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Daniel Cormier TV - WWE President Nick Khan on Muhammad Ali Act, UFC 324 Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje
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- [00:00]
Daniel Cormier
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:05]
Love. The Night Reach for Zyn After Dark, a limited cocktail inspired series for those who get up when the sun goes down, try Zyn's Mojito Spiced Cider and Espresso Martini Nicotine Pouches. Find them at select retailers. Available while supplies last. Zinn After Dark Bring on the night.
- [00:31]
Warning this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
- [00:37]
Nick Khan
Get your.
- [00:38]
Daniel Cormier
Mother lovin ears on because your big time radio DJs got news. PayPal lets you choose how you want to pay for all the stuff. With PayPal, I can pay in store, pay online, or pay overtime. What's that?
- [00:51]
Nick Khan
You want this translated into song?
- [00:53]
Daniel Cormier
I hope you're sitting down. You can pay your own way. You keep those ears on, you hear. Don't just pay baby. PayPal. Learn more@paypal.com this podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. When you're streaming the fight or sharing those takedown highlights, you need a wireless provider that keeps you close to the action. With Total Wireless, you're covered by the Verizon 5G network, so you don't have to worry about your connection being knocked out at the biggest moments. It's not something you can usually say about a wireless provider, but Total Wireless really does have your back. They're in your corner every second of the day, so you never miss a thing. Visit totalwireless.com or visit your local Total Wireless store to learn more about how Total Wireless can be in your corner. 5G access requires a 5G capable device and a 5G service area. Additional terms apply. See website for details. As a quarterback, I love sports, but sometimes when I get hit on my blind side, front side and put on my backside, I wonder, is sport clips better than sports? Because sport clips haircuts is sports on tv plus a relaxing haircut, hot steam towel and massaging shampoo. Which is better than Sports plus plus Sport Clips It's a game changer. Check in online@sport clips.com hey everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here and I'm Bucky Brooks on Move to six.
- [02:30]
Nick Khan
We take you inside the game.
- [02:32]
Daniel Cormier
From breaking down college prospects and NFL.
- [02:34]
Nick Khan
Rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching.
- [02:37]
Daniel Cormier
Trends and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision.
- [02:42]
Nick Khan
Makers and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.
- [02:46]
Daniel Cormier
It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sundays.
- [02:51]
Nick Khan
Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast.
- [02:54]
Daniel Cormier
On the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [03:00]
Nick Khan
The volume.
- [03:04]
Daniel.
- [03:10]
Daniel Cormier
What's up, guys? Welcome to a brand new episode @ Daniel Cormier TV, brought to you by Toyota Wallace, the official Wallace provider of UFC. They're in your corner with unlimited 5G data. That will not slow you down. Let me tell you who's not slowing down is this man right here, the great Nick Khan. Nick, thank you for joining me, man. I appreciate.
- [03:27]
Nick Khan
It. Dc happy to be on. Longtime listener and viewer, first time, so thank.
- [03:32]
Daniel Cormier
You. Yeah, I like that. Hey, Nick, I got a question for you because I, I, I like going to the wwe. Is there a limit on comps in. Is there any celebrity or person that has kind of pushed up against the limit of people they would like to.
- [03:48]
Nick Khan
Bring? Listen, assume that most of the requests we get are, hey, I'd like to attend plus one, maybe plus two. But we set a new, a new limit about a year or two ago. It's called the Daniel Cormier limit. It's usually me reaching out, saying, hey, dc, we're going to be, you know, in your neighborhood. Would you like to attend? Yes, I'll be plus 43.
- [04:12]
Or whatever it is now. It turns out these are all of your.
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Daniel Cormier
Students. Yes.
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Nick Khan
Yes. Wrestling. So you certainly have a soft spot for what you're doing and admire what you're doing. So we usually approve that. To which sort of note of who approved 44 tickets for Daniel Cormier? And the answer is, we.
- [04:29]
Daniel Cormier
Did. That's awesome, man. I appreciate that. The kids love it. Hey, I'm making dreams happen, Nick. I got all these kids, like, love the wwe, just like me. They want to be in the building. And we also get to go watching the Access. We appreciate it, truly. But I wanted you on because so many things have happened. I was there at the stock exchange when TKO was was put on the market for the first time. And there were so many promises of great things. I don't know that even the people there could have imagined Ari and Dana and you guys all could have imagined that it would be what it is.
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Nick Khan
Today. Well, by the way, just so you know, going into that, which was September 13, two years ago, 2023, when the conversation with Dana and Ari and Mark Shapiro happened about, hey, who would you guys like to have from UFC there? The first name mentioned by all three was Daniel.
- [05:25]
Daniel Cormier
Cormier. Oh, thank.
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Nick Khan
You. It was an honor to have you there and to be there with you. The first by, by all three. And by the way, to me, you're a true American success. Story. You had a goal. You did what you wanted to do with your life. You continue to do what you want to do with your life. Most athletes have a tough time segueing from in the octagon, if you will, or on the field, to being a broadcaster. You've done it at the highest level. So all kudos and congratulations to you on that. Look at tko.
- [05:55]
We're merely a two year. We're merely two years into the race. Two years and change. And you've seen the UFC deal with Paramount plus, which by the way, that's all Dana and Ari and Shapiro and a number of other great executives. You saw the WWE's move of its premium live events, our ples to ESPN, which you know, years ago would have been unheard of. Yeah. And Monday Night Raw going to Netflix. You see our continued partnership with USA Network for smackdown. So things are humming at this moment in time. That being said, that can change at any moment. So in our business, no different than your business, you got to earn your keep every day. And that's what we're trying to.
- [06:35]
Daniel Cormier
Do. Yeah. And it's been great to watch something go from an idea and turn it into what it's become, a monster. Speaking of, you know, Ples and ESPN, I remember covering the WWE at WrestleMania back in 2023 in Los Angeles, and ESPN got the red carpet rolled out for it because it was such a big deal to have the ESPN at Mania. Now they're a partner. How's that been? I know it's. It's a short time and, and initially it was thought that the partnership would happen in January, but it was fast forwarded. Right. It happened earlier at Rest of Palooza. How's it been working with ESPN to this.
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Nick Khan
Point? So look, even if you look at our Launch, which was September 13th with Russell Palooza from Indianapolis, the way that ESPN covered that event, they made us feel like it was the Super Bowl. So much so that on college game day that morning, they had Pat McAfee, Kirk, Herb Street, Nick Saban, Reese Davis and Desmond Howard do their pick for the Brock Lesnar, John Cena. Now you know what Brock's all.
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Daniel Cormier
About.
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Nick Khan
Yes. Octagon, go. And all of that stuff. Well, by the way, what was that? Why did that never.
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Daniel Cormier
Happen? Because Brock went back to the wwe. Hey, listen, Brock, Brock in the WWE is such a monster. He looks, he looks in best shape than I've ever seen him look in his life.
- [08:01]
At Survivor Series War Games last week when he walked out.
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His body, to get real out there, right Now. And it was awesome, man. It was.
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Nick Khan
Awesome. As you know, and I'm not saying, you know, in the UFC every day, but when he walks into a room, he looks and usually is the baddest dude on the.
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Daniel Cormier
Planet.
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Nick Khan
Yep. And that's what he looks like. And that's his personification, by the way. He's a gem to work with. Easy. So as. As long as, you know, he sort of knows things in advance, there's no issues. We're honored to have him back, and I'm happy he's here. And I'm. Hopefully you enjoy the war games match that he was.
- [08:36]
Daniel Cormier
In. I think, dude, the war games match was awesome. Hey, he's got it. He. So many of the guys have it now, but I tell you, man, when he walks and when Roman walks, it's a different ball game. It's just a different ball.
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Nick Khan
Game. Look, you. You saw they. They were the last two to come.
- [08:51]
Daniel Cormier
Out.
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Nick Khan
Yep. Rock came out and did his damage. You heard Roman's music hit and that sort of Face off, you know, coming down the. The ramp, that was intense. And, you know, the fans seem happy with.
- [09:02]
Daniel Cormier
It. That is what. That is what you hope for when you have those moments. But, Nick, it doesn't happen easy. Right. In life. Oh, by the way, so my assistant's sister was one of your classmates. Her name is Genesis. There's a girl named Tanis. They were like, tell Nick we said hi. It's like, nick, you know what's crazy is, like, we go.
- [09:22]
Nick Khan
In.
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Daniel Cormier
We. We're in these high school hallways with these people. We may not even remember them, but you become a part of their life. Right. I was in class with Nick Khan. The journey that we all take is so different, obviously, but it's so fun. Your journey was not as easy. You told Stephanie McMahon that you had to go to your girlfriend, now wife and say, hey, could I borrow some money to finish law school? Hey. Hey, Nick. We make investments. We make investments. Your wife talk about making an investment, huh? She picked the right.
- [09:56]
Nick Khan
Horse. It's kind of you to say you're referring to Genesis, who I went to school with in.
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Daniel Cormier
Hawaii. Yes, yes, yes, I remember.
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Nick Khan
Her. Of course. Yes. We went to middle school together. We went to high school together until I moved back to Vegas to finish high school. Yeah. So here's what I'll tell you. You know, some people do make bets at the time. And as you know, in boyfriend, girlfriend relationships, people break up, people make up. So she and I, you know, we met. It's the fifth. It's a 30th anniversary of our first date, December.
- [10:28]
Daniel Cormier
1St. Yeah, that's today.
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Nick Khan
That. That's today. I know. This Thursday, right? 30th anniversary of our first date. She was 19. I was 21. We met at UNLV. She was working at the Sharper Image. I was working at a Moroccan restaurant, and she decided, you know, to take a bet on me. And when I needed to get a loan approved for my third year of law school. Look, dc, I know you were very rich growing.
- [10:55]
Daniel Cormier
Up. No, hey, not.
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Nick Khan
Me. I can tell. I could tell by using the look even your shirt. Now.
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I'm man of the people.
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So all I know is I didn't have some relative.
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All my relatives had bad credit. I did not have good credit. And, you know, we. She and I were broken up for a moment in.
- [11:18]
Daniel Cormier
Time. Oh.
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Nick Khan
Man. Because I know how rich you.
- [11:20]
Daniel Cormier
Are. You're so crazy. You. Hey. My life today holds the one I told tail son one day when he was talking about the pitter. I love Christmas. The pitter patter coming down the stairs. I go, in the ghetto, there's no pitter patter coming down the stairs. We don't have a Santa.
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Nick Khan
Claus.
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Listen, I'm only teasing you. Of course I know.
- [11:41]
The Rich's story. Look, and I were broken up at the time. Like I said, people break up. People make up. I called her and said, I'm not going to be able to finish law school. You know, I got no one to co sign on this loan, you know, And I was not calling her to ask her to do that. I don't like to ask people for that. And she said to me, all you need is a cosigner. And I said, yeah. She said, I'll do it. She said, just don't tell anybody again. We're really young. I said, wow. I said, that really means a lot to me. You know, this and that. And it's something I don't forget to this day. Yeah. So she and I have two children together. You'll often see them at WWE shows with me. You know, that's my family. And I'm greatly appreciative of.
- [12:15]
Daniel Cormier
That. That's awesome, man. And you know what I love most about that, Nick? And I think that's probably why I was so drawn to you when. When I met you, is that it's always about your family and you have a very busy schedule. Right? But you even said it's always family first for me. And that's my thought. Right. Like, I love my children more than anything in the world, and I'll do anything for them. How do you balance that? How do you balance life as a high executive in one of the biggest companies in the world? Busy schedule with making sure that the ones that are most important still feel the love that they deserve from their father and their.
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Nick Khan
Husband. Look, I think it. I try to do what I think you try to do, and without going down, you know, a. A sad or dark path here, you know, you went through the.
- [12:59]
Daniel Cormier
Unspeakable. Yep.
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Nick Khan
Yep. Right at that. You went through the unspeakable. And there's not a day that I breathe that I don't think about something like that.
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Or a day that I don't think on a much lighter side. Hey, once they hit 18, they're gone. Well, they're gone. And I read the stat that, you know, by the time they hit, they. They leave. After high school, you've spent 90% of the time you're ever going to spend with them. Oh, Lord, that resonates with me, and I want to take advantage of every day. And by the way, I'm not a perfect father. I'm not a perfect businessman. I make mistakes, but I try to put in the effort to be present. And I think I got this off of a Shaq podcast. He did it with Ryan Clark. Yeah. Something was done, but he's the first person here to articulate it. He said when he comes home from work, he walks in the house and, you know, his. If it's lady friend or wife, I'm not sure you know his status. He says, she'll say, how was your day? And he always said, today was a great day. How was your day? So no matter what happens at work, it is my job to not bring that.
- [14:06]
Daniel Cormier
Home.
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Nick Khan
Yep. Those frustrations, you know the drill to your children. Oh, this didn't go well. This. That. First of all, they don't need to hear that. They want their father to be there to talk about their dentist appointments and their homework and their friends and, you know, all of that stuff. That's what I try to do. And I try to have them with me certainly at every weekend WWE event that I go.
- [14:26]
Daniel Cormier
To. That's awesome, man. That's awesome.
- [14:30]
We just had Survivor Series War Games last weekend in San Diego. It was absolutely amazing. I mean, Dominic Mysterio is a star, obviously. Roman and John. John Cena and Brock Lesnar, those guys all in the, you know, CM Punk, they're all amazing. But as you get into 2026, is there anything that you guys are Looking forward to, like, elevating again and raising the bar because it seems like in every single step, you guys just want to raise the bar and, and give a better product. And the. The athletes are delivering and so are you guys in the.
- [15:02]
Nick Khan
Back. Look, there's. There's many impressive things that I inherited at wwe. One of those is that the current generation of top stars will embrace the perceived next generation of top stars. Even in that match that you just referred to, you have. You know, Seth is hurt, as you know. Now, we know the mask man came in and we don't know who that is yet, but Seth is hurt. So if you remove Seth from the equation, you got Roman, Brock, Cody, Punk all in one match together. And who are they in with? They're in with people who might just be the next generation of a.
- [15:37]
Daniel Cormier
Talent. Bron Breaker. That's my boy right there. That's a bad boy, Braun. Breaker's my. You know, I have an interesting story. I was in Philadelphia when I was the referee for the. The pay per view, and Bron Breaker was just a young kid still in nxt. He sat in my locker room all day, Nick. He talked fighting, he talked wrestling, he talked college sports. And I was like, man, this kid is just a sponge. He wants knowledge. And I'm telling you, he's taking that knowledge from the great Paul Heymon and spending time in the ring with those.
- [16:09]
Nick Khan
Guys. And keep in mind, his father's Rick Steiner. Remember when we were young, the uncle Scott Steiner. Right. Big, big pop of.
- [16:16]
Daniel Cormier
Pumpkin.
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Nick Khan
Yeah. You know, gene pool there. But sometimes with the good gene pool will come unnecessary outward arrogance. He doesn't have that. Nope. So it doesn't surprise me that he was in your locker room asking questions and wanting to be a sponge. That's what we found with him. So Logan Paul, by the.
- [16:34]
Daniel Cormier
Way. Oh, he's the.
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Nick Khan
Best. Look at the time that he's put in to hone the craft or to, you know, get to hone the craft. Amazing. He's in the ring with these guys. Who with Bron. With Bronson. Don't underestimate Bronson. For a big man, you know that guy can.
- [16:49]
Daniel Cormier
Move. He was on espn. He was on our show, me and Chael show the other day. I love Bronson Reed. The Tsunami might just be my favorite move in all the rest. He is so big, he just puts all of his weight on him. You can't kick out. There's no kicking out of the Tsunami, Nick. That move is unstoppable. Remember, Earthquake used to do like the Earthquake spike course like.
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Nick Khan
Snobby. By the way, the earthquake. Earthquake would jump around John 10 and he come like a butt.
- [17:15]
Daniel Cormier
Squat.
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Nick Khan
Yes. Right. This is the full.
- [17:17]
Daniel Cormier
Splash. Oh, God. From the top.
- [17:19]
Nick Khan
Rope. And by the way, just so you know, and I don't know if it's this way in your home. That is now the signature move in our house. Father to 14 year old daughter, 10 year old son. So they're laying on the bed full tsunami.
- [17:34]
Way. But it's a lot of fun in our.
- [17:36]
Daniel Cormier
House. I love dropping my weight on people. When I get my athletes and they're like training, doing sit ups, I might just hit them with a tsunami. I just come across the top, drop the tsunami on them. They're like, coach, what is this? I'm like, that's called a tsunami.
- [17:51]
It's a tsunami.
- [17:53]
As we look ahead innovatively, major changes. What can we expect from the WWE going into next.
- [18:00]
Nick Khan
Year? By the way, just quickly, when you did that reference guest stint for us, I think Triple H came up with the idea. I called Dana White because you and I knew, knew each other a bit, but yeah, had never done any business together. I said, hey, you know, we're thinking of using, I texted him, you know, we're thinking of using Daniel Cormier, you know, for guest referee calls me like two seconds later he's like, I just want you to know this is the best guy. Obviously we know your athletic prowess and all that stuff, but just so complimentary of you and how it is to work with you. So that's.
- [18:34]
Daniel Cormier
Awesome. That's awesome. And Dana's the man. I appreciate him and my relationship so much. Man, people don't even understand. All right, guys, today's show is brought to you by our new sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. Hard Rock Bet is a top rated sportsbook app. It might just take the belt from any other sportsbook app that you use once you open it up and you see it for yourself. And guys, if you haven't tried your first bet on Hard Rock Bet, there's still time for you to get 150 in bonus bets if you win. So place a $5 bet. If that bet hits, you not only get your winnings, but you get $150 in bonus bets right away. Guys, today is a great day to try the Hard Rock Bet sports app. So it's not just a welcome offer. You can get bonus bets, you can get parlay insurance and other rewards. The rewards and the promos are nonstop. So download the Hard rockbet app and make your first deposit Today payable and bonus bets is not a cash offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC. In all other states, you must be 21 or older and and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia. To play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1-888- admit-I T in Indiana. If you are someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9 with it. And if you have a gambling problem, call.
- [20:16]
Nick Khan
1-800-Gambler.
- [20:21]
Check engine ABS or maintenance light on Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly Variscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE Certified Master Technicians. And if you need help, we could recommend a shop for you. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan.
- [20:40]
Daniel Cormier
Today.
- [20:42]
Oh oh.
- [20:45]
Auto Parts.
- [20:48]
Hey, what's up everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here and I'm Bucky.
- [20:51]
Nick Khan
Brooks. If you love breaking down football from every angle, you're in the right place. Every week on Move the six, Bucky Brooks and I dive deep into the game. From the X's and O's to the front office moves shaping the.
- [21:03]
Daniel Cormier
League. We kick things off with Brian Baldinger breaking down what really went down on.
- [21:07]
Nick Khan
Sunday. It is as good a timing rhythm offense as there is in the league right now. Then Rhett Lewis joins us for.
- [21:13]
Daniel Cormier
Our rookie draft and coordinator of the.
- [21:15]
Nick Khan
Week, where we highlight the rising stars and the masterminds calling the.
- [21:19]
Daniel Cormier
Shots. DJ talked me into a Ronde Gadsden Jr. He had a monster game. Monster, monster game. And you hear from the voices who actually build the game, GMs, coaches and players who give you insight you won't get anywhere.
- [21:32]
Nick Khan
Else. High standards and high care. That's the right combination. So whether you're studying tape or just love great football talk, subscribe to Move the sticks on the iHeartRadio app.
- [21:41]
Daniel Cormier
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [21:48]
It's okay not to be okay sometimes and be able to build strength and love within each other. Thanksgiving isn't just about food. It's a day for us to show up for one another. I'm Elliot Connie, host of the podcast Family Therapy, a series where real families come together to heal and find hope. What would be a clue that would be like? I've gotten lots of text messages from him. This one's from a little bit better of a version of him because he's feeding himself.
- [22:12]
Nick Khan
Well. It's always a concern like, are you eating.
- [22:15]
Daniel Cormier
Well? He's actually an amazing cook. There was this one time where we had neighbors and I saved their dog and I ended up inviting them over for food. And that was like one of my proudest moments. This is family therapy. Real families, real stories on a journey to heal together. Listen to season two of family therapy every Wednesday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Run a business and not thinking about podcasting, think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined, so. So whatever your customers are into, true crime, sports, comedy, culture, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. And all this reach means everything. Just think about the universal marketing formula. The number of consumers who hear your message times the response rate equals the results. Now let's get those results growing for you. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you at iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com or call 844-844-iheart one more time, call 844-844-IHEART and get podcasting working for.
- [23:39]
Nick Khan
You.
- [23:43]
Atlanta is a.
- [23:44]
Daniel Cormier
Spirit. It's not just a city. I didn't really have an interest in being on air. I kind of was up there to just try and infiltrate. The building is where Crunk was born. In a club in the West End 4 World.
- [23:54]
Nick Khan
Star. It was 559 where a tiny bar birthed a generation of rap.
- [23:58]
Daniel Cormier
Stars. Where preachers go viral and students.
- [24:01]
Nick Khan
At the HBCU turned heartbreak into.
- [24:04]
Daniel Cormier
Resurrection. How do you get people to believe in something that's dead? Well, dreamers brought Hollywood to the south and hustlers bring their visions to create black wealth. Nobody's rushing into relationships with you. Where are you from? They wanna look you in the.
- [24:17]
Nick Khan
Eye. Where the future is.
- [24:18]
Daniel Cormier
Nostalgia. Let's talk to my chatgpt you. She like you. Really? The first lady to have a gangster girls tape in Atlanta, Georgia. Like, that's what separates you from a lot of people. And I was like, you know.
- [24:27]
Nick Khan
What? You.
- [24:27]
Daniel Cormier
Right. Atlanta doesn't wait for permission. It builds its own.
- [24:31]
Nick Khan
Spotlight. I'm big.
- [24:32]
Daniel Cormier
Rude. Let us guide you through the stories behind Atlanta's most iconic moments. Listen to Atlanta is on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You're also doing Zufa boxing though. Nick, you don't stop.
- [24:49]
Nick Khan
Boxing. There's a bunch of us doing it. Including.
- [24:51]
Daniel Cormier
Dana.
- [24:52]
Nick Khan
Yes. Who's face and the lead of that promotion. We have our partners, Turkey al Sheikh and Dr. Rakan Al Hartney in Alharti in Saudi who have been phenomenal partners. They're eight year plus partners of the wwe. There are partners in Zufa. Dana's the promoter, so you're going to have all of what we consider to be his magic all over boxing. We're trying to get this thing into shape. To me you had what was one of the top three sports in the United States in the 50s and 60s, which has now dropped.
- [25:23]
Daniel Cormier
Off.
- [25:23]
Nick Khan
Yeah. In terms of its popularity in the US and you know, our goal is to help re establish that. We'll see if we can do.
- [25:31]
Daniel Cormier
It. And part of that is in matchmaking. Right. Like matchmaking. The fights is one of the reasons that boxing has struggled at times. How's zoo for boxing going to differ from that? You.
- [25:39]
Nick Khan
Think? So here's what I tell you. So the UFC card that was announced, the Paramount plus premiere on January 24, I love that card. Yeah. So I don't know like you know it, but I know Nunes versus Kayla. I know Gaethje Patty. These to me are matchups that I perceive as 50, 50 matchups. Yep. It's one of the things that has made the UFC special. The champ fights the number one contender. If the number one contender isn't available, the number two contender comes in or whatever that might be. If you look at what Dana, the Fertitas and subsequently Dana with Ari, Lawrence, Mark, Mark Shapiro, everybody have built, that's the model of what the fight team should look like. So it's a. Is it going to be the boxing of ufc? Nothing will ever be anything of ufc. UFC is standalone. It's one of one. The next one never looks like the last one. So to us, we want to make it the best form of boxing it can be. And part of that is the best have to fight the.
- [26:41]
Daniel Cormier
Best. Features, features, production. I don't believe that any companies can match the UFC and wwe. When you do these features before the main fights on the pay per view or when you do the features on the main before the police, it builds an anticipation that most can't really comprehend. How can you guys do that in boxing and use all that great production and all of that storytelling to help to elevate boxing? Like how. How do you move all of those things that are so great into into.
- [27:19]
Nick Khan
Boxing? So you, you just nailed it. It's the storytelling. So if you think about boxing, current boxing at its best, you'll see a fighter fight, let's say twice a year, and then you won't hear about them for the rest of the year. Why is that? If you look at the NFL, which is an 18 week regular season, as you know, in a postseason, then you got Hard Knocks, then you got the draft, then you got the combine. It's something present, year round. So even if the athletes are fighting a handful of times a year, the fact that you can tell their stories year round, that's what people want to know. Right. It's part of the reason why people got hooked on you. It wasn't simply because you could fight at an A level. It's because of the story behind it. If they don't care about the story behind the person, there's no reason to watch. No, there's no reason. We think storytelling is going to be a key part of.
- [28:08]
Daniel Cormier
This. Yeah. And it's going to be awesome. The exist. There's a lot of existing promoters in boxing. Is there an ideal relationship with these guys or is it kind of going to be like, hey, we're going to do our thing and operate in this space and you guys kind of continue to do it as you did before? Because I'll tell you one thing. Hey, when it was time to do the belts at the last fight between Floyd, not Floyd, it was Canelo and Crawford, there were some old boxing people were like, hey, we need to be involved in this. Like, is there an ideal relationship between Zoophy Boxing and the existing.
- [28:39]
Nick Khan
Promoters? We're just going to do our thing. So let them do their thing. If they want to have 16 different championships. Yeah. Sanctioning fees and all of this nonsense. You want to do that, do that. What we're doing. And one of the things, you know, that's top, top of mind for us, the Muhammad Ali Enhancement.
- [28:58]
Daniel Cormier
Act. Yes.
- [28:59]
Nick Khan
Yes. Lawrence Epstein, who you know quite well, who's again, one of the architects of the UFC on the the board of trustees for Vanderbilt University, an honest broker, in my opinion, is going to appear in front of Congress Thursday, December 4th to talk about the Muhammad Ali Enhancement Act. Also appearing will be Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali's.
- [29:22]
Daniel Cormier
Wife.
- [29:23]
Nick Khan
Yep. And Andy Foster, the head of the California State Athletic Commission. As you know, the California State Athletic Commission voted unanimously, six nothing to support the Enhancement Act. And again, what this means, DC is the act as currently written, that'll stay in place. We're not looking at one word of it. We're not Looking to change one comma. But in addition to what exists will be this new option where you don't have to use these sanctioning bodies and pay 3% of your purse. And there's a super champion, champion in recess. All of this chaos and nonsense that we think in part ruin boxing. Our effort is going to be to do away with that, at least for us. And if fighters want to stick with the old way, go ahead. That'll remain an.
- [30:05]
Daniel Cormier
Option. And why, you know that having more options in that, in that way is very important for the boxers and for the fighters. Andy Foster has long been. People talk about, well, this guy's not getting paid and this guy's not getting paid this time. Andy Foster has many a time said to people, guys, I was doing this at the beginning of the UFC in boxing. I know that these guys are making money at an equipment crazy rate today, opposed to what it was before. Because as sport has grown, the, the compensation has grown. He's been a supporter and it's great to hear that he's going to be there. But that seems important to you. Why is that important to you to be a part of that? And why do you think you guys are taking such a strong stance and trying to help with the Ali.
- [30:51]
Nick Khan
Act? Look, we, we think if you look at boxing, again, one of the most popular sports, you know, decades ago. So think about this, D.C. how old are you.
- [31:00]
Daniel Cormier
Now? You're.
- [31:00]
Nick Khan
46. 46. You're a young.
- [31:02]
Daniel Cormier
Man. So I'm.
- [31:03]
Nick Khan
Five. I'm five years older than you. Doesn't make me any wiser, just makes me five years older than you. So 1971, Ali, Frazier fight each other. Fight of the century, Madison Square Garden. Such a big fight that Frank Sinatra is credentialed as a photographer for what was then Life magazine. Jerry Perenchio, who later founded Univision, is the promoter of the fight, along with Jack Kent Cook, who subsequently bought the team now known as the Commanders, the Washington Commanders.
- [31:31]
Ali and Frazier make each made $2.5 million for that fight. Your average NFL player in 1971 was making $30,000 a.
- [31:40]
Daniel Cormier
Year. Yeah, they made big.
- [31:41]
Nick Khan
Money. Big money. And that's 1971. Yeah, yeah. Because of the competition between the ABA and NBA. ABA average player was making about $70,000 a year. So again, 2.5 million versus 70 or $30,000. So if you were a big athletic kid, you went into boxing. Yep. What happened? If you fast forward, remove the Steelers from the 70s, I really focus on Joe Montana in the 80s and the 49ers. The NFL became the NFL and it took off. Yep. Bird, magic, come in in 79. Jordan comes in in 84. The NBA takes off, but the individual sports stay the same. Yep. So if I said to you in 1988, who's the fastest man on the planet? You would say Ben Johnson or Carl.
- [32:27]
Daniel Cormier
Lewis.
- [32:28]
Nick Khan
Yep. Correct. Let's see. In the Olympics, if I said to you, who's the best gymnast in the world? And yes, we have Simone Biles.
- [32:34]
Daniel Cormier
Now, the only one you recognize, the only.
- [32:37]
Nick Khan
One. The only one compared to what it was in the individual sports. So much so that in the early 80s, if I said, hey, in the United States, who are the most popular athletes? Okay, Montana, Bird, Magic, we got that. McEnroe, Jimmy.
- [32:51]
Daniel Cormier
Connors. Yep. Mike.
- [32:52]
Nick Khan
Tyson. Mike. Mike Tyson. Boom Boom Mancini. Sugar Ray.
- [32:56]
Daniel Cormier
Leonard.
- [32:57]
Nick Khan
Yep. You know, the golfer Jack Nicklaus. Sports stars. But the leagues became the leagues, and the individual sports, outside of UFC and outside of WWE sports entertainment, they all stayed the same. Yep. And that's why one of the reasons why you start see boxing fade out to us again, the storytelling. With the right athletes, there's a way for an opportunity with young fighters. We want to get back into the localized gyms and subsidize some of those gyms. So it's easy for people to find boxing. It doesn't need to be difficult, especially in the United States and certain key international territories. And let's see if we can do.
- [33:39]
Daniel Cormier
It. Nick, it was. It's. I tell you, man, when I was growing up in Louisiana, there was a boxing gym everywhere. There was a boxing gym everywhere. If there was one thing you could do, you could box, and it cost nothing. And there was always a guy in there that was willing to train kids that didn't have money because they knew that it could provide an option for you to try to make a living for yourself. Nick, I'm going to let you get out on this one, man. You won $16,000 on Wheel of.
- [34:05]
Nick Khan
Fortune. I did Wheel of Fortune. It was a long time ago. I needed that $16,000, so. And by the way, you. You may remember this from your own life. When your bank account goes from 0 to 16, you think, like, I never have to work.
- [34:19]
Daniel Cormier
Again. It's.
- [34:20]
Nick Khan
Over. It's over. The drinks are on me. Dinner's on me. That money, and I got lucky to win.
- [34:27]
Daniel Cormier
It. And the next thing you know, a month later, you're like, oh, my God, that $16,000 was not actually that much. I'm still in trouble, Nick. You are the best. You are the best my man. I appreciate you coming on. You are the absolute man and I wish you all the best and good luck and I will see you at the start of WrestleMania season next year guys, which is the Royal Rumble which is now on espn. The great Nick Khan thank you so much for joining me man. I appreciate your time. Until next time guys.
- [34:56]
Nick Khan
Peace.
- [35:01]
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Daniel Cormier
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Nick Khan
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Nick Khan
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- [36:37]
Nick Khan
Brooks. On Move the six, we take you inside the.
- [36:40]
Daniel Cormier
Game. From breaking down college prospects and.
- [36:42]
Nick Khan
NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies.
- [36:45]
Daniel Cormier
Coaching trends and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to.
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Nick Khan
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Daniel Cormier
Else. It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on.
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Nick Khan
Sundays. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Robert Smith and this is Jacob Goldstein and we used to host a show called Planet.
- [37:11]
Daniel Cormier
Money. And now we're back making this.
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Nick Khan
New podcast called Business History about the best ideas and people and businesses in history and some of the worst people.
- [37:22]
Daniel Cormier
Horrible ideas and destructive in the history of business. First episode How Southwest Airlines Used.
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Nick Khan
Cheap seats and Free Whiskey to fight its way into the airline.
- [37:31]
Daniel Cormier
Business. The most Texas story ever listen.
- [37:33]
Nick Khan
To business history on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your.
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Daniel Cormier
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