The Ariel Helwani Show
Episode overview

GOAT Debate, UFC Sacramento & PFL Tampa Previews, Namo Fazil Drama, P4P Rods, More | BITB | 8/20/26

The Ariel Helwani Show · 2h 18m · 4 Egleze moments
GOAT Debate, UFC Sacramento & PFL Tampa Previews, Namo Fazil Drama, P4P Rods, More | BITB | 8/20/26
Episode summary

The Boys in the Back returns with fight-week discussion across UFC, PFL and boxing, alongside a long voicemail segment and recurring in-jokes. The most consequential portion centres on Contender Series fighter Namo Fazil: hosts read a translated Instagram account attributed to Fazil alleging that “15 Chechnyans” entered his room during a weight cut, culminating in him being slapped and an altercation breaking out. They also recap wider online fallout, including a statement read as coming from UFC star Khamzat Chimaev urging Chechens and Kurds to stay united while warning there will be “consequences” when someone “speaks bad”.

The show then relays additional allegations against Fazil, with Conner Burks describing claims from UFC fighter Robert Valentine about a separate cafe confrontation and footage in which Fazil allegedly grabs a knife. A video message from UFC fighter Islam Dulatov is played in full, with Dulatov offering Kayky Brito a personal $5,000 bonus for his knockout win over Fazil.

Elsewhere, the hosts debate the UFC men’s GOAT conversation following Islam Makhachev’s latest title defence (as they describe it), then preview UFC Sacramento and PFL Tampa. In the PFL segment, they push back on promotion of Cris Cyborg vs Ketlen Vieira as a “retirement fight”, saying Cyborg did not confirm retirement and that PFL’s John Martin characterised it as the last bout on her deal. The episode also touches on Teofimo Lopez vs Rolly Romero and Amanda Serrano’s TikTok-streamed bout, before closing on voicemails and audience questions.

Key points
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4 moments from this episode

Source-linked · editorially selected
04
Combat & UFC

Namo Fazil claims 15 men confronted him during weigh-in weight cut

Boys in the Back host Conner Burks reads out a translated Instagram account attributed to Dana White’s Contender Series fighter Namo Fazil, who alleges a group of around 15 men entered his room while he was cutting weight ahead of his bout. Fazil claims he was slapped twice and that a fight broke out, but no other parties are identified in the segment.

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