Woo! What a night. I got one for you I wanted to share with you guys. So, this thing started July 17th, 2017. So, from that date to today, the fighters who have made it into the UFC from the Contender Series have made 225.3 million. Talk about an opportunity.
Well, we'll go off that. Are you surprised when you started this show, it was a way to bring in new talent to the promotion, maybe bring a new show, more content? Are you surprised how big the Contender Series has got by itself as its own property?
I mean, yeah. When I came up with the idea, I literally walked into Borsari's office and told him the concept and we started working on it and put it together. But at the end of the day, it's all about the matchmaking. You know, you got to get out there and find this young up-and-coming talent and then the matchmaking's fucking spectacular.
I mean, look at tonight, right? We'll start with the opening fight between Puger and Trembley. Back and forth war, chaos basically, and then you gave them both a contract. Talk to us about that fight and to your point the amazing matchmaking behind it.
Yeah, and my thing was, one of our guys actually thought it was a draw and I hate draws but that would have been a great draw. And I was like, beginning of the third round, I said send both these guys straight to the hospital. And then when I was walking out, Sean Shelby goes, I want Tanner, so let's take them both.
I feel like when you talk about the matchmaking as well, if you look at the main event and stylistically, you have the flashier guy in Breto who likes the angles going to the sideways and then you have Physile just marching forward the whole time. And it's those sort of style matchups that also makes amazing fights. When you look at that main event, was that what you were thinking when you were watching it? How did you feel about the main event?
Yeah, it was incredible. I mean, tell me what fight was bad tonight. There wasn't a bad fight on the card. It was an incredible night and the main event was, we were going into the main event, we're going into the third round of the main event. I was thinking, damn, I wish this was five rounds. We didn't need five rounds, but that's what I was thinking when the third round started.
I actually felt when the third round started like these guys are both going to get contracts as well. Was that potentially on the card until obviously the amazing knockout?
Yeah, I don't know. I don't ever think about giving out two contracts. There's a winner and we're not just handing out fucking contracts. You got to earn them here.
Another thing that this property has done has given you a way to introduce big talent names to the UFC fans before bringing them to the UFC fans. Like I
Well, you get to see these guys fight before they actually set foot in the UFC and you get to see them in like a real fight. These fights are well matched and they all end up being dog fights.
When you hear about hype of people coming in, where does Bellamir rank on that? She's main event next week and it feels like already there's a lot of talk about her as a prospect.
She's been special to me since she graduated high school. So, I've been talking to her since then. And now that she's done what she's done in college and graduated college, when she came and met with me after she graduated college, I said, 'What do you think about getting your master's degree?' And she said, 'Don't even fucking start with me. Don't even start.' So, she's ready. She's ready to go.
A lot of guys tonight, it was her second opportunity. They came back, made the most out of it, now are UFC fighters. So, just kind of talking on that note, I know you loved all of tonight. Is there anyone from tonight in particular that maybe didn't get the contract, didn't go their way, but you want to see them regroup and come back next season?
Well, I think all these guys. I think when you come here and you fight like all these guys fought tonight, it doesn't mean that you don't have a place in this sport. There's definitely a spot for you. This was a learning experience. And like you saw, there were guys tonight on this card like, 'Well, let's talk about Perez.' I think when he was first offered, he turned down the Contender Series. Then he came and lost on the Contender Series and he couldn't have looked better tonight. I want him. Flip him to No.
And I know you always say you try to stay out of things until you come here on Tuesday, not see these guys' past or whatever, but I want to ask, did you get to see any promotional hype around a guy like Neyo Fazil, who obviously has huge backing on social media and everything around him?
No, but I know who he is. Plus, we had some go down this week, too. So, I know who he is. Yeah.
He caused problems in somewhere or
He definitely did not cause problems.
And what did you think of just the pop that he got and just the whole main event? Like, it had a main event feel tonight. And not that the others don't, but really today with the pop, how many people are there, how many people came to support.
Yeah, it was awesome. And now that there's more seats in this place, it's just a whole another level here. This is a real arena now.
And do you rank this, where does this rank amongst all of your Tuesday nights? Do you have a rank for this?
Well, 10 years it's hard to remember. I love this show. I love Tuesday nights. I wish we could do this every week throughout the entire year, but this was definitely one of the all-time great nights on the Contender Series.
Speaking about the main event, was Breto better tonight or did you just finally see the version of him that you wanted to see back in 2023?
Was Kaik Breuro better tonight or is it do you just finally see the version of him that you finally wanted to see back in 2023?
Yeah, I mean, if you look at, he had a guy who was taking all of his shots and coming forward the whole time. That can be very disheartening when you got a guy that's like a fucking zombie coming at you and taking all your best shots and hitting you. Wait 'til you see his face when he comes in here. He took some big shots tonight, too, and then come out and win in spectacular fashion in the third round the way that he did. Yeah.
Was that the kind of performance that makes you think that this guy could be a real problem for UFC welterweights?
Well, that I don't know. That remains to be seen. He passed the test tonight. Now you get into the big leagues and we'll see what he can do from here.
But guys that come from this show have done pretty well in the UFC.
Of the six guys you got, who you gave contracts tonight, which one do you kind of feel, I guess, are you the highest on from seeing them fight?
I don't know. I'm pretty happy with everybody tonight. Everybody has a different story. The Roman fight was an absolute war with Tanner. Loren, like I said, I didn't 100% agree with the stoppage. But he was teeing off, blasting him with big shots and he was a 4-to-1 underdog. So, you got to love that story. Then we were just talking about Christian Perez. Fought another tough, durable guy and could not have looked any better than he did tonight. Trent Miller, in my opinion, I told him, I said the better fighter did not win tonight. But sometimes, if statistically if you look at them, if you look at their records, their fighting style, man, that shit doesn't matter. And he was a five-to-one dog. This guy came out and said I'm going to win this fight tonight and sometimes that's more powerful than talent. And then obviously the main event. Everybody had a different story and a different type of fight. Underdogs, it's hard to just pick one.
I mean, were you, I guess, amazed at how loud the arena was tonight?
Yeah, it's definitely a lot different than nobody being there. It was pretty cool, actually.
Yeah, absolutely. And then finally for me, I don't know if you saw, but Hamza Chamay tagged you on social media saying that what are we waiting for? I want to fight Dana White.
Oh, he just wants to fight. Yeah. Fight.
Is he in the conversations to maybe fight in Abu Dhabi or
Yeah, he's always in conversation to fight. The whole roster is. In a perfect world everybody fights three times a year.
