Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindenhall are joined by Drake Riggs, who is on site in Seattle for Cejudo vs. Song, to discuss a crazy week of news in the world of combat sports. They first look at how Ilia Topuria’s vacation of the featherweight title has led to UFC 314 getting it’s main event with Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes set to compete fo…

Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindehall give their thoughts on the split between Sean Strickland and Eric Nicksick (4:36), on the back of the UFC middleweight claiming he would no longer have the Xtreme Couture head coach in his corner after UFC 312. While pondering wether the two would reconcile, the conversation shifts to Anthony Smith and Rampage Jac…

Ariel Helwani joins The Craic to give insight on Canelo Alvarez signing with Riyadh Season, his bout with Jake Paul not coming to fruition and the emerging rivalry between MVP and Turki Alalshikh (00:16). Uncrowned’s Shaheen Al-Shatti and Ben Fowlkes then give their takes on all the developments described by Helwani (20:09), before the conversation…

Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned’s Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to discuss Bryce Mitchell and Conor McGregor’s latest controversies. Petesy Carroll, Ben Fowlkes and Chuck Mindenhall discuss Bryce Mitchell’s outlandish statement about Adolf Hitler being “a good guy” (3:11) and consider whether Dana White’s reaction to the situation (04:16) …

On today’s episode, Petesy is joined by fellow Irish media members Andy Stevenson and Donagh Corby. Corby, who is on the scene in Dubai, gave his account of the incident between Irish and Dagestani fans at the PFL’s weigh-in for the fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes (3:00). Stevenson underlined the impact a Hughes win could have on I…

Chuck Mindenhall returns to The Craic, joining Petesy Carroll to discuss a potential location shift for UFC 311 due to the California wildfires (03:07). The lads also give their takes on reports from Brazil claiming Alex Pereira will move to heavyweight (07:36) to take on Alexander Volkov at UFC 313 and reports that PFL will half the prize money fo…

Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes for an episode jam-packed with breaking news. Fowlkes speaks about the mystique surrounding Team Khabib and the Dagestan collective (04:06) after covering them for Uncrowned. Then, the lads react in real time to the breaking news that Arman Tsarukyan has withdrawn from the UFC 311 main ev…

The Craic caps off 2024 by looking back at the year in European MMA. Petesy Carroll is joined by journalists Andy Stevenson, Chisanga Malata, and Donagh Corby to discuss the biggest winners and losers. The show begins with Ilia Topuria’s strong case for Male Fighter of the Year and his recent talk of moving to lightweight (03:13). Next, the discuss…

Petesy Carroll is joined by journalists Andy Stevenson, Chisanga Malata, and Donagh Corby on The Craic to preview the upcoming year in European MMA. The conversation begins with predictions on whether Tom Aspinall will finally get a crack at Jon Jones (03:58) and if Ilia Topuria will be able to bring a UFC event to Spain in 2025 (10:03). Next, they…

Chuck Mindenhall joins Petesy Carroll on the latest episode of The Craic to sink his teeth into forecasting whether Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall will happen in 2025. The lads also discuss the build-up to Usyk vs. Fury 2, the sentiment (or lack there of) for Logan Paul vs. Conor McGregor, Paul Hughes in the US and another big sell-out show in Paris.…

Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned colleagues Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes to forecast potential issues GFL may have ahead of its proposed April launch date (00:00). Fowlkes shares details on his recent report regarding a growing number of disgruntled Bellator fighters (34:28) and Mindenhall provides key takeaways from his recent interview w…

Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned colleagues Chuck Mindenhall and Shaheen Al Shatti to look ahead to UFC 310 and debate whether Ian Machado Garry has a real chance of beating the 170-pound boogeyman, Shavkat Rahkmonov. Join us on the bike: avironactive.com/uncrownedDe către Petesy Carroll

Conor McGregor lost his sexual assault civil case. Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes react to McGregor being found liable for a December 2018 sexual assault in Dublin.De către Petesy Carroll

Chuck Mindenhall returns to The Craic to discuss a bizarre UFC 309 media day from Jon Jones and to look forward to a blockbuster weekend of combat sports. Petesy and Chuck try to wrap their heads around Jones’s comments on Tom Aspinall, the size difference he cites while also calling for bouts with light-heavyweights Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill a…

On the latest episode of The Craic, Petesy is joined by Uncrowned’s Chuck Mindenhall to discuss the cultural resonance of The Rumble in the Jungle on its 50th anniversary. Legendary father and son duo Richard and Jack Shore join the show from Edmonton ahead of Jack’s bout with Youssef Zalal.De către Petesy Carroll

Denis Geiko from Russian-focused MMA publication, Red Corner, returns to The Craic to talk Khamzat Chimaev opening up on depression, Islam Makhachev possibly facing the winner of Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway and the Russian contingent at UFC 308 (06:45). Lerone Murphy also joins the show to discuss how he feels his ring name has negative connotati…

U.K. MMA legend and head of talent operations for PFL, Dan Hardy, joins the video debut of The Craic to give insight on Francis Ngannou and all things PFL: Battle of the Giants. Paul Hughes also joins the show ahead of the biggest test of his life when he meets A.J. McKee in the opening fight of the main card.…

This week’s episode takes a look at English Premier League giants Arsenal revising its post-match protocol after Conor McGregor found his way onto the pitch for an impromptu kick about with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. The great Philip O’Connor returns to discuss why the English football club are taking this so seriously, if the club really thought…

The Craic is back and this week Petesy is zooming in on all things UFC 307. Fresh off cornering Merab Dvalishvili to bantamweight title glory, John Wood will look to upset the apple cart again when he leads Khalil Rountree Jr. into battle with another promotional golden goose, Alex Pereira. Wood joins the show to discuss embracing underdog status, …

The Craic is back and this week Petesy is zooming in all things UFC Paris. One of the foremost voices for the French sport, Guillaume Duseux of trailblazing podcast La Sueur, joins the show to set the table for the big card in the City of Light and explains the explosion in popularity the sport has witnessed in the country since MMA’s legalisation …

The Craic with Petesy Carroll goes behind the scenes at the soft launch of The Ariel Helwani Show at the Venetian Sportsbook in Las Vegas, the day before UFC 306. A host of the big names from the all-new Uncrowned roster feature with appearances from the man of the moment, Ariel Helwani, his loyal lieutenant New York Ric, the biggest baby face in t…

Former PR guru for the UFC, Las Vegas resident and star of the record-breaking Spotify Live show, Ant Evans, returns to The Craic to whet appetites ahead of the UFC 306 card happening this Saturday in Sin City. Although Ant has issues with some elements of the promotion of the UFC 306 card, he explains why he is excited to see the capabilities of t…

One of the most beloved fighters in Scotland, Chris Bungard returns to action this weekend where he is seeking redemption for his last outing at Braehead Arena against short notice opponent, and arguably a tougher assignment than his original dance partner, Andrey Augusto. Bungard talks about juggling his many roles in life as he frequents duties a…

Chisanga Malata of Sun Sport returns to talk about a host of news stories generated from the U.K. scene. Is it possible that Paddy Pimblett will be fast tracked into a title situation in a similar way to Sean O’Malley? Is Mo Mokaev’s return to Brave CF slightly underwhelming? And how does Dana White’s continued praise of Jon Jones keep getting weir…

Exactly a year after their first meeting, Fabian Edwards will get his second crack at Johnny Eblen when they face off at Bellator Champions Series at Bellator London on Sept 14. Edwards returns to the show to explain how Eblen’s outburst at the end of their first meeting had no effect on him, how he is motivated by the success he had in the first t…

Dave Fogarty was a well-known jiu-jitsu competitor and a decorated amateur MMA fighter before he became Conor McGregor’s private photographer. This weekend, he makes his first walk as a boxer when he takes on the highly touted “Deen The Great” and despite being an underdog, he is adamant that he is ready to shake up the promotion’s lightweight brac…

Following the announcement of The Craic joining the all-new Uncrowned schedule, Petesy talks about his excitement with the new deal and gives us an idea about how things will look for the future of the show. The Trident of Knowledge (with Andy Stevenson and Donagh Corby) formed to discuss a massive fight for Brendan Loughnane at PFL 9 in Washington…

The legendary Brazilian Beast, Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, returns to The Craic to discuss the somewhat left field booking of Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, which has earned the ire of light heavyweight contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Jamahal Hill. Is the 307 main event “terrible for the sport” as claimed by Hill? Are the UFC trying to prote…

The mighty Trident of Knowledge with Andy Stevenson and Dongah Corby forms again to wax lyrical on the news that Paul Hughes has a fight with one of the Bellator/PFL ’s biggest stars, A.J. McKee. The lads also take on Dana White’s comments about Conor McGregor not fighting in 2024 and ponder whether Leon Edwards vs. Ian Garry is the best fight to m…

We thought the narrative had changed surrounding the heavyweight title conundrum after Tom Aspinall’s magic performance at UFC 304, but it feels like ever since that night in Manchester Dana White has been on a PR pedestal for Jon “Bones” Jones. Chisanga Malata of SunSport returns to wade through the debris of 304 and consider a world where neither…

The great Philip O’Connor return to The Craic, joining the show from Paris, France, the day after he witnessed Kellie Harrington winning her second Olympic gold medal at the iconic Roland Garros venue. The veteran journalist gives a first hand account of the electrifying scenes witnessed in the French capital, provides context as to what the gold m…

Thanks to Red Corner MMA, the Russian sport is more accessible to the western world than ever before. The founder and chief contributor to the site, Denis Geiko, joins the show to share the Russian persecutive on Umar Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev withdrawal from UFC 308 and the new Dagestan sensation, Shara Bullet. Geiko also contrasts and compare…

After returning home to Dublin after UFC 304, Petesy gives us the lowdown on his experience in Manchester, his reactions to Dana White insisting there would be no more bonuses beyond 50k and much more. Joining the show, Paddy Holohan instantly reacts to becoming the first Irishman to both win a UFC fight and coach someone to winning a UFC fight. An…

Petesy arrived in Manchester early on Thursday morning, interviewing Irish MMA legend Paddy Holohan on the ten-year anniversary of UFC Dublin and discussing his student Shauna Bannon taking up his famed berserker role for UFC 304. After a day of media activity, Petesy met up with colleagues Jose Youngs (MMA Fighting) and Abbey Subhan (MMA Junkie) t…

Returning to The Craic, Caolan Loughran is as cool as the other side of the pillow ahead of his UFC 304 clash with short notice replacement opponent, Jake Hadley. The Team Kaobon fighter discusses how good it feels fighting so close to his adopted home of Liverpool, how he was inspired to pursue fighting on the back of UFC Dublin in 2014 and how he…

It’s been over a year since Shauna Bannon made her UFC debut and the Tallaght UFC straw weight is adamant the world will see a host of improvements in her second trip to the Octagon. “Mama B” talks personal tests over the last twelve months, being coached by Paddy Holohan who made his debut ten years ago on the historic UFC Dublin card, the outrage…

Ahead of his second fight in the UFC, Kiefer Crosbie returned to discuss how he has changed his mindset after what he described as the best camp of his life. The Dubliner gave insight on the fleeting nature of fandom following his debut loss, the pitfalls of fighters being on social media and how bad he felt ahead of his short notice debut in Austr…

Could Leon Edwards’ be eyeing bout with lightweight champion and a 185-pound title shot prove troublesome for Irish welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry? What the fuss about Shauna Bannon’s short notice opponent Alice Ardelean? The Trident of Knowledge - featuring Andy Stevenson and Donagh Corby - return to The Craic to break it all down.…

U.K. BJJ pioneer and head coach of UFC interim heavyweight champion, Andy Aspinall, returns to The Craic to give us the lowdown on his son’s preparation for Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Having watched the growth of the U.K. scene since it’s inception, Aspinall explains how it feels to see his son at the forefront of what could be a stratospheric mome…

The greatest Brazilian mixed-martial-arts of all time, Guilherme Cruz, returns to The Craic to give us the low-down on the impact Alex Pereira is having in his homeland. Can Poatan reached the lofty height Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort and Jose Aldo once soared to, or is the lack of a deal with powerhouse network Globo providing a significant obsta…

Former Cage Warriors middleweight champion and head coach of Team KF, Chris Fields returns to The Craic to talk about the muted response to his former fighter Ian Machado Garry’s historic win for Irish MMA at UFC 303. Fields gives insight into his busy schedule, the magic of Alex Pereira, a busy month for KF in July and ponders whether the lack of …

Petesy is looking forward to Ian Machado Garry’s matchup with Michael “Venom” Page more than any fight on the stacked UFC 303 card. Keeping with the U.K. vs. Ireland theme, he invited his old verbal sparring partner Chisanga Malata back on the show to discuss the meeting. The lads weigh-in on the pre-fight talk between the two, question whether Gar…

After his massive debut win on Saturday, The Trident of Knowledge (Andy Stevenson & Donagh Corby) assembled to discuss Paul Hughes and the impact Conor McGregor’s presence had on putting him over in his maiden voyage with Bellator/PFL. The lads give their takes on how McGregor put the Derry man over in the exact way that UFC had hoped he would with…

Fight Academy Ireland head coach Liam Shannon gives insight into Paul Hughes’ preparation for his Bellator/PFL debut, sheds light on the current wave of talent at the Belfast gym and considers whether PFL and Bellator have shed the label of being the “SBG Show” with the signing of Hughes. Shannon also talks Rhys McKee’s next move, Paddy McCorry on …

Considered the hottest free agent in the sport during his time on the market, Paul Hughes is set to make his Bellator/PFL debut on Saturday at 3 Arena against Bobby King. Petesy interviewed Hughes at Fight Academy Ireland in Belfast where the former Cage Warriors Champion discussed how much his new contract can change his life, his time training wi…

The latest word surrounding Conor McGregor’s camp is that the Irish superstar is not likely to make an appearance at UFC 303. Donagh Corby joins Petesy from Connecticut to give his take on the on again/off again conversation surrounding McGregor’s meeting with Michael Chandler, what the legacy of this period will be for McGregor should he not fight…

Chisanga Malata is back on The Craic to discuss the slew of anguish amongst UFC fans due to the price of UFC Manchester tickets. The lads react to the online onslaught of fans after tickets were released last week, give their thoughts on the budding bromance between Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall and shed light on how Chisanga didn’t end up in Dubli…

A globetrotting Petesy greets us in the after tremors of UFC 302 and Ariel Helwani Live to share stories of his wild week in Brick City, with a little help from the great “New York” Eric Jackman, of The MMA Hour fame. Petesy takes us through his journey to the Vox studios, to splitting the G with Frank and GC at the Dead Rabbit, his time at the UFC…

UFC bantamweight and former Cage Warriors champion Caolan Loughran returns to the Craic on the back of collecting his first promotional win at Atlantic City and on the back of his UFC Manchester clash against Ramon Tavares being announced. Loughran discusses the atmosphere among the Irish for his win over Angel Pacheco, being live on the scene as P…

The Trident of Knowledge - Petesy Carroll, Donagh Corby and Andy Stevenson - formed to breakdown a massive week of news. After teasing the news for a week on The Craic, Petesy and the lads discuss the announced UFC 303 press conference in Dublin on June 3rd where Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will face off at 3 Arena. The Trident also weigh-i…