The Co-main Event Podcast

The Co-Main Event Podcast prepares to ring in 2014 this week with the first ever installment of CME: After Dark. What’s that mean, you ask? Eh, just that Ben and Chad had to record a couple hours later than normal, it was actually dark outside and they cracked open a couple of the Xmas beers they received in the mail from Danny Downes. So if you feel like this week’s podcast is, I don’t know, sexier than normal, that’s why. With UFC 168 ending in Anderson Silva’s horrible leg injury and Ronda Rousey’s triumph last Saturday night, the MMA talk comes fast and loose. After properly dispensing with event-related talk, the guys look back on 2013 and ahead to the new year, as Ben totally hijacks round three and talks about TRT or something for like seven minutes. So, sorry about that. All that, plus AYFKM (of the year!) and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise! Just because the Co-Main Event Podcast wants you fools to have a very happy holiday (and because Chad has to go out of town next week) Dundas and Fowlkes got together to record episode 83 a little early. And why not? It’s not like recording it on Friday rather than the following Monday meant they were going to miss any big news, right? Oh God, they hope they don’t miss any big news. Not like the show needs any more content anyway, with UFC 168 on tap and Chris Weidman defending his middleweight title against Anderson Silva. Here’s hoping that sentence still feels as backward to read as it does to type. Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate are going to go at it at that same event as well, which will provide a nice aperitif to the main event. Oh yeah, and also Bigfoot Silva got popped for elevated levels of testosterone, thereby ruining one of the best fights of the year. Not to paraphrase Boyz N the Hood or anything, but can’t we have one night without nobody testing positive? Learn more about your ad choic

UFC on Fox 9 left a lot on the Co-Main Event Podcast’s plate, Ben and Chad don’t mind telling you. First Urijah Faber proves he’s still the man to beat at bantamweight by throttling Michael McDonald. Then, much maligned champion Demetrious Johnson comes out like a house of fire and knocks out Joseph Benavidez to retain his “World Championship.” Oh yeah, and in case you didn’t hear, this fellow by the name of Georges St. Pierre decided to take an indefinite leave from this MMA thing of ours, setting off a feeding frenzy of fresh match-ups in the welterweight division. So, the guys have to reconcile themselves with all that in just over an hour’s time. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One show on the Fox family of networks down, another one coming this weekend. Episode 81 of the Co-Main Event Podcast finds Ben and Chad reveling in  the unexpected glory of Mark Hunt’s slugfest with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva last Saturday on Fox Sports 1. Twas that rare heavyweight fight that goes a full five rounds, while seemingly getting better at every step along the way. In addition to that, they inspect Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s revitalizing knockout of James Te Huna, wondering aloud if the “old Shogun” could truly be “back.” With the time remaining, they look forward to next Saturday’s card on Fox Heavy, where Team Alpha Male sends everybody on the roster into the fray. All that plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you had to come up with an official slogan for the Co-Main Event Podcast, it might well be: Motherfuckers be acting silly. In that way, episode 80 dovetails nicely with the week’s MMA news. This week Ben and Chad take on the awesomeness that was Nate Diaz’s performance against Gray Maynard at Saturday’s TUF 18 Finale, before, during and after the actual fight. In addition, they talk about Ronda Rousey’s performance at the same event and try to put a finger on exactly why it didn’t feel quite as steeped in the same awesomeness. Because they are obliged to do so, they then turn their attention to this Friday’s UFC event from Brisbane Australia, where Mark Hunt will take on Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in a fight nobody asked for, but nobody is complaining about. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the rollercoaster of the last few weeks it feels almost refreshing to return to the normal MMA news cycle, with the Co-Main Event Podcast sleuthing around for suitable topics with which to fill the hour. That is to say, this should be considered a slow week in mixed fighting circles as there is only one UFC event, and it’s sort of a minor one. Nonetheless, Ben and Chad spend a round of episode 79 “breaking down” (in a manner of speaking) Saturday night’s forthcoming main event between Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz. In addition, they talk about Jon Jones’ recent proclamations that he wants to fight Cain Velasquez “within a year” and that he wants to retire by age 30. Ben Askren’s Monday meeting with the UFC is also a topic of conversation, though the show was recorded before any news could break there. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big week for the Co-Main Event podcast, considering all the fallout from UFC 167. During episode 78, Ben and Chad discuss the hotly contested welterweight title fight between Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks, including the bout’s various twists and turns as well as the somewhat questionable decision. Oh yeah, and then there’s all the other stuff that happened. From GSP’s bizarre sort-of retirement to UFC President Dana White’s Kill-Em-All attitude at the postfight presser, there is a lot to digest. Also, all the OTHER, OTHER things that went down at UFC 167 (remember that?) including Robbie Lawler’s win over Rory MacDonald, Tyron Woodley sending Josh Koscheck into the spirit world and Rashad Evans handling a disinterested-looking Chael Sonnen. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the listener, perhaps the best part of plowing through episode 77 of the Co-Main Event Podcast will be hearing Ben cough and choke his way through the full hour like somebody’s 70-year-old grandma with a carton-a-day habit. Or perhaps not. Tough to say, really. Whatever the case, Ben had a frog in his throat, you guys. Luckily, that didn’t stop the kid and/or Chad from taking on a boatload of MMA news this week. Vitor Belfort’s 2013 career resurgence is the hot topic of conversation, as is next week’s UFC 167 main event between Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks. If that doesn’t work for you--spoiler: you are probably a weirdo--the guys also do a bit of reminiscing about the early days of the UFC and chop up the pros and cons of the Zuffa-produced vanity peice “Fighting for a Generation” (or whatever) that aired on Fox Sports 1 this past week. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And so the UFC begins its hard push to the new year this week, with shows on both Wednesday and Saturday, to be followed up by two more events this month and then three during the month of December. Not only that, but there’s Bellator 106 to consider, as the bridesmaid fight promotion’s most anticipated event underwhelmed for much of its three-and-a-half hour broadcast over the weekend. Until … until, until ... Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler hit the stage and showed everybody exactly why they were the headlining act. Obviously all that stuff gets discussed in more or less painstaking detail during this week’s episode of the Co-Main Event Podcast. Also discussed are Ben’s recent trip to an in-state grappling tournament, Chad’s latest short story publication and how every time they go to the store both guys seem to get stuck behind an old lady who insists on scratching the world’s slowest check.  All that, plus AYFKM, Tips for the Well-Rounded Fight Fan and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choic

Lot of ground to cover during this week’s Co-Main Event Podcast. With Tito Ortiz’s “unexpected” neck injury forcing Bellator to scramble to re-book Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez on free TV last Friday, you might’ve thought this CME would double as a eulogy for the dearly departed fight promotion. Not so fast however, as episode 75 finds Ben and Chad discussing whether Bellator’s revamped free card actually puts it in a better position than its terrible PPV one. Aside from that, there’s Lyoto Machida’s big win over Mark Munoz to consider, and then some rampant speculation as to if the “Machida Era” is back on at middleweight. In between, they discuss Chad’s new job and benefit from cameo appearances from dudes like Mayehm Miller and Melvin Guillard, not to mention a few Gracies. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s always a joy to record the Co-Main Event Podcast, but some weeks? Some weeks are just superior to others. Take this week, for example, when in the aftermath of the excellent UFC 166 and in advance of Saturday’s UFN 30, Ben and Chad probably could’ve done two, maybe three shows. They will not do this. Don’t get any ideas. That said, episode 74 just rolls out  like a fine, velvety wine. From the awesome performances by Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier and Gilbert Melendez to the slightly troubling ones by Junior dos Santos and Diego Sanchez, this week’s MMA news was begging for it. And the boys oblige. With the time left over, they toss some preview talk about Mark Munoz vs. Lyoto Machida at you just for fun. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With one of the biggest fight cards of the year on tap, Ben and Chad turn nearly their full attention to UFC 166 during this week’s Co-Main Event Podcast. And we only say nearly after yet another weird display from Rousimar Palhares at last weekend’s Fight Night card led to his UFC ouster and called for a fair amount of discussion on episode 73. Never fear though, gentle listener, you’ll get an earful about the third pending bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, as well as Diego Sanchez’s chances in a lightweight tiff against Gilbert Melendez. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some personal news kicks off episode 72 of the Co-Main Event Podcast, with Chad explaining to inquiring MMA minds everywhere why he chose to leave his position at ESPN.com on Monday. Will he take Ben’s advice and join the Crips? Guess you’ll have to listen to the show to know for sure. In any case, the touchy-feely stuff gets dispensed with quickly and then the guys dive right into discussing Wednesday's UFC main event between Jake Shields and Demian Maia. From there they segue into conversations about Ben Rothwell’s nine-month suspension for TRT-related shenanigans (or mistakes, or what have you) and the five-year anniversary of the final EliteXC event, as viewed through the lens of Chuck Mindenhall’s brilliant retrospective over on MMA Fighting.com. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plenty of news and notes to discuss this week on the Co-Main Event Podcast and not all of it jolly. On Episode 71, Ben and Chad spend the bulk of the time sorting out happenings that range from unsavory to simply unsatisfying. There is Yushin Okami’s recent release from the UFC to consider, along with news that the rematch we all expected/wanted between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson isn’t going to happen as quickly as it first appeared. The biggest bummer of all, though, is the death of a Brazilian flyweight last Thursday just prior to the weigh-ins for a Shooto event in Rio. All that stuff gets discussed in more or less excruciating detail, as does Sir Nigel Longstock’s current illness, which the world’s leading theatricalist blames on Ben’s baby daughter. All that, plus AYFKM, MasterTweet Theatre and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was so much awesomeness to go around in Jon Jones’ UFC 165 win over Alexander Gustafsson that Ben and Chad thought something special was in order for episode 70 of the Co-Main Event Podcast. Unfortunately, they were both too tired to think about it for long, so in the end they just decided to commit all three rounds to that one fight. Don’t fret, the guys still find some time to discuss the fortunes of Renan “The Monster” Barao, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Brendan Schaub. That one fight, though, that was a doozy.   All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t know if you heard amid all the boxing chatter last week, but there’s a pretty cool mixed-fighting show this Saturday night too, as UFC 165 emanates from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. This week the Co-Main Event Podcast reckons on whether Alexander Gustafsson really will turn out to be the stiffest test of Jon Jones’ career at said event, or if everyone is just excited for this fight because they’re both so tall. In addition, there is last week’s announcement that B.J. Penn is back (and headed to 145 pounds?!?!) to consider, though who is to say how seriously? Oh, and also, the boxing match. Seemed like a lot of people watched it, and a lot of MMA people even took the opportunity to say nice things about the sweet (albeit elderly) science. So … uh … what’s with all the high profile boxing people continuing to talk shit about MMA? Ben and Chad will discuss. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just because there is no major MMA show this week doesn't mean the Co-Main Event Podcast won't have more than enough fight-related BS to BS about during episode 68. For starters, Ben and Chad chop it up over Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks bickering about who exactly is (or is not) going to conduct the independent drug testing for their UFC 167 fight and who is (or is not) going to pay for it. In addition, there’s this new season of The Ultimate Fighter. which debuted to slumping ratings amid a short spate of slumping UFC ratings on Fox Sports 1. Also, Bellator opened its Fall season with an entertaining scrap for the middleweight title. Not that you would notice in the middle of that company’s ongoing PR nightmare. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first Co-Main Event Podcast of the Anthony Pettis Era went down in style, with custom-made suits and Corn Nuts for everybody. Nah, not really. Since episode 67 was recorded on Labor Day, Ben and Chad did this one in board shorts and trucker hats, with a couple of Olympias coozie’d-up at the ready. Fine, that’s not exactly true either, but it is a verifiable fact that Chad’s daughter screamed and cried throughout the whole show, so if you can hear what sounds like a raccoon trying to free itself from a spring-loaded leg trap in the background, that’s just her. Seriously, no animals were harmed during the recording of this podcast, unless you count reason and good taste as living, breathing things. The guys break down Pettis’ win over Benson Henderson at UFC 164, talk about Frank Mir’s odd first person account of his knockout loss to Josh Barnett and preview Wednesday’s Fight Night 28 card. At least, the fights with people they’ve heard of before. All that, plus AYFKM, Tips for the Well-Rounded Fight Fan a

Two shows, one week? Two shows, one week. As the UFC prepares to double dip with the revival of its old Wednesday evening time slot for Fight Night 27 and Saturday’s UFC 164, the Co-Main Event Podcast is along for the ride. During episode lucky number 66, Ben and Chad discuss Benson Henderson finally getting his shot at a rematch against Anthony Pettis, Josh Barnett making his long-awaited return to the Octagon (while opponent Frank Mir and Ben Rothwell will reportedly be using TRT) and a second Fox Sports 1 card that looks like a real kick in the pants. Plus, find out which upcoming main event Chad had no idea was being contested at light heavyweight. Seriously, why they do that? But that’s not all! Thrill to the adventures of AYFKM, Just Sayin’ Stuff and MasterTweet Theatre as well, gentle listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Consider it yet another significant hurdle cleared by the UFC on Saturday, as the organization’s Fight Night 26 show ferried Fox Sports 1 into the world with the violent, crowd-pleasing stuff of promoters’ dreams. As the fog of war dissipates, the Co-Main Event Podcast swoops in to sort through the particulars. So, Chael Sonnen got a big light heavyweight win just in time to drop back to middleweight, huh? And you say Alistair Overeem is looking more fireable than ever after his knockout loss to Travis Browne, is that it, old sport? And FS1’s ratings seem to be a smashing success? Yes, well, Ben and Chad will be the judge of that, as they break down all these topics and more during the next seventy minutes or so. Plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices