Heavy Hands

At a glance

• Combat sports podcast built on technical analysis, hosted by Connor Ruebusch and Phil Mackenzie.
• Episode archive going back to 2013, with more than 640 episodes released.
• Bonus episodes on Patreon, including Heavy Henka, a series on sumo.

Overview

Heavy Hands is an American combat sports podcast focused on technical analysis. In its own words, it is for fans of fighting sports and martial arts who want to expand their understanding of "the finer points of face-punching."

The show is hosted by Connor Ruebusch and Phil Mackenzie. Its archive goes back to 2013, and the count has passed 640 episodes: number 641, "The Age of Van," came out on September 24, 2026.

What you'll find

Every week, the hosts break down the key fights from the latest cards, chapter by chapter. Episode 640 covers Joshua Van against Alexandre Pantoja, for example, and episode 639 covers UFC Paris, including Salahdine Parnasse against Dan Hooker.

The catalog is sorted into categories: technique breakdowns, UFC, boxing, interviews, listener mail and bonus episode teasers. The podcast is on Libsyn, on Spotify and in video on YouTube. Patreon members get bonus episodes, including Heavy Henka, the sumo series hosted by Connor Ruebusch and Miguel Class.

Why follow

Heavy Hands explains why fights are won: positioning, footwork, shot selection and adjustments from round to round. The analysis is built on specific exchanges instead of results and rankings.

It is a strong fit if you train and want to learn how to watch a fight like a coach, or if you want to understand the styles of fighters such as Joshua Van, Alexandre Pantoja or Salahdine Parnasse. After more than a decade of weekly episodes, the back catalog lets you pull up their breakdown of many past UFC cards and title fights.

MMA Official's take

Heavy Hands is for fans and athletes who want technical analysis in English. The substance is serious, and the delivery is full of jokes, so expect running gags between the two hosts.

Start with the episode on a card you watched, such as episode 639 on UFC Paris, and keep the fight footage open so you can follow the exchanges the hosts describe. From there, pick episodes on the fighters you want to study. If you train, listen once for the big picture and a second time with the footage paused on each exchange.