The MMA Vivisection & 6th Round Podcasts

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 is taking another break, this time for Labor Day. Our analysts are all here to give you a rousing blend of snark, disdain, and unadulterated apathy. This week’s awful fights is the triumvirate of heavyweight hopefuls. The fights come from UFC on ESPN+ 9, UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson, and UFC 120, with the events respective to the order…

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…

UFC 319 had some great moments leading up to the main event with several highlight reel finishes. Anthony Hernandez putting a surprise whooping on Chase Hooper, Joseph Morales making his second stint in the UFC count in a big way, Oleksiejczuk and Susurkaev both getting the job done inside the distance, as well. The prelims were definitely to be celebrated.When we got to the main card, we were on a nice little adrenaline high, and here comes Tim Elliott taking out Kai Asakura like the stealthy spoiler he is. What are we to do with Kai after this? Carlos Prates put the nicotine beating on Geoff Neal and Lerone Murphy sent the angels out with their bugles for poor Aaron Pico.And then there was the ugliest main event to ever exist. Was Chimaev dominant? Yes he was. Did he even try to press further for a finish? No he did not. Was Dricus fighting like he was just pulled from the 7-Eleven? Yes he was. Am I excited by the prospect of Khamzat dominating the division? Hell no, but here we are with a stinker of a main event and a new champ that looks like he’s afraid to do a single thing outside his comfortable wheelhouse. Now, let’s check out the rest of the results and bonuses while we’re here.MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.UFC 319 Results* 185 lbs.: Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev — Chimaev def. Du Plessis by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44)* 145 lbs.: Aaron Pico vs. Lerone Murphy — Murphy def. Pico by KO (spinning back elbow), round 1 (3:21) * 170 lbs.: Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates — Prates def. Neal by KO (spinning back elbow), round 1 (4:59) * 185 lbs.: Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page — Page def. Cannonier by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)* 125 lbs.: Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura — Elliott def. Asakura by submission (mounted guillotine), round 2 (4:39)* 185 lbs.: Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric Nolan — Susurkaev def. Nolan by submission (rear naked choke), round 2 (2:01)* 185 lbs.: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk — Oleksiejczuk def. Meerschaert by TKO (punches), round 1 (3:03)* 125 lbs.: Jessica Andrade vs. Lupita Godinez — Godinez def. Andrade by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)* 155 lbs.: Alexander Hernandez vs. Chase Hooper — Hernandez def. Hooper by TKO (punches), round 1 (4:58)* 155 lbs.: Edson Barboza vs. Drakkar Klose — Klose def. Barboza by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)* 125 lbs.: Karine Silva vs. Dione Barbosa — Silva def. Barbosa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)* 125 lbs.: Alibi Idiris vs. Joseph Morales — Morales def. Idiris by submission (triangle), round 2 (3:04) UFC 319 Bonuses * FOTN: None* POTN: Tim Elliott, Lerone Murphy, Carlos Prates, Khamzat ChimaevThank 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.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 Vegas 109 had some of the worst judging in recent memory. Ben Cartlidge had fans on social media ready to riot after his judging on two of the cards, but the most egregious of them was definitely Johns vs. Matsumodo. Outside that, we saw Andre Fili stay true to his pattern of alternating wins and losses for the last six years. We also got to see one…

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…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC is returning home to the Apex this weekend, and boy oh boy does it show. Not only are the stats terrible, the matchmaking seems off, as well. Why pair Neil Magny with Elizeu Zaleski, rather than have a young gun use one of them as a springboard to get spotlight on their climb upwards? Why not wait to find Taira a better opponent than the unranked Pa…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Abu Dhabi looks pretty good on paper with four ranked fights and several ranked fighters. But more importantly, we got sensibly booked matchups, and some really interesting pairings. Are there some contests that could (and should) have been left to an Apex event? Absolutely, but there are still some very solid scraps that should appease even picky f…

UFC 318 gave us lots of tremendous moments, starting with six finishes. That’s right, folks, the first six fights were all finishes. As a matter of fact, they would be the only finishes, too, as the next eight went to decision. We had some real bangers though, leading from the top with Poirier-Holloway. What a scrap, but it would be Holloway leaving with his arm raised. The tribute to Dustin was well-done and had many in the arena crying, and even some outside the arena.Other notable bouts were Kevin Holland’s battle with Daniel Rodriguez, which saw both men nearly finished, but it would be D-Rod clinching the victory. Paulo Costa looked great against Kopylov, which wasn’t hard to do since Roman seemed to get his gameplan from his mom, because he looked awful and didn’t come alive until late in the third. Patricio Pitbull captured his first victory inside the octagon with a solid win over Dan Ige. Wish he could’ve gotten to the UFC before his prime was spent, but he got the W, and that’s what counts. Now, let’s check out the rest of the results and bonuses while we’re here.MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.UFC 318 Results* Max Holloway def. Dustin Poirier via unanimous decision (49-46x2, 48-47)* Paulo Costa def. Roman Kopylov via unanimous decision (30-27x2, 29-28)* Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Holland via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) * Patricio Pitbull def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)* Michael Johnson def. Daniel Zellhuber via UD (29-28 x3) (* Vinicius Oliveira def. Kyler Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)* Brendan Allen def. Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)* Nikolay Veretennikov def. Francisco Prado via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)* Ateba Gautier def. Robert Valentin via first-round TKO (1:10)* Islam Dulatov def. Adam Fugitt via first-round KO (4:06)* Jimmy Crute def. Marcin Prachnio via submission (armbar) (R1, 4:32)* Ryan Spann def. Lukasz Brzeski via submission (guillotine) (R1, 2:37)* Brunno Ferreira def. Jackson McVey via submission (armbar) (R1, 3:35)* Carli Judice def. Nicolle Caliari via third-round TKO (1:30) UFC 318 Bonuses * FOTN: Vettori vs. Allen (wtf??!!)* POTN: Judice, Dulatov and GautierThank 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

UFC 318 might have the hallmarks of a solid PPV—four ranked fights and 10 ranked fighters—but when you get to the alternative stats, that’s when the whole thing falls apart. Fifteen fighters are coming off losses! And a 16th went to a draw. Fifteen fighters hail from the Contender Series. This seems an unacceptable sendoff for the Diamond, even if it is happening in his back yard.We have a genuinely great trilogy match between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway. Max looks better than ever against recent competition (unless your name is Ilia Topuria), and Dustin has been alternating wins and losses for the last several years, but sniping the up and coming competition along the way. While Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov seems like a fun fight, it just doesn’t seem like a proper co-main event, considering how Costa has looked in his last couple outings. Now, let’s take a look at all the fights from the main card and the alternative stats.UFC 318 Main Card* Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 155 lbs* Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov 185 lbs* Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez 170 lbs* Dan Ige vs. Patricio Pitbull 145 lbs* Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber 155 lbsUFC 318 Alternative Facts* Ranked Fights: 4* Ranked Fighters: 10* Fighters coming off losses: 15 + 1 draw* Contender Series Alumni: 15* TUF Alumni: 3* Road to UFC Alumni: 0* Debuting Fighters: 2Don’t forget to check out the bonus section for a great review of the UFC Nashville card. Since Zane was out last weekend, he didn’t have a chance to watch the card, so no bonus content for this episode. Make 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.comUFC Nashville has the distinct odor of the glue factory, and the stench of forced rankings. Being that this event is an on-the-road Fight Night, it tracks that they’d want to fluff out the card in some way. Does this show have a hidden gem here and there to break up the monotony of a below-mid card? Sure, but the fine folks of Nashville got shafted, in …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC is taking another break, this time for Independence Day. Our analysts are all together again, though, and that is what counts. Phil being out for the last two of these left Zane and Connor to their own devices and they got up to all sorts of mischief without our staunch Brit to keep them in line—and by keep them in line, I mean join in the hijinx.We…

UFC 317 looked great on paper and delivered in practice, as well. Ilia Topuria became the tenth man in UFC history to claim a title in a second division, and he did it in devastating fashion, knocking Charles Oliveira out cold. And he did it inside the first round, as he predicted. The brass has a rare opportunity here with Topuria and they should get behind him with every ounce of their marketing heft. This guy will be selling out arenas and making PPVs soar. And the way he torched Paddy Pimblett during their in-cage faceoff was hilarious.Alexandre Pantoja put an end to Kai Kara-France’s title hopes with a third round submission, setting the UFC flyweight record for most finishes. After Joshua Van’s terrific win over Brandon Royval in a fight of the year performance, Van and Pantoja also faced off in the cage, confirming they will be battling for Pantoja’s belt next. Tonight gave us the kind of performances fight fans have been craving. It’s about time. Now, let’s check out the rest of the results and bonuses while we’re here.MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.UFC 317 Results* Ilia Topuria def. Charles Oliveira via first-round TKO (2:27) * Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Kara-France via sub (RNC) (R3, 1:55) * Joshua Van def. Brandon Royval via unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27) * Beneil Dariush def. Renato Moicano via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) * Payton Talbott def. Felipe Lima via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) * Gregory Rodrigues def. Jack Hermansson via first-round KO (4:21) * Jose Miguel Delgado def. Hyder Amil via first-round KO (0:26)* Tracy Cortez def. Viviane Araujo via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)* Terrance McKinney def. Viacheslav Borshchev via sub (guillotine) (R1, 0:55)* Jacobe Smith def. Niko Price via submission (rear-naked choke) (R2, 4:03)* Jhonata Diniz def. Alvin Hines via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)UFC 317 Bonuses * FOTN: Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van* POTN: Ilia Topuria, Gregory RodriguesThank 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.comUFC 317 is a solid pay-per-view event. In this current era, the promotion puts forth very little into their shows, but this particular one seems to have been crafted with at least some level of care. The main card is obviously where most of the meat is centered, and four of the five ranked fights are crammed in there. We get two title fights and some re…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Baku seems to still be on, despite the conflict that rages on in the Middle East. Looking at the card on paper, it leaves a lot to be desired. Lots of fighters coming off losses and just a single ranked fight for this on-the-road Fight Night. There are some match-ups that look promising from an action standpoint, but Fiziev being on a three-fight sk…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Atlanta started with one helluva bang but went out on a whimper. With three spectacular knockouts on the prelims, it looked like the show was going to be a great one. There was even an illegal upkick stoppage controversy in the featured prelim, but the main card was a bit of a snoozer. Let me explain.Of our three former champions, two would emerge v…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC Atlanta is not as bad as the alternative stats would suggest. Let me tell you why. We have three former champs on the main portion. It doesn’t matter that none the trio is likely to end up with a strap again, but we do have some recognizable talent for this on-the-road card. The other, more obvious reason is that we’ve become so used to digesting th…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 316 was a solid card on paper that managed to deliver some big moments in its application. We got a terrific performance out of Merab Dvalishvili, who had his way with Sean O’Malley and ended up ultimately submitting him. O’Malley’s lifestyle changes did nothing—in fact, Sean seemed even less competitive than their first fight.Kayla Harrison blessed…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit themmadrawpodcast.substack.comUFC 316 is blessed relief from the constant grind of the Apex and lackluster Fight Nights that happen outside of it. If one thing has been driven home, it’s that UFC is going to give us slop and somehow, people still love it. This weekend doesn’t have a wealth of great fights, but it has two titles on the line and some solidly decent contests. 10 years …