Yan Xiaonan picked up the biggest win of her career, and had to survive some tough spots against Mackenzie Dern in the main event of UFCVegas61. MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Jed Meshew, and Shaheen Al-Shatti react to Yan's majority decision win and the judges' scorecards as a whole, along with Dern's performance overall from a viewer's perspective. Additionally, the panel discusses Randy Brown's win over Francisco Trinaldo in the co-main event, Mark Zuckerberg taking in the event at the UFC APEX, the bonus winners, the card not being very memorable as a whole, Chelsea Chandler and Daniel Santos picking up their first octagon wins, and more.

With the UFC Vegas 61 headlined by Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan, and Bellator 286 headlined by a featherweight title fight between Patricio Pitbull and Adam Borics, which promotion has the better slate? MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, José Youngs, and Alexander K. Lee discuss preview the stakes in the pivotal strawweight matchup between Dern and Yan, if Dern's "A+ skill" will be enough to get the win over her opponent, and the low-key banger of the promotion's return to the APEX. Additionally, they discuss Pitbull vs. Borics and the challenger's chances to pull off the upset, A.J. McKee's lightweight debut against Spike Carlyle, Aaron Pico's biggest test against Jeremy Kennedy, and more.

Charles Oliveira is likely in the conversation for the best lightweight in UFC history with his current run, but will a win over Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 280 next month cement his place officially? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck answers that question, and gives his opinion on whether or not an Oliveira win puts him over Khabib Nurmagomedov or B.J. Penn in that conversation. Additionally, listener questions include Bo Nickal's UFC debut being set for December against Jamie Pickett, the UFC Hall of Fame, Bellator 286, ONE on Prime Video 2's promotion, Khamzat Chimaev's next move, advice for up and coming members of the MMA media, Calvin Kattar vs. Arnold Allen, 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.

Bo Nickal impressed the masses once again at Tuesday’s season finale of Dana White’s Contender Series, and then called out Khamzat Chimaev. We now know that Nickal will debut against Jamie Pickett, but did the matchmakers get his debut opponent right? On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel reacts to Nickal’s quick submission win and what his future looks like in the middleweight division. Additionally, topics include Yoel Romero’s devastating KO of Melvin Manhoef at Bellator Dublin, and where the promotion should go with “Soldier of God” next, Bellator 286 this Saturday and if it is the best card of the weekend top to bottom, if the featherweight championship headliner is actually the most interesting fight on the card, UFC Vegas 61, the stakes in the main event between Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan, the event being closed off to fans and media, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the BTL championship matchup between MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and the returning Phoenix Carnevale.

Bo Nickal is one of the sport's highly touted prospects, and ahead of his eventual UFC debut, how high should the promotion go in terms of his first opponent? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Nickal's incredible performance on Dana White's Contender Series on Tuesday, and whether or not he feels the UFC should throw him in against a top-15 opponent right away, or choose to build him up. Additionally, topics include the PFL's decision to put their season finale card in November on pay-per-view, the Shane Burgos vs. Marlon Moraes matchmaking and why it's not great matchmaking, the UFC's lightweight division, the matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov, Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov being expected for the first main event of 2023 in the UFC, 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.

It's a busy week in the world of MMA with the UFC returning for UFC Vegas 61 and Bellator putting out one of its better efforts of late with Bellator 286, and so the No Bets Barred boys are back to cover all of your gambling needs.

Patrício Pitbull quer fazer história mais uma vez. Ex-campeão duplo do Bellator, o potiguar disse ao Trocação Franca que mira repetir a façanha, agora nos galos, apontou o próximo na fila após Adam Borics, e elogiou o recém-aposentado José Aldo, revelando interesse em enfrentá-lo no MMA ou boxe. O podcast traz, ainda, entrevistas com Tabatha Ricci e Raoni Barcelos, que lutam sábado no UFC.

With glaring holes in the main event slots for December's UFC 282 and January's UFC 283 events currently, what fights could fill those slots — especially with so much lack of clarity in the heavyweight division? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck answers questions about what could headline those two PPV events, how Jon Jones factors into things, what could happen if Francis Ngannou doesn't re-sign with the UFC, and more. Additionally, listener topics include Khamzat Chimaev's next move, where Eddie Alvarez could end up after parting ways with ONE, the stacked UFC 280 lineup in October, the loaded up weekend slate with upcoming events from the UFC, Bellator, ONE, BKFC, and more, what would be one singular main card to put together from those, some of the best women's fights of all-time, 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.

Ahead of Bellator 286, Aaron Pico and Max Rohskopf join the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer.

Khamzat Chimaev is teasing a return to the middleweight division after the massive weight miss that led to the top of the UFC 279 lineup being shuffled around. Since it was the first time Chimaev has ever missed weight, is it the right decision for him to make the move up now? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Chimaev's "185" tweet, a potential matchup with Paulo Costa, and if that be his next opponent should Chimaev want to return before the end of the year. Additionally, listener questions include the many roles the staff has at MMA Fighting, Bellator Dublin, Yoel Romero's future if he defeats Melvin Manhoef, the top fights to show newer fans, what the most intriguing fights are for the remainder of the year that are on the books, Raul Rosas Jr. and Bo Nickal's potential UFC debut opponents, 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.

DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of the most exciting and influential fighters in MMA history, and this episode, we are covering the career of one of the greatest fighters of all time, Jose Aldo.

Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is turning the page to the next chapter of his life after a stellar career inside the octagon. On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel reacts to Aldo's retirement, the legacy he left behind, and the matchup that got away. Additionally, topics include Cory Sandhagen's TKO win over Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 60, his path to getting to a bantamweight title shot, and where he currently sits on the totem pole, the talking points of this past Saturday's card, Bellator Dublin this Friday — which includes Benson Henderson vs. Peter Queally in the main event, along with Yoel Romero vs. Melvin Manhoef in the co-main event — and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Jose Youngs.

Kevin Holland took to social media on Thursday to tease that he's retiring from MMA. The question remains is if he's serious about it, or not. On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Holland's retirement talk and what seems to have led up to that post. Additionally, listener questions include Dana White signing 17-year-old Raul Rosas to the UFC following his dominant win on the Contender Series, Bo Nickal returning on DWCS next week and where both guys could go to start their UFC runs, what could be next for Max Holloway moving forward, Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor 2 chatter, 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.

Co-hosts Conner Burks and Jed Meshew give a recap of their bets at UFC Vegas 60, and then do a brief rundown of their plays for this weekend's Bellator Dublin event, before spending the bulk of the show creating arguably the most important document since the Magna Carta: The Official MMA Betting Rulebook.

José Aldo has retired from mixed martial arts, ending a long, and legendary career. Where does the former UFC and WEC featherweight rank amongst the all-time greats? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Aldo's decision to turn the page to the next chapter of his life, reflect on his incredible career, and why he's one of the top-five best fighters of all-time. Additionally, listener questions include Aldo's final UFC fight against Merab Dvalishvili, Khamzat Chimaev's next opponent options, Paulo Costa's babyface turn over the past 10 months, what's next for Cory Sandhagen and Gregory Rodrigues following their big wins at UFC Vegas 60, 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.

Former UFC title challenger Joseph Benavidez joins MMA Fighting's José Youngs on the inaugural episode of Anything But Fighting to break down his love for the cinema, reflect on some of his favorite movies growing up, discuss some of the most overrated films in history, and which films should have won Best Picture over the years. He also tries his hand at the mysterious Bucket of Questions to close out the episode.

Trocação Franca | O adeus a José Aldo

Mike Perry joins the latest edition of The Fighter vs. The Writer to call out Nate Diaz while Mackenzie Dern previews her upcoming fight and reveals who she believes is the best grappler in all of MMA.

As if the bantamweight title conversation hasn't been confusing enough for the UFC brass, Cory Sandhagen provided a reminder to everybody on Saturday that future discussion involving the championship in one of the promotion's deepest divisions should have his name in the mix. On an all-new episode of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee give their thoughts on what should be next for Sandhagen following his fourth-round doctor's stoppage TKO win over Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Vegas 60 this past Saturday at the APEX. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Gregory Rodrigues following his second-round stoppage win over Chidi Njokuani in the co-main event, Andre Fili after earning a decision win over Bill Algeo in the featherweight featured bout, along with fellow main card winners Joe Pyfer, Rodrigo Nascimenio, Anthony Hernandez, and more.

Cory Sandhagen got back in the win column in the main event of Saturday's UFC Vegas 60 event, although the way it happened didn't make him all that happy. MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, José Youngs, and Jed Meshew react to Sandhagen's fourth-round doctor's stoppage TKO win over Song Yadong — who had a nasty gash over his eye which led to the fight being stopped — to cap off the promotion's return to the UFC APEX, discuss who could and should be next for the one-time interim title challenger, Song's ceiling at 135, and more. Additionally, the panel talks Gregory Rodrigues' nasty gash on the bridge of his nose before coming back to finish Chidi Njokuani in the co-main event, Andre Fili's hard fought win over Bill Algeo, Anthony Hernandez's continued evolution, Damon Jackson's emotional finish of Pat Sabatini, and much more.

Cory Sandhagen enters the UFC Vegas 60 main event on the heels of back-to-back losses to T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan. Does Sandhagen need to get his hand raised on Saturday if he hopes to fight for the undisputed UFC bantamweight title in the future? MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew discuss the UFC's return to the APEX this weekend and the storylines heading into Sandhagen's five-round headliner with the surging Song Yadong, Aspen Ladd missing weight again leading to her scheduled bout with Sara McMann being cancelled, the co-main event stakes between Gregory Rodrigues and Chidi Njokuani, the low-key bangers on the slate, up and comers to watch, and more.

This Saturday, undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez puts his titles on the line against Gennady Golovkin in their long-awaited trilogy bout, and MMA Fighting's José Youngs and Jed Meshew are here to get you ready for it.

Khamzat Chimaev is still making headlines after his massive weight miss, and dominant win over Kevin Holland at UFC 279. When Colby Covington is ready to return, and should Chimaev want to prove he can be a welterweight, the UFC should absolutely book that fight for a number of reasons. On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, it's a Free-For-All Friday with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck who discusses why that should be the direction for both Covington and Chimaev, the stakes involved, and where it would make sense on the calendar should the bout be possible before the end of the year. Additionally, listener questions include Bryce Mitchell vs. Movsar Evloev being booked for Nov. 5, Tony Ferguson's future following his submission loss to Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 279, A.J. McKee's future, Marlon Moraes heading to the PFL, 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.

While Nate Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev didn't end up fighting each other as planned in the main event of UFC 279, both men find themselves in very interesting positions following this past Saturday's event in Las Vegas. On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel will discuss the fallout of the UFC's most recent pay-per-view event that was capped off by Diaz's submission win over Tony Ferguson in the final fight of Diaz's contract. What will Diaz's fighting future look like moving forward? In addition, the panel will talk where Chimaev will go after badly missing weight before destroying Kevin Holland in the co-main event, the two kickoff press conferences between Jake Paul and Anderson Silva and if they helped build interest for the Oct. 29 boxing match, Saturday's UFC Vegas 60 card headlined by Cory Sandhagen and Song Yadong, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Shaun Al-Shatti.

With the UFC’s next pay-per-view event just over a month away in Abu Dhabi, a lightweight champion will be crowned in the main event between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. While both fighters would love to have the title wrapped around their waists at the end of the card, who needs it more between the two high-level 155 pounders? On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck answers questions about the pressures on Oliveira and Makhachev, along with the stakes involved long term. In addition, listener topics include the UFC’s Oct. 29 targeted headliner between Calvin Kattar and Arnold Allen, Khamzat Chimaev’s future at welterweight and middleweight, Leon Edwards’ options, where Conor McGregor fits in title conversations, rules not being enforced enough 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.