UFC President Dana White has confirmed the organisation never came close to re-signing WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
The South Dakota native revealed his decision to carry on professional wrestling during an interview with ESPN Sportscenter’s Michel…
UFC President Dana White has confirmed the organisation never came close to re-signing WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
The South Dakota native revealed his decision to carry on professional wrestling during an interview with ESPN Sportscenter’s Michelle Beadle, reported by WWE at the end of March. Although Lesnar admitted this was “a very hard decision,” per MMA Fighting, White has revealed it rarely looked as if he would step into the octagon again.
The UFC chief responded to questioning over how close Lesnar‘s return came on Thursday, during a chat with radio host Chad Dukes on 106.7 The Fan:
Not very close at all. We’d known that Brock was probably going to take a pass and go back to wrestling, which was the right move. You know, Brock came in here, he did incredible things and he got a great deal from Vince (McMahon). He’s 38 years old, man. It makes all the sense in the world.
Lesnar‘s MMA career was eventful, yet short-lived in comparison to many who spend their lives working toward the professional fight game. He began with a K1 victory over Min Soo Kim in 2007, joining the UFC a year later with a submission loss to Frank Mir.
Victory against Heath Herring landed Lesnar a heavyweight title shot against the legendary Randy Couture, who he stopped inside two rounds. He then defended the belt against Mir, before suffering an extremely serious bout of diverticulitis.
Lesnar returned to defeat Shane Carwin, but then left the UFC after losing to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. His last UFC bout came in 2011.
Since then, Lesnar‘s return to WWE has seen him once again become one of the wrestling world’s biggest stars, highlighted by him winning the heavyweight championship, and more impressively, ending The Undertaker’s iconic 21-0 unbeaten streak at Wrestlemania.
It’s hard to argue with White’s assertion that Lesnar made the correct decision to stay away from MMA. He rarely looked as sharp after returning from his illness, and although travelling with the WWE is perhaps a more intense experience on a day-to-day basis, the scripted action can be tailored to his needs if he faces a future problem.
“I talked to Dana, I talked to Lorenzo [Fertitta], Vince, my wife, my friends,” said Lesnar, per ESPN (h/t MMA Fighting). “I had many sleepless nights. And at the end of the day, I was born to be an entertainer and I have fun doing it.”
This is undoubtedly the most important factor in his decision. There was little point setting out on the journey to UFC dominance once more, particularly with age and recent form against him.
The UFC heavyweight roster has only improved since Lesnar‘s exit, so it’s unlikely he’d receive a title shot inside three matches again.
UFC President Dana White has confirmed the organisation never came close to re-signing WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
The South Dakota native revealed his decision to carry on professional wrestling during an interview with ESPN Sportscenter’s Michel…
UFC President Dana White has confirmed the organisation never came close to re-signing WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
The South Dakota native revealed his decision to carry on professional wrestling during an interview with ESPN Sportscenter’s Michelle Beadle, reported by WWE at the end of March. Although Lesnar admitted this was “a very hard decision,” per MMA Fighting, White has revealed it rarely looked as if he would step into the octagon again.
The UFC chief responded to questioning over how close Lesnar‘s return came on Thursday, during a chat with radio host Chad Dukes on 106.7 The Fan:
Not very close at all. We’d known that Brock was probably going to take a pass and go back to wrestling, which was the right move. You know, Brock came in here, he did incredible things and he got a great deal from Vince (McMahon). He’s 38 years old, man. It makes all the sense in the world.
Lesnar‘s MMA career was eventful, yet short-lived in comparison to many who spend their lives working toward the professional fight game. He began with a K1 victory over Min Soo Kim in 2007, joining the UFC a year later with a submission loss to Frank Mir.
Victory against Heath Herring landed Lesnar a heavyweight title shot against the legendary Randy Couture, who he stopped inside two rounds. He then defended the belt against Mir, before suffering an extremely serious bout of diverticulitis.
Lesnar returned to defeat Shane Carwin, but then left the UFC after losing to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. His last UFC bout came in 2011.
Since then, Lesnar‘s return to WWE has seen him once again become one of the wrestling world’s biggest stars, highlighted by him winning the heavyweight championship, and more impressively, ending The Undertaker’s iconic 21-0 unbeaten streak at Wrestlemania.
It’s hard to argue with White’s assertion that Lesnar made the correct decision to stay away from MMA. He rarely looked as sharp after returning from his illness, and although travelling with the WWE is perhaps a more intense experience on a day-to-day basis, the scripted action can be tailored to his needs if he faces a future problem.
“I talked to Dana, I talked to Lorenzo [Fertitta], Vince, my wife, my friends,” said Lesnar, per ESPN (h/t MMA Fighting). “I had many sleepless nights. And at the end of the day, I was born to be an entertainer and I have fun doing it.”
This is undoubtedly the most important factor in his decision. There was little point setting out on the journey to UFC dominance once more, particularly with age and recent form against him.
The UFC heavyweight roster has only improved since Lesnar‘s exit, so it’s unlikely he’d receive a title shot inside three matches again.
Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, has orchestrated a huge change in the MMA landscape. In four years, ONE claims to have captured over 90 percent of the market share, making it Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization, as stated on its we…
Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, has orchestrated a huge change in the MMA landscape. In four years, ONE claims to have captured over 90 percent of the market share, making it Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization, as stated on its website.
ONE will bring MMA back to the Philippines on April 24 for ONE: “Valor of Champions.” The headlining bout will be Ben Askren defending his welterweight crown against Luis Santos, who is has 61 victories under his belt.
Cui spoke to Bleacher Report about how ONE has become a huge success in Asia, how it differentiates from the UFC and briefly…Manny Pacquiao.
Bleacher Report: ONE has a deal with Fox Sports, which also has a deal with the UFC. However, ONE hasn’t been promoted on Fox Sports in America. How do you plan on getting ONE onto the TV screens in homes and bars in America? Do you see ONE as having surpassed Bellator? If so, why do you feel that way? If not, what do you think needs to be done to get to that point?
Victor Cui: Like every business industry you see a natural duopoly emerge—Samsung versus Apple, Twitter versus SinaWeibo. I saw this natural duopoly, where a Western concept gets taken into Asia, brought by an Asian businessman, adapted for Asian tastes and becomes, in some cases, a bigger business than the original. Now, it’s the battle of ONE versus UFC, the emergence of two global superpowers in the world of MMA. ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in history to be based in Asia, and we are changing the way the world views sports content.
B/R: What other plans do you have, if any, to break into the American market? Do you have any plans on having events on American soil?
VC: ONE Championship has created a unique product that organizations all over the world want to partner with. We have received many offers from broadcasters, partners all over the world, including from the United States. Right now, our focus is to grow the potential multi-billion dollar market in Asia. Asia is home to more than half of the global population, and market penetration in Asia alone will be able to make us the largest sports media property in the world.
B/R: How do you plan on recruiting the top fighters in the world away from the UFC to ONE? Or why should these top fighters come fight for ONE instead of the American MMA organizations, especially the UFC?
VC: ONE Championship is home to some of the best mixed martial artists in the world. Ben Askren, ShinyaAoki and BibianoFernandes, JadambaNarantungalag. These mixed martial artists are among the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artists in the world. They realize what ONE Championship brings. They get to compete under the global ruleset in front of 20,000 fans in Asia. The growth is explosive, and these world champions want to be a part of something special.
B/R: Can you go more into the “global ruleset” that ONE uses to differentiate itself from the UFC?
VC: The ruleset is another reflection of the philosophy of ONE. It’s a blend of the very best from the West, and the very best from the East. We didn’t simply take Western rules and drop it into Asia and say, “OK here, take this.” The global ruleset was adopted from the best elements of each era and region. It makes fights faster paced and more exciting, where mixed martial artists aren’t allowed to hide behind rules. This really captures back what the essence of mixed martial arts is all about, which is putting together the best martial artists against each other.
B/R: Where do you think the UFC has fallen short (in general…marketing, attracting fighters, communications, etc.) and how does ONE plan on being the main alternative to the UFC?
VC: Major sports organizations like NFL, MLB, NHL and many more have struggled to bring their sport to Asia. Asian fans are very selective with what they enjoy and taking what works in the West and directly importing it to Asia will not lead to long-term success. ONE Championship is based in Asia, features Asian heroes, and we know what appeals to each individual market. We combine that unique spin on world-class entertainment that is similar to the excitement and extravagance of a rock concert. That’s what helped us to fill 20,000 seat arenas across the continent and spur the exponential growth across Asia.
B/R: What are your thoughts on the UFC’s deal with Reebok and forcing all fighters to wear Reebok gear, instead of individual sponsors?
VC: Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world, and you are seeing that major organizations from all over the world want to be a part of the growth. ONE Championship provides incredible value in reaching the target demographic and has attracted blue chip organizations like Canon, Facebook and Kawasaki as partners. ONE is also the first Asian sports property to form a partnership with social media giants Facebook.
B/R: Can you go into the details of Manny Pacquiao’s stake in ONE? And how do you think Manny Pacquiao will help grow MMA in Asia, despite him making his name in boxing? Will he become more involved after his showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
VC: Manny Pacquiao’s deal with ONE Championship signifies ONE’s standing as the largest sports media property in Asia. ONE Championship continues to transcend sports, and you can see that with the sports superstars that show up at all the ONE Championship events across Asia.
B/R: What are your goals for the rest of 2015?
2015 is set to be the busiest year in the history of ONE Championship. We have 24 events lined up in major cities all across Asia. ONE Championship will be in the Middle East, in East Asia and in Southeast Asia this year, taking world-class mixed martial arts actions to more countries than ever before. ONE Championship will continue on its path of exponential growth in 2015 and beyond.
All quotes obtained firsthand, via interview, unless otherwise noted.
I can’t talk about me getting frustrated. I really don’t care if people are like, ‘He sucks. I’m not buying that card.’ I’m like, ‘Good for you. Go watch something else.’ That’s totally fine.
[…]
Now, if people don’t want to tune in, that’s their f—–g bad. But they’re going to miss a kick-ass fight between me and KyojiHoriguchi.
A Johnson-headlined card has suffered some of the lowest buy rates in UFC history. According to MMAPayout.com, his last two pay-per-view cards (174 and 178) brought in 115,000 and 205,000 buys, respectively.
UFC 186 was shaping up to be a good card with a TJ Dillashaw-Renan Barao rematch for the bantamweight title and the return of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. However, due to injuries and legal issues, many fans are left wondering whether the $60 will be worth it. There have even been questions about whether the card should be cancelled, as Bleacher Report’s own Jeremy Botter and Jonathan Snowden discussed.
It is unfortunate that Johnson hasn’t caught on with MMA fans. He has the typical fighter story of a rough upbringing, and he defied all odds to be where he is now.
B/R’s JordyMcElroy makes a great point about how, unlike in other sports, those in combat sports are responsible for their own marketing efforts. McElroy also points out that while MMA purists are into the technical aspect of the sport, less hardcore fans are interested in the name value.
This may upset the hardcore fans of the sport, but our society is drawn to drama, as noted by our interest in reality TV. That’s what draws people to fighters who could be perceived as heels, such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. or ConorMcGregor.
Johnson doesn’t have that “bad guy” persona. In fact, fighters such as Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall called him a “nerd.”
Maybe all the smack talking by all the haters will bring out that fire in “Mighty Mouse.” He could create a spectacle by firing back at his doubters, but that doesn’t seem to be in his nature.
Johnson is an exciting fighter to watch, and combined with his persona, he could be the Manny Pacquiao of MMA. In order to achieve that, he will have to destroy fighters who have a higher marketing value. However, in the flyweight division, there is no one who could be his Mayweather.
Patrick Cummins still only has eight career fights, four of them coming in the UFC. He’s still most known for a first-round knockout loss at the hands of Daniel Cormier in his short-notice UFC debut last year.
Yet, Cummins will go into Satur…
Patrick Cummins still only has eight career fights, four of them coming in the UFC. He’s still most known for a first-round knockout loss at the hands of Daniel Cormier in his short-notice UFC debut last year.
Yet, Cummins will go into Saturday’s fight against Ovince Saint Preux, the eighth-ranked contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, as the favorite, according to sports books. “Durkin” won’t argue with that assessment.
“He’s gonna present a different puzzle, obviously,” Cummins told MMAFighting.com. “I think this is gonna be a great matchup for me. As soon as the name came up, I thought this is a matchup I want. This favors me, for sure. But there’s obvious things that could pose a problem.”
The two will meet in an important 205-pound showdown on the FOX Sports 1 prelims portion of UFC on FOX 15 in Newark. Saint Preux is not to be taken lightly. In his last bout, he knocked out Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the first round. The ever-improving OSP has won seven of his last fight fights and his only recent losses in the last six years have come against elite fighters like Gegard Mousasi and Ryan Bader.
Bader, though, laid out a solid game plan for beating the athletic, unorthodox Saint Preux: pressure wrestling. That just so happens to be Cummins’ biggest strength.
“I want to keep that pressure high,” Cummins said. “I think his conditioning is a question mark.
“I want to strike with him. I want to be in that clinch position. But I also think, yeah if I can pick him up and throw him on his head, that’s going to help me a bunch.”
Cummins (7-1) has won three straight in the UFC since that ill-fated debut against Cormier at UFC 170 in February 2014. The 34-year-old got a call a week out of the fight from UFC president Dana White and got fired from his job at an Orange County, Calif., coffee shop for taking it during work hours. Cummins filled in for the injured Rashad Evans on just a few days notice.
Cormier finished Cummins in just 1:19, but it’s a little more than a year later and Cummins is one of the hottest light heavyweights in the world. He has dominated en route to wins over Roger Narvaez, Kyle Kingsbury and Antonio Carlos Junior. OSP will be his toughest test since Cormier and Cummins isn’t trying to rush anything.
“I just want to keep chipping away,” Cummins said. “I like to say I keep climbing the ladder with every fight. I feel like, OK, I passed this test, give me something a little tougher. I’ll keep chipping away until I earn the respect I feel like I should be given.”
Cummins, a former two-time wrestling All-American at Penn State, thinks with two or three more fights he’ll be in contention. He’s very much still a work in progress, especially with his striking. Cummins can wrestle with any MMA fighter in the world, but his stand-up is still improving. In the last few months, Cummins said he has felt himself get more comfortable and things are beginning to click.
As dominant as he was last December in a unanimous decision against Carlos Junior, Cummins was not completely satisfied with the performance.
“I wasn’t too pleased with it,” Cummins said. “My manager pulled me aside and was like, ‘Hey you did a lot of great things. I think you’re probably fighting at about 50 percent of your potential.’ I know there’s a lot of room to improve. I felt it and he felt it.”
The Saint Preux fight will be his chance for a coming-out party. Cummins and UFC fans kind of got off on the wrong foot. But the former barista has a major chance for retribution in 2015 and it starts in Newark.
“I don’t feel like I’m behind the curve because I don’t have that many fights,” Cummins said. “But at the same time, I feel like there’s plenty of room for me to improve. I think that’s a scary thing for a lot of people. They see a guy that doesn’t have that many fights and all of a sudden he’s jumping up, taking a top-10 guy out. Many people might say, ‘Oh, he’s not even comfortable in this situation yet.’ I want to look at it like a positive thing. Keep marching on.”
UFC featherweight challenger Conor McGregor believes he “would kill” Floyd Mayweather Jr. inside 30 seconds if the two ever came face-to-face.
The Irishman suggests any fighter who excels in one area isn’t a specialist but should be considered “a …
UFC featherweight challenger ConorMcGregor believes he “would kill” Floyd Mayweather Jr. inside 30 seconds if the two ever came face-to-face.
The Irishman suggests any fighter who excels in one area isn’t a specialist but should be considered “a rookie in ten other areas,” reported during his chat with Chris Jones of Esquire. As such, he believes Pretty Boy would stand no chance in the Octagon:
If you can box, what happens if I grab hold of your legs? If you put me face-to-face with Floyd Mayweather—pound-for-pound boxing’s best—if I fought Floyd, I would kill him in less than thirty seconds. It would take me less than thirty seconds to wrap around him like a boa constrictor and strangle him.
McGregor has finished just three of his 19 professional fights by submission, the last of which came via rear-naked choke in his 2012 Cage Warriors bout with Dave Hill.
The 26-year-old believes this is the “most dominant submission,” a manoeuvre which leaves his foe with no other option but to tap or welcome the darkness: “You can do nothing to me, but I can do whatever the f–k I want to you,” said McGregor, per Jones. “I have complete control.”
McGregor recently tweeted an image of his new tattoo, perhaps an ominous sign for his future opponents:
While McGregor would undoubtedly enjoy the advantage against Mayweather in an MMA fight, the opposite would be true if the pair stepped into a boxing ring. McGregor throws bombs in his slick stand-up style, but even he would struggle to argue he’d have any joy in a straight boxing contest against Mayweather.
McGregor is always striving to improve and to fulfill his potential. His UFC 189 title shot against Jose Aldo is the first opportunity for Notorious to announce himself as the world’s best. Aldo hasn’t lost a professional battle since his 2005 defeat to Luciano Azevedo at Jungle Fight 5, so he poses a major threat to McGregor‘s self-confidence and ego.
Yet the Dublin native rarely appears worried. He believes every event allows him to evolve, including death, per Jones:
Even in death, they say your vision, you can see everything. It’s almost like you’re evolving to the next stage. It’s like a different plane of existence, just another form of movement, now we’re moving through the fucking universe or I don’t know what the f–k. Think of what’s out there.
New avenues are opening up all the time for McGregor. While he’ll (most likely) never step into action against Mayweather, his comments underline the unshakeable self-belief which has seen him rise to the top. Does he believe he can kill arguably the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter? Of course he does, and all within the time it takes to lace up his boots.
This fearless attitude has proven unstoppable so far. Aldo is a different class to the fighters McGregor has faced before, though, and is someone who won’t be overruled by the intricacies of his style.
Their July 11 Vegas showdown comes two months after Mayweather takes on Manny Pacquiao, so it would be an interesting subplot to see Money sitting alongside the action just for McGregor‘s reaction alone.
UFC President Dana White has confirmed the organisation never came close to re-signing WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.