Sean Strickland Dominates Fluffy | Should He Get Chimaev Title Shot? | Ryan Garcia Redeems Himself

Revel reveally.

Look Attle snow.

Jesus, you fit in seamlessly in this weird nkn FN.

When your box gets set and yeah, a new intro baby, Hell yeah, brother, what is it the first time you're seeing that?

That's the first time I'm saying it. I was actually going to start the show today talk just to kind of emulate the Brian Campbell voice over there.

But well, that's cool. We need for that, yeah, man, for that, they have switched it up. Hello everyone, Hello, on this twenty third day of February twenty six, Welcome to Morning Combat. I am merely one half of your very very cold and frozen duo. I joined you from the capital of the status of Needles right here in Washington, DC, joined by a man who's got it much worse than me, who I think. This is a live stream, as you indicated on the pre show, Chuck from Planet Hath.

You know on Star Wars, you know that's what it feels like.

Man.

We have like an eight foot plow drift that like by my garage here from previous plows that hadn't even gone down a little bit from the previous heavy snowfall. And there's basically a trench in our driveway from the snow now that's completely filled in, it looks like it's it's there's no the weird thing about this, man, it's like a muted earth right now. There's no cars on the road out here. It's it's a completely just quiet wonderland.

It's this is a bad one.

Wow. Well, we did not get it that bad in terms of the snow at all. I think we got maybe, you know, three, maybe four inches or something like that. Most of it didn't stick to the ground because the temperature of the earth here at least is still pretty warm. So I had to kind of like push a little bit of like snow cover off the ground. It wasn't really even shoveling. It is gonna be cold today, it's gonna be cool tomorrow. But we didn't get down off.

It was like horizontal right like there, I was looking at some wind factors over there, like we didn't really get that if it happened. It was like early in the morning, but I was half expecting snow drifts over the windows the way they were talking about it, none of that. But dude, it is a heavy snowfall.

Well, nevertheless, we made it. Everyone made it. Everyone the show here made it. So we're glad to uh to have you here at Chuff. We have a lot to get to today. We're going to re reacting, of course, to the UFC show in Houston, where Sean Strickland got certainly one of the very best we'll talk about exactly how good it was, but certainly one of the very best victories of his career, as well as everything else

As bad is Jeff Neil Aoh yeah, but dude, I got like a foot and a half. It's bad out there. Also, I have a covered front porch, so like I shouldn't, I normally don't get any snow on my front porch. I had to shovel like a foot of snow off my front porch just from the wind bringing it up there. But not great out there. Fun card this weekend, though, Boy, yeah.

Are you didn't? Are you supposed to get more snow today? It's currently snowing right now.

It's not like heavy snow, but it's snowing right now. I, however, though, can see pavement on my streets, so they're doing a good job plowing right now. I gotta go shovel after this.

It's gonna all right, very good. Uh, let's set the table here. If you want to follow us on the socials, we're pretty much everywhere on the MK universe. You know where to catch me. I'm on also pretty much everything in the social media universe, and you could find Chuck over at Instagram as well as X. Don't forget we have great march, which, by the way, this is the last week for it. This is it. This is the

Yeah.

When is that card? That card's coming up Saturday. That's this Saturday, Okay, Saturday. Yeah, that's crazy man. Yeah, I've been seeing all that footage coming out of port of I ardbad, what a crazy thing.

Yeah, we'll see. Also if you want to reach the show for dead wrongs, for fans, ubs, or just to talk to the producers Morning Combat at gmail dot com. I don't know if I'm forgetting anything. I don't believe that I am. So if that is out of the way, let's get this party started topic number one, let's talk about it. So in the main event of UFC Houston, in my opinion, well, first of all, as a matter of fact, Sean Strickland scores a third round stoppage over

I think it might have been.

And you know, part of that is on Fluffy too, right, because I didn't feel like at any point that Fluffy came to life in that fight. You know, his his corner was kind of imploring him basically to go in there and put him on his back foot a little bit at least follow up the one shots with something more, and you could see the kind of you know, you're mentioning, didn't he didn't really, he didn't really hit Strickland. The

Would you have that psychology? This one?

It just felt like he was so dialed in and he just kind of he never was really in danger, controlled the you know, controlled the fight from as long as it lasted, and every time there was blood in the water man, he smelled it and he pounced. So I thought it was certainly next to Izzy as far as his best performances.

Yeah, I mean I need to say this because there's two basic points I want to make here. So you weren't here for Friday's MK, But on Friday's MK, my assessment was I've been waiting for Sean's game, which was a little bit more defensively oriented than it was offensively oriented, and I was waiting for that to kind of turn a corner because it was kind of holding him back in fights that maybe he should have won. The cannoneer

Yeah, you know you say the word surgical. That's what it was, right, Like he was the way he was kind of sniping in this fight. It'll reminded me a little bit of remember Macheetah in his day would be on that backfoot and like he would kind of be that backward leaning posture and like he just kind of punished, he'd move out of the way. Yeah, it was, it was very like it was a little there was some shades of that right like where you're you're watching him, and I fully agree with you.

He is fairly elusive.

Man.

You take away like the Perira fight, right like something like that where he just gets caught right away. He generally doesn't. Sean Strickland is one of those guys who avoids big damage on hole and especially if he can get into a rhythm.

And I thought that that's what he did here.

And part of it, like we were talking about, man, this is always such a it's such a funny thing because we were talking about who who would be the better challenge between these between Fluffy and Strickland to go against SHAMAIAV and I was basically making the point that the dog the dog, and if you look at Fluffy like the dog that's in him and his aggression, that's

I don't think he knew how to close.

I think he only had like one takedown, uh you know the one takedown I think attempt take. They credit him with one taking attempt, but I don't even I mean it was so he was just shut down. Like you're saying when you use the word pedestrian, that's exactly how it looked to me. It never looked like Sean Strickland was in danger.

So that was the one point that I wanted to make, was simply that I actually a few points. One the weaponization of movement. I just want everyone to pay attention in main events the people who can use movement effectively against if they're matched up with people who can't, it is an enormous advantage. That's one. Two. I thought that, you know again, DDP lost number one kind of a languid performance against Paula. Costa looked even worse than the

Yeah, man, And I mean we saw that a little bit with Diego Lopez, right because he comes in and we we identified that he needed to do I know this joke, you're crazy, like, you know, cutting the cage a little better, like the things he wasn't doing. But it's like he comes in there and it's it's like

You know.

The thing that like you look at guys like Sean Strickland a lot of times, we like we think we identify his ceiling because we've seen him do this thing. Like you're saying, he has Some people accuse him as being a boring fighter, maybe too defensive, like we were mentioning, but he's been in twenty four Like it's crazy. He's been in twenty four fights. This was his twenty fourth UFC fight. The guy has stood in there against so many people he trains with, you know, monsters in Vegas.

Yeah, No, there's no doubt about it. And again it's not like like in the case of so for example, I I made the calculation for the UFC through twenty four. Main event that the young not that I thought, you know, the ultimate upside of Geche had obviously been higher than the ultimate upside of what we've seen to that point than Patty, but Patty was so much younger. I thought Gegye was kind of on the down swing, and I

It turned out, No, And did you get the feeling like when he says well, I got caught with that body shot. I mean, and it was it was a great body shot. But did you get any sense that the that the tables could be turning at any point in this fight? Like that's always the thing, right, Like you just see a guy being outclassed, and so then then you see kind of like, okay, at least he had.

But obviously.

That did not work, because that was like the one moment he came forward right like that. That body shot was him coming forward and trying to do that, and and that was effectively the end of the fight.

It's weird. Fluffy has a pretty good chin, but his durability to the body is there's no This is by my account at least the fourth fight where he's been rocked by a body shot.

That's a good point. Yeah, that's a good point, Like.

You're at this point now where yeah, you'll notice there was that one exchange in round one where Sean put that combination together and got the better of Fluffy in a brief moment if Fluffy just smiled and walked into him. Yeah, but but then you get hits to the body and then it closes the show. And I think you have to give Strickling a little bit of credit here. Again, I sorted sort of my point out by saying this at the top, which was for a guy at MMA.

Yeah, who was it? I think it might've been.

DC was trying to point out, like, if this version of Sean Strickland shows up to the cage, he can compete with anybody, including Shamaiev. I mean, I know we're going to talk about that in a minute, but like that is that is a question, right because you're always like where's this guy's head? You know a lot of times, and even in this particular, in this one, like he goes to Houston, what does he do? He makes all

It's incredible to watch. I kind of want to put this topic to bed as we move on, we'll talk about the what's next for the division? Well, actually, you know what, before we do that, very quickly, I gotta I gotta be Okay, So, as I mentioned, I'm making these mistakes where I ordinarily you can kind of rely on youth to begin to really surge through, and they're

And sometimes it's like when we're talking about a guy like Fluffy, it's the fresh blood, not necessarily like the young gun, but like a fresh blood who hasn't really been in the big fights, and he's like now you're finally getting to see him in.

The big things.

Because with like Raphael Phazi, for instance, like going against Justin Gaichee, I remember, I was like that he's going against the guy who's on his way out and this guy's on his way up in Physie and they fight twice and both times Geichee wins this fight. You almost understood physique Like I feel like that that established like like his baseline are okay, we understand now that maybe he's not cut out for the top. It really was informative.

And that's kind of what we're at with this one man.

And just like in all those cases I felt, and especially the Volkanovsky case, Strickland held court, you know what I mean, like, and that's that's one of those things when you when you see it, you're like, hey, man, like you can you can think of what you want about a guy like that. But as a fighter, it's very validating to kind of show at thirty four years old, to show up and put on that performance.

Now, one of my rules is that when a fighter wins, you know, it's their turn to say what they want to say before the fight. I'm a little bit less interested in that, but certainly after the fight, if you win, it's your turn to talk. Interestingly enough, they cut his mic at the post fight press conference to take a look.

At this You got Colby like the pretend you know, the pretend Republican, but like, who's really like entertaining? You got Jamaia of the fucking go fucker, Like, who's really who's really entertaining in this division?

Nobody?

So good?

Oh that's wrap. Anyway, this straight.

Up cut his mic. That should have done that in the here's my reaction to this, which is two things. One people were like, oh, no way UFC would do this. Paramount did this. No chance, Not a chance on earth that the UFC gets told to cut a fighter's mic by the media partner. If you know anything about the UFC, especially the UFC, you know that that is not even something you could contemplate. Not a chance that's happening. Number one. Number two, Chuck, I think that there actually might be

Yeah, I mean, I dude, I like, I've talked to the UFC back, you know, a long time ago before he ever got a title shot, and he was being you know, he was kind of working his weapon, and I'm like, is there hesitation to kind of put him in this spot because you have a loose cannon essentially on the microphone. Who's going to offend a lot of people? And they're like yes. They were basically like, yes, this is a concern of ours. So this isn't something new.

Can I tell you, I don't believe it actually bothers them. They might say that to you, I'm not telling you that you're dying, but then they use it promotionally. Then Connor does insane stuff like Connor gets it. Connor gets found liable for sexual assault in Ireland and their response is, why would you even ask me a question about that?

I know, why would I? Yeah, here's why I would ask you about it. I don't know nothing about that you know, he just yeah, what is that?

I don't listen to hip hop? You know, it's like what and so you know, it's like and then when they when Sean was in Australia, they turned it into a thing they wanted to promote, like, oh, come see this guy get you know, messed up. They took the front page of the Australian media reacting to Sean and like this. I don't know what the evidence would be that they're actually bothered by it. Again, This one, to me is interesting because I'm I'm guessing that it's lawsuit related,

But do you think that like the Paramount, Like, I mean, I feel like that's the point. I'm sure paramount is like what the fuck is this?

Right? But it's like, dude, y'all paid seven point seven billion for this. This was not the first time Strickland has done this, you know what I mean. It's like fucking tons of tape on this.

It's not like and each time it's crazier and crazier, right, Like and the Toronto thing. It was like it was out of hand. But yeah, you're d you know, blaming uh, blaming us.

Yeah, if you if you ask dumb questions.

I don't think a lot of people expected Strickland to look as good as.

He did tonight.

I know the answer to this.

But right when you look at Strickland and what comes next to him, you know he's calling for a hams At fight stuff like that. There's no like what he says during media day and things of that that doesn't affect your booking of him, right, you're still happy to put him in.

Those It's a nightmare at the time. Mean, but you guys don't help asking him dumb shit. You know, ask dumb shit, You're gonna get dumb shit. Would you think of bad Buddy? Would you think of the Super Bowl? The fuck out of here? You're fucking kidding me. Yeah, So when you talk about what Strickland says, you guys like to push the buttons.

Fair enough, chuck your reaction.

Did the media bring up bad Bunny? I'm asking you, did they bring up bad Bunny?

So my understanding is my understanding is some of it was brought up that he went into but a lot of it was also just Sean taking liberties. Yeah, Riz Zone. Yeah, it's kind of the point, right, because even in other situations, you'll ask him like, hey, here's a standard question about blow so and so, and then they'll answer it and then just going on a tangent, you know what I mean.

Yeah, I mean the bottom line is we work in the media, and everybody knows how it works. You're going to ask questions that get, you know, to provoke a response, and especially with a guy like that, you're gonna set him up. You're gonna let him trip over himself if he needs to, like they're going to do that, and but to reprimand them, like it's like you can't do

It's an impossible state. It's impossible to meet that. It's impossible.

You know.

It's like, it's not the Meetia's fault that he is a loose cannon. I mean, it's just the dude's gonna say it anyway. Even if you didn't ask him something directly that you know you're trying to get some crazy response, he's gonna take it there. He's done it a million times.

Can I tell you how many times I've talked to media members at major outlets who've done interviews with him during five weeks. This is like not a new thing at all. And then they do the interview and then they can't use it because he would go off on tangents about muslums or something like that, and they're like, well, we can't use it of this. This has happened. I've heard this kind of story from people who work in major media outlets for years. At this point, it is

Find but you know you're gonna get yeah, yeah, But.

On the other side, if you go even the other way where you're challenging power, well then you also get you your your job to them is to play a very very narrow role of helping them advance their interests. Anything to the contrary of that they lose their mind.

Well, they whittle away everything, like you said, and they keep what they consider the arm of their own brand, right like they they just wanted to kind of stand. I can remember going to uh, you know, UFC's in the one hundreds, you know, like below before UFC one fifty, say, and the UFC people would they were very very chummy and they would come up and they be, hey, can you uh can you ask you know, John Fitch a question?

Can you because nobody appear right.

They want you to cut, they want you to participate, and I get all that, I get all that, but like there's nothing to say that They're not going to be like, hey can we uh you know, there's an expectation in place at some point to kind of make it more of an entertainment thing, right like, so especially with the life crowd. So the way it's the vault is not surprising as all. I'm trying to say, you know and now also when Dana said, dude, do you

You remember that.

It's like that some reason I heard that. When he's talking about that, I'm like, dude, it's just not the way it works. You know, it's not the way it works. You have, like you have a guy and it's almost he's almost like this momentum like it's almost like a comedy where somebody's like they mortify themselves more and more the more they talk, and they're like, oh my.

God, why am I saying that?

But he never has that moment of self reflection, or if he does, you know, he's he's like he's then he's becoming like that try hard type of guy who's just gonna roll it out as long as far.

As he can, right, yeah, oh yeah, that's the best part is like, you know, the the issue is not necessarily what Strickland said, but that's someone asked him. It's like, yeah, I don't. I don't think that's how personal responsibility works, but what do I know? All right? Question Number two, let's talk about what might be next for the winner and also Hernandez two. To an extent, let's let's focus

The should part?

Right like, I no, I feel like Imovov has like put himself in that position. I know he has the loss, and I guess if you wanted to do the strict math, like, he has that loss, but it did come out of two hundred and five pounds, right like that was a

But I don't.

I know, the UFC doesn't operate, so they don't operate off as should right Like we saw that in the first couple of pay.

Per views or numbered cards to start the year.

Here's here's the issue for me. It's like, again on paper, whose resume. I mean, Sean's got a better resume because he was a champion, obviously, But I'm saying in terms of okay, we're asking who has put together the requisite amount and type of wins in the middleweight division to be the most deserving of a title shot. If we're asking that question, the answer is only Imovov. But here's the problem for me, Chuck, this is the issue. Number one.

And you know what, if they're going to make em above, wouldn't they already be like wouldn't they already kind of be making it Like, wouldn't they Like I feel like they're waiting to see. Now, maybe it was from a Fluffy from that perspective of like if Fluffy gets through whatever, But when a guy comes through like this, and we know the recency bias obviously of the the the UFC and the fan base, like if he gets through on a fight like this, suddenly you know people are talking

Right, Let's go to our friend Long Island Luke here for just a second, Long Island Luke, how do you solve this problem? How do you figure out a way what is the right answer to On the one hand, one guy is from the traditional ways in which we measure eligibility. One guy has got a better case than the other. But the guy who's got the worst case has a much better case for a bigger fight and a better fight.

As in the end, I kind of disagree with you. I don't think it's going to be a better fight than I Mavov, like, I think Amavov is kind of underrated. I'm not giving either guy a chance against Tamayo. That's just the reality. I think Strickland's gonna get his ask kick, and I think Amavov's gonna get his ass kicked. And when I say ask kicked, he might just get laid

I mean. I can't even argue with the logic of it. I just can't chuck, you know what I mean. I can't say anything like yes, that probably would make more sense, but I disagree with long Island. Like I don't see Chimaya of laying on Strickland for twenty five minutes. I can see him laying on on on Imovov for twenty five minutes. I don't see it that way.

Because you think Strickland would put up too much of a resistance like he would not be or do you think he would fight a different fight?

I think he was. What I think is could I see a world where he is largely controlled through that so that you know he doesn't get enough offense for it to really even matter. Sure, but like flat on his back, like you saw his DVP. No, I don't. I just don't buy that. Whereas Imovov Mavov has been taken down a lot, has been held down a lot like yeah, I don't buy that at all. Let's put up some of these. Let's put up you know what,

There's a tweet, an interesting tweet that came out from your pal, mister nasadinam evolved.

He says, my dream bring me the clown for the crown.

Listen, dude, I've moved past you. You know you uh I beat you. Relax, Either you get the belt or I get the belt. Once you get the bell, take it from you. Once I get the belt, you loose to me.

Not that interested in it fair enough. Yeah, but here is now Sean talking about training with Hamzad Sedd.

He tapped you out. That's why you hate it, bro.

I made him quit training witnesses in the audience, Where where's air again?

I made him quit.

We're doing positional grappling, all right, start on my back, and I was like, first round, I let him fucking choke me because it's like, like, no one gives a fuck. Let me tell you about this little bitch. I'll tell you when I walk into a gym. Do you think that I go find the little weakest man. I say, let's spar I say no, I go find the biggest, baddest motherfucker. I'm like, hey, I want to spar you.

I don't know if that's true, but that's a lot more interesting, yeah than the pitch for Nessardini movel what I mean, It's well, yeah, inherently far more interesting to me. And this, of course is Chimaia's response, Habibi, calm down. I destroyed the guy who beat you twice, American bitch, which is also true. He also he also was way better than the guy that sewn Shirkland went ten rounds with and could not defeat. I don't know, like this is.

I understand of the three that we're talking about, Shamia, Beam of Bov and Strickland, which one do you think that the UFC is like we most want to be in business with, you know.

What I'm saying, because you get Strickland.

He moves the needle, but it's like it comes with such a such a bag of asterisks, right, like you're like, oh my god, this guy like he does all these things we have hums out, which I think is like he carries that mystique that weird what if. But also he's he doesn't fight often, you know what I mean. Like it's just it feels like it's kind of he dies on the vine a little bit by the time that goes by and then they move off. Who's just really has the you know, he has been very good,

Probably, but I mean do there's there's a problem each way you look here, it's a problem for the UFC and also an opportunity, but a problem. So as you unicated Strickland, who is American certainly, you know, I think among the audience of edge Lord dogs that using the last yeah, six or seven years, he certainly is. You know, I think they love him. So there's obviously attraction to

I was gonna say that Shamaav would be the guy to out heal him American bitch. The American part of that is hilarious, right, like American bitch. But it's like he's not he's not afraid to play the heel. But you know, it's funny because Strickland we in a in a strict sense of like looking at it, you'd be like, well, he's a pretty good heel himself in terms of like just but did you hear them chanting like his name in Houston man, I'm in like every time he actually

The crowd's rooting for him. It's a confusing situation.

Man.

So if anybody's gonna turn him into a like a baby face, it might be Shamayah.

Samaiah would absolutely yeah, especially if you went the you know again, not he's not gonna be like the iron chic. But if you went like a right anti immigrant I'm sorry, I'm sorry anti yeah American, the scene, man, it could do a lot of good. All right, before we get to topic number three, let's talk about our friends over

Pregame preview is beautiful altogether let's go finally.

Man, I gotta tell you it's been it's been nice to not be on Amtrak as much. And I gotta say I've also the winter here was terrible, but it was even worse in New York. I'm glad that I missed the worst of it, but it'll be It'll be nice to get back, you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, it's been a minute, But the Acela train, I think they fixed all the problems.

Man, You're gonna be pleasantly surprised when you know, I.

Think I think you'll be surprised. I think there Amtrak is doing this bit where they're rolling out all these new trains.

Yeah, and I love that, mercilessly go at them on social media.

I love it.

Let me just say that I have sources, and this is I'm not exaggerating. I have sources within the rail industry, let's call it. And by chuck, I don't mean pornography, all right, the actual yes, Oh fuck off off, My joke is good to dad, Get that ready. What I was gonna say is they tell me my sources that the new trains break down constantly, perhaps as much or

That's bad when you're making that comparison, you know.

Fuck track. How about all right, let's talk about the rest of topic number three of that UFC Fight Night strictly Hernandez main card. We will get to the prelim card. I assure you, however, the main card did. To me, the previm card was dreadful. Beyond words, the main card to me, certainly, the main event delivered, and there were some other great highlights along the way. I in general did not have much of a problem with the main card.

Yeah, man, I think it might be in the sense like too, this was a guy who you know, he was working as a as a waiter up and I don't know if he was still doing it. I mean, he was doing it for the big portion of his career, like he just didn't give it up in the Dallas area there, and you know, you'd talk to him and I felt like he you know, he would admit like at some point like I'm probably not taking the fighting as seriously as I should have. I'm probably you know,

But it's also the shot that floored him.

Man.

Like sometimes you see a guy get knocked out and it's like you, I don't know how to explain it. They look so vicious, their brain is just shutting down at the first, you know, the first feel of that, And I just at some point, man.

You you do want you do worry about a guy like that.

I and I think that we've seen kind of I don't I don't you tell me too like I there was a moment maybe a few years ago where I was like, well, maybe Jeff new can be a player in this division, but I'm not sure what his I'm

What a fun fighter.

But when you see guys getting knocked out like that, it's tough, dude, It is tough. That was a bad one, and we had a couple of them on this card, but that one was tough to watch.

And it was a nice punch from Metich for sure, but it didn't seem like the kind that would have that reaction.

I mean, I guess yeah, see, he seemed almost a pro like he was like, oh wow, that was it, huh.

I don't think the power was super crazy, but the power was certainly sufficient, obviously. Yeah, it was a lot location. It was right in the side of that Yeah, like kind of not quite in the temple, but it's a little bit on that sort of softer edge right here. He kind of hit him right there, and that was enough to close the show. Thirty five, by the way, will be thirty six in August.

Right, you remember, you remember when I forget what UFC it was, but it was like the one where Franklin and Laddell, Ladell's last UFC fight, he breaks his he breaks his left hand. I think it was right because he was a south paw and at the end of that round he kind of hits him with the right hand, and the way Laddell goes out, it's just like his brain was like, Nope, I'm not dealing with anymore of this.

Like he got remember that scene in the Matrix were switching apoc get unplugged. Yes, and they're like not like this, Yes exactly they almost It's kind of kind of like that nice win by eerrosh Metich. Certainly he earned himself a big opportunity, great win. He did what he was supposed to do. I just wonder about what's next, what's left for Jeff Neil we got.

Mentioned by the way, Like, isn't that like all his victories have been by tk or Ko, like all of his I think all eight of his victory It's crazy, man.

The dude's well, he will live or he will die. On that sort, he admits that uh Melki costa dude. This guy had a tremendous twenty twenty five and becomes now the first guy to I think, certainly in the UFC anyway to stop Dan Egay with strikes in his

On Well we were talking about I don't know his age, he's how old is he? Like, he's not like, he's not a super like, he's he's another one of these guys who's coming he's young. Yeah, he's young. So it's

Yeah. I thought he looked absolutely tremendous, throwing a lot of kicks and then switching it up the way he did against a guy like Danny Gay, who again I said it was up. I wasn't sure if it was first uh in the UFC or not first ever, first person in general, and whether it was crazy Ko or submission to stop him. And that guy has fought you know who who of fighters. Really really incredible work by

Man, we were pointing out like all week basically that Kobe Smith is one of those guys you keep your eye on because he's he's got that pedigree, you know, the Oklahoma state thing. Trained like obviously like he's one of DC's guys, but he's just got like some there's something about him when you watch him, like, this guy's really explosive and so far he's been able to do that.

Who's his last fight was that Nico Price? What was the because he was a huge favorite.

He was a huge favorite in his last fight, and he kind of had to put up with a little adversity through that fight. But then he's when he settled in, it was like boom, he did the same thing.

I think he's.

Definitely one of those guys that we've seen enough tape on him now where you can kind of you know, he can handle the expectations a little bit, like which is always something you got to watch. He can he you know, the Vegas odds makers want to like make him a big favorite. He can handle that a little bit. So I feel like he's kind of not primed for whatever his next fight is going to be to h to really kind of take off, like he's definitely on there.

Man.

That knockout was insane. But what did you think about the stoppage on this.

Oh dude, the Stoppers. It was pretty bad, right. I mean, guys, a welcome to Texas where everything is bigger than Texas.

True, we used to have this conversation like all the time when they're in Texas, right, like all the time.

Gohe people don't understand there. There's guys that used to be in rotation that are still in rotation on like regional shows, but UFC has been like just absolutely fucking not. Steve Malsagatti was one of them. But another guy you might not know who used to be a main fixture in Texas you'll still see him on occasion, John Shorley. John Shorley is one of the worst ones I've ever seen, just absolutely horrendous. Carrie Hatley's not as bad as those guys,

Man, there's the aesthetic. They're showing this whole like package of like this guy overcame this. They're showing the scar on his head, you know, when his head was shaved, and you're looking at this and you're like, oh, man, you know there's something about trauma to a brain that's already had like a problem, right, and then like you see that he is out. And I would say that five of those shots at least came after he was out or it looked like he was definitely out. That's

It's hard to blame the fighter. You know you're supposed to do that.

Nevertheless, you know, Texas baby Texas. Yeah, I don't know what to say about this. So most of the on are not most. Let's say, a decent portion of the online chatter about Sergis Bivoc versus Antie Delia was pretty positive. Can I just be honest, I didn't. I wasn't super opprested of this fight. I didn't really where were you on this one? No, I was with you the same.

Maybe maybe it was a little bit because we've been talking about heavyweights and it was like, oh, here we go again, a heavyweight card right in the in the middle of a of a you know, of a of a card where it's not at the apex, right, and by the standards of what we've watched so far this year, this was a great fight.

You know.

It was like these guys actually were competitive and neither one was like gassing out to the point where they couldn't throw a punch at the end. But it was just a mediocre fight, you know what I mean. It wasn't there was nothing really uh, there was nothing about it that really like, you know, there was no moment where you're like, oh my god, this guy came back from that or anything like that. It was it was just it was just a typical lightweight fight. But I

Yeah, I.

Mean seriously, I heard a lot about that. Like everybody's like, oh, these guys wanted to uh to close down the heavyweight division, and so suddenly you get a fight. There's at least a little competitive right, Like I feel like people are just going over.

You heard people bitter at us for a suggestions.

I did, Yes, Yes, I heard a couple.

Of people, but like you don't have to say names, but like, I mean, just like you know, I wouldn't go so far as the like what you guys were talking about, you know, that sort of thing like where you shut it up and you just kind of offering. So it was all kind of in good conversation. It wasn't like they were calling us idiots. But you know, we took it. I felt like we took it to its natural extreme, which is sort of like why did was anybody want to watch this?

You know? Why would you want to watch this?

First of all, we didn't actually say the division should be eliminated. We're going to say, what's the point of keeping it around if you're not going to institute fixes to it? Yes, it's a very different claim. Then I don't care if there are fixes. We're done. That's a completely truth point, you know, to to to go to, all right. But the other part is Long Island. Luke, where were you on this fight? Because I think your pulse is probably going to be closer to maybe what

No, I fucking hated it, But I had reasons that I hated it, and you know they're betting related. But you know, I had the fight to not go the distance, and I could just tell, like the minute it started, I was like, this fight fifteen minutes and the heavyweight overs are back. All right, guys, you know, no longer bet fight does not go to the distance. Always bet the over on a heavyweight fight.

Heavyweight this year, this year, man, that was a thing.

A few years ago, shout out Jed Misheu. He coined it like heavyweight overs. It was like every heavyweight fight was going at least over one and a half, over two and a half, and then it kind of they're all get finishes. I feel like heavyweight overs are back.

So yeah, I just feel like people are starved for any kind of decent heavyweight action. And that's what I think. It was. Not crap. I'm not like looking at this fight being like, oh it was some kind of disaster. It was not a disaster or any like that. But like, did I think it was a good fight. No, I did not think it was a good fight.

And I mean, you know, good for speedback, Like you get a guy like that, he's been he's kind of been a woodwork guy, like in the terms of like he's not really and he's just been in the heavyweight division.

He's fought a lot of guys.

But you know he's mentioning like his father passing with that kind of motivation, and you feel good for a guy like that who needed the victory and for morale and all that.

But in terms of a fight, it was just a fight.

Yeah. Well, I'll just say this. I also don't have much to say about the Michelle Pueda Zachary's fight.

It was perhaps the less set about it, the better.

Yeah, just a fight, all right, let's talk about that. Preliminary car Jesus Christ, this one was not that great. As I mentioned, main event totally delivered a largely delivered anyway, main card largely delivered some real bright spots. Molchy Costa looked great, or Metics looked great. Jacoby Smith, you know, look great, like a bunch of these guys looked amazing. No, no no harm, no foul. But that prelim card was

Part of it is, you know, John Anick was on like he was on some podcasts a couple of weeks ago, and he basically said, like, one of the fixes the UC could do is just reducing the amount of fights of car on cards and getting it back to more in that ten eleven range that we were used to back in the day. This particular card had fourteen fights. There were eight on the prelims, right, and that's a lot.

It was just it just doesn't hold attention, you know what I mean.

Like it was just one of those things you're like, there's also this thing, dude, like you see, like if you had an annoying friend, like you'd always see him or whatever, and he starts to tell you whatever, and at some point you're like, you know, man, I'm always at the bar and I'm always talking to this guy, and I'm just sick of it because why do I want to be Why do I want this in my life?

You know, I'm not trying to.

Throw him under the bus specifically, but he's been in a lot of these fights, and You're like, why do I keep having to watch this? You know where you're like watching guys that they just aren't like moving, you know, they're not moving anywhere, but they're just perpetually on a prelim, you know what I mean.

It's just I don't know.

There was a lot going on there, but it wasn't holding my attention too well.

This is where I come down to. Were there some strong performers on this premium card. Sure, we'll talk about them just a second, but I had It was so funny when you said this on the pre show because the exact response I have would I'd be watching the fights door closed to my office. There's no one in the room. I'm not being distracted. I mean, my daughter came in a couple times in different moments, but in general, yeah,

I don't know how I mean, it's just things that you drift off on like that, or it's just you got to look at it from UFC standpoint. I think that that's what they hated about old boxing model, right, like they just didn't want to have too much. But boxing a lot of times will on it's undercards, will basically stack it up with mismatches so that you see knockouts,

All right, there there were a couple of bright spots. I thought on the premium card, the biggest one to me would be Joscelyn L. Edwards defeating your Cornole. I'm not sure I pronounce her name, Please forgive me.

I think it's Cornoll, Yeah, Cornoll Yeah.

And you know, and she obviously Matt returns her what you can see in the above picture. It injures her and then she gets the the choke. I will say this to you, Chuck. When she first got to the UFC, so she's been in the UFC for a little while now. She got there all the way back in Wow twenty twenty one. She fought Janaan Wu and then Carol Hosa and then Jessica Rose Clark. She lost two of the three of those, and I thought, wow, she looked really terrible.

Yeah.

I thought they were just trying to sign fighters from you know, Latin American territories to fill out their roster. But dude, she is on a four fight win streak. She did listen to Eileen Petz back in twenty twenty four. Since then, she's beating Tamirez Vidal, Chelsea Chandler, Priscilla Ketchuarra, which was a pretty good one. She fished her off, and then Nora Cornoll as you mentioned all of those wins via stoppage. She actually is thirty years old. Now, yeah, dude, she's she was.

She was impressive.

I mean, I think she was the only one of this new like era, of the twenty five thousand dollars finish that actually got paid on the premium, so by default she's going to do that.

But de man, that slam? How cool was that?

Man?

I thought the fight was over off of that.

She obviously got the choke a little, you know a few seconds later, But I agree with you, man, and she this was like this was a rematch too, right, because she was avenging her one of her losses. So I feel like, yeah, she's definitely one. Was thirty years old sometimes and from Panama, I'm not sure. Off the top of my head, can you think of who's come from Panama? Like I can't even think of a single UFC fighter right this second.

Well, how about Roberto Duran? Motherfucker? Well, yeah, yeah, Monos depa draw. That's right what I'm saying.

Yeah, well in the UFC, But I mean that's that's kind of a boon, Like I like that when you've got a new representative and she's flourishing. So she was one of the lone bright spots for sure on that.

Yeah. And by the way, she lost to Nora back in twenty twenty three. Look at the change. Yeah, exchange, pretty pretty dramatic. You got to be impressed by that. I also got to give Long Island credit. I didn't watch Ultimate Fighter, so I wasn't super familiar with her game. But Carly Judas Judais, however you say her name, Dude, she didn't get the finish against Giuliano Miller. But I didn't hate this fight at all because her striking. She's

That was also her first win by decision. All of her wins had been by knockout before that, and she put it on Miller, and she also like looked pretty bad on the ground in that fight. A few times I was like, oh shit, Juliana Miller is going to finish her. That fight was way better than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be a one sided Carle just piecing her up. Juliana actually made it interesting. But dude, the prelims just

I was gonna say, you're like a prelim fetishist.

I literally chuck like five fights. I literally said, this is the worst card, like by far that I like, this is so boring. This is the worst card. So yeah, it was bad, but if you just watched the main card, it was actually like besides the Michelle car was actually Jordan Levitt.

By the way, Yady ar del on my timeline. So he loses, Jordan Levitt wins, he spanks him, which by the way, Kutur did to Tito or Tiz at USC four four, and then everyone on my timeline was like, arrest Isaac and people were tagging the FBI and shit, because he looked terrible, not not Levit leve It looks fine. But uh, del Vae looked just out of this level. And uh, that's.

An incriminate it is though, it's like it's just that doesn't make any sense, right.

And then lastly Labos noo Yanni. Uh he got the winner for Phil Rowe. You know, it was the spirited back and forth, but it just one of these fights that just didn't capture your attention. Same thing with Alden Korea. He put in a good effort against Luis Gurule. I'm not sure what it means, and then I'll be I don't have to say it. Idris or Idius against Odie Osbourne another one of these fights where it's like, what happened in that one? I saw it and I can't

And it looked like just generally he was in control of that fight. But again, yeah it was I was the same way.

In fairness, Carlos Leal tried to put it on Cheti Andji Kawani so Leal to me Leal and Edwards with the two bright spots sort only that card and Judaice looked good, but you know it was you know, you couldn't quitet with the hope. All right, that's that part of the card. Let's talk about what happened in the squared circle, so to speak, so over on his own in the boxing ring. Well, we weren't sure what we were gonna get with Ryan Garcia, but we now we know.

Well, dude, we were like talking about is this do or die for him?

Right?

Like?

So these are the stakes when you really think about it like that, You're like, you know, a loss here, and I think that he loses kind of the thread or with this vitality thing that we have with this guy of being that when you know, because he's compelled. Honestly, he's compelled the boxing audience to pay attention from the beginning, just going back to the amateurs, like just what he's been able to do if he loses this fight, it was that big, Like maybe he starts to slip off

Where'd that?

Like?

Personally, I was like where was that right hand? When during the role Romero fight.

That I was sitting ringside, I was like, all of a sudden, he shows up with a with a you know, with the right hand to go home with a speed the speed factor looked like he was like double like

Man. The scores were one eighteen one oh nine, one nineteen one eight, and then one twenty one oh seven, all for Ryan Garcia. I mean he won all of them on one judge of scorecard, all but one on one.

Yeah, how did you have it? Did you have him winning all of them?

I had him winning every single same same not have a single round from Mario Marios, And I thought it was. Frankly, it's ridiculous that some people did. Although I guess, you know whatever, it didn't really matter in the end, but that was dude. I'm so glad you brought this up because we were like, well, what's Mario's gonna do with a guy's got a good left hook. We'll see if he can solve that problem. Turned out that was not his problem. Turned out that was one problem that he

This is my point.

I want to say, did Ryan Garcia look really good, Chuck? Did he add new weapons? There's simply no denying. On the other hand, I do think part of the story

Yeah, I mean that that's factor. It's always it's always like this. But you know, the truth of the matter is we just didn't know. Like even the line reflected this. Garcia probably should he was like a minus two fifty. I'm sure a long on has the exact but he was something like that. He was it was if it was if everybody kind of knew this going in, it should have been like minus one thousand, right, that's the kind of fight it was. It just shows that when when a guy has dialed in, so it depends on

A champion, you know what I mean?

Yeah, no, not maybe definitely.

Do you think he's is he among?

Like I know that people this was the like they always get this sort of thing where it's like that dude's the worst champion in history, you know that sort of thing, like how far do you go on this line.

For Mario one of the least championship contender guys during my professional career? Yeah yeah, yeah, like I can't speak all time or anything like that, And there's definitely we should be clear, there's definitely been guys who are like interim or super or not even super in like a regular kind of way, like some sanctioning body bullshit ass title. But I'm talking like full weight class champ. Yeah, I just don't know if I can recall one this easy.

Yeah, I mean, you know not Yeah, definitely not an hour well, that's what I'm saying.

I guess an hour era.

I mean, if you go back, there's always those dudes who are like the Tony Tuckers who held belts for you know what I mean, like in times where you're like, whoa, how the hell did that guy end up with a belt during that time period and stuff like that. But yeah,

Brios look terrible. I just want to point out more fun. Now, let's talk about the road ahead. If we can here for just a second, chuck, So here are the list of current welter weight champions. And for folks, you mean, I know walter weight in boxing one forty seven. As you can see up there, you got Ryan Garcia, Roly Romero, Roley just beat Ryan, and then you've got Lewis Crocker, and then you've got Devin Haney. So keep that in mind. Now what I want to show is, uh, Ryan, you

And it was this.

It's connor Ben is not good, Chuck. He's not very good, but the symbolism of it is obviously significant, right could you're taking away one of Eddie's top guys. Yeah, but he's not very good. Here's the point I'm trying to make. You've got connor Ben who wants a piece of him. You got Devin Haney who's out there saying things about him. Shagher Stevenson. How do you know this was redemptive for Ryan Garcia's career, Chuck, because they all.

Right want a piece and the end that's how you know how big of a star he really is too. Like we've seen this in the UFC a million times. When a guy has that juice right like and all of a sudden everybody wants a piece of him. That means he does business. I mean, that's the great thing about a Ryan Garcia. And we've seen it a couple of times where he's kind of swelled up into this, you know, into this moment where like he becomes this guy. Now there should be concerns, dude, when he came into

Yeah. Here's Ryan's response to Devin. Let's take a look at this.

When my Handhels.

I'll be looking for that opportunity for sure.

And Devin he don't want that.

He's terrified he has PTSD.

I just want to beat Devin Hayne's ass, bad, dude.

I don't know what Ryan Garcilla loves more, Chuck, the limelight or the N word, but he loves them though, you know what I'm saying.

I think it's the latter.

But like when you like when you uh, when when you look at like Devin Haney's performance, the one at Times Square against uh was it? Who did he fight there? Ramirez? Was that the I'm trying to remember, like he but his fight was it did seem like he had that. It almost felt like you you're watching these two guys in the same room, You're like, why aren't they facing especially on a venue like that where you're like, dude, they should be having their rematch.

This is crazy.

So it was like this Blue Balls special almost watching both guys walk out for different fights. But he did seem like that. It seemed like, you know, it seemed like he was he was afraid to throw man like. It was very strange. So there might be actually something to that, But dude, that's one of the big fights. If they could make that fight now, I think that's a huge fight. Obviously the she could fight is ridiculous, but like that fight, the Riy bou Garcia, I think

To that, to that, to the connor Ben signing by ZUFA boxing.

My immediate reaction was, this is going to sit well with all of the other zoof like the like all of the UFC and everybody else within that realm, right because we didn't I mean, fifteen million came out like they just said eight figures right at first, but fifteen million is just the is such a seismic golf and like when you're also talking about a seven point seven billion dollar paramount plus it just seems like there's a lot of money, you know, be out there being spent,

I don't. My view is that these persons are not going to last. Now, they may last a little while longer, but they've got a shelf life. I think the basic idea is, again connor Bend's not very good. He can't be like he definitely can't beat Devin hamy Or and he's sure as hell can't beat shakhor Ryan Garcia. I guess we'll have to see. I don't know what that's gonna happen, but look like, but what I'm trying to make is, you know, you're not signing Connor Ben because

It's hard.

I mean people were coming after him so hard for like Eddie here and standing, you know, standing by him through the hard parts of his career and kind of resurrected hern ate.

I know, I remember in the middle of Connor benmy like, I ate too many fucking eggs and that was how I popped positive. And Eddie Hearn's mentions dude, for weeks, oh my god, for weeks were just filled with you fucking low life, cheating, piece of shit, scum fuck you know.

Yeah, you nailed it. I think it was you who put you put out like a tweet.

You said, this is what it looks like when Dana finally gets involved in competenting, like competing, you said something along these lines.

Yeah, I said, this is what whiplash watching it. Yeah, yes, it's like that. And it's so true. It's so true.

And don't underestimate when Dana feels like he needs to make a statement, that's when he'll do something. You know, like a lot of times I feel like he was just kind of taking it. You know, even just before this, you know, you got Oscar to Lahoya going and doing one of his clapbacks or whatever his thing is where he's like going at Dana, and I felt like it was just it was just kind of like the you know, this was like his kind of.

Answered everybody right in the moment.

So we'll see I agree with you one hundred percent though this is that's not sustainable, that's not how they do business. So we'll see how it plays out and kind of like what they mean this for.

But there you have it. Those are our top five topics. All right, let's switch gears here if we can. Me and Chuck up been going back and forth, but now it's a chance for you guys to ask us questions. The way this works is we put up a thread every Sunday on ig on Instagram. You can go Morning Combat on Instagram, and then we the producers, I should say, we don't do it, but the producers pick five of the best or the most interesting, and then we answer them.

I know, dude, I had not really thought about this, but there's been a couple of times, and I'm not like, I'm not some extreme left you know, like the like you know what I mean, But like sometimes people accuse you being Cuckmanden Hall or whatever because of your like

Do you imagine that you imagine going here and being like, I think AOC should be our next resident. Woo oh my god, it would be a lot of fun. All right. Second question, uh, what do we got here? Okay from MJ Silverfang, good guy, here he goes. He says, did Jileton al Mada fumble the bag by not signing with MVP? Good question to fight JDS on the Rousey Carano undercard or did he just not want to get starts by

I would feel like I did.

This is all news to me, by the way, But like in al Maya's case, I feel like, especially in jilting the UFC, who just got rid of you when you're eight and three in their promotion, like it would have been to go to MVP because that's where that's happening, right, And that's also going to be just a huge business venture because it's going to draw, it's going to prop I don't know if it'll break records, but it's going to be huge business for Netflix, right.

So I don't know.

I maybe not in the long term, but in the short term. I feel like that and especially JDS, right because now you're I think that an old JDS. I mean, if it Jelton I is going to show up and do something that would be maybe a guy that you could do that against.

So yeah, I would say, I guess always had really good takedown defense. He did. Even when Caine got him down. He was pretty for the most I mean, he would get abused on the way up, but he was pretty good about resisting the takedown. Shane Carwin couldn't do shit to him early for the most part.

Uh.

So my thought is this, like I don't I can't believe I'm saying this. I don't know if it's a good matchup for Johnson Almana.

You know, hmm, how old is JDS.

He's got to be He's got to go hold there, man, So I mean that's and the other one like and somebody brought this up to me, They're like, why not get Caine Velasquez now that he's out, And I was like, that's such a crazy that's such a crazy thought, right because his dude has just been like dealing with this prison thing for up until now, and all of a sudden you would have, like, imagine how compelling that would be if he was in the fight shape and he was going to come back.

Juju do Santos just turned forty two. Okay, that's not too bad. I thought he was a little older than that. So yeah, I mean he had the shoulder injury. It was his last fight, that was the Eagle FC one. No, he had two Game Bread Bare Knuckles. He split decision for Brisio in twenty twenty three, and then he had one in twenty twenty four where Tko Alan Belcher. He won the inaugural Game Bread Bare Knuckle MMA heavyweight championship that apparently is not a time title at heavy rotation.

Yeah, all right, we're saying that my connection is a little weird. So I'm gonna luke you handled this one. I'm gonna click back out and come back in.

All right.

Sounds good?

All right.

Question number three from John Winklfred out of potential opponents for Garcia, Oh, good question. How would you rank in terms of difficulty for him? Easy?

This is easy?

All right. So the choices are Connor, Ben Shakoor, Liam Paro, and Liam Paro and then Hani rematch. I put Liam Paro at the bottom of the list. I put Connor slightly above that. Actually I'm not sure about that. Maybe Connor at the bottom than Liam above that. You could maybe replace those two hany next, and then Shakur at the top. I kind of feel like Shakur is far and away the most difficult tests or what do you think toughest fight is Shakur? Then Haney and then what Okay, see here, let's see.

Uh.

I agree with you. I think that's in that that's in that order.

Yep. And so for that reason, people like, oh the Shaqur fight should be next. I just don't think it would be next. I mean, maybe maybe they find a way to make him next, but I don't think so. I think he's gonna take something of an easier fight along the way, you know, before we get you forget something like that.

Is he gonna end up with the Lewis Crocker like things gonna end up with the other one.

Nobody's mentioned. Yeah, yeah, all right, let's go to the next question from Tevik Papa the Hawaiian fucking legend. Best doctor Ero Schmitic, Anthony Fauci, doctor Dre, doctor j Oh, doctor Pepper, or Luke's favorite doctor Angela White. Jack's not my favorite, but I just like bringing the up because it's funny. Do you know who Angela white is?

Chuck?

I don't she the one who?

You liar? Yes, you do?

I know you do your pants around your ankles?

Uh?

Got a favorite doctor of those? Doctor Dre.

I was gonna say, like doctor Dre pops out, Doctor j was, Doctor j was cool though.

Doctors between those? So I do love a good doctor Pepper. I'll be honest and.

Occasionally, man, occasionally I try to stay away from it. It's just a certain age. You're like, that's no good for me, you know, but I do like it every day. Look at that? What is that a diet?

Yeah, zero sugar, root beer, no caffeine. No, I do like root beer. I do like root beer. All right, I think we got at least maybe two more maybe, uh, Declan Beatson. Uh, a witch has come and cursed. MK. Both hosts now have to look the same. Does Luke shave the beard and put on a hat? Or does Chuck grow and uh the beard and take off the hat? Those rules strictly apply. How is the show moving forward?

I don't think I can grow that kind of beard, man, Like You've got a nice lush beard there like this. I don't know if I can. I could do that doesn't grow in as as well. I'm not like a wild animal, dude, I don't know.

How do you?

How do you what's left on your head? How do you trim it?

Do you just shave like a oh, I just got like a clippers, you know, and you just take off all you know, you just shave the.

Yeah, it takes like two minutes.

Long island long island. You get a haircut? How does it work? What's what's your process. Oh I need a haircut?

What do you do? I go to the barber and you call them.

Do you do like you make an appointment?

Yeah, I go walk in. I go walk in because I'm a freelance so you know, most people are at work nine to five during the week. I just go on like a Tuesday at eleven am. No one's there, you know, and there's I don't I'm not picky. There's like one good barber there that everyone likes, and then there's like two guys on the side. I'll take the guys on the side. I don't give fun.

That's yeah, it sho it shows. Yeah you I was gonna say money on yours.

No.

I used to spend a bunch of money, and now I spend far, far less. I mean it's hard to get. Like, I don't know where you would go for a haircut in the city for less than fifty bucks. I don't know. I just don't even know where that would be. But I got one guy who does it for like fifty depending on what I get, fifty or sixty.

But there's a.

Process to it. He puts it up like he doesn't allow walkins. And what he does is it it's like in my neighborhood. So it's like it's cheap, it's in my neighborhood. And I like the guy and I feel like it is a good job. So like I just can't abandon the process. But what he does is he just creates He's got all his appointments on an app and he opens them all up on Sundays at noon, and so you just got to be like one of

I don't even know we're doing higher or lower Everyone's favorite game, guys. I just say every game is everyone's favorite game. But I'll give you, guys a scenario. You tell me if you're taking the higher or ride LT You're up first. You just mentioned earlier we were talking about getting rid of heavyweight.

Earlier.

You know it's barely hanging on women's bandon weight obviously also barely hanging on even though the loan finish on the dumb in a women's spandom weight fight. But you know, either way, I feel like there's arguably a few divisions you could argue getting rid of. So my question to you, Luke, is higher and lower than two and a half the amount of UFC divisions that you would abolish right now if you were in charge.

So I'm going to take the under. And the reason why is because I believe in being some Okay, I mean I don't think getting rid of divisions is a conservative act. I don't mean politically. I mean like, I'm not going over the to a crazy amount. What I'm saying is I could see a case for more, but I think to start, you just formally officially close forty five.

You know.

Again, I've seen you see get rid of divisions. I saw them get rid of light Way and bring it back, like you can bring divisions back. But for the time being, I'm not sure what the point is unless they make changes, right Unange, so too.

Chuck, you're taking the under as well?

Or yeah, I mean the one forty five should have been long gun because what are they doing with it? But I'm at the exact same the exact same thing. I don't know if I would pull the plug on ultimately pull the plug on heavyweight, but I agree they just got to, like, you've got to do something with it because right now it's a hopeless wasteland.

Yeah all right, Chuck, Well over to you, Uh Brandon Morino. I was headlining UFC Mexico City this weekend, and we also just got official word that Josh Van is defending his title against Tatsuro Tyra at UFC three twenty seven. Moreno obviously just lost to Tyra, but he still hasn't fought josh Van Manel, cop Kyoji Hoa, Gucci to name a few contenders. So, given how the division could play out for the next year or so, my question to

Didn't say he'd win it, just fight for it. Yeah, yeah, I would go over that. He's so good Manlan. He's not that old like you feel like he is because he's been around for a while, but he's really not that old.

So will I will say over.

But it's gonna be a bit because I mean, unless some circumstances intervene. I just I feel like with Joshuva and Pantosia obviously like is going to come back. You still have more Gucci, so it's gonna be a minute. But he's also you notice he gets a big pop man like every time they show him, like he's he's really developed into a bigger star than I think people understand. But if you're in the building and they show him like he gets a big pop. So I feel like the UFC likes him. So I'll say, over.

LT, I'll take the under.

Yeah, I mean, do you think he loses this weekend? He's a big favorite.

No, I don't think he loses this weekend. Certainly he shouldn't. I mean, I think we can all agree there. I guess what I would say is dudema. I found it to be so weird and so strange where you think guys, you know, oh they're they they'll hold serve to to borrow from the terminology that the tennis terminology that Chuck used earlier, where it's like you know they'll be they'll be back there and then they never get back there. That's seen it in times that just totally surprised me.

All right, fair enough, lt Uh. We know you're a diehard TKO fan. You'll follow the brand regardless.

Anyway. I'm wearing their clone right now on my ball.

We're talking power slap, we're talking UFC fragrances, and we're especially talking zoofa boxing. So my question to you of their twenty four total bouts, higher or lower than five and a half the amount of ZUFA boxing fights that you've watched live.

Oh, over the over the If the over unders five and a half, it's over. I watched almost the entire first card live.

Wow. Okay, see I knew Chuck too.

That was hostage there. I had to watch it.

Now.

Yeah, I guess my question for Chuck then, is Chuck, since that first card in the next two, I'll put the over under it like two and a half. Have you watched any of those live?

No, not live?

I've caught up, Like they had the one card, what was it the third card where they had some knockouts pretty good one to that uppercut so I saw, like I went back and watched those, but like, no.

Not live. Okay, that was the only card that I actually caught live. I caught those like three knockouts live. But that's all I really want.

That was their best event so far, I guess for sure.

Chuck. Jack Hughes Let's Go America scored the ot game winner for the USA men's Olympic hockey team yesterday, first gold medal in forty six years. Whole tournament was really fun to watch. It was great to see our boy Chuck Islanders and Avalanche legend brock Nelson. Again, my question to you, is higher or lower than three and a half the amount of men's Olympic hockey games that you watched?

It's lower, n did you think would be higher.

You'd be all over it. Honestly, I thought you'd be into.

There's like I have a.

Hard time with the Olympics. Some of it is because of the times, Like you know, we got kids. Yeah, it's tough. It is tough to like grown kids. Chuck's kids are adults.

But uh but no, man, it was. It was definitely I think I want I mean so basically.

Really one.

I mean the only one though, if you look at just the full way through, it was just the last one. So I did watch that.

That game is epic. I woke up early for it, hungover as shit. It was a good time.

Yeah, that was fun.

LT We talked about connor Ben getting fifteen million, a fight that surely has to upset a lot of UFC fighters, but we all know they're all reluctant to speak up. They're not gonna be about it in fear of upsetting the baby beater in charge. So my question to you is higher lower than zero point five the amount of UFC fighters that will receive a raise as a result of the Connor ben signing.

Here, what's that scene from The Godfather was? I think it was Godfather too, where he was like, my offer is nothing. That is yeah, that's that's gonna be Nick conn Nick con by the way, deserves a lot of credit for the signing, but it's gonna be Nick con and Daniel when they're like, well, I want more money. I saw what you guys were giving out for Connor, and they're gonna be like, right, my offer is nothing, zero, nothing, It will do nothing.

And we'll accept it, thank you.

They're gonna be like, you know what, ud I think they're gonna hook up people they like. And when I say hook up, it's gonna be so miniscule in the grand scheme. But the fighters are gonna think like they're gonna be like, we'll give you an extra fifty K next time, and they're gonna be like, fuck, yeah, I'm getting an extra fIF like the people they like. I'm talking like Patty and Ship, you know, like fighters they I mean, the thing is, how would.

You disentangle that from what you could attribute to the paramount money.

You know what I mean, it's the same thing.

They probably all got a little bump. I know, like, uh, who's a fucking is he's manager, he's all the like ausie guys managers.

Yeah, I know who you're talking about.

Tim from Simpson he h.

He mentioned like or one of his fighters mentioned like, I got a raise for the paramount thing, and then they were like shout out Tim, like I'm sure all Tim's fighters got raises there. He's in good stand, you know what I mean, Like he's a good man strickly. Yeah, well he ain't represented by ten. But I'm just saying, I feel like some guys are gonna get hooked up, but it's not going to be anything, and they're going to think they're getting hooked up.

I get it from the paramount money. I could see it raised certainly from just what Connor Ben got all because of Connor Ben.

No. No, yeah, all right, all right, fair enough.

They're still beg begging for the bonuses after their fights. Man, it's crazy, true, Chuck.

A storyline this week was Dan Egay changing his nickname from fifty k to one hundred grand, and everyone was debating which one sounded better. This reminded me of when Ilia changed his nickname for a day and then took

I mean at this point, like I mean, and by the way, like at these are named like Luke calls me iceman. I mean, it's just these are names bestowed on you. It's not like I chose them. The man confused. I mean I guess, so you gotta take that money, right, Yeah, just take the money right? Like, it's just why not, I don't mind being fifty k ending all that's right?

That works. What's the minimum you would take to be called and then the middle of day your nickname becomes that?

So like I have integrity, fifty k is the line, man, I mean, that's where it's at, you know, so fair enough?

Yeah, LT, how much would it cost you to just go buy a nickname other than like something's embarrassing something you hate ten bucks next live chat someone we're calling them something.

Yeah, my new name is d Blower. It's actually from.

Luke. We know you trained in your twenties and thirties, which would have arguably been your athletic prime. With the state of heavyweight today and how bad some of the top fifteen guys have looked, my question to you is higher or lower than point five the amount of current top ten or sorry, top fifteen heavyweights You could beat every one out of ten times in your athletic prime, so you just got to beat him once.

If I was in my prime, yeah, and I fought the current roster will through a time machine ten times, and I had ten times to fight him. How many wins could I get?

Could you get at least one win if you fought every top fifteen heavyweight?

Right?

Look at the rankings. I mean the answer is almost certainly no. But man, I feel like I sparred with scarier people in my time than we had with the rosters on the roster.

Who took the fifteen spot.

Now that Jalaton's up, make park in Volter Walker l Ghaziev trade with him, you know, I mean probably not probably zero, you know, but I might take a couple of rounds here and there.

I'll tell you that I was hoping you'd be this and be like fucking over way over.

With guys that had I mean, I so fucking I remember, Oh my god, the first time I went to like a the pro fighter's class and they were doing sparring in one of these fucking boxing rings, and there was a dude in there who literally before it was my turn to go spar him, he viciously chaoed the guy in front of me, and I was like, oh, my fucking guy. And he didn't make it very far in the regional scene at all, Like he kind of I mean, it wasn't his primary occupation, but he didn't. He didn't

Chuck. I know your fellow crackhead PZ Carol loves his Guinness and you've been known to throw a few.

Most overrated beer on Earth, by the way. Oahara, all right, I pas, I don't even like Okay, just straight up don't like him. Guinness I actually like, but people talk about guinness, Okay, I like, you know, some angel dipped his balls in him and all of a sudden, this is what its all right?

Well, speaking of how many times has PZ dipped his no, just uh my question to you, Chuck, is higher or lower than eight and a half the average number of guinness you consume you personally on a night out with PZZ Carol.

Eight and a half?

I just feel like he's got to be pounding them all night, right, Like I'm thinking, we're we're at we're in this.

This is this So PZZ plus Chuck or.

Just this is like all right? Maybe like with pt how many is pizza?

And if we're drinking guinness he puts them away like eight and a half. That seems like a big number, but it would be over I'm sure because he like he talks about you know, a dozen of those things like he can he can put them away. So I'm guessing if you were trying to hang out with him and they did something like this last time in New York, they did some kind of pub crawl and he went

Would be over that number, all right, Hell yeah, that's what I want to You know what, I gotta say this, I fucking love day drinking day. Drinking truly might be one of my favorite things, but it's loser behavior for the most part.

On a Sunday, I've engaged in plenty of life.

Listen, listen. Tailgating is fucking great. Yeah, pub crawling I've done a million of them. I had a great time every day. I mean, this is this is the contradiction of my life. I love those things, but it's dub t make no mistake about it.

True. Luke, you mentioned on your watch along on Saturday that you're considering getting rid of some of your tattoos.

Yes, I am.

Wow, Okay, we know BC was obsessed with the naval tat so naturally I just have to ask, is that one of the ones you're considered.

No, No, it's a different one.

Okay. My real question, though, is higher or lower than two and a half the amount of tattoos you were considering getting rid of?

Higher? Wow?

How many do you have total? Right now? Good questions?

Let me think one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. I have ten I'm gonna get rid of at least a third of thee. I was thinking three, Okay, yeah, I've got one on my back. I don't like I've got one on my chest. I was gonna get this one covered up, but now I'm like, I don't know if I want to get it covered up. I don't know if I want. Dude, I've had like a bit

What I mean, like I've had blood just isn't hitting as hard as it used to again, as hard as it used to. You know, You're like, do I like this music anymore?

Well?

I still kind of like that, but even I don't listen. Like the thing about that kind of music is you just can't listen to it regularly. Like I do like it, but I can't listen to it every day. It's just too much. But what I mean to say is like I've been looking at my tattoos and I'm like I don't like these anymore, you know, And so you have a choice when that happens, you have a choice. You can do nothing and just a guy who cares, which a lot of people do too. You can get it removed.

Elsie. My other question to you about tattoos real quick, is of the three you're getting rid of, what number tattoos were those?

So you're at ten right now?

That's a good question. On So that's a good question. So the one on my chests would be number the second one I ever got, so I was number two. The one on my back I'm thinking about getting rid of would be either three or four, and then there's another one that would be so so two, three, and four. I'm not sure exactly the order in which three and four go, but it would be the first one and it wouldn't be five on.

Maybe if you were trying to get rid of ones you got more later in life, I'd be like, Woa, why'd you know?

No those ones? This this the one I got. I will tell you this, I'll show it to you. So this one I got of the DC flag, I'm going to keep it. But I'm actually I think I'm gonna get a recolored I'm gonna get a colored black because this was designed to look like a stamp rather than an imprint. But the the the coloring that the guy used, again I didn't know much about tattooing at the time. The coloring the guy used has faded and it's not

It's expensive to get a tattoo removed.

Yes, I'm about to find out. I'm about to find out.

I'm pretty sure you go for like twenty sessions that much and each session is.

I think it depends on how this this tattoo I have here is not very big, and I don't think it would take twenty sessions to ring.

Oh maybe not. Yeah, maybe it depends on the size. All right, Uh, Chuck. We once put up a lower for you during pregame preview that said from Colorado, but doesn't smoke weed, And to this day, I still don't even know if that's true. So with how acceptable weed is now, it feels inevitable that you would have been in a situation where, at least if you didn't have some,

It's under because I haven't done it, but I've done plenty.

Of life, I said, put them on the spot.

Yeah, Well, I mean.

You go to nope, destroy your future opportunities. This is what this is show is all about.

Now, you know, to this day, like if it just you know the circles you run in. It's not like I mean the people eating the gummies and stuff more than than doing that. But at the same time, like it's been a while man like, but I'm like, you know, but I am from Colorado man, and uh you know.

Bro that Colorado weed, Colorado man. Yes, you're not fucking around out there, No, Ben, do you want to go though?

Look at a good time with Gloria one time.

I do recall that. Yeah, I mean that's God damn.

Uh Eltie. You've mentioned that he sends you a bunch and I've seen some of it in our own group pat with BC. We know he loves sending conspiracy theories.

Dude, right, let me let me let me stop there, stop there, you might ruin the over under. Listen to me for a second. If you're a fan of Brian Campbell, you need to engage in a well a digital wellness check on this man. My guy this morning is sending me conspiracy theories all day, yesterday and today all weekend. Brian Campbell, he my guy, loves conspiracies as much as he likes straweights. I'm just gonna put it that way, Okay, Oh.

My God, like that all right. Well, I have a feeling I made this over under way too low. But my question to you is higher or lower than nineteen and a half the amount of conspiracy theory related content that Brian Campbell has sent you in the last Dude.

You should have done nineteen and a half to the nineteenth and a half power to even get close to the number. This is a gross under lord, what are we talking about?

Triple digits could easily seven days seven day.

Could easily be yeah, honestly, could easily be like it's you whatever you think it is, it's ten x that amount.

Yeah, And part of that is because his number for the marijuana thing is over.

Also, in fairness to him and Chuck, you'll appreciate this. He's right about this because we were we were I was talking to I was chatting with him yesterday and we were talking and I was like, Dude, this weather has fucking this winter has been terrible. This was a terrible winter. Because I don't know how you guys feel. We had you guys, I think you guys had it too this well. I think you'all streets may have been cleared better, but we had the snow creek here I've

Yeah, it was affecting him. Yes, it's affected me too. I'm going crazy bad, dude. Well that's my stucks that we just got this storm. I'm like, the snow was finally going it was finally warm this week, it was starting to go away, and then it just saw about it.

Dude, on the fuck your head up for sure?

Yeah, all right, chuck, last one for you more of a was already stupid.

Sorry.

Uh.

Headed into twenty twenty six, I thought women's ban and Weight had the opportunity. I won't say it was a guarantee, but for a bit of a resurgence. You know, we had a Manda versus Caleb booked. It seems like, Okay, we're gonna see some fun fights here. Possibly then Kayla gets the next surgery. A whole division just goes back

Wow, you know, I do like the rankings at y'allhoo liked that. And what you realize because you.

Have to kind of write this blurbage to like, oh, this is what they're doing, and how many of them are just inactive for large periods of time.

I'd still put it over.

This would be an interesting to revisit though, because I hadn't really thought about I haven't really thought about that, but like, you're right, it's not exactly like the cupboards are full right now with these women bantam weights. I'd still put it over though, just I think that i'd have to look up the number. But I feel like there's enough. There's enough. Like if they even got like one fight apiece, you know type thing, it'd be in that range.

Well, see, that's all right. So we've had two already. There is one this weekend, Macy Chasson versus Eileen Perez. But I feel like the division's just gonna go stale after those fights. Yeah, Like I don't think they're booking Joscelyn Edwards versus the winner of that tomorrow. You know, I don't know. But either way, women's bandwid in shambles. Guys, that was high or lower? I hope you enjoyed it.

Fun Long Island. Why don't you plug what you got going on for the rest of the week until Friday?

Anyway, I got my UFC Mexico City Bet breakdown coming out tomorrow. I'll have a new prop quiz on Friday and then full card watch along on Saturday.

And as a reminder, we're all going to be in studio. Give me the hip hophorn for this one. We're all going to be in studio next Monday. There'll be a drinking show on Monday. It'll be a drinking yeah, so bring your drinking cap, chuckman, I will, I will bring that.

Very good.

Let's remind everyone if you haven't already, we're everywhere on the socials. You can find us all there. And as we indicated, if you want to get those questions in for DMS with Donks, Sunday on ig is going to be of course your best and only bet to that point. Morningcombat dot Shop Morningcombat dot Shop is going to be your place to get what's left of these they go

Well, I'll definitely have some writing coming up this week. I got a Cheeto Vera I'll be talking to and have some so those are be coming out this week on Uncrowned, and I believe I'm scheduled to be back on the Crack on Friday with Pezzi Carrol.

So nice.

Plenty of amend in hall to go around, are we. Well, I'll talk about this other stuff and we'll talk about next week next week.

Okay, okay, very good. Yeah, Well, as we mentioned, we won't have Chuck on Friday, but he'll be back on Monday. We'll be in studio on Monday in Shalla and uh yeah. Should be a good time. So for Long Island, for the Iceman himself, and for all of you out there, thank you so much for watching. We're out of here and until next time, may all of your gains be loyal.