As the UFC is hours away from their main attraction of their annual International Fight Week, Alexander Volkanovski will look to take one step closer to featherweight all-time greatness when he defends his title against the dangerous Yair Rodriguez. With a win, does Volkanovski remain at 145 to face the likes of Ilia Topuria, or even an Aljamain Sterling should he make the move up? Or, will he move back up to 155? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck returns for another Free-For-All Friday, where listener topics include Volkanovski's future depending on how things play out in the main event of Saturday's big card in Las Vegas. Additionally, topics include the UFC middleweight title picture and Sean Strickland's chances to get a championship fight with Israel Adesanya in September, Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja, UFC's merchandising for fans attending events, Robbie Lawler's retirement fight, the 2023 UFC Hall of Fame ceremony, and more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

This Saturday, the UFC's annual International Fight Week extravaganza will be capped off by UFC 290, featuring two title fights, and one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet in Alexander Volkanovski putting his featherweight title on the line against interim champ Yair Rodriguez in the main event. Stylistically, is Rodriguez the toughest 145-pound test to date for Volkanovski? On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel will break down the featherweight unification bout, discuss where Volkanovski goes with a win, and more. Additionally, topics include the under the radar co-main event between flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and challenger Alexandre Pantoja, how the rest of the card stacks up compared to past International Fight Week cards, Sean Strickland's big win over Abus Magomedov and his chances of getting a title fight with Israel Adesanya next, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler's pull-apart on TUF, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Morning Kombat's Brian Campbell.

UFC 290 might not be the most star-studded International Fight Week card in UFC history, but there the two title fights seem incredibly competitive on paper, and there are a lot of interesting storylines in play. Although there are some big favorites on the card, could there be a big underdog who could shock the MMA community on Saturday night in Las Vegas? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck responds to listener bold predictions for UFC 290, along with Yair Rodriguez's chances against Alexander Volkanovski in the featherweight championship main event. Additionally, listener topics include where Robbie Lawler ranks in the all-time welterweight list ahead of his final fight this weekend, Bo Nickal and Jack Della Maddalena's debuting opponents, the stakes in the Dan Hooker vs. Jalin Turner fight, past and present fighters on the UFC commentary desk, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

The No Bets Barred boys return with a full breakdown of everything going on at UFC 290, the stacked International Fight Week card headlined by Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez.

Alexander K. Lee and E. Casey Leydon react to Episode 6 of The Ultimate Fighter 31 on TUF Hang, which goes live on YouTube every Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT/4 a.m. IST immediately following the conclusion of TUF 31.

On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Alan Jouban joins the podcast to preview UFC 290 including our picks and predictions for the card plus Alexander Volkanovski’s stake to the greatest of all time at featherweight and what Robert Whittaker needs to do to prove he deserves a third fight with Israel Adesanya.

Join the MMA Fighting staff as we look back at the biggest highs in the sport at the halfway mark of 2023.

Sean Strickland feels he deserves a title shot after putting Abus Magomedov away in the second round of the UFC Vegas 76 main event, but will he get the fight with Israel Adesanya next, or will he have to win a few more before that opportunity comes his way? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee put on the matchmaking hats following Saturday's event at the APEX and discuss where Strickland goes from his second straight victory. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Grant Dawson after his dominant decision victory over Damir Ismagulov, Michael Morales following his impressive victory over Max Griffin, along with fellow main card winners Ariane Lipski, Benoit Saint-Denis, Nursulton Ruziboev, and more.

Sean Strickland needed less than two rounds to put away Abus Magomedov in the main event of UFC Vegas 76 on Saturday night at the APEX, and then called out for a title fight against current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for September. As of this moment, is Strickland sitting atop the contender's perch? MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to Strickland's second-round TKO win over Magomedov, and his title hopes following the victory depending on what happens in the UFC 290 bout between Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis. Additionally, they discuss Kevin Lee's 55 second submission loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov, where "The Motown Phenom," and Fakhretdinov go from the bout, Grant Dawson's suffocating win over Damir Ismagulov in the co-main event, how long Dawson's road to a title shot could be despite his talent, and more.

MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee, Jed Meshew, and José Youngs break down UFC Vegas 76, including pondering why exactly this main event is happening in the first place.

Henry Cejudo announced on Thursday that a shoulder injury has scratched him from his UFC 292 matchup with Marlon Vera in Boston. While Vera is calling for a fight with Petr Yan, if the former champion is not available, should Vera remain on the card to face another ranked bantamweight? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Cejudo's withdrawal and where Vera could go after losing a big-time matchup. Additionally, listener questions include UFC 290, Ilia Topuria's title hopes after his big win over Josh Emmett, Aljamain Sterling possibly moving to 145 pounds after facing Sean O'Malley, the MMA media landscape, the best play-by-play announcers in sports, how Jim Ross would fare calling UFC fights, how Jon Anik would do calling WWE matches, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg apparently want to fight in a cage against one another in this crazy year that is 2023, and UFC President Dana White doesn't just want to promote it, he's all-in on the idea of promoting what he predicts will be the "biggest fight ever in the history of the world." While he might be right, are you interested in seeing it, and if so, would you want it in the octagon? On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel will give their thoughts on the potential bout, and White's overwhelming interest in being a part of it. Additionally, topics include the controversy surrounding the fallout of PFL 6, Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio's poor effort, both fighters being suspended — which led to Schulte being ousted from the playoffs for Shane Burgos — who the blame goes to, Ilia Topuria's incredible performance against Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC Jacksonville, if a title shot could be next, Saturday's UFC Vegas 76 card headlined by Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup, which features the return of MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew as he challenges Eric "New York Ric" Jackman for the BTL title.

Sean Strickland feels he should be in play for Israel Adesanya and the middleweight title should he be successful in his UFC Vegas 76 main event matchup with Abus Magomedov this Saturday. Should he be victorious, would Strickland be in the driver's seat to face the champ in Sydney in September? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck gives his thoughts on Strickland's chances to get the title fight with a win, and what could happen should Magomedov get a massive win in just his second octagon appearance. Additionally, topics include Dana White announcing Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Kelvin Gastelum as the co-main event for the UFC's event on Sept. 16 and if it was the correct fight to make, the most underrated UFC fights during the pandemic era, if a Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou fight could ever happen, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

The No Bets Barred boys return with a full breakdown of everything going on at UFC Vegas 76 including why this card is happening in the first place.

Alexander K. Lee and Conner Burks react to Episode 5 of The Ultimate Fighter 31 on TUF Hang, which goes live on YouTube every Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT/4 a.m. IST immediately following the conclusion of TUF 31.

Ilia Topuria called for a title shot after his one-sided decision win over Josh Emmett in the main event of Saturday's UFC Jacksonville event, and after the performance that Topuria had, it will be tough to argue with him. On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Topuria's masterclass, gives his thoughts from the bout watching from octagon-side, Topuria's potential star power, and making the case to give the exciting 145-pound contender exactly what he wants. Additionally, listener topics include the controversial fallout from PFL 6 that saw Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio receive a promotional suspension for their lackluster battle, Shane Burgos getting into the playoffs, and who is to blame, along with Maycee Barber's big win over Amanda Ribas, the UFC's mid-year grade, the two title fights set for UFC 290, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown reacts to the proposed fight between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk plus we name our Mount Rushmore of MMA.

Ilia Topuria has officially arrived in the UFC's featherweight title picture after a one-sided performance against Josh Emmett in the main event of Saturday's UFC Jacksonville event. While Topuria's showing opened up a lot of eyes, was it enough to get him a championship opportunity against Alexander Volkanovski or Yair Rodriguez? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee state their case for Topuria to get a title shot following his breakout win, and why Topuria fighting Max Holloway in his next appearance is not the way to go. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Maycee Barber after her incredible showing against Amanda Ribas in the co-main event, David Onama following his sensational knockout victory, Brendan Allen after stopping Bruno Silva in the main card opener, and more.

Ilia Topuria is the real deal. The Spanish sensation tore through Josh Emmett in an eye-opening performance at UFC Jacksonville, but is a title shot next? MMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, and E. Casey Leydon break down all the post-fight angles coming out of Saturday's action-packed card.

The UFC hits the ABC airwaves for the second time in 2023 on Saturday afternoon — and one of featherweight’s most exciting young talents is taking center stage. MMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, and José Youngs are BACK to break down UFC Jacksonville, the intriguing main event between Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria, plus a whole lot more ahead of this weekend's card.

The beauty of doing a live show in the MMA space is that when big news gets confirmed, you can react to it in real time — and that's what happened on Friday with the confirmation of the UFC Paris flyweight bout between former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and Manon Fiorot. On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck gives an instant reaction to the Namajunas vs. Fiorot matchmaking. Additionally, listener questions include the UFC bantamweight title picture, Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 on tap for Sept. 16, Erin Blanchfield's championship potential, Cory Sandhagen getting matched up with Umar Nurmagomedov, options for the vacant UFC women's bantamweight title, how Holly Holm could potentially shake things up, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

Conor McGregor is currently part of season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter with the expectations of a fight with fellow coach Michael Chandler later this year, but the UFC star has found himself in the headlines for alleged legal issues. On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel reacts to the allegations against McGregor and discuss the confidence levels in the fight with Chandler. Additionally, they'll discuss the winner of this past weekend between the UFC, Bellator, and PFL, and what kind of impact the staredown between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones had, what to make of the UFC's middleweight division after Jared Cannonier's big win over Marvin Vettori, a potential matchup between Cannonier and Khamzat Chimaev, and where it all could leave Israel Adesanya for his next title defense, Saturday's UFC Jacksonville card headlined by Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Eric "New York Ric" Jackman and Alexander K. Lee.

The UFC's bantamweight division continues to have compelling matchups on the schedule, such as two new matchups for UFC 292 in August, including Henry Cejudo and Marlon Vera. Was that the right matchup to make? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to the matchmaking, and gives his thoughts on why the UFC went in this direction considering what the main event is for the promotion's return to Boston. Additionally, listener questions include Rob Font vs. Song Yadong being added to that pay-per-view event, Anthony Hernandez vs. Chris Curtis in September, the UFC Jacksonville main event between Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria, Emmett being a massive underdog, and more. Plus, UFC flyweight contender Jasmine Jasudavicius joins the show to recap her UFC 289 win over Miranda Maverick, talks the Amanda Ribas vs. Maycee Barber fight scheduled for Saturday, and answers listener questions. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

UFC play-by-play voice Jon Anik joins MMA Fighting's Mike Heck to react to Amanda Nunes' retirement at UFC 289, talks the moment they shared following Nunes' final fight and win over Irene Aldana, the women's bantamweight division, how he would feel about a Ronda Rousey return, Charles Oliveira's finish of Beneil Dariush, a potential rematch with Islam Makhachev, his current star power, the UFC 290 title fights between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez, and Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja, the BMF title fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, confidence levels in Conor McGregor's return, and more.