The MMA Vivisection Shows: 'Main Card Preview' & 'Prelims Card Preview'

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 75 is not loaded with ranked fights (just one) or even ranked fighters (just three), but it does have some redeeming qualities. A solid main event in Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier and a spate of flyweight fights. It would be nice if all the flyweight fights weren’t restricted to the confines of the prelims, but hey, we’re still getting fl…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comSimon Says…The UFC 289 prelims have a pretty solid featured fight for ESPN between Nassourdine Imavov and Chris Curtis. In fact, it's solid enough that it's kind of a shame that it's not on PPV. Otherwise, much like the main card, the quality drop-off here is steep. The stakes are low, the prospects are minimal, hopefully the quality of the action will …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe PPV that is not qualified to be a PPVZ: Wow. Yeah. This is NOT a pay-per-view card.C: It's dog shit.Z: Yeah this is NOT a pay-per-view card. (Worthy of repeating).C: Yep. It's bad.Z: It umm, Nunes-Aldana? I'm glad we're not just getting Nunes-Peña 3.C: Phil was clamoring for Nunes-Peña 3 and I was like, "listen, there's such a thing as a set up and …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comMuch like the main card, the prelims for UFC Vegas 74 are solid if not exactly laden with thrills for the causal fan. Will Abubakar Nurmagomedov live up to his namesake? Will Muin Gafurov make a big splashy debut? Will Andrei Arlovski keep squeaking out narrow decisions over mediocre mid-tier heavyweights? I have no idea. I think the fight between Luan …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comAmir Albazi is HeadliningHe has that "sweet 16 in 16 deal". That is the money he is making as of his last disclosed pay 10 months ago. That just goes to show that we aren't the only ones shitting on the athletes by shitting on these cards. How could we be so cruel to the athletes? That's clearly what we have a problem with. We have explained this many t…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThis week's UFC Vegas 73: Dern vs. Hill prelims offering has a couple strong bookings. Maheshate vs. Borshchev looks like a slugfest from start to finish, and Vanessa Demopoulos has looked strong in her recent winning run. Chase Hooper will be worth watching up in his new division, and Natalia Silva has the appearance of a future flyweight contender in …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIt may not be a headliner that draws many eyes, but UFC Vegas 73: Dern vs. Hill is a surprisingly alright offering from the UFC this week. The main event features two top ranked strawweights looking to reassert their claim to a spot among the division's elite, and it should make for an interesting style clash. Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Anthony Hernandez is a…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIt almost makes it worse that the UFC was probably really trying to put together a decent card for this week’s ABC airing. They’re on a big network (in a bad timeslot) away from the Apex, in front of a live crowd. They’ve got lots of recognizable names on the docket, and a couple hot prospects. What they don’t have, however, is a main event. Jairzinho R…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comSince the biggest thing this week’s UFC on ABC: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida card lacks is a quality main event, it makes sense that the prelims aren’t too shabby. Matt Brown vs. Court McGee is a battle of road-dog vets who should have already met before. Karl Williams looks like something special, and Cody Stamann vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade promises some …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIf the UFC 288 main card might be missing just that little hint of star power to push it into successful territory, the prelims look exactly like PPV prelims should. The featured slot goes to a banger of a fight between Drew Dober and Matt Frevola. Add action fight mainstays like Khaos Williams and Marina Rodriguez into the mix, and a few intriguing pro…