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Tim Kennedy Requests Random Drug Testing for Fight with Yoel Romero at UFC 178

First, it was Vitor Belfort’s elevated levels of testosterone in February. Next came Wanderlei Silva’s refusal to be tested in May. It all came to a climax only Shakespeare could pen when Chael Sonnen tested positive for human growth hormone, among a f…

First, it was Vitor Belfort‘s elevated levels of testosterone in February. Next came Wanderlei Silva’s refusal to be tested in May. It all came to a climax only Shakespeare could pen when Chael Sonnen tested positive for human growth hormone, among a few other banned substances, in June—UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy had seen enough.

“They randomly test three dudes and all three fail,” Kennedy first told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. “All in my weight class. All dudes I could potentially be fighting. I went from just being vocal about drug use, to saying to myself, ‘I have to make a stand about this.'”

Kennedy’s set to duke it out with former Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero at UFC 178 in Las Vegas. He won’t be taking any chances this time around—he wants random testing leading up to his middleweight clash.

Though Kennedy isn’t necessarily accusing Romero of cheating the sport, the recipient of the Army’s Bronze Star Medal with the “V” device isn’t so sure about any of the other fighters currently competing under the Zuffa banner.

“The first time [the NSAC] randomly tested people, everybody failed,” Kennedy told Okamoto. “Imagine what that looks like across 450 athletes. Are we talking about 60 or 70 percent? I really believe it’s somewhere in that range of fighters that are using.”

Kennedy went to Twitter to reiterate what his request was truly all about

This isn’t the first time that a high-profile UFC fighter has publicly requested extensive drug testing before a fight. Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre first requested testing by VADA—the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association—leading up to his bout with current UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Jon Jones also went ahead and requested random testing prior to his championship fight with Glover Teixeira at UFC 172.

Though the UFC has already agreed to open up the checkbook to fund the testing—which comes out to a whopping $45,000 per fight—Kennedy originally offered to pay for his half of the bill.

“Whatever it takes to ensure we are moving forward toward having a clean sport, which we are nowhere near right now,” Kennedy told Okamoto. “Something has to change.”

Currently ranked sixth in the UFC’s middleweight division, a decisive victory over an up-and-coming fighter in No. 11 Yoel Romero could put Kennedy a few inches closer to a highly coveted opportunity at UFC gold. A decisive victory against performance-enhancing drugs at UFC 178, and all future events, could inch Kennedy and the UFC a bit closer to a highly coveted opportunity to wield credibility and transparency.

Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.

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Cat Zingano Returns Against Amanda Nunes at UFC 178

The former No. 1 contender for Ronda Rousey’s UFC women’s bantamweight title will make her return to the cage at UFC 178 in Las Vegas on September 27.
Cat Zingano (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who has been out of action since defeating Miesha T…

The former No. 1 contender for Ronda Rousey’s UFC women’s bantamweight title will make her return to the cage at UFC 178 in Las Vegas on September 27.

Cat Zingano (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who has been out of action since defeating Miesha Tate at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale in April 2013, will take on Amanda Nunes (9-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the Octagon when the UFC returns to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Kevin Iole from Yahoo Sports first reported the news.

After earning a coaching spot opposite Ronda Rousey on the 18th season of TUF, Zingano was forced off the show with a knee injury and was replaced by Tate, who also filled in for Zingano against Rousey at UFC 168 in December, losing by third-round armbar.

The injury wasn’t the only thing that kept Zingano sidelined, as she has also had to deal with the suicide of her husband, Mauricio Zingano, earlier this year. The 32-year-old returned to training back in May and has been anxious to step back inside the Octagon.

Despite Zingano’s No. 1 contender status, it makes sense that she gets another fight under her belt before mixing it up with the ultra-dominant Rousey, who just made quick work of highly touted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Alexis Davis at UFC 175. She isn’t exactly getting a tune-up fight in the Brazilian Amanda Nunes, who has finished both of her UFC fights with first-round TKOs.

Should Alpha Cat get past Nunes, she would most likely be the next challenger for the women’s bantamweight title, as there are no clear-cut standouts in the division, and the UFC has yet to sign either Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino or Gina Carano to vie for Rousey’s title.

UFC 178 is headlined by Jones vs. Gustafsson II and also features the return of former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who is returning after a three-year layoff from the sport.

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Uriah Hall Shares Picture of X-Ray of Broken Toe

At UFC 175, Uriah Hall won a unanimous decision over Thiago Santos, and midway through the first round he suffered a gruesome dislocation on one of his toes. He was limping for more than two-thirds of the three-round fight but was still able to mainta…

On Monday, he tweeted an X-ray of his injury, which clearly shows his distal phalange, the third bone within his second toe, completely out of place, as was seen on the pay-per-view broadcast between each round of the fight.

It’s not entirely clear when exactly the injury occurred, but Hall began limping from it with 2:01 on the clock in the first round after he caught a kick from Santos, tripped him and backed up after Santos immediately stood back up.

Hall wasn’t able to mount the type of offense seen in his last performance against Chris Leben, where he used a barrage of devastating punches and kicks to dismantle Leben and cause him to resign on his stool at the end of the first round.

He endured the pain and even threw several high kicks throughout the fight but was visibly struggling with the reality of the situation on his foot. The ringside physician came in and said something to him before the start of the third round, but the fight ultimately continued to the final bell.

The adrenaline started to wear off and the pain set in during Hall’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, and an emotional Hall said that he could feel his bone shift in and out of his skin with every movement while throwing kicks.

Even though he was in a lot of pain, Hall still had time to spread a positive message to the crowd, saying, “If you are not going after your dreams, guess what? You merely just exist. You don’t want to just exist. You want to do something. Be a part of life!”

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UFC 175: What We Learned from Rob Font’s Octagon Debut

At UFC 175 on Saturday Night, Rob Font stormed onto the bantamweight scene with his first-round knockout of George Roop in the opening bout on the Fox Sports 1 prelims. The win gave the Team Sityodtong fighter his 10th straight victory and his third fi…

Roop was a legitimate test for Font in his first fight at 135 pounds. Roop has finished fighters like Chan Sung Jung, Brian Bowles and Josh Grispi and was the much taller fighter. Font typically closes the distance against his opponents by running with looping hooks, and that’s exactly what he did in the fight with Roop, landing a thunderous right hand that sent Roop crashing to the canvas.

It wasn’t a long fight, as the finish came at 2:19 of the first frame, but he earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for his quick work and is eager to get back in the cage right away. Font’s 11-1 professional record speaks for itself, and his post-fight proclamation that Octagon jitters are a lie should tell you he is ready for anyone in the division.

Speaking to reporters after his fight, Font mentioned he wants to return to action quickly and whom he’d like to face next, saying:

Honestly, I think Sergio Pettis would be an awesome fight. If we could make that happen, that would be great, but [aside from Pettis] it doesn’t really matter who else. I’d love to get in there as soon as possible.

It’s a tough division, T.J.’s the man. Everybody is going to be a tough fight. I’m ready, I’m here. I felt like I proved that I’m here to stay, and I want to get back in there as soon as possible.

When asked why he wanted the fight with “The Phenom,” Font had this to say:

I really feel like he’s a 125er, and he shouldn’t be at 135. I think it would be a great fight for the fans. No disrespect to him, I think he’s awesome. I think beating Sergio Pettis would be a little better than beating George Roop, because he’s that good, he’s solid, and I just think it would be a great fight for the fans.

A fight with Pettis would be a treat for the fans, as both men fight at a brisk pace, and their explosive striking styles would match up well against one another.

The UFC is headed to New England for a September 5 show at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, which isn’t far from where Font put in work at CES MMA shows in Lincoln, Rhode Island. If the fight with Pettis isn‘t in the cards, matchups with fighters a bit higher up the ladder like Erik Perez or Alex Caceres would be interesting tests for the newly established bantamweight.

We learned in this fight Font is capable of putting on a show on the big stage, and his call-up to the UFC didn’t come a moment too soon. He comes from an extremely well-rounded team headed up by Mark Dellagrotte at Sityodtong Academy in Somerville, Massachusetts and Mike Gresh at Cape Cod Fighting Alliance in Wareham and has the tools to make the 135-pound division in the UFC that much more interesting.

He’s going to need a few more performances similar to UFC 175 to really register in the minds of most fans, but earning a $50,000 performance bonus after a first-round knockout on the biggest show of the year is not a bad way to start.

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UFC 175: The Important Storylines After the Fight

UFC 175 is in the books, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship should be pleased with their latest offering. Two champions further solidified their claims on the pound-for-pound list, while a number of other competitors had strong showings of their own. Now that the event is over, these are some interesting story lines that should follow the fighters and promotion going forward.

Chris Weidman as the Face of the Promotion

Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida put on a stellar showcase for the middleweight title. Weidman walked away from the contest with the belt in tow and the opportunity to establish himself as the face of the UFC.

Weidman has already become the darling of the MMA community as he’s been featured on a number of different media outlets. Platforms such as ESPN, Fox Sports and other organizations have become Weidman‘s new playground as he promoted UFC 175. His potential to become the next big star of this sport is widely recognized at this point.

“He has the potential to be the next star,” Jay Glazer told MMA Junkie‘s Mike Bohn. “He’s a good-looking guy, and he’s as down to Earth as you’re every going to get. … He’s the future, and he’s legitimately one of the sweetest human beings you’ll ever meet in your life.”

Stars such as Chuck Liddell and Georges St. Pierre helped push mixed martial arts to its current level of popularity. Weidman‘s victory proved he has the skill to be the next man to carry that baton. The challengers that await him at middleweight are just what he needs to build his name. Timing could not be any more perfect as the UFC is in need of stars to build upon.

Ronda Rousey‘s Dominance

Sixteen seconds was all Ronda Rousey needed to dismantle the newest challenger to her bantamweight title. Alexis Davis was a true underdog coming into this fight, but this quick finish outcome wasn’t expected by most. That leaves the UFC in a tough predicament with what to do with the fighter that is presented as their biggest star on the roster.

Rousey has already defeated six of the women ranked in the top 10 of this weight class. Cat Zingano was forced to the sideline due to her knee injury, but placing her in an immediate bout against Rousey would leave her at a disadvantage.

Rousey has shown interest in facing Bethe Correia, who has seemed to make it a point to take out the champion’s training partners. That potential fight is still a long ways off before the UFC can justify that booking. The same goes with a rematch against Sara McMann. The options are truly limited with what the company can do with the “Rowdy” one.

Holly Holm and Cristiane Justino sit on the outside looking in as the UFC has struggled to get either of them signed to the promotion. While both of these competitors could be booked as potential threats to Ronda’s reign, the MMA community is still far away from seeing either contest.

The UFC is at a point where it needs Rousey more than ever. Unfortunately, a lack of compelling matchups will make it difficult to properly book their champion.

How the UFC will follow up

UFC 175 was set to be a major test for the promotion. 2014 had been less than stellar when it came to pay-per-view buys for the company. This card was stacked with two title bouts in hopes that their defenses would catch the eyes of the viewing public. General response to the event has been widely positive. Now the question turns to how the UFC can follow up for the fans.

UFC 176 was set to go on Aug. 2 and feature the rematch between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. Unfortunately the injury bug has hit Aldo once again and puts that card in serious jeopardy. Outside of Jon Jones, the company has struggled to garner much attention for their champions.

The current model of flooding the market with fights haven’t had the best results at this time. Yet the leaders of the UFC seem undaunted in changing their model.

It will be interesting to see how the promotion follows up to such a strong event. Momentum is vital in the sports promotion industry, so the UFC will best benefit by creating cards that immediately capture the attention of mainstream fans. That has already been difficult for much of 2014, but the organization has to find a way to answer the call.

UFC 175 was a very bright spot for a 2014 that has been filled with challenges for the organization. These are just three of the story lines that now follow key fighters and the organization as a whole.

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UFC 175: Keys to Victory for Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida

Chris Weidman knocked Anderson Silva out at UFC 162. He stopped him again in their rematch at UFC 168 after Silva snapped his leg on a checked kick.
He defeated the greatest fighter on the face of the planet twice, successfully calling the middle…

Chris Weidman knocked Anderson Silva out at UFC 162. He stopped him again in their rematch at UFC 168 after Silva snapped his leg on a checked kick.

He defeated the greatest fighter on the face of the planet twice, successfully calling the middleweight throne his own in the process. Even after doing all of that, some people still feel the newly crowned champ lacks the sort of credibility his predecessor had.

He’ll be stepping into the Octagon against Lyoto Machida on Saturday, July 5 at UFC 175 to do just that—prove he’s deserving of the middleweight crown.

Machida has always been a difficult puzzle for most fighters to solve, but Weidman has never been defeated in his professional mixed martial arts career.

With both fighters set to have their hands full, here are the keys to victory for both Weidman and Machida.

Lyoto Machida: Keep the Distance and Embrace the Boos

Machida is an elusive but remarkably patient counterstriker who can frustrate and evade the most talented fighters who are looking to simply march forward and strike—something Weidman has always been fond of.

The Dragon is agile enough to prevent even the most talented MMA wrestlers from taking him down and scoring points—again, a pivotal aspect of Weidman’s game.

Machida is not new to the fight game, though. He’s privy to what fans want to see him do: knock the other dude senseless. But, as painstakingly boring as it is for the average MMA fan to endure, that’s only going to happen if his opponent is willing to engage first.

He’s welcomed the boos in previous fights, such as his bout with Dan Henderson at UFC 157, and should definitely welcome them here—he has to stay out of Weidman’s range in order to win this fight.

On paper, this shouldn’t be too difficult of a task for The Dragon to accomplish—he’s faster and far more skilled on foot than the champion is.

Unless Weidman plans to supplement his critics’ arguments with a barrage of boos during his first title defense against somebody other than Silva, Machida just needs to sit and wait for the champion to grow tired of not engaging.

Chris Weidman: Cut Off the Cage and Get the Fight to the Ground

It’s really no secret—Weidman probably needs to get this fight to the ground in order to retain his belt against his striking savant of an opponent.

Sure, Weidman was able to show his improved striking skills against Silva in both of his title bouts, but it’s highly unlikely Machida leaves his hands down and verbally calls at the champion to touch his chin. Knowing Machida and his tactical capabilities, it’s improbable he fires leg kicks in high volume in this fight, too—so go ahead and eliminate any freak-accident leg-snapping incidents from this equation.

Weidman can’t just move forward the way he did against Silva; he needs to be more patient and slowly close off the cage. The champion has to be as careful as ever—even the smallest mistake can stop him from taking the strap as a carry-on on his way back to the Serra-Longo Fight Team.

Closing the distance and maintaining some sort of constant contact with Machida is the only way Weidman takes this fight to the ground. There, and only there, can the champion begin to paint his ground-and-pound and submission-filled canvas en route to securing his title and eliminating all hopes of the second-coming of “The Machida Era.”

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