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.comThe Apex card is back, here to steal Christmas joy by placing an actual decent show in the hollow, lifeless Apex center. The lack of a crowd for an event like this seems like an egregious wrong that needs to be rectified immediately. The worst holdover to come from the pandemic for the MMA community is that stinkin’ Apex facility. But enough whining, we…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comMiesha Tate is certainly a longtime veteran of the sport and some even call her a pioneer. To see her relegated to the prelims just seems so incongruous and out of place. But, after the disappointing losses she’s taken, perhaps being in the featured prelim is just what the doctor ordered—taking the pressure of main eventing or being in the co-main.Blood…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comAustin, Texas will set the stage for this weekend’s UFC Fight Night with the Moody Center hosting the event. And, if you hadn’t noticed, this is a damned good card, but we know why that is. Say it with us, fam, because it’s not at the Apex! However, there is a caveat: Arman Tsarukyan, Bobby Green and Kelvin Gastelum are the only fighters from the main …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comWoohoo! We’ve got a terrific main card and the boys are here to tell you all about it. As the title suggests, Jiri Prochazka is back and taking on an equally dynamic athlete with not much mind for anything but violence in Alex Pereira. And it’s for the belt! We. Are. Happy.Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share o…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 295 is a damned good card, all the way through. Are there fights you can pass on and not feel bad about? Sure, but the majority of these contests are solid as a rock and look like they’re barnburners just looking for a place to happen.Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becomin…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comPhew! We’ve got 13 fights to look forward to Saturday and you know what? They’re pretty good. You can probably guess why, though. It’s right there in the title, UFC Sao Paulo…as in not at the Apex. Are all the fights great? Nope. But a good many of them are, and that’s a decent way to set the table after a weekend off. And we have the added benefit of D…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThat’s right, Elves Brener will be back in action against Kaynan Kruschewsky, the late replacement for Esteban Ribovics. Will the Elves keep his winning streak intact? And we cannot overlook the intriguing pairing of Angie Hill and Denise Gomes. Denise is riding a two-fight win streak and Angie is coming off a loss to Mackenzie Dern. There’s plenty of a…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe undercard for UFC 294 is pretty robust, like the main card, and features some intriguing pairings. The one that’s really got our attention, though, is Mokaev vs. Elliot. Elliot is a savvy veteran grappler who depends on split-second adjustments and scrappiness. Mokaev is the exact opposite, often demonstrating control and technical wrestling. In his…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 294 might have lost two of its key players, but we still think it looks great. There’s some definite action fights, two titles on the line and some shakeups leading up to the event in the last few weeks that saw opponent changes and some injury dropoffs—all leading to possibly a better card than the original lineup.Sure, Chimaev vs. Costa was a good…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comAn actual good card at the Apex?! It DOES happen, just not very often. We’re not here to look a gift horse in the mouth, though. We’re here to celebrate the great things about the event. Let’s start with the obvious: There are three ranked fights AND a seventh ranked fighter—seven fighters ranked on a single card? Yes, we like this a whole lot.Then, as …