The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

In the latest On the Nose around (10:23), Ariel Helwani discusses promotions devaluing stars on the way out, if Francis Ngannou’s requests will change the game, how Ngannou’s contract ended with the UFC, should Bellator get a new name, will Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury actually happen, Shogun Rua’s career highlights, Jeff Molina’s suspension, best sports jersey, and more. Around (1:32:06), the parlay pals make their selection for UFC 283. Stipe Miocic around (1:43:18) discusses Stipepalooza, why he became full-time firefighter, why he hasn’t fought in awhile, if he wants to fight again, Francis Ngannou’s departure, UFC 285, Jones vs. Gane, if Jones is making a mistake, boxing, and more. Curtis Blaydes around (2:10:45) discusses Francis Ngannou’s departure, how it played out, Jones vs. Gane, who he wants next, his recent training, when he wants to return, and more. Neil Magny around (2:29:17) discusses his upcoming UFC 283 fight against Gilbert Burns, how he ended up with the fight, how Burns did against Khamzat Chimaev, if he is worried about possibly not ever getting a title shot, training with Khamzat Chimaev, and more. Around (2:51:11) GC makes his UFC 283 picks. Shogun Rua around (3:14:28) discusses his final UFC fight at UFC 283, why he decided to call it quits, if he ever met Pele, being the last PRIDE fighter on the UFC roster, his legacy, what he will do after his fight career, and more. (Warning: Profane language) Sean Strickland around (3:37:56) discusses a recent motorcycle accident, who he hangs out with outside the gym, his performance at UFC Vegas 67, his possible return date, 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

18 Jan 20234h 20min

In a special edition of The MMA Hour, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou discusses what led him to decide to be a free agent instead of remain with the UFC, his issues with Dana White’s remarks at this past weekend’s presser and over the years, when things turned sour with White, what he wants to do next, which stars he would like to box, if he would ever return to the UFC, if a union will ever happen, when he could fight next, Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane, and more. GC, Ariel and NYRic around (1:21:55) break down the Ngannou interview and discuss the biggest talking points. 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 Jan 20231h 53min

Ariel Helwani around (4:50) discusses how former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou became a free agent and Ngannou’s relationship with the UFC and Dana White. Deiveson Figueiredo around (1:01:48) discusses fighting in Brazil again at UFC 283, if he is trying to intimidate Brandon Moreno before their fourth fight, how close is he to go to bantamweight division, if he’s happy with his pay, riding buffaloes, if the fans will be on his side in Rio de Janeiro, and more. Richard Schaefer, the advisor of Jon Jones, around (1:33:33) discusses Jones’ return to the UFC, how the negotiations went, if they are bummed it won’t be against Francis Ngannou, if Stipe Miocic was in the mix, how the UFC 285 main event was announced, and more. Aljamain Sterling around (1:55:54) discusses his recent arm injury, what’s the latest on the possibly Henry Cejudo fight at UFC 285, how long he might be out, Francis Ngannou’s departure, who might be next, his first movie, and more. Eric Nicksick around (2:35:53) discusses his long night at UFC Vegas 67, Sean Strickland’s performance, a possible feud with MMA Factory, Dana White’s comments at press conference, Francis Ngannou’s decision, what could be next for Ngannou, and more. GC, Ariel and NYRic around (3:01:48) look back at the Francis Ngannou news, the UFC 285 main event, where might Ngannou fight next, and more. GC around (3:35:59) wraps up the Parlay Pals’ latest win and how he did for UFC Vegas 67. 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/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/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in OH/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply.  Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 bet. Promo code req. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Free Bets are non-cashable and cannot be withdrawn. Free bets must be wagered 1x and stake is not included in any returns or winnings. Free Bets expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. Promotional offer period ends 1/29/23 at 11:59:59 PM ET. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/mmaterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 Jan 20234h 10min

Scott Coker around (6:08) breaks some news about his upcoming lightweight Grand Prix in March and discusses re-signing former champion A.J. McKee, Bellator vs. RIZIN, if Japanese MMA is back, the future of Dillon Danis, and more. In the latest edition of On the Nose around (32:18), Ariel Helwani discusses the silence surrounding Dana White after his NYE slap of his wife, if Francis Ngannou is headed to the PFL, who could headline the March pay-per-views, New Year’s resolutions, the latest WWE news, and more. Casey O’Neill around (1:18:50) discusses her return from knee injury, facing Jennifer Maia next, how she got hurt, the emotions from dealing with a serious injury, the state of the flyweight division, and more. Ryan Garcia around (1:48:32) discusses Gervonta Davis’ latest performance, what grade would he would give him, the lack of a tuneup fight for him, what he brings into the ring, how they pulled this megafight off, his mental health, who he wants after Davis, his thoughts on Dillon Danis, and more. Brandon Moreno around (2:17:58) discusses facing Deiveson Figueiredo for a fourth time at UFC 283, a recent meeting with Figueiredo, his reaction to James Krause news, his Legos, and more. AJ McKee around (2:44:58) discusses why he re-signed with Bellator, being part of the Bellator lightweight tournament, the outfit he wore to RIZIN event, the Pitbull brothers, and more. The Parlay Pals around (4:17:39) then break down best bets for UFC Vegas 67. To cap off the show, Ariel and co. around (3:48:17) react to UFC President Dana White's appearance at the UFC Vegas 67 press conference to answer questions about the altercation with his wife on New Year's Eve. 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

11 Jan 20234h 41min

Ariel Helwani pays tribute to 18-year-old Victoria Lee, who died late last year. Ariel, GC and NYRic around (9:15) take a closer look at the silence surrounding Dana White, the move of Jake Paul heading to the PFL, who the No. 2 promotion in the world is, and more. Terrance McKinney around (41:12) discusses his first trip to Brazil for a fight with Ismael Bonfim at UFC 283, being OK with the fight potentially being cancelled due to the unrest in Brazil, his thoughts on instead fighting Paddy Pimblett, Pimblett's win over Jared Gordon at UFC 282, his thoughts on MMA judging, his tweets on Dillon Danis, lessons learned from his loss against Drew Dober, and more. Michael Smith around (58:27) talks about a childhood accident where he broke his hip, how he practices darts at his mom and dad's pub, how he went pro in darts, a Christmas eve accident where he broke both of his wrists and how that affected his practice, why darts is so big in Europe, his feelings going into the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts, his walkout song, whether darts should be in the Olympics, his practice routine, rivalries in the league, the pay for darts champions and sponsorships, how players are organized, life as a darts champion, and more. GC around (1:37:50) announces his futures bets for 2023 and who just might end up UFC champions. KSI around (1:59:14) discusses how he ended up facing Dillon Danis before he dropped out, if he regrets not choosing Tyron Woodley, how he ended up with FaZe Temperrr, his motivation, if a Jake Paul showdown is on the horizon, if he would ever do MMA, if he feels like he should be a role model, the explosion of Prime, possibly facing Conor McGregor, and more. Marlon Vera around (2:44:45) explains how he ended up with Corey Sandhagen, his different path to world champion, his new back tattoo, the support of his fans, and more. GC, Eric and Ariel around (3:17:17) debate which fight is bigger: KSI vs. Jake Paul or Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz. Also, top boxing fights to watch, the college football national championship, 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

9 Jan 20233h 51min

Ariel Helwani kicks off the first episode of the year with his opinions on Stephan Bonnar’s death, Damar Hamlin’s scary injury, Dillon Danis pulling out of the KSI fight, and Dana White slapping his wife at a New Year’s Eve party. Around (1:17:12) Ariel, along with GC and Eric, then unveil their winners for the following awards. Below is the list of categories: 1. Knockout of the year 2. Submission of the year 3. Breakout fighter of the year 4. Most improved fighter of the year 5. Coach of the year 6. Event of the year 7. Crowd of the year 8. Walkout of the year 9. Promo of the year 10. Poster of the year 11. Photo of the year 12. Social media user of the year 13. Bad beat of the year 14. Betting underdog of the year 15. Lock of the year 16. Most profitable fighter of the year 17. Comeback fight of the year 18. Comeback fighter of the year 19. Upset of the year 20. Rivalry of the year 21. Story of the year 22. Feel good moment of the year 23. Round of the year 24. Fight of the year 25. Female fighter of the year 26. Male fighter of the year  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

4 Jan 20234h 2min

In the latest On The Nose around (11:17), Ariel Helwani names sleeper fighters to watch, Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker, judge Douglas Crosby’s recent scorecards, Mysterious Frank’s possible reveal, dream fights for next year, Lionel Messi vs. Diego Maradona, some rapid-fire questions, and more. Santiago Ponzinibbio around (53:22) discusses Argentina’s triumph in the World Cup and his emotions during the roller-coaster final, how he reacted after the victory, Messi vs. Maradona, if has ever met Messi, his recent UFC comeback, who he wants next, MMA judging, and more. Paulo Costa around (1:12:31) discusses what happened with his UFC 284 fight against Robert Whittaker, if he ever accepted this fight, what he wants from the UFC, the message he sent to Whittaker, if he will ever fight for UFC again, Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira, and more. Jared Cannonier around (1:37:36) discusses his win in the main event of UFC Vegas 66, how the judges scored the fight, what he learned from the Israel Adesanya fight, the criticism after it, his emotions after falling short, the Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira fight, his gorilla hat, how he got his nickname, and more. Mike Goldberg around (1:59:09) discusses the 25th anniversary of his first UFC event, how he got the call, the fight he remembers the most, what he said to Dana White during a recent run-in, what he’s up to now, the move to Bellator, remembering Anthony Johnson, and more. Dillon Danis around (2:29:06) discusses his feud with Ariel Helwani, his upcoming boxing fight with KSI, why he has been out so long, the Anthony Taylor skirmish in the parking lot, a potential Logan Paul fight, a recent video of him hitting the pads, what happened with Nate Diaz at MSG, and more. GC around (4:25:27) recaps future bets from the past year and the dreaded T-shirt curse. 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 Des 20224h 47min

Ariel Helwani, NYRic, and GC around (9:11) discuss the World Cup final and where it ranks in sports’ greatest games. They then pivot to discuss KSW and UFC Vegas 66 events. GC also around (31:35) looks back at his best bets for UFC Vegas 66 and the latest parlay win. Drew Dober around (38:28) discusses bouncing back in 2022, his win over Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 66 on Saturday, what Green said to him in the cage, what he learned from the Brad Riddell fight, facing Jalin Turner next, Paddy Pimblett’s skills, and more. Jiří Procházka around (59:20) explains why he had to withdraw from UFC 282, if he still tried to make the fight, why he vacated the title, who he thought UFC 282 main event, the new title shot at UFC 283, when he could return, and more. Gordon Ryan around (1:28:00) discusses his look, his experience at UFC Fight Pass Invitational, if the UFC’s support will make jiu-jitsu more mainstream, if jiu-jitsu will ever make the Olympics, his thoughts on Vinny Magalhaes dropping out, his recent stomach issues, why he took a “leave of absence,” what happened with ONE Championship, if he will ever do MMA, grappling with Thor Bjornsson and Martins Licis, his thoughts on Dillon Danis, and more. Alex Caceres around (2:04:38) discusses his performance at UFC Vegas 66, goals in life, dealing with fear, difference between him now and when he was in TUF house, how he feels about a variety of topics, 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

19 Des 20222h 51min