According to Conor McGregor, his return is set against Michael Chandler at the UFC's International Fight Week in June. Although the promotion has yet to officially announce, it appears as if we'll see the sport's biggest star before the second half of 2024.

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to McGregor's announcement that his bout with Chandler will not take place at UFC 300, but on June 29, along with the opening odds giving McGregor a slight edge. Additionally, the panel takes your questions about the bouts currently on the table for April's UFC 300 event, Leon Edwards saying he'll be defending his welterweight title on the card, what could be the main event, other big stories in the sport with the UFC on break until next Saturday, and more. 

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Conor McGregor announced his octagon return against Michael Chandler, but according the former two-division world champ, it will not be happening at UFC 300 as many were predicting. With the UFC's 2024 calendar filling up rapidly, what fight will headline one of the promotion's biggest and monumental events?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to the McGregor vs. Chandler announcement for June 29, if it is a mistake by the UFC to not have the fight headline UFC 300, and what the UFC could do in order to make that all-important main event spot pop. Additionally, listener topics include a potential Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad fight, if Justin Gaethje or Charles Oliveira should get the shot at Islam Makhachev, the UFC's future at the APEX, the promotion's debut in Saudi Arabia still without a headliner, and much 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 Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who will be our 11 UFC champions by the end of 2024? The gang is BACK to predict the upcoming championship slate and debate the biggest winners and biggest upsets of the next 12 months.

Follow Shaun Al-Shatti @ShaunAlShatti

Follow Damon Martin @DamonMartin

Follow Jed Meshew @JedKMeshew

Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH

Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi

Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM

Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z

Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI

Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of our favorite fighters in MMA history. On this episode, the MMA Fighting staff takes a deep dive into the legendary career of Mirko Cro Cop.

Making a name for himself in kickboxing as one of the most exciting fighters in K-1, Mirko Cro Cop transitioned to MMA in 2001 and quickly became one of the standout fighter in Pride FC. Leaving a trail of unconscious bodies in his wake thanks to his devastating left high kick, Cro Cop became one of the most accomplished and beloved heavyweights in history, most notably winning the Pride Openweight Grand Prix in 2006 and serving as one-half of the Fight of the Decade against Fedor Emelianenko. A disappointing sting in the UFC followed but Cro Cop then found new life with a late career resurgence that saw him claim a K-1 world title and win the RIZIN Openweight Grand Prix in 2016 before hanging up the gloves for good in 2019 following a stroke.

What were the most iconic performances and what were our favorite memories from Cro Cop's career? Listen in as the MMA Fighting crews remembers remembers one of the most devastating strikers in MMA history.

Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew

Follow Shaheen Al-Shatti: @shaunalshatti

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With 2023 being such a crazy year in the world of mixed martial arts, we felt it was important to look back at the predictions that were made heading into a memorable year for 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 questions in regards to what 2023 was going to bring. Topics include Conor McGregor's activity for the year, whether or not Jon Jones would retire at some point, if Dana White would be punished for what happened at the start of the year, what the year could bring for the likes of Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, Shavkat Rahkmonov, and Khamzat Chimaev, UFC champions in each division, bold predictions for the year, and more.

In addition, we will need you help for part two: our 2024 predictions extravaganza episode. Submit your "buy or sell" questions the same way you send your matchmaking suggestions to Mike or AK on Twitter, Instagram, or email by Thursday, Jan. 4 — and, please, be as creative as you'd like.

Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH

Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi

Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM

Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z

Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI

Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With just a couple of days left in the year, it’s almost time to say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024. In the sport of MMA, there was certainly a lot to like this past year — and a lot that needs to be improved upon, from the UFC, to PFL, and beyond.

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew bring you the second annual BTL Promotional Festivus — where they grade the UFC for their 2023 performance, both in and out of the octagon, along with their airing of grievances for things that happened negatively throughout the course of the year. Additionally, the duo do the same for PFL, Bellator's year prior to the merger, ONE Championship, BKFC, and give their thoughts on things they did better from the year prior, other ideas to bring into 2024, and what could be the breakout promotion in the space for the upcoming year.

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The MMA world will never forget the insanity of 2023.

Join the MMA Fighting staff as we look back at the biggest highs, breakout stars, and most unbelievable moments of 2023 in a special year-end retrospective. We’re honoring all the nights that defined one of the craziest 12-month stretches this sport has ever seen — and handing out plenty of hardware in celebration of the knockouts, submissions, fights, fighters, and rookies who made sure 2023 was a year that will go down as one of the wildest ever.

Follow Shaun Al-Shatti @ShaunAlShatti

Follow Eric Jackman @NewYorkRic

Follow Mike Heck @MickHeck_JR

Follow Josè Youngs @JoseYoungs

Follow E. Casey Leydon @Ekc

Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH

Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi

Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM

Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z

Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI

Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2023 chegou ao fim e o mundo do MMA inicia um novo ano com mais perguntas do que o costume. O Trocação Franca recebe em seu último episódio da temporada o líder do Connect Cast, Alexandre Lemos, para analisar o esporte por diversos prismas, do papel da imprensa às próximas conquistas dentro do octógono em uma resenha de 1 hora de duração O podcast traz, ainda, Bibiano Fernandes explicando com exclusividade sua saída do ONE Championship, e o invicto Igor Tanabe comentando a carreira no RIZIN.

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

2023 is in the books and the MMA world starts a new year with a ton of questions to be answered. Trocação Franca welcomes Connect Cast host Alexandre Lemos to close out the year and look at the sport through different angles in an hour-long chat, from the role of MMA media to in-cage performances. This week’s podcast also features an interview with Bibiano Fernandes, discussing his departure from ONE Championship, and undefeated prospect Igor Tanabe breaking down his upcoming bout at RIZIN’s NYE card.

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 Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Fighter vs. The Writer returns with a special year-end episode with UFC analyst and retired fighter Alan Jouban joining MMA Fighting senior reporter Damon Martin to discuss the biggest moments from 2023.

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski put on a possible Fight of the Year in February as two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport battled it out in a five round classic. One month later, Jon Jones made his return to the octagon and he finally conquered the heavyweight division while taking out Ciryl Gane in the first round.

By June, Amanda Nunes was defending her title and then calling it a career, which dramatically affected two different divisions in the UFC. In September, Sean Strickland pulled off one of the most epic upsets in the history of the UFC when he thumped Israel Adesanya to become middleweight champion.

Follow along with us as we go through the biggest moments in 2023 and start looking ahead at what’s to come in 2024 on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer!

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Belal Muhammad knows he’s the No. 1 contender in the UFC welterweight division but he’s still waiting on reigning champion Leon Edwards to acknowledge him as the next person in line for a shot at the title.

Following an action-packed UFC 296, Muhammad sits down with MMA Fighting senior reporter Damon Martin to give his thoughts on fight week after he weighed in as the backup for the main event and what he thought about Edwards’ performance with a unanimous decision victory over Covington

Muhammad will address Edwards’ post fight comments about him and his belief that the UFC will honor the promised made to him that he will get the next shot at the title.

He also slams Covington for his “pathetic” remarks regarding Edwards’ father during the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference along with his abysmal showing in the title fight plus much more in this exclusive interview.  

Subscribe to MMA Fighting

Check out our full video catalog

Like MMA Fighting on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices