MMA Fighting

Latest Episodes:

DAMN! They Were Good | Right Leg Hospital, Left Leg Cemetary: The Legend Of Mirko Cro Cop Dec 31, 2023

Show notes

DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of our favorite fighters in MMA history. On this episode, the MMA Fighting staff takes a deep dive into the legendary career of Mirko Cro Cop.

Making a name for himself in kickboxing as one of the most exciting fighters in K-1, Mirko Cro Cop transitioned to MMA in 2001 and quickly became one of the standout fighter in Pride FC. Leaving a trail of unconscious bodies in his wake thanks to his devastating left high kick, Cro Cop became one of the most accomplished and beloved heavyweights in history, most notably winning the Pride Openweight Grand Prix in 2006 and serving as one-half of the Fight of the Decade against Fedor Emelianenko. A disappointing sting in the UFC followed but Cro Cop then found new life with a late career resurgence that saw him claim a K-1 world title and win the RIZIN Openweight Grand Prix in 2016 before hanging up the gloves for good in 2019 following a stroke.

What were the most iconic performances and what were our favorite memories from Cro Cop's career? Listen in as the MMA Fighting crews remembers remembers one of the most devastating strikers in MMA history.

Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew

Follow Shaheen Al-Shatti: @shaunalshatti

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On To the Next One | 2023 Predictions Recap Dec 31, 2023

Show notes

With 2023 being such a crazy year in the world of mixed martial arts, we felt it was important to look back at the predictions that were made heading into a memorable year for the sport.

In part one of our two-part predictions extravaganza, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee look back on some of the responses they had to listener questions in regards to what 2023 was going to bring. Topics include Conor McGregor's activity for the year, whether or not Jon Jones would retire at some point, if Dana White would be punished for what happened at the start of the year, what the year could bring for the likes of Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, Shavkat Rahkmonov, and Khamzat Chimaev, UFC champions in each division, bold predictions for the year, and more.

In addition, we will need you help for part two: our 2024 predictions extravaganza episode. Submit your "buy or sell" questions the same way you send your matchmaking suggestions to Mike or AK on Twitter, Instagram, or email by Thursday, Jan. 4 — and, please, be as creative as you'd like.

Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR
Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee

Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH

Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi

Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM

Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z

Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BTL's 2023 Promotional Festivus | Grading the Best and Worst From UFC, PFL, More Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

With just a couple of days left in the year, it’s almost time to say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024. In the sport of MMA, there was certainly a lot to like this past year — and a lot that needs to be improved upon, from the UFC, to PFL, and beyond.

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew bring you the second annual BTL Promotional Festivus — where they grade the UFC for their 2023 performance, both in and out of the octagon, along with their airing of grievances for things that happened negatively throughout the course of the year. Additionally, the duo do the same for PFL, Bellator's year prior to the merger, ONE Championship, BKFC, and give their thoughts on things they did better from the year prior, other ideas to bring into 2024, and what could be the breakout promotion in the space for the upcoming year.

Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR
Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2023 Year-End Awards Spectacular: Celebrating The Best Of The Best From One Of MMA's Craziest Years Ever Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

The MMA world will never forget the insanity of 2023.

Join the MMA Fighting staff as we look back at the biggest highs, breakout stars, and most unbelievable moments of 2023 in a special year-end retrospective. We’re honoring all the nights that defined one of the craziest 12-month stretches this sport has ever seen — and handing out plenty of hardware in celebration of the knockouts, submissions, fights, fighters, and rookies who made sure 2023 was a year that will go down as one of the wildest ever.

Follow Shaun Al-Shatti @ShaunAlShatti

Follow Eric Jackman @NewYorkRic

Follow Mike Heck @MickHeck_JR

Follow Josè Youngs @JoseYoungs

Follow E. Casey Leydon @Ekc

Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH

Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi

Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM

Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z

Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trocação Franca | UFC, jornalismo e futuro do MMA (c/ Alexandre Lemos, Connect Cast) Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

2023 chegou ao fim e o mundo do MMA inicia um novo ano com mais perguntas do que o costume. O Trocação Franca recebe em seu último episódio da temporada o líder do Connect Cast, Alexandre Lemos, para analisar o esporte por diversos prismas, do papel da imprensa às próximas conquistas dentro do octógono em uma resenha de 1 hora de duração O podcast traz, ainda, Bibiano Fernandes explicando com exclusividade sua saída do ONE Championship, e o invicto Igor Tanabe comentando a carreira no RIZIN.

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

2023 is in the books and the MMA world starts a new year with a ton of questions to be answered. Trocação Franca welcomes Connect Cast host Alexandre Lemos to close out the year and look at the sport through different angles in an hour-long chat, from the role of MMA media to in-cage performances. This week’s podcast also features an interview with Bibiano Fernandes, discussing his departure from ONE Championship, and undefeated prospect Igor Tanabe breaking down his upcoming bout at RIZIN’s NYE card.

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.

Follow Guilherme Cruz: @Guicruzzz

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fighter vs. Writer: 2023 Year In Review With Alan Jouban Talking Jon Jones’ Return, Sean Strickland’s Upset and Much More Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

The Fighter vs. The Writer returns with a special year-end episode with UFC analyst and retired fighter Alan Jouban joining MMA Fighting senior reporter Damon Martin to discuss the biggest moments from 2023.

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski put on a possible Fight of the Year in February as two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport battled it out in a five round classic. One month later, Jon Jones made his return to the octagon and he finally conquered the heavyweight division while taking out Ciryl Gane in the first round.

By June, Amanda Nunes was defending her title and then calling it a career, which dramatically affected two different divisions in the UFC. In September, Sean Strickland pulled off one of the most epic upsets in the history of the UFC when he thumped Israel Adesanya to become middleweight champion.

Follow along with us as we go through the biggest moments in 2023 and start looking ahead at what’s to come in 2024 on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer!

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Belal Muhammad Fires Back at Leon Edwards, Trashes ‘Pathetic’ Colby Covington After UFC 296 Dec 23, 2023

Show notes

Belal Muhammad knows he’s the No. 1 contender in the UFC welterweight division but he’s still waiting on reigning champion Leon Edwards to acknowledge him as the next person in line for a shot at the title.

Following an action-packed UFC 296, Muhammad sits down with MMA Fighting senior reporter Damon Martin to give his thoughts on fight week after he weighed in as the backup for the main event and what he thought about Edwards’ performance with a unanimous decision victory over Covington

Muhammad will address Edwards’ post fight comments about him and his belief that the UFC will honor the promised made to him that he will get the next shot at the title.

He also slams Covington for his “pathetic” remarks regarding Edwards’ father during the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference along with his abysmal showing in the title fight plus much more in this exclusive interview.

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HOAM | Reaction To Dana White's UFC 300 Fight Announcements Dec 22, 2023

Show notes

UFC CEO Dana White dropped a slew of fight announcements on Thursday, including the first bouts for the historic UFC 300 event in April. While White didn't drop the main event, he did drop some interesting bouts such as Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar, Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic, and the return of Bo Nickal. Do those fights make you feel as if the PPV lineup will be the most stacked card we've had in a few years?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to the UFC 300 bouts, along with White announcing Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa, and the moving up of Ian Machado Garry vs. Geoff Neal, Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega 2 for Mexico City, and Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot for UFC Atlantic City in March. Additionally, listener questions include Alex Pereira potentially teasing a move up to heavyweight to try and win a third UFC divisional title, Alexa Grasso and Zhang Weili's respectful back and forth, Parker Porter's UFC release, 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.

Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BTL | UFC 296 Fallout, Year-End Awards Preview | MMA Fighting Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

With the conclusion of UFC 296, the UFC's 2023 campaign is over, and that means it's almost time to hand out some hardware as the MMA Fighting year-end awards are just around the corner. The panel will preview the 2023 awards following a quick look back at UFC 296, Colby Covington's head scratching performance against Leon Edwards, and more.

This week, the panel of MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and E. Casey Leydon preview the MMA Fighting 2023 year-end awards and reveal their top-five nominees for Fighter of the Year and discuss where Sean Strickland fits in after his unbelievable year, along with Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Submission of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. They'll also discuss if there are any snubs, why their list came to be, if 2023 was the craziest year in the history of the sport, and much more.

Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR
Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee
Follow E. Casey Leydon: @ekc

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HOAM | Is Belal Muhammad Going To Get His Chance At UFC Gold Against Leon Edwards? Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

While Belal Muhammad seems like a pretty clear choice to get the next shot at Leon Edwards and the UFC welterweight title, things still appear to be up in the air in regards to how the 170-pound title picture plays out. Does Shavkat Rakhmonov jump over him? Is the UFC waiting to see what happens with the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight? Muhammad certainly deserves the shot, but will he get it?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses that and states his case for Muhammad to get his day in court, while also reacting to Edwards no-selling Muhammad, the champ's tweet at the surging contender, and his head coach saying he would prefer Gilbert Burns being next over Muhammad. Additionally, listener questions include Colby Covington's appearance on Fox News, UFC 300, what Sean Strickland's title reign could look like if he beats Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297, 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.