Greetings once again from London, Ontario, Canada. My question this week is a straightforward one: When you’re driving with passengers, how much input do your passengers have on the choice of music? My philosophy is that the driver is doing all of the heavy labor getting the passengers from point A to point B, and should therefore be rewarded full control of the music. My girlfriend, however, is insistent that as a passenger, she should be allowed to choose the music for half of the car ride. This is despite the fact that she has horrible taste in music. She argues that she is contributing to the labor of the drive by providing good conversation; while I appreciate this effort, my respectful counter-argument is that if she would let me play good music, this conversation would not be necessary. I have suggested that she take advantage of the option to simply sleep in the backseat for the duration of the drive, but for whatever reason she typically turns down this offer. I’m hoping you can weigh in on this dilemma, and as always appreciate your valuable insights.
This week’s main event of Volkov x Rozenstruik will help determine more of the pecking order on top of the heavyweight division. My question this week pertains to the heavyweight division, do you have any updates on either Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic or an interim belt being made?
Jon Jones fighting at heavyweight is one of the great narratives that never dies but seems to be continuously fading. He's been preparing for over two years, so if and when he does finally get matched up at heavyweight I do hope we get to see a still prime Jonny Bones. Constantly pressuring, working all angles. Creatively comfortable everywhere - striking, grappling. Still, it feels like a fleeting fantasy.
With the ongoing Nate Diaz drama, I'm wondering what would happen if he just said "F it" and booked a last minute fight in another fighting promotion. Say GCFC (Georgia Conner Fighting Championship) for example, just to shake things up..
I understand that the UFC would probably have the right to sue him and/or the promoter, but what if he fought a celeb/youtuber for "charity" (or technically no purse at all) so they look like jerks for bullying him.
Then, he could reap the benefits & publicity of a high profile win against low level competition, stay relevant in the sports/mma world, and draw attention to the issue that's been annoying everyone involving strict contracts and bullshit extensions.
Your thoughts? Seems like a classic Diaz move that would have everyone talking..
Also, for GC, if he could sign both Diaz bros to GCFC, what celebs/youtubers would he match them against for a main event? 10 rounds of only boxing + jiu jitsu, open scoring, lots of "CBD"
This might be a bit of a touchy topic for you to talk about, but since you posted it on your Two Cent Tuesday yesterday I figured I’d bring it up.
I’m fascinated by the connection between Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov and MMA fighters such as Khamzat and Khabib. During the infamous Conor-Khabib press conference, Conor said Khabib’s father showed Kadyrov “fake respect out of fear.” I couldn’t help but think the same thing while seeing Kadyrov and his kids treating Chimaev like a punching bag in those videos and pictures posted by Karim Zidan - that Chimaev has to stay in Kadyrov’s good graces out of fear for his family’s safety.
As Khamzat is becoming a bigger star and will possibly have the platform of a UFC champion soon, do you think the UFC (and ESPN) will downplay/ignore his relationship with Kadyrov or will it be used to promote him and give him “street cred?”
1. Great answer about mental health a couple weeks back (how to cope with anxiety & depression). I'm mental health nurse/therapist in the UK, I work with teenagers, the advice you gave was absolutely spot on. I've actually shown some clients the clip & encourage anyone to listen back if struggling in these areas (also happy to give advice too).
2. Last week you mentioned deterring your kid from playing Fortnite, again fully agree. I've seen addiction to games like this negatively effect so many adolescents/youth.
3. On a lighter note, the Mrs recently observed I've recently added certain words to my vocabulary & asked what these words actually mean. As i stole them all from you, please verify the meanings i gave hers:
Hogwash = BS
Hogknobbing = socialising
Minsche = top lad
Gaaaly = no idea what's this means but I say it anyway.
Conor McGregor leaves New York Harbor in his Lamborghini Yacht on a lengthy voyage across the Atlantic Ocean headed for Ireland. Due to declining Proper 12 whisky sales Conor has had to cheap out on Yacht maintenance, and different parts of the Yacht begin breaking down. First the steering wheel falls off, Conor calls in a favor and has the part delivered out to sea. Next the side panels of the Hull begin falling off, Conor too has them replaced. Days drag on as more and more things fall apart to the point where everything needs replacing, down to the nuts and bolts.
By the time Conor arrives at his destination every single part of the Yacht has been replaced. My question is, is the Yacht that arrives in Ireland with every part being replaced the same Yacht that started the journey in New York? Or is it a completely different Yacht?
In your discussions around fighter pay, you always characterise the type of fan who doesn’t care about fighter pay as loving ‘chicken wings and beer on a Saturday night’. These things are dear to me, and yet so is the plight of the underpaid fighter. Why must you continue to malign/offend My People? Will you take this opportunity to acknowledge that there are Saturday night beer and wing lovers on Both Sides of the fighter pay issue?
Hola Ariel, recently I had to get my wisdom teeth taken out. I did the surgery while fully conscious, and my surgeon gave me the option to wear headphones. Of course I chose to listen to my favorite show “The MMA Hour”. I wanted to thank you for the being soothing voice that I listened to while I had my surgery. This show will always be my favorite escape from real life weather it be oral surgery, or a dull workday. Shout out to everyone that makes this show happen. Thank you so much.
Now to my questions,
Recently on “Steve-O’s Wild Ride” Steve-O spoke to DC about showing the live odds more during the fight. Suggesting that it would be the closest thing the UFC would get to Open Scoring. How do you feel about this?
Also, are there any hypothetical fights that could happen would get you excited? I really hope that the UFC can make Chito vs Yan happen.
TANOOKI!!!!! Gangster move by dodging that nap gas -- also I love how Steve-o actually asks hard questions. Definitely a Top podcaster/interviewer right now
What do you think of the upcoming Asia based tournament? Additionally, do you think One Championship has fighters besides the likes of Mighty Mouse that can compete and succeed in the UFC? Also any chance we get Seungwoo Choi on?
Great question! One of the aspects of ONE's approach to promoting that stands out to me is just how much they are unlike the UFC. While Bellator tries to do a very similar thing to UFC, ONE Championship is doing exceedingly well blazing its own path a part from UFC, promoting multiple martial arts not exclusive to mixed martial arts.
Would any of ONE's MMA fighters be able to succeed in the MMA? Maybe. What's clear is ONE Championship offers MMA, Muay Thai, and Submission Grapplers a path to professional success in a major market outside the UFC.
This is a great point, I wasn’t trying to say ONE should become the UFC by any means. They are great in their space and add so much-to the MMA community.
I totally get it! Just this morning I found myself wondering "could Marcus Almeida ever compete in the UFC Heavyweight division"? Then I had to stop myself! Probably not, but thats perfectly fine. We already get to witness a GOAT BJJ player test himself against world class mma talent. So what if its not in the APEX? LOL
Ni hao, Ariel “Deadhead” Heelwani! I apologize if this is too long. I know you watched Rico Verhoeven’s last fight against Jamal Ben Saddik in GLORY Kickboxing. If you’ll recall, GLORY does open scoring with every fight. After every round, they show it on the broadcast, and I’m assuming the score is also shown on the screens in the arena. If you’re using examples of other combat sports organizations that use open scoring (like Invicta), I wanted to make sure you remember GLORY Kickboxing as well. They don’t show the scorecard after the final round until the decision is read, so the suspense and drama can still hold up if the final round was close. Also, GLORY does a sudden death round if the fight results in a draw. What do you and the rest of the crew think about MMA organizations potentially adopting that? Thank you for all that you do! And, as it was said in the 1995 comedy film, Billy Madison, starring Adam Sandler; I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
I live in Los Angeles and can’t help but wonder. Do we get less cards than most other major cities? The Forum was last visited at UFC 199 in 2016 (not counting the last minute UFC 232 fiasco). The last event at staples being UFC 227 in 2018.
To your knowledge, is there any reason for this?
PS. Bonus if you can name the main/co main for all the aforementioned events.
Excluding thanksgiving and Christmas, what’s your favorite holiday? I assume GCs is Halloween because he still plays dress up on like half of these shows. I don’t know if it’s a work, but Ariel will probably pick a Canadian holiday in spite of the clear directions.
Dear Ariel,
Greetings once again from London, Ontario, Canada. My question this week is a straightforward one: When you’re driving with passengers, how much input do your passengers have on the choice of music? My philosophy is that the driver is doing all of the heavy labor getting the passengers from point A to point B, and should therefore be rewarded full control of the music. My girlfriend, however, is insistent that as a passenger, she should be allowed to choose the music for half of the car ride. This is despite the fact that she has horrible taste in music. She argues that she is contributing to the labor of the drive by providing good conversation; while I appreciate this effort, my respectful counter-argument is that if she would let me play good music, this conversation would not be necessary. I have suggested that she take advantage of the option to simply sleep in the backseat for the duration of the drive, but for whatever reason she typically turns down this offer. I’m hoping you can weigh in on this dilemma, and as always appreciate your valuable insights.
Sincerely,
Adrian
Congrats 🥇
If I like the passenger they get to choose the music, but I have ultimate skip authority no matter what
Bruh don’t get dumped! Lol also I believe that the driver should DJ 🔥
Mad props to your wife. Your questions are so intense man, you'll need to prove her existence hehe! And congrats for the 1st post!
Great question and I can relate 100%. My wife’s music taste is trash.
👋 Hola Ariel!!!
This week’s main event of Volkov x Rozenstruik will help determine more of the pecking order on top of the heavyweight division. My question this week pertains to the heavyweight division, do you have any updates on either Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic or an interim belt being made?
Viva Heelwani 🦹🏻♂️
Jon Jones fighting at heavyweight is one of the great narratives that never dies but seems to be continuously fading. He's been preparing for over two years, so if and when he does finally get matched up at heavyweight I do hope we get to see a still prime Jonny Bones. Constantly pressuring, working all angles. Creatively comfortable everywhere - striking, grappling. Still, it feels like a fleeting fantasy.
Hi Ariel,
With the ongoing Nate Diaz drama, I'm wondering what would happen if he just said "F it" and booked a last minute fight in another fighting promotion. Say GCFC (Georgia Conner Fighting Championship) for example, just to shake things up..
I understand that the UFC would probably have the right to sue him and/or the promoter, but what if he fought a celeb/youtuber for "charity" (or technically no purse at all) so they look like jerks for bullying him.
Then, he could reap the benefits & publicity of a high profile win against low level competition, stay relevant in the sports/mma world, and draw attention to the issue that's been annoying everyone involving strict contracts and bullshit extensions.
Your thoughts? Seems like a classic Diaz move that would have everyone talking..
Also, for GC, if he could sign both Diaz bros to GCFC, what celebs/youtubers would he match them against for a main event? 10 rounds of only boxing + jiu jitsu, open scoring, lots of "CBD"
Thanks, boys!
Can't go pass the GCFC example cuz I laugh too much hahaha.
Hello Ariel!
This might be a bit of a touchy topic for you to talk about, but since you posted it on your Two Cent Tuesday yesterday I figured I’d bring it up.
I’m fascinated by the connection between Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov and MMA fighters such as Khamzat and Khabib. During the infamous Conor-Khabib press conference, Conor said Khabib’s father showed Kadyrov “fake respect out of fear.” I couldn’t help but think the same thing while seeing Kadyrov and his kids treating Chimaev like a punching bag in those videos and pictures posted by Karim Zidan - that Chimaev has to stay in Kadyrov’s good graces out of fear for his family’s safety.
As Khamzat is becoming a bigger star and will possibly have the platform of a UFC champion soon, do you think the UFC (and ESPN) will downplay/ignore his relationship with Kadyrov or will it be used to promote him and give him “street cred?”
No question today just 3 'quick' points:
1. Great answer about mental health a couple weeks back (how to cope with anxiety & depression). I'm mental health nurse/therapist in the UK, I work with teenagers, the advice you gave was absolutely spot on. I've actually shown some clients the clip & encourage anyone to listen back if struggling in these areas (also happy to give advice too).
2. Last week you mentioned deterring your kid from playing Fortnite, again fully agree. I've seen addiction to games like this negatively effect so many adolescents/youth.
3. On a lighter note, the Mrs recently observed I've recently added certain words to my vocabulary & asked what these words actually mean. As i stole them all from you, please verify the meanings i gave hers:
Hogwash = BS
Hogknobbing = socialising
Minsche = top lad
Gaaaly = no idea what's this means but I say it anyway.
Much love, your boy Abay✌️
“Gaaaly” = Golly: used to express surprise or delight.
Ohh yeah ofcourse lol, don't know why I didn't realise that one. Thanks
Hobnobbing: mix socially, especially with those of higher social status.
Bonjour Lord Ariel,
Conor McGregor leaves New York Harbor in his Lamborghini Yacht on a lengthy voyage across the Atlantic Ocean headed for Ireland. Due to declining Proper 12 whisky sales Conor has had to cheap out on Yacht maintenance, and different parts of the Yacht begin breaking down. First the steering wheel falls off, Conor calls in a favor and has the part delivered out to sea. Next the side panels of the Hull begin falling off, Conor too has them replaced. Days drag on as more and more things fall apart to the point where everything needs replacing, down to the nuts and bolts.
By the time Conor arrives at his destination every single part of the Yacht has been replaced. My question is, is the Yacht that arrives in Ireland with every part being replaced the same Yacht that started the journey in New York? Or is it a completely different Yacht?
Let's get the crew in on this as well!
Long Live The Man of Steelwani.
What is it to be a "yacht"?
Wouldn’t it sink? How are you gonna replace parts of it while it’s on the water without sinking it
Very carefully! It's meant to be more of a thought experiment than logical haha
Theseus Paradox 👍
wow! nice philosophical question here Matt. didn't know where you were going with this one and it got me thinking big time. thx.
Dear Ariel,
In your discussions around fighter pay, you always characterise the type of fan who doesn’t care about fighter pay as loving ‘chicken wings and beer on a Saturday night’. These things are dear to me, and yet so is the plight of the underpaid fighter. Why must you continue to malign/offend My People? Will you take this opportunity to acknowledge that there are Saturday night beer and wing lovers on Both Sides of the fighter pay issue?
Much love
Wing/beer/fighter pay fan
Fighter pay is in 3rd place in this sentence tho ;P
Let's do a t-shirt with this Wing/Beer/Fighter pay/Repeat
Or a meme with GSP saying there's 3 thing I love in life : Wing, beer and fighter pay! hehe.
Hola Ariel, recently I had to get my wisdom teeth taken out. I did the surgery while fully conscious, and my surgeon gave me the option to wear headphones. Of course I chose to listen to my favorite show “The MMA Hour”. I wanted to thank you for the being soothing voice that I listened to while I had my surgery. This show will always be my favorite escape from real life weather it be oral surgery, or a dull workday. Shout out to everyone that makes this show happen. Thank you so much.
Now to my questions,
Recently on “Steve-O’s Wild Ride” Steve-O spoke to DC about showing the live odds more during the fight. Suggesting that it would be the closest thing the UFC would get to Open Scoring. How do you feel about this?
Also, are there any hypothetical fights that could happen would get you excited? I really hope that the UFC can make Chito vs Yan happen.
TANOOKI!!!!! Gangster move by dodging that nap gas -- also I love how Steve-o actually asks hard questions. Definitely a Top podcaster/interviewer right now
Hallo Ariel
This one is for you and GC, how do you guys handle the fact that Ric disagrees on all of your ideas just for the sake of disagreeing.
I would be super annoyed if I had to work with somebody like him.
Love him anyway
Greetings from Germany my man
Ariel,
What do you think of the upcoming Asia based tournament? Additionally, do you think One Championship has fighters besides the likes of Mighty Mouse that can compete and succeed in the UFC? Also any chance we get Seungwoo Choi on?
Noah
Great question! One of the aspects of ONE's approach to promoting that stands out to me is just how much they are unlike the UFC. While Bellator tries to do a very similar thing to UFC, ONE Championship is doing exceedingly well blazing its own path a part from UFC, promoting multiple martial arts not exclusive to mixed martial arts.
Would any of ONE's MMA fighters be able to succeed in the MMA? Maybe. What's clear is ONE Championship offers MMA, Muay Thai, and Submission Grapplers a path to professional success in a major market outside the UFC.
This is a great point, I wasn’t trying to say ONE should become the UFC by any means. They are great in their space and add so much-to the MMA community.
I totally get it! Just this morning I found myself wondering "could Marcus Almeida ever compete in the UFC Heavyweight division"? Then I had to stop myself! Probably not, but thats perfectly fine. We already get to witness a GOAT BJJ player test himself against world class mma talent. So what if its not in the APEX? LOL
But at the end of the career I’m sure he will be devastated to miss out on the APEX
When is the next chat for founding members of the Substack?
What is your NBA finals prediction?
Who is taking home the finals MVP?
Lets go Celtics!!!
Ni hao, Ariel “Deadhead” Heelwani! I apologize if this is too long. I know you watched Rico Verhoeven’s last fight against Jamal Ben Saddik in GLORY Kickboxing. If you’ll recall, GLORY does open scoring with every fight. After every round, they show it on the broadcast, and I’m assuming the score is also shown on the screens in the arena. If you’re using examples of other combat sports organizations that use open scoring (like Invicta), I wanted to make sure you remember GLORY Kickboxing as well. They don’t show the scorecard after the final round until the decision is read, so the suspense and drama can still hold up if the final round was close. Also, GLORY does a sudden death round if the fight results in a draw. What do you and the rest of the crew think about MMA organizations potentially adopting that? Thank you for all that you do! And, as it was said in the 1995 comedy film, Billy Madison, starring Adam Sandler; I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
good one!
Hi Ariel,
I live in Los Angeles and can’t help but wonder. Do we get less cards than most other major cities? The Forum was last visited at UFC 199 in 2016 (not counting the last minute UFC 232 fiasco). The last event at staples being UFC 227 in 2018.
To your knowledge, is there any reason for this?
PS. Bonus if you can name the main/co main for all the aforementioned events.
Thanks!
Wasn’t 270 and 241 in Anaheim at the Honda center?
Am I crazy to think Jordan Leavit will submit paddy the baddy easily and then dance on him?
Excluding thanksgiving and Christmas, what’s your favorite holiday? I assume GCs is Halloween because he still plays dress up on like half of these shows. I don’t know if it’s a work, but Ariel will probably pick a Canadian holiday in spite of the clear directions.