Tag: Punch-Out

JNPO: MMA/hip-hop journalist Andreas Hale on Nate, Aljamain, WWE brand split

Posted on by Josh Nason

On the 39th Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, longtime MMA and hip-hop journalist Andreas Hale (Yahoo, The Source, Sherdog, many more) drops by to talk NJPW Best of the Super Juniors, WWE brand split, UFC’s fun Memorial Day weekend show, Nate Diaz, the state of boxing, and tons more.

> Listen to the show below by clicking the link or saving to your computer.

In this hour-long edition, the guys jumped into the following:

– How pro wrestling was Andreas’ gateway drug into other combat sports

– What he’s watching and why he’s watching it

– Talk on the WWE brand split and why both guys are skeptical of the outcome

– Last weekend’s disaster of a Bellator middleweight title fight and why their belts don’t seem to matter

– How UFC and Bellator fail on their community outreach programs

– Whether Kimbo Slice resonates with the black community

– Thoughts on Nate Diaz and his Wednesday interview with Ariel Helwani

– Andreas’ thoughts on the boxing scene and the plethora of PBC shows

– What both guys are excited about with this weekend’s UFC Fox Sports One show on Memorial Day

Beers. Food. You. Us. Let’s go.

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JNPO: Bleacher Report’s Chad Dundas on ‘Champion Of The World’, UFC news

Posted on by Josh Nason

Bleacher Report’s Chad Dundas is the guest on this week’s Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, talking about a myriad of topics ideal for a non-UFC event week.

A few of the alleys Josh and Chad went down include:

– Leftover thoughts on UFC 198 including Fabricio Werdum’s overuse of his funny face, Stipe Miocic riding for Cleveland, and Lady Cyborg

– The stunning story of how he met Ben Fowlkes, his partner on the Co-Main Event Podcast

– How living in Montana has affected his MMA coverage

– Thoughts on Michael Bisping getting a title opportunity against Luke Rockhold and why the haters need to chill out

– Discussion about his wrestling themed novel “Champion Of The World” and what inspired him to write it

As usual, we get geeky about the process of writing and other media matters. It’s another solid hour of JNPO, so get your weekend kicked off right….now.

Click below to listen or right-click to save on your computer, tech-heads.

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JNPO: Understanding MMA analytics with ESPN Insider’s Reed “Fightnomics” Kuhn

Posted on by Josh Nason

Analytics is a hot topic and area of interest in pro sports and culture in general. Not to be left out of the game, MMA has been slower to the party than some due to several factors. But why?

On the latest Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, analytics pioneer Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics fame (buy his book!) stops by to explain. Here’s a little of what Reed and Josh discussed:

– The evolution of MMA analytics since Reed got involved back in 2009

– How he got hooked up with ESPN Insider/Chalk and his role there

– How to overcome the barrier of big data and breaking it down into usable information

– Whether there’s been pushback from managers and fighters on the data that’s been given to them

– A talk about the UFC sale news and what both guys would like to see from it

– What interests Reed about this weekend’s UFC 198, how UFC Rotterdam turned out…and more!

If you’re into sports analytics or want to understand more, this show is for you!

Click to listen below or right-click to save the MP3.

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: UFC fighter, writer & photographer Mike Jackson

Posted on by Josh Nason

With such a major weekend and major events behind us and with so many big things to look forward to, this week’s Josh Nason’s Punch-Out features someone who has both covered the sport and fought inside the Octagon to help make sense of it all: UFC welterweight and media memberMike Jackson!

***This is a free show for everyone. Please share on your social network of choice!***

Josh and Mike talked for an hour about the news of the day and his future, including:

– His thoughts on Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz and where McGregor went wrong

– Why he enjoyed Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate more than most

– Who he’d like to see McGregor, Holm, Diaz, and Tate fight next

– What fight announced during the UFC Unstoppable presser he most wants to see

– What he learned and took in during his first UFC fight week

– When it first set in that he had actually competed inside the Octagon

– Why he wants to fight Artem Lobov

– Why it bothers both Josh and Mike how much grief Sage Northcutt gets…and more!

Click below to stream or right click to download. Thanks for sharing socially!

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JNPO: UFC 196 McGregorland preview with Las Vegas Sun’s Case Keefer

Posted on by Josh Nason

With UFC 196 emanating from Las McGregor, Nevada, this weekend, Josh Nason’s Punch-Out heads back out to the desert to chat with someone who is a familiar face to UFC hardcore fans with his usual cageside seat and youthful good looks: Las Vegas Sun assistant sports editor Case Keefer!

Josh and Case talked for 45 minutes about a variety of topics including:

– How he got to the Las Vegas Sun

– How his various other sports beats have helped his UFC coverage

– How someone covers sports gambling as a beat

– The important role Sister Act has played in his life

– Thoughts on Anderson Silva vs. Michael Bisping and how Silva feels more buzzworthy afterward than Bisping

– Bellator’s signing of Wanderlei Silva

– A deep dive into the main event and co-main event of UFC 196 and Case’s observations from the open workouts

– What we think UFC 200 could look like…and more!

Subscribers can click below to listen or right click to save the file.

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: ESPN’s Brett Okamoto on Hendricks vs. Wonderboy, UFC free agency madness

Posted on by Josh Nason

With such a busy week in the world of cagefighting and with an event scheduled for Las Vegas Saturday night, the 32nd edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out flew virtually to the Nevada desert to catch up with ESPN.com MMA writer Brett Okamoto.

Also, this is a free show so share it and help a guy out, won’t you?

For an hour, Josh and Brett wrestled with such issues as:

– Has Brett ever gone to work with a strep throat?

– Does he care about the possiblity of the Las Vegas Raiders?

– Where he was when he got the call from ESPN and the changes with the MMA department since he’s been there

– His thoughts on Benson Henderson’s departure to Bellator and what it could signal for MMA free agency in the future

– Where Josh hopes Alistair Overeem, Matt Mitrione, and Aljamain Sterling will land

– The plight of Sage Northcutt, whether he should have even fought Saturday, and the fallout online from his loss

– What do you do with Cain Velasquez next?

– The prospect of Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier II

– The California weight cutting changes and whether it actually means anything for the UFC

– A look ahead at UFC Fight Night Saturday with Johny Hendricks vs. Stephen Thompson, Roy Nelson’s prospects, interesting fights

– And more!

*****

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: Jim Genia on MMA in New York, UFC on Fox, Ronda on SNL, more

Posted on by Josh Nason

With MMA’s legalization in New York delayed a bit longer this past week and with UFC touching down in New Jersey, who better to talk to about the MMA scene in the Empire State than New York-based MMA journalist and author Jim Genia?

Jim dropped by the 31st edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out with the following items on the menu:

– How Jim got into MMA writing

– His thoughts on Ronda Rousey’s debut on Saturday Night Live and the subsequent vitriol that erupted online

– The mess that was the former UFC 196 and thoughts on the roles of both Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez

– Whether Jim thinks Velasquez is past his “expiration date” as a fighter

– A detailed look at what this past week meant for MMA being legalized in New York, and what he’s learned in over 10 years of covering the case.

– His memories of seeing Frankie Edgar, Jon Jones, Chris Weidman and Aljamain Sterling on the regional scene and their current plight today

– Our thoughts on some of the action coming up on Fox in Newark, NJ….and more!

Take a look at Jim’s coverage here, here, and here, buy his book, and then click below to listen to the show:

*****

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont on his first UFC experience

Posted on by Josh Nason

Through the years, MMA fans have all cringed when mainstream sports writers get their first taste of the sport and then assail the sport in print. So when the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont got a break from his Boston Bruins beat for a night and headed to the TD Garden for UFC Fight Night last Sunday, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if he had the same reaction many before him, including the Globe’s Bob Ryan, had before.

However, Kevin survived his experience and is ready to tell the tale on the 30th edition of Josh Nason’s Punch Out! This is a free edition of the show, so please link and share liberally.

In a 40-minute talk (link below), Josh and Kevin talked about:

– How he got the assignment to begin with

– The whereabouts of former Bruins goalie and UFC fan Tim Thomas

– His approach to the assignment

– His likes and dislikes at the event

– His thoughts on Dana White after interviewing him for 45 minutes

– The parallels of pro hockey players to MMA athletes and the two sports in general

– Whether he’d ever go back…and plenty more.

Take a look at Kevin’s coverage here and here, and then click below to listen to the show:

*****

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn on UFC Boston, CM Punk, BJ Penn

Posted on by Josh Nason

With UFC Boston days away, New England native and JNPO host Josh Nason is pumped like Bob Sapp after he’s found an easy payday, so he brought in MMA Junkie and Rolling Stone writer Mike Bohn to revel in what’s to come, as well as discuss a pretty wild news week in the world of MMA.

This week’s show is free for everyone — the perfect opportunity to sample a show if you’ve been thinking about trying us out. Please share freely!

On the menu today:

– This Sunday’s UFC Boston and the difficult question of the ultimate head vs. heart pick: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz

– Why Mike thinks Anthony Pettis vs. Eddie Alvarez is also a head vs. heart pick

– Thoughts on Nick Diaz’s suspension being lifted and what could be next for him

– MIke’s thoughts on Ronda Rousey from his past talks with her and his thoughts on Rousey being off UFC 200

– Whether Mickey Gall might have an advantage over CM Punk if they do fight this summer

– Whether Mike wants to see BJ Penn return and whether there’s a better chance of GSP returning instead

– Thoughts on the recent UFC equipment violations

– And more!

Right click below to save the file or just click to listen. 

*****

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: 2015 MMA Year In Review (October-December)

Posted on by Josh Nason

In the final installment of our look back at 2015 in the world of MMA, Josh Nason and Paul Fontaine of WrestlingObserver.com and MMADraws.com look at one of the most eventful quarters in MMA history: October – December. Here’s part 1 and part 2 for subscribers.

Here’s just a bit of what Josh and Paul discussed:

  • Conor McGregor’s 13-second exclamation point on his year long feud with Jose Aldo
  • Daniel Cormier’s eventful first title defense at UFC 192 against Alexander Gustafsson that also included Johny Hendricks missing weight and the debut of Sage Northcutt
  • UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw leaving Team Alpha Male and heading to work with Urijah Faber rival Duane Ludwig
  • Holly Holm’s shocking knockout and dominance of Ronda Rousey in Australia
  • Bellator booking Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie III for early-2016
  • ONE’s answer to weight cutting issues
  • And tons more!

If you’re a subscriber, right click to save or just click to listen. Subscribers get early access & other UFC audio content by signing up for the RSS feed!

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Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: Sherdog’s Jordan Breen on Conor McGregor, UFC Orlando

Posted on by Josh Nason

We’re still reeling from all of the implications of last week’s UFC 194 and UFC Fight Night shows. To help clear the fog in the harbour like a giant lighthouse is Sherdog writer and radio host Jordan Breen, who joined Josh Nason’s Punch-Out this week for a full hour.

On this show (free for non-subscribers), Josh & Jordan discussed:

– Jordan’s 10 year anniversary of working for Sherdog that is coming up next year

– What he’d be doing if he wasn’t working in MMA

– Jordan’s pro wrestling watching habits, and how to explain wrestling to someone that has never heard of it before

– His big takeaways from UFC 194

– Whether the UFC has a Conor McGregor problem

– What the most important part of McGregor’s rise to fame truly is

– Why people are focusing on the wrong things when it comes to Luke Rockhold’s win over Chris Weidman

– A riveting game ‘Who Wore It Better?’

– A look ahead to Saturday’s UFC on Fox show in Orlando and what we’re looking forward to

– Whether 2015 is the best year ever for fans of the UFC

– And more!

*****

Listen to the show below by clicking the link or right-click to save:

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JNPO: 5 things to watch for at UFC Fight Night: Mendes vs. Edgar

Posted on by Josh Nason

One UFC event is down, but two more remain starting with Friday’s UFC Fight Night/TUF 22 finale show on Fox Sports One featuring Chad Mendes vs. Frankie Edgar in a battle to be the top challenger to the winner of Saturday’s featherweight title showdown.

In this quick-hit preview, Josh Nason takes a five minute look back at Thursday night’s show and the dominance of Rose Namajunas before delving into five things to watch for in tonight’s show:

– The awesomeness of Chad Mendes vs. Frankie Edgar

– The real co-main event of Tony Ferguson vs. Edson Barboza

– The coinflip fight between veterans Joe Lauzon and Evan Dunham

– The must-win situation Gabriel Gonzaga finds himself in

– The feel-good comeback of Mike Pierce

Another UFC night is upon us, so get ready by listening to this preview show now! Subscribers can click below to stream the show or right-click to save the show to your desktop.

*****

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JNPO: 5 things to watch for at UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Van Zant

Posted on by Josh Nason

With three UFC events in three days, who needs sleep?

For the next three days, JNPO host Josh Nason will do 15-minute preview shows highlighting five things to look for on each show. With UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Van Zant set to go live in just a few hours, the first one has arrived.

Your five things: 

– Why the main event of Paige Van Zant vs. Rose Namajunas is so damn fun

– Why Josh is giving the edge to Michael Chiesa in his very important co-main event battle against Jim Miller

– How the reaction for Sage Northcutt’s second trip into the Octagon is going to be something to watch for

– Why the excitement level of John Howard vs. Tim Means is a coin flip

– The importance of the buried Aljamain Sterling-Johnny Eduardo prelims fight

Listen by clicking below or right clicking to save. Get ready for three days of fight heaven!

*****

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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!

*****

Subscribers can listen to the show by clicking below or right clicking to save:

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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!

*****

Listen to the show by clicking below or right-clicking/save:

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