The Craic with Petesy Carroll

On a special Wednesday edition of The Craic, Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall and The Sun Sport's Chisanga Malata to discuss what the future holds for Paddy Pimblett following his dominant win over Michael Chandler (5:24).They dive into Pimblett's backstory and reflect on how unbelievable it is that he's reached this level, before exploring the potential matchup teased by his post-fight callout of Charles Oliveira (18:19).Next, they unpack the release of Ilia Topuria's highly anticipated interview with Joe Rogan, and weigh in on Khabib Nurmagomedov claiming Arman Tsarukyan would be tougher competition for Islam Makhachev than Topuria (30:14).Chuck and Petesy then break down the official Uncrowned pound-for-pound rankings, including the controversial omission of Alexander Volkanovski—despite his record-breaking reclaiming of the UFC featherweight title (36:32).To wrap up the show, the crew discusses the golden opportunity the PFL has to make a splash this weekend with no UFC card on the schedule (43:38).

With Petesy Carroll away from the helm, Uncrowned's Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes man the ship to preview UFC 314.The duo kicks things off by reacting to the weekend's weigh-in results, where all main card fighters successfully made weight (01:15).Chuck and Ben then break down the key paths to victory for main event fighters Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes (02:30), and weigh in on whether a loss could spell retirement for the Australian former champ (12:28). Diego Lopes appears to have his sights set on a different opponent — surprisingly, Yair Rodriguez — despite the two not being matched up. Chuck and Ben dissect their press conference mix-up and explore the potential ramifications heading into their respective fights this weekend (19:26). Next, the duo turns their attention to Yair Rodriguez's bout against UFC debutant Patricio Pitbull, before diving into Paddy Pimblett vs. Michael Chandler, the biggest test of the Scouser's career so far (28:44). Then it's on to the most bizarre matchup of the weekend: Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva. Chuck and Ben unpack the biggest storyline surrounding the fight, Bryce Mitchell's wild fight week antics (41:28), before discussing the rest of the card and spotlighting a few matchups they're excited about (51:27).  Finally, the guys address the predictable mess surrounding GFL's canceled debut events and debate whether the organization has a future in the fight game (54:10). 

Sean O'Malley is getting a second shot at bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili, but some people aren't happy about it. Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes kick off the show discussing the UFC 316 rematch (4:40).With Manel Kape's meeting with Brandon Royval being the only fight announced for UFC 317, the big international fight week card, the lads contemplate a potential super fight between Merab and Alexandre Pantoja, who have both effectively cleared out their divisions (19:22).On the topic of UFC 317, comments from Islam Makhachev's camp have claimed that he will await the winner of Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena before making his next move. Does that obscure the chances of his highly anticipated meeting with Ilia Topuria (23:52)?Looking forward to the weekend, Chuck shares insights he gained from speaking to Lerone Murphy ahead of his clash with Josh Emmett (40:31), before the trio give their verdicts on the revamped PFL (54:11).Finally, Ben discusses his fabulous European vacation, sharing thoughts about the waffles in Belgium, his mastery of the French language and accidentally wandering into Amsterdam's red light district (1:03:40). 

There was a lot of negativity around last week's London event, so it was only fair for Petesy and Chuck to have veteran U.K. journalist Chisanga Malata back on to give his firsthand impression of what it was like to be in The o2 to witness Sean Brady's dominant win over Leon Edwards, that put the cherry on top of a rough night for the Brits (1:50). Following the UFC London debrief, Chuck and Petesy give their thoughts on the lightweight title picture and weigh in on who should fight Islam Makhachev next - Ilia Topuria or Charles Oliveira (30:47). Finally, the lads move onto Petesy's favourite topic, Conor McGregor's run for Irish presidency, and whether his latest comments mean that we've seen the last of “The Notorious” as a combat sports athlete (49:46).

Veteran U.K. journalist Chisanga Malata of The Sun joins the show to talk about the buzz in London (2:43) ahead of Leon Edwards' main event clash with Sean Brady. After Michael Bisping claims that Sean Brady was a nightmare matchup for the former welterweight champion, Petesy and Chuck weigh-in on how they feel the two match up (21:29). After speaking with the surging light-heavyweight in the lead up to his co-main event meeting with Jan Blachowicz, Chuck talks about the impression Carlos Ulberg gave him ahead of the biggest test of his career (33:20). The lads look at the rest of the card and discuss some interesting storylines they are excited to see play out (40:50). Petesy breaks the news to Chuck about KSI pulling out of his boxing bout with Dillon Danis (47:28), before they take a look at the fights GFL announced for their debut event in May (48:51). Finally, the lads give their picks for the main event and the co-main event of UFC London (01:07:00).

Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned's Ben Fowlkes to discuss Beniel Dariush potentially leaking Dustin Poirier meeting his old rival Max Holloway in his retirement fight (8:39). Just after getting the show underway, the news hits of three weigh misses for this weekend's Apex card (14:40), before the conversation returns to Poirier (19:59). The lads ponder when Ilia Topuria will make his 155-pound debut with Charles Oliveira's camp claiming that the Brazilian has a fight booked for International Fight Week (29:15). In the wake of UFC 313, Petesy and Ben weigh-in on the changing narrative around Alex Pereira with the likes of Daniel Cormier claiming the defeat to Magomed Anakalev underlined how the knockout artist is simply too small for the maximum weight-class (39:56). With the announcement of Paul Hughes' homecoming bout against Bruno Miranda taking place in Belfast in May, Petesy asks Ben if he thinks PFL fumbled the bag by not immediately booking the Irishman's rematch with Usman Nurmagomedov (50:58). Finally, the return of Jeremy Stephens is brought into focus and the lads wonder if his re-signing to the UFC is a bad thing for BKFC on the back of his highly publicised knockout of Eddie Alvarez in Philadelphia (59:58).

With all the talk of what lies beyond UFC 313 for Alex Pereira, are we all discounting the fact that Magomed Ankalaev is by far his hardest test at 205 pounds? Petesy Carroll, Ben Fowlkes and Shaheen Al-Shatti discuss how a victory would impact the iconic Brazilian striker's legacy (4:03). As for the chief support, the lads ponder whether Justin Gaethje will be a changed man following his brutal knockout loss to Max Holloway when he rematches short-notice stand-in Rafael Fiziev (29:56). The conversation then turns to TKO Boxing and whether its boxing revolution will be as easily executed as most people are anticipating (44:32). Petesy shares thoughts from the homeland about Katie Taylor's big Croke Park fight never coming to fruition, as her trilogy bout with Amanda Serrano has been confirmed for July in MSG (59:11). Finally, the trio forecast what Ilia Topuria has teased with a recent post online (1:07:25) and try to formulate a way to destroy Chuck Mendenhall's reign as Uncrowned's king of picks (1:14:22).

Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to discuss TKO's imminent arrival in the boxing world, in conjunction with the Saudi Arabia (2:50) and TKO president Mark Shapiro suggesting that there are some flaws in the Ali Act - an act introduced in 2002 for the welfare of boxers. During the show, news broke of a boxing event taking place in Times Square, and the lads give their thoughts on a boxing card taking place in such a unique location (35:12), before the conversation turned to the UFC's media rights, which will be up for grabs before the end of 2025 (44:48). Finally, Petesy asked Chuck and Ben if the build-up to Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn has made a splash across the water (58:42).

Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindenhall are joined by Drake Riggs, who is on site in Seattle for Cejudo vs. Song, to discuss a crazy week of news in the world of combat sports. They first look at how Ilia Topuria's vacation of the featherweight title has led to UFC 314 getting it's main event with Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes set to compete for gold (06:12), before the conversation switches to Paddy Pimblett's biggest fight to date (22:16) versus Michael Chandler. The discussion turns to the shake-up at welterweight that saw Jack Della-Maddalena granted a title shot against champion Belal Muhammad (40:32), with Sean Brady stepping in to replace him in his previously announced bout against Leon Edwards in London. On the back of the conversation on yesterday's BITB show, the lads consider Ric's comment on the obvious size difference that will exist between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria should their clash happen (48:51). Finally, Riggs gives insight on the biggest storylines in Seattle (1:00:00) before Mindenhall discusses whether the short notice replacements have effected Saturday's boxing blockbuster from Riyadh (1:07:00). Join us on the bike: avironactive.com/uncrowned

Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindehall give their thoughts on the split between Sean Strickland and Eric Nicksick (4:36), on the back of the UFC middleweight claiming he would no longer have the Xtreme Couture head coach in his corner after UFC 312.While pondering wether the two would reconcile, the conversation shifts to Anthony Smith and Rampage Jackson (31:36) squashing their beef that arose from Smith's criticism of Jaxxon Podcast's handling of an interview they had with controversial featherweight Bryce Mitchell. The lads discuss what impact the growing number of fighter publications has on journalism and consider whether situations like this will happen more because of it.Not a single MMA fighter made Sportico's list of the 100 highest-paid athletes for 2024, so Petesy and Chuck weigh-in on whether that is a shocking revelation or completely expected (43:06) and forecast if discussions about fighter unions will likely sprout around the time of the UFC's new broadcast deal being announced.Finally, they take a quick look at this weekend's Apex extravaganza (54:23).Join us on the bike: avironactive.com/uncrowned

Ariel Helwani joins The Craic to give insight on Canelo Alvarez signing with Riyadh Season, his bout with Jake Paul not coming to fruition and the emerging rivalry between MVP and Turki Alalshikh (00:16). Uncrowned's Shaheen Al-Shatti and Ben Fowlkes then give their takes on all the developments described by Helwani (20:09), before the conversation turns to UFC 312 (31:33).The lads ponder whether Sean Strickland's staph infection (49:51) will take a toll on him during his rematch with champion Dricus Du Plessis and discuss Tatiana Suarez finally getting her opportunity to fight for a title against Zhang Weili (51:52). After, the trio give their picks on the main event and co-main event on 312 (1:01:50) before the conversation turns to the retirement of legendary bantamweight, Dominick Cruz (01:06:04).

Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned's Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to discuss Bryce Mitchell and Conor McGregor's latest controversies.Petesy Carroll, Ben Fowlkes and Chuck Mindenhall discuss Bryce Mitchell's outlandish statement about Adolf Hitler being “a good guy” (3:11) and consider whether Dana White's reaction to the situation (04:16) is sufficient. They then look at differing reactions from the MMA community, with Jan Blachowicz offering to educate Mitchell (23:44) and Conor McGregor offering compassion to the featherweight (25:11).The conversation then moves onto the vitriolic tweet from McGregor, laced with racial slurs, going after his old foe Khabib Nurmagomedov (36:01) and question what the Irish fighter has left to give to the sport of MMA (46:02). Finally, the trio gives their thoughts on UFC Saudi Arabia (50:26) before giving their picks for the main event (59:08).

On today's episode, Petesy is joined by fellow Irish media members Andy Stevenson and Donagh Corby.Corby, who is on the scene in Dubai, gave his account of the incident between Irish and Dagestani fans at the PFL's weigh-in for the fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes (3:00).Stevenson underlined the impact a Hughes win could have on Irish MMA (18:00), before rebuking claims that this is a one-fight card (23:00) and lads gave their picks for the main event (32:00).The conversation moves to Arman Tsarukyan's sticky situation with the UFC and whether the lads believe he should lose his title opportunity due to an eleventh hour UFC 311 withdrawal (40:00).They also discuss the idea of Sean O'Malley meeting Cory Sandhagen instead of the former champion facing Merab Dvalishvili in a rematch (47:00).Finally, the lads rank what event they're looking forward the most this weekend between PFL, BKFC and the highly anticipated GFL Draft (51:45).

Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes for an episode jam-packed with breaking news.Fowlkes speaks about the mystique surrounding Team Khabib and the Dagestan collective (04:06) after covering them for Uncrowned. Then, the lads react in real time to the breaking news that Arman Tsarukyan has withdrawn from the UFC 311 main event due to injury (13:46).Mindenhall gives insights on Merab Dvalishvili after spending time with the bantamweight champion at Syndicate ahead of his clash with Umar Nurmagomedov (27:22).News of Renato Moicano stepping up to face Islam Makhachev breaks (37:28), before the conversation returns to the co-main event (43:09) and Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill (53:22).Reports surface about Tsarukyan's injury, leading to Ariel Helwani giving intel on the situation (57:55), before more news breaks, with Chris Weidman announcing his retirement on the UFC's weigh-in show (01:07:26).Finally, the lads react to Islam Makhachev's social media post regarding the eleventh hour change of opponent (01:11:56). 

Chuck Mindenhall returns to The Craic, joining Petesy Carroll to discuss a potential location shift for UFC 311 due to the California wildfires (03:07).The lads also give their takes on reports from Brazil claiming Alex Pereira will move to heavyweight (07:36) to take on Alexander Volkov at UFC 313 and reports that PFL will half the prize money for their tournament in 2025 (28:17).They also ponder why Dominick Cruz will not be taking on Henry Cejudo next month in Seattle (45:40), before briefly touching on this weekend's Apex card headlined by McKenzie Dean vs. Amanda Ribas 2 (51:30).

The Craic caps off 2024 by looking back at the year in European MMA.Petesy Carroll is joined by journalists Andy Stevenson, Chisanga Malata, and Donagh Corby to discuss the biggest winners and losers.The show begins with Ilia Topuria's strong case for Male Fighter of the Year and his recent talk of moving to lightweight (03:13).Next, the discussion centers on Dakota Ditcheva's meteoric rise through the PFL tournament and her Female Fighter of the Year candidacy (10:01).The conversation turns to Tom Aspinall's presence at Jon Jones' UFC 309 title fight and whether he'll be able to force the heavyweight showdown (18:56).Then, they touch on the continued dominance of fighters from Dagestan (23:48) and the success of PFL's efforts in Europe (27:16), including the potential future for England's Lewis McGrillen (31:15).Finally, they close with a discussion on the fallout from Conor McGregor's civil case (41:30).

Petesy Carroll is joined by journalists Andy Stevenson, Chisanga Malata, and Donagh Corby on The Craic to preview the upcoming year in European MMA. The conversation begins with predictions on whether Tom Aspinall will finally get a crack at Jon Jones (03:58) and if Ilia Topuria will be able to bring a UFC event to Spain in 2025 (10:03).Next, they discuss whether Shavkat Rakhmonov will be able to capture UFC gold (18:00) and Leon Edwards' place in the welterweight title picture (26:15). Then they look outside the UFC and forecast what the future holds for Dakota Ditcheva, Paul Hughes, and Muhammad Mokaev (28:44). Finally, they break down the rumored boxing match between Conor McGregor and Logan Paul, discussing whether it will happen and the potential magnitude of that event (42:05).

Chuck Mindenhall joins Petesy Carroll on the latest episode of The Craic to sink his teeth into forecasting whether Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall will happen in 2025. The lads also discuss the build-up to Usyk vs. Fury 2, the sentiment (or lack there of) for Logan Paul vs. Conor McGregor, Paul Hughes in the US and another big sell-out show in Paris. 

Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned colleagues Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to forecast potential issues GFL may have ahead of its proposed April launch date (00:00). Fowlkes shares details on his recent report regarding a growing number of disgruntled Bellator fighters (34:28) and Mindenhall provides key takeaways from his recent interview with Colby Covington (49:03).

Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned colleagues Chuck Mindenhall and Shaheen Al Shatti to look ahead to UFC 310 and debate whether Ian Machado Garry has a real chance of beating the 170-pound boogeyman, Shavkat Rahkmonov.Join us on the bike: avironactive.com/uncrowned

Conor McGregor lost his sexual assault civil case. Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes react to McGregor being found liable for a December 2018 sexual assault in Dublin.

Chuck Mindenhall returns to The Craic to discuss a bizarre UFC 309 media day from Jon Jones and to look forward to a blockbuster weekend of combat sports.Petesy and Chuck try to wrap their heads around Jones's comments on Tom Aspinall, the size difference he cites while also calling for bouts with light-heavyweights Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill and him being complicit in the fight week focus not being on Stipe Miocic.The lads also give their thoughts on Tyson vs. Paul and how Paul's promotion of Amanda Serrano has some Irish pundits sweating.

On the latest episode of The Craic, Petesy is joined by Uncrowned's Chuck Mindenhall to discuss the cultural resonance of The Rumble in the Jungle on its 50th anniversary. Legendary father and son duo Richard and Jack Shore join the show from Edmonton ahead of Jack's bout with Youssef Zalal. 

Denis Geiko from Russian-focused MMA publication, Red Corner, returns to The Craic to talk Khamzat Chimaev opening up on depression, Islam Makhachev possibly facing the winner of Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway and the Russian contingent at UFC 308 (06:45). Lerone Murphy also joins the show to discuss how he feels his ring name has negative connotations and to look forward to the biggest test of his career against Dan Ige (40:08). 

U.K. MMA legend and head of talent operations for PFL, Dan Hardy, joins the video debut of The Craic to give insight on Francis Ngannou and all things PFL: Battle of the Giants. Paul Hughes also joins the show ahead of the biggest test of his life when he meets A.J. McKee in the opening fight of the main card.

This week's episode takes a look at English Premier League giants Arsenal revising its post-match protocol after Conor McGregor found his way onto the pitch for an impromptu kick about with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. The great Philip O'Connor returns to discuss why the English football club are taking this so seriously, if the club really thought McGregor could injure Saka and how the former double champion missed an open goal by not challenging Rice on changing his international affiliation from Ireland to England. Also making his return to the show, the north star for fans and media on all things related to the UFC's class action suit, John Nash gives us the low down on the latest motion in the case that saw former fighters give morbid insights into their post-fighting lives as they urge the judge to settle the class action suit for the latest offering of 375 million.

The Craic is back and this week Petesy is zooming in on all things UFC 307. Fresh off cornering Merab Dvalishvili to bantamweight title glory, John Wood will look to upset the apple cart again when he leads Khalil Rountree Jr. into battle with another promotional golden goose, Alex Pereira. Wood joins the show to discuss embracing underdog status, being bolstered by Merab's win and much more. The Man in The Hat, Chuck Mindenhall is reunited with his 3PAC brother to apply his untouchable theory to Alex Pereira. According to the theory, when a champion is perceived to be at their most powerful state, against an unassuming challenger, all kinds of crazy can occur. But is Chuck picking against his fellow Danbury native? Petesy talks about difficult selfies, growing a beard and gives his pick for Underdog of the Week.

The Craic is back and this week Petesy is zooming in all things UFC Paris. One of the foremost voices for the French sport, Guillaume Duseux of trailblazing podcast La Sueur, joins the show to set the table for the big card in the City of Light and explains the explosion in popularity the sport has witnessed in the country since MMA's legalisation in 2020. Following his underdog pick of Merab Dvalishvili bringing home the first perfect parlay for the new era of The Ariel Helwani Show, Petesy speaks to his “Underdog of the Week” Kevin Jousset, who takes on Bryan Battle at the Paris Event. The 2-0 UFC welterweight explains why he went to Scotland to learn to speak English, training with Alex Volkanovski in Australia, moving to City Kickboxing and his pursuit of Ian Machado Garry. Petesy details his experience covering an MMA event in Paris and explains why he thinks the popularity of the sport in the country is difficult for the English-speaking community to comprehend.

The Craic with Petesy Carroll goes behind the scenes at the soft launch of The Ariel Helwani Show at the Venetian Sportsbook in Las Vegas, the day before UFC 306. A host of the big names from the all-new Uncrowned roster feature with appearances from the man of the moment, Ariel Helwani, his loyal lieutenant New York Ric, the biggest baby face in the industry Conner Burks, the legendary bard Chuck Mindenhall and Uncrowned editor-in-chief, Shaheen Al Shatti. Petesy recaps all the thrills and spills of a magical launch in Sin City.

Former PR guru for the UFC, Las Vegas resident and star of the record-breaking Spotify Live show, Ant Evans, returns to The Craic to whet appetites ahead of the UFC 306 card happening this Saturday in Sin City. Although Ant has issues with some elements of the promotion of the UFC 306 card, he explains why he is excited to see the capabilities of the Sphere in action, having visited the venue of numerous occasions previously. As a former cornerstone of the UFC promotional team, he gives his take on how Dana feels about lowering the ticket prices and whether the UFC will return to the venue…all while getting chased out of our recording location by on-site security. Petesy gives the lowdown on his trip so far.

One of the most beloved fighters in Scotland, Chris Bungard returns to action this weekend where he is seeking redemption for his last outing at Braehead Arena against short notice opponent, and arguably a tougher assignment than his original dance partner, Andrey Augusto. Bungard talks about juggling his many roles in life as he frequents duties as a professional wrestler, a podcaster and an actor onto of his fighting career. He also discusses being the elder statesman of the growing Scottish MMA movement, the adoration he receives when he fights at home and describes how he got suspended from school for applying Bret Hart's patented sharpshooter to classmates back in his school days.

Chisanga Malata of Sun Sport returns to talk about a host of news stories generated from the U.K. scene. Is it possible that Paddy Pimblett will be fast tracked into a title situation in a similar way to Sean O'Malley? Is Mo Mokaev's return to Brave CF slightly underwhelming? And how does Dana White's continued praise of Jon Jones keep getting weirder?

Exactly a year after their first meeting, Fabian Edwards will get his second crack at Johnny Eblen when they face off at Bellator Champions Series at Bellator London on Sept 14. Edwards returns to the show to explain how Eblen's outburst at the end of their first meeting had no effect on him, how he is motivated by the success he had in the first two rounds of their Dublin clash and why is so confident he will get the job done this time around. “The Assassin” also gives his take on why Leon Edwards is seemingly not being considered for an immediate rematch after his loss at UFC 304. Also on the show, Petesy rants about Fantasy Football.

Dave Fogarty was a well-known jiu-jitsu competitor and a decorated amateur MMA fighter before he became Conor McGregor's private photographer. This weekend, he makes his first walk as a boxer when he takes on the highly touted “Deen The Great” and despite being an underdog, he is adamant that he is ready to shake up the promotion's lightweight bracket on Saturday night at 3 Arena.

Following the announcement of The Craic joining the all-new Uncrowned schedule, Petesy talks about his excitement with the new deal and gives us an idea about how things will look for the future of the show. The Trident of Knowledge (with Andy Stevenson and Donagh Corby) formed to discuss a massive fight for Brendan Loughnane at PFL 9 in Washington and another huge night for Irish MMA as Invicta champion Danni McCormack once again tries to cement her place in the UFC by taking out one of the rising stars on the Asian circuit, Qihui Yan.

The legendary Brazilian Beast, Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, returns to The Craic to discuss the somewhat left field booking of Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, which has earned the ire of light heavyweight contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Jamahal Hill. Is the 307 main event “terrible for the sport” as claimed by Hill? Are the UFC trying to protect their “golden goose” by not matching him with Ankalaev? Will the light heavyweight champion really move down to 185 again to challenge Dricus du Plessis and will he be a fixture in the heavyweight title conversation beyond Jon Jones' upcoming clash with Stipe Miocic. Petesy also looks forward to a crucial Irish bout for Invicta champion Danni McCormack.

The mighty Trident of Knowledge with Andy Stevenson and Dongah Corby forms again to wax lyrical on the news that Paul Hughes has a fight with one of the Bellator/PFL 's biggest stars, A.J. McKee. The lads also take on Dana White's comments about Conor McGregor not fighting in 2024 and ponder whether Leon Edwards vs. Ian Garry is the best fight to make for both the Irishman and the former UFC welterweight champion.

We thought the narrative had changed surrounding the heavyweight title conundrum after Tom Aspinall's magic performance at UFC 304, but it feels like ever since that night in Manchester Dana White has been on a PR pedestal for Jon “Bones” Jones. Chisanga Malata of SunSport returns to wade through the debris of 304 and consider a world where neither Jones nor Stipe Miocic want to fight beyond their Madison Square Garden clash in November. Furthermore, what if Jones continues to fight, but pending victory over Renan Fereirra, Francis Ngannou is next opponent instead? We also ponder whether the hopes for an immediate rematch for Leon Edwards are dead and briefly look forward to UFC 305.

The great Philip O'Connor return to The Craic, joining the show from Paris, France, the day after he witnessed Kellie Harrington winning her second Olympic gold medal at the iconic Roland Garros venue. The veteran journalist gives a first hand account of the electrifying scenes witnessed in the French capital, provides context as to what the gold medal capture wins and explains why he believes Harrington is one of the countries greatest ever athletes.

Thanks to Red Corner MMA, the Russian sport is more accessible to the western world than ever before. The founder and chief contributor to the site, Denis Geiko, joins the show to share the Russian persecutive on Umar Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev withdrawal from UFC 308 and the new Dagestan sensation, Shara Bullet. Geiko also contrasts and compares Islam's career to Khabib's, discusses how Abu Dhabi's cards are received in Russia, talks Mokaev's issues with the UFC and previews future original content that will be available on Red Corner MMA. Check them out on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/redcorner.mma/?hl=en

After returning home to Dublin after UFC 304, Petesy gives us the lowdown on his experience in Manchester, his reactions to Dana White insisting there would be no more bonuses beyond 50k and much more. Joining the show, Paddy Holohan instantly reacts to becoming the first Irishman to both win a UFC fight and coach someone to winning a UFC fight. Andy Stevenson returns to talk all the big storylines that came out of the Co-op Live on Sunday morning.

Petesy arrived in Manchester early on Thursday morning, interviewing Irish MMA legend Paddy Holohan on the ten-year anniversary of UFC Dublin and discussing his student Shauna Bannon taking up his famed berserker role for UFC 304. After a day of media activity, Petesy met up with colleagues Jose Youngs (MMA Fighting) and Abbey Subhan (MMA Junkie) to discuss the many storylines at the event: is Belal's hatred for Leon Edwards real, will Jon Jones really face the winner of Aspinall vs, Blaydes, Paddy Pimblett's mental health struggles and much more.

Returning to The Craic, Caolan Loughran is as cool as the other side of the pillow ahead of his UFC 304 clash with short notice replacement opponent, Jake Hadley. The Team Kaobon fighter discusses how good it feels fighting so close to his adopted home of Liverpool, how he was inspired to pursue fighting on the back of UFC Dublin in 2014 and how he is relishing a pint of Guinness on Sunday as he watches the All Ireland final.

It's been over a year since Shauna Bannon made her UFC debut and the Tallaght UFC straw weight is adamant the world will see a host of improvements in her second trip to the Octagon. “Mama B” talks personal tests over the last twelve months, being coached by Paddy Holohan who made his debut ten years ago on the historic UFC Dublin card, the outrage surrounding her opponent Alice Ardelean and training alongside Kiefer Crosbie and Molly McCann in preparation for the event.

Ahead of his second fight in the UFC, Kiefer Crosbie returned to discuss how he has changed his mindset after what he described as the best camp of his life. The Dubliner gave insight on the fleeting nature of fandom following his debut loss, the pitfalls of fighters being on social media and how bad he felt ahead of his short notice debut in Australia. The SBG fighter shed light on how a camp in Thailand helped he refocus on what's important and he also shared a story about being a coach on the matt the first day Shauna Bannon - who also features on UFC 304 - started training in the sport.

Could Leon Edwards' be eyeing bout with lightweight champion and a 185-pound title shot prove troublesome for Irish welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry? What the fuss about Shauna Bannon's short notice opponent Alice Ardelean? The Trident of Knowledge - featuring Andy Stevenson and Donagh Corby - return to The Craic to break it all down.

U.K. BJJ pioneer and head coach of UFC interim heavyweight champion, Andy Aspinall, returns to The Craic to give us the lowdown on his son's preparation for Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Having watched the growth of the U.K. scene since it's inception, Aspinall explains how it feels to see his son at the forefront of what could be a stratospheric moment for the sport on July 27th and gives insight into his son's preparation. Andy also weighs in on the current situation with Jon Jones, the undisputed champion, seemingly unwilling to allow Aspinall to attempt to unify the titles.

The greatest Brazilian mixed-martial-arts of all time, Guilherme Cruz, returns to The Craic to give us the low-down on the impact Alex Pereira is having in his homeland. Can Poatan reached the lofty height Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort and Jose Aldo once soared to, or is the lack of a deal with powerhouse network Globo providing a significant obstacle to him achieving. Cruz talks us through Pereira's origin story and explains why he believes heavyweight is his natural next port of call. As well as that, Cruz discusses his recent trip to Sao Paulo where he witnessed a training session at Chute Boxe featuring Ian Machado Garry.

Former Cage Warriors middleweight champion and head coach of Team KF, Chris Fields returns to The Craic to talk about the muted response to his former fighter Ian Machado Garry's historic win for Irish MMA at UFC 303. Fields gives insight into his busy schedule, the magic of Alex Pereira, a busy month for KF in July and ponders whether the lack of coverage for Garry in Irish media is a worrying sign for the Irish sport in 2024.

Petesy is looking forward to Ian Machado Garry's matchup with Michael “Venom” Page more than any fight on the stacked UFC 303 card. Keeping with the U.K. vs. Ireland theme, he invited his old verbal sparring partner Chisanga Malata back on the show to discuss the meeting. The lads weigh-in on the pre-fight talk between the two, question whether Garry is setting himself up for a big fall by talking down MVP's skillset and discuss who has more to gain as a victor in the high-stakes welterweight clash. Petesy also discusses Team KF's Omran Chaaban's big win agains the number one seed, Shamidkhan Magomedov, and gives his take on Garry's comments regarding the Irish media in a recent interview with Severe MMA.

After his massive debut win on Saturday, The Trident of Knowledge (Andy Stevenson & Donagh Corby) assembled to discuss Paul Hughes and the impact Conor McGregor's presence had on putting him over in his maiden voyage with Bellator/PFL. The lads give their takes on how McGregor put the Derry man over in the exact way that UFC had hoped he would with Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303, what McGregor gained from attending the event and how Nate Kelly can solidify himself as one of Ireland's best after improving to 11-2 on the night. Petesy explains how attending the wedding bash of the year, coupled with commitments to The Ringer MMA Show did not allow him to attend the Dublin event.