Tag: Josh Nason

JNPO: Sean Grande on Tito vs. Chael, Superfly Snuka, and the last 18 months

Posted on by Josh Nason

It’s a weekend of big personalities on big stages here in the United States and MMA wasn’t about to be left in the dust on this inauguration weekend.

Former UFC superstars Chael Sonnen and Tito Ortiz will do battle in Los Angeles, CA, Saturday at Bellator 170, and who better to talk about that show than the man who will be calling the action cageside?

Bellator MMA & Boston Celtics play-by-play man Sean Grande dropped by Josh Nason’s Punch-Out for a 45-minute conversation that hit on the following topics and more:

– The nostalgic feel of Ortiz vs. Sonnen, and how this fight is different than other “fun” fights the promotion has had

– Sean’s first 18 months in the promotion and what he’s learned

– Some surprises that are in store for those watching Saturday, exclusive to JNPO listeners

– Sean’s thoughts on Jimmy Snuka, the Royal Rumble, and more.

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: ESPN’s Brett Okamoto on DJ, Conor & Bjorn

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: Sherdog

With five December UFC events to look forward to and another newsworthy week in the books for the MMA game, ESPN reporter, podcaster, and all-around swell guy Brett Okamoto dropped by Josh Nason’s Punch-Out to help recap the last seven days.

Among the topics covered in this nearly one-hour show:

– Brett’s launch into the podcasting world (5ive Rounds) and what he’s learned so far

– The promotional plight UFC found themselves in this week with flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson

– Josh’s plan for Johnson to eventually return to bantamweight and Brett’s reasoning as to why that might not happen

– This week’s introduction of a new MMA fighters association and the strange feeling of having Bjorn Rebney be part of it

– The barriers the group faces in achieving their goals

– How much of Conor McGregor’s new boxing license is posturing and how much is legit

– Could a McGregor/Mayweather PPV break the record set by Mayweather/Pacquiao?

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: Newsday’s Mark La Monica on UFC 205, what’s next for NY

Posted on by Josh Nason

With UFC 205 in the rearview mirror, only the memories remain. That’s why we’re taking a final look at the biggest event in UFC history with Brooklyn-born Mark La Monica of Newsday on the latest Josh Nason’s Punch-Out.

On the menu:

– The guys talk about how Mark got into MMA writing and the road to getting to UFC’s debut in Madison Square Garden this past weekend.

– What made MSG and the experience so special?

– Mark has some key takeaways from the show and why he was so impressed with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

– They discuss Conor McGregor’s potential holding up of two divisions in 2017 and what both want to see him do next.

– Where does Chris Weidman go from here and should light heavyweight be in his future?

– They talk about the three shows coming up this weekend and why Benson Henderson vs. Michael Chandler could be the weekend’s biggest fight.

All that and more in this free edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out. Click below to listen:

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: MMAJunkie.com’s Ben Fowlkes

Posted on by Josh Nason

After a month away tending to his first child, website writer, editor, and podcaster Josh Nason is back on Josh Nason’s Punch-Out with special guest Ben Fowlkes of MMAJunkie.com and the Co-Main Event Podcast.

Josh and Ben talked for 30 minutes about three topics of the week with slight divergences as is the norm on JNPO. 

– We discussed the series of articles he and Steven Marrocco did for MMA Junkie on a UFC investor’s deck they recieved

– Ben talks about his key takeaways from the deck and what he found most interesting

– Ronda Rousey’s appearance on Ellen this week was discussed and what that means for UFC when she leaves

– We talked about the stakes for her December return against Amanda Nunes, and the role her training camp will play

– We go over the main event of Saturday’s UFC event in Mexico City and the dynamite main event of Tony Ferguson vs. Rafael dos Anjos

All that and more is available with one click of the mouse:


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JNPO: SiriusXM’s Danny Acosta talks UFC 205 & MMA news of the week

Posted on by Josh Nason

The weekend is here and that means Josh Nason’s Punch-Out is back to help recap the week and look forward to the weekend. Helping Josh do the honors on the final day of September is friend of the show Danny Acosta of SiriusXM Rush!

With so much news happening this week, Josh and Danny were all over the board:

– They talk about the new celebrity owners of UFC, ranging from Tom Brady to Jimmy Kimmel to Tyler Perry and what they could mean for UFC buyrates

– The guys talk this week’s UFC 205 press conference and all that had to happen to bring Conor McGregor to the table

– The “media” questions come in full focus as does the state of the media in the sport today

– Why do fans hate Tyron Woodley so much anyway?

– They look back at Cyborg Justino’s easy victory last Saturday and the weird position UFC is in with her going forward

– They talk about Jose Aldo’s situation and whether he’ll fight in UFC again

– They go over UFC Portland: Catchweight, and the plight of John Lineker

– Plus Renan Barao, weight cutting, and tons more. 

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JNPO: Mike Sempervive’s origin story & Twitter debate with Tom Lawlor

Posted on by Josh Nason

Josh Nason’s Punch-Out hits its 50th episode milestone this week with a very special guest: Wrestling Observer Live co-host, Mid-Atlantic bureau chief, and man of the people Mike Sempervive!

This 90-minute super-sized Semp Limite edition of the show focuses on three main topics: Mike’s past, the CM Punk pay controversy, and some pro wrestling:

– We learn about Mike’s history with PW Torch, how he was in the podcast game early with some familiar names, the Puroresu Power Hour, and eventually, how he got to WOL

– Mike didn’t always like MMA and was more of a boxing guy. Who helped him turn the tide?

– We discuss Mike and Tom Lawlor’s recent Twitter conversations regarding CM Punk’s UFC salary.

– We debate the pros and cons of how Punk got to UFC, and who’s to blame in all scenarios

– We talk about what we’d do with Punk next and the tough UFC decision ahead

– We talk about how fans have always got what they wanted in their current WWE/NXT champions and whether that’s enough.

Enjoy this subscriber-only edition of JNPO by clicking below:

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JNPO: John Pollock on CM Punk’s UFC debut & grading the WWE brand split

Posted on by Josh Nason

On the eve of CM Punk’s UFC debut, The Fight Network and Live Audio Wrestling superstar John Pollock drops by for an hour of power to talk UFC, WWE, and even a little TNA.

Host Josh Nason poked and prodded John’s brains on the following:

– What John’s been up to this summer amid an insane combat sports schedule

– His thoughts on CM Punk’s fight week preparations and promotions thus far

– Have wrestling fans foresaken Punk or will they come out in droves to watch UFC 203?

– Thoughts on Mick Foley’s Punk shoutout

– What he would have done differently with “The Evolution of Punk”

– A look at Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem and UFC’s wild heavyweight division

– The overlooked Urijah Faber fight & the California Kid’s future options based on the result

– His pre-watch thoughts on TNA’s Delete or Decay

– Why John hopes “Broken” Matt Hardy never comes to TNA

– Grading the WWE brand split thus far & what he’s liked/not liked

This is a free show! Just click below to listen: 

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JNPO: UFC.com’s Spencer Kyte on UFC Hamburg, CM Punk & more

Posted on by Josh Nason

In the middle of a UFC event hurricane, host Josh Nason grabbed a raincoat and a friend: past guest E. Spencer Kyte of UFC.com and The Province.

In a 35-minute conversation, the two went all over the UFC map given the busy week:

– Final thoughts on UFC Vancouver including key takeaways and the state of the sport in western Canada these days

– A look at the top three fights at Saturday’s UFC Hamburg event: Josh Barnett vs. Andrei Arlvoski, the return of Alexander Gustafsson, and the crossroads special of Ryan Bader vs. Ilir Latifi

– Why ESK is so excited for CM Punk’s debut

– What in the hell is happening between Georges St. Pierre and Dana White?

– 60 seconds on Joe Silva

– The latest season of TUF and the idea of the flyweight champions tournament

Get all that and more in episode 48 of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out! Click below to listen or right click to save:

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WOL: Kevin Owens’ much discussed title win, Heyman/Steph promo, more!

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

On the Tuesday, 8/30/16 edition of Wrestling Observer Live, hosts Mike Sempervive and Josh Nason talked one thing: the newsworthy edition of WWE Raw.

From Kevin Owens’ HHH-assisted WWE Universal title win to the bizarre Stephanie McMahon/Paul Heyman promo segment, Mike and Josh discussed all of the Internet scuttlebutt about the show and then some. 

Plus, calls. 

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JNPO: MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti on UFC 202 leftovers, UFC Vancouver, more

Posted on by Josh Nason

Could Jose Aldo beat Nate Diaz? Could Diaz retire after a third fight with Conor McGregor? What should we care about Saturday in Vancouver? 

All that and more is on the latest edition of the Josh Nason’s Punch-Out podcast featuring special guest Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com!

On the docket:

– What big takeaways do we have from UFC 202?

– Who do we want McGregor to fight next and when?

– If Jose Aldo was in McGregor’s place, could he beat Diaz?

– Is there any such thing as a #1 contender in UFC?

– AJ vs. DC vs. JJ: what’s the fight to make at 205 pounds?

– Could Diaz retire after the 3rd McGregor fight?

– The first two parts of the CM Punk documentary

– The divergent free agency tales of Rory MacDonald and Donald Cerrone

– 10 good minutes talking UFC Vancouver…and much more!

Listen below by clicking the big red button or right click to save the file. 

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JNPO: Conor, Nate, bottles & UFC 202 with MMA Payout’s Jason Cruz

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: Zuffa/Getty

After a few weeks searching Parts Unknown and finding some stranger things, site editor and writer Josh Nason is back with the latest edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out with the topic of UFC 202 on the table.

Joining Josh on this journey is longtime MMA business writer for MMA Payout, Jason Cruz!

On this hour-long edition of the show, Josh and Jason hit up a slew of topics including:

– Jason’s legal background and how he found his way to Payout

– The UFC 202 press conference madness that happened Wednesday and the ramifications for both guys

– Whether that made Jason more interested in the fight or not

– The stakes for both Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz with a win or loss

– Other 202 fights the guys are interested in

– Thoughts on part 1 of the CM Punk documentary series

– Thoughts on the recent new pro-union group and how it affects the other groups

– And much more!

Click below to listen or right click to save the mp3. RSS subscribers can access shows here.

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WOL: Sempervive & Nason on Anderson Silva, UFC 200, Lesnar vs. Orton~!

Posted on by F4W Staff

Wrestling Observer Live with Mike Sempervive and Josh Nason is back today, right in the midst of International Fight Week, and boy do we have a lot to talk about. Not the least of which was the decision to add Anderson Silva to the show, taking the place of Jon Jones against Daniel Cormier. Of course, Brock Lesnar’s fight against Mark Hunt takes center stage, as well – with the new twist being that his WWE SummerSlam opponent has been announced: generational rival Randal K. Orton. All that, your calls, and so much more!

As some dude who’s a dad now would say, a fun show as always so check it out~!

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JNPO: UFC’s Jon Anik on UFC 199, Kimbo, Ariel Helwani & Brock

Posted on by Josh Nason

Get a chance to catch your breath yet this week? From news to results to death and everything in between, the MMA faithful had enough to fill their cups and then some in the last seven days.

Helping host Josh Nason make sense of it all is UFC play-by-play man, studio host, and Anik & Florian podcast co-host Jon Anik!

Josh and Jon discussed the divergent paths of Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson from UFC 100 to UFC 199, the somewhat buried story of Urijah Faber possibly retiring, the public reverence for the passing of Kimbo Slice and Muhammad Ali this week, thoughts on the return of Brock Lesnar and his chances against Mark Hunt, a little on Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor II, and even a question about his friend and former co-worker Ariel Helwani.

Listen to all that and more in the 41st episode of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out.

Show notes: Here is John Pollock’s MMA week in review discussed in the show’s closing.

>>>Click below to listen or right click to download:

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: CBS Sports’ Denny Burkholder on WWF ’85, Andre, UFC 194

Posted on by Josh Nason

Photo: Memphis Wrestling History

The latest JNPO has landed with special guest Denny Burkholder of CBSSports.com! Josh and Denny went for an hour discussing all kinds of interesting nuggets in the worlds of wrestling, MMA, and sports media in general.

A few highlights:

– How CBS Sports.com has covered MMA in the past, and how Denny helped in that effort in the early days

– The method of pitching stories to the site, especially with pro wrestling

– How he became a lapsed MMA/UFC fan

– Whether the buzz for Saturday’s UFC 194 has got him to click the ‘buy’ button

– The backstory of his oral history of WWF 1985, how he contacted the talent, and what he learned that he didn’t know before

– His observations on Wendi Richter and Paul Orndorff

– Why Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper weren’t part of the story

– What he didn’t want to tell Don Muraco

– The backstory of his Andre The Giant feature and making it different than other Andre stories

– The bizarre story of the whereabouts of Andre’s casket…and more!

*****

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: Bloody Elbow’s John Nash on UFC financials & MMA free agency

Posted on by Josh Nason

After years of being confused for each other, Bloody Elbow investigative journalist John Nash joins BE alum Josh Nason on the 22nd episode of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out!

On the menu this week:

– The future of MMA free agent Benson Henderson

– Why MMA free agency isn’t more of a thing we can talk about

– How John got into the business

– How his three-part series on UFC financials came together (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

– What fans should take out of that series and understand about the UFC’s business practices

– Why part of the UFC business ledger he’d like to see if given the chance

– His thoughts on the groundbreaking of the new UFC facility in Las Vegas

– A look at Dana White’s interview with TSN’s Michael Landsberg and the comments he made about Jon Jones

– What he’s excited about with the upcoming UFC triple-threat of shows

– 120 good seconds on CM Punk…and more!

*****

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