Hey Not The Face! Podcast

Hosted by John S. Nash & Stephie Haynes

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275

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Aug 2026

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A newsletter and podcast covering the business of face-punching! heynottheface.substack.com

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August 12, 202628 min

Does the UFC Really Have To Offer 3 Fights a Year? | Video

Thanks for stopping by the Hey Not The Face! Podcast, a listener-supported publication. We’d appreciate it if you could help us spread word of this episode by sharing it far and wide.In today’s episode, John does a deep dive on Dana White’s claims that UFC has to offer fighters three bouts per year. He examines current situations with shelved fighters (Paulo Costa and Nassourdine Imavov), what other UFC execs say, and what the contract language says. He also makes comparisons between a boxing contract and a UFC contract, and gives a thorough explainer on how UFC contracts really work and what the remedy is for a breach of contract. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content*Episode 273 Outline* Intro* Nassourdine Imavov and Paulo Costa situations* What Dana White says about “3 fights a year”* What other UFC execs and Judge Boulware say* What UFC contracts say* What boxing promotional agreements say* How UFC contracts really work* Medical examinations and visa requirements* When do the terms of a contract start?* How long do the terms of a contract last, and when do they have to offer a fight?* How to remedy a breach of contract* What leads to the tolling of contract terms?* Comparing the changes in sunset clauses* For what reasons can the UFC terminate the agreement?* Examples of extreme scenarios* Comparison of MMA promotional agreements to boxingThe Hey Not the Face! Podcast is an independent publication. Please consider a paid subscription to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support us. With all forms of news media crumbling, especially in the combat sports space, we could really use your help. Thank you. We appreciate all of you.Thank you for checking out the Hey Not The Face! Podcast, a listener-supported publication. We’d be eternally grateful if you could help us by purchasing a subscription for access to all our paywalled content. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heynottheface.substack.com/subscribe

August 7, 202634 min

Like a broken clock, Sean Strickland was right | Ep. 272

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, we’re looking at the comments Sean Strickland made regarding what he calls the UFC’s “predatory pay” tactics, and his take on working with “the guy everyone hates working with”, Sean Shelby. We also discuss Congressional Black Caucus’ possible effect on the Ali Revival Act bill, as well as the recent interview of Matchroom Boxing’s CEO. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content* Episode 272 Outline* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?* What is the Protect College Sports Act, and how can it affect the Ali Revival Act?* You had a conversation on Twitter about possible violations to the Ali Act regarding undisclosed offers. Explain what the current rule (or lack thereof) is.* Matchroom Boxing’s CEO was on the Business of Sport Podcast. Was there anything particularly interesting he discussed?* PBC and DAZN have both made good signings recently. Do you think Zuffa Boxing has forced other promoters to step it up?* Sean Strickland recently attacked UFC’s “predatory pay”. What did you think of what he had to say?* Sean also mentioned the difficulties of working with Sean Shelby saying “everybody hates dealing with him”. What did you think of his complaints?* Jessica Andrade, former UFC champion, is having to do a side hustle of delivery driving to make her ends meet while sidelined with an injury. What do you think of that?* Recently, Kenny Florian made a good argument for retiring while in your prime. Did you agree with what he had to say?*Johnson v. Zuffa Status Report

August 5, 202630 min

How long can an aging Dana White be the UFC's biggest star? | Ep. 271

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, we’re looking at the newly released TKO financials and discussing their quarterly earnings call. We discuss whether they actually lost money on UFC Freedom 250, and how long we think Dana White can continue being the face of the UFC. We weigh in on DAZN’s big moves in sports, as well as how well Zuffa Boxing is doing. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content* Episode 271 Outline* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?* Has any other news come out about the Ali Revival Act since last week’s unveiling of the new Senate version?* Paramount’s Q2 streaming profit jumped up 44% to $366M. “That growth was primarily fueled by Paramount+, which added 2 million subscribers for a total of 81.6 million globally” ...sports programming, including UFC, cited as a driver. Considering all their other sports programming, how big a part did UFC have in your estimation?* TKO’s finances came out this week. What are the main takeaways?* They mentioned a $30 million dollar loss from the UFC Freedom 250 event. Does this seem accurate?* TKO’s Mark Shapiro was recently quoted thusly: Our reputation is that we know how to stage big events. We know how to build property and assets like this. We know how to create attention and set the stage for these fighters. And, Dana White has a reputation of always putting fighters and fans first. So, one of the reasons our plan has accelerated the way it has is because fighters want to fight underneath a business being run by Dana White.’ How long do you think a nearly 60-year-old Dana White can keep being the front man for UFC in the capacity he’s in now–its major star?* Shapiro, when asked about the PFL/MVP merger: ‘I would say that clearly on an individual, standalone basis, these promotions, both MVP and PFL were not necessarily sustainable. Now they’ve come together and we’ll see what they can conjure up. What we know is that competition’s always made us stronger and a rising tide lifts all boats.’ Is he right?* Shapiro also stated since the start of the year, 20M subscriber households have watched more than 200M hours of UFC programming on Paramount+ delivering viewership more than 23x the average UFC PPV event over the past 2 years. How much of that do you think was the White House event and how much was Conor’s July event?* TKO exec. Andrew Schleimer had this to say about Zuffa Boxing: ‘This is low risk, but allows us to have our finger prints on a third combat sport vertical with a path for meaningful equity ownership that will ultimately enhance our firm value. We’re here to build something, but we have no funding obligations and we don’t take financial risks...what you see, so far, is a product that’s ahead of schedule.’ What exactly is he saying here?* Do we have any idea how Zuffa Boxing is doing based on their filings?* DAZN has been making some very big moves in sports. What’s going on there?* Keshawn Davis rejected a $2.13M purse bid to fight Devon Haney. What are your thoughts on that amid complaints of “We can’t have nice things in boxing”?*Stipulation_Proposed_Extend

July 31, 202645 min

Analyzing the Senate's version of the new Ali Act bill | Ep. 270

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, we’re looking at the newly revised Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act and the MVP-PFL merger as our primary topics. We discuss whether Nico Ali-Walsh got the wool pulled over his eyes, what meaningful changes (if any) have been introduced to the new revision, and what comes next. We also weigh in on the freshly announced MVP-PFL merger that took the combat sports community by surprise. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content* Episode 270 Outline* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?* Senators Cruz and Rosen introduced the latest version of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act today. What is different about it from previous versions?* What is your opinion of this version of the bill?* Did the things Nico Ali-Walsh spoke about wanting to change show up in this new version?* Do you think they managed to swindle Nico without him realizing it, and that is why this is being rushed to the table?* What happens next?* MVP MMA and PFL sent out a press release that they’re merging to form one entity. What details are we aware of right now?* Why do you think they did this merger?* Do you think this is a benefit to the MMA space?* Do you think they can be successful?* Do you think they can give meaningful competition to the UFC?*Joint status report for Constantino v. Zuffa*MAABRA-Senate-Intro

July 29, 202632 min

How important is Nico Ali-Walsh to TKO? | Ep. 269

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, we’re looking at boxing as our primary topic. We discuss last weekend’s fights, the full weekend Nico Ali-Walsh had, and the Zuffa Boxing card. We weigh in on answers Dana White gave during the post-event press conference, and we discuss the Saudi’s burning empire. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content* Episode 269 Outline* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?* Nico Ali Walsh had a meeting with Nick Khan over the weekend and even guested on a Zuffa Boxing broadcast. Afterward, he praised the positive outcome, but didn’t say what that outcome was. What are we to make of that?* Nico also appeared on Ariel Helwani’s show and went over some of the items that both sides may have agreed to. What did you make of this?* How important would it be to have Nico on their side for their quest to amend the Ali Act?* Jai Opetai is suing the IBF. What is his complaint?* Boxing’s biggest earners, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, had fights over the weekend, and both looked pretty shopworn. What did you think of their fights and what do you think their window of opportunity for future big bouts looks like right now?* Ryan Garcia is being paraded around by TKO at a number of events. At a recent one, he gave some comments in an interview with Ariel Helwani where he said “If I ever signed with Zuffa, I will make sure that I never wear a Zuffa outfit. I’m wearing my own outfits, doing my own thing. If you don’t like it, then I’ll never sign with you... I’m not about to be a robot, I don’t care how much money you offer me.” Do you think that’s possible for him, and do you think it’s doable for other boxers who don’t have as big a footprint as Ryan?* After this past weekend’s Zuffa Boxing event, Dana White answered questions and gave some surprising answers. The first being how it would work in the future with Zuffa fighters vs Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez since they recently signed with DAZN. His answer, in a nutshell was “If you look at what Turki has done over the last several years in boxing is to put on the biggest and the best fights that we can. Whatever it takes to achieve that we’ll try to do.” That doesn’t sound like things he’s said in the past, right?* When asked about Zuffa boxers competing for belts from major sanctioning organizations, he said, “Zuffa boxers will be able to fight for the major four titles on a case-by-case basis depending on what fighters want and what their goals are. We will try to figure out...whatever we can do to make those type of fights happen.” That also sounds different from past statements with a much less friendly vibe towards the sanctioning bodies. Why do you think he’s changed his tune?* When asked about getting Shakur Stevenson big bouts, and that people were saying he wouldn’t get them with Zuffa Boxing, Dana gave a non-answer by saying, “People have been talking a lot of s**t, but we’re six months in and I feel like we’re two years ahead of where I thought we would be. People keep talking and talking, but like I keep saying, ‘Judge us on Jan. 1, 2027 on what we do this year.’” What did you think of him skirting the question like that?* Our good friend Kurt Emhoff was at the event and said the atmosphere “absolutely sucked” and that the fights were “mediocre at best”. He ended his Twitter rant with “F**k Zuffa Boxing and the horse they rode in on. I want my $80 back”. Do you think boxing’s audiences are as easy a target as UFC audiences?* Yemen’s recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s $21B Aramco refinery has left it burning for days with the most recent reports saying they’ve shut down operations. How big an impact do you think this could have on their sports budget?*Zuffa and TKO response to Plaintiff statement*Zuffa and TKO motion to seal*Opetai v. IBF

July 22, 202644 min

Can TKO get the Ali passed? | Ep. 268

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. In our main topic, we discuss how a purse bid works, and why it’s so very important to boxers. We also examine why free agency is the single most important mechanism to the health of a sport, and how Salahdine Parnasse is in the very enviable position of having three promotions vying for him because of it. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content* Episode 268 Outline* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?* Nico Ali Walsh made a tweet yesterday saying he’d spoken to senators and “changes were coming” to the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. What changes would you like to see?* Haney-Keyshawn purse bid will be live streamed on WBO socials July 27th. Explain what a purse bid is, how it works, and why it’s so important to boxers.* With DAZN directly signing boxers, is there anything a promoter can do for them that DAZN can’t?* It looks like Eddie Hearn is going to sign Paulo Costa to his talent agency. I saw a NY Times article about Eddie possibly dipping his toes into MMA promotion, with him being quoted thusly: “It gives me the opportunity to learn the industry, understand the sport before we inevitably move into that space. But I’m not going to move into MMA knowing nothing about it. I don’t think that’s right because it’s just like, again, I’ve got to stop having pops, and a lot of my pops are sarcastic”. How do you think that plays out?* Nassourdine Imavov hasn’t been offered a fight since his last one which was in September of 2025. He’s on a 5-fight win streak. What do you think is going on there?* Dana White told Barstool Sports that the producers of the ultra-popular crime drama, Mobland, wanted to get Paddy Pimblett on the show. Is Paddy’s star rising faster than we at first anticipated?* Salahdine Parnasse is being sought by three different promotions (UFC, MVP, PRIME). He’s one of, if not the most sought after free agent in MMA right now. Is free agency the most important tool an athlete can have?* Parnasse’s management said that they will choose the offer that has the “best deal possible for Salahdine’s future”. Of those three entities, which one do you think that would be?* Scott Coker announced his PRIME promotion will hold its first event in early 2027 and it will be in France. Why do you think he chose France?*Johnson v. Zuffa order*Endeavor motion to seal*Zuffa TKO motion to seal

July 17, 202638 min

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury's earnings are insane | Ep. 267

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. In our main topic, we discuss boxing. We examine the latest revealed financial filings of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, as well as Chris Eubank, Jr. and Conor Benn. We weigh in on Shakur Stevenson’s signing with Zuffa Boxing, and the recent announcement of Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content* Episode 267 Outline* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?* Last week Zuffa Boxing announced the signing of Shakur Stevenson. How big a signing is this for them?* What do you think is the biggest pitfall Shakur could face with this signing?* Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn is official for September 12th. Who is promoting this fight?* Is DAZN still a major player here?* Do we know how much longer Garcia is signed to Golden Boy?* What are your thoughts on Zuffa Boxing counter-programming the UFC Noche event?* Our friend @mindofb on Twitter alerted us to Anthony Joshua’s Sparta Promotions Ltd’s financial filings, something you’d been keeping an eye on yourself. What did those filings reveal?* Is Sparta Promotions Ltd the only filing we need to look at to see Joshua’s finances?* Tyson Fury Ltd also recently filed with Companies House UK, what did that say about his finances?* Are there any other high profile boxers that filed in the UK?* With the Ali Act amendment presently on the back burner, what do you think the odds are of it passing next year?* Listener question from our friend Eric Hamidi: In your best estimation, why do you think Lonnie Ali supports the Revival Act?*Johnson v. Zuffa order*Dominance motion for leave*Sparta Promotions 2025*Tyson Fury Ltd. 2025

July 15, 202641 min

Oh yes, that crippled Irishman | Ep. 266

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates. In our main topic, we discuss Conor McGregor’s disastrous return at UFC 329. We analyze what his future prospects look like now, his new energy drink, and John’s theory that maybe Conor didn’t have a sunset clause in his contract. We also weigh in on Paulo Costa’s contract dilemma, Mayhem Miller’s comments about how the “UFC wellness Program” works, and Cody Garbrandt’s call for the UFC to help with post-career transition for fighters. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to paywalled content* Episode 266 Outline* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?* Our friend Rob Joyner sent us an interview with Miles Jury where he broke down his antitrust settlement payout. Was there anything noteworthy in that?* UFC 329 is in the books and Conor McGregor embarrassed himself and probably the company too. We discussed what his future would look like in the event he lost, but this was way outside what we considered. What do you think it looks like now?* I couldn’t help but notice a stark difference in the week leading up to his fight and the last time he was supposed to fight. There were no chants in the audience at weigh-ins and pressers. No chants in the arena, no Irish flags. As a matter of fact, it was a very muted audience. Is Conor going to be able to draw anywhere near his previous outings for his final fight?* The gate was set to make $52M on paper but only did half that. What are we to make of that?* Conor released his new energy drink this week. Do you think it will make a profit?* Did you find it odd that Ryan Garcia is in the commercial for it?* I saw some discourse on Twitter that suggested the UFC might buy out Conor’s contract and not bother having him fight it out. What do you think of that premise?* What do you think of the UFC paywalling McGregor’s 69-second fight replay?* Paddy Pimblett was the one that got the biggest pop in the arena, both before and after his fight. Is he the next big star?* Jason “Mayhem” Miller told Ariel Helwani the UFC’s wellness program for retired fighters was like the WWE’s and was basically a card to get pain pills. What did you think of his comments?* Cody Garbrandt spoke to media last week about the need for UFC to help fighters with post-career transition. What did you think of that?* Paulo Costa revealed the UFC’s tolling provisions kicked in regarding his last fight. Can you explain what happened here?* Does he have any options other than to take whatever they offer him, no questions asked?*Plaintiff’s statement of missing material from the Defendant’s production*

July 10, 202641 min

Our unsanitized coverage of Conor McGregor's career | Ep. 265

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit heynottheface.substack.com SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, we’re looking at the latest UFC antitrust case(s) updates and a new case that was filed by a former employee. In our main discussion topic, we look at Conor McGregor’s career, including how much money he’s made both in and out of the octagon, his Kinahan cartel connection, and how his businesses have fared. We also weigh in on him being found civilly liable for the brutal rape of Nikita Hand, and how that’s affected his fanbase in Ireland, Europe, and the United States, as well as how it has been covered by the media in the weeks leading up to UFC 329. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*We urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going and allows you access to our paywalled content* Episode 265 Outline* Are there any new filings or updates to the UFC antitrust cases?* Do you have any additional thoughts about Eric Wedin’s work in this case?* Are you surprised by the efforts of MMA media at large to sanitize Conor McGregor’s image?* How much of an impact do you think his rape case and subsequent civil liability affected his image with fans, both here and in Europe?* Bet US has a graphic showing that most of the USA’s fans support Conor McGregor’s return to fighting and are rooting for him. Did that graphic properly illustrate his fandom or is it just a gimmick to get people betting either on him or against him?* Our good friend, Fred Garvin, did some investigating into the ticket sales for this weekend’s card. I was surprised to learn it hasn’t sold out. What else did Fred’s investigation find?* Audie Attar, Conor’s manager, talked about his contract details recently in an interview. Did he reveal anything in the interview and do you have any guesses as to how his payout for this fight will compare to his other matches?* McGregor says he is happy to campaign for fighter pay. Do you think he does anything to raise fighter pay?* Conor made a hefty sum off the antitrust settlement. How much did he make?* Can you give us a summary of what you think McGregor has made during his career? * Is there any risk that he’s on the path to becoming another Mayweather?* Do you think his public ties with the Kinahan gang could be depleting his wealth?* Conor was recently ranting about how Khabib needs to come out of retirement and have a rematch against him. Why do you think he’s calling for that specific fight?* What do you think happens to Conor’s financial legacy after Saturday in both scenarios (wins fight/loses fight)?*PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ NOTICE OF INTENT AND OPPOSITION TO PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS, ECF No. 82*COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES, DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL

July 3, 202644 min

Did the court-appointed expert just save the UFC's bacon? | Ep. 264

SUPPORT EXPANDING THE ALI ACTIn today’s episode, John flew solo to break down the three days of the spoliation hearings in the UFC antitrust cases. There was a major bombshell revealed when Judge Boulware struck from the record all testimony from the expert witness. There was also more sworn testimony from matchmakers. The Defendants really lucked out, and John explains why. There’s a lot more, so make sure to follow along with our outline as you listen:*Today’s show is free, but we urge you to pick up a paid subscription, as it helps us keep the show going, and allows you access to paywalled content* Episode 264 Outline* Overview of the 3 days of hearings* Maynard uses Dana White as a “CYA”* Maynard asked about deleted messages with managers* Maynard asking White for input on fighter pay* How post fight bonuses are now handled* Maynard knows nothing about arbitration agreements or class action waivers* Court appointed expert, Eric Wedin, apparently wiped Dana White’s phone* Wedin left mistakes in his final reports and maybe didn’t even read it* Court struck Wedin from the record* How they could ask Apple if a kill code was sent to the phone* Sean Shelby’s testimony* Matchmakers have no guidelines with regards to how much a fighter can be paid* Shelby also doesn’t discuss matchmaking or contracts with Dana White* Shelby too doesn’t know anything about arbitration agreements and class action waivers* What comes next?* Why the Defendants really lucked out*ECF 287 MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS*The Hey Not the Face! Podcast is an independent publication. Please consider a paid subscription to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support us. With all forms of news media crumbling, especially in the combat sports space, we could really use your help. Thank you. We appreciate all of you.Thank you for checking out the Hey Not The Face! Podcast, a listener-supported publication. We’d be eternally grateful if you could help us by purchasing a subscription and spreading word of this episode by sharing it far and wide. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heynottheface.substack.com/subscribe

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Listen to episodes

Does the UFC Really Have To Offer 3 Fights a Year? | Video

Like a broken clock, Sean Strickland was right | Ep. 272

How long can an aging Dana White be the UFC's biggest star? | Ep. 271

Analyzing the Senate's version of the new Ali Act bill | Ep. 270

How important is Nico Ali-Walsh to TKO? | Ep. 269

Can TKO get the Ali passed? | Ep. 268

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury's earnings are insane | Ep. 267

Oh yes, that crippled Irishman | Ep. 266

Our unsanitized coverage of Conor McGregor's career | Ep. 265

Did the court-appointed expert just save the UFC's bacon? | Ep. 264

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