Words

Ngannou-Miocic II is just as big, but very different from the first fight

Before UFC 220 back in early 2018, I can distinctly remember Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou appearing on a sports radio show in Boston together to hype the card. Knowing that the hosts didn’t pay close attention to MMA, both guys played along to the “perception” of what was going on.
By Chuck Mindenhall March 26, 2021

Derek Brunson hates a good party

If we were reminded of anything on Saturday night, it’s that the fight game has almost no sense of humor. And that guys like Derek Brunson are party poopers of the worst kind.
By Chuck Mindenhall March 21, 2021

Can’t some other guys at welterweight fight each other?

So, the UFC has booked Jorge Masvidal-Kamaru Usman II for next month in Jacksonville. A rematch like that should seem like a pretty big deal. Instead it kind of feels…what’s the right word?
By Chuck Mindenhall March 18, 2021

When it comes to title shots, Leon Edwards is a slowpoke

For Leon Edwards it was actually pretty simple: Beat Belal Muhammad, and punch a ticket to a jenyoowhine title shot against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. To punch that ticket — or to punch anything, really — he merely needed to make a fist.
By Chuck Mindenhall March 15, 2021

Leon Edwards’ run is enough to give you vertigo

Two years ago Leon Edwards distinguished himself to a fight public that still confused him, somewhat regularly, with Leon Roberts. That night in London he beat Gunnar Nelson by split decision, which was pretty cool. But what really made him materialize...
By Chuck Mindenhall March 11, 2021

The champ-champ thing has run its course

Of late it seems like the UFC of 2021 a little aimless. Too many fighters are careening off in directions that aren’t very predictable or are just hard to justify.
By Chuck Mindenhall March 7, 2021

Something’s in the air for UFC 259

I like to think it’s strictly coincidence that two of the three titleholders at UFC 259 have names pronounced as yawn, and that by making Amanda Nunes something like a 150-to-1 favorite over Megan Anderson Vegas is trying to make us do just that, but I’m telling you — something’s in the air for Saturday night.
By Chuck Mindenhall March 4, 2021

Ciryl Gane got it done, but it wasn’t exactly a ‘wow’ affair

If there was an ounce of caution heading into Ciryl Gane’s heavyweight fight with Jairzinho Rozenstruik, it had to do with something the fight game is all too familiar with — the hunch to guard against a letdown
By Chuck Mindenhall March 1, 2021

Oh hey, guess what — I’m back!

Hello again! The Man in the Hat is back!
By Chuck Mindenhall February 26, 2021
The MITH