12 Best MMA/UFC Podcasts in 2023 (Must-listen!)

Are you interested in knowing what the best MMA podcasts are?

In this article, we’ll examine the best MMA podcasts and provide some information about each.

What Are the Best MMA Podcasts?

It’s hard to say what the best MMA podcasts are because it comes down to personal preference. However, here’s a list of the podcasts we believe to be the very best in the business and which can offer something to every kind of MMA fan.

So, in alphabetical order, here are the best MMA podcasts in 2023 and beyond. As the UFC is the most spoken about MMA promotion and topic, they must also be considered the best UFC podcasts too.

1. Anik & Florian Podcast

>Youtube, Website, Apple
>Hosts: John Anik and Kenny Florian
>Uploads: Hour-long podcasts (on average) twice per week

John Anik has been the leading UFC play-by-play commentator since 2012 and is known for his passion and ability to remember details. Kenny Florian is a former UFC analyst (2012-2018) and UFC fighter (2003-2012) who came up short in three title challenges and competed in four UFC weight classes.

Kenny’s also currently a PFL commentator. Combined, they’re both upbeat and have a wealth of MMA knowledge, and are still heavily active in the sport. They go over fight picks, previews, recaps, top MMA headlines/news, and more.

They cover 90% of the fights at an event instead of staying too long on one fight which many other podcast tends to do. This keeps the conversation flowing and makes it great for knowing about upcoming fighters.

Anik & Florian commonly have a segment called the Ray Longo Minute. Ray Longo is one of the top MMA coaches and he’s very authentic so he brings a different dimension/perspective to the show. Another common section is the Main Event Challenge with Brian Petrie.

They also take listener calls and interview people involved in MMA which makes the podcast more interactive than others. Overall, with 404 podcast episodes and only 30k subscribers (April 2023), Anik & Florian is one of the best UFC podcasts and also the most underappreciated.

2. Believe You Me

>Youtube, Apple
>Hosts: Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith
>Uploads: 1 to 2-hour-long podcasts twice per week

A consistent twice-weekly podcast featuring former British UFC champion and infamous UFC trash talker, Michael Bisping, and UFC veteran and light heavyweight title challenger, Anthony Smith – two MMA legends who share a lot of insight and knowledge with listeners.

Bisping is also a UFC interviewer and commentator, and Anthony Smith is still competing and works occasionally as an analyst, so they’re both very experienced in talking about MMA.

BYM has a lot of the biggest fighters on the podcast, and with Bisping on the microphone, it’s always hilarious. They go over the biggest MMA/UFC news, give UFC event previews and recaps, and often have guest calls that add different perspectives and entertainment.

3. Co-Main Event

>Website, Apple
>Hosts: Ben Fowlkes & Chad Dundas
>Uploads: 60 to 90-minute episodes once per week

Ben Fowlkes and Chad Dundas are experienced MMA writers and journalists who’ve been MMA podcasting since 2012. When listening, you can tell they’ve been good friends for years as they offer great insight into MMA and plenty of laughter.

They’re good at viewing MMA from various angles/perspectives and keeping the conversation light-hearted and unbiased.

They answer fan questions throughout and have great segments like ‘Master Tweet Theatre’ and ‘AYFKM’. They show a lot of respect for MMA fighters and have an interest in the mindset and psychology of a successful fighter.

Co-Main Event isn’t the best for in-depth analysis, but if you’re after a duo with great chemistry, an easy listen, and a podcast covering everything in the world of MMA while leaning toward news, drama, comedy, and politics, Co-Main Event is for you.

4. Dan Hardy: Full Reptile Collective

>Youtube, Apple
>Host: Dan Hardy
>Uploads: 10 episodes per month of varying lengths

Dan is another former British UFC fighter who had a very respectable career and challenged Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title. 

He’s also a former UFC commentator and analyst, famously partnering with John Gooden for the highly popular ‘Inside the Octagon’ breakdown show, until his UFC release in 2021 due to altercations with referee Herb Dean and another employee.

However, he’s taken his excellent analysis and breakdown skills to his podcast and Youtube channel, where he has the following podcast/video styles:

  • The War Room: detailed UFC main event preview and analysis
  • Outlawed Picks Podcast: Alongside his wife who’s a current UFC fighter, Veronica Hardy, for two hours they go over every single fight at an upcoming UFC event and debate who they believe will win and why
  • Full Reptile Radio (podcast): He and Owen Oxley typically discuss three or four MMA topics over an hour and a half podcast. It’s a very relaxed discussion in the style of two friends having a laugh

Dry humor, excellent analysis, relaxed listening, plenty of laughs, and varying styles of podcasts make the Dan Hardy: Full Reptile Collective one of the best MMA podcasts.

5. Heavy Hands

>Youtube, Apple
>Hosts: Connor Ruebusch and Phil Mackenzie
>Uploads: 60 to 90-minute podcasts once per week

Aside from the podcast, Connor Ruebusch is a striking analyst for BloodyElbow and BadLeftHook, and he also does private scouting work, and Phil Mackenzie’s a writer for BloodyElbow.

Heavy Hands has been producing podcasts since 2013 and now has nearly 470 episodes 10 years on. This is roughly 1 podcast per week and this consistency and experience make it one of the best MMA podcasts.

Heavy Hands podcasts are always released post-UFC-event and they discuss the event in its entirety. They focus on the technical aspect of fights and training and the conversation is in-depth, objective, and different from most of the others because of its slower and more laid-back feel.

One thing Heavy Hands needs to improve is to timestamp their videos.

6. Jack Slack Podcast

>Youtube, Apple
>Host: Jack Slack
>Uploads: 45-minute podcasts (on average) once per week

British Youtuber and writer for Vice’s Fightland, Jack Slack provides a detailed analysis of upcoming Mixed martial arts fights and technical/strategic breakdowns of fights gone by. It’s very technical but he has a way of explaining things in beginner’s terms.

Jack’s also very funny and witty and has similar British humor to Michael Bisping. Also great is how the podcasts are 45 minutes on average, avoid waffle (nonsense), and get straight down to business.

Jack doesn’t cover every fight, but only the fights and events he feels are worthy, which are often the largest, most technical, and most interesting fights. However, he often has a ‘rest of the card’ section where he goes over some of the prelim fights if there’s something to learn or talk about.

Overall, if you’re looking for an MMA podcast not featuring UFC/MMA company men or former MMA fighters, but rather an independent podcast sounding like one of your friends produced it, then Jack Slack’s for you.

7. Morning Kombat

>Youtube, Apple
>Hosts: Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell
>Uploads: 1 to 2-hour podcasts roughly 15 times per month

Morning Kombat features Luke Thomas, a long-time MMA analyst, writer podcaster, journalist, and fan since 2004, and Brian Campbell, a combat sports writer (since 2010), analyst, talk show host, and podcaster.

Together, they’ve produced over 430 podcast episodes and have a great dynamic and chemistry. Both are insightful, knowledgeable and very effective at communicating and teaching, while Luke is better with fight analysis and Brian with comedy and keeping the show moving.

They also commonly have top UFC fighters and various famous guests on the podcast to keep it entertaining and fresh. Morning Kombat gets a lot of credit for keeping it real and talking about subjects other MMA podcasters try to avoid like whether UFC fighters are underpaid.

They don’t mind upsetting people, and watching/listening to Morning Kombat is styled in a way that makes it feel like you’re chilling and speaking with your friends. In 2022, Morning Kombat won the Best Combat Sports Podcast and Best Sports Podcast for 2021 at the Sports Podcast Awards.

8. MMA Fighting: The MMA Hour

>Youtube, Apple
>Host: Ariel Helwani
>Uploads: 4-5 hours of interviews twice per week

The MMA Hour is hosted by Ariel Helwani twice per week and he interviews the biggest players in MMA. This includes managers, coaches, teammates, promoters, business owners, journalists, fighters, and more.

The diversity and variety of guests and the diversity of information and entertainment this provides is what makes The MMA Hour one of the best MMA podcasts. Ariel Helwani, while a love him or hate him type of personality, is great for the podcast because he’s a great listener and he asks great questions. 

He’s been the biggest mixed martial arts journalist in the world for many years now and his positivity, experience, and focus on the interviewee differentiate the podcast from others.

9. TheWeasle: MMA Meeting Let’s Talk

>Youtube, Apple
>Host: The Weasle
>Uploads: 1-hour episodes twice per month on average

TheWeasle is a Youtuber (330k subs) who describes himself as an MMA examiner. His podcasts are great because they go over the biggest PPV events (specifically the main fight) and the top fighters in general, but they also cover around 2 dozen topics on everything UFC and MMA in each podcast episode.

He also doesn’t waste time and is very straight to the point so the podcast is information-packed. Combined with how he only uploads twice per month on average, they’re full of research and overall easily one of the best UFC podcasts if you’re interested in analysis and knowledge rather than comedy.

Also great is how he chooses his own topics for around half the podcast, but then uses the other half to pick and answer fan questions from the comment section. This ensures the biggest talking points are covered, but also the topics which fans want answers to but can’t find elsewhere.

Lastly, as it’s his personal Youtube channel, The Weasle can be honest and open about everything MMA as he isn’t held back by affiliations and hierarchy.

10. The Joe Rogan Experience

>Youtube, Spotify
>Host: Joe Rogan
>Uploads: 2 to 3-hour podcasts, 3 to 4 times per week on average

The original MMA podcaster, Joe Rogan has over 100 podcast episodes featuring the biggest MMA fighters and those involved in the sport. 

The JRE is responsible for a lot of information about MMA due to its access to the biggest players and its full-length podcasts, as well as offering MMA fans the most detailed and intimate interview/podcast with each of their favorite MMA fighters. It’s also responsible for causing the following wave of MMA podcasts.

Not only his guests, but Joe Rogan is also an experienced martial artist, UFC fight interviewer since 1997 (UFC 12), and UFC color commentator since 2002 (UFC 37.5), so he shares a lot of useful MMA information and knowledge.

Joe Rogan’s also a comedian and the show is unfiltered so it’s a very easy watch with plenty of laughs. And while Joe Rogan features podcasts on a whole variety of topics, it’s fairly easy to find his MMA podcasts.

11. Thiccc Boy: The Schaub Show

>Youtube, Spotify
>Host: Brendan Schaub
>Uploads: 1-hour podcasts (on average) once per week

Brendan Schub is a former MMA and UFC fighter who retired in 2014 to become a stand-up comedian. He’s since become the host of various podcasts and now has two very successful Youtube channels, one of which is Thiccc Boy.

Brendan is also part of The Fighter & The Kid Podcast which talks MMA but various other topics too. Thiccc Boy is very much focused on MMA and has over 330 episodes.

Within each podcast episode, Brendan keeps focused on the topic at hand. He speaks extensively when recapping or previewing a UFC event and its contents, and he’ll then spend roughly half of the video talking about the many current UFC/MMA events.

His main talking points are UFC picks, breakdowns, previews, recapping UFC events, and other top MMA stories from top promotions like ONE Championship and Bellator. On average, the episodes are an hour long which makes them a lot more digestible than other podcasts on this list.

12. Weighing In

>Youtube, Apple
>Hosts: Josh Thomson & Big John Mcarthy
>Uploads: 1-2 hour episodes roughly 10 times per month

John McCarthy is one of the most legendary MMA/UFC referees who had a two-decade-long career since UFC 2 and was involved in helping construct the Unified Rules of MMA and teaching up-and-coming MMA referees. Josh Thomson is a former Strikeforce lightweight champion and UFC veteran.

The two have great chemistry and complement each other very well because you have the side of a fighter, and the side of a referee who knows the business and regulation inside out, and they often debate.

The podcast is very energetic, fast-paced, and entertaining, and provides the listener with a lot of information. The podcast episodes are generally quite lengthy (up to 2 hours) but they mark sections for those interested in specific parts.

They even have an OnlyFans where they take fan questions and answer them on the upcoming podcast. Weighing In is approaching 700 videos and 360 podcasts in April 2023 and the passion they have for MMA keeps them going.

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