Daan Duijs Interview (2:07)

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with Cage Warriors bantamweight, Daan Duijs. The Dutch fighter is coming off of his biggest win yet, a big knockout with a giant overhand. He discusses what it’s like to pick up a big win with his hands instead of the ground game that he’s known for. He also discusses his view of what’s next for him in 2024. With a contract expiring soon, there is sure to be some big things on the horizon for this bantamweight prospect. It starts this weekend with a showdown with Aiden Stephen at Cage Warriors 164.

Combat Countdown: Top 5 Dutch Prospects (15:04)

A week removed from UFC Vegas 82, the guys swap their focus to the MMA world at large. Since Daan Duijs and Orlando Prins are both joining the show this week, what better global topic to discuss than Dutch MMA. The Netherlands have a long and storied history in the world of combat sports. However, it’s the future we’re interested in. We’re using the Combat Countdown this week to count down our five (or six) hottest Dutch prospects likely to sign with a big show in 2024. Will our guests for this week make an appearance? You might just have to tune in to find out. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Orlando Prins Interview (21:25)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with Cage Warriors featherweight, Orlando Prins. The Dutch fighter discusses his injuries from this past year that have kept him out of the cage. While that’s been a frustrating time, he’s back feeling better than ever and looking forward to Cage Warriors 164 this weekend – where he fights Bailey Gilbert. Both of the fighters love a tangle on the ground and Prins is looking forward to a fighter that is willing to mix it up on the mat.

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“It’s not that different for me as a smaller guy, shorter guy. I spent my life fighting bigger guys. Whether it was in training or when I played hockey – that’s always been what it is,” he said. “Finding somebody taller [to train with] is easy.”

And in training camp, he’s found plenty of people with the height of Jose Johnson, but few who could also match the weight. However, he sees that as an advantage for him going into the fight.

“My whole training camp has been with bigger guys. They have the height, so I can feel that out,” he said. “Not a lot of people have that weight to go with it, but they have more so it’s all good.”

All in all, Anheliger thinks that people put too much thought into this portion of the fight. While he likes that it seems to help draw more interest in the fight, he thinks there are so many things that are more important in determining a fight winner.

“It really doesn’t change much – the height thing. Of all the things in a fight, there’s so much ahead of how tall somebody is,” Anheliger points out. “Their skill, experience, timing, the gameplanning. Even strength is above height.”

He’ll look to prove he’s better in all of the important ways this Saturday. His fight with Jose Johnson will take place on the ESPN+ prelims of UFC Vegas 82. That portion of the card starts at 2pm EST.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 35:23.

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“All of it has been a blessing – all of the cancelations, everything. It’s been a blessing because, honestly it gave me time to really reflect,” he explained. “I actually found out that I needed to have surgery. It was really beneficial surgery. So all in all, I’m excited for this upcoming fight and thankful for the time.”

The surgery was not one for an injury, but rather something that he’s needed to take care of for a long time.

“It wasn’t an injury at all. It was actually my vision,” Johnson said. “My vision throughout my entire fighting career – I’ve been fighting legally blind pretty much. This has fixed my vision to the point where I’m able to see perfectly now.”

It might come as a surprise to some that he was legally blind for his whole career. Afterall, his pro career is littered with knockout victories. When asked about it, he had a simple explanation for how he was able to pull of the unthinkable time and time again.

“I call it the Daredevil effect,” he said with a laugh. “Just sounds and figures pretty much.”

Now with everything corrected, he’s seeing the fight game in a new way – pun intended. And you can expect to see the best version of him yet.

“Wow, it’s significant. Even my coaches have said before I would just have a blank stare when I’m hitting mits,” Johnson said. “I was working with one of my coaches and he said ‘you’re looking at me like I’m a math problem now.”

You can catch the new and improved version of Jose Johnson on the ESPN+ prelims of UFC Vegas 82. Those fights start at 2pm EST this Saturday.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 2:14.

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Jose Johnson Interview (2:14)

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC bantamweight, Jose Johnson. Jose Johnson talks about his time out of the cage and how it gave him the opportunity to do something he’s needed his whole life – fix his vision. Having spent all of his life and career nearly legally blind, he now can actually see what he’s punching at. He discusses how that’s affected his game planning coming into UFC Vegas 82 and his bout with Chad Anheliger.

Caio Machado Interview (12:18)

ext up on TTP is our interview with UFC heavyweight, Caio Machado. He discusses how difficult it was to put on a performance on Contender Series with his opponent seemingly unwilling to engage. However, even given that situation, he was not worried about the contract. Now with that contract in hand, he looks to make waves in his UFC debut at UFC Vegas 82. He’ll fight felow Contender Series veteran, Mick Parkin.

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC Vegas 82 (25:05)

A week removed from UFC 295, we discuss the fallout from the two title fights. Then we dig into the much less anticipated UFC Vegas 82 card. This week is headlined by a middleweight tilt between Brendan Allen and Paul Craig, with the winner taking that next big step towards title contention at 185lbs. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Chad Anheliger Interview (35:23)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC bantamweight, Chad Anheliger. Anheliger talks about his year out of the cage, which actually was very active for him. Having gotten a chance to work on some things, he’s feeling as confident as ever heading into UFC Vegas 82. He’ll fight fellow guest of the show Jose Johnson in a bantamweight titlt. He also discusses the Canadian cards that have bookended his appearance this weekend.

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As a child, Joshua Van’s family moved to the United States from Myanmar. He didn’t know anyone or the language, so he fell back on the only way he had to get people’s attention.

“I got to the United States when I was 12 and I didn’t know how to speak English, and I was a small kid,” Van said. “What ended up happening was going to school I got picked on and I had to defend myself. I kept fighting, and when you fight in school people go ‘oh, this kid has hands’ and stuff like that. So it got to the point where I enjoyed fighting because that’s the only way I could get people’s attention.”

However, while many young kids are getting in dust-ups at that age and just winging shots, Van was already a student of the game he knew nothing about. He’s watch videos and see boxers trying things he wasn’t familiar with and he’d then try to bring those to his game. He credits that process with how he took so quickly to MMA.

“If I saw somebody go southpaw, I’m a right-hander, but I’d go to somebody to fight and let me try my left side shit,” he said. “I’d try new stuff like that, even in the street fights. That’s why MMA is easier for me because of that street fighting experience.”

And thanks to a close friend’s suggestion, Van wound up finding the game that would become his profession. Some outside inspiration from the most famous fighter in the world at the time provided an additional push.

“I was always a street fighter,” he said. “When I was 16 or 17, one of my friends introduced me to MMA and watching Conor McGregor when he fought Floyd Mayweather. That’s when I first knew what MMA was.”

Now, roughly half a decade later, he finds himself already 1-0 in the biggest organization in the world. He’ll look to make that 2-0 this Saturday at UFC 295. He fights Kevin Borjas on the early prelim portion of the card starting at 6pm EST.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 28:58.

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“Kang has used his wrestling on non-wrestlers. If you watch a lot of his fights and who he’s really taken down and dominated on the ground,” he said. “It’s against guys with zero wrestling credentials.”

It’s not just that Kang has looked good against bad wrestlers. Castaneda also points out he’s had trouble with some guys that he would not consider top level.

“If you take a look at one of his most recent losses against Rani Yahya. Rani Yahya is a very, very, very good grappler, but I would be lying through my teeth if I said he had good wrestling,” he pointed out. “Rani Yahya was able to take down Kang three or four times in that fight.”

Given what he’s seen of Kang so far in his career, Castaneda offered an assessment of those skills as a whole.

“In my opinion, Kang has used his size and has used his wrestling to take down people, but he hasn’t taken down any good wrestlers or dominated any decent wrestlers,” he said. “I think he is a below average wrestler.”

With such an advantage in the wrestling, one might expect ‘The Sexi Mexi’ to take him down early and often. While there might be some of that, he’s got a different prediction for how this one ends.

“Look for a patient John Castaneda,” he said. “I’m going to hurt him on the feet and I could knock him down, knock him out, or TKO him. It’s going to be a finish within two [rounds].”

Castaneda’s fight with Kyung Ho Kang can be seen on ESPN+ as part of the early prelim portion of UFC 295. Those fights begin at 6pm EST this Saturday.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 2:12.

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John Castaneda Interview (2:12)

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC bantamweight, John Castaneda. Casetenda discusses going back to the drawing board to work on some of the pieces to his striking game. He believes it has really changed him into a much better version of himself. He looks to show it at UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden this weekend. He takes on Kyung Ho Kang in a bantamweight tilt that is sure to keep people on the edge of their seats. He also discusses his wrestling skills and how he feels Kang stacks up to those.

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC 295 (13:40)

A week removed from UFC Sao Paulo, we discuss the major pay-per-view, UFC 295. This card is headlined by a fight for the vacant light heavyweight title with one of the men who once owned it. Jiri Prochazka looks to reclaim a belt he never lost, but standing in his way is former middleweight champion, Alex Pereira. Then we have a battle for the thrown at heavyweight as well. Sergey Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall do battle for the interim title and a chance at the champ. We’ll discuss those as well as some of our other favorite action from UFC 295. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Joshua Van Interview (28:58)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC flyweight, Joshua Van. Van discusses the wild ride going from Contender Series hopeful to already on the active roster in a matter of weeks. Then after picking up the win in his debut, he looks to build on that momentum. He’ll get a chance to do just that at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden as he throws down with Kevin Borjas. He’ll discuss that matchup as well as his upbringing in the world of MMA.

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Modestas Bukauskas is still waiting for his chance to fight for the UFC on British soil – to hear the crowd loudly screaming his name. However, that won’t be this weekend. Instead, he heads to Brazil, a place long-known for their passionate home MMA fans.

Those fans won’t be loving Bukauskas as he takes on up-and-coming Brazilian prospect Vitor Petrino. This isn’t the first time he’s faced the hostility though.

“I know I’m definitely not going to be greeted with such a warm energy,” Bukauskas said. “When I went to Australia as well, although the people were lovely, they were still booing me. They were booing me when I was doing the weigh-ins. They were booing me when I walked out into the arena.”

Although it started with boos in Australia, it didn’t end that way. A exciting fight and great performance led the hometown crowd to respect the visitor. Anything is possible in MMA, but he’s not counting on that a second time necessarily.

“When I won the fight and beat their guy, they were really respectful. Will I get the same reception here if I beat their guy? Who knows?” Bukauskas said. “I feel like Australia was a small taste of what is to come. I know it’ll be amplified going to Brazil because they get behind their people.”

But regardless as to how much of a longshot it is, Bukauskas is going to give the fans what they deserve – a show. In doing so, he hopes to capture a spot in the rankings and a chance to move on up.

“It gives me more energy, because bloody hell, they really love this sport. It’s almost like a gladiator – I love that quote – ‘you win the crowd, you win your freedom,” Bukauskas said. “This is my chance to win my freedom. How am I going to win over the crowd? By putting on a spectacular performance. Go in there and take out their guy, be gracious in victory and then move on and conquer more lands.”

He’ll attempt to capture the fans and the land this Saturday on UFC Sao Paulo. His fight with Vitor Petrino will take place on the ESPN+ prelim card, which starts at 6pm EST.

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When Caio Borralho busted on to the scene in 2021 with a big win on Contender Series, nobody was familiar with the Fighting Nerds camp. A year later, the name popped up against when Bruna Brasil punched her ticket to the big show. Then came this year.

2023 was maybe the biggest year for the gym as three more fighters got contracts on Tuesday nights. Carlos Prates, Jean Silva, and Mauricio Ruffy all were extended offers to join the biggest MMA organization in the world. And the man who started it all could not be happier about it.

“It was like a dream come true. It was the same feel as when I got into the UFC. My dream when I got to the UFC was to bring all of my training partners with me,” Borralho said. “Seeing these guys making it, it makes my heart feel so good.”

While the gym seems to have popped up out of nowhere for some, this is something that Borralho has been talking about for years. According to him, we’ve just begun to scratch the surface.

“I’m sure in the next year, we’re going to have like four or five more,” he said. “This is the Fighting Nerds takeover I’ve been talking about since the beginning. This is the takeover and the takeover has started.”

With all of the success that they’ve had on Contender Series, there’s no reason to think it might not continue next year. Borralho has some thoughts on who we should keep an eye out for on next year’s show.

“You guys need to be taking a look at Jair Farias,” Borralho said. “He fought on the Contender Series and lost, but something happened to him just before the fight and the things didn’t go the way we wanted. He’s definitely a guy who is going to be there again next year.”

As for fresh blood, he suggests we might see the first non-Brazilian from the team next.

“You guys need to take a look at a Cuban wrestler that we have. He’s our Yoel Romero. His name is Geovanis Palacios he’s fighting on LFA on November 3rd,” he shared. “He’s 6-0 with 6 finishes. He throws everybody in the air. He’s a Greco-Roman, Cuban wrestler guy and he’s so strong.”

But before we see any of those new names Borralho will look to put a stamp on the rankings for the gym. His next step is a UFC Sao Paulo showdown with Abus Magomedov. That fight will be on the UFC Sao Paulo main card starting at 9pm EST on ESPN+.

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Caio Borralho Interview (2:14)

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC middleweight, Caio Borralho. Borralho discusses finally getting that chance to fight in his backyard. He’s excited to be fighting at UFC Sao Paulo and knows a fight with Abus Magomedov could really propel him in this division. Plus, he talks about his gym, The Fighting Nerds, and previews who might be next out of the camp.

Modestas Bukauskas Interview (13:14)

Next on this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC light heavyweight, Modestas Bukauskas. Modestas talks about heading into enemy territory at UFC Sao Paulo. He fights Brazilian Vitor Petrino this Saturday. He goes into the event with a warrior’s mentality – hoping to take the shine off of the Contender Series prospect, and bring a bit more back to himself.

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC Sao Paulo (27:19)

Two weeks after UFC 294, we finally get back to some UFC fights. The fights in Brazil have some wild matchups, some thrown together at the last second, and plenty of Brazilian prospects. The main event is a heavyweight tilt between Jailton Almeida and Derrick Lewis. We’ll break it that fight as well as some of the other top fights. Plus, we’ll also give you an underdog and a parlay to make your wallet fat at UFC Sao Paulo. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Vinc Pichel Interview (32:44)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC lightweight, Vinc Pichel. The ageless wonder, Pichel talks about getting older and trying to stay healthy. That can be increasingly hard when training with all of the killers at Factory X. However, he’s still on an incredible run and that run heads through another hot prospect next. He takes on Ismael Bonfim at UFC Sao Paulo this Saturday. He talks about the style matchup and what he things about fighting in Brazil.

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