With Jiri Prochazka making the decision to vacate the light heavyweight title after suffering an injury that knocked him out of the UFC 282 event with Glover Teixeira, did the UFC make the right call going with Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant championship? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to the UFC 282 shakeup, the new main event for the card, and Teixeira being the odd man out after asking for a second bout with Blachowicz and getting denied. Additionally, listener questions include whether or not the UFC 282 card is worth a $75 purchase with all of the movement, Larissa Pacheco defeating Kayla Harrison at the PFL World Championship card this past Friday, Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev, the momentum the PFL has following their first pay-per-view event, Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones, what could be next for Jorge Masvidal with Gilbert Burns fighting Neil Magny at UFC 283, 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.

On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown reacts to Conor McGregor’s current status with USADA and Kayla Harrison’s loss plus Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson joins the show.

Following Larissa Pacheco's upset win over Kayla Harrison in the main event of the PFL World Championship, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to the shocking conclusion of the PFL's first pay-per-view event.

After a chaotic weekend in the world of combat sports, a lot of news, and perhaps speculation came out of it. But what storyline stood out the most? On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel of MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew discuss Vadim Nemkov's upset win over Corey Anderson to retain the light heavyweight title, Usman Nurmagomedov dominating Patricky Pitbull in the co-main event to win the lightweight title, Bellator 290 heading to CBS — which includes Fedor Emelianenko challenging Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title in his final fight — the James Krause fallout following UFC Vegas 65, the PFL World Championship pay-per-view card on Friday, Khamzat Chimaev calling for a middleweight title fight against Alex Pereira, reveal some of the things they are thankful for in the world of MMA, and more.

There's not UFC event this weekend but that doesn't mean there isn't some serious fight action as the PFL hosts their 2022 Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and so you know the No Bets Barred boys had to get some bets down.

MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, José Youngs, and Jed Meshew react to the news that an injury to Jiri Prochazka has forced him out of the UFC 282 main event with Glover Teixeira, that Prochazka has vacated the light heavyweight title, and that Jan Blachowicz will face Magomed Ankalaev for the now-vacant title in it's place.

Alex Poatan é o novo campeão dos médios do UFC, mas ele está pronto para reinar absoluto após nocautear Israel Adesanya? O Trocação Franca está de volta e recebe Murilo Bustamante, primeiro brasileiro a conquistar o título do UFC, para analisar a luta e próximos passos de Poatan. O podcast ainda bate um papo com Larissa Pacheco e Matheus Buffa, que disputam títulos na PFL nesta sexta-feira, e traz a resposta de Rodolfo Vieira à pergunta: Gordon Ryan já é o maior da história do grappling? Alex Pereira is the new UFC middleweight champion, but is he ready for a long reign after knocking out Israel Adesanya? Trocação Franca is back, and we welcome Murilo Bustamante, the first Brazilian to hold a UFC title, to break down the fight and Pereira’s next steps. The podcast also chats with PFL title hopefuls Larissa Pacheco and Matheus Scheffel, and asks Rodolfo Vieira if Gordon Ryan has already made the case to be called the grappling GOAT. Listen to Trocação Franca with Guilherme Cruz every Wednesday to hear from the biggest names on the hottest topics in the Brazilian combat sports world.

Khamzat Chimaev plans to have a very busy several months, with his plans of wanting to fight Alex Pereira for the UFC middleweight title, and then fighting Colby Covington at welterweight a few months later. But is this something that could actually happen? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses Chimaev's big hopes for these two massive fights, and how they could go. Additionally, listener topics include what we know about the James Krause situation from UFC Vegas 65, Dillon Danis being scheduled to face KSI in a boxing match in January, Hasim Rahman Jr. potentially dodging a big bullet not fighting Jake Paul earlier this year, the PFL World Championship event on Friday, what fans are thankful for this year in MMA, 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.

In the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown discusses Khabib Nurmagomedov as a coach and offers advice to Michael Chandler while Kenny Florian joins the show to talk PFL, fighter pay, Kayla Harrison and more.

Although Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac were unable to battle it out in the main event of UFC Vegas 65, Kennedy Nzechukwu and Ion Cutelaba got the bump up, with Nzechukwu coming through with a vicious finish to cap off the card. 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 and attempt to figure out what is next for Nzechukwu following the biggest win of his career in the short notice main event of Saturday's card at the APEX following Derrick Lewis being forced to withdraw from the card due to an illness. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Muslim Salikhov following his brutal stoppage win over Andre Fialho, along with fellow winners Waldo Cortes-Acosta, welterweight standout Jack Della Maddalena, Charles Johnson, and more.

Prior to the main card of the UFC's return to the APEX beginning, it was revealed that an illness to Derrick Lewis led to the cancellation of his scheduled main event with Serghei Spivac — which considering the weirdness of the lineup as a whole, it almost made sense in some ways. MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Jed Meshew, and E. Casey Leydon react to Saturday's UFC Vegas 65 event, the news of Lewis' withdrawal and the light heavyweight bout between Kennedy Nzechukwu and Ion Cutelaba getting bumped up to the main event spot, Nzechukwu's second-round finish and post-fight interview, Jack Della Maddalena's sensational performance, Muslim Salikhov's nasty finish of Andre Fialho, Natalia Silva's spinning kick to the face of her opponent to kick off the card, and much more.

Popular UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis admits he has his back against the wall ahead of his UFC Vegas 65 main event bout with Serghei Spivak, but is it a do-or-die fight for "The Black Beast" in terms of being a contender in the division? MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and E. Casey Leydon discuss the stakes for Lewis in Saturday's bout and what a win would do for the career of Spivak in the contender conversation. Additionally, topics include the new calmer Ion Cutelaba at the post weigh-in faceoffs ahead of his co-main event bout with Kennedy Nzechukwu, Jack Della Maddalena's ceiling in the welterweight division, the under the radar bouts on the card, and more.

With Colby Covington keeping the next move of his fighting career close to the vest, it appears the UFC is hoping to book a huge fight between the former interim champion and Khamzat Chimaev. In the current state of the welterweight division, does Covington need that fight to earn that third crack at undisputed gold? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck attempts to answer whether or not Covington needs a win over Chimaev to get to a championship opportunity, or if another Leon Edwards win over Kamaru Usman in 2023 could potentially slot "Chaos" right in there. Additionally, listener topics include the UFC's bantamweight division, where Michael Chandler goes from his UFC 281 loss to Dustin Poirier, what could be next for Arnold Allen now that an interim featherweight title fight is booked at UFC 284, Derrick Lewis' chances to get back on track in the main event of UFC Vegas 65, 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.

UFC commentator Jon Anik sits down with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck to recap Saturday's incredible UFC 281 event, Alex Pereira's stunning comeback finish of Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight title in the main event, Zhang Weili regaining the strawweight title, talks the fan reaction to Carla Esparza throughout the week, Dustin Poirier's third-round submission win against Michael Chandler and how "The Diamond" might be on the short list of fighters who don't need a world title, Renato Moicano's incredible promo, signing a new multi-fight deal with the UFC, and more. Additionally, Anik remembers two-time UFC title challenger Anthony Johnson.

Alex Pereira added to the list of 2022 UFC title challengers who were down on the scorecards heading into the fifth and final round only to come through with a shocking finish to become a world champion. On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel will recap Pereira's stunning fifth-round comeback TKO win over Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 281, what the middleweight division now looks like with Pereira on top, and if the promotion should do the immediate rematch with Adesanya. Additionally, topics include Zhang Weili's finish of Carla Esparza to regain the strawweight title, Dustin Poirier's incredible win over Michael Chandler and other storylines from this past Saturday's event, this weekend's Bellator 288 event with two title fights, Derrick Lewis' return to action at UFC Vegas 65, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and José Youngs.

After a chaotic battle with Michael Chandler in the featured bout of UFC 281 this past Saturday at Madison Square Garden, what could be next for Dustin Poirier in the lightweight division? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses potential options for Poirier and how close he could be to getting another chance to fight for the UFC lightweight title. Additionally, topics include the PFL announcing that the PFL World Championship pay-per-view will cost $49.99, the potential for an Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya immediate rematch, if Derrick Lewis could make another heavyweight championship run if he's victorious in the UFC Vegas 65 main event, Erin Blanchfield's ceiling after stopping Molly McCann, 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.

UFC 281 has come and gone but that doesn't mean the MMA world can rest because it's a major MMA double-header this weekend with the UFC returning for UFC Vegas 65 in Las Vegas, and Bellator offering up Bellator 288 in Chicago. So with two marquee events going down, as always, the No Bets Barred boys are here to cover all the betting angles.

Alex Pereira beating Israel Adesanya shakes up the pound-for-pound rankings plus where does Dominick Reyes' latest loss rank him among the cruelest reversals of fortune in MMA history?

The UFC middleweight champion has a name, and it's Alex Pereira after a stunning fifth-round, come-from-behind knockout win over Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 281. While Pereira's win opens up the door to some interesting and fresh matchups, a rematch between the new champ and Adesanya would be massive, but is it the fight to make in the immediate aftermath of the UFC's return to Madison Square Garden? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck attempts to answer that question from a matchmaking perspective and explains why a rematch makes sense in multiple ways. Additionally, listener questions include the sad news of Anthony Johnson's passing on Sunday, Dustin Poirier's win over Michael Chandler and where he goes from UFC 281, the matchmaking of Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann and why it was the right call even in hindsight, Frankie Edgar's tough retirement fight against Chris Gutierrez, 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.

Following an incredible UFC 281 card on Saturday, The Fighter vs. The Writer is back as Matt Brown and Damon Martin react to the biggest moments on the card and pay tribute to the late, great Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

After the shocking ending to the main event of UFC 281, it seems pretty clear that Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya will run it back in a massive middleweight championship fight after Pereira dethroned the long reigning titleholder to improve to 3-0 in their combat sports rivalry. Is that unequivocally the fight to make with the division looking like it has opened up for the first time in a long while? 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 Pereira and Adesanya following their memorable battle at Madison Square Garden. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for the two-time champion Zhang Weili, and the former champ Carla Esparza after Weili submitted Esparza in the co-main event, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler following a third-round submission win for "The Diamond" in the Fight of the Night, along with Chris Gutierrez, Dan Hooker, and more.

Needing a finish heading into the fifth and final round, Alex Pereira landed his most powerful shots when he needed them the most and stunned Israel Adesanya to become the brand new UFC middleweight champion of the world to cap off a memorable UFC 281 event. MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to Pereira's comeback win, whether or not the stoppage was too early, and discuss the potential of a massive rematch. Additionally, they talk Zhang Weili stopping Carla Esparza to regain the strawweight title, the chaotic Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler fight — which was won by Poirier via a third-round submission — Frankie Edgar retiring with a devastating knockout from the perfectly timed flying knee of Chris Gutierrez, along with other notable moments from the UFC's return to Madison Square Garden in New York.

The history between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira is well known ahead of their main event title clash at UFC 281. Will Saturday night be the moment for Adesanya that changes their history moving forward? MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss the fascinating UFC middleweight title fight and how they see it potentially playing out. Additionally, topics include the co-main event between Carla Esparza and Zhang Weili for the strawweight championship, the MMA community not giving the champion much of a chance, the featured lightweight bout between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler, Frankie Edgar's final fight against Chris Gutierrez, and much more.

Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler will battle it out in a highly anticipated lightweight showdown at UFC 281. While there are contenders in the division on long winning streaks, or are looking for their shot at a big fight to get them in the title picture, could the Poirier vs. Chandler winner find themselves in a title fight in their next octagon appearance? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses what's on the line for both guys, if a championship bout opportunity is on the line for the winner, and if a loss takes either out of the title picture for good. Additionally, listener questions include Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili, Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira's official weigh-ins, if Pereira showing up last minute was a mind game, MMA drama on Twitter, Henry Cejudo, 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.

This Saturday, one of the most intriguing title fights of the year takes place at Madison Square Garden for the middleweight championship between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira at #UFC281. On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel will break down the third combat sports meeting between the two fighters, discuss what the most burning questions are in the matchup, and what would be the best outcome for the #UFC from a business perspective. Additionally, they'll talk the strawweight title fight between Carla Esparza and Zhang Weili, and if Esparza is being supremely overlooked, the lightweight featured bout between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler, which fighters need wins the most outside of the top-three fights, Frankie Edgar's final fight against Chris Gutierrez on Saturday, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Sherdog's Ben Duffy.