Alright gang, um, the gate was 6.7 million. The attendance was 19,238. Sold out. We shattered the arena record by $2 million. Um, the performances went to Wells, Johnson, Turner, and uh, Stalus. Who's got the first question?
Dana, very good, interesting tactical main event between Islam and Ian Garry. Gary Ian showed great defensive work. Islam showed that he was strong even against a bigger guy. Give us your thoughts on the main event and how it played out.
What did you say? He was what?
Let me let me read. I I they they have this thing like AI doing it for me now. Charlie Ian showed great defensive work. Islam showed that he was strong either against even against the bigger guy. Give your thoughts on the main event and how it played out. Um, when I hear it back, it sounds like a bad question. Repeat it back to me. Not a bad question. I think that, you know, this is my honest opinion on it. I felt like tonight was uh set up for for for the upset. I felt like the upset could happen tonight with so much on the line, all the records that Islam has and he's going to break Anderson Silva's record. Uh there's weight classes for a reason. Ian Gary is a big rangy strong guy who has great takedown defense. I mean, if you look at his takedown defense tonight against Islam, it was impressive. Um, I felt like I I think that Ian is a talented guy. I if he had even an ounce of killer instinct in that fifth round, you know, he had been beating him to the body. His whole Islam's whole, I think, right side was beat up. His face was beat up. You You don't come out and hug and shake hands in the That [ __ ] drives me [ __ ] crazy. uh when there's so much at stake and and there's also uh you know a lot of mental uh you know gamesmanship, whatever you want to call it in this game. Um you come out in that fifth round with a flying knee or something crazy and you try to finish the fight. Um I think that it's this is one of those fights that Ian will go back and watch and say, "Fuck, wish I could do that over again."
Would you agree going into the fifth round it almost looked like Ian was actually the fresher man like Islam had more?
100% and you know if he came out and tried to destroy and win that last round you know with everything that he had I think it's a totally different fight and then he gives Islam that explosive you know he exploded up and got his back and once he took his back and put the hooks in that was a wrap that he's going to ride that out till the round ends. Yeah, I felt like this, right? And you know, that's how I felt. But on the Islam side, Islam went out, you know, the complete opposite now against a bigger, strong, rangy guy who has good takedown defense, controlled him, shut him down. I don't know if he was in his head and and and Ian felt like he had to come out and shake hands in the fifth round or whatever, but you know, Islam did exactly what he needed to do to win that fight.
Yeah. Do you feel like what Islam is now doing at welterweight is more impressive than anything he's done before? because it's quite clear that maybe this isn't his completely natural division.
When you go in there, you know, if you're at the weigh-ins or when I went in after the fight and Ian Gary came over and shook my hand, Ian Garry's handshake is like a [ __ ] vice grip, you know, and he is a big powerful rangy guy and uh you know for for Islam to go in and and do what he did to him tonight, you know, physical and mental.
Yeah.
What was you and Ian had a long conversation after the fight. What were you guys talking about?
Yeah. He's just like, "Listen, I know I'm one of the best in the world and, you know, I'll be back. This isn't going to, you know, you know." Yeah. Well, five minutes ago. Five minutes ago, if you'd have come out of that [ __ ] corner like like like a raging [ __ ] bull, you know, we might be having a different conversation right now.
Do you feel like Ian's too nice to his opponents at the press conference? He wanted to build Islam up. He's been nice about him all week.
I think I think that Ian's a classy guy is what I think. And you know, he he always shows class. He did, you know, before the fight, he goes over and shakes, you know, all the corner hands and all that stuff. It's great, but when that [ __ ] bell rings, you got to switch, you got to switch all that [ __ ] off and going, you definitely got to do it in the fifth round after the, you know, he fought a great fight against Islam, who, you know, everybody in this room and everybody else is saying, well, we might start talking about GOAT. You don't go shake the [ __ ] goat's hand going into the fifth round. and you come out to [ __ ] annihilate him. I mean, that just has to be your mindset in my humble opinion.
Uh, can I get your thoughts on the Coleman event between McKenzie and Jillian Robertson?
So, I'm a I'm a Jillian fan and uh, you know, I was talking about, you know, Joe, Daddy Stevenson, and BJ Penn. I was way off on that one. Um, I I was actually surprised at at at how much uh McKenzie dominated her on the ground and and on the feed.
And then going to the I I don't know if you were even here, but the first fight of the night, Jeremiah Wells, uh, his opponent Mic Or opened up as like a minus a,000 favorite quite
And he won he won a bonus tonight, too.
Apparently, he used to work here back in the day and then now he's kicking off. He was kind of on the fence about retirement. He says he wants a top 15. If he probably doesn't get like a more upward trajectory of his career, he might step away. Is have you guys got any clarification on
How old is he? He's like,
Tonight was an incredible win for him. He, you know, he comes back here at that age, wins in spectacular fashion, and gets a huge bonus. And, you know, it's awesome. Hey Dana, can you clarify the bonuses? There was two there were two Johnson's on the card. One had a Scottish twister and the other one had a big knockout. So
Okay, Charles Johnson. Thanks
Dana right here. Can you just expand a little bit more on how impressive what Islam did tonight is? I mean, 17 straight wins. Anderson Silva's run ended in 2013, I think. And it's been, you know, 13 years for someone to exceed that. Like, how hard is this?
Yeah. And it's very hard. And if he keeps going like he says he's going to keep going, I mean, it might never be beaten, at least while I'm alive. [laughter] So, it's very impressive what he did. And again, you know, in in my uh my thoughts on on how Ian performed tonight, you know, so you, like I said, you can flip that whole script and then dropping on Islam on how impressively he beat a big, strong, rangy guy who was doing damn good work. Um, you know, Islam did everything he needed to do to beat this guy. And like I said, there's weight classes for a reason and and uh tonight's matchup was a perfect example of that.
And it seems like the next one could maybe be the hardest one yet. You guys had, you know, Prochess and Morales on the screen. Is it just obviously Tuesday you'll go back and kind of discuss who who might be the front runner. You know, Carlos says he's been promised it. Morales was the backup.
Yeah, I know. He was telling me I'm coming in there after the fight. They said, "Yeah, yeah, just let let Islam have his moment." And, you know, we don't need you running in there with the whole [ __ ] Muslim Brotherhood in here tonight. We don't need that [ __ ] Let's just uh let's take a let's pump the brakes and see what's next.
Yeah. Well, you guys showed uh Usuzbond or Mega Made on the broadcast as well. Is there any update on, you know, talks with him or anything in that regard with him?
Uh, I mean, if we did, we'd we'd announce it.
Sure. And uh lastly um there was eight finishes tonight and at this point of the year there's been the most finishes, highest finishing rate since 2018 in the UFC. Is that just coincidence? Is that matchmaking or do you think the finish bonus has maybe
I think it's a little bit of everything. Yeah, a little bit of everything.
Perfect. Thank you.
Hey Dana over here.
So Dana, this was the UFC's first show in Philadelphia in over seven years. What' you think of the crowd tonight and how quickly do you want to come back here to Philly?
Yeah, I mean I love Philly. I love this city. I always have fun here. Um at other sporting events, too, not just ours. So, um yes, we we we will be back uh sooner than than uh than this run that we were on here. But, you know, CO's a big part of that, too. So, it's [snorts] not just because we didn't want to come back to Philly or something. CO was a huge part of that. Um, [snorts] and uh, you know, to come in here again, sell out. And think about this now. Everybody's spoiled with UFC cuz we sell out every [ __ ] show and it's blah blah blah blah blah. We're in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a Russian Muslim and an Irish kid and we sell, we do a $7 million gate and we shatter the [ __ ] record here. The biggest event that's ever been held here. We beat it by $2 million. It's crazy. Unheard of before. If you if you fought in Philly, you'd have to have a guy from Philly in the main event. And you know, it's pretty impressive.
And last one for me is since you also oversee Zufa as well, when do you think Zufa will become to Philadelphia as well since you just recently brought them to New York?
Yeah, soon. Yeah, I I actually can't wait to bring Zufa to Philly. Yes, sir. Go ahead. My guy right here with the glasses. Yeah,
Me. Oh, yeah. Dana, so another banger for the flyweight division. Eduardo Chapelene took the fight on four days notice. Charles Johnson gets dropped, comes back with the Scottish twister. What's the ceiling for this flyweight division? Cuz it just seems to be getting better and better.
Yeah, I know that the boys, uh, meaning the matchmakers, they've been working on all the divisions right now. We're working on some fun [ __ ] in our, uh, our Tuesday get together. So over the next uh over next year, you just going to see all the divisions just getting nastier and nastier. And then obviously we're in another contender series uh season right now. So it's going to be a fun nine weeks coming up.
Awesome. And one more from me. Do we have any update on Jeang Lee because a lot of people are interested in that fight with McKenzie Durn potentially.
Yeah, I agree. Um no, uh we don't have anything uh on her. Um, yeah, we're still we're we're still we're still working with her. Love her and hope she comes back soon. Go ahead.
Yep.
Guy with a mic. Yeah,
Dana.
All right, I'll shut the [ __ ] up. Lay is running behind the last guy.
Yeah.
Uh, to go back on what he was saying about being seven years since you've been to Philly. It's been seven years since you've been to Minneapolis. Uh, any news on coming to Minneapolis anytime soon?
Um, yeah. Um, I don't know off the top of my head, but yes. Yes.
And then I I met a German tourist here that came just for this fight, and he would like me to ask you when you're coming to Germany, maybe shortly after Minneapolis.
You ran into a German guy that wanted you to ask me when are we going to Germany?
Yes. He said you can sell out any stadium in Germany. that the promotion there sells out all the arenas and they are nothing compared to you. So,
All right, Julie. Julie, thank you. App Yeah. Um
Uh [ __ ] What was I going to tell you? I was going to tell you something. Um
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know.
Right here.
Edson Bosa retired tonight after like 15 years fighting for the UFC and everything. What is his legacy to you in this company?
Uh he's such a great kid and he's been in so many wars and uh yeah I mean we really like him. I mean I don't know what you want me to say other than he's he's he's an absolute savage been awesome having him uh you know fight in this company and and we we really respect him and like him a lot.
