Author: J.Jones

BREAKING: Conor McGregor Releases Statement, Says He “Is Not Retired” [UPDATED]


(Don’t give us that look! This is all your fault, you pasty, charismatic bastard!! via Getty.)

In the 48 hours that have followed the shocking (and completely unbelievable) news that UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor had decided to “retire young,” the MMA world has been whipped into a frenzy, with the speculated reasons behind his sudden departure ranging from the death of Joao Carvalho to a conspiracy involving  a superfight with Georges St. Pierre at Madison Square Garden (seriously, that’s what one of the sports radio jocks out here in Boston actually believed was the case).

Today, however, McGregor has broken his silence with a lengthy statement posted to his Facebook page, which you can check out below.

The post BREAKING: Conor McGregor Releases Statement, Says He “Is Not Retired” [UPDATED] appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Don’t give us that look! This is all your fault, you pasty, charismatic bastard!! via Getty.)

In the 48 hours that have followed the shocking (and completely unbelievable) news that UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor had decided to “retire young,” the MMA world has been whipped into a frenzy, with the speculated reasons behind his sudden departure ranging from the death of Joao Carvalho to a conspiracy involving  a superfight with Georges St. Pierre at Madison Square Garden (seriously, that’s what one of the sports radio jocks out here in Boston actually believed was the case).

Today, however, McGregor has broken his silence with a lengthy statement posted to his Facebook page, which you can check out below.

The statement reads:

“I am just trying to do my job and fight here. I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote. I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting. There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop. 50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I’m left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this. Nothing else was going through my mind.

It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life. Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Conneticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a fuck morning show did not get me this life. Talking to some lady that deep down doesn’t give a fuck about what I’m doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I’m cool with that too, I’ve been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now. I’m coming for my revenge here. I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep. With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight. I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again.

I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment. But it was denied. There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me. So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them. And all with one tweet. Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good. I must isolate myself now. I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time. I can not dance for you this time. It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I’ve danced us all the way here. Nate’s little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it. He came in with no shit to do that last one. I’d already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out. Maybe I’ll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.

I’m doing what I need for me now. It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way. I feel the $400million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway. I am still ready to go for UFC 200. I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions. If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don’t know what to say.

For the record also – For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations – I AM NOT RETIRED.”

So the greatest promoter in the game got a little caught up with promoting and wanted to get back to basics ahead of his rematch with the man who beat him. It’s a classic Rocky III scenario at play here, and honestly, it’s hard to blame McGregor for his attitude. The guy wants to spend as much time figuring out how to *not* get schooled by Nate Diaz again as he can, and embarking on another media tour won’t accomplish that. We’re still 3 months out from UFC 200, but like White said, the $10 million promotion effort for the event had already been put into place, and McGregor had already agreed to it, so now’s not exactly the time to back out.

Of course, the question now becomes: Will McGregor and the UFC patch things up in time to save UFC 200, or

[UPDATE]

And just like that, we have our answer.

According to MMAFighting (via TMZ), the UFC has officially pulled the plug on McGregor vs. Diaz II, and are currently in the process of finding a new main event for the card. No word yet on what that may be, or whether McGregor vs. Diaz will be rescheduled for an event in the near future.

We’ll keep you updated.

The post BREAKING: Conor McGregor Releases Statement, Says He “Is Not Retired” [UPDATED] appeared first on Cagepotato.

Check Out This SCARY Soccer Kick KO From the ‘TUF 23? Premiere [VIDEO]


(Based on our reaction, we henceforth name this technique “The Florida Evans Kick“)

So the 23rd season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on FS1 last night, and though we have long since stopped being what you’d call “regular viewers,” that doesn’t mean we can’t occassionally highlight some of the more memorable/brutal moments from the long-running reality show.

A prime example: The light heavyweight matchup between Khalil “The Warhorse” Rountree vs. Muhammed “Mo Muscle” DeReese, which ended with some of the most horrific (and legal!) soccer kicks you will ever see.

Video after the jump.

The post Check Out This SCARY Soccer Kick KO From the ‘TUF 23′ Premiere [VIDEO] appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Based on our reaction, we henceforth name this technique “The Florida Evans Kick“)

So the 23rd season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on FS1 last night, and though we have long since stopped being what you’d call “regular viewers,” that doesn’t mean we can’t occassionally highlight some of the more memorable/brutal moments from the long-running reality show.

A prime example: The light heavyweight matchup between Khalil “The Warhorse” Rountree vs. Muhammed “Mo Muscle” DeReese (Ed note: solid nicknames selection all around, fellas), which ended with some of the most horrific (and legal!) soccer kicks you will ever see.

Described as a classic “striker vs. grappler” matchup by Dana White, the first round of Rountree vs. DeReese was largely controlled by the latter’s heavy, if mostly ineffective top game.

“What’s crazy is the judges will actually give the round to (DeReese), when I actually think that (Rountree) won it,” remarks The Baldfather in-between rounds, proving once again why he should stay as far away from a judge’s table as humanly possible.

Of course, the judges would be taken out of the equation early in the second round when Rountree proceeded to drop DeReese with some HEAVY leather, then unleash a pair of absolutely bru-tal soccer kicks to the body that forced Herb Dean to wave off the fight.

Check out the full fight below (the finishing sequence starts at the 6:20 mark).

You just gotta love the diversity of reactions that Rountree’s finish provided here: DW is awe-struck, Gadelha is cheering it on, and Joanna Champion looks like she just saw her BFF get hit by a bus.

The UFC has uploaded a slew of fights from last night’s premiere to its Youtube page, but if you’re like us, you’ll use this time to discuss how much Claudia Gadelha can GET. IT.

(*”Dream Weaver” plays*) (*swoons*)

The post Check Out This SCARY Soccer Kick KO From the ‘TUF 23′ Premiere [VIDEO] appeared first on Cagepotato.

Conor McGregor Has Retired From MMA, Apparently, And WAIT, WHAT?!!!


(via Getty)

Well, ain’t this some shit.

According to multiple sources, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has suddenly, inexplicably, opted to retire from mixed martial arts. Except that he probably hasn’t. Except that he *has* been pulled from his UFC 200 rematch with Nate Diaz. Honestly, no one really knows what the Hell is going on right now, but head after the jump for all the details.

The post Conor McGregor Has Retired From MMA, Apparently, And WAIT, WHAT?!!! appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via Getty)

Well, ain’t this some shit.

According to multiple sources, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has suddenly, inexplicably, opted to retire from mixed martial arts. Except that he probably hasn’t. Except that he *has* been pulled from his UFC 200 rematch with Nate Diaz. Honestly, no one really knows what the Hell is going on right now, but head after the jump for all the details.

Yesterday afternoon, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor sent out the following tweet:

It was almost immediately dismissed by those of us “in the know” as the little more than the latest publicity stunt from the McGregor camp — possibly a tactic to get in the head of Nate Diaz ahead of their welterweight rematch scheduled for UFC 200 (I guess?). We all had a good chuckle about it, in either case, until late last night when rumors began to circulate that this thing was at least semi legitimate.

McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, echoed the sentiment of McGregor’s retirement with a tweet of his own, writing, “Well was fun while it lasted.” Then, Ariel Helwani tweeted out that “Multiple sources are adamant at this time that McGregor’s tweet isn’t a joke, troll job or hoax of any kind. Reason(s) behind it is unclear.” But media speculation is just that: speculation.

Of course, when Dana White then went on Sportscenter to announce that McGregor had been pulled from his UFC 200 headliner for failing to make the necessary media appearances earlier in the week, it began to feel like McGregor’s retirement was at least semi-legitimate. The question then became: Why? Had McGregor suddenly been afflicted with a personal tragedy? Was this the latest result of his repeated “clashes” with the UFC brass? WHAT THE F*CK IS HAPPENING?!!!

The reasoning behind McGregor’s shocking announcement seems to boil down to one of three things:

1) The death of Joao Carvalho.

If you haven’t heard, Brazilian fighter Joao Carvalho tragically passed away last week following a TKO loss to McGregor’s SBG teammate, Charlie Ward. The heartbreaking death has stirred up some intense feelings from Irish media about MMA’s place in the country in the time since, and McGregor — who witnessed the fight first hand — seemed to take the news of his passing harder than most.

“To see a young man doing what he loves, competing for a chance at a better life, and then to have it taken away is truly heartbreaking,” wrote McGregor in a Facebook post last week.

“We are just men and women doing something we love in the hope of a better life for ourselves and our families. Nobody involved in combat sports of any kind wants to see this. It is such a rare occurrence that I don’t know how to take this.

I was ringside supporting my teammate, and the fight was so back and forth, that I just can’t understand it.
My condolences go out to Joao’s family and his team. Their man was a hell of a fighter and will be sorely missed by all.

Combat sport is a crazy game and with the recent incident in boxing and now this in MMA, it is a sad time to be a fighter and a fight fan.

It is easy for those on the outside to criticise our way of living, but for the millions of people around the world who have had their lives, their health, their fitness and their mental strength all changed for the better through combat, this is truly a bitter pill to swallow. We have lost one of us.
I hope we remember Joao as a champion, who pursued his dream doing what he loved, and show him the eternal respect and admiration he deserves.”

It could be entirely possible that McGregor decision to hang up his gloves was not only influenced by the shaking realization of how dangerous this sport can be, but by the fact that he was supposed to appear in Vegas just days after it to promote an event as if nothing had happened. Then again, if that was the case, why would McGregor be posting photos like this just days ago?

Of course, there’s also another possibility behind McGregor’s retirement…

2. A Bluff Gone Wrong

It’s been rumored for sometime now that McGregor has been clashing with the UFC brass over the most obvious of issues: Money. McGregor is a smart guy, realizes that he’s by far the UFC’s biggest draw, and has been demanding increasingly exorbitant paychecks as a result.

“Conor had a deal with the UFC. And Conor’s now going back and trying to renegotiate and it just doesn’t work that way. It can’t. You can’t write everything down, you can’t get your contracts done all the time in this business. There’s 500 guys under contract. There’s not even that many employees in the UFC. I think there’s like 340 employees with 500 fighters. There’s 53 shows scheduled for a year that only has 52 weeks in the year. You have to be able to make a phone call, count on whatever the guy says, hang up the phone and that’s the end of it. You have to be able to do that.

According to a tweet sent out by TV sports personality Charly Arnolt late last night, McGregor was demanding $10 million dollars to rematch Nate Diaz at UFC 200, a number significantly higher than *any* UFC fighter has ever been paid before.

Now, McGregor has always been a big picture guy, to the point that he’s openly discussed eventually leaving the UFC to promote his own fights. Just as Floyd Mayweather became the kajillionaire that he is today after he decided to leave Bob Arum behind to found Mayweather Promotions, McGregor may very well be using his popularity as a tool to hold the UFC hostage in a negotiation. Lord knows he has earned enough money to sit back for a while until the UFC decides to pony up, but would he really risk everything on a bluff?

According to Chael Sonnen, yes, he would. During a Facebook live chat last night, Sonnen speculated that McGregor had bit off more than he could chew in attempting to bluff the UFC brass.

“Conor has a contract, he made a deal, somewhere he didn’t sign it. Let the promotion go out, let the money get spent and then realized ‘I’ve got the upper hand. Now I can come back and renegotiate. Who’s going to tell me no when the advertising is already done?’ That’s what he did. Guaranteed. With no inside knowledge, guaranteed that’s what happened,” said Sonnen.

“He might really be done…I don’t know if he wants to be done. This was a negotiation tool. But he called the bluff of the wrong guys. These are gamblers man, there’s rules in Vegas. If you say bet you have a bet. I mean that. You go to a casino, you don’t put your money down, you tell the pit boss ‘I want that bet’ if he yells the word bet you have a bet. And it goes both ways. If you win it he’ll pay you…Anytime you go into a negotiation and you call someone’s bluff, man you better mean it because this is what can happen.”

According to Dana White, however, McGregor’s bluff could have been a lot simpler than that. “He was in Iceland training and didn’t want to ruin his preparation for the fight,” said White while appearing on Sportscenter, suggesting that McGregor may have simply pulled the biggest power move of them all when forced to deal with the obligations the UFC so often forces upon its fighters. Though if we’ve learned one thing from Dana White over the years, it’s that he cannot be trusted.

3. It’s all a set-up

The one thing facet of this story that seems to be agreed upon by both MMA media members and fans is that McGregor, obviously, is not actually retiring. Helwani has since tweeted that “Wouldn’t hang my hat anything. One thing multiple sources seem to agree on: he’ll fight again. When? Where? How? TBD. But they believe that,” and with rumors of George St. Pierre’s return to MMA gaining more steam than ever, the idea has begun to spread that McGregor’s retirement has been a bluff by both the man himself *and* the UFC in order to set-up a match between the two somewhere down the line.

It seems ridiculous, we know, but consider what GSP told The MMA Hour on Monday:

“I would rather be known as the best ever than holding the belt. If you’re the best and even if you don’t have the belt and you’re the best, it’s more gratifying. The belt is a material thing. It’s good. I won it a few times. But I want to fight the best, the biggest name.”

Would the UFC actually pull such a positively WWE-esque move just to put an even bigger fight into place down the line? Not a chance in Hell, if you ask us, especially with what is already primed to be the biggest card in promotional history ever-approaching.

Absolute insanity. We’ll keep you updated as this story develops.

The post Conor McGregor Has Retired From MMA, Apparently, And WAIT, WHAT?!!! appeared first on Cagepotato.

Diego Brandao’s Latest Arrest is PEAK War Machine Diego Brandao

(Nothing like starting a fight on camera to avoid looking bad.)

At the risk of inciting his well-documented wrath, we feel compelled to say that TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao might be a bit of a loose cannon. Aside from the short fuse he displayed while in the TUF house, the man has also threatened to stab Dustin Poirier with a pen and attacked a Carnaval reporter on camera in the recent past, which doesn’t exactly speak to the zen-like qualities that martial arts is supposed to inspire.

Brandao’s latest arrest, however, is like something out of a War Machine fan fiction novel.

Details after the jump. 

The post Diego Brandao’s Latest Arrest is PEAK War Machine Diego Brandao appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Nothing like starting a fight on camera to avoid looking bad.)

At the risk of inciting his well-documented wrath, we feel compelled to say that TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao might be a bit of a loose cannon. Aside from the short fuse he displayed while in the TUF house, the man has also threatened to stab Dustin Poirier with a pen and attacked a Carnaval reporter on camera in the recent past, which doesn’t exactly speak to the zen-like qualities that martial arts is supposed to inspire.

Brandao’s latest arrest, however, is like something out of a War Machine fan fiction novel.

Details after the jump. 

Over the weekend, details started to leak that the TUF 14 winner had been arrested outside of a strip club in Albuquerque for allegedly striking an employee with a gun. According to MMAJunkie, Brandao was arrested on Friday, charged with aggravated battery and three counts of aggravated assault, then released on Saturday after posting the $15,000 bond.

Last night, however, the nasty details of the incident were laid out when Brandao’s public arrest warrant was released (again via MMAJunkie), so strap yourself in for this mess…

According to the warrant, a doorman from Knockouts, Anthony Romero, told police Brandao had been arguing with the club’s DJ and appeared to be intoxicated. He left the bar and attempted to return, but was denied because of his intoxication.

“Hey puta, the next song that comes on better be Scatman John or I’m going to lose my shit!”

It was then that Brandao allegedly tried to punch his way back into the bar and wound up fighting four employees – including the DJ – before Romero pushed him out and then locked the door into the club.

Another bouncer, Lavon King, identified Brandao as “the UFC guy” that had previously visited the club several times and confirmed his identity when a dancer showed him a picture on her phone. The bouncer was outside Knockouts with another bouncer, Patrick Otero, and he saw Brandao drive his car off the parking lot and move it to a nearby street corner.

Wait, the club is called Knockouts? I’m going to assume that this whole incident can be traced back to Brandao’s inability to understand double entendre, then.

Then, Brandao allegedly exited the car carrying a gun and pointed it at the group.

(Brandao) pointed the gun at (King’s) chest and yelled at the group. Lavon stated that Diego then pointed the gun at Patrick’s face and then struck him in the face with the firearm.

Lavon stated that (Brandao) pointed the gun at the three of them again and then went back to the vehicle. Lavon did state that he was in fear of losing his life during the altercation.

Romero told police as soon as he heard Brandao allegedly had a firearm, he escorted other bar patrons inside to take shelter.

Man, how long do you think it will be before MMA is re-banned in Albuquerque? “You’re not safe on the roads, you’re not safe in the strip clubs…what’s next, a turf war inside the Stop n’ Shop?!”

Patrick stated he tried to calm Diego down and reason with him, but Diego turned the firearm to him and pointed it at his head. Patrick stated he put his hands up and noticed the other two subjects run behind Patrick’s car for cover.

Patrick stated that Diego asked him why he didn’t help him and hit him with the butt of the firearm on his chin. Patrick stated Diego then walked back to his vehicle, and pointed the firearm at the three of them one more time prior to leaving the area.

I’m just sayin’, Thiago Silva would have applauded Brandao’s restraint.

The UFC has of course released their obligatory statement on Brandao’s arrest, which you can check out below.

“We are aware that UFC featherweight Diego Brandao was arrested Friday following an altercation at a business establishment in Albuquerque, N.M. We are in the process of gathering more information at this time. While we are concerned by the nature of the reported allegations, it is important to note that Brandao is entitled to due process in a court of law. We will have no further comment until more information can be gathered.”

With Brandao currently serving a suspension for a positive marijuana test administered following his loss to Brian Ortega at UFC 195, you’d imagine that this would be the last straw for the troubled featherweight. Then again, the UFC needed video evidence of Thiago Silva actually committing his crimes before they were willing to let him go, so who knows what lies in store for this idiot.

More on this as it develops.

The post Diego Brandao’s Latest Arrest is PEAK War Machine Diego Brandao appeared first on Cagepotato.

Diego Brandao’s Latest Arrest is PEAK War Machine Diego Brandao

(Nothing like starting a fight on camera to avoid looking bad.)

At the risk of inciting his well-documented wrath, we feel compelled to say that TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao might be a bit of a loose cannon. Aside from the short fuse he displayed while in the TUF house, the man has also threatened to stab Dustin Poirier with a pen and attacked a Carnaval reporter on camera in the recent past, which doesn’t exactly speak to the zen-like qualities that martial arts is supposed to inspire.

Brandao’s latest arrest, however, is like something out of a War Machine fan fiction novel.

Details after the jump. 

The post Diego Brandao’s Latest Arrest is PEAK War Machine Diego Brandao appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Nothing like starting a fight on camera to avoid looking bad.)

At the risk of inciting his well-documented wrath, we feel compelled to say that TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao might be a bit of a loose cannon. Aside from the short fuse he displayed while in the TUF house, the man has also threatened to stab Dustin Poirier with a pen and attacked a Carnaval reporter on camera in the recent past, which doesn’t exactly speak to the zen-like qualities that martial arts is supposed to inspire.

Brandao’s latest arrest, however, is like something out of a War Machine fan fiction novel.

Details after the jump. 

Over the weekend, details started to leak that the TUF 14 winner had been arrested outside of a strip club in Albuquerque for allegedly striking an employee with a gun. According to MMAJunkie, Brandao was arrested on Friday, charged with aggravated battery and three counts of aggravated assault, then released on Saturday after posting the $15,000 bond.

Last night, however, the nasty details of the incident were laid out when Brandao’s public arrest warrant was released (again via MMAJunkie), so strap yourself in for this mess…

According to the warrant, a doorman from Knockouts, Anthony Romero, told police Brandao had been arguing with the club’s DJ and appeared to be intoxicated. He left the bar and attempted to return, but was denied because of his intoxication.

“Hey puta, the next song that comes on better be Scatman John or I’m going to lose my shit!”

It was then that Brandao allegedly tried to punch his way back into the bar and wound up fighting four employees – including the DJ – before Romero pushed him out and then locked the door into the club.

Another bouncer, Lavon King, identified Brandao as “the UFC guy” that had previously visited the club several times and confirmed his identity when a dancer showed him a picture on her phone. The bouncer was outside Knockouts with another bouncer, Patrick Otero, and he saw Brandao drive his car off the parking lot and move it to a nearby street corner.

Wait, the club is called Knockouts? I’m going to assume that this whole incident can be traced back to Brandao’s inability to understand double entendre, then.

Then, Brandao allegedly exited the car carrying a gun and pointed it at the group.

(Brandao) pointed the gun at (King’s) chest and yelled at the group. Lavon stated that Diego then pointed the gun at Patrick’s face and then struck him in the face with the firearm.

Lavon stated that (Brandao) pointed the gun at the three of them again and then went back to the vehicle. Lavon did state that he was in fear of losing his life during the altercation.

Romero told police as soon as he heard Brandao allegedly had a firearm, he escorted other bar patrons inside to take shelter.

Man, how long do you think it will be before MMA is re-banned in Albuquerque? “You’re not safe on the roads, you’re not safe in the strip clubs…what’s next, a turf war inside the Stop n’ Shop?!”

Patrick stated he tried to calm Diego down and reason with him, but Diego turned the firearm to him and pointed it at his head. Patrick stated he put his hands up and noticed the other two subjects run behind Patrick’s car for cover.

Patrick stated that Diego asked him why he didn’t help him and hit him with the butt of the firearm on his chin. Patrick stated Diego then walked back to his vehicle, and pointed the firearm at the three of them one more time prior to leaving the area.

I’m just sayin’, Thiago Silva would have applauded Brandao’s restraint.

The UFC has of course released their obligatory statement on Brandao’s arrest, which you can check out below.

“We are aware that UFC featherweight Diego Brandao was arrested Friday following an altercation at a business establishment in Albuquerque, N.M. We are in the process of gathering more information at this time. While we are concerned by the nature of the reported allegations, it is important to note that Brandao is entitled to due process in a court of law. We will have no further comment until more information can be gathered.”

With Brandao currently serving a suspension for a positive marijuana test administered following his loss to Brian Ortega at UFC 195, you’d imagine that this would be the last straw for the troubled featherweight. Then again, the UFC needed video evidence of Thiago Silva actually committing his crimes before they were willing to let him go, so who knows what lies in store for this idiot.

More on this as it develops.

The post Diego Brandao’s Latest Arrest is PEAK War Machine Diego Brandao appeared first on Cagepotato.

Glover Teixeira Viciously Knocks Out Rashad Evans in the UFC on FOX 19 Main Event [VIDEO]

(via UFC on FOX)

Outside of his occasional appearances in the FOX studio as an analyst, Rashad Evans has become an increasingly unfamiliar face to MMA fans in recent years. Following a particularly stubborn series of leg injuries that forced the former light heavyweight champion out of potential bouts with Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson among others, “Suga” returned to the cage for the first time since 2013 back in October, dropping a unanimous decision to Ryan Bader in a performance that seemed to signal that the 12-year veteran’s time as an elite 205er had come and gone.

At first, Saturday’s UFC on FOX 19 event seemed like it could be the perfect stage for Evans to mount a comeback. The TUF 2 winner and TUF 10 coach was set to face Mauricio Rua, a cagey-but-declining veteran facing many of the same career woes as himself, and was being listed as the early favorite across the board. Of course, Rua then went down with an injury, and Evans was instead paired against the incredibly dangerous Glover Teixeira instead.

When Evans and Teixeira met in the middle of the octagon at Saturday’s event, the former’s air of confidence seemed to have dissipated entirely — understandably so, given the events of the past few years. It was a different man fighting in the cage that night, and the result was a knockout loss that may very well have spelled the end of an incredible career.

After the jump: Evans’ emotional post-fight interview with Heidi Androl, and the complete list of UFC on FOX 19 results.

The post Glover Teixeira Viciously Knocks Out Rashad Evans in the UFC on FOX 19 Main Event [VIDEO] appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via UFC on FOX)

Outside of his occasional appearances in the FOX studio as an analyst, Rashad Evans has become an increasingly unfamiliar face to MMA fans in recent years. Following a particularly stubborn series of leg injuries that forced the former light heavyweight champion out of potential bouts with Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson among others, “Suga” returned to the cage for the first time since 2013 back in October, dropping a unanimous decision to Ryan Bader in a performance that seemed to signal that the 12-year veteran’s time as an elite 205er had come and gone.

At first, Saturday’s UFC on FOX 19 event seemed like it could be the perfect stage for Evans to mount a comeback. The TUF 2 winner and TUF 10 coach was set to face Mauricio Rua, a cagey-but-declining veteran facing many of the same career woes as himself, and was being listed as the early favorite across the board. Of course, Rua then went down with an injury, and Evans was instead paired against the incredibly dangerous Glover Teixeira instead.

When Evans and Teixeira met in the middle of the octagon at Saturday’s event, the former’s air of confidence seemed to have dissipated entirely — understandably so, given the events of the past few years. It was a different man fighting in the cage that night, and the result was a knockout loss that may very well have spelled the end of an incredible career.

After the jump: Evans’ emotional post-fight interview with Heidi Androl, and the complete list of UFC on FOX 19 results.

Speaking with Heidi Androl following the quick loss, an emotional Evans was forced to choke back tears while describing the series of devastating setbacks that have have befallen him.

“Fighting just used to come so easy, so natural,” said Evans. “Now I feel I’m fighting against myself.”

It’s a revelation that we’ve seen many a fighter come to in this unforgiving sport, and one made all the more heartbreaking when it’s being verbalized by a guy as intelligent and charismatic as Evans. For close to a decade, “Suga” was one of the most consistent and successful fighters that the UFC’s light heavyweight division had to offer — a pioneer of the modern era of MMA whose career we literally watched evolve from beginning to end. Maybe it’s that rarity that makes the thought of never seeing him compete again particularly tough to swallow, but in any case, we just hope that Evans is able to make that incredibly tough decision (should he make it) with the knowledge that he will always be one of the sport’s greats.

The full results from UFC on FOX 19 are below. 

Main card
Glover Teixeira def. Rashad Evans via first-round KO (1:48)
Rose Namajunas def. Tecia Torres via unanimous decision
Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Darrell Horcher via second-round TKO (3:38)
Cub Swanson def. Hacran Dias via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Undercard
Michael Chiesa def. Beneil Dariush via submission (rear-naked choke) (R2, 1:20)
Raquel Pennington def. Bethe Correia via split decision
Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Court McGee via first-round TKO (4:15)
Michael Graves def. Randy Brown via submission (rear-naked choke) (R2, 2:31)
John Dodson def. Manvel Gamburyan via TKO (strikes) at :47 of round 1
Cezar Ferreira def. Oluwale Bamgbose via unanimous decision
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Omari Akhmedov via TKO (knees) at 3:03 of round 3

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