The MMA Vivisection & 6th Round Podcasts

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Perth was a miserable card on paper and there’s no two ways about it. The stats were awful, but more importantly, the matmaking was too. Having a single ranked fight on an event where Australia pays through the nose in site fees is just so wrong, and the Aussies responded with their wallets, tanking sa...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com The stats are speaking volumes of UFC Perth this week. A sprawling, 14-bout card only has a single ranked fight gracing its lineup and only three ranked fighters in total. When you factor in how much the Aussies are likely paying in site fees—let’s just say I’d be asking for a steep discount. The main even...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC is taking another break, and this time, it seems it’s just so they can rest from all their promotional and matchmaking heavy lifting (said that with so much snark I almost passed out). Our analysts are all here to give you a rousing blend of apathy, disdain, and unadulterated boredom. This week’s awful...

UFC Noche didn’t have the star quality it should have for a card of the magnitude a “Noche” event is supposed to but it did deliver action in some of the fights. From the opening bout, we were treated to an electrifying TKO from Daniil Donchenko, and another from Alden Coria. For comic relief, we were treated to Dominick Cruz thinking Alice Periera was actually Aline Pereira, and we didn’t have to...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Noche has 14 fights but only two are ranked. That’s how we’re going to start you off today. This year’s Noche event had its “PPV” moniker removed thanks to Canelo-Crawford taking center stage with TKO’s best efforts at promotion and the event’s lineup absolutely show it. The main event is good. The co-...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Paris is what an on-the-road fight night should look like. It has thoughtful, meaningful matchmaking (at least on the main card), a main event that looks like a title eliminator, and the potential for action. We don’t know what Bukauskas-Craig is doing on there, but aside from that contest, the premium...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC is taking another break, this time for Labor Day. Our analysts are all here to give you a rousing blend of snark, disdain, and unadulterated apathy. This week’s awful fights is the triumvirate of heavyweight hopefuls. The fights come from UFC on ESPN+ 9, UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson, and...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Shanghai is your classic mixed bag with a few good fights among a sea of regional level fodder. The main event should actually be Ortega vs. Sterling but we get why it’s Walker vs. Zhang. Why Kavanagh vs. Johnson isn’t on the main card is the card’s greatest mystery and just seems wrong on every level....

UFC 319 had some great moments leading up to the main event with several highlight reel finishes. Anthony Hernandez putting a surprise whooping on Chase Hooper, Joseph Morales making his second stint in the UFC count in a big way, Oleksiejczuk and Susurkaev both getting the job done inside the distance, as well. The prelims were definitely to be celebrated. When we got to the main card, we were on...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com Guess what? UFC is finally giving us a decent card. Is it a PPV? Of course it is. But the important thing to remember is that it’s got relevant matchups, great stats and the potential for a lot of fireworks. And let us not forget we also have a belt on the line with the main event. Will Dricus be able to f...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Vegas 109 had some of the worst judging in recent memory. Ben Cartlidge had fans on social media ready to riot after his judging on two of the cards, but the most egregious of them was definitely Johns vs. Matsumodo. Outside that, we saw Andre Fili stay true to his pattern of alternating wins and losse...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC is making its way back to the Apex for the second time this month with UFC Vegas 109, and it’s only slightly better than last weekend’s awful-on-paper-but-decent-in-actuality card. Once again, the stats are pretty bad, and the matchmaking seems only incrementally better. At the top of the card is one o...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC is returning home to the Apex this weekend, and boy oh boy does it show. Not only are the stats terrible, the matchmaking seems off, as well. Why pair Neil Magny with Elizeu Zaleski, rather than have a young gun use one of them as a springboard to get spotlight on their climb upwards? Why not wait to f...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Abu Dhabi looks pretty good on paper with four ranked fights and several ranked fighters. But more importantly, we got sensibly booked matchups, and some really interesting pairings. Are there some contests that could (and should) have been left to an Apex event? Absolutely, but there are still some ve...

UFC 318 gave us lots of tremendous moments, starting with six finishes. That’s right, folks, the first six fights were all finishes. As a matter of fact, they would be the only finishes, too, as the next eight went to decision. We had some real bangers though, leading from the top with Poirier-Holloway. What a scrap, but it would be Holloway leaving with his arm raised. The tribute to Dustin was w...

UFC 318 might have the hallmarks of a solid PPV—four ranked fights and 10 ranked fighters—but when you get to the alternative stats, that’s when the whole thing falls apart. Fifteen fighters are coming off losses! And a 16th went to a draw. Fifteen fighters hail from the Contender Series. This seems an unacceptable sendoff for the Diamond, even if it is happening in his back yard. We have a genuin...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Nashville has the distinct odor of the glue factory, and the stench of forced rankings. Being that this event is an on-the-road Fight Night, it tracks that they’d want to fluff out the card in some way. Does this show have a hidden gem here and there to break up the monotony of a below-mid card? Sure,...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC is taking another break, this time for Independence Day. Our analysts are all together again, though, and that is what counts. Phil being out for the last two of these left Zane and Connor to their own devices and they got up to all sorts of mischief without our staunch Brit to keep them in line—and by...

UFC 317 looked great on paper and delivered in practice, as well. Ilia Topuria became the tenth man in UFC history to claim a title in a second division, and he did it in devastating fashion, knocking Charles Oliveira out cold. And he did it inside the first round, as he predicted. The brass has a rare opportunity here with Topuria and they should get behind him with every ounce of their marketing...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC 317 is a solid pay-per-view event. In this current era, the promotion puts forth very little into their shows, but this particular one seems to have been crafted with at least some level of care. The main card is obviously where most of the meat is centered, and four of the five ranked fights are cramm...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Baku seems to still be on, despite the conflict that rages on in the Middle East. Looking at the card on paper, it leaves a lot to be desired. Lots of fighters coming off losses and just a single ranked fight for this on-the-road Fight Night. There are some match-ups that look promising from an action...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Atlanta started with one helluva bang but went out on a whimper. With three spectacular knockouts on the prelims, it looked like the show was going to be a great one. There was even an illegal upkick stoppage controversy in the featured prelim, but the main card was a bit of a snoozer. Let me explain....

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC Atlanta is not as bad as the alternative stats would suggest. Let me tell you why. We have three former champs on the main portion. It doesn’t matter that none the trio is likely to end up with a strap again, but we do have some recognizable talent for this on-the-road card. The other, more obvious rea...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC 316 was a solid card on paper that managed to deliver some big moments in its application. We got a terrific performance out of Merab Dvalishvili, who had his way with Sean O’Malley and ended up ultimately submitting him. O’Malley’s lifestyle changes did nothing—in fact, Sean seemed even less competiti...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com UFC 316 is blessed relief from the constant grind of the Apex and lackluster Fight Nights that happen outside of it. If one thing has been driven home, it’s that UFC is going to give us slop and somehow, people still love it. This weekend doesn’t have a wealth of great fights, but it has two titles on the...