MMA History
Striking legend Melvin Manhoef retires from MMA after KO loss to Yoel Romero
At the age of 46, striking aficionado Melvin Manhoef has just retired from MMA following a third round knockout loss to the always scary Yoel Romero at Bellator 285. After 28 incredible years, Manhoef is departing from the sport with an honorable record of 32-16-1-2. Some of Manhoef’s achievements include being the K-1 HERO’S: Grand […]
UFC 37.5: As Real As It Gets – ’Belfort vs Liddell’ | 6th Round Retro
Welcome to the 6th Round Retro Post-Fight Show. This is the show that digs into the archives and gives you a comprehensive review of classic MMA events, that span as far back as UFC 1. Your RETRO hosts, Eddie Mercado & Vic RodriguezJune M. Williams Join Eddie Mercado & Victor Rodriguez as they delve into […]
UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov shares best moment of his career
Khabib Nurmagomedov sees his win over Conor McGregor as the best moment of his professional career. The former UFC lightweight champion was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Thursday and reflected on his impressive run that concluded when he retired following his second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje nearly two years ago. His storied […]
‘Sh-t, we’re home free’ – Daniel Cormier admits to grabbing towel at UFC 210 in Buffalo
“You really think I grabbed that towel?” That was Daniel Cormier just back in May, responding to a video of his infamous UFC 210 weigh-in in Buffalo—posted by none other than Tony Ferguson—where the former two division champion appeared to have missed weight for his title fight against Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson. Minutes later, however, Cormier […]
The MMA Depressed-us: The Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza 2 episode
The UFC has a break in the schedule, but there’s no rest for the wicked. The MMA Depressed-us is back to fill the gap in the calendar with a tour through some of mixed martial arts’ most notorious blunders. June M. Williams This time around, however, we had to celebrate the recent emergence of one […]
Fight Archives: Jorge Masvidal and Joe Lauzon put on a show as 20-year-olds
Followers of the sport know what both Jorge Masvidal and Joe Lauzon bring to the table whenever they step inside the cage. But perhaps not many would know or remember the time these two veterans crossed paths. It happened under the Absolute Fighting Championships banner in Masvidal’s home state of Florida in 2005. “Gamebred” entered […]
WTF: Wanderlei Silva watches fake No-Touch martial artist get exposed by MMA fighter
Welcome back, kids. We’ve got violence of all stripes for your perusal and some odd relics of the past as well. Not only that, but there’s some great technique on display, to boot. We begin with a classic of all martial arts videos, the Kiai master that got busted open by an MMA master. In […]
The MMA Depressed-us: Other brothers – Serra vs. Makowski
The UFC’s schedule so far in 2022 is one of non-stop, balls-to-the-wall action. Which unfortunately means opportunities for the MMA Depressed us are few and far between. But, with the promotion taking a rare break this week, we’re back to watch more of the best of the worst of MMA. June M. Williams This time […]
Watch 70’s Hong Kong Kung Fu fighters vs Japanese Karatekas in vintage style vs style bouts | WTF
Yeah, we know. The week started with the whole slap thing, which we’ve already covered more than we perhaps should have. But that’s enough. It ends here. We won’t cover that today. We’ll begin, as usual, with Jerry over at Fight Commentary Breakdowns. This one is really special, as it’s a series of Kung Fu […]
Fight Archives: Lyoto Machida notches first of two career submission wins
There was a time when Lyoto Machida was considered a rare specimen in MMA. Fans were all about his “unpredictable” Shotokan Karate style, which wasn’t seen too much in the sport at the time. Looking at The Dragon’s record, you’ll find 11 knockout wins and only two victories via submission. One of those wins happened […]
Fight Archives: Giga Chikadze unleashes his Giga Kick in kickboxing bout
I’ve expressed my fascination and mad respect for the liver shot on this site a couple of times now. While it does happen fairly rarely compared to shut-your-lights-off KOs, it’s always a devastating sight to behold. I can’t even name any other liver killer in today’s prizefighting scene outside of Giga Chikadze. Maybe because the […]
FLASHBACK — The MMA Depressed-us 01: Zane & Connor Rewatch Some of the UFC’s Worst Fights
With the UFC taking a long break for the holidays, The MMA Depressed-us is set to put in some overtime. And to keep the ball rolling during this three-week stretch of episodes, this week we bring you a FLASHBACK broadcast rolling the clock all the way back to October 13, 2016 when Zane & Connor […]
Fight Archives: Carlos Condit finishes Brock Larson to defend WEC title
If there’s anyone who lived up to their nickname as an active fighter, it would be Carlos Condit. The man was a known finisher with only four out of his 32 wins ending by decision. “The Natural Born Killer” faced and finished a who’s who of welterweights in his time. From Dan Hardy to Dong […]
‘UFC on Versus 2: Jones vs. Matyushenko’ | 6th Round Retro
Welcome to the 6th Round Retro Post-Fight Show. This is the show that digs into the archives and gives you a comprehensive review of classic MMA events, that span as far back as UFC 1. Join Eddie Mercado & Victor Rodriguez as they delve into the world of the ‘UFC on VERSUS 2’ event this […]
Fight Archives: Leaner Derrick Lewis KOs UFC vet to become Legacy FC champion
It’s a Derrick Lewis fight weekend coming up, and we know what happens whenever ‘The Black Beast’ steps in there. Somebody goes to sleep nine times out of ten, and it’s usually the other guy. Just ask Travis Browne, Curtis Blaydes, and Alexander Volkov, to name a few. What’s not usually brought up when talking […]
Fight Archives: Jose Aldo wipes the smile off Cub Swanson’s face with flying knee
I’ve been seeing a lot of Jose Aldo throwback posts on Twitter this week, and perhaps, for good reason. The former longtime featherweight king will step back inside the UFC cage on Saturday, this time against the always dangerous Rob Font. manifesting the return of this Jose Aldo pic.twitter.com/eLFdKjIxd6 — Ed (@EdwardGalloMMA) November 30, 2021 […]
The MMA Depressed-us: Bethe Correia retrospective
The UFC is finally taking a few more breaks as they move into the the holidays this year, and the first of those is a week off for Thanksgiving. As such, we’re giving thanks by jumping in on one of the Depressed-us’ favorite fighters—a look at the UFC career of none other than former Brazilian […]
Crooklyn’s Corner 21: Getting to know fight analyst Zane Simon
Welcome to Crooklyn’s Corner, the podcast that’s basically a hodgepodge of topics focused on the combat sports and entertainment community. The show will feature special interviews, fantasy matchmaking/analysis and whatever else we can come up with to keep our listeners steeped in fresh and engaging content. The show is hosted by Stephie Haynes and airs […]
Fight Archives: Wanderlei Silva leaves opponent helpless with barrage of knees in Vale Tudo event
A few weeks ago, UFC veteran and ex-Strikeforce champ Josh Thomson spoke about his 2015 fight with Tony Ferguson and how it “changed” both his life and career. It was a sobering revelation about the crude and barbarous realities of prizefighting, which are usually concealed by the glitz and romanticism of potential superstardom. I was […]
Fight Archives: B.J. Penn submits Takanori Gomi in action-packed three-rounder
After 18 years in the face-punching business, former UFC champion B.J. Penn has decided to dip his toes into politics. On Monday, the 42-year-old declared his plans to run for Hawaii’s gubernatorial seat in 2022. And depending on where you are in the spectrum of things, you were either shocked, dismayed, delighted, or left unsurprised […]
Flashback: Watch a teenage Ronda Rousey go at it with Kayla Harrison
Despite how her MMA career ended Ronda Rousey was a special fighter who elevated the sports’ visibility beyond anything that we had seen before. Before she became a breakthrough star in MMA, and—at one-time—a seemingly unstoppable UFC bantamweight champion, Rousey was one of the US’s top judo players. At the 2005 USA Championships she met […]
Fight Archives: Nick Diaz pieces up and retires Frank Shamrock
Underneath the two title fights at Saturday’s UFC 266 is the people’s main event. Nick Diaz will return from a six-year absence to take on Robbie Lawler in a rematch that takes place 17 years later. It’s always a spectacle whenever a Diaz brother fights, and you can count on the army to show up. […]
The MMA Depressed-us: Failed protégés – Lobov vs. Avila
The UFC is off, but the Bloody Elbow podcast network never sleeps. Instead of a breakdown of this week’s fighting action, we’re back to bring listeners another deep dive into MMA’s past with the latest episode of the MMA Depressed-us. This time around we’re focused on those fighters burdened with the weight of big expectations. […]
Fight Archives: Robbie Lawler shuts off Melvin Manhoef to come back from slow beating
If there was one fighter who perfectly lived up to the hype behind his nickname, it would be Robbie Lawler. Especially during his prime years, it was difficult not to have mad respect for the man and the unmatched tenacity he brought into every fight. The “Ruthless” made 170 pounds his home for the majority […]
Fight Archives: Ryan Gracie bludgeons Tokimitsu Ishizawa in MMA debut
Because of their polarizing personas and staunch allegiance to their brand of jiu-jitsu, you can see why the Gracies aren’t generally beloved by today’s combat sports enthusiasts. But if there was one clan member whom fans can be drawn to, it would be Renzo and Ralph’s youngest brother Ryan. Ryan held a reputation as a […]
Obscure fighter of the week: Before Jake Paul, there was Sean Gannon
I know. Sean Gannon and Jake Paul are nothing alike. This isn’t meant to be a direct comparison, or obvious clickbait. But it’s a comparison I find spiritually fitting. Jake Paul wouldn’t be getting all these boxing matches with former UFC fighters if he didn’t start his career as a video sensation. Just the same, […]
Fight Archives: Phil Baroni smashes Amar Suloev after eating illegal knee
Love him or hate him, Phil Baroni was a star in his own right. And as The New York Badass calls it a career after nearly two decades of competition, it would be a fitting tribute to look back on one of his most notable performances. Baroni didn’t have a stellar career that would warrant […]
Fight Archives: Takanori Gomi rudely ends Ralph Gracie’s MMA run
When we talk about the ultimate bane of the Gracie clan’s existence, fingers automatically point to the inimitable Kazushi Sakuraba. But we all seem to forget about the one and only “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi, and that time he ended Ralph Gracie’s short-lived MMA run. It happened at PRIDE Bushido 3 in 2004 in Yokohama. […]
Obscure fighter of the week: Koji Oishi
Since Nick Diaz will be making his return soon after a five year hiatus, I thought it’d be fun to talk about a fighter who has been fun for the whole Diaz family: Koji Oishi. If you don’t remember his name, then you probably remember the image. Oishi was the undersized Japanese welterweight who fought […]
The MMA Depressed-us: Action inaction – Diaz vs. Stun Gun
The UFC is on break once more, but that’s no reason for us to rest. After all, even if there aren’t new fights being produced, there’s plenty of old ones to go back and revisit. This time around, we tried our best to take a slightly different tactic and find three of the worst fights […]