Fighter vs. Writer: Matt Brown Criticizes Calls for an Interim Welterweight Title, Reacts to Potential Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Kamaru Usman Fight

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew bring you the third annual BTL Promotional Festivus — where they grade the UFC for their 2024 performance, both in and out of the octagon, along with their airing of grievances for things that happened negatively throughout the course of the year. Additionally, the duo do the same for PFL, ONE Championship, BKFC, and give their thoughts on things they did better from the year prior, other ideas to bring into 2025, and what could be the breakout promotion in the space for the upcoming year. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join the MMA Fighting staff as we look back at 2024, celebrating the biggest highs, breakout stars, and most unbelievable moments from one of the UFC and MMA's craziest years.  Follow Mike Heck: @m_heckjr Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Follow E. Casey Leydon: @ekc Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the year-end edition of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown and Damon Martin give their picks for the 2024 Fighter of the Year and start looking ahead at some of the biggest storylines in 2025. Will Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones actually happen? Will Conor McGregor fight in 2025? What happens to the PFL and a new upstart organization like the GFL? All this and much more on our special edition of The Fighter vs. The Writer to close out the year Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oleksandr Usyk remains the heavyweight champion of the world. On Saturday, Usyk took home a unanimous decision win in his rematch with Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Now 2-0 against “The Gypsy King,” Usyk is firmly entrenched as the best heavyweight boxer in the world, and possibly the best of his generation. Following Saturday’s epic boxing event, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to Usyk’s big win and where we go from here. Topics discussed include whether the judges got things right, how A.I. judging got things wrong, what’s next for Fury, where Usyk rates among the greatest heavyweights of all time, a few holiday questions, and much more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While some of the MMA year-end awards are easy to choose, others are not. In 2024, two UFC champions made compelling cases for Fighter of the Year — light heavyweight title holder Alex Pereira, and featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. While Pereira had one more win than Topuria this year, is that enough to earn "Poatan" the crown? On an all-new edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and José Youngs previews the site's upcoming 2024 year-end awards, and give their rankings for Fighter of the Year, discuss whether or not Pereira or Topuria should win the award, along with Knockout of the Year, Fight of the Year, and Submission of the Year. Additionally, they'll answer some listener questions about the fallout from UFC Tampa, the UFC's massively successful year, and much more.  Follow Mike Heck: @m_heckjr Follow José Youngs: @JoseYoungs Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices