On the latest episode of The Craic, Petesy is joined by Uncrowned’s Chuck Mindenhall to discuss the cultural resonance of The Rumble in the Jungle on its 50th anniversary. Legendary father and son duo Richard and Jack Shore join the show from Edmonton ahead of Jack’s bout with Youssef Zalal.By Petesy Carroll

Denis Geiko from Russian-focused MMA publication, Red Corner, returns to The Craic to talk Khamzat Chimaev opening up on depression, Islam Makhachev possibly facing the winner of Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway and the Russian contingent at UFC 308 (06:45). Lerone Murphy also joins the show to discuss how he feels his ring name has negative connotati…

U.K. MMA legend and head of talent operations for PFL, Dan Hardy, joins the video debut of The Craic to give insight on Francis Ngannou and all things PFL: Battle of the Giants. Paul Hughes also joins the show ahead of the biggest test of his life when he meets A.J. McKee in the opening fight of the main card.…

This week’s episode takes a look at English Premier League giants Arsenal revising its post-match protocol after Conor McGregor found his way onto the pitch for an impromptu kick about with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. The great Philip O’Connor returns to discuss why the English football club are taking this so seriously, if the club really thought…

The Craic is back and this week Petesy is zooming in on all things UFC 307. Fresh off cornering Merab Dvalishvili to bantamweight title glory, John Wood will look to upset the apple cart again when he leads Khalil Rountree Jr. into battle with another promotional golden goose, Alex Pereira. Wood joins the show to discuss embracing underdog status, …

The Craic is back and this week Petesy is zooming in all things UFC Paris. One of the foremost voices for the French sport, Guillaume Duseux of trailblazing podcast La Sueur, joins the show to set the table for the big card in the City of Light and explains the explosion in popularity the sport has witnessed in the country since MMA’s legalisation …

The Craic with Petesy Carroll goes behind the scenes at the soft launch of The Ariel Helwani Show at the Venetian Sportsbook in Las Vegas, the day before UFC 306. A host of the big names from the all-new Uncrowned roster feature with appearances from the man of the moment, Ariel Helwani, his loyal lieutenant New York Ric, the biggest baby face in t…

Former PR guru for the UFC, Las Vegas resident and star of the record-breaking Spotify Live show, Ant Evans, returns to The Craic to whet appetites ahead of the UFC 306 card happening this Saturday in Sin City. Although Ant has issues with some elements of the promotion of the UFC 306 card, he explains why he is excited to see the capabilities of t…

One of the most beloved fighters in Scotland, Chris Bungard returns to action this weekend where he is seeking redemption for his last outing at Braehead Arena against short notice opponent, and arguably a tougher assignment than his original dance partner, Andrey Augusto. Bungard talks about juggling his many roles in life as he frequents duties a…

Chisanga Malata of Sun Sport returns to talk about a host of news stories generated from the U.K. scene. Is it possible that Paddy Pimblett will be fast tracked into a title situation in a similar way to Sean O’Malley? Is Mo Mokaev’s return to Brave CF slightly underwhelming? And how does Dana White’s continued praise of Jon Jones keep getting weir…

Exactly a year after their first meeting, Fabian Edwards will get his second crack at Johnny Eblen when they face off at Bellator Champions Series at Bellator London on Sept 14. Edwards returns to the show to explain how Eblen’s outburst at the end of their first meeting had no effect on him, how he is motivated by the success he had in the first t…

Dave Fogarty was a well-known jiu-jitsu competitor and a decorated amateur MMA fighter before he became Conor McGregor’s private photographer. This weekend, he makes his first walk as a boxer when he takes on the highly touted “Deen The Great” and despite being an underdog, he is adamant that he is ready to shake up the promotion’s lightweight brac…

Following the announcement of The Craic joining the all-new Uncrowned schedule, Petesy talks about his excitement with the new deal and gives us an idea about how things will look for the future of the show. The Trident of Knowledge (with Andy Stevenson and Donagh Corby) formed to discuss a massive fight for Brendan Loughnane at PFL 9 in Washington…

The legendary Brazilian Beast, Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, returns to The Craic to discuss the somewhat left field booking of Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, which has earned the ire of light heavyweight contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Jamahal Hill. Is the 307 main event “terrible for the sport” as claimed by Hill? Are the UFC trying to prote…

The mighty Trident of Knowledge with Andy Stevenson and Dongah Corby forms again to wax lyrical on the news that Paul Hughes has a fight with one of the Bellator/PFL ’s biggest stars, A.J. McKee. The lads also take on Dana White’s comments about Conor McGregor not fighting in 2024 and ponder whether Leon Edwards vs. Ian Garry is the best fight to m…

We thought the narrative had changed surrounding the heavyweight title conundrum after Tom Aspinall’s magic performance at UFC 304, but it feels like ever since that night in Manchester Dana White has been on a PR pedestal for Jon “Bones” Jones. Chisanga Malata of SunSport returns to wade through the debris of 304 and consider a world where neither…

The great Philip O’Connor return to The Craic, joining the show from Paris, France, the day after he witnessed Kellie Harrington winning her second Olympic gold medal at the iconic Roland Garros venue. The veteran journalist gives a first hand account of the electrifying scenes witnessed in the French capital, provides context as to what the gold m…

Thanks to Red Corner MMA, the Russian sport is more accessible to the western world than ever before. The founder and chief contributor to the site, Denis Geiko, joins the show to share the Russian persecutive on Umar Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev withdrawal from UFC 308 and the new Dagestan sensation, Shara Bullet. Geiko also contrasts and compare…

After returning home to Dublin after UFC 304, Petesy gives us the lowdown on his experience in Manchester, his reactions to Dana White insisting there would be no more bonuses beyond 50k and much more. Joining the show, Paddy Holohan instantly reacts to becoming the first Irishman to both win a UFC fight and coach someone to winning a UFC fight. An…

Petesy arrived in Manchester early on Thursday morning, interviewing Irish MMA legend Paddy Holohan on the ten-year anniversary of UFC Dublin and discussing his student Shauna Bannon taking up his famed berserker role for UFC 304. After a day of media activity, Petesy met up with colleagues Jose Youngs (MMA Fighting) and Abbey Subhan (MMA Junkie) t…

Returning to The Craic, Caolan Loughran is as cool as the other side of the pillow ahead of his UFC 304 clash with short notice replacement opponent, Jake Hadley. The Team Kaobon fighter discusses how good it feels fighting so close to his adopted home of Liverpool, how he was inspired to pursue fighting on the back of UFC Dublin in 2014 and how he…

It’s been over a year since Shauna Bannon made her UFC debut and the Tallaght UFC straw weight is adamant the world will see a host of improvements in her second trip to the Octagon. “Mama B” talks personal tests over the last twelve months, being coached by Paddy Holohan who made his debut ten years ago on the historic UFC Dublin card, the outrage…

Ahead of his second fight in the UFC, Kiefer Crosbie returned to discuss how he has changed his mindset after what he described as the best camp of his life. The Dubliner gave insight on the fleeting nature of fandom following his debut loss, the pitfalls of fighters being on social media and how bad he felt ahead of his short notice debut in Austr…

Could Leon Edwards’ be eyeing bout with lightweight champion and a 185-pound title shot prove troublesome for Irish welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry? What the fuss about Shauna Bannon’s short notice opponent Alice Ardelean? The Trident of Knowledge - featuring Andy Stevenson and Donagh Corby - return to The Craic to break it all down.…

U.K. BJJ pioneer and head coach of UFC interim heavyweight champion, Andy Aspinall, returns to The Craic to give us the lowdown on his son’s preparation for Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Having watched the growth of the U.K. scene since it’s inception, Aspinall explains how it feels to see his son at the forefront of what could be a stratospheric mome…

The greatest Brazilian mixed-martial-arts of all time, Guilherme Cruz, returns to The Craic to give us the low-down on the impact Alex Pereira is having in his homeland. Can Poatan reached the lofty height Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort and Jose Aldo once soared to, or is the lack of a deal with powerhouse network Globo providing a significant obsta…

Former Cage Warriors middleweight champion and head coach of Team KF, Chris Fields returns to The Craic to talk about the muted response to his former fighter Ian Machado Garry’s historic win for Irish MMA at UFC 303. Fields gives insight into his busy schedule, the magic of Alex Pereira, a busy month for KF in July and ponders whether the lack of …

Petesy is looking forward to Ian Machado Garry’s matchup with Michael “Venom” Page more than any fight on the stacked UFC 303 card. Keeping with the U.K. vs. Ireland theme, he invited his old verbal sparring partner Chisanga Malata back on the show to discuss the meeting. The lads weigh-in on the pre-fight talk between the two, question whether Gar…

After his massive debut win on Saturday, The Trident of Knowledge (Andy Stevenson & Donagh Corby) assembled to discuss Paul Hughes and the impact Conor McGregor’s presence had on putting him over in his maiden voyage with Bellator/PFL. The lads give their takes on how McGregor put the Derry man over in the exact way that UFC had hoped he would with…

Fight Academy Ireland head coach Liam Shannon gives insight into Paul Hughes’ preparation for his Bellator/PFL debut, sheds light on the current wave of talent at the Belfast gym and considers whether PFL and Bellator have shed the label of being the “SBG Show” with the signing of Hughes. Shannon also talks Rhys McKee’s next move, Paddy McCorry on …

Considered the hottest free agent in the sport during his time on the market, Paul Hughes is set to make his Bellator/PFL debut on Saturday at 3 Arena against Bobby King. Petesy interviewed Hughes at Fight Academy Ireland in Belfast where the former Cage Warriors Champion discussed how much his new contract can change his life, his time training wi…

The latest word surrounding Conor McGregor’s camp is that the Irish superstar is not likely to make an appearance at UFC 303. Donagh Corby joins Petesy from Connecticut to give his take on the on again/off again conversation surrounding McGregor’s meeting with Michael Chandler, what the legacy of this period will be for McGregor should he not fight…

Chisanga Malata is back on The Craic to discuss the slew of anguish amongst UFC fans due to the price of UFC Manchester tickets. The lads react to the online onslaught of fans after tickets were released last week, give their thoughts on the budding bromance between Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall and shed light on how Chisanga didn’t end up in Dubli…

A globetrotting Petesy greets us in the after tremors of UFC 302 and Ariel Helwani Live to share stories of his wild week in Brick City, with a little help from the great “New York” Eric Jackman, of The MMA Hour fame. Petesy takes us through his journey to the Vox studios, to splitting the G with Frank and GC at the Dead Rabbit, his time at the UFC…

UFC bantamweight and former Cage Warriors champion Caolan Loughran returns to the Craic on the back of collecting his first promotional win at Atlantic City and on the back of his UFC Manchester clash against Ramon Tavares being announced. Loughran discusses the atmosphere among the Irish for his win over Angel Pacheco, being live on the scene as P…

The Trident of Knowledge - Petesy Carroll, Donagh Corby and Andy Stevenson - formed to breakdown a massive week of news. After teasing the news for a week on The Craic, Petesy and the lads discuss the announced UFC 303 press conference in Dublin on June 3rd where Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will face off at 3 Arena. The Trident also weigh-i…

Severe MMA and The Auld Triangle reporter Andy Stevenson returns to The Craic to discuss Conor McGregor’s latest interview with The Mac Life. Do Petesy and Andy believe that McGregor will re-sign with the UFC to fight three times in 2024, and fight Nate Diaz in their trilogy fight at The Sphere. Following his early report on Tuesday’s episode, Pete…

There are an abundance of Irish UFC fighters booked for action in close proximity between UFC 303 and 304. The last time this happened in the Summer of ’23, there was genuine conversations within UFC HQ about a UFC Dublin event, so could we rekindle hopes of UFC marquee in the Irish capital should we bank a few wins? As far as Petesy has heard, eve…

Petesy is joined Bloody Elbow reporter and the host of Wanna Fight About It, Donagh Corby, from Paris where is on site covering the Bellator Champion Series event that will se Cedric Doumbé look to avenge his first career loss. Petesy and Donagh also discuss Ian Machado Garry and MVP, Garry wanting to compete at UFC 303 and MVP seemingly wanting th…

After all of my belly-aching about the issues with the venue that is scheduled to host UFC Manchester, The Co-op Live is now set for it’s official launch on Tuesday May 14th. Chisanga Malata of Sun Sport joins the show to discuss all the concerns surrounding the venue, whether UFC have a contingency plan if things continue to go badly for the arena…

The U.S. start times for July 27’s UFC Manchester card should be the least of fans’ worries as the Co-op Live venue, the arena that is set to host the event, has been embroiled in a “fiasco” which has seen multiple high-profile concert cancelled. Petesy gives a timeline of what has happened with the arena, from gigs being cancelled as fans stand in…

Did UFC pack 299 and 300 with Brazilian stars to the point that they couldn’t possibly deliver a massive card in Rio this weekend for UFC 301? How much would Alex Pereira’s presence help the card and is Ian Machado Garry being embraced by the Brazilian people? “The Brazilian Beast,” also known as legendary MMA Fighting journalist Guilherme Cruz joi…

Paul “The Big News” Hughes returns to The Craic to reveal his dance partner for his PFL/Bellator debut, which will take place on June 22 at Dublin’s 3 Arena, the Irishman’s first appearance at the celebrated arena. Hughes discusses how it felt when the news of his signing was dropped in the middle of the night during the post-fight press conference…

The booking of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at Cowboy Stadium has coveted more outrage than any of Paul’s previous boxing adventures. Yet, the co-main event of the marquee belongs to Ireland’s beacon of sporting success, Katie Taylor, and her 2022 Madison Square Garden counterpart, Amanda Serrano. One of boxing journalism’s finest, Gavan Casey of the42…

PFL flexed their financial muscle with the signing of Paul Hughes over the weekend, but will the UFC continue to allow top their talent like the Irishman, Cedric Doumbé and reportedly Salahdine Parnasse slip through their fingers? The Trident of Knowledge - featuring Severe MMA’s Andy Stevenson and Bloody Elbow’s Donagh Corby - forms to the discuss…

SunSport journalist Chisanga Malata and Petesy have been discussing a potential UFC Manchester event since December on The Craic, but the event is yet to be confirmed. With Tom Aspinall present at UFC 300, and Chisanga on site at the event reporting, it felt like it was an open goal to announce the date that has been rumoured for the all-new Co-op …

Petesy is joined by U.K. correspondent for The Craic, the legendary Sun Sport journalist, Chisanga Malata, to discuss his experience at UFC 300, that Max Holloway finish and the muted Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler announcement. With both lads hearing that McGregor had signed for the bout during the week, they were surprised - given the ample …

Following a drama-filled weekend for Petesy at Cage Warriors 170, the promotion’s president Graham Boylan reached out and the situation is now resolved. Petesy shares the timeline of events which led to the mending of the relationship, which will see him happily continue to cover the European organisation in the future. After that, the Trident of K…

Petesy recaps a weekend where he was banned from Cage Warriors 170, became the subject of a baffling “gag”, jousted for his event credential and ultimately witnessed a fantastic night for Irish MMA. Petesy recaps his online and in-person interactions with Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan and speaks to newly crowned welterweight champion James …

Aside from Paul Hughes’ looming free agency, one of the main talking points going into Cage Warriors 170 is Team Ryano vying for a Cage Warriors title for the first time since 2013, when the legendary Neil Seery clinched flyweight gold. Speaking to Andy Ryan, Petesy discusses the golden era of the sport which occurred around the same time while the…