The Ariel Helwani Show

Dan Canobbio and Chris Algieri open the show discussing the recent WBC ruling that Noel Mikaelian must fight David Benavidez or be stripped of his title. Mikaelian was close to finalizing a deal with lineal champion Jai Opetaia. It’s a messy situation that has a lot of ramifications for the future of the sport (02:19).

Dmitry Bivol returned to the ring this weekend and pitched a shutout over Michael Eifert, showing he still has it. Will he fight David Benavidez next or will he get a third fight with Artur Beterbiev (15:46)?

O’Shaquie Foster defeated Ray Ford in a very nip-and-tuck fight that saw him pull away late. Shakur Stevenson then entered the ring which led to a debate on who Foster should fight next. Fellow champion Emanuel Navarette is the clear choice if Foster wants to unify the titles (24:26).

Over in El Paso, Texas, Stephanie Han defeated Holly Holm in a fight many thought Holm won. Will Caroline Dubois be next for Han? Can Holm still get the Katie Taylor fight despite coming off a loss (38:39)?

Amanda Serrano got a stoppage win and tied Christy Martin’s knockout record. She has mentioned retiring at the end of the year (45:15).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by recapping a massive combat sports weekend, including Stephanie Han’s win over Holly Holm, UFC Macau and Road to UFC, Darren Till’s BKFC debut, Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington’s RAF rivalry, and more (07:14).

Music and entertainment icon Action Bronson returns to drop knowledge about a multitude of things, including his New York Knicks being in the NBA Finals, his new album Planet Frog, his thoughts on some upcoming UFC fights, and more (1:03:03).

Ben Askren joins to announce that he’ll be wrestling Belal Muhammad for RAF, talking about overcoming his near-fatal health crisis, his preparation for the match, recognizing similarities between his situation and that of NASCAR’s Kyle Busch, who recently died from pneumonia, how he thinks Gable Steveson will do in the UFC, his prediction for Tsarukyan vs. Covington, and more (1:33:51).

Ariel and the crew cover some more news and notes, including action from the boxing world, AAA’s mask vs. mask match, Katie Taylor teasing her final fight, UFC releasing soccer merch ahead of the World Cup, and more (2:09:48).

Arman Tsarukyan is back following another RAF win to detail his future plans in the wrestling world, provide thoughts on Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje, react to Colby Covington’s callout, give insights into Khamzat Chimaev's difficult UFC 328 weight cut, react to Ryan Garcia talking about their bet, and more (3:18:53).

Ariel wraps up the show with a few more news items, including Dana White’s recent comments about mental health and Anderson Silva, and Eddie Hearn calling for Tom Aspinall’s release (4:03:51), before answering your Super Chats (4:53:35).

The Craic is back! This time, it’s the duo of Petesy Carroll and Ben Fowlkes chopping it up.

To kick things off, the lads react to construction beginning for the UFC's White House card (03:38), along with Joe Rogan’s criticisms of the event (25:20).

The promotion behind the White House event has been relentless. Does Dana White deserve more credit for his recent media tour (38:10)?

The UFC President also opened up about the circumstances around Anderson Silva’s exit from the organization, which the boys discuss (44:02).

UFC Macau is this weekend, so Petesy and Ben talk the early start time and what the card has to offer (52:00).

Holly Holm’s boxing return (58:38) and Darren Till’s BKFC debut (01:02:06) also feature on this weekend’s slate.

To close the show, the duo answer your Super Chats (01:17:40).

Since Rico Verhoeven’s near-upset of Oleksandr Usyk, the boxing/MMA communities have been debating what the most difficult combat sport is: boxing, MMA or kickboxing? Chris Algieri breaks it down as someone who spent time practicing both boxing and kickboxing (06:17).

O’Shaquie Foster vs. Ray Ford for Foster’s WBC super featherweight title is the big fight of the weekend and we break down who could come out on top. Over in El Paso, Texas, Stephanie Han puts her title on the line in a rematch vs. MMA/Boxing legend Holly Holm and Amanda Serrano returns, looking to inch closer to the women’s knockout record (13:31).

Dmitry Bivol returns this weekend from an extended absence due to back surgery, taking on his mandatory, Michael Eifert. How much does Bivol have left in the tank and will we get the Betervbiev trilogy or a fight with David Benavidez (27:57)?

After reading your five-star podcast reviews (04:01), the Boys in the Back spotlight soaring ticket prices for Conor McGregor's return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 and wonder whether the price is worth it (06:34).

Next, they react to Dana White's recent comments about UFC fighter pay when compared to the WNBA (32:14) and the potential of a Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm rematch (46:36).

Then, they touch on chatter about Khamzat Chimaev's nightmare weight cut (1:02:08), more Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev talk (1:03:52), and results from Road to UFC (1:10:29).

The Boys preview UFC Macau (1:24:24) and Darren Till's BKFC debut (1:43:52), before making picks and acknowledging this week's lack of a P4P segment (1:48:40).

The show ends with your voicemails (2:01:17) and Super Chats (2:32:21).