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The Official Podcast Network of The MMA Draw – for all of your MMA & UFC News 24/7 - 365. We bring you shows day in and day out with a wide variety of topics and perspectives on combat sports. This is our main RSS Feed which carries every one of our shows to your favorite podcast platforms.

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Our Editor's Take

Full-combat contact sports fans are getting in the ring with The Bloody Elbow Presents podcast. This program is a daily recap of mixed martial arts (MMA) news. It comes from the folks behind the Bloody Elbow website.

Bloody Elbow Presents follows different storylines in this podcast. There are previews of UFC events and interpretations of fights and fight cards. The hosts talk about contracts and offers for the biggest names in ultimate fighting. John S. Nash often joins sports journalist Stephie Haynes. Nash is Bloody Elbow's chief financial columnist. Eugene S. Robinson also adds in his commentary. Robinson wrote the book Fight: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ass-Kicking But Were Afraid You'd Get Your Ass Kicked for Asking. This podcast has a similar sassy attitude to that book title.

The show has different themed episodes. The Bloody Elbow Presents podcast recaps top matches in Las Vegas and elsewhere. And "Care/Don't Care" podcast episodes preview UFC events. They share which fights "are hot" and "are not." It's the best way to settle in for the best fight nights and know which main cards to watch.

This podcast has segments that have the style of a radio show. And it sometimes has the mood of a live-watch party in its "sixth round" post-fight shows. Any episode is the way to get ready for the main event with this MMA podcast. Fans of Bloody Elbow Presents may also want to listen to two other related podcasts. Nash hosts the Hey Not the Face! podcast. And Robinson hosts the Eugene S. Robinson Show Stomper! podcast.

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Episodes

UFC Vegas 89 prelims: Trey Ogden, true neutral
6d ago
UFC Vegas 89 prelims: Trey Ogden, true neutral
After looking at UFC Vegas 89’s meaningless main card, we’re kind of surprised that there was anything noteworthy on the prelims, but there is. Even though there are five debuting fighters, there are still a few bouts worth keeping an eye on. The featured prelim—Trey Ogden vs. Kurt Holobough isn’t bad and the two contests immediately preceding it aren’t either. MMA Draw Podcast is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.Ricardo Ramos vs. Julian Erosa could end up being a stellar banger and Miles Johns making his return to action after a bit of a layoff are storylines that might provide a little pizzazz. There’s also a debuting bantamweight that looks like she could be an exciting prospect. Let’s take a look at the undercard and some fun factoids for the card.UFC Vegas 89 Prelims* Trey Ogden  vs.  Kurt Holobaugh 155 lbs* Ricardo Ramos  vs.  Julian Erosa 145 lbs* Miles Johns  vs.  Cody Gibson 135 lbs* Steven Nguyen  vs.  Jarno Errens 145 lbs* M. Rendon  vs.  D. Zheleznyakova 135 lbs* Igor Severino  vs.  André Lima 125 lbs* Mohammed Usman  vs.  Mick Parkin 265 lbsUFC Vegas 89 Fun Factoids* Ranked fights: 0 (Ribas is #8 at FLW & #7 at SW | Namajunas isn’t currently ranked)* Ranked fighters: 1* Fighters coming off losses: 9* Contender Series alumni: 11* Fighters coming directly from Contender Series: 4* TUF alumni: 4* Debuting fighters: 5Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our new site and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.Thank you for reading and listening to the MMA Vivisection. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
UFC Vegas 89 prelims: Trey Ogden, true neutral
6d ago
UFC Vegas 89 prelims: Trey Ogden, true neutral
After looking at UFC Vegas 89’s meaningless main card, we’re kind of surprised that there was anything noteworthy on the prelims, but there is. Even though there are five debuting fighters, there are still a few bouts worth keeping an eye on. The featured prelim—Trey Ogden vs. Kurt Holobough isn’t bad and the two contests immediately preceding it aren’t either. MMA Draw Podcast is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.Ricardo Ramos vs. Julian Erosa could end up being a stellar banger and Miles Johns making his return to action after a bit of a layoff are storylines that might provide a little pizzazz. There’s also a debuting bantamweight that looks like she could be an exciting prospect. Let’s take a look at the undercard and some fun factoids for the card.UFC Vegas 89 Prelims* Trey Ogden  vs.  Kurt Holobaugh 155 lbs* Ricardo Ramos  vs.  Julian Erosa 145 lbs* Miles Johns  vs.  Cody Gibson 135 lbs* Steven Nguyen  vs.  Jarno Errens 145 lbs* M. Rendon  vs.  D. Zheleznyakova 135 lbs* Igor Severino  vs.  André Lima 125 lbs* Mohammed Usman  vs.  Mick Parkin 265 lbsUFC Vegas 89 Fun Factoids* Ranked fights: 0 (Ribas is #8 at FLW & #7 at SW | Namajunas isn’t currently ranked)* Ranked fighters: 1* Fighters coming off losses: 9* Contender Series alumni: 11* Fighters coming directly from Contender Series: 4* TUF alumni: 4* Debuting fighters: 5Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our new site and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.Thank you for reading and listening to the MMA Vivisection. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
Sean Strickland's latest video confessional + Sumo Stompin' with Tim Bissell
Mar 20 2024
Sean Strickland's latest video confessional + Sumo Stompin' with Tim Bissell
Sean Strickland certainly has tongues wagging this week after his latest social media video clip. His video confessional, a staple on his social feeds, comes from inside his car, where he tells fans how he doesn’t feel mentally stable, and that he told his girlfriend he just wanted to burn everything down but that he felt really connected to his fans. This level of “honesty” always seems to grab fan attention, creating the impression that Sean is using these sessions as a trauma dump rather than actually seeking therapy.MMA Draw Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We also have an update from the Haru Basho, the second grand Sumo tournament of the year. Tim Bissell stops in to provide details an all the important matches, with the latest on some of our favorite characters like the Angry Hamster, Double Boob, the Flying Monkey, Machine Gun Arm and the Peach Prince. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss and it’s completely free today!You know you can count on us for quick, consistent quality UFC coverage. The MMA Draw is an independent, reader supported publication. Please subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support the site. We’re constantly refining to try and provide our readers and listeners with the best, most current MMA news and opinions.Thank you for reading MMA Draw Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
UFC 299: I hate to admit it
Mar 10 2024
UFC 299: I hate to admit it
UFC 299 just wrapped a long night of combat in Miami, and following a hellishly long boxing card in Knockout Chaos: Joshua vs. Ngannou so closely, we’re welcoming a Sunday respite from face punching. But first, we’re going to get into the action from the event, both the highs and the lows.The main event put Sean O’Malley’s remarkable striking on display, showcasing crisp, accurate boxing, excellent footwork and last, but certainly not least, durability. It took a ridiculous amount of time before Vera realized that oblique and low kicks couldn’t win him the fight, especially with the volume that O’Malley was continuously peppering him with. Sean’s jab was money. His combinations were surgical. His footwork was incredible—he seemed to be in perfect position 100% of the time. ‘Suga’ fought the perfect fight against a chronically tough veteran and made it look easy. Vera had but one saving grace tonight, and that’s his durability. The sheer volume of punishment he absorbed was massive. If only he’d get his aggression off sooner, the results would almost assuredly be better. But to achieve that, he has to actually engage, and sadly, he just takes too long to going. By the time he’s confident enough to close the distance, he’s eaten so much damage that whatever he’s throwing can’t possibly be at full capacity. Timidity is certainly his most glaring failing.In the sharpest contrast, Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis both put on excellent performances, but it would be Poirier’s grit and power that would shine brightest. The entire card was excellent overall, but this contest was worth the price of admission. And yes, in case you were wondering, it won Fight of the Night.There were about 4832 moments where Poirier gave fans reason to fret, most concerningly his determination to land a guillotine, often taking unnecessary risks on the ground. His corner even warned him to stop jumping guillotines and within the first minute of the following round, guess what he did? Jumped a gilly. Dustin, if you’re reading this, please stop giving us palpitations!In the end, Dustin’s patience and crispy boxing had its intended effect, and even though he’s one of the nicest guys in the game with a heart of gold, he’s mean as all get out in that cage. He’s like a shark in freshly chummed waters and he’s relentless. Saint-Denis got brutalized. And once it was over, Poirier switched right back into good guy mode, sending the other guy—Mr. Violence—back to the ether until he’s summoned again.From here, you’ll just have to listen to the show. But I will leave you with the results before turning you over to Zane and Eddie. UFC 299 Results* Sean O'Malley def Marlon Vera Unanimous Dec* Dustin Poirier def B. Saint-Denis KO/TKO, 2:32 R2* Michael Page def Kevin Holland Unanimous Dec* J. Maddalena def Gilbert Burns KO/TKO, 3:43 R3* Petr Yan def Yadong Song Unanimous Dec* Curtis Blaydes def Jailton Almeida KO/TKO, 0:36 R2* Maycee Barber def Katlyn Cerminara Unanimous Dec* Mateusz Gamrot def Rafael dos Anjos Unanimous Dec* Kyler Phillips def Pedro Munhoz Unanimous Dec* Philipe Lins def Ion Cutelaba Unanimous Dec* Michel Pereira def M. Oleksiejczuk Sub, 1:01 R1* Robelis Despaigne def Josh Parisian KO/TKO, 0:18 R1* Asu Almabaev def CJ Vergara Unanimous Dec* Joanne Wood def Maryna Moroz Split DecThank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our network and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
UFC 299 Prelims: A whole fight night
Mar 8 2024
UFC 299 Prelims: A whole fight night
The prelims for UFC 299 stand in stark contrast to the main card in that it gives all the appearance of a fight night event rather than the high-priced PPV offering that it is. The good news is that most of those fights would undoubtedly be outside the Apex, proper “on the road” fights. We even have ranked fights and fighters on this portion of the show.The featured prelim, a heavyweight showdown between Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida, is a ranked, high-value bout, and one that looks intriguing. Wrestling vs. BJJ on display at the 265-pound limit. Mix in the old adage that the big boys carry a lot of heat in their mitts and we have the ingredients for a great fight. There are a couple other ranked bouts left on this section of the event, too. Katlyn Cerminara (formerly Chookagian) vs. Maycee Barber and Mateusz Gamrot vs. Rafael dos Anjos. Aside from those, there is a ranked fighter here and there, but all told, the undercard reads like a really good fight night. Considering the depth of the main [ortion, we’re absolutely fine with it. Let’s take a look at what we’re working with, as well as some fun factoids.UFC 299 Prelims* Curtis Blaydes  vs.  Jailton Almeida 265 lbs* Katlyn Cerminara  vs.  Maycee Barber 125 lbs* Mateusz Gamrot  vs.  Rafael dos Anjos 155 lbs* Pedro Munhoz  vs.  Kyler Phillips 135 lbs* Michel Pereira  vs.  M. Oleksiejczuk 185 lbs* Philipe Lins  vs.  Ion Cutelaba 205 lbs* Robelis Despaigne  vs.  Josh Parisian 265 lbs* CJ Vergara  vs.  Asu Almabaev 125 lbs* Joanne Wood  vs.  Maryna Moroz 125 lbsUFC 299 Fun Factoids* Ranked fights: 7* Ranked fighters: 16* Fighters coming off a loss: 10* Contender Series alumni: 8* TUF alumni: 3* Debuting fighters: 1Don’t forget to check out the bonus section for a great review of the UFC Vegas 87 preliminary card. Make sure to tune in immediately after this weekend’s fights for breakdowns and analysis on our 6th Round Post-Fight Show.Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Draw Substack to enjoy our daily premium content. Your paid subscriptions are helping build our network and keeping hope alive that our staff will remain intact. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
Why is Francis Ngannou so unique?
Mar 8 2024
Why is Francis Ngannou so unique?
Francis Ngannou got away and we’re so very happy he did. Going from a $600K payday in the UFC—all because of the UFC’s hard-nosed tactics at the negotiation table—to a 10-figure purse in your second boxing match is unheard of unless your name is Conor McGregor. Ngannou may be giving the Irish superstar a run for the money in that regard very soon, and might even wind up on the coveted Forbes List this year. But how did he get there?The long and the short of it is that he bet on himself and waited for the terms of his sunset clause to come to their conclusion, and then he took the Francis Ngannou show on the road. First stop, Riyadh, where he took the lineal heavyweight boxing champion of the world to a split decision that many in the community felt he won. He even put the champ on the canvas. Impressive for a pro debut, to say the least.Now, he’s set to take on the number one contender in the world, a former champion in Anthony Joshua, and he’ll be doing it for a huge payday. After it’s all said and done, Francis could be looking at a $30M - $40M payday in his second pro bout. And the best part is he doesn’t have to give up a percentage of that to his MMA promoter, as the UFC requires.Let’s take a look at some of the topics we covered in this episode:1. How much do we think Ngannou is making for this fight?2. How much is Joshua making?3. What is PFL going to be watching to come out of this match?4. There is a Harvard case study that came out, what does that say about Ngannou's PFL contract? Does it give us any info on what the terms are? How much he is getting paid? 5. When we look at what Ngannou is making, one would think other fighters would try to follow his path. Why haven't we seen other UFC fighters do what he did?6. What are the changes the UFC made in their contracts that prevents other fighters from doing what Francis did?You know you can count on us for quick, consistent quality UFC coverage. The MMA Draw is an independent, reader supported publication. Please subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support the site. We’re constantly refining to try and provide our readers and listeners with the best, most current MMA news and opinions. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
UFC has another banner year in revenue + earnings
Mar 6 2024
UFC has another banner year in revenue + earnings
TKO Group Holdings, the conglomerate that went public last fall after the merger of the UFC with the WWE, released its full 2023 financial results last week. Having reported on their SEC and investor reports for the first and second quarter of last year, I am once again only going to focus on what we learn about the UFC’s finances from their 8-K, 10-K and earnings call.The MMA Draw is fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. If you share our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today.The big takeaway is that everything was gold for the UFC, setting records in almost every category. They saw increases in their revenue (including increases in each of the four segments that make up revenue), an increase in their EBITDA, and, in some good news for their fighters, even an increase in their athlete costs AKA fighter pay.REVENUEIn 2023, the UFC delivered record financial results once again. Total revenue increased 13%, from $1.140 billion to $1.292 billion, an increase of $152 million. A breakdown of the individual segments is as follows:* Media rights and content fees were up 10%, from 2022, going up $76.2 million from $794 million to $871 million last year. “The increase in media rights and content fees was primarily related to higher domestic and international rights fees resulting from increases in contractual revenues, higher fees associated with international renewals and one additional pay-per-view event in 2023 as compared to the prior year period.”* Live events revenue were up 34%, a $42.6 million increase to a record $168 million, driven by growth in ticket revenues and site fees. “The increase in live events revenue was primarily related to 5 additional events with a live audience (26 in 2023 as compared to 21 in the prior year) and higher site fees.” In 2021 they sold out 20 live events with seven of them now ranking among the top 20 highest grossing UFC events of all time.* Sponsorship revenue were up $29.5 million over the previous year, an 18% increase to another record $196 million. This was driven by new brand partners and renewal increases.* Consumer product licensing was up from $53.6 million in 2022 to $57.3 million last year.You know you can count on us for quick, consistent quality UFC coverage. The MMA Draw is an independent, reader supported publication. Please subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support the site. We’re constantly refining to try and provide our readers and listeners with the best, most current MMA news and opinions. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
UFC Vegas 87 hits all the right marks but still looks awful
Feb 28 2024
UFC Vegas 87 hits all the right marks but still looks awful
UFC Vegas 87 is an ugly card, full stop. Despite the fact that the alternative stats look decent (ranked fights, fighters, etc.), the matchups don’t do much in the way of getting us amped to watch the card. If anything, it’s a deterrent to it. Let’s face it, no matter what they do, the Apex cards always seem like leftovers, even when they’re not.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 with two last minute replacements, we even get an athlete who is scheduled to fight for another promotion next weekend. It just always feels like we’re being cheated out of good cards for one reason or another, be it due to a lack of name value (big issue on this event) or a lack of ranked athletes and fights.We get a smattering of everything on this show, but there’s nothing too egregious when we stack up our normal factoids. It’s when we peel back the layers of the records that we start to see where the seams are coming apart. Take Eryk Anders, for starters. In his last six fights, he’s only managed to win two of them.To make matters worse, Anders’ opponent, Jamie Pickett, is on a four-fight losing skid. This is supposed to be the top promotion on the planet with the very best fighters in the world. Why are we getting this level slop if that’s the case? I know we’ve beaten this poor old pony to death, but when the product never changes, it’s hard to not feel frustrated and even a little cheated.We realize fighters need to make their debuts, get back on track from losses, etc. but it generally seems like they lump all those elements exclusively into the Apex cards. As mentioned above, the alternative stats or “fun factoids” aren’t awful for this event, but it still has absolutely zero curb appeal to speak of. Let’s look at the fights we predicted:UFC Vegas 87* Jairzinho Rozenstruik  vs.  Shamil Gaziev 265 lbs * Alex Perez  vs.  Muhammad Mokaev 125 lbs * Matt Schnell  vs.  Steve Erceg 125 lbs * Raul Rosas Jr.  vs.  Ricky Turcios 140 lbs * Javid Basharat  vs.  Aiemann Zahabi 135 lbsDid you talk about anything besides UFC Vegas 87?We did! We actually started the episode with our headlines this week and due to time constraints, we gave you the episode for FREE. Here’s the hot sheet list:* Israel Adesanya interview about UFC 300* Fight trailer for Ngannou-Joshua* Nate Diaz wants on UFC 306 card* Ryan Garcia calling out Sean O’Malley* Henry Cejudo’s non-retirementYou know you can count on us for quick, consistent quality UFC coverage. Bloody Elbow is an independent, reader supported publication. Please subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support the site. Please subscribe to our podcast Substack, as well. We’re constantly refining to try and provide our readers and listeners with the best, most current MMA news and opinions.Follow us as @BloodyElbow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and at BloodyElbow.Substack.com & BloodyElbowPodcast.Substack.com. Thank you for listening to the Level Change Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe