Mma Nation

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

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 …