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Get all the mixed martial arts fighting news and analysis you need from the award-winning team at MMA Fighting. Produced by MMA Fighting and SB Nation, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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1351
MMA Fighting 2022 Mid-Year Predictions Show: Ca...
Host Alexander K. Lee and the MMA Fighting panel of Steven Marrocco, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew make their bold predictions on what could be in store soon for some of the biggest names in the business
38 min
1352
MMA Fighting 2022 Mid-Year Awards Show: Will An...
Host Alexander K. Lee brings in the esteemed MMA Fighting panel of Steven Marrocco, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew to talk about the best highlights that we’ve seen so far in 2022.
71 min
1353
Heck of a Morning | Reaction To Paddy Pimblett ...
Paddy Pimblett will in fact fight on the UFC's return to London on July 23 against up and coming lightweight prospect Jordan Leavitt. Was this the right booking for the polarizing fighter from England? On this episode of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck — along with the listeners — react to the announcement of the bout from the promotion live on the air and discuss the matchmaking for "The Baddy" in his third octagon appearance. In addition, listeners ask about how to book the top of the bantamweight division and whether or not Aljamain Sterling's next title defense should be against Henry Cejudo, what to do with Nate Diaz at this point (if anything at all), Max Hollloway's next move if he loses to Alexander Volkanovski for a third time at UFC 276, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
75 min
1354
BTL | The 1st Annual UFC, MMA All-Star Draft — ...
With the UFC, Bellator, PFL, and other major North American MMA organizations on an off-week, rather than debate open scoring and the same old topics, the MMA Fighting crew is doing something a little bit different. This week on an all-new edition of BTL, host Mike Heck is joined by Jed Meshew and Alexander K. Lee to draft their 2022 all-star teams — which will be based on what has transpired throughout the year thus far. Selections will take place in all weight classes, men and women, as the panel shines a positive light on the mid-year accomplishments throughout the sport, which includes surging contenders such as Khamzat Chimaev, and new champions such as Deiveson Figueiredo, Carla Esparza, and others.
66 min
1355
Heck of a Morning | Glover Teixeira's Chances ...
Glover Teixeira may be the champion heading into his UFC 275 matchup with Jiri Prochazka, but not many people are giving him a chance to retain. Could that be a little bit shortsighted? On this episode of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck pumps the brakes (for the most part) on the open scoring debate, deems it the first annual All-Star Weekend for the sport, and opens up the lines to discuss Teixeira's chances to defend the title against the always-exciting challenger on June 11, spicy hot take predictions for the rest of the year, Valentina Shevchenko's chances to become a two-division champion, if Jon Jones will compete in 2022, desert island fighters, and much more. In addition, UFC welterweight contender Sean Brady (55:39) provides an update on when he might return, talks two top-10 fighters turning him down, and his Fury Pro Grappling match with Ben Saunders this Saturday. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
86 min
1356
Trocação Franca | Alex Poatan a uma vitória do ...
Alex Poatan fala ao Trocação Franca sobre a aguardada luta com Sean Strickland no UFC 276, que pode garantir chance ao título contra o vencedor de Israel Adesanya x Jared Cannonier, marcado para a mesma noite. O algoz de Adesanya no kickboxing falou sobre os comentários de Borrachinha, o sucesso financeiro no MMA comparado ao GLORY e, entre outros assuntos, o “dieta” com hamburger, pastel e cachorro quente antes do camp.
45 min
1357
Heck of a Morning | Open Scoring Debate Continu...
The scorecards from the UFC Vegas 55 main event between Ketlen Vieira and Holly Holm created a lot of controversy, thus continuing a heated debate in regards to whether or not open scoring is the answer. On this episode of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Vieira's win over Holm this past Saturday and why the former bantamweight champion wasn't robbed by the judges. In addition, questions are answered about Vieira's title hopes following the biggest win of her career, open scoring and why there could be more issues people aren't thinking about, what the fight, KO, and submission of the year are near the halfway point, the good and the bad of this past Friday's Eagle FC 47 event, why Scott Coker and Bellator needs to co-promote with Eagle FC — and do so quickly — and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
81 min
1358
Fighter vs. Writer: Kevin Holland Reveals Lates...
UFC welterweight Kevin Holland and newly crowned Bellator interim champion Logan Storley join the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer
72 min
1359
On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC ...
After picking up back-to-back main event wins over former women's bantamweight champions, Ketlen Vieira wants her opportunity at UFC gold following her win this past Saturday over Holly Holm. But has she done enough to earn one? This week on On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee put on their matchmaking hats to discuss where Vieira and Holm go after the controversial result to the UFC Vegas 55 headliner. In addition, future matchups are discussed for Michel Pereira after his split decision victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio in the Fight of the Night, Chidi Njokuani following his Performance of the Night earning knockout of Dusko Todorovic, Tabatha Ricci and Jun Yong Park after earning decision wins to kick off the main card, and more
80 min
1360
UFC Vegas 55 Post-Fight Show | Did Holly Holm G...
Ketlen Vieira picked up the biggest UFC win of her career, but it certainly will go down as a controversial one. Following Vieira's split decision win over Holly Holm in the main event of UFC Vegas 55, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee react to the five-round contest, figure out if Holm was robbed by the judges, and other storylines coming out of Saturday's card at the APEX.
55 min
1361
UFC Vegas 55 Preview Show | Does Holly Holm Ear...
Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira will battle it out in a pivotal main event in the UFC bantamweight division. With a victory for Holm, could she find her way back into a championship bout once again? MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew discuss the UFC Vegas 54 headliner, the co-main event between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Michel Pereira, along with the event’s other interesting storylines.
71 min
1362
Heck of a Morning | Khabib Nurmagomedov Says It...
Khabib Nurmagomedov had a lot to say recently in regards to the UFC's lightweight division and its most recent champion Charles Oliveira — most notably it being unfair to compare Oliveira's 155-pound run to his at this point. Does Nurmagomedov have a point, or is it closer than he's willing to admit? On this episode of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Nurmagomedov's recent interview with ESPN and his thoughts on Oliveira's lightweight GOAT status, as well as Islam Makhachev being the actual champion of the division in his eyes. In addition, listeners ask about Conor McGregor's potential return, Michael Chandler's recent comments in support of the UFC when it comes to the fighter pay debate, the PFL instituting a 50-50 split for their new PPV Super Fight division after getting a $30 million investment from a group including former MLB star Alex Rodriguez, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
84 min
1363
BTL | Dustin Poirier, Jan Blachowicz Title Hope...
Dustin Poirier has made it perfectly clear that he wants to fight at UFC 277 on July 30 in Dallas, but he can’t seem to get a matchup booked. If “The Diamond” does get his wish, who would be the likely opponent? This week on Between the Links, the panel will discuss the options to fill that spot and who might be the favorite to land that fight. In addition, the panel reacts to Jan Blachowicz’s win over Aleksandar Rakic this past Saturday at UFC Vegas 55 and if it was enough to put him in a title fight next, the Bellator 281 main event between Logan Storley and Michael Page and if Page was robbed by the judges, UFC Vegas 55 headlined by Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira this Saturday, Eagle FC 47 this Friday with a Junior dos Santos vs. Yorgan De Castro main event, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting’s Jed Mehsew and UFC featherweight Billy Quarantillo.
56 min
1364
Heck of a Morning | Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Dia...
Dustin Poirier wants it. Nate Diaz wants it. The fans want to see it. Everybody seems into a potential Poirier vs. Diaz matchup, but for some reason, the UFC isn't putting it together. Why? On this episode of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses that, along with other potential options for Poirier is the promotion ends up putting him on the UFC 277 card on July 30. In addition, other topics include if Henry Cejudo should get an immediate title shot in his expected return to the octagon, the potential of a Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev vacant title fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov's thoughts on Oliveira's current run, Dana White's Contender Series returning in July, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
58 min
1365
DAMN! They Were Good | Celebrating The Violent ...
DAMN! They Were Good is a new biweekly podcast where we celebrate the careers of some of our favorite fighters in MMA history, and there is no better place to start than with Carlos Condit. NBK is one of the most exciting fighters in the history of MMA. One half of arguably the single greatest fight of all-time, Condit delivered countless unforgettable moments in a career that spanned multiple generations of the sport. Jed Meshew, Shaheen Al-Shatti, and Alexander K. Lee get together to remember those moments and celebrate the career of the only man violent enough to bear the moniker, "The Natural Born Killer."
98 min
1366
No Bets Barred | Is UFC Vegas 55's Ketlen Vieir...
Conner Burks and Jed Meshew dive deep into UFC Vegas 55 and throw bets down on nine of the 11 fights on the card, including a surprising bet on the main event fight between Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira, and +1400 flyer bet on an underdog special.
66 min
1367
Trocação Franca | Amanda Nunes abre o jogo sobr...
Amanda Nunes mudou tudo a caminho da revanche com Julianna Peña. A Leoa explicou ao Trocação Franca sua saída da American Top Team por ter possíveis adversárias na academia, se toparia revanche com Cris Cyborg, e muito mais. Na sessão Fight Week, entrevistas com Ketlen Vieira, Santiago Ponzinibbio e Jailton Malhadinho, que lutam sábado no UFC.
54 min
1368
Heck of a Morning | Should Islam Makhachev Volu...
Dustin Poirier is looking for a fight at UFC 277 on July 30 against "anybody that makes sense." With the lightweight title picture still a bit foggy with Charles Oliveira being stripped of the championship and needing an opponent for the vacant title, should Islam Makhachev volunteer his services to face Poirier and further separate himself from the pack? On this episode of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck is asked about the potential of Makhachev raising his hand to face "The Diamond" in Dallas following Poirier's recent appearance on The MMA Hour. In addition, questions include Jan Blachowicz's championship aspirations following his UFC Vegas 54 main event win against Aleksandar Rakic, Tatsuro Taira's debut win and what his ceiling could be, Logan Storley's win over Michael Page at Bellator 281 in London this past weekend, journalism in MMA, the current scoring criteria, and much more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
73 min
1369
Fighter vs. Writer: Beneil Dariush Growing Frus...
UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush and former UFC heavyweight champion and Eagle FC 47 headliner Junior Dos Santos join the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer
67 min
1370
On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC ...
Jan Blachowicz has made a case to get back to a UFC light heavyweight title fight following his third-round TKO win over Aleksandar Rakic, but will the promotion go in that direction after Blachowicz dropped the belt less than a year ago? This week on On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee give their thoughts in where the former champion goes following his main event victory at UFC Vegas 54 at the APEX. In addition, future matchups are discussed for Ryan Spann after quickly submitting Ion Cutelaba in the co-main event, Davey Grant following his third-round finish of Louis Smolka, Katlyn Chookagian following her split decision win against Amanda Ribas in the event's Fight of the Night, along with fellow main card winners Manuel Torres and Allan Nascimento.
74 min
1371
UFC Vegas 54 Post-Fight Show | Jan Blachowicz W...
Jan Blachowicz is back in the win column, even though his UFC Vegas 54 victory over Aleksandar Rakic ended in an unfortunate way. Was it enough to put in him the position to try and regain the #UFC light heavyweight title against the winner of the UFC 275 main event between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka? MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Jose Youngs, and Alexander K. Lee attempt to answer that question, react to the post-fight bonuses, Katlyn Chookagian picking up another victory at 125 pounds in a fun scrap with Amanda Ribas, and other storylines coming out of Saturday's card at the APEX.
46 min
1372
UFC Vegas 54 Preview Show | Will Jan Blachowicz...
Jan Blachowicz will compete in a non-title fight for the first time in nearly two years when he faces Aleksandar Rakic in the main event of UFC Vegas 54. Will a win get him right back into a championship fight, or will he still have more work to do? MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew discuss the stakes in the pivotal headliner in the UFC light heavyweight division, where a win takes Rakic, the other main card fights that have their attention outside of the main event, along with other top storylines ahead of Saturday’s promotional return to the APEX.
54 min
1373
Heck of a Morning | Is Alexander Volkanovski In...
If Alexander Volkanovski can defeat Max Holloway once again this summer, could he be factored into the conversation to face Charles Oliveira after that for the vacant UFC lightweight championship? On this week's Free-For-All Friday edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck takes questions about Volkanovski's potential to challenge for a second title should he be victorious for a third time against Holloway at UFC 276 on July 2. In addition, listeners chime in regarding Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush and whether or not the UFC should still go forward with plans to make that bout to determine the No. 1 contender in the division, the face-to-face interview hosted by Daniel Cormier with Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo, a hot take surrounding the Carla Esparza vs. Rose Namajunas fight at UFC 274, and more. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
65 min
1374
BTL | Charles Oliveira's Wild Weekend, Next For...
Charles Oliveira may have won the UFC 274 main event with a first-round submission of Justin Gaethje, but he’s still no longer the UFC lightweight champion. This week on Between the Links, the panel will react to that being the case after Oliveira’s historic weight miss this past weekend, and who top lightweight in the promotion should face next. In addition, the panelists will discuss where Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson go from their memorable matchup in Phoenix, if Bellator 281 is a better overall card than the UFC’s offering this weekend, the upcoming UFC 276 lineup and if it moves the needle for an International Fight Week event, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and Conner Burks.
76 min
1375
Heck of a Morning | Reaction To Pat Barry & Ros...
Rose Namajunas and Pat Barry recently joined The MMA Hour to react to Namajunas' loss to Carla Esparza at UFC 274, and it's certainly been met with a lot of opinions. On this episode of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck answers questions about that interview from Wednesday's show with Ariel Helwani, along with Namajunas' post-fight comments regarding the scoring of the bout. In addition, listeners ask about what is next for Charles Oliveira, if the UFC should still move forward with a planned matchup between Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush, Michael Chandler's star power following his sensational KO of Tony Ferguson, recently announced fights, and more. Finally, former UFC and Bellator fighter Houston Alexander (56:08) joins the show to preview his BKFC Fight Night: Omaha bout this Friday, and his motivation to continue fighting at the age of 50. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
79 min