The Ariel Helwani Show
Hosted by Petesy Carroll
A multi-show combat sports network headlined by arguably the genre's top interviewer, known for news-breaking, long-form conversations.
This YouTube channel is a multi-show combat sports network, not a single podcast. The flagship is "The Ariel Helwani Show," a long-form interview program where Helwani lands major names and breaks news. Other days of the week feature roundtable shows like "The Craic" with Petesy Carroll and "The Boys in the Back," which offer news analysis and banter-filled discussion from Helwani's team.
“The channel's key differentiator is its structure as a daily, multi-show network anchored by a single, high-profile journalist. Helwani's reputation grants him unparalleled access to the biggest names, resulting in interviews that consistently make headlines across MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling.”
Who hosts this show
Ariel Helwani is a Canadian-American sports journalist renowned for his coverage of mixed martial arts, boxing, and professional wrestling. A graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, he has worked for prominent outlets including ESPN, Fox Sports, and MMA Fighting. In 2024, he partnered with Yahoo Sports to launch Uncrowned, a combat sports media brand where he serves as executive editor and hosts the flagship program, "The Ariel Helwani Show". He has been named MMA Journalist of the Year at the World MMA Awards every year since 2010.
Credentials & credits
- 15x MMA Journalist of the Year, World MMA Awards
- Founder/Executive Editor, Uncrowned
- Former Journalist at ESPN, Fox Sports, MMA Fighting
- Graduate, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University
- Presenter for BT Sport, DAZN, Netflix
- Correspondent, HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Other ventures
- Uncrowned (Combat sports media brand)
- The MMA Hour (Previous show)
- DC & Helwani (Previous show with Daniel Cormier)
- Ariel & the Bad Guy (Previous show with Chael Sonnen)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01Luke Littler OPENS UP on Heel Turn, Emotions After Winning Premier League, Thoughts of Quitting?
A textbook example of Helwani's interview style, showing how he builds rapport and elicits candid emotional responses from a non-combat sports star.
- 02Eddie Hearn FIRES BACK at Dana White, ANNOUNCES Ian Garry Signing...
Demonstrates the show's news-breaking capability, with a major boxing promoter announcing the signing of a UFC fighter live on air.
- 03Cody Rhodes Defends Triple H, Regrets After WrestleMania 42 w/ Randy Orton...
Highlights the show's crossover appeal, landing an extensive interview with one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling, the Undisputed WWE Champion.
What you'll be asked on this show
Helwani's interview style is built on deep research and rapport. For returning guests, he often opens by referencing their last conversation to establish continuity, asking how life has changed. He probes a guest's mindset and emotional state, asking about the pressures of public life or the feelings after a major victory. Helwani is direct when addressing controversy, asking pointed questions like "What's your beef with...?" but his conversational tone prevents it from feeling purely confrontational. He excels at following up on past topics, demonstrating a long-term interest in his guests' careers beyond a single news cycle. He often closes by asking about legacy or for a piece of practical advice, giving the guest a final moment to reflect.
The flagship show is a classic one-on-one long-form interview, typically with guests in-studio or remote. Other shows on the channel, like "The Craic" and "The Boys in the Back," are multi-host roundtable discussions focused on news and analysis. The overall brand, Uncrowned, is a partnership with Yahoo! Sports.
Questions Petesy Carroll keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Petesy Carroll reaches for it.
personal
2- Q.01
“How have things changed in your life since we last spoke?”
He often uses this opener with returning guests to immediately establish rapport and track their personal and professional evolution.
- Q.02
“What are your thoughts on England's World Cup performance?”
He often connects with guests on shared, lighter interests like other sports to build rapport.
mindset
3- Q.01
“Was your 'heel turn' a conscious thing on your part?”
This question probes the guest's mindset and strategic thinking, often exploring their use of psychology borrowed from pro wrestling.
- Q.02
“Why were you so emotional after that big win?”
Helwani frequently asks about the emotional release following a significant victory, especially after a period of public struggle or criticism.
- Q.03
“How close were you to actually taking a break from the sport?”
When a guest mentions burnout or fatigue, he follows up to gauge the seriousness of their mental state.
craft
2- Q.01
“Is it weird to have to team up with a rival you just beat?”
He uses this to explore the unique professional dynamics and interpersonal relationships within a specific sport.
- Q.02
“Is there any trash talk in darts?”
This type of question seeks to understand the subtle, interpersonal gamesmanship that occurs during a match.
controversy
3- Q.01
“Did Misfits ever reach out after you mentioned wanting to fight?”
This demonstrates his signature follow-up, referencing a topic from a previous interview to check for new developments.
- Q.02
“What's your beef with [so-and-so]?”
His direct approach to addressing public rivalries or controversies, stated plainly.
- Q.03
“Why do you think the British public and media build people up just to tear them down?”
He asks guests to reflect on broader cultural phenomena that are directly affecting their careers.
legacy
1- Q.01
“Are you the greatest darts player of all time?”
Towards the end of an interview, he will ask a guest to place themselves within the history of their sport.
advice
1- Q.01
“Can you give me one tip for playing darts?”
He often asks for a simple, practical piece of advice that the audience can appreciate.
Signature segments
- · The Ariel Helwani Show
- · The Boys in the Back (BITB)
- · The Craic with Petesy Carroll
- · Helwani Vision (Live fight companion)
- · In-studio interviews
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically A-list figures in the combat sports world: current and former champions (Cody Rhodes, Francis Ngannou), rising stars (Luke Littler, Ben Whittaker), and powerful promoters (Eddie Hearn). Guests are often on the show to discuss recent wins, upcoming fights, or major career news.
- Luke Littleron Luke Littler OPENS UP on Heel Turn, Emotions After Winning Premier League, Thoughts of Quitting?
- Cody Rhodeson Cody Rhodes Defends Triple H, Regrets After WrestleMania 42 w/ Randy Orton, Finishing The Rock Story
- Eddie Hearnon Eddie Hearn FIRES BACK at Dana White, ANNOUNCES Ian Garry Signing, Blasts Bisping for Aspinall Hate
- Ben Whittakeron Ben Whittaker Ready For David Benavidez, Discusses US Debut & Relationship with Eddie Hearn
- Ian Machado Garryon Ian Machado Garry REVEALS Why He Signed w/ Eddie Hearn; Worried About UFC Relationship?
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The primary partnership is with Yahoo! Sports, which co-produces the Uncrowned network. Individual show sponsors noted in the evidence include the prediction market app Kalshi.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Petesy Carroll
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People also ask
- What is The Ariel Helwani Show?
- It is the flagship interview show of Uncrowned, a combat sports media network. The YouTube channel also features other shows from the Uncrowned team, including 'The Boys in the Back' and 'The Craic'.
- Who is Ariel Helwani?
- Ariel Helwani is a Canadian-American journalist who is widely considered one of the leading reporters in combat sports. He has won the 'MMA Journalist of the Year' award more than a dozen times.
- What is the show's format?
- The main show hosted by Ariel Helwani features long-form, one-on-one interviews. Other shows on the channel are roundtable news and discussion formats with multiple hosts from his team.
- Is this podcast still running?
- Yes, the channel produces content daily, with new episodes of 'The Ariel Helwani Show' airing multiple times a week.
- Where can I watch or listen?
- The show is available on the 'The Ariel Helwani Show' YouTube channel, the Yahoo Sports website, and all major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Ariel Helwani - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [02]Yahoo Sports and Ariel Helwani Team Up to Launch Uncrownedyahooinc.com
- [03]The Ariel Helwani Show - YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [04]Uncrowned - Powered by Ariel and Yahoo! Sportsuncrowned.com
- [05]Ariel Helwani Joins Yahoo Sports' New Combat Sports Verticalfrontofficesports.com
- [06]Ariel Helwani partnering with Yahoo, launching new MMA verticalawfulannouncing.com
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