VERBAL TAP (Episode 113) with Drew Dober

[buzzsprout episode='266051' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Admit it, you kinda missed us.

Don't worry, we missed you, too.  Turns out when we take a four week hiatus, the fight and jiu-jitsu world goes completely nuts.

But more on that later.  This week, we return from our month-long hiatus with a killer episode.

Not only do we recap what took place at UFC 185 with our pal John Evans (who makes a record-breaking 11th appearance on the show), but we also take a look at what happens at this week's UFC 186 show with our pal Dan Hubler, who puts Kevin's picks through the ringer.However, on our first episode back, we get to the bottom of one of the worst calls in UFC history when we speak to UFC Fighter Drew Dober.No seriously.

Google, UFC Worst Call of All Time and his name pops up.

The first three entries when you do come up with the fight that took place in Rio between Drew Dober and Leandro Silva, where a ref pulled a Judge Dredd and decided to take the law into his own hands.

Or maybe he wanted to give the fight to his friend.

Either way, fans of our show may remember my reaction when I was watching the fight live.

If not, here's a refresher.

We get the entire story behind Dober's "loss," including his own reactions, what happened when he met with Dana White after the fight, and the even more insane aftermath that took place afterwards.

Plus, we talk about Drew's next fight and get some insight as to what we can expect when we see him next in the Octagon.I knew I wanted to book Drew the minute I saw this bull shit call happen on TV.  But Kev and I are stoked to call the guy a friend of the podcast.

Despite the unprofessional nature of the incident, Drew handles it in a way that's indicative of a true professional.  We will definitely have him back on the show.

Last Time on Verbal Tap

[embed]https://instagram.com/p/0LwcvGD6pi/[/embed]

We also talk a little bit about how John opened up the doors to his new academy, Breakdown Academy, for me and a few of the folks who flew in for my wedding to come train at.  We have the honor of being the first folks to ever train at the academy and we couldn't be more thrilled.

In addition to that, Kev and I talk a little bit about the groomsmen gift I got him.  A few months back our pal Jon Greek at Kauai Kimonos graciously offered to make a pair of customized gis for both me and Kevin.  Not only was I astounded someone would actually do that for us, but I was beyond thrilled with how it came out.

[embed]https://instagram.com/p/11JjmWj6rO/?taken-by=verbaltapcast[/embed]

The photo here is one I snagged when I picked up the gi from Jon hours before going to give it to Kevin.  On the podcast, Kev describes how surprised he was and I tell him a little bit about the background of how it all came together.  Needless to say, a big thanks to our friend Jon Greek as we've gotten so many compliments for the new gis.

Afterwards, John Evans tells us a little bit about his interpretation of the events that took place at UFC 185 and we discover who won that installments' Over/Under Kevin.

Be sure to check out John's new academy over in North Hollywood, CA.

If you're interested in trying out a class, you can email John at John@BJJBreakdown.com.

UFC 186: Over/Under Kevin

But we don't stop there.  A new PPV means there are more predictions to be had.

This time, noted compulsive gambler (and Dream Jiu-Jitsu tournament director/Newaza Apparel marketing guru) Dan Hubler comes to set Kevin straight.

We go through the entire card and try to figure out why exactly people might want to order this PPV (especially a week out from Mayweather/Pacquiao).

Plus, Dan clues us into the latest from Newaza and Dream Jiu-JItsu.

Grapplethon

I didn't get to talk about this as much as I would have liked to, but I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone over at this weekend's Grapplethon: Victory for Victoria for such a great event.

Once again, our pal, Montay Wiley organized a great event for people to come together for a great cause. You may know Montay Wiley from this #wwebjj gem.

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As always, Montay helped put on a great event.  This time we all came together to raise money for Victoria (Tori), a young girl who was found to have a brain tumor at only three months old.  If you guys get the chance, please stay updated on all the latest about Victoria's fight on their facebook page right here.

Watching Victoria's father, Brad, get out there and do twenty rolls with the community was truly awesome.  He mentioned how participating in the event lifted his and his family's spirits.  It's a great reminder of the good our community does when we all pull together.

Brad and his family will be in our thoughts, and now, we hope all of yours as well.

[embed]https://instagram.com/p/1prv7cD6p-/?taken-by=verbaltapcast[/embed]

That'll do it for this week, folks.  Be sure to listen in and tell us what you thought about this week's episode!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 100) with Karyn Bryant and Bruce Buffer

[buzzsprout episode='227935' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Coming soon!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 99) Metamoris 5 Extravaganza

[buzzsprout episode='224400' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Metamoris recap shows are always my favorite episodes.

Always.

Not only do we dedicate an entire episode to breaking down the techniques, production value, and implications of the big event, but we also get a chance to catch up with some of our favorite friends (new and old), as they help us analyze these matches from every possible angle.

Following in the tradition of our previous Metamoris recaps (Metamoris 4 and Metamoris 3), we enlist a team of six to help us take a look at the card and break down each match.

Joining us this go round...

Kit Dale - Leading us off on this podcast is our good pal Kit Dale.  When looking to analyze the explosive match-up between Garry Tonon and Zak Maxwell, we figured: who better to speak on the match than a guy who not only had some of the best seats in the house, but also happened to commentate on the match as it was going on (not to mention: who knows a thing or two about competing against Tonon at Metamoris).  In addition to his observations about the match, Kit also hooks us up with some great details about the behind the scenes nature of the show, reveals what Kenny Florian was too scared to do, and Kit and I discover where our jiu-jitsu venn diagrams intersect.

Ruben Avila - As one of of the more prolific BJJ writer/bloggers on the circuit, we decided to turn to the guy behind BJJGrappling.com, Ruben Avila, to help us try to make sense of the lengthy (and ultimately underwhelming) game show that was "Submit Vinny Mahalhaes for $10,000!"  More importantly, we ask if this is a format that Metamoris should continue to use in future installments going forward.  That and he gets Kevin to inadvertently support the use of WWE-esque rules in order to make a match like this more interesting (slick move, Ruben. He never even saw it coming!).

Jim Lawson - It only makes sense that we enlist the help of our friend Jim Lawson of The Warrior's Club to help us break down the epic rematch between two exciting BJJ warriors.  Jim makes his second appearance on the show detailing the finer points of Keenan Cornelius' and Yuri Simoes' respective games and attacks.  As the lone gi match of the card, Jim tells us how the match stacked up against the five other bouts (and even describes how the fight looked like in person at the Long Beach Convention Center that night).

Travis Newaza - Very few people can refer to themselves as the "sweetheart" of Brazilian Jiu-JItsu and get away with it.  Yet somehow the distinction doesn't seem too far off when you get around to talking about Travis Newaza.  As one the owner of one of the coolest BJJ brands out on the circuit (Newaza Apparel) Travis has made a name for himself as a brand owner who doesn't just make clothes for the BJJ community, but who also takes a great deal of pride in being immersed in the culture of the sport.  On this podcast, Travis helps us measure the shock value of the Metamoris "secret match," it's overall impact, and even discusses the finer points of Ed O'Neil's head.

JT Torres - In order to get the most objective account of the match-up between JT Torres and Rory MacDonald we decided to ask JT himself to take an objective look at his match against Rory MacDonald.  Just kidding.  No part of our conversation is objective in the least.  Instead, JT gives us the inside scoop on what it was like to compete against an opponent who outweighed him by close to 40+ pounds, outlines the game plan he used during the match (and describes the adjustments he had to make), and even takes a minute to respond to the comment that Rory was prepared to let his arm get broken on the Metamoris mats.

Rob Acree - And finally, closing out the podcast, is one of Kevin's training awesome partners from BJJ and MMA Training Center out in Chantilly, Virgina, Rob Acree.  Rob uses his black belt acumen to properly contextualize the match between Renzo Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba, navigating us through not only the historical significance of this highly-anticipated rematch, but also giving us a detailed breakdown of the techniques and strategies utilized by both Renzo and Sakuraba.  Additionally, he helps me get in some great digs at Kevin's expense, so I seriously can't complain about that.

A damn good podcast from start to finish.  Thanks to everyone who participated and helped us breakdown this monumental event.  And keep an eye out real soon for episodes of Around the Mat to start popping up all around.

And get ready guys.  Kevin touches down in LA in just a few days and we've already got big plans for our 100th episode!  Get ready folks!

If you want to send us a message on our social media, merely hastag #VerbalTapTurns100 with a twitter message, Instagram meme, video or Vine to send us a message (we might just talk about it on air)!

Oh Yeah, Check This Out

I got the chance to shoot the shit with Garry Tonon this week.  Good times were had.

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 98) with Mac Danzig

[buzzsprout episode='222389' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | I'll never forget the time I discovered Mac Danzig and I had a mutual set of friends.  Years ago I discovered that Mac and I were only a couple degrees of separation away from each other all thanks to my best friend Bobby.

And when you're in good with my long-time best friend (and future best man at my wedding) and his family, in my book, it means you've already been vetted and that you're good people.

Before I had a podcast, or even really knew I'd take up jiu-jitsu, I was just a UFC fan who enjoyed Mac's work in the Octagon.  Perhaps it's my knowledge of how reality shows work and get spliced together, but even when I sat at home watching his time on The Ultimate Fighter I always thought he got a bum wrap on the way he was depicted. It's not entirely surprising, it's just the nature of the beast known as reality TV.

But as someone who doesn't tend to get caught up in that sort of thing (even then), I just knew I liked his fighting style and thought he had a promising future (in retrospect, I can see that I have a long history of rooting for the jiu-jitsu guys).  Naturally, I was stoked to see him go on to win the show and have a solid run in the UFC.

After years of hearing great things about him and the way he teaches from our mutual friends, I was pleasantly surprised a few months ago when I heard he was holding a Striking for Submissions seminar down here in LA.  I packed up the gym bag and made it down.

Before the seminar, I got the chance to meet and exchange pleasantries.  We talked about our mutual connections and BS-ed about a number of MMA and BJJ topics, all the while Mac lived up to all of the great qualities our mutual friends had come to say about him.

By the time we got around to the seminar and I saw him demonstrate his first BJJ transition, I realized something I had long since forgotten: Mac was one of the first people I watched and learned how to do jiu-jitsu technique from.

While I had watched a number of fights before his tenure on The Ultimate Fighter, I never really paid attention to the science of it all.  For whatever reason, his style just clicked with me and, while I may not have understood the exact reasoning behind every grip or underhook, I remember finding myself interested in the craft and wanting to learn how to break it all down.

And on this day, on these mats, there he was telling me to stop doing the technique so wrong and try to get it right for a change.

He didn't actually say that, but you're all familiar with how I roll by now.

Nonetheless, it was just a cool moment in my training journey and all the more reason his appearance on the show was so cool for me personally.

On the podcast this week, Mac (37:20) drops in to provide a little more insight about the actual production of The Ultimate Fighter, the awesome connection he has to the world of animation, his interest in photography, what its like to transition out of fighting, and even describes what it's like to be on the other side of the cage as a referee.

It's a fantastic first conversation with a guy who's been a friend of podcast long before we even had him on.  We look forward to having him back on some time soon.

In the meantime, check out his work at http://www.macdanzigphoto.net/.

As an avid photography fan, I'm not one to put over work if I don't find it really good.  But his stuff is awesome and I strong encourage you all to give it a gander.

But Wait, There's More!

Our pal, Alex Perez returns on this week's podcast to find out if he beat Kevin in our UFC 180 edition of Over/Under Kevin. 

In addition to finding out the results, Alex helps us recap all of the awesome (that sick main event), the disgusting (Ultimate Fighters taking a #2 in the cage), and the really disgusting (the worst PSA for Cauliflower ears ever) things that made one of the shortest UFC PPV's in recent memory a fun and unpredictable night of fights.

Metamoris 5: The Game Show

Because no Metamoris card is complete without at least three match-up changes, we had to get creative with our latest Around the Mat preview series.  We always like to record these things a week out of the show as to try and get you a preview that's the most up-to-date possible, but when the news hit that Kevin "KO" Casey was out of his match-up (prompting the BJJ equivalent of American Idol to take place) as I was editing the latest installment of our Metamoris Preview Series, I had to do something.

This was that something.

The following is a sneak preview of our show that's coming out a little later tonight.  Hope you all enjoy it!

EDIT: And here's the entire full length episode for your viewing pleasure:

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 97) with Garry Tonon

[buzzsprout episode='219848' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | We all know Garry Tonon [46:54] as one of the most exciting grapplers on the planet.  With an aggressive style on the mats that relentlessly goes after submissions, Garry has made a huge name for himself in the world of competitive jiu-jitsu as one of the most reliable "sure bets" for an exciting match.

Even when if it means putting himself in terrible positions.  And that's just part of what makes his matches so unpredictably exciting.

The guy has a gas tank that puts a great number of us to shame (despite a number of well-documented accounts of how much fast-food the kid ingests).  But, as I came to find out last week, even interviewing Garry Tonon can be a workout.

Not because the guy is a difficult interview (our conversation is a lot of fun), but because he just has so much energy, you have to match his level of intensity during the interview.  Even in the moments we spent talking with Garry off-air, before our interview officially began, Kev and I found ourselves having a great time comparing notes and jokes.  As I overheard the rapid-fire cadence in his voice, it began to make complete sense:

Garry Tonon doesn't do anything slow.

With that in mind, I encourage you all to give a listen to a dynamic interview we do with Garry, as we touch upon all the bases: his match at Metamoris 5, what his expectations of his opponent Zak Maxwell, if his eating habits are truly as terrible as some Metamoris preview videos lead us to believe, what it's like to train with Rory MacDonald, and what he really thought of my interpretation of his BJJ game at Metamoris 5.

Yep.  This one.

It should be noted that a running joke at my gym has been how when I played Garry, my jiu-jitsu was way better than normal.  Leaps and bounds better.  So while I'd love to base my game entirely on Garry's movement, I will remind you that too is an exhausting endeavor (the guy never quits moving).

Be sure to give Garry's episode a listen and then let us know what you think!

Peace Out, JEvans

Last week, we said goodbye to our pal, John Evans who is forging ahead with his journey to open out his own jiu-jitsu school.  Mind you, he'll still be here in the Valley, but he's going to be opening up his own place for BJJ instruction very soon.

As one of the most influential people in my BJJ career, I can't thank John enough for his patience and his help with my game.  Any gains I've made over the past few years are due in part to his superb coaching abilities.

And because no goodbye is without it's hardships, allow me to post the video of the way we closed out John's experience here at VMAC.

[embed]http://instagram.com/p/vE4UiBj6r5[/embed]

Be sure to follow him on Twitter at @BJJBreakdown and look out for more updates about his school at BJJBreakdown.com.

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 96) with JT Torres

[buzzsprout episode='216302' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Man, oh man, did we pack an episode worth of great content for you this week.  We've got interviews with JT Torres (28:52) and Shakib from Submission Fight Co. (1:01:31) and we also recap who won on the UFC 179 installment of Over/Under Kevin with our pal Marcus Kowal.

But let's start with our friend JT Torres.

It's harder to find a nicer more terrifying human being on our guest list.

I had the pleasure of meeting JT back at an Metamoris 2 afterparty and was completely impressed with his polite and friendly demeanor.  Despite being a killer on the mats, JT is of of the nicest BJJ competitors I've had the pleasure of running into.  That night, he was kind enough to talk with me about his match, exchange some fun jiu-jitsu stories, and even give me some words of encouragement about my own BJJ practices (at one point saying my jiu-jitsu couldn't possibly be as bad as I was describing... that's when you truly know someone is nice).

On the podcast this week, we get JT to talk a little bit about his prep for Metamoris 5, his time training at ATOS, his love of video games, why he decided to attack Andre Galvao on the beach of that one Metamoris preview video thing, and even get him to participate in the very first podcast version of our trademark 2 Minute Drill of rapid fire questions at the end of his interview.

Looking forward to seeing this (polite) killer back on the Metamoris mats in the coming weeks in his upcoming match with UFC fighter Rory MacDonald.  This may be one of the few times an American will out-polite a Canadian post-match.

Maybe.

RevGear and Marcus Kowal

One of the things I like about Marcus Kowal is how random he can be.  For example, while it's not uncommon to see him at an event like the RevGear BJJ League Tournament, it's another thing to just happen to see him coach and then immediately compete right thereafter.

But that's Marcus for ya.

My compliments to RevGear for attracting some of the coolest folks I know on the BJJ circuit to compete this week.

It's always a blast running into so many of these awesome BJJ competitors and many of their fights did not disappoint.  I'm hoping we'll see them with another tournament here in SoCal soon enough!

We talk a little bit about Marcus' competition at the tournament (as well as what it was like competing against one of Josh Barnett's beastly wrestling students) and then we find out who won this week's installment of Over/Under Kevin: UFC 179.

Submission Fight Co.

We then close out this stacked episode with an interview of the owner of Submission Fight Co.

Over the past few months, a lot has been printed about the brand.  And rightfully so.

Earlier this year Submission Fight Co. discovered that products that they believed to be hemp-based were discovered to contain no trace of hemp.  Discussion threads were dedicated to it, blog posts written, videos conducted with many customers expressing frustration with the company.

Rather than speculating on the issue, we decided to go straight to the source to ask him what events transpired, how the company discovered the problem, and what practices Submission Fight Co. intends to partake going forward.

We invite you to give the interview a listen and decide for yourself.

More World Jiu-Jitsu Expo Videos This Week

Trying to edit these as fast as possible, but here's a few more interviews for ya to take a look at.  Hope you enjoy 'em!

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 95) goes to the 2014 World Jiu-Jitsu Expo

[buzzsprout episode='214622' player='true']

Raf's Recollection | Considering all of the videos and writing I have to get done this week, I'll keep this short.  We had a huge week on the podcast, previewing this weekend's UFC 179 with our pal Marcus Kowal and discussing all things World Jiu-JItsu Expo.

Marcus (pictured here in a new headshot compliments of our good friend Blanca Marisa Garcia) joins us this week to take on Kevin on our latest installment of Over/Under Kevin.

Some of you know Marcus as our pal from Systems Training Center down in Hawthorne, while others of you may somewhat recognize this guy as the host of his own podcast the MMA Roundtable.

Yep, since we last left Marcus, he has now grown up and started a podcast of his own.  So we decided to give him some well deserved shit to start the show and then get into our picks for this weekends fights.

I Went to the World Jiu-JItsu Expo!

Let's just say this weekend was another mad capped weekend of insane jiu-jitsu coverage.

Accompanied by my two awesome photogs (Alex Perez and Octavio Villanueva), we hit up the World Jiu-JItsu Expo for a second year of crazy coverage.

On the podcast, Kevin spends the first twenty minutes asking me all about it and I talk a little bit about some of our favorite experiences and observations from an event that is something akin to what we call "Jiu-Jitsu Christmas."

I got to talk with this guy.

And this guy.

And even catch up with this guy.

I'm working to get out a video per day, but right now, here are two of the first videos we've edited from this weekend.

Keep an eye out on our YouTube page as we'll be posting as many videos as we can from this weekend's World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.

Hope you enjoy it, folks!

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 84) with Mike Jasper

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Raf's Recollection | More about our conversation with our pal Mike Jasper coming soon!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 83) with Tim Means

[buzzsprout episode='192492' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Coming soon, more about our podcast with Tim Means and our review of UFC on FOX 12.

Plus, I talk a little bit about what it was like to interview Rickson Gracie earlier this week and we chat about training at Subconscious BJJ with Brent Burniston again!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 82) with Joey Diaz

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Raf's Recollection | Joey Diaz is a real motherfucker.

There's an old adage that says "never meet your heroes." The saying implies that you'll only set yourself up for disappointment when you finally meet the person you admire.

In entertainment, that saying consistently true.  But not with Joey Coco Diaz.

I've always been a fan of his style of comedy and over the past year I've had the pleasure of getting to know Joey as both a stand up comic and a BJJ training partner.

On stage or on his podcast (The Church of What's Happening Now), Joey is ferocious, uncensored.  A beast.  He has this great old school energy that is severely lacking in this PC sensitive world.

Off stage, Joey is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.  The dude's selfless and has gone out of his way to do nice things for his friends on numerous occasions.  He's offered to do my talk show, he did this podcast, and he even offered to help me out with a new project that I'll be sharing with you all very soon.

On the podcast this week, we ask Joey about his training in BJJ, why MMA audiences gravitate toward his sense of humor, and get some fun stories about his time working with Robert DeNiro in the movie Grudge Match.

It's a great conversation that is truly an extension of the great vibe that Joey brings to my gym, Valley Martial Arts Center.  And I can honestly say that our gym is all the better having him there.  Our thanks to Joey D. for one of our favorite conversations.

Subconscious Jiu-Jitsu

Last week, I had the chance to train over at Subconscious Jiu-Jitsu over in North Hollywood.  Friend of the podcast Brent Burniston teaches a hell of a class.

At the end of the podcast, I talk a little bit about what it was like to watch an instructor teach the counter to one of your go-to's (and love every second of it).

I was stoked to finally get to train there and I look forward to visiting Brent's academy sometime soon again!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 81) with Cody Bollinger

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Raf's Recollection |"If anybody else would have called me and asked me to do an interview tonight I woulda told them to go fuck themselves."

Kind words from our pal Cody Bollinger who returns to guest on the podcast this week.

You don't get much better than that folks.

It's been a crazy past couple of weeks here at the podcast: We've had over a dozen of the people who have dropped in as guests fight on cards all throughout the world of MMA.  We're happy to say a number of our friends walked away with major victories.

One of those victories happened to come from Cody Bollinger who won with a truly sick rear naked choke a couple weekends ago at the World Series of Fighting 11.

Naturally we wanted to hear all about the technique, the drama building up to the fight, the aftermath.  All that good stuff.

We also wanted to hear straight from the horses' mouth why he missed weight and if the rumors of him going up to fight at 145 were true (he answers plainly and honestly).

But what we didn't expect was to hear is what he's been up to in his spare time.

No seriously, it's amazing.  And we're stoked Cody chose our podcast to share it with.

Be sure to listen in to his segment of the podcast and follow him over on his Twitter and his Instagram.  Let him know what you think of his appearance on our show!

I've Been Everywhere

Last week was a busy one.  I hit up three different gyms and was stoked I finally got to train with some of our friends here at the podcast (including our buddies Jaime Gonzalves from BJJ Rants and Brandon Mccaghren). 

I talk about what it was like to visit at Higher Ground Jiu-JItsu in Rowland Heights, 10th Planet Headquarters (TapOut Gym, LA) under Eddie Bravo, and Cobrinha's in Hollywood.

I've been pretty fortunate the past few weeks to get to train with a series of folks who have given me some great tips.  All of these gyms have been really kind and friendly, and it's been a blast to even chat with some of the folks at these gyms who are fans of our show (it's insane)!

As the summer winds down to a close, I'm open to the suggestions any of you might have for me to drop in here in Southern California.

Thank of it as a free way to beat me up.

So have at, suggest away folks.

But for now, please enjoy this funny (/silly) video I shot with our pals over at Higher Ground Jiu Jitsu.

Later on for now, folks.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 79) with Eric Jackman

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Raf's Recollection | I want everyone to look at the photo of Eric Jackman over on the right hand side of this page.

What look do you see?

Do you see the look of a stone cold killer, here to bring an end to the one win streak of Kevin's Over/Under Kevin miracle win?  Or do you see a deer-in-the-headlights realizing he's in way over his head?

Aside from being a phenomenal rorschach test, our pal Eric provides a true challenge to Kevin.  As the main prediction guy over at the MMA Hour, the guy knows a thing or two about being accountable when it comes to picking who will win or lose a fight.

Which is why it only made sense to bring him on our podcast to basically crush Kevin's dreams.

But the question is: does Eric go straight for the kill or does he let Kevin think he actually has a chance?

Only time will tell.

We outline the prospects for not only this weekend's huge UFC 175 card, but we also take a look at this weekend's mercy-killing finale to the "season of boring" Ultimate Fighter.

Speaking of, we've got not just one, but TWO "1 Minute Reviews" of the past two episodes of The Ultimate Fighter to bring you up to speed on a show you probably haven't been watching.

So quick, come get your fix of my BJ Penn impression before Dana White likely makes him try to retire this Sunday night!

Until then fight fans!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 75) with Stuart Cooper

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Raf's Recollection | What do you do when your co-host is unavailable during a week when you have an interview with Stuart Cooper and need to review what took place at this year's Worlds?

Well, naturally you carry on without the guy and replace him.

J/Ks everyone.

Don't worry, Kev isn't going anywhere.  He just was out of town for the week (and will be back with us next week).

In the meantime: We landed a whale of an interview with Stu (We've been truly anxious to hear about his legendary filmmaking process for some time now).

If for some reason you're unfamiliar with Stuart Cooper, you would be well served to check out the documentary about him below.

And if that's not enough to help you understand the the man behind the camera, why not take a look at a few samples of his work.

We've had the pleasure of being in contact with Stuart Cooper for some time now, but we've long been fans of his work.

His documentaries do a superb job of filling in the metaphorical and narrative ellipses for the avid BJJ enthusiast.  The stories behind many of our favorite BJJ athletes often extend further than what we see on the mats during tournaments. When you watch a Stuart Cooper film, you get more than just why a match or a tournament is important.  We get a rare insight into the philosophy, the psyche, and even the small nuances of the fighter's personal lives (try telling me any two Stuart Cooper documentaries are alike).

For me, his films aren't just comparable to quality found on the big budget, fight countdown shows (similar to the ones produced for the UFC and Bellator), the creativity exhibited in many of these vignettes stand up against a number of documentaries period.  They strive for uniqueness in an industry where narratives are often uniform and bland.

On the podcast, we talk about his filmmaking process, some of the crazier experiences he's faced, and his new Indiegogo campaign he's mounted (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/stuart-cooper-films) to help off-set the costs of making these films.

While the notion of traveling around the world, training BJJ, and making films sounds like a dream, the cost of making multiple, high quality videos on a regular basis basis is anything but glamorous.  As a man who's portfolio has been a free and open book for the past several years (and who's films have often showcased the sport in an entirely different light), we highly implore you to donate to his Indiegogo.

Believe us, we know no one likes taking out their wallet when they don't have to.  But the breakdown of his production costs is a mere fraction of what other places would charge for a comparable product-- and a loss of films like his would be a huge setback for a sport we all love.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/stuart-cooper-films

Verbal Tap Goes to Worlds

This was my first time attending a Worlds competition.  While I've been a number of tournaments over the past year and a half, I learned a lot from my experience down in Long Beach last week.

For example, Worlds is loud (http://instagram.com/p/oorT9Wj6rD/).

And there's a lot of matches that happen all at once.

(#TwoEyesTwelveMats was a personal favorite hashtag to use).

And it's a lot to take in all at once.

But it was a great experience and I got to see a ton of great matches and friends.

(I didn't get the chance to mention it on the podcast, but I really do believe this: Much in the same way they have warm up mats for the competitors, they should also have mats designated just for spectators who want to start drilling something they learned and thought was cool during the competition.

Hell, I should get some perk for my spectator fee, right?).

But, I did go at it alone.  I had back up at the event to help me better understand all of the action taking place.

Yep, that's right.  Our good pal, BJJ Breakdown's John Evans (seen in the accompanying picture looking more bad ass than ever thanks to me, #streetcred) was there to help explain all of the moves that blew my mind.

John not only covered the event with me, but he also shows up on this podcast to walk us through some of the highlights.

All this plus we get in a One Minute Review of The Ultimate Fighter (!!!).

What are you waiting for, listen in now!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 72) with Kit Dale

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Raf's Recollection | When we heard that Kit Dale was going to start a podcast, we wasted no time in bringing him on our show to ask him directly why he hates us so much.

Because, as someone who wins the BJJ internet on a regular basis, he has absolutely no reason to make the rest of us look so bad in podcast form as well (I know, dick move, right?).

Nonetheless, despite our plead for him to do otherwise, it looks like we will soon be privy to a podcast by the man the the undisputed best beard in jiu-jitsu.

On our show this week, Kit gives us a rough outline of what we can expect on his own show and assures us there is plenty of room for people who tell dumb jokes in the sport (we'll see about that).

We also chat a little bit about what exactly went down at Pans (ya know, that time where he was in the states to compete but "forgot to register"), we give him time explain what hell his thing is against drilling, and allow him the opportunity to address his internet beef with #HeSoHotRightNow, Keenan Cornelius (if you ask me, their internet beef takes me back to the days of the East Coast/West Coast rap wars... ya know, just minus the massive drive by shootings and whatnot).

Additionally, Kit Dale talks about his new school, how his silly videos come together, and he tries to convince us that he's trying to pave a new way for the lazy jiu-jitsu practitioner (again, not buying it, if you listen to him, you'll find he's not that lazy).

What I've always liked about Kit is this: When you're around comics or people who are funny on a regular basis, you find they don't tend to laugh at other comedians' jokes.  Be it insecurity or competitiveness, there's often a game of one-up's-manship that prevents some funny people from laughing at other people's stuff.  When you're around Kit, not only does he know how to tell a mean joke, but he's also the first to laugh at someone else's.  You see it on the internet when he interacts with people on threads (or even when he heartily laughs at whatever photoshopped creations his fans have left at his virtual doorstep), the guy's got a great sense of humor and has contributed some much needed comic relief to the jiu-jitsu community.

And, as advertised, what you see is what you get: Kit's more than happy to talk nonsense, but he's also not afraid to get serious when it comes to talking about jiu-jitsu.  Hearing a long-form explanation of his take on drilling and hearing what a class of his feels like sounds like a cool alternative.  I, for one, would definitely be interested to take one of his classes just to see what it's like in action.

So yeah, we'd love to get your feedback on this episode, gang.  And be sure to let us know what you think of the enigma that is Kit Dale.

But Wait, There's More

On this episode, we've also got another installment of our One Minute Review of The Ultimate Fighter.  AND we did something we've never done before.

As a means of celebrating our 200th Facebook like, we invited "Mr. 200" himself, our pal Zac Calhoun, to have 200 seconds of uninterrupted airtime.

That's right, thems the kinds of perks we offer to our major milestones, kids.  And we think we might be doing it again.

So be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram (@VerbalTapCast, for all of them) for your chance to get some airtime on our show.

And what did Mr. Calhoun use his 200 seconds to speak about?  Well, I don't want to give anything away, but the photo above might be a good hint.

All we got for now.  Smoke 'em, if you got 'em, folks.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 70) with James Koh and Brandon McCaghren

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Raf's Recollection | A day after appearing on our podcast and hearing the show, Brandon McCaghren, sent me a text saying, "don't ever try to sing my song ever again."

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've laughed at that text this evening.

The song Brandon claims we butchered is new hit single, "I Dominated Eddie (The Gracie Filter)"--a gripping acoustic ode to the epic Metamoris 3 match between Royler Gracie and Eddie Bravo.  It's a playful tribute to the epic match that took place at Metamoris, as well as some choice words said after the event.  Most impressively, the breezy vocals and relaxed vibe could easily slip their way into a Jack Johnson discography.

Fans of our show, however, know from time to time Kev and I like to occasionally leave an Easter egg to close out the podcast.  On this go round, we thought it might be fun to try and harmonize Brandon's single over Skype (which is surprisingly hard to do).  It left such an impression, Brandon felt the need to channel his inner GSP and let us know he was not impressed with the caliber of our voices.

And he's right, there is no way we could ever do his song justice.  I mean, just listen to it (and pay special close attention to the bridge).

The man has some serious pipes.  Which is why we were stoked when he agreed to come on the podcast.

In addition to getting some great insight behind the song and the accompanying video that was produced for him, we talk a little bit with Brandon about his experience getting into jiu-jitsu, what Eddie Bravo thinks of the song, and talk about his great 10th Planet affiliate he has out in Decatur, AL.

Give his page a look and like and if you make it to the Alabama area, be sure to visit his gym.

Just don't sing the song to him as bad as we did :-)

Over/Under Kevin: UFC 172: Judgement Day

James D. Koh returns to the podcast to find out who last week's installment of Over/Under Kevin.  And while I don't want to give anything away, the following photo might give you an idea of how the end result turned out.

Yep.

It was pretty rough.

But James sticks around to help us recap all the fights that took place at UFC 172 and then Kev and I discuss some of the #TakeAways from last Saturday night's #UFC card.

What's That? You miss the One Minute Review?

A new season of The Ultimate Fighter means it's time for the return of the 1 Minute Review.  Yes, we hear you loud and clear folks.  And boy do I have some impressions in store for you this season.

Let us know what you think of the review on Twitter (@VerbalTapCast) this week and immediately start following us on our new social media.  That's right, bitches, we're on Instagram and Vine now.  So feel free to follow along all of our hijinks.

Until next time, fight fans.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 66) goes to Metamoris 3

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Raf's Recollection | More to come about Metamoris 3.

Raf and Kev compare notes between seeing it live and the webcast, and the guys invite an all star group of BJJ friends to help us breakdown each match.

Give a listen right here.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 65) with Clark Gracie

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Raf's Recollection | Coming Soon, more on our exclusive interview with Clark Gracie.

Plus, we chat about last weekend's UFC Fight Night from Brazil, discuss our Metamoris 3 predictions, and then I talk a little bit about my recent engagement (because Kevin can't stop bringing it up).

VERBAL TAP (Episode 64) with Tim Kennedy and Brian Cimins

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Raf's Recollection | Tim Kennedy is never short on soundbites.

Last time he was on our podcast [Episode 42], he let it be known he wants to die fighting a set of bionic sharks underwater.

This time, he leaves us with perhaps the most memorable way we've had any MMA practitioner describe their fighting style.

But it's not all fun and games, Tim Kennedy gets serious with us when he talks about his upcoming fight against Michael Bisping.  And, by serious, I mean he takes the time to pretty much shut down the Count's attempts to insult him before they face each other at next month's TUF Nations Finale (congrats, you have a reason to watch it now!).

We also stage an intervention and confront Tim on his reported status as a "bully" at Jackson's MMA, we get him to talk the rough night at the office that was UFC 171, and we take him to The Danger Zone.

Also, somehow in the conversation, we got around to talking about Rocky IV.

Which somehow lead me to the following working of art on the right hand side here. I don't have much to say about it, other than I think it's important I bring it to your attention so that we can all bask in it's collective beauty.

Obviously, Tim crushes it on this week's installment and makes it worth your time.

For further reading: We highly suggest you take a look at Tim's recent yahoo blog response to Michael Bisping (which is nothing short of epic).

Don't forget to make plans to watch Tim return to the Octagon, April 16th for the TUF Nations Finale.

Grapplers Quest founder Brian Cimins

We don't often get to chat with game-changers on the podcast, but when we do, we make sure to make the most of our time with them.

Brian Cimins has been at the forefront of the grappling community for over fifteen years, but he isn't just resting on the established popularity of the brand he created with Grapplers Quest.

Recently, Cimins launched LiveGrappling.com, a subscription based YouTube page (described as "the Netflix of submission grappling") that gives you full access to the Grapplers Quest library.

In addition to the hours of Grapplers Quest footage, you'll also have the ability to live stream GQ tournaments and exclusive seminars with some of the most recognizable names in the BJJ community. The channel will run you about $5 a month, or the cost of about one DVD instructional set you'd purchase from just one major BJJ player.

And as we discover on the podcast, Brian is more than just a guy behind an impressive grappling brand or a guy with an impressive set of ties to MMA community (his story about Dana White is NOT to be missed), he also serves as a motivational life coach and is a major proponent for Autism research.

During our time with Brian, we got him to share his philosophy about his charitable efforts and offer some words of wisdom to the next generation of BJJ and MMA promoters and entrepreneurs. You can find out more about Brian's charitable efforts and life coaching advice over at his blog right here.

But Wait, There's More Car-shal, the collective brain trust of Artechoke Media's Marshal D. Carper and his lovely wife Caris, return to the show this week to find out who won the UFC 171 installment of Over/Under Kevin.

On the podcast, Marshal talks a little bit about what it was like to be a training dummy for an instructional video set he's putting together with Aseopian's Matt Kirtley. Here, for all of your viewing pleasure, is some of that pain (in captioned pictorial form!)

Please send your deepest sympathies over to Marshal here and your thanks to Matt here.

In Memory Of Walt Martin

I briefly mentioned this on our shout out section of our podcast (and I don't want to bum anyone out), but one of my favorite high school teachers recently passed away.  In my own life, Coach Martin was instrumental in providing a framework for a playful, educational, and inviting environment within the classroom—which is something I've worked hard to cultivate with the students I've mentored along the way (as well as the very podcast you listen to today).

On this episode, I tell a short story that doesn't even begin to do him justice for the influence he had in my life. The long of the short of it is: Mr. Martin was the only reason I ever remotely considered doing an activity like mock trial (yep, way nerdy, right?). I didn't even know what it was (we basically conducted a trial, as lawyers and witnesses, learning the legal system throughout the process), but Coach Martin didn't bother with the details.  He pitched it to me as a great opportunity to try something new and that I might find I'm pretty good at it.

His unwavering confidence in my ability and his persistence in getting me to join was always appreciated, as it underscored the importance of what it felt like to have teachers who believed in and fought for you.

Not only did I have the opportunity to be on the mock trial team with Mr. Martin, but I had the pleasure of being one of his students.  Mr. Martin didn't just teach civics, he had a passion for getting his students to want to learn about their government and contribute back to the community.

I distinctly remember him starting every civics class with an open ended question, directed a specific student, with the intention of making everyone feel welcomed and invited over the semester.  He never told you if you were right or wrong and often punctuated his answers with a whimsical "I don't know, that could be it."

It was around this time that I remember first becoming familiar with the philosophy of Socrates.  Like any student exposed to something new, I found myself making the connections to the world I knew.  And in the world I knew, Mr. Martin facilitated discussions with the same respectful sense of humor that also served as a means of encouraging students to find their own enlightenment.

And while I may have never gotten to meet Socrates in my lifetime, I got the chance to meet and befriend a Mr. Martin.  You may never read about him in a book, but I think that's all the more reason to celebrate his life.

My condolences and thanks to his family, for allowing us the pleasure of getting to know him.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 63) with Samir Chantre & Zak Maxwell

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Raf's Recollection | Perhaps the coolest thing about this week’s podcast was gaining insight into the two very different paths of Metamoris 3 participants Samir Chantre and Zak Maxwell.

By now, many of us have seen the preview videos, we’ve heard the stories, but few of us actually know

how the Metamoris match-ups come together.  On this installment, Zak tells us the way he was approached to compete at the tournament, while Samir gives us some insight into the training practices and strategies that go into preparing for this unique 20 minute, submission style match up.

Not only that, but Samir also tells us what it’s like training with Caio Terra, what competitive activities jiu-jitsu rock stars do on their days off, and even gives us some insight on how the hell this photo came together.

This photo may also help to explain the sense of humor Samir exhibits when we ask him about the possibility of forming a tag team partnership with Clark Gracie to take on the Mendes Brothers.

Meanwhile, we talk with Zak about the awkward wording on his BJJ Heroes profile, the way he studies tape for upcoming jiu-jitsu matches, and gives us some fantastic detail about his training sessions with Royler Gracie (his wording about Royler should be put on a t-shirt and sold immediately).

And as we get closer to Metamoris 3, it’s listening stories like Samir’s and Zak’s that help us better understand the mentality of two different, but widely respected jiu-jitsu practitioners as they prepare for such a highly anticipated event.

But Wait, There’s More

Not only do we do a summary of last week’s UFC Fight Night in London, we also call upon our friend Marshal D. Carper to participate in our latest installment of Over/Under Kevin: UFC 171 edition.

Normally, I surprise Kevin with the folks he takes on in this segment, but this marks the first time I was ever surprised by one of our guests who brought a guest of their own.

Marshal’s not one to take things lightly, so he definitely put in a lot of time into his picks—which is such a wonderful contrast to Kevin’s CliffNotes preparation.

You can follow Marshal at one of this twenty writing things on the internet.  Try these:

Artechoke Media

His Blog.

His Twitter.

Or you can read his book.

For the observant among you, you may notice that Marshal left a note on my copy of his book with an inscription to me.

And just because I know you're begging for it...

Here is that inscription.

Well played, Marshall.  Well played.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 61) with Frankie Lester

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FrankieLesterBubbaMcDaniel

Raf's Recollection | More to come about your insane podcast with the gentlemen of "Casa de la Smash," TUF 9 vet Frankie Lester and TUF 17 vet Bubba McDaniel.