Sparring Partners Podcast

The 25th episode is here! After a bit of a delay due to vaccine side effects, your hosts return to discuss a slew of MMA hot topics and current events. PFL made their 2021 debut with a night of upsets and really fun fights. Anthony Pettis made his PFL debut against combat sports journeyman Clay Collard, and "Showtime" got shown up over the course of 15 minutes. Collard took the main event via unanimous decision. What does this mean for the future of "Showtime" Pettis in the PFL? Robert Whittaker seems to have been passed over for a shot at regaining the UFC Middleweight Championship. News out of ESPN is that the UFC is working on Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori 2 for UFC 263. Bobby Knuckles can't catch a break. In addition to all that and more, UFC 261 is upon us! Your hosts discuss the main card and what they'll be watching for. Enjoy! Thank you for watching/listening and we'll see you on the next one!

The boys are back for this 23rd edition of the Sparring Partners MMA Podcast to discuss all the things going on in the wild west town that is the MMA landscape. Coby and Brad discuss the possibilities of a public, share-holder-based fight promotion. How does that work? Your hosts also discuss the ongoing situation with Jon Jones and the UFC. Pay the man! Do the fight! The new Venum fight kits are here along with the new pay structure and it's...just as horrible for the athletes as before! Did we expect anything more or less? Probably not, but we talk about it. Bellator 255 is upon us! Coby previews the main card.

Your hosts sit down for a special UFC 260 reaction show. All the UFC 260 results, plus analysis of the post-fight news and drama. Specifically, what's next for the top-6 fighters from Saturday's UFC 260.

Solo episode this week! Join Coby as he walks you through the fallout from UFC Vegas 22. Did Kevin Holland talk to much in his decision loss to Derek Brunson. I mean, didn't Holland always talk? He did.

UFC 260 is today, and the heavyweight title is up for grabs between heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic and current scariest heavyweight Fancis N'Gannou! Coby takes a look at today's card and some of the interesting bouts taking place at the heavyweight-headlined UFC PPV. Other bouts lower on the card include: Sean O'Malley vs. Thomas Almeida is sure to deliver, Alonzo Menifield is back, Tyron Woodley vs. Vicente Luque is going to be super interesting.

In other news, Meisha Tate is back! She's booked, but will she have an impact on the division? In addition, Rizin Fighting Federation announced the Rizin Bantamweight Japan Grand Prix. Really looking forward to that one.

Oh boy! What a week. We had yet another week of fouls messing up what began as fantastic contests. Leon Edwards stabbed Belal Muhammad's eyeball which led to a No Contest. The apparent next in line for welterweight gold is now getting clowned by his peers even worse than before. Your hosts discuss.  Khabib is officially retired! The Arbiter of Retirement Dana White announced via Twitter that the retirement of the UFC Lightweight Champion is official. The promotion now turns to crowning a new champion at 155 in a bout between...not Dustin Poirier vs. literally anyone else? In all seriousness, Michael Chandler takes on Charles Oliveira at UFC 262  Big things are poppin' at 135lbs! In all of the mess of 259, Cory Sandhagen moves on to defend his status of #1 contender against former champion TJ Dillashaw. In another possible bantamweight thriller, it was announced that Rob Font takes on former champion Cody Garbrandt.  In other news, the UFC is back! Or rather, crowds are back! UFC 261 has been announced with a welterweight title rematch between Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal, a flyweight title matchup between  Valentina Shevchenko and  Jéssica Andrade, and a strawweight title bout between Zhang Weili vs. Rose Namajunas. Take our money, but give us and everyone else a shot first!

Your hosts discuss the fallout from UFC 259! What is Israel Adesanya's future after his failed title bid? What about Jan Blachowicz? In other news: Amanda Nunes killed a division. The Men's Bantamweight title changed hands in the most unique way ever: Via DQ.  Leon Edwards returns on Saturday against...against...that's right! "Remember the Name" Belal Muhammad. What're the stakes? I mean, Dana White said Edwards gets a title shot with a win at UFC Vegas 21, but it's entirely possible he was just sayin' stuff. Was he? He was.

Your hosts, Coby McKinley and Brad Jones are at it again! This week is different in that it ain't no normal episode. This is all UFC 259 all the time! The guys take a look at UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya from top to bottom and try to predict the winners and losers of Saturday's fights. Three title fights, and an undercard and preliminary card that is so chalk-full of name value, they could be a UFC Fight Night on their own. So, check out the Sparring Partners' UFC 259 breakdown and get ready for tonight's fights.

The fellas are back for a rare and unprecedented Saturday show! Your hosts talk about the Derrick Lewis' stunning KO of Curtis Blaydes and the layout of the UFC heavyweight division. They take a look at today's UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gane and where the possible winners go from here. UFC 259 is only a week away, but the shadow of Jon Jones hangs over it all. The heavyweight division: Jon Jones. The light-heavyweight division: Jon Jones. Confused public relations campaign: Jon Jones.   All that and more in this week's Sparring Partners MMA Podcast!  Enjoy, and feel free to reach out to the show in the comments below!

Big things poppin' this week at the Sparring Partners MMA podcast! We discuss UFC Vegas 19: Blaydes vs. Lewis and the UFC heavyweight logjam that sees no end in sight. Bellator is moving to Showtime, but do they have a roster to support premium television? Also, Gina Carano got fired due to some pretty ill-advised social media activity, but the guys at the Daily Wire seem pretty keen on picking her up. They guys discuss.  All that and more in this week's Sparring Partners MMA Podcast!

UFC Vegas 18 takes place Saturday, February 6th with a main event between Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov in a heavyweight contest. Other than that, this week is all about the Odds and Ends for the boys at the Sparring Partners Podcast. Nate Diaz says not so fast on a UFC lightweight title run. Stephen A Smith yet again confirms he shouldn't be covering MMA when, like  a 2011 Dana White, stated that he doesn't think women should be fighting in the UFC or at all for that matter. Also in the show, should Charles Oliveira be shamed for turning down a title eliminator against Michael Chandler on less than two-week's notice? (Spoiler: NO)  All that and more in this week's Sparring Partners MMA Podcast!