Although Daniel Cormier is Jon Jones’ biggest rival, the light heavyweight champion admits that his recent arrest for drag racing is suspicious. Daniel Cormier’s grueling rivarly with Jon Jones is one of the most intense the sport has ever …
Although Daniel Cormier is Jon Jones’ biggest rival, the light heavyweight champion admits that his recent arrest for drag racing is suspicious.
Daniel Cormier’s grueling rivarly with Jon Jones is one of the most intense the sport has ever seen. But, “DC” was able to put his differences aside when evaluating Jones’ most recent run-in with the law.
“Bones”, who is on probation for a hit-and-run incident last year which left a pregnant woman injured, violated the terms of his court order when he was pulled over for an alleged drag race last month. The former light heavyweight champion was arrested and served two nights in jail at a local Albuquerque police station. Body cam footage revealed hostility from officer Jason Brown and Jones eventually lashed out and called him a “liar” and a “f-cking pig”. Brown also issued four more traffic citations to Jones (ordinance against a modified exhaust, illegible licence plate, failure to maintain traffic lane, and exhibition driving) and has been criticized for his behaviour.
“In that instance, I do believe that there was a little more to it than just maybe him drag racing… And you know I don’t generally like to agree with anything that Jones does, but in that situation I do believe there was way more to that than what’s led to be. And when they go to court, I think it’s going to come out. But the fact that this guy’s history is starting to come out shows the fact that there are some more things underlying the situation,” Cormier said to Brian Stann on SiriusXM Rush (h/t MMA Fighting.com).
Cormier and Jones were supposed to settle the score at UFC 197 but, unfortunately, the current LHW champion was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a leg injury. The new main event, which will see Jones take on Ovince Saint Preux for the interim title, takes place on April 23rd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Preview all the action at Glory 29 Copenhagen here headlined by Nieky Holzken vs. Yoann Kongolo for the Welterweight title. The show airs live on ESPN3 this Saturday, April 16.
This Saturday, Glory puts on their latest show – Glory 29 Copenhagen. Glory 29 airs live Saturday, April 16 with a fight time of 4:00 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN3 and 1:30 p.m. ET for the Glory Superfight Series on UFC Fight Pass. Check out our Superfight Series preview – here, we break down the complete Glory 29 main card.
C. NIEKY HOLZKEN (88-11 Overall; 10-0 Glory) vs. #3 YOANN KONGOLO (61-6 Overall; 2-1 Glory) – Welterweight Title
The main event at Glory 29 is the second Welterweight title defense for Nieky Holzken. Holzken may only officially be Glory champion since last year, but he’s been the clear king of the division for much longer. After starting his career at 70kg and doing well but not spectacularly, Holzken found a home at Welterweight, where he is currently on a 15-1 run dating back 5 years. Holzken is everything you want in a kickboxer – crisp, beautiful technique; excellent strategic mind; brutal power in his body shots. For my money, he’s the sport’s #1 pound for pound fighter today. That said, he comes in here off a very tough fight against Murthel Groenhart that many felt Groenhart won. I don’t mark that as a demerit to Holzken though, I mark it as a testament to Groenhart, who fought the fight of his career that night.
Challenger Kongolo came to Glory last year. He’s a strong, physical type fighter, which is typical of those who train out of Mike’s Gym (notably, that’s also the gym of Groenhart). Kongolo loves to get aggressive, get in an opponent’s face, and get the KO, and he also brings in some more traditional martial arts elements to his game. He’s done well with that strategy so far, with a good win over Karapet Karapetyan last time out at Glory 26. Before that, he did lose to Karim Ghajji though. Kongolo is a good fighter, and one who I am excited to see in here, but this feels like too deep waters for him – he’ll make it a good fight, but not enough to topple the king.
Prediction: Nieky Holzken, KO
SERHIY ADAMCHUK (32-5 Overall; 4-0 Glory) vs. MOHAMMED EL-MIR (113-21 Overall; 0-1 Glory) – Lightweight
Just yesterday, this fight changed, as original opponent Niclas Larsen was forced out. Stepping in is an interesting replacement fighter indeed – Glory Featherweight champion Serhiy Adamchuk. Because it’s short notice, Adamchuk (who formerly fought at Lightweight) will be at Lightweight here, and so of course the title is not on the line. For El-Mir, that switch is both bad luck and a golden opportunity. There’s no denying that Adamchuk is a massive step up from Larsen. He’s world champion for a reason, as he has a great ability to stifle his opponent’s offense and shut them down. It doesn’t always make for the most crowd-pleasing fights, but it is undeniably effective. El-Mir made his lone Glory appearance all the way back at Glory 1, losing to Albert Kraus. He has good Muay Thai experience, and is highly regarded in Denmark. His fight with Larsen was something of a grudge match that local fans had long anticipated – switching from that to Adamchuk is not going to be easy, but if El-Mir can pull it off, it will be a huge launching pad for him.
Prediction: Serhiy Adamchuk, Dec
SEMIFINAL: #4 ANDERSON SILVA (39-13-1 Overall; 5-5 Glory) vs. ISMAEL LONDT (36-6-1 Overall; Glory Debut) – Heavyweight
This half of the Heavyweight tournament semifinals sees one of the most exciting Heavyweight debuts in Glory history. “Mr. Pain” Ismael Londt gets his long overdue shot at Glory here, and there’s good reason to be excited about that. Londt is a veteran of the European scene, competing extensively for Superkombat. He has wins over Mladen Brestovac, Hesdy Gerges, Mourad Bouzidi, and a host of other very strong fighters. In 2012, he made it to the K-1 GP finals, losing to Mirko Cro Cop. Londt is a very heavy hitting power striker, with KO power in his hands and a vicious assault. Check out this list of stoppages from his wikipedia page: TKO (Broken Rib), TKO (Broken Nose), TKO (Eye Injury), TKO (Flying Knee). He’s a big Heavyweight, and he hurts people – if that doesn’t make you want to watch, I don’t know what to tell you. He faces a stiff, but perfect test here in Anderson Silva, a veteran of the sport who is a perfect gatekeeper. Silva has the technical skill to make you pay if you get too reckless, and he will always be in the fight. He comes in off a very good performance at Glory 27, but had been on a 3 fight skid before that. I like Silva as a test here, but I also like Londt’s ability to get past that test in exciting fashion.
Wilnis had a mostly forgettable 3-1 run in Glory a few years ago, but came back strong last year to cap off a great 2015 for the Dutch fighter. That year saw him win a stacked Kunlun tournament, then make the finals of the Glory 26 Heavyweight tournament, losing a razor close decision to Benjamin Adegbuyi. That fight was a great example of Heavyweights throwing down, and a ridiculously entertaining fight. Like his brother Jason, Wilnis has transformed himself in the past year from solid journeyman to title contender, and comes in to this fight having recently won the Enfusion HW title. Debuting Russian fighter Kornilov was a late addition to this tournament, and frankly is a bit out of place here (it feels as if Glory was holding the spot for someone else who fell through, so Kornilov got the back-up call). He’s the least experienced in this tournament, and he fights that way – green, somewhat tentative, and leaving himself far too open for counters. He’s taking a massive step up in competition here, and I just don’t see it going well for him.
Prediction: Jahfarr Wilnis, KO
HEAVYWEIGHT FINAL
I have this as Londt vs. Wilnis, and I certainly hope I am right, because that is just a fantastic fight. It’s also a very tough fight to call. Wilnis has been KO’d in the past, and he’s shown a willingness to engage in a firefight – if he does that against Mr. Pain, it could go poorly for him. But at this moment in their careers, I like Wilnis’s experience to carry him through in an excellent final.
Prediction: Jahfarr Wilnis, Decision
Join us here at Bloody Elbow on Saturday for live Glory 29 coverage.
Preview all the action at Glory 29 Copenhagen here headlined by Nieky Holzken vs. Yoann Kongolo for the Welterweight title. The show airs live on ESPN3 this Saturday, April 16.
This Saturday, Glory puts on their latest show – Glory 29 Copenhagen. Glory 29 airs live Saturday, April 16 with a fight time of 4:00 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN3 and 1:30 p.m. ET for the Glory Superfight Series on UFC Fight Pass. Check out our Superfight Series preview – here, we break down the complete Glory 29 main card.
C. NIEKY HOLZKEN (88-11 Overall; 10-0 Glory) vs. #3 YOANN KONGOLO (61-6 Overall; 2-1 Glory) – Welterweight Title
The main event at Glory 29 is the second Welterweight title defense for Nieky Holzken. Holzken may only officially be Glory champion since last year, but he’s been the clear king of the division for much longer. After starting his career at 70kg and doing well but not spectacularly, Holzken found a home at Welterweight, where he is currently on a 15-1 run dating back 5 years. Holzken is everything you want in a kickboxer – crisp, beautiful technique; excellent strategic mind; brutal power in his body shots. For my money, he’s the sport’s #1 pound for pound fighter today. That said, he comes in here off a very tough fight against Murthel Groenhart that many felt Groenhart won. I don’t mark that as a demerit to Holzken though, I mark it as a testament to Groenhart, who fought the fight of his career that night.
Challenger Kongolo came to Glory last year. He’s a strong, physical type fighter, which is typical of those who train out of Mike’s Gym (notably, that’s also the gym of Groenhart). Kongolo loves to get aggressive, get in an opponent’s face, and get the KO, and he also brings in some more traditional martial arts elements to his game. He’s done well with that strategy so far, with a good win over Karapet Karapetyan last time out at Glory 26. Before that, he did lose to Karim Ghajji though. Kongolo is a good fighter, and one who I am excited to see in here, but this feels like too deep waters for him – he’ll make it a good fight, but not enough to topple the king.
Prediction: Nieky Holzken, KO
SERHIY ADAMCHUK (32-5 Overall; 4-0 Glory) vs. MOHAMMED EL-MIR (113-21 Overall; 0-1 Glory) – Lightweight
Just yesterday, this fight changed, as original opponent Niclas Larsen was forced out. Stepping in is an interesting replacement fighter indeed – Glory Featherweight champion Serhiy Adamchuk. Because it’s short notice, Adamchuk (who formerly fought at Lightweight) will be at Lightweight here, and so of course the title is not on the line. For El-Mir, that switch is both bad luck and a golden opportunity. There’s no denying that Adamchuk is a massive step up from Larsen. He’s world champion for a reason, as he has a great ability to stifle his opponent’s offense and shut them down. It doesn’t always make for the most crowd-pleasing fights, but it is undeniably effective. El-Mir made his lone Glory appearance all the way back at Glory 1, losing to Albert Kraus. He has good Muay Thai experience, and is highly regarded in Denmark. His fight with Larsen was something of a grudge match that local fans had long anticipated – switching from that to Adamchuk is not going to be easy, but if El-Mir can pull it off, it will be a huge launching pad for him.
Prediction: Serhiy Adamchuk, Dec
SEMIFINAL: #4 ANDERSON SILVA (39-13-1 Overall; 5-5 Glory) vs. ISMAEL LONDT (36-6-1 Overall; Glory Debut) – Heavyweight
This half of the Heavyweight tournament semifinals sees one of the most exciting Heavyweight debuts in Glory history. “Mr. Pain” Ismael Londt gets his long overdue shot at Glory here, and there’s good reason to be excited about that. Londt is a veteran of the European scene, competing extensively for Superkombat. He has wins over Mladen Brestovac, Hesdy Gerges, Mourad Bouzidi, and a host of other very strong fighters. In 2012, he made it to the K-1 GP finals, losing to Mirko Cro Cop. Londt is a very heavy hitting power striker, with KO power in his hands and a vicious assault. Check out this list of stoppages from his wikipedia page: TKO (Broken Rib), TKO (Broken Nose), TKO (Eye Injury), TKO (Flying Knee). He’s a big Heavyweight, and he hurts people – if that doesn’t make you want to watch, I don’t know what to tell you. He faces a stiff, but perfect test here in Anderson Silva, a veteran of the sport who is a perfect gatekeeper. Silva has the technical skill to make you pay if you get too reckless, and he will always be in the fight. He comes in off a very good performance at Glory 27, but had been on a 3 fight skid before that. I like Silva as a test here, but I also like Londt’s ability to get past that test in exciting fashion.
Wilnis had a mostly forgettable 3-1 run in Glory a few years ago, but came back strong last year to cap off a great 2015 for the Dutch fighter. That year saw him win a stacked Kunlun tournament, then make the finals of the Glory 26 Heavyweight tournament, losing a razor close decision to Benjamin Adegbuyi. That fight was a great example of Heavyweights throwing down, and a ridiculously entertaining fight. Like his brother Jason, Wilnis has transformed himself in the past year from solid journeyman to title contender, and comes in to this fight having recently won the Enfusion HW title. Debuting Russian fighter Kornilov was a late addition to this tournament, and frankly is a bit out of place here (it feels as if Glory was holding the spot for someone else who fell through, so Kornilov got the back-up call). He’s the least experienced in this tournament, and he fights that way – green, somewhat tentative, and leaving himself far too open for counters. He’s taking a massive step up in competition here, and I just don’t see it going well for him.
Prediction: Jahfarr Wilnis, KO
HEAVYWEIGHT FINAL
I have this as Londt vs. Wilnis, and I certainly hope I am right, because that is just a fantastic fight. It’s also a very tough fight to call. Wilnis has been KO’d in the past, and he’s shown a willingness to engage in a firefight – if he does that against Mr. Pain, it could go poorly for him. But at this moment in their careers, I like Wilnis’s experience to carry him through in an excellent final.
Prediction: Jahfarr Wilnis, Decision
Join us here at Bloody Elbow on Saturday for live Glory 29 coverage.
Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will make his return to the Octagon in July, but it won’t be at the massive UFC 200 pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza.
Instead, the Brazilian will defend his 1…
Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will make his return to the Octagon in July, but it won’t be at the massive UFC 200 pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza.
Instead, the Brazilian will defend his 155-pound title against former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 90, locked and loaded for Thurs., July 7, 2016 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, streaming exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
That’s a far cry from a UFC 196 headliner against Conor McGregor, but at least Dos Anjos still gets to be a part of International fight week. The following night features The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale and then Saturday is the big shebang on PPV.
No other bouts have been announced for UFC Fight Night 90 at this time; however, you can expect that to change sooner, rather than later.
UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos has his next fight set. According to UFC Fight Pass’s official Twitter account, dos Anjos will defend his 155-pound crown against #1 lightweight Eddie Alvarez: BREAKING: UFC 155lbs title is on the line ONLY on #UFCFIGHTPASS, Thursday, July 7 @RdosAnjosMMA vs @Ealvarezfight! pic.twitter.com/BwxI5T2vat — UFC Fight Pass (@UFCFightPass) April
RDA was originally scheduled to defend his title against Conor McGregor at UFC 196; however, an injury suffered in training camp caused him to pull out of the fight.
Prior to the injury, dos Anjos had separated from the stacked 155-pound field with dominant victories over former champion Anthony Pettis and previously surging Donald Cerrone.
Alvarez comes off of a split decision win over former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis this past January. The title bout is set for UFC fight pass on Thursday July 7th, just two days before UFC 200.
After two years on the sidelines due to injuries, No. 2-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to the Octagon this Saturday (April 16, 2016) on the main card of UFC on FOX 19 in Tampa, Florida.
And you can expect him to be calling for a 155-pound title shot when the smoke clears in “The Sunshine State,” according to his conversation with MMA Fighting, because unlike some of those other “bums,” he never loses.
His words:
“I never lost a round my whole career. I beat the current lightweight champion. I hope these guys give me a title shot. This is not my problem that I have Darrel Horcher. I asked Cowboy, I asked Eddie Alvarez, I asked Tony Ferguson, and nobody came. This is not my problem. I’m undefeated all my life. Eddie Alvarez loses all the time, ‘Cowboy’ loses, Tony Ferguson loses. UFC needs somebody different. Somebody new, new level, new generation. All these bums lose all the time. Nate Diaz has lost 10 times, McGregor has lost, Tony Ferguson has lost, Eddie Alvarez, Cowboy, everybody has lost. I am undefeated. UFC needs to give me a title shot.”
Reigning champion Rafael dos Anjos, who lost to “The Eagle” at UFC on FOX 11, returns to action in July.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) was expected to trade blows with Tony Ferguson this weekend on FOX; however, “El Cucuy” was medically unfit to compete and forced to withdraw. The promotion scrambled for a new opponent and a few big names were teased before Horcher entered the fray.
For more on how that fight came together click here.
After two years on the sidelines due to injuries, No. 2-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to the Octagon this Saturday (April 16, 2016) on the main card of UFC on FOX 19 in Tampa, Florida.
And you can expect him to be calling for a 155-pound title shot when the smoke clears in “The Sunshine State,” according to his conversation with MMA Fighting, because unlike some of those other “bums,” he never loses.
His words:
“I never lost a round my whole career. I beat the current lightweight champion. I hope these guys give me a title shot. This is not my problem that I have Darrel Horcher. I asked Cowboy, I asked Eddie Alvarez, I asked Tony Ferguson, and nobody came. This is not my problem. I’m undefeated all my life. Eddie Alvarez loses all the time, ‘Cowboy’ loses, Tony Ferguson loses. UFC needs somebody different. Somebody new, new level, new generation. All these bums lose all the time. Nate Diaz has lost 10 times, McGregor has lost, Tony Ferguson has lost, Eddie Alvarez, Cowboy, everybody has lost. I am undefeated. UFC needs to give me a title shot.”
Reigning champion Rafael dos Anjos, who lost to “The Eagle” at UFC on FOX 11, returns to action in July.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) was expected to trade blows with Tony Ferguson this weekend on FOX; however, “El Cucuy” was medically unfit to compete and forced to withdraw. The promotion scrambled for a new opponent and a few big names were teased before Horcher entered the fray.
For more on how that fight came together click here.
Rafael dos Anjos’ next UFC lightweight title defense will be against Eddie Alvarez, and it will air exclusively on UFC Fight Pass. As they did last December, the UFC is staging three events in three days as part of International Fight Week, …
Rafael dos Anjos’ next UFC lightweight title defense will be against Eddie Alvarez, and it will air exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
As they did last December, the UFC is staging three events in three days as part of International Fight Week, and kicking things off is a championship fight on UFC Fight Pass. In an announcement made by the UFC on Friday, reigning lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will defend his title against Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 90 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dos Anjos (25-7) won the lightweight belt by soundly beating Anthony Pettis at UFC 185. The Brazilian successfully defended the belt with a quick TKO of Donald Cerrone last December. He was scheduled to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 196, but broke his foot and had to be pulled from the event. RDA has won 5 straight, with only 1 defeat (vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov) in his last 11 fights.
Alvarez (27-4) is the former Bellator lightweight champion who made his UFC debut in 2014, losing to Donald Cerrone by unanimous decision. He earned his first win inside the Octagon last June at UFC 188, rallying from a rough round 1 to defeat Glibert Melendez by split decision. At UFC Boston in January, Alvarez scored an upset split decision victory over Anthony Pettis, which has evidently earned him the right to fight for the title. For what it’s worth, Alvarez is the #1 ranked contender over Nurmagomedov in the official UFC rankings.
This fight marks the second time that the UFC has put a title fight on Fight Pass, with Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Jessica Penne serving as the first one last June in Berlin, Germany. That bout was a replacement main event when Alexander Gustafsson vs. Glover Teixeira was scrapped, so consider this the first time a UFC championship bout has been booked as an original Fight Pass main event.
As for dos Anjos, his broken foot led to him losing the champion vs. champion superfight with McGregor, and now he’ll be on UFC Fight Pass on Thursday, July 7th, two days before McGregor’s UFC 200 main event insta-rematch with Nate Diaz, whom RDA thrashed to secure his title shot vs. Pettis.