Report: Glendale Mayor tells arena employee to ‘eat sh-t and die’ during UFC 263 confrontation
Maybe it’s just something in the air surrounding a big combat sports event. The adrenaline of watching two highly trained fighters competing in the cage has a tendency to get the heart pumping and the mind buzzing. Or, maybe it’s like Dana White likes to say about the global popularity of mixed martial arts, that […]
‘He’s not a finisher’ — Gilbert Burns thinks Leon Edwards blew title shot with Nate Diaz win
Gilbert Burns thinks Leon Edwards fought too safe against Nate Diaz at UFC 263 and that the Brit’s reluctance to pull the trigger and finish his opponents is a real cause for concern. Edwards dominated Diaz for most of the contest but the main highlight of the fight was when Diaz wobbled ‘Rocky’ in the […]
Robert Whittaker says Israel Adesanya looked ‘average’ at UFC 263, Adesanya fires back
Robert Whittaker doesn’t think Israel Adesanya’s latest performance against Marvin Vettori was anything to write home about, with ‘The Reaper’ claiming that ‘The Last Stylebender’ isn’t as good as he thinks he is. While most pundits walked away from the UFC 263 main event crediting Adesanya for putting on yet another striking masterclass against a […]
UFC 263 salaries: Adesanya takes home $500k guaranteed, Vettori $350k
In recent years the UFC has worked hard to keep more and more of their event finances under wraps. They’ve convinced state governments to exempt their pay data from public records laws, making what were once commonly reported payouts much much rarer to come by. However, through a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, […]
Report – UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 pulls estimated 600,000 PPV buys worldwide
Things have to be going pretty well for the UFC in 2021 when a 600,000 buy PPV clocks in as just the 4th highest selling card of the year to date. That’s the number quoted in the Sports Business Journal, who estimate that the UFC 263 fight card headlined by a rematch between Israel Adesanya […]
Leon Edwards vs Nate Diaz: When fighting safe isn’t safe
Leon Edwards has a problem. He is undeniably the most deserving contender in a division otherwise starved for fresh challengers. The last person to beat Edwards was the current champion, Kamaru Usman, and that was six years and nine (mostly) one-sided wins ago (plus a single one-sided no contest). It seems profoundly obvious that a […]
Takedown breakdown: Movsar Evloev overcomes late adaptation from Hakeem Dawodu
Movsar Evloev vs. Hakeem Dawodu at UFC 263 was a battle for access to the next tier of ranked featherweights. The fight had the potential to be an exciting clash of strikers, given Evloev’s insistence on leading and jabbing in volume, and Dawodu’s skill on the counter. However, some may have been misled about Evloev’s […]
The Level Change Podcast 128: UFC Vegas 29, GSP’s millions, Figueiredo’s possible move to 135
Welcome to the The Level Change Podcast, our combat sports themed variety show hosted by Stephie Haynes, Mookie Alexander and Victor Rodriguez, featuring the news of the week, fight card breakdowns and analysis, a roundup of regional promotions’ cards and fights, and whatever else we decide is important enough or entertaining enough to bring to […]
Foes to friends? – Craig gets black belt after brutal armbar at UFC 263; Hill celebrates with him
UFC 263 was a memorable night for number 12-ranked light heavyweight contender Paul Craig. Not only did he get the job done against Jamahal Hill, but he was also awarded a $50,000 performance bonus for his first-round submission win. “Bearjew” had more reasons to celebrate after the fight as he was also awarded his Brazilian […]
Jorge Masvidal on Leon Edwards’ UFC 263 win vs. Nate Diaz: ‘Good performance,’ but ‘he’s not a fighter’
Jorge Masvidal wasn’t surprised that Leon Edwards was unable to finish Nate Diaz in their fight at UFC 263. Edwards picked up a one-sided unanimous decision victory against Diaz at UFC 263 this past weekend. The win didn’t come without a scare for Edwards, being rocked by Diaz in the final minute of the fight. […]
UFC’s Terrance McKinney roasts himself for getting injured during celebration, ‘I’m an idiot’
Terrance McKinney had one of the more unusual UFC debuts ever this past weekend at UFC 263. The lightweight LFA veteran dropped Matt Frevola with the second punch he threw in their contest and then got the finish with some ground and pound. The win was clocked at seven seconds, making it the third fastest […]
UFC 263 medical suspensions: Brandon Moreno among three fighters potentially out six-months
With UFC 263 in the books, it’s time to weigh up the damage. This time around just three fighters who competed at the event face potential six month medical suspensions. Among those included the co-main event winner Brandon Moreno who submitted Deiveson Figueiredo to win the UFC flyweight title. Moreno requires a doctor’s clearance for […]
Nate Diaz’s coach reveals why he’s ‘completely against’ a bout with Demian Maia
Despite losing to Leon Edwards in his return, Nate Diaz’s stock is still as high as can be and his near-comeback was the talk of UFC 263. The Stockton-native revealed that he wanted a quick turn around after the loss, but it looks like his team has no interest in accepting a recent callout from […]
Scouring the scoring: Round 2 of Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno
Introduction to this new column: This is the first of what I believe will be an ongoing series. What I want to do with this column is help fans to better understand judging in mixed martial arts. My goal is not to shame or embarrass anyone or come across as judgemental. My aim is to […]
The ‘difficult part’ is to ‘endure’ – Julio Cesar Chavez delivers message to Brandon Moreno
After 28 years and 550+ events, the UFC finally has their first Mexican-born champion. Brandon Moreno snapped up the flyweight crown from Deiveson Figureiredo on Saturday, June 12th, in Glendale, AZ, off the back of a third round submission victory. The win marked the seventh fight in a long unbeaten streak for the talent out […]
UFC 263 Edition | Best of the C’Mon Now MMA Podcast – 60
Our compilation show is a deep dive with host, Trent Reinsmith, into the bigger news and goings on in MMA, both inside and outside the cage; presented with a critical, unbiased eye. Here is some detail on what’s going on here… the “regular” ‘C’mon Now MMA Podcast’ is a daily podcast of varying lengths, which […]
UFC fighter rankings: Adesanya up on P4P list, Moreno enters for first time
UFC 263 was decision-heavy, but the card had a lot of relevant results from a rankings perspective. Obviously there’s a new champ at flyweight, and Israel Adesanya was able to defeat Marvin Vettori to keep a hold of his middleweight bout. That helped the both of them to make their mark on the pound-for-pound rankings […]
‘It’s unfair’ – Bisping laments Edwards vs. Diaz narrative, says ‘Rocky’ needs Masvidal fight
Anyone who only watched the first four rounds of Leon Edwards vs. Nate Diaz last Saturday at UFC 263, would be forgiven for thinking that Edwards was about to cruise to an easy and obvious decision victory. And, at least on the scorecards, they wouldn’t be wrong. Edwards racked up a 49-46 from all three […]
Crooklyn’s Corner 12: John Nash talks Diaz star power, Moreno, Ali Act, unions
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 […]
Paulo Costa interested in comeback fight against ‘moron’ Marvin Vettori
Paulo Costa appears to have settled his differences with the UFC and would like a comeback fight against top-five middleweight Marvin Vettori, who called out ‘Borrachinha’ following his decision loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 263 this past weekend. I could fight this Moron if he show to fight like that. pic.twitter.com/xQnS3rcqaN — Paulo Costa […]
Editorial: Edwards’ win over Nate Diaz says more about our biases than his performance
Leon Edwards defeated Nate Diaz by unanimous decision on June 12, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona at UFC 263. Anything wrong with that sentence? Of course not. Not even Nate’s biggest fans are making a case that Nate might have actually won. But the last minute of the fight was a big deal. The pros went […]
Deiveson Figueiredo mulling bantamweight move after losing flyweight title at UFC 263
Could Deiveson Figueiredo move up and pursue a second title in another division? “Deus da Guerra” has repeatedly struggled making 125 lbs, and while he did make weight for UFC 263, it was a rough cut and he eventually lost his title to Brandon Moreno. “I always have a problem making weight, brother, and it […]
Jon Jones mocks Israel Adesanya’s title defenses after UFC 263, wants six more championship wins
Not one to pass up an opportunity to steal some thunder, Jon Jones again sent a bunch of tweets after a big UFC event. This time, the former champion flexed his record for most UFC title wins after Israel Adesanya defended his middleweight belt against Marvin Vettori at UFC 263. Related All about Jon ‘Bones’ […]
Demian Maia calls out Nate Diaz for one last fight before retirement: ‘I would be honored’
Seasoned veteran Demian Maia did fight the last contest of his contract at UFC 263, but he still would like one last outing, if the promotion allows it. After dropping a unanimous decision to Belal Muhammad, the Brazilian already knows who he wants to share the Octagon with before he hangs up the gloves: none […]
UFC 263 Final fight stats: Brandon Moreno shuts down Deiveson Figueiredo in rematch
The UFC crowned a new flyweight champion on Saturday night at UFC 263 after Brandon Moreno submitted Deiveson Figueiredo at the 2:26 mark of the third round. Figueiredo and Moreno first met in December. The 125-pounder fought to a majority draw. With that result, Figueiredo retained the title. The rematch served as the co-main event […]
‘We need to run it back’ – Israel Adesanya calls out Robert Whittaker for rematch in New Zealand
The next fight for Israel Adesanya couldn’t be clearer, and even the champ seems to know it. The ‘Last Stylebender’ breezed by Marvin Vettori for a dominant decision win in the main event of UFC 263. But, rather than sitting back on his laurels and waiting to see what the UFC would offer him next, […]
UFC 263 Reactions & UFC Vegas 29 Picks | Care/Don’t Care Podcast
It’s time for another one of our infamous and patented Care/Don’t Care Podcasts, with your talent: the astounding Eugene S. Robinson of ozy.com and author of “Fight: Everything You Wanted to Know About Ass-Kicking but Were Afraid You’d Get Your Ass Kicked for Asking” and host of the ‘Ozy Confidential’ Podcast, the ‘Eugene S. Robinson […]
Vettori disagrees with UFC 263 scoring but admits he ‘didn’t do enough’ to beat Adesanya
Marvin Vettori put up a good fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 263, but it wasn’t enough to take the belt back home to Italy. Vettori set the pace for five rounds and had some success with takedowns but ultimately couldn’t adapt to Adesanya’s leg kicks, which were the most significant strikes of the fight. […]
UFC 263: ‘Name your price’ – Leon Edwards reveals what Nate Diaz told him after their fight
At UFC 263 this past weekend Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz went at it for 25 minutes in a rare non-title, non-headlining five round contest. ‘Rocky’ had the better of Diaz for most the fight, as reflected by his unanimous decision victory, but in the final round he was close to being finished by Diaz […]
UFC 263’s Jamahal Hill releases statement after gruesome arm injury
Jamahal Hill narrowly — and thankfully — avoided the distinction of being the latest UFC fighter to sustain a broken limb on a major pay-per-view event, UFC 263. A fight between the No. 14 ranked Hill and the No. 15 ranked Paul Craig served as the opener of the main card. Fireworks were sure to […]