Author: Adam Wells

Ronda Rousey Needs to ‘Grow the F–k Up’ After Losing, Says Demetrious Johnson

UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson did not mince words about Ronda Rousey when he was discussing how easy it is to lose in a sport like mixed martial arts. 
In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim, Johnson had this respo…

UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson did not mince words about Ronda Rousey when he was discussing how easy it is to lose in a sport like mixed martial arts. 

In an interview with Sports Illustrated‘s Jon Wertheim, Johnson had this response when asked about every single fight being the most important thing in the world to a fighter:

Yeah, absolutely. You know, people say, I visualize myself at this point. I visualize myself losing most of the time just because I’ve seen so many champions lose, and they don’t know how to take it. Their whole world is upside down Oh, my God, what am I going to do?

You look at Ronda Rousey. You got your ass beat, grow the f— up. It happens. It’s mixed martial arts. I don’t want to be like that. If I lose, I’ll be like, I lost.

[…]

Yeah, everybody has. Everybody f—ing loses. It’s part of the sport. Grow up. Look, Ronda, you lost two f—ing fights in a row, and you made more f—ing money than the women’s roster. You’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.

Rousey’s future in mixed martial arts has been uncertain since she lost to Amanda Nunes last December, her second consecutive defeat after starting her career 12-0 with 11 first-round stoppages. 

UFC President Dana White said during an episode of UFC Unfiltered (via Fox Sports’ Damon Martin) in January he thinks Rousey’s fighting career is over. 

“She’s good,” he said. “Her spirits are good. She’s doing her thing. In the conversation that I had with her, if I had to say right here right now, and again I don’t like saying right here, right now because it’s up to her and it’s her thing but I wouldn’t say she fights again.”

Rousey was a key figure in the development of women’s mixed martial arts in UFC. She was the first female fighter under contract to the promotion in 2012 and was the first UFC women’s bantamweight champion from 2013-15. 

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Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Fight Deadline Is Sunday, Says Dana White

UFC President Dana White isn’t going to let a potential Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight hold up his promotion much longer.
During a Thursday appearance on the Jim Rome Show on CBS Sports (via Fox Sports’ Damon Martin), White said he’s pl…

UFC President Dana White isn’t going to let a potential Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight hold up his promotion much longer.

During a Thursday appearance on the Jim Rome Show on CBS Sports (via Fox Sports’ Damon Martin), White said he’s placed a Sunday deadline on McGregor’s side of negotiations for arranging a boxing matchup with Mayweather. 

White has tried to clear many hurdles in setting up the mega-showdown between McGregor and Mayweather. He told Fight Hub TV they “lost” their September 16 date when it was announced Canelo Alvarez will take on Gennady Golovkin on that Saturday. 

During a Tuesday appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, White noted it’s been tough sledding trying to work out a deal for McGregor to challenge Mayweather.

“I’m not hinting that it’s getting close,” he said, per Fox Sports’ Nick Schwartz. “I knew this was going to be a nightmare to get done,” White said, “if it can even be done. We’ll find out. Obviously both guys want to fight each other, but you know, what’s the deal? Can the deal be done? That’s the question.”

McGregor and his girlfriend welcomed their first child on May 7. He hasn’t fought in the Octagon since last November when he defeated Eddie Alvarez to win the UFC lightweight title and become the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history. 

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Kelvin Gastelum Pulled from UFC 212 Anderson Silva Fight After Drug Test

Kelvin Gastelum has been pulled from a scheduled fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 212 on June 3 due to potentially failing a drug test. 
Per an official statement from UFC, Gastelum failed a United States Anti-Doping Agency-administered drug te…

Kelvin Gastelum has been pulled from a scheduled fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 212 on June 3 due to potentially failing a drug test. 

Per an official statement from UFC, Gastelum failed a United States Anti-Doping Agency-administered drug test for having traces of marijuana in his sample. The company placed him on a provisional suspension. 

      

For more news, rumors and related stories about Kelvin Gastelum and UFC, check out the UFC stream on Bleacher Report’s app.     

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Dana White Says Greg Hardy Would Have to Win ‘Serious Fights’ to Make UFC Radar

Greg Hardy is focused on a career in mixed martial arts, but the former NFL star has a long way to go if he wants to fight for UFC. 
UFC President Dana White told TMZ Sports Hardy would have to “win some serious fights” before the promotion even c…

Greg Hardy is focused on a career in mixed martial arts, but the former NFL star has a long way to go if he wants to fight for UFC. 

UFC President Dana White told TMZ Sports Hardy would have to “win some serious fights” before the promotion even considered signing him:

 

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Conor McGregor Discusses Floyd Mayweather Fight at Michael Conlan vs. Tim Ibarra

Conor McGregor escalated his war of words with Floyd Mayweather while making an appearance at Madison Square Garden on Friday during the Michael Conlan-Tim Ibarra boxing match. 
“I’m going to stop Floyd,” McGregor said ringside, per Brian Cam…

Conor McGregor escalated his war of words with Floyd Mayweather while making an appearance at Madison Square Garden on Friday during the Michael Conlan-Tim Ibarra boxing match. 

“I’m going to stop Floyd,” McGregor said ringside, per Brian Campbell of CBS Sports. “You’re all going to f—ing eat your words. The whole world is going to eat their words.”

In a video taken by Fight Hub TV (warning: NSFW), McGregor says at the end he is boxing:

ESPN’s Dan Rafael also tweeted about an exchange he had with McGregor at MSG:

There hasn’t been an official agreement reached between McGregor and Mayweather, though it is being talked about more as a real possibility now than in the past. 

In a video posted to FightHype on March 11, Mayweather announced he would come out of retirement only to fight McGregor and wanted to get something signed for this summer, per USA Today‘s Mike Coppinger:

I don’t want to hear no more excuses about the money, about the UFC. Sign the paper with the UFC so you can fight me in June. Simple and plain, let’s fight in June.

You’re the B side. I’m the A side. We’re not here to cry about money. I’m tired of all this crying about money and saying you want to fight. You’re blowing smoke up everyone’s ass, if you want to fight, sign the paperwork.

UFC president Dana White said earlier this week during an appearance on Conan he believes the fight will happen:

McGregor was issued a boxing license from the state of California last December, setting up the possibility for a match in Mayweather’s discipline if the two sides and UFC are able to reach agreement for the superfight. 

McGregor is the UFC lightweight champion and became the first person to hold titles in two different weight classes at the same time when he defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. 

Mayweather hasn’t fought since defeating Andre Berto to run his record to 49-0 in September 2015. One more win would allow him to break a tie with Rocky Marciano and earn 50 career wins without a loss. 

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Former World Champion Kickboxer Curtis Page Facing 22 Sex Charges

Curtis Page, a three-time world champion in kickboxing, is currently standing trial for the alleged rape and sexual assault of three different women. 
Per Ben Wilkinson of the Daily Mail, Page has been accused of “22 historical sex assau…

Curtis Page, a three-time world champion in kickboxing, is currently standing trial for the alleged rape and sexual assault of three different women. 

Per Ben Wilkinson of the Daily Mail, Page has been accused of “22 historical sex assaults and rapes against three girls over a decade.”

Page, who has denied the charges, is alleged to have sexually assaulted and raped these women as young as 11 years old during his time as a martial arts instructor at various different clubs in England. 

“Mr. Page had a liking for young girls and groomed them,” prosecutor James Thacker said during the court proceedings at Isleworth Crown Court in London, per Wilkinson. “All of these girls lacked father figures in their lives and looked up to Mr. Page as person of authority. He drove a wedge between them and their families.”

One woman said Page first groped her at the age of 11, more than 30 years ago, and she “came forward in 2013 after seeing a photograph of herself when she was 11.”

Page is facing 14 charges of indecent assault, six charges of rape and two counts of sex with a child under the age of 13. 

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