With the new year around the corner, Matt and Jim are joined by award-winning combat sports journalist Kevin Iole and the great …
[Music] [Applause] welcome to UFC un Builder please tell me that’s on video I’ve never been happier I’m made for a podcast we’re dangerous listen to me we’re out of here welcome to the final UFC unfiltered of the year it’s our final one of 2023 oh God we have to recap a little bit Matt um good show too we have uh MMA journalist uh uh Kevin ioli who uh I like very much and he’s really uh he’s great he just he knows so much about the sport I love these guys that have been around for 15 17 20 years uh and Michael Irvin of course will be joining us in a little while last time it got screwed up because of Michael’s schedule so well I’m excited last show of the year let’s Del right in let’s bring Kevin in and uh talk about um because you have to have somebody who really knows what they’re talking about whereas I I miss you trying to say we up the names all the time I mean we don’t know how to pronounce things we’re idiots welcome Kevin to the show hey technology yes we hey we have a lot to talk about we have to talk about is this the just the nominees for the fighter of the year and yeah there suggestions who else would know more than me and you and Jim right well lot of knowledge and I think in but let me ask you is there any is there any like it’s just up for a debate is that what we’re doing right here I think do a debate talk about it give our picks who we think right I think it’s I think it’s pretty easy right I’m with you Kevin let’s effing go I and it’s very hard to avoid recency bias too of like the of of all of the fights in December you know what I mean like yeah you want to just go back oh that fight happened a week ago that’s right that was knock out of the like uh you know Josh EMT knockout of Bryce Mitchell which still might be it but I mean it’s like well it just happened so it’s fresh in my mind but you have to go back over the whole year which can be kind of you know difficult to remember some of the ear how many fights did we watch right you know right um I guess we could start uh with I’ll just go by the list they gave us uh which one do you think you want to start with guys I we do you want to start with fight of the year um or do you want to start with uh uh they have category they male and female fights of the Year this is the order we have uh male and female fights of the Year fighters of the Year breakthrough fighter of the Year upset of the Year knockout of the Year sub of the Year comeback of the year if we can get to all of them before Michael urvan um let’s go let’s start with fights of the year what we think was the fights of the uh of 2023 there’s a lot of great ones to go over um I’ll ask you guys to start Matt Kevin what do you guys think goe Matt Kevin well you know in my mind I mean I think there’s a clear leader here but you got a lot of really good fights uh you know the Edson Barbosa sadik y fight that to me was like a wild fight and I remember watching that thinking I went into that fight thinking this might be the end of Edson Barbosa right and he gets he’s almost knocked out in the first round and then he comes back and I mean the swing of emotion in that fight and the momentum changes and everything you know that that fight was had to be on the list of course you know how could we have a fight of the year maybe we should change the name of the fight of the year to the Justin gaii fight of the year but you know gai’s nominee this year I guess would be his fight with phiv and you know that was that was an Inc incredible bout um you know Dan hooker and Jaylen Turner another fight that that was one I had um on my betting picks that was the only fight I lost on that card I had um so that I went against Dan that was a bad one panto and and Moreno you know Pantoja and Moreno crazy good fights but I think for me considering the level is is mahat versus vulcanos their first fight the level they fought at the um just everything that they did in that fight to me that encapsulates what I want to see in a fight of the year you so you’re going with that you’re going with uh Islam versus uh bokanowski won the first the first one yeah yeah and I’ll tell you why because when you like look so let’s look at you know some of these fights you know let’s say Dan hooker and Jaylen Turner or Barbosa and Yousef I think you got to take the quality of opposition into effect too right so if you’re volkanovski you’re fighting a much better opposition you know you’re fighting motev arguably the best fighter in the world or mahates fighting vulcanos arguably the best fighter in the world it’s hard to look good and hard to create offense against guys like that so when it’s close and I say close and I think it it is close with some of these fights you got to go with the better Fighters and I think in this case vulcanos and U mahat put on an unbelievable fight with a lot of momentum swings a lot of you know issues going on and they’re both two of the three best fighters in the world and what was on the line too like the stakes like there there was there was something really big I mean for me it was probably gatei phiv just because I enjoyed that fight so much uh I did not expect gatei to win that fight and I was really happy he won that fight so I I’m person personally I enjoyed that fight the most but the fight of the Year probably should be makev against volkanovski one because of what was on the line and you’re right and and and plus the weight class going up uh a weight class and no one expecting him to do to last and Go the Distance um just an impressive and incredible fight so that probably technically should get it but I’m gonna vote for gaii phive just because I enjoyed it the most um I once I when I was looking at when I was looking at all these names all these you all these fights I right away knew where I where I was going and uh it is Islam makov versus uh banowsky that fight listen as far as excitement any one of these fights you could really kind of do a tossup because they’re all that’s what it is that’s when you watch it as soon as it’s thought oh my God my best fight I ever seen because that’s how exciting each one of these you know they were that’s how exciting it was but um with the panowski versus Islam fight it was the drama it wasn’t supposed to be so competitive everybody I mean including myself I I can I thought the way that Islam before that point was just getting everybody down powerful guys like Drew Dober just taking him down kamor and this guy arm locking that guy R Nick choke head and arm choke with the uh with uh Aliva I just thought everybody I I thought he was gonna take him down and just overwhelm him so as the fight was going on it’s like you couldn’t believe what you were watching and then the way it ended was so dramatic I think that’s uh that’s my has my vote such a great fight from beginning to end that you had the high drama in the fight right you know even when the fight ended hey there’s you have an argument vulcanos thought he won the fight and I he had an argument right uh certainly the rematch you know quieted those uh those who was the better fighter doubts but at that moment you know you could have made a case for either guy that you know that to me when you have a fight like that that has so much action and when it’s over you’re not really sure who the better fighter was yeah and by the way that that rematch could actually almost qualify for knockout of the Year too I mean that that’s definitely in the running for knockout of the Year Matt let’s do submission of the year next uh there’s some really interesting uh fights uh rahmanov uh over Jeff Neil where uh Black Shear against Johnson of course Jer over Josh amam Diego lope over Lopez over Gavin Tucker and uh and uh R not fact I can never say this guy’s name uh Factor dinov over Kevin Lee the guillotine um but I I’m going to go with of course uh the one you Matt is the only guy that called ah uh Jones Cal gon as a submission uh I thought Jones would win the fight I did not think he would sub him um I have to take that as submission of the year because it was first round it was so decisive and Matt picked it now there’s something thank you first of all I should actually pick that also I almost have I’m I’m going can I go off this list or is yeah yeah yeah these are just suggestions well this is what I’m thinking now like shavkat he just got a submission win over somebody that never got submitted right in Wonderboy that sh that’s s listen I don’t give a if he’s Wonderman at this point he’s 40 I don’t give a he’s he’s still got submitted and he never got submitted and shot was injured in that fight and shot was injured so the fact that shavkat submitted Wonderboy I think is a big thing because Wonderboy had a has a l you know he’s been in the game a while nobody ever made him say uncle by tapping him out so I’m gonna say shav Cott for that the the one that I’m going to go with probably surprise you guys but I’m going to go with the Twister by uh blackshare I mean you you rarely see any twisters and uh the way he set that up and the way he pulled that off I mean to me it was it was like phenomenal and uh you know Matt you may have a difference of opinion in terms of you know but how difficult that submission is to get and he did it so effortlessly almost right and it was just uh it was just incredible and then comes back and does it again right the next week but I I just thought that twister was so amazing that i’m gonna go there and it is a it is a fun one to watch when they when they get that off like when Pryce Mitchell gets it or you’re like wow right it it is a cool looking one you know what I mean they’re all over the place head going one way and body’s going the other and how we should we and we shouldn’t just be chauvinist what what do you think uh female uh sub the I mean I think that’s I mean I don’t want to say it’s obvious but I I kind of have my take on it my opinion yeah I’m with submitted by Alexa Grasso I mean who saw that coming right um and it was a great submission the way she did it and what I loved about it was she puts the video out after the fight where she kind of worked on the on the back take and and the whole nine yards uh so yeah that was I mean you’re you’re beating arguably the greatest fighter of all time by submission um at that point uh incredible incredible win and that has to be it I I take rasso too over shevchenko um how about you Matt it’s hard it’s hard to go go anywhere and go pick any listen all the I’m looking at all these you know that Aaron blanchfield taking out andj and I mean I’m looking at I’m looking at everybody here’s uh submission and it’s so impressive but you again you have to you have to look who are they doing it to you know what I mean submissions are awesome and uh you know you gotta say who are you making say uncle who are you tapping out I just remember when Alexa Gro released her re naked choke it almost looked like she had a sun tan and like her face was all white from it uh so I’m going with Alexa raso versus shenko cu come on man that was we got a unanimous one there yeah I mean it’s kind of hard I mean the blanchfield over and dra was great but I mean this again it’s Chef shenko getting submitted no one saw that coming I want to just I want to just kind of throw one in here which I just thought of and and and I don’t see a list for it I would love to know what do you think was the robbery of the year uh what do you think was because the judging has gotten to become such a bigger part of fighting than it should be and it frustrates me and these people work so hard and they train so hard uh everyone makes an occasional mistake but I I mean egregious Roby obviously you have jar Gordon you also have I feel Grasso in the rematch uh that 10 eight round what you said sorry which one did you say Jared versus patty patty p and also yeah or or would you go with uh the draw in the uh the rematch between Valentina and uh um and Alexa Gro see I I wouldn’t go with that one because you you can make an argument for both ways like I I had Valentina winning the fight right and I I think that that but you can make an argument let me say one thing and to defend the judges a little bit right um I think that they’re not as bad as they are portrayed they make some there’s been some egregious mistakes over the years but I think what happens is we in the media and as fans of the sport you know we’re watching the fight and unless you’re working the corner you know whatever you know you’re where you’re totally focused on what’s going on but you also have a bias one particular way you know you’re you’re drinking a beer you’re eating popcorn you’re talking to your friend you know when things happen in the fight and you’re not watching the same you know way a judge is watching and the thing that I I always like to say is you know that we do this at press R all the time in fights you know how do you have it how do you have it and we’re talking and a lot of times we’re in agreement but also what you hear is that that punch land that that kick land what we can’t you know maybe we’re blocked out by where we are where the judges have the replay in front of them and they’re right up against the cage and they’re not blocked out sometimes they are by the referee or the fighters so I’m having said that I I agree that we have some pretty bad mistakes I hope they fix that I mean it got so bad they were talking about open scoring uh just so yeah I think most people feel that way I kind of had mixed feelings about it a part of be wanted to know uh just because this way guys go into the final round knowing where they stand um but did they didn’t they try it in a couple of places and it’s the in boxing as far as I know but never in MMA that I know yeah I think I thought they did okay I think it’ll be a show and they shouldn’t with it you want people you want everybody waiting for them to read the card and the read the winner who’s it going to which side is Bruce is Bruce standing behind the guy is he behind the winner who’s it going to be you want that you don’t want all right we know this is ending all right let’s just get the out or he’s not turning this around he’s already how or El people bitching on the next round about not even why how could they be giving that round to him the judges already suck I don’t know here’s another thing that you have to remember in that case so let’s say the first round of a fight is close and it could go either way and so two judges give it to fighter a one judge gives it to fighter B now the third judge that’s on the wrong side he might be saying I better correct because I know those two are good judges there are better judges and I want to be on board with them and now all of a sudden he scores the next round differently than he might have otherwise because he saw you know he was on the wrong side and so it it it opens the door to problems I mean it’s not transparency they’re sitting there we know what they’re scoring in the fights um you know their their identities are not unknown so it’s not like we’re hiding something right people think it’s you know open that put sunlight on them well there is sunlight on them right we know who they are they buffer announces them before the fight we know who they are it’s in the media before the fight who were judging all these fights so I don’t think that’s you know oh by the way it has to be this is how stupid I am it has to be uh uh Valentina it it has that has to be the most egregious this is how dumb I am December 2022 was when Jared fought uh piml I forgot yeah that was Mist yeah that was that was uh I wasn’t looking at the date when I said that like a dope my producer just told me how stupid I was and he it wasn’t this year it was uh it was December we were all wrong we’re doing a 365 day year though so within 365 days we’re kind of close it was a winner yeah I I like you think Jim yeah what do you think of uh now this is a pretty uh pretty interesting one we could go with upset of the year uh which the were a couple of really really big upsets I think that’s a fairly obvious one uh Matt I’ll ask you you and Kevin what do you guys think go ahead Matt the upset of the Year well I think I’ll say the upset of the year was uh as long as the date is correct on it was the first Alexa grao when she beat uh Valenta Valentina shevchenko I think that was huge for for women’s yes for the women we would do women and men oh what do we do no I what do we just why why you always got to separate them because that’s just how they did it oh is that what they’re doing yeah all right well I I picked I very Progressive of you Matt I’m sorry what did you say very Progressive of you thank you uh I pick why well with the female I’m jumping ahead I’m picking Alexa and now listen I don’t know man I I mean people could say Sean Strickland but I don’t know I was picking him to win I thought he was going to win a different way mind you the way he won was way more impressive I thought he was gon to blend in the grappling but you could say say maybe was Grant daon uh what was his record when Bobby Green beat him he had won like 20 in a row I think or something like that yeah I’m gonna say Bobby Green beat um Grant Dawson yeah I I can’t go with that one as much as I thought that I thought Grant Dawson’s ready to take that step to the next and uh and then Bobby green you know knocks him out like the way he did but the the reason that you got to go was Strickland um even if you picked him to win he won all five rounds he won every minute of every round it was not even close almost submitted him in the first round when he had his back and it was just you know where as a knockout nobody gets lucky you’re throwing punches to to hit somebody right but you know he hit he landed that one big punch and was able to finish him as opposed to taking a guy apart like a highlevel guy like Adia this we’re not talking about a you know we’re talking about one of the best fighters in the world and he took him apart for 25 minutes I don’t I don’t see how it can be that on the women’s side of course uh you know Valentina losing to me that that might be the story of the Year we’re you know when Amanda retired we’re anointing her as the as the greatest and then boom right off the bat there she goes I I agree with you on on Strickland too I’m never surprised when Bobby green wins like I I mean odds aside like the way he fights he’s such a difficult fighter I never shocked when he beats somebody uh I was shocked that Turner beat him the way he did but uh yeah I would have to go with Shan Strickland too because I I I think I took Izzy by decision I didn’t think he was going to knock Shawn out but for Shawn to dismantle him for five rounds a guy who moves so well and no one has been able to do that to I I think I was very clearly for me it was Sean Strickland and our our time is a little short so I’m I’m being shouted at that we should also uh fighter of the year have we we have not done fighter of the year have we let’s go let’s go let let you guys start who who you think was fighter of the Year well if it’s up to me I think the fighter the the two fighters of the year I think we’ve talked about both of them a lot and is obvious Alexa Grasso has to be the female fighter of the year uh doing what she did she survived two fights against Valentina shevchenko which in and of itself is is saying a lot she wins the championship she defends the championship um and she and she looked brilliant in in doing it so she she would be uh my uh female fighter of the year and how do you how do you go with anybody but Islam makev you you go vulcanos some people thought was the best fighter in the world going into the year uh and he beats him twice not once but twice and in the second time just unbelievably devastating fashion um so I I think Islam mahaj has and that he has the long winning streak and and everything and he’s been fighting unreal competition and beating vul twice in the same year is saying something and means something and that to me that makes him fighter of the year I agree with sorry Jimmy I agree uh I agree with uh Kevin on um on Alexa grao I agree on that uh I I think for the male fight of the year I’m going with Leon Edwards he defeat the way he listen he defeated like he defeated Usman the first time and everybody’s like all right he pulled that out of his ass he was losing wait to the rematch beat him in the rematch and then oh man Kobe’s overwhelming what that gas tank get beat just handed Kobe his ass I’m going with Lon Lon is he it’s like that first fight just awakened the champion in him and uh I’m going with Leon I I thought of Leon uh but it was an Usman rematch and and COV kin was not that impressive and again say that’s because of what Lyon did but I I thought Colby wasn’t as uh impressive in that fight he’s just more of of a of a figure that we all love to hate so we we we kind of expect more out of him but I didn’t think he fought a great fight I’m gonna take Tom Aspen I’m taking Tom asol uh because Aspen who again over tyor and I also think I maybe should have been considered for a knockout of the year over pavlovich because uh Sergey hurt him in that first round and I thought Sergey was he looked like you again this invincible uh fighter so I’m going to go with Tom aspadol I was very very impressed with him dropping Sergey like that especially after taking a tremendous shot where I thought he was going to be finished so for me it’s Tom aspadol can I just say really quick people are quick to point out how Kobe didn’t look great and this and that and I agree I thought he looked shitty but a big part of that is who he was fighting listen ble muhamad who does he not get a hold of when he fights pretty much everybody he fights his way in look look at his streak he’s on and does the same thing to pretty much everybody the fight it didn’t go through and and he’s and he’s he gets stronger as it goes on below but he wasn’t getting to to something was going on in there what similar to Kobe where he wasn’t finding his his range and his rhythm all too easy he wasn’t getting to him so it’s I mean again you could just say Kobe was inactive he looked SLO he didn’t look or when you’re in there and then and you look on top of that how he fought uh Usman especially the second time there’s something should be said something should be said for what’s going what Leon is doing to these guys that’s I agree hard you know it’s easy to oh well Kobe what you call didn’t look great Usman already you know he be already beat him dude something’s going on he people cannot just get a hold of him and take him down and do what they want to do with him so I don’t know I’m just G saying that no no you’re right and but I’m also looking at like Colby looked he looked bad Beyond I thought what leyon was doing to him like when he when he was just he just didn’t look right as a fighter uh I we’ve seen him lose before and I thought he looked better in other losses was it 18 months off do you think maybe I think that definitely had something to do with it even he said that uh but again you everything he says you you take with a grain of salt yeah um but on that one I I don’t think it was a shock I think the level uh of the beating he took was kind of surprising and that to me was where Lon was so great except when Leon decided to wrestle with him which I didn’t really I wish he hadn’t done that but look he did it are we let are we letting Kevin go we got we got wait a couple minutes because Michael is not here yet so I so let me let me bring this up because we like about different things here and this person is taking a beating and I want to go to bat for him okay oh no Zack Snider why are people attacking Zack Snider over Rebel Moon I don’t know if you like SCI science fiction at all Kevin I don’t like St Jimmy left us Kevin it’s just us he doesn’t like he does that to me great news Matt guess who’s in the waiting room all right I’m Gonna Save you but Michel jumped in the waiting room watch watch on Netflix watch Rebel moon it’s like almost like an R-rated um even though a uh like a Star Wars type movie so good thank you Kevin You’re great and now please come back in the New Year Kevin i.com and he’s launching a boxing and MMA podcast very soon he’s a really knowledgeable guy keep your uh keep your eyes open ear early in January 2024 thank you Kevin see you guys thanks for having me [Music] let’s bring in I’m not going to say Michael Irvin let’s bring in the great Michael Irving one of my favorite people I’m not gonna bring up any any of my movies that I like right now I’ll bring I don’t know I don’t know what kind of movies that Rebel movie people are giving Zack Snider they given Zack Snyder over this movie and it’s basically the Magnificent seven in space like that’s what it is so why are they making him give him such a hard time let’s talk to Michael ah There He Is Legend Michael hello sir how are you I am well guys how are you guys good can I ask you Michael last time you were on I I’ve been trying to remember it I can’t but I’ve thought of it a lot you said something about there was some acronym for toys something of Youth that you had heard uh which temptation of our youth Temptation was the word word okay men like their toys of our youth well it it comes from old sermon Bishop preach it’s Boys in their toys whenever we get lost in a mess we turn to our toys whatever those toys may be you know what I mean um whatever the CH may be women alcohol whatever it is we turn to that thing we call our toys so we he tit Boys in their toys you know I thought it fascinating it it it is and it made me I I collect posters like from when I was a kid I’m 55 is there any of that stuff that you did from like when you were a kid that you brought back when you were an adult and you had money and you could indulge the way you wanted to indulge in it with it’s something you collected or anything like that well that’s interesting that’s interesting uh let me see what what would I [Music] say you know you’re kid growing up in areas I grew up in you know all of your had all of whatever Hobbies you picked up they all involved no money whatsoever you know what I’m saying so because you didn’t have any money nobody around you had money so so any things you know like you know you go out and play I can go work out I can go I go play football basketball at the park all of those things and that’s really how you get as good as you get get as an athlete because Sports in the neighborhood Sports at the par those Sports were free you can play those Sports you know what I mean then they start charging to play Little League football and all that stuff but but yeah you you can play for free over there in park Michael this is a saying that this is one that you dropped I think the last time you were on and I think it’s fascinating I want you to just could you just elaborate on it if they attack a man’s weakness I him if I attack a man strength I can break I can break him I can break him interesting please thought the logic came as I studied football as I studied guys that I had to play since I was a bigger receiver that me that meant okay some bigger guy if I had a bigger guy I I was faster than him most most of the time quicker than him I can out quii him if I had a smaller guy I could just muscle him you know but but but if I played you twice a year that means you were in my division and and and I’m gon play you all the time I’m not just trying to beat you now I’m trying to break you I’m trying to break you for the next time time I see you I’m the last person you gonna want to see you see what I mean so if I attack your strength you have nowhere to go you see when I when I attack a bigger man’s speed he said oh he he just out ran me he got me he got me but if I attack a bigger man a bigger man’s physicality now where can he go he says man this dude out physical me I don’t I don’t even want to play him again because that’s his whole card he says if I can out fysical I’ll get him but when someone out physical him he has nowhere to go so yeah I I’ve always kept that in mind if I’m going to see you again and again I don’t want to just beat you I want to break you can I ask how would you know like there must have been some way you would sense when you had that like Bobby Fisher and chess said that he would like break a man’s ego like and let I run that five route I run that five Route 17 back to 15 on a comeback and I don’t get the ball and he’ll turn his said good route man cuz you know he’s beat you know he dude I told you about all that after the game that means you don’t want no more if you’re capitulating you don’t want no more you giving in don’t say a word that’s the best thing you could do and just stay St and ready let me tell you it’s so funny because I you know the start of a game out go I be violent hitting people across the head I would turn around and walk back to the hudle like I’m not because if I’m if I’m fired up you think that’s just a hype thing but if I hit you in the mouth like that and turn around and walk back to the H you saying this joke are crazy he think he’s gonna hit me like that all day you see what I mean now I’m in your head a different way so that that’s why I like that kind that’s why I love the UFC there’s a lot of head games and head fights I I was listening to my man Kobe talk Kobe talk about after the fight how he said he was he was hurt but he didn’t want to say anything in this corner you know what I mean because now with social media and everything people hear and they start putting out there the other Corner gets it right away now they know they have information that you didn’t want anyone to know Kobe said he came back into this corner he was Hur he said I just couldn’t even say anything because I knew from previous fights what will happen and and and that you know because that that that confused me like I know Co I talk I text him before for the fight it’s from Florida very good friend of mine we hang out I wanted to put something together for him after he won you know CU I know he’s had tried a few times at the belt you know I text him I say hey man go bring that belt home for us man because he’s from you know Out Fort La there with me you know we go out to eat and everything I said bring that belt home buddy he said champ I appreciate you always reaching now because I reach out to him before all the fights but man but I I just he usually presses and presses and presses and he’s all his cardio was is is insane I was like let’s go let’s go let’s go and I didn’t see him pressing as much this time so I I I kind of say well something must be going on what do you think about oh go ahead mat well I was gonna think I think what’s going on was he was fighting Leon Edwards yeah yeah Leon Edwards is a legit problem he goes with guys we were just talking about him and I was talking about him as like the fighter of the year because beating Usman twice the andman is phenomenal and at the first time he was down four rounds and they’re like all right well P Hil Mar kick is what that was they can say that Hil Mar kick Hil Mary full of great boom Oh Lord is with the that’s what he said the Lord is with the but then the second fight for him to be able to shut him down and so it’s like and then when you look at fights when he F belel Muhammad who usually has a way of just managing the distance of closing it and getting guys down and beating them up he had a hard time even though it was a round and a half before an accidental I pooke there’s something that Leon does that just from the changing of stances to what’s it his arsenal when he throws it that throws off these these guys that are wrestling based you know yeah and I think that’s a big part of it that’s and the whole surpris part was that lion was taking Kobe down I I I I was shocked I’m sure Kobe didn’t really take any shots at at at trying to get him down and everything like that I think he took like when I saw maybe one shot in there but but yeah I I was just a little shocked because I I know Kobe I knew how important this was and and this you know people talking about maybe he where dides he go from here if he doesn’t win this time because he’s had a few opportunities and everything but but yeah I thought and then all the things that was said prior to the fight you know I thought this was gonna be a let’s go kill each other no matter what somebody got that fight you know what I mean yeah what do you think too you said something interesting about the cameras in the corners like you don’t have cameras in huddles uh you don’t have cameras in baseball when a manager goes out to talk to the pitcher and I know it’s a part of the fight game but it you can need to say something to your coach but you can’t say it because uh you’re you’re the guy you’re fighting will find out is there a way around that or a way to deal with that or is that just is that just the nature of it you know I I I didn’t think about it until I heard Kobe we talking about you know like man you know but but you do know that the TV thing like I even even in n games I’m like dude they playing the replay how can you not throw the flag throw the you know the uh challenge flag you know because you see things so so in in in the fight game now you got people coming there should be a place that they can have a moment or I don’t know say hey the first 30 seconds No cameras in the corner give them give them some time to discern that round before the rest of the world hear whatever strategy they want to play going forward I I think that’s important especially now like like Kobe said the other corner is getting there’s a we go back to you go back to your corner you should have a moment to speak with your coach without the rest of the world hearing and certainly not your opponent here yeah like rock manov in that Wonder Boy fight we just talked about was really hurt and uh I mean maybe they knew that his corner knew that but if he wanted to talk about that he probably couldn’t have because he knew that camera was maybe maybe there’s a way to do that where there there’s uh no sound for the first 30 seconds in one corner and no sound for the last 30 seconds in the other corner so TV can serve its need and film guys they can also have that’s a great idea that’s a great idea you know I’m sure it the Jump part to be deserted you know you want to switch up let me give you the first 30 so so I get I I’m free the first 30 seconds of all even rounds to speak how I want you’re free the first 30 seconds of all odd round you see what I mean just some kind of way that you can get a chance to talk to your um to your coach like I you you you there’s some you need that private time espe in one-on-one battles especially one okay like you know you you got team sport that’s different team sport you can’t you can’t hear everything everybody’s saying in the team sport put oneone fight dude it’s crucial what I gotta say what I need to hear from my coaches is crucial I as a fan I like hearing the corner work me too to but we a get our head busted in we I’m sitting here looking I’m not the one getting my head bu I love hearing those because sometimes you have a good Corner man and then you see that connect and you see them figh be able to pull off what they said or like Leon Edwards in that that the final round with his first fight with Usman what are you doing stop feeling sorry for yourself I love that you want to see you you want to see what is a coach’s job I don’t care what sport he in his job is to reach down inside a kid and pull out that King I want to hear how he did that I want to see that too you know what I mean I want to hear I I want to hear you say what we talked about this yes this is your last moment you got to De what you what you know we said before when we went in I’ll share this with you guys we went in that first NFC Championship game I’ll never forget it playing against San Francisco they had beaten Dallas for a while I went to every player in that locker room to D them up before before before we went out the modotto I said because this is our first time you know since the white clock caught the catch and I was like death before defeat we would die before we lose here before we leave here loser death before defeat I just kept saying that ear death before defeat death before defeat death before we were not leaving there losing I want to hear some I want to hear that corner man say we talked about this we would die before like you watch you see what Alis alisandra always talking about the sty he stands that between every round I’m the best prepare to die I love that stuff dude I love that stuff my yeah that’s why half and half is fair so we could they could have their private moment and then we could also hear because Matt as you know Matt is a very very vocal coach and people love watching you Matt they love watching you and Longo the way you guys uh your perfect timing and you Rogan Rogan always talks about how great Matt is and you give these precise like somebody saying hey look shoot for takedowns is different I mean I if you’re saying that to your guy if you’re saying that to morab Chances Are whoever he’s fighting knows he’s going to shoot for takedowns right but it’s the injury stuff I’m thinking of or the stuff that really can’t be known strategy in a moment you know hey look he’s gonna be trying to switch stances stuff like that they can hear but it’s the stuff that they shouldn’t know which I think is more injury based that they should give him half a quiet round hey Michael has anybody uh you talking about getting psyched up and you psyched up people and again that San Francisco rivalry uh was just incredible as a fan to watch what was the the thing that got you hyped the most who was able to do that for you if you weren’t too sure if you weren’t feeling a certain way who was able to get you to that place where you were like I I’m this we’re winning this we’re winning this game oh my yesterday got me to where I needed to be my yesterday what I mean by that my growing up my history biggie I’ll give it to you this way Eric Williams came in the league All Pro left tackle yeah left tackle he said to me we’re in the steam room his rookie here he just got in here he said I said uh I said what’s up big fellow he said man I got to make the team he was I gotta make this team man I I gota take care of my mom I said I said big fellow what’s that’s the most important thing to you I said he said yes take care of my mom I said well that’s all you need I you don’t need nobody to say nothing to you all you need is every time you you line up you look at that jokeer across from you you say to yourself dude you trying to stop me from feeding my mom and then you bust his ass that’s what you do you know what I mean you gota where was your greatest pain you use that greatest pain to good be your greatest promise he calls you you you you live in that greatest pain every time I saw this dude every time I saw a quarterback I said dude I’ve been broke all my life you trying to keep me broke you out here trying to keep me broke I’m I’m G get you know what I mean I made it personal I made it direct and I wanted it to be painful for anybody that stands in my way I tell Big E that I tell any player I what is your greatest pain you put it on his ass that’s what you do you lay it on him because that’s how you’ll find your greatest Promise by living in that greatest pain and remembering you’re not going back there and nobody’s taking you back there and I sport let me tell you why that’s different why that’s special and why it’s different in every other Sport and most in most of this world most people get to the top of their game punching a computer or something like that you know and our sport it requires hand to hand and manto man combat so if you’re just punching a computer all you have to do is improve your skill because the computer don’t fight back but in our sport hand to hand manto man you got to improve your skill but also deepen your will since you’re going against another grown man you understand so when you think about the pain moments you’re deepening your will you’re deepen you’re not improving your skill but you’re deepening your will I remember not I remember not having my mom get what she needs and I’m taking this out on you that’s the difference in what we do because we hand to hand manto man comeback most of the world they’re not and they can’t even understand it’s cool when it works out but when it doesn’t work out it just gets awkward lionard Anthony Smith was doing that with Johnny Walker he’s like yeah you’re messing with my family and walk’s like what are you talking about guys walk is flipping kicks up at him like I don’t can we get a translator here I don’t know I don’t know you know what that’s right too you’re right in your you got all those different language he he’s like he don’t know if you he don’t know if you’re talking about he likes you or he hates you he don’t know he was confus he I think he was genuinely confused he goes wait wait hold can I have a time for a second with your family and it was again if he would have said that and beat his ass it would have been oh I guess there’s a time and a place well you got to be careful to make sure Co remember remember now each of us have at least two of us and all of us some have more than two you know I mean so you got to know who you’re going up against you gotta know what how to bring the best out of yes people complain about athletes a lot like do you think athletes today are different than they were when you played or is that just public perception and it’s they’re exactly the same no no thing things change things change let’s let’s talk about it because really you you look at the opportunities now but you know I remember coming up man the opportunities are we’re not like they are now so many opportunities social media everything so so you know one of the things that my my my counselor and I talk about was we we talk about like did we really do did we really do a disservice to even our kids because we didn’t have anything and we worked so hard to make sure our kids didn’t come up like we came up you said sometimes maybe the best thing we could have given them was some struggle we were trying to make sure that they didn’t go through what we went through but maybe we should have passed on some of our struggle to toughen them up so yeah I do believe I do believe that there is a difference in the athlete I think they’re way more athletic way more athletic but less less they don’t have the deeper the deep well that we had like like like I watch even now I watch guys now I watch guys come out of football games on third down wide receivers tapping their head throwing the ball right now you play wide receivers why the hell are you leaving the game you couldn’t get me to leave the game when they’re throwing the ball because I had nothing I got $25 a weekend in school in college $25 I had to send 1015 home I lived off $10 on the weekend you see now these kids are driving Rose ryes in college you see before they even get to the NFL I used to go running all day and think about Man girlfriend Man girlfriend I’mma work and get me a girlfriend my son was playing football up the street I would come home at the pool they had a pool party with girls everywhere I said what are you doing you can’t you can’t win this way this this is supposed to be the stuff you never get until you get here you know what I mean make you hungry for it so so yeah things are changed they’re much better because we had big guys and fast guys now the big guy is a fast guy that the tall guy can dribble the ball all the way bring it up the floor we got big heavy weights moving like light weights and and and banam weight guys yeah these dudes are athletic these you can’t you can’t ever say that the athletes today are they’re way better than the athletes were now they don’t have the same will but they do have better skill it’s true you can lose some of that grit you can lose some of that grit especially my sport when I was coming up not I was doing it because I love to fight to be honest with you not to sound like a psychopath but there was now now people looking into it like you sound like a psychopath and you are and you are a psychopath right and in your sport boy that’s War that’s you do I was you know so now you know but then I’m also five I was the welterweight champion and I’m 56 you’re a bad man man you’re a bad man so I’m up to these guys now Leon up to Leon Edwards I’m up to his chin you know so it is how the athletes do they just get bigger and better you know in a good way you know yeah yeah what I’m saying man I’m telling you dude let me tell you when I knew it was time for me to retire I was I remember playing it was we’re in the offseason we’re playing charity basketball game and I’m like things are changing I mean first we played the Chicago bearss yeah and I watch Brian eracer take off front the free throw this 260 pound line back I said oh snap this is crazy and then we played we played Washington and I’m watching Lavar Aron D 360s I was like these dudes are insane you’re watching guys 260 pounds 270 pound I watch Larry Allen no joke playing back watch Clare out and take a ball under the go spring up dunp a basketball the whole gold shatter the rim fell on his head boom I said oh my God I grasp he he said what I should do BL I said just give me this Rim off your head I he’s bleeding mat he’s bleeding everywhere I said come on man let me get you over here to the training room I had about $3,000 in my pocket I gave it to the young people I said this over your go let me get him over here you know hey hey but the athletes are incredible man they really are incredible because everybody starts training at five years old when I went to the park at five six seven eight 10 years old you I didn’t have organized Sports you had to earn your way onto the basketball court you remember how you said well sit down you ain’t old enough to play yet so you know you ain’t ready and then when you first started playing just get the rebound hand us the ball you you was restrict and everything you did they made you earn your way now everybody’s in these these these uh these these groups in all of these clubs and everybody get this participation Trophy and everybody has the play so it takes away some of that burning desire to earn because we’re giving it to everybody Michael um as we wrap up our final show of the Year first of all the most interesting like or the thing I was I’m shocked at the most was that Larry Allen could dunk like I loved Larry Allen and his big a guy as he was how tall is he was he 6’3 maybe yeah 6’3 let me tell you one quick story too because L first year in the Pro Bowl right I had told him that’s a big fell you know I’m trying to encourage him all yes get that Pro boy got for you boy for you you getting that Pro boy got something he gets to the Pro Bowl we go out all night long we run all nighter all all nigh we coming in it’s about 9 o’ next day they getting ready to go to a proo practice God Larry’s wife hot she’s done she’s mad Larry what Larry wife you been all night with Larry we and then that day they had a pro bowl Challenge on the beach Larry out with me all night they’re benching 275 pounds for reps Larry says to me hey playm my wife mad man I don’t know what to do I said big F they paying about $50,000 over there to the dude that can the most he said yeah I can go win that and get that to Mama and she won’t be mad I said yes you can big fell no joke they I think somebody had did like 40 something times Larry went over he said said yeah 4 6 S8 n you think put down 55 is good I think you gonna get that hey boy I’m talking about one of the most phenomenal athletes I’ve ever met man was Larry Michael are you promoting anything because again I’m so happy you were our final guest of the year and so happy you could come on again we wish you would come on more is there anything you want to promote well listen you know what what I love is this right here what we get a chance to do and how blessed we are to talk sports you know what I mean so the one thing I do want to promote is I want to talk to people like us more I get on lot of the social media sites so I want to promote the stunt the stunt the stunt is it’s it’s a a app and a social media site that’s for us Sports let me tell you why because I get talking about sports on all these other social medias and everybody want to bring in all this other mess stuff I just want to talk sport this ain’t got nothing to do with who I’m voting for this ain’t no can we just go sports and nowadays everything you say becomes something and people try to take it and make something else of it you know so I’m like can we just talk sports and yes we can on the stunt just got to get that out go to the stunt and you can see this it’s it’s us it’s what we do it I love I love all sports so I love talking all sports and how we pull the best out of each man within that sport the stunt Michael thank you uh again always I can talk to you for two hours we love having you on and just come back a little more often next year um and have a great New Year please and we’ll talk to you soon absolutely man man appreciate you guys man thanks for having me on all the time man I love this I I love UFC I love what you guys do I love Dana White I just I appreciate him I told Dana man I’m so happy when when all that Co thing he was the first one jump back out here that’s what I also told I want to make sure I catch the next I want to go to a fight in Dubai you know what I mean I want to go see because that what what I want know what that’s like I’ve never I was going to Dubai during Co and then they told me no don’t go don’t go because right before right when Co hit I had already had plans and I never had a chance to go so now I’m waiting and I want to go over with the UFC that’d be the best I recommend it it’s beautiful I recommend it right I want to see it man I want to see it man thanks for having me man happy New Year to all you guys man happy New Year sir the great Michael Irving uh one of my favorite people thank you so much and uh we’ll talk to you next year thank you guys man make sure we talk all right all right thank you sir take care leg great what a is there anybody better than Michael Irvin I mean just I can literally talk to him all day such a warm warm guy Jimmy and thanks also to Kevin ioli uh hey Jimmy uh who’s gonna say it first see you next year but I’ll talk to you before then thank you to Jake and all the guys uh that you know you guys work really hard and you make this happen every week we really do appreciate what you do and the people who book for the UFC who our guests um it all runs smoothly all Matt and I have to do is just show up and talk and the prep sheet is there and so thank you to guys behind the scenes uh you really do uh make our jobs possible I know that sounds corny but it’s it’s the truth Jimmy what do you want to plug for the uh just Jim norton.com I’m on tour uh New Jersey is almost sold out Connecticut is selling very well I got about 10 dates and many more going up and if you want to see me and my wife interacting Nikki and Jim NYC on YouTube um that’s what my personal life is like that’s so beautiful I can’t wait to watch your show uh hey Jimmy also you’re on the latest Whitney cumins podcast so uh that’s we do yeah Nikki and I do an interview together it’s our first interview on Whitney and people seem to to like it so yeah thanks man and I’m gonna go I just want to promote if you guys got time over I have no horses in the race here but go watch that Rebel moon it’s they should make more movies like this they’re on it poor Zack Snyder puts his heart and soul into this thing if you like anybody of Star Wars but they sick of how they’re making it so woke and stupid watch this because it’s hardcore and I enjoy like that and I like they’re making more stuff than I enjoy all right [Laughter] definitely happy New Year Jimmy you too Matt happy New Year I’ll talk to you in a couple of days and thank you guys behind the scenes uh Jake and all you guys and we will talk to you soon and of course the UFC uh unfiltered listeners really Army say it right the unfiltered Army unfiltered Army Army go watch Rebel Moon and watch Jimmy at the Fat Black Pussycat H not till January I’m there not bye everybody