My Week in Words: June 3-9, 2023
Detailing all the content I delivered over the last seven days
I didn’t know how much I missed being on the ground, covering a Fight Week live until I was in Vancouver this week, hanging out at the hotel, interacting with colleagues and contemporaries, fully back in the mix for the first time in way too long.
There are way too many people for me to thank for their time, but I have to give a huge shout out to my UFC digital folks — Zac, McKenzie, and Maddyn — who I finally got to meet IRL, work with for the last bunch of days, and spend time with as well. It’s crazy how seamlessly we fell in, but that’s what happens when you’ve worked together for years, even remotely, and all have the same focus, passion, and drive.
Here’s a look at everything I dropped over the last seven days before we get into the action tonight at UFC 289.
UFC Vegas 74 Recaps: regardless of the debated decision in the main event, this was a fun night of action that featured some breakthrough efforts from fighters that people should be paying attention to going forward.
Amir Albazi showed he’s a legit contender at flyweight, Karine Silva collected a second straight first-round submission win, and Muhammad Naimov delivered one of the bigger upsets of the year with a second-round knockout victory.
Serhiy Sidey Interview: this was great to put together because I spoke with Sidey, the BFL bantamweight champion, prior to his first fight with Ali Wasuk, and now we connected again ahead of their rematch, which took place last night and ended with Sidey getting a second stoppage win.
The young Burlington, Ontario native is a tremendous prospect with good all-around skills and a bulletproof mindset, and I won’t be surprised if he has immediate success in whatever major promotion signs him later this year.
Keyboard Kimura Podcast, Episode 24: shared my thoughts this week on the coverage given and support afforded to Canadian athletes in MMA, which stands in stark contrast to the way fighters from other nations when the compete both at home and abroad.
UFC 289 Fight-By-Fight Preview: had too much fun writing the lede for this piece, detailing my not being in attendance the last time the UFC came out to Vancouver. Now they’re back, I’ve been in the city all week, and this evening, I’ll be down on press row, watching these men and women do the damn thing.
Fighters on the Rise: shining a little light on three athletes stepping into the Octagon on Saturday — Mike Malott, Nate Landwehr, and newcomer Stephen Erceg — that have the potential to make a splash and show out this weekend.
For all the folks that say “keeping track of all the fighters is hard” and “it’s hard to know who to follow,” this series has been running for more than five years, and has highlighted numerous current and former champions, perennial contenders, and emerging talents over the years; it’s just a matter of seeking out better sources and checking in with folks that make sure to highlight these kinds of things.
Coach Conversation for Nunes vs. Aldana: got the opportunity to sit down with world-class coaches Eliot Marshall and Sean Madden to break down this weekend’s bantamweight championship fight between Amanda Nunes and Irene Aldana.
It’s a new matchup for the champion, a compelling matchup for a number of reasons, and should be a wildly entertaining affair to close out the show this weekend. Getting insights from Eliot and Sean, breaking down the elements that make up this fight, and forecasting how things may play out is always good times.
TUF 31, Episode 2 Recap: I get that people don’t like that the format hasn’t changed in a number of years, but I still quite enjoy The Ultimate Fighter from a scouting and analysis standpoint, and the setup this season — prospects vs. veterans — is a really interesting twist that has produced two tremendously entertaining fights.
Even if you’re not interested in the drama in the house and all the stuff that goes on between the coaches, I strongly recommend tapping in for the fights because there are some legit talents stepping into the cage this season, and more than a couple guys that will deliver entertaining efforts in the UFC once the season is out.
Kyle Nelson Feature: got the chance to speak with the Canadian veteran ahead of his first fight on home soil in several years against Blake Bilder on Saturday. While the results haven’t always been there for “The Monster,” he’s found plenty to build upon from his last two outings, and believes his experience will play a major factor when the Octagon door closes.
Irene Aldana Feature: this is one of my favourite pieces in some time, as the bantamweight challenger spoke about a sign from the universe that she was going to fight for the title, the motivation that comes from watching Brandon Moreno, Yair Rodriguez, and Alexa Grasso capture UFC gold, and mapping out how she’ll hold the belt with a toy belt in the mirror.
I have to be honest: as soon as this fight was announced, I was real curious to see how it played out because Aldana is a dangerous matchup for anyone, and a very different fighter that Nunes’ original (and familiar) opponent, Julianna Pena. And then once we sat down and discussed the different elements contained in this interview, it’s started to feel like the stars are aligning for the 35-year-old challenger heading into Saturday night.
One Question for Every Fight: being in town has made dropping videos more difficult this week, but I wanted to make sure to get this out on Wednesday after the legend Scroobius Pip had some lovely things to say about my work, and this series in particular. This series really gets me dialled in on the things I’m watching for on Saturday night and always serves as an accelerant when it comes to my excitement for the card, and this week has been no different.
Amanda Nunes Feature: I said this on Instagram when sharing this post, but I’ll say it again here — I will never take it for granted that these athletes give their time to me, and to have built a relationship with the greatest female fighter of all time over the last several years of her reign has been incredible. But to get to be here this week, interact with her, share a couple laughs and little moments has been special.
Nunes was more dialled in when we spoke for this story than she’d been over the last couple, and I walked about it. She’s always been a very honest, forthright individual, which makes for great discussions, and, I think, great features.
I haven’t put together the Punch Drunk Predictions or Betting Show yet, as I’m sitting at early weigh-ins (and erred in scheduling this a day too early), so I’ll add them later today if / when I get them done, and post the links on the usual socials.