our old friend friend of the program The
One and Only King Casey O’Neill it’s
been a while hello Casey how are you
long time what’s up Ariel yeah it’s been
a while thanks for having me oh it’s
great to have you on uh first of all how
are you feeling first things first can
we get an update I know you were
disappointed to not be uh fighting this
past weekend how’s how’s the body
feeling
yeah I feel great right now um because
you know obviously I’ve been recovering
for the last six or so weeks but uh
finally healthy again got the all clear
from the doctor at the last uh last
check-in I guess and ready to get back
into training super disappointed that I
missed uh Australia but it seemed like
the crowd was good the energy was good
I’m sure they’re gonna go back real soon
so I’m excited to get on another Estuary
card as soon as possible how how
difficult was it for you to watch that
on Saturday
um I turned it off for a little bit
because it
because
um it would have been my first time
fighting for the UFC and Australia
obviously and
I started my career in Australia so it
would have been a big deal but um I’m
just happy for everybody who did get to
you know fight on the card and obviously
it was an up and down night for the
Aussies but
um the crowd stayed pretty good and it
was awesome to watch
obviously we saw you back in March uh
the big comeback didn’t quite go your
way do you feel like you’re over it or
do you think you’ll only be over that
performance that result once you get
back in there and get back you know to
your winning ways
um I don’t know I think that I go like
between the two obviously as
I said like being undefeated was
all just being the best in the world
um is the goal so like I’m not super
disappointed over a loss but I’m more
disappointed that I know that I could
have done better in that fight
um I think like for the first time ever
in my career I just like didn’t show up
on the night and it was like a super
weird feeling I just couldn’t like shake
myself out of whatever was happening
like
um I don’t know and between runs I felt
great and then just when the rain would
start it would like like shut down
almost like my brain would just like not
work and the only thing that I could
like figure out what to do is like walk
forward
um which wasn’t the game plan either
um so so yeah I don’t know it’s a bit of
a mixed bag of emotions over that
because that wasn’t like me at my best
so I can’t be like too upset but at the
same time I still did lose and I didn’t
get the big um comeback that I wanted to
have and then obviously the second
injury put me
further back again because I didn’t get
to come back in Avenge the loss so it’s
been a trying year again for me to to in
a row by the way uh just curious was
there anything that happened that week
or that fight day that made you feel
like you weren’t going to quote unquote
show up like were you did you feel off
at all in the locker room fight week
Hotel Etc
no I felt great honestly like I had like
a really easy weight cut I only ended up
cutting like three or four pounds which
is like my smallest weight cut ever
um I had dieted really well I was in
great shape I just felt like so good so
then
um it was weird like I feel great in the
locker room even like I didn’t feel
weird until as soon as I like got into
the cage uh something changed in my mind
I don’t know what happened so
um still trying to figure that out in
retrospect you think you came back too
fast
probably but I wouldn’t change it
because that was my main goal like
like lose like it didn’t matter that was
the date that I had saved for myself and
I wanted to make sure that I got to it
and I did so
um we didn’t win but I still did what I
wanted to do so it’s okay
um I know you said you you turned it off
I’m assuming you turned the uh the event
back on on Saturday uh you train at
extreme Couture
with Sean Strickland I don’t know are
you good mates are you guys hanging out
do you go to In and Out together how
would you describe your relationship
with Sean
um we have like a testy relationship I’m
sure you guys see on social media you
know we like to poke fun at each other I
think we’re both just really big
um personalities I guess so sometimes
that clashes like I actually I like Sean
I think that you know like he is
authentic and he is himself but
sometimes I don’t like what he says or
what he stands for so I can’t always
agree with the guy what is he like in
the gym is he like the guy that we see
on camera or is he any different
um he’s a great teammate you know like
he is always there for all of the big
guys
um I see that a lot you know he’ll give
everybody reins he’ll try and help
people
um people come in to help him he’ll make
sure that they get extra runs with other
people and stuff so he is a very good
teammate
um when it comes to like stuff in the
gym and he works really really hard so
he definitely deserved the opportunity
that he got I was shocked at how he beat
Izzy and everything but like seeing how
much he trains and how hard he works I
knew it was always going to be a
possibility but I just didn’t expect him
to stand there and bang with Izzy and
then you know come out on top and just
curious if if I may I know you have a
great relationship with Izzy as well and
you’re part of the Chosen Few uh with
Tim Simpson as your managers
um or as your manager for the both of
you um among others type 2 buses well
who who were you rooting for in that
fight
I wasn’t I was like I really wanted
um Eric to do well you know like Eric is
also my coach so I was like nervous and
I wanted the team to do well but then
obviously I want him to succeed all the
time as well so it was a really hard one
for me I just wanted to you know I
wanted either way it to be a great fight
and I think you know it did deliver a
great fight and everyone seems to be
okay and
um moving forward I’m sure I think
they’re going to do the rematch so we’ll
see what happens after that but uh fair
to say you were shocked at the way the
fight played out
yeah I think everybody would show up at
that it just seemed like uh Sean might
have had his best performance ever and
you know as he definitely didn’t have
his best performance but
um leading up like during the week
you’ve seen Sean and stuff I kept
thinking he looked really nervous like
I’d never seen Sean
avoid eye contact and like stuff like
that but I guess it was like a game that
he was playing mentally maybe or
something because as soon as he got into
the cage all that seemed to like you
know go the other way and it was it was
crazy it is amazing like even with the
the the face-offs like can’t even hold
it for two seconds he’s talking and he’s
moving around and all that stuff and
then when you see him walk out you think
maybe he’s a little nervous trepidatious
and then you see him perform like that
do you think that was more about what
Izzy didn’t do than what Sean did or was
that more about what Sean did and Izzy
did like who who who is the reason for
that performance
it’s both you know um Sean definitely
showed up and you know you watch Sean’s
fights he always has that bully
mentality he always pressures forward
and he stays in your face like a whole
fight you have to really put him out in
order to you know beat him but as he
just allowed that pressure and he was
sort of like on the back foot for you
know 25 minutes so after the first round
I don’t know how much he was able to
recover either that right hand that
dropped him was crazy I thought we were
gonna get um a new champ after the first
round it was I was jumping up I was
going crazy I was like what is happening
felt like I was into like an alternate
universe like Sean drop is he it just
didn’t make sense in my head but
um yeah I don’t know like I think that
both sides played into it
um ezreal’s corner you know they were
saying we don’t have an adjustment for
what he was doing so I think that Ezreal
was trying to find something in between
in the rounds and I think he was just
thinking too much and I think that Sean
stayed busy on his like one two and just
didn’t allow Izzy to set things up so I
think Sean had a great performance were
you surprised at the Australian crowd
seemed to like Sean way more than Izzy
no
um like both are polarizing figures you
know as he is very authentic and he’s
very himself and sometimes people don’t
like that and then Sean is also the same
but people seem to love it like I don’t
I don’t know like it at first when I
first met Sean Strickland like at the
gym I thought it was a gimmick but that
is actually Sean like he just like says
these crazy outlandish things and like
some people love it and they’re there
for it and sometimes I’m like what are
you saying like
stop talking you know but um yeah they
left it over there I don’t know do you
get into arguments with him I have
friendly arguments about things at the
gym
oh literally fight all the time about
what could you tell us about what
uh anything honestly it could be
anything like he could be talking about
guns and like stuff like that shooting
people I don’t know he just like he just
goes too far you know like a
conversation will start here and Sean
like gets here in the next sentence and
I’m like what how did you get there like
we weren’t talking about that at all I
don’t know uh the one about Khalil
Raintree obviously we had a little
argument about that about what really
happened when Khalil came into the the
gym but you know it’s all love there I
still like want him to do well and
everything we just have little arguments
I think because we’re both strong
personalities can I ask you about Eric
nicsick I I was uh I he’s one of my
favorite people in the sport I I love
how he conducts himself I love listening
to him in the corner everyone seems to
speak very highly of him uh from your
perspective what is he like as a coach
um he’s just got this like thing that
I’ve never really had with anyone else
like this motivational way of talking to
you and like pulling things out of you
you know like
um in the gym at like sparring and stuff
but also in fights like you see it you
know he has like a connection and I
don’t know if it’s like from him playing
football for a long time or something
like that but he just has this way to
like make sure that you give your all
you know like even when I’m sparring and
say it’s a tough round or whatever the
next round is always my best round just
because of the pep talk that he gives
you in the corner he focuses a lot on
like giving you just like clear
information and like short birth but he
also like make sure that you know that
why you’re there and why you’re doing it
you know so
um I think he just pulls motivation out
of people uh by the way back to uh Izzy
and Sean why do you think
people hate Izzy because he is so open
in himself and authentic but people love
Sean for those same reasons
I guess they just stand for different
things I think you know so I’m not I’m
not a hundred percent sure
um because I love you know I love Izzy I
think that he stands for great
um things I think that he’s done great
things for the sport and
I’m not really sure why but also I’m
sure you’ve heard him talk about it and
a lot of people talk about it in
Australia there is this like weird tall
poppy syndrome where people don’t want
to see
um people where from where they’re from
do well
um and it’s really weird you know I
think that they kind of like clap at
people’s like demise which is like
really
um sorry I don’t know if I meant this
way
and I’ve seen it and I’ve felt it you
know like even after my last fight
people were like Australia you don’t
claim you like blah blah blah so
um yeah I don’t know I think that it’s a
little bit about being from there as
well you know they don’t want to see see
you do better than them sometimes you
were getting that kind of stuff after
your last fight
yeah yeah we I get that when or lose
though you know like I don’t know if
it’s because I’m from Scotland and moved
to Australia and I claim both of them
but I kind of get it on both sides
sometimes you get it from Scottish fans
who
sometimes yeah people are really mean
online because you know nothing can
happen so I just take it with a grain of
soul and don’t really listen to that and
I’ve started like being better at the
old like posting Ghost type thing smart
um whenever I post I don’t really read
the comments anymore I just post it and
leave it and move on imagine being an
athlete in the 90s where none of this
came to play like there’s no part of
your brain that is occupied by any of
the stuff that you I I can’t imagine
being an athlete in 2023 having a tough
night at the quote-unquote office and
then having to read that I can’t
imagine like I can’t imagine what’s
going on in Izzy’s you know inbox or his
mentions right now could you imagine the
Cesspool that it must be
yeah I mean you can see it like you go
onto his page and look at the comments
you can see it but uh he’s one of the
people that’s like super strong world
I’m sure that he’s not paying any
attention to that
um I think that the fight with Alex
Pereira probably hurt more and look what
he came back and did so I’m sure that
he’s going to come back and you know put
on another great performance and
everybody will turn the other way the
same people that comment that they hate
you when you lose comment that you’re
the best after you win so
um you’re never gonna win everybody over
we’ll never know until we talk to him I
actually think this one will hurt him
more than the Alex one because the Alex
one he had already lost him a couple
times and he was winning that fight I
think this one will will sit with him
for a very long time because I think he
feels deep down inside that he is much
better than Sean
um he probably does believe that I don’t
know whether you know he’s just been
fighting very very often whether he just
needs a break he might be better to tell
you than me but in my opinion it looks
like he probably just needs a break and
yeah
um obviously all that stuff with dracus
that happened had to be emotionally
challenging and then he had to turn
around fairly quickly and then start
focusing on someone else so probably
just a little bit of burnout which uh
every athlete experiences but he
definitely wanted to be on the card and
you know put on a show for Australia and
New Zealand being from there so I think
that people need to give him a little
bit of give him his flowers though as
well because without him you know who’s
to say what that meant a bit would have
been right by the way if you’re Tim and
Izzy and the team are you pushing for an
immediate rematch or are you uh yeah
yeah I’m sure they are I think Israel’s
main goal is to be the best from
everything that I’ve ever seen so I’m
sure that fighting for that about again
would be his on top of his mind right
now what about that MMA hours on fire
song last week I mean wasn’t that
incredible
I loved it I know I already texted you
but it was crazy I literally listen to
that song on the way to the gym in the
morning and then I opened Instagram and
like saw you did that song and I just
thought it was great isn’t that amazing
now do you usually listen to that kind
of music on the way to training that’s
that’s like old school Billy Joel not
really honestly it was like a really
weird day like I was listening to like
a bunch of random music that I don’t
really listen to I usually listen to Hip
Hop so that’s why I thought it was so
weird it like stuck out yeah what kind
of hip-hop
um everything honestly old school no
school whatever you don’t have just not
the not the Mumble rap stuff you know
like the Mumble rap
yeah what is that um
I don’t know like all those Littles like
little babies
all those people that just came out NBA
young boy those music I just don’t like
it okay
I like biggie I like Tupac okay I like
all that kind yeah Drake
I love Drake I love Drake people want to
hate on Drake all the time yeah he was
he was just yeah but it was 400 a ticket
so
I wasn’t going to that but
was that uh did he play in the stadium
Allegiant Stadium or T-Mobile
yeah I think oh I don’t know I don’t
know which one it was like anyway I’m
big into Central C these days you like
Central c
not really
you don’t like the UK wrap trap I do I
do um I like Rd do you know who Rd is I
don’t know that
I like him look up the song Rd flowers I
like that song is it is is his name Rd
like the letter Rd
no it’s
a-r-r-d-e-e oh gosh all right I screwed
that up all right I will check that out
uh I you know I didn’t think that you
would be an old school rap gal I didn’t
think that you would listen to it yeah
that’s like my dad ever listened to
growing up so I kind of got like forced
into it by him that was his favorite how
old is your dad
he just turned 50. wow happy birthday
yeah so he’s 59. I saw the shout outs
for Eternal MMA uh throughout the uh the
night that must feel good right to see
them get shine on UFC broadcast
yeah he um he has a deal with obviously
UFC Fight Pass so they put on a card the
night before every UFC event that’s in
Australia so he had a show in
um said knee last on Friday night I
think in the stroke Saturday night I
don’t know it was weird because it was a
Sunday card it might have been Saturday
night fights
um but yeah and then obviously he helps
me a lot with my grappling show king’s
cup and uh we have a tournament this
Saturday so he’s been very wait a second
wait a second what’s her grappley how do
I not know about this you have a
grappling show stop you don’t follow you
don’t follow King’s Cup on Instagram
Ariel no I don’t it’s apparently not
tell us about it what is this
um okay so it’s we have two different
styles we have a round robin which is
what’s happening this weekend coming in
Australia which is the tournament style
you sign up to your divisions and you
just go and compete and then we also
have the Invitational style which fell
horse uh
my last Invitational fell horse was my
main uh Main Event sorry and he got a
massive win so
um yeah this will be the third show this
year so wow it’s called the king’s cup
and that’s the name of the I I apologize
I didn’t know I’m sorry I’ve been trying
to be less online as well believe it or
not right
um right so it’s and where’s it taking
place
uh this one is in Brisbane the last
tournament was in Sydney so we’re just
gonna like keep going around in
Australia and obviously the
invitationals I’m hoping to bring
Stateside as well
um next year probably early next year
and will you be in attendance for this
no because of my Visa with the United
States right now it’s a little bit
messed up so which is why I also wasn’t
there in Paris unless we can
unfortunately
um but hopefully that gets all sorted
out real quick was it better to not be
there would you have preferred if you
couldn’t fight would you like to be
there and not like to be there
um I don’t know because I haven’t done
that yet or was I uh additional fight
week I don’t think I even went to that
so
um it was pretty hard you can’t really
turn it off if you’re there right so
I’m not sure but maybe the fans would
have made it better and just like being
there and interacting with them could
have possibly made it better who knows
but I will be there also I’m going to
ask you about this weekend in a second
but why did you go to International
fight week
I think I just had surgery on my knee
I’m talking like when I was meant to
fight Jessica yeah yeah this year oh
okay I thought I thought you were
talking about this year were you not
there this year
um I think I was there okay I think so
Amber I think I was do you think you’ll
fight again this year
yeah I’m I hopefully want to fight
December 16. oh
in in a perfect world against who
um I’m not sure I’ve been talking to
Mecca a little bit and um
a couple of ideas that I had got shut
down but um because I think that a lot
of people are booked in my division it’s
been moving really fast like a lot of
people have fights coming up right now
or just fought and a couple of girls
have had some injuries as well so
um
so yeah it’s whoever’s going to be
available I just want to get back in
there before the year’s end that’s my
main goal okay so you say that you’ll be
there on Saturday T-Mobile Noche UFC
they’re celebrating Mexican Independence
Day weekend and it’s Grasso shevchenko
II your division what do you think this
Grasso uh does she pull by the way I see
a person moving behind you be careful I
don’t know if that’s an intruder or
something I see the reflection of
someone walking around I don’t know yeah
it’s just kind of popular I had to come
upstairs because the kitchen was
occupied my boyfriend was making fit but
he’s like followed me upstairs and he
just wants to shine all right
um who wins maybe one
um I don’t know you know I think that
Alexa would have taken a lot of
confidence away from the last fight with
Valentina after finishing her and I
think she’ll start harder but I also
think that Valentina does well when her
back’s up against the wall like when she
needs a win and needs to prove herself
um so I think that it’s gonna be great I
think I’m leaning towards Alexa because
I do want to see you know our division
have movement and like uh
a new girl on top I guess would be
awesome
um because Valentino did it for so long
but then I wouldn’t be surprised if
Valentina pulled it off it is a little
bit weird when you have these like
immediate rematches and then the the
former champ going to the fight becomes
the champ again and now you’re like well
what like was the universe just trying
to correct itself there it is nice to
see you know it happened with Juliana
and Amanda too like it’s sometimes it’s
nice to see that the the new face going
to run uh this is going to be a tough
test for Alexa and then if Alexa wins
like you said do you go blanchfield or
do you go furo or do you have them fight
each other to see who’s the number one
Contender or is there someone else that
I’m not thinking of
um I think the Blanche field and Fior
will fight each other
um just because I think this was a
pretty quick turnaround right for both
girls Alexa and Valentina so I think
that they might have a little bit of a
break so I think the UFC will want to
solidify who’s next because I did hear
Dana saying that he wasn’t sure which
one between the two of them would get it
so I think it’s only fair to make them
fight
um but someone could come through and
have a big performance and take the
title shot away from them
um maybe you know who knows are you
referring to yourself
yes all right you think one more we we
get back in there we get on the horse we
win and we make everyone forget about
everyone else
Ben and you know depends I guess on my
dance partner and whoever it is
um maybe if they’re a big name and I get
a really big win like a finish because
both of those girls got decisions I
think did they Fiora and blanchfield
yeah yeah I think
honestly I probably am shooting too high
here I probably have more than one if
I’m being completely honest with myself
but you know the confidence is there so
I’m ready for whatever comes yeah
exactly uh will you be at the gym
tomorrow for the big uh Sean Strickland
homecoming
I will be at the gym it’s I think he’s
back today already though yeah but is
there like is there like a big like does
does someone reach out to all the
fighters all the pros and say please be
at the gym by X o’clock we’re gonna
welcome Sean like is is that what
happens when someone comes back from a
big win a title win
no we all show up to every practice
anyway so usually the person who wins
their fight comes in on the Monday and
after Pro practice you know we all have
a sit down and we all congratulate them
and have a little chat and they talk to
us and stuff so I’m sure that’ll be what
happens
one day you’ll have that homecoming that
big yeah exactly yeah
the king coming home beautiful well it’s
good to catch up with you again
all the best yeah
Beauty recovery appreciate the insight
uh good luck on uh Saturday watching I
hope everything goes the way you wanted
to go maybe maybe Grosso winning is
better for you maybe it opens things I
don’t know who knows yeah I could see it
going both ways right I don’t know if
either is better for me I just think
that in terms of like watching and like
enjoyment I think that the fans would
like it to be someone new for a little
while yeah
Maybe I’m Wrong maybe they can tell me
I’m sure that Valentina has a lot of
fans that will tell me otherwise but you
know it is always exciting when you’ve
got a new person to chase as well for
all of us girls so we’ve all been
looking at Valentina for years and it
would be nice to shift the focus you
know dream for something new of course
you also have fellow uh Ozzy and chosen
a few member JDM on the card for some
strange reason fighting a week after the
Sydney car but this happens sometimes uh
um I heard it’s because
they didn’t want to go to Australia
because of the the tax reasons ah they
meaning Kevin
yeah okay
but which is to be honest fair enough I
think it’s 46 or something like that
really is it that much
yeah I don’t I don’t quote me on the
number but I hear that it’s a lot wow
well it’s a big opportunity for him so
I’d rather fight someone like Kevin
outside of
my home country as opposed to fighting a
lesser opponent in my home country I
would think he’s gotten a chance to
fight close to home I think he’s from
Brisbane right so he no no Perth he was
there last February right or this past
February right right I was thinking
Brisbane
yeah he cares more about the opponent
than uh than the place I know that
firsthand he was a little disappointed
about everything that happened in the
last
crazy craziness going up last bite
obviously so yeah
Casey a pleasure as always we still have
your picture here just in case you think
yeah
yeah we were gonna yeah you thought we
were gonna take it down one time I think
you thought like you moved it behind you
to under you so then you know I didn’t
see it and someone messaged me telling
me that it was not there anymore yeah
and I was
and then I put it in a better spot and
then you felt a little silly for calling
me out
[Music]
I’m sorry
appreciate it
all the best thanks for coming on great
to see you great to talk to you and
hopefully we’ll see you back in there in
December
yeah thanks Ariel appreciate it all
right there she is King Casey O’Neal
thanks for watching we appreciate it
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