Episode 675: Smell ya later, 2025!

Episode 675: Smell ya later, 2025!

Author: Chad Dundas and Ben Fowlkes December 17, 2025 Duration: 1:12:01
The Year of Our Lord 2025 was a weird one in MMA. Complete dogshit for the heavyweight division, obviously. You started the year with Dana White swearing up and down that he was going to get Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall done, only to have Jones quit the sport to monetize this amazing brand he’d built — then come crawling back as soon as he found out about the White House fight card. When they finally did set up a heavyweight title fight for Gas Hands Tommy, Ciryl Gane went two knuckles deep in Aspinall’s eye … which obviously seems to have negatively affected Aspinall’s career more than Gane’s. But it wasn’t all bad. In the spring, fighters started to get that sweet, sweet class-action settlement money. By the end, Merab and Islam were the consensus fighters of the year. The UFC wrapped up the ESPN era and is now on to murkier waters with Paramount. Oh, and what’s this shit with Ilia Topuria? Not great! 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 689: TKO loves money, hates fun [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode 687: LHW tries to reinvent itself yet again at UFC 327 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:18
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Episode 686: Breaking News: UFC puts on good event [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:56
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Episode 685: MVP fills out the card + UFC heads to Seattle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:35
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Episode 684: MVP’s Netflix card is the best story in MMA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:42
Those little rascals at Most Valuable Promotions added another spectacle fight to their big, loud MMA show coming up on Netflix on May 16. Nate Diaz and Mike Perry are set to do the damn thing at the Intuit Dome in Los A…
Episode 683: White House card is UFC’s Gobbledy Gooker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:17
Months and months. The UFC spent months hyping the release of its White House event fight card. Back in July of last year, Dana White said it would be the “Sphere on steroids.” In December, the President of the United St…
Episode 682: Alex Pereira, what you doing, baby? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:26
Alex Pereira announced last week that he is vacating the UFC light heavyweight title. Why? Well, nobody has said for sure but … we’ve got some ideas. Ya boi Poatan isn’t just going to give up the strap for no reason. He…
Episode 681: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano … in this economy?!? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:46
As is so typical in this sport, they’re going to give us the superfight. They’re just going to give it to us about 10 years too late. Such is the case with Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, which will go down May 16 (yes, Ma…
Episode 680: Why is heavyweight? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:16
On the heels of last week’s stinker between Tallison Teixeira and Tai Tuivasa at UFC 325, this weekend brought us Rizvan Kuniev vs. Jailton Almeida and, wow, holy shit did it absolutely suck. Not to beat a dead horse her…