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UFC Vegas 92 Preview Show | Can Edson Barboza Play Spoiler Once Again? May 17, 2024

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Edson Barboza will look to put a halt to another surging contender in the UFC featherweight division as he faces Lerone Murphy in the main event of Saturday's UFC Vegas 92 event at the APEX. Should Barboza get it done, where will he go in the loaded 145-pound division? And if Murphy can keep his long winning streak alive, how high is his ceiling?

MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and José Youngs take a deeper look at the upcoming UFC Fight Night event, the headliner between Barboza and Murphy, and the stakes attached to it. Additionally, they discuss Khaos Williams' return to the octagon, Adrian Yanez looking to bounce back in the win column after a tough 2023 campaign, how the card as a whole stacks up on the final stop to UFC 302, answer listener questions, and much more.

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HOAM | Dana White Announces UFC 304 Title Fights — Will Both Leon Edwards & Tom Aspinall Retain? May 17, 2024

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UFC CEO Dana White made UFC 304 officially official with the announcement of five bouts — three of which were new – including Leon Edwards defending his welterweight title against Belal Muhammad in a rematch, and Tom Aspinall defending his interim heavyweight championship against Curtis Blaydes. Will both champs retain in their rematches in their home country?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to White's reveal of the UFC 304 lineup thus far, the betting lines, and why the Bobby Green vs. Paddy Pimblett matchup might be the most intriguing of all. Additionally, listener topics include Joaquin Buckley continuing to lose favor with fans, his Twitter rivalry with Daniel Cormier, Ian Machado Garry potentially fighting at UFC 303, and much more.

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

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Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk Preview Show: Who Will Become The First Undisputed Heavyweight Champion In 25 Years? May 16, 2024

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On Saturday afternoon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk face off in a highly-anticipated boxing match that will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion in nearly 25 years. So for a fight of this magnitude, MMA Fighting's José Youngs, Eric Jackman, and Jed Meshew join forces to preview the epic clash.

Was Tyson Fury's poor performance against Francis Ngannou a one time thing or has "The Gypsy King" lost a step? Can Oleksandr Usyk cement himself as an all-time great and take the top pound-for-pound spot with a win over Fury? And how will this fight affect the legacies of both men, particularly with Anthony Joshua waiting in the wings?

All this and more is answered as the MMA Fighting crew breaks down the biggest boxing fight of the year.

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BTL | Dana White Breaking News Reaction, Fury vs. Usyk, UFC St. Louis Fallout, More May 16, 2024

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Saturday will be a monster day in the combat sports world, most notably because of the boxing world as for the first time in what seems like forever, an undisputed heavyweight champion will likely be crowned as Tyson Fury battles Oleksandr Usyk for all the marbles in Saudi Arabia. With such a high-stakes and fascinating matchup, what are the biggest questions surrounding it?

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel will discuss their most burning questions heading into Fury vs. Usyk, what would be the more interesting result, and who needs the victory more. Additionally, topics include UFC St Louis this past Saturday, Derrick Lewis' big win, Joaquin Buckley's victory and subsequent callout of Conor McGregor, Dana White revealing that he wants out of the UFC APEX — which coincidentally is where Saturday's UFC Vegas 92 event will be held headlined by Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy — the targeted Maycee Barber vs. Rose Namajunas main event bout for July in Denver, and more.

Plus, the show kicks off reacting to Dana White's breaking news about UFC 304, Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad, Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes, and more.

Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Morning Kombat's Brian Campbell.

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No Bets Barred: Breaking Down A Stacked Weekend With Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, UFC Vegas 92, Bellator May 15, 2024

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One of the most stacked fight weeks of the summer is upon us.

This weekend features a combat sports triple header as UFC Vegas 92 and the Bellator Champion Series return, all leading up to the main event of the season: Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title of boxing. And with so much action in play, the No Bets Barred boys are back to break it all down.

Co-hosts Conner Burks and Jed Meshew kick things off with a brief recap of UFC St. Louis before diving into this weekend's festivities. Is UFC Vegas 92 the worst fight card of the year? Is Edson Barboza washed? Will Jed's chosen prospect Tom Nolan disappoint him yet again? The Boys discuss all of that before switching over to the biggest fight in boxing and a healthy debate about whether Fury or Usyk will leave this weekend as the first undisputed heavyweight champion in nearly a quarter of a century.

All this and a lot more are discussed on this week's episode.

Tune in for episode 88 of No Bets Barred.

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‘Bruised’ Review: Halle Berry Delivers The Best MMA Fight Scene Ever | This Is CineMMA May 15, 2024

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Halle Berry kicks ass!

On the latest episode of This is CineMMA, the MMA Fighting movie review crew walk the long road back to redemption with the 2020 drama Bruised, written, directed, and starring Berry. The Academy Award-winning actress plays Jackie Justice, a onetime UFC star who gets a second chance to kickstart her cagefighting career when she gets the offer to fight an Invicta FC champion, played by Valentina Shevchenko. But will Justice’s traumatic past derail her ambitions?

In our second crack at reviewing a female-led MMA drama (shout-out to Fight Valley!), Alexander K. Lee, Jed Meshew, and E. Casey Leydon pay respect to Berry and Shevchenko’s incredible work, while also pointing out what the film gets right and what it gets wrong about the world of fighting.

Is Berry vs. Shevchenko one of the best fight scenes ever? How much trauma can one character take? And what did they do with Invicta FC boss Shannon Knapp in this movie?

Mend your wounds and spend some time with us for the answers to these questions and more.

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HOAM | Joaquin Buckley Doubling Down On Conor McGregor Callout, Barber vs. Namajunas, More May 14, 2024

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Joaquin Buckley made headlines for his performance at UFC St. Louis, but more so for his post-fight callout of Conor McGregor that left the MMA community collectively scratching their heads. As the week has progressed, Buckley continues to get McGregor's attention, but to no avail. Is he doing the right thing?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to the big moments from UFC St. Louis this past Saturday, the promotion being on a financial tear in terms of business, the negativity surrounding Buckley's callout, insinuating that he may have turned down a fight with Ian Machado Garry — which if he did, might be more surprising than the McGregor callout in general. Additionally, listener topics include the targeted Maycee Barber vs. Rose Namajunas headliner for the UFC's potential return to Denver in July, the flyweight shuffle up that led to Alex Perez vs. Tasturo Taira headlining the UFC event on June 15, and much more.

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

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Fighter vs. Writer: Matt Brown Offers Poirier Advice For Islam, Tells Crazy Story Of Almost Being Shanked in Jail May 14, 2024

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The Fighter vs. The Writer returns as UFC legend Matt Brown and MMA Fighting senior reporter Damon Martin discuss the latest in combat sports.

With Dustin Poirier getting his third shot at becoming undisputed champion against Islam Makhachev at UFC 301 on June 1, is this opportunity do or die for him ever winning the title? Listen as Brown and Martin explain why no matter how many times Poirier fights for the belt, he’s probably never completely out of contention.

Plus Brown offers Poirier advice on how he should approach the fight with Makhachev and the best possible game plan to beat the seemingly unbeatable Russian.

Brown also tells a story he first teased on Twitter about nearly being shanked during a time he spent a few months behind bars when he was only 20 or 21 years old. Brown recounts the situation that led to the near disastrous end to his jail stay and he also reveals another brief stay in jail while he was in the middle of his UFC career.

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

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On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC St. Louis May 12, 2024

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Derrick Lewis delivered a sensational knockout of Rodrigo Nascimento in the main event of Saturday's UFC St. Louis fight card, and then put on a show in his post-fight celebration. Lewis has put himself above the rankings in a lot of respects as people just want to see him in fun fights — but following another stoppage, what should be next?

On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what could be next for "The Black Beast" following this past weekend's victory. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Joaquin Buckley after his co-main event win over Nursulton Ruziboev — and subsequent callout of Conor McGregor — Carlos Ulberg following his 12 second knockout win over Alonzo Menifield, along with fellow main card winners Diego Ferreira, Sean Woodson, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and more.

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UFC St. Louis Post-Fight Show | Reaction To Derrick Lewis' Big KO, Buckley's Win & McGregor Callout May 12, 2024

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Derrick Lewis showed his knockout power, grappling chops, and after knocking out Rodrigo Nascimento, showed his backside to the St. Louis crowd to end Saturday's UFC St. Louis card with the fans on their feet.

Following the promotion's latest Fight Night event, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Jed Meshew, and Eric Jackman react to the card, Lewis' big knockout of Nascimento and where he goes in this heavyweight division. Additionally, they discuss Joaquin Buckley's impressive co-main event win over Nursulton Ruziboev and his callout of Conor McGregor, Robelis Despaigne getting his first loss in lopsided fashion, bonus winners, and much more.

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