Happy Tuesday! It’s that time of the week again. Hit me with your best questions below. As always, everything and anything goes. I’ll answer ‘em on Wednesday’s show. Again, try to keep them short and sweet, if possible. That increases your chances of having the question answered.
I find it very hypocritical that you, GC and Rick are enjoying/praising the way Izzy celebrated his win in front of Pereira’s son.
You are the guys who say all the time that kids, wifes and family shouldn’t be involved in these kind of things.
I know Pereira’s son did something similar years ago and I hope that Pereira did correct his son for his actions, but it is a KID. Kids do stupid things.
Izzy should have been above that saturday and not take revenge on a kid when his father lays unconscious on the floor.
Now la petite question :
Does the broadcast get some kind of directives from UFC before the fights? Joe Rogan was talking a lot of BS not acknowledging Pereira’s 3 wins after the KO. “Izzy closed the show” etc etc
It felt like they were already doing their best to not promote the trilogy fight...
What is the full story behind the Monster Energy sponsorship and the issues that some of the fighters have with it? Over time I've noticed that some fighters play into the antics like holding the cans and pretending to drink from them, but then others will hide the cans under the table or go as far as Izzy did and give the canvas logo the double bird.
You are widely celebrated for always going above and beyond to give the people the content that we crave.
The lone exception for this is reinstituting "The MMA Beat". The MMA Beat was the pinnacle of mixed martial arts consumable content for die-hards, casuals and those who were actually in the business.
It was the "Inside the NBA" of our sport. There was no other sport show, in all of sports, that I'd rather watch, as long as yall weren't debating the ethicality of PED usage. (If you know you know)
In the past you've simply stated that you've done that and now are doing other stuff. Could you please break the forth wall and tell us why The MMA Beat can't be revamped?
Whats up Ariel. I’ve been a fan now for 10 years and my interest in the sport has definitely declined. Partly this is due to health consequences of the fighters I’ve seen take on extreme damage throughout the years now. Even though they are willing participants, seeing the physical and cognitive decline of my favorite fighters is tough to watch. Two questions: 1. Is their any update on Max’s health? I don’t believe we’ve heard any updates since the 2018 incident that had him pulled from a fight and that he later blamed on his manager for an unknown reason. 2. How do you and Ric maintain your interest in the sport over the years while bearing witness to the incredibly sad health effects on our favorite fighters?
What an incredible fight card on Saturday! Everything about the main event fight made it unforgettable -- the arrows, the shark tooth necklace, the collar, "Headstrong" by Trapt, Izzy speaking Yoruba at the weigh-ins, and petty revenge on a minor. Incredible stuff!
Now to my question. In the post-fight presser, Dana dropped another "As the World starts to open up..." remark, and it really felt to me like a political comment more than anything. In fact, the only sore spot of Saturday night was the full-blown politicization of the event, which is annoying regardless of the politics being peddled. But the UFC and Dana have been super political lately and Saturday felt like propaganda in certain moments.
With that said, do you think this merger with the WWE is at all politically-motivated? Personally, I feel like the influence of both entities and their increasingly political platforms could prove detrimental to fighter unionization and ultimately hamper the lobbying efforts of fighters. Thoughts?
Since 2020 10 fighters have weighed in as backups for UFC title fights. Out of the 10 only 4 fighters have gotten title shots after weighing-in as a backup. Them being Glover Teixeira, Jiří Procházka, Alexander Volkanovski and, now Colby Covington (potentially).
On the other hand, Alexandre Pantoja has weighed in as a backup in two different occasions and there seems to be no confirmation from Dana that he will get a title shot.
My argument is, Chael's point of being the backup is a favorable position for a fighter isn't statistically true. You have to be the back up and have favor from the promotion to get a shot.
Edit: It was announced today that Pantoja is getting the next flyweight title shot
Hello Ariel, Olin aka MMAnomaly here, long time fan!
Hope your week is going well.
With all of the rematches, trilogies, and even "Quadrilogies" that we've seen recently my question is:
Are you burnt out on rematches? OR if it makes sense (Example: Max Holloway with a win this weekend could possibly get ANOTHER rematch with Volk.) do we keep giving these fighters shot after shot at the same person that has already beaten them 1-3 times?
Side Question for GC: What type of information stands out to you the most when doing your research for parlays/picks?
Thanks again for all that you do, always look forward to you, GC, and New York Ric on Mondays and Wednesdays!
Something tells me you and GC & NYR would have reacted way more different if it was Colby taunting Leon‘s son after he knocked him out. It’s an adult mocking a kid - who is in shock seeing his father just get knocked out right in front of him. I‘m really surprised (& disappointed) that even you Ariel, as a father of 3, brush this off by sayinf „he’s petty, and I am petty as well, so I can understand that“. You’re talking about being ok that an adult holds a grudge over a 5 year old for 7 years and decides to pay it back to him when he’s 12. I‘m really sorry, but this is the most disappointing take I‘ve ever heard from you, GC or NYR.
First time here, I find this appropriate since you now have basketball podcast. My interest in the NBA is at an all time low and I feel like the product itself needs a massive overhaul. My thought is to make the rules more favorable to defense like allowing hand checking, allowing defensive three seconds, shortening the shot clock, etc. Do you agree the product needs to be fixed and if so what would you do to fix it? Ric and GC can chime in as well and I feel like GC leans my way with his recent interest in the Hawks.
Second, do you see a scenario where Leon just won't sign a contract with Colby like he stated? The UFC has shown their hand in wanting to go back to London and to strip the UK champion makes no sense and Colby isn't a PPV draw, so I don't see why they'd die on that hill over other active contenders.
I wanted to confirm something regarding the Helwani-verse.
Have you ever met Louis Gilmour in person?
Another quick question, you often retweet Twitter messages from 'No Context Ariel Helwani' and 'Jed I. Goodman', can you please give more background information on these accounts?
P.S.
I don't want to sound like a Karen, but should there be some penalty for users who post one letter comment on your Substack to reserve the first question, and later edit the comment and write a full question? You answer the questions live and unedited, and I think it is only fair for the questions to be unedited as well.
Hello Ariel! This is Monty, from Kerry Ireland(by way of Dhaka, Bangladesh).
Big fan! Your show with DC during the Pandemic roped me into the MMA world!
First time question asker, so I'll start with one on the lighter side. What is Israel Adesanya's issue with Monster energy drink? He always removes it from infront of him during press conferences and after his win last weekend he drew a cross on the canvas sticker and gave it two middle fingers. Any insight into this would be appreciated! Keep up the great work, also , New York Ric's takes are the most logical of all you guys!
UFC 229 was the first time I’d watched MMA and I’ve been hooked since. It’s been fun going back and watching the history of the company(mostly through your interviews). I can’t believe he thought a bus was a horse! Here’s a hot tag for anything to get off your chest. Thanks for all of the paid interviews and 10-7s throughout the years, bapa.
Love you guys but couldn't disagree more with Pereira getting a rematch. The immediate rematch is only for a dominant champion.
IF Alex stays at 185, the move is he gets a win, then he gets a title shot. If the UFC went this route, who would you match him up against? I say Pereira vs DDP or if we're getting crazy, Alex vs Bobby Knuckles. What say you all?
Im dying for an update on the ongoing lunch room situation involving Frank and Ric, it seemed as if Frank may have touched a nerve there so I must ask, has anyone approached Ric during his meetings since and has Frank been avoiding looking at Ric as requested and quote “keep his eyes on the floor”
Also any news of Franks website? As I’m typing this I’m starting to realise how over he is getting GC needs to watch his spot as top Babyface on the show.
Hello to my favorite journalist and the rest of the crew!
Knowing that GC is the betting guru of the group, this message may be more so for him, but I would like to put you guys on to a bet that has inexplicably great value in my opinion, and I simply can’t understand why the line is what it is.
As you know, one of the biggest boxing matches in years is coming up in Gervonta Tank Davis vs Ryan Garcia. I personally am super high on Ryan, and I believe that his combination of hand speed and power is arguably the best that I have ever seen, on a pound for pound basis.
In addition to this, Gervonta has been known to lose rounds before ultimately landing the big shots which allow him to get his opponents out of there. Albeit he’s pretty damn good at getting his opponents out of there, but as far as pure boxing and winning rounds consistently goes, I personally don’t think Gervonta holds a candle to Ryan.
Taking all of this into account, I see the most likely scenario for this fight being Ryan using his speed and reach advantage to outbox Gervonta for the majority of the fight and win a decision.
Despite this impeccable logic, Ryan Garcia by decision is sitting at +800. (At least I have a +800 slip on that, I am not sure if the line has moved at all). I would love to hear you guys’ thoughts on the value of this bet, and hopefully I can win GC some money. In any case, keep up the great work guys!
Like you, I found Izzy's octagon celebration to be a sweet cherry on top of an incredible finish and great overall night. He then went on to cut an amazing promo on the mic. This lead me to wonder, what are other memorable and famous octagon celebrations that come to mind or are your favorites? Not interviews, but celebrations.
Some that come to my mind are Jorge after Askren, Johnny Walker's worm, or Izzy's machine gun after Whittaker or humping of Costa.
Bonjour mon ami Ariel
Une petite remarque et une petite question :
I find it very hypocritical that you, GC and Rick are enjoying/praising the way Izzy celebrated his win in front of Pereira’s son.
You are the guys who say all the time that kids, wifes and family shouldn’t be involved in these kind of things.
I know Pereira’s son did something similar years ago and I hope that Pereira did correct his son for his actions, but it is a KID. Kids do stupid things.
Izzy should have been above that saturday and not take revenge on a kid when his father lays unconscious on the floor.
Now la petite question :
Does the broadcast get some kind of directives from UFC before the fights? Joe Rogan was talking a lot of BS not acknowledging Pereira’s 3 wins after the KO. “Izzy closed the show” etc etc
It felt like they were already doing their best to not promote the trilogy fight...
Salut à toi mon ami Canadien and never forget :
Belgium 1
Canada 0
Sincerely yours
Claudy Focan
Hey hey Heelwani
What is the full story behind the Monster Energy sponsorship and the issues that some of the fighters have with it? Over time I've noticed that some fighters play into the antics like holding the cans and pretending to drink from them, but then others will hide the cans under the table or go as far as Izzy did and give the canvas logo the double bird.
Thank you and GO JAYS!
My homie Ariel,
You are widely celebrated for always going above and beyond to give the people the content that we crave.
The lone exception for this is reinstituting "The MMA Beat". The MMA Beat was the pinnacle of mixed martial arts consumable content for die-hards, casuals and those who were actually in the business.
It was the "Inside the NBA" of our sport. There was no other sport show, in all of sports, that I'd rather watch, as long as yall weren't debating the ethicality of PED usage. (If you know you know)
In the past you've simply stated that you've done that and now are doing other stuff. Could you please break the forth wall and tell us why The MMA Beat can't be revamped?
Stockton M-fer for life
Whats up Ariel. I’ve been a fan now for 10 years and my interest in the sport has definitely declined. Partly this is due to health consequences of the fighters I’ve seen take on extreme damage throughout the years now. Even though they are willing participants, seeing the physical and cognitive decline of my favorite fighters is tough to watch. Two questions: 1. Is their any update on Max’s health? I don’t believe we’ve heard any updates since the 2018 incident that had him pulled from a fight and that he later blamed on his manager for an unknown reason. 2. How do you and Ric maintain your interest in the sport over the years while bearing witness to the incredibly sad health effects on our favorite fighters?
Hi Ariel and homies,
What an incredible fight card on Saturday! Everything about the main event fight made it unforgettable -- the arrows, the shark tooth necklace, the collar, "Headstrong" by Trapt, Izzy speaking Yoruba at the weigh-ins, and petty revenge on a minor. Incredible stuff!
Now to my question. In the post-fight presser, Dana dropped another "As the World starts to open up..." remark, and it really felt to me like a political comment more than anything. In fact, the only sore spot of Saturday night was the full-blown politicization of the event, which is annoying regardless of the politics being peddled. But the UFC and Dana have been super political lately and Saturday felt like propaganda in certain moments.
With that said, do you think this merger with the WWE is at all politically-motivated? Personally, I feel like the influence of both entities and their increasingly political platforms could prove detrimental to fighter unionization and ultimately hamper the lobbying efforts of fighters. Thoughts?
Ayu-bo-one Ariel,
Since 2020 10 fighters have weighed in as backups for UFC title fights. Out of the 10 only 4 fighters have gotten title shots after weighing-in as a backup. Them being Glover Teixeira, Jiří Procházka, Alexander Volkanovski and, now Colby Covington (potentially).
On the other hand, Alexandre Pantoja has weighed in as a backup in two different occasions and there seems to be no confirmation from Dana that he will get a title shot.
My argument is, Chael's point of being the backup is a favorable position for a fighter isn't statistically true. You have to be the back up and have favor from the promotion to get a shot.
Edit: It was announced today that Pantoja is getting the next flyweight title shot
Hello Ariel, Olin aka MMAnomaly here, long time fan!
Hope your week is going well.
With all of the rematches, trilogies, and even "Quadrilogies" that we've seen recently my question is:
Are you burnt out on rematches? OR if it makes sense (Example: Max Holloway with a win this weekend could possibly get ANOTHER rematch with Volk.) do we keep giving these fighters shot after shot at the same person that has already beaten them 1-3 times?
Side Question for GC: What type of information stands out to you the most when doing your research for parlays/picks?
Thanks again for all that you do, always look forward to you, GC, and New York Ric on Mondays and Wednesdays!
Best,
Olin / MMAnomaly
Something tells me you and GC & NYR would have reacted way more different if it was Colby taunting Leon‘s son after he knocked him out. It’s an adult mocking a kid - who is in shock seeing his father just get knocked out right in front of him. I‘m really surprised (& disappointed) that even you Ariel, as a father of 3, brush this off by sayinf „he’s petty, and I am petty as well, so I can understand that“. You’re talking about being ok that an adult holds a grudge over a 5 year old for 7 years and decides to pay it back to him when he’s 12. I‘m really sorry, but this is the most disappointing take I‘ve ever heard from you, GC or NYR.
First time here, I find this appropriate since you now have basketball podcast. My interest in the NBA is at an all time low and I feel like the product itself needs a massive overhaul. My thought is to make the rules more favorable to defense like allowing hand checking, allowing defensive three seconds, shortening the shot clock, etc. Do you agree the product needs to be fixed and if so what would you do to fix it? Ric and GC can chime in as well and I feel like GC leans my way with his recent interest in the Hawks.
Second, do you see a scenario where Leon just won't sign a contract with Colby like he stated? The UFC has shown their hand in wanting to go back to London and to strip the UK champion makes no sense and Colby isn't a PPV draw, so I don't see why they'd die on that hill over other active contenders.
Shalom Ariel!!!
Ma Hadash?
?מה חדש
I wanted to confirm something regarding the Helwani-verse.
Have you ever met Louis Gilmour in person?
Another quick question, you often retweet Twitter messages from 'No Context Ariel Helwani' and 'Jed I. Goodman', can you please give more background information on these accounts?
P.S.
I don't want to sound like a Karen, but should there be some penalty for users who post one letter comment on your Substack to reserve the first question, and later edit the comment and write a full question? You answer the questions live and unedited, and I think it is only fair for the questions to be unedited as well.
Hello Ariel! This is Monty, from Kerry Ireland(by way of Dhaka, Bangladesh).
Big fan! Your show with DC during the Pandemic roped me into the MMA world!
First time question asker, so I'll start with one on the lighter side. What is Israel Adesanya's issue with Monster energy drink? He always removes it from infront of him during press conferences and after his win last weekend he drew a cross on the canvas sticker and gave it two middle fingers. Any insight into this would be appreciated! Keep up the great work, also , New York Ric's takes are the most logical of all you guys!
Mr. Helvani,
UFC 229 was the first time I’d watched MMA and I’ve been hooked since. It’s been fun going back and watching the history of the company(mostly through your interviews). I can’t believe he thought a bus was a horse! Here’s a hot tag for anything to get off your chest. Thanks for all of the paid interviews and 10-7s throughout the years, bapa.
Hola Ariel & crew,
Love you guys but couldn't disagree more with Pereira getting a rematch. The immediate rematch is only for a dominant champion.
IF Alex stays at 185, the move is he gets a win, then he gets a title shot. If the UFC went this route, who would you match him up against? I say Pereira vs DDP or if we're getting crazy, Alex vs Bobby Knuckles. What say you all?
Gracias!
Hello again Mr Nose and Crew,
Im dying for an update on the ongoing lunch room situation involving Frank and Ric, it seemed as if Frank may have touched a nerve there so I must ask, has anyone approached Ric during his meetings since and has Frank been avoiding looking at Ric as requested and quote “keep his eyes on the floor”
Also any news of Franks website? As I’m typing this I’m starting to realise how over he is getting GC needs to watch his spot as top Babyface on the show.
Hello to my favorite journalist and the rest of the crew!
Knowing that GC is the betting guru of the group, this message may be more so for him, but I would like to put you guys on to a bet that has inexplicably great value in my opinion, and I simply can’t understand why the line is what it is.
As you know, one of the biggest boxing matches in years is coming up in Gervonta Tank Davis vs Ryan Garcia. I personally am super high on Ryan, and I believe that his combination of hand speed and power is arguably the best that I have ever seen, on a pound for pound basis.
In addition to this, Gervonta has been known to lose rounds before ultimately landing the big shots which allow him to get his opponents out of there. Albeit he’s pretty damn good at getting his opponents out of there, but as far as pure boxing and winning rounds consistently goes, I personally don’t think Gervonta holds a candle to Ryan.
Taking all of this into account, I see the most likely scenario for this fight being Ryan using his speed and reach advantage to outbox Gervonta for the majority of the fight and win a decision.
Despite this impeccable logic, Ryan Garcia by decision is sitting at +800. (At least I have a +800 slip on that, I am not sure if the line has moved at all). I would love to hear you guys’ thoughts on the value of this bet, and hopefully I can win GC some money. In any case, keep up the great work guys!
Sir Ariel-
Like you, I found Izzy's octagon celebration to be a sweet cherry on top of an incredible finish and great overall night. He then went on to cut an amazing promo on the mic. This lead me to wonder, what are other memorable and famous octagon celebrations that come to mind or are your favorites? Not interviews, but celebrations.
Some that come to my mind are Jorge after Askren, Johnny Walker's worm, or Izzy's machine gun after Whittaker or humping of Costa.