The MMA Vivisection Shows: 'Main Card Preview' & 'Prelims Card Preview'

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is back at the Apex with another mid to low-tier card for fans to sink their teeth into (or ignore). There are some good fights to consider, but rather than feature them on the main card, the matchmakers have decided to spread them out, forcing watchers to either watch the subpar matches to get to the good ones, or to plan out their evening arou…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is back in Vegas this weekend at the T-Mobile Arena for UFC 326. The card, headlined by Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, will once again highlight the dumbest belt in MMA, the BMF. Yet another title in the lightweight division which is already standing room only with the undisputed title and the interim title. Dana White once famously said “We…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is once again on the road this weekend, with Mexico as the destination. However, this card is a sad reminder of what the UFC has become, a content mill. Never mind that the stats are abysmal, just look at the matchmaking. Giving Lone-er Kavanagh a step up in competition of this magnitude while coming off such a devastating loss is complete madne…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is on the road this weekend, with Houston, TX as the destination. However, this card reads more like an Apex event than a premium fight night. There are three ranked fights, but not all ranked fights measure out equally. The main card is where the better quality bouts are, but we’ve seen better. Strickland vs. Hernandez is the most intriguing an…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC has created magic at the Meta-Apex—a real feat for those that have been down on fight cards that take place there. This event looks more like an on-the-road event than a Pandemic House show. The main card is where the largest concentration of talent lies, as expected. And let’s not overlook the best part of it, the return of the Gooch to action.…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is giving us back-to-back numbered events to kick off their second event of the year and under the Paramount umbrella. It’s a solid affair with some fights built for action (Hello Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy!) and the latest ROAD To UFC finale. We’ve got lots of fresh faces to see, and plenty of veterans for those that don’t care for new ta…

The UFC is finally back for their first card of 2026 and the first card of their Paramount+ broadcast deal. It’s a good show, worth investing the time to watch it, with a main event that pits the aging slugger against the more youthful grappler. All the fights on the main portion are solid and should appeal to a wide range of fans—even without the Nunes-Harrison title bout. Now, let’s take a look at all the fights from the main card and the rest of the alternative stats.UFC 324 Main Card* Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett 155 lbs* Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong 135 lbs* Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Derrick Lewis 265 lbs* Natalia Silva vs. Rose Namajunas 125 lbs* Arnold Allen vs. Jean Silva 145 lbsUFC 324 Alternative Facts* Ranked Fights: 7* Ranked Fighters: 15* Fighters coming off losses: 7* Contender Series Alumni: 8* TUF Alumni: 3* Road to UFC Alumni: 0* Debut: 1Make sure to tune in immediately after this Saturday’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 Vivisection & 6th Round Post-fight Show podcast Substack to enjoy our premium content. Your paid subscriptions are keeping hope alive that we can continue on with our shows. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.Thanks for reading MMA Vivisection & 6th Round! 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is taking their final card of the year back to the Apex for one last hurrah in 2025. It’s not their best offering, but it’s not their worst, either. We have some interesting bouts, decent alternative stats and a main event that could see a new title challenger emerge for the flyweight division. I’d say that’s nothing to cry about, and considerin…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is taking their final PPV out with a serious bang, plenty for the proverbial buck, that’s for sure. For the fourth, straight event, we’re getting a really good card. There’s not much to take issue with on the company’s 323rd numbered card, especially with two title belts on the line and a bevvy of ranked bouts and fighters. Matchmaking is once a…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe UFC is on an unprecedented roll—at least for this current era of mostly miserable cards. Why, you ask? For the third week in a row, we’re getting a really good show. And once again, all the components of what make an event great are contained in this one. The matchmakers did well, the stats look good and there’s a feel of importance to most of the f…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIt’s been ages since we got a card at the Apex that had more than a single ranked fight on it, but this week, we’ve got one with three. That has to be a milestone, right? And get this, they’ve split them up so that we at least get one of them on the undercard. Are we looking at a new era being formed? Doubtful, but I am all about giving credit where it’…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIt’s time for the monthly pay-per-view and UFC 321 should be a good one, considering they’ve packed it with 14 fights, two of which have titles on the line. Did Mackenzie Dern find out her fight was for a belt via social media? Yes, she did, but that’s just how the UFC does things these days. The other champion bout is Tom Aspinall’s first defense of hi…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comWell, we are looking at another horrendous card with stats so bad, even the most staunch UFC advocate couldn’t possibly defend it. The main event is okay, I guess, but Allen is just one fight removed from being on a two-fight skid. Manon Fiorot vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius is a legitimately great matchup, but the only other ranked fight is Vera vs. Zahabi. …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comIf last week’s card was a mess on paper, this week’s show is the remedy. The alternative stats are terrific, the fights look exciting, and matchmaking is sensible. I don’t know why people are pushing for Ankalaev to be traded, he’s some such a long way and continues to be more impressive with each contest. Maybe it’s just the idea that he’s killed Poata…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comThe stats are speaking volumes of UFC Perth this week. A sprawling, 14-bout card only has a single ranked fight gracing its lineup and only three ranked fighters in total. When you factor in how much the Aussies are likely paying in site fees—let’s just say I’d be asking for a steep discount. The main event looks like it will be a fun, action fight and …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Noche has 14 fights but only two are ranked. That’s how we’re going to start you off today. This year’s Noche event had its “PPV” moniker removed thanks to Canelo-Crawford taking center stage with TKO’s best efforts at promotion and the event’s lineup absolutely show it. The main event is good. The co-main isn’t really co-main worthy and isn’t a ran…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Paris is what an on-the-road fight night should look like. It has thoughtful, meaningful matchmaking (at least on the main card), a main event that looks like a title eliminator, and the potential for action. We don’t know what Bukauskas-Craig is doing on there, but aside from that contest, the premium portion of the event looks pretty damned good. …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Shanghai is your classic mixed bag with a few good fights among a sea of regional level fodder. The main event should actually be Ortega vs. Sterling but we get why it’s Walker vs. Zhang. Why Kavanagh vs. Johnson isn’t on the main card is the card’s greatest mystery and just seems wrong on every level. But we’ve come to expect oddities like these. A…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comGuess what? UFC is finally giving us a decent card. Is it a PPV? Of course it is. But the important thing to remember is that it’s got relevant matchups, great stats and the potential for a lot of fireworks. And let us not forget we also have a belt on the line with the main event. Will Dricus be able to fend off Khamzat? And what about Aaron Pico? Will…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC is making its way back to the Apex for the second time this month with UFC Vegas 109, and it’s only slightly better than last weekend’s awful-on-paper-but-decent-in-actuality card. Once again, the stats are pretty bad, and the matchmaking seems only incrementally better. At the top of the card is one of only two ranked fights, but it does pit two me…