The Level Change Podcast · Combat Sports news variety show usually previewing or reviewing the latest UFC event while covering the latest news in combat sports.

Conor McGregor bested by Jake Paul + Mookie Alexander helps us break down UFC 296

·59 min·3 clips

Mookie says the Pimblett line is wide because Tony Ferguson has "looked" so bad, not because Paddy is proven elite.

1. The Level Change Podcast episode 273 centers on UFC 296 and its full fight card preview. 2. Steffi Haynes and Victor Rodriguez host, and Mookie Alexander returns as the guest analyst to break down the lineup. 3. The episode asks whether UFC 296 is "the UFC at its best" because every bout has stakes from the opening prelim to the main event. 4. Mookie opens by comparing UFC 296 with UFC 290 and says he will watch this card live because it is "too good to pass up." 5. The first matchup discussed is Randy Brown versus Muslim Salikhov at welterweight, with Mookie backing Brown's athleticism and gas tank. 6. Victor agrees that Brown looks more complete, citing his body kicks, defense, and ability to grapple when needed. 7. The panel then turns to Shamil Gaziev versus Martin Buday at heavyweight, a matchup Victor calls a contender-series-versus-contender-series situation. 8. Mookie leans Buday on the mat, while Victor distrusts Buday's résumé and picks Gaziev instead. 9. Andre Fili versus Lucas Almeida becomes a debate over Fili's inconsistency versus Almeida's 100 percent finish record. 10. Mookie notes Fili's recent loss to Nathaniel Wood and says Almeida was stopped by Pat Sabatini. 11. Tagir Ulanbekov versus Cody Durden is framed as a scrambly flyweight fight that could turn into a crowd-pleasing grappling match. 12. Mookie mentions Durden's non-sport headlines but still sees him as a legitimate step up in competition for Ulanbekov. 13. Alonzo Menifield versus Dustin Jacoby is treated as a striking matchup where Jacoby's fast starts could decide the fight early. 14. Casey O'Neill versus Ariane Lipski brings a flyweight discussion about inactivity, with Mookie noting O'Neill's ACL tear after the Roxanne Modafferi win. 15. The hosts then compare Cody Garbrandt's recent survival-style wins with Raoni Barcelos and Trevin Jones to Brian Kelleher's low-power striking. 16. Irina Aldana versus Karol Rosa becomes a debate about Aldana's mental state after the Amanda Nunes loss and Rosa's lack of knockout production. 17. Josh Emmett versus Bryce Mitchell raises age, damage, and grappling questions, with Mookie saying Emmett turns 39 in a couple of months. 18. Ian Machado Gary versus Vicente Luque centers on Gary's height, reach, speed, and composure against Luque's toughness and heavy hands. 19. The episode keeps a conversational, pick-by-pick format, with Victor often reacting in real time and sometimes changing his choice mid-discussion. 20. Listeners who follow UFC betting, divisional matchups, and card previews will get the most out of this episode, while people avoiding long fight-card breakdowns may skip it.

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