The UFC has big plans for champions Conor McGregor and Holly Holm in 2016, which is one of the reasons they will both be showcased as huge betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark on Saturday’s UFC 196 card in Las Vegas.
McGr…
The UFC has big plans for champions ConorMcGregor and Holly Holm in 2016, which is one of the reasons they will both be showcased as huge betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark on Saturday’s UFC 196 card in Las Vegas.
McGregor (19-2), the new featherweight champ, was hoping to add the lightweight title to his belt collection until Rafael dos Anjos backed out due to a broken foot. Now, the brash Irishman will take on Nate Diaz (18-10) at welterweight in the main event as heavy minus-380 chalk (bet $380 to win $100).
Diaz was more than happy to get the opportunity to try to slow down the McGregor hype train, jumping at the chance despite fighting on short notice. TheUltimate Fighter 5 winner has been involved in several high-profile bouts in his career and is coming off a surprise win over Michael Johnson as an underdog December 19 at UFC on Fox 17.
Diaz scored an impressive unanimous-decision victory against Johnson to earn this shot against McGregor, and he is a plus-290 dog (bet $100 to win $290) this time around.
McGregor closed out 2015 by handing former featherweight champ Jose Aldo his first loss in more than 10 years via a 13-second knockout at UFC 194 one week earlier. That was his seventh consecutive victory since joining the UFC in 2013 and his sixth finish during that stretch in two rounds or less. He has not suffered a loss since 2010.
For Holm (10-0), her mammoth upset of previously undefeated women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey shocked the MMA world, as fans and bettors alike wondered how that could possibly happen. The former world champion boxer used her superior striking to KO Rousey in the second round at UFC 193 last November 15.
Second-ranked contender Miesha Tate (17-5) is her next opponent in the co-main event. Rousey continues to recover and hopes to return in the second half of the year.
Holm is a large minus-350 favorite against Tate, who is a plus-265 dog, according to oddsmakers, and currently the second-ranked contender behind Rousey. Tate was originally bypassed as the previous top contender to set up the Holm-Rousey matchup, and she will look to prevent the rematch from happening by pulling off an upset of her own.
Yeah we missed it at first too, but if you watch again you’ll see that Nate Diaz landed a clean and unanswered shot on Conor McGregor… If you’ve been keeping up with the UFC this week you’ll know it’s all been about Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. The two outspoken fan favorites will collide in the main
Yeah we missed it at first too, but if you watch again you’ll see that Nate Diaz landed a clean and unanswered shot on Conor McGregor…
If you’ve been keeping up with the UFC this week you’ll know it’s all been about Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. The two outspoken fan favorites will collide in the main event of UFC 196 this Saturday March 5, and it’s been a very eventful 24 hours in this heated rivalry. Not only have the two been trash talking the living daylights out of each other, but McGregor and Diaz damn near started the fight on stage last night.
The second UFC 196 pre-fight show between ‘The Notorious’ and his Stockton opposite was just an absolute fan’s dream. The two had an intense moment on stage when Conor McGregor smacked away Nate Diaz’s extended fist, and havoc ensued as the two scuffled, and the 209 crew rushed the stage to join the antics.
Following this moment of live action madness came yet more bonkers footage from Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz’s appearance on FOX Sports. As they sat with Jay and Dan, things got heated real quick. Check it out:
But one moment has gone amiss here, as we may have missed the obvious at the UFC 196 presser brawl.
UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has promised to hit UFC 196 opponent Nate Diaz with a half-moon capoeira kick, and said he will “ping it across his head” during the main event on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Notorious appeared on the Conan O’Brien …
UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has promised to hit UFC 196 opponent Nate Diaz with a half-moon capoeira kick, and said he will “ping it across his head” during the main event on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Notorious appeared on the Conan O’Brien Show ahead of the fight and described how he will approach his opponent in the Octagon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The TV show shared the footage of the interview on YouTube, as the superstar demoed the kick for the watching audience:
The build up to the fight has been explosive, with both men making disparaging comments about each other.
McGregor has previously correctly predicted how he will put opponents away, earning himself the nickname of “Mystic Mac.”
The Irishman predicted exactly how he would end Jose Aldo’s unbeaten streak in his last bout when he earned the lightweight championship strap, as reported by Claire Healy and James Edwards of the Irish Mirror.
This time, McGregor said the Meia Lua capoeira kick will be prominent in the fight on Saturday, and it is a technique he is “very good at” and is “getting better at.”
Both fighters have provided plenty of entertainment in the build-up to the battle after a skirmish broke out at the UFC 196 press conference.
The incident was shared on YouTube by UFC:
McGregor and Diaz were also involved in a heated interview after their altercation; the pair traded insults and threats with one another on Fox Sports 1’s FSLive: Jay and Dan (h/t Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting).
Notorious said his opponent was “afraid” to look him in the eye, while Diaz retorted the Irishman is “scared” of him.
Fox Sports Live shared the full interview on social media:
The bout is delicately balanced, but only McGregor has something to lose on Saturday. He has become the UFC’s major crossover star equivalent to Ronda Rousey, and he will be expected to win comfortably in certain quarters.
However, Diaz’s jiu-jitsu style is impressive, and he will have the technical ability to beat McGregor at the MGM Grand.
Notorious has significantly bulked up for this welterweight encounter—jumping two weight classes—and looks more physically imposing than in his 13-second demolition of the legendary Aldo.
If McGregor’s speed is compromised by his newly-acquired bulk, the door will be open for Diaz to cause a major shock at UFC 196.
In an interview with Bloody Elbow’s Nick Baldwin, Marion Reneau’s manager, Jason House, reveals their appeal for the controversial loss was denied by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission.
UFC women’s bantamweights Marion Reneau and Ashlee Evans-Smith met in a UFC Fight Night 83 preliminary bout earlier this month. After 15 minutes of back-and-fourth action, Evans-Smith was rewarded the victory in her return fight, but the split decision was very, very controversial.
On MMADecisions.com, only one of 17 media outlets/members scored the fight for Evans-Smith. Two media members even gave Reneau a 10-8 round, including Bloody Elbow’s Dallas Winston.
Below is the official scorecard below, obtained by MMA Fighting (also, it features a calculation error):
After the fight, among the majority of people assuming Reneau would be rewarded the victory handily was her manager, Jason House.
“I was very shocked, I had felt she did more than enough to win that fight,” House, CEO of Iridium Sports Agency, told Bloody Elbow’s Nick Baldwin on MMAjr Radio. “It was a very hard loss to swallow. Marion trained really hard for that fight, she performed well, and it was more shocking to me that two of the three judges had her losing the first round. I don’t understand how you can even have Ashlee win that round. I think if anything, I thought it was more likely for that round to be a 10-8 for her, than her losing that round.
“Reneau was very confident that she had won that fight, her corner was confident that she had won that fight, and I was confident that she had won that fight.”
House and his team tried to appeal the decision loss with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission (PSAC) afterwards, but it didn’t work out for them.
“We tried to file an appeal, the commissioner called me saying we did not have ground for an appeal,” he said. “[He said] that no rule had been violated, that the judges had scored the bout as they had seen it. The commissioner said that he agreed the first round Marion won, and that he was concerned too as why two of three judges had Ashlee winning the first round. He said that Ashlee Evans-Smith clearly won the third round, which I disagree with, he said that it came down to the second round, and the judges had Ashlee winning, therefore Ashlee won the fight.”
The PSAC was surrounded by its own controversy during fight week. Prior to the event, UFC commentator Brian Stann expressed his thoughts about the commission in a series of tweets:
Pennsylvania Athletic Commission has beem absolutely terrible to these fighters today. Will hurt PA’s chances for future cards
According to House, the above happenings were accurate.
“I just felt, in my opinion, the way they were handling the fighters during the week of the fight, they could’ve handled that situation a little bit better during fight week, regarding fight medicals, weigh-ins, things of that nature. I just felt that they weren’t keeping the fighters’ best interest in mind.
House also believes this was one of the worst decisions that included one of his clients. Until the Reneau fight, he had never attempted to appeal a decision before.
“I have never been in a situation before where I thought a fight was that blatantly misjudged, so it’s new territory for us. Like I said, I’m still shocked Marion didn’t win that fight.”
In an interview with Bloody Elbow’s Nick Baldwin, Marion Reneau’s manager, Jason House, reveals their appeal for the controversial loss was denied by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission.
UFC women’s bantamweights Marion Reneau and Ashlee Evans-Smith met in a UFC Fight Night 83 preliminary bout earlier this month. After 15 minutes of back-and-fourth action, Evans-Smith was rewarded the victory in her return fight, but the split decision was very, very controversial.
On MMADecisions.com, only one of 17 media outlets/members scored the fight for Evans-Smith. Two media members even gave Reneau a 10-8 round, including Bloody Elbow’s Dallas Winston.
Below is the official scorecard below, obtained by MMA Fighting (also, it features a calculation error):
After the fight, among the majority of people assuming Reneau would be rewarded the victory handily was her manager, Jason House.
“I was very shocked, I had felt she did more than enough to win that fight,” House, CEO of Iridium Sports Agency, told Bloody Elbow’s Nick Baldwin on MMAjr Radio. “It was a very hard loss to swallow. Marion trained really hard for that fight, she performed well, and it was more shocking to me that two of the three judges had her losing the first round. I don’t understand how you can even have Ashlee win that round. I think if anything, I thought it was more likely for that round to be a 10-8 for her, than her losing that round.
“Reneau was very confident that she had won that fight, her corner was confident that she had won that fight, and I was confident that she had won that fight.”
House and his team tried to appeal the decision loss with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission (PSAC) afterwards, but it didn’t work out for them.
“We tried to file an appeal, the commissioner called me saying we did not have ground for an appeal,” he said. “[He said] that no rule had been violated, that the judges had scored the bout as they had seen it. The commissioner said that he agreed the first round Marion won, and that he was concerned too as why two of three judges had Ashlee winning the first round. He said that Ashlee Evans-Smith clearly won the third round, which I disagree with, he said that it came down to the second round, and the judges had Ashlee winning, therefore Ashlee won the fight.”
The PSAC was surrounded by its own controversy during fight week. Prior to the event, UFC commentator Brian Stann expressed his thoughts about the commission in a series of tweets:
Pennsylvania Athletic Commission has beem absolutely terrible to these fighters today. Will hurt PA’s chances for future cards
According to House, the above happenings were accurate.
“I just felt, in my opinion, the way they were handling the fighters during the week of the fight, they could’ve handled that situation a little bit better during fight week, regarding fight medicals, weigh-ins, things of that nature. I just felt that they weren’t keeping the fighters’ best interest in mind.
House also believes this was one of the worst decisions that included one of his clients. Until the Reneau fight, he had never attempted to appeal a decision before.
“I have never been in a situation before where I thought a fight was that blatantly misjudged, so it’s new territory for us. Like I said, I’m still shocked Marion didn’t win that fight.”
Mike Winkeljohn, striking coach to current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm, knows the threats Miesha Tate will present for his pupil when the two collide at UFC 196 on Sat., March 5, 20…
Mike Winkeljohn, striking coach to current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm, knows the threats Miesha Tate will present for his pupil when the two collide at UFC 196 on Sat., March 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
From her experience, wrestling, and all the way to her “never give up” attitude, “Cupcake” has put the Holm camp on high alert in the lead up to their much-anticipated title fight in “Sin City.”
Which is why Winkeljohn recently declared on The MMA Hour that Tate’s all-around talent makes her a “scary” threat.
“Oh yeah. You know, she’s number one for a reason. She’s been around for a long time and she’s pretty darn good everywhere. She hits hard; she’s tapping people out,” he said (via MMA Fighting).
“Her wrestling is very good. You see that she’s beaten jiu-jitsu people, she’s beaten wrestlers and she’s beaten strikers so she’s very good at what she does. Just the no give up attitude,” he said. “How many fights has she been losing and she comes back? She’s as tough as they come. She’s a competitor at the highest level with skills, so that’s always scary.”
That said, Winkeljohn didn’t hold back when making his prediction for the fight, as he says Holly will be just as dominant against Miesha as she was during her second-round knockout over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 last November.
Speaking of second rounds, “Wink” predicted that his champion would put “Cupcake” to sleep in round number two, as well.
“Second round KO for Holly Holm,” Winkeljohn said. “Yeah a lot like it; just as dominant.”
To learn more about the upcoming women’s 135-pound title bout — which will serve as co-main event to Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz — click here.
Check out Bloody Elbow’s live stream and coverage of the UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz weigh-ins on Friday, March 4th at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT. UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor was supposed to move up to lightweight to fight champion Rafael …
Check out Bloody Elbow’s live stream and coverage of the UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz weigh-ins on Friday, March 4th at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT.
UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor was supposed to move up to lightweight to fight champion Rafael dos Anjos, but he’s instead going to fight Nate Diaz in a five-round welterweight clash in the UFC 196 main event in Las Vegas, Nevada. While one championship fight fell through, the co-main event has stayed intact, with women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm making her first defense of her belt against Miesha Tate.
As always, before we get to the fights ahead we have to make sure they’re all on course to make weight. Bloody Elbow has live updates on the UFC 196 weigh-ins starting at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT on Friday, March 4th. Live video of the weigh-ins can be viewed by pressing the play button at the top of the page. Bloody Elbow will live-tweet the results (@BloodyElbow), and provide a separate results page upon completion of the weigh-ins, including the main event and co-main event staredowns.
UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has promised to hit UFC 196 opponent 
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