249 episodes

The Mixed Martial Arts Hour with Ariel Helwani is back in your life. Twice a week you'll hear interviews with the best fighters and biggest personalities in the sport, plus in-depth analysis of the week's UFC and MMA news. Follow the show on YouTube and on your favorite podcast app for new episodes every Monday and Wednesday.
From SB Nation and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani Vox Media Podcast Network

    • Sports
    • 4.6 • 731 Ratings

The Mixed Martial Arts Hour with Ariel Helwani is back in your life. Twice a week you'll hear interviews with the best fighters and biggest personalities in the sport, plus in-depth analysis of the week's UFC and MMA news. Follow the show on YouTube and on your favorite podcast app for new episodes every Monday and Wednesday.
From SB Nation and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

    Francis Ngannou, Marlon Vera, Robert Whittaker, Gilbert Melendez, Mike Tyson’s trainer Rafael Cordeiro, John Kavanagh & Rich Chou in studio

    Francis Ngannou, Marlon Vera, Robert Whittaker, Gilbert Melendez, Mike Tyson’s trainer Rafael Cordeiro, John Kavanagh & Rich Chou in studio

    Ariel Helwani around (6:04) discusses the latest news in the UFC, the title fight and Jose Aldo’s return at UFC 301, what could have been at UFC 301, and more.
    Gilbert Melendez around (20:19) talks about his new promotion with Scott Coker and their first event in San Jose on May 18, how the relationship will work, if he plans to return to fighting in the near future, why the fights will be in a ring instead of a cage, how many events do they plan this year, Diaz vs. Masvidal, Nate Diaz’s future, why he wants to fight again, and more.
    Francis Ngannou around (47:13) talks about the physical and emotinoal fallout from his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, how he felt after getting knocked down the first time, the unusually long wait for the fight to start, whether he felt more nervous for the fight with title shot on line, how he broke from tradition and watched the fight, whether Joshua would beat Tyson Fury, if he’s annoyed by revisionist history of his boxing career, whether the fight was the biggest payday of his career, when he can fight again, his desire to fight Tyson Fury, his reaction to the announcement he’d fight the winner of Ryan Bader vs. Renan Ferreira, whether his PFL contract requires him to fight in MMA this year, whether he regrets anything about the fight, and more.
    The panel breaks around (1:26:32) down the Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones meeting and the trash talk between Colby Covington and Ian Garry.
    Marlon Vera around (1:34:24) discusses his title loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 299, his vision for the fight, if he has watched the fight, why O’Malley had such success, his issues with O’Malley’s hair, his eye injury during the fight, when he would like to return, what he wishes he could have done differently, Cory Sandhagen’s comments, his comments for Tim Welch, the robbery of his home, his fans in Miami, who he wants to fight next, O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili, and more.
    Rafael Cordeiro, the coach of Mike Tyson, around (2:15:31) discusses Tyson’s training for the upcoming Jake Paul fight, the age gap between the two fighters, the difference between this Tyson and the fight against Roy Jones Jr., how he ended up coaching Tyson, balancing the gym and Tyson, his fight prediction, and more.
    John Kavanagh and Rich Chou around (2:46:30) discuss the latest about Train Alta, Chou’s journey after Bellator, the program and how it works, the goals, new-look Bellator, Scott Coker’s new promotion, Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, recent retirements, Conor McGregor’s absence from the UFC, and more.
    The parlay pals around (3:44:15) look back at their most recent selection, and GC recaps his picks from the UFC event.
    Robert Whittaker around (3:51:49) discusses his win over Paulo Costa at UFC 298, the illness before the fight, his performance in the fight, what happened with the Dricus Du Plessis fight, his opinion of Costa, Dustin Poirier’s recent comments, the MMA community, Alexander Volkanovski, Francis Ngannou, Steve Erceg and the UFC 301 title fight, his return, Sean Strickland, if Israel Adesanya gets next title shot, and more.





    5:42
    Julianna Pena debates leaving the parlay pals, but Ariel gets her to stay until UFC 300.

    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.
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    • 4 hr 40 min
    Breaking news with Jorge Masvidal, Kayla Harrison, Tai Tuivasa, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Ben Davison, questions galore & more

    Breaking news with Jorge Masvidal, Kayla Harrison, Tai Tuivasa, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Ben Davison, questions galore & more

    Ariel Helwani around (5:56) breaks some big news to start the show. Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will run it back on June 1 in a boxing ring, and the panel reacts to the news.
    Jorge Masvidal around (15:25) discusses his upcoming boxing match with Nate Diaz, the first between the two in the UFC, if they ran into each other at UFC 299, and more.
    Kayla Harrison around (32:00) discusses her UFC 300 fight against Holly Holm, her current weight, what she wanted this past fall after her final PFL fight, 145 or 135, her thoughts of joining the UFC, her goal to become UFC champion, her recent UFC 300 Q&A appearance, the last time she weighed 136 pounds, if she has been promised a title shot with a win, Cris Cyborg’s recent comments, how things ended with PFL, Dustin Poirier’s comments, and more.
    Ben Davison, a coach for Anthony Joshua, around (1:04:27) spoke about his initial reaction to the Ngannou vs. Joshua booking, researching Ngannou’s MMA fights in training camp, how Ngannou shocked him in the Tyson Fury fight, how he prepared Joshua for Otto Wallin, why he doesn’t like it when his team has rejuvenated Joshua, how he felt on fight night, why he felt Ngannou’s chin hadn’t been tested, Ngannou’s switch to southpaw, why he thinks fighters in MMA switch stances more easily, his reaction to Ngannou’s knockout, how Ngannou will fare in boxing moving forward, whether Ngannou’s loss should end crossover fights, whether he prefers Oleksandr Uysk or Fury for Joshua’s next fight, his pick for Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, and more.
    Joanna Jedrzejczyk around (1:33:48:11) discusses her UFC Hall of Fame induction, if she knew it would happen, a past story of Action Bronson, if she ever thought of coming back to the UFC, if she will ever fight again, her life as a manager, her last UFC fight and her decision to retire, hanging out with Zhang Weili, her relationship with Valentina Shevchenko, and more.
    Tai Tuivasa around (2:04:36) discusses his upcoming fight against Marcin Tybura at UFC Vegas 88, the smaller cage at the UFC Apex, if he had any regrets taking last fight, why he switched training camps, his recent losing skid, Tyson Pedro’s recent retirement, Joshua vs. Ngannou, and more.
    In the latest edition of On the Nose around (2:35:06), Ariel Helwani discusses why he covered an event in Saudi Arabia, terrible boss stories, Mark Coleman, fighter pay, GC’s fastest mile, the new weigh-ins, what’s next for Chito Vera and Benoit Saint Denis, Bo Nickal’s placement on UFC 300 fight card, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, if a title shot is next for Dustin Poirier, a special darts episode, and more.
    The parlay pals around (3:59:15) make their latest selection, and GC makes his picks for the 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.
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    • 4 hr 16 min
    Sean O’Malley, Dustin Poirier, Michael "Venom" Page, Cedric Doumbé ,Joanne Wood, UFC 299 & Ngannou x Joshua recaps

    Sean O’Malley, Dustin Poirier, Michael "Venom" Page, Cedric Doumbé ,Joanne Wood, UFC 299 & Ngannou x Joshua recaps

    Ariel Helwani around (17:51) wraps a busy combat sports weekend with plenty of news from PFL, Ngannou vs. Joshua, Tyson vs. Paul, and UFC 299. The panel discusses the biggest story of the weekend and more. Helwani makes his pick and wonders what could be next for Francis Ngannou. The panel also discusses the controversial stoppage in the PFL Europe main event.
    Michael Page around (01:02:44) discusses his UFC debut win over Kevin Holland at UFC 299, his fight week vs. a Bellator fight week, Kevin Holland’s pre-fight comments, what he learned from the first strike, his walkout, what his walkout plan really was, his gameplan, what he told Holland after the fight, Dana White’s post-fight comments, who he wants next, The Sphere, Ben Whittaker, Joshua vs. Ngannou, and more.
    Dustin Poirier around (01:34:14) discusses his win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299, bouncing back from the Justin Gaethje loss, his different mindset for the fight, his obsession with jumping guillotines, what a clean knockout feels like, what he said to Dana White and Saint Denis after the fight, why he took this fight, what he wants next, his rib injury before the fight, his mental struggles after the Gaethje fight, and more.
    Sean O’Malley around (2:05:09) discusses his UFC 299 win over Chito Vera, his first fight with Vera, his knee against Vera, the fan support for Vera, his injuries from the fight, the body shot at the end of the fight, his top choice for his next fight, his backstage encounter with Merab Dvalishvili, what he does before the fight, his fight IQ, if he is going to stay with pink shorts, his afterparty, when he would like to return, and more.
    The panel around (2:31:01) discusses what’s next for Sean O’Malley, Dustin Poirier’s comments, and more from UFC 299.
    Cedric Doumbe around (02:44:45) discusses his controversial loss at PFL Europe, if he plans to appeal the loss, when he first noticed his toe injury, his issues with the referee, his foot injury, when he suffered the injury, if he wants a rematch with Baissangour Chamsoudinov, his proposed walkout, if the fight would be five rounds, Joshua vs. Ngannou, and more.
    Joanne Wood around (03:18:40) discusses her final UFC fight at UFC 299, when she decided to call it quits, why it was a year between fights, why was the biggest reason she decided to call it quits, her final walkout, “rock bottom,” how she ended up in Las Vegas, her favorite fights, her scare after the Jennifer Maia loss, if she has any regrets, her scare after a UFC fight, and more. John Wood also joins the show to talk about his wife’s final fight, and more.
    The parlay pals around (3:56:53) look back at their latest selection, and GC recaps his picks from a 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.
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    • 4 hr 39 min
    Mega weekend preview: UFC 299, Ngannou x Joshua, PFL Paris, and more. Plus, Helwani check in from Saudi Arabia

    Mega weekend preview: UFC 299, Ngannou x Joshua, PFL Paris, and more. Plus, Helwani check in from Saudi Arabia

    With Ariel Helwani in Saudi Arabia, NewYorkRic and Conner Burks hop in the hot seats to discuss the massive events coming up in combat sports.
    Ariel Helwani around (9:51) joins the show from Saudi Arabia to discuss Joshua vs. Ngannou and much more. He discusses the scene in Riyadh just days before the boxing showdown.
    NewYorkRic and GC then around (30:48) discuss UFC 299 and the top storylines for the entire card, including the main event, MVP’s debut, and much more. They also list their favorite fights for the event in Miami.
    NewYorkRic and GC then around (43:34) turn their attention to Joshua vs. Ngannou and what the fight means for Ngannou’s future. They then turn to PFL Europe to discuss Cedric Doumbe’s return Thursday.
    In the latest On the Nose around (1:33:14), NewYorkRic and GC discuss the Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix, if Cedric Doumbe is the PFL’s best prospect, Ryan Garcia, Sean O’Malley’s pink shorts, The MMA Hour belt, parlay pals vs. parlay boys, hardest sports to play, Bloody Elbow, best grappler, WWE podcasts, favorite TV shows and books, and more.
    The parlay pals around (3:25:34) make their latest pick, and GC makes his selections for the upcoming 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.
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    • 3 hr 56 min
    Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Brandon Royval, Song Yadong, Dewey Cooper, weekend recap

    Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Brandon Royval, Song Yadong, Dewey Cooper, weekend recap

    Ariel Helwani around (3:54) discusses his past weekend in Puerto Rico for the Jake Paul fight, the main event being called off, Jake Paul’s opponents, Tyson Pedro’s retirement comments, and more.
    Curtis Blaydes around (20:32) discusses facing Jailton Almeida at UFC 299, why he had to withdraw from their previously scheduled fight, the hype around Almeida, if a title shot against Tom Aspinall could be next, Jon Jones and what’s next for him, his time off for action, if he would ever do bareknuckle MMA or BKFC, Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s performance, Joshua vs. Ngannou, and more.
    Jairzinho Rozenstruik around (45:32) discusses his performance at UFC Vegas 87, the stoppage, the changes he made, finding his “real power source,” spending a week in the jungle, fighting in front of an audience vs. UFC Apex, which fighters he would like to fight next, Joshua vs. Ngannou,
    Brandon Royval around (1:00:44) discusses his performance against Brandon Moreno at UFC Mexico City, his knee injury, who he wants to fight next, his conversation with Alexandre Pantoja after the fight, when he would be able to fight again, if Muhammad Mokaev deserves a title shot next, Mokaev’s DMs, Cody Durden, the worst match-up for Pantoja, fights at the arena and hotel, Haney vs. Garcia, and more.
    Dewey Cooper, the coach of Francis Ngannou, around (1:32:31) speaks how Ngannou has trained compared to the Tyson Fury fight, how Joshua and Fury are different, if Ngannou will go back to mixed martial arts, Sean Strickland’s comments, Team Combat League, and more.
    Song Yardong around (1:57:09) discusses his upcoming UFC 299 fight against Petr Yan, why his hair is blonde, why he is fighting Petr Yan, his last performance, why he doesn’t want to fight on the same card as his friends again, Petr Yan’s abilities, O’Malley vs. Vera, and more.
    The parlay pals around (2:15:26) look back at their most recent performance, and GC recaps his picks from the 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

    • 2 hr 36 min
    Jorge Masvidal, Matt Riddle in studio, Claressa Shields, BKFC Breaking News, Weekend Preview

    Jorge Masvidal, Matt Riddle in studio, Claressa Shields, BKFC Breaking News, Weekend Preview

    In the latest On the Nose around (4:45), Ariel Helwani discusses Francis Ngannou leaving PFL event, which boxing fight are they looking forward to the most, and more.
    Jorge Masvidal around (17:41) discusses his upcoming Gamebred MMA event, his recent trip to Stockton, his recent issues with Nate Diaz and Chael Sonnen, what it’s like to promote Charles Bennett, getting Bareknuckle MMA licensed, the upcoming BMF title fight at UFC 300, who will win the fight, Ilia Topuria’s rise, rock climbing, his father’s arrest, and more.
    Claressa Shields around (47:17) discusses her performance at PFL vs. Bellator, her time in Saudi Arabia, if she was close to being submitted, why she is competing in mixed martial arts, what she wants to do next, her “shocking” beef with Cris Cyborg, Alycia Baumgardner, the length of fights and Amanda Serrano, Garcia vs. O’Malley, Joshua vs. Ngannou, and more.
    Matt Riddle around (1:12:27) discusses his latest wresting action, his WWE departure, how his schedule has changed, his incident at JFK, if the TKO merger caused the firing, why he failed some drug tests, why he went to rehab, his wrestling goal, what rehab was like, his divorce, if he has regrets, the conclusion of the storyline with Randy Orton, the DC vs. Jones storyline, how Daniel Cormier did as a referee, his reaction to the Vince McMahon news, Bad Bunny and Logan Paul, WrestleMania 40, if he has interest in MMA or BKFC, and more.
    Ariel Helwani returns to On the Nose questions around (2:20:59) to discuss the UFC 300 main event, boxing’s increase in superfights, who would win a mile between Ariel and GC, the rising interest in combat sports, Ed Shares, Jon Jones at the PFL vs. Bellator event, and more.
    David Feldman around (2:37:39) discusses Mike Perry’s next announcement, the KnuckleMania card in April, how they ended up with Thiago Alves for Perry instead of Darren Till or Anthony Pettis, where they stand with Nevada and New York, recent signings, what happened to Rothwell vs. Duffee, his recent meeting with Dana White, his bad day a couple years ago, a recent big offer, if there’s a number he would be willing to sell BKFC for, and more.
    The parlay boys around (3:02:09) make their most recent selection, and GC makes his picks for the upcoming 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.
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    • 3 hr 20 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
731 Ratings

731 Ratings

jerzyxplorer ,

Chael/Tatiana

Jerzyxplorer Yo Chael is the man.

I love his takes, the energy and he gives a different flavor to the show!!! How is it that these fighters dont let Ali know that he works for them. If Dana White “allows “his employees on the show why cant these fighters come on. Unless Dana is really pulling strings.
Or Ali is really overstepping his lane of responsibility. The average fan doesn't know who Patrick “ Patchy” Mix is. He’s limiting his reach.

Fro island ,

Tip top

Helwani is the man. Best guests. Best interviews. Pound for pound mma journalist champ!

JPCoastalCrew ,

Great show for the MMA fan

Good production quality. Great guests and interviews. Ariel gets a lot of unnecessary hate but he is the best in the biz as far as I’m concerned.

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