The Co-main Event Podcast

Seriously, how worried should we be about Conor McGregor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Georges St-Pierre’s shocking comeback victory over Michael Bisping to win the UFC middleweight title to T.J. Dillashaw and Rose Namajunas both dethroning champions most people expected to be dominant, this episode has it all. Was this the single greatest night in UFC history? Did GSP salt away GOAT status? And what of next weekend’s Fight Night 120, featuring Dustin Porier vs. Anthony Pettis and Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez. Buckle up, kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Batten down the hatches, CME Universe, it’s UFC 217 fight week. With just a week or so left before Michael Bisping actually defends his UFC middleweight title against Georges St-Pierre, Ben and Chad take a comprehensive look at what should end up being one of the biggest UFC events of late 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Darren Till made the most of his first real spotlight moment in the Octagon on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 118, blowing through Donald Cerrone via first round TKO. Now it seems as though Till might be looking at a future matchup with Mike Perry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gdansk, Gdansk, Gdansk is where the UFC journeys this weekend for Fight 118. The main event of that event features Donald Cerrone against Darren Till, which is kind of a strange marquee matchup until you consider that Till might well have his eye on being the new Donald Cerrone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No big deal, you guys. Demetrious Johnson is just going to toss Ray Borg up in the air like a small child and then armbar him as he plummets to earth (which is something we absolutely do NOT recommend doing to a child). If you are one of these people who insists on continuing to try to cast aspersions on the UFC men’s flyweight champ--well--you starting to feel sheepish yet? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UFC 216 comes our way this weekend from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. On this episode of the CME, Ben and Chad look at Demetrious Johnson finally getting his chance to break Anderson Silva’s record for consecutive UFC title defenses. They also talk about Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee squaring off for an interim lightweight title and perhaps the opportunity to be a future opponent for Conor McGregor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A pretty low-quality UFC event and a pretty high-quality Bellator event paced the weekend in MMA and you know that kind of role reversal is enough to get the creative juices flowing for the CME. On this episode, Ben and Chad talk about Jessica Andrade and Claudia Gadelha having a crackerjack women’s strawweight contender fight at UFC Fight Night 117. They also puzzle over the debut of Gokhan Saki and wonder if it’s good enough to be a fun fighter without being a terribly good one. They also take a broad look at what Bellator did, including a second fight for Aaron Pico, a highlight reel knockout for Paul Daley and a very Benson Henderson fight to cap things off. All that, plus AYFKM, Just Sayin’ Stuff and MasterTweet Theatre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luke Rockhold returns from more than a year away, takes some time to shake off the rust and ultimately emerges from UFC Fight Night 116 with a second-round win via strikes over Dave Branch. Pretty much just what the doctor ordered for Rockhold, who got some decent work in, faced some adversity and then nonetheless re-established himself as one of the very best middleweights in the UFC. Interesting thing is going to see what happens now, what with Michael Bisping vs. Georges St-Pierre still on tap near the end of the year. Depending on who wins that bad boy, the 185-pound division might still have some time to kill before anybody gets a chance to take on the champion. In addition to Rockhold, Mike Perry had himself a night on Saturday, and then went ahead and called out Robbie Lawler. As if that what wasn’t enough hot Octagonal action for you, UFC Fight Night 117 comes at you this week, featuring Ovince St. Preux vs. Yushin Okami as its main event. Ben and Chad talk about all this stuff and more on this week’s

UFC 215 fallout, plus Rockhold vs. Branch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Struve, Alexander Volkov, Demetrious Johnson and Amanda Nunes are all discussed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mayweather-McGregor wrap up, plus Jon Jones breaks our hearts all over again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mayweather-McGregor is finally upon us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mayweather-McGregor, UFC 217's new main event and whether UFC fighters should still be considered independent contractors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UFC Fight Night 114, plus Conor McGregor's budding feud with Paulie Malignaggi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben and Chad talk UFC 214. Bones Jones. DC. Brock Lesnar? Yep, Brock F'n Lesnar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Results from UFC on Fox 25 and a look ahead to a stacked UFC 214 card. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you hear us, Co-Main Event Universe? Look, we realize you may be confused since A) This episode of the CME is dropping a day later than normal and B) Your ears may still be ringing from last week’s Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor press “world tour” but here--in all its glory--is episode 264 of our little podcast. In it, your guys Ben and Chad spend a while talking about the silliness of the May-Mac Press Excursion and whether the sometimes ugly rhetoric will help or hurt pay-per-view sales. They also talk about a big win over the weekend for Santiago Ponzinibbio (of all people) at UFC Fight Night 113 and then turn their attention to next weekend’s UFC on Fox 25. At that event, Chris Weidman faces Kelvin Gastelum in a main event that shapes up as a must-win, lest Weidman complete a fall from grace that can only be described as “Johny-esque.” All that, plus AYFKM and Just Saying Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, Universe, Robert Whittaker and Justin Gaethje both had pretty damn good weekends, huh? Amanda Nunes? Maybe not quite so hot. On this episode of the Co-Main Event Podcast, Ben and Chad look at Whittaker’s big win over Yoel Romero at UFC 213 to become UFC interim middleweight champion. They also talk a fair amount about Gaethje having his Octagon debut in a fight-of-the-year caliber victory over Michael Johnson the night before at the TUF 5,476 Finale. Then there’s Nunes, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, who had to bow out of a scheduled title defense against Valentina Shevchenko due to on-going sinus troubles. So that was bad and maybe casts her future with the company into doubt. Oh, and speaking of lacking futures with the company: Gegard Mousasi. Where did that dude go? Oh, there he is! In Bellator! All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s International Fight Week, CME Universe, and you know what that means: The UFC will produce back-to-back events this weekend--both of them from the same building in Las Vegas, which makes you wonder about the “international” part, but whatevs. Why spend time hashing out the details when there is so much honest to goodness MMA action to discourse? On this episode of the CME, Ben and Chad talk about the expectations for former WSOF champion Justin Gaethje, debuting in the main event of the TUF: Redemption finale on Friday opposite Michael Johnson. After that, they look ahead to Saturday’s UFC 213 and inspect the co-main events (get it?), where Yoel Romero takes on Robert Whittaker for the interim middleweight strap and Amanda Nunes defends her women’s bantamweight title in a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko. All that plus AYFKM, Just Sayin’ Stuff and MasterTweet Theatre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices