The bad blood is really beginning to boil between UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and former welterweight king Georges St-Pierre. As the two mainstream stars gear up for their main event scrap at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, the animosity between both men is undeniable, even behind the scenes.
Following UFC 217’s press conference earlier today (Fri., Oct. 13, 2017) in Toronto (full video replay here), Bisping and St-Pierre got into a very intense verbal clash off stage. The action can be seen above courtesy of TMZ Sports.
“If you put your hands on a man, that means you got a f*cking problem,” Bisping said in response to GSP touching him during the press conference staredown. “Keep your f*cking hands to yourself, pal. I will knock you f*cking out right now.”
“I’m not afraid of you, I don’t give a damn,” GSP said. “I will break you, man. I will break you. … Touch me again, I’m gonna break you.”
When was the last time you heard St-Pierre drop the F-bomb? Maybe never, which is an indication that Bisping may be getting under the Canadian’s skin entering their high stakes superfight at UFC 217.
“You little f*cking nerd,” Bisping said. “Look at you, look at the state of you. You don’t do f*ck all, man. You won’t do a f*cking thing. I’ll break your f*cking jaw.
“Don’t try and act tough, because it doesn’t suit you. You look stupid.”
Luckily for fight fans, this verbal battle will spill over into the Octagon in just a matter of three weeks. If St-Pierre is going to have any chance to move up to 185 pounds and defeat Bisping after a four-year hiatus he’s going to have to check his emotions at the door.
If he doesn’t, and continues to get wrapped up in these verbal altercations with the champion, St-Pierre may be in serious trouble come fight time.
The bad blood is really beginning to boil between UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and former welterweight king Georges St-Pierre. As the two mainstream stars gear up for their main event scrap at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, the animosity between both men is undeniable, even behind the scenes.
Following UFC 217’s press conference earlier today (Fri., Oct. 13, 2017) in Toronto (full video replay here), Bisping and St-Pierre got into a very intense verbal clash off stage. The action can be seen above courtesy of TMZ Sports.
“If you put your hands on a man, that means you got a f*cking problem,” Bisping said in response to GSP touching him during the press conference staredown. “Keep your f*cking hands to yourself, pal. I will knock you f*cking out right now.”
“I’m not afraid of you, I don’t give a damn,” GSP said. “I will break you, man. I will break you. … Touch me again, I’m gonna break you.”
When was the last time you heard St-Pierre drop the F-bomb? Maybe never, which is an indication that Bisping may be getting under the Canadian’s skin entering their high stakes superfight at UFC 217.
“You little f*cking nerd,” Bisping said. “Look at you, look at the state of you. You don’t do f*ck all, man. You won’t do a f*cking thing. I’ll break your f*cking jaw.
“Don’t try and act tough, because it doesn’t suit you. You look stupid.”
Luckily for fight fans, this verbal battle will spill over into the Octagon in just a matter of three weeks. If St-Pierre is going to have any chance to move up to 185 pounds and defeat Bisping after a four-year hiatus he’s going to have to check his emotions at the door.
If he doesn’t, and continues to get wrapped up in these verbal altercations with the champion, St-Pierre may be in serious trouble come fight time.
Despite a main card fallout last night (Sat., Oct. 7, 2017) at UFC 216 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the action delivered in exciting waves. Not only did Tony Ferguson choke out Kevin Lee in the …
Despite a main card fallout last night (Sat., Oct. 7, 2017) at UFC 216 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the action delivered in exciting waves. Not only did Tony Ferguson choke out Kevin Lee in the main event to claim the interim UFC lightweight title, but Demetrious Johnson locked down his 11th-straight title defense with a suplex/armbar finish of Ray Borg, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum finished fill-in Walt Harris in just 65 seconds, Lando Vannata fought Bobby Green to a bloody draw that is easily one of the best fights of the year, and former flyweight title challenger John Moraga pulled off a huge upset knockout over Russian prospect Magomed Bibulatov.
In order to sift through the action and see which fighters took home an extra $50,000, we take a closer look at the official UFC 216 bonus winners below:
Fight of the Night: Lando Vannata vs. Bobby Green
Performance of the Night: Demetrious Johnson
Performance of the Night: John Moraga
For complete UFC 216 results and coverage click here.
One of the more promising MMA cards of the year will unravel later tonight (Sat., Oct. 7, 2017) at UFC 216 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, when Tony Ferguson puts his nine-fight win streak on the line in an interim lightweight title bout opposite Kevin Lee. In addition, Demetrious Johnson will aim to defend his UFC flyweight strap for the 11th-straight time when he takes on surging youngster Ray Borg.
But, before the premier bouts get underway on PPV starting at 10 p.m. ET, UFC 216’s “Prelims” action will go down on Fight Pass starting at 6:30 p.m. ET and FX starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Find out what happened right here as the UFC 216 undercard recaps roll in real-time:
In the first women’s matchup of the evening, strawweight submission guru Gonzalez (6-3) aimed to capture her first UFC victory when she welcomed Brazilian knockout artist Botelho (6-1) to the Octagon. Gonzalez pressured early with sharp leg kicks and clinch work along the cage, but Botelho landed Travis Browne-like elbows to the side of Gonzalez’s head. The second round offered much of the same as Gonzalez immediately shot inside and tied the action up along the cage. Botelho defended nicely but still struggled to get Gonzalez off of her. The Brazilian started to go back to the elbows but Gonzalez stayed heavy with a low base. In Round 3, Botelho started to land her left hand from distance and score some valuable points. However, Gonzalez worked her way in again and commanded control along the cage with a clinch. It wasn’t the most exciting strawweight battle, but Botelho’s elbows inside ultimately outweighed Gonzalez’s leaning pressure to the tune of a unanimous decision victory.
The first matchup to touch down on the FX preliminary card was a flyweight scrap between former Ultimate Fighter standout Schnell (10-4) and Mexican submission specialist Beltran (8-6). Both men were riding a two-fight losing streak coming into the bout. The longer Beltran played the range game early by snapping leg kicks and getting out of the way of Schnell’s offensive outbursts. Schnell walked through a Beltran front kick to land a barrage of strikes inside as he possessed the clear boxing advantage. In Round 2, Schnell continued to find a home for his hands, while Beltran relied on a rather predictable kicking arsenal with little setup. Beltran landed a huge left leg kick that rattled Schnell, but he didn’t follow it up with anything worthwhile. The third round offered much of the same as Schnell dictated the pace and distance of the action, connecting on a few exchanges on the inside. Beltran tired to raise the bar a little bit by letting his hands go, but Schnell was able to gauge the pressure well and avoid anything significant. In the end, Schnell did more than enough over the course of three rounds to walk away with the unanimous decision win.
In the first of three flyweight bouts on the card, former UFC title challenger Moraga (18-6) was tasked with disposing of undefeated Russian contender Bibulatov (14-1). It didn’t last long for Bibulatov who seemed a little hesitant to unload his offense. After stunning Bibulatov with a slick overhand right, Moraga slumped the Russian with a crisp left hook at the end of a combination inside. Moraga jumped on for a few extra shots before the referee peeled him off for the first-round knockout stoppage.
The opening bout of the evening saw former UFC middleweight title challenger Leites (27-8) try to win his second bout of 2017 in a matchup against proven veteran Tavares (16-4). Leites controlled most of the action early with attacks to the legs, but it was Tavares who did the most damage with a short left hook that temporarily stunned the Brazilian. Tavares ended up hurting Leites again to begin the second round, landing a crisp counter that put the former title challenger on his heels. Leites’ face started to bloody as the veteran offered little versatility on his feet and kept eating jabs by Tavares. In Round 3, Leites leaned on the Hawaiian against the cage in the clinch and tried to leverage a takedown. Tavares defended well and forced Leites to remain standing and strike. From there, Tavares peppered Leites with hard leg kicks and combinations to seal the deal and walk away with the unanimous decision win.
One of the more promising MMA cards of the year will unravel later tonight (Sat., Oct. 7, 2017) at UFC 216 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, when Tony Ferguson puts his nine-fight win streak on the line in an interim lightweight title bout opposite Kevin Lee. In addition, Demetrious Johnson will aim to defend his UFC flyweight strap for the 11th-straight time when he takes on surging youngster Ray Borg.
But, before the premier bouts get underway on PPV starting at 10 p.m. ET, UFC 216’s “Prelims” action will go down on Fight Pass starting at 6:30 p.m. ET and FX starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Find out what happened right here as the UFC 216 undercard recaps roll in real-time:
In the first women’s matchup of the evening, strawweight submission guru Gonzalez (6-3) aimed to capture her first UFC victory when she welcomed Brazilian knockout artist Botelho (6-1) to the Octagon. Gonzalez pressured early with sharp leg kicks and clinch work along the cage, but Botelho landed Travis Browne-like elbows to the side of Gonzalez’s head. The second round offered much of the same as Gonzalez immediately shot inside and tied the action up along the cage. Botelho defended nicely but still struggled to get Gonzalez off of her. The Brazilian started to go back to the elbows but Gonzalez stayed heavy with a low base. In Round 3, Botelho started to land her left hand from distance and score some valuable points. However, Gonzalez worked her way in again and commanded control along the cage with a clinch. It wasn’t the most exciting strawweight battle, but Botelho’s elbows inside ultimately outweighed Gonzalez’s leaning pressure to the tune of a unanimous decision victory.
The first matchup to touch down on the FX preliminary card was a flyweight scrap between former Ultimate Fighter standout Schnell (10-4) and Mexican submission specialist Beltran (8-6). Both men were riding a two-fight losing streak coming into the bout. The longer Beltran played the range game early by snapping leg kicks and getting out of the way of Schnell’s offensive outbursts. Schnell walked through a Beltran front kick to land a barrage of strikes inside as he possessed the clear boxing advantage. In Round 2, Schnell continued to find a home for his hands, while Beltran relied on a rather predictable kicking arsenal with little setup. Beltran landed a huge left leg kick that rattled Schnell, but he didn’t follow it up with anything worthwhile. The third round offered much of the same as Schnell dictated the pace and distance of the action, connecting on a few exchanges on the inside. Beltran tired to raise the bar a little bit by letting his hands go, but Schnell was able to gauge the pressure well and avoid anything significant. In the end, Schnell did more than enough over the course of three rounds to walk away with the unanimous decision win.
In the first of three flyweight bouts on the card, former UFC title challenger Moraga (18-6) was tasked with disposing of undefeated Russian contender Bibulatov (14-1). It didn’t last long for Bibulatov who seemed a little hesitant to unload his offense. After stunning Bibulatov with a slick overhand right, Moraga slumped the Russian with a crisp left hook at the end of a combination inside. Moraga jumped on for a few extra shots before the referee peeled him off for the first-round knockout stoppage.
The opening bout of the evening saw former UFC middleweight title challenger Leites (27-8) try to win his second bout of 2017 in a matchup against proven veteran Tavares (16-4). Leites controlled most of the action early with attacks to the legs, but it was Tavares who did the most damage with a short left hook that temporarily stunned the Brazilian. Tavares ended up hurting Leites again to begin the second round, landing a crisp counter that put the former title challenger on his heels. Leites’ face started to bloody as the veteran offered little versatility on his feet and kept eating jabs by Tavares. In Round 3, Leites leaned on the Hawaiian against the cage in the clinch and tried to leverage a takedown. Tavares defended well and forced Leites to remain standing and strike. From there, Tavares peppered Leites with hard leg kicks and combinations to seal the deal and walk away with the unanimous decision win.
UFC 216 will be topped by the lightweight interim title bout featuring longtime division contender Tony Ferguson opposite streaking 155-pound up-and-comer Kevin Lee in a five-round showdown inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Oct. 7, 2017.
To help fans get amped for this weekend’s pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza, the promotion recently released its “Embedded” video series, taking a closer look at the main event, as well as the 125-pound co-headliner pitting flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson opposite top division contender Ray Borg.
From the official YouTube description:
On Episode 5 of UFC 216 Embedded, interim lightweight title contenders Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson wind down Thursday on track with their weight cuts, as do flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger Ray Borg. On Friday morning, everyone makes weight on their first try except one fighter, who needs an extra hour to hit the championship limit. Johnson rides to the ceremonial weigh-ins in style, and the stars face off one final time before Saturday night’s world championship bouts. UFC 216 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the two title fights at UFC 216 taking place Saturday, October 7 on Pay-Per-View.
If you missed episodes one, two, three, and four then click here, here, here and here to watch the replay.
The winner of Ferguson vs. Lee is expected to face off against current division champion Conor McGregor, depending on when “Notorious” returns from his hiatus from mixed martial arts (MMA).
Also featured on the UFC 216 PPV main card is the heavyweight bout pitting former division champion Fabricio Werdum against power-punching Derrick Lewis, who collide for a spot in the crowded 265-pound title chase.
See the entire UFC 216 fight card and line up here.
UFC 216 will be topped by the lightweight interim title bout featuring longtime division contender Tony Ferguson opposite streaking 155-pound up-and-comer Kevin Lee in a five-round showdown inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Oct. 7, 2017.
To help fans get amped for this weekend’s pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza, the promotion recently released its “Embedded” video series, taking a closer look at the main event, as well as the 125-pound co-headliner pitting flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson opposite top division contender Ray Borg.
From the official YouTube description:
On Episode 5 of UFC 216 Embedded, interim lightweight title contenders Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson wind down Thursday on track with their weight cuts, as do flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger Ray Borg. On Friday morning, everyone makes weight on their first try except one fighter, who needs an extra hour to hit the championship limit. Johnson rides to the ceremonial weigh-ins in style, and the stars face off one final time before Saturday night’s world championship bouts. UFC 216 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the two title fights at UFC 216 taking place Saturday, October 7 on Pay-Per-View.
If you missed episodes one, two, three, and four then click here, here, here and here to watch the replay.
The winner of Ferguson vs. Lee is expected to face off against current division champion Conor McGregor, depending on when “Notorious” returns from his hiatus from mixed martial arts (MMA).
Also featured on the UFC 216 PPV main card is the heavyweight bout pitting former division champion Fabricio Werdum against power-punching Derrick Lewis, who collide for a spot in the crowded 265-pound title chase.
See the entire UFC 216 fight card and line up here.
The combat sports world narrowly escaped yet another ruined UFC card earlier today (Fri., Oct. 6, 2017) when Kevin Lee initially missed weight for his interim lightweight title fight with Tony Ferguson tomorrow (Sat., Oct. 7, 2017) at UFC 216 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lee, who proclaimed that he would have to cut 19 pounds in 24 hours to make the 155 benchmark, weighed in at 156 pounds after stepping on the scale at the last second (full weigh ins replay here). After his failed attempt, Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) allotted “Motown Phenom” one additional hour to cut the final pound after doctors cleared him.
Despite weighing in at 154.5 pounds on his second attempt and making his title fight with Ferguson at UFC 216 official, the mixed martial arts (MMA) community held nothing back when discussing Lee’s struggles on the scale:
If he Would have put as much thought into his diet as he does his outfits …
I fear it’s going to take a serious injury or even death for something to change in this sport. Need more weight classes … yesterday. 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185 etc. Instead of fake interim belts, just do that! Easy and healthy. What’s taking so long?
Lee will have his chance to put this potentially disastrous weight cut behind him and overthrow “El Cucuy” at UFC 216 this weekend to claim the interim lightweight strap.
The combat sports world narrowly escaped yet another ruined UFC card earlier today (Fri., Oct. 6, 2017) when Kevin Lee initially missed weight for his interim lightweight title fight with Tony Ferguson tomorrow (Sat., Oct. 7, 2017) at UFC 216 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lee, who proclaimed that he would have to cut 19 pounds in 24 hours to make the 155 benchmark, weighed in at 156 pounds after stepping on the scale at the last second (full weigh ins replay here). After his failed attempt, Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) allotted “Motown Phenom” one additional hour to cut the final pound after doctors cleared him.
Despite weighing in at 154.5 pounds on his second attempt and making his title fight with Ferguson at UFC 216 official, the mixed martial arts (MMA) community held nothing back when discussing Lee’s struggles on the scale:
If he Would have put as much thought into his diet as he does his outfits …
I fear it’s going to take a serious injury or even death for something to change in this sport. Need more weight classes … yesterday. 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185 etc. Instead of fake interim belts, just do that! Easy and healthy. What’s taking so long?
Lee will have his chance to put this potentially disastrous weight cut behind him and overthrow “El Cucuy” at UFC 216 this weekend to claim the interim lightweight strap.
Proven UFC heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis will try to right the divisional ship at UFC 216 on Oct. 7 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he takes on former divisional champion Fabricio Werdum. Lewis will be making his first appearance since getting stopped by Mark Hunt via fourth-round TKO back in June.
In preparation for Lewis’ return to the Octagon, UFC has opened up its vault and released footage of “Black Beast” destroying heavyweight prospect Viktor Pesta at UFC 192 in 2015. The action spilled over into Lewis’ own backyard of Houston, Texas, as the heavyweight knockout artist battled Pesta for two strong rounds before putting an end to “Takedown Machine” via third-round TKO.
The memorable stoppage, which sparked a six-fight win streak for Lewis, can be seen above courtesy of UFC.
Lewis will have to rely on this sort of knockout ability at UFC 216 if he wishes to get past the veteran experience and overall elite skill of Werdum. The fact that the heavyweight clash will be contested over the course of three rounds bodes well for “Black Beast” and his chances of finishing the fight late.
Proven UFC heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis will try to right the divisional ship at UFC 216 on Oct. 7 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he takes on former divisional champion Fabricio Werdum. Lewis will be making his first appearance since getting stopped by Mark Hunt via fourth-round TKO back in June.
In preparation for Lewis’ return to the Octagon, UFC has opened up its vault and released footage of “Black Beast” destroying heavyweight prospect Viktor Pesta at UFC 192 in 2015. The action spilled over into Lewis’ own backyard of Houston, Texas, as the heavyweight knockout artist battled Pesta for two strong rounds before putting an end to “Takedown Machine” via third-round TKO.
The memorable stoppage, which sparked a six-fight win streak for Lewis, can be seen above courtesy of UFC.
Lewis will have to rely on this sort of knockout ability at UFC 216 if he wishes to get past the veteran experience and overall elite skill of Werdum. The fact that the heavyweight clash will be contested over the course of three rounds bodes well for “Black Beast” and his chances of finishing the fight late.
