Episode 673: The UFC’s Paramount+ Era will begin … weirdly

Episode 673: The UFC’s Paramount+ Era will begin … weirdly

Author: Chad Dundas and Ben Fowlkes December 3, 2025 Duration: 1:08:59
CBS gave Dana White a grand stage over the weekend, letting him announce the first fight bookings of the Paramount+ Era during halftime of the Thanksgiving Day NFL game between the Cowboys and Chiefs. Perhaps that was a sign that the budding partnership between the UFC and Paramount–Skydance is actually off to a good start — but the fights themselves were weird as hell, man. Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for an interim lightweight title to headline the company’s first PPV-turned-PLE at UFC 324? The men’s featherweight championship rematch absolutely no one asked for between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes? What are we doing here, you guys? Plus, it’s UFC 323 fight week! Can Merab make it four successful title defenses in just under a year? 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
Episode 639: Mexico can’t literally s*ck your b@lls, Joe Pyfer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:20
Joe Pyfer got food poisoning — or maybe it was altitude sickness — and now he’s, like, furious. He had to call off his fight with Kelvin Gastelum because his tum-tum hurt, and he’s pissed that he slept in a tent on the f…
Episode 638: What is Tom Aspinall so excited about? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:18
Big Tommy Gas Hands brought his rubber ducky to UFC London. See what he did there? That’s a little elbow to the ribs of Jon Jones, who we know Aspinall has been chasing all over God’s green earth trying to get a shot at…
Episode 637: Was Magomed Ankalaev really that boring at UFC 313? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:33
If we told you going into UFC 313 that Magomed Ankalaev would go 0-for-12 on takedown attempts in his light heavyweight title fight against Alex Pereira, would you have thought that shaped up as a win for Ankalaev? Yeah,…
Episode 636: Alex Pereira faces the worst kind of fight at UFC 313 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:12
What’s the worst kind of fight? A tough-ass matchup against an opponent nobody cares about. That’s exactly what Pereira has on his hands against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on Saturday, so much so that everybody involved…
Episode 634: What now, Jon Jones? WHAT NOW?? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:07
Would somebody please get this goddamn Jon Jones a hobby already? You can just about set your watch to this shit. Give Jones a fight, give him something to train for, some structure, some direction in his life, and it se…
Episode 633: Sean Strickland turns into a pumpkin at UFC 312 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:10
UFC 312 seemed to signal a community-wide awakening on Sean Strickland. After watching him go out with a whimper against Dricus Du Plessis (again!) it felt like everybody had kind of had enough of his bullshit. Sure, the…
Episode 632: The UFC 312 rematch one man wanted [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:18
Sure, Dricus du Plessis’ middleweight championship win over Sean Strickland back at UFC 297 was a close one. Split decision. Could’ve gone either way, maybe. But, be honest, were any of us really sitting around trying to…
CME Patreon Live Chat for 1/29/25 [For Free!] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:49
Since we missed the Proper yesterday, we feel obligated to offer up today's episode of the Patreon Live Chat for free. We hope this satisfies your bloodlust for unfettered discourse on the wild, weird and occasionally wo…
Episode 631: Champs do champ shit at UFC 311 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:28
Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili both retained their titles on Saturday at UFC 311. In truth, Merab stole the show in the co-main event, finally emerging with the unanimous decision win over Umar Nurmagomedov after…