MMA News Tracker: Jake Paul Update, Usman, Cyborg, & Much More

Good morning, MMA fans! Welcome to the MMA News Tracker! Here are some of the latest happenings across the world of MMA. Cris Cyborg Improves Her Pro Boxing Record To 2-0 Saturday night, Cyborg earned her second unanimous decision victory as a boxing p…

Good morning, MMA fans! Welcome to the MMA News Tracker! Here are some of the latest happenings across the world of MMA. Cris Cyborg Improves Her Pro Boxing Record To 2-0 Saturday night, Cyborg earned her second unanimous decision victory as a boxing pro when she defeated Gabrielle Holloway. After the fight, Holloway shared the…

Continue Reading MMA News Tracker: Jake Paul Update, Usman, Cyborg, & Much More at MMA News.

Jiu Jitsu Tattoos – BJJ Culture

Jiu Jitsu TattoosIf you practice Jiu Jitsu, then more than likely you have or have teammates that have tattoos. Jiu Jitsu tattoos have become embedded in the culture of the martial art with numerous grapplers tatted up. Here is a full breakdown of Jiu Jitsu tattoos from common types of Jiu Jitsu tattoos to famous tatted grapplers. […]

Jiu Jitsu Tattoos

If you practice Jiu Jitsu, then more than likely you have or have teammates that have tattoos. Jiu Jitsu tattoos have become embedded in the culture of the martial art with numerous grapplers tatted up.

Here is a full breakdown of Jiu Jitsu tattoos from common types of Jiu Jitsu tattoos to famous tatted grapplers.

Why Are There So Many Grapplers With Tattoos?

No one really knows why tattoos have become so popular within BJJ. In modern culture, more people are getting tattooed more than ever. 

Before it was just small sub sets of people that got tattoos, but now any type of person has them. This includes grapplers that get their own Jiu Jitsu tattoos.

Tattoos that symbolize their love of the grappling art and what they dedicated their life to.

Types Of Jiu Jitsu Tattoos 

There’s a wide variety of Jiu Jitsu tattoos out there that grapplers put on their bodies. Here are some of the most common types of Jiu Jitsu tattoos.

BJJ/Jiu Jitsu Scripts

Jiu Jitsu Script
Jiu Jitsu Scripts

Many Jiu Jitsu practitioners will merely just get the words “Jiu Jitsu” tatted onto their bodies. You’ll commonly see the words Jiu Jitsu or BJJ tattooed onto a grapplers body in various types of scripts/lettering.

Jiu Jitsu School Crests

Jiu Jitsu School Crest
Jiu Jitsu School Crest

All Jiu Jitsu schools have their own crests that represents their schools. Instructors and students of these schools will often pay homage to their gyms by tattooing the crests onto their bodies.

Any Jiu Jitsu academy/affiliation you can think of has numerous students that have tattoos of the school crest. 

Kanji

Kanji
Kanji

Along with the words Jiu Jitsu, many grapplers have gotten the kanji lettering of the term tattooed on them. Usually in black coloring, so it can be seen.

Arte Suave

Arte Suave
Arte Suave

The Portuguese nickname for BJJ is arte suave or the gentle art. You will see many Brazilian grapplers with this term tattooed on their bodies.

Animals

Jiu Jitsu Animal Tatoo
Jiu Jitsu Animal tattoo

Animals like bears, sharks, gorillas, and lions are associated with Jiu Jitsu. Seeing one of these animals used in Jiu Jitsu tattoos is very common to see when you’re on the mat training.

Chess Pieces

Chess Pieces
Chess Pieces

Many grapplers view Jiu Jitsu as a game of chance, which is why they tattoo chess pieces on their body. King or Queen pieces blended with the words Jiu Jitsu or a black belt are a common type of Jiu Jitsu tattoo.

Black Belts

Black Belts
Black Belts

Whenever a grappler reaches the rank of black belt, they will often commemorate it by getting a tattoo. Something like a black belt somewhere on their body along with the date they received the rank.

BJJ Ranks

BJJ Ranks
BJJ Ranks

To go along with a black belt tattoo, many Jiu Jitsu practitioners will get every rank tattooed on them. They will tattoo an outline of the ranks on their body and fill them in everytime, they level up. Once they earn their black belt, the tattoo is complete.

OSS

OSS
OSS

Many grapplers love saying “OSS.” So much so that it’s common to see BJJ practitioners have tattoos of the phrase.

Warrior Tattoos

Warrior Tattoos
Warrior Tattoo

There are a lot of BJJ athletes out their that like to think of themselves like warriors. To show this side of their personality, they will get a tattoo of some type of famous warriors. The most common Jiu Jitsu tattoos with warriors often include either samurais or vikings.

Religious Tattoos

There are alot of Jiu Jitsu practitioners that are religious. They will often get tattoos that demonstrate both their devotion to BJJ and their religion.

Portraits Of Famous Grapplers

Gracie Tattoo
Helio Gracie Tattoo

Seeing portraits of BJJ pioneers like Helio, Carlos Sr, and Carlson Sr. are normal to see in the Jiu Jitsu world. Grapplers like to pay homage to those that created or helped grow the martial art.

Famous Jiu Jitsu Athletes With Tattoos 

  • Gordon Ryan: The current best grappler on the planet Gordon Ryan is covered in various tattoos. Including the words Jiu Jitsu on his arm.
  • Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu: Multiple time BJJ champion Cyborg Abreu’s most noteworthy tattoos are his gym and name on his forearms. He has also added a full arm sleeve to go along with these Jiu Jitsu tattoos.
  • André Galvão: GOAT grappler André Galvão has three distinct tattoos on his body. His daughter’s name on one forearm, equilíbrio (equilibrium) on the other, and a dragon on his side.
  • Frank Mir: Former UFC heavyweight champion and BJJ black belt is covered in tattoos. The most noticeable one is his samurai back piece. 
  • Jeff Glover: Darce choke expert Jeff Glover has quite a collection of tattoos on his body. Probably his most noticable one is the words Jiu Jitsu that’s tattooed on his knuckles. 

Guide For Training After Getting Jiu Jitsu Tattoos

If you train and decide to get a tattoo, just know there is a certain protocol you’ll have to follow. Remember to follow these steps before training again.

No Training

After getting a tattoo, you should not under any circumstances immediately train afterwards. A fresh tattoo is a giant wound that needs to heal before you do any type of training.

Training with a fresh tattoo will lead to bacteria entering the wound and causing a staph infection. Prolonging your time off the mat.

To prevent this from happening, you will need to wait until your tattoo is fully healed. The bigger the tattoo, the longer the wait period will be.

Keep The Area Clean And Dry

In order to prevent getting an infection, you must keep your skin dry and clean. Moisture or rough texture can open the wound back up. 

Possibly leading to an infection that could affect your health and ruin your new tattoo.

Remember to put antibacterial cream and lotion on your tattoo during the 48 hours after getting it.

Should I Get Jiu Jitsu Tattoos

Here at LowKickMMA, it is not our job to tell you what you can and can’t do. If you like Jiu Jitsu and want to get Jiu Jitsu tattoos to symbolize your passion, then go right ahead.

Hey Not the Face! 06: Breaking down a current UFC contract (Pt. 1)

June M. Williams

Episode 06 discussion: Our latest episode focuses on the UFC contract, which will end up being 2-4 episodes. Welcome to Hey Not the Face!, the podcast that provides expert analysis on all aspects of comb…


HNTF, HNTF Pod, HNTF Podcast, Hey Not the Face!, heynottheface, John Nash, Stephie Haynes, Bloody Elbow Presents, UFC Podcast, MMA Podcast, Fighter Pay, UFC Antitrust, UFC Business, UFC Financials,
June M. Williams

Episode 06 discussion: Our latest episode focuses on the UFC contract, which will end up being 2-4 episodes.

Welcome to Hey Not the Face!, the podcast that provides expert analysis on all aspects of combat sports finance with an intense focus on fighter pay. Hey Not the Face! will also feature updates on both antitrust suits against the UFC, in-depth comparisons of boxing pay vs. MMA pay, thorough examinations of contracts and more. The show is hosted by John Nash and airs twice monthly. No permanent schedule has been worked out, but we’ll make sure to notify everyone via our various social media platforms when new shows are released. As always, we hope you enjoy listening.

John Nash, heynotheface, Hey Not the Face!, HNTF, HNTF Pod, HNTF Podcast, HNTF Host Graphic, John S. Nash, UFC Podcast, MMA Podcast, Fighter Pay, UFC Antitrust, UFC Business, UFC Financials, UFC Contracts
June M. Williams

EPISODE 6

Today’s episode concentrates on a current UFC contract, specifically, Taila Santos’ contract. It should be noted that Ms. Santos didn’t volunteer her contract information to us. John legally obtained it via Brazil’s court system. The contracts were filed in Brazilian courts by Talia Santos’ former trainer Marcio Malko and former head coach/manager Marcelo Brigadeiro as part of their individual lawsuits against her.

Note: John makes an error when discussing the “Effective Date” of a contract. This will be addressed and the information corrected in the next episode.

We’re providing a link to the documentation covered in this episode so our listeners can follow along with us as we go point by point down the list, starting at page 30.

Link:

Remember, if you’re looking for us on SoundCloud or iTunes, we’re under the Bloody Elbow Presents name. Follow John’s Twitter account: John Nash. If you enjoy our shows, give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, and give us a “like”, share & subscribe on your BE Presents Podcast platform of choice: SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, OverCast, Player FM, & Amazon Music – For previous episodes, check out our playlists on any of our BE Presents channels.

Midnight Mania! ‘Wonderboy’ Leaks Usman Injury Rumor, Masvidal To Replace?

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight! Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Stephen Thompson has a new source of inspiration towards becoming UFC champion.


UFC 278: Usman v Edwards 2
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Stephen Thompson has a new source of inspiration towards becoming UFC champion.

A couple weeks back, Thompson picked apart Kevin Holland to return to the win column in stellar fashion (HIGHLIGHTS). It was a drastically different outcome compared to his previous two fights against Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns, dreadfully boring contests that saw Thompson stuck on the bottom for long periods of time.

At 39 years of age, “Wonderboy” isn’t going to suddenly become an elite wrestler. There’s a reason why he’s targeting match ups with strikers. They’re more fun, and he’s more likely to win them! Fun fights rarely equate to title shots, however, but that goal remains on Thompson’s mind.

In a wrestler-heavy division like Welterweight, how does that work out for Thompson? Well, Thompson revealed a rumor that Kamaru Usman is injured and unable to make it to his planned trilogy bout with Leon Edwards. Instead, UFC is searching for a replacement, and one option being considered is Jorge Masvidal … a striker that “Wonderboy” already beat up back in 2017.

“I’m still going for the title,” Thompson said on the Fred Talks Fighting podcast (via Josh Evanoff). “I know the guys ranked above me right now are some heavy wrestlers but everybody wants to see me fight a stand-up fight. Which, I don’t mind at all. Any of those guys, Jorge Masvidal, Michel Pereira.”

He continued, “People are in-talks of me fighting Leon Edwards. I know Kamaru Usman is having hand surgery, I know they want to fight somebody in March and they were looking at Jorge Masvidal. He’s a standup fighter, so it kind of inspires me a bit, our division is so wrestler-heavy, and Leon Edwards is a striker and he’s champ. So, anyone of those guys would be awesome.”

If Usman really is injured, the Welterweight title picture will end up a bit of a mess. Masvidal’s star power could indeed end up overruling his current losing streak. Similarly, Khamzat Chimaev’s momentum could allow the promotion to ignore his massive failure to make weight at UFC 279. Finally, perhaps this is an explanation to how Belal Muhammad — the most deserving but least marketable contender — managed to end up with an alleged contract to fight “Rocky.”

Hopefully, London will learn of its main event sooner than later.

Insomnia

Jan Blachowicz was treated terribly inside the Octagon at UFC 282 after his fight, and he deserves the highest level of respect.

The MMA community is having fun at Paddy Pimblett’s expense.

Takeru empties the tank with power kicks:

I remember Chris Curtis getting out-wrestled several times at Welterweight in PFL, but his takedown defense has been incredible lately!

Is Dagestan the answer to Cody Garbrandt’s recent struggles inside the Octagon?

Anyone got a guess on what year this clip is from?

Credit to Anthony Smith for handling a tough moment while live and on air.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

I am not up-to-date on high level Muay Thai competition aside from the details provided in the caption, but it looks to me like Rittewada got a bit too comfortable.

Man did almost nothing to defend the kneebar, wild.

Liam Harrison low kick highlight!

Random Land

Absolutely terrifying.

Midnight Music: For my Dead heads.

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

Predictions! UFC Vegas 66 ‘Prelims’ Preview – Pt. 1

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing more “Prelims” fights to ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., Dec. 17, 2022) when UFC Vegas 66: “Cannonier vs. Strickland” returns to UFC APEX in Las …


UFC 282: Ponzinibbio v Morono
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing more “Prelims” fights to ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., Dec. 17, 2022) when UFC Vegas 66: “Cannonier vs. Strickland” returns to UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg kicks off the UFC Vegas 66 “Prelims” party with the first installment of a two-part undercard preview series below.

Middleweight finishers will wrap up UFC’s 2022 campaign this Saturday (Dec. 17, 2022) when Jared Cannonier takes on Sean Strickland inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also on tap for UFC Vegas 66 is a pivotal Lightweight battle pitting Arman Tsarukyan against Damir Ismagulov, before which Amir Albazi welcomes newcomer Alessandro Costa and Julian Erosa looks to continue his improbable resurgence at Alex Caceres’ expense.

UFC Vegas 66 features a nice, even eight “Prelims” undercard bouts this time around. Here’s the first batch …

155 lbs.: Rafa Garcia vs. Maheshate

Rafa Garcia (14-3) — a former Combate champion — struggled his way to a winless (0-2) UFC start. “Gifted” evened things up with decisions over Natan Levy and Jesse Ronson, but proved unable to topple Drakkar Klose on short notice.

His nine professional stoppages include eight via submission.

Maheshate (9-1) defied nearly 5:1 odds to upset Achilles Estremadura on Contender Series and walk away with a UFC contract. His Octagon debut was even more impressive, flattening Steve Garcia just 64 seconds into the first round.

He stands five inches taller than Garcia at 6’0.”

While it’s clear at this point that Garcia peaks below the Lightweight elite, he’s a significant step up for Maheshate. The 23-year-old has never met a wrestler of this caliber, especially not one with the five-round experience to test his takedown defense all night. Maheshate may be a physical beast, but I’m not convinced he’s prepared for this sort of grind.

To his credit, Maheshate is a very effective counter-puncher, and Garcia’s aggression should give the former plenty of opportunities to land that nasty right down the pipe. Durability has never been among Garcia’s failings, though, so expect him to steadily break down the younger man with relentless wrestling en route to a late finish.

Prediction: Garcia via third round submission

170 lbs.: Bryan Battle vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov

Bryan Battle (8-1) capped off his successful The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) run by choking out late replacement GIlbert Urbina in the finals. Subsequent efforts have seen him defeat another castmate in Tresean Gore and crush Takashi Sato with a 44-second head kick six months later.

He steps in for Michael Morales on two weeks’ notice.

A 55-second knockout of Eric Spicely extended Rinat Fakhretdinov’s (20-2) win streak to 14 and caught Dana White’s eye, resulting in a UFC contract. He would not make his debut for another 16.5 months, at which point he out-classed Andreas Michailidis in June 2022.

He’s ended 17 professional fights inside the distance, 11 via knockout.

I’ll admit to being not terribly high on Fakhretdinov. That’s because while he has some power, he’s often content to be an uninspiring lay-and-pray artist. As “Pooh Bear” showed against Andre Petroski, that’s an approach he can deal with, and I like his mobile, high-volume striking style to out-class Fakhretdinov’s more basic offense.

Fakhretdinov is admittedly a solid-enough wrestler to potentially grind out Battle, but he’s often so passive on top that he’ll struggle to offset the good work Battle does on the feet. In the end, Battle stays long and peppers his way to victory.

Prediction: Battle via unanimous decision

125 lbs.: David Dvorak vs. Manel Kape

Consecutive wins over Bruno Silva, Jordan Espinosa and Juancamilo Ronderos put Poland’s David Dvorak (20-4) on the brink of contention. The final step wound up a bit too treacherous, however, as Matheus Nicolau ended his win streak at 16.

His finishes include eight by knockout and another eight by submission.

Manel Kape’s (17-6) leap into the Flyweight deep end failed to produce immediate results, dropping narrow decisions to top contenders Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau. A subsequent uptick in aggression seemed to be just what the doctor ordered, resulting in first-round knockouts of Ode Obsourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov.

“Starboy” fights for the first time in 12 months, having failed a drug test and seen subsequent foe Rogerio Bontorin botch his weight cut.

I still believe Dvorak is a very skilled fighter, a dangerous boxer with surprisingly stout defensive grappling to back it up. If Kape comes out flat again, Dvorak is more than capable of sharpshooting his way to a decision even if he can’t match Kape’s ridiculous athleticism.

“Undertaker” does have one key issue, though: nasty as he is, he can be caught early. Both Silva and Nicolau hurt him bad before he could find his footing, and considering Kape’s recent penchant for quick destruction, that’s a bad sign. While we’re in for a great stand up battle if things get past the first, odds are Kape cuts it off before it can develop properly.

Prediction: Kape via first round technical knockout

135 lbs.: Sergey Morozov vs. Journey Newson

Back in 2019, Sergey Morozov (18-5) defeated Josh Rettinghouse to avenge a knockout defeat, defend his M-1 Bantamweight title, and secure himself a UFC berth. He’s alternated losses and wins in the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, most recently out-dueling Raulian Paiva in June 2022.

His 11 stoppage wins include eight by knockout.

Journey Newson (10-3) opened his UFC career 0-2 (1 NC), a knockout win over Domingo Pilarte overturned because of a failed drug test. This led to almost 20 months on the sidelines, followed by an upset decision over Fernie Garcia upon his return.

He’s the shorter of the two by one inch, but will enjoy a slight reach advantage.

Not to oversimplify things, but Morozov just seems to be better everywhere. His stand up is much more technically sound than Newson’s scattershot approach and he’s the stronger wrestler of the two. Even if you think highly of Newson’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu pedigree, his bottom game in no way holds up to Morozov’s top game.

Though they’re both skilled in enough areas to keep Morozov from absolutely dominating, the difference in class should become clear before too long. In short, his strong boxing and takedown skills carry him to a wide victory.

Prediction: Morozov via unanimous decision

Four more UFC Vegas 66 “Prelims” undercard bouts remain to preview and predict, including an under-the-radar banger between Said Nurmagomedov and Saidyokub Kakhramonov. Same time tomorrow, Maniacs.


Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 66 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 66: “Cannonier vs. Strickland” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Flu KO’d Mitchell Before Submitted By Topuria

Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Bryce Mitchell wasn’t at his best going into UFC 282 this past weekend (Dec. 10, 2022).
The event’s main card opened with a pivotal match up at 145 pounds b…


MMA: DEC 10 UFC 282
Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Bryce Mitchell wasn’t at his best going into UFC 282 this past weekend (Dec. 10, 2022).

The event’s main card opened with a pivotal match up at 145 pounds between two of the division’s brightest rising contenders. Somebody’s zero had to go when Micthell and Ilia Topuria fought and unfortunately for the proud Arkansan, it was his.

Mitchell was originally supposed to face Movsar Evloev in a Nov. 2022 main event until Evloev suffered an injury, leading “Thug Nasty” to a beat down at the hands of Topuria. Dropping his first professional loss via second round arm triangle choke submission (watch highlights), Micthell revealed today (Mon., Dec. 12, 2022) that he wasn’t 100 percent.

“I just want to let y’all know I’m fine, I’m home and I want to thank y’all for the love and support,” Mitchell said in a Twitter video. “I definitely got to let you know that that really wasn’t me out there. I had the flu the week before, and I thought I’d just tough it out. I didn’t feel good at all in there. That wasn’t myself. I trained a lot harder and could’ve performed a lot better, but I went in there with stuff hurting, not up to 100 percent. Like I said, I had the flu.

“I wish I wouldn’t even took the fight, but I didn’t know it would mess me up that bad,” he concluded. “I thought I would be able to hang in there for all three rounds, because that’s what I trained for. I trained for my cardio to be there the whole time. It wasn’t even there one bit of the time. I’ll come back stronger, I just hate going out on that one like that. But I will be better, I’ll be alright.”

Directly before Mitchell’s 15-fight win streak-snapping loss, he scored his biggest career win, dominating Edson Barboza en route to a unanimous decision. The 28-year-old was unable to find his typical grappling success against Topuria and he’ll surely look to sharpen his game ahead of his next time out.


For complete UFC 282 results and coverage click here.