Brian Campbell shares his love for the CBS staple "Survivor" after 20 years and 40 seasons of the reality and competition show with a special podcast. Three-time player Ethan Zohn talks strategy, beating cancer and how his Season 3 win catapulted him to instant celebrity. Former Miami Marlins president David Samson, the host of CBS Sports' "Nothing Personal," relives being voted off first in his lone "Survivor" appearance and breaks the fourth wall to talk hygiene and surviving on an island. Plu...
Jul 17, 2020•2 hr 38 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans recap UFC Fight Night Kattar-Ige and Preview UFC Fight Night Figueiredo-Benavidez. Calvin Kattar takes another big step forward with his unanimous decision win over Dan Ige. What's next for Calvin Kattar in a stacked featherweight division (1:00)? Tim Elliott defeats Ryan Benoit in a close decision... Did the judges get the score right in the fight? Do we need to revisit the MMA scoring system (14:20)? Jimmie Rivera defeats Cody Stamann via Unani...
Jul 16, 2020•58 min
Brian Campbell and Rafe Bartholomew look back on the last 10 years in boxing and debate which victory was the most impressive and important from Guillermo Rigondeaux outboxing Nonito Donaire to Tyson Fury's upset of Wladimir Klistchko and Floyd Mayweather topping both Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao. The guys also react to recent trash talk spinning off of the August 26 announcement of Jeff Horn-Tim Tszyu in Australia and decide if David Lemieux is the perfect pandemic opponent for Canelo Alva...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 22 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans give you a full recap of UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal. Is Kamaru Usman severely underrated? Will Kamaru Usman continue to train with Trevor Whitman? Who should the fans blame for what they consider a "boring" fight? Is the UFC pay structure to blame? Who deserves the next shot at Kamaru Usman's welterweight title (1:30)? Alexander Volkanovski retains his title in a controversial decision over Max Holloway. Does MMA scoring need to change? Should t...
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Brian Campbell provides instant reaction to a trio of title bouts atop UFC 251 on Saturday from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman ruined Jorge Masvidal’s attempt at a storybook ending by using his grappling and improved striking to defend his title. Plus, did the judges get it right in Alexander Volkanovski’s close rematch with Max Holloway? And who should be next for new bantamweight king Petr Yan? ---------------------------- 'State of Combat' is available on Apple ...
Jul 12, 2020•40 min
Brian Campbell welcomes Brandon Wise to look at Saturday's UFC 251 card from a betting standpoint ahead of Jorge Masvidal's return. BC also sits down with former featherweight champion Max Holloway to chat about his unusual training camp before his rematch with Alexander Volkanovski. In addition, Rose Namajunas shares her mental journey from losing her strawweight title to Jessica Andrade and nearly retiring to accepting their rematch this weekend. --------------------------------------- 'State ...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 33 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans give you a full preview of UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal. How excited are the guys to get the fight that they originally wanted in Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal. Did Jorge Masvidal get the payday that he was originally holding out for? How will the short notice weight cut impact Masvidal? How does the last minute opponent change impact Kamaru Usman (3:10)? Onto the Co-main event... Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway for the UFC Featherweight t...
Jul 06, 2020•52 min
Brian Campbell welcomes junior welterweight contender Jose Zepeda to preview Tuesday's return in the Top Rank bubble and look back at his disputed loss to unified 140-pound champion Jose Ramirez. Zepeda talks sparring with Floyd Mayweather, working with Freddie Roach and which fighters he's targeting. Plus, Rafe Bartholomew talks Canelo Alvarez's 2020 plans, reacts to yet another failed drug test for Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller and helps BC give their review on Adrien Broner's new rap album. -----...
Jul 02, 2020•1 hr 38 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans break down the latest news in the MMA world. The guys break down Dustin Poirier's unanimous decision win over Dan Hooker. Where does this rank in the fight of the year talk? How much of a toll on your career does a fight like this take? What does this win do for Poirier's career (7:52)? Where does Conor McGregor fit into this entire situation (29:50)? The guys break down Mike Perry's win over Mickey Gall and all the craziness leading up to this f...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Brian Campbell sits down for a trio of interviews ahead of Saturday's UFC Fight Night card in Las Vegas including a combative moment where welterweight Mike Perry storms off following a select choice of words. Top lightweights Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker set the stage for their main event this weekend and settle the trash talk between them. Plus, UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans drops in to help preview the card. -------------------- 'State of Combat' is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Sti...
Jun 25, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Brian Campbell and Rafe Bartholomew reconvene after a lengthy break to look at the latest news in boxing, including 47-year-old Oscar De La Hoya's claim that he's close to announcing a comeback and wants to face the very best in the sport. Also, a recap of recent action from the Top Rank "bubble" in Las Vegas which featured a title upset at bantamweight when Josh Franco defeated Andrew Moloney. From Joe Calzaghe claiming he would've beaten Andre Ward to Chris Eubank Jr. claiming he would stop Ca...
Jun 24, 2020•1 hr 14 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans recap UFC Fight Night Blaydes-Volkov and break down the latest news in the MMA world. How should Max Rohskopf's corner situation have been handled? Should fighters/corners be more okay with throwing in the towel? Does the UFC pay structure play into the Rohskopf-Drysdale situation (4:10)? Is Dana White right in his callout of Curtis Blaydes following his win over Alexander Volkov (22:15)? The guys break down Josh Emmett's win over Shane Burgos an...
Jun 23, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Brian Campbell welcomes UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes ahead of Saturday's Fight Night main event in Las Vegas against Alexander Volkov. Blaydes calls out UFC brass over the disparity in fighter pay and explains why he believes he's closer to a heavyweight title shot and a trilogy against Francis Ngannou than most realize (13:00). Plus, Hall of Famer Rashad Evans stops by to preview the card in full, including a featherweight co-main event pairing Josh Emmett and Shane Burgos (27:00). ...
Jun 18, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans look at the latest news in MMA including Jorge Masvidal's continued issues with fighter pay and criticism from ex-fighter/broadcasters. The guys also make sense of Amanda Nunes' recent retirement tease and explain why that's both good and bad for UFC's future. In addition, a full recap of UFC Fight Night from Las Vegas as women's flyweights Cynthia Calvillo and Mariya Agapova stole the show to help add depth to a weak division. ------------------...
Jun 16, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Brian Campbell welcomes top-ranked women's flyweight Jessica Eye to preview Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event against Cynthia Calvillo. Eye talks about her journey overcoming injuries and personal setbacks along with why she should never be counted out. Plus, Hall of Famer Rashad Evans slides in to preview this weekend's card and react to news of a third Stipe Miocic-Daniel Cormier fight. BC also brings the heat on whether Dana White pulled a bait and switch about the realities of Fight Isla...
Jun 11, 2020•59 min
Brian Campbell and Rafe Bartholomew provide a sobering look at boxing's televised return amid the coronavirus pandemic following Tuesday's Top Rank card in Las Vegas headlined by Shakur Stevenson. The guys compare boxing's handling of things with that of UFC and Dana White. They also react to breaking news of Eddie Hearn announcing a two-fight deal with Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury for 2021 that comes with multiple hurdles that first need to be cleared. How legit is Ryan Garcia's beef with Gold...
Jun 10, 2020•1 hr 13 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans recap UFC 250 and break down the latest news around the MMA world. Are people doubting how good Amanda Nunes is? Should people be respecting Felicia Spencer's heart and toughness more or should we upset with her coaches for not throwing in the towel? How much longer should Amanda Nunes continue to fight and who should be next (3:35)? Which Bantamweight impressed Rashad Evans the most at UFC 250? Is Cody Garbrandt in title contention now? Garbrand...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Brian Campbell talks with the man behind The Undertaker, Mark Calaway, on his new WWE Network docuseries "Undertaker: The Last Ride," and why he chose to open up after 30-plus years in pro wrestling. Calaway relives how the ending of The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak came to be, how his character survived the ever-changing landscape of the business and how his relationship with Vince McMahon evolved. Plus, Taker shares the story of the best rib VKM ever played on him and what he has in mind f...
Jun 04, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Brian Campbell is joined by UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans to break down the war of words between Jon Jones and UFC president Dana White, including Jones' future at light heavyweight and whether the time is right to push for more money. The guys also recap Gilbert Burns' breakout win at UFC Vegas and set the stage for Saturday's UFC 250 card featuring Amanda Nunes and a trio of must-see bantamweight bouts. Plus, two-division Bellator champion Ryan Bader talks about his career resurgence of winni...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 40 min
Brian Campbell and Rafe Bartholomew react to news of boxing’s return in Las Vegas on June 9 and debate which parts of the sport’s flawed business structure might improve because of the quarantine. The guys also sort out the latest call outs for 53-year-old Mike Tyson to fight again and ponder how DAZN’s rumored financial issues might impact the sport’s broadcasting landscape. ------------------------------ 'State of Combat' is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podca...
May 28, 2020•1 hr 10 min
Brian Campbell chats with a four-pack or fighters who will square off at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card in Las Vegas. First up is Gilbert Burns discussing his welterweight bout against Tyron Woodley (10:52). Next up Kaitlyn Chookagian on why any drama of fighting the Shevchenko sisters in back-to-back is overplayed (25:02). Former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley vows he has no pressure entering main event against Gilbert Burns (37:21). Plus, Antonina Shevchenko on fighting out of the shadow...
May 27, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans break down the latest news in the MMA world. There are reports that a Kamaru Usman vs Conor McGregor could be the next fight for the welterweight title. Does this fight make any sense? Could Conor McGregor handle the size of Kamaru Usman (7:00)? Will Jorge Masvidal fight Nate Diaz next (15:43)? Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou take to twitter to lobby for a fight but Dana White seems to have other plans. Does Jon Jones deserve the money he is asking...
May 26, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Brian Campbell is joined by longtime show favorite and YouTube gambling expert Richard Dwyer to talk his unique celebrity along with his boxing takes on Tyson Fury's historic significance, who is the pound-for-pound king, which great welterweights could've beaten Floyd Mayweather and more. Plus, Rafe Bartholomew drops by to look at how UFC's recent success could open the door for boxing's comeback and discusses his controversial decision to sit out of the Dwyer interview. He jacked, folks. -----...
May 21, 2020•1 hr 30 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer "Suga" Rashad Evans react to the latest MMA headlines including Jon Jones teasing his interest in a heavyweight bout against Francis Ngannou. The guys break down big wins from Alistair Overeem, Claudia Gadelha and Dan Ige at UFC Jacksonville and debate the merits of damage versus activity in fight scoring. Plus, reaction to the May 30 UFC main event pairing Tyron Woodley against Gilbert Burns and a final examination following "The Last Dance" of how Michael J...
May 19, 2020•1 hr 24 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer "Suga" Rashad Evans look at the fallout from UFC Fight Night Teixeira vs Smith (1:30). Why didn't Anthony Smith's corner stop the fight before the fifth round (5:30)? What's next for Glover Teixeira (14:30)? What is next for Ben Rothwell after defeating OSP (21:20)? Plus full breakdown of the rest of UFC Fight Night Teixeira vs Smith (23:30). Calvin Kattar stops by to discuss his big win at UFC 249 and much more (36:40). The guys finish up by giving you a ful...
May 14, 2020•1 hr 17 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer "Suga" Rashad Evans look at the fallout from a wild UFC 249 card, including Justin Gaethje's breakthrough win and Henry Cejudo's retirement (24:43). Does Conor McGregor's Twitter rant suggest he can crash the lightweight title party (16:33)? The guys preview Wednesday's UFC Fight Night card in Jacksonville (1:13:50) and Bellator heavyweight Matt Mitrione stops by to relive his run through the Grand Prix heavyweight tournament (57:05). ------------------------...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 30 min
Brian Campbell reacts moments after an exciting UFC 249 card comes to a close as Justin Gaethje captured the interim lightweight title with a savage victory over Tony Ferguson. What are Gaethje's chances against Khabib Nurmagomedov? Where does Ferguson go from there? BC also looks at Henry Cejudo's big win and surprise retirement, along with a scary knockout from Francis Ngannou over Jair Rozenstruik. Plus, how well did the UFC do in keeping their fighters safe while presenting an entertaining p...
May 10, 2020•51 min
Brian Campbell and Rafe Bartholomew react to Conor McGregor's viral tweet about a boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya that started with a debate on last week's podcast. Could the fight really happen? Who would win (2:37)? The guys also hit up the latest boxing headlines including Mike Tyson being offered $20 million by BKFC to fight (25:20), Tyson Fury's father calling "Iron Mike" out (31:12) and Gennadiy Golovkin's hard stance against a Canelo Alvarez trilogy (46:55). Plus, pro wrestling legend ...
May 08, 2020•1 hr 58 min
Brian Campbell chats with a few of the major players ahead of Saturday's UFC 249 card and catches up with heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic about who he hopes will win the Francis Ngannou-Jair Rozenstruik bout (28:08). UFC president Dana White relives the struggle that went into making this card a reality and addresses his critics who say his motivation was financial. White updates the latest on Fight Island and whether it's possible we see Jorge Masvidal-Conor McGregor in 2020 (5:25). Donald "C...
May 06, 2020•52 min
Brian Campbell and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans get you ready with a full breakdown of UFC 249. The guys start at the top of the card and break down each fight and give their expert picks... Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje (1:55), Henry Cejudo vs Dominick Cruz (19:58), Francis Ngannou vs Jair Rozenstruik (30:40), Calvin Kattar vs Jeremy Stephens (40:45), Greg Hardy vs Yorgan De Castro (44:10), Donald Cerrone vs Anthony Pettis (46:58), PLUS full breakdown of the rest of the prelims (51:35). ---...
May 05, 2020•1 hr 2 min
