The Ariel Helwani Show

Latest Episodes:

UFC 323 Post-Fight Show: Petr Yan stuns Merab Dvalishvili, Joshua Van wins after freak injury to Alexandre Pantoja Dec 07, 2025

Show notes

Ariel Helwani is joined by Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindenhall to react to UFC 323, starting with Petr Yan's stunning upset of Merab Dvalishvili (01:48).

Next, they discuss the co-main event, which saw Joshua Van become the second-youngest champion in UFC history due to Alexandre Pantoja suffering an arm injury early in the fight (26:20).

After touching on the performances of Tatsuro Taira (43:50), Payton Talbott (47:12) and Jan Blachowicz (56:13), 3PAC recaps the night's prelims (58:48).
The show concludes with a review of some newly announced fights for UFC 325 (1:04:22) and Chuck's final thoughts (1:11:28).

UFC 323 Preview: Merab's historic year, PPV era ends, Conor McGregor legal updates | The Craic Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

The Craic is back to kick off the festive season.

With Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes reunited, they open the show by giving their take on the recent UFC on Paramount fight card announcements (4:21).

Then, the lads get into this weekend’s fights at UFC 323 and debate whether a win over Petr Yan would cement Merab Dvalishvili as fighter of the year (17:03).

The flyweight division is also host to some big matchups. The trio break down former champ Henry Cejudo taking on rising prospect Payton Talbott (42:30), and the co-main event barnburner between champ Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van (47:25).

The guys give updates on TKO’s attempt to push the Ali Revival Act through Congress (49:08).

To close out the show, the crew provide updates on Conor McGregor’s legal cases (1:02:09), make their picks for this weekend’s fights (1:04:26), and answer your Super Chats (1:10:15).

Combat sports gone crazy, UFC 323 preview, Ali Revival Act hearing, more | The Boys in the Back Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

After a week away, The Boys in the Back return to preview UFC 323, but first, they discuss the TKO-backed Ali Revival Act (02:43) and some of the wild announcements and rumored bookings across the combat sports landscape (13:53).
They quickly touch on UFC's new meal plan (33:20), before previewing UFC 323 from top to bottom (39:20) and making picks (1:27:36).

Finally, they deliver their P4P Vans (1:38:55), listen to your voicemails (1:53:47) and answer your Super Chats (2:38:40).

Malcolm Wellmaker, Bill Haney, TNA President Carlos Silva, Abdullah Mason, Chris Bungard in studio, Terence Crawford stripped?! Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by reacting to Terence Crawford being stripped of the WBC super middleweight title, Mike Tyson’s support for the Ali Revival Act, Oleksandr Usyk’s feelings on Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, and more (03:07).

TNA President Carlos Silva joins to talk about the promotion’s new broadcast deal with AMC, how the deal came to be, plans for 2026, TNA’s relationship with WWE, Joe Hendry joining WWE, and more (17:44).

Bill Haney is back to discuss his son, including his review of Devin’s last performance, their relationship with Eddie Hearn, potential next fights against the likes of Ryan Garcia, Conor Benn, and Rolly Romero, his stance on the Ali Revival Act, and more (47:38).

Chris Bungard joins Ariel in-studio to talk about his run with Cage Warriors, being a free agent with several offers on the table, the origin of his ‘Bad Guy’ nickname, some of his thrilling walkouts, including a Bray Wyatt tribute, his love of Bret Hart and pro wrestling, wanting to fight Dillon Danis, hanging out with comedians Shane Gillis and Theo Von, and more (1:18:06).

Malcolm Wellmaker returns on the heels of his UFC 322 defeat to talk about accepting the fight on short-notice, what he knew about Ethyn Ewing heading into the fight, being devastated by the loss, technical mistakes he made, when he plans to get back in the cage, and more (2:15:28).

Abdullah Mason, the youngest active male champion in boxing, makes his show debut to discuss his win over Sam Noakes, his feelings on Keyshawn Davis and lessons learned, having the support of Cleveland behind him, how he got his start in boxing, and more (2:45:44).

Ariel is joined by The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll to cover some news and notes, including Colby Covington vs. Luke Rockhold being announced for Real American Freestyle, Henry Cejudo saying UFC 323 will be his retirement, the future of UFC on Paramount, Terence Crawford’s strong response to the WBC stripping him, before wrapping up with your Super Chats (3:08:04).

Tom Aspinall first interview since UFC 321, Sean O’Malley, Arnold Allen, On The Nose Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with On The Nose, answering your questions about the UFC 324 main event, Ronda Rousey’s comeback, how to convert casual fans, and more (05:14).

Tom Aspinall returns for his first interview since UFC 321, responding to critics who believe was looking for a way out, discussing what he learned from the experience, his behind-the-scenes exchange with Daniel Cormier, comments about switching to boxing made by his father Andy, Ciryl Gane being a tough matchup, Dana White’s reaction after the fight, Jon Jones’ barbs, his potential timeline for return, and more (1:01:28).

Sean O’Malley joins next to preview his fight against Song Yadong at UFC 324, talk about how he landed on Song as an opponent, the card order for UFC 324, Ilia Topuria being out to start the year, the footage of his sparring with Alexandre Pantoja, and more (1:59:32).

Arnold Allen returns to discuss the shoulder injury that kept him out of action since 2024, his upcoming fight against Jean Silva, being offered the short-notice Aaron Pico fight, Diego Lopes getting the title shot over Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev, the fan reaction to Tom Aspinall’s recent videos, his viral joke about being jumped in Montreal for not speaking French, and more (2:31:10).

Ariel answers your Super Chats to close the show (3:06:47).

Kayla Harrison, Tony Ferguson, Lerone Murphy, Joshua Van, Lamont Roach in studio, massive weekend recap, more Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

Ariel Helwani begins the show by recapping the massive UFC 324 and UFC 325 announcements, including reaction from fighters involved in the fights or fighters passed up for title opportunities (05:25).

Joshua Van stops by during UFC 323 fight week to preview his matchup with Alexandre Pantoja, talk about his calmness before the storm and his longer-than-average layoff, react to Kyoji Horiguchi’s return and callout, and more (26:21).

WBA super featherweight champion Lamont Roach joins Ariel in-studio ahead of his super lightweight scrap with Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz to discuss his rivalry with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and a potential rematch, appealing the result of their first fight, whether he believes Davis is retired, his perspective on the Ali Revival Act, and more (46:40).

Ariel addresses recent comments by Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejduo (1:16:50), before reuniting with old friend Tony Ferguson, who reflects on his win over Salt Papi in August, previews his return against Warren Spencer in December, discusses his relationship with Dillon Danis, his views on UFC’s recent matchmaking, planning to fight MMA again, his prediction for Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje, and more (1:34:55).

Lerone Murphy is back to react to the announcement of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2, express his disappointment with not getting the title shot and potentially missing out on fighting Volkanovski before he retires, answer the callouts of Movsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling, give his prediction for the Volkanovski-Lopes rematch, and more (2:04:16).

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison returns to break down her highly-anticipated fight against Amanda Nunes, reveal a bit about their time as training partners, react to Ronda Rousey’s rumored comeback and potential boxing match with Katie Taylor, respond to Valentina Shevchenko’s callout, and more (2:26:04).

Ariel and The Boys in the Back wrap up with some news and notes, including the latest on Tom Aspinall’s eye, and answer your Super Chats (3:08:30).

BREAKING: Dana White announces HUGE UFC 324 and UFC 325 cards on Paramount, plus Ilia Topuria news; Ariel Helwani reacts Nov 28, 2025

Show notes

Ariel Helwani give his immediate reaction to Dana White's major announcement during halftime of Chiefs-Cowboys on CBS (01:05).

Ariel addresses a statement by UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria about his future (02:38), before running down all the UFC 324 matchups announced by White (04:03) and the new main card start time (06:10).

Then, he tackles the UFC 325 announcements (07:46), before giving his final thoughts on both cards (08:58).

Vince Russo, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Alfie Davis, Winged C, McGregor x Khabib rivalry renewed, On The Nose, more Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Ariel Helwani kicks off the final show before Thanksgiving by acknowledging the Uncrowned team, before answering your On The Nose questions, with topics including Khabib Nurmagomedov’s NFT launch, Conor McGregor and Khabib’s war of words over the NFTs, Ilia Topuria’s inactivity, Ian Machado Garry’s brash personality, and more (33:39).

Wrestling legend Vince Russo stops by to promote his upcoming engagement with Juggalo Championship Wrestling, assess the current wrestling landscape for WWE, AEW, TNA and others, and tell stories from the glory days, including memories of his partnership with Vince McMahon, his beef with Eric Bischoff, and more (1:01:35).

Waldo Cortes-Acosta looks back at his big win over Shamil Gaziev at UFC Qatar, including how the short-notice opportunity came about. He also touches on being the father to nine children, being fully healed after the eye-poke in his knockout win against Ante Delija, wanting to fight Curtis Blaydes or Derrick Lewis, his baseball career, and more (2:05:11).

2025 PFL Lightweight Tournament Champion Aflie Davis makes his show debut, talking about how close he came to retiring before realizing his MMA dreams, his upcoming matchup with Usman Nurmagomedov, his rise through the kickboxing ranks, his friends’ viral tattoo, and more (2:33:54).

Internet sensation Winged C joins the show, explaining his origins, his name, his tattoos, his love of anime, emoting, how he got onto the APFC MMA card, overcoming defeat after having his win streak snapped, his relationships with Demetrious Johnson and Death Sentence, and more (3:00:19).

Ariel and The Boys return to answer more On The Nose questions and Super Chats (4:01:26).

Shavkat Rakhmonov, Arman Tsarukyan returns!, Carlos Prates, Renato Moicano, Devin Haney, Ben Whittaker, more Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

Ariel Helwani begins the show by speaking to UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, who discusses the difficulty of returning from a knee injury that required surgery, going into the Ian Machado Garry bout injured, being cleared to return early next year, being willing to fight again to prove he’s the No. 1 contender, believing he’s the hardest matchup for Islam Makhachev, and more (06:24).

Devin Haney returns, talking about his big win over Brian Norman Jr., shutting up his critics, Eddie Hearn’s comments after the fight, feeling Conor Benn is not on his level, being willing to fight anybody, and more (37:13).

Ben Whittaker reflects on his win over Liam Cameron in April, before previewing his fight against Benjamin Gavazi and discussing his decision to sign with Matchroom, wanting to fight in America in 2026, his prediction for a potential fight between Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez, Jake Paul choosing to fight Anthony Joshua, and more (1:03:01).

Carlos Prates is next, detailing his experience in New York for UFC 322, what he was thinking during the viral photo of Leon Edwards on his back, his bow and arrow celebration aimed at Alex Pereira, his reaction to the main event between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena, his desire to fight for the title next, his argument for Kamaru Usman as the welterweight GOAT, and more (1:28:12).

Renato Moicano returns, talking about his new Portuguese-language YouTube channel, Dan Hooker’s callout, why he believes UFC will not make the Hooker fight, his reaction to Benoit Saint Denis’ win against Beneil Dariush and his recent resurgence, the price of Bitcoin dropping, and more (2:12:30).

Arman Tsarukyan stops by after yesterday’s abrupt ending, quickly discussing the run-in between Khamzat Chimaev and Ian Machado Garry, responding to Ilia Topuria omitting Tsarukyan from a list of potential opponents, and more (2:34:21).

Ariel is joined by The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll to react to Jon Jones’ visit to Chechnya, including interactions with Khamzat Chimaev and Ramzan Kadyrov, before wrapping up with your Super Chats (2:42:03).

Arman Tsarukyan, Ian Machado Garry, Tyron Woodley, Nakisa Bidarian, UFC Qatar & massive weekend reaction Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Ariel Helwani begins the show with a recap of UFC Qatar, including a debate with The Boys in the Back about whether Arman Tsarukyan and Ian Machado Garry should be next for the respective champions of their divisions (04:30).

Garry then joins the show to break down his win over Belal Muhammad, discussing his takedown defense, the controversial eye-poke, whether he’s done enough to earn a title shot, Shavkat Rakhmonov or Kamaru Usman as potential challengers, his viral run-in with Khamzat Chimaev, and more (42:30).

Tsarukyan is next, breaking down his own big win against Dan Hooker, talking about his desire to finish the fight, head-butting Hooker at the weigh-ins, his respect for Hooker, having his father at the fight, Paddy Pimblett potentially jumping him in line, his expensive taste, his run-in with Ilia Topuria and their brewing beef, and more (1:06:47).

Most Valuable Promotions founder and CEO Nakisa Bidarian is back to discuss Jake Paul’s upcoming fight against Anthony Joshua, starting with the decision to remove Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis from the original matchup, how the Joshua fight came together, and other potential names discussed, including Francis Ngannou, Ryan Garcia, and Terence Crawford. He also touches on how much Joshua stands to make, the risk being taken by Paul, critics of Paul suggesting his fights are fixed, Dana White’s comments about the fight and Ngannou (1:37:50).

Ariel and The Boys give their Jake vs. Joshua press conference thoughts and react to some scenes from UFC Qatar, including a few fantastic impressions (2:13:24).

Tyron Woodley returns to preview his boxing match against Anderson Silva, explaining how the fight came together, responding to Darren Till’s comments about the fight, reacting to the Jake vs. Joshua fight, and more (2:53:33).

The show closes with mention of Rico Verhoeven’s retirement from kickboxing and his potential next move, PFL’s announcements for its first show of 2026, including Dakota Ditcheva taking on Denise Kielholtz, Yaroslav Amosov joining the UFC, and your Super Chats (3:29:44).

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