This week on Ringside Report MMA, hosts Dave Simon and Fred Garcia dove deep into the latest in the UFC world, from controversial judging calls to a preview of UFC Baku. The episode tackled the drama of illegal strikes, the ongoing careers of former champions, and even ventured into the new UFC BJJ league. Whether you’re a hardcore fight fan or just enjoy some casual combat sports talk, this recap has you covered on all the action and opinions from the show.
UFC Atlanta Fallout: Illegal Up-Kicks and Questionable Decisions
The show kicked off with a hot topic: the controversial illegal up-kick incident involving Hadalfa Bellotto and Paul Craig at last weekend’s UFC Atlanta event. Dave and Fred didn’t hold back on their thoughts regarding Bellotto’s reaction to the foul. Dave Simon quickly brought up AJ D’Alesio’s absence from the show, jokingly saying, “No AJ. AJ I think got took an illegal up kick and is pretending to be hurt. That’s why he’s not here on the show,” and added, “He saw he saw Bellotto do it on the weekend and he figured this is a trend I’m going to jump on board”.
Fred Garcia agreed that the kick was illegal, but found Bellotto’s reaction to be over the top. “That kick was definitely illegal, but the reaction was like completely ridiculous,” Fred stated, asking if Dana White had commented on it. Dave confirmed, “I don’t think Dana was there to comment on it afterwards, so I don’t think we’ve heard Dana talk about it”.
Dave Simon described the incident in detail, calling it “embarrassing”. He explained how Bellotto “took an illegal up kick to the face and then kind of fell back and he looked like for a second he was like going to look to the referee like yo do you see that he just gave me that illegal kick and then he acted like it knocked him unconscious”. Dave even compared it to pro wrestling, saying, “I’ve seen a lot of pro wrestling and I know when you’re good at selling and when you’re bad at selling. Hadalfa Bellotto has no chance in the WWE”. Fred then quipped, “So he better be working on his MMA skills”.
The hosts pointed out that despite the dramatic reaction, Bellotto didn’t even get a win by disqualification; instead, it resulted in a no contest. Fred emphasized, “Well, he was really hurt as an illegal shot like in, and it was a pretty decent kick, like I could see it doing some damage, but his reaction was ridiculous”. Dave countered, “Nobody reacts like that,” suggesting Bellotto was “trying to milk it”.
Fred thought a more subdued reaction would have been fine: “I mean, if he had just gone down and said like I can’t continue, nobody would have said anything, probably because it was still like an illegal strike to the face. It’s the way he reacted, the way he jumped, and all the men who made it. Come on, man, what are you doing?” Dave concluded that such actions “just look bad for everybody when you see fighters doing that in the UFC. It’s supposed to be the top level. It’s supposed to be professional, and you’re seeing guys act like that, trying to you know game the system, use a foul to get a win, possibly, and it didn’t even work, didn’t even work”.
The financial implications of a no-contest were also discussed. Dave explained, “No contest. You don’t get anything out of that. Nobody gets paid out of that, which also sucks, by the way. I think a no-contest means nobody wins, so the UFC only pays you your show money. You probably don’t get your win money”.
Fred drew a comparison to boxing, noting, “And it’s not like MMA is a team sport like in soccer or basketball. You know, you try to draw a foul, like MMA people will know, like that drawing a foul is just dumb, because I mean, take the example of Jon Jones and Matt Hamill. Everybody knows that Matt Hamill didn’t win that fight, even though the record books say he won that fight. So it’s the same thing like if you get a cheap win like that, like people are not going to acknowledge it for real”. Dave agreed, recalling the Hamill-Jones fight: “Hamill didn’t do anything there. Bellotto, like he sold it, like he got killed”.
AJ’s Parlay Woes and Team Dave’s Success
The conversation shifted to betting parlays from the previous weekend’s fights. Dave Simon revealed that AJ’s parlay didn’t pan out, mainly due to Bellotto’s no contest. “Everybody on AJ’s parlay either lost or was Hidalgo Bellotto,” Dave said. On the other hand, Dave’s parlay was a success. “My parlay won last week, which is nice. It’s always nice when the team Dave parlay wins,” he proudly stated. His winning picks included Michael Chiesa over Court McGee and Hounie Barcelos over Cody Garbrandt.
This led to a discussion about Cody Garbrandt’s career trajectory. Dave asked, “Have we ever seen anybody fall off from champion this hard like Cody Garbrandt?”. Fred brought up Renan Barao, but Dave noted that Barao “kind of disappeared off the face of the earth”, whereas Garbrandt “has just had no run of mediocrity after hitting his peak”.
Dave detailed Garbrandt’s decline: “He peaked in 2016. He was pretty young. He’s only 33, having won the title in 2016, when he was 11-0, beating Bantamweight champion Dominic Cruz to become the champion. Since that time, he has started 11- 0. He has gone 3 and 7 in the past nine years”. Dave attributed this downfall to his fights with TJ Dillashaw: “3 and 7 over his last 10 fights. This guy was 11-0, at the top of the world, 3-7. Those TJ Dillashaw fights took his soul. He lost to TJ Dillashaw by knockout twice in a row, never the same”.
Fred Garcia agreed, comparing it to Junior dos Santos: “I mean yeah it’s that’s MMA you know like for example this week I saw a post going like a junior dos Santos was like I think he was like out of the top 10 fights where guys get hit the most junior dos Santos was in three or four of them. And you know, like once he got beat up, those bad beatings, his career went downhill also. So it might be that with a Cody Garbrandt, you know those beatings to the Dillashaw were pretty pretty intense”. Fred concluded, “So yeah sometimes these guys don’t come back the same from a fight”.
Dave added that the Dillashaw-Garbrandt rivalry was particularly intense because they were former teammates. “They were once teammates, a team alpha male, they had broken off, and they were, you know, there was like a real rivalry,” he explained, drawing parallels to the Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos rivalry. Dave stated, “Garbrandt hasn’t come near championship level since, and he loses again on Saturday night”.
Fred commented on the general trend of fighters losing their championship form, saying, “Maybe, but I would say like guys that lose the championships, the championship, like if they don’t win it back quick, out like they’re rare. The ones that win it back like a what guy, like lost the championship, fought for like three or four years, and then win it back. Like you know, once they’re not at the top anymore, they’re pretty much like going downhill unfortunately”.
Dave, however, felt that Garbrandt was different due to his age: “Yeah, but with Garbrandt I feel like it’s different because he was young when he lost the belt and he still had time, like he’s only 33 now.” He noted Garbrandt was around 24 when he won the championship.
The Decline of Team Alpha Male and MMA Gyms
The conversation naturally segued into the decline of Team Alpha Male, the gym where both Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw trained. Fred Garcia observed, “It seems that the whole team alpha male is not as dominant as it once was”. He recalled a time when they dominated the lower weight classes with fighters like Urijah Faber, TJ Dillashaw, and Cody Garbrandt. Dave wondered, “Are they still? Do they still have guys in the UFC?” and suggested that the camp largely revolved around Urijah Faber, with many fighters disappearing after he stopped fighting.
Dave Simon then broadened the point about MMA gyms, saying, “MMA gyms don’t last forever. We’ve seen so many teams that were once dominant come and go, nothing lasts forever in MMA”. He cited Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn’s gym as another example, and even mentioned Tristar, saying, “They’re still around. There are still guys fighting from Tristar, but it’s not like it was in the UFC at one time.”
Fred acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining a top-level gym: “I mean you’re dealing with like top level athletes and all like there must be like some you know a little animosity or whatever like it must be hard to keep a good gym going for several years like that”. He praised teams like American Top Team for their longevity. Dave pointed out American Top Team’s financial backing: “They also have a wealthy guy and Dan Lambert bankroll on the whole thing that helps too”.
They reminisced about other prominent, but now less dominant, gyms, such as Pat Miletich’s camp, Ken Shamrock’s Hammer House, and the Brazilian Shoot Boxing, which produced fighters like Shogun Rua, Anderson Silva, and Wanderlei Silva. Dave wondered if Charles Oliveira might be part of a “new generation Shoot Boxing.
Kamaru Usman’s Resurgence and Title Hopes
Dave Simon then happily shared more about his successful parlay, highlighting his “big underdog pick” for Kamaru Usman. Dave exclaimed, “I had Kamaru Usman as an underdog I’m going with him because he’s Kamaru freakin Usman and he won a unanimous decision sound victory over Joaquin Buckley look good look like his normal self Kamaru Usman”.
He recounted Usman’s recent history, noting his impressive 20-1 record before losing to Leon Edwards, followed by a close decision loss in the rematch and another close decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at a higher weight class. Dave explained his confidence in Usman: “But I expected him to come back and look strong. I thought he was an excellent test for Buckley, who was surging, on a win streak, and more active. However, I thought it was a test that Buckley wouldn’t be able to rise to. I didn’t think that he was going to be able to beat Usman”.
Dave praised Usman’s performance, stating, “Usman is a championship-level fighter, and he got the job done. So I’m happy for Kamaru Usman, and this puts him right back into title shot conversation”. He emphasized, “I never doubted him. The oddsmakers were doubting him. AJ was doubting him but I had him on Team Dave and he completed my parlay which is always nice but more than that I think it’s nice to see him you know former champion doubted by a lot of people odds maker seem as an underdog to Buckley comes in and shuts everybody up reminds everybody who he is. That’s Kamaru Usman”. Dave also liked seeing Francis Ngannou in Usman’s corner, noting, “Kamaru can bring Francis around, and no one’s saying anything. What are they going to do bringing Francis all over the UFC? Fantastic”.
Dave believes Usman is now back in the title picture, suggesting a fight against the winner of the Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev match. Fred Garcia agreed, calling Usman “one of the greatest welterweights of all time,” placing him second only to Georges St-Pierre. Fred added, “he lost to Khamzat. Many people lose to Khamzat, and it’s not because of his weight class. So yeah, he’s right in the discussion. That win puts him in title contention, and if Islam weren’t there, he’d probably be next right away because Jack versus Usman would be a great fight also”.
The hosts then speculated on the timeline for the next welterweight title fight. Fred asked, “Have they announced when Islam and Jack Dela Maddalena are happening?” Dave thought not, but suggested it would likely be in October or November, possibly at Madison Square Garden. This would mean Usman’s title shot would be in early 2026. Fred was fine with that, saying, “Fine with me. I mean, he’s a veteran, he could take the time off probably. It would make sense”.
Jon Jones’ Retirement and Cain Velasquez’s Imprisonment
The conversation shifted to heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who recently did an interview hinting at retirement. Dave Simon interpreted Jones’s words as a clear sign of retirement: “Jon Jones did an interview this week where he said you know I wouldn’t call it retirement but I’m not really thinking about fighting and if I get the itch to come back and fight then maybe I will but I’m not really into it. He’s retired”.
Fred Garcia agreed, suggesting it might be for the best: “And you know what man I think it might be better like that because like Jon Jones is already a guy that doesn’t always train at the like he likes to party and all that and now I don’t want to see a Jon Jones that’s not motivated also like so you know what man take some time off if you come back in a year or whatever OK just vacate the title”. Fred also noted that Jones was close to breaking Cain Velasquez’s record for the longest title reign duration.
This brought up the topic of Cain Velasquez’s legal troubles. Dave jokingly asked, “Who would you rather have as your longest reigning heavyweight champion, a man in prison or Jon Jones?” Fred responded with a witty, “A man in prison or a man that should be in prison”.
The hosts then discussed Velasquez’s situation, with Dave speculating, “I mean by the time Jones breaks the record, he may also be in prison. I mean this guy without any kind of aim or goal could be rough”. Fred still believes Cain is the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history. Dave added, “And even though he’s going to prison for a bit for shooting a guy, he’s probably still a better man than Jon Jones somehow. Anyway, MMA is crazy man. You never know who you’re gonna get”.
They then confirmed Cain Velasquez’s current status. Dave initially thought he was on house arrest, but Fred, checking a large language model, confirmed, “Yes, Cain Velasquez is currently serving a prison sentence. On March 24th, he received a five-year prison sentence. Mm hmm. He got twelve hundred days of credit. He has 542 days left. He’s been housed in the California prison system initially at Wasko state prison and transferred to a solid bad prison”.
Rose Namajunas and AJ’s Continued Absence
The discussion briefly touched upon Rose Namajunas’s recent victory. Dave Simon was pleased with her win against Miranda Maverick, saying, “Well, Rose Namajunas beat Miranda Maverick last weekend. So that was nice. Nice win for thug Rose, still at it, still getting wins”. He also noted, “I thought you would win, AJ was doubting. AJ is not here tonight,” continuing the running gag about AJ’s absence.
Fred Garcia chimed in with more playful speculation about AJ’s whereabouts: “I think he’s celebrating in some strip club”. Dave added, “Some. Yeah. Some remote location strip club”. Fred then joked about AJ’s age, saying, “His kid graduated and AJ is old. So that means what his kid graduated from university”. Dave agreed, “AJ is extremely old. He is what 75 now. It’s crazy. Looks good for 75”.
The New UFC BJJ League: A Path to Stardom?
The hosts then delved into the new UFC BJJ league, a show Dave Simon had been watching on YouTube. Fred Garcia had sent him the link, and Dave initially thought it was a countdown show. Dave clarified, “But that’s not what this is. It’s like an ultimate fighter for Jiu Jitsu”.
Fred was optimistic about the new league: “Yeah, so honestly, I’ve been liking it”. Dave also found it “not bad,” though he preferred less background on the fighters. Fred acknowledged this but said for a first season, “I’m down with it”. He expressed hope for the league, stating, “But right now they’re doing it the crown champion. So that’s the cool part where at the end of this season, we’re going to have a champion at 155 and a champion at 170, and also Mikey Musumechi is going to fight for a title against what’s his name? His opponent. Yeah, Zillion the other and is some weird name there”. Dave jokingly called Musumechi’s opponent “The guy that’s going to lose to Mikey Musumechi”.
Fred then raised a point of contention regarding fairness in the league: “Like, if one thing that bothers me a little bit is that the other guy doesn’t speak English. He does kind of, he doesn’t really speak English well”. Dave noted the fighter spoke both Portuguese and English. Fred felt it was unfair that Mikey Musumechi was “super loud” while the other team was “super quiet,” suggesting it might influence judges in close fights, specifically mentioning the Kirk Corian fight. Dave, however, believed the winner of that fight deserved it, saying, “So I thought the guy who won won” because he won the first and third rounds.
The discussion moved to the frequency of fights in BJJ. Fred asked how many fights Mikey Musumechi should have a year. Dave replied, “Tons. Yeah, I feel like they should be fighting every two months, at least, man, even more. Yeah, brother cares”. He argued that BJJ needs to be more like pro wrestling, with fighters competing once a week or month. “You’re not getting hit in the head. Stay active and if you can’t do it, well, then you fall out and the guys that can they do it and those are the guys that survive and those are the guys that compete because the more you see a person the more you get to know them the more you care about them and the more you care about the sport. You’ve got to make stars to make a sport,” Dave explained.
Dave criticized the current state of BJJ events, saying, “And jujitsu doesn’t really have stars. They don’t really they don’t have a league. They don’t even have a unified rule set. All the big events for jujitsu are like three days of 10 hours each that you’ve got to watch to follow anything”. He emphasized the need for better presentation to attract a wider audience: “You know what I mean, like jujitsu the way it’s presented to an audience is not palatable. So you’ve got to find a way to make it better for people who want to watch it, and there are ways to do it”.
Dave suggested mandatory pre-fight or post-fight interviews to help build fighter personalities: “I think honestly, you got to start cutting promos and you got to get guys that are there cut promos before your match say some things do your match like you have to have like a pre-fight or a post-fight like live interview where you’re saying things so we know who you are so we know what you sound like before you go out and fight that has to be mandatory”. He also called for shorter, more frequent shows and for fighters to compete often.
Fred agreed, saying, “They need to fight more like I don’t feel like for a BJJ fight, guys should be having like a two-month training camp. I feel like you know, it should be BJJ should be treated more like almost like a sports league, you know, where guys are just a facing each other throughout the years”. He hoped the UFC would build a league where fighters are active, noting, “you create stars is by them being active man and being a putting submissions putting shows that’s that’s how you’re going to build the brand”.
Dave reiterated the need to treat jiu-jitsu more like a regular sport where winning and losing is part of regular competition. He argued that if fighters compete more often, they’ll be more willing to tap to submissions rather than risk injury that could sideline them for months, keeping the sport exciting. “You’re not taking blows to the head,” he reminded listeners.
Fred also recalled the early days of MMA, when fighters were more active due to lower pay. He hopes the UFC builds something where BJJ athletes are active, “treated like other sports like tennis, golf, or whatever. There’s a tournament every week, like sometimes guys will take a tournament off”.
Dave emphasized the need for a fun, tournament-based format with super fights, team events, and varied rule sets, comparing it to pro wrestling booking. He believes the UFC has the best opportunity to make BJJ appeal to a wider audience, as current organizations like ADCC and IBJJF are geared more towards determining the best rather than entertaining fans. Dave highlighted the lack of casual BJJ fans, stating, “Those people couldn’t name you any Jiu-Jitsu guys. They couldn’t name you Gordon Ryan or Mike Musimichi”. He sees the UFC’s new show as their attempt to replicate the success of The Ultimate Fighter for MMA.
Both hosts like the five-minute round format in the UFC BJJ league because “you really have to go. It rewards it”. Fred acknowledged that 15 minutes of fighting is long for some, but he remains interested.
UFC Baku: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. Preview and Predictions
The conversation then shifted to the upcoming UFC event in Baku, Azerbaijan. Dave Simon announced, “All right, MMA, we’ve got this weekend, UFC in Azerbaijan in Baku. It’s UFC Baku”. He noted this would be the first time the UFC goes to Azerbaijan.
Geographical Concerns and Main Event Analysis
Dave expressed some concern about the location: “Where is Azerbaijan? What is Aizurbaijan?” Fred clarified it’s near Russia, Armenia, and Georgia. Dave then pointed out its proximity to Iran: “It does not border Russia. It borders Armenia, Georgia, and Iran. It’s not that far from Tehran. If you’re a UFC fighter, do you want to be anywhere near Iran right now?”. Despite these concerns, Fred reassured him, “I mean F1 goes there. So yeah, I’m sure it’s fine,” and added, “I think Azerbaijan is safe”.
The main event features Jamahal Hill against Khalil Rountree Jr.. Fred Garcia admitted his past wavering confidence in Jamahal Hill: “You see Jamahal Hill. It took me time to believe in him. Once I started believing in him, he started losing more”. Despite this, Fred picked Hill: “I’m gonna pick Jamahal Hill for that fight. But my confidence index is not that high. The main reason is that I look at who Khalil beat and I don’t see that many impressive wins like, you know, Anthony Smith, maybe, but other than that. I feel he’s had like a pretty easy list of fighters”. He concluded, “So I’m gonna go with Jamahal Hill, who’s a former champ who’s defeated some big names in this sport. So Jamahal Hill decision TKO. I’m not sure I’m gonna I’m gonna go with a TKO. He finds a way to finish Khalil Rountree”.
Dave, however, had doubts about Hill: “I don’t trust Jamahal Hill”. He pointed out Hill’s two consecutive knockout losses to Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Dave argued that Rountree Jr. looked better against Pereira than Hill did. Dave stated, “I don’t trust Jamahal Hill. I’m going with Khalil Rountree in the main event”. He also noted Hill’s perceived insecurity in interviews, saying, “Jamahal Hill seems like salty as hell. He does not seem secure in his interviews. He seems very insecure, and that’s not good”. Fred suggested this might be because of people like him who doubted Hill before he became champion.
Dave questioned Hill’s resume, asking, “How did he become a champ again,” referring to his win over Glover Teixeira. Dave argued that Teixeira was “pretty old, though at that point”, “super old and done”, and coming off a loss. Dave summarized, “Jamahal Hill picked the bones. And he got a title”. He encouraged listeners to “reevaluate. Look at the resume. Like we got to really examine the resume of Jamahal Hill. I don’t think it’s that good. I think Khalil’s might be a little bit better”.
The hosts noted that the odds makers were similarly torn, with Rountree Jr. at -120 and Hill at -110, essentially a pick ’em fight.
Other Notable Fights on the Card
The hosts also discussed other fights on the UFC Baku card:
- Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes: Dave highlighted Fiziev’s connection to Azerbaijan through his father, making this a significant home fight for him. Fiziev has lost three straight, while Bahamondes has won three in a row. Dave liked Fiziev as the underdog at +105, saying, “I think the power of home is gonna help the Fizz”. He praised Fiziev’s tough performance against Justin Gaethje, despite the loss. Dave believes this is a step up for Bahamondes and, influenced by his belief that “when the captain of the gym falls, a lot of the guys in the gym fall too,” predicted Fiziev would win. Fred agreed, citing Fiziev’s decent showing against Gaethje and the home crowd advantage.
- Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniyev: This heavyweight bout features Kuniyev’s UFC debut against the higher-ranked Blaydes. Dave found it “kind of weird” that Blaydes, coming off an interim title fight loss to Tom Aspinall, is now fighting a debutant. Dave mentioned this fight has been attempted twice before. Fred believed the UFC must have confidence in Kuniyev to put him against a top-five heavyweight like Blaydes. Both hosts picked Blaydes to win, although Dave noted Blaydes’ inconsistency: “Sometimes he looks like the best heavyweight in the UFC and sometimes he looks like one of the worst.” Dave recalled Blaydes getting knocked out by Derrick Lewis despite dominating the fight, highlighting his suspect chin. Despite this, he picked Blaydes but warned against putting him in a parlay.
Parlay Picks and International Fighters
For their parlays, Fred Garcia proposed a “simple parlay” of Jamahal Hill and Rafael Fiziev. Dave Simon, while liking the Fiziev pick, opted for Khalil Rountree Jr. instead of Hill for his parlay, pairing Fiziev with Rountree Jr..
The hosts also briefly mentioned other fighters on the card, noting the presence of Kamaru Usman’s brother, Mohammed Usman, who is coming off two losses and is an underdog. They also highlighted the diverse international representation on the card, including fighters from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Egypt, and Austria, reflecting the global reach of the UFC.
Final Thoughts and Sports Updates
The episode concluded with a brief discussion of other sports news. Dave Simon, a New York Yankees fan, expressed relief that the Yankees finally won after losing six games in a row. He noted they had been swept by Boston and lost three out of four to the Angels. Despite the losing streak, the Yankees were still two games up in the AL East over the Rays. Dave hoped the Yankees would make the World Series and face a National League team other than the “disgustingly good” Dodgers, ideally the Mets.
Fred Garcia then mentioned that the owners of the Dodgers recently bought the Lakers.
Finally, Dave Simon teased the next Ringside Report Network show, Wrestling Uncensored, mentioning Goldberg’s return. Fred jokingly acknowledged Goldberg’s return, and they briefly discussed a controversial WWE booking decision that had sparked a meme. The show concluded with a discussion about rumors of Vince McMahon repurchasing WWE.
Key Takeaways:
This episode covered a wide range of topics, emphasizing the hosts’ critical take on fighter conduct and judging in the UFC, their differing opinions on fight outcomes for UFC Baku, and their hopes for the new UFC BJJ league to foster more active competition and create stars. The discussion was lively, informal, and filled with personal opinions, reflecting the casual vibe of the show.
