The Return of ‘The MMA Bunker’ Podcast | Bloody Elbow Podcast Substack
Pull down the blinds, encrypt those communications, Bloody Elbow’s fearless leader, ‘Kid’ Nate Wilcox returns to Active Duty. He is on lockdown back in his bunker after being MIA from the podcast network for years.
WTF: Lethwei, Muay Thai, knockouts and team MMA
It’s no secret, the past week has been a very bad, not good one for the world. So with that in mind, hopefully we can inject a bit of levity from the wide wild world of sports into your day. We’ve got a dose of traditional martial arts on tap, some lethwei madness, some team […]
UFC Octagon Girl Red Dela Cruz among Filipino celebrities allegedly paid to spread Duterte propaganda
Since taking office in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte and his powerful allies in the Philippine government have been in the middle of countless controversies. This includes what the United Nations deems as “widespread human rights violations” against drug suspects, activists, journalists and Indigenous peoples. Apart from threats and violence, Duterte’s camp has also consistently weaponized […]
Blatant mismatches and favoritism — Fighters and employees throw serious allegations at ONE Championship
In an interview with Business Insider, ONE CEO and founder Chatri Sityodtong discussed what set his organization apart from the UFC. His response paints a picture of a company that is above the fray when it comes to larger controversies in combat sports. “We celebrate values of integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion. […]
Threats, gag orders and more — Fighters and employees throw serious allegations at ONE Championship
In 2011, ONE Championship was founded as a destination organization — a home for some of the biggest names in Asian MMA as well as a proving ground for up-and-coming fighters from all over the region. In almost a decade, ONE has become an outfit that claims a viewership that can potentially reach a billion […]
Sonnen: Dana White and Ronda Rousey showed up with $150k to bail Stephens out of jail in 2012
Jeremy Stephens has been a cornerstone action fighter for the UFC for well over a decade now. First stepping into the Octagon at UFC 71, in 2007, Stephens has amassed a 15-15 record over his tenure with the promotion—including wins over former champions Rafael dos Anjos, Renan Barao, and Gilbert Melendez. However, the power-punching fighter […]
Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood’s Bruce Lee: When revisionist history goes awry
Spoiler Alert: Details of a scene in the film ‘Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood’ involving Bruce Lee are revealed below. Thelonious Monk once said, “A genius is the one most like himself.” By that measure, Quentin Tarantino is most certainly a genius, for he is relentlessly himself—be it for good (Kill Bill Vol.2) or […]
Dana White on Conor McGregor’s bar scuffle: ‘That happened in April’
Turns out that Conor McGregor’s latest public fracas is actually already old news, at least to UFC president Dana White. Recently released video appears to show the former UFC champion striking a man in a bar, following what seems to have been a disagreement over McGregor’s Proper 12 whiskey brand. But, in an interview with […]
Features and Longforms by Tim Bissell
entry-content__stream “> The first piece I wrote for Bloody Elbow landed on the Fanpost section of the site in 2015. It was a longform interview with former TUF contestant Noah Inhofer. It covered his controversial exit from the show and discussed his ‘Life After TUF’. It was also my ‘audition’. Since then I have written […]
A fighter’s guide to choosing an MMA gym
Choosing an MMA gym or team is way more complicated than fans might think. Professional fighting is a ‘job,’ but unlike trudging to an office to put in dutiful hours no matter how you feel about it, emotions can have a huge impact on a fighter’s career and immediate earnings. If a fighter isn’t happy […]
Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong discusses his mission to ‘expose fakery in Kung Fu’
Last April Xu Xiaodong, a 40-year-old Beijing based mixed martial arts fighter and coach, became famous overnight after footage of him fighting Tai Chi master Wei Lei went viral. In the footage, which was shot in a gym in Chengdu, Xu battered Wei, knocking him out in ten seconds. The fight was a result of […]
Moraingy: Madagascar’s centuries old version of mixed martial arts
Moraingy (also known as moringue and morengy) is a traditional martial art that was developed on the west coast of Madagascar possibly as early as the 17th century. The striking discipline, that includes punches and kicks, emerged during the precolonial Maroseranana dynasty. Today moraingy is an important cultural touchstone — and well attended spectacle — […]
Kajan Johnson: Project Spearhead needs a ‘miracle’ to succeed
If you ask Kajan Johnson, Project Spearhead took a big hit when the UFC chose not to re-sign him last month. Alongside former UFC women’s bantamweight Leslie Smith and UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta, Johnson is one of three fighters on Project Spearhead’s executive board; he currently serves as the interim vice president. Johnson is also […]
Conor and the Cartel: A look at the shady figures linked to UFC megastar Conor McGregor
In five years, Conor McGregor has transformed himself from an exciting prospect on the European MMA scene to the sport’s richest – and most popular – star. With a gift of the gab and a thunderous left hand, the Dubliner has exploded beyond the confines of the Octagon to become a mainstream sports celebrity. Today, […]
Fighters & referee respond to viral choke video from Brazilian MMA event: ‘It was agonizing’
MMA is a dangerous sport. It’s built into the fabric of fighting. Two people can’t enter battle in a full contact contest – with punches, knees, kicks, elbows, and submissions – without the threat of danger. And that’s why MMA is also supposed to be a sport of checks and balances. Fighters have rules they […]
MMA Behind The Lens: Part 2 feat. Amy Kaplan, Andy Cowan, and Gary A. Vasquez
Welcome to Part 2 of MMA Behind The Lens. This two-part feature focuses on interviews with MMA photographers, as they discuss how they do their jobs as well as the excitement and drive behind shooting combat sports. The featured subjects give insight into technical details regarding their gear and how to take great pictures, as […]
MMA Behind The Lens: Inside the world of combat sports photography
entry-content__stream “> MMA is chaos. Watching a fight – be it live, at a bar, or at home – borders on sensory overload. The athletes are quick (for the most part), the action is often esoteric, and the end can come in a split second. In the mayhem that encapsulates three rounds – and sometimes […]
MMA Behind The Lens: Part 1 – feat. Esther Lin and Ryan Loco
Editor’s Note: Like all sports, MMA thrives in the visual space. Articles can be written, interviews recorded, calls made by announcers watching live. But, all those things only serve to add depth and nuance to the stories that are told visually in the moment of competition. Two athletes in the heat of battle, testing skill […]
Report: Khabib Nurmagomedov posts video mocking homeless people
There are ways to go about being charitable if that’s something a celebrity wants to do. Many donate their time and resources to larger organizations, making appearances at hospitals, classrooms, or public events to support a cause. Some even go so far as to start their own foundations, becoming noted philanthropists along with their other […]
Invicta champ lobs ‘disgraceful’ claim of ‘stinky strategy’ at recent opponent
It looks like the controversy from Minna Grusander’s Invicta FC 30 bout against Jinh Yu Frey didn’t end with the judges. In a fight that had many (including cage-side commentary) questioning the eventual decision, Frey – who lost a previous title shot to Ayaka Hamasaki in 2016 – took home the vacant Invicta atomweight strap […]
Dan Hardy wants to take on Gordon Ramsay: ‘He walks into every kitchen in the world like he can fight’
For most people, their bucket list includes things like sky diving, bungee jumping, world travel, or a chance to see a famous artist or work of art, live and in-person. For Dan Hardy, it includes a list of celebrities he’d like to take a crack at in the cage. The former UFC welterweight title contender […]
Dana White drops $1 mil on son’s massive 16th birthday bash
When Dana White’s son, Dana Jr., got a BMW and a huge party at Las Vegas’ Brooklyn Bowl featuring Kendrick Lamar for his 16th birthday, a standard was set. After all, you can’t pull out all the stops for one of your kids and not do the same for the other. So, when White’s younger […]
After Brendan Schaub’s ‘Eskimo brothers’ taunt, Dana White needs to show some professional leadership
Dana White has been placed firmly in the cross-hairs. The head man for the world’s largest MMA organization appears to have made a rather unfortunate, and potentially serious mistake. He got into a war of words with someone who not only seems to know what skeletons are in his closet, but also seemingly has nothing […]
Matt Serra on ‘drunk moron’ he gave a free BJJ lesson: ‘I got a bigger applause than I did in my first GSP fight’
Add another accolade to Matt Serra’s resume. The first and only UFC pastaweight champion defended his title for the first time last week, right before getting inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. It wasn’t much of a fight, with the former welterweight title holder mounting his severely intoxicated opponent until security stepped in. Related […]
Nikita Krylov hoping to make UFC return at Moscow event
Nikki Thrillz may be on his way back to the UFC. The Russo-Ukranian light heavyweight left the promotion back in early 2017, following a loss to Misha Cirkunov. However, in a rare move, he didn’t go because the UFC wasn’t interested in keeping him around. Nikita Krylov negotiated an early end to his UFC contract […]
Kamaru Usman not planning to press charges after getting jumped at PFL event
When news broke of a brawl involving UFC fighter Kamaru Usman along with notable MMA manager Ali Abdel Aziz at PFL’s 2018 season opener, it looked bad. From the initial reports, it seemed Aziz and Usman had attacked a fan during the event, for kneeling during the national anthem. A shocking development for a fighter […]
Greg Hardy on Contender Series shot: ‘I am here because Dana White is an angel’
The UFC could hardly look more hypocritical with their courting of former NFL pass rusher Greg Hardy. Hardy is set to make his pro debut against fellow former football player Austen Lane on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. And if he can perform well enough there, chances are high that a UFC contract would […]
Graphic: Nick Diaz drains his elbow, and it’s extra gross
I’m not sure quite what it is about MMA, but this sport seems to deliver a regular supply of hard to watch videos and images. There’s the normal run-of-the-mill gaping cuts, and separated digits. Or the always gut-churning broken limbs. But the environments of MMA training seem to breed a whole other level of nauseating […]
Jorge Masvidal knows he won’t get to fight Michael Bisping: ‘I’ve seen the look in his one good eye’
More often than not, ‘heat’ in combat sports is manufactured. ‘These two guys really don’t like each other!’ promoters will assure fans, only to have them hugging, shaking hands, and maybe even going out for a drink once the bout is over. Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic will spend the next couple months trading barbs […]
New, gruesome details emerge in Alexis Vila murder case
By the time Alexis Vila debuted in Bellator with a stunning KO win over Joe Warren, he had already allegedly had a hand in the murder and kidnapping of Camilo Salazar. Salazar was believed to be having an affair with the wife of a man named Manuel Marin, a close friend and father figure to […]