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Founder and head coach of the famed American Kickboxing Academy, mentor and close friend of Cain Velasquez, Javier Mendez returns to the show to preview the highly anticipated return of his star pupil. We’ll get Javi’s thoughts on the matchup against Francis Ngannou and the challenges he poses for Cain, how Mendez sees the fight playing out, and what the future has in store for the former champion Velasquez. Mendez believes Cain will become the heavyweight king yet again, and is confident about his chances in a potential matchup with Jon Jones. We’ll also get Javi’s thoughts on the immediate future for Daniel Cormier, and what the ideal scenario is for DC to wrap up a historic career in style. Mendez also gives us his thoughts on Khabib’s refusal to compete before November, best-case-scenario matchups for Nurmagomedov, and a whole lot more.

 

Former WEC, UFC, and LFA veteran, Leonard Garcia, returns to recap his impressive bare knuckle boxing debut earlier this month. Following a long hiatus from combat sports, “Bad Boy” Garcia believes that BKB was tailor-made for his fighting style and it showed in his championship winning performance against Julian Lane. We’ll get his thoughts on the fight, winning a title, transitioning to a new combat sport, competing for the Mexican fans, and the thrill of competition. Now that the BKBFC has signed notable talent like Jason Knight and Artem Lobov, Garcia sees some very entertaining matchups in his future. The obvious being a showdown with Lobov as Leonard’s friend and teammate Donald Cerrone campaigns for a fight with Lobov’s right hand man, Conor McGregor. Quite the storyline brewing for Leonard and we’ll cover the gambit.

 

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Colby Covington is back to discuss his ongoing battle with the UFC brass that began following the promotions decision to snub ”Chaos” the next title shot against longtime arch-nemesis Tyron Woodley. Pulling no punches as the per the norm with Covington, we’ll go in depth and give him the floor to speak on the situation.

TJ Dillashaw returns to preview his showdown this weekend against Henry Cejudo in Brooklyn as he attempts to further cement his legacy as the P4P best and capture a second title. We’ll get an update on the weight cut down to 125, hear how TJ is approaching the matchup against Cejudo, and his plan to pursue a third title on a quest for glory.

Bobby Moffett joins us to recap his successful UFC debut back in November against Chas Skelly, and discuss the controversy surrounding the stoppage. We’ll also get “The Wolfman’s” thoughts on the division, who he has on his radar for a sophomore outing with the promotion, and how he stacks up against the elite at featherweight.

Dominick Reyes returns to get ‘schwifty’ and discuss his next challenge on the road towards the title as he is set to face Volkan Oezdemir on March 16th in London. Still undefeated in his campaign for gold, Reyes is beyond excited to put on a show for the UK fans and prove why he is the biggest threat to current champ Jon Jones, and we’ll cover it all.

Jorge Masvidal closes out this episode in typical “Gamebred” fashion and addresses all the questions MMA fans have regarding his return. His disappointment of a potential scrap for the ages against Nick Diaz falling through, the difficulties of finding a matchup after a year away from competition, and the potential matchup with Darren Till, we’ll cover the gambit. While Masvidal is excited about fighting Till in his back yard and thriving in yet another hostile environment, Jorge remains skeptical until he sees a signed contract.

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Colby Covington returns to the show to give us some in-depth perspective on the recent uncertainty in the UFC’s welterweight division as much has unfolded in the past week. Colby’s arch-nemisis, Tyron Woodley, has publicly stated that Covington will be his next opponent and UFC president Dana White has echoed the same sentiment that this matchup is in the works. However, following the report that Covington and Woodley’s inevitable showdown was being targeted for UFC 233 in January, there’s been strange events that have lead the MMA community to believe otherwise. UFC 233 in Anaheim was abruptly canceled last week, and fellow welterweight Kamaru Usman put out a photo of an alleged bout agreement between himself and Woodley. Conspiracy or not, Covington has a lot to say about the situation in what has to be his most candid interview to date. We’ll cover it all with “Chaos.”

Valentina Shevchenko closes out this episode following her impressive win over Joanna Jedrzejcyk to capture the UFC’s women flyweight title. “The Bullet” has traveled a long and difficult road to her first UFC belt, but Shevchenko never doubted the day would eventually come. Valentina now looks ahead to representing her brand and martial arts in the highest regard as the new flyweight queen. We’ll catch up with Valentina and recap her dominant performance at UFC 231, hear her thoughts on future challengers to her shiny new belt, and how she intends to deliver more action-packed fights as an active champion in 2019. We'll also hear Valentina's reaction to the debut of her equally talented sister, Antonina Shevchenko, and discuss the drama that unfolded hours before the fight.

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This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM 12/16/2018

Eddie Alvarez joins us for an in-depth conversation regarding his recent move to ONE Championship. “The Underground King” discusses his reasoning for parting ways with the UFC, his goal of capturing every major title in MMA, and how moving to a company with the values of ONE Championship is like a breath of fresh air. We’ll also get Eddie’s thoughts on potential matchups, the upcoming lightweight tournament, moving up in weight under the company’s hydration protocol, breaking into new markets, and all that means for expanding his already well-known brand.

Alberto Del Rio joins us for a lengthy and incredibly entertaining conversation. The former WWE champ transitioned to MMA promotion when he became the president of Combate Americas, helping to build the promotion one of the largest in North America. While Alberto enjoys his position within the company, the lust for competition has led to an announcement that he will be making a comeback to MMA in 2019. We’ll discuss the continued growth and success of Combate Americas, his suprisingly seasoned background in combat sports, the decision to return to fighting, and a whole lot more.

Eduard Folayang closes out this episode following his decision victory over Amir Khan to recapture the vacant lightweight title at ONE: Conquest of Champions. “The Landslide” will recap his performance in Manila, discuss his rise to superstardom with the Filipino fans, the next challenger to his title, and his thoughts on potentially fighting guys like Eddie Alvarez and Sage Northcutt. We'll also get Eduard's thoughts on a rematch with Martin Nguyen, the exciting new talent being acquired by ONE Championship, and what that means for the rest of the athletes on the roster.

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Juan Archuleta returns to preview his showdown against Jeremy Spoon at Bellator 210 in Thackersville, Oklahoma this Friday. Still undefeated since joining the promotion, “The Spaniard” looks to put on another great performance and show the world why he is more than ready to prove himself against the elite in the division. With big plans ahead for 2019 and beyond, we’ll discuss Archuleta’s continued campaign for titles in multiple weight classes, and who he plans to face after dispatching Spoon on Friday. We’ll also get Juan’s take on upcoming matchups featuring his teammates at the Treigning Lab, and much more.

Ray Cooper III joins us with little over a month to go before the fight of his career as he looks to capture the inaugural PFL welterweight championship and walk away with a million dollar cash prize. We’ll discuss the matchup against Magomed Magomedkerimov and why “Bradda Boy” believes the Russian doesn’t stand a chance. We’ll also hear Ray’s plans for the cash prize should he be victorious and what this entire experience has been like for him thus far. Does Ray move up in weight for next years PFL season after becoming the first welterweight kingpin? Listen in to find out!

Jimmy Crute closes out this episode just days prior to his UFC debut in Adelaide, Australia. We’ll get the Aussie prospects thoughts on his opponent Paul Craig, and hear how “The Brute” is feeling ahead of this pivotal career moment. Oozing with confidence, Crute is not only ready to make a big statement in the UFC’s light-heavyweight division, but with head coach and combat sports veteran Sam Greco at his side, he’s ready to take on the biggest names at 205 pounds. From his background as a martial artist, to his performance on DWTNCS, and his aspirations to become a champion, we’ll cover the gambit with Jimmy.

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Demetrious Johnson joins us to have an in-depth discussion regarding his UFC departure and subsequent signing with ONE Championship. The pound-for-pound king will give us the inside scoop as to how this deal got done, his thoughts on the challenges he faces against an entirely new roster of opponents, and why Demetrious believes his talents will be far better appreciated by the Asian fans. You’ll also hear the latest on his involvement with ONE Championship’s pursuance of the E-Sports market, his reaction to the UFC’s dissolving the flyweight division, and a whole lot more from “Mighty Mouse.”

Yancy Medeiros returns to give an update on the rib injury that forced him out of a highly-anticipated scrap against Mike Perry back in July at UFC 226, and the disappointment he felt not being able to compete and show his dramatic improvements as a martial artist. Having recently announced that he’s headed back down to lightweight, Yancy explains his reasoning behind the move to 155, his confidence against any of the elite in the division, and how making some changes to his lifestyle and training has led him to become “weak like a gorilla.” We’ll also hear Yancy’s reaction to the Diaz vs Masvidal booking, and the looming featherweight showdown between Brian Ortega and his longtime friend Max Holloway.

Garry Tonon returns to recap his dominant win over Sung Jong Lee at ONE: Heart of the Lion in Singapore and discuss what’s next for his blossoming MMA career. We’ll get his thoughts on competing at 155 lbs in MMA, how quickly he’d like to get back to action, and why he believes Eddie Alvarez could be a likely opponent moving forward. “The Lion Killer” will also give us a timetable as to when he expects to compete for his first MMA title.

Christian Lee closes out this episode and looks back on his first round stoppage of Kazuki Tokudome which also took place in Singapore at ONE: Heart of the Lion. Taking the fight on just days notice, Christian details his confidence against anyone in the division, and why he believes a rematch against current champ Martin Nguyen would have a far different outcome. Lee also gives an update on the injury that led to his sister, Angela Lee, being forced out her title fight on the same card, and what the experience has been like for “The Warrior” to share this journey with Angela as the only brother-sister duo in the sport.

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Colby Covington returns to the show and brings the heat as usual. We’ll get an update on the inevitable fight with Tyron Woodley and hear when Colby expects the title-unification bout to go down. “Chaos” also gives us a lengthy response to recent callouts by UFC signee Ben Askren, his thoughts on the return of Jon Jones and the matchup against Alexander Gustafson, the fate of Khabib Nurmagomedov, other possible matchups after Woodley, and Colby’s eventual transition to WWE. Yet another must-listen interview from the champ!

Mike Perry joins us to recap his submission loss to Donald Cerrone over the weekend, and give us an update on the condition of his arm. While he was unsuccessful against "Cowboy" in Denver, “Platinum” is more than gracious in defeat and plans to use this setback as motivation to continue evolving in all facets of MMA. Going so far as to say he intends on getting his blackbelt in BJJ. We’ll discuss his plans moving forward and hear why he remains both positive and grateful following this bump in the road.

Issac Vallie-Flagg joins the show to recap his triumphant return to combat sports with a win against Cory Simpson in the WBKFF over the weekend. Issac gives us the inside scoop on what led to his coming out of retirement for a bare knuckle fight, and why he feels the fire of competition once again. We’ll also hear his plans moving forward to continue competing in bare knuckle or possibly MMA, his brief thoughts on the Jackson-Wink/Cerrone drama, and why he believes that his hometown of Albuqurque, New Mexico is the perfect place to hold the next WBKFF event.

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Bibiano Fernandes returns to preview his upcoming title defense against Kevin Belingon at ONE: Heart of the Lion in Singapore on November 9th. Fernandes was forced to take time off following a foot injury and Belingon was able to capture the interim title in Bibiano’s absence. Now “The Flash” looks to remind the world why he is the rightful champion and dispatch Belingon for a second time in this highly-anticipated rematch. We’ll also discuss Bibiano’s longtime friend and training partner Demetrious Johnson’s move to ONE Championship, and why Fernandes believes that the Asian market is the best place for “Mighty Mouse.”

Garry Tonon joins us to discuss his upcoming fight which also takes place on November 9th in Singapore at ONE: Heart of the Lion. Tonon transitioned from BJJ competition to MMA full time last year and this marks his third outing as a professional fighter in under 8 months. We’ll discuss the matchup against Sung Jong Lee, Garry’s continued evolution as a well-rounded MMA athlete, his immediate goals for the coming calendar year, and why he believes ONE Championship has become the ideal promotion for fighters across the globe.

Vicente Luque returns to recap his impressive first round KO against Jalin Turner at UFC 229 last month. Now boasting a three-fight win streak, “The Silent Assassin” hopes to compete against a ranked opponent before the end of 2018 and prove that he’s ready for the best at 170. We’ll discuss his options for possible matchups moving forward, what event he hopes to be a part of in the coming months, his reaction to the drama at UFC 229, and why he’s content to quietly climb the ranks.

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Dominick Reyes returns to recap his impressive win over Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 229. We’ll discuss the walk-off finish, how confident Reyes was that OSP wasn’t going to continue, what matchups in the top 5 make the most sense, and why it’s just a matter before "The Devastator” captures UFC gold.

Juan Adams joins us to discuss his promising future in combat sports. As the biggest heavyweight prospect we've seen in some time, Juan already possesses the mindset of a champion and plans to bring new excitement to the division of giants. We’ll hear why “The Kraken” believes there’s only a few challenging matchups in the rankings, and how he plans to be an active champion.

Kevin Belingon will preview his title-unification showdown against Bibiano Fernandes at ONE: Heart of the Lion on November 9th in Singapore. We’ll discuss the adjustments needed to defeat Bibiano in the rematch, why ONE Championship continues to impress on the worldwide stage, and how “The Silencer” intends to remain bantamweight king for the foreseeable future.

Siyar Bahadurzada has been calling out the entire welterweight top 15 in the UFC, and now that he’s put a string of bad luck in the rearview, “The Great” is eager to prove why the fans and fighters alike should recognize why he's the top dog. What matchups are the most intriguing? What exactly occurred during this string of bad luck? Why haven’t the new-age fans aknowledged Siyar’s talent? Listen to find out!

Brandon Vera joins us with an update on his long-awaited return to action, and details on what he’s been up to during this combat-hiatus. We’ll discuss the mission of ONE Championship to bring back the purity of martial arts competition, why the promotion is the best option for free-agents in his option, and why “The Truth” believes that he’s the man to unify world titles between the biggest companies in the game. All that and much more!

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We kick things off with ONE Championship superstar and current atom-weight champ, “Unstoppable” Angela Lee. Looking to make history on November 9th as she attempts to move up and win a second title at straw-weight, we’ll be previewing ONE: Heart of the Lion with Angela and breaking down the matchup against Xion Jing Nan. Being one of the most marketable figures in the sport today, we’ll also discuss the pressures of superstardom and why Lee believes that she can help bring ONE Championship to Western audiences.

Closing out this episode we are joined by our good friend, Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal. Following a 13-week appearance on the Latin reality-TV show Exatlón, Masvidal is now back in the real world and he’s hungry to compete. Having offered to step in for Dustin Porier on short notice to face Nate Diaz at UFC 230, “Gamebred” has his sights on the biggest matchups possible as he looks to restore “law and order” in the sport through unbridled violence and heart. We’ll cover all that and more in what truly is a must-listen interview!

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