The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

Bo Nickal around (6:16) discusses his upcoming UFC debut next month, his new haircut, his injury, some haters on social media, if MMA will be in the Olympics, if he feels pressure for a finish against Jamie Pickett, his chances against Alex Pereira, who is No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, and more. In the latest edition of On the Nose around (43:34), Ariel Helwani discusses what’s next for Dustin Poirier, how Alexander Volkanovski won the contest but not the fight, his pound-for-pound rankings, which top prospects are close to a title shot, if Bo Nickal will fight for a title next year, Elimination Chamber, and more. Modestas Bukauskas around (1:48:27) talks about his big win at UFC 284, how he found out he was cut by the UFC, his brutal knee injury suffered at UFC Vegas 46, his tough road back to the UFC, the influence of his father, his “mystical” white board, and more. City Kickboxing coach Eugene Bareman around (2:18:59) breaks down Alexander Volkanovski’s performance at UFC 284, how he scored the main event, what Volkanovski could have done different, what division Volkanovski should do next, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, if Israel Adesanya took rematch too soon with Alex Pereira, if Pereira surprised him in title fight, Dan Hooker’s IV allegations, and more. The parlay pals around (3:04:29) then make their pick for the upcoming combat sports weekend. Jack Della Maddalena around (3:11:55) discusses his big win over Randy Brown at UFC 284, the tension with Brown before the fight, having his young son at the fight, being ranked for the first time, his first finish in the UFC, Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3, and more. GC around (3:39:41) makes his picks for UFC Vegas 69 on 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

15 Helmi 20234h 3min

The team around (13:15) discusses the pound-for-pound implications of UFC 284’s Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski, how P4P should be defined, how Makhachev stacks up against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dan Hooker's accusation against Makhachev, whether Beneil Dariush vs. Charles Oliveira should be happening, Jon Jones jumping back into the top of the pound-for-pound list with a win over Ciryl Gane, and more. Arnold Allen around (1:02:35) gives his thoughts on the Makhachev vs. Volkanovski scoring, whether IVs should be allowed in MMA, why he couldn't fight on the upcoming UFC London card, his reaction to fighting Max Holloway, his thoughts on Yair Rodriguez's win over Josh Emmett, his t-shirt memes, whether Holloway's best days are behind him, and more. Jens Pulver around (1:34:11) talks about how he became analyst on Twitch for the UFC, how the UFC surprised him with the HOF induction, his feelings about joining the HOF after lobbying for it earlier in his career, why he's glad he was inducted when he was, how he would have rejected an induction earlier in his career, how his streaming work and analyst work made him love MMA again, his advice to people for finding their passion, and more. Alexander Volkanovski around (2:13:24) discusses his performance at UFC 284, why he thought he won and which rounds, what he told Islam Makhachev during the fight, how much he weighed on fight night, how close he was to a finish in the fifth round, who is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, when he wants to return, and more. Cody Rhodes around (3:12:03) discusses winning the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble, his return to WWE, the road to WrestleMania, having his late father as part of the storyline, what it’s like working with Triple H, when he started to think about leaving AEW for WWE, the CM Punk backstage brawl, and more. The parlay pals around (3:55:11) look back at their most recent parlay at UFC 284 and GC recaps his picks for Saturday’s event. 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 Helmi 20234h 27min

In the latest On the Nose around (10:30), Ariel Helwani reacts to LeBron James’ record, what happens if Alexander Volkanovski wins at UFC 284, which UFC fighter deserves a 30 for 30 treatment, how would you rank UFC's next four pay-per-views, favorite YouTube channels, Kevin Lee returning to the UFC, Tim Simpson’s new management firm, and more. Sodiq Yusuff around (1:16:59) discusses his new social media fame around his UFC event breakdowns, his recent back injury, how Keith Lee is his inspiration, how he started in MMA, why he didn’t end up fighting Giga Chikadze, and more. Anthony Pettis around (1:49:06) discusses how he’s facing Roy Jones Jr. in his first pro boxing bout, if he’s sticking with PFL, if he’s done fighting at 155 pounds, what weight he’s competing against Roy Jones Jr. for the Jones Jr. vs. Mike Tyson fight, his hand injuries, how Sergio Pettis is doing, what’s harder manager or promoter, if he would rule out MMA return if boxing goes well, and more. Mike Perry around (2:12:03) discusses his return to BKFC, how he ended up being the backup for Jake Paul fight, his response for the critics, if he’s headed to Saudi Arabia anytime soon, his career, a recent trip to a WWE event, and more. Chael Sonnen around (2:43:32) discusses why it’s time to cut ties with Tommy Fury for the latest Jake Paul fight, the future of Dillon Danis, if Jon Jones will beat Ciryl Gane, the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight, the new season of TUF, his issues with Jim Gray, what happened with judge Douglas Crosby, Dana White’s promotion of UFC 284, and more. GC and crew around (3:42:31) make their latest parlay and GC makes his picks for UFC 284 this weekend. The crew then around (4:00:32) take a closer look at the UFC 284 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev. Gambling Problem? Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), 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) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MD/MI/NJ/NY/OH/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. $200 in Bonus Bets: Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 bet. Promo code req. $200 issued as bonus bets that expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. Bonus bets must be wagered 1x and stake is not included in any returns or winnings. Promotional offer period ends 2/12/23 at 11:59 PM ET. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/mmaterms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Helmi 20234h 20min

Ariel Helwani discusses Conor McGregor’s return fight against Michael Chandler and them both being coach for TUF, Tim Simpson’s new management group, and more. Michael Chandler around (31:20) discusses facing Conor McGregor in his return and coaching against him on TUF, how it all happened, why he got the shot against McGregor, his relationship with McGregor, who might the coaches be, and more. Jorge Masvidal around (1:02:43) talks about the UFC’s return to Miami, if he will retire after this fight in his hometown, the Chandler vs. McGregor announcement, Johnny Eblen, Gamebred 4 boxing event headlined by Anthony Pettis vs. Roy Jones Jr., how it came together, and more. Ryan Bader around (1:37:33) discusses his win over Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 290, how he ended up with a rematch with Fedor, after the fight, tenure as Bellator heavyweight champion, why he won’t fight at light heavyweight anymore, his disclosed Bellator salary, how long he will fight for, who might be next, Francis Ngannou, and more. Johnny Eblen around (1:57:08) discusses his title defense at Bellator 290, what surprised him, how he would do against Alex Pereira, his talented coaches, when he wants to return, and more. Chris Weidman around (2:12:40) discusses his grappling return at Polaris 23, what it’s like to battle Gordon Ryan, the latest on his leg injury, when he might be able to return, who he might want to fight in return, what he thinks about Alex Pereira, a past dog attack training video, cornhole event, and more. Brennan Ward around (2:50:40) discusses his win at Bellator 290, if it’s his best career moment, his key to victory, why he took a break from Bellator, when he hit rock bottom, his battle, his construction job, what he wants next, and more. Ariel Helwani, GC, and NYRic around (3:26:29) discuss their latest parlay and the bets from the past weekend. They also take another look at Bellator 290 and the upcoming Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor boxing rematch. Gambling Problem? Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), 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) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MD/MI/NJ/NY/OH/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. $200 in Bonus Bets: Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 bet. Promo code req. $200 issued as bonus bets that expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. Bonus bets must be wagered 1x and stake is not included in any returns or winnings. Promotional offer period ends 2/12/23 at 11:59 PM ET. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/mmaterms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Helmi 20234h 41min

Scott Coker around (5:24) discusses Bellator 290, Fedor’s last fight, his favorite Fedor fight, the legends that will come out for the fight, what happens if Fedor wins HW title, talking with Francis Ngannou, and more. In the latest edition of On the Nose around (30:38), Ariel Helwani discusses Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen and what it means, favorite memories of Fedor, Joe Rogan’s recent comments, the UFC’s biggest baby face, fighter health care, the Royal Rumble ending, his conversation with Pat McAfee, Laura Sanko’s big news, and more. Fedor Emelianenko around (1:06:37) discusses his emotions heading into his final fight, why he wanted to return, if Bellator gave him the choice of his final opponent, what does he want his legacy to be, if he wished he had just one UFC fight, his one meeting with Dana White, if he ever considered pro boxing, if his children will do MMA, if he feels he’s the GOAT, his favorite fight, and more. Eddie Hearn around (1:30:36) discusses the growing sport of darts, fighters building their brand, the struggle of getting fights at Croke Park, his lawsuit against Jake Paul, Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano rematch, Dmitry Bivol vs. Canelo Alvarez, recent talks with Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz, his tough week with Conor Benn, and more. Alexander Volkanovski around (2:32:47) discusses training for his lightweight title fight at UFC 284, his experience at UFC 280, Islam Makhachev’s recent comments, Khabib not being in Makhachev’s corner, Israel Adesanya losing his belt, Makhachev’s paths to victory, snorkeling with sharks, and more. The parlay pals around (3:46:12) make their selection, and GC around (3:53:28) announces his best bets for a busy 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 Helmi 20234h 13min

Ariel Helwani and the crew around (8:47) discuss the Royal Rumble and who won the lottery. They then discuss Dana White's big fight announcement this past Friday, Conor McGregor's potential return on The Ultimate Fighter, McGregor's recent bike accident, Jake Paul's faceoff with Tommy Fury, and more. Jorge Masvidal around (49:01) talks about how the Gilbert Burns fight came together, the issues that have been keeping him out of the cage, where things stand in his legal fight with Colby Covington, his split from his longtime management firm, how he's been negotiating his own contracts, whether Miami will host his fight with Burns, what happened to his potential fight with Conor McGregor, and more. Tyron Woodley around (1:20:44) discusses what happened with the KSI fight, if he has ruled out a fight with him in the future, if he’s done with MMA, his “perfect” fight, when he might return, Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman rematch, and more. Leon Edwards around (1:50:31) discusses his upcoming trilogy fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286, how his life has changed as champion, how often does he see the knockout of Usman, his WWE fandom, Arnold Allen not at UFC 286, Usman’s possible strategy, what happened at UFC 287, and more. Boxer Skye Nicolson around (2:19:08) talks about her upcoming fight at the Hulu Theater at MSG on Saturday night, why she decided to go pro, if she will make another run at Olympics, her tough defeat at her last Olympics, being compared to her late brother in the ring, why she got into boxing, 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

30 Tammi 20233h 49min

In the latest edition of On the Nose around (8:25), Ariel Helwani discusses who should get next shot at 205 pounds, the Bills, painful playoff losses, where Jon Jones should be ranked, Khabib out for UFC 284, double champions, DC and the slap league, Power Slap, Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes 3, and more. Oscar De La Hoya around (1:15:50) discusses if his abs are real, this Saturday’s event in LA on DAZN, the sale of Golden Boy, Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis in April, Dana White’s incident on NYE, ‘Power Slap,’ Francis Ngannou’s boxing hopes, Nate Diaz, and more. Brandon Moreno around (1:36:56) discusses his big win over Deiveson Figuereido at UFC 283, his knee injury before the fight, the heel hook, the decisive punch, running out of the arena after fight, Figuereido’s chances at 135, what’s next for Moreno, and more. Sage Northcutt around (2:04:00) discusses his return to ONE Championship, if he ever thought of retirement after his last outing, why he missed the Shinya Aoki fight, ring rust, what he has been doing the past four years, and more. Todd Duffee around (2:24:12) discusses his heavyweight title fight against Phil De Fries in KSW, his opinion of de Fries' title run, returning to the sport after a four-year layoff, the "dark place" that colored his relationship with the UFC, getting pressured to fight after a knee reconstruction, training at American Kickboxing Academy, what happened with his BKFC contract and his potential fights with Greg Hardy and Ben Rothwell, how he remembers the first fight and how the rematch came together, and more. Jamahal Hill around (2:52:50) discusses winning the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 283, his issues with Ariel, possibly facing Alex Pereira next, what’s next, fight week, and more. The MMA Hour crew, around (3:35:04), then does its first Royal Rumble lottery. 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 Tammi 20234h 19min

Ariel Helwani, GC and NYRic around (6:57) discuss the latest parlay controversy, UFC 283, which fight(s) should have been stopped, the best light heavyweight fighter in the world, the crowd at Jeunesse Arena and fans throwing things at Brandon Moreno, Moreno's journey to the quadrilogy, Deiveson Figueiredo's future at bantamweight, Shogun Rua's depressing retirement fight, and more. Sayif Saud around (1:01:32) talks about how he came to work with Brandon Moreno, Moreno's move from James Krause, how he gelled with Moreno on short notice, how Moreno had a serious knee injury in camp, how Moreno's manager questioned whether he should fight at UFC 283, the legality of Moreno's punch that helped end the fight, his reaction to Moreno getting pelted by the audience, and more. Jiri Prochazka around (1:31:19) gives his reaction to the UFC 283 main event between Jamahal Hill and Glover Teixeira, Hill's punching power, how Glover looked slow in the fight, who is the best light heavyweight in the world right now, how he is recovering from his severe shoulder injury, targeting a July or August return and the possibility of fighting Hill next, his meditation schedule, his pick for the next title challenger if he can't fight soon, his video callout of Hill, and more. SBG Ireland head coach John Kavanagh around (2:04:07) discusses his first trip to Brazil, how he started in MMA, his bond with Johnny Walker, how Walker has evolved, Walker’s finish at UFC 283, his post-fight celebration, why Walker and Kavanagh ended up outside at UFC 279, Irish MMA, if Conor McGregor fights this year, and more. Luke Rockhold around (2:39:11) discusses how he became a free agent, what he might be interested in as far as MMA or boxing, his quest for three title belts, his health, why he decided to end retirement, facing Jake or Logan Paul, Dana White’s recent actions and comments, Power Slap, and more. GC, NYRic and Ariel around (3:07:39) recap the recent pick by the Parlay Pals and more. GC also looks back at his recent UFC 283 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

23 Tammi 20233h 42min