The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

Stamp Fairtex around (5:04) discusses her latest ONE Championship win, her walkouts, if MMA is her favorite discipline, competing in fights when she was six years old, what caused her to start training at that age, how many fights she has had, how she got her name, and more. Eric Albarracin around (24:26) discusses Henry Cejudo’s performance at UFC 288, how the judges scored the fight, what Cejudo could have done better, possibly facing Merab Dvalishvili next, how the bad beef began with Brandon Moreno, and more. Merab Dvalishvili around (1:17:22) discusses the bad blood with Henry Cejudo’s team during the UFC 288 fight week, what happened after the fight with Sean O’Malley’s jacket, his hand injury, what’s next, and more. Chael Sonnen around (1:42:23) discusses the UFC 288 main event, Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley, Henry Cejudo’s possible retirement, what’s next for Leon Edwards and the welterweight title picture, O’Malley vs. Aljamain Sterling, BKFC 41, Francis Ngannou’s future, Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz press conference, Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira, more. Bi Nguyễn around (2:21:15) discusses her boxing debut at Gamebred Boxing 4, if she would do BKFC, if she will compete in MMA again, her time at ONE Championship, her transition into MMA management, how she got on Survivor, her rough childhood, a past abusive relationship, a wild police chase, her tattoos, and more. In the latest On the Nose around (3:09:56), Ariel Helwani discusses Dana White’s recent claims about the success of Power Slap, if Nate Diaz will return to the UFC, Dominick Cruz’s recent comments, best post-UFC fight runs, Nottingham Forest, favorite Ariel catch phrases, and more. The parlay pals around (3:59:40) make their selection for this weekend, and GC makes his picks for UFC Charlotte. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (tel:18004262537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), tel:18005224700 (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 http://OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE tel:18008899789 (TN), or tel:18885323500 (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

10 Touko 20234h 21min

Ariel Helwani around (11:49) discusses the scoring for the UFC 288 main event, the face-off between Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling, what’s next for Henry Cejudo, the biggest winners at UFC 288, Bad Bunny’s performance at Backlash, and more. Sean O’Malley around (35:56) discusses Aljamain Sterling’s performance at UFC 288, what he doesn’t like about Henry Cejudo, how the pay-per-view will do, why he stepped outside for UFC 288 main event, the face-off after the main event, how Merab Dvalishvili ended up with his jacket, when he would like his fight against Sterling, where he got the jacket, Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, his prediction for Sterling fight, and more. Dominick Cruz around (1:00:36) discusses how he scored the UFC 288 main event, Henry Cejudo’s retirement and return, how Sean O’Malley would do against Aljamain Sterling, where Sterling ranks among bantamweight greats, what’s next for Cruz and when he might return, Cejudo vs. Merab, and more. Demetrious Johnson around (1:26:38) discusses his trilogy win over Adriano Moraes, why he was proud of the performance, his children being in attendance, Herb Dean’s refereeing, ONE Championship’s debut in the United States, whether he’ll ever fight again, his timeline for a retirement decision, wanting to talk to Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones about his options, scoring UFC 288's main event for Henry Cejudo, and more. Yan Xiaonan around (1:56:53) discusses her knockout win over Jessica Andrade at UFC 288, a potential title fight against Zhang Weili in China, her post-fight conversation with Dana White, why she thinks Chinese fans don’t like her very much, her improving English, and more. Matt Frevola around (2:13:27) discusses his performance at UFC 288, his tattoo, training with Aljamain Sterling, the stoppage, Paddy Pimblett’s recent response to callout, his first pitch for the Mets, and more. Aljamain Sterling around (2:30:35) discusses his performance against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, the gameplan, if he wants to fight him again, Sean O’Malley entering the cage after the event, Merab vs. Cejudo, his weight cut, why he wants to move up a weight class in the near future, his message to Sean O’Malley, if he’s the greatest bantamweight ever, his thoughts on Cejudo’s team, and more. The parlay pals around (3:07:49) look back at their latest winning selection, and GC recaps his big weekend at UFC 288. 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

8 Touko 20233h 33min

Drew Dober around (6:38) talks about his upcoming fight at UFC 288, the importance of staying active, Paddy Pimblett and the other names he wanted to fight this year, his love of cooking, and more. In the latest On the Nose around (21:51), Ariel Helwani discusses Francis Ngannou’s next stop, if Conor McGregor could join BKFC, best striker and wrestler ever, the UFC 288 main event, promoters, ONE’s return Friday, Kamaru Usman calling out Khamzat Chimaev, the toughest feats in sports, influencer boxing, best fighter YouTube channels, and more. Brian Kelleher around (1:42:00) discusses the recent comments about his career, why he had to pull out of a recent fight, the procedure that he needs, if he wants to fight again, when he could possibly be return, the UFC 288 main event, and more. Joe Pyfer around (2:04:50) discusses his recent win at UFC 287, if he’ll ever go to light heavyweight, his documentary, his childhood, the one “true loss” of his career, his old coach, a plan B outside of fighting, if he would do BKFC, and more. Coach Eric Albarracin around (3:09:13) discusses Henry Cejudo’s return at UFC 288, why Cejudo decided to return, the differences in Cejudo after the time off, Cejudo the coach, the expectations for the main event, why Cejudo is face of combat over Brock Lesnar, Paulo Costa, his main event prediction, and more. The parlay pals around (3:42:19) make their selection for the UFC 288 and the combat sports weekend, and GC makes his picks for this 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

3 Touko 20234h 21min

Ariel Helwani around (11:33) reacts to ONE’s passing on free agent Francis Ngannou and what’s next for Ngannou. The team talks about Conor McGregor's showing at BKFC 41, whether the UFC is mad about the appearance, whether BKFC has benefitted from Slap Fighting, the brutality of BKFC fights, and more. David Feldman around (42:32) talks about the success of the BKFC 41 event, Conor McGregor's appearance at the show, the crazy DMs he got from famous fighters after the event, whether Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez will fight again in BKFC, Luke Rockhold's future, his decision to take out a second mortgage on his house to fund the show, past negotiations with Francis Ngannou, and more. Ben Rothwell around (1:06:53) talks about the damage and injuries he sustained in his fight with Jose Copeland, his fear of blowing it after the first round, whether MMA or bare-knuckle is more dangerous, the experience of fighting for BKFC, his post-win callout of Alan Belcher, weird interactions with Belcher and Belcher's complaints about his weight in a possible fight, and more. Eddie Alvarez around (1:31:09) talks about his first experience fighting bare-knuckle, two-minute versus five-minute rounds, making friends with the chance of getting knocked out by Chad Mendes in their fight, his belief that bare-knuckle is not for athletes, how he prepared for the fight, Conor McGregor's at BKFC 41, following McGregor's coaching mid-fight, where his relationship is with McGregor these days, how McGregor would fare in BKFC, whether he'll fight in BKFC again, whom he'd like to fight next, his thoughts on Francis Ngannou's free agency negotiations, and more. Mike Perry around (2:01:14) discusses his performance against Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41, if he has become the face of bare-knuckle boxing, if Rockhold does BKFC again, squaring off against Conor McGregor, where he wants to do next, Darren Till, and more. Aljamain Sterling around (2:31:15) discusses his recent run-in with Henry Cejudo at the fighter hotel, why he thinks Cejudo is underestimating him at UFC 288, his shredded physique, his weight, why he can’t compete in New York, the Sean O’Malley fight, his first main event, the bantamweight division, Henry Cejudo’s gameplan, and more. The parlay pals around (3:02:17) look back at their recent selection, and GC recaps his picks for UFC Vegas 72 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

1 Touko 20233h 32min

Salt Papi around (5:28) discusses his upcoming fight at Misfits Boxing 7, his move to the UK as a teen, how he ended up with the Salt Papi nickname, how he started boxing, street fights, why he’s not fighting an influencer next, who he wants next, ranking the best influencers, and more. In the latest On the Nose around (40:58), Ariel Helwani discusses UFC vs. boxing events, taking wrong bag at airport, boxing fights he would like to see next, replays by officials in UFC events, big upset in ONE Muay Thai, if any UFC fighters are close to free agency, the WWE belt situation, if dogs belong in the bed, a road trip with The MMA Hour crew, which fictional athlete would you like to interview the most, and more. Luke Rockhold and Mike Perry around (1:16:18) join the show at the same time to discuss their BKFC 41 main event, Perry’s past performances in BKFC, Rockhold’s training footage, Perry putting a booger on Rockhold’s jacket at their past presser, what will happen Saturday night, and more. Jared Gordon around (1:51:36) discusses his no-contest performance against Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 71, what he remembers from the fight, Green’s comments after the fight, if he wants a rematch, Paddy Pimblett’s recent comments, his tough stretch recently, Stephan Bonnar’s cause of death, and more. Chatri Sityodtong around (2:19:04) joins us in studio to discuss the upcoming ONE fight in Colorado, how things are going with Amazon, the rules and scoring for US debut, the top MMA promotions, if DJ is the best fighter of all-time, Roberto Soldic, Francis Ngannou, Gordon Ryan, and more. The parlay pals around (3:25:06) make their latest pick for this upcoming weekend, and GC makes his picks as well. 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

26 Huhti 20233h 52min

Ariel Helwani around (10:43) discusses the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia showdown, Conor McGregor's backstage appearance at Davis vs. Garcia, Sergei Pavlovich's win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC Vegas 71, what the future holds for Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, Blaydes' game plan, the UFC's blitz of announcements, and more. Bobby Green around (46:00) talks about the afterath of his no-contest with Jared Gordon at UFC Vegas 71, how he feels Gordon wasn't out before the finishing sequence, fighting the narrative that he's a dirty fighter, how he feels the fight should have been resolved, what Dana White's reaction was to the fight, his thoughts on the show/win pay structure, why he carries around $60,000 cash, changing his legal name to King, Paul Felder's commentary during the fight, a possible rematch with Gordon, and more. Former boxing champion Carl Frampton around (1:18:34) discusses the finish to the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight, if he thinks Garcia quit, rehydration clauses, the face of boxing, Tyson Fury’s future, his viral meeting with John Fury, life after retirement, Katie Taylor’s next fight, Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul, and more. Paulo Costa around (1:43:41) discusses if he’s close to a new deal with the UFC, what happened with Jan Blachowicz, his light heavyweight future, Khamzat Chimaev, Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya’s celebration, secret juice ingredients, his biceps tattoo, the Nate Diaz street fight, and more. Arnold Allen around (2:13:59) discusses his nationwide tour, going to the first Kentucky Fried Chicken and Johnny Cash museum, his fight against Max Holloway, if anything surprised him, his UFC journey, his quest for UFC title, Yair Rodriguez vs. Alexander Volkanovski, his hand injury, what he wants to do after the UFC, food challenges, and more. Max Holloway around (3:08:40) discusses his win over Arnold Allen, his motivation, why he decided to return in April, the critics, Yair Rodriguez vs. Alexander Volkanovski, Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, possibly boxing Davis or an “actual boxer,” Conor McGregor, fighting in Hawaii, gaming, and more. The parlay pals around (3:48:39) look back at their most recent bet, and GC looks back at his bets from a busy combat sports 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

25 Huhti 20234h 4min

In the latest On the Nose around (11:28), Ariel Helwani discusses if Robert Whittaker and Max Holloway should get title shots again against their archrivals, if Israel Adesanya is the face of the UFC, Sean O’Malley’s absence, Leon Edwards’ next fight, Belal vs. Gilbert, the best fighter ever from Hawaii, and more. John Hennigan around (1:14:04) discusses his viral knockout at Creator Clash 2, how he got into pro wrestling, why he would want to face KSI next, Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, if he would chose boxing over pro wrestling, diss tracks, Salt Papi, and more. Brandon Royval around (1:46:46) discusses his win at UFC Kansas City, his post-fight fire, his thoughts on being on the prelims, how he got into MMA thanks to his brother, his place in the flyweight division, why he wants Alexandre Pantoja next, why he doesn’t consider it a loss against Brandon Moreno, and more. Leonard Ellerbe around (2:03:33) discusses the upcoming Tank Davis vs. Ryan Garcia clash, if Floyd Mayweather will be at the fight, how difficult was the fight to pull off, what it will mean for a win for Gervonta Davis, the mistakes made by Davis, Eddie Hearn, and more. Demetrious Johnson around (2:20:22) discusses his trilogy fight with Adriano Moraes, if his next fight will be his final fight, the recent sale of the WWE, his kids showing up to the fight for the first time, if he wants to be an actor, BKFC 41’s top fights, if boxing is in his future, grappling events, if MMA trades would happen again, the return of Jon Jones, and more. The parlay pals around (3:29:58) make their selection for the upcoming weekend, and GC makes his picks as well. 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

19 Huhti 20233h 55min

Ariel Helwani around (2:31) reacts to UFC Kansas City, why he scored the fight for Arnold Allen, what’s next for Max Holloway and Allen, and more. Olivier Aubin-Mercier around (45:48) talks about why the PFL booked him against Shane Burgos, his feeling that the promotion didn't want him to win, how Burgos was put on posters over him, fighting for the PFL in Las Vegas, how 20 of his Quebec fans were confused by the card order and missed the fight, whether the PFL will go to Canada, and more. Bill Algeo around (1:01:50) discusses the origin of his nickname, his win over T.J. Brown and his hilarious post-fight speech at UFC Kansas City, his background in wrestling and why he doesn't train jiu-jitsu, getting into the UFC over Brendan Loughnane, dedicating his fight to his mother, who he could fight next, and more. Zak Cummings around (1:31:33) breaks down his final UFC win before retirement at UFC Kansas City, how he hurt his back and why he was out for three years, if he would ever return, open scoring for his own promotion, and more. Ariel Helwani and his crew around (1:56:18) discuss UFC championship and interim belts, UFC 288 and UFC 289, almond or oat milk and more. Rob Font around (2:30:16) discusses his win over Adrian Yanez at UFC 287, why he took a year off between fights, passing on Frankie Edgar’s final fight, hooping with his wife, competing as a father, what’s next, Sterling vs. Cejudo, and more. The parlay pals around (3:00:28) talk NBA playoffs and look back at their most recent selection. GC also looks back at his most recent picks and reveals the big hitters for the week. They also discuss what’s next for Israel Adesanya and Khamzat Chimaev. Gillian Robertson around (3:26:35) discusses her strawweight debut win in the UFC at UFC Kansas City, if she will stay at strawweight, if she thought Piera Rodriguez tapped, her UFC record, besting Rose Namajunas last year at grappling event, why she is so good at the rear-naked choke, and more. Robert Whittaker around (3:55:37) discusses what happened with his UFC 284 fight with Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya’s latest performance, what’s next, what he thought of Adesanya knockout, why he thinks he would defeat Adesanya the next time, if he’s surprised Alex Pereira went up a division, if he would fight Paulo Costa or Khamzat Chimaev next, 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

17 Huhti 20234h 44min