BTL | REACTION To Dana White's Fight Announcements, Dustin Poirier's Retirement, UFC Abu Dhabi

For the first time in 10 months, UFC flyweight prospect Tatsuro Taira returns to the octagon this Saturday, but he won't be competing against Amir Albazi. After Albazi had to exit due to not getting medically cleared, Taira now faces Hyun Sung Park in the main event of UFC Vegas 108. Can Taira return to form against a tough short notice replacement opponent? Ahead of this weekend's UFC Fight Night event, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee preview the promotion's return to the APEX, the flyweight headliner between Taira and Park, and what potentially comes next for the winner. Additionally, they discuss the wild lightweight co-main event between Mateusz Rebecki and Chris Duncan, Neil Magny trying to avoid the first three-fight losing streak of his career, other standout fights on the card, and much more. Follow Mike Heck: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@m_heckjr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alexander K. Lee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AlexanderKLee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/dYpsgH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our full video catalog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/u8VvLi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our playlists:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/eFhsvM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like MMAF on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/nOATUI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reinier de Ridder and Robert Whittaker are now heading in two very different directions in the UFC's middleweight division following de Ridder's split decision win in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi this past Saturday. Is de Ridder now in line to fight for the UFC title, and is Whittaker out of the championship picture at 185 for good? On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel reacts to this past weekend's headliner and what could be next for both de Ridder and Whittaker in the fallout. Additionally, topics include referes Jason Herzog's non-stoppage in the controversial Steven Nguyen vs. Mohammad Yahya fight at UFC Abu Dhabi, the UFC's return to the APEX this Saturday for UFC Vegas 108 headlined by Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park, news and notes for this past week including Aaron Pico's new matchup against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319, Dan Hooker ripping the UFC over tickets, Tom Aspinall taking shots at Michael Chandler, and more. Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and José Youngs. Follow Mike Heck: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@m_heckjr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Jed Meshew: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JedKMeshew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow José Youngs: @JoseYoungs ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/dYpsgH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our full video catalog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/u8VvLi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our playlists:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/eFhsvM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like MMAF on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/nOATUI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UFC is heading back to the APEX. This Saturday, UFC Vegas 108 goes down in the world’s mightiest APEX and with it comes a matchup of elite flyweight prospects. In the main event, Tatsuro Taira takes on Road to UFC champion Hyun Sung Park in a short-notice replacement fight that figures to be a darn good scrap, and No Bets Barred is here to break it all down. This week, host Jed Meshew flies solo to break down UFC Vegas 108, giving his thoughts on the main event matchup, Park’s chances as he steps in for Amir Albazi on short notice, Mateusz Rebecki vs. Chris Duncan in the co-main event, Rinya Nakamura’s shot at rebounding from his first career defeat, the all-action featherweight scrap between Danny Silva and Kevin Vallejos, the sad end and new beginning of The Climb, and more. Tune in for episode 133 of No Bets Barred. 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

On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown and Damon Martin discuss who has the most pressure on them in upcoming title fights including Tom Aspinall vs. Cyril Gane, Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira and Merab Dvalishvli vs. Cory Sandhagen. Plus we discuss Renanto Moicano turning down money from the UFC lawsuit and much more 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

Reinier de Ridder might find himself in a UFC title fight in his next octagon appearance after picking up the biggest win of his career with a razor-close split decision sin over former champ Robert Whittaker. Could "RDR" face the winner of the UFC 319 championship main event between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what could be next for de Ridder after defeating Whittaker in the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Petr Yan following his co-main event win against Marcus McGhee, along with fellow main card winners Shara Magomedov, Asu Almabayev, Bogdan Guskov, and more. Follow Mike Heck: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@m_heckjr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alexander K. Lee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AlexanderKLee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/dYpsgH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our full video catalog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/u8VvLi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our playlists:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/eFhsvM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like MMAF on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/nOATUI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices