The MMA Circus

The MMA Circus

By Nick Baldwin and Andrew Lawrence
Download on the App Store

The MMA Circus episodes

  • The MMA Circus: Fedor-Mir recap, Newell on Contender Series

    EPISODE 161: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and guest co-host Andrew Lawrence, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • Fedor Emelianenko vs. Frank Mir recap — Heavyweight great Emelianenko returned to the winning column with a quick knockout of Frank Mir in the Bellator 198 main event last weekend. Featherweight contender Emmanuel Sanchez also continued his winning streak with a submission of UFC veteran Sam Sicilia.
  • Nick Newell to compete on Contender Series — Newell, a WSOF veteran who most recently returned to the cage for LFA, is one step away from a call to the UFC. He will compete at a Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series event this summer.
  • Rizin FF 10 preview — In the main event, former UFC flyweight title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi meets longtime contender Ian McCall.
  • Nate Diaz in talks with UFC for return — The younger Diaz brother may be back in action this August.
  • Gets It/Doesn’t Get It
  • Dumb Questions

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Andrew Lawrence: @TheClownKid

    1 hr 16 min
  • The MMA Circus: UFC AC recap, Leslie Smith release, Fedor-Mir

    EPISODE 160: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and guest co-host Jed Meshew, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • UFC Fight Night 128 recap — In the Atlantic City main event, lightweight contender Kevin Lee picked up the biggest win of his career, defeating Edson Barboza via fifth-round TKO. Also on the card, Frankie Edgar returned to the winning column with a second win over fellow veteran featherweight Cub Swanson.
  • UFC parts ways with Leslie Smith — After Leslie Smith’s opponent, Aspen Ladd, missed weight last Friday, Smith planned to use that as a negotiating tactic in hopes of extending her contract with the UFC (which was down to one fight). However, the UFC opted to give Smith both her show and win money instead of having her re-sign with the promotion and still fight Ladd. Since that counted as a bout on her contract, Smith is now a free agent and no longer on the UFC roster.
  • Fedor Emelianenko vs. Frank Mir — In the Bellator 198 main event, heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko faces Frank Mir in the first round of the heavyweight Grand Prix tournament. Should we care about this fight, and who wins it?

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew

    1 hr 18 min
  • The MMA Circus: UFC Glendale recap, UFC AC preview

    EPISODE 159: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and guest co-host Jed Meshew, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • UFC on FOX 29 recap — In the Glendale main event, Dustin Poirier picked up a fourth-round TKO win over Justin Gaethje. In the co-headliner, short-notice replacement Alex Oliveira returned to the winning column with a second-round submission win over former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit.
  • UFC Fight Night 128 preview — In the Atlantic City main event, lightweight contenders Edson Barboza and Kevin Lee square off in hopes to return to their winning ways. Frankie Edgar looks to rebound from his first career knockout loss (to Brian Ortega in March) in a featherweight rematch with Cub Swanson. Edgar beat Swanson in November 2014 by submission.

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew

    1 hr 13 min
  • The MMA Circus: UFC 223 recap, UFC Glendale preview

    EPISODE 158: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and Andrew Lawrence, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • UFC 223 recap — In the pay-per-view main event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Khabib Nurmagomedov won the UFC lightweight title with a dominant decision win over Al Iaquinta. Strawweight champion Rose Namajunas defended her belt for the first time in a rematch with Joanna Jedrzejczyk, outpointing the Polish fighter on all three scorecards.
  • UFC on FOX 29 preview — In the Glendale main event, Dustin Poirier faces Justin Gaethje in a pivotal lightweight bout. Carlos Condit meets short-notice replacement Alex Oliveira at 170 pounds. Also on the card, middleweight prospects Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori collide.
  • Gets It/Doesn’t Get It
  • Dumb Questions

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Andrew Lawrence: @TheClownKid

    1 hr 17 min
  • The MMA Circus: Nurmagomedov-Iaquinta, McGregor madness

    EPISODE 157: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and guest co-host Jed Meshew, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • Conor McGregor incident at Barclays Center — The UFC lightweight champion and a group of friends made a surprise appearance in Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon after UFC 223 media day. They attacked a bus that held fighters waiting to go back to the host hotel, injuring multiple fighters in process. McGregor was arrested late Thursday night and released on bail Friday afternoon.
  • Max Holloway off UFC 223; Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta booked — On Friday morning, UFC 223 went through another main-event change. UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway was pulled from the card due to concerns surrounding his weight cut, and after hours of negotiations with multiple fighters, Al Iaquinta stepped up against “The Eagle.”

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew

    1 hr 39 min
  • The MMA Circus: UFC 223 preview

    EPISODE 156: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and Andrew Lawrence, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • UFC 223 preview — In the pay-per-view main event, Khabib Nurmagomedov fights UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway with the lightweight title on the line. Holloway stepped up on six days’ notice for Tony Ferguson, who injured his knee during media obligations last week. The hosts discuss the new matchup and whether “Blessed” should have accepted the bout up a weight class.

    UFC 223, which takes place in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, also features a strawweight title rematch between champ Rose Namajunas and ex-titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk. In their first meeting last November, Namajunas stopped Jedrzejczyk with strikes in the biggest upset of the year.

    Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Andrew Lawrence: @TheClownKid

    1 hr 1 min
  • The MMA Circus: Underrated fights, Whittaker-Romero 2, PFL signings

    EPISODE 155: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and guest co-host Jed Meshew, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • Top underrated fights — The hosts share some of their favorite upcoming fights that few people are talking about. Fights include: Amanda Nunes vs. Raquel Pennington, Aljamain Sterling vs. Brett Johns, and Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Felice Herrig.
  • Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero 2 — The UFC middleweight title rematch is on for UFC 225 on June 9 in Chicago. Will it play out differently than Whittaker’s decision win over Romero last July?
  • Recent PFL signings — The Professional Fighters League has made some waves in the headlines over the past two weeks, signing the likes of Will Brooks, Rick Story, and Freddy Assuncao. Notable fighters Lance Palmer and Paul Bradley will also be part of the $1 million tournament. Will PFL have more success than initially expected? Do these signings mean anything?
  • Dana White’s addition to EA Sports UFC 3 — Should the UFC president be in the game at all? And what is there to make of his outrageous stats? Should fighters not in the game be angry? Should we care?
  • Demetrious Johnson vs. T.J. Dillashaw — Negotiations for the superfight have come to a halt, but both fighters appear to be interested. The UFC should either book the fight now or move on, the hosts argue.
  • Dumb Questions

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew

    1 hr 4 min
  • The MMA Circus: UFC London preview, Nick Newell’s return

    EPISODE 154: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and Andrew Lawrence, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • UFC Fight Night 127 preview — In the London main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum faces Alexander Volkov. Ranked light heavyweights Jimi Manuwa and Jan Blachowicz battle it out for the second time in the co-headliner.
  • Nick Newell’s successful return — The lightweight fighter fought for the first time in nearly two and a half years in the main event of LFA 35 last Friday night. Newell defeated Sonny Luque via first-round submission (face crank), improving his pro record to 14-1. “Notorious” Newell called for a long-awaited call-up to the UFC after the victory.
  • Gets It/Doesn’t Get It
  • Dumb Questions

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Andrew Lawrence: @TheClownKid

    58 min
  • The MMA Circus: UFC 222 recap, Cro Cop to Bellator, St-Pierre update

    EPISODE 153: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and guest co-host Jeremy Brand, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • UFC 222 recap — In the pay-per-view main event, Cris Cyborg defended the women’s featherweight title for the second time, defeating Yana Kunitskaya with a first-round TKO. In the co-headliner, Brian Ortega upset Frankie Edgar, becoming the first man to stop “The Answer” — and also earning a title shot against featherweight champ Max Holloway.
  • Mirko Cro Cop signs with Bellator — The former UFC heavyweight is set to take on Roy Nelson in his promotional debut at Bellator 200 in May.
  • Georges St-Pierre’s update on future in MMA — The former welterweight and middleweight titleholder said in a recent interview he hopes to fight again, but stayed noncommittal regarding an opponent and a weight class. St-Pierre, who was diagnosed with colitis after his Michael Bisping win, also said he’s feeling better but is still on medication.
  • Gets It/Doesn’t Get It
  • Dumb Questions

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Jeremy Brand: @JeremyBrand604

    1 hr 20 min
  • The MMA Circus: UFC Orlando recap, Jon Jones, UFC 222 preview

    EPISODE 152: The MMA Circus, hosted by Nick Baldwin and Andrew Lawrence, is back for your listening pleasure.

    Discussion Topics:

    • UFC on FOX 28 preview — In the Orlando main event, Jeremy Stephens stopped Josh Emmett in the second round with — somewhat controversial — strikes. Jessica Andrade, Ilir Latifi, and Max Griffin all picked up wins on the rest of the main card.
  • Jon Jones’ CSAC hearing — The former UFC light heavyweight champion finally went before the California State Athletic Commission Tuesday. He was fined $205,000 and had his MMA license revoked; he cannot re-apply for it until his to-be-determined USADA sanction is complete.
  • UFC 222 preview — In the pay-per-view headliner, Cris Cyborg defends her women’s featherweight belt against Invicta FC champ Yana Kunitskaya. Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega serves as the co-feature. Should we care about Cyborg mismatches? Do cards like UFC 222 — and particularly how they are being promoted by the UFC — show that the UFC is on a downward slope?
  • Gets It/Doesn’t Get It
  • Dumb Questions

    • Social Media:

    Nick Baldwin: @NickBaldwinMMA

    Andrew Lawrence: @TheClownKid

    1 hr 23 min

About The MMA Circus

From the publisher's feed

The MMA Circus is a weekly podcast hosted by Nick Baldwin and Andrew Lawrence. In an entertaining, fun and casual way, they discuss the latest in the world of mixed martial arts and more. Each week,…