The Bantamweight World Grand Prix Begins! Plus, Manager Malki Kawa on Bo Nickal’s Huge Potential.

With Marlon Vera and Dominick Cruz about to throw down in San Diego on Saturday, Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, and Chuck Mindenhall are fired up on today’s show. The guys discuss:

—What’s the most exciting upcoming bantamweight fight: Vera vs. Cruz, Sterling vs. Dillashaw, Yan vs. O’Malley, Sandhagen vs. Song, or Aldo vs. Dvalishvili? (3:54)
—Cruz’s longevity and the oddsmakers betting against him this weekend
—Bo Nickal’s impressive win this week on Dana White’s Contender Series, and the UFC’s apparent “snub” of him after the fight (17:45)
—Then, Nickal’s manager Malki Kawa calls in to explain why he thinks Nickal has Jon Jones–like potential (27:17). Plus, he offers an update on another client of his, Jorge Masvidal (39:04)

And of course, Ariel offers a Spotify Live exclusive (1:02:11), and 3PAC takes some calls, including ones from Killashaw and Anirudh.

Next episode: Saturday, August 13, immediately following the end of Vera vs. Cruz. Follow The Ringer MMA Show exclusively on Spotify for all the latest details.

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