Bellator 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch Preview

Bellator MMA returns to network television this weekend with the Bellator 220 event. Bellator 220 is set to take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at SAP Center in San Jose, California. The preliminary card will air online at 7:30 pm EST while the main…

Bellator MMA returns to network television this weekend with the Bellator 220 event. Bellator 220 is set to take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at SAP Center in San Jose, California. The preliminary card will air online at 7:30 pm EST while the main card will air on DAZN at 10:00 PM EST. Bellator […]

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Rockhold on move to LHW: I’d accept fight against Jon Jones ‘in a heartbeat’

“I’m gonna go focus on what I’m doing here this summer and if everything works out, me and Jon will be dancing later this year or 2020.” Luke Rockhold has yet to make his light heavyweight debut, but the former UFC middleweight champion is…

“I’m gonna go focus on what I’m doing here this summer and if everything works out, me and Jon will be dancing later this year or 2020.”

Luke Rockhold has yet to make his light heavyweight debut, but the former UFC middleweight champion is already eyeing a fight with reigning 205-pound king Jon Jones, who will compete on the same card as Rockhold at UFC 239.

Rockhold, who will look to spring back into the winners column after his crushing knockout loss to Yoel Romero at UFC 221, believes a win over top-seven ranked light heavyweight Jan Blachowicz will catapult him into title contention and secure a championship bout with ‘Bones.’

“Thiago Santos just got a world title fight after beating Jan Blachowicz, so I figure if I go out there and put a performance on him, what’s to deny me?” Rockhold said on a recent episode of Submission Radio (transcript via MMA Weekly). “I mean, what else is there? These guys are scouring around, not taking fights. So I’m gonna go out there and I’m gonna perform and do my job, and then I’m gonna let the chips fall where they may.”

As someone who is familiar with Jones’ unorthodox style, having trained for years with nemesis Daniel Cormier at American Kickboxing Academy, Rockhold believes he has what it takes to hand the pound-for-pound great his first legitimate loss in the cage.

“I’d jump on (a fight with Jones) in a heartbeat,” he said. “I’ve been training as Jon Jones for (teammate Daniel Cormier) for so many years and I know his style, and like what we have here. So I’m gonna go focus on what I’m doing here this summer and if everything works out, me and Jon will be dancing later this year or 2020.”

Before there’s any talk of a title fight versus Jones, though, Rockhold must first get Blachowicz, who he meets at the upcoming UFC 239 PPV on July 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the main event, Jones will defend his light heavyweight strap against top-three contender Thiago Santos.

UFC Fort Lauderdale: ‘Teixeira vs. Cutelaba’ Full Fight Preview

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight powerhouses Glover Teixeira and Ion Cutelaba will face off this Saturday (April 27, 2019) at UFC Fight Night 150 from BB&T Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Since 2016, Glover Te…

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight powerhouses Glover Teixeira and Ion Cutelaba will face off this Saturday (April 27, 2019) at UFC Fight Night 150 from BB&T Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Since 2016, Glover Teixeira has alternated wins-and-losses against a rather high level of competition. It’s safe to say the Brazilian knockout artist is no longer at the peak of his game — “Hands of Stone” turns 40 in October — but Teixeira remains a hard-nosed and rugged athlete, not to be underestimated. All the same, Cutelaba is unlikely to show him the least bit of respect. The 25-year-old “Hulk” is a bruiser himself, and he’s finished his last two fights via first-round knockout. After a tough start to his UFC career, Cutelaba will try to prove himself a contender by defeating the former title challenger.

Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:

Glover Teixeira

Record: 28-7
Key Wins: Ryan Bader (UFC 160), Rashad Evans (UFC on FOX 19), Ovince St. Preux (UFC Fight Night 73), Quinton Jackson (UFC on FOX 6), Misha Cirkunov (UFC on FOX 26)
Key Losses: Jon Jones (UFC 172), Alexander Gustafsson (UFC Fight Night 109), Anthony Johnson (UFC 202), Corey Anderson (UFC Fight Night 134)
Keys to Victory: Teixeira is a man who absolutely clubs opponents with his punches, knocking them silly with overhands and left hooks. More recently, Teixeira has been forced to rely more on his offensive wrestling and grappling, but the jiu-jitsu black belt has ferocious punching power on the mat as well.

Scoring a takedown seems real important here. I don’t know who the finer technical boxer is, but Cutelaba is more than a decade younger, plenty strong, and tough as nails himself. If the two trade in the pocket until one falls down, you’d have to favor the younger man.

Luckily, Teixeira seems to be aware that he doesn’t possess his former speed and durability. The Brazilian fights to win, which often means dropping down into a high-crotch takedown and running the pipe.

Cutelaba has shown a mix of takedown defense, sometimes stonewalling his foe’s shots but still being overwhelmed in his debut. Whether the first attempt works or not, Teixeira must stick to his chain wrestling and trust in the high-crotch to eventually off-balance “Hulk.” Once on top, it’s smooth sailing, as Teixeira’s top pressure is immense and his overall top game is deadly.


Ion Cutelaba

Record: 14-3 (1)
Key Wins: Henrique da Silva (UFC Fight Night 110), Gadzhimurad Antigulov (UFC 217), Jonathon Wilson (UFC Fight Night 96)
Key Losses: Misha Cirkunov (UFC Fight Night 89), Jared Cannonier (TUF 24 Finale)
Keys to Victory: Cutelaba does not play around inside the Octagon. He’s already finished 11 past foes via knockout, mostly in the first round. The Moldovan athlete is a serious physical force inside the Octagon, almost always overpowering and out-punching his foes in the early portions of the fight.

There’s no reason for Cutelaba to wait around here, either. Teixeira is a long-time veteran, tricky and tough. Extending the fight will give time for Teixeira to figure out his younger foe, to deliberate the best avenue to the takedown or identify some hole in his striking defense.

None of that benefits “The Hulk.”

Instead, Cutelaba’s best bet is to blow Teixeira out of the water immediately. Jump on the veteran from the first bell and put power punches on his chin. Force Teixeira to take bad shots and then follow up with haymakers on the break. If Cutelaba is to pass this test, he’s likely to do it violently and quickly.


Bottom Line: Teixeira is fulfilling his gatekeeper role opposite a dangerous prospect.

It’s hard to say precisely how much longer Teixeira is looking to fight, but there will be a place for him at 205 pounds for a long time. While it’s clear that Teixeira’s title hopes are in the past — which is a shame, because the Brazilian was arguably the best in the world while visa issues kept him from the Octagon — the division still desperately needs quality fighters to test up-and-comers.

Even with his athleticism failing, Teixeira’s punching power and ground skills are still formidable enough to massacre an unprepared foe.

Cutelaba faced some very tough competition at a pretty young age, making his pair of losses quite understandable. A couple more years of work in the gym and experience in the cage, however, see Cutelaba ready to give the Top 10 another attempt. Given his credentials and athleticism, it seems inevitable at some point for Cutelaba to make his way up the ranks, but this bout will reveal whether the time is now.

At UFC on ESPN 3, Glover Teixeira and Ion Cutelaba will go to war. Which Light Heavyweight will remain standing when the dust settles?

Sean O’Malley Reacts To USADA Suspension Expiring

Sean O’Malley, one of four UFC fighters USADA recently suspended for Ostarine, will be a free man soon. Free to return to the Octagon, that is. “Sugar” last competed in March of 2018 when he defeated Andre Soukhamthath via unanimous decision. He suffered a foot injury in the bout and then announced he had failed […]

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Sean O’Malley, one of four UFC fighters USADA recently suspended for Ostarine, will be a free man soon.

Free to return to the Octagon, that is. “Sugar” last competed in March of 2018 when he defeated Andre Soukhamthath via unanimous decision. He suffered a foot injury in the bout and then announced he had failed a drug test. O’Malley wanted to expedite the process and be up-front with his fans. USADA is now waiting to reveal fighters’ cases until they are resolved.

O’Malley will finally be returning soon, and he has a message for whoever his opponent may be.

That means that UFC 239 on July 6 during International Fight Week is likely the return date for “Sugar”

An opponent is yet to be named, but we should be hearing one soon after O’Malley was given the green light to fight. It’s been a trying year for the once-hyped rising star, so a return to the cage should re-ignite his fire.

The post Sean O’Malley Reacts To USADA Suspension Expiring appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Demetrious Johnson Assesses Henry Cejudo’s Job As UFC Champion

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson recently offered his assessment of how Henry Cejudo as champion. Although he currently fights for ONE Championship, Johnson will always be tied to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and for good reason. “Mighty Mouse” was the first-ever UFC flyweight champion. He defended that title an unheard of 11 times. […]

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Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson recently offered his assessment of how Henry Cejudo as champion.

Although he currently fights for ONE Championship, Johnson will always be tied to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and for good reason.

“Mighty Mouse” was the first-ever UFC flyweight champion. He defended that title an unheard of 11 times. He nearly made it 12 as well. However, Cejudo took home the split decision at UFC 227 last August.

Despite the loss, Johnson holds no ill will towards “The Messenger.” As a matter of fact, quite the opposite holds true.

“I think the division is doing great, [and] I think Henry Cejudo is doing a great job,” Johnson told Sherdog.com. “I think the division is in a great spot.”

Take Your Shot When You Can

While Cejudo is attempting to become a double champ at UFC 238 when he takes on Marlon Moraes for the vacated bantamweight title, the rest of the 125-pound fighters are stuck in a holding pattern as their champion creates a logjam.

Johnson doesn’t fault Cejudo for taking his shot. Considering the short amount of time a fighter has to make money, he says you have to take every opportunity you get.

“At the end of the day, the athlete’s got to make as much money as possible,” Johnson said. “I’ve been there before. I’ve been defending champion 11 consecutive times, but I still wasn’t getting the pay I wanted. Maybe if I had went up and fought at bantamweight — [and been] a dual-weight champion –maybe I would have had more say [in what he earned], so that’s probably what Henry Cejudo’s thinking.”

“You can’t tell an athlete what’s best for his career, because he knows,” he added. “He knows what he’s [getting paid] and he knows where his heart lies. It’s a very short amount of time he has in his career, and he wants to make the best of it.”

The post Demetrious Johnson Assesses Henry Cejudo’s Job As UFC Champion appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Say Hello To The ‘Bad Guy’

You wouldn’t think someone who carries with him a nickname of “Soldier of God” is a bad person. But if you ask Paulo Costa, that’s exactly what Yoel Romero is.
That’s because the hulking Middleweight took to the media to claim Costa was f…

You wouldn’t think someone who carries with him a nickname of “Soldier of God” is a bad person. But if you ask Paulo Costa, that’s exactly what Yoel Romero is.

That’s because the hulking Middleweight took to the media to claim Costa was forced out of their scheduled fight — which was set to go down this Sat. (April 27, 2019) in Ft. Lauderdale — due to issues with United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

A sentiment “The Eraser” obviously took offense to.

“It’s not true. Romero is a bad guy. He put this in the air,” Costa said on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show. “It’s not true. I never used steroids in my life. I never used anything to shift the game.”

Last week, Team Costa revealed the reason he was yanked from the event, claiming it was due to a concern from New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) with a medication he took for stomach issues last year.

Paulo doubled down on that claim.

“I feel bad in my stomach, a stomach ache,” Costa said. “My medication was normal. It was not to increase performance. But I cannot speak much about this. I need to wait for the New York commission to close the case.”

According to Costa, he isn’t suspended by any athletic commission or USADA and is eyeing a return to action as soon as possible. And while he will take on any and all comers, he still wants to put paws on “Soldier of God.”

”Yes, of course,” Costa said when asked if the fight is getting more and more personal by the minute. “If I fight against him, I will punch with more power to make him pay.”

Extra powerful punches from the hulking Brazilian isn’t a good time for anyone on the receiving end.

Costa hasn’t competed since dismantling Uriah Hall last July to earn his twelfth straight win (see it), fourth inside the Octagon. As for Romero, he was yanked from his replacement fight against Ronaldo Souza due to illness, which opened up the door for UFC to once again book him in a bout against “The Eraser” for the fourth time.

Where have I seen this before?