This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Paris looked awful on paper but in practice, it worked out well. The finishes outweighed the decisions and the ones that went to the scorecards were mostly fun fights. As the title notes, Cyril Gane had an easy night. Serghei Spivak, for whatever reason, decided not to engage with the Frenchman. He was easily bullied around the cage, continuously on…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com For a quick minute or so earlier this summer, we were lulled into a sense of security by the UFC. Just hear us out for a second before you get out the butterfly nets. We already know Apex cards are the “it’s okay to miss” events, but we knew when a show was targeted for anywhere else, it would end up with better matchmaking. Yet here we are, in Paris, w…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Yep, UFC is treating Paris to an almost good card. Fight cancellations and reshuffling definitely wreaked havoc on this event but there are still some bright spots worth noting. Rose Namajunas vs. Manon Fiorot is one of them. Namajunas will present the toughest challenge to date for Fiorot and the winner here could end up facing the champ or possibly go…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Nate Quarry might be most famously known for his fight with Kalib Starnes or for his comeback fight against Pete Sell, but he is doing much bigger things these days. These days, he’s known as one of the original plaintiffs in the UFC antitrust suit, but because he was part of the identity class, which was denied class certification, he is no longer a pl…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Since the antitrust case finally received its class certification from Judge Boulware, the community has been abuzz with what the honorable judge’s written opinion means. The commentary from him was quite serious and he appears to clearly side with the plaintiffs. He used pointed language that left no doubt of this. Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com We hated this main event going in, but in practice, it was a damned good fight. The Korean Zombie went out on his proverbial shield after putting forth a great effort, albeit one that fell short. The thing he was known for—leaving it all in the cage—was displayed once again, as the 36-year-old did just that, choosing to go for broke in the center of the…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Singapore is a top-loaded event with the majority of the “good fights” happening on the main card. What’s left to the prelims is a spate of barely recognizable names, and in some cases, completely unrecognizable. Not to us, of course. We know every fighter in existence, their full backgrounds, their 3rd grade report card scores—we know EVERYTHING. B…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Singapore had the chance to be great, but they chose a squash match to headline the card and now we must all worry about the Korean Zombie’s future health after his contest with Max Holloway. We would prefer that Chan Sung Jung face off against Cub Swanson but no, we have to bear witness to what will likely be a rout. And for us, that kind of kills …...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Conor McGregor sure has a lot of blame to issue when it comes to why he won’t be fighting in December, but unsurprisingly, none of it rests upon his own shoulders. In a series of nearly incoherent audio rants he posted to social media Saturday night, McGregor lamented that “they” were affecting his livelihood and then made a plea to Ari Emanuel to help …...
Sean O’Malley walked out to Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Superstar’ and by all accounts, he fits that bill to a T. His title bout with Aljamain Sterling set records just by virtue of his being there. How do we know? Because Dana White said so . Yet despite his star power and despite the record-setting, he likely won’t ever make the fabled ‘McGregor money’—once referred to as ‘ Anderson Silva money ‘—even if he were to land that boxing match with Gervonta Davis he called for in his presser interview after the ...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com The UFC certainly lets you know when they care about an event and UFC 292 is a prime example of that. Two titles bouts crown the top of a star-studded card, filled with the potential for action and entertainment. Will Weili Zhang be able to defend the belt against a hungry Amanda Lemos? Will Aljamain Sterling be able to keep Sean O’Malley at bay? Bloody…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Make no mistake, UFC 292 is a really good card. That said, Chris Weidman’s return makes all of us a little angsty. To be honest, that angst is tinged with a healthy dose of pity. If we could count the amount of times we’ve heard or read someone ask “Why?”, well, let’s just say it would be a lot. Brad Tavares isn’t exactly a spring chicken either, and ha…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com This past week provided a treasure trove of news, so we tried to hit all the critical stories. There’s plenty on the three new changes to the sanctioned rules for MMA, the UFC’s totally obvious attempt at erasing Francis Ngannou AND Thierry Sokoudjou from the history books, Teddy Atlas feeling jilted by Ngannou, and last and maybe least, Conor McGregor’…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Last week, Judge Boulware rendered his official comments along with a class certification for the plaintiffs in the UFC antitrust lawsuit. The statement was filled with strongly worded opinions that leave no doubt there is reason for concern about the UFC’s gargantuan market power. The Bloody Elbow Podcast is supported by our readers and listeners. To re…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com It’s that time again, time to pull down the shades, lock the doors and buckle up for a new session in the MMA Bunker. Kid Nate has another great interview, this time with one of the three founders of SB Nation, the Blogfather, Jerome Armstrong. Armstrong talked about how he got into the blogosphere, his background in politics, how he met up with Nate. Th…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Vegas 78 might not have had much heft on paper, but in practice, it delivered for the most part. From the curtain-jerker’s violent, first round KO all the way through the prelims, and into the main card, the event was jam packed with finishes of all kinds—including the ultra-rare twister. Da’Mon Blackshear was only the third athlete in UFC history t…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com This week, the UFC antitrust lawsuit finally got class certification. Judge Boulware awarded the certification to the plaintiffs (the fighters), then gave his written statement, which was brutally honest. John Nash is back to break down the judge’s statements, what they mean, and how he views the impact of the UFC’s market power over the athletes. Blood…...
It will be a day of celebration if we ever get an Apex fight night card that actually looks good on paper and not just in practice, in spite of itself. That day is definitely NOT today. Just in case you were wondering, there are zero ranked fights on the undercard and of course, there are zero ranked fighters there. Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Instead, what you get are several fight...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com This week, the UFC is back at the Apex, and trust us, it shows. The card technically has no ranked fights, even though there are ranked athletes facing each other—they just happen to be either moving down or up a division to meet their opponents. And at the top of this very Apex card, we have two men who’ve been fighting wars for most of their lengthy c…...
IT’S FREE EPISODE DAY!! OUR BONUS CONTENT IS FREE TODAY!! In the latest “WTF” moment our fair sport has breathed life into, we bore witness to Utah’s athletic commission entering into a non-disclosure agreement with most of the fighters from UFC 291. What is it that isn’t being exposed? Purse amounts. For those paying attention, transparency is the necessary component to determine fair market value. If they don’t know what fellow fighters are making, how can they negotiate fair purses? The Blood...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Nashville was not a bad card on paper and it wasn’t bad in practice—for the most part. It had the right mix of name value and compelling contests. It saw a rising prospect looking to claim the first rung on the contender ladder taught a valuable lesson: the last men on the totem pole are the lowest tier gatekeepers to the inner sanctum. Those guys t…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Nashville will be directly competing with Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, but fortunately, UFC had the foresight to throw together an above average event. The main event is going to be an absolute firecracker. Rob Font wasn’t the original opponent, that was Umar Nurmagomedov, who had to withdraw with an injury, so we are being treated to a catchweight bout…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Nashville is a good card and that’s demonstrated in the compelling matchups represented in the lineup. Every fight has a recognizable name—a marked difference from Apex cards—and every one has clear potential for upward movement. Most importantly, all the fights look exciting, at least on paper (looking at you Quarantillo vs. Jackson). Bloody Elbow i…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Mike Swick may not have won a UFC title but he won a much more important battle, the one he had with lymphoblastic lymphoma, a deadly blood cancer. Swick was diagnosed a couple years ago with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but has since beaten it into remission. He talks about the extremely unconventional approach he took to his treatment and what life’…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC 291 might be over but the aftermath is still with us. It was, as the title suggests, phenomenal. Filled with action and exciting finishes, this event was as advertised. From Miranda Maverick’s gritty performance in the curtain-jerker all the way to Justin Gaethje’s incredible head kick knockout of Dustin Poirier, there were very few dull moments to …...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC 291 has stiff competition Saturday night. There’s a solid Bellator vs. Rizin card and of course, the most anticipated fight of the year, Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence, Jr. Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard have done good work, though. At the very least, they’ve put together an absolutely stellar main event. Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the …...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC 291 thankfully didn’t totally bankrupt the undercard with fights of little value. As a matter of fact, there are a few compelling matchups there. The one that is most visible is Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima and for obvious reasons. Derrick Lewis hasn’t seen an undercard since February of 2016. Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the f…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Sean Strickland, fresh off the heels of a win and a callout by Israel Adesanya for a title shot, has entered his internet harasser phase. Strickland has been launching accusations of racism in Keith Lee’s direction for a few days, saying the comment stemmed from a gym conversation the two participated in over a year ago. The Bloody Elbow Podcast is suppo…...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com There’s been no shortage of big news in the last two weeks. From Ari Emanuel’s involvement in the SAG-AFTRA strike to how much of Disney’s assets Bob Iger was talking of selling off and everything in between. Just how differently does Ari treat actors and fighters and why, as well as what “finding a partner for ESPN” might entail. The Bloody Elbow Podcas…...
This year’s UFC London card was almost a bust and definitely a far cry from the ones of Christmas past. The opening bout was absolutely bonkers for the 94 seconds it lasted, then we got the ho-hums for the next five fights. Even the crowd seemed underwhelmed by the fights, including the finishes. We did get big crowd moments for the last few fights but for the most part, this event kind of gave us a bad case of the yawns (looking squarely at you Jai Herbert and Fares Ziam). The Bloody Elbow Podc...
