The MMA Vivisection Shows: 'Main Card Preview' & 'Prelims Card Preview'

UFC Paris has arrived for 2024 and as you probably guessed, it’s a decent card, as they tend to be when on the road. Have to make sure those seats are sold at a premium, right? At the top of the card is an excellent bout between Number 11 ranked Renato Moicano (Moicano wants MONEY!) and Number 12 ranked Benoit St. Denis. Will Moicano continue to surpris…

UFC 306 week is finally here and with it, a solid card. Is it worth all the hype and huge production budget the promotion has invested in it? Absolutely not. Will it be a fun watch considering the match-ups? Yes it will. Maybe we see Sean O’Malley be the one to stop the Dvalishvili juggernaut, or maybe the Georgian ends Sugar’s title run.

And if the boys…

UFC Vegas 97 isn’t where all the action is happening, or even part of it, but it does have a fight here and there that is worth the watch. It gives that deja vu feeling, though, like we’ve already seen it before. Such is the way of all Apex cards. Who knows, maybe we’ll get better quality cards once the expansion is done. We won’t hold our breath, thoug…

UFC 96 isn’t just a raggedy Apex card. This time around, it also bears the distinction of being a TUF finale event, as well. And before you ask, yes, TUF is still a thing. The show is headlined by a middleweight contender matchup between Jared Cannonier and Zane’s favorite fighter, Caio Borralho. Will the leader of the Fighting Nerds be able get the W?

…

We’re just a day away from a pretty solid PPV with UFC 305, and even the undercard has a little razzle dazzle. Once again, I can’t help but laugh to myself when I stop to think what you all are guessing the title means. It would be pretty great to see some of you came up with before you listened to the show. The comments are right there, just in case you want to share.

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But right now, let’s see what’s shaking with the prelims. We’re getting a heavyweight bout as the featured prelim, and for that, I will offer up a rare bit of gratitude in keeping unranked heavies on the undercard. Junior Tafa is a crowd favorite and willing to get right in the pocket, so Valter Walker should prepare for that. It’s decent placement for this event. Let’s take a look at the rest of the bouts and some alternative stats:

UFC 305 Undercard

* Junior Tafa  vs.  Valter Walker 265 lbs

* Josh Culibao  vs.  Ricardo Ramos 145 lbs

* Casey O'Neill  vs.  Luana Santos 125 lbs

* Jack Jenkins  vs.  Herbert Burns 145 lbs

* Tom Nolan  vs.  Alex Reyes 155 lbs

* Kenan Song  vs.  Ricky Glenn 170 lbs

* Stewart Nicoll  vs.  Jesus Aguilar 125 lbs

UFC 305 Alternative Stats

* Ranked fights: 4

* Ranked fighters: 9

* Fighters coming off losses: 15

* Contender Series alumni: 5

* TUF alumni: 1

* Debuting fighters: 1 (Nicoll)

Don’t forget to check out the companion episode for our predictions and analysis of the main card. Remember, we’re off this weekend so there won’t be a 6th Round Post-fight Show, but we’ll return next week, as usual. Until then, enjoy this week’s bonus content on the house. We appreciate you all.

Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Vivisection & 6th Round Post-fight Show podcast Substack to enjoy our premium content. Your paid subscriptions are keeping hope alive that we can continue on with our shows. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.

Thanks for reading MMA Vivisection & 6th Round! This post is public so feel free to share it.

I bet you guys are wondering what the title means and it tickles me to death to tell you to listen to the show to understand why. Also, quick reminder that this week’s Vivisections will be FREE in their entirety. One of our hosts has a family obligation this weekend, so there won’t be a 6th Round Post-fight Show. To make it up to you, our loyal listeners, we’ve decided to make our bonus content for this week on the house.

MMA Vivisection & 6th Round is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Now, on to the card, which is a very decent one. We’ve got the battle for middleweight gold in the main event, an absolute grudge match between the reigning champion, Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. We’ve also got a possible title eliminator bout in the co-main event when Kai Kara-France takes on Steve Erceg. Let’s take a look at the contests and some alternative stats:

UFC 305 Main Card

* Dricus Du Plessis  vs.  Israel Adesanya 185 lbs

* Kai Kara-France  vs.  Steve Erceg 125 lbs

* Mateusz Gamrot  vs.  Dan Hooker 155 lbs

* Tai Tuivasa  vs.  Jairzinho Rozenstruik 265 lbs

* Jingliang Li  vs.  Carlos Prates 170 lbs

UFC 305 Alternative Stats

* Ranked fights: 4

* Ranked fighters: 9

* Fighters coming off losses: 15

* Contender Series alumni: 5

* TUF alumni: 1

* Debuting fighters: 1 (Nicoll)

Don’t forget to check out the bonus section for a great review of the UFC Vegas 95 card. Make sure to tune in immediately after this weekend’s fights for breakdowns and analysis on our 6th Round Post-Fight Show.

Thank you for reading this article and listening to the podcast. Please consider subscribing to The MMA Vivisection & 6th Round Post-fight Show podcast Substack to enjoy our premium content. Your paid subscriptions are keeping hope alive that we can continue on with our shows. If you haven’t already, please pledge with a paid subscription today. If you have, please share this post far and wide.

Thanks for reading MMA Vivisection & 6th Round! This post is public so feel free to share it.

UFC Vegas 95 is terrible. Full stop. We don’t think we’ve seen a worse card in the history of the sport, and if there was, it’s escaped our memory. It’s like the UFC threw darts at their roster and wherever the dart landed is how the matches were made. Just an absolute mess. Don’t let the alternative stats fool you. When you peel back the layers of the …

UFC Abu Dhabi is here and surprise, surprise, it’s a good card. Generally, the on-the-road fight night events usually are pretty good. UFC wants to make sure they maximize their gates by saving the better fights for these shows and it appears to be working. That and jacking up the rates of the tickets, but don’t let me get caught up in that. Let’s inste…

Hold onto your hats! The UFC has given us a very solid card with this coming Saturday’s offering. UFC 304 bears all the hallmarks of a great event. Not one, but two title fights, name value, ranked talent…it has it all. Thank you matchmaking brass for finally getting on the ball. We are most definitely worthy, considering how much we sink into the ever-…

UFC Vegas 94 is almost here and boy is it a really meager card. We’re sure the old platitudes of “these crappy-on-paper cards always deliver” will be there, but it’s about getting the butt in the seat first. How are we to do that if only the hardcores are the ones willing to watch, and they aren’t always paying subscribers? It certainly isn’t going to b…