The Philosophy of Fighting

UFC 317 delivered in a big way-- from Ilya Topuria dismantling Charles Oliveira with ease and staking his claim as the future GOAT, to Pantoja getting blatantly disrespected in the pound-for-pound rankings, to Joshua Van and Brandon Royval having a fight-of-the-year contender, this card had it all. For the first time in years, flyweight is actually exciting, and we're here for it. We'll talk legacy implications, the politics behind the rankings, and why Topuria might already be the scariest man at 155.

Fighting isn't all martial arts. What if the US went to war with Canada? In this thought experiment, we're joined by David LaRocque, author of The 51st State, a provocative novel that imagines just that. Together, we explore the political tensions, military scenarios, and cultural shockwaves that could unfold if America's quiet neighbor became its battlefield.

From resource grabs to border conflicts and the battle for public opinion, nothing is off the table in this deep-dive conversation. Is it far-fetched- or closer than we think? Tune in for a mix of fiction, strategy, and unsettling possibility.

We had a NYC reunion that manifested in some long overdue rolls together at Richmond County Jiu-Jitsu. Arturo got to roll with Anup's instructor, and guest of the show, John Burke as well. Then we talk about Ukraine's diabolically brilliant tactical hit on Russia. For fun, we entertain what a USA vs Canada war might look like and we wrap up talking about the previous day's UFC Fight Night (Blanchfield vs Barber). Maycee Barber's missed weight (rumored that it's potentially due to her boob job) and the disappointment of the main event being pulled minutes before the fight.

We're diving into the rarest submission of the night, breaking down Volk's historic win at 36 years old, and getting real about why UFC's numbers are dropping. If you're a fight nerd, this one's for you.

Are there MMA techniques that are good for sport but dangerous in a street fight? We go over ones we think might fit that bill. While we think MMA is the best for one on one, hand to hand self-defense, there are still drawbacks and pitfalls to moves we may not regularly consider risky.

Nick is a veteran and host of the Hard to Kill podast (@hardtokillp0d). We talk UFC 313, Tim Kennedy and other military influencers, conspiracies, the future of war, PTSD, and more.

Why are eye pokes and low blows not automatic point deductions? Why does intention matter if it's illegal? Coming off Henry Cejudo's eye poke from Song Yadong, we're left wondering why the ruleset is so subjective. We also catch up from the previous UFC, how Rentah is doing, Jordan Barker from Karate Combat, Bryce Mitchell and more.

We cover a lot more than UFC 311 since we haven't spoke in a month or so. There's a lot going on in the fight space and the world at large.

Breaking news on the same day: Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting, Luigi Mangione, taken into custody and Daniel Penny (choked Jordan Neely to death) acquitted of criminal charges. Both of these stories make people feel a certain type of way, and we'll let you know how we feel about them and some messages and responses we've received about both of these cases.

Anup got married and is turning 40! After a long break, we talk about Topuria vs Holloway, Whitaker vs Chimaev, Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson, Chandler vs Oliveira, and Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic. Arturo has a problem with people thinking Mike Tyson and Jon Jones are the heroes of their stories.