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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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1376
Rankings Show: Who Is The *Real* No. 1 LHW In M...
The MMA Fighting Rankings Show returns after another monster month to debate the MVP of April, Khamzat Chimaev's torrid ascension up the welterweight ranks, and predict the breakout name of an action-packed May. Then, co-hosts Shaun Al-Shatti and Alexander K. Lee are joined by old pals Damon Martin and Jed Meshew for a round of "State Your Case" as we try to make sense of the bizarro world that is the 205-pound division. The gang also makes a few long overdue mea culpas, takes a few well deserved victory laps, and much more.
88 min
1377
Trocação Franca | Glover ignora estrela do Bell...
A caminho de sua primeira defesa de título no UFC, Glover Teixeira analisa o confronto com Jiri Prochazka, Corey Anderson dizendo ser o melhor do mundo, e comenta sucesso de Alex Poatan a caminho da grande luta com Sean Strickland. O podcast recebe também Raphael Marinho, produtor da TV Globo, para falar da reportagem do “Fantástico” sobre “Princesinha Dourada”, primeiro lutador de MMA brasileiro abertamente gay, e o que rolou no último final de semana no UFC e Bellator.
53 min
1378
Heck of a Morning | Interest Level in Henry Cej...
Henry Cejudo seems to be on track to a return to the octagon after announcing his retirement at UFC 249 in May 2020, but how much do people actually care? On Tuesday's edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck gives his thoughts on the potential return of "Triple C," answers questions in regards to who Nate Diaz should fight in his final contracted UFC bout and what his future could look like, what could headline UFC 275 to cap of International Fight Week in July, Cris Cyborg's next move after her successful title defense at Bellator 279, Tyson Fury's dominant KO win over Dillian Whyte and where Francis Ngannou fits in the conversation, and more. In addition, Anthony Taylor joins the program to give his thoughts on past opponent Tommy Fury's win in the boxing ring this past Saturday, why he doesn't believe a fight between Fury and Jake Paul will ever happen, and what could be next for "PrettyBoy," whether it be in boxing or MMA. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
57 min
1379
Fighter vs. Writer: Joe Lauzon Reveals Differen...
Joe Lauzon joins The Fighter vs. The Writer ahead of his return at UFC 274 while Mike Jackson reflects on the disqualification win he picked up at UFC Vegas 52 while responding to accusations from Dean Barry.
77 min
1380
On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC ...
Did Jessica Andrade earn herself a title shot in her next fight after a first-round standing arm triangle choke submission win over Amanda Lemos in the main event of UFC Vegas 52? That question is discussed on a brand new edition of On To the Next One as MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee put on their matchmaking hats following the UFC's most recent event this past Saturday at the APEX. In addition, future matchups are discussed for Claudio Puelles following his slick submission win over Clay Guida in the co-main event, Maycee Barber following her unanimous decision win over Montana De La Rosa, Charles Jourdain and Marc-Andre Barriault following this submission wins to kick off the main card, and more.
76 min
1381
UFC Vegas 52 & Bellator 279 Post Show | Reactio...
While Cris Cyborg went the distance in her main event bout, Jessica Andrade needed less than a round to get her hand raised. Following Saturday’s UFC Vegas 52 and Bellator 279 events, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Jose Youngs, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew discuss Cyborg’s successful title defense, and whether or not challenger Arlene Blencowe should’ve found a way to take a disqualification win after the champion landed an illegal knee in the first round, Andrade’s standing arm triangle submission win over Amanda Lemos and if that earned her a chance to regain the strawweight title in her next appearance. In addition, the panel talks Raufeon Stots’ Bellator interim bantamweight championship finish of Juan Archuleta, Claudio Puelles’ ceiling in the UFC lightweight division, if Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou could actually happen, and much more.
78 min
1382
UFC Vegas 52 & Bellator 279 Preview Show | Will...
Will this be the final time we see Cris Cyborg compete in the Bellator cage when she faces Arlene Blencowe in the main event of Saturday’s Bellator 279 event? That question is discussed ahead of a busy day of combat sports action as MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, José Youngs, Alex K. Lee, and Jed K. Meshew preview that event — along with the bantamweight grand prix opening matchups with Raufeon Stots and Juan Archuleta battling it out for an interim title, along with Kyoji Horiguchi taking on Patchy Mix in Honolulu, Hawaii — UFC Vegas 52 at the APEX headlined by Jessica Andrade vs. Amanda Lemos, the Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte heavyweight boxing showdown in London, England, and much more.
75 min
1383
Heck of a Morning | Reaction To Dan Hardy vs. D...
Is the exhibition boxing match between Dan Hardy and Diego Sanchez something that was on your proverbial bingo card in 2022? Whether it was, or not, the bout has been slated for July 2 in Manchester, England, and has been met with mixed reviews at best. On this episode of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck gives his thoughts on the matchmaking of Hardy's first combat sports bout in nearly a decade. In addition, your calls about a potential fight between Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev, Belal Muhammad's championship hopes, the UFC's rumored return to London in July, Valentina Shevchenko's dominance at 125 and if the new wave of contenders could change that, the trio of events between Bellator and the UFC this weekend, the stakes of Jessica Andrade vs. Amanda Lemos, and more. Plus, Bellator president Scott Coker checks in to preview Bellator 278 and Bellator 279, gives his reaction to the PFL calling for a cross-promotional fight between Cris Cyborg and Kayla Harrison, and AJ McKee's future. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.
91 min
1384
BTL | AJ McKee's Future, UFC Vegas 52 vs. Bella...
What does AJ McKee’s stock look like following his Bellator 277 decision loss to once again featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull? On this week’s edition of Between the Links, the panel will attempt to answer that question, along with figuring out what could be next for the former champion. In addition, the panel will talk Belal Muhammad’s win over Vicente Luque this past Saturday and grade his post-fight callout of Colby Covington, give their reaction to the PFL’s 2022 season opener on Wednesday — which was capped off by an incredible battle between Clay Collard and Jeremy Stephens — the Bellator doubleheader with Bellator 278 and Bellator 279 going up against UFC Vegas 52, what the most intriguing bout of the weekend is in the world of MMA, Jake Paul and Michael Bisping going back-and-forth, perhaps towards a potential boxing bout, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti and Jose Youngs.
70 min
1385
Heck of a Morning | Jake Paul vs. Michael Bispi...
Is former UFC champion Michael Bisping the right next opponent for Jake Paul? Both men have gone back-and-forth on social media for the past several days with Bisping answering Paul's challenges every step of the way. With Paul looking to put his undefeated boxing record on the line potentially this summer, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck answers listener questions about Bisping's chances if that bout was put together on Thursday's episode of Heck of a Morning. In addition, other topics include the PFL's 2022 season debut — which was capped off by a war between Clay Collard and Jeremy Stephens — Bellator's doubleheader this weekend, and Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte. Plus, UFC lightweight Drakkar Klose joins the show for a podcast exclusive interview to recap his UFC Vegas 51 KO win over Brandon Jenkins, his callout of Mark O. Madsen, 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.
59 min
1386
Trocação Franca | Cris Cyborg, Amanda Lemos e J...
Quatro brasileiras liderarão os cards do UFC e Bellator neste fim de semana, e três batem ponto no Trocação Franca: Cris Cyborg, que defende o título na revanche com Arlene Blencowe, fala da possibilidade de ainda enfrentar Kayla Harrison, da PFLJuliana Velasquez, que defende o trono do Bellator contra Liz Carmouche na véspera, comenta o fala do sucesso no MMA e um confronto com Valentina Shevchenko; pelo UFC, no sábado, a embalada Amanda Lemos analisa o duelo com Jessica Bate-Estaca e as chances de cinturão.
36 min
1387
Heck of a Morning | Bellator Wins the Weekend, ...
After a chaotic weekend in the world of MMA, there seem to be a lot of question in regards to two of the notable names coming out of the UFC Vegas 51 and Bellator 277 main events — one from the winning side, the other from the losing side. On this edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to this past weekend's fight cards, Patricio Pitbull's win over A.J. McKee in to regain the featherweight title, Belal Muhammad's great performance against Vicente Luque and his post-fight callout of Colby Covington, takes your calls on how Khamzat Chimaev factors into the equation, the potential Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards welterweight title fight, Petr Yan's next move, 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.
78 min
1388
Fighter vs. Writer: Belal Muhammad Expects Kham...
Fresh off a win over Vicente Luque at UFC Vegas 51, Belal Muhammad joins The Fighter vs. The Writer while Corey Anderson also stops by to discuss the controversial end to his fight with Vadim Nemkov.
68 min
1389
On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC ...
The Belal Muhammad train kept chugging along at UFC Vegas 51 after he gained a measure of revenge over Vicente Luque, the only man to ever finish him. "Remember the Name" is unbeaten in eight straight fights now and he went for a big callout after his win, targeting the infamous Colby Covington. Is this the right matchup for Muhammad or is there another path to the top of the welterweight division for him? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, we figure out what's next for Muhammad and the rest of Saturday's main card winners, which featured a bevy of newcomers and up-and-comers. Is it too early to start pushing Caio Borralho? What fun fights are ahead for Andre Fialho and Mayra Bueno Silva? And is it time for Pat Sabatini to face the grappling GOAT of the featherweight division? We answer these questions and more in a special edition of OTTNO as Alexander K. Lee is joined by guest matchmaker Jed Meshew who promised to bring the chaos hammer with his fight selections.
68 min
1390
UFC Vegas 51 + Bellator 277 Post-Fight Show | B...
Well, that was certainly something. MMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shatti, José Youngs, and Jed Meshew react to a bizarre MMA weekend that featured a cornucopia of absurdity between UFC Vegas 51 and Bellator 277, in which Belal Muhammad's main event win over Vicente Luque was practically the only fight that didn't come with a little bit of controversy.
56 min
1391
Heck of a Morning | No. 2 MMA Promotion Debate,...
Is Bellator entering Friday's Bellator 277 event as the No. 2 promotion in the world, or has the PFL, or another organization surpassed them? That question is discussed on a Free-For-All Friday on Heck of a Morning with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, along with whether or not Aljamain Sterling has taken his victory tour too far, where a win over Corey Anderson at Bellator 277 would put Vadim Nemkov in the discussion for best light heavyweights in the world, RIZIN's card this weekend, Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje, 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.
55 min
1392
UFC Vegas 51 + Bellator 277 Preview Show | Best...
It's a double-header weekend with Bellator: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 on Friday and UFC Vegas 51 on Saturday, but which card is more worth your time? Can Vicente Luque or Belal Muhammad insert themselves into the Khamzat Chimaev conversation with a win? And what's going on with A.J. McKee — is Bellator really on the verge of losing one of the brightest homegrown talents the promotion has ever known? The MMA Fighting crew discusses the top storylines ahead of a busy MMA weekend.
72 min
1393
BTL | UFC 273 Fallout, Bellator 277 vs. UFC Veg...
Alexander Volkanovski, Aljamain Sterling, and Khamzat Chimaev all picked up big wins in the final three fights of UFC 273 this past Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla. This week on a special roundtable edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew discuss Volkanovski's win over Chan Sung Jung and where his performance ranks in terms of great championship performances, as well as Volkanovski's chances to get a lightweight title fight anytime soon. In addition, the panel discusses Sterling's victory lap following his split decision win over Petr Yan to unify the bantamweight championship, what's next for Yan after coming up short, Chimaev's stock following his decision win over Gilbert Burns, the chances a fight between Chimaev and Colby Covington will be next, this weekend's Bellator 277 and UFC Vegas 51 cards, AJ McKee's future after this fight with Patricio Pitbull, and more.
79 min
1394
Heck of an Afternoon | Aljamain Sterling's Vict...
Aljamain Sterling's victory lap is continuing on following his decision win over Petr Yan to unify the bantamweight championship at UFC 273, but is he going too far? That question is presented on a brand new edition of Heck of an Afternoon with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck. In addition, listener questions include the promotion of Bellator 277 on Friday headlined by the rematch for the featherweight title between AJ McKee and Patricio Pitbull, as well as the light heavyweight grand prix finale between champ Vadim Nemkov and challenger Corey Anderson, the UFC's return to Las Vegas this Saturday with UFC Vegas 51 headlined by Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad, plus UFC bantamweight Adrian Yanez hops on to discuss when he may return to action and if a fight with Sean O'Malley would be possible for his next appearance. You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces. Show will return to normal time the rest of the week.
44 min
1395
Trocação Franca | Jacaré quer lutar boxe com Be...
Ex-campeão do Strikeforce e aposentado do MMA, Ronaldo Jacaré quer um desafio novo após deixar o UFC: faixa-preta de jiu-jitsu, ele quer lutar boxe boxe com dois compatriotas, Vitor Belfort e Paulo Borrachinha. Jacaré, aliás, diz que nocautearia o Fenômeno novamente. Na entrevista, Jacaré fala sobre lutar jiu-jitsu novamente, o aguardado duelo André Galvão x Gordon Ryan, e mais.
32 min
1396
Heck of a Morning | Are We Really Saying Khamza...
Somehow, after defeating one of the top welterweights on the planet in an absolute war at UFC 273, a big portion of the MMA community seems to be writing off Khamzat Chimaev. Why is that? On this edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck gives his thoughts on Chimaev's win over Gilbert Burns in a memorable featured bout this past Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla., Alexander Volkanovski's near perfect game over Chan Sung Jung and where it puts him in the pound-for-pound discussion, Aljamain Sterling exercising the demons against Petr Yan to unify the bantamweight championship, whether Chimaev facing Colby Covington next is the fight to make, and much more.
58 min
1397
Fighter vs. Writer: Matt Brown, Josh Emmett Rea...
Matt Brown and Josh Emmett join The Fighter vs. The Writer this week to breakdown all the action that happened at UFC 273 this past Saturday night.
51 min
1398
On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC 273
While Khamzat Chimaev proves that he belongs with the very best in the welterweight division, he’ll more than likely have to get another victory over another top guy before getting his opportunity to become a world champion. The question is, who should that opponent be? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, that question is discussed following Chimaev’s unanimous decision win over Gilbert Burns in an instant classic at UFC 273. In addition, future matchups are discussed for featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and Chan Sung Jung following their main event battle — which was won by Volkanovski via fourth-round TKO in a flawless performace — Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan after “Funk Master” unified the titles in a razor close, split decision victory in the co-main event, Mackenzie Dern following her decision win over a gritty Tecia Torres, th
52 min
1399
UFC 273 Post-Fight Show | Did Khamzat Chimaev L...
Khamzat Chimaev's win over Gilbert Burns was one of the wildest fights of the year, but did it slow down the hype train? Should Alexander Volkanovski be a top-2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world? Did the judges get it right in the scoring of Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2? Join MMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shatti, Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, Jed Meshew, and E. Casey Leydon as they discuss the top storylines coming out of UFC 273.
72 min
1400
Laura Sanko: It's 'Unprecedented' If Khamzat Ch...
UFC commentator Laura Sanko breaks down Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns, Alexander Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie, Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling 2, and more ahead of UFC 273 with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck.
15 min