The Co-Main Event MMA Podcast Chad Dundas and Ben Fowlkes

Well, don't we all feel stupid now? After weeks of dumping on the UFC 300 card for not living up to our expectations, it finally happened on Saturday and it ... was ... bonkers. You had Max Holloway put on a performance for the ages against Justin Gaethje in a fight that more than showcased the BMF status of both guys. You had Alex Pereira give Herb Dean the ol' "Not now, Herb!" hand gesture and go straight from a low blow to a highlight reel knockout of Jamahal Hill. Plus, Weili Zhang survived a gritty challenge from Yan Xiaonan and Arman Tsarukyan stayed out of Charles Oliveira's many submission attempts long enough to score a split decision win.
And all that barely scratches the surface.
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Saturday night, the greatest fight card in the history of fight cards comes at us from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Or, at least, that's what the UFC wants us to think about UFC 300. Honestly, the card isn't too bad, with two actual championship fights and one "championship fight." Your main event, the light heavyweight title (unification, sort of?) bout between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill will be a fun punchy-kicky sort of a deal. Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan has been somewhat anticipated. Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway will no doubt be killer, BMF title or no.
Plus, you've got the promotional debut of Kayla Harrison and plucky young underdog Bo Nickal trying to continue his Cinderella march through the middleweight division.
So, yeah, good job, UFC, which will definitely not pat itself on the back for putting on a decent fight card to commemorate event No. 300 or whatever this actually is.
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Well, Chris Weidman can't very well retire after that one, can he? We had hoped perhaps Saturday's Fight Night bout against Bruno Silva would be the former middleweight champion's last but ... not only did he "win," but the circumstances were so weird that Weidman pretty much has to come back for at least one more. After 12 and a half minutes of foul-filled action, where at times he looked much improved and at times looked like he was about to get spectacularly knocked out, Weidman pulled off the here-to-for unseen double eye-poke during the same one-two combination. Silva (understandably) couldn't continue, the fight was stopped and somehow Weidman got a unanimous decision (?) win out of it. MMA, man. It's f****d up.
Plus, Manon Fiorot may well be the No. 1 contender at women's flyweight, just as soon as Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko get done coaching TUF and Nate THE TRAIN Landwehr reminds us that he might be the funnest thing going in the UFC. WHOOP HIS ASS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!!!
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The years-long staring contest between the UFC and some of its former fighters is over. The class action antitrust lawsuit between the two parties ended last week with the MMA company agreeing to pay a $335 million settlement to the aggrieved fighters. That's great for the individual fighters, most of whom will now get a chunk of change. Maybe not so great for MMA at large, as the bigger picture structural and competitive changes that might have come along with the lawsuit will likely now not happen. But considering the alternatives, did the fighters do the right thing?
Plus, Rose Namajunas returned with a win, though perhaps not exactly the kind of win she needed. Especially not with Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot about to have an apparent No. 1 contender fight this weekend.
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After showing up to the "Road House" premiere looking like he was in a *cough* heightened state of awareness *cough* Conor McGregor once again iterated that he wants to return to the UFC to finish out the final two fights on his contract. So. Conor McGregor wants to fight. The UFC seems to want Conor McGregor to fight. Michael Chandler DAMN SURE wants to fight. What's the hold up? Plus, what's up with Nate Diaz suddenly being all nice and shit?
Plus, we still haven't found something that can kill Mark Coleman, and Rose Namajunas returns on a fairly anonymous Fight Night card at the Apex. Because of course.
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If Sean O'Malley needed a statement win to prove he is perhaps the class of the UFC's growing group of young stars, he got one Saturday, essentially pitching a perfect game against Marlon "Chito" Vera at UFC 299. O'Malley kept Chito at the end of his reach, dictating the pace and the terms of engagement and the best thing you could say about Vera by the end is that he's one tough son of a bitch.
Plus, how about that Cool Dusty P, eh? Yaaaay. And, oh yeah, Francis Ngannou got terribly knocked out. Booo.
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