The Co-main Event Podcast

With the world still reeling from two seismic events--Ronda Rousey’s 14 second win over Cat Zingano and the birth of Ben Fowlkes’ second child--the CME delivers a very special episode. This week, Ben and Chad have you covered on a bunch of health-related topics, such as 1) Revel in the fact you have two working arms, CME Universe, because you never know when the UFC might call you to fight Ronda Rousey. Seriously, they’re kinda running out of people for the job. 2) Don’t get too caught up in your shockwaves and your dejavus, it may cost you your Bellator light heavyweight title. 3) It’s cool if you get super nervous and trembly before your UFC debut. It might even disqualify you from being recruited for the job we mentioned in No.1, which is probably a good thing. All of that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The technical term for this weekend’s MMA slate is “stacked” or, if you’re a true purist, even “stacked-ass.” Nope, not to confuse the layman out there, but this is one stacked-ass weekend of MMA action. As usual, the Co-Main Event Podcast has you covered, with at least as much of it as will fit into an hour and change of prime podcasting time. We’ll kick off on Friday, when The Big Homie Manny Newton defends his light heavyweight title against Liam McGeary at Bellator 134. That same night, Cris “Cyborg” Justino returns to the cage to face Charmaine Tweet at Invicta 11. On Saturday, Ronda Rousey will be in action, putting her women’s batamweight title and status as No. 1 female fighter in the world on the line against Cat Zinganno. In the CME of that event, Holly Holm makes her Octagon debut against Raquel Pennington. You better believe your boys Ben and Chad talk about it all. Plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know what? Much respect to Benson Henderson for taking all our minds off our troubles for a little while on Saturday night, when he choked out welterweight Brandon Thatch in the fourth round of their UFC Fight Night 60 main event. For the Co-Main Event Podcast, it provided a sweet respite between thinking about PED busts, PED meetings and PED press conferences. But, back to the real world for this week’s episode, where Bendo’s win will be discussed alongside the UFC’s scheduled Wednesday press conference to address drugs in the sport as well as Sunday’s hot main event pitting … Frank Mir against Bigfoot Silva. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Saying stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All right, Co-Main Event Universe, Ben and Chad are going to do things a bit differently this week, for venerable episode Olde No. 140. As depressing as it is to admit, Anderson Silva’s failed drug test of a week ago is still the biggest news of the day, with this weekend’s uninspiring UFC Fight Night 60, WSOF and Bellator cards all failing to engender enough excitement to knock it from the headlines. As they do every so often, your dudes elect to eschew the CME’s normal three-round format this week, spending the first half of the show talking about Silva’s drug issues and then the second half juggling some UFC and Bellator talk. Along the way there is as much listener mail as they can wedge into the conversation. Oh yeah, and MasterTweet Theatre happens as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anderson Silva is back, Nick Diaz is still crazy, John Lineker and Kelvin Gastelum still can’t make weight and Chris Weidman is injured again. Does that about cover it? Oh yeah, some big news will probably break just as soon as Ben and Chad drop this new episode of the Co-Main Event Podcast. So, pretty much business as usual. UFC 183 was still loads of fun though, what with Diaz trying to get in Anderson Silva’s head like he was, well, Anderson Silva or some damn thing. So your guys talk about all that, plus the weird decision in Miesha Tate’s win over Sara McMann, the rising cost of UFC pay-per-views, the awesomeness of Al Iaquinta and Thiago Alves serving some instant karma to Jordan Mein. Sound like a lot for one hour? Imagine how your intrepid hosts feel. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Co-Main Event Podcast isn’t feeling well, you guys, but Ben and Chad still got it together to record episode 138 for you, the fans. Just too much stuff going on not to give er the ol’ CME try. For starters, Anthony Johnson put those hands on Alexander Gustafsson on Saturday at UFC on Fox 14. End result? We have a new No. 1 contender to Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title. In addition, the cowboy that is Dan Henderson may finally have let the bucking bronco of his professional MMA career ride him off into the sunset. Oh and hey, did you guys know Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz are going to fight this weekend at UFC 183? Yeah, they are, and the guys talk about that, too. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After an odd-ball Sunday night UFC event, the Co-Main Event Podcast finds itself still shaking off the hangover of Fight Night 59. Ben and Chad squint for a long time at Conor McGregor’s victory over Dennis Siver, trying to see if there’s anything to make of it, besides the fact McGregor will now fight that one guy in the front row. There’s also Donald Cerrone’s controversial decision victory over Benson Henderson to try to put in context and--just when they’ve got that sorted--this New Business about Alexander Gustafsson fighting Anthony Johnson next Saturday in Stockholm. We’re back in it, folks, and we’re back in it deep. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In classic Co-Main Event fashion, the new podcast smell hadn’t even worn off last week’s episode before UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones tested positive for that candy cane. You know, that gutter glitter? That paradise white? Anyhoo, Ben and Chad weren’t going to let an opportunity like that go by without busting out their best Scarface jokes. Their best Boogie Nights jokes. Their best New Jack City jokes. Especially after the Nevada State Athletic Commission spent the next week playing the Gee Money to Jones’ Nino Brown. Oh yeah, there is also another event of mixed rules fighting happening this weekend, when Conor McGregor takes on Dennis Siver and Donald Cerrone steps in on--what else--short notice to fight Benson Henderson. All that, plus Just Sayin’ Stuff and AYFKM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plots are thick for this week’s Co-Main Event Podcast, recorded just a couple of days after Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier finally settled their beef at UFC 182. Well, they fought, anyhow. Not sure there was a ton of beef-settling, as both Jones and Cormier appeared to dislike each other just as much after they’d fought as before. Ben and Chad take a running leap at the topic--shouting “Cannon ball!” as they soar gracefully through the air--spending not one, but two rounds on it. After a fight like that, it just seemed necessary, you know? Also on the docket? Donald Cerrone’s victory over Myles Jury at the same event. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s Co-Main Event Podcast was recorded in the middle of a g.d. blizzard, and Ben and Chad hope just a bit of that cozy holiday splendor somehow seeps into your earholes. God knows there is enough other stuff going on to light a fire under you. For this final CME of 2014, your dudes discuss with glee the coming UFC 182 matchup between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, as well as Donald Cerrone taking on Myles Jury. In addition to that, they look back at 2014 and wonder if/how 2015 will prove itself superior. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben and Chad feel your pain, CME Universe. You have, what? One or two more days of work before the bosses let you cut out for Xmas? You’re sitting in your office right now, paging through best-of-year slideshows online, just trying to pass the hours until quitting time. Here, let the Co-Main Event Podcast help with that. On this special holiday episode of the show, your dudes discuss Lyoto Machida’s one-kick wonder over CB Dollaway at Saturday’s Fight Night 58, the small business of that pending class-action lawsuit against the UFC and Rampage Jackson’s possible return to the Octagon, so long as a judge decides it’s OK. All that, plus Tip for the Well-Rounded Fight Fan, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Co-Main Event Podcast gets back on its normal schedule this week. With everyone present and accounted for, Ben and Chad turn their attention to the latest happenings in MMA, both confirmed and otherwise. There is plenty of live action to get to, including Carla Esparza’s championship performance at the TUF 20 finale, Nate Diaz’s disappointing turn against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 13 and the heavyweight bonanza that occurred on that same card. That’s about it, though, nothing else to see here … err … wait a second. What are these reports about an impending class action lawsuit against the UFC? Uhh, that seems sort of important. The guys spend a few minutes talking about that, too. All that, plus AYFKM, Just Sayin’ Stuff and MasterTweet Theatre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Ben’s lengthy business chasing down hashtag lifestyle pieces in Las Vegas finally concluded, he and Chad get back on the wild, bucking horse that is the Co-Main Event Podcast on Friday. Better late than never, right, you roughnecks? Even with Ben safely ensconced back in the one true time zone, the show finds itself in an unusual position, with 10 not-so-slow days of MMA news to catch up on. For that reason, for one episode only your dudes dispense with the show’s normal 3-round format and just make it a free-for-all. From the UFC’s new Reebok deal and CM Punk to TUF 20, UFC 181 and UFC on Fox 13, they take on all comers. Think of this as a CME done by UFC 1 rules, where guys just brawl it out in one long continuous round until one guy taps out or gets his tooth kicked into the front row. This one’s for you, Superfoot.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a week off to nurse their Thanksgiving food hangovers and Thanksgiving hangover hangovers, Ben and Chad return with a new Co-Main Event Podcast, and not a moment too soon. See, gentle listener, UFC 181 and its twin bill of title fights looms on Saturday night. How you gonna know what to expect/who to root for/what to think if the CME doesn’t swoop in to hand out them ass-whippings to their maximum effect? Don’t worry, though, we got you, troop. On this installment, your guys talk about Johny Hendricks returning from injury to defend his welterweight title in a rematch against Robbie Lawler and Anthony Pettis returning from injury to defense his lightweight title against Gilbert Melendez. Oh, and because you gave them a pass last week, they also circle back to go over Frankie Edgar’s victory over Cub Swanson as well. Deal? Deal. All that, plus AYFKM, MasterTweet Theatre and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben and Chad delayed the recording of this week’s CME by some 25 minutes, hoping to be able to hear the UFC’s big #TheTimeIsNow announcement, so they could discuss it as BREAKING NEWS during the intro to the show. But, as it turned out, the time was not now. The time will be somewhat later. In the future. That’s when the time will happen. That’s right, the UFC punted on its own big announcement today, with UFC President Dana White telling the gathered crowd that the fight company “didn’t get it done” yet. “You can all go home now,” White quipped. If only! Instead, your boys went ahead and did the whole show, discussing last weekend’s jam-packed MMA slate, including Fabricio Werdum capturing the interim UFC heavyweight title, Tito Ortiz edging Stephan Bonnar at Bellator 131 and next weekend’s featherweight main event featuring Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No time to mince words for the Co-Main Event Podcast this week, what with the MMA schedule more jam-ass-packed than even is normal. Is normal. Ben and Chad have, frankly, too much on their communal CME plate, but do their best to cram as much into their hour and change as possible. From Luke Rockhold and Ovince St. Preux scoring big UFC victories over the weekend, to Mark Hunt and Fabricio Werdum preparing to square off over possession of the cursed UFC heavyweight title, there’s a lot of ground to cover. On top of all that, there’s this damn Tito Ortiz vs. Stephan Bonnar fight, which apparently is actually going to happen on Saturday as well. Also, news broke on Monday that crazy. crazy Wanderlei Silva is going to show up at the Bellator fan fest this weekend in San Deigo. So, CME road trip? CME road trip!  All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin' Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Co-Main Event Podcast records another Tuesday morning episode this week, as Ben’s tenure as a juror in a local trail plays havoc with the schedule. He joined Chad for coffee and fight talk as soon as he was able, and there was no shortage of stuff to discuss. Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping’s Friday-night UFC main event took center stage, but the guys manage to squeeze in some speculation about Shogun Rua vs. Ovince St. Preux as well. Then there is the small matter of Nov. 15 to reckon with, when the UFC, Bellator and World Series of Fighting will all stage events during the same day. Did the guys come up with a battle plan for how MMA fans should attack that day? Only one way to find out. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s that chill you feel in the air, gentle listener? Why, it’s the super-scary, mega-terrifying Halloween episode of the Co-Main Event Podcast. Just pull up a squeaky old rocking chair and try to listen to Ben and Chad talk about the week’s mixed martial arts news over the spooky sound effects of a howling wolf, the screech of an opening door or, like, a laughing devil or something. This week’s topics include Jose Aldo’s successful title defense against Chad Mendes at UFC 179 in a fight-of-the-year caliber brawl, Phil Davis’ odd call-out of Anderson Silva and the longstanding curse surrounding the UFC heavyweight championship. So, yeah, it’s pretty spine-tingling.  All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin' Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the soaring high that was last week’s All Questions Considered episode, Co-Main Event Podcast No. 125 crashes back to earth, reverting to the crippling normalcy of just having Ben and Chad talk about stuff. Luckily for everyone, there’s actual stuff to talk about this week. The guys address Jose Aldo’s upcoming UFC 179 rematch against Chad Mendes, wondering if anything has changed that would make them believe that this time Mendes might pull off the upset. In addition, they talk about Phil Davis’ bout against Glover Teixeira, agreeing it’s pretty much a must-win for “Mr. Wonderful.” In round three, they get a little philosophical on the topic of the UFC’s 2015 schedule and a recent Sports Business Journal article about the fight company. Only after finishing recording did they immediately realize that said article had a super big typo in it about how many PPVs the UFC has sold in the last few years, so you’ll have to bear with them on that little mistake. All that plus AYFKM, Just Sayin Stuff and Maste

With the UFC on hiatus both this weekend and the last, the Co-Main Event Podcast saddles up for another episode of All Questions Considered. It’s simple, really. You send Ben and Chad your email questions and they answer as many of them as they possibly can in an hour and change. From Joe Warren’s Bellator bantamweight title victory to Jake Shields’ WSOF win over Ryan Ford to Mayhem Miller’s continuing meltdown, it’s all covered. In fact, this bad boy is so quick and painless, the guy’s might just start doing AQC every single week. Nah, probably not, but thanks for all your emails, all the same.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices