The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

In the latest On the Nose around (11:00), Ariel Helwani gives Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev post-fight promos if they win at UFC 280, UFC fighters and gambling, Power Slap League, AEW angles, Chito Vera’s next fight, if PFL is gaining ground on UFC, his wings error, and more. Alexa Grasso around (1:15:15) discusses her UFC Vegas 62 main event, the pressure of being labeled “Mexican Ronda” Rousey, what grade she would give her performance, what she was like during high school, and more. Alistair Overeem around (1:38:47) talks about his performance at Glory Collision 4, his 72-hour fast, how he felt about open scoring, how he really feels about Rico Verhoeven, what’s next, how he feels about Glory, if he has ruled out MMA return, if he will ever do pro wrestling, and more. Ben Askren around (1:59:24) discusses his new book, Bo Nickal’s path in UFC, Nickal vs. Khamzat Chimaev, Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 2, what he remembers from the Jorge Masvidal fight, how he’s remembered for his losses, the trade to the UFC, Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva, and more. Dominick Cruz around (2:41:50) discusses his loss to Chito Vera at UFC San Diego, what went wrong, if he needs to change up his style, Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw, who is bantamweight GOAT, his future plans, the top fights at UFC 280, and more. The parlay pals around (3:29:18) make their latest parlay and GC makes his bets for UFC 280 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

19 Okt 20224h 28min

Ariel Helwani around (5:50) discusses a busy weekend in combat sports, his issues with the UFC Apex events, and UFC 280. He also names the best division in the UFC. John Hathaway around (30:57) discusses his comeback win this past weekend in Germany, the experience of fighting for the first time in 10 years, whether he'll fight with his current promotion, Oktagon, or move back to the UFC, when he wants to fight next, being back in the MMA limelight, being an inspiration for others who've dealt with Crohn's disease, and more. Javier Mendez around (59:24) discusses the first time he met Islam Makhachev, Makhachev's path compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam rejecting his nickname offer, how Khabib is different than father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov than he is as a coach, what makes Khabib a great coach, how a misunderstanding made Khabib go "crazy" in the gym, whether Khabib ever gets the urge to come back, his breakdown of Islam's UFC 280 title fight against Charles Oliveira, and more. The parlay pals around (1:31:02) reunite to discuss last weekend’s parlay and look back at GC’s bets for UFC Vegas 62. Petr Yan around (1:58:41) discusses his reaction facing Sean O’Malley at UFC 280, if O’Malley is on his level, why he didn’t face Chito Vera, why he came up short in his last fight against Aljamain Sterling, his recent meeting with Sterling, if he should get a title shot with a win Saturday, how the O’Malley fight will end, and more. Jiri Prochazka around (2:25:26) discusses his title rematch with Glover Teixeira, why the fight is in Vegas, his hair, why the belt is near him for meditation, his recent trip to Egypt, the things he has changed since he has become champ, and more. Ariel Helwani around (2:50:23) gives an update on Jon Jones and UFC 282. 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 Okt 20223h 8min

In the latest On the Nose around (8:13), Ariel Helwani discusses the UFC’s crowded featherweight division, Ariel’s big weekend, Extreme Rules, the Tony Khan interview, Jon Jones’ return, and more. Brandon Royval around (55:20) discusses his upcoming clash at UFC Vegas 62, how he got his nickname, how he feels about returning to the UFC Apex, the stakes for this weekend, sleeping in his car, and more. Aspen Ladd around (1:17:19) discusses her upcoming fight against Julia Budd in her PFL debut, her UFC departure, Dana White’s comments, how she ended up in the PFL, and more. Shawn Michaels around (1:35:36) discusses his moment in the ring with Triple H recently, life without Vince McMahon at the WWE, how NXT has changed, his recent conversations with Bret Hart, Jessica-Rose Clark walking out to one of his songs, and more. ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong around (2:05:21) discusses the trade of DJ/Ben Askren, how they landed Roberto Soldic, the departure of Eddie Alvarez, their interest in Nate Diaz, how his mom inspired him, the turning point for ONE, future events in the U.S., and more. Kevin Holland around (2:46:55) discusses if his retirement was real, what brought him back, facing Stephen Thompson next, if he regrets facing Khamzat Chimaev, his new necklace, if he would ever train with Chimaev, why he started a podcast, and more. Lance Palmer around (3:18:50) discusses his relationship with the PFL, when his issues all started, his free agency, his dream opponent, his advice to younger fighters, and more. The parlay pals around (3:42:27) make their pick for this upcoming weekend. Alexander Volkanovski around (3:56:55) discusses how he became the backup fighter for the UFC 280 main event, his hand injury, if a lightweight title shot would be next, which fighter would be a better matchup for him, his recent interaction with Hasbulla, and more. GC makes his picks around (4:41:47) for the upcoming busy combat sports 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

13 Okt 20225h 23min

A.J. McKee around (4:41) discusses his lightweight debut at Bellator 286, if he will return to 145 pounds, his issues with Patricio Pitbull’s performance, what he wants next, how much money he threw into his crowd, and more. Yan Xiaonan around (24:13) discusses her performance at UFC Vegas 61, how tough the last year was for her, why she likes Team Alpha Male, why she was fighting boys in her childhood, how many times did she win, if she met Mark Zuckerberg at the event, who she wants next, and more. Ben Rothwell around (43:44) discusses his performance at BKFC 30, his robe, what he was thinking about before his debut, and more. Alistair Overeem and Badr Hari around (1:00:20) discuss their upcoming clash at Glory Collision 4, if the fight is personal for either one of them, what’s the difference between the first two fights, the rough patches in their careers, and more. Bo Nickal around (1:40:18) discusses his DWCS run, his upcoming fight at UFC 282, how he has dealt with expectations, how MMA fighters can act more professional, his issues with Khamzat Chimaev, being on the UFC 4 video game, the status of his octagon debut at UFC 282, his demand to fight on the pay-per-view main card, interest from the WWE, how a wrestling match with Logan Paul would turn out, his prediction he'll be fighting for the belt by mid-2024, callouts from Chris Curtis and Darren Till, and more. Ariel Helwani, NewYorkRic and Conner Burks around (2:10:28) discuss the potential of Bo Nickal, how he would fare against the best welterweights in the world, predictions for Nickal's possible fight with Jamie Pickett at UFC 282, the stars of UFC Vegas 61 and Bellator 286, and more. The parlay pals around (2:40:55) look back at their most recent parlay, the best bets at UFC Vegas 61 and Bellator 286, 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

3 Okt 20223h 25min

In the latest On the Nose around (10:33), Ariel Helwani discusses the mystery around UFC Vegas 61 , Bo Nickal’s ceiling, how to fix Bellator, the future of Combate, ONE Championship, PFL’s first PPV, the unofficial UFC grand prixs at lightweight and bantamweight and which one is more intriguing, the ongoing saga of booking Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua, Aspen Ladd's next potential move, and more. Eddie Alvarez around (1:01:01) discusses what happened with ONE Championship, how many fights he has left in his career, how he will make up his mind for his next stop, the power of free agency, advice for younger fighters, Nate Diaz, Joe Pyfer, and more. John Hathaway around (1:33:57) discusses his long break from MMA, the three surgeries he had to endure, how hard it was to watch MMA early, why he’s coming back now, USADA testing, how he ended up at Oktagon MMA, his last UFC loss, how his diet has changed, Scott Cokeraround (2:05:05) discusses Bellator Dublin, his current roster, lightweight tournament, allowing fighters to compete in other sports, Cris Cyborg’s future, A.J. McKee, how long Coker will run Bellator, the greatest fights he’s ever seen in person, Fedor Emelianenko’s next fight, and more. Chris Avila around (2:39:25) discusses facing Dr. Mike on the Paul vs. Silva undercard, his boxing future, if he was close to facing Chad Ochocinco, how MVP treats him, Nate Diaz’s possible final fight in the UFC, how Diaz helps him during boxing fights, and more. The parlay pals around (3:00:28) discuss a recent AEW trip, their recent parlay and the bets last weekend. The crew also picks its latest parlay, and GC also makes picks for UFC Vegas 61 and Bellator 286 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

28 Sep 20224h 17min

Ariel Helwani talks to NewYorkRic around (10:48) about his new hairstyle and where the hair will be donated. The parlay pals also reveal their latest parlay. Damon Jackson talks around (32:00) about his emotional win at UFC Vegas 60, if he ever considered pulling out of the fight, what his brother meant to him, his new nickname, how he bounced back after his UFC departure, what’s next, and more. Anderson Silva discusses around (1:01:07) his upcoming boxing fight against Jake Paul, if the boxing community respects him, why he’s taking the fight, his only problem with Dana White, if he will do MMA again, when he might call it quits, the UFC Hall of Fame, Jose Aldo’s retirement, and more. Andre Fili discusses around (1:42:25) his big win at UFC Vegas 60, his new hairstyle, possible regrets from his fight, why he was so angry going up, how he has changed growing up, why he decided to hide a recent tragedy from his family, how he turned things around emotionally, doing standup comedy, Jose Aldo’s retirement, and more. Yoel Romero discusses around (2:16:49) his upcoming Bellator fight against Melvin Manhoef in Ireland, how Conor McGregor has been helpful, his weight cut for light heavyweight, if he plans to return to 185 pounds, how he feels at Bellator, if a title shot is next, his fight against Israel Adesanya, how many boring fights he has had, and more. Campbell McLaren discusses around (2:47:12) why Combate Global should be considered one of the top promotions in the U.S., how it is different than the UFC, the big women’s fight coming up, the strategy of adding fighters now, how much the pandemic hurt, who owns the promotion, and more. GC around (3:24:01) makes his picks for a busy combat sports weekend. In the latest On the Nose around (3:33:33), Ariel Helwani discusses Paulo Costa’s evolution, Jose Aldo’s legacy, Jon Jones’ heavyweight return, gambling and the UFC, MJF interview, Eddie Alvarez’s next stop, Ariel’s career start, Aspen Ladd’s future, 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

21 Sep 20224h 49min

Ariel Helwani kicks off show by looking back at Jose Aldo’s career and his legacy. Maxwell Jacob Friedman around (7:05) discusses his new AEW contract, where he went during his time off, the departure of Cody Rhodes, his relationship with Tony Khan, his return in Chicago, his feud with CM Punk, his issues with Jon Moxley, Vince McMahon’s retirement, and more. Action Bronson around (58:48) discusses his motivation, his childhood, where he trained to wrestle, the toughness of ‘Robocop’ at UFC Vegas 60, his friendship with Chito Vera, the UFC bantamweight title picture, his new head tattoo, Israel Adesanya, Nate Diaz, and more. Paulo Costa around (2:06:23) discusses his secret juice, his feud with Khamzat Chimaev, Jose Aldo’s retirement, his past as an IT worker, getting beaten up as a kid, and his run-in with a nurse in Brazil. He also gives NewYorkRic a special haircut. Cory Sandhagen around (3:06:51) discusses his big win over Song Yadong at UFC Vegas 60, Yadong’s cut, how his Petr Yan lessons paid off, who he wants next, why Henry Cejudo shouldn’t get immediate title shot upon his return, and more. Joe Pyfer around (3:31:52) discusses the big win in his UFC debut, driving exotic cars and Dana White’s Ferrari, how he stayed focused through tough times, his rough childhood, “Be Joe Pyfer,” and more. The MMA Hour crew around (4:12:51) discusses how its recent parlay did, UFC Vegas 60 bets, and the big hitters for the week. 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 Sep 20224h 33min

In the latest On the Nose around (7:12), Ariel Helwani discusses Nate Diaz’s departure with the UFC, Khamzat Chimaev’s heel turn, what’s next for Tony Ferguson, Chael Sonnen hosting Showtime pressers for Paul vs. Silva, Nick Diaz’s future, and more. Michael Chandler discusses around (1:02:28) why it took so long to get the Dustin Poirier fight done at UFC 281, what happened with his incident with Poirier in July, facing Conor McGregor, Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev, Nate Diaz’s final fight, and more. Cory Sandhagen discusses around (1:33:25) his UFC Vegas 60 main event fight against Song Yarding, his long layoff, the change in his personality, Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw, Sean O’Malley vs. Petr Yan, why he skipped watching UFC 279 main event, and more. Daniel Rodriguez discusses around (2:08:40) his close fight against Li Jingliang at UFC 279, his wild fight week, his new deal, his new tattoo, who he wants to fight next, his favorite West Coast rapper, his top sports teams, his tough background, getting into fights in jail, and more. The MMA Hour crew around (2:34:48) reveals its latest parlay for this upcoming busy combat sports weekend. Also, GC makes his latest picks for UFC Vegas 60. Matchroom exec Eddie Hearn around (2:59:31) talks about expectations for the trilogy between Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez, the status of the long-awaited Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight, why it took so long for the heavyweight title fight to happen, his relationship with Frank Warren, Fury's "take it or leave it" deal, what happened after Joshua's "post-fight antics" in the ring after the Oleksandr Usyk fight, whether the Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank Jr. fight is really in jeopardy, his thoughts on Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva, Katie Taylor's next move, the potential of Taylor fighting Cris Cyborg, and more. Gennadiy Golovkin around (3:32:07) discusses his upcoming trilogy match with Canelo Alvarez this 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

14 Sep 20224h 10min