Author: J.Jones

Friday Link Dump: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez Title Fight Set, Cuomo Signs MMA in NY Bill, Worst Fight Bookings in UFC History + More

(“Mixed Martial Arts and Crafts” starring Chris Weidman: Surprisingly Funny. via The Kicker)

Dagestani Dynasty: How Fighting Became the Nurmagomedov Family Business (BloodyElbow)

Rafael dos Anjos to Defend Title Against Eddie Alvarez on UFC Fight Pass (MMAFighting)

MMA Now Officially Legal in New York; UFC Slates Nov. 12 Event at Madison Square Garden (MMAJunkie)

For UFC on Fox 19, the Real Intrigue Is on Fight Pass (Bleacher Report)

The post Friday Link Dump: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez Title Fight Set, Cuomo Signs MMA in NY Bill, Worst Fight Bookings in UFC History + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(“Mixed Martial Arts and Crafts” starring Chris Weidman: Surprisingly Funny. via The Kicker)

Dagestani Dynasty: How Fighting Became the Nurmagomedov Family Business (BloodyElbow)

Rafael dos Anjos to Defend Title Against Eddie Alvarez on UFC Fight Pass (MMAFighting)

MMA Now Officially Legal in New York; UFC Slates Nov. 12 Event at Madison Square Garden (MMAJunkie)

For UFC on Fox 19, the Real Intrigue Is on Fight Pass (Bleacher Report)

10 Worst Fight Bookings in UFC History (Low Kick)

Nazi Punks F*ck Off: Interview with Green Room Director Jeremy Saulnier (Screen Junkies)

Judging By the Cover: Street Fighter 2 (Escapist)

Funny Pickup Lines That Are Guaranteed to Fail (30 Photos) (Radass)

Exclusive Interview: Adult Star Eva Lovia Talks About the Industry and the Election (EveryJoe)

Ellie Kemper Takes Us Inside Kimmy Schmidt (MadeMan)

The post Friday Link Dump: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez Title Fight Set, Cuomo Signs MMA in NY Bill, Worst Fight Bookings in UFC History + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

With Lyoto Machida Sidelined, Dan Henderson Booked Against Hector Lombard at UFC 199


(Jeez Hendo, we turn around for two seconds and you’re already back on the Cowboy Cerrone diet?!)

Thanks to Lyoto Machida‘s shocking and untimely admission to using banned substances, Dan Henderson has found himself without a dance partner for this weekend’s UFC on FOX 19 card and appears none to pleased about it. The 45-year-old is on the heels of a quick KO loss to Vitor Belfort — his third such loss in his past six fights — but is apparently still hankering to lose a few more brain cells in as timely a fashion as possible.

With most of the middleweight division already tied up, Henderson’s options for a short-notice brain cell removal artist were extremely limited. Thankfully, the UFC went and found Hendo an opponent who not only tested positive for banned substances in recent history, but could knock more than a few brain cells loose if he so desired: Hector Lombard. It’s a win-win for everyone!

The post With Lyoto Machida Sidelined, Dan Henderson Booked Against Hector Lombard at UFC 199 appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Jeez Hendo, we turn around for two seconds and you’re already back on the Cowboy Cerrone diet?!)

Thanks to Lyoto Machida‘s shocking and untimely admission to using banned substances, Dan Henderson has found himself without a dance partner for this weekend’s UFC on FOX 19 card and appears none to pleased about it. The 45-year-old is on the heels of a quick KO loss to Vitor Belfort — his third such loss in his past six fights — but is apparently still hankering to lose a few more brain cells in as timely a fashion as possible.

With most of the middleweight division already tied up, Henderson’s options for a short-notice brain cell removal artist were extremely limited. Thankfully, the UFC went and found Hendo an opponent who not only tested positive for banned substances in recent history, but could knock more than a few brain cells loose if he so desired: Hector Lombard. It’s a win-win for everyone!

According to a report published on Sherdog, Henderson has been booked against the former Bellator champion in a middleweight matchup that has “concussion” written all over it. But likely because Lombard would not be able to make his massive cut to 185 on just a few days notice, the fight has been moved from UFC on FOX 19 to UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Weidman II in June.

While not necessarily a “must-win” scenario for Lombard, the fight does come on the heels of a third round TKO loss to Neil Magny last month and a positive test for anabolic steroids in his fight before that. As for Henderson, well, it’s even harder to say. The former Pride and Strikeforce champion has dropped three of his past four fight and six of his past eight but is showing no signs of slowing down (you know, except for his reaction time, offensive output, and lateral movement), so who knows how long he’ll be sticking around for.

Henderson vs. Lombard is one of those fights where a win doesn’t exactly do a lot for either fighter in terms of their divisions (especially with Lombard fighting at welterweight these days), but it’s still a pretty intriguing matchup, all things considered. Who ya got?

The post With Lyoto Machida Sidelined, Dan Henderson Booked Against Hector Lombard at UFC 199 appeared first on Cagepotato.

And The Latest UFC Fighter to Be Busted for Banned Substances Is…Lyoto Machida?!!


(Say it ain’t so, Lyoto…)

The UFC’s recently-implemented, USADA-partnered drug-testing program has been quietly gaining steam at a predictable-but-still-scary rate since it was officially implemented last October, most recently catching Frank Mir in what may very well be a career-ending mistake earlier in the month and busting Viscardi Andrade just earlier in the week for a similar violation.

While the anti-doping agency’s settlement with Yoel Romero shows that the system is not exactly fool-proof yet, it’s still doing a respectable job of cleaning up the sport’s dirtiest fighters and hitting them where it hurts the most.

One of the last fighters that you would ever expect to be lumped into that category, however, is former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

The post And The Latest UFC Fighter to Be Busted for Banned Substances Is…Lyoto Machida?!! appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Say it ain’t so, Lyoto…)

The UFC’s recently-implemented, USADA-partnered drug-testing program has been quietly gaining steam at a predictable-but-still-scary rate since it was officially implemented last October, most recently catching Frank Mir in what may very well be a career-ending mistake earlier in the month and busting Viscardi Andrade just earlier in the week for a similar violation.

While the anti-doping agency’s settlement with Yoel Romero shows that the system is not exactly fool-proof yet, it’s still doing a respectable job of cleaning up the sport’s dirtiest fighters and hitting them where it hurts the most.

One of the last fighters that you would ever expect to be lumped into that category, however, is former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Over the course of his near-10 year career in the UFC, “The Dragon” has displayed nothing less than the epitome of class and professionalism both inside and outside of the octagon, serving as a true ambassador for a sport with only a handful of guys that you’d ever want to give such a title to. But just as Anderson Silva did before him, Machida once again reminded us that

Scheduled to rematch Dan Henderson in the co-main event of this weekend’s UFC on FOX 19 card — a card which has already taken its fair share of hits, for what it’s worth — Machida shocked the MMA world this afternoon by admitting that he had used a banned substance while being administered an out-of-competition drug test.

“The UFC organization was made aware today by U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, that Lyoto Machida declared the usage of a banned substance during an out-of-competition sample collection last week,” UFC official stated on Wednesday.

“Machida stated that he was unaware that the substance was prohibited both in and out of competition and, in accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, his disclosure of usage will be taken into consideration by USADA during any potential results management and adjudication process.”

And this right here is why my only heroes are ghosts, Nation. I guess we could give props to Machida for being up front with his banned substance use (though which one he used specifically has not been revealed yet) instead of belittling our intelligence by blaming his positive test on the sauna or the guy testing your samples, but at the same time, Machida is the one guy I would have believed was the victim of some crazy mix up. WHY YOU GOTTA BREAKA MY HEART, LYOTO?! WHYYYY!!!!

As a result of his admission, Machida’s scheduled bout with Henderson has been pulled from UFC on FOX 19, and Henderson is PISSED.

Take it easy, Dan.

The post And The Latest UFC Fighter to Be Busted for Banned Substances Is…Lyoto Machida?!! appeared first on Cagepotato.

The Progidy is Back: BJ Penn Booked Against Denis Siver at UFC 199

Like most MMA fans who prefer not to see the legends of the sport continue to fight well past the twilights of their careers, we did not exactly take the news of BJ Penn’s unretirement well. Following his *last* unretirement fight — a one-sided, horrific beatdown to rival Frankie Edgar at the TUF 19 Finale — a teary-eyed Penn openly admitted to reporters that he never should have returned to the sport, leading most of us to believe that he had finally learned the lesson that so few fighters do.

But a broken spirit and a declining skill set is nothing that Master Jackson can’t fix, and as such, The Progidy…er…The Prodidy…The Prodigy is back!

The post The Progidy is Back: BJ Penn Booked Against Denis Siver at UFC 199 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Like most MMA fans who prefer not to see the legends of the sport continue to fight well past the twilights of their careers, we did not exactly take the news of BJ Penn’s unretirement well. Following his *last* unretirement fight — a one-sided, horrific beatdown to rival Frankie Edgar at the TUF 19 Finale – a teary-eyed Penn openly admitted to reporters that he never should have returned to the sport, leading most of us to believe that he had finally learned the lesson that so few fighters do.

But a broken spirit and a declining skill set is nothing that Master Jackson can’t fix, and as such, The Progidy…er…The Prodidy…The Prodigy is back!

According to Kevin Iole (via BloodyElbow), Penn has officially been booked to return to the octagon. The former two-division champion will face German kickboxer and spinning sh*t aficionado Dennis Siver at UFC 199, which transpires at The Forum in Inglewood, California on June 4th.

With all do respect to Siver, the matchup is easily the most winnable one Penn has been given in close to 7 years. Seriously, look at the dude’s resume – Penn has fought nothing but killers for something like 11 fights in a row, and even his opponents before that were anything but cans. Having dropped two fights in a row and been sacrificed to Conor McGregor, Cub Swanson, and Donald Cerrone in the recent past, Siver has quickly transitioned from the UFC’s master of the spinning back kick to its go-to fall man, and a loss to Penn may very well see him get his walking papers.

That being said, this is a far more winnable fight for Siver than you might initially expect, based solely on how atrocious Penn looked in his last performance. Could six months at the Jackson-Wink camp really have regenerated the 37-year-old Penn to his former glory? And if it has, how long will it last? It’s hard to say, really, but all I know is that a win against Siver might be the worst thing that could happen to him. Lord knows he’ll be promoted to instant #1 contender status with anything resembling an impressive performance, and the thought of seeing him face whoever emerges from the Edgar-Aldo-McGregor pileup is enough to make you lose your lunch.

What do you think though, Nation? Is this the best case scenario for Penn, or is he once again sowing the seeds for his own demise?

The post The Progidy is Back: BJ Penn Booked Against Denis Siver at UFC 199 appeared first on Cagepotato.

VIDEO: Watch Derrick Lewis Flatten Gabriel Gonzaga at Fight Night 86

Thanks to the power of social media, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis has quickly risen from another one of the division’s many forgettable faces to one of the sport’s most entertaining personalities. The Black Beast’s Instagram page is a goldmine of fighter-bashing memes and generally strange cultural observations, and the man’s sense of humor can best be described as “don’t give a f*ck” with a heaping side of “come at me, bro.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that once inside the octagon, Lewis is nothing short of a stack of C-4 attached to a pair of tree trunks. Whether in victory or defeat, each and every one of Lewis’ eight UFC bouts have ended via some form of hellacious knockout, and his most recent performance against Gabriel Gonzaga was no different.

The post VIDEO: Watch Derrick Lewis Flatten Gabriel Gonzaga at Fight Night 86 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Thanks to the power of social media, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis has quickly risen from another one of the division’s many forgettable faces to one of the sport’s most entertaining personalities. The Black Beast’s Instagram page is a goldmine of fighter-bashing memes and generally strange cultural observations, and the man’s sense of humor can best be described as “don’t give a f*ck” with a heaping side of “come at me, bro.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that once inside the octagon, Lewis is nothing short of a stack of C-4 attached to a pair of tree trunks. Whether in victory or defeat, each and every one of Lewis’ eight UFC bouts have ended via some form of hellacious knockout, and his most recent performance against Gabriel Gonzaga was no different.

Having suffered 9 out of his 11 professional losses by way of (T)KO, the general consensus seemed to be that Gonzaga would have to take Lewis down and work his vastly superior jiu jitsu game in order to secure a victory. While “Napao” was able to do just that in the early going, it was Lewis’ defense on the ground that was arguably more impressive. “The Black Beast” not only managed to escape Gonzaga’s mount, but shucked off a rear-naked choke attempt with the concern of a man ordering a pizza via Domino’s emoji-based delivery system.

And when the fight was forced back to the feet, it was only a matter of time until Gonzaga ate canvas, and boy did he ever. Lewis landed a monster uppercut that sent Gonzaga crashing to the mat and finished him off with a few follow-up punches, marking his third straight TKO finish inside the octagon. Up next for Lewis? It looks like a match against Roy Nelson.

As for Gonzaga, it might be about that time to consider retirement. The former title challenger has lost 4 out of his 5 last fights (3 by KO) and his only win in the past three years came in the hands down worst fight of 2015. With a UFC career dating back over 10 years and a dozen wins, “Napao” has nothing left to prove and would be best served saving what few brain cells he has left for things like playing Connect Four and remembering the names of his family members without a prompt.

In the main event of Fight Night 68′s heavyweight-heavy main card, Junior Dos Santos found his way back in the win column via a one-sided unanimous decision over the streaking Ben Rothwell. The former champ’s advantage in the speed department was noticeable from the get-go and was aided over the ensuing five rounds by the record number of body shots he was able to land on his flat-footed opponent. Probably the single greatest highlight from the fight was the Sparta kick JDS landed in the closing moments of the second round.

The win was a much-needed one for Dos Santos, who had gone 3-2 in his past 5 bouts since defending his title way back in 2012. Rothwell, on the other hand, saw a four fight win streak snapped in what may very well be a telling performance about just how far his awkward style can take him in the heavyweight division.

The full results for Fight Night 68 are below.

Main card (FOX Sports 1 at 2 p.m. ET)

Junior dos Santos def. Ben Rothwell via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Derrick Lewis def. Gabriel Gonzaga via knockout (Round 1, 4:48)
Francis Ngannou def. Curtis Blaydes via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) (Round 2)
Timothy Johnson def. Marcin Tybura via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jan Blachowicz def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Maryna Moroz def. Cristina Stanciu via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Undercard
Zak Cummings def. Nicolas Dalby via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alejandro Perez def. Ian Entwistle via verbal submission (Round 1, 4:04)
Mairbek Taisumov def. Damir Hadzovic via technical knockout (Round 1, 3:44)
Damian Stasiak def. Filip Pejic via submission (rear-naked choke) (Round 1, 2:16)

FightPass Undercard
Lucas Martins def. Robert Whiteford via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Jared Cannonier def. Cyril Asker via knockout (Round 1, 2:44)
Bojan Velickovic def. Alessio Di Chirico via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

The post VIDEO: Watch Derrick Lewis Flatten Gabriel Gonzaga at Fight Night 86 appeared first on Cagepotato.

VIDEO: Watch Derrick Lewis Flatten Gabriel Gonzaga at Fight Night 86

Thanks to the power of social media, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis has quickly risen from another one of the division’s many forgettable faces to one of the sport’s most entertaining personalities. The Black Beast’s Instagram page is a goldmine of fighter-bashing memes and generally strange cultural observations, and the man’s sense of humor can best be described as “don’t give a f*ck” with a heaping side of “come at me, bro.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that once inside the octagon, Lewis is nothing short of a stack of C-4 attached to a pair of tree trunks. Whether in victory or defeat, each and every one of Lewis’ eight UFC bouts have ended via some form of hellacious knockout, and his most recent performance against Gabriel Gonzaga was no different.

The post VIDEO: Watch Derrick Lewis Flatten Gabriel Gonzaga at Fight Night 86 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Thanks to the power of social media, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis has quickly risen from another one of the division’s many forgettable faces to one of the sport’s most entertaining personalities. The Black Beast’s Instagram page is a goldmine of fighter-bashing memes and generally strange cultural observations, and the man’s sense of humor can best be described as “don’t give a f*ck” with a heaping side of “come at me, bro.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that once inside the octagon, Lewis is nothing short of a stack of C-4 attached to a pair of tree trunks. Whether in victory or defeat, each and every one of Lewis’ eight UFC bouts have ended via some form of hellacious knockout, and his most recent performance against Gabriel Gonzaga was no different.

Having suffered 9 out of his 11 professional losses by way of (T)KO, the general consensus seemed to be that Gonzaga would have to take Lewis down and work his vastly superior jiu jitsu game in order to secure a victory. While “Napao” was able to do just that in the early going, it was Lewis’ defense on the ground that was arguably more impressive. “The Black Beast” not only managed to escape Gonzaga’s mount, but shucked off a rear-naked choke attempt with the concern of a man ordering a pizza via Domino’s emoji-based delivery system.

And when the fight was forced back to the feet, it was only a matter of time until Gonzaga ate canvas, and boy did he ever. Lewis landed a monster uppercut that sent Gonzaga crashing to the mat and finished him off with a few follow-up punches, marking his third straight TKO finish inside the octagon. Up next for Lewis? It looks like a match against Roy Nelson.

As for Gonzaga, it might be about that time to consider retirement. The former title challenger has lost 4 out of his 5 last fights (3 by KO) and his only win in the past three years came in the hands down worst fight of 2015. With a UFC career dating back over 10 years and a dozen wins, “Napao” has nothing left to prove and would be best served saving what few brain cells he has left for things like playing Connect Four and remembering the names of his family members without a prompt.

In the main event of Fight Night 68′s heavyweight-heavy main card, Junior Dos Santos found his way back in the win column via a one-sided unanimous decision over the streaking Ben Rothwell. The former champ’s advantage in the speed department was noticeable from the get-go and was aided over the ensuing five rounds by the record number of body shots he was able to land on his flat-footed opponent. Probably the single greatest highlight from the fight was the Sparta kick JDS landed in the closing moments of the second round.

The win was a much-needed one for Dos Santos, who had gone 3-2 in his past 5 bouts since defending his title way back in 2012. Rothwell, on the other hand, saw a four fight win streak snapped in what may very well be a telling performance about just how far his awkward style can take him in the heavyweight division.

The full results for Fight Night 68 are below.

Main card (FOX Sports 1 at 2 p.m. ET)

Junior dos Santos def. Ben Rothwell via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Derrick Lewis def. Gabriel Gonzaga via knockout (Round 1, 4:48)
Francis Ngannou def. Curtis Blaydes via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) (Round 2)
Timothy Johnson def. Marcin Tybura via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jan Blachowicz def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Maryna Moroz def. Cristina Stanciu via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Undercard
Zak Cummings def. Nicolas Dalby via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alejandro Perez def. Ian Entwistle via verbal submission (Round 1, 4:04)
Mairbek Taisumov def. Damir Hadzovic via technical knockout (Round 1, 3:44)
Damian Stasiak def. Filip Pejic via submission (rear-naked choke) (Round 1, 2:16)

FightPass Undercard
Lucas Martins def. Robert Whiteford via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Jared Cannonier def. Cyril Asker via knockout (Round 1, 2:44)
Bojan Velickovic def. Alessio Di Chirico via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

The post VIDEO: Watch Derrick Lewis Flatten Gabriel Gonzaga at Fight Night 86 appeared first on Cagepotato.