MORNING KOMBAT WITH LUKE THOMAS AND BRIAN CAMPBELLUFC Announcements | Tank vs. Roach Preview | UFC Apex Preview | FULL EPISODE | MORNING KOMBAT
MK Fridays is always a vibe and this week is no different. Luke and BC bring you into the weekend like only they can! Beginning by reacting to the latest UFC announcements, including Rafael Fiziev vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 313. Then it is time to preview the weekend. As they look ahead to Saturdays big boxing card in Brooklyn as Tank Davis returns to face Lamont Roach. Plus, they break down this weekends UFC apex card and react to referee Jason Herzog's admission to Henry Cejudo.
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Revee, reveale.
Look at this now tempted.
Jesus using will be luck it's time to bang.
Well, well, well, look who it is. It's the twenty eighth of February twenty twenty five, and y'all are gonna have to see defeat like a podiatrist. What's up everyone? Hey, there's that auto focus on VC's camera. Hi there, it's time for morning combat. We got a lot to get to today, but first things first, let's intro ourselves. Hello there, My name is Luke Thomas. I am one half of your hosting duo. I join you from the Capitol right here in Washington, DC, and I believe my friend and partner here is normally the King of Connecticut, like once Jadakis accused fifty cent of being But I believe he's in New York City or maybe you're in Brooklyn right now? Correct?
Yes, I am yes, Ian Campbell.
What's out, Brian Campbell?
I was thinking nobody raises the roof anymore, Luke, like we did back in the nineties. You want to bring that back today?
I don't, though I don't.
Well, Hey, happy to be here. This should be a great show, Luke, may possible. Why is that outside chance because it's Friday. All the people out there ain't got chat to do, right, Let's just let's talk fights and bang dooey.
Right, come on, I listen. We I don't know how much you've talked about this. I'm surprised there's not been a little bit more chatter about it. Can you tell the folks why you're in Brooklyn because of what you're doing tomorrow? And I feel like, I know you try out to make it all about you, but dude, this is your show, this is our lives. Why don't you tell them what happened?
Yeah? Thank you very much. Which I will be on the call Saturday night, PBC on Prime Pay per View from the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. Tank Davis versus Lamont, Roach Junior. Let's fricking go fired up live in the Dream Climb in the Mountains, Luke, I'm ready, I'm ready to deliver more. Ronalo, Abner Marris is going to be a wild time.
On set, by the way, a big to do a big DC affair. Obviously Lamont from the area. Jervante training at Headbangers in Southeast DC. Also your co name Gary Antoine Russell, Junior U well no, sorry, this is Gary and Twine Russell. Yes, sorry, there's there's like there's like nine of them, Like I just say Junior by accident. But Gary Antoine, uh, he'll be in the co main event and by the way, a sleeper of a co main event if ever there was one. So it's I'm I'm dude. I gotta tell you. I'm so proud of you. I really am. Listen. I doubt you even showered this morning, and I bet your breath and butt stink. But as your friend and longtime partner, man, I am legitimately so proud of you.
Thank you, really happy for thank you. That is that is wonderful. Thank you. I did, however, I did clean my buttthole in the shower. Have not brushed my teeth yet though, so you know. There you go.
Yes, yes, that was half right. Let's bring in the third member here of the team, who also probably doesn't wash his ass. It's long island.
What's doing a matter of fact, I did this morning? Okay, all right, going on, brother, I'm good dude, how are you doing?
Good? Good good? What's what's the plan for the weekend? Gonna ignore your girlfriend some more so.
She's on vacation in Key Wes for the weekend shout out. So I'm doing the full card tomorrow. UFC Vegas one of three does not deserve it, but I'm doing the entire card and then we'll tune into BC's commentary afterwards.
What time? What time does the main card start for the UFC fights?
Do we know? Seven? Seven overlap?
We'll probably miss the first fight or two on the main card on PBC, but we'll catch the Comaine in Maine.
I'm thinking probably can catch the Comain and Mane. Okay, very very good.
Yeah.
PBC starts at eight the pay per view eight Eastern and then six Eastern. There's a three fight prelim card. I'll be calling headline by our boy Swift, Jared Hurd.
Oh, another DC guy by the way, who you calling the prelims with?
I believe also Moro and Abner, but I'll find out later.
Yeah, I mean, who the fuck knows? Right, I mean, it's a new day. Let's remind everyone socials everywhere. You can find us at all the different places where you get all of your content. You can follow BC, who's been a very active week over at the Brian Campbell experience his personal YouTube channel, but you can get mine as well, just Luke Thomas there, as you can see below. BC, I saw you spoke to Lamont Roach. I saw you spoke to Manel cop I saw you spoke to who else.
Virgil Ortiz Junior, and we went name by name through that one fifty four division to talk about his interest whether he thinks he can make fights against him. So very good chat with a guy who's absolutely on fire. And it looked like he did it from like his parents' bedroom or something. Just a humble guy in Texas.
You know he'll beat the fuck out of you. Don't think he won't. That's what he'll do, all right. So we have a lot to get to today on the show. There's UFC announcements, there's a UFC fight, there's boxing, and then there's sort of some sundry boxing topic. But without further ado, b C, if you're ready, we should get this party started.
Yeah, yeah, I mean you know, yeah we should.
Yeah.
Let's bang. Okay, all right, let's bang two. We topic number one if we can. UFC President Dana White issued yet another slate of just amazing announcements or what we think are amazing announcements. Anyway, I suppose we can debate them. Let's go through them piece by piece. There are there are many of them, but BC, there's basically three major ones. Let's start with what I consider to be the biggest. Dan Hooker was supposed to fight Justin Gaichee and the comine for UFC three thirteen, not tomorrow, but the following weekend. He entered his hand. He's out, So who is going to replace him? It turns out it's gonna be Raphael Fhazi, which is a rematch that they had from I think about a year almost two years ago, not quite a year and a half ago. At this point, whatever the case, BC, did they get the right comaine, or rather I should say, did they get the right replacement for Justin Gaichie given the timeframe and given who was available and all the other factors that go into it.
Luke, to quote a great American sports analyst, your mileage may vary, Luke, Okay, all right, look, let me start by putting the statement on there that we already know Justin Gaechee versus anyone at any time, anywhere, is gonna be Musty TV. It's gonna be hard to get that wrong. Do I understand what they were up against her last minute? Of course, I understand. You're not gonna have Tuporia fill in. You're not gonna have you know, Pourier necessarily as they're mapping out his retirement plan, although he did raise his hand, we found out on Twitter, which was interesting. The issue I have with this Luke is really just a larger, more generic issue with UFC matchmaking and the proliferation of fight cards, the higher prices in the water down, you know, the ad nauseum complaining that we tend to do because we are or we look at ourselves as sort of like gatekeepers of this industry of how it used to be, and we're watching these crazy trends happen. What do I mean by that? This is a pay per view in Las Vegas with a fantastic main event and the rest of the card is atrocious, and now we lose the All Action co main event. And while PHAZIV versus gay Chie was pretty interesting fight the first time around, not only did Gachi score his first takedown as a professional MMA fighter, but he showed legitimate veteran instincts to pull out a fight against somebody of the next generation of lightweights.
But but.
Phazebas on and two in his last two Luke. So it's like, is that the perfect fight right now? I mean, I'm certainly being greedy when I'm saying, Look, I would have loved armand Sarrukian right here, you know what I mean. I would have loved Charles olivera. But can you get these guys on two weeks notice? Maybe not? Heck, Luke, I wouldn't hated if they ran back Moikano after his one sided, last minute loss to Islam and give him sort of that second chance to capitalize on his run. Either way, Will this be a bad fight? No, But this is a co main event of a quo you know, of a somewhat major pay per view this year, and it feels like a rematch that nobody really needs right now. Tell me if I'm just a curmudgeon or if this is onto something here.
I think you're being a curmudgeon. I actually love this fight, and I don't really understand what the pushback is about. If I can just be totally on.
Okay, the pushback is it's a pay per view, Colemane, that's a pushback.
Okay, so you know what, let's back up a step. If it wasn't gonna be physive, who would have been Brian Campbell's top choice?
Armand Sarukian?
Okay, now we have a graphic I believe on this where Oh how did I include this one? I don't know if I included this one? God damn it. I probably should have included it. There were a series of ones that were offered and Arman was one of them. But Arman said he couldn't make the weight, so he was asking for a one sixty catchweight in the UFC bulk. Does your believe that the UFC should have just made a one sixty pound catchweight and done this or you can fight.
I believe they should have. I think it's still would have served the same purpose of sorting out the order atop the lightweight division. But again it comes down to your knowledge of whether you think this card is fine as is with this change, then there's no issue at all, Luke, I mean, like, what do you think about UFC three thirteen At the moment we are about to pregame preview that a week from today, is it going to be a two fight conversation or not. That's the real question here.
So I grant that this is less than ideal circumstances. Nobody wanted the Hooker fight to fall through, and now we got this kind of unfortunate situation. But let me just make the case for a physive because I just disagree that this is like some kind of I mean, if you wanted to make an argument that this constant replacement cycle stuff has become annoying or you know, it just doesn't leave you with much tittillation about what's to come, because you're just getting like a reduced version of whatever The good thing could.
Be the titillation, Luke, when it comes to TNA, we love titillation on this app.
Exactly exactly, And granted there's not necessarily much in part because of all the circumstances that we kind of laid out of here, but I have to tell you I love this fight. I really love this fight. Listen, Phayzive was on a ridiculous wind streak before the Gey Chee fight and was winning the Gey Chee fight up until Gei Chee stormed back late, which is just an amazing heroic performance on his part. But like Phaziv matter of factly was putting it on him early enough. So like there's rivalry between them, there's history between them, there was competitiveness between them. And to your point, Geichie versus anyone as action packed, but Geigee versus Hsive is especially action packed. That's the first thing I'm going to say. Second of all, the Gamrot fight. Yes, that's a fight that Physiv lost. Phyziv lost it in the second round. He won the first round on all three judges scorecards, and then got injured in the second. To me, I don't really necessarily read a whole lot into that from that fight. And by the way, Gamrad apparently for whatever reason, turned down a rematch with Physive. So it's not great that we're having two losses in a row for Physis. I certainly grant that is true. But this idea that like he's overmatched and he can't handle it, and he's like, you know, he's he's kind of petered out and this is the end of that, I just think that's complete bullshit, totally over sold for me. For me, is this the ideal situation? Of course not. We are not in ideal territory. We have to make do according to the UFC's preferences with what we have available. The other ones that were available who could make weight, And I'm with you. If the UFC was willing to play with weight more, there might be some better choices, but for whatever reason, they're not, so it has to be guys who make weight we're really gonna spend what could be could be could be justin Gaechee's last fight against a wrestler, trying to take him down ad nauseum in Gamrot, you could do that. I don't really understand necessarily what the point of that would be physive, on the other hand, and I know there was some other choices that were out there, also not nearly as good or you know, kind of paying robbing Peter to pay Paul in a sense. But among the people who are available, this is not only the best one. There's reason to believe it could actually be very, very competitive, and the fact that phys has one to get back because of what happened the first time in an all action style. Honestly, I'm not sure that I can't declare to UBC that this will be a better fight than Dan Hooker, But for me, this is the one that offered the least amount of drop off from the Hooker fight to a secondary choice, and I'm honestly blown away people aren't more on board with that.
It'll entertain it could continue the rivalry because you know gae Chee was crafty and how he pulled out that first fight. I'm not gonna be upset coming in or probably upset on the way out. I am looking at the other options, though, I mean I wouldn't have preferred more let's say Darr Yush or Tarantula Turner. But Luke, if we're going to accept a guy given the circumstances of two week notice and turn around coming off of two losses in physive and I do understand complete what you're saying about the circumstances of the Gamraute loss. Could we have considered number fifteen ben wat sanctany would that have been? Would that have made people more more excited? Would that have made me more excited? By being extra extra greedy here? Do you think it was even addressed to call up BSD?
I don't know, but that could be one of those things where it's like are they saving him for some future European or French card? Whether later in the calendar or something, you know. But the argument to me is not that there is no way to look at the roster again, especially if you're willing to play with Catchwaight and find a superior alternative. I think you could. But I think in terms of guys who can make fifty five, who are ready to go, who have an action oriented style, and then anything else on top of that is bonus. The fact that they have a history together. By the way, a phenomenal fight itself. I don't know, man, I've seen some of the belly aching and I just don't get it. I mean, there's some other fights down the line, or more broadly, the three thirteen card. Any hit it took was gonna be obviously detrimental because it was already paper thin. And this doesn't help. But I gotta say, in terms of a rescuing effort in the ways in which you view that, I just can't complain about this. I'm actually kind of pumped for it, if I can be honest, and this I rarely say that with a replacement, but this one satisfies it for me.
Then I pull back my disinterest. Luke, and I do know that BSD has a fight coming up? Is it Alvarez?
Oh? Yeah, Joel Alvarez. And by the way, that fight is a bang.
Oh that's gonna be a great fight. So look, look I gave you my real reaction. I'm not lingeringly upset here. Let's see what happens. What I do want to ask you about this fight is long Island. Luke pointed out the odds to me earlier today, courtesy of DraftKings, which have PHYSIV minus one thirty five Gaye Chee plus one fourteen. Do you feel like Vegas is ready to fully cash out gay Chee coming off of that Holloway ko under the premise that the chin be gone.
I think that they're worried. Fully cash out seems a little strong. Let's see how the odds change between now and then, But I absolutely think that they are concerned. A guy has taken an enormous amount of damage even prior to the Max Holloway fight, and then got viciously face planted, kode one hit or quitter, one of the worst knockouts that a fighter in UFC history has ever suffered. That's a true fact. You know, nobody comes back from that like just the same A piece of himself was left in the octagon at UFC three hundred. There's absolutely no way around that. The question is, okay, even if you lost a piece, how much is still left? We don't really know. This is why physive Hooker would have been a great test too. But this is why, to me, phyzive is a great test. Phyziv is gonna try and find that out. I absolutely believe it. He's got one gear for the most part. Anyway. And oh, I see, I see you smiling like a rapist. What's going on?
I was agreeing with your point. I mean, I do like a physive Look, I'm trying to not be as curmudgeony. I'm trying to go, yeah, yeah, let's bang this final thing I'm in.
Let's go yeah, Long Island, Luke, give me a prediction on where the line will settle a week from today.
I feel like it's actually trending the way that it's been going because Gaff texted me yesterday shout out to Gaff.
And was like, yo, hop on justin Geichee.
Right now he's plus one hundred and today you guys just read it, he's plus one fourteen. So money's still coming in on physique. I'm gonna see where it settles before I throw my bed. But okay, I will be taking gaegee as a dog.
Good to your head though, just up or down? Who wins?
Justin gechee?
Okay, three round fight? I like that better for yes, not a five round fight, a three round fight, and for that reason it changes it up and BC like, could they have pulled in Michael Chandler, That would have been cool. I mean, you know, I think they already thought obviously, but could you got Yahty? He got Patty. There's other guys that are already kind of locked in again among available choices. For me, it works, it works well. Now that takes us to what I think is the second most interesting announcement that Danil white Man. Now, there was a bunch of these for the UFC Kansas City card that will take place. I'll look at the date here. I think it's the end of the day.
Luke, don't forget the TKO takeover that's happening in Kansas City that weekend per press release, where they're having UFC Fight Night, WW SmackDown and professional bull Riders. Luke, this is just the beginning of your TKO is about to take over your site. Right, They're coming.
They're coming apparently apparently. But the point I wanted to make was headlining that card for Kansas City is going to be a light heavyweight tilt between Jamal Hill and Khalil Roundtree BC. I've got a question I want to ask you. But first I noticed that when I said I like this fight, a lot of people agreed. They also like the fight, but they were like, oh man, this is just too quick a turnaround for Jamal Hill. Well, Jamal Hill addressed that on his personal YouTube channel, and here's what he had to say.
But the thing is this, though, right, I haven't I fought twice in the last two years. All Right, that last fight, I wasn't able to get comfortable. I wasn't comfortable. I didn't fill the routine. I didn't get into my normal flow, and it didn't feel like it should. And I think part of that was the fact of how long I've been in active and how long it's been stretched in between. Before that fight, I'd only had three minutes of time, which was warm up time in a fight before to get uh, to get to to get to get into that fight and things of that nature.
So you know it was for me.
It's like, uh, I need to get back active.
I need to get back active.
You know.
I'm gonna take care of the things that I need to take care of for as far as like you, I mean health and things like that. But I feel like there is plenty of time, is right on track for when I would want to see myself back in there.
So yeah, I'm a I'm a I'm gonna go in there and I'm gonna I'm gonna do my thing.
BC is he coming back too soon?
I actually agree with his decision making right there, and I think we are in the midst of seeing some type of I don't want to say pro wrestling face turned from Hill. But the humility is kind of nice that he showed in the loss to YEARI after it, we saw those two shooting shots in the bar with their significant others, and now you've got him saying, look, I'm going to address the issues of why I lost the last fight, you know, in camp. But I got to get back in there and I got to make a statement. Look, this is a great ass fight is going to be all action. We know that, and it is a pretty damn important fight considering how recently Roundtree contended for the actual title. That if he'll can go out there and win this fight, dude, he's kind of back in the mix in this division, which has a lot of it's not quite heavyweight, but but you know, guys can get hot and then cold because of how easily can be to knock each other out with the big boys in this division. But I think he'll has to find consistency. He's got to, you know, find a different lane than just coming in there with the attitude of this hand is going to settle everything and then if I lose, I'll make excuses. I kind of like the changes that he's realizing. Now, how long is this window going to be open. Let's get back in there, Let's fix what what didn't go right against Yerie, and let's make up for all that time away due to injury. Let's go Jamal Hill, Luke, this is this is a pause. It turned for me.
I I think it's a calculated gamble, but I'm not super opposed to it. Now let me be let's we should we should say very clearly, it is risky. It is risky. There is a real risk involved here with having been basically getting you know, uh, throttled, I don't know what the correct word would be by by Yuri Prahatchka.
Look I got it. Actually it's dicked down.
Okay, all right, having that happen against Yerie and then obviously before that against a Poton, although that's now been some time. But you know, that's not a great run in terms of like brain health. And it's not that I don't think that's a relevant concern, But the reality is, these guys always complain about they don't get enough fights and part of the reason why they want more Yes, of course more money, but they always tell me that they can stay in a flow better, like everything is just sharper if they're more active more regularly. And he's right, like he just hasn't competed very much. I thought he came back too soon, obviously already when he took the fight against poetson coming back from that achilles injury and it didn't go well, and to go so it's like, oh, okay, well last year you already came back and it already went poorly. Why would you double down. Let me say again, I'm not arguing it's not without risk, real risk. At the same time, more inactivity might actually make things worse. Net net on net balance. It's very conceivable that waiting around and then fighting, you know, in December or something, because if you turn this down, who knows when they're going to come back around to you. It could be quite some time. It's just hard to say you may not get the reps that you really need. Repping is super important for any UFC fighter, particularly those at the headlining level. So I got to tell you I was a little bit through my fingers. I'm looking, but I can kind of see the logic now, BC. In terms of the fight itself, this is phenomenal matchmaking two different kinds of sluggers. Khalil Rowntree and both of these guys, by the way, coming off of stoppage lot well one before, but essentially both having been stopped by Poeton. One was a little bit more competitive than the other one certainly, but in the end Poton gets his hand raised. But BC in Khalil Rowntree, a vicious Multai striker who has really come into his own of late, and I think the fans have really gotten on board with him. Jamal Hill has not necessarily been that, but you know, former champion had a neck and or a phenomenal performance, I should say against Glover to Chera, and really does have some skills when he's dialed in, which, again in theory getting back to it gets us there. So tell me what your and your view is of how they match up, and in particular, what do you actually think is on the line here, both for the winner and the loser.
Excuse me, Luke, Look, I feel like this is a loser's bracket of the title, you know, in terms of the two of them or recent title losers to the great Poeton on the run that he's on facing each other. Winner gets back into the title picture, loser goes back into the mid level of contention. That's kind of where we're aut here in this. I really like the matchup stylistically. I like what you how you deemed it. They're different kind of strikers. Hill the better boxer, Roundtree the more explosive. But Luke tied into my me saying, I kind of like Hill's mindset right now. I kind of like the strategy of coming back quicker, even though round Trees hella dangerous, and even though he did get an unluckily title shot, I think stylistic. I think fighter for fighter, Hill's the better fighter. People might disagree with me on there, but there is one thing I do need to see from Jamal Hill, and that's a commitment to elite level conditioning. I'm not really sure we've seen that yet, even through his brief run as a champion with the title. I feel like that could be that could change some of the gaps that he's missing at the elite level. He's always gonna have a puncher's chance. You saw against Glover what he can do when he's in the lead, when he's bringing the fight to somebody. But I need him to get into killer shape for here. I need him to have the threat of takedowns in there. Still, though, Luke, I like his chances against Roundtree. I like his opportunity. He's got a big opportunity in my opinion, to get a win here and be catapulted right back.
To the top.
I mean, this is what's so interesting for me. If you're Khalil Roundtree on some level, I'm not gonna call this playing with house money, but it's a little bit like not that his success is accidental. But he's never been champion, right, He's never worn gold and Jamal Hill has and so obviously getting a win over Jamal would be huge for his resume. And I'm not saying a loss doesn't matter, but to me, it's like the much more consequential side here is about Jamal. People were asking if Jamal loses to Yearie, where does he go from there? And the answer is, well, okay, he's still kind of doing like big important fights. I mean, just think about it. If you beat Khalil Rountree a striker, and particularly if it's exciting, not only does that like put you at a decent place in the rankings, but it's like restorative to stop the losses obviously first and then second of all, that's a tough guy to beat, and he's probably not gonna beat him with like jiu jitsu. He's probably gonna if he does win, he'll beat him with striking. Like that's a big and important kind of victory to get massively restorative, both in terms of what it does psychologically for the rankings and everything in between. It's huge. The loss, by contrast, is devastating, truly devastating. It'd be three in a row. If he gets stopped, it'd be three stoppages in a row. It would just be absolutely the worst case scenario that you could find after having you know, essentially done really well and then been injured and then having to you know, suffer through a return like these Achilles injuries. Man, people just don't jump back into it again. We talked about the calculated gamble that he's taking, but I just I just feel like, and maybe it's my imagination BC, I just feel like, either to win or to lose, it's a little bit more in Jamal Hill's court than it is for Roundtree. And I don't know if that's fair, but that's just fine.
That's one hundred percent fair. Ok, that's one hundred percent fair. Luke, I never thought he'd get to the title level he did because kind of a perfect storm, and whether they forced Anklive to wait one more to reward Poeton with a more favorable style matchup because of what he's been doing to the company. Either way, I feel like this is Roundtree's last opportunity to stay in the title picture, so I fully agree. Plus, let's be fair, he'll can talk, that matters, that gets you into big fights. Is it likely that he ends up someday in a Poton rematch, probably not, given Alex's age and where he's at in his run, but he's also not that far away. Should Pereira hang around at two o five. I'm not saying everybody wants or needs a second Pereira Hill fight. I'm just saying he'll can talk, and that does matter.
That absolutely matters in any case. A highly intriguing clash of styles here. I really love that. I love that both guys are. It's so funny, man Like, light heavyweight used to be something of a wrestler's division, and now that's totally gone. Now it's a striker's division, almost top to bottom. Like, who's the best wrestler at two oh five?
Currently Magomed and caliv.
Okay discounting him because he's got a date with Poton? Who is it?
All right? Let me look at these here rankings that are Wow.
Look who's the best wrestler not named Unclive at two o five?
Yeah, I'm looking right now at the rankings.
I mean, does rackat you ever shoot?
I mean yeah, he'll shoot, he'll shoot a little bit. Yeah, of course he's won some big fights with that.
Bogged in ye is.
I mean you see what I'm saying the division's completely turned on its head. It's like it's a striker's division now. Not saying that that's necessarily for the worst, but it is a different change, all right. B See Last, but certainly not least, Bryce Mitchell is back in. It was announced he'll be taking on Jayon Silva at UFC three fourteen. Now, BC, if I looked at some of the odds for this one, I found them to be like shocking. Uh, let me pull them up here for just a second. Oh, they're in the rundown. Sorry I missed him. Ah, there they are. Sorry, Mitchell. They have and our friends of DK have Mitchell as a plus two ninety five. They have Silva as a minus three seventy five.
BC.
I like Jayon Silva as much as the next guy, and I'm not poopooing this fight necessarily, but what gives us all this confidence that Silva has takedown defense when he's barely had his takedown defense tested at all in his UFC run.
It's a fair point. Long Island Luke and I had an off camera discussion about this where initially I'm like, yeah, what's wrong with that? But the more you think about it they are teasing you to throw money in the direction of Brece Mitchell. Maybe they figure, uh, well, no, this is MMA. So maybe many people will Luke in the fan base because they support Bryce's beliefs. I don't know. Look, here's the deal, though, Bryce has been devastatingly stopped twice against elite foes, and the Lord Silva is on a type of reckoning path and creates so much chaos in there right away that I'm not sure it'll actually matter Luke. So I get that the odds seem a little inflated, but I also can't act like I feel like Bryce is stock as an actual fighter is anywhere near where it was. I also can't act like I believe that all of the negativity surrounding him right now is going to help him in the cage. I think we're at a precarious point in Bryce Mitchell's career where it can go really bad. I mean, look, can you say the things he said and not get karma kod your next fight? I don't know we're gonna find out here. But outside of the comment from Dana that we all don't love, which was, well, hey, guys, you get to see Bryce Mitchell fight again and maybe you can cheer for him to get kot and we're sort of using the grossness to sell this fight. Lord Silva is red freaking hot right now. If you told me you can see the future, and he stops Bryce Mitchell and just over around, I could see it happening, Luke, I could see it happening.
I can see it happening less on a Karmik thing and just more that maybe Silva does have pretty good takedown defense and then just lights him up on the feet. I mean obviously on the feet. It's really not even close. He would beat him up. I just want to point out, listen to how insane this Miami card is. Bcee Volkanowski versus Lopez is your main chandler pimblet Comaine. Now, I don't know exactly where they're gonna put it, but let's just imagine that you have Bryce Mitchell, now Jayon Silva on the main, Jeff Neil Carlos protest on the main. Then you've got any number of choices you can go from there, including pit Bull Rodriguez probably gonna be on that main or be on the main dude. Then after that, Danny Gashawan Woodson, the Keeter Krilla versus Dominic ray as Yon Shawnan versus Being Ginger Roba, Darren Elkins versus Juicy j A, Julian Rosa, Jim Miller, Chase Hooper, and then it goes on down the listening there. Dude, that card is insanely fucking stacked.
All the things that I rail about week to week and people get mad at me or they say I've gone too far. I become the cogent curmudgeon old guy. Just watch the Apex fights. They're just fine. This is where we need to get excited, exciting when they come back and they actually pump the card up with the type of energy, personality style matchups where you go, look, this is worth it. I gotta buy this pay per view. They do that in Dubai, Luke, that's a new spot for a quote unquote major Miami's getting major treatment here. I'm not gonna try to politically figure out why. I'm just gonna enjoy it. Dude. This card is awesome, and I wish the other cards could be more balanced out. I wish we didn't have to have three to four jack cards a year, and then a real step off. But dude, top to bottom. I think you can put that pipull fight third from the top. I think that's probably where it belongs to. And those quote unquote filler fights are not only important, they've got potential for some real fun carnage to happen. So well done to the matchmaking on here. It feels like every day we're getting a new fight added to the mix at three fourteen of Miami, and it's it's pretty good. It's pretty damn good. I'm in let's go.
Bryce Mitchell is going to get roaring cheers if he wins, isn't he He's not going to get booted.
He's not going to get out Florida. He'll probably get booed, right.
I would bet everything I own he would get roaring cheers.
If I don't want to talk about that anymore, yeah.
I mean that's just where we are now, That's just where we are. Like, you can just say the most horrendoush and it's not even just saying it, you can believe the most horrendous shit and people will just reward This.
One thing about Bryce though I'm sure you don't read his Twitter account, but even in the last day and a half, like he goes hard as a mofo against Elon musk On like a daily basis, basically calling him Satan Luke, So that that side feud is getting kind of interesting right now.
Right, all right, well, that part's interesting. But at the same time, I agree with him. But at the same time, you know, listen pre meth Elon, you go fishing with that guy saying, I mean.
I'd sit at the Rogan podcast desk in t one.
Up with that guy, right, yeah, sure, for sure. Okay, that's topic number one, BC. Let's get to topic number two, which is the whole reason why you're in Brooklyn and why. By the way, I looked at the ticket sales, I think it's almost completely sold out. There's like just a little bit left. I think by five time it'll be a straight up sellout. Dravonte Davis faces Lamont Roach in a lightweight title fight at the bar Clay Center on Saturday Live on Pay per View BC. On the Call BC, there's been a lot of debate about who Lamont Roach is. You spoke to him. I spoke to him. We've both interviewed Tank multiple times over the years. Although I did you speak to Tank this cycle, yet did you do the.
He didn't show up to the Fighter meetings, and he really hasn't done traditional boxing media like at all outside of after the press conference yesterday where he tackled all those topics you would want to hear from Turkey to Chakor and all that. But yeah, it's been a different connection to Tank for the traditional boxing media entering this week.
Okay, we'll talk about Lamont Roach's size because that is clearly, if not the most important issue, certainly one of them. But the trainer for at least this camp, the sometime trainer of Jervonte Tank, Davis Barry Hunter out of Headbangers, has said Lamont is the most skillful opponent that Tank has faced to date. Is that true? If so, why or why not?
It sounds like something that couldn't be true. But I think we're talking about the total package here, the intangibles, the defense, the confidence which has been through the roof, but it hasn't been, in my opinion, in overbearing confidence where you feel like you can poke that with a you know, with a pin and it'll explode, like it's just for show or just to talk himself up. Look, the reality is that Tank and Lamont Roach did grow up in somewhat proximity to each other, Roach being born in DC, moving to Upper Marlboro, Maryland in his youth, Tank being from Baltimore. They sparred so many times as amateurs. They fought twice as amateurs in twenty eleven when they were fifteen and sixteen years old. Tank won both, but they were ranked number one and two in the country and their weight class. So this is one of those situations where Roach is just not afraid. He's known Tank since he was a little kid. Now we can certainly break down how their skills match up, and how anyone matches up against the power, the IQ, the efficiency of what Tank brings to the table. There's a reason why he's undefeated with a ninety four percent knockout KO rate. But I think the things that make Roach really good don't necessarily jump off the screen against you, right. You know, he does have a loss and a draw in his career, worse sort of turning point moments that drove him to a deeper level of focus and belief in himself and success. Since that twenty nineteen title loss to Jamel Hearing, He's four and oh with three KOs, and he is not a huge power puncher. And yes, he's moving up five pounds in weight, but he doesn't get hit easily. He can scrap a little bit on the inside. And while I don't it's not that I don't understand the betting odds for this, it's Tank. Roach is moving up in weight. He's not as sexy a name as the others. You talk to anybody in and around these two camps, or anybody in and around that really knows boxing, and you hear the same thing. Yeah, Tank should be the favorite, maybe even by a lot, but this is a real fight. Roach is coming to this fight to win. So it's not a situation where you can go, Okay, what's his actual avenue? Is he gonna not tank out? Is he gonna shut him out in the cards? No?
And no.
But he is a experienced, gritty, well rounded, can be defensive minded and really a smart boxer. And I don't think it's nothing that he's coming in with this level of comfortability and confidence, because how many times have we seen fighters that maybe don't belong at the elite level, or maybe don't belong yet right they come up, the lights are too big heck, it happened to Roach in twenty nineteen against Jamel Herring when he lost that decision. It also happened, it seems, the last fight when the ghost Frank Martin came in. It felt like he was defeated in those press conferences coming in and you could really see the inexperience play out on the brightest lights on the pay per view stage. I don't know if Roach is gonna last four rounds because Davonte is Davante, But I can't tell you he's coming to win. He's here to compete, and to say that he doesn't belong in the ring would be like he belongs in this ring against Tank. You just have to really ask yourself how much does that experience and that familiarity matter. Talking to Lamont, it feels like it does, Luke, but we're gonna find out on Saturday.
Yeah. I spoke to him about his amateur experience, as did you. Let's look you spoke to him this week. Mine was all the way I spoke Tim months ago about it. Let's talk. Let's take a look at your clip where these are guys that face. This is not the first time Lamont Roach has boxed Gervante Tank Davis. To what extent is that amateur experience relevant? Here's what he said.
I think it will play a significant role outside of us sharing and ring together. It's like stuff that I note that you know what I'm saying, that I would use, that I can use, and that we will use to our advantage.
So you're saying inside tips, tells secrets.
That kind of stuff.
Tell me about it.
Uh, Look, everyone's probably wondering the same thing, and it always happens this way when somebody's been as successful as Tank, What can you do differently that everybody else has failed to do? How do would you answer that.
I can, Like I said before, like the IQ and the skill level, the skill set is just compared to everyone here he's fought in that present term.
Is just.
Levels above and.
The tenacity that I'm gonna have with it. Come watch first. It's just gonna be it's gonna be something that he's definitely not used to. Is gonna be the total package, and it's gonna be it's gonna be one of the best fights of the year.
I promise you.
BC from what you can tell from what you know from speaking to him, does the amateur experience confer any advantages for Lamont Roach and conversely, does it confer any advantages for Javonte Tank Davis.
Look, I'm always of the belief that everything matters that when a fight is announced, from that moment forward, they're fighting. I believe some of the pre fight mental stuff is real. You have a face off or a press conference that doesn't go your way. I think there's mental realities where that plays in. But it doesn't mean every time. It doesn't matter. If somebody beat somebody in the amateurs, that pros. In the pros, that can be completely different.
And then the Ryan.
Garcia Devin Haney fight happened, and I know that Ryan is much more explosive than Roach in a different type of fighter. But clearly the six fights that they had on the amateur level, splitting those fights, the sparring that those two had, Ryan knew he could get that left hook off, he knew there was a hole in Haney's defense. That's a different fight with different fighters. But again, to act like this doesn't matter, it's gonna matter a certain degree. You asked a great question, though, what about the flip side Tank's beating this kid twice? He also grew up around him. He knows just the same, So that's going to play a role as well as well this Luke, and I think it's a good question to spin back on you. How much how dangerous is it to be too confident against Tank?
Yeah, you've seen Lamont Roach in person, right. I sat down with him, as I mentioned, a couple of months ago, and he is in person. It seems like a roughly similar size in terms of frame to Jervonte Tank Davis. But BC, this is to answer your question, I'm getting to it. The difference in power is extraordinary. They get like gigantic difference in power, and to me be see, here's where I come down to it. Like, I believe Lamont Roach when he says he believes he can and will win. I believe him when he says he'll know the right way to box Dravante for long periods of that fight. I believe him. But I also know if you look at some of the tape on him, he tends to come square at times against opponents and to be hit and I just am not especially because of the size difference in terms of who occupies one thirty who occupies one thirty five It's not that I don't think that Lamont can't box with him. I absolutely think he can box with him. But I feel like if he's really starting to, you know, get confident, move downhill, as we like to say, he's gonna get hit. He gets hit in all these fights. I mean, obviously it's a boxing five, but you know, he doesn't have like he has good defense, but I wouldn't say it's ironclad. And so it's like, if you're over confident or too confident, however you wish to describe it, against a puncher like Davis, dude, the consequences are fucking dire. They are dire to do things like that. So it's like it's a weird mix BCEE where I am very willing, perfectly willing to believe that they feel like they've got what they feel like some secrets to unlock some doors that previous opponents just haven't been able to do against Davonte Davis. But as you know as well as I do, they're gonna have to take some risks to get there if they can at all. And that is where all of the danger is. And that's the part where I'm just like, I don't know, I mean, I don't know about that.
That's why the odds are the way they are. They are because Dravante has the great equalizer. He's also, like we mentioned, so efficient as a counter puncher. What does that actually mean in a fight? It means he doesn't waste punches. So it also means he's never really out of position to be countered cleaning to be hit. So if you are going to hit him, if you are going to try to put him in situations, he's gonna have in most cases that upper hand to wait for that tell or that one angle. Let's not forget he let Frank Martin win the first three rounds when they fought last was it May or June, and then started to really pick him apart and corner him. So Roach obviously is going to have to balance his aggression smartly. He's going to have to swim and not get wet in the most extreme scenarios. Of course, they do have a common opponent in recent memory and Hector Luis Garcia. Remember Garcia was the title holder at one thirty. He moved up in wait to fight Tank. He fought aggressively and got knocked out. It got stopped and actually was temporary blinded in the ring after Tank put that assault on him. Eight months later, Roach fights him in Las Vegas and it was a split decision win in which Roach needed a knockdown in the final round. But that was a Garcia coming off of that big time KO loss, and he fought very defensively on the back foot. Was very frustrating. But I think I give Roach credit for figuring out an avenue to get up on him, to get that late knockdown, and to really, I mean the way that Roach. If you watch that Garcia fight, it may be easy to just go, oh, common opponent. Tank knocked him out. Roach had somewhat trouble with him, but I think you do have to watch the body language of Hector Garcia in both the way that Roach rose to the occasion in that title fight get the knockdown to win the split decision. I did like what I saw right there. I don't know how much this boosts his ability in there actually, Like we say against Tank, I also don't know how much all that retirement talk of Tank of late is actually going to matter when we get in there, because Tank has shown that ability no matter what's going on in this personal life, which there's been a lot of turmoil. He can focus in and dial in like no other. So Luke, I guess Roach is going to have to need a Tank that is two conservative early and reading Roach that he allows Roach to get up too quickly on the scorecards, and then he's got to hope that he can, you know, obviously, do something that very little have done, land a punch of consequence to change Tank's demeanor, to change his strategy. But he's gonna have to throw a no hitter. Let's be fair about it, right, He's gonna have to go in there and fight the perfect fight. Is it possible?
Yes?
I mean, even though Tank hurt his hand in the sixth round against pit Bull Cruise, the things that pit Bull Cruise did really well gave Tank fits. Tank had to really lean on his boxing and IQ to figure that out. Roach is gonna have to do something in the middle of this fight to really make Tank have to think, have to work, have to adjust. If he can't do that, it's going to be a slow burn until he gets cornered and he gets taken out of there.
We should also talk about the state of Jervonte Davison, like what attitude he's bringing into this one because, as you mentioned, skipping just a lot of stuff, went to the workouts, didn't do much. Let's roll the clip from I think this was yesterday or two days ago this week, the pre fight presser. He's in a real relaxed mood. Let's put it that way.
You can kind of see the history that you and LaMonte both have. Is this a little bit different for you going into this fight knowing that you guys.
Have that history.
Uh No, you know, I'm gonna do me. I'm gonna do me.
We got at least I told him leave his mom's and you know the people home, he's still rung him. It's crazy, man, Go get it's gonna get bad. It's gonna get bad, man. But you know it's a he's been talking a little too much too. I've been peating me. So you know it's close. So we at sea Saturday night.
He's just got this real relaxed kind of demeanor. And I I it does appear like he's been training really hard at Headbangers. He was not in Houston, he was not in Florida. He was here in DC. But I don't know, you see between like the weird vibes he gives off at press conferences and then being like, I got three fights left and I'm done. Where is Jervonte Davis's head in all of this?
Yeah, I think he's in the midst of figuring it out, and that's why we've seen such different reactions from him, meaning that like when this fight was first announced, you know, we heard those rumors that he was fighting with PBC behind the scenes, he wanted it in Houston. They have that first press conference and Tank shows up alone with like no members of his team, I think just his lawyer now. Subsequently, even though Barry Hunter has been moved into the number one spot as the head trainer, Calvin Ford, his sort of you know, career long trainer and father figure, was at yesterday's final press conference will be in his corner. So there hasn't been a big tear behind the scenes. But to act like this isn't that, this isn't a topic or a question would be wrong. Let's let's let's do a little math here. Tank had been an active fighter for most of his career, but he had a more than four hundred day layoff leading into the Frank Martin fight. Of course, there was a jail term within that when he violated his house arrest. And now this is a you know, two hundred fift something day layoff, which is not typical for Tank. And you're hearing him talk about openly and boxing has supported this, which is good to see openly want to change himself. He wants to get out of boxing and get into therapy, be a different person and presentation to his family members and those that look up to him. Give in tanks upbringing and the various missteps outside the ring. That's a good thing. But even though that can be a narrative toward the idea of is he unfocused? Is his head not going to be in there? Like I just said thirty you know a minute ago, he does have that ability to bite down and focus. I did notice that comment he said right there of hey, Roach, you've been talking a little too much. I've been watching, so I'll say this, like you've heard nothing from Barry Hunter or pretty much Tank throughout the process. They respect Roach, they know he's coming to fight, but as of right now, I don't have cause for concern that Tank isn't dialed in and won't be ready. And he was kind of colorful yesterday after the press conference when he did a media screak. I don't know if you heard him say, like uh he was. He was basically talking down Turkey Ala Sheik, saying he knows nothing about boxing, saying he's giving a devilish vibe and all these photos he does and people are selling their soul to go out there like that was interesting to Harris since he's, you know, the last big name fighter that hasn't made that leap. I don't always love when he shoots down the prospect of fighting a Shakor or Keishawn. And some of that though, is just posturing, negotiating and all that. But if he wins this, he says he wants to fight twice more this year. I need to see him against against one of these title holders Lomachenko, Kishan or Shakur, Stevenson, the Unified belts. It's time. He seems also to want that. I really don't know if he's gonna stick to his guns of you know, three more fights and out. He's so valuable to not only PBC but the American boxing scene, the his live gate. Potentially he's gonna he's gonna shatter I'm told the Live Gate Record at Barclay's this weekend. I think his post fight comments if he wins, and I'll be the guy delivering it will be interesting in that regard in terms of like who he's looking at and how much more he wants to do. But do you agree with me? Look that it's starting to feel kind of much ado about nothing. Tank looks ready, he looks dialed in. He can go on anyone's podcast. He wants like he's been doing something a little bit different this build up. But whatever, right.
It?
I mean we should we should acknowledge the fact that we've kind of been dancing around it here. We mentioned a couple of times. We'll just say it out loud. You know, Roach is a is a junior lightweight and is coming up here to another weight class BC. I just feel like Tank isn't really dialed in. But I'm also not convinced that he needs to be one hundred percent dialed in. Not because I don't think Laman is a good boxer. I do, but because I think if Tank trains enough, plus his accuracy and power and he does have good boxing IQ, given that you're taking on something of a smaller opponent, that should be enough. I really do believe that, and in fact, he said he was going to have a round eight or nine. Ko. Let's take a look at the face off here very quickly from that same presser, and I would love to get your reaction to some of this. Look be see they don't look hugely dissimilar in size, man.
No they don't. I mean Roach is technically about an inch taller or half inch taller, about an inch longer in reach. They're actually pretty close in size. This is the first fight in which Roach is fighting an opponent short technically shorter than him in a lot, very long time. So this is going to be what it will be. I don't think the size will matter. You can notice they have a little kind of cheeky fun back and forth here. PBC did ultimately like UFC's been doing of late release the audio. There was sort of some you know, standard trash talk back and forth, but it was confidence trash talk. They don't hate each other. It's just a little bit like I know what I'm gonna do on Saturday. Yeah, wait and see, like we said this whole time, Luke, the way Roach has handled himself in these press events, I've been impressed by But to act like that gives him three to four more rounds in there or something. No, it doesn't. It's gonna be up to him to do the one you know, to avoid the one thing that all of Tank's opponents but but you know, one at one basically have avoided. And that's he finds a way to figure out your tell, to put you in the corner and to take you the hell out of there. I love how Roach has been acting, though, but will it be enough? We're gonna see We're gonna see Luca.
And by the way, on stage, we hadn't seen him up until this point. Calvin Ford with him there, Barry Hunter with him up there kind of and then also there was that was Lamont Roach Senior standing on his side there. Kind of an interesting thing, all right, BC, very quickly, last question, give me a prediction. I know you're calling the fight, but you have a sense about how it might go. I'll put my cards on the table. I think these Tanks at about round nine stoppage. I'll go a little later, I'll say ten or eleven, but I think probably somewhere in that last last third of the fight, it all comes to a close.
Yeah, I think that's the most likely scenario. And what we know about these two, Let's see what Roach can do. Let's see if he can give Tink a different look. Let's see if he can push him into those later rounds, which that's also something that's only been done a few times. Right, Cruz went the distance against him, gamboa. I don't want to say gave him trouble, but gave him resistance until I think the final round when he got him out of there. But let's see if Roach can linger, and then let's see if he can take enough chances to have a shot at this. Sorry, I'm getting blurry here.
I'm trying to let me ask you a question. How come every time the camera goes back to you you have different lighting on your face?
So my lighting just died, So I got it plugged in. I'm recharging it again, so I'm kind of just holding it from a different angle. All right, Well, either way, Luke, I have put the lotion in the basket. If you're wondering, All right.
Let's go to topic number three. If we can hear BC Oh, excuse me, hold on, before I do that. Before I do that, we got to mention here very quickly BC, the Solita Promotions with the subrio Mattias Gabrielle Valnezuela IBF world title eliminary. So this is going to be live on his own from Fajardo, Rico, BC, What can you tell us about I mean, super real Matis we already kind of know what the score is. A dynamic puncher who is Gabriel Valenzuela. What's what can we expect from this matchup from his own which, as I mentioned before, is going to be in Puerto Rico.
Yeah, and shout out to you know, certainly friends of the program and in boxing Al Bernstein, Raoul Marquez among those. I think that'll be on that call in Puerto Rico. This fight is more about suprial mattaeas for sure, he was the boogeyman of the one hundred and forty pound division. We've told this story before made so was it five guys in a row? Quit was getting that lomas Chenko reputation. And I don't know if as much as he's a menacing punter as he's just a bully in there. But Liam Paro and June of last year, did I don't want to say expose him as the scorecards were close, but Paro came into enemy territory in Puerto Rico and rightfully won that that decision took the IVF world title there, and although we did see superal Matias come back in November of last year and score a second round tak in Puerto Rico, this is now a step in a better direction, I would think. Opponent wise, is Gabriel Valanzuela a killer, No, but he's thirty three loss his one draw thirty wins. As I mentioned there, the thirty year old from Mexico five foot ten is on a five fight win streak since his decision lost to Montana Love back in twenty twenty two. It will be a good test, a continued test here to see if Mattias is long for getting back into this title picture. We know there's been talk about him fighting Tao Femo, but Tayo Femo turned it down due to the pay per view money that was going to be offered to him. But it's going to be interesting to see if Mattias can work his way back in. It's never a boring fight though when he fights, so check that out this weekend on his.
Own, no doubt, about it, and of course Leader Promotions you might know. They're the folks that have developed Clarissa Shields, Darrell Miller, Jermaine Franklin, Otto Vallin, lots of folks in a good undercard fight there as well, between Alfredo Santiago and Nestor Bravo. BC. You're a basketball guy, certainly I am as well. And if you're a basketball are you ready to win some real money? Check out Pick six from Draft Kings. When it comes to basketball payouts, Draft Kings pick six dunks on its rivals, including prize picks. Is that not right, BC?
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That's right. Gambling problem Call one eight hundred. Gambler Help is available for problem gambling call eight eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven seven or visit CCPG dot org in Connecticut. Must be eighteen plus. Agent eligibility restrictions vary by jurisdiction. Pick six not available everywhere, including New York and Ontario. Void ware prohibited. One new per customer bonus awarded as non withdrawable. Pick six credits that expire in fourteen days. Limited time offer ce terms at Pick six dot DraftKings dot com, slash promos BC topic number three. We do have a UFC event this weekend. I'm trying not to be a hater about this. I swear to God, I'm not. It's I'm not sure what to say. It's not really the most necessary card to happen.
Huh, say it, Say what you need to say, put it out there. It's just it's just it's Luke, is the worst card? Is it the worst card in APEX recent fight night history?
It's it's it's up there Long Island, Luke, give me a grade for UFC. Slop about where this goes?
Ah? Four? Oh ship.
If it's even a four for you, that must be I mean, dude, I'm doing the full card, watch along. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm gonna watch every fight.
But is it a good card?
No?
The Co Maine event has two guys with losing records in the UFC. It's literally arguably the worst Comaine in history. I looked back. Carlos Felipe versus Jorgan di Castro was a Comaine on a card headlined by Holly Holm versus Irene Aldona.
That's pretty rough.
But does Home Star Power just take over for all of that? Does it cover that?
I don't know, that's what they assumed. I guess I don't know, dude.
All right, But BC, in your main event, we have Flyways, Manil Cop and the Kazakh Asu Almbayev, by the way, an interesting name and a very good fighter. Okay, let me just ask a very basic question, BC, and I mean it. I don't mean it necessarily in a hater way, but we have to ask it this way just by the nature of what's happening. Why should we care about this main event.
Who obviously was supposed to be man Nel Cop versus Brandon Royval, which would be would have been a perfect crossroads Number one contender fight in the sense that Royval has been there, He's held his place in the title picture, and if he could have beaten the red Hot Streaking Cop, he could still be in their contention for the next title shot. Right Cop to the different story, he feels like he's long overdue for that. He loves saying crazy things into a microphone. He once said he would show up a Dana's door if he didn't get a title shot. Well, he told me, Luke, when I interviewed him this week, that he's been more like it seems a matter of fact the way he said it, that he's more or less guaranteed a title shot with a win. So to act like this fight means nothing would be wrong. It is a important fight at the top end of this division. I say top end ish right, because h Asu is ranked number eight, but long Island. Luke was talking about this guy before I knew he existed. Twenty one and two overall, thirty one years old out of Kazakhstan, unbeaten in four UFC fights. Yes, the last three have gone to decision, but he's been rising. That decision went over Matteias Nicolau, and his last bout is not nothing. This is a leap for him though, in terms of the level that he's fought, I don't think he gets a title shot with a win, but I think he can certainly catapult himself to the top. So good stakes and it seems like it's gonna be an interesting matchup. But Luke, if we're being very fair, not everybody knows a lot about as su Almbaya Almabayev. Excuse me, how do you think he matches up against kat.
Okay? So let me give you some statistics for him, because I was looking this up before the before the show today. So some of his numbers are really impressive, and I watched some tape on him as well. Obviously I watched the Nicolau fight. I watched the Osborne fight, I watched the Vergara fight. I didn't see the Johnson fight, but I watched the rest of them. I mean, some of these numbers are very impressive. Bea, see strikes some sword permantent one point oh two. That's so low. I mean that's such a great number. But strikes landed permnt it two point one one fucking anemic. I mean, he's got a positive he's got a positive striking differential by full integer. But it's really not that interesting, you know, by contrast strikes landing per minut at four cop five strikes some sworred permanent four. That's high on both counts, but you can just see it. There's just a lot more going. Now, what's interesting is the takedown component. That's obviously where this I just think that's where this fight's going to be one or lost. He averages Almabayah five point zero eight takedowns per fifteen minutes, so he's good for almost two a round. That's a lot. And his submission average per fifteen minutes is one point seven, so he's kind of tying them up. If you watch the tape, he does a lot of winging overhands to level changes to get into people, and then from there he does have a series of good finishes and he's got so so ground and pound. It's not bad, but it's not terrible. By any stretch of the imagination. He appears to be in good shape. So the question you really have to ask yourself is can Cop intercept him on any kind of takedown or level change opportunity? Is that going to be on the cards or be if he does get taken down to what extent can he thwart any advancement therein it's a five round contest that does favor Alma baiv I think the longer it goes. But to me, Cop is just a significantly higher level fighter, or at least I should say this, up to this point, has shown himself to be a higher level fighter who has beaten better guys. Now you can't yuh, I have them here. Our friends at Draft Kings, they've got let's see, let me pull it up here if I can. Now, I don't have it in front of me. Where is it, Alma Biev? Oh wait, we got Breaking Youth, the.
Opening bow of the Night.
Montana de la Rosa versus Luana Carolina is can't because Luana Carolina could not make weight.
And nothing of value was lost.
And I'm not kidding. That was probably my second most anticipated fight.
I bet it was you, Horne.
No, I mean it, I mean it. I'm disappointed.
I've got your odds here, our friends at DraftKings Manel Cop minus two eighteen to Almabiev's plus one eighty. I think that's actually a little generous to Almabia. Don't get me wrong, but see, I think he can win here. I do think that if Cop is because you know Cop, he likes to land something and then he does a dance and shit, and it's like, did you do that against this guy? That could be a real problem. You have to have a disciplined, focused, consistent application of your game to beat him, which if he does, I think he runs away with it. Alma Biev is limited. He's gonna have to get the takedown. His ground and pound though, was not ferocious. So for all those reasons, this to me feels like it's cops fight to lose. We shall see right now. You spoke to Cop and you talked him about the differences between some of the opponents. He's had another changes that were made here. Let's see what he had to say.
I think the different is just about the highest. You know, Brandon Haba is more toller. You know, he's a fighter that I was working more my body shots and is a fighter where I where I can work more the shots in the head. You know, Uh, his head's going to be there. Is my as a target. You know, he's a fighter that don't move so much his hips, his shoulders, So I think its face is going to be.
Full of blood. What did you make of that, BC?
Bloody face? Yes, full of blood. I believe that he doesn't feel that Amabi lev is on. I've just butchered that again.
Dam what is it?
Alma Biev?
Thank you?
Cheris thank you. He doesn't believe he's on his level. So look, look, I like Cop in this fight for sure, Luke, he can be a little bit off and off the mark. Here I expected my interview to get a rowdy cop, you know, calling out everybody from KKF to is he to the dude's wild. No, he was reserved. He was calling he had his daughter in his arms. He's a lot more calculated obviously behind the scenes than he shows right because he shows himself to kind of be a bad shit, crazy and fun and out of control and also says absolutely ridiculous things into a microphone. But Luke, he can't. He does have a complete game. He is cheeky in there from the standpoint that he'll piss you off. He's got antics. I think he believes that he's going to run rough house on this guy and that he's going to get the title shot next. He thinks he's going to get the winner of Pantosia versus KKF. And remember he has that loss to Pantosia a few years back that he says, if it was a five round fight, he would have won. Okay, okay, but he has no preference ultimately in who he gets out of that matchup. But Luke, I am a believer that he's going to get into a title fight soon and I think he could be champion. Obviously, he's got to win this one first. But are you of that belief that this guy is the real deal in this division, cop.
Yes, I think he can be a legitimate threat if he can put everything together. Yes, I've seen flashes from him, great athleticism, obviously, great striker, great reaction, good timing, you know, and other pieces of his game are coming together. If he can really tighten up everything and put it all together, and again we've seen pieces here, pieces here, pieces here, put all that together, he can win a title in this way.
Class.
I believe that, I truly believe that Almah Bayah will be a good test BCEE in the sense that Almabiah doesn't have Pantoja's game. But if you're gonna go into a title shot after beating Almabai, I'm assuming that that's what happens. You're getting ready for Pantoja by fighting a guy who's gonna be grappling you first. That's good prep. That's really good prep for him. So this could set him up real well to then go say anti gay slurs, but or also win a UFC title either way by being serious like he actually has a this Actually, some of these short notice fights, they're dangerous because you're getting a dangerous guy that you're not prepared for. At the same time, depending on how it goes, some of these could be tune ups for the Big Boss eventually later in the year, and this could end up being something.
Just like that.
I do believe that has won five of his last six, Luke, And I thought he looked almost virtuoso VIRTUOI virtue. He looked like a damn virtuoso against Bruno Silva, did he not?
He did? The Makaiah fight was a weird ass fight. I didn't love that one. I think if he thought that one again it would be better.
But and you know, he has a split decision lost to Nicolau back in the day, and Nicolau just got defeated by Asu. So I don't know whatever you want to do with that info.
Fair enough be s going down this card. If I may, your co Maine Cody brund is taken on Julian Marquez. I don't want to be mean to him, but that's just no no.
Well, can I bring a long Island, Luke, because I heard you mentioned this recently Long Island of this fact that Marquez seems to be much closer to losing his employment than Brundage. And I've seen everyone on Twitter putting as much money as possible on the Cody stoppage. Do you still stay in that lane?
I mean, Julian Marquez has been KO three times in a row, and I just feel like we want to talk about Gaichie's chin being gone. I think Julian Marquez's chin is gone. But I would never trust betting on Cody Brundage. So like, this fight is just a crapshoot. I took fight does not go the distance in a parlay. I feel like that's the only logical thing that's going to happen here. But both I wouldn't trust my money on either of these guys.
To be honest, UFC Fight Night, I wouldn't trust my money on either of these guys. Tune in Live at seven. Also on this card, we see there are some good fights. First of all, nasat hack Paras taking on Esteban Ribovic's Rubavich. I can never say his last name correctly, one of these Argentines with these weird names. That's a great fight. That's a great fight. I cannot believe that that's not the Comaine, but whatever, it's the fifty five, so I guess they put it lower after that is there are there are some good ones, hear me out, Not these though, William Gomes versus Hyder Amul zero out of zero. Danny Barlow taking on Sam Peterson no interest or at least very little anyway. Danny's undefeated, but I'm not sure about him yet. Austin Lane taking on Mario Pinto. Pinto undefeated, but it's heavyweight. I don't know what the fuck to say. Here's an interesting one. Hikardo Homos taken on Chepe Mariscal. That's a fun action fight. Da Silva Douglas Silva Deondrage taken on John Castan Jeda interesting, kind of a fun one.
Is jackedas Shit always right?
Is jack as shit? Lucas Al made it. Taken on Danny Silva. I could take it or leave it. Andrea Lee taken on JJ Aldrich. Bit of a coming or going fight for both of them, frankly, but the fight that might be the best one on the card. Energy. Charles Johnson taking on Ramazan Temarov. Dude, that's a fun ass fight. Charles Johnson had a great twenty twenty four. He looks poised, to make a run. I can't believe they have him this far down on the on the fight card essentially, but I love that contest long Now, Look, do you agree with me, Charles Johnson Ramazan Temarov, that's the good one here.
Yeah, this should be a good fight.
The odds are actually crazy on that because Charles Johnson was like plus one twenty, like maybe on Monday. He's minus one thirty now and now Temarrov's the dog plus one ten. So a lot of money coming in on energy.
Hey, tough turn from Riebovich to go from the damn sphere to the Apex. But they did say on that TKO earnings call that UFC plans to take what would have been a handful Apex fights this year and move it to international cities. And not only is that great news, but it's probably fueled by their in mid construction anyway on the Apex right now in terms of building more facility for people to be Hey, do we still have that funny tweet about UFC matchmaking because this might be the new litmus test.
Yes, So it's the one at the top from the topic number one. It's called funny tweet. Long Anlogether any sorry I had I was going to my notes. Any UFC card with more than seven fighters that I've heard of is what is considered stacked at this point.
Okay, well that's obviously a joke, is that true? Like that might be that's the new Mendoza line, right, if or maybe how many Wikipedia pages does a fight Night card need to be acceptable in twenty twenty.
Five at least fifty percent? Right? But I don't know if you you know what. Let's see because I'm actually not looking at Wiki. Let's actually see that for just a second. Hold on, I wanna, I wanna see this. How many Wikipedia entries does the current fight card have for us here this weekend? All right? Show? So let's see copping I'm a bye of both have it, Brundage and Marquez have it, only Hack Parast has one, and that's the rest on the main card. So only five on the main card, so fifty it on the main card. On the prelim card, it's a little bit more common. Lane has one. Homos Doug this to Silva down, Drodge, Castaneda, Lee, Aldrich Johnson, and then they wiped off the last one. So yeah, you're at you're at about fifty to fifty I guess, so, I guess it has to be higher than that. It should be seventy five percent PC.
All right, Hey, I'm done complaining for the day. Let's enjoy the fights on Saturday. Whether you're watching Tank Roach or you're watching UFC Fight Night, it's what we got, Luke. Okay, but this Cko takeover is coming to all of our sports. It's it's inevitable.
Good all right, Let's go through topic number four here. It's not the biggest one, but it definitely made some headlines. It was all over social media. B See, we're gonna need you to to UK Boxing explain this to us. Chris you Bank Junior and Connor be They are set to compete I think in the end of April, if memory serves, I'll look up the date here specifically in just a second. BC, these are not household names in the United States, but they have had any electric run in terms of this press conference. Let's before we even go to BC, let's show the egging incident in question here if we can.
You goes on.
All right, so he hit him in the side of the head with an egg. BC, who is Chris Bank junior, Chris u Bank junior, excuse me, who is connor Ben? Why did he hit him in the face with a fucking egg?
So, look, I did not I said this on my my live chat the other day. I did not expect to care about this fight. It's not that I don't know these guys. They're big stars in the UK. They're both son of great fighters. And the reason why this matchup is happening when they're in separate weight classes, right, We're gonna do it a catchwaight here you. Bank has fought largely at sixty and sixty eight. Ben has fought largely at forty seven and fifty four, so they're going to come together in the middle. Their dads had a deep rivalry and fought each other a couple times, so that's the first and foremost. Then this fight was already scheduled back in twenty twenty two, and they had an electric press conference back then, and it was connor Ben's failed drug test, which he, like Canelo, calling out tainted Mexican beef. Connor Ben claims and swears it was due to tainted eggs that he ate, so it actually played into the storyline for U Bank who's always been brashed. Both guys are to come out and do that. But Luke, this has evolved into something now that we all must see. So this will be Turkey's first ring magazine branded fight card series that he's bringing to the States eventually, but all over the world. This fight will be in London in late April. Then in early May we're going to see that Garcia and Haini doubleheader, if not Times Square somewhere in New York City. So this is the one that Tanks privately fund. Turkey is privately funding himself. And I was gonna say that I wouldn't really have cared too much about this fight, even though I like the fighters and their personalities. But this Jack's it up the egging in the first press conference. I think we have tape from the second press conference. You also had the two promoters, Ben Shaloma boxer and Eddie Hearn pushing each other on the stage, getting into heated conversations during interviews afterwards, trade and trash talk. Now you got the dads involved, and Ben and you Ben going out. I mean, it's it's Ben, Luke. It is a proper soap opera pro wrestling style. Garbage bind build that boxing needs every once in a while. Remember David Hay got glassed that time with what fight was that was that? David Hay, Derek Jasaur. I'm not making this up. He glassed me, he glassed me. These moments happen in boxing. It's ridiculous, it's disrespectful. But you know what they succeeded. They got our fricking attention. This is a fight all boxing fans need.
See now, I mean, look at some of these assets we have. So we sewed the egging incident. Here's Chris you Bank kind of just doubling down on being real mean about it.
Did I cross the line? I mean, you know, during this whole process, over the last two and a half years, I think many lines have been crossed. You know, I'm sitting up here today on a stage with two of the scummiest characters in boxing, in my opinion, a drug cheat and a man who did everything in his power to help him get away with it. So me throwing an egg at somebody who absurdly claims that that is the reason why you failed to drugs tests because of contaminated eggs, I think that's light and I think that's deserved. He deserved the embarrassment of what happened. You know, if I had an you need to do it again.
I would, uh what what's the Samuel L. Jackson line? Yes, I killed that woman or whatever, and I hope they burning hell.
I was like, he look, did you see that? After the egging, Eddie Hearn did an interview and he was like, it's on site at the next press conference, like people are ready to kill over this fight.
Okay, okay, well look at this. Let's keep going. Here's Chris you Bank not not only smashing an egg into the side ahead of Connor Ben, here's some talking to Connor Ben's dad.
But you did put your hand on my neck. Yeah, and I'm going to give you a pause because of what happened. But I'm just letting you know if your hand never touches me again, you won't get it back.
Shut your fucking mouth.
You could, you could. I'm not threatening him. I'm just like old school mate.
If he's that an old school mike.
So this is no problem.
I understanding.
I to doing that, mate.
Shout out to Nigel Ben so Luke that was rooted in what basically happened was Ben's team thought they didn't think it was an egg. They thought it was either a slap or he had hit him with some type of foreign object. It was, obviously, but not not a hard one. It wasn't brass knuckles or anything. So Nigel Ben, the legend, I guess, put his hands on the under you Bank, I mentioned. The two promoters pushed each other, so that was you Bank half apology and then also being like I would have kicked your ass, and uh, I love Nagel Ben being like, mate, I'm old school, I can handle this. Let's go, let's go.
Yes, all right, last, but not least look at this. They did another stare down later. Uh. With about eight million people in doing security, you're gonna hear commentators talk, but you'll be able to hear what Connor Ben and Chris you Bank say to each other. Dude, listen to how bad this blood as.
You in the ring walk standing there on the picture reflexes, I think you were just enjoying.
I'm trying to see that. Where is that being said? They but their arms. Influence of that arm. I've got my reflexes. You rolling your shot to bits Shire tolding the other day. Yeah, true, you're rolling, You're done, You're done.
We will see okay, b C. I gotta tell you, I'm all fucking in on this fight. I can't believe I'm saying this.
Dude.
They got me, They absolutely got me. They got me.
I fully agree with you, I was. This was not my fight to begin with. I don't I didn't think these guys should have been fighting. They're in separate weight classes, blah blah blah. I get the family history, I get nowt of the drug history. But you could easily make a like, you know, knee jerk. You tend to go okay, well you Bank's the bigger fighter, even though he's been completely mercurial the second half of his career. Is can can Connor Ben fill that gap? Well? He is more skilled than he's got balls. So now it's suddenly like, yeah, let's see what these two guys and separate way classes can do against one another when the hate is so strong between everybody involved. This is this is the boxing we fell in love with. I can't lie about that. It is.
Why can't you know what, dude? We don't get enough of these in UFC anymore? Is Long Island?
Luke?
Is it my imagination. Like someone was asking me about this yesterday, Long Island, Luke. They were asking about like the UFC Headway division. You know, what would happen if John beats Tom? And you know, obviously that would be back because he'll win and then move on and then you're just left with this wreckage. But the reality is, even if like that doesn't happen, who is Tom's rival that's gonna get in his face and talk to him like that? Beyond John, like once John, John's got one more at best, right at best? No one seems to be doing this as much in UFC these days. It all seems very transactional. Am I missing something?
No?
I agree, rivalries are kind of dead in that sense.
And like, dude, nothing got be more hype than DC Jones too, like exactly where there's some real beef going on.
You know, run in Silva too. It's the same thing. I think I'm cutting you off here Long Island. Sorry, I just think that we've seen almost fake abrasiveness too often lately. I'm talking about Colby Covington, Sean Strickland, where it's you know, it's almost a shtick, it's almost an act. But this is a blood feud. We don't get that enough in this corporate era of UFC, which is crazy to say, because the corporate part of it doesn't muzzle them. I mean, you know, Dana lets them say whatever. So we could very well have a crazy blood feud like this. Have we had one since Habib against the Connor.
Pourrier, and Connor was also pretty ugly, but that was also you know, the second fight was weird, and then the third fight was even weirder.
I mean outside of Cheyenne's listenmus against monster At when she said I'll follow you home, bitch. I mean I was down for that, okay, but.
Like, okay, fair enough, but like also, like this is why the Diazs are who they are. People love them for many, many reasons, one of which is due they stir up shit, and there's something to be said for that in the end. And I just feel like I can't believe I'm saying this. To the point you raised, I'm not saying I need to see all of a sudden everyone chucking fucking monster energy, you know, cans at each other. It's not my point. But where are in mm A broadly, not just USC, but where are the big time rivalries that are being stoked, and the allegiances and the and the and the harsh you know contrast it's me or it's him, and I can't stand anything about them and this is why they're awful. No, this is why they're awful, and then doing press around that, like, dude, I would never ever care about Chris you Bank Junior taking on Connor Ben. It's for the UK generally, you know, I get it. They've done such a marvelous job promoting that that I can't fucking wait April twenty sixth to see that fucking fight.
Look at these odds Long Island, Luke share with us the DraftKings odds minus one fifty for you Bank plus one fifteen for Ben. So it's crazy Siolistically, it's becoming a great fight based on where they're at in their careers as well. I think what you're really asking, Luke is where have all the cowboys gone?
Right?
Where are my gauchos at?
Right?
Dude? It I also have Harry armpits like that lady Ooh you get yeah, I won't keep seeing because last.
But not least BC we can just touch on this very quickly. Topic number five Henry Shudo released a video this week where he's having a conversation with referee Jason Herzog, and in the video, Herzog acknowledges that he made an error in not taking a point at UFC Seattle from song you Don't. I have a question about it for you BC, But first let's take a look at the video.
Oh what's sub Jason?
Sorry, One you didn't take a point? And then two when I took the five minute, when I took the five minute break and we ended up coming back to actually five like I still want to recover, but that they still came here and you didn't do anything like you know what I'm saying. Luckily I couldn't see because that or.
At least I saw four four arms, but you never warned them or you never took a took away a point?
Do you like?
Oh, j my perspective in a moment. And then just so you hear and I want to try to say it's right or wrong. You have heard you now and I completely agree, especially afterwards when he came with his fingers like this, Why didn't you then stop and to take a point immediately?
And I think it as a very.
Valid criticism and an adjustment that I probably should have made.
I think, get your fair point.
You say these rules in the bag, and I think that's what kind of bugs me is that you specifically did this and the whole thing, everything that everything that you said happened to me.
And there's no point taken away.
Man, I have a loss on my record, Jason because you didn't make the right call.
Man.
And then that bugs me a little bit.
And what I watch again, I'm like, yeah, you should have probably taken a point there.
BC. Does this give you more or less confidence about Jason Herzog's abilities?
It gives me more that this will lead to positivity, a positive change in the thought process, if it doesn't lead to some form of a change in ruling on how this is handled and how referees are I mean arm themselves with the I mean I get the premise of why we've seen such passive refereeing. There must be some edict, you know, from above, on the idea of like, don't become part of the story, you know, because the worst thing that can happen is someone unnecessarily getting a point taken away that affects them, that affects their money, in the long run. But the opposite of being this liberal is horrible. So first off, damn, this video was cringe as shit, Like there's parts of it that were like really good and refreshing. But I saw some people accusing Henry of not letting Herzog know he was on camera. I'm sure they knew that this was for a podcast of some form and they're on camera, but you know, Henry going to near tears at the end was interesting. But this is the transparency, and we have a lot better transparency in MMA officiating compared to boxing, because you do see referees with Twitter accounts that come out there and respond. You do see guys once in a while show up on podcasts and talk about things, where in boxing it's sort of like they're trained not to ever enter the media cycle unnecessarily. So I wonder if Herzog, being this open, humble right to take an l publicly like this and be like, I think you're right this, Like, if this moment changes him and he's already considered by many to be the best referee in the UFC, or if not, you know, top three for sure. I wonder if this will lead to not only more conversations with commissions behind the scenes, but more people taking notice and saying it's almost worse to not take away a point, and then your name becomes the story than the risk of taking away point. They have to establish a baseline of you get one warning and then it's points for all the fouls. That's what it is, or some something better than what we're doing. So in that regard, Luke, everything about what this could mean is refreshing, even if it was cringe as f But that's our guy triple see, it's what he does. I mean, were you as shocked as me to see Herzog taking an l on a podcast a couple of days later. In boxing, we'd kill for that. We'd kill for a press conference where the commission leader or an official or a judge would have to answer questions and actually explain why they did something. And maybe it can lead to this where somebody goes, you know what, I made a mistake. He doesn't have to say I'm a change man, but this will change him moving forward.
This is good.
He had a deal with a little cringe to get there, and Bruno Silva went blind for us to get here.
But hey, whatever, I was also gonna say, like I thought, you know, Henry was a little harsh to his face. I thought in this one, not not terribly. I didn't think it was completely out of line or anything. A little harsh, But I understand his point, like there's a loss that goes on that record. If you had taken a point, it would not have been that way. It would have been a majority draw and he'd be in a different position. And so you know, I can understand having some bitter feelings about it. But in general, like I asked you the question that did they make you more or less confident about his decision making going forward, I don't know how you could look at this and think it would do anything other than make your confidence go skyrocket. These guys are not going to bat a thousand. It's simply never going to happen. It's difficult. They have, you know, hardly any tools to review their decisions. Like I made this point before, Like if you watch American football, you know, not only do they have a chance to review things, and by certain points in the game, they have mandatory that they review certain things, but then they have to announce their decision on the microphone to their audience, Like that to the audience and attendance I guess at home too, Like they have to keep them abreast of their decisions, but they get a chance to review, they get a chance to reflect on it. Why because one, it's important to have a transparent, direct conversation of the audience about what decisions you're making and why you're making them, or at least of what the basis is of what you're making them. But more to the point, like, of course they're not going to get it right all the time. It's silly to think that even with technological tools, they're not going to get it right all the time. But it's a notion of refereeing that that not asks them to be like these perfect angels who who you know from the heavens come down and wield their judgment that is so much better than ours. No, they can have good judgment about it, they can have obviously understanding of protocol better than us. But they're humans like anybody else. They're going to make mistakes. Giving them a chance to correct that, either in the rules or in the application is great. Now, that's not anything Henry Suhuto has been afforded in this situation. But this is the next best thing. And I understand that's probably, you know, a bitter pill to swallow for Henry, because it doesn't mean much in the end in terms of what goes on your record. But a referee willing to come on talk with you about the bout to an extent, be berated, and then explain where the he agrees where the error took place, as kind of like an indication of what went wrong, and then what not to do in the future. Dude, what more can you ask of a referee? I wish there were better rules in place that they had to talk to the media or some kind of rep had to talk to the media after fights are over, if there was a more open relationship PC with various commissions between any kind of media association or media outlets and the athletic commissions themselves, by the way, either four Boxing or MMA, since it's the same commission in Nevada doing all of this essentially. But if you can't get that, this guy took ownership of his own regard. He faced the firing squad by choice, by choice, he decided to do that. That speaks an enormous amount to his integrity, to his desire to get the job done right, to his own humility to examine what went wrong in his own decision making process, and then, to the best extent possible, steal himself for the future. I fucking love this from Jason Herzog. We said on Monday, did we not be seen? We said he's a great referee, It's just a tough job. You're not always going to get it right. Sure enough, I feel vindicated to a degree in professing my appreciation for his skills by virtue of how this has all gone down after the fact.
Yeah, outside of that time he broke my former colleague of rash Marcazi's ribs and that referee Seminar, I've got nothing bad to say about Jason Herzog at all. And Luke. Yeah, I forgot. It was gonna be a good remark. It was probably gonna be the best moment of the show.
But I forgot.
I'm sorry.
Why did he break your friend's ribs?
Oh?
I think Arash was there to write a story about refereeing, and he like took a rash down and like they were doing demonstrations, and.
Arash is not the most in shape guy I've ever seen.
Okay, Okay, let's move on. Please, that's my friend you're talking.
About, Okay, I mean, I'm not you know, I didn't think he was like the most physically fitshal Luke.
I said, I need a warning on all fouls. But I think ipokes are getting so egregious in what they how they changed about, especially going back to the old gloves now that I'm actually not against. If they put a flat out rule that if you penetrate the eye, you get a point. Wouldn't that change everyone who fights like this? Wouldn't that force.
Them to do so?
So it's kind of funny. We didn't put it in the rundown, but Jim Miller put out a video and he put a glove on the old glove obviously, and he said, you know, how can I poke you in the eye like this? Yes, like you can't. The hand has to be closed. And he argued that the hand opens, and by the way, I also can't poke you in the eye like this. It can only be like this, right, And he argued this typically not always obviously, but typically more commonly than not happens on defensive retreating actions. And what he says is that should be essentially penalized out of the sport where if you are His argument goes that if you sufficiently penalize that on these defensive retreats or whatever people are trying to do that it will make them over time when they get penalized for it, it will make them, over time much more likely to not do it in the future, and obviously a reward to some degree anyway the person getting poked, it would help them in situations like this and then many other cases. And I don't really disagree with that, but I don't understand how that can't be used in conjunction. And I know this is an old conversation we've had a million times, but I just can't believe that they're retreating to the old gloves and being like, all right, well, we're just we're just not going to do anything about the ipoke problem. Getting the let me say this PC, getting the rules changed, I support, but one thing that you have to keep in mind, and I've seen it a gazillion times, when you change the rules, sometimes there is a bit of a Pandora's box that opens, and it ends up creating situations that you didn't necessarily expect that can be hard to undo. In the language of new rules themselves. To me, I support penal this, but I also think we can compliment that policy with technology that rounds the fingers so that you get a you know, a double whammy kind of approach to this, rather than just trying to legislate out the issue, which I think can be effective. But all of those things carry inherent risk.
Yeah, but you know, you scare people, you can scare it out of the sport. I mean it was controversial, but look at that Singapore caning in the late eighties, Luke, with that American kid, every American knew from then on out, don't go there, Okay, don't do graffiti on the streets of Singapore.
Michaelid's name, Michael Fay was that his name?
Great Paul, that is the guy's name, speaking of that area of the world, Luke, quickly, if you allow me, I just wanted to say, how about that news from one championship only this card won't take place in Singapore. August first, in Denver one one seventy three, the return of the most electrifying force in mixed martial arts today, Stamp Fairtex Luke unification against Denise Zamboanga. Let's go, are you down for it. Tell me about it.
I'm down for I love I'm telling you we we kill one at times. I love their rule set, I love that Colorado gives them space.
To do that.
I'm all for it. MMA needs more of what they're doing, not less. So I'm happy to see them back. August first, one hundred.
All right, maybe we'll get Shatrian Studio. What do you think?
Not that motherfucker won't talk to me, you know, under any circumstance. But but you know what, they are good people that work there, and as I said, I'm happy to see that. I'm happy. I truly mean this. I am delighted to see one back in Colorado, and I hope that show, for MMA's sake, certainly there's as well, is a big success. I absolutely support that. Uh okay, that's our top five topics. We see we were not going to do fan subs, I don't think today.
Right, Yeah, So we we talked to Mikey, who is at the other end of that glory whole path known as Morning Combat at gmail dot com. Meaning that's how you contact the show. And let's not forget our rules. You show Mikey a picture of your package, your band. Okay, that's what we know. He said there wasn't enough good ones this week that we have to punt towards next week. So I think this is Mikey challenging our audience to come original with their pants on at Morningcombat at gmail dot com.
Okay, by the way, speaking of bands, you know who I'm going to see? I think that April twenty sixth is the day. I'm gona have to double check it's right around then. They're gonna come to They're coming to well, just outside DC. They're gonna come to DC. Cannibal Corpse. Baby.
I thought you were going to say three eleven.
I was like, reality, dude, They're gonna play at the Uh, They're gonna play at the MGM, the MGM National Harbor, that new facility, well, newish facility off just out the side of the city.
You do that.
I hate to say it, but that is where well, first of all, I didn't realize this USIK fought there like twenty seventeen, Michael Honor, that's right.
Uh.
Sadly, that is also the place I hate to say this, but it is true. That is the place that Maxim Dadashev ultimately died, so there is you know, obviously some uh you know, there's been some mixed events there. But in any case, like for a concert venue, anyway, I'm supposed to I'm supposed to meet up with the band afterwards. So we'll see how this goes.
Dude, you gotta put you gotta take picks and we'll run him on MK.
That's great, yah, yeah yeah, So like I hit up. I'm I've kind of developed an online friendship with one of the band members, and I've been in touch with him in the last week and he was like, he set it up. He's like, let's meet at the at the Ox and Hill show.
So I'd like to find out, if you can whether George Corpsegrinder stands or sits when he wipes. I don't think they're going to be offended by this line of questioning. I really don't.
I doubt it. It might be in their wheelhouse too. I guess we'll have to see. But by the way, the guy I'm friends within the band or you know, online acquaintances whatever, big boxing fan, Big Boxing.
Nice, nice and shout out to friend of the program. O'teil Berberg. You know how they were doing dead and Company, Luke, which was like a super group of old members, the Grateful Dead and new members. They're doing the same thing now with the Allman Brothers. The brothers are on tour, so it's like Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Jmo, the original drummer, Otila.
Down down to They're doing.
Back to back nights in the garden coming up too, So shout out to our guy Otel.
I got one more silver dollar down that song. That song bangs. Don't think it doesn't. With that in mind, though, we make a bunch of heirs, we say a bunch of stupid stuff. You'all hold us to account. It's time for dead wrong then wrong, just coming after me left and right these days. This is from Daz. Back up on that ass and give these motherfuckers a blast from the past. Aloha, donks. This is either a dead wrong or Luke was unclear about what he meant when he said the statement. Okay, let's see on Friday's episode, which will be two twenty one, twenty five, so a week ago. Luke, and comparing Connor's and Ilia's moves to fifty five, states that Connor quote one at forty five and then moved up and then that was it. He never went back and defended, which is true. But then he added a throwaway line talking about me quote although Max was a title defense, yes, Max was a title defense to Ilia, Luke, If you were inferring that Connor beat Max after winning the title, this would be incorrect. That's not what I'm implying at all. I just mean that when Ilia fought him that he wasn't winning another title. He was defending it against Max, as they fought in twenty thirteen, yes, before Max or Connor became one forty five champs. Not sure about what Luke meant by Max being a title defense for Connor, no title defense for Ilia. That seemed an odd mistake for such a long time follower of Holloway. That's why I didn't make it. Was she held in a speedy recovery for Reggie Jackson. By the way, we got to get it up there. Hold on, Sorry I missed last week on Dead Wrong. Didn't find anything egreedious last week. Thanks for all the content, Mahaalo Das, what's the story on reg?
That was a little pedanic of Daz, wouldn't you say?
Though?
Overall it was unclear, but so I kind of get it, but no I didn't.
I'm still willing to promote that fight with with Telvin Ki Papa at the love of it back or right now that Governor Penn has accused GSP of steroids, all all good, Let's talk about Reggie Jackson. Thank you everybody for like it's been a ridiculous amount of people showing love for I know they showed the same for Barbois and Reggie j He's home from surgery and he's he's on the road back to recovery and it's so great to see still has a minor respiratory thing, but it's not the deep pneumonia. It was that that I thought almost almost took us in some dark places. But the vet when we picked him up from surgery, he had the four teeth removed, including the two big canines there. They basically said, they're like, although he's a happy drunk, he's both the craziest cat we've ever dealt with pre surgery because it took him three hours to pin him down to get the X ray in a lot of drugs. They said, he's by far the craziest post surgery they've ever been around and Luke. It was my job Wednesday night in my office in the basement to sequester Reggie away from the other animal and sleep overnight with him. I didn't get a wink of sleep. That guy on narcotics is a maniac, but he's healthy. He's back. His tongue fits in his mouth now it closes again, and he's back to just being a regular asshole rather than one on narcotics. So shout out to reggij thank you to everybody out there. He doesn't care about any of you, but I do, so thank you very much. That's that's my dude. Okay, that's my guy.
All right, thanks very good. Glad to hear. And there's one more again for me from sid rival. He says, just want to shoot Luke a dead wrong for his faith and topology. They and I think there's the photo associated with if you want to put that up as well. There it is. What he says is quote. They have me listed at five ten, but I'm five to eight on a good day. Lol. This is mostly in Jess, but I found it funny and wanted to share a shout out to BC. I deleted the Graham, but he followed me when I had it at sid Rival been following Lucent's before he was washed. Love you, guys and all the content you bring cheers from the loyal donk. There you go, hey, listen, they're not perfect. My only point is also on his own Instagram page, he lists himself twenty eight So all right.
You ever see Sid Rival, Luke? He's got some killer tats. He plays the guitar.
It sounds so familiar, but I can't pull it from How can I pull Michael Faye from the memory bank? And I can't pull somebody who watches the show from the memory bank. I don't know, but the name is so goddamn familiar.
I'm happy that sid Rival got that Rogan bump if you know what I'm talking about. You know what I mean? Luke? Did he on the height there on this topology page?
Oh?
Thank you, thank you? Oh that's an awesome one. That's the show today, Long Island, Luke, why don't you plug being a bad boyfriend again for this weekend?
She's on vacation.
I already mentioned that, guys. Full card watch along main card minute four pm in the East. We'll do the entire UFC card into the PBC card joining BC on that one looking forward.
To now the main card minut it's U N Gaff right correct? What is Gaff doing with his life these days?
He's working the PBC fight events this week.
So Gaff was on the press conference, the meeting with each he'll be doing the way in today.
Yeah, them both, they're they're live right now. I think with the way are.
They doing that? Is that an all the smoke thing?
Who's that?
Who's the production company there?
All the smoke?
Yeah?
Okay, did you know that?
Gaff also has his own podcast? What's it called?
Sorry?
I made it for a second. One more round Fights go follow Gaff One more Gaf.
Just the same. Hey, look, you know how like if a plane goes down, and boy, they're going down every day lately, they'll have like an an an old airline expert on the Today Show or something. Do you think that we should get Dave Sandine loyal MK viewer into the role of whenever there's questions about paying for sex, We'll bring that guy on as an ex military expert.
In Oh, yeah, we could do that.
We could do that also, Luke. Last night in the hotel room here I watched the Gabby Patito American murder series on Netflix, and I got a lot of questions for mister and missus Bryan, laundry for his parents. I got a lot of questions.
This is the one I saw the trailer. Correct me if I'm wrong. They start out talking in a van, like they round by the river.
Yeah, no, no, no, But.
Seriously, weren't they in like some kind It's like two young influencers in a van. Isn't that right?
That is it? That's the story. Obviously it got played up to such a high level. People thought because she's young, blonde and white, Luke, But it was a very it was a very interesting story that they've played out because you know, they got the access to all of the police camera videos, so like when the police first knocked on his parents door of the house, like when they pulled the couple over. So it's you get like, I've never had this much access to a murder trial before, you know what I mean, like to like a murder story. But Luke, these parents, wow, wow, all right, horrible people. No, they just were willing to do anything to protect their son.
Oh okay, sorry, misunderstood. I'm supposed to watch Grave of the Fireflies, which is supposed to be one of the great movies of Japanese animation that people have tasked me with. So I'm gonna give that a look. This weekend, BC will be on the Oh we gotta break the newt.
It just really important.
Lucas Al made a missed weight for his bout with Danny Silva coming in at one forty eight.
They will proceed as a Catchwait.
Yeah, nobody gives a fuck, all right. I mean that's not against Luke a Longland Luke. I'm just saying, like, you know, okay, BC on the call tomorrow, I guess for the prelims as well as the main card. And you're doing postfi interviews as well.
Yes, that's a fact.
Well, they got you, they got I mean, I'm happy for you, because I'm happy assignment. You can't complain. But like you're you're doing, you're doing a lot of good for them, I'll put it that way. You're doing a lot of good shit, thank you. So here is that, Okay, And then Monday we should tell the audience. Monday we will be not in studio, but the following Friday we will be in studio because we're going to be getting ready for UFC three third Team. We're gonna be doing. Tell them what it is, BC.
How about pregame preview brought to you by Quervo UFC three one three, Chuck Mindenhall, the man in the hat. Did you know, by the way, Chuck's going to the to the tank fight on Saturday as a fan?
Oh? Nice? Even better?
Son, I'm like, yeah, that's like, that's awesome.
You know, I saw the tank fight and I've seen a couple of tank fights in person. They're fucking fun, like they're they're a good time.
So especially in Brooklyn, Dude, that atmosphere is awesome.
Yeah. Lots of weeds smoking that arena. Lots of weed smoking that arena. Okay, we got to get out of here for Brian Campbell, for Bong Island, Luke and the whole main card, Minute Group and everybody else. That's BC IMLT. Follow us here on all the socials, on YouTube and everything else. We'll see you guys on Monday. We'll react to all the fights from the weekend. Hit us up Morning Combat. Excuse me Morning Combat at gmail dot com. Email the show Dead Wrongs fan subs, the whole nine. That's where you go, we're out of here. Enjoy the weekend. We'll see you Monday, and until next time, May all of your gains be loyal.
