Category: BJJ News

Is Khabib Nurmagomedov ducking a UFC legend?

Posted on by Zane Simon in BJJ Competitions, BJJ News, Grappling

Former UFC two-division champion Georges St-Pierre didn’t exactly shake up the combat sports world when he announced his return to competition later this year, but even just an exhibition grappling match is something of a rare event for the MMA legend. After vacating his middleweight title back in 2017, GSP has barely made any motion toward competitive activity.

The closest he came was a briefly rumored exhibition boxing match against Oscar De La Hoya, back in 2021. A fight that ‘Rush’ has claimed Dana White stepped in and personally prevented, since the then 40-year-old was still technically under contract to the UFC. Since then? Nada.

GSP makes return this December with Fight Pass Invitational BJJ

Back in July, during International Fight week, the Canadian superstar made a surprise appearance at a UFC press event, announcing his official comeback. Not to MMA, or boxing, or even Karate, but to the grappling mats.

While now opponent was originally announced for the bout, multiple-time BJJ champion and UFC title contender Demian Maia took to social media in the weeks following the announcement to reveal that he would be facing GSP at the December Fight Pass Invitational event. As of yet, no other bouts have been announced for the card.

UFC tried to get Khabib Nurmagomedov first

In a recent episode of his El Segundo podcast, BJJ star Craig Jones revealed that Demian Maia wasn’t the first choice for St-Pierre’s first bout in more than five years. Jones claims that the UFC actually came to him looking for ideas of who GSP should face. The first name that sprung to his mind was former lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“I remember I was with the (UFC) Fight Pass guys and they were trying to ask me for opponents for GSP (Georges St-Pierre), for ideas, and I had no idea who (it) would be,” Craig claimed (transcript via JitsMagazine). “They asked me in the moment, I was like ‘I dunno…’ but I remember obviously I said Khabib (Nurmagomedov). I think they said Khabib wanted 5 million dollars to do the grappling match. I was like ‘whoa, obviously that’s priced himself out there’. Those guys would be cool to see.”

If the Nurmagomedov price tag seems a bit outlandish, it’s worth remembering that the longtime AKA talent has made it clear on multiple occasions since retiring that he has no real interest in returning to the life of a competitive athlete. He even went so far as to take a step back from his burgeoning coaching career, noting the burdens of the constant travel schedule that cornering fighters can require.

“He just doesn’t want to miss being a father,” AKA head coach Javier Mendez said in an interview with Yahoo! Sports. “He talked to me about three weeks ago and told me of his plan and said he planned to talk to the team and inform them of his decision. He’s doing this for the right reasons. He’s a family man and he simply wants to spend more time with his family.”

Fight Pass Invitational 6 takes place on December 14th at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more grappling event coverage as the fight date approaches.

UFC legend accepts bodybuilder Bradley Martyn’s viral David vs. Goliath challenge

Posted on by Zane Simon in Asian MMA, BJJ News, Grappling, MMA News

Martial arts have long laid claim to the ability to teach the weak to fight against the strong. Stories of Kung Fu being used to train farmers to fight back against soldiers have persisted for centuries. The Gracies famously pushed for Royce to be the family representative at UFC 1, in order to show the dominance of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, where even a ~175 lb. noodle in pajamas could beat massive muscled athletes.

However, if martial arts have taught us that training and technique can beat size and strength, combat sports have taught us that, to coin a phrase, there are weight classes for a reason. Put two people of similar skill together in a cage or ring and more often than not, the big one’s gonna win. It’s that kind of math that seems to have given some people the wrong idea.

Bodybuilder Bradley Martyn can’t believe he’d lose to Demetrious Johnson

Speaking to Brendan Schaub on a recent ‘Raw Talk’ podcast, Martyn claimed he would “crush” former UFC flyweight (and current ONE bantamweight) champion Demetrious Johnson if the two were to ever square off.

“150 pounds is like a towel to me,” Martyn enthused, adding that he would “crush his head on the floor.”

Clips from the conversation went viral, people started talking back and forth, and now it appears that the fight is actually going to happen. Well, not so much a fight, but a grappling match at least. Johnson —who’s been planning a move to grappling anyhow—announced his intention to make the bout happen in a recent podcast.

“It’s funny, you know. He’s 265, he’s a bodybuilder, so obviously he’s got the weight advantage. But, at the end of the day, that’s the beautiful thing about grappling; it’s not about weight, it’s about technique. And we’re going to try to grapple. I told Brendan Schaub that I want to make it happen. I’m busy doing other things right now, but when I get back from all my vacation I’m going to fly down to Calabasas and we’re going to roll, man. I’m going to roll him up.”

Joe Rogan pitched in his feelings on the fight

Brendan Schaub already made his position known to Martyn, that he would get absolutely annihilated by the record holder for most title defenses in UFC history. But what does the everyman think? We don’t know, but Joe Rogan has some ideas. Notably, Rogan feels that if Martyn and Johnson were to compete in a ‘street fight’ Martyn just might win it.

“Bradley is enormous and Bradley is so f—king strong,” Rogan explained (transcript via SportsManor). He’s an athlete. He’s a f—king specimen. Now if this was in a street fight, the thing about Bradley is he can hit you with the Earth you know what I’m saying… If that guy picks you up and smashes you into the ground, your body will shatter.”

“And Mighty Mouse is, you know, he probably walks around at a buck 50 or a buck 45 and he cuts down to 125,” Rogan continued. “If they just do a jiu-jitsu match, Mighty Mouse is going to get him.”

Who knows if or when we’ll actually find out the answers as to whether a world class bodybuilder is strong enough to out-grapple the best flyweight MMA fighter to ever live, with just strength and power alone? The two men have yet to make anything official. But, hopefully we’ll see some kind of exhibition down the line, just for the sheer circus sideshow strangeness of it all.

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/ufc-antitrust-lawsuit-developments-explained?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=9128956aca22406c9376576b88d833ab&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Mark Zuckerberg’s wife might be sick of this whole MMA thing

Posted on by Zane Simon in BJJ News, Grappling, MMA News

It seems that Mark Zuckerberg’s MMA fandom has hit full on obsession stage. Sure the man once rented out the entire UFC Apex to get a private audience for a UFC fight card, but that seemed—at the time—like more of a brand tie-in announcement for the Metaverse and their partnership with UFC FightPass. Was Zuck really a big UFC dude? Yes, yes apparently he was.

In the time since that event, the Facebook CEO’s interest in combat sports has only become more apparent. He (now somewhat infamously) secretly entered a local BJJ competition, and got into a public spat with fellow billionaire and Twitter CEO Elon Musk—which resulted in both men teasing the idea of a full-on cage fight that will absolutely never ever happen. Although if it does, Zuckerberg certainly seems to have the early edge in preparation.

Mark Zuckerberg.
Mark Zuckerberg. IMAGO/Cover-Images

Mark Zuckerberg teases home Octagon

In a post to his social media (h/t TMZ) Zuckerberg shared a conversation with his wife over the new Octagon he apparently had installed at one of their several homes. Real, just a joke? Who can say, but the man does seem to really love MMA.

“I like Jiu Jitsu, I also really like MMA,” Zuckerberg explained in an interview back in June. “One of the things I think is very nice about these very high turnaround, conditioning sports is that you get feedback very quickly. It’s like, ‘Okay, I don’t counter something correctly, I get punched in the face.”

When someone’s got his kind of money and his kind of obsession, what’s to stop them from putting the ultimate training surface in their own back yard.

Meta creating UFC experience

Perhaps then it’s also no surprise that Meta has more plans for the UFC. The virtual reality platform has already promised immersive Fight Night experiences for users. Now they seem set on delivering a sort of VIP package in which users can not only watch bouts and chat with other users, but also compete in mini games. Here’s a video trailer for the new Meta ‘experience.’

“MMA fans can expect 4K resolution and 180-degree VR capture as they experience live immersive fights with cage-side seats for free in Xtadium,” a press release on the Meta Quest Blog reads. “Enjoy the action alone or with friends and switch camera angles throughout the fight to get the best view of every matchup. And after the fight ends, account holders can log in to UFC FIGHT PASS to access a library of UFC PPV cards plus the best original UFC FIGHT PASS content such as Fightlore, Year of the Fighter, and more.”

“We’ve seen all kinds of communities come together in Worlds, but when we first broadcast live UFC FIGHT PASS events last year, we were blown away by the engagement and passion of this audience,” they Meta Product Marketing Director, Meaghan Fitzgerald, was quoted as saying. “Since then, we’ve been working with UFC and MMA fans to build a virtual clubhouse for this community. We know that MMA fans don’t just like to watch thrilling fights—they also like to be a part of the action.”

“That’s why we’re introducing a new dedicated UFC world, with a recreation of the famous Octagon and new immersive streaming formats that make people feel like they’re closer to the action than ever. It’s not just about exciting fights—it’s about sharing the experience with other fans, discussing MMA techniques, and being a part of the UFC community.”

Zuckerberg gets his blue belt

Alongside the MMA stuff and the Metaverse news, Zuckberg’s BJJ journey took another twist as well. Back in July, the 39-year-old posted an update to his Instagram account, that he had just received his blue belt from noted Guerrilla Jiu JItsu instructor Dave Camarillo. A black belt under Ralph Gracie, Camarillo has worked with a number of high profile fighters and celebrities over the years, including a stint as a TUF coach for Team Koscheck in Season 12 of the Ultimate fighter.

“Congrats @davecamarillo on your 5th degree black belt,” Zuckerberg wrote. “You’re a great coach and I’ve learned so much about fighting and life from training with you. Also honored to be promoted to compete at blue belt for @guerrillajjsanjose team.”

For his part, Camarillo was extremely effusive in his praise for Zuckerberg’s work on the mats as well.

“He’s amazing,” Camarillo told ESPN recently. “He is an extremely hard worker, as everybody knows. But a lot of people have a business and they’re successful and they have that side of their life, and rarely do they dip into the physical side, especially with something like jiu-jitsu and MMA, and have the same amount of success or even go past Day 1 or Month 1. He’s not that kind of guy. I think he has a good balance between what he does with his business and what he does in the physical realm. And he excels. He’s one of the best students I’ve ever had.”

All things considered, Zuckerberg seems to be 100% invested in his MMA and BJJ fandoms. We’re still never going to see that Elon Musk fight though.

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/another-solid-ufc-fight-night-card-means-its-not-at-the-apex?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=f4f87b97403a4c058548a76f924aaf95&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

UFC legend Georges St-Pierre returns to combat sports for first time since 2017

Posted on by Zane Simon in BJJ Competitions, BJJ News, Grappling, MMA News

The longest reigning champion in UFC welterweight history is set for something of a comeback. No fans won’t get to see GSP back in the Octagon, and there hasn’t been one word about that potential boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya that Dana White stopped from moving forward. But Georges St-Pierre is returning to combat sports competition this coming December with the UFC’s Fight Pass Invitational grappling series.

To date, the UFC has run four high profile grappling events on their Fight Pass streaming platform. Their most recent card, back on June 29th, featured grappling star Craig Jones taking on Felipe Pena in the main event, alongside former Octagon foes Glover Teixeira vs. Anthony Smith.

Georges St-Pierre announces grappling return at UFC 290

During the UFC 290 media day on Thursday, July 6th, Georges St-Pierre made a surprise appearance with a big announcement. He would be entering his first competitive combat sports event since his second retirement from the UFC back in 2017.

We’ve really gone six whole years without a GSP fight of any sort. But that all ends in December.

“I’m 42-years-old and it gives me—because I felt at the end, when I retired, I was training, but I needed some—I like the kick of competition,” GSP explained to a small crowd of media members and fans. “I’d like to get it back, and I’d like to feel the adrenaline again. I think it’s also an avenue for fighters who still want to compete and make money and have fun with the fans and the family of the UFC.”

Fight Pass Invitational 6

While no opponent has been announced as of yet, St-Pierre is set to return on December 14th at Fight Pass Invitational 6. In fact, as of yet. GSP is the only athlete announced for the grappling card.

‘Rush’ has competed once before in submission grappling competition, when he made a run at the 2005 ADCC tournament. GSP defeated Otto Olson in the opening round of the 77kg bracket, via points, before getting submitted by future Ultimate Fighter Brazil winner Leonardo Silva via flying armbar in the second round.

As for MMA, the now 42-year-old last competed back in 2017, when he returned from four years away from the Octagon to take on then middleweight champion Michael Bisping. GSP defeated Bisping via technical submission in round 3 to secure his second UFC title in his first ever fight up in a new division. Shortly after winning the belt, however, the Canadian superstar vacated the title, citing heath concerns. He officially announced his retirement from MMA in 2019.

Video: BJJ champion Haisam Rida vs. car thief aftermath

Posted on by Zane Simon in BJJ News, Crime, Grappling

World class grappler Haisam Rida appears to have got a chance to flex his street fight credentials recently. The 2021 IBJJF American Nationals NoGi champion black belt grappler recently made the jump over to repping Craig Jones’ B-Team grappling squad. Prior to 2023 he competed at numerous international competitions as a member of Assembly Jiu Jitsu. This time, however, it seems he got a little extracirricular work in.

Jones posted a short clip to his Instagram page, featuring what he claims was the aftermath of an attempted car theft. Apparently, the unfortunate man being loaded on to the stretcher in the background tried to jack Haisam’s ride, and got a whole heap of trouble instead.

By all appearances it doesn’t seem that Haisam was too shook up by the experience, as he can be seen in the foreground apparently explaining the series of events to the arresting officers. While he did re-post the video to his own social media, he has yet to make a public statement about the incident.

Haisam Rida and the armbar heard round the world

While Haisam has had a rough run in recent grappling contests, dropping his last four matches and six of his last seven (with only a DQ to account for the lone win in that run), his profile on the international grappling scene shot to new heights last year when he hit what’s been known as the ‘armbar heard round the world.’ The move was good enough to capture the title of FloGrappling’s 2022 Submission of the Year.

Part of that was the major platform where the submission took place, in the opening round of the 2022 ADCCs. But the bigger deal was who it took place against. Just one minute into his bout against 5x IBJJF world NoGi champion Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu, Haisam stuffed a shot, hit the transition and tapped the Jiu Jitsu legend out.

The win marked just the 12th time in his nearly 20-year grappling career that Abreu had been forced to tap out.

Who is Haisam Rida?

Born in Ghana, Haisam’s family moved to Tokyo in 2009, when his father was hired to work at a Japanese construction company. The 6’3″ ‘Giraffe’ started his BJJ career just one year later at the age of 17. After several years of training, Haisam moved to the Carpe Diem Academy as a brown belt, with an eye toward a professional grappling career. He first started competing professionally in 2018, winning the IBJJF Asian Open championship that same year. He currently lives and trains in Texas.