Urijah Faber on Josh Hokit, Nate Diaz, UFC White House & Adin Ross Fight Offer

Summary

DOUBLE COVERAGE PODCAST — Episode 20 Summary

Date: May 12, 2026
Guest: Urijah Faber (UFC Hall of Famer, "The California Kid")
Host: Mystic Zach
Main Theme:
An expansive conversation with Urijah Faber covering the rise of collegiate MMA, the evolution of combat sports business, the Sacramento fight scene, legendary stories with the Diaz brothers and boxing icons, breaking down upcoming MMA events, and notable appearances in influencer fight promotions.

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1. Overview

This episode features a candid, packed, and often humorous conversation between Mystic Zach and Urijah Faber. They discuss the innovation of college-level MMA programs, iconic fight stories, the business trajectory of combat sports, and thoughts on both legacy and rising stars. The conversation includes memorable quotes, personal stories, industry insights, and a deep dive into upcoming events. Faber also offers behind-the-scenes stories on high-profile personalities including Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, and Adin Ross, while discussing influencer fights and Sacramento’s thriving MMA community.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. MMA Comes to College: The Sac State "Battle at the Hive"

• [00:48] Urijah Faber describes the first-ever university combat sports program at Sacramento State, reflecting on its potential to change the sport:
  • "It's been two years now. We got guys and girls that are traveling from all over the world, getting assistance with visas and getting help with school and like, a real path to mixed martial arts. And so it's been big, man. I mean, it's been literally something that is hopefully going to change the game, period." — Urijah Faber, 01:22
• Collegiate MMA offers scholarships and an international talent path, with Faber collaborating with Sac State's President Luke Wood.

B. NorCal MMA Lineage: Diaz Brothers, Team Alpha Male

• [02:51] Faber shares anecdotes about the tight-knit NorCal MMA ecosystem:
  • Recently talked with Nate Diaz, who's focused on a big fight, and reminisces: "We've had some hilarious conversations throughout the years."
• The significance of Stockton and Team Alpha Male's impact on the scene.

C. Netflix's Big MMA Move & Upcoming Fights

• [02:59] Discussion on Netflix entering MMA with MVP/Jake Paul:
  • Faber praises the move: "They're taking talent that's super established and exciting... The fights are going to be great. You've got, you know, the Rousey-Gina Carano fight... they understand about getting attention."
• Upcoming main and co-main events:
  • Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry ("the people's main event"),
  • Ngannou as lineal heavyweight champ,
  • Rousey vs. Carano ("for the female GOAT designation"), with context that Gina Carano was a true pioneer.
  • "Nate representing. He looks huge... got his old man strength." — Urijah Faber, 03:08

D. Fight Styles & Toughness: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry

• [05:36] Faber analyses the matchup:
  • "He's like, if you find your purpose in life, him in gritty, like, tough situations is like his calling... But Diaz is well rounded, very savvy, energy-zapping style... I think Nate's gonna be the favorite."
• [07:21] Remarks on Diaz's career choices: Opted for money, turned down McGregor trilogy.
• [08:00] Humorous story about Nate thinking $15,000 fight purse made him "rich," illustrating fighter finances and personal growth.

E. War Stories: The Diaz Brothers, Zab Judah, & Floyd Mayweather

• [10:47]–[15:09] Tales of run-ins with boxing legends Zab Judah & Floyd Mayweather in random Vegas gyms:
  • "Floyd's talking in third person... he was saying, 'I get $3 million every time I lace them up...'" — Urijah Faber, 13:53
• Reflections on the fight scene, personalities, and crossing paths—including MMA fighters battling with and against their friends.

F. The Evolution of Promotions: WEC, UFC, & Weight Classes

• [18:00]–[22:58] Faber breaks down the sporting history:
  • On fighting before lighter weights were recognized: "If I wanted to fight, I was fighting on Indian reservations, King of the Cage... just trying to claim that I was the best lightweight fighter."
  • Explains the WEC’s legacy, its buyout by the UFC, and the lightweight pipeline of stars.
  • On near-glory: "I had four attempts at the UFC title... finally when I was able to get into the UFC, they just first took the WC name off."

G. Career Reflections: Fan Pop, Favorite Fights, and Aging in Combat

• [24:56]–[27:02] On career highlights:
  • "Most of my big moments were fights in California for sure, or in my hometown."
  • Ricky Simon comeback in Sacramento described as addicting and fan-based, but not the pinnacle.
• On aging fighters:
  • "I'll be 47 next month... going against Henry Cejudo, who's 10 years younger and the first ever Olympic champion."
  • Discusses returning for Real American Freestyle (RAF), competitive spirit, and putting the sport on the map.

H. Real American Freestyle (RAF) Wrestling

• [27:47]–[33:07] Faber explains the RAF’s potential to make wrestling a true pro sport in America:
  • Praises the blend of social influencers, real pay, pro wrestling format, fan engagement.
  • "Now they can go up there and be like, I can someday be on the big stage. That's what needs to happen... I'm excited for Real American Freestyle, I promise."

I. Influencer Fight Offers: Adin Ross, Bob Menery, Johnny Manziel

• [33:07]–[36:43] Faber discusses influencer promotions and fight offers (Aiden Ross’ Branders Promotion, May 23 at UFC Apex):
  • Adin Ross asked Faber to fight Gabe Silva (Anderson Silva's son) for his streamer event.
  • "I don't think they're paying enough for me... I'll box, but for real money, you know." — Urijah Faber, 35:43
• Bob Menery vs. Johnny Manziel match: thoughts on odds, backstories, and promoter Dana White betting Bob won't show up.

J. Social Media & Content Trends in Combat Sports

• [37:46]–[39:42]
  • Conversation shifts to longform versus shortform content.
  • Importance of YouTube, Facebook reels, and how fighters and personalities stay relevant through creators and viral moments.
  • Mystic Zach: "We've moved from the short form stuff to now the long form... 30 plus minutes, that's what brands want."

K. UFC at the White House

• [39:48]–[41:19]
  • Discussion of the historic White House UFC card featuring Pereira, Topuria, O'Malley, Josh Hokit, Gaethje.
  • Faber: "It's pretty crazy how tied in mixed martial arts is to world... But now MMA is a prominent piece of the landscape, which is crazy and really cool... I would never have thought that it'd be at this state right now."
  • Acknowledges Trump's involvement and the sport's mainstream surge.

L. Urijah Faber’s Promotion: A1 Combat & Talent Pipeline

• [42:26] Faber discusses A1 Combat:
  • Promotes Battle at the Hive, Sac State event, and fights in Macau.
  • "We're holding a bunch of events. We're like the promotion in California trying to find top talent, sending, you know, future stars to the ufc."

M. Spotlight on Josh Hokit

• [42:52]–[44:13] Faber's take on Josh Hokit:
  • "Personality over the moon and, and he's a dog... he's going to be a big star, man. He's got, like, the WWE kind of aura about him and. But then he can back it up, so I'm excited for him. I'm a fan for sure, dude."
  • Comments on his fighting mindset and star potential.

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Diaz and Finances:
  • “Nate's like, I’m rich. You know, he thinks he’s rich. He has no idea what $15,000 is. So he’s like, I’m gonna get my mom a house, I’m getting a car… And then he said… 'Bro, we’re dumb.’” — Urijah Faber, 08:29
• On the influencer fight circuit:
  • "Adin [Ross] just hit me up... wanted me to fight Anderson Silva's son or something like that... I don't think they're paying enough for me." — Urijah Faber, 35:26
• On addictive feeling of fighting at home:
  • "Those moments are the things that you kind of miss, you know, is like the actual moments where you're like, like you're a star at that time." — Urijah Faber, 26:18
• On the growth of MMA:
  • “I would never have thought that it'd be at this state right now. And I'm pumped for it.” — Urijah Faber, 40:26
• On Josh Hokit:
  • “He’s got, like, the WWE kind of aura about him and... he can back it up, so I’m excited for him. I’m a fan for sure, dude.” — Urijah Faber, 43:03

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4. Important Timestamps and Segments

• [00:48] — Battle at the Hive and collegiate MMA program
• [03:08] — Netflix's MMA entry & Rousey vs. Carano
• [05:36] — Analysis: Diaz vs. Perry
• [08:29] — Nate Diaz 'rich' story
• [13:53] — Vegas stories: Zab Judah, Mayweather
• [18:00] — WEC/UFC lightweight discussion
• [24:56] — Fighting into 40s, comeback reflections
• [27:47] — Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling
• [33:07] — Adin Ross’s fight offer & influencer fight scene
• [39:48] — UFC White House card
• [42:26] — Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat promotion
• [42:52] — Josh Hokit’s future

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5. Tone and Style

• Conversational, often humorous, full of inside stories but accessible explanations.
• Faber’s tone: proud of his role as a trailblazer but humble, supportive of the sport's growth, and always game for the next challenge.
• Zach: enthusiastic, informed, and occasionally awe-struck by the depth of Faber's legacy and storytelling.

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6. Summary Takeaway

This episode captures the energy and history of MMA through the eyes of one of its foremost pioneers. Urijah Faber shares insights on the business, evolution, and soul of combat sports, championing the next generation, and revealing the raw, sometimes hilarious stories that make the fight game so magnetic. Whether breaking down fights, remembering wild Vegas nights, or discussing streaming empires, Faber’s voice is authentic and candid—a fitting portrait of a fighter whose influence outlasts his competitive prime.

Transcript

[Uriah Faber]

Ready to bet, ready to flex beyond his at you see where it's at, come tune in. We on stream with a chat. You can micro parson get you a sack some of my coverage. We double coverage and this is the anthem.

[Mystic Zach]

What's up, guys? Mystic Zach here. Welcome Back to episode 20 of Double Coverage. Today I'm joined by UFC hall of Famer, the California Kid, Mr. Uriah Faber.

[Uriah Faber]

What's up, brother? Thanks for having me. Thanks for hanging out.

[Mystic Zach]

Thanks for letting me into your city. My first time in Sacramento.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, I mean, this is, you know, we're right on the busy street. There's probably some, some funky folks walking around, but we'll take, we'll take a look at the rest of Sacramento after this.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, no, there were some potential, like, world star moments out there. I was, I was checking out the scene before we got here. But I think we'll have more fun tonight.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. We got a battle at the Hive tonight. So this is the first ever combat program out of university, and they're gonna have a bunch of college kids fighting each other. It's right up your alley.

[Mystic Zach]

It is. We have Mike Tyson on, and he's really fighting to get the youth into boxing. And talked about, we talked about how much you gain out of box. I know because I was boxing as a kid. I mean, in terms of respect, confidence, everything. Getting into combat, what can getting MMA as a potential chance for college scholarship do for kids?

[Uriah Faber]

I mean, it's big, especially at the college level. There's never been anything like this. Luckily, President Luke Wood came in, like, hot with a passion for boxing, a passion for mixed martial arts. My gym, as you guys will see later, is like, literally right across the street from the university. You can walk on campus. And he was like, you know, there's already a relationship here. There's people that are coming from all over the US all over the world to Sacramento to be a part of my gym. And. And a couple of the students reached out to him and he was like, bro, let's make a thing a thing. And we instantly kind of clicked and threw this thing into fruition. And it's been two years now. We got guys and girls that are traveling from all over the world, getting assistance with visas and getting help with school and like, a real path to mixed martial arts. And so it's been big, man. I mean, it's been literally something that is hopefully going to change the game, period.

[Mystic Zach]

You Shaq, Mike Bibby.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. Sac State's no joke, man. We're just like you know, making headlines and, you know, getting some big names involved. And it's the first time for Sac State. Like, we need a little, you know, a little clout in the, in the sack area. It's like we get no love, you know, and that's changing. So I'm pumped for that.

[Mystic Zach]

No, me too. It's always been like a hot spot for mma, especially with you and what you do. Team Alpha male. And then the. The Diaz brothers and Stockton, 209.

[Uriah Faber]

So, yeah, I just talked to Nate this morning. He was going to try to come join us, but he said he's jam packed until the fight.

[Mystic Zach]

It's a big fight.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, it's a huge fight.

[Mystic Zach]

I mean, Netflix getting into mixed Martial arts, teaming up with MVP and Jake Paul. What do you think of that? Do you think they have a real shot at making an imprint in mma?

[Uriah Faber]

I mean, first off, absolutely. Without getting into details of why. J just. The answer is yes to anybody that believes in themselves. And they're doing the right recipe. They've got experts involved. They're taking talent that's super established and exciting. The fights are going to be great. You've got, you know, the Rousey Gina Carano fight. And you got, you know, Nate, Nate representing. He looks huge, by the way. That's why I told him. I was like, man, he got his old man strength. Like, he's literally like filled out. He used to be so super skinny. I mean, I've trained with that guy for years. But these guys are, you know, they understand about getting attention. Promotion is all about getting attention, making sure that people are, you know, putting their eyes on it, willing to tune in, and they're gonna, you know, start in the right direction with some big money, some big players. And that's really what needs to happen, is a little competition.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, I mean, you got Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry, which is the people's main event. Yeah, I mean, you don't do better than that from entertainment violence. You talk about BMF, those are two BMFs.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Co main event. The lineal heavyweight champ, Ngannou. I mean, that's. He might. He has a potential someone whenever he gets in there.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah, he's a dangerous dude.

[Mystic Zach]

And then main event, Rousey making a return. One of the biggest stars in the history of the sport. You got an action star in Gina Carano. People have been wanting to see get back in there.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, they did their thing. Gina. I mean, for those that don't know about Gina, she was a real pioneer in the female sport. Her and I were actually in a documentary on MSNBC that kicked off both of our careers, like, way back, like maybe 2006 or so called Warrior Nation. And, you know, her dad was like, an NFL quarterback. They own the Chrono Wineries and they have casinos out in Reno. Like, she's got a very unique background to be an attractive female that decided to take this path for. For a career. So that history alongside Rousey and what she brings to the table, I mean, I'm excited for that fight, but like you said, the people's fight is, you know, the two bad boys, and they're gonna be yelling at each other off, hopefully see some big knockdowns and. And a fight that's all over the place. I'm pumped for that.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. Perry's favored, is he? Yeah, he is. He's hitting love.

[Uriah Faber]

You know, Perry's like. He's like, if you find your purpose in life, him in gritty, like, tough situations are like. Is like his calling. He's. You know, even the fact he took out Luke Rockhold and Bare Knuckle, he became like the bare knuckled guy. I wouldn't have thought that somebody could be made for that sport specifically, because he was a pretty good MMA fighter and he's pretty good at everything else, but that, like, speaks his, you know, speaks to his soul. The bare knuckle, you know, teeth getting knocked out and this and that. But Diaz is. He's very, very well rounded, very savvy. He's unassuming because the way he fights is like. It's like a energy zapping style. It's like in your face, it's gonna be like, touch. It's volume. It's never compounding energy. So he's never gonna get, like, jump into a big shot. He's gonna always roll with the punches. So I think. I think Nate's gonna be the favorite.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. In my. I mean, this is a guy who sparred with Andre Ward and is a legit Gracie black belt.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. And I mean. And he loves to fight.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

I mean, Perry has that in his. In his. In his back pocket that he actually loves to get punched into. Punch people. Like, not everyone's. I wasn't that guy. I was like, I'm gonna hit you. You're not gonna hit me.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

You know, and. And he. He'll, like, bite down and get after it. Nate's the same way. So, you know, these guys both love to fight, and they're both going to bring a different element of competition here. Because they're both kind of like, you know, make it personal in the moment. So I'm excited for that fight, but I think Nate. I think Nate will get this one for sure.

[Mystic Zach]

Me too. And Trey's. Nate was like, said the UFC offered him the McGregor trilogy, and he chose this.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, well, it's because of the money, you know, and that's what you have to do to compete. Like, I had. I wish Nate was here today with us because we've had some hilarious conversations throughout the years. But my favorite conversation I ever had with Nate was about his comprehension of finances, which was zip zero. Him and his brother, like, growing up, he's like, we lived with our mom. We never paid for anything. We just were just kids, you know? And he said. He went on the Ultimate Fighter show and he won, like, 15,000 bucks. And he. We're sitting at the airport, like, we just happen to be there together. And so we're in the lounge just chilling, like, BSing, and he says. He goes, yeah, I'm looking at Dana, and Dana's like, you know, hey, congratulations. Check for 15,000 bucks. And Nate's like, I'm rich. You know, he thinks he's rich. He has no idea what $15,000 is. So he's like, I'm gonna get my mom a house. I'm gonna get my. I'm getting a car. I'm getting my mom a house, this and that. And he. And he says his buddy owned a car dealership. And he, like, shows up to the dealership, and he's, like, looking around, and. And his dad. His friend's like, what are you looking at? He's like. He's like, I want that. And he points to, like, a badass car, and he's like, well, how much. How much you working with? He's like, I got 15,000 bucks. And the guy was like, let me show you over here. And he, like, quickly got, like, a reality check on, like, what the going on? Then he said. He said. He said, I went to my brother, and I said, man, we're dumb. We. That's what he said, bro. But these guys have leveled up their life skills. They've leveled up, you know, what money means to them. What's a lot? What's a little. Just, you know, through the school, hard knocks and being in the business, so they're going to take the bigger payday. And for those guys, the door is always open, you know, it's because they're real. You know, He.

[Mystic Zach]

When he fought Jake, I was like, team Jake. And I was back there, and we have a friend, D Cut. Likes to, like, rattle the other team or whatever. And he was trying that with the Diaz camp.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Also, I hear screaming and yelling. Like, what is that? Like, it's D Cut with the Diaz brothers. Like, I'm not going out there. I sat down and waited for him to come back. I'm good. I'm good. After they fought his. He's got some. He's got a rough crew.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

They were like, I guess some of Jake's guys are getting into it. I have, like, this friend. He's like a car dealer. He's not trying to fight anyone. One of them bare knucklehead was like, I'm gonna you up. He's like, ah. I started running.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

I was with Zab Judah. Nate comes up. He's like, zab, you're my favorite fighter ever, man. I love you.

[Uriah Faber]

He was super cool, but there's levels to the game of. Of, you know. You know, and those guys are not like, they described it well. Nick was like. Like, the school didn't work out for him. He's like. Like, I was fighting all the time. And they're like, why don't you just, you know, not fight? He's like, well, in where we're from, you either fought or you're gonna be the. And you're gonna get picked on every single day. And I kept saying, you know, he didn't want to fight, but it's like, you got to stand up for yourselves. And so they're. They're. They're good guys. Like. Like, Nate's a family man. He's, you know, their grandfather was the track coach at their. Their high school, but they're in a rough place, and they're not going to be, you know.

[Mystic Zach]

No, definitely not. Don't accuse them of that.

[Uriah Faber]

So it's. Yeah, it's. It's a. It's an interesting dynamic, for sure.

[Mystic Zach]

No, they're MMA royalty, so. Yeah, I mean, getting to see him back is awesome. I saw Nick. He was, like, grappling with Tyson Fury in my. That was crazy. Yeah, he was grappling with Tyson Fury in the ring. That's. He was super nice to everyone. Super cool. What's up, guys? Mystic Zach here, AKA your host, double coverage, AKA the biggest sports fan in the world. There's no company that lets you rep sports better than Fathead. They've got you covered when it comes to the NFL, the NBA, the mlb, the NHL, college sports, they allow you to rep your favorite team, whether you're Bills Mafia, Raider Nation, or my favorite team, Cowboys Nation. Growing up, I had a DEZ Bryant Fathead that sat above my wall every single day. And Fathead, I can personally say, is one of my favorite companies out there. And if you're a true sports fan like me, you'll love their product. Go to fathead.com show us love. Tell them Ms. Exact sent you. Please fathead.com I support this product and I personally endorse their stuff because I love it.

[Uriah Faber]

Did you say, did you say you, you were with Zab Judah?

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, I was, dude.

[Uriah Faber]

I had the best experience with Zab Judah. Zab Judah, I think wrestled a little bit in high school and his dad's a kickboxer, right? And so. Well, back when I first started fighting, I did, I was like 2005 or so 2004. I was in Vegas for like a long stint and I was actually with my buddy who was dating a stripper. And I went out there to stay with, I was with Randy Couture and I brought my high school girlfriend at the time and we all shared a room with Randy. Randy had like nine people in his little double bed room in Mandalay Bay. And Chuck Liddell fought Tito Ortiz. And so we started out with, with staying with Randy for the fight week, which was cool. And then my buddy wanted to stay with his girlfriend and her girlfriend. And slowly our like living conditions got worse and worse and we were hanging out with his. Next thing you know, it's like five days in and I hadn't like seen the, the light of day in a couple days. I'm like, what the on? So we're going to 24 Hour Fitness in the middle of the night. And Zab Judah and Floyd Mayweather like were there at the same time as us. Like 10, probably like 10:30, 11 at night. And they have a one on one basketball game. And we're like in the locker room with Zab. Zab was cool. Floyd's talking in third person saying it must have been a long time ago because he was saying, I get $3 million every time I lace up, every time I lace them up and blah, blah, blah. And then they had their whole crews there and they had this one on one basketball game. And I just happened to be there like midnight at 24 Hour Fitness. They no one knew who I was because I was new in my career. And, and looking back, I'm like, man, that was like some forced gump.

[Mystic Zach]

That's crazy.

[Uriah Faber]

So it's crazy.

[Mystic Zach]

So I, I grew up with Zab he's from Brownsville, like Shannon. So my dad was super cool with him one time. My dad's really fast for a white guy.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Running or running? Running. He's like a very good sprinter for a white guy.

[Uriah Faber]

And Zab, every time he's gonna say, there's some fast white guys out there.

[Mystic Zach]

Well, just, you know, compared to Judah, you can't.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Zab's like, you can't ever mess with me. My dad's like, all right, let me get a 10 yard head start. So they went and like in a little street, whatever, and they boom. Tab blew by him. And I was like, holy. Never seen someone run that fast. Yeah, that's funny. Zab's blazing. But I love Zab. Yeah, we went to the Jake Fight, Tailor Love, Zap. And Floyd's always been super cool too.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, he was cool. He was always cool to me. I. I ran into.

[Mystic Zach]

And that's how he talks.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah, he's in third person. He's hyping himself up. Well, what, what was happening was that it was at the same time as the, the national wrestling tournament. So there was like, Floyd's pretty ripped, but he's not ripped. Like the world class wrestlers that are cutting weight, like professionally cutting weight. So we're in there with all these ripped dudes and he was like sizing everyone up and he was saying, I'm. I'm hubbed up like a, like a wrestler too. Difference is I get $3 million when I strap him up. 6. So he was like, you know, talking himself up, but also a little intimidated probably. And yeah, it was a frigging hilarious. Hilarious interaction that I'll never forget. And then I met him another time and he was, you know, his uncles liked to watch me fight. Cause I had the cornrows and whatnot. So he said something about that. Yeah, he's.

[Mystic Zach]

I saw the Heat tunnel like a few years ago. He was like, I'm the best ever. No one will ever with me. And it was like we were just all chilling. I'm like, you're good. We believe you. 50 and. Oh, we get it. Oh, he was going on and on. I was like, okay, all right. A.B. was there like, oh, Jesus, it's a crazy crew. But that's funny, both those guys. It's crazy.

[Uriah Faber]

So are you going to go to the, the MVP fights?

[Mystic Zach]

I'm going. Are you going?

[Uriah Faber]

I haven't, I haven't got tickets yet. I haven't thought about it yet. When is it?

[Mystic Zach]

It's this coming Saturday it's May 16th.

[Uriah Faber]

Oh, no, I'm soon. I'm marrying my bro. My brother's getting married.

[Mystic Zach]

Oh, congrats.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, thanks.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

But I'm going tonight. You coming tonight, too?

[Mystic Zach]

Coming tonight? Yeah, Maybe I'll bring Zab next week.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. Oh, I'd love to see ZAB.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, I'll FaceTime after.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, it'd be cool, man. I literally. He was such a humble dude back in the day. And was he Olympic? Was he an Olympic boxer, too? I don't know if he box Olympics.

[Mystic Zach]

Six time world champion.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

And you just talked about how he and Floyd were friends and they still fought.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

And these boxers today, like Shakur and Keyshawn Davis, like, oh, we're friends. We're never gonna fight. He's like, oh, that's not real boxing, man. We were friends, but I thought I was the best. He thought he was the best. And we got it on.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. That's the way it should be.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

You've had some experiences like that?

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, a couple. I fought a lot. I fight quite a few of my friends, mostly. No, I fought them as I've been friends. I fought a guy, Scotty Jorgensen, that was a really good friend of mine, Eddie Wineland. I fought, you know, Brian Bowles and Charlie Valencia, all really good friends of mine. Buddy's with Dom now, you know. Yeah, we always had kind of a frenemy. Yeah. Frenemy relationship. We had some weird interactions at times, but, yeah, he's killing it.

[Mystic Zach]

We're talking about rampage. Killing it with streaming. Dom's killing it with podcasts.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, he's doing well. Yeah, I was his first guest, which is like, he kept hounding me, and he was like, bro, it's just fitting. You're the first guest. And we had a great podcast. And it was. You know who else was there at the same time? Travis Barker was there at the same time, and Travis and Domin and I. And Dom and I have history from way back in the day because Travis sponsored me first, and then I was going to do my own thing, and then they started sponsoring Dom. And this is back at, like, I don't know, it was MySpace or what the social media was at that time. But me and Dom were talking back and forth, and Travis chimed in, and I'm like, this is so funny. Like, 20 years later or whatnot. You know, doing the. Doing the podcast and we're all in the same room. It was fun reliving that.

[Mystic Zach]

What a trio.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. 1820 years later.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, it was nuts.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. We were talking about before we started the history of MMA promotions and kind of the minutiae of that, talking about, we see now that was the premier organization for the lighter weight classes.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. So the way it works and for those that don't know the history of our sport, I think it wasn't till around 2005 or so where mixed martial arts was even legal in the state of California before then. And that's why Dana have such a great relationship. Donald was one of the first guys that was letting Dana have UFC shows in big venues in states where it was legal. But there was a lot of places states that, that weren't okay with mixed martial arts. And it took a lot of politics and everything else. So Dana and Lorenzo bought the UFC I think around 2000, maybe 2004. So they did the Ultimate Fighter around that time, 2005, but before then it was pride in Japan and you know, it was like three events a year for the ufc. And since then the UFC has like know, dominated the space. They got billionaire family that are business savvy, that have a passion for mixed martial arts, a guy like Dana White that's, that's, you know, all in on the sport and knows business is street savvy. But there's been a lot of different organizations and the WC was one that UFC bought early on. So I, I was at a time where they didn't have my weight class in the UFC, the lightest weight class was 170 pounds. So I, if I wanted to fight, I was fighting on Indian reservations, King of the cage, Gladiator challenge, tko. I was doing one off fights wherever I could and just trying to like claim that I was the best lightweight fighter on the planet. One of the organizations I fought for was the wec and I fought for them at the Tachi palace out in on like Northern California. And that's the only place they have it. It was on, it was on high hdtv, which was Mark Cuban station. So Cuban was early in on the MMA sport. And so the, the WC was bought by Zufa, the UFC. And that's anybody that saw me on TV with it with the WC was under the UFC. So they had two opportunities to, to, you know, employ fighters. They had two sets of sponsors for drinks, two sets of TV deals. They employed, you know, all the lightweight fighters, 125s, 135s, 145s, 155. And at first they had a couple other weight classes like Chael Sonnen was Originally the champion at the wc and they eventually took away all the common weight classes and just had the WC as the lightweights until they emerged in 2011. So all the fights that happen on TV was the UFC running the WEC as the lightweight division.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. Like, people, there's a short list of incredible fighters who never got to be UFC champions.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

And your name's always like one of the brought up Chael as well.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

And she'll talk about like, when I beat Paulo Filo, I was the best on the planet.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

It just wasn't the UFC championship.

[Uriah Faber]

Right.

[Mystic Zach]

You know, and obviously we know Hendo Guy knocked out Fedor. I mean, it was a middleweight, so

[Uriah Faber]

obviously Hendo's the best, man. I love freaking Hendo.

[Mystic Zach]

And an Olympic wrestler.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. Olympic guy. Olympic wrestler that never wrestled.

[Mystic Zach]

That never wrestled. And just this right now, FU power. The Hendo bomb. Like, oh, my God.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. So the WC before, before we actually merged with the UFC officially, was actually the UFC still. So Demetrius Johnson's, Dominic Cruz, Jose Aldo, Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis, Cowboy Cerrone, you know, the list goes on of all the fighters that were the WC kind of royalty that eventually came over. And I had four attempts at the UFC title, but I didn't get into the UFC. They didn't merge until I was in my early 30s.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

So in my early 30s is finally when I was able to get into the. To the. To the UFC name. And they just first took the the WC name off of Jose Aldo vs Uriah Faber as a pay per view. It was the first WC pay per view. And then the next fight was Eddie. Was it. I forget. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie Guy. I fought for the first fight in the. In 135 pounds was in the UFC in New Jersey. And then Dominic and I fought for the first 135 pound title, which was a rematch. So I beat him at 145 pounds. He went down and won the 35 pound belt. And then we had the first title fight for the 135 pound division in the UFC. Even though we'd already fought in the WC.

[Mystic Zach]

Even though you'd already fought for a title in the wec.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

So it's almost like. It's almost like a technicality at that point.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, it's a technicality, but it doesn't matter because people don't know what they're talking about. And for me, I just can hang my hat on, you know, I'm a professional fighter that was the best in the world, period. And I'm Proud of all the attempts I took for years and years and years at being the very best. I was in the top two for 11 years of my division, which is.

[Mystic Zach]

You fought Peter Yan your last fight?

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. 40.

[Mystic Zach]

You're crazy. So, yeah, he's the champ now for a reason. Like.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, it's funny, when I met. When I met Peter Yan, I was cornering in. In Singapore, I think so, or somewhere in China, and we, like, walked past each other and he stopped me and he's like, oh. He was, like, a fan and wanted to take a picture. He told me a story how he was supposed to come train with us, but it didn't work out. And then this and that. When I met him, I was still. I think I was 37 at the time. I still had that, like, and I was already retired. I had that, like, when you meet another, like, guy that. That you want to test, like, I just wanted to test him. I could tell he wanted to test me. Like, I'm like, that still, like, when somebody comes to my gym, like, I'm. I'm. I'm grappling him, I'm putting hands. We're gonna. We're gonna see, like, where he's at. Even though I'm. I'm much older now, and. And when I first met him, I was like, I want to fight this guy, you know?

[Mystic Zach]

You're crazy, bro.

[Uriah Faber]

It didn't happen till three years later, but, like, it's just like an animal thing. I don't know, like, just a alpha thing, I guess. And I wish I would have fought him when I was 26, because I was 40 and he was 26. I was doing pretty well, but I got too relaxed and caught me once, and then he caught me twice.

[Mystic Zach]

I mean, he's tough to fight if you're 26. 40 is like, he's.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah. And I had fought, and I came out of retirement just prior to that. I fought Simone. Yeah, Ricky, Simone. That was like coming out of retirement because I was just bored.

[Mystic Zach]

Is that your favorite moment of your career?

[Uriah Faber]

That wasn't my favorite moment in my career because I didn't. It didn't mean as much to me. I was purely doing that for fun. When I retired, I did one real estate transaction that made more money for me than. Than my whole career fighting. And so I was able just to fight because I wanted to fight. And I just felt like, you know, like, it was. It was something. I just. I just was bored and I wanted to do it, and I was excited to do it, and that's the same reason I retired. So it wasn't my greatest moment, but it was one of them. And I think most of my, my big moments were fights that were in California for sure, or in my hometown. And, and so I fought a lot of fights. I fought Jens Pulver. That was a great one. I fought Rafael Soon Sao. I fought Jose Aldo. I fought Mike Brown where I, where I broke my hands and dislocated my thumb. And, you know, I fought Michael McDonald and on Fox. That was a big one. Those are all in Sacramento. You know, those are my most exciting fights. The Ricky Simone fight was another one in Sacramento. So that's up.

[Mystic Zach]

The pop was so loud, it was crazy. Like, when the, when it hit California love, it went ballistic.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Then when you finish him, it was like even louder.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. Yeah, that was, that was crazy. I had a lot of great, like, fan moments. That's what I would say. Like, as a retired athlete, those moments are the things that you kind of miss, you know, is like the actual moments where you're like, like you're a star at that time, you know, and like rock stars, they're doing that all the time. But for, for fighters, I did it 46 fights and most of them were on a smaller, you know, smaller scale. I had not most of them. The, the, the beginning of them were, were like at Indian casinos where, like, people could spill beer on you while you're fighting.

[Mystic Zach]

Do a few of those.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, those are the greatest me. But yeah, those moments are pretty epic. Yeah, that was a good one.

[Mystic Zach]

It's addicting, right?

[Uriah Faber]

It is addicting. Yeah, it's addicting. There's a lot of things addicting about, about our sport. And I still, I'm still in it, you know.

[Mystic Zach]

You're still a crazy SOB because you're taking the toughest guys in raf.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

You're going against Olympic gold medalists. You're getting guys way bigger and younger than you. Yeah. And then he, when Armin slammed you off the stage, I was pissed. You know, I'm, you know, big fan of you. I mean, I like Armies Current, but I just like to stick up for the OGs.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

And you were like, ah, it's part of it.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, it's all good, man.

[Mystic Zach]

You didn't care.

[Uriah Faber]

Tough guys. I, I, I honestly, you know, that did, I would, that was definitely foul play. And it is what it is, but I didn't think anything other than like just boys being boys, you know, we

[Mystic Zach]

were mad for you.

[Uriah Faber]

Rolling off the, we're rolling off the, the, the, the mat onto the cement. Like happened before, you know, it's like, you know, chose a tough life, you wake up sore. The next day, he fixed my back. I wasn't joking. I posted a video and for these wrestling matches, first off, Raf, those that don't know Raf is real American freestyle. And it's the most successful attempt thus far to make conventional Olympic style wrestling mainstream. And they're doing an amazing job. My buddy Chad and Izzy Martinez and Lance Palmer, you know, the guys kind of pushing this thing. Chad Bronstein. And so I'm game to grow the sport. I'm game to participate. I love a challenge. I mean, odds, big time stacked against me. I'll be 47 next month and I'm going against Henry Cejudo, who's 10 years younger and the first ever Olympic champion and just retired, you know, fighting world championship level fights. But it's for, it's frigging wrestling, man. I can wrestle six minutes in my sleep. I'm good at wrestling. I've gotten better at wrestling and it's for the sport. And you're getting paid, so, you know, I love what real American freestyle is all about. And I'm like, yeah, let's do it. You know, let's throw caution in the wind. Armand's two Eight Classes Above Me, the current number one contender, 20 years younger than I am. And I'm all, yeah, let's roll. And honestly, the first takedown, I, I'm not used to wearing shoes, so I slipped and put them up by 8. Otherwise it would have been a much better match, a much closer match we get.

[Mystic Zach]

You got your age, though.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, I'm not, I'm young. That's right here, man.

[Mystic Zach]

It's like they're setting you up every time.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, no, we need, we need to get. Yeah, why?

[Mystic Zach]

Told me an influencer or something like, let's just get this.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah. Well, I told, I told Chad I had originally an opponent that was 25 pounds lighter than Arman. And so I had agreed to him. And they announced that match. And then I get a call. I was doing some business stuff out in Georgia, like a two day trip. I'm at a layover in Arizona and my phone starts getting blown up from Chad Bronstein and then Lee, Lance and, and they're like, hey man, would you do, would you go against Armand? He needs an opponent. I was like, Bro, he's 28 classes above me. Yeah, yeah, but you, you can do it. And I'm like this and that. And I said, you Know, then we started negotiating and I'm like, all right, let's talk about it. You know, no, hang up, call back this and that. And then, then we, we decided, yeah, let's do it.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, it was, yeah, no, I love Raf and what they do. And it's. You're right, it is the best attempt thus far.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, well, and, and for, for wrestling, there's no real, there's no real pathway to a career as a professional. Never has been. They've tried it a couple times, failed miserably even with real money behind it and real, like, you know, some, some real prowess when it come to, comes to people that know how to promote. But this is different. It has a different feeling, it's a different time. They're doing the right mix of, of, you know, social media influencers, high level, world class wrestlers, which has its own.

[Mystic Zach]

Puts a spotlight on them.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, it does, but it also, it's own subculture, like wrestling has a very, very strong cult, like following a lot of participants. And, and right now the wrestlers follow their favorite wrestler into mixed martial arts if they decide they want to go and be fighters. But not all wrestlers want to go that route of getting punched in the face and everything.

[Mystic Zach]

The only option is like go coach college wrestling or be a fighter.

[Uriah Faber]

That's it.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. And so now you've got Chad Bronstein's a great business guy and loves the sport of wrestling. Izzy Martinez, I don't know, doesn't. The guys that don't know Izzy. Izzy is like, he's like larger than life character in the wrestling world. Coached, you know, some of the best fighters on the planet, like Jon Jones and, and all the guys out in Chicago and New Mexico and, and he's like, doesn't take, he's like a real colorful dude, a lot like Dana White, Chad Bronson, a lot like the Fertitta brothers. So they're doing a right mix of taking the social media prowess, the established wrestling community, the UFC stars that have been built that have this wrestling background, that love the sport and want to give back, like me, and, and then they're paying real money. I mean, and it's six minute matches. They're. They're doing these fan experiences. The guys that are running the events, ran the WWE type of stuff in the past. Like as far as production goes, they're doing like spotlights in the, in the, in the crowd for, for like fans to, to engage. And it's like a real, it's a, it's a real experience for, for these young Wrestlers. And now they can go up there and be like, I can someday be on the big stage. Like, that's what needs to happen. It's not even a year old, so I'm. I'm excited for real American Freestyle, I promise.

[Mystic Zach]

My guy asked you about this. I don't know if you've seen Aiden Ross's Branders promotions. They stream it on Kick. They get like 500,000 viewers. So they're doing it at the apex. May 23rd. Dana White's promoting it.

[Uriah Faber]

Oh, is he?

[Mystic Zach]

Yes. Dana's like, in the mixed because the main event fighter is like his frenemy, this guy Bob Menery. I don't. Boy. Yeah, but they're all. So I told Bob.

[Uriah Faber]

He does the commentary.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. So I was with him yesterday. He's doing an MMA match against Johnny Manziel.

[Uriah Faber]

Oh, wow.

[Mystic Zach]

What are your thoughts on that? Bob's getting some training and he's. He's getting there, but he's 37 and he said street fighter mentality.

[Uriah Faber]

I talked to Bob not too long ago at I think one of the slap events.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

And he was like. Came up and like. Like we knew each other and we were talking. Then I. Then I figured out. I follow him and everything else, but who's he fighting?

[Mystic Zach]

Johnny Manziel. Heisman Trophy winner.

[Uriah Faber]

Heisman Trophy winner?

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. Quarterback. Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

He's got the size and the good for athleticism. Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

Hey, Bob made it happen live once, man.

[Mystic Zach]

So Bob's been talking about it. Dana bet 10,000 he won't show up.

[Uriah Faber]

I think he'll show up. I think he'll show up. But there's a big size difference.

[Mystic Zach]

There's a big size difference.

[Uriah Faber]

They're doing an MMA fight.

[Mystic Zach]

It's mma.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. I. My money's on the. Bob says he's a wrestler. Is. He wrestled?

[Mystic Zach]

He. He said he wrestled in high school at 106 pounds.

[Uriah Faber]

Well, I have to look deeper into what that means exactly. If he's. If he's a legit.

[Mystic Zach]

I don't know either. So. I don't know either. I. I love Bob. I was with him at training. I was like, I'm with Uriah. I'm going to get his thoughts.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. So Aiden just hit me up like. Like a couple days ago. And then he's like. I said, hey, didn't we meet in like the middle of the night at the same hotel in the lobby or. No, in the. In the hotel room in the Red Rock. And he was just walking, like stumbling with a stack of cash and we Exchanged numbers, I thought. And he's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. And then I don't think they're paying enough for me. That kind of. I would do it if it was like real money, but for me, it's not real money.

[Mystic Zach]

The fight or commentate.

[Uriah Faber]

Oh, to fight.

[Mystic Zach]

Okay. I thought they wanted you to commentate it.

[Uriah Faber]

Oh, no, he wanted me to fight.

[Mystic Zach]

Oh, wow.

[Uriah Faber]

He wanted me to fight Anderson Silva's son or something like that.

[Mystic Zach]

Oh, Gabe Silva, yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

Gabe Silva, yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

An MMA or boxing?

[Uriah Faber]

I don't even know. We didn't get that far. I said, what kind of money you guys talking about? And then it died there.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, no, I get it.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

I thought. I thought you'd better like commentary or something.

[Uriah Faber]

Oh, I didn't know if he wanted me to commentate. And then he hooked me up with. With somebody else. Who, who, who hit who? Who talked to me about, like, you know, who would be a good match. I said, bro, I'm not boxing anybody unless it's real money. Yeah, of course, you know, wrestling is different. I've. Wrestling. I've been wrestling for 31 years and I'm, you know, it's. It's two minute rounds with 30 minutes, you know, it's different, but I'm not gonna. I mean, I'll box, but for real money, you know.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, of course.

[Uriah Faber]

So that, that is. Did Aiden tell you to ask me that?

[Mystic Zach]

No, no, I just told Bob I was gonna be with you and I just wanted to.

[Uriah Faber]

Oh, okay.

[Mystic Zach]

I wanted to get the clip. No, I haven't spoken to Aiden. I don't know, man. I'm cool with Neon stuff. We did those streams. Maybe we can do a stream with you. Yeah, you know, hit the gym, grapple with the robot.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah, we'll get you on the robot.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, the robot might kick Neon's ass. Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

If I submit him.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. He'll probably hurt himself. Hurt himself for sure. He looks like he's. He might have a rare ability to hurt himself doing anything.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, he has a knack for it. He's got a couple diseases, afflictions that affect him.

[Uriah Faber]

I don't want to deep dive into that. There's going to be more the more famous he gets.

[Mystic Zach]

They're gonna keep creating. Oh, man, the robot might submit him in the first. We'll play some B roll of the robot you were showing me.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Oh, yeah, it's legit. I. I've never seen anything like that. So that's.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, my. My partner Sam, who will be there He's a crazy genius. We've had. We had another business together years ago called Optical Panacea. We were doing these really cool, like, art. Art photography pictures with like Chael and Anderson and Vanderlei and BJ and, you know, all, all sorts of high level world champions. And then he's just a creative dude, got into Jiu jitsu, begins obsessed with stuff. And then he's been building this thing for like seven, eight years. And it's. It's next level. It's been, it's been taken off and you know, we're just about to launch the kids version, which is great. We get neon on one of the kids version.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, that might be more speed. Yeah, that's a tough fight.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

[Mystic Zach]

That's a pick him.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah. It could go either way, but no, yeah, that. It's. It's pretty sweet. And then I was gonna ask you, man, what do you think? Because I'm not on the cutting edge of what is happening. It seems like there's always this, this twitch stuff. It's like, you know, it went from like Facebook to MySpace to what is the vine to Twitter to, you know, it's just, it's constantly going, what do you think is the next phase of things? You know, who's gonna be making the most money in what. What realm is it still gonna be Instagram, YouTube, what's. What's happened in that whole world? The content creation?

[Mystic Zach]

We've moved from the short form stuff to now the long form.

[Uriah Faber]

Okay.

[Mystic Zach]

Like, I think it's kind of doing a reverse. Like people's attention spans are so short, so if you can get someone to really tune into you.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

30 plus minutes, I think you're. That's what brands want.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

You know, that's the long form, winning content. So I would say stuff like this.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

You're going to be what gets.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, YouTube is.

[Mystic Zach]

YouTube is king.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. Facebook is starting to do reels and stuff too now.

[Mystic Zach]

Facebook is growing and they've got like, they've got some smart people behind it and yeah, they might end up doing a creator program to incentivize people to post more. You can make a lot of money on Snapchat.

[Uriah Faber]

Really?

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, a lot of money.

[Uriah Faber]

A lot of bread. I was forced to get off Snapchat a long time ago right when I was having kids.

[Mystic Zach]

Oh, yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

Just like, get off of there. I was like, all right.

[Mystic Zach]

Not gonna happen to anyone.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm off the streamers. Say no more.

[Mystic Zach]

There's different strategies. Some guys just want to be seen as much as possible. So they pay people to clip their stuff.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

So they pay them a certain amount for the views that they get clipping their face.

[Uriah Faber]

Huh. How does Twitch work?

[Mystic Zach]

So that's where you get the content from. So people watch you doing stuff live. Like, let's say we're streaming this, and then I would pay people to take clips of this and post them on TikTok or X or Instagram or YouTube.

[Uriah Faber]

Huh. It's a crazy. The world. I mean, AI is changing everything. Social media is changing everything. Smartphones.

[Mystic Zach]

Before we go, we gotta talk about ufc, White House. This is the talk of the town. I just had a buddy call me. He's never watched a fight. He's like, are you taking me to the White House guard? Like, not how that works. Yeah, but this is a stack card. We just saw the press conference. Josh Hokit, Alex Pereira, Ilya Topuria. They're barbing back.

[Uriah Faber]

Sean o', Malley, too, right?

[Mystic Zach]

Sean o', Malley, who's, like, one of the biggest stars in the sport. He's just chilling. He's like the calm one.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah. That's.

[Mystic Zach]

Of this bunch. This is crazy. Justin Gaethje's like a chiller compared to these guys.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. Off the chain, though, in front of the. Though. I mean, could you ever imagine something like this happening in the sport when you were first starting out?

[Uriah Faber]

It's pretty crazy how tied in mixed martial arts is to world, which makes sense. Like, you go over to Russia, it's like everything's a gang. Like, there's the boxers are. The wrestlers are. You know what I mean, it's like your crew, you know, so that's kind of been like that in other countries and whatnot. But now mixed martial arts is like a prominent piece of, like, the. The. The, you know, landscape, which is crazy and really cool. And it. And it puts things in perspective, like, how close everything is. But, yeah, I would never have thought that it'd be at this state right now. And I'm pumped for it. And I think that congrats to Dana and the crew for putting this together. And. And Trump's crazy. He'll do any. I mean, he's just like, does whatever he wants.

[Mystic Zach]

One of the boys. Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

He's like. He's like, yeah, fights outside at my work. Yeah, let's have fights at work.

[Mystic Zach]

He's walking them out,

[Uriah Faber]

doing his thing. Oh, my gosh, man. It's crazy, bro. I mean, it is wild and. And, yeah, I'm pumped for it, man. Any. Anything to. To keep blowing this. I love. I'm excited for all the guys on the card. Big fan of, of everyone that's fighting and, and yeah, it's. I don't, I'm not sure. I don't think I'm going. I don't think I have anyone on the card. I tend to like if I'm, if I've got someone, I'm. I'm cornering, I'm going to fights. Other than that, I want to chill. I've got two kids and they want to kick it. But I do have my guys, Song Yadong and Sumajari that are fighting in Macau at the end of this month. Songs. The main event.

[Mystic Zach]

Songs of Savage.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, he's fighting. Who's he fighting? Ed Davidson. Figuero Figgy. So they're the main event. Yeah. Song, he might be over at the gym when we go over there, but yeah, it's been fun. I've got my, my, my, my event. The. The A1 combat fights.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah. So that's your promotion, right?

[Uriah Faber]

That's my promotion. We actually, we're also running the, the SAC State battle at the Hive tonight. We're doing that. So, you know, we're holding a bunch of events. We're like the promotion in California trying to find top talent, sending, you know, future stars to the ufc. We've been, you know, feeding the guys, running UFC Fight Pass. So that's been pretty fun.

[Mystic Zach]

That's dope.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Gotta ask you about this guy. We want him on the podcast. Josh Hokut. Oh, yeah, I was at UFC Miami. I just was watching the clips as you walked in. What do you think of this guy? Because he's kind of an enigma, dude.

[Uriah Faber]

He's great. He's awesome. I mean, he was a high level. I think he wrestled at Fresno State. Yeah, Fresno State.

[Mystic Zach]

Played in the NFL.

[Uriah Faber]

Played in the NFL. Personality over the moon and, and he's a dog. We saw that last fight. Dude can fight, man. He's knocks, knocks him down, you know, gets back up, you know, he's, he's, he's a real fighter, so he's going to be a big star, man. He's got like, you know, the WWE kind of aura about him and. But then he can back it up, so I'm excited for him. I'm a fan for sure, dude.

[Mystic Zach]

He's like light heavyweight size, too. Yeah, he's not big at all. And he's going right at Curtis Blaze. He's in like.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, he's, he's, he's a beast.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

And he's, you know, he's not afraid to speak up. Not quite as outspoken as Strickland.

[Mystic Zach]

Sue is.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, Strickland's on his own level, but no, he's. He's gonna be a star, man. Yeah. If they can get him to the belt, that's gonna be a lot of money for. For the UFC and for that dude,

[Mystic Zach]

they said, Hunter Campbell, this is my new favorite fighter.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah, I believe that.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

They're about the same size, too, I think.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, they're about the same size. They can go at it. Yeah, maybe an AI. They. They asked him if he wanted to fight Derrick Lewis on the White House card, like, while they were stretching him and. Yeah, dude, throw. Like there's our guys like that anymore. You know, there's a few. Armand's one of them, too.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

It's like anyone, anytime, any place, I don't care.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

Pull up.

[Uriah Faber]

That's it. Yeah, yeah. Armand. What's up with Armand?

[Mystic Zach]

He's the backup.

[Uriah Faber]

Oh, he's the backup on the cards.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah.

[Uriah Faber]

Okay.

[Mystic Zach]

But still, like, it's. Yeah, I mean, he's one of the best in the sport, and he's been dominating for years and years and years.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

You'd like to see him get a shot.

[Uriah Faber]

I think he's doing the right thing. He's. He's been. I mean, he's been strategic, hired the right people, done his part, stayed relevant. He's got a nice little. Little schlick. That's his thing, you know, just the king of wasting food and renting people's cars and stuff.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, no, he's. He's very rich. We understand that. How did he feel grappling him? Was he.

[Uriah Faber]

He. He's tough. I mean, he's strong. I'm. I'm, you know, I'm not quite as agile as I used to be, but I'm strong as, too, so I didn't feel like outpowered by the guy, but, you know, he's young and. And agile and he's been, you know, taking wrestling serious. He was. He was tough. Yeah, he felt good. And I think he, like I said, the first takedown, I'm not used to wearing those shoes. I hate wearing shoes. I pretty much like to be barefoot at all times, but so that I slipped on my first takedown, which was anti. Climatic, and then he scored a bunch of points. And then I think, you know, at that point we had some. Some moments that, you know, that made it last a little longer, but he's good, man. He's exciting, he's smart, understands what he's doing, he's doing the right things.

[Mystic Zach]

I think he'll be a champion.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah, absolutely. And the ufc, now that he's gone and made a name for himself, the UFC's on board. He did his part.

[Mystic Zach]

Yeah, no, because we knew he had the skills, but now he's got the name to back it up.

[Uriah Faber]

Yeah.

[Mystic Zach]

That's the California kid. Uriah Faber, thank you for watching double coverage.