Latest Doping Scandal - Dog Sledding

Glorious. 

EBI 13: First round match-ups Tonight

Looking forward to PJ Barch vs Vagner after they both win their first round matches. Garry and Bill Cooper looks likely as the semi-final of that half of the bracket. The bottom right corner of the bracket of Orchard, Walensky, Main, and Padilla will also be interesting to watch unfold. 

EBI 13: Lightweights Countdown Special

This weekend, Garry Tonon returns to defend one of his several EBI titles.....

Polaris Promising some Changes/Updates

This Friday Bellator has Mousasi, Neiman Gracie, & Heather Hardy

Meanwhile this past weekend in Boxing.....

Ralek Gracie challenges AJ Agazarm

Man. Busy day in combat sports. We've got amazing UFC cards coming up with Lawler facing Dos Anjos and Ferguson likely to face McGregor, Saki's second UFC bout already booked. Mousasi debuting in Bellator and Donald Cerrone fighting another up and coming prospect just because. Let's not forget that insane MsG card in November with GSP, Bisping, Joanna, Garbrandt, and Dillashaw....but as far as grappling goes we've got an EBI this weekend and some big potential things in the works behind the scenes that I can't currently mention. Anyhow, man, gotta love it. 

So Ralek is challenging Agazarm to a no time limit sub only match with the proceeds going to folks owed money by Metamoris. Yep. Ralek is back in the news, I guess. Of course he waited til AJ medals at ADCC to do it but whatevs. 

UFC on Fox 26 Adds Perry vs Ponzinibbio

This card is already looking like a ton of brain damage on tap. 

Ponzinibbio vs Perry promises more of that to be sure.

Garry Tonon to OneFC 4 MMA Debut, Ian McCall to Rizin 4 GP

Lima Discusses Jesse Taylor PED Bust

The day is coming, in combat sports, when guys use the ruling of accidental ingestion versus willful to file civil suits or even criminal charges. Mark my words. 

C'mon Tyron....we calling all of those fights?

I have a hard time even calling the Maia fight.....a fight. The second Wonderboy fight has the second lowest punch output of all time, a dubious title it lost to the Maia fight.....and the Wondetboy fight was 3 rounds of backpwdalling as well....anyway, I'm already a Dos Anjos fan, if he can rescue the belt from the death by boredom strangle of Woodley I'll build a shrine to him in my apartment. 

Guys! Dos Anjos vs Lawler Booked for December

Blast from the Past Wednesday: Alessio Sakara Fighting for MW Belt in Bellator

Heather Hardy Gets Big ole softball for second mma fight

Congrats to her management team: they got her and even less dangerous opponent this time around. A woman with no pro fights to her credit. Hardy btw has 20 pro boxing bouts to her credit. As was seen last time around and by her 4 KO's on record, finishing power isn't  one of her attributes. That's about the only thing going for her opponent: 

Talent Sharing Agreement Announced between Pancrase & Invicta

As much necessity as novelty, it's a big move for women's mma. We'll see how it plays out in actuality. Liddell went on loan to do that Pride tournament back in the day. A few other cross-promotional moves have occurred over the years. 

We asked for 10-8 rounds....so now we get draws

So, mathematically, with 3 round fights...this is gonna happen. Do. The. Math. 

I don't particularly mind that the Vanatta fight or the Dariush fight went to draws. They were both close and overall, I'm glad to finally see 10-8 rounds Bc otherwise, why not just coast at the end of a round? I think the increase in 10-8 rounds will spur on efforts to finish where a guy will continue to pour it on even if the finish isn't necessarily there in the hopes of a 10-8 round. It incentivizes going for the finish in that last minute of a round. That being said, we have to accept that a fighter may storm out and do copious damage in round one, gas, and lose the last two rounds and wind up with a draw. Law of unintended consequences, folks. And I mean, at least it wasn't that Canelo/GGG score, my God. 

Bellator Wants to be seen as Big League - this is an opportunity

Social media pleas....exaggeration or not, the truth is the absolute vast majority of guys hacking it at professionals are barely getting by. Training to break into the premier organizations is a full-time occupation on its own, and yet, most guys are barely scraping by. The cost-benefit of the career is a dire one. 

Cody McKenzie Fighting Again

I'm a fan of anyone with a ton of wins via the same movie and he has his own bunch of Guillotine finishes....here's to hoping he picks up some more this weekend.

The NFL & HGH

Mousasi's non-UFC debut in 2 weeks ish

It's a new era folks....the UFC truly doesn't have the stranglehold it once did on top tier talent: tired of getting jerked around, Mousasi left when negotiations stalled, so here we are...

White Belt Memes: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Times...they are a Changin' - UFC gets new Beer sponsor

Alert Brock Lesnar! 

Honest opinion, this could do more to move into the Spanish-speaking market than most of what the UFC has done so far. 

Legit Question: We Should care Lee his Staph from NSAC

Having fought a guy with &$@?ing staph all over his chest in an mma fight, this kinda thing is a problem. I am in the cage. The other guy comes into the cage and now I'm looking at a guy covered in staph. Do I want that in my eye? Or on me? I can't refuse to fight because I'll look like I'm scared or worse yet it's ruled a loss. At any rate, what's the point of having an athletic commission if guys like Benson Henderson has a small wooden toothpick in his mouth (could &$@?ing blind his opponent inadvertently) or guys traipse into the ring covered in a highly contagious visible infection? 

Saki Wastes No Time Booking UFC 2nd Fight

I've been wondering who the UFC would book for its year end show: a guy no stranger to mega productions, Saki will bring some firepower to the ecent. Saki is coming off a dominant win in his UFC debut and will return to action at the end of December. 

UFC 216 Post Event Reflections

Borg wasn't really and never was going to pose much threat. Demetrious took the safer fight to get his record setting defense but it was over a guy clearly overmatched honestly never a threat to Demetrious from the first bell to the submission. Demetrious invented a lot of reasons not to face TJ Dillashaw, which in light of Ray Borg's past failures and most recent weight cut fail, felt all the more spurious, as DJ said he didn't want to face TJ b/c he might not make weight and instead faced a guy who several weight cut fails on record....DJ paid the price with a semi-wasted fight came prep and quick turnaround but not that it mattered.

Dillashaw now faces Garbrandt on that MSG card coming up which is a bigger fight for him, and we're left wondering if whoever wins between Pettis and Cejudo will put up much more of a fight against DJ next time we see him. He's a victim of his own success and if he was winning decision after decision I'd be complaining more, and it's not DJ's fault he's simply head and shoulders above the nearest flyweight, it is what it is. This is where we are.

Derrick Lewis pulled out as the event was beginning. The UFC managed to last minute of last minute put together a replacement fight so there's that. Lando Vannatta had a fun fight with Bobby Green which legitimately was a draw.

Ferguson vs Lee was entertaining with close calls and Ferguson giving up 1-2 rounds and then showing how dangerous his Jiu-Jitsu is off his back. That being said, could he be on his back like that against an early in the fight Khabib and not get finished? Man, I dunno. I'm frankly more interested to see that fight stylistically than McGregor vs Khabib. I think Khabib coming off a long layoff is hittable early in his fights (see Michael Johnson) and that spells disaster with the time McGregor has spent polishing his hands in the run-up to the Mayweather bout.

The UFC and it's interim belts actually don't bother me as the morass/log jams in various divisions made things interminably stale with guys like Ferguson winning insane amounts of fights before getting a title shot.

Dariush and Evan Dunham went to a decision. Legit score as well. I'm looking at you Canelo/GGG judge and one of the judges for McGregor vs Floyd.

It's a sad day when I'm legit surprised and happy that the judges actually did their jobs.

Lentz Hospitalized during Weight Cut, Says it wasn't Weight Cut...

Le sigh. Getting pretty tired of this cascade of guys failing to make weight and saying it's not making weight to blame. All these mystery illnesses popping up a day before you gotta make weight and get paid. Weird. 

UFC 217 - Inside the Octagon: Ferguson vs Lee & Johnson vs Borg

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Brain Damage Alert: Alvarez vs Gaethje Set for Dec. 2nd

Dec 2 - UFC 218 - Holloway vs Edgar

UFC Begins Shopping for New TV Deal

We'll see if any changes come as a result. Also interested to see how FOX acts or spins what the UFC programming was worth to them over this huge deal. I'd be interested to see what other networks offer or if some big hitter like NBC will come outta the woodwork and try a power play. 

(C)Rumble Unretires and intends HW Return

Submission Underground 5 Results

I guess if nothing else some finishes happened: an RNC, two heel hooks, and an armbar 

Kazushi Sakuraba Grappling Frank Shamrock Oct. 15th @ Rizin

Basically all you need to know

ADCC InfoGraphic from BJJ Heroes:

Highest submission rate in the past 8 years: 

Gordon Ryan's March to the title in the most stacked division in recent memory: 

Breakdown of submission finishes:

Submission Underground 5 @ 6pm EST today

It's got two guys from last week's ADCC on it and an EBI veteran. That's about the best selectively positive hype I can offer up for this.