MMA Fighting

UFC 281 is built with many fascinating matchups, storylines, and questions ahead of Saturday's return to Madison Square Garden. While making fight predictions is one thing, predicting something outside of the box is something entirely different, and there are many avenues to take when it comes to the main event between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, and the rest of the fight card as a whole.On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses his thoughts on some of the major bouts on the slate for Saturday. Additionally, listener responses are focused on some bold predictions for Adesanya vs. Pereira, Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili, Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler, along with questions about the disrespect Esparza has received from fans heading in, Molly McCann's potential title aspirations if she upsets Erin Blanchfield, 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: http://goo.gl/dYpsgHCheck out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLiVisit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvMLike MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7ZFollow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUIRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

UFC 281 is here with two title fights, a potential Fight of the Year contender, and a bevy of other bouts, and you know what that means: the No Bets Barred boys are here to cover all the betting angles on the card!First, co-hosts Conner Burks and Jed Meshew celebrate the return of Flyweight Unders at UFC Vegas 64 before jumping in for in-depth analysis of the middleweight title grudge match between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, the strawweight title tilt between Carla Esparza and Weili Zhang, and the lightweight barnburner between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. In the end, Conner and Jed end up with nearly two dozen bets, including an especially juicy parlay, and Jed once again shoving All-In on one particular fighter.Tune in for Episode 24 of No Bets Barred. Follow Conner Burks: @connerburks Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgHCheck out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLiVisit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvMLike MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7ZFollow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUIRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MMA Fighting's Damon Martin, Jed Meshew and Steven Marrocco react to news that former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been granted bail at $1 million in his attempted murder case.Follow Damon Martin on Twitter: @DamonMartinFollow Jed Meshew on Twitter: @JedKMeshewFollow Steven Marrocco on Twitter: @MMAFightingSMSubscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgHCheck out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLiVisit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvMLike MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7ZFollow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUIRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira will meet in the highly anticipated main event of UFC 281 this Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. With the storied history between these two athletes, and with the stakes as high as can be, which fighter needs to win this bout more?On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses the fascinating headliner between Adesanya and Pereira, what could happen if either guy wins, and whether or not there could be some takedowns in the bout. Additionally, listener topics include the fight between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler, the run of opponents Chandler has had since coming over to the UFC, Bellator 288 coming up Nov. 18, the craziness of the UFC's bantamweight division with Aljamain Sterling, Sean O'Malley, Henry Cejudo, and Marlon Vera, the MMA Fighting UFC 281 Watch Party going down 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: http://goo.gl/dYpsgHCheck out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLiVisit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvMLike MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7ZFollow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUIRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s UFC 281 fight week on The Fighter vs. The Writer with Matt Brown back as co-host to help break down all the key storylines and matchups taking place on Saturday.Brown will give his thoughts on the main event as Israel Adesanya defends his middleweight title against Alex Pereira after they clashed twice previously in kickboxing, Brown offers his thoughts on the matchup and why he’s “very confident” that Adesanya will get his revenge after falling to Pereira twice previously.The veteran UFC welterweight will also give his picks some of the biggest matchups on the card including Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler.The podcast also pays tribute to Frankie Edgar as he prepares to retire from competition after his fight at UFC 281. Brown will also address why so many fighters face tremendous difficulties when retiring from mixed martial arts and staying away after calling it a career.UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza also joins the show to preview her fight against Zhang Weili and how she feels as a sizeable underdog going into her first title defense since winning the belt back in May.All this and much more on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer!Subscribe: Apple PodcastsSubscribe: SpotifyRead More: MMA Fighting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Poatan desafia Israel Adesanya pelo título dos médios no UFC 281, sábado, em Nova York, e contou ao Trocação Franca que vê o campeão e sua equipe desestruturados psicologicamente por terem que enfrentá-lo no octógono. Na entrevista exclusiva, o ex-campeão duplo do Glory falou sobre a ascensão meteórica no MMA, relação com fãs e redes sociais, o status de ídolo no Brasil, e muito mais. O podcast entrevista ainda o peso-leve Renato Moicano, que também luta no UFC deste sábado.Alex Pereira challenges Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 281 Saturday in New York, and told Trocação Franca he sees the champion and his entire team mentally shook for having to face him inside the octagon. The former Glory two-division champion discussed his meteoric rise in MMA, dealing with fans and social media, being treated as an idol in Brazil, and more. The podcast also features an interview with Renato Moicano, who also competes Saturday at UFC 281.Subscribe: Apple PodcastsSubscribe: SpotifyRead More: MMA Fighting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amanda Lemos had herself a night at the UFC APEX and delivered with the biggest performance of her career in the main event against Marina Rodriguez. As impressive as her victory was, did it put Lemos in a position where she is the new No. 1 contender at 115 pounds?On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee attempt to answer that question from a matchmaking perspective following Lemos' third-round TKO win over Rodriguez in the strawweight headliner. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Neil Magny following his third-round submission win over Daniel Rodriguez in the co-main event, along with fellow main card finishers Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, Tagir Ulanbekov, Grant Dawson, and more in the aftermath of the promotion's go-home event heading into UFC 281. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgHCheck out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLiVisit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvMLike MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7ZFollow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUIRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amanda Lemos was a big underdog heading into the UFC Vegas 64 main event with Marina Rodriguez and not many people were picking her to get it done. On Saturday, Lemos silenced the critics and may have earned herself a chance to fight for a UFC world title in her next appearance.MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee react to Lemos' third-round finish of Rodriguez, discuss how much she rose her stock with the performance, and what might need to happen to get to a strawweight championship bout with UFC 281 going down next weekend at Madison Square Garden. Additionally, topics include Neil Magny's late submission win over Daniel Rodriguez, Grant Dawson's outright dominance of Mark Madsen, and other odds and ends from Saturday's event. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgHCheck out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLiVisit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvMLike MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7ZFollow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUIRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marina Rodriguez and Amanda Lemos will battle it out in a pivotal main event matchup in the UFC strawweight division this Saturday at the APEX. With the timing of the fight coming a week before the 115-pound title bout between Carla Esparza and Zhang Weili, is there anything Rodriguez can do that could get her a title opportunity of her own for her next appearance?MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, and Alexander K. Lee to preview the headliner of UFC Vegas 64 between Rodriguez and Lemos, as well as the stakes involved for both competitors — most notably Rodriguez should she be victorious. Additionally, topics include the co-main event between Neil Magny and Daniel Rodriguez, other matchups on the card not getting enough shine on the road to UFC 281, and more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Shaun Al-Shatti: @ShaunAlShatti Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgHCheck out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLiVisit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvMLike MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7ZFollow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUIRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler will finally settle their score at UFC 281 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden. With a new lightweight champion in Islam Makhachev, what kind of impact will this fight have on the division?On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses the stakes in that highly anticipated matchup in New York, along with the back-and-forth between Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski in setting up their potential champ vs. champ matchup. Additionally, listener questions include the Bellator vs. RIZIN event on Dec. 31, Saturday's UFC Vegas 64 main event between Marina Rodriguez and Amanda Lemos, other standout fights on the card, 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: http://goo.gl/dYpsgHCheck out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLiVisit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvMLike MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7ZFollow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUIRead More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices