Sorry I missed you last week. I really need to do a better job of making sure I put this piece together every Friday, because last week’s earlier start time meant there wasn’t space to cobble it together before the fights kicked off, and I genuinely like putting it out because it helps remind me of all the hard work that went into the last seven days.
And I need those reminders because there are lots of times when my internal monologue works against me, and these last few days have been some of those days.
I suffer from anxiety and depression (amongst a few other things) and there are times no matter what is going on, I just can’t shake them. Work-wise, this has been an amazing week of putting out great stuff, getting terrific feedback and some cool opportunities for the future coming together, and yet yesterday afternoon, I needed to just retreat to the couch with my dog, stay off social media, and zone out to the first season of Monster Factory on Apple TV+ because I felt awful, for no real discernible reason.
I don’t tell you any of this in a quest for pity or sympathy or virtual pats on the back, though I appreciate your kind thoughts and words, but more just to be open and transparent with all of you that take the time to read this, watch my videos, consume the stuff I produce. I say “take care of yourselves” as part of the wrap-up on every podcast, and this is me taking care of myself. Writing about this stuff helps me process and feel better, but it also let’s you see that I’m true to word, which hopefully shows that I mean it when I say I love and appreciate every one of you that has subscribed to this newsletter and that I’m always here for you if and when you need someone to listen, to talk to, or to just check in with from time-to-time.
I’m looking forward to UFC 291 tonight and hope you are too.
Enjoy the fights and thanks for listening,
Spencer
UFC London Recap: 15 fights was a lot, and when I’m saying that, you know it’s serious. It wasn’t so much the time spent, as the card ran about the length of most UFC events (six hours, give or take), but the whole thing felt hurried, and that’s never a good thing.
UFC London: About Saturday’s Action: Aspinall looked great, Mols poo’ed the bed, and I had a brutal night with my picks and my bets. I have a feeling some of the results from this card will age nicely and be points we look back on as critical for a few different athletes, including Aspinall.
The Next Day Takeaways, Episode 37: One thing I didn’t talk about on this episode is that I think the UFC needs to dial back the trips to London. Doubling up last year made sense and returning in March with a pay-per-view was an obvious choice as that has traditionally been when the UFC ventures across the pond, but this past show felt flat.
So much of what makes those London events special is having key fighters on the card, and folks that bring excitement and energy to the building, and that was lacking this time around. Aspinall’s return was great, but there needed to be more of the ascending set on the card in order for there to be a better vibe, in my opinion.
TUF 31, Episode 9 Recap: We’re into the semifinals and it’s this season is still thoroughly entertaining to me. I want to see if Team McGregor’s lone man can advance. I want to see how things shake out between the Team Chandler lightweights facing one another. I want to see how much grief Brad Katona gets for switching teams, even though he’s going to train with his actually coaches by doing so.
I get that folks like to slag The Ultimate Fighter and complain about most things the UFC does these days, but this has been a really great season.
A Conversation With Sean Madden: Over the last couple years, I’ve been fortunate to forge a relationship with Sean, who is a regular in the Coach Conversation series and one of the brightest minds in the sport. Sitting down to finally put this together with him was amazing, and I think there are a number of great insights and ideas that everyone can take and learn from, even if you’re not a fighter.
Coach Conversation — Poirier vs. Gaethje: I honestly don’t have the words to accurately convey what it means to me to sit down with tremendous coaches (and human beings) like Eric Nicksick and Eliot Marshall to talk about fights like this with them. It’s so gratifying to be able to bounce ideas around with them, dissect matchups, argue about different elements, and just connect about a thing we all love deeply.
I have ideas for a couple ways to tweak this series going forward that I’m going to talk to some people about, and I’ll keep you posted. For now, go check this one out — really great insights and ideas from both guys.
Justin Gaethje Interview: Speaking with fighters is always fascinating to me because just about every time, I learn something new and there is at least one “okay, that makes sense” moment for me where a question I had get answered in a manner I didn’t see coming. Speaking with Gaethje was no different, as we discussed the keys to his success, laughed about his not being technical in his debut against Michael Johnson, and how the first fight between he and Dustin Poirier isn’t likely to have any impact on tonight’s rematch.
Jan Blachowicz Interview: Blachowicz is one of my favourite people to interview because he’s always in good spirits, including the time I had to call him back a couple days after we spoke because my recorder didn’t work and we had to do the whole thing over again. This time around, we discussed his record against middleweights climbing to light heavyweight (3-0 so far), why he welcomes the challenge of facing Alex Pereira, and how he feels at home in Salt Lake City.
Alex Pereira Interview: “Poatan” was fired up when we spoke ahead of this fight, laying out his plans for world domination. I appreciate that he wants to settle things with Israel Adesanya at middleweight, and that he’s locked in on fighting for the light heavyweight title ASAP, provided he wins this weekend.
UFC 291 Fight-By-Fight Preview: If you need a full overview on what’s about to take place this evening, look no further than FBF. Thoughts on every fight, with a greater emphasis on the main card, obviously, but we cover the whole thing from soup to nuts… even the Wonderboy fight that is no longer happening.
UFC 291 Fighters on the Rise: Michel Pereira may no longer be making the walk this evening (boo!), but Gabriel Bonfim and Uros Medic still deserve your attention. For the year, fighters profiled in this space are 50-22 inside the Octagon, so it seems like I’m pointing people in the direction of ascending talents more often than naught with this series.
UFC 291 Preview: So I’m a template guy — I like things that have formats, uniformity, something reliable you know you’re going to get every time out, and the OSDB UFC PPV Previews are one of those things for me. Each event, I highlight a couple Fighters to Watch, and then either the two championship bouts or a couple key matchups to lock in on, and give folks a solid overview of the key elements that they should really be watching if they opt to tune in.