Manel Kape puts a bow on 2025 and the ESPN era with a massive knockout over Brandon Royval. He now should have a date with Joshua Van for the flyweight title.🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com👾 Discord: https://discord.gg/dXRPzMZuyP📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4Chapters:0:00 Manel Kape vs Brandon Royval9:01 Kevin Vallejos vs Giga Chikadze 15:56 Melquizael Costa vs Morgan Charriere19:52 Buchecha vs Kennedy Nzechukwu26:15 The end of the UFC ESPN eraManel Kape made short work of Brandon Royval. Just a week after it seemed like Tatsuro Taira was to be next to challenge for the title, Manel Kape comes and shakes things up. He batters up Brandon Royval, remains cool under pressure, and gets the first round finish. Brandon Royval, a perennial contender, met his maker as Manel Kape finished him, the first to knock him out if we discount the Brandon Moreno fight (shoulder injury). Manel Kape will now challenge Joshua Van for the flyweight title.Kevin Vallejos just earned himself a ranking in the featherweight division. He knocked out Giga Chikadze with a spinning back fist that was absolutely electric. Now Kevin Vallejos joins the new blood of 145 with Jean Silva (rematch, pls?), Steve Garcia, Youssef Zalal and more. Kevin Vallejos is a problem in the division, however. He's now ranked and will make his case to move up for the title in an aging division.Melquizael Costa snagged a fourth win on the year. He knocked out Morgan Charriere in a massive way to put a stamp on his most successful year to date. Another fantastic addition to the featherweight division alongside Kevin Vallejos, Melquizael Costa is making his own path. Morgan Charriere drops another big fight and further proves that, while exciting, he's not top level as a fighter and serves as a launching point for fighters like Melquizael Costa and Chepe Marischal.Buchecha, the trillion time BJJ champion, made his sophomore walk to the octagon. He took on Kennedy Nzechukwu and was bailed out by the ever-cheating Kennedy Nzechukwu poking him in the eye. Buchecha doesn't have what it takes to be an elite fighter in the UFC despite his jiu jitsu acumen. That said, let's not cut him. I want to see he and Gable Steveson go at it in an MMA fight.#royvalvskape #kapevsroyval #manelkapevsbrandonroyval
Petr Yan is champion once again! He dominated Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323 in a way nobody ever saw coming. 🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com👾 Discord: https://discord.gg/dXRPzMZuyP📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4Chapters:0:00 Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili 215:59 Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja21:00 Tatsuro Taira vs Brandon Moreno27:07 Payton Talbott vs Henry Cejudo33:35 UFC 323 undercardPetr Yan is champion once more! The fight with Merab Dvalishvili seemed like a foregone conclusion after the two’s first meeting. Instead, Petr Yan stole the show at UFC 323, recapturing the throne that was once his after an illegal knee saw him abdicate said crown. He approached the Merab Dvalishvili fight with a perfect gameplan that exploited the Georgian’s heavy schedule in 2025. Alexandre Pantoja also saw his reign come to an end, but on the most gruesome of terms. Only 26 seconds into his fight with Joshua Van, Alexandre Pantoja dislocated his elbow and it a gruesome sight. Joshua Van becomes the second youngest champion in UFC history and Alexandre Pantoja’s arm is pretty much shot. Brandon Moreno was handed the task of fending off new blood for the flyweight division, Tatsuro Taira. Taira was one fight removed from his close fight with Brandon Royval. Many thought he had nothing for the ever-scrambly Brandon Moreno. The first round didn’t look promising. But the second saw an adjusted Tatsuro Taira who went in, got the finish, and got out. Now, knowing Alexandre Pantoja’s injury, it seems Tatsuro Taira has set himself up for a title fight at UFC 323. Payton Talbott took Henry Cejudo out to the pasture at UFC 323. The Olympic champion made it clear that this was his final fight and Payton Talbott had no qualms beating up the old man. Talbott looked incredible. He was on point striking and his grappling against the former Olympic champion made the loss to Raoni Barcelos a distant memory. Look out, Payton Talbott is a problem at 135. #petryanvsmerabdvalishvili #yanvsmerab #merabvspetryan
Merab Dvalishvili returns at UFC 323 and is defending his title again, this time in a rematch against Petr Yan.
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Chapters:0:00 Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan 212:29 Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van25:40 Brandon Moreno vs Tatsuro Taira27:49 UFC 323 rapid fire picks
Merab Dvalishvili seems invincible. But Blaine Henry and Miguel Class think that “The Machine” is on the decline. But Petr Yan may not be the one to beat him this time around. While Petr Yan will likely look better at UFC 323 than the first fight, don’t bank on him dethroning Merab Dvalishvili. We’re not saying it’s impossible, but we are saying that Petr Yan hasn’t shown the tools to beat Merab Dvalishvili. Merab Dvalishvili is slowing down, but he’s going to defend his title a fourth time this year.
In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja is defending his title against a newcomer to the flyweight division. Joshua Van made huge waves on the scene after his barn burner war with Brandon Royval. Now, he’s stepping up to the plate against the kingpin of the division. Joshua Van is great but Alexandre Pantoja is no joke. He marched down Kai Kara-France, fighting like a maniac. Joshua Van will have to either harden in the fire, or he will be consumed by it. UFC 323 will be a king making of the Burmese contender or a confirmation that Alexandre Pantoja is he.
We also will touch upon Brandon Royval vs Tatsuro Taira, Henry Cejudo vs Payton Talbott and the rest of UFC 323.
Arman Tsarukyan dominated Dan Hooker and sent Ilia Topuria running for the hills.
📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com👾 Discord: https://discord.gg/dXRPzMZuyP📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4Chapters:0:00 Arman Tsarukyan vs Dan Hooker10:51 Ian Machado-Garry vs Belal Muhammad18:25 Volkan Oezdemir vs Alonzo Menifield19:35 Kyoji Horiguchi vs Tagir UlanbekovArman Tsarukyan has been the top contender at lightweight for a while. Islam Makhachev didn't get the chance to fight him. Ilia Topuria seemingly doesn't want to fight him. That can only mean one thing: Arman Tsarukyan needs to beat the snot out of Dan Hooker. He did just that at UFC Qatar. Arman Tsarukyan is a special talent and the hardest challenge for either Ilia Topuria or Islam Makhachev. He just needs to get the big fight. Ian Machado-Garry had a career best win over Belal Muhammad, the former welterweight champion, at UFC Qatar as well. Scoring a one sided decision, Ian Machado-Garry threw his name in the "Wants to fight Islam Makhachev" hat that includes Michael Morales, Shavkat Rakhmonov and others. Ian Machado-Garry may have the best case, however. He's got wins over Carlos Prates, another top five fighter, and now a former champion. Dagestan vs Ireland 2, anyone?Also returning to the UFC in Qatar, Kyoji Horiguchi is back. Nine years out of the promotion and now the Japanese sensation has returned, likely to the top ten. With Alexandre Pantoja running a second lap on the flyweight division, a new contender in Kyoji Horiguchi is completely welcome as a new threat.
Zombieman Jay joins the show today to talk about Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker at UFC Doha.Follow @ZombiemanJay !🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com👾 Discord: https://discord.gg/dXRPzMZuyP📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4Arman Tsarukyan is an odd case. He's being blackballed by the UFC and it's weird to think about. He's the most feared contender, once to Islam Makhachev before he pulled out with an injury. Now the UFC's given him the cold shoulder for almost a year. But he gets to take on Dan Hooker now with a new king at the throne: Ilia Topuria. In the co-main event, Ian Machado-Garry is getting another shot at a top contender in Belal Muhammad. Ian Machado-Garry is looking for that one win that could get him in contact with the other new UFC champion, Islam Makhachev.#armantsarukyan #danhooker #tsarukyanhooker
Islam Makhachev dominated Jack Della Maddalena to win his second title. Now he's chasing legends, not contenders.
🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv
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📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4Chapters:0:00 Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena reaction10:51 Valentina Shevchenko vs Weili Zhang16:45 Michael Morales vs Sean Brady21:14 Carlos Prates vs Leon Edwards 25:06 Benoit Saint Denis vs Beneil DariushI was wrong. Islam Makhachev dominated Jack Della Maddalena. It wasn't even a contest. Now a two weight champion, it's not Carlos Prates, Kamaru Usman or Michael Morales that Islam Makhachev is chasing, it's Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson and Georges St-Pierre. Islam Makhachev left UFC 322 an absolute legend and a top five all time MMA fighter.Unlike Jack Della Maddalena, Valentina Shevchenko defended her title against someone trying to capture their second. Weili Zhang didn't have a chance, sadly. Valentina Shevchenko was just too large for the women's strawweight champion to win her second title. Now Valentina Shevchenko has a date with, perhaps, Kayla Harrison as she tries to get her own second title.Despite bludgeoning Sean Brady, Michael Morales isn't on my hype radar yet, which is crazy because he's going to be a top three fighter come Tuesday. But Sean Brady has only beat Kelvin Gastelum, Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards. While that looks good on paper, they're all seemingly past their prime. Sean Brady was prime to be exposed at UFC 322 and Michael Morales was the man to get it done. Unfortunately, Michael Morales needs to be figured out and it might be Islam Makhachev to do so.Carlos Prates had an all time aura moment. He took on the former champion Leon Edwards and put him out cold. After being out grappled in the first round, Carlos Prates did the thing. Unfortunately, that tells us much of what we need to know about Carlos Prates fighting Islam Makhachev. Benoit Saint-Denis sparked Beneil Dariush in the first fight on the card. Now I'm convinced: Benoit Saint-Denis is title bound eventually. He and Ilia Topuria will be a barn burner as long as the fight lasts.
UFC 322 features a main event of Jack Della Maddalena defending his title against the top pound for pound fighter in the world, Islam Makhachev. 🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com👾 Discord: https://discord.gg/dXRPzMZuyP📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4Chapters:0:00 Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev8:32 Valentina Shevchenko vs Weili Zhang13:53 Sean Brady vs Michael Morales16:31 Benoit Saint Denis vs Beneil Dariushk20:42 Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira23:23 Leon Edwards vs Carlos PratesJack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev will put on one of the most intriguing fights in MMA and UFC history. With Islam Makhachev moving up to welterweight and JDM defending his newly captired title, the stakes couldn’t be higher at UFC 322. Will Islam Makhachev have the size jumping up 15 pounds? Is JDM’s wrestling good enough to stop the Dagestani?In the comain event, Weili Zhang is gonna get rid of Valentina Shevchenko once and for all. The former strawweight champion is looking to move up and do something only Amanda Nunes has been able to do: win a second WMMA belt.
#jackdellamaddalena #JDM #islamjdm
It was supposed to be a slop card. But Gabriel Bonfim made the most of it and knocked out Randy Brown in the second round.
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Chapters:
0:00 Gabriel Bonfim vs Randy Brown
5:43 Joseph Morales vs Matt Schnell
10:20 Raoni Barcelos vs Ricky Simone
Gabriel Bonfim may be actually good! With wins over Stephen Thompson and now Randy Brown, it’s time to move him past old veterans and onto a higher tier of opponent. I like the Buckley fight for Gabriel Bonfim. But with the division booked up, it’s hard to tell what could be next for the welterweight contender.
Joseph Morales is hell on wheels. He trapped Matt Schnell into wanting to get out of a crucifix only to activate his trap card and catch Matt Schnell in a guillotine. Now we have to keep our eyes on Joseph Morales. He’s got plenty of upside.
Raoni Barcelos is my dude and has been for a long time. He fought Ricky Simone and the two out on a showcase of fantastic fighting. Raoni Barcelos had a hard time getting fights while he was younger but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous now that he’s of age.
Steve Garcia tore through David Onama like a buzz saw. The first round finish really put Steve Garcia in the forefront of everyone’s mind as a featherweight contender. David Onama fought terrified, but when it’s Steve Garcia coming back your way, it’s somewhat understandable
🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv
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Chapters:
0:00 Steve Garcia vs David Onama
5:10 Jack Dempsey vs Jess Willard
8:30 Waldo Cortes Acosta vs Ante Delija
14:26 Norma Dumont vs Ketlen Vieira
Steve Garcia is the future of the featherweight division. Seven fights, six finishes, “The Mean Machine” is now firmly seen as a top contender of the featherweight division. David Onama dropped the ball in his main event, curling up and getting the snot beat out of him. But his loss is Steve Garcia’s gain. Now, give me the violence! Book Steve Garcia and Jean Silva NOW!
Waldo Cortes Acosta and Ante Delija has the funniest fight possible. Ante Delija, teammate of the one-eyed Tom Aspinall, went on record saying he’d never poked anyone in the eye during his 33 fight career. Only to go and poke Waldo Cortes Acosta in the eye, finish him, have the fight restarted, and to get knocked out. Waldo Cortes Acosta will have a hard time claiming a title shot just yet. Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov, and Sergei Pavlovich have a shot before them.
Norma Dumont and Ketlen Vieira were buried on the prelims but it was arguably a number one contender fight. Ketlen Vieira controlled the fight on the ground. But with last week’s judging with Jailton Almeida, we kept to the same standard and Norma Dumont was declared the winner. Now we will likely get Norma Dumont challenging either Kayla Harrison or Amanda Nunes for the title. One fight is better than the other.
#stevegarcia #garciaonama #meanmachine
Tom Aspinall was exposed with Ciryl Gane. Sure, he got away with a no contest, but Tom Aspinall has some major adjustments to make going into a potential rematch. Blaine Henry reacts to UFC 321
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Chapters:
0:00 Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane
9:04 Mackenzie Dern vs Virna Jandiroba 2
16:51 Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista
23:07 Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida
37:12 UFC 321 reaction
Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane was a huge letdown. Ciryl Gane poked Tom Aspinall in the eye early in the fight and Tom Aspinall was not able to continue. But Ciryl Gane was the winner in this “fight” by busting up Tom Aspinall’s nose. But Aspinall left the champion and Ciryl Gane will get yet another title shot. Does Tom Aspinall beat Ciryl Gane? Jon Jone? Alex Pereira? It’s all up in the air now.
Mackenzie Dean is the UFC women’s strawweight champion. After Weili Zhang vacated the title to move to flyweight and challenge Valentina Shevchenko, the UFC booked a rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba for the vacant strap. Mackenzie Dean was prepared for the exact plan that Virna Jandiroba brought to the table. Where Jandiroba was good, Mackenzie Dern was the perfect counter to. Welcome to the champion’s ranks, Dern! Tatiana Suarez next?
Umar Nurmagomedov got back into the win column after his first career loss to Merab Dvalishvili. He took on a dangerous-ish fight against Mario Bautista. Mario Bautista was a dangerous fighter and one who nearly put out Umar Nurmagomedov in the second. That said, Umar Nurmagomedov showed that he is an incredible fighter and one that actually could beat Merab. Book the rematch? Or should Umar Nurmagomedov fight again?
Alexander Volvo and Jailton Almeida brings forth an interesting question: how much is the UFC changing? Jailton Almeida won the fight with Alexander Volkov based on 2017 rules. But it’s 2025 and damage is the king of the cage now.
Tom Aspinall is seen as the heavy favorite going into his fight with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. But that should not be the case. Today we are joined by Feno from @FightSitePresents !
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Chapters:
0:00 @FightSitePresents joins us for UFC 321
2:55 Tom Aspinall has striking issues
5:51 Remember Ciryl Gane vs Francis Ngannou
8:09 Ciryl Gane injury problems
9:50 Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane in the clinch
14:52 Any interest in Alex Pereira vs Tom Aspinall, Gane?
Tom Aspinall will make the first defense of his title at UFC 321 against perennial contender Ciryl Gane. But don't let Ciryl Gane's sketchy past fool you: this is a hard fight for Tom Aspinall.
Styles make fights and Ciryl Gane lost to Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, two of the best heavyweights ever. Feno and Blaine Henry talk about the jaded view of Ciryl Gane going into his fight with Tom Aspinall, why the odds makers got it wrong, and who we think will win at UFC 321.
Finally, we get into the big rumor: Alex Pereira. Should the Brazilian king make a heavyweight debut, would it be interesting to see him fight Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane should the Jon Jones fight never materialize?
Reinier de Ridder straight up quit. Not talking about throwing in the towel, I am talking about the fight in general. Brendan Allen broke the Dutchman.
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Chapters:
0:00 Brendan Allen vs Reinier de Ridder
5:53 Mike Malott vs Kevin Holland
10:26 Aiemann Zahabi vs Chito Vera
16:31 Kyle Prepolec vs Matt Frevola
Brendan Allen, Louisiana's finest, snagged the biggest win of his career and will find himself inside the top five of the UFC's middleweight division. He broke down Reinier de Ridder and derailed the hype train that the Dutch middleweight created by beating Bo Nickal and Robert Whittaker. Brendan Allen deserves credit for doing so, but there's no two ways about it, Reinier de Ridder QUIT!
Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott was NUTS! Marred by a low blow, Mike Malott notched his career best win and saw it undone by the low blow. We may not remember the low blow his next fight but for now, Mike Malott is suffering from winning but not really. Kevin Holland had every chance to get a no contest. Instead he was the warrior and suffered a warrior's defeat, by having his bag smashed in.
Chito Vera dropped his third straight fight and he has nobody to blame but himself. His career has regressed to a point of inactivity where he cannot pull the trigger. Despite dropping Aiemann Zahabi, Chito Vera couldn't pull the trigger to find the shots needed to win the fight. Aiemann Zahabi wins another fight after being dropped badly. Chito Vera loses his fourth in five fights.
#rdrquit #deridderallen #mmareaction
Boots Ennis scored a first round TKO last weekend against Uisma Lima. Now everyone swears he beats Terence Crawford. Stop it.
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Chapters:
0:00 Boots Ennis isn’t beating Terence Crawford
4:39 Boots Ennis vs Ortiz, Fundora, Zayas
7:01 Boots Ennis should get a belt before fighting Vergil Ortiz
Let’s just put this to rest. I don’t know how everyone can say Boots Ennis beats Terence Crawford after we watched Crawford beat the brakes off of Canelo just a couple weeks ago. Jaron Ennis is a talent, a special fighter. But beating Uisma Lima in the first round means nothing going up against Terence Crawford. Now that Crawford is at 168, it is time to let that one lie.
Put Boots against Vergil Ortiz, like everyone wants, or Sebastian Fundora, Xander Zayas, or Bakhram Murtazaliev. Super welterweight is wide open and Boots Ennis may be the best fighter there. But he should go get the belts to prove that.
Vergil Ortiz only has an interim belt. Boots Ennis should look at fighting Fundora, Zayas, or whoever else to put some excitement behind a potential fight with Ortiz. Vergil Ortiz should do the same. Let’s get a belt, be great, and book the superfight.
#jaronbootsennis #jaronennis #ennisortiz
Charles Oliveira dominated Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio. There was not a moment of the fight that Charles Oliveira was not aura farming, as the young bucks say these days.
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Chapters:
0:00 Charles Oliveira vs Mateusz Gamrot
8:59 Deiveson Figueiredo vs Montel Jackson
14:44 Joel Alvarez vs Vicente Luque
19:33 Jose Aldo retires in Rio
Charles Oliveira took on Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio and put the hurtin' on the Polish contender. It wasn't a close fight. While we are giving props to Mateusz Gamrot for fighting someone like "do Bronx" on short notice, we can't deny how one sided it was. Now Charles Oliveira wants Max Holloway. Sign me up. But the BMF title on the line. Take my money.
Deiveson Figueiredo snapped a two fight losing streak at UFC Rio as well. He took on Monte Jackson, a number 15 ranked bantamweight. Deiveson Figueiredo has changed from his wild days as a fighter that won him the flyweight title in the past. He is much more reserved now. Regardless, he did what he had to do with his wrestling-heavy approach and took home the win. He wants Merab Dvalishvili next but I think Deiveson Figueiredo needs another win. Song Yadong anyone?
Joel Alvarez made his welterweight debut at UFC Rio against Vicente Luque, a long time staple of the division. Vicente Luque is a shell of a shell of his former self, that's how far he's gone. Joel Alvarez, as talented as he is, didn't show us much new. We can't put too much stock in a win over Vicente Luque in 2025. Joel Alvarez is lucky he didn't fight Benoit Saint-Denis at lightweight. We need to see more of his wrestling.
Jose Aldo made a surprise appearance on the night as well. He was given the chance to make one more walk to the octagon, despite not fighting, in front of the town he is the king of. Rio welcomed Jose Aldo's retirement and it was a sweet sendoff for the MMA legend.
#oliveiradominatesgamrot #charlesoliveira #mmapodcast
The Rock dropped the blockbuster bit and tried to act. Fortunately for us, he tried an MMA role, something not too far out of his wheel house. What does this MMA fan think about Dwayne Johnson’s performance?
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Having actually talked to Mark Kerr myself, I do have to say that The Rock nailed Mark Kerr, the person. From the way he talked to the mannerisms, it was evident that The Rock put in time to study Mark Kerr in a way to portray him true to himself.
The Smashing Machine suffered from focus, if we have to be critical. From dealing with an MMA career to drug addiction and to a toxic relationship, The Smashing Machine struggled with what kind of movie it wanted to be. As an MMA fan who loves the short history of the sport, this movie is a good watch and true to the original documentary, The Smashing Machine.
If you’re a movie lover, A24 missed the mark and tried to not make another Rocky, which it probably should have.
#smashingmachinereview #therock #markkerr
Alex Pereira dethrones Magomed Ankalaev an reclaims his light heavyweight title. The main event of UFC 320 was of historic significance. Pair that with Merab Dvalishvili’s throttling it Cory Sandhagen and the card shaped up quite well.
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Chapters:
0:00 Alex Pereira decides to just punch Magomed Ankalaev
10:30 Merab Dvalishvili is the bantamweight GOAT
17:06 Jiri Prochazka topples Khalil Rountree
22:57 Stop sleeping on Youssef Zalal Relevant film studies: Alex Pereira:
“What if we just punched Magomed Ankalaev?” That was essentially the gameplan of Alex Pereira at UFC 320. In only 80 seconds, Poatan put away the seemingly invincible Magomed Ankalaev. But in those 80 seconds, Alex Pereira executed a masterful gameplan taking away what made Ankalaev successful in their first fight. Now all eyes are forward and it seems Alex Pereira will have either Carlos Ulberg or Jon Jones next.
Merab Dvalishvili is the bantamweight GOAT. The Georgian tied Aljamain Sterling, TJ Dillashaw, and Dominick Cruz for the most bantamweight title defenses. The crazy part: Merab Dvalishvili did it in a year. Is there anything else for Merab Dvalishvili after UFC 320? I don’t see anything. I’m not even confident or excited about Alexandre Pantoja anymore. Merab. Is. King.
Jiri Prochazka just Jiri Prochazka-ed his way to a win as well. After getting styled on by Khalil Rountree, Jiri Prochazka blew the roof off of the T-Mobile arena with his third round finish at UFC 320. Khalil Rountree couldn’t handle the chaos and paid the price.
Youssef Zalal is a contender and y’all need to stop sleeping on him. He submitted Josh Emmett with an armbar and made his name known against the best featherweight has to offer.
Carlos Ulberg was the king at UFC Perth. In only one round, he managed to put away Dominick Reyes and claim his spot at the throne. 🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4
Canelo Alvarez is not pound for pound. Neither is Naoya Inoue, Oleksandr Usyk and Dmitrii Bivol. It is Terence Crawford, the American, that is the king of boxing.🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4I, for one, didn’t see that coming. Canelo Alvarez was too big. He hit too hard. Terence Crawford was going up too high, much like Canelo before him. Instead, Canelo’s body work was ineffective, Terence Crawford was too fast, and too good for Canelo Alvarez to do anything meaningful. Terence Crawford had a career defining night. Errol Spencer was a good win. But this was on another level for the American. Terence Crawford is the king.
Diego Lopes put an end to The Fighting Nerds and to Jean Silva’s meteoric rise at Noche UFC. The Brazilian added a highlight reel worthy knockout to his resume and reminded people why he got the title shot in the first place. 🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com📚 “A Flame of Pure Fire” by Roger Khan: https://amzn.to/4672xk4Chapters:0:00 Diego Lopes does in The Fighting Nerds3:13 Jean Silva struggled off his back 7:32 Jean Silva coming back (almost)9:30 Diego Lopes blasting Jean Silva10:48 Who does Diego Lopes fight next?There was much beef between Diego Lopes and Jean Silva going into Noche UFC. Jean Silva really didn’t like Diego Lopes, to a few’s surprise. But Diego Lopes got the last laugh. Jean Silva challenged him to take him down and knock him out. Diego Lopes did both. Diego Lopes put the final nail in the coffin that was built by Ian Machado-Garry, Benoit Saint-Denis and Nassourdine Imavov. Now we have to see who is next for both Diego Lopes and the UFC Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski.
Nasssourdine Imavov broke down Caio Borralho at UFC Paris. Does he get Khamzat Chimaev next?🎞️Check out Fight Finders, my docuseries! Episode 007 is filming now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx7TZlIVGhDZ_TpnOtVEVSXmkpr_ViExz&si=J8DZ9G6a-RvTaMOv🥊 Boxing channel: Youtube.com/@UCFN50W4bPM2xdW78XLyv2fQ 📰 Newsletter: fightlibrary.substack.com📚 “American Shaolin" by Matthew Polly: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1592403379/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_1SA4QZY9RKY9DWZDWE54?linkCode=ml1&tag=tfl0db-20&linkId=e59adcc9edf713ca9e1c4751c2c2219d
Chapters:1:13 Did Nassourdine Imavov secure a title shot?4:00 Caio Borralho did not do enough 6:35 Nassourdine Imavov doesn’t have enough for Khamzat Chimaev10:16 Benoit Saint-Denis is still very, very good 13:31 Mauricio Ruffy didn’t want to be there18:01 Who does Benoit Saint-Denis fight next?19:36 Modestas Bukauskas redemption arcThere's two fights to determine who is next for the new middleweight champion, Khamzat Chimaev. Anthony Hernandez vs. Reinier De Ridder and Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho. Now Imavov has made his case for being the next in line. He defeated Caio Borralho in the main event of UFC Paris, snagging a dub in front of his home crowd. But was it enough? Was what he did enough to say that he's the number one contender in the world?Likely not, if we are being honest. Despite Nassourdine Imavov deserving a shot at Dricus Du Plessis over even Chimaev, he's been passed over before for not being the most exciting fighter. Caio Borralho didn't come in looking his best, but Nassourdine Imavov did what he had to do, worked the body, and went home with the win in front of the French faithful.Speaking of France, Benoit Saint-Denis destroyed Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event. He mauled Ruffy with an electrified French fanbase behind him. Much like Conor McGregor getting mauled by Khabib Nurmagomedov, this fight was eerily similar, down to the face crank finish with one hook in against the fence. Benoit Saint-Denis is a very talented fighter. He's better than most give him credit for, especially after the losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. But he's improved since then.Mauricio Ruffy dropped the ball, however. He did not want to be there, in the cage with a fighter like Benoit Saint-Denis and the French fans behind him. The stage was simply too big. The Fighting Nerds were 0-2 on the night and it was Mauricio Ruffy that kicked that off.There was also a Modestas Bukauskas buzzer beater over a retiring Paul Craig, Mason Jones surviving Bolaji Oki's onslaught proving that Welsh is the best base for MMA, and more. What did you like most about UFC Paris?