The Co-main Event Podcast

The UFC says its release of perennial title contender/lovable weirdsmobile Yoel Romero is one of about 60 cuts it will make before the New Year to trim its "inflated" roster. Inflated, huh? That's an interesting, hey-this-was-nobody's-fault kind of way to say it. So, that's a bummer. We also talk about Marvin Vettori's recent win over Jack Hermansson and preview UFC 256--a fight card that looks fun enough to make us feel uneasy with six days still to go before fight night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben watched the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition boxing match on Saturday night and gleefully reports that he got his money's worth ... of entertainment, if not exactly top flight boxing action. Meanwhile, the UFC scrapped Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis at the the last minute while simultaneously shuffling the line-ups for its next two events as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UFC 255 was definitely a thing that happened, as Deiveson Figueiredo and Valentina Shevchenko retained the men's and women's flyweight titles, respectively. This week on an All Questions Considered episode of The Proper, we talk the greatness of Figgy Small and Shevy Chenks, as well as A.J. McKee pulling off a heretofore unseen submission in the Bellator GP. Plus, a lot of other odds and ends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Felder didn't beat Rafael dos Anjos Saturday night, but it still feels like Felder's choice to step in on short notice for a five-rounder against a former champion was the right thing to do. Plus, the Bellator 145-pound grand prix deserves your attention, while UFC 255 maybe ... well, you make the call. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, Glover Teixeira pretty much handled Thiago Santos in their main event fight Saturday night. This week, the CME turns its attention to the most vexing questions facing the 205-pound division, including: In a world where Jon Jones is absent, could Teixeira be the best light heavyweight in the UFC? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anderson Silva lost to Uriah Hall on Saturday via fourth-round TKO. It wasn't great. It also wasn't terrible. But, jeez louise, Dana White sure showed up at the postfight presser in a shitty mood. He says Silva still has one fight left on his UFC deal and White will NOT be offering it to him. So, what happens next? Plus, Isreal Adesanya will fight Janny Blackjacks for the light heavyweight strap (wait, what?) and this weekend we finally get to see the Covid Cup. You know unless something bad happens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Khabib Nurmagomedov called it quits on Saturday after UFC 254 in what has to be considered one of the most emotional retirement announcements in MMA history. Naturally, we got a lot of mail on the subject. This week's All Questions Considered show talks Khabib's legacy, his performance against Justin Gaethje and what now to do with the vacant lightweight title. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Ortega returned from his first career loss and an extended absence from the cage looking like a new man on Saturday and straight-up put a whipping on Chan Sung Jung. Sup with that??? Plus, we look ahead to UFC 254's man and co-main events. Hype level is high! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If what you want out of your UFC content is a no-strings-attached experience where one semi-anonymous dude might do something unbelievably awesome (and terrible) to another semi-anonymous dude then, brother, Saturday night was your JAM. We discuss that and other stuff on this week's CME Proper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holly "Holmes" Holm and Carlos "Conduit" Condit both went out there and reminded us who the fuck they were on Saturday. But what now for our two old pals? Plus, the Jon Jones-Israel Adesanya beef gets capital "W" Weird and--oh, look!--another fairly low profile UFC event this weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a taste of Chad's new podcast: Death in the West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel Adesanya froze Paulo Costa like a statue, battered him with leg kicks from range and then toppled him with strikes to the dome piece in the second. It was, in short, exactly the kind of performance you'd want from a budding UFC superstar. Speaking of stars, how about your dude Janny Blackjacks? How long can we reasonably expected him to hang onto the strap? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colby Covington pretty much shut down Tyron Woodley en route to a fifth-round TKO victory on Saturday night. Then Covington opened his mouth and spewed awful racist bile all over the place during the postfight. You know, like he does. Plus, Donald Cerrone draws Niko Price and, hey, UFC 253 is this weekend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There were a ton of fights this weekend, and the CME will forego its normal three-round format in order to talk about as many of them as possible. We discuss Michelle Waterson's win over Angela Hill, Ed Herman's Dundasso and those terrible low blows in Bellator, among other things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alistair Overeem's late-career dream continues, in the form of a fifth-round TKO over Augusto Sakai. All the props in the world to Overeem for remaking himself as a crafty veteran, but how far can he continue to roll at age 40? Plus, Nick Diaz back? Fight Island back? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Smith made a somewhat short turnaround after his high-publicized de-toothing by Glover Teixeira back in May, just to return Saturday night to get outpointed by Aleksandar Rakic. Chances are, Smith's not going to be happy with that. Plus, are we seeing the end of the Brutal Bob Lawler Era? And Chad invents a time machine and sends Ben on a mission with an important message for 2010 Alistair Overeem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frankie Edgar finally made his bantamweight debut on Saturday and ... well ... it looked a lot like what we've seen from him at every other weight, which is to say quite good, but also prone to producing fights that could go either way. Plus, Ryan Bader finds out why you don't tempt the MMA Gods and--what's this???--some actual UFC vs. Bellator beef? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stipe Miocic will continue being the man after his unanimous decision victory over Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 concluded that pair's heavyweight title trilogy. As for Cormier? We're not totally sure, though we hope it's something good. Plus, just to add to this event's weirdness, Sean O'Malley's leg went kablooey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier fulfill the trilogy this weekend. Kind of feels like it snuck up on us, no? Plus, we love Derrick Lewis, but is he trying to do too much? And shouldn't some MMA company just give Michael Chandler whatever he wants? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Score one for the grizzled veterans, as Derek Brunson became the first professional fighter to crack the riddle of Edmen Shahbazyan on Saturday night. Plus, chaos ruled at UFC Fight Night 176 and--what's this???--a certified weirdsmobile fight between Derrick Lewis and Aleksei Oleinik is on tap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices