The Ariel Helwani Show

The Craic is back with its dynamic trio. Petesy Carroll, Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes reunite, kicking things off with a deep dive into how the UFC’s Paramount era will shape up (2:47).Then, the guys react to Kayla Harrison dropping out of UFC 324 (28:13), how it impacts the quality of the UFC’s debut on Paramount, and whether UFC 325 shapes up as the stronger event (36:49).With Dana White at the helm of the UFC’s new deal, the trio break down his recent media appearances and how a lack of promotional push is impacting the hype around upcoming events (46:01).While the UFC prepares for its Paramount debut next week, attention turns to KSW, where rising prospect Salahdine Parnasse is set to face Marcin Held. Petesy breaks down the matchup for the lads (56:32).To round out the show, the chaps flex their dramatic muscles by re-enacting an interaction between a UFC matchmaker and a manager (1:04:05), then answer your Super Chats (1:22:21).

The Boys in the Back bring you another stacked show, starting with reaction to the arrest warrant issued for Gervonta Davis (02:52) and Dana White's recent comments about the White House card (05:12).Ariel Helwani joins, giving his own thoughts on the latest from White and discussing Kayla Harrison's withdrawal from UFC 324, as well as the numerous names volunteering to fight Amanda Nunes as a result (17:05).The Boys cover other news, including Paddy Pimblett calling Arman Tsraukyan's grappling overrated, Sean O'Malley reacting to sliding into the UFC 324 co-main event slot, Khalil Rountree Jr. calling for a Jiri Prochazka rematch, and more (48:17).After looking at some UFC championship futures (1:05:50), The Boys deliver their P4P heartbreaking cancellations (1:28:19), listen to your voicemails (1:49:38), and answer your Super Chats (2:17:25).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with On The Nose, answering questions related to Dana White’s announcement of Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer, Kayla Harrison being out of her UFC 324 bout against Amanda Nunes, Meta getting naming rights to the APEX, and more (04:23).Joe Pyfer is back to discuss the massive opportunity against Adesanya, being the betting favorite, how the fight got made, his respect for Adesanya, training his grappling with Nicky Rod, and more (1:06:12).Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez returns to preview his UFC Houston main event against Sean Strickland, then talks about his post-MMA plans, expecting a bloody fight from Strickland, not being bothered by trash talk, feeling like he doesn’t get special treatment from the UFC, and more (1:35:25).Old friend Daniel Cormier finally reunites with Ariel to celebrate a few holidays, discuss UFC’s move to Paramount, Harrison being forced out of the Nunes fight, Gable Steveson’s potential to be UFC champion, Jon Jones coaching Steveson, coaching opposite Jones on their reality show, his continued rivalry with Jones, potentially wrestling Jones, and more (2:19:57).Uncrowned’s Chuck Mindenhall, die-hard Denver Broncos fan, joins the show to talk trash to Ariel about his Buffalo Bills before their teams meet in the NFL playoffs (3:10:24).Ariel wraps up the show with your Super Chats (3:45:59).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by reacting to yesterday’s Arman Tsarukyan pizza party, Dana White’s upcoming announcement, PFL revealing the main event for its Pittsburgh show, Moses Itauma’s next fight being postponed, and more (04:47).Dakota Ditcheva is back on the show, detailing the hand injury that forced her to withdraw from PFL’s February event, breaking down the fight between former ATT teammates Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, weighing in on Valentina Shevchenko’s continued success, and responding to Cris Cyborg’s callout (34:50).Charles Johnson returns to preview his upcoming fight against Alex Perez, talk about his win over Joshua Van and his feelings on Van as UFC flyweight champion, seeing himself as more than just a prospect killer, what impact the Paramount partnership could have on promotional efforts, his track and field history, and more (1:05:11).Ariel reunites with old friend and co-host Ade Oladipo to react to the buzz surrounding big wins by Agit Kabayel and Dalton Smith, the announcement of Moses Itauma’s fight being delayed, Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia being made official, David Benavidez going up to challenge Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez, Zuffa Boxing’s debut show, KSI’s retirement from boxing, and more (1:30:15).Mauricio Ruffy is our final guest of the day, discussing his recent team-up with Alexander Volkanovski, suffering defeat to Benoit Saint-Denis and how he plans to bounce back, his highlight-reel knockout of King Green, preparing to face Rafael Fiziev, and more (2:04:55).Ariel closes the show with more news and notes, before answering your Super Chats (2:25:33).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with reaction to Real American Freestyle’s fifth event, headlined by Colby Covington and Luke Rockhold, and Dana White’s recent media tour (06:08).Bo Nickal, who was scheduled to compete against Yoel Romero at RAF05, joins next to discuss the event, Romero missing weight, trash talk from Covington and Rockhold, wanting to fight Covington in MMA and end his career, potentially competing on the White House card, and more (58:41).LFA CEO Ed Soares is back to detail the promotion’s new broadcast deal with VICE TV, explain why they didn’t come to an agreement with UFC Fight Pass, the promotion’s plans for 2026 and beyond, considering LFA the No. 2 promotion in the world, and more (1:20:01).UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski returns to talk about Diego Lopes getting the title shot over Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev, where the conversation about his retirement came from, whether he’d ever want to challenge for the lightweight belt again, being able to really showcase his personality in recent years, and more (1:45:30).Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan joins Ariel in-studio to discuss his potential next fight, hoping Paddy Pimblett loses against Justin Gaethje, his rise as a content creator, before being surprised with a massive assortment of pizza (2:07:41).Ariel ends the show by covering some news and notes, including Khamzat Chimaev calling for a light heavyweight title shot, Alex Pereira’s split from Tracy Cortez, Paramount’s new pricing, Kamaru Usman’s captured conversation with Anthony Joshua, and more (3:32:19).Plus, the answers to your Super Chats (3:55:16).

The Craic is back! Petesy Carroll kicks off the new year alongside Uncrowned’s finest, Chuck Mindenhall and Shaheen Al-Shatti.First up, they discuss how concerned we should be about Ilia Topuria’s fighting future following the UFC lightweight champ’s recent court proceedings (5:20).Another UFC lightweight with no title-fight news is Arman Tsarukyan. The trio react to Dana White’s interview with Robbie Fox, where he shed light on why (17:30).The 155-pound division continues to make headlines, this time with title contenders Paddy Pimblett and Dan Hooker clashing in a social media war of words. The lads break it down (28:31).From one feud to another, Petesy and the boys dissect the latest developments in the Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier rivalry (48:45).Finally, the guys highlight their biggest stories to watch in 2026 (55:54), and answer your Super Chats (1:16:18).

The Boys in the Back return to react to recent news, including PFL's former CEO departing, UFC Houston fight announcements, and LFA's new broadcast home (03:21).Next, they cover the unexpected talk of friendship between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, before discussing some of the other biggest rivalries in MMA history (13:06).Plus, the Boys debut the first annual Backie Awards (44:36), listen to your voicemails (1:19:14), and answer your Super Chats (1:56:23). 

Ariel Helwani is joined by The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll to review their predictions from last year, then forecast the MMA landscape for 2026.After giving their Must-See Fights (10:53), Breakout Fighters (45:39), Stories To Watch (58:58), and Male and Female Fighters (1:21:27), the crew predicts how many new UFC champions will be crowned (1:33:50), play a round of True or False (1:41:16), and each make one bold prediction (1:58:49).The show closes with a debate about the Michael Morales record controversy (2:16:21), Super Chats (2:53:43), and some other news and notes (3:05:02).

Ariel Helwani and Ade Oladipo reunite to roll out our second annual boxing awards spectacular, but first, they honor Anthony Joshua's close friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele (07:32).The duo hands out hardware in 20 categories, including Fight of the Year (18:26), Knockout of the Year (23:12), Trainer of the Year (1:09:08), Promoter of the Year (1:16:24) Moment of the Year (1:41:49), Female Fighter of the Year (1:53:52), Male Fighter of the Year (1:59:21), and many more.After saying goodbye to Ade, Ariel is joined by The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll for a supersized edition of On The Nose, with topics including Rico Verhoeven's next move (2:22:15), Adam Sandler vs. Will Ferrell (2:37:39), speculation about Justin Gaethje's status for UFC 324 (2:44:52), sportswashing and the state of modern journalism (3:03:21), Conor McGregor calling for a fight against Floyd Mayweather (3:17:50), Sean O'Malley setting a timeline for retirement (3:49:27), and more.Finally, Ariel answers your Super Chats to close the show (4:02:36).

Ariel Helwani, The Boys in the Back, and Petesy Carroll ring in 2026 with the long-awaited, never-duplicated 13th Annual Helwani Nose Awards.Before getting into the categories, the show pays tribute to MMA media member Abbey Subhan and Anthony Joshua team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele (08:28), then looks back at some of the moments we missed over the break (21:23).The gang jumps into the most comprehensive awards in sports, with categories including Performance of the Year (36:00), Fight of the Year (39:51), Knockout of the Year (52:19), Rivalry of the Year (1:33:33), Story of the Year (3:11:24), Female Fighter of the Year (3:25:18), Male Fighter of the Year (3:33:56), and many more.Finally, Ariel reacts to some breaking news about Jon Jones and rival Daniel Cormier (3:44:51) and answers your Super Chats (3:51:03).

Ariel Helwani starts the final live show of 2025 with a recap and reaction to Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, including the big winners and losers, before The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll join him to further break down the aftermath and forecast what’s next for both Paul and Joshua (04:07).Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn is back to provide his perspective on Joshua’s knockout of Paul, Paul’s game plan and toughness, Joshua’s rising star power, potential bouts for Joshua against Tyson Fury and Rico Verhoeven, Katie Taylor’s next fight, the brewing Zuffa Boxing rivalry, and more (1:04:01).Andrei Arlovski returns to the show to give details about his run-in with streamer Jack Doherty, including who was involved, how the whole thing kicked off, his reaction to Doherty’s comments after the fact, and more. Plus, he previews his upcoming BKFC heavyweight title bout against Ben Rothwell and gives thoughts on the Paul vs. Joshua fight (1:42:49).Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian provides an update on Jake Paul’s health after being knocked out by Anthony Joshua, and discusses Paul’s next move, how the loss impacts Paul’s stock, the main event purses, accusations of fight fixing, Netflix’s reaction to the event, and more (2:08:27).One-half of the AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions, Harley Cameron, joins Ariel in-studio to talk about her ascent in 2025, her early life and knowing she wanted to be an entertainer, WWE facilitating her early wrestling training, the AEW locker room, working with Mercedes Moné, before showcasing her ventriloquism skills (2:35:17).Ariel touches on a few news items, including Andrew Tate falling short in his Misfits debut against Chase DeMoor, and answers your Super Chats to wrap up the show (3:32:56).

The Ariel Helwani Show is live from Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Miami!After welcoming in the capacity crowd (00:30), Ariel is joined on stage by UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison (07:50) to discuss her upcoming fight against Amanda Nunes and more.The King of Miami, Jorge Masvidal, joins Ariel and ATT teammate Harrison on stage (29:05) to talk about the gym's dynamics, break down Harrison vs. Nunes, and tease his own 2026 comeback.Ariel wraps up the show by answering questions from the crowd (56:55). 

For the final Craic of 2025, Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall to round out the combat sports year.They open by previewing this weekend’s crossover fight between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua on Netflix (04:38).Shifting back to MMA, the duo discuss Tom “Bully” Aspinall’s message to Ciryl Gane and how the buildup to their rematch is shaping up compared to the first meeting (28:45).Then it’s over to the PFL, where news of Movlid Khaybulaev’s positive drug tests has caused ripples. The guys react to what it means for the PFL titleholder (41:35).Finally, Petesy and Chuck react to the latest Mark Zuckerberg MMA training footage, this time alongside Merab Dvalishvili (49:30).To close out the show and the year, they answer your Super Chats (55:00).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll, answering your On The Nose questions, with topics including Francis Ngannou’s free agency, booking fighters on the show, corporate jargon, The Beatles, and more (11:29).‘The Bad Guy’ Chael Sonnen is back to discuss John Cena’s retirement match, Ilia Topuria stepping away and the UFC lightweight title implications, Alex Pereira saying he won’t be on the White House card, Dana White’s claims about Francis Ngannou putting hands on him, Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, memories from the UFC on ESPN era, and more (1:04:51).Holly Holm returns ahead of her title bout against Stephanie Han in January to talk about her boxing career, her interest in a Ronda Rousey rematch, how a fight between Rousey and Katie Taylor would go, her own potential Taylor fight, the story behind her celebratory backflip, and more (2:02:36).Skye Nicolson joins following her win over Yulihan Luna to capture interim WBC super bantamweight gold, discussing how she’s adapted to the new weight class, her 2026 plan, including a quest to become undisputed, Devin Haney’s criticism of her and apology, Jake Paul being in danger against Anthony Joshua, how Ronda Rousey would fare in the ring, and more (2:34:57).Sam Alvey is our final guest of the day, looking back at his loss to Robelis Despaigne at Karate Combat 58, talk about the event being delayed and how it impacted his preparation, being content with the referee’s stoppage, his feelings about Karate Combat as a promotion, how long he plans to continue fighting, and more (3:03:11).Ariel closes with show with your Super Chats (3:22:36).

Ariel Helwani brings in The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll to react to the final UFC event of the year, starting with a review of Manel Kape’s big win and whether it was enough to earn a title shot, before moving on to the best moments from the now-over ESPN era, Francis Ngannou’s interview from last week and Dana White readdressing their interaction, and John Cena’s retirement match (12:16).Rising UFC star Kevin Vallejos makes his show debut, discussing his knockout of Giga Chikadze, being awarded a performance bonus for his spinning backfist, intending to donate to Chikadze’s charity, his callout of Cub Swanson, and more (1:36:50).Patrick Habirora joins on the heels of his win at PFL Lyon, talking about his training with Georges St-Pierre, his love of anime, his soccer background, seeking the toughest challenges, his knockouts of former UFC fighters, wanting to fight Kevin Lee next, feeling ready to take over if Usman Nurmagomedov leaves the PFL, and more (2:02:51).Tyson Pedro returns with some big news, announcing his signing with PFL, then discusses his boxing run, his listed nickname being changed to “Kangaroo Paws,” James Te Huna being a mentor of his, being named after Mike Tyson, and more (2:28:00).Shakur Stevenson is back to talk about his upcoming fight against Teofimo Lopez, claiming Lopez is not really from New York, describing his respect for Lopez from their time on the amateur scene, his plans to make Lopez pay for his words, working with Eddie Hearn, how a potential fight with Conor Benn would go, his training with Jake Paul, and more (3:06:55).Ariel briefly responds to Jamahal Hill and answers your Super Chats (3:32:54).

The Craic is back! As usual, Petesy Carroll is joined by Chuck Mindenhall and Ben “Big Time” Fowlkes.This week’s biggest story is the escalating back-and-forth between Dana White and Francis Ngannou. The crew breaks down their interviews and what the exchange really means (5:05).Next up, the lads tackle whether Merab Dvalishvili still deserves Fighter Of The Year after his loss to Petr Yan, and who might take the spot instead (38:48).Another end-of-year competition comes to a close with the Uncrowned MMA picks, and Ben Fowlkes addresses his disappointing bottom-of-the-table finish (49:21).Finally, Petesy and the guys preview UFC Fight Night: Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape (53:21) and answer your Super Chats (1:09:30).

The Boys in the Back submit their final show of the year, starting with some news and notes, including Kron Gracie being forced out of his VFL fight (02:49) and Islam Makhachev defending a potential Kamaru Usman title shot (04:04).After a conversation about the massive amount of turnover for UFC champions in 2025 (22:42), the Boys preview UFC Vegas 112 (41:18) and PFL Lyon (1:14:39), before touching on John Cena's retirement match (1:25:45) and making picks (1:35:53).The Boys deliver their P4P lists of finales (1:40:48), then answer your voicemails (2:05:22) and Super Chats (3:00:47).

Ariel Helwani begins the show by reviewing the latest war of words between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili after it first appeared they'd buried the hatchet (02:19).Francis Ngannou returns to talk about being approached to fight Jake Paul, his prediction for Paul’s fight against Anthony Joshua, his relationship and contract status with PFL, who he might fight next, Ciryl Gane’s eye-poke on Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira’s chances against Jon Jones, and address Dana White’s claim that Ngannou put hands on him (16:50).Ariel hits some news and notes and answers a few questions (1:02:28), before welcoming Chris Duncan back to the show to discuss his thrilling UFC 323 win, feeling that Terrance McKinney fights scared, sacrifices he’s making to become a champion, Donald Cerrone being his favorite fighter, and more (1:30:16).Jalin Turner joins on the heels of his first-round finish of Edson Barboza to talk about sharing the cage with a legend, overcoming mental hurdles and personal tragedy to make it back to the UFC, plans in motion for a massive 2026, and more (2:03:59).Ariel answers On The Nose questions about champions of years past facing modern stars, timing for UFC’s White House card, and more (2:25:22).Tatsuro Taira stops by to recap his big win over Brandon Moreno, witnessing the injury to Alexandre Pantoja from cageside, believing he will fight champion Joshua Van next, being willing to fight Van anywhere but hoping for Japan, and more (2:58:31).Ariel does another round of On The Nose questions, before answering Super Chats to end the show (3:29:23).

Ariel Helwani starts the show with On The Nose, touching on the heated back-and-forth between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Jamahal Hill, why MMA retirements don’t stick, how Paramount will recoup its UFC investment and how that impacts fighter pay, and more (11:24).Maycee Barber is back to break down her UFC 323 win over Karine Silva, discussing her health heading into the fight, the illegal upkicks she received, chasing a title shot, wanting to rematch Alexa Grasso, not being impressed by Valentina Shevchenko’s performance against Zhang Weili, and more (1:03:51).Mansur Abdul-Malik brings his infectious energy to the show, talking about his first-round submission of Antonio Trocoli at UFC 323, how his MMA journey started, being inspired by Rory MacDonald, why he’s so intense while preparing for fights, honoring his father and realizing his dreams, and more (1:28:16).Kron Gracie joins Ariel in-studio to reflect on his UFC career, talk about his departure from the promotion, fan reaction to him pulling guard, training with Gilbert Melendez, growing up with Rickson as a father, his unique training techniques, his perspective on earning jiu-jitsu black belts, and more (2:04:45).WBC women’s lightweight champion Caroline Dubois is our final guest of the day, discussing her signing with Most Valuable Promotions, leaving Boxxer, fighting on the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua card, wanting to fight Alycia Baumgardner, and more (3:10:40).Ariel answers more On The Nose questions and Super Chats to close the show (3:34:31).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with his reaction to UFC 323, including the excellence of Petr Yan in his upset win over Merab Dvalishvili, Joshua Van becoming the second-youngest champion in UFC history, Henry Cejudo’s retirement, and more (02:38).Dr. Brian Sutterer MD joins to discuss Alexandre Pantoja’s elbow injury, UFC initially suggesting it was a shoulder injury, the timetable for Pantoja’s return, MMA’s overall injury risks, Tom Aspinall’s eye injury and continued complications, and more (45:08).Ariel reacts to Dana White’s recent comments about Aspinall, and the latest updates about the White House card (59:35).Joshua Van joins on the heels of his UFC 323 victory over Pantoja to talk about becoming the second-youngest champion in promotional history, his view of Pantoja’s injury, wanting to rematch Pantoja, bringing the belt to his father’s grave, potentially fighting Tatsuro Taira, his response to those criticizing his celebration, and more (1:16:43).Coach John Wood returns to break down Merab’s performance at UFC 323, including Merab’s preparation, whether Merab relied too much on his striking, telling Merab he was ahead in the fight between rounds, plus, a check-in on Gina Carano as she returns to training, and more (1:34:57).Payton Tablott is back after the biggest win of his career to discuss Henry Cejudo’s game plan for UFC 323, their past training sessions and respect, who he wants to fight next, Merab’s performance, his wild interaction with Adin Ross, Winged C’s tattoo claims, and more (2:02:12).The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll join Ariel to cover some news and notes, including Dana White weighing in on Terence Crawford being stripped of his WBC belt and Arman Tsarukyan’s path back to the title, UFC announcing some new fights including Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira, Conor McGregor’s linkup with Mike Tyson, and more (2:31:42).Ariel answers your Super Chats to wrap up the show (3:50:27).