Hey Not The Face! Podcast

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SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. In our main topic, we discuss how a purse bid works, and why it’s so very important to boxers. We also examine why free agency is the single most important mechanism to the health of a sport, and how Salahdine Parnasse is in the very enviable position of having three promotions vying for him because of it. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

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Episode 268 Outline

* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?

* Nico Ali Walsh made a tweet yesterday saying he’d spoken to senators and “changes were coming” to the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. What changes would you like to see?

* Haney-Keyshawn purse bid will be live streamed on WBO socials July 27th. Explain what a purse bid is, how it works, and why it’s so important to boxers.

* With DAZN directly signing boxers, is there anything a promoter can do for them that DAZN can’t?

* It looks like Eddie Hearn is going to sign Paulo Costa to his talent agency. I saw a NY Times article about Eddie possibly dipping his toes into MMA promotion, with him being quoted thusly: “It gives me the opportunity to learn the industry, understand the sport before we inevitably move into that space. But I’m not going to move into MMA knowing nothing about it. I don’t think that’s right because it’s just like, again, I’ve got to stop having pops, and a lot of my pops are sarcastic”. How do you think that plays out?

* Nassourdine Imavov hasn’t been offered a fight since his last one which was in September of 2025. He’s on a 5-fight win streak. What do you think is going on there?

* Dana White told Barstool Sports that the producers of the ultra-popular crime drama, Mobland, wanted to get Paddy Pimblett on the show. Is Paddy’s star rising faster than we at first anticipated?

* Salahdine Parnasse is being sought by three different promotions (UFC, MVP, PRIME). He’s one of, if not the most sought after free agent in MMA right now. Is free agency the most important tool an athlete can have?

* Parnasse’s management said that they will choose the offer that has the “best deal possible for Salahdine’s future”. Of those three entities, which one do you think that would be?

* Scott Coker announced his PRIME promotion will hold its first event in early 2027 and it will be in France. Why do you think he chose France?

*Johnson v. Zuffa order*Endeavor motion to seal

*Zuffa TKO motion to seal

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. In our main topic, we discuss boxing. We examine the latest revealed financial filings of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, as well as Chris Eubank, Jr. and Conor Benn. We weigh in on Shakur Stevenson’s signing with Zuffa Boxing, and the recent announcement of Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

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Episode 267 Outline

* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?

* Last week Zuffa Boxing announced the signing of Shakur Stevenson. How big a signing is this for them?

* What do you think is the biggest pitfall Shakur could face with this signing?

* Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn is official for September 12th. Who is promoting this fight?

* Is DAZN still a major player here?

* Do we know how much longer Garcia is signed to Golden Boy?

* What are your thoughts on Zuffa Boxing counter-programming the UFC Noche event?

* Our friend @mindofb on Twitter alerted us to Anthony Joshua’s Sparta Promotions Ltd’s financial filings, something you’d been keeping an eye on yourself. What did those filings reveal?

* Is Sparta Promotions Ltd the only filing we need to look at to see Joshua’s finances?

* Tyson Fury Ltd also recently filed with Companies House UK, what did that say about his finances?

* Are there any other high profile boxers that filed in the UK?

* With the Ali Act amendment presently on the back burner, what do you think the odds are of it passing next year?

* Listener question from our friend Eric Hamidi: In your best estimation, why do you think Lonnie Ali supports the Revival Act?

*Johnson v. Zuffa order*Dominance motion for leave

*Sparta Promotions 2025*Tyson Fury Ltd. 2025

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. In our main topic, we discuss Conor McGregor’s disastrous return at UFC 329. We analyze what his future prospects look like now, his new energy drink, and John’s theory that maybe Conor didn’t have a sunset clause in his contract. We also weigh in on Paulo Costa’s contract dilemma, Mayhem Miller’s comments about how the “UFC wellness Program” works, and Cody Garbrandt’s call for the UFC to help with post-career transition for fighters. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content*

Episode 266 Outline

* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?

* Our friend Rob Joyner sent us an interview with Miles Jury where he broke down his antitrust settlement payout. Was there anything noteworthy in that?

* UFC 329 is in the books and Conor McGregor embarrassed himself and probably the company too. We discussed what his future would look like in the event he lost, but this was way outside what we considered. What do you think it looks like now?

* I couldn’t help but notice a stark difference in the week leading up to his fight and the last time he was supposed to fight. There were no chants in the audience at weigh-ins and pressers. No chants in the arena, no Irish flags. As a matter of fact, it was a very muted audience. Is Conor going to be able to draw anywhere near his previous outings for his final fight?

* The gate was set to make $52M on paper but only did half that. What are we to make of that?

* Conor released his new energy drink this week. Do you think it will make a profit?

* Did you find it odd that Ryan Garcia is in the commercial for it?

* I saw some discourse on Twitter that suggested the UFC might buy out Conor’s contract and not bother having him fight it out. What do you think of that premise?

* What do you think of the UFC paywalling McGregor’s 69-second fight replay?

* Paddy Pimblett was the one that got the biggest pop in the arena, both before and after his fight. Is he the next big star?

* Jason “Mayhem” Miller told Ariel Helwani the UFC’s wellness program for retired fighters was like the WWE’s and was basically a card to get pain pills. What did you think of his comments?

* Cody Garbrandt spoke to media last week about the need for UFC to help fighters with post-career transition. What did you think of that?

* Paulo Costa revealed the UFC’s tolling provisions kicked in regarding his last fight. Can you explain what happened here?

* Does he have any options other than to take whatever they offer him, no questions asked?

*Plaintiff’s statement of missing material from the Defendant’s production*

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates and a new case that was filed by a former employee. In our main discussion topic, we look at Conor McGregor’s career, including how much money he’s made both in and out of the octagon, his Kinahan cartel connection, and how his businesses have fared. We also weigh in on him being found civilly liable for the brutal rape of Nikita Hand, and how that’s affected his fanbase in Ireland, Europe, and the United States, as well as how it has been covered by the media in the weeks leading up to UFC 329. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to our paywalled content*

Episode 265 Outline

* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?

* Do you have any additional thoughts about Eric Wedin’s work in this case?

* Are you surprised by the efforts of MMA media at large to sanitize Conor McGregor’s image?

* How much of an impact do you think his rape case and subsequent civil liability affected his image with fans, both here and in Europe?

* Bet US has a graphic showing that most of the USA’s fans support Conor McGregor’s return to fighting and are rooting for him. Did that graphic properly illustrate his fandom or is it just a gimmick to get people betting either on him or against him?

* Our good friend, Fred Garvin, did some investigating into the ticket sales for this weekend’s card. I was surprised to learn it hasn’t sold out. What else did Fred’s investigation find?

* Audie Attar, Conor’s manager, talked about his contract details recently in an interview. Did he reveal anything in the interview and do you have any guesses as to how his payout for this fight will compare to his other matches?

* McGregor says he is happy to campaign for fighter pay. Do you think he does anything to raise fighter pay?

* Conor made a hefty sum off the antitrust settlement. How much did he make?

* Can you give us a summary of what you think McGregor has made during his career?

* Is there any risk that he’s on the path to becoming another Mayweather?

* Do you think his public ties with the Kinahan gang could be depleting his wealth?

* Conor was recently ranting about how Khabib needs to come out of retirement and have a rematch against him. Why do you think he’s calling for that specific fight?

* What do you think happens to Conor’s financial legacy after Saturday in both scenarios (wins fight/loses fight)?

*PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ NOTICE OF INTENT AND OPPOSITION TO PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS, ECF No. 82

*COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES, DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, John flew solo to break down the three days of the spoliation hearings in the UFC antitrust cases. There was a major bombshell revealed when Judge Boulware struck from the record all testimony from the expert witness. There was also more sworn testimony from matchmakers. The Defendants really lucked out, and John explains why. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

*Today’s show is free, but we urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going, and allows you access to paywalled content*

Episode 264 Outline

* Overview of the 3 days of hearings

* Maynard uses Dana White as a “CYA”

* Maynard asked about deleted messages with managers

* Maynard asking White for input on fighter pay

* How post fight bonuses are now handled

* Maynard knows nothing about arbitration agreements or class action waivers

* Court appointed expert, Eric Wedin, apparently wiped Dana White’s phone

* Wedin left mistakes in his final reports and maybe didn’t even read it

* Court struck Wedin from the record

* How they could ask Apple if a kill code was sent to the phone

* Sean Shelby’s testimony

* Matchmakers have no guidelines with regards to how much a fighter can be paid

* Shelby also doesn’t discuss matchmaking or contracts with Dana White

* Shelby too doesn’t know anything about arbitration agreements and class action waivers

* What comes next?

* Why the Defendants really lucked out

*ECF 287 MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS*

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. We also discuss which promotions can actually compete with the UFC, and if traditional stick-and-ball sports view the UFC as competition. We analyze Paulo Costa’s contract situation, and the damage to Alex Pereira’s brand in the fallout from his loss to Cyril Gane. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going*

Episode 263 Outline

* Are there any new updates or filings in the UFC antitrust cases?

* UFC self-reported 34M global views and 126B social media views for the White House card. Do you believe those estimates?

* Speaking of the White House card, Alex Pereira lost a bit of his shine in that loss to Cyril Gane. Since then, he’s been on a run of bad PR between continuing reports of sexual assault against his ex girlfriend, a concentrated attack on Herb Dean, and weird exchanges with fans on social media. What’s your take on his antics, and do you think he should dial it back?

* Dana White seemed very concerned over Floyd Mayweather’s legal troubles, commenting the following, “I’ve talked to him about him. When somebody works as hard as he did, amasses the type of wealth he had, and then they lose it or it’s stolen, it’s horrible. Who knows, anything is possible, maybe we can do something to figure it out for him.” What do you think he meant by ‘maybe we can do something to figure it out for him’?

* Dana recently commented, “We are not the same” in regards to a question about Eddie Hearn being competition to Zuffa Boxing. He noted that nobody is viewed as competition on either the boxing or MMA side, saying only the stick-and-ball sports were viewed as competition. Is he right?

* What do you think of Paulo Costa’s contract situation right now?

* PFL San Diego salaries were released, revealing a main event fighter only got $10K to show. What do you think of that?

* What do you make of Rizin’s self reported PPV numbers a few weeks back?

* BONUS: Does John have zucchini envy?

*Minutes of the Court*

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. We also discuss what fighters think managers actually do for them, Sean O’Malley’s purse dip, and Ian Machado Garry’s new representation. We weigh in on the UFC’s auctions from the White House card, and whether Paramount paid too much for their broadcast rights. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

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Episode 262 Outline

* Are there any updates in the UFC antitrust cases?

* During an interview on One Night With Steiny, Sean O’Malley confirmed he was getting paid around $600,000, which Eddie Hearn picked up on and called out fighters like O’Malley for accepting it. What do you make of this drama?

* Georgio Poullas had a video were he asked Aljamain Sterling and Joshua Van what a manager does. What did you think of their answers?

* Eddie Hearn is apparently now representing Ian Machado Garry. What can he do for him?

* Des Barry gave us an update on the collectible auction prices from UFC Freedom 250. No questions, just want to point out how insane those prices are.

* There was some discussion on X between Rob Joyner and Dave Meltzer regarding whether or not Paramount overpaid for the broadcast rights for the UFC. What’s your take on the argument?

* Johnny Fisher said Zuffa Boxing offered him 6 or 7 times as much as what Matchroom was offering him. Hearn’s response was to tell him to run to this offer. What do you make of Zuffa Boxing offering so much more?

* October Red Media had an interview with DAZN VP Alfie Sharman discussing boxing on their platform. What do you think of what he had to say?

* What’s going on with Floyd Mayweather? Can you give us an update on what’s going on with his finances and lawsuits?

*PLAINTIFFS’ REPLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR AN ORDER COMPELLING SUBPOENA COMPLIANCE*

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, we’re looking back at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. We discuss how managers swore under threat of perjury that Dana White doesn’t negotiate contracts, as well as the Defendant’s response to Plaintiff’s spoliation claims. We also weigh in on Justin Gaethje’s call for equity, the new UFC rankings system, and the ongoing feud with Dana White and Eddie Hearn. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going*

Episode 261 Outline

* Are there any updates in the UFC antitrust cases?

* Viewer numbers for the White House event have been a point of contention with Dana White commenting that ⅓ of Paramount subscribers tuned in. Is Dana just bad at math or did that feel like an intentional misrepresentation?

* Justin Gaethje feels he deserves to be rewarded with equity for everything he’s done for the UFC, saying the following: “I’m in a place where I feel like I deserve to be compensated for what I have done, not for what I’m going to do. The UFC should create a company and give me equity in that company so I can build passive income.” What do you say to that?

* Speaking of Gaethje, GSP says that he thinks Justin should retire. Do you agree with that sentiment?

* Islam Makhachev said that the reason negotiations with Ilia Topuria went south after an initial agreement was made, was because the day after they agreed, Ilia came back with a demand for somewhere in the neighborhood of $20M. Do you think Ilia had enough standing to legitimately demand that amount?

* Demetrious Johnson talked about the perils of losing a championship bout (or any fight), and how people tend to forget their expected purse is cut in half. Is there anything else that could be added to that conversation?

* The UFC is introducing their new AI rankings system this week. Does this signify a further move away from being a true sport?

* The feud between Dana White and Eddie Hearn keeps going, with Dana making fun of Eddie because Anthony Joshua signed a deal with CAA. What do you make of that?

* Speaking of Hearn, he discussed DAZN’s new deal with TNT sports. Do you think that relationship will keep DAZN alive and thriving?

* Do you think Turki Alalshikh will be able to broker the peace he hopes for among all the promoters?

* What are your thoughts on the WBO refusing to allow ZUFFA Boxing to submit a purse bid on the Keshawn Davis-Devin Haney bout because ZB isn’t an officially licensed promoter?

*Latest filings from the UFC antitrust cases*

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SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

We’re discussing viewership numbers from UFC Freedom 250 and why the estimates were so inflated compared to what they were in reality. We also look at the backlash to Conor McGregor’s media appearances, and the lingering effect of Josh Hokit’s comment on Michelle Obama. We weigh in on Floyd Mayweather’s ma…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT

In today’s episode, we’re looking back at the White House card now that it’s happened. We discuss the sponsors, the political motivations, the questionable actions of in-fight officiating, and the hiring of the ABC to oversee the event. We also analyze the latest filings in the antitrust cases, which are very spicy, indeed. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:

*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going*

Episode 259 Outline

* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?

* What did you think of the White House card as a whole?

* What did you think of the ABC being hired to regulate the event?

* What did you think of the sponsors?

* What did you think of the crypto bonuses?

* What did you think of boxers being there but only 1 UFC superstar retiree in GSP, and that was only because he was cornering Aiemann Zahabi?

* UFC commentary referred to Pereira as the biggest mixed martial arts star in the world about 15 minutes after a weird taped segment with Mcgregor and Holloway. Their hard launch of their next massive star failed in real time, and Ilia Topuria, as well. Can Justin Gaethje fill the shoes of either man?

* White said the event merchandise sales doubled the next best event. He also said that it was a monstrous night. Do you think they lost a single nickel on that event?

* White said this event had no political agenda and was simply to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America and further said the president trusted him to deliver a one-of-a-kind event. He said that he discussed the event on platforms of many different political leanings. Do you believe him?

* How do you think the event was viewed by the public?

* Do you have any thoughts on that Daniel Cormier post with the Eric Trump screengrab?

* What did you think of all the UFC brass being there front and center, as well as old brass like Frank Fertitta?

* Lots of politicians, including Corey Booker and Gavin Newsom were tweeting about the corruption of the event. Do you think there’s enough momentum to stop the Revival Act from passing?

*Many new filings from the UFC antitrust cases*