The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - GOOD FOLLOW - Julianna Pena on Her Recent UFC Fight, WNBA Coaching Changes, + Charlotte Wilder & More

Episode Date: November 3, 2024

This week on Good Follow: Megan, Logan, and Ros react to the WNBA coaching carousel and discuss whether the launch of Unrivaled will be bad for the WNBA or not. Then, Oddball host Charlotte Wilder joins the show for a game of “spooky similarities.” Later, Logan sits down with 2x bantamweight champion Julianna Pena to discuss her fight against Raquel Pennington and wanting a rematch against Amanda Nunes. Finally, Megan shares her NWSL DraftKings picks of the week and her latest Good Follow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com. Welcome to Good Follow, presented by DraftKings. I'm Megan Reyes and joining me are Logan Hackett and of course our favorite WNBA analyst, Roz Gold and Wede. Roz, last week you had a very special moment. I know for you, New York born and raised, you grew up going to Liberty games with your mom and you got to host their championship parade. Can you tell us about your experience? Oh gosh, I'm still floating. I'm still buzzing.

It was such an honor to have the opportunity to be a master of ceremonies for the parade ceremony. I absolutely enjoyed it as a professional, but also as a local New Yorker. to be a master of ceremonies for the parade ceremony. I absolutely enjoyed it as a professional, but also as a local New Yorker, as a fan. I felt the enormity of it for the city. I feel really happy for New York,

who has been hungry for, you know, this is the first ever championship, WNBA championship ever for the city. It took the Liberty 28 years to do it. I'm happy for the franchise. I'm happy for the league. This is one of the original eight franchises in the history. And there's only three remaining of those.

So it's the Liberty, the Sparks, and the Phoenix Mercury. And only the Liberty didn't have a championship that was remaining. So it was history, honestly. And then on top of that, New York hadn't had a championship in pro basketball in 51 years. So there was a lot of hunger for this championship. And then, you know, I think the most important thing,

I was happy for this team. And I feel like a parade is a really special way for everyone to like have their moment. And whether it was like Niara Saboli on the stage, she got Saboli Saboli chance. Or if it's Clara Woosai and Josai who deserve incredible credit and flowers, as well as Jonathan Kolb, the GM.

So leadership, ownership, the GM. Hia Clark, shout out to my girl who'd been with the Liberty. She's the CEO, she'd been there for 14 years getting the franchise over the hump. And then obviously how the city loved on like stars like Sabrina, they yearned for her. You know, obviously Brianna Stewart is a hometown girl. Jean-Claude Jones has so much love.

She got her chant, you know, we're all we need chant going. It was beautiful. And one thing I'm proud of, New York showed out for the champs. Like it was a loud, enthusiastic, participating crowd that was just rowdy and fun and excited and pulled up deep.

So, you know, parades are really a beautiful, beautiful moment. I think the parades are what really makes it real for an organization. And I'm really, really happy for every single piece from top down, even Ellie, Liberty franchise. Congratulations to them. And for me, it's just an honor to be able to cover them. Well, it was really exciting to see you shine and to see all the videos that you got to be a part of as the host, including the very iconic introduction of Ellie.

So I'm very happy for you in that experience. Oh, well, let's go ahead and jump right into the WNBA off-season on that note. So last weekend, we know there's a lot going on in the W, especially in the coaching carousel. Last week in the Indiana Fever announced they were parting ways with their now former head coach Kristi Sides saying, we are incredibly thankful to coach Sides for embracing the challenge of leading us through an integral transition period over the last two seasons while also positioning us well for future growth. We know Caitlin Clark's presence obviously helped,

but in just her second year, Sides led the fever back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and had the fever playing at a different level by the end of the season. It was only her second year and obviously Caitlin's rookie year. So what do you think the fever

we're really expecting out of her? I'll start with you, Roz. Out of Christie Sides? Yeah. Like what were the expectations here if they were letting her go after just year two? For sure. So I think the expectations for the fever now that they've moved forward, if you'll notice, there's actually been a whole shift in their leadership from, you know, the GM to the president role. They've got people returning who were there for glory days. Amber Cox, people are very excited about. And I'm not gonna say the names until things are announced,

but there's rumor swirling about the caliber of experience of coach that could come in. The urgency and the expectation, the window for the championship has been expedited for the Indiana Fever. I believe that they don't want to grow into this thing. I think they think, you know, we've got a superstar who dominated the league in the sec, in her entire season,

but that second half of the season arguably was an MVP candidate. Imagine what year two looks like. This isn't about, you know, gradually getting there. I think this is, we're acting now. We're not just happy to be here. We're hungry and we're going for all the marbles next season. I think this is a team that wants to go for it.

They probably want a more experienced coach to take them over the hump and be their leader and also just unify that locker room and get them over the hump. I think everybody, including the Indiana Fever and the WNBA, will be much more prepared as well for all of the attention that came with last season on that team.

It's not gonna go anywhere, but they'll be better prepared for it. Logan, you're pretty close to the league. You follow it closely. What were your thoughts on this? Pretty much exactly what Ross said. I mean, it's not like I didn't not see it coming. Oh my gosh, not didn't see. Okay, I'm just gonna forget that word because I saw it coming in a

sense. Like it wasn't unexpected. Okay, let me say that. And I actually saw a fever fan say sides was fine, but we need better and we're going for better. And I completely agree. And the fact that Stephanie White is in the conversation, I mean, the ties to Indiana go so incredibly deep. She grew up playing there. She was on the team. She wore 22. And I'm pretty sure when she was drafted

in the expansion draft for Indiana, the current president was the one who took her. So, I mean, she is in deep, but also Connecticut had extremely good defense under her. And that's something that Indiana needs to improve on. And I think that if she were to be hired, she has the capability to really mesh with this team well and also build them into like the best team possible. Whereas I feel like sides, she didn't really understand them as much. I don't know if that makes sense. Another thing I'll add about Stephanie White, I love your point about the

defense that she, the defensive ability she would bring potentially from her tenure with Connecticut. That's her tenure with the WNBA. I mean, she's spent now time calling games as analysts on the NBA side. She's been around a lot of high flying offenses, coaches that she can call on, three point heavy, pick and roll heavy type offenses.

And I think like that experience on the NBA side as well could bear fruit into all the different techniques and strategies she can bring on both sides of the ball to a very talented Indiana Fever team. So, I mean, we're talking at a term, we don't know if that's necessarily gonna happen, but that's where the rumors are. And the possibility, the potential of it is very exciting to think about.

Well, let's talk more about it because now that we're talking about Stephanie White just a few days ago, Connecticut Sun also parted ways with her and she joins a long list of coaches who have parted ways with their WNBA teams. Christy Sides, Kurt Miller, Teresa Weatherspoon, Tanisha Wright, Latresha Trammell and Eric Thiebaud. As the seventh head coach out this season, y'all, there are only 12 teams in the league. Roz, we've seen some moves, some of them might be questionable, which makes me wonder,

should we expect a big name or some fresh faces coming into the fold this off season, especially with all this reshuffling? It's a good question. I think in the past, there has been such a reshuffling of the same names, the same folks getting circulated throughout these jobs in the WNBA. In fact, the WNBA job was very separate from a college job too. It was considered very different. And I expect that that market to open up and I expect to see new faces, fresh blood.

I think this is a time for all of that. And for a few reasons, I tweeted about this, but the type of player entering the WNBA right now is very different. They are already, first of all, the top stars, they're already gonna be millionaires through NIL. They're already established brands. This is a group that will demand more

and also is expecting more. I think the rewards for being successful as a team owner or part of the being successful as a team owner or part of the governorship of a team are so much more explosive now. You're looking at Clara Wu-Sai and Joe-Sai who in 2019 bought the New York Liberty, it's reported somewhere around 10 to $15 million. And there's reports now that the team is worth $200 million.

15 million to $200 million, five year turnaround. And that ownership group really put themselves on the line by taking fines to put the team on charter flights. They made a lifestyle where players wanted to come play there. Whether it's the Crown Club, they made a situation where they could train at the highest levels and facilities that were top notch. And you're starting to see other ownership groups seeing that and starting to fight for that and recognizing that they can fill arenas and recognizing that they can sell merch and recognizing that they can raise ticket prices. And that when they win a championship, these new TV rights are coming, the money is up, everything, the attention is up.

There's too much at stake right now to just do the same old, same old. This is an unprecedented amount of attention and eyeballs on the league. And so there's a level of urgency that everyone's moving with. Well, let's pivot a little bit to another moment in women's basketball. The W season is coming to a close, but Unrivaled is starting, starting this off season and we are still two months away from

games, but so far they're setting themselves up for success with an impressive media rights deal, signing top WMA players and guaranteed player contracts of $100,000 for just eight weeks of play. Not to mention they tip off on the heels of, as we know, the best W season we have seen and fan interest has never been higher. As amazing as all of this is, Logan, I have a question for you. Can the immediate I'm sorry, the immediate success of Unrivaled potentially impact the WNBA. Absolutely.

And I think it's formatted to do so. That's my little conspiracy theory hat being put on. But I think the players have been calling for change for so long, and it's at the point where they're like, we want change, so we're going to do it ourselves. And I think it's going to have as much as an impact to change the W as well. I mean, when it comes to higher pay and having the best players in the league and just the whole structure of it,

how popular it is, but it hasn't even started yet, give that a few more years, even maybe after its first season, it's gonna be competing with the W and the W is gonna have to make a decision, are we going to change or is that gonna be the league above us that only happens for eight weeks with our best players? So I think it's going to really just

drive something better and drive something that the players have truly been asking for for so long. Roz, do you think Unrivaled competes with the W or complements the W? I come from the other perspective. I think it complements the WNBA. It's during the off season. There's already Athletes Unlimited think it compliments the WNBA. It's during the off season, there's already athletes unlimited, there's already players going overseas. Here's an option that's lucrative

where you get to stay in the country. And I think also for these top 30 players right now, and then also if it's a success, I imagine in future years, it'll expand beyond 30 players. But it's an opportunity for those players to not just have to disappear. Like the brand building and the storytelling continues.

And so, yeah, they'll be playing in Unrivaled in Miami. They'll be at Art Basel if they come in a little early. They'll be at, you know, NBA All-Star. They'll be at, you know, galas and women's events. They'll be doing brand things like they'll be doing cover stories. Half, some of the tough parts of going overseas. Yeah, you're making money and it's not just that you have to be away from your families, which is tough. If you're really a star, you lost a chance to further compound on like

you lose the attention of everybody in the US. Well, we have lots to look forward to with Unrivaled and I'm sure we'll be covering it here on Good Follow. But coming up, Oddball host Charlotte Wilder returns to the show to play a spooky themed game. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Good Follow. Joining us again today is Charlotte Wilder. Charlotte co-hosts the show Oddball with Amin Elhassen where they dive deep and get weird

into all things NBA. Charlotte, it's always great to have you back on Good Follow. Thank you for joining us. Thanks for having me, Megan. Great to see you, Roz. Always an absolute joy. I'm so psyched to be back. Charlotte.

It's the day after Halloween, Charlotte. But you may still have some ghosts on your mind because I would like to know about your recent trip to OKC and no spoilers. So, well you guys have to everybody listening check out Pablo Torre Finds Out and Oddball for two debriefs on Amina and I went to the Skerven Hotel in Oklahoma City. Roz, your face, have you heard of this? I have.

Yes. I was actually haunted at a haunted hotel. It was actually the Milwaukee Bucks Hotel. They too have a haunted hotel. And for another time, I'm happy to come on the show and share my experience. I was absolutely haunted back when I was Sideline Reporter for the Warriors on a road trip, it happened to me.

Okay, we'll definitely need to have you on because we got a lot, we're probably gonna have to do an episode on the Fister as well because the Thunder's head of security was like, I was haunted in Milwaukee and a bunch of other people were. We haven't, didn't boots on the ground there. I definitely got some spooky vibes at the Skerven. I think it's opened this like existential can of worms

where I'm like, spiritually, what do I believe in? So maybe it got a little deeper than our producers intended, but you know, the jury's still out on the ghost, Megan. Okay, well, in honor of Halloween and your trip to the Skerven, and now that we know Roz's spooky stay in Milwaukee, we're going to play a game called Spooky Similarities. So since

the NBA, I mean, the MNBA just tipped off and Charlotte, you're an expert. What we're going to do is we're going to get up to speed by trying to identify the MNBA counterparts of iconic WNBA players. You already? Yes. Amazing. Okay. So let's start with Minnesota's Nafisa Collier. She is an anchor defensively 2024 defensive player of the year, averaging 1.9 steals, 1.4 blocks. She is a strong rebounder averaging 9.7 per game and one of the best two way

players in the league. So that leads us to think that she is a lot like Nicole Jokic. How do you all feel about this comparison? Yes or no. I'm not mad at it. I mean, like, I think calling anyone Nafisa Collier is like the highest compliment you could give them as a basketball player.

So Jokic should be honored. I do also see the way that she just controls the game so completely and her assists, there are some similarities to Jokic pass, I mean, there are a lot of similarities to the elite pastors in the game, but then the defense, a lot of the guys in the NBA who can pass really well don't necessarily get back to the other side in the game, but then the defense, a lot of the guys in the NBA who can pass really well don't necessarily get back to the other side of the floor.

Roz, how do you feel about it? Yeah, I like the comparison to Nicole Jokic. On the offensive side, mostly. I mean, I think Nafisa Collier is literally like, it's one and two for top defensive players in the league. Um, and she was the defensive player of the year this year. So I would say like, that's where there's a bit of a difference.

But offensively her, and that's not to shade Jokic, just to say we're literally talking about the very best defender in the league for the WNBA. I would say offensively, I see a ton of similarities because the skill level of Jokic is what's generational at his size, his touch, his kind of timing, his ability to find players,

his movement without the ball. That is what Nafisa Collier is. She puts on clinics on offense every time she's on the court and it's especially impressive what she does after setting a screen, her movement without the ball, her footwork, her mobility. She is just so graceful and smooth. And her footwork and just like all of that reminds me

of the high level of skill that Jokic has. So, and you can certainly run your offense through her like you could Jokic. You know, defensively, like I don't, I actually, I'm struggling to think of an accurate comp for Nafisa in the NBA. Because I, correct me if I'm wrong, but like I'm having trouble thinking of an NBA player

who is as elite at both offense and defense. I mean, maybe LeBron for like his blocks and he's amazing in general. But like the she is consistently so great on the defensive end of the ball while also, as you said, running the offense through her that I actually I don't know if there is one. Hey, that's good for feet, right? Oh yeah, she's amazing. I she's incredible.

OK, well let's move on to Asia Wilson. Asia is a leader and teammates respect her on the court. An offensive machine, strong post that moves that moves. I'm sorry, strong post moves that create scoring opportunities. And she became the first player in WNBA history to score 8,000 points in a single season. As we know, one of the best rebounders breaking the single season rebound record.

So the comparison that we have here is Kevin Durant. Thoughts on her NBA counterpart? Hmm. Roz, you go first on this one. You know, I think this is a surprising comparison for me. That's not where I would have gone. OK, what I'll first say, I'll address this comparison. I think it's not me addressing it, but first of all, first of all. No, no, no. First of all, Kevin Durant might be

Kevin Durant and Asia Wilson might represent two of my favorite players and their leagues. And I like Kevin here because I actually don't think he gets enough credit as a defender over the course of his career and I'll die on that hill. But no, for me, it's not Kevin for Asia. Who is it? For Kevin, I like an Elena Della Don.

I like a Jonquell Jones because of their size and versatility. The comparison I like for Asia, and it's funny, I was actually out of practice speaking with Becky Hammond and she comes, you know, the whole broadcast group is there and she comes walking up and like Asia's balling. It was not this season, but last season. She comes walking up. Who could you give as a comparison? You know how Becky is.

Who could you give as a comparison for Asia Wilson and the NBA? I was trying to think about it and I couldn't think of anyone. Like who, that's tough. Who was the comparison for Asia Wilson? And I literally was like, I think it's BAM out of bio. Which has all, so many interesting ties.

But I do think her comparison for me is BAM out of bio. They both have great impact on both sides of the court. Incredible motor. What stands out to me about both of them, their motor. They both have like extended their range, added off like have offensive game. I think Asia's offensive game and accountability on the offensive end

might be greater than BAM's, but BAM every single season improves. And defensively, they remind me a lot of each other and just their motor, their athleticism, their athleticism and their defense and domination on that side of the court. So it's kind of funny because I don't know, are they still hiding it? I mean, they're they were just I don't think I don't think we're just seeing together.

Yeah. And Dwayne Wade's trophy thing. I thought that was their big coming out party. I don't know, but it's not my business. But I just say the couple that dominates together, you know, I don't know. They stick together, wins together, wins don't know. They stay together. Wins together. Wins together. Charlotte, what are your thoughts on the comparison?

And if you don't agree, who do you think is the better counterpart? No, I love it. I was gonna say that and then sort of stopped myself because I was like, well, are they dating? Is that biased in my head because they're popping up together and tweeting about each other?

The Kevin Durant, I do see just in terms of length, I think too, but Bam also has that. And I guess I just feel like Asia is so dominant on offense in a way that Bam sometimes is not. But again, I think it's really hard for a one-to-one comparison for these stars because the stars in the NBA and the stars for the WNBA, the skill sets really don't match up similar.

Like it's not a one-for-one. It's like all of these superstars have their own things that make them so incredible. So we're really just trying to get like pretty close. And I think that Bam, in terms of their, they don't give up neither of them, as you said, Roz, the motor, like they are just like so consistent. So I like that. Well, let's move on to our third player, Caitlin Clark. Caitlin is a sharpshooter from beyond the arc, an all around balanced player, first triple. Caitlin is a sharpshooter from beyond the arc,

an all-around balanced player, first triple double by a rookie in WNBA history. She is a playmaker averaging 8.4 assists per game. And she also changed the way the game is played just by the virtue of her being there. So this comparison has probably been made many times before, but we have Stephen Curry. Thoughts here, Charlotte, up first on her MNBA counterpart.

I mean, I can't think of anybody yet. Like you hear Caitlin Clark and it's like, well, probably Steph in terms of what they've both done from the logo even. So, you know, I can't really argue with't, I can't really argue with that. Maybe temperamentally, maybe sometimes Draymond, but you know, minus the minus the choking out, et cetera. But you know, she can get, she can get a little chirpy. Well, Roz, I actually, we have never talked about this either online or offline, but I

don't know if you know, I was in a different aspect of the team working at the Warriors the same time you were a sideline reporter. But as someone who has, yes, we'll talk about this another time, as someone who has obviously covered the Warriors and Steph very closely and someone who is very close to W, what do you think of this comparison? Oh, I love the comparison. It makes a lot of sense, especially when it, when you talk about Caitlin's shooting ability from deep, off the bounce, the inevitability, like it's the way both of these players kind of make you feel with a three, the onslaught of points

and how they also have great impact over the entire offenses of their team. You know, both of them stir the pot and make it go. And it's more than just the three point shot. Where I say Caitlin has some growth to catch up to Steph and duh, she's literally a rookie. But one thing Steph has done, he's really added on, he likes to call himself wiry strong.

So he's strong, he's got good muscle on him. And one thing that differentiated Steph too, it's not just know, he's, he's strong. He's got good muscle on him. And things that, one thing that differentiated Steph too, it's not just the three point shot. It's how he gets to the rim and finishes there. And I'm actually really looking forward to that in Caitlin Clark in year two, when she adds some strength, when she adds some different, you know, toolkit, you know, different moves and combos to the lane and stuff,

adds a floater. I'm excited to see some like fillet on all her finishes and English. And that's when I'll really be like, oh, no, she's she's got that Steph game right now. She's got steps three. Yeah. Okay. Quickly. Our final player of the game is Sabrina Yanescu. Sabrina can score from anywhere, has an insane basketball IQ. Game five aside is usually one of the, I'm sorry, is usually the one hitting the big buckets in clutch moments.

And an MNBA comp here to me and to the game is Luca Doncic. Do y'all agree? Yes or no, Luca and Sabrina. I mean, I think that's pretty good. I actually might say Jaylen Brown. Well, no, I guess Sabrina's passes are better than Jaylen. Sorry, sorry. I'm sorry, you say what you gotta say.

No, no, no, no, because I think that, I think like they both, they have that clutch gene. I think Jaylen doesn't get enough credit for it actually. And I think that they both get back on defense pretty well. I think Jalen's gotten a lot better in terms of his ability to really score from anywhere. I think he's weirdly for the finals MVP. And I'm not just saying this because I'm a Celtics fan.

I'm getting that out of the way right now. I don't think, and because Jason Tatum has been with him his whole career, I don't think that he's gotten necessarily the shine that he might, if he were like the only star. But the Luca, the pass is hard to argue with when you think about Sabrina and you think about Luca. Rouse, what are your thoughts?

I'm just gonna debate. Other than the Jaylen. No, I don't. I don't. For me, it's not jailing, but I'm going to debate the Luca thing. OK, because I'd look. I came to my mind for a few things and it's not Luca for Sabrina. Have you seen Luca in person?

Of course, Lucas six. What is he? Six, nine, six, eight. He's a huge man. He's like and he's like, I don't know what his weight is, but this is a bulky, huge man who is moving like a guard. That is what kind of makes him really unique, right? His, his size and his strength and then his ability with this slow game to like, you know,

step back and shoot over you from anywhere, but it's not fast, you know, by any means. So for me, it wasn't Luca, right? And we kind of gave Steph to Caitlin. I could see some, some Steph comparisons perhaps for Sabrina. Certainly Luca and Sabrina both have that killer instinct and that like, you know, ability to hit a big shot. But for Sabrina, she's slight, like she's not slight. She's a tall guard. Let me not say that, but she's not dominating with her girth, if you will. Like Lucas is just so big. Like I'm always surprised when I see one like, how do you move? But

also doesn't play defense really. So right. And And not that Sabrina is some stalwart on defense either, but she's, she's, she's all right. You know, she shows up. She shows up. She also gets to the rim a lot more now. She's improved there, but what I'm seeing in Sabrina, deep threes, great offensive vision, gets her teammates involved, pushing the pace.

I would like to make the comparison for Tyrese Halliburton. Tyrese Halliburton, deep threes transition, uptempo play, push, you know, finds his teammates assist wise. I could make a comparison there. I don't hate that at all, Ross. OK, I like it. Well, I have to wrap us, but that's it for our game of spooky similarities. But before we go, Charlotte, every week we do a good follow

and this is a person, page, or brand that we deem as our good follow of the week. So we wanna know who is your good follow for this week? Well, I chose Roz last time, so I can't do that again. My cohost of the sports gossip show, Madeline Hill, is a wonderful person, super talented, very funny, and I just really can't recommend highly enough that everybody smash that follow button.

I think it's at mad underscore hill. Yo, sports gossip, congratulations. That is so cool. You know I'm a big fan, so I've been watching all the content coming out. Thank you so much. It's been way too much fun. Speaking of Asian fans.

Are y'all friends in real life? Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, we started, we met to like, we met and then started the show and have become friends. So it's like a, it's a beautiful thing, Ross. Well, Charlotte, thank you so much for joining us today. We love having you on as always. And up next, current and-time Bantam weight champion

Juliana Pena returns to good follow earlier this week Logan sat down with her to discuss her most recent fight against Raquel Pennington. We'll be right back. Metrolinx and CrossLinx are reminding everyone to be careful as Eglinton Crosstown LRT train testing is in progress. Please be alert as trains can pass at any time on the tracks. Remember to follow all traffic signals, be careful along our tracks and only make left turns where it's safe to do so.

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Learn more at sunnybrook.CA slash special. Welcome back to Good Follow. We are so excited today because we are joined by a UFC champion. She's coming off a split decision win for the Bantamweight title at UFC 307. She's got the boat for their second time in her career and we're so excited to hear her take on what people are saying about the fight. Juliana Pena, welcome back to Good Follow. Thank you so much for having me Logan, it's a pleasure to be here with you. And also congratulations on winning the belt back. You came back after a two-year layoff due to injury and got thrown right in the fire. So were you worried about RingRouse going into the fight?

got thrown right in the fire. So were you worried about rig-rous going into the fight? No, not not particularly and I'll tell you why I've had extensive injuries. I've had you know, loss of time in the octagon, you know, I took about two years off when I had my daughter. I took about two years when I got injured before injuries are part of the sport. It's not something that is, you know, uncommon in a combat sport like mixed martial arts. So I've definitely had my stints where I needed to take time off. And

this was just another one of those instances where my body was screaming at me to, you know, rest, recuperate, recover. And so it was one of those things where it's like, you know how to fight. It's like riding a bike, you either know how to fight or you don't. So it's not to say that I don't necessarily believe in ring rust. It just means to say that, shoot, if I can come back and win a world title after being off for two and a half years and that just goes to show you how good I am. Oh I love that and with that the judges said you won the first three rounds so I'm curious after so much time off how hard was it to push

through and focus on your stamina down the stretch in rounds four and five. I don't necessarily think that the stamina was an issue for me. It wasn't a thing of feeling like I was running out of gas at the at the. To be honest, I had got a little sidetracked with my first cardio session when I had arrived in Salt Lake City. And I had this feeling when I was, you know, riding my sprints on the aerodyne bike in like an 85 degree room, because, you know, they keep the training rooms really hot so that the fighters can lose weight throughout the week.

So I did that first aerodyne sprint work out when I first landed, and I felt like there was an elephant stepping on my chest, which really bothered me because I was like, maybe I should have taken this elevation thing into consideration. But I had fought in Salt Lake City before and didn't feel like it was, you know, this gigantic problem. You're talking Denver, Colorado, you're talking Mexico City. Those are different levels of elevation. You know, Salt Lake City is not that big of a jump.

And so I wasn't truly worried about it leading up to the camp until I did that first air dying session. And then when I also thought about Raquel's last fight against Myra Buena Silva, I saw that Myra had gassed out in the third round and like wasn't able to continue in the fourth and the fifth the way that she probably would have liked to. So there was times when they were I was squeezing and I knew that I didn't have it quite perfectly and I didn't want to squeeze harder because I felt like I was going to gas myself out and I wasn't going to be able to, you know, push it into rounds four or

five. I will think I will say that I know that I could have pushed even harder. And a part of that mentality of me being a stubborn fighter is trying to beat Raquel at her own game, which is prove that I was the better striker. And, you know, at the end of the day, I should have just stuck to the meat and potatoes of, you know, the kind of fighter that I am, which is taking them down to the ground and deep dragging them into deep water and just, you know, ground and pounding until they give me the submission. So those were just all errors on my part.

But again, I think that I won the fight. I think that if most people go back and watch, you know, rounds one through three, three, they'll see that I did in fact win. And then four, I absolutely got cracked. She wants to win too. And I got dropped, but I was able to recover. I wasn't hurt. And I will say that when I got back up from in round four from getting dropped, my punches were again landing harder. I threw less but I landed more. And I definitely think that round five was close but I definitely think that I did enough

to again be the aggressor in my striking with more damage whereas I felt she was just kind of punching in the wind and none of them were landing. So I think that I won the fight rounds one through three and five and I could see why they would give me round four. So the fight happens you win via split decision but the conversation after the fight has been pretty one-sided in favor of your opponent Raquel Pennington. You alluded to it on an Instagram post and Pennington has made lots of public comments about how the judges got it wrong. So what do you have to say about her recent comments? You know, I don't pay attention to, you know, Raquel's comments because on that night, all

three judges scored the fight for me. And that's all I care about. Whether you win by an inch has been diesel said or win by a mile, a win is a win. So if she thought that she should have won, I'm sorry. I disagree wholeheartedly. And I think that if she has a true evaluation of rewatching the fight and kind of looks at it from an outside perspective,

she will see and agree that she also lost. And you had such a long road back to full health and the title belt. And now the conversation is about judging. Are you still able to take in the victory and how amazing your comeback is? Because I truly hope that you are. You know, I'm trying at this point, I'm, you know, staying in fight shape and trying to get back into, you know, doing some things that I feel like I need to do as a fighter. It's not as it wasn't as sweet because I feel disappointed in myself

that I know that I could have done more. But again, it's like, I want to see, and I haven't seen yet, any other woman come back from carrying a baby, having that baby in their body for 10 months, reclaiming the title in the first place, and then clawing back up the mountain and doing it all over again after not fighting for over two years. So for me, that in and of itself is a is a

victory to win it a second time and to be, you know, pen you two time again is just another, you know, feather in my cap to make me say I am who I say I am. And, you know, you did it old gal. But is it as sweet as it was the first time? Maybe not, you know, maybe not. as sweet as it was the first time, maybe not, you know, maybe not. And we know that Raquel wants a rematch, but Amanda Nunes, who many consider the goat, despite you beating her before, is talking about a comeback. So who would you rather face and why? I absolutely want to face Amanda Nunes and why, you know, when you take out somebody who hasn't lost in over seven years, reigning champion, you know, taking out the likes of Chris Cyborg and Holly Holm

and Ron Rousey and Misha Tate, and you know, all of these gigantic names in the sport, veterans of the sport, and you're an 11 to one underdog, and you submit decisively with like, no, you can't contest a tap, you know what I mean? You tap, I made you say, uncle, that is a dominant victory. If we were on the streets, you're dead.

So to me, that was such a dominant win. It was so such a dominant fashion. I would rather win by, you know, submission than her having to walk out of the octagon with crutches in a wheelchair and half of her face swollen shut. You know what I mean? Like she looked like she had like elephant tightness. Like it was horrible. Sorry.

I didn't mean to say that, but I just mean to say that like goonies, you know what I mean? I was like, and I even almost had her in an armbar in the fourth round. Yeah, I got dropped. Yeah, I had a superficial bloody cut on my face, but like, did I really lose if you're not being able to make me tap? Did I really lose if you're the one walking out on crutches? Like you can't even walk your face is swollen shit. I had a tiny little cut that got sewed up in the back. You had to freaking walk around with crutches in a wheelchair, you know, so at the end of the day, with us being one in one, I got my kick, Logan,

I got my kick that fight. And when you know that you can do better than that, and you know that you can perform at such a higher level than what you showed, all you want to do is be able to show that again. I just want the opportunity to be able to show Amanda and the rest of the world that again, I am who I say I am and still is what my goal is and I'm not going to stop because I know for a fact that she's not ready to be retired and that she wants to fight. She wants to come back. Well, right now you've got the platform to send a message to Amanda that she might see. Right now you've got the platform to send a message to Amanda that she might see. So what do you want her to know? Bestie call me.

Let's do this. I saw this morning that she posted a little video of our fight and she's trying to throw jabs. I saw that when I had called her out, she made a video shaking her butt in front of Dana White and telling him to call me like, no, no, you don't need to call Dana. You need to call me. And I know what she's doing. I know that she's saying, well, I'll wait for her and Kayla to fight and I'll fight

the winner. It's because she's hoping that I lose so that she doesn't have to fight me. The first fight I took her, I took her pride. The second fight I took her soul. She knows that there's no amount of money that the promotion can give to her that's gonna make it worth it to have to go through that type of battle again.

It's not an easy night in the office. It's not a walk in the park and she knows it. And so I absolutely think, you know, with her hating Kayla more than she hates me, she wants to avoid me at all costs. She is scared. And man, I get it, but you know, don't act like, you know, it was just some walk in the park fighting me. I think that every girl that I come

in contact with inside that octagon realizes that it's not going to be as easy as they thought it was. And your division has another contender. You just mentioned her who a lot of people are talking about former Olympic gold medalist and judo Kayla Harrison. The UFC is clearly excited about her. Many say that she's earned a title shot herself, but you said that she's not the money fight because you get a third fight with Nunez. So if Amanda wasn't in the picture, do you think Kayla deserves a shot? Absolutely, absolutely. If Amanda wasn't in the picture, absolutely, but she is in the picture.

And that's the thing that like irritates me when Kayla won against Holly home. She was supposed to say, Amanda, I want you next. I you know, if you let's take it back. I broke my ribs. I'm over there. They're over there. And they had me over there in Canada sitting cage side when she fought a different fight against Irene Aldana. And she retired and I started booing her because I knew it was too early. So then Kayla fights maybe Holly Holm later on. And when she fights Holly Holm,

she was supposed to say, Hey, Amanda, I want to fight you. And if you recollect, she goes up to the TV and she's like, I haven't heard a word. You won't even breathe my name. You won't even say my name. And it's like, she's got like this name like Voldemort or something. Everybody's terrified. They don't want to say her name. I'll say her name. I won't even say my name. And it's like, she's got like this name like Voldemort or something. Everybody's terrified. They don't want to say her name. I'll say her name. I'm the only one that's been saying her name. I'm the only one that is saying I want to fight you. So she was like, why did you say my name Kayla? Well, why would you to make a video

like that if you didn't actually want to come back and fight? She knows that she retired too early. Like, it's so obvious to me. It's like, Kayla, I will absolutely fight you but you gotta get in line because this is gonna be the biggest fight in women's history. Period. I cannot wait to see this happen, but I do want to shift gears a little bit. You're obviously aware of how you impact the next generation and you posted this video on Instagram. It is so adorable, but I want you to explain what's happening in this video and what it means to you. You know, one of the things that I had spoke about,

you know, leading up to the fight was just being able to be a strong role model for women. And even if they were little boys, it doesn't matter, just to be able to let them know that you can achieve your dreams and that nothing is out of the realm of possibility for you. When I see videos like this, when the hope for all the silent voices reached out and sent me this video, it was just so moving. It just brought me to tears because these are all rescued children. These are all little kids that have been put

into situations that you couldn't even dream or think about or want to think about or want for anybody that you have ever met in your entire life. They have gone through the wringer and they were sold into slavery. They were sold into sex trafficking. They were beaten.

They were tortured. To be able to see the impact that I made on these little girls across the world, it is so humbling and mind-blowing and inspiring. It's motivating and it makes me so happy to know that I did impact somebody. I did create some happiness and some joy into somebody else's life that may not have had that glimmer of hope or maybe thought about giving up. And for them to be able to see me and be happy for me, it was just on cloud nine.

I can't thank the hope for all the silent voices enough that really was such a beautiful, beautiful video. Oh my gosh, I'm like almost tearing up listening to this. You are such an amazing human being and I love to see things with a backstory like that because I did not know that watching the video. But before we go, the foundation of the show is that communities get built one Good Follow at a time.

And every week we do a Good Follow, which can be a person, page, brand, et cetera. So who would you like to shout out as your good follow? My good follow is this morning, Patrick B David PBD. He followed me on Instagram yesterday. I got a picture with him. I got to meet him and I am such a fan of PBD. And, you know, to be able to get that follow, again, I'm like, you made it. These guys are massive, massive in the world. They're multi-billionaires and there's so much to learn from people like that.

Those are people that I wanna learn from and I definitely think that he is my good follow. Well, Juliana, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been so amazing to have you on the show. Absolutely, thank you so much, Logan, for having me. It's always a pleasure to be here. Welcome back into Good Follow. Before we get into our weekly picks, our partners at DraftKings have an offer that's perfect for any game day. Right now, new customers who bet $5 will instantly get $250 in bonus bets.

Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and sign up using promo code GOODFOLLOW. That's $250 in bonus bets to spend on parlay, live betting, or picking straight up winners after betting just $5. And if sports betting is not yet available in your state, you can still join in on all the fun with DraftKings Daily Fantasy and have the shot to win cash prizes. Again, download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now and use promo code GOODFOLLOW for $250 in bonus bets instantly after betting just $5, only at DraftKings Sportsbook app now and use promo code GOODFOLLOW for $250 in bonus bets instantly after betting just $5, only at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Ok now it's time for this week's DraftKings Sportsbook picks. The end of the NWSL regular season is upon us believe it or not. Racing Louisville are still fighting for a playoff spot with only 3 points separating them from Bay FC and that crucial eighth spot. This weekend they visit San Diego and this matchup is crucial for Louisville, but I have a feeling San Diego could pull off an upset, which is why I'm picking them to win. Jaden Shaw has been an instant favorite of mine, scoring for both her club and country with the US Women's National Team. I would keep an eye out on Jaden and her right foot. Logan, what do you think of my predictions?

I know they've had somewhat of a tough year both on and off the field San Diego have, but do you think they could pull off the upset or are Louisville just going to come ready for the postseason on the line? San Diego is so damn bad. I feel with so much love and respect too. They are just not bad. They're sitting in second last right now. Their last game they lost to KC 4-1, and the game before that, they lost to Houston 2-0, which was the first time since May that Houston scored more than one goal, which is quite crazy.

But with that being said, they've had some games here and there that they've done really well in like two draws against Washington, one against Gotham, and the last time they played Racing Louisville, they drawed 0-0. Whoa, they drawed 0-0, sorry. They're all over the place, but I'm taking into account that they had 11 players on international duty, which is quite a lot.

Though it's their last game, they're not in the race and it's their last home game, I don't know if those players are going to be playing or if they're going to be resting. I mean, they don't really have much to lose, but you also don't want them to get injured or anything. But on the other hand, Racing Louisville is so incredibly unpredictable. They've been kind of clutched on the stretch to get to where they need to be right now.

Last week, they just won against Portland, and they're pretty much playing for a reason where San Diego is not. So I'm actually going to take racing Louisville on this one. Okay. But I would not be surprised if San Diego pulls off the upset, adds a little drama, gives the fans what they want to see.

Well, as we all know, the foundation of this show is that communities get built one good follow at a time, and each week, one of us highlights a person, page, or brand as a good follow of the week. It is my turn this week, and my good follow is my friend Serena Soriano, AKA SerenaSoriano underscore on IG. She is a senior producer for the San Francisco 49ers

and three time Emmy Award winner. Let's take a look at some of her work. Lift off. Crew is in orbit, traveling at nearly 17,000 miles an hour. Here at Good Follow, we are obviously here to amplify and show love to women's sports, but we are also here to show a lot of love and give flowers to the women in sports doing really impactful things. And Serena's work at the 49ers is very iconic and she has gone viral on TikTok and Instagram many times for her work with the team. And I just want to show her love for really taking up meaningful space in the NFL and in men's sports. So everyone go follow Serena at Serena Soriano underscore on social media.

And we want to hear from our fans. Who is your good follow? Send your nominations to at good follow show and tell us why your good follow should be featured on our show. Good follow is brought to you by DraftKings. We'll see you all next week.