Claim OwnershipThe Ariel Helwani Show
Subscribed: 881Played: 99,560
Subscribe
© Ariel Helwani
Description
“The Ariel Helwani Show” is the flagship program for Uncrowned. Every episode will feature interviews with the biggest names in combat sports, and analysis from Helwani and The Boys in the Back.
362 Episodes
Reverse
Ariel Helwani is joined by Petesy Carroll to give their immediate reactions to UFC 320, starting with Alex Pereira's blistering knockout of Magomed Ankalaev in their rematch (00:26).After discussing what could be next for Pereira — Jiri Prochazka, Carlos Ulberg, heavyweight (09:16) — they break down Prochazka's own impressive win over Khalil Rountree (22:12).Next, they look at Merab Dvalishvili's dominance against Cory Sandhagen and wonder whether he's cemented himself as the bantamweight GOAT (22:56).Performances by main card winners Youssef Zalal (32:10) and Joe Pyfer (36:18) get mention, before wrapping up with a review of the prelims (40:33) and BKFC's show in Newark (54:43).
Ariel Helwani & Petesy Carroll give their immediate reactions after PFL Champions Series 2, headlined by the highly-anticipated rematch between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes.They begin with a discussion about the main event, including the controversial scorecards (00:45) and where Hughes goes from here (33:31).Next, they cover Corey Anderson’s win in the co-main event (34:26) and Sergio Pettis‘ highlight reel knockout (34:52).Finally, they wrap up the rest of the card (36:00) and discuss PFL’s viability as an international brand (39:36).
The Craic is back! On an old school episode of The Craic, Petesy Carroll is joined by Brazilian powerhouse journalist Guilherme Cruz. Together, they react to the UFC 320 weigh-ins and talk Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev (00:49).Shifting from Brazilian MMA to Irish MMA, Petesy Carroll brings in Ireland’s top MMA journalists, Donagh Corby and Andy Stevenson, to cover the latest Irish combat sports news, starting with a breakdown of the UFC welterweight clash between Ian Machado Garry and Belal Muhammad (27:57).From one Irish MMA star to the next, the guys move on to Conor McGregor’s latest headline-grabbing interview, reacting to his claim that his fight is signed for the White House card (37:58).To close the show, the trio looks ahead to tonight’s PFL superfight: Paul Hughes vs. Usman Nurmagomedov (54:13).
The Boys in the Back begin the show by reacting to Conor McGregor's recent update about fighting at the White House (02:12) and two huge fights announced for UFC Qatar: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker and Belal Muhammad vs. Ian Machado Garry (08:06).Next, they preview UFC 320 (20:15), PFL Champions Series 2: Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 (1:19:04), and BKFC Newark (1:28:15), before making picks (1:40:30) and debuting a brand new Fight Feasts (1:45:22).Finally, the Boys deliver their P4P documentary rankings (1:59:23), listen to your voicemails (2:22:43), and answer your Super Chats (3:10:31).
Ariel Helwani and the Boys in the Back kick off the show by answering your On The Nose questions (05:20).MMA pioneer Mark Kerr joins to discuss the making of the original “The Smashing Machine” documentary, why he decided to open up about his struggles with addiction, receiving the call from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson about wanting to lead the new film, where he is now in life, and more (34:28).BKFC founder Dave Feldman is back in-studio to preview the promotions debut in New Jersey, including Frankie Edgar’s status and the animosity between Mike Perry and Jeremy Stephens. Plus, Feldman reacts to recent comments from Darren Till and Luke Rockhold, talks about wanting to sign Jorge Masvidal, wanting to make Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz, BKFC’s current valuation, and more (1:02:29).Ariel talks more about his upcoming BKFC plans, and answers more questions about McGregor’s White House demands, the appeal of Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira, and more (1:45:01).
1Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with a brief review of "The Smashing Machine," and reaction to Artem Lobov withdrawing from his return fight (05:37).Mateusz Gamrot is back to talk about his short-notice fight against Charles Oliveira, what it was like to get the call and his emotions after, getting advice from teammate Dustin Poirier, being energized by fighting in enemy territory, and more (12:16).Fighting Nerds head coach Pablo Morão Sucupira talks about the formation of the team, their rapid ascent, handling criticism during a rough patch, believing they will still create champions, how the team takes the next step, and being in attendance for Wanderlei Silva getting knocked out (32:58)."Zombie Jr.," JooSang Yoo, makes his show debut to discuss his dedicated fan base, meeting "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung for the first time, being on "Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight," continuing to use the "Zombie" moniker, and more (1:02:46).After Ariel and The Boys in the Back share more thoughts on "The Smashing Machine," the film's director Benny Safdie joins to express his passion for combat sports, talk about the film's realism and choices he made to mirror the original documentary, including recreating specific MMA settings and props, and his mission to pay tribute to MMA pioneers (1:42:13).Amir Khan joins from Nigeria to discuss his transition into boxing promotion, putting on his first event, Dana White's entry into the sport, being comfortable in retirement, the passing of Ricky Hatton, and more (2:07:49).Tom Nolan is our final guest of the day, breaking down his win at UFC Perth before taking about training at 14 years old, overcoming his first professional loss, preparing for a championship run, and his exchange with Joe Schilling after the win (2:31:28).
Ariel Helwani is back and kicks off the show with some news and notes, including his time in Montreal for Most Valuable Promotions’ Prospects 15 card (07:33), Zuffa Boxing’s deal with Paramount (10:09), Dana White’s "60 Minutes" interview (15:56), fallout from UFC Perth and its impact on UFC 320 (33:01), Wanderlei Silva getting knocked out after his fight (48:33), and more.Demetrious Johnson returns to discuss training with UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, break down Merab’s fight against Cory Sandhagen, predict whether Merab could have beaten prime Dominick Cruz, react to Ronda Rousey’s potential comeback, and more (59:35).Ariel and The Boys in the back rank Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s movies (1:23:47), before discussing Alexander Volkanovski’s next opponent (1:33:36), and who will headline the December card (1:36:16).Diego Lopes recaps his huge win over Jean Silva, before talking about the bad blood between his camp and the Fighting Nerds, the viral video of him throwing up after the fight, offering to fight Charles Oliveira on short notice, feeling like he might get the next title shot, and more (1:40:18).Ben Askren open ups about his double lung transplant and recovery, including his initial symptoms, going into the hospital and his experience there, how his family is dealing with everything, inspiring others through his journey, his long-term prognosis, the support he’s received, and more (1:59:44).Finally, Ariel and The Boys touch on Ronda Rousey (2:41:18), Conor McGregor’s White House demands (2:46:07), Terence Crawford’s run-in with police (3:00:22), and more.
Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes come together a fresh edition of The Craic.They kick off the show by breaking down the verbal jousting taking place between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira ahead of their clash at UFC 320 (6:12).From there, attention shifts to Din Thomas, who floated the idea of a UFC–PFL trade: Magomed Ankalaev for Dakota Ditcheva. The crew breaks down his comments (15:48).It’s Oleksandr Usyk vs. Jake Paul next. In a surprising callout, Usyk took to X to challenge Paul to an MMA fight. The guys make sense of the bizarre matchup (28:27).Then, the boys turn to UFC Perth’s underwhelming ticket sales and what they reveal about the state of UFC event pricing (40:23).One fighter at UFC Perth with momentum is Dominick Reyes. Chuck draws from his recent piece to marvel at Reyes’s resurgence after a brutal four-fight losing streak (48:32).Finally, Petesy previews his first NFL game in Dublin, with Chuck and Ben giving him their top tips for the experience (56:04).
The Boys in the Back double up this week and the show begins with a recap of all the stuff they missed since Monday, including Charles Oliveira getting Mateusz Gamrot (01:37), Jake Paul and Gervonta 'Tank' Davis facing off (07:53), PFL simplifying their title structure (19:37), Conor McGregor calling for $100 million to fight at the White House (48:38), and more.Plus, a UFC Perth preview (57:40), picks (1:23:26), P4P Three-Namers (1:27:11), voicemails (1:47:19), and Super Chats (2:22:46).
Ariel Helwani reacts to some of his classic interviews, providing additional insights and behind-the-scenes stories for each.This volume includes one of Ariel's first conversations with Chael Sonnen, prior to him becoming 'The Bad Guy' (02:50), Andrei Arlovski and the infamous 'How's Taste' moment (13:23), pop superstar Justin Bieber getting grilled (24:02), Bob Arum blasting the UFC and its fanbase during the early days (34:52), Ariel's first meeting with Jorge Masvidal (52:56), and an instant-classic Nate Diaz interview (1:04:49).
The MMA Beat is back! Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes discuss journalistic topics including the controversy around platforming Andrew Tate (04:35), Dana White's media strategy and approach to recent press conferences (18:31), the current state of MMA media (25:31), building relationships with subjects, in this case fighters (44:47), on and off the record conversations (59:11), and more.
The Boys in the Back are joined all show by Long Island own's 'Raging' Al Iaquinta, as they react to hot topics, including the hunt for Charles Oliveira's opponent (03:13), the latest news on the UFC's White House card (10:17), Raja Jackson's arrest (17:52) and Ronda Rousey teasing an MMA comeback (19:39).After talking a bit about Iaquinta's teammate Merab Dvalishvili (26:14), the trio discuss WWE's debut on ESPN (36:25), the UFC antitrust settlement (43:07), the failed GFL launch (48:34), and Frankie Edgar making his return for BKFC (49:19).Iaqtuina talks about life after retirement as a real estate agent (57:04), then transitions to the topic of TKO's proposed changes to the Ali Act (1:09:21) and what might be next for Dvalishvili (1:17:26) and another teammate, Aljamain Sterling (1:20:41).The Boys review some of Iaquinta's funniest tweets (1:22:33), before listening to your voicemails (1:37:50), and Iaquinta's recollection from the infamous Conor McGregor bus attack (1:57:37). Finally, they answer your Super Chats (2:44:21).
Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes begin this week’s episode by discussing the doomsday thinking surrounding The Fighting Nerds after they hit a poor run of form in UFC main events (05:57).The conversation then moves onto Raja Jackson’s arrest and the realization that he will likely be a huge commodity for fight sports promoters on the back of his streamed assault of independent wrestler Syko Stu last month (26:05).After that, the lads take a look at the viral moments that were created at Thursday’s Chris Eubank vs. Conor Benn 2 press conference, with Eubank stopping promoter Eddie Hearn as he tried to pay tribute to the late Ricky Hatton (44:13).Finally, the lads pay tribute to Tom Gerbasi, a legendary scribe who had a profound impact on combat sports and particularly, combat sports writers (55:54).
The Boys in the Back kick off the show with the latest flurry of updates about the UFC's planned White House event (01:50), including Conor McGregor and Dana White hinting at McGregor headlining the card.Next, they touch on Arman Tsarukyan's comments about Ilia Topuria's wealth (35:27), before delivering their P4P crossovers (48:58), inspired by Topuria's continued war of words with boxer Terence Crawford.Finally, the Boys listen to your voicemails (1:29:23) and answer your Super Chats (2:16:50).
Ariel Helwani opens the show with a tribute to combat sports writer and friend Thomas Gerbasi, who passed away (00:22).The Boys in the Back join Ariel to answer On The Nose questions, touching on Dana White’s recent comments about Ariel on "Impaulsive," Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier, Sean O’Malley’s next fight, and more (20:10).WWE Hall of Famer Torrie Wilson reflects on her career, including getting her start after being recognized by Kevin Nash, being intimidated in the early days, the development of her character, what it’s like to be backstage now, her dedication to fitness, and more (1:01:11).Julianna Peña is back to talk about her recovery from back surgery, joining the Real American Freestyle broadcast team, focusing on her MMA comeback, wanting to attend the White House card, and more (1:58:45).AEW superstar Timeless Toni Storm makes her debut on the show, discussing her wrestling journey starting at 13 years old, AEW going up against WWE, having the most fun at this point of her career, some of her notable rivalries, and more (2:31:52).Ariel and The Boys come back to react to the heated Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn 2 press conference, Jake Paul vs. Gervonta "Tank" Davis fight moving to Miami, and answer more On The Nose questions (2:59:03).
Ariel Helwani opens today’s show by reacting to Anthony Hernandez withdrawing from his Oct. 18 fight against Reinier de Ridder and Brendan Allen stepping in (05:18).British broadcaster Adam Smith is back on the show to reminisce about Ricky Hatton and celebrate his life (12:13).Shakur Stevenson returns to break down Terence Crawford’s dominance against Canelo Alvarez and discuss his own future, including potential fights against Teofimo Lopez and Ryan Garcia (37:48).Alexander Hernandez recaps his win over Diego Ferreira at Noche UFC, working with a farmer on the mental side of the game, UFC’s promotional efforts, his appreciation of spliffs, and more (1:01:25).Yoel Romero talks about his BKFC debut, wanting to fight Jake Paul and Darren Till, expecting to fight until he’s 52 years old, his incredible physique, his love of boxing, and more (1:27:59).The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll join Ariel to cover the continued war of words between Ilia Topuria and Terence Crawford, matchmaking for the UFC’s middleweight and featherweight divisions, Sean Strickland’s run-in with the controversial Derek Moneyberg, and more (1:50:03).AEW star Ricochet is our final guest of the day, discussing his place in the promotion, collaboration talking place in the AEW locker room, his WWE departure, drawing the line between himself and his character, his love of anime, and more (2:59:50).Ariel wraps up with your Super Chats (3:50:43).
Ariel Helwani begins the show by touching on the death of Ricky Hatton (3:34), before recapping a loaded combat sports weekend, starting with Terence Crawford's win over Canelo Alvarez (09:25), Eddie Hearn's brewing rivalry with Dana White (16:25), White's fingerprints — or lack thereof — on the card itself (29:47), Turki Alalshikh's growing influence (39:09), Noche UFC (1:01:27), and Ilia Topuria's continued callouts of Crawford (1:06:19).Crawford himself joins next to break down the win, talking about fighting up two weight classes, reacting to Canelo's frustrations during the fight and his comparison of Crawford to Floyd Mayweather, and responding to Topuria (1:22:50).Journalist Tris Dixon, the ghostwriter of Ricky Hatton's autography, is next, speaking on his emotions following Hatton's untimely death and reminiscing with stories from his incredible life (1:44:20).Gable Stevenson returns following his successful MMA debut to recap the victory, talk about his next steps, reveal details about his withdrawal from CJI 2, and more (2:06:15).Ariel dives back in on Noche UFC (2:42:32), Dana White saying Jon Jones called him to apologize (2:43:12), and Conor MCGregor pulling out of Ireland's presidential race (2:48:48).Eddie Hearn is the final guest of the day, reacting to Crawford vs. Canelo, Ricky Hatton's death, Molly McCann's boxing debut, and the decision in the rematch between Lewis Crocker beat Paddy Donovan. Plus, he discusses his rivalry with Dana White and the next moves for both Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor (3:02:16).Finally, Petesy Carroll joins to wrap up any other news and notes from the weekend, before the crew answers your Super Chats (3:53:56).
Petesy is live from Belfast with full coverage of Lewis Crocker vs. Paddy Donovan.He gives his verdict on the decision (02:38), shares post-fight reactions from Lewis Crocker and Eddie Hearn (05:22), and sits down with Gavan Casey to break it all down (21:14).
Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall, and Ben Fowlkes reunite to cover the week’s biggest topics.First up, Ben gives his exclusive review of The Smashing Machine, starring with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, off the back of his private screening (7:08).The crew then breaks down the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terrence Crawford presser, where Dana White faced pointed questions on fighter pay (26:34).The guys talk big picture about the boxing matchup, where their hype levels stand with fight night looming (49:14), and give their final picks (56:44).The other boxing fight taking place this weekend is Lewis Crocker vs. Paddy Donovan. Petesy is on the ground in Belfast with his breakdown of the highly anticipated bout (1:02:08).To finish, they turn their attention to UFC Noche. The trio dissect Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva, and whether the card is being overshadowed by Netflix’s boxing event (1:08:46).
The Boys in the Back kick off a loaded show with remembrance for 9/11, before moving on to news and notes including TKO COO Mark Shapiro revealing details of UFC's rights negotiations (04:22) and Ilia Topuria's response to Terence Crawford (09:18).Next, they preview Saturday's stacked lineup, starting with Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford (17:03) and finishing with Noche UFC (45:49).After making picks (1:11:04), the Boys deliver their P4P, with a twist (1:21:12), before wrapping up with your voicemails (1:44:53), including GC's controversial stance on the 'Phillies Karen' (1:57:38), and Super Chats (2:41:14)
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
Today I have chosen to search for a replacement for this podcast. I got used to skipping "Ariel x Ade" as I am not interested in boxing, but now Ariel throws in boxing on almost every episode he is involved in. Too bad because Boys In The Back is the best part of this pod.
1:14:00 Rico goes from a warm bed to an ice bath. I'm impressed 😮
3:14:30 Respect to Cube for not being pressured into getting the Covid jab.
2:34:00 "talkin about bullsh*t" 🤣
48:30 😂 Well played Ariel.
1:11:00 I love Vitor's fight against Scott Ferozo.
Usually when I subscribe to someone I am in the habit of consuming all their content. But since I rarely watch boxing, and couldn't pick most of these boxers out of a lineup, I'm going to skip Ariel x Ade from now on. ✌️
MMA starts at 1:22:30
I wonder who talks more, Alexander or his wife.
1:58:00 One hundred Ariel's can't beat a gorilla 🤣
That was quite the Eddie Hearn monologue. Reminds me of Mike Swick's interview with Joshua Fabia.
Based on Ariel's comment at 11:00, I wonder what he thinks about the killing of the pre-born (aka abortion).
40:50 Why are you using GoFundMe? GiveSendGo is the one to use.
29:00 Questions I would like to ask Ariel: Is it possible for Israel to do wrong? If yes, is it okay to criticize it?
Ariel needs to talk to a Constitutional scholar, because his understanding of the 1st Amendment is in error.
2:08:00 "They are not my fans, they are haters" 😂
Props to Dana for standing up for free speech, as opposed to those who say "I believe in free speech, BUT...".
Anyone who voices an opinion of Adolf Hitler should have to take a knowledge test about him. I suspect most would fail such a test, including myself.
2:14:30 Props to White for defending free speech. That's what makes the USA different from the UK.
1:53:00 I will fight Rob Font for two rounds for 25,000, and I'm 45. Though I won't be making the weight. 😄