Former UFC fighter Luis Pena accused of domesic violence in this 9-1-1 call from his partner. Audio has been released between a 9-1-1 dispatcher and Luis Pena’s partner just prior to the fo…
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Former UFC fighter Luis Pena accused of domesic violence in this 9-1-1 call from his partner.
Audio has been released between a 9-1-1 dispatcher and Luis Pena’s partner just prior to the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter’s arrest.
“We have a no-contact order so, technically, we shouldn’t even be living together,” the woman said in audio (listen above) obtained by MMA Fighting (and first reported by TMZ). “I really need the cops to come get him out now because I have scratches and bruises all over me now from him. I need him gone. I’m done, and I need help. Please.
“I wasn’t trying to snitch, but since my boyfriend wants to be an assh—e, he put his hands on me and he’s got to go,” she continued. “He punched me in the face, but he did this also two days ago… I have a band-aid on my back, I have everything to prove it. So I would like the police to come and remove him, so I can get my things and go the f—k home.”
Pena was previously arrested in June on charges of robbery, battery and criminal mischief for allegedly assaulting his partner. He was also accused of domestic battery from an alleged incident in May; however, the woman filed an affidavit signaling she didn’t want to move forward with the previous two cases.
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In 2016, the idea of Luke Rockhold getting respect would have been laughable for Michael Bisping. Fast forward five years and “The Count” is now calling for his former arch-rival to get more of it from fans and fighters. Rockhold hasn’t entered the Octagon since 2019. Following a knockout defeat to current Bellator star Yoel […]
In 2016, the idea of Luke Rockhold getting respect would have been laughable for Michael Bisping. Fast forward five years and “The Count” is now calling for his former arch-rival to get more of it from fans and fighters.
Rockhold hasn’t entered the Octagon since 2019. Following a knockout defeat to current Bellator star Yoel Romero, the veteran moved up to challenge Jan Blachowicz at light heavyweight. In their UFC 239 main card clash, the Polish powerhouse brutally KO’d Rockhold in the second round.
After over two years away from action, the former 185-pound champ was set to make his return at UFC 268 next month. Rockhold was scheduled to clash with the charismatic and controversial Sean Strickland inside New York’s prestigious Madison Square Garden. However, after suffering two herniated disks in his back, the 36-year-old was forced to withdraw from the November 6 card.
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold said on his Instagram stories 20 minutes ago that he’s out of his comeback bout vs. Sean Strickland at UFC 268 on Nov. 6 in New York due to a herniated disc in his back. Unfortunate news.
One man who was disappointed to hear the news of the cancelation was Bisping. In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Britain’s only UFC champion said he had been looking forward to Rockhold’s return against “Tarzan.” He even believed his former bitter foe would have emerged victorious at the November pay-per-view.
His opinion contrasts with that of a large section of the MMA community. Many believe Rockhold is finished as an elite fighter and has no hope of returning to title contention. According to Bisping, fighters and fans should show the “formidable” Californian much more respect than he currently gets.
“I was really looking forward to that fight. I don’t know who would’ve won, but I would probably, if you asked me, I would’ve put my money on Luke because Luke was fired up, Luke wants to be the champion again, and he wants to get back that respect. Because that’s what I’m talking about here. A lot of people, even fans and other fighters, aren’t giving Luke the respect that he deserves. He definitely deserves respect, let me tell you, 100%.
“Listen, sometimes he says dumb stuff, but the man is a formidable fighter. He’s a force to deal with inside the Octagon.”
Strickland appeared to have a different attitude in mind following news of Rockhold’s injury. The #7-ranked middleweight suggested the former champ was always going to pull out, and even claimed Rockhold had stormed out of a gym after sparring him.
Considering the comparisons drawn between the pair in the past, Bisping and Strickland certainly have polar-opposite views when it comes to Rockhold.
That time Bisping walked into post fight presser and talked to Rockhold like a G pic.twitter.com/C532zHDGxY
Nevertheless, Bisping’s reaction is a far cry from the words we became used to seeing him exchange with Rockhold during their heated rivalry back in the day. Having lost to the former champ in 2014, “The Count” exacted his revenge by dethroning him via a first-round knockout in 2016.
Since Bisping’s retirement, the pair have appeared much more cordial with each other, and often interact at Jason Parillo’s gym in California. We all love a good rivalry in MMA, but it’s always nice to see two enemies bury the hatchet years later.
Do you agree with Michael Bisping? Does Luke Rockhold deserve more respect?
Some debuts are years in the making, while others come out of nowhere. And UFC Vegas 40 this weekend (Sat., Oct. 16, 2021) inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, features one…
Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Some debuts are years in the making, while others come out of nowhere. And UFC Vegas 40 this weekend (Sat., Oct. 16, 2021) inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, features one of each. On this edition of “New Blood,” the series where I willingly re-open Facebook for your sakes, we check out a brawler out of Combate and a Muay Thai expert from ONE.
Erick “The Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez
Weight Class: Lightweight Age: 29 Record: 14-5 (8 KO, 1 SUB) Notable Victories: Won Sik Park, Marco Antonio Elpidio
California’s Gonzalez cut his teeth in Combate, sharing the cage with promotional mainstays like Andres Quintana and Rafa Garcia. Though he missed all of 2020, he’s made up for lost time in 2021 with a pair of victories under the Naciones MMA and LXF banners.
Standing 5’11” and boasting a 74.5-inch reach, Gonzalez is an all-action aggressor with an ironclad chin. He constantly switches stances while probing with long kicks or bursting forward with lengthy flurries, often shifting from Southpaw to Orthodox and back mid-combination. Of particular note are his short-range knees to the head and body and the elbows which his length allows him to slip into traditional boxing combinations.
It’s more than a bit ungainly, but he generally makes it work.
As fun and dangerous as he is, he suffers from some serious technical shortcomings I’m not certain he’s fixed. Beyond a general lack of polish in his combinations, he tends to throw his punches so hard that his whole body follows, leaving his chin exposed to counters and his hips exposed to takedowns as he rushes in; in fact, Garcia took full advantage of this in their title fight, landing brutal right hand after brutal right hand, while hitting double-leg takedowns effectively at will once Gonzalez began to tire.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with having an offbeat striking style, but you need strong fundamentals to make it work consistently. Gonzalez may or may not have those at this point.
My unsurety stems from one of his more recent efforts, a win over the limited Oziel Rodriguez in March 2021. Gonzalez looked a lot more patient and willing to keep his hands up, but he also executed such a wrestling-heavy gameplan that it’s hard to make a definitive statement on his stand up.
Speaking of that ground game, it’s a similar mix of impressive and lacking. He’s positionally excellent, sweeping his way out of all of Garcia’s early takedowns and shredding Rodriguez’s guard, but his takedown offense and defense haven’t quite caught up. It’s a shame, because he’s a lethal ground-and-pounder with those elbows when he gets on top.
All of this combines to form a highly entertaining fighter with a ceiling well below the elite. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t give us at least one war to remember during his Octagon tenure.
Opponent: He squares off with the eternally game, but clearly fading, Jim Miller. Miller figures to dominate with his wrestling so long as his cardio holds up. Therefore, it falls to Gonzalez to survive some bad positions, force “A-10” to work, and take over late through raw aggression. Not the most outlandish scenario, just one a bit less likely than Miller either tapping him early or grinding out a win.
Nunes’ first appearance under the ONE banner saw her beat veteran Mei Yamaguchi by decision, setting up a Strawweight title fight against Angela Lee. Though she fell short against “Unstoppable,” she returned to the win column one fight later with a victory over Gina Iniong.
This marks her first fight in more than three years, as she withdrew from planned debuts against Angela Hill and Jinh Yu Frey.
Nunes boasts a strong Muay Thai pedigree that immediately shows itself in her upright, stalking stance. She prefers slowly advancing with hard low kicks and admittedly over-commited punches, occasionally sneaking a sharp snap kick to the body or the nasty switch head kick that scored one of her two professional stoppages. She also does an excellent job of quickly grabbing the Thai plum and slamming home a knee whenever her opponents are in the right position, plus elbows when the situation arises.
Her offense, bolstered by impressive speed and power, is clearly impressive. Her first two ONE bouts, however, showcased some clear shortcomings. Those naked low kicks got her taken down on multiple occasions, and while her willingness to stand her ground and throw back rather than retreat under fire is entertaining, it compromises her length. It’s also worth noting that she tends to loop her right hand and really struggles off of her back, surrendering dominant positions to both Yamaguchi and Lee without offering much in return.
Speaking of the Lee fight, Nunes looked markedly less effective off the back foot when standing.
All that said, she showed a lot of improvement in her win over Iniong — more feints, better takedown defense and the wherewithal to back away before coming back with counters. She still overthrew her right hand and failed to set up her low kicks, which got her dropped by a counter at the end of the first round, but she looked like she’d learned a lot of necessary lessons from her first defeat.
Nunes circa 2018 does fairly well for herself in the Octagon. If she’s continued to improve in that span, she could potentially sniff contention.
Opponent: Nunes takes on another Brazilian striker in the ultra-entertaining Ariane Carnelossi. Carnelossi’s aggression and punching power look poised to exploit Nunes’ pre-existing flaws, and while Nunes’ trajectory of improvement is promising, it’s hard to see her executing properly after 39 months away. It should be fun, at least.
Tape:
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 40 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+“Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN+at 7 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 40: “Ladd vs. Dumont” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
Mayra Bueno is set to face Marion Fiorot at UFC Vegas 40. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The Brazilian flyweight hopes to try and surprise touted prospect Manon Fiorot, when they meet at UFC Vegas 40….
Mayra Bueno is set to face Marion Fiorot at UFC Vegas 40. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The Brazilian flyweight hopes to try and surprise touted prospect Manon Fiorot, when they meet at UFC Vegas 40.
UFC Vegas 40 looks set to host a classic grappler vs. striker clash in the women’s flyweight division, where Brazil’s Mayra Bueno hopes to end Manon Fiorot’s hot streak.
During a recent interview with Super Lutas, Bueno revealed that she’s planning to surprise the MMA world with a knockout victory of her own over the dangerous French striker. Although the 30-year-old knows it may be a risky decision, ‘Sheetara’ wants to put on an impressive performance for UFC president Dana White and to recover from a frustrating draw in her previous outing.
“It does not matter how it’s going to be. I’m going to put on a great show. I’m really feeling like I’m to get a KO win this time. She’s going to taste her own medicine. I’m so excited for this fight. We can’t control the results, we can only control what we do.”
“This time I’ve worked hard,” she continued. “I’m in a good state of mind and I guarantee that my fight on Saturday is going to be quite a show. I remember that in my fight against Montana (De La Rosa), Dana White gave me a standing ovation. If he’s there again, he’s going to give me another one.”
Originally scheduled to take on Fiorot at UFC 266, the bout was unfortunately postponed to the UFC Vegas 40 card due to COVID-19 protocols. According to Bueno, having to cut weight twice in such a short period of time was the hardest aspect of the re-booking process. However, the Brazilian feels confident in her training camp ahead of the fight.
“We had a wonderful camp, we were ready for UFC 266. The bad part was having to cut weight twice, because I don’t tend to lose much weight in the sauna. Usually, I lose weight when I’m dieting. When I heard the news, it was Wednesday morning and I was almost on weight. That was tough, cutting weight twice was bad, but other than that, I’m all right. Sure, we wanted to fight at UFC 266, it’s a bigger stage, but God’s plans are bigger than mine. I’m happy about that.”
Alongside her recent draw, Bueno (7-1-1) picked up a submission win over Mara Romero Borella, in September 2020. The 30-year-old’s sole professional loss happened in March 2020, when she dropped a unanimous decision to Maryna Moroz.
The two women are set to meet at UFC Vegas 40, on October 16, at the UFC Apex, in Las Vegas. The card is scheduled to be headlined by a featherweight bout between Aspen Ladd and Norma Dumont.
After Demetrious Johnson lost a split decision to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227, many figured a trilogy would happen. However, after the fight, Johnson was traded to ONE Championship to Ben Askren and the Johnson-Cejudo series is tied 1-1. Since the trade, Johnson has gone 3-1 in ONE Championship while Cejudo defended his flyweight title […]
After Demetrious Johnson lost a split decision to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227, many figured a trilogy would happen.
However, after the fight, Johnson was traded to ONE Championship to Ben Askren and the Johnson-Cejudo series is tied 1-1. Since the trade, Johnson has gone 3-1 in ONE Championship while Cejudo defended his flyweight title and then moved up and won and defended the bantamweight title and retired.
Although both men have gone their own ways, Demetrious Johnson is open to the trilogy happening, however, he hopes it would happen in ONE Championship.
“I believe he [Cejudo] is still under contract with the UFC. I mean, he did retire but that’s what happens when you retire – they freeze your contract. That’s what happened to Urijah Fabre, you know. I remember he expressed that he wanted to come and fight for ONE but his contract froze,” Johnson said to Sportskeeda. “And it’s just like Jorge Masvidal – he wants to go fight Jake Paul but they’re not going to let him do that. Especially as there are fights that the UFC can make for Henry Cejudo.
“He can come back and fight Petr Yan. He can fight Aljamain Sterling. If he wanted to come back down to 125lb he can do that as well,” Johnson continued. “I feel like when they let me out of my contract there was nothing left for me to do over there. For Henry Cejudo I feel there’s a lot more they could do with him than me when I was over there. But that’s my personal opinion.”
Although Johnson would be open to the trilogy with Cejudo, it’s unlikely the UFC would let “Triple C” out of his contract. He is currently retired, but his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has said Cejudo would be willing to return full time after fighting Alexander Volkanovski at featherweight. However, the UFC hasn’t shown much interest in pulling the trigger on that superfight.
Would you like to see Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo 3?
UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has been quite critical of former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje‘s last Octagon appearance back in October of last year — calling his performance against former undisputed kingpin, Khabib Nurmagomedov “ugly“””. Oliveira, the current undisputed gold holder, is slated to take main event honors at UFC 269 at the end […]
UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has been quite critical of former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje‘s last Octagon appearance back in October of last year — calling his performance against former undisputed kingpin, Khabib Nurmagomedov “ugly“””.
The Brazilian lifted the vacant lightweight crown back in May at UFC 261, stopping former three-time Bellator lightweight best, Michael Chandler with a quickfire second round left hook knockout — having himself suffering a knockdown late in the opening round.
For the aforenoted, Gaethje, the ONX Labs trainee is slated to feature on the main card of UFC 268 in November at Madison Square Garden, taking on soon-to-be common-opposition, Chandler in a pivotal lightweight challenge, as he attempts to earn another shot at Octagon spoils.
The bout will mark Gaethje’s first matchup under the promotion’s banner since a UFC 254 title unification bout with the abovementioned, Khabib in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Struggling with the constant pressure and forward movement of the undefeated Dagestani, Gaethje managed to land a slew of leg kicks against the American Kickboxing Academy staple, as well as a couple notable counter shots, however, suffered a second round triangle loss to the defending champion, before Khabib announced his retirement from the sport.
Charles Oliveira Describes Justin Gaethje’s Performance At UFC 254 As The ‘Ugliest’ He’s Ever Seen
Reacting to recent claims from the Arizona native that he is still a “quitter” despite his division-best nine-fight undefeated run, Oliveira gave his thoughts on the former interim titleholder’s apparent lackluster performance against Khabib.
“Michael Chandler got here, was signed by the UFC to fight for the belt, and had his opportunity,” Oliveira told MMA Fighting reporter, Guilherme Cruz on Trocacao Franca. “He landed a good hand, had the opportunity to knock me out and win the fight but couldn’t. I went there and knocked him out. Justin Gaethje had the opportunity to fight for the belt against Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and you all saw what happened, I don’t need to say what happened. The ugliest fight I’ve ever seen in my life, he died, so I don’t have anything to say. You know whan a guy needs to talk to be on the spotlight? To me, that’s what’s going on here. He needs to talk to be on the spotlight.“
Enjoying a splendid year last annum, Oliveira became the promotion’s most prolific submission artist with a third round guillotine win over Kevin Lee in the main event of UFC Fight Night Brasilia in March of last year, before scoring a hugely one-sided unanimous decision win over former interim titleholder, Tony Ferguson in the co-headliner of UFC 256.
UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has been quite critical of former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje‘s last Octagon appearance back in October of last year — calling his performance against former undisputed kingpin, Khabib Nurmagomedov “ugly“””. Oliveira, the current undisputed gold holder, is slated to take main event honors at UFC 269 at the end […]