The Co-Main Event MMA Podcast

Ben Rothwell is set to make his first post-UFC appearance this weekend, taking on -- say it with us now -- Bobo "The Bible Belt Brawler" O'Bannon in BKFC. You know what, call us crazy, but considering his size, skills and experience, we kinda think Rothwell might do OK in BKFC. Plus, Melvin Manhoef calls it a career (but not before getting pounded into the Black Lands by Yoel Romero) and this weekend's UFC Fight Night event seems like ... well ... straight trash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If we remember UFC Fight Night 210 at all, it'll likely be as a damn bloodbath. Cory Sandhagen got a much-needed win in a men's bantamweight contender bout against Song Yadong, after springing open an early cut that had multiple ringside officials nearly peering into Yadong's brain. There was also a grusome cut in Gregory Rodrigues' comeback win over Chidi Njokuani in the co-main and in his win over Bill Algeo, Andre Fili said his ear so filled up with Algeo's blood that it "felt like I jumped into a swimming pool." So, uh, yeah, nasty. In addition, we reflect on the UFC/WEC career of Jose Aldo and look ahead to Friday night's Bellator event in Dublin. This episode is brought to you in part by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get one free bonus moth and their exclusive 30-day money back guarantee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, that was fuckin' crazy, eh Mainiacs? Here we thought Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson were both headed for demoralizing losses in odd match-ups against heavily favored opponents and then -- Boom! -- Khamzat Chimaev screws the whole shit up. Instead of seeing Diaz ragdolled by Chimaev, Nate lucks into a far more advantageous bout against Tony Fegurson ... which Diaz WINS and now exits the UFC into free agency with, like, ALL THE MOMENTUM. And Chimaev? Well, ordinarily, a guy who missed weight by 7.5-pounds -- thereby causing the UFC to have to rebook an entire PPV card -- would be in deep shit, but this guy seems like he's going to skate without suffering a single consequence after his own favorable match-up against Kevin Holland. So, we have a lot of thoughts about all of that. This week's episode is brought to you in part by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get one free bonus moth and their exclusive 30-day money back guarantee. We are also proudly presented by Draft Kings. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1- 800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customer offer void in NH/OR/ONT-CA. $200 in Free bets: New customers only. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 wager. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Ends 9/19/22 @ 8pm. Early Win: 1 Early Win Token issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Token expires at start of eligible game. Min moneyline bet $1. Wagering limits apply. Wagers placed on both sides of moneyline will void bet. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm ET. See terms at sportsbook dot draftkings dot com slash football terms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's pledge month over at the CME Patreon. If you haven't yet signed up to join the team, we'd love it if you'd consider lending us your support at: https://www.patreon.com/comainevent This week, we set about getting primed for Saturday's UFC 279 fight card. Or, rather, we set about trying to guard ourselves against heartbreak, as Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev AND Tony Ferguson vs. Li Jingliang BOTH go down on this card. Dude. Who's idea was THAT? Also, we reflect on Ciryl Gane's third-round TKO over Tai Tuivasa at UFC Paris last weekend, which won Ben a lot of money, perhaps scuttled Chad's heavyweight prophecy and put Gane in line to receive ... well ... something. This episode is brought to you in part by Draft Kings. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1- 800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customer offer void in NH/OR/ONT-CA. $200 in Free bets: New customers only. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 wager. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Ends 9/19/22 @ 8pm. Early Win: 1 Early Win Token issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Token expires at start of eligible game. Min moneyline bet $1. Wagering limits apply. Wagers placed on both sides of moneyline will void bet. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm ET. See terms at sportsbook dot draftkings dot com slash football terms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The UFC touches down for the first time in Paris, France this Saturday, with Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa set to do the damn thing in an allegedly important heavyweight contender bout. Is it still a big deal when the UFC is able to break into new territory, as it will do this weekend? And if so, a big deal for whom, exactly? Plus, in Power Rankings, everybody keeps talking like Big Fran will be back in the UFC, Conor McGregor maybe posts a video of himself receiving oral sex on his yacht and, man, do you ever wonder what MMA would be like today if Greg Jackson hadn't KILLED THE ENTIRE SPORT 10 years ago this week? Join here: https://www.patreon.com/comainevent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Championship took advantage of a UFC-free weekend and made its debut on Amazon Prime Video over the weekend. You know what? It was pretty good. Can recommend. Would do again. Plus, One maybe kinda lucked out getting a resurgent Demetrious Johnson as its flyweight champion at this event. Now, the biggest question is, can One and Prime make a splash in the American MMA market? And how much of that comes down to whether Prime really wants to invest in live sports? Plus, we look ahead to UFC Paris. This episode is brought to you in part by Draft Kings Sportsbook. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1- 800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customer offer void in NH/OR/ONT-CA. $200 in Free bets: New customers only. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 wager. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Ends 9/19/22 @ 8pm. Early Win: 1 Early Win Token issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Token expires at start of eligible game. Min moneyline bet $1. Wagering limits apply. Wagers placed on both sides of moneyline will void bet. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm ET. See terms at sportsbook dot draftkings dot com slash football terms. This episode is also brought to you by NordVPN. CME listeners can grab their EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/comain to get up a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In what has to be the most shocking ending to a UFC pay-per-view card in recent memory, Leon Edwards kicked Kamaru Usman right in his damn face with less than a minute remaining in the fifth round of a fight Usman was about to win on the cards. Thus, UFC 278 and Usman's title reign both came to a close. We're almost certainly running this one back, so gird your loins for a third fight between these two dudes. In other news, Luke Rockhold somehow made it through a three-round war with Paulo Costa even though he looked hella sleepy, capping it by rubbing his head-blood all over Costa's face. And if we told you Merab Dvalishvili was going to go 0-16 on takedown attempts and still win a decision over Jose Aldo, would you have believed us? This episode is brought to you in part by NordVPN. CME listeners can grab their EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/comain to get up a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Saturday in Salt Lake City (man it still feels weird to type that), Leon Edwards' long, strange journey to a UFC welterweight title shot finally comes to a head. Edwards will fight champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC 278, where Edwards is going off as close to a 3-to-1 underdog. It's been such a long slog, with so many broken promises and missed opportunities, how will Edwards react when he's out there for real? Plus, Dom Cruz looked OK right up to the point Marlon Vera kicked him in his damn face. And Rory MacDonald walks away. This episode is brought to you by NordVPN. CME listeners can grab their EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/comain to get up a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, Mike Tyson is big mad at Hulu for producing a mini-series about the boxer's life without any of his input. He's happy with Dana White, however, who Tyson says turned down a lot of money to advertise the new show on the UFC. We ask: Is Tyson right to be peeved? Is this a new business niche for Hulu, since they allegedly did the same shit to Pam Anderson earlier this year? Is that shady or nah? Plus, in MMA, Jamahal Hill out-brawled Thiago Santos and Geoff Neal out-dueled Vicente Luque at Saturday's UFC Fight Event, each winning fighter now planting his flag as a prospect we should probably be giving our full attention. A couple of new TUF champions were also crowned. Oh, and it turns out Dominick Cruz is gonna fight Chito Vera next weekend? Knock us over with a feather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than merely making some physical adjustments in the wake of her title loss to Juliana Pena at UFC 269, it seemed like Amanda Nunes just flat vowed to show the world she was still the women's MMA GOAT on Saturday at UFC 277. And, yeah, mission accomplished. Nunes battered Pena from pillar to post for 25 minutes in their main event fight, duly recapturing the 135-pound title and reminding us all that we probably don't appreciate her greatness as much as we should. So, sorry if we ever doubted you, Amanda. Also, Brandon Moreno continued to be a badass men's flyweight and a true delight as a human being. Plus, we circle back to touch a bit on the stuff we missed from UFC London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are two primary questions we hope to have answered by the UFC 277 main event. Firstly, did Juliana Pena merely catch lighting in a bottle when she took the women's bantamweight title off Amanda Nunes during their first meeting at UFC 269? Secondly, is Nunes still about that life? If the answer to one or both of these queries is yes, then we figure we've got a good chance of seeing Nunes recapture the title on Saturday in Dallas. If not? Things could get dicey. And in the co-main, while Davey Figs eyes two-division supremacy, the UFC is just gonna go ahead and establish an interim belt at men's flyweight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yeah, so Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez were just getting down to what was shaping up as a pretty fun main event on Saturday's UFC on ABC card when Ortega's shoulder popped out of joint while he was trying to escape an arm bar. So, that was a very specific sort of bummer that might only happen in MMA. Now, you gotta try to explain to your non-MMA buddies what a shame it was that this guy's arm popped ... at a time when we didn't think it was going to pop. Also, Dana White doesn't seem like he wants to talk about Nate Diaz anymore and UFC London is actually kind of a stacked card! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where to start with this guy Rafael Fiziev? The technique? The power? The composure? How about the takedown defense? Poor Rafael dos Anjos spent 15 minutes trying everything he could think of to get Fiziev down and almost none of it worked. Then, in the fourth round, RDA has a little success, actually lands a couple takedowns and you start to wonder if things are gonna go Dos Anjos' way. Answer: NOPE. Fiziev storms out in the fifth and KOs him in 18 seconds. DAMN. Add ya boi Fiziev to the already crowded list of lightweights knocking on the door of title contention. Plus, Israel Adesanya isn't just gonna sit here and accept your criticisms. And T-City, El Pantera and ABC? Yes, please. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On one hand, you gotta hand it to Israel Adesanya for beating Jared Cannonier in the UFC 276 main event without really seeming to try that hard. On the other hand, man, it really didn't seem like he was trying that hard, did it? I guess when the Undertaker-inspired entrance gets better reviews than the fight, maybe that's not a great sign. At this point, it's pretty obvious there is a wide gulf between Izzy as advertised and the Izzy who actually shows up. If that's the problem, though, maybe kickboxing nemesis Alex Pereira has arrived as a middleweight contender at exactly the right time? Plus, Alexander Volkanovski kinda wore Max Holloway around like a hat. And TWO MMA retirements in one night? Many of us, it would seem, are getting too old for this shit. This episode is brought to you by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 1 additional month for free + a bonus gift! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! URL: https://nordvpn.com/comain Code: comain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's international fight week and UFC 276 looks pretty stacked. Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway are gonna go out there and try to make their series one for the ages. Robbie Lawler's gonna be there. Cowboy Cerrone's gonna be there. Sean O'Malley. Uriah Hall. If you recognize any of these names it should be because they're some of the usual suspects the UFC generally calls when it wants to pull off a blockbuster pay per view. This main event pitting Israel Adesanya against Jared Cannonier, though? It doesn't feel overly critical to say hopes don't seem particularly high for that one, right? This episode is brought to you in part by Draft Kings. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW, use promo code COMAINEVENT, bet FIVE DOLLARS on any UFC 276 fighter to win, and get ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS IN FREE BETS no matter what. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1- 800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800- NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1- 888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/ /NJ/NY/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since we missed The Proper on Monday due to some family vacationing, we decided to offer up this episode of the Live Chat for free via the CME feed. Hope you all enjoy this hour of unfettered discourse and #WildOnWednesday action featuring the questions, comment and concerns of the beloved patrons of the CME. On tap this week, among other things: fallout from Saturday's UFC on ESPN event, Tony Kelley's remarkably inauspicious UFC run, Joe Lauzon's trick knee scuttling his fight against Donald Cerrone again and that awkward situation between Phil Hawes, Deron Winn and Daniel Cormier. This episode is sponsored in part by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get one free bonus month and their exclusive 30-day money back guarantee. URL: https://nordvpn.com/comain Code: comain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You want twists? You want turns? You want a fight where both guys get to look strong AND vulnerable en route to one of best light heavyweight title matches of all time? Well, we give you Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. That was a crackerjack, is what that was. Plus, Taila Santos would have won if she hadn't lost against Valentina Shevchenko -- and maybe she would have won if she didn't literally break her face in the third round? Also, pour one out for Joanna Former Champion. This episode is sponsored in part by Nord VPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 1 additional month for free + a bonus gift! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! URL: https://nordvpn.com/comain Code: comain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Challenger Jiri Prochazka is going off as nearly a two-to-one favorite over light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira in the main event of Saturday's UFC 275. That should give you something to chew on, as this bout (just Prochazka's third in the UFC) pits the younger man's unorthodox, oddball style against the older fella's meat-and-potatoes approach. Who wins? It's gonna be interesting to find out. Plus, these Valentina Shevchenko fights keep sneaking up on us, largely because we all think we already know how they're gonna end. At some point though. somebody's going to shock the world. I mean ... right? This episode is brought to you in part by Draft Kings. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW, use promo code COMAINEVENT, throw down FIVE DOLLARS on UFC 275, and get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS IN FREE BETS INSTANTLY. That’s code COMAINEVENT this Saturday at DraftKings Sportsbook — THE Official Sports Betting Partner of UFC. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888- 532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NJ/ NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every time somebody asks Jorge Masvidal about his alleged encounter with Colby Covington outside the Papi Steak in Miami, it seems like Masvidal answers with a paragraph-long confession to the crime, only to end his statement with a pronouncement of his innocence. So ... is he trying to say he didn't do it? Or is he just saying no jury would convict him? Elsewhere, the UFC has finally confirmed some fights for this weekend's Fight Night card headlined by Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik. And Rickson Gracie is standing by his claim of being 450-0 is combat sports, while also admitting that he's totally ballparking it. This episode is brought to you in part by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/comain to get up a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + Free Threat Protection + 1 additional month for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We can't do it anymore, you guys. It's too much. Seems like every damn weekend our social media timelines are clogged with people arguing about some MMA judges' decision. Did they score it right? Did they score the ROUNDS right? What about the criteria? How about open scoring? ENOUGH. We're done. Or, at least, we could stand do to it a lot less frequently. This week, new rule: one judging controversy a month. After that, you gotta shut up about it for the next 30 days. Plus, did Holly Holm look a step slower at 40 years old? Did Eagle FC learn the hard way of the pitfalls of promoting fights between old-ass weirdsmobiles? Isn't it GREAT to see Anderson Silva clown fools in the boxing ring? This episode is brought to you in part by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/comain to get up a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + Free Threat Protection + 1 additional month for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you sit down to record the CME Proper and right away notice that Dustin Poirier has responded to one of your tweets? Why, you live-tweet him right back as you do the show, of course. That's what happens to us this week, as Poirier mulls the idea of fighting Colby Covington at 170. Elsewhere, we wonder how much credit -- a little? or a lot? -- is due Jan Blachowicz for defeating Aleksandar Rakic via TKO injury this weekend, when Blachowicz's own leg kicks may well have contributed to said injury. Then there's poor Logan Storely, who won the Bellator interim welterweight title over MVP in a fight so bad even Scotty Cokes had to comment on it. Oh, and Holly Holm (aka Holly Holmes) is back?!?! Well, OK! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We had ourselves a good, old fashioned emotional roller coaster during UFC 274, didn't we, Mainiacs? First you had Charles Oliveira missing weight (bad!) and being stripped of the title (real bad!), only to rebound to choke the life out of Justin Gaethje (very good!) in the first round of their main event bout. Now, Oliveira will be "no. 1 contender" headed into whatever is next at 155 (pretty weird!) Then, you had Rose Namajunas dropping the title to Carla Esparza (bad!) after pursuing a head-scratching stratgey (very bad!) en route to an unexpectedly terrible fight (very, very bad!). And lo, Tony Ferguson, who had already mostly been written off by fight fans (bad!), looked as good as he had in years in the early going against Michael Chandler (so ... good?!?) only to get kicked in his damn face (bad!) and knocked utterly unconscious in the second round (very bad!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as we sat down to record this episode of the Power Hour, news flashed across the wire that Charles Oliveira had missed weight, been stripped of the UFC lightweight title and will now fight Justin Gaethje in a five-rounder where Oliveira can't win back the title. So we thought: Well ... fuck. This changes everything. We scrapped plans for what we were going to talk about during this week's Power Hour and put our focus on Oliveira, what this means for him and how he moves forward for this sure-to-be tough fight against Gaethje. Plus, in Power Rankings, Tony Ferguson goes off, Cowboy Cerrone sheds a tear and Dana White locks himself in a hotel room for a few days. This episode is brought to you in part by Draft Kings Sportsbook. ust download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW and use the promo code COMAINEVENT. Throw down FIVE DOLLARS on any UFC 274 fighter to win, and get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS IN FREE BETS if they do. That’s code COMAINEVENT this Saturday at DraftKings Sportsbook — THE Official Sports Betting Partner of the UFC. Minimum age and eligibility restrictions apply. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888- 532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NJ/ NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dueling title fights are on tap for Saturday's UFC 274. In the lightweight championship scrap, both Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje will no doubt choose violence -- it's just a matter of exactly how and what kind. Plus, Carla Esparza has a chance to shatter the record for longest stints between UFC title reigns if she can beat Rose Namajunas for strawweight gold. Kinda hard to imagine that happening though, right? Also, are we more excited or scared for Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson? Scared-cited? This episode is brought to you in part by Draft Kings Sportsbook. Just download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW and use the promo code COMAINEVENT. Throw down FIVE DOLLARS on any UFC 274 fighter to win, and get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS IN FREE BETS if they do. That’s code COMAINEVENT this Saturday at DraftKings Sportsbook — THE Official Sports Betting Partner of the UFC. Minimum age and eligibility restrictions apply. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888- 532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NJ/ NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It turned out to be a wild weekend in combat sports and, perhaps wildest of all, the guy who ultimately pulled off the biggest coup didn't even fight. Francis Ngannou crashed the party in the ring after Tyson Fury's win over Dillian Whyte and the two heavyweights proceeded to talk about a potential match-up between them in way that made it sound like they are both actually serious about it. So, uh, maybe you done fucked this one up, huh, UFC? Elsewhere, Jessica Andrade reminded us who the fuck she is, Clay Collard and Jeremy Stephens had a banger and there was--gasp!--controversy in Bellator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou recovering from surgery and assumedly still on the outs with UFC brass, the company is teasing a potential 265-pound bout between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. Possibly for an interim heavyweight title. Possibly this summer. Ummmm, yes, please. We'd like that very much. Plus, AJ McKee found out the hard way that it's really tough it win all the fights. And Belal Muhammad extended his unbeaten streak to eight fights. But was his performance enough to get us to "remember the name"? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We said we wanted to see Khamzat Chimaev tested and, brother, he sure was during a three-round epic with Gilbert Burns. You know what? He mostly passed. There are a couple things -- specifically, his willingness to say, 'fuck it' and just brawl -- that still worry us about Chimaev, but it's clear now he is mostly deserving of the hype. Question is: What's next? Also, how you gonna boo Aljamain Sterling after that, man? And if you wanted to be reminded why Alexander Volkanovski is regarded as the best men's featherweight in the world, well, he just went and showed you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UFC 273 might be a teensy bit of a lower-profile affair that the last few UFC pay-per-views, but the top three fights are still gonna be a lot of fun. Oddsmakers don't think these bouts will be all that competitive, but this week we take a deep dive into Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung, Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan and Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev. Who will prevail? What will we learn? Which one of these things could be surprisingly even? You have questions, we have answers. This episode is brought to you by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/comain to get up a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + Free Threat Protection + 1 additional month for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curtis Blaydes is big, athletic and -- as he proved on Saturday night -- has a well-rounded skillset. On top of that, he's only 31 years old. In the aging and shallow heavyweight division, all those things add up to make him a perennial title contender if not, at some point, a champion. Chris Daukaus? Weeeeeellll, maybe not so much. In other news, Demetrious Johnson and Sexyama nab wins in One Championship and new (troubling) shit has come to light about Chael Sonnen's alleged drunken Las Vegas assaults. This episode is brought to you by Fulton & Roark. Right now at FultonandRoark.com, CME listeners can save 15% on their first purchase with the coupon code "IFYOUNASTY." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It had been a couple years since the UFC was able to make the trek across the pond and perhaps that break allowed everybody's aggression to become duly PENT. Because once the ref said "fight"? Hoo boy, some people got busy. You had Tom Aspinall kicking down the door of contendership. You had Paddy the Baddy notching another win and being adorable (as long as you don't find out about his social media presence!). You had Molly McMann throwing spinning shit, chugging Howler Head and stealing peoples' replica belts out of the crowd. And then Paul Craig. Well, what can you even say about Paul Craig? This week's episode is brought to you by Fulton & Roark. CME listeners can save 15% on their first purchase with the coupon code "IFYOUNASTY." Check out the website at fultonandroark.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We thought Magomed Ankalaev vs. Thiago Santos would be a banger, but instead it turned out to be a tepid 25-minute affair where two aggressive, powerful light heavyweights canceled each other out. So, that was a letdown. But in Eagle FC, Diego Sanchez looked slightly better than expected in a loss to Kevin Lee. So, that was a treat. Plus, now that Bellator really is in the Adam Borics business, maybe that doesn't seem so bad? This episode is brought to you by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 1 additional month for free + a bonus gift! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the immediate wake of his lopsided and predictable unanimous decision win over Jorge Masvidal on Saturday at UFC 272, Colby Covington got right to work building his NEXT big grudge match. This one (he hopes), against Dustin Poirier. Yeah, if we were Poirier's managers we're giving that one a hard pass. At this point however, doesn't it kinda seem guys like Poirier, Nate Diaz, Masvidal, Covington and Conor McGregor are in their own little division? Oh, and at some point, shouldn't SOMEBODY have saved Renato Moicano from himself? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington are set to settle their longstanding personal grudge on Saturday at UFC 272 and, frankly, the end can't come soon enough. At 37, and winless since 2019, this seems like a must-win for Masvidal, but he's going off as a fairly significant underdog. What to think? Also, Islam Makhachev deserves a title shot, which is very different from actually getting one at lightweight. Plus, Gegard Mousasi is one of the best middleweights in the world. This episode is brought to you by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 1 additional month for free + a bonus gift! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, Johnny Walker got posterized by Jamahal Hill on Saturday in the UFC. It was his fourth loss in five fights and it was an ugly one. Not does it establish Hill as perhaps the hot new contender at 205-pounds but it raises some questions about what Walker ought to do next. In addition to that, we discuss the highlights from BareknuckleFC and Bellator 274 as well as looking ahead to next weekend's fight between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green. This week's episode is brought to you by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 1 additional month for free + a bonus gift! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Whittaker made some big improvement between his two bouts against Israel Adesanya, making Saturday night's UFC 271 main event a very competitive affair. In the end, however, it was just too much Adesanya. And still. But now who's next at 185-pounds? Jared Cannonier? Sean Strickland? And what of Whittaker? In the co-main, Tai Tuivasa continued his unstoppable march to the UFC heavyweight title (or so we are all desperate to believe). This episode of the CME is brought to you by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 1 additional month for free + a bonus gift! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It would be an understatement to say things didn't go Robert Whittaker's way at UFC 243, the first time he fought Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title. But that was 2019, in The Before Times, and it feels like a lot has happened since. Given a second opportunity to take on the champ this weekend at UFC 271, can Bobby Knuckles make things more competitive? Plus, Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa in a potential No. 1 contender fight? And Sean Strickland, man. What can we do with this guy? This week's CME is brought to you by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/comain or use the code comain to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 1 additional month for free + a bonus gift! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Sean Strickland took us all on a virtual tour of his apartment, where he keeps his guns on the kitchen counter and you have to reach into the toilet bowl to make it flush. Strickland's going to fight Jack Hermansson in a UFC main event on Saturday and, while it does feel like he's getting more attention than he otherwise might, we ask: At what cost, bro? Plus, Bellator and Eagle FC had their events. Let's discourse! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, he did it. Big Francis Ngannou went out there and gutted-out a unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane on Saturday at UFC 270. Maybe it wasn't the fight we all expected, but the world must now come to him. He says he'll sit out the rest of this year and either let the UFC entice him with a better offer or he'll split for boxing. This week, we talk about all his options. Plus, are Davey Figgs and Brandon Moreno going to do it again, again, AGAIN, brother? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Francis Ngannou's contractual status with the UFC has dominated the storylines leading up to Saturday's "title unification" bout against Cyril Gane. But what happens when these two guys actually get in the cage together? How will the fight go? What's the best case scenario for Ngannou? What's the worst? We discuss. Plus, Brandon Moreno and Davey Figgs out here about to do it again-again brother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's another FREE Power Hour for all the little Co-Mainiacs this week. On this episode, it's all power rankings all the time this week, as we head into Saturday's Fight Night event featuring Giga Chikadze vs. Calvin Kattar. Among our topics: We'd make a list of suspects who might want to throw a Molotov cocktail at Conor McGregor's pub, but this show is only an hour long. You know who has weird ideas about Greg Hardy's MMA career? Greg Hardy! And who's gonna pay $75 to watch Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masivdal? Plus, an exciting new development in $20 We Never Want to See Again. No spoilers, but shit. Just. Got. Real. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Giga Chikadze's Fight Night main event against Calvin Kattar coming up on Saturday may well have gotten more interesting this week, when Max Holloway pulled out of a featherweight title shot at UFC 272. Right now, Chan Sung Jung and Henry Cejudo are both pursuing that open slot against Alexander Volkanovski, but you know how this sport is. Who's to say Giga can't steal that spot with an impressive performance? Plus, we look at the recent bonanza of heavyweight fight bookings and discuss Sean O'Malley saying most fighters don't make any money for the UFC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the third year in a row, the UFC wishes fans a Happy New Year by raising prices on its PPV events by $5. That's a 25% increase in just a few years. On this episode of the Power Hour, we ask: Will the ballooning sticker price ever hit a breaking point for fans? So far, it has not. On the bright side, at least we can be assured fighters will get a cut of this newly increased revenue. Haha. Psych. They absolutely will not. Plus, in Power Rankings, Max Holloway bows out already, Artem Lobov makes us sad and they're actually doing it: Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Dana White had actually read "The Art of War" he might understand that it is a bad idea for him to continually engage Jake Paul on the battlefield where Paul is strongest. Unfortunately, the longtime UFC president just comes out of every skirmish in this feud looking more and more out of touch. Plus, we wonder: Is the UFC really gonna let Francis Ngannou go? Also, fun with futures! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to some family obligations, we're not going to be able to record that new episode of the Proper we promised. Instead, please accept this free episode of Doin' the Damn Thing. For the final pod of the year, your dudes talk about our favorite TV shows, movies and books of 2021. Also, an abbreviated Kraken Up, with the NHL shut down amid a holiday COVID outbreak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derrick Lewis became the UFC's all-time knockouts leader with his win over Chris Daukaus on Saturday night, for whatever that's worth. On the other side of the country, Jake Paul walloped Tyron Woodley in their hastily arranged boxing rematch. We discuss those fights, and welcome Sir Nigel Longstock to read UFC fighters' letters to Santa Claus during the CME office holiday party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CME listeners had a lot to say in the wake of UFC 269. You filled up our inbox, so we had no choice this week but to take listener mail throughout the episode, while we discuss Charles Oliveira's submission win over Dustin Poirier and Juliana Pena's shocking upset of Amanda Nunes. Plus, not for nothing, but doesn't it seem like you could make some fun fights with these results? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The UFC offers up the final PPV of 2021 this Saturday, with two title fights on the main card of UFC 269. Charles Oliveira defends his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier and Amanda Nunes puts the women's bantamweight title on the line against Juliana Pena. Should be a banger. Plus, look at 35-year-old Jose Aldo out here slowly but surely reminding us he's one of the greatest ever to do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trillers revolutionized modern hand-to-hand combat with the Triad or whatever over the weekend, and the results were a real mixed bag for the former UFC fighters on the card. Not to worry, however, since we all return to the world of Serious MMA this weekend. Bellator has a super compelling men's bantamweight title fight on Friday, pitting Sergio "YOUNG SERGE!" Pettis vs. Kyoji Horiguchi. On Saturday, the UFC matches-up its own set of perhaps surprising surging bantamweights in Jose Aldo and Rob Font. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Co-Mainiacs, just a reminder that Chad's other podcast, "Death in the West," returns for a second season in January. This week, DITW dropped a special teaser episode for the upcoming season that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the legendary DB Cooper hijacking in the Pacific Northwest. Give it a listen! If you like it, you can subscribe here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-in-the-west/id1482417987 Or here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7caKS5hAPIkGUSJnfUylg0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Holloway showed out, but perhaps needed to dip deeper into the ol' bag of tricks than we anticipated to defeat Yair Rodriguez in ANOTHER FOTY candidate UFC main event. And did it surprise anyone that while all this happened, Conor McGregor was EXTREMELY ONLINE? No, it did not. Over in Bellator, meanwhile, Cris Cyborg housed a 40-to-1 underdog and had some words with Kayla Harrison. So that made for a nice moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices