Absolutely. The question is, MVP versus Logan was a really interesting fight. Have you ever seen that fight? No. MVP versus Logan Storley was for the Bellator title maybe two, three years ago.

I remember Logan took it off of him, right? Yeah, but the thing was, I actually thought MVP won the fight because he kept taking him down, but then when he took him down, he wasn't really doing anything. There was no actual damage. Damage is the number one criteria being- It's what changed about it.

And MVP was doing stuff off his back. Yeah. And so that's, I think part of it is actually like, who's judging this fight? Exactly. Because if he's just taking you down, that technically should not win him rounds. No, and think part of it is actually like, who's judging this fight? Because if he's just taking you down, that technically should not win him rounds. No, and that's what it is. And who's doing damage is, this is what this sport is about.

Am I trying to take this dude out, or am I trying to hug him the entire time? And to answer that question, who's more dangerous? I'm pretty sure I went through the most, the hardest part of the bracket. I went through Berkmanov, and I just went through Jason Jackson. Logan Storley, like you said, has a really great one-dimensional game and that's grappling. But if you're ready for that one, if you're good at grappling, which I am, and you're just

sharpening up the tools when it comes to the grappling, I'm not going to disrespect his game, all respect to his game, and that's why I'm really, you know, making sure that I'm ready for everything he has to bring on August 1st, but I'm ready for it. Jason Jackson was a harder opponent because he was well-rounded. And I didn't know what was gonna come. But I had to be ready for it. But we know what was gonna happen with Logan Sturley.

He's not gonna stand up with me. That'd be a mistake. He's gonna wanna try to take me down. That'd be a mistake. So it's my fight. It's my fight. Is it annoying to do this, what, like 14 or 15 days before the fight?

Does this screw up your training? No, not at all. I mean, this is part of the game. Like I said, what a way to celebrate my birthday. I have the fights, my first pro championship fight coming up. I'm out here in New York doing promos and this is what I've been praying for. This is great.

I mean, I love the spotlight. I love, I mean, if you're a fighter, how do you not like the spotlight? You know what I mean? I mean, you get fighters where it's like, oh, you can't really get anything out of him. And it's like, okay, it's hard to promote this guy. It's hard to get this guy out there

because he doesn't really want to be in a spotlight. He just wants to train. He just wants to fight, but this is a business You got to know what hat to wear and when to wear it And I you know I'm wearing the promo guy hat right now, and that's it's a fun journey for me You say this is what you dream of as a fighter. Yeah, originally the dream was football right yes When did this become like really crystallizing your brain that this could be a dream that you could achieve I? Think when I first watched Conor McGregor.

Wow. Yeah, I was like, again, like I said. Which fight? I didn't watch a fight, I watched highlights. Okay. I watched highlights and it was one of his first fights. No, it was probably against, it was not one of his first fights,

it was him against Max Holloway. Oh wow. Yeah, it was him against Max Holloway. Oh wow. Yeah, it was him against Max Holloway and when he won that fight and I was like. That was actually his second UFC fight. Yeah. So that was early. I watched the first one, I forget the first guy's name.

He kept doing the uppercuts. Diego Brando. No. No, not Diego Brando, sorry. Marcus Brimidge. Yeah, it's Brimidge, yes, exactly, Brimidge. Yeah, no, I don't have it. It was against Brimidge and I remember watching that fight

and I was like, man, this guy is really cool and you know, he talks, he talks in the way I like to talk. He's more confident. You're coming from football, you talk. You're confident about your game. You're ready to go. You're ready to go against any team, if anything. But now that it's fighting, you're ready to go against any one person. It's you against that person. And I loved, I love the confidence that Conor McGregor showed going into the cage, outside of the cage, his work ethic, and I just wanted to be, I wanted to be like that guy, or just even, I wanna be better than that guy.

Did you have any martial arts background at that point? I did some wrestling in high school. Okay, but that was it? Yeah. Was football done at that point? I would say football was done in my junior year when I hurt my knee. Okay. Yeah, that's when football was done.

I was running back and I couldn't do any breaks outside of my knee because it would shift. So I was like, man, I can't do this no more. And I don't want to get surgery so early on in my life. So, you know, I prayed, prayed, prayed. What is my next course of action, Father God? And fighting became that. Was that heartbreaking when you realized

that the football dream was dead? Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, how could it not be heartbreaking if you wanna be great, if you wanna be great and you have something on your mind that you wanna be great at, and now you have to figure out what to do next because you can't do that anymore?

It's definitely like losing the love of your life, for sure. And how long between that heartbreak and then the realization after praying that MMA was your thing? How long is this? You say it in a quick sentence, but are we talking months? No, years. Years? What are you doing in between?

I didn't... Figuring out what I wanted to do. Like are you working? Are you going to school? It was in high school. Do I wanna go to college? What am I gonna go to college for? I mean, my parents are immigrants,

and they're Haitian immigrants, so they're gonna want their child to be in college, getting the right type of education, getting the best for themselves in the future. And like any parent would want, but I didn't wanna go to college. I didn't wanna go to school again. I didn't wanna go pay to be in school.

I didn't wanna be in school for the 12 years that I was in school. So I was constantly praying, what am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? And then I think towards the end of senior year, no, end of senior year, the summer of the end of that senior year, one of my brother's friends told me about mixed martial arts,

and I went to go try it out at Monk Haya Brothers, and I fell in love with it. I was a person, you know, in football, I was that dog. I'm the one that nobody wants to go against. But then when I started jiu-jitsu, everybody wanted to get the big guy, the new big guy in and just choke him out. But that was like a test to me.

Okay, you guys are calling me out now. I can't wait to the point where I'm calling y'all out. You don't want to go against me. Damn. Were you bigger than you are now back then? No. No way. I was, I'm definitely bigger now.

Definitely bigger now. Because like you don't really have the body type of a running no. I'm definitely bigger now. Okay. Because you don't really have the body type of a running back, if I do say so myself. Yeah, I was probably six foot back then. Okay, okay. Now I have two more inches. I'm six two now. Yeah. But, I mean, I was more of like a... I was quick. I was quick. I was athletic.

I was powerful, but I was able to I was able to move my feet and get out of the pocket when I needed to burst through that pocket and just get down the field. I was fast too. my feet and get out of the pocket when I needed to like burst through that pocket and just get down the field. I was fast too. I had long strides. No injury.

Are you going to college? Are you going to D1? Were you that good? God willing. Was that the plan? Yeah. That's what people were telling you? Yeah.

Where were you going? Well. Where did you think you were gonna go? Where I wanted to go? Yeah. UM. Okay. Michigan. University of Miami. Oh, Miami. Yeah. Is it Michigan or is it Michigan University? Where I wanted to go? Yeah. UM. Okay, Michigan. University of Miami.

Oh, Miami. Yeah. Or is it Michigan University? University of Michigan, U of M. That was the place, the U. I would have loved to go to UM. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

Especially back then. I mean, you heard of UM. UM just had like the greatest college team. I don't watch, I'm not coming up with college anymore and like that, but they, growing up, I was like, UM is the place I wanna go, cause it was UM, it still is that rivalry, UM versus Florida State.

And being in Florida, I'm closer to UM. So I'm like, okay, I wanna go to University of Miami. Do you allow yourself to even think of that, or are you so far past the football days and so happy doing now? No, I'm grateful for the life I'm in now. To be stuck in the past, you're not growing anymore. You know what I mean?

I'm not gonna be stuck in the past. I'm ready to excel. I'm ready to excel. I'm not even excelling. You know, I'm 10 and 0. I'm 10 and 0. How many people are 10 and 0? How many people at 10 and 0 are fighting for a world title? You know what I mean? So I think this is much better than the life that I projected for myself. Really? You know what I mean? What did you think you were gonna end up doing? If you don't find this,

your mom's a nurse, your dad's a pastor, right? Yeah. You think you'd go down one of those paths? No way. I hate seeing blood or just gory things. And while I do love being in the church, I feel like my church is more outside of the church, if that makes sense, going out into the community

and talking to people, telling people like this, like, Christ has led me to this part. Like, I hope that someone is listening to me and seeing like, what is that guy mean? Why does he have so much confidence? And they hear me talk about God, and this is what God has done for me. And they see that the confidence that I had to put on display, and then the hard work ethic that I put in, and the results that I'm getting out of everything, they see, okay, maybe I had to put on display and then the hard work ethic that I put in and the the results that I'm getting out of everything they see. Okay, maybe I want to give this Jesus thing a try, you know, and if they if they give it a try, then I'm good. I've succeeded on my part.

Jesus, you take over now. You know what I mean? So I would say if I were to take it out, I love debating. I was thinking of being in a law school, but then I heard that I had to read a lot and I was like, maybe not be a lawyer. And then I was like, maybe psychiatry because I love reading people and I love talking to people. So I was most likely being a psychiatrist. By the way, you say such good things. Just do me a favor, talking to the microphone. Oh, sorry. Yeah. Yeah. You're going past the microphone. Frank is having an aneurysm.

Oh, okay. Our audio guy, right? Frankie. My bad, Frank. No, it's all good. It's all good. So okay. So you just had the Jason Jackson fight. Yeah. And he tried, like, I think he tried a little bit to make it personal with you. He mentioned your parents in the face-off and all that stuff. I thought it was cool. Yeah.

What'd he say, your dad's gonna have to pray for you, your mom's gonna have to sew you up? Patch me up, yeah. You had a great response to that. You were like, my mom's been patching me up my whole life, my dad's always praying. My dad's always praying for me. Yeah.

None of that bothered you though? Never. Even talking about the parents though? Never. Like, should that be off-limits No, I don't care. You can say what you want. I have fantastic parents If anything when you talk about my parents, I'm gonna take it as jealousy You're jealous and I'm thankful for your jealousy, you know, I have great parents. My parents are super loving super on my side They're back in my entire family is great

My entire family my entire silverback nation is fantastic You know So when he was talking about my family my my parents and things like that, I'm like, whatever. You have nothing else to say, so you gotta go low. You know what I mean? You got nothing else to say, so you're prodding and you're trying to poke, and I'm like, go ahead, poke, poke, poke.

I don't mind. You're unflappable. No, I don't care. I don't care. That, to me, was a coming out party for you. I loved it. I loved it. Happy with the performance?

Oh man, it was a great fight. I won against Jason Jackson love happy with the performance. Oh, man. It was great fight. I went against Jason Jackson Yeah, you know former champ former champ Beat world champions as well I mean and going back to the point where you I mean people say oh it's close fight people say it was robbery It was robbery because you put money on it and because it was such a close fight and you lost your money You say it's a robbery. What was it a robbery? Did he what did he do? Take me down. I got back up and I did the damage on the brakes.

What was the robbery? I did the damage in the fight. The closest round, well the round that you could say was Jason Jackson's. Personally, and I'm not the guy who doesn't, I always watch my fights back, it's the second round. But still then, it was still a stale back and forth fight. Even in the second round. But I give myself for sure, no doubt about it, first and third round.

One and three, but again, I could see how the judge gave me all three rounds. You know what I mean? So, people would say, oh, it's Rari, it's Rari. I'm like, bro, put your money on the right one next time. Were you nervous before that fight? That was a big- I would say I was a little nervous

because of all the media stuff. Not because of the fight, but because of all the media stuff. It was the first time I ever had to go through all this. Like, I mean, I was like little nervous because all the media stuff, not because of the fight, but because of all the media stuff. It was the first time I ever had to go through all this. Like, I mean, I was like, dang, I mean, this is the first time I hope I say the right things. I don't want to jumble up my words. I don't want to stumble and someone uses something against me. I need to make sure that it comes off good. But now it's being, that was the only, I would say the nerve wracking part of the whole thing

is because now I'm doing media tours. Now I have to make sure that people get to know who I am. You know, people know who I am back at home, but now it's on a bigger scale. You know what I mean? I want the other people to get, I want people to know who I am and fall in love with Thad. Who's Thad Gene? Who's the silverback? You know, why should I follow him? Why do I think he will be the next up? One, I do say it. One, I do work at it, but one, I will show you. You know what I mean? You know what I like about you? You know, right do say it, one, I do work at it, but one, I will show you. You know what I mean?

You know what I like about you? You know, right now, PFL is maybe going through a bit of a transitional period. They're trying to find, like, their groove, I feel. Yeah. We could debate that if you want, but I feel like you're one of those guys who's like, no, give me the ball.

Yeah. Let me be the guy. That's it. Like, people are crapping, people are complaining, people are openly complaining within the company. That's it. Like people are crapping people are complaining people are Openly camp complaining within the company they want out this You continuously say I want to be the face of PFL I want to be the guy that they you remind me a little bit of Paul Hughes in that regard I'm happy to be here. I want to help build them up. Yeah, say this every time and that's it

That's the case and this feels genuine when you say it. No, completely. And we got to think about it. Everybody who hates and craps on the PFL are just people who've been watching UFC and they're... And of course, UFC has been around for how long? Yes, since 93. Right? PFL is six years old. And we're still, we're the fastest rising global fighting competitions or just promotion. Of course people are going to shit on it, but that's okay. All eyes are great eyes when it comes to things like me or things like that need viewership. So you can be the person that shits on it or talks crap about it and that's cool, that's cool because one day you'll be a fan.

Just like people used to talk crap about the UFC, now they're fans. It'll be the same thing for the PFL and I believe that. And I believe it's going to be, it's going to go past, I mean, what are we, we're new stars, we're the new ones coming in. We're the new faces where we are pioneering. Well, I can't say we're pioneering, but we're on the way up and we're on the rise with the company and I'm excited for that rise. Well, to a degree, there was a period

where the company was signing a lot of maybe the UFC cast-offs. Yeah. They're trying to build, I feel like, homegrown stars now and that takes some time. So there's gonna be growing pains. Yeah. It's one thing to sign a guy who was a former UFC champion or fought for a belt

But to build someone from the ground up takes a little bit of time So that's why I think like the you Paul Hughes Dakota Johnny like these yeah, these fighters are very important because they're homegrown if you will Elator PFL and putting it all under one Yeah, you know umbrella and so the past year has felt like there's been a lot of sort of Unrest a lot of people wanting to leave pico pitbull, etc They need to to highlight more of the guys who are happy to be there Yeah, and and that's the thing we are happy the more that because we understand what's gonna happen with the PFL We know where the trajectory of it's going

I would say isn't that a smart thing to do when you're a new company with money? Get like get superstars from a company that's already established, bring them in so you can bring eyes in. And then once you brought the eyes in, now create your own base of, uh, homegrown stars so that people could now, okay, I like the PFL, I'm looking at the PFL. Okay. Now I want to stick with the PFL. That's exactly what's happening.

People are now starting to stick with the PFL. People are starting to watch these homegrown fighters. Look how big Paul Hughes is, Dakota Ditchifa is, right? She was huge. They're huge on the European scene, but now Dakota came over here and now she's in what she's Being talked as one of the the best female fighters, right? She hasn't touched one of the other promotions, but she's here and look at her now. By the way, did you get that date? No, no, no, no, no, that that was a come on. She's Pashash Crush. She's great. Oh, we moved on. Yeah, yeah, we're good. You have a new crush. No, there's nothing. You've taken. No, I don't know. Spoken for. Yes, MMA.

MMA is my crush. But like I said, I'm happy for everybody within the promotion that's there. I mean, that's growing with it. I mean, Darl Rossa is another one that's also within within that's another homegrown star And you know, we're just we got people from everywhere Can you clear something up for me because one thing that I think has been brought up and I think it's fair is that It's a little bit confusing as to what exactly you're fighting for you're fighting for 500k, right? Yeah, you get 500k if you win when I win when you win, excuse me Do you become the number one contender? Do you become the welterweight champion?

What becomes of you once you win? Well, that's essentially the case, but there's other parts. We just, I mean, we, the PFL just launched PFL Africa. Yes. You know what I mean? There could be a champion from there. Show this weekend.

Exactly, it's a huge show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The championship series. And to go to that championship series is what people from this part, the for the tournament are trying to get into okay you know I want to be in a championship series I want to be able to fight people from different promotions like people from Europe people big phases in Europe is Bakke and Sajik Dume I want to fight either or you want those guys I want

everybody I want to go back in the tournament? I mean yeah. Can you try to win the 500k again? I think there's a 150, a 135, a 145 that just knocked out the Lee guy. Yeah, but you like, this is the first year they do the tournament, like this. Yeah, I mean this is the first time where it's one shot. They've done like the seasons and all that, but like this like one, one and done. So, so can you go back in or once you've graduated from it, can you not do that? I'm pretty sure you can. I mean, everything's a negotiation, right? Of course, like a lot of money, right? Yeah, everything's a negotiation,

but I mean, don't you want to go the next, don't you want to go up another level? I guess so, if the 500K though is at the end of the rainbow here. I mean, money's everywhere. What will you do with that money? Have you thought of it? Invest.

Do you allow yourself to even go there or it's too? Always. Okay. It's already mine. It's already yours? Yeah. I mean I've been talking about the bell. Yeah everything it's mine already. I've already invested it. Wow. Pretty much mentally. Okay. Is it five rounds? Yes. The final. How do you feel about that? I'm good. I'm not going five rounds. Have you ever gone five rounds? No. This is my first time going five rounds. This is the first time doing a championship. He's been five rounds. Yeah, it doesn't matter. He was three rounds last and he was gassed out in the last round. Yeah, you felt so? Right? You

weren't impressed? Were you? No, you weren't. Okay. Yeah, come on. Let's be honest and let's go back. Okay, let's. I remember my friend sent me a video. Oh, you had Logan Sturley as winning, right? Oh, the tournament. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like this. No, no, let's do it. I am, I was out. You had me out. Yeah. First round. Yeah. I'm not being Bergman. Yeah. I knock him out. Did I say that? Yeah, yeah. It's not your fault. Back me up here, guys. It's not your fault. Can I be honest? Can I be honest? Yeah, go ahead, go ahead. Please.

The truth is I didn't really know. I didn't see the light. I didn't see the light. Most people didn't know. No. Give me more shit. It's like people overlooked. Yeah, 100%.

I am not even, I was an alternate. Oh, they just threw this guy in last minute. This is a dark horse. We don't even know who this guy is. 100%. I guess, you know, he's only 8-0, first going into the tournament. How long ago, like before the first fight, did you get the call? Two weeks.

Two weeks, yeah. Maybe. I didn't have time to do the research. Yeah, it's alright. You're okay. I gave you enough research that fight. Who snitched? Snitches get snitches.

One of my brothers, one of my brothers. No worries. He's a great guy. Who slips? He's a great guy. No, he has, he's a great guy. Thanks bro, here's the knife. Here's the knife, oh geez, Louise. No, listen.

Brought out the receipts. Yeah, exactly, and I'm ready to show people who, you know, not just yourself, who did count on me. But I kind of feel like I've been on the bandwagon since. I appreciate it. You've been on the show, we were saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I appreciate it. I've been saying, you're the face now.

I keep saying that. Yeah, I appreciate it. Fix it, because I don't look small But I feel like they need to like strap I was really happy when they told me that you were coming in to do this Coming to New York cuz you need to be one of the guys that they strapped the rocket to yeah And I'm ready to go to the I don't know where it goes, but I'm ready to go. Yeah ready to go And honestly, I'm ready to take this belt

I'm ready to get like you said get rid of these Bellator champion now PFL chairman, but I am whooping those Bellator guys. You know what I mean? I'm whooping those Bellator guys and now I'm like Like you say a homegrown PFL star I didn't go to any other major promotion before I am first major promotion is PFL You see I was born and raised here now. Love it. You know what I mean? How did you get with them? You came through their Challenger series. Challenger series. But who reached out?

Like, how did it all come about? And when you did get that call, did you think, like, OK? RaceFO. RaceFO. Yeah. RaceFO gave us a call. And there's a whole video on it. I got it.

I was with my coaches. We see the call. And I'm like, 4-0. 3-0, 4-0. You're a kid. Come on. You know, and I got such a major opportunity I can't let it go to waste.

Someone is starting to see me and I'm gonna make sure that their faith in me or their thoughts on me isn't wasted. Like this guy is actually next up and we gotta take him now before somebody else does. And that right there is what I appreciate the most. That's why I say I wanna stick with the PFO. I'm gonna stay loyal to them.

For sure, you have loyalty towards them. A complete loyalty to them. Like I said, mom, nurse, dad, pastor, what did they think when you told them I wanna be a prize fighter, I wanna be an MMA fighter? They didn't understand what it was. All they heard was, dad wants to fight. How'd they feel about that?

They didn't like it. But they're super supportive., dad wants to fight. You know? How'd they feel about that? They didn't like it. Not great. You know, but they're super supportive. My parents are completely supportive. But like I said, they want the best for their child. They don't understand it. So I can't be mad at them for not wanting me to fight. But they seen how hard I was working at it.

And they were the first, they came to my first fight, my first amateur Muay Thai fight in Key West. They brought the whole church out. So my parents are super supportive on the part of I'm going to back you as long as we can. But if we see that it's not the right course of path for you, you're going to change it. You know, I will give you a chance, but you have to prove us to prove to us that this is what you really want. You think you've proven yet? Of course. So are they like kind of my mom doesn't miss a fight. My dad, my dad watches every fight. My dad

had a medical complications, so he can't really come to all my, doesn't miss a fight my dad my dad watches every fight my dad had Medical complications, so he couldn't really come to all my he couldn't come to my pose now. He's good He's actually gonna be able to go to my August 1st fight. He's getting clear to go credible Yeah, it's such a blessing. You know God's plan. Yeah, God's plan You always say God's plan God's plan that because of Drake cuz you're a big Drake. No, no God No, well, I do like that song a lot and I and I'll say I guess that's where everything comes from but once you realize once you once you're a big Drake. No, no God's no. Well, I do like that song a lot and I and I'll say I guess that's where Everything comes from but once you realize once you once you're looking You're inside and you can only see so much but once you're in the outside looking in you see how things have fallen into place

You can say and you and you're believer you can only say wow God's plan. Yeah, look at it. Look at this Will your mom be there too? Yeah. She goes to all your fights. Yeah. You know, Boardwalk Hall is like a legendary fighting venue. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm ready to be a part of history.

Yeah. I'm ready to be a part of history. Some of the best boxers, Tyson, all these guys have fought there back in the day. And that's what's so cool about it, you know what I mean? I could be a part of history. And you're the main event for this card. And I am the main event.

There's two finals. There's the welterweight and I think featherweight. Yeah. On this card. I have it right here. Jesus Paneto and I forget where she has it. Where's Rick here? Featherweight and welterweight.

Prelims at six on ESPN plus. Main card at nine. You are the main event. August 1st. August 1st, as you should be. Yes. As you should be. By the way, did you see, oh there it is. There's the bracket August 1st, as you should be. Yes. As you should be. By the way, did you see, oh there it is.

There's the bracket. Oh no, are they showing my bracket? This is not mine, right? No, no, no, no. No, this is the actual bracket. This is current bracket. Yeah, don't show mine. By the way, did any of you jabronis back there pick that?

Or am I getting all the heat? Yeah, none of them did. You see that? No, none of them did. But I'm talking to you, so I, if they were in front of me, they'd be getting it too. Did you see Kizriev? Kizriev.

The, what is he, the, what was he, featherweight? I think he was featherweight. No, maybe welterweight from last year? Who was shot? Shot. PFL guy. No. You didn't see this?

No. In Dagestan? No. You didn't see? No. Oh, well this happened yesterday. God bless him. But he's doing okay, it seems like.

Oh, okay, good. Wow. Very scary stuff, it seems like. Oh, okay, good. Wow. Very scary stuff outside of the gym. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow. Just pulled up on him. For nothing. Well, I don't know.

There must be some history there. Yeah, what was he? Yeah, 145. Wow. And they just shot him. And there's video footage of it. What, do you see that on X or something? I don't know, there's two guys

and they come right up to him and it's very scary, but they say that he's in the hospital and it's non-life-threatening. Thank God. He beat Brandon Loughnane in the in the finals last year. Oh okay good. The featherweight tournament so we're wishing him the best. Yes, God bless him honestly. It must have been something. Yes, hopefully. Must have talked about somebody. Back home in Haiti, are you getting love? Are you getting It must have been something. Yes, hopefully. Must have talked about somebody's girl or something. I don't know. Hopefully. Back home in Haiti, are you getting love? Are you getting attention?

Of course. Are they covering you? Yeah, Haiti is doing great. And not even just back home, Haiti and America. America too. Haitian Americans. But like you rep that flag. Yeah.

You weren't born there, right? No, I was born here. I was born here. I'm Haitian American. And I do love to say I have the heart of I'm a heart of a Haitian no heart of an American pumping Haitian blood throughout me. I like I got that I got that That diesel fuel going through me. You know what I mean? I'm and I'm

If I'm American so if anything if anybody ever talks crap about America in front of me It's gonna be a problem like if you if America needs me to go out there rep him. I'm here. What's up? Yeah, you know what I mean? I'm here, but I feel like Haiti needs a champion hell. Yeah, and I could be a champion I'll part of Haiti's champions for sure for sure When's the last time you've been able to be there? No, it's been a long time. Long time. Do you have any memories? Yeah, but more of not, they're good memories, but they probably wouldn't be great to like, to the outside world.

What, is it like you with your family? It's more of like, no, I was with my family, but what I really remember about it was just, it sounds funny, but like, bad things that happened to me. Not like bad things because of Haiti, bad things because of like, I remember I stepped on coal, I like fire.

I fell down this little well that they were making. Back then, there was just like, it's much more developed now. It's much more developed now, but there's like these toilets that you did not want to stand up because if you fell inside you were dead. I mean, people know what I'm talking about. If they're here, I think this is like a box.

I forget what it's called. It's a box. You stand on the box and you use the restroom there. But I remember seeing that as a kid and I was like, this is the craziest thing. But other than that, I absolutely loved Haiti. I remember the smell vividly. I know I say that, but I do remember it. I love the farming and the out there. Other than that, just Haiti itself was just much more welcoming back in. Sure, sure. Are you dreaming of one day being able to go back? Of course. Of course. I would love to go back. I would love to go back.

I think Haiti is very beautiful and can be very prosperous, but it just has too many people who wanna be leaders. Sure. Yeah. And there is such a strong country. Can you even fly there from America now? I think Trump said no. Yeah.

Like you can't even get a flight. I don't think so. I haven't checked, but I think it's like on the red flag, don't go. Do you have a family there still? Yeah, just, yeah. red flag don't go do you have a family there still? Yeah, just yeah, but I don't want to say okay, I don't know anything just okay. Yeah. All right I just want to know if you had any communication with anyone there if everyone's okay. Yeah every now then okay, okay, okay But I love the fact that you represent Haiti. Yeah, but you also represent America

You're trying to be one of those guys We talked last time about some of the famous fighters who are from Haiti or represent over in st. Prue being one of them Yeah, I just spoke to him. Oh, I went to Georgia and I was training with one of his coaches Manu and he Face-timed him and I was able to talk to him first time. Yeah. Wow first time. What was that? Like it was super cool. Very nice, dude. Very nice, dude He was telling me how he would come down to train with us one of these days once he passed down because his parents, he's actually from Florida. So he said his family is down there so whenever

he gets a chance to come down he'll be able to train with us. And you know there's other Haitian stars as well. I mean, Neil Magne. Yep. You know. There's other guys but I can't remember. Have you met him? No. Okay. You're still a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him.

I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him.

I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him.

I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm not a fan of him. I'm like, I won't crap about anybody that's come before, but I want to be the guy people study. You know? I guess that's the area. There's nothing wrong with knowing, there's nothing wrong about knowing about the forefathers,

you know, like the people that were there. Exactly. If you tell me about them, I'm ready to listen. You know what I mean? But I'm not going out of my way to see who was before. Who's the greatest welterweight champion in the history of the sport? I know, it's George St. Peter

Okay, at least you know God. Yeah, got him right. He's right over there. Yeah He means a lot to me because he's from Montreal. He's from my home. Yeah, and I think the greatest of all time Yeah, I have a friend from Canada Mark Powerball. Okay, lots of fight this week part of Canada. I think Montreal or Quebec. Yeah I want to go to or Quebec. Yeah Montreal is in Quebec. Yeah Yeah, so yeah, I think he's the greatest welterweight champion. Surely you've seen some of his fights. Oh bro Wouldn't lie to you. I appreciate that but this is the goat man. Yeah, you have no interest

You never want to be like that. Let me see what this guy's all about I guess if I sat down and just see I probably getting crapped in our body. Oh, no I'm not I sat down and just, see I'm probably getting crap in my body. Oh, he thinks, no. I'm not. I appreciate the honesty. I would love, yeah, yeah. If someone sat me down and just showed me it, I would love to watch it. I think it's part of me knowing he's most likely gonna win.

I don't really want, because it's like, it's already. But just for technique, style, approach. Okay, this sounds good, but this sounds crazy, but I completely a hundred percent Think that the stars of today will destroy the stars of the sure you know so I mean yes We could watch some things that he's done in Terms of technique, and he's probably gotten much better with his knowledge But I feel like it's better for me to watch people of today's technique and what they do, how they evolve the grappling game that was developed back then and made it 10 times better.

And I'm not saying that again out of arrogance, but that's what happens. Things evolve. So 2025 THAAD beats up 2013 GSP. I don't know. I have to see how he is, but I will say yes. I'm going to say yes, because that's how I feel. I feel like I could be anybody and I will be everybody. But I can't tell you because I don't want to knock on his legacy because I know he has a legacy and like you say, he's here all over the place. So he's definitely legendary. I love that.

Yeah. But I mean, I'll leave that untapped. No, I get that. Well, there's always a case, like people debate about the NBA, like, oh, Will Chamberlain versus Shaquille O'Neal. Yeah, Shaquille for sure. The newer guy, and then a guy from today versus Shaquille,

and they'll say the newer guy, right? Like, Yannis versus Carl Malone. Or LeBron versus Jordan, and LeBron it is. Nah, that's crazy. Come on, let's be honest. Yo, that's so, it it is. No that's crazy. Come on let's be honest. Yo that's so, it's one of the worst takes of all time. Let's be honest. Why, why?

What's his record in the finals? I can't tell you that. How many times has he been to the finals? Yeah, how many times did Jordan lose the finals? Zero, six and oh. Comparison, you have, everybody is an all-star. And LeBron is still an all-star. Yeah.

Going against these kids. Yeah. The level of competition is much crazier now than it was back then. And LeBron is much older and he's still a superstar. First of all, not trying to be, but you probably didn't watch Jordan in the 90s. No, I didn't.

So not everyone on his team was an all-star. What are you talking about? On Jordan's team. No, I'm saying the now, now. Yeah. I'm saying that the level of competition that LeBron has to go against, it's like he's going against superstars.

So did Jordan. What do you think, they weren't superstars back then? No, I'm saying they were superstars, but they're not in the level of superstars today. Come on, let's be honest. I disagree. Okay. I disagree. But the thing is like Jordan,

a lot of people like to say like, oh, he had Scottie Pippen He had Dennis Rodman That came over time and the rest of the team wasn't that great He had guys like Judd Bushler and and and and John Paxson and Steve Kerr and on and on it goes Side by side. They're a bit different players because LeBron was bigger He was six foot eight Jordan was six foot six played different styles of games But Jordan when he counted never lost he was six and on the finals LeBron has lost multiple times in the finals. I

Heard he lost three times LeBron had legendary careers in every team. He's been on So did Jordan What do you mean? Come on LeBron had Cavaliers? Yeah, sure heat. Yeah Heat he had to make a super team to win a championship with the Heat. He literally had to, he had to pull this guy from here and pull this guy from there. You must not have watched that comeback.

I watched it. Yeah, that was Cavaliers. That was amazing. Yeah, it was amazing, down three one. Yeah, the Warriors were bored. They had already beaten them twice at that point. They were like, okay, we're bored. They don't have that championship mindset.

I'm not trying to take anything away from LeBron, but to me, it's Jordan then Lebron. And you know what it is? It's a by-product of when you were born. You were born in 98. Yes. 82. Okay, okay.

So it's, you know what I mean? I feel that. When, it's a great line from Henzo Gracie. Do you know who Henzo Gracie is? Legendary Jiu-Jitsu guy. Yeah, yeah. And he had a feud with BJ Penn, and they were building up this fight. And he BJ I was I was I was a black belt I was winning titles when

you were still in your father's nutsack yeah that's dope though yeah I hear what you're saying you know hey I hear you say and like I said I don't want to knock on what he's done but I like like said, I feel like if I want anybody on my team, if it goes from Jordan or LeBron, I'm picking LeBron 10 times out of 10. I got you, I got you. We can have this debate all day. And I look forward to having more debates.

I like that you came with the receipts. I love everything that you're doing. It's great to see. Thank you so much. And they should be pushing you very, very hard. August 1st, 1st ESPN plus Once again prelims are at 6 main card is at 9 on ESPN ESPN plus and the main event is a spicy one You also have the featherweight finals on that card, but the main event is a spicy one

It's Logan story versus this man that gene the silverback the pride of Florida and Haiti keep doing your thing my man Thank you so much for happy birthday. Thanks for coming in. Good luck with the rest of the tour and good luck on the pride of Florida and Haiti. Keep doing your thing, my man. Thank you so much for having me. Happy birthday, thanks for coming in. Good luck with the rest of the tour and good luck on the first of all. That is awesome, man. Thank you for the cake. Yes, of course. We're gonna take a quick break.

Say goodbye to Thad. We'll be back with Mike Santana. Don't go anywhere. All right, that was legendary stuff between Shakur Stevenson and Conor Ben. That was from Monday's episode. Please do check it out. This is my nice new shirt for GC's birthday.

Hope everyone's having a great day. Massive weekend coming up in the world of combat sports. That was that gene. He's returning on August 1st, UBS Arena. Can't wait. It's gonna be great. And in a couple of seconds, we're gonna be joined by someone who is headlining a card on Sunday this Sunday July 20th

So we've been talking about July 19th, which is a crazy crazy day with six massive cards, but on Sunday The eyes of the combat sports world will be on the UBS arena TNA slammer versary they're saying it's the biggest show in TNA history They just released some new some new seats for that one, some new tickets. So if you're in the area, it sounds like it's going to be an absolute banger. The main event is Trick Williams, the TNA champion, who of course is an NXT star. They've had this partnership with NXT and Joe Hendry, the former TNA champion, and the pride of Puerto Rico and the Boogie Down Bronx, Mike Santana. Mike Santana is a tremendous story. 34 years young, four-time tag team champion with Ortiz, the team LAX, has won the GFW, HOG, and various other indie tag team titles.

But this is really like his first run as a single star and he's crushing it. He's absolutely crushing it. And he's a very likable guy with a tremendous backstory as well. Had a great run in AEW. He was there from the very start, 2019 to about 2024. He was a part of the Inner Circle with Chris Jericho, but he's someone who has been very open and honest about his trials and tribulations, about his relationship with his daughter,

about losing his father in 2020, about his own battles with demons, with sobriety. He is now sober for over a year. And it seems like the people are really getting behind him. The wrestling fans are really getting behind him. New York City, the New York City wrestling team, getting behind him as well. So this is a tremendous story and I'm very excited to have him in studio without further ado.

Let us say hello to the pride of Puerto Rico and the Boogie Down Bronx. They call him the standard, the one and only Mike Santana is here. Hello, Mike. How are you, my man? How you doing? All good?

Good to see you. Good to see you as well. Thank you so much. Please have a seat. Big week for you. Yes, sir. Were you just in Orlando? This morning, well, I flew in this morning.

Yo, that's crazy. You were just on CW last night. Yeah, man. NXT. Please come closer to the microphone if you don't mind. Are you tired? I'm ready to go. Please talk into the microphone.

There it is. This is what we do. I saw you dropping the schedule that you have this week. That's a crazy schedule. Nonstop. I've been at it, so I went, so before, I did 10 days in Puerto Rico, took a little vacation with my daughter. Ariana. Shout daughter. Ariana.

Shout out. Yep, and then before that, it was nonstop. I took those 10 days, 10 days nonstop with her, and then I flew straight from Puerto Rico, straight back to NXT, and it's been nonstop. This is everything you dreamed of. Let's go. This is what you wanted.

Yes, sir. You want the ball. Absolutely. And now you get the headline, what they're saying is the biggest show in TNA history. UBS Arena, massive arena, Long Island. Essentially, you're back. Yeah, I know you're from the Bronx, but you're backyard.

You're the hometown guy. And it's a triple threat match. There it is, the poster right there. Joe Hendry, yourself, Trick Williams. Insane, man. What are the vibes? What are you feeling? Honestly, man man I've still

been in the process of taking everything in right. I like to say that I try my best every day to to reflect on everything especially with everything I've been through the last couple years in my personal life and in my career. You know I always try to make it my business to sit and reflect and take everything in and I think I'm in that process now. And especially since I've been so nonstop, like I'm just, I'm going, I'm on go. But ultimately, like overall, this is a huge moment for me,

huge moment for TNA Wrestling. And I'm excited to be a part of it. I'm excited to be in the position that I'm in and having the company trust me the way they are. And yeah man, I'm ready to go. You've been at this about like 17 or so years, right? 17 years. Was there a point maybe not too recently where you thought this stuff would never happen? That maybe you had squandered it, maybe you wouldn't live up to whatever realization

that you wanted to live up to that... When I was in rehab, yeah, that was... Those thoughts were going through your mind? 100%. You felt like you had dropped the ball? I felt like I almost ruined my life. So what happened? So if you don't mind, I know you've like almost ruined my life, you know? So, so what happened? So if you don't mind, I know you've talked about this a

little bit, so I'm sorry for bringing it up. So I know some of it is, um, your father passes away in 2020 and I'm sorry to hear that. I know you had an incredible relationship with him. He took you to your first wrestling show at MSG, right? Sir. Yes. Your guy was Brett Hart. Oh, yes. He was. That's my guy right there. Yeah. So the whole time I've seen,

I've seen plenty of your interviews in the whole time. That's my dog. That's my guy right there. Yeah, the whole time. Yeah, I've seen plenty of your interviews. Thank you the whole time That's my dog. That's my guy. That's my favorite athlete as a kid. That was my guy there There he is over there when I was young and my mom would take me to the doctor's office They would say close your eyes when I was getting a shot I was so nervous she would say think of something that makes you happy and I would think of him winning the belt That's how much he means to me. So when I heard that you loved him as well, I knew we had a connection there. But your father passes away and you go down a dark path.

Did you have any of those demons before that or was it because you were trying to cope with it? So I struggled for a long time. I had a very tough childhood and upbringing. And so a lot of the things that I went through as a kid, I never really dealt with. I struggled for a long time. Like I had a very tough childhood and upbringing. So a lot of the things that I went through as a kid, I never really dealt with. Cause I was taught to, you go through it, keep it pushing.

I wasn't... Like what kind of stuff were you dealing with? As far as a kid, a lot of abuse, a lot of drugs were prevalent in my home. Did you partake? As a kid, no. Okay. A lot of drugs were prevalent in my home. Did you partake? As a kid, no. Okay. No.

It was just, so my mom's ex-husband, he was a drug addict and he lived at home with us, so there was a lot of that going on and a lot of abuse taking place. And also, even before that like you know unfortunately drugs and alcohol is something that runs in my family and it's something that I've dealt with since I was very young so dealing with the effects of that right having guardians who you know are essentially drug addicts. So dealing with a lot of stuff like that.

But yeah, I wouldn't say like, I mean, I started smoking as a teenager, the normal teenager stuff or whatever, but like a lot of the issues and stuff that I went through, I wasn't taught how to deal with. So essentially I got into trouble in the street, you know, got into things with a bunch of people and stuff like that because I did anything not to be home. My home life was just all over the place. So what happens, a poor kid from the street,

you try to find love and family in the street and that's what happened but then yeah I you know I it was whatever but then after my dad passed away that's because everything that I went through before then that I never dealt with him passing away was like the soda bottle finally like burst and you were super close at that point you had an up-and-down relationship yes at that point you were like the best of friends yeah so my dad struggled with addiction while I was growing up and as a kid I I didn't really understand addiction much right so my dad he struggled he was also blind so he dealt with depression a lot so I didn't as a kid you don't understand these things,

right, so in my head I'm like, why is this dude such an asshole sometimes, you know? But thankfully, as I got older and I started experiencing my own depression and anxiety and struggles with certain things, I started to understand him a little more. And then finally when I was older, after I had my daughter, I finally built up the courage to understand him a little more and then finally when I was older after I had my daughter I finally built up the courage to sit him down and ask him and have a real serious heart-to-heart talk and that was it

that was the moment that I he he wanted me to understand him. What did you ask him? Just why, you know, why, like, I just wanted to understand him, you know. And one of the main things that he told me that affected him deeply, not just his blindness, not just him not being able to make his dreams come true, he struggled a lot with, he felt like he couldn't be the father that he wanted to be. And that ate him up. And one thing that I'm glad that I told him was his presence was the greatest present that he could have ever given me.

And yeah, from there, it was amazing. That was like my big brother, my dad, like best friend. He was my biggest cheerleader. And um... He'd be tripping at all this shit. Oh yeah. I can't imagine, you headlining at UBS. Is he on your mind a lot this week? Yeah, especially in New York.

And I'm sorry for the emotion. Do you want Kleenex? You good? I'm sorry, man. I know how much you're close to him and you had a great post about being at MSG and the things that he said to you about taking you to see that. I think this is what it was. What a great line this is. That day he pulled me aside and said,

it's crazy how all those years ago I brought you to see all your favorite wrestlers and here I am today coming to see my favorite wrestler. That shit lives with me. Yeah, no, I know, man. I know for sure. And so when, it was just unexpected, right? New Year's Eve or so? Yeah. 2020. I woke up, I was in Jacksonville for AEW. Yeah. And woke up New Year's Day, got to the arena

and got the call. Damn. Yeah, he was in my house the week before Christmas Day. We were all together. Just sudden? Yeah, it was, he had health issues that he didn't really talk about or that nobody really knew.

And my dad was a stubborn human being to put it lightly. And his thing was he didn't want to be a burden on anyone. So he kept a lot of things to himself. Okay. And you know, things caught up to him. So is that when you start to self-medicate? Oh, that was it, yeah. That was, because again, like, everything that I went through in the past, it came to the surface.

And losing him... Yeah, it was a lot. And then after that, like, with things at work and things at home, it was just a whirlwind of multiple things, you know. How long before you go to rehab? Like how long does this- Oh man, he died in 2020. I went to rehab in 23. Oh wow.

So it was three years like this. What kind of a person are you in those three years? I'm not the person that I liked. Yeah. Yeah. those three years? I'm not the person that I liked. Yeah. As an addict, you know, we, when we're in active addiction, we're trying to fill a hole, you know, and like, I never, I never did drugs and alcohol to have fun. Like it wasn't fun at all. I did it because I didn't want to feel anything, you know.

And yeah, like just being who I am today and looking back at that person, I feel bad for that person. But I ultimately needed to be that person. Why? To get to where I am today. And to truly appreciate who I am today. I always say, gutter to glory. You have to walk through the fire sometimes. And that was like, I needed rock bottom.

Like, thinking about it now and being where I am today, and that was like, I needed rock bottom. Like thinking about it now and being where I am today, because ultimately that was the foundation that I started to build upon. What was rock bottom? Rock bottom was, I was getting that letter from my daughter. Christmas, where she said she just wants her dad to stop. Did you know that? Did you know that she was feeling this way?

Or did you even know that she knew that something was wrong? No. No. Why? There was a lot of signs because I've said this before, I wouldn't come home for days. And that's just not like me. I was always very present and always took her to school in the morning, always picked her up, always.

Once that started happening, she was like, wow, what the hell is going on? But also at the same time, it's like, you know, when you're an addict, you're selfish. You're not thinking about who you're hurting outside, right? You just, uh, you just think you're hurting yourself. And, um, that was like a huge eye-opener, you know, getting that letter from her. And then my grandmother wrote me a letter that she sent me. And, um... yeah, that was my rock bottom.

That was, like, the same, like... the same thing that I went through as a kid. I was on the path of giving that to my daughter, and I promised, and I swore that I would never do that. And the fact that, like, I was doing that, it tore me up. There she is, your beautiful daughter. I love the post that you had about the time that you spent in LA with her, the daddy daughter trip,

about all the things that you guys did together. I have a daughter myself, so much respect to you. How long were you in rehab for? Dirty days. How did you explain that to her? That was also one of the hardest days of my life. Cause I sat her down and her mom and I were like because like we've always made it a point to make her feel a part of whatever

conversation we were having you know and I've always spoken to her like a human being not like a child you know and you, I sat her down and I told her daddy is sick. And I have to go away to see some doctors that are going to make daddy better. And I promise you that when daddy comes back, he's going to be better. And And her mom told me that when I left, her biggest concern was, am I going to have food? Am I going to have a bed to sleep in? Damn. Yeah. Were you able to interact with her during that time?

I called her one time. Okay. But I didn't, they allowed visits after when you're halfway through. Okay. But I could not allow them to see me there. Right, right, right. So I just needed to focus on myself, get myself better.

Do you decide after the 30 days to leave or do they say that? No, like it was a 30 day program. Okay, and have you been sober since then? 881 days. Damn, congrats. Thank you. How hard was it in rehab?

Hardest thing you've ever done? Now at this time, you're an AEW star. TNA star. No one knew anything. No one knew? Not one person. Not even the company? Nobody.

What did you tell them? I was away injured. Wow, okay. I disappeared from social media. I disappeared from everything. No one knew. Only three people in my family knew. Wow.

Did you tell them when you came back? I came back, I did, yeah. And the reaction was just like, why didn't you reach out? Why didn't you tell them? It was my problem to deal with. Maybe they could have helped, you didn't want it. No. Okay.

It wasn't even a pride thing. It was more of, again, this is my problem. It's my job to deal with it. So what month is that, if you remember? February 16th I went in. February 16th of 23? Yep. February 16th of 23, two and a half years later,

you're headlining UBS. That probably felt a million miles away in that point, right? 100%. And that's, going back to the initial question, that's when you probably think you're squandering all of this. Mm-hmm. And then, you know, when I got out,

and I finally got home, and was like it was go time because my daughter's mom sat me down and she really gave me like a real eye-opener she was like yo you're a poor Puerto Rican kid from the projects who a lot of your friends are not alive today look at what you've been able to do look at what you've been able to accomplish and you at what you've been able to accomplish, and you're gonna piss it all away, or you're gonna be great. And I refuse. I got a little girl that looks up to me. And that was all I needed. That was the turning point.

It was a wrap. Yeah. And I never looked back. Wow. Ultimately, why did you decide to leave aw? I'm the type of person that I need constant growth in my life and Especially in this cut in this line of any line of work, right? If you're not growing then what are we doing? Right, right ultimately, that was the ultimate case. I was just a lot of unhappiness, a lot of things that I just wasn't about, and ultimately, business is business, right? And I'm a brand the same way that they're a brand,

and I was like, I need to take care of my brand, and I need to continue growing, because this wrestling thing, this is my life. I've dedicated everything to this you know so I'm also not the type of person that I could just sit and collect a paycheck that's just not me never has been so it was just about that time and there was no heat there was no hard feeling there was you know it is what it is. That's the wrestling business. People come, people go.

Right. And, um, I looked at it as like, I need to do what's best for me and my career and my life and my sanity. And, uh, I did exactly that. Was I, uh, um, worried was, was there fear and stuff? Yeah, of course.

I'm leaving a guaranteed paycheck of a lot of money. I have a family but Me having done the work on myself I knew the work that I was willing to put in to get to where I wanted to be and look I'm in the main event Yeah, UBS, right Did they try to keep you? So I had asked for my release multiple times. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah when I came back and like I had the the the short feud and match with my ex-partner and then

After that like they stopped bringing me to TV. So I was like, you know, just get me out. I'm good You know, like let's just whatever and whatever, and I asked maybe two or three times, and finally they granted me my release, and I was like, thank you. So you were in TNA for many years, then you go to AEW, you were there from the inception, five or so years. The natural step would seem to be you try to go to WWE. But you went back to TNA.

Why did you go back? And I've heard you say this is where I wanted to be. And that's a nice thing to say, but like why? I wanted to be a part, like so, I've always prided myself of keeping my ear to the ground no matter what, right? This is my career. So I've always paid attention to what TNA was doing

while I was away and they were doing great things. I'm very close friends with Josh Alexander, so I would talk to him a lot while I was at AEW and get a lot of stuff from him and see how things were going. And also, like, I've had such a great relationship with everyone at TNA, and I wanted to be a part of that growth. You know what I mean? And I knew that they were also going to give me

the opportunities to grow. And ultimately that's, what more can you ask for, right? And if they're gonna give me the opportunities, now I need to do my part in showing that I could take the ball and go with it. And thankfully up to this point, I've been able to do that. Was there like a difference, a palpable difference between this era and the one where you left?

Because it felt to me, correct me, you were there. I've said this to Carlos Silva last week. Like I was buying the TNA pay-per-views when they were 9.99 on Wednesdays from the Nashville fairgrounds, like back in like Oh two Oh three, right. The NWA belt.

So I've been watching and trying to support for all those years. And it felt like once it went to impact wrestling and all this, like it felt like it was like almost not quite six feet under, but like five feet. It was close. You know what I mean? The total afterthought on the wrestling business.

There was WWE, AEW, New Japan was doing their thing, all these other Indies. And then for some reason it feels like as of late, so when you got there, were you starting to sense that they were turning the corner? Yeah. So I, I, for me, those Vegas tapings that happened, the pay perper-view and then when Nick Nemeth showed up, that was like, it was like a match. It was lit, you know. And I remember watching and I was like, oh man, just the excitement, right? Also, I don't know if you saw the, that package video that they did where Frankie comes out of the water with the box, right? Man, when I saw that, I was ready to run through a wall for sure. And just like the, it was so well done and creative. And it was like, if you're

not rooting for TNA after watching that, come on. And then they delivered after that. And then, so that was January January I came back in April. January of 2004? No no no of what 24. 24, yes of course yes. Yeah so that happened in January I came back in April so shortly after. Yeah so like I was worried I was I'm a bit I'll say I'm a big Scott D'Amore fan. He actually writes for the website on crown.com. I was worried when they parted ways with him. Had he left already by the time you came back? Yes, yes.

It was a very short time. You were with him back in the day. Yes, I was. So I was like, man, this guy is doing something. I felt like he was somewhat responsible or a part of the thing. And so I was worried that like all the good vibes were gonna come.

Yeah, I think a lot of people were. Yeah. Yeah, a lot of people were. And Scott's a great guy. Like I've had a relationship with Scott for a long time. He was there when I first got to TNA and we always developed a great relationship and we hit each other up from time to time.

But yeah, a lot of people thought that it was just going to die out. Honestly I give it up to the locker room because they had put in so much work and so much dedication that nobody was going to allow that to happen. Aside from you know behind the cameras and stuff like that but that locker room is like they bleed TNA and over their dead body was they're going to allow anything like that to happen so hats off to everybody. But yeah it's been great it's a huge difference going back to that it's a huge difference. I we came in and it was like during a very low point and but to see where it's at now, man, from that is insane.

The WWE partnership is surreal too. 100%. Because like, this never happened, right? The fact that Trick has your title and he's on their TV and you're on their TV and then they're on your TV, it's wild. I had Matt and Jeff in a couple weeks ago and I asked Matt about this and I said, why is WWE doing this?

And he's like, let's just be real. They're trying to hurt AEW. They're trying to prop up TNA and help TNA get better to hurt AEW. Do you believe that or do you think there's another reason? I wouldn't say that I believe that, but again, like I feel like partnerships help everyone. I feel like it's everyone wins, you wins, the wrestlers, the fans.

I feel like right now with the TNA and NXT stuff, TNA is getting a whole lot more exposure with dealing with WWE and a lot of the NXT dudes coming over to TNA are getting exposure, getting more experience, working with more experienced guys. So everybody's winning, right? For me personally, like I don't even look at stuff like that. You know what I mean? Like I'm always in the mode of like,

let's just work, put out the very best product that we could. Screw everything else, man. All the other bullshit doesn't even matter. How are you received backstage at NXT? It's been great. Like they consider you one of their own. It's not like you're the TNA guy and you go over there. No, so also there's a lot of people at WWE and at NXT

that I have worked with before in the past and like thankfully I've been around a while so like going there was just seeing a bunch of familiar faces you know and it was a they were very welcoming very hospitable and like the locker rooms as as you know locker rooms are very sacred grounds and very protected in the fact that they welcome me in to that locker room and I sit with the boys. Was it weird for you at first? No.

That you were at a WWE show and not part of the company, so to speak? No, not at all. I've earned this. Yeah. Like I've worked for this. Everyone wants to, at some some point be with WWE, if you're in this business.

So did it feel like you had made it so to speak? How did you process that? Like honestly going into it at first, when I first showed up to Battleground and I had that initial like interview or whatever, it was like, I was going in with it honestly another day at the office. Like I'm here to work. It was like, I was going in with it honestly another day at the office.

Like I'm here to work. You know, was there excitement? Was there, of course, like who wouldn't be? But I'm here to do work. I'm here to represent myself, represent my brand. And that was my mindset. And then afterwards, like, you know, going to NXT and all this stuff,

I was like, man, I worked for TNA, AEW, and WWE. So that was a huge accomplishment for me, and it was pretty cool. And, but yeah, otherwise, it's great, and I love it, and I love what I'm doing, and I appreciate what I'm doing, but I'm working. I love how proud you are of TNA. You say you guys bleed TNA, all that stuff.

The fact that an NXT guy has your belt, how does that sit with you? It doesn't sit right at all. Yeah. I got to give Trick his due, right? He's paid his dues. He's busted his ass over at NXT and stuff. He's had some great moments. He's a his dues, he's busted his ass over at NXT and stuff, he's had some great moments,

he's a great worker. But I don't think he truly understands or appreciates the weight that's been put on that belt and what that belt truly represents and means. I said it at a Great American Bash, I feel like he takes it for granted, and it's more of like a chip to add to his ego. And there's a lot of guys like myself, and like a lot of guys in that locker room, that belt, like, a lot of people have busted their ass

for that title, you know? And yeah, it doesn't sit right with me at all. Also, not for nothing, I think one of the nicer belts in the game. Yeah, it's a beautiful belt. Like the way it's evolved to the point that it's at now, it's beautiful. What do you think of Joe, Joe Henry?

What a great story, I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And seeing him at WrestleMania was incredible royal rumble. Is there any part of you that's like, I want that, I want the WrestleMania spot, why is it always him? Of course, no, I don't ever look at it as why not me? Everything happens when it's meant to. And I know that I'm on the path and I'm putting in the work to get to that point.

I respect Joe, I respect how he's represented the brand, the work that he's done. But for me personally, I'm a worker's worker, man. I didn't have a catchy song to get popular. I didn't have a big machine behind me to get popular. I got popular by what I do in that ring. And I feel like my rise and where I'm at today is is really grassroots and from the mud you know what I mean and I think people see that authenticity that I bring you know and that's what separates me from anybody. Are you a boxing fan? Somewhat. I was just at MSG on Friday Amanda Serrano. She's one of the homies. Yo it it was so loud. Yeah, it was so loud

It felt like we were in San Juan you damn right with the freaking flags and one on or she didn't win But like I don't know if you saw the walkout. She walked out bad bunny and You know New York and she had this woman rap song. I don't remember the name What is it again at Evie Queen? Tina Tasha. Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, okay. Come Out Walk. It was, my ears were ringing. And so I wonder what the pop is gonna be like on Sunday.

Listen, we're loud and proud for a reason. Are there gonna be a lot of Boricuas there? We in New York. I hope so, yeah. You're definitely right, you're definitely right, man. And I'm excited, man. Like, again, this is a huge moment. And I carry my city and my coach

on my back man I've made that a point like my entire career so I know they coming out for sure. What an incredible story thank you so much for coming in thank you for having me I really appreciate it and sorry for making you cry but thank you for wearing your heart on your sleeve yeah it makes us emotionally invested in you and wanting to root for you so I wish you nothing but the best. Much love and respect to you and good luck on Sunday. It's a slam-aversary. They're calling it the biggest show in TNA history. They've just, I think, released more tickets, right? Yeah, they opened up more sections, more tickets. It's going to be the

biggest show in TNA. Love it. We'll be watching. There it is, Joe Hendry versus Trick Williams, the current TNA champ versus the pride of new york and Puerto rico mike santana will take a quick break and we'll be back with manny pacquiao do not go anywhere. Oh, yeah All right back on the program uh, that was shakur stevenson. What about mike santana? Here is ultimately what I hope with these conversations. There's nothing That I love more as I've said many a times, than interviewing people. And I'm a fan of sports, I'm a fan of human beings, I'm a fan of interviewing,

and obviously I'm a fan of combat sports. And I get maybe that sometimes, you know, if you're an MMA fan, you may not know, but trust me, that's all I'll say is trust me. And hopefully, at the very least, you realize why we want these people on the show, why we wanna talk to these people, why we want to introduce you to these people.

Because regardless of if you're a fan of their line of work or not, how could you not at least be captivated and want to watch and root for that man, for everything that he's overcome and been through. That's how I feel, and that's how I consume media. Sometimes you're like, oh, I know this person I'm in. Sometimes it's like, oh, I'm gonna trust this outlet

or interviewer or show that they know what I want and this will be good, this will be worth my time. And more often than not with my favorite shows, it is. And so I take so much pride in being able to, first of all, have these people in studio, so thank you to TNA, thank you to PFL for bringing them in. And I take so much pride in trying to get you to learn more about them

and being as diverse of a show as possible. Like this week has been amazing, from the boxing interviews to the MMA stuff to the wrestling stuff. Bare Knuckle on the Dzone show yesterday with Dave Feldman, that's what fulfills me. That really is what makes me exciting. I don't want us to be a singular focused show.

And we'll give everything it's due. And we know that ultimately the anchor is MMA around here, at least that's how I feel but if you're a fan of people and fighters personalities it doesn't really matter at the end of the day. All right in a few minutes time we're going to be joined by our next guest but we do have some time to answer some more questions so shall we go back to On The Nose? So shall we go back to On The Nose? On The Nose Damn right.

This is from, and we have some, you know, we have some, some time to make up because last two weeks we didn't have On The Nose. So I'm trying to, trying to give back. Slanging and banging says, salut, Ariel, et les amis. I'm going through a lot right now. And I just want to say that I greatly love and appreciate each and every one of you. Quick question, how might one be led to navigate their sense of identity when they weren't brought up in childhood with proper direction or instruction and basically have been through a whole lot mentally and physically?

When and where did you figure out who you were and what you believed in and how does one navigate that as they grow and change through it? Merci beaucoup, je vous aime tout. I love you all. Man, that is definitely a complex and deep one. I would say to try your best to surround yourself with people who inspire you, with people who make you feel good about yourself, people who make you feel loved and appreciated, I would say to try and determine what makes you happy, what makes you feel a certain way,

what makes you excited, what makes you smile. I've always said, like when I wake up and I know like, man, I'm gonna have this dude Mike Santana in studio today, this young upstart that gene, I'm gonna get to talk to Manny Pacquiao, Joe Parker, Tim Zou, like that excite, I was excited to come to work today. I was excited to be with my daughter and make her breakfast

and see her go to the bus so happy. Like these things make me happy. These things make me fulfilled. These things make me feel like I have purpose. And that doesn't happen tomorrow. That doesn't happen in 24 hours. That happens over time. And so that's about finding your reason to live, finding your reason to get up, finding

your reason to be excited, finding your reason to push yourself and try to be the best human being that you can be and try to evolve and try to mature and try to get everything that you can out of this life. You only get one shot. And so ultimately no one can tell you, yeah, take a left turn here and then you'll find your identity. It comes through time. I'm a different person than I was 20 years ago.

I have different interests. I have different passions. We all do. If you're the same person, if you are on the same path, you're not growing and you're not actually living, in my opinion, like the best life that you can live because through experiences and through ups and downs and through the people that you meet, you will evolve over time. And so I would say to you, try your best to surround yourself. That would

be step one. Try yourself to surround yourself. Try your best to surround yourself with the kind of people that will make you feel happy and fulfilled. That would be step one. And find that thing that makes you want to wake up and work or learn about. And that would be step two. And good things will happen. I do believe there seems to be, and I wish you nothing but the best, my friend. I do believe that there's some breaking news here. This is courtesy of our good friends over at Misfits Boxing. How about this guys? What do you think of this? Misfits Boxing 22 on August 30th at the AO arena in Manchester

is going to be headlined by Darren Till versus Luke Rockhold, co-main event. Tony Ferguson versus Salt Poppy. Nah, say you're kidding. Wow. Say that's not for real. Rick's broken heart. Who does he cheer for here? El Cucuy or? This can't be real the MFB bridgerweight title and the MFB interim middleweight title Tony fighting for another interim title. Oh

My god, you know yourself. That's 160 pounds. So right in the- I mean, Tillon- Yo, Ferguson versus Salt Poppy, what? Huh? Why does every Misfits card have to be like movie themed? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I actually saw a video of Luke Rockhold very recently. He had bleach blonde hair. He was hitting the midst, he was looking.

I mean, he's always in tremendous shape. Luke Rockhold versus Darren Till. Which one are you more into? Tony versus Salt or Luke versus? You calling him Salt is crazy. SP? I can't pick between my two. Is that gonna be the next Filipino boxer

we have on the show? Salt Puppey, we've had him on before. I'm curious. We're gonna have Manny Pacquiao? No, I know, yes. Yeah. No, I know. Yes. Yeah. Fascinating.

So we had of the four names are MMA guys is, is, is, is, is misfits going down the MMA boxing path. Yeah. Versus Rockhold is a, is a fascinating one too. Also that's only in like six weeks. Yeah, August 30th. I'm looking forward to it. AO arena Manchester.

Circle it. Going? The zone, yeah there it is. No, I can't make it. Return to Manchester. It would be nice. We're on the outs. Misfits boxing 22, how about that?

Who's the favorite in the main? Like, I know that. You gotta're gonna think till gotta be Darren till who's the favorite of the co-main Probably salt poppy what the hell What the hell? What happens if Tony Ferguson gets knocked out by salt poppy? Nothing, I mean he just just doesn't have a fight. Poppy's striking not that bad, by the way. He's not that bad.

I'm just saying, what was Salt Poppy doing in like 2020 when Tony Ferguson was at his peak? Oh my God. I think he was doing those videos where he was going like this. He's doing the Running Man videos. Yeah, the Running Man. Rick, what was the one with the salt where he was like?

Yeah, well, that was his thing. He started with the running, then he turned it into salt and then he started doing the sprinkle like the salt bay it was uh it was a time now he's fighting Tony freaking Ferguson. I wonder how many rounds doesn't say that is that's something madness. Ring of Thrones can't wait. I had heard that there was some talk of trying to get Dylan on there, but who knows? Who'd he fight? You, GC?

I'm down. Would you do it? If we got to go to Manchester for sure. Would you do a misfits? They would sign you up in a second. Yeah, sign me up in a second. I don't think Dylan Dennis would fight me though. No, no, no, like would you do like,

you know how Wade did it, like would you do a fight? Oh, like a four rounder? Yeah. The money's right. If the money's right, Mams, get on the phone. Yeah, we'd all corner you. It would be myself, Rick, Frank holding the bucket, luchador mask, could you imagine the vibes?

And then I get iced. The problem is I feel like you wouldn't be able to work on the show. I get is I feel like you wouldn't be able to work on the show. Well yeah, I wouldn't be able to work on the show, and then I get iced by someone named like HS Tiki Taki, and then I can never show up. No, no, no, no. Bro, you're not ready for HS Tiki Taki. Let's slow the row. That's actually true. I'm not ready for HS Tiki Taki. Let's start lower. I mean, if the car is in Manchester, I could just pull up at the Aspenalls gym and just.

Oh my God. By the way, there is no doubt in my mind, literally zero doubt, Tom Aspenall would corner you. Could you imagine Tom and Andy in the corner? Could you imagine I'd take a like a eight week hiatus. From the show? I'd do it remotely over in Manc. I think it'd be worth it.

Yo. Something. it'd be worth it. Yeah, something I'd be so you do the show from from the podcast studio at the gym. That's what I'm saying Yeah, we need the right we need the right opponent and the right offer I'm thinking like five seven a hundred twenty five pound opponent Look as Connor's representation in this in this whole thing We're open for a conversation. we're open for conversation we're open for negotiations gonna need at least a 40 pound weight advantage oh yeah some more breaking news at the UFC 318 yeah thank you

looks so amused no why why why no that was important for the UFC at the UFC 318 media day Dustin Poirier confirming what he had thrown out on this year program. Remember he threw out the idea of Little Wayne, New Orleans own, walking him out, Louisiana's own? Well, he has confirmed that Little Wayne will in fact walk him to the octagon, but he is saying he isn't, he isn't ditching the James Brown. but he is saying he isn't ditching the James Brown.

Pay the cost to be the boss. Do do do do do do do do do do do. Pay the cost to be the boss. Now, do you think that A, Lil Wayne is gonna sing that song? Or do you think that B, Lil Wayne is going to sing the shine bright like a diamond. I can imagine Little Wayne's not gonna sing either of those. It's gonna be some sort of remix.

I imagine it's gonna- Shine bright like a diamond. Arena goes black, the screens light up like spinning diamonds. That comes on, shine bright like a diamond. But the guy singing it version, then it goes pay the cost to be a boss into Lil Wayne walking him out. Pride lights and beautiful scene, now you have me.

If you and I, I like diamonds in the sky. Well, that's gonna be a scene, man. It's gonna be so emotional. I'm already getting emotional. Did you guys see the face-off yesterday? This was, I believe, across the street from the world-famous Cafe Du Monde. I don't know if I ever told you guys this,

but I once shared a beignet with Mike Breen there. Oh no. He actually didn't tell us that. Jackson Square, here we are. Now, you know what my big takeaway in all of this was? Sweet shirt from Dustin. No, Max is way bigger. He's also wearing a t-shirt of his wife.

Shout out, respect that. Max looks way bigger than Dustin, right? Way bigger. Significantly. What is going on here? Made me change my pick. Camera angle. Also that watch on his wrist is gigantic too. He's beefed up, man. He is officially a lightweight.

Yeah, he's a full-time 155. Bro, he looks like a welterweight. He looks like a bridgerweight. On the embedded, Dustin Poirier said, crazy to think Max was a featherweight. He's solid, bro, he's tall, his shoulders are slim, but he's thick, his bones, his wrists, his legs are thick. And that was T-H-I-C-hmm. No double C. Mm-hmm

You know, it means you're a clarification there. Yeah I mean, I will say this every time that I was like I want to see Dustin versus Colby and Dustin would always say You know, I'm not big enough for what the way this this gives some credence. Yeah, he is definitely not big enough Well, remember when they fought in 2019 the whole thing thing was Max didn't have enough time to get big? Yeah, he wasn't a proper lightweight. He got enough time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's big.

And I've seen him do some interviews, like please take me out of the rankings, of the featherweight rankings. I am not a featherweight. Take him out of the featherweight rankings. He has been removed. He has been officially removed. He is removed.

I was looking at it yesterday, updated some graphics, and I can say he is not a featherweight. That's good. I like that. That's important. What's the point? There it is. Updated. Movsar. Did we get any sort of confirmation?

What's going on with Movsar? Yvloev. No. Diego Lopez, two. Yair, three. Arnold, four. How's Ortega, four, two? What's going on? I don't know, but I think they're going to have to squash that. Nope Diego Lopez to your year three Arnold four how's our take a four to it's going on but it I think they're gonna have to squash that Leroy oh yeah

that's right no actually Brian's fighting Aljamine I mean seven five six yep so I'm gonna say the old the everyone moved up one except for Gene Silva stayed at ten the law 11 to 9 What do we think Gene Silva's gonna be ranked by the time he fights Diego Lopez in the Noche UFC main event? You think he'll be like four at that point? What are you saying? I'll just keep rising and not fighting?

Let's just keep bumping him up every week. I also do love how we were talking about a 155 pound fight and we ended up at the 145 rankings. Yeah, why is that? Oh, it's because Max, yeah. And any sign, this is always like a big deal, any sign of LDM Montes shorts. Ooh, I see right here.

Yeah, they've been confirmed. Oh, they're sick. We're going floral. Floral? Yeah. By the way, can I just say he is shredded. Shredded. Is Max also going floral?

Is this going to be a floral on floral matchup? You think so? I would assume so, yeah. I mean, Max's custom shorts are the Hawaiian. Man, he looks fantastic. It is, do we think, do we think he's actually gonna retire? Yeah.

Do you think this is really it for him? Yeah. He looks that good. I think he's set as much though. I still have fights in me, but I wanna do other things with my life now. It will take- I to have another kid. It will take a Conor McGregor.

It will take an offer that is worth coming out of retirement for. I don't think he can't be convinced to not be done, but I do think unless that comes along, he will be content to be done. I think the wife wants him done too. His daughter wrote something. Like the daughter wants him done.

His daughter wrote something like, I'm so happy that you're done, or I can't wait for you to be done. They posted that on the uh team. God bless he is jacked. Yo. Fucking hell. At 36 too? Fucking hell. Yes Oban. That's a one two three four five six. Looks like an eight pack there. I don't even know how you get abs that defined. That's that's I don't even know how you get abs that fine. That's that's It looks good man looks good shorts look good too shows are fantastic if I'm being honest It's gonna be a good one on Saturday some other breaking news guys Wow keep it coming

This courtesy of our good friend the Brazilian beast Gilaire mayherme Cruz. Did you guys see October 25th, Abu Dhabi? A very important heavyweight fight, dare I say, number one contender fight in the heavyweight division, Alexander Volkov versus Jalton Almeida. Okay. So this to me says, you're right there, Rick. A little bit of a yawn. Yeah, it's been busy. All right. What does, don't need the, don't need the comments.

Leave it alone. All right. What does that? Don't need the, don't need the comments. Please don't kick. Leave it alone. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Uh, this to me feels like a number one contender fight and a potential like backup. Right. This to me feels like Tommy versus Surreal is the main event. Tommy Surreal main event.

Yeah. Like this as a backup. Got to see what happens with Waldo Cortez Acosta and uh. Stop it. Pat. What? Bro, you Waldo Cortez Acosta and... Stop it. What? Bro, you ain't been paying attention to the heavyweight division. Waldo Cortez Acosta is sixth

and he's fighting the number three contender, Sergei Pavlovich, in Shanghai next month. I understand. Come on, man, get caught up. I know, but that fight is not gonna produce the next guy. Waldo Cortez Acosta is one away from a title shot. Could you believe? Salsa Boy is this close to ruining the Heavyweight Division.

Oh my God, no way. What do you mean, ruining? Salsa Boy, Tom Aspinall's out called. So you do Tom. Yep. You do Tom and Cyril. Then you do Alex and Magomed in Vegas, first week of October,

and then Islam and JDM in New York City, what do you say? Bam. Sounds like we got the fall schedule done and dusted. I don't mind that, that's a nice little three-puck. It's a great one. Did you see the video of Alex Pereira weighing in? He's like 240 something. I'll send it to your phone, I'll send it to your phone. All right, I'm sending it right now. Hey, Eric, you're done over there. You see the video of Alex Perera weighing in he's like 240 something

Can you chill out No, no His phone is sideways. Hey Rick, man, you wanna go get some lunch? No, no. The eyes, that's what we're gonna start calling him. Well the eyes. Look at the fingers. And his mic's not on right now, but he's definitely whispering the message out to himself.

We'll have him on 245 Eastern. The best is when the lights completely go off for Rick. You're mid conversation, then he locks in and everything you're saying is just going off into the evening. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Every time that happens, Frank's like, what do you say, Frank?

And then I found $20. And then Rick's like, wait, what, you found $20? Frank's like, I'll just go fuck myself. Oh my God. Still to come, Tim Tzu, the pride of Australia, returning to action, still to come, Manipakiao, the pride of the Philippines, but guys, we have a very, very, very important interview

happening in the next few seconds, okay? This one is near and dear to my heart because, I know, I'm setting it up, I'm setting it up. In the next few seconds, very, very near and dear to my heart because this man has stolen my heart. This man has stolen my heart. I am a huge, I have no problem being unbiased when it comes to this man. Because sometimes when

you see the way the sausage is made in combat sports, you're disgusted. Sometimes you see the way the sausage is made and you recognize that there are certain things that just aren't right. Something's rotten. And what's happening right now in the heavyweight division in boxing, which by the way is enjoying a renaissance, it hasn't been this interesting in quite some time. At the very top, it is rotten. Now I am not here to poo poo this Saturday's event.

It's a big show. It's Wembley Stadium. It's undisputed. It's Usyk Dubois, how many fights does he have left? I get it. It's big. I'll be watching. I can't wait. Good luck to everyone working on the show. It's a big deal. Yesterday, Frank Warren's talking about, oh, Undisputed in England, first British guy to win Undisputed. I get it. But all that reeks a little bit. You know why? Because back in February, because back in February, it was supposed to be big Joseph Parker, the big goose himself against Daniel Dubois in Riyadh. And that fight was supposed to determine who was going to fight Alexander Usyk for undisputed.

Well, guess what happened some 36 hours or so before the event, all of a sudden Dubois disappears, we still haven't really gotten some kind of confirmation. No real, no real, real story as to what happened. And all of a sudden, Joseph Parker has to beat Martin McCauley. He, he, he does some off in like around and a half and you think, all right, they're going to right the wrong. They're either going to run it back with Dubois or he's going to fight Usyk. And to all the idiots out there that will say, Oh, U60, uh, excuse me. Uh, Dubois the IBF champion.

Of course, of course he should fight Usyk. And to all the idiots out there that will say, Oh, Usyk, excuse me, uh, Dubois the IBF champion. Of course, of course he should fight Usyk. Why? He didn't show up. He didn't make the walk. There were two options. You either have to run it back with Parker or Parker fights for the belt.

In my opinion, undisputed WBO interim champion, uncrowned champion, whatever it is, give him that chance. He didn't get that chance. Dubois did back in 2023 in Poland. Nevertheless, it didn't happen that way. So you would imagine, you would think that he would be in the co-main event on Saturday. You would imagine, you would think that he already have a fight booked. Maybe he has a big fight booked in, I don't know, in August. Oh, there's a heavyweight showdown over in Riyadh. Dillian White, Moses Atama, none of them, none of them are fighting him.

And so I think this is a travesty. I think what has happened here is, is, is troublesome. It is, it is disappointing. And so I wanted to have the big goose himself, Joseph Parker, just a few days before that heavyweight showdown to explain to us all what in the hell is going on. Big goose, why aren't you fighting this weekend? Why aren't you fighting for undisputed? Why aren't you fighting for your own life? before that heavyweight showdown to explain to us all, what in the hell is going on Big Uzz? Why aren't you fighting this weekend?

Why aren't you fighting for undisputed? Why aren't you fighting Uzzik? Why aren't you fighting anyone? What is happening here, my friend? You tell me what's happening? What is happening? I would love the opportunity to fight anyone and everyone, right?

We're here in England, and we're here to watch the fight against Yusik and Dubois but I feel like I should be I should be next. I should be the one to get the shot of who wins this fight in the weekend. I still feel Joseph and by the way it's great to have you and thank you and I know you had a long journey to get to England so I really appreciate you're probably very tired and jet- jet lag so we appreciate it very much. I still feel like something screwy went on in Riyadh. I still feel like Dubois ducked you. Am I crazy? No you're not crazy. I think you're just uh it's spinning facts really. I mean Dubois uh you know

he did he did get sick before the fight and now he's got the chance to fight for the championship of the world, the undisputed unified championship of the world. But I feel like he needed to fight me first. I think that they wanted to do this fight at Wembley and hey, you got the Brit fighting for the belt. Okay, it makes all the sense of the world. Have him, let's protect him. Let's not go up against the freight train that is big Joseph Parker. Let's not risk it.

We've got Wembley. Let's duck him out and we'll save him for that. When you decided to stay on the card and fight Martin Bacoli, did they tell you, all right, you take this fight, you beat this guy X, Y, and Z is going to happen to you. You'll be next here. You'll be fighting this guy. You'll be fighting on this date. Y&Z is going to happen to you? You'll be next here, you'll be fighting this guy, you'll be fighting on this date?

Listen when we as a team right when we when we take a fight We're the last ones to know what's going to be next We've been staying ready and we have been ready for whatever fights to come After multiple quality fight George and I back in New Zealand We'll be working away just working working, working, working away, staying patient, actually just staying ready. And if they don't give us Dubois, or you sick, we'll take you to the heartbeat because we're ready for any challenge

and we're ready for anyone. I've seen the footage of you back home. You look to be in phenomenal shape. I mean, you're chiseled, you look like you're fit to fight this weekend. And so in this process, once it seemed like they were going in the route of Dubois and Usyk, did they offer you anything? Did they offer you a chance to fight on this card? They didn't offer us anything.

What? How is this possible? If they did, if they did offer us something, we would have taken it straight away. Like you have seen clips where with George and I are training in New Zealand, we're training away, George is cooking all my meals and just enjoying it. I'm just enjoying the work that I'm doing, but staying ready because as soon as the opportunity comes, I'm taking it with both hands. Are you frustrated now? I wouldn't say frustrated. I'm just saying like the fight needs to be the fight needs to be done.

There needs to be a fight in place for us to to improve and get better and also just to make moves. How are you not frustrated? I want to be the champion of the world. I want to be undisputed unified champion of the world and give me the opportunity. You're in the prime of your life. You're killing it right now. You're on this unbelievable role. You've beaten everyone that they put in front of you as of late. How are you not letting this get to you?

Listen, I know that I deserve the fight. I know that I deserve to be fighting for the championship of the world, but I have to stay patient and I have to stay simplicity and consistency is what George always tells me is important in this game. I was trying to wonder, I was trying to think like, okay, what's the reason for this? And one theory that I came up with, which I'd like to ask you about is, is it possible that you're just too nice for this game, Joe? Do you think that people take advantage of your soul, the way you are? Look how nice you are. I'm trying to get you to talk some shit here,

and you won't even talk some shit because you're too nice, you're too respectful. Is it possible that you're too nice and it's being taken advantage of? It's good to be nice right? I do want to smash all these pricks in the face. Yeah, Big Joe. That's what I'm talking about Like whoever wins this weekend, I do want to smash them in the face And I think I should be given the opportunity to smash them in the face and show what I can actually do in the ring Were you invited to be there ringside or did you say I'm coming here to make some noise? I said that I wanna be here, I wanna come here. And I wanna be a part of this whole thing. And I wanna be a part of it, I wanna be amongst it.

And also I wanna feel like, listen, we've been training in New Zealand but it's nice to be here and to get the buzz, get the buzz of being here on Fight Week. And the wins, I wanna be fighting the winner. Have they told you? Have they told you? Has anyone told you? Have you made any sort of demands?

For them to say to you, you are next, you are fighting the winner of this fight. They haven't told me crap. Fuck you. They haven't told me crap. They didn't tell me anything. How is this possible? All we have to do is stay ready and be ready.

Which we are. But they haven't told us crap. Is the best case scenario Usyk wins because of Dubois wins? Frank Warren told us yesterday there's a rematch clause. So if Usyk wins. There's a rematch clause if Usyk wins? If Usyk wins. I mean if Dubois wins.

But I'm saying, if he ones, give me the winner. Yeah. I want to fight the winner, challenge myself and also give myself the opportunity to be undisputed, unified share of the world. They, they didn't offer you a fight on this card. No, they don't offer me crap. You don't feel slighted by this. You don't feel disrespected. I feel slighted on your behalf.

Listen, I can, I can feel that way. And of course I wanna fight. As a fighter, all you wanna do is fight. But just about same patient, just the same patient. But at some point the patience runs out, right? At some point you say enough is enough. Yeah, sometimes the patience runs out and you just have to smash the promoters in the face.

Yeah. Who's getting smashed? Who do you want to smash in the face? Everyone and anyone. Everybody. Can I ask, okay, maybe not on this card, but did they try to get you on another card recently? Did any names get brought to your attention?

What about this Dave Allen? He said that your name was brought up with all due respect to him. I mean, I feel like that would be a bit of a step back for you, no? I think with Dave Allen, all respect to Dave Allen, I'm trying to chase to be champion of the world. I'm not trying to chase just any fight fight in a neighborhood. I want to be champion of the world and I think we need to take those fights that can get us closer to that goal. Was that brought your attention? Dave Allen was that brought your attention and did you tell them to kick rocks? It was brought to my attention

but again Dave Allen all respect to what he's done in recent times, but it's not my goal. I want to be fighting those guys who are above me. Danny Dubois, USEC, Championship of the World, bring me those guys. Yeah. The only one, if you couldn't fight for the championship, if these guys are tied up and there's a rematch, blah, blah, blah. The only one I thought is like, all right, let's just do the AJ fight.

Rematch, high profile. Why is AJ not ready? Like, I mean, I know you had some sort of surgery, but bring on AJ. Has that been mentioned? Has that been brought up? No, again. What is it? Again, we're in New Zealand waiting for any fight and every fight.

But it's just been so long. That fight against Pakoli was five months ago. Everyone else is fighting again. I know. It's crazy. It's crazy. But we do need to lock in a fight as soon as we can because I'm not getting any younger. Sure.

And I do want to become champion. And listen, I'll smash you guys. Just give me the opportunity. Who do you think wins on Saturday? And I didn't want to become champion. And I know that, listen, I'll smash you guys. Just give me the opportunity. Who do you think wins on Saturday? I feel like, uh, George and I have a bit George things to boys and a one and I think you six are the one. Wow. It means George going to massage my feet off the, because, um, I feel

like, I feel like I know what's going to happen. I feel like you should go in. George's new wrong, but this time he is gonna be wrong. By the way, I remember him picking Dubois to be Joshua when no one else was really doing that back in September. Yeah. Why do you think? George is sometimes, sometimes he is right.

Sometimes he is right, but this time when he's wrong, I'm gonna have a nice one hour long foot massage from George. Ah, that's lovely. That sounds amazing. Very lucky. There's been this narrative that Dubois is a changed guy, and I think that's accurate.

Do you think the fight is closer than their first fight, or do you think it's, Usyk shows the levels? I feel like what Daniel's, it's all in his mind, really. I think he has to get past that. There's like a hurdle in his mind that he has to get past it. And I feel like if he can, he can improve big time, but it's all up to him really. So it's all, it's all, I think it's mental, mental, like physically he's already there. That's all mental for Daniel Dubois. You know, there's this show in August, I think August 16th, where Dillian White is fighting Moses Satauma. I thought maybe you could talk about that. Like, physically, he's already there, but it's all mental for Dario Dubois. You know, there's this show in August, I think August 16th, where Dillian White is fighting

Moses Satauma. And I thought maybe you'd get on that card as well. But now it seems like it's filled. I want to get on any card. Geez, Luis. I want to get on any card. I want to get on every card. Dillian White is fighting Moses Satauma because he got, I think he got off a big payday.

And Dillon White, he took the biggest payday there was for him. He probably won't win that fight. You don't think so? You don't think Moses beats him handedly? I think so. I think Moses does beat him. Wow. Moses is young, fast, hungry,

and also very, very, very talented. Your promoter now is, is it, is it Frank in Queensberry? Frank, Frank Warren, yeah. Frank Warren in Queensberry. Are you sitting down with him this week? Are you meeting with him? Yeah. When's that?

We're gonna meet with him after this fight this weekend. And we need to put things in place. Do to put things in place Do you need me there? Huh, you need me there? Come on, so come on. You need me there. I feel like I need to talk to Frank enough of this Frank What's going on here? Do you like hey Frank by the way Frank with all due respect Hall of Fame promoter If you like your other heavyweights, that's fine. Just let us know and we'll go somewhere else Why don't you why don't you come over for the fight? Uh, I'm busy.

I didn't need you here, Russell. I know, I know. I wish I knew you were going to be there. Maybe I'm lucky in these fights and I need you here to talk to you. I told you, I'll be your wise man. I'll be your Paul Heyman. I'll be your guy. Everyone needs a guy by his side. Let's do it. Let's do it. By the way, I'll be your guy. Everyone needs a guy by his side. Sometimes you need that guy. By the way, George could be that guy too. Nah, once this fight happened at a weekend

and Yusek wins, then George would be in a- I'm not Ariel. Yeah, George ain't no Ariel. Yeah, I appreciate that. Yeah, and I'm no George, and I'm no George. I don't mean to like, you know, like belabor the point, beat a dead horse. It just feels like something weird is going on

with how you didn't get, because look, you beat Dubois in February, which I thought you were going to. You're fighting for undisputed. I know, it's quite weird, really. It's quite weird, it's quite strange what's happening in the division. And what more can we do? What more do we have to do to get a big fight?

Could I ask, did they try, once he fell through and then you fought, did they try to run it back with you in Dubois? Or did you like that to me was the natural, like, oh, the fight fell through 24 hours, 36 hours. Let's just like just run it back. He went through a whole training camp. You did as well. Was that ever brought up? Never. What? I'm not sure what we have to do. This is mysterious. What more we do to get a good fight, yeah.

And yet you're still keeping a positive outlook. Still positive, still happy. And just enjoying it all. But the fight should come soon. I saw the video that you posted this this this week, the video. I keep my eyes all open. And it does. Your videos are great. Who's the who's the brain behind the videos here?

Who's who's making these? They're great. Jerry Russell. Jerry Russell comes up with the ideas. Shoots it all, edits it all. And then just, but it's about making, like, my eyes are fully focused on whoever wins this fight in the weekend.

And that's who I want. That's who I want next. Do you feel like you're gonna get it, or do you think that you're gonna get screwed again? What are you feeling right now? Probably get screwed again. Nah, Joe, what are you talking about? You gotta be positive.

You can't have that outlook. I'm very positive, but they've screwed us so many times that it just becomes natural. And it just becomes, it's just what you think's gonna happen. So, but so, whoever wins this weekend, bring it on. Honestly, bring it on. Maybe we need to rush the cage, oh not the cage, the ring on Saturday.

Maybe we need to just go in there and say, that's it. This has happened before in boxing. People have gone in. I remember Connor Ben going in there after Eubank Jr., Tyson Fury and Francis, they got in there. You have it in you to go into the ring. That's why we need you here, Iru. Could you imagine if I'm there on Saturday and I say, I bring in my guy. Enough of this. Get everyone out of the way. Here's the biggest, here's the uncrowned champion of the heavyweight division. Here's the most feared man in the division, the one no one wants to fight. Dubois

yourself, Dynamite Dubois. You weren't Dynamite Dubois, you were like a little firecracker in his presence. You ran home. So that means I'll see you what time? Yeah, yeah, I'll be there. I'll be there. You think they'll let me in the building? I'm sort of a persona non grata these days, Joseph. Yeah. They can't take the heat. They can't take my realness. They can't take the realness because it's true. Yeah.

Realness is realness. They didn't like my tweet yesterday. No? I said it was a travesty what's being done to you. Well, listen- Hey, George, what's happening to our guy, George? Tell us what's happening. He's too nice. Tell us what's happening. What's going on here?

This is a travesty. Tell me something. I've been with him for so long. Listen, I would like to consider myself a modest guy. You have a guy that was supposed to allow him to fight for a world title. He backed out as a man. You give him that title shot again. What does he do?

He goes and he freaking, he's going to fight. Who's sick? Yeah, that's great. I mean, he's, he's looking after himself, but it's like, why? He knows that Joe's gonna smoke him. But he knows Joe destroyed the boogeyman. He destroyed freaking Wilde, he destroyed Zang. He's beating everybody.

You know what I'm saying? And he's so scared. Like everybody is so scared to fight Joe. And it pisses me off because, like you said, everybody's getting fights. They offered him Dave Allen. And again, no disrespect to Dave Allen, but even Dave Allen said, I'm going to lose. He said he was going to lose. You know what I'm saying? So you're fighting people that are like, well, I'm getting a payday. Joe is the world champion. Everybody is holding his belt.

U-6 holding his belt. We saw him in Italy. He said, I'm not gonna fight you, Joe. I have two more fights. He's gonna fight DuBois, he's gonna fight Tyson, and then he's done. And I'm just sitting there like, Wow.

I say that I like, man, this is what fighting's about. Like told you what to be the best. Don't you want to prove people that you are the best? You have a legacy and it's like, there's one person right now. If you look at everybody that you six beat and he's beaten Tyson, he's beaten Anthony Joshua, right? But now you look at the, the beats of the heavyweight division, you have Anthony Joshua, you have Tyson, but you also have Deontay Wilder and you have Zang, right? And there's one man that's beating both of those guys. And if you want to freaking own the heavyweight division, smoke, you smoke Joe, you are the greatest of all freaking

time you want. There's no question about it, but you're not going to cause everybody knows Joe's going to smoke his ass. You're going to smoke him. You think Joe's too sick? I will say this. Number one, Debois is built for Joe. Like Joe would drop him in three rounds. I knew that for

a fact. The thing is what we've been doing, when people see Joe, he's going to be a completely different fighter. We worked for explosivity in the last fight. I told you from day one, he's going to win round three. Joe being the butt head that he is, did it around too. But I told you that now all we've been working on is movement, movement, movement, movement, movement and combinations. Boom. He is so like, he's going to destroy anybody that comes at him. He'll destroy the board. Like I said, the blog is built for him. Usyk. The only thing about him and Usyk is he's just a bigger version of Usyk. He's bigger, faster and more powerful than Usyk. And all respect to Usyk, I sit there and I watch and you know me, I watch his videos

day in, day out. And you, you agree with me. I haven't been wrong about a fight. Not a single fight. And I'll tell you, you agree with me. I haven't been wrong about a fight. And I'll tell you this right now. The ball's going to win because everybody's tried to box. Everybody's tried to box using. He's the greatest boxer of our time.

Footwork. I look at his biomechanics, his footwork, stuff like that. The boss, not going to do that. The boss, they'll come forward. He's going to freaking throw. And one of the, the, the biggest challenges that he ever had was with, um, just sorta, just so I came. The only difference is, is the ball is a faster, more powerful, durable version of just sorta he's going to win. I'm telling you right now, boy is gonna win on and the sad thing is if the ball wins on Saturday guess what this rematch? Yeah, if

Busek wins on Saturday, he's not fighting Joe. So I'm like no matter what happened Saturday like nobody's fighting Joe and I'm sitting there like What is he gonna do? Well, I'm gonna keep banging the drum over here He needs that big fight. Like I said, AJ is a nice consolation prize, but we don't want to go backwards. You want to go forwards. And he should have been fighting Dubois. They should have righted that wrong.

And the winner, it was right there. That was the fight that they made in February. It was right freaking there. And I still feel like we haven't been given an explanation as to what truly happened and why they didn't try to rebook that fight, rebook the fight. that they made in February. It was right freaking there. And I still feel like we haven't been given an explanation as to what truly happened and why they didn't try to rebook that fight, rebook the fight. If you don't make the walk and one guy was ready to go,

you gotta rebook the fight. And so it's, to me, it's a travesty and especially to see how nice of a guy he is and how he's done everything right. I feel like that's being taken advantage of and it bothers me. It really does bother me. So we're gonna keep banging the drum over here come out here oh my god you guys got to do it raid the damn ring no yeah

well I appreciate it I'll keep banging the jump. Thank you so much, bro. You're the man. You're the man George. You're the man Joe big oos Don't lose the faith and don't let them take advantage of you and when you talk to Frank next week Just put me on speaker and I'll tell him what's what all right Don't lose the faith don't lose the faith uncrowned, the pride of New Zealand, the pride of Samoa, the one and only Joseph Parker. Yeah, he'll have his time. I believe in him. We all believe in him. He'll have his time. The interim champion in the WBO, former WBO heavyweight champion with two defenses. He'll have his time. Have no fear. If for him, if I'm him, I want Usyk to win so that he can move on.

If Dubois wins, they're gonna run it back and then that'll probably be it for Usyk. And maybe he gets one more in there against Tyson. But really, what do you wanna see at this point? You wanna see Tyson versus Usyk three or you wanna see Parker versus Usyk, a fresh matchup? I wanna see Parker. He's a great guy. And I met him.

A couple of seconds, we're going to be joined by the great Manny Pacquiao. What a legend he is. I mean, it's an unbelievable story. He's coming back at 46. He hasn't fought in a pro bout in four years. 12 world titles in 18 different weight classes. The only eight division champion in boxing years, 12 world titles in 18 different weight classes,

the only eight division champion in boxing history, Amanda Serrano, seven, four lineal championships in four different weight classes, won his first world title at 19 years old in 1988, excuse me, 98. He's attempting to become the world champion once again, 27 years after his first world title. His 30th world title bout, I might add.

If he wins, he'll be successful in world title bouts in the 90s, double zeros, tens and 20s. And should he win, he'll become the oldest fighter behind Bernard Hopkins to win a world championship and will join Hopkins and Foreman as the only fighters to win world titles at the age of 46. He'll also be the first man to win a world title after being inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. He's the one and only, he's the living legend, he's the pride of the Philippines, the great Manny Pacquiao is here. Is he there? Manny, how are you?

Good, good. Thank you. It's nice to see you, my friend. It's great to have you here. You know the last time I spoke to you, I only spoke to you once before, it was 16 years ago, 16 years ago. You know when was the last time we spoke? It was at Yankee Stadium. Do you remember this? You probably don't remember this

because you had a million different interviews over the years, but I spoke to you at Yankee Stadium prior to the Miguel Cotto fight. Oh, that was a long time ago. Yes, yes, here it is is here it is take a listen. Look at that beautiful you sang for me. Yes thank you so much it's great to have you here. You're going through the whole fight week, the interviews, press conference, media. Did you miss all of this, Manny? Or is this the part of the game that you don't really miss and never will miss?

I miss this part. This interview, press conference, everything like that. That's what I miss in boxing. You miss everything that goes into the fight week as well, not just the fight itself. Not the fight itself, but the whole thing, like the training camp, discipline, everything like that. I know you've been asked this question a bunch, but just for the sake of this conversation, what is your reason, Manny? You have nothing left to prove. You've done it all up and down.

There's zero left for you to prove. What is the reason to come back? The reason that I came back, boxing is still my passion. I still have that ability to get a belt and win the World Title fight. And so when you say boxing is still your passion, when you walked away after the Ugas fight,

did you lose that passion? No, no, no. I just have to tell you frankly, the Ugas fight, I was distracted. There's so many destruction before the fight. You know, there's a lot of cases filed against me. Okay, and how did you eliminate those distractions? God is good all the time. Yes, He looked after you. Yes, He gave me favor and always protecting me.

When did you decide? How long ago did you decide that you would come back? When did this come back start? Well, since before after two years when I announced my retirement, like, you know, I really miss boxing, I really miss those days that, you know, doing training camp, promoting the fight, everything like that. But my, of course, I'm consulting my family, my wife, and it just happened that my wife, oh yeah, you can fight. That ability. She gave you her blessing.

Yes. Is it true She gave you her blessing. Yes. Is it true that you asked her specifically about Barrios and she said, yes, it's okay. You can fight Barrios, the champ. Yes. Were you surprised that she said yes? Yes, she said, yeah, you can fight him.

And you? And I tell her, are you sure about that? Yes, yes, okay. And then you went for it. Yes. As you probably know, when the WBC ranked you, there were some people who said, well, you've been out of competition for so long,

you shouldn't be ranked, you shouldn't be getting a title fight in your return fight. What is your response to those critics? Critics is always there. When you know, critics is part of of my career even when I started boxing.

Do you understand where they're coming from or do you think because of everything you've done in your career that you should be given this opportunity? You know, I understand that all critics, you know, I always inspired of the quote of Winston Churchill said, you will never reach your destination if you stop in Thronestone at every dog that barks. Hmm, okay. Who taught you that line? That's a great line. That's Winston Churchill. Amazing. You read it somewhere. Yeah, you will never reach your destination if you stop in Thronestone at every dog that barks.

I like it. I like it. And so here you are fighting the great Mario Baris. Have you been impressed with Mario? Have you watched his fights as of late? Yeah of course. He's taller than me and he's a champion. To become a champion is not that easy so at least he proved something yeah that he can fight. You know, we also cover mixed martial arts here, Manny, and there was a time where we thought you might fight Conor McGregor.

There was some talk of that. How close did that come to fruition, you versus Conor? Oh, there's almost make that happen at five, but the thing is, like I said, there's so many problems about his manager. Okay. Has that all been settled now? No, it's about, about, about finish. Okay.

Is that still a fight that you're interested in or because of all of that that are you no longer interested? Um, I don't know right now. I cannot comment about that because uh, The case is not yet finished. Okay. Um, you did have a couple of exhibition fights in Ryzen, uh, Which uh, they do big shows in in japan. What was your experience like with them? Oh great experience like uh,? Oh, great experience. Like, I mean, I didn't train that much, but it's good. I mean, at least for being a retired in that time,

like, you know, doing nothing, so. It's a pretty good payday for not, you know, you don't have to train so much and you show up and that's it, right? Yes. But there's a big difference between those kinds of fights and the one that you're having on Saturday, right? Oh, that's different.

Like this fight, I work hard. I trained two months in Wild Card. When you went back to Wild Card after all those years, like what were the feelings that you were feeling? Did you feel like a kid again? The smells, the feeling, the sounds being back there with Freddie and the team? I feel excited.

Like, you know, my feelings like, I can explain what I, like when I start in wild card, those days. You felt like a young, a young boxer again, starting out, nostalgic. That's right. That's right. And I'm so happy because I'm doing a training, hard work training in wild card with my son, Jim. Yes. He's a boxer as well, right? He hasn't made his pro debut just yet, right?

Not yet. This year, I think he decided already to become a professional. Was there some talk of him debuting on this card? Supposedly, but he decided not to because he didn't want to distract me. Okay. Were you happy about that or did you want him on the card? I want him to my undercard, but he decided not to distract me. He want me to focus on the fight.

How do you feel about him falling in your footsteps? Do you want him to get in the fight game? You know, I don't want him to, the real thing is that we don't want him to box, but he told us that his passion, so we support him. But I told him that, but do not expect that you will get what I have done and you will accomplish what I have done in boxing because Manipakao, it's different than compared to you. Like, I mean, I started when I was young.

Yeah. As you know, there's the famous line from Marvin Hagler about waking up in silk pajamas, it's hard to run outside at four in the morning. You know this line, right? And so your start, your upbringing, much different than his. You've given him a great life because of your success.

Do you worry that perhaps he doesn't have that extra edge because he doesn't have to fight scratch claw for food, for water, for money like you did when you were a youngster? Yeah, that's right. Like compared to the generation and then in our generation it's like different. Like we in our generations, we experience hardship and hard work, discipline, everything like that, a lot of trials in life. That's why in our generation we are strongly, easily overcome those problems in life, and especially in a difficult situation. But the thing is, this generation, like, you know, not really strong enough

to overcome all those problems, not only in boxing, but also in reality in life. That they need to, you know, they need to get this help to, you know, to be strong in terms of trials in life. When you watch him fight, is it a different kind of nerve? Like what do you feel inside when you watch your son fight? It's hard to watch, I can't watch.

Yeah. After the fight maybe I can watch. Okay, so when he makes his pro debut, you won't watch him live? I don't know, it's hard. Yeah, I understand. There has been some talk this week that Floyd Mayweather is gonna be at the fight,

and if you win, he'll challenge you for the belt. Is this a reality? Is this actually going to happen? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know by any means, but we'll see, we'll see, one at a time. Yes, I understand. I know you don't wanna. I don't know. I don't know if I envy him, but we'll see. We'll see. We'll see. One at a time. Yes, I understand. I know you don't want to look past Mario, but everyone's going crazy over this. Would you be interested in that? Of course. He's been ducking out of me.

Did they try to make the rematch over the last couple years, whether it was exhibition or not? Have there been attempts to make it? I don't want an exhibition, I want a real fight. I understand. I understand. And so with you, this isn't one and done, regardless of the result, you wanna keep it?

Yeah, it's been a long time that I I want I want give the fans a good fight between me and him But you know, he's been ducking like, you know avoiding me, but it's okay Let's focus this coming Saturday I have a business to take care of. And I'll let you go in a moment, because I know you have a busy day, but can I ask, the sport is much different

since you left, right? With all the fights happening in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Al-Sheikh, what do you make of the state of boxing right now? I want to make boxing alive again like before. Although I'm not saying that boxing is dying, boxing is still there, boxing is boxing. But I want the boxing to be in the top like what we did before. The fans are so interested to watch a good fight.

And that's what my goal is, you know, being a comeback. Have you been watching one guy who helped maybe bring some attention to boxing is Jake Paul. What do you think of what he's been doing in the sport? Jake Paul, now he has a talent. He can fight in a real boxing match, so he can be a boxer. Okay, so he's earned your respect, would you say? Yes, yes, yes.

It's not good for a boxing industry to have always like exhibition. Exhibition match is okay, but not always exhibition, but you need to have a real fight to entertain the fans. Evenly match fight. Match fight, yes. Yes. For you, Manny, when you left, did you feel differently about the sport as opposed to now?

Do you have a greater appreciation for the sport, for your career? Did the time off do good for your soul to just be away from it and now to come back and maybe the things that were annoying to you or that were just a part of the mundane routine now you appreciate all those finer details. Is that accurate?

Yes, I really appreciate for the sports boxing. And I'm really appreciate and thankful to all the people who support boxing, promoting boxing, to all the promoters, managers, everything like that, who are the boxers and promote big fights here in the United States and all over the world. Thank you especially to Turkish Alalcik, Herceg Selinci for supporting boxing. And that's good for the boxing industry.

And Dina White is now supporting boxing also. So that's good for the image of boxing. And we always support. And I'm also thankful to Al Heman for the support of all boxers here in United States. I really appreciate his effort and hard work. I love it. Do you think Dana White will be successful in boxing? I think so. With all his resources, he can contribute in boxing.

Okay, last one. I think Manny, if you win on Saturday, you'll be the first fighter to win a title, a real title after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. This is an incredible thing. It's very, very rare. What do you think of that? Oh, that's my dream. Like to make a record in boxing history. And I hope that the fans will watch it

and the fans will be happy on Saturday night. Yes, one of many records that you've accomplished throughout your career. Huge honor to have you on the show, Manny. Thank you so much. Welcome back and good luck on Saturday night. Can't wait to see you in there. Right, thank you and thank you to god for everything. Amen There he is the great mani pakiao the eight division world champion the hall of famer and looking to make some history

It's this saturday on amazon prime. It's the pbc Paperview card headlined by mani pakiao against mario barrios in case you're unfamiliar with mario We had him on the show yesterday and He's a very good fighter. He's the current WBC welterweight champion You have Isaac Pitbull Cruz against Angel Fiero on there Brandon Figueroa is on there as well And then there is a nice little combing event right over there to the left What a freaking war these two had about a year and

a half or so ago. Sebastian Fundora, the champ going up against the pride of Australia, Tim Zou, who is kind enough to join us right now. Let us say hello to the man himself right here and now. Hello, Tim. How are you? Good, thanks. Thank you for having me. It's great to have you on the program. It really is. And it's amazing to see this fight on such a big stage. Is it kind of wild? I saw a video of you and Manny together. Is it kind of wild for you to be on a Manny Pacquiao card? You're the co-main event of the returning Manny Pacquiao.

Is this kind of a surreal thing? Okay. Let's reconnect with Tim there because I think the connection is not so great. We'll reconnect with him in a moment. He is from Sydney, Australia, 25 and 2, 30 years young. The two losses weren't that long ago. Obviously, the son of the legendary Kosta Zu. Back in April, he snapped a two fight losing streak, which started with the Sebastian Fundora fight, which happened back in March of 2024.

He was the champ. Fundora took the fight on short notice. They engaged in an absolute bloody war. The pictures are nuts. They went back and forth and in the end, Fundora won the fight. And in the end, Fundora won the fight. He dropped his WBO middleweight championship, light middleweight championship, and also on the line that night was the WBC belt. Then came back in October, lost that fight. And so there was some concern about, all right, does he need an extra, you know, period of time off, does he need to take a year off this and that? Came back in April against Joseph Spencer back home

in Australia and won that fight. So back on track and won the vacant WBO, Intercontinental Super Middleweight title. I do believe he is back. Let's see if he is there. All right, there he is. Hello, Tim, how are you? Good, good, thanks.

Okay, I think this is much better. I didn't hear your answer. So just being on a card with Manny Pacquiao, kind of surreal, right? Yeah, who would have thought, you know, like Manny Pacquiao back at 46 years old, it's pretty, pretty unreal. I would have never thought growing up as a young kid,

I'd be fighting on a Manny Pacquiao card. Do you have any issue, you know, as someone who's in his prime fighting for belts, him coming back at 46 to fight for a title What do you think of that? I Think it's a tough one, especially with Mario Barrios. I think he's a one hell of a competitor Look if anyone was gonna do it's many pack out so I think I Think yeah, it's a tough one though.

Yeah, we've doubted him a lot. So let's see if he can pull it off again. You know, if we would have talked to him back in early April, heading in to your last fight, as far as your confidence was concerned, you're coming off of two tough fights, what is the difference between the guy we're talking to now coming off that win as opposed to the guy

who was trying to snap that two fight losing streak. Do you feel like a different person? Yeah for sure. I feel like over the time you mature, you grow better with age, you feel more comfortable in there and I'm sort of coming with the redemption on my mind rather than that comfort of being with the momentum right now. Were you doubting yourself at all? No, never. Never? No, never.

Never. I always knew what I was capable of and there was a lot of maybe different risks for certain things happening but yeah, you move on and I fight better with better energy around me so when you put me in big situations like that I feel like it'll only pay off. Did you make changes? Stylistically I just feel a little bit more patient rather than coming out trying to smuggle smash everyone straight away. So when you when you had the fight back in October I thought maybe and some people suggested maybe take some extended period of time off.

It was a tough year for you. You came back relatively quickly, right? It was just some six months later. Were there any people in your team telling you, maybe take some time to just get back on track and let your body heal, let your mind heal? Yeah, everyone sort of just left me alone, but I came knocking.

I can't really sit there. I feel like as professional fighters, we should be fighting. We should be like back in the days when you talk about the Sugar Ray Leonard, the Sugar Ray Robertsons, everyone was fighting back in the days. Even if they win, they lose, they just keep going on.

And that's how I am. So I sort of approach it that way. I don't take, I'm not like when I lost I didn't get depressed or anything. I just sort of found different options and different ways and how I can improve and just move on. We are fans of the Aussie fighters here and one of the best as far as MMA is concerned is the great Alexander Volkonovsky and I know you have a relationship with him and I think you guys have have DM'd each other correct me if I'm wrong I think you you received a message from him it was either after the the the fight in March against Fundora or the October

fight some words of wisdom from Volk? Yeah he he was sort of coming from the same situation as me you, a loss and he sent me a message and then he got the win and then I got the win straight away. So it's sort of like our careers were sort of at a similar stage and we both got the wins as well. So yeah, we always message each other. I always take a lot of wisdom from him. He's a true inspiration.

You know, there's not many people I look up to in the world sport and combat sports right now. But I think Alex Vorkanovsky would be one of the top guys out there for me. Have you ever trained with him? Nah, I wouldn't want to be wrestling with him. Even the striking, just to see like the differences or anything like that. Yeah, no, no, I've actually sparred with Rob Whitaker before. Wow. And he was handy.

But what I noticed was when I put the like three, because our rounds are three minutes, the pace is completely different for five minutes, they're able to pace themselves, they move around a bit more, they don't throw as much shots while three minutes is a bit more rushed. So I felt like the three minutes really suited me with Whitaker. And Whitaker is fighting in just a week's time from this weekend as well. So a lot to be excited about. Yeah, yeah. He's fighting the Grubb lot, right? Yeah, Rene De Ritter. Are you an MMA fan?

A little bit. Yeah, a little bit. I know a little bit of it. There's even a new champion from Australia, from Perth, Jack Della Maddalena. Do you know him? Yeah, I don't know him personally, but yeah, what a hell of a fight that he put on the last one. Great performance.

Against Balal Muhammad. Your fight against Sebastian Fandora was incredible, and I just saw the countdown video for it. Is this true? You had the shorts from the Bloody Affair in a bag, was incredible and I just saw the countdown video for it. Is this true, like you had the shorts from the Bloody Affair in a bag and you opened up the bag and you said they were still like wet and you were talking about the smell. You just put them in this bag and didn't wash them

or anything, there you are, here you are with- Yeah, yeah. No, I was gonna get it framed, I thought, usually after my fights I get my trunks framed, but these ones I just sort of left in the garage and was never able to get them. But yeah, they had this smell to it and they still had the moist in it.

So, yeah. Golly. What are you gonna do with them now? No, I'll get it framed. Okay. Are you gonna wash them? Nah. They can't do that, right? The blood is what makes it, I reckon.

Yeah, I love that, I love that. You also talked about how you couldn't go to sleep that night because of the fears of the concussion and through that sort of darkness, you had some clarity about your own life and that's when you decided to get married, right? Yeah, yeah, for sure. How does it happen in that moment?

You gotta find the good with the bad, you know, sometimes in dark situations, you find sometimes the best situations, you know, so it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. When you look at these pictures, people like talk about this fight, war, incredible, bloody affair, but obviously to you it represents like a tough night, right? Do you take pride in any of this or is it hard to look at? No, I don't have any bad blood from it, you know? Looking back at it, it only gives me positive memories from the fight just because of what we had to go through, what we put on. And people will always remember that fight, the amount of blood that we both lost, the amount of blood that was splattering around the ring. It was insane.

He's obviously a very tall guy, very unique for this weight. How much of a problem does that present to you? To a certain extent, it's tough. He's actually the tallest world champion right now, even taller than any heavyweight right now. That's wild. that is wild. It's pretty crazy, you know, to six foot six. Look, of course it's gonna present a few problems.

It's harder first, but I think every boxer just has to be able to adapt and whoever they put in front of you, you just have to have to get the job done. And, you know, because you have already fought him, now you come in with some knowledge, right? So you have the puzzle isn't as tricky this time around, I would imagine.

Yeah, and now I'm coming in with no cuts and no blood in my eyes, so I think that will play a big part for me. Now, how do you feel about that cut? Because it did come as a result of, it seemed like an elbow. Did you think that was just in the course of the fight, or did you think that that was somewhat intentional?

No, we look, because Southport Orthodox, we both clashed each other's feet and then I sort of slid into it and each sort of just went like that, pulled it up. So it was intentional, but he does have the tendency to throw a few of these elbows, just the way his arms are positioned when he throws it. So it wasn't intentional, but it happened, you know.

There's been a bit of a war of words between the two camps regarding the cut, regarding all this stuff. Would you say that there's a little bit more bad blood this time around? I think we're just both ready to go. We're both ready to put it on. You know, like we're not friends right. And nor do we want to be friends. You know, we're about to take each other's heads off. Do you think if that cut doesn't happen, he doesn't win the fight? Did that dramatically affect the way you fought? Uh, that's a good question. Good question. And the answer will lie down in the rematch.

I feel like the questions, the answers I have to prove on Saturday night. Sure. But just as far as like the way it affected you in the fight, it was in your face, right? It was in your eyes. How could it not affect you, right? Yeah, I couldn't see, man. Honestly, I was blindsided. You could see me wiping it up. It wasn't a normal cut. The cut was like here, right on my vein. And then once I felt it go, it sort of just went like, like a fountain was coming through.

So it was just, it was different. Geez, Luis, you've never had a fight like that before, right, with that much blood involved? Nah, I don't think there's many fights like that, you know? Like- It's more of an MMA thing, right? Yeah, many fights like that, you know, like more of an MMA thing, right? Yeah, yeah, even so, you know, like you get cuts here, usually headbutts in boxing, but to that certain extent where the blood's just dripping to the left eye, to the right eye, it was just nonstop. So yeah, whatever.

I do believe this is your first time fighting at MGM Grand, which I think is one of the best boxing venues in America. I like it way better than T-Mobile. And I think, correct me if I'm wrong, your father fought there on November 3rd, 2001. You were 7. He fought Zab Judo there. Yeah. Do you have any recollections from that fight? Yeah, of course.

It was such a historic moment. My dad became an undisputed champ there. So it's a great moment in my family's legacy and I hope to continue it on. You, I would imagine we're back home. You weren't in attendance, right? Nah, nah, my dad never took us. Why not?

I don't know, I don't know. He's sort of just business only. Sure. Family, family stays at home. Do you have any kids now? Not yet, nah. Would you employ the same mindset if you had kids, or would you want them around you?

Nah, sort of I'd want them to experience it. I feel like it's such a cool moment in our lives to be in the ring. I feel like it'd be a cool experience. When you were that age, did you already say that you wanted to follow in his footsteps or did that come later? No, it came a bit later.

It came a bit later, but I sort of always wanted to, you know, like being around the boxing gym and being around all of it sort of just grew on me. We just had Manny on talking about his son who's about to turn pro and he says he can't watch his fights live. How does your father react watching you? My dad's only watched me fight twice out of 27 fights. Wow. He's watched me fight twice. Why's of 27 fights, he's watched me fight twice. Yeah. Why's that? I don't think he likes it.

I think he gets stressed from it. Yeah, I can imagine. So this fight, he's not in attendance? No, no. Will he watch it live? I think so. I think so. Okay.

I love the line that you said in the countdown as well, where you said he should have killed me when he had the chance. Yeah. What a freaking mentality that is. Incredible. Because I'm coming back with a different mindset this time. And what is the difference? A 10-week camp. Just this relentless driver got in me right now. Do you think that because it was a short notice fight that maybe you didn't I don't want to say take him as seriously

as you should have but it all kind of happened so quickly it was all put together so quickly that maybe you weren't able to give him your full attention. Yeah I wasn't able to fully prepare. And now you are ten weeks is there a rematch clause? I don't know. I think so from what I'm aware. On both sides? Not sure. Okay. Doesn't matter. Won't be needed. Yeah. I'm planning to get rid of the put the dot into the to the to the rivalry. And do you feel it seems like you don't harbor any sort of resentment, but I did sense that some people were starting to write you off after the fight in October.

Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Do you feel like, you know, there's a part of you that wants to kind of shove this down everyone's throat, that you aren't done and you almost forgot, as the great Roy Jones once said. Yeah, yeah. That's the mentality that I'm coming in with. I love it. Well, I wish you the best, Tim.

Good luck on Saturday. Thank you for the time. Good luck the rest of the weekend. Can't wait to see you go in there and fight against Sebastian Pandora again. Thank you so much Thank you. Thank you Sam. All the best. There he is Tim Zoo the pride of Sydney, Australia Co-main event for Saturday's PBC card. We cover it all over here. We cover it all my friends. That's a big one hopefully if you're watching UFC 318 you'll Have a second screen experience and be able to watch that one because I will be locked in. I mean, it's Manny Pacquiao and that Khomein is great and Isak Pitbull-Cruz is great as well. There's a lot to like. Once again, six major cards on Saturday. Six major cards from South Africa to Poland to London to New Orleans to Las

Vegas to Texas I had to go around I had to go like there it is look at that what time what time 10 a.m. these. These are the times that the card starts. 10 a.m. 12 p.m. 6 p.m. I think Pacquiao Barrios actually starts earlier. That's the pay-per-view time. 3 p.m.

Usyk Dubois, I think that's the main card as well. Anyway, point is there's a lot to like. There's a lot to watch. Here's some breaking news courtesy of our good friend Darsh and Everything Boxing. Turkey Al-Sheikh announcing, no more pay-per-views for Riyadh season or ring shows. He has declared that Ring Magazine

and Riyadh season boxing shows starting with David Benavides versus Anthony Yard will no longer be behind a pay-per-view wall All of them because that's a that's a that's a spicy card David Benavides against Anthony yard Devin Haney against Brian Norman Abdullah Mason Sam Noakes. That's a spicy spicy card No paper so if Tyson Fury fights Usyk that's not gonna be on pay-per-view. Free 99. Free 99.

Do you remember when Dazon first came out and they said death to the pay-per-views and they had the whole thing, they had the video of. Oh yeah, I remember. What was that movie called? The office space where they were smashing all the things and it was like Bruce buffer, not Bruce, Michael buffer smashing the pay-per-view thing. Well, I guess we're back to those days. I mean, that's great. and then it was like Bruce Buffer, not Bruce, Michael Buffer smashing the pay-per-view thing.

Well, I guess we're back to those days. I mean, that's great. Like the card on Saturday, Shakur and Shiraz and Berlin, that shouldn't have been a pay-per-view in my opinion. Like if you want the sport to progress, if you want the sport to be seen by as many people as possible, remember it's already behind a paywall

Now you're adding to the paywall. It's already it's all free on the zone. So it's already behind a paywall You can't add to that paywall You can if it's the right fight. Well, I understand but how many of those are left? That's that is the question I imagine why this move is being made also the you know, obviously the pay-per-view model incentivizes the promoters to give bigger purses to the athletes on the card, especially the top athletes. In this scenario, if Riyadh Turkey are able to take care of the financial aspect of it, this is the best thing for the fans. They're going to get these cards with their subscription. Yeah, there are too many pay-per-views.

You have a pay-per-view this weekend, you have a pay-per-view last weekend, and God forbid you're a fan of both genres, there's just a lot of pay-per-views. You know? It's a lot of money. It's, combat sports fans, no other fan base is asked to spend more money than combat sports fans,

because most of the content is behind a paywall. Off the jump. Like the fight nights are behind a paywall. Certainly not for a home viewer, you know? Yeah. Definitely not. It's a beautiful thing. Let's see, maybe, just seeing if he followed me.

No, he didn't follow me. Um. Do you think maybe after the top, he was just like. Oh. What do we got? Oh. No, no, I was just, I was just saying something. Um, what'd you say?

See you at the top, Michael Chandler? After the top of the show. I didn't say that, but I will see you at the top. After the top of the show, you're thinking say that but I will see you at the top. What are we thinking? You didn't think that was good? I thought it was high road. Yeah but you said let me see. You're thinking that that turned the tide.

Yeah. You think? Yeah. A few more questions. Shall we? Why don't we go to the Super Chats? All right. Oh, okay, no.

No? Yeah. Super Chats. You like them because they're super. Yeah. Rick G writes in, happy birthday GC. Thanks, Rick G. Yeah.

The man, the man who writes the music. Oh yeah, I love that guy. Gotta get my mustache back on. Yeah, you know yourself. That's right. Gee. Thank you, brother Shut it that gene Yeah, shut up What else Jason writes Ariel what tactics do you use so that you avoid burnout covering MMA because the schedule every Time keeps getting bigger and the quality isn't the same all year plus. Happy birthday GC.

Yeah. Well, this is why, you know, we like to watch everything. You know? I don't know. You kind of just, there was once a time where it was like, you have to watch every single thing and now you don't have to watch every single thing because it's not, there used to be something called UFC standard UFC caliber

and that doesn't exist right it's different you know what Frank fuck you all right I've been sitting here for three and a half damn hours traversing the world of combat sports talking to all the great characters nothing with no breaks it's tired oh I like this am I not allowed what else clutch attitude heard that max is looking for the toporia rematch is this true that he's the fighter with the most matches no but he could he could have the distinction of being Owen three in two trilogies if he loses, right? He will have been 0-3 against Dustin,

0-3 against Volk. Isn't that crazy? Yeah, that is kind of nuts. For a guy of his caliber to have two different trilogies would be wild. Poirier can end up 2-1 in two trilogies if he loses. If he loses, Max will have nine losses in his career and six of them would be to Justin, Porier, and Alexander.

Wait, what was Dustin's other trilogy? Connor, Max? No, those are the two. Oh, you said two and one. It'd be two and one. Two and one in both. If he loses, he'll be two and one against Max, two and one against Connor. Oh, I two and one and both if he loses he'll be two and one against Max two and one against Connor hmm oh I see what you're saying

got it which is yeah pretty good yeah comes out on top yeah I mean yeah he's already clinched a tie at least yeah in no no he'll split at least yeah being four and two against Connor McGregor and Max Otley What else clutch also wrote also happy birthday Connor Love the boys in the back except Frank. Oh, appreciate it. Club man of taste. Yeah, we all feel that clutch Yeah, you get it. Oh, was that you? Yeah one would argue Yes No one else wanted one What else sleeto GC?

What's the best birthday gift you've ever received and tell me why it's when Frank gave you those games? Ariel have you ever used the same side of a q-tip on both ears it feels naughty Hmm have you wait why did the voice go so weird on the end there? How does it say it feels not why did you read it like that? That's the word I see the word naughty and it feels naughty. Okay, so I used to be a serial Q-tip user. Some of the best. I used to use everyday Q-tips

and then I realized that's not good. So now I have to space it out, but it does feel somewhat like therapeutic What's not good about it? You're pushing it in your you're technically impacting this by the way You know that when you look at like q-tips like the back of the box and all that There is no mention of years because they don't want people jamming them in there. I actually got told this by a doctor I was like, yes q-tips every day and she's like, you know, you're not supposed to do that

I'm like, yeah. Yeah, did she looks at my ear and she was like I have to admit this is a very clean ear I'm like, alright, so Go back to your doctor's Because of a q-tip use in my ear Wow, don't go into the canal Oh, you know things happen you're trying to clean it out and you got to go get it removed after the fact Oh, I use it got stuff Japanese I'm gonna go get it removed after the fact. Oh, I use these Japanese ribbed black tubes. Not the Q-tip, not the Q-tip.

It's a weird thing, it's a dangerous thing, but I will say it feels very good. Sometimes I see those videos, you ever see those videos of the people in India where they go up to the tourists with the long tweezers and they take the thing out? What about the waxing one? No, I have wax handles.

Those are all bullshit. Yo, no, no, there's one where the guy, they go in, they go like, and they're going like, and then it's like legit that long and you're like wait, that's in all our years Gotta use a cute not Frank's apparent. What do you think? That's what do you think that feels like? What do you think that's I had when it comes out? So I got a custom Tip for the the IEM. Yeah, you did and I had to go to an audiologist that had to Fit me for a mold

They cleaned my ears that thoroughly they went all the way in and cleaned out every single thing and and I will say like You said it was quite therapeutic it felt fantastic And then what did they tell you they have small ear canals? Yeah, I do I mean they acknowledged us They had to do the molds twice you be a little small handicap plucker to hang on your car and everything Smaller count one dollar torture ear cleaning in in India? Yeah, it's crazy. You ever see the videos? They walk up to you with these long tweezers. You're like you're on the side of the road and then the dude is like Yeah, it's awful. I mean it's awful. What else Frankie? What else?

So Ariel, MMA media is booming with new outlets. Being the top player, does this motivate you to improve your skills, level up? If so, how? Is it booming with new outlets? Let me just say something right now. Let me just say something right now.

I'm very proud of my family, my kids. I'm proud of us here. I am so freaking proud of Uncrowned.com. I am very proud of my family, my kids. I'm proud of us here. I am so freaking proud of uncrowned.com. I am so proud. There is no other outlet like this in all of combat sports. Dare I say, no other outlet like it in sports. And consistently, without giving up too much, consistently crushing it over on yahosports.com,

like up against the other sports, the big dogs, so to speak. Consistently, one, sports, the big dogs, so to speak, consistently. One, two, three at worst. Relatively new outfit. Like, I mean, I'm not even a year old at this point. October 12th, I think it was, or 14th, 14th was our launch day. I am so freaking proud. Havagander. Look at what everyone's doing from the MMA side, the boxing side, the wrestling side, and, you know, the odd stuff here and there, the BKFC stuff, the glory stuff as well.

A lot of people didn't believe. And some people are trying to spew this narrative that this isn't going well. It could not be the opposite. In a day and age, where everyone is starting to pivot, we have shown that there could be a home for quality journalism in a wild and wacky world. And so the new outlet is one. There's only one unbiased outlet covering combat sports,

quality coverage of combat sports. There's only one. And it's on crown.com. I mean, shout out to everyone there, busting their ass. And of course, to our Supreme Leader Shaheen Al-Shadi. I mean, this is not a joke, by the way. I look at the site, the way someone looks at their, I don't know, their favorite car, their prized possession. I look at that site and I just gaze.

It's beautiful stuff. The piece that PT did last week about Katy, just incredible. Incredible stuff. We have a piece coming from Young Leo about Manny Pacquiao. And you know what I love about it? To that point, people are coming and going.

We have John Nash pop up for a couple things on the business side of things. Paul Gift popping up. We've had, oh, the stuff with Scott DeMore, the weekly article. I mean, it's just, it's okay. It's okay if you didn't believe. It's okay.

We still accept you. If you're trying to perpetuate a narrative that it's not going well, you're a fucking moron because it couldn't be going any better. And that's just the truth. And that isn't me sitting here like Dana White saying that we have more subscribers or views than Real Madrid. It's just facts.

Go look it up yourself, com score, whatever the hell it is. It's just facts. FAX. Very, very proud. I don't have to talk about this. You all know the show. You see it. It's all in. F-A-X. Very, very proud. I don't have to talk about this. You all know the show. You see it. It's all in front of you. Subscribers, it's all fine.

It's fine. But the website, the website has really been a source of pride. How did I get on that train? I'm not quite sure. It was a question, actually. It was a question about MMA media. About being the top dog.

How did you level up? How do you keep improving yourself? Oh, right. People are coming, you know, they're coming for the crown or on crown. Yeah, and that's the top dog. How did you level up? How do you keep improving yourself? Oh Yeah, and that's the mentality here we don't need any crowns we don't need as I put my crown on we don't need any Platitudes we don't need any padding on the back. Oh The uncrowned champs. All right, that's the mentality we have But That's the thing that some of the simpletons don't understand.

Why don't you just stick to MMA? No, we're not just gonna stick to MMA. We're gonna talk to all the big names. Oh, Manny Pacquiao, Joseph Parker, and Tim Zou aren't enough. We'll talk to a headliner of TNA's pay-per-view, biggest pay-per-view ever. And if that's not enough, we'll talk to the face of the PFL

just to tickle your fancy. The simpletons, what do they sound like again? They don't understand Frank. That's the thing they don't know the dude. I mean the dude told me he told me Shut up the Shaheen up in the chat, you know, they're on the crowns in there. What a legend. Yeah I know he's incredible find you someone to look at you the way Ariel looks at uncrowned calm. You know what? facts Find you someone to look at you the way Ariel looks at uncrowned.com. You know what facts What else Jason says Tom versus nimcov is a better fight than gone You agree with that. I don't know if I agree with I mean, it's a great fight

But I'm down I'm down with surreal gun versus Tom. I don't agree with that. Yeah, I'm down with surreal gun versus Tom There's a history there. There's a backstory. I'm down with it What else? What's all the chatter back there? What's all the shit? We gotta work back here, man. When you're over there yawning, we're trying to keep it safe.

We gotta work back here, man. What's happening? Oh, thanks, MightyZan. Yeah, MightyZan sent, and let me read this out, cake emoji, present emoji, confetti out of a horn? A popper? Then a little smiley face with a kazoo yeah thank you thank you it's happy birthday the 10th happy birthday he's had more happy birthdays this show than I had in my entire lifetime and

we're going out let me finish well I appreciate Frank reading that out because that's the people who are listening to this in their car and all they hear is thank you from Connor have no context They got a they got to know if you're gonna put the emojis. We're gonna read them out Yeah I like Frank talking over you calling him out for not sending you a message and him just trying to play it up so back to the cake and there was a present another popper and a Emoji with a hat blowing on a kazoo so back to the questions on the sub stack

There's another question about MMA media here So I'll answer it Eric Hamidi says hello Ariel There's a lot of talk about the MMA media Landscape and how there's not a lot of money to be made or really the ability to make much of a career out of it Is this a sentiment you share? How do you assess the landscape these days? How can one excel in MMA media and do you foresee a changing at some point? I figure you would have the best Intel on this. Well here's the thing, I do see some people saying like I had to get out of MMA media because there wasn't money to make.

Guess what? Try making money in 2007 in MMA media. Like what? There was zero. But you grind, you grind. Like this, I love when people try to paint the picture as like oh you're the establishment, of course you can make money. Of course you can get network data. I didn't know a soul. I didn't know a single person. Allow me to remind you, Spike TV 2007, I did not know a soul. Quit my job, start jerrypark.com. I didn't know a single human being in combat sports. I just grinded. I wrote emails. I wrote messages. I looked at everyone else and I tried to be different. I realized that there was a path. There was a path. No one was interviewing fighters like I thought I could interview them. I could be better. I could be different. I could be unique. I could stand out.

Find that thing. And if you think you're trying hard, try harder. And if you think you're doing enough, do more. And it took a lot of freaking shit, a lot of shit that I still have to deal with today. Shit sandwiches, drama, people coming after you, still today. The game isn't over. The race isn't won. So I see a lot of people lamenting the fact that there aren't opportunities. How about in 2007 when ESPN wasn't covering MMA, when Fox wasn't covering MMA, when Yahoo was hardly covering MMA, the big dogs.

Yeah, it is volatile. But guess what? There are more opportunities now to make money with social media, with TikTok, with Facebook, Metta, YouTube. None of that existed. None of it. So I'm not necessarily going to like do the like, no, there have been setbacks.

My first job in MMA, I made $0, zero. My first job with AOL, I made a thousand a month. A thousand a month. What is that times 12? $12,000 a year. That's it. Not exactly anything to write home about, but if you work your ass off, you know Opportunities breaks and and I still don't think that I get the breaks that I deserve and I still don't think that you know

Shit has happened my like you keep going you fucking keep going. I see these videos like let me tell you about the state of MMA What do you mean? The going got tough and then what? I'm not talking about all the videos, but I just see some stuff where it's like, come on. If you really want it, don't give up. That's what I say. Hey Ariel, have you tried to get the rockin' Mark Kerr on to talk about the smashing machine?

PS, can yourself or the BITB please start attending MMA media days again. MMA media is dying and we need some good reps. What's going on? Why is everyone so down on MMA media? Would love to have Mark Kerr, Dwayne Johnson would love to have you on to talk about the smashing machine which comes out in October I do, right? I think that's it. Have you seen the trailer? Yeah, it looks great. Yeah, it does. Hello, friends.

Firstly, I just want to congratulate GC on his debut with The Man in the Hat Great Stuff. GC on his debut. Is that from International Fight week when the, uh, when the mic broke? Like on the post fight show. Yeah, we were supposed to be on the post fight show. And like, I think so. Yeah. We opened it up.

I was like, so excited to do this with you, Chuck. And it, it, it, yeah. And I was done. Um, all right. Well, congrats. Uh, Ariel is the best conversationalist in the world. That is absolutely not true. Any tips for a socially awkward mess

on how to keep conversations flowing? Truth be told, I'm way better at conversations on air than I am off air. Do you guys agree with that? Absolutely. Thanks. Yeah, 100%. Sometimes I wish I was being interviewed

so we could have like a heartfelt without you looking at your phone What about my antenna? That's such bullshit by the way the phone thing looking around I knew that such like see here's the real aerial here. What does it say something? No And then it's on $20. That's the do the best is the walking places. It's like you're walking it The best is the walking places. It's just like, you're walking and... Hahaha!

Bless you. You alright? Thanks. That was crazy. This is exactly what it's like talking to you too. That's so unfair. You walk somewhere with you guys and it's just like you're walking in the slowest pace ever and you're like, alright, they're coming. Yeah, GC and I feel like we're like parents trying to get there.

Oh, is this me as well? Like you're roped into this? got real good then what did you just do it the revolting blob says happy Wednesday Ariel you've had a lot of great guests on the show but are there any remaining white whale guests me and James Keenan who meaner James Keenan no oh? Me and James Keenan. No. Oh, is that the dude from Tool? Yeah. I always said I wanted to have Lorenzo Fertitta on.

But, you know, I don't know if that one's gonna happen. Manny Pacquiao is a pretty damn good one to have on the show. Never had him on before. Actually, very recently, I reached out to a friend of mine because I saw Tori Wilson at the UFC, not the UFC, the WWE PLE this weekend and that's a white well guess. I think most people who grew up my age bracket, a wrestling fan back in the day, love Tori

Wilson. I said I'd love to have Tori Wilson on the show because I think she went through some stuff and then she came back and now she's thriving. So that would be a fun one. There's probably a few more in the wrestling world that I haven't talked to. Had Rick on, had Hogan on. Never had Sting on.

That would be a great one. Yeah, it would. Would love to have Sting, not the singer. Put on the red light. Tristratus, would love to have her on. Would love to have Bully Ray on the program. Those are a few. So, Barry from Matmo, if you could have any Fighters merch added to your studio, who you currently do not have anything from, who would it be?

I'm not sure. I think we got a pretty good, what about this from our friends at Ghostrite? You guys see this? Oh wait, you know what? Actually have the box. Where is it? I think it's by the front door.

It's over there. Too lazy to get out. But anyways, great. Check it out. Oh, no question from Matt Moa. I just wanted to correct the record on Sydney Sweeney. A few times now I've heard you make the claim that Miss Sweeney was in Titanic as a toddler.

That is simply not true as Sweeney was not even born yet at the time Titanic was being filmed. That sounds like fake news. I'm pretty sure that's wrong. Yeah, that doesn't sound right. He's talking about the sequel. Yeah'm pretty sure that's wrong. Yeah, that doesn't sound right. He's talking about the sequel. Yeah.

Josh, highlights, I just wanted to give you some props. The show is on fire. International Fight Week content was as good as it gets. GC, Rick, and Frank are on another level as of late. Jordan coming into his own. Andy shaping an identity of the show. Ariel, your ability to connect with us fans and with fighters. Coaches and managers as class. Shout out to P.T. Ever the Canipus, gallivanting

around New York, messy studio and all. Question, is this the current, is this current run the greatest in Hellwani show slash MMA our history? I think so. Keep up the work. Hashtag 10-7. I'd say so. I mean certainly the most content but it's like the most I would, well-rounded we've ever been because of everyone else doing stuff. By the way, why didn't PT come back? I told him to come back. Let the band rest.

All right. Just wanted to say, he's gonna say like, oh, you guys don't have me back. He will say that too. But I appreciate that. I would agree with that. What do you guys think? Yeah. Better and the best is yet to come. Yeah. But I appreciate that. I would agree with that. What do you guys think?

Yeah. Better and the best is yet to come. Yeah. We're gonna get a Uncrowned is on Fire song soon. Uncrowned's on fire. Doesn't quite work the same, cause it's like. Matt Chewewe says, peace and love and bo-ow-ow-er for GC.

Bo-ow-ow-er for GC. B-O apostrophe O-H-W apostrophe O apostrophe W-O apostrophe E-R. You know what that means? Huh? Does it look like? Do we have a screenshot of it? Should It's in, is a phonetic representation of the British English pronunciation of, oh, bottle of water. B-O-O-H-O-W-A-E-R.

B-O-O-O-H-O-W-A-E-R. Wow, that's incredible. Nobody does bottle of water better than GC. That's great. Nothing like a bottle of water. than GC. That's great. Nothing like a bowl. Just a couple more here. Oh, no, no, I'm not done with these. We have a last one though.

Oh, Grant Young says, Ariel, thanks again for your time. When I said hi from media row after your Logan Paul segment during the Paul Chavez fight, you were a true mensch. My question is whether you think people are inclined to open up or overshare when speaking to you when you're off the clock in the real world, given your listening and interviewing skills.

P.S. I was serious when I said I'd be writing for you at Uncrowned in the future. I remember this young man, he came up to me guys and he said, I'm coming to Uncrowned. This is a man that knows. This is a man that knows what we're building, who understands what it means to be a part of this. Anyway, are people more inclined that's a good question I don't think so actually I

don't think anyone really wants to talk to me certainly no one on this team no one comes to me with their problems what are you talking about oh see that's the problem I came up to you with a problem earlier and you ignored what was it what problems do we have everything's great we were arguing about if there was a clip for your IEM or not. Do you remember that? Yeah, and I said no and you said yeah. And then you took a victory lap.

I thought that was a low blow. Yeah. Josh Patrick, what's up Ariel? Has your relationship with Turkey changed at all since his partnership with TKO Dana? Yes. Adele, Ariel and the folks, there is so much to ask you and the boys and Andy.

Let's start with the jersey that GC was wearing. Is it true he wore that for four days straight? Now who's starting these rumors? Yes. There's two different jerseys over the course of two days. Which ones? The Irish 90s and then the one that Pizzi got for me.

I briefly put the one on that Pizzi gave me and then I took it home. I washed it. Were the 90s the next day and then wore the Pizzi one on Saturday, freshly cleaned. It's all clean. It's all clean, people. The other question is, Ariel, can we break the fourth wall even further than the behind the scenes? Are you literally paying out of pocket for all the things that happen? Were you provided? Were you provided a budget by Yahoo? And when I say things I refer to Pizzi flying out as well as all the birthday

events or even the man in the hat coming in, tell us no, some of that is, is them. Some of that is us. A lot of it is it is them helping out. Um, we have a budget. Yes. So we do have a budget. Uh, thank you as always for everything you do and the boys do love and enjoy every bit of it, Adele from Canada.

Uh, so I, so I'm being sent a tweet here from Connor. Should I read this? Silence. If you want man. Here's a tweet from a Turkey. My response to Helwani, you know what you are doing. We aren't stupid. You ask certain questions to Nikesh and Shakur.

This has nothing to do with Dana. Your fight with him is your fight. You need us, not the other way around. You message me all the time asking for interviews, the boxers who go on your show, always with my support. Before I entered boxing, you showed little interest in it. And I understand it was probably difficult for you to discover me together with Jake Paul and Nekisa

after 48 hours. If you want to go further with this, we can, no problem. I'm not really sure what the last part means, but in any event, again, showing a little interest in boxing, that is not accurate. But anyway, is what it is. I'm not looking to get into this back and forth here. What are the certain questions?

I mean, I was giving Shakur all the love in the world before the fight, after the fight. And yeah, I don't know what all this is about. But such is the life, such is the life. I think that most people who would be honest about my interest in fight sports would remember that if you go to my website, jerrypark.com, the aforementioned jerrypark.com from back in 2007, and you type in the word boxing, you will see that I was interviewing boxers back then, and I was doing roundtables. This is back in 2007. You'll also know that I was a intern at HBO Sports in 2003 and I worked on boxing. You can ask Dave Harmon,

who was the producer of the Netflix event. You will see I posted that in my senior year apartment at Syracuse, I had posters of Roy Jones and Shane Mosley on my wall. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. Nevertheless, I will leave it at that. But I'm not really sure what all this is about. But the the the insinuation that I'm just sort of like a Johnny

come lately to the world of boxing when I obviously decided to cover MMA wholeheartedly for, you know, the better portion of the beginning of my career, doesn't suggest, because I always was championing boxing and talking about boxing, but I always did a show called the MMA Hour that evolved over time.

There it is, jerrypark.com, from back in 2007. So, yeah. Is what it is, is what it is. All good. Let's do a couple more. Michael, Ariel, long time, first time, my top two favorite podcasts alongside Jacko podcasts. Actually, I've written in before on this topic, but you never got to it. So here it is. I missed the drawn out the to start the program. Just sets the mood and the tone for the whole thing. It's original. That's the OG way of starting the show.

It's tradition. It's history. The show's still great. Don't get me wrong, but it's missing a touch of je ne sais quoi, a little French for you as a fellow Canadian with parents from Montreal, from Quebec to be exact. Keep it real Ariel. I don't have to tell you that though. It's just tough. It's tough to say the Ariel Hawhani show. It doesn't quite fit the same way. Ariel Hawhani doesn't quite fit the same as MMA Hour. TJ, as an upcoming wedding gift for me, July 25th, can you please bring back darts with in-studio guests? I don't really know where we could do it. I think we have a light set up for it, but I don't. We do.

We do. We were ready. I know. Maybe someday. Maybe someday. He also says that the boys aren't playing his voicemails. We have a better one. Wow.

Miguel. Was that too rough? No, that's good. That might've been too rough. Let me walk that back. Good God. We get a lot, we get a lot, and we really do have to like limit how many we get.

By the way, the number for that is 415-SUP-BITB. Call us. Yes. We've got voicemails coming tomorrow. There's a lot, there's just a lot. I'm sorry, keep calling. Eventually you'll get on. We've been able to feature a lot of great people. We hope to feature everybody by the end,

but it's a crowded space. Steve, I have two questions. Love the show. The first is a delicate one. I heard Dan Hooker on submission radio saying that Armin Tsuruki and Ores manager would have told you ahead of time not to mention Hooker's name in your recent interview.

What? No, that did not happen. Of course he could be making it up, but I'm curious, do many athletes slash managers give you boundaries on what you must talk about and avoid in an interview with them? If so, what sort of thing? No, honestly, I have never heard that. Have people said, oh, we don't want you to talk about this, that, or can you write your questions in

advance? This and that? Yes, but like as far as this one, and more often than not, I just say no, that was the issue with my John Jones interview back in 2020 no 2015 2015 or so that was my issue back then I didn't have questions written down I don't walk around with questions but for the most part no one is no one is asking for questions in advance honestly that is the truth and certainly not in that interview one final thing absolutely loved the recent conversation with Ben and especially the precious moment of you asking Frank Mir How we felt about his daughter waxing lyrical about her admiration for her dad well done for asking such sensitive Questions and getting to the heart of human emotions brilliant stuff keep going for it. I Appreciate it my man. Let's just do two more here. Two more. Some of these are a

little bit long. Slava, hey Ariel, I noticed that you shake a lot of your in-studio guest hands. Does this make you uncomfortable slash mess you up at the moment, especially when you have several in a row, or can you put that out of your mind once the interview starts? Yes, I definitely put it out of my mind. Serious question, did the studio move on Friday for the crack or has the window been a screen all along? Of course it moved. We had to get it out there.

We positioned it so that it would, you know, it would point towards Dublin. And last one from Persian Apothecary. Hello Ariel, I miss you man. What are your thoughts on foodie culture? Do you like Michelin restaurants or is it a waste of money? You live in a city with so many like 11 Madison Avenue. Just curious, what are your take? I don't really say like, oh, I need to look up,

you know, what's a Michelin star, what's not, but I do enjoy good restaurants. Does that, does that count? Like I do enjoy good restaurants. Does that count? I do like good restaurants, but I don't really follow what's Michelin and what's not. I think that's more of Frank's thing, right? No. Is anyone back there?

We're all back here. Michelin, that's like the tire company, right? Yes. So weird. Yes. Is it really the tire company? Yeah, and yes. Is it right? Yes. So weird. Yes. Is it really the tire company? Yeah, and yes. Is it really?

Absolutely. Like in the past, AAA used to have ratings. Michelin would have a, if you're on the road, these are where you visit. Now it has become much more elevated, and most people don't know it originates from that, but it is for travelers. Wow, it's the same exact company. Same one, man.

Wow. It's that tire company, Michelin. Wow. Yeah, it's the same one. The one with the white tire guy. Yep, yeah. I think his name is Michelin. The Michelin man actually delivers the...

Stars. Stars. So it's literally the same company. Yes. The one, the company that makes the tires called Michelin Right. Also gives out the Michelin stars to restaurants as well. Wow. Yeah, yeah.

And Guinness. The star rating comes from the company that makes tires. So it's like the same. Same place, Guinness Beer. What are you not tracking here? Yeah. Does the world records as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you not tracking here? Does the World Records as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's actually not true. Is that not true? Oh, I actually thought that was the same. Okay, so now. Two separate companies there, two different entities for Guinness Book of World Records. So he threw a wrench in there at the end and lost all credibility with the lie,

but it was funny and then now we learned that you thought those are the same Guinness So what is Guinness as far as the record a different thing that's just that's Tom Guinness He started jotting down world records back in the 1800s that sure I listen to a podcast called comedy bang bang where they have a Guy who is like that he pretends to be the Guinness of Guinness Book of World Records is quite funny. And ironically, drives a car that had tires to Michelin. Michelin? Michelin. Mm.

Sean Strickland? That's my boy. Shout out to Big Sean. All right, we got a birthday dinner to go to. Whose birthday is it? More? Hey, Shultz. Haven't we done enough say 699 Canadian

oh can't almost looking like Sean Austin and your 50 first dates with the Lulu shirt happy birthday GC drink a million beers beer emoji beer emoji beer emoji beer emoji beer emoji beer emoji thanks yeah I'll take that he looks ripped in that You know yourself. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Gc never saw which blows my mind. I don't need to see he doesn't see anything before 2005 it's legit my favorite movie of all time anything before like 1998

I think it was like 95. He plays a couple football games. Then everyone's like Rudy Rudy Hey, 93 To entertain in the middle of the morning is like I want to go to go to school here. And the security guard is like, well, I can't help you with that. Yeah. No, he did help him. He told him, wait over there and you'll get in. He said, you're five foot nothing, 100 and nothing, and you don't got a speck of athletic ability in that body. And you just survived with the greatest college football

team in the land for three years. Where I come from, you ain't got to prove nothing to nobody. Rick and I watched this comedic, like, review of the movie. He was doing a thing, Frank. I'm sorry. Oh, well, I thought it was done. I'm literally reciting it. Just lay out. Let him, let him, like...

Jesus, how many times have we heard this? It's all just Notre Dame propaganda. Let me cook! He cook he still got it's still got a lot of speech to go Rudy's Rudy's supremely overrated. Oh, it's horrible. Oh my god. That might be the worst take in the history of takes on this Even show up to work on time What's the top five tomorrow? Hot sauce is in honor of Dustin Corbett. I thought Hot Sauce Holtzi. No.

Dustin Holtzman? No? All right, fair enough. Great show, thank you to everyone who stopped by. Thank you to Thad Gene, Mike Santana, Manny Pacquiao, Joseph Parker, Tim Zuth, thanks to you, thanks to them. Back to our 7-time list as a piece of media.