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Fighter vs. Writer: Matt Brown Talks Francis Ngannou’s Chances for Success in Boxing and If Conor McGregor Losing to Michael Chandler Could Spell the End of His Career Feb 07, 2023

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On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown and Damon Martin talk about Fedor Emelianenko’s retirement, Francis Ngannou’s chances to beat a high-level boxer and what happens if Conor McGregor loses to Michael Chandler.

Brown, who is a noted boxing enthusiast, offers his thoughts on Ngannou transitioning to the sport after leaving the UFC while he’s been teasing a potential showdown with heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Could Ngannou pull off the upset of the century and beat Fury? Brown isn’t so sure about that but what about Ngannou giving Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua a tougher night at the office?

Brown will also give his initial breakdown to the fight that was just booked between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, which will happen after they coach against each other on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter.

While McGregor remains the biggest star in the sport, could a loss to Chandler potentially spell the end of his fighting career?

All this plus we break down the main and co-main events happening at UFC 284 this weekend on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer!

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On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC Vegas 68 Feb 05, 2023

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Serghei Spivac made the most of his first UFC main event spot as he dispatched Derrick Lewis in less than three minutes to cap off UFC Vegas 68 and extend his win streak to three fights. After the quick submission win, how much of a step up should Spivac get?

On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee recap UFC Vegas 68 from a matchmaking perspective and discuss what could be next for Spivak following his biggest career win, along with where Lewis could go. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Devin Clark following his big win over Da Un Jung, Marcin Tybura after defeating Blagoy Ivanov, along with fellow winners Adam Fugitt, Tatsuro Taira, and more.

Also, the hosts discuss Bellator's CBS debut with Bellator 290 this past Saturday, why it was a success, and how to improve upon it should they return to the network.

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Bellator 290 Post-Fight Show | Reaction To Fedor's Final Fight, Bellator's CBS Debut Feb 05, 2023

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Bellator's debut on CBS has come and gone, and the career of the legendary Fedor Emelianenko is officially over, and it wasn't the happy ending most #MMA fans were hoping for.

Following Saturday's Bellator 290 event, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, and Jed Meshew react to Emelianenko's first-round TKO loss to heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in the main event, Bader's classy response to how it all played out, whether or not a fight with Francis Ngannou could happen, how the card performed as a whole, Johnny Eblen's stock after a fantastic performance against Anatoly Tokov to retain his middleweight championship, Brennan Ward's sensational finish of Sabah Homasi, Lorenz Larkin's knockout of the year contender, and more.

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Reaction | Conor McGregor Is Back, Will Fight Michael Chandler After Coaching TUF | MMA Fighting Feb 04, 2023

Show notes

On Saturday morning, UFC president Dana White returned to the promotion's social media channels to announce a variety of news — including the return of Conor McGregor to face Michael Chandler, not only inside the octagon, but as opposing coaches on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and New York Ric react to that news, discuss whether or not it was the right pairing, #UFC287 having an official destination on April 8, and more.

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HOAM | Aljamain Sterling Eyes Featherweight Move, UFC 284 Promotion, More Feb 03, 2023

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Should Aljamain Sterling defeat Henry Cejudo in their targeted title fight in May, the current UFC bantamweight champion says he will likely make the move up to 145 pounds. While some fans have been harsh to Sterling for his comments, this shouldn't come as any surprise as he's been pondering this move for quite some time.

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Sterling's potential move to featherweight and whether or not — if he beats Cejudo — if he should wait to fight Sean O'Malley before making the leap. Additionally, listener topics include the UFC's promotion for UFC 284 and if it's not getting the attention it rightfully deserves, the crowd at UFC 283, Bellator 290 storylines, why Johnny Eblen has the most to gain and lose during the busy weekend in MMA, UFC Vegas 68, Cory Sandhagen vs. Marlon Vera moving to the main event of UFC San Antonio in March, 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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UFC Vegas 68 & Bellator 290 Preview Show | Will Fedor End Legendary Career As Heavyweight Champ? Feb 02, 2023

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Fedor Emelianenko has the opportunity to have one of the best retirement stories in the history of MMA as he will challenge for the Bellator heavyweight championship this Saturday.

Ahead of Emelianenko's final fight against Ryan Bader in the main event of Bellator 290, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew preview the matchup and discuss why "The Last Emperor" could get it done in his swan song, Johnny Eblen's opportunity to boost his star potential against Anatoly Tokov in the co-main event, the super fun main card opener between Sabah Homasi and Brennan Ward, the impact of being on CBS, and more.

Additionally, the panel previews UFC Vegas 68 headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac, what is at stake for "The Black Beast," the return of Doo Ho Choi for the first time since 2019, Tatsuro Taira's potential, and Laura Sanko's UFC color commentary debut.

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BTL | Fedor's Last Ride, Pereira vs. Adesanya & Burns vs. Masivdal At UFC 287, UFC Vegas 68 Feb 02, 2023

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For the final time in an over two-decade legendary career, Fedor Emelianenko will make the walk to compete in an MMA fight.

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel will discuss the swan song for "The Last Emperor" when he faces Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title in the main event of Bellator 290, and the fight card as a whole which will serve as the Bellator debut on CBS. Additionally, topics include Dana White's big announcement this past Friday regarding UFC 287, including Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2 in the headliner, along with Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal at the April 8 event, Max Holloway's return to the octagon against Arnold Allen at the UFC's April 15 event, this Saturday's UFC Vegas6 8 card headlined by Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac, and more.

Host Mike Heck will be joined by MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Eric "New York Ric" Jackman.

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HOAM | Bellator 290 vs. UFC Vegas 68, Bellator Honoring Legends For Fedor's Final Fight Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

With a historic event for Bellator MMA this Saturday, they are putting their best foot forward in the heads up battle with the UFC, which includes the final fight of Fedor Emelianenko's legendary career, along with the sendoff "The Last Emperor" will receive.

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses Saturday's doubleheader, and explains why Bellator 290 is far better than UFC Vegas 68 on paper. Additionally, listener questions include Bellator president Scott Coker's announcement of a host of MMA legends attending the event to honor Emelianenko following his heavyweight title fight with Ryan Bader, the hopes of seeing more things like that to remember the history of the sport, Bloody Elbow's future, whether or not UFC 284 is getting enough promotion, Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski, how Kamaru Usman matches up with Leon Edwards ahead of UFC 286, and much 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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No Bets Barred: Best Bets For Saturday's Heavyweight Double Header With UFC Vegas 68 and Bellator 290 Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

After taking a week off, the UFC is back and, for the first time in 2023, so is Bellator! UFC Vegas 68 takes place late on Saturday, headlined by a heavyweight title between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak, but before that, all-time great Fedor Emelianenko makes the final walk of his career, challenging Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title at Bellator 290. And as always, the No Bets Barred boys are back as well, covering all the best betting angles for both cards.

In this episode, co-hosts Conner Burks and Jed Meshew dissect both fight cards and answer important questions like: does Derrick Lewis have anything left, is Johnny Eblen as good as he looked his last time out, and should you bet Tatsuro Taira at -1150? Plus, you'll hear Conner and Jed react as the betting line on Ryan Bader PLUMMETS in real time.

Tune in for Episode 33 of No Bets Barred.

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Trocação Franca | Poatan x Adesanya 2, Retorno de Do Bronx, Neiman no Bellator, e Mais Feb 01, 2023

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O Trocação Franca está de volta com uma resenha sobre os assuntos mais importantes da semana no MMA, debatendo com o jornalista Carlos Antunes sobre a revanche Alex Poatan x Israel Adesanya, a possível luta entre Charles do Bronx e Beneil Dariush, José Aldo e Francis Ngannou no boxe, e Conor McGregor no TUF. O podcast trás, ainda, uma entrevista com Neiman Gracie, companheiro de treinos de Dariush que luta no sábado, no Bellator.

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

Trocação Franca is back with a debate about the MMA hottest topics of the week. Joined by journalist Carlos Antunes, we discuss Alex Pereira x Israel Adesanya 2, a potential clash between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush, how Jose Aldo and Francis Ngannou will fare in a boxing ring, and more. The podcast also features an interview with Neiman Gracie, a teammate of Dariush, who returns Saturday to the Bellator cage.

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

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