The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

Dan Hardy around (3:16) discusses his new gig with the PFL, what his responsibilities will be, how the PFL can make a bigger impact in Europe, if he will ever fight again, how he met his wife, the UFC 286 main event, and more. Veronica Hardy around (26:39) discusses why she’s been out so long, learning MMA from her coach and husband Dan Hardy, her past concussion issues, the multiple countries she has lived in, rooting for Nottingham Forest, and more. In the latest On the Nose around (43:46), Ariel Helwani discusses where Kamaru Usman would be on p4p list with a win, UFC 286 main event scenarios, instant rematches, the best division in MMA, best fight for bantamweight title, a closer look at Dartsgate, Canelo Alvarez’s next fight, Francis Ngannou around (1:45:11) discusses the Jon Jones vs. Ciryle Gane fight, what he thought of the UFC belt up for grabs, if he could attend a UFC event, Dana White’s comments, where he might compete in MMA next, Deontay Wilder, how many times he might fight this year, hanging out with Cristiano Ronaldo, and more. DAZN USA CEO Joe Markowski around (2:23:06) talks about getting back into the MMA business, the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia negotiations, Misfits Boxing, darts, the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano, and more. The parlay pals around (3:15:24) make their pick for UFC 286 on Saturday night, and GC around (3:27:02) makes his picks. 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 Maalis 20234h 19min

Ariel Helwani and crew around (3:05) discuss Merab Dvalishvili’s impressive win at UFC Las Vegas, the issues with Power Slap, the best and division in the UFC, how Bellator’s champs stack up against the UFC, Bellator 292, how successful the Davis vs. Garcia PPV will be, and more. Merab Dvalishvili around (1:06:41) wraps his UFC Las Vegas win, his issues with Petr Yan before the fight, Dana White’s recent comments, the possible plan for this return, Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo, and more. Benson Henderson around (1:38:08) discusses his performance at Bellator 292, why he decided to call it quits, how good Usman Nurmagomedov is, when he finally realized he was good in MMA, fighting with a toothpick in his mouth, the UFC Hall of Fame, and more. Jack Shore around (2:02:08) discusses his move to featherweight, if he ever will fight at bantamweight again, losing his perfect record, facing Makwan Amirkhani at UFC 286, his respect for the Diaz brothers, his love for darts, and more. Tom Aspinall around (2:38:17) discusses his knee injury and his place in the heavyweight division, the return of Jon Jones, why he might not fight him, Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, when he could return, his issues with Conor McGregor, Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3, Tommy Fury vs. Jake Paul, and more. The parlay pals around (3:08:27) look back at their most recent pick this past weekend, and GC recaps his recent picks as well. Ariel Helwani and crew also around (3:19:07) take a closer look into a virtual dart match controversy on The MMA Hour with Jack Shore. Shore also calls in to give his side of the story. 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

13 Maalis 20233h 38min

Dricus Du Plessis around (4:38) discusses his win at UFC 285, why he was surprised he won, his nose injury, his opponent throwing in the towel, what might be next, and more. Joanne Wood around (23:58) discusses her upcoming fight at UFC 286, what this UK fight means to her, her first dog, losing her accent, hockey vs. NFL, why she was out so long, Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko, how much time she has left, and more. In the latest edition of On the Nose around (47:15), Ariel Helwani talks about the current crop of UFC stars, the best two-division champions, Jon Jones’ only loss, a YouTube strategy made by certain influencers, and more. MVP around (1:30:46) discusses his upcoming Bellator 292 fight against Goiti Yamauchi, his BKFC fight against Mike Perry, if he will ever do it again, Logan Storley vs. Yaroslav Amosov, KSI’s last boxing fight, and more. Brandon Gibson, Jon Jones’ striking coach around (1:48:51), discusses Jones’ performance at UFC 285, the transition to Jones from light heavyweight to heavyweight, if Jones lacked motivation at end of LHW tenure, the absence of Mike Winkeljohn, the potential Stipe Miocic fight, Aaron Pico’s return, and more. Michael Rapaport around (2:12:41) discusses the state of podcasts, who has more beefs Ariel or Michael, the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., Rapaport’s return to Cleveland, his issues with James Dolan, Jon Jones’ performance at UFC 285, his relationship with Dana White, his issues with Jake Paul, his love for Nate Diaz, and more. The parlay pals around (4:03:58) make their pick for this upcoming weekend with a UFC and Bellator events on tap, and GC around (4:08:16) makes his selections 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

8 Maalis 20234h 36min

Ariel Helwani around (7:14) wraps up UFC 285 and the memorable wins by Jon Jones, Alexa Grasso, and more. The team also discusses Ciryl Gane's lopsided loss and whether he was rushed to the top of the division, predictions for Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, whether or not Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou will ever happen and the disrespect to Ngannou's legacy and skillset, Alexa Grasso's win over Valentina Shevchenko, the potential for an immediate rematch, Shavkhat Rakhmonov's future in the UFC, and more. Stipe Miocic around (59:16) talks about his trip to Las Vegas for UFC 285, his thoughts on Jon Jones' performance against Ciryl Gane, his reaction to Jones' post-win callout, when the fight is going to take place, whether the Jones fight will be his last, Jones' telling him to focus on fighting, his thoughts on Francis Ngannou's UFC departure, and more. Ian Machado Garry around (1:26:16) wraps up his UFC 285 win, his meeting with Conor McGregor, why he was on the Jon Jones card, when he got rocked and how he bounced back, why he posted a pic of Song Kenan after the fight, what’s next, McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, and more. Anthony Smith around (1:52:18) discusses Jon Jones’ performance at UFC 285, how Stipe Miocic would do against Jones, the Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko finish, UFC prospects on the rise, Cody Garbrandt’s future, the best light heavyweight on the planet, his return against Johnny Walker, why he missed weight at UFC 283, and more. The MMA Hour team around (2:38:24) looks back at their latest parlay, and GC recaps his picks for this past weekend at UFC 285. Bo Nickal around (2:58:00) discusses arriving in style at UFC 285 presser, if he was nervous, his performance, if he delivered low blow against Jamie Pickett, the finish, what he said on the cage after the win, Michael Chandler’s comments, his favorite moment of the week, when he wants to return, and more. Go to squarespace.com/mmahour and use code "mmahour" to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. 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

6 Maalis 20233h 50min

In the latest On The Nose around (7:23), Ariel Helwani takes a closer look at the UFC 285 fight card, Jon Jones’ days at light heavyweight, the GOAT debate between Jones and GSP, Jake Paul’s next step, Darren Till’s UFC departure, and more. Also, Michael Rapaport calls in to make his UFC 285 main event prediction. BKFC founder Dave Feldman around (1:02:40) discusses how free agents Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold ended up on next month’s BKFC 41 fight card, who else will be on that pay-per-view card, how Alvarez and Rockhold ended up at BKFC, free agents Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou, and more. Eddie Alvarez around (1:23:55) discusses how ended up at BKFC, training for his first event next month, facing Chad Mendes, if he’s done with mixed martial arts, his ONE departure, the last time he had a street fight, why he didn’t end up facing Michael Chandler again, Chandler vs. Conor McGregor, and more. Luke Rockhold around (1:45:29) discusses how he ended up at BKFC, his future plans, his BKFC 41 opponent Mike Perry, his training for the event, Francis Ngannou’s free agency, Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, if he will return to mixed martial arts, and more. Luciana Andrade around (2:07:11) discusses her life as an Octagon girl, her legal ambitions, how she learned English, some classic viral moments at weigh-ins, and more. Charles Oliveira around (2:25:37) discusses his upcoming fight with Beneil Dariush, Islam Makhachev, vs. Alexander Volkanovski, Oliveira’s popularity, his attire, his recent back tattoo, his OnlyFans, if a kid dancing was him, how he lost the belt on the scales, his performance against Makhachev, Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor, and more. Fernand Lopez around (3:00:11), Ciryl Gane’s head coach at UFC 285, discusses Gane’s preparations heading into the event, the lessons Gane learned from this first title fight, which Jon Jones they will see Saturday night, Gane’s training habits, Francis Ngannou’s departure from the UFC, and more. The parlay pals around (3:17:42) make their pick for UFC 285, and GC around (3:25:10) makes his picks for the upcoming UFC event Saturday night. 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 Maalis 20233h 54min

Ariel Helwani around (2:38) wraps a busy combat sports weekend, including the Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury showdown Sunday. Helwani discusses the Paul vs. Fury fight, what’s next for both parties, Nate Diaz vs. Logan Paul, and more. Yaroslav Amosov around (1:02:09) talks about his motivation for his title unifier with Logan Storley, his decision to fight again after defending his Ukranian homeland against Russia, plans to go back to Ukraine as a civilian, whether he's the best welterweight in the world, training in a ring set up in a street in Ukraine, and more. Phil De Fries around (1:21:49) talks about his big win at KSW 79, dealing with his anxiety, his childhood, the turning point of his career, his friendship with Tom Aspinall, facing Alistair Overeem next, and more. Valentina Shevchenko around (1:42:16) discusses her extended break before UFC 285, why she decided to train in Japan, if there was talk of a Talia Santos rematch, her upcoming opponent Alexa Grasso, the flyweight division, Erin Blanchfield’s title hopes, a recent trip to Mongolia, and more. Chael Sonnen around (2:04:22) drops by in studio to discuss Valentina Shevchenko’s place on the UFC 285 fight card, free agents Deontay Wilder, Nate Diaz, and Francis Ngannou, Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, Floyd Mayweather, Jon Jones and UFC 285, the UFC lightweight division, how he met his wife, and more. The parlay pals around (3:23:15) look back at what happened this past weekend. GC also looks back at his picks and the best bets for the 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

27 Helmi 20233h 55min

In the latest On the Nose around (12:31), Ariel Helwani discusses missed opportunities in post-fight interviews and who’s next for Islam Makhachev, who else should be in the UFC Hall of Fame, top 3 Montreal crowds, his favorite places to visit, the biggest regret of his career, who’s next for Khamzat Chimaev, a classic Karaoke story, and more. Yair Rodriguez around (1:09:10) discusses his recent interim title win at UFC 284, how he felt when got the belt, if he thinks he will face Alexander Volkanovski next, when he would like to return, a recent mural, his UFC belt necklace, the future of MMA In Mexico, and more. KSI around (1:35:00) discusses his new song and recent documentary, his feud with Jake Paul, his thoughts on Paul vs. Tommy Fury, his fighting plan for 2023, when he would like a potential Paul fight to happen, why he almost pulled out of Prime drinks before it started, if he would ever compete in MMA, and more. Aaron Chalmers around (2:36:57) discusses how he ended up fighting Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition this weekend, the health of his young son, why he left MMA to go to boxing, his talks with the PFL, his fighting future, and more. Erin Blanchfield around (2:59:12) discusses her big win over Jessica Andrade at UFC Vegas 69 this past weekend, what fight could be next, if she will be UFC champion by the end of the year, and more. Jasmine Jasudavicius around (3:17:24) discusses her upcoming fight against Gabriella Fernandes at UFC Vegas 70, her social media success, how she got into mixed martial arts, having her boyfriend as a coach, and more. She also competes in a trivia contest with Ariel. Jake Paul around (3:43:25) discusses his upcoming fight with Tommy Fury on Sunday, a potential clash with KSI, who KSI should fight next, if Fury will show up Sunday, if he feels if he’s under pressure for the clash, why he signed with the PFL, if he’ll be able to land Francis Ngannou, the bigger fight between Nate Diaz and KSI, working with Logan Paul in the WWE, and more.  The parlay pals around (4:14:39) make their selection for a busy combat sports weekend. GC around (4:22:31) makes his picks for the upcoming UFC and Bellator cards on Saturday. 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

23 Helmi 20235h 3min

On this special edition of the program, the boys talk about Erin Blanchfield's massive win over Jessica Andrade and whether she can be the one to beat Valentina Shevchenko. They also discuss the latest Conor McGregor-TUF drama, IV-gate and get a full breakdown of Ariel's once-in-a-lifetime WWE experience in Montreal, which included some drama with AEW founder Tony Khan, who figured out a way to 10-7 himself. 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

20 Helmi 20231h 54min