After all of my belly-aching about the issues with the venue that is scheduled to host UFC Manchester, The Co-op Live is now set for it’s official launch on Tuesday May 14th. Chisanga Malata of Sun Sport joins the show to discuss all the concerns surrounding the venue, whether UFC have a contingency plan if things continue to go badly for the arena…

The U.S. start times for July 27’s UFC Manchester card should be the least of fans’ worries as the Co-op Live venue, the arena that is set to host the event, has been embroiled in a “fiasco” which has seen multiple high-profile concert cancelled. Petesy gives a timeline of what has happened with the arena, from gigs being cancelled as fans stand in…

Did UFC pack 299 and 300 with Brazilian stars to the point that they couldn’t possibly deliver a massive card in Rio this weekend for UFC 301? How much would Alex Pereira’s presence help the card and is Ian Machado Garry being embraced by the Brazilian people? “The Brazilian Beast,” also known as legendary MMA Fighting journalist Guilherme Cruz joi…

Paul “The Big News” Hughes returns to The Craic to reveal his dance partner for his PFL/Bellator debut, which will take place on June 22 at Dublin’s 3 Arena, the Irishman’s first appearance at the celebrated arena. Hughes discusses how it felt when the news of his signing was dropped in the middle of the night during the post-fight press conference…

The booking of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at Cowboy Stadium has coveted more outrage than any of Paul’s previous boxing adventures. Yet, the co-main event of the marquee belongs to Ireland’s beacon of sporting success, Katie Taylor, and her 2022 Madison Square Garden counterpart, Amanda Serrano. One of boxing journalism’s finest, Gavan Casey of the42…

PFL flexed their financial muscle with the signing of Paul Hughes over the weekend, but will the UFC continue to allow top their talent like the Irishman, Cedric Doumbé and reportedly Salahdine Parnasse slip through their fingers? The Trident of Knowledge - featuring Severe MMA’s Andy Stevenson and Bloody Elbow’s Donagh Corby - forms to the discuss…

SunSport journalist Chisanga Malata and Petesy have been discussing a potential UFC Manchester event since December on The Craic, but the event is yet to be confirmed. With Tom Aspinall present at UFC 300, and Chisanga on site at the event reporting, it felt like it was an open goal to announce the date that has been rumoured for the all-new Co-op …

Petesy is joined by U.K. correspondent for The Craic, the legendary Sun Sport journalist, Chisanga Malata, to discuss his experience at UFC 300, that Max Holloway finish and the muted Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler announcement. With both lads hearing that McGregor had signed for the bout during the week, they were surprised - given the ample …

Following a drama-filled weekend for Petesy at Cage Warriors 170, the promotion’s president Graham Boylan reached out and the situation is now resolved. Petesy shares the timeline of events which led to the mending of the relationship, which will see him happily continue to cover the European organisation in the future. After that, the Trident of K…

Petesy recaps a weekend where he was banned from Cage Warriors 170, became the subject of a baffling “gag”, jousted for his event credential and ultimately witnessed a fantastic night for Irish MMA. Petesy recaps his online and in-person interactions with Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan and speaks to newly crowned welterweight champion James …

Aside from Paul Hughes’ looming free agency, one of the main talking points going into Cage Warriors 170 is Team Ryano vying for a Cage Warriors title for the first time since 2013, when the legendary Neil Seery clinched flyweight gold. Speaking to Andy Ryan, Petesy discusses the golden era of the sport which occurred around the same time while the…

Paul Hughes not being signed by the UFC has been one of the great mysteries on the European scene for the past number of years. Ahead of his first round knockout of Jan Quaeyhaegens at Cage Warriors 161, Hughes revealed that he had turned down a short notice debut with the promotion and an opportunity to compete on TUF due to injury. Now, before he…

Former Cage Warriors champions Caolan Loughran and Rhys McKee join The Craic ahead of must-win fights at UFC Atlantic City. Rhys McKee discusses being away from his new-born daughter for the first time, why he is particularly excited about fighting Chidi Njokuani and how this camp feels different to he previous ones. Caolan discusses the influx of …

On The Craic, we’ve previously heard about what Ilia Topuria means to Spanish MMA and the broader Hispanic MMA community, but we have never got the perspective from his true homeland, Georgia. Today, Petesy is joined by celebrated Georgian mixed-martial-arts journalist, Giorgi Kokiashvili of Setanta Sports, to discuss how the sport has exploded in …

Another road edition of The Craic saw Petesy pull a 19-hour shift, part of which he was joined by Donagh Corby as they embarked on a trip up north for Bellator Belfast. Petesy speaks to the legendary Dan Hardy, number one contender to Johnny Eblen's middleweight crown Fabian Edwards, Irish boxing royalty Mick Conlan and the Score's Nick Baldwin. He…

Former Cage Warriors lightweight champion and a legend of the Irish scene, Joe McColgan joins the The Craic for the very first time to take a look back at his career and to underline the lack of regret he has in terms of not making it to the UFC. A Belfast native, McColgan highlights his surprise that the upcoming Bellator card has not generated mu…

The Trident of Knowledge form with Donagh Corby and Andy Stevenson returning to The Craic to discuss Omran Chabaan of Team KF and Paddy McCorry of FAI being announced as cast members for the upcoming season of TUF, which begins filming in a little over a week’s time. The trio shed light on the fighters careers up until this point, consider whether …

Michael Venom Page had a perfect introduction to his new promotion at UFC 299. From his spectacular homage to the Undertaker in his entrance, to his signature showboating in the Octagon and his unanimous decision win over Kevin Holland, it went about as well as it could. However, in the post-fight press conference, Dana White underlined that he was…

The stoppage in the main event of PFL Paris may have been the least interesting thing Petesy experienced on his trip to the City of Light. Petesy gives his take on the passion of the fan base, the (wild) enthusiasm of the media and explains why he feels MMA has gone mainstream in France in a way that it never did in the U.K. and Ireland. He also ex…

Cedric Doumbé’s debut for PFL in Paris last year was one of the great moments of 2023. In his first showcase since, the kickboxing champion looks to remain undefeated when he clashes with an opponent from his old stomping ground, MMA Factory, who also represents the toughest test of his MMA carer to date, the undefeated Baysangur “Baki” Chamsoudino…

Ilia Topuria has become an overnight sensation in Spain on the back of his UFC 298 title win over Alexander Volkanovski. Since returning home he has been received by the President of Spain, been given a hero’s welcome at the Santiago Bernabéu and has had record-breaking appearances on one of Spain’s most beloved primetime TV shows. The great Gonzal…

Friend of the podcast, Philip O’Connor, is one of the most experienced sports journalists Ireland has ever produced. Having covered stars from all different backgrounds on the biggest stages in the world - including World Cups and Olympic Games - we ask, what must Ian Machado Garry and his team do to win back favour among the Irish fan base and Iri…

After his sensational debut on The Craic last week ahead of Ilia Topuria’s title capture at UFC 298, Danny Segura of Hablemos MMA and MMA Junkie returns from Mexico City to discuss the implications of Yair Rodriguez’s showdown with Brian Ortega in the co-main event of this weekend’s UFC card. Segura gives insight into the reaction amongst Hispanic …

The fantastic Dublin duo of Donagh Corby and Andy Stevenson return to The Craic to give their thoughts on Ian Machado Garry’s UFC 298 performance. The trio - who would prefer to be referred to as “The Trident of Knowledge” hence forth - discussed Machado Garry’s appearance on The MMA Hour, the need for him to engage broader Irish media outside of t…

Donagh Corby returns to The Craic to discuss whether Ian Garry is gaining the same traction among Irish MMA fans compared to the country’s other UFC charges. The D15 duo give their thoughts on Garry’s clash with Geoff Neal, contemplate the Dubliner’s readiness for the Anaheim date compared to his last scheduled outing with Vicente Luque amidst the …

The great Danny Segura of the Hablemos MMA Podcast and MMA Junkie joins Petesy Carroll to discuss how Ilia Topuria has become a star in his adopted home of Spain. Segura discusses how Topuria has garnered mainstream coverage nationally and how his dreams of competing at the home of Real Madrid, Santiago Bernabéu, may be a reality. With pound-for-po…

Farah Hannoun of MMA Junkie has given the French MMA scene a bigger spotlight than anyone across the major MMA publications. Joining the The Craic this week, she gives her take on Paris being the new capital of European MMA and debates whether PFL’s Cedric Doumbé is more popular than former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou nationally. The v…

Petesy take us behind the scenes of an upcoming project he is working on with surging apparel powerhouse, Montirex, which will focus on the crown jewel of U.K. MMA, Leon Edwards.Kirjoittanut Petesy Carroll

Rhys McKee returned to The Craic to discuss his March 30th date with seasoned veteran Chidi Njokuani who returns to welterweight for the first time since 2016 when they meet in Atlantic City. McKee shares his feelings on becoming father, the Irish contingent that are said to be arriving in Atlantic City to support him and Caolan Loughran and the tr…

During the pandemic, Jack Cartwright was bantamweight champion of Cage Warriors and considered one of the best prospects in European MMA. After a forgettable DQ win over Sylwester Miller, the word was that the Manchester native would be given an opportunity on Contender Series to prove he was UFC calibre. The opportunity came a whopping seventeen m…

Caolan Loughran was dealt an almighty swich-a-roo in his UFC debut last September in Paris which resulted in his first professional defeat. Now, booked for his sophomore outing against Angel Pacheco in Atlantic City on March 30, he has ventured to Arizona for a three-week training camp at Fight Ready, the stomping ground of UFC champions like Henry…

After their lofty aspirations for the proposed UFC Manchester in July, Petesy Carroll welcomed back U.K. journalist Chisanga Malata so they could walk back their hopes of joint headline event with Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall at the top of the bill. Following the devastating news of Irish flyweight Ryan Curtis suffering a career-ending injury last…

Six months ago, it felt like a UFC Dublin event in 2024 was bound to happen. Now, at the turn of the year, it seems highly unlikely that the UFC will return to mark the tenth anniversary of the historic 2014 show which marked the emergence of Conor McGregor as a household name and the greater Irish Invasion for the promotion. Petesy is joined by Ir…

Ahead of his meeting with Tyson Fury, the boxing world ridiculed Francis Ngannou’s involvement in what they believed was a “gimmick” fight. Now, with the Anthony Joshua clash booked, Gavan Casey of the42.ie returns to discuss how Ngannou’s knockdown of Fury changed everything and how he could become number one contender to the heavyweight title wit…

Following Leon Edwards’ successful title defence against Colby Covington, Petesy is joined by one of the best in the business, Chisanga Malata, who was at T-Mobile Arena to cover UFC 296 on Saturday night. Chisanga relives shocking remarks made at both UFC press conferences during the week, gives his take on UFC Manchester speculation and how impre…

Petesy is joined by UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards ahead of his UFC 296 clash with Colby Covington. “Rocky” discusses life as a champion, Colby Covington’s last chance at UFC gold, Donald Trump hoping he loses, Ian Garry and the rumoured UFC Manchester card. Petesy gives his take on the UFC Manchester rumours, talk quietening down on UFC Du…

Petesy Carroll is joined by Donagh Corby, Andy Stevenson and Dylan Tuke at 3 Arena to discuss PFL's inaugural Dublin event. Corby and Stevenson give their highlights of the night and Tuke talks his successful return to his hometown and being one of the big takeaways from the event. Petesy explains why the rest of the scene, outside of SBG, feel lik…

Ian Machado Garry and his wife/manager, Layla Anna Lee, have been the subject of a social media circus since mid-November. Despite their personal life being put under the microscope by sects of the MMA fanbase, Petesy and the king of Irish MMA media, Severe MMA’s Andy Stevenson, discuss whether the online noise could have an impact on his upcoming …

Petesy has been catching a lot of flack for being “negative” about PFL Dublin, so to toast the promotion’s arrival on the Emerald Isle, Petesy is joined by the king of Irish MMA media, Severe MMA’s Andy Stevenson, to discuss what they’re most excited about regarding the 3 Arena event. The lads discuss a new Finglas hero, Dylan back in Dublin, life …

When Bellator entered the Irish market in 2016, MMA was in a boom period on the back of Conor McGregor’s success in the UFC, which helped the promotion attract the attention of casual sports fans to its 3 Arena events. With PFL set to enter the Irish market next week, sentiment for MMA in the country is relatively low with Conor McGregor - the main…

Two days after the tragedy that became the catalyst Dublin riots on Thursday, the atmosphere around Katie Taylor’s second headline clash with Chantelle Cameron felt a bit flat. Yet, when all was said and done, the iconic Irish fighter put a smile back on the nation’s face with a spell-binding performance at 3 Arena. Leading Irish boxing journalist …

After his epic promo ahead of their first meeting, legendary Irish journalist Philip O’Connor returns to The Craic to share his feelings on the rematch between Chantelle Cameron and Katie Taylor at Dublin’s 3 Arena on Saturday night. O’Connor underlines his belief that Taylor’s homecoming has been mismanaged, how he believes she is rightfully the u…

Petesy is joined by fighter/wrestler/actor/podcaster/explorer Chris Bungard ahead of his highly anticipated clash with Perry Goodwin at at the near-sold-out Cage Warriors 164 event, which takes place on Saturday in Newcastle. Bungard discusses his camp in Las Vegas alongside fellow Leather’d hosts Paul Craig and Ross Cooper, how he feels fighting a…

Following on from a massive night for U.K. MMA in New York with Tom Aspinall clinching heavyweight gold, Paul Craig becomes the first Scot to headline a UFC card when he faces Brendan Allen in his second fight at middleweight. Craig gives insight on the confidence he’s gained from seeing his training partner crowned champion at Madison Square Garde…

A stadium show in the summer of 2024 in the U.K. could give MMA a bigger spotlight than it’s ever had in the U.K. and Ireland, and with both Tom Aspinall and Leon Edwards currently holding titles, there is no better time to do it for the UFC. Legendary Craic campaigner and a frontrunner for U.K. combat sports media, Chisanga Malata, returns to the …

What was the first thing U.K. martial-arts O.G. Andy Aspinall taught his son when he began to teach him self defence? Do. Not. Get. Hit. The childhood teachings of his father will ring truer than ever on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden when the golden boy of English MMA takes on the thunderous stopping power of Sergei Pavlovich for the inte…

Petesy Carroll is joined by journalist John S. Nash who has been at the forefront of the reportage of a class action lawsuit in which over 1200 fighters are suing Zuffa for billions of dollars in wages. Last week, the ninth circuit court of appeals denied Zuffa’s request to appeal the lawsuit, which means there is one less hurdle for the class acti…

Joining The Craic today is Alex Pattle of the Independent, who broke the news that Ian Garry has been asked not to return to the home of the UFC welterweight champion, Leon Edwards. Pattle discusses conducting the interview with Garry, how he thinks the Irish welterweight feels about the situation and ponders whether it’s all that shocking consider…

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn returns to The Craic to give his first hand account of covering Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. What was it like to see Fury hit the canvas in the third? How did the boxing media react to the fight? Is Francis Ngannou the most valuable commodity in combat sports today and did the Kingdom of Saudi Arabi…

Joining the show from Saudi Arabia, MMA media stalwart Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie gives his take on all things Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou. How does Saudi Arabia compare to Las Vegas as a location? Is Ngannou too happy to be there? Does Tyson Fury REALLY think they both have a 50/50 chance and what impact could a quick knockout loss have on Ngannou…