Of all the trash talk in MMA, Bethe Correia’s latest zinger is perhaps the strangest.
Speaking at a Q&A session in Goiania, Brazil, ahead of UFC Fight Night 67, Correia fielded a variety of fan questions, answering them with equal parts serio…
Of all the trash talk in MMA, Bethe Correia‘s latest zinger is perhaps the strangest.
Speaking at a Q&A session in Goiania, Brazil, ahead of UFC Fight Night 67, Correia fielded a variety of fan questions, answering them with equal parts seriousness, humor and hyperbole.
MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz was on site to translate some of Correia‘s responses, and one in particular stands out. The Brazilian, who faces UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 190 in August, believes she only needs two punches to finish the longtime women’s champ.
Only one of those punches will actually send Rousey to the land of the unconscious, though. The other one serves a different purpose entirely.
“I will only need two punches to beat her,” Correia said. “The first punch will be to knock that mole off her face. I want to take that mole out of there. And the second punch will be to knock her out. I need two punches.”
The 9-0 fighter is certainly not lacking confidence heading into the biggest fight of her life, eh?
Since coming to the UFC in December 2013, Correia has posted a 3-0 record with one stoppage. She eked out a split-decision victory over Julie Kedzie in her debut, then posted more impressive wins back-to-back against Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler.
Looking at this competition, one thing becomes clear: Rousey is on a different planet, and Correia will have to perform perfectly at UFC 190 if she wants to sport a shiny new belt by night’s end.
That said, Correia clearly isn’t shying away from the challenge. She believes she can knock Rousey out, and she also believes she’ll be fine if the fight goes to the canvas—the place where Rousey drags her foes before ruthlessly finishing them.
“I have a good team around me, good jiu-jitsu and judo trainers, a good team working on my striking, and I will be able to defend her armbars,” Correia said at the Q&A. “I won’t fall into her game and make the same mistakes the other fighters who fought her before did. I will make her fight my fight.”
When the lights go down August 1, we will see. Many women have spoken a nice game leading up to a fight with Rousey, and the champ has tossed them all back to the curb with ease.
Can Correia be the first person to change that? Personally, I don’t think so. I see this one ending via first-round submission like so many of Rousey‘s fights, and I’m not sure what Correia can do to change that.
What do you think? Can the Brazilian pull off the upset? Sound off below and we’ll discuss this title fight.
UFC light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo is a believer in Ryan Bader’s chances against newly minted 205-pound champion Daniel “DC” Cormier.
Speaking with MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz ahead of his UFC Fight Night 67 bout against Francimar Barroso, Jim…
UFC light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo is a believer in Ryan Bader‘s chances against newly minted 205-pound champion Daniel “DC” Cormier.
Speaking with MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz ahead of his UFC Fight Night 67 bout against FrancimarBarroso, Jimmo talked about a potential title fight between Bader and Cormier, predicting a new champion would be crowned should the fight take place.
“I might have a little bit of a biased intention here because Ryan Bader is my training partner, but I don’t think Daniel Cormier keeps it. I think Ryan Bader will beat him,” Jimmo told Cruz. “I think other fighters have done better against Jon Jones than Daniel Cormier has, and I don’t think he keeps that belt very long.”
Specifically, Jimmo sees Bader as the more athletic fighter in a potential showdown against Cormier.
“I think he [Bader] can stop his [Cormier‘s] wrestling, and I think his striking has really improved and he’s got an incredible amount of endurance,” Jimmo said. “I think Bader is actually a better athlete.”
The Bader-vs.-Cormier discussion took roots long before Cormier earned the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 187.
Before former champion Jon Jones’ hit-and-run incident and subsequent suspension and loss of his title, Cormier was scheduled to face Bader at the UFC Fight Night 68 event in Louisiana on June 6. When the UFC needed an opponent to fill in at UFC 187 to face title contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, however, it called Cormier‘s name, and the former Olympic wrestler rose to the challenge, eventually capturing the 205-pound strap via third-round submission.
While the UFC has not officially named Bader as the first challenger to Cormier‘s title, the fight makes sense, as Bader is on a four-fight winning streak and was already scheduled to face Cormier anyway.
There is, however, the small matter of level of competition in Bader‘s case. The best win during his four-fight run is current No. 6-ranked light heavyweight Ovince St-Preux, whom he defeated by unanimous decision in August 2014.
It’s unclear whether Bader‘s resume is strong enough to warrant a title shot, but he’s certainly generating some hype and giving himself every chance to earn the nod from UFC brass.
If the fight is arranged and Jimmo‘s prediction comes true, we’ll be in for a quick changing of the guard at light heavyweight.
UFC contenders Andrei Arlovski and John Dodson are riding high after their wins at May 23’s UFC 187 event in Las Vegas.
The Team Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA standouts apparently wasted no time getting back to the gym, but instead of polishing up their…
UFC contenders Andrei Arlovski and John Dodson are riding high after their wins at May 23’s UFC 187 event in Las Vegas.
The Team Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA standouts apparently wasted no time getting back to the gym, but instead of polishing up their MMA skills, they engaged in a little lighthearted pro-wrestling-style combat.
Arlovski—a UFC heavyweight who has won five straight, emerging as a legitimate title contender in the process—stands 6’4″ and weighs somewhere around 240 pounds. He’s massive.
Dodson—a UFC flyweight who has won three straight, also emerging as a title contender in his division—stands 5’3″ and walks around somewhere around 150 pounds. He is small.
The size juxtaposition alone makes this a fun watch, but I particularly enjoyed Dodson’s reaction to a flying Arlovski headed his direction. Catch that around 0:38 into the video.
Otherwise, this looks like some good fun between teammates, but the lingering issue with it is, of course, the risk of injury.
MMA fighters suffer injuries frequently enough as it is, so one can question how intelligent it is for two surging fighters on the cusp of title fights to engage in some high-flying WWE-style activity. Dodson, in particular, only recently recovered from ACL surgery, which put him out of action for almost a year.
Despite defeating his opponent, Zach Makovsky, at UFC 187 via decision, Dodson did look a little rusty, and it’s unclear whether he was still suffering from some lingering effects of that injury inside the Octagon.
The point is fair, but I personally think we should take this for what it is: two teammates and friends having a little fun and relaxing after months of hard work paid off for them inside the cage.
UFC interim heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum is all confidence and determination heading into his UFC 188 clash in Mexico City against heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez.
While Werdum was once considered a one-dimensional submission specialist,…
UFC interim heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum is all confidence and determination heading into his UFC 188 clash in Mexico City against heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez.
While Werdum was once considered a one-dimensional submission specialist, times have changed, and he’s recently established himself as one of the most technical and devastating strikers in the division. In his past two fights, Werdum has knocked out former K-1 World Grand Prix champion Mark Hunt and thoroughly out-classed the 6’7″ Hawaiian Travis Browne. Both men are known for their striking, and Werdum bested them at their own game.
This evolution is not lost on the interim champ. Werdum was cut from the UFC in 2008 after a knockout loss to former heavyweight king Junior dos Santos, and many felt he’d never develop the striking skills necessary to compete against the world’s best.
That, however, has rapidly changed, and Werdum looks forward to showcasing the next step along his journey to becoming a more complete fighter on June 13 when the lights go down in Mexico.
“Now it’s a big difference. In 2008, I wasn’t a 100 percent professional guy,” Werdum told Bleacher Report. “Now, I’m 100 percent professional. I train every day. I’ve trained a lot for this moment. But in 2008, I wasn’t serious with training. It’s so different now.”
With his win over Hunt in November at UFC 180, Werdum captured the UFC’s interim heavyweight title, a championship awarded because Velasquez had been out of action for over a year at that point. Now, Velasquez’s inactivity is creeping up on two years, and Werdum believes he—not Velasquez—is the true heavyweight champ because of this fact.
“I think my belt is the real one because I fought a lot of guys for it,” Werdum said. “Cain Velasquez hasn’t fought in about two years. On June 13, I’ll show who is the real champion. I want this match with Cain Velasquez. I want to shock the world again.”
Adding another layer of intrigue to this UFC 188 tilt, Werdum was already scheduled to face Velasquez in Mexico City. His November matchup against Hunt was never supposed to happen. He was slated to fight Velasquez that night.
When UFC President Dana White called and said Velasquez was out, though, Werdum took the news in stride.
“When Dana White called me and said, ‘You’re not fighting Cain Velasquez now,’ I didn’t like that,” Werdum said. “But I said, ‘OK, Dana. You put another opponent in, and I’ll be good. No problem.’ I went in there, [and] I just did my job. I showed everyone when I knocked out Mark Hunt. Everybody was saying, ‘Oh, maybe Werdum will submit him,’ or ‘Maybe Mark Hunt will knock him out,’ but nobody saw that coming.
“This is my opinion: Cain Velasquez didn’t fight Nov. 15 because he knew I was there [in Mexico] a long time and I was ready for that fight. I had a good rhythm with my career. He had an injury in the knee, but I think it was a strategy.”
Regardless of Velasquez’s motivations in November, all signs point toward their showdown going down without a hitch, and this is the fight that currently matters for both men and for the UFC heavyweight division as a whole.
The bout is just two weeks away, and Werdum is sharp and focused. No heavyweight to this point has had any success against Velasquez beyond landing one flush blow standing, but Werdum believes he can be the man to change that.
With his suddenly well-rounded arsenal, Werdum thinks he can impose his will and pull off the unexpected at UFC 188.
“I’m not waiting for Cain Velasquez. I just go,” Werdum said. “I’ll try to knock him down or maybe submit him. The best one is that maybe I’ll take him down. Guys don’t believe that [I can do that]. But maybe I’ll take down Cain Velasquez this time.
“I want to see what happens when I put Cain Velasquez’s back on the ground. Let’s see him with his back on the ground. Cain Velasquez is good when he’s on the top, when he can control the rhythm. But I want to see him on the ground.”
This daunting task—putting Velasquez on his back—isn’t just a pipe dream for Werdum, either. He has a real strategy in place to accomplish this goal, and he looks forward to putting it into effect for UFC fans worldwide and to proving he is the undisputed ruler of the heavyweight division.
“I have a strategy for this moment. I have good cardio, I’m strong now, I lift weights, I have good training,” Werdum said. “I’m ready for this. Everybody wants to see this fight—there are two belts, and I think my belt is the real one. Why would Dana White give me this belt? I’m there. It’s not my fault when on Nov. 15, 2014, I’m there, but Cain Velasquez doesn’t show up. I’m there, but he’s not there. My belt is the real one. I’ll show that on June 13 when I shock the world again.”
Werdum acknowledges Velasquez’s skills and accomplishments in the sport, but he also feels the champ’s inactivity will haunt him in this matchup. He’ll be a bit rusty and, even worse, he has the pressure of a nation on his shoulders as the “hometown favorite” of sorts.
Velasquez is proud of his Mexican heritage, and the Mexican fans will be behind him in full force. Werdum sees this as a pile of pressure Velasquez may not be ready to handle.
“I think he’ll have a lot of pressure on his shoulders,” Werdum said. “I don’t have any pressure. He has it all. He’s an American guy, but he has family from Mexico. He wanted to fight here. He has all the pressure.”
For Werdum, the bout against Velasquez is more than a title fight—it’s the experience of a lifetime. He’s looking forward to putting on the best fight of the year—in all of combat sports—and he fully expects this fight to mark the best moment of his career.
“Yeah, I think for sure the best moment in my life—and I’m really looking forward to this feeling—will be beating Cain June 13,” Werdum said. “You want to watch this fight because the guys say the biggest fight of the year was Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, but I think that’s not the best fight of the year. The best fight of the year is coming up now on June 13.
Current UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger Bethe Correia just crossed the line.
In a sport like MMA, a lot—damn near anything—is fair game when it comes to promoting a fight. Say you want to smash your opponent’s head in. Make …
Current UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger Bethe Correia just crossed the line.
In a sport like MMA, a lot—damn near anything—is fair game when it comes to promoting a fight. Say you want to smash your opponent’s head in. Make fun of them. Slam their fighting skills.
But don’t say what Correia did.
Speaking with Brazilian outlet Combate about her upcoming tilt with Ronda Rousey at UFC 190, Correia made a comment that officially crossed from “fair game” to “absolutely not.”
I want to knock her out, show to everyone that she is a lie. She wants to stand up with me, let’s see. I want to humiliate her and show the word she has no MMA. She is focused on movies, books. I am much stronger, I come from a developing country, where people are struggling to survive, not to starve. It is very different from her life of reality. Under pressure, she is proving weak. When her mom put pressure on her, she ran away from home. When she lost, it was because of drugs. That’s not a superhero. She is not mentally healthy, she needs to take care of herself. She is winning, so everybody is around her cheering her up, but when she realizes she is not everything that she believes she is, I don’t know what might happen. I hope she does not kill herself later on (laughs).
Correia seems to be referring to some struggles Rousey outlined in her recently released book, My Fight, Your Fight.
Really, Correia bringing up Rousey‘s past personal demons isn’t the end of the world. Recalling some less-than-desirable choices Rousey made on her own is fair game in the world of fight promotion, in my opinion.
It’s that last sentence that is unacceptable.
Rousey‘s father committed suicide when she was just eight years old, making the suicide comment completely off limits. There is a slight chance that Correia didn’t know this about Rousey‘s past, but even if the UFC champ didn’t have a deep, personal and tragic connection to suicide, this is an area one should avoid at all costs.
Suicide—and the conditions that lead to it—are simply off limits. You don’t joke about something that claims almost 1 million lives per year, oftentimes devastating and shattering families in the process.
Defeating Rousey will say more than enough about Correia‘s merits as a professional fighter without the need for a distasteful comment.
She’ll make headlines and be remembered for pulling off one of the most shocking upsets in MMA history should she emerge victorious at UFC 190. After this latest sound bite, however, don’t be surprised to see Rousey come out harder and more focused than ever.
A Correia victory was already pretty unlikely in the eyes of most fans and critics. Now, the Brazilian challenger may have made her situation even worse.
UFC middleweight Gegard Mousasi would like to give Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort the chance to redeem himself at UFC Fight Night 78 in Japan.
Belfort is coming off a devastating loss to UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman at UFC 187, and Mousasi believes…
UFC middleweight GegardMousasi would like to give Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort the chance to redeem himself at UFC Fight Night 78 in Japan.
Belfort is coming off a devastating loss to UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman at UFC 187, and Mousasi believes a matchup with The Phenom is the right move for both of their careers right now.
Mousasi even handpicked the date, taking to Twitter in an attempt to arrange the fight for Sept. 26 in Saitama (h/t MMAJunkie for the clarification):
To Mousasi‘s point, both men have competed extensively in Japan in the past, so a fight there under the UFC banner would likely draw some local interest.
Belfort fought in Japan once under the UFC banner at the 1997 “UFC Japan” event, and he added six more appearances in front of the Japanese crowd from 1999 to 2005 with Pride Fighting Championships.
Mousasi, meanwhile, has fought 13 times in Japan, with the majority of those fights coming under the Pride and Dream banners.
Most recently, Mousasi defeated HiroshiIzumi at the Dream: Japan GP Final in Tokyo on July 16, 2011, where he defended his Dream Light Heavyweight Championship.
Besides this geographical angle, a Mousasi vs. Belfort matchup is just plain fun.
After his loss to Weidman, Belfortfell to No. 4 in the UFC’s official middleweight rankings, but he’s still one of the most dangerous men in the division because of his polished, powerful and aggressive striking game.
Mousasi, on the other hand, is coming off consecutive victories over Dan Henderson and CostasPhilippou, and he is currently ranked seventh in the division.
With a laser-like jab and well-rounded submission game, Mousasi is comfortable anywhere a fight may go, and he could give Belfort problems with his patience and technical savvy. Whereas Belfort represents brute strength and power, Mousasi embodies technique and tranquility, making this an intriguing clash of styles.
While my gut says Belfort would clip Mousasi and become the first man to earn a technical knockout stoppage over him, there’s no denying that the aging Brazilian appeared a little off against Weidman.
Whether that was a product of Weidman‘s brilliance or an actual regression remains to be seen, and a bout against Mousasi could go a long way toward clearing the air on that front.
Who would you favor in this fight? Leave a comment, and we’ll discuss this potential showdown.
Of all the trash talk in MMA, Bethe Correia‘s latest zinger is perhaps the strangest.