The Brit Pack MMA Podcast: Recent Episodes
Simon Head
Fighting talk with a British accent, hosted by UK-based MMA media veteran Simon Head.
thebritpack.substack.com
With just over one week to go to UFC International Fight Week 2022, The Brit Pack's Simon Head is joined by MMA Junkie Radio's "Gorgeous George" and "Goze," plus Phone Booth Fighting's Richard Hunter, to preview an absolutely stacked card at UFC 276.
On a packed episode of The Brit Pack: United Nations, the lads run through each and every one of the fights set for action at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, July 2 as they discuss some of the key talking points ahead of a massive night of fights in Las Vegas.
Listen via the podcast player of your choice, or watch the video version of the show via our YouTube channel.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
This week's episode of The Brit Pack: United Nations has a little something for everyone:
Looking for reaction to last weekend's amazing UFC 275 title fights? We've got those.
Want recommendations for places to check out in Vegas during International Fight Week? We've got you covered.
And if you want to hear an incredible true story, brilliantly told, that involves a legendary entertainer, drug dealers and gangsters, then boy do we have an epic tale for you, too!
It's all crammed into a little over an hour of podcasty goodness, and it's all yours, right here, in audio and video form. Enjoy!
After dabbling with running video via Substack, we’ve decided to put our video shows on YouTube, and you can subscribe to get those (plus Simon’s occasional on-the-ground video coverage from events) right here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Saturday, June 4, 2016 was a red-letter day in the history of UK mixed martial arts, as England’s Michael Bisping stepped off a movie set on just 17 days’ notice and stunned Luke Rockhold to capture the undisputed UFC middleweight champion at UFC 199.
The event was the culmination of Bisping’s career-long quest to capture UFC gold. It was a quest that many had written off years prior. His devastating knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 led many to consider Bisping as a busted flush at the highest level.
Knockouts that big change fighters forever, and rarely for the better. But Bisping bounced back and, after enduring a string of setbacks – including losing the sight in his right eye – he managed to defeat the man he’d been chasing for years, former middleweight champ Anderson Silva.
For many – including me, if I’m honest – that seemed like the perfect time for Bisping to retire. He’d landed a fight against the man who was champion through so much of his career, and he beat him. But for Bisping it was never about the identity of the champion. It wasn’t even about earning a title shot. It was about winning the belt.
When that chance finally came, it arrived in far from ideal circumstances as he was offered the chance to step in on just over two weeks’ notice to face Rockhold, the man who had so decisively finished him two years earlier.
Bisping took his chance with both hands, arrived in LA looking remarkably relaxed, won over the fight fans in California, then knocked out Rockhold in stunning fashion to complete his dream of becoming a UFC champion.
On this special edition of The Brit Pack, I take a look back at that crazy fight week in LA as I made the short-notice trip to California to cover Bisping as he became the first (and still only) British fighter to win a UFC title. It was a remarkable wee and a spectacular night and you can recap it all, via my own experiences that week, in this pod.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
From Mirko Cro Cop to the Champions League final, the conversation took a number of wild turns on this week’s episode of The Brit Pack: United Nations.
Simon, Gorgeous George and Goze caught up after a week off as they chatted about a host of topics, walkout music, classic comebacks and what should happen next for Nate Diaz.
It was a fun hour of MMA, sports and pop culture chat, and you can check it out right here.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, rate, review, and spread the word about the show, too!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
There may not have been any MMA action from the UFC, Bellator or the PFL this past weekend, but that didn’t mean MMA fans had a gap week. No siree.
While the global promotions took a weekend off, Cage Warriors stepped up and hosted a double-header of events from Charter Hall in Colchester, Essex that served up a feast of finishes on UFC Fight Pass.
There were contrasting fortunes for the two former middleweight champions in action in the two main events, but across the two nights we saw a host of entertaining bouts that delivered a succession of submissions and knockouts to almost make you forget about MMA’s big-ticket promotions.
In addition to Cage Warriors’ double-header in England, Poland’s always-spectacular KSW promotion delivered the goods from Lodz, as five-time World’s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski added a highlight-reel knockout to his resume with a thumping one-punch starching of former middleweight champion Michal Materla.
On this edition of The Rundown, I take a look back at those three events, and bring you news about Bellator’s fight card for Dublin in September. Then I throw things forward to this weekend, as the UFC returns to the UFC Apex for a Fight Night show that features a battle of heavyweight strikers in the main event, and a pivotal featherweight clash in the co-main.
Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to join me for “The Brit Pack: United Nations” later this week.
Photo credit: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Bellator 281 in London saw a host of Brits return to action on home soil on a night that saw mixed fortunes for the local heroes at Wembley Arena.
The main event saw Michael “Venom” Page lose out on the scorecards as Logan Storley picked up the split-decision win to capture the interim Bellator welterweight title. It was a fight that was particularly tricky to score, and the debate has raged on since the verdict. Some, including Bellator president Scott Coker, suggested that “MVP” deserved to get the nod, while others have offered the contrasting view that Storley dominated the fight and was the clear winner.
On this special Bellator 281 reaction pod, I take a look at both sides of the argument, and share my conversation with Scott Coker backstage, where he told me why he thought Page won, and why Storley needs to evolve his game to remain at the top of the 170-pound division.
It was a memorable night for Paul “Semtex” Daley, who bowed out of his 64-fight MMA career with his 35th knockout – a blistering finish of Wendell Giacomo that almost took the roof off Wembley Arena.
And it was a big night for Fabian “The Assassin” Edwards, who produced the best performance of his career to knock out Lyoto Machida and claim a huge scalp in the Bellator middleweight division.
It was a big night, full of talking points, and I recap the best of them on this special reaction pod. Enjoy!
Photo credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Everybody loves knockouts. They’re one of the main reasons why people are perched on the edge of their seats, or simply standing up, whenever the big fights take place.
Michael Chandler certainly had the fans up and out of their seats at UFC 274 as his stunning front-kick finish of Tony Ferguson catapulted him right to the top (sorry, Molly McCann) of the Knockout of the Year contenders list.
It got us thinking: Which knockouts from UFC history are our all-time favourites, and which could be considered the best ever?
It’s one of many questions we pondered on this week’s meeting of The Brit Pack United Nations looked back at UFC 274, then looked ahead to Bellator 281 in London and UFC on ESPN 36 in Las Vegas.
It’s a packed show, and it’s all yours, in audio form, right here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC 274 sent us on a rollercoaster of emotions as the main card served up a real mixed bag of fights from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Charles Oliveira was stripped of his title for missing weight before his bout with Justin Gaethje, but he made sure the belt remained vacant with a superb come-from-behind first-round submission victory.
Carla Esparza is now a two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion after edging Rose Namajunas via split decision after one of the most uneventful title fights in recent memory.
And Michael Chandler landed arguably the knockout of the year so far with a massive front-kick finish of Tony Ferguson, who had dropped the former Bellator champ in the opening round of their lightweight clash.
On this week’s weekend rundown, I take a look back at the big storylines coming out of UFC 274, and recap the best of the action from Phoenix, before recapping a rough night for the Brits at Bellator 280 in Paris.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC 274 brings an absolutely stacked card of fights to Phoenix, Arizona, as the Footprint Center plays host to the UFC’s latest pay-per-view offering.
The card features a double-header of championship action, with Brazil’s Charles Oliveira putting his undisputed UFC lightweight title on the line against former interim champion Justin Gaethje in the main event.
The co-main event also features a title tussle, as reigning strawweight queen Rose Namajunas faces off against the woman who defeated her to become the inaugural 115-pound champion, Carla Esparza.
There’s also a huge bout at 155 pounds, as former Bellator champion Michael Chandler looks to surge back into title contention with victory over former UFC interim champion Tony Ferguson, who has arrived in Phoenix with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove.
It should make for a spectacular night of fights and, ahead of the action, The Brit Pack United Nations team break down the big main card clashes and offer their picks as they get set for a huge night of MMA in Arizona.
A video version of this podcast is available here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Danny Roberts is all set to make his 12th UFC appearance on Saturday night when he faces Brazilian veteran Francisco Trinaldo at UFC 274 in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s a bout that offers “Hot Chocolate” the chance to kick-start his 2022 in style as he faces a tough, durable opponent on one of the biggest fight cards of the year so far.
Ahead of his bout, I caught up with Danny from his hotel room in Arizona as he prepared for the 24th fight of his professional career. He’s fit, he’s in good form and he’s ready to deliver the goods for the fans back home.
Check out the full interview as we discuss everything from his preparation for Trinaldo, to his willingness to face anyone and everyone at 170 pounds, to OG status in the current crop of active British UFC fighters. We even got to chat a little football, too.
Don’t forget to check out Danny’s fight against Trinaldo on the UFC Fight Pass prelims this Saturday night. But, before he makes the walk to the octagon, check out our conversation right here.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, rate, and review. You know the drill.
Enjoy the fights this weekend, and keep your eyes peeled for another episode of The Brit Pack: United Nations, which is coming your way very soon, too.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
NFL Draft fever had the sporting world gripped on Thursday night as the first round of the draft took place in Las Vegas.
Not wanting to miss out on the fun, we at The Brit Pack United Nations gathered together to conduct a draft of our own – The Brit Pack United Nations Fantasy MMA Draft.
The format was (relatively) simple:
11 rounds, one fighter per weight class, from women’s strawweight to men’s heavyweight (leaving out the women’s 145 division, due to a lack of depth)
Each team must contain at least one fighter from each of the UFC, Bellator and PFL
Each team is allowed no more than ONE active UFC or Bellator champion
The fighters will score points for the rest of the year, earning points for our teams using The Brit Pack’s Power Rankings scoring system as follows…
Scoring System
The Brit Pack United Nations Fantasy MMA scores are determined by an adaptation of the PFL's league scoring system.
Fight appearance: 1 point
Win (of any kind): 3 points
Additional bonus points for a finish:
Round 1 finish: 3 points
Round 2 finish: 2 points
Round 3-5 finish: 1 point
Championship bonus (for winning a title fight with any of the aforementioned promotions): 5 points
Listen and find out who went early, who went late, and decide which lineup has the best chance of success by the end of the year.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Could it be possible that a British fighter just locked up 2022’s Fight of the Year, Round of the Year AND Comeback of the Year honours in the space of just one round?
Liam Harrison’s incredible comeback against the “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai at ONE 156 was one of the highlights from an absolutely packed week of action as the world’s top promotions all put on a show (or, in Bellator’s case, two shows) for fight fans across the globe.
On the first episode of our post-weekend recap show, “The Rundown,” I take a look back at the biggest and best moments from a superb week of fights, starting with the PFL’s 2022 season curtain-raiser in Texas, continuing with ONE Championship's event in Singapore and Bellator’s double-header in Hawaii, and finishing with the UFC Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
There’s also a little housekeeping, as I bring you bang up to date with developments with The Brit Pack, and what you can expect in the coming weeks and months.
Check out the show via the player above, and don’t forget to subscribe!
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Welcome to the first episode of a new spin-off pod, “The Brit Pack: United Nations,” as MMA Junkie Radio’s Gorgeous George and Goze join Simon to shoot the breeze on everything from upcoming MMA events to other sports and pop culture.
On the inaugural show, the trio chat about the upcoming Bellator double header in Hawaii, including the start of the Bellator bantamweight grand prix, as they offer their tournament predictions, and look ahead to Cris Cyborg’s latest title defence against familiar foe Arlene Blencowe.
The lads also chat about the upcoming World Cup, next year's Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix and ask why Simon still hasn’t made an appearance at the MMA Junkie Radio studios at Mandalay Bay…
Enjoy the show!
Thanks for checking out The Brit Pack MMA! Subscribe for free and get new shows sent straight to your inbox, every week.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC 273 was another stellar pay-per-view, with two enthralling title fights that saw both champions retain their titles, while the welterweight bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns delivered a Fight of the Year contender.
On this week’s show, Simon looks back at the big fights, and the big talking points, from Saturday night in Jacksonville as Alexander Volkanovski and Aljamain Sterling defended their belts in very different ways.
Volkanovski was a class above “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung as he finished his man early in the fourth round to extend his winning streak to 21 fights, while Sterling edged Petr Yan in a closely-contested title unification battle in the co-main event. Some complained about the scoring – Simon has his own take on the scorecards…
The show also bids a fond farewell to Sandhu, who is stepping away from the pod to focus on other projects. With increasing scheduling and work commitments making it increasingly difficult to get both lads behind the mic at the same time each week, running a “two-man booth” became untenable, and the show will now continue in a slightly different format, with Simon at the helm. And, who knows? Maybe the pair will reunite with Sandhu as a special guest at some point down the line…
We’ll have more news about what’s to come in the days and weeks ahead, but for now, make sure you subscribe to our Substack to make sure you don’t miss a thing. As always, thanks for supporting the show. Enjoy the fights this weekend!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
After a relatively quiet week for MMA last week (check UFC Fight Pass to catch up on two stellar Cage Warriors cards, if you missed them) the UFC is back with a bang as it brings two title fights to the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for UFC 273.
Reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski headlines the card as he looks to make it 21 wins in a row with victory over “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, who will be hoping the second time’s the charm as he gets a second chance to capture UFC gold, eight years after his first.
The co-main features a bantamweight title unification battle between reigning champ Aljamain Sterling and the man whose disqualification gifted the title to “The Funkmaster,” Petr Yan. To say there’s some heat in this one would be an understatement, but who will come out with bragging rights, and the belt?
Remarkably, despite the two title fights at the top of the card, the welterweight contender clash between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev has already threatened to steal the show. The level of anticipation for this one is right up there, and may even be higher than the two title fights in terms of sheer fan interest.
It’s the acid test for Chimaev, who has looked every inch a title threat without ever actually facing elite-level opposition. That will change on Saturday when he faces No. 2-ranked Burns, who briefly had reigning champ Kamaru Usman on skates before eventually losing out to “The Nigerian Nightmare.”
It’s a big night in Florida, and ahead of UFC 273, Simon flies solo to mark your card ahead of fight night as he previews the big matchups, along with some pre-fight comments from reigning champions Volkanovski and Sterling, plus Burns, as The Brit Pack MMA Podcast sets the scene ahead of the UFC’s latest pay-per-view extravaganza.
Enjoy the fights, and don’t forget to like and subscribe!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
It’s not often we talk about ONE Championship on this show, but this week, it was more than justified, as Asia’s biggest martial arts promotion put on a bumper card of fights to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
ONE X was a 10-hour, 20-bout marathon of fight action that would have tested even the most avid of fans, but (after missing the first few bouts, which started VERY early in the morning, UK-time) Simon watched all three cards of action, and was gripped by what he saw.
Sandhu is over in Dallas, Texas, for WrestleMania, and he’ll bring us bang up to date with his travels upon his return. It means that, on this week’s show, Si flies solo to recap ONE X’s huge card, then takes a look back at UFC on ESPN 33 as Curtis Blaydes picked up a big win in the main event in Columbus, Ohio.
Simon also marks your card ahead of a Cage Warriors double-header in Manchester as the UK-based promotion takes centre stage on a relatively quiet weekend for live MMA.
Enjoy the fights, and enjoy the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Oh, what a night!
After three years away, the UFC returned to London, where a card packed with the cream of British fighting talent, backed by 18,000 raucous fans, blew the roof off the O2 Arena on a memorable night in the English capital.
The Brit Pack was on the ground at UFC London, with Sandhu working as part of the BT Sport team, and Simon covering the event as part of a packed media corps – and the event surpassed all expectations to deliver an event that might just have been the best UFC show ever staged on these shores.
With the dust finally settled on a spectacular night, and with Sandhu somewhere over the Atlantic on his way home, Simon got behind the mic to fly solo for a bumper UFC London post-fight recap as he shares his thoughts from his experience watching the action from cageside at the O2 Arena.
We also hear from some of the night’s big winners, with post-fight press conference audio from Tom Aspinall, Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, and Paul Craig. By way of a bonus, we’ve also tacked Dana White’s croaky, but happy, post-fight presser onto the very end of the show.
It means this week’s edition is a biggie. But, after the biggest night of fights we’ve seen in the UK for years, we think it’s worth it.
Don’t forget to subscribe, either via our Substack, or via the podcast provider of your choice, and please hop over to your YouTube channel and hit the subscribe button so you’re all prepped and ready for when we flip the switch and go to video.
Enjoy the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
We’ve been waiting for three long years, but finally the UFC octagon has returned to the UK.
UFC London is all set to go down on Saturday night, with a capacity crowd of 20,000 fans expected to pack the O2 Arena for a fight card stacked with the cream of the UK’s fighting talent.
Both Simon and Sandhu will be in London to work the event, and ahead of fight night, Simon flies solo to bring you a whistlestop preview of the fight card as he breaks down the key fights on the bill, and highlights some of the most interesting storylines that underpin the matchups on Saturday night’s card.
Will Tom Aspinall announce himself as a legitimate heavyweight title contender with victory over Alexander Volkov in the main event?
Can Arnold Allen extend his win streak by handing Dan Hooker a defeat on the Kiwi’s return to the featherweight division?
Will Paddy Pimblett deliver another show-stealing performance?
Can Molly McCann add another win to her resume and edge closer to a shot at the UFC women’s flyweight championship?
And can Paul Craig continue his impressive run of form at light heavyweight to move towards a shot at the title at 205 pounds?
We’ll learn the answers to these questions, and a whole lot more, on a packed night of fights this weekend.
Enjoy the show, and enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
It takes something a little bit special to headline a UFC pay-per-view. Usually, that something special is a UFC championship bout. But sometimes, very rarely, there’s a fight that captures the imagination to such an extent that a belt isn’t even needed.
Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal is one of those fights.
The two former friends and American Top Team training partners have been an integral part of each other’s successes inside the octagon earlier in their respective careers. But the pair have drifted apart following issues within the team at Coconut Creek, Florida.
Both were banished from the gym but, while Covington went out and found a new home at MMA Masters, Masvidal eventually returned to the fold and resumed his position as one of the most senior fighting figures at the famed gym.
With the two very much separated, the bad blood started to simmer, as they took aim at each other in interviews and on social media over the last few years – all while the pair took separate roads to the top of the UFC’s 170-pound division.
But now, the pair are set to face off with a lot on the line. Each man had two separate cracks at Kamaru Usman’s undisputed UFC welterweight title, and each man fell short on both occasions as they failed to find a path to victory against the pound-for-pound No. 1.
It means that the two bitter rivals are battling not only for bragging rights, but for real championship relevance at the top of the welterweight division. Big fights will undoubtedly remain for the victor, but for the loser, things may start to look a little uncertain.
On this week’s show, we chat about that fight, as well as the fascinating situation surrounding the status of the co-main event (which has probably changed by the time you’re reading this!).
We also look ahead to the featherweight bout between undefeated grappler Bryce Mitchell and veteran striking ace Edson Barboza, and we also take a look back at Gegard Mousasi’s virtuoso performance at Bellator 275 in Dublin, and UFC Fight Night 202, where Islam Makhachev continued to build a case for a title shot at 155 pounds.
It’s a packed show, and we hope you enjoy it as part of your fight week festivities.
Enjoy the show, then enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Jamahal Hill’s fighting moniker is “Sweet Dreams,” but his punch power was anything but sweet for his light heavyweight rival Johnny Walker this past weekend.
Hill delivered a stunning one-punch knockout at UFC Fight Night 201 to announce his arrival as a legitimate threat to the division’s top names at 205 pounds, and immediately found himself in a social media war of words with former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir.
On this week’s show, we take a look back at Hill’s star-making performance in his first UFC main event, and consider just how close he might be to a title shot at 205 pounds.
We also take a look back at Bellator 274, where Logan Storley put himself in pole position to fight the winner of the upcoming title clash between Yaroslav Amosov and Michael “Venom” Page, and recapped the action from BKFC’s “KnuckleMania” event, where UFC stars Chad Mendes and Mike Perry took centre stage with big performances.
We also discuss the big all-British boxing clash in Manchester as Kell Brook stopped Amir Khan in a bout that the boxing fans on Simon’s side of the pond had been anticipating for almost a decade.
Then we turn our attention to a packed weekend of fights, as Bobby Green makes a two-week turnaround to step into the main event spotlight and face the surging lightweight contender Islam Makhachev, while Dublin’s 3Arena prepares for another big night of Bellator action, headlined by Gegard Mousasi’s title defence against the undefeated contender Austin Vanderford.
It’s a packed show, as we rip through all the big talking points in a big week for combat sport. Enjoy the show, then enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Israel Adesanya once again proved that he’s one of the best pound-for-pound athletes in MMA when he outpointed former champion Robert Whittaker to retain his undisputed UFC middleweight title at UFC 271.
Adesanya’s performance in Houston was as clean as it was classy as he remained one step ahead of Whittaker, who delivered a noticeably improved performance from their first meeting. But, despite being competitive throughout and enjoying the better of the exchanges in the final round, Adesanya’s victory on the scorecards had already been assured as “The Last Stylebender” cemented his dominance of the UFC’s 185-pound division.
On this week’s episode of The Brit Pack MMA Podcast, we take a look back at UFC 271 and give our reaction to that Adesanya performance. We share our scorecards, talk tactics and discuss the likely next steps for both men. It’s fair to say Adesanya’s path seems much more straightforward than Whittaker’s right now.
We also look back at the explosive co-main event as Tai Tuivasa stunned Derrick Lewis in front of “The Black Beast’s” hometown fans, and the pivotal middleweight bout between Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson, which may well have determined the next challenger to Adesanya’s title reign.
Finally, we take a look ahead to the UFC’s return to the Apex this coming weekend, with light heavyweights Johnny Walker and Jamahal Hill set to take centre stage in the newly-promoted main event following the rescheduling of the “Rafael Derby” between Rafael Dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev.
Enjoy the show, and if you haven’t already, hop over to our YouTube channel and hit that subscribe button. We’ll be switching to video VERY soon, and we’d love to bring you along for the ride!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The UFC’s second pay-per-view event of 2022 features a battle between two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC.
Reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and former champ Robert Whittaker have proved their worth inside the octagon with some memorable performances over the years, but Saturday night in Houston, Texas will see the pair meet for a second time in a rematch of the bout that saw Adesanya crowned UFC 185-pound king. Will we see a repeat of Adesanya’s virtuoso performance that night, or will Whittaker find something special to dethrone “The Last Stylebender?”
The main event is joined by a dynamite co-main matchup, as in-form Aussie slugger Tai Tuivasa steps up to face the knockout king of the UFC, former interim heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis. “The Black Beast” is fighting on home soil for the second time in three outings and, after losing out to Ciryl Gane in Houston in his last hometown appearance, you can bet he’ll be out to settle the score and put things right for his fans this time around.
The main card also features a pivotal bout in the middleweight division, as the third- and fourth-ranked 185-pound contenders face off for the right to be the next man in line to fight for the title. Jared Cannonier is one of the strongest fighters in the division, but he’ll face a Derek Brunson who has found some of the best form of his career over the last year or so. It’s a huge bout for the division.
On this week’s episode of The Brit Pack MMA Podcast, we run through each of the aforementioned bouts, offering our takes and discussing the various scenarios that could play out over the course of the evening, and beyond.
We also take a look back at UFC Fight Night 200 last weekend, as Sean Strickland defeated Jack Hermansson in a solid, if unspectacular, performance, and Kazakhstan’s Shavkat Rakhmonov extended his perfect professional record – and his 100 percent finish rate – with his 15th career win.
Check out the show here, and don’t forget to like and subscribe on our YouTube channel. We’re switching to video VERY soon!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Both Simon and Sandhu have been out on the road this past week, and the two lads recap their experiences on this week’s episode of the show.
Sandhu was in St. Louis to witness two former UFC champions – Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey – win the men’s and women’s WWE Royal Rumble matchups, while Simon was over in Abu Dhabi to mentor young journalists at the IMMAF World Championships.
The pair also look back at Bellator 273, as Ryan Bader defied the oddsmakers, and the doubters, to retain his heavyweight title and unify the championship after defeating interim champion Valentin Moldavsky via unanimous decision in Phoenix, Arizona.
There’s also time to look ahead to the next UFC event, as the octagon returns to the UFC Apex for UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland as both men look to pick up a big win to catapult themselves toward the top five in the UFC middleweight division.
Enjoy the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Francis Ngannou turned back the challenge of Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270, but there was still some controversy after his hard-earned and well-deserved victory over his former training partner.
Ngannou showed real improvement in his all-around MMA game as he turned to his wrestling to earn the unanimous decision victory and unify the UFC heavyweight title.
However, that wasn’t the end of the story.
UFC president Dana White was nowhere to be seen when it was time to present him with his championship belt. White also no-showed the post-fight press conference, where talk turned to Ngannou’s next move after he completed the last fight on his current UFC contract.
Victory looks set to automatically tack additional fights or time to his current deal, but it seems the Cameroonian still sees boxing in his future, and he wants what he calls a fair deal if he’s to stay with the UFC moving forward.
On this week’s episode of the show, we discuss all the talking points that arose following Ngannou’s victory, before we threw back to the night’s co-main event, where Deiveson Figueiredo recaptured the UFC flyweight title with victory over Brandon Moreno after a thrilling five-round battle as they completed their fighting trilogy.
However, with the score between the two standing at one win apiece, plus one draw, both men seem keen to run it back one more time to eliminate any doubt and put their championship rivalry to bed.
Enjoy the show!
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The UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2022 is upon us, and it’s serving up two top-grade title fights that will likely serve up very different matchups on fight night.
The main event has captured the imagination of hardcore MMA fans, with reigning UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou set to face former teammate and training partner Ciryl Gane, who now holds the interim version of the heavyweight title.
It’s a bout that pitches Ngannou directly against his old team, and the coach who set him on his path to UFC stardom, Fernand Lopez. But that backstory is only part of the narrative ahead of Ngannou’s title defense.
The Cameroonian is also on the final fight of his current UFC contract, and has been very public in his demands for his next fight deal. In short, he wants more money, plus he wants to be able to box, with a bout against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury seemingly within reach. But relations between Ngannou’s camp and the UFC appear somewhat frosty, with the fighter repped by a rival organization, CAA, to the UFC’s owners, Endeavor.
While there’s intrigue, history and a contractual situation surrounding the main event, the co-main event looks much more straightforward, with Brandon Moreno looking to make the first defense of his flyweight title in a trilogy fight against the man he defeated to win it, Deiveson Figueiredo.
It’s a fight that could provide plenty of fireworks, and one that could produce one of the fights of the year.
On this week’s show, we preview both title fights, as well as offer an under-the-radar fighter to watch ahead of fight night in Vegas. We also take a look back at Calvin Kattar’s brilliant performance to defeat Giga Chikadze in the main event of UFC Vegas 46 last weekend.
Enjoy the show!
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After a few weeks off, MMA is well and truly back, and the UFC is kicking off the 2022 schedule with a banger of a fight in the featherweight division.
Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze could be as little as two wins away from a shot at the 145-pound title, and on this week’s show, we take a look at the stakes as the two strikers get set to go head to head in Saturday night’s main event in Las Vegas.
We also take a look at some of the big world title matchups already locked in for the early part of the year as we discuss the dynamics of each bout, and ponder the next step for featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski after his trilogy bout with Max Holloway was scrapped due to the former champion’s injury.
With Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane, Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 3, Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling 2 and Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2 all on the schedule for the early part of this year, things are already shaping up for a spectacular start to the year, and we can’t wait to talk you all through it!
Enjoy this week’s show, and don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe!
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Happy New Year from The Brit Pack! We hope you enjoyed the holiday season and are launching into the new year with gusto and optimism.
We’re kicking off 2022 with our annual hot takes special as we offer up our outlandish predictions for the upcoming year in MMA.
Last year, we gathered behind our mics to offer up our MMA hot takes, using the famed spice-o-meter ratings used by our favourite chicken-based eatery, Nando’s.
Our picks may not have aged well (at all!) but we loved doing the show, and now, one year on, we’re donning the oven gloves for another show packed with hot takes and MMA predictions.
The spice-o-meter is our guide once again as we present our MMA hot takes for 2022, with our takes getting ever hotter as the spice rating increases.
We’ve no idea how many of them will come to fruition (and we recap just how many of last year’s takes actually played out in real life) but we humbly offer them here, for your entertainment.
In addition, we also offer our annual UFC divisional champion predictions, where we state who we think will end 2022 with championship gold in each of the UFC’s 12 divisions.
Check out our predictions, and our picks, and get set for another huge year of MMA. We’ll be there to talk you through it, every step of the way!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The final weekend of combat sports for 2021 served up a smorgasbord of pugilistic action, with a little something for everyone across three shows that delivered memorable moments aplenty.
The headlines were generated by YouTuber-turned-pro boxer Jake Paul, who faced off against late replacement Tyron Woodley in a rematch, and scored a thumping one-shot KO of the former UFC welterweight champion.
It once again proved that, despite all the haters, Paul continues to take his boxing career seriously as he showed notable improvements from past fights against the seemingly washed-up former UFC champion.
But, despite Woodley looking miles past his best, his status as a former UFC champion still carries some weight, and Paul followed up his split-decision victory over “The Chosen One” earlier this year with a huge sixth-round knockout as he face-planted Woodley for the biggest win of his prizefighting career to date.
On this week’s show, we discuss Paul’s next move, and ponder the options he seemingly has in front of him as he plots his course through 2022.
We also chat about UFC Fight Night 199 at the UFC Apex, as Derrick Lewis delivered his 13th knockout win in the UFC to set a new all-time record for KO in the promotion. His win over Chris Daukaus maintains the status quo in the heavyweight division, so where are the new contenders going to come from? We have a name in mind…
We also recap the spectacular main event at KSW 65 in Gliwice, Poland, as legendary middleweight champion Mamed Khalidov was spectacularly and brutally dethroned by power-punching welterweight champion Roberto Soldic, who now ends the year as a two-division KSW champion.
It’s another busy show packed with combat sports chat, and it’s all yours, right here!
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What a night! UFC 269 delivered a spectacular final pay-per-view event for 2021 as the UFC’s final premium offering served up one of the most unforgettable performances in UFC championship history.
That performance came in the co-main event, as Julianna Pena, almost universally considered a huge underdog, submitted two-division champ Amanda Nunes to capture the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
With all respect to Nunes, it was a huge feel-good moment to see someone defy the odds to make their dream a reality, but where should Pena’s incredible win stand in the pantheon of great UFC title fight upsets?
We discuss that very topic on this week’s show, as we recap a quite brilliant night of fights at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – including Charles Oliveira’s finish of Dustin Poirier in the main event – and offer our takes on the big talking points that arose as a result.
We also take a look ahead to the final UFC card of 2021, as Derrick Lewis faces surging contender Chris Daukaus in a battle of knockout artists at the UFC Apex.
It’s a jam-packed show, with lots to discuss, so what are you waiting for?! Dive in and enjoy!
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The UFC brings the curtain down on a stellar 2021 with a huge pay-per-view offering from Las Vegas, as two champions get set to put their titles on the line at UFC 269.
In the main event, newly-crowned lightweight world champion Charles Oliveira takes on former interim champ Dustin Poirier in a battle to decide who’ll enter 2022 as the kingpin of the UFC’s glamour division.
Meanwhile, the co-main event sees the return of the most dominant athlete in combat sports. Amanda Nunes has ruled over the women’s 135- and 145-pound divisions with apparent ease, and she’ll face a fresh new challenge in the form of the gritty contender Julianna Pena, who plans to shock the world on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
On this week’s show, Simon flies solo to preview the card, as well as Cage Warriors’ upcoming “Double Trouble” events in London this weekend.
There’s also time to take a look back at the night’s big winners at UFC on ESPN 31, while also discussing the news of Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury’s cancellation and replacement with Paul’s rematch against Tyron Woodley.
Simon also gives his take on Dominick Cruz’s criticisms of Daniel Cormier as a UFC analyst ahead of Cruz’s UFC 269 battle with Pedro Munhoz.
It’s another packed show, and it’s yours, right here!
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Conor McGregor has set his timeline for a return to the octagon, but who should “The Notorious” face on his return?
That’s just one of the questions we ponder on this week’s episode of The Brit Pack MMA Podcast as MMA returns to full speed after something of a “gap week” last weekend.
Before we mull over McGregor’s many, many options for a comeback fight, we take a look at the double-header of U.S.-based events, with bantamweights taking centre stage at both Bellator 272 and UFC on ESPN 31.
We give our takes on Kyoji Horiguchi’s return to Bellator as he challenges reigning bantamweight champ Sergio Pettis, as well as break down the UFC headliner between in-form contender Rob Font and Brazilian legend Jose Aldo.
We also look back at Triller Fight Club’s latest offering, Triad Combat, which offered a strange hybrid ruleset that didn’t quite pan out as one of our team expected.
There’s even time to give our early reaction to the booking of British rivals Amir Khan and Kell Brook in a welterweight boxing grudge match that has probably arrived six years later than it should have done.
It’s a packed, but pacy show, and it’s all yours right here!
Photo credit: @AwesomeGandalf
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It’s been a quiet week in MMA, so it perhaps makes sense that one of the quiet contenders in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division came to the fore with one of the most important wins of her career.
Brazil’s Ketlen Vieira battled Miesha Tate – and, perhaps, her own confidence issues – to claim a huge decision win and cement her credentials as an elite contender at 135 pounds. But, even though she got the W against the former bantamweight champ, her performance still suggested there was more to come from her in the future.
It was also a big night for former CFFC welterweight champ Sean Brady, who extended his undefeated record with a decision victory over seasoned welterweight contender Michael Chiesa in the night’s co-main event.
It was a disappointing night for the two Brits on the card, though, as Joanne Wood and Davey Grant both lost out in their respective bouts against Taila Santos and Adrian Yanez, both of whom look set for contender status sooner rather than later.
Away from the cage, the news cycle was sparked into life by a tweet from Conor McGregor, who stated his aim to return to the octagon in a lightweight title fight in 2022.
With Sandhu away on assignment in New York, Simon flies solo this week to bring you bang up to date and offer his take on the past week’s events in a shorter-than-usual episode.
Dive in here!
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Just when you thought the UFC had hit the ceiling for outstanding fights in 2021, Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez collectively said, “Hold my beer,” and served up yet another Fight of the Year contender.
Former featherweight champion Holloway and high-flying contender Rodriguez – who was returning from a two-year layoff – delivered a five-round firecracker of a main event at UFC Fight Night 197 at the UFC Apex as they rounded off yet another outstanding fight card at the UFC Apex.
Holloway’s win all but guarantees either a huge trilogy bout with reigning champ Alexander Volkanovski, or a massive payday (most likely at 155 pounds) against former foe Conor McGregor. As options go, Max appears to be sitting pretty.
As for Rodriguez, his remarkable performance on his return has left fans salivating at the prospect of his next octagon appearance, and we have a dynamite matchup in mind for his first bout of 2022.
As well as recapping the events in Vegas at the weekend, we also look back at Cris Cyborg’s first-round demolition job at Bellator 271 and ponder the possibilities after Kayla Harrison was shown cageside – and directly discussed in Cyborg’s post-fight interview – in Florida.
We look at the fallout following the collapse of the eagerly anticipated Leon Edwards-Jorge Masvidal bout at UFC 269 and offer the best next steps for both men.
And we also take a look ahead to the main event of UFC Fight Night 198, as former women’s bantamweight champ Miesha Tate takes on Ketlen Vieira in the main event at the UFC Apex in a fight that could have massive implications for her career.
Enjoy the show!
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The biggest card of the year delivered the biggest thrills as UFC 268 served up a night to remember at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
The main event between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington produced another super-competitive title fight, with Usman getting the nod on the scorecards, while Rose Namajunas did the same in her title rematch with Zhang Weill.
But this was a card that delivered from top to bottom, with some incredible highlights throughout the night.
The main card opened up the pay per view with a Fight of the Year contender, as Justin Gaethje outpointed Michael Chandler in a three-round thriller.
And the preliminary card delivered a feast of finishes, with SIX knockouts in a row, including Chris Curtis’ crowd-pleasing wheel-kick, Ian Garry’s eye-catching octagon debut and Alex Pereira’s scary arrival as a middleweight threat.
All in all, it was a big night in the Big Apple, and on this week’s episode of the show we go big as we recap a night full of high spots and hijinks.
There’s also time to recap Bellator 270 in Dublin, as well as Sandhu’s trip to Las Vegas for Canelo vs. Plant, plus a quick look ahead to the upcoming UFC Fight Night card at the UFC Apex as Max Holloway welcomes Yair Rodriguez back to the octagon.
Check it out here, and don’t forget to spread the word about the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
In a packed year of MMA, our cup runneth over this week as we bring you an absolutely stacked episode of The Brit Pack MMA Podcast.
On this week’s show, we look back at a superb event in Abu Dhabi as UFC 267 delivered stunning action, brilliant individual performances, a touch of controversy and some social media hi-jinks at cageside.
We also recap the PFL’s 2021 Championship event in Hollywood, Florida before looking ahead to another huge UFC pay-per-view card, as reigning welterweight champion of the world Kamaru Usman faces off against rival Colby Covington in a hotly-anticipated title rematch at Madison Square Garden, New York.
We run down the fights that matter ahead of fight night in New York, then tee up a big night of fights in Ireland, as Bellator 270 is headlined by a lightweight title clash between Peter Queally and Patricky Pitbull at the atmospheric 3Arena in Dublin.
It’s a bumper edition of the show, and it’s all yours right here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Two titles are on the line at the top of a stacked main card as the UFC returns to “Fight Island,” Abu Dhabi for UFC 267.
Topping the bill at the Etihad Arena on Saturday, October 30 is a battle for the undisputed light heavyweight title as reigning champion Jan Blachowicz looks to turn back the challenge of Brazilian veteran and former title challenger Glover Teixeira, who is making his second run at a UFC title after losing out to Jon Jones back in 2014.
There’s interim bantamweight gold to be dished out in the co-main event, as former undisputed champ Petr Yan looks to grab the interim strap and cement a rematch with current champ Aljamain Sterling. But standing in his way is a man more than capable of holding championship gold himself, Cory Sandhagen.
On this week’s show, we take a look at the fights that matter in Abu Dhabi as we look ahead to the UFC’s latest big-time event.
We also look back at an at-times controversial UFC Fight Night 196 event as Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori served up a classic after a turbulent fight week that enhanced Vettori’s stock, and did little to help Costa’s reputation.
We also touch on the knockout performance of Fedor Emelianenko in the main event of Bellator 269 as “The Last Emperor” finished Tim Johnson in blistering fashion in front of his adoring fans in Moscow, Russia.
And we look ahead to the PFL’s 2021 season finale, and ponder what could be next for the promotion’s biggest star, Kayla Harrison.
It’s yet another packed show, and it’s all yours, right here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Fedor Emelianenko may be on the retirement tour portion of his MMA career, but there could be one more championship left to claim before he eventually hangs up the four-ounce gloves for good.
“The Last Emperor” returns to action in the main event of Bellator 269 in Moscow, Russia, with Fedor set to face current heavyweight contender Tim Johnson. It’s a fight that might not offer the biggest name opponent, but it’s one that, if Fedor is successful, could catapult him into one final shot at championship gold.
Emelianenko vs. Johnson headlines in Moscow, while a pair of duelling middleweight contenders are set to go head to head at the top of the UFC’s Fight Night card the same night.
Former title challengers Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori are both desperate to get back in the cage and challenge Israel Adesanya for the title again, but fight week has already thrown a curveball into proceedings, with Costa admitting that he has arrived significantly overweight for the matchup.
A catchweight bout has been agreed, but what does this mean for Costa’s future as a legitimate middleweight contender? And can Vettori, who has agreed a catchweight deal to ensure he gets to headline this weekend, still pick up the win he needs to push his championship claims once again?
Simon is on hand to talk through all of the above, as well as shine a light on the British fighters set for action this weekend, as we get ready for another UFC/Bellator double-header weekend.
Enjoy the show!
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Tyson Fury proved that he isn’t just the best heavyweight in the world. “The Gypsy King” proved that he’s the best heavyweight of his era as he knocked out longtime rival Deontay Wilder in the 11th round of their epic trilogy fight in Las Vegas to retain his WBC and The Ring heavyweight world titles.
One half of The Brit Pack was there, and Sandhu recaps his experience of fight night in Sin City – including the remarkable way he ended up actually watching the fight – on this week’s show.
We also take a look back at the UFC Fight Night main event from last weekend as Marina Rodriguez defeated Mackenzie Dern, then swiftly called out Joanna Jedrzejczyk, before looking ahead to a double-header of UFC and Bellator action this coming weekend.
But, Fury-Wilder 3 aside, the boys were most excited about the breaking news that dropped moments before they hit record, as Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards reportedly agreed to a blockbuster grudge match at UFC 269 on December 11.
It all means there was plenty for the lads to pick over on this week’s episode, and you can check it all out, right here! Don’t forget to rate, review, and recommend us to your MMA-loving friends!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
One of the biggest fight nights of 2021 is set to go down in Las Vegas on Saturday, October 9, and The Brit Pack will have boots on the ground in Sin City for Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder 3.
Sandhu will be making the trip down from Toronto, Canada to Las Vegas, Nevada for the huge WBC heavyweight title clash as he makes his first foray into live event coverage since the start of the pandemic.
Sandhu’s trip follows hot on the heels of Simon’s first such assignment, as he reported back on a big night of fights at the SSE Arena, Wembley, for Bellator 267, as Michael “Venom” Page edged a split-decision verdict in his rematch with former three-time welterweight champion Douglas Lima.
On this week’s show, the pair look back at fight night in London, and cast their thoughts toward Fury-Wilder 3. There’s also time to look back at UFC Vegas 38, (including a controversial finish to the co-main event between Kevin Holland and Kyle Daukaus) and look ahead to a pivotal bout for the women’s strawweight division as Mackenzie Dern and Marina Rodriguez face of in the main event of UFC Vegas 39.
Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to rate and review us!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
To borrow the famous tagline of Australian former Formula 1 ace Mark Webber, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski showed true “Aussie grit” as he retained his undisputed title in the main event of UFC 266.
Volkanovski claimed a landslide decision on the scorecards after his bout with Brian Ortega went the distance, but the 49-46, 50-45, 50-44 scorecards don’t tell the full story of the fight, as Volkanovski showed remarkable composure and determination to fight his way not one, but two deep Ortega chokes in Round 3 before proceeding to batter the challenger to a near TKO at the end of the same round.
Things were much more straightforward for the other world champion on show, as Valentina Shevchenko took the opportunity to show us what most fans already know – that she’s one of the most complete mixed martial artists, male or female, on the planet.
On this week’s show, we look back at the two title fights from Las Vegas and offer our take on Nick Diaz’s comeback defeat to Robbie Lawler in their main card matchup.
We also look ahead to Bellator 267 as world-class MMA finally makes a return to England with a dynamite rematch between London’s own Michael “Venom” Page and the only man to defeat him, three-time former welterweight champion Douglas Lima.
There’s also time to look ahead to Saturday’s UFC event at the UFC Apex, as the spectacular Johnny Walker gets his chance to gatecrash the light heavyweight title picture when he takes on former title challenger Thiago Santos.
It’s another packed show, and it’s all yours, right here!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
He may be 46 years of age, but Anderson Silva showed the combat sports world that he is still more than capable of putting people away, with his clinical knockout of fellow former UFC champion Tito Ortiz the highlight of the Triller Fight Club: Legends II event last weekend.
On this week’s show, we look back at the at times controversial event in Florida, as Silva and another former UFC champ, Vitor Belfort, picked up first-round wins in the co-main and main event bouts, respectively. But the fact that Belfort’s win came at the expense of a 58-year-old Evander Holyfield left a sour taste in the mouth for some.
We also give our quickfire take on Conor McGregor’s latest appearance in the headlines, thanks to a flashpoint with Machine Gun Kelly at the MTV VMAs, before looking ahead to a double-header of fight nights, as the UFC and Bellator go head to head on Saturday night with light heavyweight main event bouts.
UFC Fight Night 192 features a battle between former title challenger Anthony Smith and rising contender Ryan Spann, while Bellator’s headliner sees the long-awaited promotional debut of “The Soldier of God” himself, Yoel Romero. But the Cuban powerhouse faces an extremely tough task on his first trip to the Bellator cage, as he takes on former 205-pound champion Phil Davis.
British fans will also be tuning in on BBC iPlayer to check out the latest chapter of Saul Rogers’ career, as “The Hangman” returns to 155 pounds for the first time since his pre-Bellator days to take on Georgi Karakhanyan, who is in form and fighting for his Bellator future in the final fight of his current contract.
Check out the show, and don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and spread the word by giving us a shout out via your social media channels.
Enjoy the show, then enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC Vegas 36 (or UFC Fight Night 191, if you prefer) was supposed to take place in London, England. But some of U.K.’s top rising stars made the UFC Apex a home away from home as they served up impressive performances in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Things may not have gone Darren Till’s way in the main event, but prior to the headline bout, we saw huge performances from Jack Shore, Molly McCann, Tom Aspinall and Paddy Pimblett, as the former Cage Warriors stars put on a show for the fans watching on TV (and the few lucky ones who managed to get inside the UFC Apex on the day).
On this week’s show, we look back at the event and focus on the performances of the U.K.-based fighters in Las Vegas, offering our take on what could be next for each of them.
We also debate the controversial oblique kick technique that Khalil Rountree used to great effect to score his win over London-based Lithuanian Modestas Bukauskas. Should the technique be banned, or be considered fair game in the world’s toughest sport?
Enjoying our show? Don’t forget to share on social media (tag us, @TheBritPackMMA, @simonhead and @SandhuMMA) and if you could rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, that’ll be a huge help, too. We’re still trying to grow this thing and your reviews and ratings could help us be seen (and heard) by more people in the weeks and months ahead.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The Brit Pack is back to recap a packed weekend of MMA action and look ahead to a pivotal event for a host of British fighters at the UFC Apex.
First, we look back at the final round of PFL Playoffs, as England’s Brendan Loughnane agonisingly lost out on a place in the final via split decision to Russian contender Movlid Khaybulaev.
Then we move on to the action at the UFC Apex as Giga Chikadze delivered a stellar performance to defeat veteran striker Edson Barboza and announce himself as the featherweight division’s newest contender.
We also give our reaction to the previous night’s event in Cleveland, Ohio, as Jake Paul continued his unbeaten start to life as a professional boxer with a split-decision win over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. Should people still doubt “The Problem Child,” or should he get more respect than he’s receiving? Also, what did we make of Woodley’s performance, and subsequent pleas for a rematch?
Finally, we look ahead to UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex as England’s own Darren Till gets set to headline in a crucial bout for his middleweight title quest when he takes on the in-form Derek Brunson on a card featuring a host of Brits.
It’s a packed show, and it’s all yours, right here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
With no UFC card at the weekend, the attention of the MMA-watching world was on Bellator and PFL, who went head to head with solid cards of action last Friday night.
Bellator 264 saw middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi retain his 185-pound title with victory over No. 1 contender John Salter, while former welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov marked his return to the Bellator cage with an impressive win.
Bantamweight contender Raufeon Stots also had a night to remember, as he became the only man not named Petr Yan to hand Russian contender Magomed Magomedov an L.
Meanwhile, there was controversy over at the PFL Playoffs, as Clay Collard was denied a place in the $1 million lightweight season final after a hotly disputed unanimous decision went the way of his opponent Raush Manfio – despite the majority of those watching scoring the fight for “Cassius.”
Things were more clear cut at welterweight, however, as former champions Ray Cooper III and Magomed Magomedkerimov both picked up clear decision wins to book a titanic ex-champ vs. ex-champ battle for the 2021 170-pound crown.
On this week’s show, we recap both events, and also take a look ahead to the weekend’s offerings, with Bellator, PFL and the UFC all hosting fight cards.
There’s also time to discuss Dustin Poirier’s next move, as he continues to cross words with Nate Diaz on social media. Would he really rather face Diaz than challenge Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title? We give our take.
It’s another packed show, and it’s all yours, right here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC 265 may have been denied the added value of an Amanda Nunes title fight, but the event still delivered plenty of superb action, with France’s Ciryl Gane coming of age by capturing the interim UFC heavyweight title in only his 10th professional fight.
“Bon Gamin” produced a near-flawless display to finish Derrick Lewis in the third round and set up a mouthwatering unification clash with the undisputed champ, former teammate and training partner Francis Ngannou.
On this week’s episode, we take a look back at an action-packed fight card in Houston, Texas, including headline-making performances from Jose Aldo, Vicente Luque and Rafael Fiziev.
We also discuss the confirmed booking of Darren Till vs. Derek Brunson for September 4, though the original plan of holding the event in London appears to have been scrapped, and look ahead to a trio of big events set for this coming Friday, with ONE Championship, the PFL and Bellator all set to host shows this weekend.
Don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcast to help us move up their podcast charts, and feel free to spread the word and recommend us to your MMA-watching friends on social media, too.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
On a packed weekend of MMA, Bellator took centre stage with a huge card at The Forum in Inglewood, California as A.J. McKee rose to the featherweight summit at Bellator 263.
McKee finished two-division champion Patricio Pitbull in less than two minutes in the final of the Bellator featherweight Grand Prix to extend his perfect record to 18-0 and become Bellator’s biggest star.
On this week’s show, we look back at McKee’s stunning $1 million win and debate which featherweight is the best in the world.
We also look back at the UFC Fight Night card at the UFC Apex as Sean Strickland defeated Uriah Hall to potentially gatecrash the middleweight top 10, and also look ahead to the battle for the vacant interim heavyweight title at UFC 265 next weekend, as Houston’s Derrick Lewis headlines in his home town as he goes for gold against undefeated French phenom Ciryl Gane.
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The already stacked UFC bantamweight division was bolstered by the return of former undisputed champ T.J. Dillashaw after he defeated top contender Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 32.
Dillashaw returned from a two-year USADA suspension to defeat Sandhagen via split decision after five super-competitive rounds at the UFC Apex, and on this week’s instalment of the podcast, we look back at his performance and assess where that victory leaves both him and Sandhagen in a crowded bantamweight title picture.
We also run through the rest of the main card before looking ahead to the next UFC Fight Night event at the Apex as Uriah Hall and Sean Strickland get set to face off in the latest UFC main event.
We also look ahead to a huge night for Bellator, as Patricio Freire and A.J. McKee face off in the final of the Bellator featherweight Grand Prix with “Pitbull’s” 145-pound title on the line.
And we react to the breaking news that Kamaru Usman will take on Colby Covington in a welterweight title rematch at UFC 268 later this year.
It’s another packed show, and it’s all yours, right here.
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On paper, this weekend’s UFC Vegas 31 event at the UFC Apex was a fight card that offered a couple of bouts of interest to the hard-core MMA fan. But, as is often the case with underestimated fight cards, the bouts delivered in spades as the Apex saw a night packed with finishes.
The main event saw Islam Makhachev score a dominant win, but was it enough to see him gatecrash the division’s top five? Meanwhile, Miesha Tate returned to the UFC after more than four and a half years away and became the first woman to finish Marion Reneau before announcing that she’s not here for a fight, she’s here for a belt.
On this week’s show, we discuss the very different career trajectories for both Makhachev and Tate, and debate the likely next steps for both athletes.
We also catch up on the latest news from Conor McGregor as the Irish superstar emerged from surgery with a renewed determination to return in style after his broken leg sustained at UFC 264.
We also recap Bellator 262, as Juliana Velasquez retained her title by the slimmest of margins, and preview UFC Vegas 32, where T.J. Dillashaw returns from his two-year USADA drugs ban to face in-form contender Cory Sandhagen in a mouthwatering main event clash.
It’s another packed one, so settle in for another hour of fighting talk with a distinctly British flavour!
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We all knew there would be drama at UFC 264, but nobody could have predicted what we witnessed on a wild night in Las Vegas as crowds returned to the T-Mobile Arena for Poirier vs. McGregor III.
We had a wild opening round between the two main event stars, with Poirier looking outstanding after a strong start by McGregor. But an awful broken leg sustained by “The Notorious” meant a bout that was already at full throttle hit the brakes earlier than we’d hoped.
McGregor’s immediate comments in the aftermath of the fight were controversial to say the least, as was the decision to actually interview a man with a broken leg in the octagon in the first place. But what seems clear is the bad blood between the pair has far from dissipated. Poirier vs. McGregor 4 sometime early in 2022? Don’t be surprised.
Despite all of the main event drama, this was an event packed with action, with the main card delivering a truckload of action.
Gilbert Burns’ win over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson may not make it into any “Fight of the Year” conversations, but it might just be the most important win of “Durinho’s” UFC career.
But if things were a little cagey in the co-main event, the rest of the main card more than made up for it.
Sean O’Malley turned on the style against the ludicrously tough debutant Kris Moutinho in the main card opener to score a third-round TKO finish, while Mexico’s Irene Aldana showed her striking skills with a hugely impressive finish of fellow bantamweight contender Yana Kunitskaya.
But the man who stole the show was undoubtedly Aussie slugger Tai Tuivasa, who danced to the octagon to the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” knocked out Greg Hardy inside a round and celebrated with a round of shoeys with the crowd, including one with a cheeky fan who “spiked” his drink with a large dose of Poirier’s hot sauce.
In summary, it was yet another crazy night in the UFC. Recap it all, and join with us in our post-Euro 2020 final despair, on a bumper edition of The Brit Pack MMA Podcast.
And if you love the show, do us a favour! Let people know on social media. Spread the word. And don’t forget to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. It all really helps, and we really appreciate it!
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The UFC is 100 per cent back. The octagon is back at the T-Mobile Arena this weekend, with the sport’s biggest star set to take centre stage in a massive fight, not only for the UFC, but for him personally.
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier each hold a win over the other heading into UFC 264 on Saturday night, but who holds the edge going into the trilogy fight, and who has the best route to victory when they face off for the third time?
We try to unpick the matchup, consider the various possibilities and discuss the stakes for both men as we take a deep-dive preview into the huge main event this weekend. We also run down the rest of the UFC 264 main card, and offer our predictions along the way.
It’s a huge fight, on a huge card, on a huge night for the UFC. Start your fight week with us, right here!
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The build-up to UFC 264 is well and truly underway, and we’re on hand to offer our way-too-early predictions for each of the main card bouts at the T-Mobile Arena on July 10.
As well as our early pugilistic prognostications, we also take a look back at UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov from the UFC Apex, as “Bon Gamin” picked up another key victory. But was it enough to put him next in line for a title shot after Derrick Lewis?
We assess the likely path to a title fight for Gane, while also looking back through an entertaining card of fights that had a little bit of everything.
We also discuss Bellator 261 and look ahead to the upcoming semi-final bouts as the PFL’s Playoff bouts have all been locked in.
It’s another busy show (aren’t they all?!) and it’s right here.
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On this week’s episode of The Brit Pack, we look back at UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex, as “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung showed his class and put himself right back in the title mix at 145 pounds.
We run down the card and highlight the top performers of the night in Las Vegas, before chatting about former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s superb performance as he showed some of his old “Spider” swagger in his victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
We also take a look ahead to Bellator 261 and UFC Fight Night in Vegas, as heavyweights take centre stage at the top of both cards, before discussing Ariel Helwani’s departure from ESPN and return to independent MMA coverage.
It’s another busy hour of chat, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.
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What a weekend that was! With PFL on Thursday night, Bellator on Friday and UFC on Saturday night, MMA fans got more than their fill of combat sports action, and UFC 263 was the perfect main course to a superb weekend of fights.
Israel Adesanya returned to middleweight and showed the world why he’s been untouchable at 185 pounds as he pitched a shutout against Marvin Vettori, while Brandon Moreno provided the feel-good story of the MMA year so far with his emotional submission win over Deiveson Figueiredo to capture the undisputed flyweight title. Kudos, too, to Figueiredo for his reaction to defeat, which was just about as classy as you’ll find in this sport.
It was a big night, too, for Leon Edwards, who defeated Nate Diaz in their special five-round welterweight showcase, despite a late scare when Diaz looked close to scoring a finish on the Brit, whose performance up to the final 60 seconds was absolutely sublime.
The event also delivered a gruesome viral moment, a Paul Craig dislocated Jamahal Hill’s arm, with the referee seemingly oblivious to the fact. Thankfully, Craig was able to secure the win and Hill remarkably avoided any broken bones from the incident.
We also look back at Bellator 260, where a new champion was crowned at 170 pounds as Yaroslav Amosov extended his perfect professional record at the expense of welterweight champion Douglas Lima and his title, and PFL 4, where Claressa Shields picked up a win on her MMA debut and Brendan Loughnane won a “Fight of the Year” contender with Tyler Diamond to book his place in the featherweight semi-finals and put him just two wins away from a major title and a cool $1million.
It’s a packed show to recap a packed weekend in MMA. Enjoy!
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It's been quite the week in combat sports, with a UFC fight night card in Las Vegas dwarfed by the crazy goings-on in Miami as Floyd Mayweather's mismatch world tour continued against Logan Paul.
However, "The Maverick" turned out to be a much more tricky opponent than even Mayweather himself thought he'd be, as the YouTuber bit down on his gumshield and, despite being comprehensively outboxed, made it to the end of their eight-round exhibition bout at the Hard Rock Stadium.
But, with the hoop-la and ludicrousness of Mayweather's latest money-printing appearance now in the history books, the UFC is ready to show the world what elite-level combat sport looks like with an absolutely stacked card of fights this Saturday night.
UFC 263 features a pair of world title fights, as pound-for-pound star Israel Adesanya returns to middleweight looking to retain his title – and keep his perfect record at 185 pounds – following his unsuccessful tilt at Jan Blachowicz's light-heavyweight title.
Adesanya takes on Marvin Vettori, the only middleweight to have defeated the Kiwi in the eyes of an official judge following "The Last Stylebender's" split-decision win over the Italian in their first meeting.
Adesanya may have the star power, but the co-main event could steal the show, as flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and challenger Brandon Moreno renew hostilities after their brilliant first meeting at UFC 256 was scored a majority draw.
And there's a five-round welterweight feature on the main card, as England's own Leon Edwards takes on Nate Diaz in a fight that could, one way or another, go a long way to determining the welterweight title picture for the second half of the year.
Below those three fights, the card is stacked from top to tail, with three more Brits, Scotland's Paul Craig and Joanne Calderwood, plus England's Darren Stewart, also set for action in pivotal bouts in their respective careers.
It all adds up to a packed show of review and preview chat as we pick through last week's action before setting the table for a huge night of fights this coming weekend.
Enjoy the show, and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. Your support means the world to us!
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It’s been something of a quiet week in MMA, but business will start to pick up again this weekend when the octagon reopens for business at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Heavyweights are on the menu this weekend, with heavy-handed Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Augusto Sakai set to go toe to toe in the night’s main event, while octagon veterans Walt Harris and Marcin Tybura face off in the co-main feature.
On this week’s show we take a look at both heavyweight encounters, and also spotlight some of the other matchups we’re looking forward to this weekend, including the return of a couple of British stars looking to make a point.
We also discuss the long-awaited return to action of Yair Rodriguez, who comes back to the cage to face former champ Max Holloway in a huge matchup at 145 pounds, and former light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who now has new representation in the form of Richard Schafer.
We break it all down and weigh in with our takes as we bring you right up to speed ahead of fight night this weekend.
Enjoy the show, then enjoy the fights!
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The New England Cartel’s Rob Font put on a jabbing masterclass in the main event of UFC Vegas 27 as he outboxed former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt to stake his claim for a shot at championship gold at 135 pounds.
But, with Aljamain Sterling out injured, Petr Yan next in line for a rematch, and Cory Sandhagen and TJ Dillashaw set to throw down, where does Font’s win leave him in the title picture?
That’s one of the questions we attempt to answer on this week’s edition of the show as we pick through the key talking points from last week’s UFC action.
We also recap Bellator 259, as Cris Cyborg retained her women’s featherweight title on a bad night for the Brits (unless your name’s Leah McCourt…) in Uncasville.
In addition, we discuss the other key talking points of the week in combat sport, including the collapse of the Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury unification fight, as Deontay Wilder, with a little help from an independent arbitrator, gatecrashed the heavyweight title picture once again.
Check out the show via Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube, where our audio-only offering is soon to become an all-singing, all-dancing* video show.
Do us a favour and hit subscribe wherever you listen to us, and if there’s a facility to rate and review, please do. Your support really does help!
* Without the singing or dancing.
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UFC 262 delivered another packed night of talking points from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas as a new champion was crowned in the 155-pound division.
On this week’s episode of the show, we break down what it means for the UFC to have Charles Oliveira as the new lightweight champion following his dramatic second-round TKO finish of Michael Chandler in Saturday night’s main event.
We also look at Beneil Dariush’s win and post-fight callouts, and wonder if the always-respectful lightweight contender may have missed a golden opportunity to land himself a huge fight.
We also discuss the other big talking points from fight night in Houston, including Edson Barboza’s victory over Shane Burgos, Katlyn Chookagian’s latest decision victory and Andre Muniz’s shocking arm-break technical submission of Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
There’s also some boxing chat, as we discuss the confirmation of the first Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury fight, and share some per-punch earning stats that will make your head spin, and a quick look ahead to the UFC Fight Night event this coming weekend, as the octagon returns to the UFC Apex with a pivotal bout in the bantamweight division.
It’s a packed show, and it’s all yours, right here!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
It’s been a while since we’ve seen the UFC lightweight title on the line, but the belt is back up for grabs, and we’re guaranteed a brand new champion when first-time challengers Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler face off in the main event of UFC 262.
It’s a huge fight, and one that will kickstart a new era for the UFC’s 155-pound division following the retirement of the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov. But who will walk away as the new champion?
Will it be Brazilian finisher Oliveira, who is riding an eight-fight winning streak and has finished all bar one of them in his run to Saturday night’s title fight.
Or will it be Chandler, who may only be competing in his second UFC fight, but he’s proved his championship credentials as a three-time lightweight champ in Bellator.
On this week’s show, we’ll share our predictions for that fight, as well as the rest of the main card as we deep dive through the pay-per-view matchups set for action on Saturday night.
We also discuss some of the recent news in the sport, as Conor McGregor tops the Forbes’ money list for 2021, despite only fighting for seven and a half minutes this year (and just 40 seconds in 2020!), debate Dan Hardy’s next move and get excited at the prospect of the UFC potentially returning to London, England later this year.
It’s all packed into a one-hour feast of fighting talk, and it’s all yours, right here.
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Jon Jones may have departed the UFC light heavyweight division, but the weight class continues to deliver fascinating matchups.
The latest came on Saturday night at the UFC Apex, where former Rizin FF champion Jiri Prochazka went toe to toe with two-time title challenger Dominick Reyes before knocking him out with a spectacular spinning back elbow.
It was a shocking, stunning and brutal finish that showed that the big Czech is ready to start cashing some big cheques, by fighting for the UFC’s 205-pound title.
On this week’s show, we take a look back at that fight, along with the rest of the card, as we recap UFC on ESPN 23, and discuss how the UFC’s light heavyweight division could pan out later this year.
We also discuss the upcoming fight card at the Apex, as the UFC looks to pick up the pieces following a number of high-profile withdrawals from the event.
And we offer our way-too-early predictions for UFC 262. Indeed, they’re so early, that by the time we’d finished recording, Leon Edwards’ fight with Nate Diaz had been removed from the card and pushed back to UFC 263. So you can consider that pick a way-too-early prediction for that event, instead!
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What. A. Night. UFC 261 saw crowds return to cageside as a packed house of 15,000 screaming fans took the roof off the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and boy were they treated to an unforgettable night.
The main card stacks up against almost any pay-per-view main card in UFC history, with all five fights ending in finishes, and each fight telling a compelling story.
Some were tinged with sadness and pain, as Jimmy Crute’s smashed peroneal nerve saw him forced out of his fight with Anthony Smith, while Chris Weidman’s cruel reversal of fortunes saw him on the receiving end of a kick check that left him with a broken leg. It was a near carbon copy of what happened to Anderson Silva when “The All American” faced him in their middleweight title rematch.
But if the first two main card fights offered injury-related endings, the three title fights the followed showed us the best of MMA.
Valentina Shevchenko showcased her complete mastery of mixed martial arts as she wrestled Jessica to the mat, then finished her clinically with elbows.
Then Rose Namajunas gave us a highlight-reel moment for the ages with a spectacular head-kick knockout of Zhang Weili in the night’s co-main event. It meant “Thug Rose” became the first female fighter to reclaim a UFC title. It was a special moment.
It meant Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal had a huge task to match what had come before. But, thanks to striking skills sharpened initially by Henry Hooft, then further honed by Trevor Wittman, Usman connected with a perfect straight right hand to knock out Masvidal and stamp his authority all over their rivalry, and the rest of the welterweight division.
It was an incredible night, and on this week’s show we take a deep dive into the entire main card to give our takes on what happened in the cage, and lift the lid on a few things that happened outside it, too.
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review, and please do go and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We’re almost ready to turn this thing into a video show, and we’d love to take you along for the ride. Everything you need is via the button below.
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This week has been crazy for us here at The Brit Pack, with both of us still reeling from the news of the impending disaster of “The Super League” in European football. But, thankfully, while the footballing world is in meltdown, the world of combat sports is in rude good health.
On this week’s show, we take a quick look back at Bellator 257 and UFC on ESPN 22 before discussing the most talked-about combat sports event of the past weekend, the Triller Fight Club event headlined by Jake Paul, who TKO’d Ben Askren in the night’s main event.
That clears the way for our preview of UFC 261, where we discuss the three big title fights on the card, as Valentina Shevchenko puts her flyweight title on the line against Jessica Andrade, and Zhang Weili looks to defend her strawweight title against former champ Rose Namajunas. They provide the warm-up to the main event, as Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal face off in a welterweight title rematch.
Check out the show above, and make sure you get subscribed to our YouTube channel. All the links you could possibly need are accessible via the button below.
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Surprise, surprise! Just one day after Conor McGregor tweeted that his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier was off, the UFC officially announced the bout is confirmed for UFC 264, which will take place in front of a capacity crowd in Las Vegas on July 10.
On this week’s episode of the show, we discuss the bizarre spat between the pair that played out publicly over social media just one day before their fight was confirmed. We also look back at the key fights from the past week, including Marvin Vettori’s win over Kevin Holland, Adriano Moraes’ knockout of Demetrious Johnson and Arnold Allen’s key win over Sodiq Yusuff.
We also look at the other big news stories of the week, and discuss the upcoming Triller Fight Club boxing bout between Jake Paul and Ben Askren before throwing things forward to assess what’s at stake for both men when former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker takes on Kelvin Gastelum in the UFC on ESPN 22 main event this coming weekend.
It’s another packed episode, and it’s all yours, right here!
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review – and please head over to our YouTube page and subscribe there, too. We’re switching to video VERY soon!
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It may have been a “gap week” for the UFC, but that didn’t mean we were short of UFC-related discussion points on this week’s show.
The big headline was the announcement, from both men, that the trilogy fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor is on, and will take place at UFC 264 on July 10. We look at that matchup and ask the question: Did Dustin Poirier make a massive mistake by taking this bout over a UFC lightweight title fight?
We also look back at an historic event for Bellator in the U.K. market, as Bellator 255 kicked off the promotion’s run with the BBC on the U.K. broadcaster’s free online streaming service, BBC iPlayer. We look at how the featherweight grand prix has panned out, and discuss the scale of the tournament finale between two-division champ Patricio Pitbull and undefeated star A.J. McKee.
We discuss reports of the UFC “kicking the tyres” of a possible Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis rematch for the UFC heavyweight title, and look ahead to UFC on ABC 2 this weekend, where Marvin Vettori and Kevin Holland will face off in the main event of a card that offers huge opportunities for Brits Arnold Allen and Jack Shore, who are both set for action on Saturday night.
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review, and enjoy the fights!
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The mantle of “Baddest Man on the Planet” has changed hands, and how!
At UFC 260, Francis Ngannou completed a remarkable personal journey from Cameroon, via homelessness in Paris, to become the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion as he ushered in a new era for the UFC’s biggest, baddest weight class.
On this week’s show, we look back at Ngannou’s remarkable knockout win over Stipe Miocic and discuss his likely first title defense against Jon Jones, and the potential stumbling blocks that stand in the way of what could be the biggest heavyweight title fight in UFC history.
We also look at former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley’s situation after, following an encouraging start, he fell to his fourth consecutive defeat inside the octagon. Could his fighting future lie elsewhere, or is there one more UFC run left in him.
We then turn our attention to a packed week of news for our fellow countrymen, with Darren Till’s broken collarbone forcing him out of a possible title eliminator with Marvin Vettori, while Leon Edwards was handed the biggest fight of his UFC career, an historic first-ever five-round non-title co-main event bout with the returning Nate Diaz.
We also celebrate the arrival in the UFC of former Cage Warriors featherweight champ Paddy Pimblett, and salivate over the possibility of a future UFC fight card at Anfield, or the Echo Arena, featuring all of Liverpool’s famous fighting stars.
We even had time to share a little news about our respective careers, with some big developments taking place for the pair of us since we last got behind the mic.
It’s a jam-packed show, and hopefully, you’ll stick with us all the way through! Enjoy the show, and enjoy the fights!
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The heavyweight championship of the world is on the line at UFC 260, as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history squares off against the most devastating knockout artist to ever set foot in the octagon in a titanic title rematch.
On this week’s episode of the show, we look ahead to the huge heavyweight title clash between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou in Las Vegas, and also take a peek at some of the other notable matchups on a fun fight card in Sin City.
We also take a look back at the events of UFC on ESPN 21, where Derek Brunson halted the rise of Kevin Holland, and unpack the big news of the week, as Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement was finally confirmed and a title fight was booked for the newly-vacated belt, with Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira set to battle it out to become Khabib’s successor.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you’re fully connected for when we flick the switch and turn this thing from an audio-only offering into a video show in the coming weeks.
Enjoy the fights, and enjoy our latest pod!
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UFC Fight Night 187 (or #UFCVegas21, if you prefer) served up a bizarre night of fights that saw two of the three Brits on the card walk away with no contests added to their records as a run of bizarre fight-ending fouls continued at the UFC Apex.
Just one week removed from the controversial events of the UFC 259 bantamweight title fight between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling, we saw another illegal knee cause an unfortunate stoppage as Eryk Anders slammed a knee into the already-grounded Brit Darren Stewart. “The Dentist” was left unable to continue, and their fight was ruled a no contest.
Then, in the main event, Leon Edwards’ return to action after a 600-day hiatus ended in bizarre fashion as an accidental eye poke left Belal Muhammad in agony and forced another no contest verdict.
On a packed episode of the show, we discuss those two fights, as well as the huge win from the third Brit on the card, Davey Grant, who picked up a big knockout victory over Jonathan Martinez.
We also react to the breaking news of the two-fight deal struck for the undisputed heavyweight boxing championship of the world, as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury finally put pen to paper on a deal that will see them face off not once, but twice, for all the marbles in boxing’s biggest weight class.
Then we throw things forward to preview the main event of UFC on ESPN 21, as surging middleweight contender Kevin Holland takes on dangerous middleweight stalwart Derek Brunson.
It’s yet another packed show, with plenty of talking points to dive into. Hope you enjoy it!
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With three title fights at the top of a stacked fight card, UFC 259 promised plenty of action this past weekend, and the event delivered more than we bargained for.
There was the fascinating main event clash, as Jan Blachowicz outpointed middleweight champ Israel Adesanya to retain his light heavyweight title and hand “The Last Stylebender” his first defeat. Then there was the one-woman battering ram known as Amanda Nunes, who continued her reign of dominance across two divisions by submitting Megan Anderson in a shade over two minutes in their featherweight title bout.
But the fight that stole all the headlines was the third title fight on the card, as Aljamain Sterling made UFC history as the first champion to be crowned via disqualification after defending champ Petr Yan inexplicably crashed a clearly-illegal knee to the side of the challenger’s head.
On this week’s show, we unpack all of the big talking points from the night’s action as we discuss the consequences of the night’s key bouts. We also take a look ahead to a big event for British fans, with Leon Edwards, Darren Stewart, and Davey Grant all scheduled for action at UFC Fight Night 187.
You can check out the show via our Substack audio player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, where we’ll soon be moving to take our show to a new level – with video!
Help us out and head on over to our YouTube channel and smash that subscribe button to give us a rolling start, then settle back and enjoy this week’s show!
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After a lacklustre UFC Fight Night event, the UFC will look to deliver plenty of fireworks, with UFC 259 boasting three title fights in Las Vegas this coming weekend.
On this week’s show, we take a quick look back at UFC Fight Night 186 as Ciryl Gane defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik on a night packed with decisions, then look ahead to all three title fights at UFC 259 as we run the rule over each of the big championship matchups at the UFC Apex.
There’s also an update on the likely next clash for the UFC welterweight title, as Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal edge ever closer to a title rematch and, potentially, a season of The Ultimate Fighter.
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Things are getting pretty crowded at the top of the UFC’s heavyweight division these days, and this past weekend’s main event at UFC Vegas 19 produced another compelling contender in the heavyweight title sweepstakes.
Derrick Lewis was considered by many to be the underdog heading into his bout with Curtis Blaydes, but an uppercut from the heavens starched “Razor” and propelled Lewis to the top of the list of heavyweight contenders vying for a title shot.
But this is the UFC, and things are rarely that straightforward.
Stipe Miocic will put his title on the line against Francis Ngannou in a title rematch at UFC 260 and, in theory, Lewis should be next. But the arrival in the division of a certain Jon “Bones” Jones is likely to change all that.
On this week’s show, we look back at Lewis’s crushing knockout of Blaydes and consider the impact of that result on both men’s careers. We assess the state of the heavyweight division, including the rising newcomers Chris Daukaus and Tom Aspinall, who both claimed huge wins against veteran opposition last weekend, and we also look back at the 170-pound division and try to work out what’s going to happen next for Kamaru Usman, with his mooted rematch with Jorge Masvidal seemingly uncertain, based on social media posts from the pair over the past week.
We also take a look ahead to another huge heavyweight clash, as Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane go head to head in a pivotal bout for both men in the main event of UFC Vegas 20.
Don’t forget to help support the show by sharing, subscribing, liking, and reviewing the show on whatever platform you use to listen, and if you haven’t already, head over to our YouTube channel and get subscribed to us on there, too. We’re going to switch to video very soon, and we can’t wait to level up the show as we head toward the summer.
Enjoy the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC 258 may not have boasted the most stacked fight card of 2021, but the event provided plenty of action on Saturday night at the UFC Apex.
The main event saw Kamaru Usman bounce back from an early knockdown to finish Gilbert Burns and retain his UFC welterweight title, while Mexican flyweight Alexa Grasso showed that she may be the next new contender at the top of the UFC’s women’s 125-pound division.
It was a big night, too, for middleweight Julian Marquez, who returned from a long injury layoff to claim a come-from-behind win over Maki Pitolo, then asked pop songstress Miley Cyrus to be his Valentine.
On this week’s show we take a look back at the best of the action from UFC 258, and look ahead to the best of the bouts at UFC Fight Night this coming weekend. We also discuss Bellator’s upcoming light heavyweight grand prix tournament and the ongoing – and increasingly tiresome – situation with the UFC lightweight title and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The first big UFC title fight of 2021 is upon us, and it should produce a cracker of a contest.
On this week’s show, we take a look at the upcoming welterweight title clash between former teammates Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, who know each other well, but now face the test of defeating their former training partner to walk away with bragging rights, and the UFC welterweight championship belt.
We also take a look back at an eventful night at the UFC Apex at UFC Fight Night 184, as Alexander Volkov struck a hammer blow to Alistair Overeem’s hopes of a final heavyweight title shot before he retires. But while Volkov’s second-round finish of “The Reem” was impressive, it was trumped by a truly stunning knockout in the co-main event, as bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen delivered a crushing flying-knee KO to Frankie Edgar to stake his claim for a shot at the 135-pound strap.
Enjoy the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The fallout from UFC 257 rolls on as the UFC lightweight division continues to hang in the balance, and on this week’s show we attempt to navigate the tricky waters of what might come next at 155 pounds.
Common sense says that Dustin Poirier, fresh off his TKO win over Conor McGregor, should face either Charles Oliveira or Michael Chandler for the title, which will surely be relinquished by Khabib Nurmagmedov. But with Poirier seemingly set on a trilogy fight with McGregor, and McGregor’s camp calling for a third fight, but with the title on the line, nothing seems certain as we try to predict what’s next for the lightweight division.
We also take a look at matters at heavyweight, as Alistair Overeem looks to make one final run toward the one major title that has eluded him in his decorated combat sports career. But while there could be an avenue back to a title shot, the presence of Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou – who both beat him – and the imminent arrival of Jon Jones, make the waters pretty cloudy at the top of the UFC’s heaviest weight class. We try to make sense of it all and offer our take on who might end up as the last man standing by the end of the calendar year.
And finally, we look ahead to UFC Fight Night 184, which features Overeem in the main event against Russia’s former Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov. The co-main has a battle of different bantamweight generations, as Frankie Edgar looks to make a final push to become a two-division UFC champion by moving one step closer to a title shot at 135 pounds. But to do it, he’ll have to get past one of the most dangerous bantamweights on the planet, Cory Sandhagen.
You can check out the podcast version of the show from all the usual podcast platforms, but we’d really love for you to subscribe to our YouTube channel. The shows live there too, in audio-only format for now, but we’re going to turn this thing into a fully-fledged video show in the very near future, so we’d love it if you got on board early and hit that subscribe button on our YouTube page. All the links you need are via the button below.
Enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Dustin Poirer stood and delivered on a huge night for the UFC lightweight division at UFC 257, as he TKO’d Conor McGregor in stunning fashion to declare himself the uncrowned champion at 155 pounds, while an explosive new contender blasted his way into the title picture as Michael Chandler delivered an A+ debut in the night’s co-main event.
On this week’s show, we unpack the two huge matchups at the top of the card as Poirier finished McGregor, and Chandler stopped Dan Hooker to stake their respective claims for a shot at championship gold next time out.
We discuss the gravity of the two featured lightweight bouts, assess the current title picture at 155 pounds, and share our thoughts on how the division could be booked in the months ahead.
It’s an exciting time for the UFC’s lightweight division, and UFC 257 was just the start. Also, don’t write off McGregor just yet!
Check out the show via our Substack podcast player, or on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to rate, review, like, and subscribe!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The UFC is kicking off 2021 with a bang, and Conor McGregor’s all set to turn things up to 11 at UFC 257 on January 23. On this week’s show, we take a look at McGregor’s main event bout with Dustin Poirier, and preview the lightweight co-main event between Dan Hooker and Michael Chandler. We also wonder aloud what the two fights might do to convince Khabib Nurmagomedov to return to the cage.
We also look back at a superb night at UFC on ABC 1 last weekend, as Max Holloway put on an all-time great performance to defeat Calvin Kattar and make an undeniable claim for another shot at his old featherweight title.
There’s also time to quickly preview Wednesday night’s main event, as welterweights Neil Magny and Michael Chiesa get set to take center stage on “Fight Island” ahead of the weekend’s huge pay-per-view event.
It’s a packed show for a packed week of fights, check it out here!
[Pic: @AwesomeGandalf]
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The UFC is looking to kick off 2021 with a bang, as they get set to launch into a series of three events in just eight days on “UFC Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi. But the intrigue doesn’t start and finish with the action inside the octagon.
On this week’s episode, we look ahead to the fights that matter on the UFC’s first fight card of the year, with former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway taking on rising contender Calvin Kattar in what looks set to be an all-action main event encounter at 145 pounds.
But before we dive into the weekend’s fight card, we discuss two of the biggest talking points in the sport, as UFC president Dana White gets set to do his level best to persuade 29-0 lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement for at least one more fight, while the man the UFC most likely wants to face him, Conor McGregor, gets set to face Dustin Poirier in the main event of the first pay-per-view card of the year, UFC 257.
We offer our takes on all of the big talking points, then mark your card ahead of this weekend’s fights. And, to top it all off, the fights are actually being shown at a palatable time for UK fans!
Don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and, ahead of our switch to video later this year, make sure you get ahead of the game and subscribe to our YouTube channel ahead of time.
Enjoy the fights, and let’s enjoy 2021’s action together!
[Photo: @AwesomeGandalf]
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Yes, that’s right. After our special 2020 awards show last week, we’re kicking off the start of the new year with our MMA hot takes and predictions ahead of a (hopefully) packed year of fights in 2021.
Taking our inspiration from our pre-fight eatery of choice, the legendary Nando’s, we’ve put together our personal list of way-too-early predictions, one for each level of the famous Nando’s Peri-Ometer (which, incidentally the UK government seems to have adopted for its COVID threat level scale), as we offer our predictions, one for each grade of Nando’s heat level.
So, you can expect a couple of “Mild” prediction takes from the pair of us, before we start to crank up the heat (and stretch the bounds of plausibility) as we go up the scale with ever-more outlandish predictions for the year. Will any of them actually come true in 2021? Watch this space!
We even chuck in our 2021 UFC champion predictions, as we offer our lists of who we think will be holding each of the undisputed UFC titles on Jan. 1, 2022.
This one was a lot of fun to record. We hope you’ll enjoy it, too.
And finally, as we’ve mentioned on the show, there’s big news for the show as we get set to kick things up a gear in 2021. So do us a favour and get subscribed to our YouTube channel.
It’s basically just been an archive for our old shows up to this point, but we’re going to be going big on YouTube this year, and we’d love it if you could join us, by subscribing today to help give us a running start when we launch properly on there in the coming weeks.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
It’s been a hell of a year. For the most part, it’s sucked, but the one release we all had was sport, and no sport responded better to the challenge of COVID-19 than MMA.
Led by the UFC who, after a false start in California, held successful events in Jacksonville before establishing a secure COVID-safe bubble at the UFC Apex and heading to “UFC Fight Island,” where the Abu Dhabi government teamed up with the UFC to set up the best COVID bubble in world sport on Yas Island.
Bellator returned later in the year with their “Fightsphere” in Uncasville, Connecticut, while, in the U.K., Cage Warriors proved that regional promotions can also succeed, with their behind-closed-doors setup and “Trilogy” format.
On this week’s show, we look back at an unprecedented year as we share our month-by-month recap of 2020, before launching into our end-of-year awards.
Unpacking the most tumultuous year in a generation is no easy task, so it’s a bumper edition of the show this week as we end the year with a bang.
We’ve got some big plans for 2021, and we’d love it if you’d join us as we kick The Brit Pack up a gear next year.
Enjoy our final show of 2020, and have a great New Year. We’ll speak to you again in 2021!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The final UFC show of 2020 served up plenty of talking points, but despite a fun main card at the UFC Apex, the biggest topic of intrigue came from the night’s featured preliminary card fight.
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis defeated Alex Morono to finish his year with back-to-back wins, and round out his current UFC contract in solid form. He’s now a free agent and is likely to have no shortage of suitors as he considers his next move. On this week’s show, we assess Pettis’ potential options.
We also run down the fight card from UFC Fight Night 183, and pick out the key takeaways from the matchups that mattered on fight night in Las Vegas. Who’s going to welcome T.J. Dillashaw back to the octagon? What’s next for Michel Pereira? And what does his defeat to Marcin Tybura mean for Greg Hardy?
We answer the above, and more, in this week’s show.
It’s our last episode until Christmas, so we both just want to wish everyone a happy holiday period. It’s likely to be a very different – and possibly difficult – one for many of us this year, but hopefully you, and those closest to, you can stay safe and have a fun few days. Merry Christmas, and we’ll meet again next week for our end-of-year review special.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The final UFC pay-per-view of 2020 may just have produced the fight of the year. Deiveson Figueiredo’s majority draw with Brandon Moreno at UFC 256 was an instant classic, and a fight that immediately registered as a late entry in the “Fight of the Year” debate. On this week’s show, we recap the action from the remarkable main event at the UFC Apex.
But UFC 256 wasn’t all about one event. The entire card was packed with fascinating stories, incredible performances and a bunch of talking points, and we’ll run through them all on the show, including Cub Swanson’s incredible showing, Kevin Holland’s case for “Fighter of the Year” and what could happen to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Junior Dos Santos after the two Brazilian legends both suffered damaging defeats.
We also recap the action in London, as Cage Warriors staged their second “Trilogy” series, with four titles up for grabs across three wild nights in London. And, of course, we chat about the big story that broke before we started recording, as recently released former UFC middleweight contender Yoel Romero signed for Bellator - as a light heavyweight.
It was another busy week in the crazy world of MMA, and we’re here to dissect it all for you. Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to check us out on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you get your podcasts.
Enjoy the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
After a quiet couple of weeks, the combat sports world has picked up steam again in a big way, with major headlines coming out of both MMA and boxing, and on this week’s show, we attempt to pick our way through it all.
Firstly, there’s the topic of Yoel Romero’s departure from the UFC. Sure, he’s knocking on a bit (but still younger than Simon…) but he’s still one of the world’s premier 185-pounders. So why is the UFC letting him go? There’s also the news that Romero won’t be alone, with the UFC set to cut as many as 60 fighters before the turn of the year.
The other big news is that, hot on the heels of Mike Tyson’s fight with Roy Jones Jr, another of boxing’s greats, Floyd Mayweather, is set to return to the ring for another exhibition bout. This time he’s set to face YouTube superstar and occasional celebrity boxer Logan Paul. From a sporting standpoint, it’s a horrific mismatch, but from a business standpoint, it makes all sorts of sense. We discuss both sides of the argument.
We also look back at last weekend’s UFC Vegas 16 card, as Marvin Vettori stepped in on short notice and defeated Jack Hermansson to put himself right in the mix at 185; and look ahead to an exciting fight card at UFC 256, as Deiveson Figueiredo looks to complete a speedy turnaround to make the first defense of his UFC flyweight title against Brandon Moreno.
Enjoy the show!
[Pic: @awesomegandalf]
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
We’re not going to lie, it’s been a pretty quiet week in the sport of MMA. COVID deprive us of not one, but two UFC main events, and the fight card last weekend and the one coming up this week aren’t the most star-studded of affairs.
But that didn’t mean that the combat sports world wasn’t buzzing, because it absolutely was – and it was all down to a couple of fiftysomething former world champions.
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. stepped back in the ring for an eight-round exhibition fight on pay-per-view in an event, that, despite some cynicism (including from one of us!) heading into fight night, delivered the goods for the fans, and for the stakeholders who took the risk of putting on the show.
On this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack,” we look back at that fight, and our contrasting approaches to the event last Saturday night, as we recap the key takeaways from the event, and discuss the future for “legends” fights and celebrity boxing as a legitimate new vertical in the sport.
We also recap UFC on ESPN 18 last weekend and look ahead to UFC on ESPN 19 this weekend as we pick out the fights to follow. We also tease some big news coming to “The Brit Pack” in the not-too-distant future…
Enjoy the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The 125ers took centre stage at the UFC Apex as UFC flyweight champions Deiveson Figueiredo and Valentina Shevchenko both defended their titles at UFC 255. Figueiredo showed once again his ability to finish a fight in an instant, while Shevchenko was forced to work a lot harder than many anticipated as she returned from injury to continue her reign.
On this week’s show, we take a look back at both title fights, as well as the other key matchups from the UFC 255 card in Las Vegas, as we recap the penultimate pay-per-view event of the UFC’s 2020 schedule.
There’s much to be excited about moving forward, with some huge fights booked at lightweight, including official confirmation of Conor McGregor’s return to face old adversary Dustin Poirier, plus Tony Ferguson’s upcoming clash with Charles Oliveira.
We also take a look at the best of the action away from the UFC octagon, with Bellator, Invicta FC and LFA all producing notable moments during the week.
Finally, we take a look ahead to next weekend’s UFC on ESPN 18 card, plus the boxing double-header featuring Daniel Dubois vs. Joe Joyce and the much-anticipated exhibition clash between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.
Check out the show via the player above, and don’t forget to subscribe!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
After a typically busy week in the world of MMA, the sport turns up the pace this week with a host of events to keep even the most hardened of hardcore MMA fans happy, and on this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack,” we take a look at what’s on offer.
First, we recap the key action from last week, as Rafael dos Anjos marked his return to the UFC lightweight division with an impressive win, while two-division champ Patricky “Pitbull” Freire marched into the semi-finals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix.
Then we take a look ahead to a feast of fights, with Bellator 253 on Thursday night, followed by a Friday night double-header on UFC Fight Pass, featuring Invicta FC and LFA, with PFL champion Kayla Harrison making her 145-pound debut, while the man who knocked out Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira, looks to make an impact on his LFA debut.
Finally, we take a look at a stacked fight card in Las Vegas for UFC 255, with two flyweight title fights at the top of the card rounding off a night packed with dynamite matchups that could serve up fireworks aplenty.
It’s yet another packed slate of fights on another busy episode of “The Brit Pack,” and we’d be honoured if you’d join us.
Check out the show via the player above, or click the link under the player to listen via the podcast player of your choice. If you aren’t already a subscriber, you can join the mailing list below and get the show delivered to your inbox each week the moment it goes live. Plus, of course, you can subscribe via the usual podcast channels, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
There’s a ton of fights coming our way this week, so enjoy the matchups, and we hope you enjoy the show!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
By the time you read this, we’re sure you’ll have heard the news that Paul Felder has stepped in to save the show at UFC Vegas 14 by swapping commentary duties for a spot in the main event against Rafael dos Anjos after Islam Makhachev was forced out of the fight due to a staph infection.
That news dropped as we were recording this week’s episode of the show, and gave us a big talking point in an otherwise pretty quiet week for big-time MMA news.
On this week’s show, we take a look back at UFC Vegas 13, as Glover Teixeira defeated Thiago Santos and issued a compelling call for a shot at the UFC’s 205-pound title. The problem with that, however, is the UFC has already stated that newly-crowned champ Jan Blachowicz will take on middleweight champ Israel Adesanya in his first title defense. Has Teixeira done enough to put those plans on hold, or will we still get Blachowicz vs. Adesanya?
We also look ahead to Bellator 252 as the featherweight grand prix kicks back into gear, and ONE Championship 120, as John Lineker gets set for a spectacular main event against Kevin Belingon.
Then we throw forward to UFC Vegas 14, and Felder’s short-notice show-saving job swap, as we look forward to the new main event and pick out our other bouts to follow on Saturday night.
Don’t forget to subscribe (either via here or your podcast provider of choice) and give us a follow on social media at @simonhead and @SandhuMMA.
[Pic: @suckerpunchent]
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It’s been a busy couple of weeks for major MMA retirements, with Khabib Nurmagomedov announcing his departure at UFC 254, and Anderson Silva tearfully bidding farewell to the UFC octagon this weekend. But retirements aren’t always as straightforward as they seem.
For Silva, his defeat to Uriah Hall at UFC Vegas 12 may have been the last time we’ll see him inside the octagon, but the Brazilian legend was very careful to leave the door open for himself to fight elsewhere in the future. At 45 years of age.
And Khabib’s retirement, to appease his mother, may not last too long, either. UFC president Dana White seems pretty confident that the UFC lightweight champ – who hasn’t relinquished his belt, or been stripped, following his retirement – will return for at least one more fight.
On this week’s show, we discuss both situations as we offer our takes on the two UFC superstars and their respective futures in the sport.
We also look back at last weekend, where the UFC, Bellator and ONE Championship were all in action, and throw things forward to discuss the upcoming UFC Vegas 13 card at the UFC Apex this coming weekend.
Check out the show via the player above, or use the link below the player to go to the podcast player of your choice. Also, we’d love it if you subscribed to get the show, and you can do that below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
In another bonus episode of “The Brit Pack,” Simon hopped on the phone with one of the British contingent on the Bellator MMA roster as he caught up with featherweight Saul Rogers following his victory in the co-main event of Bellator Europe 10 in Paris, France.
Rogers chats about his experience of a crazy fight week in France, as he was left completely on his own after his cornermen were sent home, and reveals what unexpected guilty pleasure he used to while away the hours when stuck in quarantine at the fighter hotel.
The Brit also shares news regarding his contractual situation with Bellator as he looks to build on his win in Paris and make his way up the promotion’s 145-pound ladder.
Check out the full chat via the player above, or via the podcast player of your choice. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review, or hit us up on social media.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
“The Brit Pack” is back to recap the historic events of UFC 254, as Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement to bring down the curtain on the UFC lightweight champion’s undefeated career.
We take a look at Nurmagomedov’s win over Justin Gaethje in the main event in Abu Dhabi, and discuss the Russian superstar’s legacy following his decision to retire from the octagon.
We also get excited over what might happen next at 155 pounds, with the ludicrously stacked UFC lightweight division left wide open for a new champion to emerge.
In addition, we run through the rest of the card and pick out our highlights, and look ahead to Bellator 250 and UFC Vegas 12, as another of the sport’s all-time greats, Anderson Silva, prepares to make his final walk to the octagon in what he has promised will be his final fight in the UFC.
Check out the show via the player above, or use the link underneath the player to get the show via the podcast player of your choice. Also, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review!
[Pic: @AwesomeGandalf]
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC 254 was always going to produce big headlines, but not too many people saw this one coming. Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired from the sport of MMA.
The Russian UFC lightweight champion retained his title with a second-round triangle choke submission of Justin Gaethje in the main event on Fight Island, then surprised the world by revealing his decision to retire with immediate effect.
Many of us thought there was a strong chance he’d call it a day if and when he reached 30-0, especially after the passing of his father, coach and mentor, Abdulmanap, earlier this year. But he opted to do it one fight early. His reason was a simple one – he promised his mum.
With the dust still settling on the event – and with my fingers taking a rest after covering the fight for BBC Sport in England and RT Sport in Russia – I decided to jump behind the mic to record a bonus reaction pod as I share my thoughts on Khabib’s retirement, look back at his UFC career and consider the legacy he leaves behind.
Hope you enjoy it. We’ll be back as a duo for our usual weekly show.
Cheers,
Simon
PS: If I sound knackered, it’s because I am :)
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The biggest title fight of 2020 is finally here, and “The Brit Pack” is here to break it down for you.
Khabib Nurmagomedov will put his UFC lightweight title – and his undisputed record – on the line in the main event in Abu Dhabi when he takes on interim champion Justin Gaethje, who is coming into the fight in the form of his life after his brilliant stoppage of Tony Ferguson earlier this year.
It’s a fight with a heartbreaking backstory, following the tragic death of Khabib’s father, coach and mentor, Abdulmanap, while the matchup is so important that the UFC has even drafted in three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler as a high-profile super-sub, just in case anything happens to either man between now and fight night.
On this week’s show, we take a look inside the fight and offer our respective takes as we pick out some of the key angles to consider ahead of their main event clash on “UFC Fight Island” this coming weekend.
We also take a look at the other big fights that matter on the fight card, and run through all the key times for U.K.-based viewers, who will get the rare privilege of watching a big-time UFC event in U.K. prime time hours.
In addition, we run through last weekend’s event on “UFC Fight Island,” as Brian Ortega returned in scintillating form to defeat “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and position himself for a shot at Alexander Volkanovski and the UFC featherweight title.
There’s much to discuss on a packed show, and we’d be honoured if you’d join us as we get set for one of the biggest UFC weekends of the year.
Enjoy the show, then enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The title of this week’s show pretty much says it all. Yes, we had a ton of fights over the past seven days, but the thing the whole MMA world was buzzing about after the weekend was THAT knockout by Joaquin Buckley on UFC Fight Island on Saturday night.
You haven’t seen it? Check it out and be amazed…
Recency bias always kicks in when people see amazing knockouts like this, and it has already been called the greatest knockout in UFC history by some. But is it? We discuss Buckley’s stunning spinning back kick KO in the context of the greatest knockouts we’ve seen over the years.
We also run through the night’s big winners after UFC Fight Island 5 delivered one of the best nights of fights of 2020, and look back at Bellator’s historic event in Paris, as they held the first major MMA event to be staged in France following the legalization of the sport earlier this year.
There’s also time to chat about the ongoing situation with Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, as they have seemingly agreed over social media to a fight inside the UFC octagon, providing it takes place in 2020.
And we cast our eyes forward to the upcoming events of the week, as Cris Cyborg returns to action on Thursday night at Bellator 249, and the UFC continues its run on “Fight Island” with a pivotal clash in the featherweight division as former title challengers Brian Ortega and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung collide in the night’s main event.
Don’t forget to follow @simonhead and @SandhuMMA on Twitter, as well as our show account, @TheBritPackMMA, and subscribe below to get the show directly to your inbox each and every week.
Enjoy the show, and enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The fight calendar rolls on, and two of the UFC’s biggest rivalries continue to generate heat away from the octagon as we look back on another busy week in MMA.
On “UFC Fight Island,” former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm and former UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie picked up big wins as they look to earn themselves a shot at all-conquering two-division women’s champion Amanda Nunes.
On social media, Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya continue to stoke the fires as they jab at each other from opposite sides of the world and build the anticipation as they continue to hint at a potential future clash inside the octagon.
Also on social media, England’s Darren Till took his social media mind games to a new level by answering longtime rival Mike Perry’s online offer to accommodate the highest bidder as a cornerman for his next fight. Till pledged to be that cornerman, and even started a GoFundMe to raise money to cover his travel costs, with the rest of the proceeds going straight to Perry.
As well as the above, we also take a look ahead to Bellator’s groundbreaking event in Paris this weekend, plus the latest installment of action from “UFC Fight Island.”
It’s yet another packed edition of “The Brit Pack” podcast, and it’s all yours via the player above, or the podcast app of your choice.
[Pic: @AwesomeGandalf]
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To say the last week was busy would be a huge understatement, and on this week’s show we attempt to unpack all of it as we look back on jam-packed seven days in MMA.
For starters, we had a staggering SIX events to look back on, with Cage Warriors’ “Trilogy” of events in Manchester, plus Bellator’s return to action in Milan, Italy. Of course, there was UFC 253 as the octagon reopened for business on “UFC Fight Island,” and Sunday morning’s early-risers will have enjoyed Rizin FF 24 from the iconic Saitama Super Arena. We look back on all six shows and pick out the most notable results from a huge weekend of fights, most notably UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s masterful performance to finish Paulo Costa and further separate himself from the pack at 185 pounds.
We also discuss the tricky issue of weight-miss fines, and how promotions – and fighters – can improve the situation moving forward. And we unpack the biggest fight away from the cage this week, as Conor McGregor and Dana White were at loggerheads following the Irish star’s leak of the UFC president’s private messages to him as they attempted to negotiate his next fight.
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A bumper edition of '“The Brit Pack” features plenty of pre- and post-fight chat as we preview UFC 253 and review UFC Vegas 11, and we also zero in on two key talking points around the two shows.
Last weekend in Vegas, Colby Covington bounced back with a fifth-round finish of Tyron Woodley, but despite once again proving himself to be one of the very best fighters on the planet, his divisive rhetoric after the fight yet again left a sour taste in the mouth. At what point does fight promotion go too far, and has Colby overstepped the line? We discuss the topic at length.
We also chat about the upcoming middleweight title fight at UFC 253, as Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa go head to head in what they and the UFC would have had us believe was a heated grudge match. But when a video posted to social media by Costa’s manager saw the pair greeting each other in cordial fashion, that narrative has been placed in some doubt. We assess what happened, and what impact it may make on the matchup, and the earning potential for the title challenger.
We also look ahead to a jam-packed schedule of fights this coming weekend, with a triple-header of Cage Warriors events, plus Bellator’s return to European soil, giving MMA fans on Simon’s side of the pond plenty to look forward to before the UFC takes centre stage on “Fight Island”.
Check out the show via the player above, and don’t forget to subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. Thanks, as always, for your support. Enjoy this week’s show, and enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
As the title of this week’s show suggests, we had a ton to discuss on this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack” as we picked through the results of a triple-header weekend, looked ahead to a stacked card this weekend, and chatted about some of the big MMA storylines of the week.
We had UFC on ESPN+ 35 in Vegas, where Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill served up a classic, and referee Chris Tognoni’s error helped Ed Herman to an unlikely come-from-behind win.
We also had a double helping of Bellator action, as the promotion’s “Fightsphere” at Mohegan Sun Arena played host to back-to-back fight nights for Bellator 245 and 246, as Juan Archuleta was crowned the promotion’s bantamweight champion on Saturday night.
We also discussed Bellator’s new direction following their switch from Paramount Network to CBS Sports, and their new fight for Thursday night supremacy against the PFL, which is set to return in 2021.
Then we threw things forward and took a look ahead to the coming weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 36 card, as a welterweight grudge match a few years in the making finally comes to a head at the UFC Apex. Colby Covington vs. Tyron Woodley should be a cracker.
There’s also the latest chapter of the remarkable breakout story of Khamzat Chimaev, who returns to face Gerald Meerschaert in the first of a pre-arranged two-fight booking that could see the unbeaten Swedish phenom face Demian Maia next… IF he can beat BJJ black belt and noted submission specialist Meerschaert, which will be no easy feat.
Check out the show via the player above, and don’t forget you can subscribe via the button below so you never miss a show. The show’s also available via all the usual podcast distributors, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and more.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
According to his manager, Nick Diaz is on his way back, and even though it’s been more than five years since his last fight, the MMA world is excited at the prospect of his potential return.
On this week’s show, we take a look at the potential options for a returning Diaz as he plans his comeback in early-2021. Who should he face when he steps back inside the octagon? We look at the permutations.
Also, one of the “Golden Oldies” of the UFC heavyweight division is still right in the thick of it and potentially only one or two fights from a shot at the gold.
Forty-year-old Alistair Overeem finished Augusto Sakai last weekend at UFC on ESPN+ 34 in Las Vegas to claim the 47th win of his MMA career keep the final chapter of his remarkable story rolling as he bids to chase that elusive UFC heavyweight title. He’s already captured titles in Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1. Can he add the UFC title to that remarkable collection?
We take a look at how “The Reem” might be able to get himself back to a title shot, and the chain of events needed to make it happen. We also recap the key performances on the card in Las Vegas from an event that was decidedly more low-key than previous UFC cards.
We also take a look ahead to this weekend’s UFC card in Vegas, where Angela Hill is set to make history as the first Black woman to headline a UFC card. She’ll take on another UFC role model, “The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson in a replacement main event that deserves more enthusiasm than it’s getting from some quarters.
It’s also a big week for Bellator as the promotion gets set to host a double-header of events on Friday and Saturday, culminating in a battle for the vacant bantamweight title, as Juan Archuleta and Patchy Mix face off for the 135-pound title.
It’s another hour of MMA chat spanning the Atlantic, so why not join us?
Listen via the player above or hit the link under the player to open the show in the podcast player of your choosing. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review!
[Pic: @nickdiaz209 (Instagram)]
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As the title of this week’s show suggests, heavyweight discussion dominates the chat on the latest episode of “The Brit Pack” as we react to the breaking news of Brock Lesnar entering free agency. Could he really make a return to MMA? And would he actually be better off joining Bellator instead of the UFC? It sounds mad, but hear us out! We also chat about Daniel Cormier’s legacy after “DC” confirmed his retirement earlier in the day.
We bring you bang up to speed with the latest action in the UFC as we recap last weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 33 (or UFC Vegas 8, if you prefer) at the UFC Apex as Aleksandar Rakic defeated Anthony Smith to push himself into the title conversation at 205 pounds. We discuss what’s next for him, and for Smith, who is currently mulling over his options after back-to-back losses at light heavyweight.
And we also take a look forward to this coming weekend’s action at the UFC Apex as “The Demolition Man” himself, English-born Alistair Overeem, takes on surging prospect Augusto Sakai in the main event.
It’s another packed show, and by way of a bonus we even throw in a way-too-early review of Amazon Prime’s new “All or Nothing” series, focusing on Sandhu’s team, Tottenham Hotspur.
Listen via the player above, or via the podcast player of your choice. Don’t forget you can subscribe via the button below, and please do spread the word about the show on social media as we try to grow this thing. Your support is hugely appreciated by us both.
Enjoy the show, and enjoy the fights!
[Pic: @AwesomeGandalf]
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Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar made a victorious debut at 135 pounds as he edged out Brazilian contender Pedro Munhoz (some say controversially) in the main event of UFC Vegas 7 last weekend.
It means there’s yet another contender in the UFC’s absolutely stacked bantamweight division. But where does “The Answer” slot into things in the UFC’s 135-pound shark tank?
That’s just one of the questions we attempt to answer on this week’s episode of the show as we look back at an event that saw a host of rising prospects score eye-catching wins at the UFC Apex.
We also look ahead to this coming weekend’s UFC Vegas 8 card, as light heavyweight contenders Aleksandar Rakic and Anthony Smith prepare to throw down at 205 pounds.
Speaking of light heavyweights, we also discuss the strength of a weight class that was previously maligned for being the most boring in the UFC. With all of the recent happenings, it’s anything but boring now.
There’s even a little bit of pro wrestling chat for those who enjoy a little “soap opera in spandex.”
Check out this week’s show via the player above, or click the link to open up the show via your podcast player of choice.
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Enjoy the show, and enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC 252 promised an epic trilogy fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier, and it didn’t disappoint as the pair settled their rivalry at the UFC Apex.
On this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack,” we take a look back at the events of last weekend, when Miocic defeated Cormier to retain his UFC heavyweight title and claim the “win” in the three-fight series between the pair.
What did the win do for Miocic’s legacy? And how should Cormier be remembered now that he has announced his retirement from the sport? Also, what should happen next at the top of the heavyweight division? We answer those questions, and more, on this week’s episode.
There’s also time for a quick look ahead to this weekend’s double-header, with Bellator 244 on Friday night, and UFC on ESPN 15 at the Apex on Saturday night.
And, just before we wrapped things up, there was some breaking news, as Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz reportedly agreed to a huge fight at 205 pounds, but does it mean there’s a title on the line? Given what’s happened since we stopped recording, there’s every chance there will be.
It’s another jam-packed episode of “The Brit Pack” and we hope you enjoy it. Give it a listen, give it a share, and spread the word for us on social media and via podcast ratings and reviews. We really do appreciate you being a part of it.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
We say it every week, but boy do we have a packed show for you!
Of course, the majority of this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack” is dedicated to the huge trilogy fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormer, who dance one final time for all the marbles – and possibly the mantle of the greatest MMA heavyweight of all time – in the main event of UFC 252 this weekend.
But that’s only part of what we have on this week’s show.
There’s a full main card recap of UFC on ESPN+ 32 last weekend, as Derrick Lewis scored a huge win, Chris Weidman breathed life into his UFC career and Darren Stewart proved he’s MUCH more than just another British striker.
We also unpack the news that broke just before we hit record, as Paige VanZant announced that she had signed with Bare Knuckle FC. Smart move or a baffling choice? We offer our respective takes. There’s also a quick word for the events of midweek, where Dana White handed out FIVE UFC contracts at the Contender Series, including one to 21-year-old Welsh strawweight Cory McKenna, who put on a brilliant display to earn herself a shot at the big time.
There’s also the usual fight reaction, early predictions and midweek matchmaking as we try to plot the course for key names in the sport.
Check out the show via the player above, or via the pod-catcher of your choice. We’re available pretty much everywhere these days. We’d also LOVE it if you could hit us up on social media, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and generally help us spread the word about our little show. And if you’re not a subscriber, just hit the button and enter your email address below and you’ll get notified every time we put out a new episode.
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It feels like a quiet week this week, but we STILL have a double-header of UFC and Bellator action this coming weekend.
It meant we still had plenty to chew over on this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack” podcast as we recapped the action from UFC on ESPN+ 31 in Las Vegas, as longtime middleweight rankings resident Derek Brunson proved to Edmen Shahbazyan that there are levels to this game at 185 pounds with a third-round TKO victory.
We unpacked that result, plus the other eye-catching fight outcomes of the night, including Joanne Calderwood’s heartbreaking loss to Jennifer Maia as the Scot took a fight on short notice and lost her likely title shot with Valentina Shevchenko in the process.
We also looked ahead to Bellator 243, where former Bellator champ Michael Chandler and ex-WEC and UFC champ Benson Henderson will run it back for a potential shot at the promotion’s 155-pound strap.
We discussed the UFC’s next event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as “The Black Beast” meets “The Boa Constrictor” in a real throwback fight in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
And we also looked ahead to the return to the UFC of England’s Darren “The Dentist” Stewart, after his last assignment saw him compete under the Cage Warriors banner during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Check out the show above and don’t forget to drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or hit us up on social media @TheBritPackMMA.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
“UFC Fight Island’s” four-event run ended with a bang as UFC on ESPN 14 delivered a spectacular night of fights that had a little bit of everything for MMA fans, including some good, old-fashioned controversy.
When Dan Hardy raised his voice in Herb Dean’s direction and we saw Dean gesture to Hardy, we knew this wasn’t going to be just a spur-of-the-moment incident, and the fallout and discussion has rolled on ever since. Dean put out a video statement backing his decision to let Jai Herbert take more punishment from Francisco Trinaldo before eventually stopping their featured preliminary fight, while Hardy has fired back with a one-hour YouTube video laying out his thoughts and concerns about that finish, as well as a host of prior questionable finishes from Dean down the years.
We hit record on this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack” before Hardy dropped his epic YouTube response, as we offered our personal takes on what happened on fight night, and where we think the issues truly lie.
Of course, it shouldn’t be forgotten that the stacked fight card delivered some fantastic action, too, and we ran through the big fights, and big performances, that mattered on Yas Island as the UFC’s first run of events on “Fight Island” shows came to a close in fine style.
We also took a moment to look ahead to this weekend’s two fight cards, with ONE Championship making their return from the pandemic in Bangkok on Friday, and the UFC returning to Las Vegas on Saturday.
It’s possibly our most packed episode of “The Brit Pack” yet, and it’s all yours right here. If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love it if you supported us and signed up via this website (hit the button below). It’s free!
It’s also free to share your support via social media (we’re @TheBritPackMMA, @simonhead and @SandhuMMA on Twitter) and via Apple Podcasts, where you can leave us a review. All your support helps us grow the show, so it’s hugely appreciated.
Enjoy the show, it’s a biggie this week!
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After a packed double-header of events on “UFC Fight Island” last week, the UFC is getting set for its fourth and final show on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, with a British star ready to shine in the main event.
England’s Darren Till will take on former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the headline fight of UFC Fight Island 3 on Saturday, July 25, knowing that an impressive win could see him catapulted to the top of the middleweight rankings and into a title fight with the winner of UFC 253’s title scrap between champ Israel Adesanya and challenger Paulo Costa.
The Whittaker-Till matchup heads up a superb card of fights to round off the UFC’s stay on “Fight Island” and on this week’s show, we take a look at the key fights on the card.
We also look back at the biggest performances from the two “UFC Fight Island” fight night events, including some standout performances from a few British stars.
Check out the show via the player above, or head to your podcast player of choice and enjoy! If you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe, too.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
UFC 251 was a momentous night for the world’s biggest MMA organization, as three titles were contested on a stacked card in the first-ever “UFC Fight Island” event.
It was a huge achievement just to be able to put on a show of that scale, with the level of preparation involved behind the scenes to host a massive pay-per-view event during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On this week’s episode of The Brit Pack, we take a look back at a fight card that delivered a little bit of everything in Abu Dhabi, as fans were treated to spectacular knockouts, stunning submissions, three huge title fights and a little sprinkling of controversy for good measure.
We deep-dive into the fight card on Yas Island, as we run through the big fights, and the big talking points, on a big night at UFC 251. Then we take a quickfire run through the two UFC Fight Night events set to take place this week, with Wednesday’s midweek card leading us into the weekend, where the UFC flyweight title will (hopefully) be decided when Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez throw down for a second time.
It’s another jam-packed episode of “The Brit Pack.” We hope you enjoy it! And if you do, please do head to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review, or hit up the show on social media. We’re @TheBritPackMMA on Twitter.
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The wait is finally over! UFC Fight Island is here, it’s happening and it all goes down on Saturday night, July 11 (July 12 in Abu Dhabi) as the UFC puts on arguably its biggest card of the year, UFC 251.
On this week’s packed episode of the show, we take a deep dive into the main card of one of the most historically significant events the UFC has ever staged as the promotion puts on three UFC title fights amid unprecedented circumstances on Yas Island, which has been transformed into “UFC Fight Island” for the promotion’s four-event, 14-day run at the venue.
There’s plenty of discussion about the new, humungous main event as Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal get set to face off in the welterweight title fight the world wanted to see in the first place.
The co-main offers plenty of intrigue, as Australia’s newly-crowned featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski gets set to take on the man he defeated to win the belt last December, former champion Max Holloway, in a 145-pound title rematch.
And there’s a battle of generations for the vacant UFC bantamweight strap, as Brazilian MMA legend and former two-time UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo takes on surging Russian star Petr Yan.
We break down all three title fights and offer our predictions for each one, before taking a look at the other two fights on the main card, both of which have major significance for the four female fighters involved.
It’s another packed show, and we’d be honoured if you’d join us. Give us a listen, give us a sub, and spread the word on social media!
Enjoy the pod, and enjoy the fights!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Has any sporting organization adapted better to the COVID-19 pandemic than the UFC? And has any sport done a better job than MMA of managing to maintain its authenticity and appeal despite the lack fans in attendance?
To be honest, we don’t think so.
Fans are the lifeblood of any sport, but when it comes to the television coverage of specific sports, certain events are able to adapt and still be compelling without fans in the stands, while others have struggled.
On this week’s episode of The Brit Pack, MMA journalist Simon Head and MMA social media specialist Chamatkar Sandhu discuss how different sports have adapted to lockdown life, and how the UFC has led the way in how to host a successful behind-closed-doors event.
The pair also look back at the fifth and final event of the UFC’s five-event run at their UFC Apex facility, as Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker threw leather for five thrilling rounds in a Fight of the Year contender. Simon and Sandhu also discussed the other crackerjack matchups that are on that way-too-early Fights of the Year list, six months in.
It’s a gap week in the world MMA calendar, with no UFC, Bellator or ONE Championship events set for the coming weekend, but there’s plenty to digest after a packed weekend last weekend, so check out the show and get bang up to date with the Brits as they wrap up all UFC Apex matters ahead of the UFC’s switch to Fight Island next week.
Check out the show via the player above, and don’t forget to subscribe!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The UFC’s purpose-built “Apex” facility in Las Vegas was always intended to host live fight events, but even UFC president Dana White wouldn’t have expected to have held so many big events at the state-of-the-art venue by the summer of 2020.
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we have to think and operate, however, and the new facility has become the Las Vegas home of live fights for the UFC, with a ton of exciting matchups already in the books in the venue’s short history.
This past weekend’s event, #UFCVegas3, delivered talking points aplenty, and Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu, AKA “The Brit Pack”, unpack it all on this week’s show.
Whether it was Curtis Blaydes’ strong, yet underwhelming, performance in the main event, Josh Emmett’s Ironman performance in the co-main event, or the contrasting (and, in Max Rohskopf’s case, controversial) debuts of two UFC newcomers, there was plenty for the lads to get their teeth into as they looked back at another eventful show.
Simon and Sandhu also take a look ahead to UFC on ESPN 12, as lightweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker get ready to face off in the main event, and also run through a host of British fighters set for action on UFC “Fight Island” at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
It’s another jam-packed show of MMA chat. Check it out above and, if you haven’t already, join our subscriber list and be a part of it!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
It wasn’t all that long ago that Anderson Silva was the biggest name in MMA. As the UFC’s all-conquering middleweight champion, “The Spider” demolished almost everyone in his path, and even jumped up to light heavyweight and added to his highlight reel at 205 pounds.
But now, after losing his title and picking up just one win in the last seven years, Silva has just two fights remaining on his UFC contract, and UFC president Dana White admitted he’s unsure how to book the Brazilian legend for his final two fights.
On this week’s episode of The Brit Pack, Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu mull over the possible (and highly unlikely) options for Silva’s final two fights, and also discuss what might happen if Silva’s compatriot, UFC women’s “champ champ” Amanda Nunes, decided to hang up her four-ounce gloves in the near future.
The two Brits also take a look back at UFC on ESPN 10 (aka #UFCVegas2) as Cynthia Calvillo announced her arrival as a top contender in her new weight class, while a host of up-and-coming prospects delivered a fistful of spectacular performances to kick off the card.
Finally, the pair look ahead to UFC on ESPN 11 (aka #UFCVegas3) as heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov face off in the main event.
Enjoy the show, then enjoy the fights!
[Photo credit: Per Haljestam]
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Business is picking up in the UFC, with the promotion finally unveiling the location of “Fight Island” and announcing a host of huge title fights, with three of them taking place at the newly-confirmed location on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
[Poster credit: @bosslogic]
On this week’s show, Simon and Sandhu run down the big-fight bookings and offer some way-too-early predictions and assessments ahead of the three title fights set for UFC 251 on July 11.
The duo also chat about the recent skirmishes between fighters and the UFC, with Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal both speaking out over fighter pay, while two of the sport’s top names, Conor McGregor and Henry Cejudo, both announced their retirements, even though both still have plenty of miles left on the clock (and fights they actively want the UFC to give them).
There’s plenty of current fight talk to catch up on, too, with a recap of an action-packed night at UFC 250 and a preview of UFC on ESPN 10, featuring the flyweight main event between No. 1 contender Jessica Eye and former strawweight contender Cynthia Calvillo.
It’s a jam-packed show this week. Hope you enjoy it!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
This week on The Brit Pack, we took a look ahead to the UFC 250 card as the UFC Apex plays host to its first pay-per-view event. But before we discussed the key matchups on the card, we took the decision to talk about a topic that has surpassed everything else in the world right now.
We may come from the same country (though we now live on opposite sides of the Atlantic) but we come from very different backgrounds. And despite those differences in our heritage and upbringing, we were both in full agreement that the right thing to do on this week’s show was to discuss the events that have taken place in the United States following the death of George Floyd while in police custody on May 25, and the protests that have followed since.
It’s a difficult topic, but one we felt we wanted to address on this week’s show.
Thanks, as always, for listening and supporting the show.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The latest episode of The Brit Pack looks ahead to this coming weekend’s UFC on ESPN 9 event as the UFC returns to Las Vegas with a pivotal bout in the welterweight division.
Tyron Woodley will take on Gilbert Burns in the main event of the evening at the UFC Apex, but that fight is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our welterweight chat this week, because there’s a LOT to discuss at 170 pounds right now.
In addition to Woodley-Burns, we have interesting developing situations regarding Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman. They looked set to meet at some point this summer, but this week “Gamebred” appeared to switch his attention as he called for a rematch with Nate Diaz, while Usman’s manager Ali Abdelaziz suggested they could put the 170-pound strap on the line against a certain Conor McGregor instead.
And what the hell is going on with poor Leon Edwards? He was supposed to face Woodley at UFC London in March, but the pandemic scuppered that fight. Nobody wanted to fight him in the first place. Now he’s beginning to look like the welterweight division’s odd man out.
On top of all that, we had Conor McGregor sparking a huge debate over MMA’s GOAT, so we took a look at how on earth you go about defining the Greatest Of All Time.
There was much to discuss on this week’s show, so why not join us?
Check out the show above, give us a subscribe below and hit us up on Twitter @TheBritPackMMA, @simonhead and @SandhuMMA. We’d love to hear from you!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
The UFC took up the challenge of being the first batter out of the dugout as they hosted three events in the space of eight days in Jacksonville, Florida to become the first major US sports league to hold live events since the coronavirus shutdown.
But did they strike out or hit a home run?
That’s one of the big questions we look at on this week’s packed show, as we recap the two UFC Fight Night main events from Florida, where the thorny issue of when to stop fights raised its head during both headliners.
We also look at what might be next for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who has a growing queue of contenders lining up to face him at 205 pounds, but also has a potentially huge bout waiting for him at heavyweight, after he and Francis Ngannou exchanged views on each other’s chances on social media this week.
Finally, we decided to play matchmaker and put together some big-time matchups to kickstart the rest of the UFC’s lightweight division following Justin Gaethje’s interim title win at UFC 249. Conor McGregor features, of course, but who did we match him with?
Check out this week’s show via the podcast player above, or click the link to head straight to your podcasting provider of choice. It’s great to have you on board, so why not get on “The List” and be a part of our subscriber base? It’s free, and we’ll let you know the minute we publish a new episode!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Live fights are back in our lives, and boy are we happy to have them back!
On this week’s packed episode of The Brit Pack, we run through the big talking points of UFC 249 – the first major sporting event since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We take a look back at Justin Gaethje’s incredible performance in the main event as he finally fulfilled his potential, captured interim lightweight gold and booked himself a future date with Khabib Nurmagomedov, possibly on Dana White’s “Fight Island”.
We also recap Henry Cejudo’s remarkable run in the UFC following his retirement announcement at the weekend. Has he called time on his career too early, or has he actually achieved more than a lot of people might initially have realised?
We also chat about an explosive performance from Francis Ngannou, and why he’s a major problem for the UFC’s heavyweight division, in more ways than one. We highlight our other favourite performers on a hugely entertaining night in Jacksonville. And we look back at the event as a whole as we assess how the UFC fared as they took on the unenviable task of being the first major sports organisation to run an event during the pandemic.
There’s also time to cram in some chat about Conor McGregor’s Twitter rant, Mike Tyson’s possible comeback, Georges St-Pierre’s Hall of Fame induction and a quickfire look ahead to Wednesday night’s UFC Fight Night card in Jacksonville, featuring Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira in the main event.
It’s a packed one this week. We hope you enjoy it!
PS: Don’t forget to join “The List” by subscribing to our mailing list, where you’ll get our show mailed to you each week as soon as it’s published. You’ll soon be able to interact with the show and be a part of the discussion as we roll out new ideas and features for the show in the coming weeks and months. We’re trying to grow this thing, and we’d love you to be a part of it with us.
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We’ve all been waiting patiently, but live fights are finally here, with UFC 249 set to take place in Jacksonville, Florida this Saturday (May 9).
It means our latest episode of The Brit Pack is a jam-packed fight night preview, as we both work our way through the card and offer our takes – and predictions – for each and every fight on the card.
Who’ll win the battle of the heavyweight knockout artists as Francis Ngannou takes on unbeaten Jairzinho Rozenstruik?
Can Dominick Cruz come back from his longest-ever layoff to dethrone “The King of Cringe,” Henry Cejudo?
And which UFC lightweight contender is REALLY the most violent man at 155 pounds, Tony Ferguson or Justin Gaethje?
We’ll bring you our answers to the above, and a whole lot more, on our bumper UFC 249 preview.
Get stuck in, then get involved! Leave your picks in the comments below or hit us up on social media to share your big predictions for fight night.
We’ll be back with our first post-fight show on Sunday, so fire your questions our way after the fights, too.
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Without wanting to be overly optimistic, it looks like the clouds are parting and the sun is beginning to shine through for MMA fans, with the UFC’s planned triple-header in Florida seemingly looking good to go.
We have three events in the space of eight days in Jacksonville, with three big main events confirmed, one blockbuster card for UFC 249 on May 9 and two Fight Night cards starting to come together for the following Wednesday and Saturday.
But while the main event of UFC 249 focuses on the UFC’s lightweight title picture, we take a look at what might be next for the biggest name in the 155-pound division. Conor McGregor is under lockdown in Dublin, Ireland, and looking like the odd man out in the lightweight division right now.
With Justin Gaethje taking on Tony Ferguson for the interim title, and the chance to move on to face Khabib Nurmagomedov next, where does it all leave Conor? We offer our takes on who we think he should face next as he looks to get his “2020 season” back on the road again. Unsurprisingly, “The Notorious” should find himself with a few options.
We also round up all family business with the UFC’s triple-header and look at ONE Championship’s decision to scrap their entire May schedule.
Give us a listen via the player above!
[Pic: @AwesomeGandalf]
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The world continues to adapt and improvise during the COVID-19 pandemic, with MMA promotions taking markedly different approaches to dealing with the crisis. On this week’s episode of The Brit Pack, we take a look at the MMA’s big hitters as the UFC looks to get the ball rolling again with a May 9 event named… you guessed it, UFC 249.
But while the UFC is looking to open up for business once again, the PFL has brought the shutters down on their 2020 season after announcing the official postponement of this year’s season. Bellator also confirmed the postponement of their upcoming Bellator 244 event in Chicago.
We take a look at all of the above on this week’s show as we run down the one fight card we actually have in front of us, and assess the differing approaches of the various promotions.
We also look at the light heavyweight love triangle for the UFC 205-pound title, which featured Jan Blachowicz offering to “fist” Jon Jones after the champ talked about popping some cherries in Poland.
Plus we give a little update on how we’re surviving lockdown life, with a few TV and podcast recommendations. Of course, if you want those, you’ll have to listen to our show first!
Finally, we both want to offer a huge thank you to everyone who has downloaded, listened, subscribed, shared and even reviewed the show already. It means the world and we’re so happy to have you guys on board so quickly following our three-year slumber.
But that’s more than enough from us, hit play, sit back and enjoy this week’s episode!
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Less than a week removed from their enforced shutdown of UFC 249, the UFC is bouncing back QUICKLY.
Literally moments after we stopped recording our first episode of the pod, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto tweeted the news that the UFC was set to host a show on May 9 with an absolutely stacked card of “targeted” fights.
So, we jumped straight back on the mic to share our instant reaction in our first “Breaking News” pod. We’d love to get your reactions, too. What do you make of the UFC’s planned show? Let us know in the comments below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com
Well, friends, we made it! The Brit Pack is back up and running, and here’s our first episode following our three-year hiatus.
As you’d expect given our long layoff, this week’s show is something of a catch-up episode, as we share what’s been going on in our worlds while we’ve been away from the mic.
We also take a look at the MMA landscape following the recent postponement of UFC 249 and debate the likely way forward for the sport in the months to come.
Finally, we share a few experiences of “lockdown life” as we both try to stave off cabin fever and, in Simon’s case, look after two stir-crazy daughters while still trying to stay gainfully employed!
Hope you enjoy it. We blew off the cobwebs with this one and will return with the next episode next week. It feels good to be back!
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It's been a crazy week in the world of combat sport, with Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor's massive world tour dominating the news cycle. But this past weekend also delivered a spectacular night at the SSE Hydro as UFC Glasgow produced a feast of finishes. #MayMacWorldTour #MayweatherMcGregor #UFC #boxing #UFCGlasgow
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On a packed show, UK-based MMA journalists Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu react to the breaking news of Gegard Mousasi's switch to Bellator and preview the Mayweather v McGregor press tour. The duo also look back at UFC International Fight Week and look ahead to UFC Fight Night in Glasgow. #UFC #MayMacWorldTour #MayweatherMcGregor #UFCGlasgow #Bellator
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Simon and Sandhu unpack a double-header of UFC action ahead of UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas. The duo run through both fight cards for the TUF Finale and UFC 213 and offer their big-fight predictions, including one bold shout for the interim title fight between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker. #UFC #UFCFightWeek #LasVegas #UFC213 #TUFFinale
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Simon and Sandhu return to the airwaves to look back on a packed double-header of MMA events, with Bellator's landmark show at Madison Square Garden and UFC's Fight Night in Oklahoma delivering talking points aplenty. #UFC #MMA #UFCOKC #BellatorNYC #Bellator180 #Bellator
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With Sandhu away this week, Simon takes the helm for a solo flight through the big stories of the MMA week, including a look back at UFC Singapore, a look ahead to UFC Oklahoma, Germaine de Randamie being stripped of her title and Conor McGregor's confirmed bout with Floyd Mayweather. #MayweatherMcGregor #MayMacWorldTour #UFC #MMA #boxing #UFCSingapore #UFCOKC
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Simon and Sandhu are back as they recap UFC 212 as Max Holloway dethroned Jose Aldo in Rio de Janeiro to capture the undisputed UFC featherweight title. The lads also look ahead to a heavy-duty main event in New Zealand as Derrick Lewis takes on Mark Hunt in Auckland. #MMA #UFC212 #Rio #UFC #UFCAuckland
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Simon and Sandhu take a look back at the events of UFC Fight Night in Stockholm, Sweden, as Alex Gustafsson hit the heights once again with a superb main event performance. They also look ahead to the next big show, as Jose Aldo and Max Holloway look to unify the UFC featherweight titles at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #UFC #MMA #UFC212 #Rio #UFCStockholm
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The Brit Pack are back with a full lineup this week as Simon and Sandhu pick the bones out of Bellator 179 in London as Rory MacDonald defeated Paul Daley, and Daley reignited his rivalry with Michael 'Venom' Page. The lads also look ahead to UFC Fight Night in Stockholm, as Swedish star Alex Gustafsson looks to return with a big win over fellow contender Glover Teixeira.
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With Sandhu away this week, Simon takes the helm to guide you through a full recap of UFC 211, where Stipe Miocic put his stamp on the heavyweight division, Joanna Jedrzejczyk did the same in the strawweight division and Frankie Edgar proved this game’s all about levels… #UFC #MMA #UFC211
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Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu run through the big fights on a big card as UFC 211 looks set to reignite the MMA year in Dallas, Texas. The lads preview the contests and offer their (vastly differing) predictions ahead of the huge event, before answering listener questions in their regular Q&A spot. #MMA #UFC #UFC211
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During another gap week for big-time MMA, Simon and Sandhu recap the spectacular night in London as Anthony Joshua stopped Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 screaming fans at Wembley Stadium. They also debated the UFC's future, and whether they one day could replicate an event of that scale here in the UK. #MMA #boxing #JoshuaKlitschko #UFC
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Simon and Sandhu look back at the events of UFC Fight Night 108 in Nashville, Tennessee, as a series of crossroads fights saw some fighters take a big step forward, while others fell back down the ladder. The pair also answer another batch of listener questions in their regular Q&A section. #UFCNashville #MMA #UFC
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Simon and Sandhu recap the latest virtuoso performance by UFC flyweight champion Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson and look ahead to the upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Nashville, Tennessee. #UFC #MMA #UFCNashville
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After burning the midnight oil watching the scenes from Buffalo, New York, Simon flies solo as he attempts to pick over the wreckage of UFC 210 as Daniel Cormier's successful defence of his UFC light-heavyweight title goes almost unnoticed among a weekend of controversy and chaos. He also answers listener questions in a bumper Q&A segment, before running the rule over the UFC on FOX 24 fight card set for Kansas City. #UFC #UFC210 #UFConFOX #MMA
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On a quieter-than-usual week on Planet MMA, Simon and Sandhu shoot the breeze and answer a truckload of listener questions in a special Q&A edition of the show.
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Simon and Sandhu look back on a packed week as they covered UFC Fight Night 107 in London, England where a host of British stars delivered the goods at The O2 Arena. The pair also react to the breaking news of Bellator 180 being held at Madison Square Garden, as Chael Sonnen prepares to face Wanderlei Silva. #UFC #MMA #UFCLondon #BellatorNYC #Bellator180
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Simon and Sandhu run through the fight card for UFC Fight Night 107 in London, England as Jimi Manuwa looks to pick up a big hometown win over American Corey Anderson. The guys also take a quick look back at the big stories from UFC Fight Night 106 in Fortaleza, Brazil, as Kelvin Gastelum stopped Vitor Belfort in the first round. #UFC #MMA #UFCLondon #UFCFortaleza
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Simon and Sandhu look back at UFC 209, where the fight card delivered the goods, but ultimately left the fans disappointed after a damp squib of a main event. #UFC #MMA #UFC209
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The biggest fight card of 2017 so far is about to go down in Las Vegas, and The Brit Pack are on hand to preview the double-world championship lineup at UFC 209. We share our pre-fight picks, break down the big matchups and take a look back at the Bellator 179 press conference in London as the build-up to Paul Daley v Rory MacDonald started in earnest. #MMA #UFC #UFC209 #Bellator179 #Bellator
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Simon and Sandhu look back at UFC Fight Night in Halifax, as Derrick Lewis became a bona-fide star with his brutal destruction of Travis Browne and his jaw-dropping post-fight speech. The lads also look back at Cage Warriors 80 in London and discuss the unfortunate postponement of Matt Mitrione v Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 172. #UFC #MMA #CageWarriors80 #CageWarriors #Bellator172 #Bellator #UFCHalifax
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Simon and Sandhu look back at a rare thing indeed - a disappointing UFC event - as UFC 208 failed to hit the high nights in the Big Apple. The vibe was altogether more positive in London, however, as Bellator announced Paul Daley v Rory MacDonald for Wembley Arena on May 19. #UFC #MMA #UFC208 #BellatorLondon #Bellator
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Simon and Sandhu return with a recap of UFC Fight Night in Houston as 'The Korean Zombie' returned with a knockout win. The lads also look ahead to UFC 208 as Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie get set to do battle for the UFC women's featherweight title. They also discuss the prospect of a British Bellator superfight between Michael 'Venom' Page and Paul 'Semtex' Daley. #UFC #MMA #UFC208 #Bellator #BellatorLondon #UFCHouston
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Simon and Sandhu recap Conor McGregor's Q&A pay per view and consider the UFC London fight card, including its new main event. The lads also look back on UFC on FOX 23 as Valentina Shevchenko booked a title rematch with Amanda Nunes. #UFC #MMA #ConorMcGregor #UFConFOX #UFCLondon
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Simon and Sandhu look back at an historic night at The Forum as Tito Ortiz bowed out of a stellar MMA career with a win in his retirement bout. The duo also run the rule over the upcoming UFC on FOX card in Denver, Colorado, as Valentina Shevchenko takes on Julianna Pena. #UFC #MMA #Bellator #UFConFOX
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Simon and Sandhu look back at the first UFC event of 2017 as Yair Rodriguez sent returning legend BJ Penn back into near-certain retirement with a one-sided beatdown of the former two-weight world champion. The lads also chat about the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, as Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw are named rival coaches for the 25th instalment of the show. #UFC #MMA
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On the latest instalment of The Brit Pack MMA journalists Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu discuss the upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Phoenix as Yair Rodriguez takes on the returning BJ Penn. The pair also offer their winners and honourable mentions as they dish out their end-of-year awards. #UFC #MMA #Bellator
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After a Christmas break, Simon and Sandhu return to the microphone to look back on a cracking night of fights at UFC 207 as the curtain came down on 2016 with Amanda Nunes' brutal demolition of Ronda Rousey in the main event. #UFC #MMA #UFC207 #RondaRousey
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Simon and Sandhu bring you a special 20th episode of The Brit Pack, as they deliver their live reaction to the fights on an incredible night at UFC 206 as they watched the action unfold from the viewing party at the Grosvenor Casino Russell Square in London. #UFC #MMA #UFC206
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Simon and Sandhu are back behind the mic as they look back at an entertaining TUF Finale and tee up a double-header of action at UFC Albany and UFC 206. #UFC #MMA #UFC206 #UFCAlbany #TUFFinale
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It's a bumper edition of The Brit Pack this week as Simon and Sandhu go big on the biggest MMA story of the week - and possibly the entire year - as Conor McGregor is relieved of his featherweight title by the UFC. #UFC #MMA #ConorMcGregor
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The Brit Pack goes on the road once again as Simon and Sandhu record this week's show live from Octagonside at UFC Fight Night: Mousasi v Hall 2 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. #UFC #MMA #UFCBelfast
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With Sandhu up in the stands enjoying the fights (and the afterparty) UFC 205 was a working day for Simon, who covered the fights from Octagonside, then the press conference backstage, before grabbing some of his press room buddies for some post-fight reaction in this Brit Pack special. #UFC #MMA #UFC205 #MadisonSquareGarden
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Simon and Sandhu hit the Big Apple for a special UFC 205 preview show from the Mecca of combat sports itself, Madison Square Garden. #UFC #MMA #UFC205 #MadisonSquareGarden #NYC
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In this week's episode Simon and Sandhu chat about some of the big fights that haven't garnered the lion's share of column inches ahead of UFC 205. They also chat about UFC 206 and whether the addition of a Michael Bisping fight might not spruce things up in Toronto. Plus they debate what might have happened if Conor McGregor had actually faced Rafael dos Anjos after all. #UFC #MMA #UFC205 #UFC206 #ConorMcGregor
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After a one-week hiatus, The Brit Pack is back, as Simon and Sandhu get set for a busy end to 2016 with a trio of big pay-per-view events, plus UFC Belfast. The pair chat about Georges St-Pierre, the fallout from the UFC takeover and answer YOUR questions in their regular Q&A section. #UFC #MMA #UFC205 #UFCBelfast
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Simon and Sandhu check in from Octagonside at UFC 204 as the biggest UFC event to hit the UK delivers the goods in front of a sell-out crowd in the early hours of Sunday morning in Manchester. #UFC #MMA #UFC204
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In a rare moment of synergy, Simon and Sandhu convene an episode of The Brit Pack in the same room as they meet up in Costa to preview UFC 204 in Manchester, discuss the recent UFC 205 press conference in New York, and look back at the recent European MMA events in Glasgow (ACB) and Helsinki (Euro FC). #UFC #MMA #UFC204
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On this week's episode of The Brit Pack we charge into double figures with our recap of Cris Cyborg's return to action at UFC Brasilia, our look ahead to UFC 205 and a quick preview of our trips to cover two big European MMA events in Glasgow (ACB) and Helsinki (Euro FC). #UFC #MMA #ACB #EuroFC #UFCBrasilia #UFC205
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On this week's instalment of The Brit Pack, Simon and Sandhu look back at Michael Johnson's knockout win over Dustin Poirier in Hidalgo, discuss Chael Sonnen's shock switch to Bellator MMA and matchmake each of the UFC's champions heading into 2017 #UFC #MMA #Bellator #UFCHidalgo
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Simon and Sandhu look back at UFC 203, where Stipe Miocic defended his UFC heavyweight title, Edmund Tarverdyan had a mini-meltdown in Travis Browne's corner and Mickey Gall showed his promotional smarts after defeating CM Punk by calling out Sage Northcutt. #UFC #MMA #UFC203
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Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu return to chat about the events of UFC Fight Night in Hamburg, where Josh Barnett claimed a submission win over Andrei Arlovski. The pair also preview UFC 203 and answer the fans questions in their regular Q&A session. #UFC #MMA #UFCHamburg #UFC203
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UK-based MMA journalists Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu recap the big MMA stories of the week, as Conor McGregor considers his options post-UFC 202, Michael Bisping gets set for his homecoming against Dan Henderson at UFC 204 and Rory MacDonald makes a high-profile switch to Bellator MMA #UFC #MMA #Bellator #ConorMcGregor #UFC202 #UFC204
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Simon Head checks in from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas after watching Conor McGregor's thrilling win over Nate Diaz at UFC 202. He chats about the fights and one of the craziest fight weeks ever with fellow MMA journalists Ariel Helwani (MMA Fighting), Danny Austin (Postmedia), Adam Hill (Las Vegas Review Journal), Denis Shkuratov and Kacper Rosolowski (Submission Radio) before wrapping up the week with MMA Junkie's John Morgan. #UFC #MMA #UFC202 #ConorMcGregor
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Just 24 hours before Simon Head jets off to Las Vegas to cover UFC 202, he joins Chamatkar Sandhu for an early recording of The Brit Pack to tee up the week ahead, chat about Conor McGregor's fight with Nate Diaz and discuss the relevance of 'moneyweight' fights in the current UFC era.
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What started off as a quiet week ended with some big news as British MMA journalists Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu chat over the big stories of the week in mixed martial arts
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On Episode 2 of The Brit Pack Simon and Sandhu look back on a dramatic night in Atlanta at UFC 201 as Tyron Woodley stunned Robbie Lawler to win the UFC welterweight title. The boys also chat BT Sport and welcome two British stars to the UFC roster.
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On the debut instalment of The Brit Pack MMA journalists Simon Head and Chamatkar Sandhu discuss Valentina Shevchenko's surprise win over Holly Holm, dissect the potential options ahead of the UFC's announcement of a new UK TV deal and look ahead to a potential late-night pay-per-view homecoming for Michael Bisping in Manchester.
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