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)
Ariel Helwani begins the show by answering your On The Nose questions, with topics including Andrew Tate, Mike Tyson vs. Floyd Mayweather, and more (05:37).Alexander Hernandez joins to preview his Noche UFC fight against Diego Ferreira, discuss his new nickname, the turning point in his career, and more (1:04:03).Charles Oliveira is back to announce his new collaboration with Project Rock, then look back at his loss to Ilia Topuria, look ahead to his matchup with Rafael Fiziev, and reveal details about his weight cuts (1:27:11).WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker joins to discuss his fight with Fabio Wardley, whether he thinks he’ll end up facing Oleksandr Usyk, and more (2:00:44).Ariel reacts to Amber Dixon of Vegas PBS’ interview with Dana White, in which White was asked questions about fighter pay (2:24:44).Jaime Munguia clears the air about his false positive test following the Bruce Surace fight, detailing the process of proving his innocence and the response from the boxing community (2:42:11).Ariel and the Boys in the Back wrap up with a few more On The Nose questions and Super Chats (3:16:08).
Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with a check-in on Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight week (03:19).Diego Lopes returns ahead of this weekend’s Noche UFC matchup with Jean Silva to break down the fight, respond to Silva’s proposed bet, talk about accepting fights against Yair Rodriguez and Aaron Pico, and more (13:46).Carlos Prates looks back at his highlight-reel knockout of Geoff Neal, before discussing a tough night in Paris for The Fighting Nerds, his upcoming meeting with Leon Edwards, his prediction for Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev, wanting to rematch Ian Machado Garry, and more (31:53).Corey Anderson joins Ariel in-studio to preview his PFL light heavyweight title fight against Dovlet Yagshimuradov in October, express frustrations about being sidelined for over a year before his last fight, call for a trilogy fight against Vadim Nemkov, react to teammate Frankie Edgar coming out of retirement, explain his passion for bowhunting, and more (57:52).Paul Craig reminiscences about his career following an emotional retirement in Paris, including his highest moments and regrets, messages from his peers and more (1:57:24).The Boys in the Back join Ariel to close out with some more news items, before ripping open PFL trading card packs and answering your Super Chats (2:23:00).
Ariel Helwani is back, starting with his reaction to UFC Paris and specifically Nassourdine Imavov’s big win over Caio Borralho (07:45).Benoit Saint Denis discusses his flawless performance against Mauricio Ruffy in Paris, bouncing back in a big way after the lows of 2024, wanting to fight Mateusz Gamrot, and more (23:10).Darren Till returns with thoughts on the state of the influencer boxing scene, potential fights against Andrew Tate and Jake Paul, his continued feud with Carl Froch, and more (51:47).Bryan Battle calls in to reveal details of his recent PFL signing, then talks about wanting to compete in the promotion’s tournament and his fears after being released by the UFC (1:27:05).Maven Huffman joins Ariel in-studio to tell stories from his WWE career, discuss his meteoric rise as a YouTube creator, whether he’d work with any wrestling promotions in the future, his upbringing, and more (1:48:35).Modestas Bukauskas rounds out the day by recapping his win over Paul Craig, including his reaction to Paul’s retirement, and looking back at his early life as a basketball player (3:12:01).
The Craic is back from its summer hiatus. Petesy Carroll is joined by Craic regular Ben Fowlkes, and they kick things off by reacting to the Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane press conference (5:08).Next, the guys unpack the fallout from Rampage Jackson’s interview with Ariel earlier this week, and Petesy and Ben weigh in on the former UFC star’s comments (28:02).The boys then talk the recent update to the potential White House UFC card, and touch on Kayla Harrison’s visit to meet the President (40:00).After that, the boys react to The Smashing Machine debuting at the Venice Film Festival and receiving a 15-minute standing ovation (46:40).To close the show, the duo react to the surprising rumors of a Mike Tyson vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing match (56:15) and look ahead towards UFC Paris (1:09:21).
The Boys are back from vacation and jump into news and notes, including Bo Nickal getting booked against Rodolfo Vieira (01:50), Kayla Harrison's visit to the White House (04:25), and Anderson Silva's reported payout from the UFC antitrust lawsuit (11:06).Next, they preview UFC Paris from top to bottom (15:41), before making their picks (59:45) and debuting a brand new Fight Feasts focused on French cuisine (1:03:28).The Boys close the show by delivering their P4P rankings of "French" things (1:21:06) — anything with French in the name/title — and answering your voicemails (1:32:50) and Super Chats (2:09:19).
After quickly hitting some news and notes, Ariel Helwani is joined by Chael Sonnen to discuss his busy weekend with Real American Freestyle and CJI 2, the response to his initial comments on Raja Jackson, and his surprising prediction for the White House card main event (11:21).Deontay Wilder recaps his win over Tyrrell Herndon, before talking about feeling rejuvenated and wanting to fight until he's 50, teasing a potential fight against Francis Ngannou, and more (1:03:01).Luke Rockhold returns on the heels of his loss to Darren Till and addresses his future, including the topic of retirement and what life after fighting might look like. Plus, he details his backstage scuffle with Dillon Danis and responds to BKFC's David Feldman (1:30:07).Alex Pereira is back in studio to discuss the Magomed Ankalaev rematch, address Ankalaev's social media persona, reveal the truth behind his own moment of frustration on social media, and look ahead to some new projects, including his acting debut and a new non-profit charity (1:58:37).Andre Ward previews Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, talking about his commentary role for Netflix, potentially coming out of retirement to fight Anthony Joshua, his feelings on Jake Paul vs. Gervonta 'Tank' Davis, and more (2:59:38)Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson opens up about the situation involving his son Raja, revealing some of their conversations after the event, threats his family has received in the aftermath, what he expects to happen to Raja, who's to blame, and more (3:19:29).Ariel and the Boys in the Back answer your questions during On The Nose, with topics including more on the Raja Jackson situation, Francis Ngannou, and Ariel's trip to Italy (4:10:52). Finally, they answer Super Chats before signing off (4:54:06).
Ariel Helwani and the crew are back from vacation, so they start with a catch-up on all the things they missed, including reactions to Raja Jackson's situation, UFC 322 being announced, the combat sports weekend — Misfits, Real American Freestyle, and CJI events, Jake Paul vs. Gervonta 'Tank' Davis, UFC Shanghai, and more (15:50).Charles Johnson joins to discuss his big win in Shanghai, give a prediction for Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van, and more (02:02:26).Mackenzie Dern is next, previewing her strawweight title shot against Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321 (02:45:06).Tom Lawlor talks about his wrestling career, before tackling the Raja Jackson topic, including his own experiences in wrestling, who is to blame for the incident, and what potential repercussions to expect (03:06:46).Aljamain Sterling is the final guest of the day, breaking down his win over Brian Ortega, making his case for a title shot, and giving his stance on referee accountability (03:36:19).
On a special Thursday edition of The Craic, Petesy Carroll tackles the week’s biggest stories alongside Chuck Mindenhall and Ben Fowlkes.They kick things off by debating whether Khamzat Chimaev’s recent middleweight title victory over Dricus Du Plessis has fueled the perception that he’s becoming a boring fighter (2:15).Alongside Khamzat Chimaev in the main event, UFC 319 was also set to feature Bryan Battle vs. Nursulton Ruziboev. But Battle’s second consecutive weight miss led to the fight’s cancellation and his release from the promotion. The trio discuss what his cut says about how the UFC handles its roster (21:28).Another weight class heating up is the UFC welterweight division. Sean Brady is calling out Ian Machado Garry, while Garry is taking aim at Leon Edwards. The crew lay out how they’d match up the top of the division (27:04).Next, the guys react to the controversial announcement of Jake Paul vs. Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis as the latest Netflix boxing bout (39:10).Looking ahead to the weekend’s fights, the chaps preview the under-the-radar UFC Shanghai card, including the co-main event standout, Brian Ortega vs. Aljamain Sterling (53:59).To close the show, Petesy and company size up this weekend’s PFL card, headlined by Fabian Edwards vs. Dalton Rosta, whose trash talk has been going viral online (01:05:47).
The Boys in the Back kick off the show by reacting to breaking news that Jake Paul will be fighting Gervonta 'Tank' Davis in November (02:18).Sparked by Dana White announcing Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez for October, the Boys discuss who Khamzat Chimaev will face in his first title defense (10:04).After previewing UFC Shanghai (26:56), we get the official announcement for Paul vs. Davis, so the Boys give their takes on the updated details (54:07).Following a brief look at the conclusion of PFL's championship round (1:05:15), the Boys make picks (1:07:33), deliver their P4P rankings of kung fu movies (1:15:22), and close the show with your voicemails (1:34:25) and Super Chats (2:06:50).
Ariel Helwani is flying solo for this episode of Ariel x Ade, but he’s bringing three guests with him.First, trainer Ben Davison joins to discuss Moses Itauma’s first-round stoppage against Dillian Whyte, Itauma’s seemingly limitless potential, who the phenom might fight next, whether it’s too soon for the Oleksandr Usyk fight, and he gives an update on Anthony Joshua’s status (02:59).Next, Dan Canobbio stops by to give his own take on what’s next for Itauma, Joseph Parker needing to be next for Usyk, Daniel Dubois splitting from trainer Don Charles. Plus, previews of some upcoming cards, including Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, and more (28:03).Finally, Mick Conlan calls in to talk about his September return in Dublin and weigh in on other topics including whether Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul would be bad for the sport of boxing, if it’s too soon for Itauma vs. Usyk, the potential of fellow Irishman Callum Walsh and more (48:04).Ariel closes the show with a look at the upcoming schedule, before celebrating an anniversary with the Parting Shot (1:07:08).
Ariel Helwani kicks off the show with Lerone Murphy, who talks about his highlight-reel knockout of Aaron Pico at UFC 319, practicing the spinning elbow, champion Alexander Volkanovski’s callout for December, his weight cut, and more (07:53).Dillon Danis is back in studio with Ariel to discuss a variety of topics, including his upcoming Misfits fight, why he’s not facing Tony Ferguson, believing he can submit Khamzat Chimaev, the ongoing lawsuit with Logan Paul’s wife Nina Agdal, and more (31:37).Dillon’s upcoming opponent, Warren Spencer, drops in to respond and things get heated (1:13:53), then Ariel and Dillon continue their banter (1:26:22).Carlos Ulberg joins next to preview the Dominick Reyes fight, look back at his win over Jan Blachowicz and express disappointment that it didn’t lead to a title shot, break down the Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch, and more (1:58:42).Finally, BKFC opponents Mike Perry and Jeremy Stephens go face-to-face, with tempers flaring and both making the case for victory in October (2:21:42).
Ariel Helwani opens the show with a full recap of UFC 319, including a response to the chatter of Khamzat Chimaev being “boring” (02:28).Paulo Costa joins Ariel in-studio to react to Chimaev’s victory, talk about the UFC’s decision not to have him front row in Chicago, his game plan for a potential Chimaev fight, their past run-ins, making his acting debut, and his faith (1:01:00).Then, Paulo dusts off the clippers to give NewYorkRic another haircut (1:58:11).Francis Ngannou is next, reacting to recent comments by PFL Chairman Donn Davis about their first event in Africa and expressing his own vision for PFL Africa. He also discusses the status of his relationship with the PFL, Jon Jones’ retirement, still wanting to fight Deontay Wilder, details from April’s motorcycle accident, and more (2:14:47).Michael "Venom" Page returns after his victory over Jared Cannonier at UFC 319 to talk about the performance, whether he’ll go back down to welterweight or remain at middleweight, hanging out with Carlos Prates, potential fights against Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards, and more (2:58:48).Tim Elliott, fresh off an upset win over Kai Asakura, makes his show debut to discuss his game plan for the fight, being vocal about wanting digital scales to be used for weigh-ins, returning from a long layoff, responding to critics on social media, and more (3:10:05).Bryan Battle is the final guest of the day and he’s back to discuss UFC 319 fight week, including his weight miss that led to his bout being cancelled, believing he can still make middleweight, hoping for the fight to be rebooked for October, dealing with the blowback from fans, and more (3:39:44).Ariel and the Boys in the Back close the show with more news and notes and your Super Chats (4:05:36).
Shawn Cahill
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.
Shawn Cahill
1:14:00 Rico goes from a warm bed to an ice bath. I'm impressed 😮
Shawn Cahill
3:14:30 Respect to Cube for not being pressured into getting the Covid jab.
Shawn Cahill
2:34:00 "talkin about bullsh*t" 🤣
Shawn Cahill
48:30 😂 Well played Ariel.