On a special Thursday edition of The Craic, Petesy Carroll tackles the week’s biggest stories alongside Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes. 

They kick things off by debating whether Khamzat Chimaev’s recent middleweight title victory over Dricus Du Plessis has fueled the perception that he’s becoming a boring fighter (2:15). 

Alongside Khamzat Chimaev in the main event, UFC 319 was also set to feature Bryan Battle vs. Nursulton Ruziboev. But Battle’s second consecutive weight miss led to the fight’s cancellation and his release from the promotion. The trio discuss what his cut says about how the UFC handles its roster (21:28). 

Another weight class heating up is the UFC welterweight division. Sean Brady is calling out Ian Garry, while Garry is taking aim at Leon Edwards. The crew lay out how they’d match up the top of the division (27:04).

Next, the guys react to the controversial announcement of Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis as the latest Netflix boxing bout (39:10).

Looking ahead to the weekend’s fights, the chaps preview the under-the-radar UFC Shanghai card, including the co-main event standout, Brian Ortega vs. Aljamain Sterling (53:59).

To close the show, Petesy and company size up this weekend’s PFL card, headlined by Fabian Edwards vs. Dalton Rosta, whose trash talk has been going viral online (01:05:47).

With UFC 319 right around the corner, Petesy Carroll joins forces with Ben Fowlkes to break down the card’s biggest talking points.

After reacting to the weigh-in results (7:23), they dive straight into the main event. Is this Khamzat Chimaev’s coronation, or are fans once again underestimating Dricus Du Plessis? The boys tackle it all (11:03).

UFC 319’s co-main event, Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico, is another intriguing matchup. Petesy and Ben debate whether UFC debut jitters could affect Pico and if Murphy is being overlooked as a betting underdog (28:14).

Next, the duo break down their favorite matchups from the rest of the card, including Carlos Prates’ bid to get back in the win column against Geoff Neal (35:30) and Michael “Venom” Page’s move up to middleweight to face Jared Cannonier (38:28).

Wrapping up the UFC 319 talk, Petesy and Ben share their official Uncrowned picks (44:28) before shifting to how the UFC–Paramount deal could impact fighter pay (47:52).

To cap things off, Petesy and Ben react to the highly anticipated announcement of Paul Hughes vs. Usman Nurmagomedov (01:04:28) and the news that Conor McGregor is back in the testing pool (01:09:17).

The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll is joined by Craic regulars Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to break down the week’s biggest headlines.

The first is Charles Oliveira’s return against Rafael Fiziev. The crew debates whether it’s too quick a turnaround for Oliveira after his KO loss to Topuria just three months ago (6:12).

One fight fast approaching is Driccus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev. With UFC 319 just a week away, the boys gauge excitement levels and share insights from DDP’s recent interview with Ariel earlier in the week (19:04).

Next, the trio reacts to news of Artem “The Russian Hammer” Lobov’s return, and assess his chances heading into his bout against Zubaira Tukhugov on PFL Dubai (40:05).

Petesy and the guys then shift to the recent news surrounding the TKO Ali Act amendments. They weigh in on the TKO’s statement addressing the controversial changes (54:19).

To close the show, they look ahead to this weekend’s combat sports events, and answer your super chats (1:09:31).

Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall to discuss the latest in combat sports, beginning with a reflection on the legacy of the late Hulk Hogan (06:46).

They then dive into Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane. What are the key storylines heading into the matchup, and could this be the start of the Aspinall era? (21:36)

Looking ahead to UFC Abu Dhabi, Robert Whittaker takes on the streaking Reinier de Ridder, and Shara “Bullet” Magomedov returns to action. Petesy and Chuck close out the show by breaking down their favorite matchups on the card (52:44).

With a stacked combat sports weekend ahead, Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes kick things off by debating which fight carries the highest stakes (6:22).

One of those matchups is Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier. The crew dives into their favorite storylines surrounding this trilogy clash (14:03).

Arguably the biggest fight of the weekend is Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois. Can Dubois upset the applecart? The trio break down how the undisputed heavyweight title bout might unfold (34:25). 

The PFL is also making waves with its event in Cape Town, South Africa. Petesy and the boys discuss the promotion beating the UFC to the punch in hosting an African card (47:41).

To close out the show, they tackle Manny Pacquiao’s polarizing return (1:03:40), before wrapping up with a Petesy’s Guinness-fueled New York vlog alongside The Boys In The Back (01:15:02). 

Live from Madison Square Garden, Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindenhall give their immediate reactions to Katie Taylor claiming victory in her trilogy fight against Amanda Serrano. 

Soaking up the energy from the live arena, The Craic transports you to cage side with live sound from the fighter announcements and results, followed by the duo breaking down the biggest storylines from the bout. 

The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes return as usual, and kick things off by breaking down Ilia Topuria’s newly minted no. 1 ranking in the official Uncrowned pound-for-pound sweepstakes (4:03). 

Shifting to what’s next for Topuria, Petesy and the gang weigh in on Paddy Pimblett, Justin Gaejthe, and Arman Tsarukyan as potential contenders for the lightweight champion (10:30).  

Conor McGregor is back in the headlines. The former champ withdrew his application to introduce new evidence in his ongoing appeal. The guys discuss the latest in McGregor’s disappointing run of recent news cycles (30:52). 

Looking forward to UFC 319, the trio celebrate the good news of Khamzat Chimaev finally landing on U.S. soil; a reassuring sign that his middleweight clash with Dricus Du Plessis is on track (38:10). 

The UFC also recently announced UFC 321’s return to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The crew debate which championship fight will top the card, with Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena being the likely frontrunner (49:26).

Another middleweight making waves is Sean Strickland, who was caught in a bizarre in-cage brawl at a local MMA event. The trio break down the wild footage of the incident (57:30).

To wrap up the show, Petesy gets the guys’ takes on Jake Paul officially becoming a ranked WBA cruiserweight, and talk Ben’s trip to Seattle to see Wu-Tang live (1:05:28). 

The Craic returns! In a special Wednesday edition of the show, Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to break down the latest evidence surrounding Jon Jones’s recent criminal charge, including Jones’ seemingly self-incriminating posts on X (0:38).

Jones’ retirement disgruntled a lot of MMA fans, including Andy Aspinall, father and head coach of newly crowned undisputed champion Tom Aspinall. Petesy discusses his sit-down with Andy, who didn’t hold back in criticizing the UFC’s handling of the heavyweight title picture (26:06).

So what’s next for the heavyweight champ? The trio considers the top contenders for Tom Aspinall’s first title defense. Ciryl Gane, Francis Ngannou, and Alex Pereira are the names most fans are calling for. The guys weigh the pros and cons of each option (37:59).

Jon Jones may be dominating the headlines, but UFC 317 is fast approaching. The lads preview the Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira super fight and close the show highlighting their favorite storylines heading into this weekend’s card (49:36).

The Craic is back with its usual trifecta! Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes get the show underway by unpacking the fallout from Conor McGregor’s latest nightclub scandal (4:23).

It wouldn’t be a Craic episode without a Jon Jones segment, and this time it’s his appearance on the Nelk Boys podcast. The boys discuss his latest comments, which unsurprisingly don’t inspire much excitement for the potential Tom Aspinall matchup (25:34).

Pivoting to the other side of the combat sports spectrum, Chuck Mindenhall recaps his trip to BKFC’s Ice Wars, including his rink-side feels alongside boxing legend Tommy Hearns (46:51).

The UFC is back too. This time debuting in Baku, Azerbaijan. The guys break down the Xs and Os of the main event, assess Rafael Fiziev’s three-fight losing streak ahead of his bout against Ignacio Bahamondes, and spotlight a few hidden gems on the rest of the card (55:34).

To round out the show, the trio dissect the viral Turki Al-Sheikh, Canelo Alvarez, Terrence Crawford family dinner photo, then answer a few viewer superchats (1:06:16).

This week on The Craic, Petesy Carroll calls on Ben Fowlkes and Drake Riggs to talk combat sports’ biggest and weirdest headlines.

They open the show by debating whether the inevitable Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison bout could be the biggest women’s MMA fight of all time (4:09).

Next, the trio turn their attention to this weekend’s UFC Fight Night main event: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley. Petesy and the boys unpack the key narratives heading into the matchup, including Usman’s bold three-fight plan to achieve double-champ status (26:04).

It’s been another weird week for PFL. Not only does it seem they might be fumbling the Paul Hughes vs. Usman Nurmagomedov rematch, but they’ve also strangely been linked to Russell Brand. The guys weigh in on another disappointing spread of headlines for the PFL (43:56).

To end on a high note, the chaps look ahead to a stacked weekend of combat sports action. From GLORY 100 to BKFC Ice Wars, there’s plenty for fight fans to enjoy (1:02:48).