MORNING KOMBAT WITH LUKE THOMAS AND BRIAN CAMPBELL2025 Fights To Make, Haney Teases Return, Revisiting 2024 Predictions | Full Ep | Morning Kombat
MK is back in the studio for the first time in 2025! BC and Luke kick things off by looking back at their 2024 combat sports predictions and grading how well they did. From boxing to MMA, did they get it right? Then, the guys shift gears and break down the biggest fights to watch in both boxing and MMA for 2025. Which matchups need to happen, and which ones will define the year ahead? Plus, big news—Devin Haney teases a return to the ring this March! Who could he face next, and who do Luke and BC want to see him fight?
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Really look at us now, Timpton, Jesus.
Oh.
Do you want it's time to beg Oh yeah, Happy Insurrection Day to you and yours for those that celebrate, and welcome on into Morning Combat, the best damn combat sports show we got going period. I'm alone right now. Look, Thomas not always there when you call, but he is always on time if you need him. And obviously, due to the overwhelming snowfall in your nation's capital, Luke will be joining remotely today. We will have Pat Milita John at noon, the Randy Gatur following him. We'll look back at the events of the Washington Steps from just a few years ago. Hey, how are you no, Luke? We can do a little bit of this. Should have been Dad on a Sunday moon and we got a great show for you today. Why am I wasting time? Let's bring him in live and direct from DC. He's my co host, Luke Franklin Thomas. Yes, Luke, lt Baby, is your back broken from shovelin'? Or did Skip Bayless just proposition you what happened?
No? No, Skip Bayless? Yeah, no, Joy Taylor either. You know that's not the thing I'm involved with, but I can tell you it is Insurrection Day. I was thinking about wearing overalls and zip ties to today's show, but then I thought that would probably not be in the class.
You should have honored chav Cup by wearing a dead animal on your head, which also would have been a nice January sixth shout out just the same.
Yeah, I didn't do that either. So as soon as this is over, I have to go play with my kid in the snow, so that should be fun.
Great stuff, Luke. We have new cameras in studio today. They've uped the production value down here. Now now I might have to pay fees for these to bring this baggage on air. Underneath air, I.
Was gonna say, do they how do we feel about them? Do you feel like you look more wash or less washed?
Oh? Definitely more wash, but it's but more real and raw. And that's ultimately, Luke, what this damn show is all about.
So how did you get any snow at all?
No? And originally it was supposed to be six inches, but then CT had enough and they passed it down to you. I don't think the greater DC area is equipped to handle this, Luke.
I really not like the Northeast is no, mid Atlantic isn't. I mean, it's not like you know, the South where they completely lose their shit on an inch of snow. But it's definitely not like Wisconsin or something.
Oh yeah, Well, as stated it is Monday, January sixth, twenty twenty five. Thank you for joining Morning Combat, new year, same attitude, same ambition, same motivation. We are going to reach through that screen and grab the fuel hole of every listener out there today, So please like us and subscribe to what we got going on here on the MK our social handles, our YouTube, personal channels and all that. And Luke, we got a great show today. We're upon requests from the listeners and thanks a hat tip to Long Island Luke, our great producer for compiling. We will be looking back at all of our predictions from twenty twenty four and find out what we got right and what we may need examination on. Also, we will look ahead to twenty five and list our fights to watch. What are we most coveting. How big is that bone air underneath the desk that Luke's got going on thinking about putting topuria in a few of those Maybe we'll find out. And of course have you seen this shit dms from Donks whatever else we're doing on this Monday, Luke, anything personal you want to share with the people at all, recent diagnosedees anything.
No, I'm doing well. But they are going to certify the election result today even though it's no on like an m f R here in the city, because I was going to take Tukey to do the whole Jan six belt like we did last year, and you can go. They closed it off years ago, but then they reopened the slopes of the actual capital which is a really really good sledding position and.
You can do like they have guided tours to remember the date.
No, No, like like Jan six, you just have to charge the top of the hill.
There really is no other way like Jan six. If you got to use the restroom, just use Pelosi's desk or what.
They closed it off obviously because they're sort of finding the election today. So I gotta figuret where I'm going to take her. But we'll get it done. We'll get all right.
I read news of Justin Trudeau, you know, backing away? Is that going to make Sean Strickland very happy in Canadian politics.
I haven't heard anything about Trudeau, but I'm guessing it's uh what is he is? He did he quit? What does he?
I think I think he's going to step down?
Yeah, I think that's what that's going to make a lot of people. I suppose happy end sad. I don't really give a fuck either way.
Well, look, people don't come here for the politics, okay, only during COVID season. They're coming here for our hot takes all right on MMA and beyond and there's Oh yeah, I.
Need a fucking sponsorship with this because I use this thing like it's going out of style.
I use it almost as much as I vape. Almost. Yes, there it is, uh funny face. Indeed, Hey, let's bring in the third member of our team. He's a great producer, director, long enthusiast, betting expert, and co host of the main cart Minute podcast. Hey it's Luke Nosedo of Long Island.
What's up, guys?
How are we doing Long on? Look? How come I can see you on the zoom link that I'm using, but we can't use that to set up how the viewers see you.
We got new cameras.
Give me what I couldn't do this, Luke, But it just seems like a lot of work, just to see that my profile. You know, it's not really that great of a camera shot. I'm just it's more for you.
I agree, looking at you is nothing interesting. However, Yeah, it would be better for the show, you know what I'm saying. Yeah?
Would you say he has a face for radio? Healthy?
Hello? Vias for radio?
Okay, there we go.
Yeah, was on the air today. How about that?
Well, Luke, you know, some people are gonna face the music.
Okay.
I don't know.
I don't know the truth behind any of this. Look, I'm just living my life, Okay, one moment at a time, you know, one Creed song at a time.
Right, I can't. I cannot believe you're back in on that. That's I mean, that is It's about freedom.
It's about for real freedom from my own mind, you know, because because I created my own prison. To be fair, right, you know. No, it's enough of that. Try to get the right levels in my ear hole. Yeah, we're gonna kill time today, right. There's like there's like those in between gym classes when like the football coach rolls out the balls. He's like, yeah, I gotta go drink in my office and make game plans for Friday's night. You guys, do what you want, right.
No, I need to go play with Tuki and we need to do this show. So let's get it started.
Are you going to shovel? I mean, is this going to be any shovel?
And I got I got double duty. I gotta shovel and I gotta spend time with her.
So all right, we're speaking of duty. You know the the no Shit toilet BC.
Hold on, I took a dump today. Okay, this morning was my first dump of the day.
May tell me more please.
Yeah, I'm talking an absolute breacher, okay, breaching the surface of the water like an absolute power. Yeah.
Wow, so it was.
It was one of those perfect dumps where it like clean up took like like you know, a wipe or two, and it was completely set.
While standing you ever wonder why we can't get above one seventy five K on subs. Look, I just figured it out. Okay, wow, yeah, that's great.
Let's start the fucking show.
I was going to try to tell you that the No Ship bathroom has an out of order sticker on the toilet at the moment.
Now that's not me. Can't put that one on me.
All right, we were out of office for a while over the holidays.
Okay, somebody came in here and mystery dumped it into obsolescence, but it wasn't me.
All right, final pitch for the show. No new merch yet. We'll let you know about that. But you can email the show up Morning Combat at gmail dot com. Please do so because Friday, This Friday, we're going to rolling out your fan submissions. You're dead wrong, so email the show. Say hi to Mikey. Do not show him your pipe. Thank you very much. All right, let's get into it. You the fans said, Hey, BCLT you absolute weirdos fun prediction segment the other day like every other podcast did, but we want to hear. We want to see whether you still put your money where your mouth is. Can you face the music of your shitty predictions from one year ago? So that's what we're gonna do. We're gonna revisit them. Shout out to Long Island Luke for doing the painstaking work of going back second by second through the broadcast. Luke Thomas, are you ready for this?
Let's do it fun?
All right. We kicked off last year in the heavyweight division in MMA, in which BC's big Bold prediction was tom Aspartov will be undisputed champion to close out the year eavyweight. Well now, Luke, thank you, thank you. All right, it was a good delay there, but yeah, okay, all right, uh lt let's see if you did any better.
Steep A Miochic is going to happen. I actually don't think it's going to materialize. How many times in MMA can you recall a plan being this delayed and still being successfully pulled off. It happens, but nothing really big springs to mind. And if you think about it, whether you like it or not, Jones versus steep A is in fact a big fight. I mean, it's involving big names, and at a bare minimum, the talking points are big, and John is obviously relevant as the heavyweight champion. Okay, fair enough, But even for all that bigness, the events that will transpire between now and whenever it is supposed to happen. Steve a Miochicic could get injured. Can he even make it through a camp? What happens if Tom Aspinall keeps blowing the guys out of the water. I genuinely think with MMA, with how fast moving it is, you can't freeze anything like Hans Solo in carbonite and then just unfreeze it later. It doesn't really work. I don't think it's gonna happen.
Look, that was of course Jones versus Steepe, and guess what it happened.
It did in fact happen. It did, in fact happen. All right, what can I say? You know, I thought it was I thought that the train was like, just I'm gonna make it to the station. I was gonna fall apart.
But the trains in Parris Island with the rest of the Marines, all right, it.
Made it there. That was actually twenty nine Palms where I got the offer was Anas Island, but it made it. You had to get the corpse of Steep, a kind of you know, moseying on out there, and he got wrecked. But it happened, so I'll take that, all right.
We didn't do much better on heavyweight fighters to watch. I predicted the Deem Nemcoff would have a breakthrough heavyweight year, in which Nemcough did appear one time in pflattur, submitting Bruno Capilos in the second round in the PFL versus Bellator Showcase card so not really, Luke, but on your end, Anatotly Mallakin, who ultimately went one in one. Oh that's a wash, but oh and one at heavyweight, losing the championship to Rug rug in a huge upset after taking the TKO win over Ranier de Ritter.
So I feel like that's a wash because he did become a triple champ, which was also a weird thing, but then he did lose to Rugrugg, which really undercuts it. But you know what I mean, Like I was halfway there, I.
Was sure, I'm with you, I was way off. All right, let's go to the light heavyweight division. Let's see what LT told us was definitely gonna happen this year.
I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but this division is so wild and wacky. You can't tell me I'm wrong. I mean, I could this guy. I can't believe I'm betting on this guy, so to speak, But I'm this division is insane. Meccaboun Unclive will at least wear the belt in twenty twenty. Oh right, he might lose it the very next fight by making the most boneheaded error you've ever seen, Like, what are you doing like that is on the table. But dude, this division has no sense of coordination. Everything is all over the place. Every time you think, okay, now it's settling into a groove, it doesn't settle into a groove. Come on, man, you can't tell me that's the craziest thing in the world. If anyone's got a shot at light heavyweight, it's him.
But they did him wrong.
To be fair, I mean, partly these predictions are stupid because I'm betting on like a unreliable people here. But also I thought he would have had a title shot by now. I mean, I don't think that's like you could say, all he wouldn't have beaten Poeton and find like that prediction would have been wrong on that sense. But I honestly thought at the beginning of this year he would have had a title shot by now. But holy shit, he has not. It's insane that we're in twenty twenty five and now we're and by the way, it's not even confirmed he's I mean, we think he's like the shoe in guy, but like I'm haven't announced it yet, so who knows.
Well, I mean, don't forget that cryptic tweet from Poeton recently that said not a Calia. I know that was interesting. I don't hold that against you, but you did get it wrong. And then Luke, you said, you know a lot of unreliable people. One of them is the guy you're looking back at making bad MMA predictions. Because this prediction I made for light heavyweight last year not only did not happen, I made it again for this year, Luke, And that's Pereira Poeton three for the two five titles.
Oh no, Izzy Poeton three. You're not Perrera Poeton three.
Oh yeah, he'd have to be uh manipulating himself, which you know, Spider Man. Yeah, I'm an undisputed champion in that division, by the way, So that did not go down. You were light heavyweight fighter to watch, Luke was a deem Nemkov who never appeared in the damned division.
Once again, I I you know, I don't what to say about that one. I we were, you know what in retrospect, like anticipating that the schedule would have picked up as normal for the guys coming over from Bellator. Probably a bad call.
Probably all right, you do take an L on that. Tell me if I take a win or loss on this one. My light heavyweight to watch for twenty four was Khalil Rountree Junior, even though he went oh to one losing his title shot to Poeton. My quote was, let's see if he can have an unlikely run to the title.
I think that's a win. Yeah, I think that's a win. He did lose, he got stopped, but he and he really didn't, you know, deserve it under a traditional sense of metrics and everything. But he did get to the title. He did perform ably, his stock did rise. People are much more interested in him at a.
W Do you think he retroactively now earned the title shot because of how he fought in that fight, going two oh on the champ, take it all, bite and you know, keep plowing through.
I mean, he was still the eighth rangth contender. He didn't deserve it more than on Calaiev did in that sense. No, but he proved he was a worthy adversary and that's probably enough.
All right, I'll accept that. I'll accept that. Let's move on to the middleweight division, and let's listen in what I had to say last year. My sort of bold prediction for the new year incorporates a little bit of what you're talking about. Look, recent years, lightweight was the deepest and best division. Men's bantam weight caught up and passed it. I think we got to give a lot of credit for women's flyweight over this past year for coming out of nowhere and being deep and fun. But Luke, this middleweight division, my prediction is that in twenty twenty four it's going to be the bet the most exciting division at the top end in UFC. And what makes that supported and makes it kind of true is this, we don't even know if Sean Strickland's going to hold on to the title in the next three months. Yet right now he might be the biggest fan favorite of the group, arguably for what he's done to his brand since winning it and stealing some of my opinion, Colby's thunder and gaining that fan base. But yet, Adosnya can come back and reclaim the belt, whitakerk could come back and make a run. We've got guys who right now are ready to take over, like Driccis Duplessi. You have guys like Hamza and bo Nickel who have next. You've got hammers on the rise like a Roman Deleds Looke I think I nailed that.
You keep bringing up the Roman Deledze factor like it's legitimate. Didn't he fight a two of five this last year?
Well, Roman Delize was my fighter to watch, by the way, in this middleweight division. He went two and one on the year, one and one at middleweight, lost to Nastudine Imovov by majority decision, and then got wins over Anthony Smith at two o five and a first round stoppage of Kevin Holland. So would you say that he's also Chian's man and also a middleweight to watch? And also middleweight was the sexiest division the.
Furthest to Long Island, Luke, because I feel like this is more a miss than a hit. But maybe he's got a different interpretation.
So me and BC talked about this pre show, and I was saying it was a bit of a gray area, bit of an opinion. I kind of agree with it. Middleweight was pretty exciting between the top fifteen, a lot of up and comers there. All right, No, No, I think he nailed it.
Thank you, Ty goes to the runner here.
I'll let it go, all right, Uh, Luke, your overall middleweight prediction was D D P versus chamayav will happen in twenty twenty four. You know what, I if they were on pace to fight this spring like they should be, I'd give you half credit because it probably should have already happened. But what the hell are we doing right now?
So dude, that's not a bad prediction. I mean, it's a wrong prediction because it obviously didn't happen. But if Chamaiah didn't get if basically, if Whittaker didn't have to fight Ikramala scaoff and he had fought CHAMAIAV and it went about as we had thought it was gonna go. You know, I don't know exactly how would have fit into the calendar, but this would have made this one much more likely because obviously Hamzad is like the next guy gotta be and we think maybe even a favorite to win the whole thing. So I'll take the l because I was just ahead of myself. But that one, that one seems you know, the spirit of that one was correct.
Yes, I think for sure. I mean, you couldn't have predicted that he would break Whitaker's face, but the idea that he would get his way to the top he did that. I almost want to give you a partial credit. Your middleweight to watch though, was Bo Nickel. Now we did go to and oh but both the brun died Jan Paul craigfight producers. Yeah, probably as much negative comments as positive.
Would you say, yeah, I don't think he had a breakout year. I don't think that's a good way to put that. He had. All right, Yeah he had a fine yet a normal fine year, but it was anything special.
Does Roman slipping one through the goalies five hole a second time add to my idea that he was one.
To watch this year. No, who he's banging adds nothing to it.
I have to tell you, all right, let's go down to welterweight, where one of Luke's favorite bonaires is on the end of that stick, and we're talking about Shovcat rock Monoff. Luke, you came out there and said Rockmanoff will end to one four as the UFC's welterweight champion. While that obviously cannot be a ding, should you at least get partial credit that he was scheduled to fight the champion, took on a top contender in waiting last minute, and got the win. Even if you looked human at.
Times, again, one of those things were like the matchup itself, I definitely saw coming and I don't think that takes some great skill. But that part is correct. But there's like between the fact that it didn't happen this year and the fact that rockmanov stock has fallen to a degree. It's definitely more l than w fo Shore.
All right, well, you can keep taking l's, Luke, and we'll keep getting recorded wins for me because my middleweight I'm sorry, welterweight bold prediction was Ian Gary will be on the verge of a title shot after winning two to three fights in twenty twenty four. If you recall, Ian Gary was two to one and the only loss was almost a moral win in terms of how we reacted to it for what should have been the interim Belbot was a number one contender. Look give me that ding, okay, I want get meet me down low on the day. Look you got ding down okay, like al Joe.
All right, all right, that's what to say. You want that ding? Yeah?
Yeah, But Luke, we did both take L's on our welterweight to watch, which was the same pick that was Yaroslav Amasov, who never fought despite rumors that he could be coming to the UFC.
Dude, that yes, betting on the PFL guys who were coming over the beltwar guys. Tragic mistake. That was a big l geez.
I mentioned an honorable mentor of a welter wait to watch JDM Jack Della Maddelena who did go one and oh with the stoppage although a rally against Gilbert Burns. So quarter credit me quarter of credit?
Yeah, yeah, partly Yeah, all right.
Let's go to the lightweight division and Luke Thomas. You talked about Islamaha Jeff you said he will finish the year untested in twenty twenty four, Yeah, dub he did go one and oh what was he not tested of by one? DP Dustin Plawiwe.
I think it was a good fight, but Poortier got finished.
So what do you make of the fans reaction to our award show that neither of us even mentioned as an honorable mention the submission of Mahachev over Poorier, which a lot of people thought should have been the number one choice for Submission of the year, if not a Fight of the Year candidate. They say, we kind of glossed over it. Your thoughts.
I mean, there's probably something to that that neither of us, I mean, between the two of us, one of us should have probably mentioned it. That's probably a fair criticism. But the reality is, you know, we right or wrongly, we do these ones from what speaks to us, and that one didn't speak to me as much as it did to other fans. Yes, so yeah, I get that, like as a group representation, some kind of signal that that should have been in the conversation is real. But I pick what I pick, man, I don't know how to tell you.
What's is that the best fighter in the world would dominate. He largely did in that one appearance. Let's go to my pick for the lightweight division. My prediction is very simple, Luke, I just don't feel like we're gonna see Connor versus Chandler at lightweight too. Well, maybe we're never going to see it in lightweight. Maybe if it did happen, it was going to be at welterweight. So it's a little bit of a trick. Wrong question, But I mean, you hear Michael Chandler talking about I'm waiting for Connor. I still believe Dana even admitted we got a lot of fighters here that are just waiting for a big fight, like Colby did. Chandler is one of them. But Luke, you never ever ever hear Connor talking about fighting Chandler, and lately you hear Dana talking about it even less. So we have debated in the past that they don't necessarily need Connor at UFC three hundred. Right when Connor fights, they kind of stop everything and put together a patchwork. Luke, I obviously wasn't gonna nail that he would pull out with a toe injury of that Chandler fight, which was scheduled for a national fight week, and that they would have the civil trial with the sexual assault. So I still got it right. But uh what, even though it now feels like a no brainer, automatic, it's insane to me that this fight hasn't happened. When one did they coach tough like a year and a half ago, two years ago.
Yeah, Yeah, it's been some time. I mean, that was a great prediction by you, that that was kind of where I was with Jones and Miochic. I kind of thought it would just kind of fall apart. Obviously did not, but that one definitely did. They never even really well. I guess they did get close UFC three h three.
Oh, they got real close.
They they got about a month out, and then the whole thing just kind of fell apart the way that it did. Interesting.
Look, I could go a bold one and say, and I think I did in our prediction thing that that Connor won't fight in the UFC in twenty five. And I still think that's that could very well happen. But where are you on the idea that McGregor versus Chandler ever happened.
I don't think it does. I think of all the possibilities of what Connor has left, there's just other ones they're gonna go to at this point. There's just and by the way, like besides Chandler, Like, who really wants to see that one at this point? You know what I mean? Like, do you think it'll.
Live in infamy the same way or not infamy, but the same way. John Jones versus Rumble Johnson, which was scheduled never happened, And then we were always like, damn, I would have loved to have seen that. Is this in there is this on that level?
Yeah, but worse because that one fell apart. Why did that one fall apart, like somebody got injured, right, Rumble got injured? John got injured? How did that one fall apart? They were scheduled to meet they remember they had the.
Press John John got in trouble, right or something? Long isn't Look what the hell was? I mean it's like it's a big go card of John Jones. Instances didn't DC the DC fought Rumble twice. Then this was Albuquerque. This was the Albuquerque accident from John that was that forced the UFC to strip him of the title.
Right pregnantly that could be correct. It was the hit and run.
Okay, there we go, Jesus Luke your fighter to watch at lightweight. He went one to know with a split decision, went over Charles Olivera and he'll be fighting for the title in just a couple of weeks. Ar months are uk in?
You might became number one contender. I had a big win at UFC three hundred and then also what the darry ushwin? Yeah, I feel like that one panned out.
Darry Uschwinn was in twenty twenty three.
Okay, well close to fucking enough.
You get the Charles Olavera win. A better win for him a right.
Yeah, much better win. That's the only time he fought this year. Was that was it?
It is whether he's in line for the title. So yeah, uh my pick. Tell me if I wanted to lost this because he went one and one. The champion has a name, Luke, and it was Charles Olivera. He lost to tar Uh Tatar Verdian to Saryuki and by split decision, and then comes back to get the decision over Michael Chandler.
Are you getting pretty good? Yeah?
Yeah, thank you, thank You're still in position for the title. Let's move on to the featherweight division, where Luke, Thomas's favorite fighter took over the sport. Let's see what Luke predicted. I don't speak Russian, Luke, I'm not even in a hurry. What do you got at featherweight?
Yeah, Elliott Suportia is going to be your next featherweight champion in twenty twenty four.
Okay, that's just because he reps and you love Madrid so much. Come on, Luke's show your cards.
I got a question for you. How come I can't believe in things for reasons I actually believed? Why do I have to believe in them for the phony reasons that you invent in your head that I like them.
Show your cards, Luke, show your dog, brother.
It's a very irrelevant question. It's a very relevant questioned prediction.
One, by the way, and now looks easy, but he knocked out Volkanovsky and then knocked out Holloway that this prediction was before that, so like holy shit.
Yeah, and by the way, seriously, and I want to be clear, like, obviously I thought he would be champion. I didn't think he was going to run through well Vulk. I thought was going to be in trouble. But remember even before the Max fight, I was like, I'd be surprised if he stops Max. And he fucking stopped Max too.
So my featherweight prediction did not go the way of yours. Even Sully Sullenberger couldn't land this plane. Let's look back at it. Featherweight, the old one four five. Obviously my prediction is simple, right, A certain great featherweight will find only come out of retirement and gain the UFC title after years of us wondering, is either the great one that got away? You know what direction I'm going there?
Right, Yeah, that's a bunch of silliness. Can I tell you what's actually going to happen? Sure?
Wait, wait, you don't believe in zabat Luke. What are you doing?
Isn't he a doctor student or some shit? I don't know something like that. He ain't fighting.
Wow, that was a wing and a prayer and a hope and a dream.
And I just want to point out I'm going gray like it's a contest. Like even a year ago I had significantly less gray. It's insane how fast I'm going.
My wife gave me an intervention sit down again the other day, just basically saying, look, I know you like the gray. I don't like it, but you got to pick a color. You gotta stay in line with one of them. You can't die for two weeks, you know, for two months, and then not for three. And I'm like, well, it's not like I'm looking, not like I'm on the market looking for you know, looking for people here. All right, we're locked up, lady for a long time.
Your wife was like, get your shit together.
Oh yeah, you know that. She's the thing that ever happened to me. Look all right, you know what I mean. I've I've held together an editorial marriage with you for a long time, but not as long as right with that lovely lady. Your fighter to watch at featherweight was young, still young Aaron Pico who went one to know on the year stopping Henry Corralis in a largely unnecessary Bellatur fight.
We didn't talk about this. Is he not a free agent? Did we not hear that? I believe he's looked.
Like Don Davis put out some counter counter messaging on Twitter saying we'd love to sign him. We'd love to give him a title shot and a big opportunity. So but the thing is, again, what I'm saying is you're giving him what a Bellatur title shot? These are not real belts.
Also in the world where a Patchie Mix is complaining and uh Leandro Ego and Patricio Pitple how they can't get fights. Also John Johnny Applin has complained, but certainly Cory Anderson has complained, you know, like you would be absolutely foolish to sign a deal I think without some serious guarantees written into that thing.
Yes, he has been saying he to fight in the UFC.
By the way, Yeah, then there's that as well, you know, But someone was asking me the other day, like, oh, how would he perform against Ilia? Like it'd be a good fight, and I'm like, I wouldn't mind seeing it, but I I would not favor anyone at one five over Ilia right now, I think you no.
I mean, Pico's insanely skilled in every category, but we still need to see him put to put together on the belator title level first, I guess you know, even though I don't want those belts to be around. Put him in the PFL Million Dollar Tournament?
Why not?
Why why do we do this PFL? Why?
I don't know, I don't know what he wants is really the issue.
All right. So you don't get a point for picking Aaron Pico because he didn't do anything really and neither did my pick Patricio Pitbull, Freyetti, Luke Freer, he of course stopped Jeremy Kennedy and his lone appearance in March and now is complaining actively. Did you see Don Davis's latest LinkedIn message, Luke, which was the the five worst things that happened to PFL? Ish, I'm not doing a bit? Did you not see this?
And number three was I believe he posted this on LinkedIn that's the most pfl thing imaginable to all of.
His investor friends. And number three of the worst things to happen was and like one of them was like sponsor pulled out at the last minute. This happened, and.
Whatever it was that happens, I feel bad for them, you know.
But number three was Belatur fighters complained publicly, making the brand look bad. I mean that was like literally the gist of it, Luke Like. It wasn't like, oh, we need to get these fighters like direction or opportunity or or like a date.
You know. It was. Yeah, the problem was they complained about their behavior, not the behavior right uh.
I had Sorry the pit Bull, I'm sorry I was wrong. You were wrong twice. You had Piko and pit Bull as your featherweights to watch. Pico and pit Bull, not me.
They didn't have bad years, but they definitely didn't have breakout years.
So they couldn't get fights. Let's go to mine. I picked Arnold Allen, who I erroneously stated the other day went to and O this year. He actually went one and one, lost the close one to Ev Louev. Came back in July against Giga Chikazzi, so he was one and one this year is. I mean, he's a featherweight to watch, but not the featherweight to watch. I also threw out there Bryce Mitchell bouncing back from a couple devastating losses in which he did look really good, although it was against Chrome Gracie in the one appearance, so.
But he did he bounced back. I mean he definitely it wasn't a huge bounce back, but he bounced back.
Yeah, do with that what you will. Let's go to the women, Luke one forty five women's featherweight no longer a division. What was our prediction last time, Luke Thomas, you predicted that Kayla Harrison versus Chris Cyborg will happen. Yeah, that's an l It didn't happen. Kayla went free agency.
How many of my predictions were contingent upon someone in either PFL or Belator getting fights? That was dumb as shit.
Now I'm not keeping score, but it sounds like you're like one in eight up to this point. I'm like six and two.
I think I definitely think your predictions are doing better than mine.
All Right, my prediction for featherweight for the new year was that UFC would shut down the women's one forty five.
They didn't formally shut it down, did they.
Okay, so it doesn't exist on the UFC rankings more so that on.
Long Island Luke. No, for they have never ever had rankings. They have never ever ever had rankings for women's featherweight on their on their UFC dot Com slash rankings page, it has always had a header with no top ten because they never had ten contender candidates for the title.
That right, but they at least had the champion listed.
They don't even know that, you're right, the champion, the champion retired. They just didn't give the built to anybody else.
I would if it was still around, Kayla would have fallen.
For effectively, it is not there. In reality, it's not there. But that doesn't mean they shut it down. That's a different consideration. They're just not using they're devoting from shutting it back.
Okay, not only are they not using the title, they're not promoting featherweight fights anymore.
That doesn't mean they shut the division down BC. That means they're actively not using I heard they didn't. They didn't get out there and say we know are no longer in the women's one forty five pound business. They didn't l I.
L had me at ding. That's you know, that's all. That's all I have to say there, Luke Okay. Luke's fighter to watch at featherweight was no Wa.
Yeah, that was.
That one landing. But BC's featherweight to watch Kayla Harrison, who went to and Zho but both not at at one thirty five. Women's bandom weaight any.
The best part about that was you guys were debating if Kayla could make one forty five and she ended up fighting at thirty five twice.
Damn, look at that. Look at that right there.
Well, I don't think she made it one thirty five healthy. I'm gonna go to my grave saying that one she she did it because she can do the amazing things. It's pretty bad for her to do that.
All right, let's go to men's bandamweight right now, Luke Thomas, your prediction for twenty twenty five was combined prediction with fighter to watch. You were concerned about Patchy mixed his future in pf elatour.
Wow, this was another funny one in hindsight, because Luke said something like, yeah, Bellator only has ten events scheduled in twenty twenty four, and they ended up having I think three yeah.
Right, that one nailed that one. That was the one time I should have recognized I should have recognized that I only made that prediction because he cleaned out everybody and then they give him that Mega Man Mega made off rematch, which ended up being a little bit closer than we thought it would be, but nevertheless he won. And it just wasn't clear where they were going to go after that, and then sure enough they didn't go anywhere. They didn't go.
So that's a point for Luke. But you got to be the harsh judge here, the Polish judge, if you will, Luke, do you have any Polish in you? I don't think so wants Themthuitian, I'm Lithuitian, Luke. Okay please uh. Here was my prediction for men's badhamweight in the new year. But my prediction bold prediction for Bannaweit for next year is twenty twenty four as MMA Fighter of the Year is currently in this top ten, Luke, and he's going to close the year as champion. Are you ready for this? Rob devolished Willie Wow? Because if he gets a win over Henry so Hudo, which I'm gonna assume he's gonna be the betting favorite. Although that's a great fight to start the year. Could do you imagine him then fighting the winner of uh of the Champion O'Malley versus Cheeto Ea and winning that championship to close there? Yes, I can. Look, it's his time, it's here. I know there's been injuries, I know there's been some things. But what separates him the cardio because he's already proven that he can win a crazy Now. To be fair, looky finished fourth in my personal ballot for fight of the Year, but that's pretty.
Close, pretty close. That's definitely a dub. Dude, You've done You did much better than me. These are very very good. I got hoored by a couple of calendar issues on Shopcott and UH.
But don't I lose all of my credibility based on that zebeat Pick Cougars. Thats just my heart talking, you know.
Dude, that's dude. You. You would push me in front of a bus, you would throw me into a pit of alligators just to have the beat fart in your mouth. I mean, it's what you would do it for him.
But he could put it in a coffee Contato and Miller to me, that'd be great. All right. You picked Patchy Mix would be your fighter to watch. We hit that. You also picked Umar and Hermaga met Off as your fighter to watch at vandam wait who went two and O is on the verge of a title shot.
So uh yeah, I out. I don't think that's crazy.
Yeah, all right, what are you gonna grade my pick? Al Jermaine Sterling, who's not even in the division anymore and went one in one, beating Calvin barely losing to ev Lloyd.
I mean, the thing is, he definitely didn't have a bad.
Year, not in that division.
So I lose, yeah, exactly, and against the fight against most are he lost, but it was really good, you know, he performed and he beat Calvin Cator. You know. But to your point, it's just not a one thirty five.
Thing, all right. Women's Band and Weight, which is still a division, by the way, Luke Thomas, your pick was it will take years to fix this division as it pertains to rivalries and storylines.
Oh I, there's only a rivalry slash storyline in the title picture. The rest of the it's.
A three way right now because Amanda's coming back and Penya wants to earn a remiss, but Cala.
We don't know where Amanda is. And also, like that division, the only like they had to force a woman who fall at nearly one hundred or of I competed I should say at one hundred and seventy pounds in judo. They had to get her down to one thirty five just so they could inject some fucking adrenaline into this.
Guess who they let fight for the title. Somebody who came off of one side fifty to forty five loss and took two years off, Luke, That's who they let fight for the title.
Yeah, and they won, and they fucking won. That's the best part about it. They won. Shouldn't have but they won.
All right, you'll get the borderline win there my pick, though, Oh my god, I'm so embarrassed by this, Luke. Are you ready for this?
Yeah? I'm ready.
Holly Holm will fight for the Bandawey title in twenty twenty four.
Yeah, I mean just letting your horning this really take over your dis It's.
Not letting the lack of depth in that division. Did I think Kayla was gonna come here. No, So if Kayla didn't come here, and if Holly had like one a couple at forty three, she's forty three now, Luke.
Forty three, that's definitely that's definitely up there.
I mean, do you think she can keep going as a as a middling banda yes, as a gatekeeper.
Yes, I think I don't know if she wants that for herself. But could she do it? Yes?
All right? Longlan Loos gotta be the judge here, Luke Thomas's women's bandam weight to watch was no one.
I feel like that.
I kind of want to give a half ding to that. I mean, Harrison, Yeah, you're right, Kayla Harrison. Mine was Irene Aldonna, who I thought was gonna look, she fought valiantly in that Sphere brawl with Norma Dumont, Luke, but she didn't get the win. She lost most of her face.
Yeah, yes, But also Kayla Harrison, I just didn't think was ever gonna make one thirty five.
It's still crazy that she is. I mean, can't they shut down thirty five and open up forty five now and just let Kayla fight for the belt there you would think at women's heavyweight come on, BC made that up a while ago. Let's go to men's flyweight, one of the most exciting divisions right now, and Luke Thomas's pick was Brandon Moreno will get the title back in twenty four.
Yeah, that's an l What did he do this year?
I thought he had a good year. Marino, who was also your flyweight to watch, went one in one. He lost a split decision to Brandon Royval and then beat amer Al Bosi. So it didn't pan out, Luke, but he was close and he's still in the title picture.
Based on that, he's still relevant. Yeah, he's definitely still relevant. But that that's it, though he didn't do anything special.
All right, your boy BC finally going chalk here rather than pulling Zabat and Holly Holm out of his rare end. Pantosia will be the champ to end the year. Yeah, baby right, I like it? Like that?
Pretty good? Pretty good? I have to admit, very good.
He was also my flyway to watch, Pantosia he went to and oh, of course with defenses over Erskine, erskin Er Seg and Kayastakura. Let's go over to women's flyweight, which is on the come up. For sure these days. And let's go to my prediction off the top here about the champ My my big prediction might come true, Luke. I doubted it as you did. Can Valentina Shantenko come back and climb that mountain in the rematch against Grosso? She actually did, Luke, And if they didn't screw her on that ten eight round, right, she would have won back the championships. So you get the feeling that they're probably gonna do a trilogy here. And I just think if anybody can do what Devison Figaredo did a couple years ago at thirty four at Flyway Men's Flyway, come back and win the title at an advanced age, and in this case, because Chefchenko was already thirty five, would add her name to the vaunted Luke Thomas stat of doom that only Tyron Woodley has been able to stand back and stiff arm and win a battle against Father Time. Luke, they say Father Times undefeated. We don't know much about Mother Time. So you know what, Chefchenko, I think she gets the belt back with the fact that Blainchechfield's coming on. Hey look, your boy kind of nailed that one, right.
Pretty good, pretty good. You did great last year.
I have to admit, like Figaredo, she had been finished by the champion, came back in the rematch, you know and and want it, so it's huge, Luke, your pick didn't come to fruition. Although she bounced back. Aaron Blanchfield will become the champ in twenty four.
Yeah, no, not enough, not ready yet, because she's she's she's relevant. She's at the top of that division or pretty near it.
But okay, was she audited by phireauh or was the fact that Blanchefield rallied back with takedowns enough to say no, she just lost.
The reality is fierro Is has a style that just audits everybody. You know what I mean. I don't feel like Blanchefield looked bad inasmuch as mean she looked limited against an opponent like that. But Fiora is just tough, dude. She's physical, she keeps distance, she has good takedown defense, she can strike at range. She's hard to hit like, she's tough, she's she's a tough opponent to look at against.
Indeed, indeed, I think she can still bounce back and get into a title fight. But she's got to really improve on that striking in the new year. She does You're ful w wait to watch. At Women's one two five was Macy Barber who did Go one and Oh this year, beating Caitlin Sermonara, a former title challenger and kind of being on the verge here of some big business in the new year. Luke, I don't consider that an l it's close to a push, but I'll take it for you, all right.
Yeah, yeah, again, she didn't do poorly and then had the injury where she was supposed to compete in the second half of the year and didn't. But then we had her on the show when we were talking about our feces and she explained that she's ready to get back at it.
So yeah, I mean she survived that moment. Well, Luke, Unfortunately, right.
There's about to be another one. I'm about to have to go take a dump in the middle of this show.
Oh that's exciting, all right. My pick to watch in this division, I've had two of them. They both have the last name Silva. Natalia Silva did Go two and Oh, wins over Vivian or Rougao and Jessica andraj to really firmly put herself on sort of the knocking of the outside of the door of the title picture. Karine Silva, on the other hand, would go one in one on the year, beating Livski losing to Arajo, So more of a push there, Luke, do you take Natalia Silva seriously as a title contender or you need to see more.
Both. I do think she's got what it takes to contend for a title, but there's not quite enough momentum built behind her, and so I think that we're not far from a place where a title fight is really in conversation. But at the same time, what was her last fight was at the APEX, Right, I just feel like you gotta graduate from that a little bit before you're getting title shots, if at all possible.
All Right, women, strawweight is the final division that we gave predictions for, Luke Thomas. Mine was the same prediction I didn't realize I just gave the other day about twenty twenty six, and that's Mackenzie Dern will have another lackluster year. She kind of did.
Right going against these people at this point oh.
One and one, and like, I mean, look, she's a did you see that? He boss is a minus two hundred betting favorite for Saturday. By the way, UFC Fight Week, We're back. We're back, baby, Okay, we're back.
Yeah, we'll talk about that on Friday.
Yeah. But that's the that's true, and it's been true for the last five years. So she looks good in one fight, looks bad than the other, usually in the step up, but she's had inconsistencies in camp dedication. I don't know your pick. Tatiana Suarez will have a big year. She did not appear in twenty twenty four, but did get the title fight that we've been waiting for her to get from.
Most of my predictions were good for twenty twenty five and not twenty twenty four.
Jesus Luke Thomas's fighter to watch at one fifteen and twenty four was No One Luke Louf's with and just what looks like In fact, if they can get an apron, that was where I want to see them.
In twenty five. Right, I think that's a little much.
But wait, was there anyone? But to be fair, this division did not have a great year. Did anyone have a year to watch in this division?
Like? No, wait had a year to watch except to go to Ditcheva.
Oh, jener Ova.
Maybe gener Oba had a decent year. She went from like half this true people didn't know about her to title contention.
Okay, fine, I mean she didn't have a she had a fine year, but like, is she a breakout like fighter? No?
No, So my pick definitely was wrong. I was riding the five fight resurrection win streak of Carolina and Covil, Keevich and old KK went oh and two, losing to Lucindo and Denise Gomez. But then did the the unscheduled Christmas collaboration, and I think OnlyFans with PVZ I didn't check it out, Luke, beyond the pictures that floated, did you did you buy in?
I did not buy in. No, all right? Are you?
Are you surprised by that collab, Luke of social media behemoths?
I don't have much of a comment on something like this. I'm trying not to shit in my pants. I'm really struggling.
Okay, all right, we'll talk about this in our Patreon later. All right, there you go. Look, uh, Luke. We also made general storylines and predictions for the new year. Let's revisit them. My number two was Oh Boy, Morning Comrat regains Best MMA Programming at the World MMA Awards. Luke, we would lose for the second straight year of the Dana White Contender series. Uh, we didn't have our best year, but I will say we bounced back in the shittiest year we've ever had to I think be doing some great stuff the last three or four months. Am I wrong?
I think that's right. But it was definitely the shittiest year we've had for sure. All right, let's see if it's about to be shitty right now? I really have to go take a dump. This is insane right now. I can't control this.
Can you call into the stream from the dump and just when you every time it bops or what.
U long?
Luke, how do you want to do this? Because I can't control this. I'm actually about to.
Ship my pans if you got to go, go and we'll just have BC hosts.
I mean, all right, see, I'll be back in like a few minutes. Okay, take me off, take me off screen.
Yeah, we'll see take him off volume two and and uh wow, well, Luke attacks all of the census right hang around with him long enough, you'll smell him Luke's pick Long Island. Lucas number two storyline for the new year was one championship will be barely hanging on at the end of twenty twenty four. Yeah, I got I gotta ding that l I L right.
That's pretty accurate. I mean, we don't actually know what's going on behind the scenes, but I have not heard one good thing from the Fighter.
Well, I mean, they got another show this weekend. They're pretty consistent, but more and more we're seeing, you know, Muytai in the main event constantly, and I mean it's exciting with the Florance.
Gloves, those Moi tark those early morning I think it's Friday morning. Mooy Thai cards are actually fucking sick. Yes, but I'm never up early enough to really catch all right.
My number one storyline to watch out for was PFL needs. This is a direct quote from your boy BC a year ago. PFL needs Francis Anghanu or Jake Paul to fight on pay per view or the year will be a bust. Well, okay, in.
Goda, you partial credit there, because.
Gano did fight on pay per view and the card was a success. His result was a success. But this year was a bust, right, am I right?
No, that's a good point actually, like PFL as a whole had a shit year and that was your your general take there, But I do agree that they need Francis to succeed or Jake or go to you know, a star.
Yeah, I'm with you on that one. Luke's number one general storyline prediction. Can't believe this didn't come true. The UFC Anti trust lawsuit will be the biggest combat sports story of twenty twenty four. Yeah, dude, that went away real fast, faster than Dana on New Year's Eve, right, faster than then? Who is that coach that bet on everybody?
Coach bet on everybody?
Yeah, with the betting scandal, James Krause, Krause, they just put that. You don't no one ever talks about Cross at all anymore. That went away real fast, so did uh?
Well, remember he put out that tweet saying he could make you millions in real estate or something and then he disappeared again.
Yeah, I don't know what.
Yeah, gross, he had a good run. But all right, so I guess we had a good run so long. I don't look without doing the math, would you say, you know, since he can only hear us from the stall from the throne that you know, I had a pretty damn good year picking, you know, picking the future in mixed martial arts.
Yeah, had a great year. And as I was going through them trying to find the clips, I was like, shit, these are all going to be BC getting them correct and Luke getting them allver wrong. Luke did call Ilio, though, we gotta give him credit.
Yes, yes, and my l's were more comical, my big l's of Holly Holme, and I mean, dude, come on, Holly Holme could have easily ended up in a title.
My prediction for this year is Holly Holm will headline an event. So for you to say she'll get a title shot, isn't that crazy?
That's true? That is true.
All right, we only have a couple more topics, so we'll hold up and wait on Luke Thomas right there as he continues to purge continue his battle against porcelain. Wow, what a just disgusting fellow. I mean, long, isn't look you know? I have dealt with the the guilt, the lack of self esteem when I have to urinate mid show because I'm supposed to be a professional, but I'm so well, you know, I'm fueled by these liquids that I don't I don't, you know, I'm not ashamed necessarily that I have to make, you know, press, but if you're gonna, if you're gonna take a dump mid show, you might need to look in the mirror.
I agree, and I'm totally with you on the mismanaging of fluids. In fact, I make a comment about you every show where I'm like, how the fuck does BC drink four drinks during the show. I can barely have a cup of coffee and I'm about to pee my pants.
Like with the Long Island comes a couple of coffee talk. Yeah, yeah, it's very Mike Myers SNL in the early nineties, off year old like me. But yeah, I hear you. You know, Luke, You're right, Luke Thomas is just a disgusting human. But you know what I mean, we love him. We stand by him, just not while he's standing to wipe, of course. But you know, you wonder about this show sometimes, like what could we be if we if we cleaned up our act? You know what I mean, that's a thing. You know, we'll probably be canceled anyway, So maybe we'll just keep living on the edge. But thank you, folks as always for supporting the show, even during smoke breaks and crap breaks and ship breaks. There once again are our lovely handles. If you want more from us in the future, along Island Luke, Will we see be? Will we? Will we be seeing any content now that the UFC is back this weekend? A Fight Night Las Vegas card headline, of course, by that rematch between McKenzie Durn and Amanda Hebas at one one five? Will we be seeing content from your channel? The main card minutes?
Correct, I'll be putting out the sixty second breakdown later today, yes, and I'll put out the ten minute breakdown tomorrow. A couple couple of fat dogs on this card, I'm looking at.
Are you talking about female fighters? Because I would think.
That's no, But I do. I do.
I don't want to say I like Durn as a dog, but there's value there.
But dude, that's the thing where you know, we're obviously going to preview this fight in length on Friday, but and I know she lost to Hebos the first time, but the every other fight thing, I mean, dude, like you know it's like every six months she puts it together.
She's coming off a wind, so this will be a loss.
Now now I said one, one, five, Is this really this is a strawaight fighter.
Yeah, it is, at least I think it is.
Yeah, he boss was floating between two divisions for a while.
Oh yeah, actually it is.
She came back because I remember looking at she's six and one as a as a strawweight, and this is at straw Luca is back.
Oh he is back. He's back in the chair. All right, Luke, we just you know, we killed time. We talked shit about you and taking a ship. It was great really, to be fair, you know, it's fantastic content.
It was good. Uh, you need a I think in I think in nearly twenty years of broadcasting, that's the first time I've ever had to interrupt it to shit, you.
Have cigarette to celebrate. I mean, you look like you that was like you're Vinny Matt coming out of the boardroom this morning.
This morning was the birth. That was definitely the afterbirth. I that was the death. Yeah, death of our appeals and cigarette butts, you name it.
Speaking of number two, Luke, topic number two. Yes, what a transition right there. As we look back, now, let's look ahead. Our final preparational chat ahead of this new year is to look ahead at matchmaking in twenty twenty five in the sports of course, at boxing and mixed martial arts, with our three each per sport of best fights to make. Now, Luke Thomas, this isn't biggest fights to make. This doesn't have to be most important. These are in my in my how I think of it, three fights from each of us in each sport that satisfy our fighting heart the most, that would get us to go holy shit, forget work in it. I gotta be there as I might want to be there as a fan, you know what I mean? Like, Luke, what is going to get you out of bed for MMA in twenty twenty five? What is your number three fight you most want to see?
Number three fight that I most want to see. So this one is pretty straightforward. In fact, two of the picks I didn't realize this. Two of the picks follow along from the twenty twenty four predictions. So my number three is pretty simple. That's kind of a title fight, but I really think it's a critical pivotal one. Bal Mohammed versus Chavcot Rockmanov. I mean, I think this one is so huge about the division one. If Balal Mohammed wins, I mean to beat Leon Edwards and then Shavkott to be a champion. I think given where he was maybe a couple of years ago in the stock that we had for him and the impression about what a ceiling looked like, a lot of us were wrong, including me. I thought he was good. I didn't think he was this good, and he has proven us wrong already. And then if he goes in there and beats what, you know, I think the Boogeyman labels probably off of Rockmanov at this point, but still a very very top undefeated contender, I think that'd be kind of huge. By contrast, if Rockmanov wins, now, I think you have this real formal turnover in the division where even if he wins, it's out of the frying pan into the fire where JDM is going to come up the ranks, and probably Sean Brady is gonna come up the ranks, and I suspect he's got unfinished business with Ian Gary, who has proven to be quite good. The division, the Weltaway division, you know, Leon kind of got rid of the Kolby and Usman era of it, but he was still kind of connected to it. And then Blall finished them off. But Ballall is still obviously closer to forty than he is thirty, which is sort of a rare thing for a champion. You get this official turnover. If rock Monof happens, or this turnover of how we ever perceived a guy like Muhammed, it would be interesting, dynamic, and a huge and massively important fight no matter who wins and which way it goes.
Dude, that fight made a huge leap in my eyes in terms of my interest in it. And maybe it's just everything you said, and maybe it's just humanizing to some degree rock Monoff, and maybe I can stop for once and always, you know, underrating what Bilal can do. He already broke the age curse a well to wait or below. I really want to see that fight. Not in my top three, but Luke, I'm much more interested in terms of my expectations, and let's do that my number three though, Luke, I'm gonna go one division higher. I think we should see it next, but we're not because DDP will be taking on Sean Strickland a second time. And look, their first fight was so close, what a split or majority and whatever? It was a decision that thin over five rounds. They're gonna do it again. But if DDP gets his hand raised, the number three fight I want to see most this year hams out Chamayah going for the title against that physical behemoth in DDP, who, yes, is raw and aggressive, but he's also a gamer and a winner and currently on an incredible streak beating current and former champions one after another. Demolishing weight occur, demolishing out of Sonya, I mean, you know, rallying back against out of Sonya in a good fight, the close fight with Strickland. I mean, he's putting it together across there. But when Chimayav does what he did to Robert Whittaker, oddly enough, going against a guy who had a similar sort of just one sided takeover of Bobby Knucks there, you gotta see if he can do it on this level, Luke, is this the fight at the very least if it happens where we find out what Hamzat's made of over five rounds, Like if the cardio can go the full distance, if the wrestling can be stuffed and then we'll see what he does next. I almost don't count the Gilbert Burns fight because I still agree that chamayav while he did show us what he's made of, he was too focused in that fight on showing us what he's all about in his ability to take punishment and brawl, but yet other fights when he's committing I mean, look, is my hindsight wrong. Did Gilbert take away the dominant side of him? Or do you agree with what I'm saying where that was a shootout that maybe didn't have to be. I want to see him in a real five round barm burner at the title level. This might be the right fight for that.
Well, that's just the thing I mean. I don't think the Gilbert Burns fight Chamaya have fought inadvisably, still got the job done, but he didn't fight He thought recklessly, right, I think it's a very fair way to put that. But you're asking about the DDP fight, and I gotta tell you, I don't really know how the DDP fight goes, because, first of all, DDP has to beat Sean Strickland. Let's not count our chickens before they've patched. But assuming that it is him. I can't tell if DDP is going to push him in ways that we never imagine and DDP, as we know it just finds ways to win that are just remarkable, or if he's gonna get run over too, Like, dude, I never saw Whittaker getting just like annihilated that way. I mean, like it was nothing. He ran through him like he was nothing. And we all know Robert Whittaker is a lot more than nothing. And so it is DDP. But is Ham's not gonna run through him too? Like this notion that like DDP, because he's the champion, is the guy best suited to take him five rounds? I'm not so sure that's true. I really don't know if that's true. Yeah, so it's hard for me to say I hope because that'd be awesome. But I mean, this is the Ham hams up schum I've experienced. It's reckless. It's sometimes it's very very quick and brutal and violent, like that's that's what you're gonna get.
I want to see it a middleweight. We never got the welterweight title shot, which I would have loved to see, you know, as much as him versus sound Perreira, him and Poeton. As much as that's a weird idea that is like oddly intriguing in so many ways, contrast and style, star value, all of that, I wouldn't turn it down in a second. Damn we got to see it at middlewaight, first, come on, right, I mean, don't don't go too far ahead before we actually find out what this guy's really made of. At this level. It's hard when in the biggest fights he has absolutely run through people, and I don't consider Kevin Holland one of his biggest fights, but considering the scenario of missing weight that badly, having all the negative pr and then just going out there and mopping him up in seconds, it felt like, Dude, this guy has that extra gear that's just frightening. Don't let us see it for the first time at two five at that level, right.
That might be the first time you actually do see it. Like the way you're describing the does he have to go another weight class? I know, does he have to go to another weight class? Dude, who beat Robert Whittaker the way that Hamzad beat him?
Nobody only DDP.
But that's after not even that quick is he the first time finished him too?
Yeah? I don't think that was the best version of for de Yeah.
How long did the fight last with Chamia? A couple of minutes? I mean something like that, right, Yeah. No one beat the first one. Yeah, No one beat him like that. No one beat him like not Izy, not not not DDP, nobody.
All right, look, let's go to your second most coveted MMA fight for twenty twenty five.
So this one might come as a surprise because my my honorable mention BC would have been what yours was, which is DDP versus Hamzap. But I don't want to double up on it. People are going to say that this is the wrong one, and I know that they're going to say this is the wrong one. I don't really care. I feel like this is more important for me and more important for the health of the sport that we kind of encourage these athletes to go in certain directions versus others for me. For me, I want to see Ilia Toporia versus Diego Lopez. I think I could accept. I could accept mos Are if there's really a lot of you know, as like a backup choice. If there's something that happens I know what everyone's gonna say, Oh, it should have been Illia versus Islam, But I don't really have a ton of inter I mean again, it's not quite the right way to put it. I would obviously happily take it if it's a fight that gets made, but I just don't. I feel like Islam fighting another featherweight is really not the best use of our time. I understand, going back to what we said previously, that if Ilia ends up beating Charles Lavera, if he gets that fight in the Ale, so it becomes the number one de facto contender. Now it's a fight that there's a ton of hype behind. I fully grant that, but that we're getting the cart before the horse. You can look at some of my predictions from end of twenty twenty three for twenty twenty four, and they we're just way too early in certain cases. I don't know if we're gonna get there this year. You're asking about this year, and I feel like if Ilia is going to stay at one forty five, which he gave least some indication he would. I know people are down on the contenders for reasons I'm not fully I don't fully agree with I'll put it that way. I actually feel like Taporia versus Diego Lopez, and I don't he might fight Vulcan. The whole thing can get disrupted there too, b see. But assuming that that fight gets made, I actually think it's a very difficult fight for Ilia. I think it's a very fun fight, a very competitive fight at least in spurts, and I think that Ilia will get his hand raised in the end. But it's one of those fights where it's, like, dude, I say this every time. People always think, oh, it's that guy who's gonna stop that guy, and sometimes that happens. But when you're talking about champions standing a post and accepting wave of contenders, it is often the ones you think the least amount or you just you don't really quite see the picture of how they get there, they end up causing a lot of trouble. Diego Lopez has offense absolutely everywhere, and for a careful but deadly striker like Ilia, that could be a lot of problems for him that could shut him down, disrupt his rhythm, make things a little bit hard for him. Obviously on the ground, Diego Lopez has offense there too. I actually feel like it's the most underrated fight the UFC could make. Between how good it is and what the fan level of enthusiasm for it is is a yawning gap. And I really think it's a mistake. That's a great, great, great fight, and I really hope you get a chance to see it.
Yeah, that's a fantastic fight. I didn't think you can pick that off the menu like that. I mean, I thought Islam versus Shavkot could be your number two for example.
Maybe I hear okay, so I toyed with that one too. But here's the problem with that one. BC.
Yeahn't tell me about it again.
If they made it, would you be like, oh, terrible, No, it's fine, it's great. It's terrible.
I'd rub it. I'd rub it all over my skin, Luke, this is great.
Here's the problem that we run into, though, the problem is that let's assume Shafcot wins against Bolau, which, by the way, no guarantee, but let's assume for the sake of argument, that he does. If he does, you're gonna tell me that his first title defense is against a lightweight. And it's like, I understand that there's star power value there, and like there's reasons to make the fight because if there's enough demand, that's really the only thing that actually kind of matters in the end. But it just seems to me premature. The best kinds of superfights are when you have people who have and they never made it. But it would have been GSP Silva where the GSP had reigned over Welterwaite, Silva had rained over one to eighty five, and then there was this meeting of two you know, Colossus basically coloss I. I guess that's not what you have here. You have a guy in Rochmanov who is still obviously undefeated in your top contender, but his stock came down to earth a little bit. And even if he wins, that's just winning the title. You're gonna send him right into a super fight against a one to fifty five. Again, It's not like that would be the worst thing in the world. It just that doesn't to me. I think they should make super fights when the timing is right, not just because they want to pit two names together for the fuck of it. That's that's where I'm at.
I mean, I can't say I don't get it, because that's essentially the same argument I have why don't want to see Pereira versus Tremaiev next in a lot of ways. But with that said, good lord, is that a sexy matchup? That doesn't sound like it would be forced under My big prediction for twenty five that Mahachev after if he beats tar or a tar R Yukino second time. Excuse me, edmend sorry for that movement, that he would just kind of naturally at thirty three. Want to move up and go that way. But uh yeah, back to Diego Lopez. This this would be a very interesting fight, the hunger, the explosiveness. I like that pick for you, my number two. I put it at number two because I couldn't see this countdown without having it on there. Even though it's not, you know, in a matchup sense, there are more, There are fights. I want to see more. But look, I don't have to explain to you why we need to see John Jones versus Tom aspinall. We need to see it. We need to see it for the sport, for the health of meritocracy. I know that maybe that's a little overblown. John's an aging guy who's either going to retire or he's not. But due to everything we've been through in this division with Francis, you know, coming up as John's away and leaving just as John's coming in, and to not get a fight that is such a lam dunk and would be such a monstrous fight would do more harm for the sport and the future of guys looking to duck each other than anything else. In my opinion, I wish John didn't look as old against even older and more compromised Stepay at times, so I would be more excited about this matchup, meaning more excited to the idea of John's chances of winning. For the record, I think John can win this fight. It's part of why I want to see it. But I certainly wouldn't favor him. But I want a spectacle. I want fights like this. We were having Usik Fury one in two in boxing. Better bevol one in two. Yes, with the big pageantry of Saudi Arabia and all the money in the glitz and glamour, but it's putting such beautiful wrapping paper on such fights that are so monumental and historic. This has that potential for UFC, especially if they're willing to move past Dana's understandable push back against the viewer experience and wanting it to be an Arenas because he could control every aspect and being anxious about out the idea of having it in a stadium, and there's there's weather, there's other things, although you can have it in a closed dome easily without issue weatherwise. I want them when they have fights that are this big, like you just explained the super fights, like GSP versus Anderson Silva. This isn't Annaple's comparison to that, but it decides the hierarchy and the division that we need. It's cemments John's opportunity to walk away to the sport unquestioned as the greatest of all time. It could launch the next great star out of the UK and the heavyweight two point zero that we thought Gon could become. But it might really be as but all. If they do it in a stadium and give that grand feel, it would be a spectacle an event. I want UFC to give that to the fans, to the business, to the industry, to itself. So I'm gonna put that at number two, Luke, because i can't see the year go by without this happening. It's going to happen. There's not Chell sun and telling it to you. I don't have inside information. It's just it's lining up. They got pay that man his money. You saw the report of Joe rogansain publicly that he heard the offer that John wants is thirty million from the UFC luke. I know you've tweeted out a response to that a couple of times. Pay that man his money. Let's do this absolutely huge fight. Let's go.
Let's go just on the money part. I saw people like it's weird, like there's this everyone seems to criticize John Jones like the wrong way. And here's what I mean. That's not quite true. But on this level it's true, which is they're like, oh, I saw someone reply to me and he wasn't alone being like, oh, he doesn't have a top ten gate in you our top ten by rate in UFC history. And it's like, well, back up a step here. So if you take out McGregor, and you take out Rousey and you take Lessner, I'm guessing that gets you that. I'm guessing that alone occupies all of the top ten. I haven't looked at that, but I'm assuming that's what you're gonna get. People think that if you're not doing that, you're not really making the UFC money, and I just have to counter that in the strongest terms possible. This isn't always true, but if you look at what is available in terms of the public data, there is a significant amount of pay per view buys that John did somewhere typically between five hundred to seven hundred and fifty thousand buys. I cannot overstate to you if you are putting consistently, pretty consistently anyway pay per view by rates in that range. It won't top McGregor, and it won't top Lessoner, and it certainly won't top Rowsey, but you are making the UFC money. Hand over fist, hand over fist. Seven hundred thousand is a phenomenal by rate, a phenomenal buy rate. It's not record setting, but it is massively lucrative. And so if you combine that reality right where he's selling again not record setting but consistently well, is the way I would put that. There's a couple of aberrations, but basically consistently well. And then on top of it, you recognize that he was paid like what most guys were You know, the UFC never had spend approximately twenty percent year over year in terms of fighter costs. You realize that in asking for thirty million a they would still if they paid him, that they would still make all their money back and then make a profit. That's number one. Number two, you know, the UFC can easily afford it even if they were to take a loss on this event, which they're not going to. And more to the point, you know, I don't know if you want to call it wage theft, but the reality is he has made the UFC a ton of money that under even a fifty to fifty arrangement BC he is left wanting in terms of what he earned them versus what he's been given. You know, I've got a lot of problems with John, but like when he if it is true he's asking for thirty million, he's more than right to ask for that. He has earned that multiple time, at least the opportunity to have a paid a of thirty million multiple times over. And people saying, well, he doesn't sell as much as McGregor are deeply deeply seeing the point. He's been a consistently high earner for them and has not been relative to even a fifty to fifty mark paid anything close to that. Yeah, he deserves thirty million for this. Absolutely.
Look, at the end of the day, does this fight appear in if it happens in twenty five T Mobile Kingdom Arena in riod or Allegiant Stadium slash Jerry World meaning the Raider Stadium in Vegas or the equally big Dome in Arlington, Texas.
I think the only two places that are going to happen are Team Mobile. I can for sure see T Mobile that's it seems like a no brainer or MSG. I think those are probably the places they're going to put that. I don't think they're gonna put in Allegiance. I don't people keep talking about Saudi Arabia. It's like, dude, the UFC retains control over their product. Look what Saudi Arabia has purchased with their relationship with UFC, now not with boxing, but with UFC. With UFC they sponsored the Noche UFC event. But did anyone there say, by virtue of the Kingdom's involvement financially that they got to bump and pay. No, you did not see that.
No, But the UFC got bailed out on the price of it. It was it was called re odd season presents. UFC notes, what does.
That have to do with fighter purse? That has nothing to do with fighter purse. It only has to do with the UFC's administration.
Can okay, can I just count you? I'll say, Look, the Sphere was about the inflated cost of running the dome. This fight, if it struggles at the negotiation table, in my opinion, would only be about paying John the money he's asking for. Couldn't Turkey fill in the gaps on the John money, just like you filled in the gaps for Dana on the Sphere money.
How many different ways I can say this, the UFC does not like to be leveraged. They can afford whatever he's asking. I cannot overstate this. They can afford whatever he's asking easily, not not like they have to like find like the pennies in the couch. They can easily afford what he is asking. It's not a money issue. It's a leverage issue. And they don't want the I don't think they want to set a precedent for any of their A listers to be like well, create some demand or however you can do that or let there be demand and then just say I want, you know, Uncle Saudi to come in and come brain cash on me. They don't. They don't want to set that precedent. So those last thing, last thing, last thing. The only other thing that Said Arabia has purchased are the events that have taken place there, which are good events, but even then are not marquee events, and if you have pay per viewpoints, it's not really involved. They've kept Saudi Arabia in terms of having a hand over decision making and bouts at distance boxing promoters, they just they just put their butts in the air and said, you know, you know, this is what we will do whatever. So that's where we are. I just put my butt on the ground and I had an enormous, enormous shit.
So you're saying that instead of you know, Dana fifty k in the postfit interview. They don't want, Hey, uncle Turkey, bail me out. They don't want that. They don't want that all right.
From what I have seen, the relationship between the UFC and Turkey has not translated any way to an increase in fighter purses. I don't think that's accidental.
I can argue and just counter that and say it's because the UFC doesn't want to raise fighter persons, but this would be a scenario where it might be the only way they could do it to the greatest fighter of all time, and the only way they can make the fight work. So call Uncle Turkey, get the you know. It's sort of like when you have your like confirmation as a kid, or your you know, bar mitzvah. It's like, oh, we don't talk to our second uncle and the talent over except for when we have these big events because he's gonna put five hundred dollars in the n film.
I mean, I'll say this, if there is any fight where they could break the rules to make that happen, it probably be this one, because I you know, it's such a huge fight. I'm just saying it's worth reflecting on what the relationship has been to this point before we just lazily be like, oh, the Saudis can afford it. I'm like, guys, this is not an issue of the UFC not being able to afford it. That's not the hold up. The hold up is that they just don't feel like that kind of money should train for one particular about period and they don't want to be leveraged for it.
That's the my final connor would be that's the mission statement of the ZUFA era.
We're the.
T KO era have haven't. Would they prioritize the big event over the one time precedent. I think they prioritize the big event if they.
I can't rule it out, I'm not. I'm not going to sit here and say that they won't do it, because I don't know that either. I'm just trying to say they guide their business by a very clear directive, typically speaking and extraction extraction, and I just don't feel like I want to be clear. I'm not saying that they won't make the fighter John won't get his money. I'm really not making. I'm going to remain agnostic on that until it does or doesn't happen. I just feel like, oh, well, we need we need the Saudis to bail us out. It's like the UFC wants to set that precedent. I don't think that they do. I have a very.
Saudis may not be here forever, so get your ship paid for now while they're around. You may have to the UFC wants.
To keep Uncle Turkey's money. They don't like you to get it, you know what I'm saying.
All right, look, let's let's have you put your money where your mouth is. As you're a journalist and fan, what fight do you want to see most in twenty twenty five?
I would say that we kind of have been discussing it. It's John Jones versus Tom aspinall well, number one, this is number one. This is the fight to make. This is it? And again, is it gonna be John gonna get his money? I don't know. Is it gonna be in New York? I don't know. Is it even gonna happen? I don't know. I think that this is the most important fight that they can make. It's the heavyweight division. It's the last of John Jones. Again, if he loses, I suspected there might be another one after that BC right, which is by.
No for sure if he gets if he gets stopped, do you think he's gonna come back.
Or let's talk about that in a second. But either way, either way, it's a huge fight. It's a great fight, A literal generational fight, right because John Jones isn't that much older than Tom, But they represent two different eras of MMA, to be quite sure, one the past and certainly won the future and also the present to a degree. He's already defended the title of the interim title twice at this point, or at least whatever it was once, but he's had it now for multiple bouts. This is it, This is the big one. This is a this is a generational fight, it's a unification fight, it's a star making fight. If Tom Aspinall can find a way to win, it's just so. And by the way, just on fight terms itself, Tom Aspinall has not been tested by a guy that we think like John Jones has the ability to test him and vice versa. Right, There's just so many different questions, so much interest. This is the one and again I've got my differences with John Jones, but whatever he's asking for, if it's thirty million or less, I absolutely believe he has earned that. I absolutely think he should be paid that. This is the fight to do it. This is the time to pull that trigger. This is the big one metaphorically and literally make it.
Well, it's the JV big one. The real big one is John versus Francis, and we would only get there.
I don't think if I agree with that anymore. I don't know if I agree with that anymore. I certainly think it like by twenty twenty three or twenty twenty fours measurement, you know it would be the JV one, But like, honestly.
May Francois is not a big pay per view mover. I acknowledge that.
There's that, And also like you know, dude, Tom might be that guy. We don't know, that is what I'm saying, Like, we don't know. Let me ask the question though, and I would love to get long I after I get your response. If John were to lose, and I'm just gonna leave it at that. You can set the terms about what that means. But if John were to lose, do you think he would want to run it back or would he be content losing on his last fight of his career.
It would depend, in my opinion, on how much that invincibility the unbeaten record means to him. Mind you, look, they haven't overturned his defeat, his defeat to Matt Hamill by DQ like, but no one counting that as a as a loss. So in a sense, kind of like when Roy Jones only had that one loss by d Q to montell Griffith that he avenged by nasty first round knockout. It was the idea where he doesn't need the oh, but we're still looking at him as an undefeated fighter. If that means everything to John and that was part of his hesitance and why he's been so openly publicly sort of putting his thoughts in his head out on a microphone and saying, I don't know, I don't know, you know, like or is it really only about showing disinterest? So the UFC will raise that price and give him what he deserves in that regard, Luke, if it's more about the money and not about the O, then if he loses, then again I still don't know, because if it's about the O and he didn't have to protect that anymore, if he lost, let's say it was a competitive fight, but he lost the decision. Maybe if if you saw, you know, the competitor in him going all right, I'm no longer undefeated, but I know I can beat that guy. Let's come back and do it, and it's gonna be a ton of money. Under that scenario, Yes, under the scenario that he loses dominantly, No, I think he'd walk away and be done because I don't I don't get the feeling. Like again, this whole front he's been putting on could be largely fueled by money. It could just be public negotiation one on one. But I think there's been enough weirdness coming out of what he's actually saying that has led me to believe that he's questioning him self. So if he goes out there and finds out the question that he's not on the level of aspinall at this age, I don't. I don't know why he would come back again.
Luke no cida. What do you think if he loses and again you can decide what that means, does he fight again?
I think, barring nothing happening outside of the cage, yes, they fight again if he loses.
Interesting?
Interesting?
Yeah, And I don't know how to to your point, B see like it's a it's an interesting question too. Let's say he would be at least willing to come back, but like, if he loses split decision, does he go through it again? If he gets stopped, does that make it more like.
There's flash stoppages right? Like like there's flash knockdowns and boxing. You could get startched for one second and the referee looks, then you're knocked out. And in that situation, did you get dominated. No, you got hit by one shot. There's a difference between that and the kind of beating that John gave Shogun Hua.
Right.
If John takes an extended beating, no, he's not coming back. That's what I'm saying.
Okay, Okay, there you go. All right.
My number one for twenty five, Interesting enough, Luca was a fight that in one of your earlier preambles you said you're not interested in for a lot of certain reasons. Unfortunately for you, Luke, it's the fight I'm most interested in. Even though my bold prediction was that Mahachev, your Palm for pound king, would move up from lightweight if he defeats Saryukin in a second time and go takes his business to welterweight, allowing the door to be open for teammate Usmandner maga Metov, who's still got to get through Paul for Hughes later this month and get to the UFC. But with that said, who is number one and two in my current Pomp for pound top ten in the UFC on CBS Sports dot Com. It's a Slamahachev and Ilia, Taporia and Luke when somebody has liked to Poria not only climbs the throne like he did in twenty four, but does it in the most demonstrative terms possible with knockouts of two former champion future legends, both who were in the top ten of pom for pound when he did it, which is what allowed him to edge out Poeton in one of the closest Fighter Fighter of the Year ballotings that I can recall. It's the idea of if you did that, and by the way, Hollow I put up a hell of a fight before that finish. If you did that on these terms at this level, what the hell can you do one division north? And since he's already talking about openly the hard way cut and wanting to do it, dude, like, I know, we don't always have to do this. I know some people didn't want to second Volkanowski versus Mahacha fight. I get all of that. This is different from that. This isn't you know where Volk had a knockout before against Mahachev and now he's coming back down to do it This is the arguably the two best fighters in the world could have a chance to meet up at the same weight. That's why you get into the sport as a fan to see the best fight the best. I love the style contrast. I love everything about this fight, the well rounded games of both. I love it. Give me Mahachev versus Tiporia. I mean, look, that is the ultimate, Like, holy shit, I might have to be there fight, whether I'm there as a fan or a journalist, Like hold my calls, I I damn don't you. It's not on GSP versus civil levels in historical stardom and what they've combined accomplished since they're earlier in their careers. But it's pretty damn high up there, Luke. And it's rare when you can get one and two pound for pound to match up in a way where we find out I mean, we may have just done it. No, we didn't do it recently with Volkanovski and Toi Poria because Taporia wasn't there yet, but he's there now. After the Max fight, I mean, dude.
Fulk Islam was one and two.
I think that was one and two vocus on the first that was the storyline going into it, Okay.
I mean, obviously, you know, Luken, both sports, it's very rare. This would be one of the biggest fights that could promote in a while, potentially too, wouldn't it be.
I don't hate the fight. It's a great fight, it's a lovely fight. I would love to see it. I just doesn't.
Don't you want to see what your boy's made of? Don't you want to see that. It's the same reason why when Floyd was running through that that undefeated run that people like me were like, did he go to middleweight once? Just to show us?
Like?
You want to see the best take on the very best, Luke, Do you want to see if he can dance at that level?
So what's been a weight in boxing? One? Fifty four? No, sixty, sixty Jesus, you wanted Floyd at sixty even pack.
I mean, in hindsight, it's too it's too far, you know. And he did well in the three big fights he had at fifty four. He showed us enough. But I'm saying the reason why I would even say that back then was because somebody is so great and so dominant against fellow elites that you're like, I gotta see the limits to that. I got to see what this guy's actually made of.
I know, I know, I know everyone's gonna disagree with me on this one, and I understand that it's just a personal preference thing, but I really feel like the timing is not ideal. I can think. That's the way I would say it. The timing is not ideal. And of course the counter to that would be, well, you kind of have to make the timing like the timing like how many times you're gonna get an opportunity to put these two guys together or the other combination which is Islam and shof Cut. And I grant that that that window is narrow, but I'm not like dying to see either of these. I gotta be honest with you there. And they don't. Okay, I love them. They great. If they announced them tomorrow, I would I would be like, these are cool. But if I'm not, I'm not pining for them.
Let's keep the shav Cut Islam one out of this. Let's do number one versus two pound for pund am I being too much of a fantasy video game maker, or is this the best fight you can make in the sport?
Well, you just said, let's leave Islam shof Cut out of it. I was going to say, personally, if we're gonna throw Islam into two division super fight like that, I want to see him versus shaf Cut rather than versus Ilia. Also, Luke, is the reason you're so hesitant on this is because Ilia might lose.
Somebody brought the whispers that have been going on behind the in the dark to the light.
Luke, am I worried he would lose? Why would that?
That's your guy?
I don't. I don't want John Jones to win anymore. But that doesn't mean that, like I don't want to see a fight where he could win.
Like, I don't think it was a question that the that the that the world was asking themselves, Luke, and but Nosita had the guts to bring it.
I mean, the guy just polished off two of the best featherweights of all time. You know if he lost up a weight class, I don't think it would be that damaging, to be honest with you. Also, also the bed wedding on this show that would take place if he knocked out Islam YouTube, Oh yeah, I'd have to get a life raft to survive years. That would be streaming down your face and then filling up the room.
Oh, I'd be so.
Yeah, now say that.
Now, all right, let's go to the best sport in the world. Look, they call it boxing. My number three pick for fights I most want to see. Look, this is like another video game fantasy fight, only it's a very possibility it could happen. We all know David Benavidez is now fighting at one seventy five because he's not gonna wait for Canelo. The David Morrell Junior pay per view on February first is gonna be musty TV. But if Benavidez wins, we already know he's being set up in riad season to fight the winner of the February twenty second Better bv Bevaal rematch for the undispeeded light heavyweight title. It's actually possible in twenty twenty five that Arthur Better beev if he beats Bevall second time stays undefeated, could take on unbeaten David Benavidez for the undisputed light heavyweight title. I would have thought we'd already seen Canelo Benavidez one and two by now we didn't, And I don't know if we're ever gonna see it. But Luke, holy shit, this would be a spectacle, like you got, like, you know, could you could you favorite Benavidez First, let's see what he did against Morrell, But who cares about that? He'd be an underdog coming in, But this would be a manly, hectic, highly skilled but aggressive fight. It would be absolutely incredible, especially if better'd be a wins the second time. Is that old dog pushing forty still, you know, fighting for the palm for pound number one consideration against a Benavidez who would have really, despite you know, never getting Canelo stepped up some quality steps, you know, plant on Andreid now this you know Vodzig and his debut at one seventy five and now Morrell First, Luke, how much would that interest you?
Is this fight at one seventy five or one sixty eight.
One seventy five they're full timers now a one seventy five Morel and benevide.
I need to see how Benavidez look. I mean, it's not just a win here, because he looks fine against Vosdik but not overwhelming.
Yeah, like he might not beat Morel just so we know, like we don't know, right, that's why that fights so good.
Exactly, or he could beat morel but like by the skin of his teeth, in which case you're like, let's slow down. So I need to see how he looks. But I'll say this, if he looks like he looked against Andre or you know, not even that, but a plant or something, then yes, I'd be highly interested in seeing a showdown with better be.
Hell yeah, let's go. What do you got for me, Luke number three?
For my number three, it's you know, uh, you just have to see it or I'm gonna guess that there's a significant amount of market appeal for it. Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia.
Too, Oh, hell yeah, give me that.
Just seems like a no brainer for a fight that has I mean, everyone is suing everybody. Ryan Garcia's burning crosses allegedly or something like.
It's a it's.
A it's an I remember, I cannot even I know that I said that Ryan Garcia was gonna get tuned like a guitar, and that is, I mean, one of the all time worst predictions ever, And I understand that, but I do want folks to remember the madness of fight week, where Garcia had like party voice, was drinking in the club until late at night, missed wait, I mean just a circus beyond circus, and then went in there whenin the first minute of the first round rocked Devin Haney shit with a left hook. And then, of course people also forget Haney collected a bunch of rounds, like rounds three through six or seven or so, where he was doing really quite well, and then everything kind of came off a couple more times when he got dropped subsequently in that bout I think two more times after that, if memory serves, so the whole thing was just the whole thing was fucking madness. Devin Haney saying he's gonna be back in March, obviously not against Ryan Garcia, who's still suspended. So there's a little bit of business to be conducted, and you know, we'll see what kind of state Ryan Garcia is in by the time he is reinstated from his one year ban as well. But BC, I mean, am I lying and saying that there is just an enormous I mean, it's one of the biggest rematches you could make. Oh yeah, and if not the biggest rematch you could make.
In the year, and it's going to be so palatable to the calsual fan to jump over and be like, oh yeah, I know that's I know that story, I know that that fight. Let's do it again a second time, Luke, my second fight is going to be right involved there with the Five Kings, if you want to call him that. Of in and around the one thirty five to one to forty division, we've only seen two iterations of this group fight each other. Both have involved Ryan Garcia, once against Tank Davison. Of course the first fight with Haney. Damn right. I hope he rematches Haney and that would have been my number four pick. But my number two pick is a fresh matchup. How about Ryan Garcia versus Tao Femo Lopez Junior. And I know Tao and Devin Haney have been talking trash. We'll get to Devin Haney's future in a second, but Luke, Ryan Garcia versus Tao in the ring would be so quick, twitch, fiber explosive. It would be incredible. And the lead in with how you know, we think of Ryan Garcia as unfortunately at times being crazy dude. Teo has been wild out of control lately. I mean, both guys have used the N word. Unfortunately. Look, that's not the direction I wanted to go here with this matchup, but it is the reality. Tell me, this wouldn't be an offensive, just joy to be whole to watch in the ring.
Yes, it would certainly be the kind of madness that you tend to prefer. I think it's a good way to put it, right.
Hul Klego be the special guest referee, right, you know, Dog the bunny Hunter would be the time keeper, would be Gray.
Oh that's hilarious. Yeah, but listen, there's a market for chaos, and that fight brings it and.
The one forty title. Let's do it.
Let's do it. It would absolutely work. I can't say otherwise it would work. It would work all right for my number two BC. I struggled with this one because my number one is clear, and so I didn't know which direction to go for my number three. Honorable mention, I'm gonna say Canelo and but but I just don't think it's very likely to happen, So I can't really put it on my list.
Oh it looks they're talking about it. It's still kind of out there as a possibility for I.
Just find it unlikely. I don't know, I find it unlikely. I hope I'm wrong. Jesus, I hope I'm wrong, And based on my twenty twenty four predictions, there's a good chance I am right. Virtual or Teas and Boots, that's the one I want to see. I really want to see that one. Boots had a big debut signing with match Room, and it's not gone poorly exactly, but it has been no boost from his fortunes at Well again, at PBC. We know he's not really a PBC guy, but you know, had a PBC friendly essentially relationship. It's been no change and in fact, maybe even worse. And some of the things that people have said about him, like he's duck in this guy, and he's duck in that guy, and he's duck in this one. You know, I think some of that might be overstated, but not all of it. BC Like there has been a moment where we've kind of been waiting for Boots to break out and he just hasn't broken out. And not only that this fight would be all action, it would be important for well I mean one fifty four essentially, I mean I know he was saying I might go one fifty four seven, but certainly in fifty four.
To interrupt you, the latest news is that Boots is talking with stanionis about a welterweight title unification, which is.
Fine, but that's not on the level of this one. I mean, it's just not, you know, in terms of the interest level. Virtual Ortiz is not the slickster. I don't think that a guy like Boots is. But he's hard nosed, he's devastating, he's very good, he's in your face. The kind of guy I think that could give Boots, who is defensively lazy or at a bare minimum not optimized, could cause real problems. Like it's just a moment for Boots to either show us who we thought he could be, or for Ortiz to sort of set the record straight about what the pecking order actually looks like. And either way you're gonna get a dynamite fight out of it. I love that one, BC. I really hope they find a way to make that one happen.
I love that pick my number one pick. Look, I'm gonna be consistent. I say it all the time whenever we talk about what's the fights you want to see most it's not as sexy at the moment because both haven't had great years in terms of marketing themselves by staying busy and upgrading their competition. Although I credit Tank Davis for that, Frank Martin win, he just hasn't been busy and who knows if he's even fighting Roach in March. I hope, But we saw that weird cryptic tweet from him. We saw that new hairstyle on social media yesterday, which was interesting as well. But you know, at the highest level, I love skill versus skill. Dude, Tank Davis to Shaquer Stevenson, give it to me, Give it to me at lightweight, unify the titles. Finally, this would be the fight that both badly need. For Tank, it would be the highest level critical opponent where people would probably be split or you know, some pick in Shakur to beat him there, where he'd have to prove against a contemporary, same weight, same age group, you know, same era here that he can do this on the level of him, and that's what Schaquer has shown. For Shakur. It certainly would be that same thing, but it would also be that one giant commercial fight that he's been grasping for but hasn't been able to get and I know he hasn't always been his own best advocate inside the ring, got boot out of his own home arena switch promoters. I know everything that's happened, had an injury recently. But if you put these two together, the ones that know, the hardcores know. But that's as great of a fight as you can make in the entire damn sport. I want answers. I want these guys to fight each other while they're still in their twenties and in their primes. Come on, five kings, five princes, whatever we're calling. You make this era great by fighting each other and going out of your way to do it. Uncle Turkey's there. If we need a financial boom, any five booms, we can get that too, Luke, let's make it. I want to see skill versus skill, best versus best. Let's go.
That's a good one. It doesn't move me, well, okay, it does move me quite a bit. I just find it so unlikely. I just don't. I mean, I'm not even sure I we're going to get to the Lamont Roach finish line, much less the Shaquerz Stevenson finish line. But if they made it. It would be fucking epic. It would be huge, it would be fantastic. I would love it. I have not a single bad thing to say about it, other than I just don't know how likely it is. But for my number one BC, this is an easy one. I don't think anyone's gonna be super surprised by this. I'm not saying it's the biggest fight for anybody else, although I do think for some it will be simple Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua. It's not what it once could have been. Okay, fair enough, but it's still pretty great, and it's still big important set up for phenomenal atmosphere, could set up for phenomenal action. I think it's still settles something pretty important. And you know, BC, I'm not gonna put it on the same level of like it's the heavyweight British version of Garcia Haney. I don't think that's quite right. But I do think between them, you're gonna get a crazy guy acting out in Tyson Fury and sort of the straight man as it were in either Devin Haney or in this particular case, Anthony Joshua, and you're gonna get a fun contrast in the build up to it. I think that fight has to go in the UK and not necessarily in Saudi Arabia. I don't know. I don't know how Saudi Arabia feels about that, but I'm just pointing out that fight for me would be so fun, so interesting, so weird. It's my number one boxing fight. To make it.
Oh, look, it's a great pick and it has to happen. We need it. Turkey was willing to put Dubois versus Aj in front of what was that ninety six thousand at Wembley. This fight. If you can cram more bodies into that building, they'll find a way. This is that fight. And as much as you would rather see this fight if both were unbeaten champions unifying to get an undisputed champion, it didn't go that way. But his second best option is two former champions who still have something in the tank and a chip on their shoulder from recent big time losses looking to redeem themselves against one another to work their way back into that undisputed title shot. It's central casting still even at this point, even with both having a couple losses here, So yeah, great choice. Need it. Hope we see it, think we'll see it next. It's a perfect re odd season in London. Fight, let's do it. So there you go, Luke. Before we get to DM from Donks, I need one answer from you. A quick shot of a couple right here. Number one, best MMA fight this year you want to see outside of the UFC. I would have said, as I've always said, Usman Andr Maga, Mettal versus AJ McKee. We never got that one. I'll take Usman versus Paul Hughes. This is going to be a hell of a fight in just a couple of weeks here. And to kick off the road to Dubai series. Are there is there any fights outside of UFC that you're itching for?
Definitely that one. I'll be very curious see what they're going to do with Dakota Ditscheva. It's not a name that you're asking, or you're asking him. I don't have one, but like that seems to me like appointment viewing for twenty twenty five. Trying to think through the rest of their champions. Obviously, I want their guys to stay busy. I think what happens with Francis on the MMA side, we didn't really talk about It's kind of been I don't know who they're going to put him up against. That I saw people saying, Nimkov, I don't know if Francis comes back for that. That seems a little speculative. I'd have to think about that one a little bit more, because here I was last year being like, I've got all these plans for pfl Belatore, No, you have. Nothing don't come true, so I'll have to see. But like, for sure there are some And again, I would love to see Patchy. I mean that's sort of relatively simple. I would love to see him just in action more regularly and then kind of let drama and different feuds build. But right now there's just not a lot building.
Right, Okay, what about if they did some kind of crawd catchway Patchy mixed Patricio Pippule, make them both happy you fight each other. There's not much meaning there outside, you know, because the beltser beltzer secondary. I mean, they're giving away belts if you win a pay per view fight at this point, So yeah, I got an RP quickly close Luke MK in twenty five, do you have any predictions to make?
Oh? Jesus, fuck no.
Do you have any like where will we be one year from now?
I hope not dead. Here's the thing. I got beaten like a dog this year, so it's very like.
A dog tar.
Yeah.
Yeah, you're tuned up like one.
Yeah yeah, I got to I got I got tuned up like a fucking guitar this year. So it's a little hard for me to be optimistic. And you know, in a ready for show kind of way. I mean, I'll let you take this one away, bec because I feel like you've got a better vision for it.
Anyway, get us on the road a few times this year, agreed, Get us in a studio, a funhouse studio, or or a consistent setting where we can bring back a pregame, preview, bring back an RSD. You want to be there for the three or four biggest events, boots on the ground doing the content we used to do. We get back to that with two strong shows a week like we've been running of late Long Island. Luke raising the rent around here, Mikey's lingering. We got, you know, we got the skeleton core of what we were, and we add a couple more back and we build up and we build stronger. We could be entering twenty six a year from now, Luke. I mean you never want to say regaining where we were because we used to have a stupid budget and hindsight while but regaining that spot we had in the minds of our contemporaries, of the viewers, of the fans, you know what I mean, where it's like shit, no matter what's happened. Yes, I gotta see what MK says about it. Let's get back to that. I think we'll get there, all right, Luke Thomas. That's the end of us answering our own questions while we killed a lot of shows with not much. So that's great. Oh, Devin Haney, sorry really fast. So Devin Haney, the news is that he's going to come back in March, and it looks like the report that will be on BLK Prome against Adrian Broner isn't necessarily true as the true opponent of his return has not been revealed or what the platform situation is, and obviously with Ryan garcia suspension not being up until April, we know that this is in some form. We're going to be a tune up fight, so we think, Luke Haney has not handled the fallout of his loss to Garcia well in my opinion from a PR standpoint, suing him afterwards all that he hasn't fought since then, Whether that was to heal the jaw or not, I don't know, Long Island, Luke. Can we show the footage that he put out this week of him getting back into training, Luke, what do you want from him in March? How tough of an opponent? How much should he jump back into this pool? Because we know close the year we got to see him in really big fights in and around this one forty way class.
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know how I feel about an opponent, but I do think he needs a tune up. There's just no question in my mind that was a bad loss. He took a lot of damage against Garcia, and his stock fucking collapsed. Like everyone who decided they didn't like him came out of the woodwork on this one, and he needs he needs to get back into it. I think in an easy kind of way, boxing is good for this relative to MMA anyway, So you would be better than I would about a name. I have no fucking clue who it would be other than it should be a tune up.
Yeah, I'd like a little more than a tune up. I know he's already beat in Regis Progress, so I don't want him, but somebody like that, an aging veteran who may be able to give him some trouble, but we want to see him get the mojo back. Look a bit. I wouldn't even hate, by the way, the Broner fight. I know that's saying a lot because he just got schooled by Blair the flair on the comeback, but I mean like the idea of just let's see him look good in a fight that we might care about for that night only. But he's got to rebuild that. The interesting thing, obviously, is that he's emotional free agent. He could, in theory kind of go out anywhere. You can go anywhere and any anyways now with Turkey around. But let's see a step up to some degree, shake off the rust, and then you gotta go big. Look, you gotta go, in my opinion, right back into Ryan Garcia, meaning no matter who he fights in March, make Ryan Garcia as soon as possible, May June whatever, because I think the only true way to get the Mojo back, get their reputation back. Is to go back in there and have the result against Ryan that we all thought the first should have been the first time around, and it would make him a lot of money too. I mean, stop with the lawsuits, all right, let's get through this. Let's get past that point.
Right.
Would you be moved by Tayo Femo as we show quickly the tweet as they had a back and forth, Tao Femo now questioning the blackness of Haney's ska Tao Fema on this racial attack of late.
He's got real issues about this.
Yeah, and Hani would call him out for that and then say stay off them pills you love so much and you know exactly what I'm talking about too. You also see Tayo Femo is trying to get up on Nina drama. I mean, this guy's all over the place lately on socials. You know, we love Tao buddy, He's a wildcard, Luke.
What was he doing with Nina first?
Reacting?
Oh, I see, just being horny on the internet.
Something like that. All right, that's from us. Let's hear from you now. You know, every Sunday night at morning combat on Instagram and Twitter. We put out the call for your questions. We got five of them. We're gonna answer them. This is DMS from Dogs. Alrighty, let's hit it, people, What do you got for us? This first one is from at Emery Nix. In your opinion, who was the toughest MMA fighter of all time? Someone who just kept going forward no matter what?
Luke?
This is different than who has the greatest chin, although that certainly helps to be in this category. But is there someone that you've identified that's just tougher than the rest?
I don't know about tougher than the rest. They're all pretty fucking tough, to be honest with you. But I think one guy that the current generation might not realize or appreciate was really, really, really tough in his day is the original dentist Josh Near. There were a bunch of guys who copied that nickname after him, but he was the original, and in his prime he was limited. He was limited, but he was I mean, you know, if you actually I think it's the Drew Thicket fight where they're talking about it and in UFC and you can even hear Rogan being like, this is just not a guy. You're probably gonna stop unless you just put him unconscious like he's not He's not ever going to tap you know you, He's not ever gonna quit. You have to you have to separate him from consciousness in order to win. And he did. He was again, he wasn't the best fighter, but he was insanely fucking tough.
Josh Near, would you throw lion? Heard Anthony Smith in this discussion.
Sure, sure, absolutely, I mean we're.
I mean, it's not like the ability to take punishment should be like a highlighted skill. But the dude was just tough as freaking nails to his own detriment.
You know, someone was asking me the other DAYBC, like, how come you look at promotions like cage Warriors relative to the UFC and then cage warriors will have a higher finishing rate relative to UFC fighters. And the answer is a bunch of things, one of which is you've got more mismatches at the international regional level, right, You'll have guys who eventually go on to UFC versus guys who never get close, and that means that the defense is not going to be as good. But the other thing that I think people really sleep on is I make this point all the time. Bec See, if you go to a local MMA show, right, like just the dudes around the way that are fighting, they'll be like twenty or more fights on a card, and they do that because the fights last like thirty fucking seconds. Most people don't realize how Yes, the guys at UFC level have good defense or whatever, but more than that, they just have unnatural chins. Most people just take the one single shot and it's over. And of course even for tough guys that can be enough too, but typically it's a little bit more for them. If they these thick neck motherfuckers, Dude, they're hard to put away. And you can see guys at the regional level who have good skill but just don't have that same kind of durability that no Gara level durability. And so that explains partly too. And I've seen guys get to the UFC level who are not necessarily that great, but just fucking old shoe leather. You just can't put him away, you know.
Matt Brown.
Matt Brown's pretty tough. I wouldn't he was more technical than you're giving him credit.
No, at the very peak, yes, but but that the toughness certainly reigned supreme throughout.
He was more enforcer more than like durable guy, but like no Gara in particular, was like one of those durable guys I've ever seen.
So pride knocked the shots that Big Nog would take in Pride and and just keep going.
Was just badly in the in the Bob Sap fight and then went on to fucking arm bar the guy like and he was. Bob Sapp was pushing four hundred pounds in that contest. Is as another level.
Brazilian's built different. That's gonna be a new T shirt for MK that I'm gonna sell and make millions off of. Let's Go to Cormac o'hagen sounds like a fine Irish lad, I think, says. If DJ Mighty Mouse Demetriz Johnson came back and got the title shot at one twenty five, would he be favored over Pantosia. We must add, by the way, that DJ's basically been fighting at bantamweight since going to one Championship due to their rehydration clause said he he stopped being a one twenty five fighter after the Suhudo rematch. Luke, do you think he could cut down to one twenty five one more time if he wanted to, and what would be the line on that?
The line is a question for no Cita. But do I think he could do it? Yes, what would the line be, No Cita.
I'm gonna put DJ as a slight dog just because time off. You gotta you've got to Yeah, but it would be close. I'm gonna say DJ plus one twenty five.
Let's on a run right now? Okay, even though I picked against him with KKF, but well, he's in a run.
I favorite Pantoja as well, but obviously it's DJ. You gotta be. You gotta be respectful of that, right, you gotta be.
You gotta be it wise. Next one, this one's from inside Underscore Spectrum. Who would be the most likely candidate to become the three weight world champion? We're not talking about it Anatoli Malakin with three hydration rules in one. We're talking about the traditional way. Also, hypothetically speaking, if Alex and Ilia do become the threeweight world champions, wouldn't Ilias status be higher because he did it in a way more competitive weight class? You certainly could argue that, but Luke I always thought it'd be Connor right now, Poeton's probably got the best chance to go for it. So Hudo at one point tried to push himself into a Volkanovski fight to get it. Who will be the first fighter to actually do it? I know that's an impossible thing to predict, but do you are you lean in one way? I mean, Poton's got the best chance because heavyweight isn't that far of a leap. It's a leap, dude, I mean, it's a fricking leap, but it's it's not impossible with his power? Is it? Tapooria? Are you gonna Taporia me right now? Luke?
I don't think it's Taporia. I mean, yes, obviously one five is a maybe. I don't know how likely it is, but you certainly couldn't rule it out one seventy I don't think.
I mean Chamaya if it would have been that, dude, if he had already collected the one at welterweight and then was done there, then you're like, okay, I could see him winning at middleweight.
Fory I really don't. I think somebody could do it coming up from bantamweight. I think that's possible, Honestly, I don't think anyone in the current roster does it. But you're right, the best chance is going to be Poeton because he could fuck around and you know, he's a big power and you never know at heavyweight. I wouldn't I wouldn't like his odds, but he's got the best shot.
Long Look, we messing anybody that that would be perfect for this? Can this idea?
M No? Honestly, I'm thank you.
I don't have anyone that's the best. That's the best insight we can produce. I appreciate that. Thank you so much.
Let's go to our next I'm gonna hit this.
Let's go to our next question here so we can fit in that ish. What do you got for me here? From at von beck cal is BKFC the second most successful combat sports and entity Right now, now you have to add this into the well, let me ask you this as much as we can say, is is PFL number two in m M A is one championship combat sports?
That means he's including all of boxing too.
I get okay, maybe you're right. What if we do what if we throw BKFC just in the MMA competition. Here's the one thing that they do have going for them. They're gonna put fifteen thousand people in Philadelphia for Eddie Alvarez versus Jeremy Stevens and that sort of WrestleMania, not what do they call it, knucklemania card they do Luke. Very few combat sports promotions can do that right now. Maybe in boxing there's more in BKFC isn't traditional MMA or traditional boxing, but they need more respect than we probably give them for their health and staying power at the moment.
I admit that if we're just talking about MMA brands, which can they're not, but they're kind of closest to it. Based on who they sign and what their fan base is, then you could maybe make a case that they're number two. I think you could do that. They have a fan base PFL really does not, and I think that's a big difference. But at the same time, it's not like it only works because it's not MMA, and it's certainly not number two in all of like all of that's transport.
That is definitely true. But credit to them because they're driving the one thing that a lot of people are having trouble with, consistently moving tickets right like they're doing that to some degree for their big events for sure, right for their big pay per views. Yeah, yes, and they've got McGregor for Better or Worse, which is interesting.
All right.
One more from the fans. Let's hear what you have to say. This is from at MMA fan Belfast. Question for Luke, what is your top three? My dad is so tight he wants dot dot dot. We know this man. Robert Thomas once gave RBS and Roy Rogerskubon's as Halloween gifts. I also was raised by a cheap dad who, you know, would would refuse to pay five bucks a month in the nineties for caller ID so we didn't have to stop answering the phone from solicitors. The certain things my dad was always saying, certain things he would just never entertain. Other things he'd spend through the through the you know, spend through the window for. But what was your dad like, you know, like we never had air conditioning growing up until I was just about to enter college. We always had to deal with it in the summer. Just suck it up. He's never had a c in the summer, not until like at the very end of high school.
Holy shit, So you would just cook in August huh.
Oh, yeah, so you you just you put a fan like what directly next to the bed and just yeah.
Here's an example of him being so like the Roy Rogers one is great handing out Roy Rogers coupons. That's a great one on Halloween. Another one was he one time asked me to I think I was wanting like some money. He's like, well, wash my car and I was like, well, we need car washing equipment and he I'm not, I'm not doing a bit. He asked me to wash his car with tied like like closed detergent. It was all yeah. I was like, we could just go we can just go to the store and buy this ship. He was like just use that and I'm like, okay, all right, Well that's that's a terrible fucking idea. What's an I mean? He was just constantly fucking cheap like it was everything. It's like if the standard was X, he was sub X all the fucking time.
He had Beta Max Player.
Shout out to that, that's right, we instead of begetting a VCR, my dad had a fucking Beta Max Player. He was like, the rest of the world uses this, and it turned out if we didn't, And so it didn't really matter if you're used the goddamn Beta Max.
Did he use the metric system in your house too? Did he force them out?
Oh, he didn't do that. I'm trying to think it was anything else. But then you know the one time, and then then this is I told you guys this before. But like the one time he came off of his pockets and he got his rebock pumps with the basketball on the tongue. My parents were divorced and my mom made him send it back and I never got to wear them one time. It was devastating for me.
Yeah, yeah, where would we Where would you be right now if you had if you had those? You know what I'm saying, lay it a.
Lot more content.
Thank you for your questions, dm ors. Don't forget again. Our email addresses morning combat at gmail dot com. Get your fans hubs in, get your dead wrongs in for this Friday's episode. Our final segment is the best segment in all of Combat Spouts. It's when I searched the Internet for the HIGs and lows, the good, the bad, the ugly, the in between the worlds of combat sports and beyond. This one's called have You seen this. Hey, Luke, it's the new year, so let's kick things off with some big booms. Let's head over to the balcony. The fireworks are about to start. Oh damn your titty. Wow, it's a fully luke. Wow.
Yeah, where those Fox Sports one offices are different?
Oh wow, there we go. Speaking of big booms, Luke AJ, Big AJ and Big Justice had a cameo where they laid some respects to a fallen person.
Oh, we're so sorry to hear about your brother that passed away. He gets five big booms.
Boo boo boo, boo boo. That's gotta be a I edited. It's like best with They couldn't have said that.
It's the saddest thing I've ever seen.
They couldn't have said that, Luke. They couldn't have come.
On, who is the person who paid for that? And what did they pay for?
Like?
How much was that?
I don't know? But that's that's brilliant content.
But we need to get we need to get some boom cameos like I got gonorrhea but they caught it early. That goes five booms.
Yeah yeah, indeed, Look, you know it is time to get those holiday decorations away because you don't want to be that person in your neighborhood. But watch uncle here trying to mess with the tree. You gotta be careful.
Fall Okay, thank you, I hear it.
Yeah, time to put it away for the air.
After that, uncle cancel, Christmas cancel. Twenty twenty five. Who puts a giant fat man on top of a chair, on top of a table and thinks that's a good idea.
Hit it all for the gram Luke. In Connecticut, we have roof rakes to prevent the uh one from icing up and dripping down. Yeah, watch this guy turn it into a treadmill to save his own life.
That's not a roof raake. This is just a.
Wow. He almost didn't make it there. Wow.
Yeah, that's not a roof break. That's just a man running in place like a dog on linoleum floor or something.
Oh look, there's Christmas, but then there's the morning after when you gotta deal with this. You know that during the show.
By the way, BC, did you see who responded to my They tweeted about it on the show account and I reached you.
That's great.
Social shouts to Eric Bickell. Eric Bickel is one of the hosts. He's been the host here for thirty years on the morning show on A one to six seventh, The fan here in d C, the Sports Chunkies. He replied to me, he was like, you do what you need to do in the middle of a show. Don't feel any embarrassment when you gotta go, you gotta go, shouts to eb I see you.
Oh well, look, the winter's here in d C. You'll be out on the sidewalk shovel and let's tune into this.
Oh big Mamas about to have it.
Make sure you put that rock soce out.
Oh wow, all right, and dude, she did the split and you could hear a thousand fucking tendons and ligaments snap and rip in real time, and then she just slides down the fucking by the way, did you hear her huffing and puffing? Oh yeah, someone get her an ox someone, someone get Albert Hainsworth over there, a fucking oxygen tank.
Oh my god, that's her last Christmas loop. She gave us her heart, you know what I mean. Wow, Oh Luke, it might be time to return those weird Christmas gifts you got. Let's go back to home goods with this one.
No no, no, no, no.
No, yeah, that's the Fox Sports one.
Okay, uh luke. I just recently went to Paris and my wife won't stopped talking about the wine. The bread. It doesn't make you feel gross. They didn't pump it full of American chemicals trying to kill you. But did you ever wonder why the French bread tastes so good? Watch this?
Oh yeah, you get that dooky bread. Oh yeah, yeah, you get that, You get that butthole bread. Oh yeah, that's all that.
And then hold on you get to the store and then you know, oh yeah, you gotta check him.
Oh yeah, just like oh yeah yeah.
Look.
This next clip brings new meaning to the term got that dog in you?
Oh how's it going? Man? It's going terrible? Why is that? I just found out I have that dog in me? Isn't that a good thing? You think this is a good thing? Oh god?
Okay, all right.
Where is the drive by shooter when you need one?
Yes, look, let's check in with the homeless. They're getting more politically.
Do anything for a dollar? But no, okay, all right, listen, beggars can't literally be choosers.
You understand, well, they can if they find a great place to sleep. Look at this homeless motel, Luke, this is innovation. No, the fucker's sleeping in there, warm right, you.
Know what to the victor, go the spoils. He claimed that he manifest destiny. He claimed that that's actually ingenious. There's like a tcby fucking signage there. He took that out, and I was like, you know what, gonna call this home suck a dick.
The panhandlers need to stay off the skateboard though, all right, I look like the NYC sign.
I always just assume that if you're was that a white guy with dreads? It was a white guy with dreads, right right? I always look yeah, no, because the stop sign in the back says patre or it's a stop sign, so it's it's Latin America. But I just assume that if you're, if you you culturally appropriated dreadlocks, and that's not like where you come from. I assume you're naturally a little sick, like I assume like you him vomiting that way, just sort of like you know, it all kind of lines up as like a singular identity, you know what, I'm saying.
Interesting, Luke, ark of the week from boxing. Look at this ropeitge here.
Give him a soft landing right there, right weeble's wobble. But they also fall down.
I mean, wow, Luke, have you heard about the weekend at Bernie sequel that's coming on?
You know, I thought Jimmy Carter, Oh boy, I mean they say not. They listen when there's a solar eclipse, they say not to look right at the sun. But low pan over there is on his last leg.
So let's just be time for MMA fighters in the wild. We always ask what if the MM fighters were like one of us, Luke, just a slob like one of us behind in RB's Uh you ever get any good dad, any any good stuff to huff out there?
Whippings back in the day, not the dental guess. Back when I used to work at a restaurant, we used to pack them whippings.
Oh yeah, I knew DP was like us, Luke, I knew it.
Let he who was without sin cast the first stone.
Uh.
Look, you know Phil Rowe right, the UFC fighter. Yes, he used to spar with David Benavitaz back in the day. Listen to this story.
So I trained with David Benavidez for a while. No way, let's go So twenty thirteen, I was falling him a lot, and honestly, he was like kind of wide in box. He would me up bad effortlessly. People like Phil you can box. I'm like, yeah, but this fat Spanish kid and they didn't know him. Yeah they knew him. Yeah, I swear. I would go everywhere and tell people about this guy. He was like six and at the time he only had fat in Mexico. He wasn't eighteen, and he would people up. He would spar Ryan Bader, wow down, CB Dollarway bow down. But he's on the level though, dude, bro he was seventeen.
Yeah, that's so crazy.
Whatever you wanted to pop bow Down done for the day, I'm done.
Yeah. He won a world title at twenty.
By the way, jots of that podcast, those guys are cool man. Uh. I would love to collab with him in the twenty twenty five There's ever an opportunity.
Is still a whole host on there?
I don't think so. I think it was just a guest, okay.
Uh Luke. You know, Roman Delije came out on this same segment and you know, spoke out against you know, artificial bond making in the nations Georgia. He's not gonna like this. Next chick.
Fucking Morgan. Oh my fucking god.
You know, death don't bother me. Death, don't bother me.
Death.
Bo dude, bother me a little bit, just a little bit. Oh my god, bitch, you got this. Oh my god, Oh my god, Oh my god. Look that was just Christmas morning at the NOCA. Does that ww that gut in there?
Yeah, Long Island. Look, that's very big of you to put your your the women in your life on the show. No comment.
Look, I just realized right now that we've actually run this next one before. But it's so good we had to bring it back. You know what they say about Pierce titties.
Right, Pierce titties taste like house key.
Okay, talk for your t shirts of the week. Let's hit it.
Feeling cute, might clog the toilet later. That's your boy, that's your boy.
Speaking of bowels, let's go to the next one.
God knew I would be too powerful if I had regular bowel movements.
Yeah, I could see you wearing that.
That's a little much. He knew.
He knew, right, all right, let's keep it going. Watch the carpets here.
Boss, please dress comfortable but casual at the Christmas party. Me BUKACKI ruined my car. Okay, what the fuck? Put that picture? Put that picture up. First of all, look at this place and look what he's eating. My man is just eating hot dogs.
Looks like a halfway house.
He's looking at what's in the back there and underneath his left hand. What's in the back like on crates some it's like modello or something.
Possibly.
Yeah, this is this is the weirdest Christmas party. And of course they've got a camera in the upper right hand corner. You better on these freaks.
Uh, Luke, we have a bonus for you. It's a hat of the week.
Call me the twin Towers. The way her bush has me, oh my god, oh wow, my oh boy god.
Okay, speaking of that, let's go to this next video. Carry all right, that's that's too far. That's that's too far. Well, Luke, New York City, speaking of has a subway system that can kill you. We've seen it a few times.
Check out this guy, baby all day.
Look what you get on this want to be clear, I want to be clear to everyone when you see clips like that of the New York City Subway BC, and I can tell you it is as accurate as you might imagine it to be as advertise. That is what it is like. It is like that.
Yep, let's keep the fun going on the subway. It's also like that too, Luke, okay.
Dog, I cannot over say to you. I cannot overstate to you how accurate this is. This is accurate.
Look, you know, one of my favorite content creators is that guy who goes to department stores and farts in front of people.
Let's check in on him.
You want some.
Oh, look that's you in first class, without question, with no class.
I have a little bit. See here's the difference between me on airplanes, Like do I fought? Do I fart audibly on airplanes? Yes, However the difference is because of the sound of the engine. It's usually round out. But I make no effort to conceal that's the reality.
That's the guy who holds that mirror up when he goes to Walmart and takes videos of like, you know, his eyes through the mirror looking back at them. As what that's creepy. Let's go to the crowdsurfing always a dangerous activity, Luke. You got to watch out here. Oh boy, there's a man down. Okay, Well, it's a very inclusive environment.
Though. You gotta know they tried. They made a good face.
They tried.
They didn't think that the physics threw very well.
Your wrap bars of the week here delivered.
This is my area, and I'm afraid to fuck you because you're as full of bargaria. Oh right, A constant problem that we all run into is really.
Indeed, Luke, one of your marine buddies got interviewed by barstool this week. The divis decision that you made this past year. I banged a pro without a honor. She was forty dollars a lot. Wow, thank you for your service.
I think that's a joke.
No, not really.
Honestly, I think that the Armed services keep more more of street prostitution in business than maybe any other entity. Your government tax dollars at work.
The soldiers fill the hotels on the weekends.
Luke. If you know what Iet week fleet week?
Wow, I got a couple more for you, Luke. Have you ever met the strongest mf or in the world. We have them on video.
I'm the strongest motherfucker in the world.
I think you were high when you put that into the Probably, Luke, our last one just good news, Just one hundred and fifty thousand more YouTube subscriptions on the Morning Combat channel.
Until you and I are forced to do this, I'll meet you at the middle, Luke.
Okay, we're not gonna Lady and the Tramp a fucking banana. Do you understand. Yeah, yeah, we are not gonna do No, we're not doing that.
That's all the shit I could find this week, Luca, I hope you saw it.
There we go. See how you getting home? Are you? Did you stupidly decide to take the bus again?
Like, no, no, I'm getting on the train. There's no snow in New York or Connecticut.
Oh that's right.
Yeah, it all went down to you. So we're fine. You know, I just have to brave the.
Subway being told it's snowing outside BCS.
All right, that's fine whatever, you know what I mean, I'll.
Get a little bit of snow, won't matter. It's when it gets like, you know, eight nine inches, that's when of the problems emerged.
Look, I thought today's episod would last about forty minutes. We gave them two hours and nine minutes.
Okay, and by the way, Friday, we'll have a we'll get everyone ready for the fight night. Fights are back.
Rejoice durn heboss two. Let's get fired up for it Friday. That's all we got for this week's episode, though, Long Island. Luke, thank you so much for taking care of us. Don't forget to email our show at Morningcombat at gmail dot com, follow us, like the video, subscribe if you have not yet. Guys, work We're coming hard this year. Aggressively yes, yes, consensually.
Yes, the only way.
All right, Luke, that's it.
I got a train to catch, all right, bro, Thank you guys for accommodating me. I'll be back in the studio next week, assuming that we're not pelted again by snow. But yes, love you.
All for l I l the LT. I'm the BBC with that BDE. We loved having you take care of yourselves. We'll see you on Friday, but until then we are out.
