MMA Fighting

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.

Sports
News
Sports News
1401
UFC Vegas 48 | Bellator 274 | Knucklemania II |...
This Saturday sees UFC Vegas 48, Bellator 247, and BKFC KnuckleMania 2 all vying for the attention of combat sports fans and the MMA Fighting team is here to help you sort out your schedule. Join Mike Heck, José Youngs, Alexander K. Lee, and E. Casey Leydon as we discuss the weight of the main event between light heavyweights Johnny Walker and Jamahal Hill, what could be the best pure martial arts contest of the weekend in the Bellator 247 headliner between welterweights Neiman Gracie and Logan Storley, and all the chaos that could happen at a KnuckleMania 2 event that features Mike Perry, Julian Lane, Chad Mendes, Britain Hart-Beltran, Luis Palomino and more. Plus, which fights are flying under the radar and what’s the one fight that you should watch if you could only choose one?
61 min
1402
BTL | Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 Fallout, Joe Rog...
How big of a step did Israel Adesanya take in his quest for greatness, and where does Robert Whittaker go from his loss to the champ in the main event of UFC 271? This week on Between the Links, the panel will attempt to answer those questions, and give their final thoughts on the UFC's second PPV event of 2022 — including Tai Tuivasa's ceiling in the heavyweight division following his KO win over Derrick Lewis. In addition, they'll discuss Joe Rogan no longer being part of the UFC 271 broadcast in lieu of Michael Bisping and how the UFC, and Dana White, handled the situation, the combat sports triple header on this weekend with UFC Vegas 48, Bellator 274, and BKFC's Knucklemania 2, as well as their thoughts on which event has more intrigue heading into Saturday night, and more. Host Mike Heck will moderate the discussion with MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and José Youngs. Show goes LIVE Thursday at 3 p.m. ET / Noon PT.
78 min
1403
We Got Next | Robert Soldic, Ronnie Lawrence, J...
KSW two-division champion Roberto Soldic seems to be at an interesting crossroads in regards to his fighting future. Soldic (7:58) kicks off this week's edition of We Got Next to recap his incredible KO win over Mamed Khalidov to add the middleweight championship to his collection at KSW 65 in December, having one fight left on his KSW deal — which has an expiration date — his team preparing to meet with KSW officials this weekend to discuss what he would need to stick around, his thoughts on fighting in the UFC, what other promotions have stood out should he hit free agency, and why his dream fight would be against Conor McGregor. New UFC featherweight Isaac Dulgarian (36:38) talks earning a contract at FAC 12: Dana White's Lookin' For a Fight earlier this month, his reaction to Eduardo Dantas' incredible head kick KO in the co-main event before making the walk, how he found out about earning the spot on the UFC roster, wanting to take his time before making his octagon debut, possibly moving down to 135, and having a hobby as a beekeeper. New UFC middleweight Josh Fremd (54:35) recaps his second-round submission win at FAC 12: Dana White Lookin' For a Fight to earn a contract, talks getting to meet the UFC president and The Nelk Boys, what his thought process was watching the rest of the card following his win, when he wants to make his first octagon walk, and his thoughts on the Super Bowl this past Sunday. In addition, Jay Perrin (1:09:25) discusses getting the call for a short notice UFC debut against Mario Bautista this Saturday at UFC Vegas 48 and how he got the call, and Ronnie Lawrence (1:32:24) recaps his unanimous decision win over Mana Martinez at UFC 271.
108 min
1404
Trocação Franca | Neiman Gracie no topo do Bell...
O Trocação Franca recebe Neiman Gracie e Marlon Moraes, que voltam às jaulas em momentos distintos na carreira. Neiman lidera o Bellator 274 desta sexta-feira em busca da vitória que pode garantir uma chance ao cinturão, e fala sobre a inspiração em Werdum, a eterna rivalidade Renzo x Wallid, e mais. Escalado para o UFC de 12 de março, Marlon comenta o susto que levou ao passar 11 dias em um “hospitel” com COVID, a situação delicada na carreira e a saída de Amanda Nunes da ATT. O podcast recebe também o jornalista Vitor Freitas para debater o UFC 271 e a aguardada luta entre André Galvão e Gordon Ryan no ADCC.
78 min
1405
Fighter vs. Writer: Michael Bisping On The Fall...
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping joins the latest episode of Fighter vs. Writer to discuss the fallout from UFC 271 including Israel Adesanya’s win, what’s next for him and he responds to criticism over his commentary on Saturday night.
43 min
1406
On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC 271
While it seems like all signs are pointing towards a middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier following their victories on Saturday night in Houston, where does Robert Whittaker go after dropping to 0-2 against the current champion? This week on On To the Next One, that question is answered from a matchmaking perspective following a memorable UFC 271 event. In addition, future matchups are discussed for Tai Tuivasa following the biggest win of his career in the co-main event, along with Derrick Lewis, Renato Moicano after stopping Alexander Hernandez, Bobby Green — who kicked off the main card with a unanimous decision over Nasrat Haqparast — and more with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee.
95 min
1407
UFC 271 Post-Fight Show | Reaction To Israel Ad...
Israel Adesanya got the job done against Robert Whittaker for the second time in the main event of UFC 271. MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Jose Youngs, Shaun Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew discuss the latest UFC title defense for Adesanya, Tai Tuivasa's incredible finish of Derrick Lewis, and more.
71 min
1408
UFC 271 Preview Show | Israel Adesanya's Next S...
Israel Adesnaya and Robert Whittaker will run it back in the main event of Saturday's UFC 271 event. Before the UFC's second PPV event of 2022, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Jose Youngs, Shaun Al-Shatti, and Jed Meshew discuss the middleweight championship main event, the heavyweight co-main event between Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa, and more.
60 min
1409
BTL Roundtable | Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whi...
Will Israel Adesanya become the greatest middleweight in UFC history with a second win over Robert Whittaker on Saturday, or will he still have some work to do to catch Anderson Silva in that conversation? This week on Between the Links, the panel will attempt to answer that question and preview the middleweight championship main event rematch at UFC 271 between Adesanya and Whittaker. In addition, they will take a look at Saturday night’s card in Houston as a whole, Sean Strickland’s victory over Jack Hermansson in the main event of UFC Vegas 47 this past Saturday and the potential impact it may have had, Alexander Volkanovski’s fiery reaction to Max Holloway offering to be a backup for the UFC 273 title fight between he and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the roundtable discussion and is joined by MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and UFC bantamweight Randy Costa.
68 min
1410
We Got Next | Alexander Hernandez, Julian Erosa...
Alexander Hernandez is excited to kick off 2022 at a big event in his home state, but he is not at all thrilled at the lightweight bout's placement on the card. Hernandez (8:20) kicks off this week's edition of We Got Next to preview his fight with Renato Moicano this Saturday at UFC 271 in Houston, Texas, talks his reaction to getting offered the bout when he wanted to get a quick turnaround following his quick KO win over Mike Breeden in October, being unhappy fighting on the early prelims, his focus for the bout, where he may want to go following Saturday's fight, and more. Julian Erosa (21:10) recaps his Fight of the Night earning victory over Steven Peterson at UFC Vegas 47 this past Saturday and discusses winning the full $100,000 bonus, his reaction to Peterson's weight miss that netted him 30 percent of his opponent's purse, squashing the beef with Peterson after the fight, his career turnaround, and only wanting exciting fights moving forward. Joe Penafiel (51:50) talks capturing the Cage Titans bantamweight title via fifth-round TKO of Lionel Youngs at Cage Titans 51 this past Saturday in Plymouth, Mass., why he wasn't all that upset Young missed weight prior to the bout, why he lost a point in-between the third and fourth rounds, getting a late start to his MMA career, and eyeing a shot at a major promotion such as the UFC or Bellator. Finally, Bryan Battle (1:05:55) discusses his unanimous decision win over Tresean Gore at UFC Vegas 47, feeling like the undisputed TUF 29 middleweight champion, Gore not shaking his hand after the fight, moving forward from the show, the idea of bringing the TUF trophy coming from another cast member, if he would've given the trophy to Gore had he won the fight, thinking a fight with Nick Maximov next would make sense, and the BKFC rise of teammate Taylor Starling.
84 min
1411
Trocação Franca | Blindado: Sem pressão contra ...
O Trocação Franca dessa semana recebe Bruno Blindado, que faz fila no UFC, para debater o seu aguardado (e muitas vezes criticado) duelo com o badalado Alex Poatan. Os rivais Bibiano Fernandes e John Lineker, que se enfrentam pelo cinturão dos galos do ONE Championship nesta sexta-feira, explicam a origem da treta entre eles. Lineker ainda revela o desejo de enfrentar Popó no boxe, enquanto Bibiano garante que teria sido campeão do UFC caso tivesse assinado com a empresa de Dana White em 2012.
74 min
1412
Robert Whittaker Vows Israel Adesanya Will See ...
Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya will fight for the second time at UFC 271, this time, with Whittaker as the challenger for the UFC middleweight title. 'The Reaper discusses the matchup, why things will be different as champion the second time around, why 'satisfaction' with his effort is more important than the title, the changes he's made mentally since their first fight, and much more with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck.
19 min
1413
Fighter vs. Writer: Chris Weidman Previews UFC ...
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman joins the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer to breakdown UFC 271 while explaining why he doesn’t believe Israel Adesanya is the GOAT at middleweight and also revealing his timeline to return to action after suffering a broken leg.
40 min
1414
On To the Next One | Matches To Make After UFC ...
How much closer to a UFC middleweight title shot did Sean Strickland get following his decision win over Jack Hermansson this past Saturday? That question is answered this week on the return of On To the Next One in the aftermath of UFC Vegas 47. In addition, future matchups are discussed for Nick Maximov, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Brendan Allen, Bryan Battle, Julian Erosa and more with MMA Fighting's co-matchmakers Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee.
87 min
1415
UFC Vegas 47 Post-Fight Show | Reaction To Sean...
Sean Strickland only trails Israel Adesanya with the longest active winning streak in the UFC’s middleweight division following his main event win over Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 47. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Jose Youngs and Alexander K. Lee react to Strickland’s victory, where he goes from here, Shavkat Rakhmonov’s incredible KO win over Carlston Harris, Julian Erosa’s memorable night, and more.
57 min
1416
UFC Vegas 47 Preview Show | Can Jack Hermansson...
Jack Hermansson will look to slow down the surge of the outspoken Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC Vegas 47. Before the UFC middleweights make the walk on Saturday, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Jose Youngs, Alexander K. Lee and Jed Meshew discuss the pivotal 185-pound headliner, the stakes involved, and the other intriguing storylines heading into the APEX.
54 min
1417
BTL | Jake Paul vs. Dana White, UFC Vegas 47 Pr...
Jake Paul keeps poking the bear that is Dana White. Will the outspoken UFC president respond? This week on Between the Links, the panel will discuss the YouTube star and undefeated boxer's diss track towards White and if his recent interview with Ariel Helwani shows that he's sincere about helping the fighters and what White's response could look like. In addition, they will talk Bellator's first offering of the year with Bellator 273 and the booking of Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo 2 over a rematch against Fedor Emelianenko, Eagle FC's U.S. debut on Friday night, what worked and what didn't for Khabib Nurmagomedov's promotion, a look ahead to Saturday's UFC Vegas 47 card headlined by Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland, and more. Host Mike Heck will moderate the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jose Youngs and Eric "New York Ric" Jackman.
67 min
1418
We Got Next | Joe Lauzon, Cheick Kongo, Tresean...
Joe Lauzon is entering his upcoming fight with Donald Cerrone with the same mindset he did heading into his submission win over Jonathan Pearce at UFC Boston over two years ago. Lauzon (5:06) kicks off We Got Next this week to give his reaction to the matchup with "Cowboy" on April 30, talks the fight being originally looked at for UFC 272 in March by the promotion, having no decision made in regards to whether or not it will be his final fight, Francis Ngannou's current situation with the UFC, and Tom Brady's retirement. Chieck Kongo (32:42) discusses getting a rematch with Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title in Paris coming up in May, when he found out about the bout, his side of the eye poke that stopped their first fight that was deemed a no contest, the reaction of the fans hoping Bellator would book a rematch between Bader and Fedor Emelianenko, and more. Sullivan Cauley (1:00:38) reacts to his first-round TKO win over "Big Tuna" Ben Parrish this past Saturday at Bellator 273, talks the star power Parrish accumulated following his promotional debut, what he thought about the matchmaking and the placement on the card, the stoppage from referee Mike Beltran, and his hopes to join Bader on the Bellator Paris event. Finally, Tresean Gore (1:16:53) previews his UFC Vegas 47 bout with Bryan Battle, discusses how he felt watching Battle win The Ultimate Fighter middleweight title in a bout he was forced to withdraw from, feeling his opponent might be overlooking him, his tough upbringing and current relationship with his parents, the importance of his spirituality, the incredible confidence he has in himself, and Jake Paul.
125 min
1419
Rankings Show: Listener Q&A! | Naming The Justi...
It's mailbag season! After a dead month in the rankings, the MMA Fighting crew break down the doors to February by answering your best listener questions. Who are the Justin Gaethje All-Stars, aka the most exciting fighters alive? Which non-UFC fighter doesn’t get dang enough respect in the rankings? How on earth can we fix Bellator's heavyweight division?? All that and more.
78 min
1420
Trocação Franca | O Futuro De Lyoto Machida (+ ...
Lyoto Machida revela ao Trocação Franca que explorará o mercado após completar a última luta do seu acordo com o Bellator e revelou seus planos para o futuro. O “Dragão” comparou a evolução no MMA ao episódio do 7x1 e falou da experiência no sumô e caratê. O podcast traz também uma entrevista com Marina Rodriguez, confiante que uma vitória no UFC 272 garantirá uma disputa de cinturão. Ela conta, ainda, como saiu de uma gráfica para lutar MMA e a importância do irmão, paratleta, em sua carreira na luta.
70 min
1421
Fighter vs. Writer: Frank Trigg On Working ‘Boo...
UFC Hall of Famer Frank Trigg joins the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer to discuss his latest career moves including a part on the “Star Wars” spinoff series “The Book of Boba Fett” as well as his transition into refereeing where he made a recent appearance at UFC 270.
74 min
1422
BTL | Francis Ngannou's Future, Dana White's Re...
Francis Ngannou isn't budging at all after retaining his UFC heavyweight title this past weekend. This week on Between the Links, the panel will discuss Ngannou's title defense at UFC 270, his unbelievable interview on The MMA Hour and what his future may look like, Dana White's response to why he didn't put the belt on Ngannou following his win over Ciryl Gane, whether or not the UFC should book Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno 4 right away, excitement levels for Bellator 273 and Eagle FC's next event going down this weekend, and more. Mike Heck moderates the grudge match between MMA Fighting's Alexander K. Lee and Eric 'New York Ric' Jackman.
70 min
1423
We Got Next | Vanessa Demopoulos, Victor Henry,...
UFC strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos had an unforgettable night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. this past Saturday. Demopoulos (5:08) kicks off this week's edition of We Got Next to recap her comeback submission win against Silvana Gomez Juarez at UFC 270, talks getting rocked early and not remembering a pocket of time in the fight, what went through her mind when she got the tap, her memorable post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, her decision to quit exotic dancing prior to the bout, and more. Pat Downey (31:04) discusses officially making the transition to MMA and signing with Bellator, if there were any other suitors before coming to that decision, wanting a wrestling or grappling match with Khamzat Chimaev, if he thinks Jordan Borroughs will fight in MMA, and his plans to debut sooner rather than later. Matt Frevola (48:47) recaps his crazy first-round TKO win over Genaro Valdez at UFC 270, talks his belief he should have the most knockdowns in a round record by himself, why he had no issue with Mike Beltran's stoppage, not getting a bonus and what he said to Sean Shelby after the event, and officially hitting the free agent market. Finally, Victor Henry (1:09:28) discusses his upset victory over Raoni Barcelos at UFC 270 in his promotional debut, if the fight played out the way he expected it to, being a massive underdog, his message to the media about being more well-versed outside of the UFC, Joe Rogan giving him some shine after the win. and when he hopes to return to the octagon.
97 min
1424
Reaction | Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje ...
Charles Oliveira will defend his lightweight title for the second time when he faces Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 on May 7. MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti and Alexander K. Lee react to the matchup, give early predictions, and more.
19 min
1425
Trocação Franca | Antonio Tabet Brinca: 'Vou To...
Com as atenções voltadas para o duelo entre Whindersson Nunes e Acelino Popó neste domingo, no boxe, o Trocação Franca recebe o humorista Antonio Tabet para falar sobre o confronto entre seu amigo e o ex-campeão mundial e sua paixão por MMA. O veterano Rogério Minotouro, que sai da aposentadoria para lutar boxe no mesmo evento, também bate ponto no programa para relembrar os grandes momentos da carreira e revelar quais atletas gostaria de enfrentar na nobre arte.
63 min