California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster told MMAFighting.com that Cris “Cyborg” Justino was given a urine test Thursday morning as part of her process to get licensed to compete in the state. Foster expects the results to come back on or around Feb. 24. Justino’s main event bout against Charmaine Tweet is scheduled for Feb. 27 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Justino, 29, has already tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs once in California, after a Strikeforce bout in 2011, which is why she needs to reapply for a license. Justino’s urine will be run through every panel, including for recreational drugs. Because this is a condition of licensure, “Cyborg” will need to be clear of everything.
“She will not be licensed until she satisfies our drug-testing and medical requirements,” Foster said.
Justino (12-1, 1 NC) is regarded as one of the best women’s fighters in the world. She is currently in negotiations with the UFC, which could lead to a much-anticipated showdown with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. The two have gone back and forth in interviews and on social media for years with Rousey’s biggest gripe being Justino’s performance-enhancing drug past.
“Cyborg,” the current Invicta women’s featherweight champion and former Strikeforce women’s featherweight titleholder, had her 16-second TKO win over Hiroko Yamanaka overturned into a no contest when she tested positive for anabolic steroid stanozolol at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal on Dec. 17, 2011. Justino was also stripped for her belt at that point.
Justino has fought in MMA just twice since then, beating Fiona Muxlow and Marloes Coenen, each via TKO, in Invicta. Overall, “Cyborg” has not lost since her MMA debut in 2005 in her native Brazil.
Rousey competes one day after Justino-Tweet bout against Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on Feb. 28, also in Los Angeles. As MMAFighting.com reported Wednesday, Rousey and Zingano also have each undergone a random, out-of-competition drug test this week.
California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster told MMAFighting.com that Cris “Cyborg” Justino was given a urine test Thursday morning as part of her process to get licensed to compete in the state. Foster expects the results to come back on or around Feb. 24. Justino’s main event bout against Charmaine Tweet is scheduled for Feb. 27 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Justino, 29, has already tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs once in California, after a Strikeforce bout in 2011, which is why she needs to reapply for a license. Justino’s urine will be run through every panel, including for recreational drugs. Because this is a condition of licensure, “Cyborg” will need to be clear of everything.
“She will not be licensed until she satisfies our drug-testing and medical requirements,” Foster said.
Justino (12-1, 1 NC) is regarded as one of the best women’s fighters in the world. She is currently in negotiations with the UFC, which could lead to a much-anticipated showdown with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. The two have gone back and forth in interviews and on social media for years with Rousey’s biggest gripe being Justino’s performance-enhancing drug past.
“Cyborg,” the current Invicta women’s featherweight champion and former Strikeforce women’s featherweight titleholder, had her 16-second TKO win over Hiroko Yamanaka overturned into a no contest when she tested positive for anabolic steroid stanozolol at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal on Dec. 17, 2011. Justino was also stripped for her belt at that point.
Justino has fought in MMA just twice since then, beating Fiona Muxlow and Marloes Coenen, each via TKO, in Invicta. Overall, “Cyborg” has not lost since her MMA debut in 2005 in her native Brazil.
Rousey competes one day after Justino-Tweet bout against Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on Feb. 28, also in Los Angeles. As MMAFighting.com reported Wednesday, Rousey and Zingano also have each undergone a random, out-of-competition drug test this week.
The UFC asks its fighters to perform admirably but also make weight. For some Octagon combatants, weigh-ins are their worst nightmare. As recently as UFC 183, a couple of fighters missed the mark by a wide margin.
Top 10 welterweight contende…
The UFC asks its fighters to perform admirably but also make weight. For some Octagon combatants, weigh-ins are their worst nightmare. As recently as UFC 183, a couple of fighters missed the mark by a wide margin.
Top 10 welterweight contender Kelvin Gastelum was nine pounds shy of the 171-pound limit. Meanwhile, No. 7-ranked flyweight John Lineker was five pounds over the 126-pound threshold.
Both Gastelum and Lineker were fined—though Gastelum was refunded by his co-main event cohort Tyron Woodley—and banished from their respective divisions by UFC President Dana White.
They aren’t the only perpetrators. Several other fighters, including former champions, have faced criticism in the wake of dieting mishaps.
Read on to find out which five fighters take weight cutting to the extreme. However, before we introduce those men, let’s mention a few fighters who diet just a little bit better.
We rated fighters in terms of difficulty cutting weight and physique. Rank does not matter.
It has been 15 months since Brandon Thatch last stepped into the Octagon. The rising welterweight didn’t want to wait even a second longer.
When Stephen Thompson went down with an injury two weeks ago, Thatch feared that his return would be …
It has been 15 months since Brandon Thatch last stepped into the Octagon. The rising welterweight didn’t want to wait even a second longer.
When Stephen Thompson went down with an injury two weeks ago, Thatch feared that his return would be upended for a second time.
“I would have fought my mother at that point,” Thatch told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “It didn’t matter who. I just needed a fight.”
He got his wish. Thatch will meet former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in the main event of UFC Fight Night 60 on Saturday night in Broomfield, Colo. Henderson will be a difficult matchup; Thatch didn’t mind at all. He lives about a half hour from Broomfield and injuries derailed his entire 2014. He wanted back in that cage no matter what.
“I was just very grateful that I had such a veteran opponent that stepped up,” Thatch said. “I’m excited to fight at home and to be a main event is just an added bonus. I’m just very grateful and excited.”
Thatch (11-1) has not fought since November 2013, a first-round TKO of Paulo Thiago. After that, the Denver native needed surgery to on his shoulder and ankle. He was all set to return to the UFC last August against Jordan Mein when he suffered a compound fracture of his toe. That injury set Thatch back another 10 weeks without training.
In 2013, Thatch burst onto the UFC scene with a quick finish of Justin Edwards and that demolition of Thiago. In all, he has finished his last 10 opponents in the first round. Every single one of his victories has come in the first five minutes as well.
Thatch, 29, is not worried that the injuries have quelled his momentum.
“Apparently this is a contact sport — who knew?” Thatch said. “I’m not too concerned over the hype. Usually my actions will carry a lot longer than the words. I’m gonna continue to fight and impress. Whether I win or lose, you’re gonna love to watch me fight.”
While Thatch is completely healthy physically, he did have to repair some mental and emotional anguish. All “Rukus” has wanted to do was fight and the toe fracture especially brought him down.
“Any time you have a long layover, it’s rough on the mind and it’s something you try to keep the wheels turning as much as possible,” Thatch said. “I tried to make the best of my time, but it was depressing. It was rough.”
That’s why he wants to get back in there so badly and he isn’t necessarily worried about continuing that first-round streak. Henderson isn’t a guy who is easily finished — it has only happened three times in his nine-year career.
“It’s not something I look for and it’s not something I try to force,” Thatch said. “If it comes, it comes. If it goes five rounds, it’ll go five rounds.”
Thompson would have been a tough fight. Henderson is a different animal. He was once regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Though he’s moving up to welterweight, Henderson has a well-rounded game. He’ll be by far the toughest opponent of Thatch’s career. And that’s the exact kind of challenge Thatch was hoping for all along.
“You don’t get in this sport to coast and fight at mediocre levels,” Thatch said. “Benson is a champion and I want to see where I can compete in the sport.”
Kaufman called Tate a “coward” in an interview with FOX Sports this week, because Tate initially called her out and then allegedly backed down when Kaufman took to social media. Tate responded in an Instagram post Wednesday, saying she is medically suspended due to a broken orbital bone she sustained in a fight with Sara McMann at UFC 183 last month.
“I want to fight Bethe Correia (the undefeated, tough, relevent fighter) when Im healed up but that sure as HELL doesn’t make me scared of Kaufman,” Tate wrote on Instagram, accompanying ax X-ray photo of her broken bone.
A photo posted by Miesha Tate (@mieshatate) on Feb 11, 2015 at 9:03am PST
Kaufman will instead fight Alexis Davis at UFC 186 on April 25 in Montreal. Kaufman has already beaten Davis twice, but both women are among the top-five contenders in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division. It was clear Kaufman had her heart set on Tate, though. In an Instagram video over the weekend, she crushed a cupcake with her fist. Of course, Tate’s nickname is “Cupcake.”
“As soon as I went online, she disappeared,” Kaufman told FOX Sports. “No response whatsoever. It’s insane, and the only thing it comes down to is if she’ll fight everyone in the division but me, that makes you a coward. It’s as simple as that. Why wouldn’t you want that fight back?”
Kaufman defeated Tate on a Strikeforce Challengers event in 2009. Since then, each has lost to champion Ronda Rousey. Tate has been defeated by Rousey twice. But both are still knocking at the women’s bantamweight door in the UFC. There’s a pretty good chance that rematch will happen eventually.
“I have always stepped up, never backed down from a fight,” Tate wrote. “I don’t think anyone can argue that I am a coward. I am not cleared to fight (or train) yet but trying to heal as quickly as possible.”
Kaufman called Tate a “coward” in an interview with FOX Sports this week, because Tate initially called her out and then allegedly backed down when Kaufman took to social media. Tate responded in an Instagram post Wednesday, saying she is medically suspended due to a broken orbital bone she sustained in a fight with Sara McMann at UFC 183 last month.
“I want to fight Bethe Correia (the undefeated, tough, relevent fighter) when Im healed up but that sure as HELL doesn’t make me scared of Kaufman,” Tate wrote on Instagram, accompanying ax X-ray photo of her broken bone.
Kaufman will instead fight Alexis Davis at UFC 186 on April 25 in Montreal. Kaufman has already beaten Davis twice, but both women are among the top-five contenders in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division. It was clear Kaufman had her heart set on Tate, though. In an Instagram video over the weekend, she crushed a cupcake with her fist. Of course, Tate’s nickname is “Cupcake.”
“As soon as I went online, she disappeared,” Kaufman told FOX Sports. “No response whatsoever. It’s insane, and the only thing it comes down to is if she’ll fight everyone in the division but me, that makes you a coward. It’s as simple as that. Why wouldn’t you want that fight back?”
Kaufman defeated Tate on a Strikeforce Challengers event in 2009. Since then, each has lost to champion Ronda Rousey. Tate has been defeated by Rousey twice. But both are still knocking at the women’s bantamweight door in the UFC. There’s a pretty good chance that rematch will happen eventually.
“I have always stepped up, never backed down from a fight,” Tate wrote. “I don’t think anyone can argue that I am a coward. I am not cleared to fight (or train) yet but trying to heal as quickly as possible.”
Selecting a weight class is a big deal in mixed martial arts. Most athletes want to cut down to the smallest size possible, while retaining the physical abilities that will allow them to excel over their opponent. However, some struggle with maintainin…
Selecting a weight class is a big deal in mixed martial arts. Most athletes want to cut down to the smallest size possible, while retaining the physical abilities that will allow them to excel over their opponent. However, some struggle with maintaining that competitive weight. John Lineker and Kelvin Gastelum are two men who face the challenge of competing in new divisions due to issues with weight cuts.
Lineker and Gastelum were poised for big fights at UFC 183. Lineker was supposed to face off against Ian McCall in a bout that could have positioned him to challenge Demetrious Johnson for the UFC flyweight title. Gastelum, on the other hand, was going to battle TyronWoodley, who was the highest ranked opponent that he was slated to face at that point in his career.
Unfortunately, both men were unable to reach their mandated competition weight. Lineker weighed in at 130 pounds while Gastelum hit the scale at 180 pounds (via Sherdog). Both were forced to forfeit 30 percent of their purse to their opponent as penalty.
Yet, the more important punishment was revealed by UFC President Dana White, when he made it known that both men will have to move to different weight classes.
“Lineker will never fight at flyweight again. He will have to move up to bantamweight,” White said after UFC 183 (via Combate). “Same thing with Kelvin Gastelum. This was the last time he will fight at welterweight.”
The question now is whether or not both men can stay competitive when facing bigger athletes. More often than not, the story is that fighters will look to drop a weight class in order to reinvent their careers when facing a tough skid in another division. Frankie Edgar is a recent and popular example of someone who has moved down a group and attained success.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that these two won’t be successful as they venture into new divisions.
Anthony Johnson is perhaps the most relevant example of a fighter who has saved his career by avoiding weight cuts. The No. 1 ranked light heavyweight is poised to face Jon Jones at some point in 2015 for a shot at the belt just three years after being cut from the UFC for repeated weight issues.
During Johnson’s first run in the Octagon, he failed to make the 170-pound limit on multiple occasions. After failing to make weight for UFC 142, he was released from the UFC, as that was his third strike (via MMA Junkie).
Instead of continuing to struggle as a welterweight, he went in the opposite direction, competing as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in other promotions. After winning multiple fights in a row, he was welcomed back to the UFC and now finds himself in a position to battle for a title.
Gastelum and Lineker should use Johnson as motivation for this next phase of their careers. Competing at a higher weight class is not ideal, but both men have shown that their struggles to make weight are a serious concern. Continuing their success against larger opponents is not a long shot, but they are both in for a true challenge.
If UFC lightweight contender Benson Henderson were to be cast in a movie, Smooth would undoubtedly star in a suspense film. And like any good suspense film, Henderson likes taking his time.
The former lightweight champion, who’s notorious fo…
If UFC lightweight contender Benson Henderson were to be cast in a movie, Smooth would undoubtedly star in a suspense film. And like any good suspense film, Henderson likes taking his time.
The former lightweight champion, who’s notorious for piling up close-decision wins, was burned by the judges in his uneventful trilogy fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC Fight Night: Boston. It marked just the second time Henderson lost via decision in his mixed martial arts career.
Though he wasn’t particularly sour in his post-fight interview, the fighter from the MMA Lab had every right to be. Henderson acted as the aggressor for much of the pair’s co-main event spot, winning the striking battle by a wide margin.
Henderson’s game plan of targeting the legs and body of the prolific kickboxer was a key throughout his 15-minute tussle with Cerrone. Not to mention, Henderson stuffed six “Cowboy” takedowns.
Cerrone, though, would ultimately prevail off the strength of his two takedowns and, perhaps, his soaring popularity.
The loss stings just a bit more than normal because it’s the first time Smooth has lost back-to-back fights in his career. Rather than anguishing on the sideline, he’s choosing to stay busy, like his pal Cowboy.
Bendo will be foregoing an April fight with Jorge Masvidal to headline an injury-plagued UFC Fight Night 60 card in his home state of Colorado against Brandon Thatch.
With a change in opponent also comes a change in weight class. The 31-year-old Henderson will move up to 170-pounds to meet the “Rukus.”
No one can blame him for dusting his boots off to get back on the proverbial MMA grind. Henderson is a large lightweight and has spoken candidly about a move up.
In March 2013, when Bendo was still champ, he unceremoniously called out the greatest UFC welterweight in history, Georges St-Pierre.
Like St-Pierre, Henderson has been branded as a fighter that’s not all that compelling in the cage.
“In the UFC, they want fights to be exciting. They want knockouts, they want submissions,” Henderson told Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole in December 2012. “But at the same time, you have to be smart about it. You have to get your hand raised and get the W.”
Smooth has a lot of ‘Ws’. He has tallied nine Octagon wins, compared to three losses. If you take his wins in World Extreme Cagefighting into account, that number rises to 14.
For a four-year period, from January 2009 to August 2013, the Colorado native was only stopped by current lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. He also defeated some noteworthy lightweight champions, Frankie Edgar (twice) and Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce), in that span.
Those wins came at the peak of Bendo‘s career. They also happened to be the most controversial.
The Melendez and Edgar fights were as close on the scorecards as they appeared on television. Several MMA outlets scored Henderson’s second fight with Edgar at UFC 150 in favor of the latter.
But Henderson hasn’t only been a target for MMA pundits; his boss has also been his biggest critic. Following his back-and-forth split-decision victory over Josh Thomson in January 2014, UFC president Dana Whiteremarked, per Steven Marrocco of MMAJunkie, that “this is the typical Ben Henderson fight.”
Even then, Henderson didn’t complain. Over time, though, his guard eroded.
His title loss against Pettis, and the shots thrown by White, resulted in this tirade following Bendo‘s first UFC finish against RustamKhabilov in June.
“Getting the ‘W’ is the same as all the other ‘Ws,’” said Henderson at the UFC Fight Night 42 post-fight presser. “I’m just after good performances, whether it’s a submission or its a knockout, sometimes you guys in the media don’t understand what it is to win.”
Henderson is right. To see a fight through the eyes of the fighter taking the blows in the cage is something entirely different.
However, if he wants to earn some respect, Smooth should rip a page out of the book of humility. Since relinquishing his title to Pettis, Henderson has gone on to achieve a 2-2 record.
The most devastating loss of his career came at the hands of current No. 1 contender Rafael dos Anjos. Rather than take the high road, Bendo threw dirt on the Brazilians’ first-round knockout victory, calling it “a flash knockout.”
While the end result of the fight may have been controversial, he could’ve at least recognized his opponent’s power. Maybe even tip his cap to the better man.
After all it’s Henderson that has been given the benefit of the doubt several times before. And whether he wins or loses, controversy still manages to rear its ugly head every time he steps into the Octagon.
Henderson has a job to do. He does it quite well and is one of the most successful in the division at his craft.
And admittedly, as Bleacher Report’s Chad Dundaspointed out, “there are worse roles to have in the UFC’s most crowded and competitive division.”
Though, he hasn’t done much to change his stock in it. He didn’t try to lay a whipping on the Cowboy.
Perhaps, his breakthrough showing hasn’t come yet because of just how stiff his competition was. Edgar, Melendez, Thomson and Cerrone have all been finished a combined four times in their careers.
The welterweight division isn’t going to be a cakewalk either for Henderson and it begins February 14. However, we just might have to wait for the bout verse Thatch to play out to gauge Smooth’s interest in staying at 170 pounds.
“I would say it’s just a pit-stop for right now. I wouldn’t say that I’m going to stay at 170, just more or less flirting with the idea and seeing how it goes from here,” Henderson told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
Whether or not Henderson will compete for another title remains to be seen. It’s possible his time has already come.
If he stays complacent in his fight strategy, though, it’s going to be rough sledding for the former UFC/WEC champion.
If UFC lightweight contender