MMA Fighting

Latest Episodes:

On To the Next One | Will McGregor vs. Diaz 3 Happen In the UFC? | Ask Mike & AK Anything Part 6 May 28, 2023

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With the UFC in a rare off week, the MMA Fighting matchmakers return with their sixth installment of "Ask Mike & AK anything" to fill in the gaps.

On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee answer listener submitted questions for the entire program. Topics include how Bellator champions would stack up against UFC titleholders, Dana White's attitude as of late and if he will be held accountable at all for the negative feedback he's received from fans, if a potential trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz will happen in the UFC, Bellator's new flyweight division, The Ultimate Fighter, journalism ethics questions that have surfaced recently, when Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington will happen, the PFL's big deal with Francis Ngannou, and more.

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Roundtable: What Is Dana White’s Most Memorable Feud With A UFC Champion? May 27, 2023

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UFC President Dana White and bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling are making headlines right now with a public feud over Sterling possibly not being ready for UFC 292, which would be shocking were it not for the boss' long history of butting heads with some of the promotion's biggest stars.

From all-time greats to unappreciated champs, White has frequently found ways to get on the bad side of UFC titleholders. Sometimes it's about money, sometimes it's about fighters bowing down to the UFC's plans, and sometimes it feels like White just doesn't like someone. Regardless, it's never a bad time to refresh everyone's memory when it comes to White's bizarre penchant for anti-promotion.

MMA Fighting's Shaheen Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew, dig deep into the mind of the most powerful man in MMA to figure out what motivates these constant conflicts and discuss the four most important White vs. UFC champion grudges.

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HOAM | Aljamain Sterling Deserves Better, Reliving Memorable Memorial Day Weekend UFC Cards May 26, 2023

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Aljamain Sterling has been catching some strays as of late from UFC President Dana White, who said that the bantamweight champion "can't seem to get out of his own way" after Sterling wanted to get some lingering injuries checked out following his recent fight with Henry Cejudo earlier this month. Surely, one of the company's world champions deserves better, right?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses the way Sterling has been treated as of late ahead of his quick turnaround scheduled title defense against Sean O'Malley at UFC 292 in August, Henry Cejudo wanting to add his name to the mix, and how actual promotion is being graded for the UFC and its fighters. Additionally, listener questions include the NBA Eastern Conference finals and the Celtics dominating the Heat in Game 5, how the UFC at this point in the game feels similar to the WWE during the Hulk Hogan era before WCW changed the game a decade or so later, memorable Memorial Day weekend cards in the UFC, including UFC 146 and UFC 160, and more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

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DAMN! They Were Good: B.J. Penn's Place In The Pantheon Of MMA Greats May 26, 2023

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DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of the most exciting and influential fighters in MMA history, and on this episode, the MMA Fighting crew remembers the best of former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, B.J. Penn.

As the first non-Brazilian to ever win gold at the BJJ World Championships, Penn entered the UFC in 2001 with an immense amount of hype, and over his 18-year career, the man named “The Prodigy” more than lived up to his moniker.

Arguably the best lightweight in the world at the time, just three years into his MMA career, Penn did the unthinkable, jumping up a weight class and submitting the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, Matt Hughes, to claim his first UFC title. After that historic win, Penn bounced around, chasing ever greater feats, like destroying lineal lightweight champion Duane Ludwig and then facing off with future light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, losing a competitive decision.

In 2008, Penn finally decided to stop chasing his fights of fancy and put his head down to stake out a legacy at lightweight, claiming the title with a win over Joe Stevenson to become the second fighter in history to win titles in two weight classes inside the UFC, and still the only man to win the lightweight and welterweight belts.

For nearly a decade, Penn chased greatness anywhere he could in a way that few ever have. That daring made him beloved to fans and respected among his fellow fighters. Even to this day, all time greats like Anderson Silva have called him the greatest fighter ever, and so for this edition of DAMN, host Jed Meshew is joined by MMAFighting’s Shaheen Al-Shatti and Eric Jackman to remember their favorite moments from “The Prodigy.”

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BTL | Dana White vs. Francis Ngannou & Aljamain Sterling, Jones vs. Fury | Fan Q&A Edition May 25, 2023

Show notes

This week on Between the Links, the MMA Fighting crew is turning the programming over to you, the live viewers, as they banter about your topics in regards to the biggest stories in combat sports.

The panel will take your questions all show long about anything you want to talk about in the world of #MMA — including Dana White's response to Francis Ngannou signing with the PFL, the UFC President's comments about Aljamain Sterling and the current bantamweight champion's responses ahead of his UFC 292 title defense against Sean O'Malley in Boston, White saying he'd welcome a Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury fight inside the octagon, Israel Adesanya's potential opponent for UFC 293 in Sydney, Mackenzie Dern's big win this past weekend and her eye-opening interview on The MMA Hour, and more.

Join MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew as they make up the panel on this week's program.

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HOAM | Is Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman the Fight To Make? May 25, 2023

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A lot of MMA fans seem to be excited about a potential matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. With Chimaev recently teasing the matchup himself, and saying it would take place at 170, is that the fight to make?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses the possibility of the fight, it being a potential welterweight fight, and why he isn't going to believe it until he sees it. Additionally, listener questions include the ongoing back-and-forth between UFC President Dana White and bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, Belal Muhammad recently saying that Colby Covington is nervous he may lose his welterweight title shot against Leon Edwards, if Muhammad should be the one who should be nervous about his placement in the championship picture, a future TV deal to the UFC, and more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

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Trocação Franca | Não é fogo de palha: Amanda Lemos no cinturão, Mackenzie Dern 2.0 May 24, 2023

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O Brasil tem ótimas frentes pelo cinturão dos palhas no UFC, e o Trocação Franca dessa semana recebe as duas. Amanda Lemos, confirmada pelo título, fala da luta com Zhang Weili após abandonar o esporte para virar mototaxista em Belém, e Mackenzie Dern comenta o atropelo em Angela Hill na luta principal do último final de semana.

O melhor do MMA brasileiro no Trocação Franca, toda semana, com o jornalista Guilherme Cruz e convidados.

Brazil has several contenders in UFC’s strawweight division, and this week’s Trocação Franca welcomes two solid 115ers — Amanda Lemos, next in line for the gold, breaks down has clash with champ Zhang Weili years after quitting the sport to become a motorcycle taxi driver in her hometown, and Mackenzie Dern, who discusses her dominating victory over Angela Hill at this past week’s UFC Vegas 73.

Listen to Trocação Franca with Guilherme Cruz every week to hear from the biggest names on the hottest topics in the Brazilian combat sports world.

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HOAM | Who Is Israel Adesanya Going To Fight At UFC 293? May 23, 2023

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Israel Adesanya is expected to headline the UFC's return to Sydney in September, but with so many fights booked in the middleweight division, along with quick turnaround times being a factor, it seems up in the air as to who Adesanya will face on that card. Will there be a shuffling of the deck, so to speak, or will the UFC give Adesanya a second opportunity to become a two-division champion against Jamahal Hill?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck gives his thoughts on who Adesanya could fight next, the issue with booking Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis two months prior at UFC 290, and making the case for a new lineup of fights at 185 — which includes moving Du Plessis to the title fight with Adesanya in September. Additionally, topics include Dana White's reaction to Francis Ngannou signing with the UFC, White's comments about UFC bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling, Alex Pereira's move up to 205, when Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington could happen in 2023, and more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

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Fighter vs. Writer: Matt Brown Doesn’t Believe Conor McGregor Will Ever Be a Top 5 Ranked Fighter Again May 23, 2023

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The Fighter vs. The Writer returns with Matt Brown and Damon Martin debating the latest news in MMA including Dana White’s comments about the PFL signing Francis Ngannou.

This past weekend, White revealed his thoughts on Ngannou joining the PFL roster after he left the UFC in free agency. White stated emphatically that he didn’t understand the PFL business model as the company signed Ngannou to a very lucrative deal while struggling to earn TV ratings or sell tickets at events.

But did the PFL actually make a bad move signing Ngannou in free agency?

Plus, we’ll discuss the news that Conor McGregor is officially returning to the UFC’s anti-doping program, which should clear the way for him to face off with Michael Chandler later this year.

While Brown admits that he’s still skeptical about McGregor actually fighting again, one thing he’s certain about is the Irish superstar never reaching a championship or even status as a top five ranked fighter in the world again.

Finally, we’ll discuss the boxing match between Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko from this past weekend and how we scored the fight.

All this and more on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer!

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