Mma Nation

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comUFC 296 just wrapped and we’re still trying to figure out what happened to Colby Covington. The king of volume certainly had very little of it tonight. Leon Edwards basically had his way with him 26 different ways from Sunday in one of the most boring fights of the year. Perhaps now the UFC will make way for more deserving title challengers.Bloody Elbow…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comThis week, our tremendous trio returns with a new episode. The big topics on deck are details around PFL’s buyout of Bellator and all the latest antitrust updates. The antitrust case has been the gift that keeps on giving as that tree continually produces fruit. This time, the guys take a look at the latest requests from the defendants.Bloody Elbow is f…

Karate Combat has been putting on quality events for several years now and their production is top tier. Their middleweight champion, Ross ‘Turbo’ Levine is a dynamic athlete with speed and power, two vital elements in the recipe that makes a champion karateka. This weekend, he’ll face 1-0 heavyweight and former UFC staple Sam Alvey for the vacant heavyweight title.Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.Eddie Mercado snagged a great interview with Levine where they discussed a variety of topics. You can read along here. Of course, at the top of the list was his upcoming bout with Sam Alvey. The leap to heavyweight might seem wild to MMA fans, but heavyweight in Karate Combat tops out at 205 pounds, so the leap up isn’t as stark as some might think. Let’s take a look at what else they discussed.* Doctorate in Physical Therapy by day, Karate Combat champ by night* UFC guy vs. Karate Combat champion* Moving up

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comUFC 296 is how you end a tumultuous year that has seen some of the biggest news in years. From Francis Ngannou making the biggest free agency move the sport has ever seen to the antitrust lawsuit updates, 2023 was jam-packed with headlines, and most were not encouraging.Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our …

We’ve all been wowed by the stellar bout sheet for UFC 296. It’s kind of hard not to. Even the curtain-jerker is a killer match-up. Who wouldn’t want to watch Randy Brown put to the test by Muslim Salikhov? And as you move up from there, the great fights just keep showing up. Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.And when is the last time we didn’t complain about the heavyweights? The weakest of the men’s divisions doesn’t produce enough talent outside the top 10 to really make us sit up and take notice, but pairing 11-0 Gaziev up with 13-1 Buday is genius booking for 265.Eight fights comprise the prelims and all eight are worth checking out. If they don’t provide serious movement in the rankings, they provide potential for what every fan craves, certified bangers. Bryce Mitchell vs. Josh Emmett in the featured prelim spot is also another bit of genius matchmaking. Let’s take a look at the rest of the under

Since leaving the UFC, Sam Alvey has scored two knockouts. Once at heavyweight for the B2 Fighting Series and once at light heavyweight in Karate Combat. After a cycle of nearly five years without a win, this rejuvenated version of Alvey is finally finding success again and we’re happy for him.Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.Eddie Mercado scored an absolutely stellar interview with Alvey where they discussed a myriad of topics. You can read along here. Everything from his upcoming bout with Ross Levine to advice for Ian Garry was fair game. No stone was left unturned. Let’s take a look at some of the subject matter:* Sam Alvey plotting Ninja Turtle showcase* Sam Alvey on fighting the middleweight champ up at 205* Sam Alvey or Sam Towelvey* Double champ status?* Sam Alvey was couch Surfing with Sean Strickland* Karate Combat 43 prediction* Cornered by UFC Champ Sean Strickland* Strickland vs. The Karat

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comUFC 296 is a card done right and proof that when the UFC wants to, they can absolutely put on great events. With the stranglehold they have over the sport, all their cards could look a lot better and they certainly need to get the majority of them out of that stinkin’ Apex facility, but I digress. We need to stay on track here.Bloody Elbow is fighting f…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comIt’s been a hot minute since we’ve had a Bunker episode, so we decided to do something a little different. Nate pulled the blinds, put the shotgun by the door and the attack dog patrolled the perimeter as he welcomed me into his hallowed grounds for a bit of a role reversal. This week, I put Nate in the hot seat to provide a detailed update on what’s go…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comUFC Vegas 83 was a great looking card on paper but unfortunately, the main event kind of stunk up the joint. With several finishes and some damned good battles, we were definitely on track to be the recipients of a warm winter’s gift. What we got was a far cry from it and what WAS that judging on the Park-Muniz fight?Bloody Elbow is fighting for the spo…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comRising stars sometimes get put in a padded bubble, especially if it’s one the UFC wants to focus their energy on. Tatsuro Taira seems to be just such an athlete. This match-up with Carlos Hernandez certainly feels like those kid gloves were on when Sean Shelby and/or Mick Maynard put names in the sorting hat and pulled Carlos’ name from the depths of th…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.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. Bloody Elbow is fighti…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comIt’s been another busy week, especially regarding the UFC antitrust case. With the mountains of discovery now available, there’s a veritable treasure trove of documents that include contract information, text messages, e-mails…just about everything but the kitchen sink.Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our m…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comThe UFC antitrust case is the gift that keeps on giving, especially recently. You may be asking yourself “What’s happened now?” and the answer to that question would be class certification. Once the honorable Judge Boulware awarded the plaintiffs class certification, it set the wheels in motion for an avalanche of discovery. Thousands of documents, text…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comUFC Austin wasn’t just great on paper, it was absolutely marvelous in practice. With finishes galore, including slam knockouts, there was a lot to love with this card. And Arman Tsarukyan’s violent finish of Beneil Dariush was positively scary. But nothing was scarier than watching Jalin Turner knock Bobby Green out twice. That’s right, the ref, in one …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.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 bloodyelbowpodcast.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 bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comWell, after a week off from UFC weekend content, we’re back to the grind. We’ve got a very nice event this weekend in UFC Austin, so we selected a quartet of contests that we feel are the most important ones. Here’s the bouts we predicted: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 bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comEddie Mercado is back with another great fighter interview, this time with the Wheaties box poster boy, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, who is planning an unexpected turn for the future. Find out which former UFC champion will be facing him in the Karate Combat arena. Hear his thoughts on PFL and a lot more.Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighter…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bloodyelbowpodcast.substack.comWith no UFC until December 2nd, the boys are back with another depressing watch of three fights. The focal point of the show is foul play (fights with lots of fouls). Pretty ingenious considering we’re about to enter the foulest holiday of them all. We’ve even got a Faux Phil since real Phil was unavailable for recording. Let’s take a look at the fights…

FREE EPISODE ALERT!! FREE EPISODE ALERT!! FREE EPISODE ALERT!!A lot has happened since our last episode so we tried to cram it all in a neat package. First, we went over the absolutely phenomenal cards that were Bellator 301 and UFC Vegas 82. Bellator saw two new champions crowned but never let on that the PFL purchase revelation was just two days away. They kept their secret in the most impenetrable vault.Bloody Elbow is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.UFC Vegas 82 was also a great card. Top to bottom, the event delivered all manner of submissions and some gnarly knockouts, as well. In practice, it performed so much better than it did on paper. One thing is clear, and that is Paul Craig’s ceiling.We also discussed the latest developments in the UFC antitrust case. Zuffa, UFC, et al are not fairing well with their motions. The honorable Judge Boulware indicated that he was going to deny their motion for summary judge