The MMA Reporters: Episode 34 - a podcast by ESPN, Ariel Helwani, Daniel Cormier

Ariel starts off the show by giving his thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov's performance against Dustin Poirier and also by explaining how the Jorge Masvidal/Nate Diaz fight came together. Then, Irish MMA journalist Peter Carroll talks about the parallels between Conor McGregor's rise to fame in Ireland and Khabib's own ascension in the Middle East (8:03). He also sheds light on how rapidly McGregor's fame has diminished in Ireland due to his recent antics, but also explains how he can get back in to the good graces of the Irish people. Then, ahead of this upcoming weekend's card in Vancouver, Ariel welcomes Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie to look ahead to the Cowboy Cerrone/Justin Gaethje fight and some of the other notable matchups on this card (29:48). Lastly, ESPN's Marc Raimondi tells Ariel if Masvidal and Diaz fighting for the "BMF" title is the right decision for UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden (45:21). Plus, Ariel tells Marc why he hates the concept of the BMF belt before talking about a certain fear he has about Colby Covington.

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