The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

Latest Episodes:

Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez face off, Derek Brunson, Craig Jones, Brian Kelleher, David Feldman, UFC 294 Preview Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani around (6:10) discusses the end of Showtime Sports and its coverage of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Craig Jones, the jiu-jitsu coach for Alexander Volkanovski, around (12:19) explains why Sambo is fake, what went right and wrong in the first fight with Islam Makhachev, how the short training camp has been, Gordon Ryan vs. Dillon Danis, how he ended up on Alex Jones show, if he will end up fighting Luke Rockhold, his feud with Gabi Garcia, his official fight prediction, and more.

Derek Brunson around (40:54) discusses how he ended up in the PFL, why he asked for his UFC release, in which division he'll fight in the PFL, if he thought about retirement, Israel Adesanya’s struggles, Usman vs. Chimaev, gambling parlays, and more.

David Feldman around (1:00:54) discusses the return of Mike Perry to headline BKFC 56, the other title fights on the card, Bryce Hall’s future, BKFC’s future, and more.

Eddie Alvarez around (1:20:03) discusses facing Mike Perry at BKFC 56, why he wanted Perry for his first BKFC fight, and more.

Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez around (1:26:36) discuss their upcoming BKFC 56 clash and trade multiple verbal shots.

Brian Kelleher around (1:56:45) talks about the origin of his "skullet," his upcoming fight with ex-champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC 296, how the fight came together after his neck surgery, the process of getting cleared to fight, whether Garbrandt's chin is "suspect," how to beat Garbrandt, showing off his Conor McGregor toy and Sean O'Malley wig, whether a win over Garbrandt gets him closer to an O'Malley fight, and more.

In the latest On the Nose around (2:22:10), Ariel Helwani discusses surprise fights at UFC 300, if the UFC will ever be passed by another promotion, Dillon Danis’ future if he came to the UFC, if fans are upset with influencer boxing, and more.

The parlay boys around (3:05:41) make their most recent selection, and GC selects his best bets and parlays for UFC 294.

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Alexander Volkanovski, Darren Till, Michel Pereira, Rey Mysterio in studio, Prime Card recap Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani around (8:16) recaps his fight week in Manchester from his voice issues to the event itself. He then takes a closer look at the Logan Paul vs. Dillon Danis and the KSI vs. Tommy Fury clashes.

Alexander Volkanovski around (32:44) talks about the moment he received the offer to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, cutting weight on short notice, the benefits of fighting without a full training camp, whether he was surprised Makhachev accepted the fight, the danger of taking the rematch so soon, the fate of his featherweight title defense against Ilia Topuria, whether he's worried about Makhachev will cheat, his reaction to Israel Adesanya taking time off, and more.

The team around (1:01:46) discusses the stakes of Volkanovski's rematch with Makhachev, whether the short notice fight benefits him, Ariel and Conner discuss the culinary options in England, what’s next for Tommy Fury and Dillon Danis, and more.

Rey Mysterio around (1:37:01) discusses the Logan Paul vs. Dillon Danis fight, the callout by Paul, Paul’s growth as a wrestler, Bad Bunny, the impact of Eddie Guerrero’s death, why it took so long to visit Guerrero’s grave, Dominik Mysterio, what it’s like to compete against his son, how he is able to still compete as he gets older, his favorite MMA fighters, and more.

Darren Till around (2:29:06) discusses his past history with Ariel Helwani, what he thought of Misfits Boxing, Logan Paul vs. Dillon Danis, KSI vs. Tommy Fury, why Till isn’t in the UFC anymore, why he has turned down MMA deals so far, if Misfits in his future, why BKFC isn’t on his radar right now, his comments about Mike Perry, if he is still friends with Khamzat Chimaev, and more.

Michel Pereira, who is translated by Luciana Andrade around (3:08:32), discusses his UFC Vegas 81 win, why he decided to compete at 185 pounds, if he’s going to stay in the division or go back to 170 pounds, why he missed weight against Wonderboy, if he understood why Wonderboy didn’t take the fight, what he wants next, why he had Israeli flag for walkout, and more.

The parlay boys around (3:37:25) take a look at their most recent selection, and GC recaps his picks.

Ariel also around (3:46:56) discusses the UFC hosting an event in Saudi Arabia, and the UFC parting ways with USADA.

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Live from Manchester! UFC 294 madness, Mike Perry & Mams Taylor in studio, Tommy Fury, more Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani around (5:34) discusses the new main event at UFC 294, if Alexander Volkanovski is out for the Toronto card, what happened with backup fighter Mateusz Gamrot, the co-main event, and more.

In the latest On the Nose around (21:28), Ariel Helwani discusses where it would rank if Alexander Volkanovski pulls off the upset at UFC 294, the UFC’s event next year in Saudi Arabia, if Mike Perry knocks out Logan Paul, the skirmishes at Misfits open workouts, and more.

Mike Perry around (40:00) discusses crashing Misfits open workouts, his interaction with Anthony Taylor, if he’s surprised Dillon Danis is at event, if he would rather fight Jake or Logan Paul, starting his own promotion, his message to Jon Jones, his kids’ names, Darren Till, and more.

Mams Taylor around (1:57:46) discusses last-minute changes to Misfits card, the chaos with John Fury at Misfits workouts, if he warned Dillon Danis for comments, if it was hard to get Dillon Danis and Logan Paul on the card, KSI vs. Jake Paul, his issues with Nakisa Bidarian, KSI vs. Conor McGregor, the year for Misfits, and more.

Tommy Fury around (2:46:39) discusses John Fury’s skirmishes at media workouts, if he would end crossover boxing if he beats KSI, KSI’s last fight, if he would want to face Logan or Jake Paul next, and more.

The parlay pals around (3:03:11) make their pick, and GC makes his selections for the upcoming weekend.

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Paulo Costa, Bobby Green, Cris Cyborg, Drew Dober, Joe Pyfer, Leah McCourt, and more Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani discusses the recent tragedy in Israel, his trip there, and more.

The panel then around (26:48) discusses what happened at Bellator 300, what it all means, the latest from Nate Diaz and Jake Paul, and more.

Leah McCourt around (43:44) discusses her win over Sara McMann at Bellator 300, her medical scare during fight week, how she got her nickname, squaring off against Cris Cyborg, her future fight against Cyborg, why she chose MMA over boxing, how she got signed by Bellator, and more.

The parlay pals around (1:06:27) look back at their most recent selection.

Drew Dober around (1:16:49) discusses his win over Ricky Glenn at UFC Vegas 80, fighting in front of his young daughter, if she knew where she was sitting at the event, his UFC record, his last loss, the UFC Vegas 80 main event, what he wants next, Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2, and more.

Joe Pyfer around (1:36:19) discusses his win at UFC Vegas 80, the injuries he sustained, why his training camp was so difficult, how he pulled off the finish, the viral photo from the fight, what he wants next, his pay comments, and more.

Bobby Green around (2:02:01) discusses his upset win at UFC Vegas 80, how he felt people counted him out, his longevity, who he wants next, what he said during the weigh-ins with Grant Dawson, why he’s done fighting at UFC APEX, his goals, how he evolved as a fighter, if Tony Ferguson will beat Paddy Pimblett, and more.

Cris Cyborg around (2:28:38) discusses her win over Cat Zingano at Bellator 300, her longevity, Bellator’s future, if Kayla Harrison fight could happen, her comments with Cat Zingano, who she wants to fight next and where, her jersey, and more.

Paulo Costa around (2:53:33) discusses his elbow injury, why the doctors wanted to open it up, if he thought of pulling out of the fight, why this fight has become personal, and more.

GC around (3:14:44) looks back at his picks for a busy combat sports weekend.

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Michael Chandler, Alexandre Pantoja, Merab Dvalishvili, Angela Lee, and more Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Alexandre Pantoja around (19:37) discusses his love of ‘Rocky’ movies, life as UFC champion, his upcoming rematch against Brandon Royval at UFC 296, fighting on Colby Covington card, Sean O’Malley, his memorable post-fight speech, and more.

Merab Dvalishvili around (48:38) gives an update on his hand injury, Aljamain Sterling’s loss at UFC 292, Marc Goddard, if he should get next title shot, Sean O’Malley’s recent comments, O’Malley vs. Vera, him shadowboxing in the rain, and more.

Michael Chandler around (1:17:17) discusses waiting for Conor McGregor, Bellator’s reported possible end, hanging out with the Titans, business ventures, his time off, if he has set a deadline if he will move on, if he regrets doing The Ultimate Fighter, Nate Diaz’s comments, Makhachev vs. Oliveira, his message to McGregor, and more.

Angela Lee around (1:59:48) discusses her retirement from MMA, what caused her to make the decision, her car accident, her website, her mental health, why it’s important to share her story, why she told ONE fighters she was retiring before their title fight, if she will still train, her favorite moment at ONE Championship, and more.

In the latest On the Nosea around (2:40:02), Ariel Helwani discusses if Francis Ngannou should feel disrespected by Tyson Fury because of the Oleksandr Usyk fight, if Jon Jones will retire after UFC 295, most memorable event on his birthday, how to make judging better, if the Expos will ever return to Montreal, best concerts, Dillon Danis, and more.

The parlay pals around (3:57:43) make their pick for the upcoming weekend, and GC around (4:04:03) makes his selections as well.

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Dillon Danis in studio, Tony Ferguson, Renato Moicano, Cédric Doumbé, Dakota Ditcheva, Leigh Wood and Steve Cooper Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

Before his clash with Logan Paul, Dillon Danis around (8:30) drops by the studio to discuss his ongoing lawsuit with Paul's fiancee, Nina Agdal, the trash talk leading up to the fight, his training with Alex Pereira, drug testing for the fight, the origin of his feud with the Paul brothers, the infamous water balloon incident with Jake Paul, the dark times he went through after getting injured, why the fight is not sanctioned as a pro bout, his face-to-face interview with Logan, John Fury's outburst at the press conference, what happens if he loses, what he'll weigh for the fight, and more.

Leigh Wood around (1:21:57) explains the stakes of his upcoming fight with Josh Warrington, Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper talks about how the two came to work together, Nottingham's tough past season, Wood's rematch win over Mauricio Lara, Cooper on parallel's between the fight game and soccer, Wood's potential future fights, and more.

Renato Moicano around (1:51:58) discusses his new podcast, what the year has been like for him after his recent injury, why he wants Dan Hooker next, Makhachev vs. Oliveira 2, Costa vs. Chimaev, and more.

Cedric Doumbe around (2:26:27) discusses his impressive PFL knockout, his recent wrist injury, the support of Kylian Mbappe and the PSG soccer team at the fight, if he’s the biggest MMA star in France, how he translated himself after the win, the allegations against his coach, the message he sent to his opponent after the fight, the chant before the fight, and more.

Dakota Ditcheva around (2:56:30) discusses her PFL Europe performance, her Erling Haaland celebration, training with her brother, her staredown with Valentina Scatizzi, KSI vs. Fury, Paul vs. Danis, and more.

Tony Ferguson around (3:26:54) discusses his upcoming fight against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296, his last fight against Bobby Green, why he went back to his old team, how the game has changed, how close he came to coaching against Khabib Nurmagomedov on TUF, mental conditioning, his thoughts on Patrick Pimblett, and more.

GC around (4:05:20) looks back at his most recent pick from the Canelo Alvarez fight.

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Logan Paul, Alex Pereira, Stephen Thompson, Johnny Eblen, Jim Lampley, and more Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

Stephen Thompson around (3:17) discusses his recent pay issues with the UFC, his upcoming fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296, why he turned down the fight the first time, his thoughts on Ian Machado Garry, when he might call it quits, his time away from the Octagon, Edwards vs. Covington, how his fight will play out against Rakhmonov, and more.

In the latest On the Nose around (32:05), Ariel Helwani discusses the latest WWE releases, the McGregor vs. Chandler fight delay, judging takedowns, Scott Coker’s legacy with Bellator, Paddy Pimblett vs. Tony Ferguson, and more.

Jim Lampley around (1:13:43) discusses Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo showdown, what he’s been up to since HBO Boxing folded, his emotional last HBO fight, the impact of Muhammad Ali, his relationship with Howard Cosell, why he moved to Chapel Hill, influencer boxing, his favorite calls, and more.

Johnny Eblen around (2:28:56) discusses his nasty cut at Bellator 299, if he thought the fight would be stopped, what happened after the fight with Fabian Edwards, how he feels about Colby Covington, the reported PFL sale, if it’s his final fight for Bellator, training with Sean Strickland, and more.

Alex Pereira around (2:56:31) discusses his upcoming light heavyweight title fight at UFC 295, his performance against Jan Blachowicz, where he feels most comfortable 185 or 205, Sean Strickland, facing Jiri Prochazka, if he wants to win this fight for his coach, training with Dillon Danis, his issues with Anthony Smith, and more.

Logan Paul around (3:29:23) discusses his return to boxing, why he didn’t get the Nate Diaz fight, why Dillon Danis is his opponent, his thoughts on Danis’ social media posts on Nina Agdal, if he regrets picking Danis, possibly facing Mike Perry, his relationship with Jake Paul, his official prediction, and more.

The team then around (4:21:42) announces the upcoming live NYC show on Nov. 10 at citywinery.com.

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GC & Ric Takeover: Reacting to UFC’s big announcements, Ben ‘The Bane’ Davis joins the show Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

Eric Jackman and Conner Burks around (2:27) discuss all the big UFC fights announced recently, including Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296. They also pick their top 3 most anticipated fights recently announced, discuss Frank's trip to a barber shop for beards only, the disappointment of Rafael Fiziev's UFC Vegas 79 loss to Mateusz Gamrot, other standouts on the card, Bellator 299 standouts, whether Johnny Eblen is among the best middleweights in the world, Misfits Boxing, the Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank Jr. fight, Israel Adesanya's drunk driving charge, and more.

Ben Davis around (58:21) talks about his fight at Misfits Boxing against Anderson Silva's son, Gabriel, what he expected versus what happened, what he hoped to accomplish with the fight, how he got into the MMA industry, whether he'll fight again, the commentary at Misfits Boxing, his callout of another media member, going to the ceremonial weigh-ins in a hotel bathrobe, his desire to grapple Brendan Fitzgerald, doing commentary immediately after getting knocked out, and more.

The parlay pals around (1:52:11) recap their latest winning selection, and GC looks back at his picks from the past weekend.

GC and NYRic around (1:56:49) then answer multiple fan questions before a game of darts.

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Aljamain Sterling, Jared Cannonier, Anthony Smith, Raul Rosas Jr., Loopy Godinez, Jessica-Rose Clark, and more Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Aljamain Sterling around (3:14) discusses his UFC 292 performance, why he plans to take a break, his sense of relief after the title loss, who should Sean O’Malley fight next, if he would fight at featherweight, Dana White’s recent comments, Mike Grundy at Polaris, and more.

In the latest On the Nose around (47:42), Ariel Helwani agrees with almost everything Dana White had to say at the DWCS post-fight press conference, the UFC welterweight division, the possibility of an all-female UFC event, and more.

Raul Rosas Jr. around (1:29:35) breaks down his Noche UFC win, high school life, if he felt pressure to bounce back, how he dealt with his first loss, Conor McGregor’s tweet, his hobbies, if his next fight will be in Mexico, who he wants to fight next, and more.

Loopy Godinez around (1:48:32) discusses her Noche UFC win, how her new team has helped, why she changed teams, if she was shocked Elise Reed didn’t tap, what Noche UFC fight week was like, her reaction to the main event, her tough amateur career, when she wants to fight again, and more.

Jessica Rose-Clark around (2:12;42) discusses her upcoming bout at Lion Fights, her plans for a bus, her childhood, how she got into fighting, why she isn’t fighting in the UFC anymore, calling out Paige VanZant for a boxing fight, why she wants to fight for Jake Paul and MVP, a recent tweet, and more.

Jared Cannonier around (2:43:33) discusses life as a backup fighter for UFC 293, if he’s close to a title shot, how close he was to filling in for Sean Strickland at UFC 293, Strickland’s upset of Israel Adesanya, where Khamzat Chimaev is a true contender, makes his case to be the next title contender, and more.

Anthony Smith around (3:11:34) discusses his issues with Ariel, his recent win over Ryan Spain at UFC Singapore, why he wanted to fight in Singapore, fickle MMA fans, who he wants to fight next, Alex Pereira’s recent comments, next light heavyweight title fight, the 10-8 score in Noche UFC main event, and more.

The parlay boys around (4:04:36) make their latest pick, and GC makes his picks for a busy combat sports weekend.

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UFC scoring controversy, Valentina Shevchenko, Ciryl Gane, Tracey Cortez, Amanda Serrano, J.J. Watt, Charlie Campbell Sep 18, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani around (10:02) recaps Noche UFC and discusses why Mike Bell’s 10-8 in Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 is one of the worst scorecards in MMA history, where the division goes from here, whether a trilogy fight has to be next, whether Erin Blanchfield or Manon Fiorot has a stronger case, and more.

Tracy Cortez around (46:09) discusses her big win over Jasmine Jasudavicius at Noche UFC, her long layoff before Saturday, why she traveled to Brazil to train with the Pitbull brothers, the vibe in T-Mobile Arena, why she was on the prelims, Jasudavicius pulling her hair mid-fight, her rise in popularity, the story behind her infamous photo with Paulo Costa, the passing of Gloria Cejudo, how far she is from title contention, and more.

Charlie Campbell around (1:12:42) discusses his win over Alex Reyes at Noche UFC and memorable post-fight promo, how he rebounded from his loss on UFC’s Contender Series, how Al Iaquinta helped him get his start, the unique origin of his nickname “The Cannibal,” his The Rock inspired interaction with Daniel Cormier, The Rock’s response, potentially fighting at Madison Square Garden, and more.

Valentina Shevchenko around (1:30:52) discusses her split draw with Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC, her reaction to Mike Bell’s 10-8 scorecard, her breakdown of the fight, why she expected a split decision, her injured hand, what she wants next, who should get next title shot, and more.

The parlay boys around (2:14:11) recap their big week, and GC looks back at his memorable bets from this past weekend.

Amanda Serrano around (2:33:50) previews her WBO title defense against Danila Ramos, the longer rounds for the title fight, why she isn’t defending all her belts, Alycia Baumgardner’s positive drug test, her return to mixed martial arts, the Katie Taylor rematch, and more.

Ciryl Gane around (3:01:45) discusses being robbed during one of his fights, his performance in the UFC Paris main event, not getting the Jon Jones fight, how his mindset has changed, who he wants next, who will win Jones vs. Miocic, Ngannou vs. Fury, and more.

NFL legend J.J. Watt around (3:26:04) joins us during the final minutes of the Burnley and Nottingham Forest match, if he enjoys watching soccer or football more, how he became a soccer fan, watching UFC events, and more.

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