The Co-main Event Podcast

Yet another UFC doubleheader Saturday leaves the Co-Main Event Podcast feeling spent. On this episode, Ben and Chad discuss Rory MacDonald’s victory over Tarec Saffiedine in an apparent welterweight title eliminator. It seems like fans will tacitly accept MacDonald as the next challenger for the 170-pound title, if not exactly welcome him with open arms. Rick Story notched a big upset win as well, undressing Gunnar Nelson over in Stockholm. So there’s that. Also, the guys dip into the question of whether Cung Le’s recent positive drug test raises issues with the UFC’s testing policies, regardless of Le’s guilt or innocence. All that, plus AYFKM, MasterTweet Theatre and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the heels of the stellar UFC 178 card, the Co-Main Event Podcast once again finds itself with a good kind of problem: too many compelling storylines to cram into one episode. As usual, Ben and Chad make the best of the time allotted, talking about Conor McGregor’s big win over Dustin Poirier, all the weirdness in the Yoel Romero-Tim Kennedy fight and Eddie Alvarez’s disappointing UFC debut. They also find time to discuss awesome comebacks from Cat Zingano and Dominick Cruz, as well as World Series of Fighting’s plan to split pay-per-view revenue 50/50 with its fighters. Oh yeah, and Chad signed a book deal, so that comes up, too. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, Chris Weidman broke his hand and his fight with Vitor Belfort is pushed back to February? Man, you guys, the Co-Main Event Podcast is starting to feel responsible for this stuff, as one again (!) some big news in the MMA world broke just after Ben and Chad were done recording the show. Without the revelation about Weidman’s busted paw, the guys talk about Eddie Alvarez finally making it to the UFC (and the stakes therein), Conor McGregor going head-to-head with Dustin Poirier and the long-awaited return of Dominick Cruz. What’s that you say? The UFC 178 main event? Yeah, they talk about that, too, though perhaps the billing here gives you some idea how we’re all feeling about that. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Co-Main Event Podcast is back … on Mondays! With both Ben and Chad just hanging around town doing nothing special this week, we’re back to our normal schedule. You know what that means … some big news should break in three … two … one … In any case, on episode 120, your dudes talk about Andrei Arlovski’s big knockout win over Bigfoot Silva in Brazil last weekend. They also speak on Emmanuel Newton’s spinning backfist KO of Joey Beltran (surprised? Don’t be.) and Bellator’s ongoing perception problem. Sprinkled in there is a little talk of Mark Hunt’s coming main event against Roy Nelson, TUF 20 and Nick Diaz’s recent arrest on suspicion of DUI, as well. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, Tips for the Well-Rounded Fight Fan, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Ben safely returned from the wilds of Maine, the Co-Main Event Podcast produces what it hopes is its last delayed show for some time. Lucky thing, too, since the MMA world just proves too capable of breaking hella news from Tuesday to Tuesday. We all look forward to getting back to the normal Monday to Monday sched., where news breaks right AFTER the podcast comes out. This week, Ben and Chad talk up Jacare Souza’s big win over Gegard Mousasi from last Friday, Bellator’s shocking unmasking of ... some dude during its own show and Ben Askren’s weird appearance on AXS TV’s Inside MMA. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now back to irregularly scheduled programming. For the next two weeks, the CME will come out on Tuesdays, which for the record was how the show was conceived in the beginning, before public pressure and the harsh realities of life forced it onto Mondays. In any case, episode 118 sees Ben and Chad breaking down TJ Dillashaw’s bantamweight title win over Joe Soto at last Saturday at UFC 177. Wait, who? Exactly. In addition, the guys also look ahead to this Friday’s Fight Night 50 main event between Jacare (Jacare!) Souza and Gegard “Sweet and Sassy” Mousasi, when the UFC and Bellator will run dueling cards in the state of Connecticut. All that plus AYFKM and Just Sayin Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not gonna lie, after another UFC doubleheader Saturday, the Co-Main Event Podcast felt a little bit like Cung Le fresh from three-plus rounds with Michael Bisping. Ben woke up super early to write MMA Junkie capsules for the Fight Night 48 card in Macau (MACAU!), while Chad … ah, hell, who are we kidding? Chad slept in and then took his time getting around to watching Rafael dos Anjos take out Benson Henderson in the main event of UFC Fight Night 49. Still, it felt like a long day. All of the above is discussed on this week’s show and the guys also look ahead to the forthcoming UFC 177. Will a show headlined by an immediate rematch between T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao sink or swim at the box office? That’s what they want to know. All that, plus AYFKM, Just Sayin’ Stuff and MasterTweet Theatre.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 21 empty, listless days with no shows, the UFC returned with a vengeance this past weekend. With an event scheduled for every Saturday from now (last weekend, actually) through the end of the month, the dog days of summer expect to be … well, empty and listless, but at least replete with face-punching. On this episode of the Co-Main Event Podcast, Ben and Chad discuss Ryan Bader’s win over Ovince St. Preux from Saturday night and look ahead to next weekend’s doubleheader, including Benson Henderson’s main event against Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Bisping’s Fight Pass bout against Cung Le. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With one CME host returning to town just as the other skeddadled out the back door, Ben and Chad had to squeeze in episode 115 during the short window when both dudes were still in the One True Time Zone. As a result, this installment of the Co-Main Event Podcast was recorded at Ben’s house, on Saturday and before noon. So, yeah, your dudes weren’t really awake yet, were swilling coffee and trying to keep their voices down while a bunch of babies took naps. Other than that, you won’t notice a difference. Covered in this week’s show are Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier literally threatening to literally kill one another from opposite ends of a Sportscenter live feed, Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz literally getting booked to literally fight and the UFC literally doing a show literally from Bangor, Maine where Ryan Bader and Ovince St. Preux literally re-define the meaning of the term “Maine Event.” Get it? All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the Co-Main Event Podcast has a lot to discuss this week, what with Anthony Johnson’s fearsome punching power and Alexander Gustafsson’s torn meniscus crying havoc with the light heavyweight pecking order. Daniel Cormier (his own bum knee in tow) is subbing in for Gustafsson in a title fight against Jon Jones, but what now will become of Gustafsson? And what, for that matter, of Johnson, who flattened Roger Nog at last weekend’s UFC on Fox 12 show, only to leave us scratching our heads about who he might fight next. There was also the small matter of Robbie Lawler coming out on top of his dogfight against the better-seen-and-not-heard Matt Brown. We couldn’t squeeze any more MMA into this damned show if we tried. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MMA’s charmed month of July rolled on, as Conor McGregor and 9,500 of his closest, most Irish-est friends blew the roof off O2 arena in Dublin over the weekend. The Co-Main Event Podcast was not in attendance, so had to live vicariously through all the other media types who went over there and partied the night away on the Isle of Erin or whatever. Even from afar, the whole thing had an intoxicating effect and was almost enough to make us forget that just last Wednesday Donald Cerrone knocked out Jim Miller in a main event from Atlantic City and said he was going to go drink a bunch of Budweiser. Speaking of which, has anybody heard from Donald? Do we need to send somebody on a welfare check? All that is discussed, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the pleasant dream that was last weekend (no shows! zero!), it’s once again fight week, as MMA fans gear up for two UFC events. Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 45 is headlined by Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller. So, that’s probably not going to suck. Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 46/UFC: MeGregor vs. Brandao/UFC: Dublin is a little more difficult to get your arms around. With a main event pitting Conor McGregor against replacement opponent Diego Brandao and the UFC still seemingly sending mixed messages about whether it actually wants anyone outside the fictitious nation of Ireland to tune in, Ben and Chad aren’t sure what to make of it. Plus UFC 176 got “postponed” so maybe they’ll surprise us and have that on Saturday night instead. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Co-Main Event Podcast has never smelled so clean, nor felt so fresh in its … uh … groin … area. Be warned, CME Universe, this week Ben and Chad record the show under the influence of Dude Wipes, which came in the mail as a thoughtful gift from listener Coleen H. Or maybe it wasn’t so thoughtful. Maybe it was just her subtle way of telling them they stink. In any case, there is a lot of non-odor related MMA news to discuss as well, what with Chris Weidman putting it in the haters’ faces, Ronda Rousey playing Andre Arlovski to Alexis Davis’ Paul Buentello and Frankie Edgar mopping up what was left of B.J. Penn’s career and wringing it out like the tears of a thousand tarnished angels. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Look, Ben and Chad need to get this episode of the CME recorded quick, so they can make it down to Cub Swanson’s Bar and Grille before the two-for-one appetizer happy hour ends, OK? Before they shuffle off, they discuss newly minted featherweight No. 1 contender Cubbie Sampson’s victory over Jeremy Stephens last week at UFC Fight Night 44 and look ahead to UFC 175 (you know, the one with Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida, Ronda Rousey and soap opera character Alexis Davis). They also talk up Chael Sonnen forever, forever-ever failing drug tests, timberjack Nate Marquardt’s win over James Te Huna and Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn III or IV or whatever. There’s probably more stuff in this episode, too, but who can keep them straight anymore? All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The winners of the second annual White Elephant Essay Contest are finally announced this week, so after a couple of weeks of stalling from Ben and Chad, winners must now begin the interminable wait for those dudes to actually put their prizes in the mail. In any case, thanks to all who entered, it was a fine crop of essays this year, and the guys had a legitimately difficult time picking winners. In actual MMA talk, this episode of the CME takes on Scott Coker’s arrival at Bellator, Wandlerlei Silva’s arrival and departure in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the arrival of two more UFCs in one day. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Demetrious Johnson put Ali Bagautinov under his spell on Saturday at UFC 174, battering yet another top five flyweight into oblivion. Can the UFC’s 125-pound champion have a similarly dominating effect on fans? Ben and Chad discuss that topic on this week’s Co-Main Event Podcast, as well as Rory MacDonald literally putting Tyron Woodley’s back against the wall during their bout on the same card. Plus, the fast, sad end of Chael Sonnen’s fighting career gets some discussion as well. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Co-Main Event Podcast had the strangest dream, you guys. We dreamed Diego Sanchez went out and got lit up pillar to post by Ross Pearson this weekend at UFC Fight Night 42 and somehow walked out with a split decision victory. We woke up screaming about how we wanted to challenge Nate Diaz to a fight in Mexico, but after a shave, shower and a strong cup of joe, we realized none of it could possibly be true. So, what’s in the news today … well, for episode 107 of the CME, Ben and Chad talk up Benson Henderson’s stoppage(!) victory over Rusty Cables and Demetrious Johnson’s upcoming flyweight title defense against Ali Bagautinov. What’s that you say? We normally do three rounds? Ah, I’m sure we’ll think of something for round two.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Real talk, Universe? Sometimes Ben and Chad wish they could invent a suspended animation machine, that would freeze all MMA news from breaking between the time the Co-Main Event Podcast is recorded and when it comes out. That’s would've been hady to a small portion of episode 106, with the UFC now claiming that Jon Jones doesn’t even want to fight Alexander Gustafsson, but would rather test his skills next against Daniel Cormier. That pretty much renders moot a discussion from this week’s listener mail, but whatevs. They’re used to it by now. In addition to that talk, the boys discuss the current bizarre status of the Chael Sonnen-Wanderlei Silva-Vitor Belfort love triangle, Stipe Miocic closing out 10 and a half hours of fights with a 35 second KO of Fabio Maldonado and this weekend’s UFC card in the ABQ. Most of it is still relevant, they promise.  All that, plus the return of MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tylor Jeffery Dillashaw, everybody! The Co-Main Event Podcast was not expecting to spend nearly an entire round talking about that young man during episode 105, but that’s what happened after Dillashaw spent the entirety of the UFC 173 main event slapping Rena Barao around at will last Saturday. No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world indeed! Also Daniel Cormier’s fullscale roughhousing of Dan Henderson gets a lot of talk, as does this coming weekend, when the UFC will do two shows in one night. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fight cards like Bellator 120 are pretty much tailor-made for discussion on the Co-Main Event Podcast. With a little bit of quality action and a whole lot of weirdness, Ben and Chad dig deep into the fight company’s first pay-per-view effort. From Tito Ortiz’s embarrassing choke-out of Alexander Shlemenko to Will Brooks’ upset of Michael Chandler to Rampage Jackson’ iffy victory over King Mo Lawal, it’s all here. In addition, the guys talk up Daniel Cormier’s coming title eliminator against Dan Henderson at UFC 173 and Renan Barao’s title defense versus TJ Dillashaw. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices