Tag: the mma hour

Ariel Helwani critical of UFC’s weak promotion of Tom Aspinall, belittles Jon Jones

Ariel Helwani critical of UFC's weak promotion of Tom Aspinall, belittles Jon JonesAriel Helwani didn’t hold back in his assessment of the UFC’s current heavyweight title picture. Becoming the first fighter…

Ariel Helwani critical of UFC's weak promotion of Tom Aspinall, belittles Jon Jones

Ariel Helwani didn’t hold back in his assessment of the UFC’s current heavyweight title picture.

Becoming the first fighter in more than a decade to defend an interim title, Tom Aspinall walked through one of the most feared men in the division, Curtis Blaydes, in a stunning 60-second blitz at UFC 304, further establishing himself in the eyes of many as the best heavyweight in the world today.

Tom Aspinall

Meanwhile, undisputed heavyweight champion Jon Jones only has one fight in the division.

By the time ‘Bones’ is expected to put his gold on the line for the first time, he’ll be 18 months removed from his title-winning performance against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Aspinall has bagged three first-round knockouts in that timeframe, leading Helwani, among others, to recognize the UK fan favorite as the legit UFC heavyweight king.

During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani slammed the promotion for not getting fully behind Aspinall despite his impressive run inside the Octagon. Helwani also managed to work in a few digs at Jones, noting that unlike ‘Bones,’ Aspinall does not “disrespect” or “embarrass” the company.

”The guy [Aspinall] is a dream,” Helwani said. “He’s a family man, he doesn’t disrespect the company, and he doesn’t embarrass the company… It blows my mind that they’re not getting behind him in the ways I think they should get behind him.”

”They’ve got something very special, and he’s the best heavyweight in the world, and I don’t even think it’s a debate. I don’t think it’s a hot take. I don’t think it’s a crazy statement. He is the best heavyweight in the world in my opinion and that interim belt is a hell of a lot more real than Jones’ belt if you ask me.”

Tom Aspinall listed as -150 favorite in potential Jon Jones UFC title fight

Aspinall is virtually perfect inside the Octagon, scoring eight wins and eight finishes with his only loss coming against ‘Razor’ after suffering a devastating knee injury 15 seconds into their first meeting in 2022.

In November, Jon Jones plans on making his return to the Octagon at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden to defend his undisputed strap against former two-division titleholder and consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic, though the bout has not been officially announced. Presumably, the winner of that fight would then compete against Aspinall in a unification clash.

Jon Jones5

Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but it hasn’t stopped online sportsbooks from offering early odds for the potential showdown. According to BetOnline, Aspinall is listed as a -150 following his first-round destruction of Curtis Blaydes.

This time last year, Aspinall was sitting as a +170 underdog and Jones was a 2-to-1 favorite.

Joaquin Buckley awkwardly bails on MMA Hour interview after accusing Ariel Helwani of using UFC fighters

Joaquin Buckley awkwardly bails on MMA Hour interview after accusing Ariel Helwani of using UFC fightersThings got a little intense between welterweight standout Joaquin Buckley and Ariel Helwani during Monday’s episode of The MMA…

Joaquin Buckley awkwardly bails on MMA Hour interview after accusing Ariel Helwani of using UFC fighters

Things got a little intense between welterweight standout Joaquin Buckley and Ariel Helwani during Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.

Fresh off his second-round knockout of Vicente Luque at UFC Atlantic City, ‘New Mansa’ made an appearance on Helwani’s show to discuss his big win and what may be next.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Vicente Luque

Along the way, Buckley called out Helwani, accusing the multi-time award-winning journalist of using loaded questions to weaponize fighters against the UFC.

“You’ve been in the business for a long time,” Buckley began. “Obviously, you have respect for what you do and you do it very well. You’ve got a lot of facts about the UFC and different fighters, but personally, I feel like when we come on your show, you try to use us as a weapon against the UFC, right?

“You use your platform, but you try to set us up lowkey with certain questions when those conversations and what you’re trying to talk about could get us in trouble.”

Ariel Helwani responds to Joaquin Buckley’s accusation

Helwani was quick to disagree with Buckley’s statement, respectfully responding with:

“Honestly, I don’t agree. I’ve been doing this show since 2009. You think I’m trying to make the fighters look bad? I’ve been doing this for 15 years and I have the fighters on because I love the fighters and respect the fighters and I want to give them an opportunity to tell their story and be able to learn more.

“I want to learn more and I hope that other people learn more when they hear from you guys. I’m not trying to weaponize anything. That would be crazy and I would be wasting my life doing anything like that.”

Joaquin Buckley on The MMA Hour

Helwani went on to ask Buckley for specific examples. It was then that Buckley promptly said that he was “through” and exited the interview, bringing an end to the awkward incident.

You can watch Joaquin Buckley’s full appearance on The MMA Hour by jumping to the 33-minute mark of the below embed:

Conor McGregor insists ‘there’s no beef’ with the UFC, opens up on contract talks

Conor McGregor insists 'there's no beef' with the UFC, opens up on contract talksDespite venting his frustration on more than one occasion, Conor McGregor insists that there is no beef between himself…

Conor McGregor insists 'there's no beef' with the UFC, opens up on contract talks

Despite venting his frustration on more than one occasion, Conor McGregor insists that there is no beef between himself and the UFC.

During a recent interview with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, the former two-division champion revealed that his quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sports history” is set to go down this summer. The news was a welcome change for fight fans after the last few months have seen McGregor tear into his employer on more than one occasion, accusing them of dragging their feet when it comes to locking down a return date.

Conor McGregor at the Road House premiere

Expanding on his comments during Tuesday’s episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, McGregor made it clear that there is no tension between himself and the UFC, despite what the tabloids often claim.

“People want to make a beef with it,” McGregor said. “There’s no beef. I’m happy where I’m at and I’m delighted where I’m at. Let’s go. I feel I’m in a great place.”

Conor McGregor addresses his contract status with the uFC

With that said, McGregor made it clear that his future with the promotion is undeniably uncertain. At this point, the Irishman is believed to have no more than two fights left on his contract.

As much as he’d love to stay with the UFC, McGregor is not sure if the promotion can offer him anything, from a financial perspective, that would entice him to stay on board.

“There’s been no talks, not an iota of a talk,” McGregor said of his contract status. “Usually Lorenzo [Fertitta, former UFC co-owner] would have had something tasty on my plate a while ago. Lorenzo would have re-signed me two fights ago. There’s no talks. Maybe I just don’t know. I know they know I’m up [for renewal] but what way do you approach it? I’m a billionaire, I’m Mr. B, Mr. Coupla-Bs. In what way do you come to me to keep me tight? I could just ride the wave and then I dunno after that.”

Making his promotional debut in 2013, McGregor has 14 total fights inside the Octagon, going 10-4 in the process. His most notable victories came against Jose Aldo to win the UFC featherweight title at UFC 194 and a win against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, becoming the first-ever simultaneous two-division champion in promotional history.

Conor McGregor becomes the first simultaneous two-division UFC champion

McGregor is responsible for eight of the 10 highest-grossing pay-per-views in UFC history with the top earner being his intense clash with UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. It is the first and only PPV event to eclipse two million buys in its 30+ year history.

Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov

“That’s my catalog, my library,” McGregor continued. “The UFC is what made me, and gave me this, I love the company with all my being. It’s the best, most iconic fighting organization that’s ever been, and I’m all over it and I f*cking love that. I love every fighter, every card, every show, and everyone backstage. I’d love to carry it on. I hope.”

UFC star Ian Machado Garry won’t let his haters stop him from becoming ‘one of the greatest of all time’

Ian Machado GarryWhether you love him or you hate him, Ian Machado Garry is here to stay. ‘The Future’ scored his…

Ian Machado Garry

Whether you love him or you hate him, Ian Machado Garry is here to stay.

‘The Future’ scored his 14th straight win on Saturday night, securing a split decision victory over Geoff Neal as part of the UFC 298 main event in Anaheim. The W will likely move Garry a few notches higher in the welterweight top 10, much to the chagrin of fight fans who have grown to loathe and detest his brash and cocky attitude in recent months.

But whether or not he has the support of UFC fans makes no difference to the Dublin native. Admiration — or in this case, the lack thereof — will not deter Garry in his goal of one day becoming one of the greatest mixed martial arts in the world.

“I’m not trying to be anything,” Garry told Ariel Helwani during an appearance on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I’m being myself. I’m not trying to be the good guy. I’m not trying to be the villain. I’m not trying to be the hero. I’m not trying to be anything on this planet, but [whether] people want to boo or people want to cheer, I’m showing up and doing what I want.

“So when I’m standing in the Octagon with Joe Rogan trying to do my post-fight interview and the whole crowd is booing… In the end, you’re all here watching me. Keep booing. That’s the type of person I am. Someone says something to me in the street, I’m gonna be like, ‘Hey, get back here. Don’t chat sh*t and then run away.’ That’s the person I am. Obviously, having everyone behind you is amazing, but at the end of the day, whether they love me or they hate me, I’m showing up to do what I want to do and that’s become one of the greatest of all time.”

Labeled as nothing more than a Conor McGregor wannabe, Ian Machado Garry began to draw the ire of fighters and fans after a slew of his co-workers, including Sean Strickland and Colby Covington, slammed his unconventional marriage to 40-year-old TV personality Layla Anna-Lee. ‘The Future’ has been repeatedly forced to defend his wife and the fact that he chose to take her maiden name rather than the more traditional approach.

Strickland also labeled Garry a “cuck” after learning that Anna-Lee’s ex-husband — Richard Cullen — is currently employed as the Irishman’s nutritionist. That led to accusations that the former partners were still romantically involved with one another, something Garry vehemently denies.

Garry’s reputation for being a “nomad” in the gym certainly did him no favors. He was notoriously booted from Team Renegade — the home gym of current welterweight king Leon Edwards — last year for “not adding to the team’s culture.” Michael Chandler and Brendan Allen have also commented on the frustrations of dealing with Garry in the gym.

But no matter your take on Machado Garry, the fact remains that he is undefeated in his MMA career and in less than two years with the promotion, has already entered the UFC’s welterweight top 10.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards is ‘top choice’ for UFC 300 main event, DDP vs. Adesanya also rumored

UFC 300Ariel Helwani dropped a potential bombshell on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, revealing that the UFC is frantically…

UFC 300

Ariel Helwani dropped a potential bombshell on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, revealing that the UFC is frantically working to put together a welterweight title clash between reigning champion Leon Edwards and undefeated Chechen monster Khamzat Chimaev for the UFC 300 main event.

After making a series of fast and furious announcements regarding April 13th’s massive landmark event in Las Vegas, UFC CEO Dana White has gone radio silent. According to Helwani, the promotion knows which fight they want to announce for the highly anticipated headliner, but securing Chimaev’s entry into the United States is becoming increasingly difficult.

“If the UFC had their way… If they could snap their fingers and make the biggest fight in their mind happen — and the fight that they’ve been working on happen — and have their say as to what is the main event for UFC 300, I think that they would make Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev. I believe when Dana White is talking bout the hurdles and the issues, I believe that’s about securing Khamzat’s ability to fight in the United States.

“This has been rumored for quite some time that he has issues coming over to the States. The last time he fought here was in Jacksonville almost two years ago. I believe that’s been part of the holdup. If they can’t secure that matchup, I believe they would look at Khamzat vs. [Dricus Du Plessis], but I think the top choice is Leon vs. Khamzat.”

Chimaev’s struggles to obtain a temporary work visa could be related to his close relationship with the Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. Frequently employing totalitarian and repressive tactics in his rule, Kadyrov has come under criticism for a wide array of human rights abuses, including forced disappearance, torture, assassinations, and anti-gay purges in his country. He has also played a role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The UFC is circling multiple potential headliners for April 13

Depending on how things play out with Khamzat Chimaev, the UFC has a few contingency plans in place according to Helwani. Aside from the heavily rumored middleweight title tilt between the newly crowned king of the division — Dricus Du Plessis — and former two-time champ Israel Adesanya, the UFC is also keeping a potential 170-pound showdown between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad in its back pocket.

We will go out on a limb and say that Edwards vs. Muhammad is likely the least enticing option for both the promotion and the fans. Of course, the prospect of Khamzat Chimaev’s return to welterweight will certainly raise some eyebrows. After all, the last time he was scheduled to compete in the weight class, he stepped on the scale eight pounds over the limit.

Which potential headliner would you most be excited to see at UFC 300?

Chael Sonnen claims Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to fight Elon Musk at UFC 300 next year

ZuckerbergChael Sonnen claims the highly-discussed clash between social media moguls Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk will go down at UFC 300 next year. The idea of Zuckerberg and Musk, two of the most prominent figures in technology, squaring off inside the Octagon still feels like a fever dream, but according to all parties involved, the […]

Zuckerberg

Chael Sonnen claims the highly-discussed clash between social media moguls Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk will go down at UFC 300 next year.

The idea of Zuckerberg and Musk, two of the most prominent figures in technology, squaring off inside the Octagon still feels like a fever dream, but according to all parties involved, the possibility is very real. During his appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Chael Sonnen doused the fire with another healthy dose of gasoline, claiming that he had spoken to Mark Zuckerberg on the phone before coming on the show.

“Zuckerberg has told me that he has agreed to fight Elon Musk at UFC 300. And it was a very big deal. He kept bringing up the date and going on, ‘Elon could never say he doesn’t have something to do. He could never say that he was busy.’ So what do you want me to do with this? Why don’t you call in? Just call in, and you tell Ariel. ‘Ariel knows how to get a hold of my people.’ That’s what he said. I’m just delivering the message.”

Sonnen insisted that he was telling the truth, adding, “That just happened. [My producer] Ethan is my witness, my son, Thero, my dog, Duke. This is a shoot.”

A Spokesperson for Mark Zuckerberg Denies Phone Call with Chael Sonnen Took Place

However, a spokesperson for the Facebook co-founder suggested that Sonnen was telling a tall tale, saying, “I have confirmed with Mark that he did not call Chael Sonnen.”

UFC 300 currently has no locked-down date, but based on the monthly pay-per-view model that the promotion typically sticks to, the event would likely land in April or May of 2024. That gives both men ample time to prepare for what would be, like it or not, the biggest fight in combat sports history.

The rivalry between Zuckerberg and Musk has escalated in a shockingly short amount of time. All of it seemingly started with Musk taking exception to a report suggesting ‘The Zuck’ was prepping a social media app to compete with Musk’s latest acquisition, Twitter. Musk suggested the two could settle things in a cage which quickly got the attention of Zuckerberg, who responded with a classic Khabib-style response.

From there, things took off with UFC President Dana White telling TMZ Sports that both men were 100% serious about making it happen and suggested the bout could generate a billion dollars.

I think that this will be the biggest fight in the history of the world, and I think it will set a record that will never be broken if it happened. I like putting on fights that people want to see like this,” White said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

If Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk does happen, you can expect to shell out at least $100 to watch it from the privacy of your own home.