Best MMA Podcasts

Are you into UFC, Bellator, ONE championship, Glory, or a MMA lover, this blog will cover a few podcasts that fuel your interest in everything MMA through perspectives of experts and legends of the sport.

 #3 - Believe You Me With Michael Bisping

Hall of Famer, Michael Bisping, is as legendary as is gets when discussing MMA stars. The former Middleweight champion and winner of the 3rd season of the ultimate fighter runs his own podcast, that is published every few days. Bisping uses his legendary status and huge fan base to create a podcast which is popular within the MMA world, gaining thousands of view and runs across several platforms. Bisping shares his views on trending topics and upcoming cards which entices viewers as they like to hear his perspective. Bisping still works for the UFC, even though he is a retired fighter, and he still commentates many Fight Night cards which keeps his name echoing around UFC fans, giving him a larger fan base to listen in to what he has to say.

#2 - You're Welcome! With Chael Sonnen

Fighting in the same weight classes and beating Bisping in their bout back in 2012, Chael Sonnen is another legend of the sport with his own MMA podcast. Known as the "undefeated, undisputed, champ" Sonnen is massively popular within the MMA world however has lost and has never actually won a title. Sonnen was the 'trash-talking' king before the rise of Conor Mcgregor, which to this day still makes him a fan favourite to listen to, which is why 'You're Welcome!' and his other MMA shows always do so well, and why he always has a loud voice within the community. Chael Sonnen's account on YouTube has over one million subscribers, and puts out a podcast around once a month, however uploads videos depending on if topics are trending and gaining more coverage.

#1 - MMA Hour With Ariel Helwani

Ariel Helwani is largely known within the MMA community, and popular as a sports analyst and journalist. Ariel has the biggest and most popular show in MMA brining in hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of views for his interviews and guest appearances. Ariel has been around for many years and had his fair few run ins and exchanges with fighters, and even the boss of UFC, Dana White. Ariel Helwani has gained notoriety through this and by always holding his own, people love to hear his podcasts talking to the biggest stars in fighting sports, not just MMA. MMA Hour is a weekly podcast where clips of the show are then posted through the following days, to stay constantly within the loop.

Honourable Mention - JRE MMA Show

Through the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), Joe has created his own 'MMA Show' in the same studio setting, interviewing in a similar way, however talking to MMA stars from across the globe. Joe uses his martial arts knowledge, from learning through his younger years and his job as a commentator and analyst for UFC, to have deep converstaions about training, recovery, downfalls, championship wins, personal life, or just an interesting topic. This always makes for a great watch as fans like to see the behind the scenes of these stars lives, and not in a proper interview format such as previous podcasts mentioned. The MMA Show had to make an honourable mention however works within the JRE and isn't a stand alone podcast.

If any of these shows interest you, links can be found below along with links to the Bob's Blogs social accounts.

Best Podcast Apps

 Wondering where to listen and watch your favourite podcast shows?

Look no further, as here we will cover places you can find podcasts from many different genres, what differs between them, and how to access these platforms.

#5 - Apple Podcasts

Apple being a leading brand across many industries, allows them to easily integrate into different markets. The podcasting app has been available for some time, and is installed into every iOS device, so with podcasting becoming increasingly popular, and Apple taking a large stance in the technology and music industry, it wasn't long till they became a top podcast platform. With the style of already familiar apps, like the app store, it's an easy app to manoeuvre through and rated highly by its users having a 4.9/5 star rating

#4 - Google Podcasts 

Similar to Apple, Google uses its branding power to easily integrate themselves into podcasting, and by 2019 had Google Podcasts fully up and running. Using Google's layout style, it keeps that familiarity feel while straight away offering top podcasts from popular genres to interest the user. You need a google account to access Google Podcasts, however it is free to use.

#3 - Spotify 

Being a top music streaming platform, Spotify have that huge audience that uses their platform with the intention of listening. Spotify now offers video content as well as listening which has grown along side the increasing number of people using Spotify for their podcast entertainment. the transition into popular podcasting has been seamless for Spotify, even securing some of the biggest podcasts exclusively to Spotify. All podcasts are available to Spotify users for free, however all podcasts contain ads that can only be skipped with the Spotify Premium subscription.

#2 - Audible 

Amazon's 'Audible' works like an online book store where books for reading, or listening to, are easily accessible. With audio books being a prime selling point, the transition into podcasting couldn't of been easier for Amazon and with a monthly subscription, Audible offers both podcasting and books all in the one space. Audible has exclusive podcasts, mostly tailored with the book loving community, that may intrigue users, and with Amazon's efficiency, its made to be quick and easy to find your favourite podcasts. 

#1 - YouTube

YouTube is an extremely popular platform that works completely different to the other platforms mentioned in this blog. YouTube acts in the same way for podcasts as it does for nearly every other video, and while it can offer a recommended podcast section depending on how you access YouTube, all podcasts are uploaded the same as every other video on YouTube. This can make it harder to find what your looking for if your just browsing, and some podcasts may have been scooped up by Spotify,  Apple, Google or Amazon, so not included anymore on Youtube, however as this site is free, all podcasts placed on YouTube can be enjoyed free of charge.

So, after looking at where to find your preferred podcasts, it stands out that each platform is tailored in certain ways. Apple and Google use their familiar styles to make it an easy transition for you to find the right podcast, Spotify uses your love for music to get you in that same space as many popular podcasts, Audible uses the love of books to appeal to you in a space where finding the right podcasts and books works easily, and as so many people go to browse on YouTube, stumbling onto a podcast can be luck of chance.

Any thoughts on what platform works best for you, or anywhere you recommend finding podcasts, please let us know in the comments section.