Next Level with Andrew Kurland

Is a Ronda Rousey rematch around the corner? In Chapter 2 of Next Level, host Andrew Kurland and MMA fighter Miesha Tate discuss her famous rivalry with Ronda Rousey, along with the legacy it left behind. Miesha opens up about the emotions she felt during that period of time, and shares where she stands with Ronda today. Miesha also dives into her return from retirement and how she approaches fighting differently in this new chapter of her career.

What type of reactions do her kids have to her fighting? How does she cope with the concept of wins and losses? And what is the biggest struggle that professional athletes go through that isn't talked about?

It's a conversation full of perspective, wisdom and insight that goes beyond the sports world.

Miesha Tate is a former UFC women's bantamweight champion, and is credited as one of the first to put women's fighting on the map. Host Andrew Kurland sits down with Tate in Las Vegas, Nevada to discuss Miesha's upbringing, mentality and approach to fighting at the highest level. Tate details her day-to-day life as an athlete, the longest period she has ever fasted, and shares how mental health plays into an athlete's life.

Plus, she shares how fighting first came on her radar, how she kept her newly found passion a secret from her dad, and shares the story of her bloody first fight that left her wanting more. Tate also dives into the concept of fear during a fight, and whether or not she feels pain in the moment. It's a conversation you won't want to miss.

In this second Next Level installment of our conversation with South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer, host Andrew Kurland and Beamer discuss the intensity of leading a college football program. Beamer details the 'whirlwind' experience of his first days as the head coach, the non-football related tasks that cross his desk, and the personality of the program after he took over.

Coach Beamer opens up about the open and honest conversations he has with players, and the difficult decisions he deals with on a daily basis. Beamer also talks about the impact that recruiting and transfer portal has on the program, and shares how he 'sells' South Carolina to prospective players. Does Beamer ever see an NFL coaching job in his future? He answers that and much more in this riveting conversation.

John Hunter Nemechek and Legacy MC team owner Jimmie Johnson jump on a bonus episode of Next Level to discuss John Hunter's move to the #42 car in the Cup Series in 2024. Host Andrew Kurland sits down with John Hunter to discuss his lengthy journey back to Cup, taking gambles, becoming a leader, job security and more.

Kurland also sits down with Jimmie Johnson, who calls in from London to discuss the hurdles required to sign a new driver, how the driver/sponsorship business model has changed, the impact Toyota will have on the team next year, and his weekly conversations with Noah Gragson after the driver's departure from the team earlier this year.

Shane Beamer is not your typical college football coach. Son of legendary coach Frank Beamer, Shane is revolutionizing the college football environment at South Carolina, and has transformed the program into a contender in the SEC.

In Chapter 1 of Next Level, host Andrew Kurland sits down with Coach Beamer in Colombia, South Carolina to discuss his unique rise through the ranks. Beamer recalls his earliest memories of football under his father's wing, walking on as a player for his Dad at Virginia Tech, winning the trust of his teammates, odd jobs he worked through the years, and his slow journey to his first head coaching job.

Beamer is open, honest, and as real as it gets. This is a conversation you won't want to miss.

After accomplishing everything he sought on two wheels, Ricky Carmichael set his sights on a career in NASCAR. In part two of Next Level, host Andrew Kurland, and Ricky Carmichael discuss his departure from Supercross. Carmichael shares what went into his discussion about retiring, battling through injuries, and what recent accomplishment took him his entire life to complete.

Plus, Ricky shares how competition in the TV booth fuels his work ethic and describes how he views his own legacy - his answer may surprise you.

Ricky Carmichael is a 7x Motocross Champion and 5x Supercross Champion and is known to many as the greatest to ever ride a motorcycle in the professional ranks. In this first chapter, Carmichael and host Andrew Kurland dive deep into Ricky's upbringing and path to his Supercross stardom.

Carmichael recounts moments of intense training, personal sacrifice, and self-discipline that shaped him into becoming the athlete fans know him as. He dives into the measures it took to dethrone the 'King of Supercross,' Jeremy McGrath, and describes what it felt like to turn into the villain of the sport.

Mario Andretti is known as one of the greatest drivers of all time. But a sharp mind and a keen eye for finding the smallest advantages makes him one of the best all around racers to ever hit the track. In Chapter 3 of Next Level, host Andrew Kurland and Mario Andretti discuss stories of innovation and creativity among multiple disciplines of motorsports. Andretti looks back at his Daytona 500 winning weekend, describes his rivalry with AJ Foyt, and shares what secret tricks he applied to his race cars to push them above the competition.

Andretti also provides an update on Andretti Autosport's bid into the current F1 field, and describes how his family dynamic is influenced by motorsports.

In the second chapter of Next Level, Mario Andretti, and host Andrew Kurland discuss his entry into the F1 world. He shares what it was like amidst the protest that kept him out of his debut race in Monza, starting on the pole in his first start at Watkins Glen, and the highs & lows of his 1978 World Championship season.

Andretti and Kurland also discuss the dangers of racing, where Mario describes the agony of losing several close friends to the sport. He also touches on the financial aspect of motorsports and explains the difficult times he and his family endured as he tried to make a name for himself in the sport.

Watch the Next Level video series on Youtube: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFUhDMhE1U5TcDZEPO6-I3uE8VnVV_YXm

In the first chapter of Andrew Kurand's Next Level conversation with Mario Andretti, the two discuss Mario's early days growing up. After becoming a refugee in their own country, the Andretti's moved to America to seek new opportunities. After only a few days stateside, Mario and twin brother Aldo discovered their local short track, and the rest was history. Mario shares stories of hiding his racing career from his father, forging documents to race at underage, and creating a false news story that made it all the way back to the Italian press.