BTL | Conor McGregor's Disastrous Return, UFC 329 Fallout, Busy Weekend Ahead

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I'm Neil Apatel, editor and chief of The Verge, and Decoder is my show about big ideas and other problems. Today, we've got the first of a two-part series on the systems that run the world. I'm talking with Bart Butler, the CTO of Proton, a company that makes private and secure productivity software.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:40)
It's impossible to create a backdoor that can only be used by the good guys. No company is going to go to jail for you.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:49)
Often, the response is, well, if you change the legal foundation here, we will leave.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:53)
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How real is that?

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Subscribe where you get your podcast. This series is presented by Comcast Business.

**Mike Heck** (1:10)
You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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Live from MMA Fighting Studios, this is Between the Links. And now, your host.

**Mike Heck** (1:33)
The Iconic Voice of Esther Lin welcomes you to a brand new edition of BTL. Happy Thursday to us all. Oddly enough, and coincidentally enough, I got to see the Iconic Voice last week in Las Vegas, along with our good friend, E. Casey Lydon. It was a great week in Las Vegas for most of us, except for Conor McGregor.
And I'm sure we'll talk about that and much more on today's program. And joining me is a man who, he got to watch UFC 329, but he got to do so as a fan. Got some well-deserved time off last week, and he is here back to deliver some takes like never before. The one and only, Mr. No Grey Area himself, dancing away, Mr. Jed Meshew. Jed, how we doing? How we feeling? Are you feeling refreshed after some time off?

**Jed Meshew** (2:20)
That's a tricky question, Mike.
You know, career-wise, yes. Got some time off. It was super nice to not be in the MMA grind. I did watch the event. I didn't see everything that happened because I had it up on the phone. We were watching the World Cup, doing things. Physically, I am a wreck.
I'm not a young man anymore, Mike. And to engage in the sorts of activities that I did for four days, that takes a toll. Takes a toll on you. I shot very well in the golf section, so we at least had that going for us. But I only just today started feeling like, oh, I'm good. Like, I'm back. I'm back to even. I'm a little sore still, but you know, I'm not meant to do fireball shots in a way I used to be, Mike.

**Mike Heck** (3:14)
Yeah. Why is that not working?

**Jed Meshew** (3:17)
I don't know. That's weird. Your audio changed dramatically.

**Mike Heck** (3:21)
What the hell? There we go.

**Jed Meshew** (3:22)
I was back. Get back.

**Mike Heck** (3:23)
There we go.

**Jed Meshew** (3:24)
Get back, mama.

**Mike Heck** (3:25)
The old Focusrite's starting to be real dumb right now, but yeah, such a weird, such a great week. Like I forgot how wild it is to be on the ground for an event like that. It was the first time I had ever covered a Conor McGregor card in person. So that was pretty crazy. I got to sort of feel the anticipation. It just seemed like another fight week during media day. And then I went and then I had to leave a little early after Conor's media day. And even Conor's media day was just like, okay, not really feeling it. And then the press conference happened. I'm like, okay, now I'm feeling it. Now I'm starting to feel it. The crowd was electric. They were into everything. Paddy, the Paddy stuff, they were super into that. And then, yeah, once the ceremonials happened on Friday, it was like, all right, this is peak UFC. This is, everybody's on fire. Everybody is ready for this. And then the event happens, Jed. And it is fun as hell. The first, what, 13 fights? I mean, we're just, it's heater after heater, moment after moment, all sorts of good stuff. Golly.