The doddering old man who also happens to be the most powerful person in the world made an offhand comment over the 4th of July weekend that he’d like to do some UFC fights at the White House. He wants 20,000 people there. He says Dana’s gonna take care of it. And look, we’d be inclined to dismiss this as the rumblings of a crazy old grandpa who might sit next to you on the bus except, well, the scariest part of this whole fever dream is how utterly POSSIBLE it all actually seems. So … I guess we’ll see?
Look, though, you know what strikes us most about the potential of having MMA fights at the White House? How fucking LAME that is. Remember when this sport used to feel cool? It used to feel underground? A little renegade? Well, that’s over now. That’s dead and gone. Suddenly, it feels like we’ve gone a little TOO mainstream.
You know who loves this idea, though? Jon Jones. Soon as this MFer found out there might be a party he’s not invited to, he jumped back in the testing pool. SMDH.
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1:11:35
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1:11:35
Episode 652: Ilia Topuria looks more and more like That Dude
Ilia Topuria called his shot — going out there at UFC 317 on Saturday and doing exactly what he said he was going to do to Charles Oliveira, exactly when he said he was going to do it. After a first-round knockout, Topuria claims the vacant lightweight title and becomes the 10th two-division champion in UFC history. He’s 28, undefeated, looks good getting off the bus and possesses an otherworldly calm and confidence in himself. He could be something special …
… and the UFC’s apparent willingness to match him up next with Paddy Pimblett feels pretty meaningful, coming from a company that has seemed apathetic about making new stars lately.
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1:01:18
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1:01:18
Episode 651: Jon Jones ‘retires’ the same week as UFC 317? Lawd!
So, Jon Jones is out. Like, OUT out. As in Jon Jones is retired. Or … should we say … “retired,” because ain’t nobody thinks we’ve seen the last of this dude in a cage, a ring, or a dusty circle of dirt at some county fairgrounds. In any case, Jones’ career ended (for now) the way all the great ones go out — with Dana White making a halfhearted announcement at the postfight press conference for UFC: Baku.
Oh, and Jones has once again been charged with a crime — this one stemming from a February incident where he (you’re never going to believe this) allegedly left the scene of an early morning car accident. And then maybe threatened to have some police officers killed? So basically, he’s just out here living his best life, monetizing this amazing brand he’s built.
Anyway, Tom Aspinall is champ now. So that’s … good?
As if that wasn’t enough, UFC 317 is this weekend, and Ilia Topuria is more than a 4-to-1 favorite over Charles Oliveira. What???
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1:13:41
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1:13:41
Episode 650: Accusations, innuendos and inferences
So, there’s still some fight left in this old dog, Kamaru Usman — as Joaquin Buckley found out the hard way in their UFC Fight Night main event on Saturday. The 38-year-old Usman defied the odds and many expectations with a vintage performance that saw him use the ol’ wrestling game to take a unanimous decision over the seemingly incredibly ill-prepared up-and-comer. Then Usman got on the mic and hilariously called for a title shot. Yeah … no … that’s not going to happen. At least not yet. Usman may have shown he was as good once as he ever was, but can he keep it going long enough to get back in the mix?
Plus, was Dom Cruz right? Did Buckley somehow fail to adequately train … for Usman’s … wrestling? Because THAT would be an oversight.
And did Rodolfo Bellato pull off the biggest flop job in MMA history?
This weekend the UFC is off to — pulls out spelling dictionary — Baku, Azerbaijan, which seems like the most obvious cash grab we’ve seen in some time.
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1:08:27
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1:08:27
Episode 649: Merab Dvalishvili: Little guy, big problem
Not sure how you’re supposed to beat this guy Merab Dvalishvili at this point. Poison? Blow darts? The Dark Arts? Regular-ass fighting ain’t working, as Sean O’Malley found out at UFC 316 on Saturday. Looked like O’Malley was trying to do the right things — stay off the cage, work the body, show improved takedown defense, get up when Merab put him on the mat. Didn’t matter. Merab is just too good at what he does … and it seems like he’s getting better at it.
If he’s gonna start throwing out nasty submissions now? Fuck it, shut it down. And then we gotta show Cory Sandhagen standing in the crowd looking like a middle school kid tryna act tough? Yeah, we're not loving that guy’s chances.
Plus, Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes? Give it to me, it’s mine!
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An irreverent and unscripted look at the week's mixed martial arts news from longtime MMA journalists Ben Fowlkes and Chad Dundas. Topics include the latest happenings in the UFC, Bellator and other promotions.
Brasil