'Outside The Cage' Podcast: Wall-To-Wall Bellator 180 Talk

NEW YORK (WFAN) -- With Conor McGregor leaving the cage to lace up his boxing gloves, Bellator MMA has a great opportunity this summer to chop away at UFC's stranglehold on the mixed-martial arts world.

The promotion's next chance will come on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Bringing a stacked Bellator 180 card to the world's most famous arena, featuring a healthy mix of legends and young talent, could be a recipe for a very memorable night.

LISTEN: 'Outside The Cage' Podcast: Bellator 180 Press Conference

"Outside The Cage" podcast hosts Pete Hoffman and Ike Feldman will be in the building to see legends like Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva, and Fedor Emelianenko, along with current MMA stars such as Phil Davis, Matt Mitrione, Ryan Bader, and Michael Chandler.

On Friday's episode, Pete and Ike caught up with Davis, Mitrione, and Chandler before their big night under the bright lights.

With his famous right hand and all of Russia behind him, Emelianenko, aka "The Last Emperor," is never an easy out. Fedor's opponent, former New York Giant and knockout specialist Matt Mitrione, talked about his big co-main event fight, as well as his relationships with Kimbo Slice and Tiki Barber.

Also, Bellator light-heavyweight champ Davis will be looking to avenge a split-decision loss to Bader. The giddy "Mr. Wonderful" talked about wrestling against Bader in college, how his striking has developed since the move to Bellator MMA, and much more.

Wrapping up this episode, Ike caught up with lightweight champion Chandler, who has been a cornerstone for Bellator MMA for many years. The humble Chandler spoke about his parents' huge impact on his life, wrestling alongside UFC champ Tyron Woodley at Mizzou, and how he stays focused for each opponent.

Please make sure to check back with WFAN.com for future episodes. The podcast can also be heard on iTunes and Play.It.

For more exclusive content, check the guys out on Twitter: @_OutsideTheCage, Pete Hoffman (@TheHoffWFAN) and Isaac Feldman (@ike_cbs)