Fitz and a Fighter

Text me a question for the show Eric Nicksick is the head coach of UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and was named co-coach of the year by MMA Junkie in 2020 (along with Tyson Chartier).  A standout high school football player, he thought his athletic future was in college football and eventually the pros.  But after that didn't pan out, he found MMA and hasn't looked back.  His ability and...

Text me a question for the show Adrian Yanez is a UFC bantamweight prospect after winning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series.  He became a name to watch with a blistering knockout win on the Contender Series, and has followed it up with two more KO wins in the Octagon.  His relationship with his late father Andres and promise to make it to the UFC has been a storyline fans have come to fo...

Text me a question for the show Belal Muhammad is a UFC welterweight who is coming off his first main event in the UFC.  It ended with a sour taste after Belal was poked in the eye by Leon Edwards, leading to a No Contest.  But Belal is undeterred by the misfortune and ready to keep climbing as a UFC contender to watch!  A devout Muslim, proud of his Palestinian heritage, a comedic personality and...

Text me a question for the show Grant Dawson is a UFC lightweight contender who has yet to lose during his time in the UFC.  After growing up on a farm, being home-schooled until junior high school, and then wrestling in a small Nebraska town of under 2,000 people, Grant set his sights on UFC greatness. Grant talks about his small town upbringing, finding mixed martial arts, and the journey it has...

Text me a question for the show Chris Daukaus is the new UFC heavyweight contender on the block.  He sits at #10 after his recent KO win over Aleksei Oleinik.  He is also a Philadelphia police officer and has been for the last ten years, but that's about the change.  The goal from the beginning was to be a full-time fighter, and once he hits 10 years in just a few months, he will make the leap. We...

Text me a question for the show Drew Dober is a UFC lightweight contender and always delivers a fun performance to watch.  Originally from Nebraska, Dober opens up and talks about the change he made in his life to move toward positivity and chasing his dream of being a UFC fighter. He has won 6 of his last 7 fights as he readies for a big fight at UFC 259! 📺 Check out FITZ NATION on YouTube 👉🏻...

Text me a question for the show Brad Tavares is a top-15 middleweight contender and UFC veteran.  He returned to action at UFC 257 on Fight Island after a lengthy layoff due to a knee injury.  Fully healthy and with much more to accomplish in fighting, he's excited to see regular action going forward as he looks to climb back up the rankings. Fitz and Brad chat about growing up in Hawaii, always b...

Text me a question for the show Julian Marquez is a UFC middleweight fresh off a big win at UFC 258 on February 13, '21.  The return to the Octagon marked his first fight since July of 2018 after suffering a major shoulder injury.  A proud Cuban-American, Julian talks about his upbringing in Kansas City and the support his family provided for Cuban immigrants.  We also discuss why he was drawn to...

Text me a question for the show James Krause is a UFC welterweight, MMA coach, entrepreneur, real estate mogul and stock trader.  His hustle is undeniable in both his fighting style inside the Octagon, and business pursuits outside of it.  Krause has been on a tear recently, winning 7 of his last 8 fights in the UFC, with the lone loss when he made headlines by stepping up to fight Trevin Giles at...

Text me a question for the show Michael Chiesa is a UFC welterweight contender.  His recent main event win over Neil Magny has made him the 6th-ranked contender as he mounts a run for a UFC championship.  Chiesa has been a mainstay on the UFC roster and a popular fighter with fans after he won season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter.  In this episode, Fitz and Chiesa take a detailed look at his UFC care...

Text me a question for the show Heidi Androl is a UFC reporter, interviewing fighters, coaches and UFC president Dana White on UFC broadcasts.  While she has enjoyed a successful career in broadcasting there's a lot more to the story of how she became a sports reporter!  Originally from rural Michigan, Heidi found her way to California, lived on a boat, sold helicopter parts for big money, was a c...

Text me a question for the show Gilbert Burns is a UFC welterweight contender who will headline UFC in February.  "Durinho" was in the lightweight division of the UFC for a handful of years, but has given himself a title shot after moving up to welterweight and reeling off four straight wins.  A decorated jiu jitsu blackbelt, the former world BJJ champion talks about his humble beginnings outside...

Text me a question for the show Kevin Holland is a UFC middleweight contender coming off a big year in 2020.  "Trailblazer" went 5-0 from May to December, putting himself in the top 10 and setting him up for his first UFC main event vs. Derek Brunson.  Always a trash-talker, Holland discusses his upbringing and unique relationship with his parents, finding martial arts and why he needed it, and be...

Text me a question for the show Calvin Kattar is a top-10 featherweight contender in the UFC and fights Max Holloway in the main event on January 16th on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi to help the UFC kick off 2021!  After two big wins in 2020, Kattar is positioned for a run at the title in '21. For Calvin's previous appearance on the show, go here . For New England Cartel merchandise, go here . Check ou...

Text me a question for the show As promised, here are the 2020 Fitzy Awards. A couple years ago at the end of 2018, I reflected on my new job of traveling the globe and calling fights.  As the MMA world started giving out their year-end superlatives, I thought about my unique experience in relation to calling the fights and also experiencing many different places and cultures I would otherwise not...

Text me a question for the show Adam Hunter is a stand-up comedian who is well known by UFC fans.  He also was a decorated prep school wrestler and then wrestled very briefly in college.  After his college experience and wrestling career didn't go according to plan, he found comedy and here he is all these years later still making it happen. Follow Adam below and look for his comedy special on UFC...

Text me a question for the show Anthony Smith is a UFC Light Heavyweight contender who fought for a world title vs. Jon Jones in 2019.  "Lionheart" is as tough as they come, and is now up to 50 pro fights!  After being a middleweight for the first part of his UFC career, he has blossomed after moving up to 205-pounds.  It started with 1st round knockouts of Rashad Evans and Shogun Rua.  He also no...

Text me a question for the show Brandon Moreno is ready to challenge for the UFC Flyweight title!  He has earned his stripes as a contender in the UFC after fun fights and some great wins since he appeared on The Ultimate Fighter. Proudly representing Mexico, he looks to be the first Mexican born, raised and trained in Mexico to win a UFC title. Check out FITZ NATION on YouTube ! Brandon Moreno Tw...

Text me a question for the show Paul Felder is a top 10 contender in the UFC lightweight division who also works as part of our UFC broadcast team as an analyst.  Felder's career really started to take off in 2017.  He notched three wins that year, all by TKO, earning a Performance of the Night bonus in two of them.  That's also the year he started commentating on Dana White's Contender Series, an...

Text me a question for the show Laura Sanko is a UFC broadcaster who works as the backstage reporter for UFC broadcasts and has served as the reporter for every episode of Dana White's Contender Series through the first four seasons.  While many reporters in the sideline role come from a broadcasting background, Laura was in the world of MMA long before considering TV work as a possibility.  In th...

Text me a question for the show Max Griffin is a UFC veteran of 10 fights coming off his biggest win, a TKO victory over Ramiz Brahimaj that produced a gruesome ear injury that went viral.  While he's been getting attention because of that, there is, of course, a lot more to his story.  He was into martial arts as a kid before suddenly giving it up at the age of 13.  Years later, he had an epiphan...

Text me a question for the show Casey Kenney is a UFC bantamweight is having quite a year in 2020, winning his last 3 in a row, including two fights in less than a month on Fight Island in October.  Always an athlete, combat sports drew his interest like no other.  He was a judo national champion as a kid and started wrestling at a young age, but after he was bit by the MMA bug, he left a college...

Text me a question for the show Angela Hill is a UFC strawweight contender and has established herself as one of the sport's busiest fighters and friendliest personalities.  It might be surprising to hear she grew up shy and not into sports, but after taking up Muay Thai with her husband Adam in their 20s, she immediately was drawn to combat.  She was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter, which le...

Text me a question for the show Alex Perez is a UFC flyweight contender and will next fight for the 125-pound title at UFC 255 in November.  At first, he was a boxing fan, but after his older brother experienced success wrestling, it became the family sport.  After his high school career ended, he still wanted to compete and found mixed martial arts.  He was busy on the regional circuit in Califor...

Text me a question for the show Robbie Fox is a blogger at Barstool Sports and the host of the podcast "My Mom's Basement."  He wanted nothing more than to work for Barstool Sports as a young teenager and he made it happen right out of high school.  He frequently interviews Dana White and has interacted with Conor McGregor after he appeared outside the courthouse in support of McGregor in New York...