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How much Middle Eastern exposure can the UFC handle?

1 week ago | themmadraw.com | Nate Wilcox

This post is dedicated to the memory of Arabian journalist Turki al-Jassar, who paid the ultimate price for telling his truth. His words will outlive both the regime that killed him and the global nihilism that grants impunity to criminals to repeatedly offend. At a certain point, I just have to ask: how much politics can be mixed into the UFC stew before it becomes completely unpalatable?
Our Fulfillment Policy

1 week ago | themmadraw.com | Nate Wilcox

My paid content is delivered straight to your inbox sporadically, although ideally at multiple times a week. This includes audio posts, podcast, my archive, notes—you know the drill. As a subscriber, you can expect new content to be published at irregular intervals. I do not (legally) guarantee a specific publication schedule or frequency. All refunds for paid subscriptions are handled through Substack's platform. To request a refund or cancel your subscription:1.
UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2 picks and predictions

3 weeks ago | themmadraw.com | Tim Bissell

UFC 316 comes to us live from New Jersey this weekend. I think it’s safe to say Donald Trump and Elon Musk won’t be sitting side by side in the front row for this one, pretending to enjoy the action. There will be lots of action to be had, though. This might be one of the weaker of the upcoming PPV cards, but I still think it’s pretty good. I love a Merab Dvalishvili fight and on Saturday we’ll see him run it back with Sean O’Malley.
There will never be another Jordan Breen

3 weeks ago | themmadraw.com | Nate Wilcox

The curtain came down on the final chapter of the greatest MMA broadcaster to ever do it this week. Mike Bohn broke the heartbreakingnews Monday. Jordan Breen, the original MMA media wunderkind, had passed away at age 38. Chuck Mindenhall reported an additional heart-breaking kick in the teeth on Wednesday:I know that Jordan left Toronto for his native Halifax when his own mom passed away several years back. He went back to take care of his father, from what I was told, who has since died as well.
Amazon Exiting ONE FC Deal?

3 weeks ago | themmadraw.com | Nate Wilcox

This guest post is by Blake Avignon. “When the music stops, in terms of liquidity, things will be complicated.”- Chuck Prince, former CEO of Citigroup, 2007In the high-stakes world of sports streaming, Amazon is not waiting for the music to stop. It is making moves now. Sources confirm Prime Video will not renew its deal with ONE Championship when it expires at the end of its term in 2025.
Where's Dana White? UFC's sloppy shop needs cleaning up

3 weeks ago | themmadraw.com | Zach Arnold |Nate Wilcox

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -28:49Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Cracks are starting to show on the UFC’s proverbial foundation. You can see it with your own eyes. Despite the process hustle of advertising UFC media rights for sale at $1 billion, you can sense that something doesn’t feel right. Sure, UFC is getting millions of dollars from New Jersey. They’re going to draw a $2M gate for Kamaru Usman in Atlanta.
How UFC conquered MMA: From Galveston to Vegas

3 weeks ago | themmadraw.com | Nate Wilcox

Sometimes, when I pause to take a breath and look back at all the majorstories we’ve been covering at The MMA Draw, stories focused on Hollywood and D.C. power players and front-men for brutal foreign regimes, I have to ask myself one question:‘How the heck did cagefighting come to this?’We spend so much time discussing the antics of TKO’s Hollywoodowners because the UFC and WWE were not always run like this. Not even close.
UFC Vegas 107: Blanchfield vs. Barber picks and predictions

4 weeks ago | themmadraw.com | Tim Bissell

Is this weekend’s UFC card so bad that it’s good? Feels like a great event to hate-watch with friends and reminisce about the good ol’ days when Anderson Silva was fighting for free on Spike TV. Our main event sees flyweight contenders Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber meet. That’s alright. The co-main is Mateusz Gamrot vs. L’udovit Klein. That’s alright, too. Maybe it’s decent, if you’re feeling generous (and you’re a KSW fan).
TKO’s media rights minefield

1 month ago | themmadraw.com | Nate Wilcox

This guest post is by Blake Avignon. “In business, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield” – Warren BuffettWhat seemed like a simple renewal has become a media rights landmine. The UFC’s exclusive negotiation window with ESPN quietly expired, and with it, the comfort of predictability. Now, every major player, from streamers to legacy networks to tech giants, is reevaluating whether the UFC is a core asset or a luxury in a changing sports economy. Start with Apple.
Turki triggers turmoil for TKO by cutting Dana White out of Canelo-Crawford

1 month ago | themmadraw.com | Nate Wilcox

Last week I posted on Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Fund Chairman HE Turki Alalshikh’s sudden announcement of a date and venue change for Canelo Alvarez vs Bud Crawford. It didn’t take long for Turki to complicate things even further by announcing one more change, removing TKO’s Dana White and Nick Khan from a promotional role in the fight. Sela is “a Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) company” that Turki used to put on Terence Crawford vs.