The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

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Francis Ngannou, Dan Hardy, Ben Rothwell, Khamzat Chimaev's coach Andreas Michael, and more Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

Francis Ngannou around (3:47) discusses his contract situation with the UFC, what he thought of Tyson Fury’s performance, how he got in the ring, how close he is to fighting Fury, when he might be able to fight again, if the UFC would be interested in a Fury fight, and more.

Ben Rothwell around (38:11) discusses why he didn’t end up fighting Alexander Gustafsson, his UFC release, how he ended up with BKFC, if he will compete in MMA again, if he is worried about his hands, and more.

Andreas Michael around (1:04:01) discusses his favorite weight class for Alexander Gustafsson and his importance in Sweden, the first time he met Khamzat Chimaev, the game plan against Gilbert Burns, Chimaev’s performance, when Chimaev will compete again, if it will be Chimaev vs. Colby Covington, Darren Till’s future, and more.

Dan Hardy around (1:37:41) discusses his upcoming boxing fight against Diego Sanchez, the rules of the fight, why he didn’t return to mixed martial arts first, any doubts, his thoughts on Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte, Fury vs. Francis Ngannou in a boxing or a MMA fight, Tommy Fury vs. Jake Paul, and more.

In GC and Helwani around (2:07:30), GC looks back at some old picks, while they also talk about Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, NBA playoffs, a busy weekend of combat sports action, and much more.

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Aljamain Sterling, A.J. McKee, Cub Swanson, Mike Malott, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, PFL CEO Peter Murray, and more Apr 13, 2022

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Michael Malott around (6:04) discusses if he’s the next big Canadian star, his nickname, why he chose Team Alpha Male, if he ever had doubts he would make it to the UFC, his UFC debut, the charity drive for his coach’s daughter, when he would like to fight again, and more.

Olivier Aubin-Mercier around (28:05) discusses difficulties with training MMA due to Quebec government, transition to PFL and really liking the 'little family' vibe, planning to retire at 35, what he'll do after, no regrets with his UFC career, confidence he can win PFL lightweight tournament this year, and more.

PFL CEO Peter Murray around (48:17) discusses the upcoming PFL season, their TV deal with ESPN, the re-signing of Kayla Harrison, the storylines to watch, the recent PFL gambling scandal, the PFL’s plans for pay-per-view, a cross-promotional event with Bellator, the return of Claressa Shields, and more.

AJ McKee around (1:09:12) discusses his new hairstyle, what took him so long to return to the Bellator cage, his contract issues with Bellator, if he could be a free agent after his next three fights, his rematch with Patricio Pitbull, his dream fight in the UFC, and more.

Aljamain Sterling around (1:33:29) discusses his performance against Petr Yan at UFC 273, the scoring by the judges, why he was so emotional by weigh-ins, who won the first round in the co-main event, his response to John McCarthy’s comments, if TJ Dillashaw should get the next title shot, his apology form, when he might return, and more.

Cub Swanson around (2:12:26) discusses finding out he was headed to UFC Hall of Fame for his fight with Doo Ho Choi, was he surprised the fight was honored, his favorite memory from the fight, when he might return, if he’ll end up fighting Uriah Faber, how he thought Sterling vs. Yan was a draw, and more.

GC and Helwani around (2:42:25) break down the best bets for the upcoming Bellator and UFC events this weekend.

In the latest On the Nose around (3:13:31), Ariel Helwani discusses his “elevator,” the welterweight division, Khamzat Chimaev’s rise in the UFC, how finishes should earn fighters bonus, Nick Diaz’s possible return, helping out Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley’s return, and more.

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Alexander Volkanovski in studio, Ray Longo, Ian Garry, Brian Stann, and more Apr 11, 2022

Show notes

Ariel Helwani takes a look back at UFC 273.

Brian Stann around (15:39) discusses his daily life these days, a recent viral clip about Khamzat Chimaev, Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, Aljamain Sterling’s performance, fighter pay, advice for young fighters, and more.

Ian Garry around (44:08) discusses his UFC 273 win over Darian Weeks, what grade he would give it, which of his UFC performances he was happier with so far, what he loved about fight week, if Gilbert Burns beat Khamzat Chimaev, when he wants to return, and more.

Ray Longo around (1:10:32) discusses Aljamain Sterling’s performance at UFC 273, what Sterling dealt with after his previous title win, how did he felt after first round, if he thought Sterling could be a champion early on, what’s next for Sterling, and more.

Alexander Volkanovski around (2:04:39) stops by The MMA Hour set and discusses his title defense at UFC 273, his new attitude, his thoughts on possibly facing Henry Cejudo, the featherweight division, cooks some chicken wings, and much more.

GC and Helwani around (3:39:51) recap the best bets for UFC 273 this past weekend.

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Rose Namajunas, Logan Paul, Luke Rockhold, Mackenzie Dern, and more Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

Mackenzie Dern around (4:57) discusses bouncing back from her second UFC loss, how close she was to pulling out of the fight, fighting at the UFC APEX vs. regular arenas, her upcoming opponent Tecia Torres at UFC 273, why she is inspired by Michael Jordan, and more.

GC and Helwani around (27:55) discuss GC’s best bets for UFC 273 this upcoming weekend.

Rose Namajunas around (1:01:59) discusses her rematch with Carla Esparza at UFC 274, why it look so long to finalize, if she wanted this rematch, when she watched the first fight again, her wake-up calls, the difference between the first title reign and the current one, a recent Rose tattoo, she plays a song on piano, and more.

Logan Paul around (1:30:53) discusses his performance at WrestleMania 38, his outfit, if he wants to do boxing or wrestling in the future, what Vince McMahon told him after his match, his expensive Pikachu Illustrator card, facing the Miz in the future, Dana White’s recent appearance on his podcast, who he would want to fight in his first UFC match, his run-in with Khamzat Chimaev, and more.

Luke Rockhold around (2:02:18) discusses his feud with Paulo Costa, recent comments by Anthony Smith and Michael Bisping, if he would fight at 205 pounds again, why he agreed to do the. Michael Bisping documentary, why he won’t get married, Cain Velasquez’s arrest, and more.

In the latest On the Nose, around (2:35:37) Ariel Helwani discusses Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, Twitter advice, his son’s school project, a fraternity party, GC’s UFC 273 party and if Mysterious Frank will show up, a UFC fighter he misses, his favorite childhood TV shows, if Stipe Miocic is close to a title shot, and more.

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Petr Yan, Julianna Peña, Demetrious Johnson, Ryan Garcia, Dricus Du Plessis, and more Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

Ariel Helwani and Eric Jackman around (13:47) discuss this past weekend’s WrestleMania 38 and more.

GC and Helwani around (40:20) look back at WrestleMania 38 bets and ahead to early action for UFC 273.

Demetrious Johnson around (1:00:59) discusses his nickname issues, what it was like competing at ONE X, his special rules bout against Rodtang, what made the difference in the fight, if he’s getting a title rematch, dealing with time zones, when he might return, Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno 4, and more.

Ryan Garcia around (1:38:39) discusses his anticipated return this Saturday night, his new tattoos, if he might not return after taking his break, what happened with Canelo Alvarez, why he picked Joe Goossen as a trainer, what he learned from the Luke Campbell fight, Emmanuel Tagoe’s comments, and more.

Petr Yan around (2:06:00) discusses his rematch against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273, what has changed since his last fight, Aljamain Sterlng’s recent comments, Sterling’s latest video, if Henry Cejudo and Sean O’Malley will be in his corner, who might be next if he wins, and more.

Dricus Du Plessis around (2:27:53) discusses his difficulty getting an opponent at UFC 273, why he thinks Kelvin Gastelum dropped out of the fight, what he wants to do next, his nickname, and more.

Julianna Peña around (3:00:13) discusses why she went to WrestleMania 38, Ronda Rousey’s legacy, why she wants to fight Rousey, contract negotiations for her rematch with Amanda Nunes, what TUF coaching was like against Nunes, and more.

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Paul Heyman, Aljamain Sterling, Kai Kara-France, Matt Brown, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and more Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

Paul Heyman around (16:44) discusses life not being by Brock Lesnar’s side anymore, the new version of Brock Lesnar for the WWE audience, Roman Reigns, AEW’s MJF, his old promos, WrestleMania 38, and more.

Yoshihiro Akiyama around (43:40) discusses his recent big win over Shinya Aoki at ONE X, how he bounced back, what division he plans on fighting in the future, how his wife feels about his nickname, and more.

Matt Brown around (1:05:52) discusses his performance at UFC Columbus, if he thought he won the decision, what he could have done differently, his thoughts on open scoring, fighter pay, and more.

In the latest On the Nose around (1:35:07), the fighter who he would pick to be face of new promotion, inspirational fighter quotes, Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev, the biggest fight for you at UFC 273, who would win 1:1 battle with GC, his response to Graham Boylan, and more.

Aljamain Sterling around (2:29:02) discusses his upcoming title defense at UFC 273, his preparation, why Petr Yan is upset, his issue with refs, his training camp, the odds for the fight, if Matt Serra is back in his corner, if he’s Team Will Smith, and more.

Kai Kara-France around (3:05:21) discusses his UFC Columbus win, his current contract situation with the UFC, why he wants to fight for Deiveson Figureido, Joe Burrow, a recent meeting with one of his childhood bullies, and more.

GC and Helwani around (3:44:47) look at GC's best bets at WrestleMania 38.

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Georges St-Pierre, Curtis Blaydes, Stephen Thompson, Alexa Grasso, Bas Rutten, Adam Kovacs, and more Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

Ariel Helwani breaks down UFC Columbus and reacts to Nate Diaz’s recent tweet that he wanted to be released by the UFC.

Curtis Blaydes aroundf (17:26) discusses his motivation at UFC Columbus, his critics, his callout of Stipe Miocic, Francis Ngannou’s issues with the UFC and his combat sports future, what he learned from the Derrick Lewis loss, when he wants to return, and more.

Alexa Grasso around (37:39) discusses her big win at UFC Columbus, her reaction to submission win, her former life at strawweight, the rise of MMA in Mexico, why GSP is her favorite fighter, how close she is to a title shot, and more.

Georges St-Pierre around (1:01:11) discusses his work with Karate Combat and their upcoming season, how he feels about Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington alleged altercation, fighter pay, Francis Ngannou’s issues with the UFC, the moment he had with Nick Diaz, and more.

Stephen Thompson around (1:22:56) discusses his involvement with Karate Combat, what went wrong against Belal Muhammad, the Colby vs. Jorge showdown, open scoring, and more.

Bas Rutten around (1:42:02) discusses his involvement with Karate Combat, the gloves, if he’s ever been asked to lose a fight, his favorite fight, his issues with training by Commander Dale Brown, and more.

Adam Kovacs around (2:05:05) discuss the upcoming season of Karate Combat, who owns the organization, who fights for them, if Lyoto Machida or others could join in the future, where they will hold events, and more.

GC and Helwani around (2:23:00) take a look back at GC’s top bets for UFC Columbus.

In the latest edition of Ric’s Picks around (3:09:10), Ric and Ariel Helwani break down Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at the Oscars, and Ariel gets a gift from an old friend.

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Khamzat Chimaev and Darren Till, Tom Aspinall, Paige VanZant, Gable Steveson, Dan Hardy, John Gooden, and more Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

Gable Steveson around (4:22) discusses his latest NCAA title, if it’s better than his Olympic gold medal, his viral moment at NCAA championships, if he’s officially retired, if he’ll compete at the 2024 Olympics, what he heard from Brock Lesnar after his NCAA win, when his WWE career will start, if he will ever do MMA, and more.

John Gooden around (31:37) breaks down UFC London, if he felt rusty after his long layoff, what it was like to call the fights with Michael Bisping, if he struggled without calling events during the pandemic, why he got emotional during his Paul Craig call, and more.

Paige VanZant around (1:03:22) discusses her move to AEW, what drew her to pro wrestling, if she talked to the WWE, if she will return to bare knuckle boxing, what it was like being in the corner during her husband’s Bellator title fight, and more.

Dan Hardy around (1:31:13) discusses UFC London, the impressive stars from the event, the future of Paddy Pimblett, if it was a mistake for Dan Hooker to drop to featherweight, if he will return to boxing, and more.

Tom Aspinall around (2:04:02) discusses his performance at UFC London, why he didn’t book an afterparty for the fight, if he was nervous, GSP commenting on his picture, his finish, how he’s different, if he will get Tai Tuivasa next, and more.

Darren Till and Khamzat Chimaev around (2:56:18) discuss their friendship, if they will ever fight each other, Chimaev’s title aspirations in 170 pounds and 185 pounds, Chimaev’s upcoming fight against Gilbert Burns, and much more.

GC and Helwani around (3:21:20) discuss best bets for UFC Columbus this upcoming weekend.

In the latest edition of On the Nose around (3:38:50), Ariel Helwani discusses the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns fight at UFC 273, tips to watch a UFC fight, the Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington alleged incident, Paddy Pimblett’s pay for UFC London, and more.

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Paul Craig, Arnold Allen, Molly McCann, Muhammad Mokaev, Jack Shore, E. Casey Leydon, and more Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

Ariel Helwani wraps up a memorable UFC London event.

Muhammad Mokaev around (16:38) discusses his performance at UFC London, if he was nervous before his UFC debut, how he ran Into Cody Durden twice before the fight, his first meeting with Dana White, why he wants Tim Elliott next, and more.

Paul Craig around (44:20) discusses his performance at UFC London, effective grappling, using a sports pyschologist, who he wants next, when he plans to retire, and more.

Molly McCann around (1:08:49) discusses her performance at UFC London, her knockout, the memorable photos from the event, her friendship with Paddy Pimblett, and more.

Jack Shore around (1:36:11) discusses his performance at UFC London, the finish, how close he was to his first loss, if he thought the judges would give him the nod, who he wants next, when is the last time he lost, and more.

Arnold Allen around (2:02:16) discusses his performance at UFC London against Dan Hooker, why he changed things up early in the co-main event, if he thought the stoppage was early, if he’s the best British fighter at any weight now, if his hands are injured, and more.

E. Casey Leydon around (2:32:15) discusses the win in his amateur debut, what he’s learned after his first fight, his ‘surreal’ experience, the mistake he made, and more.

GC and Helwani around (3:20:45) break down GC’s best bets for UFC London on Saturday.

In the latest edition of Ric’s Picks around (3:41:48), they discuss E. Casey Leydon’s MMA debut, Conor McGregor’s triple-champ dreams, Kamaru Usman’s next title defense, and more.

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Kevin Holland, Demetrious Johnson, Ilia Topuria, Molly McCann, Matt Brown, E. Casey Leydon, and more Mar 16, 2022

Show notes

E. Casey Leydon around (8:48) discusses how he ended up making his MMA debut this weekend, his start in MMA, how much weight he has lost during this process, the help behind the scenes, and more.

Molly McCann around (34:00) discusses her feelings heading into UFC London, her historic fight on the main card, her new BT Sport documentary, her thoughts on new Everton manager, and more.

Matt Brown around (1:00:32) discusses his return at UFC Columbus, his last fight in Ohio, when he was the happiest in his career, how he’s going to change things around next weekend, why he started treating MMA like a business, having legend Mark Coleman in his corner, and more.

Demetrious Johnson around (1:34:44) discusses if he should get into the UFC Hall of Fame, if an interim title counts as a title defense, who could break his UFC title defense record, his mixed rules fight against Rodtang Jitmuangnon next, why it is four rounds, trying to bounce back from a loss, and more.

Kevin Holland around (2:02:29) discusses how he stopped an alleged shooter at a restaurant, how he submitted him, if he was nervous, what he thought about Brendan Allen’s comments, who he wants to fight next, and more.

Ilia Topuria around (2:26:19) discusses his altercation with Paddy Pimblett in the fighter hotel in London, what caused his issue with Pimblett, what he was trying to accomplish, why he wants UFC featherweight title, and more.

GC and Helwani around (2:50:11) discuss GC’s best bets for UFC London.

In the latest On the Nose around (3:18:33), Ariel Helwani makes his picks for the UFC Hall of Fame, podcast advice, Jake Paul’s chances to join UFC and fight Conor McGregor, his thoughts about Scott Hall’s death, and more.

f you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

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