Hey Not The Face! Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com This week’s episode is jam-packed with news on Canelo-Berlanga’s success, UFC Noche’s success, how PFL’s upcoming Ngannou-Ferreira card may have a bigger budget than UFC Noche. We also had some Conor McGregor discussion and we looked at some new information about ONE Championship’s really odd business practice...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Before UFC 306 and after, UFC president Dana White made the media rounds, talking up the event and highlighting his prowess as the best businessman in the universe. He even told us all what it means to be a man. In this episode, we’ve rounded up the comments he made that caught our eyes and ears. Follow along...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Yesterday, TKO Holdings president Mark Shapiro spoke to a group at Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology where discussion topics ranged from decreasing WWE shows by 1/3 over the next 12-24 months to the UFC broadcast deal and more. We discuss his talking points as well as whether Sean O’Malley is on track to...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com This week, we discuss some new revenue share numbers after John discovered what looks like an error in UFC record-keeping. The error indicates that the revenue share would have been as low as 13% in 2022. We also discuss the latest press release about UFC Noche’s big production budget and the costly expansion...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Just a few weeks ago, Dana White predicted a nearly $30M gate ($27M was the exact number). Now, just a few weeks later, that number has dropped all the way down to $21M. Additionally, there’s been lots of suspect movement with the tickets for the event. We discuss the possibility of UFC losing money on the Noc...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Recently, TKO Holdings’ CEO Mark Shapiro praised UFC talking head Dana White for being “the best brand in sports.” We dissect that comment and answer the question. We also discuss the curious case of Riyadh Season’s disappearing tickets for UFC Noche, and we circled back for some social media stats. Follow alo...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com The UFC’s roster features more than 700 active fighters now, a number that might be beneficial to the promotion’s bottom line, but isn’t exactly bursting with tremendous upside for the men and women that step into the octagon. We break down why that is. We also take a look at the story social media tells us ab...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com The UFC antitrust case could see itself impacted by a new ruling in the Ninth Circuit that puts arbitration agreements under a microscope. We discuss that as well as Dana White’s explanation for the erasure of Francis Ngannou’s mention in Israel Adesanya’s press conference comments, Conor McGregor’s “When I’m...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com On Monday, the honorable Judge Boulware denied the UFC’s settlement offer. The promotion had come to an agreement with the Plaintiff (the fighters) for the amount of $335M which would have settled both the Le and Johnson cases. While Boulware didn’t provide his written opinion, he did voice his concerns during...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com In this episode, we discuss a variety of topics, but our focal points are the latest UFC financials and quarterly earnings call, as well as the challenge to the UFC-WWE merger that’s being led by an Ohio pension fund. We also discuss PFL’s announcement of the Ngannou-Fereira fight and why no venue/location has...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Dana White has been doing the interview circuit with UFC-approved media, and almost always, the topic of Jon Jones comes up—mainly because Tom Aspinall is widely viewed as the best heavyweight in the promotion. All the interviews share a common thread, and that is White’s insistence that: * Jones is undisputed...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Late last week, the honorable Judge Boulware denied the UFC’s settlement offer of $335M in their antitrust case. Both the Plaintiffs and the Defendant were left reeling after the decision came down the pipeline. Now, the cases (Le class and Johnson class) are separate once again, and an October trial date has...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Last week, we provided some details on BKFC’s finances , but didn’t have the ownership shares information. Now, we do, and we know Conor McGregor’s stake in the promotion. We also discuss UFC’s broadcast partnership deal and what the future can hold, as well as what’s happening with PFL, and Riyadh Season’s la...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com There’s not been much in the way of financial information about Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) available, so we located their filings from the beginning of the year and are giving them a review. The episode also examines the stability of the UFC flyweight division, as it has the appearance of being...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com President Joe Biden announced yesterday that he was declining the democratic nomination and withdrawing from the race. He then gave his endorsement to VP Kamala Harris, which has been echoed by more than 1000 delegates who have endorsed her. Her team also raised $81M in campaign contributions in a single day,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com A few days ago, Nate Diaz made news when he filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the promoter of his recent boxing match with another former UFC star, Jorge Masvidal. According to Nate’s attorneys, he was only paid $1M of the reported $10M he was supposed to make. We break down the lawsuit, as well as wh...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Last Friday, Richard Boulware, the presiding judge in the UFC antitrust case, held a status hearing where he led many in attendance to believe he has issues with the particulars of the current settlement offer. In this episode, we look at what his concerns are, why the Plaintiffs are desperate to settle, if th...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com After weeks of putting it off, we finally managed to record our in-depth review of UFC’s “documentary” series, Fight Inc. The quotes are because this is more like UFC propaganda and less like a documentary. We reviewed the things they focused on, the things they didn’t and who stood out the most to us. We also...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Over the last several days, the community has had some big stories drop and been treated to a weekend of boxing. Among the bouts over the weekend was the one featuring former UFC stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal—a surprisingly entertaining fight that delivered a massive crowd and a lot of action (1400+ punch...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Yesterday, Nakisa Bidarian gave a rare interview to Ariel Helwani . The co-founder of MVP (Most Valuable Promotions) and former ZUFFA CFO spoke at length on the MMA Hour about a wide variety of topics including Jake Paul’s boxing bout with Mike Tyson and how that came together, what he thinks of a fighter’s un...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com This past weekend, UFC saw their summer tentpole event derailed by numerous cancellations, but none were felt more than Conor McGregor’s. Rumors swirled around an injury for weeks, yet the UFC kept mum. When McGregor pulled out of the pre-fight press conference in Ireland, everyone in the community knew someth...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Almost two weeks ago, the honorable Judge Boulware decided he needed more explanation of why the Plaintiffs in the UFC antitrust case accepted a much lower settlement than the amount they were suing for. As a result, a new settlement proposal had to be submitted. We discuss why the judge had issues, what chang...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com A little over a week ago, Shannon Sharpe’s ‘Club Shay Shay’ interviewed UFC’s Dana White. The interview covered a variety of topics, but it was clear that Sharpe either missed some crucial talking points in his research or chose not to ask them. One thing is certain, Dana’s answers sometimes don’t quite add up...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Last week, several mainstream outlets including Reuters and the NY Times reported Saudi Arabia’s plans to form a unified boxing “league” that they would control. Plans to heavily invest in existing promotions like Golden Boy and Matchroom are already being discussed according to details from said reports. In t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com Judge Boulware didn’t sign off on the UFC antitrust settlement, opting instead to set a new hearing for the Plantiffs to present their case as to why they accepted such a small amount for both classes. In this episode, we discuss all the details, why the judge held off on approving the settlement, whether the...