The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

Ariel Helwani opens The MMA Hour by paying tribute to Elias Theodorou, who died recently at age 34. Ariel Helwani discusses around what this victory meant for Nate Diaz, and the obstacles he faced, in possibly his final UFC fight. The MMA Hour crew wraps up UFC 279 around (37:54). We take a live look around (1:00:40) at the Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva press conference in Los Angeles on Monday. Li Jingliang discusses around (1:30:15) why he thought he was robbed at UFC 279, the challenging fight week, his infamous suit, if he thought about not fighting at UFC 279, and more. Allstars Training Center coach Andreas Michael around (2:06:32) talks about the weight issues Khamzat Chimaev faced before his fight with Nate Diaz was called off at UFC 279, Chimaev's offer to give his whole purse to Diaz to save the fight, whether Chimaev should fight at middleweight, the bad blood between Chimaev and Paulo Costa, his new status as a "heel" to UFC fans, potential fights with Colby Covington and Israel Adesanya, and more. Paulo Costa. around (2:45:10), gives his side of his altercation with Khamzat Chimaev at the UFC Performance Institute, his thoughts on Chimaev's weight miss, the possibility of a fight between them, the 'crazy night' of UFC 279, how a fight between Nate Diaz and Jake Paul would play out, his vow to rematch Israel Adesanya after beating one more opponent, explaining more of his best memes, and more. Chris Barnett discusses around (3:21:42) his injuries at UFC 279, his trip after the hospital visit, how he missed weight, his performance, his face during the fight, his flip, and more. Aaron Jeffery discusses around (3:53:10) the recent death of former UFC fighter Elias Theodorou, Theodorou’s legacy, when Jeffery met him, and more. GC and Helwani around (4:08:11) discuss his past bets for UFC 279 this 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

12 Syys 20224h 31min

Ariel Helwani wraps up UFC Paris, his recent trip to a Nottingham Forest game and Cardiff, and much more. GC looks back around (8:46) at his big betting weekend with UFC Paris, and the parlay pals make their pick for UFC 279. Fernand Lopez discusses around (1:05:01) the crowd at UFC Paris, Ciryl Gane’s performance, how Gane bounced back from Francis Ngannou loss, who should Gane fight next, the toughest heavyweights in the division, and more. Ciryl Gane discusses around (1:29:46) his recent hand injury suffered at UFC Paris, the crowd reaction, getting rocked by Tai Tuivasa, how long he might be out, and more. Robert Whittaker discusses around (1:59:31) his big win at UFC Paris, the atmosphere, why he was upset at Marvin Vettori’s actions at weigh-ins, why he believes he is the “most dangerous man in the division,” Israel Adesanya’s style and next title defense, what he wants next, and more. Lauren Murphy discusses around (2:30:44) why she went pubic about her issues before the Valentina Shevchenko fight, if it would have made a difference in the fight, Shevchenko’s recent title defense, her win over Miesha Tate, who she wants next, and more. Paul Felder discusses around (3:02:09) the UFC 279 main event, if Nate Diaz has a chance, his post-fight questions at UFC events, if Felder would ever fight again, and more. GC makes his picks for UFC 279 around (3:33:43). In the latest On the Nose around (3:46:50), Ariel Helwani discusses Nate Diaz’s future if he wins at UFC 279, if he will fight again in the UFC, CM Punk’s recent comments, how MMA media has evolved, Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa, 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

8 Syys 20224h 58min

Ariel Helwani and crew wrap up a busy combat sports weekend, and Conner Burks and Mysterious Frank discuss a trip to a ONE on Prime watch party. Tai Tuivasa (around 29:32) discusses his upcoming fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC Paris, his recent social media interaction with Jon jones, what’s at stake Saturday, being in the corner of Mark Hunt vs. Brock Lesnar, his go-to food, and more. Bellator interim bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello (around 01:01:29) exchange heated trash talk, and their bad blood almost spills over several times, about their upcoming clash in December. A.J. McKee (around 01:38:45) talks about his upcoming fight at lightweight against Spike Carlyle at Bellator 286, the aftermath of his loss to Patricio Pitbull, the "legit mental breakdown" he suffered in the days after the fight, potentially fighting again at featherweight and Pitbull being on his "forever hit list," his thoughts on open scoring, his future with Bellator, his desire to face Benson Henderson, and more. Li Jingliang (around 2:18:11) talks about his first reaction to fighting Tony Ferguson at UFC 279, his feelings on the short-notice booking, staying in the U.S. for the next year to fight more frequently, his response to critics of the matchup, desire to rematch Khamzat Chimaev and thoughts on Chimaev's fight with Nate Diaz, his reaction to Leon Edwards' win over Kamaru Usman and more. Demetrious Johnson (around 02:46:33) discusses his revenge win over Adriano Moraes, whether Moraes made weight, why he changed his approach for the rematch, “Zombie Time,” his “perfect” highlight-reel knockout, why it was like DragonBall Z, ONE Championship’s broadcast deal with Amazon Prime, whether he’s the best flyweight in the world, ONE’s belt being twice as heavy as the UFC’s, the status of all his missing UFC belts, and more. Ariel Helwani and crew (around 03:23:55) break down the latest news, place their latest parlay on UFC Paris, and GC names his best bets for Saturday. NewYorkRic also makes a big announcement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Elo 20224h

Brendan Loughnane around (7:43:) discusses his big win at the PFL playoffs, the pressure he faced going into the fight, why he got a mind coach, how tough fighting in PFL is, facing Bubba Jenkins, his reaction to Leon Edwards’ win, and more. Mike Perry around (30:32) discusses his big win over MVP at BKFC 27, if he was injured at all, how he has to train differently for BKFC, why he wants to box Jake Paul, if he’s done with MMA, and more. Dave Lovell, a coach of UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, around (1:06:19) discusses the first time he met Edwards, his passionate advice during the fight at UFC 278, the decisive finish, where he wants the first title defense, and more. Luke Rockhold around (1:34:34) discusses his performance at UFC 278, the altitude and his broken nose during the fight, his issues with Dana White from the start, his leg surgery that set him back, what Daniel Cormier said to him after the fight, why he rubbed blood all over Paulo Costa, Jake Paul’s comments, the favorite moments of his career, and more. GC and Helwani around (2:10:07) look back to see how the future bets have played out so far this year, and reveal Conner’s dreaded T-shirt curse. Dan Hooker around (2:29:36) discusses his return to lightweight, his previous cut to featherweight, his recent skid in the UFC, the criticism Israel Adesanya got after his last fight, and more. Chael Sonnen around (3:00:49) discusses the UFC 278 main event, who Leon Edwards should fight next, Colby Covington’s future, the UFC welterweight division, Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz, the UFC bantamweight division, Jake Paul’s next opponent, who will Jon Jones face in his return, and more. In the latest On the Nose around (3:42:14), Ariel Helwani discusses what’s next for Leon Edwards, his favorite post-fight interviews, what the loss cost Kamaru Usman, Anthony Joshua’s performance during and after fight, the “retirements” of Tyson Fury and Henry Cejudo, a Mount Rushmore of favorite athletes, 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

24 Elo 20224h 48min

Ariel Helwani talks about Leon Edwards’ long road to the UFC title, Jake Paul’s comments about the UFC 278 co-main event, and more. Ariel Helwani, NYRic, and GC then around (38:14) discuss where Leon Edwards’ improbable win and the knockout ranks in UFC history and if Edwards should face Jorge Masvidal or Kamaru Usman next. Merab Dvalishvili discusses around (1:01:22) his performance against Jose Aldo at UFC 278, what Aldo said to him after the fight about possibly retiring, why he couldn’t take Aldo down in the fight, his traditional outfits before fights, issues with fans bringing flags to fights, who he wants next, Dana White’s comments about the fight, and more. Paulo Costa around (1:31:08) discusses his performance against Luke Rockhold at UFC 278, his issues in the Marvin Vettori fight, his current UFC contract, why he left his former manager, his issues with USADA while cutting weight, the blood Rockhold put on his face, Jake Paul’s comments, his best tweets, and more. Leon Edwards around (2:31:31) discusses winning UFC welterweight title at UFC 278, what happened after the first round, the advice from his coaches, getting emotional talking about his mother’s reaction to the win, if Nate Diaz could get a title shot, and more. Tim Simpson, the manager of Leon Edwards, around (3:05:43) discusses Edwards’ UFC 278 win, when he first met Leon, where the title defense might take place, and more. Ariel Helwani and crew around (3:28:38) look back at best bets during UFC 278 and discuss latest MMA news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Elo 20224h 10min

Ariel kicks off the show with a preview of the upcoming weekend of MMA action including UFC 278, PFL Playoffs and more. Ariel also immortalizes Jessica-Rose Clark on The MMA Hour wall of fame for walking out to the Shawn Michaels classic Sexy Boy at UFC 276. Brendan Loughnane and Chris Wade join the show at (7:08) to talk about their meeting at PFL Playoffs 3. The pair explain their ongoing rivalry and its origins, trade a few verbal jabs over their PFL careers, debate who is the bigger attraction, and Loughnane's underdog status. They also give their sides of what happened during a faceoff promoting the Saturday fight where Wade got heated with Loughnane's teammate. UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall around (33:06) returns to the show to talk about his comeback from a knee injury suffered in the main event of his UFC London fight against Curtis Blaydes. Aspinall discusses his exact injury and his timetable for rehab. He also reveals a history with knee problems that led to the injury at UFC London and admits he put off corrective surgery for too long. Rory MacDonald joins the show around (1:05:27) to talk about his recent retirement and express his gratitude for the fans' reaction to his announcement. MacDonald explains why he decided to hang up his gloves and when he started to think that his time to walk away was approaching. He also discusses his best moments, his regrets about his MMA career, and what his plans are for the future. Michael 'Venom' Page and Mike Perry join the show around (1:33:10) to talk about their BKFC headliner. They discuss how much weight they have to cut, how the fight came together, and what they see happening when they fight bare-knuckle. They also debate on who has the better dance moves and what will happen to their respective careers with a loss, and their predictions when the fight will end. Aaron Jeffery joins the show for the first time at the (2:02:18) mark to talk about his upset win over Austin Vanderford at Bellator 284, comparisons to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and 'disrespectful' headlines from his win. GC, Helwani and NewYorkRic around (2:21:41) discuss their best bets for UFC 278, UFC 278 parlay picks for Saturday's pay-per-view event, and more. Ariel around (2:49:49) answers your questions about UFC 278, the welterweight title picture, Leon Edwards' rough path to fighting Kamaru Usman, managers "in the pocket" of the UFC, how he'd cast his MMA Hour colleagues as Seinfield characters, Dana White's admission the UFC shouldn't have released Shane Burgos, and more. Luke Rockhold returns around (3:14:24) to talk about being in his UFC first fight week in three years, his career goals at this point in his life, his relationship with the UFC and why he's tried to change his reason for fighting. Rockhold explains why he's been so outspoken about the UFC's business practices and how he felt like he was fighting the promotion from the first step of his career. In Part 2 of On the Nose around (3:44:09), Ariel talks about the most stressful part of doing The MMA Hour, why he continues to support and be inspired by pro-wrestling, what drives him nuts about pro-wrestling haters, breaking fight scoops, who could carry the torch for Canadian MMA, the UFC's plans for Jon Jones, Dana White's reaction to the ESPN fighter pay piece, 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 Elo 20224h 34min

Ariel Helwani discusses Rory MacDonald’s retirement and legacy. Shane Burgos around (14:14) discusses his move to PFL from the UFC, how hard a decision it was to make, if the UFC tried to match, which weight class he would compete in, why he spars just once a week, tests Ariel with his UFC knowledge and vice versa, and more. Bo Nickal around (1:02:26) discusses his first DWCS experience, his performance, comments from some of the analysts, his treatment by the UFC, how he would do against top fighters, and more. Nate Landwehr around (1:38:35) discusses his performance at UFC San Diego, why he didn’t get the finish, what he said to David Onama in the hospital, why he chose MMA, and more. Demetrious Johnson around (2:07:52) discusses his upcoming rematch against Adriano Moraes, his friendship with Henry Cejudo, why he and Cejudo have clicked, why it’s impossible to escape MMA unscathed, why he takes losses so well, Marlon Vera’s recent assessment of Dominick Cruz, why he swears in front of his kids, the time he upset Dana White, when the UFC threatened to close the flyweight division, the origin of the Ben Askren trade, and more. Marlon Vera around (3:01:43) discusses his big win at UFC San Diego, what he repeated in his head during the fight, if Dominick Cruz surprised him, the pictures his coach sent him, his “electric” walkout, if a title shot is next, if Henry Cejudo will jump the line, his “low level comments,” and more. Leon Edwards around (3:34:26) discusses his upcoming UFC 278 title fight against Kamaru Usman, Usman’s hand injury, the BT Sport promo, the first fight, and more. GC, NewYorkRic and Ariel Helwani around (3:49:31) discuss best bets from the past weekend. They also discuss what’s next for Marlon Vera, Shane Burgos’ move to PFL, the UFC bantamweight Grand Prix, Jon Jones’ possible return this year, and much 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

15 Elo 20224h 33min

Ariel Helwani around (3:43) discusses “Judo” Gene LeBell’s death, and a classic interview with the combat sports pioneer, Bo Nickal’s DWCS debut, and more. Juliana Miller around (30:31) discusses how she ended up on The Ultimate Fighter, the lockdown before the show, what it was like during the show, her celebration after her big win, her tough childhood, she shows off her nunchucks, and more. Anthony Smith around (1:05:28) discusses his painful loss at UFC 277, when he broke his leg during the fight, how long he might be out, why he re-signed with the UFC, his thoughts on the light heavyweight division, Luke Rockhold’s changes, troubling weight cuts, and more. Aljamain Sterlng around (1:37:50) discusses how his title defense ended up at UFC 280, his issues with MMA fans and the UFC brass, facing T.J. Dillashaw, the Sean O’Malley vs. Petr Yan fight, his predictions for big BW clashes in next couple of weeks, his “fun” song, and more. Sam Alvey around (2:07:23) discusses his most recent loss at UFC Vegas 59, his broken jaw, his UFC departure, if he’s done with MMA, why he doesn’t like Jake Paul, sparring Logan Paul, possibly doing pro wrestling, his tough weight cut, and more. Cris Cyborg around (2:34:46) breaks news about who she will face in her boxing debut and discusses if she will return to Bellator or stick to boxing, her chances of going to PFL, and more. GC and Helwani around (2:59:37) break down their best bets for the UFC event this weekend and pick their latest parlay. In the latest On the Nose around (3:37:36), Ariel Helwani discusses who will get the next bantamweight title shot, the road to be an MMA journalist, if he would have a manager as a fighter, the Jake Paul vs. Hasim Rahman fight, Cesar Gracie’s recent interview with Sub Radio, how Ariel prepares for interviews, and more. Kayla Harrison around (4:33:50) makes a surprise appearance to discuss a possible clash with Cris Cyborg, potential PFL talks with Cyborg, why she wants elbows in a possible clash, 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

10 Elo 20225h 1min