BTL | Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2, UFC 329 Burning Questions, More

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
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**Mike Heck** (0:31)
You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:38)
Live from MMA Fighting Studios, this is Between the Links. And now, your host-

**Mike Heck** (0:53)
The Iconic Voice, Sylvester Lyde, welcomes you to a brand new edition of BTL. Happy Monday to us all. Going a little bit early. Lot going on this week, obviously, with UFC 329 off to Vegas tomorrow to meet the man himself, Jose Youngs. But, you know, with all the 329 festivities and everything that's going on during Fight Week, we wanted to make sure you had a show. So here we are on this Monday. The sun is just right through the sunroof, it's clobbering me, so you're just going to have to deal with it. But joining me to answer your questions, talk UFC 329, the return of Conor McGregor, and much more, is Mr. No Grayery himself, the hot take kid from MMA Fighting, Jed Meshew.
How are you, buddy?

**Jed Meshew** (1:37)
Yeah, if I'll stand up. Buddy, I'm good. You might hear my voice is a little haggard.
You know, having the 4th of July on a Saturday, it's lovely. It really is perfect in that you get Saturday and Sunday. I mean, I worked both days, but got to have a lot of fun Saturday evening. Then Sunday, you can mostly decompress. I feel a little bit better than I sound. Sounds like you had a very good weekend too. But I do have one major question for you, Mike, outside of you slacked me something. I'm definitely not coming through on Mike. That's what the issue is.
Oh, yeah, but you know what? Now I sound better. I still sound so much better because my voice is mostly gone. But I have an important question for you, Mike. It's this. Are we drafting at this show for Head Dead Matchup? Because there won't be a watch party, at least not one with me on it.

**Mike Heck** (2:39)
I don't think it's to do it.

**Jed Meshew** (2:41)
I just don't know if we are.

**Mike Heck** (2:43)
I don't think it's happening. It might. If we can pull something out of the hat, maybe we can find some sort of studio in Las Vegas. I'm looking, but I'm not looking too much.
Because it just is, but it is not the same without you.

**Jed Meshew** (2:59)
Thank you.

**Mike Heck** (3:02)
We could draft, and just for funsies, how many fights do we draft? Because you would think a card like this, we'd probably do, I don't know if we do the whole middle prelims, or at least half of them.

**Jed Meshew** (3:15)
I think we probably would, we would either start at Gable or Garbrandt in one of those two fights. I don't think we'd show up for Luke Riley, Kaika Maka.

**Mike Heck** (3:25)
No.

**Jed Meshew** (3:25)
It just feels like that's not one we would do.
But I am happy at the end of this to do a draft. You were behind by a good bit, so this would give you an opportunity to pick up some Ws. And I will still, so by now, I think everybody knows, if not, I am about to take off for most of the rest of this week, or today and tomorrow, and then Wednesday, I head out on my annual trip, which I tried to plan around UFC White House that ended up not happening on July 4th weekend. So I, you know, I'm still going to be watching the event this weekend, though, so like I'll still be following along. So I think it's totally fine for us to draft at the end of the episode.

**Mike Heck** (4:08)
Okay, we can definitely do that. Well, let's get to the peeps and let's see what they're all about here. Kangol Zaya, thank you.
What would be a bigger deal before Conor fights this weekend? Him announcing his return six months ago or Habib announcing his return? Which one would generate more views and hype?

**Jed Meshew** (4:28)
What would be a bigger deal for Conor for him announcing his return?

**Mike Heck** (4:33)
Or maybe six months after? I don't know.

**Jed Meshew** (4:37)
I'm trying to understand that.