The Head Line with Simon Head

Jon Jones may have departed the UFC light heavyweight division, but the weight class continues to deliver fascinating matchups.

The latest came on Saturday night at the UFC Apex, where former Rizin FF champion Jiri Prochazka went toe to toe with two-time title challenger Dominick Reyes before knocking him out with a spectacular spinning back elbow.

It was a shocking, stunning and brutal finish that showed that the big Czech is ready to start cashing some big cheques, by fighting for the UFC’s 205-pound title.

On this week’s show, we take a look back at that fight, along with the rest of the card, as we recap UFC on ESPN 23, and discuss how the UFC’s light heavyweight division could pan out later this year.

We also discuss the upcoming fight card at the Apex, as the UFC looks to pick up the pieces following a number of high-profile withdrawals from the event.

And we offer our way-too-early predictions for UFC 262. Indeed, they’re so early, that by the time we’d finished recording, Leon Edwards’ fight with Nate Diaz had been removed from the card and pushed back to UFC 263. So you can consider that pick a way-too-early prediction for that event, instead!

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What. A. Night. UFC 261 saw crowds return to cageside as a packed house of 15,000 screaming fans took the roof off the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and boy were they treated to an unforgettable night.

The main card stacks up against almost any pay-per-view main card in UFC history, with all five fights ending in finishes, and each fight telling a compelling story.

Some were tinged with sadness and pain, as Jimmy Crute’s smashed peroneal nerve saw him forced out of his fight with Anthony Smith, while Chris Weidman’s cruel reversal of fortunes saw him on the receiving end of a kick check that left him with a broken leg. It was a near carbon copy of what happened to Anderson Silva when “The All American” faced him in their middleweight title rematch.

But if the first two main card fights offered injury-related endings, the three title fights the followed showed us the best of MMA.

Valentina Shevchenko showcased her complete mastery of mixed martial arts as she wrestled Jessica to the mat, then finished her clinically with elbows.

Then Rose Namajunas gave us a highlight-reel moment for the ages with a spectacular head-kick knockout of Zhang Weili in the night’s co-main event. It meant “Thug Rose” became the first female fighter to reclaim a UFC title. It was a special moment.

It meant Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal had a huge task to match what had come before. But, thanks to striking skills sharpened initially by Henry Hooft, then further honed by Trevor Wittman, Usman connected with a perfect straight right hand to knock out Masvidal and stamp his authority all over their rivalry, and the rest of the welterweight division.

It was an incredible night, and on this week’s show we take a deep dive into the entire main card to give our takes on what happened in the cage, and lift the lid on a few things that happened outside it, too.

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review, and please do go and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We’re almost ready to turn this thing into a video show, and we’d love to take you along for the ride. Everything you need is via the button below.

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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This week has been crazy for us here at The Brit Pack, with both of us still reeling from the news of the impending disaster of “The Super League” in European football. But, thankfully, while the footballing world is in meltdown, the world of combat sports is in rude good health.

On this week’s show, we take a quick look back at Bellator 257 and UFC on ESPN 22 before discussing the most talked-about combat sports event of the past weekend, the Triller Fight Club event headlined by Jake Paul, who TKO’d Ben Askren in the night’s main event.

That clears the way for our preview of UFC 261, where we discuss the three big title fights on the card, as Valentina Shevchenko puts her flyweight title on the line against Jessica Andrade, and Zhang Weili looks to defend her strawweight title against former champ Rose Namajunas. They provide the warm-up to the main event, as Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal face off in a welterweight title rematch.

Check out the show above, and make sure you get subscribed to our YouTube channel. All the links you could possibly need are accessible via the button below.

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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Surprise, surprise! Just one day after Conor McGregor tweeted that his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier was off, the UFC officially announced the bout is confirmed for UFC 264, which will take place in front of a capacity crowd in Las Vegas on July 10.

On this week’s episode of the show, we discuss the bizarre spat between the pair that played out publicly over social media just one day before their fight was confirmed. We also look back at the key fights from the past week, including Marvin Vettori’s win over Kevin Holland, Adriano Moraes’ knockout of Demetrious Johnson and Arnold Allen’s key win over Sodiq Yusuff.

We also look at the other big news stories of the week, and discuss the upcoming Triller Fight Club boxing bout between Jake Paul and Ben Askren before throwing things forward to assess what’s at stake for both men when former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker takes on Kelvin Gastelum in the UFC on ESPN 22 main event this coming weekend.

It’s another packed episode, and it’s all yours, right here!

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review – and please head over to our YouTube page and subscribe there, too. We’re switching to video VERY soon!

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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It may have been a “gap week” for the UFC, but that didn’t mean we were short of UFC-related discussion points on this week’s show.

The big headline was the announcement, from both men, that the trilogy fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor is on, and will take place at UFC 264 on July 10. We look at that matchup and ask the question: Did Dustin Poirier make a massive mistake by taking this bout over a UFC lightweight title fight?

We also look back at an historic event for Bellator in the U.K. market, as Bellator 255 kicked off the promotion’s run with the BBC on the U.K. broadcaster’s free online streaming service, BBC iPlayer. We look at how the featherweight grand prix has panned out, and discuss the scale of the tournament finale between two-division champ Patricio Pitbull and undefeated star A.J. McKee.

We discuss reports of the UFC “kicking the tyres” of a possible Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis rematch for the UFC heavyweight title, and look ahead to UFC on ABC 2 this weekend, where Marvin Vettori and Kevin Holland will face off in the main event of a card that offers huge opportunities for Brits Arnold Allen and Jack Shore, who are both set for action on Saturday night.

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review, 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 mantle of “Baddest Man on the Planet” has changed hands, and how!

At UFC 260, Francis Ngannou completed a remarkable personal journey from Cameroon, via homelessness in Paris, to become the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion as he ushered in a new era for the UFC’s biggest, baddest weight class.

On this week’s show, we look back at Ngannou’s remarkable knockout win over Stipe Miocic and discuss his likely first title defense against Jon Jones, and the potential stumbling blocks that stand in the way of what could be the biggest heavyweight title fight in UFC history.

We also look at former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley’s situation after, following an encouraging start, he fell to his fourth consecutive defeat inside the octagon. Could his fighting future lie elsewhere, or is there one more UFC run left in him.

We then turn our attention to a packed week of news for our fellow countrymen, with Darren Till’s broken collarbone forcing him out of a possible title eliminator with Marvin Vettori, while Leon Edwards was handed the biggest fight of his UFC career, an historic first-ever five-round non-title co-main event bout with the returning Nate Diaz.

We also celebrate the arrival in the UFC of former Cage Warriors featherweight champ Paddy Pimblett, and salivate over the possibility of a future UFC fight card at Anfield, or the Echo Arena, featuring all of Liverpool’s famous fighting stars.

We even had time to share a little news about our respective careers, with some big developments taking place for the pair of us since we last got behind the mic.

It’s a jam-packed show, and hopefully, you’ll stick with us all the way through! 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

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The heavyweight championship of the world is on the line at UFC 260, as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history squares off against the most devastating knockout artist to ever set foot in the octagon in a titanic title rematch.

On this week’s episode of the show, we look ahead to the huge heavyweight title clash between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou in Las Vegas, and also take a peek at some of the other notable matchups on a fun fight card in Sin City.

We also take a look back at the events of UFC on ESPN 21, where Derek Brunson halted the rise of Kevin Holland, and unpack the big news of the week, as Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement was finally confirmed and a title fight was booked for the newly-vacated belt, with Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira set to battle it out to become Khabib’s successor.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you’re fully connected for when we flick the switch and turn this thing from an audio-only offering into a video show in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the fights, and enjoy our latest pod!

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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UFC Fight Night 187 (or #UFCVegas21, if you prefer) served up a bizarre night of fights that saw two of the three Brits on the card walk away with no contests added to their records as a run of bizarre fight-ending fouls continued at the UFC Apex.

Just one week removed from the controversial events of the UFC 259 bantamweight title fight between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling, we saw another illegal knee cause an unfortunate stoppage as Eryk Anders slammed a knee into the already-grounded Brit Darren Stewart. “The Dentist” was left unable to continue, and their fight was ruled a no contest.

Then, in the main event, Leon Edwards’ return to action after a 600-day hiatus ended in bizarre fashion as an accidental eye poke left Belal Muhammad in agony and forced another no contest verdict.

On a packed episode of the show, we discuss those two fights, as well as the huge win from the third Brit on the card, Davey Grant, who picked up a big knockout victory over Jonathan Martinez.

We also react to the breaking news of the two-fight deal struck for the undisputed heavyweight boxing championship of the world, as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury finally put pen to paper on a deal that will see them face off not once, but twice, for all the marbles in boxing’s biggest weight class.

Then we throw things forward to preview the main event of UFC on ESPN 21, as surging middleweight contender Kevin Holland takes on dangerous middleweight stalwart Derek Brunson.

It’s yet another packed show, with plenty of talking points to dive into. Hope you enjoy it!

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With three title fights at the top of a stacked fight card, UFC 259 promised plenty of action this past weekend, and the event delivered more than we bargained for.

There was the fascinating main event clash, as Jan Blachowicz outpointed middleweight champ Israel Adesanya to retain his light heavyweight title and hand “The Last Stylebender” his first defeat. Then there was the one-woman battering ram known as Amanda Nunes, who continued her reign of dominance across two divisions by submitting Megan Anderson in a shade over two minutes in their featherweight title bout.

But the fight that stole all the headlines was the third title fight on the card, as Aljamain Sterling made UFC history as the first champion to be crowned via disqualification after defending champ Petr Yan inexplicably crashed a clearly-illegal knee to the side of the challenger’s head.

On this week’s show, we unpack all of the big talking points from the night’s action as we discuss the consequences of the night’s key bouts. We also take a look ahead to a big event for British fans, with Leon Edwards, Darren Stewart, and Davey Grant all scheduled for action at UFC Fight Night 187.

You can check out the show via our Substack audio player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, where we’ll soon be moving to take our show to a new level – with video!

Help us out and head on over to our YouTube channel and smash that subscribe button to give us a rolling start, then settle back and enjoy this week’s show!

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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After a lacklustre UFC Fight Night event, the UFC will look to deliver plenty of fireworks, with UFC 259 boasting three title fights in Las Vegas this coming weekend.

On this week’s show, we take a quick look back at UFC Fight Night 186 as Ciryl Gane defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik on a night packed with decisions, then look ahead to all three title fights at UFC 259 as we run the rule over each of the big championship matchups at the UFC Apex.

There’s also an update on the likely next clash for the UFC welterweight title, as Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal edge ever closer to a title rematch and, potentially, a season of The Ultimate Fighter.

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