On To the Next One: Matches To Make After UFC 331

Andy Richter (0:30)

Hi, I'm Andy Richter. I might not have won the Mirror Ball last season.

Mike Heck (0:34)

That was so fun.

Andy Richter (0:35)

But I did win the best gig ever. Hosting the Dancing with the Stars official podcast.

Get ready for all the inside scoop from the cast. All right, well, let's get to work. Behind the scenes secrets and more from every episode. That was smoldering. It's going to be iconic.

SPEAKER_3 (0:51)

All my dreams are coming true.

Andy Richter (0:52)

Dancing with the Stars official podcast. New episodes every Thursday on Disney Plus and Hulu, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Mike Heck (1:00)

All right, Mike Heck here from MMA Fighting, and my good friend Jed Mishu is here with me as well, because Jed, the day has finally arrived. It's app day, the all new SB Nation app. It's live now. It's live, Jed.

Alexander K. Lee (1:12)

It's alive.

Jed Mishu (1:14)

Yeah, man, I'm really excited. And it's awesome, man. Combat sports, like all sports, but combat sports fans especially, you guys are going to have your voices heard like never before within SB Nation. MMA Boxing, not me, but you, pro wrestling, Mike.

It is a community-based app. It's all about community with the new SB Nation app.

Mike Heck (1:34)

It's so easy to use and it can keep obviously, combat sports fans connected to their favorite teams and all of sports too across the board. So I can keep up with the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Patriots and the Bruins all on my phone. And it's so simple to use.

Jed Mishu (1:48)

Yeah. Like you mentioned those teams, but there's so much more because I don't care about the Boston sports, Mike, but I get to follow the NFL, all the other sport, F1, the various sports that I care about outside of combat sports.

And then there's the live experience because that's to me, that's one of the coolest things you can chat with us during Fight Cards every Saturday. And you can chat with other people in the communities as big events are happening. So it's it's a really good time.

Mike Heck (2:15)

So, ladies and gentlemen, come fight with us over on the all new SB Nation app. Download it today. Download it right now. What are you waiting for? Download it.

Well, hello there, everybody. And welcome to a brand new edition of On To The Next One. We are live on this Sunday morning following just an incredible, a wild, a chaotic UFC 331 event last night in the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California. Joshua Van is still the UFC Flyway Champion, following an instant classic with Alexandre Pantoja. Arman Tsarukyan will get his day in court after a brutal knockout win. We had the biggest upset in UFC history on this card. Unbelievable stuff all around.

Outside of the White House and the pomp and circumstance that surrounded that event, and that event obviously delivered an action. This was the best event of 2026, and there is no third place at this point. Unbelievable stuff. I had a great time. I literally am so tired, but I don't even care because I'm just pumped to talk about this event. I am Mike Heck. Joining me to do some matchmaking, following this unforgettable card is the co-host, the co-matchmaker, the Prince of Positivity, and my best friend. There he is, Alexander K. Lee. AK, how are we feeling? Did you enjoy yourself last night?

Alexander K. Lee (3:49)

My best friend, MMA is supposed to be fun. That's fun. That's just a damn fun card. I think heading into it, I know some people have been down on this event. Maybe they were lumping it in with 331 or just this whole uncertain last stretch of events we were having to close out the year. We just got the 334 card, which I think looks okay. Again, that's something we'll probably debate as we get closer to it. But I think a lot of these cards are facing the same criticism.

When they look a little top heavy, it looks like there's a few too many squash matches, maybe some fighters who are starting to experience and getting high positions on the card.

SPEAKER_6 (4:24)

But again, for the most part, it's worked out.

Alexander K. Lee (4:26)

We've had really good fight nights and as far as major events go, everything was good. I think there was maybe one forgettable fight, Edmund Shabazi and Bruno Ferreira.

SPEAKER_6 (4:36)

Other than that, pretty solid all the way through.

Alexander K. Lee (4:38)

I think fight of the year candidate at the top, some great knockouts, definitely some memorable finishes, crazy upset as you mentioned. This is good, man. The UFC has had a really, really, really good 2026