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Play stupid games, win stupid prizes?

Rafael dos Anjos says his lopsided decision victory over Renato Moicano tasted extra sweet after finding out Islam Makhachev was denied a title shot after ‘paying politics’ ahead of UFC 272.

Makhachev offered to step in and fight RDA on short notice but later backtracked after Dos Anjos ‘called his bluff’. Dos Anjos doesn’t believe Makhachev ever had any intention of fighting him after Rafael Fiziev pulled out of UFC 272 and is glad UFC president Dana White snubbed his title shot.

“You guys heard what Dana [White] said, Islam didn’t take the fight,” dos Anjos told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour following his five-round thrashing of Moicano (h/t MMA Fighting). “I said 165 [pounds] — like Bobby Green jumped into the fight with him at 160, he couldn’t fight at 165? Then he said 170 and they called me and said, ‘Islam wants to go 170.’ I said OK, no problem. … But the next morning, ‘Oh, no, no, we’re not taking the fight.’”

“I called his bluff. I think that’s what it was. They probably thought, ‘RDA will never take this fight at 170,’ but you know what, I was training, I didn’t want to waste a whole fight camp, I hadn’t fought for 16 months, I just wanted to go fight someone.”

“It feels great, man. It feels really good,” dos Anjos said about Makhachev losing his title shot. “I even texted Beneil [Dariush], ‘Now I got your fight back!’ That’s the price he pays for playing politics. Play these little games, and now he had his title shot secured and now he’s got to fight another one.”

Makhachev has since responded to White, claiming that he never requested a $ 1 million payday and that the UFC never offered him the fight; he was the one who contacted them.

Title fight or no title fight, $ 1 million payday or no $ 1 million payday, Makhachev is still considered one of the top contenders at 155 pounds and is likely just one more win away from entering title contention. The Dagestani is currently #3 in the UFC lightweight rankings, while dos Anjos, the former champion, is #6.

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Teenager Artyom Priymenko was killed along with his entire family in an attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy.

A promising teenage sambo champion was reportedly killed during Russia’s airstrikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy earlier this week.

Artyom Priymenko, 16, was killed along with his entire family during a nighttime bombing raid that occurred Monday. He died alongside his father, Vitaly, mother, Ekaterina, paternal grandmother and two younger brothers, Egor and Kirill. Fifteen other people were killed in the attack.

“This is a great sorrow for the family of sambo wrestlers, his relatives, and for all of us,” his coach Evgeny Leonenko said. “Artyom was a multiple winner of the Ukrainian Sambo Championships. He won a place in the Ukrainian national team for the World Cup in the Netherlands. He was very promising.”

Priymenko was reportedly killed hours before a humanitarian corridor was opened to allow civilians to evacuate the city.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 550 civilians have been killed and another 957 wounded since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. The office noted that the figure likely underestimates the actual fatalities.

Ukrainian officials in the coastal city of Mariupol reported than 1,300 people have been killed in the city bombarded by Russian airstrikes, along with 3000 others who were injured in the attacks. The figures cannot be independently verified.

It is worth noting that sambo is one of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s preferred sports. He previously vowed to make sambo an Olympic sport and has regularly attended the annual combat sambo event S-70 league.

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Jorge Masvidal is apparently still dealing with the effects of the eye poke he sustained from Colby Covington at UFC 272.

UFC “BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal had one complaint after his UFC 272 grudge match with Colby Covington: the eye poke he sustained in the first round. “Gamebred” said it was the only physical pain he felt post-fight, while also expressing disappointment with how referee Herb Dean handled the situation.

“The eye poke was pretty bad, man. The only thing that’s hurting right now is the f—ng eye,” Masvidal told reporters during his post-fight scrum. “My eye’s still throbbing right now. I’ve had a couple of mishaps at Herb Dean. I just don’t get it why he didn’t fix the action. (Colby) threw a punch, missed, and immediately just jabbed me in the f—ng eyeball.

“I’m not gonna take nothing away from him winning the fight, ‘cause that was just one sequence. But it would’ve been cool if (Herb) stopped it there, and I would’ve gotten my breathing to restart, because (Colby) poked the shit out of my eye.

Almost a week later, Masvidal is still feeling the effects of that seemingly inadvertent yet hard eye poke. On Thursday, the 37-year-old Miami native posted a photo of what appears to be a scratched eyelid.

The loss to Covington is Masvidal’s third straight defeat after an impressive run in 2019. He currently holds a record of 35-16.

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A big middleweight fight is on deck for UFC 275 in June.

Roughly a month after an unsuccessful bid to win back the UFC middleweight title, Robert Whittaker already has his next fight lined up.

Following an initial report from Ariel Helwani, MMA Fighting confirmed that Whittaker is expected to face former title challenger Marvin Vettori at UFC 275 on June 11th. No location has been confirmed but Singapore looks to be the place.

Whittaker (23-6) lost a close decision in his rematch vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 271 in Houston. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak that consisted of decisions over Darren Till, Kelvin Gastelum, and presumptive next title challenger Jared Cannonier. At the height of his success he won the interim title in his first meeting with Yoel Romero in 2017, then was elevated to full champ after Georges St-Pierre gave up the undisputed title and retired again.

Vettori (18-5-1) challenged Adesanya at UFC 263 last year, also losing a unanimous decision to put an end to his five-fight winning streak. ‘The Italian Dream’ most recently headlined a Fight Night card and won an entertaining five-round decision over Paulo Costa in what was a light heavyweight bout due to Costa’s weight cutting issues. Vettori’s only other UFC losses were a three-round split decision in his first fight vs. Adesanya, plus a decision to Antonio Carlos Junior in his second appearance inside the Octagon.

UFC 275 will feature light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira and challenger Jiri Prochazka in the main event. Women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is scheduled to fight Taila Santos in the co-headliner.

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Former light heavyweight title contender Thiago Santos isn’t overlooking Magomed Ankalaev, but feels well prepared the UFC Vegas 50 main event.

Knockout artist Thiago Santos will have his hands full on Saturday night against rising top contender Magomed Ankalaev. But the Brazilian feels well prepared for the task. Booked for a top-contender’s bout atop UFC Vegas 50, ‘Marreta’ knows his opponent is a well-rounded one, something he took fully into account during his training camp.

In an interview with Combate, ‘Marreta’ acknowledged Ankalaev’s skills and his impressive wins in recent outings. However, he also emphasized the need to focus on himself in order to prepare for a hard battle against the Dagestani. The way Santos sees it, Ankalaev may have the better win streak at the moment, but experience will be on his side.

“Ankalaev is a tough guy, He’s on a good win streak and he’s really dangerous. I must keep my eyes open. A lot of people say he’s going to take me down and use his wrestling, but I can’t just worry about that. He’s a great striker, too. He has KO wins. I’ve prepared in every single way possible and I’m ready for him. “

“I think I have an advantage when it comes to experience.” Santos continued. “Not only in cage time, but the opponents I’ve faced, too. I’m used to fighting five rounds and main events. I don’t think he has ever fought for five rounds. I’ll use all of my experience in my favor. The perfect way to end the figth would be my way. The sledgehammer.”

In his last outing, Santos (22-9) scored a unanimous decision win over Johnny Walker, back in October 2021. The victory snapped a three-fight losing skid for the 38-year-old, with losses to Aleksandar Rakic, Glover Teixeira and Jon Jones.

UFC Vegas 50 is scheduled to take place at the UFC Apex, in Las Vegas, on March 12. Alongside the light heavyweight main event, the card features a top-flight bantamweight bout between Marlon Moraes & Song Yadong, as well as the return of Alex Pereira, against Bruno Silva.

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The big UFC 272 event didn’t really cause a lot of upheaval in the rankings.

UFC 272 was going along at a very nice pace – until the last two fights. Having two lopsided five-round fights go the distance sucked a lot of the fun out of the card. And with a major lack of relevance to begin with from a rankings perspective, not a lot was going on here.

The card did see Bryce Mitchell get the biggest win of his career when he brutalized Edson Barboza. And Jorge Masvidal’s loss to the Colby Covington in the headliner did send him down the 170 list a little bit. As expected, Colby is still the number one contender.

Here’s a look at the changes coming out of UFC 272.

Men’s P4P – Deiveison Figueiredo moves up one to 12, bumping Stipe Miocic for no apparent reason.

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Heavyweight – Walt Harris and Blagoy Ivanov continue to flip-flop spots, with Harris at 13 this week and Ivanov at 14. Serghei Spivac enters at 15 after stopping Greg Hardy at UFC 272. Sergei Pavlovich is out.

Light Heavyweight – Dustin Jacoby enters at 15 following his win. Ion Cutelaba is out.

Middleweight – Nassourdine Imamov is up to 11, with Brad Tavares falling to 12. With Kevin Holland officially dropping to 170, he’s out of the MW list. Chris Weidman moves up one to 14, and Edmen Shahbazyan re-enters at 15.

Welterweight – Masvidal falls one spot to seven despite losing to the number one contender. Stephen Thompson is up one to six. Sean Brady and Neil Magny flip-flop the eight and nine spots.

Lightweight – No changes.

Featherweight – Mitchell moves up two spots to nine. Dan Ige and Barboza fall one spot each to ten and 11.

Bantamweight – No changes.

Flyweight – Tim Elliott moved up two spots to 11 following his victory. Amir Albazi dropped two spots to 13.

Women’s P4P – No changes.

Women’s Bantamweight – No changes.

Women’s Flyweight – No changes.

Women’s Strawweight – No changes.

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Karim Zidan delves into the career trajectory of Abdul-Kerim Edilov, the former UFC fighter who recently became the vice-premier of Chechnya.

On Feb. 25, 2022, Ramzan Kadyrov‚—the brutal tyrant at the helm of the republic of Chechnya in Russia—stood before a sea of Chechen troops gathered in the center of Grozny to assess their combat readiness for deployment. Dressed in a khaki green outfit with a matching tactical belt and a pair of Prada boots, a menacing smile crept across his bearded face as he gave a rousing speech in support of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The notorious Chechen warlord was flanked by three of his most loyal henchmen—one of whom has been accused of torture and another of plotting an assassination—as well as three of his teenage sons, all of whom were dressed in military attire. Beside them stood Abdul-Kerim Edilov, a former mixed martial arts fighter with the UFC who became the vice premier of Chechnya.

Edilov, who was compiled a 17-4 professional record, stood armed with a semi-automatic rifle, a tactical vest packed with extra ammunition, and a skull cap with the phrase “Akhmat Sila” (literally ‘Akhmat Power/Strength’), the battle cry used by Kadyrov loyalists and athletes in reference to Kadyrov’s late father, Akhmad.

He later posted a photo of himself at the gathering with the caption: “An honor to be on the team. An honor to serve the idea. Proud to die in this path.”

Though Edilov himself was not deployed to Ukraine, his prominent position alongside the Kadyrov family during the gathering underscores his growing influence within the dictator’s repressive regime. His unique journey from MMA fighter to vice premier of Chechnya also sheds light on how Kadyrov structures his power vertical around loyalty, bloodlines, and his inner circle.

Kadyrov’s MMA Soldier

When the UFC hosted its first show in Rotterdam in September 2017, few anticipated that the event would attract several of the most dangerous men in Chechnya.

Led by Kadyrov’s right-hand man Abuzayed Vismuradov, an escort of no less than 14 Chechen men emerged from a fleet of Mercedes Benz cars and made their way into the Ahoy Rotterdam convention center, where they sat in attendance to support their fellow countryman Abdul-Kerim Edilov as he made his UFC debut that evening. Some were fellow fighters from Akhmat MMA—the gym funded by Kadyrov himself as an extension of his own totalitarian regime—while others, like Vismuradov, were among the men personally implicated in Chechnya’s crackdown on sexual minorities in the republic.

Edilov’s debut took place on preliminary portion of the fight card and saw him defeat Serbia’s Bojan Mihajlovic in a lopsided beatdown. The Chechen light-heavyweight pounded away at his much smaller foe until Mihajlovic’s face was streaming with blood. After dominating the entirety of the bout, Edilov was awarded a technical knockout after the referee mercifully put an end to the bout midway through the second round.

Though his opposition was lacking, Edilov’s victory was not insignificant. He was one of Kadyrov’s favorite athletes and the first fighter from Kadyrov’s Akhmat MMA fight club to sign with the UFC. Edilov’s win not only showcased his athletic prowess, it also helped promote Kadyrov’s narrative of Chechen masculinity and dominance.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Founded in 2015, the Akhmat MMA fight club consists of an MMA promotion and several training facilities throughout Chechnya and various other post-Soviet states. The fight club is sponsored by Kadyrov himself through his government’s budget and bears the name of Kadyrov’s father, Akhmad Kadyrov. Fighters who are signed to the fight club’s official roster are paid monthly stipends that cover medical expenses, training costs, and travel fees. Depending on the level of success achieved, fighters are also gifted with expensive cars and other ostentatious goods.

Kadyrov’s decision to promote Edilov as one of his new fight club’s primary representatives was a gradual one. The light-heavyweight fighter first gained a reputation as a legitimate prospect in Russia during an impressive run that saw him compile a ten-fight win streak between 2013-15. He then joined Kadyrov’s newly-founded Akhmat MMA fight club in 2015 and became one of the promotion’s key figures.

Edilov went on to compete in the inaugural Akhmat MMA event (known at the time as World Fighting Championship of Akhmat 1) in March 2015, where he defeated journeyman Tiago Monaco Tosato in less than three minutes during the evening’s main event. He was rewarded with a hug from Kadyrov, who entered the ring in a tracksuit emblazoned with the Akhmat MMA logo and accompanied by his children and kickboxing great Badr Hari.

Following a second win at WFCA 3, Edilov agreed to be represented by Dominance MMA’s Ali Abdelaziz— the only UFC manager with a working relationship with Kadyrov—and signed with the UFC in August 2015.

However, Edilov UFC debut was sidetracked when the light-heavyweight was suspended for an anti-doping violation before ever making his debut. The Chechen fighter was handed a 15-month suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after he tested positive for meldonium, a prohibited substance, in an out-of-competition drug test in January 2016. USADA granted Edilov a reduced suspension after investigating his claim that the substance was being used for medical purposes.

Edilov’s suspension did not stop Kadyrov from continuing to promote him as a celebrity in Chechnya. In the months leading up to Edilov’s UFC debut, Kadyrov staged numerous public training sessions and photo-ops with Edilov and could be seen in footage offering advice to the professional fighter. Such events were broadcast on state TV in Chechnya.

Photo by Valery SharifulinTASS via Getty Images

Edilov eventually made his promotional debut at UFC: Rotterdam, where he defeated Mihajlovic by TKO. Despite the impressive win, however, Edilov did not compete for the UFC again. Instead, he focused on becoming a faithful servant of the Chechen president’s family.

Kadyrov’s Vice Premier

During their first visit to Grozny in May 2017, the HBO Real Sports team were having lunch at an outdoor café in downtown Grozny when they noticed a motorcade pull up nearby. Kadyrov’s three sons emerged from the vehicle with Edilov vigilantly by their side.

While the HBO cameras were not rolling footage at the time, correspondent David Scott decided to film the rarely captured scene using his iPhone. Edilov noticed Scott filming the Kadyrov children and bull-rushed the journalist, demanding that he delete the footage. Fearing for his safety, Scott obliged.

“This was the most intimidating place I’ve ever been,” Scott told Business Insider. “Every man and boy between the ages of 11 to 75 looks like they are about to kick your a—.”

Edilov’s reaction to Scott’s filming on his phone was due to the fighter’s newfound role as a glorified babysitter to Kadyrov’s children, primarily his three eldest sons. The fighter was effectively responsible for protecting the three boys and spending the vast majority of his day in their company.

Instagram

This transformation from full-time fighter to surrogate brother began in 2016, when Edilov was still serving a suspension for a USADA anti-doping violation. His Instagram account, once filled with training videos and fight footage, was now primarily dedicated to various pictures and videos of the fighter caring for Kadyrov’s three young sons. Clips on Instagram show Edilov attending Quran recitation classes with the princelings, teaching them various martial arts techniques in the gym, and even cruising in cars emblazoned with the late Akhmad Kadyrov’s face.

Edilov’s commitment to Kadyrov’s children earned him favor with the Chechen leader, who gifted him with a Porsche Panamera valued at over $ 120,000 USD for his 25th birthday in 2016. Edilov posted a picture of himself and Kadyrov’s children standing beside the car, along with the caption: “”I know that I do not deserve this in any way. The presence of Ahmad, Eli and Adam in my life is already the greatest gift! I cannot find the words to express my gratitude to them! I promise to always be around, stand up for them, and be a brother.”

Over the course of the next few years, Edilov continued to curry favor from Kadyrov. He trained Kadyrov’s children in boxing and MMA and coached them through amateur fights put on by their father’s Akhmat fight club. All the aforementioned bouts have been criticized as fixed fights with predetermined outcomes.

Photo by Valery SharifulinTASS via Getty Images

By November 2021, Edilov was elevated to his first official government role when he became Kadyrov’s chief of staff—a position he gained through his commitment to Kadyrov and his family, as well as his own family’s generational ties to the dictator.

Edilov is a native of Tsentoroi, the same village that Kadyrov hails from, which makes them part of the same clan (teip). He has several cousins involved in Chechen government, including police chief Major Amrudi Edilov, who also authored a hagiography on Akhmad Kadyrov that became required reading for high school students in Chechnya.

Other Edilov relatives include a deputy in the Chechen parliament, a traffic-police lieutenant colonel, a deputy health minister, and a senior staffer at the Chechen Security Council, and the head of the Chechen Boxing Federation.

Three months after being appointed chief of staff, Edilov was promoted to vice-premier of Chechnya in February 2022, further expanding his sphere of influence.

Edilov’s meteoric rise through the ranks of Chechen government emphasizes Kadyrov’s determination to fill important roles with loyalists and relatives, thereby consolidating his power and cementing his authority in Chechnya. It also sheds light on the elevated status of successful combat sports athletes in Kadyrov’s Chechnya, whereby talented fighters are elevated to celebrity status and influential government positions.

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Check out what happened at Invicta FC 46: Rodríguez vs. Torquato II on Wednesday night. 

Invicta Fighting Championships returned to Memorial Hall in Kansas City on Wednesday night with a five-fight show that featured a flyweight championship rematch between Karina Rodríguez and Daiana Torquato.

Rodríguez and Torquato fought for the vacant flyweight championship at Invicta on AXS TV this past May. An immediate rematch was not expected as Rodríguez had Ketlen Souza teed up as her first defense, but ‘Esquentadinha’ was forced to withdraw. Rodríguez vs. Torquato II was just as scrappy as their first meeting, and it came down to the judges’ scorecards again. In the end, the champion retained.

Karina Rodríguez vs. Daiana Torquato

Karina Rodríguez and Daiana Torquato were already familiar with each other, so their rematch was quite the showcase. Rodríguez fired off some jabs mixed with straight right hands, while Torquato worked on clinching up with and taking down the champion. Rodríguez came out in the second round with more straight right hands, forcing Torquato to retreat a bit. When she closed the distance again, Torquato shot in and secured a takedown. Rodriguez returned to her feet quickly but could not do the same after being taken down again. Torquato finished in half guard, raining down punches and elbows to the head and body of Rodríguez as the time expired.

The third round saw Torquato tie Rodríguez up in the clinch again, driving the champion into the cage and planting knees into her midsection. Rodríguez separated and exchanged with Torquato for a few seconds before being pushed against the cage and quickly taken down. Rodríguez kept getting up and landing some hard punches and kicks, but Torquato was more than happy to return the favor. The fourth round was essentially the same, with Rodríguez advancing and landing before being clinched up.

The fight was 2-2 heading into the fifth round. Both women began in the clinch, firing off some knees before separating. Torquato shot in again and forced Rodríguez against the cage, where she connected with more knees. Rodríguez broke away and delivered an elbow to Torquato. Torquato stayed on Rodríguez but could not keep her down for too long. Toward the final minute, Rodríguez pushed the pace and wanted to brawl with Torquato. Though not the fight she prepared for, Rodríguez earned a hard-fought split decision over Torquato to retain her belt.

Milana Dudieva vs. Denise Gomes

Denise Gomes was almost finished several times in her fight against Milana Dudieva, but the Brazilian pulled off one hell of a comeback in the third round. After being stung early with two overhand rights, Gomes was tripped and taken down by Dudieva. Gomes found herself at the mercy of the submission specialist on her back, trying to avoid punches and a rear-naked choke attempt. Gomes reversed position and even took the back of Dudieva, but nothing significant was accomplished. The second round began, and Dudieva was fouled by Gomes twice, a low blow and eye poke within seconds of one another. Once the action resumed, Dudieva dropped Gomes with a right hook and tried to finish with follow-up punches on the ground. Gomes was out of danger for a few seconds before being dropped again by a right hook. Dudieva pounced but ultimately went for a takedown to end the round. Perhaps tired from her attempts to finish the fight, Dudieva got overwhelmed by Gomes, who moved forward and uncorked a barrage of punches and knees that dropped her opponent to the canvas. The referee stepped in, and Dudieva protested, but it was a solid stoppage.

Danielle Taylor vs. Liz Tracy

Liz Tracy nearly scored a first-round stoppage of Danielle Taylor after getting her to the ground off a perfectly timed trip and unloading some ground-and-pound before transitioning into a rear-naked choke. Taylor survived but appeared to have no answer for Tracy and her pursuit of the takedown as the minutes wound down. Taylor had some moments on the feet but could not follow up. Down 0-2 on the scorecards, Taylor tried to come alive in the final minute. However, it was a little too late to turn the tide. Tracy won a unanimous decision and told Michelle Waterson during her post-fight interview that she would like a title shot for her next appearance.

Kristina Williams vs. Flore Hani

Flore Hani knew she had to close the distance on the rangy Kristina Williams, and she did exactly that. Hani kept the pressure on Williams, but the Invicta FC debutant fired off some good combinations and kicks. Hani found success in the clinch, but paid for it as Williams continued to find a home for a a punch or an elbow during the separations. Hani took the fight to the ground in the second round, shooting in on a double and putting Williams down. Though Hani went to work from top position, the referee decided to stand the fighters up. Hani tied Williams up again, tying up the fight at 1-1 before the bell. The third and final round was easily the closest, and the judges thought so too, as Williams was awarded a split decision over Hani.

Paulina Granados vs. Monique Adriane

Paulina Granados and Monique Adriane wasted no time once the bell signifying the start of the first round sounded. A quick exchange saw Granados dropped by a straight right hand from Adriane, who was then forced to the ground by her opponent after she shot in for a takedown. Adriane immediately went for a choke, but Granados scrambled out of the attempt and ended up in a better position. Both women eventually returned to their feet where Adriane continued to light up Granados. It was more of the same in the second and third rounds, with Adriane outstriking and outgrappling Granados. Adriane left the cage with a unanimous decision win, her first under the Invicta FC banner.

Full results:

Karina Rodríguez def. Daiana Torquato via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)

Denise Gomes def. Milana Dudieva via TKO (punches) at 1:56 of Round 3

Liz Tracy def. Danielle Taylor via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Kristina Williams def. Flore Hani via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Monique Adriane def. Paulina Granados via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

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Eagle FC has signed three more former UFC talents for their card on May 20.

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov continues to pick up recognizable names for his fledgling Eagle FC promotion. With notables like Rashad Evans, Renan Barao, Kevin Lee and Antonio Silva already on the roster, it looks like a few more heavy hitters have been added to the list.

Per an Ag Fight report, later confirmed by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos is the latest big-name signing. JDS is currently set to take on fellow Octagon veteran Yorgan de Castro as the main event of Eagle FC’s May 20th fight card main.

On a four-fight losing skid, Dos Santos (21-9) is coming off knockout losses to Ciryl Gane, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Curtis Blaydes and Francis Ngannou. The 38-year-old’s last win came in March 2019, when he knocked out Derrick Lewis. ‘Cigano’ had previously been linked to a Triad Combat boxing event on February 26, but the fight card was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Already an Eagle FC athlete, De Castro (8-3) had a successful debut with the promotion in his last outing, when he submitted Shaun Asher on January 28th. The win put the 34-year-old at 2-0 following his release from the UFC after three straight losses—to Jarjis Danho, Carlos Felipe and Greg Hardy.

The evening’s co-main event will also feature some well known faces. Though the weight class for the contest hasn’t been revealed, former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard and UFC light heavyweight veteran Thiago Silva are set to square off in Lombard’s first MMA bout since exiting the UFC in 2018.

Away from competition since 2019, Silva (21-9-2 NC) will look to snap a two-fight losing skid at Eagle FC. In his last two outings, the 39-year-old suffered losses to Martin Zawada and Ivan Shtyrkov. The Brazilian last saw his hand raised in October 2018, when he defeated fellow UFC vet James McSweeney via unanimous decision in a heavyweight bout.

Silva was cut from the UFC in 2013 following an incident where he brandished a firearm at a jiu-jitsu gym operated by his estranged wife’s boyfriend. Silva was then re-signed to the UFC after charges were dropped, but cut again shortly after—following the release of disturbing videos and statements from his wife. During his Octagon stint, the Brazilian scored wins over names like Keith Jardine, Rafael Cavalcante and Houston Alexander.

Currently on a six-fight losing skid in MMA, Lombard (34-10-1-2 NC) hasn’t picked up a win in the cage since 2014, when he beat former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields (although a 2015 victory over Josh Burkman was overturned due to a failed drug test). Ultimately, the string of defeats led to the Cuban’s UFC release and to a different sport altogether—with a 3-1 bareknuckle boxing record compiled between 2020-2021.

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Welcome to Bloody Elbow Presents the ‘Open GuardCast Jiu-Jitsu Podcast’, which is a project dedicated to promoting jiu-jitsu professionals. Our guest this week is Carlos Diaz.

Welcome to ‘The Open GuardCast Jiu-Jitsu Podcast’, which is a project dedicated to promoting jiu-jitsu professionals. Tune in each week, Wednesdays at 2pm CST, on our ‘Bloody Elbow Presents Podcast Network’, for interviews, current events, and analysis of everything going on in the world of jiu-jitsu and submission grappling!

Your host is Danny O’Donnell. In addition to hosting this podcast, he is an MMA journalist contributing here at Bloody Elbow, as well as at Black Belt Mag. O’Donnell himself is a BJJ black belt who trains at the Marcio Andre Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Phoenix, AZ.

Last week we introduced a jiu-jitsu current events portion of the show. This week we discussed current events in the jiu-jitsu world and the AJP Tour Orlando event that is coming up on April 16th.

Our guest interview this week was with Carlos Diaz, he joined right in to cover all the current events, and more! Carlos is a third degree black belt under Rafael Rebello and one of the organizers of this year’s AJP Tour – Orlando.

June M. Williams

Enjoy the show!

Q1: Do you have any thoughts on the breaking news in the BJJ scene that Nicholas Meregali is set for his no-gi debut at this month’s WNO against Arnaldo Maidana? — At 1:18

Q2: What are your thoughts on the match up between Galvao and De Ridder coming up at ONE-X from ONE Championship this month? — At 6:31

Q3: At that same ONE Championship ‘ONE-X’ ten year anniversary event, is an Atomweight Submission Grappling match between Yamaguchi and Kelly, what are your thoughts on that match? — At 11:10

Q4: What do you think about Danielle Kelly’s game? Have you paid attention to some of her WNO matches, other no-gi and superfight matches in other promotions like Fury FC? — At 12:49

Q5: What do you think about ONE signing Mikey Musumeci and what it could mean for a potential grappling circuit to evolve for ONE FC? — At 14:29

Q6: What are your thoughts on Andy Murasaki being able to compete and win at Middleweight, at a lighter weight, recently? — At 21:09

Q7: What are your thoughts on ‘Mica’ and what he has been able to do lately? — At 25:39

Q8: Did you happen to see Mica’s bout with Pedro Marinho at the Third Coast Grappling middleweight tournament? — At 36:09

Q9: Did you have any thoughts on that match Mica lost to Mauricio Oliveira at a Brazilian no-gi match on a BJJ Bet card? — At 37:08

Q10: Did you have any thoughts on Mica’s match with Tye Ruotolo at WNO? — At 38:34

Q11: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a Professional Grappler, doesn’t want that full time job, and they’re competing at all the events they need to and they’re competing on the mat… what advice would you give someone like that, for what they can do off the mat to help them further their career? — At 46:11

Q12: Can you share some insight into the upcoming AJP Orlando Tour and let people know how they can get signed up? — At 50:12

Q13: Do you have any insight into future events in the US, or coming up on the horizon to share with us? — At 53:39

You can follow Danny on twitter — @DannyOD_BJJ, or insta — @dannyod_bjj. The show’s insta is @openguardcast, or on Fb. This week’s guest, Carlos Diaz at @losdiaz2531 and the AJP Tour at @ajp_usa and @ajptour.

Be sure to tune in for next week’s show & learn more about the world of jiu-jitsu, on Wed, Mar 16th., at 2PM CST, for Episode 128. We will have another fascinating BJJ interview; our guest will be Tom DeBlass, as well as current events, and analysis of everything going on in the world of jiu-jitsu and submission grappling!

If you enjoy our shows, give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, or give us a “like”, share & subscribe over on whichever BE Presents Podcast Channel happens to be your listening platform of choice: SoundCloud, YouTube, iTunes & Apple TV, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, OverCast, Player FM, & Amazon Music!

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