Robbie Lawler vs. Jorge Masvidal would be a barnburner for fans; however, “Ruthless” is more interested in Nick Diaz at UFC 266. Robbie Lawler vs. Jorge Masvidal would likely be a fan-frien…
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Robbie Lawler vs. Jorge Masvidal would be a barnburner for fans; however, “Ruthless” is more interested in Nick Diaz at UFC 266.
Robbie Lawler vs. Jorge Masvidal would likely be a fan-friendly firefight; however, the potential clash doesn’t move Lawler the way Nick Diaz does at UFC 266.
Diaz vs. Lawler serves as a marquee fight on the main card of UFC 266, taking place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sat., Sept. 25 via ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV). Masvidal has expressed interest in fighting Diaz afterwards; however, it does not sound like Masvidal and Lawler are too keen on facing each other.
“No, not really,” Lawler tells MMAMania.com about a pitched fight against Masvidal. “I trained with Jorge. Spent a lot of time with him at American Top Team. It doesn’t excite me to get training.”
That is not to say, however, he is entirely opposed to fighting training partners.
“It all depends. If there is something maybe I have that so-and-so wants, then maybe I’ll fight. But if it’s just a fight to fight, there are plenty of guys out there that I can fight who I don’t know and have spent time with.”
Lawler and Jake Paul are on opposite ends of personalities in combat sports: the former a deeply-respected, soft-spoken veteran, and the latter a controversial loudmouth new to the game. Despite their clear contrasts, they are somewhat tethered together by Masvidal and the Diaz Brothers, plus a shared opponent in Tyron Woodley (watch highlights).
“I didn’t watch it,” Lawler laughed when asked about Paul vs. Woodley. “I didn’t even know it was on. I don’t really watch too many fights right now because my son is not too interested in it. We’re going to watch soccer, we’re going to watch The Office. We’re going to do what they want to do a little more.”
Lucky Lawler.
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Stephen Thompson is looking to rematch Jorge Masvidal in his next fight. After Masvidal was knocked out by Kamaru Usman back in April for the title, he has said he wants to fight anyone that gets him closer to the title. It was then reported he plans to meet with the UFC to try and […]
Stephen Thompson is looking to rematch Jorge Masvidal in his next fight.
After Masvidal was knocked out by Kamaru Usman back in April for the title, he has said he wants to fight anyone that gets him closer to the title. It was then reported he plans to meet with the UFC to try and set up a fight with Leon Edwards in early 2022, however, the Englishman made it clear he wasn’t interested in the fight.
My next fight will be for the world title I don’t want to hear nothing about a guy coming off 2 fight skid and Got ko his last fight
“My next fight will be for the world title I don’t want to hear nothing about a guy coming off 2 fight skid and Got ko his last fight,” Edwards wrote on Twitter.
With Edwards not wanting the fight, Stephen Thompson has since thrown his name in the hat to fight Masvidal in “Gamebred’s” next fight. It’s a fight that Masvidal has talked about wanting back, and for “Wonderboy” he knows it’s a fight that makes sense.
“Well if Leon won’t fight @GamebredFighter I’d love to step in and run it back. We all know Masvidal 2.0 is a different animal! #superrespectfully,” Thompson wrote.
Stephen Thompson and Jorge Masvidal fought back at UFC 217 in November of 2017 where Thompson won a clear-cut decision. It was Masvidal’s second straight loss and it was after that defeat that he stepped away from the sport for over a year and when he returned in 2019 he went on his amazing run. He had the KO over Darren Till, the flying knee KO over Ben Askren, and a TKO victory over Nate Diaz to become the BMF champ and become one of the biggest stars in the sport.
A fight between Thompson and Masvidal also does make some sense as both men are coming off losses, but they remain in the top-six of the division. It’s also a fight that could serve as a co-main event on a pay-per-view or headline a Fight Night card if the promotion decides to go that way. Regardless, Thompson is interested in running it back with Masvidal, whether or not Masvidal or the UFC will want the fight is uncertain.
Would you like to see Stephen Thompson vs. Jorge Masvidal 2?
Demetrious Johnson poses with the ONE Championship belt. | Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
The ONE Championship bout will alternate 3 minute rounds between MMA rules and Muay Thai rules. It looks like ONE Championshi…
Demetrious Johnson poses with the ONE Championship belt. | Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
The ONE Championship bout will alternate 3 minute rounds between MMA rules and Muay Thai rules.
It looks like ONE Championship is shaking things up a bit for former UFC flyweight king Demetrious Johnson. ‘Mighty Mouse’ left the world’s largest MMA promotion back in 2018, as part of a ‘trade’ deal between ONE and the UFC—with the Endeavor owned company acquiring Ben Askren in exchange. Johnson went on to win the ONE flyweight (135 lb) Grand Prix, but lost a subsequent title shot to champion Adriano Moraes earlier this year, via second round KO.
So where does Johnson go from there? It appears the promotion has something new in mind for the long time Matt Hume protege, with ONE president Chatri Sityodtong announcing a special mixed-rules bout featuring DJ against 24-year-old Muay Thai star Rodtang Jitmuangnon. Sityodtong made the announcement on a recent episode of the MMA Hour.
“Four rounds, three minutes apiece,” Sityodtong explained, describing the bout agreement between Rodtang and Johnson. “The first round is Muay Thai in 4oz gloves; second round is MMA in full MMA rules—normal ruleset; third round is Muay Thai; and fourth round is MMA.
“Why it’s so intriguing is – and it’s crazy, because this bout has already been signed – if you think about it, the first round opens, Rodtang … he has 3-minutes to try and knock out DJ. So DJ, there’s a lot of pressure on him. But then if he survives, the next round Rodtang has to survive 3 minutes of DJ’s explosive wrestling and submissions and whatnot—I don’t think DJ’s gonna strike with him. And DJ’s got that pressure, ‘Man, I’ve got to sub him with in 3 minutes.’ Same thing with Rodtang in the first round, ‘I’ve got to knock him out within that.’ So it’s going to be this very PRIDE-style, ‘back in the old days’—we want to do something special like that. We wanted to do something fun that would commemorate martial arts in a way that celebrates all of mixed martial arts and its history, not just our 10-year history.”
That 10-year anniversary show takes place on December 5th in Singapore, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Alongside the 135lb mixed-rules bout, the ONE Championship president also announced the return of bantamweight (145 lb) champion Bibiano Fernandes, who will take on former UFC fan-favorite John Lineker in defense of his title. A lightweight title fight between champion Thanh Le and BJJ star Garry Tonon has also been set for the event.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight scrappers Ion Cutelaba and Devin Clark will collide this weekend (Sat., Sept. 18, 2021) at UFC Vegas 37 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas,…
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight scrappers Ion Cutelaba and Devin Clark will collide this weekend (Sat., Sept. 18, 2021) at UFC Vegas 37 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here’s a strange match up of men who — despite some genuine talent and athletic gifts — have struggled mightily for very different reasons. On one hand, there’s Cutelaba, the man who paints himself green at weigh-ins, aggressively confronts all his opponents, and was “knocked out” while playing possum. Clark is on the complete opposite side of the fighting spectrum, an incredible athlete with real power who very clearly hates getting punched in the face.
If either fighter were to fix his flaws, he’d likely be a real player at 205 pounds. Until then, let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Ion Cutelaba
Record: 15-6-1 (1) Key Wins: Khalil Rountree Jr (UFC Fight Night 160), Henrique da Silva (UFC Fight Night 110), Gadzhimurad Antigulov (UFC 217), Jonathon Wilson (UFC Fight Night 96) Key Losses: Magomed Ankalaev (UFC 254, UFC Fight Night 169), Glover Teixeira (UFC Fight Night 150), Misha Cirkunov (UFC Fight Night 89), Jared Cannonier (TUF 24 Finale) Keys to Victory: Cutelaba is an undeniably fun fighter. He’ll definitely make use of his Combat Sambo and Greco-Roman wrestling background, but he uses those takedowns to beat the crap out of his opponents. If that fails, expect Cutelaba to swing big until his foe falls or his gas tank fails.
The latter is the biggest cause of his struggles.
I’ll be honest: this fight reads to me like a recipe for a quick Cutelaba stoppage. “The Hulk” has real power in his hands, and he tends to hurt all of his opponents at least once. Given his own wrestling skill, he should be able to deny Clark’s early shots and then land something painful. Typically, Clark does not respond all that well to such adversity.
That said, Cutelaba’s inconsistency is based around his desire to chase that first-round finish, and there have been moments (like the Alonzo Menifield fight) where Clark showed some grit to overcome adversity and grind out a win. If Cutelaba throws all caution to the wind and tries to score an immediate finish, it may come back to bite him.
Tempered with just a bit caution, the knockout should arrive without the risk of a rally.
Devin Clark
Record: 12-5 Key Wins: Alonzo Menifield (UFC 250), Mike Rodriguez (UFC 223), Jake Collier (UFC on FOX 24), Darko Stosic (UFC Fight Night 153) Key Losses: Jan Blachowicz (UFC Fight Night 118), Anthony Smith (UFC Vegas 15), Aleksandar Rakic (UFC 231), Ryan Spann (UFC Fight Night 161) Keys to Victory: Clark has some solid credentials as an amateur high school and junior college wrestler. Inside the cage, Clark mostly circles around, waiting for a chance to hide a double leg shot behind a powerful hook or overhand.
Clark’s path to victory is largely outlined above. Namely, it involves avoid the early power punches of his opponent and then making use of his wrestling skill in the second half of the fight.
The first half is the tricky bit. If Clark places himself on the fence like usual, Cutelaba is likely to bull rush him, and there’s a significant chance Clark does not survive such exchanges. Instead, I’d like to see Clark immediately back “The Hulk” up with a big swing and look to drive him into the fence.
Sure, the takedown may not immediately land. All the same, each minute spent jockeying for position in the clinch is one that extends the fight and taxes Cutelaba’s conditioning. “Brown Bear” may not be a cardio wizard himself, but he is certainly more proven in winning wrestling-based grind matches.
Score one takedown and everything changes.
Bottom Line
There is still some hope for these two would-be prospects.
Cutelaba could be really good! He puts together combinations well, kicks hard, can wrestle and deliver brutal ground strikes. If he were able to manage his energy and aggression a bit more effectively, he could easily have a place inside the Top 15. If not, Cutelaba is looking at his fourth fight in a row without victory, which could see him released.
The situation is not quite as dire for Clark, who has won two of his last three. At the same time, “Brown Bear” has yet to win more than two fights in a row inside the Octagon. If he’s unable to string together wins, he’s not going to climb much further up the divisional ladder. Like Cutelaba, Clark has the skill and athleticism to achieve more than his current position, and perhaps that can start in this bout.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 37 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 37: “Smith vs. Spann” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
At UFC Vegas 37, Ion Cutelaba and Devin Clark will go to war in the co-main event. Which athlete will earn the victory?
Georges St-Pierre says he was ashamed to admit he was going through depression when he walked away from MMA after he beat Johny Hendricks. St-Pierre was at the top of the world as the UFC’s welterweight division, but he was having a tough time mentally. After edging out the split decision victory over Hendricks, he […]
Georges St-Pierre says he was ashamed to admit he was going through depression when he walked away from MMA after he beat Johny Hendricks.
St-Pierre was at the top of the world as the UFC’s welterweight division, but he was having a tough time mentally. After edging out the split decision victory over Hendricks, he told Joe Rogan he needed some time away from the sport. He now says that was due to him dealing with depression, but he was ashamed to admit it at the time.
“I think I just needed vacation, and I was in some kind of depression at the time,” St-Pierre told Burt Watson (via MMA Junkie). “I was ashamed to admit it because I had a dream life. I have a lot of money, I’m healthy, and I was ashamed to admit that I was going towards depression, because I didn’t know how people would think about me. They would be like, ‘Oh, what does he have to complain for? He’s champion of the world, he’s rich, what the hell is he complaining for?’ So I was ashamed, but I was going through mental depression and on top of that I was fighting in the UFC against performance-enhancing drugs, and I had a lot of personal issues. I just needed a break.”
Although St-Pierre says he was ashamed about feeling depressed, now, it is much more acceptable for fighters and athletes to admit such a thing. Mental health issues are something that is getting more known and accepted and even St-Pierre dealt with it.
I guess we can forget about the fantasy matchup between Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz.
That’s because “Junior,” currently ranked No. 5 in the bantamweight division, is holding out for a ti…
That’s because “Junior,” currently ranked No. 5 in the bantamweight division, is holding out for a title-eliminator bout opposite former champion TJ Dillashaw and fighting the No. 10-ranked “Dominator” would be a step in the wrong direction.
“After this great fight, I want to put on another great performance by December,” Aldo told MMA Fighting. “Dillashaw is the focus. If it’s early next year, I can wait too. I’ll leave that up to ‘Dede’ [coach Andre Pederneiras] to deal with. I want to fight by December or January, tops. With another great fight and win, we can get closer to the belt.”
Aldo (30-7) pulled even at 2-2 in the bantamweight division after capturing consecutive victories over Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz. As for Cruz (23-3), he snapped a two-fight losing streak by outpointing a game Casey Kenney at UFC 259 back in March.
“I don’t think about fighting Dominick today,” Aldo continued. “I respect him, I also like him for the fact he’s one of the greatest bantamweight champions, but right now I’m heading towards the title. There’s no reason why I’ll stop and do a fight that will take me nowhere. It’s more likely for me to fight Rob Font than Dominick Cruz.”
Dillashaw (17-4) returned from suspension to capture a split-decision victory over top contender Cory Sandhagen back in July and is hoping to lay claim to the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan, who collide for “Funk Master’s” belt at UFC 267 in October.
