Crooklyn’s Corner 21: Getting to know fight analyst Zane Simon

June M. Williams

Episode 21 discussion: Stephie interviews Bloody Elbow’s own Zane Simon about his journey from fan to analyst, his pick for best divisions, strikers and more

Welcome to Crooklyn’s Corner, the podcast that’s basically a hodgepodge of topics focused on the combat sports and entertainment community. The show will feature special interviews, fantasy matchmaking/analysis and whatever else we can come up with to keep our listeners steeped in fresh and engaging content. The show is hosted by Stephie Haynes and airs when needed to fill gaps in our Bloody Elbow Presents podcast network.

Here is a summary of the topics discussed or questions asked. Time stamps won’t always be available as our conversations tend to be very fluid and bounce back & forth frequently. However, when fantasy matchmaking and analysis is the focal point of an episode, we will definitely timestamp when each fight breakdown begins. As always, I hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as I enjoyed recording it.

June M. Williams

MMA Analyst Series Guest: Zane Simon & Your Host: Stephie Haynes

EPISODE 21: The MMA Analyst Interview Series - Zane Simon

1. What drew you to MMA when you first started following the sport, and how long was it from that point until you started covering it? — At 2:07
2. Who is your all-time favorite fighter? Least favorite? — At 6:50 & 9:07
3. You are always the one to find the bright points in lackluster fights. Are there any on the horizon that might seem like duds that we should make the time to watch? — 11:15
4. Which division would you say is underrated, if any? — 15:19
5. What’s your favorite division? — 17:11
6. What in-fight mistake do you see the most? — 17:27
7. Large vs. small octagon — 20:12
8. What discipline do you appreciate the most? — 22:05
9. Who has the best boxing in your opinion? — 24:56
10. Where do you think Jiri Prochazka’s ceiling lies? — 29:07
11. What changes to the ruleset would you like to see, if any? — 34:59
12. Who do you think is the best referee? — 38:18
13. What was your opinion of Pride? Was it superior to UFC in your eyes? — 41:01
14. There’s a lot of debate about where Fedor’s place is in the GOAT conversation. Where do you put him? — 43:55
15. If you could match any old fighter in their prime with any current fighter, what would be the contest you’d want to see? — 46:24
16. If you could build the perfect fighter using components from other fighters, how would that look? — 48:56

*Off Topic

• Five favorite movies — 56:57:

1. Blade Runner - The Original, June 25, 1982
2. Thief - March 27, 1981
3. Phantom of the Paradise - October 31, 1974
4. Solaris - February 5, 1972
5. Yojimbo - April 25, 1961
6. Once Upon a Time in the West - July 4, 1969

• Three movie recommendations from your personal library — 1:03:26:

1. Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes - September 26, 1986 (Poland)
2. Salute of the Jugger: aka, The Blood of Heroes - February 23, 1990
3. Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight - January 13, 1995

You can check out the entire show here. Remember, if you’re looking for us on SoundCloud or iTunes, we’re under the Bloody Elbow Presents name. Follow Crooklyn’s Twitter account: Stephie Haynes and the show account Crooklyn’s Corner.

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