VERBAL TAP (Episode 54) goes to UFC 168

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Raf’s Recollection: I get the feeling we will be talking about UFC 168 for some time.

It wasn’t the most spectacular set of fights we’ve ever seen, but it was a damn good card.  That’s not the point.

No, the reason I think we’ll be talking about UFC 168 is the fact that we saw some significant items that will leave some lasting impressions.

We saw old school stalwart Chris Leben throw in the towel after surviving a one round affair with Uriah Hall (as Dana White put it in the press conference, “Chris Leben is a tough guy, it’s gotta take a lot for him to quit in that octagon).  We saw Travis Browne capitalize on a major mistake and make Josh Barnett seem almost like an amateur by proxy.  And we saw a crowd favorite push an unbeaten champion in a truly spectacular Fight of the Night in Tate vs. Rousey 2.

But what still remains in most people’s minds is the sight of Anderson Silva falling back and holding his leg in agony.

Between that image and the recent departure of Georges St. Pierre, we now have a UFC without two of it’s biggest stars of the past 10 years.

Like any sports organization, the UFC can (and will) survive without these franchise players, but it’s what these two fighters represented that seems especially disconcerting.  Aside from their professionalism and exemplary martial artist attitudes, both of these charismatic fighters brought a mystique to the game that could captivate audiences and make them excited for just about any match-up that was conceivable (Silva vs. Cote, anyone?  Or how bout St. Pierre vs. Hardy?).

And while the retirement of GSP was a consideration at UFC 167, UFC 168 was the first time we had to seriously consider a world without Anderson Silva and GSP.

At least for a little while.

Certainly, Silva and GSP can come back (I get the impression both will come back), but I believe the untouchable era each of these fighters provided for their respective division is now something of the past.  Sure, Jon Jones looks like he can keep a streak going (and, I believe, will still do great things inside of the octagon for years to come), however, I think the era of fighters with this kind of mystique is gone for the time being.

And maybe that’s a good thing?

It’s my hope that we will soon see a new set of fighters step up to fill the incredible void these two fighters left.  It’s also my hope we see Silva and GSP back in the ring (as they are both athletes of an incredible caliber).  It’s just my own personal opinion, they will return to the cage just a little more mortal and vulnerable.

As part of our extensive UFC 168 coverage, we bring back our pal Sebastian Vendel-Martinez to talk about his observations from the December 28th card and to take his victory lap over guessing one more correct fight in our last installment of Over/Under Kevin.

What the Hell is UFC's Fight Pass?

At the mid-point of the podcast, I do my damnedest to try and educate Kevin about the UFC Fight Pass.

Educating Kevin on most things is a chore, but trying to teach him about Fight Pass is an extra special kind of headache—as I have to point out obvious reasons why people like us (mainly, idiots with podcasts about MMA) need to spend $10 a month on the damned thing.

Without Fight Pass, we can’t do our job of covering all UFC cards or even executing a One Minute Review of The Ultimate Fighter.  In short, the service is a tool for us to give you the kind of extensive coverage you all deserve as rapid listeners of our podcast.

Why any of you guys (or the casual fan of the UFC) need to order it, however, is a question worthy of discussion.

Because, believe me, no one is arguing that the current inception of Fight Pass is perfect (especially after the WWE walloped the UFC Fight Pass with the introduction of their own subscriber-based network this week), but the UFC’s intention to embrace the digital age is something that is worthy of a view.

We discuss all of the implications of the current implementation of the UFC’s new on-demand service—and ask you guys what you think about the service.  Be sure to hit us up on Twitter to let us know what you think of Fight Pass.

Jiu-Jitsu Rescued My Saturday

There are some days that start off so bad the only remedy is jiu-jitsu.  Such was the case for me Saturday, December 28th.  Without getting into too much detail, my morning started off in a spectacularly annoying fashion and I felt the need to try and rid any negative energy before embarking upon day-and-a-half marathon that is covering a live UFC event.

I’m not the type to let negative energy drag me down for long, so I texted my friend BJJ podcast arch nemesis, Paul Moran (Open Mat Radio), for a recommendation on a good place to train BJJ for the day.  He was nice enough to point me in the direction of his home gym: Sergio Penha’s BJJ Academy.

It didn’t take long for me to grab my gi and make my way over to the gym.

Obviously, I got smashed the entire time (what else is new), but the healing power of jiu-jitsu extends beyond how good you are at it.  Mostly, it’s just the practice of it that can sometimes cure the roughest of days.  The good people at Sergio Penha’s were not only welcoming, but patient and very helpful in trying to correct some of the terrible jiu-jitsu habits I’ve developed over the years.  Within an hour’s worth of time rolling on the mats, I felt a great sense of calm restored in my life.

The people and the environment gave me exactly what I needed that Saturday morning: A sense of feeling like I was at my home gym.  In fact, my only complaint was that I didn’t have the time to stay there longer and roll with everyone.

I just want to send a big shout out to the good folks over there (including the man, Sergio Penha himself) for making a major difference in my Vegas weekend. I literally could not have done the job I needed to do at the UFC that day without a visit to your gym.  When I get back to Vegas, I will definitely be back to train with you guys again.

But, Paul, just know.  This changes nothing.  You are still my BJJ Podcast Nemesis.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 53) with Travis Conley

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Raf's Recollection | UFC 168 is upon folks.  I'm currently in Vegas helping the good folks over at MMANYTT with their coverage and things. are. going. fast.

Because of Christmas, all the normal fight week proceedings seem to be happening at a rapid pace.  We've only been in Vegas for a little over 28 hours and we've already done the press conference and weigh ins.  And by this time tomorrow we'll know the answer to who won two of the most heavily anticipated rematches in UFC history.

Ronda vs. Miesha 2.  Anderson and Chris 2.

But the real rivalry we want to know the answer to is: who will win the latest installment of Over/Under Kevin?

With so many crazy betting lines for UFC 168 to choose from, we thought it might be best to consult the idiot savant (emphasis on idiot) Kev Phillips on his picks for this extra special "let's charge you an additional $5" UFC card.  Now, unlike other shows that tout the expertise of their betting advisers, we pride ourselves on being the only podcast to feature an analyst whose opinion carries absolutely no weight on the proceedings.

In fact, just to make things interesting, we thought we'd bring in someone to challenge Kevin at his own game who is equally as unqualified to make fight predictions.  His name is Sebastian Vendel-Martinez.  He writes for MMANytt.  On the right, you can see a photo of him.  He told me he thinks this picture best shows off his "false professional facade" (I'm inclined to agree).

He's equally offensive and twice as funny as Kevin (which isn't saying much, I know).  Please welcome him to the podcast.

The good news: what these two lack in sound judgment, they more than make up with their delightfully stupid UFC 168 banter.

On a serious note, if you're looking for a guy who does legit UFC betting line breakdowns, show some love to our pal, Daniel Patinkin over at Grappler Media.

And don't forget to keep it locked down here at VerbalTapCast.com and on our Twitter at @VerbalTapCast all day long on Saturday, December 28th for all the best UFC 168 coverage.

But Wait There's More

Turns out, Kevin knows good people.

This week, Kev convinced Underground Gym owner and BJJ badass, Travis Conley to make a stop on our podcast.

Not only is Travis is one of the few people I know who have made the transition from pro wrestling to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (we nerd out about it, and I assure you his story about tag teaming with former WCW great, Marcus "Buff" Bagwell, is worth the price of admission, folks), but he's also building a quite an impressive resume as a conditioning MMA trainer.

What I like about Travis' story is the fact that he fulfilled a lifelong dream of being a pro wrestler only to find a new love in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Over the years, he's made a mark in the world of BJJ that's allowed him to travel the globe teaching the gentle art and conducting seminars--and, along the way, discovered a more fulfilling line of work as a trainer.

Which is exactly I got Travis to play a game that combines two of his passions (BJJ and Pro Wrestling) on our podcast.  It's a fun one.

If you happen to live in or travel to the Lees Summit, Missouri area, be sure to drop by his gym, as we are truly fans of folks like him who are doing great work for the BJJ and MMA community.

BJJ Shout Outs

We close out the show with a special set of BJJ-themed shout outs.  Because we were filled with the X-mas spirit, we were happy to shout out some of our BJJ friends' favorite BJJ causes, gyms, and individuals.  Listen in, we might have just shouted you out!

And We Want to Hear From You!

Let us know who you think is gonna win at UFC 168.  Hit us up on Twitter @VerbalTapCast and person with the most accurate picks will get an extended shout out on our next podcast!!!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 43) with Jessamyn Duke and Chris Holdsworth

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Raf's Recollection | Sometimes the UFC hype machine jumps the gun and overuses the phrase "must see" fight.

We get it, promoting fights is a tough business. And when you promote hundreds of fights a year, you sometimes run out of ways to get people to tune in, sometimes saying the same things over and over again.

For example, fans of The Ultimate Fighter are no strangers to the phrase "you won't want to miss the _______ fight of the season."

Most intense.  Craziest.  Most controversial.  You name the cliche, they've done it.  Thousands of times.

However, in the case of Jessamyn Duke and Raquel Pennington, you had a fight that was truly worthy of the UFC hype machine.  And we here at Verbal Tap were lucky enough to get Jessamyn to drop by the podcast to talk about the instant classic fight between her and Raquel.  But that's not all, Jessamyn shares some inside scoops about The Ultimate Fighter house, discusses if she has any regrets missing out on the pre-fight pool party, and listens in on the 1 Minute Review of her episode (letting us know exactly what she thinks of my impression of her).

Moments later, we backtrack and do the episode of The Ultimate Fighter (Episode 5) that Kev pathetically tried to review on the last podcast.  BJJ black belt and TUF cast member Chris Holdsworth drops in to listen to the second 1 Minute Review, describe his fight against Chris Beal, and even takes a moment to critique the season premiere of The Walking Dead(?).  And while you're listening to the podcast, do us a solid and check out the great stuff Holdsworth has over at his personal website ChrisHoldsworthMMA.com (otherwise he's going to beat me up a whole bunch).  The dude is very funny and has already promised to start putting up some awesome videos on his page (we've got some solid BJJ-themed video short ideas if you're up for 'em Holdsworth).

But What About Phil Harris?

Calm down.  It wouldn't be a true MMA podcast if we didn't cover the controversy surrounding Rousimar Palhares and the "screaming tap" heard all around the world.  Our resident go-to BJJ Expert, BJJ Breakdown's JOHN EVANS, drops by to weigh in on the controversy and tries to explain what the hell happened when when Toquinho caught Mike Pierce in a nasty looking heel hook.

I Trained at Some Guy Named Marcelo Garcia's Academy

In our shout outs, I describe my training session over at Marcelo's in New York.  I can't say enough good things about the wonderful people over at Marcelo's and the patience they displayed in teaching me techniques that were far beyond my capabilities.  As a complete stranger, they truly treated me like one of their own and were committed to making sure I got the most out of my experience.  I just want to say "thank you" to all of them for being so cool.

It was a nice in a lifetime experience and I truly hope I can return back there some day when I'm somewhat less terrible at jiu-jitsu.

"The Goose"

While we crack wise about the gi I received from BJJHQ in the video above, I can't thank the good people over there enough for sending me the "The Goose" here after hearing me talk about the crack-like addiction I have to purchasing stuff from their website (it's taking in my being not to buy every thing going up on the rolling deals sale right now).  For the last year and a half, I've been rolling with the same (boring) white, judo gi.  And while I love this stupid gi, every time I train, I have to race home to immediately put it in the wash so that I can train again the next day.  And now, I am happy to report that I can now alternate gis and (finally) walk into my jiu-jitsu classes like one of the cool kids with this awesome looking gi.  Serious props to them and Kev and I are going to be filming a video in the near future to show our appreciation.

All I got for now.  Give the podcast a listen folks.  I don't think you'll be disappointed!!!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 40) with Joe Schilling

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Raf's Recollection |There's nothing worse than missing a UFC card.  If you know me, you know I absolutely hate missing a UFC card.

I have a set of calenders in my house and at work that meticulously map out UFC cards, Fight Nights, and Ultimate Fighter episodes months in advance.  But, every so often, you hit a weekend where you have a set of plans you just can't get out of.  That was the case for Saturday Night's UFC 165. Not just for me, but also for my co-host.

Of course, it had to be on a night when a potential Fight of the Year took place.

But fear not Verbal Tap Cast fans, because Kev and I are committed to giving you the very best coverage, we wouldn't just talk blindly about a set of fights we didn't get the chance to watch.  That's why we brought in a panel of folks to help us ring in our 40th episode AND piece together exactly what took place during the fight between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson this weekend.

We start with our pal, Ben Unanaowo(a sports enthusiast/couch potato who's never short on opinions about sports) giving us a play-by-play account of the UFC 165 main event. But we wouldn't be doing our job if we just left it at that.  Given the controversial nature of the fight—with a public outcry among MMA fans who were angry with the judge's decision and the multiple interpretations from spectators on how the fight went down—we decided to bring in two experts to give this epic battle the attention it deserves.

Enter our experts:  Making the case for the Jones, training partner and podcast favorite Bubba McDaniel drops by tell us why the judges were right to score the fight for the champ, while Swedish MMA Fighter Marcus Kowal (and owner of SystemsTrainingCenter.com) makes the case for Gustafsson.  Bubba and Marcus walk us through every angle of the fight and even tell us the implications for the Light Heavyweight division.  And our conversation DOES. NOT. DISAPPOINT.

And if you guys are fans of having experts drop by to talk about the fights, we're more than happy to bring it back and (maybe) even hold a full on debate between panelists on the next go-round for controversial fights like this.  Let us know what you think.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE: That's not all fight fans!  In addition to our signature World Famous "One Minute Review" of this week's The Ultimate Fighter, we also talk with Kickboxer Joe Schilling who fights this Saturday at GLORY Kickboxing in Ontario, California.  In our EXCLUSIVE interview Joe, he talks about how he got the name "Stitch 'Em Up," his gym in Los Angeles (The Yard), his clothing line (Can't Stop Crazy), and we discuss if he's really a bad guy or not (spoiler alert: he's not).

So do us a solid, check it out and let us know what you think!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 38) with Joe Williams

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Raf's Recollection |Have you, like I, been counting down the days until the return of The Ultimate Fighter? I know it's only been five months, but it's felt like an eternity.

For those new to our program (welcome), we here at Verbal Tap live for making fun of The Ultimate Fighter.  We even have a signature portion of our podcast where we review each episode of the telecast in one minute's time (coincidentally named our World Famous "One Minute Review").

What's that?  It's impossible to make fun of all things Ultimate Fighter related in just one minute's time?  Well, I'd invite you to listen to our podcast and try and tell me differently ;-)

Now before any of you TUF purists who are new to the show start trying to troll our comment boards, allow me to say this: Kev and I love the show.  We're huge fight fans and we're rooting for new talent to work it's way through the ranks (one need only to look at the roster of guests we've had come on the show to know how much we support it).

Nonetheless, it's probably important to mention we're going to tell a lot of jokes at the show's expense.  We're gonna make fun of the fighters.  And we're gonna have a blast doing it, so don't take it too seriously folks. So sit back and check out our first Ultimate Fighter review, we're gonna make it a blast for you all this season.

But that's not all we've got for you this week.  In addition to discussing last week's UFC Fight Night 28, we also talk to Fight Master's Joe Williams.

What you may know about Joe "Mongo" Williams from the show is that he's a strong competitor with a fantastic wrestling background.  What you might not know is that he is secretly a comic at heart.

You read that right.

Additionally, we talk about Joe's next fight, some pranks that happened between Team Shamrock and Team Warren that never made it to air, and we even get Joe to play a game of Rep that Tweet with us.

So download the podcast and let us know what you think, folks!