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<\/a><\/p>\nGetty Images for Fanatics<\/p>\n
Question: Will Dana regret leaving the UFC behind to focus entirely on Eddie Hearn boxing? It just seems like Dana can longer answer simple UFC related questions and only cares about boxing. How does this play out? (King7)<\/p>\n
Andrew Richardson: It probably plays out with the UFC suffering a lack of draws and putting together cards that nobody cares about \u2026 wait!<\/p>\n
Alex Behunin: Funny enough, this past Tuesday, I just asked someone close to Dana if he was completely checked out from UFC and they said \u2013 \u201cDo not believe that narrative. Sure, he isn\u2019t super enthusiastic as he once was and doesn\u2019t know 500 of the 800 fighters on the roster, but he cares\u201d<\/p>\n
Basically, he has a well-oiled machine and that he doesn\u2019t need to sell anymore.<\/p>\n
(I\u2019m not sure I entirely believe this)<\/p>\n
Jesse Holland: I don\u2019t think he will have a single regret. Even if he left today, what else is there for him to accomplish? UFC went from $2 million in the red to $7 billion in the black in less than 20 years with Dana at the wheel. He may be a slimy cockroach in his personal life, but you can\u2019t argue with his success \u2013 which doubled after the Fertittas stepped down.<\/p>\n
Tim Edwards: I think it\u2019s pretty clear that Dana\u2019s focus is Dana right now. That\u2019s always been the case, but the UFC was the vehicle to making him a household name a decade ago. He\u2019s gone as far as you can go as an MMA promoter now. And, to be honest, it\u2019s pretty amazing how influential he has managed to become by making the UFC\u2019s brand all about him. Now, to advance his status and thus his wealth, he has to focus on bigger fish, such as deals with the US government and all the Saudi money in boxing.<\/p>\n
Things have all worked for him thus far. And I think that\u2019s an indictment on where we are as a society right now. But I\u2019m wondering if the path forwards might be a little tougher. Trump won\u2019t be around forever, either in office or on this planet. The new power brokers, who might have a big say in things like anti-trust and the Ali Act, might not be his buddies. And there are murmurings that Saudi\u2019s PLE fund isn\u2019t the bottomless money pit we have assumed (especially as the world continues to shift to electric vehicles \u2014 many powered by Chinese super batteries). Dana has been the gopher for Turki Al Sheikh thus far, hoping that pays off big for him in the future. But if the sands shift, and he doesn\u2019t have Donny or Turki to back him up\u2026 I think we\u2019ll see him get a lot more involved in promoting things like Silva vs. Wang again.<\/p>\n
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 01: (L-R) Opponents Natalia Silva of Brazil and Wang Cong of China face off during the UFC 332 press conference at Salt Palace Convention Center on October 01, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC) Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n Q: Is Silva vs Cong the worst title fight since Nico Montano & Roxanne Modafferi fought for the division\u2019s vacant title? Only thing that comes close in my mind is Dern vs Jandridoba 2. (Jack Reacharound)<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: Honestly, it\u2019s not a bad fight for the division. Silva is clearly one of the best new faces at 125, and Wang Cong is a legitimate kickboxer who\u2019s fun to watch. It\u2019s more of a terrible main event than a bad title fight — there\u2019s zero name value. It should be reasonably fun to watch!<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: I\u2019d argue Volk vs. Lopes 2 is worse but Silva vs. Cong is pretty bad.<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: You\u2019re all a bunchy of whiny boobs. If you like MMA then you like this card. If you like MMA stars and dramatic backstories, you probably don\u2019t. The end of PPV price tags pretty much zapped any complaints on my end.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: The Montano title fight\/non-existent run is hard to match. I hate to bag on women\u2019s MMA so much, since right now there are a lot of exciting fighters at the lower weight classes, but Pennington vs. Bueno Silva and Pena were pretty awful, too. I\u2019m also not super mad at this fight, though. I think it\u2019s the best they could do in this division and it\u2019s better than just leaving the title dormant.<\/p>\n LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 19: Gable Steveson reacts after a knockout defeat against Sean Sharaf in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 331 event at Crypto.com Arena on September 19, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC) Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n Q: Was Sean Sharaf knockout over Gable Steveson the biggest upset of the year or the result of many fans believing the hype? (VeeDrawStuff)<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: Both? I mean, Sharaf was 0-2 in the UFC against an Olympic gold medalist. By all rights, he should have lost. At the same time, Sharaf did land good shots on both of his previous UFC opponents, and we didn\u2019t yet have any proof that Gable could take a punch. A more moderate level of favorite would\u2019ve been appropriate.<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: I think it\u2019s a little of the both. Sharaf was hand-picked to get obliterated \u2013 I mean he was supposed to fight Tai Tuivasa earlier this year to get Tai a win.<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: Casey at the bat? Sean Sharaf was 0-2 in UFC and got knocked out by Junior Tafa and Steven Asplund while Steveson \u2013 an Olympic gold medalist \u2013 was out there scoring first-round knockouts and looking sensational. The hype was warranted, he just fumbled the bag.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: I\u2019m a big proponent in that the odds have gone wild in the last few years and that\u2019s why we\u2019re getting so many \u2018shocking upsets\u2019. More on that in the next question.<\/p>\n AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n Q: What do you make of the increasing frequency of these freakish odds? Between Mir (probably the worst of all), Gable, Orolbai, and the general year of the underdog, it seems like a lot of oddsmakers and betting fans have totally lost the plot. Is the prevalence of Gen-Z gambling app addiction to blame? Is the UFC more popular than ever, and is pulling in more casual bettors? It\u2019s really getting out of hand when you have a -2000 on the prelims who gets smoked in under a round. As someone who does not bet, it makes no sense at all to me. (Casual_Monk)<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: I blame the rise of Kalshi and prediction markets, which make it easier for hype trains to run wild. Orolbai is a great prospect, sure, but why was he such a historic favorite over a fighter with a strong UFC record in Jeremiah Wells? That guy is good. Nobody in his weight class should be a 13-1 favorite over an athletic finisher with a 5-2 UFC record. Makes no sense!<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: Sportsbooks will never lose money. Never. Ever. Once you understand that, you\u2019ll understand how this game is played. Why do you think casinos advertise their own losses? \u201cThis King Tut slot machine just paid Karen McBarren $250,000 and a lifetime coupon for the Treasure Island buffet!\u201d It\u2019s all a work. Bookie-busting upsets, inflated betting lines, canceled bets \u2026 no such thing as bad publicity.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: Yep, I said this last week. I used to do a column here where I would track the line changes on PPVs over time and report on how public money was influencing the betting. I used BestFightOdds to figure that out. But as soon as that site started including Kalshi and Polymarket in their averages I had to stop. The odd movement on those prediction markets were so volatile that the line changes became extreme for almost every fight. So it was too hard to tell if the line movement was because lots of people were betting on a certain set of odds or if it was just because Kalshi\/Polymarket set their own line that was drastically different from what Vegas had. I suspect those markets are using AI to set their odds and that might be part of the reason why they were so different from traditional bookmakers. The traditional bookmakers have to change their lines, though, in order to keep up with those prediction markets (or else they\u2019ll lose customers).<\/p>\n That change happened earlier this year. After I packed in that line movement column I needed something new to do\u2026 that\u2019s why we have a mailbag feature now.<\/p>\n Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n Q: If you had to put together a main card with only unranked matchups, what\u2019s the best card you could put together right now? (cavemanoncomputer)<\/p>\n Michael Chandler vs. Drew DoberEthyn Ewing vs. Rob FontCody Haddon vs. Victory HenryTommy McMillen vs. Losene KeitaDaniil Donchenko vs. Jacobe SmithSteven Asplund vs. Gable Steveson<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: Alex is great at this. I\u2019ll add Marcio Barbosa vs. Lokdog (no longer ranked) as a guaranteed Featherweight banger.<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: I\u2019m terrible at this, sorry.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: I\u2019m looking at the Media Rankings for this. And I\u2019m looking for great fights for an amazing one-night only show. I don\u2019t care about building guys up to a title shot or name value (since we don\u2019t need to sell PPVs anymore).<\/p>\n First thing I would do is take Ateba Gautier and Damian Pinas off this weekend\u2019s card and make them fight each other. Then I\u2019d do a rematch of Mason Jones vs. Axel Sola. Next I\u2019ll go with Yousri Belgaroui vs. Ryan Gandra. Next give me Daniil Donchenko vs. Myktybek Orolbai I feel like I need some heavyweights in there, too\u2026 so\u2026 let\u2019s open the show with Robelis Despaigne and Jhonata Diniz. We\u2019ll borrow OKTAGON\u2019s Stand \u2018n Bang rule-set for that one.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how that looks in a tidy list:<\/p>\n Ateba Gautier vs. Damian PinasMason Jones vs. Axel Sola 2Yousri Belgaroui vs. Ryan GandraDaniil Donchenko vs. Myktbek OrolbaiRobelis Despaigne vs. Jhonata Diniz Mike Roach\/Zuffa LLC\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n Q: We often debate the Mt Rushmore of fighters. But, how would you rank the Mt. Rushmore of coaches? I think Trevor Whitman gets the George Washington spot. (Fighting_From_The_Couch)<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: Greg Jackson, Javier Mendez, Ray Longo, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov\/Firas Zahabi<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: I\u2019m thinking in terms of dynasties, total champions crowned, and long-term success, so: Greg Jackson, Javier Mendes, Mike Brown, Andr\u00e9 Pederneiras \u2026 debatably Pat Miletich could be in there as well? MFS definitely ruled the 2000s.<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: Okay this is a long one for me. Javier Mendez became the first MMA coach with three UFC fighters holding titles at once: Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, and Luke Rockhold. Greg Jackson (with the help of Mike Winkeljohn) gave us UFC champions Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Holly Holm, and Andrei Arlovski (plus interim champion Carlos Condit). Trevor Wittman is responsible for the title reigns of Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas, and Justin Gaethje. Lastly, Pat Miletich coached Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver, Tim Sylvia, Robbie Lawler, and Dave Menne to UFC titles from a small gym in Iowa. So, Mendez, Jackson, Wittman, and Miletich. I would give an honorable mention to Ray Longo for UFC champions Matt Serra, Chris Weidman, and Aljamain Sterling.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: My real answer includes all the names above. So I\u2019ll do the whatever the opposite of Mt. Rushmore would be and put Edmond Tarverdyan, Josh Fabia, Steven Seagal and Mike Perry\u2019s girlfriend up there.<\/p>\n MONTREAL, QC – DECEMBER 11: Georges St-Pierre makes his way to the octagon for his fight against Josh Koscheck during their Welterweight Title bout during UFC 124 at the Centre Bell on December 11, 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Josh Hedges\/Zuffa LLC\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n Q: Who are your top 3 favorite fighters from any era and any weight class? (NOT who you think are the best fighters, just your favorites). (Adam Wagner)<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: Excluding the athletes I am fortunate enough to know personally, my three favorite fighters of all time would be Frankie Edgar, Forrest Griffin, and Fedor Emelianenko.<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: Jon Jones, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell \u2013 Chuck got me into the sport, I loved Brock from WWF, and prime Jon Jones was just spectacular.<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: I came up watching PRIDE and K-1 so not surprisingly, my favorites are Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Filipovic, and Bob Sapp. I know \u201cThe Beast\u201d became a punchline (and a punching bag) later in his career, but his K-1 run in the early aughts was must-see TV. One of the best live experiences I ever had was at the sold-out Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Bananas.<\/p>\n Tim Edwards: The boring answer is Georges St-Pierre, Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva. Watching the peak of their careers is what made me both a fan and a writer in this sport. For deeper cuts, though, I\u2019m going to say Damian Maia, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Lyoto Machida. All did things I really enjoyed seeing in the cage. And the Joanna Violence period was a lot of fun, even if it was way too short.<\/p>\n GLENDALE, CA – October 17: UFC women\u2019s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey works on the speed bag as coach Edmond Tarverdyan watches at the Glendale Fighting Club in Glendale,CA, Friday, October 17, 2015. Rousey will face Holly Holm during UFC 193, November 15, 2015 at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht\/MediaNews Group\/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) MediaNews Group via Getty Images<\/p>\n Q: Imanol v Coria feels like another interesting fight between two real young prospects, like McMillen v Rahiki recently. What other fights would you like to see between genuine prospects? (Neiljohnson37)<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: I\u2019d like to see Ateba Gautier tested versus a fellow up-and-comer like Baisangur Susurkaev rather than further softballs.<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: Ateba Gautier vs. Damien Pinas (both are on SLC), Cody Haddon vs. Ethyn Ewing, Bilal Hasan vs. Jose Ochoa, Islam Dulatov vs. Jacobe Smith<\/p>\n Q: How much more money do you think Qatar is paying the UFC to hold an event there vs. Salt Lake City? cuz clearly they got a way better card (with a lot more notice). (LoneCowboy)<\/p>\n Alex Behunin: The Middle East does pay a lot more money for cards, but SLC sure did pay a pretty penny for a numbered card. UFC tried to make Paulo vs. Jiri in the main event and were confident it was going to happen, and when it didn\u2019t, they got left with this dogshit main event.<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: I love to bag on UFC whenever the opportunity presents itself but they went into Salt Lake City with an entirely different lineup (like Paulo-Jiri) and this is one of those rare instances where everything went wrong at once \u2013 including Valentina\u2019s absence \u2013 with no time to pivot.<\/p>\n Q: Why oh why do they throw these lazy jabs at each other FROM 12 FEET AWAY? Like it\u2019s obviously not going to connect and they will do it the entire fight. (see perez\/dumont for perfect example but it happens all the time, mostly in wmma). I get that the jab is your range finder, but when you are so far away it\u2019s not even close, what is the point? (LoneCowboy)<\/p>\n Andrew Richardson: Female fighters more commonly struggle with their distance and range. Michelle Waterson made a career of hitting the air three feet in front of her opponent. Don\u2019t ask me to explain why it is this way; I like my job.<\/p>\n Jesse Holland: We need that Matt Riddle GIF in here. In fairness, technical striking is the hardest thing to learn in fighting, that\u2019s why boxing is called the \u201csweet science.\u201d It\u2019s an actual science and some folks can master it while others just flail about. I dunno, I think the far-away jab is the MMA equivalent of slowly wading into cold water.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n