Chael Sonnen and Ariel Helwani Make Peace, Talk UFC 296 Aftermath, Colby Covington, More

Chael Sonnen discusses UFC 296, what should be next for Leon Edwards, Colby Covington’s performance and pre-fight trash talk, the brawl between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, Stickland’s future, Ian Machado Garry’s comments, Francis Ngannou’s future, Jake Paul, the UFC heavyweight title, and more.
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[@raulwall6]

I agree with Chael, Blohal is next.

[@fahims768]

Only after Blohal beats Jonny Jonses

[@danieljacot3083]

Bill Hyle

[@biglsmoke6164]

Never heard of him, shavkat next

[@suavehouse86]

​@@fahims768 Jon Africa???

[@abelinks5146]

😂

[@hakuamper365]

I love how Chael responds to Ariel’s questions by elaborating on his answer of a previous question and asks what was the current question again 😂

[@sseaga]

That's because his mouth is moving fast than his brain can process

[@theboogeyman9813]

Pro move

[@luckyspurs]

It's like a Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker sketch where the person keeps answering the question before rather than one being asked.

[@HonkletonDonkleton]

​@@luckyspursthat's exactly what I was thinking when I was listening 😂

[@miketang8719]

It’s a power move, you don’t answer to the other person unless it’s on your own terms

[@enmitynz4613]

The thing I love most about Chael is his *ability to pronounce an incredible amount of fighters names completely wrong. For someone so articulate, he really does make zero effort to pronounce fighters names properly

[@BreakneckTV]

Yea lol he’s nuts. He’s doing it on purpose most of the time but that makes it even more funny

[@shelbycorzine8674]

Cry me a river

[@masattac]

He does it on purpose and it's hilarious

[@enmitynz4613]

​@@BreakneckTVIt's so funny, it's gotta be on purpose because even with Pereira he was stopped, corrected and shown the correct way to say it, he said it, and then went straight back to callung him Pierra and to this day had stuck to it lol

[@TD1021-]

He's gotta be trolling us at this point. There's no way he hears everyone around him saying PER-EI-RA, and he says PIERRE-A. Or Hazmat, Kamara, Macklechev, Blehal and so on 😂😂 the funniest part is he mispronounces their names to their faces and they don't even bother to correct em they just roll with it 😂

[@stephenleskow7959]

The way Chael smiles at his kids as they walk off camera shows how much he loves them.

[@liamrees5694]

Timestamp?

[@JeremiahC19]

Ariel sneaking in a “you can’t let them get close” without Chael noticing😅Absolute Gold

[@cantripleplays]

timestamp plz

[@jacobhartmann1050]

​@@cantripleplays 18:28

[@papacarnivore15]

Wow. What a fantastic interview! The triumphant return of Ariel and The Bad Guy was amazing and just shows why this combination is without question THE BEST show in all of MMA.😊

[@billfrench1069]

MMA Guru is better

[@dylan104]

​@@billfrench1069Jesus Christ that has to be the worst thing I've ever heard anyone say. I pray to all this is holy that you're joking

[@mayowaade879]

@@dylan104haha right??

[@megan0rtiz314]

Ariel is terrible... 1ST. RIGO 2ND DC RC 3RD GURU 4TH DC AND FUNKY.. All Ariel does is whine and cries over stuff that isn't That serious. He instigates ARGUMENTS, SHOWS his biases but considers himself a journalist.. if he doesn't like someone, he is constantly trying to make the look bad.. to answer aroels question about why strickland is so popular.... because he is real, honest, and tough, complete opposite of ariel

[@beaverboss7557]

@@dylan104guru is way more entertaining and Isn’t a bias weasel

[@mkkabi]

"You were so clearly wrong." 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Chael is something special.

[@passportbrother]

A man as great and as accomplished as Chael Sonnen, and you can see by the look in his eyes that his greatest accomplishments are his children. Good man.

[@louisstone7525]

“Mike Tyson is terrified of me” - Chael Sonnen 2023 😂😂😂

[@gtm2435]

00:02 Chael Sonnen and Ariel Helwani share positive interaction after past disagreements 01:45 Leon's doesn't think Belal should be next in line 05:24 Speculating on potential big fights for UFC 296 06:59 Colby Covington's performance in UFC 296 10:34 Discussion on Colby Covington's comment and crossing the line 12:13 Discussion on Colby Covington's controversial remarks and audience reaction 15:48 Keith Kaiser's strange behavior and judgment in the MMA world 17:44 Concerns about handling of illegal fighting incident 20:58 Authority to oversee events and potential repercussions for athletes 22:32 Consequences of the UFC 296 incident 25:31 Sean Strickland's connection with the audience is remarkable. 27:00 Chael Sonnen's remarkable transformation from being on the verge of cancellation to becoming a cultural warrior 30:11 Discussion about Chael Sonnen's handling of a news piece and misunderstanding with Ian 31:46 Chael Sonnen discusses Conor McGregor's star power 35:01 Chael Sonnen and Ariel Helwani discuss their relationship and public perception 36:40 Chael Sonnen and Ariel Helwani discuss the aftermath of UFC 296. 40:01 Possible fight confusion for Francis Ngannou's future matchups 41:45 Potential super card in Saudi Arabia on February 24th 44:49 Chael Sonnen praises Paul for supporting amateur athletes and encourages UFC fighters to pursue Olympic sports 46:19 Chael and Ariel discuss New Year's resolutions and spreading love and positivity. 49:16 Chael Sonnen discusses Jon Jones and the interim champion status 50:56 Stipe versus Jones is the fight to make 54:06 Chael Sonnen shares a story about helping out a friend 55:37 Chael Sonnen talks about coaching wrestling and the competitive nature of the sport. 58:44 Chael Sonnen promises to return next year and give Ariel Helwani a receipt.

[@sportskipacino7256]

Appriciate it bro!

[@lordaleksandre]

Thanks!

[@manuelallard-roy7560]

Goat

[@crazypato3752]

Well done!!

[@SahR-np9pz]

Thanks

[@mattgehringer8554]

The thing Colby didn’t like was every time he threw he got tagged on the counter. Was bleeding after 1 round and he hadn’t landed. Shook him

[@demetriusray1627]

That's what I've been trying to tell these casuals. Everyone wants to say it was Colby, but it actually was Leon. He was not going to beat this guy because of the fire power.

[@ashervirin9698]

He still could’ve committed and hit Leon, it’s not like NONE of his strikes landed. When you only throw singular shots, it’s easy to catch and counter

[@maltheri9833]

​@ashervirin9698 OK BUT GETTING HIT HURTS. Dude you don't know what goes through these dudes mind. That dude got scared. It's not easy to bumrush someone who's hitting you with punches you can't see and you can't touch them. Not everyone is Michael Chandler and will walk face first into a punch just to see which one will break his nose.

[@mattgehringer8554]

@@demetriusray1627 nah exactly, even at his best Colby would have gotten murdered on the feet and we saw that

[@harrisonwhite3037]

Yes and he probably trained takedowns for leon in southpaw and leon fought mostly orthodox which probably threw him off

[@isaacsequeira2686]

Love how Ariel said to Chael "In other words, you cant let them get close", had my dying.

[@cantripleplays]

timestamp plz

[@Shiggystardust]

Uncle Chael's RFK impression is on point, there's nothing he cant do

[@mylesteller]

I can listen to Chael talk about MMA for hours 😂💯

[@SMac86]

I dont know why, but this is exactly what the MMA community needed before the holidays. Just great seeing these two back at it and burying the hatchet. Legends!

[@SMac86]

And I legit burst put laughing when Chael still told Ariel he was wrong. Now that's a brother lol

[@ThatMexicanMMADude]

Tbh, i feel like their "beef" was a work just to boost their viewers / clout or whatever... everything Chael does has some element of work in it lol

[@magx01]

You're in too deep.

[@SMac86]

@@magx01 I can't let you get close.

[@brucelee3954]

Uncle Chael undefeated, undisputed, never lost a round.

[@neilcassey1421]

"Colby saw something he didn't like." So did most of his fans. They saw their betting slips going in the f77777g trash can.

[@Bluepickles333]

lol ya I think everyone was suprised by his performance. Whether you’re a fan or not of Colby I think everyone thought he’d bring the fight a little more. He basically did nothing for 4 1/2 rounds.

[@draco2xx]

he realized he was gonna get tko'd then went into survival mode😂

[@markdyer2574]

😂😂😂

[@TMeek94]

Sounds like you were one of them

[@indigosensei47]

That's what you get for betting in the first place

[@michaelfranzese4975]

I know this is a longshot, but it would be awesome if Dana made up with Ariel. You can tell he's such a huge superfan between Keith Keizer, immediately knowing where Bisping got in trouble, etc. Ariel really is the pinnacle of MMA journalism, just because he loves it. I think he was such a huge part of the UFC growth and instead we get social media content creators like Nina covering events. No shade towards her, but Ariel deserves his spot with the company. That era was the beginning of spoilers creeping online, but Dana White sees the way social media has evolved. You can't keep any secrets now anyway. Give them man his credentials back.

[@danieljacot3083]

Ariel has said way too much and tried to do way too much damage to the company. It’ll never happen

[@Omgbeastful]

Yes - he actually asks the hard hitting questions that us as fans want to know, at least for the most part. I consider him to be a phenomenal journalist and have always enjoyed watching his interviews.

[@stephenleskow7959]

Amen 🙏

[@slycat956]

He was zero percent responsible for any part of ufc's success

[@chetterbezly3905]

@@slycat956he said growth, not success and he definitely did. The media plays a large roll and he is the biggest

[@opticalcanine]

Chaels mimicking trumps hand movements is hilarious

[@demetriusray1627]

@thepenskifile4400 He's a Trumpster for sure.

[@Ascoundrel]

Chael - "i've never swore, ever" Ariel - "what about that movie" .... amazing. Watching chael backpedal is cringe, such a Trumpet voice.

[@chevellebelair1402]

Maybe kobe and kiss it

[@AcknowledgeB]

Huwwgeee. Chaynaaa

[@merle4514]

Chael sounds a bit like Robert Kennedy when his throat acts up

[@Idan_K]

Great comeback by Chael here in this rematch, really turned it around showing that him submitting last time doesn't mean he was done for good. Looking forward to round 3

[@USFCpresident]

Chael owned Ariel the first time fym😂

[@Idan_K]

@@USFCpresident Wtf are talking about, Chael acted like a 14 year old raging call of duty player until he rage quit. Ariel was just calmly making his point and Chael was sweating his face off not being able to handle it for some reason

[@lamarsampolia2852]

My favourite couple are back together. I'm glad to see you guys getting along again.

[@marklechman1005]

I agree, this closes the MMA year perfectly!

[@cody40001]

He clearly didn’t like the kicks coming at his head. He hasn’t ever dealt with someone that can kick like Leon.

[@noelnoni7310]

Not really because Colby backed up before the leg kicks. He usually comes forward straight out of the gate vs strikers

[@tamzy4825]

Little bit more than that he was on the back step from rnd 1. No forward presure like all his other fights 😮

[@KingNikaDKota]

Chael?? You must not know his resume fam

[@Chuck26814]

@@noelnoni7310Colby said Leon staying in orthodox for much of the fight messed him up. Sounds like he had a 1 dimensional game plan.

[@mmamultiverse75]

He's a close-range fighter. Kick is not the reason. The pressure got to him and his leg got compromised early on.

[@jdkapperino8541]

"In other words you can't let them get close" that was a beautiful line champ

[@marklechman1005]

So happy to see Chael and Ariel make up before the new year 😊

[@kevinbrook7033]

Chael deliberately trolling Belal 'remember the name' by continuing to call him 'Blahall' and keeping this joke going for years is great. It's my second favourite name troll he does after referring to Tyson Fury's brother as 'Will Fury'. His long term commitment to his running jokes is impressive.

[@Tonysopranoyafinook]

Top ramen

[@martinjames6148]

Great analysis around Sean guys, glad you are still putting out content together, Lesson learnt

[@Kuala-mc1mk]

I'm glad both of them, respect each others more! Happy holidays everybody!

[@opietaylor5778]

Awwww to see how much chael loves his children is great. I’m sure he’s a great father.

[@thomashougaard9040]

Better friends than enemies!! 🙌

[@efil4saaggin]

I love you two. Even with disagreements and arguments we always come back, life is too short and make the call. Love the wholesome moment with Chael and his kids show up and Ariel hyping up Chael how a true friend would do.

[@docrivers854]

When Colby was back up for Leon usman 3 Dana was almost being annoying talking about Colby is next no matter what, now Belal has not only been the back up but also fought burns on short notice for the next title shot and Dana is saying he doesn’t know

[@user-bc3sl5ol7w]

It's popularity contest just ask cheal

[@Chuck26814]

Yea it’s crazy. I’m not a Belal fan and would rather see Shavkat jump him for the next title shot, but if they don’t give it to Belal after promising it to him and he was the backup for the last title fight, man that’d be dirty.

[@jericho-tube]

If nobody watches it then what is the reason of the fight ? Nobody cares , so Dana does not care.

[@Chuck26814]

@@jericho-tube it’s deeper than that tho. Dana said before Leon’s last fight that Belal was next 100%. Dana said Colby got the title fight because he was the backup fighter for Leon’s previous title defense. Belal was also the backup fighter for Colby vs Leon. I hope you can see how people would think it’s bogus if Belal doesn’t get the next shot

[@TheChessNeck]

Can't wait to see how Chael views his protégé Colbys fight

[@luckyspurs]

Leon just doesn't like Belal. Belal's said some really derogatory things about him and basically been a hater of his for years. He's never going to go out of his way to help Belal get an opportunity.

[@cog12594]

Leon tweeted at Belal today and said he'd take the fight.

[@ooolol]

it was a wholesome interview and Chael's kids intro added more to the shine of this podcast. Well done Ariel 👏👏

[@matthewlee8618]

Kevin Keeney is an amazing guy. Was my coach for several years love the dude and the toughness he instills in you. One of his best lines was during a tough practice he goes “change your mindset right now! This is tough but tell yourself you love this. This is what you want.” Whenever I’m in a tough workout or anything similar I just think I live for moments like these. Awesome guy same with Chael both great dudes

[@Mr-E.]

Crazy how Leon was super dismissive about Belal ("I won 10 fights and still had to wait for a title fight so Belal should wait too"), and even Dana was dismissive of him and got more excited about Shavkat in the post-fight conference. I get that people say Belal is a boring fighter, but the title shot suppression is really blatant.

[@JudasVondig]

Leon dismisses Belal on purpose because he knows how much it bothers Belal who has spent 2½ years doing nothing but talking about Leon. He knows Belal is next he's just having fun.

[@four321zero]

​@@JudasVondig😅

[@AntMorris]

@@JudasVondigfinally someone who gets it . We all know Belal is next and Leon and his coach Dave saying this just means Leon is in the headlines . As they say no publicity is bad publicity ! And then when he actually finishes Belal (which he will ) he can say in the post fight that he told us all he didn’t deserve it as he knew he would smash him easily and he wanted a challenge . It’s actually clever if people take the time to listen to their full interviews in which they both say they know it’s Belal next .

[@mattbrooks90]

If they're planning leon v islam at ufc300 all their comments make sense

[@barbarapaparella1833]

​@@mattbrooks90yessir. That's the only other fight that I thought of that makes sense. Islam blows up 2 about the same as Colby . Like 175 -180. Islam cuts about 20 lbs which is average 4 most fighters. Colby could make LW easily but choses not 2.

[@dcee1412]

Colby fought like absolute sh$t but it was no massacre Leon did very little damage other then pitter patter leg kicks that fight was incredibly boring if Leon was this killer everyone now thinks he is why didn’t he push the pace to get him out ? Shavkat is gonna destroy Leon and make this division great again

[@worldwolf9909]

Boring yet competitive fight up until the last 30 seconds realistically.

[@mohegansun2439]

leon def looked dumb saying belal not next...dude will now realize he doesnt sell fights...after trashing colby

[@draco2xx]

im confused as to why he thinks belal doesn't deserves his shot, leon actually owe belal rematch for that eye poke

[@MansterBear]

Yea. “Colby doesn’t deserve it.” “Belal doesn’t deserve it.” Who does he think deserves a title shot then?

[@rodneysparks6442]

​@@MansterBearone can only come to the assumption that he is scared of Belal. He has an axe to grind...

[@titanx5legion527]

Chael’s mind is always a million miles an hour & it’s amazing.

[@angelfeliciano3846]

Don't let them bully you Tio Chael

[@bpc1003]

35:55 who’s cutting onions?

[@darrylmccoy4202]

I could listen to these two all day

[@frankc3080]

Holy shat then, then you must LOVE bullcrap.. 😂 I knew there beef was fake the whole time like Floyd and 50s, they are literally best friends on text

[@troysmith6929]

Glad to have the best duo back together again! What a way to end the year 🥳

[@vipset87]

8:20 correction. Colby admitted he went for the left or right leg and was met with the other leg. Or something like that.

[@mariorodriguezjunior]

This is great, the boys are back, I love it.

[@AlexanderSartore]

Thank you for this! Loved it.

[@woodyn18]

All is right in the MMA world, Ariel and The Bad Guy are working together again. Great chemistry.

[@heavymetalmachine8941]

Chael doing a Kennedy Jr impression the entire interview. Lol. Impressive. Most impressive.

[@christopherwilson9933]

Its nice to see the family 🎉

[@phil.d-roll6393]

Good to see dudes. Good to see. ✌️

[@ashajeer2383]

I'm so happy to end this year on a happy note. Thank you two 😊

[@rolandog4282]

"YOU CAN'T LET THEM GET CLOSE" xD

[@reddeadunitedtv5548]

Love Chael he is a breath of fresh air

[@capcomfan82]

Who hasnt gotten a extremely pissed at a friend? It goes to show they have real friendship.

[@MansterBear]

I’ve gotten in arguments with friends before. But they never went to their massive internet audience and implied I was an anti semite over it. Chael must be a really forgiving guy

[@evanhughes9899]

They are brothers now!

[@timothywalsh6410]

Love Chael’s perspective on crossing lines etc.

[@dallasalexander8112]

Fr

[@loc6880]

Love the adjustment Chael!! True Gnkstr...and Professional 🤙

[@tylerlambert630]

I don't watch live but I'll never miss a Rodcast lol the b team boys are pure entertainment and relatable

[@decentjmkhombo2976]

The best mma conversations happen between these two

[@capthawkeye170]

So happy to see the 2 of you back together again! 2023 is complete! On to 2024! 🥃

[@stephenleskow7959]

I love and appreciate uncle Chael and AH

[@Sx-xy2zi]

Im glad theyve resolved things

[@kodyboyd7095]

Uncle Chael doesn't mispronounce names, we've all simply just been saying them wrong all along 😂

[@treverfox6548]

Good one thanks for the show God bless you guys

[@handello]

Return of the King

[@GooseYT316]

That was a great watch 👍

[@UAPReportingCenter]

Glad they back together!

[@AntJonez218]

Chael Sonnen talks - My ADHD acting like a wide receiver trying to catch all the detail hurdles chaels throwing 🤣 man It can get exhausting sometimes but I'm glad there's someone out there who speaks in this much detail

[@nonenone7761]

Glad to see this.

[@KingNikaDKota]

I love that Chael is a good dad🖤

[@martinlarrivee5081]

Glad you guys made peace.

[@iLoveBIGTdsn3s]

They didnt argue, because the P in Chael P Sonnen stands for Peace. What a guy. To anyone reading this: Happy Holidays and have a Happy New Year. Ohh and Roll Tide!

[@jameshickey1294]

Chael an his kids was a beautiful moment - wen the cameras are off he's just dad an husband an that's wat matters.. Happy Christmas 🎄 to them

[@marius2527]

great interview, like chael even more, glad u guys patched things

[@sydsalmon479]

Just when I was starting to think the awards needed fresh meat, Helwani and Chael P put on an absolute masterclass!!

[@patrickdowell5915]

The Keith Kizer talk is killing me

[@philrisser6853]

chael and his kids was awesome.

[@michael95621]

Keith Kizer in shambles 😂😂😂

[@benphelps7856]

Dana said ppv sales went up 25% after that press conference. It worked.

[@user-sy3nz4gx3o]

If you believe Dana….

[@Mr-E.]

And when Episode 6 of the Embedded vlog was uploaded, it was taken down 25 minutes later because Colby said at the end "I was in character" to Leon during the face-off. The video was re-uploaded 40 minutes later and that specific part was removed. Dana didn't want to undermine the PPV buys. It is still uploaded on the Russian version of the episode.

[@patrickdietrich267]

I love that you to can do a show.. after your spat!!!

[@TheSteveBatchelor]

It shouldn't amaze me after all of these years... BUT!...Chael Is Amazing

[@missvickimae1150]

So glad and it was tremendous ;)

[@kingbuusaki7130]

Soo juiced up he never gets thirsty

[@justin725]

I remember Keith Kizer, I can't find it anywhere but wasn't he interviewed at one point? Maybe during Nick Diaz litigation? Or something along those lines am I imagining something that never happened? Someone anyone?

[@boldottoman]

30:15 "The source" 😂

[@johndurant2768]

Great interview and classy move by Ariel. Gotta love these two

[@KingRealEstate]

Nothing better than Chael & Ariel!

[@jmqcbizzle]

the kids bit was beyond heartwarming

[@joshmcclurg153]

Cool jacket kid, nice touch with the old school Tapout tee shirt too - good taste🤝🏼

[@savagewillis7222]

Glad they made up these guys are perfect together

[@brooklynweaver1]

Dana did state that Colby made the crowd uncomfortable and that talking about family isnt cool so he did state a de facto observation.

[@jameshickey1294]

Lov n respect from uk chaps. Stay blessed 🙌 Ltrs 2024

[@rodneysparks6442]

Loved seeing those kids man! Chael you are blessed...

[@unsub6737]

Haha The Bad Guy is a gem.

[@SasukesSharingan.]

Love have chael answers questions with stories from 1990s 😂 then ask what was the question....

[@gusherface2023]

Ariel came in humble. 😂

[@thegreenhenryshow8809]

No fines for trash talk. That is utterly a ridiculous idea for a fight promotion.

[@aks1a7x]

True dat... but who decides the fines... and for what?

[@bfat387]

thats canada and UK mindset

[@aks1a7x]

I'm not saying I'm against it... I'm saying who'll decide what's right & wrong... & I'm neither canadian nor British..

[@thegreenhenryshow8809]

@@aks1a7x And what ideology will guide those making judgement calls? It's a legitimate question

[@PuffyPandaOG]

Bro's office is extra festive! 🎄

[@Freebandzz187]

leon is a decision master and i like leon he’s just a point fighter and really want to see em inna war

[@michaelmitchell884]

I love both these guys!

[@marknewton7212]

Thank you Chael, sometimes receipts are necessary