Fighter vs. Writer: Matt Brown REACTS to Ronda Rousey’s Comments on Joe Rogan Plus Jake Paul vs. Francis Ngannou and More

Francis Ngannou's combat sports career took another incredible turn on Saturday when he arguably beat the lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury in a 10-round boxing match in Saudi Arabia — even dropping Fury in the third round. Despite not getting the victory on the cards, Ngannou is the fight's big winner in other ways. On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Ngannou's performance against Fury, how Ngannou the boxer is far more intriguing than Ngannou the MMA fighter, and how the only MMA opponent that makes any sense is the fight with current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Additionally, listener topics include potential boxing options for Ngannou moving forward, the "fumbled the bag" critics being humbled, if the UFC lost in the long run with Saturday's result, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

31 Loka 202349min

This week on The Fighter vs. The Writer, UFC welterweight Matt Brown and MMA Fighting senior reporter Damon Martin react to the shocking result in the boxing match between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury. Despite entering the fight as a massive underdog, Ngannou scored the only knockdown after the planted Fury on the ground with a huge left hand in the third round. In the end, Ngannou lost a razor-close split decision that many believe should have gone his way. Brown erupts when addressing Fury’s performance after he was touted as one of the best heavyweights in recent boxing history while proclaiming that the entire division “sucks” right now after Ngannou exposed them. Plus we’ll address what should come next for Ngannou after such a stunning performance — should he go back to boxing for another fight or make his return to MMA for his debut in the PFL? We’ll also talk about Jon Jones dropping out of his scheduled fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 and Brown details the difference between courage and stupidity when setting foot in the cage for a fight. All this and more on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

31 Loka 20231h 39min

With the UFC having a rare Saturday night without a fight card, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee didn't want to leave the listeners hanging, so they decided to turn the programming over to them. On a special "Ask Us Anything" edition of On To the Next One, Mike and AK reunite to answer listener questions, with topics including whether or not Khamzat Chimaev is being judged by the MMA community on a more difficult scale than maybe any other fighter in UFC history. Additionally, questions include building a fantasy RIZIN New Year's Eve card, if 2023 could surpass 2016 as the craziest year in MMA, the best seats to watch a UFC event in an arena, what sport would they cover outside of MMA if asked, the fight that they like that most dislike, and the other way around, the MMA fighter elevator test, and more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Loka 20231h 37min

Francis Ngannou may not have gotten the official victory against Tyson Fury on the scorecards, but he sure feels like Saturday's biggest winner after defying the odds and taking the lineal boxing heavyweight champion to his absolute limit. MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaheen Al-Shatti, and Alexander K. Lee react to Fury edging out a heavily debated split decision over the former UFC heavyweight champion, discuss whether or not Ngannou was robbed by two of the judges, why it doesn't ultimately matter whether he was or not, if Ngannou's next fight will be in the boxing ring, if he'll return to MMA at all, how "The Predator" has been able to silence his many critics — including UFC CEO Dana White — if the targeted Fury vs. Usyk fight is more or less interesting, and so much more following the Battle of the Baddest fight card. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Shaun Al-Shatti: @ShaunAlShatti Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Loka 20231h 16min

Tyson Fury is the massive favorite to defeat former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in their 10-round boxing match this Saturday in Saudi Arabia. While the outcome may seem predictable, what if Ngannou actually does defeat Fury? MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaheen Al-Shatti, and Jed Meshew discuss Saturday's main event bout, the interest levels in it, along with the fight week build seemingly falling short. Additionally, they discuss what could've been done differently to generate more interest, a potential world where Ngannou pulls off one of the all-time biggest upsets ever, how it could shake up the combat sports world as we know it, if Ngannou's stock can drop in any way with a loss, and more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Shaun Al-Shatti: @ShaunAlShatti Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Loka 20231h 10min

While the UFC is on a rare off week, the promotion has certainly had its share of headlines following UFC 294 between Islam Makhachev's knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski, the questions surrounding the middleweight division after Khamzat Chimaev's win over Kamaru Usman, as well as the UFC 295 shakeups due to Jon Jones' injury. On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck takes questions about the chaotic week for the UFC, Jones' fight with Stipe Miocic being scrapped and replaced by Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall for the interim heavyweight title, how big of a hit to the card losing Jones vs. Miocic could be, and comparing UFC 295 to other Madison Square Garden fight cards. Additionally, listener topics include Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, if Ngannou can be competitive, what could headline the UFC's Dec. 2 event in Austin and the promotion's expected return to China the following week, along with a slew of Free-For-All Friday questions from outside the world of MMA. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Loka 20231h 18min

Islam Makhachev made a strong case for being the world's best pound-for-pound fighter after he demolished Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 294 this past Saturday. What is the biggest Makhachev question moving forward after getting closure against Volkanovski?  On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel recaps Makhachev's sensational performance to retain the UFC lightweight title, if Charles Oliveira or Justin Gaethje should be next, and how far he can go from a legacy perspective. Additionally, topics include Khamzat Chimaev's majority decision win over Kamaru Usman and the big takeaways from both fighters, Jon Jones suffering an injury scratching his UFC 295 heavyweight championship main event with Stipe Miocic, Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall fighting for the interim heavyweight title, if the one-two punch is more interesting than the original, Saturday's Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou boxing match and the interest levels surrounding it, and much more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Morning Kombat's Brian Campbell. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Follow Brian Campbell: @BCampbell Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Loka 20231h 49min

Jon Jones' injury led to Dana White's shocking annoucement this week that Jones will no longer fight Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 295, but now Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall will fight for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event. Is it the more intriguing matchup than the original, and should it be for the actual title instead of the interim belt? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to the UFC 295 shakeup, why Pavlovich vs. Aspinall is the more competitive fight, but also the hit the card takes not having Jones and Miocic fighting any longer, along with a positive way to look at the championship situation surrounding the fight. Additionally, topics include what a title in at UFC 295 does for Alex Pereira's legacy, Islam Makhachev knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294, Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, and more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Loka 20231h 7min