E344 - Manel Kape has earned more than a title shot

E344 - Manel Kape has earned more than a title shot

Manel Kape put away another elite contender. Now on four straight wins, he's one phone call away from a fight for the title against Joshua Van. Has he done enough to leapfrog Alexandre Pantoja? Chapters: 0:00 Manel Kape vs Kyoji Horiguchi reaction 8:00 Navajo Stirling vs Ion Cutelaba reaction 10:53 Christian Rodriguez vs Hyder Amil reaction 14:51 Murtazali Magomedov vs Melsik Baghdasaryan reaction 16:28 Vinicius Oliveira vs Andre Fili reaction 🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 008 is out now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv 🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com Manel Kape deserves the title shot over Alexandre Pantoja. I get that Alexandre Pantoja has the legacy behind him. But too much time has passed. He needs to show that he's recovered. Manel Kape, the more active fighter, is clearly next for Joshua Van. Manel Kape has four great wins on the trot, with Kyoji Horiguchi being the latest at UFC Vegas 119. Navajo Stirling also snagged a win at UFC Vegas 119. He knocked out Ion Cutelaba and, despite being down and being run through in the first round, Navajo Stirling stayed composed and came back to win in the second round. With the best wrestler behind him at 205, let's test his striking next. Christian Rodriguez defeated Hyder Amil in the first round. He nuked Hyder Amil with a high kick and snapped up a guillotine and put the wobbled Hyder Amil to sleep. Christian Rodriguez may not fight for the title ever, but he will consistently be a good test for anyone that wants to be. Murtazali Magomedov is a problem. Melsik Baghdasaryan was only a pawn in the buzzsaw that was Murtazali Magomedov. Keep an eye on this guy. He's going to be a problem. Vinicius Oliveira also made his featherweight debut at UFC Vegas 119. After being mauled by Mario Bautista at bantamweight, he showed that he's still a player in the featherweight division. I have issues with Vinicius Oliveira, but I do think he's a player at 145. #ufcpodcast #mmapodcast #manelkape

E343 - People Stopped Asking Questions About Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria seemed like he was invincible. But Justin Gaethje asked some uncomfortable questions about him and, while Topuria answered well, he came up short. Chapters: 0:00 Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria reaction 8:46 Ciryl Gane vs Alex Pereira reaction 13:59 Sean O'Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi reaction 16:38 Josh Hokit vs Derrick Lewis reaction 19:27 UFC Freedom 250 reaction 🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 008 is out now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv 🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com Justin Gaethje is the world champion after many years of perennial contendership. Ilia Topuria was heavily favored to win this fight. And it seemed like he was on his way to winning. But Justin Gaethje did what Justin Gaethje always does. He was tough, he fought a fight that most couldn't, and now he's finally the champion. Ilia Topuria is still a supreme talent and will likely be champion again. But today, Justin Gaethje is the man of the hour. In front of all the dignitaries of the world, he pulled off a modern Rocky story. Ciryl Gane also had his moment to shine. Alex Pereira seemed like destiny. He seemed to become a champion in a third division. But going from fighting 185 to 265 pound men is a tall order. Ciryl Gane came out with an educated game plan against Alex Pereira. He fought calm and when the shot landed, he wasted no time cheating. All that aside, Ciryl Gane has been slept on too much and it's time he gets the respect he deserves. Sean O'Malley beat Aiemann Zahabi as well. Anyone expected anything different? Josh Hokit also stole the show at UFC White House. As good as he looked, it was Derrick Lewis that he was fighting. There are some good things we can take away from Josh Hokit's performance, like sticking to a completely different gameplan from the Curtis Blaydes fight. But I don't want to put too much into this fight. It was only Derrick Lewis. #mmapodcast #ufcpodcast #ufcwhitehouse

E342 - Why I’m Not As Confident In Topuria And Pereira As Everyone Else

Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira are seen as shoo ins for the UFC White House card this weekend. Two statement wins, both would be further on the path of superstardom. But Blaine Henry doesn’t think it’s so cut and dry. There are x-factors and paths to victory for both Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane that could turn what’s expected from the White House upside down!Special shoutout to our sponsor and recording location for this episode, Loft18! A Louisiana sports bar and grill, Loft18 is one of the best places to watch fights in Baton Rouge and Metairie, Louisiana. Come say hello and let’s watch some fights together!Visit their website: www.loft18.comChapters:0:00 Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje8:15 Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 008 is out now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.comIlia Topuria is probably the biggest star in the UFC right now. Huge both in the states and internationally, the two weight champion is looking for a fourth victim that will be in the UFC hall of fame. But Justin Gaethje is not one to count out. A veteran of many tough fights, Justin Gaethje has some things to make Ilia Topuria pause at UFC White House. While I do think Ilia Topuria is (rightfully) the favorite, don’t act surprised if Justin Gaethje manages to make this a dog fight as he always does.Alex Pereira is also going for history: a third belt in the UFC. While this is only an interim belt, the fact that he’s in this position is incredible already. But Ciryl Gane is the exact type of matchup that could give Alex Pereira a hard time. Ciryl Gane is large, nimble, and smart as a fighter. Watching Artem Vakhitov and Magomed Ankalaev beat Alex Pereira shows us there are paths to victory against the most dangerous Brazilian to ever live. Will Ciryl Gane finally be able to get out of this funk and beat Alex Pereira?#mmapodcast #ufcpodcast #ufcwhitehouse #iliatopuria #alexpereira

E341 - Belal Muhammad Stopped Being Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad suffered his third straight loss against Gabriel Bonfim. We now have to ask what's changed about Belal Muhammad to make him go from championship fighter to what we saw at UFC Vegas 118. Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 008 is out now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv 🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com Belal Muhammad is a cautionary tale of what not to become. Once avoided for the complexity of his style, Belal Muhammad has become the very thing he was the answer to. A mile wide and an inch deep, Muhammad struggled to get anything going against Gabriel Bonfim that mattered.

E340 - Song Yadong is still stuck

Song Yadong is still stuck. Despite beating Deiveson Figueiredo, he's still in the same position he was in before this fight. The win at UFC Macau has him stuck at five still, Song Yadong kept his position. Having lost to four of the top five, he's not quite ready for another shot at the top of the division yet.🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 008 is out now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com#ufcpodcast #mmapodcast #ufcmacau