The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by recapping the weekend and running down today’s lineup. Israel Adesanya’s longtime manager Ash Belcastro around (14:19) joins us in-studio to discuss Adesanya’s upcoming documentary, the process of getting footage from the UFC, why he doesn’t chase the spotlight, how he first met Adesanya, the success of the City Kickboxing team, the first moment he realized Adesanya was special, his lone fight, Mark Zuckerberg wearing his company’s gear, questionable judging in MMA, the show/win pay structure, gunning for Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 in 2023, the UFC booking Dricus Du Plessis against Robert Whittaker, Jon Jones, the Prime sponsorship, Brad Riddell’s future, and more. Israel Adesanya’s joins us in-studio around (1:03:44) to discuss the premiere of his documentary, the process of filming, his experience kickboxing in China, getting arrested after his loss to Alex Pereira, Kai Kara-France’s controversial loss, holding MMA judges accountable, open scoring, the Pereira rematch, what he was thinking during the knockout, proving to himself that he can beat Pereira, going to dark places for that fight, his infamous post-fight celebration, Henry Cejudo’s criticism, partying with Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, trying to make a fight against Dricus Du Plessis happen, DDP vs. Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, whether a Pereira trilogy happens, meeting Tyson Fury, WWE, and more. Aiemann Zahabi around (2:06:00) discusses his 64-second knockout of Aoriqileng at UFC 289, his career turnaround after a rough start to his UFC journey, being his own worst critic, his brother Firas’ thoughts on the fight, Canada’s perfect night, Georges St-Pierre’s cornering, whether Firas is harder on him than others on the team, the four brothers of the Zahabi family, what’s next, whether he’s getting a watch from Drake, and more. Julianna Peña around (2:27:29) discusses the Parlay Boys controversy, why she didn’t fight at UFC 289, how she injured her rib, how she made a mistake handling the news, why Irene Aldana never stood a chance against Amanda Nunes, Nunes’ decision to retire, wanting to storm the cage, why it’s day one of the “Peña Power Era,” how it’s her job to make sure everyone forgets Nunes ever existed, why Nunes took the coward’s way out, her airport run-in with Nunes after the event, fighting for the vacant belt next, the future of the featherweight division, why that’s a fake belt, and more. Jasmine Jasudavicius around (2:55:44) discusses her upset win over Miranda Maverick at UFC 289, Canada’s perfect night, Maverick’s vision problems during the fight, the arena railing collapsing during Mike Malott’s walkout, what’s next, what makes her mad, why Maycee Barber or Casey O’Neill are on her radar, and more. Ariel Helwani and the Parlay Boys around (3:57:57) react to UFC 289, their night out at Israel Adesanya’s documentary premiere, Irene Aldana’s performance against Amanda Nunes, whether there’s anything left for Nunes in MMA, Charles Oliveira’s evolution to stardom, the ceiling for an English-speaking Oliveira, Makhachev vs. Oliveira 2, the UFC’s booking of the middleweight division, Saturday’s poutine controversy, Floyd Mayweather’s bizarre scene with John Gotti III, Conor McGregor’s viral mascot punch, and more. If 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). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12 Kesä 20234h 23min

Josh Taylor around (5:52) discusses the air issues in NYC, his upcoming fight against Teofimo Lopez, how his family was threatened after his Jack Catterall win, why he didn’t rematch Catterall, why the fight is at Madison Square Garden, Lopez’s recent performances and comments, darts, and more. Mike Malott around (35:25) discusses judging, UFC 289, getting onto the Vancouver card, the emotions he will have after the fight, his mental coach, his skydiving, and more. Brendan Loughnane around (56:45) discusses his upcoming PFL 4 fight, his recent incredible plane ride, his last fight against Marlon Moraes, why he started using a mental coach, PFL’s rash of drug test failures, and more. Chris Weidman around (1:15:48) discusses his long-awaited return at UFC 292, facing Brad Tavares, his leg injury, his memorable trip to England, if Aljamain Sterling was forced to fight in Boston, his TV work, Rubik’s cube, his ESPN doc, a recent golf outing with Luke Rockhold, and more. Journalist Gareth Davies around (1:57:06) discusses classic stories with Ariel Helwani from the past, Michael Bisping, his relationship with Eddie Hearn, social media, how combat sports have changed, KSI, Conor McGregor, and more. In the latest On the Nose around (3:12:56), Ariel Helwani discusses the legacy of Amanda Nunes, Bellator vs. PFL, Leon Edwards’ return, best fights never made, who would play everyone in The MMA Hour movie, and more. The parlay pals around (3:38:42) then make their selection for this upcoming weekend, and GC makes his picks for UFC 289. If 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). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Kesä 20233h 58min

Ariel Helwani around (8:19) wraps up UFC Vegas 74 and the controversial main event. The team discusses their scorecards for Amir Albazi vs. Kai Kara-France, whether accountability will improve MMA judging, and more. Andre Ward around (46:50) talks about judging in boxing, his new book, criticisms that he's "guarded," why he left the sport in his 30s, how he thought about fighting again when Sergey Kovalev fought Canelo Alvarez, whether he'd be open to an exhibition fight, how there was brief interest in a fight with Jake Paul, his thoughts on Nate Diaz's upcoming fight with Paul, his sparring sessions with Nick and Nate Diaz, Francis Ngannou's exit from the UFC and whether Tyson Fury should fight him, his breakdown of Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spencer, Teofimo Lopez's issues outside the ring, and more. Alex Pereira around (1:17:11) discusses why he his trilogy MMA fight with Israel Adesanya isn’t next, his last weight cut at UFC 287, his performance, the loss, how Adesanya celebrated the knockout, if he must face Adesanya again, the airport run-in, the altitude at UFC 291, his training partner for Jan Blachowicz fight, sparring Zhilei Zhang, and more. Martin Lewandowski around (1:51:02) discusses KSW: Colosseum 2, what the night was like, if he would do an event in the United States, if Mariusz Pudzianowski will fight again, the departure of Roberto Soldic, what happened in the co-main event, Krzysztof Głowacki’s memorable knockout, when the next Colosseum will be, and more. Anthony Smith around (2:18:39) discusses the UFC Vegas 74 main event and the scores, open scoring, his performance against Johnny Walker, why he took his gloves off, retirement talk, dealing with the fans and the media, what he wants next, Alex Pereira vs. Jan Blachowicz clash, the UFC 289 main and co-main events, and more. Kai Kara-France around (3:08:23) discusses his UFC Vegas 74 main event fight, if he thought he won, which rounds he won, when he would like to return, if Amir Albazi deserves a title shot, and more. The parlay pals around (3:34:01) look back at their latest selection, and GC reveals how he did at UFC Vegas 74. Ariel Helwani around (3:40:21) then revisits the Jared Gordon situation last week and who is really to blame for the situation. If 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). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Kesä 20234h 12min

Ariel Helwani opens the show by discussing the debut of The Ultimate Fighter 31, who the audience is for the new Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler season, GC’s thoughts on the debut, and more. In the latest around (19:12) On The Nose, Ariel Helwani discusses Mysterious Frank’s birthday, the airport encounter between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, how to determine the best weight class, favorite TUF season, Francis Ngannou’s first boxing fight, and more. Kai Kara-France around (56:55) discusses his first UFC main event, falling shot in his first UFC title fight, UFC 284, a recent documentary on his life, helping coach a pro rugby team, Israel Adesanya getting his title back, how the UFC Vegas 74 main event will end, and more. Terence Crawford around (1:17:05) discusses how his clash with Errol Spence finally happened, the rematch clause, the PBC deal, what took so long for this fight to happen, promoting the fight, Cris Cyborg’s boxing future, how he scored Haney vs. Lomachenko, Devin Haney vs. Tank Garcia, training Michael B. Jordan for Creed 3, Francis Ngannou, and more. Claressa Shields around (1:42:44) discusses her upcoming title defense, Katie Taylor’s recent performance, fighting in Detroit, why she battles people on Twitter, her challenges growing up, her short-notice opponent, if she regrets competing in mixed martial arts, if she will ever do it again, if she will compete in WWE, and more. Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen around (2:17:36) discuss their upcoming U.S. Dart Masters event in New York City this weekend, van Gerwen’s Premier League title, their historic match, the future of darts in the United States, and more. The parlay pals around (3:08:59) recap their latest pick and make their latest selection. GC also selects his bets for the upcoming weekend. If 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). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

31 Touko 20233h 37min

In the latest edition of On the Nose a round (7:28:26), Ariel Helwani discusses Dana White’s recent comments about Tyson Fury, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, if Aljamain Sterling is in danger of losing his title, Francis Ngannou’s first PFL opponent, if the PFL should do a pay-per-view, and more. Hulk Hogan around (42:25), along with his business partner Chad Bronstein, discuss their new health and welfare business, the matches that caused Hogan’s recent surgeries, his hope for a retirement rematch, Superstar Billy Graham’s recent death, Vince McMahon’s recent WWE sale, his thoughts on pro wrestling now, Roman Reigns’ record quest, his Mount Rushmore for pro wrestling, his legacy, his regrets, the match he was the most proud of, and more. Leigh Wood around (1:22:31) discusses his upcoming rematch with Mauricio Lara, Nottingham Forest, when he got over the loss, what went wrong in the first fight, his recent knockouts, a possible rematch with Michael Conlan, and more. Marquel Martin around (1:44:01) discusses Francis Ngannou joining the PFL, his previous job with the UFC, how he ended up signing Ngannou, when the relationship between the UFC and Ngannou started to go downhill, the lawsuit threat, how close Ngannou was to staying with the UFC, if Ngannou will box this year, and more. Mackenzie Dern around (2:19:19) discusses her win over Angela Hill at UFC Vegas 73, if she was close to a finish, why she was so open about her divorce and training camp issues before the fight, what caused the divorce, who she wants to fight next, how close she is to a title shot, and more. Tim Welch around (2:26:45), the head coach of Sean O’Malley, discusses how he met O’Malley, how he was a young fighter, Welch’s own career, Chael Sonnen’s praise, the delayed return for O’Malley, the drama around the date, Aljamain Sterling’s recent video, the key to beating Sterling, his morning routine, how the bantamweight title fight will end, and more. The parlay pals around (3:44:48) make their latest selection for this upcoming weekend. If 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). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Touko 20234h 18min

Ariel Helwani around (7:33) discusses his busy weekend in Dublin for the Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron, Dana White's attempt to overshadow Francis Ngannou's announcement, his trip to Conor McGregor's Black Forge Inn, sampling Irish delicacies, the Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron fight, Mackenzie Dern's performance at UFC Vegas 73. The team also discusses Taylor's gamble, the Haney vs. Lomachenko decision, the UFC Vegas 73 press conference with Dana White, Dana White's feud with Aljamain Sterling, and more. Journalist Ade Oladipo around (1:18:27) discuss Katie Taylor’s loss in Ireland, if there should be a rematch with Chantelle Cameron, the atmosphere for the fight, if Devin Haney beat Vasiliy Lomachenko, if there should be a rematch, can Francis Ngannou beat a top boxer, Nate Diaz’s chances against Jake Paul, Jake Paul vs. KSI, and more. Dustin Poirier around (1:46:49) discusses his upcoming rematch with Justin Gaethje at UFC 291, what delayed his return, his issues with a Beneil Dariush fight, Gaethje’s last fight against Rafael Fiziev, an offer to coach TUF with Gaethje, the BMF belt, how he will adjust to the altitude, what he remembers the most from their first fight, being on the UFC desk for an event, Nate Diaz’s departure from the UFC, Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, and more. Eddie Hearn around (2:21:23) discusses Katie Taylor fight against Chantelle Cameron, if there should be a rematch and which weight, Taylor’s performance, watching the event with Conor McGregor, Devin Haney’s fight and future, Canelo Alvarez’s next fight, Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara, and more. Amanda Serrano around (2:53:59) discusses Katie Taylor’s performance against Chantelle Cameron, what would happen in the rematch, if she will ever fight Taylor in the rematch, dealing with the loss to Taylor, why is she facing Heather Hardy next, watching Bad Bunny at WWE Backlash, a fight with Skye Nicolson, if she will compete in MMA again, and more. Jan Blachowicz around (3:16:41) discusses welcoming Alex Pereira to the light heavyweight division at UFC 291, if he would have really dropped to 185 pounds for a fight, fighting at elevation, if Pereira’s power will translate to 205 pounds, if a title shot will be on the line, Jamahal Hill vs. Jiri Prochazka, Marcin Gortat’s charity hoops game, chess, Israel Adesanya vs. Pereira, Adesanya’s celebration, and more. The parlay pals around (3:41:49) picked up another win this past weekend, and GC looks back at his picks from the past weekend. If 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). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Touko 20234h 13min

Francis Ngannou around (4:38) discusses how he ended up with the PFL, his plans for boxing, his thoughts on the public pressure for a decision, details of his PFL deal, why he thought of his opponent’s money in the deal, PFL Africa, his dealings with BKFC, ONE, and Bellator, the opinions of fellow fighters, Dana White’s recent comments, Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, and more. Ariel Helwani, Eric Jackman, and GC around (1:08:27) discuss what the deal means for the PFL, Francis Ngannou, and MMA. If 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). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 Touko 20231h 36min

Ariel Helwani around (9:46) wraps up Bellator 296, UFC Charlotte and Misfits Boxing 7 from this past weekend. The crew then picks the biggest fight and what’s next for Jailton Almeida and Ian Machado Garry. The team also debates what should be done about the official result of the KSI vs. Fournier fight, level of interest in a KSI vs. Tommy Fury fight, the significance of the Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron fight, and more. Cedric Doumbe around (46:23) explains why he's a polarizing figure in combat sports in France, why he decided to move from kickboxing to MMA, why a "mistake" on an MRI scratched a UFC Paris appearance, why he chose the PFL over the UFC, Bellator and ONE Championship, his other passion as a standup comedian, his issues with MMA factory coach Fernand Lopez, and more. Ian Machado Garry around (1:11:21) explains why he felt so confident in beating Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Charlotte, his social media presence with his wife and how he realized its importance to the fight game, his haters online, the "six-fight plan" he detailed with Dana White and UFC execs, why he called out Neil Magny while Magny is already booked, a UFC return to Dublin and why he believes he'll make it happen, whether the UFC plans to return to Ireland, his new tattoo, why he wants to fight in purple UFC shorts, and more. Aljamain Sterling around (1:33:56) talks about how his self-belief led him to the title after losses, his comeback plan after getting knocked out by Marlon Moraes, whether he's broken through with fans after his Henry Cejudo win, Albarracin's claim that UFC 288 did 700,000 pay-per-view buys, the possibility of a Cejudo vs. Merab Dvalishvili, making a quick turnaround to fight Sean O'Malley at UFC Boston in August, the weakness he sees in O'Malley's game, his response to Demetrious Johnson's critique of his performance, spamming takedowns and how people are blaming him for things outside his control, his opinion on Sean O'Malley getting a title shot, Francis Ngannou’s next move, how long he will stay at 135 pounds, and more. KSI around (2:41:06) discusses his performance against Joe Fournier at Misfits Boxing 7, Salt Papi’s first loss, the controversial knockout shot, a no-contest vs. a disqualification ruling, why he doesn’t want a rematch with Joe Fournier, why Tommy Fury is next over Jake Paul, how close he has been to a fight with Jake Paul, top 5 influencer boxers, training with MVP, and more. The parlay pals around (3:33:14) also recap how their latest pick went, and make their selection for this upcoming weekend. GC also looks back at this picks for UFC Charlotte and reveals the biggest hitters. If 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). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Touko 20233h 49min