The Man and the MITH

Shaun and Chuck return from the long weekend with reaction to Tyron Woodley reportedly reaching an agreement to be Jake Paul's next opponent (3:32), then the guys go Five Rounds and chat about some real fight news including Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodríguez (14:47), an early look at upset potential ahead of UFC 263 (22:20), Jon Jones hiring former Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and what it means for the Francis Ngannou fight (30:01), the return of The Ultimate Fighter this week (40:24), and a game of matchmaking roulette the latest slate of fight bookings (50:06). To wrap things up, we make an important announcement about the show's future (58:14).

Shaun and Chuck answer the bell and respond to questions from our loyal listeners, including their first round draft pick if they started a promotion today (6:05), which fight made them jump out of their seat (9:37), Chael Sonnen and Tony Ferguson's case for the Hall of Fame (13:43), one rule change they would make in MMA (23:14), the angriest/happiest they've ever been after a fight (26:22), the music at the start of the podcast (36:53), stand-out performances so far in 2021 (41:54), thoughts on a women's heavyweight division (46:13), projecting who will be champion three years from now (48:36), which fighter they would most want to party with for one night (51:53), which NBA player they would pick to embark on an MMA career (54:58), and many more. Plus, the guys wrap things up by handing out their Interim Titles of the Week (58:38)!

Shaun and Chuck are back again to break down UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt, including Rob Font's quiet ascension up the bantamweight rankings and what a fourth straight win does for his shot at contention (4:46), what the loss means for Cody Garbrandt's stock in the bantamweight division (11:15), Carla Esparza's dominant win over Yan Xiaonan and if a rematch with Rose Namajunas is next (15:31), as well as Paul Felder's retirement and their favorite memories of 'The Irish Dragon' (26:04) Plus, a game of Buy or Sell including Edmen Shahbazyan's next challenge (37:53), Diego Sanchez ending his professional relationship with Joshua Fabia (42:26), Cris Cyborg calling out Cat Zingano in Bellator (47:46), fight announcements featuring Jose Aldo and Kevin Lee (55:30), Oscar De La Hoya's challenge to Dana White (1:00:37), and much more!

Shaun and Chuck unite for another episode and go Five Rounds to tackle the biggest headlines across the MMA landscape, including GSP's failed negotiations with Triller for a potential fight against Oscar De La Hoya (4:41), the UFC targeting August for Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis 2 and where it leaves Jon Jones with Stipe Miocic set to face the winner (13:09), Tatiana Suarez getting medically cleared for a UFC return at flyweight (22:08), loose threads from UFC 262 and the state of judging in MMA (27:19), as well as a matchmaking carousel featuring Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker, Islam Makhachev vs. Thiago Moises, Derek Brunson vs. Darren Till, and Paulo Costa vs. Jared Cannonier (35:22). Plus, the guys preview three fight cards this weekend between UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt (42:03), Bellator 259 (54:53), and Invicta FC, then wrap things up with their Interim Titles of the Week (57:06)!

Never a dull moment! Shaun and Chuck look back at some wild results from UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler, including Charles Oliveira's shocking comeback to win the UFC Lightweight Championship. The guys discuss Oliveira's road to the title and an unlikely rise to become champion (2:24), a tough pill to swallow for Michael Chandler after nearly pulling off the upset, as well as how the result impacts the rest of the lightweight division heading into the summer (19:55). The guys also discuss Tony Ferguson's disappointing performance against Beneil Dariush and if this marks the end for 'El Cucuy' as a lightweight contender (27:03), how his recent run reflects on his legacy as one of the best to never fight for a title (35:53), and who might be next for Dariush in the Top 5 of the division. Plus, Edson Barboza's resurgence at featherweight following his knockout win over Shane Burgos (42:43), Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza's future after a devastating submission loss (51:28), and the guys recap their fight picks from Saturday night (1:00:15). Subscribe at Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH to hear our April Bonus Episode! Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall

Anticipation! Shaun and Chuck welcome in TSN's Aaron Bronsteter to help break down UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler. The guys discuss Charles Oliveira's rise to title contender (9:17) and what Michael Chandler needs to do to stake his claim for the UFC Lightweight Championship (17:11), Tony Ferguson's next shot against Beneil Dariush and if this could be the last stand for 'El Cucuy' (34:41), as well as the rest of the main card Katlyn Chookagian vs. Viviane Araujo (51:03), Shane Burgos vs. Edson Barboza (54:03), and Matt Schnel vs. Rogerio Bontorin (57:11). Plus, we make our fight picks, predict locks of night, and hand out our Interim Titles of the Week (1:02:36)! Subscribe at Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH to hear our April Bonus Episode! Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall

Shaun and Chuck break down a packed weekend of fights between UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson, Bellator and PFL 3. The guys start with what's next for Donald Cerrone after a tough loss to Alex Morono and if Cowboy's next fight could be his last (6:25), an inspiring performance from Gregor Gillespie in his first fight since November 2019 (21:46), as well as Neil Magny proving he's one of the most underrated Welterweights in the division (31:08). Plus, we run through the rest of the standouts from the weekend with a game of Buy or Sell, including Fabricio Werdum's controversial loss in his PFL debut (41:05), Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson moving on in Bellator's Light Heavyweight Grand Prix (46:00), a potential Marina Rodriguez vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk matchup after Rodgriguez's win in Saturday's main event (50:16), Michael 'Venom' Page's brutal finish over Derek Anderson (53:56), Kayla Harrison's place in the women's pound-for-pound discussion (1:00:25), and where Sergio Pettis ranks among the best in the world at 135 lbs (1:05:21). Subscribe at Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH to cast your vote for our April Bonus Episode! Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall

Shaun and Chuck look ahead to a busy weekend with three major fight cards taking place, including UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Rodriguez, Bellator 258, and PFL 3. The guys discuss which event is generating the most interest this weekend, then break down the best from each card starting with Michelle Waterson vs. Marina Rodriguez (7:38), Donald Cerrone vs. Alex Morono and what to expect from 'Cowboy' at this stage of his career (12:14), as well as Neil Magny vs. Geoff Neal (22:01). Plus, Juan Archuleta vs. Sergio Pettis and the return of 'Rumble' Johnson at Bellator 258 (28:39), Fabricio Werdum making his PFL debut against Reenan Ferreira (43:50), a new date for Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards at UFC 263 (50:55), and our Interim Titles of the Week (54:56)!

Shaun and Chuck look back at a violent weekend coming off UFC Fight Night: Reyes vs. Procházka, including Jiří Procházka's devastating knockout over Dominick Reyes and a potential title shot in the near future (5:12), what's next for Dominick Reyes after a third straight loss for the former Light Heavyweight heir-apparent (17:41), as well as two standouts from Georgia making noise with Giga Chikadze and Merab Dvalishvili both scoring victories (26:24). Plus, we discuss Kamaru Usman naming Michael Chiesa as his preferred next opponent over Colby Covington (34:09), the strange ending to Diego Sanchez's UFC career featuring Joshua Fabia (38:59), Jon Jones turning his attention to Francis Ngannou (44:55) Yoel Romero vs. Anthony Johnson scrapped for Bellator's Light Heavyweight Grand Prix (48:21), and reports out of Russia that Zabit Magomedsharipov is considering retirement (50:41).

Shaun and Chuck reassemble to sort through a busy week of headlines across the MMA landscape coming off UFC 261. The guys play a game of Buy or Sell and discuss Nick Diaz's chance to return to the UFC and potential opponents, Zhang Weili's call for an immediate rematch against Rose Namajunas, Marvin Vettori up next for Israel Adesanya at UFC 263, T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen being postponed, Eddie Alvarez's DQ finally being overturned to no-contest and early thoughts on Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul. Plus, with Kamaru Usman's dominant win at UFC 261, the guys debate his place on the Pound-4-Pound rankings and what he needs to do to match GSP, then we wrap up the show with our Interim Titles of the Week!

Shaun and Chuck pinch themselves following an iconic weekend at UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2. The guys react to Kamaru Usman's highlight-reel knockout over Jorge Masvidal and where "The Nigerian Nightmare" fits among the greatest at Welterweight (11:39), as well as what's next for Masvidal following back-to-back losses to the champ (17:08). With two other title fights on the night, we discuss Rose Namajunas' emotional win over Zhang Weili in another Knockout of the Year candidate and what matchup makes sense for 'Thug' Rose 2.0 (26:32). Plus, Valentina Shevchenko continues to dominate the flyweight weight division (37:00), Chris Weidman's gruesome injury and what it means for his UFC career (48:14), and a recap of our Fight Picks as we run through the rest of Saturday's action-packed card (53:17).

Shaun and Chuck are joined by ESPN's Marc Raimondi to help preview the UFC's return to normal this weekend at UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2, the return of fans and what to expect from the UFC in terms of safety measures. The guys break down a stacked main card headlined by Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal and what's at stake for both in the rematch (13:04), Weili Zhang vs. Rose Namajunas and how far the Women's Strawweight division has come (40:24), as well as Jessica Andrade's chances of stopping Valentina Shevchenko's reign in the third title fight of the weekend (54:27). Plus, we break down the best of the rest from the card (1:04:18), lock in our picks for Saturday and hand out the Interim Titles of the Week (1:13:24)!

Shaun and Chuck catch their breath after a wild weekend of fights, including Triller Boxing's Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren sh*tshow. MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew joins the show after experiencing it in-person to paint a picture of the atmosphere at the event, discuss the disappointing result to Askren-Paul and the reaction around the fight world, as well as which fighter might be on Triller's radar next. Plus, the guys discuss Robert Whittaker's third straight win and an inevitable rematch with Israel Adesanya, what's next for Kelvin Gastelum after a tough run at 185 lbs, a strange incident at the weigh-in cancelling Drakkar Klose vs. Jeremy Stephens, and run through their takeaways from Bellator's Light Heavyweight Grand Prix and if it could mark a career-changing run for Vadim Nemkov.

Shaun and Chuck prepare for a jam-packed weekend of fights, including UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum, Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren, and Bellator 257: Nemkov vs. Davis 2. We break down what's at stake for both Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum (5:35), and what's changed since the fight was originally booked in 2019 (10:13). Plus, the guys discuss bad blood brewing between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier (28:23), run through the most intriguing storylines making news in MMA (33:16), and hand out their Interim Titles of the Week (52:22).

Shaun and Chuck deliver the goods with a full breakdown of UFC on ABC 2 featuring Marvin Vettori's victory over Kevin Holland in the main event. The guys discuss what's next for Vettori after a fifth straight win (9:08), and where Kevin Holland goes from here after suffering a second loss in three weeks (14:21). Plus, our first edition of Callout Corner featuring a listener submission from the Man and the MITH Patreon (27:33), a game of Buy or Sell to run through the best of the rest from the weekend (32:27), and the guys make their picks for Bellator's Light Heavyweight Grand Prix (1:02:45).

Shaun and Chuck clock some overtime with reaction to Demetrious Johnson's shocking loss to Adriano Moraes (3:57) as well as a controversial DQ for Eddie Alvarez against Iuri Lapicus (15:15) in ONE Championship's debut on TNT. With the UFC on ABC 2 this Saturday, the guys discuss Kevin Holland's return against Marvin Vettori and what a win would mean for both fighters (20:33), Arnold Allen vs. Sodiq Yusuff in the co-main event (36:36), as well as the UFC's opportunity to showcase Mackenzie Dern to a mainstream television audience (40:07). Plus, Shaun and Chuck look back at their biggest storylines from the first quarter of 2021 (44:08, predict which ones to watch heading into the summer (55:55), and hand out their Interim Titles of the Week (1:24:34)

Shaun and Chuck emerge with a fresh episode and dive into a full slate of fight news coming out of the weekend. The guys discuss Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3 (5:30), what's at stake for both fighters and the magnitude of the trilogy fight. With several big fights announced over the weekend, we play Matchmaking Roulette and rate some of the most interesting matchups, including Kevin Holland vs. Marvin Vettori (20:21), Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega as TUF 29 coaches (22:53), Demetrious Johnson vs. Adriano Moraes at ONE on TNT (26:02), Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad (28:59), Cris Cyborg's Bellator debut (31:34), Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson (33:33), Chan Sung Jung vs. Dan Ige (36:04), and Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov (37:29). Plus, we recap Bellator's debut on Showtime (41:31), discuss Patricio Pitbull's place in the featherweight landscape after a dominant win over Emmanuel Sanchez (49:11), and update the results of our MMA Global Heavyweight Redraft. Support the show! Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall

Together again! Shaun and Chuck welcome Chris Flannery (aka 'Producer Chris') back to the show to help weigh in on some of the biggest headlines around MMA this week. The guys dive into Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards being announced for UFC 262 (4:43), the latest in Jon Jones' public feud with the UFC over a Francis Ngannou super-fight (22:47), as well as what to expect from Bellator 255 this weekend featuring Patricio Pitbull vs. Emmanuel Sanchez 2 (31:01). Plus, with a new king at the top of the Heavyweight division, the guys take part in another edition of the MMA Global Redraft of the greatest heavyweights from any era (38:28), and wrap things up with the Interim Titles of the Week (1:02:10)! Cast your vote on the Heavyweight Redraft results: https://twitter.com/MANandtheMITH/status/1377609261149257731

Chuck and Shaun check their pulse after a violent night of fights at UFC 260: Ngannou vs. Miocic 2. The guys dissect Francis Ngannou's win over Stipe Miocic to become the UFC's new Heavyweight champion (2:26), the looming fight with Jon Jones and the UFC's ability to make the fight happen (15:01), what's next for Stipe Miocic after a tough loss to Ngannou at age 38 (29:21), as well as the potential for a trilogy fight. Plus, we look back at some of the other notable performances from Saturday night, including Vincente Luque pushing for a true test at 170 lbs (31:13), Tyron Woodley's showing and what the future holds for him (37:45), as well as 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley's statement win over Thomas Almeida (40:42) and what it means for Almeida's future in the UFC (47:39). Support the show! Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall

Shaun and Chuck welcome back Petesy Carroll from MMA On Point to help break down UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2 this weekend. The guys discuss the Heavyweight title rematch between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou and debate how the second meeting could play out (7:36), Tyron Woodley vs. Vincente Luque and if this could be the end for Woodley's UFC career (31:31), as well what's at stake for "Sugar" Sean O'Malley vs. Thomas Almeida (38:57). Plus, Petesy takes part in our Locks of the Week for the main card/undercard, and we hand out our Interim Titles of the Week!

Chuck and Shaun reflect on a strange weekend of fights, topped off by Derek Brunson's decision win over Kevin Holland at UFC Fight Night. The guys discuss the latest edition of the Kevin Holland Experience and what went wrong for 'Trailblazer' (2:08), Derek Brunson scoring another victory over an up-and-comer and if he's earned a place in the contention conversation (14:09), as well as standout performances from Adrian Yanez and Max Griffen on Saturday (21:05). Plus, with the UFC making Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement official this past weekend, the guys debate whether or not 'The Eagle' can lay claim to the "Greatest of All Time" (27:12), what happens next in the Lightweight division with Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler set to fight for the title (39:28), and UFC 260's main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega getting cancelled due to COVID-19 (47:23).

Shaun and Chuck get caught up on a busy week of MMA news, including Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal 2 at UFC 261 (2:27), the UFC's plans to 15,000 fans in Jacksonville for the event (10:32). as well as Kelvin Gastelum stepping in to replace Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker April 17 (17:08). Plus, the guys look ahead to Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland this weekend (23:49), and hand out their Interim Titles of the Week (41:43)! Support the show! Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall

Shaun and Chuck dive into another eventful weekend following the disappointing end to UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad (2:43). The guys discuss the fight being ruled a No Contest and what happens next for Leon Edwards (5:36), the unfortunate eye poke which cost Belal Muhammad a long awaited opportunity (11:35), as well as the chances of a rematch being booked with the current state of the Welterweight division (19:41). To recap the weekend, Shaun and Chuck go toe-to-toe for Five Rounds and run through the biggest topics on the newswire, including statement performances from Dan Ige over Gavin Tucker (27:46) and Ryan Spann vs. Misha Cirkunov (32:16), another controversial ending via knee to a downed opponent featuring Eryk Anders (35:17), Beneil Dariush vs. Tony Ferguson rumors (42:12), and the guys pay tribute to the late boxing legend, Marvin Hagler (46:21).

Chuck and Shaun set the stage for this weekend's UFC Fight Night card featuring Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad. The guys chat about what's at stake for Leon Edwards and how much ring rust could play a factor after nearly two years since his last fight (2:52), Belal Muhammad finally getting his shot in a stagnant welterweight division (10:08), as well as which fights stand out on the rest of the card (18:53). We play 'Are You Intrigued' to filter through some of the top stories captivating the MMA world this week, including: Julianna Peña calling out Amanda Nunes (21:51), Aljamain Sterling's ongoing war of words with Petr Yan (31:31), renewed appetite for open-scoring (35:37), an all-female champion pay-per-view (41:04), and more. Plus, we hand out this week's Interim Titles (44:16). Support the show! Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall

Chuck and Shaun reconvene after an eventful night of fights at UFC 259 and recap Jan Błachowicz's victory over Israel Adesanya and Izzy's next move (1:48), Amanda Nunes' dominant performance against Megan Anderson and the future of the women's featherweight division (25:59), as well as Aljamain Sterling's controversial, title-fight disqualification victory over Petr Yan (40:18). Plus, the guys discuss who's next for Islam Makhachev after an impressive win over Drew Dober (52:30), their takeaways from Aleksandar Rakić vs. Thiago Santos (56:21), and what the future holds for UFC veterans Joseph Benavidez and Dominick Cruz (59:30).

Shaun Al-Shatti and Chuck Mindenhall welcome an old friend: ESPN MMA's Ariel Helwani joins the show! The guys talk some hoops before getting to our UFC 259 Preview (14:15), breaking down Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya (18:34), Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson (42:10), Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling (52:47), Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober (1:03:17), and Thiago Santos vs. Aleksandar Rakic (1:09:50). Plus, Shaun and Chuck convince Ariel to predict winners for the weekend, the guys pick their locks for the main card/undercard, and hand out their Interim Titles of the Week (1:17:40). Support the show! Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall

The Man and the MITH podcast is back! Shaun Al-Shatti and Chuck Mindenhall (the "Man in the Hat") reintroduce themselves to the loyal listeners and reflect on what inspired the relaunch of The Man and the MITH Podcast, as well as how you can support the show. In the debut episode, the guys recap UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Rozenstruik and discuss the state of the heavyweight division, make their end-of-2021 UFC champion predictions for each division, and give their take on the upcoming Triller Boxing card. Support the show! Patreon.com/MANandtheMITH Follow us on Twitter: @MANandtheMITH @shaunalshatti @ChuckMindenhall