MMA Fighting

The weekend the combat sports world has been waiting for is upon us with Joshua vs. Ngannou going down on Friday, while the loaded UFC 299 event takes place Saturday in Miami, Fla. Francis Ngannou will look to shock the boxing world once again as he faces Anthony Joshua, while Sean O'Malley defends his UFC bantamweight title for the first time in an attempt to exercise the demons in a rematch with Marlon Vera.On an all-new episode of Between the Links, the panel discusses the Joshua vs. Ngannou fight that takes place in Saudi Arabia, the stakes involved for Ngannou win or lose, and what will happen with his MMA career based on the results. Additionally, they'll discuss the storyline angles regarding O'Malley vs. Vera, where both guys go should they capture the title, if Merab Dvalishvili should have a rooting interest, Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis, the most interesting fight outside of the top two, the announcement of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium on July 20 on Netflix, and a Q&A final round — if it gets that far.Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Alexander K. Lee. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can Francis Ngannou shock the boxing world again and, perhaps, find his way into a shot at the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world? The former UFC heavyweight champion will have his opportunity this Friday in Saudi Arabia as he takes on former world champ Anthony Joshua.Ahead of the loaded fight card, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew preview the highly anticipated Joshua vs. Ngannou matchup, discuss the differences between this fight and the one Ngannou recently had with Tyson Fury, where Ngannou goes either way, and what Joshua will need to prove in victory to show he's truly back to form. Additionally, they'll discuss other interesting matchups on the card, and take viewer questions. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

UFC 299 is here and it is ridiculous.This Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., UFC 299 takes place headlined by a bantamweight grudge match between champion Sean O'Malley and former foe Chito Vera. That's just the tip of the iceberg though at 299 is one of the most stacked cards in recent memory, with some people even suggesting it could be better than UFC 300 on paper. Plus, Francis Ngannou is boxing Anthony Joshua this weekend as well so with this amount of insane action, the No Bets Barred boys had to bring in a third chair.Conner Burks and Jed Meshew are joined by Tony Calatayud this week as he's boots on the ground in Miami, and the trio dives deep into all the insane action awaiting us this weekend. Can Sean O'Malley get his revenge on Chito Vera? Has Father Time caught up to Dustin Poirier? How will Michael "Venom" Page look in his UFC debut? And can anything stop the ascent of Jailton Almeida. All this and more are discussed on this week's episode.Tune in for episode 80 of No Bets Barred. Follow Conner Burks: @connerburks Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Follow Tony Calatayud: @10DayTony Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is one of the big weeks marked on the calendars for fight fans around the world with Francis Ngannou looking to shock the boxing world once again when he faces Anthony Joshua on Friday, and a loaded UFC 299 event on Saturday, headlined by the rematch between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera for UFC bantamweight gold — and that's just a couple of the big storylines for this weekend.On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses UFC 299 and Joshua vs. Ngannou, the O'Malley vs. Vera second chapter, and everything that could happen based on the results. Additionally, listener questions include Petr Yan's return to the octagon against Song Yadong this Saturday, Michael Page's UFC debut against Kevin Holland, Alexandre Pantoja's next title defense following Muhammad Mokaev's win at UFC Vegas 87, Jamahal Hill challenging Alex Pereira at UFC 300, and more.You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jailton Malhadinho desafiará Tom Aspinall no UFC 301, no Rio, caso passe por Curtis Blaydes? Sean O’Malley será capaz de subir de peso em busca do cinturão de Ilia Topuria? Francis Ngannou voltará ao MMA para enfrentar Renan Problema? O Trocação Franca dessa semana responde (ou ao menos tenta responder) essas e outras questões na companhia de Malhadinho, Problema, Pedro Munhoz e Augusto Tanquinho.O melhor do MMA brasileiro no Trocação Franca, toda semana, com o jornalista Guilherme Cruz e convidados.Will Jailton Almeida challenge Tom Aspinall at UFC 301 with a win over Curtis Blaydes? Can Sean O’Malley move up in weight to challenge Ilia Topuria for a second UFC belt? Will Francis Ngannou ever return to MMA to face Renan Ferreira? Trocação Franca answers (or at least tries to) these and other key questions in interviews with ‘Malhadinho’, ‘Problema’, Pedro Munhoz and Augusto ‘Tanquinho’ Mendes.Listen to Trocação Franca with Guilherme Cruz every week to hear from the biggest names on the hottest topics in the Brazilian combat sports world.Follow Guilherme Cruz: @Guicruzzz Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Fighter vs. The Writer returns with UFC legend Matt Brown and MMA Fighting senior reporter Damon Martin breaking down the biggest fights at UFC 299 and preview the boxing match between Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua on Friday.Sean O’Malley defends his title in the main event at UFC 299 when he clashes with Marlon “Chito” Vera, who is the only person to hand him a loss in his career. On paper the fight didn’t make much sense with other contenders ahead of Vera in the rankings but this was a handpicked fight made by O’Malley to avenge his only loss.But does “Chito” have a great chance at winning or is this just O’Malley’s fight to win?Ultimately, Brown explains why it may not matter because he’s not sure the winner of the UFC 299 main event will hold the title for very long, especially with Merab Dvalishvili waiting in the wings.We’ll also discuss the gravity surrounding Dustin Poirier’s latest fight against Benoit Saint Denis and what a win or a loss could mean for his future. Brown also discusses his interest in Michael “Venom” Page finally making his UFC debut and the difficulty he could face against a veteran like Kevin Holland.We’ll also give our breakdown for the Ngannou vs. Joshua fight and debate if that result could potentially decide if “The Predator” ever returns to MMA again or not.All this and more on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer!Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UFC returned to the APEX for one last stop on the road to Miami and UFC 299, and in the main event of Saturday's UFC Vegas 87, Jairzinho Rozenstruik outclassed Shamil Gaziev and earned a fourth-round referee stoppage TKO. Is it now time to book the fight for "Bigi Boi" that fans have been asking to see for years with Derrick Lewis?On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what's next for Rozenstruik from a matchmaking perspective following his bounce back victory. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Vitor Petrino following his co-main event decision win, Muhammad Mokaev after his victory over one-time title challenger Alex Perez, Umar Nurmagomedov following his dominant win over a game Bekzat Almakhan, Steve Erceg after knocking out Matt Schnell, and more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jairzinho Rozenstruik capped off Saturday's UFC Vegas 87 event at the APEX with a referee stoppage TKO victory after the fourth round against previously undefeated Shamil Gaziev. While that fight was the main event, the bout with the highest stakes in most people's minds was the flyweight fight that saw Muhammad Mokaev defeat Alex Perez via unanimous decision. With flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja potentially needing an opponent for UFC 301, did Mokaev do enough to get him that shot?MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Eric Jackman react to Rozenstruik's big win and what should be next, if Mokaev's performance warrants that championship opportunity, and if not, who could be the guy. Additionally, they discuss Umar Nurmagomedov's win over a game Bekzat Almakhan and if a rebooking against Cory Sandhagen could be in play, Vinicius Oliveira's knockout of the year contender, and much more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Eric Jackman: @NewYorkRic Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jairzinho Rozenstruik will look to stop the impressive 12-fight undefeated streak of Shamil Gaziev in the main event of Saturday's UFC Vegas 87 event. Will the result have a giant effect on the state of the UFC's heavyweight division, especially with two fighters in the division holding UFC titles?MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Jed Meshew, and Alexander K. Lee preview this weekend's UFC event at the APEX in Las Vegas, the Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev, the stakes attached to it, and whether or not a potential fight with someone like a Derrick Lewis be awaiting the winner. Additionally, they'll grade the card as a whole, the big opportunity for Muhammad Mokaev at 125 pounds against Alex Perez, Umar Nurmagomedov's return against a dangerous newcomer, and much more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With huge fights on the horizon — most notably the UFC 300 "BMF" title fight between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway — it leads to a lot of questions in regard to who lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and new featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will face when they put their titles on the line in their next outings.On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses what could be next for both champions, and if the Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint Denis fight could play a role in determining Makhachev's next opponent. Additionally, listener topics include UFC Vegas 87, the UFC APEX as a Fight Night arena for the promotion, who Alexandre Pantoja could defend his flyweight title against at UFC 301 if Muhammad Mokaev loses to Alex Perez on Saturday, and more.You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe to MMA FightingCheck out our full video catalogLike MMA Fighting on FacebookFollow on TwitterRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices