Considering that Rafael Dos Anjos basically destroyed the sport of MMA by pulling out of UFC 196 at the last minute (or so some fans and lesser MMA “analysts” would have you believe), you’d think that lightweight champion would be keeping a low profile and awaiting whatever opponent the UFC was generous enough to grant him next. I mean, the guy set into motion a series of events that would result in Conor McGregor losing a fight, which is a travesty on par with Josh Barnett killing Affliction (again, I’m just quoting some of my esteemed Twitter colleagues here).
Suffice it to say, Dos Anjos (which is Portuguese for “Two Vaginas,” I’m told) is in no position to be calling anyone out — not even McGregor, who I’ve also been recently informed was never all that great a fighter to begin with — but wouldn’t you know it, he’s gone and done it anyway, and against another champion, no less!
Considering that Rafael Dos Anjos basically destroyed the sport of MMA by pulling out of UFC 196 at the last minute (or so some fans and lesser MMA “analysts” would have you believe), you’d think that lightweight champion would be keeping a low profile and awaiting whatever opponent the UFC was generous enough to grant him next. I mean, the guy set into motion a series of events that would result in Conor McGregor losing a fight, which is a travesty on par with Josh Barnett killing Affliction (again, I’m just quoting some of my esteemed Twitter colleagues here).
Suffice it to say, Dos Anjos (which is Portuguese for “Two Vaginas,” I’m told) is in no position to be calling anyone out — not even McGregor, who I’ve also been recently informed was never all that great a fighter to begin with – but wouldn’t you know it, he’s gone and done it anyway, and against another champion, no less!
Speaking with Ariel Helwani on yesterday’s MMA Hour, Dos Anjos admitted that, although he’s lost his “payday” fight with McGregor as a result of his recent injury, he would be willing to make it up to the UFC, sort of, by facing welterweight champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 200.
“I have a lot of energy, I want to do stuff, but I can’t yet. But it’s fine. I’m going to be back in four or five weeks. I’m up for UFC 200,” said Dos Anjos.
“I don’t know the UFC’s plans, but I’m here, man. I’m here to fight anybody. I’ll fight welterweight too, if they need. I respect Robbie Lawler, but if UFC needs somebody to fight for the welterweight (title), I would fight.”
Oh right, you were afraid to fight the lion, but now you want to fight the great white shark (or perhaps “modern day Cthulhu” is a more accurate comparison?) that is Robbie Lawler? Well WE. AIN’T. BUYING. IT.
FACT: Rafael Dos Anjos ran scared from the biggest fight of his life with an injury that some ibuprofen and an Icy Hot pad would have healed 100% in less than 48 hrs. Our evidence? YOU CAN’T RUN ON A BROKEN FOOT, YOU GUYS.
In conclusion, the UFC would be foolish bordering on insane to book this fight, which would almost certainly result in Dos Anjos pulling out due to a bad case of Restless Leg Syndrome and being replaced by Nate Diaz yet again.
Actually, short notice Diaz vs. Cthulhu Lawler sounds like a real barnburner of a fight, so go ahead and book this, Dana!!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Details after the jump.
You see, while the Reebok-endorsed feminazi colony of bruised-footed namby-pambys known as the UFC can barely scrape together one decent main event for the average card, UR Fight has gone ahead and booked FOUR main events for its inaugural pay-per-view on March 20th. Count ‘em, four.
MAIN EVENT #4: 57-year-old Dan Severn vs. 50-year-old Tank Abbott in an MMA fight
Do you think that the trailblazers over at UR Fight seem concerned about the “moral dilemma” or “repercussions” of having a man with literally zero boxing experience face a legend of the sport, or that Michael Bisping has “technically” been medically suspended for 180 days following his fight with Anderson Silva, or that Abbott and Severn’s combined age is greater than most California redwoods? FUCK NO THEY AREN’T, and that’s how business should be done!
Look, this might be difficult for all you social-justice-crusading, neckbearded keyboard warriors to understand, but if two people want to fight in a cage instead of on an Interweb forum, then these so-called “athletic commissions” are pretty much powerless to stop them. The same goes for the promotions, who outside of sending both parties to a therapist (or some other gutless treatment meant for non-alphas) can really only provide them with a place to throw down and slap a reasonable price tag on the proceedings…say, $11.99. THIS IS A FACT.
And while we’re dropping truths, we should point out that Dan Severn has been calling for a senior’s…pardon me…”Masters” division in MMA for some time now, and with Ken Shamrock too busy healing from the bruised vagina that Royce Gracie gave him, the honor of facing him has fallen on Tank Abbott, a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue patriot if there ever was one.
So if you consider yourself an American — Hell, if you even consider yourself a red-blooded human being — then it is your civic duty to go to the UR Fight website, pony up the necessary 11 dollars and 99 cents and watch this fight with a foam finger in one hand and a Pabst Blue Ribbon in the other on March 20th. #TRUMP2016 bitches!!!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Details after the jump.
You see, while the Reebok-endorsed feminazi colony of bruised-footed namby-pambys known as the UFC can barely scrape together one decent main event for the average card, UR Fight has gone ahead and booked FOUR main events for its inaugural pay-per-view on March 20th. Count ‘em, four.
MAIN EVENT #4: 57-year-old Dan Severn vs. 50-year-old Tank Abbott in an MMA fight
Do you think that the trailblazers over at UR Fight seem concerned about the “moral dilemma” or “repercussions” of having a man with literally zero boxing experience face a legend of the sport, or that Michael Bisping has “technically” been medically suspended for 180 days following his fight with Anderson Silva, or that Abbott and Severn’s combined age is greater than most California redwoods? FUCK NO THEY AREN’T, and that’s how business should be done!
Look, this might be difficult for all you social-justice-crusading, neckbearded keyboard warriors to understand, but if two people want to fight in a cage instead of on an Interweb forum, then these so-called “athletic commissions” are pretty much powerless to stop them. The same goes for the promotions, who outside of sending both parties to a therapist (or some other gutless treatment meant for non-alphas) can really only provide them with a place to throw down and slap a reasonable price tag on the proceedings…say, $11.99. THIS IS A FACT.
And while we’re dropping truths, we should point out that Dan Severn has been calling for a senior’s…pardon me…”Masters” division in MMA for some time now, and with Ken Shamrock too busy healing from the bruised vagina that Royce Gracie gave him, the honor of facing him has fallen on Tank Abbott, a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue patriot if there ever was one.
So if you consider yourself an American — Hell, if you even consider yourself a red-blooded human being — then it is your civic duty to go to the UR Fight website, pony up the necessary 11 dollars and 99 cents and watch this fight with a foam finger in one hand and a Pabst Blue Ribbon in the other on March 20th. #TRUMP2016 bitches!!!
If you were one of the almost everyone who thought that nothing good could come of Chris Leben’s unretirement, then boy do we have some good news for you. And by good news, we of course mean “somehow even more terrible news.”
If you were one of the almost everyone who thought that nothing good could come of Chris Leben’s unretirement, then boy do we have some good news for you. And by good news, we of course mean “somehow even more terrible news.”
Chris Leben is no longer coming out of retirement to fight for Bellator after doctors found a severe medical condition that left him with just 18 percent of normal blood flow to his heart.
Leben signed with Bellator this past month and was undergoing a physical in order to be cleared for a spring return when he failed several electrocardiogram (EKG) tests, according to the statement sent out by Leben’s management team. Doctors discovered a “life-threatening abnormality” to the left ventricle of his heart, which was “oversized,” “misshapen,” and “not operating properly.”
A combination of life-saving drugs was immediately prescribed to Leben in hopes of preventing “a catastrophic cardiac event.”
Yes, it appears that Leben’s well-documentedstruggles with alcohol and substance abuse have finally caught up to him in the worst way possible. And it gets worse.
“As of now, the prognosis is mixed: one doctor believes that he should be considered for a heart transplant, while another doctor hopes that medication and a healthy lifestyle will reverse some of the damage over time,” the statement read.
In either case, it’s safe to say that we won’t be seeing Leben fighting again, unless the vultures over at Venator FC sign him. As big fans of the guy, we’d like to wish a smooth recovery to Leben in what may very well turn out to be the biggest fight of his life. Sometimes it takes a wake-up call as big as this to truly open someone’s eyes to the issues facing them, and we hope that this will certainly be the case for the much-troubled TUF alum.
If the statement sent out by his management team is to be believed, it looks like Leben will face his latest setback head-on.
“Leben says that he is grateful to the fans, friends and family that have been there for him throughout his life and career. He will continue to fight the good fight, and has confidence that strict dedication to nutrition and wellness will allow him to succeed in this battle.”
(“While the world did gaze with deep amaze, At those fearless men but few, Who bore the fight that freedom’s light, Might shine through the foggy dew…” via Getty)
In 1993, the Gracie family brought in fighters of various fighting disciplines from all around the world — kickboxers, wrestlers, street brawlers, and even a sumo for good measure — with the goal of proving that Jiu Jitsu was the one style that could conquer them all. Twenty three years later, it appears that their theory still holds water.
In a night of absolutely thrilling fights, the aura of invincibility surrounding Conor McGregor — and to a lesser degree, Holly Holm — was shattered by the grappling attack of Nate Diaz and Miesha Tate, respectively. While there are many lessons to take away from the shocking events that unfolded at UFC 196 (and we’ll get into a few below), it is the one that we’ve been hearing for the past two decades that was perhaps the most resounding.
Jiu Jitsu conquers all.
Head after the jump for the full results & highlights from UFC 196.
(“While the world did gaze with deep amaze, At those fearless men but few, Who bore the fight that freedom’s light, Might shine through the foggy dew…” via Getty)
In 1993, the Gracie family brought in fighters of various fighting disciplines from all around the world — kickboxers, wrestlers, street brawlers, and even a sumo for good measure — with the goal of proving that Jiu Jitsu was the one style that could conquer them all. Twenty three years later, it appears that their theory still holds water.
In a night of absolutely thrilling fights, the aura of invincibility surrounding Conor McGregor — and to a lesser degree, Holly Holm — was shattered by the grappling attack of Nate Diaz and Miesha Tate, respectively. While there are many lessons to take away from the shocking events that unfolded at UFC 196 (and we’ll get into a few below), it is the one that we’ve been hearing for the past two decades that was perhaps the most resounding.
Jiu Jitsu conquers all.
Head after the jump for the full results & highlights from UFC 196.
If we’ve learned one other thing about MMA in these 23 years, it’s that no one is unbeatable. Heading into yet another last-minute replacement bout with Nate Diaz, it seemed as if Conor McGregor might just be reaching beyond his grasp by attempting to jump up *two* weight classes to take on Diaz. McGregor’s prediction of an early KO seemed well-founded when looking over his record (and completely ignoring Diaz’s), but when Diaz ate his shots and kept pressing forward — like the Diaz brothers have done time and time again — the Irishman eventually crumbled.
Things started off well for McGregor, though, with the Notorious one tagging Diaz early and often with his…well…notorious left hand and cutting Diaz open early. The problem was that, like Anderson Silva before him, McGregor became almost entirely reliant on his power to try put away a notoriously (that’s the last time I’ll use that word, I promise) tough fighter. Rather than butchering the body with constant, varied combinations like he had in previous contests, McGregor went headhunting, and largely came up short when forced to deal with Diaz’s reach and size advantage.
And then, midway through the second round, Diaz found his riddum. Perhaps it was the sudden jump up in weight that became too much for McGregor’s body to handle (as Joe Lauzon suggested it would), or perhaps it was Diaz’s notoriously insane pace, but McGregor got tired, and then, he got rocked. His arms heavy, his chin tested like it had never been before, McGregor became the “panic wrestler” of his own nightmares, and all but sealed his fate the moment he decided to engage in a grappling contest with a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt.
As anyone who has been able to separate McGregor’s pre-fight antics from his genuine personality could have predicted, the featherweight champion has taken his loss like a truly humble, honest human being. “Never ever shy away from challenges. Never run from adversity. Face yourself head on,” wrote McGregor on Instagram, a bit of advice that someone like Ronda Rousey could stand to hear.
Of course, this sport is comprised of nothing if not fickle fans…and even more fickle fighters, as it turns out. Jose Aldo and Rafael Dos Anjos have both taken to Twitter to bash McGregor for his performance, with the former calling him a “pussy” with “soap hands” despite, you know, this being a thing that happened. So while it looks like a trip back to 145 and a fight with Frankie Edgar might be next for McGregor, let’s all give the man his due credit for being the only current UFC champion truly willing to fight anyone, anytime. And while we’re at it, let’s give Diaz his due respect for being a goddamn badass powered by an almost unbreakable will.
Speaking of unbreakable will, Miesha Tate, ladies and gentleman. Until Saturday, the former title challenger was easily most known for her pair of one-sided defeats to Ronda Rousey, which really undersells what “Cupcake” has been able to accomplish in her career. Whether it’s submitting Marloes Coenen for the Strikeforce title, out wrestling olympic medalist Sara McMann, or what she was able to accomplish against Holm, Tate is just one of those fighters who simply can’t be counted out. The evolution of her game has been nothing short of remarkable to witness over the years, and her will to win has arguably been even more impressive.
Headed into the fifth round against Holm in a back-and-forth fight that had seen her nearly finish the champ in a dominant second round, then get picked apart on the feet in the third and fourth, Tate’s corner had her convinced that she needed a finish to win. While not entirely true, it was a perfect example of honest cornering being a key to victory. After a tie-up against the cage, Tate locked in a iron-clad rear-naked choke that sent Holm into panic mode. Holm attempted to throw Tate off in the scramble, but it all comes back to that unbreakable will. Tate held on, Holm went out, and suddenly, finally, Tate’s dream of becoming a champion had been realized.
Look, we’re not going to act like Rousey vs. Tate 3 isn’t something fans will be interested in, because that would be ludicrous. However, one can’t help but feel disappointed by how quickly the former champ has gone from someone who would literally walk out on interviews if you asked her about fighting to a someone suddenly ready to “get back to work,” all because the person who embarrassed her is no longer the champion. To borrow a phrase from Jon Snowden, it is quite possibly “the least martial thing ever.” And the UFC is rewarding her for it. Outstanding.
Check out the full list of UFC 196 results below.
Main card
Nate Diaz def. Conor McGregor via submission (RNC) (2nd, 4:12)
Miesha Tate def. Holly Holm via submission (RNC) (R5, 3:30)
Ilir Latifi def. Gian Villante via unanimous decision
Corey Anderson def. Tom Lawlor via unanimous decision
Amanda Nunes def. Valentina Shevchenko via unanimous decision
Undercard
Siyar Bahadurzada def. Brandon Thatch via sub (arm triangle) (3rd, 4:11)
Nordine Taleb def. Erick Silva via second-round KO (1:34)
Vitor Miranda def. Marcelo Guimaraes via second-round TKO (1:09)
Darren Elkins def. Chas Skelly via unanimous decision
Diego Sanchez def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision
Jason Saggo def. Justin Salas via first-round TKO (4:31)
Teruto Ishihara def. Julian Erosa via second-round KO (0:34)
