Bloody Elbow’s Best of 2015 in MMA and Combat Sports

From investigative journalism, to longform interviews, and technique breakdowns, here are some of the best content churned out by BloodyElbow.com this past year.

2015 has truly been an interesting year for Bloody Elbow. There were many changes in roles and personnel last year, as we’ve waved goodbye to some talented writers and welcomed many more to the fold. We’ve had both old and new names on the site earn bigger responsibilities, and we’ve also had significant changes done behind the scenes to help this machine run more smoothly and efficiently than ever.

In the end, BE has delivered with a truly diverse set of content, and it has resulted to the site growing significantly and more than doubling our online footprint from the previous year.

A lot has happened in the world of combat sports in 2015, and here’s a look back at some of the best content churned out by Bloody Elbow in that time.

2015

Investigative Work:

UFC Finances – Zuffa has always kept their finances hidden from the public eye, and for the first time ever, Bloody Elbow has pulled the curtain and unveiled several details about the UFC’s finances. How much does the UFC earn? How much is their debt? What percentage of revenue do the fighters make?

John Nash has dug deep, getting reports and analyzing data from credit rating agencies and various sources. In the end, we’ve painted a better picture that could answer several of the biggest questions about the UFC’s business. The story is in 3 parts: UFC Revenue | UFC Debt | UFC Earnings

—

UFC Lawsuit – Since it was first filed, Bloody Elbow has basically been the only site in MMA covering the major class action lawsuit against Zuffa with detailed coverage on every step of this long and grueling process.

In 2015, there has been a lot of progress. The suit was first moved to UFC’s home state of Nevada which was perceived as a small win for Zuffa, but then they lost two key motions which started the long process of fact and expert discovery. Since then, roughly 108,000 documents have been produced for the fighters, with many more likely to follow as well. More in-depth coverage and analysis of this on going story can be found here.

—

WSOF Legal Troubles – Paul Gift has unveiled various problems within WSOF. As detailed on the lawsuit filed by WSOF Asia against MMAWC, the controlling company of WSOF, there seem to be internal issues and rifts between owners, dire financial straights and money issues for the promotion, along with a possible NAC violation.

Ali Abdelaziz, WSOF, and a possible NAC violation – Before reports about his past came to the public, John Nash took an in-depth look at Ali Abdelaziz and the possibility of him having a conflict of interest with his multiple roles with WSOF and as a manager of MMA fighters. Was he hiding his bigger involvement with the management company because of the said conflict?

—

Vitor Belfort and his UFC 152 drug testing scandal – Following Josh Gross’ report, there were various questions surrounding Belfort and his past TRT use, and whether or not he was actually properly granted them. John Nash followed up on the story, adding much more details and depth to the story, with more comments from various athletic commissions, anti-doping scientists, and other officials.

After the two reports broke, the UFC kept silent on the topic, with various outlets not being able to get comments or reactions from the promotion about the sensitive topic. Bloody Elbow’s Josh Samman was first to get an official to respond to these reports, as he spoke to UFC anti-doping expert and Athlete Health and Performance VP Jeff Novitzky in depth about the topic.

This is also where Novitzky first went on record to say that the Nevada Athletic Commission got the Nick Diaz suspension wrong.

—

Ronda Rousey’s coach files for bankruptcy – As Paul Gift unveiled, Edmond Tarverdyan has filed for bankruptcy, initially listing his occupation as “not employed” while earning “$0.00” in wages, salary, tips and bonuses. In the report, it was also stated that he has hundreds of thousands in debt and hasn’t filed taxes in several years. This has led to him being investigated.

Gift also attended the hearing of Tarverdyan’s bankruptcy proceedings, where Rousey’s coach went under oath to answer several topics about his income. This is where Edmond’s attorney stated there were “significant errors” on his original bankruptcy petition. Details are all here.

2015

Fight Week Diaries:

Josh Samman vs. Caio Magalhaes Fight Week Blog – UFC middleweight and BE writer Josh Samman penned his thoughts and experiences before, during and after his bout against Caio Magalhaes in an excellent 4-part feature. It provides brilliant insight on how a fighter thinks and reacts during all the events connected to a big UFC match.

Josh Samman vs. Tamdan McCrory Fight Week Blog – Much like his earlier fight week diary, Josh Samman wrote an in-depth feature on the events surrounding his bout against Tamdan McCrory. The difference here, is that this was the first time Josh lost inside the Octagon. It was a terrific look on what a fighter goes through for several days over the course of the biggest fights of their lives, and how they deal with the aftermath of suffering a tough defeat.

Life of a weight management specialist – Ever wonder how top weight cut gurus like George Lockhart work and help fighters diet, cut weight, and rehydrate the safest way possible? Iain Kidd provided an in-depth and inside look at everything the Fitness VT Team does during an absolutely crazy 3-event weekend, that had them working on a plethora of fighters all at the same time.

2015

Longforms:

Married With Jiujitsu – Karim Zidan kicked off 2015 with an excellent long form on famous actor and BJJ black belt Ed O’Neill. The star of the popular show Married… With Children detailed his jiujitsu journey and how training with the Gracies helped him make it in Hollywood.

Coach Cultist: A victim’s tale of MMA and mind control – Karim Zidan details quite a lonely tale about a talented heavyweight who was looking to make it big in mixed martial arts, and ended up entrapped in a cult for 12 years. Once he got freed, he shared his truly intriguing story.

Pudzianowski: Fighting the shadow of the World’s Strongest Man – Mariusz Pudzianowski may be one of the biggest stars in Poland, but he is a secluded and very private fellow who rarely speaks to the media. Karim Zidan not only was able to sit down with the Polish hero, he was able to make him truly open up and detail various aspects of his life that not many people knew about. Pudzianowski wasn’t fighting for fame or fortune, as he already had both, and this longform gave an excellent look on what drives the massive 4-time World’s Strongest Man.

Dagestani Dynasty – Karim Zidan had yet another longform, this time detailing the story of Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap, and how fighting became the Nurmagomedov family business. The combat sambo expert shared his origins, and how he’s currently grooming the next generation of UFC stalwarts.

2015

Interviews:

Stitch Duran talks about Reebok – This was the infamous interview Stitch had with John Nash that started the whole controversy about his employment. Shortly after mentioning here that he lost sponsors from the Reebok deal and may chase some cut men to boxing, Stitch was let go by the UFC, thus starting a massive uproar from fans and pundits.

Joe Rogan Longform Interview – The longtime UFC commentator in Joe Rogan rarely gives out interviews to the MMA media, but he has done quite a few excellent ones with Steph Daniels this past year alone. This particular one is a longform interview, with Rogan discussing various interesting topics such as brain damage, performance enhancing drugs, injuries, and even big game hunting.

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about Greg Jackson – Steph Daniels has had countless excellent interviews with fighters, coaches and MMA personalities this past year, that it was challenging to limit this list to just a handful. This in particular session with Greg Jackson though, was certainly a must read for most MMA fans. He spoke about various topics such as code words while cornering, coaching philosophies, meditation, and even books.

Phoenix Jones: Getting to know the man behind the mask – Steph Daniels spoke to MMA fighter and real life crime fighting superhero in Ben Fodor.

Tate and Caraway open up on Reebok deal – One of the biggest stories of 2015 was the exclusive Reebok partnership with the UFC. Back when the official payout numbers first came out, Miesha Tate was one of the earliest big name fighters to reveal just how much they’ll be losing on the newly implemented deal. Caraway and Tate told Anton Tabuena how the female bantamweight star would lose “80-90%” of what she usually got in sponsorships. She was regularly making about $25,000 more than the champions would make, and Tate called the deal “unfair” for Women’s MMA.

Other stars like Faber, Edgar, Johnson, and Mousasi also spoke to Bloody Elbow about the deal during that time, with Gegard going on record to say that he’d make “4 or 5 times less” under the Reebok deal.

Interview with Rousey’s mother – Dr. Ann Maria De Mars spoke to Steph Daniels, Iain Kidd, and Mookie Alexander about Ronda’s shenanigans growing up, domestic violence in MMA, and Rousey’s ex-boyfriends.

2015

Technique:

Gaps in the Armor: How Holly Holm beats Ronda Rousey – While not many thought it was possible until it actually happened, Connor Ruebusch had a technical breakdown of how exactly Holm could beat Rousey by using her specific tools and advantage in the match up. Apart from detailing angles, spacing and kicks, his breakdown even included a reactive takedown as part of Holly’s keys to victory, which she successfully executed during the contest.

Limb Control: Rethinking ‘Position before Submission’ – Reilly Bodycomb and T.P. Grant looked at a trend taking place on the Submission Grappling Scene as competitors are bending what “position” means in a grappling context.

Striking Styles: Breaking down the Dutch Style of Muay Thai – What exactly is The Dutch Style of kickboxing? Is it even a real thing? And how different it is from the traditional Muay Thai style that we’re used to? Fraser Coffeen broke everything down for those interested in the intricacies of striking.

Taking Initiative – ‘Initiative’ is probably one of the more important facets of combat, yet also one that may be the hardest to properly define and explain concretely. Connor Reubusch took a stab at trying to do just that.

2015

Opinion:

Why Jon Jones’ hit-and-run sentencing isn’t a case of ‘special treatment’ – When Jones got away with just community service and no prison time for his hit-and-run incident, many MMA fans went crazy. The general thinking at the time seemed to be that this was another case of ‘special treatment’ for celebrities, but Mookie Alexander put them on their place with various similar (or even much worse) situations that proved otherwise.

Conor McGregor KOing Jose Aldo sucked – Reading the headline may have had some people rushing with their pitchforks. While some may disagree or even go overboard and miss the point, Zane Simon wrote an intriguing piece about Aldo’s legacy and how it was dragged through the mud for a year before eventually getting crushed by McGregor.

Jose Aldo: Confusing the wind – Phil Mackenzie had an excellent feature on the now former UFC champ in Aldo, one who remained enigmatic and kept the rest of the world at bay, despite his long reign at the top of the sport.

2015

Photo Galleries:

UFC Manila: While technically contributing this for SBNation.com, Bloody Elbow’s managing editor in Anton Tabuena had several photo galleries from the UFC’s first trip to the Philippines. There were good shots from Faber, Edgar and Mousasi being mobbed at the Open Workouts, to the main and co-main event bouts, and to Mark Munoz retiring inside the Octagon in front of his home town fans.

Nonito Donaire and Donnie Nietes put on a show: BE doesn’t just focus on MMA, and when boxing superstars Donaire and Nietes took home big victories, Anton Tabuena, Nicole Sarmiento and Charico Cruz were there to give excellent coverage and photos from the event: Fight Night Part 1 | Part 2 | Open Workouts.

From investigative journalism, to longform interviews, and technique breakdowns, here are some of the best content churned out by BloodyElbow.com this past year.

2015 has truly been an interesting year for Bloody Elbow. There were many changes in roles and personnel last year, as we’ve waved goodbye to some talented writers and welcomed many more to the fold. We’ve had both old and new names on the site earn bigger responsibilities, and we’ve also had significant changes done behind the scenes to help this machine run more smoothly and efficiently than ever.

In the end, BE has delivered with a truly diverse set of content, and it has resulted to the site growing significantly and more than doubling our online footprint from the previous year.

A lot has happened in the world of combat sports in 2015, and here’s a look back at some of the best content churned out by Bloody Elbow in that time.

2015

Investigative Work:

UFC Finances – Zuffa has always kept their finances hidden from the public eye, and for the first time ever, Bloody Elbow has pulled the curtain and unveiled several details about the UFC’s finances. How much does the UFC earn? How much is their debt? What percentage of revenue do the fighters make?

John Nash has dug deep, getting reports and analyzing data from credit rating agencies and various sources. In the end, we’ve painted a better picture that could answer several of the biggest questions about the UFC’s business. The story is in 3 parts: UFC Revenue | UFC Debt | UFC Earnings

—

UFC Lawsuit – Since it was first filed, Bloody Elbow has basically been the only site in MMA covering the major class action lawsuit against Zuffa with detailed coverage on every step of this long and grueling process.

In 2015, there has been a lot of progress. The suit was first moved to UFC’s home state of Nevada which was perceived as a small win for Zuffa, but then they lost two key motions which started the long process of fact and expert discovery. Since then, roughly 108,000 documents have been produced for the fighters, with many more likely to follow as well. More in-depth coverage and analysis of this on going story can be found here.

—

WSOF Legal Troubles – Paul Gift has unveiled various problems within WSOF. As detailed on the lawsuit filed by WSOF Asia against MMAWC, the controlling company of WSOF, there seem to be internal issues and rifts between owners, dire financial straights and money issues for the promotion, along with a possible NAC violation.

Ali Abdelaziz, WSOF, and a possible NAC violation – Before reports about his past came to the public, John Nash took an in-depth look at Ali Abdelaziz and the possibility of him having a conflict of interest with his multiple roles with WSOF and as a manager of MMA fighters. Was he hiding his bigger involvement with the management company because of the said conflict?

—

Vitor Belfort and his UFC 152 drug testing scandal – Following Josh Gross’ report, there were various questions surrounding Belfort and his past TRT use, and whether or not he was actually properly granted them. John Nash followed up on the story, adding much more details and depth to the story, with more comments from various athletic commissions, anti-doping scientists, and other officials.

After the two reports broke, the UFC kept silent on the topic, with various outlets not being able to get comments or reactions from the promotion about the sensitive topic. Bloody Elbow’s Josh Samman was first to get an official to respond to these reports, as he spoke to UFC anti-doping expert and Athlete Health and Performance VP Jeff Novitzky in depth about the topic.

This is also where Novitzky first went on record to say that the Nevada Athletic Commission got the Nick Diaz suspension wrong.

—

Ronda Rousey’s coach files for bankruptcy – As Paul Gift unveiled, Edmond Tarverdyan has filed for bankruptcy, initially listing his occupation as “not employed” while earning “$0.00” in wages, salary, tips and bonuses. In the report, it was also stated that he has hundreds of thousands in debt and hasn’t filed taxes in several years. This has led to him being investigated.

Gift also attended the hearing of Tarverdyan’s bankruptcy proceedings, where Rousey’s coach went under oath to answer several topics about his income. This is where Edmond’s attorney stated there were “significant errors” on his original bankruptcy petition. Details are all here.

2015

Fight Week Diaries:

Josh Samman vs. Caio Magalhaes Fight Week Blog – UFC middleweight and BE writer Josh Samman penned his thoughts and experiences before, during and after his bout against Caio Magalhaes in an excellent 4-part feature. It provides brilliant insight on how a fighter thinks and reacts during all the events connected to a big UFC match.

Josh Samman vs. Tamdan McCrory Fight Week Blog – Much like his earlier fight week diary, Josh Samman wrote an in-depth feature on the events surrounding his bout against Tamdan McCrory. The difference here, is that this was the first time Josh lost inside the Octagon. It was a terrific look on what a fighter goes through for several days over the course of the biggest fights of their lives, and how they deal with the aftermath of suffering a tough defeat.

Life of a weight management specialist – Ever wonder how top weight cut gurus like George Lockhart work and help fighters diet, cut weight, and rehydrate the safest way possible? Iain Kidd provided an in-depth and inside look at everything the Fitness VT Team does during an absolutely crazy 3-event weekend, that had them working on a plethora of fighters all at the same time.

2015

Longforms:

Married With Jiujitsu – Karim Zidan kicked off 2015 with an excellent long form on famous actor and BJJ black belt Ed O’Neill. The star of the popular show Married… With Children detailed his jiujitsu journey and how training with the Gracies helped him make it in Hollywood.

Coach Cultist: A victim’s tale of MMA and mind control – Karim Zidan details quite a lonely tale about a talented heavyweight who was looking to make it big in mixed martial arts, and ended up entrapped in a cult for 12 years. Once he got freed, he shared his truly intriguing story.

Pudzianowski: Fighting the shadow of the World’s Strongest Man – Mariusz Pudzianowski may be one of the biggest stars in Poland, but he is a secluded and very private fellow who rarely speaks to the media. Karim Zidan not only was able to sit down with the Polish hero, he was able to make him truly open up and detail various aspects of his life that not many people knew about. Pudzianowski wasn’t fighting for fame or fortune, as he already had both, and this longform gave an excellent look on what drives the massive 4-time World’s Strongest Man.

Dagestani Dynasty – Karim Zidan had yet another longform, this time detailing the story of Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap, and how fighting became the Nurmagomedov family business. The combat sambo expert shared his origins, and how he’s currently grooming the next generation of UFC stalwarts.

2015

Interviews:

Stitch Duran talks about Reebok – This was the infamous interview Stitch had with John Nash that started the whole controversy about his employment. Shortly after mentioning here that he lost sponsors from the Reebok deal and may chase some cut men to boxing, Stitch was let go by the UFC, thus starting a massive uproar from fans and pundits.

Joe Rogan Longform Interview – The longtime UFC commentator in Joe Rogan rarely gives out interviews to the MMA media, but he has done quite a few excellent ones with Steph Daniels this past year alone. This particular one is a longform interview, with Rogan discussing various interesting topics such as brain damage, performance enhancing drugs, injuries, and even big game hunting.

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about Greg Jackson – Steph Daniels has had countless excellent interviews with fighters, coaches and MMA personalities this past year, that it was challenging to limit this list to just a handful. This in particular session with Greg Jackson though, was certainly a must read for most MMA fans. He spoke about various topics such as code words while cornering, coaching philosophies, meditation, and even books.

Phoenix Jones: Getting to know the man behind the mask – Steph Daniels spoke to MMA fighter and real life crime fighting superhero in Ben Fodor.

Tate and Caraway open up on Reebok deal – One of the biggest stories of 2015 was the exclusive Reebok partnership with the UFC. Back when the official payout numbers first came out, Miesha Tate was one of the earliest big name fighters to reveal just how much they’ll be losing on the newly implemented deal. Caraway and Tate told Anton Tabuena how the female bantamweight star would lose “80-90%” of what she usually got in sponsorships. She was regularly making about $25,000 more than the champions would make, and Tate called the deal “unfair” for Women’s MMA.

Other stars like Faber, Edgar, Johnson, and Mousasi also spoke to Bloody Elbow about the deal during that time, with Gegard going on record to say that he’d make “4 or 5 times less” under the Reebok deal.

Interview with Rousey’s mother – Dr. Ann Maria De Mars spoke to Steph Daniels, Iain Kidd, and Mookie Alexander about Ronda’s shenanigans growing up, domestic violence in MMA, and Rousey’s ex-boyfriends.

2015

Technique:

Gaps in the Armor: How Holly Holm beats Ronda Rousey – While not many thought it was possible until it actually happened, Connor Ruebusch had a technical breakdown of how exactly Holm could beat Rousey by using her specific tools and advantage in the match up. Apart from detailing angles, spacing and kicks, his breakdown even included a reactive takedown as part of Holly’s keys to victory, which she successfully executed during the contest.

Limb Control: Rethinking ‘Position before Submission’ – Reilly Bodycomb and T.P. Grant looked at a trend taking place on the Submission Grappling Scene as competitors are bending what “position” means in a grappling context.

Striking Styles: Breaking down the Dutch Style of Muay Thai – What exactly is The Dutch Style of kickboxing? Is it even a real thing? And how different it is from the traditional Muay Thai style that we’re used to? Fraser Coffeen broke everything down for those interested in the intricacies of striking.

Taking Initiative – ‘Initiative’ is probably one of the more important facets of combat, yet also one that may be the hardest to properly define and explain concretely. Connor Reubusch took a stab at trying to do just that.

2015

Opinion:

Why Jon Jones’ hit-and-run sentencing isn’t a case of ‘special treatment’ – When Jones got away with just community service and no prison time for his hit-and-run incident, many MMA fans went crazy. The general thinking at the time seemed to be that this was another case of ‘special treatment’ for celebrities, but Mookie Alexander put them on their place with various similar (or even much worse) situations that proved otherwise.

Conor McGregor KOing Jose Aldo sucked – Reading the headline may have had some people rushing with their pitchforks. While some may disagree or even go overboard and miss the point, Zane Simon wrote an intriguing piece about Aldo’s legacy and how it was dragged through the mud for a year before eventually getting crushed by McGregor.

Jose Aldo: Confusing the wind – Phil Mackenzie had an excellent feature on the now former UFC champ in Aldo, one who remained enigmatic and kept the rest of the world at bay, despite his long reign at the top of the sport.

2015

Photo Galleries:

UFC Manila: While technically contributing this for SBNation.com, Bloody Elbow’s managing editor in Anton Tabuena had several photo galleries from the UFC’s first trip to the Philippines. There were good shots from Faber, Edgar and Mousasi being mobbed at the Open Workouts, to the main and co-main event bouts, and to Mark Munoz retiring inside the Octagon in front of his home town fans.

Nonito Donaire and Donnie Nietes put on a show: BE doesn’t just focus on MMA, and when boxing superstars Donaire and Nietes took home big victories, Anton Tabuena, Nicole Sarmiento and Charico Cruz were there to give excellent coverage and photos from the event: Fight Night Part 1 | Part 2 | Open Workouts.