Episode 669: The UFC & combat sports enter ‘Plato’s Cave’

Episode 669: The UFC & combat sports enter ‘Plato’s Cave’

Author: Chad Dundas and Ben Fowlkes November 5, 2025 Duration: 1:02:26
What’s even real anymore? That’s the question we ended up asking ourselves after last weekend’s slate of combat sports chaos. For starters, Isaac Dulgarian’s first-round submission loss to Yadier del Valle at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night sparked yet another fight-fixing scandal. At this point, you couldn’t blame a casual viewer for wondering: Is this whole shit rigged? Also, there was referee Mark Smith’s bizarre stoppage in the heavyweight bout between Ante Delija and Waldo Cortes-Acosta — a mix-up that led Delija to believe he’d won, only for the fight to be restarted and Cortes-Acosta to immediately score a knockout victory. Whoops! And that’s not even touching the boxing world’s latest drama: Gervonta “Tank” Davis getting booted from his fight with Jake Paul after new domestic violence charges, followed by Paul acting like he was just now discovering that Davis might be a terrible guy. Oh, and Andrew Tate is apparently the new CEO of Misfits Boxing, a move that might be real, might be trolling, or might just be setting up a future fight with KSI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s no shortage of opinions in mixed martial arts, but there’s a distinct difference between hot takes and informed conversation built on years of watching fights from press row. That’s what you’ll find each week on The Co-Main Event MMA Podcast. Hosts Chad Dundas and Ben Fowlkes, both veteran journalists who have covered the sport for more than a decade, break down the latest news without the filter of corporate hype or predictable fanboy reactions. Their discussions feel like the post-event analysis you’d have with the most knowledgeable person you know-if that person also had a sharp sense of humor and a healthy skepticism for the industry’s usual narratives. This isn’t a scripted recap show; it’s an irreverent, meandering, and deeply insightful dialogue that covers everything from the UFC and Bellator to the broader landscape of combat sports. You’ll hear them debate fight outcomes, analyze promotional politics, and question the week’s biggest stories with a perspective that only comes from having seen it all before. The chemistry between Dundas and Fowlkes turns each episode into a compelling conversation, making this podcast a staple for fans who prefer substance over shouting. It’s the kind of listen that doesn’t just tell you what happened, but makes you think about why it matters.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Co-Main Event MMA Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 230 (11/7/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:43
Bad news, CME Universe, with just a few days to go before UFC 205, Ben and Chad probably just jinxed the whole thing by recording this episode of the Co-Main Event Podcast. See, the trouble is that this is a very thoroug…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 229 (10/31/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:58
Feeling refreshed, CME Universe? After a three-week break from UFC events we hope you are bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and ready to dive headfirst into the end of the year push. Ben and Chad certainly are, as they tee-up a…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 228 (10/24/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:59
Never thought Ben and Chad would do a largely juice-box themed episode of the Co-Main Event Podcast, but that’s the situation after Tito Ortiz made good use of props during his live “debate” with Chael Sonnen during last…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 227 (10/17/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:23
And here we thought it was going to be a slow week. Turns out, the MMA news cycle really does never stop churning out its wonderful goodness. As a result, this week’s Co-Main Event Podcast is chock full of not only Name…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 226 (10/10/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:15
What to even make of Michael Bisping at this point, Universe? That’s one of the questions that weighs heavy on the mind of Co-Main Event Podcast. After watching Bisping retain his middleweight title and become the Octago…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 225 (10/3/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:02
Nothing like watching a couple of 135-pound dudes try to rearrange each other’s faces for 25 minutes to get you primed for another week of talking about mixed rules fighting, right, Universe? Oh, yeah, and by “135-pound…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 224 (9/26/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:02
A couple days after watching Cyborg Justino do Cyborg Justino stuff to Lina Lansberg, the Co-Main Event Podcast still has questions. Did Cyborg really make weight? What’s the endgame here? Is Lansberg OK? On this week’s…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 223 (9/19/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:47
It’s like, one night you go to bed secure and comfortable, everything normal and when you wake up—zounds!—the world’s gone crazy. Of course, we mean Chael Sonnen signing with Bellator MMA, right CME Universe? Now that wa…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 222 (9/12/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:00
Well, CME Universe, we saw it. CM Punk totally fought in the Octagon at UFC 203. And it was a thing that absolutely happened. And you know what? Ben and Chad understand if you’re not sure exactly what to make of it. Fran…
Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 221 (9/5/16) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:23
The Co-Main Event Podcast gets primed for UFC 203 this week, as Ben and Chad discuss Stipe Miocic’s pending heavyweight title fight against Alistair Overeem. The way they figure it, you take hometown hero Miocic and have…