Dave Simon and AJ D’Alesio returned to break down UFC 318’s stacked card, but not before diving headfirst into the week’s wildest MMA news involving leaked photos, presidential ambitions, and samurai sword attacks. What started as a fight preview quickly evolved into a comprehensive tour of combat sports chaos, delivered only by the Ringside Report crew.
The duo spent considerable time discussing Conor McGregor’s eventful week, which included controversial photo leaks, retirement announcements, and bold claims about fighting on the White House lawn. But when the dust settled, they delivered solid analysis and betting picks for what promises to be an action-packed weekend in Louisiana.
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Conor McGregor’s Wild Week: Real or Fake?
The episode opened with AJ proudly displaying what he called “Conor Schlongs” – novelty weights sent by a fan after the week’s leaked photo controversy involving rapper Azealia Banks posting alleged intimate photos of the Irish superstar.
“Conor did break his silence this week. It was yesterday. Then I don’t know,” Dave noted, referencing McGregor’s response to the allegations.
The hosts found themselves split on the authenticity of the leaked images, with AJ taking a conspiracy theory approach: “I believe the picture is fake. Yeah, I do. Man, look if Conor’s going to send them… Conor is not that stupid. I don’t think.”
Dave, however, remained skeptical of McGregor’s denials and broader claims: “I don’t believe anything Conor says because he’s a liar and the way he’s done. You didn’t see him, the quote that he gave, and how he was talking when he said he was coming back in the testing pool.“
Presidential Ambitions and UFC Returns
The conversation shifted to McGregor’s announced return to USADA testing and his claims about running for President of Ireland, with AJ surprisingly buying into the legitimacy of these announcements.
“He will be running for president. He will most probably fight at the White House, and I believe that pick is extremely fake,” AJ declared, referencing his three-pronged belief system regarding recent McGregor news.
Dave remained unconvinced: “Listen, he’s not really running for president of Ireland. I also don’t think he’s actually gonna fight at any time in 2025 or even 2026. I don’t think this guy fights in the UFC.”
The hosts debated McGregor’s potential involvement in the rumored White House UFC event, with Dave posing a crucial question: “If you were to bet on who would fight on a potential UFC card at the White House in say 2025 or 2026… Jon Jones and Conor McGregor, who’s on it, who’s not on it.”
Both agreed that Jon Jones would be the more reliable choice to show up.
🚨 DUSTIN POIRIER MAKES WEIGHT FOR THE FINAL TIME IN HIS CAREER!
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 18, 2025
⚖️ 156 lbs
🎥 @ufc #UFC318
pic.twitter.com/gJf8wLyZmG
UFC 318 Main Event: Holloway vs Poirier
The Diamond’s Last Stand
The main event features Max “Blessed” Holloway defending his BMF Championship against Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier in what Poirier claims will be his final fight. The emotional weight of the moment wasn’t lost on the hosts, particularly Dave, who shared a personal connection to Poirier’s journey.
“I saw him fight. Here. In Montreal. OK. In his seventh pro fight. Against Derek Gauthier for ringside. No way,” Dave revealed, describing witnessing Poirier’s early career back in 2010.
The hosts painted a picture of two legends at different stages of their careers, with Dave noting: “Poirier is like you know a couple of years younger than me, and he feels like older than me because he’s been fighting forever like he’s been fighting forever dude.”
UFC 318 Tale of the Tape and Predictions
With Holloway entering as a -145 favorite, the hosts found themselves on opposite sides of the betting line.
Dave’s analysis focused on technical boxing: “I just think Max gets this one done. I think his boxing is a little better… I see Max as a cleaner boxer. And I think that’s how he gets the fight done.”
AJ countered with an emotional argument for the hometown hero: “I think with Dustin Poirier, he’s always had something special… And I think this is gonna be a different night. I think Poirier is coming in here. He’s taking this fight super seriously, but he’s gonna go into war, and this is gonna be his battle cry.”
Both hosts agreed the fight would likely go the distance, with Dave predicting, “I think he goes all five with Max winning the majority of the rounds.”
Paulo Costa’s Continued Decline
The UFC 318 co-main event featuring Paulo Costa against Roman Kopylov drew harsh criticism from Dave, who questioned why Costa continues to receive prominent placement on cards.
“Why are we still watching this guy fight? He’s losing by the way. Yeah, pretty much for sure. He’s lost four out of his last five,” Dave observed, noting Costa’s only recent win came against an essentially retired Luke Rockhold.
AJ acknowledged the reality while trying to find the silver lining: “Now Costa is going to come out with some heavy power punches and try to do what he’s done, but like you know, it’s five years later from that Adesanya fight.”
The hosts agreed that Roman Kopylov, riding a 6-1 streak, should handle the declining Brazilian relatively easily.
UFC 318 Betting Picks and Parlays
Dave’s UFC 318 Selections
Dave presented a three-fight parlay featuring:
- Max Holloway (-145)
- Kevin Holland over Daniel Rodriguez (-575)
- Roman Kopylov over Paulo Costa (-240)
“$20 overall, we’ll get you. Let’s see $56.20 at bet99. It’s not a bad parlay, three-fight parlay there for Team Dave,” he announced. Use our link above to get to bet99.
His most intriguing pick involved the night’s opening fight: “I’m going with Nicole Caliari first fight of the night $20 gets you $74 over at bet99, so that’s one that’s a nice one.”
Dave’s reasoning centered on Caliari’s submission skills: “Caliari’s grappling is legit if she’s tapping Corinne in the first round… I think she gets a tap, I’d even go with an arm bar.”
AJ’s UFC 318 Counter-Parlay
AJ constructed his four-fight parlay:
- Dustin Poirier (+115)
- Roman Kopylov
- Kevin Holland
- Patrício Pitbull (+175)
“Four fight parlay from team AJ, it’s Roman Kapilov, it’s Patricio Pitbull, it’s Kevin Holland, and it’s Dustin Poirier. $20 will get you some money, $196.65 good part like that,” Dave calculated.
AJ’s most confident pick was his main event selection: “I think Ori is that guy he’s gonna do it on Saturday night, he’s gonna retire, he’s gonna be the hot sauce king, but this guy is like a legendary fighter.”
The Rest of the UFC 318 Card
Kevin Holland’s Consistency
Both hosts agreed on Kevin Holland’s chances against Daniel Rodriguez at UFC 318, with AJ praising Holland’s activity level: “One thing with Kevin Holland, he’s fighting all the time, man, and you know something with this guy is he’s coming in and he’s gonna perform.”
Dave noted Holland’s recent success: “He beat Vicente Luque, he beat him pretty easily, and that’s not a joke, yeah, very nice.”
Pitbull’s UFC Debut Redemption
The hosts saw value in Patrício Pitbull bouncing back from his UFC debut loss against Ilia Topuria, with AJ reasoning: “The difference with Pitbull is he can still take a hard shot, and that’s the difference, you know.”
Dave agreed with the underdog selection: “I think there’s value in Pitbull, he’s plus 175 the underdog. I like that underdog pick.”
Controversial Referee Decisions at UFC Nashville
The discussion touched on recent officiating controversies, notably Derrick Lewis’s disputed victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik the previous weekend.
“I am not happy about that, I’m not happy with the ref’s decision,” AJ declared, describing the sequence: “Taliesin got up and he was like he was doing what he needed to do, cover on the ground, start making your steps to get on your knees. He got up, turned to start like his movement of attack, but the ref called the fight right there.”
The hosts agreed that such controversial stoppages highlight the subjective nature of MMA officiating and its impact on betting outcomes.
Wrestling Business Philosophy
The conversation concluded with an interesting discussion about WWE’s upcoming Netflix series “Unreal” and the broader philosophy of exposing the wrestling business.
Dave expressed concern about over-exposure: “I think if you give away too much it’s hard to believe anything… personal issues or perceived personal issues create the best stories in wrestling and when you expose the fact that these guys don’t have these real personal issues it’s hard to believe it then when you see it on TV.”
AJ compared it to classic theater: “It’s kind of like exposing the wizard and the wizard of us, like you take away that whole like persona and it takes away like the magic.”
Final Thoughts
UFC 318 promises to deliver emotional storytelling with Poirier’s potential farewell fight taking center stage in Louisiana. Whether “The Diamond” can capture storybook magic one final time or if “Blessed” Holloway continues his reign as the BMF champion remains to be seen.
The hosts’ split on the main event reflects the fight’s compelling nature. Both fighters have legitimate paths to victory, making Saturday night’s main event a true toss-up between two of the sport’s most beloved competitors.
🎯 Don’t miss the live watch-along Saturday at 10 PM ET when the UFC 318 main card begins!
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💰 All betting odds courtesy of Bet99.com
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