Category Archives: Bloodyelbow.com

Poirier vs. Gaethje 2, anyone?

Dustin Poirier is interested in a potential rematch with Justin Gaethje.

In the co-headliner of UFC 286 this past Saturday, Gaethje defeated Rafael Fiziev by majority decision in a ‘Fight of the Night’ awarded appearance. During his post-fight interview with UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier, the ‘Highlight’ said he would have ‘one more run at the title’, which Islam Makhachev now holds.

For Gaethje, that run would include a pair of rematches against Charles Oliveira and the aforementioned Poirier, who he suffered a fourth-round TKO loss to at UFC on FOX 29 nearly five years ago. Though ‘Do Bronx’ has yet to respond, the ‘Diamond’ did — and he would gladly share the Octagon with Gaethje again.

“It’s a fight that makes me nervous,” said Poirier in a recent interview with Amy Kaplan of FanSided MMA. “When I hear a name and I get nervous, it’s motivation. Those are the kind of fights that — same thing with Chandler. When I heard Chandler’s name, when they called me with Michael Chandler, I was nervous, because I knew the danger of those kinds of fights, and that’s what motivates me.

“Same thing with Justin,” continued Poirier. “If they do call me and he’s the name that they say, maybe it happens. We’ll see.”

As mentioned, Poirier is awaiting a call from the UFC on his next appearance. The Louisiana native has yet to return following his third-round rear-naked choke of Michael Chandler at UFC 281 this past November.

Since then, the UFC lightweight division has had some significant movement. Fights between Charles Oliveira & Beneil Dariush and Arman Tsarukyan & Renato Moicano are already on the books. Hoping to jump into the fray, Poirier is aiming for a return soon.

“I’m happy, but I only fought once this year, and I don’t want that to happen again this year,” said Poirier. “But at the same time, my life is different now. My daughter is in first grade, so a summer fight would be ideal. That way I could bring my family with me for the bulk of training camp. For this last fight with Chandler, we had to split it up. I can’t take my daughter out of school for eight, nine weeks, so that makes it a little bit more difficult. But summer would be good.”

About the author: Kristen King is a writer for Bloody Elbow. She has covered combat sports since 2016. (full bio)

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Grant Brace was 20 years old.

According to CNN The University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky has agreed to pay $ 14.1 million to the family of Grant Brace. Brace died in 2020 after a so-called ‘punishment practice’ as part of the University’s wrestling team. He was 20 years old.

Brace died of heat stroke. The lawsuit alleged that Brace died after his coaches “ignored” his “deteriorating medical condition throughout practice.”

The practise involved coaches Jordan Countryman and Jake Sinkovics requiring wrestlers to spring up and down ‘punishment hill’ for seven circuits (per Kentucky.com). Brace completed a number of these circuits before sitting down due to exhaustion.

The lawsuit further alleged that Brace had repeatedly begged for water, but his coaches, who were accused of creating a “toxic and abusive culture”, refused to let him hydrate. His coaches are also accused of not letting anyone help Brace and sending him out of the facility on his own.

The lawsuit states that Brace’s body was discovered close by “with his hands clinched in the grass and dirt after a desperate and erratic search for assistance and water.”

The university claimed that it could have defended the claims made in the lawsuit, but it chose to settle with the Brace family out of respect.

The Brace family has announced that the university will now implement something called the B.R.A.C.E Protocol. That program is designed to educate coaches and athletes on exertional heat strokes in order to prevent others from dying like Brace.

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A compelling MMA VIDEO Podcast, with a smattering of social commentary & ramblings, as well as some colorful anecdotes from your host’s life.

“You saw the fights last night? No. We mean REALLY see them? You will now….” – Eugene S. Robinson 3.19.2023

Welcome to our weekly guest podcast, which fills our Wednesday Bloody Elbow Presents Podcast Network content slot. If you aren’t familiar with the show, it’s probably best described as a compelling MMA video podcast, with a smattering of social commentary & ramblings, as well as some colorful anecdotes from your host’s life… sometimes directly pertaining to combat sports, sometimes barely touching upon it – but always interesting, if you hang in there.

Check it out, you might learn something new, or find something that was said kinda worms its way into your head all week and really makes you think, or not. Shrug. We’re fans and are happy to share it with you.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host: Eugene S. Robinson. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of BloodyElbow.com, its staff, or parent companies. It is merely a guest podcast.

Produced by June M. Williams

If you dig the show, then subscribe to eugenesrobinson.substack.com, follow Eugene on twitter @EugeneSRobinson, on Insta @MrSleep3. PAY here at his show #Patreon IF you wish: www.patreon.com/thestomper OR use [email protected] for #PayPal, OR eugene-robinson-28 for #CashApp, OR PlanetOxbow for #Venmo.

Give the LIVE video broadcast of ‘The Eugene S. Robinson Show Stomper Podcast’ a “thumbs up”, subscribe on The Stomper YT page Sunday afternoons, or give a “like”, follow & share on The Stomper’s Facebook Monday nights.

OR: Listen to premium audio on SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Apple TV, iHeartRadio, OverCast, PlayerFM, TuneIn, Stitcher, blubrry, audible, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Castro, Castbox, Downcast, PodCruncher, iCatcher, Castaway 2, Podcast Republic, BeyondPod for Android, and more! Also, coming soon to Simplecast, Pandora, & SiriusXM!

Now available on our Bloody Elbow Podcast Substack:

World-Renowned Author:

Your talented host is Eugene S. Robinson, author of the ‘Eugene S. Robinson Substack’, the upcoming “A Walk Across Dirty Water and Straight Into Murderer’s Row: A Memoir”, & the ‘Fight Book’, “Fight: Everything You Wanted to Know About Ass-Kicking but Were Afraid You’d Get Your Ass Kicked for Asking”, and “A Long Slow Screw”.

He hosts this ‘Eugene S. Robinson Show Stomper! Podcast’ of course, and is one of the hosts of the ‘Care/Don’t Care Podcast’, as well as a co-host on the ‘If The Shoes Fit’ socio-political podcast, & the recently released ‘Bad Boss Brief Podcast’. He is also a recurring guest of the ‘Crooklyn’s Corner Podcast’, the host & demonstrator on the ‘JJB! – Jiu Jitsu Breakdown!’ show, as well as the wildly popular host of the former ‘Knuckle Up Podcast’, which can be found in the Bloody Elbow Podcasts Archives.

Mixed-Martial-Artist & General Bad Ass:

He grew up in New York City, where he first understood the surreal joy of a bloody nose obtained through fighting. The 6’1”, 235lb Robinson is a practicing, black belt bjj artist, having studied boxing, kenpo karate, muay thai, & wrestling. He’s also a former bouncer, ‘98 CAAT HW Men’s Sanshou champ, 2nd place overall & 1st place divisional ‘03 CA Submission Fighting champ.

Publishing Achievements:

He has also worked in magazine publishing, film, & TV. His most recent writing gig was part of his duties as the former Assistant VP of Marketing Content for ‘WONGDOODY.com’, & his ‘TheEndofNowhere.com/Interviews’; while also routinely creating freelance pieces for The New York Times. Over the years, he has been a literary gunslinger for publications including GQ, REVOLVER Magazine, Real Fighter, Gladiator, TheWire Magazine, Grapple Wrestling Magazine, Vice Magazine, Hustler Magazine, Mac|Life, SF Weekly, LA Weekly, Corporate Computing, PC Gamer, Decibel, and ALTA Magazine, among many others. He has also been Editor-in-Chief of CODE Magazine, and EQ Magazine.

International Musical Sensation:

Eugene is also the vocalist & front man for the alt metal band: OXBOW, a rock group-cum-fight club whose most recent album, ‘Love’s Holiday’, will be released this year with Ipecac Records. The band has achieved a substantial international cult following, still conducting European Tours. Some of his music is in the intro & outro of this ‘Show Stomper’ pod, as well as in the custom video of the show, airing on both his Stompville fb & BloodyElbow Podcast platforms; there are clips he owns from #Stigmata. He was also a founding member of the band, Whipping Boy prior to branching out into OXBOW & Buñuel. He can be found on numerous recordings, having performed a wide variety of musical collaborations over the years.

Professional Actor:

On film & TV he’s appeared in Leonard Part 6 with Bill Cosby, NBC’s Midnight Caller, ABC’s King of Love, MTV’s Liquid Television’s #LasApassionadas, and commercials — most notably one directed by Gus Van Sant for Miller Genuine Draft.

Family Man Extraordinaire:

Above all else, he is the adoring, devoted father of four incredible young ladies, and an outstanding spouse to his lovely wife. They currently reside near the Stanford, California area, with exciting future plans to reside off the coast of Spain.

For more on Eugene visit his wiki here.
Intro/Outro Music Clips: Band – Stigmata / Album – ‘The Calling of the Just’ – 1991 / Track 05 – ‘A Dream of Pain and Sorrow’ / 20:20 Timestamp at: https://youtu.be/3KOInLUjAEA?t=1220
Video Intro Underlay Music: Band – Stigmata / Album – ‘The Calling of the Just’ – 1991 / Track 01 – ‘Intro-All of Nothing’ / 00:00 Timestamp at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KOInLUjAEA
* Stigmata was a “metalcore band” from Troy, New York from 1989-2016. Bob Riley on Vocals | insta: stigmata518

Podcast production, videography, syndication, graphics & logos, via June M. Williams: [email protected]/@JuneMWilliams2 twitter

About the author: June M. Williams is the Bloody Elbow Production Manager & Ombudsman, as well as our Podcast Syndicator. She also helps us out as an author, editor & lead fixer for Bloody Elbow. She began work for the Combat Sports Division of SB Nation in 2010, making BE her primary home since 2013. (full bio)

The welterweight top contender decided to cut a promo on one of the UFC’s broadcast team members, apparently over Anik’s support of Belal Muhammad’s quest for a title shot.

Is it a gimmick? Is it real life? Do any of those questions even matter?

Colby Covington is one of MMA’s loudest personalities. It’s a trick he picked up, allegedly, after realizing that the quiet, respectable version of him was boring everyone to death and might someday cost him his spot on the UFC roster. That was 6+ years and several title shots ago.

His status with the world’s largest MMA promotion may have changed for the better since then, but the gimmick has only gotten worse. And with the announcement of another title shot in the making, it seems ‘Chaos’ has decided to ramp up the trash talk once again. This time, targeted at those critical of the 35-year-old’s seemingly unearned re-entry into no. 1 contender status.

A seemingly innocuous show of support from UFC commentator Jon Anik for one of the men very clearly in the hunt for a chance at welterweight gold. But apparently also exactly what Covington needed to go full pro-wrestling mode and threaten to kill the man while also claiming that Muhammad is a racist.

“So, you wanted to lick my frickin’ balls in London, ‘Oh Colby! This, this, this!’” Covington said in a hilarious moment of self censorship during a recent interview on MMA Fighting. “But then you want to go back behind the stage and cheerlead for a racist! So he associates with racism and Belal Muhammad.

“And, you know, Jon Anik, dude, I don’t want your kids to grow up without a dad. Just realize you live in Boca, I live in Miami motherfucker. You’re not too far from me. So you better shut your fucking mouth. You poke the bear? Now you get the bear comes after you.”

Chances self professed ursine impersonator Covington actually takes a swing at Jon Anik ever? Almost certainly zero. In the meantime, however, he sounds more than happy to provoke and promote violent hostility towards Anik and Muhammad; pleased as punch to be someone’s inspiration, but completely unwilling to get his hands dirty on his own.

There’s currently no set date for Covington vs. Edwards. For his part, ‘Rocky’ has sounded just as skeptical of the MMA Masters fighter’s claim to a title shot as Anik. However Dana White has been bullish on the idea that the two men will face off sometime later this year.

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About the author: Zane Simon is a senior editor, writer and podcaster for Bloody Elbow. Host of the MMA Vivisection and 6th Round, he has covered MMA and the UFC since 2013.(full bio)

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UFC 286 doesn’t cause any major changes in the rankings.

UFC 286 is in the books, and a lot of the drama surrounding it has more to do with people’s commentary and the presence of Colby Covington than the actual outcome of the fights. Leon Edwards cemented his welterweight reign with a second win over former top P4P fighter Kamaru Usman in the headliner, and Justin Gaethje picked up a big win in the co-main over Rafael Fiziev.

As for the rankings? None of those four moved at all in the their respective divisions, and only Usman’s P4P ranking took a hit.

Here’s a look at the changes this week.

Men’s P4P – Edwards stays put at four. Usman falls three spots from five to eight. Three fighters – Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira, and Aljamain Sterling – all move up a spot each to five through seven.

Heavyweight – Jailton Almeida and Chris Daukaus flip-flop the 12 and 13 spots.

Light Heavyweight – Dustin Jacoby moves into a tie for 13 with Khalil Rountree.

Middleweight – Marvin Vettori’s win over Roman Dolidze moves him back into the top three contenders. This bumps Jared Cannonier to four.

Welterweight – No changes.

Lightweight – No changes.

Featherweight – No changes.

Bantamweight – Pedro Munhoz is back up to nine, pushing Ricky Simon to ten.

Flyweight – No changes.

Women’s P4P – No changes.

Women’s Bantamweight – Ketlen Vieira falls from a tie for three with Holly Holm to take over four on her own.

Women’s Flyweight – No changes.

Women’s Strawweight – No changes.

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Banned I say!

What is it about seeing a fighter defend a championship that makes us think, “Wow, that champion is good, but you know what would make them even better? A second championship.”

Is this a conversation that plays out in MMA circles? Or are UFC champions just hoping it is?

It seems like a day doesn’t go by without a current champion being asked about challenging for a second (or third) championship or a champion just throws the idea out there, as if they were born with two waists.

Right now, it’s Islam Makhachev’s turn. It was only a month ago at UFC 284 that the UFC lightweight champion turned back a challenge from UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. The dominant 145 pound king was himself hoping to become the next double champion (or ‘Champ Champ’).

So, after avoiding losing his title in a close fight, what is Makhachev’s next move? Calling out UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards for a clash later this year in Abu Dhabi. After criticizing Volkanovski’s quest to boost his legacy, Makhachev wants to go out and try to do the exact same thing.

And it would be quite the feat if the idea of holding two belts at the same time wasn’t so passé.

It seems like every champion talks about competing for another belt while they’re already holding one. Why? What is the cause for all this? Perhaps champions think that, by becoming a double champion, it will unlock some Conor McGregor level of fame and wealth that they couldn’t otherwise achieve with only a single belt.

Maybe these ultra-competitive athletes can’t stomach just one belt hanging across their mantles, since the UFC stopped giving out new belts for every successful title defense.

Some fighters might have a concern that their legacies won’t mean as much if they don’t accomplish something as incredible as holding two titles simultaneously (never minding the fact it becomes less impressive with each fighter who does it).

Or perhaps there is something more universal at play. The mortal desire, or curse (depending how you look at it), to have shiny things. All the shiny things.

Can we stop with all this?

We don’t need more double champions. Double championship reigns are always disappointing. The distinction carries very little value on its own and only serves to cause bottlenecks and prevent other fighters from the opportunities they have earned…

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The BJJ expert gave his unvarnished opinion on Covington’s title nod given his inactivity in 2022.

As the MMA world scrambles to find UFC Champion Leon Edwards’ next opponent, Gilbert Burns warns against giving Colby Covington another chance at the belt.

“I think he’s gotta fight,” Burns told The Schmo in an interview this past weekend. “Guy hasn’t fought in a year. His last fight was Masvidal then he disappeared. I hope he’s not next, but like I said, what I hope sometimes doesn’t come true.”

The welterweight division’s hierarchy has been in chaos since former king Kamaru Usman failed to reclaim it at UFC 286, and many former title challengers lie inactive or cut from the promotion. But despite established names like Burns keeping themselves busy with fights in the meantime, UFC President Dana White has already tapped Covington for a title shot.

“I don’t know when we’ll do it, but yea, that’s the fight that makes sense,” White stated at the UFC 286 presser. White also praised Covington’s commitment to making weight as a backup fighter, and referred to him as, “…the second or third best guy in the world.”

Covington has been out of the octagon for the past year, with his last fight being a unanimous decision win over former teammate Masvidal at UFC 272. The two later got into a physical altercation on the street, but have both been otherwise dormant in the news cycle.

Covington last challenged Usman for the belt at UFC 268, losing a five round decision. Burns has similarly come up short against Usman, but returned to the win column with a slick arm triangle on Neil Magny last January and has a bout with Masvidal set for April.

Despite the arguments for more active fighters deserving a title shot, Burns remains focused on his next fight.

“If he’s [Covington] next, it’s all good. I still gotta beat Jorge, but then I beat the other guys that are in there and I’m not making too many expectations. I just gotta keep on winning my fights and eventually I’m gonna get a title shot. That’s where I’m at right now.”

Masvidal is currently riding a three fight losing streak, and last fought a losing effort against Covington in March, 2022.

About the Author: Kevin Bradley is a Jersey-based grappling journalist for Bloody Elbow. He began writing for the site in 2022, and has covered both BJJ and MMA news since 2018. (full bio)

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The Brazilian submitted in round 3, due to a face crank, but video shows his opponent making something like a tapping motion far earlier in the fight.

One of the strangest fights that took place at UFC 286 this past weekend came way down in the middle of the prelim card. There, flyweight uber-prospect Muhammad Mokaev took on relatively-unknown Brazilian up-and-comer Jafel Filho.

Despite the fact that there was little at stake for either man beyond their win bonus, the bout both carried and created several remarkable storylines. First and foremost, Mokaev apparently entered the fight with a badly injured shoulder, having foregone surgery in favor of PT so he could compete on the card. The injury drama got kicked up a notch in the third round, when Filho latched on to a deep kneebar and cranked the submission to the point that Mokaev’s knee was badly hyper-extended. Despite the clear pain and likely tearing of tendons, Mokaev rode out the danger to fight his way to Filho’s back and slap on a face crank that forced the former Shooto champion to give in before the final bell.

But did Mokaev actually submit long before Filho? Even well before the kneebar that saw him badly hobbled as he exited the Octagon with his hand raised?

Way back in the first round, where Mokaev spent much of his time on top in Filho’s guard the two men had a strange exchange. Despite being in a fairly neutral position, there appeared to be a moment where the Dagestani-born fighter gave Filho several quick taps on the back. Fans were quick to jump on it as a possible moment of controversy.

At the time, even Filho didn’t seem to react as thought the fight had ended. Mokaev kept wrestling in guard and Filho kept looking for opportunities to get his hips active. The ref didn’t see it, and no appeals were made. At least, not until now.

With the benefit of hindsight, it seems Filho wants the outcome reconsidered. In a statement to MMA Fighting, the 29-year-old said he actually felt Mokaev tap on three distinct occasions throughout the bout. Once in the aforementioned video, once when defending an earlier guillotine, and once when defending the now-famous kneebar attempt.

“[Mokaev tapped] at least three times,” Filho said of his loss at UFC 286. “I felt him tapping on my back like he was hiding, with malice. There was another situation I went for the guillotine and then attacked his injured shoulder, he tapped and I loosened it up a little bit.

“I was looking at the referee the entire time. The kneebar, I felt him tapping with his foot and the referee asked him, ‘Tap?’ I loosened it, and he was able to twist his knee a little bit.”

As a result, Filho says his manager Andre Pederneiras is reviewing the tape with the potential consideration of filing an appeal to get the result overturned. Considering the UK lacks a US-style commission, however, it’s unclear where an appeal could even be filed. The UFC often brings their own version of the NSAC with them when they travel, and appealing to the promotion seems unlikely to be a path to any kind of results reversal.

For Mokaev’s part, he was quick to dismiss the controversy in an interview with Ariel Helwani on Monday.

“Listen, Ariel, if I didn’t tap to my knee, do you think I would tap to—what he said? Guillotine, right?” Mokaev laughed, when asked about the phantom tap. “Guillotine wasn’t even locked. How the hell people would actually believe I would tap to this guillotine that can’t put me to sleep?

“Basically, his foot was in my boxers, and he said ‘Sorry.’ He said ‘Sorry, sorry.’ He stopped and I said, ‘All good. All good. Let’s go.’ That’s what I said. I said, ‘Let’s go!’ C’mon Ariel, why I would tap in position? On the video, actually, there was position that there is nothing [to tap to]. He said, ‘I attacked his shoulder.’ That’s why I was ground-and-pounding with that same shoulder,” Mokaev deadpanned.

“It’s like, c’mon man. He wants rematch. I respect this guy, I don’t know. When I see this today, I got upset, actually, because I gave him so much respect I don’t give to anyone. I see he carry bible before the walkout and I’m like, ‘Hey, this guy’s religious. He came here, just fought for his family. I give him respect, warm welcome in UK.’ When I see he say this? It’s not nice to be honest.

“He lost. Lose like a man. Fight all the way to the top, and we’ll meet at the top. [Asking for a rematch] that way? I don’t like.”

Filho did tell MMA Fighting that he hopes to fight Mokaev again, and that a rematch “would be ideal,” once Mokaev recovers. As for the other two points where Filho claims Mokaev tapped…

“Did I tap with my foot?” Mokaev exclaimed, when hearing Filho’s statement read back to him. “Maybe the way he went—when I grab him in the choke—maybe when he was tapping, maybe he’s counting those taps.”

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Check out all the fights announced over the past week in the UFC, Bellator and other promotions.

Fights on Tap is a weekly roundup of all the fights booked in the UFC, Bellator and other promotions.

In its return to the O2 Arena in London, The UFC delivered a decent pay-per-view event with UFC 286 this past Saturday. Welterweight champion Leon Edwards was successful in his first defense, fending off a familiar foe in Kamaru Usman in their third (and potentially final) fight. Justin Gaethje was involved in another exciting war with Rafael Fiziev. And there were some great finishes from Gunnar Nelson, Yanal Ashmouz and Jake Hadley. With that event now over, let’s take a look at what we have ahead of us on the upcoming schedule.

The UFC either announced or finalized nine fights this week, and a pair of flyweight contenders are set for a Summer clash.

Kai Kara-France has his next UFC assignment set. The City Kickboxing product has drawn Amir Albazi in his much-anticipated return to the Octagon.

Recently, ‘Don’t Blink’ had a three-fight win streak snapped at UFC 277, where he was finished by Brandon Moreno in a fight for the interim flyweight championship. Meanwhile, the ‘Prince’ extended his win streak to five with a third-round KO of Alessandro Costa at UFC Vegas 66 in December.

UFC San Antonio — March 25

• Nate Landwehr vs. Austin Lingo — featherweight (First rep. by Marcel Dorff of Eurosport Nederland)

UFC Vegas 71 — April 22

• Jeremiah Wells vs. Matthew Semelsberger — welterweight (First rep. by Wells on Instagram)
• Iasmin Lucindo vs. Brogan Walker — women’s strawweight (First rep. by MMA Melotto on Twitter)

UFC Fight Night — June 3

• Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi — flyweight (First rep. by Albazi on Twitter)
• Tim Elliott vs. Allan Nascimento — flyweight (First rep. by Diego Ribas of Ag Fight)

UFC 288 — May 6

• Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola — lightweight (First rep. by Frevola on Instagram)

UFC Fight Night — May 20

• Maheshate vs. Viacheslav Borshchev — lightweight (First rep. by Chris Presnell on Twitter)

UFC 289 — June 10

• Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Miranda Maverick — women’s flyweight (First rep. by Maverick on Instagram)
• Eryk Anders vs. Marc-André Barriault — middleweight (First rep. by Iridium Sports Agency)

Announced Bellator fights:

Bellator 294 — April 21

• Levan Chokheli vs. Michael Lombardo — welterweight
• Tyrell Fortune vs. Sergei Bilostennyi — heavyweight
• Alex Polizzi vs. Karl Moore — light heavyweight (First rep. by Seán Sheehan of Severe MMA)
• Cris Lencioni vs. Blake Smith — featherweight
• Anthony Adams vs. Sharaf Davlatmurodov — middleweight

Bellator 295 — April 22

• Aaron Pico vs. Otto Rodrigues — featherweight (First rep. by Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie)
• Mads Burnell vs. Justin Gonzales — featherweight (First rep. by Mike Heck of MMA Fighting)
• Ilara Joanne vs. Bruna Ellen — women’s flyweight
• Alexey Shurkevich vs. Masayuki Kikuiri — welterweight

Announced Professional Fighters League (PFL) fights:

PFL Newcastle (2023 Regular Season) — March 25

• Riccardo Nosiglia vs. Jakob Nedoh — light heavyweight
• Abdellah Er-Ramy vs. Madalin Pirvulescu — light heavyweight

Announced Professional Fighters League (PFL) fights:

PFL 1 (2023 Regular Season) — April 1

• Krzysztof Jotko vs. Will Fleury — light heavyweight
• Jo Sungbin vs. Jesus Pinedo — featherweight
• Delan Monte vs. Ty Flores — light heavyweight
• Cory Hendricks vs. Impa Kasanganay — light heavyweight

Announced Invicta FC fights:

Invicta FC 53 — May 3

• Jillian DeCoursey vs. Rayanne Amanda Dos Santos — women’s atomweight
• Jéssica Delboni vs. Danielle Taylor — women’s strawweight
• Monique Adriane vs. Nicole Geraldo — women’s strawweight

Announced Cage Warriors fights:

Cage Warriors 151 — March 24

• Matty Byfield vs. Prince McLean — light heavyweight

Announced KSW fights:

KSW 81 — April 22

• Tomasz Sarara vs. Errol Zimmerman — heavyweight
• Igor Michaliszyn vs. Krystian Bielski — welterweight

KSW 83 — June 3

• Marian Ziółkowski vs. Salahdine Parnasse — lightweight

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After capturing his third championship, Aaron Brooks used his ESPN interview to call Muhammad a false Prophet and take a cheap shot at Muslims. 

I believe the annual NCAA Championship wrestling tournament in March to be one of the best annual events on the American calendar. Yet the event comes and goes annually without much fanfare outside of the hardcore, but tiny, niche wrestling fanbase.

This year was no different. The wrestling itself was great. In one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport Matt Ramos of Purdue pinned three-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee. Vito Arujau of Cornell tore through the field and dominated the #2 seed Daton Fix from Oklahoma State and two-time returning champion Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State. Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell became the fifth wrestler in NCAA history to capture four championships. Keegan O’Toole of Mizzou defended his national championship by avenging his conference championships loss to David Carr of Iowa State. Carter Starocci of Penn State tore through the field before pinning Mike Labriola of Nebraska in the finals for his third championship.

And then there was Aaron Brooks.

Brooks captured his third championship by dominating Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa, helping Penn State coach Cael Sanderson capture another team title. The wrestling greatness of Brooks isn’t up for debate- he’s as solid as they come. His judgment however is up for discussion.

When Brooks was interviewed on ESPN by Quint Kessenich he took time to praise Jesus. That’s fine and to be expected. Wrestling in America has a very Christian culture and open displays of religiosity aren’t uncommon. However, it wasn’t enough for Brooks to profess his own faith, he took his to call Muhammad a false Prophet and take a cheap shot at Muslims.

If Brooks were a TV preacher or at a church he’d be free to do as he pleased. However, Brooks is a student-athlete representative of Penn State and wears their uniform. Penn State is a public university and this means the hundreds of thousands of Muslim citizens of Pennsylvania are helping to pay for the program. They aren’t paying for someone to bash Prophet Muhammad while wearing official Penn State gear.

Furthermore the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania itself is home to a large and vibrant Muslim community. Philadelphia is often referred to as the “capital of Black Islam in America” and is also home to large communities of Arab, West African, South Asian, and Indonesian Muslims. Pittsburgh has one of the oldest Black mosques in America, the Lehigh Valley has a growing and vibrant planned Muslim community, and State College itself is home to a mosque and a vibrant Muslim Students Association.

I confronted Brooks after the tournament and asked him why he had to put Muslims down in order to promote his faith. His response was that all religions and prophets are false other than those of Christianity. “Jesus is the only way”. Noted, that’s his theological opinion. But this choice to target Muslims, while standing just a few feet away from Muslim Ban architect Donald Trump, shouldn’t be viewed as coincidental.

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Umar Lee is a writer and activist from St. Louis. He may be reached at [email protected] and can be found on Twitter @UmarleeIII.

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