The Ariel Helwani Show

Latest Episodes:

Inside Boxing | Xander Zayas vs. 'Boots' Ennis preview, Teofimo Lopez vs. Rolly Romero verbally agreed Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

Dan Canobbio and Chris Algieri open the show breaking down the upcoming unification bout between Xander Zayas and Jaron 'Boots' Ennis. Is this too much too soon for the 23-year-old Zayas? Will this be Ennis’ defining moment so far in his career? Plus, the X’s and O’s between two fighters with two distinct styles (02:23).

Joe Cordina has visa issues and is out of his title fight vs. Abdullah Mason next week. Stepping in is the veteran Albert Bell, who was scheduled to fight Andy Cruz on July 18. Could this be a tougher fight for Mason, as Bell presents a totally different style and dynamic (52:44)

Reports state that Teofimo Lopez and Rolly Romero have “verbally agreed” to a fight this summer, where Romero would put his WBA welterweight title on the line (54:25).

Finally, they discuss Liam Paro’s big win over Lewis Crocker to capture the IBF welterweight title (57:12).

Cody Rhodes, Ian Machado Garry, Plus: Eddie Hearn, Ben Whittaker, Luke Littler all in studio, news & notes Jun 24, 2026

Show notes

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by discussing Dustin Poirier’s arrest, before being joined in-studio by Eddie Hearn.

Hearn breaks news of Ian Machado Garry signing with Matchroom Talent Agency, then talks about the latest regarding Tom Aspinall, including recent communication with the UFC, Michael Bisping’s comments about Aspinall, rumors of Zuffa Boxing signing top talent, drama surrounding the promotion of a potential Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs. Xander Zayas, Katie Taylor’s Croke Park fight, and more (09:40).

Ben Whittaker stops by the studio ahead of his American debut, previewing the bout against Richard Rivera, discussing his deal with Matchroom, coach Andy Lee’s impact on his fighting style, training alongside Joseph Parker, Hamzah Sheeraz, and Paddy Donovan, his respect for MMA fighters, English football, and more (1:16:27).

Cody Rhodes returns to catch up with Ariel, diving into who he considers the face of WWE, stories from his early career, his feelings on WWE Unreal, his relationship with AJ Styles, WrestleMania 42, the idea of taking a break, potentially becoming a booker in the future, whether he has unfinished business with The Rock, and more (1:46:05).

PDC world darts champion Luke Littler is in-studio to preview the US Darts Masters, reflect on his incredible success, and throw a few darts (2:28:20).

Ian Machado Garry pops in to talk about his signing with Matchroom Talent Agency, how the deal impacts his current management situation and relationship with the UFC (2:56:44).

The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll jump back in to cover news and notes and answer your Super Chats (3:36:04).

The Uncrowned Wrestling Show | Major TNA shakeup, Night of Champions predictions, shocking AEW tournament upset Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

Solomonster reflects on 30 years since the birth of Austin 3:16 at the King of the Ring and a common misconception people have about it (0:26).

Then, he dives head-first into a wild week of TNA news, with thoughts on their stalled momentum six months after their debut on AMC Network and talent fleeing the company (06:26). Plus, Tessa Blanchard being forced to choose between TNA and CMLL (17:11), Tommy Dreamer out as head of creative, Sami Callihan making noise on his way out, and a Slammiversary preview (23:40).

Next, thoughts on the King and Queen of the Ring finalists, the WWE championship match on Smackdown, and predictions for Night of Champions in Riyadh (38:32).

Finally, a preview and predictions for AEW Forbidden Door, including thoughts on Maya World shocking the world and beating Athena to advance to the Owen Hart tournament finals, Bully Ray’s stupid comments about Jon Moxley and Josh Barnett’s response (54:02).

Josh Hokit, Jaron 'Boots' Ennis & Emiliano Vargas in studio, On The Nose, news & notes Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with a preview of this week’s stacked sports slate (00:52).

Boxing prospect Emiliano Vargas joins Ariel in-studio to discuss his bout against Bryce Mills in Brooklyn, his Hall of Fame father Fernando, a potential Ryan Garcia fight, rooting for Ilia Topuria, and more (20:27).

Jaron "Boots" Ennis is back in-studio with Ariel to preview his fight with Xander Zayas, then talk about the Virgil Ortiz fight falling through, his P4P status, Zayas calling him “flat-footed,” and more (1:10:47).

Josh Hokit returns and reveals his right hand was hurt heading into the Derrick Lewis fight. Then he discusses being kicked out of the UFC Freedom 250 press conference, his beef with Alex Pereira, feeling Pereira is overrated, whether Ciryl Gane landed illegal blows, whether he regrets his post-fight interview, whether there is a line he won’t cross, and more (1:55:48).

The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll react to the Hokit interview, before answering On The Nose questions, with topics including Dana White’s successor, UFC’s new rankings, blind rankings, and more (2:45:37).

Ariel ends the show by answering your Super Chats (3:36:21).

Inside Boxing | Turki wants to broker peace, Zayas vs. Boots fight week, Itauma vs. Hrgovic announced Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

Dan Canobbio and Chris Algieri open the show discussing their upcoming pre-game party, the New York Knicks championship parade, and more (00:41).

Next, Turki Alalshikh recently took to social media in hopes of brokering peace between promoters over the Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury negotiations. The fight is yet to be announced and there are several rumors on who will officially promote it and where the fight will take place. Turki also made mention of some health issues, causing Ryan Garcia to react (09:44).

Xander Zayas vs. Jaron 'Boots' Ennis fight week is here and it is one of the most anticipated fights of the year. Who will come out on top? Will a new star be born on Saturday night (25:28)?

Moses Itauma has an opponent. Filip Hrgovic, the hard punching Croatian, will take on the young phenom on August 28 in what is easily Itauma’s toughest test to date. Is this too much too soon for Itauma or a perfect piece of matchmaking (41:10)?

Ian Machado Garry, Diego Lopes, Xander Zayas & Chris Fowler in studio, weekend recap, news & notes Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show recapping his experience at the New York Knicks championship parade, before reacting to UFC Vegas 119 and Dricus du Plessis being booked against Kamaru Usman (01:53).

Ian Machado Garry is back on the show, discussing his UFC 330 meeting with Islam Makhachev in August, how the fight came together, other welterweights campaigning for the title shot, Makhachev’s comments about Garry’s skills, comparisons between their fight and Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, and more (31:43).

Diego Lopes returns to recap his White House win over Steve Garcia, talking about his prediction that Justin Gaethje would beat Ilia Topuria, weighing in twice to be the main event backup, the overall experience of fighting on the card, wanting to move up to lightweight and compete on the Noche UFC card, and more (58:49).

WBO and WBA super welterweight champion Xander Zayas joins Ariel in-studio to preview his massive fight against Jaron "Boots" Ennis, discussing his relationship with Top Rank, surprises in store for his walkout, appearing in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, Boots’ résumé, visualizing how the fight plays out, and more (1:22:06).

ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler stops by the studio to talk about "Finding My Father," a documentary where Fowler reconnects with his father through found audio tapes. He also touches on some of his career highlights, his love of boxing and newer fandom of MMA (2:03:35).

The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll join Ariel to cover news and notes, including UFC’s new Meta rankings, Freedom 250 ratings, and more (3:24:18).

Ariel answers your Super Chats to close the show (4:17:18).

Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane stoppage: Wrong call? UFC White House numbers, covering Conor McGregor, more | The Craic Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

The Craic trio of Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes delve into the controversy surrounding Ciryl Gane’s finish of Alex Pereira at the White House. Did referee Herb Dean make the right call and how does this latest situation affect Gane (06:10)?

Next up, they give their takes on UFC White House generating 17 million viewers and whether it will be seen as a success (31:31).

Petesy then explains the Irish reaction to Conor McGregor’s appearance on Jimmy Fallon, which appears to have sparked outrage on the Emerald Isle (47:57).

Finally, the Craic crew give their takes on Tyson Fury promoter Frank Warren revealing more reasons why Dana White will likely end up promoting the Fury’s fight against Anthony Joshua (1:17:37).

Inside Boxing | CompuBox creator Bob Canobbio (Dan’s dad) on 45+ years in boxing Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

We open the show with Dan and Bob Canobbio discussing the story of how CompuBox was created in 1985 - by chance, luck, good timing and a very innovative executive at HBO named Ross Greenburg (04:34).

The father-son duo talk about big fights Bob attended ringside, including Ray Mancini vs. Livingstone Bramble, Marvin Hagler vs. Ray Leonard, the rise and fall of Mike Tyson, and the modern eras of Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao (17:53).

Finally, Bob and Dan touch on some personal stories from their lives in boxing and how the sport has molded them as people (30:48).

Happy Father’s Day everyone!

Conor McGregor fighting Ilia Topuria: Will we see it? UFC flyweight title picture, more | The Boys in the Back Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

The Boys in the Back kick off the show with news and notes, including reports of Zabit Magomedsharipov grappling Dan Hooker, Daniel Cormier addressing his social media being hacked, UFC 330 fight announcements, and more (16:25)

Then, they react to Conor McGregor's interview with Ariel Helwani, honing in on his comments about Ilia Topuria, and Topuria's recent comments about McGregor as well. Is this the fight to make (39:48)?

After previewing UFC Vegas 119 (1:03:25), they make picks (1:36:56) and deliver their P4P things worth waiting for (1:38:14).

The show ends with your voicemails (2:05:55) and Super Chats (2:54:39).

Alex Pereira in studio, Sean O'Malley, Alexander Volkanovski, CSAC's Andy Foster in studio on recent reffing controversies, news & notes Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

Ariel Helwani kicks off the the show by covering some news and notes (06:52), before being joined in studio by California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster, who discusses regulation for the UFC’s White House card, Herb Dean’s handling of Ciryl Gane’s win over Alex Pereira, Ilia Topuria being able to continue with his damaged eye, MVP’s MMA card on Netflix, the New York Times report about Conor McGregor using “banned drugs,” disclosed fighter purses, and more (16:10).

Sean O'Malley is back following his big White House win over Aiemann Zahabi, diving into the differences of the card from a normal fight week, additional pressure and preparation for the fight, his weight cut, believing he deserved a bonus for his knockout, who he wants to fight next, his salute celebration, Justin Gaethje’s massive main event upset, and more (59:49).

Ariel and the crew react to Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry being announced for August, World Cup action, Paramount download data for the White House card, Floyd Mayweather’s reported money issues, and more (1:33:09).

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski returns to discuss cornering Mauricio Ruffy at the UFC White House, Ilia Topuria’s performance against Justin Gaethje, Topuria’s chances in a rematch, expectations for Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway, when he plans to return, and more (2:26:32).

Before the next guest, Ariel answers your Super Chats (2:52:35).

Alex Pereira joins Ariel in-studio to express frustration with the stoppage in his fight against Ciryl Gane. Plus, coach Plinio Cruz’s details his reaction to the final sequence, then Pereira talks about whether he thinks Gane is a dirty fighter, referee Herb Dean’s decision-making and past controversies, wanting to use this situation to improve future officiating and fighter safety, wanting a rematch, planning to stay at heavyweight, Josh Hokit’s continued trash talk, and more (3:18:00).

Ariel finishes the show with a few more Super Chats (4:28:28).

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