The Craic with Petesy Carroll

5.0 (20)
WRESTLING
UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

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.

MAR 20

White House vs. Netflix: Which card wins? UFC London & PFL Madrid previews, more

The Craic is back! This time, it’s the duo of Petesy Carroll and Ben Fowlkes. To start things off, the lads react to the passing of martial arts icon Chuck Norris (02:21). Then, they size up UFC's White House event against Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card (13:05). Another fight on the Netflix card is Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry. Petesy provides an update on Conor McGregor’s return now that Diaz has been ruled out as an opponent (30:51). Amid ongoing unrest around fighter pay, several retired UFC veterans have spoken out against the promotion’s model, giving the guys plenty to dig into (50:02). There’s fights this weekend too. Petesy and Ben break down PFL’s big media push for their Friday night Madrid card (55:36), and preview UFC London’s main event: Lerone Murphy vs. Mosvar Evloev (01:02:42).

1h 13m
MAR 13

Conor McGregor comeback, major UFC fight announcements, MVP MMA viability

The Craic returns with its regular trio: Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes. The boys get straight into the recent wave of fight announcements, including Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title (02:45). At the press conference for the Netflix superfight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, Rousey weighed in on the state of the UFC and its matchmaking. The lads share their thoughts on her comments (19:40). Another superstar potentially nearing a comeback is Conor McGregor, raising the question of whether recent fan discontent has pushed the UFC to move on his return (31:27). With the UFC’s White House card approaching, concerns have begun to surface over the stability and security of the event amid the current political climate, giving the guys plenty to unpack (44:45). That leads to another question: which event looms larger, UFC’s White House card or Netflix’s Rousey vs. Carano? The lads make their cases (49:21). To round things out, Chuck shares details from his recent conversation with UFC Apex headliner Kevin Vallejos ahead of his fight this weekend (1:07:00), before the boys answer your Super Chats (1:14:21).

1h 26m
MAR 7

Francis Ngannou Released, Tom Aspinall and Eddie Hearn Unite, BMF Legitimacy

The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll is joined, as always, by Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes. To kick things off, the lads dig into the surprise partnership between Tom Aspinall and Eddie Hearn (3:36). One partnership that hasn’t lasted is Francis Ngannou and the PFL. The boys react to the news of Ngannou’s release (32:56). With the White House card fast approaching, the crew then discuss which fights could headline the historic event (47:36). UFC 326 is this weekend too. The trio preview Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira and debate the legitimacy of the BMF belt up for grabs (52:01). To close the show, the lads give their Uncrowned UFC 326 picks (01:17:00), and answer your Super Chats (01:19:22).

1h 27m
FEB 28

UFC Fighter Revolt? Ilia Topuria Speaks, White House Update, Combat Chaos

The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes return as usual. First up, they take a deep dive into Zuffa Boxing’s recent signing of Conor Benn for a record $15 million, and what it means for TKO’s first move into boxing (0:14). That eye-catching payday didn’t go unnoticed in the UFC. The trio explore the growing rumblings of discontent among fighters (44:51). Then, breaking news lands mid-show, as the lads react live to the announcement that Oleksandr Usyk is set to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven (53:00). From there, they get into Ilia Topuria and Jake Paul’s war of words (59:41), before discussing fighters speaking out about not wanting to compete at the UFC’s proposed White House event (1:03:20). There’s UFC action this weekend as well, with Petesy and the lads previewing Brandon Moreno vs. late-notice replacement Lone’er Kavanagh (1:12:54). They wrap things up by answering your Super Chats (1:19:06).

1h 23m
FEB 21

Dana White vs Eddie Hearn Beef, Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano on Netlfix, More

The Craic is back! This time, it’s dynamic duo Petesy Carroll and Chuck MIndenhall holding it down. To kick things off, they react to the ongoing feud between Dana White and Eddie Hearn (5:29). Then, attention turns to Netflix stepping into the MMA space with Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano (32:41). They also discuss Gable Steveson’s latest first-round win and whether the UFC should make a move to sign him next (48:20). With fights on deck this weekend, Petesy and Chuck preview UFC Fight Night: Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez (55:49), and Ryan Garcia taking on Mario Barrios in the boxing (01:05:01). To close the show, the lads answer your Super Chats (01:10:03).

1h 15m
FEB 14

Inside Tom Aspinall's 108-Day Nightmare, State of UFC's Heavyweight Division

On this week’s Craic, Petesy Carroll returns alongside Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes as usual. To kick things off, Petesy discusses his latest Uncrowned feature, offering an inside look at Tom Aspinall’s recent eye surgery, which he attended (2:52). With Aspinall sidelined and news of Jailton Almeida’s recent release, the UFC heavyweight division suddenly looks thin. The trio assess just how shaky the state of what was once the promotion’s premier division has become (28:02). Then, Fresh from the 2026 Combat Sports Officials Summit, Ben Fowlkes shares what officials are working on to help prevent incidents like Aspinall’s eye poke and how they’re approaching MMA scoring moving forward (43:22). To round out the show, Petesy and the gang answer your Super Chats (1:07:18).

1h 10m
FEB 7

Ilia Topuria Is Back! White House Fight Against Justin Gaethje? UFC Testimony

The Craic is back! Our dynamic trio of Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes return as usual. First up, the crew react to UFC Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria teasing his return on social media (5:18). The trio also weigh in on Justin Gaethje hinting he could face Topuria next, and possibly at the White House (13:14). Attention then turns to Dana White’s appearance in the UFC antitrust lawsuit, where he shed light on the scope of his current role within the company. The guys unpack the key takeaways (31:23). UFC London tickets have just dropped, and with fans unhappy about the prices, the trio ask whether UFC event costs will ever come back down (41:17). There’s plenty of MMA on this weekend, too. The boys preview PFL Dubai’s main event between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alfie Davis (46:13), as well as the UFC’s latest Apex fixtures (52:47). To round things out, Ben Fowlkes sheds light on his latest Uncrowned feature: The Tale of ‘Two Ton’ Tony (1:01:54), and the lads close the show with your Super Chats (1:13:07).

1h 23m
JAN 31

STACKED Combat Weekend: UFC 325, WWE Royal Rumble, Stevenson vs Lopez, More

The Craic returns with its regular trio of Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes to see you into a stacked combat sports weekend. To get things underway, the lads react to the UFC 325 weigh ins, including the announcement of the new weigh-in protocols (6:24). Then it’s on to the main event: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes. The trio discuss Volkanovski retirement rumours and what a win would mean for the Australian (16:39). Attention then shifts to the co-main event, where Petesy and the crew break down what promises to be a thrilling clash between Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint-Denis (29:02). They also preview the rest of the main card (35:34) and deliver their official Uncrowned picks for each fight (39:11). Also, in a surprise development, Patchy Mix has been released from the UFC and signed with Rizin, drawing an immediate reaction from the chaps (48:49). Switching to boxing, the guys discuss Shakur Stevenson vs. Teofimo Lopez ahead of their highly anticipated clash this weekend (54:49). To close the show, the lads preview The Royal Rumble (59:32) and respond to your Super Chats (01:16:00).

1h 19m

See All (218)

TRAILER

Introducing The Craic with Petesy Carroll!

Host Petesy Carroll tells you what YOU can expect every week on The Craic.

06/23/2023

•

1 min

5

out of 5

20 Ratings

Magic Trio

11/18/2025

Blakexolotl

Petesy, Chuck, and Ben are the best couple combination of voices in the whole space.
Ben

05/10/2025

Haydes55

Love that Ben Fowlkes have joined Petesy and Chuck on the pod at times. Some of the best MMA journalists out there. Nuff said.
Craic is Crack 💉

07/26/2024

Troy Farkas

INJECT THIS INTO MY VEINS! Unparalleled insights from the top names in European MMA and beyond. It’s amazing how Petesy knows all of his guests personally, and you can tell how much respect they have for him and the work he does. The length of the episodes is perfect, too.
5/5 podcast easily

12/21/2023

EugeneSimmons

Petesy is the man. He has a great sense of humor and a very conversational interview style He’s also passionate and a certified blancharddamus He’s also a helluva head coach for the Seahawks

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.