John Gooden | UFC 297, European MMA & UFC Fight Pass | Energized Show

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What is up and welcome to the Energized Show! On this episode John Gooden joins us to discuss UFC 297, European MMA & More MMA craic. Like, Comment, Subscribe & Hit the notification bell for more Energized Shows! Follow us on: Youtube : Energized Show Instagram: @Energized_Show…

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Kind: captions Language: en [Music] en sh up the Irish time okay what's going on guys welcome to a brand new episode of vener brought to you by for our Stout Ross are you intoxicated or something introduce the guest man today we are bringing you one of the favorite voices of the UFC it's the man with the Velvet Smooth voice it's the one and only John Gordon John how are you doing my friend I'm doing well thank you very much for the kind words doing all right 2024 delighted to be uh coming out the gate with you guys we're getting the band is back together from UFC 286 Ross yeah it is indeed it is indeed and what an event that was what an event that was and look we won't have the same podcast guest as this uh as that time I think we had Tom aspal and Yani and JJ um you know Yuri prashka yeah Yuri prashka and AR Allen you know is actually on this weekend card as well that's yeah we got some unbelievable H guess on this time but uh you're stuck with us three this time so you'll probably get more joy out of listen to John this time out but um yeah unbelievable stuff uh John big big year ahead of us um kicking off at UFC 297 with uh probably the man who stole uh 2023 Sean Strickland um what do you make of this main event and what do you make of the rise of Shan Strickland if someone told you at the start of 2023 Shan Strickland would be sitting there with the middleweight title would you believe them I mean it was if we go back to years before because I actually commentated on Shan Strickland when he fought in Germany and he was a lunatic back then I remember him walking around with like a World War II army hat on all around Berlin I was like oh my goodness this guy is not shy in coming forward but if you'd have asked me back then do I think that guy was uh middleweight champion caliber probably said I'd need some convincing but this just goes to show right it just goes to show many twists and turns um and he is quite something isn't he that was a huge upset but you know what the the guy is he's got all of the the ingredients he really has from a fighting standpoint not just a marketing standpoint like all the ingredients and and he answers the call he's tough as nails and can come off the couch on 6 weeks notice or whatever is and beat a you know just an incredible fighter in in Adisa essentially at his own game like mentally physically that takes like the highest of the high I still can't believe what a what a show performance he put on against Adano as well that was unbelievable yeah you really dominated him but he nearly finished him one stage as well which was incredible to see and now he's fighting I know maybe adan's arch nemesis at the moment uh drus dupes uh and like that man I think there was question marks around his like his gas tank and his and his abilities but once he went out there and beat Robert Whitaker I think that answered a lot of those questions and I think this is going to be an unbelievable fight I think we're going to see a lot of this I think uh take place on the feet and I think it's going to be he who hits hardest what do you think joh yeah like again just backing off the um coming off the back of the question you asked if we went back to like I don't know 2022 and said dricker dupc versus Strickland for the middleweight belt I'd be like what really the awkward guy from South Africa who looks phenomenal like physically but can he really carry that kind of power and style over an extended distance and Shan Strickland the guy who takes a lot of risks and you know answers the call and late notice fights Here There and Everywhere which is a risky way to approach your career and and smacks of someone that doesn't really care as much for the results he just wants to go out there and he just wants a fight but you often see those guys have mixed records so to see those two I like that's not happening but here we are I cannot hold Robert Whitaker in high enough regard if you beat Robert Whitaker you deserve to have a look at the title because for the longest time he was causing all the problems wasn't he at middleweight like no one was able to bridge that Gap and then Whitaker apparently wasn't able to bridge the gap to get his hands back on the title it was a very interesting Dynamic so duplicity breaking through that's quite something and I mean he's mentally he just seems so confident just and when at the highest level when you're looking at championship fights I really do tune into those aspects because there's just no doubt in his mind and yeah very durable very awkward style I think he's a Troublesome style for for Strickland and yeah I think this he's got he's got a good chance of upsetting things and can you imagine like Jesus middleweights could be blown wide open once again after a period of seeing such a dominant Force right at the top do you feel like the winner of this actually has uh the capability of being a UFC 300 either headline or home event as well against izy because I feel like e he brings a lot of star power and him versus drias uh Royal re Africa versus Africa and then obviously just Sean Strickland is just H box office at the moment especially uh you know with the promo for this fight is based on uh Strickland asking Gilbert Bruns as kids to move out of the way and then having a bust up in the crowd mental I think I can't see either dupy or Strickland coming out of this fight unscathed so to turn around I think it could be it could be a real dogged War but in if we really look at it anything can happen but so durable both guys go forward like they're going to be swinging hammers from the bell and they can both take a dig so this one could be it could be 25 minutes of brutality and then is that individual then in shape to turn around to then fight on the 300 so I don't know but if it's dupy if he for example if he smokes Strickland which is not something that I necessarily predict but if if he does do that then that sets up a massive fight yeah at 300 and yes adisan deserves to be a man on the billing at 300 for sure and if it's for the belt as well that mean yeah all the story lines checkes out nicely for the UFC in the end doesn't it when you think oh who they going to put on it what names they always get it done there's always something Mega that presents yeah the first pay-per-view of the year and it's like the most talked about fight so far especially the way he said was it 296 the two Lads gone into a bit of an altercation and uh like just even what Strickland's doing um outside the cage now as well the way he's going on podcast the way he's talking about what happened to him as a child the way he got like very involved Ian Gary as well like like everyone's gonna be tuning in see his fight aren't they Russ yeah they're definitely he's definitely doing a great job of keeping his name relevant and yeah you know he he's definitely an out there character he definitely says things that a lot of people probably don't agree with but like you know what I mean they make the headlines every time that man puts a puts a microphone in front of his face you know the the MMA reporters are getting three or four articles on it every single time so uh he keeps himself relevant and he's probably one of the most controversial Champions the UFC have had in a while and uh that says a lot um so yeah look I think I think Shon is very funny I think like I think he went a bit far with the in stuff but um I think overall he's very funny and he's it's not as if he's really saying going as deep as Kobe Compton did against uh Leon Edwards yeah well like I I don't really think there's a place for what kobby did in the sport anymore I think that was far too far and like you can say he plays a character or whatever but like you don't bring in someone's parents that loan what happened to Leon's dad so like look I don't think I don't think stricken would cross that line but you never know what these guys they're wild cards yeah I think there'll be an element of self-regulating that happens there I think because of the backlash from the thing other Fighters will understand because you know you can play the heel and you can be the bad guy but essentially I I think unless you're a complete sociopath then it will seep in to your paws and you'll realize the parameters and it you can't like the UFC aren't going to be able to say you can't say this you can't say that they've grown up letting Fighters be themselves and that's why we love the sport so to start like pulling back on eras can't see it happening but there is an element of Market forces so if if fans we all turn around and go we don't like that we don't we're not indulging in that let's have no more of that then I think that the fighters will respond and we won't see it go to those extremes anymore but yeah one thing I will say I I don't want to shatter the illusion but it's only a small bit because he definitely is a wild man and I've had as many wild indic altercations or um just meeting and seeing stuff uh observing Strickland but when I've been behind the scenes with him he's a he's a pro as well like when we got to get down and do the work like promotional stuff it's almost like he knows how he's seen so he almost makes you feel even more comfortable again look I I know like that but I know that this is meant to be so you we're good and so that was quite interesting he's not completely insane it's not a show but then when it's like when you got to go to work like he's he might be a lunatic when you give him the microphone but when he's not on that microphone with whoever it might be he's putting in the hard yards in the gym and he's a really good teammate SP to Eric nixi check out the podcast on UFC Fight Pass um when I when I did a a good sit down with him I think he was saying about Sean Strickland being fun to have around and a very valuable team member so he does have all of those elements and you can rely on him for for many things but of course there is an unpredictability because no doubt he's lived a very uh interesting and at times very tough life and of these things come through uh whether we like them or not that he's authentically himself and I think he's still trying to discover many things about him and his way in the world yeah I'm sure the Canadian fans can't wait to see what goes down on Thursday at the press conference as well yeah what's called I think that is with with some of these guys uh I think the buildup for 296 I think people were as excited for the press conference as they were for the vice and I think when Sean stricken rolls into town I think there is a touch of that also H I can see them doing the majority of the talking at this press conference um but I suppose there is another title fight on the card uh Raquel Pennington Rocky has taking on Moira Bueno Silva they both P um quite a good win streaks together in the build of this one Moira bueno's last fight was rolled no non contest I think she had like some sort of usada test but uh she beat Holly home with uh that net crank so what way did you see this one Going H John and obviously is this one going to struggle to get attention with having someone like Sean stricken in the main event yeah overshadowed for sure of course and that's that's no disrespect to the ladies at all it's just those guys have just been in the news they were in the news as much as uh Leon and Colby at one stage you know and that was that was supposed to be their Spotlight so um yes that's just by virtue of current headlines however it's a very important matchup you know we we've uh we've seen a very dominant champion in the women's bantamweight division for the longest time the title doesn't belong to anyone right now and these are the two next women uh to go in there Pena is is injured so I'm sure probably be her next for whoever wins and we've seen we've certainly seen uh raakel Pennington a long time a real veteran she's been through Lots I can't was it like UFC to 24 or something she had a title shot like she's been through a a lot of stuff and she's she's now experiencing lots of wonderful things about you know The Human Experience you know they had a kid um so you know just being a parent just adds a lot to Fighters that are looking for increased percentages of motivation reasons to to exist within the prize fighting field so she's she's got that impetus new team you know she's been building self back up and we've seen the results she's very dependable um you can always you know you always know what you're going to get from her but I do feel like Silva has she's just got like this innate finishing ability you know and in some of these exchanges particularly with the submission like that ninja choke you're alluding to she can snatch [ __ ] from different angles like that's a standing submission if it goes to the ground she's got a catalog of ways to finish the fight so so does so Rockies well so it's it's really interesting um it's a funny old division isn't it because we've seen a lot of these women like on the go around and but R Silva's slightly newer face to have shaken things up in more recent times and Puma American top team has been guiding her career for a little while now you saw that he got Pantoja a belt and whatever they're doing down there is I mean we know at at but then I'm talking sort of individual coaches you know like Mike Brown had his you know he's he's got his catalog of of Conan had a book of Fighters as well and and pum has got a real good group of ladies at the moment seems to be getting the best out of them like karolina kavalkovich she's really turned her career around as well so I'm interested to see what they come to the fight with that's a it's a big one and Gold's on the line again and then it it opens up you know the Pena match up I'm sure yeah absolutely um I think I I think I probably lean towards Silva sorry I think I called it neck crank but the ninja choke she got against home was uh was unusual at to see at at that level you know what I mean it was uh it was H it was something special so I think think she's the one to watch out for and hopefully she gets a good Rob uh of the crowd after after that as well or if if she gets a win here because I think she could do it one but um there are some Europeans on this card who we we want to look at H AR Allen has not picked up uh an easy time against most of our uh I you'll probably say better no will but I think evv yeah evil and but look 17 and0 do it again do it again no I'm good I'm good obviously obviously uh this this is a huge uh test for Arnold Al he hasn't probably picked up someone with the biggest name recognition but he's picked up one the toughest tasks in the division so uh what way do you see this one going for Arnold Allen and obviously this would be you know evil no I've said it wrong again his biggest his biggest opponent date so do you think this is uh going to be an interesting stle one John yeah definitely I was very high on mobar when he came to the UFC really high like seeing the the damage he did at M1 and and it's that style right it's just always a tough style to fights might some people might not enjoy it but if you got to face it your fight Camp's going to be hard and nine times out of 10 the fight itself is going to be hard unless you crack them you know big knee big upper cut or something like that I'm just thinking about wrestlers shooting and they seem like obvious weapons um he's been itching for the opportunities and sometimes he's he's had to take like late notice fights so didn't didn't look at it wasn't as convincing in his last excuse me in his last outing as I thought he might be but that's and that's no disrespect to his opponents I just had such high high regard for for evlo and I thought that he and Toria were the two guys coming up that no one really wanted to fight and until they get figured out then people are there's going to be this Fear Factor associated with them but they will all get figured out at some point and you know is this the fight where they get figured out I will say this I on my travels over the last year when I've had this conversation about evloev I spoken to a couple of coaches that really do think that he's you know he's a little bit overhyped and they feel like they would be they would be okay with their fighter going in there and having a crack so that made me kind of go huh okay maybe maybe I've got this wrong because I'm very much the guy I'm trying to Hype I'm you know yeah course you a fighter you you well I see these gu I know what it's like to I well I'm still trying to learn how to hit a decent double or single leg and I I've been trying for many years so when I see these guys suplex their way out of a you know a front headlock series from Mike Grundy who got a commonwealth gold what bronze medal silver medal sorry Mike if I got that wrong but you I'm just looking in amazement so maybe I get wowed by certain things and that's why I talk about it and I don't fight in the Octagon but um yeah I got to now give some love to Arnold Allen though right so he had he got in there with Max Holloway at a time when I think a lot of Us com commentators in the sport would have said Now's the Time To Face Max holay like after what he's been through but we actually said that just as Calvin K was facing him as well and then he had this fantastic performance Max Holloway just doesn't go away he's he's slipped a couple of percent every now and then but otherwise it's just looked phenomenal and he did it again against the zombie so we we clearly know he's right back he's firing an all cylinders so many things come together on fight night to make you have the best possible performance slightly under your typical form or a bat or a shocker and Max holay has unfortunately just not had his most golden moments when it really counted so people started questioning him but we we shouldn't he's just right up there and Arnold Allen found that out you know he was on an incredible tear but would he have learned from it we're about to find out you know John kaver wrote win or learn and I yeah yes as long as you do the necessary on the back of it as long as you take whatever was wrong and you diligently work on fixing it and you progress your game and then you put it to the test and you hopefully hit a flow state where you can really show your true colors again he's gone back to TriStar you know really loves his time over in Canada with the room with the coaches so nothing that there was nothing really wrong I don't think in the UK it's was very hard though a lot lot of traveling probably exhausting so excited to see him back it's a very tough test but someone's got to do it if he gets past evloev then he's right back up there as well isn't he you know every he's he's in the mix and featherweight again could be the division to watch in 2024 yeah John what would be the perception of Arnold Allen in the UK because uh he's he's a fighter with the with a great record but that sort of goes underneath the radar if he' won that Holloway fight I I think it really would have propelled him even without that you've got a main event and it starts your name starts to kind of gain some momentum but then you go back to Canada and then you might lose some of that just because you're you're not with the man on the street you're not bumping into him at the service station when he's taking a shower after you know being on the mats with Leon Edwards and that's yeah well you're on the MS with Leon Edwards there are countdown shoots there's multiple media visits from the BBC Etc you're in the background it Leon's mentioning your name because he's you're in eyesight so that that helps but if you're no longer there then you're just not it loses a bit but that doesn't as long as his training's okay it just means that some of the other marketability issues may suffer but then a big win because it all all that really matters are results at the end of the day and Leon will tell you that of course but I think I think that's the thing he's got he's got a good personality he's a funny guy he's but he's probably not everyone's cup of tea you you've you've got to invest a little bit of time to understand where he's coming from he got a very dry unique sense of humor I personally love it I think pound top 10 top 10 funniest people in the UFC he's really funny and you know he's got the thing going on with his dad there's so many things for us fans to latch on to and enjoy even the way that he markets his his merch is just hilarious you know I think it's really well done and it's him his misses as well I think uh that that helps that so that's and it's honest you know it's like family thing I really enjoy that like his dad um and his brother but the powerlifters there's so many things to love about Arnold this I've been following a kid since he was 16 um I'd like to call him a friend of mine as well so I obviously want to see him do well but I was just being with my honest assessment of perhaps why he's not popping right now but not everyone does and until in this country we were talking off camera that I still don't really feel like the the country like our region has hit the popularity height there's room to go which we should be excited about is more what I should say people still don't really understand our sport let alone the individual sort of players within it no I gotta no but he's definitely want to watch as well and uh yeah he's a fan he's a fan of an on meil deal as well but uh for people tuning in as well SVG Ireland brona The Ultimate Fighter Champ champ is returned this weekend against Gareth arfield uh Ross Brad won the finale last time out what are you expecting this weekend yeah I I expect Brad Kona to go in here and pick up the win H I think he's looked great as of late um coming into the ultimate fighter he was the the brave world champion at pantam White I think um he'd already won the ultimate fire before he went in there H somehow became a villain one of the nicest guys of the game became a villain on uh on tough I feel like he was one of the best fighters in the house he he went the Hard Road to get the job done I thought he looked good against against Cody Gibson in the final and I'm not that familiar with gett Armfield but I feel like he's probably fought tougher before um then he has a frontal now it could be wrong on the night and uh gar surpris me but uh I think Brad's ready to get in there and mix it in with the some of the names in that Division and I think it's quite similar to someone like Arnold Allen um he is a bit on the quieter side he is he does have a bit a few quirks to his personality that probably don't push him into the you know casual fan base as some other Fighters might do but uh I definitely think he's got the skills to pay the bills and I'm looking forward to seeing him yeah and then uh also there's another person on representing the European scene John your good friend Sam Patterson is back he's back he's back in a new weight class and he's had a long time out he's been he's been in the workshop he's been building you know it's uh yeah I get kind of emotional talking about Sam because you when you see things up close uh the whole reason I got into this sport was because I just I thought that the the guys that I was training with just didn't get the love that they deserved people didn't know who they were people had no respect for the skills that they had as athletes other Sportsmen wouldn't would like look down to them probably um and I thought no this is wrong like I've I've been involved in quite a different different sports over the years and MMA fighters just elit like what they go through is unbelievable so I then yeah then started working in the business and what happens when you work for the UFC sometimes is you're operating at the highest level right with all the highest level athletes and sometimes you get a bit disconnected from Grassroots level and I used I used to you know as part of team crossface I would travel around maybe a little bit with the fighters and I'd maybe help out with warm-ups and padding and cornering Etc but I haven't done that for many many years now but then with Sam seeing his journey seeing him come up uh seeing the sacrifice again it's not just Sam like Charlie ly if the PFO are listening Charlie ly is sitting there hungry and he is never disappointed please give him a fight soon because I've got friends that do this that have kids and wives and they're living not even paycheck to paycheck anymore like there's just nothing they've earning like one one fight's money a year it's just it's so hard man this game is so tough it really is so with Sam the is the last result like you Zig and they zag and you know it's so tough to take and he's such a good kid not that it matters in the fight game but he's a really lovely lovely bloke he's the kind of bloke that will help your grandma across the road with shopping you know he really is I would trust him with my daughter he can yeah he's just such a nice guy so the work he's been putting in and he's you know he's revved the engine so hard it's a new weight Cass now so it's his body's been able to take that kind of punishment a little bit more I just hope he gets to show what he can do because we didn't really get to see what he did in his first outing and he needs this he deserves this uh he's got he's got a fair matchup as well he really has so I think you know the guy's a bit more of a vet than Sam but I think Sam's they're both good everywhere right they're both dangerous who's got it on the night who wants it more I think Sam wants it more but I don't know it's uh I I hope he gets it but that's only because I'm a I'm a close associate of his but the best man must win yeah both men have great finishing rat so uh it's definitely want to make sure you're tuning in earlier early to see live on UFC five pass live on UFC five pass baby and uh look we just heard a passion speech there from John gon on Sam Sam there so make sure to get down to or make sure to watch early to see him fight because uh I've only ever heard he's one of the nicest guys in the game as well from from uh from the Irish shores as well so let's get behind them and can I weigh in on on Brad Katona as well of course yeah cuz I love the kid like I I was the guy that produced the feature when he was first getting to the finale for The Ultimate Fighter so I went I came over to Dublin we went to is it greystones yeah we went we we went to greystones him and Katie so I got to know Katie a little bit as well and stayed in touch with him all the way through uh I don't think I I don't think I've called one of his fights actually which is a shame but I've watched him train a bunch when I've been over to SBG you know I've I've always had a really good strong relationship with John and I've checked in with Brad and it's kind of for me sometimes s a little bit curious while why he wasn't back in the UFC and I actually saw him before The Ultimate Fighter was announced and I I almost didn't want to ask him how he's getting on I could see it in his face that he just wanted to get back there yeah and then when it got announced I was like there's no doubt this kid's going to win it he wins it he's just so good he's such a good technician he's so like I don't want this to be taken the wrong way but this is the most positive thing sometimes he's so unemotional like he's able to there are certain people that couldn't fight under the brightest light certain people that don't they just don't go high and low like I really struggle with all that stuff but he's so like his mindset is so Steely and focused and I'm sure there's a bunch of stuff going on under the water but yeah he's he's legit man he really is a threat in that division just needs that opportunity again Garrett armfield's good though man I was there in Singapore and his boxing looked on I'm not again I don't mean to disrespect uh Kazama he is not the same level as Brad Katona Brad has achieved more on the international landscape than what he has so I don't think he'll be given the opportunities um but still kazama's there in a UFC octagon and Armfield bxs the ears off the guy and then put him away and they've got I think he's belongs to the marathan MMA as well and they're on to a really good thing since the whole Kansas City thing got all juggled up uh for various reasons like they've now settled and they've got a really good team so good good good coaching good vibe from from what I'm understanding so it's a good matchup this would be a good fight but yes um you know I like to see Brad Katona succeed of course you do yeah absolutely no look it's actually it's actually quite a good card uh from top to bottom um I like when there's European interest on the card the whole way up towards the the main event you also have the likes of uh actionman Chris Curtis on the card Neil mag's fighting again shock uh you know I mean so like it is a great B fight though as well that's Mike Malo right yeah yeah yeah and he's listen like I know Ian Gary like Mike mot Mike mot to Canadian fans is the next guy he's the next guy and if he can get past Neil Magny he can cut a promo the kid can talk well you know so I feel like he had a really good showing in Vancouver last time uh he was in front of his home fans if he can double down on that like he'll get some good a good bit of momentum and if you're if you're like pushing a market like he is for Canada because they're not they're not enjoying the the GSP era right now they're building back to it and he's the guy I think that's leading the charge I love a bit of Charles Jord as well yeah but yeah there you go H if Mike can like really rally the fans like finish off the night well for the Canadians that's that's awesome and I feel like the UFC will look into that and I wouldn't be surprised if we see someone like himim facing facing Ian Gary down the line so he's he definitely worth keeping an eye on he's a very very good guy all always round let's hope we are impressed with his [Laughter] performance I had to do I could not that was pretty good well welcome back we're back L we're back the The A Team is back here Lads absolutely yeah um Lads just for before we wrap up the show because we have to keeping John here for ages and um that that's that's UC 297 uh John is there is there anything you're looking forward to this year that you want to tell the people you're tuning in now to to make sure that to look out for I mean I don't mean to be the company guy right but I I think there's a lot to look forward to this year we got 300 coming up obviously that's massive the return of Conor McGregor um maybe the next pay-per-view after that that is I mean that's his big as it gets um I I mentioned earlier about the featherweight division this could be the year because I feel like we've had times where bant we didn't expect Banton weights to be just so fire and then they are just so fire um welterweights like with with Leon but that that just ignited like an interest around certain things but I do feel like featherweight division like Toria volkanovski let's see what the result is there because if if toor wins there like oh my goodness that that opens things up it's a big ask it's a tool order a lot of people questioning volcanos now after his last performance um just his ability to recover from uh a a stoppage like that I just wanted to be sensitive because you couldn't find a bigger fan than volkanovski than me like I I think the guy is just Ju Just an incredible human being as well and I can say I think I was on his on the call for his debut I remember talking to him in Sydney uh around a little coffee area with him and his coach I'm so pleased that he's stay you know stayed to his roots as well all the way through now like the guy gives me the same amount of time from then to now just just a standup dude really is love him to bits so you know I hope he's in the best position to put together the best performance that that's all that we can hope for right and and Toria though like there's something special about that kid I've been dying to go over to Spain I I nearly uh made that happen this month sadly with him getting ready I to wait until this fight's out the way and I'll go and visit him but I'm very interested in his story he's got double the following of volkanovski on Instagram you know to to the Latin Market he's huge he he's got like a really interesting life in Spain that I'm desperate to find out about you know he seems to be on all the talk shows he's got a beautiful other half he's got a he's got a child as well so he's got the dad thing he's sort of like a celebrity couple uh and then he's got all of these famous friends he drives around in supercars like I I want to go and find out more about ilot toor and that's for getting like his Georgian Roots as well he probably can't even move if he was to go back over there so there's there's a lot of stuff and then of course you know the gizer can rip to the body he can twist the head off your shoulders if you give him half a chance so yeah it's all the makings for a big one um I think it's a couple of cultures colliding with that Hispanic and yeah really interesting really really interesting so I'm exciting for that and then um and then the UFC looks to be visiting some new regions this year I did I see I don't know if it's official I was following a UFC India account and they said and they were teasing like a visit to India uh yesterday I think it was so I was like really I didn't know anything about that there's much stuff going on in the Middle East so loads and loads to look forward to hopefully new territories unlocked I'm sure there'll be some new Champions and 2024 gets going with a big pay-per-view this weekend B sounds like H boy is balling Out who who who doesn't want to go to UFC IA no ah could you imagine something like that I mean I can't see it I can't see the UFC going to Spain but because that's the thing right you you almost have those sorry to cut you off you almost have those fights those fight nights in in these they haven't previously unlocked with someone that's not a pay-per-view draw because they're not going to go numbered event to Spain I don't think I I mean they'll do anything they want but it doesn't typically happen does it like Connor in Dublin OH you need to prove it really yeah yeah you have to like Ian Gary right now I'm sure he could headline a fight night in in Ireland and that's but if he becomes a champion they'll probably want to take that state side or somewhere or or the Middle East somewhere like utterly huge not saying that our region isn't huge by the way just more difficult to make like the logistically ETC yes time zones blah blah blah so I don't know if Toria wins now I'm not sure we get a Spain um we we maybe should have had that like last year but easier said than done I don't know I'm down for it though I beat that I did a um here's the problem though here's the problem fellas I the only other work I do is in the triathlon world and I did a triathlon commentary gig in May of last year and preparing for that was a disaster because it's Party Town like any hotel you go into people are getting ready at midnight to go out and this old bastard who was trying to you know be good and get ready I I didn't sleep for nearly a week it was mental which is and I wasn't you know I wasn't out there having it large you're definitely were John you're definitely were I was there studying like a good boy that I am and upset things so as much as I'm calling for the for the um the Ia thing perhaps Toria or Connor can lend a yacht that we can all get a good bit of shut ey on so that we're away from the scene we'll send that clip to Mr Cordon yeah B quick what what are you looking for 2024 what you looking forward to yeah well like this this main event this weekend is the main event I'm looking forward to the most but also the Sha and M Cheto Vera rematch as well cuz uh like those two have just been part of Stories the whole way through to this point and then uh I'm looking forward to when the UFC announced their coming back to Euro plads that should be a good crack yeah Ross yeah absolutely um there's a few but like I'm looking forward to seeing uh where Tom Tom ass all goes next um like I'd love to see him fight Jones or Stipe I feel like there's far more interest in those two fights from the fan base I feel like um he's certainly making it so isn't he he's giving it a good go bless him good Lu why not is and he's doing it in the S of nicest way possible he's just calling a straight yeah yeah so I I can't wait to see that um I can't wait to see how the light heavyweight division plays out this year I feel like that like I feel like we could have two or three Champions come the end of the year depending how often the belt is defended I feel like that's wild who you who' you reckon who'd you reckon I don't know I sneaky feeling like Yi might end up back with the belt come the end of the come the end of the year I feel like if you Beats rakit and then like I know I think Hill preer is almost 5050 even though like most people favor PR I just think Hill's boxing's very good I'd love to see Hill versus Erie come the end of the year for the belt I just can't I don't know yeah I want to see how how rackit comes back like I I really like rakic and you know it's forever etched into my memory that knock out of Jimmy em manua um but then he's had some slower fights so it' be interest but his wrestling really really good really come on he's such a formidable athlete it's he's been away for a long time so let's see how he comes back I just can't get past Dan KV now I mean I I've said he'd be a champion at some point um maybe privately said it publicly now is this the year I didn't even mentioned him even though he fought what two days ago yeah yeah um yeah that was a quality win as well Johnny Walker as well so yeah it was yeah the way he won as well yeah The Knockout like that definitely helps cuz he uh he didn't seem be getting the rub of the green when he got that draw against uh who it yan yan yeah it was yeah yeah I feel I feel like he does promotionally shoot himself in the foot sometimes and K like the whole like if I don't give it if I'm not giving that belt I'm going to retire I didn't think that was a good look for him uh when he was F when he fought Yan I just thought that was a bit like all right mate like it was close fight you know yeah so yeah it's tough I get sometimes when people in their region when they're Champions so hard I don't know and when you've got such an incredible run it's easy for those guys close to see but the UFC you know they they have a broader view don't they and um yeah we you know but results you can't dispute the results so yeah let's see how it all shakes out but yeah that's that's a that's a good division yeah it is I think it's a I think it needs to be reigned I think sometimes uh sometimes with the hot potato with the belt is always always interesting yeah yeah last just before we wrap things up John is there anything you want to say to people tuning in now who are definitely going to be tuning in and watching your work on UC F pass oh that's very kind of you yeah well I've got more stuff coming I've got some good conversations about to be released one with Eric pson which will be dropping soon that has been delayed but hopefully drops very very soon Cole Prince Lon Murphy's coach a very very interesting conversation with him he's one of my favorite people in in mixed martial arts so we had a really good conversation I'll be going out and visiting more Fighters um in between commentary assignments so yes please stay tuned to my socials I hope to be bringing you more and just wishing everyone the very best 2024 you know it's a good time of year to start things on one that you know it just rolls through right but it is a good time of year to just say to everyone I hope it's a healthy happy New Year I hope you achieve some new things and life is kind to you there we have it uh John good thanks very hopefully we get the band back together again this year yeah maybe I beat it let's go yeah I was going to say Manchester but I Bea sounds way better yeah so we we we can bring uh we can bring I Bea to Manchester I've heard Dean Gates is that a place in I think yeah yeah yeah you already know John you know yeah exactly uh what's called we can have uh Lon Murphy show us show us around you know what I mean so uh yes no Ming there or Bisping I mean I take you I think it'll be a Wilder night if Bisping shows us around or asol actually as well and get mam makave jumping on board as well yeah getting those guys involved we're spoiled for Choice McCoy have rolls too deep with that Squad he shows up to his hotel with about 40 people off too many super cars though yeah too many super cars but uh John look thanks million for joining us re appreciate it we'll speak again soon uh Barry great start new year can't wait for it um for those who are watching home make sure to like share subscribe and as always stayed ener sh up the Irish been susing you guys a couple of times I've seen a couple of Clips I think you're done some interviews with Dylan morning and that I saw so keep going keep up the good work guys