The Ariel Helwani Show

Ariel Helwani begins the show by speaking to UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, who discusses the difficulty of returning from a knee injury that required surgery, going into the Ian Machado Garry bout injured, being cleared to return early next year, being willing to fight again to prove he’s the No. 1 contender, believing he’s the hardest matchup for Islam Makhachev, and more (06:24).

Devin Haney returns, talking about his big win over Brian Norman Jr., shutting up his critics, Eddie Hearn’s comments after the fight, feeling Conor Benn is not on his level, being willing to fig...

Ariel Helwani begins the show with a recap of UFC Qatar, including a debate with The Boys in the Back about whether Arman Tsarukyan and Ian Machado Garry should be next for the respective champions of their divisions (04:30).

Garry then joins the show to break down his win over Belal Muhammad, discussing his takedown defense, the controversial eye-poke, whether he’s done enough to earn a title shot, Shavkat Rakhmonov or Kamaru Usman as potential challengers, his viral run-in with Khamzat Chimaev, and more (42:30).

Tsarukyan is next, breaking down his own big win against Dan Ho...

Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, and Chuck Mindenhall give their immediate reactions to UFC Qatar, kicking things off with Arman Tsarukyan’s second-round submission of Dan Hooker (5:00).

Next, the guys debate whether Ian Machado Garry’s decision win over Belal Muhammad in the co-main event is enough to earn him a title shot against pound-for-pound number one Islam Makhachev, and map out the rest of the welterweight division (22:45).

Ariel and the guys then turn their attention to the rest of the card, highlighting the standout performances that caught their eye (42:30).

A separate storyline emerged back...

The Craic returns with its usual trifecta: Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes are back to get you ready for the weekend in combat sports. 

To kick off the show, the guys break down UFC Qatar’s main event: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker (1:21).

They also dig into the co-main event: Ian Machado Garry vs. Belal Muhammad, and discuss the stakes for the welterweight division, including what Garry would need to do to earn a title shot with a win (24:24).

To wrap up their UFC Qatar discussion, the trio spotlight their favorite mat...

The Boys in the Back kick off the show with news and notes, including a UFC Qatar shakeup (01:22), Ryan Garcia's next fight (02:55), and a wild media day comment by Belal Muhammad (05:18).

Then, they breakdown the welterweight title picture and the recent momentum behind Kamaru Usman (13:41), before previewing UFC Qatar top to bottom (23:00).

Finally, The Boys make picks (1:14:07), deliver their P4P worst P4P lists by Mysterious Frank (1:16:37), and listen to your voicemails (1:31:45).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by celebrating the anniversaries of Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua and Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez, two epic fights that took place on the same night in 2011 (02:30).

UFC strawweight contender Fatima Kline makes her show debut on the heels of her victory over Angela Hill at UFC 322, breaking down the win, reflecting on being able to fight at Madison Square Garden as a native New Yorker, expressing her desire to face Tabatha Ricci, and more (10:29).

Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith joins Ariel in-studio to discuss Jake Paul vs. Anthony...

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with a look at the first faceoff between Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker and reaction to Joaquin Buckley’s message to Islam Makhachev (03:19).

UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko joins Ariel in-studio to break down her big win against Zhang Weili at UFC 322, reflect on the early days of her career, discuss how she controls her emotions, respond to critics of her fighting style, accept Amanda Nunes’ challenge to fight at 125 pounds, react to talks of Ronda Rousey’s comeback, and more (15:17).

AEW boss Tony Khan sits down with Ari...

Ariel Helwani begins the show with a recap of UFC 322, including Islam Makhachev’s domination of Jack Della Maddalena, the legacy comparisons between Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who could be next for Makhachev, Dillon Danis’ brawl with the Dagestani fighters, and more (05:33).

Benoit Saint-Denis joins fresh off his 16-second knockout of Beneil Dariush, breaking down the quick finish, weighing in on Makhachev’s move to welterweight, giving his prediction for the Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker fight, and more (1:00:35).

Ethyn Ewing makes his debut following a big upset win over Malcolm Wellmaker, looking back at how th...

Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindenhall give their immediate reactions to UFC 322, starting with Islam Makhachev's dominant performance against Jack Della Maddalena, to capture UFC gold in a second weight class (01:24).

After weighing in on whether the main and co-main events were "boring" (16:38), the crew discusses incredible knockouts by Michael Morales (30:39) and Carlos Prates (35:17), before circling back to Valentina Shevchenko's shutout against Zhang Weili (38:13).

They recap the rest of the stacked card (45:44), then transition to the all-out brawl between Dillon Danis and some Dagestani fighters in the crowd (58:17)

The show concludes with...

Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes reunite for your weekly dose of The Craic.

After reacting to the UFC 322 weigh-in results (4:14), the lads preview the stacked MSG card top to bottom (8:11).

Shifting gears to boxing, the crew break down this weekend’s Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn rematch and question if the hype is lacking (47:05).

Up next, Jake Paul is back in the headlines, this time with Anthony Joshua floated as a potential opponent. Petesy, Chuck, and Ben assess Paul’s chances in that matchup (51:13).

Today also marks the 10-yea...

The Boys in the Back kick off the show with some news and notes, including Alex Pereira challenging Khamzat Chimaev to a grappling match and TKO's new partnership with Polymarket (07:04).

Then, the conversation turns to UFC 322, starting with Islam Makhachev potentially tying Anderson Silva's record for the longest winning streak in UFC history and the potential for Jack Della Maddalena to pull off the upset (19:29).

After breaking down the stacked card (47:34), they make picks (1:34:27), deliver their P4P rankings of MMA grapplers (1:38:42), listen to your voicemails (1:49:39), and answer your Super Chats (2:25:52).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by recognizing the anniversaries of UFC 1, UFC on FOX 1, UFC 205, and UFC 281, which all took place on Nov. 12 (03:38).

The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll join Ariel to answer On The Nose questions, with topics including criticism of Dana White, the relevance of 'UFC Embedded,' what happens after the studio cameras stop rolling, Thanksgiving dinner guests, and more (10:44).

Jalin Turner joins to discuss his decision to return to MMA, how he landed on Edson Barboza as an opponent, overcoming mental hurdles ahead of the comeback, learning to...

Ariel Helwani is joined by The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll to discuss some news and notes, including the first faceoff between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena, Adin Ross spending time with Makhachev, Khabib, and their team, and more (06:06).

Muhammad Mokaev joins on the heels of his head-kick knockout at BRAVE CF 101, talking about the foot injury he suffered in the fight, his desire to return to the UFC and the potential path back, how he would do against UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, his recent communication with the UFC, wanting to face Sergio...

Ariel Helwani begins the show with a recap of UFC Vegas 111, including Gabriel Bonfim’s stoppage of Randy Brown in the main event and Chris ‘Taco’ Padilla’s plea for a performance bonus (07:49), before quickly touching on this weekend’s boxing, including Vergil Ortiz’s big win and action from Misfits (24:27).

Leon Edwards joins to preview his UFC 322 fight against Carlos Prates, speaking about Prates having him as his phone wallpaper, facing a striker for the first time since Nate Diaz, who he hopes to face after Saturday, his thoughts on Ian Machado Garry and Jorge Masvidal, and more (33...

The Craic is back! As always, Petesy Carroll is joined by regulars Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes.

They open the show with the UFC gambling scandal, beginning with the ironically timed announcement of Netflix’s upcoming documentary on Dana White’s own gambling exploits (0:22).

The trio then react to further developments in the scandal, including unearthed comments by Isaac Dulgarian (15:00).

Switching to boxing, Petesy gets Chuck and Ben’s take on the cancellation of Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis on Netflix, and whether Francis Ngannou would be a suitable replacement (40:55).

Another heavyw...

The Boys in the Back begin the show with some news and notes, including Reug Reug being forced to withdraw from ONE 173 due to a car accident (01:13), Claressa Shields signing a massive new promotional deal (02:58), and more.

Next, The Boys break down Jon Jones' recent comments about Tom Aspinall being a "one-trick pony" and "overrated" (4:58), before digging deeper on the UFC's betting scandal and the potential impact to the MMA gambling ecosystem (17:59).

After speculating on who Jake Paul will end up fighting next (46:20), the Boys preview UFC Vegas 111 (56:40), then close the show with their P4...

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with On The Nose, answering your questions about the UFC’s betting scandal, Ronda Rousey’s bitterness toward MMA, Most Valuable Promotions’ decision to remove Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis from the Jake Paul fight, and more (06:14).

Promoter Lou DiBella joins Ariel in-studio to discuss boxing news, including ‘Tank’ Davis’ latest controversy and Most Valuable Promotions’ position, not being in favor of three-minute rounds for women’s boxing, TKO’s involvement in the sport, his reaction to the Ali Revival Act, gambling in combat sports and suspicions of fight fixing, and more (58:25).

Michael Chandler is...

Ariel Helwani begins the show by reacting to the cancellation of Jake Paul vs. Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, as well as Francis Ngannou’s emergence as Paul’s potential next fight (02:29).

Norma Dumont joins on the heels of her victory over Ketlen Vieira to discuss the win, believing she’s earned a title shot, being willing to fight Julianna Peña, Ronda Ronda teasing a comeback, and more (14:37).

New PFL CEO John Martin joins Ariel in-studio for an open conversation about his time as Turner CEO and his intersection with combat sports over the years, including conversatio...

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with commiserations for the Toronto Blue Jays and their valiant attempt in the World Series (01:41), before moving on to the controversy surrounding Isaac Dulgarian’s loss to Yadier del Valle and suspicious betting activity on the fight (15:29), and the bizarre ending of the fight between Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Ante Delija (44:45).

Mike Perry joins to talk about his win over Jeremy Stephens at BKFC 82, recovering from the damage he took in the fight, Frankie Edgar’s removal from the card, the latest Dirty Boxing show and Gable Steveson’s victory, wanting to return...

The Craic returns with its dynamic trio: Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes.

Up first, a deep dive into the future of the UFC heavyweight division following the fallout from Ciryl Gane’s eye poke against Tom Aspinall (5:20).

Two fighters looking to make their mark on the division are Jon Jones and Alex Pereira. The lads discuss the two MMA stars angling for a potential superfight (26:00).

Pereira’s been putting in the work for that bout, but with an unexpected training partner. The crew breaks down the viral clip of him grappling with...

On this spooky edition of The Boys in the Back, the Boys reveal their costumes, before discussing Jon Jones' latest barb aimed at Tom Aspinall (07:36) and Joaquin Buckley's bizarre feud with Alex Pereira (11:20).

After quickly previewing UFC Vegas 110 (14:06) and making picks (26:54), the Boys are joined by E. Casey Leydon (30:31), the newest addition to the team, about the launch of Uncrowned Films, his early days on the road with Ariel Helwani, and more.

The Boys close the show with their P4P rankings of the scariest fighters in MMA history (56:30), your voicemails (1:18:33), and Super Chats (02:03:26).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with some news and notes, before reeling off some of MMA’s best post-fight speeches, inspired by the anniversary of Nick Diaz’s callout of Georges St-Pierre after UFC 137 (03:05).

Devin Haney joins Ariel in-studio to preview his fight against Brian Norman Jr., address criticism of his ability to take a punch, discuss his rivalry with Ryan Garcia, other opponents he considered before landing on Norman, the current state of Top Rank, the Ali Reform Act, Jake Paul vs. ‘Tank’ Davis, and more (33:23).

UFC veteran Matt Brown is back, speaking his mind...

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with first-timer Quillan Salkilld, fresh off his devastating knockout of Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 321, to talk about the aftermath of the knockout; being concerned for his opponent; planning to train with Jack Della Maddalena, who’s also from Perth; learning about MMA from playing the UFC video game; wanting to fight Renato Moicano, and more (05:26).

Dr. Brian Sutterer is back to dive deeper into the conversation around Tom Aspinall’s eye, following the accidental poke he suffered at UFC 321, including the trauma itself, how it was handled by the doctors in the...

Ariel Helwani opens the show with a recap of UFC 321, including his reaction to Ciryl Gane’s controversial eye poke against Tom Aspinall, how the foul was handled by officials, Dana White’s comments in the immediate aftermath, before talking about what can be done to prevent fouls moving forward, the rest of UFC 321, and more (02:39).

Chael Sonnen joins to give his thoughts about the UFC 321 main event, explaining his comments on the ESPN post-show, discussing the rematch and Aspinall’s potential game plan, whether anything can be done to reduce eye pokes, and talks of Alex Pereir...

3PAC — Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll and Chuck Mindenhall — are back to dissect UFC 321.

Reaction begins with the night's controversial ending, as Ciryl Gane accidentally pokes Tom Aspinall in the eye, leading to a stoppage and No Contest in the main event (01:07).

After giving kudos to the evening's referees (30:03), the crew discuss Alex Pereira's reaction to the main event on social media (35:09) and what they expect to see from Jon Jones (36:53).

Next, they break down Mackenzie Dern's win over Virna Jandiroba to capture the UFC strawweight title (39:08) and Umar Nurmagomedov surviving second-round danger to defe...

The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes get together to unpack the biggest stories in MMA.

To get things underway, they preview UFC 321’s title fight headliner: Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane (5:30).

With another championship on the line, the crew discuss the stakes in the co-main event between Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern (31:30).

Plus, Dana White teased new UFC scheduling in a recent interview. Could this mean better start times for European fans? The trio break down what the changes might mean (48:40).

And of course, Conor McGregor’s ba...

The Boys in the Back are locked in for UFC 321, so join them as they preview the card, starting with the main event that pits UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall against foe Ciryl Gane (01:51).

After breaking down the the vacant UFC strawweight title fight between Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern (23:24), the Boys hit the rest of the stacked main card (31:40) and prelims (49:21).

Finally, they make picks (1:03:14) and debut a brand new Fight Feasts, in which GC searches for NYC's best fish and chips (1:15:18).

Vibes are high today on The Ariel Helwani Show, as Ariel gives his thoughts on the premiere of Uncrowned Films’ first entry, “What is BKFC?” (10:15).

Wrestling legend Kurt Angle joins the show on a special date, the anniversary of his first WWE title win — against The Rock — and the anniversary of his first interview with Ariel. They discuss his upcoming commentary gig for Real American Freestyle, Hulk Hogan recruiting him for the role, Vince McMahon’s influence in shaping his WWE heel persona and promo work, Colby Covington using his entrance music, and more (16:32).

Payton Talbott is b...

Ariel Helwani starts the show by celebrating the Blue Jays’ ALCS win, before pivoting to some Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane talk (03:52).

Next, The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll join Ariel to answer On The Nose questions, including thoughts on the likelihood of Conor McGregor fighting at the White House, Frankie Edgar’s false start with BKFC, the mysterious phone image at UFC Vancouver, and even the debut trailer for Uncrowned’s first film (12:43)

Anthony Pettis honors coach Duke Roufus, who tragically died last week, opening up about their special relationship, dealing with the em...

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with a tribute to coach Duke Roufus, who tragically died on Friday (00:10)

Then, the Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll join Ariel to recap UFC Vancouver, starting with the main event between Brendan Allen and Reinier de Ridder. After an in-depth conversation about MMA refereeing, the crew covers the rest of the card and other news and notes from the weekend (06:26).

Mike Malott joins following a big win over Kevin Holland at UFC Vancouver, expressing frustration over some controversial low blows, feeling Holland embellished the groin shots and...

Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes reunite for your weekly dose of The Craic.

First up, they dive into what’s next for Alex Pereira and his possible move to heavyweight, and how it could shake up next week’s title clash between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane (4:02).

Next, the guys react to the Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva trilogy announcement set for the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis Netflix boxing event (25:46).

Another surprise comeback rumor making the rounds is Ronda Rousey’s potential return. After her recent comments hintin...

The Boys in the Back kick off the show by reacting to Most Valuable Promotions announcing Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva will box on the Jake Paul vs. 'Tank' Davis undercard (01:11).

Then, they discuss Merab Dvalishvili's 2025 run and whether, with a dominant victory in December, it will be the best year a fighter's ever had (08:29).

After previewing UFC Vancouver (25:54), the Boys make picks (1:05:07), deliver their top 12-month runs in MMA (1:14:08), listen to voicemails (1:44:49), and answer your Super Chats (2:22:20).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by recapping his experience at the Colombia vs. Canada soccer game, before Petesy Carroll joins to react to Ian Machado Garry’s comments from Tuesday’s show. The Boys in the Back jump in to discuss the appeal of Contender Series and its potential next landing spot (02:09).

Sean Brady is back to talk about accepting his fight against Michael Morales, not wanting to wait around for another opponent, No. 1 contender fights no longer being guaranteed by the UFC, feeling like the promotion wants Carlos Prates to emerge from the welterweight pack, and...

Ariel Helwani, The Boys in the Back, and Petesy open the show by talking about the latest round of UFC fight announcements, then answering On The Nose questions (29:49).

Mikey Musumeci is back to discuss his UFC BJJ 3 victory, address the YouTube views controversy surrounding the event, open up about the level of scrutiny he faces, his relationship with Craig Jones, the Derek Moneyberg drama, and more (1:02:17).

Paulie Malignaggi explains why he’s returning to the ring, before the conversation gets contentious when discussing Dana White and Zuffa’s entry into boxing, and Malignaggi challenges Conor McGr...

Ariel Helwani and the Boys in the Back begin the show by reacting to Charles Oliveira's big win at UFC Rio, and discuss whether Max Holloway should be his next opponent and if the UFC can make it happen in Hawaii. Plus, more discussion on Jose Aldo's retirement, the rest of UFC Rio, Dave Allen coming up short, and Jaron "Boots" Ennis' successful debut at 154 pounds (09:56).

AEW superstar Darby Allin joins Ariel in-studio to give a taste of his extreme lifestyle, talking about climbing Mount Everest, the development of his character, how skateboarding in his youth prepared...

The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll calls on Chuck Mindenhall to talk this week's biggest headlines.

They kick things off by reacting to Ariel’s loaded 2026 superfight forecast from Monday’s Helwani Show. Can 2026 live up to its decade-old predecessor, 2016? The guys break it all down (00:32).

Also on this week’s programming was Ariel’s interview with Eddie Hearn, whose comments about MMA ruffled some feathers. He teased a potential promotional move into the sport, and the guys discuss how big his involvement could become (32:17).

One promotion still struggling to break through is the PFL...

The Boys in the Back start the show with some news and notes, including Malcolm Wellmaker's next assignment (02:19), Justin Tafa stepping away (03:31), Carl Froch teasing a return (05:01), and Alex Pereira returning to Brazil and the tire shop where he worked (07:21).

Next, The Boys discuss Pereira's call to fight Jon Jones on the UFC's White House card and the impact it would have at both heavyweight and light heavyweight (14:37).

After breaking down UFC Rio (36:53), they make picks (1:08:17) and rank their P4P New York City boroughs (1:17:07), inspired by Charles Oliveira's nickname "Do Bronxs."

The...

 Ariel Helwani starts the show with news from the combat sports world, including the tragic passings of Arturo Gatti Jr. and Suman Mokhtarian, plus Sean Strickland getting married (06:18).

Carlos Ulberg returns, addresses Jiri Prochazka saying he turned down a fight, then talks about only having four weeks to train for Dominick Reyes, being front row for Alex Pereira and Prochazka at UFC 320, how a potential Pereira fight plays out, and more (19:27).

Paul Hughes joins to discuss his rematch against Usman Nurmagomedov, the controversial scoring, referee Keith Peterson’s actions during the fight, his respect for Nur...

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with On The Nose, answering questions about Ronda Rousey's return and Gina Carano as a potential opponent, whether Alex Pereira vs. Jon Jones is good for Tom Aspinall, future projects for Uncrowned Films, and more (07:34).

Petr Yan is back and believes he deserves the next UFC bantamweight title shot. He talks about Merab Dvalishvili's UFC 320 win, being willing to fight the champion on Dec. 6, only being 50% in their first fight due to an injured hand, and more (32:53).

Joe Pyfer joins following his UFC 320 win, discussing dealing with a hand...

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by recapping a wild weekend, starting with his experience at BKFC Newark, before moving on to UFC 320 and Alex Pereira's callout of Jon Jones (05:24).

Coach John Wood discusses being in the corner for back-to-back fights at UFC 320, with Merab Dvalishvili picking up a huge win and Khalil Rountree Jr.'s valiant effort against Jiri Prochazka. Wood details Dvalishvili's dominance, the potential of Ateba Gautier, and more (1:02:53).

Youssef Zalal is back after a big win, talking about the submission and Josh Emmett's verbal tap, his callout of Lerone Murphy, why...