BTL | UFC 333, Volkanovski vs. Evloev, Yan vs. Merab 2, RAF 14

José Youngs (0:31)

And now, your host, Mike Heck.

Mike Heck (0:38)

The iconic voice of Esther Lin welcomes you to a brand new edition of BTL. Happy Tuesday evening to us all. Normally, we're on Thursday around lunchtime, but mixing things up this week, I am here in lovely Las Vegas, Nevada, getting ready for a super busy RAF 14 match week. Wanted to get a show on because this is such a crazy week with that event. We got UFC 333 going on. Lots of stuff going on. So we are here answering your questions. Shout out to everybody on the SB Nation app. Make sure you download it. We got a ton of questions on there, which will rifle through.

And we're going to have a good time today. And joining me is a man who would typically be boots on the ground for a UFC event, but he's he's here. He's stateside, not in Vegas, but he is still in the United States, live from New York City, our social media guru himself, our road warrior, the one and only José Youngs, back on BTL. How are you, sir?

José Youngs (1:37)

It feels good not to be on an airplane. I did like six cities in four weeks last month, combined with like White House, Conor McGregor, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Vegas, LA., Phoenix. Like I'm just pretty cooked after being on planes for so long. So yeah, fortunately I'm not in Abu Dhabi. I actually was looking forward to covering that card in person, but you know, Mike being an RAF, and it just felt like it should, it's one of those things that it would be more beneficial for me to be state side.

But yeah, looking forward to being, but I can't even remember the last time I was on BTL. So this should be fun.

Mike Heck (2:15)

Was it, I don't know if it was a Q and A, it might've been, but I think before that is when you did Bizarro Links. We haven't done that in a while, people have asked for that. We have to get back in into that. So again, shout out to everybody on the SB Nation app, which you can watch the show on there right now. We have a ton of questions. We're gonna rifle through some of those and shout out to everybody on YouTube and Facebook and Twitch and Kick and Twitter. We are everywhere these days. So make sure you follow us wherever you're watching right now. Let's jump to the app questions.

We're gonna start with Saku's missing ear, Jose.

This is a long question, but let's provide context. Volk is winding down, father time undefeated and all that jazz. I think we have the measure of the top 10 and I don't see any of them matching Volk in terms of technical proficiency and entertainment in one man. A lot of those bigger names are either nearing the end or have reached the ceiling. Looking to the future of featherweight, what do you predict for the division once Volk bows out? Do you see any of the unranked up and comers we should keep an eye on that could be the next Volk, Aldo or Holloway?

José Youngs (3:27)

It's a very interesting question.

Mike Heck (3:29)

It is.

José Youngs (3:29)

Because he has a very tall task ahead of him in Movsar. Movsar is sick.

What's his name? Black Panther. He was supposed to fight Pitbull. He just won in Paris. He's fighting in Abu Dhabi. He's fighting Pico. He's very good. He's very, very, very good. If you can get his weight issues down. Pico, I think, is obviously a name. He's only had, what, three fights? Three fights in the UFC? Two fights? He's always going to be a name we're going to have to pay attention to.

Mike Heck (4:00)

I think we have one right now.

He's fighting in Qatar against Al Jermain Sterling. Kevin Viejoz kind of seems like the guy.

José Youngs (4:09)

I know everyone's really high on Luke. Luke Riley and Tommy Guns are names that we're going to be interested to see in terms of whether they're champions or not is another conversation, right? Paddy Pimbit might never be a champion. He's very talented, but he's always going to be a guy that we're going to want to see. Sean O'Malley did become a champion. I think those are obviously the names that people are going to compare because they're always training together, but I agree. Kevin Viejo is probably the one, right? And then I'm trying to think of who else is out there.

Because you're right. A lot of these featherweights are kind of not peaked, but like they're already established.