Verbal Sparring MMA

Verbal Sparring MMA

UFC 336 Sparks DEBATE! Plus Alexander Volkanovski & Petr Yan Shine at UFC 333

Oct 26, 2026 · 25 min · 10 segments

Two massive UFC events, two championship announcements, and plenty of controversy to discuss in this episode of Verbal Sparring MMA! First, I react to the official announcement of UFC 336, taking…

Two massive UFC events, two championship announcements, and plenty of controversy to discuss in this episode of Verbal Sparring MMA! First, I react to the official announcement of UFC 336, taking place January 30th in Toronto, Canada, featuring TWO championship fights! Flyweight champion Joshua Van looks to make the third defense of his title against dangerous contender Manel Kape in what promises to be an exciting matchup between two of the division's best. Meanwhile, Carlos Prates and Michael Morales will battle for the INTERIM welterweight championship, with undisputed champion Islam Makhachev unable to compete on that date. While both matchups are fantastic, the decision to introduce an interim welterweight title has sparked plenty of debate. Is an interim championship really necessary, or is the UFC forcing another title fight when the division doesn't need one? Then, it's time to recap UFC 333, where two champions delivered unforgettable performances! In the main event, Alexander Volkanovski added another remarkable achievement to his legendary résumé, becoming the FIRST fighter to defeat Movsar Evloev while successfully defending his featherweight championship once again. What does this victory mean for Volkanovski's legacy, and how much longer can he remain at the top? In the co-main event, Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili delivered another Fight of the Year contender in the final chapter of their trilogy! Yan emerged victorious, winning the rivalry 2-1 and retaining his bantamweight championship. After three incredible battles, what's next for both men? I also discuss the six other ranked matchups from UFC 333, including: - Lone'er Kavanagh stopping Ramazan Temirov via TKO - Alexander Volkov potentially earning the next heavyweight title opportunity - Aaron Pico securing his first UFC knockout victory - Dominick Reyes continuing his impressive career resurgence - Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev further establishing himself as a top light heavyweight prospect - Abus Magomedov defending his top 12 middleweight ranking From questionable championship decisions to legendary performances and emerging contenders, there's plenty to unpack as the UFC moves toward the final stretch of 2026! Was the UFC right to create an interim welterweight title? How much longer can Volkanovski reign? And who should be next for Petr Yan? All that and more in this episode of Verbal Sparring MMA! . . If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a rating. New episodes covering UFC, PFL, fight announcements, rankings, matchmaking, and MMA news are released every week! Subscribe to the Verbal Sparring YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . . Thanks for listening!

Two massive UFC events, two championship announcements, and plenty of controversy to discuss in this episode of Verbal Sparring MMA! First, I react to the official announcement of UFC 336, taking…

UFC 336 Fight Announcements0:00 – 5:10

HostHost

0:00

During the UFC 333 broadcast on Saturday, we learned of the first huge fights in 2027, January 30th, UFC 336 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

HostHost

0:12

We will see two championship bouts, one of them for an undisputed title and the other for a very unnecessary interim title.

HostHost

0:19

The main event, the Undisputed Flyweight Championship is on the line as Joshua Vann will be taking on Manel Kopp.

HostHost

0:26

the fight to make in the flyweight division.

HostHost

0:28

We knew it was going to happen.

HostHost

0:30

It was just a matter of when.

HostHost

0:31

The 25-year-old Joshua Vann is making quick work of this flyweight championship run that he is on as he will already be stepping into the cage for his third attempt at defending his title on January 30th.

HostHost

0:41

After winning the title at UFC 323 in December, he went on to successfully defend and finish Tatsuro Taira, and then he would have a fantastic fight with Alexandre Pantoja in September where he made sure that it wasn't a fluke last December by coming out the better man against the great Pantoja.

HostHost

0:59

And Van will enter UFC 336 on a 9 fight win streak having not lost since July of 2024 and now he's looking to make it double digits and continue submitting his name in the history books for this flyweight division.

HostHost

1:12

And standing across from him will be the number two ranked star boy, 32 years old out of Portugal, Manel Cop, who is on a four-fight win streak, but not only that, a four-fight knockout win streak, with most recently a finish coming against Kyoji Horiguchi in June.

HostHost

1:27

And prior to that, it was knockouts over Brandon Royval, Asu Omobaev, and Bruno Silva.

HostHost

1:32

And the only loss for him in the last five years was to a still undefeated Muhammad Mokaev, meaning that he has gone 8-1 in his last nine fights.

HostHost

1:41

He's one of the most obvious number one contenders in the entire UFC.

HostHost

1:44

This was the fight to make for this division, and it is so damn intriguing because Joshua Vann just does not stop pressing forward.

HostHost

1:52

Foot on the pedal, on the gas, full throttle for 25 minutes or less for as long as it takes, and Manel Kopp is the strategic, technical, and dangerous striker that can put anyone away at any moment.

HostHost

2:04

Just see that fight against Horiguchi when things weren't necessarily going his way prior.

HostHost

2:08

It is a chef's Kiss main event.

HostHost

2:11

The flyweights once again are in the marquee spot.

HostHost

2:14

The main face is on the poster and I will continue saying flyweights rule.

HostHost

2:19

And in the co-main event, don't get me wrong, we have an absolutely incredible fight.

HostHost

2:24

The fight that I've been wanting to see for essentially a year now and it is in the welterweight division as Carlos Prades will be taking on Michael Morales and the winner will get a title shot against Islam Makachev.

HostHost

2:37

But the problem about this fight is that it is for an interim welterweight championship UFC what are we doing we're passing out interim titles like they're candy this was super unnecessary we just saw Islam Makachev fight in August against Ian Machado Gary and on the broadcast when this fight got announced John Anik said now

John AnikSoundbite Speaker

2:57

the UFC had worked directly with Islam Makachev and his team to try to establish a January date for his next title defense They held that date for him.

John AnikSoundbite Speaker

3:04

He informed them earlier this week that he would not be ready to compete as was previously planned.

John AnikSoundbite Speaker

3:09

Ramadan is approaching.

UFC 336 Fight Announcements0:00 – 5:10

HostHost

0:00

During the UFC 333 broadcast on Saturday, we learned of the first huge fights in 2027, January 30th, UFC 336 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

HostHost

0:12

We will see two championship bouts, one of them for an undisputed title and the other for a very unnecessary interim title.

HostHost

0:19

The main event, the Undisputed Flyweight Championship is on the line as Joshua Vann will be taking on Manel Kopp.

HostHost

0:26

the fight to make in the flyweight division.

HostHost

0:28

We knew it was going to happen.

HostHost

0:30

It was just a matter of when.

HostHost

0:31

The 25-year-old Joshua Vann is making quick work of this flyweight championship run that he is on as he will already be stepping into the cage for his third attempt at defending his title on January 30th.

HostHost

0:41

After winning the title at UFC 323 in December, he went on to successfully defend and finish Tatsuro Taira, and then he would have a fantastic fight with Alexandre Pantoja in September where he made sure that it wasn't a fluke last December by coming out the better man against the great Pantoja.

HostHost

0:59

And Van will enter UFC 336 on a 9 fight win streak having not lost since July of 2024 and now he's looking to make it double digits and continue submitting his name in the history books for this flyweight division.

HostHost

1:12

And standing across from him will be the number two ranked star boy, 32 years old out of Portugal, Manel Cop, who is on a four-fight win streak, but not only that, a four-fight knockout win streak, with most recently a finish coming against Kyoji Horiguchi in June.

HostHost

1:27

And prior to that, it was knockouts over Brandon Royval, Asu Omobaev, and Bruno Silva.

HostHost

1:32

And the only loss for him in the last five years was to a still undefeated Muhammad Mokaev, meaning that he has gone 8-1 in his last nine fights.

HostHost

1:41

He's one of the most obvious number one contenders in the entire UFC.

HostHost

1:44

This was the fight to make for this division, and it is so damn intriguing because Joshua Vann just does not stop pressing forward.

HostHost

1:52

Foot on the pedal, on the gas, full throttle for 25 minutes or less for as long as it takes, and Manel Kopp is the strategic, technical, and dangerous striker that can put anyone away at any moment.

HostHost

2:04

Just see that fight against Horiguchi when things weren't necessarily going his way prior.

HostHost

2:08

It is a chef's Kiss main event.

HostHost

2:11

The flyweights once again are in the marquee spot.

HostHost

2:14

The main face is on the poster and I will continue saying flyweights rule.

HostHost

2:19

And in the co-main event, don't get me wrong, we have an absolutely incredible fight.

HostHost

2:24

The fight that I've been wanting to see for essentially a year now and it is in the welterweight division as Carlos Prades will be taking on Michael Morales and the winner will get a title shot against Islam Makachev.

HostHost

2:37

But the problem about this fight is that it is for an interim welterweight championship UFC what are we doing we're passing out interim titles like they're candy this was super unnecessary we just saw Islam Makachev fight in August against Ian Machado Gary and on the broadcast when this fight got announced John Anik said now

John AnikSoundbite Speaker

2:57

the UFC had worked directly with Islam Makachev and his team to try to establish a January date for his next title defense They held that date for him.

John AnikSoundbite Speaker

3:04

He informed them earlier this week that he would not be ready to compete as was previously planned.

John AnikSoundbite Speaker

3:09

Ramadan is approaching.