UFC Winnipeg: Ceremonial Weigh-In
UFC
0:28 We join you from the great white
0:29 north where the thermostat still believes it's winter,
0:32 but here in Winnipeg the UFC fight action is about to turn
0:35 up the heat this weekend as the octagon takes over the town.
0:40 Enter one half of Saturday's main event that is Kill Cliff FC's Gilbert Burns.
0:45 The 12-year UFC veteran packs a powerful punch and he's got
0:49 jiu-jitsu prowess that makes him dangerous every single moment of the fight.
0:53 The Brazilian is looking to play spoiler this weekend
0:55 by attempting to defeat that man right there, Canada's fighting son Mike Malott.
1:00 On a three-fight tear proper,
1:01 Mike is more motivated than ever fighting at top the UFC marquee
1:04 for the first time making it even more special doing it on his home soil.
1:09 The UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-ins start right now.
1:28 UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-ins are presented by Mountain Dew,
1:32 an American original tasting great since '48.
1:38 Welcome inside the Canada Life Centre.
1:39 We appreciate you joining us.
1:41 Megan Olivi alongside two recently retired but will still
1:44 throw down at any second Michael Chiesa and Anthony Smith.
1:47 Gentlemen, thank you so much for being here.
1:48 Mike, it feels like you've been retired for like two seconds,
1:51 but you've also been super busy since then.
1:53 Oh, yeah.
1:53 I mean, 3 days after I retired I was already working UFC BJJ in Vegas,
1:58 worked CFFC BJJ in Philly, and now I'm here in Winnipeg.
2:01 It's my first show on the road.
2:02 I'm very excited to be here.
2:04 I love Canada.
2:05 I love hanging out with you guys.
2:06 I mean, especially it's like my cousin and then my big brother.
2:08 It doesn't get any better than this.
2:10 It certainly doesn't.
2:10 And Anthony, although you're hiding it right now, we see some of your tattoos.
2:14 You also got some new ink recently.
2:16 Yeah, Megan, listen.
2:16 I'm I am going through a full midlife crisis.
2:19 So, kids, think really hard before you decide on any tattoos you get.
2:23 I'm trying to cover them all up.
2:24 And then we're going to maybe add something this pretty on top.
2:26 Also, I did not get the turtleneck memo.
2:30 So, yeah, I feel left out if I'm being honest with you guys.
2:32 I'm really sorry.
2:33 You know, I just thought it I saw
2:34 the temperature and I was like turtleneck only.
2:37 So, that's where we are.
2:37 But guys, we are here because we've got
2:39 a great slate of fight of fights on Saturday night.
2:41 Let's take a look at the prelims.
2:43 The bantamweights are getting a start and then
2:45 we've got a catchweight bout in our second fight.
2:48 A really interesting women's flyweight match up
2:50 between JJ Aldrich and Jamie Lynn Horth.
2:52 And then a couple more great fights that you do not
2:55 want to miss on Paramount Plus followed by our main card.
2:59 They get to started in the lightweight division.
3:02 Thiago Moises versus Gage Young, Jasmine Jasudavicius and Karine Silva.
3:06 And several more exciting match ups only on Paramount Plus.
3:11 Michael, I want to start off with Gilbert
3:13 Burns because he is no stranger to big fights,
3:16 big moments, and high pressure main events.
3:20 Well, listen.
3:20 Dean Thomas said it best.
3:21 Pressure either makes diamonds or it bursts pipes.
3:24 And it doesn't affect Gilbert Burns at all.
3:25 He always shines in these big moments.
3:27 But let me tell you something.
3:27 Gilbert Burns is that stereotypical elite grappler
3:31 that falls in love with his hands.
3:33 He has so much power in both hands and he will load up his right hand
3:36 by level changing and squatting down to chamber
3:38 the right and that also masks his takedown attempts.
3:41 He's got great wrestling.
3:42 He's a multiple time world champion in jiu-jitsu and I would like to see
3:45 him use all of the arts in mixed martial arts in this fight.
3:48 Well, he's taking on a very tough challenge.
3:50 You Anthony, this is a dream come true for him.
3:52 It's Mike Malott's first UFC headliner, but he's doing so on Canadian soil.
3:56 Yeah, he's doing it right here in his home country,
3:58 and I think that's going to add a lot of pressure.
4:00 But, with what we've seen out of Mike Malott,
4:01 he's going to respond to that pressure probably in a pretty good way.
4:05 Listen, this guy has zero holes in his game.
4:07 He's this new generation of fighter.
4:09 He didn't start as a striker and then transition MMA.
4:12 He didn't start as a jiu-jitsu guy and then had to learn striking.
4:14 He's learned it all completely.
4:16 He's a complete fighter.
4:17 He's a dangerous striker.
4:18 He's got a great ground game.
4:20 He's extremely well conditioned.
4:22 Yeah, and he's proven that many times inside the octagon.
4:24 And veteran reporter Heidi Androl actually joins us now.
4:27 And Heidi, I know you've been with the athletes all week long,
4:29 particularly the Canadian half of the main event.
4:32 I mean, what really stands out to you in your conversations with Mike Malott?
4:35 That's right, Megan.
4:36 20 years in the making.
4:38 That is exactly what this means for Mike Malott.
4:41 The 34-year-old Ottawa native said that he's been dreaming
4:45 of this moment since he was just a teenager.
4:48 Brendan Fitzgerald trying to steal the shine back there, talking to Mike Malott.
4:52 You know, Mike said that after that Kevin Holland fight,
4:55 he actually knew five rounders were going to be coming his way.
4:59 So, he went straight to work.
5:00 Anthony mentioned his conditioning.
5:02 He upped the strength and conditioning for this fight.
5:05 He went straight to work doing shark tanks,
5:08 one fresh guy after another to make sure that he was in shape for Gilbert Burns.
5:12 He joins some pretty elite company, Georges St-Pierre, Rory MacDonald,
5:16 the only other two Canadians to ever headline a UFC event here on home soil.
5:21 He does not feel like this is pressure having the entire country on his back.
5:25 He told me his UFC debut was in the early prelims in Jacksonville,
5:30 Florida, UFC 273, and he treated that like a main event.
5:33 He's had a mental coach for 13 years.
5:36 He told me that he has treated every fight since like a main event.
5:39 And tonight, this is just this weekend,
5:41 rather, is just another notch in his belt.
5:44 And he says he's just living his destiny.
5:47 Guys, Heidi, thank you so much.
5:49 I mean, those are That's some elite company to join.
5:51 Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald, Anthony.
5:53 Yeah, you know, pressure is a privilege,
5:55 and it seems like he's acting like that.
5:57 He's He's really excited to be here, and and and that makes a difference.
6:01 If he's nervous and he's he wants to prove everyone right,
6:03 and he wants to carry it on his back, that's different.
6:05 It seems like he's just happy to be here.
6:07 Pressure seems to be a common theme in this main event.
6:09 Mike Malott said openly in the UFC Journey show that the pressure
6:12 of him being the face of Canadian MMA got to him,
6:15 and he and he and it got the best of him in that fight.
6:17 And for Gilbert, the pressure of having to turn around these young upstarts,
6:20 that's what lies on both these guys' shoulders.
6:22 No, absolutely.
6:23 Well, the fighters are ready for one final face-off.
6:25 Let's throw it down to our MC, Brendan Fitzgerald.
6:31 GREAT TO BE BACK IN WINNIPEG, FIGHT FANS.
6:33 LET'S HEAR IT.
6:37 GET LOUDER THAN THAT.
6:37 COME ON, THIS IS CANADA.
6:40 Red Dela Cruz, Chrissy Blair is here.
6:43 Sean Shelby on hand to stare these fighters down.
6:45 Dana White not missing the action, he'll be here tomorrow night.
6:48 We got 12 fights coming your way from the home of your Winnipeg Jets.
6:53 We begin in the bantamweight division, where Jamie Siraj takes on John Yannis.
6:58 First to the scale this afternoon, John Yannis.
7:05 All right, guys, we got John Yannis, 9 and 4 overall.
7:09 He's coming off a setback in his UFC debut,
7:12 but now he's back down in his normal weight class as a bantamweight.
7:14 He's looking to get back on track here.
7:16 He fights primarily as a southpaw,
7:18 and he's got really clean boxing, and he fights with beautiful angles.
7:22 He's got a lot of experience in some of the high-level regional shows.
7:25 So far, he's shown to be a bit of a late starter, though.
7:27 He has He's got several finishes later in the rounds,
7:30 which is some high-level experience.
7:32 And you know, when we talk about Jamie Siraj,
7:35 Jamie Siraj has overcome so much adversity just to get to this moment.
7:39 You would think the fact that he hasn't made
7:40 135 lb in 8 years would be the biggest challenge,
7:43 but that pales in comparison to developing
7:46 autoimmune encephalitis and hyper IGE syndrome in 2019.
7:50 He battled sepsis multiple times.
7:52 He ended up in a coma.
7:54 So, when you think that he had a big
7:55 weight cut ahead of him with a short notice fight,
7:57 it was nothing for this young man.
7:59 I have been calling his fights in BFL for a long time.
8:01 This is long overdue.
8:02 I am excited to see him get his opportunity inside the octagon.
8:06 Sometimes you think when someone is that sick they would run away from danger,
8:09 but it's almost like it's given him a rejuvenation
8:11 and and an appreciation for being able to do something like that.
8:14 Up next a catchweight bout at 139
8:17 pounds between John Castaneda and Mark Volkov D.
8:21 First to the scale Mark Volkov D.
8:26 Listen you guys, a lot of times I like to dig deep,
8:28 pick up some good facts for you guys to know,
8:30 but I'm just going to keep it simple.
8:31 If you are unfamiliar with Mark Volkov D, do yourself a favor.
8:35 Go watch his Dana White's Contender Series fight against Adrian Luna Martinetti.
8:39 It is without a doubt the greatest fight
8:42 in the history of Dana White's Contender Series.
8:44 Anthony, you were there octagon side.
8:46 One of the craziest fights you will ever see, period.
8:48 Doesn't mean it's Contender Series.
8:50 If it's UFC, that fight was wild.
8:57 All right, headed to the scale we got John Castaneda.
9:00 This guy is a grizzled veteran in the bantamweight
9:02 division with an overall record 21 and 8.
9:05 Uh he's 4 and 4 in the UFC,
9:06 but fans know him for his relentless pace as well rounded
9:09 skill set with a couple really gritty hard earned decision wins.
9:14 Uh this is going to be a great fight
9:15 because both these guys do fight in the hard way.
9:18 They absolutely do.
9:18 This one is a catchweight at 139 pounds.
9:26 A top 15 ranking is at stake in the women's
9:28 flyweight division when JJ Aldrich takes on Jamie Lynn Hort.
9:32 First to the scale out of Squamish, British Columbia, Jamie Lynn Hort.
9:38 Well, Jamie Lynn Horth is fighting on her home soil.
9:40 She represents Canada.
9:42 She's also coming off her first finish
9:43 inside the UFC octagon this past December.
9:46 She's a former high-level soccer player.
9:47 You can see her athleticism within her performances
9:50 and just the way she trains is unbelievable.
9:53 But guys, we can talk about her fight
9:54 accolades and we certainly will tomorrow night,
9:56 but I've got to talk about the fact that she's
9:58 a logger sports choker race champion seven years in a row.
10:01 Basically, it's an obstacle course that simulates
10:05 the dangerous world of setting rigging for logging.
10:07 It is unbelievable.
10:08 They run around with an 80-lb steel cable while they're tying things to logs,
10:14 cutting up logs, and she's been the champion seven times in a row.
10:17 Yeah, and listen, then on the other side you got JJ Aldrich.
10:20 She was born to a homeless single mother in Denver, Colorado,
10:22 going through homeless shelters and tons of adversity
10:25 without her father at father in her life.
10:27 Later on, her mother established a child care business
10:29 and finally put her and her sister into Taekwondo,
10:33 and the rest was history.
10:34 Now, she's got a 10 and 6 UFC record, two first-round finishes,
10:38 three wins by knockout,
10:39 just a lifelong martial artist that is comfortable with adversity.
10:43 She's must-see TV, guys.
10:46 It's a great match-up.
10:47 Very good match-up.
10:48 Jamie's tough.
10:49 I've been calling Jamie's fights for a while.
10:50 This is going to be incredible.
10:57 Next, we move to the women's bantamweight division.
10:59 Melissa Croden takes on Daria Zheleznyakova.
11:03 First to the scale, Daria Zheleznyakova.
11:09 Well, Daria Zheleznyakova's nickname is the Iron Lady
11:11 because her last name means iron in Russian,
11:14 and I appreciate Brendan Fitzgerald sending me over the voice
11:16 memo to make sure I was saying Zheleznyakova correctly earlier today.
11:20 But she's coming off a win over Melissa Mullins in June.
11:22 That was actually a loss that she had from 2022 pre-UFC.
11:27 She was able to avenge that.
11:28 She's one of just two fighters who are female representing Russia on the roster,
11:33 the other being Yana Santos.
11:34 But, she's lived in UFC She's lived in Las Vegas since earlier in 2025.
11:40 She's done a lot of training with Dewey
11:41 Cooper and at the harder training center.
11:43 She really feels like that has made a difference in all of her fights.
11:52 All right, guys.
11:53 I I'm a gentleman and I typically wouldn't talk about a woman's weight.
11:58 Melissa Croden is impressive.
12:00 Word on the street is that at 5'9", she walks north of 150 or 155 lbs.
12:05 She has a surgical approach to her weight cut.
12:07 You pair that physical advantage that she's going to hold
12:10 over most of the division with her clean striking, her clinch.
12:13 She has natural knockout power.
12:15 She's 1 and 1 in the UFC, but I think once she starts to get on a roll,
12:18 she finds her bearings here in the UFC.
12:20 I think she's going to be a big problem for the entire bantamweight division,
12:24 and Canada absolutely loves her.
12:26 Yeah, I got to say, I'm so glad you had that pronunciation, Megan.
12:28 I would have butchered that thing 100 ways from the weekend.
12:31 Thank god we have you.
12:33 We'll see how I do the rest of the show.
12:34 Next, we move to the heavyweight division.
12:36 Tanner Boser takes on Gokhan Saki.
12:40 First to the scale, making his UFC debut, Gokhan Saki.
12:46 You know, the story of Gokhan Saki and and how
12:48 he has approached mixed martial arts training is very, very interesting.
12:52 This is a guy that started with boxing at 13 in Belgium.
12:55 Started transitioning to mixed martial arts, and at 27,
12:58 he started going to Netherlands to train with Gegard Mousasi.
13:01 And in between all this, this guy was going
13:03 country to country throughout the course of the week,
13:05 not every single day, but spending 4 days a week with Gegard,
13:08 and then spending 4 days a week training in other countries,
13:11 doing everything he had to do to prepare himself for for this moment.
13:17 And it also helps that he spent time training
13:19 in Las Vegas with Alexander Volkov for this fight.
13:22 The bulldozer, Boser.
13:26 All right, guys.
13:27 I got a fun fact for you.
13:28 Tanner Boser has long been one of my favorite fighters.
13:31 He's just a greedy, grimy guy.
13:34 He had a slight stay a small stint at light heavyweight
13:37 before going back to heavyweight outside of outside of the UFC.
13:40 He left the UFC with a win.
13:43 Uh he's back at heavyweight.
13:44 He moves really well for his size.
13:45 He has a really dangerous lead hand, specifically his jab and check hook.
13:50 And he's just violent.
13:51 If you guys get bored, go watch Tanner Boser versus a Lerey Tipi.
13:55 I watched it live and it was like two bulls continuing to crash into each other.
14:00 And since that day, Tanner Boser has been one of my funnest guys to watch.
14:03 Oh, yeah.
14:04 We were all just saying, "Hey,
14:06 we can't wait for Tanner Boser to return to the octagon."
14:09 This should be a great match up at heavyweight.
14:10 He's a really nice guy, too.
14:11 Next we move to the middleweight division.
14:13 Julio Le Blanc takes on Robert Valentine.
14:16 First to the scale, Robert Valentine.
14:21 Well, Robert Valentine is from Switzerland, but he trains, excuse me,
14:24 in Las Vegas at the PI and Extreme Couture with Dewey Cooper and Jason Manley.
14:28 He's actually used Edmen Shahbazyan and Sean
14:30 Strickland for some of his main training partners.
14:33 But I love what he said on his UFC bio.
14:36 We ask every athlete who their heroes are.
14:37 And he said something that I thought was really special.
14:39 He said it's the people who work at the PI because they
14:42 make our lives so much easier and they see so many athletes,
14:45 but they always have such a warm
14:47 heart and they're so supportive to each individual.
14:50 And I'm so glad he did that so that we could shout
14:52 out everyone who works at the PI day in and day out.
14:54 They make such a difference in everyone's life.
14:56 They have an incredible staff.
14:58 And on the other side, we have Julian Le Blanc.
14:59 And listen, I got to give a shout out to my guy Spencer
15:01 Kyte cuz I'm reading this directly from the article that he put out.
15:04 Listen, after amassing a five-fight win streak on the regional scene,
15:06 the long-time middleweight standout was close to calling it quits.
15:09 He was just unsure of when he would get signed to the UFC.
15:12 The pandemic hit, that kind of stalled his momentum.
15:14 Had a good opponent lined up for his last fight on the regional scene.
15:17 They They withdrew and he had to fight
15:19 some lesser competition and he had his doubts.
15:22 After going on a wellness retreat to address you
15:24 know his brain health and some some past issues.
15:27 Came back rejuvenated, refreshed,
15:29 a different fighter and then shortly after got the call to make his UFC debut.
15:34 And yeah Megan T, it's what you were saying.
15:36 The staff of the UFC PI,
15:37 they are so selfless in in the way that they approach helping us fighters.
15:41 They take so much time out of their lives and go out of the way
15:43 for us to compete at our best not just in the octagon but in life as well.
15:57 Guys, debuting in the UFC and finding yourself right on a main card is
15:59 a great insight to the potential
16:01 that the the powers that be believe that you have.
16:05 Uh this guy is a lot of fun.
16:06 You can go back and watch his Contender Series fight.
16:08 He's got absolute dynamite in his hands,
16:10 especially his left hand which is his lead hand.
16:12 Uh he's calm and calculated in the pocket and being such
16:15 a young fighter and being able to have that vision while you kind
16:18 of got things flying at your your head and being able
16:20 to stay composed throw the right shot not just every single big shot.
16:26 He takes his time.
16:27 He's patient and I believe he's only been to decision once in 19 fights.
16:33 Yeah, like you were saying Anthony, for as much of a finisher as he is,
16:35 he does not he does not get anxious.
16:37 And on the other side you got Dennis Buzukja and listen,
16:39 I love listening to Jim to Jim Norton and Matt Serra and I'm listening
16:43 to Dennis Buzukja's interview with his coach Matt Serra and this is crazy guys.
16:48 Dennis Buzukja's fiance was questioning his fighting future.
16:51 She had a lot of concerns if he was going to fight
16:52 in the UFC again or if he was going to get released.
16:55 Then out of nowhere she up and left him.
16:58 Just bounced, left the guy.
17:00 And then what happens the next week?
17:02 He gets signed to the UFC.
17:03 So maybe she wasn't like a ride or die, she was just a ride or die.
17:07 But nonetheless, Dennis Buzukja is refreshed.
17:10 He's been training in Miami, feels very prepared for this moment.
17:13 He's refreshed, he's rejuvenated.
17:15 And listen, anybody from the Serra-Longo fight team,
17:17 you know you're in for a fight.
17:19 You know you're in for a very, very tough fight.
17:30 Uh-oh.
17:31 Oh.
17:32 I love the intensity.
17:33 Love it.
17:37 Up next is the main card on Paramount Plus.
17:41 It begins in the lightweight division.
17:42 Thiago Moises takes on Gage Young.
17:45 First to the scale, Gage Young.
17:49 All right, Kansas City's own Gage Young
17:52 and trained by my long-time training partner Zach Cummings.
17:57 Uh he hasn't been in the he hasn't fought since August and looking
18:00 to build up his unanimous decision win he had in his debut.
18:03 It was short notice and it didn't go his way.
18:05 So at least he's back on the winning side.
18:08 Uh he told me this morning he's really focused.
18:10 Zach Cummings told me this morning he's
18:12 really focused on his strength and conditioning,
18:14 trying to grow into this weight class as he gets older.
18:18 Well, he's taking on Thiago Moises who has moved from American
18:20 Top Team in Florida to the Fighting Nerds in Sao Paulo.
18:24 You know, it's been almost a year since
18:25 we last saw him compete inside the octagon,
18:28 but he has been training for his entire life.
18:30 He started even when he was just 8 years old with his dad.
18:33 He said, "I always went to the gym with him and I just knew I
18:35 wanted to be a professional fighter one
18:37 day." Started with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and never stopped.
18:40 Clearly it has paid off.
18:41 He's a Jiu-Jitsu black belt now.
18:44 He just feels refreshed both physically from the time off,
18:47 but also mentally now training with the Fighting Nerds.
18:50 You know, and what I'm excited for for this fight,
18:52 and I know we're going to talk about it later,
18:53 is Gage Young getting to fight in a neutral setting.
18:56 UFC debut in Kansas City, big fight feels with your fans there,
18:59 and then having to go to to China and fight one of their native guys.
19:02 Now he gets to fight in a neutral setting.
19:04 I think we'll see the best of him tomorrow night.
19:06 straw weight division clash when Jasmine Jasudavicius takes on Karolina Silva.
19:11 First to the scale, Karina Silva.
19:15 Well, it's 9 versus 7 in a really pivotal pivotal matchup here.
19:19 Karina Silva has traveled a long way from Brazil to be here in Canada.
19:23 And you know, she is in an interesting spot right now.
19:27 She obviously wants to move up in the rankings
19:29 and she's got to get back to her winning ways.
19:31 A lot of people believe that grappling is her best way to a hand raise.
19:35 She makes people be very defensive when they are on the canvas.
19:38 And she's also team fighting nerds, guys.
19:40 So, she's got a great team behind her.
19:42 And I got a great story for you guys about Jasmine Jasudavicius.
19:45 I'm sure I've said this before,
19:46 but anytime I get to talk about it, I'm going to bring it up.
19:48 I spent a lot of time training
19:49 with the Niagara Top Team fighters down in Las Vegas.
19:52 So, I shared the training room with Jasmine.
19:54 And listen, I've been on the mat and seen some of the craziest sparring
19:57 rounds with the who's who list of world champions and kickboxers, you name it.
20:03 I'll never forget looking over and seeing
20:05 Jasmine Jasudavicius having a prominent fighter
20:08 in another promotion fully mounted and her elbowing her in the face repeatedly.
20:13 One of the meanest sequences I've ever seen in a sparring session.
20:17 And it was Jasmine Jasudavicius.
20:18 And I will say this, she did have elbow pads on.
20:21 So, it wasn't too egregious, but nonetheless, she's downright mean.
20:25 Nice person, but just mean in the octagon.
20:27 In the lightweight division,
20:28 Mantell Nalo makes his UFC debut against Jai Herbert.
20:32 First to the scale, Jai Herbert.
20:37 All right, Jai Herbert made his UFC debut in July of 2020.
20:41 And he's essentially alternated wins and losses since his signing.
20:43 But if you look at his list of opponents, it's going to be easy to find out why.
20:48 Francisco Trinaldo, uh Moicano, Ilia Topuria, Fares Ziam.
20:52 And that's just the That's just a couple of them.
20:55 He's just had such a tough run in the UFC so far.
20:58 He's been in the deep end from the very beginning.
21:00 I'd love to see him find his stride, finally get a little bit comfortable.
21:03 And that's what his team is looking for.
21:04 They think a streak and a little bit of a downhill run,
21:07 that even at 37 years old,
21:08 they still believe if he can do that and find his confidence,
21:11 that the best is still in front of him.
21:13 And I don't disagree.
21:19 Mandel Nallo, I had the pleasure
21:21 of calling his Dana White's Contender Series fight.
21:23 And it's been 15 years since he won his first amateur fight.
21:26 And tomorrow will be a dream dream fulfilled
21:28 for the man that they used to call rat garbage.
21:30 But listen, this is a very fun fact about Mandel Nallo.
21:34 The Dana White's Contender Series is all about finding the young talent,
21:38 the young prospects.
21:40 Mandel Nallo was 36 years old when he defeated Samuel Silva by knockout.
21:44 He is the oldest fighter to get signed off Dana White's Contender Series.
21:49 And to me, he It's like him and Aiemann Zahabi,
21:52 they're in this league of their own where they're like they're
21:54 they're having their UFC runs early and into the late 30s,
21:57 but they have so much knowledge having spent so
21:59 much time at TriStar around Georges St-Pierre with Firas Zahabi.
22:04 I do think that obviously time is not on his side,
22:06 but I think Mandel Nallo has the skills to go on a serious run at 36 years old.
22:11 I retired at 37.
22:13 He's starting at 36.
22:15 That's wild.
22:16 You're old.
22:17 Good for him.
22:18 You're old.
22:19 He looks in incredible shape though.
22:20 He's jacked.
22:22 I still wish he was rat garbage, but
22:25 Next up is our co-main event in the bantamweight division,
22:28 Kyle Phillips 6 on Charles Jourdain.
22:31 First to the scale out of Montreal, Quebec, Charles Jourdain.
22:41 Listen, Charles Jourdain is very honest about the demands of making 135 lbs.
22:45 And this is a guy that competed at featherweight and lightweight as well.
22:48 But the crazy thing is is since working with the PI,
22:52 he is bigger and stronger than he has ever been.
22:54 His weight is dialed.
22:56 And and it takes a lot of discipline.
22:58 So much so that he said before the Jourdain Silva fight,
23:01 he was eating pizza 2 days before,
23:02 so being down at bantamweight takes a lot more discipline,
23:05 but physically he's more fit than ever.
23:08 And getting all the boos here in Canada is Kyler Phillips.
23:12 Kyler Phillips is a really unique athlete.
23:14 He has a really unusual way of moving.
23:17 He has a a really dynamic diverse style of striking.
23:20 He's got He's got crazy kicks.
23:22 He'll spin, but he actually has a wrestling background.
23:24 He's a He's a black belt jiu-jitsu.
23:26 He's got a really dangerous grappling game.
23:29 At any times he will lay really heavy on his wrestling and at times
23:33 he gets a little bit gets a little bit tired in in those later rounds,
23:37 but he is looking to slow that down a little bit.
23:40 He's got great hair.
23:42 I love his hair.
23:43 Look at this.
23:44 And fight fans, a big main event tomorrow night
23:46 in the welterweight division where one of your own takes center stage.
23:49 Time to take a closer look.
23:54 It means the world to me to headline a fight in Canada.
23:57 This is exactly what I've wanted since I first got into the sport.
24:00 Being able to represent my country on the world stage at home.
24:05 This has been in my mind for 30 years.
24:08 I think this is the tallest most noble mountain I can
24:12 climb and I want to get to the top of it.
24:17 Enter Mike Malott.
24:18 He is ubiquitously regarded right now as Canada's
24:21 best hope for a UFC world title.
24:23 He has become a huge name north of the border
24:27 and how COULD HE NOT WHEN HE FIGHTS LIKE HE DOES?
24:31 Malott with a massive land.
24:33 GALL IS OUT.
24:34 OH MY GOODNESS.
24:36 PROPER MIKE MALOTT.
24:38 I'm really hitting my stride now.
24:41 At any point if anyone in the world makes a mistake against me,
24:44 it's lights out or it's tap out.
24:46 Oh, guillotine.
24:47 Oh, that's really tight.
24:49 Oh, he tapped.
24:50 This was Canadian MMA coming back strong, baby.
24:55 Feel like we should start calling this guy Captain Canada.
24:57 He looks the part, sounds the part.
25:00 We can run with anybody in the world.
25:02 We're the best country IN THE WORLD.
25:04 NOBODY'S stolen out our maple leaf militia.
25:09 I've been 12 years in the UFC.
25:11 24 fights.
25:13 All these experience that I have,
25:14 it's time to use because before it was just a rash.
25:18 No, let's see who is stronger.
25:19 I don't care.
25:20 Let's go.
25:20 I want to push forward.
25:22 But now I got to use the wisdom.
25:25 I want to prove to myself, not to anyone,
25:29 but I want to prove to myself that I still can do this on the highest level.
25:33 They think that I'm done, but I'm not done.
25:37 You want to talk about world-class?
25:39 Gilbert Burns is world-class in every single category.
25:43 Heart, grit, determination, four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion,
25:49 and he's just so game.
25:51 I fought the best of the best.
25:55 Tomorrow Wonder Boy title will leave.
25:59 She might have Oh, HOW HE'S STAGGERED HIM.
26:02 HE'S DOWN.
26:04 OH MY GOD.
26:05 I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS SO TOUGH.
26:07 I got to use all my wisdom on this fight, all my experience.
26:11 That's going to be the difference.
26:13 THERE'S THE TAP.
26:14 GILBERT BURNS.
26:16 I THINK MY OPPONENT IS A VERY tough opponent,
26:18 but I do believe the match-up is good for me.
26:21 He's got all the experience, he's got the power,
26:23 he's got the Jiu-Jitsu, he's got everything that he thinks to beat him.
26:28 Underestimate Gilbert Burns at your peril.
26:32 This is a massive fight for me.
26:34 A victory over Burns cements me as one of the best fighters on the planet,
26:39 so I'm going to fight with everything that I have.
26:43 Mike "The Lion" Savage Hall.
26:45 There's no damn way I wasn't holding down the fort tonight.
26:49 I'm going to finish Mike Mallott tonight.
26:51 I can submit him, I can TKO him.
26:54 It's never easy, but I believe I'll be able to take him out.
26:58 The pressure is on you, my guy.
27:01 I'm going to have the best performance of my career tonight.
27:04 At any point over 25 minutes, you make a mistake, it could be over.
27:13 First to the scale fighting out of Fort Hill, Ontario.
27:18 Give it up for proper Mike Malott.
27:24 There's the There's that pop we were waiting for.
27:27 At 6 and 1 in the UFC,
27:28 he's 3 and 0 since he learned that lesson from Neil Magny.
27:32 This guy's firing on all cylinders.
27:34 He's got no holes in his game.
27:36 He's an incredible athlete and a complete mixed martial artist.
27:38 He's He's this new generation of MMA
27:40 fighters that we're seeing take over the sport.
27:43 He's got crazy power in his hands, mixes it really well with his kicks.
27:47 He's got a really dangerous ground game.
27:49 He's got all the makings and the writings of a future world champion.
27:52 We're going to find out exactly how
27:54 close he is tomorrow night with Gilbert Burns.
27:55 He's going to get pushed to his absolute limit.
27:58 And it's also worth noting that he brought in Adam Poster,
28:00 who's one of the hottest Canadian prospects on the scene right now.
28:03 Look to see him in the UFC soon.
28:10 Little love for Durinho out here in Canada.
28:12 Hey, listen.
28:13 Gilbert Burns' MMA career started with the help
28:16 of veteran cage fighter Vitor Belfort,
28:18 who brought Gilbert in to help him as the jiu-jitsu
28:21 coach for the 2012 show The Ultimate Fighter in Brazil.
28:25 But for this fight with Mike Malott,
28:27 Gilbert's competing for the sheer fact that he wants to, not that he needs to.
28:30 His family is taken care of.
28:31 He doesn't need to do this anymore.
28:33 He's fighting because he wants to, because he loves the sport.
28:35 And at almost 40 years old,
28:36 he believes that he's constantly evolving enough to run
28:40 with the pack of the young hungry fighters at 170 lbs.
28:43 He's This is a case of want versus need.
28:45 The want supersedes the need.
28:47 ahead of his headliner tomorrow night right here in Winnipeg.
28:51 How do you describe what this moment and this week has been like for you?
28:56 I've never felt so privileged in my life, man.
28:58 This is so incredible to get to represent
29:01 my country in the UFC in the main event, man.
29:04 I love you guys.
29:05 This is This is a dream come true.
29:08 Thank you so much for making my dream come to reality.
29:11 Well earned.
29:12 Good luck tomorrow night.
29:14 Proper Mike Malott, everybody.
29:21 Here to try to spoil the party is Gilbert Burns.
29:24 Gilbert, you've wanted the toughest challenges this sport has to offer and now
29:29 you're trying to hold off a rising prospect in his home country.
29:31 Give us your thoughts ahead of the main event.
29:35 Thank you, Canada.
29:36 Winnipeg is very nice.
29:37 I had a lot of fun, but guess what?
29:39 I'm going to smash your boy tomorrow.
29:44 Gilbert Burns, ladies and gentlemen.
29:47 Tomorrow night right here Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg.
29:49 Thank you for turning out on a Friday.
29:51 We'll see you tomorrow.
29:52 Have fun this weekend.
29:55 We are coming to you live from Winnipeg and the UFC
29:57 ceremonial weigh-in show is presented by Mountain Dew and American original,
30:01 tasting great since '48.
30:03 We'll be right back to break it all down in just 30 seconds.
30:08 Mountain Dew was established in 1948.
30:11 It's been a good time for a long time.
30:34 American original, tasting great since '48.
30:38 Business trip to Turkey.
30:39 All right, we appreciate you joining us.
30:41 The fighters are off the scales and we
30:42 just saw the final face-off in our main event.
30:45 Michael, what did you take from Mike Malott
30:46 and Gilbert Burns looking into each other's eyes?
30:48 It just has big fight feels.
30:50 There's such big implications for the division with this fight.
30:53 And Gilbert Burns is as game as they come.
30:55 He brings the intensity.
30:56 Look, he's one of the nicest guy guys outside of competition,
30:59 but just look at the look at the confidence Gilbert Burns has.
31:02 He's never He's so battle-tested.
31:04 He's not going to waver from the challenge that Mike Malott possesses,
31:07 but Mike Malott looks like a man with a lot
31:08 of confidence as he should be riding into his first main event.
31:12 Yeah, that looked to me like there was two two
31:14 men that know the danger that they're getting into tomorrow.
31:17 There was no machismo.
31:18 There's no trying to intimidate each other.
31:20 They're not pushing and shoving.
31:21 They look like two guys that know exactly what they have to do tomorrow.
31:24 They know exactly how hard of a challenge
31:25 this is and they seem to calm and super focused
31:28 and and that's what I expect out of the two
31:29 of the the higher-level fighters in the world.
31:32 The best fighters you're not going to intimidate those guys.
31:34 They're not You're not going to say or do anything
31:36 or or make a face that's going to scare them away.
31:38 They know exactly what they're getting into.
31:40 Absolutely, but I want to talk about a first main event.
31:42 It's a big deal in the UFC.
31:43 You go from three rounds to five potentially and for preparation is different.
31:48 But now Mike Malott is not just having his first
31:50 main event that he has to prep for physically,
31:52 but he's also here in Canada and really carrying the flag,
31:55 you know, for Canadian MMA here.
31:57 Anthony, is there additional pressure that maybe athletes
32:00 try not to think about, but it exists?
32:03 Yeah, he won't tell he won't talk about it until after.
32:05 He won't He won't show it to anybody in the world,
32:08 but he absolutely has a lot of pressure because now
32:10 that you know that the UFC is investing in you.
32:13 Your name is on the posters.
32:14 Your face is on the posters.
32:15 All the promotion is about you.
32:17 You've had a bunch of UFC crews and cameras following you around at the gym.
32:21 It feels different.
32:22 No matter how much you want to pretend that it's not,
32:25 it absolutely feels different.
32:26 You know that now there's an expectation for you
32:29 to do certain things when you're in there.
32:30 If you get a first main event and then you lose,
32:32 now things start to look different.
32:34 He's going going not to think about that.
32:36 His coaches are going to tell him not to think about that, but he absolutely is.
32:38 It's creeping in and he's doing all he can do to push it out.
32:41 Well, and here's the other scenario is listen,
32:43 the last blip on his record was Neil Magny.
32:46 And what happened in that fight?
32:47 Neil Magny drug him into deep waters that was
32:50 unchartered for him and unfortunately he couldn't he couldn't swim.
32:53 Since then he's gone to a decision with Trevin Giles,
32:56 he's gone to a decision with Kevin Holland,
32:57 but Gilbert Burns is on a different level.
32:59 If if Mike Malott can't put Gilbert Burns out
33:02 in those first three rounds and it hits rounds four and five,
33:05 does does the doubt of that Magny fight do
33:07 those doubts does that pressure start to creep into his head?
33:09 Because if it does, it's going to that snowball will turn
33:12 into an avalanche for him in those the rounds four and five.
33:15 So, it'll be interesting to see what happens with him
33:17 in the pressure of the main event the longer the fight goes.
33:20 Mike, and pivoting to Gilbert Burns, he has been here before.
33:22 This is old hat.
33:22 He was very comfortable even on the microphone saying, "Canada,
33:25 I'm going to smash your boy." How does he lean on the experience?
33:28 How do you actually utilize the main event experience,
33:32 the big spot experience to find success in a fight like this?
33:36 Well, you use it to your advantage by just being comfortable.
33:38 I mean, Gilbert Burns he he's fought for a world championship.
33:41 That's something you can speak to Anthony.
33:42 There is no there is no greater amount of pressure.
33:45 There is no higher stakes than being in a title fight.
33:48 And Gilbert Burns has been to the top and he's got
33:50 the experience of fighting guys like Khamzat Chimaev and Tyron Woodley.
33:54 Like his hit list, whether he beat him or not,
33:57 like he has fought some of the best.
33:59 So, for him, he's very comfortable in this space
34:01 and I feel like he doesn't feel pressure.
34:03 He gets to go into enemy territory and he's been open about like,
34:06 "I like going into enemy territory and having
34:08 the odds stacked against me from the crowd.
34:11 There's no pressure.
34:11 All I've got to do is go out and fight."
34:13 Well, I think you also have to be self-aware.
34:15 He has to know the position that he's in.
34:17 He understands that he's had some struggles recently,
34:19 but he also understands the reason he's the one fighting Mike Malott.
34:23 They're trying to figure out how good Mike Malott really is.
34:26 If you can beat a guy like Gilbert Burns,
34:28 that's going to rocket ship you to another
34:30 level in this division and Gilbert is he's understanding
34:33 of that, but he's also been in main
34:34 events and he knows what Mike Malott is feeling.
34:36 He knows what it's like to be the young up-and-comer that has
34:39 a lot of potential that may find himself in a title fight.
34:42 So, just being completely self-aware and understand what's happening
34:44 around you takes away the stress and the pressure.
34:47 And And now he can just go to work and do what he has to do.
34:49 I want to rewind real quick about something
34:51 I said about Gilbert Burns in the open.
34:53 Look, it's no secret he's on a four-fight skid right now,
34:56 but I had mentioned that he always rises to the occasion in moments like this.
35:00 This is a guy that always steps up.
35:01 Listen, if you look at those those four blips,
35:04 aside from the Michael Morales fight, Jack Della was in for a tough fight.
35:08 Sean Brady was in for a tough fight.
35:10 Like, win or lose, Gilbert Burns is going to push you to your absolute limit.
35:14 Well, what about the people he lost to?
35:16 Mike Malott would have a hard time with.
35:17 And Mike Malott knows that.
35:18 So, he's not looking at that like he has, you know,
35:21 that this is a a veteran that's on his way out the door that's not competing.
35:25 Mike Malott knows exactly how hard those fights were.
35:27 100%.
35:28 And we talk about Gilbert Burns' ability to rise to the occasion,
35:31 but he's also done so in jiu-jitsu as well.
35:34 I mean, you add in he's a full-time world champion in jiu-jitsu.
35:37 So, it's just a lifetime of high-level competition, but he doesn't do it alone.
35:41 He's got a whole team behind him.
35:42 He knows he has the right support in his corner
35:44 to allow for a hand raise on any given Saturday.
35:49 Henry Hooft is my head coach.
35:51 We've worked almost 14 years working with Henry.
35:54 Henry is a lot more than just a coach.
35:56 You know, he's a good friend, he's a good mentor.
35:58 He's a guy that's always around me.
35:59 We have each other's back, you know, we've been through a lot together.
36:03 A lot of wins, couple of losses.
36:05 I cornered with Henry in multiple times.
36:09 Smart pressure.
36:10 Get nice and low, huh?
36:11 Use your hands before YOU GET NICE.
36:13 OH, WOW!
36:15 GILBERT BURNS HAMMERS AWAY.
36:16 GILBERT BURNS.
36:18 OH, GILBERT, a lot of people know him.
36:20 He's a family man, he's a good guy, you know.
36:23 But, most of the most importantly for me,
36:25 he he has always been a good Always willing to learn
36:28 and also always being being a good teammate for other guys.
36:32 Um And I really always felt the trust that deal would have in me.
36:37 Um of guiding him in his career and make him strong.
36:42 Oh, he puts HIM DOWN AND THAT IS IT.
36:44 DURINHO BURNS.
36:47 WE have some big fights, we fought in moments, we fought in Brazil, in Vegas,
36:50 we fought in Denmark,
36:51 we fought in Europe like we fought in Canada, we fought in what?
36:55 A lot of other places, a lot of history that we make,
36:58 you know, like it's been a great journey being with him.
37:00 I appreciate him very much.
37:07 A very cool relationship from Gilbert and Henry Hooft.
37:11 But yeah, he's just an absolute killer.
37:12 He's the former welterweight title challenger and he's
37:15 got five wins versus ranked UFC opponents.
37:17 That's tied for the fifth most since 2019.
37:19 23 takedowns, I mean, and three armbars tied for the third most in UFC history
37:25 and Heidi Androl actually just caught up with him moments ago.
37:29 Thank you very much.
37:30 Well, Gilbert, 12 Thanks very much.
37:32 years in the UFC.
37:33 Your 25th UFC fight.
37:36 Kind of crazy to hear that out loud, I'm sure.
37:38 What have you done this you know,
37:40 you've seen the highest highs, the lowest lows.
37:42 What have you done to keep your confidence on point for Saturday night?
37:47 No, I have to build my confidence back, you know,
37:49 I honestly I lost a little bit and and it's okay, you know,
37:52 I got a couple losses fighting the toughest guys in the division
37:56 for a long time and uh didn't went my way,
37:59 but right after the Morales fight I talked to the coaches
38:03 and they were kind of got to rebuild my confidence.
38:05 It's not about technique, it's not about wheel,
38:08 it's not about skills, it's about my confidence.
38:10 We know we know I got all it takes to be on the top of the division for years,
38:15 but we got to build the confidence and that's where we work.
38:18 We work on build my the back and I'm very glad that we did, you know,
38:23 because I'm pretty confident that tomorrow is going to be a great night for me.
38:27 You know, Mike Malott made his UFC debut at UFC 273 Jacksonville, Florida.
38:32 You were fighting Khamzat Chimaev in your 19th UFC fight.
38:36 We talk a lot about experience, right?
38:38 But where does that experience give you the edge in this one specifically?
38:43 It gives me the edge because I It gives me the edge to me,
38:46 but I got to bring all that Saturday.
38:48 Doesn't mean before I was a guy when when he did his debut, I was a fresh guy.
38:55 I would just let's see who's the strongest.
38:57 But now with the whole experience, all the reason,
38:59 all the the experience that I have with all the fights,
39:02 now I'm not a fresh anymore.
39:04 Now I'm more I study more, I watch more clips, I drill more,
39:07 I do strategy and we looking forward to put
39:11 on a great strategy and beat him up tomorrow.
39:13 You've changed your training as well.
39:15 You told us you had the conversation with your coaches
39:17 you had to focus more on recovery in this camp.
39:20 How does that manifest itself inside the octagon on Saturday?
39:23 No, it manifest crazy with I would have great numbers.
39:26 The weight cut was very good.
39:28 I'm not going to make that cliche was the best weight cut.
39:30 I'm not going to say that, but Thank you for doing that.
39:33 These guys are all the best.
39:34 No, no, no.
39:35 It was great.
39:36 You know, like weight cut is not easy.
39:38 This one wasn't easy, but it was great.
39:41 Body fat was very low, 7.8 something like that.
39:44 Very low body fat.
39:46 Recovery was good, the sleep was good.
39:48 All the numbers are looking good.
39:49 So it's on me right now.
39:50 Like I said, confidence is up there and I'm going to show that tomorrow night.
39:54 Can't wait, Gilbert.
39:55 Thank you so much and I know the family's on the way.
39:57 Thank you.
39:58 Megan, back to you.
40:00 Thank you so much, Heidi.
40:01 Guys, I love what Gilbert's talking about there
40:03 in terms of confidence and getting confidence back, Mike.
40:06 You know, this is a physical sport,
40:08 but we often say that fighting is 90% mental.
40:10 I mean, how important is it to hear him acknowledge that he did have
40:14 to work on that and he feels like he's in the right place now.
40:17 Well, that's something that I can speak
40:19 to because I've been on a two-fight losing streak.
40:21 I've been on a three-fight losing streak,
40:22 and I know what it's like to have that doubt in your mind
40:25 when I know I have the skills and the physical abilities, and I'm not outgunned.
40:29 I'm just beating myself mentally.
40:31 I love the transparency from Gilbert Burns and him being honest
40:34 that he needed to go to his coaches to find a solution.
40:36 Obviously, he has the skills, but you need to get your mind behind the skills.
40:40 So, I'm I'm glad that he was taking the time to rebuild
40:43 his confidence before booking another fight cuz the That's the last thing
40:46 you want to do is just go start trying to chase
40:48 a win before addressing the things that are going on between the ears.
40:51 I love everything he talked about
40:52 mentally and addressing those issues with confidence,
40:55 but I really love when fighters will openly take away all excuses.
40:59 I had a great weight cut.
41:00 All the numbers were looking good.
41:02 My My body fat percentage was low.
41:03 My strategy was there.
41:04 I was sleeping good.
41:06 He took away any opportunity to make any excuses after the fight.
41:09 It tells me that's a guy that's prepared.
41:11 No, absolutely.
41:12 We know he trains with one of the best
41:13 teams in the world down there in South Florida.
41:14 He is one half of our main event.
41:16 Before the other half, Michael Malott is living a dream come true being atop
41:20 the marquee for the UFC for the very first time,
41:22 but at one point, he actually thought it was coaching,
41:25 not competing, that would be the rest of his career.
41:30 I decided to stop fighting in 2017 just because,
41:35 honestly, I just lost the passion for it.
41:37 So, I took a step back, and you know,
41:39 I kept training, especially in jiu-jitsu and wrestling and strength training,
41:42 and then I became one of the MMA coaches,
41:44 especially more so on the striking side of things.
41:47 You know, I mitt man and a coach and a cornerman for a lot of fighters.
41:51 So, the guys I cornered were Cody Garbrandt,
41:53 Urijah Faber, Andre Fili, Peter Ramos,
41:58 Alex Munoz, Darren Elkins, Thu Duc Shih Hara,
42:02 Jessica Rose Clark, Kyle Nelson, Song Yadong.
42:07 You get passes every time you fight in the UFC or you corner in the UFC.
42:10 So, I've got my passes for all my fights here.
42:14 It's cool to look back and see how many
42:15 times I've actually been involved in a UFC fight.
42:18 Like, this isn't all of them.
42:20 There were times I, you know,
42:21 flew out to fight week with Andre Fili or one of the guys
42:24 and just held mitts and hung out and helped them there,
42:26 but didn't or I've walked to the UFC octagon with fighters
42:31 or as the fighter like 30 times or something like that.
42:34 So, feel like I do have a lot of experience
42:36 compared to a lot of guys in my shoes.
42:38 I got to still be in the mixed martial
42:41 arts space and I got to be obsessed with it
42:43 in a different way and it's sparked a different type
42:45 of passion in me in the like pursuit of knowledge.
42:49 So, it became really beneficial to my MMA career now just cuz I was
42:53 so obsessed with technique and tactics
42:55 and and learning the strategic side of things,
42:57 but at the time it was so that I could help
43:00 other people in the long run and it ended up helping me.
43:07 What can't Mike Malott do?
43:08 He's on a three-fight win streak.
43:10 As you saw, he's a great coach, an even better competitor,
43:13 and we welcome him now to the set to join us for a little interview.
43:16 Mike, we appreciate your time as always.
43:18 I know it's been a very busy week.
43:20 Well, thank you for having me, guys.
43:21 This is a pleasure.
43:22 Thank you.
43:23 So, tell me what it's like balancing being a top of the marquee and now
43:26 I've got to imagine your phone is ringing off the hook or you're getting
43:29 a million text messages with friends and family who are here in Canada who want
43:32 to be a part of this, who are hitting you up to come here to Winnipeg.
43:36 Yeah, I mean, the phone's on silent now at this point pretty much,
43:38 but you know, um stay in focus, stay in dialed.
43:41 I love and appreciate all the support
43:43 and this is so meaningful to me and so special,
43:45 but uh you know, it's we got a job to do
43:48 tomorrow night and I'm focused and dialed in on that.
43:51 What what did it feel like when you got I'm a big feelings person.
43:54 So, what did it feel like when you got the call and they, you know,
43:57 they say, "Hey, we want you to fight Gilbert Burns main event in Canada?"
44:02 Genuinely excitement, man.
44:03 Like uh my manager called me.
44:04 He's like, "Okay, here's the date.
44:06 Here's the opponent." I'm like, "Oh, that's awesome." He's like,
44:08 "Got good we we we've got this." He's like, "Okay, one more thing.
44:10 It's uh it's going to be five rounds, man.
44:12 You got the main event." And it was just
44:13 like I hit a whole new level of excitement, right?
44:17 I was so excited.
44:19 So, now that you're here and and you guys have you
44:21 you all the work is put in, the training camp is done,
44:23 the weight cut is done, and you got to stand in front of him.
44:25 Do you feel like you've seen anything or did you
44:27 learn anything about him in those few seconds right here?
44:30 No, not really.
44:31 I mean, he's a he's a tough competitor, right?
44:33 He's going to come and and try to bring the fight
44:35 and he's going to try to make this a real fight.
44:37 But, uh I'm more focused on myself at this point, just feeling strong,
44:40 feeling grounded, and uh trusting that preparation that I put in.
44:44 You know, when I was doing my research,
44:45 I watched that UFC Journey feature that they filmed on you and Gilbert and you
44:49 had mentioned that there was some pressure
44:51 that got to you in that Neil Magny fight.
44:53 And as you head into this main event,
44:54 on a three-fight win streak, in the biggest slot of your career,
44:57 a main event here in Canada,
45:00 there's obviously going to be some pressure that comes with it.
45:01 What did you learn from the Magny fight
45:03 that you're applying to the fight tomorrow night?
45:05 To not focus on things that don't affect the outcome of the fight,
45:09 especially things that I can't control, right?
45:11 So, my focus has been really on my process.
45:13 My focus has been on what's going to affect the outcome of the fight
45:17 on Saturday night and what of those things can I control, right?
45:20 So, that's been my focus this entire camp,
45:22 and if it's not one of those things, I'm not focused on it.
45:25 You know, and I wanted to ask you too,
45:26 it's your career has been so fascinating because you you
45:29 started competing and then you embarked onto this coaching journey.
45:32 And you not only did you coach and corner,
45:34 but you you it was a lot of very high-level fights, high stakes, uh you know,
45:39 and I'm just curious, what was the biggest thing you learned as a coach being
45:42 in that space that you've applied to to you as a fighter?
45:45 Like, is there things that you learn from coaching
45:46 that you apply to what you do as a fighter now?
45:49 Yeah, one of the biggest things is tailoring things to me, right?
45:52 Just not trying to take a generic approach to preparing for fights,
45:55 recognizing that every fighter needs individual things,
45:59 needs needs a a different process, and recognizing that I'm no different.
46:03 I need some things different than other fighters, right?
46:06 So, uh just focusing on my needs specifically.
46:09 When it comes to your needs, how do you ensure that you have everything you
46:12 need to be successful over a potential 25, right?
46:15 We've prepared for three rounds many times in your career,
46:17 but what is it about your training that has to look different
46:21 in order to find a hand raise if it goes all five rounds?
46:24 Yeah, there's there's several factors that go into that as far as pacing,
46:27 as far as conditioning, as far as just being ready for a dog fight
46:30 for five rounds and we've covered all three of those bases.
46:33 From my last fight, I knew that there
46:34 was a possibility that I'd be going five rounds,
46:36 so I really doubled down since that fight on my cardio and my conditioning.
46:40 It's something like I didn't want to be preparing
46:42 for five rounds for the first time eight weeks out.
46:43 I wanted to have that box already checked and I
46:46 felt like I had that checked going into this camp.
46:48 Things like shark tanks this this camp.
46:52 My god, man.
46:53 This is some just a fresh guy on you who's
46:56 been sitting on the sidelines warming up when he comes
46:58 in in your fifth round and you're you just had
47:00 a a dog fight of four rounds and you're like, "Okay,
47:02 how do I pull how do I keep going in this fifth?" And you just find
47:06 a way to keep digging and and uh
47:07 stay disciplined and and try and implement that cardio,
47:10 but also just be ready to fight, right?
47:14 So, I don't want to insert anything if it's not already there,
47:17 but I would I'd be upset if I didn't ask you.
47:19 We have to talk about the pressure.
47:20 You're you're the the rising star in Canadian MMA.
47:24 It's your first main event.
47:25 I've been in nine.
47:26 The eighth one was just just as much pressure as the first one,
47:29 but the first one it's all new, so you don't know what to expect.
47:32 How do you manage the pressure and not put too much
47:34 on yourself and feel like you have to carry the flag
47:37 because I know you want to, but carrying it does
47:39 put a lot of pressure on you that may be unneeded.
47:42 Yeah, so that can definitely be something that you focus on.
47:44 Again, that doesn't actually affect the outcome of a fight, right?
47:47 So, man, of course I want to put on for my my country.
47:50 Of course I want to represent Canada well,
47:51 but does that affect the preparation that I put in?
47:54 Does that affect the things that I think I need to be aware of in the fight?
47:57 Does that affect how dangerous I am?
47:59 Does it affect the things that I actually plan on doing in the fight?
48:02 Not really.
48:03 So, I I try not to focus on that.
48:05 Again, that's out of my control.
48:06 I love that people are are, you know,
48:08 putting that pressure on me and in in a in a flattering way.
48:12 Like, people believe in me and want to see me do well.
48:14 But, at the end of the day,
48:15 their opinions of me aren't really any of my business.
48:18 I go out there and I do my thing, and they'll make their own opinions,
48:21 and they'll they'll form their own opinions outside of that.
48:23 You know, and we've just been so serious as we've had you here.
48:25 I kind of want to shake it up a little bit and have a little bit of fun, okay?
48:28 One of your fellow countrymen gets to go to the White House.
48:31 And wear wearing the Canadian flag on his shorts,
48:34 bring the flag in the octagon to the White House as he takes on Sean O'Malley.
48:37 What are your thoughts on the match up with Aiemann Zahabi and Sean O'Malley?
48:40 I think that's a fantastic fight, man.
48:41 I'm so glad to see Aiemann start getting some love, you know.
48:44 I feel very blessed that a lot of I've gotten a lot of attention in Canada,
48:47 but I almost feel like he's been a little bit overlooked in the end,
48:49 doesn't necessarily get the the love
48:51 that he deserves because he's an exceptional fighter,
48:54 and this is just such a great opportunity for him
48:56 to to blow the roof off roof off the place.
48:59 Yeah, I had I had one more question, too.
49:01 You know, this is kind of a big week
49:03 for your family because your brother playing for the Kings.
49:05 You know, we know we know he's kind of nursing an injury right now,
49:07 but the Kings are in the playoffs.
49:09 You're about to fight in the main event.
49:10 Like, what are those conversations like with your brother as you're both
49:13 head heading into two very pivotal moments in both of your athletic careers?
49:17 It's awesome, man.
49:18 Yeah, we've been talking a lot leading up to this fight,
49:20 and then this week talking a little bit, right?
49:22 Like, he's uh you know, bummed he can't be here,
49:24 but he's got business to take care of in LA, and uh I'm just so happy for him.
49:28 He's so happy for me, and uh going to go out,
49:31 fight my heart out tomorrow, and have the best performance of my career,
49:34 and then hopefully get on a plane at some point next
49:36 week and head down to LA to watch him do his thing.
49:38 God bless your parents.
49:39 I feel like What do they feed you guys?
49:41 Just so I can feed it to my kids.
49:43 Last time you fought,
49:44 your parents were watching your brother's game on their phone
49:46 in their seats waiting for you to make the walk to the octagon.
49:49 They must be simultaneously the most stressed and also
49:52 feeling the most blessed out of any parents anywhere.
49:54 Well, my dad was wearing I my one of my coaches told me today he saw
49:57 my dad and he was wearing my Malott
50:00 walkout sweater and my brother's Kings t-shirt, right?
50:04 So, he's got both of them on right now.
50:05 It's pretty cool.
50:06 That is awesome.
50:07 When Mike said he was going to have some fun,
50:09 I thought he was going to bring up I think you should leave him.
50:10 I'm just wondering how many hours of that have you watched this week?
50:12 Oh, yeah.
50:13 Too many.
50:13 Definitely too many.
50:15 Excellent.
50:15 Well, Mike, we appreciate it.
50:16 Best of luck to you.
50:17 Have fun.
50:18 Enjoy every moment.
50:19 I have no doubt that walkout is going to be very special for you.
50:21 Thank you very much, guys.
50:23 Thanks.
50:23 All right.
50:24 Well, Mike is just one of eight Canadians I'm sorry, 2 4 6 8.
50:28 Yeah, that's eight.
50:28 I can do math.
50:29 Eight Canadians that are fighting here in Winnipeg.
50:32 They are taking over the card and rightfully so.
50:34 There is some incredible talent from this country.
50:37 We are looking forward to all of those matchups.
50:39 But, Anthony, I want to start with our co-main
50:40 event because Kyler Phillips is taking on Charles Jourdain.
50:43 This is such an intriguing matchup at 135.
50:46 Canada's Jourdain is looking better than ever since the moving to Advance Point.
50:51 Yeah, it seems like the his weight class changes
50:53 was just the fresh coat of paint that he needed.
50:56 And sometimes it's just the extra work that it
50:57 takes to get down to that lower weight class.
50:59 You got to put in the extra miles.
51:01 You got to put in the extra strength and conditioning sessions.
51:03 But, he's always been dangerous and it's
51:05 it's not often that a fighter gets older,
51:07 moves down a weight class, and seems to get better.
51:09 But, he's been looking absolutely great.
51:10 He's dangerous on the ground.
51:12 He's an amazing striker.
51:13 Two guillotines in a row since moving to 135.
51:15 But, Kyler Phillips, Michael, has these incredible moments.
51:18 He's got big wins.
51:19 But, sometimes it feels like he has to put it together differently.
51:22 Well, it's it all boils down to energy
51:24 management because when you talk about the skills, this guy is so dynamic.
51:28 He gives you a lot of different stance changes,
51:30 takes a lot of angles after his combinations,
51:32 and he manages his range very well.
51:34 Measures it up with his jab and his low kicks.
51:36 And once he establishes his range,
51:38 he does such a good job stepping in, landing his shots,
51:40 and stepping away from the counters.
51:42 No, yeah.
51:42 He's so dynamic.
51:43 He did a sweet flip after he wins his fights.
51:45 This guy's a lot of fun to watch.
51:46 prepares with some of the best at the MMA lab.
51:48 But Anthony, this is a weigh-in show,
51:50 so let's talk about the weigh-in face-off that Kyler and Charles had
51:54 just a couple of minutes ago because it was it was pretty intense.
51:57 It was like they had an agreement to get real close and go nose-to-nose.
52:01 Yeah, sometimes you're in those positions and you just want to get
52:03 as close as possible to see if there's anything that you can see.
52:06 I think that these guys, again, very similar to the main event,
52:09 they know that what they have to do is really hard.
52:11 I think that these are really tough matchups for each other.
52:13 I think that Kyler Phillips is a very tough matchup for Charles Jourdain,
52:17 and I think the opposite is true.
52:19 I think that if you were to take the worst possible
52:21 style for each one of those guys to fight, it's each other.
52:24 And I think that they both understand that.
52:25 They're going to be in a really tough spot.
52:27 Charles Jourdain is not known to have an amazing takedown defense.
52:30 Kyler Phillips is a wrestler by nature.
52:32 Kyler Phillips tends to fade in in the later rounds.
52:35 He usually wins one and two, and a lot of times he kind of drops three.
52:38 Charles Jourdain has historically done really well in the later rounds.
52:41 We'll see how that looks at 135 lb,
52:43 but they all of the things I just said, they're both aware of that.
52:46 So I think that that's what it comes down to.
52:48 They want a little bit of an edge.
52:49 They want to get a little closer just to see if
52:52 they can get a a tiny bit of a of an advantage.
52:55 You know, and with Kyler, you when you watch the way he fights,
52:57 he can effortlessly throw the spinning kicks and these dynamic attacks.
53:00 And while they do look effortless, they come at a price.
53:03 So maybe for him he has to manage
53:04 the output of those big dynamic spinning movements.
53:07 You have to manage the output of those types
53:09 of strikes because that's what zaps your energy bar.
53:12 But outside the skills, when I look at that face-off with Charles Jourdain,
53:15 there's something different about him.
53:17 There he has an aura about him right now.
53:18 I'm looking at that face-off and I'm
53:20 looking at a very dangerous Charles Jourdain.
53:22 And just remember, this is a guy that said it himself,
53:24 he literally just leaned on his talent for all these years.
53:27 Now he's finally doing the extra work, sacrifices,
53:30 going down to 135 lb, doing all the extras.
53:33 And just to think, that was just him leaning on talent.
53:36 Now we can see him like fully committed to the sport.
53:39 This is a very dangerous man right now.
53:40 This is a very very big fight at 135 lbs.
53:43 A huge fight, The Matrix versus Air Jordain,
53:45 who as you said are now now approaching things as a professional.
53:48 But the fight that immediately precedes that one,
53:50 Jai Herbert versus Mandel Nallo, and you know, Mike, I know you love this one.
53:54 Nallo makes his debut, 36 years old, 100% finish rate,
53:58 and really he's got no time to waste here.
54:00 And in the last five fights has been they've been five first-round finishes.
54:04 And listen, it's not like he's a reckless fighter.
54:06 When you think 100% finish rate,
54:07 you think a guy that just comes in, throws big punches,
54:10 throws caution to the wind.
54:11 No, he's a tactician.
54:12 Longtime staple at TriStar,
54:14 so you know he's going to work behind the jab and the low kicks.
54:17 And when his opponents try to press through the long-range weapons,
54:20 he's going to catch you with that short piston of a right hand.
54:22 That's where he gets the finishes.
54:23 Anthony is taking on England's Jai Herbert,
54:25 who enters his 10th octagon appearance.
54:27 He has faced some of the toughest in the division.
54:30 He absolutely has faced some of the the the monsters in this division.
54:34 We got to remember, he almost knocked out Ilia Topuria.
54:37 He's the only guy that's really had Ilia Topuria in a lot of trouble.
54:40 So his potential is there, he just hasn't quite found his stride.
54:43 We've seen him in every single fight that he's
54:45 been in, no matter if he won or lost, he's in every single fight.
54:48 He is competitive.
54:49 He looks really really good.
54:51 He's just struggled to put it all together consistently.
54:53 It's Herbert's first fight in over a year.
54:55 We'll see how he returns to the octagon.
54:57 But his opponent, Mandel Nallo, he used to be known as Rat Garbage.
55:00 Yeah, that was actually his nickname,
55:02 and we are all so bummed that he decided to change it to Mango.
55:05 But we were talking about Rat Garbage so much this week,
55:08 we decided to bring up the topic of who has the best nicknames in the UFC.
55:12 Anthony, I will start with you.
55:13 Give me your top three nicknames in the octagon.
55:15 All right, we're going to start at number three, which is the Violent Bob Ross.
55:19 It's Luis Peña.
55:20 I actually seen him last weekend.
55:21 He doesn't have the the the the Bob Ross fro anymore.
55:24 Now he's got dreads.
55:25 But when you say that nickname,
55:27 and you look at him at that time, it matched him perfectly.
55:31 Number two, Stephen Wonderboy Thompson.
55:33 There is a large population in the MMA world that isn't quite sure
55:37 what Stephen Thompson's actual name is
55:39 because we've always just called him Wonderboy.
55:41 If you ever spend any time around him,
55:43 he he's he's very childish in a very nice way
55:46 and he's a lot of fun and then his nickname fits.
55:48 So, I love nicknames that match the person which leads me to my number one.
55:52 The Black Beast, Derrick Lewis.
55:54 This might be the only spot that you can call someone
55:57 The Black Beast and it just fit and everyone accepts that that's okay.
56:01 He's got it tattooed on him and I don't know
56:03 what else we would call Derrick Lewis as a nickname.
56:05 I think the black The Black Beast just fits.
56:08 I love it.
56:08 Mike, what do you got?
56:09 I definitely agree with you on all fronts.
56:12 So, my three, let's start with Tim "The Dirty Bird" Means.
56:16 And listen, I always feel like when you have
56:18 a nickname that starts with the, it's a lot
56:20 of them are pretty generic but a lot of these good
56:22 ones like "The Dirty Bird", it just fits Tim.
56:24 He looks like a dirty bird with all due respect, Tim.
56:27 You're the man but you look like your nickname.
56:29 And then number two, same case "The Barncat".
56:32 I don't know for for you guys get on your feet.
56:35 Get on your UFC Fight Pass account,
56:37 go look up Takanori he fought like a barncat.
56:39 I loved the nickname "The Barncat".
56:41 I thought it was just a classic.
56:42 It was original.
56:43 And then last but not least is Cro Cop
56:46 because I even had to ask our producer Mike Ricci,
56:49 me being the buff with MMA and how much I know,
56:51 I didn't even know his last name.
56:52 I was like I forgot Cro Cop's last name because we
56:54 just call him Cro Cop or we call him Mirko Cro Cop.
56:57 Well, I'm just going with that's his last name.
56:59 And I'm sticking to it.
57:01 I was curious though, Megan.
57:02 I know you have a nickname that you wanted to say but and I hate to put you
57:04 on the spot but have you ever thought about
57:05 what your nickname would be if you were a fighter?
57:07 My nickname would be?
57:09 Yeah.
57:09 Oh god, no.
57:10 kind of came to me.
57:11 It's Before the weekend's over, I'm going to have a nickname for Okay, yeah.
57:14 Tomorrow's show, we got to come up with We'll come up with a nickname for
57:16 you should give yourself a nickname, right?
57:18 I think someone has to yeah.
57:19 We'll give you one.
57:19 We'll come up with a nickname I should be scared about that.
57:21 But speaking of giving nicknames,
57:23 I'm going to give an honorable mention to a nickname that I gave.
57:25 That's right, very self-serving here in this moment.
57:28 Andre Fili, he used to be Andre "The Fury" Fili.
57:32 Mhm.
57:31 Right?
57:32 Not great.
57:33 And his last name's Feely, so touchy-feely.
57:35 So, Megan Olivi gave him that nickname,
57:37 so I am uh submitting that for my all three in my top three nicknames.
57:42 Uh but we love that.
57:43 We love a good nickname inside the UFC octagon.
57:45 But let's make a hard left turn.
57:47 We're going back to fights.
57:48 Let's talk about the women's flyweight rankings.
57:50 We've got an amazing match up between
57:52 seven versus nine in the women's flyweight division.
57:54 Jasmine Jasudavicius fighting on her home soil against Karine Silva.
57:59 Michael, this is a very big match up for the entire division.
58:02 There's a lot of pride and divisional implications on the line.
58:05 It's the Fighting Nerds versus Niagara Top Team.
58:07 Well, and here's the thing for Jasmine Jasudavicius.
58:09 You know she wants to get back in the win
58:11 column after the hiccup to Manon Fiorot in Vancouver,
58:15 but she cannot be reckless in her approach because
58:18 we know Jasmine Jasudavicius really leans on her wrestling.
58:21 Her wrestling sets up her strikes.
58:23 Her wrestling is her segue into her ground control.
58:25 She's very positionally dominant, but if she gets reckless with her wrestling,
58:28 Karine Silva is so good with her submissions.
58:31 She's got a great guillotine, and she can get into a front headlock
58:34 scenario if she stuffs one of Jasmine's shots.
58:36 She's got good front chokes, D'arces, Anacondas.
58:39 You name it, and she's got the fearlessness to drop back on leg locks.
58:42 So, for Jasmine, she's got to stay within herself
58:44 to not go pursue that win with reckless abandonment.
58:47 She's got to fight a tactical fight,
58:48 otherwise she's going to find herself getting choked out.
58:51 Yeah, I I think that Jasmine's I think the biggest
58:54 difference in this fight is going to be her aggression.
58:56 S- In some places, she's going to have to back
58:58 off of it a little bit in my opinion.
58:59 She's not going to be able to be as reckless as she is at times
59:02 cuz she's probably not going to be
59:03 able to just straight up out-wrestle Karine Silva.
59:06 She's going to have to be tactical about it.
59:07 I totally agree with Michael there.
59:09 But I also think that in some moments,
59:10 she's going to have to be extra aggressive.
59:12 She's going to be mean and and I call it going long.
59:15 When you do something that's mean that doesn't necessarily was have a purpose,
59:17 you can get people to go long and do that ouch kind of thing.
59:20 If she can do that, I think that that's going
59:22 to be the difference to slide into those different positions.
59:24 Well, both women are Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts.
59:26 They both earned their contract on Dana White's Contender Series season 5.
59:30 We will see how that one plays out.
59:31 Very important match up there for women's flyweight.
59:34 But, let's take a look at the Saturday schedule.
59:36 You want to join us for the pre-show 4:00 Eastern,
59:38 1:00 Pacific live on Paramount Plus.
59:40 And then it's wall-to-wall on Paramount Plus.
59:42 You don't have to change a thing.
59:44 Prelims at 5:00 Eastern, main card at 8:00 Eastern.
59:46 And then immediately after the main event,
59:49 join us for the post-show where we will break down all of the action.
59:52 But, don't go anywhere because we're going to be right back in about 30 seconds.
59:58 Mountain Dew was established in 1948.
1:00:01 It's been a good time for a long time.
1:00:05 Mountain Dew!
1:00:23 An American original.
1:00:25 Tasting great since '48.
1:00:28 We are coming to you live from a very snowy Winnipeg, Canada.
1:00:31 The UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-ins are presented by Mountain Dew,
1:00:35 an American original tasting great since '48.
1:00:39 All right.
1:00:40 Now, speaking of Mountain Dew,
1:00:41 Michael's favorite drink and I'm dead serious about that.
1:00:44 Um it is time for a little chat about the UFC brought to you by Mountain Dew.
1:00:48 Gentlemen, I have a special paper for this.
1:00:50 So, let me Oh, sweet.
1:00:51 Let's go.
1:00:51 it out and see what these questions are.
1:00:52 Michael Ritchie, our genius producer, came up with some good ones.
1:00:56 All right, guys.
1:00:57 Crazier potential White House post-fight speech, Derrick Lewis or Josh Barnett?
1:01:02 I'm going with Lewis cuz he's going to take off his clothes.
1:01:04 There's no way Derrick Lewis in his doing his victory lap at the White
1:01:07 House that like I'm afraid he's going to take off not only his shorts,
1:01:11 but his tights, too.
1:01:11 Like Like I You just know like Barnett's going to say something crazy.
1:01:15 Lewis is going to do something crazy.
1:01:17 I I think that it's going to be Barnett
1:01:19 and it I think it's because Derrick Lewis is predictable.
1:01:23 We know generally the direction he's probably going to go.
1:01:25 He's going to talk about his wife.
1:01:27 He's going to say he's going to have a funny sound
1:01:29 bite that we're going to replay in memes for a long time.
1:01:32 Hokit is unpredictable.
1:01:33 You have no idea what he's going to say and it makes me really nervous.
1:01:36 I literally didn't even know who I was speaking
1:01:38 to when I interviewed Hokit on Friday last week.
1:01:40 I was like which character is this?
1:01:43 Is there a character you like the best?
1:01:46 No.
1:01:46 Can we Can we also just acknowledge the fact that President Trump,
1:01:49 the President of the United States of America loves Derrick Lewis?
1:01:52 That's awesome.
1:01:53 Like insane.
1:01:54 And specifically asked for him to be on the card.
1:01:56 No, it's That's crazy.
1:01:57 I I love it so much.
1:01:58 Okay, let's move on to our second question.
1:02:00 Where should Lewis versus Hokit be placed on the White House card?
1:02:03 And I think we're all in agreement here.
1:02:05 Yeah, I honestly, you know that they're
1:02:06 going to put together this beautiful open.
1:02:08 It's going to be very patriotic.
1:02:09 It's going to be very serious.
1:02:11 And I think you could just shake things up by just having them be
1:02:13 the curtain jerker cuz you just know
1:02:15 that there's going to be middle fingers flying.
1:02:17 There's going to be Lewis's shorts flying.
1:02:19 There's just going to be something that's just going to be like very much
1:02:23 the opposite of the open of the show and it's just going to shake things up.
1:02:26 You don't want it to get too stuffy at the White House.
1:02:27 We got to stay true to the UFC.
1:02:29 We're like we're a bunch of bunch of wild cards out there.
1:02:32 I'm scared.
1:02:32 This might be the only spot that Derrick Lewis is the curtain jerker.
1:02:35 But I think this is this is perfect.
1:02:36 He's a main event co-main event type of guy.
1:02:39 But I think opening the show is the next best position
1:02:42 to be than a main event in my opinion because you Also,
1:02:45 you know exactly when you're going to fight.
1:02:47 So when you're in the back, you're warming up.
1:02:48 You know exactly what time you're going.
1:02:49 The more ready we can get Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit to go
1:02:52 ahead and just start like they're on second base, I'm all for it.
1:02:55 Well, and the other thing, too, people to to like flip the channels.
1:02:58 Like as soon as that fight starts and people start watching it,
1:03:00 they're going to be sending text messages.
1:03:01 They're going to be posting on Instagram
1:03:03 and Facebook and TikTok how crazy this is.
1:03:05 I think that that's what we're looking for.
1:03:07 Well, and I agree that especially on this card,
1:03:09 like being in the opening slot is like just as good
1:03:12 as a main event particularly for this White House card.
1:03:15 I absolutely agree with you.
1:03:16 Okay, last weekend we announced that Gable Steveson has signed with the UFC.
1:03:20 He'll be competing on July 11th,
1:03:22 which which is International Fight Week UFC 329.
1:03:25 Give me your crystal ball.
1:03:27 Who's the match-up for Gable Steveson?
1:03:29 Crystal ball.
1:03:30 Crystal Mountain Dew.
1:03:31 Crystal Mountain Dew.
1:03:32 Uh listen, okay, here's here's my thoughts, okay?
1:03:36 Gable Steveson's been clamoring for this, okay?
1:03:38 Jon Jones has been clamoring for this.
1:03:40 Jon Jones is almost said in a sense like I'm
1:03:42 retiring to to to apply myself to Gable Steveson's career.
1:03:46 So, let's give him the Brock Lesnar treatment.
1:03:48 I mean and and it's kind of funny
1:03:49 that Gable Steveson wrestled at Minnesota just like Brock.
1:03:52 I think that if this guy is who he says he is,
1:03:54 let's throw him right in the deep end.
1:03:56 I say give him someone in the rankings, give him someone like Marcin Tybura,
1:03:59 Tyrell Fortune, someone in the in the bottom of the top 15.
1:04:02 Like let's really find out what you're made of because
1:04:03 there is a a lot of hype on this guy.
1:04:06 Like more hype than any prospect we've signed to the UFC.
1:04:09 Like everyone's saying he can be a heavyweight
1:04:11 champion in just a handful of fights.
1:04:12 Well, let's find out.
1:04:13 You just made me totally switch my my pick.
1:04:15 I was going to go totally different.
1:04:18 Tyrell Fortune is a great pick.
1:04:20 He's a guy that can wrestle.
1:04:21 He's big.
1:04:21 He's athletic.
1:04:22 He's fast.
1:04:23 And he can match him in some of those areas.
1:04:24 Maybe not he's not going to match him as good of a wrestler,
1:04:26 but he's good enough to maybe defend himself
1:04:28 and and figure out the the interim and I like that.
1:04:31 I like that one a lot actually.
1:04:33 Good job, Kiesa.
1:04:34 Great answers, guys.
1:04:35 All right, final one.
1:04:35 UFC 330 is taking place August 15th back in the city of brotherly love,
1:04:40 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1:04:42 You have a dream match-up there, Mike?
1:04:43 Oh, yeah.
1:04:43 You already know.
1:04:44 You guys already know who I'm bringing up.
1:04:46 Listen, and this is cuz I love both of these guys.
1:04:49 And and one of them was actually calling Sean Shelby to try to get this fight.
1:04:52 I'm not going to say who it was.
1:04:53 I can't spill the beans.
1:04:54 But, Paul Felder No.
1:04:56 versus Al Iaquinta.
1:04:58 Couple old dogs, two guys that love to throw down.
1:05:01 And if it's not that, then give us the Edson Barboza trilogy.
1:05:04 But, either way I am trying to summon Paul Felder back into the octagon.
1:05:08 Well, that's that's a really good one.
1:05:10 I think Paul Felder back in the octagon would make us all happy.
1:05:12 You got to find a Philly guy.
1:05:14 Um and you got to find someone with a big name.
1:05:17 Colby Covington still floating around 170.
1:05:20 Sean Brady is a Philly guy.
1:05:22 I think that that's a great match-up with those two.
1:05:24 Divisionally it kind of makes sense with where they're at right now.
1:05:27 There it is.
1:05:27 Sean Brady, Colby Covington.
1:05:29 Okay, I like that one.
1:05:30 Let's let the guys get retired and fight.
1:05:32 I was I was texting him.
1:05:33 We could put Joe Pyfer there somewhere, too.
1:05:35 There's got to be a middleweight out there.
1:05:36 I texted I texted Paul and I was like,
1:05:38 "Who you fighting in Philly?" And he just says,
1:05:40 "I have a hip replacement, Michael." Like he didn't say yes or no.
1:05:43 He's like, "I have a I have a metal hip,
1:05:46 Michael." I'm like, "And you have a metal arm.
1:05:47 Who cares?
1:05:48 Get in there, dude.
1:05:49 You got this." Paul, stay retired for you and your family.
1:05:52 But we're going to get some Dinic's pork sandwiches with broccoli rabe.
1:05:54 I'll tell you that much when we're in Philly.
1:05:56 But right now we are in Winnipeg.
1:05:58 We appreciate you joining us.
1:06:00 Tune in on Saturday for all of the action.
1:06:03 We'll see you from Winnipeg.
1:06:05 We'll try to stay warm.
1:06:07 See you tomorrow night.
1:06:16 Mountain Dew was established in 1948.
1:06:19 It's been a good time for a long time.
1:06:23 Mountain Dew.
1:06:42 American original.
1:06:43 Tasting great since '48.