On To the Next One | What's Next For Islam Makhachev, JDM After UFC 322?

On the year-end edition of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown and Damon Martin give their picks for the 2024 Fighter of the Year and start looking ahead at some of the biggest storylines in 2025. Will Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones actually happen? Will Conor McGregor fight in 2025? What happens to the PFL and a new upstart organization like the GFL? All this and much more on our special edition of The Fighter vs. The Writer to close out the year Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Dec 20241h 20min

Oleksandr Usyk remains the heavyweight champion of the world. On Saturday, Usyk took home a unanimous decision win in his rematch with Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Now 2-0 against “The Gypsy King,” Usyk is firmly entrenched as the best heavyweight boxer in the world, and possibly the best of his generation. Following Saturday’s epic boxing event, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to Usyk’s big win and where we go from here. Topics discussed include whether the judges got things right, how A.I. judging got things wrong, what’s next for Fury, where Usyk rates among the greatest heavyweights of all time, a few holiday questions, and much more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Dec 202447min

While some of the MMA year-end awards are easy to choose, others are not. In 2024, two UFC champions made compelling cases for Fighter of the Year — light heavyweight title holder Alex Pereira, and featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. While Pereira had one more win than Topuria this year, is that enough to earn "Poatan" the crown? On an all-new edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and José Youngs previews the site's upcoming 2024 year-end awards, and give their rankings for Fighter of the Year, discuss whether or not Pereira or Topuria should win the award, along with Knockout of the Year, Fight of the Year, and Submission of the Year. Additionally, they'll answer some listener questions about the fallout from UFC Tampa, the UFC's massively successful year, and much more.  Follow Mike Heck: @m_heckjr Follow José Youngs: @JoseYoungs Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 Dec 20241h 22min

Conor McGregor says he's agreed to his next fight, but it's not in the UFC. On Monday morning, McGregor says he's agreed to a boxing match in India with WWE star Logan Paul, and then he'll head back to the UFC. MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee react to McGregor's latest head-scratching comments, discuss if there's any smoke to the tweet, and that this means for his UFC future. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Dec 202430min

On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown and Damon Martin discuss what comes next for Colby Covington after a lopsided loss at UFC Tampa and if his days as an elite contender are already over. Plus we discuss how far Joaquin Buckley could go at welterweight and discuss Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2 plus much more. Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Dec 20241h 4min

Joaquin Buckley is officially a player in the UFC's welterweight championship conversation after battering Colby Covington en route to a third-round TKO win in the main event of UFC Tampa. After an incredible 4-0 run in 2024, where does "New Mansa" go heading into 2025? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what's next for Buckley after the biggest win of his career. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Cub Swanson after his Fight of the Night knockout of Billy Quarantillo, Manel Kape following his phenomenal finish of Bruno Silva, Dustin Jacoby after his highlight-reel knockout of Vitor Petrino, along with fellow main card winners Daniel Marcos and Navajo Stirling, and more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Dec 20241h 16min

Joaquin Buckley may not have ended 2024 with a bang, but he did close the show with a sensational performance. On Saturday, Buckley earned a third-round TKO victory over Colby Covington in the main event of UFC Tampa after battering “Chaos” en route to a doctor’s stoppage due to a nasty cut on Covington’s right eye. Following Saturday’s event, the final UFC card of the year, MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and E. Casey Leydon react to Buckley’s big win, his unique callout of Kamaru Usman, where Covington goes from here, Cub Swanson’s possible swan song, Manel Kape’s case for a flyweight title shot, and the rest of the night filled with incredible knockouts and finishes. Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Dec 20241h 23min

UFC Tampa goes down this Saturday at Amalie Arena in the final UFC fight card of 2024. Headlined by a five-round welterweight matchup between Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley, the event is stacked with 12 other big matchups to end the year on a strong note. It’s the final UFC fight card of 2024, so ahead of this weekend’s event, MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and Mike Heck preview Saturday’a lineup, discuss how close the main event winner will be to a title shot, what’s at stake in the co-main event between Cub Swanson and Billy Quarantillo, debate if Manel Kape can sneak into a flyweight title shot with a win, highlight other pivotal matchups, give shine to some low-key bangers, answer viewer questions, and more. Catch the UFC Tampa preview show above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

13 Dec 20241h 13min