On this week’s edition of The Craic, Petesy Carroll is joined by Ben Fowlkes and Drake Riggs. Kicking off the show, they dive into breaking news: Maycee Barber has missed weight for her fight against Erin Blanchfield, along with several other fighters on this weekend’s Apex card (4:02).
 

Another UFC product that returned this week is The Ultimate Fighter. The guys discuss why the show feels underwhelming, even with fan favorites Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier coaching opposing teams (14:15).

The trio then address the troubling news surrounding former UFC champion BJ Penn, who was arrested this week. His mother has reportedly been granted a restraining order, citing a pattern of concerning behavior (30:37).
 

There’s also more on the potential Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones fight, but it’s not good news. Jones’s recent comments make the matchup seem even further out of reach, and the guys break down what this could mean for the long-anticipated superfight (39:28).

To wrap things up, the fellas discuss Vitor Belfort’s recent Hall of Fame induction and examine the evolving narratives around drug testing in combat sports (52:35).

Petesy Carroll is joined by The Craic alum Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to discuss whether Dricus Du Plessis is being overlooked against Khamzat Chimaev, more bad news for the PFL, and the UFC super-fights that still aren’t getting made.

On this week’s show, Petesy Carroll is joined by The Craic alum Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes. After a brief tangent discussing Petesy’s dream journal, the fellas dive into the biggest storylines surrounding Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis — most notably, whether Du Plessis is being slept on yet again as an underdog (8:29).

From there, the conversation shifts to the PFL, which is back in the headlines — and not in a good way. The crew unpacks the organization parting ways with one of its biggest stars, Patchy Mix, and what that might signal for the promotion’s future (29:02).

That leads into a broader discussion on UFC matchmaking, sparked by the aftermatch of the Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev super-fight that never materialized. The guys examine what it says about how marquee fights are being made today (42:24). 

Staying on the topic of missed opportunities, they then turn to another major bout stuck in limbo: Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones. The trio break down the potential reasons behind the holdup and what it could take to finally make the fight happen (55:44).

To wrap things up, the chaps preview this weekend’s matchup between Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales — and discuss whether Morales could be the next elite contender to emerge at 170lbs (1:07:29).

Petesy Carroll is joined by familiar faces Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to talk all things UFC 315.

The lads kick off the show by breaking down the fallout from Jose Aldo’s weight struggles, including how it could impact his chances against Aiemann Zahabi (3:02).

After debating whether the tail end of Aldo’s career is being mishandled, Petesy shifts the focus to this weekend’s main event. The trio discuss Belal Muhammad finally earning the respect of the oddsmakers, and whether Jack Della Maddalena is being overlooked as the challenger (20:01).

The result of the UFC 315 main event will also determine Islam Makhachev’s next move, so the chaps unpack just how much intrigue his subplot adds to the card (22:55).

There’s also plenty of attention on the co-main event. Chuck recaps his conversation with title challenger Manon Fiorot, offering fresh insight into how she sees her clash with Valentina Shevchenko playing out (38:38).

Despite the strong matchups, UFC 315 might struggle to fill the arena. The lads weigh in on lackluster ticket sales and whether the UFC is pricing out local fans with steep prices (48:48).

To close the show, Petesy touches on Paul Hughes’s homecoming fight against Bruno Miranda, as well as some unfortunate headlines surrounding the PFL (1:01:05).

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The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll is joined by the usual suspects, Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes, to break down all the latest headlines. They kick things off by discussing Ilia Topuria, who’s set to fight at UFC 317 on June 28th — but who’s his opponent? The lads weigh in on who they think would make for Topuria’s most exciting matchup (03:58). 

One of those opponents is Islam Makhachev, but does Makhachev want to fight Ilia, or move up to welterweight to face the winner of Jack Della Maddalena vs. Belal? The trio explore what the lightweight champions options are (07:52). 

Staying with the welterweight division, the conversation shifts to Ian Garry’s recent decision win over Carlos Prates. The chaps discuss Garry’s bold push for a title shot and break down the current pecking order for a crack at 170lbs (11:42). 

Meanwhile, over in the PFL, Dakota Ditcheva is making waves — not in the cage, but online. Her recent social media posts suggest growing frustration. The crew unpacks the situation and what it might mean for the promotion’s image (20:35). 

Next, the focus turns to UFC Iowa, where Ben Fowlkes shares insights from his recent conversation with Reinier de Ridder ahead of his bout with Bo Nickal. Can RDR derail the Bo Nickal hype train? Plus, the team spotlights other intriguing matchups on the card (35:02). 

Switching gears, the lads react to the headline-grabbing Times Square boxing card, featuring Ryan Garcia vs. Rolly Romero — a spectacle as strange as it is compelling (49:02).

To wrap things up, they react to the trailer for The Smashing Machine — the highly anticipated Mark Kerr biopic starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Could this be one of the best MMA films ever made (54:35)? 

Petesy opens the show by teeing up the biggest stories of the week, then dives into an exclusive sit-down interview with rising Irish star Paul Hughes (06:17).
 

Hughes kicks things off by sharing how it feels to headline his homecoming fight at the SSE Arena in Belfast. He and Petesy take a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about Paul’s roots in the local amateur scene.

The Irishman gets real about his hopes for a rematch with Usman Nurmagomedov, and lays out how he thinks that fight would play out (16:36).
 

Next, Hughes gives his take on the rising talents of Europe. He breaks down the upcoming bout between fellow Irishman Ian Garry and Carlos Prates (32:02), reacts to Paddy Pimblett’s shocking win over Michael Chandler (36:16), and talks sparring sessions with Ilia Topuria (37:36).
 

To wrap things up, Hughes gets candid about the fallout from Conor McGregor’s comments on his moment of respect with Khabib Nurmagomedov (43:03). He highlights how much his Northern Irish roots mean to him and how he stays focused on the positives, despite the noise.
 

On the back end of the show, Petesy is joined by Andy Stevenson of Severe MMA (50:18). The two break down the importance of Paul Hughes’s rise, Ian Garry’s short-notice fight against Carlos Prates, and much more.

On a special Wednesday edition of The Craic, Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall and The Sun Sport’s Chisanga Malata to discuss what the future holds for Paddy Pimblett following his dominant win over Michael Chandler (5:24).

They dive into Pimblett’s backstory and reflect on how unbelievable it is that he’s reached this level, before exploring the potential matchup teased by his post-fight callout of Charles Oliveira (18:19).

Next, they unpack the release of Ilia Topuria’s highly anticipated interview with Joe Rogan, and weigh in on Khabib Nurmagomedov claiming Arman Tsarukyan would be tougher competition for Islam Makhachev than Topuria (30:14).

Chuck and Petesy then break down the official Uncrowned pound-for-pound rankings, including the controversial omission of Alexander Volkanovski—despite his record-breaking reclaiming of the UFC featherweight title (36:32).

To wrap up the show, the crew discusses the golden opportunity the PFL has to make a splash this weekend with no UFC card on the schedule (43:38).

With Petesy Carroll away from the helm, Uncrowned’s Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes man the ship to preview UFC 314.

The duo kicks things off by reacting to the weekend’s weigh-in results, where all main card fighters successfully made weight (01:15).

Chuck and Ben then break down the key paths to victory for main event fighters Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes (02:30), and weigh in on whether a loss could spell retirement for the Australian former champ (12:28). 

Diego Lopes appears to have his sights set on a different opponent — surprisingly, Yair Rodriguez — despite the two not being matched up. Chuck and Ben dissect their press conference mix-up and explore the potential ramifications heading into their respective fights this weekend (19:26). 

Next, the duo turns their attention to Yair Rodriguez’s bout against UFC debutant Patricio Pitbull, before diving into Paddy Pimblett vs. Michael Chandler, the biggest test of the Scouser’s career so far (28:44). 

Then it’s on to the most bizarre matchup of the weekend: Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva. Chuck and Ben unpack the biggest storyline surrounding the fight, Bryce Mitchell’s wild fight week antics (41:28), before discussing the rest of the card and spotlighting a few matchups they’re excited about (51:27).  

Finally, the guys address the predictable mess surrounding GFL’s canceled debut events and debate whether the organization has a future in the fight game (54:10). 

Sean O’Malley is getting a second shot at bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili, but some people aren’t happy about it. Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes kick off the show discussing the UFC 316 rematch (4:40).

With Manel Kape’s meeting with Brandon Royval being the only fight announced for UFC 317, the big international fight week card, the lads contemplate a potential super fight between Merab and Alexandre Pantoja, who have both effectively cleared out their divisions (19:22).

On the topic of UFC 317, comments from Islam Makhachev's camp have claimed that he will await the winner of Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena before making his next move. Does that obscure the chances of his highly anticipated meeting with Ilia Topuria (23:52)?

Looking forward to the weekend, Chuck shares insights he gained from speaking to Lerone Murphy ahead of his clash with Josh Emmett (40:31), before the trio give their verdicts on the revamped PFL (54:11).

Finally, Ben discusses his fabulous European vacation, sharing thoughts about the waffles in Belgium, his mastery of the French language and accidentally wandering into Amsterdam’s red light district (1:03:40). 

There was a lot of negativity around last week’s London event, so it was only fair for Petesy and Chuck to have veteran U.K. journalist Chisanga Malata back on to give his firsthand impression of what it was like to be in The o2 to witness Sean Brady’s dominant win over Leon Edwards, that put the cherry on top of a rough night for the Brits (1:50).

Following the UFC London debrief, Chuck and Petesy give their thoughts on the lightweight title picture and weigh in on who should fight Islam Makhachev next - Ilia Topuria or Charles Oliveira (30:47).

Finally, the lads move onto Petesy’s favourite topic, Conor McGregor’s run for Irish presidency, and whether his latest comments mean that we’ve seen the last of “The Notorious” as a combat sports athlete (49:46).

Veteran U.K. journalist Chisanga Malata of The Sun joins the show to talk about the buzz in London (2:43) ahead of Leon Edwards’ main event clash with Sean Brady. After Michael Bisping claims that Sean Brady was a nightmare matchup for the former welterweight champion, Petesy and Chuck weigh-in on how they feel the two match up (21:29).

After speaking with the surging light-heavyweight in the lead up to his co-main event meeting with Jan Blachowicz, Chuck talks about the impression Carlos Ulberg gave him ahead of the biggest test of his career (33:20). The lads look at the rest of the card and discuss some interesting storylines they are excited to see play out (40:50).

Petesy breaks the news to Chuck about KSI pulling out of his boxing bout with Dillon Danis (47:28), before they take a look at the fights GFL announced for their debut event in May (48:51).

Finally, the lads give their picks for the main event and the co-main event of UFC London (01:07:00).