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A spectacular collection of Muay Thai and kickboxing finishes, and some silliness to cap off a most horrid year.

Hello and happy holidays, kids.

As this wretched year winds down, we do what we can to stay afloat and make sure you’re all at least slightly more informed and absolutely more entertained. So we’ll just cut to the fun stuff right away.

We’re gonna get to the Dambé in a hurry, because good god, this was rich. The title notes this as being a “hilarious” bout, but I sure as hell wasn’t laughing. Neither was the guy that got put on ice skates after getting stunned.

Had my man doing the Okie Shuffle in full view of the audience, no love in these streets.

And just in time for year’s end, here’s another small compilation of some of their most exciting moments:

Seriously, go check out African Warriors. They’re delivering big on sensational moments like these.

Here’s a collection of Glory’s best uppercut knockouts. We don’t seem to see too many of these in MMA for some reason. Watching this seems to make that fact stand out even more.

Here’s an excellent vid from Muay Thai Scholar, who constantly picks at the details in the Art of Eight Limbs. I say that as a compliment, they really get into the minutae of the game and why it’s so effective and a beautiful sport to witness. Here we’ll look at specifically the front kick, or teep. Mostly, this focuses on situations in which it’s been used to optimal effect and to deter the boxing of an opponent. Great stuff, can’t recommend it enough.

Next we’ve got Kickboxing Tribute, a channel that focuses on striking as well – although not exclusively kickboxing and Muay Thai or boxing. There’s some MMA gems in there, primarily from orgs you don’t see much of or may not have heard of at all.

This time, they’ve completed their December recap of top knockouts. December isn’t even over yet, but I can’t knock the hustle. Is what it is, and you can’t really argue when the quality of this content is that good. I mean, seriously. Look at this collection right here. It’s straight fire.

We’ve got Chris Sumo back again, this time it’s a recap of the year that was for Sumo standout Ishizaki. The man’s been on a tear, and Chris gives us a glimpse of how and why it went the way it did.

Go check out his channel for more, he’s really good at breaking things down. His content is perhaps a bit ahead of what the uninitiated might be comfortable with, at least at first. But it’s all quality stuff from a guy that really loves the sport.

This one is a delight, but of the kind that makes you cringe. Here’s a highlight vid of nothing but body kick finishes in Muay Thai. The only catch is that they’re from 2019. But it’s mastery in action from some of the most devastating and surgical strikers alive.

Alright, enough of that. On to the goofy stuff. Daddy knows why you’re here, and you’ve mostly been good this year. So here’s your gift, I suppose.

I’ve seen some bad Santas, but have you ever seen them this riled up and agitated?

Billy Bob Thornton could never.

Some people say “Jesus is the reason for the season”, but it’s also the one name you mutter under your breath when you see stuff like this:

But on a lighter note, here’s the classic Santa fight prank from the Just For Laughs comedy crew:

Finally, here’s the Santa fight from the seminal Schwarzenegger Christmas film, Jingle All The Way.

Glad that movie still gets rotation each year so Sinbad can keep getting checks and never go back to dressing up as a prophylactic. Glad he’s doing better, too.

Here’s hoping that the New Year treats you all quite well. Well, at least better than Andrew Tate’s future predicament. And remember – you might think you can fight, but there are many guys like you all over the world.

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“I’m 155 pounds in or out of camp.”

UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Vera recently put reigning champion Aljamain Sterling on blast over Sterling’s pre-fight prep. For ‘Chito,’ cutting a large amount of weight—as Sterling seems to do—is just another form of “cheating.”

“I think he’s too big to make the weight class,” Vera told Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith in a recent episode of the Believe You Me Podcast. “Cutting that much weight is cheating to me.

“You’re kind of like a pussy to cut that much weight because you want to be bigger, stronger. Because he really doesn’t hurt nobody, but he makes you carry his weight, take you down…”

Sterling recently posted a video on social media, showing him tipping the scales at 176 pounds. “Funkmaster,” says it’s him “enjoying the fruits of his labor,” but for Vera, it’s a way of getting the unfair advantage of being much bigger than the rest of the division.

“I’m 155 pounds in or out of camp. I feel like that’s a natural 135-pounder, and I still think I cut a shit lot of weight because 20 pounds is a lot. That motherf—r weighs like 170, 180 pounds when he’s eating f—ng god knows what.

“That’s why he’s been KOd unconscious because of the amount of weight he cuts. If you touch him, he might go down, so…”

Vera (20-7-1), who is on an impressive four-fight win streak, will face Cory Sandhagen on February 18.

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Chael Sonnen explains the one thing that sets Paddy Pimblett apart from Sean O’Malley.

Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger turned podcast host and MMA analyst Chael Sonnen recently spoke about the similarities between two of the fastest growing stars in the UFC: Sean O’Malley and Paddy Pimblett.

Although they are two of the most popular personalities in the sport, with both men having a combined 5.3 million Instagram followers, Sonnen highlighted one key difference between the two fighters: their approach to calling out opponents.

O’Malley has made it clear that he has his sights set on the bantamweight title and has a clear path to contention following his recent victory over Petr Yan. Pimblett, on the other hand, has not called out a single opponent since joining the UFC last year, preferring instead to let the fights come to him.

“The one difference between those two. I’ve never seen anyone get over to the extent that Paddy’s over without having this element, which is Paddy’s not calling anybody out,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel (h/t John Cunningham of MMA News). “I could narrow down a few guys that Sean [O’Malley] is likely to fight next. But I don’t see that for Paddy. Paddy doesn’t challenge anybody.”

Pimblett last fought at UFC 281, where he secured a controversial unanimous decision win over Jared Gordon in the co-main event. He is anticipated to return to the Octagon in the coming year, possibly at UFC London.

As for O’Malley, the 28-year-old is expected to fight the winner of the proposed matchup between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title. That bout is anticipated to take place in March 2023.

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‘Bigfoot’ has retired.

MMA veteran Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva has decided to retire from professional competition. The news came shortly after the announcement of a new booking set for March under Brave FC, which would now be a grappling contest.

In a recent conversation with Brazilian outlet Canal Encarada, the 43-year-old spoke candidly about his current state of emotions in terms of his career.

“I fought the best, I beat the best, and also lost to the best,” he said (H/T MMA Fighting). “There’s a time in life when you can’t… I fought in Russia, back-to-back fights basically, and I’m not taking anything away from my MMA opponent [Oleg Popov], but I never saw myself losing to this guy three or four years ago. This guy has nothing for me, but I’m 43 now.”

Silva’s last win happened in 2015 at UFC 190 when he scored a TKO victory over Soa Palelei. What followed is a very concerning string of 10 losses across boxing, bareknuckle boxing, kickboxing and MMA, with all but one ending via knockout or TKO.

After going through a serious health situation and realizing how it could affect his long-term well-being, he was finally pushed to hang it up.

“I still have the same head I had when I was 35, but my body isn’t 35 anymore. It’s different. We have to respect it. Everybody has a limit. … It’s hard to say ‘I’ll stop, I can’t anymore.’ It’s hard for any professional in any sport.

“I had a tumor years ago, had two surgeries, and every time [I had] a knockout or knockdown I ran tests to see if everything was OK because I’m a human being, a father.

“I’ll leave the sport professionally, I have a wife and kids and people to take care of, people I love and that love me.”

Silva (19-14, with 1 NC) last saw action in June against Oleg Popov. He lost via second-round knockout. He also had one fight under Bare Knuckle FC against fellow UFC veteran Gabriel Gonzaga in 2019 and also lost via second-round knockout.

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Vera vs. O’Malley II, anyone? 

Sean O’Malley wants Marlon Vera to defeat Cory Sandhagen so they can have their much-anticipated rematch next year.

One of the biggest fights in the UFC bantamweight division is Vera vs. Sandhagen, which was announced as the headliner of UFC Vegas 69 scheduled for Sat., Feb. 18, at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. For O’Malley, fighting in the smaller cage at the UFC APEX should give ‘Chito’ the edge over the ’Sandman’.

“The APEX doesn’t have a big cage and it makes zero sense,” said O’Malley on a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow. “The big cage is what, 40 percent bigger than the small cage? Like, quite a bit, significantly bigger. That plays a role.

“I think it gives ‘Chito’ a pretty big advantage,” continued O’Malley. “I don’t know if advantage is the right word, but a disadvantage, rather, for Cory.”

Following his most recent win over Petr Yan at UFC 280 this past October, O’Malley became the new No. 1 contender. And though he has set his sights on the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo, ‘Sugar’ has yet to receive word on when that would happen. However, O’Malley could miss out on that potential fight altogether.

According to the ‘Funk Master,’ a move from 135 pounds to 145 pounds is imminent. If it is, then O’Malley wants him and Vera to vie for the would-be vacant UFC bantamweight championship.

“I want ‘Chito’ to win, obviously,” said O’Malley. “Because then if that is the case, me vs. ‘Chito’ for the belt is massive. Or I go out there and beat whoever that is, and then first title defense against ‘Chito.’”

O’Malley and Vera first fought at UFC 252, where the Contender Series graduate suffered his first professional loss by first-round TKO.

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According to Marlon Vera, there’s a drug that can help fighters pass USADA testing.

UFC bantamweight Marlon Vera believes that cheating is still rife in MMA and that there are ways to get around USADA’s drug testing.

While he would “rather die than cheat”, Vera believes some fighters have access to to drugs that allow them to test clean while using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

“Chito” suggested that former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw is still using PEDs and that USADA should continue testing him for at least a year after his retirement.

“If he comes back, it will be weird because he tested positive already and he said he’s retiring for good,” Vera said on Believe You Me (h/t Middle Easy). “It’s crazy because the moment you retire, you’re out of the [USADA] pool, I’m like, at least test the guy for a year.”

“I believe people are cheating even until this day,” he added. “I really believe that. I heard there’s drugs you can take and literally overnight [the banned substance] kind of like disappear… but I would probably rather die than cheat. That’s just me right.”

Dillashaw is one of the most notorious drug cheats in the sport, having tested positive for EPO in 2019 and handed a two-year suspension by USADA. He returned to competition last year but was forced to retire due to recurring injuries, losing via injury-TKO to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280.

Vera returns to action at UFC Fight Night 219 where he takes on Cory Sandhagen in the main event. The card takes place on Feb. 18, 2023, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Jared Cannonier thinks having a new middleweight champion is “good for the rest of us” at 185 pounds.

Jared Cannonier believes that Alex Pereira’s upset TKO win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 was a good thing for the rest of the middleweight division, including himself.

With Adesanya no longer champion, “Tha Killa Gorilla” believes that he and the other middleweight contenders now have a more direct route to a title shot, rather than having to work they way back up to a rematch.

Despite the opportunity that Adesanya’s loss presented to the division, however, Cannonier made it clear that he did not hope for or celebrate “The Last Stylebender’s” shock defeat.

“I wouldn’t say I was shocked,” Cannonier, who lost to Adesanya this past July, said on The MMA Hour (h/t MMA Fighting) “That’s how fights go. That’s how some fights can go. You can be winning one minute, next thing you know you’re trying not to get hit with some of the biggest shots coming your way. That’s how it goes. It’s unfortunate how it went down for Israel [Adesanya], but that’s the fight game, man.”

“I wouldn’t say it was a good thing for me,” he added. “I wouldn’t say I was happy or anything like that. I didn’t have an emotional reaction to it. It was more of a logical thing. And the way I think of it is, it brings more interest to the division, as opposed to bringing more interest to Israel himself.

“So it is good for the rest of us. We all get more of a chance of fighting for the title, as opposed to trying to make our way back up to a rematch, which I feel is harder to do in this sport. But no, I wasn’t happy that Israel lost. I wasn’t like clutching my crystals hoping Israel loses this fight or anything like that. So no, I’ve never wished ill will on anybody.”

Cannonier rebounded from his loss to Adesanya with a split decision victory over Sean Strickland at UFC Vegas 66. After the fight, he called for a rematch with Robert Whittaker, offering to step in as a replacement for Paulo Costa at UFC 284. He is currently #3 in the UFC middleweight rankings, with standout victories over Strickland, Brunson, and Gastelum.

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Dayne Fox predicts the breakout fighters in each division for the UFC in the upcoming year.

As 2022 comes to a close, we all know what time it is. It’s time for end-of-year awards in addition to predictions for the upcoming year. Rather than get all elaborate about it, this is one of the prediction articles… as I’m sure you guessed by the title. I did this last year and while I wasn’t perfect, I didn’t do too badly. It also forces me to put a critical eye the youthful fighters as I select one fighter from each division. Let’s jump into the criteria.

The criteria: the fighter needs to have made their UFC debut in 2021 or later or have three or less fights within the organization in addition to not having cracked the UFC’s official rankings at any point. Not that I put much stock in the UFC’s rankings, but it’s a criteria that is simple, understood, and easy to adhere to. I will choose one person from each division, sans the women’s featherweight division for obvious reasons. The purpose of this is less to give a detailed description of each of the fighters, but to give an idea of who might be worth keeping an eye on when there are so many names on the roster to choose from and open up the comments to discussion as I’ll be the first to admit there are plenty of names that aren’t on this list. Here we go!

Heavyweight: The heavyweight division may be the easiest division to single out an up-and-coming talent. Had he stayed exclusively at light heavyweight, there’s a good chance Jailton Almeida would be ineligible to be label a breakout candidate as I find it hard to believe he wouldn’t have a number next to his name. At 31, the Brazilian is still fresh faced for the division and he’s blown through all three of his UFC opponents thus far. The scariest part is that he’s not doing it in one single area; Almeida is winning his fights any way that he wants. He claims he wants to win the title in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions, but given his last two have come within the confines in the heavyweight division and his next fight is scheduled at heavyweight, I have a hard time believing he’s going back to 205.

Light Heavyweight: I lucked out a bit here. I probably should have picked Carlos Ulberg for this spot last year. However, based on the criteria I have set for myself, he’s still eligible for me to select for this year. There’s never been any doubt about Ulberg’s physical talents. He’s got a huge frame, technically sound striking, and more than sufficient power to make some noise. The question had been his fight IQ and cardio after Ulberg bombed in his UFC debut. Well, he’s redeemed himself since then, stringing together three consecutive wins since that point. Even more promising, each of those wins have been increasingly impressive. One more win and Ulberg is likely to be in the official UFC rankings… and he’ll probably be there for a long time if the trend for the last decade continues to hold.

Middleweight: There were a couple of reasonable names to sift through at middleweight. There’s some green talent that are still very much learning on the job. There’s a few veterans who are about as good as they’re going to get, just needing an opportunity to shine. I opted to go with the choice that I believe has a foot in both those worlds. Caio Borralho isn’t making it on highlight reels with his methodical performances, but he is showing a high level of intelligence. I’m more impressed with his smothering grappling thus far, but the Brazilian has shown the maturity and experience to find more than his share of success on the feet if that’s where the fight takes him. Plus, he showed on his second DWCS appearance that he can finish a fight if that’s what is asked of him. Borralho isn’t the flashiest pick, but I believe he’s the best pick to break into the rankings within the next year.

Welterweight: Most other years, I’d probably be alright to settle on someone like Phil Rowe for this spot. However, prospects like Jack Della Maddalena give off a particularly special vibe. The Aussie has secured three first round finishes against increasingly difficult opposition. Thus, while his win over Pete Rodriguez isn’t going to turn many heads, some attention should be paid to what he did to the likes of the durable Ramazan Emeev and dangerous Danny Roberts. Della Maddalena possesses a natural feel for striking, not forcing anything but still producing enough power to end his opponent’s night early. Plus, he’s been showing improved wrestling with every contest. I hate to predict which of these fighters is most likely to become a champion someday, but Della Maddalena would be my choice if forced to do so.

Lightweight: Since the UFC once again became committed to the lightweight division, there has never been a shortage of lightweights on the roster. What there has been is a shortage of top prospects. Some will point to Paddy Pimblett, but I don’t know a serious MMA mind that sees him becoming UFC champion someday. On the other hand, it isn’t hard to see Terrance McKinney strapping UFC gold around his waist. There are some pacing issues he’ll need to work on before anyone will take that prospect seriously – he never has gone to a decision – but there’s been enough subtle signs of maturity from the elite athlete to believe he can put everything together. Plus, his most impressive performance in the UFC may be the lone loss on his ledger as he came thisclose to putting away Drew Dober. Given McKinney’s other three UFC performances were first round finishes indicates how special of a talent he appears to be.

Featherweight: Aside from the prospects that have already broken into the official UFC rankings, featherweight is devoid of major standout prospects. That isn’t to say they are without prospects, but there are major question marks attached to them all. For instance, Melsik Baghdasaryan’s ground game is still untested. His late start in MMA is another reason for concern, though that didn’t stop Alex Pereira from becoming a champion. Francis Marshall looks promising too, but he’s still young enough in his career that I’m not sold on him yet. Even the fighter I’m ultimately settling on, David Onama, has a huge cloud over his head given his association with James Krause. We’ve already seen Jeff Molina suspended for what appears to be his ties with Krause; will the same thing happen to Onama? If not, Onama has proven to have the power, durability, and toughness to be a major player. Experience is the main thing he needs. I’m going out on a limb in picking him, but I do believe he has the tools to be special.

Bantamweight: Bantamweight offers more clarity in their prospects than featherweight, but there doesn’t appear to be anyone ready to hit the big stage quite yet. I know everyone is excited about 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., but the UFC is going to slow roll him. He isn’t on the verge of big things, at least not quite yet. Christian Rodriguez offers a lot of promise too, but I think he’s still a bit early in his development to be the breakout candidate of the year. Thus, while I don’t believe Javid Basharat has the ceiling of either Rosas or Rodriguez, I do believe he’s further along in his development that I expect he’ll either be fighting ranked opponents or in the rankings himself by the end of the year. The Afghani fighter is merely a good athlete, but he fights with a veteran savvy that belies his 27 years. Basharat’s well-rounded, technical game will take him further than his physical traits indicate he should go.

Flyweight: The obvious choice is Muhammad Mokaev, but the Brit has already broken into the official rankings, making him ineligible based on my criteria. However, the second choice besides Mokaev isn’t too difficult to decipher either as Tatsuro Taira has some backers that believe he’s going to be the better long-term prospect than Mokaev. Taira isn’t quite as explosive as Mokaev, but he has the more fundamentally sound ground game that has proven to be more adapt to MMA than Mokaev’s more traditional wrestling background. Taira’s striking still has some loose ends to work out if he wants to be competitive against the elite, but I wouldn’t say it’s porous. Regardless, at 22, he’s Japan’s best chance for a champion for the next several years and has his best years ahead of him.

Women’s Bantamweight: There are only three women who have made their official UFC debuts since 2021 on the UFC roster. The lack of bodies on the roster leaves the options very limited. Nonetheless, provided she can prove she can make the 135-pound limit consistently, there’s no reason to believe Chelsea Chandler won’t prove to be a major force sooner rather than later. She does require some more refinement in all aspects – she only has six professional contests – but the way she physically dominated Julija Stoliarenko indicates she’s already in prime position to make a rapid ascent up the shallow divisional ranks. Given the top of the division should be aging out soon enough, there’s room for Chandler to end up near the top of the division sooner rather than later.

Women’s Flyweight: Without a doubt, flyweight is the deepest women’s division. Some may be confused by that statement given the long reign of the current champion, Valentina Shevchenko. However, there appears to be a storm of challengers on the horizon. The likes of Manon Fiorot, Erin Blanchfield, Casey O’Neill, and Tracy Cortez have all burst into the rankings in the past two years and look like they should challenge for the title at the very least at some point in their careers. I have no doubt Natalia Silva has the physical skills to do the same thing. Whether she can put it all together against quality competition is what we have yet to see. Given the way she styled on Jasmine Jasudavicius and overcame the early onslaught of Tereza Bleda – another quality prospect – it looks like Silva is going to be a real force the very near future. Silva has shown the flash to put together a hell of a highlight reel, but she’s going to have to show a bit more in the fundamentals before everyone is sold on her as a future contender.

Women’s Strawweight: The quantity is there for the strawweight division in terms of prospects. Unfortunately, the quality isn’t quite at the same level. Not that there isn’t any quality, but the lack of obvious future stars in combination with the questions still surrounding the present crop makes this a difficult division to figure out who the best breakout candidate would be. I picked Tabatha Ricci last year, but she didn’t fight enough to have a potential breakout. That said, I don’t want to be picking the same fighter two years in a row. Thus, while I like what I’ve seen from Yazmin Jauregui enough to pick her to be the breakout fighter in the division, I admit there are some reservations. Then again, the 23-year-old Mexico native has plenty of room to grow and has already proven to be someone who should be a fun staple in the division for years to come. She’ll need to boost her ground game and diversify her standup, but her boxing base is more than enough for her to work with.

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It isn’t Alex Pereira, debate me!

Chris Rini

Take care of yourself and I’ll talk to you Monday. Remember to watch the Super Atomweight Tournament finals on RIZIN and happy new year!

Chris

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Dana White’s slap fighting thingy adds a famous face.

Dana White’s slap fighting league will debut on TBS on January 11. The show will feature competitors slapping each other across the jaw as hard as possible in an attempt to elicit a knockout.

This form of spectacle is nothing new; slap fighting is a couple of years old now. However, the UFC President is giving the sport (?) exposure and legitimacy like never before.

White is clearly trying to attract an MMA audience to his new venture. This appears even more obvious with the news that former UFC middleweight champion Forest Griffin has been given a role on the show (per TMZ).

Thankfully, Griffin isn’t signed up to take any head trauma. The first ever TUF winner will instead be performing the role of ‘head catcher’. This means Griffin will stand behind the people getting whomped and will be charged with catching anyone who falls backwards.

Griffin told TMZ that he was responsible for making sure competitors don’t suffer more than an acceptable amount of brain damage.

“That double impact,” Griffin said, explaining what he was hoping to prevent. “You’ve taken the first trauma and when your head hits the ground, bang bang, both sides of your brain actually bounce against your skull. We want to prevent that and make it just the initial impact and have that be what causes you or not causes you to win or lose the competition.”

Brains bouncing off the inside of the skull is extremely dangerous. That motion is what causes brain bleeds, which have killed numerous MMA fighters and boxers including Tim Hague, Joao Carvalho and Dwight Ritchie.

However, that motion is not the only risk combat sports athletes are taking with their brains. When the brain is forced to rotate, within the skull, it can cause a number of symptoms which, we often refer to as a ‘concussion’. The technical term for this is a mild traumatic brain injury of mTBI.

MTBIs cause a protein called tau to be released within the brain. This protein causes decay across the brain. This process causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE can lead to dementia, depression and increased risk of suicide.

Tau is released in the brain during an mTBI regardless if the injury presents typical concussion symptoms (such as losing consciousness).

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