Sherdog Podcast Network

Sean Sheehan is back with some of the biggest stories in combat sports this week, including the sensational Canelo vs. Crawford boxing match—and what it means for UFC CEO Dana White's future aspirations in the Sweet Science—as well as Diego Lopes' latest legend-making moment and the MMA debut of heavyweight super-prospect Gable Steveson.

0:00 Intro

0:55 Gable Steveson steamrolled his debut foe in MMA. Big things to come?

7:55 Diego Lopes put on a star-making performance at Noche UFC

11:08 Terrence Crawford beat Canelo Alvarez, but was Dana White the real...

Devin Tejada has your guide to the week in combat sports, and with one of the biggest boxing matches in years slated for this weekend, along with the newest Noche UFC and a bunch of huge MMA matchups announced this week, there's plenty to talk about! Before that, however, it's time to talk about one of the hottest teams in MMA over the last two years—have the Fighting Nerds hit a wall, or was UFC Paris just a speed bump?

0:00 Intro

----- OUT WITH THE OLD: UFC PARIS

0:36 UFC Pa...

Keith and Ben preview UFC Fight Night 259, also known as Noche UFC, with detailed predictions and picks for all 14 fights. There might be a record number of unanimous upset calls on this one!

0:00 Intro

5:45 Rodrigo Sezinando (8-1) vs. Daniil Donchenko (11-2)

10:31 Montserrat Rendon (6-1) vs. Alice Pereira (6-0)

17:17 Alessandro Costa (14-4) vs. Alden Coria (10-3, 1 NC)

24:01 Zachary Reese (9-2) vs. Sedriques Dumas (10-3)

31:23 Jesus Santos Aguilar (11-3) vs. Luis Gurule (10-1)

37:34 Tatiana Suarez (10-1) vs. Amanda Lemos (15-4-1)

50:22 Claudio...

Sean is back to talk about a couple of the biggest things on his mind this week, including the raucous UFC Paris crowd, Conor McGregor's presidential ambitions—including a quick primer on Irish civics for the American fans—and the pressure on Jean Silva this weekend at Noche UFC after his team's rough showing in France.

0:00 Intro

1:01 UFC Fight Nights: Empty Apex vs. Packed Arenas

7:20 Conor McGregor running for office?

13:04 Crossroads for The Fighting Nerds?

Keith and Ben preview UFC Fight Night 258, also known as UFC Paris, with detailed predictions and picks for all 13 fights!

0:00 Intro: I'm not back, YOU'RE back

8:54 Shauna Bannon (7-1) vs. Sam Hughes (10-6)

16:04 Andreas Gustafsson (12-2) vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov (23-1-1)

24:58 Brad Tavares (21-10) vs. Robert Bryczek (17-6)

35:01 Sam Patterson (13-2-1) vs. Trey Waters (9-1)

41:55 Rhys McKee (14-6-1) vs. Axel Sola (10-0-1)

49:49 Marcin Tybura (27-9) vs. Ante Delija (25-6)

1:00:19 Oumar Sy (11-1) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (17-8)

Sean Sheehan recaps all of the action from the 2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals, where three new champions were crowned.

Sean Sheehan returns to give his predictions and best bets for Thursday's PFL Finals and Saturday morning's early UFC Shanghai card.

Sean Sheehan is back to preview the 2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals, which takes place Thursday in Hollywood, Florida, and features the middleweight and light heavyweight championship fights.

Sean Sheehan recaps all of the action from the 2025 PFL World Tournament 9: Finals, where three new champions were crowned.

Sean Sheehan gives his predictions and best bets for 2025 PFL World Tournament 9: Finals.

Sean is back to preview 2025 PFL Africa 2: First Round, which features several up-and-coming African talents who look ready to burst onto the global scene.

0:00 Is PFL Africa going in the right direction?

----- PFL AFRICA 2: 2025 FIRST ROUND

1:56 Patrick Ocheme vs. Mohamed Camara

5:47 Shido Boris Esperanca vs. Ibrahima Mane

9:03 British Boloyoang vs. Ayinda Octave

10:59 Sanon Sadeck vs. Yabna N'Tachala

13:06 Rundown of the rest of PFL Africa 2

Keith and Ben preview UFC on ESPN 72 “Dolidze vs. Hernandez,” also known as UFC Vegas 109, with detailed predictions and picks for all 11 fights. There is also some crucial reflection on 80s pro wrestling jobbers, because of course there is.

0:00 Intro: Murder vs. Manslaughter

6:52 Gabriella Fernandes (10-3) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (11-8-2)

15:11 Uros Medic (10-3) vs. Gilbert Urbina (7-3)

22:26 Joselyne Edwards (15-6) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (13-6)

28:20 Elijah Smith (8-1) vs. Toshiomi Kazama (11-4)

35:05 Julius Walker (6-1) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (11-2)

42:49 Eryk Anders (17-8, 1 NC...

Sean Sheehan recaps all of the happenings from Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Professional Fighters League crowned two champions from its 2025 global tournament.

Keith and Ben preview UFC Vegas 108, which picked up an intriguing short-notice flyweight main event. Get your fix with detailed predictions and picks for all 11 fights, and some pretty stark disagreement on the co-main!

0:00 Intro

10:34 Ketlen Souza (15-5) vs. Piera Rodriguez (10-2)

16:39 Felipe Bunes (14-7) vs. Rafael Estevam (13-0)

22:23 Nick Klein (6-2) vs. Andrey Pulyaev (9-3)

29:36 Rodolfo Vieira (10-3) vs. Tresean Gore (5-3)

37:44 Rinya Nakamura (9-1) vs. Nathan Fletcher (9-2)

44:21 Kevin Vallejos (15-1) vs. Danny Silva (10-1)

50:50 Neil Magny (29-13...

Is the UFC setting up Aaron Pico to flop by matching him up with an undefeated No. 6 contender on three weeks' notice, or is this his chance to jump the line in his new promotion? Devin Tejada asks that question and answers many more on this episode of CTK.

0:00 Intro

----- OUT WITH THE OLD: UFC ABU DHABI

0:50 UFC Abu Dhabi: Weirdly violent, violently weird

----- WHAT'S HOT

17:26 Aaron Pico vs. Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 and other late-notice marquee matchups

...

Sean is back with your bettor's guide to UFC on ABC 9 this Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

0:00 Recap of last week's bets

1:49 Bet 1: Robert Whittaker

5:27 Bet 2: Petr Yan

8:47 Bet 3: Sharabutdin Magomedov

11:09 Bet 4: Bogdan Guskov

13:41 Flier of the Week: Muslim Salikhov

PFL 2025 lightweight finalist Alfie Davis sat down to talk with Sean ahead of his August 15 clash with Gadzhi Rabadanov. “The Axe Man” talked about why he left his longtime gym, his wins over Clay Collard and Brent Primus so far this season, and why he doesn't buy into all the hype over his upcoming opponent.

0:00 Why he left London Shootfighters for GB Top Team

3:36 What other sports did you play before you found fighting?

5:11 What is it like fighting in the PFL tournament format?

7:15 On his fights with Clay...

Professional Fighters League on Saturday became the first major mixed martial arts promotion to host an event in Africa for PFL Cape Town, and the main event will be remembered for years to come.

Sean Sheehan breaks down the best bets for Saturday's PFL Champions Series 2: 2025 Africa First Round card in Cape Town, South Africa.

Sean is back with your top five bets for UFC Nashville! On a card with a lot of massive favorites, Sean has a set of smart props to help you find some value.

0:00 Recap of last week's bets

1:35 Bet 1: Tallison Teixeira

4:26 Bet 2: Justin Tafa and George Tokkos

6:25 Bet 3: Chris Curtis

9:26 Bet 4: Kennedy Nzechukwu

11:34 Flier of the Week: Nate Landwehr

14:36 Rundown of this week's picks

Luke Thomas of Morning Kombat is back to help Sean answer some of the biggest questions in combat sports at the moment. Is Marcus Almeida a heavyweight legend in waiting? Is the lack of any male UFC champs from the United States just happenstance, or is it a symptom of a larger issue? Is Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev doomed to be the great lost superfight of the 2020s? All this and more on an incredible episode of The Sheehan Show.

0:00 Marcus Buchecha's Octagon Debut: Instant problem for UFC HWs?

9:50 Ilia Topuria...

Cage Warriors play-by-play man Brad Wharton joined Sean to break down CW 192, which takes place this weekend at Indigo at the O2 in London. However, the lads first discuss the controversy at CW 191, which led to the cancellation of the Liam Gittins-Alessandro Giordano main event—and one of their cornermen being banned for life from Cage Warriors!

0:00 On the pre-fight scrap and lifetime corner ban levied at CW 191

8:33 Shajidul Haque vs. Jawany Scott

18:18 Cameron Else vs. Shirzad Qadrian

22:15 Weslley Maia vs. Aidan Stephen

24:42 Running down the re...

Keith and Ben preview UFC Nashville with detailed predictions and picks for all 12 fights. There are two unanimous upset picks this time, so buckle up!

0:00 Intro: Next year in DC?

5:41 Fatima Kline (7-1) vs. Melissa Martinez (8-1)

13:22 Mitch Ramirez (8-2) vs. Mike Davis (11-3)

21:00 Kennedy Nzechukwu (14-5) vs. Valter Walker (13-1)

29:08 Lauren Murphy (16-6) vs. Eduarda Moura (11-1)

36:40 Jake Matthews (21-7) vs. Chidi Njokuani (25-10, 1 NC)

46:05 Max Griffin (20-11) vs. Chris Curtis (31-12, 1 NC)

56:14 Junior Tafa (6-3) vs. George Tokkos (10...

Sean is back to preview PFL Europe 2 and PFL MENA 2, both of which take place this week in Belgium and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Among the pool of interesting up-and-comers from two of global MMA's fastest-growing regions are some surprises, including a French veteran departing the UFC on a winning streak—for the second time, no less—and an undefeated 24-year-old prospect who looks very much like the real deal.

0:00 PFL Europe and MENA: Two Different Approaches to Regional Development

----- PFL Mena 2

4:53 Omar El Dafrawy vs. Daniele Miceli

9:04 PFL...

Sean Sheehan recaps the final 2025 PFL semifinal event.

Sean Sheehan recaps all of the happenings at 2025 PFL World Tournament 6: Semifinals.

Sean Sheehan recaps all of the happenings at 2025 PFL 5 World Tournament

Sean and Oktagon MMA play-by-play announcer Bryan Lacey preview Oktagon 72, which takes place Saturday in Prague. Before breaking down the card, which is topped by a trilogy match between European pioneers, Sean asks the question: How does a regional promotion excel in the 2020s? Bryan and Sean discuss some of the organizations packing arenas outside North America and outside the UFC, and talk about the next Conor McGregor or Michael Bisping to emerge as a Euro MMA superstar.

0:00 Intro: Hit the Lights

6:12 Superstars and success outside of the UFC in 2025?

12:40...

Sean is back to preview PFL World Tournament 5, which features the welterweight and featherweight semifinals, as well as alternate bouts and some very intriguing non-tournament attractions.

0:00 Intro: PFL Semifinals time

2:26 Jordan Breen and being a knower vs. being a hater

----- WELTERWEIGHT SEMIFINALS

5:28 Jason Jackson vs. Thad Jean

15:19 Logan Storley vs. Masayuki Kikuiri

----- FEATHERWEIGHT SEMIFINALS

19:46 Jesus Pinedo vs. Gabriel Braga

24:23 Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Tae Hyun Kim

----- ALTERNATE & FEATURE BOUTS

27:14 A rundown of the alternate...

NOTE: The slight echo in the audio is resolved after the second fight or so. Thanks for your patience!

Keith and Ben preview UFC Atlanta with detailed predictions and picks for all 13 fights. Watch out for a couple of consensus upset picks and brace yourselves for the widest betting line you'll see in the Octagon all year! There is some of the usual side chatter, including fond reminiscences of Anderson Silva's rise to UFC greatness. 

Still, it is worth noting what was not mentioned during the entire preview of U...

Mike Pendleton joins Sean as they preview the upcoming Professional Fighters League 2025 Semifinals. Sean and Mike talk about the new wrinkles PFL added to this season's format—including single elimination from Day 1—and whether those changes have benefited the fighters and fans. They then recap the opening round events and give a primer for the semifinals in each division, which kick off June 12.

0:00 PFL 2025: Win Or Go Home

7:20 Did PFL make a mistake by holding its top fighters out of the brackets?

15:47 PFL 1: Welterweights and Featherweights

20:15 PFL 2: Bantamweights and...

Dev is joined by Sherdog contributor Dayne Fox as they pick through the wreckage of UFC Vegas 107, speculate on whether Jon Jones is in fact retired, and then preview the top bouts scheduled for UFC 316 this weekend.

0:00 Intro

----- OUT WITH THE OLD: UFC VEGAS 107

1:06 Maycee Barber stands Erin Blanchfield up

----- WHAT'S HOT

18:15 So...is Jon Jones retired?

----- IN WITH THE NEW: UFC 316

31:04 Joshua Van vs. Bruno Silva

42:45 Patchy Mix vs. Mario Bautista

53:40 Julianna Pena vs...

Professional Fighters League's newest bantamweight signee, Caolan Loughran (12-2), talked to Sean about why he left the UFC off a win. The 29-year-old from Northern Ireland discussed the differences between the top two promotions in the sport, gave some frank opinions on how the sport is changing for young up-and-comers, and shared the feeling of being introduced to fans of his new promotion in a Belfast arena.

Keith and Ben preview UFC 316 with detailed predictions and picks for all 13 fights. With a stacked card topped by two bantamweight title bouts, there wasn't as much side talk as usual, but the theme of unfair standards and double standards in MMA kept coming up. Those included: the distinction between a fighter's personal and professional appeal, the extra burden placed on stars from other promotions making their UFC debuts, and the way we forgive and forget questionable behavior by beloved fighters. Duffy also does a... so-so impression of a certain famous cage announcer.

0:00 Intro...

Ahead of his clash with Ramiz Brahimaj on May 31, "The Welsh Gangster" talked to Sean about what it's like to be less than two weeks out from a fight, about his 3-0 start in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and whether he felt written off after his pair of early-career losses in the UK.

After recapping the top fights from UFC Vegas 106, Devin discusses Jon Jones, who doubled down this week on his choice to do...nothing...and former Bellator MMA bantamweight champ Patrick Mix, who has parted ways with Professional Fighters League and is UFC-bound.

0:00 Intro

----- OUT WITH THE OLD: UFC VEGAS 106

1:28 Michael Morales absolutely wrecks Gilbert Burns

9:28 Melquizael Costa survives Julian Erosa—and a nasty toe injury

14:05 Jared Gordon checks Thiago Moises' chin after showing off his own

----- WHAT'S HOT

...

Sean is back with his top bets for the week including a couple of tempting plus-money lines from Oktagon 71 and a trio of solid props from UFC Vegas 106.

0:00 Recap of last week's bets

----- OKTAGON 71

3:34 Bet 1: Denis Frimpong

7:41 Bet 2: Pavol Langer

12:15 More lines and general advice for Oktagon 71

----- UFC VEGAS 106

14:09 Bet 3: Michael Morales

19:35 Bet 4: Rodolfo Bellato

24:15 Flier of the Week: Julian Erosa

27:03 More lines and general advice for UFC Vegas 106

Oktagon MMA play-by-play man Bryan Lacey joined Sean to preview Oktagon 71, which takes place Saturday in Munich. The lads also discussed Oktagon's steady growth from Czech regional phenomenon into one of Europe's strongest promotions, with a talent base drawn from across the continent and over half its events this year likely to take place in Germany.

0:00 Intro

3:18 Oktagon's European Offensive: Where is the talent coming from, where is the promotion going?

7:07 Alexander Poppeck vs. Pavol Langer: Light heavyweight title eliminator?

14:52 Shaqueme Rock vs. Attila Korkmaz in a short-notice...

NOTE: Apologies for Ben's sound quality on this episode, as he was wrestling with a new computer. It improves around the 20 minute mark but it never gets great. We will do better next time!

Keith and Ben preview UFC Vegas 106 with detailed predictions and picks for all 12 fights. There is an unprecedented number of unanimous upset picks for you to take to the bank, and a few conversational sidetracks into such diverse subjects as 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Metallica, 2023 Holocaust drama film "One Life," Amish-style MMA training, and embattled former Olympic...

Ireland's own Sean Sheehan reacts to Paul Hughes' demolition of Bruno Miranda at 2025 PFL Europe 1.