Month: June 2021

Ciryl Gane cruising to UFC title contention, for better or worse

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC 265, UFC Editorial

If there are two things that are consistently misunderstood about mixed martial arts, it’s the time it takes and the time it gives. As such, a young prospect on the rise often faces two competing narratives that can be entirely misleading.

The first of those is one seemingly built by fans more than anyone else in the MMA sphere, and looks something like the question, “But when are they going to be truly tested?” A top athlete with an instinct for finishing is almost always going to find a host of voices wondering why they aren’t fighting the biggest and best fights available as fast as they can. After all, any bout a young fighter wins easily must not have been a truly meaningful experience.

32-year-old former Bantamweight king Miguel Torres battles 21-year-old top prospect Michael McDonald.

The second of those narratives is one of hope. That the neophyte on the brink of fame today is tomorrow’s superstar. And in ten more years, who knows? Maybe the best mixed martial artist the sport has ever seen. It’s the shared dream of everyone in the sporting world, that those willing to devote themselves to the life of a professional athlete will find a long-term payoff. No one wants to believe that an 18-year-old ‘future hall of famer’ won’t be fighting by the time they’re 30.

That said, while coaches, managers and even promoters may be happy to see fighters take a slower, more careful path up the ranks, it’s hard for a relatively inexperienced talent brimming with confidence and self-belief not to get caught up in that first narrative. Why not fight the best? Why not prove themselves now, and silence any doubts?

Athletes who believe themselves to be among the best in the world are invariably going to believe they can also pass just about any physical test put in front of them.

Anderson Silva on his way to KOing UFC champ Rich Franklin.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The truth is, however, that for most the path to becoming an elite talent is long. Fighters like Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and many, many more put in years and years of work – both regionally and in the UFC – honing their craft before they got the chance to compete for gold. ‘The Spider’ may have won the title in just his second Octagon bout, but that was eight years after his MMA debut.

Few fighters can truly fast track the process, although many try. For every Jon Jones or Chris Weidman out there, there’s 10 fighters that wanted to fly up the rankings and flamed out hard somewhere along the way. Some turned their losses into lessons and found themselves top contenders once again, later than they’d planned. Others became punchlines and cautionary tales.

Fighters who break the curve are rare. But it’s their success that re-writes the script in the minds of the audience. If Jon Jones can do it, why not this guy? If Ronda Rousey can do it, why not her?

Even among those fighters who find huge success relatively early in their MMA journey, there are cautionary tales to be told. Running to a UFC title essentially guarantees that every fight for the rest of an athletes career will be against the toughest, most damaging, unquestionably brutal opponents that can be found. The fact that Jon Jones spent a decade riding that wave to victory after victory is amazing, considering the cost that fighters like Cody Garbrandt and Shogun Rua have paid.

Cain Velasquez winning the title from Brock Lesnar.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

At heavyweight (where it has to be openly admitted that the path to contender status has often been shorter and simpler; fighters all the way from Ricco Rodriguez up to Brock Lesnar have made astoundingly quick runs to a UFC belt) the aftermath of that success is no less fraught. Cain Velasquez seemed like a surefire killer for years and years to come, but fought just eight times in eight years after first winning UFC gold.

Long story short, it’s the rare fighter that sprints up the mountain and stays king for long.

Which brings me back around to Ciryl Gane, whose title fight with Derrick Lewis was announced in the middle of my penning this editorial. He’ll be fighting for the strap on August 7th in Houston, TX. Almost 3 years to the day since he took his first pro MMA bout against Bobby Sullivan at TKO Fight Night 1 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In that time, Gane has unmistakably solidified his place as an elite talent—behind a persistent jab, heavy kicking game, and constant footwork that few other men north of 205 lbs are able to match. His victories over Volkov and Rosenstruik weren’t just instantaneous displays of athletic ability or singular skills. They showed him fully capable of fighting a smart, high level bout for round after round after round against highly capable, dangerous competition.

It’s safe to say he’s knocking on the door of some rarefied air. The latest talent to break the mold, to burst on the scene and do in an instant what it takes most people years and years and years to achieve.

Against Derrick Lewis, his particular skill set may very well be exactly the ticket to claiming his first piece of UFC hardware. After all, the ‘Black Beast’ has had real trouble in the past with strikers that can keep him on the end of a jab. But, does that mean ‘Bon Gamin’ is here to stay? It’s a question that can really only be answered after the fact.

There are few promises from here beyond the reality that every bout Gane takes going forward is likely going to be against the very best competition the UFC has to offer. He’s set himself up to be an overnight success, hopefully that also positions him for a long and healthy career at the top. Because history is quick to remind us that whether glory is gained through brutal struggle or swift victories, there’s no guarantee that anything will last long in the fight game.

Report: UFC booking Derrick Lewis vs Ciryl Gane for interim heavyweight title at UFC 265

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC 265, UFC News

Derrick Lewis vs Ciryl Gane? It seems likely that the UFC were targeting a heavyweight title fight between Francis Ngannou and Lewis to sit atop their Houston PPV card later this summer. But if that was the hope, then those plans appear to have hit a bump in the road.

Instead, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto announced via Twitter that the promotion is now putting together an interim title bout between Derrick Lewis vs Ciryl Gane to headline UFC 265.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Gane is fresh off a dominant five round decision over Alexander Volkov this past Saturday, June 26th in the main event of UFC Vegas 30. ‘Bon Gamin’ has rocketed up the heavyweight division on the back of a nine-fight unbeaten streak including victories over former champion Junior Dos Santos and rising challenger Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

For Lewis, UFC 265 will represent the ‘Black Beast’’s second chance at UFC gold. The 4oz Fight Club talent took on Daniel Cormier for the belt back in 2018, fresh off his own knockout victory over Volkov at UFC 229. Cormier submitted Lewis in the second round, but despite another setback loss to JDS the Houston-based fighter won four-straight bouts to once again cement his claim as one of the best heavyweights in the world.

The booking still seems a bit strange, with Ngannou having only just won his title back in March. But after Ngannou told TMZ earlier this month that he’s still looking for the fight with Jones, it appears the UFC may have decided to push forward without him—and possibly add a little extra pressure for future negotiations.

“Give me Jon Jones!” Ngannou told TMZ Sports on June 11th (transcript via MMANytt), “That’s the fight I want. I do not care what has been said and already planned. I love that match and it’s Jones I’m set to face.”

UFC 265 will take place on August 7th. Alongside the Derrick Lewis vs Ciryl Gane heavyweight main event, a women’s bantamweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena has also been scheduled for the card. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news and notes as fight day approaches.

UFC Vegas 30: Gane vs. Volkov – Fights to make

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC Editorial, UFC Results, UFC Vegas 30: Gane vs. Volkov

It may not have ended on a bang, but UFC Vegas 30 was a pretty entertaining card from top to bottom. Ciryl Gane proved himself to be one of the very best heavyweight talents in the world. Tanner Boser showed that he’s far from done as a UFC caliber heavyweight, and Shavkat Rakhmonov looked every bit like a future contender in the making.

So, is it time to put Gane in position to contend for the heavyweight title? Should the UFC run back Fili vs. Pineda? And how high is too high to aim with Rakhmonov’s next booking?

To answer those questions – and one or two other things – I’ll be using the classic Silva/Shelby fight booking methodology from the UFC of years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent up against one another. Hopefully, by following that model, a few of these bout ideas will actually make it off the page and into the Octagon. Now, let’s get to the fights.

CIRYL GANE

A huge win for Gane. Volkov may not be the biggest name heavyweight in the UFC, but he is an extremely talented, decently well rounded fighter in his prime. More experienced and less one-note than Rozenstruik, and far less shopworn than JDS. A victory here for Gane truly proves he’s one of the few elite talents in the game today at 265 lbs. And he’s found that form just 3 years and 9 fights into his pro MMA career. It’s the kind of incredible rise to the elite that’s defined talents like Jon Jones, Chris Weidman, Cody Garbrandt, Shogun Rua and few others. Hopefully for ‘Bon Gamin’ it means a long, long reign among the best of the division.

And, given the current UFC landscape being what it is, what better way to test this new found top-tier status than a bout with recently deposed champion Stipe Miocic? Miocic may be coming off a loss, but there’s so many fighters he hasn’t faced among the current elite. If Gane can win, he could be fighting for gold in 2022. And it’s exactly the bounce back Miocic needs if he’s gonna stake a claim to a Ngannou triology fight. Miocic vs. Gane is the best non-title heavyweight fight the UFC can make right now.

ALEXANDER VOLKOV

There’s no good way to paint this loss for Alexander Volkov. He got a rising contender on the very, very inexperienced side of his career; an opportunity for Volkov to show off his grit and veteran savvy, and he couldn’t get it done. With losses to Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes as well, that creates a very difficult path to contender status for ‘Drago,’ even if he continues to win 3 out of every 4 heavyweight fights he’s in. Basically, if his dream is to be champion, he’s probably gonna have to go on one hell of a run to get there.

On the fortunate side, there aren’t many (any?) other heavyweights who can do to him what Gane did on Saturday night. Even with 41 fights under his belt, Volkov had never faced a striker with Gane’s command of range and footwork. If a step back is going to be taken, then, a bout with Augusto Sakai seems like the right step to take. I would have loved to see Volkov vs. Rozenstruik, but they’ve already got ‘Bigi Boy’ booked to fight Blaydes in the next couple months. Volkov vs. Sakai to see which big man can find a path back to elite status the quickest.

TANNER BOSER

The ‘Bulldozer’ rights the ship after a rough couple outings. Even without a fight camp for this one, he was able to put an absolutely blistering pace on OSP from the jump. Really hard to know what OSP’s plan was going into this fight, considering how little he got done through the first 5 minutes. Even a big takedown couldn’t help him, with Boser fighting his way up to his feet (without grabbing the fence) and landing some huge shots to put OSP away shortly afterward.

That puts Boser right back in the hunt for a borderline top 15 opponent. Someone like Sergey Pavlovich when/if he returns to competition soon. Or maybe Tom Aspinall. Could even go winner/loser against Augusto Sakai. There’s also veteran tests against Ben Rothwell and Marcos Rogerio de Lima floating around. In fact, I think of all the options, I like the idea of Boser vs. de Lima the most. ‘Pezao’’s big power and strong starts should make the bout a wild war from the jump. The kind of battle where Boser will have to survive and find a way to turn it on its head if he wants the win. Tanner Boser vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima sounds like a great way to give Boser a chance to put together a new win streak.

TIMUR VALIEV

Not the most definitive victory, but massively important for Valiev. Barcelos may not have the number next to his name, but he’s a legit elite featherweight at this stage of his career. And even though the Brazilian landed the better strikes over the last half of the bout, Valiev clearly had the volume edge and stayed on his feet in round 3 to ensure he got the victory. It’s exactly what he needed after a rough entry to the UFC against Trevin Jones.

That should set him up for another borderline top 15 fight, against someone like Marlon Vera, Rafael Assuncao, or Cody Stamann. I gotta admit, of all those options Marlon Vera vs. Timur Valiev seems like the most can’t-miss action fight on the list. Vera has proven himself to be a relentlessly tough, building pressure fighter with a nasty clinch game. Valiev is a technical, capable competitor everywhere, and exactly the kind of top tier athlete that Vera has struggled with in the past. Can Vera pick up the kind of win he got over Sean O’Malley, or will Valiev make his case as a top contender? Time to find out. Valiev vs. Vera is some elite bantamweight action.

ANDRE FILI

Just because it was a damn fun whirlwind of a fight for as long as it lasted, I wouldn’t be at all against the UFC re-running Fili vs. Pineda. But, I can’t help feeling it wouldn’t be all that necessary. Pineda landed some big shots and definitely had chances to trouble Fili in spots, but for the most part ‘Touchy’ dominated the bout in all areas. He had Pineda hurt several times, and seemed like a solid level above the 4oz Fight Club talent in the cage. I’d rather see the UFC just treat this as a win and move forward from there. That could mean bouts with Giga Chikadze or Lando Vannata. But what about a winner/loser bout with Cub Swanson? ‘Killer Cub’ looked just as good in his own recent bout with Pineda, and even coming off a hard loss to Chikadze, he’s still got the kind of cache that would look great on Fili’s resume if he can get the win. And if not, it’s just another proving point that Swanson is still one of the premiere gatekeepers to the elite in the UFC. Swanson vs. Fili seems like it’d be a hell of a lot of fun in every phase.

TIM MEANS

Means vs. Dalby was never going to be a clean, technical fight. Means loves to scrap too much, and Dalby just can’t help but embrace a war when he’s got one in front of him. That made for a back and forth thriller with Means taking the first two before getting hurt badly in the third. Still, that’s three straight for the ‘Dirty Bird’ and he’s once again in place for an all-action bout. I could talk about a potential fight with Randy Brown, or that James Krause match-up I’ve wanted to see him in for a while now, or some other idea, but really I’ve just got one fight to make for Means at this point. Muslim Salikhov is fresh off a victory over Francisco Trinaldo, and a bout between Means and the ‘King of Kung Fu’ sounds like an absolute thriller. Gotta have it.

RENATO MOICANO

Very necessary victory for Moicano who has been brutalized by power strikers in the recent past. He made a point after the fight of talking about how he’s gotten back to being a wrestler and grappler after falling in love with his boxing for a while, and if that’s the case it could put him on another win streak. Dude is still a dangerous fighter in the lightweight division, as long as he’s not trading big shots at range. Fights with Nasrat Haqparast, John Makdessi, and Christos Giagos all seem like they’d be great ways to see if Moicano can build some momentum. Of all those I think I’d go Giagos vs. Moicano. Both men have decent enough striking to make the fight interesting if it stays there, but they tend to thrive on being able to out-wrestle and out-grapple their opponents. Time for Moicano to see if he can keep the technical edge over someone who isn’t as raw on the mat as Herbert and Hadzovic were. Christos Giagos vs. Renato Moicano should be a solid, mid-card action fight at 155.

KENNEDY NZECHUKWU

Another big comeback win for Nzechukwu who has given up some massive technical advantages to recent opponents, but nonetheless managed to fight through adversity to pick up victories and work his way to a 3-1 UFC record—and likely starting to knock on the edges of the top 15. Fights with the likes of Michael Oleksiejczuk, the Herman/Menifield, Cutelaba/Clark, or Rountree/Bukauskas winners would all work. But Da Un Jung is another 205 prospect on a tear looking for a good test. Both men lean a lot on their chins and their boxing. Seems like a good opportunity for a slobberknocker. Nzechukwu vs. Da Un Jung is a great prospect vs. prospect test for the ‘African Savage.’

SHAVKAT RAKHMONOV

A dominating win for Rakhmonov who looks every bit the part of a top tier prospect in the welterweight division. He’s a cautious, persistent striker, he’s got huge size for 170 lbs, and he’s a strong wrestler and grappler with a mean GnP game. Given the huge size advantage he had on Prazeres, this was a fight he was supposed to dominate. But it’s still impressive that he absolutely did.

That should lead him right up near the rankings for bouts with the likes of Jake Matthews, Randy Brown, or even Li Jingliang. But, if I’m being honest, there’s a clear thriller fight to make for Rakhmonov that seems like it could give him some real pop as a future contender: Khamzat Chimaev. The Chechyn-born Swede has blitzed through his first few UFC opponents before running into a nasty bout of COVID-19. A fight with Rakhmonov would be a great chance for him to get back on the horse and prove once again his top quality bonafides. And for Rakhmonov, it’d be a high profile name opponent, for all the hype Chimaev gained in 2020. Chimaev vs. Rakhmonov, see which WW super prospect is the real deal.

JULIA AVILA

Not as dominant as might have been expected given that Avila entered the bout as a near -400 favorite, but her athletic ability and high pressure aggressive style shown through in the end. Avila seemed shy about taking the fight to the mat in early rounds, but showed she didn’t have much to fear in round 3, staying on top of the scrambles to end things with a rear naked choke. That’s a solid bounce back win for the ‘Raging Panda,’ who still looks like one of the more dangerous fighters on the rise in the division. Whenever Karol Rosa is ready to fight again, she’d make a great next opponent. But, more immediately, Jessy-Rose Clark seems like a strong matchup. Clark has been cleaning up the technical side of her game for a while now. Is she ready to slam the door on a more raw athlete like Avila, or is this the chance for Avila to get the name win she couldn’t against Eubanks? Avila vs. Clark is a great next test.

OTHER BOUTS: Daniel Pineda vs. Makwan Amirkhani, Raoni Barcelos vs. Nathaniel Wood, Nicolas Dalby vs. Matthew Semelsberger, Jai Herbert vs. Khama Worthy, Danilo Marques vs. Jamahal Hill, Michel Prazeres vs. Scott Holtzman, Jeremiah Wells vs. Dwight Grant, Warlley Alves vs. Dheigo Lima, Marcin Prachnio vs. Michael Oleksiejczuk, Ike Villanueva vs. the Cherant/Knight loser, Julija Stoliarenko vs. Veronica Macedo, Charles Rosa vs. Kamuela Kirk, Justin Jaynes vs. Shane Young, Damir Hadzovic vs. Rick Glenn, Yancy Medeiros vs. Michael Johnson

‘I spent the prime of my life as a warrior’ – Kevin Lee talks helmet head tattoo

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC News

Unfortunately for Kevin Lee, his planned return to the welterweight division has been pushed back a few weeks. But, the ‘Motown Phenom’ recently opened up on his new ink and how it’s provided added motivation for his combat sports career.

On the back of a brutal submission loss to Charles Oliveira in the UFC’s last pre-pandemic event in 2020, Lee spoke openly about his waning interest in mixed martial arts, suggesting he might even take a several years long hiatus from the sport.

“I think I’ve got to evaluate some things,” Lee told media members after his loss to Oliveira. “I felt like my camp was great. My coaches told me all the right things to do. I abandoned it – it’s all on me on this one. So it’s going to be maybe a few years or so.”

But, as has been the case for so many people over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic changed a few things. Following several months on the sidelines Lee recently revealed that he was feeling refreshed and back in love with the sport. “I really had to sit with it and realize, ‘Man, this is what I do—this is what I love to do,’” Lee told MMA Junkie in an interview back in February.

Alongside that renewed passion came a new major piece of body decoration. Lee first posted pictures of his new ink back in November of last year. MMA Fighting spoke to him about why he chose such a bold statement piece, and how he sees it as motivation to keep fighting.

“I tatted the helmet on me to remind me what I actually do,” Lee said. “It will be something that follows me for the rest of my life. I spent the prime of my life as a warrior. So it just made sense to kind of remind myself everyday, it’s hard to not finish that extra run. It’s hard not to finish that extra round when you’ve got a f*cking helmet tatted on you.

“As the restart of my career, not a lot of people have seen me with this so I feel like it’s going to elevate me in all different aspects. People are noticing me now. A lot more than even when I was at the peak, I felt like in my career. After the first couple fights with this tatted on me, I feel like it’s going to take it to a new level.”

Lee also added that he took some inspiration from the rap artists who often get highly visible face, neck, and hand tattoos as a statement that “you can’t go back” to a normal workaday job with a tattoo like that.

“Motiviation comes and goes, so you’ve got to force yourself,” Lee explained. “That’s what being disciplined is. It’s just part of the discipline in a weird kind of roundabout way.”

Lee was supposed to face Sean Brady on the undercard of UFC 264 this coming July 10th. However, Brady recently revealed that Lee has withdrawn from the bout due to injury. Rather than looking for a new opponent, it sounds as though Brady his hoping the fight can be re-booked for August. The fight would be Lee’s first since losing to Oliveira in the spring of last year.

Report: Glendale Mayor tells arena employee to ‘eat sh-t and die’ during UFC 263 confrontation

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC 263, UFC News

Maybe it’s just something in the air surrounding a big combat sports event. The adrenaline of watching two highly trained fighters competing in the cage has a tendency to get the heart pumping and the mind buzzing. Or, maybe it’s like Dana White likes to say about the global popularity of mixed martial arts, that “fighting is in our DNA.”

Whatever the case it seems that the UFC’s recent trip to Glendale, AZ played host to some notable brouhaha outside the Octagon. That’s according to a report from azcentral.com after a man alleging to be a Gila River Arena employee showed up to a City Council meeting on Tuesday night to lodge a formal complaint against Mayor Jerry Weiers.

Robert Nejbauer Jr. recounted an incident that took place after the conclusion of UFC 263, with fans leaving a parking garage near the arena. One driver apparently got impatient amid the traffic backup and “whipped around the line and started speeding to the south entrance.”

Nejbauer claims he stepped in front of the vehicle to prevent it from leaving. After which, the driver rolled down the window and told him to “can the attitude. You don’t want to get started with me.” More barbs were traded back and forth, eventually resulting in the driver telling the arena employee to “eat shit and die.”

After the altercation, Nejbauer told the Glendale City Council that he later learned the driver had informed another employee at the garage exit that he wanted to see Nejbauer fired.

“I’m the mayor, I was about to get out of my car and kick his ass,” Nejbauer quoted, recounting what he was told were the driver’s words about the incident. Reportedly Mayor Weiers later reached out to the arena asking that they terminate Nejbauer’s employment, although it seems his request was refused.

“I wasn’t terminated, I wasn’t suspended,” Nejbauer told the City Council, adding that he’d happily meet Mayor Weiers at any boxing gym in the area. Unfortunately, azcentral.com reports that neither the Mayor nor Gila River Arena management could be reached for comment. Still, with the rash of celebrity boxing events, maybe Triller just found some new undercard fodder?

Report: Kevin Lee injured, Sean Brady fight off UFC 264

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC 264, UFC News

It looks like the UFC’s upcoming big UFC 264 PPV event just lost one of its more interesting undercard bouts. That news comes from the Instagram account of top welterweight prospect Sean Brady. Brady took to social media on Thursday, June 24th, to announce that he would no longer be fighting on the Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3 fight card, after opponent Kevin Lee withdrew from their bout due to injury.

“Unfortunately, I will not be fighting Kevin Lee July 10th from my understanding he has suffered an injury and had to pull out of the fight,” Brady wrote, adding that his team is “hoping to rebook the fight for August.”

Lee, who spoke last year about lacking motivation and taking time off from his MMA career, told MMA Junkie back in February that he had recaptured his passion for the sport after sitting on the sidelines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee has not competed since suffering a 3rd round submission loss to current lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in March of 2020—the promotion’s last show before a brief, forced hiatus.

That defeat came just a few months after Lee’s first round KO victory over Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244. The ‘Motown Phenom’ is 2-4 in the UFC since late 2017 where he had a five fight unbeaten streak broken by a submission loss to Tony Ferguson in a battle for the Interim lightweight title.

For Brady, Lee represented the Renzo Gracie Philly fighter’s next big step forward in competition. The unbeaten 28-year-old entered the Octagon with a perfect 10-0 record before rattling off victories over Court McGee, Ismail Naurdiev, Christian Aguilera, and Jake Matthews.

Hopefully, Lee heals up quickly and the two men can meet later this summer in what will be Lee’s second try at a move to the welterweight division, having lost his lone UFC bout at 170 lbs to Rafael dos Anjos back in May of 2019.

UFC 264 takes place Saturday, July 10th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The bout is expected to be headlined by a lightweight rematch between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. A welterweight fight between former title contenders Gilbert Burns and Stephen Thompson is planned for the co-main event.

The MMA Vivisection – UFC Vegas 30: Gane vs. Volkov picks, odds, & analysis

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, MMA Podcasts, UFC Gambling, UFC Vegas 30: Gane vs. Volkov

The UFC is back with a pretty decent fight card this week, featuring the rare technique-filled heavyweight matchup between talented relative newcomer Ciryl Gane and veteran Russian bigman Alexander Volkov. Add a top prospect fight between Raoni Barcelos & Timur Valiev, as well as action wars between Andre Fili & Daniel Pineda, as well as Time Means & Nicolas Dalby, and it should make for a great night of MMA action.

For fans interested in diving deeper into the undercard, check out our Prelims Vivi below.

The MMA Vivisection is brought to you by Combat Wombat, makers of combat sports themed artwork featuring MMA’s legendary fighters and legendary fights. Visit chrisrini.com for the latest pieces and commissions. Get your Combat Wombat themed Vivi t-shirts today! cottonbureau.com/products/dr-wombat

Here’s a look at the UFC Vegas 30 fight card as it stands right now:

ESPN+ MAIN CARD | 4pm/1pm ET&PT
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov – At 0:39+6:26, Odds 26:57, Picks, Both: Volkov
Ovince St. Preux vs. Tanner Boser – At 29:23, Odds 32:45, Picks, Both: Boser
Raoni Barcelos vs. Timur Valiev – At 32:59, Odds 43:18, Picks, Both: Barcelos
Andre Fili vs. Daniel Pineda – At 44:02, Odds 53:11, Picks, Both: Fili
Nicolas Dalby vs. Tim Means – At 53:26, Odds 1:01:00, Picks, Both: Means
Renato Moicano vs. Jai Herbert – At 1:02:51, Odds 1:06:22, Picks, Zane: Herbert, Connor: Moicano

ESPN+ PRELIMS | 1pm/10am ET&PT
Danilo Marques vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu – At 0:57, Odds 11:29, Picks, Zane: Marques, Connor: Nzechukwu (?)
Michel Prazeres vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov – At 13:06, Odds 20:49, Picks, Both: Rakhmonov
Warlley Alves vs. Jeremiah Wells – At 21:11, Odds 25:04, Picks, Both: Alves
Marcin Prachnio vs. Ike Villanueva – At 25:19, Odds 30:00, Picks, Both: Prachnio
Julia Avila vs. Julija Stoliarenko – At 30:28, Odds 35:17, Picks, Both: Avila
Charles Rosa vs. Justin Jaynes – At 35:38, Odds 43:32, Picks, Both: Rosa
Yancy Medeiros vs. Damir Hadzovic – At 45:02, Odds 52:40, Picks, Both: Medeiros

For those of you following the picks made on the show, we started tracking them with the July 13th, 2020 Vivisections for ‘Kattar vs. Ige’… Standings for our last event, UFC Vegas 29: Zane went 5 out of the 12 bouts we watched this week, Connor also went 5 out of those 12. So far, here are the overall standings: Zane is now 301/490 and Connor is now 287/490.

If you enjoy our show, give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, or give us a “like”, share & subscribe over on whichever BE Presents Podcast Channel happens to be your listening platform of choice: SoundCloud, YouTube, iTunes & Apple TV, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, OverCast, Player FM, & Amazon Music – While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to Bloody Elbow Presents; that way you’ll always be the first to get all of BE’s daily MMA offerings. For previous episodes of the show, check out our playlists on all of our BE Presents channels.

Luis Pena’s recent arrest stemmed from alleged domestic dispute

Posted on by Zane Simon in Crime, Front Page, UFC News

When news broke that UFC lightweight Luis Pena had been arrested on June 19th in Coral Springs, FL, details were thin on the ground. The former Ultimate Fighter season 27 competitor was taken into custody by the Coral Springs Police Department, facing charges of “robbery by sudden snatching,” as well as battery and criminal mischief.

ESPN has since obtained records that show those charges stemmed from an apparent June 14th domestic violence incident, involving Pena’s girlfriend of the past year. Reports state that Pena accused his girlfriend of looking at other men on Instagram, after which police records say he took her cell phone and smashed it on the ground. That action appears to be the basis of the robbery charge, which carries a potential felony classification.

That incident apparently led to a physical altercation between the two, from which the alleged victim suffered a cut lip and scrapes on her knuckles. She also later claimed that Pena punched her on the top of the head causing a lump as well, but refused to let police see the injury.

Speaking on behalf of his client, Pena’s attorney Daniel Martinez dismissed the charges facing the longtime AKA fighter.

“An accusation is not worth the piece of paper it’s printed on,” Martinez told MMA Fighting. “Nobody was there. There’s no evidence. It’s just person A’s rendition versus person B’s. … Accusations are accusations. Evidence is evidence.”

“I don’t think anybody wants to see Luis go to jail,” Martinez added, “I think that [people] sometimes have disagreements, misunderstandings, and anybody can say anything about anyone. I can say you punched me in the face. Doesn’t make it true, brother.”

Martinez added also told ESPN that Pena is in need of care, not punishment. The fighter posted about his mental health struggles on Twitter days after the incident is said to have taken place, telling fans that he had “finally gained the strength to get and accept the help I’ve needed for a long time.”

“Luis, as many other fighters do, need help and not punishment,” Martinez said, speaking to ESPN. “Fighters have a very difficult job. They get hit in the head. We don’t know what the long-term effects are.”

According to reports, Pena’s girlfriend told officers that the fighter had also recently threatened to kill himself during a FaceTime video chat. In the time between the initial alleged altercation and Pena’s arrest, police reportedly received an anonymous tip that Pena was suicidal and in possession of both a gun and a knife, and planned to return to his girlfriend’s house to kill her.

Because Pena was arrested in Broward County rather than Palm Beach, where the incident reportedly took place, it appears that he is still awaiting a transfer between facilities, after which Martinez told MMA Fighting that he expects his client will be released on bond. Martinez also stated that he did not expect the alleged victim to press charges and that the case would likely be dismissed following Pena’s release. UFC executive Hunter Campbell told ESPN that Pena would not be booked for a fight as promotion continues to look into the situation.

UFC 263 salaries: Adesanya takes home $500k guaranteed, Vettori $350k

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC 263, UFC News

In recent years the UFC has worked hard to keep more and more of their event finances under wraps. They’ve convinced state governments to exempt their pay data from public records laws, making what were once commonly reported payouts much much rarer to come by.

However, through a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Bloody Elbow has been able to get the guaranteed salary payouts for UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2. Unlike most state reported UFC salary numbers, these records only included fighters’ guaranteed ‘show’ money—although, at least in the case of most of the fighters on the card, win bonuses of equal value can likely be assumed.

Israel Adesanya topped the list with a base salary of $500,000, with Marvin Vettori coming up in second place at $350,000. Nate Diaz was the night’s other big earner, at $250,000, with Deiveson Figueiredo the only other fighter guaranteed to break $200k on the night.

As always, concerning UFC salary reports, the data below does not include any sponsor payments, locker room bonuses, side letter agreements between fighters and the UFC, coaching fees, taxes, or other possible financial transactions. These numbers are purely reflective of fighters’ base contracts with the promotion.

Here are the complete, officially released, UFC 263 salary numbers:

Isreal Adesanya – $500,000
Marvin Vettori – $350,000

Brandon Moreno – $100,000* + $50,000 PotN bonus
Deiveson Figueiredo – $210,000

Leon Edwards – $110,000*
Nate Diaz – $250,000

Belal Muhammad – $80,000*
Demian Maia – $175,000

Paul Craig – $55,000* + $50,000 PotN bonus
Jamahal Hill – $28,000

Brad Riddell – $40,000* + $50,000 FOTN bonus
Drew Dober – $87,000 + $50,000 FOTN bonus

Eryk Anders – $75,000*
Darren Stewart – $45,000

Lauren Murphy – $70,000*
Joanne Calderwood – $51,000

Movsar Evloev – $36,000*
Hakeem Dawodu – $55,000

Pannie Kianzad – $28,000*
Alexis Davis – $43,000

Terrance McKinney – $12,000*
Matt Frevola – $23,000

Steven Peterson – $23,000*
Chase Hooper – $37,000

Fares Ziam – $14,000*
Luigi Vendramini – $15,000

Carlos Felipe – $25,000*
Jake Collier – $28,000

On the more speculative side of things, Bloody Elbow’s John Nash notes that – as champions – both Israel Adesanya and Deiveson Figueiredo should make something in the neighborhood of $600,000 in PPV points for the event. And it’s very likely that Diaz and Adesanya have ‘side letter’ deals with the UFC possibly worth $750k-$1mil in Diaz’s case, and $1.75mil in the case of Adesanya. Those numbers are in no way official, merely best guesses, given past disclosed information for fighters of similar stature taking part in similar events.

*Note: Although not officially disclosed, these fighters almost certainly received a ‘win bonus’ equal to their show money, as well as the amount officially released by the Arizona commission.

Report – UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 pulls estimated 600,000 PPV buys worldwide

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC 263, UFC News

Things have to be going pretty well for the UFC in 2021 when a 600,000 buy PPV clocks in as just the 4th highest selling card of the year to date. That’s the number quoted in the Sports Business Journal, who estimate that the UFC 263 fight card headlined by a rematch between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori pulled in as much as 500,000 buys in the North American ESPN+ market alone—with an estimated 100,000 buys coming from overseas, international PPV markets.

Assuming these numbers hold water, UFC 263 would rank as the 3rd highest selling PPV reported of Israel Adesanya’s career. The ‘Last Stylebender’ set his high bar at 800,000 just back in March of this year at UFC 259, when he fought Jan Blachowicz in an attempt to secure the UFC light heavyweight title. That card featured a women’s featherweight title fight between Amanda Nunes & Megan Anderson, as well as a bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling & Petr Yan to help bolster the numbers. The Nigerian-born New Zealander’s title fight with Paulo Costa last September reportedly drew 700,000 buys.

No doubt some of the success of Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 goes to the presence of Nate Diaz on the PPV undercard. The 209 rep. was one half of one of the biggest selling UFC PPVs of all time back in 2016 for his rematch against Conor McGregor—reportedly hitting the 1.6 million buys mark (something McGregor did again earlier this year against Dustin Poirier).

With the lightweight rematch between McGregor and Poirier on the immediate horizon, it seems likely that the UFC will exit 2021 with multiple PPVs breaking the 1 million buys mark and several tracking in at the 500k-1mil range that used to be a standard for UFC events, but had largely vanished in more recent years. Alongside the promotion’s ESPN distribution deal and the Apex facility minimizing expenses (and a return of live PPV gates), it seems likely that the promotion is going to have a very, very profitable year.