MMA Fighting

Bo Nickal impressed the masses once again at Tuesday’s season finale of Dana White’s Contender Series, and then called out Khamzat Chimaev. We now know that Nickal will debut against Jamie Pickett, but did the matchmakers get his debut opponent right?

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel reacts to Nickal’s quick submission win and what his future looks like in the middleweight division. Additionally, topics include Yoel Romero’s devastating KO of Melvin Manhoef at Bellator Dublin, and where the promotion should go with “Soldier of God” next, Bellator 286 this Saturday and if it is the best card of the weekend top to bottom, if the featherweight championship headliner is actually the most interesting fight on the card, UFC Vegas 61, the stakes in the main event between Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan, the event being closed off to fans and media, and more.

Host Mike Heck moderates the BTL championship matchup between MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and the returning Phoenix Carnevale.

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Bo Nickal is one of the sport's highly touted prospects, and ahead of his eventual UFC debut, how high should the promotion go in terms of his first opponent?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Nickal's incredible performance on Dana White's Contender Series on Tuesday, and whether or not he feels the UFC should throw him in against a top-15 opponent right away, or choose to build him up. Additionally, topics include the PFL's decision to put their season finale card in November on pay-per-view, the Shane Burgos vs. Marlon Moraes matchmaking and why it's not great matchmaking, the UFC's lightweight division, the matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov, Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov being expected for the first main event of 2023 in the UFC, 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.

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It's a busy week in the world of MMA with the UFC returning for UFC Vegas 61 and Bellator putting out one of its better efforts of late with Bellator 286, and so the No Bets Barred boys are back to cover all of your gambling needs.

Co-hosts Conner Burks and Jed Meshew get into a contentious discussion surrounding the UFC main event fight between Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan before diving into their full slate of bets which includes wagers on every single fight on the card, plus a chunk of Bellator action as well. And as an added bonus, Conner and Jed get derailed talking about their own experiences getting into fights on the mean streets of Athens, GA.

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Rei dos penas do Bellator, Patrício Pitbull quer fazer história mais uma vez. Único brasileiro campeão duplo da história da organização, o potiguar disse ao Trocação Franca que mira repetir a façanha, agora entre os galos. No bate-papo, Pitbull apontou o próximo na fila após Adam Borics e elogiou o recém-aposentado José Aldo, revelando interesse em enfrentá-lo no MMA ou boxe. O podcast traz, ainda, entrevistas com Tabatha Ricci e Raoni Barcelos, que lutam sábado no UFC.

O melhor do MMA brasileiro no Trocação Franca, toda quarta-feira, com o jornalista Guilherme Cruz e convidados.

Bellator featherweight king Patricio Pitbull wants to make history again. Brazil’s only two-division Bellator champion, Pitbull told Trocação Franca he wants to repeat the feat at bantamweight. The 145-pound great discussed who’s next after Adam Borics and praised recently retired Jose Aldo, saying he’s still interested in facing him in MMA or boxing. The podcast also chats with Tabatha Ricci and Raoni Barcelos, who compete Saturday at UFC Vegas 61.

Listen to Trocação Franca with Guilherme Cruz every Wednesday to hear from the biggest names on the hottest topics in the Brazilian combat sports world.

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With glaring holes in the main event slots for December's UFC 282 and January's UFC 283 events currently, what fights could fill those slots — especially with so much lack of clarity in the heavyweight division?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck answers questions about what could headline those two PPV events, how Jon Jones factors into things, what could happen if Francis Ngannou doesn't re-sign with the UFC, and more. Additionally, listener topics include Khamzat Chimaev's next move, where Eddie Alvarez could end up after parting ways with ONE, the stacked UFC 280 lineup in October, the loaded up weekend slate with upcoming events from the UFC, Bellator, ONE, BKFC, and more, what would be one singular main card to put together from those, some of the best women's fights of all-time, 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.

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On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Bellator 286 fighters Aaron Pico and Max Rohskopf join the show.

Once touted as possibly the best prospect to enter the sport of mixed martial arts, Pico faced more than a few hurdles living up to his full potential after starting his career with a 4-3 record. Nobody gave up hope on Pico but he still had to rebuild himself and now he stands on the precipice of title contention with his upcoming fight scheduled against Jeremy Kennedy.

For all the wins Pico has amassed recently, is he finally ready to ascend to the top of the featherweight division and become champion? Pico addresses those expectations and he also offers some advice to another super prospect in Bo Nickal, who has been receiving similar praise early in his fight career.

Also on the show this week, Max Rohskopf joins the show for the first time to preview his upcoming return to action after inking a deal to join the Bellator roster.

Rohskopf is best remembered for his short stint with the UFC that ended after he wouldn’t leave his corner at the end of the second round, and he was branded a quitter before being released from the promotion.

At that point, Rohskopf was done with fighting and had no intentions of ever making a return to the cage, but what changed and how did it eventually lead him to Bellator? Hear that from Rohskopf along with his own struggles with mental health and how he wants to help fight back against the stigma for other fighters seeking similar help.

All this and more on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer!

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Khamzat Chimaev is teasing a return to the middleweight division after the massive weight miss that led to the top of the UFC 279 lineup being shuffled around. Since it was the first time Chimaev has ever missed weight, is it the right decision for him to make the move up now?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Chimaev's "185" tweet, a potential matchup with Paulo Costa, and if that be his next opponent should Chimaev want to return before the end of the year. Additionally, listener questions include the many roles the staff has at MMA Fighting, Bellator Dublin, Yoel Romero's future if he defeats Melvin Manhoef, the top fights to show newer fans, what the most intriguing fights are for the remainder of the year that are on the books, Raul Rosas Jr. and Bo Nickal's potential UFC debut opponents, 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

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DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of the most exciting and influential fighters in MMA history, and this episode, we are covering the career of one of the greatest fighters of all time, Jose Aldo.

During his 18-year career, Aldo was the undisputed featherweight champion of the world for 2,405 days — second most all-time behind only the great Anderson Silva — and amassed an incredible nine title defenses. The former UFC and WEC featherweight champion’s career spanned multiple eras, establishing him as one of the all-time greats even if he had chosen to retire after UFC 200, as it was rumored he might. Instead, Aldo continued fighting and dropped down to the bantamweight division where he remained a top contender until his retirement this past weekend.

Host Jed Meshew is joined by Shaheen Al-Shatti, Guilherme Cruz, Alexander K. Lee, and Steven Marrocco to remember one of the most important careers in MMA history.

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Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is turning the page to the next chapter of his life after a stellar career inside the octagon.

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel reacts to Aldo's retirement, the legacy he left behind, and the matchup that got away. Additionally, topics include Cory Sandhagen's TKO win over Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 60, his path to getting to a bantamweight title shot, and where he currently sits on the totem pole, the talking points of this past Saturday's card, Bellator Dublin this Friday — which includes Benson Henderson vs. Peter Queally in the main event, along with Yoel Romero vs. Melvin Manhoef in the co-main event — and more.

Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Jose Youngs.

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Kevin Holland took to social media on Thursday to tease that he's retiring from MMA. The question remains is if he's serious about it, or not.

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to Holland's retirement talk and what seems to have led up to that post. Additionally, listener questions include Dana White signing 17-year-old Raul Rosas to the UFC following his dominant win on the Contender Series, Bo Nickal returning on DWCS next week and where both guys could go to start their UFC runs, what could be next for Max Holloway moving forward, Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor 2 chatter, 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.

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