Hey Not The Face! Podcast

John S. Nash & Stephie Haynes

A newsletter and podcast covering the business of face-punching! heynottheface.substack.com

  1. Could the White House card backfire on the UFC? | Ep. 255

    1d ago

    Could the White House card backfire on the UFC? | Ep. 255

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT In today’s episode, we’re looking at how the White House card could end up backfiring for the UFC. We discuss Donald Trump’s investment in TKO, as well as the military troops the Pentagon is seeking to fill seats at the White House card, and if the UFC could theoretically afford to pay for their travel expenses and still stay in the black. We examine the significance of Zuffa Boxing’s signing of Shakur Stevenson, and GSP’s claims that he made great strides in fighting the UFC’s tyranny. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen: *We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going* Episode 255 Outline * Are there any new updates or filings to the UFC antitrust cases? * Late last week, it was revealed that Donald Trump invested in TKO. Why is that a problem? * Internal memos show the pentagon is trying to recruit a certain type of military troop to attend the White House card. Further, they want those troops to pay for their own travel to the card. Could UFC eat those costs and still stay in the black? * Is the UFC not telling the whole story with revenue streams for the WH card? * Eddie Hearn says that he wants to get Tom Aspinall out of his UFC contract and he uses some of Dana White’s ideology. “Dana said, ‘Eddie should want fighters to earn as much money as possible. He should be happy for Conor Benn that he’s making more money.’ ... Dana White should be happy for Tom Aspinall to receive that deal.” What do you make of that? * Speaking of Eddie Hearn, he is reporting that Shakur Stevenson has already signed with Zuffa Boxing. How significant is this signing? * GSP recently went on Demetrious Johnson’s podcast where he discussed why the bigger name stars in the UFC carry a responsibility to help other fighters get better pay, the way he says he did, himself. What are your thoughts on his comments? * Dana White quipped on the Pat McAfee show last week that TKO was “like the mafia, they’ve got a piece of everything” in regards to a question on whether TKO has a stake in Power Slap. What did you think of that statement? *Motion to seal exhibits, declaration of Lorraine Moise*

    32 min
  2. Why Dana White's 'We offer 3 fights a year' is a lie | Ep. 254

    6d ago

    Why Dana White's 'We offer 3 fights a year' is a lie | Ep. 254

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT In today’s episode, we’re looking Dana White’s latest media rounds. We discuss his comments on comparisons to WNBA base pay, and his false claim that UFC offers three fights per year. We provide a thorough breakdown of tolling provisions and why Dana’s claims are untrue with citations directly from UFC contracts. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen: *We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going* Episode 254 Outline * Are there any updates to the UFC antitrust cases? * We talked last week about possible match-ups MVP could do to maximize a second card. After watching Rico Verhoeven vs. Oleksandr Usyk, what are your thoughts on that now? * Ronda Rousey is angling for a rematch with Holly Holm. How well do you think that fight would do as a main event on MVP’s next MMA event? * How is Netflix positioned, as far as MVP is concerned? * TKO is affiliated with Brand Risk, a celebrity influencer-based promotion that is under fire for fight-fixing. What are your thoughts on Brand Risk? * It’s been reported that Conor McGregor wanted to fight Michael Chandler, but UFC said it didn’t make sense for them. Has Conor’s leverage with the company evaporated? * The UFC 329 VIP packages are insanely priced, with some as high as $20K, and they’re completely sold out. What do you make of Conor’s drawing power? * Dana White has been making the interview rounds ahead of the White House card. What do you make of all the media he is doing and coverage he is getting? * When asked about the WNBA increasing their base pay minimum, he said it was ridiculous to compare salaries with the WNBA and that fighter pay has gone up every single year. Has it? * He also spoke about having to offer fighters 3 bouts per year. What part of his talking points in that conversation did you find issue with? *Minutes of proceedings from status conference, dated 5/18/26*

    36 min
  3. What is Scott Coker actually trying to do? | Ep. 253

    May 22

    What is Scott Coker actually trying to do? | Ep. 253

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT In today’s episode, we’re looking at the news of Scott Coker’s re-entry to MMA as a promoter with seed money for a new promotion. We also discuss MVP MMA’s big numbers in viewership and at the gate and Nakisa Bidarian’s idea that they can help Conor McGregor maximize his value in free agency There’s a lot …

    40 min
  4. MVP MMA debut from top to bottom | Ep. 252

    May 19

    MVP MMA debut from top to bottom | Ep. 252

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT In today’s episode, we’re looking at the status conference held for the UFC antitrust cases regarding the possible spoliation by UFC officials. We’re also discussing the MVP MMA card in detail. We go over the payouts, Jon Jones’ comments about getting out of his contract, the proposed second event by year’s end, Nate Diaz’ intent to keep fighting, and Dana White’s timing on announcing Conor McGregor’s return fight. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen: *We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going* Episode 252 Outline * Today, the status conference for the UFC antitrust cases took place. What did we learn from the proceedings? * What’s next in these cases? * The Rousey vs. Carano Netflix card went down, and by all accounts, was a roaring success. What did you think of it? * The house was about 90% full (as reported by Casey Leydon, Alex Behunin and Josh Gross) by the time Gina and Ronda took to the cage. Does that sound like it might’ve been profitable? * What did you think of the timing of Dana White’s Conor McGregor fight announcement via his personal instagram (rather than a UFC channel or during an event)? * Nakisa Bidarian says that MVP has plans to do another MMA event by year’s end. What are your thoughts on that? * Nate Diaz is still ready to keep fighting. Do you think he still has value to extract by the promotion? * Francis Ngannou donated his $100K bonus to his opponent. What did you think of that? * The purses were released, and looked great for a debut event, but were the key players compensated well enough? * Jon Jones was on the desk and spoke about how great the production was and that he thought MVP did a better job than UFC. Do you agree with him? * He also spoke about wanting to get out of his contract so he could fight Ngannou. Nakisa Bidarian said he didn’t think that could happen. What did you think of what he said? * It seemed that Jake Paul was very much trying to sus out more fights, especially with Mike Perry and Francis Ngannou. How successful do you think fights with those guys would be? *Plaintiff’s renewed application for enforcement*

    36 min
  5. Should WWE talent unionize? | Ep. 251

    May 15

    Should WWE talent unionize? | Ep. 251

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT In today’s episode, we’re looking at the letter Dana White sent to Donald Trump, the deal TKO struck with Arizona, and Kevin Nash’s crusade against TKO. We also discuss MVP’s bold claims that they’re cutting fighters in for more than 50% of the revenue from the Rousey-Carano card, and Jorge Masvidal’s comments on fighter pay. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen: *We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going* Episode 251 Outline * Are there any updates to the UFC antitrust cases? * There have been several instances of boxers and promoters complaining about TKO’s proposed Ali Act amendment, most notably Roy Jones, Jr. and Eddie Hearn. What do you have to say about their arguments? * It’s being reported by Ring Magazine that Vasiliy Lomachenko is coming out of retirement now that his deal with Top Rank has expired. Where do you think he’ll end up if the report is true? * WWE legend Kevin Nash has been discussing TKO/WWE’s attempts at getting talent to take 50% pay cuts. Do you think he has a point in saying UFC is hemorrhaging money? * What about his idea that WWE talent should unionize and join SAG-AFTRA? * TKO reached an agreement with Arizona on a multi-event deal. What are the details and what do you think of it? * Dana White sent a letter to Donald Trump asking for relief on gambling legislation. What are the details of that? * Some state representatives have praised him publicly on this (Dina Titus). How likely is it that we’ll see more support from other state officials? * Jorge Masvidal discussed fighter pay. What points did he make and do you agree with what he said? * Nakisa Bidarian told Ariel Helwani that they are paying much more than 50% of the revenue to the fighters. Some were saying this is not a viable business model. Do you agree with them, and do you think MVP is really paying that high of a share? * Dana White gave a recent interview where he discussed Joe Rogan, and how some sponsors suggested to UFC that they fire him. Dana basically told them to get bent. How important is Joe Rogan to the UFC empire? * Matt Brown recently replied to a Twitter post about Dana White’s contributions to the UFC. He said, “The way I see it Campbell McLaren and the Gracie’s built a great product but couldn’t get the funding and/or business ability to scale it. Dana seen an opportunity, had the connections to make it happen, and got it done. Have to respect that. Learn from it rather than hate it imo.” There’s a lot of myth to Dana’s legend, so how close did Matt get to the reality of what Dana actually did? *Search term proposal*

    43 min
  6. Dana White said what? | Ep. 250

    May 12

    Dana White said what? | Ep. 250

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT In today’s episode, we’re looking at the many comments Dana White has made during interviews and press conferences over the last several days. We discuss his comments on fighters having to work extra jobs and collective bargaining from his interview on the Breakfast Club. We also examine some of his commen…

    46 min
  7. UFC revenue went up but did fighter pay go up too? | Ep. 249

    May 8

    UFC revenue went up but did fighter pay go up too? | Ep. 249

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT In today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest updates to the UFC antitrust cases, and the latest TKO financials that were revealed in their latest SEC filing. We also discuss TKO’s earnings call where Mark Shapiro fielded questions and discussed their enduring ties to the Saudis. We also look at some wild ways the UFC is maximizing their value extraction of the White House card. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen: *We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going* Episode 249 Outline * Are there any updates to the UFC antitrust cases? * TKO’s SEC filings came out this week. What did we learn from them about TKO and UFC’s finances? * Did it give us any information about Zuffa Boxing? * Mark Shapiro had some interesting comments during TKO’s earnings call. The first one that really caught my eye was his confirmation that the Saudis will not be pulling up their investment stakes in TKO. Is that mostly due to TKO’s very powerful ties to the Trump administration, or because they invested so much into the Paramount/WB deal? * Do you see any scenario where they might be forced to dump their stake in Zuffa Boxing? * Once again, Shapiro reinforced the plan to keep their scheduled events in the Middle East on track. Do you think that’s a wise move? * CFO Andrew Schleimer said that fighter compensation continues to grow as “we would never turn a blind eye to our most meaningful investment.” He only cited the doubling of the bonus structure, so my question is, have you heard whether they’ve made any increases to regular compensation? * It was reported that UFC has “partner investment” specialty tickets for the White House event. What do we know of them? * Shapiro also said that UFC was going to take a $30M loss on the White House event. After seeing the value extraction measures they’re taking with this card ($3500 posters, $5K names on canvas, and $1.5M specialty tickets), do you buy into that theory? * Shapiro said “we don’t buy it” referring to fan criticisms of card quality, both for UFC and WWE, citing their numbers and saying that there are always ebbs and flows. That’s something you’ve said as well, but you also noted that this seems to be an unusually long ebb. Do you still hold to that thought after seeing their latest finances? * When asked about other promotions having big, one-off events, Shapiro said that everything is competition in combat sports with other events, but didn’t seem to have any concerns about those competitors. Should he be concerned with the competitors? * MMA Junkie had an article written by MMA manager Alex Davis where he talked about how the UFC has MMA in a state of crisis. Do you agree with him?*Defendant’s motions to seal*

    39 min
  8. PFL puts all their international leagues up as collateral for new loan | Ep. 248

    May 5

    PFL puts all their international leagues up as collateral for new loan | Ep. 248

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACT In today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest updates to the UFC antitrust cases, and the Florida case that’s been moved to Vegas under Judge Boulware’s purview. We also discuss PFL’s finances, including their loan status and international assets. We examine Karate Combat’s awful weekend, and look at some new information on the White House card. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen: *We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going* Episode 248 Outline * Do we have any updates to the UFC antitrust cases? * We had a big weekend of boxing and there were plenty of soundbites stemming from it. Mark Kriegel’s comments on the sanctioning bodies saying “at best they’re a hack, at worst, they’re corrupt”. If you were to describe them, which way do you lean, hack or corrupt? * Kriegel also said that TKO’s Ali Act bill proposal would restore boxing to its former glory by bringing back competition. What do you say to that? * David Benavidez said the following: “I don’t know why he (Opetaia) went to Zuffa. I’m not gonna go over there and fight for a Zuffa title. I think Dana White has shown he doesn’t wanna do fights with PBC, DAZN. If we can come to an agreement, make a big fight, let’s do it.” Do you think he has a point on Dana’s unwillingness to co-promote? * Naoya Inoue’s fight was reported to have seen a crowd of 55K and a gate of $31M. How much has his star power increased over the last year or so? * There are rumors of him vs. Bam in Nagoya under the Riyadh Season banner for early next year. How would that promotional arrangement look? * The UFC White House event is offering canvas names for $5000. Is this $5K amount just for the name on the canvas alone? No package deal with tickets, no “experience” bundling? They also sold out of 100 signed posters at $3500/each. How much money do you think they could clear on stuff like this? * PFL uploaded a bunch of information on Company House. What stood out most to you? * There’s been a lot of negative publicity surrounding Karate Combat again. What’s going on with them and how are they still in business considering all the people they owe money to? * Dana White was interviewed on Fox and told Lara Trump that 4300 tickets would be available to mostly military members but 85000 free tickets to the park across from the White House would be available after a thorough screening. Do you think White House officials will be using the collected data for anything?*Kajan Johnson motion to transfer and PFL loan information*

    30 min
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About

A newsletter and podcast covering the business of face-punching! heynottheface.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    John S. Nash & Stephie Haynes
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    258
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © John S. Nash
  • Show Website
    Hey Not The Face! Podcast

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