Category Archives: Bloodyelbow.com

“I’m getting there. I’m becoming one of the best of all-time. I don’t think [I am] yet.”

With the most finishes, bonuses, and submissions in UFC history, it’s easy to understand why Charles Oliveira feels like he’s the UFC’s ‘chosen one’

‘Do Bronx’ isn’t ready to declare himself the UFC G.L.O.A.T (greatest lightweight of all time) just yet, but the Brazilian feels he is destined for G.O.A.T. status and will be remembered as one of the best fighters ever to grace the Octagon.

“Most bonuses. Most submissions. Most finishes. What else?” Oliveira said during a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast. “I’m breaking records. There are no arguments against facts. I’m the chosen one. That’s the reality.”

“I’m getting there,” he added. “I’m becoming one of the best of all-time. I don’t think [I am] yet. One step at a time. I’m up there. We have to keep our feet on the ground, be humble. Let people think that. What do you think, am I the greatest of all-time? That’s the question.”

“My age, 32, with records of most submissions and bonuses and so many other things I have to start writing down so I don’t forget. Lightweight champion, 11 wins in a row. Of those 11 wins, only one decision. We’re happy.”

Oliveira most recently fought at UFC 274 where he defeated Justin Gaethje via first-round submission in a bout that saw the Chute Boxe fighter stripped of the lightweight championship after missing weight due to some confusion with the scales.

Belt or no belt, though, the champion’s name is still Charles Oliveira.

“I’ll still make more history,” he said. “No one took my belt from me. I made weight, I’ve always made weight. There were those big problems but no one will get this off my head. The champion’s name is Charles Oliveira, and I’ve showed that one more time.

“The reality is I made weight. There were this issue with the scale, but I showed who’s the champion. Half a pound wouldn’t make any difference in the fight, it didn’t make any difference. I went there and did what I had to do, won, and showed who’s the champion.”

Oliveira is currently #1 in the UFC lightweight rankings and #4 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

The Bellator president disagrees with the winner of Logan Storley vs. Michael Page at Bellator 281. 

Scott Coker disagrees with how Logan Storley vs. Michael Page was scored at Bellator 281 this past Friday.

Storley defeated Page by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) to earn the interim welterweight championship; however, his win has ignited debate on the scoring criteria. Storley utilized his wrestling and controlled his opponent on the ground with little to no offense, but Page found success and did damage during the striking exchanges. Effective damage is prioritized when scoring fights under the unified rules of MMA, so the Bellator president believed ‘MVP’ did enough to win on the judges’ scorecards.

“Honestly, I thought ‘MVP’ won that fight,” said Coker during his post-fight press conference. “And the reason why I say that, to me, it’s like I was talking to my guys back home and they go, ‘Look it’s close, but we think ‘MVP’ won.’ And I said, ‘Why do you say that?’ And they said, ‘Because half the round, he was striking. The other half, you can’t just lay on somebody.’ You’re not doing any damage, you’re not not getting closer to a submission, you’re not creating any threat. You’re just laying on somebody, and to me, that’s not MMA.”

Coker also offered a word of advice to Storley, who he says should improve in other areas beyond wrestling. The NCAA All-American has already shown he can wrestle anyone and everyone in the division, but Coker wants to see more from him in the future.

“I think Logan has some improvement to do myself too, because you can’t just lay on somebody and think you’re going to win and score points, because that’s not MMA,” said Coker. “That’s wrestling. So to me, it’s like, if you’re going to wrestle, I think you have to continue the wrestling and you have to continue to either try and submit or ground-and-pound or strike. There’s a difference between what you see on the wrestling mat and what you see in the cage.

“So to me, all these fighters — not just what you saw tonight — they’re the very highest level of what they do, but they owe it to themselves, they owe it to the audience, they owe it to the fans, that they have to continue to get better at the disciplines that they’re not strong in,” continued Coker. “Right? And that’s what I would tell Logan if he was here — ‘Hey, you’re a great wrestler. Now it’s time for you to be a great striker, or a great submission fighter and get your submission game together.’ It has to be more than just wrestling somebody. That’s honestly how I feel.”

The win over Page has not only earned Storley his first major championship but also a potential rematch against reigning champion Yaroslav Amosov should he return from defending his native Ukraine. The pair first met at Bellator 252, where Amosov defeated Storley via split decision.

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

Bellator succeeds in assembling an unforgettable event for the London crowd.

Bellator 281 turned out to have a bit of everything, with some gritty performances mixed with thrilling submissions and electrifying knockouts.

The top of the card could have been a true homecoming for title challenger Michael Venom Page, but it was not to be. Logan Storley used his wrestling skill and physicality to earn a victory in enemy territory, capturing the interim welterweight title over the course of five long rounds.

Page gave it what he had, though:

Yet Storley soldiered on:

In the end, it was nothing but respect between the two, as it should be:

The co-main event featured Fabian Edwards taking on his biggest career opponent to date in former UFC champion Lyoto Machida. While it felt good to see Machida make the walk, it didn’t end great for him. Edwards took advantage in the close range and put his lights out.

This win should potentially put Edwards next in the running for the middleweight title, but that won’t be determined until current champ Gegard Mousasi faces his next challenge in Johnny Eblen. In the meantime, Edwards not only establishes himself further with a win over a big name, he adds another item to his highlight reel at home, making the hype very real.

Kana Watanabe faced rough waters early as she got stunned by a few hits from fearsome striker Denise Kielholtz:

But Watanabe weathered that storm and took control by the end of the first to end in dominant position raining blows.

After a takedown early in the second, she managed to control things further until an illegal kick from Kielholtz stopped the action momentarily. Kielholtz held her own for a bit fending off Watanabe’s offense, but got a bit greedy late in the second. Watanabe made her pay for that.

Paul Daley made his final walk to the cage against the very game Wendell Giacomo, who was not about to go easy on him in any way. Final fight in your hometown? Wendell isn’t here to placate you.

So things got a bit dicey when he tried to work some flypaper grappling early on:

But then Paul got comfortable and started finding a home for those hands.

It got emotional as expected when Daley brought his mother into the cage for a celebration. It was all love everywhere for Daley, and it probably couldn’t have gone any better.

Former RIZIN fighter Simon Biyong took on the younger Luke Trainer, and despite not having the best first round, managed to turn things around. All credit to Trainer, he really acquitted himself well when the fight started and shows a lot of promise.

In the end, Biyong remained a bit much for Trainer. and looked formidable en route to a decision win.

Daniel Weichel earned his 42nd career win against Rob Whiteford after a fight that had a finish that was a tad controversial. Weichel shows he’s still a problem for anyone in his weight class and can be a threat anywhere.

Elsewhere on the card, Karate specialist Oliver Enkamp was being controlled on the mat for most of his fight against wrestler Mark Lemminger, but ultimately slapped on a groovy buggy choke for the win:

Full results below

Main Card Results:

Bellator interim welterweight championship: Logan Storley def. Michael Page via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)

Fabian Edwards def. Lyoto Machida via KO (punches): R1, 3:18

Kana Watanabe def. Denise Kielholtz via submission (triangle choke): R2, 3:03

Paul Daley def. Wendell Giacomo via KO (right hook): R2, 4:09

Simon Biyong def. Luke Trainer via unanimous decision (29-27×2, 29-28)

Prelim Results:

Daniel Weichel def. Robert Whiteford via TKO (punches): R1, 1:12

Elina Kallionidou def. Kate Jackson via TKO (punches): R2, 4:53

Oliver Enkamp def. Mark Lemminger via submission (buggy choke): R3, 0:25

Alfie Davis vs. Tim Wilde ends in a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)

Andrew Fisher def. Attila Korkmaz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Charlie Ward def. Alan Carlos via unanimous decision (30-27×2 30-25)

Maciej Rozanski def. Lee Chadwick via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Chiara Penco def. Lanchana Green via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27×2)

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

Amanda Ribas has big ambitions for the future following her match at UFC Vegas 54.

Although it’s Amanda Ribas’ first flyweight in nearly two years, the Brazilian has big aspirations for her future if she can score a win on Saturday night. Paired up against perennial contender Katlyn Chookagian, the 28-year-old believes a victory should help her cut in line towards a title shot.

In an interview with Combate, Ribas explained how the goal of becoming UFC champion is always on her mind, which makes her excited about the opportunity to meet Chookagian. In fact, Amanda believes she could be closer to a title fight at flyweight than at strawweight, given how shallower of a division the former is when compared to the latter.

“It’s a beautiful thing, such a great opportunity for me, and I love it,” Ribas said. “Some people may see this as added pressure, but I see it as motivation. It’s pushing me to do what I do in the Octagon. I think about the belt all the time. I think that’s what makes this such a great opportunity. I thank the UFC for the offer, because if they gave me that, it’s because they believe in me. I believe in myself and that’s key.

“It gives me goosebumps,” Ribas said. “Life is so crazy. I was ranked in another division. Each step I took was so exciting and now I’m fighting someone from a different division who is even better ranked. I’m closer to fighting for the belt at this division than mine. This is something I only expected later on. This is what’s been getting me so motivated.”

In her last outing, Ribas (11-2) scored a unanimous decision over Virna Jandiroba, back in October 2021. The victory made the 28-year-old recover from a TKO defeat to Marina Rodriguez, in January of the same year.

Now, Ribas is expected to take on Chookagian at UFC Vegas 54, on May 14, at the UFC Apex, The card is scheduled to be headlined by a light heavyweight bout between former champion Jan Blachowicz and contender Aleksandar Rakic,

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

The former WWE performer was shocked by what went down at UFC 274.

Actor and former WWE performer Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is known to enjoy his fisticuffs. Johnson has turned out for the UFC in the past and even presented the novelty BMF belt to Jorge Masvidal after he defeated Nick Diaz at UFC 244 in 2019.

Last week Johnson was tuning in for UFC 274 where he saw Michael Chandler deliver a knock out of the year candidate in the form of a front kick to Tony Ferguson’s chin. Johnson captured his reaction to that KO in a video he posted to Instagram.

Johnson was clearly stunned by what transpired. “Holy shit,” he exclaimed after a prolonged silence.

Ferguson later reposted part of that video to his Instagram account and added a caption, praising Johnson.

The⚡️Energy I get knowing one of my favorite wrestlers growing up @therock watches our performance at the highest level is unreal That shit gives me unparalleled confidence to get my ass back in the gym, get swole (that’s Latin for handsome) & make sure that shit don’t happen again. This will be a big project but I ain’t scared. Put me in Coach, I’ll be ready Great 1st round, but all rounds need to be great- Champ ‍ -CSO- # UFC 274 @projectrock Cheers Rock Good Mana

The loss to Chandler extended the longest losing streak of Ferguson’s 32-fight career. The former TUF winner and interim UFC lightweight champion has now lost four straight, with his last victory coming in 2019.

His losses include a TKO to Justin Gaethje and lopsided decisions to Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.

The win gave Chandler a 2-2 record in the Octagon. The former Bellator lightweight champion’s other win came over Dan Hooker. He also holds loses to Gaethje and Oliveira.

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

Usman was last seen at UFC 268, where he defeated Colby Covington for a second time. 

Kamaru Usman is still recovering from hand surgery and hopes to return by the end of the year.

Usman broke his right hand during a final sparring session for his championship rematch against Colby Covington at UFC 268 this past November. The reigning UFC welterweight champion went on to defeat Covington via unanimous decision in his fifth consecutive defense.

Nearly three months after the fight, he underwent surgery to repair ligament damage and expected to fight again as soon as International Fight Week, which usually culminates in a massive pay-per-view event. However, that original timeline has now been adjusted as the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ needs more time to recover.

“The hand is doing a little better,” said Usman during an appearance at UFC 274 (video provided by MMA Fighting). “Saw the doctor this week, and I can start to make a light contact with the hand. That’s just what sucks with these things. When you’re dealing with tendons, they’re a lot tougher to just heal right away, especially when they’re on top of the knuckles.”

Usman was hesitant to give an exact date for his return, but was clear he wanted it before the year is over.

“I hate being wrong, so I don’t want to throw a time on it. Just rest assured, I want to be in there as soon as possible.”

Awaiting the champion upon his return is Leon Edwards, the No. 2 ranked welterweight who has gone 9-0-1 since losing a unanimous decision to Usman at UFC on FOX 17 over six years ago. UFC president Dana White has confirmed that Edwards is 100 percent next for Usman, though nothing has been officially announced yet.

There is also Khamzat Chimaev, who recently defeated Gilbert Burns in a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender at UFC 273 in April. The win over Burns saw ‘Borz’ skyrocket to No. 3 in the division, a move that could lead to his first championship opportunity in the UFC. When asked if there was more interest in fighting someone like Chimaev given his meteoric rise since his arrival to the promotion, Usman said he had no preference because everyone is a challenge.

“He’s a competitor,” said Usman. “Each and every one of these guys in the division is a competitor. So I take them as competitors, I take them that serious. But as far as putting anything extra on anybody just to try to give them a boost, I don’t really care about that.

“Gilbert Burns was just as tough of a fighter as Colby Covington, just as touch as Jorge Masvidal,” continued Usman. “I don’t really try to put anything extra on these guys. Of course, I love the extra zeros on the check if they bring that much eyeballs, but at the end of the day, they’re just competitors and I see no face.”

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

Check out Bloody Elbow’s pre-fight, fight night, and post-fight coverage for UFC VEGAS 54: ‘BLACHOWICZ VS. RAKIC’, set for Saturday, May 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event is a light heavyweight fight between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic. Co-main event action is also in the light heavyweight division, with Ryan Spann taking on fan favorite Ion Cutelaba.

The main card airs live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the prelims on the same networks at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT.

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

Are Aljamain Sterling’s detractors ready for his victory lap, and eight other questions from UFC 273

Why was the crypto.com fan-voted bonus available more than one hour before the event?

While looking at the UFC website around 5:20 p.m. ET on Saturday, I noticed there was a link to vote for the crypto.com fan bonus of the night. My interest piqued, I clicked on it. The link opened to a page that allowed me to vote for three fighters, and so that’s what I did. I submitted the vote and was asked to verify my email address. I did. I then received notice that “Your vote is in!” Again, this was more than an hour before the event was scheduled to begin. Perhaps this was a first time only issue, but the idea that fans could vote on bonuses before the event begins does not instill confidence in the entire crypto.com fan-bonus system.

UFC is still paying fighters $ 10,000 for their first fights?

After his win over Mickey Gall, Mike Malott announced he was going to donate his show money of $ 10,000 to the GoFundMe that was set up to contribute to the cost of care for the daughter of one of his cohorts at Team Alpha Male as she fights stage 3 lymphoma. Malott’s contribution was admirable and his plea heartfelt. The outpouring from the MMA community since he asked for assistance has been overwhelming and positive.

However, I would be remiss if I did not point out the fact that the UFC has bragged about lifting fighter pay over the past several years while keeping the base pay for fighters at $ 10,000. Until UFC starting pay provides a livable wage for these professional athletes, the promotion has no room to pat itself on the back. None.

What’s next for Kay Hansen?

Kay Hansen doesn’t turn 23 until August. She is a talented, but green fighter, who is trying to do too much too soon. Hansen is learning on the job in the top mixed martial arts promotion in the world. That’s unfair to her. For the sake of her development, confidence and future as a fighter — she is on a three-fight losing skid after UFC 273 — the promotion should send her down a level of competition and let her work on her skills, her confidence, her weight cut and herself for a few years. The UFC did this with Angela Hill for a four-fight stint in 2016. The promotion should do the same for Hansen.

What was Aspen Ladd and her team thinking?

If you were wondering why Aspen Ladd didn’t pursue a takedown with any gusto until the third round of her bout against Raquel Pennington, you are not alone. Ladd and her team fought to Pennington’s strengths for the first 10 minutes of the fight. Ladd lost those rounds. When Ladd went after the takedown in the third round — and secured it — she won the round.

Ladd’s corner has been castigated before and they deserve criticism again for how they handled this fight. Ladd allowed Pennington to dictate and lead for the first two rounds and it cost her any chance at the win.

Ladd is now 1-3 in her past four outings and she might be served well by switching up some of the team she has behind her.

Is Ian Garry deserving of the hype?

The jury is — and should remain — out on Ian Garry. I’m unsure of how much of the hype behind the young Irish fighter is based on hope and how much is based on potential upside. Right now, I’d say most of the push the 24-year-old is getting is built on the hope that he will become the next Irish star for the promotion.

Garry has talent and confidence, but he is also a work in progress. There are holes in his game and he is still developing (again, just 24) and there’s nothing wrong with that.

What stood out for me was Garry’s post-fight talk with UFC commentator Jon Anik. During that conversation, Garry said, “It’s experience, but as I said before, I’m not perfect yet, I’m getting there. No one walked into this octagon perfect. It’s work, work, work. Every fight we get better and that’s what I’m gonna do and I’m 9-0 now…”

It seems as if Garry has a good mix of self-confidence and self-awareness and that leads me to believe the future will be bright for this young fighter.

What is Mackenzie Dern’s upside?

The 29-year-old Mackenzie Dern bounced back from an October decision loss to Marina Rodriguez with a split-decision win over Tecia Torres at UFC 273. Where Dern was once just known for her grappling skills, she has developed into a true mixed martial artist. Dern seems to get better and more confident in every outing and that’s really all one can ask for from a fighter.

Dern’s striking has progressed by leaps and bounds. If there’s one thing she needs to work on more, it’s using that striking to set up her grappling attacks. It seems as if Dern is striking or grappling. She needs to get to where she is striking and grappling and doing so through muscle memory. Dern has a magnificent coach in Jason Parillo and I suspect we will see more progress from her in her next outing.

Why is “show and win” pay still a thing?

Okay, I know the answer to this question is because the UFC has convinced the dimwitted and deluded that fighters try harder if they get more money for a win. I also know this was, is and will always be a lie. No one stands in a locked cage and thinks, “screw it, I got a full pay day coming, I’m gonna half-ass it against this person who is looking to administer a great deal of physical damage on my body and brain.” That’s not a thing that has ever happened, even if the UFC would like us to believe it happens during every single fight.

With that, there was some kudos thrown the way of UFC president Dana White when he said he was going to award Gilbert Burns his show and win money for the fight he put on — in a losing effort — against Khamzat Chimaev. That praise was undeserved, instead White and the UFC deserve condemnation for the way they exploit the UFC labor pool. The UFC pay structure is a farce built on a lie.

Is the UFC playing with fire with Khamzat Chimaev?

If the pre-fight talk turns into post-fight reality, the UFC is going to book Colby Covington vs. Khamzat Chimaev in what I assume will be a welterweight title elimination bout on ABC. That seems like a risky proposition.

Chimaev might be a big thing in MMA, but right now he’ still just a big deal in MMA. If the UFC throws him into a main event on a major network and some of the big non-MMA media players start digging into Chimaev’s seemingly cozy relationship with Ramzan Kadyrov it could turn into a public relations nightmare of the UFC, ESPN and Disney.

Ready for Aljamain Sterling’s victory lap?

I have a feeling that Aljamain Sterling’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan was just the start of what is going to be a very loud victory lap for Aljamain Sterling.

Sterling gave his doubters a profane earful after the fight and deservedly so. Sterling put up with a year’s worth of BS from fans and fellow fighters since winning the title via disqualification in 2021. On Saturday night, Sterling won a split decision over interim champ Petr Yan and unified the bantamweight titles. With that, Sterling earned the right to call himself the undisputed champion and from the sounds of things, he was aware of most of the slights against him before Saturday night.

Sterling leaned into his haters between his DQ win at UFC 259 and his decision victory at UFC 273 — and why not, he wasn’t going to sway those people by being nice — I expect him to continue to do so, but with added vigor after his win.

UFC 273 took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The main card streamed on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

All the best, most interesting, and unquestionably coolest fights the UFC needs to book following their latest event in Jacksonville, FL.

UFC 273 was a card that showed the value of booking recognizable talent in high stakes fights. Even if not all the bouts were thrillers, the action still felt like it had a lot of weight and meaning. Alexander Volkanovski once again made it clear that there are few men at 145 lbs in this world who can compete with him the way Max Holloway could. And Chan Sung Jung definitively wasn’t among them. Aljamain Sterling shocked expectations by out-grappling and out-hustling Petr Yan to defend and unify the bantamweight belt. And Khamzat Chimaev made it clear at the very least, that he’s on par with the world’s best welterweights.

So, is there anyone else at featherweight ready to test their mettle against the ‘Great’ right now, other than Holloway? Does Petr Yan have an argument for getting another rematch against Sterling? And is Colby Covington going to feel better about the idea of a Chimaev fight after seeing him against Burns?

To answer those questions – and a several more – I’ll be using the classic Silva/Shelby fight booking methodology from the UFC of years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent up against one another. Hopefully, by following that model, a few of these bout ideas will actually make it off the page and into the Octagon. Now, let’s get to the fights!

ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI

There seems to be a bit of hemming and hawing both from Alexander Volkanovski and Dana White over the idea that Max Holloway is in line for another shot at the belt. But if not him, then who? Brian Ortega, Yair Rodriguez, and Calvin Kattar have all suffered lopsided losses at the hands of either Holloway or Volkanovski. And while Josh Emmett, Bryce Mitchell, and Arnold Allen are making strong cases for their status as future contenders, none of them have beat even one former featherweight title fight participant, let alone anyone in the top 5 of the division right now. Letting them leapfrog a fighter as talented as Holloway just to change things up seems not only unfair, but a bit unnecessary. Another win for any of them would go a long way to certifying their status as a true challenger with the viewing public.

The only other option being bandied about, as far as I can tell, is the specter of Henry Cejudo’s possible return to competition. And while that’s a cool idea and all, he hasn’t even re-entered the USADA testing pool yet—to start a mandatory 6-month window before he can be cleared to compete. Until that happens, any chatter of him as a possible opponent is just a pipe dream. Let the rest of featherweight sort itself out. For now, let’s just enjoy the two best featherweight talents in the world today meeting one more time inside the cage. Time to book Holloway vs. Volkanovski III.

CHAN SUNG JUNG

The ‘Korean Zombie’ was understandably unwilling to make a definitive statement on his career just moments after losing his second (and very likely final) shot at becoming UFC champion. But, nobody would blame him if he ultimately decided this was the moment to call it quits and move on to life as a full-time coach and gym owner. For fighters who have spent years pursuing a dream of becoming the best in the world, re-calibrating to be a guy who competes just for fun and financial gain can be a hard pill to swallow. Is it worth taking the huge amounts of damage or the stress and anxiety of training without the drive for greatness? Only Chan Sung Jung can answer that.

If he doesn’t decide to walk away, there are plenty of fights for him. The fact that Jung was even in position to take this hard loss is a testament to how competitive he can still be among other quality talents in his division. Fights with the likes of Bryce Mitchell, Cub Swanson, Edson Barboza, or Shane Burgos would all be guaranteed fun. Of those, I’ll say the UFC should go with Mitchell vs. the Korean Zombie. The only two men to hit a twister in the Octagon would make for a fascinating fight. But, I wouldn’t blame Jung if this is the end of his competitive MMA journey either.

ALJAMAIN STERLING

All credit to Aljamain Sterling, he was absolutely sure that this second bout against Petr Yan would go differently for him, and there’s no question that it did. Even without getting easy access to clean takedowns, Sterling showed his world class skill with some slick as hell back takes in the scrambles to dominate the middle frames of the fight. The end result is that he’s now the undisputed bantamweight champion. And while Yan may be looking for an instant rematch, it doesn’t seem terribly likely that the UFC feels a burning desire to put this fight together again right away. Instead, Sterling called out TJ Dillashaw after his victory, with Dillashaw sitting cageside—likely for just such an eventuality. Seems like an obvious booking, and a great way for Sterling to start closing some of the loops on Bantamweight’s busted title history. No doubt he’ll be facing Yan again someday in the future, but for now, Sterling vs. Dillashaw seems like a great next title bout.

PETR YAN

I’d kind of expected that, given he’d seen the man inside the cage before, Yan would be a little ahead of the game in terms of his customarily slow starts. Unfortunately for him, however, that wasn’t the case—with a cautious first round from both athletes, that saw them over-swinging on hooks from way outside trying to find their range and timing. Given his durability and cardio, that’s usually not a big problem for Yan. But tonight it was everything. Sterling found two full rounds of control time following the slow start. And even while Yan flipped that script with a commanding final two rounds of the fight, momentum means nothing in the land of the ‘10-point must’ system.

Now, against the odds, Yan finds himself without even a piece of the bantamweight title, and with the need to go and win another fight or two in order to put himself back in the spot of top contender. Having already beat Cory Sandhagen and Jose Aldo, and with TJ Dillashaw seemingly next in line to fight Aljo, Yan may have to stretch out a bit and fight down the division. That could mean bouts with Rob Font, Merab Dvalishvili, Dominick Cruz, or Marlon Vera. The option among them should be obvious. Dvalishvili isn’t likely to be a real contender as long as his teammate has the strap, and the bad blood between Yan and the whole Serra-Longo crew isn’t about to die away. Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili seems like the perfect next chapter in Yan’s quest to regain UFC gold.

KHAMZAT CHIMAEV

It may not be exactly the hype-affirming performance fans were hoping for from Chimaev, especially for a man whose hype is built around his ability to crush any/everyone inside a round. But it honestly feels like a great confirmation of Chimaev’s quality to me. He went out there and fought a man who was just a hair’s breadth off the title, and did so only four years and 10 fights into his pro career. And while he showed that he can get hit by opponents who are willing and able to stand in with him, take his shots, and return fire, he also showed a hell of a chin, and the cardio to go to war for 15 minutes and still walk away with a win. Did he look slightly more human? Sure. But even Khabib had his less than glorious fights. Ahead of this card, Dana White suggested they already had Chimaev’s next bout in mind, an ABC headlining slot against Colby Covington. I don’t see any reason the UFC shouldn’t go ahead with that plan. Chimaev vs. Covington is a great next test. Pass that one and ‘Borz’ will be title ready.

GILBERT BURNS

An incredibly valiant showing from Burns, who has a whole corner of MMA fandom arguing that he actually deserved the win in this bout against Chimaev. There’s no question Burns owned the second round, but the first and third were razor thin, with a lot of power shots traded on both sides. Still, if Burns had to lose, putting on an all-time great barn burner of a slug-fest where he still saw the final bell is the best way to go about it. After this loss, fights with Jorge Masvidal, Michael Chiesa, or Belal Muhammad (win or lose to Vicente Luque) all seem like good ideas. I was going to argue for the Masvidal fight, just because Muhammad is already booked. But, at that point ‘Gamebred’ seems like much less of a sure booking with his high profile (and potential legal troubles). So, I’ll say Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad is the best option. If ‘Remember the Name’ loses to Luque, then both men will be out for redemption. If he beats him, then Burns is still the kind of elite contender that could guarantee Muhammad a future shot at gold.

MACKENZIE DERN

I’d be lying if I said I was 100% confident that Dern won her fight with Tecia Torres, but at the very least she put herself in good position to get the win. Aside from a dominant second round of grappling, she kept her pressure high and sat down on bigger punches. Even when Torres landed in return, it seemed clear that Dern’s shots had more behind them. After the bout she had a whole list of names to call out for a potential next fight, essentially asking for any/everyone in the top 5. Among those mentioned were the upcoming bout between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The winner of that fight seems more likely to be in line for a title shot at the winner of Esparza/Namajunas 2, but even the loser would be a high prestige add to Dern’s resume. I’m not convinced she beats either women, but if she wants to be a title contender, she might as well shoot her shot. Dern vs. the Jedrzejczyk/Zhang loser seems like a great chance for Dern to prove she can contend at a championship level.

RAQUEL PENNINGTON

It wasn’t exactly a dominating performance from Pennington, with Ladd doing her best to rally late and steal the last round, but for those first two rounds ‘Rocky’ really clearly outclassed Ladd standing. Her busier boxing style and cleaner technique in the pocket had her a strong step ahead all the way through 10 minutes. While she may never be a big step above her competition, another victory keeps Pennington firm in her longstanding spot among the bantamweight top 5.

After the bout, she had a clear and obvious call-out for a fight with an opponent that it seems like she should have already faced twice before: Sara McMann. Like Pennington, McMann has been a fixture in the top 10 of the division for years. And coming off a victory over Karol Rosa, she’s perfectly positioned for this fight right now. Will it be for the title, as Pennington suggested? I’m not as sure of that. But Pennington vs. McMann is a bout that should have been made years ago. Time to get it done.

OLEKSIY OLIYNYK

Can Oleksiy Oliynyk live as the heavyweight division’s measuring stick in perpetuity? Sometimes it feels that way. The ‘Boa Constrictor’ has been at this game since man first painted on cave walls. In fact, when the first amphibian crawled its way onto land out of the water, I’m not at all sure Oliynyk wasn’t there to slap an Ezekiel choke on it. And yet, despite all those years, and all that mileage—and the wealth of footage out there on his fights and his craft—he surprises so, so many people. Add Jared Vanderaa to that list. What he was thinking when he tried to take Oliynyk’s back, the world may never know.

With another win under his belt, and seemingly no intention of stopping his career anytime in the near future, It’s time to find another fight with some interest for the ageless wonder. Fortunately, the perfect opportunity just recently presented itself. Ben Rothwell was set to take on Alexander Gustafsson in the former light heavyweight title contender’s long awaited return to competition, before ‘Big’ Ben got unceremoniously axed from the promotion. That unexpected development has left Gus needing a new man to fight. For my money, Oliynyk is that man. Especially given how badly Gustafsson’s bout against Werdum went, and the quick way the former champ wrapped him up on the mat, Oliynyk vs. Gustafsson would be a great test to see if the ‘Mauler’ is ever going to make it as a heavyweight.

OTHER BOUTS: Tecia Torres vs. Yan Xiaonan, Mark O. Madsen vs. Damir Ismagulov, Vinc Pichel vs. Thiago Moises, Ian Garry vs. Philip Rowe, Darian Weeks vs. Micheal Gillmore, Anthony Hernandez vs. Maximov/Petroski winner, Josh Fremd vs. Dustin Stoltzfus, Aspen Ladd vs. Karol Rosa, Mike Malott vs. Jack Della Maddalena, Mickey Gall vs. Warlley Alves, Jared Vanderaa vs. Jarjis Danho, Piera Rodriguez vs. Loma Lookboonmee, Kay Hansen vs. Miranda Granger, Julio Arce vs. Casey Kenney, Daniel Santos vs. Aaron Phillips

Bloody Elbow – All Posts

Get a unique rundown on all the trophies that should have been handed out at UFC 273 with Dayne Fox’s Unofficial Awards.

Another PPV come and gone, another night chuck full of wild takes and ideas. UFC 273 isn’t likely to make the final cut on anyone’s Event of the Year list, but that hardly means it wasn’t a qualified success. Alexander Volkanovski impressed into the minds of everyone just how dominant he is by dismantling the Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung, in a violent manner. Aljamain Sterling shocked the world by upending Petr Yan, extending their unorthodox feud when many expected it to come to a definitive conclusion. And of course, Khamzat Chimaev lived up to the immense hype he had built up for himself, surviving the back-and-forth instant classic put on by himself and a dogged Gilbert Burns. There’s no doubt the success of the card was top heavy, but there were some other moments on the card worth mentioning. Lets get into them with my Unofficial Awards….

For a different perspective of the event, click here. For an audio recap, click here.

Biggest Jump in Stock: I felt reluctant to put Chimaev in this spot, but I can’t deny what having his mettle tested did for his reputation. There were questions about how his cardio would hold up. It wasn’t impenetrable, but it held up well enough for him to secure a decision. There were questions about how he can take a punch. He got rocked, but was able to hold up. New questions have opened up about his striking defense and whether his wrestling is as dominant as advertised, but many are quick to forgive if an entertaining brawl can be delivered. Chimaev did just that, raising his stock in a significant way. I doubt he fights for the title next as the UFC appears determined to finally give Leon Edwards his long overdue shot at the belt, but It’s hard to believe Chimaev won’t be the first person they call if something happens to Edwards.

Biggest Fall in Stock: I can see many making a case for Aspen Ladd here, but I believe her stock was already low heading into her fight with Raquel Pennington. On the flip side, Yan entered the evening as one of the best P4P fighters on the planet. Hell, I heard some reasonable voices say he was the P4P best. And while I completely understand the argument that he deserved the win, it can’t be denied that he didn’t perform at his best. There was no sign of the composed killer he was in his first fight with Sterling. Instead, Yan appeared to be driven by emotion, looking to punish Sterling as opposed to notching a victory over him. It led to Yan rushing some of his strikes, looking panicked at other points. Whoever it was that was fighting Sterling, it wasn’t the Petr Yan that ascended to the title over Jose Aldo. I believe he can be found again, but this version of Yan also lends less credence to the idea that the illegal knee he landed on Sterling in their first contest was solitary miscue.

Best Newcomer: No disrespect intended towards Piera Rodriguez, but the choice has to be Mike Malott. The Canadian had a back-and-forth round with Mickey Gall before landing a powerful left hook that floored the traditionally durable Gall. There were enough scary moments for Malott that it’s safe to say he hasn’t answered all the questions that were hanging out there before his fight, but he did prove he belongs in the organization. Plus, it was a hell of an entertaining round. I get the feeling Malott’s ceiling is limited

Start Typing a Resume: We may have seen an end to the Mickey Gall experiment. Six years into his UFC run and it appears the best win on his record is George Sullivan. Now, not only did Gall suffer consecutive losses for the first time in his career, but he was finished for the first time as well. Gall didn’t look terrible, but there doesn’t appear to be much more room for him to grow. The UFC may find his salary is better spent on younger and more promising talent.

A lot of credit needs to go to Jared Vanderaa for his willingness to step up on short notice, but he’s now sitting at 1-4 in his UFC run after falling to the 44-year-old Aleksei Oleinik. Aside from being willing to take fights on little notice, the only other saving grace for Vanderaa is that his losses have come against opponents who have put up winning records within the organization. Still, falling to someone at Oleinik’s age is a bad sign, especially when Oleinik had been on a three-fight losing streak. Vanderaa just doesn’t look like he’s UFC material.

It pains me to say this given her potential, but Kay Hansen would be best served getting a bit more seasoning on the regional scene. Her weight miss on her return to 115 indicated she should be fighting at 125. Some may say her inability to push Piera Rodriguez off of herself was a sign she should be fighting at strawweight, but I think it’s an indication of her dehydrating herself too much. If Hansen were to have the time to fill in her frame at flyweight on the regional scene, it would be extremely beneficial for her.

Saved Their Job(s): This is a short list as Oleinik is the only one who I’d say was in danger of being on the chopping block. The 44-year-old is near the end of the line, but because his skillset on the mat is incredibly unique, he can still surprise from time to time. He proved it against by securing a scarf hold submission. Who else in high level MMA is capable of securing a scarf hold for the win? The list is incredibly short.

Biggest WOW Moment: It’s hard to single out a specific moment from the back-and-forth battle between Chimaev and Burns. Their fight was fire from the word go and stayed hot until the end. Regardless, I figured I’d be derelict in my duties if I left it there, so I’ll go with the moment when Burns timed the upkick to the body that sent Chimaev sprawling backwards. The sequence was somewhat emblematic of their contest as a whole; the intimidating specter of Chimaev looming over Burns, only for the Brazilian to unexpectedly find success. Burns didn’t win the fight, but there’s no doubt his stock went up in the loss. I can’t recall that being the case when a top five fighter lost to a guy outside the top ten….

Best/Worst Referee Call: We can sit here and debate all day about whether the main event fell somewhat flat because Volkanovski is just that damned good or if Jung had an off night. Hell, I’m willing to listen to arguments Jung is just faded. What I don’t believe can be debated is whether Herb Dean made the right call to stop the fight when he did. Jung was still standing and ready to keep fighting after Volkanovski landed his last hard right, but Dean recognized nobody was home even as the lights were on and stopped the fight. Jung’s body language afterward only proved the fact as it was an effort for Jung to even stand. Dean vacillates like no other on the good/bad scale, but he was most definitely on the good side in that fight.

Most Underwhelming Performance: Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man popularized the line “With great power comes great responsibility.” In the case of Ian Garry, with great hype comes great expectations. If he didn’t have all the hype around him, his win over Darian Weeks wouldn’t have seemed like the letdown many interpreted it to be. Garry arguably took every round, but didn’t do so with the comfort many believed he should have. Given he’s still young in his career, critics should focus on him topping another credible young talent as opposed to being unable to style on him.

Under-the-Radar Contender: Following her loss to Holly Holm at the beginning of 2020, it was reasonable to believe we’d seen the last of Raquel Pennington against the best fighters in the division. After four consecutive wins after being assigned a gatekeeping role, including her win over the former heir apparent in Ladd, it’s time to say Pennington should be thought of as a contender. She feels the same way, calling for a title eliminator fight with Sara McMann. I doubt the UFC sees it that way, but the fight could be put together without that stipulation. If Amanda Nunes is to regain the bantamweight title from Juliana Pena, it’s hard to see Pennington getting another title opportunity, but the door is as wide open for her as it is anyone else should Pena retain. Regardless, a clear win over Ladd should be a signal to everyone that Pennington is a major force to be reckoned with.

Best Heel Turn: To be fair, the process of Sterling going heel has been going on for quite a while, but the turn was completed after the decision of his victory over Yan was read. The ironic thing about it is that it came about completely organically without Sterling really changing his personality. MMA fans were so frustrated with how he obtained the belt in the first place that they turned on him. Sterling’s turn was completed when fans booed the decision and Sterling reciprocated the feeling with his comments in his post-fight interview. It took Jon Jones a long time to figure out he was better off embracing the role of heel. Sterling figured that out in a hurry.

Cardio as a Weapon: A common conversation in the MMA community is which fighters do the best job of weaponizing cardio. While I don’t want to get in that conversation right now, I do believe Anthony Hernandez provided an exemplary performance of how to do that. While I don’t believe a shallow gas tank is traditionally a problem for Josh Fremd, the Factory X product is one of the biggest middleweights on the roster and was taking the fight on short notice. It’s hard to believe he wasn’t somewhat compromised cutting down to the middleweight limit. Hernandez pushed an insane pace from bell to bell, Fremd showing the effects of Hernandez’s strategy by the end of the fight.

Best Styles Clash: No, nobody pulled of the finishing move of famed WWE star, AJ Styles. What I’m getting at is the difference in the approaches of Julio Arce and newcomer Daniel Santos. After a fast start from the flashy Santos, the fundamental approach of Arce began to take over. Arce touched up Santos with simple jabs and punches while Santos continued to look for spinning and leaping attacks with minimal success. If fighters need an illustration why coaches emphasize fundamentals so much, this fight provides a great visual of why that is as Arce cruised to an easy victory.

Bloody Elbow – All Posts