The Dan Le Batard Show w/ Stugotz

Local Hour: Ali Abdelaziz (feat. Ariel Helwani)

Date: November 21, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

This Local Hour episode from The Dan Le Batard Show brings together Dan, Stugotz, and the crew for a raucous discussion mixing South Florida college football drama, the evolving economics of coaching, NCAA rankings controversy, and combat sports spectacle. The highlight is an extended, wide-ranging conversation with renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, focusing on the boxing circus surrounding Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, Dana White’s beefs and hypocrisy, and a passionate, surprisingly vulnerable take on the Buffalo Bills’ existential crisis. Packed with characteristic banter, self-mockery, sports media in-jokes, and Florida flavor, this episode delivers deep dives, weird detours, and memorable rapport.

Key Discussion Points

1. Local Miami Weather, Food, and Early Banter

• [02:05] The team jokes about Miami’s unbeatable weather and improved breakfast options ("finally, croquetas in a sandwich with a little pepita, oh my god").
• [02:27] Running joke about “papitas” and Tony’s growing immersion into Miami cuisine.

2. Ed Orgeron and Lane Kiffin Coaching Drama

• [02:29 – 04:47]
  • Mike's "Golden Cane" status spooks the room; ongoing Lane Kiffin-to-Florida/LSU rumors; Ed Orgeron’s potential coaching reunion.
  • “I haven't seen a coach bought out in scandal... and a few years later, things go so poorly with Brian Kelly, it’s like, open arms Ed. Oh, come back, Coach.” (Dan, 02:58)
  • Mike recounts bizarre, awkward encounters with Coach O ("He called me 'big guy,' confused me with someone else"), establishing the running joke of faux intimacy with celebrities.

3. Laughs at ESPN’s "That Boy Bad" Hip Thrust Segment

• [06:26 – 09:02] Dan riffs on Harry Douglas and Bart Scott’s on-air confidence and mockingly critiques the failed hip-thrust attempts by Orlovsky, Greeny, and Schrager:
  • “Their pelvis wasn’t in it. Their groin wasn’t in it.” (Dan, 07:19)

4. MLS Playoffs Format Ridicule

• [09:30 – 10:57]
  • The show lampoons the lengthy, confusing MLS playoffs: "You cannot do the playoffs this way where it takes six weeks to play three games.” (Dan, 10:00)

5. Origins of "Great Scott"

• [10:57 – 11:41] Tony traces “Great Scott” to Civil War-era General Winfield Scott and "Back to the Future’s" Doc Brown, igniting a "would he be Wemby-sized then?" tangent.

6. Virginia Tech vs. FSU Coaching & NIL Dynamics

• [11:47 – 14:33]
  • The group debates whether the Virginia Tech football job now outpaces Florida State, given NIL money.
  • Dan: “The idea that I've lived long enough to watch Virginia Tech to be a better job than FSU is asinine.” (Dan, 13:34)
  • Mike outlines Virginia Tech’s aggressive NIL moves and the changing calculus of “good coaching jobs”: “If you've got money, you can get players to play anywhere.” (Mike, 14:33)

7. Notre Dame vs. Miami Ranking Controversy

• [15:35 – 19:30]
  • Paul Finebaum soundbite on Notre Dame bias:
    • “It rubs me beyond the wrong way... Shouldn’t head-to-head matter in college football… but apparently to this committee, it does not matter at all.” (Finebaum, 16:56)
  • Dan and Mike go deep on the absurdities of CFP ranking methods, recycling AP/coaches’ polls, and the media’s role in lobbying rankings.
  • “It’s how you would do a book report before ChatGPT – you change a couple words here and there.” (Mike, 20:05)

8. Media Blitzes and Coaching Reputation Management

• [21:03 – 21:52]
  • Dan and Mike riff on Mario Cristobal emulating Nick Saban’s post-loss media blitzes, mocking the influence of coordinated “media tours” in the playoff selection process.

9. All-time Show Sounds Tournament Nominee

• [21:54 – 22:43]
  • New nominee for best show sound: secretive, drunk plea “I need your support,” dissected for comic elements: “It is desperation shouted from the bottom of the sea in a submarine bathroom.” (Dan, 22:17)

Combat Sports & Ariel Helwani Interview

10. Ariel Helwani Joins In-Studio

• [25:51 – 59:08]
  • Ariel arrives to much fanfare. He banters about his Buffalo fandom, childhood sports misery, and never seeing a team of his win a title.
    • “I’ve never seen one of my teams win a championship in my lifetime. Not one.” (Ariel, 27:57)
  • Dan welcomes him as “the best journalist anywhere to be found in combat sports,” highlighting Ariel’s reputation for rigorous, independent coverage.

11. Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua Spectacle

• [28:36 – 44:31]
  • Why is Jake Paul, a cruiserweight with limited pro experience, fighting former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua?
  • Ariel contextualizes, defending boxing’s embrace of spectacle:
    • “Boxing has been doing fights like this for decades... It’s a spectacle, it’s fun, it’s entertainment, it’s prize fighting.” (Ariel, 29:47 / 48:58)
  • Comparison to Ali vs. Inoki, Foreman fighting five “jobbers” at once, etc.
  • Helwani: “If Jake Paul beats Anthony Joshua, I think it’s one of the biggest upsets in boxing history… this is a Herculean task on his hands.” (Ariel, 37:00)

12. Dana White vs. Francis Ngannou—The “Bad Guy” Narrative

• [32:30 – 36:43]
  • Dan plays audio of Dana White painting Ngannou as a “bad guy” with dubious stories of personal conflict.
    • Dan: “Ngannou has never slapped his wife in public that I know of. Dana White calling anybody a bad guy is rich.”
  • Ariel methodically debunks Dana’s narrative by highlighting White’s contradictory actions:
    • “If he was such a bad guy, why did you want to be in business with him for four or five more years?” (Ariel, 34:24)

13. Jake Paul’s Upside, Risks, and Fight Legitimacy

• [37:00 – 44:01]
  • Ariel acknowledges risks for Jake Paul: a quick KO could shatter the whole “YouTuber boxer” enterprise, but lasting into later rounds might spark “fix” accusations.
  • “The only result the public is going to be okay with is an Anthony Joshua demolition of Jake Paul in a round or two, and that’s a tough spot.” (Ariel, 39:35)
  • Clarifies legal and practical impossibility of “worked” fights at this level:
    • “You go to federal prison if you work a fight... Netflix doesn’t want to be involved in a worked fight.” (Ariel, 43:03)
  • Drops breaking news:
    • “I know this for a fact… AJ already has a deal on the table to fight in February.” (Ariel, 43:33)

14. UFC’s Welterweight Division Chaos

• [49:41 – 50:46]
  • Tony quizzes Ariel on the logjam beneath Islam Makhachev—Jack Della Maddalena, Kamaru Usman, Shavkat Rakhmonov, etc.
  • Ariel’s expertise shines:
    • “I think at the end of all of it, Islam’s going to get to choose… I wouldn’t be surprised if he picks Kamaru Usman because they’re buddies and managed by the same guy. I think that’s a travesty.” (Ariel, 51:11)
    • Running joke ensues as Tony fumbles with saying Ali Abdelaziz’s name.

15. Lane Kiffin College Football Scoop

• [51:28 – 53:35]
  • Mike (“he happens to know”) breaks news:
    • Lane Kiffin has verbal agreements with BOTH Florida and LSU for record contracts and NIL packages.
    • “Kiffin’s not being scared by John Sumrall here… Lane Kiffin has the college football world by the balls.” (Mike, 52:32)
    • Hints that Kiffin is leveraging commitments for the best family/personal package.
    • “I expect a decision real soon here, because like, this is unsustainable.” (Mike, 53:01)

Buffalo Bills Despair – Ariel Helwani’s Fan Agony

16. Helwani’s Bills Post-Mortem

• [53:57 – 58:43]
  • Ariel, emotionally raw after another tough loss, argues for firing head coach Sean McDermott:
    • “The time has come. The time has come.” (Ariel, 55:30)
    • Compares the situation to Raptors firing Dwane Casey before winning with Nick Nurse.
    • Blames lack of roster upgrades for not supporting Josh Allen: “I believe there are times when a coach has taken you as far as they can take you. And I think Sean McDermott has taken [the Bills] as far as they can go with him at the helm.” (56:28)
  • Poignant moment:
    • “I want it for the good people of Western New York... They are some of the greatest people that I’ve ever been around. The greatest experience, so loyal. This is all they have.” (Ariel, 58:02)

17. Burying the Hatchet with David Samson

• [58:43 – 59:52]
  • In a surprise, Ariel singles out former nemesis David Samson with heartfelt wishes:
    • “I want to say... much love. And I’d like to say right here now, I consider David a friend. There is no feud anymore.” (Ariel, 59:08)
    • Dan: “That might be the greatest conquest of David Samson’s life.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Their pelvis wasn’t in it. Their groin wasn’t in it.” (Dan on ESPN’s “That Boy Bad” segment, 07:19)
• *“The idea that I've lived long enough to watch Virginia Tech to be a better job than FSU is asinine.” (Dan, 13:34)
• “I think that’s a travesty and a joke if [Usman] gets a title shot next.” (Ariel, 51:11)
• “Boxing is prize fighting... If Jake Paul beats Anthony Joshua, I think it’s one of the biggest upsets in the history of boxing.” (Ariel, 37:00/48:58)
• “You go to federal effing prison if you work a fight…” (Ariel, 43:03)
• “Kiffin has the college football world by the balls.” (Mike, 52:32)
• “I want it for the good people of Western New York... They deserve this happiness.” (Ariel, 58:02)

Notable Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 02:05 | Miami weather/food, croqueta banter | | 02:29-04:47 | Lane Kiffin/Orgeron drama, Coach O stories | | 06:26-09:02 | "That Boy Bad" ESPN segment/hip thrust critique | | 09:30-10:57 | MLS playoff farce | | 10:57-11:41 | "Great Scott" origin explained | | 11:47-14:33 | VT vs. FSU, NIL arms race | | 15:35-19:30 | Miami/Notre Dame CFP rant, Paul Finebaum sound | | 21:03-21:52 | Mario Cristobal's media blitz/Nick Saban analogy | | 21:54-22:43 | All-time show sound nominee: “I need your support” | | 25:51-27:57 | Ariel Helwani arrives, talks fandom | | 28:36-44:31 | Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, combat sports spectacle | | 32:30-36:43 | Dana White/Ngannou feud analysis | | 49:41-51:11 | UFC welterweight division chaos | | 51:28-53:35 | Mike’s Lane Kiffin scoop | | 53:57-58:43 | Ariel’s Bills agony, coaching takes | | 58:43-59:52 | Ariel Samson olive branch |

Closing Tone & Takeaways

• The episode blends classic Le Batard playfulness and chaos with authentic expertise and industry-insider scoops.
• Ariel Helwani stands out with both sharp sport-specific analysis and a surprising degree of personal vulnerability, especially regarding his Bills fandom and the burying of old grudges.
• The show delivers a unique mix of local flavor, mock-seriousness, and real reporting, cementing its place as sports radio’s most entertaining zigzag.

Recommended For:
Anyone interested in the intersection of college football drama, sports media self-parody, and the ever-evolving circus of combat sports—with a side of Miami attitude and emotionally invested fandom.