Phil Mackenzie
Editorial: Connective tissues in Pandemic UFC
Part of what makes sports compelling is their ability to build a connection. People watch them to root for their favourites, or for tribalism, or to see some kind of worldview ratified. The reasons go on, but surprisingly few of them are really rooted in a pure mechanical interest in seeing people toss balls around, […]
UFC 245: Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski Toe-to-Toe Preview – A complete breakdown
Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski co-headlines UFC 245 this December 14, 2019 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Watch ‘UFC 245 – ‘USMAN VS COVINGTON’. ‘HOLLOWAY VS VOLKANOVSKI’ & ‘NUNES VS DE RANDAMIE’ Stream all the fights broadcast LIVE — don’t miss a single second of face-punching action! Plus, you get access […]
UFC on ESPN: Alistair Overeem vs Jair Rozenstruik Toe-to-Toe Preview – A complete breakdown
Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik headlines UFC on ESPN 7 this December 7, 2019 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., United States. Watch ‘UFC ON ESPN 7- D.C. – ‘OVEREEM VS. ROZENSTRUIK ’ Stream all the fights broadcast LIVE — don’t miss a single second of face-punching action! Plus, you get access to […]
UFC Fight Night: Jacare Souza vs Jan Blachowicz Toe-to-Toe Preview – A complete breakdown
Jan Blachowicz vs. Ronaldo Souza headlines UFC Sao Paulo this November 16, 2019 at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil. Watch ‘UFC ON ESPN + 22 – Sao Paulo – ‘BLACHOWICZ VS JACARE ’ Stream all the fights broadcast LIVE — don’t miss a single second of face-punching action! Plus, you get access […]
Opinion: No one cares about Thiago Santos
Thiago “Marreta” Santos came closer than anyone has to dethroning the greatest light heavyweight in history, and no one really cares. MMA is an odd sport. It is unforgiving, complicated, and brutal, and upsets are common. Mostly, though, they tend to come from young fighters and unknown quantities. Related The 6th Round Post-Fight Show: UFC […]
Opinion: Dos Santos, Ngannou, Velasquez, and the Heavyweight Dream
Back in 2011, good times were on the horizon for the heavyweights. The big man division had always been the place for sloppy bruisers and terrible fights, and the organization had always dreamed hopelessly of a real heavyweight star. It hadn’t had one until Brock Lesnar thundered in from World Wrestling Entertainment. Lesnar was huge […]
Bellator 221: Michael Chandler vs. Patricio Pitbull Freire Toe-to-Toe Preview – A complete breakdown
Michael Chandler vs. Patricio Freire this May 11, 2019 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Start watching DAZN NOW! DAZN gives you access to top sports, including Bellator 221: Pitbull vs Chandler – Saturday, May 11th. Don’t miss out on any of the face-punching action! SUBSCRIBE NOW One sentence summary David: A Storm of […]
Opinion: Why it made sense to the UFC to release Sage Northcutt
The UFC recently let Sage Northcutt go, a decision that surprised many fans. Northcutt is a comedically wholesome karateka; a bricked-up youngster who fell through a reality warp from a 1990s martial arts flick into the modern world. He is in important ways both distinct and recognizable. The WME-IMG organization picked him up when he […]
UFC 232 Editorial – The eternal Jon Jones
Looking back at Jon Jones before he fights Alexander Gustafsson for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 232 in the Forum in Inglewood, California Here is a moment: Jon Jones talks about chasing down a mugger in the post-fight press conference after he has beaten Shogun Rua. While he’s struggled to connect with fans […]
UFC 231: Max Holloway vs Brian Ortega Toe-to-Toe Preview – A complete breakdown
Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega headlines UFC 231 this December 8, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One sentence summary David: There’s no blessed flesh in this tormented city. Phil:That uniquely MMA feeling of excitement, anticipation, and the nagging sensation that you might just be enabling something awful Stats Record: Max Holloway […]
UFC 231: Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Valentina Shevchenko Toe-to-Toe Preview – A complete breakdown
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk co-headlines UFC 231 this December 8, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One sentence summary David: Your favorite Cynthia Rothrock film come to life. Phil: OK, I have now learned how to spell “Jedrzejczyk” but I’ll be damned if I don’t have to go back to google […]
Stuff I learned: UFC 225 – MMA’s got talent!
Last Saturday on the main card of UFC 225, Phil “CM Punk” Brooks’ second MMA fight did not go terribly well. He had been booked against another winless MMA fighter in Mike “The Truth” Jackson, but the bout quickly showed the difference between the two. Jackson has fought in kickboxing and boxing, and Brooks hasn’t. […]
UFC Utica: Jimmie Rivera vs. Marlon Moraes Toe to Toe Preview – A complete breakdown
Jimmie Rivera vs. Marlon Moraes headline UFC Fight Night: Utica this June 1, 2018 at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. One sentence summary: David: Erroneous and Sports Programming Nomads. Phil: Surely bantamweight will save us from these terrible main events of late, it never lets us down. Stats: Record: Jimmie Rivera 21-1 […]
Stuff I learned – UFC 224 Nunes vs Pennington
After the fourth round of her championship fight with Amanda Nunes, Raquel Pennington was a mess. Her shin and calf were dappled with lacerations, a bruise was creeping up her cheek to her eye, and her nose had been pounded into a shape like a swollen pear. “I’m done,” she said. “I want to be […]
Bellator 198: Fedor Emelianenko vs Frank Mir Toe-to-Toe Preview: A complete breakdown
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Frank Mir headlines Bellator 198 this April 28, 2018 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. One sentence summary: David: Clunky Old Men Phil: Frank Mir comes out of the mist to bag the last and greatest of the Pride legends for his trophy cabinet Stats: Record: Fedor Emelianenko 36-5-1 NC | Frank […]
Stuff I learned from UFC on FOX 29: Poirier vs Gaethje
Looking back at a Fox card topped by Dustin Poirier knocking out Justin Gaethje in an unforgettable thriller Poirier vs Gaethje I feel some kind of way about watching Justin Gaethje fight. I’m just not sure exactly what it is. Watching him plow forward through unworldly beatings to drag his opponents into his world is […]
UFC 223: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta Toe-to-Toe Preview: A complete breakdown
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta this April 7, 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. One sentence summary David: To Be Renounced Phil: Heisenberg’s main event, where just to write about it is to change the headliner Stats Record: Khabib Nurmagomedov 25-0 vs. Al Iaquinta 13-3-1 Draw Odds: Khabib Nurmagomedov -485 Al Iaquinta […]
UFC 223 – The Holloway-Khabib-Ferguson Scramble
I wonder what it’s like when a major cancellation hits the UFC. Unimaginably chaotic, I would imagine. This vast promotional machine is blasting out content getting to people to turn up to one event, and suddenly that whole apparatus needs to turn on a moment’s notice. A replacement needs to be found, negotiated into an […]
UFC matchmaking – Platinum as a commodity
What kind of value does “Platinum” Mike Perry really hold for the UFC? Phil and Connor discuss how the UFC’s excitement-first, competition-second model has a tendency to crush its prospects. Phil: Mike Perry dropped his second consecutive fight on Saturday. Max Griffin drew the Florida slugger onto his shots, stung him with his jab, and […]
UFC on FOX 27 – Jacare Souza vs Derek Brunson Toe to Toe Preview
Jacare Souza vs Derek Brunson II is the main event of UFC on Fox 27 on January 27, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. One sentence summary It’s the rematch that no-one wanted, from the fight that no-one remembers! Stats Record: Ronaldo Souza 24-5-1 NC | Derek Brunson 18-5 Odds: Ronaldo […]
Rory MacDonald, Mixed Martial Artist
At Bellator 192, the welterweight championship fight is not the main event. It takes second billing to a nostalgic affair where a pudgy Rampage Jackson will glare at Chael Sonnen for three rounds while sporadically being taken down. The two welterweights get ready. MacDonald looks off to one side, raises one fist almost as an […]
UFC 217: Bisping vs St- Pierre – Salt and Fear and Bad Alchemy
This Saturday, Georges St-Pierre will fight Michael Bisping, and on paper, everything about it should be gold. The fight features maybe the greatest MMA champion ever making his return to the cage after four years away, fighting one of one of MMA’s historic foils; an attempt to make history by capturing a belt at two […]
UFC 217: Jedrzejczyk vs Namajunas Toe to Toe Preview – A complete breakdown
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Rose Namajunas this November 4, 2017 at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. One sentence summary David: War of the roses. Phil: Thorns and elbows. Stats Record: Joanna Jedrzejczyk 14-0 Rose Namajunas 6-3 Odds: Joanna Jedrzejczyk -750 Rose Namajunas +525 History / Introduction to both fighters David: Joanna […]
Editorial: Darren Till, ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, and the welterweight turnover
When Darren Till knocked out Donald Cerrone in Gdansk on Saturday, it felt like a turning point for the welterweight division. As mentioned by Connor Ruebusch and Pat Wyman on Heavy Hands, the top of 170lbs is old. Here’s the top 15, their ages, and when they started fighting: Champion: Tyron Woodley – 35 years […]
Editorial: Jon Jones is weird, and overrated… and unstoppable?
Daydreaming In the run-up to UFC 214, there’s been joy from a lot of fans, a savage happiness that we’re finally seeing the Real Jon Jones. Freed by his issues with coke and cialis, his DUI and his rivalry with Daniel Cormier, everyone can finally and shamelessly revel in the joy of watching perhaps the […]
UFC 212: Max Holloway in 6 fights
MMA fighters have a reputation for looking fearsome, but Max Holloway is not a particularly intimidating man to behold. He has big ears, a slightly beaky nose, and wide, dark eyes. A wispy moustache is drawn across his upper lip, and it makes him look even younger than 25, as such things tend to. He […]
UFC Fight Night: Alexander Gustafsson vs Glover Teixeira Toe to Toe Preview – A Complete Breakdown
Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira try to re-establish their relevance this May 28, 2017 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. One sentence summary: David: “Counting and breathing…disappearing in the fade…” Phil: This fight would have been awesome a few years ago! Stats: Record: Alexander Gustafsson 17-4 vs. Glover Teixeira 26-5 Odds: Alexander Gustafsson -330 […]
UFC Fight Night: Misha Cirkunov vs Volkan Oezdemir Toe to Toe Preview – A Complete Breakdown
Volkan Oezdemir and Misha Cirkunov try to make sense of light heavyweight’s misery this May 28, 2017 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. One sentence summary: David: Evil Ethan Embry can’t hardly wait to prove his win over OSP was no fluke. Phil: The light heavyweight division stumbles into a bar, flecked with vomit […]
Editorial: Can Bellator catch up with the UFC?
Bellator 179 is this Friday. It’s a strong international card in my home town of London. While it suffers from the loss of Michael Page, it has a can’t-miss headliner in Rory MacDonald vs Paul Daley, as well as a decent matchup between Linton Vassell and former champion Liam McGeary. It represents an international expansion […]
Editorial: Analyzing the UFC, division by division
In the hiatus between UFC events, there’s some time to time to take stock of where the organization as a whole finds itself, and several lenses to look at it through. Why not the most elemental one, namely the fighters? So, this article will ask how each of the UFC’s divisions are doing, via a […]