Since it’s not clearly not a done deal for Topuria to fight Islam next, can we re dissect his move of vacating? Do you think he was trying to force the UFC’s hand to give him the title shot? It seems like they may have told him “not yet,” and he tried to take matters into his own hands.
If they don’t give him the immediate shot, what do they do with him promotionally? He’s got to headline right? But they so rarely headline a PPV without a belt attached. Could he be a 5rd co-main at international fight week? Curious to hear all your thoughts. These are just my best guesses currently.
ARIEL/FRANK! I just installed Substack solely for On the Nose. I’ll keep it as short as I can. No one I know has much interest in UFC (besides my one boss who thinks Miocic’s first loss was to Weidman) you guys are like my internet friends, and I really enjoy when you speak of your children and how much they mean to you because I’m expecting my first child in a month!
MY QUESTION IS; how old were your children when you first allowed them to watch Combat Sports with you?
I relate with everything you said here mate. Prayers for a healthy delivery for mother and child. My only child (so far) is 9 months old and watches the fights with me and my wife. Fingers crossed she will train BJJ with me in a few years!
A really risky fight for young Ian. Should be an absolute banger that forces Ian into a fire fight. A respectable move by Ian but doesn’t do a ton for him with a win while on the other hand a loss will turn it into a 2 fight losing streak and really put him out of the picture. Respect to Ian for taking this opportunity. Non paper view nonetheless!
What are some things you do to make sure your kid knows they are extremely loved while not coddling them in the process? Especially at a young age (toddler). It’s a fine line trying to make sure they know they are loved but not restricting them from growing and maturing independently.
Hello Ariel and Team- do you anticipate any UFC fighters making an appearance at WrestleMania? Would Dana be cool if they got in the ring for a segment?
Should Eddie Hearn sell out his stake in Matchroom Boxing and transition into another sport? He’s losing his market share day-by-day, eventually TKO Boxing will corner him.
Is the UFC’s “star problem” a result of top contenders and champions lacking consistency in their activity?
During McGregor’s peak from UFC 189 (Mendes) to UFC 205 (Alvarez), he fought five times in 16 months, never going more than five months between fights. With fights typically announced 6–8 weeks in advance, he remained constantly in the news.
In contrast, recent stars have struggled to maintain momentum. Topuria knocked out Max and was red hot, yet months passed with no news before he vacated the belt, further delaying his next fight. Khamzat steamrolled Rob but then seemingly disappeared. Pantoja made quick work of Asakura, yet even with KKF making a massive statement, no fight has been set months later. Makhachev fights only twice a year. Even Petr Yan, after a big win over Figgy that solidified his resurgence, has had no updates.
On the other hand, recent stars like Volkanovski, Alex Pereira, Adesanya, and even Usman maintained active schedules at their peak and earned the respect of the fans by staying consistently engaged in the sport.
Fighters are making big statements, yet their accomplishments quickly fade as the sport moves on week after week. Is the root of the UFC’s star problem that fighters aren’t competing frequently enough to sustain momentum and remain a constant topic of discussion among fans?
I could not help but notice on last week’s episode with Poatan, you seemed to ask Plinio the questions, and refer to Alex as “he” instead of asking Alex the questions directly, and refer to him as “you.” I know it must be difficult doing interviews with a translator, but I’ve always seen you address the fighters in second person pronouns until this interview in which you used third person. Any reasoning behind this?
With the GFL recently dropping their debut fight cards for May, featuring throwback matchups like Faber vs. Barao 3 and hotly anticipated Ferguson vs. Danis match up, and also with UFC 316 looming on June 7 with a stacked lineup in Newark, which event are you more hyped for right now, and do you think GFL’s nostalgia play can steal some thunder from the UFC’s summer slate?
P.S With the stomach bug talk on Monday there’s a virus called Norovirus that prevalent around daycares. I wonder if all the fighters who felt sick have children?? As a parent of 2 I know!
Quick question for all the crew: Which fighter do you find yourself having most in common with? Like food, politics, worldview, sense of humor, etc.
P.s. Petesy hopefully I wasn't out of bounds with my opinion of your coverage of Conor last week. I just wanted to shout you out on a positive note. Every time you're not on the show, I'm sad. You are fun as heck when you're on. Top 3 favorite Irishman of all time in my book. Best looking one on the show as well.
Hey Ariel there’s a couple photos of you online wearing some very snazzy outfits on a website called Twenty Montreal. What’s the story behind that photoshoot/interview?
Given that this group of lightweights have been so tough to knock off of the top (i.e. Poirier beats St. Denis, Gaethje beats Fiziev twice, Hooker beats Gamrot/Turner, and if Chandler beats Paddy), can this class of lightweights be considered as the toughest BMF’s of any class in UFC history?
Ariel - Could you ever see the UFC paying fighters with the same model WWE uses? A tiered salary structure. Thoughts? Thank you, love the show appreciate all the hard work from all of you.
Hola Ariel, the BITB & PT,
Since it’s not clearly not a done deal for Topuria to fight Islam next, can we re dissect his move of vacating? Do you think he was trying to force the UFC’s hand to give him the title shot? It seems like they may have told him “not yet,” and he tried to take matters into his own hands.
If they don’t give him the immediate shot, what do they do with him promotionally? He’s got to headline right? But they so rarely headline a PPV without a belt attached. Could he be a 5rd co-main at international fight week? Curious to hear all your thoughts. These are just my best guesses currently.
ARIEL/FRANK! I just installed Substack solely for On the Nose. I’ll keep it as short as I can. No one I know has much interest in UFC (besides my one boss who thinks Miocic’s first loss was to Weidman) you guys are like my internet friends, and I really enjoy when you speak of your children and how much they mean to you because I’m expecting my first child in a month!
MY QUESTION IS; how old were your children when you first allowed them to watch Combat Sports with you?
I relate with everything you said here mate. Prayers for a healthy delivery for mother and child. My only child (so far) is 9 months old and watches the fights with me and my wife. Fingers crossed she will train BJJ with me in a few years!
Ariel, Pete C, and BITB,
With what broadcast team do we ride - team Chrome Dome (DC, Rogan, Anik) or team Luscious Locks (Felder, Fitzy, Bisping)?
Will we ever see a 4 man broadcast team so we can see more from the likes of Sanko, Cruz, Maybe even a Chiesa, Lionheart, Poirier, Usman?
Much love fellas.
Ariel,
No response to the bootlicker’s latest comments about the goat. He’s seems to have forgotten. Let him hear a one liner from you. A one hitter quitter.
GC- Are you foaming at the mouth for this new Praetes matchup? What is the whole crew’s overall sentiment on this fight? Early predictions?
Thanks
A really risky fight for young Ian. Should be an absolute banger that forces Ian into a fire fight. A respectable move by Ian but doesn’t do a ton for him with a win while on the other hand a loss will turn it into a 2 fight losing streak and really put him out of the picture. Respect to Ian for taking this opportunity. Non paper view nonetheless!
Ian could go from the biggest heel in the industry to beloved with a big win in this fight on short notice…. A win does a lot for him.
If Ian's smart he'll use his grappling like he's been doing in his last few fights.
Ariel,
What are some things you do to make sure your kid knows they are extremely loved while not coddling them in the process? Especially at a young age (toddler). It’s a fine line trying to make sure they know they are loved but not restricting them from growing and maturing independently.
I recommend the book "Free-Range Kids" by Lenore Skenazy.
Hello Ariel and Team- do you anticipate any UFC fighters making an appearance at WrestleMania? Would Dana be cool if they got in the ring for a segment?
Get Oban in there please.
Should Eddie Hearn sell out his stake in Matchroom Boxing and transition into another sport? He’s losing his market share day-by-day, eventually TKO Boxing will corner him.
GFL should hire Eddie to be their promoter.
I was going to say PFL, only because I believe Hearn could promote and market Dakota Ditcheva into a global superstar.
Is the UFC’s “star problem” a result of top contenders and champions lacking consistency in their activity?
During McGregor’s peak from UFC 189 (Mendes) to UFC 205 (Alvarez), he fought five times in 16 months, never going more than five months between fights. With fights typically announced 6–8 weeks in advance, he remained constantly in the news.
In contrast, recent stars have struggled to maintain momentum. Topuria knocked out Max and was red hot, yet months passed with no news before he vacated the belt, further delaying his next fight. Khamzat steamrolled Rob but then seemingly disappeared. Pantoja made quick work of Asakura, yet even with KKF making a massive statement, no fight has been set months later. Makhachev fights only twice a year. Even Petr Yan, after a big win over Figgy that solidified his resurgence, has had no updates.
On the other hand, recent stars like Volkanovski, Alex Pereira, Adesanya, and even Usman maintained active schedules at their peak and earned the respect of the fans by staying consistently engaged in the sport.
Fighters are making big statements, yet their accomplishments quickly fade as the sport moves on week after week. Is the root of the UFC’s star problem that fighters aren’t competing frequently enough to sustain momentum and remain a constant topic of discussion among fans?
That's a great question, give this man his own column on Uncrowned.com
Good afternoon Ariel,
I could not help but notice on last week’s episode with Poatan, you seemed to ask Plinio the questions, and refer to Alex as “he” instead of asking Alex the questions directly, and refer to him as “you.” I know it must be difficult doing interviews with a translator, but I’ve always seen you address the fighters in second person pronouns until this interview in which you used third person. Any reasoning behind this?
Much love to you and the best crew in the game!
Hello Ariel and crew.
Happy National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day.
With the GFL recently dropping their debut fight cards for May, featuring throwback matchups like Faber vs. Barao 3 and hotly anticipated Ferguson vs. Danis match up, and also with UFC 316 looming on June 7 with a stacked lineup in Newark, which event are you more hyped for right now, and do you think GFL’s nostalgia play can steal some thunder from the UFC’s summer slate?
P.S With the stomach bug talk on Monday there’s a virus called Norovirus that prevalent around daycares. I wonder if all the fighters who felt sick have children?? As a parent of 2 I know!
How would you describe the different eras of the UFC? In terms like WWF/E golden era, attitude era, ruthless aggression, etc.
Hi Ariel and crew,
Quick question for all the crew: Which fighter do you find yourself having most in common with? Like food, politics, worldview, sense of humor, etc.
P.s. Petesy hopefully I wasn't out of bounds with my opinion of your coverage of Conor last week. I just wanted to shout you out on a positive note. Every time you're not on the show, I'm sad. You are fun as heck when you're on. Top 3 favorite Irishman of all time in my book. Best looking one on the show as well.
Hey Ariel there’s a couple photos of you online wearing some very snazzy outfits on a website called Twenty Montreal. What’s the story behind that photoshoot/interview?
Hi Ariel, couple questions.
1. Was there another career/job at any point in your life did you consider wanting to do? ex: Doctor, policeman?
2. Did you ever consider quitting covering MMA?
What’s up Ariel and the boys,
Given that this group of lightweights have been so tough to knock off of the top (i.e. Poirier beats St. Denis, Gaethje beats Fiziev twice, Hooker beats Gamrot/Turner, and if Chandler beats Paddy), can this class of lightweights be considered as the toughest BMF’s of any class in UFC history?
Thanks boys, have a great rest of your week!
Zack
Ariel - Could you ever see the UFC paying fighters with the same model WWE uses? A tiered salary structure. Thoughts? Thank you, love the show appreciate all the hard work from all of you.