Unlocking The Cage with Jimmy Smith: Recent Episodes
SiriusXM
Jimmy Smith is former MMA fighter, the current voice of WWE RAW, and the host of Unlocking the Cage on SiriusXM Fight Nation. Join Jimmy Smith as he guides you through the crazy world of combat sports, talks to some of the biggest names in the sport, and breaks down all the biggest stories happening inside and outside of the cage. Hear the full show weekdays from 2-5pm Eastern on SiriusXM Fight Nation Channel 156 or anytime you want on the SXM App.
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier joins Chris Weidman to discuss wrestling, MMA judging, the expectations for Jon Jones at heavyweight and why 2022 was the year of the underdog in mixed martial arts.
Jimmy Smith examines whether 2022 was a successful or down year the UFC (0:21) and share's his reaction to TJ Dillashaw breaking his silence on his retirement (19:25).
RJ Clifford and Angela Hill talk judging, Francis Ngannou, and the fights this weekend with Xtreme Couture’s Eric Nicksick on MMA Today (0:29). And Jimmy Smith gets an update on the contract status of Francis Ngannou from BloodyElbow.com’s John Nash on Unlocking the Cage (18:09).
Din Thomas & UFC Light Heavyweight Anthony Smith are joined by UFC Featherweight Billy Quarantillo to discuss his big win at UFC 282 and what he expects for himself in 2023, plus, Anthony discusses what's next for him after Dana White announced the new title fight at 205lbs between Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill.
The Bellator bantamweight grand prix finalists join the podcast, as Jimmy Smith speaks to Patrick 'Patchy' Mix on Unlocking the Cage (:30), and RJ Clifford and Din Thomas chat with interim champion Raufeon Stots (16:11), after the two stamped their tickets to the finals at Bellator 289.
Chris Weidman is joined by Laura Sanko to break down all of the weekend action from UFC 282, plus take a deep dive into the scoring from the Paddy Pimblett/Jared Gordon fight and the Jan Blachowicz/Magomed Ankalaev fight.
Jimmy Smith gets a preview of Bellator 289 from Bellator analyst, Josh 'The Punk' Thomson on Unlocking the Cage (0:27). And on MMA Today, RJ Clifford and Angela Hill catch up with UFC middleweight Eryk Anders to discuss his win at UFC Orlando (22:02).
Din Thomas catches up with Ill Will Brooks to discuss his career, working his way back to the UFC, and the state of the lightweight division on MMA Today (0:32). Plus, Jimmy Smith speaks to UFC welterweight, Rafael dos Anjos, about his win at UFC Orlando (18:47) and discusses a great year for BKFC with their president, David Feldman on Unlocking the Cage (34:12)
Jimmy Smith is joined by two special guests as he goes over the ins and outs of the Cain Velasquez case with TV personality, Jenn Brown, and former prosecutor, Francey Hakes, who have released an audio series on Audible titled 'Breaking Justice: The Cain Velasquez story' (0:31). Plus, RJ Clifford and Din Thomas catch up with newly crowned PFL featherweight champ, Brendan Loughnane to discuss the million dollar prize, beef with Charles Rosa, and plans for the 2023 season on MMA Today (25:04).
Today on Won't Back Down Radio, Chris Weidman is joined by UFC WW Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson fresh off his UFC Orlando main event win over Kevin Holland to discuss the fight, any injuries he sustained and how active he wants to be in 2023, PLUS, UFC FW Billy Quarantillo joins the show ahead of his UFC 282 fight with Alexander Hernandez.
Was the missed fight between Conor McGregor and Rafael dos Anjos, the biggest missed fight in UFC History? Jimmy Smith debates it on today's podcast (0:33), plus, Jimmy and his staff of producers review an article about 7 signs your significant other is "micro cheating" on you, and see what we agree with and what they think is toxic advice (12:14).
Jimmy Smith speaks to Bellator Bantamweight, Danny Sabatello, to discuss his upcoming Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix finals matchup with Raufeon Stots at Bellator 289 (0:30), and catchup with newly crowned PFL featherweight champion, Brendan Loughnane to discuss his win against Bubba Jenkins at the PFL World Championships (17:18).
Din Thomas and Anthony Smith are joined by PFL FW Aspen Ladd to discuss her promotional debut and win over Julia Budd and what life is like in the PFL. Also, Anthony discusses his March 11th main event with Jamahal Hill.
A pair of newly crowned PFL champions join the podcast today to talk about their wins in the 2022 PFL World Championship, as Andreas Hale and Din Thomas catch up with lightweight winner, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, on MMA Today (0:27), and Jimmy Smith speaks to the new light-heavyweight king, Rob Wilkinson, on Unlocking the Cage (17:27).
Chris Weidman is joined by UFC Welterweight Contender, Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson, ahead of his UFC Orlando main event to discuss his matchup with Kevin Holland, the current state of the welterweight division and what special guest will be walking him out on Saturday night.
Din Thomas and Anthony Smith are joined by UFC Heavyweight Contender Curtis Blaydes to discuss the Jon Jones return rumors, how a fight between him and Jon would look and his place in the title mix, PLUS, the guys discuss MMA media and how Anthony keeps getting trapped in clickbait headlines.
It’s a jam packed lineup today on the podcast as Jimmy Smith talks to PFL & Former WWE announcer, Lilian Garcia, about the PFL world championships coming up on November 25th (0:34), speaks to rising star and UFC strawweight, Vanessa Demopoulos, about her future after her win at UFC Vegas 65 (0:21), and catches up with American Kickboxing Academy head coach, Javier Mendez, to discuss AKA’s recent run of success with Islam Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov (37:38).
Chris Weidman is joined by UFC Light Heavyweight Anthony Smith to discuss his injury recovery, his next fight & the latest with the betting controversy surrounding James Krause, PLUS, Maverick MMA Featherweight Champion Dennis Buzukja joins Chris to discuss his weekend title win, recovering from COVID and his path to the UFC.
RJ Clifford and Din Thomas catch up with UFC bantamweight, Chris Gutierrez, to talk about his win at UFC 281 , playing spoiler to Frankie Edgar's retirement fight, and what's next for him in the division on MMA Today (0:30). Plus, Jimmy Smith speaks to Bellator MMA color analyst, Big John McCarthy, to preview Bellator 288 and talk about the stoppage in the main event of UFC 288 on Unlocking the Cage (14:49).
Ryan McKinnell and Anthony Smith speak to Fight Nation’s own Angela Hill about the strawweight title fight at UFC 281, state of the division, and her upcoming fight against Emily Ducote at UFC Orlando on MMA Today (0:31). Plus, Jimmy Smith answers YOUR questions on UFC 281 and how to break into broadcasting from the Midweek Mailbag, on Unlocking the Cage (18:12).
To submit a question to the Midweek Mailbag, e-mail it to UTCMailbag@Gmail.com to have it answered Wednesdays on Unlocking the Cage.
Jimmy Smith catches up with UFC lightweight, Renato Moicano, to discuss his win over Brad Riddell at UFC 281, epic post-fight interview, and the future of his career on Unlocking the Cage (:30). Plus, Jimmy analyzes whether the UFC should bring back the underground king, Eddie Alvarez, into the promotion (17:29).
Chris Weidman is joined by UFC LW Matt Frevola, fresh off a huge win at UFC 281 to discuss what it was like fighting at home at MSG and who he wants to fight next, PLUS, Chris gives his thoughts on last weekend's main event where Alex Pereira upset Israel Adesanya to become the UFC MW Champion.
Jimmy Smith analyzes why UFC strawweight champ, Carla Esparza seems to be getting so much unjustified hate from MMA fans ahead of her title defense against Zhang Weili at UFC 281 (0:32). Plus, Jimmy speaks to City Kickboxing head coach, and fight mastermind, Eugene Bareman about Adesanya vs Pereira and the City Kickboxing invasion of Madison Square Garden on Saturday (21:08).
Jimmy Smith speaks with MMAJunkie’s Nolan King about Cain Velasquez finally being granted bail at his latest hearing and the reaction from the MMA community (0:31), plus Jimmy answers listener questions from the midweek mailbag (16:30).
To submit a question to the Unlocking the Cage Midweek Mailbag, just e-mail it to UTCMailbag@gmail.com!
Ryan McKinnell and RJ Clifford speak to rising Lightweight, Grant Dawson about his win at UFC Vegas 64 (0:26) Plus RJ Clifford and Anthony Smith check in with Neil Magny after his record breaking win at UFC Vegas 64 on Saturday (15:14).
Today on Won't Back Down Radio, Chris Weidman is joined by UFC Light Heavyweight Contender Dustin Jacoby to discuss his controversial split decision loss to Khalil Rountree at UFC Vegas 63 and breakdown this weekend's UFC 281 main event between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, PLUS, Chris discusses all of the action going down at MSG this weekend and which fights he's looking forward to the most.
Ryan McKinnell & Andreas Hale catch up with UFC Welterweight, Max Griffin, to discuss his win at UFC Vegas 63, get an update on his hand injury, and get his thoughts on the welterweight division (0:30). Plus they discuss the 5 year anniversary of GSP's middleweight title win against Michael Bisping at UFC 217 (22:08)
RJ Clifford & Din Thomas are joined by Kill Cliff Fight Club's Greg Jones to talk how wrestling translates in MMA, the most common mistakes when it comes to MMA wrestling and the hype around Bo Nickal, PLUS, RJ & Din debate if Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz will sell after what we saw from Jake Paul in the Anderson Silva fight.
Fresh off his pro-boxing debut and win over Le'Veon Bell, Uriah Hall joins Ryan McKinnell & Angela Hill on MMA Today to talk about his big win, why he wants a fight with Jake Paul next and if he thinks Jake Paul is genuine in his comments about fighter pay.
RJ Clifford and Anthony Smith catch up with Ben Askren, to talk about his new book, FUNKY, Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva, and more on MMA Today (0:30). Plus, Jimmy Smith goes over the state of the featherweight division with two of its top contenders, Arnold Allen (24:16) and Josh Emmett (40:55) on Unlocking the Cage.
Chris Weidman is joined by MMA Coach Ray Longo to discuss what's next for his fighters; UFC BW Champion Aljamain Sterling and UFC BW Contender Merab Dvalishvili, PLUS, Chris gives his thoughts on Jake Paul beating Anderson Silva and a potential fight between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz in the future.
Jimmy Smith sits down with UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain "Funkmaster" Sterling, to discuss his win over TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280, Dillashaw's comments about his injury, and the treatment he gets from MMA fans.
Jimmy Smith speaks to BKFC president, David Feldman, about one of the biggest Muay Thai fights ever made, between Buakaw Banchamek and Suphachai “Saenchai” Saepong, going down for BKFC in March (0:30). Plus, Jimmy teams up RJ Clifford to interview one of the best American wrestlers in the game. David Taylor (17:06).
On Unlocking the Cage, Jimmy Smith catches up with top 5 welterweight, Belal Muhammad to discuss his rise in the division after beating rising prospect Sean Brady at UFC 280 (0:33). And on MMA Today, Ryan McKinnell and Angela Hill speak to another big winner from UFC 280, Beneil Dariush, to discuss where he stands in the lightweight title picture after his win over Mateusz Gamrot (17:04).
RJ Clifford & Anthony Smith discuss the scoring for Petr Yan vs Sean O'Malley at UFC 280, and whether there’s an argument to be made for Suga Sean getting the nod from the judges on MMA Today (0:33). And On Unlocking the Cage, Jimmy Smith speaks with MMA analyst, Dan Hardy, to discuss Dana White’s recent comments about him, and the state of the MMA’s business practices (18:22).
Chris Weidman is joined by Al Iaquinta to discuss Aljamain Sterling's latest BW title defense, TJ Dillashaw's injury and Sean O'Malley's controversial split decision win over Petr Yan, PLUS, Chris previews this weekend's boxing match between his former opponent Anderson Silva and Jake Paul.
Jimmy Smith breaks down the undercard (0:17) and the two title fights (9:00) on the stacked UFC 280 main card with the Thugjitsu Master himself, Yves Edwards, on Unlocking the Cage.
Jimmy Smith catches up with Fight Nation Alum and host of Morning Kombat, Luke Thomas, to break down the biggest storylines heading into UFC 280 on Unlocking the Cage (0:29). Plus, it’s a meeting of the coaching minds as Din Thomas talks UFC 280 and the coaching life with Xtreme Couture’s Erick Nicksick on MMA Today (17:52).
On Unlocking the Cage, Jimmy Smith examines why some people take more heat than others for popping positive for PEDs and whether TJ Dillashaw can shake the cheater tag that has followed him with a win at UFC 280 (:30). Plus Jimmy answers listener questions submitted to the UTC Midweek Mailbag (28:29).
Din Thomas and Anthony Smith discuss the likelihood of Jon Jones returning at the end of the year and what a matchup with Stipe Miocic might look like on MMA Today (0:34). And On Unlocking the Cage, Jimmy Smith examines what the landscape might be like at 145lbs if Alexander Volkanosvki moves up take on the winner of Charles Oliveira & Islam Mahkchev after UFC 280 (20:26).
It's the debut of 'Wont Back Down Radio' on SiriusXM Fight Nation! Former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman is joined by UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling ahead of his title defense against TJ Dillashaw, PLUS, UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski joins Chris to discuss being the backup for the LW title fight this weekend and what his future plans are at 145 and 155 pounds.
Jimmy Smith catches up with UFC bantamweight, Frankie Edgar, about his retirement fight at UFC 281 on Unlocking the Cage (0:33). On MMA Today, RJ Clifford and Din Thomas speak to UFC lightweight, Beneil Dariush about UFC 280 and some of the backup main event confusion (15:02). Plus, Jimmy once again has to shoot down some fake rumors in the headlines, about him doing commentary for CamSoda.com (27:29).
On MMA Today, Din Thomas and Anthony Smith catch up with UFC middleweight, Chris Weidman to get an update on his return, talk UFC 280, and discuss him joining the Fight Nation family with his new show 'Won’t Back Down Radio' set to debut on Monday, October 17th (0:30)! And on Unlocking the Cage, Jimmy Smith answers questions from the listeners submitted to UTC Midweek Mailbag (20:33).
To have a question answered by Jimmy Smith, e-mail it to UTCMailbag@gmail.com!
On MMA Today, RJ Clifford & Angela Hill chat with Sherdog Editor-at-Large, Josh Gross, to discuss the 25th anniversary of Pride 1 (0:27), and on Unlocking the Cage, Jimmy Smith responds to the criticism he received when out of context quotes about Roman Reigns starting ending up in the headlines of pro wrestling blogs (15:54)
Din Thomas discusses the star potential for Sean O'Malley should he win at UFC 280 (0:23) and gets his NFL knowledge tested by the staff of Unlocking the Cage (16:22).
Jimmy Smith speaks to undefeated UFC flyweight, Casey O'Neill, about getting the ultimate revenge on Twitter troll and the time table for her return to the Octagon on Unlocking the Cage (0:33). And on MMA Today, Ryan McKinnell & Angela Hill are joined by PFL announcer and former voice of WWE, Lilian Garcia, to discuss the PFL championships coming up in November (16.33).
On Unlocking the Cage, Jimmy Smith discuss parting ways with WWE (0:33), explains the tough truths to those who want to work in broadcasting (17:34), and speaks to Aspen Ladd to discuss being the latest signee to the PFL roster after cutting ties with UFC (27:15). Plus, on MMA Today, RJ Clifford and Din Thomas speak to former Bellator featherweight champ, AJ McKee, about his win at Bellator 286 and a possible trilogy with Patrício Pitbull (42:25).
Ryan McKinnell and Angela Hill chat with Bellator featherweight champion, Patricio Pitbull about his win at Bellator 286, a trilogy with AJ McKee, and his legacy on MMA Today(0:37), and Jimmy Smith catches up with MMA light-heavyweight, Chris Camozzi, to discuss his MMA career and his Bare Knuckle Fighting debut at BKFC 31 in his hometown of Denver on Oct. 15 (12:34).
RJ Clifford & Anthony Smith speak to UFC hall of famer, Rashad Evans, to recap UFC Vegas 61 potentially coaching Anthony for his next fight on MMA Today (0:34). Plus on Unlocking The Cage, Jimmy Smith and Ryan McKinnell discuss Daniel Cormier’s introduction to WWE last night on RAW for his guest referee appearance for Riddle vs Seth 'Freakin' Rollins this weekend at Extreme Rules (18:26).
Din Thomas catches up with UFC Light-heavyweight, Dustin Jacoby to discuss his upcoming fight with Khalil Rountree on October 25th(0:21). Plus, Din discusses an amazing moment of Jon Anik keeping it real during the UFC Vegas 61 broadcast (19:45).
Jimmy Smith is joined by the UFC's newest signee, Bo Nickal, to discuss his wins on Dana White's Contender Series, earning a UFC contract and his place in the middleweight division, PLUS, Jimmy discusses the concussion controversy surrounding Miami Dolphins QB, Tua Tagovailoa, and whether or not MMA fans have become desensitized to major injury.
A pair of PFL featherweight finalists join the podcast today, as Jimmy Smith catches up with Bubba Jenkins on Unlocking the Cage (:025) and RJ Clifford and Din Thomas speak to his opponent Brendan Loughnane on MMA Today to discuss their title matchup at the PFL World Championships and a million dollar purse on November 25th (14:51)
Jimmy Smith examines what the ceiling could be for Bo Nickal after dominating on DWCS again and getting his UFC contract (0:26). Plus, Jimmy speaks to PFL lightweight finalist, Stevie Ray, about his upcoming championship fight against Olivier Aubin-Mercier in the first ever PFL pay per view card on November 25th (15:16).
Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson joins RJ Clifford & Anthony Smith on today's episode to discuss the delay in fight news, why a Kevin Holland matchup interests him & the latest on Chris Weidman, PLUS, RJ & Anthony discuss who has the best jiu-jitsu in the UFC.
Jimmy Smith and the Unlocking the Cage staff run through stories of getting revenge on an ex to decide which person was in the wrong (0:27). Plus, Jimmy speaks to top grappler, Mikey Musumeci, to discuss his upcoming matchup with Cleber Sousa in the first ever Flyweight Submission Grappling World Championship match in ONE history during ONE on Prime Video 2 (22:14).
On MMA Today, RJ Clifford and Din Thomas speak to top UFC bantamweight, Merab Davashvailli, to discuss Jose Aldo’s retirement, the upcoming title fight in the division, and Cory Sandhagen’s callout (0:27), and Jimmy Smith speaks to the newest addition to the UFC bantamweight division, Raul Rosas Jr., to talk about becoming the youngest fighter ever signed to the UFC on Unlocking the Cage (16:13).
Jimmy Smith catches up with multiple promotion champion, Cris Cyborg, to talk about her professional boxing debut on FITE this weekend and her future in MMA on Unlocking the Cage (0:31). And on MMA Today, Ryan McKinnell & Anthony Smith speak to UFC featherweight, Damon Jackson, to discuss his emotional win at UFC Vegas 60 just days after the passing of his brother (16:53).
Jimmy Smith catches up with victorious UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen, to discuss his win over Song Yadong at UFC Vegas 60 on Unlocking the cage (0:24). Plus RJ Clifford and Angela Hill speak to PFL commentator, Kenny Florian about the retirement of Jose Aldo, PFL Championship matchups, and Gordon Ryan’s domination at ADCC on MMA Today (17:44)
Ryan McKinnell and Din Thomas discuss the legacy of Jose Aldo after the former UFC featherweight champ announced his retirement over the weekend (0:24), Plus they sit down with MMA legend and former Aldo opponent, 'The California Kid' Urijah Faber to discuss the career of Jose Aldo and the main event of UFC Vegas 60 (15:22).
Jimmy Smith sits down with UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, to discuss his injury recovery, return to the Octagon, and how his talks with the UFC are going on Unlocking The Cage (0:27). He also gets a preview of Canelo vs Triple G III and talks the latest boxing news with Showtime Boxing analyst, Steve Farhood (19:26).
RJ Clifford and Din Thomas speak to top UFC Middleweight, Robert Whittaker, about his win over Marvin Vettori, Adesanya vs Pereira, and Khamzat Chimaev on MMA Today (0:28). Plus, Jimmy Smith catches up with former UFC Lightweight champ, Benson Henderson, about his upcoming fight with Peter Queally at Bellator 285 in Dublin and the future of his career on Unlocking the Cage (19:41).
Ryan McKinnell & Angela Hill are joined by UFC Heavyweight Chris Barnett to talk his big win at UFC 279, how his eye played a role in the fight, and his weight miss, PLUS, Matchroom Boxing President Eddie Hearn joins the crew to talk the Canelo-GGG trilogy going down this weekend and Jake Paul's impact on boxing.
RJ Clifford and Anthony Smith talk what may be next for Nate Diaz after he finished his UFC contract with a submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279... is he the biggest free agent in MMA history? PLUS, the crew talks Khamzat Chimaev's impressive win over Kevin Holland and what matchups make sense for him at both 170lbs and 185lbs.
After a wild fight week, Ryan McKinnell and Din Thomas discuss the perfect ending for the UFC chapter of Nate Diaz's career with his victory over Tony Ferguson in the UFC 279 main event (0:26) and whether Khamzat Chimaev has made himself into a heel after a dominant victory over Kevin Holland, despite failing to make weight for the main event (14:22).
Jimmy Smith speaks to UFC Heavyweight, Curtis Blaydes, about Ciryl Gane’s surprisingly honest admission about not wanting to risk his position in the division by fighting him on Unlocking the Cage (0:27). Plus, RJ Clifford and Din Thomas speak to MMA vet and Nate Diaz teammate, Josh Neer, to discuss the UFC 279 main event (11:36).
Jimmy Smith speaks to Nate Diaz teammate, Jake Shields, about Nate's upcoming main event fight with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279 and the altercation between Chimaev and Paulo Costa on Unlocking the Cage (0:27). Plus, Ryan McKinnell & Anthony Smith get some betting advice on UFC 279 courtesy of MMAJunkie's Dan Tom on MMA Today (14:57).
Following an eventful UFC Paris where Ciryl Gane knocked out Tai Tuivasa, Jimmy Smith evaluates the UFC's heavyweight title picture and who should be involved if they decide to make an interim belt. RJ Clifford and Anthony Smith talk about Robert Whittaker's place in the middleweight division after a win over Marvin Vettori, PLUS, BKFC's Tai Emery joins them to discuss flashing the crowd following her knockout victory at BKFC Thailand 3.
Din Thomas chats with PFL featherweight, Bubba Jenkins to discuss his upcoming finals appearance against Brendan Loughnane in the PFL championships for the 2022 season and the chance to claim the million dollar prize.
Ryan McKinnell and Din Thomas speak to Xtreme Couture Coach, Eric Nicksick, for an update on Francis Ngannou and the latest MMA news on MMA Today (0:30), Jimmy Smith speaks to former UFC flyweight title challenger, John Dodson, to discuss his victory in his BKFC debut on Unlocking the Cage (18:57), and both shows react the WWE paying homage to the infamous DC and Jon Jones hot mic incident with Seth 'Freakin' Rollins and Riddle on RAW (34:27).
The Bellator 289 main event will be an interim bantamweight title fight and Grand Prix semifinal grudge match. Both of the headlining fighters are on today's podcast as Danny Sabatello sits down with RJ Clifford on MMA Today (0:26) and Jimmy Smith speaks to the interim bantamweight champion, Raufeon Stots on Unlocking the Cage, to talk about their upcoming Bellator 289 main event matchup (11:27).
Ryan McKinnell and Din Thomas are joined by former Bellator featherweight champ, AJ McKee, to talk about his move to lightweight in the co-main event of BELLATOR 286 (0:29) and speak to Corey Anderson about his upcoming rematch with Vadim Nemkov to crown the Bellator World Light Heavyweight Grand Prix champion and a chance to claim a million dollar prize in the main event of Bellator 288 (13:26)
It's the 5 year anniversary of Mayweather vs McGregor and Jimmy Smith looks back on the crossover super fight and the effects in had on Conor McGregor's career (0:33). Plus, Jimmy sits down with former UFC light-heavyweight champ, Rashad Evans to discuss weight cutting in MMA, UFC 278, and so much more (14:15)!
RJ Clifford and Din Thomas dive back into the UFC 278 main event between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards, more specifically, the criticism Din received after calling Leon 'broken' ahead of his upset win in the fifth round (:37), PLUS, newly crowned TUF 30 Champion Juliana Miller joins the show to talk her big win, her backstory and what's next for her (10:13).
Matchroom Boxing President, Eddie Hearn joins Jimmy Smith on Unlocking the Cage to discuss Canelo vs Triple G III, the future of Anthony Joshua, and the latest boxing news(0:35). Plus, UFC Lightweight, Jared Gordon sits down with Ryan McKinnell and Angela Hill on MMA Today to discuss his win at UFC 278 and his candid fight week comments about MMA's effect on his life and the reason behind his Paddy Pimblett Callout (19:31).
RJ Clifford and Anthony Smith talk Leon Edwards' huge title victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 and Anthony breaks down the Edwards head kick KO step-by-step and discusses whether or not it was a fluke win (:34), PLUS, as fathers, RJ and Anthony tell you why you should allow your children to attend your fights live (10:40).
Ryan McKinnell and Angela Hill recap a historic night in MMA and react Leon Edwards's stunning, come from behind, head kick KO of Kamaru Usman to win the welterweight title in the last round of their UFC 278 main event (0:30) and where the moment ranks on the all time most shocking finishes in MMA history (11:25).
MMA on SiriusXM is bringing you the best of both worlds in one podcast feed! Unlocking the Cage hosted by voice of WWE RAW and veteran announcer, Jimmy Smith, and MMA Today's panel of experts and fighters like RJ Clifford, Anthony Smith, Angela Hill, and Din Thomas are combining forces to provide the hardest-hitting coverage of combat sports courtesy of SiriusXM Fight Nation. Not only can you hear the best segments and interviews from both shows on the podcast, but you can listen to MMA Today from 12-2pm Tuesday-Thursday and Unlocking the Cage airing weekdays from 2-5pm Eastern on SiriusXM Fight Nation Channel 156 or anytime you want on the SXM App.
We're just 24 hours way from UFC 278 and Jimmy Smith breaks down the X's & O's of the main card with MMA analyst, Yves Edwards, on PPV Eve (0:28). Jimmy also sits down with BKFC president, David Feldman to discuss BKFC London, Perry vs Page, and the future of Bare Knuckle fighting (14:02).
Jimmy Smith reacts to Luke Rockhold's explosive media day interview, criticizing the UFC's fighter pay practices, ahead of his co-main fight against Paulo Costa at UFC 278 (0:27) and breaks down the biggest storylines heading into the card with MMAJunkie.com's Mike Bohn (13:42).
Jimmy Smith discusses the evolution of the flyweight division--developing from a division that once almost closed to a division that now excites us (0:24). PLUS, he breaks down the top factions of all time in pro wrestling (15:34).
Jimmy Smith discusses the legacy of Rory MacDonald after he announced his retirement following his loss at PFL 8 (0:27) and reacts to Shane Burgos leaving UFC to sign with PFL (21:08).
Ryan McKinnell and Din Thomas break down Marlon 'Chito' Vera's highlight reel KO win over Dominick Cruz in the main event of UFC San Diego and what the outcome could mean for both of their careers (0:28) and Angela 'Over Kill' Hill joins the show to discuss the judges finally giving her the nod in her unanimous decision victory over Loop Godinez on Saturday (13:57).
Jimmy Smith discusses Dominick Cruz's latest comments about Daniel Cormier on commentary, whether or not they were professional, and what may happen if the UFC is forced to choose between the two men, PLUS, MMA Underground Editor in Chief John Morgan joins the show to talk UFC San Diego and all of the latest storylines in the fight game!
Jimmy Smith is joined by the UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain 'Funkmaster' Sterling to discuss his upcoming title defense with TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280, the best all-time bantamweight, and the upcoming slate of blockbuster fights coming up between the division's best contenders.
Jimmy Smith catches up with the newly crowned interim flyweight champion, Brandon Moreno about his win over Kai Kara-France at UFC 277 and upcoming rematch with Deiveson Figueiredo, answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag, and recaps Bo Nickal's dominant performance and more from Dana White's Contender Series with Laura Sanko.
With a new season of TUF winners crowned, Jimmy looks back and discusses the most accomplished winners and best moments from 'The Ultimate Fighter' reality show and catches up with lightweight, Stevie Ray, after he punched his way to the PFL finals with a win over Anthony Pettis at PFL 7.
Ryan McKinnell and Din Thomas talk to two of the biggest winners from UFC Vegas 59 with light-heavyweight, Jamahal Hill joining them to talk about main event win over Thiago Santos and welterweight Geoff Neal to discuss his win in the co-main event.
Jimmy Smith examines stories of breakups and judges with his staff whether they were justified on the Big Payback and gets a technical breakdown of UFC Vegas 59 and the first round of the PFL playoffs this weekend from Factory-X head coach Marc Montoya.
Jimmy Smith catches up with surging women's flyweight and major fan favorite, Meatball Molly McCann, to talk about her winning streak and what could be next for her and tests his staff on the GoodFellas movie knowedge in another edtion of Under the Gunz.
Jimmy Smith discusses some the new rule changes voted on in the last Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports conference last week with Executive Director of the California State Athletic Commission, Andy Foster and gets a recap of last night's Dana White's Contender Series and UFC 277 with Laura Sanko.
Jimmy Smith breaks down Brandon Moreno's impressive performance winning the interim flwyeight title and faceoff controversy with Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 277 and discusses the six game suspension the NFL handed of Deshaun Watson with ESPN's Phil Murphy
With another UFC PPV in the books, Ryan McKinnell and Din Thomas break down if a trilogy fight with Julianna Pena or Valentina Shevchenko could be next for Amanda Nunes after regaining the bantamweight title at UFC 277. Plus, Ryan and Din go over the biggest storylines coming out off the weekend with MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al-Shatti.
It's a UFC 277 edition of Unlocking the cage! Andreas Hale & Angie Overkill Hill take over the hosting seats and get a preview of Peña vs Nunes 2 from MMA fighter/analyst, Megan Anderson and get a technical breakdown of the main card courtesy of Yves Edwards.
Is there a title shot at light-heavyweight for Anthony Smith if he wins on Saturday at UFC 277? Jimmy explains why he's in a good spot and what the obstacles could be and talks new MMA rules, MMA awards, and UFC 277 with 'Best MMA Journalist' nominee, TSN's Aaron Bronsteter
With the return of Dana White Contender Series, Laura Sanko joins Jimmy Smith to recap Tuesday night's fights and talk UFC 277 and Jimmy answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag.
To have your question answered by Jimmy Smith, e-mail it to UTCMailbag@gmail.com
Jimmy Smith shares what the MSG atmosphere was like at the first WWE Raw after Vince McMahon retired and stepped down from all his roles at WWE, speaks with UFC heavyweight, Curtis Blaydes, to see what's next for him after a freak injury to Tom Aspinall gave him the victory in their UFC London main event and discusses the rise and future of Paddy Pimblett with MMA analyst, Dan Hardy.
Ryan McKinnell & Miesha Tate reunite in the hosting chairs to talk about what could be next for Miesha after her last fight at UFC Long Island. The pair also discuss another brilliant performance from Paddy Pimblett and another highlight reel knockout for his partner in crime, Molly McCann.
Jimmy Smith reacts live to the stunning news of Vince McMahon announcing his retirement from all of his roles at WWE and speaks to Busted Open's Dave LaGreca to get his thoughts on this unexpected move by Vince and the effects it could have on the company and the industry.
Jimmy Smith break downs which amazing fight has the most stakes and appeal on the absolutely loaded UFC 280 fight Card, and with everyone booked up in the lightweight division, Jimmy analyzes which fighter might be best for, odd man out, Dustin Poirier.
Jimmy Smith reacts the news of a major step up in competition for Sean O'Malley with a fight in the works with Petr Yan at UFC 280 speaks to UFC flyweight Matt Schnell about his amazing comeback win at UFC Long Island, and plays a game where he determines whether a tweet about Chimaev vs Diaz is sarcasm or just another Nate Diaz fan.
After weeks of Nate Diaz and the UFC going back and forth in the media over the last fight on Nate’s contract, Jimmy reacts to today's breaking news that Khamzhat Chimaev and Nate Diaz have verbally agreed to fight as the main event of UFC 279 and breaks down the pros & cons of the bout for each fighter.
Ryan McKinnell & Din Thomas break down the road ahead for Miesha Tate after Lauren Murphy played spoiler to her flyweight debut last Saturday and speak to rising UFC light-heavyweight, Dustin Jacoby, after another impressive performance at UFC Long Island.
Jimmy gets a preview of UFC Long Island from Xtreme Couture coach extraordinaire, Eric Nicksick and speaks with IBO Bantamweight champion and up and coming mixed martial artist, Melissa Oddessa Parker, about her promotional debut for Invicta FC.
Jimmy Smith breaks down whether winning titles in 2 different divisions means more than having a dominant run in one in today's era of MMA and speaks to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship President, David Feldman, about his latest group of signings and his BKFC London fight card.
Nate Diaz has spoken out about the difficulty of completing the last fight on his UFC contract, and Jimmy analyzes whether the fault is on the UFC or Nate and Jimmy answers listener questions on Nate, UFC 276 fallout, and more from the UTC Midweek Mailbag.
Jimmy Smith is back and sits down with UFC Featherweight Contender Brian Ortega ahead of his UFC Long Island main event to talk about his mindset towards fighting and where he thinks he stands in the title picture, ALSO, Boxing Champion Amanda Serrano joins the show and talks to Jimmy about her upcoming co-main event against Brenda Carabajal, which goes down August 6th at Madison Square Garden.
Din Thomas sits down with Sanford MMA Coach Greg Jones to discuss Sanford's busy weekend at UFC Vegas 58, specifically the Michael Johnson split decision and what he thought of the judging, PLUS, UFC Middleweight Cody Brundage joins the show to discuss his KO victory over Tresean Gore and what the win will do for his fight future.
Din Thomas and Angela Hill sit down with UFC Middleweight Chris Curtis to discuss him stepping in short notice to fight Jack Hermansson at UFC London after Darren Till's injury, plus, Din & Angela break down this weekend's UFC Vegas 58 main event between Rafael Dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev and discuss the title implications for the winner.
Ryan McKinnell speaks with UFC Lightweight Contender Beneil Dariush about his place in the title picture, who Charles Oliveira should fight, and Alexander Volkanovski potentially moving up to 155, PLUS, with Georgia releasing the latest PFL fight purses, Ryan discusses the issues around fighter pay in the world of mixed martial arts.
RJ Clifford speaks with the number one featherweight contender, Josh Emmett, and gets his thoughts on Alexander Volkanovski's dominant win at UFC 276 and whether or not he's willing to sit and wait for a title shot against the champion, ALSO, RJ breaks down the 'underwhelming' main event between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier and whether or not Adesanya is to blame for the lack of entertainment.
Ryan McKinnell and Andreas Hale speak with surging UFC Lightweight, Jalin Turner, who picked up a first-round win at UFC 276, also, the guys break down the main event between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier, the co-main between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, and discuss if the card delivered as advertised and where the blame falls for those that think it didn't.
Ryan McKinnell reacts to the possible star making moment for Sean Strickland at the UFC 276 pre-fight press conference and gets a breakdown of the X's and O's of the UFC 276 main card from MMA analyst, Yves Edwards.
Ryan McKinnell & Andreas Hale step in for Jimmy Smith and analyze whether fighters like Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway, or Alexander Volkanovski can overtake the GOATs of their divisions discuss Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier going into the UFC Hall of Fame with their longtime coach, Javier Mendez, and have some UFC 276 betting talk with the Executive Director of Race and Sports for SuperBook, John Murray.
Ryan McKinnell fills in for Jimmy Smith and speaks to 'the Rutheless One" Robbie Lawler about his over 20 year career in MMA and his upcoming fight against Bryan Barberena on the main card of UFC 276 and reviews this list of fighters nominated for the 2022 ESPY for Best MMA Fighter.
Ryan McKinnell speaks to UFC flyweight and fellow Fight Nation host, Miesha Tate to discuss the cancelation and rebooking of her flyweight debut against Lauren Murphy and Jimmy sits down with rising Bellator Bantamweight Danny Sabatello to discuss his win at Bellator 2828.
Sean O'Connell fills in for Jimmy Smith and speaks to the newly crowned Bellator Middleweight champ, Johnny Eblen, to discuss his title win over Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 282 (Time Stamp) and recaps the full weekend of MMA action with PFL commentator, Kenny Florian
Jimmy chats with Bellator flyweight champion, Liz Carmouche to discuss her career and being the first openly gay fighter in MMA in honor of Pride Month and gets a preview of all of this weekend's fights with Xtreme Couture coach, Erick Nicksick.
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury has been rebooked for August 6th at Madison Sqaure Garden and Jimmy Smith analyzes what a win or loss could do for Paul's future in boxing and speaks with UFC middleweight, Joaquin Buckley after another 'Performance of The Night' bonus winning victory at UFC Austin.
Jimmy Smith speaks with UFC featherweight, Josh Emmett, to discuss his win over Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Austin and what could be next for him after the victory, and answers listener questions from UTC Midweek Mailbag.
Jimmy Smith analyzes the scoring for Josh Emmett's win over Calvin Kattar in the main event UFC Austin speaks to Eddie Wineland about his amazing bantamweight career after he announced his retirement last weekend and catches up with UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon to get the details about the knee injury that canceled his fight with Donald Cerrone on Saturday.
Jimmy Smith gets a preview of the UFC Austin main event between Calvin Kattar & Josh Emmett from Calvin Kattar/New England Cartel Coach, Tyson Chartier talks Vince McMahon stepping down as CEO of WWE while the wrestling company's board investigates him for alleged misconduct and discusses the retirement of Zabit Magomedsharipov with his former coach, Mark Henry.
Jimmy Smith catches up with UFC strawweight champion, Carla Esparza, to discuss how life at the top of the division has been like since her title win and her expectations for a future matchup with Zhang Weili, and chats with American Top Team Coach, Mike Brown to get his reaction to the retirement of Joanna Jędrzejczyk's retirement and what might be next for Dustin Poirier.
Jimmy Smith shares his take on Charles Oliveira sharing his desire for Conor McGregor fight over Islam Makhachev and whether it's the kind of callout Oliveira should make, and answers questions on UFC 275, WWE, and boxing from the UTC Midweek Mailbag.
Jimmy Smith analyzes the judges' scorecards for Shevchenko vs Santos at UFC 275 and examines whether Valentina's win was a robbery, shares his reaction to Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s retirement after her loss to Zhang Weili, and discusses the recent arrest of Jeff Hardy with Ryan McKinnell.
Jimmy Smith speaks to Bellator welterweight, Michael 'Venom' Page about his recently announced crossover bare-knuckle fight with Mike Perry at BKFC London, gets a technical breakdown of the main card of UFC 275 from MMA analyst Yves Edwards, and gets an explanation of the UFC's financial reports from BloodElbow.com's John Nash.
Jimmy Smith examines where UFC champion, Valentina Shevchenko ranks among all MMA fighters after her run of dominance in the flyweight division and catches with top UFC strawweight, Tatiana Suarez, to get an update on her recovery and get her breakdown of UFC 275.
Jimmy Smith catches up with top UFC welterweight, Gilbert Burns to get his thoughts on the state of the division and gets a recap of Haney vs Kambosos and so much more from ESPN's Joe Tessitore.
Jimmy speaks to Biaggio Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, ahead of his MMA debut Friday night for Fusion Fight League and chats with UFC lightweight, Jordan Leavitt about his upcoming matchup with fan favorite Paddy Pimblett at UFC London in July.
Jimmy Smith chats with WWE RAW superstar Damian Priest ahead of 'Hell In A Cell' on Sunday, gets a preview of ONE 158 from ONE vice president and UFC hall of famer, Rich Franklin, and discusses the latest MMA news and the state of the sport with TSN's Aaron Bronsteter.
Jimmy Smith takes a deep look at the state of MMA to examine whether the fandom is still as strong as it's been in the past as it is in 2022, and answers listener questions from UTC Midweek Mailbag.
To have your question answered by Jimmy Smith e-mail it to UTCMailbag@gmail.com
Conor McGregor says the book on his career is just beginning, but is that really true? Jimmy Smith analyzes whether Conor has anything left to give to MMA. Jimmy also discusses the success of 'Top Gun: Maverick' and which sequels have lived up to the hype.
Jimmy Smith speaks with legendary MMA and Kickboxing heavyweight, Alistair Overeem, about his upcoming pro wrestling debut in June and his next clash with Badr Hari at GLORY Collision 4 in October (0:27), and speaks with former UFC bantamweight, Jimmie Rivera, about his BKFC debut in June (15:49).
After the news of his passing, Jimmy Smith remembers the legendary acting career of actor Ray Liotta. Plus, How well do you know your Diaz brother quotes? Jimmy Smith tests his knowledge against his staff to see if he can correctly guess if a quote in the press was either Nick or Nate Diaz.
Jimmy Smith analyzes the reasons their so much difficulty for judging in MMA, and answers listener questions about judging, dream co-hosts, his personal WWE stable and so much more from the UTC Midweek Mailbag.
Jimmy Smith shares his reaction to the fallout from Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out on WWE Raw, speaks with UFC broadcaster Laura Sanko to recap UFC Vegas 55 and the problem with judging in MMA, and breaks down the NBA playoffs with SiriusXM NBA Radio's Amin Elhassan.
NEWLY CROWNED Bellator Interim Welterweight World Champion Logan Storley joins Jimmy Smith to discuss his win over Michael Page, the fan reactions and Scott Coker's thoughts on the fight, plus, Jimmy & the Unlocking the Cage crew debate the most 'hateable' sports figures of all time.
It's a meeting of the WWE minds, as SmackDown broadcaster and host of 'The Bump' Kayla Braxton joins jimmy Smith to talk about life in the WWE, horror movies, and so much more. Plus, Jimmy discusses the funny, yet predictable, reaction he's received for his comments on Sasha Banks & Naomi walking out of RAW.
With Conor McGregor tweeting more and more about his upcoming return, Jimmy Smith breaks down the potential options for his return fight to see which opponent is most likely to be selected and answers questions from this week's UTC Midweek Mailbag.
To have your question answered by Jimmy Smith e-mail it to UTCMailbag@gmail.com
Jimmy Smith shares his reaction to Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out on WWE Raw and the official statement released by WWE on the situation discusses Dustin Poirier being suddenly open to a fight with Colby Covington and speaks with the now 2-0 BKFC cruiserweight, Houston Alexander.
Hip-Hop Icons Sen Dog & Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill join Jimmy Smith to discuss the music world and their VERZUZ Battle with ONYX at TrillerVerz 5 on Saturday plus Jimmy gets a preview of UFC Vegas 54 from Factory X head coach, Marc Montoya.
Jimmy Smith reacts to Jake Paul's calls for a fighter union and why his plans are likely to fail and analyzes what the endgame might be for Nate Diaz's career and his current relationship with the UFC.
After quietly putting together an impressive resume of achievements, Jimmy Smith analyzes how close Charles Oliveira is to GOAT Status in the UFC's lightweight division shares his broadcasting expertise on whether the broadcast team was too harsh on the UFC 274 co-main event title fight between Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza, and answers questions on the WWE catering spread and so much more from the UTC Midweek Mailbag.
Ryan McKinnell & Andreas Hale speak to UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner to set the record straight on the scale conspiracy theories floating around after Charles Olveira's weight miss for UFC 274 and recap the action and biggest storylines with 'The Irish Dragon' Paul Felder.
A special tag-team of Ryan McKinnell & Andreas Hale react to the news that lightweight champ, Charles Oliveira, missing weight for his main event title fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, get a technical breakdown of the fight card from MMA analyst Din Thomas, and discussed the ongoing issues with MMA fighter pay with BloodyElbow's John Nash.
Din Thomas and Ryan McKinnell break down their favorite storylines as we head into a jam-packed UFC 274 fight card and Din speaks with Luke Thomas for a preview of Saturday night's fights.
Jimmy Smith breaks down what's on the line for both Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira in their lightweight title main event fight at UFC 274 and shares his thoughts on the Star Wars franchise on the holiest of days for the series.
In a special podcast exclusive, Jimmy Smith sits down with UFC Bantamweight champion, Julianna Peña to discuss her win over Amanda Nunes and coaching against her on this upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter airing on ESPN+
With the extremely well promoted and biggest fight in women's boxing history set for Saturday night, Jimmy Smith analyzes if this fight between Katie Taylor vs Serrano is the 'make or break' moment for women's boxing and discusses the matchup between Taylor and Serrano and all the latest boxing news with Fight Hub TV's Marcos Villegas.
Jimmy Smith breaks down the latest updates from court between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal stemming from their altercation on the streets of Miami and catches up with UFC lightweight veteran and fan favorite Joe Lauzon to talk about his upcoming fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC 274.
Jimmy Smith analyzes which matchup would do more for Aljamain Sterling's legacy as champ between Henry Cejudo and TJ Dillashaw and discusses the latest boxing news with Showtime Boxing's Steve Farhood
Jimmy Smith discusses analyzes the chances for whether or not we'll see Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury in the future after Fury had Ngnnou had him join him in the ring after his win last Saturday catches up with Yancy Medeiros after a winning debut at Bellator 279 and talks the Bellator bantamweight grand prix with Danyy Sabatello who stamped his ticket into the next round at Bellator 278
Jimmy Smith catches up with Dan Hardy to discuss his return to fighting with upcoming matchup set up with Diego Sanchez and speaks with Bellator President, Scott Coker, to preview Bellator 278 & 279 this weekend in Hawaii and future of AJ McKee.
Jimmy Smith gives his take on all the reasons Kamaru Usman shouldn't take a boxing match against Canelo Alvarez and recaps the action from PFL 1 and whether another UFC free agent signing losing was a good thing for PFL.
With a rumored fight being targeted between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, Jimmy Smith analyzes why people seem to be so low on Stipe's chances for a win against Jones and sits down with MMA Coach Eric Albarracin to discuss the success of Fight Ready MMA gym's success with fighters like Pitbull, Cejudo, and Deiveson Figueiredo.
Jimmy Smith analyzes the role of MMA media, after fans had a bad reaction to the questions asked of Mounir Lazzez for shouting out a questionable character after his win at UFC Vegas 51 and catches up with UFC welterweight, Belal Muhammad, to see what's next for him after his win in Saturday night's main event.
Jimmy Smith sits down with TSN's Aaron Bronsteter to discuss the biggest storylines this week in MMA and analyzes Max Kellerman's comments about not being able to tell whether Tiger Woods is an elite athlete and what makes a sport a sport.
Jimmy Smith speaks with Bellator commentator and legendary referee, Big John McCarthy, to preview Bellator 277, stopping fights in MMA, and discuss his public back and forth with UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Plus, Jimmy analyzes whether AJ McKee is UFC bound or better off sticking with Bellator ahead of his featherweight title rematch with Patrico Pitbull at Bellator 277.
Coming off his title defense in the co-main event of UFC 273, Jimmy Smith catches up with undisputed bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling after his win over Petr Yan and breaks down whether Henry Cejudo should return to 135lbs or go for his third title at 145 lbs when he makes his UFC return.
Jimmy Smith analyzes what could be next for UFC featherweight champ, Alex Volkanovski after another impressive defense at UFC 273, speaks with Aljamain Sterling coach, Ray Longo to get his reaction to Aljo's win over Petr Yan in the co-main event, and catches up with Xtreme Couture coach, Eric Nicksick, about the fight card and his work getting Aljo and Khamzat Chimaev ready for this massive PPV card.
Jimmy Smith goes over the biggest news stories heading into UFC 273 with The Underground's editor in chief, John Morgan and gets a technical breakdown of the card courtesy of MMA analyst, Yves Edwards.
Jimmy Smith analyzes whether the underdog status and big odds against Aljamain Sterling are justified as he heads into his title rematch with Petr Yan in the co-main event of UFC 273 and speaks with UFC welterweight Vicente Luque to talk about his upcoming fight with Belal Muhammad and get his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev vs Gilbert Burns this weekend.
Jimmy Smith analyzes which fighter is under the most pressure to win at UFC 273 and answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag.
To have your question answered by Jimmy Smith e-mail it to UTCMailbag@gmail.com
Jimmy Smith discusses what his experience was like working the desk at his first WrestleMania last speaks with UFC veteran and new PFL lightweight, Jeremy Stephens and shares a funny and potentially disastrous moment he avoided during the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
With WrestleMania on the horizon, Jimmy Smith analyzes how much the drawing power of such a big event can bring in the casual fans and breaks down the odds for the top fights UFC 273 and who has the best chance for an upset.
Jimmy Smith speaks to UFC flyweight, Kai-Kara France about his big win at UFC Columbus and where he stands in the title hunt and catches up with UFC welterweight Matt Brown for in depth talk about the tough world of MMA.
Jimmy Smith speaks with UFC welterweight Neil Magny to discuss his position in the division after his win at UFC Columbus and shares his reaction to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars
Jimmy Smith reacts to the official announcement from Triple-H that his wrestling days in the ring are over and breaks down the stakes for the main event of UFC Columbus between heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus.
Jimmy Smith breaks down the latest chapter in the news story that has been dominating the week involving the altercation between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington and speaks to UFC lightweight and rising star, Paddy Pimblett about his future after another impressive win at UFC London.
With 24 hours to mull over the details on the altercation between Jorge Masvidal & Colby Covington, Jimmy Smith breaks down the aftermath and whether Jorge was justified to do what he did speaks with MMA analyst Dan Hardy about UFC london and the latest MMA news, and discusses Gable Steveson heading to WWE and whether it's a better place for him than MMA.
Jimmy Smith is joined by standout UFC heavyweight, Tom Aspinall to discuss his impressive victory in the main event of UFC London and reacts to the news of the physical altercation that took place outside of a Miami restaurant between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.
Jimmy Smith is joined by MMA Analyst and Fight Nation host, Din Thomas, to get a breakdown of UFC London on Saturday and Jimmy debates whether a having a beer in the show is normal behavior or a sign of a larger problem.
Jimmy Smith analyzes Tim Elliot's comments on getting away with glove grabs at UFC 272 and debates whether it's gamesmanship or cheating in the MMA world and speaks to UFC middleweight, Cody Brundage, to discuss his UFC Vegas 50 win on Saturday and raising awareness for the genetic disorder affecting his daughter.
Jimmy Smith analyzes whether Dana White is starting to soften towards Jake and Logan Paul and who they could fight if they allowed to enter the Octagon and answers listener questions fromm the UTC midweek mailbag.
Jimmy Smith shares his thoughts on the tragic passing of WWE hall of famer, Scott Hall speaks with UFC lightweight, Drew Dober about his comeback win at UFC Vegas 50, and catches up with former top UFC welterweight/BKFC middleweight champ/American Top Team Coach Thiago Alves about coaching, ATT success at Bellator 276, and what's next for him in fighting career.
Jimmy Smith and his staff debate who was the biggest and baddest fight movie villain of all time and Jimmy speaks to top UFC bantamweight, Rob Font, to talk about his upcoming fight with Marlon 'Chito' Vera.
Jimmy Smith discusses Paige VanZant signing with AEW and what to expect and talks all the biggest news stories around the NFL and the wide world of sports with ESPN's Phil Murphy.
Jimmy Smith speaks to PFL President Ray Sefo about the 2022 season of PFL and re-signing top fighter Kayla Harrison, and answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag.
Jimmy Smith reacts to the news that the most coveted MMA free agent, Kayla Harrison, had re-signed with the PFL and breaks down what to do with Jorge Masvidal after signing a big new deal with UFC and taking a loss to Colby Covington at UFC 272.
Jimmy Smith speaks with top ranked UFC middleweight, Robert Whittaker, to recap his last fight with Israel Adesanya and what the future could hold for him (0:30) and speaks with MMA analyst, Yves Edwards, for a break down of UFC 272 for 'PPV EVE.' (17:26)
Ryan McKinnell fills in for Jimmy Smith and speaks with lawyer Exavier Pope to analyze the legal aspects of the case Cain Velasquez is facing and speaks with ESPN's Marc Raimondi to discuss the biggest stories heading into UFC 272.
Jimmy Smith breaks down the stakes for Colby Covington vs Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 (0:29), speak with American Top Team owner Dan Lambert about witnessing the two fighters go from friends to enemies and the effect it had on the gym (8:57) and reacts to some of the news details that have emerged regarding Cain Velasquez's arrest and charge for attempted murder (24:36).
Jimmy Smith reacts to the shocking news of Cain Velasquez's arrest and charge of attempted murder, speaks with surging UFC middleweight Nick Maximov, and analyzes whether Islam Makhachev has earned a title shot after his dominant victory over Bobby Green
Jimmy Smith is joined by MMA Junkie's John Morgan to break down what a win could do for both Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green in this weekend's UFC Vegas 49 main event, Gegard Mousasi's legacy, and previews next weekend's matchup between Covington/Masvidal, PLUS, Top MMA Coach, Javier Mendez of American Kickboxing Academy, stops by to discuss coaching Islam Makhachev alongside Khabib and how he thinks the UFC Vegas 49 main event will play out.
Jimmy Smith analyzes whether Bobby Green has the chance to launch himself as a big star for the UFC like Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal did, with a win over Islam Makhachev at UFC Vegas 49. Plus, Jimmy speaks to ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. to get in depth look at all the latest news and controversies in the NFL.
Jimmy Smith reacts to the release of the police body-cam video of the arrest of Jon Jones in Las Vegas, reflects on the anniversary of Ronda Rousey's win over Liz Carmouche at UFC 157, and speaks to Adam Hill from the Las Vegas Review Journal, the outlet who obtained the Jon Jones arrest video.
Jimmy Smith discusses the brutal loss Johnny Walker took at the hands of Jamahal Hill at UFC Vegas 48 and examines what it could mean for his career and breaks down WWE's Elimination Chamber event on Saturday.
Jimmy Smith breaks down WWE's Elimination Chamber this weekend and speaks with Bareknuckle FC president, David Feldman for a preview of Knucklemania 2 on Saturday.
Jimmy Smith speaks with City Kickboxing mastermind, Eugene Bareman to discuss UFC 271 and Israel Adesanya's future. Plus, With Beneil Dariush forced to pull out of his UFC Vegas 49 main event with Islam Makhachev, Bobby Green is reportedly the UFC lightweight the UFC is looking to have replace him. Jimmy Smith examines whether this is a smart move for Green.
Jimmy Smith answers listener questions from this week's UTC Midweek Mailbag and speaks with Bellator welterweight Logan Storley about his upcoming main event with Neiman Gracie at Bellator 274 on Saturday.
Jimmy Smith examines how Israel Adesanya's stock may or not be affected by his performance in his win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 271, speaks with women's MMA Pioneer, Roxanne Modafferi about her retirement after her last fight on Saturday, and shares his reaction to the LA Rams winning the Super Bowl and the halftime show
Jimmy Smith analyzes the main event and discusses the possibility of Robert Whittaker dethroning Israel Adesanya at UFC 271 in their middleweight title rematch and speaks with MMA analyst Yves Edwards for a technical break down of the UFC 271 PPV main card.
Jimmy Smith analyzes what Israel Adesanya would have to do top all-time middleweight great Anderson Silva discusses what it would take to get him and staff to do a shoey, and catches up with Kimbo Slice Jr. to honor the legacy of his father.
After signing what is reportedly one of the biggest deals in MMA, Jimmy Smith analyzes whether Israel Adesanya is the second biggest star in MMA after Conor McGregor and catches up with UFC middleweight Bryan Battle after chalking up another win at UFC Vegas 47.
Ryan McKinnell fills in for Jimmy Smith and speaks to Xtreme Couture Coach, Eric Nicksick about Sean Strickland's win at UFC Vegas 47, catches up with to UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa about his upcoming co-main event matchup with Derrick Lewis at UFC 271, and speaks with MMA journalist, Shaun Al-Shatti about his piece on women's MMA pioneer, Roxanne Modafferi ahead of her retirement fight at UFC 271
Jimmy Smith reacts to the news that MAX Holloway has been medically cleared and ponders what options are out there for him for his next fight, speaks to UFC Heavyweight Derrick Lewis about his upcoming co-main event matchup with Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271, and catches up with Morning Kombat host and Fight Nation alum Luke Thomas about the latest MMA, boxing, and NFL news.
With UFC middleweight Sean Strickland saying he can pretty much say whatever he wants, no matter how offensive, and the UFC won't penalize him, Jimmy Smith examines whether the UFC should make hold fighters more accountable for their public comments. Plus, Jimmy analyzes whether Kamaru Usman might be the biggest threat to Israel Adesanya's middleweight title reign.
With Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano set to make history by being the first all-women's main event, Jimmy Smith speaks to Katie Taylor and her promoter Eddie Hearn as well as her opponent Amanda Serrano along with her promoter, Jake Paul, to talk about the magnitude of the historic fight. Plus, Jimmy reacts to the Washington Football Team's new rebranding as the Washington Commanders.
Jimmy Smith discusses working his first Royal Rumble and the return of Ronda Rousey to WWE, speaks with Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader about his win at Bellator 273 and upcoming fight with Cheick Congo, and shares his reaction Tom Brady officially retiring from the NFL.
Ryan McKinnell speaks to Jimmy Smith to discuss working his first Royal Rumble and Jake Paul's new diss track on Dana White and talks to ESPN's Marc Raimondi to break down the biggest stories in both MMA and pro wrestling.
Jimmy Smith examines Dana White's response to being absent for Francis Ngannou's title win and post fight presser explains why the attempts of Jake Paul to change fighter pay will fall flat and Bellator MMA commentator Josh Thomson for a preview of Bellator 273.
Jimmy Smith examines the rumors of Ronda Rousey showing up at the Royal Rumble and what the response she might get and speaks to former UFC champ and MMA veteran Rashad Evans about his return to MMA for Eagle FC this weekend.
Jimmy Smith examines what the UFC's future looks like if they can't come to an agreement with UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou speak with BloodyElbow.com's John Nash about the biggest things to know about the contract battle between Ngannou and the UFC, and chats with Deiveson Figueiredo's coaches Eddie Cha & Santino Defranco about the action packed 3rd installment of Moreno vs Figueiredo at UFC 270.
Jimmy Smith speaks to MMA analyst Yves Edwards for a technical breakdown of UFC 270 and speaks to SiriusXM's SportsGrid Radio's Gabe Morency for some betting picks for UFC 270 and the NFL playoffs this weekend.
Jimmy Smith shares his thoughts on the 'gym story' sparring tales that are becoming the major storyline between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane ahead of their main event fight at UFC 270 and examines the possibility of Jon Jones getting the next heavyweight title shot at the winner of Saturday's main event.
Jimmy Smith explores what the future of flyweight could be as we head into the Brandon Moreno vs Deiveson Figueiredo trilogy fight at UFC 270, examines whether a loss to Colby Covington could end the career of Jorge Masvidal, as Chael Sonnen suggested, and answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag.
REMINDER: To submit a mailbag question to Jimmy Smith, e-mail it UTCMailbag@Gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith shares his reaction to the news that Amanda Nunes is leaving American Top Team after her loss to Jullianna Pena, speaks with top UFC featherweight Calvin Kattar about his main event win at UFC Vegas 46, and breaks down the big stories and controversies from NFL wild card weekend.
Jimmy Smith explains who was right between Dana White and Henry Cejudo public battle about whether Triple C should have gotten a crack at Alex Volkanovski, gets an NFL Wild Card playoffs preview courtesy of ESPN's Phil Murphy, and has the Saturday's UFC Vegas 46 card with Factory X head coach Marc Montoya.
Jimmy Smith analyzes whether Calvin Kattar can bounce back this weekend against Giga Chikadze after a tough loss against Max Holloway, speaks with legendary ref and Bellator MMA's Big John McCarthy about the 2022 return of Bellator
Jimmy Smith analyzes whether the UFC made the right choice giving Korean Zombie the title shot against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 273 instead of letting Henry Cejudo cut the line, speaks with SiriusXM Fight Nation Host and former American Top Team coach Din Thomas to talk the rivalry between Masvidal and Covington, and breaks down the back and forth between Alajamain Sterling and Petr Yan about the reason their fight was moved off of UFC 272.
Jimmy Smith discusses Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan's title rematch falling off UFC 272 just days after Holloway vs Volkanovski had to be pulled from main event of the card and reacts to today's reports that Colby Covington will take on Jorge Masvidal in the new main event of UFC 272 and the featherweight and bantamweight title fights being moved to UFC 273 in April.
Jimmy Smith examines the UFC's options after it was announced Max Holloway was out of his eagerly anticipated trilogy fight with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 272, discusses fighters leaking sparring video with Francis Ngannou coach, Eric Nicksick from Xtreme Couture, and tries to understand the concept of a person being 'ugly hot'.
UFC 272 features two title rematches with Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan and a trilogy fight for the featherweight title between Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway. RJ Clifford fills in for Jimmy Smith and speak to Aljamain Sterling's coach Ray Longo about the highly anticipated bantamweight title rematch and talks all the least UFC 272 and MMA news with MMAjunkie's Mike Bohn.
Jimmy Smith examines whether the Diaz brother image of taking on any fighter anywhere still holds up after Diaz seemingly turned down a fight with Dustin Poirier and breaks down whether it's a smart move for Joanna Jędrzejczyk to take a fight with Zhang Weili for her Octagon return this year.
RJ Clifford fills in for Jimmy Smith and analyzes whether a fight between Nate Diaz vs Dustin Porier is likely after Porier said that he's agreed to the fight and speaks with BloodyElbow.com's John Nash about the war of words between Dana White and Jake Paul and the Francis Ngannou contract situation.
Jimmy Smith analyzes the battle that seems to brewing between Francis Ngannou and the UFC catches up with veteran UFC featherweight about his win at UFC Vegas 45 and possibly dropping down to bantamweight, and discusses how the NBA is handling COVID surges and the Christmas slate of games with SiriusXM NBA Radio's Brian Custer.
Jimmy Smith breaks down the public back and forth between Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal about the terms of a possible fight, and answers listener questions from the UTC midweek mailbag.
REMINDER: To submit a mailbag question to Jimmy Smith, e-mail it UTCMailbag@Gmail.com!
RJ Clifford catches up with Morning Kombat host, Luke Thomas to talk about Paul vs Woodley 2 and UFC Vegas 45 (:32) and speaks to UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad about his win over Stephen Thompson last Saturday and what could be next for him in the division (18:12)
Jimmy Smith discusses Jake Paul's comments about wanting to compete in an MMA fight (:34), catches up with Angela Hill about her fight at UFC Vegas 45 (15:09) and joining the SiriusXM Fight Nation team (24:48) and speaks with Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader about his upcoming fight with Valentin Moldavsky at Bellator 273 (29:39).
Ryan McKinnell speaks with Tyron Woodley about his upcoming rematch with Jake Paul, breaks down UFC Vegas 45 with Xtreme Couture coach, Eric Nicksick, and discusses all the latest news stories in combat sports with MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al-Shatti.
Jimmy Smith speaks with UFC women's flyweight, Gillian Robertson about her win over Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 269 becoming the leader in finishes in the division (:30) and answers listener questions on UFC 269 from the UTC Midweek Mailbag (13:54)
REMINDER: To submit a mailbag question to Jimmy Smith, e-mail it UTCMailbag@Gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith analyzes where Julianna Peña's stunning upset over Amanda Nunes ranks among the biggest upsets in MMA historyvspeaks with UFC Flyweight contender Kai Kara-France about his win over Cody Garbrandt at UFC 269, and discusses whether Charles Oliveira has silenced his doubters after finishing Dustin Poirier in the main-event.
Jimmy Smith analyzes where Dustin Poirier's resume would rank all time at lightweight with a win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 269t, speaks with MMA analyst Yves Edwards for a preview on the fight card, and discusses the biggest storylines heading into Saturday night with TSN's Aaron Bronsteter.
Jimmy Smith discusses Dominick Cruz's criticism of Daniel Cormier's commentary ahead of UFC 269 and the confrontation the two had over it. He also catches up with Dan Hardy about the DC/Cruz issue, Woodley vs Paul 2 and UFC on Saturday and shares his thoughts on WWE RAW broadcast partner Corey Graves catching criticism for his in-character commentary.
Ahead of UFC 269, Jimmy discusses what's at stake for both Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira in the lightweight title fight (:36) and how the current lightweight contenders can get rid of the 'ghost' of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (9:41) PLUS, Coach Duke Roufus joins the show to discuss Sergio Pettis' big win at Bellator 272 (23:54).
A couple of knockout winners from UFC Vegas 44 join Jimmy Smith as he speaks to UFC middleweight Chris Curtis about another spectacular win and his crazy path to the UFC (:30) and chats with UFC light-heavyweight Jamahal Hill about his upset win against Jimmy Crute on Saturday (12:30).
Jimmy Smith breaks down this week's Bellator and UFC main events (:34) but that's not all. This week's 135 talent is on full display in combat sports! Jimmy breaks down the boxing lightweight division including Devin Haney's and Gervonta Davis' fights this weekend (12:45). Jimmy also speaks with MLB Radio's Xavier Scruggs to discuss the MLB lockout. (22:55)
Jimmy Smith discusses who the better title matchup would be for Justin Gaethje and the winner of Oliveira vs Poirer at UFC 269 (:30), and analyzes when it's acceptable for a fighter to drop a gimmick and have an honest moment in MMA (15:19)
Jimmy Smith reacts to the news that Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker's upcoming Middleweight Championship fight - which many believed was already signed and ready to happen, may now be delayed due to contractual differences. What's this mean for both fighters are they move forward? (:30) Also, Bellator's Sergio Pettis joins the show to discuss his upcoming fight against Kye Horiguchi at Bellator 272. (15:52)
Jimmy Smith is joined by 2 time PFL women's lightweight champion and hot MMA free agent Kayla Harrison to discuss her options for her next contract (:30), and analyzes whether Conor McGregor will be the same after his injury after setting a spring return time table (15:10).
Jimmy Smith tests his staff's movie knowledge with another edition of Under The Gunz (:30), and answers listener questions from the UTC midweek mailbag (19:57).
REMINDER: To submit amailbagquestion to Jimmy Smith, e-mail it UTCMailbag@Gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith speaks to streaking UFC bantamweight Adrian Yanez about his 'Fight of The Night' win at UFC Vegas 43 (:30), is joined by Busted Open's Gabby LaSpisa to discuss Survivor Series and a fan's attack of Seth Rollins on WWE RAW (15:00), and catches up with Lupita Godinez after her win at UFC Vegas 43 and her reputation for taking short notice fights (32:18).
Jimmy Smith examines whether Miesha Tate is on the fast track to a title shot with a win against Ketlen Vieira and her chances of taking the title away from Amanda Nunes (:32), speaks to Xtreme Couture MMA coach Eric Nicksick about Miesha's upcoming fight and the preparations of Francis Ngannou for Ciryl Game (13:26), and talks Crawford vs Porter and the latest boxing news with Fight Hub TV's Marcos Villegas (29:13).
Jimmy Smith discusses whether selecting Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington as coaches could be the method to bring some interest back to 'The Ultimate Fighter' reality show (:37), speaks to Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg about her win at Bellator 271 and future potential opponents (11:03), and share shares his reaction to the horrifying domestic abuse video that surfaced involving former NFL running back Zac Stacy and his ex-girlfriend (27:15).
Jimmy Smith discusses the options for the most interesting matchup for Conor McGregor (TIME STAMP), speaks to Bellator featherweight Aaron Pico after his win at Bellator 271 (15:39), and answers listener questions from the UTC midweek mailbag (28:26).
REMINDER: To submit a mailbag question to Jimmy Smith, e-mail it UTCMailbag@Gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith discusses whether a third fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway is the best option for both fighters (:30), speaks to UFC welterweight Khaos Williams coming off his spectacular TKO victory at UFC Vegas 42 (12:12), and responds to Jon Jones fire back at the people criticizing him for his domestic violence arrest (26:45).
Jimmy Smith voices his frustration with the news that a new Road House movie is in the works (:30) and speaks with top MMA striking coach, Eddie Cha for a preview of UFC Vegas 42 and a recap of UFC 268 (13:06).
Jimmy Smith examines whether it's a smart move for Leon Edwards to sit out and wait for a title shot or take a fight (:43), speaks to the Disabled American Veterans organization's National Communications Director, Rob Lewis about the amazing work DAV is doing with our brave men and women of the armed services (13:08), and shares his favorite military movies that Hollywood has put out (27:06)
Jimmy Smith reacts to the news of Jorge Masvidal having to pull out of his fight with Leon Edwards and give the options for who should step in to fight Edwards (:34), speaks to BKFC president David Feldman about the upcoming BKFC 22 and his recent signings (10:01), and answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag (21:27).
REMINDER: Send a question to Jimmy Smith about any subject by e-mailing them toUTCMailbag@gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith examines how close Kamaru Usman is to dethroning GSP as the greatest welterweight of all time (:32), talks all the biggest storylines out of UFC 268 with MMAjunkie.com's John Morgan (12:39), and looks ahead to see what could be in the future for Justin Gaethje and Michael chandler after their fight of the year candidate on Saturday (30:35)
Jimmy Smith breaks down this week's UFC 268 main event between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington (:30). Steve Farhood joins the show to discuss another big fight this Saturday night, Canelo Alvarez taking on Caleb Plant (14:55). He speaks to Yves Edwards about the X's and O's of the UFC 268 undercard (29:07).
Jimmy Smith speaks to TSN's Aaron Bronsteter who's on the ground in New York for UFC 268 (:30), reacts to the hilarious fake Michael Chandler quotes people have created on social media (14:21), and shares his opinion for whether Dana White is doing the right thing by trying to set up Khamzat Chimaev vs Nate Diaz for Diaz's last fight on his contract (26:45)
Jimmy Smith runs through the main card of UFC 268 and examines which fighter has the most to lose with a loss on Saturday (:30), speaks to UFC reporter/commentator Laura Sanko about Dana White Contender Series last night and UFC 268 (13:20), and answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag (27:45).
REMINDER: Send a question to Jimmy Smith about any subject by e-mailing them to UTCMailbag@gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith discusses Glover Teixeira winning the light-heavyweight title win and how long Glover will reign as champ (:30), speaks to legendary referee and Bellator MMA commentator Big Jon McCarthy about Bellator 270 on November 5th and what he thought of the referee from the controversial Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos/Benoit Saint-Denis fight at UFC 267 (7:13), and examines what could be next for rising phenom, Khamzat Chimaev after his impressive return on Saturday (24:48).
Jimmy Smith speaks to UFC light-heavy weight Anthony Smith for a preview of UFC 267 (:32), Jimmy and the staff debate the highs and the lows of The Exorcist to see if still holds up on The Rewatch Report (16:10), and talks to MMA analyst Yves Edwards for a breakdown of the X's and O's of the Saturday night's fights (31:45)
Jimmy Smith breaks down what the next move could be for Kayla Harrison after another dominant title win at PFL 10 (:32), speaks to Variety's senior editor Marc Malkin to find out more about the accidental 'Rust' shooting involving Alec Baldwin (15:49), and talks to PFL commentator Sean O'Connell about Wednesday nights championships event and the future of PFL (31:58)
Jimmy Smith analyzes if Dana White Contender Series will ever build the champions, hall of famers, and relevancy The Ultimate Fighter reality series has for the UFC (:35), shares his pro broadcasting opinion about stories involving two of the NFL's most well-known commentators (17:17 ), and gets a DWCS recap from Laura Sanko! (27:05)
Jimmy Smith discusses the future for Paulo Costa after UFC Vegas 41 (:30), breaks down whether Nate Diaz should stay with the UFC after he fights out the last fight on his contract (9:56), and analyzes the latest back and forth between Kayla Harrison and Dana White (21:55)
What was supposed to be a major main event fight at 185lbs between Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori will now be taking place at 205lbs at UFC Vegas 41. RJ Clifford takes over hosting duties and breaks down what has been a crazy fight week (:30), speaks to Paul Felder who will be on the call on for Vettori vs Costa (16:55), and gets the info on the ground about UFC Vegas 41 and the return of Fedor from MMAJunkie.com's John Morgan (32:09)
Jimmy Smith breaks down the crazy situation happening with Paula Costa after he shared he would not be able to make the 185lb limit and wanted a 195 catchweight fight for his main event with Marvin Vettori on Saturday (30), and speaks with veteran MMA fighter/grappler, Jake Shields about that latest news around the sport and his return to grappling for Third Coast Grappling's 'TCG8: Underdogs' Event on FITE (15:37).
Jimmy Smith analyzes Colby Covington's comments on how his UFC 268 title fight with Kamaru Usman came about (:30), Speaks with top Bellator lightweight Brent Primus about his win at Bellator 268 and where he fits in the lightweight title scene (14:57) and answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag (32:58).
REMINDER: To submit a mailbag question to Jimmy Smith, e-mail it UTCMailbag@Gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith breaks down the controversy that occurred between rounds with corner advice Aspen Ladd was getting from her head coach and whether it crossed any sort of line (:30), and discusses the corner controversy, NBA opening Day, and Fedor's return the cage with Bellator Play-by-Play announcer/Voice of the Celtics Sean Grande (16:52).
Jimmy Smith speaks to UFC Vegas 40 headliner Aspen Ladd about her upcoming main event against Norma Dumont and moving up to featherweight (:30), Big John McCarthy helps preview the light-heavyweight grand prix semi-finals taking place at Bellator 268 (13:17), And Jimmy's WWE RAW broadcast partners Corey Graves calls in to share a review of the new 'Halloween Kills' movie.
Jimmy Smith breaks down John Cusack getting confronted at a Chicago White Sox for his dual Cubs/White Sox fandom and discusses what true fandom really is (0:30). Plus Jimmy speaks to Colin Wood, Founder and CEO of the World Adaptive Boxing Council), about his long time work trying to adapt combat sports for athletes with disabilities (15:54).
Jimmy Smith discusses the release of Luis Pena from UFC for domestic violence and what it could mean for Jon Jones (:30) and analyzes whether the MMA has a larger problem with domestic abuse as a sport (15:20).
Jimmy Smith analyzes where Fury vs Wilder 3 ranks in the great all-time heavyweight fights (:30), speaks with ESPN's Phil Murphy about the John Gruden situation and all the biggest stories around the sports world (9:20) and shares his reaction to the new 2022 Scream trailer and the horror movie reboot industry (26:23).
Jimmy Smith analyzes the claims of Mackenzie Dern that 'beautiful women' have to prove themselves more in MMA than men in MMA (:30), and speaks with Fight Hub TV's Marcos Villegas who has boots on the ground for Fury Wilder 3 (10:59).
Jimmy Smith speaks with top 3 UFC lightweight, Beneil Dariush about where he sits in the division and what's next for him (:30). Jimmy also speaks to former Stanord Sailing coach, John Vandemoer about his new book, Rigged Justice, and in-depth look at exactly what happened in the college admissions scandal (14:32).
With numerous fighters at 135 with legit claims to the belts and knocks against their title reigns, Jimmy Smith examines which UFC bantamweight should be considered the real champion of the division (:30). Jimmy also reacts the to tragic passing of Justin Thornton after his fight at BKFC 20 (15:53).
Jimmy Smith speaks to former MMA welterweight and amazing fight analyst Dan Hardy about the fights over the weekend and his twitter back and forth with Tyron Woodley (:30), and chats with UFC lightweight Alexander Hernandez after his KO win at UFC Vegas 38 (18:09).
Jimmy Smith examines what solutions there could be for weight cutting in MMA after several missed weight cuts for UFC Vegas 38 and gets some reviews of some of the biggest movies, like 'The Many Saints of Newark', coming out in October, from Fandango's Erik Davis!
Jimmy Smith puts the original 1984 Karate Kid movie on the hot seat to see if the film still holds up on the UTC Rewatch Report (:30), and speaks to rising UFC heavyweight Chris Daukaus about his spectacular win at UFC 266 and his upcoming fight with Derrick Lewis (18:55).
Jon Jones broke his silence on his recent arrest and Jimmy Smith reacts to the statements Jones made on it (:30), speaks with Showtime Boxing's Steve Farhood about the retirement of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao (12:00), and analyzes what the official UFC Code of Conduct says and how many infractions are ever enforced(28:21).
Jimmy Smith examines whether Alexander Volkanovski earned the respect he deserves as a champion against Brian Ortega at UFC 266 (:30), speaks with City Kicboxing Head Coach Eugene Bareman about the wins his team earned on Saturday and possibly relocating the gym from New Zealand to the USA (11:14), and shares his reaction to the latest details on the arrest of Jon Jones (26:07).
Jimmy Smith reacts to the news of Jon Jones getting arrested early Friday morning in Las Vegas and examines what, if any, consequences Jones could possibly face for his latest legal trouble (:30). Plus, Jimmy picks the brain of MMA analyst, Yves Edwards, to get a preview of UFC 266 on Saturday (16:16)
Jimmy Smith reacts to Nick Diaz's concerning interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto and breaks down would it could mean for his fight with Robbie Lawler on Saturday (0:32). Plus, Jimmy speaks with UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski ahead of his UFC 266 main event with Brian Ortega (16:32)!
Jimmy Smith discusses the much anticipated rematch between Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 possibly taking place at middleweight instead of welterweight (0:25), speaks with surging UFC Heavyweight prospect Tom Aspinall (14:35), and shares his thoughts on Conor McGregor's viral opening pitch fail at a Chicago Cubs game (27:16).
Jimmy Smith breaks down the weekend's MMA action from both UFC and Bellator (:29), and speaks to Bellator Light-Heavyweight, Phil Davis, after his impressive victory over Yoel Romero in the main event of Bellator 266. (13:10)
Ryan McKinnell speaks to UFC lightweight Dan Hooker for an update on whether visa issues will keep him out of his fight with Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 (0:35) and chats with Carlos Condit's long-time striking coach, Brandon Gibson about the career of 'The Natural Born Killer' after announcing his retirement (17:12).
Jimmy Smith speaks to legendary bantamweight/flyweight, Joseph Benavidez the day after he announced his retirement from MMA (0:30), and catches up with hot UFC lightweight prospect, Paddy 'The Baddy" Pimblett (16:41).
Jimmy Smith examines if Anderson Silva is the GOAT of combat sports after his recent boxing success (0:28), discusses the upcoming PFL championships with promotion president Ray Sefo (12:13), and has a debate with his staff about whether or not a bet over NFL week 1 was honored (26:36)
Jimmy Smith reacts to Sean O'Malley's recent statements about how he's handling his fight matchups under his current contract and shares whether he agrees with 'Suga' Sean's strategy (00:30). He also reunites with former broadcast partner and current member of the Triller desk, Sean Wheelock to recap Holyfield vs Belfort last Saturday (17:21).
Jimmy Smith catches up with UFC women's bantamweight and fellow SiriusXM Fight Nation host, Miesha Tate to get the details on her new radio show with Renee Paquette, Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha (0:34) debuting on Monday 9/13. Jimmy also shares his own 9/11 retrospective and where we are 20 years later (15:16).
Jimmy Smith shares his reaction to the concerning video of Evander Holyfield's media workout ahead of his fight with Vitor Belfort (0:28), speaks with long-time boxing journalist Dan Rafael to get his thoughts about the fight (14:08), and discusses the Matrix 4 trailer and other TV/Movie reboots in the UTC question of the week (31:08).
Jimmy Smith speaks to UFC middleweight Derek Brunson about his win against Darren Till and how close he is to a title shot (0:33), chats with Dave LaGreca about Busted Open's SiriusXM 9/11 special centering on the September 13th, 2001 edition of SmackDown (15:43.67), and gets a Dana White Contender Series recap from Laura Sanko (29:17.41).
Jimmy Smith shares a recap of the biggest storylines that emerged from UFC Vegas 36 (0:28), discusses whether oblique kicks should be banned from MMA after Khalil Rountree's devastating victory using them against Modestas Bukauskas (13:45), and examines whether Darren Till can make a career comeback in the UFC after his main event loss to Derek Brunson (24:37).
Jimmy Smith looks over the middleweight division to see if anyone has a chance of dethroning Israel Adesanya as champ (0:34), gets a UFC Vegas 36 preview from Factory X Head Coach Marc Montoya (13:51), and reacts to the news of Oscar De La Hoya having to pull out of his upcoming boxing fight with Vitor Belfort due to Covid (28:18).
Jimmy Smith examines whether or not there's a "face" that exists in combat sports anymore (0:30), speaks with UFC featherweight Giga Chikadze about his impressive win over Edson Barboza last Saturday (11:48), and shares his thoughts on which stars can lead the UFC forward in a post-Conor McGregor world (24:37).
With Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier targeted to fight in December, Jimmy Smith examines who the top LW in UFC is and who end the year as champ (0:33), answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag (14:23), gets a recap of Dana White Contender Series, from Laura Sanko who made her UFC commentary debut on the show (28:15)!
Submit a question to the Midweek Mailbag by e-mailing it to UTCMAILBAG@gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith discusses the aftermath in the wake of Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley and Jake's "retirement" post on Twitter (0:26), and speaks with boxing expert and Showtime Boxing's Steve Farhood about Paul vs Woodley and the state of boxing (23:08).
Sean O'Connell takes over hosting duties today and gets a recap for Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley from Morning Kombat host, Luke Thomas (00:26), speaks with new UFC middleweight Bryan Battle about becoming the latest member of winners of The Ultimate Fighter (12:52), and talks to PFL featherweight Chris Wade about punching his ticket to the PFL finals (27:07).
Jimmy Smith speaks to two of the best minds in MMA and boxing to get ready for Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley. First, Jimmy gets a fight breakdown from legendary boxing coach and analyst Teddy Atlas (0:29), then brings in another fight mind from the MMA side with experience training Tyron Woodley, Roufusport Head Coach Duke Roufus (18:11).
Jimmy Smith examines the excitement level for Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley taking place this weekend (0:34), speaks to MMA fighting's Damon Martin about the altercation that took place at today's presser between Team Woodley and Team Paul (13:52), and discusses whether Stipe Miocic should get a trilogy fight with Francis Ngannou before taking another fight in between (30:05).
Jimmy Smith reacts to Khabib Nurmagomedov discussing the legacy of Jose Aldo (0:27), discusses Khabib's other recent comments referring to MMA ring card girls as 'useless' (16:25), and answers listener questions from the UTC Midweek Mailbag (26:25).
Ryan McKinnell holds down hosting duties and examines the rift that seems to exist between MMA fans and pro wrestling fans (0:36), speaks with PFL featherweight Brendan Loughnane about his chance to make a million dollars in the PFL playoffs (13:23), and discusses the ongoing conversation about fighter pay in MMA (24:59).
RJ Clifford discusses the return of CM Punk to AEW and the massive response that he got from wrestling fans (0:23), speaks with middleweight Jared "The Killa Gorilla" Cannonier about his win in UFC's main event against Kelvin Gastelum on Saturday night (10:31), and catches up with UFC Light-Heavyweight Anthony "Lionheart" Smith about his upcoming main event fight with Ryan Spann in September (27:24).
Ryan McKinnell steps in for Jimmy Smith and speaks to American Top Team owner and founder Dan Lambert about Kayla Harrison's dominant performance at PFL 8 and his work with AEW pro wrestling (0:26), and talks with ESPN's Marc Raimondi to get his thoughts on the future for Harrison should when the 2021 PFL playoffs are over (14:40).
Jimmy Smith analyzes the statements that Chad Menes made about bare knuckle fighting being safer than MMA (0:24), reviews revenge stories and judges whether the acts were justified on The Big Payback (11:44), and discusses whether any of the UFC's stars have any power over the promotion anymore (28:30).
Jimmy Smith examines whether title belts still have value over money fights in the UFC, answers listener questions from the Midweek Mailbag and speaks with UFC Welterweight, Santiago Ponzinibbio.
Jimmy Smith examines whether a money fight or a title fight makes more sense for Dustin Poirier's career (0:35), catches up with UFC strawweight Tecia Torres to talk about her win over Angela Hill at UFC 265 (9:10), and talks to PFL lightweight Genah Fabian about her upcoming fight with Kayla Harrison in the PFL playoffs and an awkward moment they both shared in a media call for the fight (22:23).
RJ Clifford takes over the hosting chair and talks Bellator 264 and bad judging in MMA with commentator and legendary MMA ref, Big John McCarthy (0:24) and recaps the results of the first round of the PFL playoffs with commentator and former PFL tournament winner, Sean O'Connell (18:08).
Jimmy Smith speaks to undefeated PFL lightweight Kayla Harrison about the upcoming PFL playoff season (00:30) and catches up with former Bellator champion Rafael Lovato Jr. and gets his take on the middleweight title fight between Gegard Mousasi and John Salter at Bellator 264 (13:15).
Jimmy Smith reacts to the back and forth between Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier and examines where the line is between fighters when one of them is in the broadcasting role (0:26). Plus, fresh off a great win at UFC 265, surging UFC welterweight, Vicente Luque joins the show (15:09)!
Jimmy Smith shares his reaction to the news that Anderson Silva will make his boxing return against Tito Ortiz on Triller Fight Club's card in September (0:30), answers listener questions from the Midweek Mailbag (10:33), and speaks with PFL featherweight Bubba Jenkins about the upcoming PFL playoff season (24:12).
Jimmy Smith shares his reaction to Ciryl Gane's win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 and how he stacks up against Francis Ngannou (0:27). PLUS Jimmy speaks to director Landon Dyksterhouse, about his documentary film 'Warrior Spirit' following Nicco Montaño's UFC career and extreme weight cutting in MMA (12:20).
Ryan McKinnell holds down hosting duties for Unlocking The Cage and recaps all the action from UFC 265 with UFC analyst & reporter Megan Olivi (0:45). Plus, former UFC featherweight title challenger and new BKFC signee, Chad 'Money' Mendes discusses the details on his new opportunity in combat sports (16:21)!
Jimmy Smith speaks with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou about the UFC heavyweight division and the interim heavyweight title fight between Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 (00:30), catches up with the newly crowned Bellator MMA featherweight champion AJ McKee (14:05), and breaks down the UFC 265 card on Saturday with some help from Yves Edwards (27:46).
Jimmy Smith discusses whether or not the blockbuster UFC 268 fight between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje may be in jeopardy after Chandler voiced his objection to getting vaccinated to fight in NY (0:32), reacts to Dana White's comments about not forcing fighters to get vaccinated (13:22), and speaks to MMA lightweight, Nick Newell about the new movie based on his life, 'Notorious Nick' (22:09).
Jimmy Smith looks ahead to the weekend and previews the upcoming UFC 265 card and what to expect (0:26), shares his reaction to the news of the former flyweight champion Nicco Montano's release from the UFC and whether she is the most unheralded UFC champion in the promotion's history (13:52), and answers listener questions the Unlocking the Cage Mid Week Mailbag (28:58). To submit a question, e-mail it to Jimmy at UTCMailbag@Gmail.com!
Jimmy Smith examines what kind ceiling exists for the star power of AJ McKee if he stays with Bellator and speaks with UFC women's flyweight, Miranda Maverick about her controversial loss to Maycee Barber at UFC Vegas 32.
RJ Clifford recaps the action from UFC Vegas 33 and AJ McKee's big win over Patrico Pitbull at Bellator 263, shares his reaction to Cheyanne Buys' comments about the 'life changing' money she made for her performance on Saturday and the debate it sparked about fighter pay in MMA, and speaks to UFC welterweight Jason "The Vanilla Gorilla" Witt about his Fight of The Night winning performance against Brian Barberena.
In a jam packed star-studded podcast, Jimmy Smith previews Bellator 263: Patricio Pitbull vs AJ McKee with Bellator analyst Josh 'The Punk' Thomson (00:29), chats with Vitor Belfort about his upcoming matchup with Oscar De La Hoya for Triller Fight Club in September (15:26), and catches up with Frankie 'The Answer' Edgar about the wildly competitive UFC bantamweight division and when we'll see him in 'The Octagon' again (27:37).
Jimmy Smith reacts to the news that the bantamweight title fight that was supposed to take place at UFC 265 between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña has been scratched after Nunes tested positive for Covid and shares his thoughts on the interview he did with former Simone Biles Coach Aimee Boorman, and whether it helped change any minds who were critical of Simone's Olympics Withdrawal
In this special edition of the Unlocking the Cage Podcast, Jimmy Smith speaks with Simone Biles' former head Olympic Coach, Aimee Boorman, about the pressures facing Olympic level athletes and Simone's choice to withdrawal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Jimmy Smith discusses Simone Biles withdrawing from the women's gymnastics team final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and whether or not fans have the right to be disappointed in her decision... also, Bellator MMA President Scott Coker joins Jimmy to discuss the highly anticipated final of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix between Patricio Pitbull and AJ McKee.
Jimmy Smith breaks down the recently announced plans for Kamaru Usman to defend his welterweight title in a rematch against Colby Covington (00:28), speaks with former UFC welterweight and current BKFC Middleweight champion Thiago Alves (12:00), and examines whether Stipe Miocic should get an immediate rematch for the UFC heavyweight title (23:08).
Ryan McKinnell fills in for Jimmy Smith and discusses some of the judging controversies at UFC Vegas 32 with MMA analyst and coach Din Thomas (00:28) and speaks with rising UFC bantamweight, Adrian Yanez fresh of another KO/TKO victory against Randy Costa on Saturday night (13:24).
Jimmy Smith reacts to UFC Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling's comments on Dillashaw vs Sandhagen he shared in his Weekly Scraps podcast (0:30). The champ's coach, Ray Longo, joins Jimmy for a preview of the fight on Saturday and discusses his stance on fighters using PEDs (11:05), and Jimmy shares his thoughts on the new name change and logo for the MLB Cleveland Guardians (27:26)
Jimmy Smith examines whether TJ Dillashaw should lean into playing the villain ahead of his return against Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 32 (0:30) and speaks with ESPN's Phil Murphy to preview the upcoming 2021 Olympics, recap the NBA playoffs, and discuss UFC's card on Saturday (18:40).
Jimmy Smith examines the state of the UFC's lightweight division (0:24), speaks with UFC Bantamweight TJ Dillashaw about his return to the Octagon on Saturday against Cory Sandhagen (14:53), and chats with up and coming UFC Bantamweight, Andre Ewell (26:12)!
With TJ Dillashaw set to return on Saturday against Cory Sandhagen, Jimmy Smith reacts to his recent comments in an interview with ESPN (00:26), breaks down whether his story can really be considered a true 'comeback story' (11:05), and shares his opinion on a rumored boxing match between Logan Paul and Anderson Silva (20:45).
RJ Clifford fills in for Jimmy Smith and speaks to two of the big winners from UFC's card on Saturday night! Miesha Tate stops by to discuss her phenomenal return to the Octagon after nearly a 5 year lay-off from the sport (00:35), and RJ speaks to UFC featherweight and Fight of The Night winner, Billy Quarantillo (15:12).
Jimmy Smith shares his preview of Bellator 262 and UFC Vegas 31 (0:29), discusses Nate Diaz calling out Dustin Poirier for a fight at 185 and whether a fight with Diaz would be a smart move for Dustin (14:04), and breaks down the return of Miesha Tate to the Octagon on Saturday and whether a title shot is in her future with a win against Marion Reneau (27:16).
Jimmy Smith discusses the amazing PPV buy rate for UFC 264 (00:39), reacts to Conor McGregor's claims that he had injured his leg BEFORE his gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in the main event (13:16), and speaks with BloodyElbow.com writer, John Nash, to break down the PPV numbers and what they mean for the UFC (23:07)
Jimmy Smith discusses the latest additions to the UFC 266 fight card, including the return of Nick Diaz in a highly anticipated rematch with Robbie Lawler (7:20), breaks down whether Herb Dean's stoppage of Sean O'Malley vs Kris Moutinho was the right call (15:43), and interviews surging PFL lightweight, Clay Collard (27:53).
Jimmy Smith examines the fallout of the Poirier-McGregor trilogy and questions if Conor McGregor can still compete among the elite fighters in the lightweight division, plus he evaluates Conor's MMA legacy ... also, Gilbert Burns joins the show to discuss his UFC 264 co-main event win over Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.
Ryan McKinnell breaks down the chaotic ending of the trilogy between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier and discusses Conor's leg injury, Conor's trash talk and the possibility of Poirier-McGregor 4 happening down the road ... also, UFC Broadcaster Megan Olivi joins the show to discuss all of the action and storylines from UFC 264.
Jimmy Smith breaks down Conor McGregor's behavior at the UFC 264 Press Conference and argues that his trash talk seems both phony and desperate leading up to the trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier ... also, MMA Veteran Yves Edwards joins the show to break down this weekend's PPV card.
Jimmy Smith discusses the UFC 264 Press Conference and gives his prediction on which version of Conor McGregor shows up -- cordial or combative ... also, Jimmy breaks down the co-main event of the weekend between Gilbert Burns & Stephen Thompson and discusses what a loss does to each fighter.
Former MMA fighter and current voice of WWE Monday Night Raw welcomes to “Unlocking The Cage”, a weekly podcast that brings you hard-hitting news from around the world of combat sports. Hear interviews from the stars of MMA as they get ready to step into the octagon to battle for respect, glory, and fame.