The Ariel Helwani Show - UFC Breaking News, Andrew Schulz in studio, Wyatt Hendrickson, Sean O’Connell, PFL Brackets Extravaganza

Episode Date: April 2, 2025

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by walking through his wild past 24 hours, including some breaking news from the UFC (00:30).Comedy great Andrew Schulz joins us in-studio to discuss his viral WWE spot with Logan Paul, his latest Netflix special, why Floyd Mayweather is the GOAT, bringing Ariel and Dana White together again, plus more (12:37).NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson discusses his historic upset of Gable Steveson, Daniel Cormier's delirious call on the broadcast, whether MMA or professional wrestling await in his future, his mustache and more (1:30:09).PFL commentator and former champion Sean O'Connell previews the promotion's upcoming season (2:21:30), then the boys each make their picks for this year's tournament winners, March Madness style (2:52:31).Finally, Ariel and the gang answer all your latest questions during On The Nose (3:10:42).EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/uncrowned Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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- And 25, hello again everyone. I sure hope you're doing well, it is great to be here on a lovely Wednesday in New York City. And my friends, I have said this before, one of my favorite states to be in is when you don't get a lot of sleep, you're a little overtired, but it's the good kind of overtired because you didn't get enough sleep

because you were doing cool things. And that's how I feel on this Wednesday morning. If I'm being honest, Tuesdays are a grind. They are a grind around here. Not just for me, but for the whole team. We do two shows and that's a beast. I mean yesterday we had what? Seven guests total?

Actually eight. Eight guests total. Coordination, planning, preparation, all that stuff. Seven guests total actually eight eight guests total coordination planning preparation all that stuff and Usually I'm exhausted, but I gotta say yesterday was an all-time day for me And sometimes Tuesdays don't stick out because they are such a grind, but I woke up yesterday just to give you a brief recap I woke up yesterday This video that I did with the the primer Lee comes out pretty damn cool pretty damn proud of that

We continue to do cool shit that I never would have ever dreamed of amazing We do the show yesterday. I thought it was a great show amazing stuff with yo L and Andy I mean Eddie Hall's on there very fun getting massage Just great stuff and oh by the way my childhood heroes on there as very fun getting massage. Just great stuff. And oh, by the way, my childhood hero's on there as well, Bret Hart, an amazing conversation, 45 minutes or so. And I'm just like in awe, I can't even believe that this guy's on my show. And he was, I've done an interview with him in person.

He was on the show in the ESPN Days via phone, Zoom, Skype, whatever, first time. And it was just, and the last time was six, seven years ago that I spoke to him, so it made me emotional. You can even tell at the beginning of the interview, I get a little choked up because of how surreal it is for me to be talking to that man. In the midst of all of that, my beloved Nottingham Forest beats Man United.

What a win, what a goal, Anthony Alango, what a save by Murillo in the dying seconds. Then we do the Dzone show with Ade. Great chat with Pat Brown. Amazing chat with Deontay Wilder. If you haven't seen it, it's on the YouTube channel. It's on the pod feed. Wilder, who we were able to bury the hatchet with.

Remember that scene back in late May, he no showed us, first time he was supposed to be on the show, it was a great chat. We're all good in the hood. Everything's good. He's coming back June 27th. We look forward to that. Then I have to dart out of here because, oh, by the way, a guy who I admire so much look up to and, and, and, and just aspire to be one tenth as successful as he is the great action.

Bronson invites me to go watch the Knicks at MSG against the Sixers. and just aspire to be one-tenth as successful as he is. The great action Bronson invites me to go watch the Knicks at MSG against the Sixers. Courtside, if you would have told 1994 me that I would spend the afternoon interviewing my hero on my show with my name on it, and then I would end the day, Courtside, at Madison Square Garden watching my beloved Knicks,

if you would have told me that in 1994, I swear to God, I would have said, there's no way that is even remotely close to possible. There's no way that that can happen. I'm telling you this from the heart. There is no better day that I could have dreamed up than the day that I had yesterday. And the problem is, as I'm experiencing these things, I have moments where I'm like, how did this happen? How do I get here?

How do I rationalize all this? How do I internalize all this? And then it is immediately followed by, this is gonna end soon. How am I gonna screw this up? How is this gonna end? I don't deserve this. I'm not worthy of this.

It always ends up that way. And so as I'm on this high driving home, and I don't know if other people experience this as well when they have good days, surreal days, incredible days, I always think of the bad. I always think of, oh, I'm going to screw this up. This is going to be a distant memory. I don't deserve this.

It's a crazy, crazy feeling. And I try to fight through that feeling with gratitude, with talking about it, not to rub it in, not to say look at me, because I want to express this to whomever is up there listening how grateful I am for days like yesterday. Just incredible stuff. And then I come home and I see on the Knicks social media, there all the celebs swipe through oh man Ben Stiller is there Kevin Bacon born on my same day as me July 8th he's there Rod Strickland is there the point got himself former Nick Eman Shumpert is there Tim Thomas is there I mean it was a who's who Questlove is there. I mean, it was a who's who. Questlove is there.

Marcelo of Real Madrid fame, there. They are there. Those two. Fat Joe is there. Steve Sharippa is there of the Sopranos fame. Justin Fields, the new QB1 for your New York Jets. He's there. They're all there.

And there's AB, with me just chilling in the back. Like one of these things is not like the other. I'm just in the background. Did you get the tag on this? I didn't get no tag, no way. Ah, I did you dirty. It's all good, man. It is all good.

It's a surreal thing, man. When we sat down, we sit, and like those seats are tight. Those seats are tight. And there's a lovely older man sitting right next to me. It's tight quarters, like tight. And he goes, my boy's not playing tonight. And I'm like, oh yeah, who's your boy? Like, you know, you say my boy this, he's like,

he looks at me, he pauses, he goes, cat. And then I'm like, oh shit, Mr. Towns, how are you? And so it was me and Carl, Carl Sr., just watching the game together, talking about the Knicks, in addition to all the other comings and goings. I'm sitting there with Carl Anthony Towns' dad, courtside, and actions on my right. It's a-

When he said my boy, he literally meant his son. He literally meant his son. Hey, Carl. Thank you. Good to see you. Yeah, he literally meant his son. He literally meant his son. Hey, Carl. Thank you. Good to see you. Yeah, I should have said that. I thought he meant like, you know, my boy, my guy, you know, my favorite player.

I would have thought the same as well. He meant his actual spawn. Yeah, my boy. What a life, guys, what a life. And P.T., we didn't have the opportunity to have you on the show yesterday because it was such a packed day, so just, you know, not trying to belabor the point commiserations, of course.

The city ground is a fortress at this point. I mean, it's just tough. And I know it's tough when one of your own who you got rid of and just kind of disposed of scores an incredible goal, which I saw they ran. Oh, is there breaking news? What happened? Yeah, Camelo Anthony is being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Oh, wow. My guy? Thanks for that. Needed to say thank you. What happened? Yeah, Camelo Anthony is being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Oh wow my guy Thanks for that neither say like right now. That's great news. I love that guy

I mean, it's Carmelo not Carmela and what does that mean? Is it not Carmela? It's Carmelo Bro thinks we're in an episode of the Sopranos Carmelo Anthony But what like he got the announcement her shams He's going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame first ballot one of my guys But as much as I love him like did we need to be interrupted in this moment? There was a there was a pre-show meeting and this was discussed I was like, yeah, I mean I love Carmelo Well, just adds on to your you know, it's been such a great 24 hours for you I'm like next game right into the next game is Carmelo. Are you going to Springfield?

Producing 101. No, I like that. That's a good word. You're going to watch the induction? I mean, of course I was there when they won national championship in 03, who could forget. And then he went to the next. I know that's great.

That's great news. We were vibing, we were vibing, but that's great news, muzzle to have to Mello and the family, Lala and Keeyon. Anyway, Alanga scoring. You don't have to, like, the family, uh, Lala and Keon. Um, anyway, uh, Alanga scoring it's, you don't have to. Like we can move on. Like we don't have to. Yeah.

I mean, I was waiting for BT to say something. What else happened? I was just letting you freeze there. I mean, what else happened? Uh, boom for the show for Brett. You know,, to lose. It's all around great day for me. I mean, I'm glad you had a fucking great day. All right. That makes it warms my fucking heart. I'm sorry. All right. In addition to all that happening, you know, I did a GC. I put the phone

in the, uh, the glove compartment. I said, I had to go to MSG. No phone at the garden. In the pocket but didn't... Oh the glove compartment is just your pocket. Yeah but I mean I'm not sitting there. I'm not taking pictures. I'm not doing selfies. Respect. And then I see a litany of things breaking while I'm at the game. And he just said... Usually a Wednesday night. We'll deal with that later. Yeah. No I said we're gonna do it. Yeah, Dana must have got his days mixed up. Must be confused, they like saving his time. Thought he would have done it going into the Thursday.

I thought it was, is April Fools, but apparently it wasn't April Fools. And so we found out a bunch of news. Number one, we found out that there's a new main event, April 26th, Kansas City. It's not going to be Khalil Roundtree against Jamal Hill. It's going to be Ian Machado Gary gets Carlos Prochez. What? With all due respect to them, this is an

infinitely more interesting fight. I love that fight. I love that fight, but this is like next level great. Of course we know that Carlos was supposed to fight Jeff Neal in Miami next weekend. Neal gets hurt searching for an opponent. I had heard at the time, you know, Gary wants a little bit more time. He's not training this and that. Pratchett is training and golly, you got to give respect, regardless of what you think of Ian Machado-Gary, for whatever reason, if you don't like the guy, if you don't, if you don't, if you don't fucks with him, if you don't vibe with him, fine.

At this point, give the man his flowers. Short notice against Shavkat Rachmanov, five round fight, and now short notice against Carlos Prochez. Short notice. That's in 24 days, 25 yesterday. So that's an incredible main event. Congratulations to Kansas City. And then we finally find out June 7th, right here across the river, the Hudson River in beautiful Newark, New Jersey at the Rock main event. Marabdawale Shfele defending his UFC men's bantamoy title against Suga, Sean, O'Malley, and then co-main event, Julianna Pena versus Kayla Harrison.

There we go. What is that? What's going on, Frank? Kayla Harrison. There we go. What is that? What's going on Frank? Yeah that's fine. Is Eric at the door? Okay well you guys tell me. That's fine. So anyway two huge fights added to this card in New Jersey. main and co-main, two title fights. And then we've got an incredible main event, April 26. So we're gonna react to all of that today on the program. We are going to have back into the show Sean O'Connell

because the PFL season starts tomorrow. The tournaments starts tomorrow. The tournaments start tomorrow. I'm not sure if you guys knew that. We're actually gonna do in the spirit of March Madness, we're actually going to do a thing where we're gonna pick our winners. We're gonna do our own bracket challenge. So stay tuned for that.

On the nose as well. We're also gonna be joined by Wyatt Hendrickson who shocked Gabel Stevenson, David versus Goliath, unbelievably so, winning the NCAA men's heavyweight title just two weekends ago in Philadelphia. And in a matter of moments, world renowned, beloved, sometimes controversial, sometimes polarizing, but incredibly talented comedian slash actor? Andrew Schultz is going to be stopping by in studio in a matter of moments. I actually thought that he was going to join us in about 13 minutes, but apparently he's going to be joining us in a matter of seconds, Frank's telling me this, yes?

That is in fact what I told you. There he is, Schultz. The number two greatest MMA journalist of all time. Behind yours truly, of course. There at the door. Um, what was that Frank? Oh, thank you, Frankie. All right. So back in, we'll react to all the big news plus plus UFC doing a deal with meta, rankings, AI, all that stuff and more. But without further ado, let us say hello to the man who is everywhere these days, world renowned, incomparable, often imitated, never duplicated, the great Andrew Schultz. Wow.

Thank you, my brother. It's amazing. Thank you so much. How are you, my man? Oh, and the big Dove is here. My brother, MOT. Thank you so much, guys, for coming in. They told us. My brother MOT. Thank you so much guys for coming in. They told us Schultz wants to come in right now.

He doesn't want to wait. Yes. Fuck yeah. Let's go, man. You know, I'm here. I miss you. It's so nice to see you. Good to see you too. Welcome to the new home.

You like our new digs? Yeah, actually I like how it looks like the old digs. Yeah, it looks actually exactly like the old digs. I don't feel like you've went anywhere. But it's a different spot, different location. The building is way better, by the way. Location is, you went anywhere. It's a different spot Building is way better by the way location. You know I grew up a block from here. Is that true really? Like NYU area before was NYU. Oh wow. Yeah, I'm why you bought up the whole area Which is awesome for my parents their dance studio used to be here. Yes. That's right I have a lot that I want to talk to you about your parents sure

Yeah, in particular since you bring them up, but can I just say? Yeah. So I like to do my research before. I like to see what my guests are talking about. You type in Andrew Schultz interview on YouTube. It is literally, it is like a list of like 45 in the last 10 days of all the biggest names. And all of them are like million views.

It's like crushing everything, but it's just like, oh, and he went there too, and he went there too. Holy shit, and there he is with the fucking All In guys. And there he is with Bill Maher. Yo man, this is like an epic run. I'm sorry to everybody who's had to look at my face when they open their phone. I mean, it's unbelievable.

No, no, it's been a while. It's been cool. Very cool, very cool. Are we the last ones? Not at all. Are you kidding me? I like that, I like being last. Really?

Well, just, you know, best for last. Yes, definitely. So definitely. Yeah. I had to reach out to you to come on the show. That is absolutely it is that is not it is. Did I not have to reach out to you? This is something that I would do to someone. And I know what you're doing. I reached out to your man Dove when I saw you on Ron. I'm like, I'm not going to bother you because you're such a big shot now. The last time you were in studio, you have grown exponentially. Hold on, hold on. And then you texted me right after.

So he probably told you. I texted you during Raw. It was during Raw, which I was very excited about. I texted you during and I was like, hey, what a crazy, that was like an insane thing. You said, how'd I do? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I almost got mauled out there. You know what I mean?

We'll get into that too. By the way, you know how- But my point is you didn't text me, you texted Dov. Because I thought, you know... What? What? You're the A-list celeb and he's the guy who's more on my level. This, you and me are boys for years now. I go to the Daniel Ricardo thing, he's there, not you.

I was there. You were? I'm so sorry, Daniel. We did that like, and I have apologized, Daniel, but like, we did that like the day after the Kendrick thing went down, and I felt so bad because all the stands were in the comments about this beautiful little pop-up thing that he did, and I was like, and he's like, will you come by and do this thing with me?

And I was like, yeah, sure. It is what it is. Sorry, sorry, Danny Rick, we love you. He's the man, I love that guy. But I was actually showing my family, I'm like, I know this guy in the middle of this angle with Logan Paul, and that's when you texted me, you know how cool I look to my kids?

I'm like, this guy, I was like, come here, come see, this is my friend, and you texted me in that moment. You gave me some massive cool points. Yeah, I was trying to connect with you. Thank you. Because I know what a fan of wrestling you are. I am. So one of the first people I'm reaching out to is you.

Can you believe this thing fucking happened? So how did it happen um? I think I think Logan pulled like some sneaky shit. Oh you're gonna work me No like no in all series we were split like have you ever seen anybody seated there like we had different seats We were sat behind McAfee, okay And then at the last second it gets switched and. And they're like, you're actually gonna be front row. And I'm like, that's awesome. Like my wife is there, Dove's there, Val is there. And I'm like, this is great.

Mark Shapiro. Mark is next to it. Like it was just, we're like, oh my God, this is incredible. And my ego believed, I was like, oh yeah, they're treating me right in my hometown, whatever. And then when Logan starts to, Logan starts to talk to me, and then like, I see everybody booing the fuck out of Logan, I'm like, I know he's not gonna put this shit on me.

Like this is, I've done The Garden. This is where I, Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, this is your home. Yeah, don't bring me into your villain shit. Like there's even a moment, I think, where the camera comes to me, he's talking to me, and I'm like, what is, what is, like, what's going on?

And then one of the producers hands me a mic, and I'm like, what the, and then he tries to pull me into his shit, like I'm on his side and I can't it lie to everybody at Madison Square Garden. I can't do that. No, I thought it was a pretty fucking selfish thing to do and a Kind of part-timer thing to do if I'm being honest with you. What do you mean by that? Just like I He's phenomenal wrestling. Don't get me wrong

Like it was fucked up But he was like really good it like his unbelievable athlete this guy like even the shit that he's doesn wrestling, don't get me wrong. Like it was fucked up, but he was like really good at it. Like he's an unbelievable athlete, this guy. Like even the shit that he does in the ring is like incredible. But he is a guy who's like in and out. And there's guys who have been there for 30 years, and they're committed, they're going to Buffalo, they're going to every single fucking city.

And then it just felt like, okay, here's another moment I can use. Like is WWE the thing that he's gonna do forever? Is he just using this? Am I a friend of his who I thought for a while, or is he just using me for some moment? So I was like fuck that, I'm not gonna play into that bullshit.

And then Danny yanked me over that fucking, whatever that thing is. In front of my wife, which is crazy. Look at that, I mean that's hard. Yeah, and he's lucky AJ came in because I would have fucking handled some shit. Dude, if AJ came in, I would have fucking handled some shit. Dude, if AJ come in, I would have fucking handled some shit over now.

So you're right, I was like, he's gonna tell me like Triple H calls me up one day. You're gonna give me the K-Fave version. You're now an official Carney. Yeah, I guess I'm an official Carney. You're a worker now, you're working me. Yeah, I guess I'm working you, man. I guess I'm working you.

I don't know. You get the backstage interview after you're all frazzled and shit. Yeah, I'm like, what the hell hell just happened Kathy's coming up to me They're asking me stuff like is anybody giving me an ice pack Is anybody checking on my wife right right right you know like it's you go back out or did you leave after that? I was looking for him. Hmm Backstage dude, I'm like where the fuck is this guy dude. I gotta go

I gotta I gotta fill this out and what happened I didn't find him they hit him They got him out of there immediately. And then you left? He was on a first flight to Puerto Rico. I'm like, I almost went to Puerto Rico. I was like, H, call Bad Bunny, organize some sort of hotel for me, but I'm going to Puerto Rico, I gotta settle this shit. And then we looked at the flights,

it was very expensive. Okay, then you dropped it. Yeah, I'm not an employee of the WWE, I gotta come out of pocket for these types of things. You're like, you could sue them. You didn't sign up for that. You bought a ticket, right? I considered it, but I have so much respect

for the organization, I have so much respect for the wrestlers that are not these part-time guys. The business, the guys who are dedicating their life day in and day out. That was a great line, by the way. When you said that and then AJ shows up, it was great. Yeah, like that was insane that that happened. No, honestly, the best compliment I could give you is that it reminded me of Andy Kaufman. Oh, that is that is fucking cool.

Right. And he's a ledge. You're familiar with his story with Jerry Lawler and whatnot. Like that's what it felt like because you kind of have the same build as well, tall, lanky. And then like when he throws you over and you're helpless, you start to become sympathetic. You're a baby face now. And then we're thinking, oh my God, is he actually gonna do something to him?

And then AJ comes in. And then the way you commanded the microphone and spoke to everyone, you were nervous. Obviously you've done this a million times at the garden in particular. I thought it was great. I want more of this. Are we continuing this?

Is that why you're not telling me the real story here? It's a storyline. I'll be honest with you, I appreciate that you felt that way. I feel like if I was prepared for it, I'll be honest is like I appreciate that you felt that way I like I feel the jet if I was prepared for it I was like what could I do right right you know but like to just in this for the moment to do that and Honestly, this is one of those things where like I've had to talk to AJ on the side And I'm just like I really appreciate you coming to my aid right there

But you saved Logan you saved his life from an ass-whipping. Yeah, you know it makes sense I know I was in a suplex, but I was probably going to reverse that shit. Yeah, no. It seemed like you were in... I was really in the power position right now. Were you actually upset that he came? Bro. He ruined your moment. But it's actually really funny, because when he's in the ring and he's doing his thing, I've got no clue what the fuck to do.

So I'm just in the corner. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. And I got really excited. It's really embarrassing. But I got really excited. Look at you, just chilling. Yeah, but I look cool there, but there's a moment where he does something and I get really excited. This is really embarrassing, but I got really excited. I get you just chilling Yeah, but I look cool there But there's a moment where he does something and I get really excited and I don't know what to do because I've never been a Fucking ring before right and I just grabbed the road so I go

Like your ultimate warrior but like Like we jump this guy like what is my role and all this fucking thing? So yeah, but it was cool How much fun was that it was the it was the fucking best honestly watching it live? I Haven't seen it live since I was a kid. Oh wow right and like being that close I think that if you're a casual Like myself with wrestling the the illusion is everything is really really padded The floor is really really padded the ring is really really padded. The floor is really, really padded.

The ring is really, really padded. It's not made out of concrete, no, but I don't care how padded something is. If you're falling from 10 feet onto it, it's gonna hurt, right? So seeing that in real, like someone getting speared and then on outside of the ring,

just hitting that cushion or whatever, I think that we tell ourselves these lies like, oh yeah, it actually doesn't hurt that much. Like, no, no, no, it is painful what they're going through. And yeah, that hit me in a different way. Like I'm just sitting there in the front, just like watching this whole thing go down. I mean, the whole Seth Rollins thing at the end was unbelievable.

I mean, it's unbelievable. When Roman came out. Yes, oh my God, The place popped, right? Deafening. And also the crowd is so aware of shit. That's another thing I like. Wrestling has become meta. When I was young and you were young,

there was this, there was a little distance between the audience and what was happening, like the choreography, the storytelling. Now the audience has been watching for decades and they are aware of everything that's going on. They know what baby faces are, they know what heels are, they know what the turns are.

So it's like, you almost have to lean really far in in order to catch them. Like you have to let them know that you're in on it, that they're in on it, and then trick them again. 100%. It's very meta. So people love when the wrestlers are like breaking the fourth wall, when it's like a work shoot. You know what I mean?

What does that mean? So like a work is like, okay, we're gonna go out there and we're gonna have a match. But then it turns into like a work shoot where we're not sure if it's real or not, where it feels like it's a shoot. A shoot is the real thing. People were saying that with me.

Yeah, yeah. No, that, well. It's insane. Yeah, you were legit shooting. There was no work there. That was all real, 100%. That's the thing. Yeah people were saying that with me. Yeah yeah. No that well it's insane. Yeah you know you you were legit shooting. There was no work there. That was all real hundred percent. That's the thing. Yeah yeah. They were they were accusing you of working. You're not in on it with Logan. It's not like afterwards you guys dapped each other up and said good job. I almost took a flight to Puerto Rico. Yeah. To get my revenge. Any chance you show up at Mania to get the

revenge? You know he's gonna be there. Easter weekend. You can't do that. Yeah. You can't be bothered. It's Easter weekend, man. You can't do that, yeah. You can't be bothered. It's Easter weekend. So I definitely will not be going to WrestleMania. That's all I'm trying to say. I definitely won't be there. So if anybody shows up there where you don't see their face or whatever, that kind of stuff,

that's not me because I'll be... I'm with my family in Santa Barbara. My wife's family is from Santa Barbara, so we're going to go celebrate Thanksgiving out there. That's Passover, too, right? Because you're half Jewish. For you guys, I'm gonna shout out for y'all. By the way, the number one rule, like when someone at the beginning of the show always says like, yeah, unfortunately, so-and-so is not here, the number one thing is they always show up.

Oh, really? So like, they always say that. Well, then I'll be there. I know you are all here to see Roman Reigns, he's not in the building, and then like 1059 he shows up. Always, always. I mean, they're just so good at theigns. He's not in the building. And then like 1059, he shows up, always, always. I mean, they're just so good at the storytelling. They've got the whole thing figured out. Did you get a chance to see like the behind the scenes?

Cause the couple of times that I've been backstage, it is fascinating to watch everyone do their thing, right? Like these like larger than life guys and their tights and everything going. I mean, yeah, like, I mean, just when I, when I went back there, you know, just seeing people look like they're getting ready and getting excited and it's also not dissimilar to like the Vince doc.

There's a room with a little TV and Triple H is looking at the TV. You know, it's just not some like crazy green room where all the cameras and everything feed into and there's 17 different things. It's just, he's watching the same thing you're watching on Netflix. Yeah, it's wild.

Kind of crazy, right? I saw you with Amanda Serrano. Yeah, that was awesome. That was awesome. She's so delightful. Yes. Like really sweet. And yeah, I'm excited for that fight.

You gonna go? Yeah, if I'm in town, I'll definitely go. I think that they're phenomenal. I think it's weird doing an all-girl card. Why? I think that the, I think one of're phenomenal. I think it's weird doing an all-girl card. Why? I think that the... I think one of the coolest thing about them headlining it is that despite them being women, they would be the headlining card.

Like, I would put other big fighters underneath it. That's the big flex that other people were familiar with. Big people still aren't even selling as many tickets as Amanda and Taylor. Like to me, that's the super flex. Not that it's like all one gender and this is the first card of all women, like who cares? Like I go to see boxing, I don't go to see women boxing.

Yeah, I don't go to see man boxing. I just go to see what the best fight is. So I think making it a gender thing, to me it's like undersells how big that's gonna be. Like I would just stack that card, just make it a great card full of fights. Put some chicks there, put some dudes, but like really make the night this amazing night of boxing

and let them cap it off and just all out war like the last two. I get what you're saying. Can I offer the counterpoint? Please give me pushback. Give me pushback. The counterpoint is, okay, so they fought once before at MSG in 22. They headlined again. They headlined. Yeah. First women's fight to ever headline MSG. Huge. And the rest of the card was just regular guys, you know, relatively big names.

It wasn't the biggest card of all time because it kept growing, growing. Then the next time, AT&T Stadium right under Jake and Mike, right? But the whole card was just a bunch of guys. It was maybe, I think, one other women's fight on the undercard this time around they come back to the scene of the crime They're way more famous way more popular and look what we have done. We have now brought an army with us We have now brought a whole new generation We have now revitalized women's boxing we have put boxing on the map because the next day I worked on that card and the next day all anyone wanted to talk to me about was them. They've had two absolutely phenomenal fights.

I remember that first one and I was like, holy shit. And the fight was amazing, the crowd was amazing, it was half Puerto Rico, half Ireland and then at the Garden. Especially New York, that's what you want. Yeah, it was perfect. And so I think there's something powerful about, now it's not just about us, now we're taking over.

Last time it was about two women headlining MSG, first time, now it's all women headlining MSG, top to bottom. I get it, I get what you're saying. I'm just saying that's the way it's being presented. I know, I understand the marketing of it, of course, but for me it would just be like, I get that angle, 100%, but for me it would be, like I'm trying to think of who would be really interesting to see fight on the

undercard like imagine you had a Like who's Parker gonna fight next? Now look at you with the boxing knowledge. I've been boxing for him my whole life. You know what I mean, but like your dad He's a cover box. He was a former boxing journalist to a degree. He was a journalist in general, but then it's specific hover boxing he's you know He was a former boxing journalist to a degree. He was a journalist in general, but didn't specifically. He covered boxing. He'd go to the Poconos, go to Ali's camps all the time. He's got footage of him and Ali shadow boxing. Incredible.

Unbelievable, yeah. Ali told him and every other reporter that he's going to finish Foreman. No way. My dad was like, how are you going to finish this guy? He's like, listen, this is what I do. He's like, you're a journalist. This is what you do. This is what I do. I'm your journal. This is what you do right? This is what I do

I'm a scientist with this shit, so I'm gonna figure him out, and I'm gonna get a matter Wow I mean just crazy did he go to the fight no I didn't go to but uh He has a crazy story. It's like he would interview all of Ali's training partners and The most famous one from Pennsylvania. I'm forgetting the name of him Larry Holmes, that. Larry Holmes? That's Larry Holmes, I apologize Larry. So Larry, he'd sit them all down and he goes,

so what's it like training with the champ? And they'd be like, oh, it's the worst, and why? He goes, because the champ is celibate during training camp. So we go out on the weekend and then Sunday, six a.m. he wakes us all up and he goes, tell me everything. Because I need every story, I need to hear all about it. You're like, okay, he's drunk, getting up, okay, champ, we'll tell you.

And they talk about all the shenanigans. He has great fight stories. Wow. He took, who did Raging Bull? Jake Lamotta? No. Oh, which actor? No the director Oh Scorsese maybe Scorsese. He took

Yeah, took Scorsese to his first Boxing match Wow your dad. Yeah, somebody hit on my dad. It was only him It was the Luke Skywalker guy to what's his name like from back in the day the guy who made the Star Wars Oh George Lucas yes it was like him George Lucas is a few other people but someone just connected him with my dad my dad was at Baltimore at the time and he was like hey can you take this guy to a boxing match he wants to do a movie about boxing would you show and he's like yeah sure I'll take him so he took Scorsese and then Luke Skywalker guy what's his name George Lucas yeah and

then like a few other people and he's's like, yeah, this is the boxing match here it is. And then he goes and makes fucking raging bull. Wow. What did your dad work for? WBAL in Baltimore. This is the same station that Oprah came up in. Okay. So he was on air.

Yeah, he was on air in Baltimore and then he came up to New York and he worked at NBC and he was producing the news. Did like the first ever news story on hip-hop music for NBC back in the day. So he wasn't a writer? He would write he would write the stories in New York. Got it. And then oh sorry, print journalism. Yeah yeah. Wow. And didn't just focus on sports. Sports, art, music. I mean that's how he met my mom is like he just he was gonna do a story on dance teachers

and how they were kind of scam artists. So he'd walk into the room and they would kind of assess your wealth and then charge you based on that. Wow. And he went through this experience and he was like, this is horrible. People should know about this. It's disgusting because he was going to just learn

how to dance and then somebody tried to basically figure out what he was worth and then charge them a specific price. And then this guy was like, listen, I get that you want to do a story about that, but there's this woman who's a three time US bottom dance champion. She's from Scotland and she is teaching lessons

up at like the 92nd Street Y or something. And you should do a story on her. She's really interesting. And that ended up being my mom. Wow. Love at first sight? I don't know. I'd have to figure that out.

Apparently, he was taking chicks to the dance lessons. Damn. You know, like it was group classes. So he's bringing in these chicks. And my mom was like, what's up with this guy? Yeah. He's throwing me rhythm, but he's bringing chicks in here. To make her want him. He's three steps ahead.

I believe the kids call that Riz. Yes. By the way, 2003, my first summer living in New York, my first job in TV, I worked at HBO Sports. I lived at the 92nd Street Y. Get out of here. Yeah, what a time. That's right, they had like a dorm.

They had a dorm. They had a dorm area. And it was all like me and old Russian men in the communal, you know, bathroom, not showering together, but like. a dorm. They had a dorm. They had a dorm area. And it was all like me and old Russian men in the communal bathroom, not showering together, but like. Yeah, so my parents would throw a dance once a month at the 92nd Street Y that was located, do you know that like ball? It was almost like an auditorium, like a little ballroom.

In the 92nd. Yeah, it was maybe on like kind of the fourth floor. Okay. Or something like that. Anyway, you might've been in the building throughout these times. Oh yeah, yeah, wow. 03 era? Sure.

Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Kind of crazy, right? Yes. So the reason I brought up your dad was because actually a fan hit me up yesterday saying, I know Shelter's gonna be on, you need to talk to him about his dad

who was a boxing journalist. But when you say this, he wasn't just boxing, he covered boxing among other things, but he didn't specifically focus on boxing. Did he love boxing though? Love boxing, I this, he wasn't just boxing. He covered boxing among other things. He didn't specifically focus on boxing. Did he love boxing though? Love boxing. I mean, he was, I'm a boxing fan because of him. Like we would just watch fights together.

Like legacy boxing fan. Like I think he remember telling me like seeing Sugar Ray Robinson drive through New York City back in the day. Damn, did he go to the fight of the century? March 8th, 1971, Ali Frazier, MSG. Two. One.G. Two. One.

Yeah. Yeah. When did Frazier get his jaw broken? When did Ali get his jaw broken? That one. Yeah. Wow. That was the one where Frank Sinatra was taking photos.

He had that fight for Ali, he told me. He scored it for him, despite that. 15 rounds. I don't know. That's what he had told me. Okay. But again, he could be mixing things up, but I remember him telling me that.

But he was like, listen, there was a close fight, and these things are crazy. But he was like, obviously a huge Ali fan. Does he have dementia? He does, he has dementia. So now it's up to him. How is he doing? I mean, his spirits are high. He's like a pure soul.

We're very lucky that he's been able to handle it like this. I think it's more heartbreaking for the people around him that, you know, just want to continue to connect, you know. But his spirits are high and he's like just a good person. He's still just doing the things that he's always done. When you talk to him, you're the most interesting person that he's ever talked to. And, you know, he's still trying to like, like my mom had to take his debit card because he was like giving people money in the neighborhood. Wow. But he would forget.

So he just keep doing it. So it's like, and then like the guy who's doing the fruit stand or whatever is just like, he's not gonna say no. Right, right, of course. So he's just running it up. Yeah, but no, he's, yeah, he's doing all right. Doing all right.

This may sound like a stupid question. No, no. Is he aware of your success? Can he understand it? Can he grasp it? Yeah, yeah, he is. And then like, obviously surprised by certain things, and maybe there's some silver lining in it

that like he gets to find out that he is a granddaughter every time I see him. Oh wow. And then, but he'll also kind of remember her name at times too. Memory is a very interesting thing, and like short-term memory turns into long-term memory with enough repetition.

His short-term memory doesn't really function. But if you repeat what's going on, it can become long-term, which is why he understands the map of New York City. He can take a subway. He can go to the grocery store. He can get coffee. Those are baked into his long-term memory from decades of doing them.

Short-term, if we have a conversation with him, he might then bring up something that he already brought up again. Okay, okay, okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I understand from talking to people who have family members that it's almost harder on you

than it is him because he's not aware that he has this, right? Yeah, I guess I don't know if I would ever, like, want to say that because it's almost like I'm has this, right? Yeah, I guess I don't know if I would ever, like, want to say that because it sounds like I'm making myself the victim. Clearly, you know, he's the one going through the thing. But yeah, you know, you love, he's just like an amazing human. So you want him to just live the rest of his days

in like pure bliss. But maybe there's a version where like this is, you know, easier. He battled depression a lot. And like maybe there's a version of this where easier. He battled depression a lot. Maybe there's a version of this where it's like he's, I would like to think that some of the difficult things that he had to cope with throughout his life,

maybe he doesn't now because of this. Maybe there is some joy that he's having. Did he teach you how to box? No, he would never want me to box. Okay, so who taught you? I did it at a place called Duke's Boxing when I was going to college in UC Santa Barbara. And Duke taught me, and then I continued here

in New York City, and I bounced around some gyms. Mendez is a New York City boxing gym. The video, is it of you? Which famous video? Which one? You know the one I'm talking about? No. There's one that's like, this one.

Is this you? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. That's legit you. Yeah, yeah, but this is down in Miami.'s legit you yeah, but this is down in Miami What I mean, but this is down in Miami who cares where it is look how good you are Bro, look at this. I just little pitter-patter, you know this is what I would say this is a shout out to not oh to not oh is someone doing that but um, but yeah, the uh, I will say like hitting mitts is almost like

Dancing like if you've got coordination you can kind of learn how to hit minutes though when you see a lot of athletes do it I will say like hitting mitts is almost like dancing. Like if you've got coordination, you can kind of learn how to hit mitts. Though when you see a lot of athletes do it, they're like, they're bad. Yeah, NBA players in particular. They're so bad. My dad said, you want to know something

my dad said about Ali? Couldn't throw a baseball, threw like a girl. It's like all the fighters could just do one thing and the athletes, you know, the non- But can you believe, it blew my dad's mind. He's like, I'm looking at like the finest physical specimen that's ever existed. Now you have to understand, like if you love boxing,

and Ali is like, what he was doing at his size, even for the time is like majestic now. But throws a ball like a girl, you're like, how is this even fucking possible? But yeah, it's so specific. You still train? A little bit. I mean, like my shoulder started to get a little fucked up,

so now I play this sport called paddle. Yes, you're big into paddle. You're an investor. I'm upset. No, I don't have any money in it. You have nothing in it? Stupid, I know I'm stupid. Bro, you're working me again.

I know, I swear to God. There was a company that offered me like a piece of it. The way you promoted, I thought for sure. I love it, and I just want people to play. That's it. I have no, no. You're that wholesome. Yeah, about this specifically, it's like unbelievable. Did you play any tennis or anything growing up?

Yeah, yeah. So then you're like 10 steps ahead of me. I didn't play any fucking tennis. So like, I have to learn all these hard skills that you've developed since you were a kid. I mean, it wasn't great, but. You just still understand the movement of a racket. Like, so there's things you'll have to unlearn,

but it's so much fun. Like, I just want you to have fun. It's like pickleball, but it's in a imagine tennis and squash Because the walls are in play yeah, so and they say it's the fastest growing sport I don't know how they it will take over racket sports guaranteed Wow you play in the city Yeah, a paddle house in Brooklyn, and then there's a there's two in Brooklyn They just open one in Nashville as well, And then there's another place, Reserve, that has, they will have two clubs here,

Manhattan and then a bunch in Miami as well. But like, go play. Even if you never had a racket sport, just go play. Go play with your wife, just do what, it is so much fun. Can I ask, how are you processing all of this? How are you processing all of this? Because like, you are insanely famous and successful now. Two years ago when you came in,

I remember that was that whole thing where the streamer didn't wanna do your thing, so you took it back. I think you said it was Amazon, yeah? I don't think I could say it at the time. At the time you didn't say it, but you were kinda playing coy. But you're on a different stratosphere now,

selling out MSG, all this stuff. It just feels, you do the thing with Matt Damon. Every time, I'm like Shultz is on fire on fire so so famous that now they try to bring you down now one thing yeah and it's like every I saw have you gone through that oh go go go the Ryan Clark thing I'm like what is going on oh yeah this is this is so on his pod no I know I'm talking about that I'm like so uncomfortable this is so uncomfortable. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We could get to that in a moment.

But the thing is, you are so successful. I had a great day yesterday, and I was just talking about it at the beginning of the show, and it is one tenth as great as one of your great days, in the sense that I had my hero Bret Hart on the show. I saw that, I was so excited for you. And then I went to the Knick game with Action Bronson. I don't get to have the perks that you have, courtside,

but he brings me along sometimes as a plus one. And if you would have told 1994 Ariel Helwani that he would interview Bret Hart, his hero, on his show with his name on it, and then go to a Knicks game, my favorite team at the end of the day at MSG, that's my dream day as a 12 year old. And I was walking out being like, how did this all happen?

How do I even come to terms with it? And then the problem I have is, the first thing I think is how is this going to end? How am I gonna fuck this up? Do you deal with that too? Yeah, for sure. I think that like, yeah, I think that's a really normal human thing

to deal with. You know, it's so amazing. You're like, I don't want this to go away. But I think, yeah, the only way you can combat that is to kind of enjoy it in the moment. Right. Like how was that Brett interview? Were you nervous?

I wasn't nervous. Had you met him prior? I met him once. That was in 2012. When he showed up on the screen, it was like my voice cracked a little bit because I love the guy. And can you tell me what was so compelling about him for you as a wrestler? I grew up in that era too.

But like, like, was it the way that he would sell? Was it the storylines? What did he represent for you? Okay. So it's a good question. Thank you. I don't want you to turn the tables on me like you did to Shannon Sharp. You like trolled that interview. Like it ended up being the Schultz show was sharp on it. I watch it all just for the record. And shout out to my brother David who adores you as well. I love your bro. Yeah. And he's very happy and excited that you're here. I'm not trying to turn the tables, but I-

It's a good question. I do, I am interested in people. I am not so narcissistic that I'm gonna remove my curiosity. No, no, I know. Just be as I'm most. So what was it about him that made him so special? So WrestleMania IV, that's in 1988. I'm five and a half.

I'm just looking, I'm just thinking. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're one who will look at now. I'm five and a half. I'm just looking, I'm just thinking. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm five and a half, and he's in a battle royal. Now, he was part of a group called the Heart Foundation. It was him and Jim De Anvil Nightheart. A sort of like yin and yang, like the brute guy, and then the excellence of execution, and they were cool. Like, the pink, the black, the hair, the glasses,

they were cool, and so I kinda just dug him. But, on that day, and they were bad guys, on that day, he thought he won. And then there was a guy named Bad News Brown that crept up behind him. So he's like celebrating thinking he's the last man in the ring because it's a battle royal where everyone gets thrown out.

He didn't realize there was one guy left. So Bad News, who's another bad guy, who they actually had teamed up together in the match to like get rid of him. Turns on him, hits him with the ghetto blaster, which was a move where he hits him in the back of the head with his, and then throws him out of the ring,

and then beats the crap out of him, and then Brett is so upset that he breaks the trophy and all this stuff. But on that day, I felt something about, like I felt like he was wrong. And that's the beauty of wrestling. So I became now emotionally invested in his journey to get over on bad news and then to become the champ.

And so I told the story yesterday, when I would go to the doctor's office as a young kid, I would be nervous about the shot. My mom would say, close your eyes and think of something that makes you happy. I would think of him winning the title. He was my happy place. Like that's how much I adored this guy.

And then there was something about the way he represented this country. That's right, he was Canadian. And he was like all about values and we do it the right way. And he was just damn cool. And then of course he gets screwed again in 97. The screw job. Is this the one that they portrayed in the Vinstock? They portrayed in the Vinstock.

I was there as a fan in the crowd. You were there? Because it was in Montreal. It was in Montreal. I'm sitting in the freaking rafters being like, what the fuck? So you get your heart broken again? Yes. So it was like that.

And then, of course, his brother dies in the accident. He has a bike accident. He has a stroke. He falls on his head. A lot of shit has happened to this guy. And I just love him. And I want to give him a hug. You know what I mean?

Because he is really the best. And so there's just something about that and being a youth and falling just love him and I want to give him a hug. You know what I mean? Because he is really the best. And so there's just something about that and being a youth and falling in love with someone and falling in love with what he represents and being taken by it all when wrestling was real to me and all that stuff. He just reminds me of that. And then my next great love was the next

and Patrick Ewing. And so on this same day going from- You just heartbreak after heartbreak. And the bills. The 90s were awful. It was four straight Superbowl. It was like everything. It's almost, I invite this.

I invite my favorite buildings with a twin tower. Yes, that too. Love that. Awful, right? Oh my God. My baseball team doesn't exist. The Expos. Expos of course.

The Bills lost four straight while my brothers were Cowboys fans. So you can understand how torturous and then the N, and they're Bulls fans. It was awful. I've not had any joy in my life. So I have to celebrate these moments, and that's why I always think it's going to end poorly. That's why I can't appreciate any of it. It's awful. It's the truth.

Can't something go right? You know what always comes up on my feet it makes me laugh every single time is Your interviewing rampage and rampage is talking about how ripped he is He brings up a shirt, and you made the same sound that you just made right now And rampage and it's rampage and he just goes hold on hold on Yeah, yeah Did he just mmm hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahah and hits Rampage and hits Rampage and he just goes, hold on, hold on. Did he, yeah. I see him in the back after the fight.

And usually after the fight, you don't ask the guy for an interview because he's licking his wounds. Yeah. And I was like, is it possible? He's like, yeah, come here. So we go into his locker room. And so I'm doing this. It's not live. Obviously, it's a taped interview. And I'm about to start. And I always start the same way. Ariel Hawani here backstage at UFC 135. Right before I start, he leans over to me and whispers and he says, make sure you say how I lost. Make sure you say how I lost. So I was like, all right. Like usually if I'm talking to the loser of the fight, Ariel Hawani here with Rampage Jackson, tough fight tonight. I try to like sugar coat it not to make sure you say that.

So I say Ariel Hawani backstage at UFC 135 with Rampage Jackson who got submitted tonight by John Jones in the third round via rear naked choke. I go very specific. He's like, hold on man Why you got to bring up how I lost you fucking asshole? He fight he played me but that's how brilliant he was in the moment 20 minutes after he loses a title fight He was smart enough to know that So that was the relationship we had. Okay, that's good. So, oh, that's great. Yeah, it's like Howard Cosell and Yeah So that was the relationship we had. Okay, that's good. So, oh, that's great. Yeah, it's like Howard Cosell and Ali. That's the greatest compliment, yeah. Yeah, because Cosell knew it

and he was able to lean in and they were great dance partners. Yeah, yeah, you gotta, I mean, you don't have to, but like ideally when you can have that relationship with like a really popular figure, I imagine that's when it's the best. Oh yeah, had that with Connor, had that with Dana for a long time.

I wish you guys would just be good again. You put in a word. Yeah, what do you want me to say? You kidding me? Hey, Ariel's pretty cool. Of course, that's easy. Let's show the world, you know, there's friction. That forgiveness exists.

Yes, look at everyone. There's cease fires happening all over the world. What do you think he needs in order to mend that relationship? Nothing. If I walked outside here and got hit by a bus, he would throw a party at Zufa HQ. No, but meaning what would make, what would ingratiate you?

There's nothing. He is someone who just sticks to his guns and will hold on to that grudge forever. He will never. He said something interesting on the pod that it's the opposite side of that coin, which Which is like once you guys agree to do business together you don't Leave you just figure it out. It's gonna get tough at times and when people get tough and they want to go run

That's fucked up. That's not a partnership. That's not how it goes. Like once we agree to do something we figure it out and I Wonder if the other side of that loyalty is like, okay, once we've agreed that we're not gonna do something, that happens. But I'd love to see you guys. Obviously, he must know you're a net positive for the sport.

I mean, I can't fathom. For the growth of MMA, how many people are as committed to the sport as you? I think he would say he'd be very happy if I, I I mean he would probably say to you that I'm irrelevant that I don't Exist that nothing I do matters and then if I did leave you'd be like yeah, and so what like Different things then then you being a net positive for the sport. I don't believe one percent. It could be 40% it could be 100% right right, but you're not negative I don't think that what you do and that they would actually argue that they actually say when I was at ESPN

He would he would go and what was this not about me Andrew. I'm not on on your show This is you feel like we can't talk about you not on my show. Why because You're the guest so we're just hanging. No, I know but I like to give you the courtesy I one of my big pet peeves When I listen to all these shows because I adore interviews is when the host makes it too much about themselves I never ever do that. You're you're the last person to do it I know but I think in the beginning we we've only talked about me in my life and that kind of stuff Am I even my father is very generous to even ask questions about that But like I think now we're just at the point we're having a beer and we're just talking.

No, no, that's what you want. That's what you always want. Yeah. But so don't feel guilty at that. I feel like you did the you do basically you set the tone where it's like, hey, I'm interested in you and I want to make this about you. But like I'm interested in your relationship with it. And I'm also tangentially related to that. Like here in this person where like obviously I love Dana and I love you.

And I'm like, ah, it's a bummer. Why can't we get this thing back? Yeah, you know on track when I was at ESPN They would always say that I was being too negative that I was making people less interested in the sport But their interpretation of negative is I talk about fight or pay I talk about free agency That to me is just like general fodder. That's sports talk fodder, right? I get that perspective. That's not malicious. So like from your perspective, it makes perfect sense, right? You're going, OK, I want these guys to make as much money as possible.

It doesn't, you're like, I think this is a fair thing to assess when it comes to WNBA players. It's a fair thing to assess with UFC players. Like, I get that. Sure. And then if I was to make their argument, I'd be like, yo, we're finally getting this thing up. We're finally starting to make some money.

We're finally killing it. Look, we're about to achieve our dreams. And then we got this guy who's doing things that they perceive as like chipping away from about to have that major, major, major success. And I could see them interpreting that in that way. Is that fair? I mean, everybody's interpretation is fair

because that's how they feel at that moment. But is that what I think you wanted? Do I think you want the UFC brand to be chipped away at? No, I don't think so. But I can see where that would happen. Does that make sense? We got a restaurant selling pizzas, right? And then you're a person that you've been coming and eating pizzas at the restaurants for decades and all of a sudden you're sort of like, ah, they're changing the sauce, they're doing this, and I'm like, I'm about to sign a fucking deal with Domino's to have distribution around the country

and I got this one guy who's been eating here forever that keeps telling me I'm changing a recipe for the sauce. But at the same time, you are a critic of food. So part of your job is not to build up that specific company or that restaurant, but to build up, not to build up, but to accurately reflect the positives and the negatives as you see fit. It's a tricky, yeah.

Journalism. You think I'm being fair? I think you're being fair, but it is journalism, right? Absolutely. And I don't work for them. If I worked for them- It'd be a different game. It'd be a different game. Again, I'm not trying to say who's right or wrong. No, no, no

I'm just trying to say like why what the feeling is like the sentiment they were very so so Dana liked me very much And I was kind of his guy I think Lorenzo didn't like me as much learns a fratita because he was the business guy and he would listen to my show And be like why are you talking so much about the business like just leave it alone talk about the fights But I'm a guy covering the sport and it's on a daily basis and there's a lot are you talking so much about the business? Like, just leave it alone, talk about the fights. But I'm a guy covering the sport, and it's on a daily basis, and there's a lot of different things to talk about. This is as the sport is growing,

and it's very clear that fighters are making, now I'm not going out there being, fighters are getting robbed, they're being tricked, they're being bamboozled, I'm not doing that. For Tidus, like, we've been losing money for fucking decades, why didn't you write any articles about that? Well, I wasn't around, I was in freaking college. I'm just saying, people putting up the money,

going, what happened all the time? Of course, it's very personal to them. I get that. But I would always say I was always very fair. And I would say 95% of the time, I was very positive. I've literally devoted my life to talking about this show, talking about the sport on this show. I think that's, when I say the growth of the sport,

net positive, I think it's the fact that you are contributing time to this sport, which at one time was a fledgling sport. Like if you look at the ESPN ticker, you had to hit more to even see MMA. Now you see those gloves early. And it's like an unbelievable thing. And you must credit them for creating that. Like he's unstoppable.

Dana's unstoppable, like an unstoppable force. I've never seen, I don't wanna say I I've never seen anything like it, but only the most successful people I know have that type of relentless energy towards things. After having him on the pod, I started to understand it and I was like, holy shit. Probably the last times I've thought CEOs were educated, right place, right time. I didn't realize now what I hear from a lot of like investors where they're like I'm just investing in the CEO because even that business that they're pitching me they might change it but they're gonna make something work

you know what I'm saying? Yeah of course. So yeah it's just tricky I just wish you guys would just come back together and everybody be happy. Yes it's a very short life. Omega it is short. Yes. And to see where the sport has come, ah, like we need to be able to celebrate that. There's many different people that contributed to its growth. Do you still watch it as much? Oh yeah, every single time.

Every single. Who's your favorite right now? Ah. You know, it's weird, it's like, for a little bit I was like hesitant to talk about Alex, cause I love Izzy, like Iz, you know. Ah, yeah. But he is. he is now their boys. I think they Yeah, they have fighters have this relationship did none of us can understand

Like they have a weird bond even when they beat each other up, right? Where yeah, it seems like some of them are really able to connect and I think it's a very different level like ego is gone Once we know who can do what or both have done it. But yeah, he's just like really engaging and entertaining, even outside of the fights. So yeah, I really find myself connected to him. I love Suga, but also I love Diwawish Shili.

I'm one day gonna print him out. Murab's got these like, yeah yeah he's got this like really, do you follow his Instagram? Of course. He's like hysterical. His skits are great, he's really come out of his shell because he was never like that until a year ago, he just started doing these videos.

Huge. Yeah, all fighters need to do some form of that. They don't always have to be. You have to self promote dude. Yeah. The days of like being a quiet athlete in fight sports are done. You need to go out there. The Miguel Codos, Miguel doesn't make close to as much money as he made back in the day

now knowing what personality brings to the gate. And that's not to say that he wasn't a prolific, brilliant boxer. I mean, I think Miguel Cotto is the only guy I've seen hit Floyd Mayweather consistently with a jab. He's the only boxer that I've seen Floyd's head snap back consistently with a jab. Like, do you think of Miguel as a jabber? No, no, no. You think of his body shot, left hook to the body.

We're talking about Miguel Cotto, body shot, left hook to the body. We're talking about Miguel Cotto, it's the left hook to the body. That jab, I couldn't believe I was seeing it when I saw that fight. And, but he is a like more stoic, quiet guy. And if you want to sell fights, you got to make some noise. Best boxing match, best MMA match, like which are you choosing?

Like the best of boxing, the biggest fight possible? Maybe it's Canelo Crawford coming out September, or Islam, Tappoury, what do you prefer more right now? Because clearly you love boxing. Really? Okay. At the highest level, I love boxing. Wow.

If I have to watch people that I'm not familiar with, it's MMA every single time. So this is what I say about MMA. It's like, at MMA, the bottom of the card is just as entertaining as the top of the card. And you have no clue who they are. If you can get me to be entertained by people who I don't even know, you have a real product.

We've been to boxing matches our entire life. The place is empty until the last two people fighting. I go to these MMA fights. It is packed for the prelims. It's not even like, and I'm talking about New York City. We're not talking about some other podunk town where they got nothing to do but go and sit through the prelims.

I'm like, people got dinner at Carbone. And they're going, no, give me a five o'clock reservation because I need to be out of there by seven so I could be at the MSG by 730 or eight. That to me is you have like a real, real, real product where people are interested in people they don't even know. That connectivity that you described with Bret Hart doesn't need to exist 100% for me to be interested in the card. With boxing, I need to be really interested in the fighters Like I need to be locked in or I just find them to be so prolific that I'm committed and I want to see it Maybe there's something about their journey. I really like but

But if it's the highest level I prefer box. Who's your favorite fighter of all time? Either sport just like your guy. I mean, I would imagine it's's boxing it would be a boxer because of how you grew up Yeah, but who's your guy? Roy, Roy Jones. You ever meet him? Roy was my favorite. We had him on the podcast. I had a person I met him on like we had him on zoom Okay, but yeah, Roy was my favorite growing up. I mean like I had his like boxing shoes He was the man. Remember those Jordans?

Oh, yeah Remember that one day where he he played in like a like a lower level basketball game Yeah He's just like that was awesome just watching him that was just amazing So yeah, John Ruiz when he went up the heavyweight unbelievable like ah, I was unbelievable Yeah him and but also Floyd like I think Floyd is the I think I told you this before I think Floyd is the greatest great. I think Floyd is better I think I told you this before I think Floyd is the greatest great Like I think Floyd is better at boxing than Stephen Hawking was at science Wow

Like I don't think anybody's been as great at a thing as Floyd has been a buck really MJ Yeah, I don't think it. I mean MJ lost Not in the finals. Yeah, but you got to lose to even, you know what I mean? Sure, of course. Yeah, no. Like, like. Obviously it's different. 82 games, this, that, and the other. We never lost. Yeah, yeah. I've seen Floyd get wobbled like a handful of times. He got waddled by Zab, DeMarcus Chop Chop, Corley, and then. Shane Mosley. And that's it. Yeah. In a sport where if you are a centimeter off, lights out, lights out. He made three quote unquote mistakes

in a span of 50 fights and he's 40 something years. It just doesn't happen. And he's also mechanically perfect. That's the other thing, if you're just a purist and you're one of these guys who I just just like fundamentals He's Tim Duncan and Michael Jordan you know, he is Jokic and Anthony Edwards, he's everything and when he was At a lighter weight like knocking people the fuck out

So yes as he went up and waiting he had the hand troubles like okay He's not just knocking people out, but there was times where everybody was getting knocked the fuck out So I think he's the hand troubles like okay. He's not just knocking people out But there was times where everybody was getting knocked the fuck out right so I think he's the greatest great I feel like an asshole cuz you've been here for like 45 minutes I haven't even mentioned you don't need me to plug your Netflix special. I'm gonna have to talk about it, but it's incredible Thank you so much. So good. It's called life. Yeah, did it hit number one? No we got to number two man It's okay, so there it is that we saw we saw the thing. It's at number two is like I think right before Running point came out. What the hell is Running Point?

No, it was a big show. That's what I said at first. I was like, what the fuck is this show with Kate Hudson? And then I was like, I need to know what kind of numbers to know. And it was globally number one. No, it was big, it was big, it was big. My producer Jordan watched it last night.

I've been telling them for weeks to watch it. And do you know what you're right next to? Maybe on his, I don't know what it says about his algorithm, but this is on his screen. It's you going like that next to Schindler's List. What does that mean? Great friends of the Jews. Yes.

That's right. That's right. That's so freaking good. Cause what I love so much about it is, my favorite standup special is Martin Lawrence, You So Crazy. Oh, amazing. I saw that in movie theaters.

In movie theaters. I'm pretty sure that was the one that came out of movie theaters. Where he's wearing the... Crazy, deranged, sweating. By the end, he's sweaty. He's wearing a really oversized leather baseball. But it's hockey length. This is up there. And I'm not just saying it because you're here, because you take us on emotional

I like to be emotionally invested. I can tell you yeah, and then by the end I'm freaking crying there next to my wife So my wife actually was so I can only watch things in like five to ten minutes spurts at night And I fall asleep and then I have to go like a couple minutes back the next night to recap what I missed Yeah, I'm I'm 75 years old. Yeah. Yeah,. But I love you and I love your work and all this stuff. So I watch it, my wife is in this thing where she's wearing like a mask now, an infrared mask. It looks awful.

Iron Man, yeah, my wife has the same thing. So she's listening and I'm watching in bed. And then we get to the montage at the end. And she's like, are you crying? Because she's not seeing the images that I'm seeing. And I'm legit crying, man. I have three kids, I adore my children and the journey that you take us on is really something amazing. What I was wondering was your wife totally okay

with that? Like it's very personal. Yeah I think if it was, I mean obviously for anybody who doesn't know we're talking about the journey of getting pregnant. So we had a fertility journey. I like to call it fertility journey not infertility. Sure. Just like a spiritual journey is not an unsp fertility journey. I like to go up fertility journey not in fertility sure Just like a spiritual journey is not an unspiritual journey, right? You're achieving that right? Yeah, but um and if my sperm sucked so that made it way easier for me to talk about if it was her issue I don't think I could tell the story okay, so it made me more comfortable me, but my wife's the most private person in the world She's like private on scram. She doesn't like attention. She's like hey, it's uncomfortable for me, but my wife's the most private person in the world. She's like private on Instagram. She doesn't like attention She's like hey, it's uncomfortable for her but

To her credit she she was like I think it's actually important that you talk about this keep in mind I'm not doing it because I'm like we have there's a greater good whatever. I'm a comedian I want to make people laugh and this is the only thing on my mind and I was like I'd love to tell this story because it's all I'm thinking about But her altruism was was pure. It was like people I'd love to tell this story because it's all I'm thinking about. But her altruism was pure. It was like, people need to hear about this, so it doesn't matter if it makes me uncomfortable. I felt really alone during this process, and it would be great if people don't feel alone and they feel not stigmatized.

I think that's why she was comfortable doing that kind of sharing. Okay. God bless her. Yeah, it was awesome. She's always very supportive of me, but this is very intimate in terms of what she has to go through. But what I will say is, tying even back into wrestling, and what humans are just so interesting in that regard, where it's like, in the beginning of the special,

I tell you I have a kid. I tell you I have a daughter. And then I start telling you this story. And you know I have a daughter and then I start telling you this story and you know I have a kid but there's a part of you watching go is this gonna is he gonna have a kid it's like you know you've seen the picture but and that is wrestling it's like we we know it's pre-decided or whatever it is we know because we can't gamble on it. If it wasn't, we'd be able to gamble on it.

But I'm gonna suspend that just because I want to believe this thing is real. I want to believe. And there's something about human beings, we get caught up in it. Yeah, I don't know, it's just really cool to see people react to it, and all the people who went through certain things,

all the messages I get, I I can get like emotional reading them. People had way tougher journeys than us. Like we had a very, I don't want to call it easy, but compared to people who've been trying for 11 years and then they finally have a kid. And like my DMs are inundated by parents that are so grateful and excited that they have a child. And a lot of, I think, the messaging we get from people that are having kids are like I don't want them, how much I got to pay for child support, how annoying that it's like my all I'm

getting from people is I feel like the luckiest person on the planet because after 11 years my wife is pregnant. Oh she just took a pregnancy test we're not telling anybody but I just want to tell you man we came to this show and and it's like, it's really awesome to see how excited people are to have family. Yeah. And I don't know if that is promoted that much. And maybe it's not as funny to promote that, but it feels really good to see how connected people are. Unless you're Anthony Edwards. Yeah, Anthony's paying them off. Have you see that? Pain the whole 18 years in one shot. You know, the tricky thing is like

he's a he's I'm not I don't like makes use of for people being young but I Imagine just from like having a child like there will be a moment where you go I would really like to be part of all these things yeah and I imagine there's children he has that he is in their lives and it sucks what happened with the mom and etc but I think something just kicks in and you're like wow I'm seeing my kid do gymnastics for the first time like there's another kid out there that probably will love for me to watch him do gymnastics, and maybe I gotta find a way to do that.

I hope, you would hope, even for the kid, but also for him, like, it's a beautiful thing. Like, they bring it, they bring, yeah, they bring the best side out of you. How do you react so you get all this love, you get all these people writing you, you're an inspiration, but then when, like, the Kendrick thing happens, or this thing, you get all these people writing you, you're an inspiration, but then when the Kendrick thing happens, or this thing, they're coming,

and then it feels like, does it feel like the walls are caving in? Do you start to? The Kendrick thing happened first. Kendrick thing happened actually two weeks before we filmed, or like a week before we filmed, so I didn't even answer it for a couple weeks. And then I was like, I didn't even really care.

He had one line in it where he was like, the line after the thing he said about me is, first of all, I didn't even really care. He had one line in it where he was like, the line after the thing he said about me is, first of all, I didn't even know it was about me. I kind of assumed. And then we got clarification. So once I had that, I was like, okay, I'm not just screaming for clout or whatever. And then some from his team reached out to somebody.

But the next line he said was the one that bothered me that nobody seems to talk about. And to the n-words of Coon and the n-words being Groove slide on both of them. A slide to me is like hip-hop parlance for like assault or kill. A lot of people interpreted that he was saying that to Charlemagne and Alex Media who are the guys I do Brilliant Idiots with and I do Flager with. Alex, you met Alex So in my mind I'm like once you tell people like to kill my friends like anything I say back is fine, right?

You know like like like you took it to the craziest level possible Like even if you're joking you're still putting it out there in the world that it is okay for you That people get assaulted or killed. You know what I mean? Like, isn't that crazier than my joke? Of course, yeah, I would think so. You know, I'm not telling you- But then you have all these people then jump on the bandwagon and say, look at this guy

and who are you to speak on the culture and you're a racist and then does it feel like it's- Yeah, the racist thing was the thing that shocked me the most because like I didn't need I was like how did this turn into racism right I said that I'm basically saying he's short and little like there's nothing I'm busy I'm doing like a you're a little joke there's nothing you could do and I'll just have sex with you there's nothing you could do about it right and like it's just it's just a short joke right it's really what it is right? And it got turned into racism.

During slavery, this happened. I'm like, what the fuck are you guys talking about? Like, he said people should go shoot my friends. I said, why are you telling people to do it? Oh, because you're little. There's nothing you can do. This is how little you are. So how do you react when all this is happening? When you feel like everyone's misunderstanding.

I just had some fun on feel like everyone's misunderstanding? That's it you don't get emotional Really fired up I think yeah I think maybe a little bit like I understand how I Understand how like the internet works and like I understand that people react in a 30-second clips There are a lot of times not in context and that's actually not their fault Like I do the exact same thing and I have ideas about people that I don't know that are completely wrong and inaccurate and like

Predecided by like how things are clipped and so I have empathy for them And like I also have to take responsibility like if I say something and it could be taken out of context I can't be angry at them right like that's the world we live in right now, so You know I think that like what I I think what what I realize even from this press run is the best thing to do is if people are saying things about me and they have a platform of a certain size and we disagree on a topic, I can't go to talk to every single person that has a Twitter account. But just to go there and have that conversation. That is the best. Not having people on my pod.

You always think, oh, if I have different types of people on my pod, people understand that I'm curious about all people. I want everybody's voice to be heard. No. Only your fans believe that, and they already know that about you. But going to somebody else's home and having that conversation in a way game for you. It's just, I think, at the end of the day, I think people respect that. They're like, oh, he's at least brave enough

to go have that conversation. Not a lot of people would do that. Yeah, maybe they, and they should, as long as it's in good faith. People are being insulting and they're just saying horrible things. I don't know if I really wanna talk to you that much. Maybe, but if somebody just has a difference of opinion

I'd love to have a conversation with you. I love doing that on the pivot with those guys like I thought it was great like they gave the opportunity to You know speak my mind and they asked me questions and I'm open to whatever like you can ask me about literally Anything and I'll tell you what my take is on it And I'll tell you if I'm being a fucking hypocrite or if I thought I was in right standing My favorite of all the interviews that you did, the litany of interviews, other than this one of course. Can I guess? Yeah. Barry Weiss. Yeah.

I knew it. Yeah, of course. I knew it, I knew it. I'm a big fan of that pod. As you all are. Well, listen, we gotta support our own. I didn't know, listen, I didn't know that she was, I didn't know she was lesbian. Yeah, yeah, yeah, she doesn't present as.

At all, I mean, she doesn't, well she. We love you, Baric. I subscribe to the free press. Yeah. I enjoy what she does. She's great, dude, I love her. You know what I loved about it so much? She still hasn't gotten double a wife.

Yes, oh yeah, we were working on that. And she put out a disclaimer, she was like. It was a great one, yes, yes. This is what I do. She was very like, she was very confident that this was going to be. And I believe if I'm not mistaken, I forget what it's called. You remind me of this term, but there are certain deeds that you can do. And if you do this many of them, you get to heaven.

You get to heaven. It's not a mitzvah. It's called something like a shirach. I think if you do what? Three? Yeah. That's three. and introducing someone to their spouse is considered that, right? Now, that is odd, because- I think it's great. It is. Three? Yeah, but sometimes that spouse might be like the cause of the majority of the pain of that man's life.

Listen- Why do you get to go to heaven and he's living in hell? You bring them to the dance and then they have to do it. Is there a, what is the books after the Bible? What is it called? After the Bible? Yeah, like in Islam it would be the hadiths, but you guys have the uh... Oh, like the Talmud. Yeah, we gotta look in the Talmud.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We gotta look in the, because if you introduce somebody it's a bad, it's a bad marriage. I think we gotta, you take the shetach back. It's more shit than shetach. What I loved about it though was that it didn't feel, sometimes when you're on with a different comedian, it feels like you're almost trying to one up each other. You know what I mean? And with her, she was interviewing you

and you're talking a little bit about life, about politics, about, and it just felt very chill. You know what I mean? I've noticed that like, and it's something I wanna keep in mind even just for flagrant and especially when we have guests on, I've noticed that like and it's something I want to keep in mind even just for for for flagrant and especially you know when we have guests home But like sometimes that can't happen with with the comedian pods is I think that we have this like knee-jerk reaction to be funny and it makes us confident and it feels like that void that might creep up, but

It is nice to do the non comedian pods in that like the intention is connecting and like Exchanging information about something. It can be frivolous information. It could be serious information. What the hell? What happened? We're just keeping you on your toes? We're doing this?

It can be frivolous information. It can be serious information. But the goal is us just having this conversation. And then something funny happens. And it's actually funnier because the goal wasn't to just find the next funny thing. Right. I feel like sometimes when the combo gets into how do we just find the next funny thing,

there's no substance. And the funniest shit comes from a real serious thought or conversation. Like I'm talking to you dead serious about MMA wrestling, and then this non sequitur comes out of the blue, and you're like, oh wow, that slapped me in the face because I was really connected. Right, right, right, right. But if we're just like riffing on airplane food

or whatever, it's like, gives a fuck. Right, right. So you enjoy the non comedic ones more. I like them for different reasons. There's also moments where like, in a comedic one, you can catch a riff that's like pretty special, when you're part of that you're going oh nothing's better than this. But that's hard to do and doing that every single time is difficult. I find I'm better in these types of interviews and then they're like like I think with the

Barry one it was this type of like honest earnest yeah and then funny moments would kind of pop up and but it wasn't like how do I make you laugh every 10 seconds, Ariel? No, no, no. Yeah, yeah. No, I liked that. And I felt that you were at ease. That's what I love. It was just like a nice listen.

And of course, you're MOT, in my opinion. You're a member of the tribe, at least like... Honorary. You're an honorary one, at least the way I view it. Could you believe that I picked the one sport that happened to be like the most anti-Semitic sport out there? Like that I devoted my life to the one sport that hates my people so much.

After knowing your favorite wrestler, your favorite football team, and your chosen favorite basketball team, there's not a question in my mind what sport you picked. It's unbelievable, man. I'm going to start looking at things you're interested in and then moving away very quickly because it's not going to work. It's very lonely. It's been very lonely since October 8th.

What is this burden? That I bear. Yeah. They hate us. No, no, no, no. I'm saying, like, why are you picking the Knicks? Why are you picking all these teams? And then are you putting the poison on them? No, I don't.

There's life suffering and this is something that you have to learn and deal with. Until you learn and deal with it, we will not be victorious. This is ingrained, this is part of my DNA. My mom escaped Beirut, Lebanon. My father escaped Egypt. My grandparents were kidnapped by the PLO in 1980

because they were Jewish. They were put in jail and then they were let go because a friend of theirs was friends with one of Yasser Arafat's wives and put in the word and let them go and they went from the jail cell to the airport to Canada and never returned. So these stories are ingrained in your... Legit, legit and I watched, this doesn't necessarily answer your question, but I have watched them react to what has happened over the past year and a half, and I've seen the trauma come back in their eyes,

and they never thought it would come back. Have you seen what Montreal has become? And my parents live five, 10 minutes away from where that stuff goes down, and I see them talking about how nervous they are at night. That they're gonna come for them. Because why? Because they're Jewish. This isn't an Israel thing,

and I'm not trying to get on my heart, but it's very uncomfortable for me to see them living through it all over again. Yeah, I think the best way, I don't know the best way, but a way to describe it is there are certain people that are deeply affected by what's happening in Israel and Palestine, especially in Gaza, but also the West Bank.

And they're deeply affected and they have a political opinion on it that they should be absolutely entitled to having. And that's okay. We can criticize countries. We criticize America. We can criticize Britain. we can criticize Israel, and we can criticize the government in charge of Palestine, which was a terrorist organization, Hamas. So these things are okay, and it doesn't make you anti-Semitic to do that.

But there are also people who are anti-Semites that are part of this conversation and they're using these things as justifications for their anti-Semitism. And I think the problem is like when it gets so mixed up we can quickly label certain people who are operating earnestly and making like geopolitical criticisms, it must be very confusing for you because you're seeing the anti-Semites and the people who are not necessarily anti-Semitic making similar points about what's happening in Israel and Palestine. So you're like, okay, well, if I'm getting the same points from these people, then they both must have the same feeling.

But in reality, it's okay to be critical about what's happening in the world, and it's okay to take certain positions, and it doesn't mean that you hate all Jews. And there are also people who just do. We can't act like there's not anti-Semites. If you ask somebody, are there people who are racist to black people? There's nobody in the world that would go, no, that doesn't exist. Okay, so we do know that hate exists. We do know that that hate exists towards certain groups and

Right now that is not only right now like, you know pretty frequently over the last 3,000 years But but definitely right now you're seeing a lot of it. So we can't gaslight in either direction We can't tell Jews. Oh, you're making this up. This is not real and it's just a criticism of Israel That's all it is. It's like, no, let's be fucking serious here. But at the same time, we can't label everybody who's criticizing what's happening over there as an antisemite. They have to prove themselves to be that.

It's very clear, it's very obvious who is doing it because they're anti-Jews, anti-Semite, and who is just being sort of like, you know. Yeah, because they just start saying Jews. It's like, and to be honest, like those people, they're actually, it's like what the ones who don't even do the have the due diligence to be like to to say Israel or Jews, they just say Jews now. They're just like, I'm just going to use the word Jews.

It's like, what do you think that is being accomplished right now? You're actually doing it, if you're genuinely concerned about what's happening in that region, you're doing a great disservice. Because if you're just labeling people as Jews, it's very easy to write you off as an anti-Semite. Right, so like now you're not even helping the people that you hope to help.

You're just satisfying whatever feeling you have inside. Which I think is gonna be a fruitless endeavor in the long run. I'll just say we appreciate that you, as a non-Jew, tend, and I know you don't wanna be viewed as like a sympathizer or picking a side. No, what do you mean as sympathizer? You know, you're not picking a side.

You try to be very down the middle. I think you try to be unbiased. My side is very clear. Like if you are standing for hate of any group in America, then I vehemently disagree with you. I'm an American at the end of the day, and we have certain values here that are very important that a lot of Americans have died for. Millions. So it's not going to happen to Jews, it's not going to happen to black people, it's not going to happen to Chinese people, it's not going to happen to Jews, it's not going to happen to black people, it's not going to happen to Chinese people, it's not going to happen to any group in America.

At least I'm not going to be supportive of it. And when I see it, I'm going to speak out against it. And just because there's a couple of people who think they're like internet sleuths and they completely understand the geopolitical struggles that are going on in the world. Like, are we really taking... am I supposed to believe that the guy who played fucking professional poker now perfectly understands what's happening geopolitically over the last 200 years? Like, they get it all. They figured out the whole fucking system. Like, to me, that doesn't seem like, okay, it's all figured out. But at the end of the day, like, as an American, I can't be like, oh yeah, it's okay because

this group is doing it now. Either you're against it for all Or You're supporting the hate simple as that Yeah, you know, Michael Jordan once said republicans buy sneakers too and whatnot. Yeah, have you ever been nervous about? You know, obviously you had trump on and I remember hearing a story You're on the street afterwards and some people are giving you the nod and some people, you know, like, you got the respect, but then maybe some other people are looking at you a certain way.

Did you ever think twice or get nervous about going too deep into politics? Yeah, politics sucks because it's good versus evil. Do you regret doing it? No. Okay. The beautiful thing about politics is like people are really invested. And I like talking about things where there's like great investment There's in the wrestling parlance heat. Yes, always heat. Yes, you know and like I like talking about those things

I like learning about those things and I like hearing different arguments and opinions and yeah, it's exciting You know It's really exciting in the same way that like when it's the Super Bowl Everybody's talking about it like culturally politics makes sense to me I don't care about like politic politics, but the way that like culture reacts to it is like really interesting and But the problem with politics is that like for most people it's good versus evil like you support your side because the other side is the end of democracy Both sides believe that the other side is the end of democracy and then when things are that polarizing

It's it's very hard to have empathy for someone who wants to end America it's good versus evil. So that's why you can have this like really vitriolic rhetoric because you're talking to someone who's trying to end America rhetoric because you're talking to someone who's trying to end America It wasn't always like that though. Was it like in the 90s? We had a civil war. I think we look at yeah I think we like to look back in history and be like, oh it was so much more dignified It's like no wasn't like a million Americans died in the Civil War like it

What are you talking about dignified like we're probably at the best it's ever been now sure Maybe the way that people talk about each other has definitely changed because of Trump like Calling the Texas governor. God, I forget this woman's name and please forgive me the senator She called the Texas governor governor hot wheels and he's you know, you know wheelchair like, you know So it's like that is the Trump effect in politics You know like where it's like you could say whatever you want and you can get these like and the Americans we laugh and we're invested And all that kind of stuff so whether you think it's good or bad doesn't really matter It's how people react to it

But um but but the problem with politics is the second you do entertain that there are certain people who are It's not just Trump derangement syndrome It's like both sides have their own derangement syndrome and anytime even entertain it, like me having that conversation about Israel Palestine, there are gonna be people watching this, and they're like, this son of a bitch. On both sides. Oh yeah, they'll be more mad at me for bringing it up. My point is like, I'm sitting here,

and I'm like trying to have like an empathetic conversation about like how people feel, not what is right or wrong, but like what people are feeling in that moment. And the fact that you could have empathy for the other side who they believe is evil, this is politics, they go, how could you have empathy for someone evil? Like people right now, I think, and we talk a lot about the fight for progress in America, and I think there are people now who genuinely believe, and maybe they're right, that what's happening right now in America is no different than what happened

during the Civil Rights Movement. And so anybody who's like, hey, we gotta stop talking about these issues. These issues aren't that big a deal. They're like, what's it not a big deal when black people are trying to get rights and women are trying to vote? How could you say that?

That's how their brain works. So if you truly believe that, it's a hard thing to rationalize. So what I've been trying to do is just have as many conversations I possibly can with people who potentially have different takes, because it just sharpens my idea of what I believe. And maybe it changes it. But if we get caught up in the bubble where we're only hearing the opinions that we want

to hear, I think that that's when the conversations get, as you were saying, like really polarized. Because you don't even know what the other person feels. There's so many people who think they know what I feel about the world that have never actually listened to a single podcast. They've just seen little clips, headlines, and they're like, I know everything about it. It's like, you know, fuck it.

You haven't even done the due diligence to like find out or even ask. When you have a crazy run like this where everything is hitting and you've got this great special and all that, when do you start to worry, okay, what's the next thing? Do you start to think of that? I don't think about that. I go, I need some time off. And then when I have some time off,

I can really think about what I'm interested in and what I wanna talk about and what I wanna do next. But I can't do that if I'm just running and what I want to talk about and what I want to do next. But I can't do that if I'm just running, running, running. OK. I need to sit down, reflect. Is this the time off period or do you disappear? I don't disappear, but the time off period probably

starts next week or two. Yeah. OK. I think that's when maybe we start. And I'm still doing three pods a week. I'm still doing all this stuff. But I can start going, what do I want to talk about? Like, what is impacting me?

Is it about raising my kid? Is it what's happening politically? It's like getting people to talk to one another and finding out. Yeah, I just got to feel it out. I don't know what it is. I don't know what's happening. Movies?

Yeah, yeah, we're going to develop something. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're gonna do a movie I'd like to do a movie based on the story in the special ah And you act in it as you think so Howard Stern ask if I think I'm good enough. Yeah, I think you'd be great I'd be cool who's better than you at playing you. Yeah, I might want to play the meatball though. Yeah I might want to play the meatball though. Yeah Make us crying then he comes back. I mean, it's just it's he's a perfect story storytelling. Thank you. Would your wife be in it? No, but she's like who's gonna be yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and then she's like she's like and by the way There's no sex scenes. I'm like well, we're trying to make a bit, you know, yeah trying to make a baby You know, you can't how do you do that? Yeah, it starts at the IVF. I'm like, all right, let's we'll just we'll just figure it out

This is great. Yeah. Well, I want to know how far along are we? Not really not really. I think you're working me again. No, I know you sold no no no no bullshit No bullshit. Nothing sold like it's just something that I'd like to develop. I think like with the success of the special we've been Very fortunate that there's a lot of people that like to work on it Yes, but I want to choose the right people and I want to look make sure it's the right script. I think they'd like the female Journey in it needs to be explored way more like obviously this is my perspective There's things that my wife went through but it's really about like what the dude is going through when your sperm is not swimming and

Things you had to do sure sure pregnant But whenever I talked to chicks who have gone through the stuff they have these great stories about like they're taking the hormones right, right Some this one girl said the hormones usually make you crazy But this one girl said it was like the weirdest thing happened. I was like watch is like people said they like me more So when I kept hearing these stories from the women about what's going on, I was like, oh, we got to explore that part more. And that's what you can do with film, right? Is like we can open up the different worlds.

So yeah, that to me, I just, you know, I like the idea of storytelling. So whether it's on stage doing standup, whether it's, you know, literally talking about things that have happened in our lives on a podcast, or just fucking wrestling, or even film, which I think is like the highest version of the art. You know, I don't think there's a better way to tell a story than displaying it. So that would be very cool in my life to make a film, yeah.

I live in a bit of a bubble here where I talk to a lot of fighters all the time, and there are a few people that I've met outside of the fighting world who I'm genuinely proud to say like, I know that guy I know a little bit about that guy You're one of those guys action is another one of those guys where I'm inspired by you I'm so happy for your success genuinely like when I when I saw you on I was like this is fucking great

I hit you up during the show And I was showing it to my kids heartbroken that you hit You know you were hurt he beat you up all this stuff I would have texted you beforehand if I knew it up before me. I didn't want to bother, I didn't know what, you know, you were hurt, he beat you up, all this stuff. I would have texted you beforehand if I knew it was gonna happen. I would have been there. Yeah, but I didn't know, I didn't know, you know what I mean?

Like if I'm given some script. But I just want to let you know, I would have jumped over to help you. Like he didn't, which I thought was a little bit sus. Right, though? He was taking a back, it was weird that no one jumped. Can you believe that? A friend since I'm 18 years old.

18 years old, all he had to do was jump over and take down Logan with me, but he didn't do shit. Had to be some guy with the long hair. AJ, man. Who you don't even know. Dude, I didn't even know this guy. I thought he was Australian. Yeah.

You know what I mean? Then I find out this guy is like a superhero. Superhero. But I told him, I told him, I was like, listen, I need you out of the way next time. You actually saved Logan. I know you got beef with Logan, but you saved him. Let you cook.

I let him cook. Yeah, I know, but next time let you cook. Let me cook! Yes, yes. Let me get this working, you know? Let's see. But I'm retired, I'm retired from wrestling. Okay, all right.

I look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks at WrestleMania. You're the man. Thank you so much, Andrew. Thank you so much. Congrats on all your success, really. Thank'm retired from wrestling. Okay, all right. I look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks at WrestleMania. You're the man. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Congrats on all your success. Thank you. So happy for you.

Thank you for coming in. Thank you, Dove, as well. You guys are the best. We'll take a quick break. Here's a classic interview from way back when with the great Chael Sonnen, and we'll be back with Wyatt Hendrickson. Do not go anywhere.

All right, that's one of the all time, I mean, greatest interviews had nothing to do with me. Chael had been suspended. He didn't do any interviews, any media for a year. Re-emerges a year later, almost a year, 11 months later to do that and the rest is history. Then he ends up fighting Bryan Stan and gets the rematch against Anderson Silva, which didn't go his way. That was Amazing Stuff with Andrew Schultz I hope you enjoyed it most importantly go check out his special. It's called life. It's on Netflix It is fantastic if you're a parent not a parent if you're a fan of comedy not a fan of comedy

It hits all the points and so I highly highly recommend it Let's move along and say hello to a man who made history of his own kind Not that long ago a little over a week ago, 10 or so days ago in Philadelphia, what a scene it was when it was David versus Goliath in the, in the main event of the NCAA wrestling championships. It was Gable Stevenson, the Olympic gold medalist, the multiple time national champion, the big 10 champion, the WWE hopeful, the Buffalo Bill hopeful.

I mean, it doesn't get more Goliath than him. He comes back to school thinking he's just gonna waltz through things. And he had up until he met Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State. Last week we had his coach David Taylor on. Now we get the man himself. The champ is here. Let us say hello to Wyatt Hendrickson who is kind enough to join us on this Wednesday. Hello, Wyatt, wow, you shaved the stash.

What happened? I did, I did. So it was actually a funny story and how the mustache even came to be. So I actually grew it out just a little bit because I finally commissioned as an officer in the Air Force and I could have that mustache. And I was getting ready to shave it.

But before I even told my family about it there, was like dude you got two caterpillars you know fighting over a nugget on you know on your on your face and so I was just like you know what I'm gonna keep it and I kept it even longer and as soon as I wrestled my first match with it every I was like plugging the shave and everyone's like dude you cannot shave it now like the season started it's bad luck so I kept it the remainder of the season started, it's bad luck. So I kept it, the remainder of the season, it actually kind of became kind of a cool thing. People kind of liked the mustache.

So I've always been like a clean shaving guy, but for the few more tournaments, we might see if I'll grow back out again. It gives you a whole different look now. Like the stash, I felt like it gave you a bit of an edge. Like you kind of look like Tom Selleck circa 1983. And're you're a baby face. You look like such a young man I mean, I don't I don't know. I don't know how to feel about I kind of miss the stash if I'm if I'm being honest Yeah, you're not wrong but hey Captain America never had any facial hair, that's true. Okay, that's fair

That's until you know, of course the very end of his career But I mean look at that thing. That thing's a beaut. Have other people told you they missed it? Yes, that's actually probably one of the biggest things people say, you know, it's not, oh, congratulations. It's just like, what happened to your mustache? So I think you're right. It kind of was, you know, it was a little bit of a sign

of toughness or sign of, I don't know, but people loved it. So I might have to bring it back. In the post-match press conference. When you, when you beat Gable on that Saturday night, you said like, it's going to take a few days for the emotions to really sink in. So it's been 10 days or so since it happened, have they sunk in or are you still on this high? Yes.

No, absolutely. I mean, the first couple of days after that was just pure excitement. I mean, not that I was surprised, but after you train all year for a goal and you finally reach that goal It's an exciting time. And so, you know just as I was it was hard to go to sleep I stayed up in my my living room Yeah one two o'clock in the morning just watching all the awesome videos and all the cool edits because it was just it was amazing You know, there's no other film until you get in a situation like that where you know you finally reach that big goal it's just your emotions are just flying everywhere and it was an exciting time but you know it's calmed down a little bit

um you know we got back to still water got right back to training you know um there's a lot of stuff i still need to improve you know for my future wrestling career for me to you know i obviously want a national championship but i you know i want to be a world champion and Olympic gold medalist. So it was really nice to kind of, um, come back to my, come back to still water and get back to grinding. Do you recall, do you remember the first time you had this dream? Like, like how long ago does this date back when you dreamed of being a national champion? Absolutely. I mean, as a kid, I feel like everyone has, you know, a big goal for themselves. And for me, it was to be an Olympic gold medalist and a national champion. And, you know, that was obvious, that was a long time ago. And as you get older, and you keep training and training more, it kind of becomes more, it comes more in the picture. But you know, as soon as I actually got to college at the Air Force Academy, and I had my first season, I'm like, this is, it's real now, you know, I've talked about it, but now it's time to put pen to paper and get to work and make this a reality. And, um, you know, the last three years of my wrestling career, I was like,

Hey, I want to be at the top of that podium. And I know I had what it took, but, um, you know, every year I've just been getting better and better and better. And this year with the help of coach David Taylor, being able to say the right things and help me in certain positions, it finally got me over that hump. I love what I've read about your relationship with coach Taylor.

Correct me if I'm wrong, from the get-go, from the beginning of the year, he's texting you every so often, Wyatt Hendrickson, 2025 national champion. He's just texting you that, nothing more, nothing less, just continuing to put that in your brain, is that what he's doing? The very first text he ever sent me,

very first text he ever sent me. Obviously we had a talk and he was like, hey, I want you to come to Oklahoma State. And right after that, the first text he started sending me was just Wyatt Hendrickson 2025 national champion, national champion all the time. So, I mean, just having that, you know, just kind of, you know, it kind of manifested the path and just keeping that goal in mind throughout the entire season

was, it was a big deal because you're going to have days where you're beat up, you're hurt, you know, your knees tweaked. And, but I mean, to be the national champion, you got to work through those days and having coach Taylor there to kind of remind me of those on those hard days would made a big difference because it kind of changed my mentality. Some days I was like, you know, I couldn't, I was like, I don't know what to do. And they're like, Hey, you can get, you can get stressed out or you can adapt. You can try to adapt through it. Coach Kennedy actually was all he's been with me a lot of those tough days, like, Hey, you

can get frustrated or you can just, you can adapt and you can keep wrestling. So you know, that, that happened at the NCAA tournament. People are kind of hurting, also hurting, but coach is like, look, this is it. You gotta go out there and you need to be a champion. You need to have a championship mindset. You need to be tough, you need to be gritty. You need to work through this,

because you have what it takes. He's like, I know, like you don't have to be 100% to win this tournament. You just gotta be yourself and wrestle hard every single match. When he's texting you that from the get-go, do you believe him? Absolutely, I mean he's he's he's done it all you know he's been a world champ

um, you know Olympic gold medalist the multiple-time national champion and Just I mean, I think a lot of people have been telling me I can be a national champion But I think what it really took is and I've always kind of believed in myself But I think there was a time where my brain, I was just like, I don't like just want this. Like I need this. Like this is something I've been wanting. And I just, there's something that just kind of was, it sparked something on the inside of me. And I mean, even at every single tournament you think of, you know, the coaches, you know, they're like, Hey, we're going to go out here. We're going to Russell good. Do this every before

every match coach Taylor would just look at me and be like, Hey buddy, they're like, Hey, we're going to go out here. We're going to Russell good. Do this every before every match. Coach Taylor would just look at me and be like, Hey buddy, smile. Wow. How you doing? How are you? How are you doing? And so that just made a big difference. I mean, if you ever looked at any of the pictures of us before a match or before, before anything, um, he wrote, just smiling because I get really serious. I know I got to get zoned in. I want to put on a great performance. I want to wrestle my best. But sometimes I'm like a little too serious and coach is just like, hey man, just have fun out there. Have a good time. And I'm just like, it just takes all the pressure off because if you've ever been, I mean, as you know, as elite athletes, you get zoned in, you might start overthinking and you're just, your mind kind of takes over. You start playing

scenarios. Oh, what if this happens? What if I what if I do this what if it doesn't go my way and you know sometimes my brain starts to get going it could take off but coach Taylor kind of realized that that might have been something's been happening in the past and before a match he's like hey man let's go out there have fun and it was just it kind of just put all that stress away before every single match so you're an accomplished athlete correct me if I'm wrong second lieutenant in the Air Force correct yes sir match. So you're an accomplished athlete, correct me if I'm wrong, second lieutenant in the Air Force? Correct, yes sir.

So you're used to dealing with stress, pressure, but here you are on Saturday, Saturday night, NCAA Championship, the spotlight's on you, the lights are shining brightest, you're going up against Goliath, you're going up against the Olympic champion, the president is in attendance, the commander-in-chief himself is in attendance. Are you feeling nervous? Are you feeling a different type?

Because like I don't want to ever equate what you do on the mat to what you do for the Air Force, but there's a different type of pressure involved here and this is you on the verge of realizing a dream. What's going on internally here minutes before the match? on the verge of realizing a dream, what's going on internally here, minutes before the match? Absolutely. So this was actually a time where I just really got to give credit to my coaching staff

and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for, you know, I said it obviously, I love saying prayers before I wrestle, but I needed some help. I was getting, you know, an hour before the match, I was getting a little bit emotionally stressed out and I just said,

Lord, please take away my doubts, take away this fear, take away all of my anxiety. And I just had this sense of calmness. And I love telling people this because that's exactly a situation where you would think that, you know, I'm going crazy. I'm like, Oh, like so many people are here. But I mean, you know, I sat next to coach Taylor and he's like, Hey, man,

it's just another match. You've been wrestling all year long, nothing different about this. And I mean, I was, I was in on that. I believed him. So, you know, when I was going out there before I was wrestling, I was just focused, all zoned in. I had that tunnel vision and you know, I had that until that final whistle blew. As soon as that final whistle blew, then I could hear the crowd and everything. But I like to describe that moment of me on the mat, you know,

like I think a great move to, you know, Creed and when they're fighting and you're in the ring and there's the arena's black It's just you and your opponent. You can't hear a thing. That's the way I felt I was so zoned in and then as soon as that final whistle blew then it all I could I could feel the intensity I could feel it as soon as I took him down I mean, I couldn't hear it but I could just you can feel the intensity in that room and then as soon as that match Was over I was just like, oh my gosh. Like, we frickin' did it.

It was just pure excitement, pure raw motion. I love that. You had one of the all-time greats from Oklahoma State in attendance calling it for ESPN, our good friend Daniel Cormier. Did you happen to speak to him before the match? Maybe after the match? Did he give you some advice beforehand?

Any interactions with DC? Yeah, I actually saw him when we were doing the Parade of All Americans. I saw him walking out, I jumped in front of him, tried to scare him a little bit, and just, you know, he was just like, hey man, good luck. I mean, at that point, the hay was in the barn, but I did run into him a little bit.

What a legend, and what a call, that call. I'm sure you've watched that a million times, right? Him and Jordan Burrows going nuts. Oh man, oh that was the best thing ever. I'm sure you've watched that a million times, right? Him and Jordan Burrows going nuts. Oh man. Oh, that was the best thing ever. I mean, there was no better commentary than that right there. I've been telling people that and what he said, that whole moment in that video, I will never forget that.

He's just, cause he's just, he is losing his mind. It is amazing. I rewatch it and every single time, I'm not kidding, I still get goosebumps. I've seen that probably hundreds and hundreds of times, but it just brings that emotion and that feeling of, you know, what it was like in the moment of that match. So I'm definitely gonna have that feeling with me

for the rest of my life. And of course, hearing DC's voice just screaming. What is the best thing that has happened to you since that win? I think we've just been able to bring a lot of light to, you know, the sport of wrestling. There's a lot of people that obviously maybe saw that match that have never watched wrestling before.

I mean, obviously President Trump was there. So I think it's brought a lot of awareness, you know, to the great sport of wrestling and also just, you know, the name of Jesus. That's something I'm really proud of is my faith. And, you know, I think it's important that people need to know that you know My lord and savior Jesus Christ is the reason that I won that match. I felt the holy spirit on that last takedown I mean you talk about needing some help

I just felt an extra push and helped me just push through the end of that match So, um, you're just growing the sport of wrestling and spread the name of Jesus and you know Honoring this great country of america. I mean as much as I can spread my faith and all that, I'm gonna do it. Before the match, there seemed to have been an interaction between you and Gable. Can you tell us what you guys said to each other? That's the million dollar question.

And what's crazy is I mentioned that tunnel vision. I actually don't remember. I really don't. I don't believe you, Wyatt. I think you're being a good guy. I think don't. I mean, I kind of- I don't believe you, Wyatt. I think you're being a good guy. I think you're being a gentleman and not telling us the truth.

So, I mean, I'm a pretty honest guy. I like to say that, but no, so there was a couple of words. I'll share that with you, what I heard, but all I heard was, I heard him say like Olympic champion and like, you know, maybe it's something about deserve, don't deserve, but I was, I mean, in the moment,

I was walking around, I just shook his hand. I thought it was just coming to me to like, I didn't know how to feel, but I knew that if he was trying to do something, it was most likely to throw me off my game. But I mean, I really, I heard him say, you know, he was shaking his head, talking and said an Olympic champ. And I was just, I mean, what I'm guessing he said, and I'm pretty sure he did say it was like, Hey, like it's, it's what Jordan Burrow said,

he's like hey, you can't just wear that flag for anything. And you can feel any way you want to about that, as a second lieutenant representing the greatest country in the world, America, I mean, I'm not gonna ever feel bad about representing, wearing that flag right on my back. If anyone deserves to have that flag around his back, it's you.

And probably there was some trash talk, some mind games there. Did he say anything to you after the match? Absolutely. Not a word. Not a word. Not a word. He did post the next day on social media about it all,

but I noticed there wasn't really a hat tip to you. This is the poster here. I'm not gonna read the whole thing. I'm sure you've seen it as well. Did that disappoint you? No, I actually haven't even read that yet, but I think Gable is a very respectful person. As you know, he's been an Olympic gold medalist

and that match doesn't define him. That's not gonna change anything, but I truly think that in a moment like that, he was never expecting maybeist and that match doesn't define him. That's not going to change anything. But I truly think that, you know, in a moment like that, he was never expecting, you know, maybe to lose that match. And after something like that, like he probably didn't know what to do, you know, obviously, if you, if that happens, you're not like, you're not happy about it. It does suck because I'm sure when he came in the college again, he was just expecting to win at all. And, you know, I had different plans from the very beginning. So, um, you know, I think he just, he already convinced himself, you won that match and he was just, she was stunned. I remember seeing all the pictures I've seen of just his face

after the match and have that takedown. He's looking up like, like a lost puppy. Like, like, what do I do now? Cause he was just so, you know, kind of shocked, but I mean, Gable's still a great wrestler. If he decides to wrestle, best luck to him. I mean, I'm still gonna be grinding. I'm still training every day to be an Olympic medalist. You did find out just a couple of days ago, Hodge Trophy winner as well. So you're now in that exclusive class.

Man, the hits just keep on coming for you. This is incredible. How did you find out about that? And what was your reaction? Yeah, so I knew I was obviously gonna be in the runnings for it after that match. But they did give me a call, you know, just a little bit in advance before they made the big announcement to say, hey man, like you did it. Congratulations. And, you know, the, obviously, the biggest person I was going up against is, you know, Carter Starachi. And I mean, absolutely

phenomenal, phenomenal wrestler. If you look at, you know, our careers, if this was a career award, hands down, it's going to be Karush Rocky, a five-time national champion. That is awesome. I was just really grateful that the fans, they enjoyed the dominance I put on this year. This is my fourth year, I think, the most dominant wrestler in the NCAA and this award was about dominance and I Pin a lot of people I like to put it on them you know, I beat the number one pound-for-pound best wrestler and You know Gable Stevenson So I mean it's just an honor to have received that award and I'm very grateful

I'm very grateful for the fans that voted and you know, just getting that is gonna be it's it's exciting I really I'm kind of spewed just about it. I'm still, I'm still letting that sink in a little bit. That's a really exciting thing. Well deserved, well earned. Um, so can you explain to us the, the next three years? Cause you mentioned the Olympics, the next one, 28 Los Angeles. That's a goal of yours.

You want to be on team USA. You want to compete in the games. What do the next three years look like for you? Um, you're still in the air force, right? So how does this all work right now? Because you'll be leaving, you're done. Or can you come back for another year? It's all very confusing now in college.

Can you come back as a graduate? So I am a graduate right now. I graduated from the Air Force Academy last year, and there's no graduate school at the Air Force Academy, which is why I left to go to a different school to use this last year of eligibility. But I actually got, I'm a member of the Air Force WCAP, the world class athlete program, and they allowed me, I said, Hey, can I use this extra year of eligibility? And they said, yes.

So they allowed me to come here to Oklahoma State to train and to use this last year of eligibility. But my college career is now over. But the next three years, like we said, I'll be trying to make a world team, the Olympic team and just pretty much training full-time. I'm going to do a couple stops around the country. I'm still going to go back to the Air Force Academy, to the Air Force Regional Training Center, give back.

They've got some great partners up there for me at the Olympic Training Center, great partners, but obviously having Coach Taylor as my coach right now has made a big difference and I'm excited to keep climbing the ladder. When you're when you're a part of the is it WCAP and you go to Oklahoma State you get to take classes there or you just training as an athlete and that's it? No so I'm actually a full-time student in the graduate program yes I'm getting my my MBA my master's of business administration at the same time. Good for you well done and and obviously the goal is to make it to LA.

Yes sir, absolutely. That's been, you know, I finally, the big goal I set was to be a national champion. We fulfilled that goal. So, you know, going back to my room, my bulletin board, now I got, you know, yearly goals of world champ, but now the big overarching goal is gonna be a 2028, you know, Olympian Olympic gold medalist.

And then post that, there's two paths it seems. You could go down the pro wrestling path like so many others or the MMA path. Any chance we see you go down either one of those? I think there's a lot of exciting stuff that could possibly happen. But so as a member of the United States Air Force, I will actually be able to go back.

I plan on serving for at least five more years after my wrestling career. You know, this country has done so much for me. I think it's only right for me to give back to, you know, give back to you guys. So I'm right now, you know, all my classmates in the Air Force Academy are kind of, they're picking up the slack because I'm obviously wrestling right now. And I'm, you know, trying to spread the word of their great sport of wrestling and obviously the Air Force and the great opportunities they offer. But for the immediate future, I'll be going, and I am in the service, but I'll be going to work in a job that's not wrestling for five years. And then after that, you know, the cross training is probably going to start now. And I think, you know, the sky's

the limit when it comes to deciding what I want to do after my Air Force career. Of those two, do you have an interest in one over the other? I love MMA, I love everything about it. But one thing that is in my mind, I love punching people in the face, but obviously getting punched in the face sucks, getting hit in the head. I do have a little bit of history with, just some concussions and there might be some caution there,

but I really think I need to get some gloves on and see how it feels. Obviously it's no joke. I mean, MMA is, I mean, it's, like I said, it's no joke. And so, you know, getting punched by somebody who knows how to punch in the head and getting knocked out, it's not super fun. So as long as I can do whatever I wanna do safely,

I'm obviously gonna, I'm gonna do what I can. Have you trained in any facet of MMA? I've done a little bit. I mean, not specifically. I mean, I've had some boxing gloves and mess around with some guys, hit the punching bag, go to some jujitsu practices, but I mean, my main goal right now is wrestling.

And so I'm really just putting all my effort and time into that, but I have messed around a little bit, but I haven't taken it too seriously. Okay, that would be something. A bunch of guys obviously have come over from, you know, Daniel Cormier being one of them, Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, the list goes on and on. Bo Nickel, very recently having some great success.

You follow these guys? I actually don't, so to be very honest with you, I've had a couple talks with the coaches, even when I got here and, um, you know, they say about wrestling and everything you can, you can be an athlete or you can be a fan of other athletes. And so, I mean, as far as even goes to social media, I don't really have, I have social media, but I have it all muted. I don't like being on it. You know, I like to spend my time outside or, you know, with friends. So because of that, I actually don't,

I'm not big on podcasts or watching fights or anything. Now I know, I feel like I need to a little bit more because I'm on all these, I get to talk to so many amazing people and I'm just like, no, I need to get with the program and see what's going on here. But no, I do like spending most of my time off social media. So because of that, I actually,

I'm never on Twitter or Instagram or really any social media of any sort. Well, you're a pure soul. You have a great exuberance, a great joie de vivre, if you will. I wouldn't change any of that. And most importantly, you're a tremendous athlete as well. So congratulations on what you accomplished two weeks ago.

Really cool to see. The scene was amazing and you deserve it, man. You earned it and you represented this country in an incredible way. So good luck to you. Thank you for coming on. Great to meet you. Great to talk to you for the first time

and looking forward to seeing where you go from here. Absolutely. I definitely think that we might see some more opportunities like we talked about. So I definitely think it'll be exciting to see what comes next. Thank you, Wyatt. All the best to you.

Congrats. Yes, thank you. There he is. All the best to you, congrats. Yes, thank you. There he is, Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State University, Dan Hodge Trophy winner, national champion, and soon to be a member of Team USA. Love that, great stuff there. And what a nice young man. What a pure soul he is.

What a good guy. I enjoyed that. Coming up in about 30 minutes time, we'll talk to Sean O'Connell, who's the play-by-play voice, who's one of the most impressive people that I've ever come across, and I don't think enough people give him enough credit for this, and I say it every time we talk about him

or to him, this man went from being an athlete to a play-by-play guy. That doesn't happen in any sport. It's maybe happened like two or three times, like Pat Summerall did it way back in the day with the NFL and maybe a person or two here or there, but an athlete usually becomes the analyst. In case you don't know what the roles are, play-by-play is John Anick, play-by-play is Jim Lampley, is Mike Goldberg, Moro Renal. That's play-by-play. The main guy who's telling you about everything, taking you in and out, the traffic conductor, if you will. The color analyst is Rogan, is DC.

It's usually a former athlete. Obviously Rogan isn't, Larry Merchant wasn't, Al Bernstein in boxing as well, Max Kellerman. But then there's Roy Jones and George Foreman, Sergio Mora for Dazon, Darren Barker as well, Paul Felder, Michael Bisping. The list goes on and on and on. Roy Jones and George Foreman, Sergio Mora for Dazon, Darren Barker as well, Paul Felder, Michael Bisping, the list goes on and on and on. This guy, Sean O'Connell went from being a fighter to the play-by-play role. It's an unbelievable thing and we'll talk to him about,

obviously, the PFL season starting tomorrow. We'll also make our picks after that. But I do wanna get to On The Nose because we were supposed to get to On The Nose at this point in time, but we do want to get to on the nose because we were supposed to get to on the nose at this point in time but we didn't really get to the breaking news because we went to Schultz early is there more breaking news or just when I said that okay here we go here we go yesterday just to recap this is what happened Tuesday evening we found out Jamal Hill versus Khalil Rountree off. Now we don't really know what happened to Jamal.

I haven't seen anything. Khalil Rountree himself doesn't seem to know what happened to Jamal Hill. I saw him do an interview and he was just like, I was told the fight was off and I was told they couldn't find a replacement. All right. And so they called upon Carlos Prochez, who was supposed to fight Jeff Neal in Miami, UFC 314. Neal withdraws. They look for a replacement.

Nothing materializing. They push him to Kansas City. They call upon Ian Machado-Garry. Second time this guy steps up on short notice. Main event. Say what you will about him. Massive cojones. Afterwards, he went online and cut a pretty good promo. Second time this guy steps up on short notice. Main event, say what you will about him. Massive cojones.

Afterwards, he went online and cut a pretty good promo. I gotta give Ian some credit. A lot of credit for a lot of things. Cut a great promo, here it is. Right, it's official. You've got a new main event. Kansas City, Missouri, me versus Carlos Pratchett, April 26th, I'm excited.

Why do you see go, ah, we need someone. Who do we need, who do we call? You call me. Why? Because I'm a real fighter who wants to fight the best in the world. I'm gonna show everybody how good I am. Carlos Pratches is awesome, but this is my world.

I love to fight. There's nothing more I love in this world than fighting. Missouri, Kansas City, let's go. Ireland, get your tickets, get your flights. Brazil, get your tickets, get your flights. And Brazil, just scoop. You have two Brazilians in this fight. Let's go. Práceas, live in April, 26. By the way, when he starts speaking in Portuguese, it's great, the praches, all that stuff. Then, in that same poster, a second or so later, we find out the main event and co-main event for UFC,

315, June 7th, Newark, Prudential Center of the Rock, Marabdou Ali Shfili versus Sugashan O'Malley, main event, Bantamweight title, co-main. Finally, we get Juliana Pena, the Venezuelan vixen, friend of the show, we still love you, Juliana, goingantamweight title, co-main. Finally we get Juliana Pena, the Venezuelan vixen, friend of the show, we still love you Juliana, going up against Kayla Harrison, 135 pound women's title. Pizzi, Ian Machado-Garry, you've been covering him

a long time, somewhat polarizing in your country, one of your own, one of your own, obviously living in Brazil, London, this and that, this man is stepping up again, and here he is, 24 days away from potentially living in Brazil, London, this and that. This man is stepping up again. And here he is, 24 days away from potentially being on a two fight losing streak, because he took two fights on very short notice against two killers at 170 pounds.

Are you surprised after what happened in the Shavkat fight, and of course, him being upset that he didn't get the call to fight for the belt, are you surprised that he took this fight? In terms of Ian as the athlete, absolutely not. He's a competitive beast. Like, I mean, this guy is so competitive. I can't underline he's might be one of the most competitive people I've ever met in the

sport. And there is a lot of competitive people in this. Like, like when he was a younger guy, if you were even talking about another fighter, he'd be like, what? Like, I'm better than him at this. Like he constantly wants to one up everyone. And that's the best kind of mindset you can have in this game. I'm sure he's seen all the love that Pratchett is getting from the community. He is one of those beloved fighters at the moment. He is putting on scintillating performances. But what I'll also say is to the second part of your question, I am surprised

given that he felt left out of the title situation and there were situations where he's like, I don't want to fight back. Really back to the Highlander analogy, this is a huge, huge opportunity for Pratchis because Ian Gary is a guy who was considered right on the cusp of that title conversation. I know his last fight was defeat to Shavkat, but I would say if he had just bought his time, he could probably get matched with one of the senior members of that title conversation and maybe have an easier opportunity given the momentum that Pratchett has, but again, just speaks to how competitive he is.

I personally like the fight for Ian Gary. I think his IQ is incredibly underrated. This is a guy that we saw strike his way into the UFC, big knockout power and then when we've seen now when he needs it, he goes back to his grappling. We saw it against MVP, we've seen it against Jeff Neil. I would say that Pratchett is a very similar matchup in that he knows where the threat is coming from against Pratchett. It is a striker, a guy who's trying to take your head off and he has done very well in that kind of matchup before.

If Ian wins, should he be next for the for the belt? Should he get the winner of Bilal versus JDM? It's tough because there is a logjam in this division. There are so many guys who are entering the fray. What happens to Shavkat then? We're only talking about Sean Brady. I feel as though it's a tremendous risk that he's taken because he's coming off that loss. And that's why I respect it so much. I think he will have a great argument to be the next go for the title. And depending on Brady and Shavkat situation, he might be. I don't think it immediately puts him to the top of the pile, but I do think that putting on an

exciting performance against Pratchis would nearly be a golden ticket for him, I really, you know. I do fear that the matchup that he will have to, the, the, the style fight that he'll have to employ against Pratchus will not be the most exciting. I think he needs to grind this guy out. This is a guy who likes to pull people away early. Ian will be very conscious of that. He has many tools in his belt and I think we're going to see

him use them on fight night. I got to tell you, um, a win over Carlos Pratchus would be very impressive, but when you consider the fact that look, Sean Brady, as you just said, just beat Leon Edwards and beat him bad and beat him convincingly and stopped him. The first guy to stop him submitted him. And then you consider, okay, and I know it doesn't really work out this way because Pratchett has so much hype and momentum behind him.

Pratchett's most, I guess, celebrated win would be the win over Neil Magny prior to that Li Jingliang. A win over Sean Brady, excuse me, a win over Leon Edwards for Sean Brady is a much more significant win, if you will. And so I'm really curious to see how they break this down because it could end up being, and this is tough, Ian wins this fight, they honor their word to Shavkat.

Shavkat fights the winner of the May 10th fight, and then we're really getting Ian versus Sean Brady, number one contender fight. I honor their word to Shavkat. Shavkat fights the winner of the May 10th fight and then we're really getting Ian versus Sean Brady number one contender fight. I could see that happening or Carlos versus Sean Brady. Basically is this fight going to determine who Sean Brady fights next and then and can we get some clarity is Shavkat actually going to be next? All big questions. Cause there's a chance Shofcut's going to be out and then maybe the

winner of this fight leap frogs, or maybe it's Sean that leap frogs. And then this guy has to fight Shofcut again. Who the hell knows? But it's a big time fight. It, it, this is a big fight, but it does feel like a risk, an unnecessary risk. If I'm being honest, like, why, why? Because I think he could, Ian Machado, Gary could have gotten a fight with Sean Brady without taking this fight

You know like Ian Gary, who'd you rather fight Sean Brady or Carlos proches? Probably Carlos, but I'm saying even if he wins this his next fight is Sean Brady He could have shortcutted this without having to take this opportunity Well, maybe he knows something that we don't but let me say this It's why I respect the move so much right like it when shot when uh... when uh... below got hurt and they said who's gonna fight this killer in shop car rockman of nobody puts their hands up

except for you much out of gary and he steps in uh... it's people put their hands up but it's like on social media and then they don't ultimately do it you much out of areas the one who stepped in there carlos proxess nobody's dying to fight this guy who's not high in the rankings, who's an absolute stone cold killer. Ian Machado Gary puts his hands up again. So I respect him and his gameness.

I think it will come back to him. I think he will be rewarded for this. But I do feel like in terms of if you're building your career, it feels like an unnecessary risk because I do believe he could have been a name for Shawn Brady without taking this fight. I dig the cojones. No, as I just said, it makes my respect for him go all the way through the roof. But again, maybe he knows something that we don't. Maybe he knows that he wasn't getting that fight.

Or maybe he's been told if he wins, he's gonna be next. Or maybe he's been told if he wins, he'll be the backup fighter for May 10th and then secure his spot. I feel like there's, I need to talk to Ian. I need to, I need to read and tell here, but I dig it, man. I did not expect it.

I did not. Who's the favorite by the way, in this fight? I think Ian's gotta be. I don't know if we got odds yet. Yeah. You would think it would be Ian. Man, people love Carlos. I will say, I don't know.

But Carlos, he doesn't have any ranked wins. I know he's, he's on fire, but like he does only have four wins of the UFC and they're all by knockout. So like he's a growing star, but Carlos, he doesn't have any ranked wins. I know he's on fire, but he does only have four wins of the UFC and they're all by knockout. So he's a growing star, but he's still the lower ranked fighter in this one and has much less UFC experience. It's also hard to shake the image of Ian being around away from beating Shavkat.

You know, that tells me the level that he's at. And so- All right, here we go. You guys want to guess it? Yes. I'm gonna say Ian minus 150. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say, so you're both saying Ian minus 150 ish?

125 I'm going. I'm saying Carlos minus 173. Pizzi is the winner. Ian Gary minus 120, Carlos Prochez plus 100. Makes sense. All right. Can I just say, Ariel, like in terms of you having an optimistic outlook here,

and I appreciate that, and I do think, like I hope that Ian has been given some type of guarantee to push him to the forefront of this title conversation. We have to note that it is a double edged sword too. To be going into this fight coming off a loss, having never had a loss in your career, to be going in against Pratchett as a guy with a lot of momentum, to lose that fight, I don't feel like these guys are, you know, it doesn't always work out that the guy, despite him stepping up and saving you guys in this card, it doesn't exactly mean you're going to be rewarded unless you're victorious on the night. So I do think it's a massive risk. And again, to the point that we're making about his massive balls. But you know what, and this is sometimes the difference between MMA and boxing, like I think, and I'm not saying that Ian is doing this

to curry any favor with the fans, but let's be honest, this is how the fans fall in love with you. And let's also be honest, for a minute there, the fans weren't in love with him. And so how could you be an MMA fan and not say like, you know what, all that shit was dumb. This guy is worth backing. You know what I mean?

Like all the stuff where he was getting, when he was getting hated on was what? Oh, he's a McGregor wannabe? Or oh, like some shit about his family life that is none of our business? Like there was no real reason for it other than the fact that sometimes people connect and sometimes people don't.

How do you not connect with this if you're a fight fan, right? How do you not say this guy talks the talk and he walks the walk. He kept telling us he's the man. He kept telling us he's the best. He fought Shavkat on what, three weeks notice? And he's fighting Carlos Proches on three and a half weeks notice. When Proches was preparing for a fight two weeks prior and he was, God knows where, he had nothing lined up. So I just think this stuff, win or lose,

this stuff just helps. And again, he wants to win, he wants to advance all this. He's not just doing it to be beloved. Clearly he doesn't care. Good on him for that. But I think all of this helps and that's why I think it's worth it. I think the people who loved him will still love him.

The people who hated him will probably still hate him. But I do think no matter where you fall on that, you must respect him. He demands respect. Moves like this show you who's game in this fight game. And he is game. And he is putting it all on the line. When he doesn't need to, as I said,

I think he could have gotten a fight with Shawn Brady next without having to take this risk. You can like him, you can not like him. You must respect what he's about in terms of fighting. What are people saying about June 7th, the main event? Marab, Shawn too. You can like him, you can not like him. You must respect what he's about in terms of fighting. What are people saying about June 7th, the main event, Murab Shantoo? I've seen a lot of people unhappy

with Sean O'Malley getting a rematch. Okay, for those who are unhappy, are they, and obviously there's a million people I'm not asking you to poll everyone, but are they offering a plan B? Who is he? I actually haven't seen much plan B's just that it's unwarranted for, for Sean O'Malley.

And I actually agree with you. What is plan B? Right. Who's he skipping? Sean O'Malley beat. Right. Got 50-45 by Marab. I understand that Sean O'Malley lost the fight

to Marab just back in September. He hasn't taken a fight since. He is the biggest star in the division, whether you want to believe that or not. Yeah, there are perks that come with that. 135 sure I mean after that who else would there be Corey Sandhagen Umar just got beat by him and Corey's fighting But Corey has a fight May 30th. Pantoja super fight. No, no come on Come on you getting creative with the plan B. By the way go back two months three months

The per- Marab didn't want to fight Umar. He said he doesn't deserve it. The guy I want to fight is Sean O'Malley. Like, everything is Sean O'Malley. There's no other alternative at this point. I would love to say there's another option. There's not. If there was a guy out there who had won 10 in a row,

who was basically Marab, you know, a year and a half ago, Bilal a year and a half ago or so, then I could say, all right, you have a valid point. There is no guy out there. And the guy that had the winning streak but didn't have the signature win, or wins, I should say, was Umar, and he got the title shot. Who are you skipping over?

Who is being wronged here? And so, to GC's point, he's the biggest star in the division. He's the biggest, he's one of the top five biggest stars in the sport, at least American born fighters. Top 10 for sure. Top 10. Fair, fair. Uh, you know, he maintains, he believes till this day that he won that fight.

So it wasn't like he, you know, got knocked out in the first round and, and, and, and it was, it was, you know, pretty clear that he couldn't hang or whatever he maintains. I think he believes it when he says it. He said very recently that he was't hang or whatever he maintains. I think he believes it when he says it. He said very recently that he was hurt, that he's going to be 70% better.

Who knows if he's trolling people by saying this stuff or whatnot. It's the biggest fight that you can make in that division. And it's not far fetched. It's not like you're saying, oh, the biggest name is ranked 11. And we need like, he's the former champ who hasn't fought since, who had a nice run as champion, and yes, look, sometimes people don't defend the belt once and they get an immediate rematch. There's weird rules for different people. And I just, I would understand if people are upset

if someone was getting wronged. Present to me the person who's being wronged by this title fight happening. And to Rick's point, the champion wants to fight. He is not upset about it. He me the person who's being wronged by this title fight happening. And to Rick's point, the champion wants to fight. He is not upset about it. He's the one who asked for it last time, in his last defense, in his first defense,

he said, let's run it back right away. So look, I think it's great. I think it's great for this area. This could have been an international fight week type of title fight. Kayla versus Juliana could have definitely been a co-main for International Fight Week. It's that big.

Remember I said this in our 2025 preview. This was the fight that I was most looking forward to in the first quarter, first, you know, it's coming in the first half of the year. I cannot wait for the build to this fight. I hope they do a million press conferences, a million face-to-faces. I hope we get a ton of content from the two of them because they are magic together.

They talk a lot of shit. Their press conference that they had where they were both there fighting different people, but going back and forth was magic. We finally find out, can Kayla do it? It's at 135. Juliana has a great opportunity to prove that she is that damn good.

And oh, by the way, if you want a little more juice, you want some more steaks, you want some more drama, there's the potential of Amanda Nunes just kind of lingering out there, who has a history with the two of them. Former teammate of Kayla Harrison's, some friction there. Oh, by the way, one-on-one versus Julianna Pena. It has everything.

It has everything in a weight class that has had nothing for the last two years. It's amazing. I love that fight. I think it's, if you're a fan in this area, in the tri-state area, you have to be thrilled right now because sometimes those early June cards kind of get forgotten about. It all kind of leads to the, the international fight week card. This is a

great offering early June card. You gotta be happy. I love it. What'd they get last year? They got a, they got Islam Pori last year. Yeah. That is a great offering. Early June card, you gotta be happy. I love it. What'd they get last year? They got Islam Pori last year, that wasn't too bad. Yeah, they got Paulo Costa versus Sean Strickland. The rest wasn't great. Is Newark becoming the early June card?

There's two years in a row now. I believe it's three years in a row. I think it was 289 in Canada. But then there was early May, the other one. It was around this time. What was that, Aljo? Yeah, Aljo, yeah. And Henry Ce Was that Aljo? Yeah, Aljo. And Henry Cejudo.

Yeah. Yeah, 288. We don't really think. I mean, just still trap. We don't really think Sean O'Malley thinks he won the first fight, right? I think- The Sugar State Athletic Commission. I don't think he's trolling when he says that.

I will tell you this, and hopefully I'm not breaking the fourth wall here. He did reach out to me. He did reach out to me immediately afterwards, and asked me, he said, please, if you do me a favor, can you watch the fight without commentary, and please tell me that I'm crazy for thinking it's a lot closer than people are saying. And I believe, look, all fighters are somewhat crazy,

are somewhat delusional, they do things that none of us can even, us meaning, the ones on this show can dream of doing. And I think you have to be somewhat crazy, somewhat delusional to be a fighter. And so, does he believe it? To support his argument, two judges scored at 48-47, if I'm not mistaken, right? I don't think it's the craziest thing.

Do I think he won? Did I score? I told him I scored it for Murab. After watching it, as he asked me to, I did it and I thought that he won. I don't remember now with rounds, what, whatever, but I thought he won. I thought he did enough and it was, I think, three, two, four, one, whatever.

But it was one of those fights where it was like, all right, I understand what you're saying. I understand you're telling yourself this. Now let's go see. Now you tell us you're healthy, let's go see. But, but. If you're only 30%, then yeah. But listen, but we talk about the risk that Ian's taking.

What about this risk? Murab is showing no signs of slowing down. If you're Sean, you could say to yourself, look, I'm popular, I connect with people, I'm one of those guys who may just be popular with or without the belt, right? Maybe I just go fight some fun fights. I lose to Marab for the second time. I'm in purgatory.

I ain't getting a shot at him until he loses. He'll be at 45 if that happens. I'm just saying. Perfect. It's. You're saying if he loses this fight, he goes up to 145. Yeah, a hundred percent.

Yeah. Yeah. You can't lose two to ten. No brainer move. And it's like perfect for the division where Ilya gone now. Ilya's gone. A he goes up to 145. Yeah, 100%. Yeah. Yeah, he can't lose two to a champ. No brainer move. And it's like perfect for the division where Ilya gone now. Ilya's gone. Yeah, perfect.

You guys wanna make a guess of the odds for both these fights? I'd say minus 250, Marab. I'm gonna say more. 350. Yeah, I'll say minus, oh boy. No, you know what? I'm gonna zig.

Minus 200, Marab. Oh. Heatsy, once again. Odds make the heat here. No, you know what? I'm gonna zig. Minus 200, Marab. Oh. Heatsy, once again. Odds make the heapsy over there. No way, come on! Minus 275, Marab. Oh, geez. Plus 235.

I'm gonna flip him for ya. How about the Co-Main event? Yeah, that's the one I'm interested in. The Co-Main is an interesting one. Co-Main event, I'm gonna go Kayla Harrison, minus 220. I'm gonna go pick a minus 110, minus 110. I think this is a very evenly matched fight. And I think Giuliana is a absolute beast of a champion.

I am abstaining because we discussed it earlier. So I already know the answer. Uh, you should run the window then Ariel, uh, Kayla. Uh, minus 600 Giuliana Pena plus four 50. Whoa. Wow. A lot of respect for Kayla there. Yo, that's gotta be up there for one of the highest

odds for a challenger in a title fight ever. That's crazy. Yeah, that's a good point for the challenge for the challenger. Yeah, it has to be. That's gotta be up there. It has. I know there's been a couple here and there

where people, but that there's gotta be. If so, I mean, Jedi probably has it on the top of his mind. That's gotta be one of the highest minus 600 for the title challenger. It's crazy. I know there's going to be. Anyone else that has it on the top of his mind. That's gotta be one of the highest minus 600 for the title challenger. It's crazy. Is there anyone else that could be in that situation in the UFC right now? Like Hamza Fee, Drikas, he's not getting minus 600.

No, no, no. I feel like there's one at the top of my head right now that I'm forgetting about, like some wrestler went up there against a striker. Well, what was Marab against Suga the first time? That was like a, Marab against Sugar the first time? Marab was like plus 110. Oh yeah, that's right. That was great.

Yes, that's right, that's right. Man, maybe that is the record. It might be, man. It actually might be. That's a good call by you. For a title challenger. Yes, against the champion. The heaviest favorite.

How that is disrespect. Ioana was minus 700 against Rose, but she was the champ at the time. Yeah Yeah challenger Yeah, Otis Anya was minus 650 against Strickland, but obviously the champ at the time. No, that's gotta be the challenge. Yeah Yeah, that's that's a good stat I wonder if can confirm that. I'm sure we can find that. I thought it was magic. Like when I said the last line there, I was like, I'm going to nail this as well. I'm so sad. No, no, no. Minus 200. Miles off.

You were fantastic. So then in addition to that, more breaking news this morning. Dana White announcing that the UFC has struck some kind of deal with our good friends at Meta. I say our good friends. I should also say our neighbors. They're literally right next door. Like right there, right there. I can knock on that wall and Zuck hits me back with a couple knocks as well. Who, me? Yeah.

I could do that. Anyway, they struck a deal with Meta and that's all well and good, but in the announcement, he also says we're working with their AI to revamp the rankings and this is the way that we're going to go. But he didn't really give us much there, but that to me was the most interesting part of the announcement. How will this work?

How does anyone understand AI enough to let us know how this actually works? Or can you just say AI, but that's just like code for we're going to do the rankings. AI is a catchall term, right? There's like, we don't know what meta is specifically doing in terms of this. So there's no way to know until it all comes out. Yeah. I do wonder, I do wonder like what did actually, like, I don't know. Well, like what is the, what is the formula?

What's the algorithm? I don't know what is the, what is the formula? What's the algorithm? You know, if I'm K H O N Honolulu CFMU 93.3. If I'm burstprac.sc, if I'm Gazetta Esportiva, if I'm Cherokee scout, if I'm the Burbank leader, if I'm K I O Z 105.3 vladusport.com MMA fight coverage, camura.sc and blood and sweat. I'm feeling some sort of way on this.

On this one morning. Taking our jobs. I'm feeling like, yeah, what the hell? Took our jobs. We've been doing this for you guys for like 14 years and that's it. Just in like one, one. Did I have a funny. Announcement video.

Very funny though. If he had none of Diana's pound for pound for it, it's like his list is near the top of it the first time it comes out. John Jones is like 11th on the pound for pound list. It's unbelievable. Well, this is bullshit. Yeah, fuck that shit.

All right, I found one when Pyotr Yan was the interim champion and Sterling was the champ. Pyotr Yan was minus 450 going into that fight. Okay, so still not as big. Yeah. And that was obviously like kind of weird circumstances because like one hand to the belt against Sanand. Yeah, I know what you mean.

What was Islam when he won the belt? Oh, against Charles, he was only in like the minus 200s. Maybe even like a minus 180 or something. Really? Okay. Yeah, I remember being like, we never see that line on on Islam again Maybe it was a like a yoana Carlos bars. I don't know something I remember us having this conversation about a challenger having high odds But I'm not sure if it was ever minus 600 or maybe it was in a different organization. You know what?

What was Amanda Nunez when she won the belt back? When she beat Juliana. Yeah. There's no way it was minus 600. No, because Juliana had the win. Yeah, she was minus 260. Okay. This could be the biggest. Voigtman Silva? No, Silva would have been a big favorite. Oh, sorry, yeah. Oh, yeah. Jesus, sorry. Brain fart. Yeah, yeah. It's a lot easier to conjure up the underdogs. This is pretty much unprecedented. I can't think of one.

Or it could be boxing. I just remember having this conversation. I am looking forward to the rankings unveiling. He says later this year, who knows what that all means. But you know, innovation is good and, um, technology is good. It's all very healthy. This is what the healthiest thing I've seen all day is that young man, the wrestler. Yeah.

All of these people that come on and say, you know, I don't spend any time on social media. They're always the most well-adjusted people in the world. Does anyone notice that? They're always like, they're like someone you'd imagine be on the Wheaties box. You're like, I need to do more. He was very pure. Yeah.

It's almost like it's not good for your, for your health, for your health. What? Come on, man. What? It's almost like being bombarded with negativity all the time. You know what? Yep. You an ex user?

I feel, uh, I feel the same way. Any ex, Instagram. I did feel some kind of way about him shaving his mustache. I'm not gonna lie. Oh, I gotta keep the stash. Yeah, right? The stash looked good. The stash looked great.

It was a great look. You're a national champion wrestler as well. It looks fantastic. It just, to me, like he was a cowboy with the stash. Like literally. The interview? No, but look, it's a totally different look. I gotta say, we gotta hit up David Taylor

for some of that pistol Pete wearing the wrestling singlet. You like that? Oh, that stuff's great. I think he would hook us up. I mean, he gave us one of his shoes. In fact, I should tell you, after he was on the show,

he told me that they have a big event coming up. Let me get this right here. Standby, standby, because this might be right up your alley. Got to get you down to a match. We host Iowa. Oh, there it is again. Freaking Iowa. It's going to be sold out 15,000 people next season.

Should we do it road trip? I mean, you guys will, you guys will know Iowa. I mean, I guess, no, I guess this would be a home game for them. So it'll be still one game. So it's going to be sold out 15,000 people next season. Should we do it road trip? I mean, you guys will, you guys will know. I mean, I guess, no, I guess this would be a home game for them. So it'd be still water. Are you familiar with still water? I mean, all I do is know of it.

Never been. No, I've heard a lot about water. Um, I would presume. Yeah. I think it starts in October, November of the season. Oh, it's good old football game. While we're down there. That'd be great.

I'm going to take my kids to a Syracuse game next fall to see Keon Anthony, son of the guy who, it was announced today. Carmella. Yeah, going to the. How quickly did you tell him that? All the fame. How quickly what? How quickly did you tell him that

when you were sitting beside him, that you were bringing the kids to see his other son? Or have I completely missed? No, no, you've messed it up. Yeah. That was Carl Anthony Towns' dad. I'm talking about Frank interrupting us earlier. It's about Carmela Anthony. Ah, it should look, you know, when I learned.

Yes. I mean, he was here. Pizzi was the entire time. Did Pizzi, did you see Andrew Schultz's special? No, but I do like him. I was actually, I was listening to him on something the other day, he popped on something. Yeah, he's on every single podcast on the planet.

Yeah, that's what you were saying to us. Yeah, I definitely heard about a podcast. Seems to be huge though. I know he has loads of fans here. He played three arena, I think recently enough, and it was the talk of the town. Was it? I think it was in the last couple of years, yeah.

Yeah, he's great. That's all I've got. He's great. He's great. Uh, PT, we're gonna, we're going to talk to Sean O'Connell. Stay right there because on the back end, uh, we need to get your picks for the PNL bracket and then we need to get to finally on the nose. Cause I got some things I have to say. I got some things I need to get off my chest.

All right. All right. Well, I hope, I hope I get the hat tag. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I haven't read the questions yet. It's been a very busy day around these parts. Oh, what's this from Jordan? Zhile Zhang was a minus 400 against Carlos Barza.

Okay. Still not minus 600, but we're getting close. Oh, I said Zhile Zhang. Zhang Weili, golly. You know you've been thinking about boxing too much. I'm a boxing guy now. So yes, Zhang, Gile Zhang, not to be confused with these six foot eight heavyweight Gile Zhang. Did I just say she was minus four 50 rematch with Matt Sarah?

Okay, we're getting close guys. Minus 450 in the rematch. He was the former champ. Kayla wasn't. She was a PFL champion. Let's talk to a man who called all those Fights, maybe he knows maybe maybe a name will come to mind for him. He is the voice of the PFL He is their play-by-play man And as I was saying earlier and I want him to hear this because I say it every time he comes on

It is so damn impressive that he went from being the active fighter, the athlete, into the play-by-play role, as opposed to the analyst role, which is what everyone does. He did the opposite. He's the guy leading the charge. If you understand anything about broadcasting, you appreciate that and understand just how important and how special and how unique that all is. He is Sean O'Connell and he's kind enough to join us

ahead of the big PFL debut tomorrow. Hello, Sean, how are you? I'm great, Ariel. How are you? I appreciate you saying all those kind words every time we get a chance to talk. It doesn't get said enough, if I'm being honest. It's you and Pat Summerall. I don't know of many guys who went from being the athlete to the playboy play in any sport on any level. It's just supremely rare and people need to understand this and I feel like the fans don't.

Yeah, I mean, it was the path that made sense for me. It's just supremely rare and people need to understand this and I feel like the fans don't Yeah, I mean it was the path that made sense for me and it's one I'm really glad that PFL gave me an opportunity to pursue because it's worked out. It's been an incredible amount of fun I've gotten to work with a bunch of guys that I admire a lot and get to still work with people that I respect and admire A lot and it's been really really cool. I'm glad that we all took this gamble together, I guess. Okay, so tomorrow kicks off. It's a brand new season, but it's a completely different season, right? First time we've gotten rid of the standings. We've gotten rid of the season format,

the playoffs, all that stuff. It's win or go home. It's a tournament. It's two weight classes every week for the next month or so in Orlando. Are you in favor of this? Now, I understand. I'm talking to a PFL guy.

What are you going to say? This was a horrible idea. I get that. I get that. classes every week for the next month or so in Orlando. Are you in favor of this? Now I understand I'm talking to a PFL guy. What are you gonna say? This was a horrible idea? I get that, but this was a radical change. So shoot straight with us Sean. How did you feel when it all went down? Well look I like the old format too. Obviously you know that format worked for me and I still believe that there is some merit to the idea that you know you can leave a small bit of wiggle room for error in the world of mixed martial arts and still allow people to compete for titles but I do love an Olympic style

NCAA style tournament you know win or go home survive in advance it is a very very pure form of sport. And we talk all the time about how MMA is the purest form of athletic competition because it's, you know, you trying to prove that you're the alpha, to separate another person from their consciousness. And, you know, two men enter, one man leaves kind of a thing. So, look, I think it streamlines things for fans who are maybe reluctant to invest the time and energy and effort to learn a different ruleset in mixed martial arts and a different format

in mixed martial arts. This is something that everyone can understand. This is how the Olympics work. This is how your NCAA tournament works. This is how your little league works probably in some way or another. So I do like the tournament format as well, but I'll always be at least somewhat partial to the format that allowed me to win

my only major MMA championship. That is fair. Of course, it impacted your life in a great way. You didn't ask me, I like this infinitely more. To me, this goes back to the early days of the UFC, that's how it all started right? Winner go home tournament. We can all understand it. We're living through March Madness right now. It makes every match, every fight feel important. The stakes couldn't be higher. You lose, you're out. And I sometimes get frustrated, we're seeing this now

with this new GFL, when we try to make fight sports into stick and ball sports. I feel like this is a very different thing that we're all a part of here and it's not about standings and points and things like that. It's beat this guy and move, survive and advance. I like this much more. I think it's an upgrade. Well, look, it's pure competition.

And that no error, that no margin for error kind of a stakes in every single fight really does make things very very interesting. And you're right, I mean there's a lot of reasons why this is better and more digestible for everyone. It's really fascinating the way that people react in competition, the way that people react in competition, the way that fighters react in competition, knowing what those stakes are. In the traditional matchmaking model in combat sports, where you got to not only win your fight, but then you got to cut the right promo and hope that the arbitrary rankings give

you a shot and the champion gets the defensive belt against sometimes number one, sometimes number two, sometimes number six. You eliminate all of that with this format. It's one shot, an opportunity for you to survive in advance or you got to hit the reset button and hope that the PFL brings you back next year. So yeah, it's a distilled level of competition and of combat sport and of pressure, man. And we will find out who cracks under that pressure and who thrives under that pressure.

I understand you're not Don Davis, you're not Peter Murray. And so if you don't have this answer, totally understand, but we're here talking about it. I would love some clarity. Who are the champions right now in PFL? Because we know that it used to be like a season thing, you win the tournament, you become the champion.

Now with PFL absorbing Bellator, I thought Dakota Deceva would just be the flyaway champion. Usman Armagomedov would just be the lightweight champion. The biggest name available would then become the champion if they're already holding some kind of title. It's a very easy transition. That doesn't seem to have happened. Can you clear this up for us? Well, look, here's the way that I see it working out. Here's the way that it's been described for me.

We have the World Tournament. You bring in a bunch of great fighters from all over the globe. You put them in an Olympic format. You say, win, and you move on to the next thing. And if you win the tournament, you're going to be the PFL World Tournament champion there's gonna be a belt associated with that and ostensibly if you proven enough through that process

you're gonna move on to the PFL champion series fights which is where you will find Dakota Ditch of a living now which is where you're gonna find Usman or Magomedov living now and so if you win the 2025 lightweight world tournament, the dubious honor that you get after that is you got to go and you got to fight somebody like Usman or Magomedov or maybe Paul Hughes can wrest that belt away from him when they rematch one another. But this is going to be the world tournament. And my understanding is going to be something that builds you into being the number one contender for the champion series belt.

But are there champions right now? Well, Dakota Ditchevo is still a champion. Usman Ramagamedov is a champion. But and I know you don't like this. You just told me you don't like this. Those are 2024 champions. Okay. And I know you don't like this. You just told me you don't like this. Those are 2024 champions. And you know, just like the Major League Baseball first pitch just happened a week ago or so.

And we know who won it, the Dodgers won it last year, but who's the 2025 champion? Well, we're going to find out. Okay. So we're still kind of sticking to that format. It's not going to be like, say, in other organizations where one person is just the the champ year after year until they lose well, I think once we establish this pipeline of tournament champion in 2025 and then you go contend for the Champion series belt that somebody like us modern maga made up who Usmanar Magomedov was not part of the world

tournament, right? He is the PFL champion. So the tournament champion then fights the champion series champion. I'm sure Pete and Don have a better title for that than champion series champion. But yeah, you're going to have a yearly world tournament champion that then graduates in most cases, in every case, I'm not sure, but in most cases is going to graduate to contend for those, um, special belts. I thought back in January, uh, we witnessed the best fight in PFLs, relatively short history, who's Mender Mager made of versus Paul Hughes.

Incredible. Um, it lived up to all the hype and then some that was in Dubai. And we were all hoping for an immediate rematch. But obviously Ramadan and schedules and whatnot, uh, didn't allow for that to happen. And so in May, we are getting Paul Hughes versus Bruno Miranda. If you were a part of Paul's team, would you be in favor of doing this, of fighting this fight? It means so much to you to go back home, but you know what can happen. You slip on the banana peel and all home, but you know what can happen. You slip on the banana peel and all of a sudden you lose that fight against Usman.

What would you do? I would tell Paul Hughes to beat Paul Hughes because that's what got him to the point he's at right now. And I applaud people in this sport and in any sport that do not take the careful approach and go with what their heart tells them and what their competitive drive tells them. Look, the intellectual thought on this, the best thought out decision making process would say, hey, protect the big fight, protect the biggest payday that you can. But Paul Hughes has been doing things at an accelerated rate in his career. He stepped up in competition to Usman Namaga Medha.

And I don't know what the conversation was like on your show about that, but the conversation on the internet and every podcast and a lot of different places on that fight was, there's no way Paul Hughes is ready for this. What is the PFL doing? This is not the matchup. He's not ready for somebody like Usman, double the experience high level stuff and Paul Hughes proved this all wrong or proved any

Of his doubters wrong. I won't put myself among them So Paul Hughes wants to stay active and doesn't want to wait for Usmane Armaga-Madoff and to do things by on Usmane's timeline and he wants to fight in front of a Belfast crowd and realize a childhood dream in front of a sold out arena, then I would tell Paul Hughes, go for it. Because that guy has been able to manifest his destiny in a way and speak things into existence in a way that we haven't seen since, I guess, Conor McGregor.

He's amazing. I'm a little sad right now, Sean, because you just said, like, you don't know what we said on our show, but then you mentioned every other podcast under the sun. So does that mean that, like, we have a beef or something? Like, do you actively try to ignore us? Yes, what I'm trying to tell you, Ansel, is I only listen to every other podcast at night.

Okay. Well, if you listened to ours, you would have known that we weren't one of those people, all right? We love Paul around these parts. We had him on the show a million times. We have P.T., who is basically his, like, personal biographer, singing his praises each and every week. All right. Well, I apologize that I didn't have an exact reference point for what you had said about that, but I wanted to make sure I didn't accuse you of the same thing. Sure, sure. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. All right, so welterweights and featherweights, that's tomorrow. That kicks off tomorrow. Wayans are set. One mishap, right? I believe one of the top draw, actually Umalatov,

who I think a lot of people thought would be the favorite at 170, is out because he missed weight. Is that accurate? Bhagavan Umalatov not able to weigh in and out. Wow. Not going to fight. Yeah. So Joseph Luciano steps up up big time underdog against somebody like Logan Storley. He's very excited about his role in this fight. He knows that a lot of people are going to be talking about him as an afterthought for somebody with the credentials of Logan Storley, but you know, he's a contender in a tournament just like anyone else is. It's not about how popular you are.

It's about can you win these fights? Can you advance? He loves the format. We spoke with him this morning. And look, Logan Storli, to his credit, he's been preparing for a very different stylistic matchup and he's been preparing for Maga Verumalatov, who, like you said, a lot of people think he was one of the favorites in this welterweight class and he just said you know what this is this is the way that I want it to be I will fight anybody at any time and it's

not about my opponent it's about what I can do inside of the smart cage so Logan Storley had a great mindset about this as well but yeah part of the job as everyone knows is making weight. And when you gotta make weight three times in five months, if you're playing with fire there, I mean, it doesn't get any easier. So it's really unfortunate. I think Magaman is incredibly talented.

I like him as a fighter, I like him as a person, but you gotta do the whole job. And if you're gonna do the whole job, you gotta make weight. Eight weight classes, eight tournaments, which is the most intriguing in your opinion? Which is the deepest, which is the, you know, the closest, the hardest one to pick? Look, welterweight is really good.

Welterweight we've had, I think, has been traditionally probably our deepest weight class and the highest finishing rate, at least at some point was our highest finishing rate I'm not sure if that's statistically true coming off of last year, but I love welterweight I'm also always partial to the light heavyweights But middleweight is back and middleweight is really interesting this year Because Impeka sangani who was a 205 pound champion for us and has really become a totally different fighter than he was early on in his career.

Impeka Sangani is back. He's got a huge matchup obviously against Fabian Edwards and oh yeah, you've got the bracket up right there. And look, Sadebussi won the PFL season at welterweight and then he couldn't make welterweight anymore so he was like, I'll go all the way up to 205 pounds. The last time we saw Sada Bussi at middleweight, which is the proper weight class for him, he was a kickboxer transitioning into MMA.

He was a guy who couldn't defend takedowns and he didn't have a well-rounded skillset yet. And now here he's back at middleweight as a totally different fighter than we saw him in season one and season two. So middleweight is really, really fascinating to me because of those guys and because everyone else who fleshes out the bracket. Again, you know, we learned this last year. There were a lot of people who said Dakota

Ditcheva, she's a rising talent, but Tyler Santos and Liz Carmouche, they're just on a different level right now than somebody like Dakota Ditcheva. And Dakota smoked everybody. And nobody knew who Shamil Musayev was coming into last year's PFL season. And Shamil Musayev smoked everybody. So I love that every year in the PFL, we discover a new star, a new talent, a relative unknown, and that person can break through in the smart cage and on the world stage with us on ESPN,

sometimes for the very first time. And that's a bit of breaking news there because for a minute we thought Fabian was out, but now I understand he's back in, right? Yeah, there were some visa issues that made it look like he was maybe not going to be able to compete, and then thankfully those BC issues were resolved and Fabian Edwards back in the originally scheduled bout against Impeka Sangani which you know that's an emotional

roller coaster for both guys because they have enough time before the fight and you know yesterday when a lot of this was happening I think that I think that it'll all kind of come out in the wash there but that's a matchup I think every MMA fan should want to look forward to. And we actually get it because the BC issues have been resolved, thank goodness. Okay, and I think off the top of my head of the first round matchups,

that might be the one that is most intriguing to me. Impa versus Fabian, like that's a legit, in my opinion, main event. We know both of them. We're emotionally invested in their stories. We've seen them in P in, in PFL and Bellator. I love that matchup. So I think it's phenomenal that it's back. That's on a Friday, April 18th, I believe. Yeah.

I think you're right on that. Uh, yeah, it's a, look, it's a, it's a great matchup and don't sleep on it. Like Dalton Rasta is lesser known to most people. Sadaf Bussi is incredibly well rounded now, probably the best pure striker in this division, if not the entire PFL roster. is lesser known to most people. Sadebou C is incredibly well-rounded now, probably the best pure striker in this division, if not the entire PFL roster. So there's just a lot of things to love with these matchups. And again, it's win in advance. So Fabian Edwards, Infa Kasung, and I, you probably would look at those guys and say, oh, each of them has a great chance to win this whole thing. Well, one of them's gonna get eliminated

in the first round of the tournament. And that's fascinating. You represent the company very well. You fly the flag very well. Like I said, you do a great job of calling the fights and having that experience and that history. It's invaluable. And so I'd love to ask you this question.

And we like to shoot straight around these parts. As you know, there's been some unrest among some of the former PFL fighters. Can you tell us what the mood is in the company? As you guys begin this new chapter, as you sit back there and you're on social media and you're seeing this guy complain and this guy take a shot, and you guys are working your ass off to build this company and to try to put on the best product possible. How do you react to these sorts of things? And now as you guys are beginning this new season tomorrow night on ESPN2, on ESPN+, what is the mood among everyone who has been working

so hard to try to get this off the ground? Well, obviously it's just like any, the beginning of any sports season or any kind of new thing in your life. Everyone's very excited about the opportunity in front of life. Everyone's very excited about the opportunity in front of us. Everyone's very excited to be back with ESPN and continuing to grow this company

and to hopefully carve out our space in the mixed martial arts world and to put on great fights. That's what it's about ultimately. And for me, when I see the conflicts that you're referring to, you know, it's tough because I'm a company man, certainly, but also I'm a fighter. I was a fighter, right?

And I know what it's like to wonder about your future and I know what it's like to want to maximize your paydays and I know what it's like to hope that you're getting good matchups and all that kind of stuff. And if you're not being communicated with the way you think you should be, or your agent and the company are not making things super clear to you about what your future is, it can get very, very frustrating. And most guys aren't like I was when I was a fighter. Most guys, this is their job. This is their whole life. They don't have a plan B. They're not going and punching a clock somewhere. They don't have a radio show like I always did.

And so it's your livelihood. And you know, I think the PFL respects that and knows that. And the narrative that is pushed by fighters in a lot of cases on social media is only, you know, it completely loses sight of the company's side of things. And the fact that we've done things a certain way for a very long time and That it's always been the case with the PFL that you know You're gonna have your championship in this case in 2024 or in 2023 You're gonna have the end of the year championship that's gonna be a few months while events are scheduled

Sites are scouted and before anyone really knows What's next or who the opponents are. And there were some guys, especially guys who came over from Bellator who saw a stylistic change in the communication and the brass was different and all that kind of stuff. They didn't have the same kind of relationships. And there were some issues. And there were some guys who I think handled things in a less than ideal way on their side of things. I think there were situations where the than ideal way on their side of things.

I think there were situations where the PFL could have done a better job as well. But I was proud of the way that ultimately, like the pitfall situation was handled. He wanted out. He didn't want to continue to fight for the PFL banner. He's a guy that made a big stink on social media and started trying to drag people in the company

that had, I don't think anything to do with the unfortunate situation. And it was like, you know what, we're not dealing with that anymore. If you think you can go and you can achieve something better somewhere else and you can make more money somewhere else, go ahead and try it. And I wish him well. I'm a big fan of his fighting style, but I don't think that he's going to do more or better elsewhere or in the UFC than he did under the Bellator banner and then with the PFL. So we'll just let time tell on all those kinds of things. And that's the only thing we can do. You got to be

patient and let things work out the way that they're going to work out. I know that people in this company, I know everyone wants to do things the right way, the perfect way at all times. That's not the case, unfortunately. It doesn't play out that way, unfortunately. But that's not unique to the PFL. And for fans and media and fighters to pretend that this is the only company that has a few kinks to work out is absolutely insane to me when the whole reason there are alternative sources

of mixed martial arts is because the worldwide leaders are leaving people desperate to find something different. So it's tough to be the fighter who knows what it's like, but also to be the guy who's deeply, deeply invested in the PFL success and wants to help in every way possible. Do you think you guys get a fair shake from the fans, from the media? No, not yet.

But that's, I think, part of the growth process of being a new league, of being an alternative source of entertainment. Nobody gives any new thing a fair shake in the early goings. And look, could we have done things better in the first couple of seasons? Maybe, I don't know what people needed to see changed or different, but there's a feeling out process that you go through when you're establishing a new company,

whether that's in sports, as this is, entertainment, as this also is, whether that's introducing a new, like, I don't know, food product or candy or whatever, you know, there's always going to be some resistance in the early goings. And the source of frustration for me, Ariel, when it comes to the way the PFL is treated in the MMA space is I know how hard people are working to try to do it right in the PFL. I see the behind-the-scenes stuff. I know the individuals personally who are trying to make things happen and trying to, you know, jump through the right hoops and things like that. And I also know that I can go find as many

loud complaints about boxing, about the UFC, about, you you know rule changes in the NFL, whatever from fans and they get so disproportionately amplified those complaints when you're talking about the PFL because you know we're right now we're the little brother that's trying to make a space for itself and himself herself and we're trying to carve out this niche and it's like people don't want it to happen and it's crazy because if you love the sport of mixed martial arts you should want there to be more mixed martial arts and more places for fighters to go get paid and I don't know why the fan base and the media are not championing alternative causes more criticize this

when we need to be criticized. Criticize me if you think I'm calling fights wrong or I say something I shouldn't have said. Please do because I want us to be held accountable and I want us to be at a very high level and hopefully someday on par and past the industry standard that's set by the UFC. But man, it doesn't feel like in a lot of cases, people are rooting for success here. And I know that I am.

One of the big question marks, and I appreciate you answering that so thoughtfully and candidly, thank you. One of the big question marks heading into the season, Francis Ngannou, if it was up to you, who does he fight? He has one more fight as far as I'm concerned, as far as I understand on his contract. The question is, who does he fight?

I would like to see him fight Dennis Goldsob, our champion from last year. He's established himself as a guy with an incredible skill set. Or failing that, Vadim Nemkov, man, is an absolute monster. He was at light heavyweight. He is at heavyweight. I think that he is overall one of the very best fighters on planet Earth, regardless of weight class. And I know that he would like an opportunity to prove himself on that level. And I think that's a compelling enough matchup. I don't know, I haven't spoke with Francis about it, but I think that's a big enough name to kind of justify a guy with

enough of a resume and obviously the connections with Fedor Emelianenko. I think that's a big enough name to kind of justify a guy with enough of a resume. And obviously the connections with Fedor Emelianenko. I think that's hopefully an intriguing enough story for Francis to want to accept the fight like that. And for the PFL to want to make a fight like that because I want to see that fight. I want to call that fight more importantly. Who are your broadcast partners tomorrow night?

Cause sometimes it changes. I know it's often been Randy. There's been Dan Hardy, Tyron Woodley, there was Kenny back in the day. Who do we got tomorrow? So it's Randy Couture. Yep, heard of him. Who you may have heard of. Yeah, heard of him.

Guy. And the outlaw Dan Hardy, who you may also have heard of. Yes. We have a new Cage Side reporter, Kennedy Smith, who's coming on very excited to work with her for the first time. And our new in cage announcer is a gentleman named Greg Hamilton, who you probably know, uh, from his experience in the wrestling world. So yeah.

So, um, yeah, a couple of new faces on the crew, a couple of faces you're probably sick to see in with myself and Randy and Dan. But very, very much looking forward to starting off another year. I got to get used to not calling it a season now. This World Tournament in 2025 is going to be a little bit of a change, but it's going to be awesome. And you've got some compelling matchups. You've got some really incredible fighters. And as much as I'm supposed to push the narrative of like the established stars that are going to bring eyes to the television set and butts in the seats, I love discovering the talent that in two years the world's going to be buzzing about. I love

finding those people. I love being able to call the early fights in their rise to stardom. The Dakota Ditchivas who, and not so long ago, there weren't a lot of people who knew her name, and now everybody in the world wants to know what's next for her. I hope we find a couple of guys and a couple of gals like that in 2025. Action kicks off tomorrow.

10 fights total, welterweight, featherweight, believe 5 p.m. Eastern first fight. Over on ESPN 2 and ESPN plus did I get that right? 7 Eastern it's good we're pushing later because we lost lost a couple of fights with the the weight mess and the alternates having to move in to the tournament fight so we're gonna start a little bit later. All right well there you have it 7 Eastern on ESPN 2 and ESPN plus wishing you guys the best. Thank you so much for

doing this Sean. Really appreciate it. Keep up the great work. We shall be watching and we'll be making our picks in a second here as well so stay tuned for that but thanks so much. Really appreciate this. Thanks for having me Ariel. There he is. Sean O'Connell the voice of the PFL and yes the action does in fact kick off at 7. I wish I had one of those things where you can broadcast my screen. Like can we get this slack? Because I asked the guys, hey guys, what time does it start? Can you confirm? 5 o'clock, 5 o'clock. It actually kicks off at 5 o'clock? No, it's actually 7 o'clock. Tapology says 7 o'clock. No, no, no, no, no, it's 5 o'clock. Why did you guys tell me 5 o'clock if

it's actually 7 o'clock and on Tapology? Because we provided all of the graphics, even though I didn't say 7, I'm just gonna back up my team members here in the back. It says it on Tapology, 7 o'clock and on tap all of the graphics even though I didn't say seven I'm just gonna back up my team members. It says it on tap ology seven o'clock It literally says it on every single graphic provided by the PFL. You know what I trust that policy organization to us Wow Things fell through things fell through he said it himself things fell through in there I look like an idiot now. Okay, you trust Tapology over pflmma.com, we get it. We trust the organization, you don't. Okay, we get it. We get it.

Can we get Sean back on the horn? Don't trust the organization. Put that up, Jordan. You have that? The thing you sent me? Or did you just send me a screenshot of a screenshot? There it is. Are we sure five?

Tap says seven. Definitely seven. There I am. Really? Frank shows me. The audio guy is telling me now? The audio seven. There I am. Really? There I am. Frank shows me. The audio guy is telling me now? The audio guy.

There I am. Look at that gravity. 3.58 p.m. Hey, it's at seven, man. Just trying to help you out. That's after. Just trying to help you out. It's at seven o'clock.

But here I am in the trenches. This is what I'm doing. In the trenches, back in my teammates' house. In the middle of an interview. Hey guys, is P.T. there? Silence. Silence. Is P.T. there?

Silence. Was it necessary to demean Frank in that moment? By the way. Because of the audio guy? When you say silence, we're talking what? Two seconds? Then I get mocking. What are we talking about actually? No, because what you don't realize is in my ear it's Andy going, 15, 10.

I don't know if P.T. is there. I'm asking P.T. a question about Ian Gary. That's the plan and I have no idea if he's there. And you guys are like, oh yeah, let's make fun of him. Let's joke. Yes, he's here 15 minutes later. Yeah, of course. 15 minutes later. Again, again, we're gonna pull up slacks.

Let's pull up the slacks. To you guys. The timestamps sent at 3.05. They're answered at 3.05 PM. Yeah, there's different, that's a different one. 30 seconds to you. It's maximum 60, Helwani. 30 seconds to you is 150 minutes to me as she's going down 15, 14, 13.

And I have no idea if P.T. 150 minutes to you is 0.1 seconds to me. Oh, is P.T. here? And then I was like, yes, yes. 305 PM is P.T. here. You jumped in at 306 for the record. 305 PM is P.T. here6 for the real 5 p.m. yes he says Brad oh everyone's having a great time now we're quoting our

cameraman Brad yes you probably isn't even there oh thanks and there and there's yeah thanks guys two minutes between replies I'm trying I'm trying to cook here I'm trying I'm trying to move the ship along it's in the two minutes where did that time stamps just no no no No no that's the three answers within this 150 minutes. I literally just said when she's counting down from 15, 30 seconds the difference of 15 seconds feels like an eternity. Do you not understand this? It's easy to say like oh yeah I was in the same minute. That five seconds where you have no idea where you're going, trust me on this, feels like an eternity. If he wasn't here we would tell you you. No, I can't. No?

You don't trust us? No trust. It's not that I don't trust. I am here. If he's turned into you, I mean. Maybe I don't know, maybe he went to the bathroom. I don't know. I don't know what he's doing.

We would tell you, man. Well, what you mean you don't know what I'm doing? I'm a very predictable guy. All right. There's not a lot of things that I do that are out of the ordinary. You know that I'm often just here on standby waiting for the call. And yet again, not once, not twice, but thrice today I am here. Okay?

So just get over it and he will tell you if I'm not here, but I'm always fucking here on Les Brunard shows of course. Listen, I'm used to being let down. That's all. Oversharing, oversharing. At least we're consistent. Yeah, well, thank you. Frank, I'm used to being let down, that's all. Oversharing, oversharing. At least we're consistent. Yeah, well, thank you. Frank, by the way, welcome back.

He's here, by the way. Welcome back, Frank. Yeah, how's it going, lads? Yeah. Guys, let's make our picks. Welterweights, featherweights. We're gonna have some fun with this, all right? Everyone's all doom and gloom, everyone's all negative,

everyone's all like, ah! No, no, no, not you guys. I'm talking about the greater MMA community. I was gonna say, I cannot wait till five o'clock tomorrow night. Yeah, you'll be locked in for the two hour loop on ESPN+. Your event is starting soon. Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo.

Anyways. I said as soon as the show, Boys in the Back is over tomorrow, I'm rushing home. Let's do it. We're gonna lock in here. Yeah, I was trying to get dinner tomorrow night and Rick was like, no, no, no. No.

Gotta get home. We're gonna lock in here. Welterweights, featherwe get dinner tomorrow night and Rick was like, nah, nah, nah. No. Gotta get home. We're gonna lock in here. Welterweights, featherweights, tomorrow night, you saw maybe the welterweight brackets. Let's have some fun here, all right? In the spirit of March mania, March madness, bracket mayhem? Bracket mayhem, yeah.

One of those. Let's make some picks. All right, so let's start with featherweights. That's the first one. Here we go. Each and every one of us, the quartet that is, Frank was too busy, I don't know yet. I think he has another job he left early yesterday.

We'll talk about that later. Each and every one of us, all four of us made picks. All right, we filled out our own brackets. So there's the featherweights. Pete, you go first. Who do you have as your winner? Of the whole damn thing? Or of each foy?

What are we doing here? Just give us a little breakdown of your bracket, man. No, no, no, please don't give us a break. Oh, there you are. Oh, yeah, just give us the story. For the summary. Yeah. Look at the fucking head.

Look at the mitts there. I was looking at, I found the original. You actually have a piece of roof there attached to my head. But I quite like it. It blends right in with the hair, man. By the way, it looks like a big gust of wind just hit you. A very quick aside. That's always the way I look.

You look fantastic. A quick aside. GC, what's the website here where you could fill this out? Because it's actually very fun to fill it out. pflmma.com slash bracket. It's that easy. You enter in $100,000 if you win. Shut up.

There you go. OK, so that's P.T.'s. P.T., who do you have winning? I have uh Barton braga fighting each other in the semi-final. So that means bars gets through uh, Pineda And braga gets true. Do press I believe depressed. I don't know his name is um, and then I have Caballero V our own nathan kelly a man I trained with on his ascent I think I was you didn't pick your own guy to win the whole thing? Well, I just think that that-

Nah. Did you see his last fight? There was an issue there in terms of wrestling. You have a Dagestani wrestling dude. It's a tough one, man. It's a tough matchup. Alright, Rick. Who do you have? I also have Mowgli. I mean, you took too long there, Pete. I mean, we see it. We don't need the whole fucking breakdown of every single fight. Jesus Christ. Our brackets might be identical. They are identical. I think we have identical brackets.

I also have Movelid. Great minds. He's a beast, man. If he's in the tournament, he basically wins. If he's not in the tournament, then he doesn't win. But if he's in, he's like Magomed, who unfortunately is not in this tournament anymore, but Movelid is a savage man.

GC, you agree? I am going with Movelid as well. No Loch Nain, no Kisrief, the former champion from last year. I do have a Jesus Pinedo upsetting Adam Borichs though. You guys don't have that. That's how I'll separate in this one. I actually have Jesus Pinedo going to the finals.

Wow. But he gets stopped short of the championship. Pinedo and Braga is- Mowgli, undefeated. Yeah. Never lost. Well, I think this says a lot about all of you. PT doesn't pick his fellow countrymen.

You don't pick your fellow countrymen. Rick doesn't pick his fellow countrymen. Never accuse me of not being loyal because your winner is going to be Canada's own Jeremy Kennedy. There's no American. He's loyal to a fault. He's loyal to a fault. He's There's no Americans. He's one of our own. He's one of our own. I noticed you have Jeremy Kennedy winning it all, you're supporting, but you only have Fred Dupras

to the semi. Listen, you can't go crazy here, okay? You can't go crazy. I like the Dupras pick. I like the Dupras pick that takes the wood spa. I couldn't go crazy. Not an all Canadian final. There is not an American here. What are we supposed to do? Yeah, there's some guys who train in America

There's many American heroes, how dare you yeah, no no Americans here in the tournament They should have said rankings by the way, cuz then I could have said like oh I'm picking number eight to win it all just like the Denver Nuggets stayed back in 1995 against the Seattle Superstar. All right, so there you have it feather weights. What about welter weights guys? What about welter weights? Pt there it is. There's the bracket you have it There are some familiar names Jason Jackson Koreshkov a nice old-school Bellator battle right there. Of course Logan Storeley Logan Storey the lucking out. Yeah time by Magomed Uma tal of falling out yeah a lot of a lot of them with how often I would have been dyslexia can I can let me go first okay go ahead you go first because I feel like mine is gonna be

controversial okay I got I got Koreshkov baby oh I'm picking Koreshkov to go all the way with the upset I had your bracket could end tomorrow night. I feel like you guys are high on Jason Jackson. I got Koroshkov going all the way. Now, for transparency, I had Umeladov winning the whole thing before the fallout. I thought he was going to take it. With him out of the picture, I got Koroshkov.

Give me Koroshkov. I'm going to take him. All right, PT, what about you? Jason Jackson. Yeah, the pride of Jamaica. I see pride. I see power. I see a badass mother who won't take no crap off nobody.

Kill running. Yeah, that's right. Go ahead, please. One of the two films you've watched in your life. Oh, man. Oh, what a life. In the temporary movie references, he always goes, he always goes what what's it from But then what what move what movie could you guys not name the director of earlier Rick

Yeah Yes, yes, we're sazy Jump in he didn't know George Lucas even worse Guy I'm like, oh, Mark Howell is like, no, George Lucas. I called Star Wars Star Trek about two weeks ago. I can't say shit. What about you, 170? I also have Jason Jackson.

Let's go. In this one, Logan Storley going to final. Berkhamov, I got him in an upset tomorrow. And then Masayuki, my dark horse, watch out for him. The Japanese fighter tomorrow and then Masayuki my dark horse watch out for him the Japanese fighter out of the out of the 170 division my dark horse So this is so crazy because like we just established with the the featherweights that you know You guys you don't back your own you don't you don't support your own you're not loyal And so of course the pick has to be he's one of our own. He's one of our own.

Logan Storley, he's one of our own. God bless America. Come on, how could you not choose the American? The American wrestler who got the easy draw now that Umelattav is out. He's gonna steamroll right through this guy. He does, you got Berkhamov beating Jason Jackson. Yeah, you know yourself.

He's an underdog with that gene tomorrow. That side of the bracket, Logan Sturley needs to come out of there, for sure. Yeah. That's my guy. All right, that's 170, so 145 and 170 tomorrow. Then in a week, we move along. And by the way, all of these will be on ESPN Plus

and ESPN2 here in America, Dazon, overseas and happening over in Orlando at Universal Studios. What do we have next week, guys? What do we have the following week? Let me know. Show me the brackets here. Let me... Women's Flyway. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Oh, yes. This is the 11 PM Eastern Star.

Love this one. Okay. Women's Flyway, obviously very much in focus following the Dakota Deceva and a lot of familiar names. Look at some of those names. You've got Tyler Santos, you've got Juliana Velasquez, Kata Watanabe, uh, Bishop is on there. Liz Carmouche, of course, the legend. PT, why don't you go first?

Well, I'll tell you what, Ariel, we're talking about someone who can make an impact here in this division. Look no further than a Laura Dana. You see her over the right hand side of that bracket there. She should be coming up against the great Liz Carmouche. Some would think one of the great fighters, female fighters, PFL has ever had in the rosters, but I think she's going to cause the upset, but ultimately lose to Tyler Santos. Thank you. OK, Rick.

I've also got Tyler Santos, but I've got Carmouche facing her in the final. So I think Carmouche gets there, but I've got Tyla Santos. Watch out, watch out. GC? I've actually got Laura Donna losing in the first round. No! And then I got Liz Carmouche going to the finals

and beating Tyla Santos. Okay, I like that one. I like you supporting one of your own. I went with Santos, revenge tour, following the loss to Dakota Deceva. There were a couple tough ones for me here. Like Santos Bishop was a tough one for me. Carmouche going to the finals was tough.

You don't know how much she has left. She's been doing this for a long time. But in the end, I feel pretty good about this. I like this bracket a lot. It's gonna be fun. I feel like this is gonna be very competitive. This is one of their best weight classes. No doubt about it.

All right, what's next? So this is, what do we say, April 11th. So it's a day before UFC 314, late night on ESPN2 and ESPN+. We got the Bantam weights as the second. So it's four cards. Each card will feature two weight classes. And here you have the Bantam weights again with some

familiar names, the likes of Leandro Higo, Jake Hadley, of course we remember him. What do you got Pizzi? Of course you went with Jake Hadley, right? You love those guys from cage warriors. I went with Kazum Kazimov because following Chuck Mendenhall's orders, if any lad is Russian and he has his first name within his second name, you should pick him every time. And that's why I'm going with Kazimov. All right. I like it. Rick, what about you?

I've got Leandro Higo. Wow. I was going Magomed Magomedov. I was going to say dodging the Magomed Magomedov. When that fell off, my bracket shifted and I was like, man, it feels like Higo's got a road here to win this thing so I'm taking the bet GC I have Leandro Higo making it to the second round losing white calling Jake Hadley and then cast some Kazimov in the final against them and Jake Hadley comes out victorious I wanted a thousand dollar check yeah I check. Yeah, I wanted to pick Jake. I wanted to pick Jake. I had Magomed, Magomedov.

In the end, I went with Kasim Kasimov. I wanted to pick Hadley. I had him all the way there. Give me all kinds of shit for not picking Hadley, and here you go, picking Kasim Kasimov. I wanted to pick him. Two Americans there that you didn't pick. Yeah.

Who, me? Yeah, you're touting all your, you're Canadian. Two brackets Yeah, you're American heroes. I'm Canadian. You're Canadian. Two brackets ago, you're touting how he's one of us from America. Yeah. We move along to- Now it's Justin Wetzel. April 18th, guys.

Let's stay focused here on the Taskhead hand. We've got the middleweights and the lightweights. Yeah, let's start with the lightweights. All right, let's start with the lightweights. Here we go. Some familiar names once again. Brent Premis, the Lightweights. All right, let's start with the Lightweights. Here we go. Some familiar names once again Brent Premis the former champ in Bellator, Clay Collard as well. Who do we have? Oh, I like that one Mads Burnell and what about Mark Giacchese? Familiar name from the UFC. Oh, I know who PT's taking. PT What do you got? I got Alexander Shabali, a man who pushed Umar and Amaga Madoff very very far

I gave him his best test before he met a dairy man by the name of Paul Hughes who was sitting and waiting For his just desserts another shot at Umar which he will secure after he wins on May 10th at the SSA arena in Belfast I think that'd be Usman. Yeah him too. Oh shit. Okay. I think this was one of the harder ones for me But I'm curious what Rick had Rick your pick Shabli Shabli. Yeah, he's I feel like he's the one of the harder ones for me, but I'm curious what Rick had, Rick, your pick. Shobly. Shobly, yeah. I feel like he's the class of the field. I feel like he's the guy. GC, three in a row?

No, I'm going with the defending champion, Godziy Rabadonov, to take out Shobly in the championship. Should be a good one. Those semi-finals could be good. Matt Grinnell, Clay Collard. Yeah, Clay Collard, this is another one that I got my eye on, this bracket. Clay Collard's like Andrew Alfie Davis, boys.

Just letting you know. All right, all right, all right. Sharpie that one. Yeah, we'll see. I went with, I mean, I thought this would be unanimous, if I'm being honest. Really? I'm a little bit surprised, yeah.

I mean, I had to go with our guy. The Bone Crusher, him. He's got a nightmare matchup. My guy, Mark Giacchese. Shout out to the legend. Shout out to the OG. I got to stick with the veterans. All right. All of you guys jumping on the...

I think that was a popularity contest. Yeah, well, Darnov and Mads Brunel is a tough road to get to that final. I feel good about it. I feel pretty good about it. All right. I'm excited. Has he fought for PFL yet? Don't think so.

Maybe one Europe, PFL Europe card? I don think so. Maybe one Europe PFL Europe card. I don't know. Maybe. Don't recall. In any event. I mean for such a big Mark GKC fan, you should really brush up on it. Yeah, I probably should have brushed up on it. No, and if I'm being honest, I do.

I think because you know, those, those, those PFL Europe cards, they don't air. Yeah, they don't get shown. Yeah. Oh yeah. Beltow champion series. One. It's confusing. It's confusing. It's, it's't get showing it. Oh yeah, belt to a champion series, one. It's confusing, let's be fair. It's confusing, it's confusing.

All right, by the way, for the next one is, wait, was that? No, middleweight, we're doing middleweight now, and we just talked about it with Sean O'Connell, Fabian Edwards is back. Back in. We had him off, which to me was one of the most interesting first round fights, him versus Impa-Kasangune at 185.

So Impa going back down to 185. He has fought there before and he was out and now apparently he's back in. So this is April 18th in a little over two weeks time. It is Fabian against Impa. It's PFL versus Beltor, Josh Silvera as well is on there, Saribu Si. And it's a quality, it's a quality, it's quality. It really is. This is another tough one. What'd you got? What'd you got? Uh, Pete T who's your pick? Not for me. Very easy pick for me. It's Fabian Edwards. That's who it

is. Another one of my Jamaican brethren. I cannot wait to see this man back in there. We didn't get what we wanted to see the last time out. I mean, he has an extra gear that he just hasn't been getting into lately. He can't go in there against Impa like that. I do feel as though moving back down will not work in Impa's favor. I think Fabian's a guy who's played straight up middle way for a very long time. The only guy that seemed better than my Bellator towards the end was Eblen, so I expect him to go on and win it. Rick?

I've got Aaron Jeffery going to the final and then losing. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. The old switcheroo. Picking the American on this one. But I think, to Pizzi's point, this

is another really, really strong bracket. There was a few guys that I was like, every one of these matchups, I really had to sit and consider. There's not one that I felt was a layup. There are certain ones you can cherry pick in some of these brackets. I felt like every single one of these,

I really had to think about who's advancing. GC? I'm also going with Impa, but the only difference I have between Rick's bracket is I got Sadi Bussai in the second round. Aaron Jeffery making the final though. I like that. For me, it was hard, but it was also easy

because he's one of our own. He's one of our own. I like this, I like's one of our own. He's one of our own. I like it, I like the support in your voice. Aaron, Jeffrey, he's one of our own. But there's some tough ones here. He wouldn't want to run into Fabian again, I'll tell you that much.

Wouldn't want to run into him again. Listen, Impa over Fabian, tough one. Josh over Shipman, tough one. Then Impa, Josh, I was going back and forth on that one, but it was pretty easy on the other side of the bracket. Aaron Jeffery. Fabian gets through to force one. He's already beat Shippen. He's already beat Jeffrey.

Yeah, a lot of drama, a lot of, you know, a lot of distractions, visas and whatnot. The last first round event, if you will, light heavyweight, heavyweight, May 1st back in Orlando. Let's look at the light heavyweights here. Phil Davis, the ageless wonder, Mike Winkelson May 1st back in Orlando. Let's look at the light heavyweights here. Phil Davis, the ageless wonder Mike Winklson as well. No defending champ.

Yagshim Muradov. Out. It's big. Uh, big, big step up for Simeon Powell, Karl Moore, Antonio Carlos Jr. So a lot of recognizable names. Pizzi, what do you got? I think Karl Moore gets to the final, but he loses to Rob Wilkinson, who has a win over his teammate, Will Flurry.

Okay. Rick? I'm taking Mr. Wonderful. I know he's got Rob in the first matchup, and that's gonna be a tough out, but I'm thinking Mr. Wonderful is able to get it done. So give me Phil Davis. I like it, I dig it, I respect it. GC?

I got Phil Davis out round one, Rob Wilkinson. The way you started out. Yeah. Wow, yeah. Carl Moore with the upset round one as well. Yeah, Carl's already beat Albrechtson as well. Can you guys guess who I picked? I'm gonna go with Sullivan Colley.

Oh yeah, pretty close. No, I had to go with Phil Davis. I mean, we go too far back. That's our guy. He'll be on the show next week. I wouldn't dare pick him. You've got a different criteria for my picks. I mean, I'm just going with, you know.

You gotta go with your heart. It's the vibes, it's the vibes. Yeah, it's a vibe pick. Heavyweights, last one, the big boys, Valentin Moldovsky, Tim Johnson on there. I'm sure a couple of you will pick him. Linda Vassel, who do we got, Pizzi? Mr. Pop On, Pop Off, I like Pop Off, I believe.

Wow, that's a good one. I like that. Thank you. Is that official? Isn't it? An All-Russia final. Pop On. An All-Russia final. Yeah, listen, every bracket could be an All-Russia final? Probably. Huh? An All-Russia final.

Yeah, listen, every bracket could be an All-Russia final there. This is the PFL, baby. High on Bilostene, eh? Yeah, big time. Rick. I don't wanna talk too much about it, GC. I don't wanna say too much.

Give me the new import. Give me Romanov. Yeah! Give me Alexander Romanov. I like that. I like that a lot. I'm actually gonna go the same. I'm going Alexander Romanov coming. Yeah. Give me Alexander Romanov. I like that. I like that a lot. Oh wait. Uh, I am actually going to go to the same.

I'm going Alexander Romanov, but don't sleep. Do not sleep round one, Abraham Babley, upsetting UFC vet, Rodrigo Nascimento. Do not sleep on that. I love that. Uh, finally I went with, uh, wax on wax off, pop on, pop off. Yes.

Oh, you have an all Russian final as well, but you went with Moldovski. Why is that so, do you guys disagree? I mean, actually, yeah, I do disagree. I have Romanov and Babli. Yeah, we have Romanov. Or maybe I did have Popov on there. Well, that was a lot of fun. Oh yeah, I think you had Popov.

I should have gone Babli all the way. Feel free to do it. Ha ha ha! Print him out. So what is it, 10 points round one? I think it's 25 points round two, and then 50 points for the champion. I'm down.

And what's at stake? Thousand bucks ahead? All right. Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug. Whatever you guys want. Chug, chug, chug, ch, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut, shut Okay, great stuff guys. Time now for everyone's favorite segment of the week. It is time. It's time for all that knows. Felt a tad louder than usual there, but at least no stop start, stop start. Yeah? We're making magic back here.

Okay. We start with Bobby Axelrod, who is asking a question about PFL. Why is Don Davis planning to use PFL's incoming media deal to pay back investors? If he doesn't land a premium deal, he's still staring down a financial hole. From what I'm hearing, Jimmy Pataro has no interest in renewing any combat sports properties, including UFC and PFL. He's drawing a hard line against getting into a bidding war with Netflix, and ESPN's Matt

Kenny is scrambling to piece together something competitive for UFC. Curious to hear your thoughts. Man, Bobby Axelrod really, uh, is he like some sort of media reporter? Insider man. Yeah, I mean he's dropping names. Stunt ya bro. Rick and I know Matt Kenny, great guy. Really enjoyed working with him. Jimmy Pitero, obviously the president of ESPN. I mean, the president of ESPN. I mean, I don't know where this is coming from. Obviously this is someone who feels very passionate about this particular topic. Don Davis is trying to get the best deal for his product. So I don't know

what the motives are. I mean everyone wants to get the best deal. Everyone wants to get the richest and most lucrative media rights deal. I don't know if what he is saying is accurate about drawing a hard line against combat sports. I would be very surprised if ESPN is not involved in the TKO boxing business. Obviously, top rank is leaving. I would be surprised to another degree if they are not involved in some capacity in the UFC business. So I don't know. But I don't see any wrongdoing on the part of Don Davis. He's just trying to get a good deal. Now, one question that

hasn't necessarily been answered, unless I missed it, where are the champion series fights airing? Last year Bellator aired on Max, but we haven't got an official word as to where the champion series fights will be airing. So stay tuned for that. I had heard of one time Amazon. That hasn't been announced yet, right? I had not seen that. Joel, hello Ariel, the BITB and PT. Since it's not clearly,

since it's not clearly not a done deal for Tupori to fight Islam next, can we re-dissect his move of vacating? Do you think he was trying to force the UFC's hand to give him the title shot? It seems like they may have told him not yet and he tried to take matters into his own hands. I don't think that's happened. I think there's a reason why they're waiting. I think they met with him. I think they gave him clear instructions that if he vacates, if he moves on, he will get a title shot. I still believe and maintain

that his next fight will be for the belt. Also, what leverage would he have if he gives up the belt? That is the leverage. You don't go, you don't force somebody's hand by giving them back the belt. Yeah. That doesn't make any sense.

Ilya is way too smart. He's way too savvy. Every move he has made thus far has been very smart, including when he resigned with UFC. It went all the way to the 11th hour. There's a photo out there of Hunter Campbell in Spain with Ilya and his team. He flew out there to resign him.

This is long before, this is before, I think, the Josh Emmett fight. So the guy knows what he's doing. I would be shocked if his next fight isn't for the belt. That's not me giving you insider knowledge. It's just like, I trust the way Ilya has done business. Why would you give him the belt? And the perks that come with being champion if you aren't guaranteed a title fight

in your new weight class. Trey, Ariel and Frank, I just installed Substack solely for on the nose. I'll keep it as short as I can. No one I know has much interest in UFC, besides my one boss who thinks Mihajcic's first loss was to Weidman. All right? You guys are like my internet friends,

and I really enjoy when you speak of your children and how much they mean to you, because I'm expecting my first child in a month. My question is, how old were you, or how old were your children, when you first allowed them to watch combat sports with you? I never really had like a hard line. I mean, I I've talked about during the pandemic, showing my kids pro wrestling.

Uh, maybe that doesn't count, but I've never hid combat sports. In fact, I've told them like, look at this, look at this. I don't personally think watching boxing, watching MMA, watching pro wrestling or anything like that. Kickboxing is bad for kids. Uh, I don't them like, look at this, look at this. I don't personally think watching boxing, watching MMA, watching pro wrestling or anything like that, kickboxing is bad for kids. My parents never shielded me from it.

And look how I turned out. Although my dad didn't like when I would watch wrestling, he would always say, this is stupid. Why are you watching this? The Undertaker really used to piss him off because he used to feel like it was just all crazy make believe. And there was a period where I would hear him walking down the stairs and I would have to change the channel because I didn't want him to get upset that I

was watching pro wrestling other people have to change the channel when they're watching something else and their parents come into room for me it was pro wrestling yeah but I'm talking like 1989 era. So in any event, I didn't do that with my kids. So I let them watch. They haven't really, they are cool with it. There was the period where they liked wrestling and you know, MMA is on, boxing is on. And they just kind of, oh cool.

Oh wow, that was crazy. But they haven't really taken much interest in it. I do wonder, once they get to like, I've seen it with my nephews, once they got to 15, 16, they've really gotten into it. I wonder if and when, God willing, my kids get to 15, 16, if they'll have the same interest in combat sports that I'm seeing with other teenagers.

Rick, do you let your kids watch fighting? Yeah, often I'm watching it and they're just... You don't shield, you don't say close your eyes? No. It's a sport. Right. Left leg, Cemetery. Ariel, Pete, C, and BITB.

With what broadcast team do we ride? Team Chromedome, DC, Rogan, Anik, or team Luscious Locks, Felder, Fitzy, Bisping, will we ever see a four-man broadcast team so we can see some more of the likes of Sanco Cruz, maybe even KSLine, Hart-Poyer, Usman, Much Love, Fellas. I mean, I think the best team is the PPV team.

Would you guys agree with that? It's the one that flows. Hard for me to not ride with Team Chromedome as I'm a part of it, but I enjoy Felder. I enjoy an anic Felder DC combo. That's a nice one. I look at John Gooden for an L.U.K. car too, in fairness.

John Gooden's great. I really like Felder a lot. Of the analysts, I really think, what I like about Felder is he doesn't talk too much, he doesn't make it about himself. I think he does really good, really, really good, uh, post fight interviews. He listens, he asks the proper questions.

I just think he's super solid. And what I like, and I don't know if there's anything to do with that, like of that bunch, he's the only one that wasn't a champion or not necessarily like a superstar. And I don't know if that has anything to do with it, or if it's just his demeanor and personality But he just seems like a super solid guy Obviously, we've talked to him we know him from from his career being on the show and whatnot

And I think he takes it seriously and and and I think he just does a really really good job All around like there's never been a time where I'm like You're off base or you're not prepared or you're talking too much But I think what's really good about the pay-per-view team is they have amazing chemistry. And I think it's important to have one team, one consistent team. The best teams are the ones like for those fight nights, they'll mix and match and that's fine. But I think it's important for the A team to be consistent. You know what I mean? Like the best teams, Madden, Summerall. You know, I'm a Knicks fan, Breen and Frazier.

I love Breen and Jeff Van Gundy back in the day. Marv Albert and the czar of the Telestrator, Mike Fratello. Like I like when there's a team, there's a unit that works together and they build a chemistry, a bond, and you can ride with those guys. So I think they do a great job. And I think that particular team

compliments each other very well. They don't try to you know outdo each other or outsmart each other do you know what I mean like there doesn't ever seem to be friction among them so I enjoy that Keith, Keith Brimmer, Ariel no response to the bootlickers latest comments about the goat he seems to have forgotten. Let him hear one liner from you. A one hitter quitter. Well, I appreciate you asking. I will be 100% honest with all of you. On Sunday someone tweeted me about bootlicker Bisping and Flat Earth Frotch talking about me. And sometimes when I know

that people say something about me, like I'll go find the clip and I'll feel some sort of way about it, on my life, on my kid's life, I didn't search it, I didn't look for it. It did nothing to me. It meant nothing to me. And maybe that's growth. Maybe that's maturity. I don't know. The next day nothing to me and maybe that's growth, maybe that's maturity, I don't know. The next day I was tagged in a clip and so I watched it and my takeaway wasn't feeling mad, angry, oh, you know, sometimes I see the clip, I wanna come on here, 10-7, hit them up, all this stuff.

I'll even ask the guys, should I answer, should I not, should I respond, this and that, they'll say one thing, I'll ignore it, I'll one thing. I'll ignore it. I'll come on. I'll do it. That never happened. That never happened as well. My takeaway was I felt really sad for Michael Bisping.

I felt really sad for Michael Bisping because I can't imagine what it would be like to have once been a bad boy, to have once been a rule breaker, to have once been a pioneer, a trailblazer been a rule breaker, to have once been a pioneer, a trailblazer, a guy who marches to the beat of his own drum, to be that guy who did whatever the hell he wanted and didn't kowtow, didn't shill, was a rebel. That's who Michael Bissping was. If you watched him in the early days, 06, 07, 08, 09, that's who he was. The British bad boy, the shaved head, spits on your corner,

tells you what he thinks of you, doesn't hold back, no filter. That's exactly who he was. And the guy that I was watching in that clip in particular, and the guy that we have seen over the past year or so, what he has morphed into, what he has turned into, is the polar opposite of that guy. And he knows this.

And he knows that that guy once existed. And he has to look at himself in the mirror each and every day and pretend like he is still that guy and pretend perhaps like that guy never existed when he knows that he has morphed into this this zombie this shill this guy who has had his brain infected by this virus all because he wants you know he wants someone to be like, good on you, mate. Here's 5K to call the next Apex card, and please do your best to put over how great all of this is.

And if you do a good job, we'll pat you on the head and give you the next big slap fighting gig at the Fontainebleau. This is what he is striving for. He is striving for someone to one day say like, thank you for doing that, thank you for saying that about big, bad, ugly Ariel Hawhani, so that maybe one day he could get on that, I don't know, that fight night in Austin, Texas,

and then maybe, maybe just one day if something happens to DC and if something happens to Rogan and if something happens to Dominic Cruz, he can maybe get that pay-per-view all to get there. And that's exactly what he's become. He's become the guy who will try to do anything in his power to curry favor with his bosses as much as he doesn't want to admit that,

just so that he could get that opportunity, that big break to call that big fight at your local apex, your local arena in some random place in America. And so he has to turn to this. He has to become this. And that's a bummer because I remember the old guy. And the old guy was actually a really good friend. And all of a sudden he just changed.

And he says all these things and he makes up these stories and he has this vitriol and this venom towards me who has never done anything but support him, but have his back, told the stories many, many times. And so he now teams up with, you know, with Flat flat earth frotch who can't stop talking about me Even though he says he doesn't want to talk about me. All he does is talk about me. And so I said yeah The bootlicker and the bellend like I'm not that interested It did it did nothing to me whatsoever those two guys coming together talking about me me. What did I like? I ain't sell out 80,000. I

Didn't win a world title. Who the hell am I? I'm a nobody. I shouldn't be on your radar. I'm just a guy out here who can't get into MMA. What have I done? I'm just a nothing. Why do I seem to bother you so much? Why do I seem to trigger you so much? I know all about what Fratsch has done. He's had an illustrious career, a Hall of Fame career,

80,000, George Groves. I know about Boardwalk Hall. I know about Boardwalk Hall. I know about the couple fights in Atlantic City, the one fight at the nightclub in LA. I mean, I know that there was like a couple hundred people there that if he walked down Times Square, no one knows who he is and that he would have moved

the needle here in America and says that he would donate his purse to charity if he fought Jake Paul. We know all of this and we also know he is desperate for that fight and yet he keeps trying to drum this up with me and call me all these names. When I've invited him to come on and to go on his show and to simulcast it and all these things and I've DM'd him and he hasn't responded, he's read it, but then you'll go on his show and pretend like I haven't reached out to him. We've established all this but ultimately the feeling was sadness because of what Bisping in particular has become.

Because this is someone that I've met his family. I liked him. I considered him one of my close friends. Did his documentary, all these things. Had him on for the book. And then all of a sudden he realized like a few others, if I just talk shit about this guy, maybe, just maybe, I too can call UFC Vegas 104. So we all have decisions to make and that appears to have been his. He'll come around like they all do, I can assure you of that. Free Willy. Ariel, what are some things you do to make sure your kid knows they are extremely loved while not coddling them in the process, especially at a young age toddler? It's a fine line trying to make sure they know they are loved but not restricting them from growing and maturing independently. This reminds me of something that happened this morning. My daughter has been sick for a week and today she was crying saying she didn't want to go back to school and we said like enough is enough you got to suck it up

we love you we we we are trying our best to get you back to 100 you're pretty close it's time to get back to school it's a mindset it's a mentality and so it's kind of like that there are moments where you have to teach teachable moments as they say there are moments where you have to guide where you have to teach, teachable moments as they say. There are moments where you have to guide, where you have to be a little stern. But I believe, I always like to say I love you to my kids. I like to say, I love you when they go to school. I like to say I love you when they go to bed.

I like to tell them good night. I like to show them how much I care, how much they mean to me. That's why when my kids were born, I made a vow to never miss a birthday. I have not missed one yet. I'm very, very proud of that. And I've turned down some big things to be there.

And for some people, they would say that's stupid, but it means a lot to me because I want them to know how much they mean to me. I've turned down things because of soccer games, some pretty big things, some pretty big opportunities because my kid had a soccer game. A soccer game, by the way, that I pretty big opportunities because my kid had a soccer game. A soccer game, by the way,

that I don't even remember what happened, but I knew in that moment it would be good to be there and it would mean a lot to them. Even if they can't express that, I knew that it would mean a lot to them. And then on the flip side, when they do something wrong, you have to be willing to guide and lead and reprimand, but not too harsh, don't get too crazy.

Ace, hello Ariel and team, do you anticipate any UFC fighters making an appearance at WrestleMania? Would Dana be cool if they got in the ring for a segment? I don't think so. I mean, I can anticipate them being there. It's in Vegas, it would make sense. An angle right now, I don't know where it would make sense to be honest. I really don't. But you never know.

Things happen. Hunter Campbell. Hey Hunter, what's up? Should Eddie Hearn sell out his stake in matchroom boxing and transition into another sport? No? I mean, he's talked about people investing. I think Eddie loves this too much. And don't forget, matchroom, they also have snooker, darts, fishing. They've got all kinds of things. But he has a passion for this.

He's still very young, he's fit, he's healthy. I don't see him leaving anytime soon. What is he gonna do? Like, this is what he loves doing. and that's why when everyone talks about it like Dana loves doing this Why would he sell sell to do what? He understands what he's built and he understands how hard it is To build it match he weas. Hello Ariel and crew. Happy National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day Thank you

One of the all time great sandwiches. With the GFL recently dropping their debut fight cards for May featuring throwback matchups like Favour Brow 3 and the hotly anticipated Ferguson versus Dannis matchup. And also with UFC 316 looming on June 7th with a stacked lineup in Newark. Which event are you more hyped for right now?

And do you think GFL's nostalgia play I'm curious, on the 7th, with a stacked lineup in Newark, which event are you more hyped for right now? And do you think GFL's nostalgia play can steal some thunder from the UFC summer slate? P.S. with the stomach bug talk on Monday, there's a virus called neurovirus that's prevalent around daycares. I wonder if all the fighters who felt sick have children. As a parent of two, I know.

Yes, trust me, I know. I mean, it's different. Look, I will watch the GFL cards. I'm intrigued. There's a lot of people that we know that we've been watching and following and covering for a very long time. The June 7th cards, the stakes are a little bit higher. These are the best of the best. I love that Peña Harrison fight. And so it's all good. A little of this, a little of that. It's all great. Why do we have to pick? I just hope it all comes to fruition and it all happens.

If I did have to pick, I'll pick in 316. And obviously, but I wanna know where this is gonna air. I wanna know how it looks. The unknown is intriguing to me as well, right? I am intrigued, for sure. How's the presentation gonna look? What's the production gonna be like? What are the uniforms gonna look like?

Are there gonna be uniforms? Oh, please God. What are the gloves gonna look like? Please God. How's the pacing? Is the pacing gonna be good? We're gonna find out. Tomorrow's the weekend.

John Doe, Pizzi. Hopefully I wasn't out of bounds with my opinion of your coverage of Connor last week. I just wanted to shout you out on a positive note. Every time you're not on the show, I'm sad. You are fun as heck when you're on. Top three favorite Irish men of all time in my book. Best looking one on the show as well.

Well, no, you haven't seen me in flesh, man. This is not HD. You know what I'm saying? You see me in real life. Children run away. Ask Gary a bit what happened when I went into his house the children are running scared they see this thing up close it looks like someone's chewed on every inch of my face mate all right that's what it's like living in Blanchester

Town that's how I feel every day waking up in this place all right but I'm proud of it it's who I am it's forged me into the man you see today so thank you very much maybe I got to hear maybe it was my. I tend to do this, you know? I've got a hot head as they say. It's an Irish thing. I'm very sorry. I wonder who his top three are, you know? Is it Michael Collins?

Is it Luke Kelly? Is it Phil Linnet? I don't know. But I'm glad to be there. Thank you. No, it isn't. One thing I was curious about, he said that you're the best looking one on the show.

Does he mean you're the best looking Irishman on the show or just the best looking one period? Listen man, you can take that whatever way you want. I know what you're saying. But you know, what are you going to do? He also asks us, which fighter do you find yourself having most in common with? Food, politics, worldview, sense of humor. I mean, I think, I mean, the one that comes to mind for me is probably Bryce Mitchell. Yeah, you and Bryce, P's in a pod, man. Yeah, yeah.

Like sometimes I see a Bryce quote and I'm like, is that Ariel or Bryce? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know, yeah. I too get confused, by the way. I don't really know. I mean, I try not to talk to too much, you know, to too much of them about politics.

There was definitely a period a long time ago where I was really trying to avoid the politics and now we just get together all day them about politics. There was definitely a period a long time ago where I was really trying to avoid the politics, and now we just get together all day talking about politics. It's great, myself, Bo Nico, Weidman, DC, Chael. I mean, it's a Fox News fest. Am I being serious, is the question. I don't actually know,

like I don't know any fighter that I know on that level to be like, you know what, me and you were very similar. I've never felt like a thought, you know? Connor from Canada, hey Ariel, there's a couple of photos of you online wearing some very snazzy outfits on a website called 20 Montreal.

What's the story behind that photo shoot slash interview? Yes, that is a company, uh, that is owned by my brother, David. And a few years ago, he did a little photo shoot with I rocking some of the gear. Very gangster. Yeah. People like the photos. I mean, uh, you know, all candid, right? You didn't know they were even taking the picture. A different side of me. Uh, you know, very serious stoic, uh, dare I say maybe a little, you know maybe a little sexy, if you will.

A little collar up. Yeah, provocative as well. I popped the collar in one. Brave? Brave, maybe courageous. Someone got a thesaurus for birthday birthday. Yeah, all very good looks. Bold?

A what, Frank? Yeah. A thesaurus, it very good looks. Bold? Bold? A what, Frank? Yeah. A thesaurus, it's a dinosaur. Oh, there. I thought maybe if I would go long enough, some of the pictures would pop up because I'm so proud of them.

We'll go back to it. It's very like, it's very P.C. Trexel statements that I couldn't post. Jordan's still working on it. He's still, was he? Yes, he was working on it. I see, I could feel it. And so I was trying to give him time. I was trying to give him time.

You ran out of words. I ran out of words. The thesaurus threw me off. But no, that's it. I mean, I was just helping him out and I enjoyed it. It was fun. I don't know if I've ever done a photo shoot before other than that.

Like when you go to ESPN, they ask you to do some headshots, which is a little uncomfortable. You launched the show, you had to do the photo shoots. With who? Didn't you, you and Chael do photos? Did we? We never actually did them together.

No, is that true? I remember, there was like, there was Ariel and the bad guy photos from back in the day. No, it was like a cartoon. Either way. Like the ones that you showed. Ah, there it is, oh, thanks. Oh, there it like a cartoon. Either way. Like the ones that you should show. Ah, there it is. Oh, thanks.

Oh, there it is. Thanks. Thanks. That is brave. Yeah, that is good stuff. Provocative. Provocative, yep. Nice jacket there.

I'm on guard with the tracksuit with the overcoat. You don't see that a lot, Ariel, brave. Yeah, yeah. I mean, there was a whole side. It was good stuff. 20 Montreal. Shout out. Lamancha MMA.

Hi, Ariel, Ariel couple questions did you ever consider quitting covering MMA every day no not seriously I mean and and every time a chapter ended I was like alright where are we going now so no but you know we have looked into evolving and doing other things but quitting no I'm sorry, not yet. Despite all the shit sandwiches that I eat daily. Number two, was there another career slash job at any point in your life that you considered wanting to do?

Up until I was around 13, I thought I was gonna make it to the NBA, and my cousin told me to sign a contract that he drew up real quick. I don't know if it was actually like an official contract and said that if I didn't make it by 21, I would owe him a million dollars. But I mean, I feel like we're past that point. Um, and then I did sign it. Yes. I remember my contract. I don't think so. I mean, he's going to be used. It was like a C one court. I think he wrote it on like on a legally binding in my mind, a piece of like a printer paper. You signed the thing.

I mean, was this in Canada? It was in Canada paper with a sign mate you signed the thing I mean this in Canada it was in Canada Now when you signed it into the NBA games, you know, I mean, so maybe you could use that counter in the NBA Yeah, when you signed it Did you actually think you were gonna be in the league at that point or were you just like signing it out of? Defiance out of indignance. I I truly believed when was the moment that you realized you weren't going to go to the league? Probably eighth grade, ninth grade. I was like, I was around the same. I was, I was fully going to the NBA for a hot minute. You've got height as well. Like, so I mean, you, you, you had bit more of a dream than Ari, let's say, cause it's around 15, 16. You're still, you're still tall as shit. You guys never looked at the back of the trading cards where it said like

six foot seven, six foot five. You never looked at that. I'd look like AI out there. But lads get at Drollsburg sometimes. Steven Jarrett Liverpool was apparently like five for five until he hit like 18 and then just shot him to six. Six foot seven, six foot eight, you know, all those. You ever been to an NBA game, Pizzi?

Yeah. Yeah, one I went to see the Celtics and the Bulls and my Celtics, pulled off a big win over the, I can't remember in Boston or Chicago. In Boston TD garden. It was the week that McGregor fought Dennis Siver. Oh yeah. Um, by the way, speaking of a PT, uh, he asks, um, hello. Oh, the other one was, uh, I thought after basketball was going to be a lawyer. My parents said that I asked too many questions. And I, and, and, and. Too many questions to be a lawyer? They're like, you're too many questions,

you should probably be a lawyer, you should consider being a lawyer. And then I took the question asking mindset and brought it to journalism. Which is a lawyer thing to do, you just twisted it around on them. Perfect, Sean Plant, hello Ariel, this one is for Pizzi. Have you ever smoked Kush with Chuck Mendenhall?

That sounds like a banger of a time, hashtag Bosch. Is this my dad? Who asked this? I mean, I don't know. Oh, come on, we gotta get a comment. No comment. All right, that was a good one. You come in July.

I like that he said it sounds like a banger of a time. Fifth. Matmoe. Fifth. Sup Ariel. No question. Just wanted to say that Yoel's interview was one of the greatest and most insightfully motivating appearances from a guest I've seen on your show. Oh and move aside Fabiano and welcome in Andy Enriquez. Did I pronounce that correctly? Enriquez yeah you got it. Andy took the translator role like white on rice, and I can't wait to see her utilize more in this role going forward.

Big shout out to Queen Enriquez. Aw, that's so nice. We do have to pump the brakes on this. Andy has a job that is not interpreting and not translation that she doesn't need to do. Pretty important one. So this is- Andy's putting stuff on screen, guys, while translating, while building boxes.

Yeah. While... Y'all loved it as well. You could feel Yoel like, oh, you're a boy. He was so sweet. This is... Yeah. It was intoxicated by your translations, if you don't want me saying Andy.

All right. Yeah. Well then. She minds pizza. It's too far. Hate your on the phone. We'll see you at 8 guard, 9 AM. Yeah.

All right. Uh, Lon Don, hello, all. Any chance we get Harrison and Peña on this show at the same time since you've seen so close to them both? Would the UFC allow it? Would you want to do it? Well, I don't know. We have to manifest it.

We have to manifest this. Okay. Face to face? I don't know if I've ever wanted a face to face more. Can we break the fourth wall for a moment? Define the fourth wall. Well, the fourth, the fifth. There's four boxes here, so one of them's.

Okay, here's the rub. Here's the rub. One of my favorite people that I've ever come across covering this sport, doing this show, is the great Juliana Pena, the Venezuelan Vixen. In fact, we had her at our road show two years ago in New York. It was great times, great vibes. She became champion. We believed in her when no one else did. We were doing our we, I'm just saying, we were doing our 2025, and P.T., if you know what's good for you,

you'll see why in a moment. When we were doing our 2025 prediction show, it appears as though she felt some sort of way about all the Kayla Harrison Fighter of the Year talk. And you know what? Taking a step back, putting down my ego, I think she's right. I think she should feel betrayed.

And so I swallow a lot of razor blades as I say to the great Julianne Opinion, the queen of the Bentham weights, I and we, the royal we, on behalf of the program and on behalf of P.T. Carroll in particular, are very sorry for offending you and for betraying you. And so we would love to make amends. We'd love to extend an olive branch. And really, we don't even want anything from you. We don't want to have you on the show. We'd love to have you on the show, but we just want to be in good standing with you

because you are a legend. You are a multiple-time champion. And we do really love and respect and admire everything that you have done in the sport. And quite frankly frankly we miss you um now We do a show everyone's a independent thinker. We can't control You know the thoughts the the the statements the opinions of everyone and in particular

Uh, maybe some guests who are joining us from overseas and so please, you know, um don't get mad at us. But if you would like to come on the program and perhaps tell us how you feel about us or maybe one member of the team in particular, we wouldn't mind. We wouldn't mind. P.T. Is there anything you'd like to say to Juliana? I don't really know what the issue is here.

If someone wants to tell me, I'll be happy to answer Danny crimes of committed. Apparently she wasn't a big fan of your analysis of the Did I wait because I picked Kayla Harrison to be fighter of the year. That was I still, you know, I'm sorry. I like Juliana a lot, but I still believe that I'm sticking to my guns. Okay. Well, if we don't get the face to face. That's journalistic integrity right there, Pizzi. What do you want me to do?

Come on. I'm sorry, like I mean, is this not what we get paid for? Is it not to just put our souls in here and say how we feel? What? I mean, sorry. No, I don't really know you'd have to show me what I said if I said something egregious I think it was something where

I did a heel turn and then I was like I would never go against Julianna Pena none of us would do that and then you're like well I will yeah you were hamming up that we're all friends thing so I have to hit back in the other direction Let it be known I saved the joyless integrity of this show for you guys Was it me? Never me I like this we draw a line in the sand your team Kaleo me and Rick our team Juliana and And Ariel's neutral. Yeah, and then Ariel is Switzerland in this case I love every- The boys in the back would never turn their backs on Juliana

No, I know, peace of love, peace of love Shut your mouth, D I think we're doing some work here I love it boys in the back would never turn their back You can shut your mouth you Recap it Ariel also one of the other I don't think I don't think I was Saying like I'm picking Kayla because I think Julianna's this or that no no just what you told me afterwards was it was it was really Hard you were you were up all night about this particular one And it was 50-50, you flipped a coin, and in the end there had to be one. Could've just gotten John. Yeah, John would've been.

Valentine's Day. Yeah, if only one person in the entire group thought to do that, and everybody else didn't really think about that. I took John. Oh yeah. Should we call her right now on FaceTime? Yeah.

No, I don't know about that. Have her FaceTime, but then just, let's go full screen on Pizzi, and then just turn the phone to the monitor, so it's just Pizzi's big face when she answers. Tell them what you think of him. Go ahead, you're on, Giuliana. Okay, but truly, the FaceToFace would be magical.

It would be incredible, I would love to do it. That would be brilliant. Jamrock Juddy, hello Ariel, quick follow-up from last week's discussion regarding vacation time that a couple other people seemed to bring up as well. Jordan's words of wisdom about balancing life and having to put yourself first at times spoke to me as I've been trying to be better about that myself.

As for Rick, the no vacation ever unless you take a day off end quote doesn't have four free hours end quote is truly sad, live a little. Thanks bro, thanks. I said live a little thanks bro thanks yeah thanks those fighting words let me know send your net worth send your send your status and we'll analyze if you can can give me that advice for now I'm good thanks though Eric anything not you in particular, E-R-I-C-K Bolden, anything you are hearing on the next fight for Max Holloway?

I keep hearing he's gonna shine bright like a diamond. Shine bright like a diamond, shine bright. That's a fight that makes a lot of sense. I saw, who was it? I think I saw Henry Cejudo talking to Mike Bond about this saying that did we crack the code about Iliya Toporia because Iliya Toporia's nickname is now the legend and Dustin said he's only fighting legends.

And so is, do you really think, like he can't possibly. Iliya Toporia changed his name so that he could get a fight with Dustin Poor yet in the correct. He actually saw that you saw that on the bonfire. I saw some clip Yeah, him and so I mean, that's it. Yeah, possibly be That dumb no, no, he'd I think there was okay. Gosh Your mom goes to college Ariel I know it has been asked, but we are yet to get a full answer from you, so here it goes. You mentioned you do not want to go to a live UFC event

until you are ready or something happens. You answer almost every question on every topic. It is time to answer this. What needs to happen? I've never said what needs to happen. I will go when it's time. or let me put it this way, I will even consider applying when it's time and it doesn't need to happen. I don't want it to happen. I'm good. I haven't gone on a trip of any kind since the last fight week that I went to was November since the last fight week that I went to was November of last year Jake and Tyson and I've turned down a few we're building something I want to be here when you go to the fight weeks it's it's a lot of work it's a lot of time away you miss stuff X Y & Z and yeah yeah there is a little bit more but at 456 on

Wednesday April 2nd, it ain't the time to talk about it. Your mom goes to college, all right? But there is more, sure. Kyle, Ariel, I just listened to the recent Bret Hart episode of Dark Side of the Ring, unheard podcast. Oh, there is one? I didn't know that.

As you might've guessed, the Montreal Screwjob was discussed. I know that there likely hasn't been anything on the same level in MMA, but in your opinion, what's the biggest screw job in MMA history? Man Matt most says Tony never getting the undisputed title shot. It's not a bad shout Nothing like Brett screw job. I mean, maybe it is Tony

What do you guys think anything comes to mind? Tony did come to mind immediately when he said that to be honest, but it's not the same thing Because they did try and make that fight and then it was the knee and everything. I don't know. I don't think there's a direct, I don't think there's anything we can think about in terms of terms of UFC for me. Nothing jumps out. Lexi Myers, Ariel and BITB. I was scrolling through the upcoming UFC events, desperately waiting to see a UFC Chicago. Notice there's a fight night scheduled in Atlanta on June 14th. Would you consider doing a road show hometown visit for the legendary GC?

Please let me know your thoughts. Love you guys and thanks for the constant entertainment. You going to that one GC? 1000%. Yeah, I was just there this past weekend telling my parents, I was like, get the guest room ready for me June 14th. I'll be back. UFC is coming to town. Yeah. As soon as tickets drop, I will be buying. Yeah, I was just there this past weekend telling my parents, I was like, get the guest room ready for me June 14th. I'll be back, UFC's coming to town. Yeah, as soon as tickets drop, I will be buying.

Yeah, I can't wait. Stay farm Marina, baby. Could we? Wait, what is that? Stay farm Marina. Oh, stay farm, yeah, I thought you said Moreno. If we did an event in ATL, would it sell out? Would we crush it in the ATL?

Because of you. Because of you. Because of me? No. Yeah, like you being like, I'm coming home everybody. No. No. I'm coming home.

Rafael Sunsal, main event maybe? Cody Durden? What was this from there? Carl. Rafael Sunsal, imagine in a main event. Hey, Carl! Good to see you! What was the Carl, the heavyweight Carl something?

Was it heavyweight? Yeah, yeah, yeah, recently. I don't remember him well. Yeah, he was on Contender Series. Carl something. All he did was wrestle. The only Carl I know is Carl Roe. I'm trying to think of fighters from the Atlanta area.

It's not me. No, there used to be, well, Bryan Stan, we got a fight out of there. Lima Brothers. We can all go to Magic City afterwards. That's fucking right, you don't know anything about Magic City, let's go, B.T., come on. June 14th, catch a flight.

Shout out Gucci Mane. Eric, Mr. Helwani, I have a few quick ones. Is the old saying, don't meet your heroes, does that hold weight? Bots in the back, what do you think? Have you ever met a hero or idol? I mean, I'd say, yeah, if you can meet your heroes? Does that hold weight? Bots in the back, what do you think? Have you ever met a hero or idol? I mean, I'd say, yeah, if you can meet your hero, why not?

Yeah, it's better to know than not know, right? Right. Side note, amazing interview with UL. Holy shit, bro, I'm at work listening to this later that night, just man, motivational as F. Lastly, for the love of God, for the love of God, be the great Hilwani with a wrestler, maybe a lucha so you could be his mouthpiece. El Nariz spelled wrong, I'm sure, just beside the book. Man, I would love to see it. Thank you for your time, sir. Oh, and Frank, Mr.

Mysterious. What up? Wow. I was just reading this. Do you want me to read it? I mean, based on your reaction. Oh, and Frank, Mr. Mysterious, suck it, TST for life. Wow. Jesus. Wow, is that a TST burner?

Thank you, Troy. That's a deep cut. TST is actually gonna be, he's gonna be joining us in Des Moines. Wow, he got the invite too. Sans invite. Wow. He invited himself.

What does that mean? Yeah, thank you. I haven't heard that one in a while. What does it mean? He called me up and said, are you guys... You heard about you guys talking about this? He said, are you guys actually going to Des Moines? I said, yeah.

And he was just like, all right, I'm gonna come. I'm gonna book a flight. I was like, all right. Wow. You can do that too, right? Can't wait. Disappearance. Anyone can do it.

I like an invite. We're happy to have him. I like an invite. We're happy to have them. I like an invite. It'll be great. It'll be great. Got my corn hat in the mail. I said this to someone yesterday who is in the business. Before I die, before I die, I need to do something.

I wanna be involved in a wrestling angle. I wanna put this out there. I don't care who it's for. I need to feel that. I need to feel what Shultz was talking about, sort of, as he was kayfabing me. I wanna feel that. And I think as a heel manager,

I could be pretty good at it. I think I could do a good job. Cut a promo or two. I have different kind of personas that I could put. I mean, I think. Slammiversary? That would be nice. This summer?

UBS? Go ahead. Jack, ahee, your eye favor ending his interview with a shout out to his hair salon was one of the funniest moments in the show's history. I cannot believe his hair and nails are also sponsored. Have you listened to Tom Aspinal talking about getting his hands wrapped on Impulsive?

It's bone chilling. I did not hear that. Anyone hear that? Yeah, I did. Yeah, it is good. He's talking about how scared he is and the guy is across the arena just as scared, and he's just gotta swallow it and go out there.

You can hear the crowd shaking the arena. Yeah, it's cool. It's cool to listen to. Mikey Z asks if we could have Craig Jones on. Yes, love having him on. Do you think the Gable-Steveson match was April Fruals or legit? I think Rick looked into this.

Is it legit? Yes, per everybody I've talked to it is legit. I tried to talk to Craig Jones and have not heard back yet, but seems to be legit. Maybe just like don't announce stuff on April Fool's. Yeah, but that's very Craig Jones to like troll and do it. I know, with the UFC last night dropping three fights. Yeah. I mean, GC, do you know about the April Fool's cancellation famously?

I do. Okay. I do. Okay. I do, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was a moment. You think GC doesn't know about anything in MMA lore at this point? No, there's some things. I always ask, because I'm like,

do you know about this one? Do you know about that one? Most of the time, yes, he does know. Keen, hey Ariel, what's your thoughts on Bisping's latest rant as someone who likes Bisping? I think it's time for you to give him the big fuck you. He pretends to like you when he's talking to people who like you, but when his guest doesn't't like you he will lick up to them and abuse you absolute wanker

You should put him in his place the dickhead. I feel like you just said it. I feel like the real ones know You know the way he described that I thought he was talking about Patti Pimlitt for a second also from keen Okay Okay Andy, no? Okay. Are you reading this at the same time? Yeah, man. I'm following through with the questions. Jesus. Okay. You know, we're doing a counter. We're holding a whole production in here. There's a lot of Andy. Okay, let me just say this. There's a lot of Andy questions,

but some of them are inappropriate so clean it up they're all I think coming from a good place but chill the fuck out everyone alright Jesus yes I've skipped over a couple I don't know if you've seen that but I'm sure I'm trying I'm trying I'm trying it's hard it's hard to do this in in real time but I like to try to do it in real time. I'm looking for some things. We'll wrap this up in a moment. Shhh, shh, shh, shh. Ethan, yo, Ariel, did you look into the camera for the courtside pick last night on purpose?

Don't think they were trying to snap a pic of you, big dog. I mean, I was just kind of looking. You know, I was just kind of looking. I didn't know where to look. I mean, sure, did I want to give him the, you know, like, what am I supposed to do? Look, look, look, look down, I don't know. The other side like what am I supposed to look look look look down I don't know the other side

Yeah All jokes aside do you think they know who you are or do or do they just assume your actions buddy definitely the latter? Shout out to the bit B and the go-pete I mean without saying too much you go into a room there And it's like I don't belong here. It is like A plus plus plus plus listeners and me. The best part about it is, action don't give a fuck. He does his thing, he's the coolest cat there. There's some great food.

Oh yeah, GC, you were asking about the food. There's some sushi. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, cause just to give a briefing, you're starving after the show, especially after a double. I've seen you house snacks here, like Doritos or like, just like crappy stuff.

I can imagine five-star dining there. What were you eating? Oh man, some sushi, some, I think it was it, was it? Is this like under the court? I've heard you describe this before. So that was during the pandemic under the court, but now it's like up high and it's just like, it's just like mahogany room,

quaint and it's like boom, there's Ben Stiller. Boom, there's Rod Strickland. Boom, there's this famous actor. Oh, this is a bit- Okay, what's protocol though? Can you talk to these people? Are you trying to talk to them? Okay, so I keep it cool.

I keep it cool. But action, everyone loves action. Because I don't know, I don't know. Everyone loves action. Everyone's so happy to see him. The players love him. so like there's Tim Thomas like dapping him up and I'm just like I just I just I'm trying to be a good guest look down and not fuck up and then there's freaking Iman Shumpert

there and then there's freaking shout out champion Fat Joe Georgia Tech legend and now Fat Joe and him are talking I'm just like I just they're like hey what's up man but there's no part of you that just wants to be like Iman like you're a great man when you said what's up to Fat Joe where you are talking I'm just like I just they're like they what's up, man Cuz there's no party that just wants to be like a man like you're a great when you said what's up The fat Joe where you like bro, you killed the world serious shit. No, I was like, yeah sucks cube sucks you was an ass you killed that shit you let him know but I will say this so yesterday I only I only had one interaction solo. This is this is great I hope he doesn't mind me saying it and this just speaks to the brilliance of Action Bronson. So at halftime you go up, you either eat,

you get a drink or you get some dessert or something like that, right? We get the dessert because I already ate. I had sushi, I had salad, I had some fish, et cetera, et cetera. I go to the dessert table. He goes here for a second. We split up for a moment, we come back, and I'm like, what did you get? He goes, I made an affogato. I was like, what? They have affogato

here? And he's like, no, but I went to get a coffee and then I saw ice cream right next to it, and I was like, yo man, make the affogato. I'm like, man, you're so brilliant. Only you would think of that. And he said that the guy told him that no one's ever thought to make the affogato. You to make the affogato You know what an affogato is right? Yeah, espresso with ice cream in it I mean eating an affogato with my feet on the floor at the Knicks game Sounds like it would be an action Bronson layer line So then he's eating that for God Oh, and he has a biscotti and he's dipping it in and I'm eating

I'm eating a packaged red velvet cake and I'm so upset that I didn't go with the action affogato. So then I'm eating it, I'm eating it, and then. Scotty Courtside is crazy. So we're still in the room at this point. Oh, okay, okay. We're still in the room, so we just kind of meet up in the middle, everyone's doing their thing. I mean, I can't even tell you the celebs that are in there.

Everyone's just like, everyone's like good looking, everyone's famous, and I'm like, what am I doing here? How did I end up here? And then he's like, go get the affogato. So I'm like, what am I doing here? How did I end up here? And then he's like, go get the affogato. So I'm like, all right, I'm gonna get the affogato. And so there I am, getting the affogato. I was like, I said, give me the action. He knew exactly what I meant.

And who's standing right next to me as I'm getting it? Who? Coach John Calipari. Wow. You're shitting Coach Cal. It's just me and coach. It's just me and coach, Pizzi, one of the best coaches in college basketball,

I had an incredible run. You don't have to tell me, mate. Arkansas Razorbacks, no legit, like legend. And so I'm thinking like, do I keep it cool? Do I say something? So I'm just, at this point I get the affogato, I take a dip and I'm keeping it cool. I'm like, great season coach, well done.

And he's like, oh wow, thanks. And I think he thinks I'm in this small exclusive club, this has to be some kind of celeb. But you could tell, he looks, he downloads, and he's like, I have no idea who this guy is, so we'll just keep him moving. You know, he's thinking for a second, who's this movie star, who's this rap star,

who's this comedian? I think rap was probably not his thing. This guy must have gotten big off of a tech failure. And he's like, ugh, is this a plus one like and I just say though But it was cool. I was that's the perfect interaction though That's the perfect like great season move it all and then keep it pushing you just say say your little piece And then you keep it pushing that's great. Ah That really is great. I'm actually going to the garden tonight. Whoa no not the next right? Yeah, oh

Rangers yeah, we'll play calves yeah, we're playing Cavs. You're coming to us, that's right. Rangers. We're stomping. A little hockey, you know. Not on the ice though. Did you see Carmela Anthony while you were there? Yeah, I did not see her. There she is. Oh wow, that's amazing. Oh, who did this? Oh, this is incredible. Wow, that is amazing. Did I miss a reference earlier in the show? Yes. Oh, were you not here for that?

Frank interrupted the top of the show to let us know that Carmella Anthony has been inducted into the basketball hall of fame. It was great. DZ says, hey, big fan of the show, exclusively the only show I listen to, so I appreciate so much content weekly. Question for you, with the recent comments made by Bisping again this week he was licking the boots of Karl Fratsch where did this issue come from it feels totally out of the blue for years there have been respect

between both you and him and all of a sudden Bisping woke up and chose to start a beef do you feel like there was a breakdown or can pinpoint the exact time your friend your relationship broke down I personally don't understand why you get so much hate without, there would literally be zero content and news out there. I've been watching you for the best part of 15 years and never seen you initiate a fight between fighters. That's one of my favorite ones.

Like, oh, he instigates beefs. Get the fuck out of here. As a European MMA fan, we are a bit sick of them wheeling out, bissping at events like he is royal. He has rammed down our throats at UK shows. All right, well you said it. Thanks for that. By the way, Instagate's beefs thing,

it feels like such a bygone era, right? Isn't it very clear at this point that people want the, like isn't that the most obvious thing now? Do people even say that anymore? Oh yeah. Instagate beefs, like that's what people, those two jabronis said it. This is what they want.

Those two jabronis said it. This is the thing that is the currency. But it's literally the only thing that sells combat sports. What, Instagate beefs? I asked people questions,is said it. This is the thing that is the currency. But it's literally the only thing that sells combat sports. What instigate beefs? I ask people questions, that's it. Instigate beefs. You mean the thing that makes you interested in the fight?

The only currency that we actually have at this point? They've literally been saying this about me since 2007, since I started. In that era though? Because their brains are so dense that they don't understand that asking questions is what we do for a living and getting information is what we do for a living We don't we don't you know, we don't lick boots. Hey PT. Here's one that you'll like from Christian hot tag Can we get a 10-7 response to the garbage from flat earth frotch and bootlicker Bisping?

High road how long you take a break fuck about Carl Frocker what he's got. So by the way really interesting Yeah, thank you Uncle Frank. You know, before anyone says like, they say like, oh, he responses, I'm getting asked a question. I've skipped over 10 of these. What do you want me to do? The people wanna know.

It's a fair amount, isn't it? It's almost like they're instigating beefs. Oh my God. They're instigating. These comeders are all instigating beefs. Arrest them. Arrest them all. Since the 1800s, the only fucking bill to a fight

is this guy doesn't like this guy. I don't understand how that's everything. Like that's the whole that since since people were fucking putting bags on their hands and beat the piss out of each other in a town square. It's always that guy doesn't like that guy. I don't it's crazy to think that that's some type of thing that we choreograph like these dudes beat the shit out of each other for a living. You know what I mean? Thank you, Frank Thank you. Thank you to both take me back I wish I could go back to when they were putting bags on their hands and beating up piss out of each other is a Sentence right what a lot. This is a deep cut from Nick

Ariel did you think to bring up your close call to loopy the time you were driving home from ESPN and wrecked your vehicle? Do you guys know this story? I've told it before. I hope it wasn't the shits, wasn't it? Tell me. Tell me. You've had more close calls than like, it actually shocks me that you've been able to sit in that chair for four hours. By the way, that's why I felt some sort of way about Lupi telling that story. That might be one of the most impressive things I've ever heard from a fighter. The fact that she kept that in and fought like that in that state, you know there's the cafeteria at ESPN, very early days, I made the rookie mistake

of having a large iced coffee right before the two and a half hour drive back home. And I remember the next day I had to wake up super early to interview Ninja. I was flying to Detroit to interview ninja at his house, the gamer. And, you know, midway through, ice coffee, it's late. This is evening, this is night.

Nighttime. You've eaten all day. Dark, dark. You just put a laxative on top of it. Dark. To get in the car. I'm somewhere in like Westchester at this point, somewhere like that, and it's a problem.

It's a massive problem. Get off, first exit, get to, oh, this is such an awful story. Get to, finally find a gas station on like the side of the road, and I'm so anxious to get to the gas station because it's a real problem at this point. I turn too soon, freaking tire, hits the sidewalk,

blows out the tire. On the spot, on the freaking spot, the tire goes from like 40 to zero. And I am like dying at this point. Sweating, it is tough. You're at the gas station now having to look for a play which is a nightmare in its own right

how was the gas station oh and it wasn't like a big like Sunoco or shell like it was like yes this is an exon this is like a shell in the middle of nowhere like a mom-and-pop one off the side of the road the key to go to the bathroom the bathroom is a nightmare for me because who knows who's touched that key and what they've done. Oh, you know I need to know order operations if you blow out the time. Okay, so your pants immediately

So so by the way, I have like a 6 a.m. Flight I've only been at ESPN for a month and a half at this point to add to the misery I'm I'm completely depressed. I am depressed. I'm trying to figure out a way to cancel my contract because it's such a shit show to start. They gave us a horrible studio. My teammates there suck.

They're all trying to backstab me. They're working with the UFC in cahoots to try to ruin me. I get into a fight with one of them prior to leaving, accusing me of taking his news and all this bullshit that I could write a whole book about one day, the worst. And so I'm all, I'm feeling all like, what the hell? What have I done? And this happens, my freaking tire blows out.

I'm legit like an hour and a half away from home and I have a flight in like six hours I haven't even packed for. And it's a big deal. It's me getting to interview Ninja for Sports Center this is a big opportunity so I run to the restroom what happens happens and then the guy says it's too late it's like it's like nine o'clock we can't change your tire we can't give you a new tire so you know what I had to do I had to

call AAA AAA then then gets up like not a pickup truck, what is it? A tow truck. A tow truck puts it on the bed and I have to now drive an hour and a half in the front passenger seat with some random dude who's towing my car for an hour and a half. I have to sit there in shame because of the iced coffee, feeling like shit, having to wake up.

And this dude, do you know how much it cost to drive my car an hour and a half? And obscene amount. It was absurd. A grand. I'm the only one that's getting a kick out of this story, but this is some of the funniest shit I've ever heard. I felt so low in that moment, so low.

I'm just imagining you leaving, getting your coffee, you're like, let's go. Yeah, we're good. It's time to head home, a little bit of energy, and it just starts hitting. It's just one thing one thing it's worse and worse it was awful i'll never forget such a panic yes you swerve in i mean you have to swerve in to blow that yes i by the way i was like i was like 10 inches off if i just waited a second to go in like this, but I nailed it and it exploded and I was like, oh please God. But at that point, there's no time to worry. You have to go get the

couldn't care less about the tire. It's only afterwards where you're like, because usually you'll have that moment where you're like, okay, now you feel good about yourself, but like, oh no, now there's an actual nightmare on my hands because I have to figure out how to get home. And now I have, and by the way, you know, it's the greatest nightmare on my hands because I have to figure out how to get home. And by the way, you know what's the greatest nightmare of them all? Having to sit in passenger seat with some random dude for an hour and a half at 10 o'clock and I'm worried about flying the next day and packing

and I hate my life and I hate my job. Was he trying to make small talk? As you're getting the relief going to the bathroom, the panic is setting in of what just happened outside. God, that's an all time story. To me that's funnier than the one when you were on vacation. Oh thanks, I appreciate it. Just you in the dark roads, Westchester,

trying to find a bathroom, panicking. And then you blew out your tongue. I'm glad you enjoyed that so much. GC loves this almost too much. Because I'm just envisioning it all in my head, just like, ah, it just is killing me. I'm sorry. It's all right, the shins are always, it just is killing me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry you had to go through that.

No, no, I appreciate that. It was a great time. Frank, super chats, super chats. Yep. Yep. Hahaha. Super chats. There it is.

Love it. Jake from Honey City writes, Holy shit, what happened? Ariel, do you still have USC Fight Pass? What are some good things to watch there these days outside of the classic libraries? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, uh, you've got cage warriors. You've got cage fury. You've got fight pass invitation. I don't know. You know, I'd love to know, do you think a lot of people watch the old stuff there? I feel like they don't.

The archive? When I first got it, like I was just, I couldn't wait to go back and watch all the fights. I just, like, and I just don't think that's a dumb thing anymore. Everyone's living in the now. And there's not a lot of like, like WWE network and stuff. They make documentaries and things like that. They announced today that's a done thing anymore. Everyone's living in the now. And there's not a lot of like WWE network and stuff. They make documentaries and things like that. They announced today that they're gonna air the WWE vault YouTube channel is so good.

And I think due to the success of it, they announced today that they're gonna they're gonna air something on Peacock. I'm sure on Netflix across the world, like some behind the scenes footage of WrestleMania nine, which I actually really loved. And I know people hate WrestleMania nine. I was at Caesar's Palace Outdoors in Las Vegas.

I wish the UFC had stuff like that. Like imagine there was some behind the scenes documentary of UFC 100, you know? Like just like random shit. Like by the way, even putting together, you know, old embeds into a documentary. You could make a documentary. Like imagine a UFC 200 compilation of embeddeds

but put into like one 30 minute doc. There's some good shit, but I don't know. It was hair coat which you picked though, you know what I mean? It's tough. I mean, the big ones, like 200. There was some big stuff, you know, with Jones in DC. What else?

Can we get another Ariel Hauani live show in Newark for UFC 316? Well, we responded to this last week. It's a tough time for all of us, Can we get another aerial hoani live show in Newark for Wow C3 16 Well, we responded to this last week. It's it's a tough time for all of us, but I'll tell you what Historically the UFC comes in November We've got some preliminary big plans surrounding that one. So stay tuned likely not for Newark But then we got you in November. Hopefully that suffices. What else? Suckerfree says Ariel and Bret Hart two legendaries enter the battlefield. PSPT is here. Oh thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah I mean what can I say? Bret Hart the

best there is the best there was the best there ever will be. Excellence of execution. What a time. What else? Rumors of the beat returning again? Oh. Any truth to it? Olajuwon. If it's from Olajuwon, it must be true. I've not heard that. Have you guys heard that? I've not heard that. I have not. Oh. I think I saw one video of him training, but I haven't heard. Those pop up every once in a while, though. I'd say he's still trying to beat the piss out of everyone. Oh my god, yeah. One of the great what ifs. KS, Frank.

Give Andy another 25,000 a year and she will translate. I think this is actually her burner account. Oh yeah. Andy's the most popular person on the team. How do you say what else in Spanish, Andy? You can say que mas. Ah, que mas. That'll be $2,000.

What is KS, what is? K? You can say que mas. Ah, que mas. That'll be $2,000. What is KS? What is? KS, yeah, it's what is. Thank you, Frank, thank you. Well played, Frank. What else? What else? There's a heart from Alexander Hirst.

Okay, much love. Wow, five pounds for that? Okay, we appreciate it. What else? Jason says, biggest screw job and MMA was guy, um, Metzger Metzger Metzger. Wow. That's a deep cut.

Losing to Sakuraba and Randleman and Baz Routen now comes to mind. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. What else? And at least we forget Ross Pearson and Diego Sanchez. I was going to say, uh, Jared Gordon, Petty Pimlet. Well, no, Definitely not that one. Really?

I think it's one of the worst scorecards of all time. The one he just mentioned, Pearson Sanchez? Is the worst. You cannot watch that fight and come away with that outcome. It's not possible. What about Korean Zombie versus Leonard Garcia? No, none of these are even in the universe

of Pearson and Sanchez. Was I at that fight? Was it not in Sweden or something? No, no, that's Michael Johnson and Boris Pearson. Sorry. No, different thing. Kimas? Tim Kennedy and UL Stoolgate. Ooh, MMA equivalent. Yeah, that was something. Have I told the story about Gareth A. Davis at that fight? No, but even if you have, I want to hear it. At Stoolgate? Oh, man. Right. So. By the way, yours is, the loopy is almost kind of a stool gate as well.

But anyway, Oh, wow. Well played. Well played. Depends on how solid it was. But yeah, so we're at that fight. And if you remember the stool gate, what he's talking about is y'all stayed on his stool and then the whole crowd start booing. Um, as he kind of was sitting

on the stool, Kennedy's kind of going, what the fuck is here? And the most, my last thing image from that is Garrett A. Davies standing up from press row. He's in the very front leg. He's he's ropey. So it'd be like, let's say he's on camera, right? I stands up and he goes, Oh fuck off fucking Americans. Oh my god. That is amazing That actually sounded like him by the way, that's very good fucking Americans That was a preposterous yeah moment in MMA like Ranger up to him Ranger up Okay, you left out that part now that's even better that's way better that's way better

Forgot about Ranger up by the way. That's an old-school one. What else what else no moss? Oh? That's it old school one. What else? What else? No moss. Oh, that's it? Yeah. OK. By the way, have you guys seen Josh Emmett's beard? No. Oh, man. I know it's not good to say. Usually I would say this and we would have it,

but I meant to bring it up earlier. Look up Josh Emmett's beard. He's got a gigantic. Oh, it's full. It's big. It's bold. It's great. Yeah, he threw full. It's big. It's, it's. Bold. It's great.

Yeah, he threw out the first pitch at the A's game yesterday in Sacramento. No one's going to those games. What a sad situation that is. He will be headlining the event this weekend against Lerone Murphy, big spot for Manchester's own. I presume the boys in the back will be talking about said event tomorrow.

Oh, we sure will. What else? That's pretty much it. I presume the boys in the back will be talking about said event tomorrow. We sure will well what else That's pretty much To the big fight the recent fight announcements. Yeah Well, PFL preview dive deeper on the on the brackets will break down each of them a little bit more pound for pound We think tournaments at the moment, but we're kind of open to suggestions. Pound for pound best tournaments?

Yeah. No, no, no, best tournaments that have been featured in a movie. No. That's a good one. Just best tournaments. You know, there's options. Are there options?

What do you mean? Would it be the NCAA tournament, or would it be a specific one? No, that's one. Like the 2012 NCAA tournament. Could be specific, no? No, that's one. Like the 2012 NCA tournament. Could be specific, no? Could be if you wanna do that. I feel strongly that it has to have some kind of bracket. Pro-Final Coffee.

Can I offer one up? Yes, please. Okay, there's two, there's two. Suggestions or tournaments? I know, no, two suggestions. Okay, please. One, pound for pound best rides at Universal Studios we we did it we did think about that in honor of PFL or just pound for pound best

amusement parks oh that's the music park is that music parks are no one asks me no one asked never been to Universal Studios so I couldn't do that one okay but the amusement park is not bad okay or best rides like the twister the Joker Wow back to the future. Are you a rides guy? I'm not I'm not a big rollercoaster guy, but I enjoy I love Universal Studios. I love like the magic of believe it or not. I love the magic of movies of cinema I do not believe it. So I swear I swear There's actually a show called the studio that I'm kind of interested in because Is it good? I kind of I love production. I love I love the Martin Scorsese is in

Anyway chew on that crack on Friday Who do we got on that Chuck Mendenhall? No comment. Okay, perfect. And do we have anything this weekend? No, nothing this weekend, but we do head into next weekend, which will be a big one, because that heads into the UFC back in Miami, UFC 314. Already some guests in the oven for next week, but we shall tell you about them at a later date. For now though, I think it's time to go. Yeah. I think it's time to go. P.T. God bless. It made it.

Yeah, see ya. Sad lads. Yeah, and don't take the loss too hard. I mean, this happens to every... We're kinda used to it this year, to be honest with you. Fucking 14th of the league. If it didn't be us, that would be fucking crazy. What do you do now, by the way?

It's 10.26. What do you do now? Is it bedtime? Night time? 15 mile run, 2,000 silks, and they're finished with just some dips. Okay, all right. Yeah, I feel you.

It's very important. Actually, I was thinking of getting my steps in. I wanted to maybe MacGyver this desk and have a treadmill underneath. You know like the walking treadmill? You want to convert it as well to a standing desk. Standing desk, MacGyver it. I like when people say that.

And then you raise the desk. I stand the whole show, but I get the steps in. Yeah. Have you ever seen an episode of MacGyver? No, but people say that. Have you ever seen one? I've seen so many, so many. Yeah, he's the guy who like, he gets- Are you the one that episode of MacGyver? No, but people say that. Have you ever seen one? Yeah, he's the guy who like he gets- Are you the one that's gonna MacGyver? No, no, no, that's that's a Frank thing That's a Joe thing

Chat out to Joe What a compliment though, did he compare to MacGyver? Come on, that's great. Frank can do anything. MacGyver just like used gaff tape and screwdrivers to make things. Kinda looks like Lex Luger, remember the wrestler? I always thought MacG from Hall of Famer. Yeah. I don't know. We can workshop that. Anyway, it's been a great day.

Thank you very much to Sean O'Connell, Wyatt Hendrickson, and the great Andrew Schultz. What a great chat that was in studio. Most importantly, thanks to all of you. Everyone who sent in questions. Much love. Super chats. Much love.

Thanks to all of them. Back to Mar in questions, much love, super chats, much love. Thanks to all of them. Back to Marseille Time and Place, this is my name.