Growing up in St. Louis, I've always been an avid sports radio fan. From Cardinals' post-game shows to Blues talk to Rams spring practice workouts, I could not get enough sports talk . But despite the sports media industry being bigger than it has ever been in the past, the top names in the business rarely, if ever, talk MMA.
Thus I have turned to the Internet to get my MMA fix and surprisingly, there are a lot of options to choose from. Virtually every major MMA site hosts a weekly show or podcast and is able to score some pretty solid interviews. Unfortunately, not all these shows are very good.
Here is my guide to the best radio/podcasts on the net:
Best show: The Jordan Breen Show
When I began downloading shows from Sherdog, I'd frequently hear this young, sarcastic voice chime in with obscure MMA references that were foreign to me and went completely over my head. That voice was Jordan Breen.
According the web site, he's only 23 years old. But I have yet to find anyone on the major MMA sites that is as knowledgeable and smart and opinionated about the sport as Breen. If you follow him on Twitter, you'll learn quickly that the dude watches everything MMA and it shows on the air, as he's able to breakdown fights in ways that no other site can match. But more than that, he's actually entertaining too. He doesn't try too hard to be funny like so many other radio hosts, but chimes in with a joke when necessary and his opinions are always backed with solid arguments. He also has a loyal fan base with routine callers that add flavor and color to the show.
If there is a downside to the show, it's that sometimes Breen can go too in-depth about lesser-known fight cards and that may test your patience. But the show is run smoothly enough that even the slow parts never get tedious.
You can hear him on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 (Pacific) at Sherdog.com or you can download his archives at sherdog.com/radio (also one of the links on my homepage).
Runner-up: MMA Junkie Radio
It was hard to choose just one here, because many of the other shows are solid and just about equal. MMA Junkie gets the nod because it's a daily show and it routinely features interviews with some of the sports top stars, including a great piece with Dana White at UFC 106. Frank Trigg used to co-host, but the show hasn't lost much steam since his departure because the regular crew is pretty consistent, though not always the most knowledgeable in terms of breaking down fights. You can download all their show archives at mmajunkie.com/radio.
Best preview/roundtable show: Sherdog.com
In terms of preview shows, Sherdog once again takes the cake. Before every major UFC and Strikeforce event, all the regular hosts get together and make predictions for each fight including picking the method and round of finish. What makes the show click is all the different personalities on display, which somehow mesh together perfectly, and the fun had from keeping a running tab of the best and worse guesses at each show. It's the perfect way for a die hard fan to get pumped for an event.
Runner up: Luke Thomas, MMA Nation
Thomas is the Editor-In-Chief at bloodyelbow.com, probably the best blog on the net for MMA news. He also hosts a weekly radio show on 107.6 The Fan in Washington D.C. every Saturday afternoon called MMA Nation and if there is a big event that night he does a good job of breaking down the card for the casual fan. He won't get too bogged down in preliminary fights but is savvy enough to focus on the match-ups people most want to see.
Best post/recap show: Beatdown After the Bell, Sherdog.com
What can I say? Sherdog radio is king. After each major event, the site hosts a recap show that usually lasts about two hours and breaks down all the fights on the card. Again this is really a show for more hardcore fans, though casual ones can learn a lot from hearing the crew analyze what went right and what went wrong for certain fighters. The guys also take calls and it's fun to hear fan reactions so quickly after an event.
Runner up: Steve Cofield, Yahoo! and ESPN 1100
Cofield is a blogger at Yahoo! Sports, but he also hosts a daily sports show on ESPN 1100 and does his recap shows out of that station from 10:30 to 1 am (Pacific) after most UFC events. Love him or hate him, Cofield is an entertaining guy. I wouldn't listen to a regular sports talk offering from him, but his MMA knowledge is well above average and he is never short on opinions. He also scores some great live interviews after the events. You can find the link to his Yahoo! MMA blog on my home page.
Best podcast: Josh Gross, SI
If you're looking for a quick 1-hour show to take to the gym on your I-Pod, this is the show. Gross formerly worked at Sherdog and is now over at Sports Illustrated, and he's one of the best writers covering the sport today. He is also savvy about the business side of things and just about better than anybody does a good job of staying unbiased with his views. You can't go wrong with the guy.
Runner up: MMA Hour w/Ariel Hawani, AOL Fanhouse
AOL Fanhouse seems to really be pushing their MMA content and it's paying off. Hawani is always out interviewing someone and uploading videos on the site, and now he hosts a weekly show called MMA Hour with recaps of the previous week and previews of the week ahead. He's one of the better personalities covering the sport today.
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