The Nikki & Brie Show: Megan Olivi – Stories Beyond the Octagon (UFC 327)

Episode Date: April 9, 2026
Guests: Megan Olivi
Hosts: Nikki & Brie Garcia

Episode Overview

In this lively and heartfelt episode, Nikki & Brie sit down with Megan Olivi, acclaimed UFC broadcaster, journalist, and podcaster, to dive into her career, life as a mom, and the stories that make MMA athletes more than just fighters. The trio swap stories on parenting, travel, and women thriving in male-dominated industries, while also previewing the drama and human narratives heading into UFC 327.

1. Life Updates & Motherhood on the Road

Timestamps: 02:29–05:21

• Las Vegas Life: Megan shares her experience of living in Las Vegas, already hitting triple-digit temps (“It is great. First of all, it's like a million degrees here already.” – Megan, 02:39).
• Motherhood & Travel: Her eight-month-old son accompanies her and husband Joe on most trips, which Megan feels is vital so he gets used to the family’s “on-the-road” lifestyle. “I don’t want to always leave him behind…selfishly want to be with him.” (03:47)
• Parenting Experiences: Nikki & Brie join in on travel-with-kids tips, with Nikki citing how her own son, Teo, “is the best traveler” (04:12). Brie reflects on enjoying solo travel since her husband’s retirement: “I kind of like my alone time on the airplane” (04:44).

2. Resetting & Wellness for Busy Women

Timestamps: 05:21–07:36

• Megan’s Go-To Resets: Walking outdoors (“even to a good coffee shop”), and Pilates Reformer, especially for mental clarity during challenging periods (struggles with fertility and pregnancy worries) (05:25–06:12).
• Hosts’ Wellness Routines: Brie misses Pilates since returning to wrestling; Nikki and Megan bond over the delight of good coffee shops as a new self-care ritual (“It’s a spiritual thing for me now…makes my day Christmas morning.” – Nikki, 06:41).

3. From Boxing Roots to MMA Broadcasting

Timestamps: 07:36–10:52

• Olivi’s Journey: With a family history in boxing and wrestling, Megan’s path to sports broadcasting was indirect—she studied political science and only pivoted after encouragement during college (07:49–08:07).
  • “I went to college for political science…but was always obsessed with sports…” – Megan (07:49)
• Finding Her Place: An internship at a mixed martial arts show fit naturally given her upbringing. She quickly discovered her skill was humanizing athletes, focusing on their stories outside the cage (08:32).
• Athletes as “My People”: Megan grew up on wrestling mats, and brings that empathy and inside knowledge to her interviews and coverage (09:15).

4. Humanizing Fighters & Interviewing Technique

Timestamps: 10:52–12:22

• Interview Approach: Megan blends research with reading fighter body language, letting the athlete’s mood dictate the conversation (“What’s in front of me first.” – 10:52).
• Challenging Moments: The toughest interviews follow a loss, balancing compassion and the need to ask post-fight questions. Megan also finds it difficult when required to ask “what’s next” right after fighters’ biggest moments (10:58–11:59).
  • “We don’t even very much let anyone live in the moment…it’s always moving forward.” – Megan (11:59)

5. On-Air Nerves, Vulnerability, and Live TV “Oops”

Timestamps: 12:22–17:39

• Live vs. Small Crowds: Megan rarely feels nervous on live TV, but finds small, intimate audiences intimidating (“If I have to say that same thing in front of 30 people…then I would be nervous.” – 12:28).
• Hosts' Relatability: Nikki & Brie riff on over-sharing, live-mic anxiety, and regretting what slips out mid-interview (“In the middle of the night, I’m like, what the fuck, why did I say that?...Did I really have to make the ‘sixes for dicks’ jokes?” – Nikki, 14:02).
• Funny Anecdotes: Brie and Nikki recall an infamous vulgar joke at a horse race formal event (“Well, we were never invited back, so there you go.” – Brie, 17:28).

6. A Look at UFC 327 – Stories Behind the Fights

Timestamps: 17:46–25:29

• Headline Bouts:
  • Yuri Prohazka v. Carlos Ulberg: Prohazka is fighting days before his baby is due. Ulberg is “super handsome,” chill, and has been asked to join The Bachelor multiple times (23:27–23:59).
  • Joshua Van v. Tatsuro Taira: Potential for Taira to be Japan’s first UFC champion—Megan stresses the magnitude for Japanese fans (23:59–24:39).
  • Tatiana Suarez v. Lupi Godinez: Suarez is a cancer survivor and Olympic wrestling hopeful turned MMA force: “She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer…barely over 18…and she beats cancer” (25:03).
• Human Side of Fighters: Megan emphasizes every athlete’s unique, often arduous backstory, and the importance of making MMA accessible to any listener.
  • “You don’t have to ever have seen a UFC fight…to understand, like, wow, that’s pretty inspiring” (21:36).
• Megan’s Podcast – Becoming a Fighter: Deep dives with fighters about their personal journeys. She approaches each like “pretending it’s Joe [her husband] sitting across from me” (21:19–22:44).

7. Juggling Marriage, Parenting & MMA

Timestamps: 18:26–21:05

• With Husband Joe Benavidez: Megan reflects on the challenge and privilege of traveling the world with her husband during his fighting career and now sharing those experiences with their son (18:55).
  • “I worked the majority of his fights…now that he’s retired, I’m like, how did I even do that?” (19:01)
• Would She Want Her Son to Fight?
  • “Yeah, it would make me super nervous…but if that’s what’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen.” (20:26)
  • Acknowledges combat sports are in the family DNA—she’d be a hypocrite to say no (20:44).
• On Naming Their Son Vito: “That’s just, like, a tough boy name.” (20:51)

8. Women in a Male-Dominated Arena

Timestamps: 26:45–28:36

• Role & Responsibility: Megan sees her position as a serious responsibility, working to show she’s there “because I am the best at it,” not just a diversity hire (26:59).
  • “I cannot in any way drop the ball, because…that would be dropping the ball for a lot of other people, too…particularly a lot of women.” (27:15)
• Solidarity Among Women: Megan and the hosts bond over always feeling the need to earn their job every week: “All women in our…spaces that are mostly male dominated…I think we all feel like we have to earn our job every week.” (28:09)
• Quote:
  • “If that’s how I have to live and operate…in this field, then I’m totally okay with it, because I know the standard will never waver.” (28:15)

9. Inspiration & Affirmation

Timestamps: 28:36–30:51

• Megan’s Motto:
  • “Fake it till you make it.” (28:41)
  • She unpacks how pretending to have confidence eventually led to truly feeling it: “Eventually pretending led into actually believing.” (29:48)
• Nikki & Brie Relate: Affirm this advice is especially relevant for women in male-dominated industries and share the classic WWE “fake it till you make it” anecdote (30:18).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Megan on balancing work and family:
  • “There’s no off season…we’re just constantly in motion.” (02:46)
• On parenting on the road:
  • “I selfishly want to be with him. I want to spend every second that I can with him.” (03:52)
• On the challenges of live interviewing:
  • “Sometimes you don’t know what’s going to come out of your mouth, and sometimes you don’t necessarily feel great…if you fake it…eventually everyone’s gonna think, yeah, you do belong.” (28:53–29:48)
• On her role as a woman in the UFC:
  • “I want them to know I have the job because I am the best at it.” (27:05)
• Brie on setting boundaries:
  • “I kind of like my alone time on the airplane.” (04:44)
• Nikki’s comic relief:
  • “Did I really have to make the sixes for dicks jokes? …That was in a formal setting, but I thought it was funny.” (14:02)
  • “If I’m the sixes for dicks girl, that’s fine.” (17:33)

Key Segment Timestamps (MM:SS)

• Megan’s Parenting & Travel Philosophy: 03:28–04:04
• Finding Grounding Through Walking & Pilates: 05:25–06:12
• How Megan Found Broadcasting: 07:49–09:38
• Toughest Post-Fight Interviews: 10:58–11:59
• Women in MMA Media: 26:59–28:36
• Megan’s Affirmation: 28:41–29:48
• Previewing UFC 327 Storylines: 23:27–25:29

Closing

The episode wraps with encouragement for listeners to watch UFC 327 on April 11th, check out Megan’s podcast Becoming a Fighter, and a group affirmation on the importance of confidence—and faking it, until it’s real.

For more:

• Becoming a Fighter is available wherever you download podcasts and on YouTube.
• Follow Megan Olivi on Instagram: @MeganOlivi
• Stream UFC 327 live April 11th on Paramount+

Fans of MMA, women blazing new trails, or just unfiltered real talk will find plenty to enjoy in this episode.