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The Ariel Helwani Show

The Ariel Helwani Show
Author: Ariel Helwani
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“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.
367 Episodes
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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. Petesy and Chuck discuss the underwhelming buildup to one of its biggest matchups, Paul Hughes vs. Usman Nurmagomedov 2 (53:43).To wrap up the show, Chuck gives the lowdown on this weekend's Ice Wars and the duo answer your Super Chats (1:02:52).
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 show wraps as it always does, with The Boys listening to your voicemails (1:38:55) and answering your Super Chats (2:47:41).
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 Nurmagomedov and his team, and more (47:48).Dan Hooker is back to preview his fight against Arman Tsarukyan, explaining where his animosity toward Arman comes from, believing Arman is a rich “daddy’s boy,” responding to Arman’s comments about them being locked in a room, and discusses his 1 Minute Scraps promotion (1:17:39).Actor Channing Tatum joins ahead of the release of his new movie "Roofman," his life before acting, dealing with impostor syndrome, portraying real-life characters, working with Cung Le and their friendship, his love of MMA, and more (1:44:41).Eddie Hearn is in-studio to talk about his Netflix series, the recent signing of Ben Whittaker, his growing rivalry with Dana White, his potential interest in entering the MMA space, Chris Eubank’s claims of Matchroom delaying his ambulance and potential legal action, Shakur Stevenson’s next fight, and more (2:09:46).Wrestling legend Raven joins to discuss his upcoming documentary, whether he has any regrets, why it ultimately didn’t work out with WWE, not watching wrestling anymore, his hardcore MMA fandom, and more (3:05:04).
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 injury before the fight, why his game plan was so wrestling-heavy in the first round, his desire for a top 15 fighter next, his new nickname, and more (1:01:08).Sergio Pettis returns to talk about his highlight-reel knockout at PFL Dubai, what Khabib said to him after the win, training his spinning techniques, wanting to be PFL bantamweight champion, taking a boxing match in India, fighting for Rizin, and more (1:29:16).Ariel and the Boys in the Back react to breaking news of Conor McGregor's suspension for violating the whereabouts policy of the UFC's anti-doping program, and answer more On The Nose question, including Ariel's tortured fandom (1:50:52).Arman Tsarukyan is our final guest of the day, previewing his fight against Dan Hooker, explaining what will happen if they cross paths before the fight, reacting to Hooker saying it's on-sight, before talking about training with Khamzat Chimaev, his viral food videos, and more (2:30:58).The show closes with your Super Chats (3:10:25).
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 it was such a long layoff between fights, wanting to return in December, and more (1:32:15).Veronica Hardy breaks down her win over Brogan Walker, opens up about gaining confidence and overcoming her own doubts, being coached by Sean Strickland, her broadcasting career, and more (1:56:18).Jiri Prochazka continues the train of UFC 320 winners, explaining why he didn't feel danger against Rountree, why he was so emotional while watching Alex Pereira's win in the main event, before revealing that Carlos Ulberg turned him down, wanting to confront Ankalaev and his manager about their social media posts, and more (2:32:32).Finally, the Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll re-join Ariel to give thoughts on Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes 2, circle back to Ariel's time at BKFC and UFC 320, and wrap with your Super Chats (2:57:40).
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).
Ariel 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).
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. 😄