Best School of Communication, The University of Akron Podcasts (2025)

1
Bobby "Bodybags" Smith 23:44

22d ago23:44

23:44

Bobby "Bodybags" Smith joins host Jake Murren on Episode 115 of Forged in Ohio. Bobby is a 4-1 amateur mixed martial artist who is set to fight for his first MMA championship. In this episode, Bobby talks about his competitive fire for combat sports, the fast start to his amateur career, challenging himself in his first title fight, and so much mor…

1
RJ "The Hammer" Harris 40:49

2M ago40:49

40:49

RJ "The Hammer" Harris joins host Jake Murren on Episode 114 of Forged in Ohio. RJ is a 1-0 professional mixed martial artist and is must-see every time he fights. In this episode, RJ talks about his journey in combat sports, being involved in some of the best heavyweight wars in Ohio MMA history, the submission win in his pro debut, and so much mo…

1
Mark "Man of Faith" Trifelos 31:47

2M ago31:47

31:47

Mark "Man of Faith" Trifelos joins host Jake Murren on Episode 113 of Forged in Ohio. Mark is a 4-1 amateur mixed martial artist who recently won Ohio Combat League's middleweight championship. In this episode, Mark talks about winning his first amateur title, committing himself to MMA, his four straight submission wins, and so much more. Mark's an…

1
Kyle "Bam Bam" Barga 26:10

2M ago26:10

26:10

Kyle "Bam Bam" Barga joins host Jake Murren on Episode 112 of Forged in Ohio. Kyle is a 5-0 amateur mixed martial artist who recently won BCM Promotions bantamweight championship. In this episode, Kyle talks about his five-year journey in mixed martial arts, proving himself by becoming BCM's bantamweight champion, his goals for 2025, and so much mo…

1
Jackson Dougherty 30:32

2M ago30:32

30:32

Jackson Dougherty joins host Jake Murren on Episode 111 of Forged in Ohio. Jackson is a 4-0 amateur mixed martial artist at only 20 years old. In this episode, Jackson talks about how he got started in combat sports, how he's won all of his fights by rear-naked choke, his ceiling in mixed martial arts, and more. The hype behind Jackson is real, as …

1
Dusty "The Warrior" Shaffer 2 38:43

3M ago38:43

38:43

Dusty "The Warrior" Shaffer joins host Jake Murren for the second time on Episode 110 of Forged in Ohio. Dusty's a 3-1 professional mixed martial artist who is coming off a co-main event win at Caged Thunder 29: Hall of Fame Fights. In this episode, Dusty talks about the feud between him and his opponent Antonio Castillo Jr., the chaos that night a…

1
Connor "Showtime" Smith 33:10

3M ago33:10

33:10

Connor "Showtime" Smith joins host Jake Murren on Episode 109 of Forged in Ohio. Connor is a 5-3 amateur mixed martial artist at only 20 years old. In this episode, Connor talks about winning his last fight at Caged Thunder 29, how his passion for pro wrestling has influenced him as a fighter, coaching a youth BJJ class at Smile Back Training Cente…

1
Andrew "The Gavel" Law 50:48

4M ago50:48

50:48

Andrew "The Gavel" Law joins host Jake Murren on Episode 108 of Forged in Ohio. Andrew is a 13-7 professional mixed martial artist and the head coach of Route 250 Martial Arts. In this episode, Andrew talks about winning his 20th pro fight last month, being so close to breaking through in the sport, his passion for coaching at Route 250, and so muc…

1
Branson "The One" Price 2 24:14

5M ago24:14

24:14

Branson "The One" Price joins host Jake Murren for the second time on Episode 107 of Forged in Ohio. Branson's a 6-1 amateur mixed martial artist who is set to make his pro debut this Saturday at Caged Thunder 29: Hall of Fame Fights. In this episode, Branson talks about how proud he is of his amateur career, how excited he is to make his long-awai…

1
Robby "The Hebrew Heartthrob" Malof 43:30

5M ago43:30

43:30

Robby "The Hebrew Heartthrob" Malof joins host Jake Murren on Episode 106 of Forged in Ohio. Robby is a 3-0 professional mixed martial artist, a high-level BJJ practitioner, and the promoter of Limitless FC. In this episode, Robby talks about returning to MMA last month after a five-year layoff, his future plans in combat sports, his vision for Lim…

1
Cody "The Warrior" Wilson 2 20:41

5M ago20:41

20:41

Cody "The Warrior" Wilson joins host Jake Murren on Episode 105 of Forged in Ohio. Cody's a 4-1 amateur mixed martial artist who is set to compete for his first MMA title at Caged Thunder 29: Hall of Fame Fights. In this episode, Cody talks about his fourth straight win at Caged Thunder 28, why he called out Luke McMurtry, competing against Luke in…

1
From Youth National Team to Pro: Élisabeth Tsé’s Soccer Story 21:49

6M ago21:49

21:49

In this episode, Élisabeth Tsé shares the story of her soccer career, from signing her first professional contract with HAC in France to the key steps that led her there, including balancing academics with football. We dive into her accomplishments with the Canadian National Team, her challenges with the Youth National Team, overcoming injuries, an…

1
"Killa" Cam Jenkins 41:04

6M ago41:04

41:04

"Killa" Cam Jenkins joins host Jake Murren on Episode 104 of Forged in Ohio. Cam is a 2-1 amateur mixed martial artist who is coming off a dominant showing at Ohio Combat League 32. In this episode, Cam talks about how he got into combat sports, suffering a significant setback ahead of his MMA debut, the bizarre factors in his second fight, rebound…

1
Recruitment and Opportunity: Ethan Doukhan on His First College Season 24:39

6M ago24:39

24:39

In this episode, Ethan Doukhan shares the reasons behind his decision to leave Canada and pursue soccer in the United States. He discusses the steps he took during the recruiting process and how he ultimately chose Harford Community College. Ethan highlights the importance of finding the right fit in terms of the school, soccer program, and financi…

1
Chris "The Grit" Droege 32:52

6M ago32:52

32:52

Chris "The Grit" Droege joins host Jake Murren on Episode 103 of Forged in Ohio. Chris is a 5-1 amateur mixed martial artist who recently became Made Men Promotions middleweight champion. In this episode, Chris talks about how he got into MMA after wrestling at a high level, winning his first amateur MMA championship, if a pro debut could be in the…

1
A Keeper's Perspective: The U.S. vs. French Soccer Culture 15:31

6M ago15:31

15:31

In this episode, Pénélope Cuirinier reflects on her formative years at the professional soccer academy of Olympique Lyonnais in France, where she honed her skills over the course of 10 years. She then contrasts soccer culture in the U.S. with France football culture, sharing her insights on the differences in playing styles and the evolution of her…

1
"Undead" Jeremy Riley 2 30:24

6M ago30:24

30:24

"Undead" Jeremy Riley joins host Jake Murren on Episode 102 of Forged in Ohio. Jeremy is a 5-4 amateur mixed martial artist who is scheduled to make his pro debut against Will Myers at the Canton Civic Center on December 21st. In this episode, Jeremy talks about his fight of the year contender against RJ Harris, earning another highlight KO win in …

1
Kicking Through Setbacks: Clara Knöpke's U.S. Soccer Journey 14:55

6M ago14:55

14:55

In this episode, Laurie sits down with Clara Knöpke to discuss her journey to the U.S. to play NCAA Division I soccer at the University of Akron. Clara opens up about the challenges she faced as an international student-athlete, including dealing with injuries, navigating culture shock, and adjusting to the differences between soccer in the U.S. an…

1
Robi Cvitic 25:08

6M ago25:08

25:08

Robi Cvitic joins host Jake Murren on Episode 101 of Forged in Ohio. Robi is a 4-0 amateur mixed martial artist with an upcoming title fight in Kentucky on December 7th. In this episode, Robi talks about his latest win against Nic Lute, fighting in his opponent's backyard for his first amateur title, if he expected such a strong start to his career…

1
Week of 100 Episodes: Asher "Shock N Rock" Frederick 3 33:13

6M ago33:13

33:13

Asher "Shock N Rock" Frederick joins host Jake Murren in the Week of 100 Episodes for Forged in Ohio. Asher has won two fights since he was last on the show to improve his professional MMA record to 4-2. In this episode, Asher talks about training in Las Vegas at Xtreme Couture, his last two dominant main-event wins for Ohio Combat League, when fan…

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Week of 100 Episodes: Joshua "The Flyin Hawaiian" Perreira 4 45:37

6M ago45:37

45:37

Joshua "The Flyin Hawaiian" Perreira joins host Jake Murren in the Week of 100 Episodes for Forged in Ohio. Josh is a 5-0 professional mixed martial artist who is coming off his first pro title win at SICP 6: Fall Brawl. In this episode, Josh talks about his fifth professional MMA win, the technique involved in the triangle choke, the key to mainta…

1
Welcome Aboard: Laurie's Footy Adventure Begins 5:01

6M ago5:01

5:01

In this inaugural episode, Laurie shares her personal soccer journey across various countries and explores her motivations. She also gives a sneak peek at some of the exciting guests lined up for future episodes! We hope you will enjoy this episode!By Laurie-Anne Renaud

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Week of 100 Episodes: Alex Henry 1:00:15

7M ago1:00:15

1:00:15

Alex Henry joins host Jake Murren in the Week of 100 Episodes for Forged in Ohio. Alex is the lead commentator and co-matchmaker of Caged Thunder. In this episode, Alex talks about what sparked his interest in MMA, the challenges of being an MMA commentator, what it means to him to become a matchmaker, and so much more. Alex is a voice that many Oh…

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Week of 100 Episodes: Anthony "The Bagel" Jagel 3 1:06:21

7M ago1:06:21

1:06:21

Anthony "The Bagel" Jagel joins host Jake Murren in the Week of 100 Episodes for Forged in Ohio. Anthony is a 2-0 professional mixed martial artist with his third pro fight coming up on November 2nd. In this episode, Anthony talks about the layoff between his first two pro fights, how he kept his passion for MMA, his latest decision win for CFFC, c…

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Week of 100 Episodes: "Mad" Max Metzgar 4 46:44

7M ago46:44

46:44

"Mad" Max Metzgar joins host Jake Murren in the Week of 100 Episodes for Forged in Ohio. Max is a 2-0 professional fighter who is looking to improve to 3-0 before the end of 2024. In this episode, Max talks about his latest win at Ohio Combat League 31, the competition he's beat in his first two pro fights, a body punch raffle he participated in, w…

1
Jeremiah Slagle 37:18

7M ago37:18

37:18

Jeremiah Slagle joins host Jake Murren on Episode 99 of Forged in Ohio. Jeremiah is a 4-2 amateur mixed martial artist with an upcoming fight on November 9th for Made Men Promotions. In this episode, Jeremiah talks about why he started wrestling, becoming the Master Combatives Trainer for the Ohio Army National Guard, his undefeated opponent in his…

1
Dr. Dylan Seeley 43:07

7M ago43:07

43:07

Dr. Dylan Seeley joins host Jake Murren on Episode 98 of Forged in Ohio. Dylan is a chiropractor and performance coach who works with a variety of athletes in Ohio. In this episode, Dylan talks about starting his own clinic Inferno Performance and Rehab, what he works on with MMA fighters, how important it is for fighters to be aware of the health …

1
David "The Hippie" Leasure 37:16

7M ago37:16

37:16

David "The Hippie" Leasure joins host Jake Murren on Episode 97 of Forged in Ohio. David is a 3-2 amateur mixed martial artist who is fighting in the main event of BCM Promotions Fight Night 18 on October 19th. In this episode, David talks about why he started fighting, staying calm inside the cage, fighting the #1 amateur bantamweight in Ohio, thr…

1
Jordon Tague 26:39

8M ago26:39

26:39

Jordon Tague joins host Jake Murren on Episode 96 of Forged in Ohio. Jordon is a 4-1 amateur mixed martial artist who will fight in the main event of Caged Thunder NexGen Fight Series 3 for the promotion's lightweight championship on October 5th. In this episode, Jordon talks about his wrestling background translating to MMA, the first five fights …

1
Sinisa Jovic 40:35

8M ago40:35

40:35

Sinisa Jovic joins host Jake Murren on Episode 95 of Forged in Ohio. Sinisa is a 2-0 amateur mixed martial artist who is coming off an emphatic first-round KO win at Caged Thunder 28: Fight Night in the Flats. In this episode, Sinisa talks about the left hook that knocked out his opponent 41 seconds into the fight, competing against someone who has…

1
Brody "Big Dawg" Rutledge 32:12

8M ago32:12

32:12

Brody "Big Dawg" Rutledge joins host Jake Murren on Episode 94 of Forged in Ohio. Brody is a 2-0 amateur mixed martial artist who is coming off a stunning, 6-second KO win at Ohio Combat League 31. In this episode, Brody talks about how the knockout was the execution of his gameplan, how much he's learned since his amateur MMA debut in 2021, the im…

1
Nick "Jaws" Walls 34:41

8M ago34:41

34:41

Nick "Jaws" Walls joins host Jake Murren on Episode 93 of Forged in Ohio. Nick is a 1-0 professional mixed martial artist who had an incredible pro-MMA debut at Caged Thunder 28: Fight Night in the Flats. In this episode, Nick talks about how he fought freely in his pro-MMA debut, winning via knockout in the second round, how his 13 amateur fights …

1
Luke McMurtry 4 33:34

8M ago33:34

33:34

Luke McMurtry joins host Jake Murren for the fourth time on Episode 92 of Forged in Ohio. Luke's a 6-2 amateur mixed martial artist and former Caged Thunder featherweight champion. In this episode, Luke talks about his performance at Caged Thunder 28: Fight Night in the Flats, bouncing back from losing two fights in a row, how he intends to win bac…

1
"MB3" Matt Brown 33:17

9M ago33:17

33:17

"MB3" Matt Brown joins host Jake Murren on Episode 91 of Forged in Ohio. Matt is a 3-1 amateur mixed martial artist who is coming off a win last month on 10 days notice. In this episode, Matt talks about the valuable experience of winning a fight on short notice, never going to the judge's scorecards in his four career fights, coming back from gett…

1
Jacob Toth 31:34

9M ago31:34

31:34

Jacob Toth joins host Jake Murren on Episode 90 of Forged in Ohio. Jacob is a 4-0 amateur mixed martial artist who is coming off a 43-second win in the main event of Caged Thunder: NexGen Fight Series 2. In this episode, Jacob talks about all four of his wins coming via first-round submission, how he studies his opponents, if a Caged Thunder title …

1
Alekzander Hazelwood 33:27

9M ago33:27

33:27

Alekzander Hazelwood joins host Jake Murren on Episode 89 of Forged in Ohio. Alekzander is a 2-0 amateur mixed martial artist representing Ronin Training Center. In this episode, Alekzander talks about his passion for fighting, the two finishes on his record, when he'd like to compete next, his goals, and so much more. Alekzander has looked incredi…

1
Jake Digman 1:04:47

9M ago1:04:47

1:04:47

Jake Digman joins host Jake Murren for Episode 88 of Forged in Ohio. Jake Digman is a "Master of Ceremonies," who has over 20 years of experience in combat sports. In this episode, Jake talks about why Caged Thunder 28: Fight Night in the Flats is personal to him, how "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler had a part in getting him into MMA, being in the movie "…

1
"Bad" Matt Adams 2 55:20

10M ago55:20

55:20

"Bad" Matt Adams joins host Jake Murren for the second time on Episode 87 of Forged in Ohio. Matt's a 2-1 professional mixed martial artist who is set to make his LFA debut against Alex Marro on August 2nd at LFA 189. In this episode, Matt talks about his three pro fights so far, competing in bare knuckle boxing for BKFC, his upcoming fight for LFA…

1
Cody "The Warrior" Wilson 23:12

10M ago23:12

23:12

Cody "The Warrior" Wilson joins host Jake Murren on Episode 86 of Forged in Ohio. Cody's a 3-1 amateur mixed martial artist who is set to compete for his first MMA title at Caged Thunder 28: Fight Night in the Flats. In this episode, Cody talks about winning all three of his fights this year inside the distance, taking two fights in one month, how …

1
Bryan Clark 43:36

10M ago43:36

43:36

Bryan Clark joins host Jake Murren on Episode 85 of Forged in Ohio. Bryan's only the second coach to ever join the show, as he's the owner and head coach of Apex Fight Systems. In this episode, Bryan talks about how he started coaching MMA, the growing pains of establishing a mixed martial arts gym, what it takes to be a good coach in this sport, a…

1
Dusty "The Warrior" Shaffer 44:33

10M ago44:33

44:33

Dusty "The Warrior" Shaffer joins host Jake Murren on Episode 84 of Forged in Ohio. Dusty is a 2-0 professional fighter who is set to fight Abbas Abasov on July 13th for Made Men Promotions. In this episode, Dusty talks about the challenge ahead of him on July 13th, how he thinks he'll get the job done, his first two pro fights this year, what he's…

1
Mark "The Meat Train" Gordon 33:51

11M ago33:51

33:51

Mark "The Meat Train" Gordon joins host Jake Murren on Episode 83 of Forged in Ohio. Mark is a 1-0 professional fighter who is set to fight AJ Frye on July 13th for Made Men Promotions. In this episode, Mark talks about his pro debut last February which lasted 14 seconds, his gym Revolution Fight and Fitness, his biggest strength as a heavyweight f…

1
Jack "The Ripper" Schaal 26:27

11M ago26:27

26:27

Jack "The Ripper" Schaal joins host Jake Murren on Episode 82 of Forged in Ohio. Jack is a 3-0 amateur mixed martial artist who is coming off a first-round leg scissors submission win at Caged Thunder 27. In this episode, Jack talks about fighting three times in four months to start his career, winning all of his fights in the first round, who he w…

1
Charlie "Oneway Manson" Payne 2 33:17

11M ago33:17

33:17

Charlie "Oneway Manson" Payne joins host Jake Murren for the second time on Episode 81 of Forged in Ohio. Charlie improved to 2-0 in his pro-MMA career following a TKO win at Caged Thunder 27 on June 1st. In this episode, Charlie talks about what it takes for him to cut down to welterweight, feeling more powerful in his latest win, picking fun walk…

1
Ethan "Hollywood" Shirk 49:57

11M ago49:57

49:57

Ethan "Hollywood" Shirk joins host Jake Murren on Episode 80 of Forged in Ohio. Ethan is a 2-0 amateur mixed martial artist who is coming off an impressive first-round stoppage win at Ohio Combat League 29. In this episode, Ethan talks about how his journey in combat sports started, fighting without a team in his amateur debut, talking trash to his…

1
"Mad" Max Metzgar 3 49:19

11M ago49:19

49:19

"Mad" Max Metzgar joins host Jake Murren for the third time on Episode 79 of Forged in Ohio. Max is a 1-0 professional mixed martial artist who made his long-awaited pro debut at Ohio Combat League 29. In this episode, Max talks about the dominant performance in his pro debut, going through a 15-month layoff, finding something worthwhile to do in l…

1
JT Isenberg 37:30

12M ago37:30

37:30

JT Isenberg joins host Jake Murren for Episode 78 of Forged in Ohio. JT's a 3-1 amateur mixed martial artist who has an upcoming Bizzaro Promotions Lightweight title fight on August 3rd against Devon Watkins. In this episode, JT talks about how backyard fighting sparked his interest into MMA, winning three in a row after losing his amateur debut, w…

1
Clinton "The Courageous" Ewing 46:31

12M ago46:31

46:31

Clinton "The Courageous" Ewing joins host Jake Murren for Episode 77 of Forged in Ohio. Clinton's a 6-4 amateur mixed martial artist who is coming off a win against Matt Dugan for the Made Men Promotion's Featherweight Championship. In this episode, Clinton talks about winning five of his six amateur fights via submission, finishing his amateur car…

1
Hunter Watt 2 34:08

1y ago34:08

34:08

Hunter Watt joins host Jake Murren for the second time on Episode 76 of Forged in Ohio. Hunter is a 2-0 professional mixed martial artist coming off an impressive win at Caged Thunder 26. In this episode, Hunter talks about waiting for the right time to turn pro, how life changes when you make that transition, both his pro debut and recent win at C…

1
Kobe "Yellow Mamba" Woodall 2 33:35

1y ago33:35

33:35

Kobe "Yellow Mamba" Woodall joins host Jake Murren for the second time on Episode 75 of Forged in Ohio. Kobe is a 2-1 professional mixed martial artist, and he's coming off a co-main event win at Caged Thunder 26. In this episode, Kobe talks about the brawl in his pro debut, breaking his arm following his first pro loss, coming back and winning at …

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