Gareth A Davies is a British sports journalist for the Daily Telegraph and several international broadcasters, covering boxing and MMA.

Here I catch up with him - for Sky Sports - after Paul Daley, previous guest on the podcast, fails to make weight and is taken to hospital in Italy.

Gareth was live on the spot in Milan and we spoke about the dangers of weight cutting and the broader issues facing boxing and MMA in the pandemic era (where fans aren't allowed into events).

You can follow Gareth and his journalism on Twitter @GarethADaviesDT

Paul Daley has been a professional MMA fighter since 2003.

At the time of recording, he'd won 42 of 61 professional fights, 31 by knockout.

Dr Mark Draper - my father - is a GP in the Cotswolds. 

He was previously an an anaesthetist and has worked in nutrition with a focus on micro-nutrition and trace elements like selenium and zinc.

Here we discuss antibody research in the British Medical Journal that indicates more Europeans may have been exposed to coronavirus than was previously thought.

And we discuss ways to optimise our immune systems to stave off not only covid but regular seasonal coughs and colds. On the note we discuss a new supplement from Cytoplan.co.uk,  Immune Complete. (10% off supplements from the company with the code DRAPER10).

Ryan Lamb retired from playing pro rugby in the spring after a distinguished career for Gloucester, London Irish, Northampton, Leicester Tigers, Worcester, La Rochelle and Scarlets.

He also earned international recognition for England Saxons.

He's now back living in Gloucestershire (Cheltenham) with his family and is beginning his coaching career at Hartpury College.

Ryan talks about his fears for professional rugby amid the pandemic that's resulted in fans not being allowed into games.

Fabian Edwards is an undefeated MMA fighter from Birmingham, UK who currently competes in Bellator.

His brother, Leon competes in the UFC.

He's due to fight Costello van Steenis in Milan, Italy on Saturday September 26.

Ben Markall was a highly courted youth footballer and at the age of 13 moved from Cheltenham Town to then-Premier-League Stoke City.

But as his stellar rise stalled and when Ben returned to the lower leagues with Burton, his football career fell by the wayside as a gambling addiction took hold.

Ben, 24, is now preparing to play for Bracknell Town as a semi pro, but his focus is working to help guide and mentor young players away from the pitfalls of addiction and help them cope with the mental strain of 'trying to make it.'

You can reach him on Twitter: @BenMarkall

Tris is a longtime journalist and a former editor of Boxing News. He's also boxing Author with a new book Damage out next year.

Tris reflects on the return of the sport in the UK amid the pandemic, the passing of former World Champion Alan Minter and the importance of structure - and napping.

Tris has a fantastic in-podcast of his own, Boxing Life Stories: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/boxing-life-stories/id1436759230

My brother, JJ Draper talking about the complexities of the modern music industry and the destructive effect of the pandemic on artists' ability to make a living.

JJ also had COVID-19 in February/March and talks about the post viral fatigue he's had since.  

He's got a new song out too: https://open.spotify.com/album/5rIxCeDUks5RoqBRbu9iGR?si=vNiUpbv1TJurCwJY_MEnPw

Chat to Jon Palmer who covers Cheltenham Town FC and other clubs for Gloucestershire Live.

We chat about about the health of the professional and semi-professional sports scene in the county amid the pandemic.

Jon also lectures in sport journalism at the University of Gloucestershire and we touch on the logistics of getting students back on site. 

Simon Hayes has helped motorsport stars achieve optimal physical and mental fitness for decades, from Indy Car and F1 drivers to Len Mans 24,  to motorbiking competitions.

He's also worked with celebrities who've turned to competitive driving, including Patrick Dempsey and the late Paul Walker (star of the Fast and Furious films).

You can find out more about Simon and his coaching methods here: https://www.performancephysixx.com/