The Ringer MMA Show

Latest Episodes:

MVP to UFC? Islam vs. Leon? UFC London Hard Sell and Much More Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Ariel and Petesy open the show talking about Petesy's experience at an influencer boxing event in Ireland over the weekend (2:30). Then, the boys discuss:

The news that longtime Bellator fighter Michael "Venom" Page is now a free agent. Are they surprised? Where will he sign? Should the UFC try to come to terms with him this week so they can announce him at UFC London this weekend (7:04)?
Later, they discuss Islam Makhachev's idea to fight Leon Edwards in Abu Dhabi in October. Do they like the idea or nah (38:38)?
Of course, the boys also break down UFC London, with Petesy giving the hard sell as to why this card should not be slept on and isn't necessarily deserving of the criticism it has received (43:37).
Finally, they answer a few Discord questions (52:57).

Hosts: Ariel Helwani and Petesy Carroll

Producer: Isaiah Blakely

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BREAKING: Jamahal Hill Vacates UFC Light Heavyweight Title. What Happens Now? Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

The UFC light heavyweight championship is cursed. Late last night, Jamahal Hill took to his YouTube channel to announce that he has suffered a devastating foot injury and is vacating his belt. In another breaking news episode of the program, Ariel Helwani and Petesy Carroll are here to discuss the following:

Whether the UFC 291 co-main event between Jan Blachowicz and former middleweight champion Alex Pereira could become a vacant title fight
A potential light heavyweight grand prix involving Blachowicz, Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev, and Jiri Prochazka
Other 205ers who find themselves on the outside looking in at the title picture

Plus, the guys give their predictions for who the light heavyweight champion will be at the end of 2023 (29:34).

Hosts: Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll

Producer: Troy Farkas

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BREAKING: Francis Ngannou Has Secured the Bag. Now Can He Beat Tyson Fury? Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

Against all odds once again, Francis Ngannou has done the unthinkable. The former UFC heavyweight champion, widely criticized for departing the world’s premier MMA organization, has now inked a deal with lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury for a multimillion dollar boxing fight in Saudi Arabia on October 28. Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and TST discuss the following in today’s breaking news episode:

The parameters surrounding the fight and the clear lines we can draw back to Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor in 2017 (14:00)
Whether the heavy hitting Ngannou stands a chance against all-time great Fury (24:50)
Which heavyweight fight we are more interested in: Fury vs. Ngannou or Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic (40:16)
Whether Dana White will try to overshadow today’s news with big UFC news of his own (47:09)

Plus, 3PAC’s July pound-for-pound rankings are out now (52:10). There’s lots of disagreements.

Feel free to join the conversation in our special Discord channel. Also, here’s the Twitter thread Ariel references in the episode.

Hosts: Ariel Helwani, Chuck Mindenhall, Petesy Carroll

Producer: Troy Farkas

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UFC 290 Reaction: Predicting Alexander Volkanovski’s Next Move, Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya’s Uncomfortable Faceoff, and Alexandre Pantoja Wins One For the Ages Jul 09, 2023

Show notes

A GOAT push, a Fight of the Year candidate, a massive middleweight upset, geopolitical tension, a legendary retirement, and a number of fast finishes. Wow. UFC 290 gave us everything and more. To break it all down, Ariel Helwani, Chuck Mindenhall, and Petesy Carroll get into the following in this instant reaction episode:

Alexander Volkanovski’s domination of Yair Rodriguez, whether it surprised us, and what the featherweight king will look to do next (8:00)
An unforgettable flyweight title fight between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja, the strange scorecards, and Pantoja’s incredibly emotional story that we’re just discovering now (28:33)
Dricus Du Plessis’s SHOCKING upset of Robert Whittaker and how it’s all but guaranteed him a date with Israel Adesanya in September in Australia (39:11)
The uncomfortable nature of the post-fight confrontation between DDP and Adesanya and how this could cast a very dark cloud over the UFC for the next two months (45:10)
Robbie Lawler’s knockout of Niko Price and why it was the storybook ending to a career that will never be matched (1:04:35)

Plus, Bo Nickal keeps the hype train moving, Dan Hooker pulls out a gutsy win, and the guys touch on Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic.

Hosts: Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall

Producer: Troy Farkas

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UFC 290 Mega-Preview: Alexander Volkanovski’s Most Dangerous Opponent, Brandon Moreno Chases Revenge, and the Massive Stakes for Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

A massive International Fight Week card calls for a massive old-school-style preview show from Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, and Threads sensation Chuck Mindenhall. In this episode, the lads get into UFC 290 by discussing the following:

If Yair Rodriguez actually is Alexander Volkanovski’s most dangerous opponent so far, and whether the flashy Rodriguez has a legitimate shot at dethroning the unflappable Volkanovski (14:00)
If Volkanovski wins, will the Sydney native turn around in two months and fight the likes of Spanish sensation Ilia Topuria? Or will Volkanovski aim for a rematch with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev? (25:00)
Brandon Moreno’s incredible improvement since his last loss to Alexandre Pantoja, and whether that even matters in Saturday’s co-main event (34:31)
The unusual middleweight title picture, and why Sean Strickland just put tons of pressure on Dricus Du Plessis and Robert Whittaker (41:07)

Plus, Dan Hooker takes on a big challenge in lightweight prospect Jalin Turner (50:58), historic Vegas odds on Bo Nickal (57:54), and the guys share their favorite Robbie Lawler memories before “Ruthless” steps into the UFC Octagon for the final time on Saturday (1:02:13). And of course, some questions from the Discord about Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury, PFL Europe, and more (1:25:16).

Follow Chuck on Threads @chuck_mindenhall.

Follow Petesy’s new podcast, “The Craic."

Hosts: Ariel Helwani, Chuck Mindenhall, and Petesy Carroll

Producer: Troy Farkas

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The Countdown to Mark Zuckerberg Vs. Elon Musk at UFC 300 Begins! Plus, Will Alexander Volkanovski Lose His Title Soon? Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

After Chael Sonnen broke the internet yesterday with his big announcement about UFC 300, the guys decided they couldn’t wait until Thursday. So, on this special Tuesday edition of the program, Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and TST discuss:

Dana White’s fervent support of a UFC matchup between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and whether this delegitimizes the sport that White worked so hard to bring to the mainstream (2:10)
Ilia Topuria’s bludgeoning of Josh Emmett at UFC Jacksonville and whom we hope to see the Spaniard fight next (27:24)
The serious threat that a matured Yair Rodriguez poses to reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 290 (32:35)
A sneaky good card at the UFC Apex this Saturday, (surprisingly) headlined by middleweights Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov (53:25)

Plus, the guys get into the PFL scoring scandal, Stevie Ray’s retirement, and questions from the Discord (1:00:57).

By the way, Petesy has a new podcast! Please give it a follow by visiting this Spotify link.

Hosts: Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindenhall

Producer: Troy Farkas

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Why Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou Can Still Happen! Plus, Would PFL’s Purchase of Bellator Be Bad for MMA? Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

Ariel Helwani, Chuck Mindenhall and Blanchstradamus himself gather once more to discuss the latest in the wacky world of mixed martial arts. On today’s program, the guys discuss:

Rumors that PFL might purchase Bellator and whether this would be good or bad for the sport and its fighters (4:16)
How a PFL-Bellator combination would stack up against the UFC
The staredown between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones last week, and why Ariel believes the UFC could still make this fight happen (35:38)
A plethora of fight announcements in the last week, as well as which ones the guys are most excited for (44:12)

Plus, tensions boil to the surface for 3PAC, TST’s dating life, questions from the Discord (57:50), and are Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk going to fight each other?

Hosts: Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall

Producer: Troy Farkas

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Listener Q&A: The Ian Machado Garry Build, Patrício Pitbull’s Legacy, and Cringey Julianna Peña. Plus, UFC Messed Up the Middleweights! Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

On today’s episode, Ariel Helwani, a still-drunk Chuck Mindenhall, and professional news-breaker Petesy Carroll take some questions from the audience, discussing topics like:

Whether UFC welterweight contender Geoff Neal is too big a step-up for rising Irish star Ian Machado Garry (9:28)
Where Patrício Pitbull will rank among all-time greats if he’s able to secure a third Bellator title in a third weight class this weekend at Bellator 297 (20:57)
Best crowds the guys have witnessed at UFC events they've attended (35:04)
How the UFC should move forward with the women’s bantamweight decision, leading to 3PAC coming to the defense of former champ Julianna Peña (39:32)

Plus, the lads talk about the complicated UFC middleweight title picture as Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori get ready to throw down at the illustrious UFC Apex on Saturday (51:07).

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded before the news of allegations against Conor McGregor broke.

Read 3PAC's pound-for-pound rankings for the month of June here.

Hosts: Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall

Producer: Troy Farkas

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UFC 289 Reaction: Amanda Nunes Retires as the GOAT, Charles Oliveira Earns Another Title Shot, and a Big Night for Canada! Jun 11, 2023

Show notes

Immediately after the end of an emotional UFC 289, Ariel, Petesy, Chuck, and TST react to an unexpectedly wild night of cage fighting in Vancouver. The lads discuss:

With Amanda Nunes now out of the women’s bantamweight division, what’s the next title fight to make? (9:38)
Whether Nunes is unquestionably the GOAT of women’s MMA … and whether she'll actually stay away from fighting (13:42)
How Charles Oliveira stamped his passport to Abu Dhabi for a rematch with Islam Makhachev following tonight's signature performance against Beneil Dariush (26:53)
A massive success for the Vancouver crowd that saw six Canadian fighters walk away with wins (41:17)

And, as the guys descend into sleepy madness, they deep-dive into Vancouver cuisine, Blanchstradamus returns, more Denver Nuggets talk, Ariel’s childhood friend reports from the ground in Vancouver (52:48), and the guys try to pinpoint the exact moment Oliveira became a global superstar.

Hosts: Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall

Producer: Troy Farkas

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UFC 289 Preview: Why Irene Aldana Will Retire Amanda Nunes, and Will the UFC Screw Beneil Dariush? Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

Unable to contain their excitement for Saturday’s UFC 289, Ariel, Chuck, and Petesy decided to give you this week’s episode earlier than expected. Today, the lads discuss:

Predictions for Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana, leaving TST at odds with 3PAC (9:17)
Win or lose, will this be Nunes’s final UFC fight? (15:48)
Whether Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush is a no. 1 contender fight (38:05)
All of the possible excuses the UFC could make to avoid giving Dariush a title shot with a win
Other fights to watch out for in Vancouver (54:44)

Plus, the guys take questions from the listeners (1:02:10) about the Mount Rushmore of MMA robberies and how Saturday’s result will affect Nunes’s GOAT status.

Hosts: Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, and Chuck Mindenhall

Producer: Troy Farkas

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