MMA Fighting

Francis Ngannou is the betting underdog heading into his first title defense against Ciryl Gane despite being on a streak of terrorizing finishes. Ngannou and Gane will compete to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion in the main event of UFC 270 this Saturday in Anaheim. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Jose Youngs, Shaun Al-Shatti, and E. Casey Leydon discuss all of the drama heading into the fight,...

Could Francis Ngannou have too much on his mind ahead of his first heavyweight title defense? That storyline is discussed on this week’s Between the Links ahead of Ngannou’s main event bout with Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 this Saturday. In addition, the panel talks the trilogy fight for the flyweight championship between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo, the UFC’s first pay-per-view event under t...

Brandon Moreno is staying his extremely humble self ahead of the first title defense this Saturday. The UFC flyweight champion kicks off this week's edition of We Got Next (4:11) to preview his third bout with Deiveson Figueiredo in the co-main event of UFC 270, talks how life has changed since becoming champion, admitting he was worried about taking the foot off the gas now that he's gotten to th...

Ex-desafiante ao cinturão do UFC, Claudinha Gadelha conversa com o Trocação Franca sobre a decisão de se aposentar do MMA e sua nova missão dentro do UFC: ajudar a nova geração de lutadores a brilhar no octógono. Claudinha fala da carreira, a conturbada saída da Nova União, o desejo de enfrentar Joanna Jedrzejczyk em uma luta de jiu-jitsu, e muito mais. O podcast recebe ainda o jornalista Raphael...

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans joins the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer to discuss his return from retirement, why he called it a career in the first place and what led to his decision to fight again. Evans will also address how long his comeback might actually last as he approaches his upcoming fight at Eagle FC 44 at 42 years of age. Finally, Evans will give his...

How close is Calvin Kattar to a UFC featherweight title shot after his bounce back win over Giga Chikadze, and what fight could get him over that hump? That question is discussed on the first matchmaking edition of On To the Next One for 2022 following Saturday's UFC Vegas 46 event. In addition, future matchups are discussed for Chikadze, Jake Collier, Brandon Royval, Katlyn Chookagian, Viacheslav...

Calvin Kattar silenced all of the critics with a dominant performance in the UFC’s first main event of 2022. Kattar returned to the octagon after a year layoff to batter Giga Chikadze and hand the Georgian standout his first UFC loss in the headliner of UFC Vegas. Did the victory put the New England Cartel fighter in featherweight championship contention? That question is discussed, along with oth...

Giga Chikadze and Calvin Kattar will battle it out in the UFC’s first main event of 2022. Does a surging Chikadze need a win more than Kattar, who is looking to bounce back from his loss to Max Holloway a year prior? That question is discussed, along with other top storylines ahead of UFC Vegas 46 with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee and E. Casey Leydon.  Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR...

One of the sport’s most heated rivalries will be settled in March, but was it the right call by the UFC to put the matchup between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal in a PPV main event slot? The new main event for UFC 272 between Covington and Masvidal will be discussed on this week’s edition of Between the Links. In addition, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew will talk the new featherweigh...

If the Paul brothers really want to make the move to MMA, "Big Tuna" would be happy to welcome either one of them. Ben Parrish (12:33) returns to We Got Next to preview his light heavyweight matchup with Sullivan Cauley at Bellator 273 on Jan. 29, discusses making his second promotional appearance at the reaction from MMA fans following his memorable Bellator debut in September, feeling like win,...

O Trocação Franca está pesado. Ex-campeão peso mosca do UFC, Deiveson Figueiredo analisa a trilogia com Brandon Moreno e os treinos com o ex-rival Henry Cejudo, enquanto Rodolfo Vieira comenta o duelo brasileiro com Wellington Turman no mesmo card, o UFC 270 de 22 de janeiro. Vitor Miranda, veterano e analista de lutas da organização, prevê o ano do Brasil no UFC e quem pode faturar cinturões em 2...

Paul Felder joins The Fighter vs. The Writer for the official 2022 preview show as he helps break down his favorite fights already booked for the year ahead, along with his picks for the biggest threats to each and every champion currently reigning in the UFC. Felder also addresses some bold predictions, including Francis Ngannou’s future with the UFC and whether or not Jon Jones will return befor...

Could 2022 see both Jon Jones and Conor McGregor fight for UFC titles? Will Khamzat Chimaev get himself into a title fight as well? This week on On To the Next One, those questions are presented during the 2022 predictions extravaganza. Hosts Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee will go through a slew of buy/sell questions presented by listeners about a variety of topics — including whether Jake Paul's...

O episódio dessa semana do Trocação Franca está um pouquinho diferente. Vocês atenderam ao meu chamado nas redes sociais e enviaram dezenas de ótimas perguntas (e ruins também, claro) sobre sobre tudo o que está rolando por aí no mundo do MMA, do futuro do Brasil no esporte ao trabalho como jornalista de MMA, e eu respondi a cada uma delas. Clica aí e vem conversar comigo. O melhor do MMA brasilei...

Dana White and Jake Paul kicked off 2022 with a back-and-forth war of words — which is something that happened quite frequently in 2021. But what does it all mean and can any actual good come from it? That topic will be discussed by on the finale of the Between the Links championship tournament. In addition, the title competitors will talk the potential of a fight between Dustin Poirier and Nate D...

Cheyanne Vlismas would love to get back inside the octagon before the summer, but she can't say for sure if that will be a reality. Vlismas (4:41) kicks off this week's episode of We Got Next to recap her impressive unanimous decision win over Mallory Martin in December at UFC Vegas 44, discusses spending the new year in an undisclosed location, a rollercoaster ride throughout 2021 that included a...

Co-hosts Shaun Al-Shatti and Alexander K. Lee ring in the new year by rummaging through the chaos left by an unforgettable run in December, anointing a new women's pound-for-pound No. 1 atop MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings and more. Then, the duo are joined by old friends Mike Heck and Jed Meshew around (24:30) to discuss Conor McGregor finally falling out of the rankings, play a round of "Ever Aga...

With 2021 being such a wacky year in the world of mixed martial arts, we felt it was important to look back at the predictions that were made heading into one of the most memorable years in the history of the sport. In part one of our two-part predictions extravaganza, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee look back on some of the responses they had to listener question in regards to what...

Join the MMA Fighting staff as we look back at the biggest highs and most jaw-dropping moments of 2021 in a special year-end retrospective. We’re honoring the nights that defined a roller-coaster 12-month sprint — and handing out plenty of hardware for the athletes whose incredible accomplishments will stand the test of time when we remember 2021. Follow Shaun Al-Shatti @ShaunAlShatti Follow Mike...

On a very special episode of MMA Fighting’s Between the Links, Jon Anik recaps a memorable 2021 campaign for the UFC and looks ahead to what could be in store for the new year. Anik discusses why 2022 can be a fascinating year for the UFC in-terms of unresolved storylines, Max Holloway’s 2021 campaign not getting enough respect following his wins over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez, Charles Oliv...

This week on We Got Next, Ricky Simon to recap his KO victory over Raphael Assuncao at UFC Vegas 45, having Ed Herman call him a “veteran” in the gym recently, if he felt weight lifted off of his shoulders after the finish with memories of his loss to Urijah Faber in the back of people’s minds, his awkward exchange with Michael Bisping and the former middleweight champion’s claims that Simon tried...

Nada melhor que terminar 2021 com uma entrevista histórica, e para isso o Trocação Franca convidou a lenda Rickson Gracie. Um dos maiores nomes da história das lutas, Rickson abriu o jogo sobre tudo: como a “poligamia” deu origem ao clã Gracie e sua relação com a babá Isabel, sua mãe de sangue, sobre as tais 400 lutas de invencibilidade, qual lutador ficou entalado por nunca ter enfrentado, como u...

How would Dustin Poirier fare in the UFC's welterweight division? Who will Conor McGregor fight next in his return to action? Those questions are answered on a special edition of On To the Next One. This week, hosts Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee answer questions from the listeners about MMA and beyond with topics including favorite sports to watch outside of mixed martial arts, fantasy boxing mat...

Did Jake Paul land a $1 billion KO punch on Tyron Woodley this past Saturday night following a lackluster six-plus rounds of boxing in Tampa? This week on Between the Links, that question is discussed, along with what could be next for Paul after one of the most violent knockouts of the year, Derrick Lewis getting back on track with a vicious stoppage of Chris Daukaus in the main event of UFC Vega...

Julianna Peña quebrou a banca e finalizou Amanda Nunes para levar o cinturão peso-galo no UFC 265 e Luiz Claudio, treinador de jiu-jitsu da venezuelana, conversou com o podcast sobre a zebra histórica em Las Vegas. O brasileiro, faixa-preta formado por Rickson Gracie, acredita que Nunes subestimou sua aluna no UFC 265, mas espera luta mais dura na revanche. Luiz Claudio também falou do retorno de...