Wayne Barrett was born in Jamaica and emigrated with his family to a tough area of Brooklyn when he was a kid. There, and even after he moved to Queens, he was picked on because of his accent.
Barrett ended up getting into a lot of fights gr…
Wayne Barrett was born in Jamaica and emigrated with his family to a tough area of Brooklyn when he was a kid. There, and even after he moved to Queens, he was picked on because of his accent.
Barrett ended up getting into a lot of fights growing up, so he enrolled in karate. He’s still getting into fights all the time now, except he gets paid for them. Barrett is one of GLORY kickboxing’s biggest American stars.
“I want to inspire the little folks, the person that people pick on,” he said. “That’s what I was. I was picked on for speaking different. A lot of people told me what I couldn’t do — ‘Oh Banana Boat guy, you’re not going to do nothing.’ When I get in there and I fight, it’s also for that person.”
Barrett has a story; he has a purpose. He also has plenty of flair in his fighting style. It’s for all of those reasons that the 29-year-old thinks he can evolve into one of GLORY’s biggest stars.
There’s little doubting the strength of GLORY’s product as the premiere kickboxing promotion out there right now. But Barrett feels like there’s something missing and that’s why it hasn’t caught on yet completely in the United States.
“I think where GLORY is going to make it the biggest is with more American fighters,” he said. “The European guys are really great guys, they’re really tough guys, but they come out in the middle of the ring and they just stand there and they’re just kick and punch, kick and punch. You have to captivate the American public. You have to give them some form of skill, some form of wow factor.”
Barrett (5-2) plans on bringing a little bit of that Friday when he competes in a middleweight contender tournament at GLORY 20 in Dubai. His first opponent will be highly regarded Simon Marcus and if Barrett wins he has a chance to avenge a decision loss to Jason Wilnis, who meets Alex Pereira in the other semifinal.
GLORY 20 airs on Spike TV in the U.S. on tape delay at 10 p.m. ET. The tournament winner will meet middleweight champion Artem Levin at GLORY 21 on May 8 in San Diego.
“Before America can respect that stand-in- the-middle-and-exchange [style], they need a star, they need someone that wants to be different,” Barrett said. “That’s really what I want to be. I want to be one of those factors that GLORY has.”
Barrett certainly has the potential. He already owns a decision win (and split decision loss) over Joe Schilling in his short pro career. Barrett is coming off a decision loss to Wilnis at GLORY 18 last November, but he was not 100 percent and regrets now even taking the fight.
GLORY 20 has a chance to be his coming out party. Barrett is the only American in the draw. Marcus is Canadian, Wilnis is from the Netherlands and Pereira is a Brazilian. A standout performance will really up his profile for the organization still trying to gain some footing in the states.
“I literally just go out to look different and be different,” Barrett said. “I want people to be like, ‘What did he just do?’ I want guys to see me do a move and go back to their gym and say, ‘Man, I’m gonna do this move that I saw Wayne Barrett do.’ I know what it takes to be a star. This is not something that I dreamt up yesterday. As a child, I always knew I wanted to be this person. I always knew I wanted to be a trendsetter.”
Barrett’s story growing is similar to the ones told by UFC star Georges St-Pierre. And it’s almost the mirror image of Barrett’s close friend Uriah Hall, a UFC fighter who was born in Jamaica and also moved to New York City as a boy. Being bullied played a gigantic part in each of the aforementioned becoming the men they are today.
“People always pick on you, people always want to fight,” Barrett said. “My mom was always so scared, she was always so terrified.”
Barret faced his fears and emulated the martial artists he watched religiously in movies by joining karate. Now, he’s a prizefighter competing in the Middle East looking to come back home to Queens with a title shot en tow.
Barrett doesn’t just want to win, either. He wants to make sure you tune in.
“I’m gonna do my part to get it going,” Barrett said. “It is a different market. People in Europe love that warrior, don’t say much and go out and fight. Here in America, they want to know who you are. Who am I rooting for? Why am I rooting for you? What’s your story? What’s the story behind this guy? And that’s just what it is.”
The UFC 189 World Tour is over. Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor are free to return to training for their featherweight title fight on July 11 in Las Vegas. But we are going to recap the greatest promotional tour in UFC history below — the highs, the lows, the staredown, the trash talk and everything in between — step by step.
The tour took more than a week and spanned five countries and eight cities. It included Aldo and McGregor, but also Robbie Lawler, Rory MacDonald and UFC president Dana White for part of the way. The amount of media coverage the organization got in each city was incredible and the 10-part, documentary-like Embedded series was one of the best pieces of marketing the UFC has ever created.
Here’s a deeper look at the UFC 189 World Tour starting from the beginning:
RIO DE JANEIRO
What a way to start things off. McGregor took over an Irish pub here and then proclaimed that he owned Jose Aldo’s hometown. The first stop on the tour featured a press conference with fan questions — and also the announcement of a future UFC main event. Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia appeared to hype their UFC 190 fight for the women’s bantamweight title Aug. 1 in Rio.
The Brazilian crowd was, as expected, incredibly intense. They wanted to rip McGregor’s head off — and he seemed to love every minute of it. It was clear from the crowd response, too, that Aldo has never been more popular in his home country as he is right now. Aldo, in his Scarface-style suit, winding up and flipping McGregor the bird was also a classic moment on the tour.
Best moment
McGregor got the tour started the way only he can, holding court for media in an Irish pub in Rio de Janeiro. There, he whipped the crowd into a frenzy and played darts — with a picture of Aldo adorning the board. It was the perfect kickoff for a whirlwind couple of weeks.
Best quotes
“My name, the McGregor name, my family’s motto … means royal is in my blood. That goes way back. So for [Aldo] to say he is the king and I am the joker, if this was a different time, I would invade his favela on horseback and kill anyone that was not fit to work. But we are in a new time. So I’ll whoop his ass in July.”
-Conor McGregor
“I don’t just want to defeat her. I want her to leave that arena embarrassed.”
-Ronda Rousey on Bethe Correia
“I think everyone knows that if anyone is gonna beat Ronda, it’s going to be me.”
A photo posted by ufc (@ufc) on Mar 21, 2015 at 9:36am PDT
LAS VEGAS
In 14 weeks, the Aldo-McGregor title fight will take place in Las Vegas, so of course the Fight Capital of the World was part of the tour. Vegas, maybe for the first time ever, was a little subdued for champion and challenger. There were no angry mobs to deal with, just the media during a press conference. No fans were allowed in.
What Aldo and McGregor did get was some R&R in gorgeous suites at Red Rock. McGregor made himself at home — mostly because Vegas has become his home away from Dublin. He announced on this tour stop that he’ll flying his team in and doing the final eight weeks of his training camp in Las Vegas. It’s easy to see why with the hospitality he receives at the Fertitta-owned property.
Best moment
While McGregor was eating fancy meals and living the good life at Red Rock, Aldo was getting his game on with coach Alex Chadud. There was a ping-pong table and billiards table in their suite and all Aldo wanted to do was play. You got a great glimpse into the kind of competitor he is — he always wants to win. And Aldo made a point in saying that he never loses when the camera is on him.
Best quotes
“I was never upset (with anything McGregor said). I just laughed at it. It’s tough to get me pissed off. My mind is my strongest weapon. It’s hard to get into my mind. I don’t worry about it. Face-offs mean nothing. I’m in his head and he knows what’s coming.”
-Jose Aldo
“Whoever said it’s tough at the top is talking absolute sh*t.”
A photo posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Mar 23, 2015 at 7:20pm PDT
LOS ANGELES
The UFC spared no expense in LA, putting Aldo and McGregor up in the lush Intercontinental Hotel Century City at Beverly Hills. Once again, this stop was a tad subdued. No fans were allowed into media appearances; Aldo and McGregor just greeted press at a lunch inside the hotel.
However, things did get a little crazy when the two men went to the nearby FOX lot. McGregor took Aldo’s belt and the two had a very heated exchange on FOX Sports Live with host Mike Hill in between them. Aldo had a hard time keeping up with a translator and McGregor said he was Aldo’s daddy, to come sit on his lap. Brutal.
Best moment
McGregor and Aldo were both waiting for their appearance on FOX Sports 1, on opposite sides of a door with a glass window. McGregor took Aldo’s belt from a staffer and put it over his shoulder. Of course, the Irishman walked over the door, knocked on the window and taunted Aldo. The champion was not deterred. He didn’t seem to be very impressed by the display. That was a recurring theme of the tour.
Best quotes
“Tell him I said I am his daddy. … Sit on my lap.”
-Conor McGregor to Jose Aldo and his translator on FOX Sports Live
“It seems to me like maybe it’s Brazilian culture. The women are on it. The men are on it. I don’t know what to think. So I don’t really have to think. It’s in Vegas. We are in a new age. The sport is being cleaned. The athletes who are dedicated to martial arts and dedicated to health and fitness and purity, they are the athletes who are being rewarded now. I am happy to be part of the new age.”
-McGregor on performance-enhancing drugs
“I will always complain. This is the right that I have. I always want more. I will always want to earn more. This is the right that I have, so I’m going to continue doing this.”
-Aldo on his pay
“I’m on the fence. I’m leaning towards he’s not coming back, these days. He’s rich and he really doesn’t have to do anything anymore if he doesn’t want to. He’s doing movies.”
-Dana White on Georges St-Pierre, from the FOX Sports The Jay and Dan Podcast
A photo posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Mar 24, 2015 at 8:33pm PDT
BOSTON
The private jets then took Aldo and McGregor to a place the challenger knows very well. He won his last fight in Boston by TKO against Dennis Siver in January. Boston is the home of one of the largest Irish American populations in the United States and of course they came out in full force to the Strand Theatre to support McGregor.
It was at this point in the tour that McGregor was clearly getting on Aldo’s last nerve. And the staredown after the press conference was one of the best of the two weeks.
Best moment
It’ll be hard to get the image of Aldo, eyes wide, head out, almost begging McGregor to take a swipe at him during their staredown in Boston. UFC president Dana White had to get in between the two men at that point. Then, McGregor feinted like he was going to throw a left hook and Aldo flinched a bit. That only seemed to make the champion angrier.
Best quotes
“It’s no bueno if they end up throwing down at the press conference.”
-White
“If someone takes a possession of yours and waves it in your face and tells you to come and get it, and you sit there and you do nothing that’s the biggest sign of fear I’ve ever seen. If he took this can of Monster Energy from his table and said, ‘come and get it,’ I’d drill it through his head.”
-McGregor
“When he is alone with no one around, he keeps thinking about me and it gives him diarrhea.”
-Aldo
“I looked into his eyes and saw how scared he was. He was sh*tting in his pants.”
A photo posted by ufc (@ufc) on Mar 25, 2015 at 12:41pm PDT
NEW YORK
The Big Apple was quite the host for the UFC 189 World Tour. Perhaps fired up over the potential of MMA being legalized in the state, the fans were loud and rowdy — and very pro-McGregor. So much so that both Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler, who joined the tour at this point, thought they were very disrespectful toward Aldo. Well, that’s New Yorkers for you.
Best moment
Being in New York doesn’t just mean a press conference with wild fans. It also means mainstream media and other obligations. McGregor did a photo shoot in a bank vault just teeming with money here and he looked like he fight right in. Ask “The Notorious” and he’ll probably say this is one of the coolest things he did on the tour. The visual of McGregor sitting on a pile of money — a takeoff on an old Muhammad Ali photo — and tossing some of it in the air is the perfect symbol of what he has done for the UFC’s featherweight division.
Best quotes
“He says that he stole my belt while hiding behind a wall. I told him: ‘Bro, you didn’t even get close to me.’ You were only talking to me because you were hiding behind the glass.'”
-Aldo
“It’s like in the jungle. One king gets old. He starts getting sloppy. He starts stagnating. Then a young gorilla comes up and kills him and takes everything he owns. That is what is happening here.”
-McGregor
“We’re gonna take over Dublin. We’re gonna own it.”
-Aldo
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life and my career in the fight business. Being on this tour is one of the unique experiences of my life.”
A video posted by ufc (@ufc) on Mar 26, 2015 at 3:56pm PDT
TORONTO
Hopefully, no one was actually trying to shop at Eaton Centre last week. The mall was filled on three floors with UFC fans, which was one of the coolest visuals of the entire tour. With Aldo, McGregor, MacDonald and Lawler holding a press conference on the main floor, hundreds of fans lined up above them overlooking the stage.
Toronto was also the site of the most heated exchange so far between Aldo and McGregor as emotions reached a fever pitch.
Best moment
White, Aldo, McGregor, Lawler and MacDonald were all on Canada AM, a huge program that can be compared to Good Morning America. It was great exposure for the UFC, but it almost turned out very badly. A producer mistakenly sat McGregor behind Aldo on a couch. McGregor grabbed the back of Aldo’s neck and, obviously, the champ didn’t like it. White had to get between them again. Luckily, Aldo calmed down and McGregor stopped the shenanigans and the segment went off without a hitch.
Best quotes
“He’s trying to put Conor McGregor in a seat behind [Aldo] and Conor McGregor reached over and slapped Aldo’s back. And now Aldo is crazy and doesn’t want to do most of the stuff we have to do today. It’s been fun.”
– White on morning show incident
“Arriving late is a cultural thing in Brazil. It’s in the Brazilian clock. Otherwise things go wrong. The only thing we’ve never late for are the fights. For my fights I’m always on time.”
-Aldo
“I’m gonna punch this son of a b*tch in the face. This cocky son of a b*tch grabbed my neck.”
-Aldo
“He is a decision machine. He has 25 minutes to run, 25 minutes to hide that battle-worn chin. And nobody can hide that chin from me.”
-McGregor
“I want to smell his p*ssy. I can smell your p*ssy from here.”
A photo posted by Rory Macdonald (@romac_gorilla) on Mar 27, 2015 at 6:26am PDT
LONDON
No fans were allowed inside the press conference in London, so the atmosphere was far more relaxed. In fact, London probably wins for being the most civilized stop on the tour. White even complimented the media (no, that’s not a typo) there for being knowledgeable about MMA. It was kind of like the calm before the storm that was Dublin.
Best moment
Aldo seemed to be feeling more at home in London. He got a chance to go out on the pitch for the Brazil vs. Chile soccer match and hang out with some of the players he knew. It was probably exactly what he needed before going into the mouth of the beast, Dublin. Aldo was relaxed and didn’t have to deal with any crazy fans spouting off for McGregor.
Best quotes
“I heard I slapped him in the back of the head. I didn’t slap him in the back of the head. I put my hand on his neck and I bent him over.”
-McGregor on Aldo, regarding Toronto morning show incident
“I was sitting and he grabbed my hoodie from behind. It wasn’t a slap, it wasn’t anything. I think he just wanted to touch me. I don’t know if he likes me or what.”
-Aldo on Toronto morning show incident
“There’s another man who has spoke my name in vain. And what happens is, when you speak my name in vain, no matter how many years down the line, I’m like an elephant — I’ll never forget. I’ll come and get you.”
“With the talent I have for sports, I would definitely be playing somewhere. If I wasn’t a fighter, I would be a volleyball player. I rule in soccer, so if I was a fighter I’d be doing any other sport. A tennis player, a golfer, a surfer, a juggler, anything.”
A photo posted by ufc (@ufc) on Mar 30, 2015 at 8:31am PDT
DUBLIN
Ireland was exactly what you thought it would be. A complete madhouse. Around 4,000 fans packed into the Convention Centre in Dublin — and 60,000-plus were not able to even get tickets. The scene was wild. The fans were raucous for McGregor. Aldo took a serious verbal beating — and even gave some of it back himself.
As crazy was Rio was for Aldo, Dublin was likely even crazier for McGregor. It’s almost a shame the fight has to be in Las Vegas, but of course there are financial concerns. If Aldo-McGregor took place in Ireland and Brazil, it would have been a gigantic event. Hey, maybe the rematch.
Best moment
This is an easy one. Of course, it was McGregor reaching over the other side of the dais and snatching Aldo’s belt from in front of him. McGregor then hoisted the belt into the air as if he owned it with Aldo giving chase. White was able to get in between them — again. McGregor’s wild-eyed faced only added to the spectacle.
Best quotes
“I’m the king of Dublin.”
-Jose Aldo
“It’s cool to see you all happy right now, but when I win the fight you’re all going to bow down to me.”
-Jose Aldo
“It will be done and one done.”
-Conor McGregor on the Aldo fight
“I didn’t feel anything. That’s the best he can do because next time he’s in front of me, I will beat the sh*t out of his face.”
A video posted by ufc (@ufc) on Mar 31, 2015 at 9:59am PDT
The UFC 189 World Tour is over. Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor are free to return to training for their featherweight title fight on July 11 in Las Vegas. But we are going to recap the greatest promotional tour in UFC history below — the highs, the lows, the staredown, the trash talk and everything in between — step by step.
The tour took more than a week and spanned five countries and eight cities. It included Aldo and McGregor, but also Robbie Lawler, Rory MacDonald and UFC president Dana White for part of the way. The amount of media coverage the organization got in each city was incredible and the 10-part, documentary-like Embedded series was one of the best pieces of marketing the UFC has ever created.
Here’s a deeper look at the UFC 189 World Tour starting from the beginning:
RIO DE JANEIRO
What a way to start things off. McGregor took over an Irish pub here and then proclaimed that he owned Jose Aldo’s hometown. The first stop on the tour featured a press conference with fan questions — and also the announcement of a future UFC main event. Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia appeared to hype their UFC 190 fight for the women’s bantamweight title Aug. 1 in Rio.
The Brazilian crowd was, as expected, incredibly intense. They wanted to rip McGregor’s head off — and he seemed to love every minute of it. It was clear from the crowd response, too, that Aldo has never been more popular in his home country as he is right now. Aldo, in his Scarface-style suit, winding up and flipping McGregor the bird was also a classic moment on the tour.
Best moment
McGregor got the tour started the way only he can, holding court for media in an Irish pub in Rio de Janeiro. There, he whipped the crowd into a frenzy and played darts — with a picture of Aldo adorning the board. It was the perfect kickoff for a whirlwind couple of weeks.
Best quotes
“My name, the McGregor name, my family’s motto … means royal is in my blood. That goes way back. So for [Aldo] to say he is the king and I am the joker, if this was a different time, I would invade his favela on horseback and kill anyone that was not fit to work. But we are in a new time. So I’ll whoop his ass in July.”
-Conor McGregor
“I don’t just want to defeat her. I want her to leave that arena embarrassed.”
-Ronda Rousey on Bethe Correia
“I think everyone knows that if anyone is gonna beat Ronda, it’s going to be me.”
In 14 weeks, the Aldo-McGregor title fight will take place in Las Vegas, so of course the Fight Capital of the World was part of the tour. Vegas, maybe for the first time ever, was a little subdued for champion and challenger. There were no angry mobs to deal with, just the media during a press conference. No fans were allowed in.
What Aldo and McGregor did get was some R&R in gorgeous suites at Red Rock. McGregor made himself at home — mostly because Vegas has become his home away from Dublin. He announced on this tour stop that he’ll flying his team in and doing the final eight weeks of his training camp in Las Vegas. It’s easy to see why with the hospitality he receives at the Fertitta-owned property.
Best moment
While McGregor was eating fancy meals and living the good life at Red Rock, Aldo was getting his game on with coach Alex Chadud. There was a ping-pong table and billiards table in their suite and all Aldo wanted to do was play. You got a great glimpse into the kind of competitor he is — he always wants to win. And Aldo made a point in saying that he never loses when the camera is on him.
Best quotes
“I was never upset (with anything McGregor said). I just laughed at it. It’s tough to get me pissed off. My mind is my strongest weapon. It’s hard to get into my mind. I don’t worry about it. Face-offs mean nothing. I’m in his head and he knows what’s coming.”
-Jose Aldo
“Whoever said it’s tough at the top is talking absolute sh*t.”
A photo posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on
LOS ANGELES
The UFC spared no expense in LA, putting Aldo and McGregor up in the lush Intercontinental Hotel Century City at Beverly Hills. Once again, this stop was a tad subdued. No fans were allowed into media appearances; Aldo and McGregor just greeted press at a lunch inside the hotel.
However, things did get a little crazy when the two men went to the nearby FOX lot. McGregor took Aldo’s belt and the two had a very heated exchange on FOX Sports Live with host Mike Hill in between them. Aldo had a hard time keeping up with a translator and McGregor said he was Aldo’s daddy, to come sit on his lap. Brutal.
Best moment
McGregor and Aldo were both waiting for their appearance on FOX Sports 1, on opposite sides of a door with a glass window. McGregor took Aldo’s belt from a staffer and put it over his shoulder. Of course, the Irishman walked over the door, knocked on the window and taunted Aldo. The champion was not deterred. He didn’t seem to be very impressed by the display. That was a recurring theme of the tour.
Best quotes
“Tell him I said I am his daddy. … Sit on my lap.”
-Conor McGregor to Jose Aldo and his translator on FOX Sports Live
“It seems to me like maybe it’s Brazilian culture. The women are on it. The men are on it. I don’t know what to think. So I don’t really have to think. It’s in Vegas. We are in a new age. The sport is being cleaned. The athletes who are dedicated to martial arts and dedicated to health and fitness and purity, they are the athletes who are being rewarded now. I am happy to be part of the new age.”
-McGregor on performance-enhancing drugs
“I will always complain. This is the right that I have. I always want more. I will always want to earn more. This is the right that I have, so I’m going to continue doing this.”
-Aldo on his pay
“I’m on the fence. I’m leaning towards he’s not coming back, these days. He’s rich and he really doesn’t have to do anything anymore if he doesn’t want to. He’s doing movies.”
-Dana White on Georges St-Pierre, from the FOX Sports The Jay and Dan Podcast
A photo posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on
BOSTON
The private jets then took Aldo and McGregor to a place the challenger knows very well. He won his last fight in Boston by TKO against Dennis Siver in January. Boston is the home of one of the largest Irish American populations in the United States and of course they came out in full force to the Strand Theatre to support McGregor.
It was at this point in the tour that McGregor was clearly getting on Aldo’s last nerve. And the staredown after the press conference was one of the best of the two weeks.
Best moment
It’ll be hard to get the image of Aldo, eyes wide, head out, almost begging McGregor to take a swipe at him during their staredown in Boston. UFC president Dana White had to get in between the two men at that point. Then, McGregor feinted like he was going to throw a left hook and Aldo flinched a bit. That only seemed to make the champion angrier.
Best quotes
“It’s no bueno if they end up throwing down at the press conference.”
-White
“If someone takes a possession of yours and waves it in your face and tells you to come and get it, and you sit there and you do nothing that’s the biggest sign of fear I’ve ever seen. If he took this can of Monster Energy from his table and said, ‘come and get it,’ I’d drill it through his head.”
-McGregor
“When he is alone with no one around, he keeps thinking about me and it gives him diarrhea.”
-Aldo
“I looked into his eyes and saw how scared he was. He was sh*tting in his pants.”
The Big Apple was quite the host for the UFC 189 World Tour. Perhaps fired up over the potential of MMA being legalized in the state, the fans were loud and rowdy — and very pro-McGregor. So much so that both Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler, who joined the tour at this point, thought they were very disrespectful toward Aldo. Well, that’s New Yorkers for you.
Best moment
Being in New York doesn’t just mean a press conference with wild fans. It also means mainstream media and other obligations. McGregor did a photo shoot in a bank vault just teeming with money here and he looked like he fight right in. Ask “The Notorious” and he’ll probably say this is one of the coolest things he did on the tour. The visual of McGregor sitting on a pile of money — a takeoff on an old Muhammad Ali photo — and tossing some of it in the air is the perfect symbol of what he has done for the UFC’s featherweight division.
Best quotes
“He says that he stole my belt while hiding behind a wall. I told him: ‘Bro, you didn’t even get close to me.’ You were only talking to me because you were hiding behind the glass.'”
-Aldo
“It’s like in the jungle. One king gets old. He starts getting sloppy. He starts stagnating. Then a young gorilla comes up and kills him and takes everything he owns. That is what is happening here.”
-McGregor
“We’re gonna take over Dublin. We’re gonna own it.”
-Aldo
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life and my career in the fight business. Being on this tour is one of the unique experiences of my life.”
Hopefully, no one was actually trying to shop at Eaton Centre last week. The mall was filled on three floors with UFC fans, which was one of the coolest visuals of the entire tour. With Aldo, McGregor, MacDonald and Lawler holding a press conference on the main floor, hundreds of fans lined up above them overlooking the stage.
Toronto was also the site of the most heated exchange so far between Aldo and McGregor as emotions reached a fever pitch.
Best moment
White, Aldo, McGregor, Lawler and MacDonald were all on Canada AM, a huge program that can be compared to Good Morning America. It was great exposure for the UFC, but it almost turned out very badly. A producer mistakenly sat McGregor behind Aldo on a couch. McGregor grabbed the back of Aldo’s neck and, obviously, the champ didn’t like it. White had to get between them again. Luckily, Aldo calmed down and McGregor stopped the shenanigans and the segment went off without a hitch.
Best quotes
“He’s trying to put Conor McGregor in a seat behind [Aldo] and Conor McGregor reached over and slapped Aldo’s back. And now Aldo is crazy and doesn’t want to do most of the stuff we have to do today. It’s been fun.”
– White on morning show incident
“Arriving late is a cultural thing in Brazil. It’s in the Brazilian clock. Otherwise things go wrong. The only thing we’ve never late for are the fights. For my fights I’m always on time.”
-Aldo
“I’m gonna punch this son of a b*tch in the face. This cocky son of a b*tch grabbed my neck.”
-Aldo
“He is a decision machine. He has 25 minutes to run, 25 minutes to hide that battle-worn chin. And nobody can hide that chin from me.”
-McGregor
“I want to smell his p*ssy. I can smell your p*ssy from here.”
A photo posted by Rory Macdonald (@romac_gorilla) on
LONDON
No fans were allowed inside the press conference in London, so the atmosphere was far more relaxed. In fact, London probably wins for being the most civilized stop on the tour. White even complimented the media (no, that’s not a typo) there for being knowledgeable about MMA. It was kind of like the calm before the storm that was Dublin.
Best moment
Aldo seemed to be feeling more at home in London. He got a chance to go out on the pitch for the Brazil vs. Chile soccer match and hang out with some of the players he knew. It was probably exactly what he needed before going into the mouth of the beast, Dublin. Aldo was relaxed and didn’t have to deal with any crazy fans spouting off for McGregor.
Best quotes
“I heard I slapped him in the back of the head. I didn’t slap him in the back of the head. I put my hand on his neck and I bent him over.”
-McGregor on Aldo, regarding Toronto morning show incident
“I was sitting and he grabbed my hoodie from behind. It wasn’t a slap, it wasn’t anything. I think he just wanted to touch me. I don’t know if he likes me or what.”
-Aldo on Toronto morning show incident
“There’s another man who has spoke my name in vain. And what happens is, when you speak my name in vain, no matter how many years down the line, I’m like an elephant — I’ll never forget. I’ll come and get you.”
“With the talent I have for sports, I would definitely be playing somewhere. If I wasn’t a fighter, I would be a volleyball player. I rule in soccer, so if I was a fighter I’d be doing any other sport. A tennis player, a golfer, a surfer, a juggler, anything.”
Ireland was exactly what you thought it would be. A complete madhouse. Around 4,000 fans packed into the Convention Centre in Dublin — and 60,000-plus were not able to even get tickets. The scene was wild. The fans were raucous for McGregor. Aldo took a serious verbal beating — and even gave some of it back himself.
As crazy was Rio was for Aldo, Dublin was likely even crazier for McGregor. It’s almost a shame the fight has to be in Las Vegas, but of course there are financial concerns. If Aldo-McGregor took place in Ireland and Brazil, it would have been a gigantic event. Hey, maybe the rematch.
Best moment
This is an easy one. Of course, it was McGregor reaching over the other side of the dais and snatching Aldo’s belt from in front of him. McGregor then hoisted the belt into the air as if he owned it with Aldo giving chase. White was able to get in between them — again. McGregor’s wild-eyed faced only added to the spectacle.
Best quotes
“I’m the king of Dublin.”
-Jose Aldo
“It’s cool to see you all happy right now, but when I win the fight you’re all going to bow down to me.”
-Jose Aldo
“It will be done and one done.”
-Conor McGregor on the Aldo fight
“I didn’t feel anything. That’s the best he can do because next time he’s in front of me, I will beat the sh*t out of his face.”
Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has confirmed he is “thinking about” a return to the octagon.
The French-Canadian fighter’s hiatus from competition came after he admitted, “I had to step out to keep my mental health,” per CBC (h/t MM…
Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has confirmed he is “thinking about” a return to the octagon.
The French-Canadian fighter’s hiatus from competition came after he admitted, “I had to step out to keep my mental health,” per CBC (h/t MMAjunkie). UFC President Dana White recently admitted GSP previously turned down a fight in Montreal, leading him to tell Fox Sports‘ Jay and Danpodcast (h/t Damon Martin of Fox Sports), “I’m leaning toward he’s not coming back these days.”
However, St-Pierre suggests a return could be on the cards, per StephaneCadorette of QMI Agency (h/t Winnipeg Sun).
“He says he’s sure I won’t come back, that’s his opinion,” St-Pierre said. “I train, I keep myself in shape. I have marks on my body because my body bruises easily and I’m training hard. It doesn’t mean I’m coming back, but it doesn’t mean I’m not coming back. I’m thinking about it.”
The 33-year-old admits he definitely won’t make an appearance until the UFC’s anti-doping policy improves, per Cadorette, saying, “So far, there’s been some nice words, but nothing’s been done. As long as they do nothing, I for sure won’t come back.”
Performance-enhancing drugs remain a hot topic in the UFC after Brazilian stars Anderson Silva and Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino tested positive (in 2015 and 2011, respectively). The organisation has revealed plans to aggressively tackle doping problems, reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com.
A multimillion-dollar initiative will be put into place, something current women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is excited to see, per Fox Sports:
GSP obviously wants such measures put into action before he enters the fray once more. He remains one of the UFC’s biggest stars, despite failing to compete since November 2013. His career stats stand at 25-2, with his last loss coming against Matt Serra in 2007, per ESPN.com. As the vacated welterweight champion, a target will be firmly painted on his chest if he decides to renew his UFC career.
Fans will certainly take his comments as a positive sign. An itch to get back to work may be working its magic on one of the finest fighters in the sport’s history.
St-Pierre’s combination of Kyokushin karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu made him one of the discipline’s most elusive men to grab control of. He is an expert on the ground and the kind of fighter who methodically works on his opponents’ weaknesses before eliminating them from contention. It certainly wouldn’t be beyond GSP to waltz back in, take Robbie Lawler’s belt and dominate for the foreseeable future.
Whether the conditions for his return happen remains to be seen. The thoughtfulness of GSP‘s fighting style is replicated in every comment and move he makes. White’s comments may have been pitched to put public pressure on the fighter, but positively, St-Pierre’s response certainly provides hope of a headline-grabbing reappearance.
Although Ronda Rousey has conquered all before her in the women’s bantamweight division in UFC, a change in sport isn’t quite on the cards yet for the undefeated star, with her appearance in WWE seemingly set to be a one-time thing.
Rousey …
Although Ronda Rousey has conquered all before her in the women’s bantamweight division in UFC, a change in sport isn’t quite on the cards yet for the undefeated star, with her appearance in WWE seemingly set to be a one-time thing.
Rousey struck an entertaining cameo alongside The Rock at Wrestlemania 31, getting physical with WWE stars Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Here’s a look at the moment in question, per the event’s official Twitter account:
But speaking on Fox Sport 1’s UFC Tonight program (h/t MMAWeekly.com), Rousey’s representative, Brad Slater, described the segment as a “one-off.”
That news will come as a disappointment to WWE fans, especially after the 28-year-old stirred speculation that she could be set for further appearances after posting the following on Twitter after the Santa Clara showpiece:
As noted by Ryan McKinnell of Yahoo, Slater made it abundantly clear that Rousey would remain focused on the Octagon rather than the squared circle, especially with her August clash with Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in Brazil edging ever closer.
Nonetheless, as noted by Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter, the promo she cut was both entertaining and unexpected:
Rousey will be going up against the Brazilian in Correia‘s home country and has vowed to leave her “embarrassed,” per Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting. It’s a promise that holds some credence too given Rousey has blitzed her way to 11 wins from 11 bouts in the sport so far.
Here’s a look at why there is so much excitement surrounding the undefeated American:
If Rousey does notch another emphatic victory when she squares off against Correia, it’ll be intriguing to see what avenue she takes next, such is her dominance in the division. Indeed, as noted by Sky Sports in the aftermath of her 14-second destruction of Cat Zingano, Rousey’s last three fights have lasted a meagre 96 seconds in total.
She’s already ruled out the unlikely notion of possibility of fighting the opposite sex, per Luke Augustus of the MailOnline, and as such, if her hegemony does continue, it’d certainly be no surprise to see her return to professional wrestling. If Rousey‘s second appearance goes down as well as her debut, she could be poised to be just as big a success in the WWE as she has been in the UFC.
Boxing giant Tyson Fury has suggested “serious talks” are under way with Bellator president Scott Coker over the possibility of him securing an MMA fight.Fury announced as much on Twitter:MMA writer Josh Gross provided comment from Coker:He also moved …
Boxing giant Tyson Fury has suggested “serious talks” are under way with Bellator president Scott Coker over the possibility of him securing an MMA fight.
Fury announced as much on Twitter:
MMA writer Josh Gross provided comment from Coker:
He also moved to suggest this wasn’t a late April Fool’s joke:
While Fury’s boxing style could leave him exposed to the more subtle threats of MMA, a stint in the Octagon would at least make business sense. Bellator is contracted to Spike TV in the United States, which is linked to the United Kingdom’s Channel 5. Spike TV launches in the UK on April 15, per BBC News.
So a potential deal is based in financial possibility. Let’s not forget Fury originally targeted a bout with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in 2013. He is the type of boxer who fears nobody and looks to rile others up to secure a fight. He’s certainly confident, tweeted by Michael Morgan of WHOATV:
In 2011, Fury also tweeted he wants a shot at former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, per ESPN: “Fury v Lesnar stand-up and fight with MMA gloves or without!” This article notes he is “unskilled in the art of wrestling or jiu-jitsu,” a potentially major hang-up if Fury is to make a successful career out of the potential discipline change.
At 6’9″ tall and weighing around 262 pounds when fighting fit, reported by HennessySports.com, Fury would pose an interesting threat for most heavyweight MMA stars. With no obvious experience of defending from his back or working through transitions on the ground, though, it’s likely he would have some obvious weaknesses.
His 24-0 boxing record highlights he is extremely dangerous in a stand-up brawl. Eighteen of these victories have arrived via knockout, per Boxrec, but there’s still the feeling Fury is yet to have his full skill set examined.
Opposition such as Dereck Chisora and Christian Hammer haven’t possessed the intelligence or agility to consistently provide Fury with an elusive target. The 26-year-old’s failed plans to battle David Haye—who combines quality movement with power and a sharp reading of his foe—would have done this.
Bellator competitors such as Alex Huddlestone, Vinicius Queiroz and Alexander Volkov would perhaps pose the fairest fight in terms of size, but Fury would most likely shoot straight for the top. Maybe Cheick Kongo—a big name who was often dropped in the UFC—would be an enticing match-up.
It remains to be seen just how serious Fury is about participating in MMA. His boxing career continues to progress, but he’s boisterous and wants to make an impact at any possible opportunity.
Beating a seasoned MMA fighter would certainly add to his global appeal and perhaps open up greater opportunities in his boxing career.
A familiar name is joining the World Series of Fighting broadcast team.
MMA legend Renzo Gracie will be the color commentator for WSOF 20 on April 10 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel Aziz told…
A familiar name is joining the World Series of Fighting broadcast team.
MMA legend Renzo Gracie will be the color commentator for WSOF 20 on April 10 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel Aziz told MMAFighting.com on Wednesday.
Todd Harris will continue his work as the regular WSOF play-by-play man for the card. For the co-main event and main event, WSOF president Ray Sefo will join the party and be the third man in the booth, per Abdel Aziz.
Gracie, 48, is one of the pioneers of MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the United States. He is well-known for his run in PRIDE and also competed in the UFC. Gracie currently runs one of the best jiu-jitsu facilities in the country, Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City. He has trained the likes of Matt Serra, Georges St-Pierre, Chris Weidman and Frankie Edgar.
WSOF 20 is headlined by a light heavyweight title tournament semifinal between David Branch and Ronny Markes. Branch is the current WSOF middleweight champion, but is trying to win a belt in two weight classes.
Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has confirmed he is “thinking about” a return to the octagon.