Former UFC middleweight Jason “Mayhem” Miller has been sentenced to one year in prison after his latest guilty plea. After a string of legal issues over the years, Miller pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony count of vandalism and a misdemeanor count of violating a protective stay-away order according to court records found by The […]
Former UFC middleweight Jason “Mayhem” Miller has been sentenced to one year in prison after his latest guilty plea.
After a string of legal issues over the years, Miller pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony count of vandalism and a misdemeanor count of violating a protective stay-away order according to court records found by The Orange County Register.
Miller was arrested in October last year after vandalizing his one-time girlfriend’s La Habra residence. In the process, he also violated a stay-away order. He has been in custody since, and will now serve one year behind bars.
The 37-year-old, who also used to compete for Strikeforce, last competed in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2016 when he was submitted by Mattia Schiavolin at Venator FC3.
He has only fought three times in total since 2011 and had lost his previous two fights in the UFC as well to Michael Bisping and C.B. Dolloway.
Hopefully, he gets his life back on track following this latest one-year sentence.
We’ve reached the point of fight week where dehydrated fighters gather to take off their shirts and give us all body image issues, by which I mean it’s weigh-in time for Welterweight champions Manny Pacq…
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
We’ve reached the point of fight week where dehydrated fighters gather to take off their shirts and give us all body image issues, by which I mean it’s weigh-in time for Welterweight champions Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman ahead of their championship clash this Saturday night (July 20, 2019), which will stream live online via FOX pay-per-view (PPV).
The first fighter is expected to hit the scales at 4 p.m. ET. Fight fans can catch the FOX broadcast here or just watch it stream in the embedded video player above.
The event could prove, well, eventful. That’s because Omar Figueroa, who fights Cuban standout Yordenis Ugas in the co-feature, has historically struggled with the scales, as has former Bantamweight champion and fellow main card competitor Luis Nery. Those of you who are fond of drama may want to tune in.
“PACQUIAO VS. THURMAN” WEIGH-IN RESULTS:
Welterweight Championship: Manny Pacquiao (146.5) vs. Keith Thurman (146.5) Welterweight: Yordenis Ugas (147) vs. Omar Figueroa (147) Bantamweight: Luis Nery (118.5)* vs. Juan Carlos Payano (117.5) Welterweight: Sergey Lipinets (147) vs. Jayar Inson (147)
*Nery has one hour to make weight.
To check out the latest and greatest boxing-related news and notes, be sure to hit up our comprehensive archive right here.
Kevin Lee thinks Ben Askren is ‘probably’ the easiest fight in the welterweight division. Kevin Lee has said that he thinks Ben Askren is ‘probably’ the easiest fight at 170-pounds, and he would also be open t…
Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Lee thinks Ben Askren is ‘probably’ the easiest fight in the welterweight division.
Kevin Lee has said that he thinks Ben Askren is ‘probably’ the easiest fight at 170-pounds, and he would also be open to a rematch with Michael Chiesa.
Lee (17-5) is riding consecutive losses for the first time in his MMA career. A unanimous decision loss to Al Iaquinta in December of last year saw Lee move up to welterweight for the first time in his UFC career, however his debut at 170-pounds was dampened by submission loss to Rafael Dos Anjos.
Talking to Submission Radio, Lee explained why he thinks Askren, who recently lost to Jorge Masvidal by knockout in just five seconds, is the easiest fight at welterweight.
“Ben is probably the easiest out of anybody,” Lee said, “He’s just too hittable and too one-dimensional. He had that little back and forth with me at the press conference talking about he took me down when I was 19 years old as if that meant something to anybody. He didn’t talk about the right hand I kept hitting him with right before that but that’s water under the bridge.” (Transcription via MMA Fighting)
“Like you said, he’s a big draw but he took a big hit with that one and he didn’t show that he can compete with a lot of the top guys, when you talk about five seconds,” Lee said. “Five seconds! I’m gonna keep it real with you, there’s gotta be something in it for me. There’s no way that I can outdo a flying knee five-second KO. Every time I go into a fight, I want to do better than the guy who did last so I don’t know. There’s not a whole lot there for me.”
Another fight Lee discussed was a rematch with Michael Chiesa. The pair first met back in June 2017, when Lee defeated Chiesa by first-round submission. Since then Chiesa has moved up to welterweight and won two straight fights, a submission win over Carlos Condit and more recently a decision win over Diego Sanchez.
“That’s definitely something that’s still on the table,” Lee said. “If he feels like he wants to run it back, I definitely love free money so I’m not gonna turn it down. He’s a good competitor, I’ll give him that, [but] they’ve tossed him a couple softballs. I haven’t fought a Diego Sanchez in my career yet. I don’t get them kind of softballs. I’m taking on former world champions. We’ll see how that whole thing plays out. There could still be some smoke there, and if there’s smoke, there might be some fire.”
Kevin Lee thinks Ben Askren is ‘probably’ the easiest fight in the welterweight division. Kevin Lee has said that he thinks Ben Askren is ‘probably’ the easiest fight at 170-pounds, and he would also be open t…
Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Lee thinks Ben Askren is ‘probably’ the easiest fight in the welterweight division.
Kevin Lee has said that he thinks Ben Askren is ‘probably’ the easiest fight at 170-pounds, and he would also be open to a rematch with Michael Chiesa.
Lee (17-5) is riding consecutive losses for the first time in his MMA career. A unanimous decision loss to Al Iaquinta in December of last year saw Lee move up to welterweight for the first time in his UFC career, however his debut at 170-pounds was dampened by submission loss to Rafael Dos Anjos.
Talking to Submission Radio, Lee explained why he thinks Askren, who recently lost to Jorge Masvidal by knockout in just five seconds, is the easiest fight at welterweight.
“Ben is probably the easiest out of anybody,” Lee said, “He’s just too hittable and too one-dimensional. He had that little back and forth with me at the press conference talking about he took me down when I was 19 years old as if that meant something to anybody. He didn’t talk about the right hand I kept hitting him with right before that but that’s water under the bridge.” (Transcription via MMA Fighting)
“Like you said, he’s a big draw but he took a big hit with that one and he didn’t show that he can compete with a lot of the top guys, when you talk about five seconds,” Lee said. “Five seconds! I’m gonna keep it real with you, there’s gotta be something in it for me. There’s no way that I can outdo a flying knee five-second KO. Every time I go into a fight, I want to do better than the guy who did last so I don’t know. There’s not a whole lot there for me.”
Another fight Lee discussed was a rematch with Michael Chiesa. The pair first met back in June 2017, when Lee defeated Chiesa by first-round submission. Since then Chiesa has moved up to welterweight and won two straight fights, a submission win over Carlos Condit and more recently a decision win over Diego Sanchez.
“That’s definitely something that’s still on the table,” Lee said. “If he feels like he wants to run it back, I definitely love free money so I’m not gonna turn it down. He’s a good competitor, I’ll give him that, [but] they’ve tossed him a couple softballs. I haven’t fought a Diego Sanchez in my career yet. I don’t get them kind of softballs. I’m taking on former world champions. We’ll see how that whole thing plays out. There could still be some smoke there, and if there’s smoke, there might be some fire.”
UFC welterweight Leon Edwards still plans on throwing down with Jorge Masvidal — but for now, he’s focused on his next fight. Edwards takes part in arguably the biggest fight of his career when he meets Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC San Antonio headliner this weekend. Many, however, expected him to face Masvidal by […]
UFC welterweight Leon Edwards still plans on throwing down with Jorge Masvidal — but for now, he’s focused on his next fight.
Edwards takes part in arguably the biggest fight of his career when he meets Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC San Antonio headliner this weekend. Many, however, expected him to face Masvidal by now, especially after their infamous backstage brawl back at UFC London.
“Rocky” — who is on a seven-fight winning streak — still holds a grudge towards Masvidal and claims his day will eventually come:
“Masvidal is a twat, and he did what he did, but his day will come,” Edwards told reporters. “We’ll prove to the world he’s this ‘gangster’ he thinks that he is. We’ll prove to the world he’s a ‘gangster.’”
With a potential win over dos Anjos, Edwards is hoping to either face Masvidal next or after he gets a title shot at Kamaru Usman and becomes champion. Regardless, UFC gold is the main priority for the Birmingham native:
“My aim is to be world champion,” Edwards explained. “I’m not chasing Masvidal. Like I said that fight will happen either next or after the title shot. But that fight will happen down the line.
“My aim right now, my focus is to beat RDA Saturday night and then get to Usman, the rematch with Usman. But the Masvidal fight will happen.”
Do you think Edwards vs. Masvidal will happen? Or do you think RDA will deliver a first loss in eight fights for the Briton and put a wrench in those plans?
Photo by Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight logjam receives a fresh batch of lumber in San Antonio this Saturday night (July 20, 2019) when former Lightweight champion Rafael…
Photo by Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight logjam receives a fresh batch of lumber in San Antonio this Saturday night (July 20, 2019) when former Lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos faces surging contender Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC on ESPN 4.
Greg Hardy’s controversial mixed martial arts (MMA) career continues earlier in the evening against massive “Contender Series” veteran Juan Adams, while two more Heavyweight bouts and a pair of divisionally relevant Lightweight tussles round out the main card
Our usual main card guy is off hunting the fabled Bullet That Can Kill The Past in order to right ancient wrongs, so you’ll have to settle for me once again. Y’all know the drill; “Prelims” here and here, odds here.
Off we go.
170 lbs.: Rafael Dos Anjos (29-11) vs. Leon “Rocky” Edwards (17-3)
Finally, finally, we get to see Rafael Dos Anjos against someone other than a powerhouse wrestler again. As much as I love “RDA,” I’ve spent enough time watching him defend takedowns against the fence for one lifetime.
The pivotal question here is how well Dos Anjos can corral a rangy Welterweight. Edwards is the faster of the two, moves extremely well, and generally gameplans to perfection; Dos Anjos’ success hinges entirely on his ability to cut off the cage and force Edwards into close-range exchanges that nullify the Brit’s height and reach advantages.
As fond as I am of Dos Anjos, Edwards’ monumental improvements in recent years have me leaning his way. He’s faced and handily defeated come-forward fighters before, albeit none with the scientific pressure of Dos Anjos, and he has the wrestling to keep it standing. He’s not going to sit on the fence like Robbie Lawler and let Dos Anjos tee off on him, and he’s shown the gas tank to execute a clever, efficient game plan for 25 minutes. Edwards uses his length and movement to frustrate the former Lightweight champ’s relentless advance.
Prediction: Edwards by unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Aleksei “The Boa Constrictor” Oleinik (57-12-1) vs. Walt “The Big Ticket” Harris (12-7)
This fight can really only end in one of two ways: either Oleinik chokes Harris out or Harris knocks Oleinik into next week. If it hits the ground, Oleinik wins. If it stays on the feet, Harris wins.
Sometimes, it really is that simple.
Harris’ speed and striking technique eclipse Oleinik’s by a hilarious margin. If he fights smart, he has the strength and takedown defense to force Oleinik into the plodding, slugging style that failed him against Alistair Overeem. That’s a massive “if,” though; Harris threw away a fight he was dominating by illegally kicking Mark Godbeer in the head and nearly sleepwalked his way to a loss against Andrei Arlovski.
After seeing how ineffective Oleinik was against superior physical specimens in Overeem and Curtis Blaydes, though, I have to favor Harris. He shrugs off some early takedowns to spark Oleinik as soon as the latter starts trading.
Prediction: Harris by first-round knockout
265 lbs.: Greg Hardy (4-1) vs. Juan “The Kraken” Adams (5-1)
Nobody can deny that Greg Hardy packs a hell of a wallop, and his fight with Dmitry Smolyakov shows what happens when people are scared of him. When they aren’t, well, things don’t work out so well. Hardy failed to dent Allen Crowder, who recently suffered the second-fastest knockout loss in UFC Heavyweight history, and has little in the way of setups for his power shots.
That’s not to say this isn’t winnable for him; Adams tends to push his punches and will have an uncharacteristically small half-inch reach advantage, meaning he’ll struggle to keep Hardy off of him in the early going. “The Kraken’s” huge wrestling edge more than makes up for that, though, and his cardio is significantly more proven than Hardy’s.
This is a tossup for the first three minutes, after which Adams’ ground game and gas tank will take over. I say Adams is durable enough to survive the early artillery and ultimately polish his man off with ground-and-pound.
Prediction: Adams by second-round TKO
155 lbs.: James “The Texecutioner” Vick (13-3) vs. Dan “The Hangman” Hooker (17-8)
Man, these guys’ runs lost momentum with all the finality of Wile E. Coyote sprinting headlong into a painted-on train tunnel. Vick was 9-1 in the UFC when Justin Gaethje pasted him in 87 seconds, after which Paul Felder comprehensively took him apart last February. Hooker was 4-0 as a Lightweight with four dominant finishes, then took a beating from Edson Barboza that was genuinely difficult to watch.
They’re still good fighters; they just happen to be in a frankly ludicrous division.
I’ve made my disdain for Vick clear, but I favor him in this one. Hooker is at his best when opponents consistently come forward and swing for his head, allowing the Kiwi’s punching power and insane chin to dictate the outcome. When Barboza took a measured approach and started pummeling him from the neck down, Hooker couldn’t get his pressure going despite Barboza’s historical issues with fighting off the back foot. The 6’3” Vick is generally happy to potshot at range and I’m not sure Hooker has the tools to make him stop.
This fight’s entertainment factor will depend entirely on who controls the pace, and unfortunately for the viewers, that’s Vick. He uses his freakish size to pick the ever-advancing Hooker off for 15 tedious minutes.
Prediction: Vick by unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Alexander “The Great” Hernandez (10-2) vs. Francisco “Massaranduba” Trinaldo (23-6)
Fights between two guys who only move forward generally wind up being either wild firefights or frustrating, clinch-heavy affairs. Which one this is will determine the winner.
At range, Trinaldo’s vicious left hand and thudding knees give him the edge. In close, Hernandez’s constant takedown onslaught looks to be a problem for the hulking “Massaranduba,” who sometimes has to pace himself to stay effective for 15 minutes. The question, then, is whether Trinaldo’s prodigious strength, wrestling chops, and ability to do damage in close are enough to deter Hernandez and force the fight into a favorable speed.
He’s got the tools, but 40 years old, I’m not sure Trinaldo can keep up.
Though it’s closer than the oddsmakers have it, I do think Hernandez takes it through sheer activity. He puts the pace on Trinaldo, constantly fighting for takedowns and dominant clinch positions to secure the win.
Prediction: Hernandez by unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (27-18) vs. “Big” Ben Rothwell (36-11)
These two first fought 11 years ago, very nearly to the day. In a sport like this, that first bout is practically ancient history; when Arlovski put an unholy beating on “Big Ben”, Fedor was the baddest man on the planet, Randy Couture and Minotauro Nogueira each had a piece of the UFC Heavyweight title, the WEC was still in full swing, and Forrest Griffin was a world champion.
This isn’t a fight, this is a time capsule.
Arlovski’s unquestionably experienced the greater decline; he had a brief resurgence that saw him flatline “Bigfoot” Silva and Travis Browne, but he’s 2-8 (1 NC) since a split decision over Frank Mir. He’s admittedly been competitive in his recent fights, though, making up for his lost athleticism by turning his bouts into slow-paced sparring matches.
That’s the concern for Rothwell. Despite being functionally indestructible and packing serious power in his hands, he can be strangely reticent to let his hands go, and we’ve seen big punchers like Junior Albini, Tai Tuivasa, and Augusto Sakai go into cruise control against “The Pitbull.”
Still, it’s hard to pick Arlovski now that the once-absurd speed disparity has narrowed, especially since Arlovski’s recent willingness to wrestle puts him in danger of Rothwell’s “Gogo Choke.” Rothwell clips him late in the first.
