I don’t think anyone had any idea how good Garbrant really was, which is forgivable, given how little we’d actually seen of him up until that point. Can’t wait to see him against Dillashaw, who also looked brilliant. Cruz man-crush is undiminished, especially after the post-fight interview.

The Rousey fight was just sad. Really hard to imagine her coming back, or why anyone would want her to. I just hope that the injury and trauma of her last two fights hasn’t rendered her fortune irrelevant.

Cyborg is never getting her super fight with Ronda now either or if she does it has lost a lot of its lustre

I can’t help but Justino would have taken her sweet time about it and demolished Rousey piece by piece. I think she’s been caught using a masking agent or a diuretic or something though so she might be out for a while anyway.

BJ vs Rodriguez this weekend. BJ’s probably the first MMA fighter I remember really being a fan of but I do not fancy his chances. Here’s hoping though.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BZIC635XVs[/video]

The latest Heavy Hands podcast did a focus on BJ Penn, and how unless he has made a big change to his strategy game, is going to be in trouble this weekend.

141 – Whatever happened to BJ Penn?

ReleasedJan 11, 2017

Remember when it felt like BJ Penn was probably going to win his next fight? Us, too. It was a magical time, when “just scrapping” was a viable way to find wins in the UFC. A time when talented rich kids could float breezily through a schedule of fights that would kill a normal man. A time when BJ Penn was king. We have a simpler way of describing this mythical era, and the language involved is bound to offend friends, relatives, and fans alike, as well as Baby Jay himself. We call it “over six years ago.” Yep. The age of Penn has come and gone, but here we are, with The Prodigy himself raring for another comeback, and this time against one of the most dangerous young prospects in the UFC, Yair Rodriguez. On this week’s Heavy Hands, we discuss the methodologies of Penn and Rodriguez (they’re not as different as you might think), and reflect on Penn’s legacy as a martial artist. But that’s not all. We’re also breaking down the way that Joe Lauzon so artfully manages to both live and die by the sword (or submission, as the case may be), offering our reasons why you shouldn’t yet give up on Sergio Pettis, and answering listener questions.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-hands/id700326799

BJ looked a shell of himself when he was last in the cage 3 years ago. I expect him to be humiliated at the weekend

Oh, and it’s free fight pass this weekend, so the following are free to watch:

Friday, January 13
TKO 37: RIVALS
9/6pm ET/PT

Saturday, January 14
Invicta FC 21
8/5pm ET/PT

Sunday, January 15
UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS
6/3pm ET/PT

plus access to the fight library etc.

More info: http://www.ufc.com/news/UFC-FIGHT-PASS-Free-Weekend-Begins-This-Friday

Jamie – Member

Oh, and it’s free fight pass this weekend, so the following are free to watch:

Thanks for the heads up. I wonder is it for new accounts only because I’m ineligible for previous free trials having already had an account for a while.

Suppose I could use a different email etc…..watch Pride all weekend 8)

Be able to find out from 7am tomorrow what the setup is. I have used a few free codes, so will see how it goes.

Edit: Just tried it now. Used on an account which I had previously used a free month code on. It’s working from now. Odd it says monthly sub free. Also, no debit/credit card linked to the account needed. So no risk of billing kicking in.

Anyway, that’s my evening viewing sorted….

BJ was great but the sport has evolved 10 fold in the last few years.

He looked averaged at best in his training camp on the countdown show…Rodriguez is a young gun in the new era…I think he’ll destroy BJ quickly!

I just think it’s funny every time BJ’s comeback fight got cancelled or postponed, his opponents got tougher.

Wake me up when it’s March.

Plus I head you get an interim belt just for watching.

Great fight…and the right fight to make for top contender…going to be a great card but interim really!? How many fighters have only defended their belts once every 9-12 months Conor takes a few months off after an active few years and the belts on the line…BS!!

It’s about time. Khabib’s manager’s twitter shennanigans were getting old. They’re getting silly with these interim belts.

It “kind of. sort of, almost” because it attributes special status to the winner. If McGregor was a regular fighter who could be relied upon to come back and defend his title at LW then this would be the NO.1 contenders fight, but who knows what McGregor will want to do when/if he comes back.

Just clocked the Penn fight is on Sunday night, so Monday morning for us. Odd scheduling.

Superbowl or something isn’t it?

That or Invicta 😀

MLK day? Sure there’s three cards this weekend

Cheers for the free pass tip Jamie.
Anyone else getting this for the Penn fight? 😥

Due to broadcast restrictions, this video is not available within a UFC® FIGHT PASS™ subscription or as a pay-per-view in your region. Please check your local TV listings for viewing information.

This event is currently blacked out in your region.

You’ll be able to watch the FightPass prelims but not the main card – unfortunately that’s always the way it is with UFC in the UK and Ireland due to BT Sport and their contract/shitty coverage.

I could be wrong but I believe FightPass subscribers in the U.S can watch the entire event. Perhaps all of the events bar the big PPV events and even then they can watch those a day later. Hopefully when the new owners renegotiate the tv deals in the states they’ll scrap the BT contract and just offer a bells and whistles Fight Pass option for Europe.

Righto, cheers jimjam

You’ll have access to almost the entire UFC/PRIDE/STRIKEFORCE/EBI/GLORY/INVICTA fight library in the mean time which should ease the pain 😉

Currently working my way through it 😀

I’ve got BT…cheap as chips compared to Sky/Virgin plus I get every show…good value if you’re a fan.

I get BT with my Virgin package. Just signed up with BT mobile and get it on my phone as well. I have too much BT.

That was predictable.

Haven’t seen the fights, was too tired. I’ll check them out tonight. I heard Alexey Oleynik landed an Ezkiel choke from bottom so looking forward to seeing that.

BJ was great but the sport has evolved 10 fold in the last few years.

He looked averaged at best in his training camp on the countdown show…Rodriguez is a young gun in the new era…I think he’ll destroy BJ quickly!

I was right then #predictable

😀

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4g5JTNweog[/video]

And on a much less fun note….. 😐

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Xf9sw71Ys[/video]

Woodley just doesn’t do himself any favours. Ever.

Bit of a sleeper card this weekend – could be some great fights.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9in4mcVWvI[/video]

Not a great fight but the finish was spectacular. Alexa Grasso v Felice Herrig could be good too.

Anyone else just a tiny bit excited about Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov?

Not sure who to pick, but I’m leaning toward Khabib, just because of that tendency for his fights to end-up looking like a contest between a human and an enraged male chimpanzee.

Tony will almost certainly get taken down at some point, and while I could see him doing a better job once there than some recent opponents (e.g. Michael Johnstone), I could see Khabib controlling him enough and landing sufficient ground strikes to get a decision win.

I reckon Khabib will get pretty dinged-up on the feet in the process, but I can’t see Tony knocking him out. However, there’s also every possibility that he’ll spring a submission on him, either off his back or during a scramble (of which there’s bound to be plenty).

Also interested to see Woodley vs. Thompson again. For all that the pundits were calling this a horrendous match-up for Woodley last time out, he ended up making it look a lot like the opposite for two rounds. I can imagine Woodley just trying to do the same thing, but better. Wonder how Thompson will try to adjust? He ended up being really skittish about kicking last time, and with good reason.

arrpee – Member

Anyone else just a tiny bit excited about Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov?

Can’t wait. It’s one of the best pure matchups we’re likely to see this year. Legitimately, number one and two contenders. I have no idea what will happen. Ferguson isn’t just a striker or a jiu jitsu guy, he can wrestle too. Maybe not good enough to prevent getting takendown by Khabib, but there’s every chance he can be threatening off his back with elbows and submission attempts. He’s also super tough and durable with incredible cardio.

In a lot of ways Khabib is the unknown quantity, a huge amount of his record is in Russian competitions against complete unknows. Ferguson is effectively 16.1 in the UFC as opposed to Khabib’s 8.0

Tony is the underdog, going in but I think he has all the tools neutralize Khabib. I smell an upset….but then it’s mma so anything can and will happen 😈

Next weekend I am going to be recovering from a shoulder op. Looks like I might renew FightPass sub, as some decent stuff on like EBI 11.

Sidebar: If I go on to the UFC Fight Pass website they put all the times in GMT. Yet in the shitting app they just list EST. Great job, guys! 🙁

At least that’s something. I’ve scoured the UFC website many times looking for show start times, even european shows but it’s always just Americanese.

the whole card is loaded.

it’s going to be wild…

I think Ferguson wins, i think Thompson wins….

I still watch this and feel like I ought to send Michael Johnson a card or something. [video]https://youtu.be/Y3fMzzEUTzA[/video]

Hopefully Snoop Dogg will pass his thoughts on the Ferguson fight as well….

[video]https://youtube.com/watch?v=-sdGkYnQqY4[/video]

Snoop dude looks baked…

Oh Shit!

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-sx1JK6irw&list=WL&index=51[/video]