Tag: Interviews

Exclusive – Morning Kombat’s Luke Thomas mourns the loss of Bloody Elbow: ‘This is a real bad day for MMA’

Bloody ElbowAs we approach one of the biggest UFC pay-per-view cards of the year, fight fans are flooding social media…

Bloody Elbow

As we approach one of the biggest UFC pay-per-view cards of the year, fight fans are flooding social media with thoughts over the recent buyout of Bloody Elbow, an MMA media website that for more than a decade, delivered combat sports news and analysis with a unique voice unlike any other in the industry.

On Tuesday, March 5, it was announced that Bloody Elbow had been purchased by GRV Media, a UK-based company that touts itself as “one of the world’s largest independent networks with a portfolio of over 50 sites focused mainly on sport, gaming, and entertainment.”

Over the years, Bloody Elbow and its tribe of writers have sought to hold the MMA industry accountable for its actions. They tackled issues of fighter pay head-on and since August, have provided by far the most comprehensive coverage of the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the UFC. Unfortunately, if you want to go back and read any of those stories, you’re out of luck as Bloody Elbow’s new business daddy has seemingly erased every report associated with the suit.

Speaking on the demise of Bloody Elbow, Luke Thomas of Morning Kombat shared his thoughts with Mike Owens in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview.

“This is a real bad day for MMA,” Thomas said. “I know that there are folks who don’t see it that way. I would submit that they don’t understand what is happening around them. The biggest complaint that I typically see about Bloody Elbow comes from people who didn’t like their political sort of editorial slant, which is fine. You don’t have to like that, but show me the site or the media outlet that does what they do in the sense of trying to police the industry. Trying to hold commissions [accountable]. Trying to bring fighter pay to public scrutiny. What other media outlet does that? There isn’t one.”

Thomas Warns that MMA media will become ‘more unreliable’ following bloody elbow buyout

If you’ve read a story about fighter pay or the ongoing antitrust lawsuit, chances are some of the information included was sourced from Bloody Elbow. They were the only site actively working to hold Dana White and Co. accountable for its highly questionable business practices that kept the executive pockets lined in cash while fighters threw hands for their share of a meager 15% of the revenue.

“This is categorically a disaster for the industry,” Thomas continued. “There are going to be people in the industry happy about this because they’re going to benefit from the situation and they didn’t like that Bloody Elbow had political coverage, but it just goes to show you that the amount of bad faith actors in the industry is so endemic in management, in how fighters get paid, in commission structures…

“These things are so endemic that it’s basically how the sport works and that’s why you see sometimes these really angry reactions to what [Bloody Elbow] did because they were the only ones who had the courage to hold a mirror up and let everyone see what was going on. This is a very bad thing for the industry unless you’re a dirtbag, in which case congratulations. Things just got a lot easier for you.”

Bloody Elbow is still running and producing content daily under the GRV Media banner, but the unique voice that the site once held has been silenced in favor of your run-of-the-mill AI-generated news site.

One of the new regime’s featured writers, Tom Llewellyn, is said to have had “over 48 million views while working on other projects at GRV Media before joining Bloody Elbow full-time.” Interestingly, Llewellyn has no online presence aside from an account on X that was opened in January 2023 with only seven followers and zero posts.

“I know what everyone says,” Thomas added. “They’re gonna say, ‘A certain writer I didn’t like is losing their job and I’m not going to miss their coverage.’ Let me give you as clear as f*ck warning as I possibly can. However little you like the current system, trust me when I tell you that you’re going to hate the next one a lot more because it’s going to be significantly more unreliable.”

Watch the full exclusive interview below:

Exclusive – Ex-UFC star Jorge Masvidal stokes flames on Justin Gaethje rivalry: ‘I’ll chop him up, break his orbital

Jorge Masvidal stokes flames on Justin Gaethje rivalrly I'll chop him up break his orbitalInaugural BMF titleholder, Jorge Masvidal has vowed to break the orbital of former interim lightweight gold holder and current…

Jorge Masvidal stokes flames on Justin Gaethje rivalrly I'll chop him up break his orbital

Inaugural BMF titleholder, Jorge Masvidal has vowed to break the orbital of former interim lightweight gold holder and current symbolic champion, Justin Gaethje if they ever share the Octagon in the future – vowing to “chop up” the Arizonian.

Masvidal, a former two-time undisputed welterweight title chaser and the promotion’s first-ever symbolic BMF gold holder, called time on his storied career back in April of last year, suffering his fourth consecutive defeat.

Dropping a decision loss to fellow former title challenger, Gilbert Burns, Miami veteran, Masvidal has been linked with a potential move to professional boxing later this year, in the form of a rematch with former Octagon rival, Nate Diaz.

Jorge Masvidal issues warning to Justin Gaethje

And in a LowKick MMA exclusive, American Top Team staple, Masvidal told Michael Owens how if he was paired with the aforenoted, Gaethje in the future – whom he picked to lose against Max Holloway in their UFC 300 title clash, he would break the orbital of the lightweight veteran en route to a vicious win.

“Justin’s (Gaethje) very good,” Jorge Masvidal said. “The guy that he beat to get that belt is a f*cking stud, a killer in Dustin Poirier. But I just feel like, man – if you put BMF against BMF, you put me against Gaethje in there, I will break his f*cking eye orbital. And I will f*cking chop him up. So, hopefully that can happen at some point.” 

Himself winning symbolic BMF spoils back in 2019, Masvidal turned in a dominant third round doctor’s stoppage TKO win over the above-mentioned, Diaz at Madison Square Garden – in the pair’s first pairing atop a UFC 244 pay-per-view card in New York City. 

Would you like to see Jorge Masvidal fight Justin Gaethje in the future?

Exclusive – Renato Moicano calls for a fight with Beneil Dariush at UFC 301 in Brazil: ‘It’s going to be amazing’

Renato MoicanoRising lightweight contender Renato Moicano knows the where, the when, and the who when it comes to his next…

Renato Moicano

Rising lightweight contender Renato Moicano knows the where, the when, and the who when it comes to his next opponent. He’s just waiting for the UFC to give it their seal of approval.

Money’ returned to the Octagon on Saturday night (Feb. 3) for a co-main event clash with division standout Drew Dober. The two fighters engaged in an entertaining and bloody brawl for three rounds, but in the end, it was Moicano’s grappling that scored him a unanimous decision victory — his 10th under the UFC banner.

The win has Moicano holding tight in the No. 13 spot on the rankings and hoping that his next fight will offer him an opportunity to break into the top ten.

Speaking with Mike Owens in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Renato Moicano revealed that No. 7 ranked Beneil Dariush is on his radar and he already has the perfect location for their proposed scrap.

“I think that Beneil Dariush is a fight that makes sense,” Moicano said. “The UFC, I think they always try to do matchups that make sense, and me versus Dariush is the fight to make. Especially in Brazil for UFC 301. I think it’s going to be amazing. I want to fight in Brazil.”

Riding the momentum of eight wins in a row and on the cusp of his first UFC title opportunity, Darish suffered a massive setback when he fell to former lightweight world champion Charles Oliveira in the opening round of their UFC 289 confrontation.

Since then, ‘Benny’ added another loss to his resume via a 64-second knockout at the hands of Arman Tsarukyan in December. With back-to-back defeats, Dariush now likely finds himself in a position where he’ll have to fight down in the rankings to re-establish himself as a viable contender for the 155-pound crown.

“I think he’s not in a position where he can choose his opponents,” Moicano continued. “He’s coming off two losses. He’s not that young anymore and people are trying to fight him all over. I don’t know what the UFC is going to do, but I don’t think Beneil Dariush has that many choices. But let’s see what the UFC thinks because, at the end of the day, they choose.”

Watch the full exclusive interview with Renato Moicano below:

Exclusive – Renato Moicano confident Paddy Pimblett would get smashed by any top 15 lightweight in the UFC

Renato MoicanoRenato Moicano is confident that Paddy Pimblett would get smashed by anyone in the UFC’s lightweight top 15. On…

Renato Moicano

Renato Moicano is confident that Paddy Pimblett would get smashed by anyone in the UFC’s lightweight top 15.

On Saturday (Feb. 3), Moicano scored his 10th win inside the Octagon, securing a unanimous decision victory over fellow fan favorite Drew Dober following a bloody three-round brawl. Following the fight, ‘Money’ suggested that Dober’s next opponent should be Pimblett. The Liverpudlian took exception to the comment and snapped back on social media writing: “Why would I fight Dober when I could smoke u much easier?”

Speaking with Mike Owens in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Moicano shared his candid thoughts on Pimblett’s career after earning five straight wins since making his promotional debut in 2020.

“Paddy Pimblett is a guy that the UFC is protecting,” Moicano said. “He’s a guy they’re trying to market. Maybe he can get better, but right now, especially after the fights against Tony Ferguson and Jared Gordon, I don’t think he’s on the same level as people in the top 15 and if they ask me, I’m going to say that, but I don’t want to disrespect him. That’s none of my business. [I’m not] trying to talk sh*t on him, but sometimes it’s the game, right?”

With wins over Jordan Leavitt, Jared Gordon, and ‘El Cucuy‘ in his last three outings, a top-15 opponent appears to be in Pimblett’s near future. Even Moicano believes that’s the logical next step, adding that it would help make an inevitable loss for ‘The Baddy’ easier to swallow if it comes against a ranked contender.

“I think that makes sense,” Moicano added. “Eventually, he’s going to lose and I think it’s better if he loses to somebody with momentum instead of somebody outside the rankings.”

As for who Pimblett could face among the lightweight top 15, ‘Money’ Moicano likes the idea of pitting Bobby Green against the Liverpudlian.

“Maybe Bobby Green is a good fight for him,” Moicano said. “Other than that, I don’t see many fights that he can be competitive in.”

‘King’ has won two of his last three, besting Tony Ferguson and Grant Dawson before succumbing to a first-round KO against Jalin Turner in December. Green is currently scheduled to meet Jim Miller at UFC 300 on April 13.

Watch the full exclusive interview with Renato Moicano below:

Exclusive – Renato Moicano confident Paddy Pimblett would get smashed by any top 15 lightweight in the UFC

Renato MoicanoRenato Moicano is confident that Paddy Pimblett would get smashed by anyone in the UFC’s lightweight top 15. On…

Renato Moicano

Renato Moicano is confident that Paddy Pimblett would get smashed by anyone in the UFC’s lightweight top 15.

On Saturday (Feb. 3), Moicano scored his 10th win inside the Octagon, securing a unanimous decision victory over fellow fan favorite Drew Dober following a bloody three-round brawl. Following the fight, ‘Money’ suggested that Dober’s next opponent should be Pimblett. The Liverpudlian took exception to the comment and snapped back on social media writing: “Why would I fight Dober when I could smoke u much easier?”

Speaking with Mike Owens in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Moicano shared his candid thoughts on Pimblett’s career after earning five straight wins since making his promotional debut in 2020.

“Paddy Pimblett is a guy that the UFC is protecting,” Moicano said. “He’s a guy they’re trying to market. Maybe he can get better, but right now, especially after the fights against Tony Ferguson and Jared Gordon, I don’t think he’s on the same level as people in the top 15 and if they ask me, I’m going to say that, but I don’t want to disrespect him. That’s none of my business. [I’m not] trying to talk sh*t on him, but sometimes it’s the game, right?”

With wins over Jordan Leavitt, Jared Gordon, and ‘El Cucuy‘ in his last three outings, a top-15 opponent appears to be in Pimblett’s near future. Even Moicano believes that’s the logical next step, adding that it would help make an inevitable loss for ‘The Baddy’ easier to swallow if it comes against a ranked contender.

“I think that makes sense,” Moicano added. “Eventually, he’s going to lose and I think it’s better if he loses to somebody with momentum instead of somebody outside the rankings.”

As for who Pimblett could face among the lightweight top 15, ‘Money’ Moicano likes the idea of pitting Bobby Green against the Liverpudlian.

“Maybe Bobby Green is a good fight for him,” Moicano said. “Other than that, I don’t see many fights that he can be competitive in.”

‘King’ has won two of his last three, besting Tony Ferguson and Grant Dawson before succumbing to a first-round KO against Jalin Turner in December. Green is currently scheduled to meet Jim Miller at UFC 300 on April 13.

Watch the full exclusive interview with Renato Moicano below:

Exclusive – Jiri Prochazka looks back on his viral staredown with Alex Pereira at UFC 295

Jiri Prochazka and Alex PereiraJiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira delivered one of the most intense pre-fight moments in UFC history. On November 11,…

Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira

Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira delivered one of the most intense pre-fight moments in UFC history.

On November 11, 2023, ‘Denisa’ returned to the Octagon for the first time in nearly a year and a half determined to reclaim the light heavyweight title he never lost. Standing in his way was two-time GLORY Kickboxing world champion and former UFC middleweight king Alex Pereira.

It would be a battle between two of the most dangerous heavy hitters in all of MMA. As if fans weren’t hyped enough, the staredown between Prochazka and Pereira seconds before going toe-to-toe inside the cage sent shivers down the spines of every fan tuning in. The moment has since been reposted, retweeted, and meme’d millions of times.

Looking back at that viral staredown during a Lowkick MMA exclusive interview with Mike Owens, Prochazka offered some insight into the message he was trying to send ‘Poatan’ before they started slinging leather in front of 19,000 fans inside the world’s most famous arena — Madison Square Garden.

“Every moment before the fight is important because you’re showing your spirit,” Prochazka said. “You’re showing your strength before the world and I really like to watch my opponent. To see through him and show him that there is no place inside myself for anything other than pure focus and winning.”

In the end, it was Alex Pereira who saw his hand raised after scoring a brutal second-round knockout against Prochazka to claim the vacant 205-pound crown.

‘Denisa’ will return to the Octagon on April 13 for UFC 300 when he meets fellow top-five ranked contender Aleksandar Rakic. With a strong showing against ‘Rocket,’ Prochazka would likely put himself back in line for another shot at recapturing the light heavyweight strap.

As for Alex Pereira, there is no official date for his first title defense, but his next opponent is expected to be another former champion who was forced to vacate the belt due to injury — Jamahal Hill.

Watch the full exclusive interview with Jiri Prochazka below: