MORNING KOMBAT WITH LUKE THOMAS AND BRIAN CAMPBELL

MK is BACK and we hope all our loyal donks had a wonderful holiday weekend! The guys return to recap the 2024 PFL Championship. It seems like Dakota Ditcheva was the biggest winner from Saturday's PFL event. The guys rank her among all flyweights worldwide. Plus, they put on their presidential hats, sharing the 3 changes they would make for PFL in 2025.  In the UFC, Luke and BC set the stage for this upcoming weekends UFC 310 PPV event. They debate what the most underappreciated storyline heading into the last UFC pay-per-view of the year is and what fight they are most excited for. Finally, in boxing, Tank Davis vs. Lamont Roach moved to Brooklyn on March 1. Is this any kind of improvement? Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz fell apart. Is Boots ducking?

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Hope all you loyal donks had an amazing Thanksgiving! 🦃 We're back with a special Black Friday mailbag episode, and Luke and BC are here to hit all the important news and notes from the world of combat sports. 

The guys dive deep into this weekend's PFL World Championships LIVE from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Get the inside scoop on the biggest matchups of the night, the fighters to watch, and what to expect from this high-stakes event! 

Next, Luke and BC react to the rumors of an epic boxing super card happening in Riyadh this February. Will we see Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 headline the event and Daniel Dubois' return to the ring?

 Finally, the guys discuss the fallout from Conor McGregor's trial results, including his major loss of sponsorships and the impact this could have on his career moving forward.

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A slow weekend in the world of combat sports, but it doesn't mean MK takes days off. On this episode of MORNING KOMBAT, Luke and BC start by recapping a fun UFC Macau event. In the main event, Petr Yan reclaims elite status with a thrilling five-round win over Deiveson Figueiredo. After 4 losses in previous 6 bouts, the 31-year-old Yan looked completely reborn. Was this performance strong enough for UFC brass to consider Yan leapfrogging Umar Nurmagomedov for next shot at Merab Dvalishvilli's title? On the undercard, Yan Xiaonan was absolutely dominant in cooling off a not-ready-for-primetime Tabatha Ricci in Saturday's co-main event. Was this performance more about Yan reclaiming her elite, title-contending status or Tabatha Ricci proving she's not ready for primetime in what amounted to a step-up fight? 

In non-fight news, Conor McGregor's civil trial ended with the MMA start being 'found liable of rape'. How much do you expect the fallout of this trial to affect both McGregor's behavior and his reputation/brand power moving forward? The guys react to the news

. Finally, Bellator fighters call out PFL's handling of 2024. What does it mean?

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A low key weekend on tap for combat sports, but there is some action in the UFC! On MORNING KOMBAT, Luke and BC preview this weekends UFC fight night card from Macau. In the main event, Petr Yan fights Deiveson Figueiredo. Is it for #1 contender status/title shot?  

Plus, the aftermath of Paul vs. Tyson continues. The fight apparently caused such a bump in Netflix's stock price in a single day that it added $20 billion in market value. Was this fight good for boxing. How do we account for the massive conspiracy theories of this fight still going on social media and elsewhere? 

Also, is Jon Jones pound-for-pound no. 1 right now and David Benavidez vs. David Morrell heated up this week. How much can a bout like this boost PBC's fortunes? After Paul-Tyson, will the public pay attention to something like this? 

The guys will also be joined by Kade Ruotolo of ONE Championshio at noon ET!

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What a wild weekend it was and MK is here to break it all down for you. BC and Luke are back in studio and kick-off the show by talking all things UFC 309. In the main event, Jon Jones made a dominant return from injury/layoff to retire Stipe Miocic via TKO3. In just his 2nd fight in 5 years and first in 18 months following surgery, Jones looked like a complete heavyweight threat. In what ways did BONY's destruction of Miocic add to his already GOAT-plated legacy?  

After his destruction of Stipe, Jon Jones said he wants "f**k you money" to fight Tom Aspinall, but still prefers theAlex Pereira fight. From all of the fight week rherotic to Jones' post-fight reaction, do you now believe he will fight Tom Aspinall next and that the UFC pay him handsomely enough to accept it? In the co-main event, Charles Oliveira held off a furious Michael Chandler rally to secure possible title shot. At 35, how much of a threat does Charles Oliveira still appear to be in terms of regaining the UFC lightweight title?  

Moving on to UFC 310, Luke and Brian react to the new card announcement, following Belal Muhammad's withdrawal and UFC's late replacements.

And of course, we can't forget the boxing fight of the year as Jake Paul outpointed Mike Tyson in pointless, record-breaking Netflix main event. While it's easy for everyone to ask, in hindsight, "what did you expect" from a YouTuber and a 58-year-old, how much of a stain was it for boxing given the 65 million households watching globally that Tyson-Paul turned out to be nothing more than a scripted exhibition between friends? Given the controversy of Taylor-Serrano rematch, is there a market for a trilogy fight? 

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What’s up, DONKS?! The Friday before one of the biggest combat sports weekends of the year is finally here, and that means it’s time for another must-watch episode of Morning Kombat! Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell are back to break down two of the most anticipated events in both boxing and MMA, setting the stage for a Saturday night of explosive fights. 

In this episode, the guys are joined by former two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter, as they give their final predictions and analysis for Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, boxing’s most talked-about showdown of the year. With Jake Paul continuing to make waves in the sport, and the legendary Mike Tyson returning to the ring, this is shaping up to be a massive night for boxing. Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano will also square off in a highly anticipated, history-making rematch. The trio dives deep into the dynamics of both the Paul vs. Tyson fight and the Taylor vs. Serrano rematch. 

Then, Luke and Brian shift gears to preview UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, a colossal matchup in the world of mixed martial arts. Jon Jones, the controversial yet undeniably talented former light heavyweight champion, defends his title against the heavyweight legend Stipe Miocic. Both fighters have everything on the line—Jones looking to cement his legacy in the heavyweight division, and Miocic aiming to reclaim his crown as the true king of the heavyweights. Plus, there’s an absolute war brewing in the co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler. Luke and Brian give their expert breakdown on what to expect, the potential path to a Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight, and much more!

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A huge fight week is underway with two massive events in boxing and the UFC, and you won’t want to miss this episode of Morning Kombat! Luke and Brian kick things off by recapping this weekend’s UFC Fight Night, where Carlos Prates scored a stunning knockout win over Neil Magny in the main event—his fourth KO of the year. With this victory, does Prates now solidify himself as a legitimate contender? Next, they dive into the highly anticipated Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, the biggest combat sports showdown of the week. What’s Jake Paul’s ultimate goal in boxing, and what would a win over Tyson do for his career? Despite Tyson being the betting underdog, how real are his chances of victory? And what happens to Paul if Tyson pulls off the upset? Will this event boost boxing or tarnish its reputation? The discussion then shifts to UFC 309, where Jon Jones faces Stipe Miocic in a legacy-defining fight. If both fighters retire afterward, what does their legacy look like? Should the winner of the co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler —or even the loser—face Max Holloway for the BMF belt next? Plus, how will the ongoing talk of Jones potentially ducking Miocic impact the fight? Finally, Luke and Brian wrap up the episode with a quick recap of ONE 169, as well as big wins from Jaron Ennis and Bam Rodriguez in boxing.

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Welcome to Friday MK, where Luke and Brian bring you the best reactions, in-depth breakdowns, and expert predictions on all things combat sports! In today’s episode, we’re previewing a packed weekend of fights, including UFC Apex, ONE Championship, and a star-studded boxing weekend. Plus, we dive deep into the ongoing Conor McGregor civil trial and Dana White’s comments on UFC's business ties with politics in the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. 

The UFC Apex card is headlined by a high-stakes welterweight battle between veteran Neil Magny and rising star Carlos Prates. Will Magny, the underdog, continue to defy expectations, or will Prates make a statement in his second UFC outing? We also break down the Reiner de Ridder vs. Gerald Meerschaert middleweight clash, with de Ridder making his long-awaited return to 185 pounds after a six-year hiatus. ONE Championship 169 brings the heavyweight fireworks with Anatoly Malykhin facing off against the explosive Reug Reug. But the drama doesn't stop there—Rodtang, the Muay Thai sensation, missed weight for his flyweight bout and was forced to vacate his title, adding extra chaos to the card. 

It’s a monster weekend for boxing fans with multiple big cards across the globe, as rising stars Keyshawn Davis and Jaron Ennis headline separate cards. 

 Lastly, the guys provide the latest developments in the Conor McGregor civil trial and discuss the legal ramifications for McGregor as it continues. They also react to the Donald Trump winning the US Election.

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On the latest episode of Morning Kombat, the guys recap a busy weekend of UFC News. First, at UFC Edmonton, Brandon Moreno looked fully rejuvenated in a one-sided win over Amir Albazi. Did he prove he's all the way back and if so, does this mean he gets dibs on the next flyweight title shot? Erin Blanchfield earned the decision win over Rose Namajunas, but did she really impress in the process? Plus, in other UFC News, Max Holloway released a video where he declared his future fights will be at lightweight instead of featherweight. To what extent is this the right call? Also, do we like the Ian Garry-Joaquin Buckley UFC Tampa headliner? If so, does the winner become the top contender behind Shavkat Rakhmonov? Moving to UFC 309, if Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic is fun and exciting, does that mean putting Tom Aspinall on timeout all this time was justified? And, we're less than 2 weeks out from Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, what chance are we giving Tyson to win and what would it even mean if he did?

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Big news out of UFC means a stacked MK Friday. Luke and BC react to the news that Belal Muhammad is OUT of UFC 310 (Dec. 7) with a bone infection in his foot. Does it make more sense for UFC to keep Shavkat Rahkmanov on card in an interim welterweight title bout? Plus, once again Alex Pereira is offering to bail out the UFC. The company has reached out to him and Magomed Ankalaev about being the replacement headliner. Should Pereira make fourth appearance (and win) to close out 2024, how does that change FOY and P4P debate? Also, the fellas preview this weekends UFC Edmonton event and share their thoughts on the latest comments from DPP who reveals he would rather fight Khamzat Chimaev then Sean Strickland next. Is DDP-Chimaev the perfect main event for UFC to debut in Africa? Do you feel Chimaev or Strickland has a better shot at taking DDP's title? Lastly, the guys are joined by Rich Franklin, VP of ONE Championship, at noon!

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