The Head Line with Simon Head

The biggest title fight of 2020 is finally here, and “The Brit Pack” is here to break it down for you.

Khabib Nurmagomedov will put his UFC lightweight title – and his undisputed record – on the line in the main event in Abu Dhabi when he takes on interim champion Justin Gaethje, who is coming into the fight in the form of his life after his brilliant stoppage of Tony Ferguson earlier this year.

It’s a fight with a heartbreaking backstory, following the tragic death of Khabib’s father, coach and mentor, Abdulmanap, while the matchup is so important that the UFC has even drafted in three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler as a high-profile super-sub, just in case anything happens to either man between now and fight night.

On this week’s show, we take a look inside the fight and offer our respective takes as we pick out some of the key angles to consider ahead of their main event clash on “UFC Fight Island” this coming weekend.

We also take a look at the other big fights that matter on the fight card, and run through all the key times for U.K.-based viewers, who will get the rare privilege of watching a big-time UFC event in U.K. prime time hours.

In addition, we run through last weekend’s event on “UFC Fight Island,” as Brian Ortega returned in scintillating form to defeat “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and position himself for a shot at Alexander Volkanovski and the UFC featherweight title.

There’s much to discuss on a packed show, and we’d be honoured if you’d join us as we get set for one of the biggest UFC weekends of the year.

Enjoy the show, then enjoy the fights!

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com

The title of this week’s show pretty much says it all. Yes, we had a ton of fights over the past seven days, but the thing the whole MMA world was buzzing about after the weekend was THAT knockout by Joaquin Buckley on UFC Fight Island on Saturday night.

You haven’t seen it? Check it out and be amazed…

Recency bias always kicks in when people see amazing knockouts like this, and it has already been called the greatest knockout in UFC history by some. But is it? We discuss Buckley’s stunning spinning back kick KO in the context of the greatest knockouts we’ve seen over the years.

We also run through the night’s big winners after UFC Fight Island 5 delivered one of the best nights of fights of 2020, and look back at Bellator’s historic event in Paris, as they held the first major MMA event to be staged in France following the legalization of the sport earlier this year.

There’s also time to chat about the ongoing situation with Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, as they have seemingly agreed over social media to a fight inside the UFC octagon, providing it takes place in 2020.

And we cast our eyes forward to the upcoming events of the week, as Cris Cyborg returns to action on Thursday night at Bellator 249, and the UFC continues its run on “Fight Island” with a pivotal clash in the featherweight division as former title challengers Brian Ortega and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung collide in the night’s main event.

Don’t forget to follow @simonhead and @SandhuMMA on Twitter, as well as our show account, @TheBritPackMMA, and subscribe below to get the show directly to your inbox each and every week.

Enjoy the show, and enjoy the fights!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com

The fight calendar rolls on, and two of the UFC’s biggest rivalries continue to generate heat away from the octagon as we look back on another busy week in MMA.

On “UFC Fight Island,” former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm and former UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie picked up big wins as they look to earn themselves a shot at all-conquering two-division women’s champion Amanda Nunes.

On social media, Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya continue to stoke the fires as they jab at each other from opposite sides of the world and build the anticipation as they continue to hint at a potential future clash inside the octagon.

Also on social media, England’s Darren Till took his social media mind games to a new level by answering longtime rival Mike Perry’s online offer to accommodate the highest bidder as a cornerman for his next fight. Till pledged to be that cornerman, and even started a GoFundMe to raise money to cover his travel costs, with the rest of the proceeds going straight to Perry.

As well as the above, we also take a look ahead to Bellator’s groundbreaking event in Paris this weekend, plus the latest installment of action from “UFC Fight Island.”

It’s yet another packed edition of “The Brit Pack” podcast, and it’s all yours via the player above, or the podcast app of your choice.

[Pic: @AwesomeGandalf]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com

To say the last week was busy would be a huge understatement, and on this week’s show we attempt to unpack all of it as we look back on jam-packed seven days in MMA.

For starters, we had a staggering SIX events to look back on, with Cage Warriors’ “Trilogy” of events in Manchester, plus Bellator’s return to action in Milan, Italy. Of course, there was UFC 253 as the octagon reopened for business on “UFC Fight Island,” and Sunday morning’s early-risers will have enjoyed Rizin FF 24 from the iconic Saitama Super Arena. We look back on all six shows and pick out the most notable results from a huge weekend of fights, most notably UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s masterful performance to finish Paulo Costa and further separate himself from the pack at 185 pounds.

We also discuss the tricky issue of weight-miss fines, and how promotions – and fighters – can improve the situation moving forward. And we unpack the biggest fight away from the cage this week, as Conor McGregor and Dana White were at loggerheads following the Irish star’s leak of the UFC president’s private messages to him as they attempted to negotiate his next fight.

Check out the show via the player above and don’t forget to subscribe!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com

A bumper edition of '“The Brit Pack” features plenty of pre- and post-fight chat as we preview UFC 253 and review UFC Vegas 11, and we also zero in on two key talking points around the two shows.

Last weekend in Vegas, Colby Covington bounced back with a fifth-round finish of Tyron Woodley, but despite once again proving himself to be one of the very best fighters on the planet, his divisive rhetoric after the fight yet again left a sour taste in the mouth. At what point does fight promotion go too far, and has Colby overstepped the line? We discuss the topic at length.

We also chat about the upcoming middleweight title fight at UFC 253, as Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa go head to head in what they and the UFC would have had us believe was a heated grudge match. But when a video posted to social media by Costa’s manager saw the pair greeting each other in cordial fashion, that narrative has been placed in some doubt. We assess what happened, and what impact it may make on the matchup, and the earning potential for the title challenger.

We also look ahead to a jam-packed schedule of fights this coming weekend, with a triple-header of Cage Warriors events, plus Bellator’s return to European soil, giving MMA fans on Simon’s side of the pond plenty to look forward to before the UFC takes centre stage on “Fight Island”.

Check out the show via the player above, and don’t forget to subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. Thanks, as always, for your support. Enjoy this week’s show, and enjoy the fights!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com

As the title of this week’s show suggests, we had a ton to discuss on this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack” as we picked through the results of a triple-header weekend, looked ahead to a stacked card this weekend, and chatted about some of the big MMA storylines of the week.

We had UFC on ESPN+ 35 in Vegas, where Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill served up a classic, and referee Chris Tognoni’s error helped Ed Herman to an unlikely come-from-behind win.

We also had a double helping of Bellator action, as the promotion’s “Fightsphere” at Mohegan Sun Arena played host to back-to-back fight nights for Bellator 245 and 246, as Juan Archuleta was crowned the promotion’s bantamweight champion on Saturday night.

We also discussed Bellator’s new direction following their switch from Paramount Network to CBS Sports, and their new fight for Thursday night supremacy against the PFL, which is set to return in 2021.

Then we threw things forward and took a look ahead to the coming weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 36 card, as a welterweight grudge match a few years in the making finally comes to a head at the UFC Apex. Colby Covington vs. Tyron Woodley should be a cracker.

There’s also the latest chapter of the remarkable breakout story of Khamzat Chimaev, who returns to face Gerald Meerschaert in the first of a pre-arranged two-fight booking that could see the unbeaten Swedish phenom face Demian Maia next… IF he can beat BJJ black belt and noted submission specialist Meerschaert, which will be no easy feat.

Check out the show via the player above, and don’t forget you can subscribe via the button below so you never miss a show. The show’s also available via all the usual podcast distributors, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and more.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com

According to his manager, Nick Diaz is on his way back, and even though it’s been more than five years since his last fight, the MMA world is excited at the prospect of his potential return.

On this week’s show, we take a look at the potential options for a returning Diaz as he plans his comeback in early-2021. Who should he face when he steps back inside the octagon? We look at the permutations.

Also, one of the “Golden Oldies” of the UFC heavyweight division is still right in the thick of it and potentially only one or two fights from a shot at the gold.

Forty-year-old Alistair Overeem finished Augusto Sakai last weekend at UFC on ESPN+ 34 in Las Vegas to claim the 47th win of his MMA career keep the final chapter of his remarkable story rolling as he bids to chase that elusive UFC heavyweight title. He’s already captured titles in Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1. Can he add the UFC title to that remarkable collection?

We take a look at how “The Reem” might be able to get himself back to a title shot, and the chain of events needed to make it happen. We also recap the key performances on the card in Las Vegas from an event that was decidedly more low-key than previous UFC cards.

We also take a look ahead to this weekend’s UFC card in Vegas, where Angela Hill is set to make history as the first Black woman to headline a UFC card. She’ll take on another UFC role model, “The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson in a replacement main event that deserves more enthusiasm than it’s getting from some quarters.

It’s also a big week for Bellator as the promotion gets set to host a double-header of events on Friday and Saturday, culminating in a battle for the vacant bantamweight title, as Juan Archuleta and Patchy Mix face off for the 135-pound title.

It’s another hour of MMA chat spanning the Atlantic, so why not join us?

Listen via the player above or hit the link under the player to open the show in the podcast player of your choosing. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review!

[Pic: @nickdiaz209 (Instagram)]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

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As the title of this week’s show suggests, heavyweight discussion dominates the chat on the latest episode of “The Brit Pack” as we react to the breaking news of Brock Lesnar entering free agency. Could he really make a return to MMA? And would he actually be better off joining Bellator instead of the UFC? It sounds mad, but hear us out! We also chat about Daniel Cormier’s legacy after “DC” confirmed his retirement earlier in the day.

We bring you bang up to speed with the latest action in the UFC as we recap last weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 33 (or UFC Vegas 8, if you prefer) at the UFC Apex as Aleksandar Rakic defeated Anthony Smith to push himself into the title conversation at 205 pounds. We discuss what’s next for him, and for Smith, who is currently mulling over his options after back-to-back losses at light heavyweight.

And we also take a look forward to this coming weekend’s action at the UFC Apex as “The Demolition Man” himself, English-born Alistair Overeem, takes on surging prospect Augusto Sakai in the main event.

It’s another packed show, and by way of a bonus we even throw in a way-too-early review of Amazon Prime’s new “All or Nothing” series, focusing on Sandhu’s team, Tottenham Hotspur.

Listen via the player above, or via the podcast player of your choice. Don’t forget you can subscribe via the button below, and please do spread the word about the show on social media as we try to grow this thing. Your support is hugely appreciated by us both.

Enjoy the show, and enjoy the fights!

[Pic: @AwesomeGandalf]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com

Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar made a victorious debut at 135 pounds as he edged out Brazilian contender Pedro Munhoz (some say controversially) in the main event of UFC Vegas 7 last weekend.

It means there’s yet another contender in the UFC’s absolutely stacked bantamweight division. But where does “The Answer” slot into things in the UFC’s 135-pound shark tank?

That’s just one of the questions we attempt to answer on this week’s episode of the show as we look back at an event that saw a host of rising prospects score eye-catching wins at the UFC Apex.

We also look ahead to this coming weekend’s UFC Vegas 8 card, as light heavyweight contenders Aleksandar Rakic and Anthony Smith prepare to throw down at 205 pounds.

Speaking of light heavyweights, we also discuss the strength of a weight class that was previously maligned for being the most boring in the UFC. With all of the recent happenings, it’s anything but boring now.

There’s even a little bit of pro wrestling chat for those who enjoy a little “soap opera in spandex.”

Check out this week’s show via the player above, or click the link to open up the show via your podcast player of choice.

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Enjoy the show, and enjoy the fights!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com

UFC 252 promised an epic trilogy fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier, and it didn’t disappoint as the pair settled their rivalry at the UFC Apex.

On this week’s episode of “The Brit Pack,” we take a look back at the events of last weekend, when Miocic defeated Cormier to retain his UFC heavyweight title and claim the “win” in the three-fight series between the pair.

What did the win do for Miocic’s legacy? And how should Cormier be remembered now that he has announced his retirement from the sport? Also, what should happen next at the top of the heavyweight division? We answer those questions, and more, on this week’s episode.

There’s also time for a quick look ahead to this weekend’s double-header, with Bellator 244 on Friday night, and UFC on ESPN 15 at the Apex on Saturday night.

And, just before we wrapped things up, there was some breaking news, as Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz reportedly agreed to a huge fight at 205 pounds, but does it mean there’s a title on the line? Given what’s happened since we stopped recording, there’s every chance there will be.

It’s another jam-packed episode of “The Brit Pack” and we hope you enjoy it. Give it a listen, give it a share, and spread the word for us on social media and via podcast ratings and reviews. We really do appreciate you being a part of it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebritpack.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonheadsport.substack.com