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The guys are back talking exclusively about UFC 244 and podcast content. Jorge Masvidal waxed Nate Diaz and Kevin is with the Doctor. Amazing fights. Gastelum and Till, Thompson and Luque, Derrick Lewis and Kevin Lee and we haven't even mentioned the prelims. What an amazing card. Listen in.
MP3 DOWNLOAD: HERE
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Raf's Recollection | We close out the year with a great interview with the author of the brand new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-themed fiction book, The Combat Codes, Alexander Darwin.
Yes, you read that right.
The guy wrote a fictional book about jiu-jitsu in a dystopian future (or something like that, I didn't read it).
We mostly demand that he give us a handful of reasons why he should read his book, that he explain the differences between his book and The Hunger Games, and we even give him a whole bunch of mess for enlisting our pal T.P. Grant as a "combat editor" for the book.
I know. We should take a moment to acknowledge the "combat editor" thing again.
Nonetheless, we find out the interesting parallels to Alexander's own journey and hear how in the hell he decided to come up with this idea in the first place.
Should you or your loved ones be in need of a science fiction book to nerd out to, by all means, purchase the book here.
And if you just want to mock T.P.'s combat editing work, we'll be okay with that as well.
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Raf's Recollection | This week my worlds collide when my podcast co-host Kevin takes on my late night comedy talk show announcer (Early Late Night), Austin Stack.
Listen in as Austin not only charms Kevin, but seems to disorient his line of thinking and picks for this week's installment of Over/Under Kevin.
Heading out to train for now, but *more to come* later folks.
You can also download our episode right here.
And also from iTunes.
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Raf's Recollection | Chances are, you've probably heard about the match announced between AJ Agazarm and Augusto Tanquinho this morning -- but, of course, our subscribers already knew about that match yesterday (all the more incentive to subscribe to our show on iTunes).
We not only got the EXCLUSIVE match announcement on our show from AJ himself, but we also got to hear how that match all came together. We also got to ask AJ a little bit more about the behind-the-scenes nature of FloGrappling's stream of this year's No Gi Worlds. And before you ask, yes, we did talk with AJ about that commentary gig -- you know the one. And I have to say, that's what I appreciate about the guy, he both understands the wide scope of responses to his turn as a commentator (freely accepting constructive criticism) and is very open about talking about the practice of it. As someone who has put on a headset a couple of times, I can attest to the crazy nature of play-by-play commentary. Having said that, it also doesn't stop us from getting in a joke here or there about it.
AJ also happened to bring along a couple buddies who crash the very top of the interview (one of whom had a very, very nice weekend). AJ and friends tell us who they enjoyed watching compete and even indicate what up-and-coming killers are coming up on their radar.
It's a fun time that's had by all.
We start the episode talking about my experience hanging out at Worlds, and also discussing a few behind-the-scenes "secrets" that happened at this year's big event (#NoGiWorldsSecrets).
Also, this meme perfectly sums up the one thing that threatened to ruin my days at Worlds.
And don't get too comfortable, folks. Because a second episode this week is gonna drop sooner than you think (keep a look out to your iTunes subscriptions this week, as we've got another episode previewing this weekend's UFC 193 coming up very, VERY soon... like now, cuz here it is, EPISODE 141). Oh, btw, what'd you guys think of this #wwebjj move we came up with?
In honor of the #montrealscrewjob, please enjoy the time I caught @metachallenger black belt @funkjitsu in a #sharpshooter in this homage to the GOAT, @brethitmanhart. Wishing all the best to my man Rodrigo as he competes in the #metamorischallenger this weekend. Warning to all, he will NOT be this easy to catch (anyone who rolls with him regularly knows that). Give 'em hell, good sir. @metamoris #wwebjj A video posted by Verbal Tap Cast (@verbaltapcast) on
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Raf's Recollection | I'll give you a full write up later, but all you need to know right now is Garry Tonon returns and gives us an interview for the ages.
Let us know what you guys think of it!
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Raf's Recollection | We've got a lot of great guests this week (Edwin Najmi, Gabriel Arges, Joey Hauss), but I suppose the biggest question we ask ourselves in this episode is:
Am I a kleptomaniac?
More on that later.
First up, we somehow manage to keep Edwin on the ground long enough to get him to chat with us about his upcoming match at this weekend's Submission Series Pro.
For those not in the know, Edwin is famous for his flying triangles, as his name has become synonymous with the attack. A regular staple in the world of competition, we get the chance to pick his brain about competition mindset, studying under Romulo Barral, training at the infamous Church Boys Wrestling facility, and even get to hear a little bit about his experience at this year's Copa Podio.
And if that's not enough, Edwin drops a bit of a surprise on us when he offers us a chance to talk with Gabriel Arges, another spectacular BJJ competitor who (up until last Sunday), we had yet to have the pleasure of meeting. If you've yet to see Arges in action, just check out a few of his highlights here:
And just because there are some last minute changes to a UFC card doesn't mean we forget about Over/Under Kevin. This week, we bring on Joey Hauss from The LA Jiu-Jitsu Club who challenges Kevin's ability to think under pressure (and even, somehow, manages to get under the skin of a future UFC Hall of Famer, who makes his return to the podcast after a long hiatus).
Because, as we all know, something crazy is likely to happen this Saturday. My money is on this happening.
Oh yeah, about that klepto thing, I tell a story this week about something I did after a seminar that I'm not proud of. I attended a bad-ass seminar of Brian Peterson's over at the LA Jiu-JItsu Club this weekend, made a new friend, and then... Well...
Look, basically, I ask you Verbal Tap fans, if what I did wrong. I await your judgement on our social media.
Thanks much for tuning in this week, folks!
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Raf's Recollection | This week, we meet MMA and Jiu-Jitsu bad ass Tom DeBlass.
We begin this week by addressing the Yoel-sized elephant in the room.
But first, I want to start with this: You know how much Kev and I love post-fight interviews. They're usually conducted at a time when fighters are exhausted, out-of-breath, and may not exactly be of sound mind.
In short, they give us instant quotables to work with. Sometimes a flash into the brains of our favorite athletes.
This week Jon Anik got deep into the mind of Yoel Romero when he merely presented him with a microphone and an opportunity to speak his mind. This is what happened.
So it's a little difficult to figure out who or what Yoel is exactly talking about here--which is why I printed out a transcript and had Kevin do his best cold read possible. And, by cold read, I mean Kevin had absolutely no context for any of this. He didn't watch the fights and this was the first time he had seen or read the comments Yoel made.
It's one of my favorite moments from this week's show.
Now, that's not to say, we didn't have a little fun with Yoel's comments.
Also on the podcast, we get to know a little bit more about Tom DeBlass. We've long been fans of DeBlass' cool jiu-jitsu style (and we're friends with a couple of his students), but this was our first chance to really pick his brain to get insight about his fighters' mindset, the types of things that motivate him in jiu-jitsu, and the competitive nature of the guys at Orange County Jiu-Jitsu (even getting to have some good-natured fun at the expense of his protege Garry Tonon and new killer-in-the-making Gordon Ryan).
It's a great look into the competitive championship mindset and one that's definitely worth your time, as DeBlass even recounts for us some of the moments from the only 15 points that have ever been scored on him during competition (yes, he knows the exact number).
Listen in folks and be sure to drop us a line of what you think!
Raf's Recollection | Been a bit of a whirlwind past few weeks, but happy to report that we're back up and operational for all of you good folks. This week we welcome our new friend Jorge Oliveira (from North South clothing) and our good friend Mike Hofer from Jiu-Jitsu in the Park returns. But first, let's take a moment to chat Kimbo vs. Shamrock, shall we. There are a good number of you out there who wondered if that fight was a work (or in professional wrestling terms, "staged.") We discuss that on this week's podcast in depth, but I thought I'd treat you all to my favorite take on the fight right here.
STREET FIGHTER A video posted by 💥 (@azxd) on
Absolutely one of the funniest things I've seen about it. But some of that pales in comparison to some of the comments you sent in for us to read on the show. Listen in, because we might have read some of your comments (just as the video below seems to indicate).
After we chat about that, we welcome Jorge to talk to us about his awesome clothing line, his MMA career, and what he feels about the current state of jiu-jitsu.
To close out the show, we find out what's coming up for our favorite jiu-jitsu in the park guys, as The Hof tells us a little but about what we might come to expect on out here at Griffith Park.
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Raf's Recollection | Hey guys, sorry to leave you with Kevin last week. I promise not to do it all that often.
Now that I'm on deadline constantly, I don't have as much time to write up these episodes. Hopefully that'll change in a few weeks.
But we've got a kick-ass episode for you this week.
Our pal Christos Giagos from Systems Training Center stops in to tell us about his upcoming UFC fight, who the worst person currently is over at Systems, and even give us the insight on what it's like to refuse bottle service when up in the strip club (because you're too busy prepping for your next fight). Also, he tells us why he's crazy enough to pull stunts like this:
And that's not all, we find out the gripping conclusion to the battle between purple belts guessing UFC 187, as comedian Joe Gilpin helps us recap all of of the wonder that was this weekend's fights.
If you get the chance, be sure to check out my articles I'm writing over at First Slice. Turns out, I also make UFC picks on occasion over there.
All right that'll do it for now. Let us know what you guys think of this week's episode!
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Raf's Recollection | Remember how sitcoms back in the day used to have "very special" episodes, typically dealing with heavier subject matters, that would take the show outside the constraints of what you'd normally come to expect form it?
You know, stuff like this.
It seemed only fitting that we would refer to our recap of all things Mayweather vs. Pacquiao would fall under that "very special" banner, considering how many millions of people across the world who suffered from one of the biggest wastes of time we've ever had to encounter.
Except if you're Kevin. He didn't watch the fight. Because he's Kevin.
Which is why I had to bring on our pal Eric Jackman (New York Ric from the MMA Hour) to help us try to make sense of how exactly two legendary fighters, rival cable networks, the media, the Tecate girls, Jamie Foxx, and the Burger King all hit us where it hurt the most.
Our wallets.
After all, it wouldn't be a "very special episode" without a guest star.
Eric does a superb job helping recap not only the historical context of the fight, but also commentating on the farce that was the build up to the show.
So just know that if boxing isn't your jam, we'll pick right back up where we left off in the MMA world come next week. But if you were one of the pour souls who spent $100 to watch a man dance around the ring and get awarded the win, then consider this episode your catharsis and listen in to the Podcast of the (Fucking) Century.
Because that's what we're calling this one. Especially if they can call that bull shit, Fight of the Century.
Speaking of, be sure to check out my first article for First Slice about some of the direct aftermath of this big fight. I'll be covering part of the Sports Beat over there, so be sure to like the Facebook page and like and share my articles if you'd be so kind.
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Raf's Recollection | We'll get to Jon Jones in a second. But first, let's talk about what you can expect on this jam-packed episode of the podcast.
Our good friend—and certified killer— Joe Schilling (16:30) drops back into the podcast to talk a little bit about the following.
- Bellator 136
- Phil Baroni
- Shilling for Spike TV (see what I did there?)
- Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather (even taking the time to thoroughly address some of your craziest fan-submitted scenarios for the fight)
- Talking about when we can expect to see him fight next (and maybe even a clue as to what organization will be lucky enough to get him to fight next)
Let's take a moment to address that Phil Baroni thing. The background on this one is as follows. Joe Schilling goes to fight at Bellator 136. Joe Schilling gets mad after he loses a close fight at Bellator 136. Shortly after Bellator 136, Phil Baroni takes a jab at Schilling with the following tweet.
[embed]https://twitter.com/philbaroni/status/586951391177940992[/embed]
What takes place afterward is a glorious conversation for the MMA twitter ages, as Joe went on to respond to Baroni's tweets in glorious fashion, ultimately ending with this:
. @GLORY_WS confirms @PhilBaroni turned down fight vs. @Joeschilling187http://t.co/ZXHuYlTwZKpic.twitter.com/8DcSR6Wviv
— Michael Stets (@Michael_Stets) April 15, 2015
Leading us to this following meme.
Our thanks to Joe and to all of you who submitted scenarios for what was gonna happen at Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. It made for quite a lively discussion.
UFC 186 Recap
You may remember this from last week, when Dan Hubler came on the show to take on Kevin's UFC 186 predictions.
You know, the episode where Kevin and Dan outlined a set of fights that only a handful of you ended up watching.
[embed]https://instagram.com/p/16mc2KD6mw/[/embed]
On this episode we not only find out the results, but sort out some of the aftermath.
About that Jon Jones thing...
So naturally, right after we finish recording this episode, the UFC decided to take action on the Jon Jones situation. We start off this weeks episode talking about how we both came to find out about it and the potential implications for the (now) former light heavyweight champ.
Listen in and let us know what you thinks, folks!
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Raf's Recollection | Admit it, you kinda missed us.
Don't worry, we missed you, too. Turns out when we take a four week hiatus, the fight and jiu-jitsu world goes completely nuts.
But more on that later. This week, we return from our month-long hiatus with a killer episode.
Not only do we recap what took place at UFC 185 with our pal John Evans (who makes a record-breaking 11th appearance on the show), but we also take a look at what happens at this week's UFC 186 show with our pal Dan Hubler, who puts Kevin's picks through the ringer.However, on our first episode back, we get to the bottom of one of the worst calls in UFC history when we speak to UFC Fighter Drew Dober.No seriously.
Google, UFC Worst Call of All Time and his name pops up.
The first three entries when you do come up with the fight that took place in Rio between Drew Dober and Leandro Silva, where a ref pulled a Judge Dredd and decided to take the law into his own hands.
Or maybe he wanted to give the fight to his friend.
Either way, fans of our show may remember my reaction when I was watching the fight live.
If not, here's a refresher.
We get the entire story behind Dober's "loss," including his own reactions, what happened when he met with Dana White after the fight, and the even more insane aftermath that took place afterwards.
Plus, we talk about Drew's next fight and get some insight as to what we can expect when we see him next in the Octagon.I knew I wanted to book Drew the minute I saw this bull shit call happen on TV. But Kev and I are stoked to call the guy a friend of the podcast.
Despite the unprofessional nature of the incident, Drew handles it in a way that's indicative of a true professional. We will definitely have him back on the show.
Last Time on Verbal Tap
[embed]https://instagram.com/p/0LwcvGD6pi/[/embed]
We also talk a little bit about how John opened up the doors to his new academy, Breakdown Academy, for me and a few of the folks who flew in for my wedding to come train at. We have the honor of being the first folks to ever train at the academy and we couldn't be more thrilled.
In addition to that, Kev and I talk a little bit about the groomsmen gift I got him. A few months back our pal Jon Greek at Kauai Kimonos graciously offered to make a pair of customized gis for both me and Kevin. Not only was I astounded someone would actually do that for us, but I was beyond thrilled with how it came out.
[embed]https://instagram.com/p/11JjmWj6rO/?taken-by=verbaltapcast[/embed]
The photo here is one I snagged when I picked up the gi from Jon hours before going to give it to Kevin. On the podcast, Kev describes how surprised he was and I tell him a little bit about the background of how it all came together. Needless to say, a big thanks to our friend Jon Greek as we've gotten so many compliments for the new gis.
Afterwards, John Evans tells us a little bit about his interpretation of the events that took place at UFC 185 and we discover who won that installments' Over/Under Kevin.
Be sure to check out John's new academy over in North Hollywood, CA.
If you're interested in trying out a class, you can email John at John@BJJBreakdown.com.
UFC 186: Over/Under Kevin
But we don't stop there. A new PPV means there are more predictions to be had.
This time, noted compulsive gambler (and Dream Jiu-Jitsu tournament director/Newaza Apparel marketing guru) Dan Hubler comes to set Kevin straight.
We go through the entire card and try to figure out why exactly people might want to order this PPV (especially a week out from Mayweather/Pacquiao).
Plus, Dan clues us into the latest from Newaza and Dream Jiu-JItsu.
Grapplethon
I didn't get to talk about this as much as I would have liked to, but I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone over at this weekend's Grapplethon: Victory for Victoria for such a great event.
Once again, our pal, Montay Wiley organized a great event for people to come together for a great cause. You may know Montay Wiley from this #wwebjj gem.
[video width="1920" height="1080" m4v="http://verbaltapcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Montay-Sharpshooter-HQ.m4v"][/video]
As always, Montay helped put on a great event. This time we all came together to raise money for Victoria (Tori), a young girl who was found to have a brain tumor at only three months old. If you guys get the chance, please stay updated on all the latest about Victoria's fight on their facebook page right here.
Watching Victoria's father, Brad, get out there and do twenty rolls with the community was truly awesome. He mentioned how participating in the event lifted his and his family's spirits. It's a great reminder of the good our community does when we all pull together.
Brad and his family will be in our thoughts, and now, we hope all of yours as well.
[embed]https://instagram.com/p/1prv7cD6p-/?taken-by=verbaltapcast[/embed]
That'll do it for this week, folks. Be sure to listen in and tell us what you thought about this week's episode!
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Raf's Recollection | Coming soon!
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Raf's Recollection | Metamoris recap shows are always my favorite episodes.
Always.
Not only do we dedicate an entire episode to breaking down the techniques, production value, and implications of the big event, but we also get a chance to catch up with some of our favorite friends (new and old), as they help us analyze these matches from every possible angle.
Following in the tradition of our previous Metamoris recaps (Metamoris 4 and Metamoris 3), we enlist a team of six to help us take a look at the card and break down each match.
Joining us this go round...
Kit Dale - Leading us off on this podcast is our good pal Kit Dale. When looking to analyze the explosive match-up between Garry Tonon and Zak Maxwell, we figured: who better to speak on the match than a guy who not only had some of the best seats in the house, but also happened to commentate on the match as it was going on (not to mention: who knows a thing or two about competing against Tonon at Metamoris). In addition to his observations about the match, Kit also hooks us up with some great details about the behind the scenes nature of the show, reveals what Kenny Florian was too scared to do, and Kit and I discover where our jiu-jitsu venn diagrams intersect.
Ruben Avila 
- As one of of the more prolific BJJ writer/bloggers on the circuit, we decided to turn to the guy behind BJJGrappling.com, Ruben Avila, to help us try to make sense of the lengthy (and ultimately underwhelming) game show that was "Submit Vinny Mahalhaes for $10,000!" More importantly, we ask if this is a format that Metamoris should continue to use in future installments going forward. That and he gets Kevin to inadvertently support the use of WWE-esque rules in order to make a match like this more interesting (slick move, Ruben. He never even saw it coming!).
Jim Lawson - It only makes sense that we enlist the help of our friend Jim Lawson of The Warrior's Club to help us break down the epic rematch between two exciting BJJ warriors. Jim makes his second appearance on the show detailing the finer points of Keenan Cornelius' and Yuri Simoes' respective games and attacks. As the lone gi match of the card, Jim tells us how the match stacked up against the five other bouts (and even describes how the fight looked like in person at the Long Beach Convention Center that night).
Travis Newaza - Very few people can refer to themselves as the "sweetheart" of Brazilian Jiu-JItsu and get away with it. Yet somehow the distinction doesn't seem too far off when you get around to talking about Travis Newaza. As one the owner of one of the coolest BJJ brands out on the circuit (Newaza Apparel) Travis has made a name for himself as a brand owner who doesn't just make clothes for the BJJ community, but who also takes a great deal of pride in being immersed in the culture of the sport. On this podcast, Travis helps us measure the shock value of the Metamoris "secret match," it's overall impact, and even discusses the finer points of Ed O'Neil's head.
JT Torres - In order to get the most objective account of the match-up between JT Torres and Rory MacDonald we decided to ask JT himself to take an objective look at his match against Rory MacDonald. Just kidding. No part of our conversation is objective in the least. Instead, JT gives us the inside scoop on what it was like to compete against an opponent who outweighed him by close to 40+ pounds, outlines the game plan he used during the match (and describes the adjustments he had to make), and even takes a minute to respond to the comment that Rory was prepared to let his arm get broken on the Metamoris mats.
Rob Acree 
- And finally, closing out the podcast, is one of Kevin's training awesome partners from BJJ and MMA Training Center out in Chantilly, Virgina, Rob Acree. Rob uses his black belt acumen to properly contextualize the match between Renzo Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba, navigating us through not only the historical significance of this highly-anticipated rematch, but also giving us a detailed breakdown of the techniques and strategies utilized by both Renzo and Sakuraba. Additionally, he helps me get in some great digs at Kevin's expense, so I seriously can't complain about that.
A damn good podcast from start to finish. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped us breakdown this monumental event. And keep an eye out real soon for episodes of Around the Mat to start popping up all around.
And get ready guys. Kevin touches down in LA in just a few days and we've already got big plans for our 100th episode! Get ready folks!
If you want to send us a message on our social media, merely hastag #VerbalTapTurns100 with a twitter message, Instagram meme, video or Vine to send us a message (we might just talk about it on air)!
Oh Yeah, Check This Out
I got the chance to shoot the shit with Garry Tonon this week. Good times were had.
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[buzzsprout episode='222389' player='true']
Raf's Recollection | I'll never forget the time I discovered Mac Danzig and I had a mutual set of friends. Years ago I discovered that Mac and I were only a couple degrees of separation away from each other all thanks to my best friend Bobby.
And when you're in good with my long-time best friend (and future best man at my wedding) and his family, in my book, it means you've already been vetted and that you're good people.
Before I had a podcast, or even really knew I'd take up jiu-jitsu, I was just a UFC fan who enjoyed Mac's work in the Octagon. Perhaps it's my knowledge of how reality shows work and get spliced together, but even when I sat at home watching his time on The Ultimate Fighter I always thought he got a bum wrap on the way he was depicted. It's not entirely surprising, it's just the nature of the beast known as reality TV.
But as someone who doesn't tend to get caught up in that sort of thing (even then), I just knew I liked his fighting style and thought he had a promising future (in retrospect, I can see that I have a long history of rooting for the jiu-jitsu guys). Naturally, I was stoked to see him go on to win the show and have a solid run in the UFC.
After years of hearing great things about him and the way he teaches from our mutual friends, I was pleasantly surprised a few months ago when I heard he was holding a Striking for Submissions seminar down here in LA. I packed up the gym bag and made it down.
Before the seminar, I got the chance to meet and exchange pleasantries. We talked about our mutual connections and BS-ed about a number of MMA and BJJ topics, all the while Mac lived up to all of the great qualities our mutual friends had come to say about him.
By the time we got around to the seminar and I saw him demonstrate his first BJJ transition, I realized something I had long since forgotten: Mac was one of the first people I watched and learned how to do jiu-jitsu technique from.
While I had watched a number of fights before his tenure on The Ultimate Fighter, I never really paid attention to the science of it all. For whatever reason, his style just clicked with me and, while I may not have understood the exact reasoning behind every grip or underhook, I remember finding myself interested in the craft and wanting to learn how to break it all down.
And on this day, on these mats, there he was telling me to stop doing the technique so wrong and try to get it right for a change.
He didn't actually say that, but you're all familiar with how I roll by now.
Nonetheless, it was just a cool moment in my training journey and all the more reason his appearance on the show was so cool for me personally.
On the podcast this week, Mac (37:20) drops in to provide a little more insight about the actual production of The Ultimate Fighter, the awesome connection he has to the world of animation, his interest in photography, what its like to transition out of fighting, and even describes what it's like to be on the other side of the cage as a referee.
It's a fantastic first conversation with a guy who's been a friend of podcast long before we even had him on. We look forward to having him back on some time soon.
In the meantime, check out his work at http://www.macdanzigphoto.net/.
As an avid photography fan, I'm not one to put over work if I don't find it really good. But his stuff is awesome and I strong encourage you all to give it a gander.
But Wait, There's More!
Our pal, Alex Perez returns on this week's podcast to find out if he beat Kevin in our UFC 180 edition of Over/Under Kevin.
In addition to finding out the results, Alex helps us recap all of the awesome (that sick main event), the disgusting (Ultimate Fighters taking a #2 in the cage), and the really disgusting (the worst PSA for Cauliflower ears ever) things that made one of the shortest UFC PPV's in recent memory a fun and unpredictable night of fights.
Metamoris 5: The Game Show
Because no Metamoris card is complete without at least three match-up changes, we had to get creative with our latest Around the Mat preview series. We always like to record these things a week out of the show as to try and get you a preview that's the most up-to-date possible, but when the news hit that Kevin "KO" Casey was out of his match-up (prompting the BJJ equivalent of American Idol to take place) as I was editing the latest installment of our Metamoris Preview Series, I had to do something.
This was that something.
The following is a sneak preview of our show that's coming out a little later tonight. Hope you all enjoy it!
EDIT: And here's the entire full length episode for your viewing pleasure:
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Raf's Recollection | We all know Garry Tonon [46:54] as one of the most exciting grapplers on the planet. With an aggressive style on the mats that relentlessly goes after submissions, Garry has made a huge name for himself in the world of competitive jiu-jitsu as one of the most reliable "sure bets" for an exciting match.
Even when if it means putting himself in terrible positions. And that's just part of what makes his matches so unpredictably exciting.
The guy has a gas tank that puts a great number of us to shame (despite a number of well-documented accounts of how much fast-food the kid ingests). But, as I came to find out last week, even interviewing Garry Tonon can be a workout.
Not because the guy is a difficult interview (our conversation is a lot of fun), but because he just has so much energy, you have to match his level of intensity during the interview. Even in the moments we spent talking with Garry off-air, before our interview officially began, Kev and I found ourselves having a great time comparing notes and jokes. As I overheard the rapid-fire cadence in his voice, it began to make complete sense:
Garry Tonon doesn't do anything slow.
With that in mind, I encourage you all to give a listen to a dynamic interview we do with Garry, as we touch upon all the bases: his match at Metamoris 5, what his expectations of his opponent Zak Maxwell, if his eating habits are truly as terrible as some Metamoris preview videos lead us to believe, what it's like to train with Rory MacDonald, and what he really thought of my interpretation of his BJJ game at Metamoris 5.
Yep. This one.
It should be noted that a running joke at my gym has been how when I played Garry, my jiu-jitsu was way better than normal. Leaps and bounds better. So while I'd love to base my game entirely on Garry's movement, I will remind you that too is an exhausting endeavor (the guy never quits moving).
Be sure to give Garry's episode a listen and then let us know what you think!
Peace Out, JEvans
Last week, we said goodbye to our pal, John Evans who is forging ahead with his journey to open out his own jiu-jitsu school. Mind you, he'll still be here in the Valley, but he's going to be opening up his own place for BJJ instruction very soon.
As one of the most influential people in my BJJ career, I can't thank John enough for his patience and his help with my game. Any gains I've made over the past few years are due in part to his superb coaching abilities.
And because no goodbye is without it's hardships, allow me to post the video of the way we closed out John's experience here at VMAC.
[embed]http://instagram.com/p/vE4UiBj6r5[/embed]
Be sure to follow him on Twitter at @BJJBreakdown and look out for more updates about his school at BJJBreakdown.com.
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