ATTENTION: The CME has moved … Come here looking for the Co-Main Event Podcast? Feeling lost and alone right now? Confused? Irrationally angry? Yep, you’re definitely one of our people. From now on you can find the CME at its magical new home: comainevent.com. Ben, Chad, Sir Nigel and all your friends are there waiting for you. Click the link and your adventure will begin.

Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 50 (5/7/13) All in all, it was kind of an awkward week for the Co-Main Event Podcast to ring in episode No. 50. Caught in the doldrums between major MMA events and without much really juicy news to sink their toothless grins into, Ben and Chad were left to fend largely for themselves. The result? Well, at least they do something they’ve never done before. You gotta give them credit for that … right? … right? Anyway, you’re familiar with those weirdo, two-round “exhibition” bouts the fighters do on “The Ultimate Fighter” that don’t end up counting on their professional records? This is kind of like that. The guys embark on an expanded installment of listener mail (and, seriously, thank God for you people) before chopping it up on the topics of Eddie Alvarez’s ongoing legal battle against Bellator and the fact that some of the sport’s most improbable superfights have floated back to the front and center of our collective consciousness. All that, plus AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. For entertainment purposes only, direct downloaders can go right here. [audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_50_master.mp3] [audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_50_master.mp3]

Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 49 (4/30/13) Though she does not appear on episode 49 of the Co-Main Event Podcast, the real star of this week’s show may be Ben’s wife, as both he and Chad borrowed her jokes for the broadcast. And really, what can you do in the wake of an event as weird as UFC 159 besides laugh? From Jon Jones’ broken toe, to Chael Sonnen’s near miss at becoming light heavyweight champ, to the gouged eyes and splintered thumbs, the guys break it all down, including where both Jones and Sonnen should go from here and what the powers that be in the UFC must’ve done to the MMA gods to deserve such a screwy show. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Direct downloaders should go hard in the MFing paint right here. http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_49_master.mp3

Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 48 (4/23/13) With less than a week to go before UFC 159 and just a few days removed from UFC on Fox 7, episode 48 of the Co-Main Event Podcast is strictly concerned with the big issues: Did Benson Henderson really beat Gilbert Melendez on Saturday night? Really? Did Daniel Cormier really fail to entertain you during his victory over Frank Mir? Really? And are you really gonna shell out the big bucks to watch Jon Jones beat up Chael Sonnen this weekend … Really? It’s a busy week in the world of mixed martial arts, so in addition to these topics Ben and Chad have a lot to get off their chests, including discussing the politics of asking someone to marry you on national television, why Strikeforce fighters seem to be doing such an awesome job in the UFC and how the hell some dude who teaches at a Cesar Gracie-affiliated school got himself assigned to judge Bendo-Melendez. All that, plus AYFKM, Just Sayin’ Stuff and the long awaited return of Tips for the Well-Rounded Fight Fan (TFTWRFF?). Direct downloaders can slather up and bake in the sun like chickens right here. http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_48_master.mp3

Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 47 (4/16/13) If we see your eyes brimming with tears as you listen to this week’s episode of the Co-Main Event Podcast, we’re just going to assume Ben and Chad said something that affected you on a deeply personal basis, and not that your eyes are watering from listening to the hoarse rasp of Ben’s injured voice. Sadly, the poor kid isn’t quite 100 percent for this taping, telling us he got stuck in a “choke” at “jiu-jitsu” or some other obviously made up story. You’ve got to hand it to him for saddling-up and croaking his way through 66 minutes, though. On the heels of the TUF 17 live finale and in advance of the UFC on FOX 7 this weekend the guys break down the surprising performances we saw from Cat Zingano and Uriah Hall and look forward to Gilbert Melendez finally getting his chance to prove he belongs among the elite lightweights in MMA. All that, plus MasterTweet Theatre, AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff. Direct downloaders can drop down and get their eagle on right here. http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_47_master.mp3

Here’s That Pic of Chad with Tank Abbott Ah, the splendor. There are so many awesome things going on in this circa-2003 fan pic of yours truly with fighter/author David “Tank” Abbott that it’s difficult to put it all into words. I mean, the clichéd fist poses, Tank’s T-shirt from the Lean-to Café and Goose Pit Saloon (the pride of Wasco, Oregon), the terrible goatee I walked around with for almost a full year before finally shaving it, my rad early 2000s tie, the fact I appear to be swilling a mixed drink out of a plastic MGD cup. Yeah, these were the early times, the formative years. The exact details here escape me, though I get the feeling this picture may have been taken at the afterparty for UFC 43 … which means we approached Tank to ask him for a picture after watching him get choked out by Kimo Leopoldo in a minute, 59 seconds in the evening’s co-main, back before they even called them that. Great timing, right? Here’s an account of our short exchange with Abbott from the third man in the picture, who was likely the only one sober enough to stand as a credible witness: “We asked Tank for a photo, and he agreed and then turned around and started talking to this other guy. I remember waiting him out for about 15 or 20 seconds, which felt like 5 minutes, until he turned back to us, gave a look like that said, ‘Wow, you’re still here. All right, you’ve earned it,’ and leaned in between us with his beer front and center. It was quick and dirty, which I’m guessing is how Tank does everything.”

Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 46 (4/9/13) Due to some technical difficulties it took two full tries to get episode 46 in the books, but Ben and Chad persevered, took it one round at a time and, God willing, they came out on top. You might notice this installment of the Co-Main Event Podcast sounds particularly smooth, as if the guys had just completed a dress rehearsal only hours beforehand. Either that, or it’ll seem like they’re just going through the motions. Nevertheless, this episode sees copious discussion of the Alexander Gustafsson injury situation, Gegard Mousasi’s good fortune and Ilir Latifi’s man on the street build. In addition to that, the guys break down Cris “Cyborg” Santos’ return to the cage after a 15 month absence and whether these “Ultimate Fighter” live finale cards are really necessary. If you listen closely, you just might hear some AYFKM and Just Sayin’ Stuff, too. Direct downloaders can directly download from right here. [audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_46_master.mp3] [audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_46_master.mp3]

Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 45 (4/2/13) Episode 45 of the Co-Main Event Podcast was recorded mere moments before the Wanderlei Silva-Gegard Mousasi April Fool’s Day internet rumor bonanza took the MMA news world by storm, or else you better believe Ben and Chad would’ve had something to say about it. As it stands your dudes had to be content with discussing the previous rumors, about Alexander Gustafsson damn near getting his whole head chopped off while training for UFC on Fuel 9 and the resulting cut putting his scheduled fight with Mousasi in the lurch. Curse them for thinking that’d be as crazy as it got. This cool 70 minutes of mixed martial arts talk also includes discussion of Georges St. Pierre going Hollywood (literally this time) in order to play Batroc the Leaper (Batroc the Leaper!) in the next Captain America movie and the return of Chris “Cyborg” Santos at Friday’s Invicta 5 card. In addition to that, there’s some Just Sayin’ Stuff and some AYFKM. Direct downloaders can make their dreams come true right here. http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_45_Master.mp3

Co-Main Event Podcast Episode 44 (3/26/13) Ugh. Yeah, so the Co-Main Event Podcast lost a bet. Because of the unbelievable drubbing Ben’s and Chad’s beloved University of Montana Grizzlies took at the hands of Ariel Helwani’s hated Syracuse Orange last week in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the CME has a slightly different soundtrack for this episode. Really, your humble co-hosts have no one to blame but themselves. They should’ve known better, taking an underdog No. 13 seed straight up against Jim Boeheim’s longstanding basketball juggernaut. The end results were not pretty. Not pretty at all. But, because The Co-Main Event Podcast Always Pays Its Debts, the guys had no choice but to adopt Helwani’s terrible yet oddly infectious theme music this week. Next week all will be back to normal, you know, barring any further riverboat gambling. For the second (or maybe third?) time in its history, the CME delivers an All Questions Considered episode this week. That means all listener mail questions all the time until the show runs out of gas. Plus, Sir Nigel Longstock drops by for some very special good times. http://traffic.libsyn.com/comainevent/Episode_44_master2.mp3 Direct downloaders must do their deed right here.