Piestrong Podcast

Big episode this week as we run through UFC 324, break down the card, talk mutt multis, head-to-heads, and where the value might be.We get into the latest fight announcements and rumours, including the McGregor vs Masvidal noise and Dana White pouring cold water all over it. There’s more Conor chat too with the White House talk, contract drama after the PPV changes, and why Dustin still can’t stand him.Arman Tsarukyan is everywhere at the moment, so we cover his full PR run, getting himself in ridiculous shape, and some of the more left-field moments popping up online. We also react to Ilia Topuria hinting at a return, the UFC dropping a genuinely elite promo, and a few standout posters like Strickland vs Hernandez and Pyfer vs Izzy.Plenty of other bits as well:Strickland crossing paths with Nick DiazPaddy Pimblett’s plan, his moment with Sean, and Hooker’s take on that whole situationJon Jones firing a message at Alex Pereira, and Poatan making his intentions pretty clearJai Opetaia signing with Zuffa Boxing and the latest mess in Australian boxingAli Abdelaziz floating Conor vs Gaethje at the White HouseNo carry on, just solid MMA chat, a few laughs, and plenty to argue about. Well maybe a bit of carry on.

We go over last weeks news, Fight announcements, cancelations and more.Dan Hooker vs Paddy Pimblett, Keyboard warriors delight.Jon Jones and DC can't squash the beef.Dana Whites lacklustre fight announcements.Cheers and enjoy.

Big news over the break in MMA and combat sports, so we cover a stack of it. Sean Strickland gives his honest take on Khamzat, we talk about how an annual Paramount+ sub is somehow cheaper than a single PPV, and react to Mike Tyson weighing in on Conor.There’s some proper chaos too. Andrei Arlovski getting caught up with Jack Doherty and his crew, Gamebred trying to sweet talk Kayla and Poatan’s kid looking scary at just 14. McGregor’s everywhere as usual. Hosting a TV show, helping out the homeless, and even talk of the Trump family putting money behind him.We get into the serious stuff as well, including the Anthony Joshua car crash in Nigeria, the reports around it, possible retirement.On the fight front, Magomed wants a third crack at Alex, Tom Aspinall’s dealing with surgery, its bad.Jiri’s being Jiri, and Gaethje might be battling a staph infection or BBQ sauceWe also chat Jake Paul’s curse, the Morales situation with his record being changed, JDM calling out Shavkat, and the possibility of a wild White House card with Anik reckoning there could be six or seven title fights. Plus a few wholesome moments with JDM and Neon to balance out the madness.Bit of news, bit of nonsense, and plenty of opinions. Get amongst it.

Big episode this week. We kick things off with a breakdown of UFC Royval vs Kape, then roll straight into our very first Piestrong MMA Awards. We’re handing out gongs for KO of the Year, Sub of the Year, Brawl of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Fighter of the Year, we are undecided so Performance of the Year goes out to a Fan decision.Plenty of fight news to get through as well. Burns vs Malott, Neal vs Holland, Oliveira vs Bautista headlining the first Fight Night, Costa vs Ferreira, Ciao vs RDR, and a quick look at some surprisingly decent bare-knuckle scraps.Then it’s a full sweep of the MMA news. Jiri’s gender reveal, Poatan’s ridiculous stats, Prates ruffling feathers, Volk rocking the Street Fighter haircut, Usman Nurmagomedov possible coming to the UFC, and Conor finally tying the knot with Dee. We get into Islam’s situation with the UFC, Ilia Topuria’s growing list of problems, Francis continuing to be a walking disaster, Buckley offering Khamzat 50 grand just to stay on his feet, and the usual rankings chaos, fighter cuts, trolling, and doping dramas.We wrap it up with a few current events, including what’s happening in BondiCrack a beer and settle in. 🍻🥊

Alright legends, big one today. We’re recapping a wild UFC 323, looking ahead to Royval vs Kape, and going through one of the most chaotic weeks of MMA news we’ve had in ages.👊 UFC Stuff:• Full UFC 323 review• Royval vs Kape preview• Fight announcements everywhere: Fiziev vs Ruffy, BSD vs Hooker, plus a stacked Aussie card and fresh P4P rankings🗞️ MMA News with plenty happening:• Conor is out here talking about his next move• A new angle pops up of the Garry and Khamzat situation• Max becomes the first bloke with custom gloves• Dana signs on for another five years• Poatan possibly vacating• Yan does not want another go with Merab while Merab reckons his next fight is for the belt• Strickland planning a move to 205• The broadcast reaction to Pantoja’s real injury and the ongoing belt drama• Tom had no dramas spotting the injury straight away• Jamahal Hill and Joanna turn into a full soap opera with statements and old DMs• Khamzat needs to settle the hell down• Garry might actually be right this time• Carlos and Morales happy to scrap again before a title shot• New details on upcoming numbered cards• Kayla Harrison cuts a spicy promo on Nunes• Ilia maybe getting a bit ahead of himself• Islam says Usman is the toughest matchup for him• Ben Askren is getting a documentary• Francis may be heading back to MMA with his contract winding down plus his take on the Dana situation• Shavkat and Buckley have an interesting run in• Trump reckons we have 8 to 9 title fights coming and Dana responds• Volk says he is not retiring• Joshua vs Paul looks like it is falling apart• Dillon Danis pulls out of MisfitsThere is way too much happening in the sport right now. Strap in, grab a drink, and let’s get into it.

Righto, we’re back and there is a ton to get through. UFC 323 is almost here, so we kick things off with the newest fight announcements:• Paddy vs Gaethje (yep, that’s real)• Volk vs Lopes 2• Waldo vs Derrick Lewis• Moicano vs RuffyThen we roll straight into what has been a bloody chaotic week in MMA news:We have Bam Bam updates and Volk hinting he might hang them up in Sydney.Arman has plenty to say about the interim belt.Apparently the Saudis are “broke” now, so that is a thing.Ronaldo is putting money into WOW FC.Lerone Murphy is firing shots about Volk vs Lopes 2 and having his moment with Ariel.Volk breaks down the rematch in his own words.Aljo throws in his thoughts on the featherweight mess.We also have a proper chat about where the UFC is at right now.Ben Whittaker scores a filthy KO.Meatball Molly goes 2 and 0 in boxing.Tom Aspinall finally speaks up.Paddy’s run to the belt is on the table.Jiri is expecting a kid.Ronda might box Katie Taylor and Cyborg is not impressed.Mokaev is back, Prates is calling people out, and Merab is pressing Talbot.The 2026 season press conference drops Friday.Craig Jones is roasting Moneyberg and Ryan.Ilia Topuria gains 700 thousand followers overnight.Ariel is apparently listening to our show.Usyk weighs in on Paul vs Joshua.Stacked episode, a bit of technical chaos, plenty of banter and a whole lot to talk about.Tune in and let’s get stuck in.

Alright legends, this week’s episode is a big one. We kick things off with a full recap of UFC Qatar and then take a quick look ahead at what is coming up during this rare week off from the fights. After that we roll straight into a heap of fresh fight announcements including Poatan vs Ulberg, Strickland vs Fluffy, Allen vs Silva at 324 and Nunes vs Harrison locked in for January???Then we get stuck into a massive week of MMA news.Arman and Hooker face off and it gets a bit fiery.There is talk of a new heavyweight prospect and at the same time people are still worried about Tom’s eye.Paul and Joshua square up and Joshua starts training with Usyk’s team.Costa calls his shot because of course he does.Belal has everyone asking what on earth he is doing.Khamzat flips out and we try to work out if it is just a language issue or frontal lobe.Garry gives his response and then Khamzat’s side fires back and then even Till jumps in.Someone reckons we need to call the FBI which feels about right for this sport at this point.Murphy is changing divisions.Conor brings up past trauma and we get the classic baby Jesus quote.We talk about why this is the right move for welterweight at the moment.Schaub weighs in on Francis being the bad guy now.Jones starts stirring the pot with Khamzat talk and even brings up DC again plus he says Pereira and Aspinall are basically the same fighter.Gable Steveson moves to 2 and 0 with a knockout off a takedown.Mike Perry cops an 800k tax bill.Shavkat fires a few shots of his own.Liver King is having a full on manic episode.Conor and Khabib keep the rivalry alive with more back and forth and yes the last couple of slides are new.Diaz bullies Neon because that is what Diaz does.And of course we check in on Tom and mate it is still not great. He might actually still be blind.It is a massive week of chaos, headlines and proper Aussie fight fan chat. Grab a beer or a coffee and jump in. This one is stacked.

Alright legends, this week we’re kicking things off with a full rundown of UFC 322, and mate… what a bloody circus. Bo Nickal put someone into low-earth orbit, Prates came in with absolutely zero cares given, and the whole card was wall to wall knockouts. If you missed it, don’t stress, we’ve wrapped it up nicer than a Bunnings snag in fresh white bread.After that, it’s time for the weekly MMA news dump, because the sport never stops spinning.Khamzat vs Imavov is officially onSpivak is out and Salsa Boy is inRogan firing back (professionally) at RouseyJake Paul vs Anthony Joshua apparently a done deal with some cooked rulesDana says the Brady vs Morales winner is next for the strapLaura Sanko deep throats creme bruleeIlia Topuria having his say about JDM and IslamThe Dillon Danis brawl with every angle and every bit of chaosDana bans Danis from UFC eventsNunes wants a crack at 125 after KaylaTai Tuivasa looking at a February returnAli stirring the pot againKavanagh confirms Conor is actually trainingRankings are all over the shop, in a good wayDJ not doing a show with The MMA GuruAnd plenty more madness from around the MMA worldIf it happened, we’re chatting about it with a healthy dose of Aussie honesty.

UFC Bonfim vs Brown Review + UFC 322 PreviewBrad Matt and Jack kick things off with a look back at Bonfim vs Brown, then finally tee up UFC 322.Fight Announcements• Paddy vs Ilia looks about to drop. That’ll be a circus.MMA News• Sandhagen takes the piss out of DC.• Jon’s suddenly sorry to Dana.• Rampage vs some scammer, Might actually end in a murder this time.• Mokaev lands a filthy KO in Brave FC.• Askren’s somehow doing alright.• Whittaker’s gone full psycho and we love it.• Jon calling Tom a quitter and saying he’s got no heart.• Classic Dagestani maths from Khabib.• Khabib talking about packing up coaching.• Khamzat’s getting disrespectful.• Islam might be on the secret juice.• Bit of Poatan stat chat.• How do you go from Khamzat to Glenn?• Arman’s mouthing off again.• JDM and Islam face off.• Danis vs Taylor MMA bout on the way.• Adin Ross probably shat himself.• These streamers getting UFC attention is painful to watch.• Ali hits Helwani with straight facts.• Rule changes coming for finger fouls.Plus this week’s chat between Brad and Zoey about Islam’s recent wins, JDM in his sights, and a few random tangents as usual.

This week we run through Garcia vs Onama at the Apex and tee up Bonfim vs Brown. Bit going on in the MMA world too.Topics include:Jon Jones taking the piss out of Tom Aspinall, then rocking up to a dirty boxing event on a horse with an eye patch.Zuck looking scared again, Ronda losing the plot, and her latest spray on Joe Rogan.Strickland and Pereira wrestling, and Jones begging Dana to “let me bang, bro.”Jake Paul vs Gervonta Davis off after legal dramas, plus Jake and Francis trading shots online.Islam not fighting Ilia at 155, Merab’s jacuzzi antics, and a dodgy sub that’s got people talking.Chat about UFC fights under investigation for fixing, Ariel saying fighters were approached to throw bouts, Dana firing back.Bo Nickal dumped to the prelims, Jiri wanting a third with Pereira or a crack at middleweight, CJI 3 confirmed, and some wild UFC 322 stats.Bit of news, a few laughs, and plenty of fight talk.

Alright legends, strap in. UFC 321 was an absolute circus. Three blokes missed weight before we even got started, and the refs actually grew a spine for once. Maksum grabs the fence, point gone, fair play. Next fight, Abdelwahab drops a cheeky elbow to the back of the head, bang, another point. Love to see it.Wood vs. Delgado had a couple of nut shots, but Herzog handled it like a pro. Then we got Klein vs. Beck, a proper war until Klein’s ankle gave way and he couldn’t stand, brutal stuff. Ikram looked solid, Walker snagged another sub, and Salkilld flattened his opponent on short notice. Rakvic got sparked by a jab (yeah, that bad), and Dern’s your new champ, even if the commentary team were carrying pom-poms for her.Umar looked sharp, Bautista didn’t lose any stock, and then there’s Tommy and Gane, eye pokes, chaos, and Dana’s face said it all.We wrap it all up with some spicy MMA news:Patchy Mix fails a drug test (shock horror)DC’s take on the heavyweight messConor stirring the pot as usualJon Jones trolling everyone with a new profile picIslam being funny one minute and a menace the nextPoatan roasting Tom’s “acting”Jim Miller weighing in on the eye-poke plagueBryce Mitchell’s nose now in two piecesAnd apparently, UFC’s moving to Paramount+ but Kayo’s still got the PPVsOh, and Ilia vs. Paddy and Volk vs. Movsar are looking real, huge if true.Stick around for the banter, the breakdowns, and a few laughs at Conor’s expense.

Oi, what a week in MMA! In this episode, we take a proper look back at UFC Vancouver. Bruno Silva pulled off a slick sub, Aori Qileng landed a filthy KO, and Drew Dober delivered two straight shots to the plums, lost a point, then came back swinging like a lunatic to put Propelec to sleep. Classic Dober.We also chat about Big Dan’s absolute blunder, stopping a fight with a full 3 seconds on the clock and the fight continuing.Then we dive into UFC 321 for the preview. The Mutt Multi is back with picks from Matt, Brad, and Jack, and of course, a bit of head-to-head heat. Who’s nailing the tips, and who’s way off?Plenty of fight announcements and MMA headlines to get through:Ilia vs Paddy locked in for UFC 324, Paramount’s first crack at itStrickland vs Fluffy coming in hotRIP to the great Duke Roufus, gone way too soonOne FC firing shotsChito popping his own finger back in, tough as nailsSerial killer vibes during a walkout… legit?RDR making excuses but still chasing StricklandJon Jones frothing over Hasbulla againMerab being a mad unitAriel grilling MoneybergArnold Allen apparently jumped in Montreal?And yep, Rogan’s now hyping Jones vs Pereira at the White House 🤯It’s all happening. Punch-ons, controversy, and a healthy dose of nonsense. Let’s rip in.

Righto, this week’s ep is a big one.We’re kicking things off with a preview of UFC Qatar, then diving into a full UFC 320 review, a proper banger of a card.FOTN goes to Khalil vs Jiri (what a war)POTN for Jiri, Pereira, and PyferPoatan was ready to call out Jon Jones at the White House, but instead gave a touching tribute to Arthur Jone, class act.We give UFC 320 a rating and break down all the key moments.Then it’s on to UFC Brazil, where Mario Pinto stole the show, absolutely funny as f***.Fight Announcements? Some belters this week:Paddy vs Max? Could be on the cardsMerab vs Petr Yan 2 in DecemberBlachowicz vs GuskovPeyton Talbott vs Cejudo, wait, what?O’Malley vs Yadong rumours heating upMMA News has been cooked this week:Conor’s on the mic with Mike Perry for Bare Knuckle and even jumped into a face-offDan Hooker’s not shy , calling out ArmanShavkat’s knee gone again, out for 10 monthsDC being DC, reckons McGregor should co-main and Jon Jones should fight for AmericaSad news: Arthur Jones, Jon’s brother, has passed away at 39Merab sparred 5 rounds on fight day, this bloke’s differentPoatan and Jones at the White House, bit of cheek between him and Ankalaev’s crewMike Perry channeling McGregor hardUlberg ready to step up – says he’ll fight Jiri to prove he’s the real contenderConor’s suspension , 18 months, reckons he knows where it all went wrongAriel gave his two centsKhabib’s not looking too cheerySanko? Starfish momentSuman Mokhtarian tragically killed in Aus, rest in peaceTafa’s taking some time off, Usman Nurmagomedov’s out for doping before RioCory’s excuse? One of the worst we’ve heardBit of fight talk, bit of chaos, and a whole lot of MMA, give it a listen and let us know your take.

Righto, in this week’s episode we go over the chaos from UFC Perth, preview the bangers lined up for UFC 320, and as always, we’ve got a stack of fight news, dodgy takes, and questionable predictions.We’ve got the usual Mutt Multi (PPV), and things get a bit heated in the Head-to-Head with Jack, Matt, and Brad all throwing their two cents in and a few insults while they’re at it.🧨 New Fights Locked In:BSD vs BeneilHooker vs ArmanBelal vs GarryBrady vs Morales🗞️ MMA News You Didn’t Ask For:Conor wants White House money, reckons he’s negotiating with Trump himselfDillashaw’s coaching Emmett now? What’s going on thereJenkins breaks “only” 5 legs this timeBig Ank & Poatan cross paths, is Ank actually keen to scrap?Lopes vs Silva drama, did he get Molly wopped or nah? Brad reckons he had a carton of eggs on his sconeJDM calling a KO, Strickland getting sued, Tafa’s record getting side-eyedWanderlei KO’d by a bloke in a tux after a boxing event. no, seriouslyDana’s still got boxing dreamsPlus heaps more nonsense🏋️‍♂️ Aspinall’s looking massive, Belato’s dropping sneaky stats, and Dave Shaw chats about that Magny stoppage. Oh and we give a quick shout about the Broncos vs Storm GF.

Righto, we’re back previewing UFC Perth this week and throwing out a few Piestrong punts for the crowd. Some cracking matchups on this card, so we’re having a proper look.Bit going on in the fight world tooFiziev’s out and it looks like Gamrot’s stepping in against CharlesIlia vs Paddy’s being lined up for UFC 324 - fair to say one of those blokes is getting exposedDanaher’s had a swing at Moneyberg (yep, that’s still a thing)Conor reckons he’s fighting Chandler on a White House card… we’ll believe it when we see itThe Jake Paul vs Andre August Davis circus kicks offDarren Till’s loving life, who should he punch nextDanis reckons Holland’s an easy lay up to the rankingsPoatan’s hitting mitts like a demon, apparently Big Ank hid from him at the PI (can’t blame him)Movsar’s calling out contenders, probably because he knows the title shot isn’t comingPaddy calls his shot… and somehow insults all of Spain in the processIslam and JDM keep their undefeated runs going and it’s looking scaryJDM’s training with Bam Bam now so you know it’s getting looseAnd no, there’s still no Francis for that PFL heavyweight title fight. YawnWe wrap it all up with some current events, a couple of hot takes, and a deep philosophical debateBaccarat, Jack’s first hand at the casino on the weekend. Player or Banker?

Alright, strap in. In this episode we unpack Crawford vs Canelo on Netflix. Jon Anik once again carried the UFC commentary team, Dana looked like he was ready for a nap, and somehow Mr Beast copped a punch from Tyson. The pacing? Mate, 4 fights over 4+ hours. That’s not a fight card, that’s punishment.🛎️ UFC Noche Recap + UFC Perth PreviewBit of a look back at Noche, and we’re looking ahead to UFC Perth, should be a banger if everyone shows up awake this time. Bit of chat about who’s rising, who’s coasting, and what might blow up on the Aussie card.📢 Fight Announcements & NewsCosta vs Shara reckon he bailed once he heard Costa’s game plan.Fluffy’s out, Brendan Allen steps in, does this open the door for Imavov vs Khamzat?Strickland fronts up to Moneyberg, like, literally.Jon Jones gives Dana an apology no one asked for.Kelvin can’t make weight. Again.Holm apparently turned down a fat payday for a rematch.Silva and Lopez nearly chuck hands in a hotel lobby.Conor’s pulled out of the presidential race and… signed Obie Trice to a label? I dunno, mate.🧨 Hot Takes & Unpopular OpinionsA bunch of journos reckon the UFC’s got a star power issue, I call bullshit. Just ’cause no one’s touching peak-Conor doesn’t mean the roster’s empty. You’ve got O’Malley, Khamzat, Ilia, Islam, JDM, DDP, Jones, all household names now, not just niche fight fans. The game’s changed. Stop comparing everyone to McGregor in 2016.📰 Random Mayhem & Current EventsCharlie Kirk’s apparently been murdered — the online reaction is proper cooked.Paul vs Davis not happening in Georgia, and Lopes is shadowboxing KO scenarios already.Big year ahead in 2026. Could be chaos.

Oi legends, back on the mics after a wild week in the fight world.We kick off with a full recap of UFC Paris, where the French delivered carnage. Only two decisions on the entire card, the rest? Straight KOs.Paul Craig got absolutely ironed out at the buzzer, brutal hellbow.BSD made Ruffy look like he’d never seen a mat, got the tap and made it look easy.Caio vs Imavov was a proper scrap, high level, but with a couple of cheeky eye pokes that stirred the pot.Then we look ahead to UFC Noche, solid card, not a PPV, but there’s value if you know where to punt.We drop a few Piestrong punts too, have a crack (or don’t, we’re not your financial advisor).📢 Fight Announcements:Pantoja vs Van locked for Dec 6 at UFC 323Islam vs JDM?? What the hell is happeningZhang vs Shev, Prates vs Edwards, Hooker vs ArmanTopuria vs Almakhan, Yadong vs O’Malley, and yeah Costa’s apparently fighting the “one-eyed bloke”Reports say Ilia’s out till 2026 rough scenes🗞️ MMA News and it’s chaos as usual:Strickland gets roastedDanis and Rockhold throw hands at the weigh-in, now Danis reckons DC’s nextJamie Foxx opens up about the Tyson biopicVolk lands a movie gig, Cejudo arrested, Anderson Silva wins a lawsuitBo Nickel slander, Pico KO’d into a 6-month layoff, and Merab’s calling out Petr YanOh, and Colby wants in on the White House cardGordon Ryan says a year with DDP and he’s ready for Khamzat, okay mate🔥 Hot Take of the Week:Who’s the most disliked fighter in the UFC right now... and why is it Belal?🥋 CJI Recap to wrap it up:Day 1 had solid grappling but way too much stalling, bit of a letdownCJ threw $50K per sub on Day 2 to get things moving, and it workedB-Team got the dub, but it wasn’t without dramaThe money guys handed New Wave $1M, even though CJ didn’t want it, got overruledHelena dominated the women’s division and took home $100KAnd the open scoring in the women’s matches? Honestly sick. UFC should seriously look at itPress play, grab a cold one, and let’s get into it.

Gday Legends, this week we have Anthony Costa on, owner and operator of Cosbuild, a builder based out of Dubbo.He tells us about his upbringing and his stint in collegiate level Soccer, accepting when things don't go your way and adapting to changes moving forward.We deep dive into his mindset and what makes him tick.How he's dealt with adversity by not falling into the victim mentality and holding yousself to account.We get into sports and discuss the goats of multiple sports.Who's the goat MJ, Lebron or Kobe?

G’day, ya pelicans Join us as we chat about all the latest in UFC and MMA recap the wild UFC Shanghai fight night and gear up for UFC Paris. We’re also talkin’ about the big fight announcements: Izzy v Paulo 2 in Abu Dhabi, Volk vs Murphy at UFC 323, Ian Garry vs Leon Edwards at UFC 322 and plenty more action comin’ your way! We’ll also be diving into the latest news fighters’ wins and losses, some drama in the octagon, bans, and some funny moments. Sound off on the retirements, the up-and-comers, and what’s hot in MMA right now. Sit back, crack a cold one, and let’s get stuck into the world of fightin’ Aussie style!

Back for another round, and there’s plenty to chew through this week. We run through the chaos that was UFC 319, a heap of new fight rumours, a few blokes calling each other out (again), and some absolutely cooked takes from around the MMA world. Here's what’s on the table:🥊 Fight News & MatchupsTopuria vs Wellmaker at UFC 320? Could be on.Ortega vs Sterling going 5 rounds in Shanghai.MVP and Prates have "verbally agreed" whatever that means.RDR vs Fluffy Hernandez could be the key to Khamzat’s next step.Arman might have a November scrap lined up, a few names floating.Jake Paul vs Tank… even Jake sounds bored.Kevin Holland vs Mike Malott also getting mentioned.💸 The Mutt Multi & PPV BetsWe had some punts. Most of them failed. Painfully.Still, a few sneaky wins here and there, Matt with the comeback, Brad keeping it tidy, and Jack… yeah nah.🗞️ Around the MMA TrapsDan Hooker rips into Charlie OlivesMcGregor still banging on about fighting at the White HouseGable Steveson making his MMA debut soonJDM throws out a cracker of an ideaUSADA’s gone but the tinfoil hats are still outCosta wants a refundNew pound-for-pound rankings droppedAnd yeah… who the hell wrote that post?🔥 Hot Takes & Random QuestionsIf you had to fight a top-15 bloke in your weight class for 10k/10k, who are you picking?Welterweight: Best division in the UFC right now?Old school vs new gen, who you backing in a scrap?Get it in your ears, no fluff, just fight talk and a few laughs along the way.