TEMECULA, Calif. — If you haven’t heard of Ilima MacFarlane, hop on YouTube sometime.
In January, MacFarlane’s vicious KO of winless “soccer mom” Katie Castro went viral. The win took place under the notorious Xplode Fight Series, an u…
In January, MacFarlane’s vicious KO of winless “soccer mom” Katie Castro went viral. The win took place under the notorious Xplode Fight Series, an unsanctioned event based in California.
Following a split decision win over 2-2 Maria Rios Aug. 28 at Bellator 141, MacFarlane says she felt the pressure of the entire “viral community” watching her debut.
“Of course I was nervous,” MacFarlane said post-fight. “This is my Bellator debut. My first fight with a big promotion so my main goal was, win or lose, I just wanted to put on a good fight and prove to everyone that I’m a legitimate fighter. Especially after my pro debut, which I’m sure everyone has seen.
“I can always improve and get better but for right now I think I’ve proven to a lot of viewers and “haters” that I’m good. I belong here in Bellator. I deserve this.”
MacFarlane says she was bombarded with negative comments regarding the KO, but largely brushed them off considering the source.
“I actually did read the comments,” said MacFarlane. “At first I was upset. When I found out that it had gone viral, I was, ‘Oh, awesome!’ But I wasn’t expecting the backlash I received. When I took the time to read the comments, I was upset, but when I clicked on their profiles to see who they were they were just keyboard trolls, keyboard warriors. Over time I actually found them to be really funny. I was able to brush it off. It wasn’t a problem after that.”
In an e-mail interview with MMAFighting.com before MacFarlane signed with the promotion, Bellator MMA president Scott Coker said he was “extremely disturbed” by the fight footage, but placed the blame for the mismatch on Xplode, not the fighter.
“Any publicity is good publicity,” said MacFarlane. “A lot of people didn’t know that we were in communication with Bellator prior to it going viral. We were fine. I didn’t get a contract because of that video. I got a contract because of my skill as a fighter. Hopefully, I proved that I can move past the whole “soccer mom” thing, but we may still capitalize on it. We’ll still make shirts, probably. “Soccer mom” with a big “X” through it.”
Due to the stints of rapid dehydration over the course of his career, Miller says he developed kidney stones. A year before, he suffered a “full-blown” kidney infection.
“It’s kind of miserable,” said Miller. “You get kind of foggy. It’s hard to make decisions. I get a headache, a little bit of weakness. My cut is not on the extreme end.
“I think [weight cutting] has definitely had an effect on my body. It’s something I don’t feel today, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it took a couple years off my life.”
Miller has competed even lighter at featherweight, but years ago vowed he’d never do it again.
“I fought at 145 my fourth fight [in 2006] and I walked around at about 162 pounds before that fight,” Miller explained on MMA Uncensored in 2012. “If you go and look at the photos of that fight – it was Reality Fighting: Battle at the Beach – it looks like my veins are gonna pop out of my skin. And I was walking around at 160 pounds. I was disgustingly vascular. It was a decently tough cut, I’m fifteen pounds heavier than that now…it would take too much effort.”
While Miller has had 32 professional MMA bouts since 2005, 8-0 James Vick is just getting started. Vick’s problem? He stands at 6 feet 3 inches tall, seven inches taller than Miller.
“You feel like you’re gonna die,” Vick said of the weight cutting process. “It’s hard to explain how painful it is. You have the attention span of a two-year-old. You can’t focus on anything. If I fought on the day I weighed in, I’d lose to anyone.”
Given his height, Vick says his “walking-around weight” sits right about at 185 pounds, meaning he’ll be cutting 30 or so pounds on fight week.
“People look at me like I’m nuts when I tell them [how much weight I cut],” Vick said. “But I do it because of the size advantage it gives me.”
Not a fan. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson says a fight between Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg at 135 pounds would be “garbage.” “It’s not going to be the same Cris Cyborg at 145 that’s going to be all drained, especially without an IV.”
Strong words. Paige VanZant thinks women in her division with “masculine physiques” are on PEDs.
‘It’s a very scary incident for our victim.’Chris Leben receives 120 days of jail time, three years probation and he has been ordered to stay away from his ex-wife for the next 10 years for attempted break in.
MEDIA STEW
John Dodson is tired of everyone confusing him with Demetrious Johnson.
Big Nog discusses his decision to retire with our own Gui Cruz.
I know Ricardo Liborio as a kind, generous friend with a sweet, supportive nature. Being a fan of Mixed Martial Arts, I was aware of American Top Team’s reputation as a top notch gym and for coaching elite athletes like Robbie Lawler, Thiago Alves, Tyron Woodley, and Jorge Masvidal to name just a few. I was unaware of Mr. Liborio’s status as a martial artist until I casually mentioned him to a few friends who study grappling.
Due to the stints of rapid dehydration over the course of his career, Miller says he developed kidney stones. A year before, he suffered a “full-blown” kidney infection.
“It’s kind of miserable,” said Miller. “You get kind of foggy. It’s hard to make decisions. I get a headache, a little bit of weakness. My cut is not on the extreme end.
“I think [weight cutting] has definitely had an effect on my body. It’s something I don’t feel today, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it took a couple years off my life.”
Miller has competed even lighter at featherweight, but years ago vowed he’d never do it again.
“I fought at 145 my fourth fight [in 2006] and I walked around at about 162 pounds before that fight,” Miller explained on MMA Uncensored in 2012. “If you go and look at the photos of that fight – it was Reality Fighting: Battle at the Beach – it looks like my veins are gonna pop out of my skin. And I was walking around at 160 pounds. I was disgustingly vascular. It was a decently tough cut, I’m fifteen pounds heavier than that now…it would take too much effort.”
While Miller has had 32 professional MMA bouts since 2005, 8-0 James Vick is just getting started. Vick’s problem? He stands at 6 feet 3 inches tall, seven inches taller than Miller.
“You feel like you’re gonna die,” Vick said of the weight cutting process. “It’s hard to explain how painful it is. You have the attention span of a two-year-old. You can’t focus on anything. If I fought on the day I weighed in, I’d lose to anyone.”
Given his height, Vick says his “walking-around weight” sits right about at 185 pounds, meaning he’ll be cutting 30 or so pounds on fight week.
“People look at me like I’m nuts when I tell them [how much weight I cut],” Vick said. “But I do it because of the size advantage it gives me.”
Not a fan. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson says a fight between Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg at 135 pounds would be “garbage.” “It’s not going to be the same Cris Cyborg at 145 that’s going to be all drained, especially without an IV.”
Strong words. Paige VanZant thinks women in her division with “masculine physiques” are on PEDs.
‘It’s a very scary incident for our victim.’Chris Leben receives 120 days of jail time, three years probation and he has been ordered to stay away from his ex-wife for the next 10 years for attempted break in.
MEDIA STEW
John Dodson is tired of everyone confusing him with Demetrious Johnson.
Big Nog discusses his decision to retire with our own Gui Cruz.
I know Ricardo Liborio as a kind, generous friend with a sweet, supportive nature. Being a fan of Mixed Martial Arts, I was aware of American Top Team’s reputation as a top notch gym and for coaching elite athletes like Robbie Lawler, Thiago Alves, Tyron Woodley, and Jorge Masvidal to name just a few. I was unaware of Mr. Liborio’s status as a martial artist until I casually mentioned him to a few friends who study grappling.
Fighters tend to move up in weight when they win titles and or get older, but Frankie Edgar may have other plans.
According to UFC commentators Jon Anik and Kenny Florian, the former lightweight champion could be heading to 135 pounds sooner than later.
“I talked to [Edgar boxing trainer] Mark Henry in Saskatoon,” Anik said Monday. “Frankie Edgar doesn’t want to be a two-division champion, he wants to be a three-division champion. I think internally he feels, and even though I don’t agree with this, that maybe it would be a cop out if he went right down to 135 and challenged [bantamweight champion] T.J. Dillashaw as he waits for a bantamweight contender to get healthy.
“I think he wants to win this belt at 145 and then maybe go to 135 before calling it a career. I just think given the backdrop of Conor McGregor and [featherweight champion] Jose Aldo and the likelihood that those two guys are going to fight twice in a row here, I just think it’s going to be a long wait for Frankie Edgar. Now to have to get through Chad Mendes on Dec. 11, I think it’s a huge ask.”
With Aldo and McGregor set to unify the featherweight title Dec. 12 at UFC 194 in Las Vegas, Edgar and Mendes would assumably be fighting for a No. 1 contender spot.
If Edgar falls to Mendes, Florian believes it opens the door for “The Answer” to challenge bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw. Edgar stepped right into a title shot against Aldo at UFC 156 in 2013, his debut for the weight class.
“He was the champion at 155 pounds and he feels like if he goes all the way down to 135 pounds people are going to say, ‘Oh, he’s just trying to take the easy route.’ said Florian. “That’s just not the case. Frankie can maybe be the champion at 145, but here’s the good scenario: If he does lose to Mendes, he has that 135 pound option. He can go down to 135.
“He can make 135, easy. I had that same conversation with Mark Henry and he said, ‘He can make 135, Kenny. He walks around at 150 if he’s training a lot.’ He’s right in there. He can challenge Dillashaw. He can challenge Conor or Aldo. It’s unbelievable what he’s done.”
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.
Fighters tend to move up in weight when they win titles and or get older, but Frankie Edgar may have other plans.
According to UFC commentators Jon Anik and Kenny Florian, the former lightweight champion could be heading to 135 pounds sooner than later.
“I talked to [Edgar boxing trainer] Mark Henry in Saskatoon,” Anik said Monday. “Frankie Edgar doesn’t want to be a two-division champion, he wants to be a three-division champion. I think internally he feels, and even though I don’t agree with this, that maybe it would be a cop out if he went right down to 135 and challenged [bantamweight champion] T.J. Dillashaw as he waits for a bantamweight contender to get healthy.
“I think he wants to win this belt at 145 and then maybe go to 135 before calling it a career. I just think given the backdrop of Conor McGregor and [featherweight champion] Jose Aldo and the likelihood that those two guys are going to fight twice in a row here, I just think it’s going to be a long wait for Frankie Edgar. Now to have to get through Chad Mendes on Dec. 11, I think it’s a huge ask.”
With Aldo and McGregor set to unify the featherweight title Dec. 12 at UFC 194 in Las Vegas, Edgar and Mendes would assumably be fighting for a No. 1 contender spot.
If Edgar falls to Mendes, Florian believes it opens the door for “The Answer” to challenge bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw. Edgar stepped right into a title shot against Aldo at UFC 156 in 2013, his debut for the weight class.
“He was the champion at 155 pounds and he feels like if he goes all the way down to 135 pounds people are going to say, ‘Oh, he’s just trying to take the easy route.’ said Florian. “That’s just not the case. Frankie can maybe be the champion at 145, but here’s the good scenario: If he does lose to Mendes, he has that 135 pound option. He can go down to 135.
“He can make 135, easy. I had that same conversation with Mark Henry and he said, ‘He can make 135, Kenny. He walks around at 150 if he’s training a lot.’ He’s right in there. He can challenge Dillashaw. He can challenge Conor or Aldo. It’s unbelievable what he’s done.”
Your MMA Mount Rushmore might have a few GOATs, but right now it’s just a two-headed Ronda McGregor monster.
That, according to interim UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor.
Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousy has ESPY’s, Hollywood and breakfast sandwiches, but McGregor believes he’s on level footing with “Rowdy.”
“I feel both of us are equal at the top of the game,” said McGregor. “She is a special athlete and I’m happy to be up there with Ronda at the top of the game.”
McGregor admits Rousey’s had a tougher road to stardom than he has, but maybe not for the reasons you’d expect. McGregor believes it’s the flaws in his game that have helped him become such a draw.
“I believe, in the male spectrum, that I’m dominating the game. 100 precent. However, in the female aspect, Ronda is a two-time ESPY winner now. She’s a dominant champion. It’s very hard for her because she is so dominant.
“There’s a lot of questions about me. I am thankful for all the questions being asked about me because that generates interest which in turn generates revenue. Ronda’s just so dominant. She’s slaughtering these women ruthlessly.”
Rousey defends her title to Holly Holm Nov. 15 at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
‘Inconclusive evidence.’Travis Brownereleases a statement after the UFC lifts his suspension due to domestic violence investigation. ‘Sometimes saying nothing, requires more strength than saying everything.’
‘Barnyard fights.’ For two months, MMA Fighting conducted dozens of interviews with fighters, managers, promoters, coaches and others connected to unsanctioned mixed martial arts shows in California, particularly Xplode Fight Series.
Big Pygmy.Justin Wren hopes to parlay a future Bellator title run into more aid for the Congo. “I’m going to be able to do so much more in the Congo because of this fight.”
Well this is going to be a short fanpost just updating you on this event.
China has forced ONE Championship to postpone their Sept.1 Shanghai event to Sept.17 due to Sept 3rd “Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of World Anti-Fascist War”
That is the same thing that forced M-1 to postpone & move their M-1 Challenge 61 card from China to Russia.
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.
Your MMA Mount Rushmore might have a few GOATs, but right now it’s just a two-headed Ronda McGregor monster.
That, according to interim UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor.
Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousy has ESPY’s, Hollywood and breakfast sandwiches, but McGregor believes he’s on level footing with “Rowdy.”
“I feel both of us are equal at the top of the game,” said McGregor. “She is a special athlete and I’m happy to be up there with Ronda at the top of the game.”
McGregor admits Rousey’s had a tougher road to stardom than he has, but maybe not for the reasons you’d expect. McGregor believes it’s the flaws in his game that have helped him become such a draw.
“I believe, in the male spectrum, that I’m dominating the game. 100 precent. However, in the female aspect, Ronda is a two-time ESPY winner now. She’s a dominant champion. It’s very hard for her because she is so dominant.
“There’s a lot of questions about me. I am thankful for all the questions being asked about me because that generates interest which in turn generates revenue. Ronda’s just so dominant. She’s slaughtering these women ruthlessly.”
Rousey defends her title to Holly Holm Nov. 15 at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
‘Inconclusive evidence.’Travis Brownereleases a statement after the UFC lifts his suspension due to domestic violence investigation. ‘Sometimes saying nothing, requires more strength than saying everything.’
‘Barnyard fights.’ For two months, MMA Fighting conducted dozens of interviews with fighters, managers, promoters, coaches and others connected to unsanctioned mixed martial arts shows in California, particularly Xplode Fight Series.
Big Pygmy.Justin Wren hopes to parlay a future Bellator title run into more aid for the Congo. “I’m going to be able to do so much more in the Congo because of this fight.”
Well this is going to be a short fanpost just updating you on this event.
China has forced ONE Championship to postpone their Sept.1 Shanghai event to Sept.17 due to Sept 3rd “Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of World Anti-Fascist War”
That is the same thing that forced M-1 to postpone & move their M-1 Challenge 61 card from China to Russia.
TEMECULA, Calif. — Given his five-year layoff from fighting, Justin Wren can’t help but find the silver lining in an underwhelming debut performance at Bellator 141.
Wren scored a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) over heavyw…
TEMECULA, Calif. — Given his five-year layoff from fighting, Justin Wren can’t help but find the silver lining in an underwhelming debut performance at Bellator 141.
Wren scored a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) over heavyweight veteran Josh Burns, who now falls to 0-6 in his stint with the promotion.
Wren spent much of the time away from MMA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, working to provide clean water for his adopted family, a community of oppressed Pygmies.
The win wasn’t a barnburner, but Wren says he’s keeping the bigger picture in mind.
“I would say the experience was very positive,” Wren told media post-fight,” I got the W. I didn’t get the win like I wanted, but at the same time it’s five years and two months since my last fight. I’m very excited to get the win because I did exactly what I wanted to do.
“It’s been such a great reception from people. It’s awesome. I’m going to be able to do so much more in the Congo because of this fight.”
SPIKE TV might not be available in the Congo’s jungles, but Wren says his crew in Africa is working to relay footage back the Pygmies.
“It was one of the most awesome things,” said Wren. “The director of implementation for Water4 was here tonight. He was sending one-minute clips with WhatsApp to our well-drilling team of 17 guys. At 3:30 in the morning, everyone was watching the fight. We got video back of them celebrating and crying. They were so happy. They’re going to take that into the forest to my Pygmy family and I wish I was there to do the dancing with them.”
Wren made his altruistic motivations for fighting clear, but insists he’s recommitted himself to the sport.
“I’m back,” said Wren. “I’m back and I’m going to do it until I feel like I’m done. After this fight I know some people might say, ‘Oh, I don’t know if he’s in Bellator title fight contention,’ but I want to get there. I want to chase that down because with a bigger platform more people pay attention to what’s important. Obviously, fighting is important, it’s one of my greatest passions, but what I’m doing outside of fighting is so much more important.
“If I can use this platform to go for another five to seven years? In seven years, I’ll be 35. Look at the top guys in the world. They’re 33, 35, 37. I’ve got time. Maybe these next two, three years I really need to fine-tune things and get better. Then I can make a run.”
Wren says he struggled with a loss of identity when he stopped fighting, but seems to have finally struck a balance.
“That was my identity, my purpose, my significance” Wren said of fighting. “It was where I found my value. But once I found a greater purpose I said, ‘You know what? Fighting’s not that important.’ But it’s my passion, I love it. So now, I don’t have to do one or the other like I thought. I can do both. By doing both, we can do more and make more of an impact for the Congo.”
TEMECULA, Calif. — After scoring a unanimous decision victory over Saad Awad on Friday night at Bellator 141, Patricky Freire is setting his sights on lightweight champion Will Brooks.
The pair have beef dating back to the Bjorn Rebney…
TEMECULA, Calif. — After scoring a unanimous decision victory over Saad Awad on Friday night at Bellator 141, Patricky Freire is setting his sights on lightweight champion Will Brooks.
The pair have beef dating back to the Bjorn Rebney era, but things went to 11 after some interesting Bellator bookings.
Brooks will defend his title to Marcin Held Nov. 6 at Bellator 145 in St. Louis, Missouri, but it was announced that featherweight champion and “Pitbull” brother Patricio Freire would headline the card against former champ Daniel Straus.
“I stand by my words,” Brooks said. “When I see Patricio, or Patricky, either one of them in St. Louis, I will slap one of them. I promise you that.”
Leaving the booking up to the organization, Patricky Freire says he’ll be ready to fight for the title whenever he’s called on.
“[Brooks] is a guy who talks a lot,” Freire told media post-fight. “Even last year when I was in the finals of the tournament, he was already talking smack about me. I don’t know what drove him to do that, but I’m focused on getting the title. If Will Brooks happens to have the title I’m going to happily take that fight and I’m going to beat him up. I’m going to pay him back for all this trash he’s been talking.
“I think he’s a loudmouth and I think I’m going to embarrass him.”
With Brooks booked up, Freire hopes to stay active through the end of 2015.
“I’d like to get back in there sooner than later,” said Freire. “I left the fight with no injuries. I feel good. I’m motivated to get back in the gym and train so if there’s an opportunity to fight in a month, two months I’ll be ready to go.”
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