Mike Bibby, Andre Ward & Urijah Faber Reveal What Sacramento State Is Really Building | COMBAT U

Andre Ward, Matt Barnes, and Urijah Faber hit Sacramento State for the first-ever Combat U panel, joined by university president Dr. Luke Wood, head basketball coach Mike Bibby, rising star Ayahna Gonzales, and more. This isn’t your typical fight podcast. This is a live event inside the only collegiate combat sports program in the country, where Hall of Famers across boxing, MMA, and basketball are building something nobody’s ever seen before.

Andre breaks down what it means to be the GM of a college boxing team. Urijah lays out his full vision for creating a legitimate pathway from college to the UFC. Dr. Luke Wood shares his unbelievable journey from being born in prison and living in his car at Sac State to becoming its president. Mike Bibby talks about convincing Shaq to be the basketball GM in five seconds flat, coaching with his son, and what it’s really like rebuilding a program from scratch with 15 new players. And Ayahna Gonzales, Sac State’s first female boxing All-American, talks about her path from gymnastics to the ring and why she wants to be a doctor, not a pro boxer.

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0:00 – Intro / Warmup Footage
0:31 – Andre Ward & Brandon Gonzalez on Building Combat U at SAC State
5:54 – Ward, Matt Barnes & Urijah Faber on What They Hope Students Gain
11:01 – Urijah Faber’s Vision: Creating a Clear Pathway for Combat Athletes
17:28 – Dr. Luke Wood Joins: Why SAC State Is the Place to Be Right Now
20:00 – Dr. Wood on Using Athletics to Create Access for Black & Brown Youth
32:16 – How Shaq Became GM of the Men’s Basketball Program
35:31 – Ayahna “The Great” Gonzales: SAC State’s First Female Boxing All-American
40:19 – Ayahna on Balancing Pre-Med & Being a Role Model for Young Female Fighters
45:03 – Mike Bibby & Prophet Johnson Join the Panel
52:18 – Bibby on Recruiting Shaq & the Docu Series with Overtime / Omaha Productions
57:18 – Bibby on Winning a National Championship as a Freshman at Arizona
1:01:33 – Fan Q&A Begins: Andre Ward on Breaking Down Opponents
1:02:47 – Ward on Sparring with Terence “Bud” Crawford After Retirement
1:03:53 – On Promoting Combat Sports to Parents & Kids: Fighting Without Bullying
1:04:57 – Biggest Obstacle in Life, Sports & Business
1:07:51 – Navigating the Mental Battle: Faith, Focus & Your Circle
1:10:05 – Closing Remarks

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