The Ariel Helwani Show

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show, live from our Las Vegas studio, by setting the scene for UFC 329 fight week (01:00).

Coach John Kavanagh joins Ariel in-studio to discuss Conor McGregor’s preparation, rumors swirling regarding McGregor’s late arrival, Carlos Prates initially being proposed as an opponent, McGregor moving up to welterweight and likely being done with lightweight, how his communication with McGregor has evolved over the years, stories from past McGregor fights, and more (09:51).

Manager Audie Attar is in-studio to talk about Conor McGregor’s return, how negotiations with the UFC played out, the proposed April date for McGregor’s next fight, McGregor’s potential value as a free agent, the overall state of fighter pay, what’s next for Rico Verhoeven, Michael ‘Venom’ Page, and more (58:33).

Nutritionist Tyler Minton stops by the studio to give insights into Max Holloway’s UFC 329 preparation and weight cut, suggest that more weight classes could curb weight cutting, and give insights on the science behind getting elite athletes ready for competition (1:36:49).

Coach Eric Nicksick joins Ariel in-studio, discussing what’s next for some of his fighters, including Sean Strickland and Francis Ngannou, training Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, the rumored altercation with Ali Abdelaziz, Kai Kamaka’s UFC 329 fight, and more (2:21:45).

The Boys in the Back and Petesy Carroll ambush Ariel with a birthday cake, before tackling news and notes (2:56:13) and Super Chats (3:24:33).

Solomonster can’t believe it’s been 30 years since Hulk Hogan turned heel and formed the NWO, but it remains one of the most important moments in wrestling history (00:25).

After discussing that, he addresses Sheamus' shocking WWE departure, why it happened and what it means for his future (06:50).

CM Punk returned on Raw in Chicago and abruptly ended the nine-day reign of Sami Zayn as WWE champion.  The polarizing decision likely leads to a major match for SummerSlam, but what it means for Sami is less certain (30:34).

Plus, news on four names reportedly on their way to WWE, including AEW and TNA talent (49:32).

Tony Khan announces the date and location for AEW All Out 2026, plus a preview for a big “Beach Break” Dynamite episode, with MJF against Kenny Omega for the AEW World championship, with a major stipulation (57:32).

Finally, listener questions regarding Oba Femi and Paul Heyman and the best year of Bret Hart’s career, as well as a note on the latest Dark Side of the Ring premiere (1:07:27).

Ariel Helwani is joined by Uncrowned's Shaheen Al-Shatti, Chuck Mindenhall, and NewYorkRic to discuss the media stories surrounding Conor McGregor's return at UFC 329, including how he's covered (03:45), why he's fighting Max Holloway (22:31), the weigh-ins being aired on CBS (29:38), and what potential viewership for the card might look like (51:44). Plus, the panels touches on what's at stake for Paddy Pimblett (52:48) and Gable Steveson (59:17).

Ariel Helwani kicks off the show by discussing World Cup drama involving the U.S. men’s national team and Taylor Swift marrying Travis Kelce at MSG (05:50).

Craig Jones joins the show to announce the return of The B-Team, including a brand new gym, then talks about approaching Tom Hardy and Mark Zuckerberg to compete for CJI, his rivalries with Gordon Ryan and Dillon Danis, crashing White House fight week with Sean Strickland, the state of CJI and UFC BJJ, continuing to work with Alexander Volkanovski, and more (23:27).

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is back following his big win over Xander Zayas, discussing the exciting third round, critics claiming Zayas quit, reaction to the fight from Terence Crawford and Vergil Ortiz, being forced to shave down his beard by the New York State Athletic Commission, his thoughts on attending his first BKFC event and who he hopes to fight next (1:06:09).

Wrestling legend Jeff Jarrett joins Ariel in-studio to preview his 'Dark Side of the Ring' special, discussing how it came together, his relationship with Dixie Carter and her absence from the project, Owen Hart’s death and its lasting impact on him, the true story of negotiating with Vince McMahon for his match against Chyna, his WWE firing, creating TNA, and other stories from his illustrious career (1:32:04).

Ariel closes out the show with some news and notes, before answering your Super Chats (3:03:42).

Dan Canobbio and Chris Algieri open the show breaking down Abdullah Mason’s somewhat controversial stoppage of Albert Bell. Who should Mason fight next and is he the true future of boxing (2:56)?

Bruce Carrington picked up a hard-fought decision win over Rene Palacios that left the crowd and audience wanting more (25:38). At age 29 and with a world championship belt, where does ‘Shu Shu’ go from here?

This fight also spawned an open scoring debate, as official scores were read after the fourth and eighth rounds (32:24).

Finally, this was TNT Sports first foray into boxing and the production was outstanding with Terence Crawford, Tim Bradley and Shawn Porter at the host desk offering their thoughts throughout the night (46:25).