The Ariel Helwani Show

@thearielhelwanishow · Podcast

Latest segments

• Crown Jewel security warnings, 2026-10-29
  Reports the venue move to Kingdom Arena
  Names the new venue: Crown Jewel moves to the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the same building as Saturday's Canelo fight. Reports the move was forced by construction delays on the makeshift stadium, not by the security situation, and that the show stays in the city.
• Crown Jewel security warnings, 2026-10-28
  Reads WWE's venue-change notice for Crown Jewel
  Reads WWE's venue-change notice for Crown Jewel on November 7 in Riyadh: full refunds for ticket holders, tickets re-released within 48 hours, and no clarity on whether the show stays in Saudi Arabia. Notes Uncrowned's report that it moves to another venue in Riyadh.
• Volkanovski vs Evloev at UFC 333, 2026-10-28
  Interviews Volkanovski on the refused medication
  Long sit-down with Volkanovski after UFC 333: the illness timeline, the refused in-competition medication, and his lightweight plans. Adds his stated reason for turning the medicine down and the fact that the UFC has not called about his next fight.
• Volkanovski vs Evloev at UFC 333, 2026-10-28
  Reports Jean Silva's claim to a fan vote
  Jean Silva, front row in Abu Dhabi, says he expected Volkanovski's second-round stoppage and was not surprised given the chest infection. The bulk of the interview is his case for the next title shot, including a fan vote he says he won and a rebuttal to Joe Lopez.
• Yan beats Dvalishvili at UFC 333, 2026-10-27
  Retells the UFC 333 co-main from his couch
  O'Malley retells the UFC 333 co-main from his couch: had Yan lost he would have fought Peyton Talbott, and with Yan winning he treats the title shot as settled even though the UFC has not told him so.
• Yan beats Dvalishvili at UFC 333, 2026-10-27
  Calls Yan the greatest bantamweight ever
  O'Malley's reaction to Yan-Dvalishvili: he calls it a fight for greatest bantamweight ever and says Yan now holds that title, while noting Dvalishvili attempted 58 takedowns. He repeats that he is fighting for the title next.
• PFL–MVP merger, 2026-10-27
  Reacts to the PFL-MVP merger after talking to Nikisa
  Ditcheva, a PFL fighter, reacts to the merger after talks with Nikisa: she is now excited, calls him fighter-first, and says she was surprised John Martin left the PFL after roughly a year.
• Volkanovski vs Evloev at UFC 333, 2026-10-27
  Reflects on Volkanovski's win at 38
  Kavanagh reflects on Volkanovski's win at 38 over an undefeated opponent, floating a 15-year window of excellence and noting Volkanovski found MMA in his mid-20s. Reaction and theory, staying inside the UFC 333 result.
• Cody Rhodes re-signs with WWE, 2026-10-27
  Adds the shape of Rhodes's new deal
  Picks up the Chris Van Vliet interview and adds the contract's shape: a recent five-year deal stacked on his existing term, about seven years total, plus Rhodes saying he doesn't want to wrestle past 50. The host is skeptical of the age-50 line, citing Rey Mysterio.
• Crown Jewel security warnings, 2026-10-27
  Recaps Raw and the new tag title match
  Recaps the October 26 Raw - Vaquer's medical scratch, Lynch's impromptu title match, Zayn's defense against Evans - and lands on the one Crown Jewel item: a world tag title match was announced for the show.
• Crown Jewel security warnings, 2026-10-27
  Reports Riyadh construction despite warnings
  Reports that Crown Jewel is full speed ahead: stadium construction underway in Riyadh despite the U.S. evacuation order, a new embassy alert and a New York Times-reported intelligence memo on Iranian targeting. Criticizes TKO executives for not traveling with the roster and quotes Ari Emanuel's Fox News comments.
• Crown Jewel security warnings, 2026-10-26
  Adds the Bahrain-to-Riyadh travel logistics
  Adds reporting on the logistics of the Riyadh shows: the airport is closed, so UFC production staff will fly into Bahrain and bus five hours to Riyadh. Plays Ari Emanuel's Fox News answer and Dana White's 'we have a contract' comments, then spends the back half on Zuffa Boxing and Shakur Stevenson's release.
• Yan beats Dvalishvili at UFC 333, 2026-10-26
  Walks through Yan's comeback round by round
  O'Malley's head coach walks through Yan's comeback against Dvalishvili round by round and makes the case that O'Malley vs. Yan is the obvious next fight. Mostly retells the co-main and the post-fight snub, with a detour into Cormier's commentary.
• Yan beats Dvalishvili at UFC 333, 2026-10-26
  Makes the case for O'Malley vs Yan
  Makes the case that O'Malley is the only fight for Yan, noting Yan named Song Yadong but not O'Malley in his post-fight interview, and plays O'Malley's reaction to the snub. Frames Merab's path back as depending on an O'Malley win.
• Yan beats Dvalishvili at UFC 333, 2026-10-26
  Debates whether Yan-Merab 3 is Fight of the Year
  Debates whether Yan vs. Dvalishvili 3 is the Fight of the Year, weighing it against Hokit vs. Blaydes and Topuria vs. Gaethje and noting Topology's fan rankings have it seventh. Opinion and ranking talk, no new development in the fight itself.
• Yan beats Dvalishvili at UFC 333, 2026-10-26
  Recaps Yan's comeback from two rounds down
  Recaps Yan's comeback from two rounds down on all three cards, the four-losses-in-five stretch that preceded it, and the no-wrap detail from White's photo. Praise and career retelling, all inside the result already on the record.
• Volkanovski vs Evloev at UFC 333, 2026-10-26
  Debates Volkanovski's all-time featherweight standing
  Debates Volkanovski's all-time featherweight standing after UFC 333, weighing his one loss at 145 to Topuria against Aldo's head-to-head losses and Holloway's three defeats to him. Argument and framing, not new reporting; also restates opposition to a lightweight move.
• Volkanovski vs Evloev at UFC 333, 2026-10-26
  Adds White's refusal to promise Evloev's spot
  Picks up Evloev's side of the UFC 333 aftermath: his social media statement in defeat and Dana White's refusal at the pre-fight presser to promise Evloev would not be released. Argues he should stay and rebuild.
• Volkanovski vs Evloev at UFC 333, 2026-10-26
  Argues against Volkanovski moving to lightweight
  Post-UFC 333 debate over what comes next: the hosts argue against Volkanovski moving up to lightweight for Justin Gaethje, playing Dana White's openness and Volkanovski's own retirement talk against the featherweight contenders waiting. Opinion and framing, but it puts two on-the-record statements about the next step on the record.
• Volkanovski vs Evloev at UFC 333, 2026-10-26
  Plays Volkanovski on the chest infection
  Plays the post-fight clip of Volkanovski confirming the chest infection and explaining why he turned down medication the UFC and his team said was allowed. It retells the sickness story the show already put on the record, adding only that his team was unhappy with the call.