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

UFC Vegas 71 had the look of a fantastic Fight Night card on paper, and it delivered quite well on that promise. Merab Dvalishvili firmly announced himself as a title contender with a dominating win over Petr Yan in the main event. While Alexander Volkov and Nikita Krylov slammed the door on rising talents in their respective divisions.

So, is there any way we see Merab Dvalishvili fight again in 2023 if Sterling doesn’t lose? Is there a top-5 fight out there for Volkov? And is Jonathan Martinez a dark horse at 135 lbs?

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

MERAB DVALISHVILI

There may have been an almost mind-numbing consistency to his pace and pressure on Saturday night, but there’s no doubt that Merab Dvalishvili put on a career defining performance against Petr Yan. The ‘Machine’ put the pedal to the metal from moment one, battering Yan’s lead leg with low kicks, and forcing the Russian to defend a never ending stream of single and double leg takedowns. He coupled that with more than 400 strikes thrown, landing at a better than 50% success rate. No matter how you slice it or dice it, the Team Serra-Longo fighter dominated one of the world’s best bantamweights like he had never been dominated before.

Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Unfortunately, exactly what that means for Dvalishvili long term is much less clear. He and Aljamain Sterling appear to have the kind of relationship that is truly rare among elite combat sports athletes in the same division, which is to say that they absolutely won’t fight each other, no matter the prize on the line. Sterling has said he’d go up to featherweight and vacate his belt for Dvalishvili (a move without precedent for a sitting champion in the UFC). Meanwhile Dvalishvili seems willing to sit on the sidelines in the prime of his career and wait to see what Sterling does first. A fight between Dvalishvili and O’Malley would make a ton of sense right now if either man were interested in staying busy. Otherwise the Georgian will just have to wait and see if Henry Cejudo or the ‘Sugar Show’ can topple his BFF and create a path to the belt for him. It’s either that or bank on Sterling being as magnanimous as he says claims he will be.

PETR YAN

This one has to sting for ‘No Mercy.’ In his 8+ year, 21-fight career no man has truly ‘beaten’ Petr Yan. Sure, he’s taken a few losses, but every one a split decision (and that DQ of course). There’s never been a fight Yan walked away from where neither he nor his fans couldn’t claim some kind of victory. Not until now. Yan has always been a fighter who likes to progress through modes of offense. Which means there’s always a chance he can get stuck in one mode and denied the ability to build up to another. That feels like exactly what Dvalishvili did. He set the pace so high, and the wrestling attacks so constant, that Yan could never get past pure counter-puncher stage; no time to establish his jab, and absolutely got zero chances to pressure at all.

He’s still only 30, so there’s no reason to think he’s just done as a top competitor. But this may be a point where he has to ask himself what he can change with his game to win a fight like this. Whatever the answer might be, it’s doubtful that it’ll be an easy one. In the meantime, Song Yadong and Ricky Simon have a bout coming up. The winner of that seems like they’d be ideally placed for the kind of challenges Yan can offer on the way to contender status. Petr Yan vs. the Song/Simon winner would be another elite top-tier fight for the Tiger Muay Thai mainstay.

ALEXANDER VOLKOV

I thought Alexander Volkov would be able to rally against Alexandr Romanov after surviving a couple strong takedowns early, but things didn’t even get that far. Volkov stuffed the first single leg attempt, started attacking Romanov’s doughy midsection with kicks, and then sprawled him out heavy on a low single. After that it was all GnP for Volkov. To the point that Romanov seemed more like he wanted out of the fight than anything. Whatever might have triggered the Moldovan’s performance, it was an exceptional showing of Volkov’s continued venom as a top level fighter at 265.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

That being the case, and given how many top UFC heavyweights he’s already fought, finding a next booking for the Russian might be tough. He could rematch Ciryl Gane, or take on Tai Tuivasa or Sergey Spivak? The other clear option would be a rematch against Derrick Lewis. Unfortunately, Lewis is on three-straight losses and may need a bigger step back. I already suggested Gane vs. Spivak last week, so I’ll go ahead and say match Volkov against Tai Tuivasa. Even off a couple losses, Tuivasa always comes to bang. Should be a thriller.

NIKITA KRYLOV

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

It wasn’t even so much Nikita Krylov’s wrestling that proved a death sentence for Ryan Spann out there, but the grappling was a major problem. Spann did well to fight through takedowns, and get on top himself, but the more he scrambled with the ‘Miner’ the more opportunities he left open, until the moment he jumped right into a triangle choke. A great win for Krylov to keep him clearly in the conversation among the light heavyweight top 10.

Considering Krylov said he wanted to take some time off after this latest win, I think Aleksandar Rakic would make a pretty ideal matchup. The Austrian is recovering from a torn ACL at the moment. That should mean Krylov can take a nice long break, and come back to the Octagon against a top-5 opponent. Krylov vs. Rakic is a great elite LHW booking.

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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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A rundown of the biggest headlines and news from the world of competitive grappling.

Polaris 23 was set to feature one of the most stacked women’s tournaments in the history of professional Jiu-Jitsu competition, and every woman who stepped on to the mats put on a fantastic performance. In the end though, it was Elisabeth Clay who took home the title and she did so by defeating both of the reigning ADCC world champions in a single night, submitting two out of her three opponents as well.

Before the conclusion of that tournament, the promotion also put together a fantastic superfight starring Commonwealth games gold medallist Judoka and ADCC veteran Owen Livesey, as he took on former UFC world champion and two-time NCAA Division I All-American Chris Weidman. Both men were happy to battle it out on the feet but in the end it was Livesey who landed some huge takedowns and won the unanimous decision.

Full results for the event can be found here.

Diego ‘Pato’ Oliveira impresses at IBJJF Dallas International Open

Diego ‘Pato’ Oliveira put on an impressive performance at the IBJJF Dallas International Open, as he managed to win a total of four medals over the course of the weekend. He won a pair of gold medals competing in the featherweight division, but he also managed to a reach the podium of the absolute division in both gi and no gi as well. Although Pato stood out at the tournament, he wasn’t the only elite grappler competing at the event.

He actually had to beat fellow top competitor Thiago Macedo in the final of his gi division, while Emily Fernandez took home two medals in the gi after winning the absolute division and earning a silver medal at her own weight. The BJJ legend Wellington ‘Megaton’ Diaz, Mackenzie Dern’s father, was also competing and he won a gold medal in the adult division despite being 55 years old.

Full results for the gi edition can be found here, and the no gi edition can be found here.

Gabriel Sousa and Gianni Grippo have epic battle at Toro Cup 24

The Toro Cup have been putting together high level grappling matches to raise money for charity for quite some time now, and their latest event did not disappoint. The headliner was a title-fight between two-time IBJJF world champion Gianni Grippo and two-time silver medallist Gabriel Sousa. The pair have actually met twice in the past, with Sousa winning both of those very close encounters.

Sousa was the promotion’s reigning champion, and Grippo brought everything he had to try and take it the title from him. Almost the entirety of this match was spent with Grippo attacking off his back and Sousa relentlessly attempting to pass. The two men couldn’t be separated in regulation time and they went to a golden-score overtime round, with Sousa finally securing the pass he’d been looking for and retaining his title.

Five grapplers banned from IBJJF competition for 3 years

Some shocking news emerged from the 2022 IBJJF no gi world championships as five top competitors have been given three-year suspensions from competition as a result of it. Igor Feliz and Jonnatas Gracie both failed an in-competition drug test during the event, while Henrique Cardoso and Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu failed tests shortly after the event. The final competitor, Vagner Rocha, refused to submit to testing.

All five men accepted their suspension and Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu has since released a statement on the news. This was the most suspensions handed out after an IBJJF event and the fact that several tests conducted after the tournament sent a signal that the IBJJF is taking testing seriously. After the news broke, Craig Jones even revealed that there may be another suspension coming once an unnamed athlete finishes the arbitration process.

Quick Hits

• Igor Gracie was just promoted to 5th degree black belt by his long-time coach and training partner, Renzo Gracie.
• Kron Gracie is set to return to MMA after over three years away from the sport as he will be taking on Charles Jourdain at UFC 288.
• The IBJJF Brazilian National Championship will now be streaming on FloGrappling as of 2023, meaning that the site now own exclusive rights to all IBJJF majors.
• A math teacher in Norwalk, Connecticut is facing potential charges after choking one of her student’s unconscious during a Jiu-Jitsu demonstration.

Technique Corner

Spider guard to Lasso, to Triangle choke, to Armbar

No gi Hiza Guruma

Taking the back from Turtle

Meme of the Week

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Former light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira gives his condition to unretire from fighting.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira has retired from MMA back in January of this year and seems quite happy with the decision. At 43 years of age, the Brazilian believes he gave his best during his 21-year career, which included a late UFC title win in 2021, so he sees almost no reason to change his mind.

In an interview with Ag Fight, though, Teixeira revealed what the only exception would be and it may come as no surprise: money. Though Glover claims to be in a comfortable position after retiring, the Brazilian believes a big purse could put himself and his family in an even better place, so there would be no reason no to do it. However, as the former champion puts it, it would have to be a life-changing sum.

“Money talks. If I get paid, I come out of retirement. Didn’t Larry Holmes come out of retirement after three years to fight Mike Tyson? They offered him money he had never made before. To be honest, I’m happy with where I am now. But if they think there’s a fight that would sell well and they offer me enough money to leave the place where I am, put my family in this good a situation, then let’s go.”

Teixeira (33-9) retired from the sport on a two-fight losing skid, with losses to Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill. During his career, the 43-year-old scored wins over some of the most notable names in the light heavyweight division, such as Jan Blachowicz, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Thiago Santos and Ryan Bader.

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Check out which fighters won performance bonuses from UFC Las Vegas: Yan vs. Dvalishvili.

UFC Las Vegas was a solid event. The bantamweight headliner was entertaining, the the heavyweight co-headliner ended quickly.

The preliminary portion of the card started with Carlston Harris returning to the win column with a unanimous decision against Jared Gooden. After trading on the feet in the first round, ‘Moçambique’ went to the ground and controlled the ‘Nitetrain’ in the second and third rounds. Bruno Silva gave us a highlight-reel finish of Tyson Nam. The fight-ending sequence started after the ‘Bulldog’ floored Nam with a front kick to the jaw and followed him to the ground with punches. Moments after, as Nam tried returning to his feet, Silva got a hold of the rear-naked choke and squeezed until his opponent was asleep. What a performance after nearly a year away! Ariane Lipski dominated JJ Aldrich en route to a unanimous decision. The ‘Queen of Violence’ fired on all cylinders, turning in one of the most complete performances of her UFC career.

In our early contender for ‘Fight of the Night,’ Victor Henry won a split decision against Tony Gravely. This one was a back-and-forth affair that had shining moments (including a nice kneebar attempt!) from both fighters, but it was ‘La Mangosta’ who did enough on two of three judges’ scorecards. Josh Fremd handed Sedriques Dumas his first professional loss with a second-round submission. The ‘Big Yinz’ hurt the ‘Reaper’ before getting him to the ground and snatching up the guillotine choke. Davey Grant pulled off a ‘Submission of the Year’ against Raphael Assunção! A minute or so away from a potential loss, ‘Dangerous’ turned up the pressure and stunned Assunção with a spinning back fist. Then, as the Brazilian tried going for a takedown, Grant sat down and tied him up in an inverted triangle! Assunção announced his retirement after the fight. Karl Willams was successful in his UFC debut, mauling Łukasz Brzeski for a unanimous decision.

The main portion of the card kicked off with a slobber knocker between Vitor Petrino and Anton Turkalj. There were so many twists in this one, as both fighters had near-fight-ending moments, but it was the Brazilian who put a stamp on the fight with several takedowns. Mario Bautista made quick work of Guido Cannetti, getting the ‘Ninja’ down (by suplex!) and securing a rear-naked choke in the very first round. Now on a four-fight win streak, Bautista set his sights on either a top-15 opponent or Cody Garbrandt for his next appearance. Jonathan Martinez survived a few rear-naked choke attempts from Said Nurmagomedov to earn a unanimous decision. In his post-fight interview, the ‘Dragon’ called for a couple of former UFC champions in Dominick Cruz and Deiveson Figueiredo now that he was ranked. Nikita Krylov extended his win streak to three with a first-round submission of Ryan Spann. After some grappling exchanges, the ‘Miner’ locked in a triangle choke that forced ‘Superman’ to tap. Alexander Volkov ran through Alexandr Romanov. ‘Drago’ fended off a takedown from Romanov and worked the body with some punches and kicks. ‘King Kong’ went for another takedown, but Volkov got to his back, flattened him out and peppered him with punches until the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.

Merab Dvalishvili overwhelmed Petr Yan for a unanimous decision. From start to finish, the ‘Machine’ gave ‘No Mercy’ little to no wiggle room to the former UFC bantamweight champion, who struggled to get anything significant off throughout five rounds. In the end, Dvalishvili swept the judges’ scorecards.

Performance of the Night: Bruno Silva and Davey Grant

Bruno Silva def. Tyson Nam by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:23 of Round 2

Josh Fremd def. Sedriques Dumas by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:00 of Round 2

Davey Grant def. Raphael Assunção by technical submission (inverted triangle) at 4:43 of Round 3

Mario Bautista def. Guido Cannetti by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:18 of Round 1

Nikita Krylov def. Ryan Spann by submission (triangle choke) at 3:38 of Round 1

Alexander Volkov def. Alexandr Romanov by TKO (punches) at 2:16 of Round 1

Fight of the Night: Vitor Petrino vs. Anton Turkalj

Carlston Harris def. Jared Gooden by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Ariane Lipski def. JJ Aldrich by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Victor Henry def. Tony Gravely by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Karl Williams def. Lukasz Brzeski by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

Vitor Petrino def. Anton Turkalj by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Jonathan Martinez def. Said Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Merab Dvalishvili def. Petr Yan by unanimous decision (50-45 x3)

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Check out the live results and highlights for UFC Vegas 71: Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili.

Stay up to date with what’s happening today at UFC Vegas 71, which is not going down from APEX facility, rather The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada.

We’ve got top-5 bantamweights gracing the UFC Vegas 71 main event when the former champion, Petr Yan, gets it on with the UFC’s #3 rated 135-pounder, Merab Dvalishvili.

In an alternate universe, Yan is sitting at 11-0 in the UFC, and is still the promotion’s bantamweight champ. He never blasted Aljamain Sterling with that knee to lose his belt on a disqualification, and he certainly didn’t lose the split nod in their rematch. He surely didn’t drop that split decision to Sean O’Malley in his last fight, so he’s definitely about to defend his belt for the fifth time here.

Unfortunately for Petr, he’s stuck in this time line. He’s 8-3 with the promotion, lost twice to Aljo, failed to beat O’Malley, and he never actually defended his title after winning it. That means Yan should be due for a bit of a softball, right? Not a chance! Petr is going after the owner of an eight fight wining streak in Merab Dvalishvili, who is a fighter that is impossible to look good against. I will say this about Yan, though. Show me a better world class caliber fighter that has gone 1-3 in their last four. You can’t.

The main card is slated for 6:00pm ET/3:00pm PT, and the preliminary bouts begin at 3:00pm ET/12:00pm, PT — all of which can be streamed on ESPN+.

Main card: (6:00pm ET)

• Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili: Bantamweight
• Alexandr Romanov vs. Alexander Volkov: Heavyweight
• Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann: 215-pounds
• Said Nurmagomedov vs. Jonathan Martinez: Bantamweight

Mario Bautista def. Guido Cannetti by submission (RNC) at 3:18 of round 1: Bantamweight

After a series of spinning kicks from Cannetti, Bautista shot in and took the fight down to the ground. After being controlled for a bit, Cannetti exploded up to his feet and landed a takedown of his own. Bautista worked up, and took Cannetti back to the ground. Cannetti stood up, but got suplexed right into a rear-naked choke. Bautista had the choke sunk, and then forced Cannetti to tap out before he even had a chance to defend!

Vitor Petrino def. Anton Turkalj by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 x2): Light Heavyweight

Petrino realized a takedown within the first 30-seconds of the fight, but it didn’t stay there for very long. In open space, both fighters were swinging a bit wild, and both were missing. Petrino took a knee to the cup, which brought on a short pause to the action. The fight resumed and Petrino put hands on Turkalj. He was tagging him and making him wobble all over the place. Turkalj went down, but then landed a slick up kick that badly dazed Petrino. Vitor quickly recovered and got on top to end the round there.

Petrino bombed on Turkalj again to open the second act. Turkalj’s head was getting snapped all over the place, resulting in Petrino getting on top again. Turkalj recovered remarkably quickly, and scrambled his way onto the back, but Petrino exploded to spin around in the full guard. Credit to Turkalj for continually standing up, but he was struggling to stop the takedown. Somehow, Turkalj grappled his way to the back, but again was unable to hold the position. In open space, Turkalj unleashed a flurry that rocked Petrino, but couldn’t avoid getting tangled up in the clinch.

Turkalj was able to force his way into the backpack position, but again Petrino spun around on top. Petrino then jumped on a rear-naked choke without the hooks, which gave Turkalj all the space he needed to escape. Turkalj went to the back again, but it was only a matter of time before Petrino reversed him yet again. The fighters jockeyed for position down the stretch, with neither man ever being able to fully take over.

Prelims: (3:00pm ET)

Karl Williams def. Łukasz Brzeski by unanimous decision (30-26 x2, 30-27): Heavyweight

Williams went hard for the takedown to get things going here, and although he got Brzeski down a few times, he was never able to fully solidify top position. He burned through a bunch of energy wrestling, and had nothing to show for his efforts once Brzeski finally broke free. It was Brzeski who was landing the better strikes on the feet, but he looked downright exhausted at the end of the first round.

Williams scored a huge knockdown in the opening moments of the second round. He then lifted up Brzeski just to slam him right back down. He took top position and proceeded to score with some ground and pound, but somehow Brzeski found a way back to his feet. A spinning elbow connected on the break, followed by Williams showing big signs of fatigue. Williams had enough left in the takedown to drive through a takedown, and was able to rack up some control time. He did slip on a banana peel at the end of the round, gifting top position to Brzeski for just a moment.

Brzeski seemed to be somewhat fresh to start the final round. he landed a few good strikes on the feet, but it wasn’t long before Williams got him back down to the ground. Williams put the grind on a turtled up Brzeski, staying on top of him while sprinkling down punches. Brzeski was out of answers, and resigned to just covering up until the bell.

Davey Grant def. Raphael Assunção by technical submission (Inverted Triangle) at 4:43 of round 3: Bantamweight

Assunção caught a kick early in the opening round to find top position. He forced Davey to carry his weight until he was finally able to free himself. In open space, Assunção was switching his stance back and forth, making it difficult for Grant to get a read.

Assunção shot in for the takedown to open the second stanza, but Grant fought hard to remain vertical and get back to open space. Grant started to unload some volume, but Assunção was doing a great job of staying elusive to avoid the brunt of most of Davey’s strikes. The problem was he was being mostly defensive. Towards the end of the round, Assunção finally grabbed ahold of Grant to get him down against the fence. That’s where the round ended.

Grant took the lead agin in the final round, pressuring Assunção backwards. Davey then connected with a huge punch around the ear that rocked Assunção and sent him stumbling. Assunção landed a desperation takedown, but Grant was quick to get back up. Assunção shot again, but Grant used the fence to stop the takedown. The referee saw the infraction and instantly stepped in to deduct a point. The fight resumed and Grant dropped Assunção with a crazy spinning backfist. In a wild exchange, Assunção shot in again, but Grant locked up an inverted triangle that put Raphael to sleep! HOLY SMOKES!!!!

What a fight, what a round, and what a career for Raphael Assunção. The longtime veteran left his gloves in the Octagon, signaling the end of a lengthy career that ends at a highly respectable 27-10. Assunção is surely one of the greatest fighters to never compete for a major title.

Josh Fremd def. Sedriques Dumas by submission (Guillotine) at 3:00 of round 2: Middleweight

Dumas was the first to land clean here. He clipped Fremd with a big right, but Josh quickly recovered. Fremd then connected with a big punch of his own to stagger Dumas. A gorgeous double leg from Fremd came next, to plant Dumas on his back. Dumas fought off a guillotine attempt to stand back up to his feet, but this was Fremd’s round.

Fremd stung Dumas again early in the second round, and then hit a beautiful whizzer kick to get on top. As Dumas tried to scramble out, Fremd attacked with another guillotine. This time, Dumas had nowhere to go as his back was to the cage, and elected to tap out.

Victor Henry def. Tony Gravely by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29): Bantamweight

This one was competitive right away. They exchanged leg kicks back and forth, with neither man really being too effective. Gravely was the first to shoot a takedown, but Henry was hip to it and remained standing. Later on in the round, Gravely went back to the takedown and was able to get it. Henry stood right up, so Tony didn’t do much with it, but it happened.

Henry came out in the second throwing a lot more volume. He had Gravely shooting takedowns from far away, allowing him to see them coming. Henry continued to unload his offense, trying to overwhelm Gravely. Unfortunately for Henry, he gave up a takedown to stall out his momentum. After quickly scrambling up, Henry went right back to unloading his crazy volume. Tony dove on another takedown, but ate a bunch of Travis Browne elbows for his efforts.

The volume for henry was still there to open the final act, prompting Gravely to shoot in again. The takedown defense for Henry was also still holding up. Gravely was coming forward with a lot heavier punches than he was throwing in the previous rounds, knowing that he needed to do some damage. henry stood his ground, though, and fought through fatigue to maintain a frenzied pace. In a scramble, Henry rolled for a kneebar, forcing Gravely to fight out of a bad situation.

Ariane Lipski def. JJ Aldrich by unanimous decision (30-27 x3): (W) Flyweight

This one was calculated from the word go. Aldrich was working her solo punches, while Lipski was scoring with a little more volume. JJ started to look for the takedown, but Lipski had some piercing knees to the midsection waiting for her on the inside. With about 10-seconds to go in the round, a huge right hand landed for Lipski that sent Aldrich stumbling.

Aldrich seemed to be fully recovered to begin the second round. She started to pressure forward behind her boxing combos, but she wasn’t really connecting. Lipski started to get her volume going, keeping JJ on the outside. Aldrich returned to looking for the takedown, but even when she had good entries, she still wasn’t able to get the fight down.

The final frame saw a more aggressive start for Aldrich. She was initiating the exchanges trying to make something happen, but Lipski was on tonight. Lipski fired away with sharp fundamental combos, touching her target without being touched back. Aldrich then got really close to a takedown, but the defense of Lipski continued to be there late in the fight.

Bruno Silva def. Tyson Nam by technical submission (RNC) at 1:23 of round 2: Flyweight

Nam was being the aggressor early here, stalking forward behind a lot of feints. Silva responded with some stinging counters, including a crafty spinning backfist. Tyson kept the pressure on, and was getting through with a couple of hard rights, but the better striking was coming from the direction of Silva.

A massive up kick to the face from Silva opened up the second stanza, sending a dazed Nam to the canvas. Silva followed his foe to the floor, and grabbed ahold of an RNC in transition. The back was then fully taken, the hooks were set, and Tyson Nam was put to sleep! WOAH!!!

Carlston Harris def. Jared Gooden by unanimous decision (30-27 x3): Welterweight

This was quite a unique stylistic matchup. Both guys were sort of just agreeing to exploding towards one another, before resetting and then exploding again. It was car crash after car crash. Neither man was looking sharp, but Harris was getting through with the better shots.

Harris closed the distance to start the second act. He pressed Gooden against the cage, and kept working until he realized a takedown. The lockdown top pressure was then engaged, and Harris proceeded to own Gooden on the mat. He didn’t exactly dish out a ton of damage, but he did totally dominate this round.

With all of the success he had in the second round, Harris went right back to his grappling in the final frame. This time, he was able to take the back with ample time left on the clock. Gooden managed to scramble his back to his feet a couple of times, but unfortunately for him, Harris kept putting back on his butt.

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About the author: Eddie Mercado has covered combat sports since 2015. He covers everything from betting odds to live events and fighter interviews. He holds a 1-0 record in pro MMA and holds a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu. (full bio)

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Fiorot vs. Blanchfield in a potential No. 1 contender, anyone?

Manon Fiorot says a fight against Erin Blanchfield could produce a new No. 1 contender in the UFC flyweight division.

Sidelined since undergoing surgery on her right knee after a unanimous decision win against Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 280 this past October, Fiorot has kept an eye on the rest of the division. Recently, Blanchfield emerged as a potential title challenger after submitting Jéssica Andrade at UFC Vegas 69 in February. And Alexa Grasso stunned the world after dethroning Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285 in March.

With Grasso and Shevchenko hinting at an immediate rematch, that could leave Fiorot and Blanchfield waiting for the winner. Unless, of course, both women would want to fight each other in what should be considered a title eliminator. For the ‘Beast,’ her versus ‘Cold Blooded’ makes sense.

“For me, it’s perfect,” said Fiorot in an interview with Alexandre Herbinet of RMC Sport. “It allows me to do a return fight first. I’m okay with how things are shaping up. We told ourselves that we could fight Taila Santos or Erin Blanchfield. The two of them are great, but I particularly want to fight Blanchfield because of all the hype around her.”

Though Blanchfield continues to impress in her current UFC run, Fiorot says she has yet to see anything from her fellow contender that warrants the hype.

“For me, she hasn’t really proved herself,” said Fiorot. “I want to show her the top of that division, a true 125-pound fighter, because she didn’t really face girls with a big physique. She accepted to fight Jéssica Andrade, who weighed less than the flyweight limit on fight day, around 123 pounds.

“Andrade took that fight on one weeks’ notice,” continued Fiorot. “She had just fought and was absolutely not well prepared. She also explained she had a problem during the fight, that she couldn’t breathe well. And it showed: she got up against the cage in the second round and gave her back. I’d like to face Blanchfield to show her what it is to fight someone prepared and someone at the top of the division. There’s a time when you have to face some girls and win against them to prove yourself. They did the same thing with Maycee Barber, they hyped her again and again until she lost a fight and it ended. Blanchfield’s hype is gonna last until she faces me, at best.”

When Fiorot expects to return to the Octagon remains to be seen. The 33-year-old previously said she would be cleared to train again by March or April, which could see her get a fight scheduled in August.

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

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The Fight Sports leader was among five high-profile male athletes given suspensions for violating the IBJJF’s anti-doping policies.

The IBJJF has suspended five competitors of the 2022 worlds for three years due do violating USADA’s anti-doping policies. Publishing a statement on their website yesterday evening, the IBJJF listed black belts Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, Vagner Rocha, Igor Nascimento da Costa Feliz, Jonnatas Gracie and José Cardoso as suspended from competition retroactive to various testing/competition dates and for varying policy violations.

Fans remember the bizarre scenes of the tournament last year. Following dynamic victories heading into the finals, fan favorite grapplers vanished quietly from the Anaheim Convention Center before several championship final matches. Carsado and Cyborg both left before their scheduled Absolute championship bout, and Rocha was gifted a Heavyweight championship win unceremoniously by a forfeiting André Porfiero. Viewers were quick to generate rumors about the pullouts, ranging from much-hated closeout agreements between friends and the ever-present drug issue in the sport. We now know, at least partially, it’s the latter.

Below are each athletes’ violations in detail outlined in the IBJJF’s statement.

• Igor da Costa Feliz tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected on December 11, 2022, at the World No-Gi Championships. His three-year suspension retroactively began on January 24, 2023.
• Jonnatas Gracie Araujo da Silva tested positive for 19-norandrosterone (19-NA), a metabolite of nandrolone and other prohibited 19-norsteroids, and exogenous testosterone and its metabolites as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected on December 11, 2022, at the World No-Gi Championships. His three-year suspension began retroactively on January 25, 2023.
• Roberto de Abreu Filho tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected on December 20, 2022. His three-year suspension began retroactively on January 27, 2023.
• José Henrique Cardoso tested positive for 19-NA, 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one (a drostanolone metabolite), epitrenbolone (a trenbolone metabolite), methasterone, and exogenous testosterone and its metabolites as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected on January 24, 2023. His three-year suspension began retroactively on February 1, 2023, the date he was provisionally suspended from competition.
• Vagner S. Rocha refused to submit to sample collection after being notified by a USADA doping control officer during an out-of-competition test on December 23, 2022. His three-year suspension began retroactively on January 11, 2023.

Both Rocha and Cyborg have addressed the bans separately on their Instagram pages. Stating that he was unaware of the testing protocols, Rocha stated “I didn’t show up to get a medal because they would only test the winners. This is the first time they’ve done this at the No-Gi Worlds. I competed the year before and there was no test”.

He’s historically been open about his hormone replacement therapy (HRT) usage for competition, but since he refused to test, we don’t know what substances might have been in his system. He has yet to respond to requests for further comment form Bloody Elbow.

Cyborg made a much more detailed statement earlier today. Flying into the controversy, he openly admits to HRT use while citing the demanding schedule and training pro grapplers undergo for competition. He also criticised the IBJJF’s pay structure for athletes, and bemoaned the younger athletes affected by the bans.

“Please no hypocrisy. The world needs to get over the fact that if athletes like us are going to train as hard as we do; as often as we do; as intensely as we do; for as many years as we have, then we all have to take the steps necessary to make sure we can recover and keep training,” Cyborg wrote.

“HRT is super beneficial for athletes over 30. Everything I take is prescribed by a doctor and is professionally followed by his team accords to my needs. And I highly suggest it,” he continued.

“I believe this step will take a lot of credit from IBJJF,” he wrote. “I’ve won several world titles and I’m okay with staying out, but the younger athletes who get suspended are missing out on a big time of their lives. It’s really sad to see them get ripped off at their prime.”

Cyborg has yet to respond to requests for comment from Bloody Elbow.

As of publishing, only Rocha and Cyborg have publicly commented on the situation. We will update as needed.

A wider question posited by the bannings is, How valuable is access to the IBJJF for BJJ athletes?

“Question is: do they still get to compete at pro events like WNO and others even during suspension? Remembering that in a lot cases the title is what makes them legit enough to be invited to compete at those…” IBJJF legend Victor Hugo commented on FloGrappling’s Instagram post breaking down the situation.

The questionable finances of the sport aside, most athletes need to pay to compete in IBJJF events, with prize totals hovering in the low thousands (12K for the No Gi World’s absolute championship). As more and more independent tournaments like Flo’s WNO, Sub Spectrum, F2W and Emerald City Invitational pop up with different money making opportunities for athletes, the worth of an IBJJF title could potentially falter. This is while more and more of the sport’s biggest stars like Gordon Ryan become open with both their drug use and lack of interest in the IBJJF.

Yesterday, a fan asked ADCC head organizer Mo Jassim if the promotion would follow the IBJJF in adopting USADA testing during an Instagram Live session.

“You keep that [USADA] for the IBJJF,’ Jassim said. “I get that some people don’t like that, I respect it. But it’s not happening anytime soon.”

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Check out the full fight video highlights of Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Benson Henderson from the Bellator 292 main event.

Bellator 292 saw the launch of the promotion’s lightweight Grand Prix, with the night’s main event including 155-pound champion, Usman Nurmagomedov, submitting a former UFC champ in Benson Henderson in the very first round.

Nurmagomedov blasted Henderson with a head kick to drop him in the opening moments of the round. From there, Usman got on top and started to rain down punch after punch. Incredibly, Bendo kept moving to avoid getting pounded out, but Nurmagomedov was on his back. Usman brilliantly set up a rear-naked choke, catching Henderson dead to rights to force the tap.

What a performance from Nurmagomedov to successfully defend his title, and to make things a bit sweeter he also advances to the semi-final round of Bellator’s lightweight Grand Prix! Just a reminder, the winner of the GP will score a cool $ 1,000,000 payday.

As for Bendo, he left his gloves inside of the cage, announcing that it is time for him to step away from the sport. The UFC’s former lightweight champion in Henderson is leaving the sport of MMA with an overall record of 30-12. On the big stage, he had six matches with the WEC, 14 bouts with the UFC, and then 14 matches under the Bellator banner.

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About the author: Eddie Mercado has covered combat sports since 2015. He covers everything from betting odds to live events and fighter interviews. He holds a 1-0 record in pro MMA and holds a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu. (full bio)

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Don’t expect to see a Power Slap event in Alabama any time in the near future.

Past and current UFC brass may be lobbying hard for the future of slap competitions in the US, however, the Alabama Athletic Commission does not seem at all interested in hearing it. Not interested in talk of how slap fighting is a “skill sport,” or how “the participants that are at a high level in this are skilled athletes.” The commission also doesn’t even seem interested in comparing slap fighting to other currently widely regulated combat sports like boxing and MMA.

To make their stance on slap fighting perfectly clear, combat sports fans need look no further than the commission’s homepage. It’s unclear exactly when in the last few months they added their latest message, but it’s unequivocal in its stance.

The same week the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) voted to begin regulating Dana White’s version of “slap fighting”, where participants take turns slapping one another as hard as they can, the Alabama Athletic Commission (AAC) unanimously voted to keep Slap Fighting as an illegal event, during their regular open meeting. “This is not a sport,” said AAC Chair Casey Sears. “This is an activity where competitors defending themselves are against the rules.” Slap fighting remains illegal in Alabama to promote, participate or attend. Anyone that is aware of an illegal slap fighting event is encouraged to contact the AAC and the local authorities to have events shut down immediately.

The Attorney General may bring a civil action requesting relief, including a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order, against any person who he or she believes is violating the rules of the AAC. Violations may result in up to a ten thousand dollar ($ 10,000) fine for per violation of the rules and guidelines of the commission.

The Alabama Athletic Commission is the sole regulator and has the sole authority to regulate any form of unarmed combat held in the state as the commission deems necessary.

While UFC president Dana White, UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta, “The Ultimate Fighter” producer Craig Piligian and others under the Schiaffo, LLC banner were successful in getting the Nevada State Athletic Commission to sanction slap fighting as a regulated combat sport, they have not been able to get viewers on board. The eight-week run of Power Slap: Road to the Title recently wrapped up on TBS with its worst-rated show of the season.

Reserve your user name for the new Bloody Elbow before April 1, 2023. Go here for more details (link).

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See what happens on the scales ahead of UFC Vegas 71

The UFC is back in the APEX facility this weekend with a card headlined by two of the best bantamweights in the promotion. At UFC Vegas 71 former champion Petr Yan will be taking on Merab Dvalishvili.

Yan lost his belt to Aljamain Sterling in his first defense and then failed to get it back in an immediate rematch. Dvalishvili is on an eight fight winning streak, but it seems unlikely he will ever challenge his close friend and training partner Sterling for the belt. The co-main for this one is a heavyweight clash between Alexander Volkov and Alexandr Romanov.

Making the fight card a bit more special than the usual APEX fare is the inclusion of Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann, which was supposed to headline a UFC Vegas card a few weeks ago but got pulled, during the event, when Krylov fell ill.

The prelims have some interesting match-ups including JJ Aldrich vs. Ariane Lipski and Raphael Assuncao vs. Davey Grant.

But before these fights can happen, we need to hit the scales. The official weigh-ins happen at 12 p.m. ET. Keep it locked on this page for all the results as they happen.

Main card (6 p.m. ET on ESPN+):

• Bantamweight: Petr Yan (136) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (134.5)
• Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov (258) vs. Alexandr Romanov (264.5)
• Catchweight (215 lbs): Nikita Krylov (213) vs. Ryan Spann (213)
• Featherweight: Ricardo Ramos vs. Austin Lingo (145.5)
• Bantamweight: Said Nurmagomedov (136) vs. Jonathan Martinez (135.5)
• Light heavyweight: Vitor Petrino (204) vs. Anton Turkalj

Prelim card (3 p.m. ET on ESPN+):

• Heavyweight: Lukasz Brzeski vs. Karl Williams
• Bantamweight: Raphael Assuncao (136) vs. Davey Grant (136)
• Middleweight: Sedriques Dumas (184.5) vs. Josh Fremd
• Bantamweight: Mario Bautista (136) vs. Guido Cannetti (136)
• Flyweight: JJ Aldrich (125.5) vs. Ariane Lipski (125.5)
• Bantamweight: Tony Gravely vs. Victor Henry (136)
• Flyweight: Tyson Nam (125.5) vs. Bruno Silva (125.5)
• Welterweight: Carlston Harris (169.5) vs. Jared Gooden

About the author: Tim Bissell is a writer, editor and deputy site manager for Bloody Elbow. He has covered combat sports since 2015. Tim covers news and events and has also written longform and investigative pieces. (full bio)

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