Level Change Podcast

Man, it’s a strange weekend ahead for the UFC. Is this upcoming Canadian card bad? No. But it’s also not great and smacks of laziness in spots. Or maybe stinginess? Hard to tell! But there’s certainly a few bangers, some in the middle, and some atrocious clunkers. The good fights are pretty great and tough to pick, but man, the bad ones are a dog’s breakfast. But that’s fine! We’ve seen worse, and...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit levelchangepodcast.substack.com Ilia Topuria came out victorious once again and blazed his name into the annals of combat sports history this past weekend. That said, Paddy Pimblett still isn’t seeing the vision and wasn’t quite on board with Ilia being the guy the rest of us see him as. At least Aljamain Sterling’s got a solid perspect...

Another Abu Dhabi card, so you know what that means: a solid PPV with some outstanding matchups. We’ve got Ghost on board from Phantom Punch Breakdowns to give a more detailed analysis on some of these, specifically the main and co-main events featuring Max Holloway vs Ilia Topuria and Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev. But there’s more fights of consequence, as well. We’ve got Aleksandar Rakic...

Welp, another UFC Vegas weekend has come and gone. It was what it was, a mixed bag. We take a quick look at how that went and how good or not good that was. But PFL had a very consequential show that somehow leaves us with waaaaaaaaay more questions than answers. Who does Francis even fight now? What about Cyborg? And how does the PFL actually make their PPVs profitable? Do they even need for the...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit levelchangepodcast.substack.com You’re not gonna believe this, but a very dumb guy said a very dumb thing. Also, it’s not totally noteworthy every time someone misses weight, but a particular situation ahead of this weekend’s UFC card is a bigger problem than most cases. Not only do we get into the latest musings of one Brendan Schaub s...

So, what are we looking at this week? First: Florida Man does Florida Man things , again. MMA fighter that retired decides he’s no longer retired. Again . Another retired MMA trailblazer defies calls for retirement. Again . But that’s not all! Jamahal Hill decides that he needs to explain his post-fight gesture at UFC 307 in the least necessary explanation in recent memory. And it’s a terrible loo...

It’s a very bad week for a UFC event with a lineup that’s below paltry for various reasons. But we do at least get a banger of a main event well worth our time. But the news of the week is weird, as well. First off, Conor McGregor may be going to trial in Ireland . It’s looking very likely. But is he throwing up a smoke screen by announcing how badly he now wants to fight Michael Chandler after Ch...

Conor McGregor is everywhere except in church or in a gym these days, and now it seems he’s been offered Justin Gaethje a handful of times and turned that down. Sucks for us, it’s a banger. Shame it won’t happen…. or will it? And what was a promising card on paper didn’t quite deliver in practice, but at least the main event made up for it. Funny part is, it almost didn’t happen due to Alex Pereir...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit levelchangepodcast.substack.com This is another fun one with another exceptional guest. The one and only Dan Tom joins us to break down UFC 307 in what should be an action-packed event with so much to look forward to. Dan’s perspective is great, and we managed to have a ton of fun analyzing this card from top to bottom. Free listeners g...

We’re joined this episode by none other than Alana McLaughlin, trailblazing MMA fighter and tireless advocate for equality. We get to discuss the new documentary “Unfightable“ , which chronicles her struggle to get into MMA and the price she’s paid for doing so. There’s a lot to chew on here, but as usual with Alana, there’s some really fun moments. She was kind enough to stick around for the rest...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit levelchangepodcast.substack.com Alright, kids… this is good. The UFC sets up shop in Paris for another Fight Night event with some truly great fights for a rabid crowd. Headlining this one will be Benoit Saint-Denis (ranked #12) facing Renato Moicano (11). It’s a tremendous bout and very fitting duel for the Parisian crowd, with the win...

FREE EPISODE!! Please consider a donation to the Level Change Podcast. Times are tight everywhere, we know. But if you happen to have a few bucks to spare, we’d be eternally grateful. Today, you’re going to be treated to a Sumo spectacular featuring the honorable and always gentlemanly, Tim Bissell. In our continued coverage of the 2024 Aki Basho, Tim takes you from where we left off a week ago, a...

Hey, kids. We start the episode in true Haterus Maximus form, celebrating the downfall and disgrace of truly horrible people. We’re good at it, and they suck. No tears for them in this dojo. But after that, we cut right into the meat of the week with Dana White being asked about Conor McGregor’s next fight while in Ireland as Conor McGregor was in New York. Whoops! That was awkward. Sorta. The ver...

Hey, kids! We kinda went a little off-road this week, seeing as the life of one Sean Combs was unraveling after his arrest and subsequent court hearing. We dive into a bit of that and all the weird stuff that happens when rich guys that are unaccountable to anyone actually face consequences for their actions for the first time in their lives. But don’t worry, we had plenty to address regarding UFC...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit levelchangepodcast.substack.com Are you ready for the Sphere? Not sure that anyone is, but we’re glad to give you our best possible analysis of what UFC 306 brings to the table and how it’s gonna shake out. There’s a lot to like here, with some true up and coming talent and a pair of title fights at the top. But before that, we touch on...

Hey, how about that Sphere! It’s looking real Hollywood for the UFC right now! Oh, wait… (presses finger to receiver in ear) oh, dear. Turns out Dana White isn’t quite as bullish on his prior prognostications regarding what a smash hit the UFC-Noche-Riyadh-of-Vegas-But-Totally-Not-Mexico is going to be. But hey, they still got money coming in and Conor McGregor is going to return in early 2025, as...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit levelchangepodcast.substack.com Alright, kids. We gotta be real here, this card is not the prettiest. But it’s got some very fun action action bouts and some talents to really keep a close eye on. We break down the latest batch of Apex fights, but not before we address the farcical idea of Conor McGregor running for any kind of elected...

What’s good, kids? Thank you all for your patience as we took some much needed time off, because there’s so much to dig through now that we’re back. It’s all unmitigated gall and delusion served up in the biggest KFC bucket possible. And just who are the people we’re most concerned with? Well, Michael Chandler is still refusing to hold the L , continuing to sell us on a fight that’s way overdue. M...

This week, we’ve got UFC Vegas: Cannonier vs Borralho, which doubles as both a very consequential showcase for two top middleweights as well as another TUF finale. What’s that? Oh, you didn’t watch this past season? Don’t worry, neither did we. In fact, there may not have been too many people watching that one. But lucky for us we do have some interesting fights with some solid bangers mixed in wi...

We witnessed another bonkers performance from UFC middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis, as he managed to shock the world, yet again, with a submission win over Israel Adesanya, of all things. That card had some bright spots that really needed to be highlighted, and we make sure to do just that. We even said some nice things about the rankings for once ! But wait! We also discuss the potential impl...

We break down UFC 305 this week, with a lovely little card in Australia. Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot face off in an absolute banger at lightweight, with Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg in the co-main at flyweight. And the main event? A middleweight title clash with Dricus Du Plessis venturing into enemy territory to face former champ Israel Adesanya. Not too much in the way of heavyweights on th...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit levelchangepodcast.substack.com In case you were not paying attention, Dana White clearly hates the idea of awarding fights based on merit. Instead, he’d rather beat the same old tired drum of “Jon Jones will face nobody but Stipe Miocic, Amen.” That kind of sucks for fans of the promotion because Tom Aspinall is right there! More impor...

It’s rough to stand out in the UFC these days, but it’s gotta be extra tough when you’re stuck on a Fight Night card at the Apex. Add to that the compounding factors of not being advertised and being placed on a card that’s utterly unappealing, and well… they’re not giving us their best. While it was an event we dreaded talking about at first, we had some fun digging in and giving some insight int...

This week for episode 312, we recover from a wild night of UFC action in which Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov had a clinical back and forth that really tested both fighters. But the rest of the card had some really fun offerings as well. A serviceable co-main with a work-in-progress Shara Bullet, preceded by a straight banger between Deiveson Figuereido and Marlon Vera. But that’s not all. W...

It’s a great week for UFC action, as they head back to the UAE for a banger of a Fight Night event. It’s already hot enough in the desert, but this should take things over the top. Victor’s back from vacation, and Stephie’s got so much goodwill and energy this week as Cory Sandhagen will attempt to solve the riddle that is Umar Nurmagomedov. Also, Shara Bullet returns, and we get some solid banger...