The MMA Vivisection & 6th Round Podcasts

We’re just a day away from a pretty solid PPV with UFC 305, and even the undercard has a little razzle dazzle. Once again, I can’t help but laugh to myself when I stop to think what you all are guessing the title means. It would be pretty great to see some of you came up with before you listened to the show. The comments are right there, just in case you want to share. MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.But right now, let’s see what’s shaking with the prelims. We’re getting a heavyweight bout as the featured prelim, and for that, I will offer up a rare bit of gratitude in keeping unranked heavies on the undercard. Junior Tafa is a crowd favorite and willing to get right in the pocket, so Valter Walker should prepare for that. It’s decent placement for this event. Let’s take a look at the rest of the bouts and some alternative stats:UFC 305 Undercard* Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker 265 lbs* Josh Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos 145 lbs* Casey O'Neill vs. Luana Santos 125 lbs* Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns 145 lbs* Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes 155 lbs* Kenan Song vs. Ricky Glenn 170 lbs* Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesus Aguilar 125 lbsUFC 305 Alternative Stats* Ranked fights: 4* Ranked fighters: 9* Fighters coming off losses: 15* Contender Series alumni: 5* TUF alumni: 1* Debuting fighters: 1 (Nicoll)Don’t forget to check out the companion episode for our predictions and analysis of the main card. Remember, we’re off this weekend so there won’t be a 6th Round Post-fight Show, but we’ll return next week, as usual. Until then, enjoy this week’s bonus content on the house. We appreciate you all.Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Vivisection & 6th Round Post-fight Show podcast Substack to enjoy our premium content. Your paid subscriptions are keeping hope alive that we can continue on with our shows. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.Thanks for reading MMA Vivisection & 6th Round! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

I bet you guys are wondering what the title means and it tickles me to death to tell you to listen to the show to understand why. Also, quick reminder that this week’s Vivisections will be FREE in their entirety. One of our hosts has a family obligation this weekend, so there won’t be a 6th Round Post-fight Show. To make it up to you, our loyal listeners, we’ve decided to make our bonus content for this week on the house. MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Now, on to the card, which is a very decent one. We’ve got the battle for middleweight gold in the main event, an absolute grudge match between the reigning champion, Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. We’ve also got a possible title eliminator bout in the co-main event when Kai Kara-France takes on Steve Erceg. Let’s take a look at the contests and some alternative stats:UFC 305 Main Card* Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya 185 lbs* Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg 125 lbs* Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker 155 lbs* Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik 265 lbs* Jingliang Li vs. Carlos Prates 170 lbsUFC 305 Alternative Stats* Ranked fights: 4 * Ranked fighters: 9 * Fighters coming off losses: 15 * Contender Series alumni: 5 * TUF alumni: 1 * Debuting fighters: 1 (Nicoll)Don’t forget to check out the bonus section for a great review of the UFC Vegas 95 card. Make sure to tune in immediately after this weekend’s fights for breakdowns and analysis on our 6th Round Post-Fight Show.Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Vivisection & 6th Round Post-fight Show podcast Substack to enjoy our premium content. Your paid subscriptions are keeping hope alive that we can continue on with our shows. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.Thanks for reading MMA Vivisection & 6th Round! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThank the heavens that card is over! There were only 3 finishes and one would be hard pressed to locate a contest worthy of FOTN. Unfortunately, that was reflected in the bonuses. The event seemed like an afterthought—just thrown together while the matchmaking brass were on the golf course, or while they were engaged in some other trivial activity. It’s…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 95 is terrible. Full stop. We don’t think we’ve seen a worse card in the history of the sport, and if there was, it’s escaped our memory. It’s like the UFC threw darts at their roster and wherever the dart landed is how the matches were made. Just an absolute mess. Don’t let the alternative stats fool you. When you peel back the layers of the …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Abu Dhabi is here and surprise, surprise, it’s a good card. Generally, the on-the-road fight night events usually are pretty good. UFC wants to make sure they maximize their gates by saving the better fights for these shows and it appears to be working. That and jacking up the rates of the tickets, but don’t let me get caught up in that. Let’s inste…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 304 is in the books, and if you had a parlay, you’re probably wondering what the hell happened. Last night was filled with upsets and surprise endings—not that it’s a bad thing. Belal Muhammad is the new champ, but will everyone remember his name? That remains to be seen. Tom Aspinall, however, is still the interim HW champ, though. There’s a reason…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comHold onto your hats! The UFC has given us a very solid card with this coming Saturday’s offering. UFC 304 bears all the hallmarks of a great event. Not one, but two title fights, name value, ranked talent…it has it all. Thank you matchmaking brass for finally getting on the ball. We are most definitely worthy, considering how much we sink into the ever-…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 94 is almost here and boy is it a really meager card. We’re sure the old platitudes of “these crappy-on-paper cards always deliver” will be there, but it’s about getting the butt in the seat first. How are we to do that if only the hardcores are the ones willing to watch, and they aren’t always paying subscribers? It certainly isn’t going to b…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Denver is officially in the books and the Fighting Nerds have logged another TKO victory. Jean Silva cut Dober open over his right eye and then targeted it relentlessly until Herb Dean was forced to call in the ringside physician. It was a FOTY contender, easily. At some point, Zane will reluctantly embrace this team. Rose Namajunas showed that ther…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is back to business after a brief, one-week respite. We return with a card on the road, to the mile-high city where Tracy Cortez will be able to let us all know if two days really is enough time to acclimate to that altitude. And Thug Rose will be able to answer the question of where her flyweight ceiling is. MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a rea…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comSince this is an off-week for the UFC, you already know what that means—another hilarious episode of The MMA Depressed-us. With the retirements of both Andrei Arlovski and Michelle Waterson-Gomez, the boys figured this would be the perfect subject matter for today’s show. There’s no better way to kick off your 4th of July festivities than with a triple …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 303 came and went like a fart on the wind. After the card was ravaged by injuries, most notoriously by Conor McGregor’s bum pinky toe, it would continue to transform into the unrecognizable mess it became. Midway through the card, Brian Ortega withdrew from his co-main event bout with Diego Lopes. Apparently, his weight cut went a lot worse than any…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 303 is here, sans Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler headling. In their place, we get a rematch between the two dynamos known as Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka—not a bad replacement at all. As a matter of fact, there’s quite a few matches we like on this card. All in all, it’s a very solid card, and it will be just fine without McGregor. The UFC, …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Saudi Arabia is in the books and it provided some very high points among some very mid fights, but Bobby Knuckles is victorious and that is all that matters today. His first-round destruction of Ikram Aliskerov summoned up memories of what got him the belt once upon a time, and it keeps his name forever in the title mix. We are not mad about that!MM…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Riyadh is here and while it’s not terrible, it’s nothing to write home about either. But it is infinitely better than the originally planned March card that was ultimately postponed to this weekend. That card was so bad the Saudis sent it back. This current iteration was so much better before it was ravaged by cancellations, some coming within the l…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIf you thought UFC might reward you this week for making it through last weekend’s UFC Louisville card, you’ve got another thing coming. If it is even possible, this Apex event is worse than the last one and that’s saying something. You’ll understand when you get to the alternative stats portion. MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supported publica…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Louisville is over and if you were pulling for the underdogs on the card, you ended up with a mixed bag. The undercard saw the favorites come away with the most wins, but Dominick Reyes shined bright on the main card with a sensational TKO win over Dustin Jacoby. I know, I know, it’s just unranked Dustin Jacoby, but when you haven’t had a win since …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Louisville is such a bad card. It’s like the matchmaking brass threw darts to set the bout sheet. At the top we have a nothingburger middleweight bout—our only ranked fight on an “away card”—between No. 4 ranked Jared Cannonier and No. 7 ranked Nassourdine Imavov. There’s nothing wrong with this fight other than the fact it shouldn’t headline an eve…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comWell, UFC 302 is finally over and not a moment too soon. That event was the longest in history and absolutely lackluster to boot. The two fights most were interested in played out in completely opposite fashion. Sean Strickland jabbed his way to a completely forgettable decision that drew numerous boos from the crowd and had social media wishing they’d …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIt’s UFC 302 fight week and perhaps the last hurrah for lightweight living legend Dustin Poirier. It’s hard to believe the longtime fan favorite has been in the promotion for nearly 14 years, the vast majority of his adult life. As Zane so aptly put it, “He’s been fighting his whole adult life. It’s all he knows and he’s very good at it”, fighting is hi…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comRoad House was the Little Engine that Could back in 1989, when it became a cult classic. “Pain don’t hurt” became the motto of every wannabe macho man on the planet. And then it got rebooted. They replaced the perfectly cast Patrick Swayze with a too-quick-witted Jake Gyllenhaal and gave the role of the big bad to UFC superstar Conor McGregor and made a…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 92 is in the books and even though there was plenty of action, it had no hope of keeping anyone’s attention once Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk took center ring in Riyadh. But for the hardcores that stood fast and loyal to the UFC brand, you’ll be rewarded with plenty more cards just like this.MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supported p…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comHi. Stephie, the producer here. Just wanted to drop a quick note that this week’s written portion is going to be super brief, consisting of just the bout sheet and the alternative stats. Since I just got in from the airport a couple hours ago, this seemed like the best plan. Hope you all enjoy the shows and have a happy fight weekend.MMA Vivisection & 6…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC St. Louis just wrapped and boy oh boy, there were a few jaw-dropping moments and a fighter that was clearly rushed along way too soon. We saw Derrick Lewis score yet another TKO, we got a contender for best fight of the year in Trey Waters vs. Billy Goff, we saw Veronica Hardy notch another win and we saw Robelis Despaigne completely and utterly exp…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC St. Louis is here and unsurprisingly, it’s a decent enough card. Why did I say ‘unsurprisingly’? Well, that’s because it’s not being held in the Apex Center. Of course it’s going to be better. Are we getting a fairly meaningless heavyweight main event? You bet your caboose we are. Derrick Lewis will be sharing center stage with Rodrigo Nascimento an…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 301 has wrapped up a completely weird card. The fights weren’t terrible for the most part, but there were some real headscratcher moments dotted throughout. For starters, the venue never filled to capacity—or anywhere close. As a matter of fact, there were a lot of empty seats in the arena. The pacing was weird too, and there were some odd moments l…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 301 is here, and while it’s not a terrible card, it’s certainly not worthy of the PPV moniker, nor the hefty price tag associated with the promotion’s numbered events. There is a title fight resting atop the main card, but it’s not the type of scrap that’s going to encourage new eyeballs to settle on televisions across the world. If anyone but the h…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 91 is thankfully in the books and while it wasn’t a complete dud in practice, the only feeling that seemed universal by the Twitter (I will never call it X) standard was one of apathy. When there are two guys that are both coming off a loss for a main event spot, you just know some trickery is afoot.MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supp…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 91 is almost here and with it, we return to the doldrums that are associated with Apex cards. This one at least has a solid enough main event between Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez. Nicolau had looked pretty, pretty, pretty good over six fights and then Brandon Royval decided to put a stop to that run with a gnarly knockout. Perez couldn’t get…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comPhew! We haven’t had one of these in nearly three months. The UFC’s schedule has been absolutely insane, but now that we have this small break in their dismal Apex programming, we figured we’d bring you something to make you feel right at home. THREE MORE DISMAL FIGHTS! Because that’s exactly what you needed in your life.MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 300 just wrapped and it was fantastic. From the curtain-jerker to the main event, fight fans were treated to a bevy of finishes and great fights. There were so many moments. Davy Figs stopped Cody Garbrandt, as expected. Jim Miller and Bobby Green put on a war. Jessica Andrade defeated Marina Rodriguez. Diego Lopes put Sodiq Yusuff away so fast it m…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIt’s here! It’s finally here! After what seems like an eternity of terrible cards (we’re looking directly at the Apex), we’ve finally arrived at a worthwhile event. Is it “00” quality? For the most part, yes. The main event could’ve been a little juicier, but we’re here and we’re excited. With 2.5 title fights, and a card rife with intriguing bouts, who…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 90 just wrapped and Brendon Allen has taken his revenge. Chris Curtis, in true Chris Curtis fashion, ended up writhing in pain at the end of the fight and will no doubt have a detailed dissertation on why he lost. Allen somehow received a 49-46 score, completely undeserved, but the fight was by no means a robbery. It was that close, as the spl…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 90 is ready to kick off this weekend, and a whole bunch of Contender Series alumni will populate nearly half the bouts. There are a few fights that caught our eye, but overall, it’s not a great card. The main event is a rematch that absolutely no one asked for or needed, but here we are. The remainder of the card is a who’s who of top tier tal…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 90 is ready to kick off this weekend, and a whole bunch of Contender Series alumni will populate nearly half the bouts. There are a few fights that caught our eye, but overall, it’s not a great card. The main event is a rematch that absolutely no one asked for or needed, but here we are. The remainder of the card is a who’s who of top tier tal…

UFC Atlantic City’s main card is a pretty good offfering even if that portion only has a single ranked fight on it. The same can be said for the prelims, as they carry the only other ranked fight on the card, and it is also a women’s bout, this time between Virna Jandiroba and Lupita Godinez. Both women have been enjoying successful runs over their last few fights, so it gets no complaints from us. MMA Draw Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In the featured prelim spot, Jamall Emmers will be taking on the uber-tough Nate Landwehr. Emmers has begun to take on the Andre Fili “win-one-lose-one” vibe, having alternated wins and losses over his last seven fights. Landwehr is coming off a loss to Dan Ige last June. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top here, as both men are insanely tough and durable. UFC Atlantic City Prelims* Nate Landwehr vs. Jamall Emmers 145 lbs* Virna Jandiroba vs. Lupita Godinez 115 lbs* Julio Arce vs. Herbert Burns 145 lbs* Connor Matthews vs. Dennis Buzukja 145 lbs* Ibo Aslan vs. Anton Turkalj 205 lbs* Melissa Gatto vs. Viktoria Dudakova 125 lbs* Andre Petroski vs. Jacob Malkoun 185 lbs* Angel Pacheco vs. Caolán Loughran 135 lbsUFC Atlantic City Fun Factoids* Ranked fights: 2* Ranked fighters: 5* Fighters coming off losses: 14* Contender Series alumni: 10* Fighters coming direct from Contender Series: 2* TUF alumni: 2* Debuting fighters: 2Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our new site and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.Thank you for reading MMA Draw Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Atlantic City is a pretty good looking card, even if the stats don’t back it up much. The headliner alone is worth the price of admission and will undoubtedly set up the next contender for the women’s flyweight belt. Both Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot are powerhouses in their own right, both incredibly durable and both with a style custom-made t…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIn 2022, UFC’s lead color commentator, Joe Rogan, came under fire after a social media account stitched together a multitude of instances where Rogan used a very ugly racial epithet into a video clip that ended up going viral. Several outlets picked up the story, including mainstream news media. Joe issued a public apology—which also got picked up by nu…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 89 just wrapped, and not a moment too soon because both the main and co-main events were “mid” as the kids like to say. “Thug” Rose Namajunas took a unanimous decision against Amanda Ribas, but it wasn’t a particularly inspired performance. Her inability or refusal to throw combinations seems like it’s going to be a perpetual Achilles heel if …

After looking at UFC Vegas 89’s meaningless main card, we’re kind of surprised that there was anything noteworthy on the prelims, but there is. Even though there are five debuting fighters, there are still a few bouts worth keeping an eye on. The featured prelim—Trey Ogden vs. Kurt Holobough isn’t bad and the two contests immediately preceding it aren’t either. MMA Draw Podcast is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.Ricardo Ramos vs. Julian Erosa could end up being a stellar banger and Miles Johns making his return to action after a bit of a layoff are storylines that might provide a little pizzazz. There’s also a debuting bantamweight that looks like she could be an exciting prospect. Let’s take a look at the undercard and some fun factoids for the card.UFC Vegas 89 Prelims* Trey Ogden vs. Kurt Holobaugh 155 lbs* Ricardo Ramos vs. Julian Erosa 145 lbs* Miles Johns vs. Cody Gibson 135 lbs* Steven Nguyen vs. Jarno Errens 145 lbs* M. Rendon vs. D. Zheleznyakova 135 lbs* Igor Severino vs. André Lima 125 lbs* Mohammed Usman vs. Mick Parkin 265 lbsUFC Vegas 89 Fun Factoids* Ranked fights: 0 (Ribas is #8 at FLW & #7 at SW | Namajunas isn’t currently ranked)* Ranked fighters: 1* Fighters coming off losses: 9* Contender Series alumni: 11* Fighters coming directly from Contender Series: 4* TUF alumni: 4* Debuting fighters: 5Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our new site and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.Thank you for reading and listening to the MMA Vivisection. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

After looking at UFC Vegas 89’s meaningless main card, we’re kind of surprised that there was anything noteworthy on the prelims, but there is. Even though there are five debuting fighters, there are still a few bouts worth keeping an eye on. The featured prelim—Trey Ogden vs. Kurt Holobough isn’t bad and the two contests immediately preceding it aren’t either. MMA Draw Podcast is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.Ricardo Ramos vs. Julian Erosa could end up being a stellar banger and Miles Johns making his return to action after a bit of a layoff are storylines that might provide a little pizzazz. There’s also a debuting bantamweight that looks like she could be an exciting prospect. Let’s take a look at the undercard and some fun factoids for the card.UFC Vegas 89 Prelims* Trey Ogden vs. Kurt Holobaugh 155 lbs* Ricardo Ramos vs. Julian Erosa 145 lbs* Miles Johns vs. Cody Gibson 135 lbs* Steven Nguyen vs. Jarno Errens 145 lbs* M. Rendon vs. D. Zheleznyakova 135 lbs* Igor Severino vs. André Lima 125 lbs* Mohammed Usman vs. Mick Parkin 265 lbsUFC Vegas 89 Fun Factoids* Ranked fights: 0 (Ribas is #8 at FLW & #7 at SW | Namajunas isn’t currently ranked)* Ranked fighters: 1* Fighters coming off losses: 9* Contender Series alumni: 11* Fighters coming directly from Contender Series: 4* TUF alumni: 4* Debuting fighters: 5Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our new site and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.Thank you for reading and listening to the MMA Vivisection. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comAre you thirsty for another watered down, subpar Apex card? Well good, because the UFC has got one for you. If you thought last week’s show looked abysmal, you may want to reset your excitement barometer because UFC Vegas 89 is even more paltry, with a pretty lackluster headliner supported by a very forgettable supporting bout lineup. To its credit, the…

Sean Strickland certainly has tongues wagging this week after his latest social media video clip. His video confessional, a staple on his social feeds, comes from inside his car, where he tells fans how he doesn’t feel mentally stable, and that he told his girlfriend he just wanted to burn everything down but that he felt really connected to his fans. This level of “honesty” always seems to grab fan attention, creating the impression that Sean is using these sessions as a trauma dump rather than actually seeking therapy.MMA Draw Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We also have an update from the Haru Basho, the second grand Sumo tournament of the year. Tim Bissell stops in to provide details an all the important matches, with the latest on some of our favorite characters like the Angry Hamster, Double Boob, the Flying Monkey, Machine Gun Arm and the Peach Prince. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss and it’s completely free today!You know you can count on us for quick, consistent quality UFC coverage. The MMA Draw is an independent, reader supported publication. Please subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support the site. We’re constantly refining to try and provide our readers and listeners with the best, most current MMA news and opinions.Thank you for reading MMA Draw Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIt’s been almost two weeks since the sale of Bloody Elbow went public and GRV Media took over the various properties they acquired. Staff was warned the week of the sale that the new owners wouldn’t be keeping them and that’s been the case in actuality. They did put out a call that they were looking for experienced writers for producing content on the h…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 88 is officially in the books and with it, the hope for Tai Tuivasa to turn around his fortunes. After coming out swinging for the fences, “Bam Bam” was quickly figured out by Marcin Tybura, who got the fight to the ground, capitalized on the subpar grappling of the Aussie, then promptly submitted him with a rear-naked choke, and he did it all…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 299 is a hard act to follow but the matchmaking brass seems to have put in the bare minimum effort with their 88th Vegas-themed card. As always, the event is set to go down at the Apex, so you already know it’s going to be threadbare. If you thought the main card was shallow, the prelims certainly do their best to give it competition. It’s downright…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is back with another Apex card and it isn’t very good. Once again, a dearth of ranked fighters, fights (where both opponents in a fight carry a Top 15 ranking) and name value permeate this event. There are a couple contests that have our interest, but overall, this card is a dud, and feels like they pulled out all their “filler” athletes—the one…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 299 was a great card in practice and according to the promotion’s brass, the event garnered a sellout gate that topped $13M—their fourth best live gate. The headliner, Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera, was a title bout for bantamweight gold and it featured a fantastic supporting card with everything fight fans could possibly want—name value, action-pac…

UFC 299 just wrapped a long night of combat in Miami, and following a hellishly long boxing card in Knockout Chaos: Joshua vs. Ngannou so closely, we’re welcoming a Sunday respite from face punching. But first, we’re going to get into the action from the event, both the highs and the lows.The main event put Sean O’Malley’s remarkable striking on display, showcasing crisp, accurate boxing, excellent footwork and last, but certainly not least, durability. It took a ridiculous amount of time before Vera realized that oblique and low kicks couldn’t win him the fight, especially with the volume that O’Malley was continuously peppering him with. Sean’s jab was money. His combinations were surgical. His footwork was incredible—he seemed to be in perfect position 100% of the time. ‘Suga’ fought the perfect fight against a chronically tough veteran and made it look easy. Vera had but one saving grace tonight, and that’s his durability. The sheer volume of punishment he absorbed was massive. If only he’d get his aggression off sooner, the results would almost assuredly be better. But to achieve that, he has to actually engage, and sadly, he just takes too long to going. By the time he’s confident enough to close the distance, he’s eaten so much damage that whatever he’s throwing can’t possibly be at full capacity. Timidity is certainly his most glaring failing.In the sharpest contrast, Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis both put on excellent performances, but it would be Poirier’s grit and power that would shine brightest. The entire card was excellent overall, but this contest was worth the price of admission. And yes, in case you were wondering, it won Fight of the Night.There were about 4832 moments where Poirier gave fans reason to fret, most concerningly his determination to land a guillotine, often taking unnecessary risks on the ground. His corner even warned him to stop jumping guillotines and within the first minute of the following round, guess what he did? Jumped a gilly. Dustin, if you’re reading this, please stop giving us palpitations!In the end, Dustin’s patience and crispy boxing had its intended effect, and even though he’s one of the nicest guys in the game with a heart of gold, he’s mean as all get out in that cage. He’s like a shark in freshly chummed waters and he’s relentless. Saint-Denis got brutalized. And once it was over, Poirier switched right back into good guy mode, sending the other guy—Mr. Violence—back to the ether until he’s summoned again.From here, you’ll just have to listen to the show. But I will leave you with the results before turning you over to Zane and Eddie. UFC 299 Results* Sean O'Malley def Marlon Vera Unanimous Dec* Dustin Poirier def B. Saint-Denis KO/TKO, 2:32 R2* Michael Page def Kevin Holland Unanimous Dec* J. Maddalena def Gilbert Burns KO/TKO, 3:43 R3* Petr Yan def Yadong Song Unanimous Dec* Curtis Blaydes def Jailton Almeida KO/TKO, 0:36 R2* Maycee Barber def Katlyn Cerminara Unanimous Dec* Mateusz Gamrot def Rafael dos Anjos Unanimous Dec* Kyler Phillips def Pedro Munhoz Unanimous Dec* Philipe Lins def Ion Cutelaba Unanimous Dec* Michel Pereira def M. Oleksiejczuk Sub, 1:01 R1* Robelis Despaigne def Josh Parisian KO/TKO, 0:18 R1* Asu Almabaev def CJ Vergara Unanimous Dec* Joanne Wood def Maryna Moroz Split DecThank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our network and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

The prelims for UFC 299 stand in stark contrast to the main card in that it gives all the appearance of a fight night event rather than the high-priced PPV offering that it is. The good news is that most of those fights would undoubtedly be outside the Apex, proper “on the road” fights. We even have ranked fights and fighters on this portion of the show.The featured prelim, a heavyweight showdown between Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida, is a ranked, high-value bout, and one that looks intriguing. Wrestling vs. BJJ on display at the 265-pound limit. Mix in the old adage that the big boys carry a lot of heat in their mitts and we have the ingredients for a great fight. There are a couple other ranked bouts left on this section of the event, too. Katlyn Cerminara (formerly Chookagian) vs. Maycee Barber and Mateusz Gamrot vs. Rafael dos Anjos. Aside from those, there is a ranked fighter here and there, but all told, the undercard reads like a really good fight night. Considering the depth of the main [ortion, we’re absolutely fine with it. Let’s take a look at what we’re working with, as well as some fun factoids.UFC 299 Prelims* Curtis Blaydes vs. Jailton Almeida 265 lbs* Katlyn Cerminara vs. Maycee Barber 125 lbs* Mateusz Gamrot vs. Rafael dos Anjos 155 lbs* Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips 135 lbs* Michel Pereira vs. M. Oleksiejczuk 185 lbs* Philipe Lins vs. Ion Cutelaba 205 lbs* Robelis Despaigne vs. Josh Parisian 265 lbs* CJ Vergara vs. Asu Almabaev 125 lbs* Joanne Wood vs. Maryna Moroz 125 lbsUFC 299 Fun Factoids* Ranked fights: 7* Ranked fighters: 16* Fighters coming off a loss: 10* Contender Series alumni: 8* TUF alumni: 3* Debuting fighters: 1Don’t forget to check out the bonus section for a great review of the UFC Vegas 87 preliminary card. Make sure to tune in immediately after this weekend’s fights for breakdowns and analysis on our 6th Round Post-Fight Show.Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our network and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe