Verse Us with Eric Nicksick

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Eric Nicksick and Randy Faehnrich are joined by UFC analyst and reporter Laura Sanko, who touches on DMs with Joe Burrow, her MMA origins, calling UFC events, going full Baby Reindeer on Kevin Costner + much more! 

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#UFC #JoeBurrow #MMA #LauraSanko #EricNicksick 

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00:00:00 Intro
0:01:27 MyBookie Ad segment
0:01:50 Guest Introduction
0:02:46 Laura and Randy working at the UFC
0:05:11 What is Laura doing for UFC313
0:06:08 Sharing Dan Helly stories
0:09:29 Laura filmed a pilot for a new UFC show
0:10:08 How many flights a year does Laura take from KC to Vegas
0:10:42 Laura's take on the Chiefs losing the super bowl
0:12:06 Joe Burrow commented on Laura's post
0:14:17 Does Laura's son understand what his moms does for a living
0:17:15 How does Laura's husband deal with her fame
0:19:26 How did Laura get into MMA
0:21:07 Laura's history with training and fighting
0:24:47 Using MMA to helped Laura focus and deal with depression
0:25:58 What made Laura want to start fighting
0:27:46 What was wallstreet like as a female in the industry
0:29:55 Laura Chocking out Tony Hsieh
0:31:43 Laura's first fight
0:32:59 Atomweight was never a deep division
0:33:59 How Eric and Laura met
0:35:32 Why did Luara only have one professsional fight
0:36:26 How did Laura's husband deal with her fighting
0:37:16 Did Laura ever consider getting back into fighting
0:38:59 Transitioning to being on TV and becoming an anyalist
0:40:52 Who was Laura's coach when she was fighting
0:41:51 Laura cutting weight alone
0:46:00 Rehydrating is as important as the weight cut
0:47:13 Uriah Hall passing out during his weight cut
0:49:39 Thought's on weight cutting
0:54:54 How is it now for Laura to see where plinio cruz is now
0:56:24 SOCIAL CLIP - CHARLES OLIVERA AT TEH GYM
0:57:38 What are Laura's DMs like
0:59:49 Laura's DM story SOCIAL CLIP
1:02:53 What celeberty has been in Laura's DMs
1:04:15 When does the contender series come back
1:05:14 Family life as someone in the fight game
1:11:03 Laurs's thoughts on TKO boxing and are their any internals news
1:13:28 Going to Riyadh for fights
1:19:23 UFC 313 Main Event breakdown
1:22:45 Sean's game plan for the fight with Alex Pereira
1:25:34 What does Laura have coming up
1:27:54 Having to go poop while being on TV
1:33:20 Thoughts on upcoming fights
1:38:16 Laura's Flamming Hot Takes
1:42:30 Eric nominated for coach of the year 4 times

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Din Thomas joins Eric and Randy to discuss mentality around coaching, why fighters deserve more criticism, his love for analyzing fights + more, and we break down UFC 313. It's a hilarious, inspiring, emotional all new episode of Verse Us! Enjoy! 

#AlexPereira #UFC #UFC313 #MMA #DinThomas 

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Timestamps
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:15 MyBookie.AG our new Sponsor
00:01:54 Guest Introduction
00:02:45 UFC fight night recap; Manel’s Performance
00:05:50 Manel wanting to fight out of south paw
00:06:55 Can Manel’s speed hurt him in the long run
00:09:42 Din talks on noticing Manel’s growth over the last few fights
00:10:57 Who is the better match up for Manel
00:15:15 Manel made his mark on the stage and should sit and wait for the title sho
00:16:23 Din is hard on fighters needing to show up only fighting a few times a year
00:17:49 Other fights on the UFC fight night card
00:19:30 Cody Brundage on his last fight on his card and if he should walk away
00:21:25 Tom Brees and other fighters not wanting to fight
00:23:43 Coaches in MMA being looked down when they are honest about their fig
00:26:14 Coaches in other sports are known to address their players publicly
00:27:20 Eric standing by what he said though the timing was wrong
00:28:35 Fighters need to be clear with their goals and expectations
00:31:20 Being champions is at the fore front of Erics mind
00:33:46 TKO getting into the boxing business
00:35:45 The UFC growing and providing opportunities to so many people
00:37:03 How was Din’s pivot from coaching to becoming an analyst
00:38:42 Din’s insight’s during fights brings a lot of value
00:41:50 How did Dean get into tape study
00:43:28 What does it mean to watch tape
00:45:47 How hard is it for Eric to get his fighters to buy in
00:50:05 Using the entire gym to learn and teach together
00:51:35 Eric’s and Din’s insight and breakdown have tremendous value
00:52:35 Are the next wave of fighters more cerebral in learning
00:54:38 Din only training 2 and a half fighters
00:55:05 Sean Brady vs Leon Edwards
00:57:05 Sean Brady is a hustler and has a different mentality
00:58:09 Who is Gillian Roberts fighting next
00:58:38 Does Din want to work with more fighters
00:59:25 Did Din ever get the itch to come back after retiring
01:01:20 Not everyone is going to be a champion
01:02:10 Does Din still get his gym energy fix
01:05:40 Is Din going to come back to social media and impressions
01:07:08 What sports did Din play growing up
01:08:05 Never quitting on your team is bigger then yourself 
01:10:25 Eric having a 16 year old and her winning dance national’s
01:11:35 It shouldn’t be easy to be great and it takes discipline
01:12:50 Why is it so important to show up for other over yourself
01:14:20 The feeling when a fighter gives everything to their coach and visa versa
01:16:00 Great coaches are truly selfless
01:18:20 UFC 313 breakdown and picks Present
01:19:40 Dan hooker getting injured and pulling from the Justin Gaethje fight
01:22:15 Johnny Walker getting hurt during practice
01:22:35 fighters need to minimize injury risk leading to the fight
01:23:25 Francis being nervous to fight Fury and being smart about extra work
01:24:25 Jalin Turner vs Ignacio Bagamondes
0

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Rising middleweight UFC prospect Mansur Abdul-Malik joins Eric Nicksick and Randy Faehnrich to discuss his big KO win at UFC Seattle, his militant upbringing, growing up with 9 brothers and sisters, the future of the middleweight division and what his plan is for his career. 

#UFC #MMA #EricNicksick #MansurAbdulMalik #Middleweight 

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Timestamps

00:00  Intro
01:11  Guest Introduction
01:43  Taking a PJ after Mansur fight in Seattle
02:39  Fight recap UFC Seattle and getting hit in the first round
04:22  Eric’s perspective of Mansur fight
07:12  What did Eric mean by “They are going to college”
07:57  How did Mansur handle the crowd and walking through the curtains
09:37  Mansur treating his opponent like a child
11:02  Who in the gym does Mansur look to for advice or coaching 
12:18  Francis has an energy when you’re around him
13:15  How does Mansur hope to see his career at middleweight progress
15:18  Where did Mansur get his mindset
18:35  Mansur’s upbringing in Maryland
22:11  Mansur coming from a big family
22:40  Going to college in Maryland and wrestling in college
25:18  Mansur’s dad pushing him to achieve his goal
26:42  Eric and Mansur meeting when he was 1-0 in the UFC
28:27  How did Mansur know that XC and Eric was where he needed to be
30:42  Bisping asking Eric about Mansur before his fight 
31:45  What was Mansur’s most nerve wrecking fight 
33:48  Fight day routine 
35:41  What did Sean Strickland tell Mansur before his fight
36:53  Does Mansur talk to any mental coaches or sports therapist 
39:23  How do you tell your fighter that they need to turn it off
40:59  There’s a lot that goes into the 15mins you see during a fight
41:40  Who is the next wave in the middleweight division 
44:18  Fight Night Denver breakdown; Kape vs. Almabayev
46:03  Mansur picking Manel’s brain at the gym and of the other smaller fighters
47:54  Mansur’s thoughts on the middleweight title fight DDP vs Khamzat
49:55  Recent fight announcements 
51:03  Mansur’s thoughts on Dan Hooker vs Justin Gathje 
52:19  Thoughts on Alex Pereira vs Ankalaev
55:15  Early thoughts on UFC Miami; Dan Ige vs Sean Woodson
56:07  Geoff Neal vs Carlos Prates
57:17  Ilia Topuria vacating the featherweight belt to move up in weight
59:13  Who would Mansur like to be his next opponent 
1:03:36  Big shout out to Flex Lewis and Dragon’s Lair supporting Mansur
1:04:28  Outro

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In this episode, Eric Nicksick and Randy Faehnrich discuss all the fallout from UFC 312. From fight week in Australia, to Sean Strickland's performance, the Ariel Helwani interview, and all the aftermath. 

#SeanStrickland #UFC312 #UFC #MMA #ArielHelwani 

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Eric Nicksick and co-host Brad Tavares are joined by Las Vegas Raiders Defensive End Maxx Crosby! Crosby talks about his sobriety journey, his conversations with Tom Brady & Pete Carroll, how rehab from injury is going and what he wants to see from the Raiders in 2025. Enjoy! 

#MaxxCrosby #Raiders #NFL #EricNicksick #TomBrady #LasVegas #BKFC

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Eric Nicksick is joined by professional MMA fighter Kevin Lee who talks about his UFC career, some of his biggest regrets, losing his mentor Robert Follis, sparring his brother Keith Lee, fighting Chad OchoCinco and much more. Enjoy! 

#MMA #UFC #KevinLee #KeithLee #Khabib #EricNicksick 

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Eric and Randy discuss the fallout from referee Mark Smith's decision at UFC Apex in the Chris Curtis vs Roman Kopylov fight, how this isn't the first time Smith has made these decisions, recap UFC Apex and break down the main card from UFC 311 this weekend. 

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Eric Nicksick is joined by former UFC fighters turned Hollywood actors Jay Hieron & Mike Pyle. Jay & Mike discuss their journey coming up in MMA in the late 1990s & early 2000s, getting into Hollywood post fighting career, the early days of coaching at Xtreme Couture, and much more! 

#JayHieron #MikePyle #DenzelWashington #Hollywood #MMA #UFC 

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timestamps

00:00:00  Intro
00:01:18  guest introduction    
00:02:16  early days and building  XC    
00:02:48  eric's first time meet jay and mike    
00:03:40  training at TUF before XC and leading to opening the gym    
00:04:24  the first MMA gym in vegas    
00:06:40  early training day stories of XC and fighters who trained there    
00:09:26  randy fighting for the title while training at XC    
00:10:19  tim sylvia showing up to randys workshop before the fight    
00:11:49  game plan leading to the fight and working the first round    
00:13:03  who were the training partners for the Sylvia fight    
00:13:45  randy fighting gabe gonzaga BTS story    
00:16:53  eric realizing how good randy is    
00:17:44  what other fighters have that killer mentality    
00:18:59  Mike meeting martin kampmann   
00:21:48  why do they wear knee pads at XC after cut    
00:22:30  what was it like trying to  establish a gym culture in the beginning    
00:24:17  how to you navigate being in the corner of someone you admire    
00:25:15  how did the relationship start with eric mike and jay and seeing where he is now    
00:29:00  mike meeting eric and being his jiu jitsu coach    
00:32:08  the people at XC made it what the gym became    
00:33:32  how did green lighting start at the gym    
00:35:23  guy coming into the gym and getting green lit    
00:38:03  why are people so delusional about fighters vs any other pro sports    
00:41:41  whats the biggest difference between up and comers verses their era    
00:44:37  who was ahead of their time in the early days    
00:47:10  jay's advice to the young generation    
00:50:26  Pyle fight almost didn't happen because his opponent got kidnapped    
00:51:17  Mike's first official pro fight was with rampage Jackson    
00:54:57  who would jay or mike wish they had a chance to rematch    
01:00:24  how jay spent $100k after winning    
01:01:35  favorite knockout    
01:04:08  Jay learning step over right before using it in the fight       
01:08:38  Who would jay and mike have in their corner if they fought today       
01:14:12  When did they know it was time to walk away       
01:20:51  Transitioning out of MMA    
01:22:41  how do you tell a fighter its time to retire    
01:25:15  its sean strikland a throw back to the old days 

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Eric and Randy are joined by UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. They discuss moving to America, retiring from MMA, winning the belt, sparring actor Kevin James, Georgian cuisine, and how the fight with Umar Nurmagomedov is only the first fight the two will have on January 18. 

#MerabDvalishvili #UFC #MMA #Nurmagomedov #Umar #Khabib #Topuria #Georgia 

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00:00:00  intro
00:01:15  Guest introduction    
00:02:19  Life after winning the belt at UFC Noche    
00:06:08  Merab beating tough fighters and former champions on his way to the belt    
00:07:18  What was it like bring the belt back to Georgia    
00:09:45  How often does Merab go back home to georgia    
00:11:42  When did Merab move to America and where did he start training    
00:15:46  Mearab learning english in the states    
00:16:17  How did merab link up with Serra Longo gym    
00:18:05  Merabs first fights in CFFC    
00:18:48  Merabs retiring from MMA after a couple losses and losing motivation    
00:21:19  Merabs fight with Ralph during "Dana White Looking for a fight" and gettting UFC contract    
00:22:42  Training at Serra Longo during the weidman vs sylva fight    
00:24:34  Weidman winning the belt and Longo holding pads the next day    
00:26:15    How was is training at the gym after weidman won the belt    
00:28:54  Fights leading up to "Looking for a fight"    
00:30:51  First fight in the UFC    
00:31:56  Eric cornering against Merab with 3 day notice during covid with Gustavo Lopez       
00:35:30  How does Merab train to have his cardio    
00:38:00  Reporters always asking why Merab won't fight Aljo    
00:39:32  What was the conversation like with Aljo about not fighting each other       
00:43:29  Merab is on of the funniest fighters in the UFC       
00:44:50  Fan gets too comfortable with fights and merab standing up for his friends       
00:48:03  Merab does not take disrespect from fans and confronting them    
00:49:22  Whats the difference between the disrespect between Sean O'Mally and Umar    
00:53:00  How's camp going leading up to his fight in January    
00:54:39  Who are some of Merabs training partners    
00:56:15  Merabs thoughts on the fight between Illia and Halloway    
00:59:55  Merabs and Illia's relationship    
01:02:10  Merab sparring Kevin James the actor by mistake       
01:06:57  "This or That" georgian food    
01:08:30  It's important for a coach to go see the places where their fighters are from    
01:12:09  Outro

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Eric and Randy are joined by legendary trainer and former pro combat sports athlete Dewey Cooper. Dewey talks about growing up during the LA Riots, his combat career, fighting boxing, kickboxing and MMA at the same time, training Francis Ngannou, and Ngannou's last few fights, including his 'I Believe' speech before facing Tyson Fury

#UFC #MMA #FrancisNgannou #DeweyCooper #EricNicksick #XtremeCouture #TysonFury

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