Ilia Topuria v Paddy Pimblett, Conor McGregor's Appeal, Khamzat Lands Stateside
The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes return as usual, and kick things off by breaking down Ilia Topuria’s newly minted no. 1 ranking in the official Uncrowned pound-for-pound sweepstakes (4:03). Shifting to what’s next for Topuria, Petesy and the gang weigh in on Paddy Pimblett, Justin Gaejthe, and Arman Tsarukyan as potential contenders for the lightweight champion (10:30).  Conor McGregor is back in the headlines. The former champ withdrew his application to introduce new evidence in his ongoing appeal. The guys discuss the latest in McGregor’s disappointing run of recent news cycles (30:52). Looking forward to UFC 319, the trio celebrate the good news of Khamzat Chimaev finally landing on U.S. soil; a reassuring sign that his middleweight clash with Dricus Du Plessis is on track (38:10). The UFC also recently announced UFC 321’s return to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The crew debate which championship fight will top the card, with Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena being the likely frontrunner (49:26).Another middleweight making waves is Sean Strickland, who was caught in a bizarre in-cage brawl at a local MMA event. The trio break down the wild footage of the incident (57:30).To wrap up the show, Petesy gets the guys’ takes on Jake Paul officially becoming a ranked WBA cruiserweight, and talk Ben’s trip to Seattle to see Wu-Tang live (1:05:28).Â
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1:17:06
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1:17:06
Tom Aspinall's next moves, Jon Jones' legacy tarnished? UFC 317 preview, more
The Craic returns! In a special Wednesday edition of the show, Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to break down the latest evidence surrounding Jon Jones’s recent criminal charge, including Jones’ seemingly self-incriminating posts on X (0:38).Jones’ retirement disgruntled a lot of MMA fans, including Andy Aspinall, father and head coach of newly crowned undisputed champion Tom Aspinall. Petesy discusses his sit-down with Andy, who didn’t hold back in criticizing the UFC’s handling of the heavyweight title picture (26:06).So what’s next for the heavyweight champ? The trio considers the top contenders for Tom Aspinall’s first title defense. Ciryl Gane, Francis Ngannou, and Alex Pereira are the names most fans are calling for. The guys weigh the pros and cons of each option (37:59).Jon Jones may be dominating the headlines, but UFC 317 is fast approaching. The lads preview the Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira super fight and close the show highlighting their favorite storylines heading into this weekend’s card (49:36).Â
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1:14:41
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1:14:41
Conor McGregor’s latest scandal, Jon Jones speaks on his future, Ice Wars, more
The Craic is back with its usual trifecta! Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes get the show underway by unpacking the fallout from Conor McGregor’s latest nightclub scandal (4:23).It wouldn’t be a Craic episode without a Jon Jones segment, and this time it’s his appearance on the Nelk Boys podcast. The boys discuss his latest comments, which unsurprisingly don’t inspire much excitement for the potential Tom Aspinall matchup (25:34).Pivoting to the other side of the combat sports spectrum, Chuck Mindenhall recaps his trip to BKFC’s Ice Wars, including his rink-side feels alongside boxing legend Tommy Hearns (46:51).The UFC is back too. This time debuting in Baku, Azerbaijan. The guys break down the Xs and Os of the main event, assess Rafael Fiziev’s three-fight losing streak ahead of his bout against Ignacio Bahamondes, and spotlight a few hidden gems on the rest of the card (55:34).To round out the show, the trio dissect the viral Turki Al-Sheikh, Canelo Alvarez, Terrence Crawford family dinner photo, then answer a few viewer superchats (1:06:16).
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1:09:27
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1:09:27
Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes: Biggest WMMA fight ever? Plus, Kamaru Usman’s plan, PFL’s puzzling moves, more
This week on The Craic, Petesy Carroll calls on Ben Fowlkes and Drake Riggs to talk combat sports’ biggest and weirdest headlines.They open the show by debating whether the inevitable Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison bout could be the biggest women’s MMA fight of all time (4:09).Next, the trio turn their attention to this weekend’s UFC Fight Night main event: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley. Petesy and the boys unpack the key narratives heading into the matchup, including Usman’s bold three-fight plan to achieve double-champ status (26:04).It’s been another weird week for PFL. Not only does it seem they might be fumbling the Paul Hughes vs. Usman Nurmagomedov rematch, but they’ve also strangely been linked to Russell Brand. The guys weigh in on another disappointing spread of headlines for the PFL (43:56).To end on a high note, the chaps look ahead to a stacked weekend of combat sports action. From GLORY 100 to BKFC Ice Wars, there’s plenty for fight fans to enjoy (1:02:48).
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1:23:23
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1:23:23
UFC 316 weigh-ins: Kayla Harrison makes 135, Jon Jones' tweet storm, more
The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll is joined by Craic regulars Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes. The boys open the show by breaking down the UFC 316 weigh-in results and analyzing which fighters looked sharp on the scales (5:14). One fighter who had no trouble making weight was Kayla Harrison, who challenges Juliana Peña for the bantamweight title. The guys explore each fighter’s path to victory and debate whether the betting line is disrespecting the reigning champion, Peña (10:14). Despite two title fights on the card, the buzz around UFC 316 isn’t quite where it should be. The trio discuss the underwhelming ticket sales and whether the UFC is currently in a slump with fans (20:47). Shifting gears to the main event, the guys dive into the biggest storylines ahead of Sean O’Malley’s second title challenge against Merab Dvalishvili (23:42). Is Patchy Mix the best fighter to make the jump from Bellator to the UFC? Petesy and the lads break down the challenge ahead for the newcomer, as he takes on Mario Bautista in a bid to enter the top of the bantamweight sweepstakes (35:15). Jon Jones is back in the headlines! The crew react to his latest tweet storm, and weigh in on the increasingly unlikely unification bout with Tom Aspinall (49:03). To close out the show, Petesy and the guys pay tribute to the late MMA media legend Jordan Breen (56:10).
Irish MMA journalist Petesy Carroll talks to the biggest names in UFC, PFL, Bellator, Cage Warriors, boxing, and more. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
New Zealand