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HOAM | Is Ilia Topuria Now In a Must-Win Situation Ahead Of Alexander Volkanovski Fight At UFC 298? Feb 06, 2024

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We have certainly seen upcoming UFC title challengers enter a championship fight with a lot of confidence, but Ilia Topuria might be taking things to a whole different level as he feels he will run through longtime champion Alexander Volkanovski with ease at UFC 298 next Saturday? While a victory certainly sets him up for superstardom, what if he doesn't deliver under the bright lights in Anaheim?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Topuria's interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, discusses whether or not the challenger has put himself in a must-win situation, and where he goes depending on the result. Additionally, listener topics include the fallout of UFC Vegas 85, Nassourdine Imavov and Renato Moicano's next moves following their victories, the UFC 300 main event still not being announced, 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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Fighter vs. Writer: Matt Brown Reacts to Dustin Poirier Contract Situation, New Rule Proposals in MMA Feb 06, 2024

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

This past week saw UFC 299 lose a marquee fight for a matter of hours after Dustin Poirier declared his bout with Benoit Saint Denis was off after he couldn’t come to terms with the promotion on his deal. A few hours later, Poirier chalked it up to a “misunderstanding” and that his fight with Saint Denis was back on again.

Brown offers his take as a tenured fighter in the UFC as well as revealing details behind his own negotiations with the promotion.

We’ll also discuss the rules changes suggested by California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster, particularly with the definition of a “downed opponent” as well as the 12-to-6 elbow rule.

Will these rules actually change and even if the rules are approved, will the various commissions actually adopt the new rule set? We’ll discuss that and much 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 Vegas 85 Feb 04, 2024

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Nassourdine Imavov got it done in the headliner of UFC Vegas 85 with a majority decision victory over Roman Dolidze on Saturday night at the UFC APEX. With the middleweight division being in a very intriguing place at the top, where does Imavov go following his first main event win inside the octagon?

On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what's next for Imavov following his first UFC win since September 2022, and if he will fight someone ranked higher or lower in the rankings. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Renato Moicano after his hard fought decision win over Drew Dober in the co-main event, Randy Brown following his quick knockout victory over Muslim Salikhov, Natalia Silva after picking up the biggest win of her career against Viviane Araujo, along with fellow main card winner Charles Radtke, and more.

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UFC Vegas 85 Post-Fight Show | Reaction To Nassourdine Imavov, Renato Moicano's Big Wins Feb 04, 2024

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Nassourdine Imavov ended UFC Vegas 85 with a wacky main event victory over Roman Dolidze, and Renato Moicano returned from a long layoff to get his hand raised — and a microphone in his face — in the co-main event against the game Drew Dober. What were the biggest takeaways from those two performances?

Following the UFC's most recent Fight Night event on Saturday at the APEX, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Eric Jackman, and Alexander K. Lee react to Imavov's headlining win, his verbal run-ins with Chris Curtis during and after the fight, the scoring, the illegal knee, and discuss where he goes from his victory in 17 months. Additionally, they'll discuss Moicano's decision victory and post-fight interview, Natalia Silva and Molly McCann's victories, other standout moments from the card, and more.

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UFC Vegas 85 Preview Show | What's At Stake For Dolidze vs. Imavov, Moicano vs. Dober? Feb 02, 2024

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After a rare weekend off, the UFC returns to their home base for their first event since UFC 297 with UFC Vegas 85, and much like the promotion's first pay-per-view card of 2024, Saturday's Fight Night slate will see the middleweight division take center stage as Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov battle it out in the main event.

MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, and Jed Meshew preview Saturday's card, the main event between Dolidze and Imavov, and the stakes attached to it. Additionally, they'll discuss the lightweight co-main event between Renato Moicano and Drew Dober, the low-key bangers for the card, and more.

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HOAM | Dustin Poirier Back In For UFC 299, Recapping Wild Day In MMA Feb 02, 2024

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Dustin Poirier said he was out of UFC 299, and a little less than five hours later, he was back in to face Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event of the UFCs return to Miami. The former interim champion kicked off one of the weirdest stretches in the MMA space, one that will be remembered for quite some time.

On a special edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to a wild day in MMA, Poirier vs. Saint-Denis being a go, and more. Additionally, he'll take your questions about all things MMA, including the response from Dana White on Thursday, some of the weird reactions on social media, Saturday's UFC Vegas 85 event, UFC 300, 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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Emergency Reaction! Dustin Poirier's Magical Mystery Tour On A Very MMA Day Feb 01, 2024

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Dustin Poirier revealed on Thursday that his announced co-main event matchup with Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 was no longer happening because he and the UFC "couldn't come to terms" on the fight and that contracts weren't in place before UFC CEO Dana White made his announcement. Although we've gone down this road with the UFC many times before in the past, and Poirier was the one who put it out there, somehow, White is putting the blame on the media. In the end, the fight is in fact happening as Poirier announced late Thursday afternoon.

MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, and Damon Martin take you on a journey as all of the chaos unfolded over the five-hour span, as they react to Poirier's explanation as to why the fight may not be happening, discuss how this isn't the first time Poirier has been involved in a story like this, their immediate reaction to White's Instagram stories in response, their prediction for how this plays out, all before reconvening to react to the fight being back on.

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BTL | Dustin Poirier's Fight Off? UFC 300, UFC Vegas 85 | Fan Q&A Edition Feb 01, 2024

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After a rare weekend off for the UFC, the promotion returns to the APEX on Saturday for UFC Vegas 85. While there are some solid fights on the card, all eyes still seem to be fixated on the still-building UFC 300 lineup — which is still currently without a main event. On top of that, Dustin Poirier dropped a bit of a bombshell himself on Thursday saying his announced fight with Benoit Saint-Denis for UFC 299 is "off."

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew return for a special fan Q&A edition of the program, where they answer your questions about UFC 300, Saturday's Fight Night card headlined by Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov, Kayla Harrison's upcoming UFC debut against Holly Holm at 135, and if her recent comments have made you more confident she'll make the weight, if the UFC will end up putting Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 300 against Michael Chandler or another fighter, and anything else on your mind in the world of MMA and combat sports.

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HOAM | Will Nate Diaz Return To the UFC In 2024? Feb 01, 2024

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With the UFC 300 main event still to be announced, many fans and pundits have declared that the biggest fight the promotion can put together for the card would be the trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz? With Diaz seemingly wanting to do things more independently without being under contract with the UFC, but the door being still open following his departure, could Diaz find his way back in the octagon in 2024?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses the chatter about a Diaz return to the company, why he doesn't see it happening at UFC 300, or in 2024 at all, and if there's a chance it could ever happen. Additionally, listener questions include the hesitation from the UFC to announce the UFC 300 main event, if there will ever be another McGregor-like star that emerges in the UFC, Kevin Lee announcing he's coming out of retirement, 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: Will UFC Vegas 85 Kick Off The Year Of Georgian MMA? Jan 31, 2024

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After a week off following UFC 297, the No Bets Barred Boys are back with a full breakdown of this Saturday's UFC Vegas 85, headlined by a middleweight matchup between Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov.

This week, hosts Conner Burks and Jed Meshew jump right into things by discussing what can only be described as an underwhelming fight card, featuring a limited number of name fighters. But you know what they say, sometimes those cards end up being the most fun, and even if it doesn't, there are still 13 opportunities to get some money down this weekend, so the boys are here to help.

Is 2024 the year for Georgia MMA to take over? Can the co-main event live up to the hype or will Renato Moicano and Drew Dober disappoint? And just how faithful are the loyal citizens of Flyweight Under Nation? All this and more are discussed on this week's episode.

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