The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Daniel Cormier TV - Bo Nickal on fighting Paul Craig, fires back at Khamzat Chimaev + Chris Weidman NEEDING UFC 309 win

Episode Date: November 16, 2024

Bo Nickal checks in with Daniel Cormier and gives his insight on fighting Paul Craig, his ongoing beef with Khamzat Chimaev, and his incredible start to his career in the UFC. Nickal GOES IN ON why he's overlooked as a striker, and what his expectations are for the toughest fight of his career to this point. Chris Weidman sits down with DC to talk about his transition to being an analyst and how he plans to turn his luck around in New York this weekend. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule. of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year.

It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for Black. people. Listen to look back at it on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. The volume. How's everything going? Both takes for checking in with me, man. I appreciate it. Last time we talked, we were in a little side closet in Vegas. You went out there and you got Val with the boop, boop, boo. Dude, Val didn't move.

When you hit Val, Val literally just stood. He wasn't ready. And you were like, whoa, he didn't move, so he hit him again. It was funny because after I hit him the first time, I stepped back and I was like... Expecting him to move. Yeah, I was like, all right. In my mind, the first thought was, I'm probably going to take this guy down now. I just cracked him good, so he's going to come at me.

I'll drop, take him down. And then I was like, or I could just go for the kill and knock him out. And he was boom, boom, boom, it's over. Because he kind of just stood there, and I was like, oh, my God, both hit him, and then backed up and realized he didn't go and he hit him again. But it's gone really good to this point. What have you made of how it's gone, right? And I know I give you a hard time, but having somebody you trust to help you is great.

This whole thing is really starting to take off. It's crazy, you know. I feel like, I feel like it's not, it's almost like not real, right? Like you take anybody's career that's done this, that's competed in this sport, and they're not put into the spotlight this quickly. They're not performing the way I am, like six finishes, you know, three finishes in the UFC, that type of thing. that easy. You know, I think that I've been blessed to just be around some awesome people that have given me really good guidance, coaching information. And also, I think that I just feel

really prepared from 20 plus years of wrestling at the highest level, competing in the NCAA championships, competing in world championships, Olympic trials, the best, the best guys in the world every single day, day and day out, feeling that pressure, that struggle, that stress. I think it just prepared me really well for these moments. And yeah, I think that, you know, I never go in expecting it to be easy, but it's so far that's the way it's worked out. So same thing with this fight. I'm not going in expecting it to be easy, but we'll see. But you just said that.

You said it's not that easy. Yeah. But it has been, right? Why? Why has it been this easy? When it really isn't, it's not easy to go out there and be three fights into a career, get into the UFC, and then finish three guys in the UFC. Right. And they're getting increasingly harder.

It's not like you're fighting the same level of guy that you did in the beginning, right? The last guy was decent. Yeah, every guy I'm fighting has tripled the amount of experiences as me. I've only been really competing as a pro for a couple years. Most of these guys have a decade in the sport. I think that it's really my commitment to the sport, my attention to detail. I just do every single little thing I can to be the best I can be. And it's not a turn it off, turn it on type of thing.

It's just my life. It's just the way I live. and what I love, right? I think just that passion. Like, this is a way that I make money, but it's more than that. For me, it's just what I love to do. Like, I would be fighting people regardless, I think.

I just love it. Do you love competition or do you love fighting? Like, can you? Because, like, for me, it was like, I love the competition and fighting brought me more competition after wrestling was done. I see that.

No, I think that I'm very competitive. I love to compete, but I also love to fight. And that's been since I was a little kid. You know, even when I was wrestling and stuff like that, it was always, I was always interested in fighting as well where I didn't train, but, you know, I'd get into scraps or me and my friends would fight each other. Like, I think, I don't remember if I ever told you this story, but I grew up in middle school. I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Oh, really?

I thought you were in Texas. Texas from the eighth grade through my senior high school. Okay, okay. From fifth to eighth grade, I lived in Albuquerque. So it's a little bit of a rough area, and so I would go into these wrestling tournaments and it would, uh, it would be a lot of. would be in a middle school wherever. You've been to these youth wrestling tournaments. And in the back, we'd find a back hallway, and we'd get 20, 25 kids together.

And we would fight each other, like, bare and not going to fight each other in between our wrestling matches. Really? Yeah, that was just like a normal thing. And so I grew up doing that, and I loved it. So, you know, even though I was just wrestling, I always was interested in fighting. It was always fun for me. You know, fighting has started fast for you. You find yourself now in Madison Square Garden.

You know, with most people, I would expect or anticipate shock in awe, pay-per-view, with you not so much. I know that you can handle the spotlight, right? I've seen you do it since you're a little boy all the way up through college. But what you're doing now is you're fighting a guy that has a ton of experience and has beaten some really, really good guys. Prospects always have to go through that next step. We saw it with the kid from Philadelphia, Joe Piper. Right. He fought against Jack Kermanston, got beat, right?

Because it was different. Yep. How do you learn from seeing that, or do you believe that you just live in a different realm of, I don't get bothered in those same situations? Because we see it time and time again. Neil Magny beat somebody a while back, and then the prospect gets moved a little bit too soon.

They run into a guy like Paul Craig and they get beat. Right. Do you live in a different realm where you feel like you're just above, maybe falling victim to that, or do you take from what those guys went through and learned from it? I absolutely, you know, I take what they went through and learned from it, but I also had to learn those lessons a lot in wrestling, right? You know, in 2016, I competed and sold out Madison Square Garden at the NCAA Wrestling Tournament, and I lost in the finals, and I let that moment become too big for me.

And so those were the type of experience I was having as a teenager, you know, as an 18, 19-year-old kid. And so, you know, I definitely take learning experiences from other people, but I feel like I've also lived that myself. And so that maturity helped me achieve what I did in wrestling. And I think it's the same thing for fighting. So I take a lot of confidence from those experiences, and I felt that devastation, I felt that pain,

and I felt that loss. You know, for me, it was of my ultimate goal, like being a four-time NCAA wrestling champion. And so, you know, that motivated me a lot. It continues to motivate me in fighting. So now when I have these opportunities to compete against a guy like Paul Craig who has a ton of experience, he's a dangerous fighter, he's beat some of the best guys in the world, I feel very locked in, very prepared. And I know how that moment is going to feel for me when I go in. It's not going to be anything that I haven't already dealt with that I don't already expect.

And however the fight goes, you know, I'm very open. If I knock him out in 30 seconds, great. If it goes 15 minutes and it's a hard-fought decision, great. I'm just looking to grow and improve and learn and be the best I can be on that night. You know, Paul Craig, like, so the UFC love you. I'm just going to tell you right now. As an organization, they love it. Right.

So you get fights that at times can further you. And we've seen it time and time again when young guys, right? But it seems like this one's difficult because Paul Craig is a grappling guy. feels like it almost takes away your greatest skill. What if the danger on the ground is too big? Are you prepared to stand there for 15 minutes for this dude? For sure, I think this is a really exciting fight for me because it gets to showcase that I'm a fighter, right?

You know, I think in a lot of my fights in the past, yeah, we've seen knockouts and submissions and stuff, but I'm still a wrestler. And this is like a transition period from being a wrestler to being a fighter. And so, you know, for me, I feel confident on the ground, you know, his best position is guard and half guard. So we get into those positions. I've worked a lot and I feel confident there. But at the end of the day, I think I'm going to have to utilize a more well-rounded game to win this fight.

And especially to dominate the fight because I'm not looking to go out and just hold them there for 15 minutes and win a close decision. Like, I want to dominate every second and eventually, you know, ideally get the finish. If the finish doesn't come, no worries. but I want to dominate every second of the fight. So we're going to have to be in a lot of different positions, not just the wrestling positions. Well, in wrestling, you win, you're cool. Like, you're cool.

But not in this world. If you win, there's, well, they're giving him easy fights. He's getting cupcake fights. They're matching him up with wins. Oh, Bo Nick was not that good. They're giving, like, how have you dealt with that, right? Where are you just doing what you're supposed to do isn't quite enough, right? Because in wrestling, when you win, people praise you and they like you.

The kids think you're cool. But in this, it's like, well, he's not really earning it. Right. How have you dealt with that side of the game? Yeah, it's interesting because I get, on one hand, everybody says he needs to fight better guys. He needs to fight the top guys in the world. These guys suck. And the other hand, they say, oh, he's not any good.

He's just a wrestler. And it's like very contradicting. So really, I just don't, I don't pay any mind to that. I listen to my team, the people that I'm close with. and whenever I hear kind of outside chatter, outside noise, you know, it can kind of get an emotional response. But I try to just always come back to centering myself, being grounded, you know, understanding and remembering what's important to me. And those are the people that I love, my family, their opinions I care about, and then just, you know, stick into my beliefs and my path and where I think I'm headed. Because there's going to be a million people that say you can't do something.

It's only going to get bigger. And it's only going to get, yeah, it's only going to get bigger and bigger. And for me, the only reason that I'm doing this is because I love it and because I want to do it. If I didn't want to do this, I would do something else. But I love fighting and I love what I do. So, this is what I'm doing. That's why, you know, you felt it a ton of times. It's a crazy feeling and it almost makes you sick.

And you're like, why am I doing this? But it just, I keep coming back to it because I love it. It's when you get in the locker room and you're like, dude, I graduated. I did everything I was supposed to do. Like, why am I here? I don't need to do it. But they're just like, I want to fucking do it. There's nothing.

I think there's no place I'd rather be. Yep. Last thing before I let you go. You win this fight Saturday for sure. You're going to get more comparisons to the elite guys. This thing with Hamzat Chamaa than you, it's so early in your career. Right. Like, does it annoy you that they're like, everybody's like, well, Hamzot this?

You know what I got asked the other day? Somebody asked me, well, D.C., who's the better wrestler? I was like, come on, guys. They're like, who's the better wrestler? Yeah. I was like, if these guys are strapping up wrestling shoes, I go, Bo would beat him 10-0 in about a minute. Because he can't wrestle him.

In M.MA, it's much better because that's what he does and he's a better striker right now. Is it annoying? Do you like it? Because then it does elevate you. But it also feels like it's kind of fast-forwarding you into a place that's not. Yeah, it's good and bad. I think that the bad part is the opinions of people that come in where it's like, oh, he's going to smash you, you're not good enough, this or that.

And then the good part is it's like, this is building up some hype for what is potentially going to be a massive, massive fight. And if I keep doing what I'm doing, he keeps doing it, he's doing it, it's going to be such an exciting special moment. And that's what I live for. Like, my thing with Hamza, I've never had like a negative view of him. It's like I think he's an incredible fighter. I want to be the best. I think he's probably the best. So let's fight.

Let's figure it out. Let's figure out who's better, me or you. Let's figure out American wrestling, Dagestani wrestling, like, you know, I'm not like one that's really, I'm just very curious. I'm like, I think I'm the best. So, you know, let's get in there and test it out. He's a Chechen guy. Yeah, Chechen.

You're right, Chechen, yeah, Chechen. But it's one thing to have people doing it with opinions from the, but he's actually saying it, though. Like, that's the thing, right? Like, he's the one that's kind of like going, bull nickel, you know. One thing he said that was interesting, I thought was in one of his interviews, they asked how the wrestling match would go. and he said, wrestling, I don't know, but this is MMA fight. And it's like, okay, so you know I'll whoop you. Yeah.

Well, that's good. But you're right, it is an MMA fight. It's different. There's a cage. There's grappling. There's, you know, it's a very different thing. So, you know, but I think that he knows, that's almost like a respectful opinion on my skills. And I think that, again, it's just continuing to develop and prove everything else.

And if I can get, if I can do what I did in wrestling, get my striking, my grappling, even to a fraction of what that is. then, you know, we're talking about really a big, big problem for anybody. Yeah. You know, when those guys, when they had good guys that can wrestle, I was like, if y'all paid me, would y'all pay me to go wrestle these dudes? I'm the greatest of all time. Yeah, yeah, come on.

Come on. Yeah, come on. It's not the same, you know, when you've gone through the Olympics. You've gone through the NCAAs. It's like, come on guys. That's a grind, you know. You see, you see guys that are just like so, so good. They've been doing it since they were, they've been doing it for, every single guy's been doing it for 20 years.

And they can't get it done. And they can't even get it done. And that's the thing, too, like, when I watch your wrestling or watch my wrestling, we're looking at guys that have competed for 20 years, and they can't even get a takedown. It's like, destroy them, you know? And so what's a guy that's really not, doesn't have that experience? A dude that's in training camp to get ready to wrestle. Like, he has no chance.

Especially if we're bent over at the waist. Yeah, no. I'm literally looking at you just kind of downblocking. Yeah, it's not. And there's no scoring in straight wrestling. I don't really tell people that. It's so annoying. For sure.

Guys, if you continue to do what you do, and if you, add the skills that you have in wrestling, you're in for some really big fights, and that's my friend, is when the fucking fun starts. I'm telling you. I'm fired out. Thanks for checking in with me.

Guys, make sure you watch Bullnickle this weekend, once again on the pay-per-view portion of the fight car. It's amazing that you've been able to do that, too. It's amazing that you were able to go, I'm not fighting on the prelims. Well, I said that, and, uh, I mean,

at the end of the day, it's not my decision. So the UFC, they saw the value as well. You said tongue in cheek. Yeah, I was actually worked. Yeah,

I was kind of like, I can't imagine myself doing that. And, I mean, it all aligns. So it's working out. This weekend he takes on Paul Craig. Biggest fight of his young career at Madison Square Garden. Big moment for. Make sure you tap in everything Bo is doing.

Former NCAA champion with an eye on becoming a UFC champion. Guys, follow everything he's doing. Until next time. Like, subscribe, tell your friends about D.C.'s channel. I'm checking in with dudes like Bo Nick. You got a nickname? Not yet. Still none?

Nothing. Come on, man. You got to get a nickname. I know, I know. It's got to come natural. Guys, in the comments, give you some nicknames, some bull nickel. So we can get one. Maybe we'll put it in the octagon on Saturday.

Until next time, peace. So the Emirates NBA Cup is here. You know, I didn't know what to make of that in-season tournament, but I actually like it. And you can win big getting in on the action at the Draft King's Sportsbook and official sports betting partner of the NBA. All new customers, guys. Use my promo code DC TV. bet $5 or more and get $150,000 in bonus bets instantly.

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It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Georgia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting.

On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real Housewives franchise. The drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching. it, I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment.

To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Agency, the ability to know that we're the experts in our own body. On the podcast, cultivating her space,

Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard. I wholeheartedly think, you know, you hit 30. You shouldn't have to share one with anybody. Mm-hmm. From navigating friendships and healing to setting boundaries and prioritizing your mental health.

These are real honest conversations. We don't always get to have out loud. Totally unreasonable with different parts of life, right? Like, oh, have all three meals and make sure you're mindful during all of them? Absolutely not. During one meal, I'm standing. I'm standing and handing my children food. Because healing, empowerment, and resilience aren't just ideas, their practices.

And this Mental Health Awareness Month, there's no better time to pour back into yourself. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What would you eat if you had to start over? Real simple, poor man's, poor woman's food. Black beans, chicken, rice, plantains. Yeah. That's all. That's poor people's food, man.

But being Nigeria, and that's, come on, a go-to. On the podcast, eating while broke, I sit down with celebrities, entrepreneurs, and creators as they revisit the meals they once relied on and the moments that shaped their journey, named Best Food Podcasts at the 2006 I-Heart Podcast Awards. This show is all about real conversations on money, growth,

and what it really takes to make it. It was times where me and Lex were, like, definitely getting into it. Because we're not making any money. Like, I need to start making money. Like, why are we doing this? But I don't know. I think we just always knew that we had something really good. And eventually people were going to catch on.

And so we just thugged it out. The full season is available to binge. Right now, listen to Eating While Broke from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Yo, like... He picked them? Look at my shoes. I picked them myself.

You didn't have picked them. Dude. Where'd you go to Bloomingdale's or something? I'm kind of a stylish guy like now. Where'd you go? This whole outfit. Like, you and I kind of look alike. Like, we look good.

We look good today. It's cold. Hey, yo, we're looking good. Hey, we're actually looking better. We're looking better than we look at a little bit. I look good. I literally threw it in my bag and I was like, I'm skinny enough to wear this right now.

I know it's tight. I can never wear it again. I might throw it out, actually. What's that? And I don't like tight shirts because we have no chest. And it really, you know, emphasizes the chest, no chest. I mean, fuck, my God, dude, can we stop this shit? Nabi's got me.

Nabi's got me. Nabi knows. I mean, can we stop this shit? Yeah, you know, you're saying. No one of the things is I hate when you get compliments. Why do you hate that? I don't know. I don't like me. He's a terrible friend.

I don't like when you get compliments. Are we on? Yeah, we are definitely live. Can we just tell the world? Can you admit to the world you're a terrible friend? What? You've said that. You're open about it.

Be honest. I will say this. Yeah, he said that. Who called you whenever you were in recovery? Who spent hours with you on FaceTime when your leg was broken and the world turned their back on you? Hours? Hours? Listen.

Chris. Chris. Chris. Chris, Chris, Chris, out. Chris. Chris. Who spent. You didn't call me one time.

Listen. Who spent hours with you when your managers, Sarah, I'm calling you, they turn their backs on you. When the world didn't want to talk to you and you were in your darkest place, who called and offered you a podcast? I got no, oh, I got no recollection of that. Me, it was me. Oh, that's right, you did. Yes, I didn't. You didn't offer me the podcast.

I called you. I called you. And I didn't get called back. You forgot about me. I called him multiple. I'm not stuff. He goes, yo, how would you like to do a podcast with me on ESPN or something like that? Or is the ESPN or something you wanted to do.

I go, I'm down. Let's do it. He goes, all right, especially you, you're in a tough time right now. I think you'd be great at it. Oh, my God. He's great chemistry. Such a liar. I go, oh my God.

Oh, my God. I called my wife. I go, babe. I got a great podcast going with D.C. It's going to be awesome. I'm super excited. Let's go. Something to do when I'm coming back from this injury. He's such a lie. And then he never called me again. That is such a lie. And then next day I know it, you were on with, what's his name? What's his name? He's not with you anymore. The black guy? Yeah. Say it. Say it. Say it. Say it. Say, say. You wrong with the black guy. Say it. No, I don't see color. What do he look like? His name is Ryan Clark. Yeah, Ryan Clark. Great football player. But then so then we start doing, but then guys, for the record, then I invited him on to my weighing show and now he's a regular.

I got you that job. You did. I did get you that job. I got myself that job. Are you kidding me? You got me that job? I swear to God, I vouch for you. Guys, Chris Wyden.

Thanks for checking it with me. Guys, normally you see me and Chris together on our show, the UFC morning weighing show featuring Daniel Kormier. You say your show. No. I don't even think you messed that up. You actually did it on actually. No, no, no, no, Daniel Corby, the UFC morning Way Show featuring Daniel Corbyn.

Starring Daniel Corbyn. Chris Wyman's there, too, my favorite guy. Chris, man, another fight week. How you feeling, dog? Like, so last time we, you fought, the guy kept poking you in the eyes. Or you kept poking him in the eyes. So he got really mad at me.

And you too. No, no, I poked him in the eyes. But I poked him the eyes. And then we put the goggles on for the weighing show. We got in trouble. You know he got really mad at us? He says he goes to sleep every night hating me and you. I can't believe you got thrown into it. The fact that he lit it, I swear. Did you see

that? It was like, I saw the interview. He was all over the place. I was like, damn. He said he goes to bed at night hating us. And that was his fight week where I think he just fought and lost. He just fought. And my thing to him was like, bro, focus on your fight. Why are you going back? Why are you going to sleep? We screwed that poor kid, man. I don't know what happened to him. But I hope the UFC doesn't cut him. You were fighting well. You are fighting while. You're fighting smart. How much better does it feel now? A couple fights removed from the injury and then having the fight against Tavares where he was leg kicking and leg kicking and leg kicking. That was a nightmare.

And you openly told me you had doubts in there in those moments. But now we're into our second fight since. How good does it feel to be back and like the confidence that you're gaining with every appearance? Yeah. That first fight back, man, he'd like kick the crap out of me. I really didn't even expect it. But these dudes are going to come at my legs.

And I thought I'd be able to kick right away, kick back. You know, if someone kicks you. I couldn't do it, man. My mind wouldn't let my body do it. And I was like, holy shit, I got a problem here. And then the second, then the second fight with Bruno Silva coming back from the engine. You kicked way more. I actually threw the kick almost immediately.

And I'm like, holy shit, I did it. All right. That monkey's off my back. I wasn't scared to throw it anymore. So, and my leg, it's been a long recovery, even up into this point. And I'm finally like springing again and moving well on the feet. I feel really good. You feel good.

Yeah. So when you are at this point in your career, right, where you still feel like you're viable. And the opponent options start to come out. Like, what are you looking for when you hear Eric Anders? Then you go, okay, this is a fight I can get up for. This is one that interests me because he's also a guy that's been around for a while. And hell, if anybody would have said five years ago, Chris Wyman, Eric Anders,

95% of people say they would expect you to win. Yeah. Is that like when you get that name, is that like one that immediately is like, okay, it's good for me? I think it's a good fight for me. You know, a big strong kid, athletic, comes forward, he hits hard. But I've definitely gone against way more devastating strikers and better mixed martial artists in my career. So it's a good fight for me. At this point in my career, I'm taking a fight at a time.

And just seeing how I can perform out there, see where I'm at. I still feel great in the gym. You know, with all these young bucks, I'm still doing my thing. But you've got to perform under the lights. And I think it's a great fight for me to see, you know, all right, where am I at? You know, you have always possessed great striking, but wrestling was always the key. Lately, you don't wrestle as much. Like, you really don't seem to want to wrestle.

Like, isn't the energy? I want to wrestle. But yeah, you can't just. Even silver. Like, you didn't take him down? I took him down first round, wrote him out. And it was a weird, he was in a weird position. I felt like I was slipping off.

So it was just, I just rode him. He was okay with just standing that tripod in the quad pod position. One, two, three, four. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always say tripod there. I don't know why. And, yeah, and then the second, I was just, I felt like I was piecing him up on the feet. Take away the eye pokes.

I was dominating on the feet. And, you know, I felt like I was so much faster than him. I saw all of his punches coming. And he wasn't doing much. He wasn't coming at me. So, I'm always, wrestling is always going to be my forte. It's going to be something that I always want to, I always want to bring it to wrestling. It kind of sucks them because as we get older,

getting all those takedowns, it's like, oh, man, it really does kind of suck as you age, huh? I mean, mission takedowns, you know, riding them and all that stuff. And wrestling is something that is hard to do when you get older, you know, as far as real wrestling, you know, so like training in a wrestling stance and taking the shots like we used to, I can't do it that much. So the wall wrestling and punches into takedowns, all that stuff, I'm fine.

But when it comes to, like, real wrestling, I can't get low like that anymore. back in New York back in New York fighting in Madison Square we fought Madison Square together before I think that's the last time he fought in New York right didn't go good for me at all

no but thinking back to that night and what we anticipate for Saturday what are you doing different right because there's a lot that comes with being the guy that was the guy from here and then being fighting here like what are you doing different this time I'm supposed to live

It's so long ago. That was 2018. Can you believe how long was what I was already? I did 2016 here and then 2018, and it's so long ago. I mean, Madison Square Garden, you know, it's pretty much around the block from where I grew up. So it's pretty cool. It's cool. And being pretty much the most historic arena in the world, it's an awesome opportunity.

I just got to go out there and do my thing. And the two fights I have had here, I was doing great, you know, in both fights. And then boom, third round came. and I ended up getting dropped with crazy shots. There was the Yomero knee, and then the other one was Jokkeri. Hit me with that right hand. We both threw it, and he landed. I didn't.

So it was awful endings for me. So I could either run from it or, you know, I got a call to be here, and I'm like, you know what, it's good redemption. Chris, do you still feel like this is a big card? I can feel the big card. Do you still feel that now? Even though you've headlined against Anderson and been on the biggest fight cards in the world,

still feel like that excitement when it comes with the big card yeah because you know you know how it is you want the biggest cards the better because you got more eyeballs and it's one opportunity to show everybody we've been working on where you're at he's crazy loud isn't he's so loud he just don't care it's disrespect but he's messed up right now his neck is no jacked up but like it's like even though like come on mike i can't do it an interview i can't believe he's disrespecting me like this oh you want me to fight him yeah i think i don't know man you're such a shit starter he's got better cardio than you he's gonna keep it standing not when i was fighting You had great charge.

My cardio was so sick for a big guy. You broke people. That was what you did. Last thing before I let you go, Chris. John Jones is fighting Steve Emilichich, right? What do you make of that fight? And then I got to ask you this, because you and I do these things together. John Jones is saying he just won't fight Tom Aspinall so that he's going to fight Alex Pereira

if he wins. What do you make of all this, man? This is the craziest thing. Well, you know, it's smart because I think the U.S. he would actually love to make that fight. And for John, it's a great matchup, you know, because of the wrestling. And people have built up Alex Pereira, which he built himself up, you know. He's knocking everybody out.

So it's a huge fight, but I think John Jones sees what a lot of people aren't looking at with that as far as the wrestling. I mean, Pereira really hasn't gone against a wrestler in his career. The whole shit came down. But he's not. And so that Asana. None of them were wrestlers. And John's a much better wrestler in those guys.

And John grew up wrestling. He was a state champion out here in New York, and he was a good wrestling in college. The junior college, recruited by everybody. Yeah, he was, he was a top tier talent in when it comes to wrestling. So I think he's light years away with wrestling against Pereira. The steep amoech's fight, I mean, people are sleeping on steep. Why are they sleeping on steep? Why are they sleeping on steep?

He's a monster. He comes forward. He's huge. He's way bigger than he was. When he was fighting like Francis Nagano on the thing on that last, he was like two, barely 230. He wasn't eating, I don't know what his deal was, but now he's like two, what is he? 250 he's

50 he's looks good 250 you know like abs and stuff he comes forward he's tough as fuck he's tough he's not gonna there's no giving up in him he comes forward

he's got heavy hands he mixes it up to the body and his wrestling too is real good I train with him a bunch of times he's really good and then you know people they see John Jones

is the greatest of all time they just think it's going to be you know a decimation and Steve Bay's been out for a while so that's what they're looking at but steepe's probably looking at all right

John Jones went through a close decision fight. A lot of people do it, Dominic Ray's beat him. He went to a decision with Ovence St. Peru. He went through a decision with... Tiago Santos. That's one. Anthony Smith. Now, if we put Stipe against any one of those guys,

we would think that Stipe is going to dominate that fight and... Finish him. Probably finish him. So, those are the things that people are not looking out as much. You're giving me stuff that I didn't even think about. Yeah, I think you have to... If you're fighting a guy who's...

looked up, like when I was fighting in, it's Silva. I wasn't looking at him just knock out everybody so easily and put his hands down and play with them. Oh my God, he's unbeatable. I looked at, Chale Sondon took him down every time they fought. Yep, yep, yep, yep. And was beating him until the end. I knew I had better Jiu-Jitza about him.

So I compared myself to Chale. I'm like, all right, I got this. There was other fights that you've seen. Okay, he's beatable. You don't look at, you think, Steve-e's not looking at all the stuff that everybody else is looking at. He seems a little Henri, too, because of it. And Stipe's,

type of dude you put a chip on his shoulder and uh he's a little bit more dangerous how do you end eriganders on saturday i'm i'm hoping to just pick him apart on the feet get him to the ground and just show the level level difference between us and uh you know look for a finish yeah i got i got to make it look pretty chris widenman fights saturday ufc 309 but you heard that breakdown the domain event that's why i put him on my show in the morning that because of that that's why this guy does tv work and he's good looking You better looking when you keep that weight now. Yeah, I know.

My wife said that. She goes, I like you with the chiseled jaw. I go, don't say that. The problem is I shave and I got a fat face. I got double chin and stuff. Because you're like, don't say that because at the end of this trading cap, I'm going back. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She was like, I was 205 cutting weight, you know, and she's like, you look good at 205.

I'm like, yo, stop it. It's not happening. I'm not going to be 205, man. You might as well. It's a pipe dream. Yeah. It's tapping to everything that Chris Wyman is doing. Follow him, Instagram, Twitter, X.

now. That's right. Facebook, everything else. Until next time, guys, hit that pay-per-view buy button on ESPN Plus. Like, subscribe, and tell you friends, this has got a YouTube channel. And I got guys like the All-American who won't ever back down. Yes, right. You like that? That's right. You like that? That's a good thing. Until next time, guys. Peace. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel

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