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The UFC’s middleweight division is fascinating right now, especially with the addition of Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia in June. As of now, new champion Dricus Du Plessis’ first title defense is not lined up, but should he face bitter rival Israel Adesanya next, or the man who gave Du Plessis his toughest fight to date in Sean Strickland?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck discusses the middleweight title picture, why the word “deserves” should be limited from the vocabulary of UFC fans, and which fighter has the best chance of being Du Plessis’ next opponent. Additionally, listener questions include Dana White’s relationship with the MMA media, getting into the MMA space, the UFC Atlantic City main event between Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot, and much more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

If you miss it live, audio-only versions of the podcast can be found below, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

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Tai Tuivasa has officially entered the world of legalized marijuana.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight contender took to social media earlier this week to announce the official launch of his new marijuana company, “Bam Bam Budz USA,” which is a play on his infamous “Bam Bam” fight nickname. Tuivasa’s new marijuana company will soon be distributed throughout the U.S. in states that have legalized the plant.

Check out some of the details below:

Does this mean Tuivasa will be replacing his infamous “Shoey” with a cageside blunt?

Tuivasa, 31, is one of the most popular Australian fighters in combat sports today, However, “Bam Bam” is coming off a disappointing submission loss to Marcin Tybura at UFC Vegas 88 earlier this month and has now lost his last four trips to the Octagon. This includes devastating knockout losses at the hands of top contenders Ciryl Gane and Sergei Pavlovich.

That said, UFC should give Tuivasa another shot inside of the Octagon later in 2024. He’s still one of the most powerful punchers in the division and someone who can put fans in the stands. He may be utilizing some of his time outside of the cage to launch his new marijuana brand, but Tuivasa has all the ingredients to bounce back from his recent four-fight losing streak.

It’s unknown at this time when “Bam Bam Budz USA” will officially release, but you can follow the company’s Instagram account HERE for all major updates and shipping details.

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Khamzat Chimaev hasn’t accomplished nearly as much as Robert Whittaker in his MMA career, but the undefeated middleweight opened as a heavy favorite nonetheless to win on June 22 in the main event at UFC Saudi Arabia.

The showdown that’s being billed as a No. 1 contender’s fight at 185 pounds headlines the first-ever UFC card in Saudi Arabia. The current odds have Chimaev listed as a sizable betting favorite over Whittaker, although there’s already been significant money put on the former UFC middleweight champion.

Here are the current odds courtesy of Sportsbetting.ag

Robert Whittaker: +140

Khamzat Chimaev: -160

That line has actually shifted from the opening odds, which had Chimaev was listed as a heavy -220 favorite and Whittaker as the underdog at +190.

The shift shows that savvy bettors are already looking at Whittaker as a potential steal as an underdog in the five-round fight. Whittaker is coming off a win over Paulo Costa in his last outing after suffering a knockout loss to future UFC champion Dricus du Plessis.

As for Chimaev, he holds a perfect 13-0 record, but Whittaker undoubtedly serves as his toughest test to date in the middleweight division. His most recent fight came this past October when Chimaev edged out former welterweight king Kamaru Usman after Usman stepped in as a late-notice replacement at 185 pounds.

Chimaev now looks to beat Whittaker and secure his spot as the No. 1 contender in the UFC middleweight division.

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No. 1 ranked flyweight contender Brandon Royval couldn’t even sit down to eat without having to give a urine sample.

‘Raw Dawg’ recently revealed on his Instagram stories that a representative with DFSI (Drug Free Sport International) interrupted his meal at a local restaurant to complete one of the promotion’s no-notice drug tests.

“LOL they really drug testing me everywhere,” Royval captioned the video.

After eight years, the UFC ended its partnership with the United States Anti-Doping Agency in favor of an in-house system. Today, DFSI handles sample collection while the actual sample testing goes through SMRTL (Sports Medicine Research & Testing Laboratory), considered by many in the industry to be the top anti-doping testing laboratory in the world.

Brandon Royval’s latest win forces the UFC to think outside the box for its next flyweight title challenger

Coming up short against reigning flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296 last year, Brandon Royval bounced back last month, scoring a big split decision victory over former titleholder Brandon Moreno on short notice. The win solidified his spot at the top of the 125-pound rankings.

His win also put the promotion in a bit of a pickle when it came to booking Pantoja’s next title fight.

As a result, Steve Erceg, who is coming off just his third win inside the Octagon, will challenge ‘The Cannibal’ in the UFC 301 headliner on Saturday, May 4 in Rio de Janeiro.

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The stakes are high for Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot as they battle in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Atlantic City event with the winner expected to fight for the UFC women’s flyweight title against the winner of the assumed trilogy bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

Ahead of the UFC’s next Fight Night lineup, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, and Eric Jackman preview Saturday’s card, the main event between Blanchfield and Fiorot, talk which headliner needs the win more, and what potential pairing would be most interesting in a title fight. Additionally, they’ll talk the co-main event between Vicente Luque and Joaquin Buckley, the card as a whole for an out-of-the-APEX show, answer viewer questions, and much more.

Catch the UFC Atlantic City preview show above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman is in the twilight of his career and looking past his time inside the cage.  The 39-year old wouldn’t mind facing UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva for a third time except in the boxing ring.  

The landscape of combat sports is very different than when Weidman entered the sport in 2009.  As former two-division champion Daniel Cormier put it, “There’s boxing.  There’s celebrity boxing.  There’s YouTube boxing.  If I was younger, and I was in the tail end of my career, I don’t know that I wouldn’t go down that path,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.    

Weidman fights this weekend at UFC on ESPN 54 in Atlantic City against Bruno Silva.  If he wins, he’ll likely get a little more mileage out of his UFC career.  If he loses, boxing may be on the horizon.  

“I love the UFC.  I think I have two fights left on my deal.  We’ll see.  A big win over Bruno Silva this weekend, because of everything I’ve accomplished, it could allot me some big opportunities inside the UFC,” Weidman said.  

“I love the UFC, but obviously there’s boxing matches out there that’ll make a lot of money.  I wouldn’t mind ending my career with that,” Weidman continued.  “Who wouldn’t want to see Anderson Silva versus Chris Weidman boxing match?  Can he get some revenge on me?  There’s some cool fights out there.”   

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